Author Topic: Brain Hacking  (Read 3489 times)

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Offline Pookie

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Brain Hacking
« on: April 10, 2017, 12:16:20 PM »
This was on last night's "60 Minutes:"  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-hacking-tech-insiders-60-minutes/

I figured people were addicted to this stuff, but didn't think it was deliberate.  Who knew?  What concerns me, (here's where the paranoia kicks in) is who's to say this won't be used in other ways to "program" or otherwise manipulate people in other ways?  Frankly, I'm so glad I don't have data on my cell, and don't have the fancy gadgets or use apps.  Maybe I'm a dinosaur, but I like it that way.
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2017, 12:47:31 PM »
The only thing I've got on my cellphone are money saving apps. If someone sees me staring at my screen, they might as well hang it up b/c I'm reading a book, and I'm blocking the rest of the world out in that way. I'll read books at any time I can sit still. I DO have a hard time putting books down, but I've always been like that. I read at my computer. I read on my phone. I read on my tablet. I'm always reading, and I always have 3 books open. 1 tech/science; 1 nonfiction; 1 fiction. I skip around with time spent on each during every day.

I have a fake email account on my phone that I never use except to sign up for crap I never intend to pay attention to at any point in the future and signup for apps. I go into it about once a week and delete things without even reading them.

Wait, there IS one place I pay attention to once a month. Authors have signed up for several places to give away free books each month, and I always look at that email to get the free code. I've been planning to sit down and join some other groups like that too. There are different free-each-month groups by genre, and I'll read most of them. It's kind of like Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for adults. They've even been starting some of them for young adults. My oldest granddaughter has one on her phone.

But as far as social media anything on my phone? Nope. Not Happening. It's a good way to let hackers get into your phone. I do like my money saving apps though--Receipt Hog, Checkout 51, Walmart, Walgreens, Target Cartwheel, and Ulta --First 3 get opened at least once a week, and last 3 get opened when I need to go to one of those stores.

But yeah. Those kinds of sites in that story want you coming back as much as possible. Advertising $$ depend on it.
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Offline Lola

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2017, 04:36:00 PM »
I know a lot of people ...their cell phones are their computers.  They have everything on them.  No thanks. 
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2017, 06:58:15 PM »
I know a lot of people ...their cell phones are their computers.  They have everything on them.  No thanks. 

Most people I know in real life are like that.  Not all though, a few like me, and you and Pookie. The new phone I bought last July is still in the box. My phone is 11 years old and has a trillion minutes because I just buy a one year card for it every year and it sits in my purse, which sits in my car.  I use about 10 minutes a year on it, if that.

Dee I'm glad you can make use of your phone to read.  I couldn't even if I had a phone with that capability.  I prefer books.  I have a kindle, also now ancient, that I tried to use once.  Hated it.

(I didn't read the article.  I just like the discussion about personal phone use)

Offline Pookie

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2017, 10:34:25 PM »
Most people I know in real life are like that.  Not all though, a few like me, and you and Pookie. The new phone I bought last July is still in the box. My phone is 11 years old and has a trillion minutes because I just buy a one year card for it every year and it sits in my purse, which sits in my car.  I use about 10 minutes a year on it, if that.

I had to replace my phone last year because they were dropping 2G, so I had to get a cell that had at least 3G.  Is that why you got a new phone, too?

I prefer books.  I have a kindle, also now ancient, that I tried to use once.  Hated it.

I'm the same way.  There's just something about having the book in your hand, turning the pages, etc.  Plus, if I want to tag a certain page because of information I may want to refer back to, I can do that.  And best of all, it doesn't require electricity!   :D  Plus, you don't have to "upgrade" the device every so often because it's outdated (meaning, not working).
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2017, 11:25:39 PM »
I had to replace my phone last year because they were dropping 2G, so I had to get a cell that had at least 3G.  Is that why you got a new phone, too?


Why I have a new phone, and we decided to get ones that would do everything and hopefully last as long as my old 2G did.

I'm the same way.  There's just something about having the book in your hand, turning the pages, etc.  Plus, if I want to tag a certain page because of information I may want to refer back to, I can do that.  And best of all, it doesn't require electricity!   :D  Plus, you don't have to "upgrade" the device every so often because it's outdated (meaning, not working).

I love holding books too, and occasionally (If it's about animals) I'll buy one. However, I could have the library in Beauty and the Beast and I'd be in danger of running out of storage room. That's how many electronic books i have. Over 40,000. I just looked, and those aren't including the ones I've got burned to disk.

A lot of Kindle and Nook books are free, and all you have to do is have their apps. I've got both of them on this computer. I've got Aldiko on my phone and tablet. I also have Calibre here on the computer so that I can change formats around when I need a different format for my phone and tablet.

Now you know my addiction.

"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2017, 05:30:46 AM »
I had to replace my phone last year because they were dropping 2G, so I had to get a cell that had at least 3G.  Is that why you got a new phone, too?

Yeah, but not in those terms,. I have no idea what 2G or 3G means. I just know that an 11 year old phone is going to sooner or later not work any more.  But the tracfone smartphone is still in the box.

Quote
I'm the same way.  There's just something about having the book in your hand, turning the pages, etc.  Plus, if I want to tag a certain page because of information I may want to refer back to, I can do that.  And best of all, it doesn't require electricity!   :D  Plus, you don't have to "upgrade" the device every so often because it's outdated (meaning, not working).

Exactly.  When the kindle was given to me it was already old.  All excited I went to Amazon to get it registered and discovered I was going to have to download a newer version or something.  None of it made any sense to me.  So I gave up.  My friend who loves her kindle come over and spent hours with it and my computer, and ultimately took it home and spent more hours on it, proudly presenting it to me all "upgraded" and even with a couple of books put on it for me.  One of the books was one I was currently reading at the time, so I attempted to switch over to the kindle. That lasted about 2 minutes haha.

The other day she mentioned that I would probably need to "upgrade" my kindle again soon and I just laughed at her. I don't even know where it is.

The library can get me any book I want to read.  I'm happy with that.



Offline Pookie

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2017, 03:43:45 PM »
Quote
The other day she mentioned that I would probably need to "upgrade" my kindle again soon and I just laughed at her. I don't even know where it is. 

The cats are using it as a warming bed.   Silly7

Quote
The library can get me any book I want to read.  I'm happy with that.

That's my first choice, too.  Unless it's something I know I want, in which case I'll buy it used from Amazon.
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Offline Lola

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2017, 03:13:38 PM »
I prefer reading books on my iPad.  No books to donate.  No books hanging around collecting dust.  The downside... can't share books too easily. 
Library books are germ-y... to me.  They always have a bad smell and/or booger-looking spots on them.  Just too gross.... 
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2017, 03:48:18 PM »

Library books are germ-y... to me.  They always have a bad smell and/or booger-looking spots on them.  Just too gross.... 

There IS that too! It's like sick people stayed home with a book and sneezed all over everything in front of them.
"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

Offline Pookie

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2017, 03:50:02 PM »
 :( yuk   Thanks, ladies!   ::)
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Offline Lola

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2017, 04:15:16 PM »
:( yuk   Thanks, ladies!   ::)

Now you can have that same book germ phobia too!!!  lol
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #12 on: April 13, 2017, 10:14:17 PM »
Now you can have that same book germ phobia too!!!  lol

Oh believe me, I've thought about it.  I'm very careful not to touch my eyes/nose/mouth while reading a library book, and I wash my hands when I'm done with it for that session.  Of course, used books from Amazon may not be spin-n-span, either, but hey, it's building a stronger immune system.   ;D

Besides, touch screens aren't exactly sanitary if you let other people touch them, or you don't clean them after you've been sick and used them.   Silly7
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Brain Hacking
« Reply #13 on: April 14, 2017, 05:24:30 AM »
I've had a couple of gross library books over the years but not many.  When I do get one I report it when I return it so it can be either cleaned/repaired, or taken out of circulation.

My biggest issue is books that smell like cigarettes.  The only time I really have that problem is when a book I've ordered comes in large print.  I hate large print books and try to avoid ordering those kind of editions but sometimes, even if I carefully choose one that isn't, it comes in that way.  They almost always smell like cigarettes, and I bring them back and complain. I would't read them even if they didn't smell, large print books hurt my eyes.

I do remember one time, I was reading the Mary Stewart Merlin books (The Crystal Cave, etc) and all the books' pages were covered with orange crap. Covered.  Like whoever read them before me was eating cheese doodles with every reading session. Every single book in the series was the same.  I reported those too, but I read them.  After that I bought my own set.

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