The Weight of Technology – You are not alone.

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,…

How default options quietly onboard you into data-hungry ecosystems When you unbox a new phone, install a smart TV, fire up a new app, or connect a wearable, you’re stepping into a design battlefield you rarely see. The screen prompts look helpful. The language feels friendly. The process seems simple. But simplicity, in the world…

Every day, we click “I agree” — to apps, websites, services, platforms, and operating systems. It is the modern ritual of digital access. The confirmation box appears, the checkbox waits, and our reflex is automatic. Agree, continue, submit. We like to believe this act represents informed consent — a deliberate, thoughtful decision about how our…

Every tap, swipe, message, and moment with your smartphone leaves a trace — even long after you think it’s gone. Beneath familiar folders and photo galleries, your device hides an invisible archive of digital residue: logs, caches, system snapshots, and forensic trails that quietly accumulate over time. These aren’t files you can simply drag to…

Kernel-level telemetry, system daemons, crash logs, and the hierarchy of data rights you never agreed to. Operating systems are supposed to be loyal servants. They schedule processes, guard memory, route traffic, manage drivers — all so you can create, communicate, and compute in peace. But beneath the familiar desktop icons and notification bubbles lies a…

The sensors you didn’t know could betray you: accelerometers, gyros, light sensors, barometers. Even if a device’s camera, mic, GPS, and apps are locked down, other “innocent” components can still leak a surprising amount of information. Accelerometers can reveal what you type or when you’re walking; gyroscopes can pick up low-frequency audio cues; ambient-light sensors…

In the early days of the internet, data collection was loud. Pop-ups demanded your email. Cookies flashed warnings. Advertisers chased you across the web with the subtlety of a bullhorn. Today, data capture is quiet. Modern operating systems and app ecosystems don’t need to ask as loudly because they’ve perfected permission by design — a…