The app switches the phone on, at least the GPS and CPU.

Not if I remove the battery which is what I would do if forced to install such an app.

Drop it in the water, every time. Oops, I did it again!

Heh, smartphones? Had one, didn't like the idea, and went back to a simple device that only can do phone calls and SMS.

When your government thinks this is a good idea, they'll either force you to buy one, or will provide one for you. And deduct you the price from your taxes. Party at Orson's grave!

When your government thinks this is a good idea, they'll either force you to buy one, or will provide one for you. And deduct you the price from your taxes. Party at Orson's grave!

I guess you mean George Orwell (1984), and not Orson Welles.....

And I'd rather be dead in a ditch (Boris Johnson), than ever again own a smartphone.

I guess you mean George Orwell (1984), and not Orson Welles.....

Uh yes, thank you for the correction. 😳😄

But would your phone work: IPhone

Easy enough to answer. Screw with their heads...
...leave phone switched on & at home. :-)

Easy enough to answer. Screw with their heads...
...leave phone switched on & at home. :-)

Which is what I often do anyhow. I don't need to be available all the time.
Geeze, I'm so tired of watching all the people with their faces stuck at their smartphones all the time.

The app switches the phone on, at least the GPS and CPU.

Not if I remove the battery which is what I would do if forced to install such an app.

You mean the battery can be removed?

I know I can on my flip phone ...

The app switches the phone on, at least the GPS and CPU.

Not if I remove the battery which is what I would do if forced to install such an app.

You mean the battery can be removed?

Can the government charge the battery remotely, if you don't?

Interesting search, kinda addictive. use your computer, but mostly your eyes to look for burial mounds, Celtic fields and cart tracks in LIDAR pictures. Done by Zooniverse: the Heritage Quest: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/evakap/heritage-quest
It's quite difficult still.

BTW if you're not into history, they have plenty more projects they need help with: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects

Meanwhile, our Minister of Health wants 60% of the population to install the corona-tracking app when it becomes available. First voluntary only, but when we don't reach the wanted 60%, it will become mandatory. North Korea/China anyone?

Taiwan is one country where they are using mobile phones to keep track of potential carriers. One report I heard on the radio said it was a "bad idea" to let your phone battery run out - the 6am bang on the door by police and heath agency staff was not welcome.

Grumble:

My garden chipper just buzzes and then blows the fuse in the plug. A quick search suggests the starter capacitor for the motor has failed. (I may or may not have a suitable replacement but checking is difficult as the bolts to open it up are the devil's invention and need star keys to undo them. The place where I could take it to carry out the ten minute job is only half a mile away but closed due to covid-19.

On the matter of phone tracking: Coronavirus: Apple and Google team up to contact trace Covid-19

Yeah I read that and wondered, do they only add it to their newest operating systems? Because if so, it's not going to be much use. Or will they release backwards patches for up to Android 5, maybe 4 and iOS whatever?

I just watched episodes 1 and 2 of Red Dwarf 13. Old fashioned British Humor, with thanks guys, I just needed that. :-)

Yeah I read that and wondered, do they only add it to their newest operating systems? Because if so, it's not going to be much use. Or will they release backwards patches for up to Android 5, maybe 4 and iOS whatever?

It was installed in your phone long ago. Nearly every app you have on your phone uses a 3rd party API to find out its location. It doesn't just grab your GPS but what cell towers you are near, what wi-fi networks you are near, what bluetooth devices are near. That 3rd party is amassing your location data, and everyone else's too. All they need do is a sort. They do that anyway and sell the "anonymized" data to advertisers. Now they are just adding the government and not "anonymized". Welcome to 1984.

Glory auto insurance rate goes down.

We recognize that due to various stay‑at‑home directives, customers are driving less. In light of this, during the month of April we are reducing auto insurance premiums by 25% on Farmers branded and 21st Century branded policies. No action is needed from you, as the reduction will be applied automatically as a credit on your next billing statement. If you recently paid your account in full, we will issue you a refund for the amount of the reduction. As the situation progresses, we will determine if further action is required.