Economies of scale do bring costs of everything much further than stealing user's data can, but good luck explaining some long term vision to C-suites who only care about short term bonuses.

But the premium devices (especially TVs) are starting to do this too now via software updates. I had to turn off a bunch of crap in the settings on my LG CX TVs some time ago. Now they are just off the internet and can only connect to my NAS.

Not really, they've gotten so cheap because the individual components they are made of have become much cheaper due to economies of scale.

The same thing happened with computer monitors, and those don't ship with the bloatware.

The last time I saw an update that just fixed security bugs and improved performance was... never.

What's a better word here? Adverts cost the consumer, however I'm sure the consumer doesn't get equal recompense. Theoretically a SmartTV with adverts costs less money ("subsidised" due to price competition), but is the consumer actually ($,time) better off?

The costs are invisible and the consumer cannot actually measure the costs (the vendors do measure profitability but this is not legible).

I reckon most people are terrible at judging the value of their own time (especially children and retirees).

It pre-installs some games, but you can uninstall them. The only thing it forces on you is a weather app which you can deactivate but not uninstall.

Best step up to your words and throw away your phone then.

All major tech companies and chip manufacturers have R&D and design centers in Israel.

- Not use Intel processors, as many are developed in Haifa

- Not use a firewall. It was invented in the IDF.

- Not use Waze. It's Israeli.

- Not use thumb drives. Invented in Israel.

- Not eat cherry tomatoes. Israeli development.

The list goes on and on, but I must add - if you ever suffer a serious head or stomach injury, tell the medics to not use the Israeli bandage.

There will always be a move towards centralization when a project gains enough converts because the bulk of concerns are exactly the same but we don't have n+1 people willing to do the necessary legwork to secure.

As such, just like REST apis and their N+1 query problem, forcing everyone to have a security conscious posture is never going to happen.

You absolutely need centralized authorities; what the real argume is about is how that authority is selected, changed and intermediated. The same way we argue about how a stable RAFT algorithm operates.

Move on from this "decentralization is all we need" argument. It's failed and failing.

Apparently only for the at&t variant.

for t-mobile

And that's the difference I think; US and Israel have high trust, they are aligned in ideals and strategy and the like.

Remind me again of all the help Israel has provided the USA/the West that they are considered such a great (the greatest, in fact) ally?