helloindia

Reminded me of this[https://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3448140.htm], where China continues to label Tibetan self-immolators, as Terrorists.

Reminded me of this video of two bus passengers having a silent dispute over window. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQqeTEYBFfM

I often get prescribed pain relievers, because I tell my symptoms to doctors, so that they can diagnose the main illness better, not because I need a medication for the pain. . I have started to explicitly also mention, that I'd like to manage my pain without medication.

I think, you may have mistaken his quote on the sequel of the movie "Speed". He said in an interview, that despite having a good working relationship(& chemistry) with Sandra Bullock, he declined the sequel because the movie plot didn't interest him.

"EB-5 program basically enabled Chinese investors to get their green cards through a $500,000 investment in a regional center project, or a $ 1 million direct investment in their own company."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyjsemotiuk/2018/06/22/the-l-...

From, http://archive.is/5Gcnp

<<--The president’s question touched upon a central conviction at Apple. It isn’t just that workers are cheaper abroad. Rather, Apple’s executives believe the vast scale of overseas factories as well as the flexibility, diligence and industrial skills of foreign workers have so outpaced their American counterparts that “Made in the U.S.A.” is no longer a viable option for most Apple products."

.............. .............. Apple executives say that going overseas, at this point, is their only option. One former executive described how the company relied upon a Chinese factory to revamp iPhone manufacturing just weeks before the device was due on shelves. Apple had redesigned the iPhone’s screen at the last minute, forcing an assembly line overhaul. New screens began arriving at the plant near midnight. A foreman immediately roused 8,000 workers inside the company’s dormitories, according to the executive. Each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing over 10,000 iPhones a day. “The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” the executive said. “There’s no American plant that can match that.” -->>

It's owned by Jack Ma. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1937256/alib...

My company gives us free subscription to GetAbstract.com, on which you get summary of books(the app has audio feature, narrated by real person).

As a fast reader myself, I can't get myself to listen to audiobooks or podcasts while sitting in one place. When I'm walking, it doesn't bother me as much, so I listen to them on my morning/evening walk in the park. I finished several books this way.

<<- I do think audible is a good deal but I don't like that they use closed formats. ->>

On the other hand, it's much easier to rip an Audio book, than remove DRM from an ebook.

The "likes/comment" notification is still chronological. And if you follow around more than 300 accounts, then it's quite difficult to spy. But if you follow only selected few people(say <50), then yes, it is much easier to spy.

Even in northern india, where it's cold. Majority of the people still hand wash their clothes. Although not at the same frequency as southern people.

"Nothing happened, even though guidelines that govern behavior on the platform explicitly forbid mocking someone’s physical appearance.

Today, Instagram says, the outcome would have been different. More sophisticated reporting tools and moderators would have quickly shut the account down."

--> This is BS. Just two days ago, I came across an Instagram account, which had photos and videos of a friend & with captions making fun of my friend. I reported the account for bullying and got a reply from Instagram that the reported account doesn't violate it's community guideline.

When reporting an account, there is no way to provide a link of the actual account.(from where the bully copied the content)

<<-- She developed chronic pain because she did not move enough. “I didn’t want to leave my home because I didn’t need to, and everyone was very busy.” -->>

As a loner, I avoid this by making sure I walk 10,000 steps a day. I go for walk in a nearby park, morning and evening, each 45 minutes. I also use this time, to catch up on music, podcast or anything I can listen to.

"Is it ok for one person to dig a well on their property, and say, pump millions of gallons out and sell it?"

--> This is an actual problem in India. The govt made electricity FREE on farm lands. So, now people with farmland dug borewell, pump out water and sell them in tankers in the city, where many apartments don't have municipal water connection. Water is cheaper for apartments where there is low ground water, as cost of electicity consumption for farmers is nil.

Apple Id signup without credit/debit card is still possible. I don't have any card linked at the moment, and I help friends/family signup.

The app is to monitor foreigners and the natives, while they're in Xinjiang. Deleting the app on just one scan would be defeating the purpose.

<<--Calling WeChat "a kind of malware", what do you mean by this? I would see a miniscule difference between WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger or whatever.-->>

WeChat doesn't have end-to-end encryption, while other apps have them. So the difference is not minuscule. Any communication on Wechat is interceptible by Chinese govt agencies. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/07/wechat-chinese...

Wechat doesn't fit the definition of a "malware", but it is a weapon that Chinese govt uses to monitor it's citizens.

<<--Is WeChat actually required in China? I can't find any article to corroborate this claim. Or are you just saying that it's extremely inconvenient to get by without it. One could say the same about Google or Facebook services in the West.-->>

Read this https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/opinion/learning-to-survi...

Perhaps Apple too.

"Apple hasn’t provided any information on the matter and did not respond to requests for comment. But analysts said the most likely interpretation is that the company is giving Beijing access to its operating system source code in return for being able to continue to do business in China—arguably Apple’s most important market, but one that has been imperiled by regulatory obstacles"

https://qz.com/332059/apple-is-reportedly-giving-the-chinese...

I don't know about other manufacturers, but the latest Google Pixel 3a & 3a XL which comes with the 3.5mm jack, aren't waterproof.

https://www.teamandroid.com/2019/05/16/google-pixel-3a-water...

"How Apple Is Giving Design A Bad Name" By Don Norman and Bruce Tognazzini

https://www.fastcompany.com/3053406/how-apple-is-giving-desi...

"The rationale behind the move is to cut reliance on foreign entities, the report said, a concern that has somehow manifested amid U.S.’s ongoing tussle with Huawei and China."

Personal experience here. I've observed that non-native english speakers say "shit" more often than the equivalent word in their own language.

"Shark fin soup was a status symbol for wealthy and powerful Chinese, who would consider a family who couldn’t afford to serve shark fin soup at the wedding banquet a family not worth marrying their daughter into."

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/a-brief-histo...

Digital payment is now almost ubiquitous in India also. But, I still always carry cash with me, because of sketchy data network in crowded areas(including my workplace). All digital payment system in India requires data connection on payer phone.

China Facial Recognition Database Leak Sparks Fears Over Mass Data Collection

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2019/02/18/chin...

Open page in Firefox, while page is loading quickly toggle reader(right of address bar) view, before the subscription pop-up shows up. If you miss the short window, refresh page and try again.

The Nokia CEO, Risto Siilasmaa describes "Paranoid Optimism" as being prepare mentally for the most negative outcomes, and at the same time, be enthusiastic about the most positive outcomes.

Brian Krebbs covered phishing of users who lost their iPhones, although he doesn't talk about how the "thief" managed to retrieve phone number from the the stolen phone.

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/03/if-your-iphone-is-stolen...

Due to lack of strong data protection law in India and awareness, I won't be surprised if its been purchased from a 3rd party.

There are some "Indian startup" groups on Facebook, where it's common for people to sell such databases, and nobody asks if the seller has consent from the people in the database. Such posts also never gets taken down, or the seller doesn't get blocked from the group.