Sadly, it’s only sponsored by two representatives, both of whom happen to be Republicans. To be clear: it’s not sad that they’re Republicans; it’s sad that to date, no Democrats have cosponsored a bill that limits government overreach in the digital age. In 2026. Make of that what you will, but I can assure you it’s not for lack of outreach by the authors of the bill.

Speaking of which, Naomi Brockwell, founder of the Ludlow Institute, helped draft the bill and has a website dedicated to it.

Please contact your representatives and ask them to cosponsor this bill. Government overreach and the surveillance state are problems that affect all Americans. This is an opportunity to address those problems before they metastasize into something much worse.

Second Amendment advocates often argue that firearms are passive tools and therefore, the tool itself can’t be responsible for the act, even in part. This same logic does not apply to LLMs. What makes them different from a firearm is in what they are and what they’re designed to imitate.

For example, a firearm is only ever a firearm and in its purest form only does one thing: Sends a high speed projectile at whatever it’s pointed at in order to cause kinetic damage. A firearm has no motivations of its own and never pretends to be anything more than what it is.

By contrast, an AI chatbot or Agent taken to its logical conclusion mimics a human with superhuman abilities. It converses in order to invite further usage and the engineers who’ve created it are financially incentivized to maximize engagement. They have purposefully designed this system to appear and behave like a human in its interface in order to trick the brain of the user into believing they are speaking with a human, even if only on a subconscious level. In order to not be taken in by this hi-tech homunculus, the user has to then continually remind themselves that they’re interacting with a tool. This has to incur a mental cost. For some, this cost eventually becomes too high and they lower their defenses.

In short: For hundreds of thousands of years, tools as we understand them haven’t had a mind of their own, nor tried to convince their users they were human. Now, some are. Thus, greater care needs to be taken when crafting these new tools to avoid any confusion as to their nature. In my opinion, if AI interfaces were designed to be less conversational, AI-induced delusions would decline. However, this would also diminish engagement and is therefore unlikely to happen.

In previous posts, we covered choosing a Meshtastic device and getting started with a simple peer-to-peer setup. But Meshtastic is best used in groups, whether they be temporary or permanent, private or public. In this entry, we’ll go over a few different scenarios where these deployments would work well. But first, let’s cover some important concepts.

Channels

Channels are traditionally thought of as a narrow band of radio frequencies on which to communicate, typically over AM/FM radio, TV, or handheld two-way radios. However, Meshtastic channels are completely different. Instead, think of them as “Encryption Groups” (Hat tip to Atlavox’s YouTube channel for this explanation). Messages sent in these “channels” are encrypted and relayed through the mesh, until their recipient node(s) receives and decrypts them. But it’s important to understand that these messages are still sent on the same frequency slot as all other messages. Therefore, a Meshtastic frequency slot is more akin to a traditional radio channel. The frequency slot you send all your messages over is automatically derived from the name of the Primary Channel and its encryption key. Out of the box, the Default Public mesh channel and key assigns Frequency Slot 20, so any secondary channels (encryption groups) will also communicate on that frequency. However, you’ll want to create a new channel and override your frequency slot in the LoRa settings. But why would you want to change this in the first place? Because of automatic position updates.

Automatic Position

As we previously discussed, your position is shared automatically over the Primary channel. While we took steps to minimize this in the last post, we can apply our newfound channel knowledge to use this to our advantage. Configuring your own custom Primary channel and adding the default public channel as a secondary channel allows you to automatically share your node’s location among the members of your private primary channel and disable position requests with the rest of the mesh, better maintaining your privacy.

Note: These settings are US-specific. Adjust for your region if outside the United States.

Settings > LoRa:

• Region: United States

• Use Preset: Long Range - Fast

• Frequency Slot: 20

• Save

Your node will reboot. Now, add your private Primary channel:

• Name: <Whatever you want>

• Key Size: 256 bit

• Key: Generate a key to share with other members of your channel

• Channel Role: Primary

• Position: Enable as desired

• Precise Position: Enable as desired

Then add the public channel:

• Name: <Blank>

• Key Size: Default

• Key: AQ==

• Channel Role: Secondary

• Allow Position Requests: Unchecked

The Channel Name will be renamed to “Channel #“ where “#“ is its position in your channel list, starting at 1.

With this configuration, you can now communicate on the public channel without automatically giving out your position to the entire mesh. You’ll also want to disable new node notifications, unless you want your device flooded with non-stop notifications:

(iOS) Settings > Apps > Meshtastic > Notifications > Disable New Nodes

Now that that’s done, let’s explore some deployment scenarios...

Scenario 1: Go-bag Kits

In an emergency, Meshtastic radios can come in handy as a serve as a backup if cellular service goes out. Adding them to a Go-bag is relatively low-cost:

Parts list:
T1000-E (or handheld node of your choice)
Charging cable
Lanyard
Keychain hook

Total Cost: Approximately $50-$75 (depending on node choice)

Scenario 2: A Day Trip

The Setup

Earlier this year, I attended a local Renaissance Faire, which provided the perfect opportunity to test a temporary mobile mesh. I brought three Seeed Studio T1000-E’s and a custom RPI2040-based node with an external antenna, purchased from GarthVH on Etsy. I left the custom node in the back seat of our car (out of the sun, see Lesson #1) and plugged into a small battery, which was tucked under a front seat. Since the custom node had an external SMA antenna, I expected coverage to be significantly greater than the T1000-E’s on their own.

The terrain is best described as woodlands and dense forest, with several walking trails and multiple wooden structures throughout the park. The car node was parked in an asphalt parking lot, surrounded by other vehicles. At the furthest point, the group was half a mile from the car node.

Performance

Performance from the T1000-E’s to the car node was average, with dropouts occurring at several moments throughout the day. This can best be attributed to the car node being in a large parking lot, surrounded by lots of metal, at ground level. However, the handheld nodes performed well across large open distances with minor interference. Range significantly improved when the nodes were elevated from waist level to held above the head, although this was less than comfortable.

Lesson Learned #1

This first test was originally supposed to happen with a WisMesh Repeater Mini I preordered and waited for over a month to arrive. However, I committed cardinal sin #1: Leaving the WisMesh Repeater Mini on the dash of my car to charge via solar, in Summer. A car in the Summer sun can easily get up to 65 C/149 F, well above the operating temperature of both the battery and the solar panel. Although the solar panel survived, I couldn’t use the battery, and so it had to be replaced with another, purchased from Rokland.

Lesson Learned #2

When it comes to Meshtastic, height makes might. That is to say, range is significantly improved with altitude. While the handheld nodes were able to communicate with each other when unobstructed, communication with the car node was hampered by its placement and surroundings.

Lesson Learned #3

It’s important to note that at this point, we were on our own mesh, erroneously created by using a non-default Primary channel without overriding the Frequency Slot. Had we used the tips in the Channels section above, we would have joined any larger mesh in the area and potentially could have greatly increased our range.

Scenario 3: At the Park

The Setup

For our second test, we tried something a little less complicated. We placed the repaired WisMesh Repeater Mini behind the rear window of a car in a shaded parking area, walked out to several pre-marked locations, and sent messages between the handheld nodes. The terrain was mostly open and flat, with a roughly 10 foot increase in elevation at the fifth marker. All messages were acknowledged, meaning they were seen by another member of the mesh. Since this was a small private mesh, this meant one of our member nodes reported back the Acknowledgement and not another unaffiliated node.

Performance

First location: 1399 FT - Message acknowledged

Second location: 2211 FT - Message acknowledged

Third location: 2933 FT - Message acknowledged

Fourth location: 3510 FT - Message acknowledged

Fifth location: 3827 FT - Message acknowledged

Last location: 4284 FT - Message acknowledged

Scenario 4: A Neighborhood Mesh

You’ve set up your personal devices for daily use, configured a temporary mesh for a day trip, and may now be interested in setting up or joining a permanent mesh in your area.

The Setup

For our final scenario, we affixed the WisMesh Repeater Mini to a fence post with the Rokland mounting kit and angled it to the sun’s trajectory. This greatly increased our range and allowed our handheld nodes to communicate with nodes many miles away by relaying via this stationary node. While a solar panel isn’t necessary for a permanent deployment, it makes it a lot easier to set up a permanent or semi-permanent node. I chose the WisMesh Repeater Mini because it’s an all-in-one unit with a built-in solar panel and battery. The only time I have to remove it from the mount is when the firmware needs to be updated.

Lesson Learned #4

Pay attention to which way the screws on the mounting kit bands are pointing before threading them through the mounting post. Tightening the bands with your non-dominant hand while perched somewhere high is less than ideal.

Further Reading

Getting into Meshtastic has been a fun and relatively inexpensive way to learn about off-grid communication. I hope these guides have helped demystify Meshtastic and provided an easy way to get started with your own off-grid setup. However, these guides barely scratch the surface of how to use Meshtastic and there’s a lot more possible. If you’d like to learn more, the Meshtastic Discord server is a great resource and community to connect with others. If you’re interested in building your own unit or just doing a little more research, the Meshtastic subreddit has lots of unique and interesting homebuilt units and mounting methods.

Sources:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUqr6skhVCw

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egAZP4KKHNo

3. https://meshtastic.org/docs/overview/encryption/[](https://meshtastic.org/docs/overview/radio-settings/)

4. https://meshtastic.org/docs/overview/radio-settings/

5. https://meshtastic.org/docs/configuration/radio/channels/

6. https://www.reddit.com/r/meshtastic/comments/16a2mnq/deploying_mesh_in_public/

7. https://store.rokland.com/products/a-mount-versatile-wall-pole-mount-system-for-rakwireless-wismesh-repeater-mini?variant=42882733146195

Meshtastic, a mesh network used for text communication, can be difficult to break into without extensive effort and research. For example, Meshtastic runs on three different types of SoC manufactured by multiple vendors, including Seeed Studio, Heltec, LilyGo, RAKwireless, and others. Some devices are handhelds, some are repeaters, and some are just boards or kits in case you want to build your own node. The choices are abundant and daunting. That’s why I spent a considerable amount of time evaluating different devices in order to pick the one I believe is the easiest to get started with for most people.

Therefore, after much deliberation and research, I purchased the Seeed Studio SenseCAP Card Tracker T1000-E for Meshtastic. I based my decision on its affordability, IP65 rating, ease of setup, and the fact that it comes pre-flashed with the Meshtastic firmware, so no hardware hacking was required to get started. It’s available directly from Seeed Studio or on Amazon.

A fun story about RP2040 devices: Before purchasing the T1000-E, I picked up two custom RP2040-based units from an Etsy seller in January of 2024. These units lacked instructions on how to flash them with newer firmware, as they were clearly not meant for a Meshtastic novice. My many attempts to follow the generic flashing instructions on the Meshtastic website only led to repeated failure. Defeated, I left the devices on the shelf until just before starting this series, determined to try again in the future.

What was unbeknownst to me at the time is that RP2040 devices have a small boot select, or BOOTSEL, button used for putting the device into a state where it can be flashed easily. The instructions I eventually found mentioned double-clicking or holding this button down while starting the device, but I found no such button on either of the devices I purchased, at first. It wasn’t until I, in a moment of “f- it” annoyance, looked up the RP2040 and WisBlock 11300 LoRa module schematics, disassembled the units, and found a nondescript button that looked like it belonged to the LoRa chip instead of the RP2040 board to which it was affixed.

As I knowingly pressed the button while connecting the unit to my laptop (did I mention there was no battery or bluetooth either? Not. for. beginners), I was greeted by a prompt to mount the drive on my computer’s desktop. I then slowly and shamefully dragged the firmware file onto the drive to complete the update while trying not to notice my CompSci degree, silently judging me from the office wall.

This experience is the reason why I recommend purchasing your first Meshtastic radio from a manufacturer as opposed to buying one from Etsy or building one from a kit. Documentation and community support will save you a lot of headaches!

With new radio in hand, I then surveyed over 130 devices in four different states and found the top three most often encountered devices were:

1. Heltec V3 (ESP32)

2. LilyGo T-Deck (ESP32)

3. Seeed Studio T1000-E (nRF52)

It was interesting to see ESP32 devices topping the list, but devices built around that chip have been around a long time and are a community favorite, despite their shortcomings. If ESP32 fits your needs better than nRF52 or RP2040, either of the two devices listed above have plenty of documentation and support within the community.

Meshtastic App Setup

The setup process is similar for most mobile Meshtastic devices. After unboxing and charging or connecting your new device to power, download the Meshtastic app for your mobile platform. For the more privacy-conscious, app install via sideloading or F-Droid is also available for Android and Graphene OS users.

While downloading an app can seem odd for what's supposed to be an off-grid messenger, the app functions without a subscription (shocking, nowadays) and makes using the radio much easier. Standalone Meshtastic nodes that don’t require a connected device are available, but are more complex to use and therefore outside the scope of this guide.

Note: The mobile device app isn’t the only way to interact with Meshtastic radios, but I’ve found it to be the easiest by far. Meshtastic also makes a web client or Python CLI (command line interface) available, but I would strongly recommend saving those for when you’re more comfortable with the platform.

Note: After each of the following numbered steps, click the Save button after changing settings and before leaving the Settings screen. This will prompt a restart of the device. Reconnect and continue on to the next step until config is completed. Continuing on…

1. Turn on your Meshtastic device as per the manufacturer’s instructions and place in pairing mode if required

2. Open the Meshtastic app on your mobile device or computer. These instructions were compiled on iOS, but shouldn’t differ too much on other platforms.

   1. Allow the app to find Bluetooth devices

   2. (Optional) Allow the app to use your location. This allows the app to share mobile-generated GPS coordinates to your Meshtastic node

   3. Allow notifications, if desired

3. Under Bluetooth > Available radios, find and tap your node

4. Pair with the PIN code. This will most likely be found in your device’s packaging or on the manufacturer’s website.

5. At this point, you’ll have to choose your region. This determines which radio band your device will communicate on. Tap Set LoRa Region.

   1. Note: If in the USA, your band is 915 MHz. Europe, 868/443 MHz.

   2. This setting can also be found under Settings > LoRa > Region

6. Change your node name under Settings > User > Long Name/Short Name

   1. Long Name has a limit of 36 bytes or characters; Short Name is limited to just four characters. The last four digits of your device’s MAC address (a unique hardware identifier) are appended to the short name to create the Bluetooth device name.

7. Now change your node’s PIN. This will prevent anyone with the default PIN from pairing with your node:

   1. Settings > Bluetooth > Pairing Mode > Fixed PIN: Set a new PIN

Before going any further, please flash your Meshtastic device’s firmware to v2.6.11 or later. A critical vulnerability was disclosed in June 2025 that makes this a non-negotiable step. Steps to flash the T1000-E can be found here or follow your device’s firmware flash procedure. The Meshtastic Web Flasher is an invaluable tool that makes this process much easier.

An additional note on firmware upgrades: Before future flash upgrades, remember to back up your keys under Settings > Security > Key Backup (or copy the keys manually). After the flash has completed, restore the keys on the same screen. This will maintain your end-to-end encryption within Direct Messages.

The basic device setup is now complete and your Meshtastic node is almost ready to use.

Optional Settings

However, there are a few optional settings I changed that you might find useful too:

• Disable reporting usage and crash data -

  • Settings > App Settings > Usage and Crash Data: Disable

• Disable position -

  • Settings > Position > Device GPS: Disabled

    • Smart Position: Disable

    • Position Flags > Disable All

  • (iPhone) Phone Settings > Apps > Meshtastic >

    • Location: Never

    • Share Location: Disable

• Disable device speaker when receiving a message -

  • Settings > External Notification >

    • Options >

      • Enabled: Disable

      • Alert when receiving a message: Disable

      • Use PWM Buzzer > Disable

    • Optional GPIO > Disable All

    • Output pin buzzer GPIO: Unset

    • Output pin vibra GPIO: Unset

• Resetting Primary Channel -

  Warning: Changing the primary channel will prevent your node from receiving messages from other nodes configured with the default settings.

  • Periodic telemetry broadcasts like position and telemetry are sent over this default channel to any nodes within range. To control this information, rename the primary channel and create a new key:

    • Settings > Channels > Primary Channel > Chanel Details >

      • Name: Pick a name

      • Key Size: Pick a key size (larger is better)

      • Key: Enter a key or tap the generate key button to create one automatically

    • Settings > Channels > Primary Channel > Position >

      • Positions Enabled: Disable

Note: You can automatically share your location on a private secondary channel while keeping the primary channel unencrypted as of firmware v2.6.10. The Meshtastic site refers to this new capability, but I haven’t tested it yet.

STOP! Put on your tinfoil hat and nerd goggles! This bit’s important!

You may notice there is one topic I haven’t approached until now and that is security. Meshtastic employs AES256 encryption to protect channel communication, but there are some very important caveats you should be aware of before using Meshtastic for sensitive conversations in channels:

• Meshtastic does not employ Perfect-Forward-Secrecy in channels. This means any previous communications can be decrypted if an attacker gets ahold of the channel key through another means, such as node theft or inadvertent leakage.

• Meshtastic does not authenticate channel messages. This means anyone can trivially impersonate someone else within the same channel.

• Meshtastic does not verify the integrity of messages sent in channels. This means messages and nodes can be tampered with in transit. The bug report on this issue refers to its use against the admin module and therefore recommends not using the admin module as a workaround for node admin tasks, but it’s important to keep in mind for all messages.

Many of these limitations are due to the limited nature of the Meshtastic hardware. In my opinion, if you are using Meshtastic as a personal messenger and carry your node on you, you will most likely not be impacted by at least two of these in a worst-case scenario. However, the rules change when setting up unattended nodes…

Meshtastic:

Recommendations for users using private channels

• Do not configure private channels on unattended nodes. Nodes will relay Meshtastic traffic even if they are not able to decrypt it. Your unattended routers should not have the private PSK configured as it is easy to gain physical access and extract the channel key.

• Keep in mind that everything sent on a channel can be stored and decrypted later by anyone who gains access to the key, even if you locally delete the messages.

• Change your Channel Keys from time to time.

Source: https://meshtastic.org/docs/overview/encryption/

I prefer to think of Meshtastic channels as “Walkie-Textie”: It’s cheap and convenient to use, but not inherently secure without some legwork.

So where does that leave privacy-conscious users? Depending on your threat model, you may not want to use Meshtastic for secure group communication at the moment. If you do, please do so at your own risk.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The project is aware of its deficits and actively works to address them or provide workarounds where possible. Direct Messages are also not impacted by these issues, as they employ PKC (Public Key Cryptography) as of firmware v2.5 to secure them. Which brings us nicely along to…

Using Meshtastic as a Peer-to-Peer Messenger

Your Meshtastic device can now send and receive messages to any device within range on the Primary Channel. But what about sending secure messages to individual devices? This is where Direct Messages come in. To send a direct message to a node:

1. Open the Messages tab in the Meshtastic app and tap Direct Messages

2. In the Contacts list, choose the node you want to message

   1. Pay attention to the icon between the device icon and name:

      1. Green (locked): End-to-end encrypted using the new public key infrastructure method

      2. Yellow (unlocked): Firmware version prior to v2.5 and using the channel shared key. This chat is not end-to-end encrypted.

      3. Red key with a strike: Public key changed and is now different from what was first recorded. Reach out via another secure means and verify you are speaking with the same node. Although this scenario can happen as a result of a factory reset, it’s good practice to make sure this wasn’t the result of a security breach.

3. Enter a message and tap the send arrow to send your message. Delivery status messages are shown under the sent message. “Acknowledged” means the message was received by the recipient node. “Acknowledged by another node” means the message was received by another node in the mesh, but not the intended recipient. No worries though, that other node won’t be able to read the contents of the message. Other status messages are available within the chat window by tapping the (i) icon.

At this point you’ve set up your first Meshtastic node. Give yourself a round of applause! You can now browse the public channel and send direct messages to another node. But, what if you want to chat in your own channel? What if you’re going on a trip somewhere with bad cellular reception? In the next entry, we’ll approach setting up a mesh between two or more nodes

Thanks for reading!

Sources:

1. https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/sensecap_t1000_e/

2. https://meshtastic.org/docs/hardware/devices/

3. https://meshtastic.org/docs/getting-started/initial-config/#set-regional-settings

4. https://meshtastic.org/zh-CN/docs/configuration/radio/security/#

5. https://meshtastic.org/docs/configuration/radio/bluetooth/

6. https://meshtastic.org/zh-CN/docs/configuration/radio/security/#:~:text=Backup%E2%80%8B,the%20entirety%20of%20both%20keys

7. https://meshtastic.org/docs/configuration/radio/device/#roles

8. https://www.reddit.com/r/meshtastic/comments/1adaerx/how_to_completely_disable_position_updates/

9. https://meshtastic.org/docs/configuration/tips/#not-sharing-your-location

10. https://meshtastic.org/docs/overview/encryption/

11. https://meshtastic.org/docs/faq/

What is Meshtastic and why do I need it?

I get this question a lot. In short: Meshtastic is an open source project that enables two or more users to send and receive short messages using inexpensive Long Range, or LoRa, radios. Messages automatically route from one Meshtastic radio, or node, to another, even if the sender and recipient aren't directly connected. Meshtastic is great for communicating inexpensively and off-grid when traditional infrastructure is cost-prohibitive or not available. Meshtastic networks, or meshes, can be found all over the world and if one doesn't exist near you, you can create one yourself.

Some key features of Meshtastic:

• Long Range communication without a license (personally tested over five mile send and receive, range tests here).

• Decentralized - Messages hop from one node to another, repeaters optional

• Low power requirements - Depending on platform and manufacturer, devices can run for several days on battery. Solar panels can be used for permanent or semi-permanent outdoor installations.

• Inexpensive - Reliable Meshtastic devices can be purchased for as low as $50 USD

• Choice of hardware - Meshtastic runs on many devices made by multiple companies. This gives you choice and reduces the chance of a single company's actions killing the project, like with other proprietary off-grid messengers.

With all these great benefits, you’d think everyone would be communicating with Meshtastic! However, there are a few drawbacks, and we’ll start with the most obvious one: Meshtastic it not a replacement for WhatsApp, Signal, or your messenger of choice. You can’t send photos, voice memos, PDF’s, or anything that isn’t text or a GPS location (if your radio has a GPS) across the state, country, or globe. Your range is only as far as the mesh to which you’re connected.

Another hurdle for beginners and one that inspired me to write this series is that it isn’t easy to get started with Meshtastic without help. For many looking into off-grid communications, it can seem intimidating: different vendors sell various models, each with their own benefits and drawbacks, and there’s enough community-built hardware available on Etsy to confuse even experienced users.

To get started, choose a System on a Chip, or SoC. Meshtastic presently runs on three different SoCs:

• nRF52 - Low power and best suited for portable or solar devices. Includes bluetooth for connection between the node and another device like a phone. Easy to update firmware.

• RP2040 - Based on the Raspberry Pi platform. These chips are cheap and readily available, but require another dedicated module to handle communication.

• ESP32 - The most popular of the Meshtastic-capable SoCs. This older chip is typically more powerful, but portable devices running on it tend to have poorer battery life compared to their nRF52 counterparts. Despite that, it's often found in popular handhelds such as the LILYGO T-Deck and T-Beam. ESP32 devices also include both WiFi and Bluetooth for enhanced connectivity.

Next, let’s talk about a few scenarios where Meshtastic really shines. I'll review a few use cases and my experience with each so far, including purchase recommendations and observations:

1. Getting started and using Meshtastic as an everyday messenger for peer-to-peer communication

2. Temporary mesh deployment for a limited event or emergency where cellular coverage may be strained or nonexistent

3. Deploying a fixed node for reliable off-grid communication

Ready to proceed? Let’s purchase a radio…

Sources:

1. https://meshtastic.org/docs/introduction/

2. https://meshtastic.org/docs/getting-started/

If you live long enough to become a greybeard, past college, decades of junk food, a sedentary lifestyle, all night coding sessions, all weekend troubleshooting sessions and the countless on-call pages, you’ll eventually start to become obsolete yourself. There’s no shame in it. You aren’t as sharp or focused as a twenty-something with no obligations or kids. So you’ll direct your efforts toward the ten thousand foot view, because you know that time is finite; you feel it in your bones. You’ll know when and when not to pull the trigger on something on a Friday at 4:45 PM because you know weekends are for resting and reflection.

While you won’t know the latest tech fad or newest programming language the moment it hits a mailing list or Github, you’ll have something infinitely more important: wisdom. Here is where lots of old-timers make a critical mistake; they hoard knowledge, thinking it’ll make them indispensable. They’re almost always proven wrong in that belief, but you don’t have to be. Gather your wisdom and blog, write a book, podcast, whatever your chosen medium. Pass on what you have learned to the guys in the trenches. They need guidance, runbooks, and an up to date knowledge base when they get that inevitable 3 AM page out. They need wisdom and a steady hand when everything is on fire. Give them that, and they’ll appreciate it much more than telling stories around the energy drink fridge/coffee pot (let’s face it: you’re not standing near the water cooler). Don’t delay or skip this process.

The tech industry is going through a bit of an upheaval at the moment and everything is upside-down. However, there are axioms that have stood the test of time (for good reason), and this is one of them: there’s a place for greybeards in every organization that wants to last. The ones that don’t will be the first ones to push the old-timers out.

Meanwhile, the iPhone in your pocket is approximately 100,000 times more powerful than the AGC and can barely do anything without a persistent connection to a data center hundreds of miles away.

Forty years ago, we called endpoints that used this same architecture "dumb terminals". Now, the tech industry is marveling at its own brilliance and calling the repetition of this same wasteful energy expenditure "intelligence"

Perhaps the "Dumb" designation should instead be applied to the modern developer, whom for whatever reason has decided to pursue the same architecture over four decades later. Every time I open an app whose entire function could be performed client-side were it not for a monetization decision, I can't help but shake my head and think "The Apollo 11 crew would've killed for this kind of power, and just look at what we're doing with it."

Source: https://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2019/07/02/your_mobile_phone_vs_apollo_11s_guidance_computer_111026.html

1. 1Blocker (iOS and macOS) - Ad blocker for mobile or desktop Safari

2. AMP Shockwave (iOS) - This redirects Google AMP pages to their normal counterparts

3. Amplosion (iOS) - Another extension for redirecting AMP pages

4. Vinegar (iOS) - This removes ads and replaces the Youtube player with an HTML5 equivalent.

5. Now that that’s out of the way, if all this seems like a lot for some basic privacy, try out Brave browser instead.

The following are some more private alternatives to common apps:

1. Strongbox (macOS, iOS, iPadOS) - Perhaps the best password manager on Apple platforms. Can be used standalone or with SFTP, WebDAV, OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive sync integrations.

2. Affinity Photo (macOS) - A few months ago, Adobe unexpectedly changed the Creative Suite Terms of Service, forcing users to agree to grant Adobe license to use their projects for AI training, or stop using Creative Suite. If you decide to take Adobe up on their offer, check it out.

3. Proton Mail (Multiplatform) - The de facto private mail service, alongside Tuta (Nota)

4. Doppler (macOS and iOS) - What iTune should have remained. Local music, organized in a way that makes sense, without cloud services or subscriptions.

5. Floccus (Multiplatform) - Synchronized bookmarks. You’d think it would be easy to find an app that doesn’t require a subscription to perform this basic task. You’d be wrong.

6. Joplin (Multiplatform) - An Open Source notes app. Local WebDAV sync included out of the box. If you’re looking for a local OneNote replacement, this is a good choice.

7. Signal (Multiplatform) - A private, secure messenger platform whose underlying protocol powers WhatsApp.

8. WorkingHours (iOS, macOS, Windows, Android) - A cross-platform hours tracking app. Again, WebDAV sync included. Spotting a pattern yet?

9. Yubico Authenticator (Multiplatform) - Authenticator used with YubiKeys, a hardware authenticator. Learning to use these is absolutely worth the time and monetary investment.

1. If your home consists of multiple levels, invest in a mesh system for better coverage. Ubiquiti, Asus, and Linksys make well-performing mesh systems. Avoid TP-Link, as they’ve been in the news quite a bit lately over security and privacy concerns. You’ll also notice I didn’t mention Amazon or Google. That’s because…

2. Don’t purchase networking equipment that requires a subscription. Networking equipment should be cheap and minimally fussy. Subscriptions are neither.

3. Here’s what those numbers in router models mean.

4. If you’re looking for a single WiFi router, here are some features you should be on the lookout for:

   1. MIMO or multiple antenna technology

   2. WiFi 6 or later

   3. Guest or multiple network capability.

5. Speaking of which, lots of systems come with Guest network capability. This allows you to separate devices you don’t fully trust from the rest of your network. Those devices can only see and talk to each other and the internet. If you buy a dodgy piece of equipment from a shady site, you can connect it to your guest network and not worry about it compromising your home network.

6. MoCA adapters are a great way to connect two rooms or floors of a rental unit with cable tv connections, but no network jacks (great for renters). These are good for the price and almost foolproof.

7. Invest in a Raspberry Pi or two and spend a weekend setting up Pi-Hole. This one’s a bit more involved technically speaking, but I can’t stress enough how awesome it is to browse the internet without being bombarded with ads. Well worth the money and time spent.

That’s all I can think of for now, without getting too deep in the weeds. Happy computing!