software i used to buy once now costs $15/month forever. basic hardware features locked behind cloud accounts. can't set up a printer or a tv without agreeing to 50 pages of data harvesting.
started self-hosting everything i can just to escape it. does anyone else miss when you bought something, plugged it in, and it just worked?
MySudo / Cloaked don't work in the EU what are you guys actually using for phone aliases ?
We've got email aliases (SimpleLogin/Proton) and virtual cards sorted. But the second a random app asks for a phone number, EU users hit a wall.
Because of strict telecom KYC laws here, getting even a basic VoIP number usually means handing over an ID. MySudo and Cloaked are US-only.
I've looked at a few things:
Crypton - UK numbers, takes crypto, Tor-friendly, but kinda niche
Silent link - no KYC, receives incoming SMS (2FA works), but no outgoing texts
JMP chat - US/Canada only, unfortunately
I know the Netherlands still sells prepaid SIMs over the counter without ID checks, but buying physical burner SIMs isn't exactly a clean alias solution either.
Has anyone actually found a setup that works long-term ? Or is this just a gap nobody's properly solved for EU users yet ?
Just a heads up for everyone. Researchers have discovered high-tech fake Ledger units that look identical to the original but are designed to drain funds across 20+ different blockchains.
This is exactly why the "closed-source" model is becoming a liability. When you can't easily verify the hardware internals yourself, you are 100% reliant on brand trust—and Ledger is now the #1 target for supply chain attacks. Between the "Recover" controversy and now these physical fakes, the "peace of mind" is gone.
If you didn't buy directly from the official store, be extremely careful. Personally, I’m glad I moved to more transparent, open-source hardware where this type of modification is much harder to hide.
The whole point of cold storage is physical verification. seeing everyone hype up tap-to-phone nfc cards lately is wild. a phone screen can be compromised. if the device itself can't display the exact address before sending, it completely defeats the purpose of hardware security. if malware swaps the clipboard address on your phone, tapping a card blindly just signs away your funds. you are literally just trusting the app ui at that point. a dead ledger is a pain, sure, but skipping the screen entirely for "convenience" is insane. battery-free with an actual display should be the bare minimum.