They probably sell them dirt cheap domestically, no need for coercion

This was for bootloader locking, not carrier locking. But yeah, they want you to buy their bullshit hotspot plan instead of just using the data you already pay for.

Oh there’s a reason. Hotspot bypass being a big one I’d wager, the other being making it significantly harder to avoid ads

Thanks Yoda

Must’ve been asleep for the recall shenanigans

I know Hulu has an annual billing option where they won’t prorate your bill if you cancel mid term, but I don’t know if there are any that just flat out won’t let you cancel.

Imo that’s pretty much the only benefit these days. But I’m also waiting for those 1 year, 2 year, etc “deals” where they offer $1/mo off or something

Well, perhaps the wording should be amended to encompass all public employees. But that would require the law be rewritten by the people that benefit from it, so, yeah.

So that means that I can engage in a a little tax evasion, as a treat, right?

On a serious note, from the article:

the law makes it a very serious crime, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, for a federal official to accept a bribe

Can we start actually enforcing this please?

FUBAR’d Outta Research & Development

When I first started on Linux with Fedora probably a little over 15 years ago, I used gnome just because it was different. At some point I played with Enlightenment, and now I use KDE. It was different when I was more interested in screwing around with my system. Now that I use it for work, I just need everything to be as reliable, persistent, and easy as possible. I haven’t used gnome in many years, but I hear these stories all the time and I just don’t want to deal with something that’ll wrench my workflow when I have other shit to do and no time to play diagnostics.

Doesn’t help when those who write the laws are on the take.

That said, as difficult as it is these days, avoid all of these company’s products like the plague.

When you eventually find out how to opt out and your content is fed to AI anyway:

Don’t tempt me with a good time

See you on ebay in 6 months

Sure, but as I responded to someone else, show me a viable option that’s readily available in the states for a contractor or someone delivering heavy stuff that has the power and 4x4 to do the thing at a reasonable price. I’m all for getting some of these European/Japanese solutions over here, but they simply aren’t available or affordable, and so we’re stuck with oversized pickups and under powered vans until something changes.

And that’s precisely because the option isn’t readily available here. We can argue merits of different countries versus the US, but at the end of the day it is what it is unless something changes at the legislative level.

When say a contractor goes to purchase a work vehicle, the option is either a van, which have pathetic motors and hauling capabilities, or a pickup from one of the big 3 that can be outfitted with a utility body. Sometimes you can score one of those Isuzu cabovers, but they’re typically outfitted with a full sized box on the chassis, and they’re far and few between, and often more expensive. Vans are also stupid expensive, especially 4x4 models, because of the van life crowd. The options really are much more limited than other parts of the world, and I truly believe it’s to keep prices high and the money vacuum humming. Plus, you can find an older utility body truck for a fraction of the cost of a used van (I just did this 6 months ago; granted I’m in California, so my experience may not be the norm).

I ended up buying a Ram 2500 when looking for a work truck. I would’ve loved a 25/35 class van, but I need 4x4 (mountains, snow), and because of the premium those models fetch due to demand from the van life people, that wasn’t an option.

And I dunno about other people, but I know what’s in front of my truck at all times. It really isn’t that hard to mind your surroundings.

Yeah if you want a flagship, that’s how they get you. You can also get pretty decent phones for a few hundred on eBay. Like a couple year old flagship for less than half the original price. But if you’re adamant about having the latest and greatest, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Southern California is entirely navigable by surface streets, but also too, there are plenty of vehicles going only 55 in the slow lanes, which is the speed limit for trucks anyway (though few pay attention to it). I have a '72 camper that can barely do 50, and I take it on the freeway several times a year.