What about bad actors which swipe the phone, and it’s behind the biometric lock? Too many failed attempts may or may not be a sign of it not working well, so if it bases part of it on the failed attempts, it would lower the chances of being further protected. I know they would ask for the pattern/pin or password to re-enroll the biometric, but let’s assume that’s already known, then game over.
If after 9pm M-F, and I plug it into AC Power (Not USB on desktop), then it mutes all system sounds until I unplug it from the AC power. During said time, if certain people call, it raises the ringer to full so I can answer it.
I still have this enabled, but rarely ever use it, it came in handy about a year ago though - when near any of the WiFi hotspots at my work, then turn volume off, upon leaving the range, volume comes back up. Also, enabled my work profile which set an Autonotification to set a timer on my phone and watch for my break and meal periods. I now am full time WFH, so neither of these come in to play.
While connected to Car bluetooth, cancel my work timers (above).
I was working on but had to put on pause, a Google Voice interceptor - the goal behind it is to auto use Google Voice to make outbound calls if you are not calling a contact in your list otherwise, if you called one of your contacts, it would use your normal phone number.
Taskernet share for above (Google Voice Robot) If link is broken, it should be searchable. It’s not guaranteed to work.
I came pretty close to death I think - I was home recovering from a surgery and woke up early in the morning, short of breath, my heart was racing, and literally felt like it stopped. Naturally, at that time, my bladder decided it need to be relieved so I stumbled breathlessly into the restroom and did my thing. When I stood up, started to lose my hearing and vision for a few seconds, and felt myself starting to collapse, but I managed to catch myself and things restored, I face planted on my bed which got my wife’s attention and 911 was called. All of this was due to a massive pulmonary embolism choking my heart I later learned. The embolism was caused by a clot which traveled up my leg.
Lesson learned: Keep moving after recovering from surgery at home kids! Your life depends on it.
I’ve always felt that we are like clumsy giants to them lumbering on throughout the home with the great strength and dexterity to manipulate objects. In spite of all of this they can swing from loving you to down right cold shoulders on a whim!
My obligatory cat tax. :)
I have a policy - only those who should know my phone number is family and they are very strict about asking me before giving to anyone who asks. So, it’s usually not given. Then for businesses and other places which require a phone number, I use a Google Voice number. From doctors, to banks, or other places. I rarely get the scam calls.
HOWEVER
I get around 6-15 SPAM text messages daily. All 100% Political for Trump, Biden, Harris, or whatever scammer tries to get me to support on my non-shared number. A lot try to guilt you into “donating” to them too! I feel bad because while I won’t fall for it, I know many people already do. I have to use Google Messages to effectively block those automatically.
I have AT & T and complained to them about it to be told that I could change my number, but it would be $40.00 to do so. That’s a big scam in itself and I refused.
Well…since Google is primarily an Ad company…
I just plug into the Private DNS settings dns.adguard-dns.com and run ad free. As for bloat- mine was infested with Facebook and other apps preloaded by Samsung, but it was easy enough to remove by long pressing and deleting it. They fortunately didn’t make them system apps.
With that said, if you are handy with android-tools such as ADB, you can place your phone in debug mode and issue adb commands to disable system apps. Pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
I like to think of it this way in my little bubble. :) I have a Yubkey 5 with NFC. I use passkeylogin into Authentik so all I have to do is plug in my key, unlock it with my master password for the key and touch the disk and I’m logged into my site. If I view the contents of my key with the ykman software, then I can see that I have two logins, one for mobile and one for my site. Each has is different so it knows which one is mobile and which is desktop.
The same principle may apply with the PC’s TPM. Your credentials may apply the same way there. I’m not 100% familiar with the TPM process but think as long as it works with Fido2 , you should be fine.
With Linux, you need to have the awareness of what is running on your phone 24/7 and AFAIK, there’s nothing like that except maybe Home Assistant, but that’s pushing it. I have a buddy which has an always on VPN which he uses 100% of the time at home, never any issues with him. As for the phone, I have Wireguard for when I am not connected to my WiFi, and then disconnect when I’m back on my WiFi network. This way, I am certain to be on my home network 99.99% of the time. I use Tasker for that.
With that said, you will need an automation of sorts on the Android to be 100% sure you are on your appropriate VPN. Whether through Tasker, Macrodroid or a few other apps.
If you have Tasker, you can do that. Not sure if you are using Wireguard, but that makes it simpler to integrate IMHO with it. With it, you set a condition basically if App XYZ is open then use VPN ABC Otherwise, If app XYZ is not open, then use BCA VPN.
I admit I didn’t read many replies due to time. But to add to them, the more I deal with my mother who is becoming more technologically challenged in her years, I constantly get to hear about how confusing her Android is sometimes, I sort of wish she’d switch to Apple for it’s simplicity! I used to have an iMac and was gladly part of the eco-system for a while and enjoyed how intuitive it was. With that said, when the time came for me to join the Smartphone world in '10 or so - I went Android and haven’t looked back.
We’ve looked at them in the past and while they make solid quality phones and easy to use phones, from what I understand, the battery life is somewhat to be desired? (as of a few years ago). The formula they use to make everything stay within their Eco-system seems to be working for them. After all, if you have an iPhone, then it seamlessly works with your Mac, or other Apple Devices. There’s more control over it.
For the best flexibility with our family, we use Android and will for the time being. Not to say though that the newer Linux based phones (PinePhone,Librephone etc) aren’t catching my attention because they are and I’m a die hard Linux user! :)
Everyone’s comments here made me realize just how bad it is still with employers trying to get warm bodies in the office. My company used to be “Everyone who works from home wastes time and is less productive” They quickly realized when their hands were forced and the pandemic hit, there were much less sick days, and productivity has never been higher!
Not sure if I am the only one, but ever since the pandemic, even if I step outside to get the mail up about 500’ away , I just have to wash my hands immediately when I come in. Go to the store? I just feel really gross after. It’s surreal. I guess I’ve become a bit OCD as a result.
For those like me which didn’t see the video linked it’s the Threads by Linked in the OP is talking about.
Be careful for those that install it, I guess if you delete your account there, it deletes your Instagram one too.
https://www.androidauthority.com/delete-threads-profile-3342840/
Not using anything right now for Mobile SIP. I am like the OP - on GVoice but want to move eventually away from there. As for home use with the fax and stuff, I just logged into their site. With that said, I used to have an ATA Adaptor (Linksys SPA1) unlocked so I could use it with my regular phone. That was around 2016 or so. We, like most people now are 100% mobile so, not a single corded or cordless phone in the house otherwise.
voip.ms is decent. They provide their own version of a PBX and it’s a good company. I’ve used them in the past for a lot of different things, most recently as a number for sending faxes and receiving them a few years ago while dealing with disability benefits for our daughter. They also offer fancy on hold music if that’s your thing. :)
I self host Vaultwarden at home on my server and it uses 2FA for logging into the system to access your saved passwords. It’s easy to set up and I use a Yubikey for mine. I use Docker to do this myself. It’s an adaptation of Bitwarden and is compatible the same Bitwarden app and browser plugins. Having everything on your own system ensures that it doesn’t go to the corporate controllers out there. Plus, you can find the source on Github for Vaultwarden so you can go over it if you are unsure about the security of it. :)
Have you looked the blueprints by chance? There are medication reminders in there. I use this one and it works quite well: https://community.home-assistant.io/t/advanced-medication-reminder/300137
This may fit the bill some? Harmonoid It allows you to use your local media.
If you don’t mind internet radio, there’s always Radio Garden which allows you to stream any station from almost anywhere in the world.