This is the result of a society that has evolved to serve the commercial interests of a few rather than the technical needs of many; indeed, most people are Lebonian cattle (cf. Gustave Le Bon, The Psychology of Crowds), not homo oeconomicus.
Digital identity should be a physical smart card, as has been the case for decades with mobile phone SIM cards, bank cards, etc every ID document and each of these, where issued by the public sector, should form part of a federated system of public administration ID that provides authentication services to citizens.
Digital signatures should be a key stored on the smart card, not a third-party guarantor using SMS OTP, scanned signatures, or other absurd analogues.
Yet this is not the case because most IT professionals know nothing and attempt to reconstruct with IT what they only understand through paper, thereby creating opportunities for a few to profit greatly from their ignorance, and nothing more.
I put off replacing my phone for a long time too. When I finally did it wasn't a big deal. Basically getting a SIM for a temporary phone gives me phone/text that handles 2FA except for work that needs authenticator.
The unexpected thing when I put WhatsApp on the new phone was that old messages weren't readable. They needed to do a key exchange with other participant but it never seemed to ever render. That was about the biggest inconvenience. If I hadn't installed WhatsApp on the new phone, I could keep reading old messages on web app. So it's good to grab the info you need before taking that step.
Today I had breakfast by myself without any devices. I was just looking out the window at nature. Quite a different and refreshing experience. (Even as a kid I used to read and reread the cereal boxes at breakfast.)
When my phone died, I was helpless. Does anyone have even 1 phone number they can recall from memory? I couldn't, forcing me to travel home to get my laptop to access my contacts. So I make my way home but, oh wait, I can't use the Uber app without my phone. OK, I'll get a taxi! Oh wait, nothing to make a phone call with. I'll take the bus! Thank god I have a debit card on hand to pay, but how do I find a bus station and route home without my phone?! I guess I'll borrow a stranger's phone and call a friend to give me a ride? Oh crap, I can't remember a single phone number!
I am very close to giving up and buying 2 or more working phones at any time, for the same reason I keep a spare tire in the trunk. I would love to see google's Pixel program try this, where you get 2 phones, but are only charged if you activate the spare.
It's is troubling to see Steve Job's dream come to it's full realization- these phones are not a luxury, or even a commodity. Living without a smartphone today is basically impossible.
In the Apple ecosystem, iPad Mini + LTE + VOIP for voice/SMS is a mobile backup device that can double as 2nd monitor for laptop, or dock with an external monitor and keyboard via USB-c. It does require avoiding sevices that mandate non-VOIP SMS 2FA. iPad cost is balanced by use or resale after several years.
Sadly, there is no Google Pixel Tablet Mini (or even Pixel Tablet 2). Hopefully the upcoming OEM release of a GrapheneOS-compatible phone will be successful.
The other device to consider as backup, is an Apple Watch with a cell modem. If you are dumped on the side of the street randomly somehow, I can't say if you'd still have your watch or your iPad, I just know it happened to a friend (got into a fight with the other people on a road trip and was left stranded at a gas station), and he was able to use his Apple watch to get help. And everyone on the road trip patched things up afterwards.
This honestly seems like a hack? And I want to live Apple's garden even less than I want to live in Google's.
Smartphone technology has plateaued over the years, which has an unexpected benefit- You don't need the latest model. The older model is much cheaper and entirely sufficient. You can, in fact, go back several generations, to the point that you can get 2 old phones for less than 1 new phone.
Much like the author, I consider myself to not use my phone too much. That said, it's probably just as far from the truth for me as it is for him.
Microsoft Authenticator is the biggest offender that comes to mind - without it, I cannot work. My company requires that we share our location to access systems (it's to enforce compliance controls that data stays in the country), so I can no longer use an offline MFA strategy like a U2F token or a TOTP key - I _have_ to use Microsoft Authenticator.
I've found that all "systems" are worthless. Don't look for ways to lock yourself out, don't curate which apps are on your phone, and don't make your phone black and white so you use it less. Just stop carrying your phone with you, it's actually that easy.
If SMS/IMessage worked without a phone, I probably wouldn't need a phone at all.
Also, I have a computer, which is superior to a phone in every way so I just use that.
For me, it was the realization that scrolling simply wasn't fun. At least drugs are fun. But there really was no distracting app on my phone that brought me even a little bit of joy, so I purged everything that could be considered addictive. Now my phone is more like an old nokia. It's just a utility device now and it's great to be free on the scrolling. But you have to start by giving up the illusion that scrolling is fun.
I have done that, I have no social media or anything. The only apps I have that I use are the phone, text for business, gmail, and chrome. Chrome is by far the most addictive. I also have Youtube, but that is mostly good as I have "do not recommend channel" most non-educational stuff. I mostly see construction and mechanic related videos.
But still I accrue 5-6 hours a day on it. Chrome is my biggest weakness and I have blocked my worst sites, but I still come to HN way too much. Maybe block this one next?
Another anecdote: some gyms nowadays require an app to check-in and to get the door open. For me, gym is for relaxing, which also means no phone. The one I joined sounded slightly apologetic for charging me 10€ for a physical keycard.
If their keycard is NFC/RFID, they might consider adding existing NFC GUIDs (e.g. expired transit ticket or small tag on keychain) to their system, so that customers can use a single NFC tag for access to multiple venues.
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Digital identity should be a physical smart card, as has been the case for decades with mobile phone SIM cards, bank cards, etc every ID document and each of these, where issued by the public sector, should form part of a federated system of public administration ID that provides authentication services to citizens.
Digital signatures should be a key stored on the smart card, not a third-party guarantor using SMS OTP, scanned signatures, or other absurd analogues.
Yet this is not the case because most IT professionals know nothing and attempt to reconstruct with IT what they only understand through paper, thereby creating opportunities for a few to profit greatly from their ignorance, and nothing more.
The unexpected thing when I put WhatsApp on the new phone was that old messages weren't readable. They needed to do a key exchange with other participant but it never seemed to ever render. That was about the biggest inconvenience. If I hadn't installed WhatsApp on the new phone, I could keep reading old messages on web app. So it's good to grab the info you need before taking that step.
Today I had breakfast by myself without any devices. I was just looking out the window at nature. Quite a different and refreshing experience. (Even as a kid I used to read and reread the cereal boxes at breakfast.)
I am very close to giving up and buying 2 or more working phones at any time, for the same reason I keep a spare tire in the trunk. I would love to see google's Pixel program try this, where you get 2 phones, but are only charged if you activate the spare.
It's is troubling to see Steve Job's dream come to it's full realization- these phones are not a luxury, or even a commodity. Living without a smartphone today is basically impossible.
Sadly, there is no Google Pixel Tablet Mini (or even Pixel Tablet 2). Hopefully the upcoming OEM release of a GrapheneOS-compatible phone will be successful.
Smartphone technology has plateaued over the years, which has an unexpected benefit- You don't need the latest model. The older model is much cheaper and entirely sufficient. You can, in fact, go back several generations, to the point that you can get 2 old phones for less than 1 new phone.
Deleted Comment
Microsoft Authenticator is the biggest offender that comes to mind - without it, I cannot work. My company requires that we share our location to access systems (it's to enforce compliance controls that data stays in the country), so I can no longer use an offline MFA strategy like a U2F token or a TOTP key - I _have_ to use Microsoft Authenticator.
If SMS/IMessage worked without a phone, I probably wouldn't need a phone at all.
Also, I have a computer, which is superior to a phone in every way so I just use that.
But still I accrue 5-6 hours a day on it. Chrome is my biggest weakness and I have blocked my worst sites, but I still come to HN way too much. Maybe block this one next?
How much more complicated will this all get? How much can it?