John Fastman
Scientist, blogger, hacktivist and all-round computer whizz-kid. In my spare time I'm a model (mainly for pathology textbooks).
- Level 8
Comments & Reviews
Commented on CrypteeI love where Cryptee is going...
The world needs an encrypted Evernote replacement
The world needs a privacy-respecting Evernote replacement. Evernote is the market leader in note-taking apps and has some tremendous features. However, it stores user data unencrypted on web-facing servers, it's been hacked and lost user data, and the CEO only reversed [a policy decision to allow employees to read user...
Commented on BearUpdate:
Below is my 2017 review of Bear, privacy concerns and all. A particularly vocal critic of my view seems to imply that my criticism is against the Italian origins of the Bear app. Even a cursory reading of what I wrote will show this is not the case. I have nothing against Italians. I was merely imploring the potential customers of Bear to consider that their data might be subject to Italian law, about which most will know very little.
Nearly three years later, I can offer more...
- Commented on Software for Privacy
I have tried Joplin. I think it's a good app. I had it in this list before, but prefer Crypt.ee. But there's nothing wrong with Joplin.
Calendaring is something I am so angry about, you have no idea. Absolutely no privacy-oriented service provides a fully-featured, synced calendaring option, despite it being the back-bone of many people's online work flow. The closest thing used to be Countermail's calendar, which was zero-knowledge encrypted and built into their...
Reviewed Proton VPNProtonVPN is a VPN service run by the creators of ProtonMail. It's part of their wider efforts to give people options for protecting their online privacy and anonymity.
The Good
- Easy and intuitive to use clients for Windows and Mac
- Support for Linux via configuration files for use with OpenVPN
- Connections made on Linux (which I've tested more than others) are rock solid stable for days
- Open source software (more trustworthy)
- Company based in...
Reviewed Proton Mail BridgeProtonmail have done a lot to promote online privacy. They have done this by developing an email service intended to challenge the likes of Gmail and other "free" online services that violate the privacy of their users. They are not the only company to do this, but they should be praised for pursuing a laudable goal, making more people privacy-aware and for providing a viable way to protect privacy.
However, their team leave many unanswered questions on their forum, so here are...
- Reviewed Cryptee
I love where Cryptee is going...
The world needs an encrypted Evernote replacement
The world needs a privacy-respecting Evernote replacement. Evernote is the market leader in note-taking apps and has some tremendous features. However, it stores user data unencrypted on web-facing servers, it's been hacked and lost user data, and the CEO only reversed [a policy decision to allow employees to read user...
Reviewed SunsamaSunsama is yet another "productivity" app that syncs only with Google calendar.
Please get it through your thick heads, Sunsama devs: Privacy is important! Google disrespects privacy! If you made products that didn't rely on Google, you'd be doing both the world a favor and opening up to a larger customer base.
There is no way that I will expose my customers' data or my personal data to Google's privacy-disrespecting, data-harvesting policies and...
Reviewed NotionNotion.so are receiving well-deserved praised for their attractive-looking, flexible and very feature-rich platform. Primarily, Notion enables users to organize data in a Wiki-style system within inter-linked pages. Many templates exist for those pages, everything from simple blank pages to calendars, meetings, tables of various kinds, and far beyond. Each page can have embedded links, documents (including embedded), images, tables (with different column types), calendars (whole-page or...
- Commented on Software for Privacy
I was very long winded in answering you the first time. Think of it like this: Sync.com is a massive security and privacy improvement over Dropbox.
It's like this: If Sync.com is lying, they're offering you the same security as Dropbox when they are telling the truth. If Sync.com is telling the truth, you're WAY better off than with Dropbox. Therefore, Sync.com is a much better choice for both privacy (the company can't spy on your files) and security (they can't lose...
- Commented on Software for Privacy
Hi browsingandstuff,
Your question concerns two things: to what extent we should pursue privacy and, more specifically, how good is Sync.com for your privacy?
Let me take Sync.com first. You're right: it's not open source. Ideally, it would be, so that everyone could inspect their code, which is the foremost source of trust. However, how 'good' for your privacy Sync.com depends on other things. So whilst it doesn't score open source points, it scores big in other...
Reviewed InkdropNice features, pretty but expensive, not as private as Boostnote and with a recalcitrant developer
Written: 2018-05-23
Purpose and pricing
Inkdrop is an attractive-looking, multi-platform note-taking app primarily aimed at software developers, although suitable for others as well. It's closed source and costs USD $60/year (although you get 60 days free at the start). Students get a 60% discount for 12 months, but this entails sending...
Reviewed DeepinBeware! Spyware!
The app store of Deepin 15.5 makes unencrypted connections to known Chinese trackers, which is a serious security and privacy risk. This occurs approximately 20 minutes after boot-up without warning and without the user's consent.
For more information:
Reviewed OneView CalendarInteresting, but even basic privacy provisions aren't in place
An innovative take on navigating though time in a calendar app. At first I thought it was a gimmick, but you do get used to it and for some it might be useful.
On the other hand, this is far from anywhere I would put any personal data. OneView Calendar's developer hasn't even implemented https on his website, which means that everything flying to and from that site is visible to anyone at all online. That's terrible...
Reviewed Google AMPIt seems like a good idea at face value, to speed up mobile page loading. And it seems even better because it's open source. But in reality this is yet another effort by Google to ensure that internet traffic is routed through their servers, which will - ultimately - enable them to track in yet greater amounts what you are looking at online. AMP is an awful idea if it is to be controlled by Google.
For more info, listen...
- Commented on Writing
Some comments / suggestions
WPS:
Closed source and Chinese. You have to ask why they're offering their product for "free". That makes me suspicious enough not to want to install their software on my PC. Plenty of other Freemium software from China has proved insecure / privacy-invading (e.g. Maxthon). Libre Office is preferable in all regards and Only Office covers more ground for Microsoft compatibility.
Notion:
No Android app (what are they smoking?) and the pricing is...
- Commented on Apps to keep your data private
Bitcoin provides a way to maintain anonymity with your spending to avoid all the tracking.
Not really. Not unless you bought your bitcoin anonymously to begin with. Every bitcoin transaction is recorded in the blockchain. If you buy bitcoin to begin with using, e.g. a credit card, then all your future transactions can be traced back to you. Bitcoin is not inherently anonymous. In that respect Monero is more anonymous.
Reviewed TopmailSending and storing email in an encrypted format is infinitely preferable to using "normal" email. The contents of emails that are sent and stored in a properly encrypted way cannot be revealed to a) your email service provider, b) subpoenad by your government, c) read even by hackers who successfully breach the email provider's servers. Encryption therefore protects your privacy and security, and prevents online snooping and profiling.
Nowadays there are a decent number of...
Reviewed WizNoteWizNote looks like a gift for open source enthusiasts looking for an Evernote replacement. The problem is that it uploads your data to Chinese servers without explaining how that data is stored, what your rights are, who has access or what happens if you cancel. There is no mention of, e.g. encryption, either. If you value the privacy or security of your data, you should stay well away from WizNote. Who knows what it does with your information.
Reviewed Remember The MilkRemember The Milk (RTM) has no discernable advantage over its competitors.
- It's more expensive, less fully-featured and less convenient to use than Todoist
- It's less private than EU-based services like Nozbe or Momentum.Earth, the latter of which offers end-to-end encryption
- It's not open source, and therefore no more...
Reviewed Maxthon BrowserStay well away if you value your privacy and security
Maxthon is a privacy and security disgrace.
Data harvesting
Even on Maxthon's privacy policy page they admit to harvesting far more data than they have any reasonable business in taking from users, whilst at the same time saying privacy is important. They grant themselves levels of insight into your browsing habits far beyond what is standard in the industry.
Privacy/security implications
In 2016,...
Reviewed momentum.earthMomentum.Earth is an interesting new take on a GTD (Getting Things Done)-based to-do list. At the time of writing, it is new, in beta, free and doesn't yet seem like the finished article. However, it has several major advantages over many todo lists I have seen. These include:
- It's crossplatform (Windows, Mac, Linux, mobile... all work)
- Simple, modern, attractive interface
- Clear privacy policy, clear information about data storage
- Clear explanation of how it's monetized: it's free...