Weekend Edition 35: Bob Lee Killer Pleads Not Guilty, Air Travel & 5G, and More

WE 35.1 – Bob Lee’s Killer Pleads “Not Guilty”
Oh boy, oh boy. This just gets juicier. Apparently Bob was at least friends with the alleged killer’s sister, whose marriage was said to be on the rocks. Both Bob and the suspect visited the suspect’s sister’s apartment in the hours prior to the murder. It is unclear if Bob was pursuing romantic relations with her, though he did allegedly invite her to his hotel room, which she refused. It sounds like this was a case of an over-protective brother (who also has a history of assault, though no charges were filed in that previous case) who over-reacted to his sister’s situation with Bob, and chose to bring a kitchen knife to a discussion with Mr. Lee after the fact. This is not something that a level-headed person does. He plans to plead ‘not guilty’, as his lawyer claims to have evidence proving his innocence. I’ll keep you guys apprised on this trial as it proceeds.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/25/tech/cash-app-bob-lee-killing-arraignment/index.html
#killer #ripboblee #trialtime #sketchy #techfreedom #weekendedition #TechFreedom

WE 35.2 – Mid/ C-Band 5G and Altimeters
I talked about this issue when I first started doing the Weekend Edition, the FAA gave airlines until July of this year to upgrade their altimeters to filter out the C-band frequencies, as they are adjacent to the frequencies which this batch of gear, which helps planes to land safely in foul weather, operate in. Now we are less than 2 months from the deadline, and not everybody has complied with the requirements. The FAA negotiated with the big cell carriers to postpone their rollout for about a year, within 2 miles of airports, but that time is fast coming to an end. Will this necessarily create delays for air travelers, due to real safety concerns? Who knows. The FAA will ground any aircraft which not be retrofitted, which I imagine would affect smaller airlines more than the big boys, but I haven’t been on a plane since 2015, so this doesn’t mean much to me, personally. I know many are frequent fliers, though, so I cover this as best I can. The fear, here, is that the C-Band frequencies are too close to the range that the altimeters use. There is a roughly 400 Mhz gap between the top of C-Band and the bottom of the altimeter range.
I also want to assuage your concerns about this, regarding the frequencies themselves. Many are very concerned about what these frequencies COULD do to the human body. If you already have 5Ghz WiFi on your home networks, then you likely already use more intense, higher frequencies in your home than what already is being used by AT&T and VZW 5G towers in your city. The ones that I am still concerned about are the MM wave frequencies they plan to use at the extreme upper end of the true 5G spectrum. The reality about those frequencies is that they need to be extremely powerful and the towers must be very close to one another in order for coverage to be any kind of decent. That is where the trouble comes in, as far as I can see. These get into and through the same frequencies used by microwave ovens.

#aircraft #FAA #5G #TechFreedom #weekendedition
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65465512

WE 35.3 – Meta In Trouble Again... Just can’t stay out of the Headlines, Can They?
Well, this time, it’s the FTC is coming down like a ton of bricks on Zuck’s head, as they are still reeling from rulings around the world, including here at home. Now the issue is how kids’ data is monetized and the fact that unvetted adults and contacts can still chat with kids on their platforms. Meta clapped back that this was little more than a political stunt by the regulator.
Here are the complaints from the FTC:
The FTC said an independent investigation had found "several gaps and weaknesses in Facebook's privacy program" that posed "substantial risks to the public".
Users aged under 13 were found to be still allowed to engage in chats with contacts not vetted by parents.
The regulator also said Meta continued to give third-party apps access to private information after promising to cut off access if users failed to use the apps in the previous 90 days.
The FTC has proposed a series of actions, including:
• A blanket prohibition against monetizing data of children and teens under 18
• A pause on the launch of new products until it could be established they were in full compliance with privacy rules
• Limits on future uses of facial recognition technology. Meta would be required to disclose and obtain users' affirmative consent for any future uses of facial recognition technology.
So let’s parse all of that, shall we?
Point 1: Why are kids under 13 on Facebook in the first place? Parents need to step up, here, and protect their kids from the darkness on Facebook. If parents would parent their kids, this wouldn’t be an issue to begin with.
Point 2: Oops, that is a big deal. Policies must be adhered to, Meta. Close down that fire hose of private data that you’re being paid for by these apps and sites. Cut it off.
Point 3: I like this first proposal, but I know that Facebook won’t. How about we cut off teens from the platform altogether? That was how it started, if I recall.
Point 4: This should be common sense, but the money-grubbing Mr. sugar mountain (Zuckerberg) won’t readily do this, either.
Point 5: Duh. We should not be tracked in that way without knowing that it is happening and having an obvious and easy way to opt out, at the very least. Facial recognition tech is inherently risky in terms of privacy, particularly in the hands of an organization like Meta. I think that it should never be an option for them, as that is too invasive. However, then I am reminded of the facts of Facebook’s genesis: remember, this was a CIA project called lifelog, meant to profile its users and indirectly spy on them.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65478062
#Meta #FTC #socialmedia #weekendedition #FOSSNews #TechFreedom
WE 35.4 – BlueSky Social
Jack’s new baby. He is not the CEO there, unlike at Twitter, and from what I understand, the codebase is open-source, and the protocol is decentrailzed. Ooooh, buzz words. I don’t know that I trust Dorsey or his people to create something clean and worthwhile to use, but I signed up for the private beta. One cool thing is that they made it so that your domain is actually the main part of your handle... For instance, whenever I get on, and assuming that I don’t quickly get booted off for inconvenient opinions and facts which contradict the regime’s truthless news, my handle will be @matt.techfreedom.pro. I think that that is a great way to go about this. That way it is clear who is with whom you are conversing. Of course, that can also lead to deplatforming on a domain level, unless you are registered with someone like Epik who will disregard that sort of pressure, you could lose it all. I don’t know, y’all. I’m torn because I am all about decentralization and open source tech, the latter part is the cornerstone of Tech Freedom, after all. However, that is a scary thing to be tied to a domain you own. What do you guys think?
https://www.cnet.com/tech/what-is-bluesky-social-the-twitter-alternative-explained-and-how-to-join/
#bluesky #dorsey #decentralized #foss #socialmedia #TechFreedom #FOSSNews #weekendedition

WE 35.5 – AirTags a Problem? Say It Ain’t So...
Google and Apple are teaming up to create a new standard to help these little tracking bobs to be safer by adding some things which should have been considered by the original designers from the get-go. They have noticed (and been sued by) individuals who have either been stalked or had their cars stolen via Air Tags or Tiles (among other brands of similar devices). These little guys run on bluetooth and connect to your phone to help you to keep track of your keys, purse, or anything else you feel the need to attach them to. The concept is good, on one hand, but unless you can make sure that you don’t have trackers planted on you by some other person, it is dangerous indeed. It has happened, and resulted in murders, thefts, and other nefarious activities. Now these behemoths in the industry are marching in lockstep to close that privacy loophole, among others. I still wouldn’t trust these devices, if I were you, though. If I seem familiar with this topic, it’s because I covered this early on in the Weekend Edition (https://rumble.com/v1zxb5c-weekend-edition-16-tsmc-bidan-in-arizona-apple-privacy-woes-and-more.html). If I had thought through these gadgets a bit more, I could’ve foreseen these things, so if I could, then why didn’t Big Tech? Something stinks. Anyway, they are working on a new standard which would include detection of Air Tags type devices which are not paired to your phone, but are in your stuff, on your car, etc. I seem to recall calling for a FOSS option where we can see all of what is gathered and when in terms of data. I’d rather just strongly encourage people to work on their own memory and mental capacities. I know, that seems odd, coming from a tech guy, but I am more concerned with human thriving, privacy, and security than I am with adopting the latest & greatest tech gadgets. Just where I sit with all of this stuff. Take it or leave it. Well, it’s time for some Dune 2k.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/tech/airtags-apple-google-specifications/index.html
#weekendedition #apple #google #airtags #privacy #standards #TechFreedom #FOSSNews