goofus

Get this: The filing fee for a Certificate of Citizenship is $1,335.

The advantage of a Certificate of Citizenship over a passport is that it does not expire (I believe this is correct).

The passport fee is $130.

I find that youtube videos can be very helpful if I search for a subject of interest. Freetube has a good search function for youtube. Freetube usually works for me, although sometimes I have to change my vpn location.

I also have a number of channels that I follow using RSS (QuiteRSS). I can be very selective in which channels to follow. I regularly add and delete channels. I use Freetube to search subjects and find channels to follow related to those subjects. I watch the RSS videos in a librewolf browser that deletes cookies every time I shut it down, and it has medium privacy settings.

The youtube feed is horrible, as are the advertisements. I don't get any advertisements, I am not sure if it is because of adblock or if it is because I never sign in to google/youtube on my device. The sidebar of related videos is somewhat like a feed and contains a lot of junk, but occasionally I find an interesting video or channel by looking at the sidebar while watching a video.

I am happy with the way my setup is working now, but of course things could change at any time.

we're all moving to Truth Social.

Albania. In particular southern Albania near Greece. Most places are good, but if you like the beach, Saranda. If you like history, Gjirokaster.

Email from April 11:

BraX3 April Project Update

Hi everyone,

We’re back with an important update covering three key areas: how we’re adapting to the newly imposed U.S. tariffs, how that change can impact backers, and a short update on our beta program.

Let’s dive in. For U.S. Customers: Navigating the Tariff Challenge Together

We’ve always aimed to do things differently—with more transparency, fairness, and user-first thinking. This moment is no exception.

From the start, we made a conscious decision to ship BraX3 domestically within the U.S.—not from China like most crowdfunded projects. This was meant to save you money and avoid the hassle of customs clearance.

But the recent escalation in trade tensions has changed the landscape. The U.S. has now imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese electronics, making it financially impossible for us to import BraX3 as originally planned without significant losses.

Most companies either freeze deliveries or push 100% of the added cost onto customers. We won’t do that.

Instead, we’ve made a bold move: we’re shifting final assembly to the European Union. This change allows us to:

        Regain control of our delivery timeline

    Minimize the impact of unpredictable tariff complications

    Maintain momentum and keep our promises

Of course, this change adds cost—logistics, disassembly, reassembly, and EU compliance. We’re absorbing the majority of it, but we are asking U.S. customers for a $30 contribution to help close the gap.

Here’s what to expect:

        In the next 2 weeks, you’ll receive an email with a secure portal

    Through that portal, you can:

        Pay the $30 surcharge

        Add accessories to your order

        Update your shipping information

    Full refunds will be available if you decide not to proceed—no questions asked

We know this isn’t ideal, and we wouldn’t ask unless it was truly necessary. But we believe this approach keeps us aligned with the values that brought us all together.

A Note on Delivery Timeline Impact

With the shift to EU-based assembly, we’re also adjusting our estimated delivery timeline.

The logistics of transferring partially assembled units, reassembling them in the EU, and completing the necessary production steps will require an additional 20 days. This pushes our U.S. shipping window to approximately mid-end May 2025.

Additionally, to ensure the product’s EU origin is recognized for customs compliance, there’s a regulatory process we must follow. While we’re working hard to keep this smooth and timely, there’s still a chance it could introduce a few more days of delay—though we’re doing everything possible to avoid that.

We know this isn’t what anyone hoped for, but we also believe this approach gives us greater control, higher quality assurance, and the best path forward under the current global circumstances.

For Non-U.S. Customers: Optional Upgrade to EU Assembly

For our backers outside the U.S., your BraX3 is still set to ship with the original China-based assembly.

However, this shift has also opened up a new opportunity: we’re now offering an optional upgrade to the EU-assembled version of BraX3—bringing the same improvements we’re implementing for U.S. deliveries.

Why consider the upgrade?

        Enhanced quality control and handling during final assembly

    Compliance with European manufacturing and security standards

    Alignment with the changes being made for U.S. units

In the coming weeks, all customers, regardless of location, will receive an email with a link to a dedicated order management portal. Through this portal, you’ll be able to:

        Upgrade to the EU-assembled version for $30 (optional)

    Add accessories to your existing order

    Update your delivery details
    Pay VAT as per our terms in the FAQ section (EU-based customers only)

We believe the EU-assembled version adds real value—but if you're happy with the original assembly plan, no action is needed. Your order will proceed as originally planned.

Beta Devices Are Out & Feedback is Rolling In

We’re also happy to report that the BraX3 beta devices have been shipped and received by most of the selected testers.

Feedback is already flowing in, and we’re addressing bugs with quick turnaround. It’s encouraging to see iodeOS progressing right on schedule, and we’re confident in our momentum toward a stable production release.

In Closing

We’re doing our best to handle real-world challenges with integrity, creativity, and community in mind. Whether you’re a U.S. customer facing a new decision, or a global backer looking to benefit from these improvements—we’re here to make sure the result is still something we can all be proud of.

Thank you for your continued support, trust, and patience.

Plamen

p.s. We recommend listening to the latest live stream on Rob's channel, where he addresses the challenges and shares our thought process in greater detail.

I am waiting for my Brax3 phone. I am thinking about requesting a refund. I have heard that a Pixel phone with Graphene is a much better choice.

The biggest issue would be YouTube fingerprinting my RSS browser. But I am trying to learn about privacy, so I don't know anything.

Try different locations.

It is surprising how weak Russia actually is. At this point just about any other nation could come in and wipe out the Russian government.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a last ditch effort to recapture former Soviet territory before its oil and gas resources lose economic value.

We are entering a major transition period, with many technological changes happening to disrupt the existing economy. One of the most important is the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

For hundreds of years, the energy economy has been a system where certain countries and companies controlled the locations on earth where fossil fuels are located, and had the technology to process the fuels. Fossil fuels by their nature require the user to buy "feedstock" as they go. The countries and companies that control fossil fuel production profit from this system and are some of the wealthiest groups in the world.

Renewable energy systems, such as solar, wind and batteries, require an upfront payment for the equipment. The cost of equipment for renewable energy is dropping every year. They can be located almost everywhere. There is no ongoing feedstock payment. Renewables break the fossil fuel industry model, and some of the wealthiest people in the world are scrambling to control governments to somehow retain their income flow. Currently their strategy is to delay implementation of renewables, but eventually they will try to create monopolies where they control the source of power and charge the customer about the same as they are paying now, with the utilities benefitting from the low cost of renewable power.

This is only one of the transitions happening at this time. There are many major disruptions coming from implementing AI in the economy, from electric vehicles and self-driving vehicles. There are probably many more transitions that no one is predicting or even imagining at this time. You can expect things to be crazy for a decade or more as these technologies change the way our economy, infrastructure and society is shaped.

It is a shame that SPD and Union did not work together in the last government to try to resolve some of the problems that cause the voters to move to the right.

Another analog is that eastern Germany voted very differently than western and southern Germany.

One major difference, in 1930 the far right was anti-Russia, and today they are pro-Russia.

My theory is that we are experiencing a worldwide socio-psychological disorder that is a communicable disease, which was spread through information exchange on the internet.

Socio-psychological disorder is a sort of mass hysteria, evident in witch hunts, demon possession, persecution of various groups of people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_panic_cases

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contagion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_hunt

Make a list of search terms

Search on a term

Open an interesting video, watch it

Look at the recommended videos in the sidebar, choose one

Repeat

Are there any scrapers who repost Marketplace ads?

goofus

@ goofus @lemmy.today

Posts

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goofus

YSK: Do you have documents to prove you are a US citizen? If not, here's how

Even conservatives use to boast the virtue of achieving higher education. In MAGA times what is the pathway to success?

Becoming a Subversive,

Permanently Deleted

Is 4chan dead forever? Where are the refugees going?

What are some places in Europe with a low price level and worth traveling to?

Is the BraX3 from braxtech.net a trustworthy investment?

Is the BraX3 from braxtech.net a trustworthy investment?

If you could reroute all the money spent globally on Generative AI right now to another single technological endeavor, what would it be?

RSS and Privacy

RSS and Privacy

What are some good algorithm free alternatives to YouTube?

How to Use Mullvad VPN?

YouTube doesn't let me watch without turning off my VPN?

Permanently Deleted

Permanently Deleted

Permanently Deleted

Does history repeat itself?

Does history repeat itself?

Does history repeat itself?

Olds of lemmy, why does the party who wants everyone to have as many children as possible hate their own children?

If I like synthwave music, which other genres should I pay attention to?

Infinite scroll in GrayJay app?

How to Browse Facebook Marketplace without a login account?

How to Browse Facebook Marketplace without a login account?