u/jgainit

This post is to the .001% of the population this may apply to.

I got a last generation iPod touch 128 GB numerous years ago as a good off-line media device. I can download my music podcasts, audiobooks, etc. to it. Good for notes and voice memos and other stuff too. I turned on strict screen time rules so there’s no social media and I could only use the web browser one or two minutes a day. I think that’s very important or else it will just become its own distracting device.

Anyways, I would argue this could pair very well as a companion device to a dumb phone. With one of the biggest used cases being messaging apps, like messenger or WhatsApp, or tethered google maps.

However, Facebook arbitrarily did not allow WhatsApp to be installed to iPod touches. Even though if you have an iPhone SE first generation, you can use WhatsApp, and they’re basically the same device. I know that somewhat recently, Facebook started allowing WhatsApp for iPad. I know last night I checked WhatsApp on the App Store, and it let me download it. So I am very excited for this. I do not currently own a dumb phone, as I am a DoorDash driver. But when I change jobs, this is now a much more viable solution for me as I have to use WhatsApp to communicate with family.

It’s iPod touch 7th gen on newest iOS for it (they still release bug partches) and iPad mini 5 on iOS 18.7.7 (also latest of iOS 18 with recent bug patches.)

On iPad I typed electrek.com and I got this message. “ Your iPhone has been hacked

All your actions on the device are tracked by a hacker.

Immediate action is required!”

Today on iPod touch I typed old.Reddit.com and got the same message. I didn’t interact with it and closed it. But this means there’s something hacking my device to not display the website I’m intending to go to. What’s going on? Also for my iPad this was within a day of updating the iOS. It had been at like iOS 18.3 or something for maybe a year prior.

I’m going to make a free music video for a local artist as part of a music video class. An artist reached out to me. Her music is so amazing. I have listened to her EP probably 15 times in less than a week. Our (virtual thus far) interactions have been productive and she has interesting ideas, and I think I’m awakening a latent creativity in her. She has kid(s), I think is in school, and I think she hasn’t had the time to be a real artist lately. Her EP came out in 2020. I would not have guessed she was on drugs based on these interactions.

But based on some of her instagram posts, she is clearly on meth. Her photos for sure look like the “after” photos or a before and after meth campaign. And she posts videos of her jamming to loops she’s making, which are honestly good, but her movements have that tweaky quality that is very specific to methamphetamine.

So what is the right move here? I feel like on one side I’m fostering the creativity of an artist. And on the other hand I could see this person as sick and in need of help, and this is not an element I should be introducing into her life right now.

I remember my se 3 was getting super full and I assumed I had put too much stuff on. Then I opened my se 1, and it has 64 gb also, and uses less than half of it, with all of the same apps.

Apple very intentionally created bloat to make us retire old phones. Even 128 gb is gonna get that treatment if it isn’t already.

When I look at the biggest sources of data—

Photos — I use iCloud Photos, therefore not much should be “offline.” No ability to delete anything. Over 3 gb

Podcasts—none downloaded. Over 2 gb

Notes — over 2 gb

Music — none downloaded, over 2 gb

It’s dumb