manualoverride
I really wanted to use Tungsten as the base ballast for a custom narrowboat, for better headroom. Other than the cost you also have the problem of tungsten’s melting point being so high you can’t pour it into a boat hull without melting through.
Credit card companies know where you are spending your money, but not what you are buying.
They have been selling your data but it’s less valuable in the world of store apps and online stores where every search and purchase is linked to your email. Still worth opting out of any “data sharing” options your Credit Card company has though.
It’s not “a set of people” anymore it’s you, and there is always more data.
Buy some doughnuts for the office… your health insurance just went up.
You buy a new car which has fancy connected features, but now it sells your driving safety score to your car insurance company.
Buy a vegan ready meal, both vegan food companies and the meat industry compete for your business, you might get a few discounts, but your free will is being influenced.
The difference is when credit cards were introduced their business model was charging customers interest and businesses fees.
Now the business model is making customer profiles to sell to advertisers, insurance companies and anyone else who is willing to buy the data. I don’t want every business I use to be collecting all this information.
This article is over 2 years old, so not exactly new news.
Just keep your phone for as long as possible and only upgrade when you absolutely have to.
There are no environmentally friendly options, but making sure your device is recycled at EOL, replacing your battery rather than your phone, and keeping it for as long as possible is the best you can do while still having the luxury of owning a phone.