FTS Newsletter - July Edition

Hi {{ name | Freedom Advocates! }}

We’re halfway through the year already! That was fast. 🚀

A lot has happened since my last update. 📰

Let’s take a look a the significant developments, a guide on identifying scams and practical advice along with a couple awesome apps to help you defend your privacy! 🛡️

- Btw: if disabled, I recommend enabling images for the best reading exeprience!

As if Windows wasn’t invasive enough already, Microsoft decided to introduce the "Recall" feature as part of the ‘Copilot+’ AI suite in Windows 11. This feature literally screenshots your desktop every few seconds - and creates a searchable record of all your activities…

I suspect Windows already does this kind of thing, to me it seems this was like a test to see how many people would even care if Microsoft admits they are outright watching your screen with AI. 👀

While Microsoft justifies it to ‘enhance productivity with AI-based search capabilities’, it is a giant red flag for privacy.🚩

Constant monitoring and recording is incredibly invasive and even if it is remotely true that microsoft doesn’t have access to the data compiled - it still poses a substantial increased security risk because all your past activities would be accessible if one gained access to your computer.

Although you can apparently ‘opt out’, I don’t trust that. So I found a hacky way to disable a ton of unnecessary privacy-invading components of Windows 11 including ‘recall’. Starting with removing the need to log into a Microsoft account at all. I deleted and removed many unwanted services and preinstalled ‘bloatware’ apps by using various custom scripts and advanced tools. 🖥️

However, I can't confidently recommend you try my approach as it can easily break certain functionality and cause trouble if you make a mistake. But I am open to providing this service to those of you in Perth if you need windows.

Installing Linux on a spare PC or getting a linux laptop is the ultimate solution, similarly to using a privacy phone as a replacement to an iphone or stock android. These options actually solve the root problem rather than trying to put a bandaid on top of it. 🤕
With Linux you’ll have the peace of mind that your operating system is built for privacy from the ground up. 👍

I recommend using a particular version of ‘Ubuntu Linux’ called ZorinOS Pro. Zorin is the most intuitive, stable, easy to use, efficient and premium-feeling version of linux i’ve ever used. ✨

If you’re tied to windows or mac for specific applications like Photoshop, having a secondary PC or a dual-boot setup allows you to separate your private life from your big-tech-connected life.

(dual-boot just means that you have two systems on one computer. Upon powering on your computer, you could select either Zorin or Windows, for example.)

You might be surprised by the huge number of apps available on Linux.
Check out Flathub, an app repository accessible on Linux via the software store app, where you can easily install any of those apps with just a single click.
Not to mention most common file formats and documents, including Microsoft Officefiles, work on Linux with alternatives like LibreOffice. Plus, you'll save money by not needing to pay for MS Office and other paid apps. 💰

You’ll also notice how similar the layout is to what you already use. You can even make Zorin appear in the same fashion as MacOS or Windows so finding your way around is a breeze. 🍃

Another great feature is “Zorin Connect”. You’ll enjoy a unified experience between your computerand privacy phoneover an encrypted local network connection.💻📲
It’s dead easy to sync notifications and sms messages, send files and photos, and control your computer’s mouse and keyboard directly from your phone. You can even use your phone as a slideshow remote and control media playback.

📍Learn More About Our Linux Laptop👈 or check out Zorin.com for details on all the features and benefits.

I even offer a preinstalled dual boot setup with my aforementioned privacy enhanced & cleaned windows 11 and ZorinOS Pro on the same computer.
You get the best of both worlds all-in-one allowing you to switch seamlessly between operating systems at startup. This is ideal for what I mentioned earlier about separating / compartmentalising your big tech activity from your personal life. You can also try this yourself, setup instructions are on zorin.com.

An ongoing issue is these endless SMS scam links it seems. I’m sure everyone knows what im talking about here. Despite the ease it would be to filter these at the network level, nothing much is being done for some reason.
🤔Maybe because it’ll be a great way to justify digital ID or something - who knows.

Many find it hard to identify scam URLs, especially when they mimic trusted entities like Australia Post.

As usual it is knowledge that is key. To help you identify scam links, I've found this very informative resource:

This guide offers practical tips and examples to help you stay vigilant and safe from scams.

I recently went on a long hike in a remote location in WA without reception using only open-source maps and tools to do a day long hike. Usually I just sort of stick to main tracks because I don't use a map, but this time I wanted to put open source maps to the test to see if it is actually a viable and reliable alternative. 🥾

I found that not only was it sufficient to navigate, the apps I used had extremely detailed maps and tools with walking trails marked very accurately. Since its all offline and downloaded I never had to worry about mobile network. The GPS accuracy was impressive and the phone’s barometer made determining altitude almost spot on. 🛰️
Navigation for the walking trail worked perfectly too.
These apps would also be awesome for offroad driving in remote locations too.

This is what I used to drive to the location and what I often use day-to-day.
It’s incredibly simplistic and easy to use, I just put it on my phone mount and typed in the location and tapped go and I was on my way.
The great thing about this is how easy it is to use and how quick it is to load up a location.

Best for most users who want a no-fuss maps app that ‘just works’.

organicmaps.app | F-Droid | Donate

OSM is like the king of open source GPS apps, it can do it all. It just takes some learning.

Website: OSMAnd.net | F-Droid
_{(Secret tip: If you download the app from F-Droid, you get the full version for free because the devs want to support the open source community.)}

Trail Sense is so feature-rich, I'm surprised it's even free.

It includes everything from cliff height calculators and 3D sun-trajectory visualizations to triangulation tools. It provides sunset & meteor shower notifications, tide information, water boil timers, and optimal solar panel alignment tool. It offers offline weather forecasting and even a metal detector tool—this app has it all. 🛠️

Trail Sense is a robust tool for outdoor adventures, relying entirely on your phone’s sensors without using the internet.

If any app here deserves a donation it’s this one.

Website | F-Droid📲

Spotube is the an awesome open-source alternative to Spotify that uses your existing library but doesn’t require a premium account. Its ideal if you have spotify but are not so keen on their privacy policies. (< take a look🙄)

This solution is so great i’m wondering how i didn’t find it sooner.

Key Benefits:

Get Spotube for free:F-Droid | Website | Source Code

I'm excited to announce that "The Ultimate Privacy Guide" is half done. However, I’m currently swamped with orders, making it challenging to keep up. I'm enjoying elaborating and adding many tricks and insights while keeping everything simple and straightforward for nearly anybody to understand. Stay tuned for its release soon! 📖✍️

In the next edition, I plan to explore my findings on open-source smart home alternatives. I've been experimenting with Home Assistant and found it surprisingly user-friendly, even for those without extensive technical knowledge. I'll share my experiences and insights on integrating various smart deviceswithout needing a cloud connection, as well as any other discoveries and news that come up in the meantime.

Thank you for staying informed with us. 🛡️

I look forward to writing more of these and giving you as much value as I can squeeze into them.

Protecting your digital self,
Luke

Feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback. Your privacy is our mission.
Let me know if you found certain part of this confusing or what helped you in some way!

P.S. Don't forget to join our telegram community for the latest privacy tips and updates.

If you know anyone that ‘knows what’s up’ so to speak, it’d be great if you could share it with them or send them the subscribe page - more like minded individuals means more impact!