Posted on April 6, 2018
SOLAR XL: Resisting Keystone XL by Building Clean Energy in the Pipeline’s Path
TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels per day of dirty tarsands from Canada through hundreds of American homes, farms and ranches. It would cross the delicate Sandhills in Nebraska and put the critical Ogallala Aquifer and sacred Indigenous sites like the Ponca Trail of Tears at risk. Farmers, ranchers and indigenous Nations are fighting with everything they have to protect the land and their communities from eminent domain for private gain.
We refuse to allow the Keystone XL to put our land and water at risk. We already have the solutions we need, which is why we’re building solar panels directly in the path of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The solar panels are being connected to Nebraska’s power grid, generating clean, renewable energy for the state – as opposed to a risky pipeline that would provide little benefit to Nebraskans. If Keystone XL is approved, TransCanada would have to tear down clean and locally produced energy to make way for its dirty tarsands pipeline.
The SOLAR XL project is organized by Bold Nebraska, with support from partners including 350.org, Indigenous Environmental Network, Oil Change International and CREDO (P.S. Thank you!)
Posted on April 2, 2018
Tuesday Tip: How to Change Your Facebook Settings After the Cambridge Analytica News
Tuesday Tip: How to Change Your Facebook Settings After the Cambridge Analytica News
This is the first part of a special three part series on digital security by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
You shouldn’t have to do this. You shouldn’t have to wade through complicated privacy settings in order to ensure that the companies with which you’ve entrusted your personal information are making reasonable, legal efforts to protect it. But Facebook has allowed third parties to violate user privacy on an unprecedented scale, and while legislators and regulators scramble to understand the implications and put limits in place, users are left with the responsibility to make sure their profiles are properly configured.
It recently became clear that Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics company, got access to more than 50 million Facebook users’ data in 2014. The data was overwhelmingly collected, shared and stored without user consent. The scale of this violation of user privacy reflects how Facebook’s terms of service and API were structured at the time. Make no mistake: This was not a data breach. This was exactly how Facebook’s infrastructure was designed to work.
In addition to raising questions about Facebook’s role in the 2016 presidential election, this news is a reminder of the inevitable privacy risks that users face when their personal information is captured, analyzed, indefinitely stored and shared by a constellation of data brokers, marketers and social media companies.
Tech companies can and should do more to protect users, including giving users far more control over what data is collected and how that data is used. That starts with meaningful transparency and allowing truly independent researchers – with no bottom line or corporate interest – access to work with, black-box test and audit their systems.
Finally, users need to be able to leave when a platform isn’t serving them – and take their data with them when they do.
Of course, you could choose to leave Facebook entirely, but for many that is not a viable solution. For now, if you’d like keep your data from going through Facebook’s API, you can take control of your privacy settings. Keep in mind that this disables ALL platform apps (like Farmville, Twitter or Instagram) and you will not be able to log into sites using your Facebook login.
Log into Facebook and visit the App Settings page (or go there manually via the Settings Menu > Apps ).
From there, click the “Edit” button under “Apps, Websites and Plugins.” Click “Turn Off.”
Gennie Gebhart is a researcher at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). EFF was founded in 1990 to protect the rights of technology users, a mission that expands as the digital world evolves. They provide leadership on cutting-edge issues of free expression, privacy, and human rights. CREDO and EFF have been long-time partners in the fight for privacy and civil liberties, and CREDO members have voted to donate over $323,000 to the organization since 2007. This piece originally appeared in EFF’s Deeplinks blog.
Posted on April 2, 2018
Download your March for Science posters here
Last year, more than 1 million people worldwide marched in support of science, an event that organizers called the “largest event for science advocacy in history.”
This April 14, students, teachers, scientists, supporters and advocates will again gather across the globe at marches, rallies and science expos to hold political leaders accountable and urge them to support good science policy.
If you or someone you know is attending the March for Science this month, we have free posters for you to download.
Download Your Free Poster
Download Science is not a liberal conspiracy (PDF) – 11×17 in.
Download Fossil fuels are not the future (PDF) – 11×17 in.
Download 4 hottest years (PDF) – 11×17 in.
Download Science is true (PDF) – 11×17 in.
Download Not a hoax (PDF) – 11×17 in.
Download Oil spoils (PDF) – 11×17 in.
Download Planet before profit (PDF) – 11×17 in.
Download Ruins EPA (PDF) – 11×17 in.
Download Save EPA (PDF) – 11×17 in.
Posted on April 1, 2018
Our March grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible organizations. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund groups fighting for civil rights, press freedom and net neutrality, and workers’ rights. Just last month, over 65,000 CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation to Center for Popular Democracy, Free Press Action Fund and OUR Walmart.
These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our March grant recipients thank you.
Center for Popular Democracy
“Thank you for supporting CPD! CREDO members like you help make our work to protect our communities possible. Through our collective action, we can and will transform America to be the country of our hopes and aspirations.” To learn more, visit populardemocracy.org.
Free Press Action Fund
“Thank you for your support! CREDO members like you are helping Free Press Action Fund and our 1.4 million members to save net neutrality, fight for your rights to connect and communicate – and transform media and technology.” To learn more, visit freepress.net.
OUR Walmart
“Thank you for your support! CREDO members have always stood with people working at Walmart as we fight to make our lives better. We couldn’t do it without your love and support. We love you, CREDO” To learn more, visit united4respect.org.
Now check out the three causes we are funding in April, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.
Posted on April 1, 2018
These three progressive groups are waiting for your vote this April
Every month, CREDO members vote to help distribute tens of thousands of dollars among three great progressive causes. This April, you can help fund groups fighting for gun control, against Big Oil and for economic justice by voting for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Oil Change International and People’s Action. Learn more about each of these groups, and then cast your vote for one, two or all three by April 30.
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence
The Brady Center is committed to creating a safer America by cutting gun deaths in half through public awareness, legal action and public policy.
A grant from CREDO members would have a significant impact on the three main areas that the Brady Center focuses on: reducing the flow of crime guns into communities most heavily impacted by gun violence, expanding and protecting the Brady Background Check system and changing the cultural perception that owning or carrying a gun makes you safer.
Posted on March 31, 2018
Our favorite protest signs from the March for Our Lives
On March 24, more than 1 million students, teachers, parents and supporters across the country took to the streets to push for stronger gun control laws as part of the student-led March for Our Lives protests.
In Washington alone, roughly 800,000 people turned out for what USA Today has said was the “the largest single-day protest in the history of the nation’s capital.”
We were so inspired by the powerful signs many protesters carried, and CREDO was on hand at several March locations to provide signs for those who didn’t have one.
Here are some of our favorites:
Posted on March 27, 2018
Tuesday Tip: How to Take a Volunteer Vacation – The Alternative Spring Break
How to Take a Volunteer Vacation – The Alternative Spring Break
What’s your goal when you travel? Taking selfies – or is it finding yourself? If you’re in search of meaning more than museums, try a volunteer vacation this spring. Research wildlife in Nepal, build housing in Trinidad and Tobago, or restore a bird habitat on the Big Island in Hawaii. You’ll learn about the local people, do meaningful work and meet other travelers like you.
Take a trip, make a difference and come home with experiences that will never leave.
A lot of people are doing it. Service travel is now the second-fastest-growing travel sector, after adventure travel. Many of these travelers are young people, but many are also families, career-breakers and retirees.
If you do choose to volunteer on your next vacation, you’ll need assistance from people who specialize in service travel. You can’t just show up and offer to pitch in. Luckily, there are a lot of organizations that arrange volunteer vacations.
Choosing one that suits you will require research. But here are three reputable groups to get you started.
Earthwatch Expeditions take you into the field with respected scientists who are investigating urgent environmental issues. You’ll make a make a personal contribution to the research while experiencing the nature and culture of your destination. Expeditions cover four areas of interests: wildlife and ecosystems, climate change, archeology and culture, and ocean health. Choices this year include exploring lions and their prey in Kenya, rewilding the Scottish Highlands and studying orcas in Iceland.
Habitat for Humanity Global Village
You have no doubt heard of Habitat. You may not know that the organization offers opportunities to build or improve housing, schools, clinics and other essential structures in 40 countries around the world. You can help build a house or make minor home repairs. You can assist with disaster recovery or join an energy-efficiency project. You’ll experience another country and meet other volunteers from many different nations.
Sierra Club Volunteer Vacations
Sierra Club arranges around 90 enjoyable, affordable volunteer trips each year. They involve hands-on conservation work like building and maintaining trails, removing invasive plants and assisting on archaeological digs. You’ll meet the people who know the local area best – forest service and park rangers. Most trips also include free time for hiking and exploring. Opportunities this year include park maintenance in Hells Canyon, Idaho (with transportation by jet-boat up the Snake River Canyon), forestry service at the New York Botanical Garden (a 50-acre urban old-growth forest) and native-bird habitat restoration on the Big Island of Hawaii (with hiking in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park).
We hope this list will inspire your travel plans and encourage you to make a real difference during your next vacation. And, if you’re not already a member, we hope you’ll consider CREDO, the mobile carrier that empowers you to make positive change in the world every day, just by using your phone.
Posted on March 26, 2018
Victory: CREDO members pressure Starbucks to reduce plastic
Activism to hold corporations accountable works. We’re proud to announce that CREDO and our partners at Stand.earth and the Break Free from Plastic Coalition successfully pressured Starbucks to create a 100% recyclable cup. The coffee giant announced it is putting $10 million into research to create a 100% recyclable and compostable cup to be introduced in stores within 3 years.
More than 85,000 CREDO members signed a petition urging the company to “go beyond its 2008 commitments, including a switch to recyclable cups and a 25 percent increase in reusable cup usage.”
Because of CREDO members’ activism, Starbucks was feeling the pressure, as they made this announcement the day before their annual shareholders meeting – exactly when our petition signatures were to be delivered.
But our work to hold Starbucks accountable isn’t over. We will have to keep the pressure on because Starbucks has gone back on similar promises in the past – but they are definitely in the spotlight to take real action now.
Posted on March 21, 2018
CREDO is building the capacity of progressive activists in key states
Across the country, millions are mobilizing in opposition to Trump and his dangerous, racist agenda –- and thanks to the CREDO members who use our products every day, CREDO is now leading the charge to train an “army of activists” in key states to resist Trump and fight for our progressive values.
With our new program, Project Fierce Urgency, we are training progressive activists and volunteers in effective digital skills to mount aggressive issue-based political advocacy operations to organize the resistance in key states.
At these free two-day trainings, we’re teaching activists how to use digital media to organize in their communities, construct simple yet effective messages, identify clear targets, and tell powerful stories to evoke emotional responses and get local communities to take action.
For example, we teach the best practices of Facebook live streams to amplify live events over social media, how to utilize tools like Slack to stay connected with local organizers and the power of creating engaging online content and how to distribute it effectively.
Posted on March 17, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S9 is now available
With all the bells and whistles available these days, it’s hard for a new smartphone to create buzz. But the Galaxy S9 does just that. Ringing in with a number of notable innovations, the S9 proves there is still room to push the envelope in the smartphone space.
The Galaxy S9 includes a groundbreaking camera that adjusts to light like the human eye, a brighter, more colorful, more durable display and an updated design that gives you the full-frontal screen Samsung is famous for in a package that’s easier than ever to wield with one hand.
The Galaxy S9 is now available from CREDO Mobile. Let’s take a look at the highlights.
Camera
The S9 has a 12-megapixel rear camera that sets a new standard for smartphone photography. It’s the first dual-aperture camera in a phone, working much the same way as a standalone point-and-shoot camera. It adapts automatically to available light to deliver clear photos with no adjustment necessary.
Outdoors on a sunny day, the S9 narrows the aperture to avoid overexposure. Indoors at night, it automatically opens the aperture to let in more light. After you snap, the S9 deploys improved signal processing to reduce image noise and produce fine detail in almost every picture. The camera app even has a “food” mode that slightly boosts saturation to make colors warmer and the food look more tempting.
The Galaxy S9’s front camera is 8 megapixels with autofocus capability. The S9 shoots 4K video at 60 frames per second, as well as slow-motion video and super slow-mo.
Display
The S9’s edge-to-edge screen is like a little infinity pool in your palm. The 5.8-inch OLED display renders vibrant colors and sharp images. Peak brightness has been stepped up to 605 nits, which is 10 percent brighter than the Samsung Note 8’s 540 nits. Turn on the auto brightness function and contrast increases when you’re outside so you can see what’s on your screen even in full sun. DisplayMate called the S9 screen “the best-performing smartphone display” it’s ever tested, citing its higher color accuracy, increased brightness and improved visibility outdoors.
Security
Last year’s Galaxy S8 placed the fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone to the right of the camera lens, rather than at the center. This bothered some users accustomed to a centered sensor because they kept pressing their finger to the camera lens by mistake. The S9 moves the sensor to the center and solves that glitch.
You can also open your homescreen via the phone’s novel combination of face recognition and iris scan. If face recognition needs help, iris scan steps in to verify you—and vice versa. This means your phone can ID you even in low light. Or you can open the S9 the old-fashioned way, with a tap, pattern, PIN or password.
If you use your S9 for work, you’ll appreciate Samsung Knox, a security feature that keeps personal and work data apart. This means you don’t have to carry a separate, secure “work” phone with you wherever you go.
Design
The Galaxy S9 is built to fit comfortably in one hand. It features curved glass on the front and back, which makes it easy to hold. But if you do drop it, Samsung built the S9 with improved impact protection. The body transfers 20 percent less shock to the glass display if it hits the ground.
The S9 comes with IP68 water and dust resistance: the 6 means it’s dust-tight and the 8 means it’s protected against submersion in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. (In case you’re wondering, the IP stands for International Protection Rating.)
The Galaxy S9 has a headphone jack, which is an increasingly rare feature in a flagship smartphone these days. For listening without headphones, it has a pair of impressively loud stereo speakers—one top, one bottom—tuned by AKG Harman and enhanced with Dolby Atmos surround sound.
Hardware
The Galaxy S9 is equipped with the brand-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, which is one of the fastest mobile chips on the market. That means better performance—fluid gaming, quick multitasking and no more waiting around while an app launches or a website loads.
The S9 battery offers all-day life and support for fast charging and wireless charging, although you have to buy separate chargers for both those functions.
For storage, the phone comes with 64GB built in. For more storage, there is a microSD card slot that gives you up to 400GB of expandable storage.
If you’re a current CREDO Mobile member, sign into Member Services and order the new Samsung S9.
New CREDO Mobile customers shop here.
