for JeremyAbram.net This guide walks you through a clean, practical, privacy-first setup for Windows 11 (and most steps also apply to Windows 10). It covers OS setup, Microsoft account controls, app permissions, Edge, Office, device encryption, Recall on Copilot+ PCs, networking/DNS, and more—with exact menu paths and what each toggle actually does. 0) Before you…
by Jeremy Abram · JeremyAbram.net Privacy on iPhone isn’t a single switch—it’s a layered system of device security, Apple-level protections, and per-app permissions. Follow these steps in order. Each step explains what to do, why it matters, and (when relevant) what to trade off. I’ve included official sources so you can verify or go deeper.…
A step‑by‑step hardening guide for apps, data, and daily useWritten for JeremyAbram.net This guide is organized in three passes—Basics (15–30 min), Hardened (45–90 min), and Max Privacy (advanced)—so you can stop at any level and still end up safer than 99% of users. Each step explains what to do and why it matters. Read this…
Local autonomy vs. cloud-managed ownership For decades, personal computing was defined by a simple principle: your machine, your data, your control. You installed software, stored files locally, and decided what stayed, what changed, and what ran. Today, a quieter—but profound—shift is underway. Increasingly, the tools we rely on live not in our devices, but in…
Edge computing, predictive syncing, & pre-cached ads — and the creeping shift in who technology serves For decades, personal technology has been framed around empowerment. Your computer, your phone, your smart devices — tools designed to serve you. But as the modern computing landscape becomes increasingly interconnected and algorithm-directed, a subtle inversion is happening: Devices…
Why your devices don’t truly belong to you — ownership illusions, remote control, and digital power We like to believe we own our technology.We buy the phone. We unbox the laptop. We drive the connected car off the lot. But in the modern digital ecosystem, possession is not ownership — not in the traditional sense.…
How modern technology studies the user more than the user studies the world For centuries, humans built tools to better understand the world. Telescopes extended our sight. Maps extended our reach. Books extended our knowledge. Technology was a lens looking outward — a way to see more, learn more, be more. Today, a profound inversion…
From Touchscreens to Touchless Minds: Why the Human Body Is Becoming the Ultimate Operating System For decades, we interacted with technology through external tools: keyboards, mice, touchscreens, voice assistants. Each generation of interface shortened the cognitive distance between human intent and digital action. Now, a new evolution is emerging — not a device, but a…
When “performance improvement” is really behavioral harvesting In modern software, one phrase has become so common it fades into digital wallpaper: “We collect diagnostic data to improve performance.” It sounds harmless. Helpful, even. Who doesn’t want faster apps and smarter systems? But the truth beneath this corporate euphemism is far more complex: Telemetry isn’t a…
Power states, always-on silicon, TPM keys, offline logging & what shutdown really means today By Jeremy Abram — JeremyAbram.net Most people assume turning off a smartphone makes it inert — like a flashlight with the batteries removed. Dead. Blind. Quiet. But in modern devices, off rarely means off. Beneath the black screen and silent shell,…