Danie

The Youth should know there are WAY CHEAPER, and better, alternatives to expensive Gillette razor blades
In hindsight now, I wish my father would have told me about safety razor shaving with universal standard double edge razor blades, when I started to shave!
I was probably taken in by all the Gillette advertising, and of course, I'd never experienced any other option, so I ended up just using those twin-blade cartridges many years ago. I often had to endure the odd ingrown hair or two for months on end (more about this further on).
To start with, cost, which you'd really have thought would have put Gillette's multi-blade razors out of business long ago (but not, largely because many people do NOT KNOW about suitable alternatives. Just do a search online for Astra Superior Platinum DE blades. They are not half the cost, nor a quarter of the cost cheaper... they're on average about 400% cheaper. This is why after buying a good safety razor that lasts longer than a single lifetime, it ends up paying for itself after a year just through using DE razor blades. There is no vendor lock-in so you are free to try any DE blades as each has different characteristics.
So how do they shave? Well pretty similar to cartridge razors, as safety razors are not cut-throat / straight razors where any slip could be a disaster (hence the name safety razors). What they do not do, because of the single blade, is to lift the hair out from below the skin and cut it. They instead cut the hair level with the skin. This actually helps prevent ingrown hairs for many. I discovered this merely week or so after migrating to safety razors. Many say this level of cutting is easier on the skin, as there is also only one blade being used.
Another difference, although not needed, is using proper shaving soap that is lathered up using a brush. Apart from the glide it provides, most soaps are made from natural products that may include coconut oil, lamb fat, etc and actually help condition the skin (many also being vegan products including the brushes). The brushing also helps stimulate the hairs before shaving. Soaps and creams come with some amazing fragrances, but many are also fragrance-free.
Traditional shaving is also more environment friendly: Apart from natural soaps, these do not use aerosol cans at all either. Unlike cartridge razor blades made from mixed plastics and metals that can't easily be separated, DE blades are pure metal. I store my used blades in a money tin and these can be sent for recycling once the tin is full (after about 5 years my tin is not even a quarter full).
So where does one start then? I'd recommend starting with a reasonably good razor, something like a Merkur 34C or an Edwin Jagger DE89. For blades, I've settled on the Astra's, but I'd highly recommend getting a DE sample pack to try out different blades to find something that matches your razor, skin, and beard type. Starting out with a very cheap razor and blades is often not going to be a good experience.
I have tons more tips and advice on my webpage at the link below. I just wish more people knew about the benefits and alternatives of traditional wet shaving, but unfortunately the Big Pharma and similar companies prefer the exceptional profits of selling Gillette type blades.
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/myotherinterests/traditional-wet-shaving/
#shaving #environment #Gillette #cheaper
https://image.nostr.build/93a1446ece257c4ea235c8fb47c4652c66922c42c54a0a7ac70329b2479e0e50.jpg

2024-06-28 12:03:37

- reply

Oops "something else" but too late to edit ;-)

2024-06-28 12:01:46

Is it worth buying a SBC Raspberry Pi 5 or rather something elsIe?
Of course, this will be an "it depends on what you want to do" answer. Usually for some low intensity task a standalone Pi may well be best, but if you have something more intensive to process, or you end up like I did, having 5 Raspberry Pi's running which all do something different, it may also be time to consider other options.
In my own case, I migrated to a Core i5 mini-PC which was better at multitasking, and I'm running 19 Docker containers on that device (Home Assistant, Nginx Proxy Manager, DuckDNS, Jellyfin, FreshRSS, Glances, Heimdall, AdGuard Home, Quassel, Syncthing, etc). It is just easier to manage the updates and the backups, and although it draws more power, it is still less than running 5 or 9 separate Pis. I'm pretty sure, too, that 9 Raspberry Pi's would also cost more.
But to come back to SBC's yes, the Armsom Sige7 is an interesting option. It is higher end with everything included and has a Pi compatible GPIO 40-pin connector that allows the use of Raspberry Pi add-on modules for your projects.
There is no easy answer really, and it does mean nowadays that you really do want to some detailed analysis of what you want to achieve, and what options could work for you.
It does usually mean spending a week or so to do all this analysis, but for many this is also the fun part of the process. The decision is going to be lived with for a good 5+ years, so it is worth spending some time on. We've heard the saying "measure twice, cut once" and it holds true for this too. Quality Assurance and Project Management both have the same advice around more time spent on planning will reduce effort and cost later on.
See https://itsfoss.com/arosom-sige7-review/
#technology #RaspberryPi
https://image.nostr.build/4bedfb7b637518b707985a67c369544f5e0470ceb004146005272b8593d4b6fb.jpg

2024-06-26 11:26:38

Switzerland mandates software source code disclosure for public sector: A legal milestone
The EMBAG law stipulates that all public bodies must disclose the source code of software developed by or for them, unless precluded by third-party rights or security concerns. This mandate aims to ensure greater transparency, security, and efficiency in government operations by promoting the use of OSS, which allows for public scrutiny and contribution to the software code.
One of the critical aspects of this law is encapsulated in Article 9, which not only mandates the disclosure of source code but also allows public bodies to offer additional services related to support, integration, or IT security, provided these services align with public tasks and are offered at a cost-covering remuneration. This provision ensures that while fostering OSS, the government can also maintain a competitive balance and avoid market distortion.
The crux of it really comes down to public money being used for these services. An added benefit of course is that the software could be supported if the supplier goes out of business. Vendor lock-in is a major risk in public sector IT and this helps break that perception / reality. As for security it must be remembered that this is the operational code, and not user data, encryption keys, API keys, etc which always remain private.
See https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/new-open-source-law-switzerland
#technology #opensource #Switzerland
https://image.nostr.build/4c833e4b3c294993693858193c46333fabcb0beb504fb2d9d05f21f2d5b1b5de.jpg

2024-06-21 21:22:10

The StepWell Saga: first South African cellphone game for mental health aimed at youngsters
Mental health among South African youngsters is a serious concern. As part of a wider project to improve mental health policy and services in South Africa generally, the Foundation for Professional Development (FPD) has launched an innovative attempt to reach youth where they are at – playing games on their phones.
FPD secured a pioneering grant from Grand Challenges Canada (funded by the government of Canada) to develop Africa’s first serious game dedicated to mental health, entitled The StepWell Saga – Stronger Together.
As per edutainment theory, the game is not explicit about its mental health messages. These come through in the character dialogue and gameplay activities that teach skills like problem-solving, strategy and teamwork, and develop mental resilience — while also being fun to do. It challenges the player to think critically and promotes the importance of relationships in facing life’s challenges.
I really like the idea behind this game, and it looks like the reviews are pretty good. It is just sad that I see it is geo-restricted for South African accounts only (I personally really detest geofencing). It is however available for both Android and iOS, as well as in the Huawei store.
See https://techcentral.co.za/the-stepwell-saga-game-mental-health/246683/
#technology #mentalhealth #SouthAfrica #gaming
https://image.nostr.build/1834e8c868c44f4199961720c2c68a5376dbe77470e8a3b30f6139090a53003a.jpg

2024-06-19 16:21:07

AMD won Computex by extending AM5 support and launching new AM4 CPUs
Intel typically uses the same motherboard CPU socket for two generations, but we've seen the company support the same socket for an additional series. AMD has been more consistent through the Ryzen CPU family, since releasing the Ryzen 1000 series in 2016. AM4 launched alongside the new Ryzen processors and AMD released its successor, AM5 in 2022. That's six years of support before a new platform rolled out, but AMD hasn't finished supporting older motherboards yet.
This is quite interesting as this is the first time I've bought AMD. With all my previous Intel based CPUs I had to discard the motherboard and RAM and fully replace it all when I bought a new CPU. Now it seems my AM4 based motherboard can still be used, and I could buy a brand-new CPU for it. Less wastage and expense.
I have never been able to upgrade my CPU before on its own. I'm pretty tempted to try it. But OK, the newer CPU is about 11% faster on benchmarking, but with 60% extra power consumption/heat...
See https://www.xda-developers.com/amd-won-computex-am5-support-extension-new-am4-cpu/
#technology #CPU #AMD
https://image.nostr.build/51ffdb3bb75446046721579a943f0f81fdee558fa4a50f3e403f7551967a19ad.jpg

2024-06-18 14:54:03

Linux-based postmarketOS v24.06 supports over 250 devices, taking on Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS
The appeal of running Linux on personal devices lies in the freedom it offers. postmarketOS does not require account setups, does not push cloud storage, avoids pre-installed bloatware, and does not follow privacy-invasive AI trends. Instead, it focuses on free software, user control, and extending device usability beyond the original vendor's support.
This release includes many device ports previously accessible only in the bleeding-edge version, now available in the stable release. While some devices may only boot Linux, they offer unique use cases, such as running a web server on an old phone powered by a portable solar charger.
Many supported devices are still in test, but they include many "ancient" phones as well as many Chromebook devices. It appears to have a choice between GNOME or KDE.
The only challenge I foresee, really, is going to be app support. Most users are used to millions of available Android or iOS apps to access gaming, banking, media streaming, etc. Whilst most of this will probably work fine, I foresee some challenges with some banks which still insist that you use their banking app on a non-rooted phone. For example, one of my banks will insist that I use biometric authentication on their Android app even if I want to log in with my desktop browser. Also, if you're a smartwatch user who wants to track their exercising say with the Strava app, this may not be for you.
But there are very many users who may not have these requirements where this OS could work really well, especially from a privacy perspective, and providing support for older phones that no longer get any app updates.
postmarketOS is based on Alpine Linux, which is so tiny (less than 10 MB in size) that development of pmOS can be done quickly on any Linux distribution. Writing packages is easy, by the way: as long as you know how to write shell scripts, you are good to go.
The linked article brought this OS to my attention, and they do also provide a link to the OS' main website.
See https://betanews.com/2024/06/16/linux-postmarketos-v2406-google-android-apple-ios/
#technology #Linux #opensource #pocketmarketOS #privacy
https://image.nostr.build/f238d99106eadf6514587a671e274a0b4477a66ca373fd294ed0d4ca0836cdb6.jpg

2024-06-17 21:49:44

FUTO Keyboard is an open-source mobile keyboard for Android that stays private and offline
If your computer keyboard doesn't ask for internet access, neither should your mobile keyboard. FUTO Keyboard is a modern keyboard app with voice input and autocorrect, that is completely offline and never connects to the internet, in order to ensure your privacy and security.
FUTO Keyboard contains modern features such as autocorrect, voice input and swipe typing. It is also configurable to suit your personal taste.
No data is collected, nor shared anywhere. It is still in alpha version but can be downloaded either from the Google Play Store, from F-Droid, or using Obtanium to update directly from the APK releases on GitHub.
See https://keyboard.futo.org/
#technology #privacy #Android #FUTOkeyboard
https://image.nostr.build/aaeebfcf1cf95822d34ce5ce3dc9f709b08763a373ed6e7b8e64a8262ee2c788.jpg

2024-06-17 21:28:13

- reply

Trust the VPN provider vs trust the 3rd party encrypted DNS provider? That DNS traffic can't be read, even by the VPN provider, and ideally it should be going out via the DNS tunnel. It could then be better to logically separate these two providers?

2024-06-17 00:31:42

- reply

Or the "other" DNS available. But if it is encrypted DNS through a 3rd party (like a VPN is) I'm wondering if is actual DNS leaking?

2024-06-15 19:18:59

How to change your Android phone's DNS to Google, Cloudflare or Other DNS Provider
You should know the risks when you use your phone to browse the internet on a public network. Turning on Private DNS ensures your queries are encrypted and protected from malicious actors. This guide shows you how to change your phone’s DNS to Google or Cloudflare (or other) for a faster and more secure browsing experience.
Besides the speed and performance, these DNS services offer additional security, like DNS-over-HTTPS and DNSSEC. And they don't keep a log of user activity, which could pose a security risk. And since your browsing activity is encrypted, your ISP or a hacker cannot determine the websites you visit.
Although the linked article mentions Google and Cloudflare, there is also an option to set a private DNS hostname as well, such as Quad9. You just need to type the actual DNS address in to use it.
The iPhone can do the same thing (but Wi-Fi only as far as I recall), so it is worth exploring these settings under Wi-Fi settings.
See https://www.androidpolice.com/how-to-change-your-phones-dns-to-google-or-cloudflare/
#technology #privacy
https://image.nostr.build/779c7d6a99241be2718edfaead0c017c0bf7fcc0d0095757c86681d5b621f401.jpg

2024-06-15 11:02:11

Use 'Bridgy Fed' to Connect Fediverse accounts (inc Mastodon) and Bluesky
It is as simple as just following the relevant bridge account, and your posts will appear on the other side with the same address you are currently using. So you are not creating a new profile on the destination network. The profile name is not identical to the one you currently use, as I see "ap.brid.gy" is appended, but the name is easily searched for and found.
Once you've determined what your profile's account name is on the destination network, you can share that with any friends there, who will be able to follow it and interact with you. Unfortunately, if you have an actual account already on the destination network, you can't yet bridge with that account. And, of course, some admins may choose to block the bridge.
But, as is the custom on the Fediverse and Bluesky, you won't see these bridged accounts unless you decide to follow them. There is no algorithm pushing or promoting such feeds into your feed. It is your choice.
See https://lifehacker.com/tech/bridgy-fed-connect-mastodon-and-bluesky
#technology #socialnetworks #bluesky #mastodon
https://image.nostr.build/7f927678f32042ffefbd609f82b2b8845244f7d96a57a3b05d332932ccc7e0e3.jpg

2024-06-13 16:24:59

Your Galaxy phone will now automatically get locked if someone steals it
At Google I/O last month, Google announced many features for Android that prevent thieves from accessing a stolen device and data in it. The company said that it would roll out these features to devices running Android 10 and newer versions of the OS later this year.
The two features we are talking about are called Theft Detection Lock and Offline Device Lock. When these features become available on your Galaxy phone or tablet, they will automatically lock your device when someone steals it or tries to take it off the grid by switching off the cellular network, internet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
Why this actually needs "AI", I don't know, though. Is machine learning not good enough, or plain old trained algorithms (or 4th Industrial Revolution tech). Seems everything that processes anything in 2024 is AI-powered. I really can't wait for the buzzword of 2025 to kick in. It's amazing how the old words then quickly disappear from the PR slogans.
Still, having "automated" detection and locking for theft is a good thing to prevent the loss of phones. I just hope it does not lead to escalated levels of theft, where like with vehicle theft, it moved to kidnapping or hijacking because vehicles became too difficult to target on their own without the owner.
See https://www.sammobile.com/news/galaxy-phone-now-automatically-get-locked-someone-steals/
#technology #antitheft #Android
https://image.nostr.build/9b59184e664c151ccb14ac2a3a7e91bc90762e34ef67ca0a85b9a5683772ccba.jpg

2024-06-13 15:56:16

10 of the most useful apps available on Steam
Whether you’re a casual gamer or a hardcore PC enthusiast, you must have heard of Steam. As one of the biggest digital game distribution platforms, Steam has a huge library of games spanning several genres. For those who like gaming on the move, you may also be familiar with the Steam Deck, a highly-capable gaming handheld designed by Valve, Steam’s parent company.
However, there’s a lot more to Steam than games and handhelds. If you’ve ever ventured into the unending list of apps available on Steam, you may have noticed an odd software or two among the thousands of action, RPG, and other titles. Many of these apps are incredible for gamers, and in the linked article below, they cover some of the most useful software on Steam to improve your gaming experience.
Unfortunately, many of the apps are Windows/macOS only, even though OBS Studio for example does install on Linux. But nevertheless, there are some useful apps to be found within Steam.
See https://www.xda-developers.com/useful-steam-apps/
#technology #steam #gaming
https://image.nostr.build/2f1b943d9a52f31f4b2ec261742b04259b31edc8acbc8bd5168051843d70acd1.jpg

2024-06-11 20:11:53

Disenchanted Windows user? Pop open a fresh can of Linux Lite
Linux Lite 7.0 "Galena" is out, the new release of this simplified and Snap-free distro based on Ubuntu 24.04, aka "Noble Numbat."
Linux Lite is deservedly one of the higher-profile third-party Ubuntu remixes. It resolves many of the issues first-time migrants from Windows might face, while avoiding some of the complexities that other Ubuntu downstream distros, such as Linux Mint and Zorin OS, introduce. Linux Lite cuts through this: it offers just one desktop, Xfce, which in this vulture's opinion is the most solid choice available. Xfce has been configured with a sensible desktop layout to resemble Windows XP, with the optional Whisker menu rearranged to match.
I've not actually heard of Linux Lite (that I can recall). But this article does touch on something I've come to realise: Why so many users stick with Windows and Mac, and with centralised social media platforms like X or Facebook. They don't like making changes where there are lots of choices to make.
Many do just want "the one thing" to just install and use, and ideally it looks the same as others experience it.
I suppose then that this Linux Lite distro does offer that. One gotcha is that Linux Lite does not support major-version upgrades: you will have to reinstall from scratch, and this is not something I'd like at all.
Because of that gotcha I'd probably still recommend a new Linux user sticks with Linux Mint Xfce or similar platform.
See https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/10/linux_lite_70_arrives/
#technology #Linux
https://image.nostr.build/2352c03ef160c7e3778f23bb22ee4843b0878f83b3744623c3fb28e8d61e698a.jpg

2024-06-09 19:35:34

6 Really Good Docker Containers to use on your NAS
Docker containers are a great way to add functionality to your NAS outside the available app store. Whether you're running a Synology enclosure or a DIY server, it's possible to download and manage container images.
There are thousands of container images available for various services and apps. I'd suggest searching for frequently used services and see if there's a container. Load it up on your NAS and have fun!
Those covered in the linked article are:
* Portainer
* Watchtower
* Flame Dashboard
* Jellyfin
* IT Tools
* Vaultwarden
See https://www.xda-developers.com/these-are-the-best-docker-containers-i-use-on-my-nas/
#technology #selfhosting #docker
https://image.nostr.build/83dc980c06e41dfc6e36e8712353568c763bd6dbd36a3eb8f3d03dee27e8e7aa.jpg

2024-06-08 19:19:24

Space warfare: how the military could be forced to give up GPS and return to navigating by the stars
The military relies on space for communications, for position, navigation and timing (PNT) information, meteorology, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Australia now recognises space as an operational domain, alongside air, sea, land and cyber, and has established a Defence space command.
The Australian defence force already offers celestial navigation training and is working on a range of alternative navigation technologies.
It has a “navigate using celestial aids” training unit that includes learning how to construct a sun compass to establish north, south, east and west; identify celestial bodies to determine south and north; and other methods to estimate direction, time, distance and position.
So true though that the more we rely on vulnerable digital technology, we could be quite paralysed if it is neutralised. We rely on GPS for so many types of navigation, guidance, and even timing. Even technologies like cloud computing are no longer under local and decentralised control - such computing is not only exposed in the cloud but required long distance 24/7 connectivity to use.
Satellites are going to be great for phone calls in the wilderness, but such satellites too are very exposed in future warfare.
It is good to know some of the older tried and tested analogue skills are not yet lost. We do still have technologies such as ham radio that can establish communications over 10,000+ km without any Internet, and the newer Meshtastic license-free radio does a similar thing over shorter ranges.
It seems too that "older" tech low frequency navigation signals from ground stations may be coming back into use (a bit like short wave radio made a comeback for the war in Ukraine), and which are far more difficult to jam.
See https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/jun/01/space-warfare-military-defence-gps-satellites-navigating-by-the-stars
#technology #jamming #GPS
https://image.nostr.build/204433aabca8a89ec89dc51b0560ec13526cad4bdf155d983cea03a709890b46.jpg

2024-06-06 20:26:36

The Verge tested Aptoide, the first free iPhone app store alternative
The popular alternative Android marketplace Aptoide just launched as a challenger to the Apple App Store in Europe. We’ve seen a trickle of stores launch since March when the Digital Markets Act (DMA) forced Apple to support third-party iOS app marketplaces — but nothing has so far managed to upset the balance of power and change the status quo.
I really don't think, or expect, alternative app stores to overtake the Google or Apple app stores. But they should offer some niche alternatives for many devs as well as users. So I'd think of them more as complimentary offerings.
So, what’s the key selling point? What’s Aptoide offering users that they can’t find on the App Store? Besides a currently stark list of “curated” games, one element Trezentos points to is the way Aptoide combines a freemium model with a rewards structure.
See https://www.theverge.com/24172642/aptoide-ios-game-marketplace-hands-on-europe
#technology #iOS #appstore

2024-06-02 19:33:51

South African Military Vehicles in War Thunder
War Thunder is a highly realistic battle game where players can choose from a number of armoured vehicles, tanks, ships, helicopters and planes represented for different countries. The player chooses a country and vehicle type, and works their way up from tier 1, progressing to higher tier vehicles as they gain battle experience. The vehicles are incredibly detailed and have characteristics that are closely resemble their real-world counterparts. An exception is often the premium vehicles that can be bought as they can have some enhanced features e.g. slightly faster turret rotation speed than the real-world vehicle. But each online battle tries to match players and similar vehicle tiers to ensure good game play.
I mentioned briefly in the video about World of Tanks which is another very popular tank battle game. Whilst World of Tanks focuses more on a faster-paced arcade type game with numerous points needed before knocking out an enemy vehicle, War Thunder can eliminate an enemy tank with just a single shot if it is very well placed. War Thunder has larger maps, more vehicle types, and plays at a slightly slower pace.
What to me is very interesting is it is the only online game I'm aware of that has a variety of South African military vehicles in it including the Eland, Ratel, Rooikat, Olifant tank, and even the Rooivalk attack helicoptor. The Ratel, for example, is considered to be the very first true wheeled ICV (Infantry Combat Vehicle) top enter military service anywhere in the world, and for its time was one of the best ICVs anywhere. It is regarded by most military analysts as the grandfather of all subsequent ICV designs. The Ratel became the backbone of the then SADF (now SANDF) mechanised battalions and served with distinction during 12 of the 26 years of the South African Border War.
Note though what War Thunder shows as the G6/Eland, is actually the G6 Rhino Self-Propelled Howitzer-Vehicle with 155mm artillery gun. The real Eland is a 4-wheel drive armoured car with a 60mm or 90mm quick-firing gun.
See https://youtu.be/SqWPcCSt7BE
#technology #gaming #southafrica #warthunder
https://image.nostr.build/e7a8312db0716e2117ca0e7b9e09850f59f63566980eed42f57c6726bb293503.jpg

2024-06-02 12:31:29

Take Control Of MS Flight Sim With Your Smartphone And This Open-Source App
Anyone with more than a passing interest in flight simulators will eventually want to upgrade their experience with a HOTAS (Hands On Throttle-And-Stick) setup that has buttons and switches for controlling your virtual aircraft’s assorted systems, which are well supported by games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS). But a traditional HOTAS system can be a bit of an investment, so you might want to thank Vaibhav Sharma for the virtualHOTAS project that brings a configurable HOTAS interface to your phone — just in time to try out that Dune expansion for MSFS.
The phone’s orientation sensors are used as a joystick, and on the screen, there’s both sliders and buttons you can use as in-game controls.
What's interesting with this is that there is no app installed on the phone, so it should work with Android and iOS. The app is an open-source Python app running on the computer, and the computer accesses it via a browser URL. Also, as it is a general interface, it will likely work as a general-purpose interface for other projects as well.
See https://hackaday.com/2024/06/01/take-control-of-ms-flight-sim-with-your-smartphone/
#technology #opensource #gaming
https://image.nostr.build/a343db457f33e0507278713a6df538e4a5f0ea16636ebd66b311d052bb462c49.jpg

2024-06-01 17:54:38

5 Tips to Secure Your GPG Key in Linux
GPG keys are a vital part of verifying your online identity. As such, securing it from bad actors ensures that no one can impersonate you in your communications with other people.
Most of us are probably guilty of just setting our GPG key up once and then just using it, but here are some tips if you want to lock it down a bit further.
If you have not yet set one up, there is also a link at the start of the article for how to do that.
See https://www.maketecheasier.com/secure-gpg-key-in-linux/
#technology #security #GPG
https://image.nostr.build/d01a8b75a05c11aa7b3b76d90e8667dfa2d2b6846fe7b0dec8071643814839d7.jpg

2024-05-31 14:50:43

Turning An ATX PSU Into A Variable Bench Supply
Bench power supplies can sometimes be frustratingly expensive and also kind of limited. If you’re enterprising and creative, though, you can create your own bench supply with tons of features, and it doesn’t have to break the bank either.
ATX power supplies work as a great basis for a bench power supply. They have 12 volt, 3.3 volt, and 5 volt rails, and they can supply a ton of current for whatever you might need.
It is usually true that many devices get more fully unlocked regarding features, when open source firmware is applied to them, for example, true for most network routers. This project likewise does unlock some additional functions for an ATX power supply unit.
One caveat here, of course, is you'd be working with voltages so you'd want to be very careful and ensure too that fuses are correctly applied. There is also quite a debate in the comments about whether this is a good idea or not, but that said, I had actually bought an ATX adaptor plug a while ago for a computer power supply to supply 12V for my radios.
See https://hackaday.com/2024/05/23/turning-an-atx-psu-into-a-variable-bench-supply/
#technology #PSU
https://image.nostr.build/61f8f92187a61da377c80db396be8364bb8644d87acaa6ef70a2755b4b481ac9.jpg

2024-05-29 21:56:12

How to Change Docker’s Default Data Directory
I'm getting ready to do this on my home server as it's main boot drive is a 128 GB SSD, and it is always around 80% full.
This article will guide you through the steps to relocate Docker’s storage path for images, volumes, containers, etc., ensuring that your projects continue smoothly without the hassle of disk space limitations.
See https://linuxiac.com/how-to-change-docker-data-directory/
#technology #docker #selfhosting
https://image.nostr.build/8783486e433b17394a66a98d540b8a8109368b6df8ceb444b9938af60f255142.jpg

2024-05-28 15:56:23

LibreOffice has some really excellent getting-started Guides for their open-source Office Suite
There are some good reasons why Microsoft Office gets used widely, and that is often because it comes pre-installed as trialware on Windows PC's, it is pushed into schools and universities with educational discounts, it has massive funding for lobbying governments and sponsoring "digital villages", etc.
But it does create vendor lock-in, stifles innovation through being closed-source, pushes many into being locked into a cloud service with ever-increasing costs, does not use a fully open-standard format (provides limited support for ODF as well, and there was good reason why many governments chose ODF over Docx), makes it difficult to export one's documents cleanly between different applications, and of course has numerous license limitation son how it can be used.
It is certainly not to say that LibreOffice is better in terms of features than MS Office, but I've yet to find something I could not do with LibreOffice that I needed to get done. It is fully open-source, free to use and free to modify and examine, free of restrictions on its use, and is fully cross-platform (not only for the application itself, but also for its documents that can move between platforms and even to other applications using the open ODF format).
But one potential drawback with many open-source projects (including GIMP) is their lack of really good documentation. Good documentation needs to be clear and easy to understand. LibreOffice actually does have very good documentation at the link below. The guides are well-designed and many are over 500 pages each. They cover a Getting Started Guide, Writer Guide (word processing), Calc Guide (spreadsheets), Draw Guide (vector graphics drawing and illustrations), Impress Guide (presentations), and the Math Guide (formula equation editor).
The guides are also available in some other languages and can be downloaded as PDFs to be printed, or even in ODF source format for editing or adapting to one's needs.
See https://documentation.libreoffice.org/en/english-documentation/
#technology #opensource #LibreOffice
https://image.nostr.build/eb616f2201e0a2c9f69726d40ccc554dbdf5876296e56624016b5ed24d0dda35.jpg

2024-05-28 12:17:12

- reply

Token2 sent this clarification after posting: only the management software is open-source for the time being. The firmware (Java applet) is planned to be made available as open source for public security audit purposes, but the timeline is not yet clear.

2024-05-26 19:55:59

Token2 is an open-source Swiss FIDO2 security key that brings innovative features at a cheaper price
Token2 is a cybersecurity company specialized in the area of multifactor authentication. Founded by a team of researchers from the University of Geneva with years of experience in the field of strong security and multifactor authentication. Token2 has invented, designed and developed various hardware and software solutions for user-friendly and secure authentication. Token2 is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Don't believe what AI tells you, as they tend to generalise around past statements. Token2 is a good example of how newer challengers to the incumbents, like YubiKey, bring lots of innovation. For example, Token2 has the ability to store up to 300 passkeys, dual port USB-A and USB-C on a single device, FIDO2.1 with additional PIN, opens-source, etc.
I also like the fact the device's firmware and management is in Switzerland and not within one of the Five Eyes countries.
There are quite a few options, but their FIDO2 Keys page also has a selection wizard to help out.
Whilst prices may be cheaper, depending on your country, shipping may cost a bit more.
See https://www.token2.ch/
#technology #security #Token2 #authentication
https://image.nostr.build/a1c77ca1a7997295048a581ed2be8ef5bc074599a249221e50e6261a3e1b09dd.jpg

2024-05-26 15:49:26

Stop using Social Media for News, RSS is Much Better!
RSS is one place for you to quickly sift through numerous sources of news quickly and efficiently. It's up to you to decide what feeds to add - as many or as few as you want.
Depending on which RSS app/service you use, you can get all your news without adverts, see a quick excerpt or full text articles, not be distracted by other information, keep track of where you have read up to, change the order that the articles appear in your feed, and much more.
All RSS readers improve the quality and focus of your news as you control what sources are shown, and nothing is applying algorithms to insert or remove articles.
There are RSS feeds for most news sites and websites, as well as even for many social network services. A site that does not offer any RSS feeds is usually one that wants to force you to visit it, to apply tracking of your habits, to show adverts, apply their algorithms, or control how you see their information. If in doubt, there are also RSS browser extensions that will detect available RSS feeds on any site. WordPress sites, by default, have RSS feeds activated for any blog posts made on that site.
I have been using RSS feeds for decades to get my daily news and updates. In this time I have seamlessly switched between using different RSS apps as it is easily to move between them by exporting and importing the OPML file of your feeds between readers.
See https://youtu.be/_7LTwnAaQ3k?si=A4UQMIv_3B_FKiRA
#technology #news #RSS
https://image.nostr.build/a0cd6f74c295c9ed245876b510ab8dd9a3daa7c8a16d10481f510723554ac67b.jpg

2024-05-25 15:09:51

Google Search’s “udm=14” trick lets you kill AI search for good
If you're tired of Google's AI Overview extracting all value from the web while also telling people to eat glue or run with scissors, you can turn it off—sort of. Google has been telling people its AI box at the top of search results is the future, and you can't turn it off, but that ignores how Google search works: A lot of options are powered by URL parameters. That means you can turn off AI search with this one simple trick!
This method for killing AI search is defaulting to the new "web" search filter, which Google recently launched as a way to search the web without Google's alpha-quality AI junk. It's actually pretty nice, showing only the traditional 10 blue links, giving you a clean (well, other than the ads), uncluttered results page that looks like it's from 2011. Sadly, Google's UI doesn't have a way to make "web" search the default, and switching to it means digging through the "more" options drop-down after you do a search, so it's a few clicks deep.
See https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/google-searchs-udm14-trick-lets-you-kill-ai-search-for-good/
#technology #googlesearch

2024-05-24 12:00:22

- reply

Of course if one had unlimited cash that would always be an option, but many can barely afford to put together a NAS (so many also don't even backup to an external device).

2024-05-24 11:58:55

- reply

And of course plenty of others such as https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/best-wordle-alternatives

2024-05-24 11:39:35

Jumblie is a challenging browser-based open-source puzzle game to guess the four words of the day
The game has a theme word for each day, so keep that in mind when guessing the words. It is more challenging than Wordle because there are no hints apart from the theme word. So, if one of the words is 'landing' and you guessed 'land' there is no confirmation you're getting warm at all.
How to play it: There are exactly four words hidden amongst the letters, and all letters are used exactly once. The words will always be between 4 and 9 letters long. Click on the letters (or type them on your keyboard) to spell a word. When you have a word you want to submit, click the "Submit" button. If the word is one of the daily words, it will be added to your found list of words. Find all four words as fast as you can! Each successful word is assigned a colour, so a red word will mean the shortest word is taken, so don't try to guess more words with that same length of letters.
You can also click the Reshuffle button to rearrange the letters, which can help spark some ideas.
If you're struggling, you can give up after at least 5 incorrect guesses. It also has an option to share your results by copying them to the clipboard to paste into whatever social network service you use.
See https://jumblie.com/
#technology #gaming #puzzle #jumblie
https://image.nostr.build/4f69c18140f2ad0258c9dbce1c519f985a6ec25729e58552bdcd33a912f227f9.jpg

2024-05-23 18:08:57

Earbuds for more restful sleep: Anker's Soundcore Sleep A20 now officially available
With their air-filled Air-Win design with Twin-Seal ear tips, the new generation is said to offer up to 1.8 times better noise reduction than its predecessor, the Sleep A10, according to the manufacturer. Among other things, they are equipped with a 4-layer noise masking system and are designed to better suppress bothersome ambient noise such as snoring, city noise and the like. Anker promises that the special design means there is no annoying pressure on the ear and auricle and that they are also suitable for side sleepers.
The earbuds also enable automatic sleep monitoring, including sleep position tracking, via the Soundcore app.
Wearing earbuds for sleeping is very different from during the day. I'd be interested to hear what others think about the "pressure on the ear" when sleeping with these earbuds. That is one of the biggest issues for most when sleeping. I've been very happy with my own Soundcores for afternoon naps - great noise-cancelling, but you can't sleep on your side with them.
See https://www.notebookcheck.net/Earbuds-for-more-restful-sleep-Anker-s-Soundcore-Sleep-A20-now-officially-available.840114.0.html
#technology #sleep #earbuds

2024-05-23 14:21:11

Should you build your own NAS or buy a pre-built?
An interesting read, and I have to say I do lean more towards building your own. I did buy a bare-bones NAS by D-Link many years ago because you could add your own hard drives, but what I discovered after a few years was there were no more software updates, and it is not easy to upgrade later on either.
Today I'm running a bare-bones Intel NUC box with two external laptop hard drives (powered through USB), and Open Media Vault NAS software on it. I get ongoing software updates and can upgrade RAM and drives etc. That said, its throughput is not that great as the drives are connected via USB cables. It boots from a SATA connected SSD drive. It also has Docker running on it with a few applications hosted in Docker containers, so it is quite versatile.
Knowing what I know now, I would rather have bought something that would allow proper SATA connectors to the hard drives for way better throughput speed.
See https://www.xda-developers.com/building-vs-pre-built-nas/
#technology #NAS #backups

2024-05-22 15:34:04

Netris is an open-source and self-hosted alternative to GeForce NOW, inspired by Stadia
It's a cloud gaming platform where the latest titles and your beloved classics are always just a click away, ready to be played on any device you own.
Imagine the freedom to dive into your favourite gaming worlds on a lazy sofa Sunday with just your tablet, or firing up a quick session on your phone during your commute. That's the kind of seamless, barrier-free gaming experience Netris offers.
They're about bringing gamers together. Netris is a community, a place where you can share epic gaming moments with friends and family, thanks to our social-first features.
Netris is pioneering the use of QUIC technology for content delivery, which means Netris games appear better and run more smoothly, even if your internet connection isn't top-notch. Think of it as streaming your favourite HD movie effortlessly on a modest Wi-Fi connection – that's the power of QUIC making every pixel count without gobbling up your data.
Their platform is designed from the ground up to be socially orientated, allowing users to easily share their gaming experiences, victories, and memorable moments. It's like having a virtual game night, every night, where the distance doesn't dampen the fun and camaraderie. They have Reddit as well as Discord communities online.
There's no need to buy your favourite games all over again. Simply connect your Steam account to their service, and voilà – your personal gaming library is ready to stream. Using their platform means you don't need your own Nvidia GPU. You're free to switch between self-hosting and using their cloud service whenever you like, without losing your game progress.
To use their cloud hosting there is a free tier which is limited to 720p 30fps with stereo sound, and public only parties. The paid tiers get you a lot more. It is accessible from any Chrome-based browser, including Edge, Chrome, Brave, and Arc.
See https://github.com/netrisdotme/netris
#technology #gaming #opensource #Netris

2024-05-21 21:21:34

This could of course result in our bridges being blocked?
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/the-vote-trump-spam-that-hit-bluesky-in-may-came-from-decentralized-rival-nostr/

2024-05-21 12:58:21

Apple needs to explain that bug that resurfaced deleted photos: Can we trust Apple's PR?
It’s understandable that people freaked out last week when photos deleted years ago had suddenly reappeared in their iPhone photo library.
While we wait to hear the reason, it does seem to appear that deleted photos are still not deleted after 30 days. Apple makes a lot of noise about trusting them (much like Google used to claim to not do any evil - and then they dropped that slogan), and whilst I don't think they are deliberately malicious, the fact is no Big-Tech companies are truly private or secure. Many Microsoft cloud service users are still reeling after the US government report came out about how much of a security threat Microsoft is to the USD government.
Apple's iPhone have also repeatedly been exploited over the years including Operation Triangulation in Dec 2022, MFA Bombing flood attacks, zero-day exploits that were exploited in the wild (CVE-2023-41064 and CVE-2023-41061), and of course the various phishing attacks (which have included spoofing Apple Support), and the infamous zero-click exploit in iMessage in 2023.
The more worrying one was one that I posted about on 6 Jan 2024 (CVE-2023-38606), where it appeared that Apple may have deliberately had a security backdoor embedded in the iPhone.
Apple also claimed that opening iMessages (or Apple Messages more correctly) to RCS would lower their privacy and security standards, whilst Apple Messages anyway supported zero-security SMS messaging.
The fact is, no-one can guarantee security or privacy. Apple's PR gives users a false sense of security. As consumers, we too often just believe what a company advertises and accept that at face value. Maybe Google was being more honest by dropping their slogan about not doing any evil.
All smartphones are complex devices, and complexity is the enemy of security. No-one can claim their smartphones are fully secure, and the same goes for privacy. If anything is connected to the Internet and the data is online in a cloud service, it can never be guaranteed as 100% private. So be careful of whatever you store in a connected device or in a cloud service if you really want it to remain fully secure or private.
Responsible disclosure and transparency are the hallmarks of a company that truly believes in protecting your privacy. Brushing things under the rug? Not so much.
See https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/20/24161152/apple-ios-17-photo-bug
#technology #Apple #security #privacy

2024-05-20 13:07:34

Victim proves how to easily steal someone’s FNB bank payment card details and buy a tank of petrol in South Africa
This is actually not a very difficult hack, but what is really critical is to NEVER click on links that arrive by e-mail or SMS. Rather, note any reference/tracking number and go independently to the website via your browser and check it out if you think it may be genuine.
The SA Post Office parcel attack is an old one, and as far I know the post office does not do payments online as the payment is made at the desk when receiving the parcel.
The phishing attack may appear to be something genuine, especially if you are waiting for a parcel, but that is exactly how people are being caught out (even those who are pretty tech-savvy - it catches people in those few seconds before their guard is up).
I got a phishing attack attempt just today from a courier company and when I checked the tracking number on their website, it says the shipment has not yet been created. On their website is also a warning notice about phishing attempt scams.
If you do use virtual bank cards, you should set the daily and monthly limits to just what is needed, and often you can deactivate/activate them just when needed.
See https://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/537453-hacker-shows-how-to-steal-someones-payment-card-details-and-buy-a-tank-of-petrol.html
#technology #SouthAfrica #phishing
https://image.nostr.build/643f3698a649cbfd1e237c5f428def85fc10b4b27f81126dd513e5f9a7fef210.jpg

2024-05-19 12:27:59

- reply

I've also noticed that adding link embeds to Bluesky posts is a real pain via API - you need to specify the starting and ending character numbers for the link. This is pretty unbelievable. Most social networks will pick that up. So I have auto-posting setup, but without link embeds they really don't look usable.

2024-05-18 18:13:59

Try these Linux bash aliases for more efficient use of the command line
For those who don't know, bash aliases allow you to create unique command shortcuts. So, a simple word can be used to run a more complex command which may have a lot of additional parameters, e.g. just type the word 'update' to execute an update command complete with a few extra parameters.
You don't necessarily want aliases for absolutely everything that is possible, but certainly those commands or queries that you often run, can make your life a lot easier and quicker. The same goes for commands that aren't easy to recall, as a good alias makes them more meaningful.
There are some interesting suggestions at the linked article below.
See https://www.zdnet.com/article/try-these-linux-bash-aliases-for-more-efficient-use-of-the-command-line/
#technology #Linux #productivity

2024-05-16 21:59:25

RealVNC is ending their free Home plan but here are some alternatives for remote GUI desktop management
There is a RealVNC Lite alternative if you look carefully on their website, and that option may well still work for you after June. Unfortunately, RealVNC is pretty good and has excellent mobile clients, so it has long been a first option for many for remote GUI desktop management.
The linked article has some popular alternatives that are cross-platform if RealVNC is no longer going to do the job for you. They do all have some trade-offs, but are free to use.
I've already had TightVNC set up as a backup for some of the volunteer work I do, and it does work well from my Linux desktop to the remote Windows desktop (the server side). TigerVNC is another good option to use.
See https://www.techradar.com/best/best-linux-remote-desktop-clients
#technology #RealVNC #VNC #remotedesktop
https://image.nostr.build/b2aac0a56096ea5994534e80aec9b563f71b2d879f6b9cd55d33c114d0ec0a30.jpg

2024-05-14 21:00:47

Wolf Grid is an OpenSim World With AI Integration and Other Innovations
Seems this virtual world is only 3 years old, but it already has a landmass larger than Second Life's. The reason could also be that land is cheaper than Second Life and there is the assistance of AI for generating the landscapes versus Second Life which is more manually done. Its land parcels are also a lot larger, so there is a lot more to explore in each area you end up in.
At first glance it really looks very similar and in fact you can use the same viewer. Just note, you cannot use the dedicated Second Life viewer for Phoenix Firestorm, you need to use the OpenSim version.
I'd certainly say though that Second Life's destination guide is way more complete and interesting. Yet when I found Hobbiton I must say it was perfectly beautiful to be in. The Avatars are dressed in mesh objects so have lots of detail and movement.
The speech-to-text (and vice versa) technology isn’t simply intended as cool tech, but to benefit the entire user community: “I have autism,” Lone explains, “and I find it easier to communicate in a virtual world than real because there are no facial expressions to get wrong. We have quite a few autistic people here, and one of the goals of this grid is to be as inclusive as possible. So that’s why we built the voice recognition and text to speech.”
They are already profitable (from only 95 landowners) so this at least means they should be around for a while. They make their money from "renting out the land" and from merchants who sell goods.
See https://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2024/05/wolf-grid-opensim-chatgpt-ai.html
#technology #gaming #virtualworlds #autism
https://image.nostr.build/46ac49d1d38a843a293196b14c53ecf5617c7738fa57048c85c2b47e5fd8e7b8.jpg

2024-05-13 22:14:17

- reply

Actually that is more of a reason to have auto posting as I don't spend most of my time there - I mostly just reply to comments. I'd prefer not to have to go there, especially to do manual posts, and posting from Nostr could mean full length posts (not seen yet how it comes out on the other side).

2024-05-13 16:58:24

Manjaro's Plasma 6 update has gone globally live today
This was a major update from Plasma 5.27 to Plasma 6.0, but also along with just about everything else, and was a 6.8 GB download for me.
It all went off flawlessly apart from one applet I use for transparent folders, which seems to still only be a Plasma 5 applet. But that is not a major issue really. My desktop is slightly more responsive now, and the compositor issue I had before has been sorted it (it used to create a 30 sec delay on some things like a rectangular screenshot) - so really happy about that.
I also had to readjust some window rules that I had set for my Conky window for position, transparency, etc, but it was a minor issue where Plasma 5.x was not case-sensitive for Window names, so I just had to change 'conky' to 'Conky' with a capital C.
Looking forward to retrying Wayland again soon as well, as I suspect its random freezes were also related to that older Nvidia driver, which is now updated.
See https://forum.manjaro.org/t/stable-update-2024-05-13-kernels-plasma-6-gnome-46-lxqt-2-0-nvidia-pacman/161353
#technology #Manjaro #Linux

2024-05-13 11:22:17

- reply

Logged https://gitlab.com/soapbox-pub/mostr/-/issues/67

2024-05-12 19:49:39

- reply

Yep I'm suspecting the latter - currently even the 10111 police emergency line is understaffed and not being responded to properly...

2024-05-12 19:41:47

- reply

From what I see though it is generating a mirrored profile across the bridge, but there is no way to link it to an existing profile one has on the other side, to post into that profile?

2024-05-12 19:23:11

- reply

They may be - but definitely best to test and check. By us, they are not going to be active for a year or three still.

2024-05-12 16:24:27

8 ways Android handles notifications better than iOS
Android may have the wrong colour bubbles for messaging, but its users can at least pat themselves on the back for having better managed notifications (those things that can really irritate a person if not managed properly).
Notification and spam management can drive one to leave a platform if it is not easily manageable. People don't believe me when I say I left iOS (a second time) for Android because the lack of spam caller management drove me mad on my iPhone. I've posted at length about it before, but it related to the Truecaller app not being allowed but iOS to take over managing the dialler function.
But to get the best value out of managing notifications, you really want to get familiar with what all you can tweak. Reading the linked article will help give some insight into this. I've really cut down dramatically on those beeping alerts, but only allowing the most important/urgent ones top give audible alerts. For most, I'll just see a counter over the icon to indicate there are messages. It has made my day a lot more peaceful and prioritised.
Also muting, permanently or even timed duration, for many group chats, makes your life a lot easier. You don't need to read every back and forth message as it happens between 300+ people in the community. This also means I catch up on some social sites when I want to see what is happening, not as it happens throughout the day.
See https://www.androidpolice.com/android-handles-notifications-better-than-ios/
#technology #notifications #Android

2024-05-12 14:25:28

Garmin SOS fails South African biker after accident
A South African biker’s post-accident medical treatment was delayed after the SOS feature on his Garmin satellite communicator failed to evoke a timely response from emergency services.
Rapport reports that Johan Swarts only received a call from responders while in hospital on the day after he suffered a serious crash, despite paying a R574.99 (US$31) monthly subscription for the service.
He told Rapport that a Garmin product manager only responded two months after his complaints and said the SOS was only received on 18 February, a day after the accident.
So, yes testing is important as well as informing someone where you are going and when you expect to be back, but this is extremely concerning as such devices (along the expense they incur) are intended for use in the most dire emergencies. South Africa, as well as the rest of Africa, has some very isolated areas.
As of 2024 there are yet no reliable satellite services in Africa for ordinary cellphones, so the only option is a full-blown satellite phone (of course with its associated cost that many cannot afford).
Seems it did actually work if the message came through a day later. But where did it come through to a day later, and why? It's like a key piece of the puzzle is just missing here. Certainly a radio transmission is almost instantaneous, it does not transmit "slowly" over 24 hours. Seems to me, there was some human or system failure between the UK and SA? Due to the nature of this service, it warrants a really thorough investigation.
See https://mybroadband.co.za/news/gadgets/536343-garmin-sos-fails-south-african-biker-after-accident.html
#technology #SouthAfrica #Garmin #motorcycling
https://image.nostr.build/34a52f82ac227aa0b57de34f82278ba613773b50928650e8fe922e1e7dbd59d4.jpg

2024-05-11 10:56:57

GCam is a modded version of the Pixel Camera app that you can install on your Android phone
This app unlocks the hidden potential of numerous Android smartphones. While hardware limitations exist, GCam bridges the gap by leveraging Google’s advanced image processing algorithms. This app finds particular favour among users of devices from brands like Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Realme, where the stock camera software often leaves room for improvement.
The secret lies in Google’s masterful software engineering. GCam brings a slice of Pixel magic to non-Pixel devices, replicating features and functionalities that significantly enhance photos. Additionally, for seasoned mobile photographers, GCam offers a treasure trove of customizable options, allowing them to fine-tune settings and unlock their creative vision. The ability to import and export settings further empowers users to personalize their GCam experience and optimize it for their specific device.
The true strength of GCam extends beyond its built-in features. A vibrant online community thrives around GCam, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing. Developers tinker with the app, creating customized versions optimized for specific smartphone models. This collaborative spirit allows users to access features and functionalities tailored to their unique device. Often exceeding the capabilities of the stock camera app.
On the plus side this does not replace your stock camera app so you can still use that, but on the minus side this can be unstable for some, and it is a sideloaded app so not via the Play Store. But if you're an Android user, you probably have a bit of an adventurous side to you and do like to try out new things and just have other options.
I'd suggest though that you do read through the linked article more thoroughly as they go into more details.
See https://www.gizchina.com/2024/05/09/how-to-install-gcam-9-2-on-almost-all-android-smartphones/
#technology #Android #camera #Gcam

2024-05-10 18:47:43

South African mobile network operators must zero-rate content from approved public benefit organisations
PBOs include non-profit organisations, trusts, and government departments with .gov.za domain names.
These PBOs will be required to apply to Icasa to assess whether they meet the requirements for having their content zero-rated. Once approved, the PBO’s content must be zero-rated within 14 business days.
The successful bidders will have 36 months to fulfil the zero-rating obligation, starting 15 January 2024.
Well, this is good news for citizens needing to access essential services. Quite interesting too that the PBOs will need to host their site inside of the country to be zero-rated (problem being it can often be cheaper to host your site outside the country).
This will primarily benefit (although everyone should get this zero rating) less affluent customers, meaning these users won't find their data usage being consumed by using these services.
The mobile providers need to monitor and manage these zero ratings. What I'm really confused about is, what will our mobile data counters on our phones know about this usage? If a user sets a limit of say 2 GB data for the month so that the phone warns when the usage is going high, that won't be excluding zero-rated sites and data. End users will also have no way at all to know whether their access in real-time is zero-rated or being counted (there is a 300 MB limit per day per user for zero-rated data).
So all great, but the management of this by all parties is going to be quite hazy.
See https://mybroadband.co.za/news/telecoms/536105-vodacom-and-mtn-must-make-non-profit-content-free.html
#technology #SouthAfrica
https://image.nostr.build/a28e16f0dbd1df2dcec0a0507f851df0686e6fbdad446048033b61c791692c32.jpg

2024-05-10 13:19:12

You can automate much of your home and devices with a Raspberry Pi and open-source Home Assistant
This article is a worthy reminder that are already many things in your home which you can automate from garage door openers, to your home router, to a solar system, to lights, to speakers, and so much more.
Home Assistant has hundreds of ready to use integrations that just hook up with these devices, either directly or via their cloud services. This can provide a nice dashboard of what is on or off, what has warnings, to keep an eye on your Ring video doorbell or Reolink CCTV system, etc.
I've even found a way to use this to show some statuses on my Stream Deck and have a quick button to reboot my router.
It gets even more powerful when you set some basic automation rules like for sunsets or sunrises, when it starts to rain, when a battery level drops too low. I have various of these set up to announce over the home speakers.
All it costs you is to use a spare Raspberry Pi or to buy one.
See https://www.xda-developers.com/automate-home-with-raspberry-pi/
#technology #RaspberryPi #homeautomation #opensource

2024-05-10 11:04:46

- reply

Unintended consequences ;-) but I can see rental companies have quite a challenge retaining their cars

2024-05-10 10:58:09

- reply

Yes I recall the Handspring Visor from the time.

2024-05-09 18:59:48

40 years later, Kontrabant 2 for ZX Spectrum is rebroadcast on FM in Slovenia
Software is almost impossibly easy to download, distribute, and access compared to 40 years ago. Everything is bigger, faster, and more flexible, but there's a certain charm to the ways of diskettes and cassettes that is hard to recapture. That doesn't mean we can't try.
By the time you read this, it's likely that Kontrabant 2 will have already hit the airwaves on Radio Študent in Slovenia. At 9:30 pm Slovenia time (UTC+2 in Daylight Savings Time), if you are tuned to 89.3 FM, hitting record on a cassette tape will capture a buzzing sound that will run until just over 50KB have been transmitted. If all went well, you can load the tape into your working ZX Spectrum or bring it to the Computer History Museum in Slovenia and use theirs to try it out.
The game is in Serbian, as it was originally made for what was then Yugoslavia, for ZX Spectrums mostly smuggled in from Western Europe.
My ZX81 also loaded programs from audio tape cassettes and I remember that some computer shows back then on TV also had a short audio broadcast to allow users to record the audio, and load it into the computers afterwards.
But if you don't have the computer, missed the broadcast, and can speak Serbian, you can play Kontrabant 2 on the Internet Archive's emulator.
See https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/05/1984s-kontrabant-2-for-zx-spectrum-is-broadcast-on-fm-radio-in-slovenia-today/
#technology #retro #Serbia #zxspectrum #gaming

2024-05-09 18:48:12

Hackbat: This Raspberry Pi hacking tool is what the Flipper One could have been
The whole thing runs off of a Raspberry Pi RP2040 and open-source code. It has modules for NFC, SD card, and Wi-Fi communication, plus it features a miniature display so you can tell what it's doing. If you want to make your own, the Hackster page features everything you need to know to get started, from the hardware to the code used for the project.
It is open-source and cheaper than the Flipper Zero, so maybe those who held out on a Flipper Zero will find this more appealing.
See https://www.xda-developers.com/raspberry-pi-hackbot/
#technology #RaspberryPi #opensource #hacking

2024-05-08 11:45:00

The Internet Archive has hundreds of full usable Palmpilot apps that you can run in your browser
https://image.nostr.build/28168477d859841e8b9655ead37f19a1b679ae6bd8c4f9ec0bb4e46bffc07f4e.jpg
This really brings back memories, and I was even able to run the HanDBase app, which was a database app you could use to easily create a database with properly defined fields etc. The apps all run in proper Palmpilot or Palm OS emulators, so you do get the actual feeling of using the device right down to the Graffiti writing (which took me a few minutes to get used to again (it's been a good 30 years since I last used a Palmpilot).
Partly the power behind Palm was the ability to install 3rd party community apps, and there were really some very good ones. It may look awfully simple today but that was the limitation of the graphics and devices of the time. This was long before smartphones and up to this point we mostly only had dumb fixed ROM pocket organisers.
See https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_palm?tab=collection
#technology #retro #Palmpilot

2024-05-08 11:22:21

The origins of Bitwarden and how it is fending off the tech giants
Kyle Spearrin had never developed a mobile app or browser extension when he started building Bitwarden as a fun side project in 2015.
Nearly nine years later, Spearrin’s humble attempt at a free, open-source password manager has become one of the most popular ways to keep online accounts secure. Wirecutter, PCWorld, PCMag, and others say it’s the best free password manager, and CNet even calls it the best password manager overall. Bitwarden says it now has 8.5 million users, and it uses that audience to grow its enterprise subscription business. Bitwarden’s business side has tens of thousands of customers and helped fuel nearly 100% revenue growth last year, and the company now has roughly 200 employees.
“We really value that everyone should have access to a full-featured password management tool,” Spearrin says.
Very humble beginnings, and of course we've seen why tech giants like Apple, Google, etc embraced passkeys with such enthusiasm, as this would lock users into their ecosystem. Try using your Apple passkeys when migrating to say Android, or vice versa.
“If you are locked in with one vendor, you have a risk of being locked out of your account,” Magdanurov says. “Something can happen. Somebody can hack your account. Or their automated tools that block your account for violations can be triggered for some reason.”
So, whilst it is true many tech giants have been improving their offerings around password management, Bitwarden is managing to stay a step or two ahead of them with newer innovative features (some I did not even know about). And of course one can self-host Bitwarden too.
A lot can also be learnt from buy-outs like LastPass went through. The ownership does dictate the philosophy, or changes to it.
Although I'm eyeing out Proton Pass' rapid developments (I'm a paying Proton user) I'm still a paid tier user of Bitwarden as right now they're doing their things right, and what I really like is that their paid tier is not expensive at all. I just feel that I am supporting what they do.
See https://www.fastcompany.com/91117788/how-bitwarden-is-fending-off-tech-giants
#technology #passwords #Bitwarden #security #OpenSource

2024-05-07 22:58:02

Five things to consider when making the transition to a new email address
Work and school emails are fine, but they might not last forever (and often neither does using an ISP e-mail address if you ever want to switch ISPs). You need something you can always come back to.
First, make sure your new email address is one you’ll actually use for a long time. That might involve finally getting your own domain and associating your email address with your real name. Something like [email protected] has a lot more staying power than [email protected]. This way, you won’t deal with an email provider, and you don’t have to worry about changing your email address ever again.
And that line is for me the real gold. I had a good 1,000+ logins and places using my previous mail address, and I'm still working through updating my mail address everywhere. It is just not something you ever want to have to do again in your lifetime. Using your own domain name means keeping your e-mail address no matter where your e-mail service is.
The other very good tip in this linked article is an added bonus of using a password manager, as you can see exactly where your old e-mail address is still in use.
See https://lifehacker.com/how-to-change-your-email-address-without-screwing-every-1481486947
#technology #email

2024-05-05 19:36:24

Before you buy a gaming headset, consider getting In-Ear Monitors instead
Full-size gaming headsets have long been a popular choice for most gamers. IEMs (in-ear monitors), on the other hand, have traditionally been overlooked. While traditional headsets like the Logitech G Pro X 2 provide an immersive audio experience, the clamping force, weight, and bulkiness can make them uncomfortable for some people. This is where IEMs come in.
The term IEM traditionally refers to any in-ear earphone, but it usually implies an enthusiast-grade, wired model. IEMs are tiny, lightweight, and pack a punch! And just because they're enthusiast-grade, they don't necessarily have to cost an arm and a leg.
The linked article makes some very good points, especially too when it comes to the weight and bulk of headphones when wearing them for many hours.
A very important question to ask is: Why do you really want the device? Don't just buy headphones because they are cool looking and seem popular. I made that mistake myself when buying a gaming chair - after about 3 years it was no longer comfortable at all (the seat wears flat) and they're actually not very ergonomic. I eventually tossed out my gaming chair and replaced it with a very good, ergonomic office chair with a 10-year warranty.
Rather buy for quality and comfort, and it will probably last much longer and also be far comfier to wear.
So, yes for IEMs a potential downside to consider is whether you need a microphone, as that can often be a shortcoming with IEMs.
See https://www.xda-developers.com/iems-for-gaming/
#technology #gaming #headphones

2024-05-05 13:36:18

4 Tools to Share Large Files Over the Internet Securely
These are privacy respecting tools to consider. But, what signifies as a big file? Any file that you cannot seem to send through an encrypted messaging app like Signal or Telegram's secret chat. Ideally, it should be anything more than 1 GB.
Internxt is probably the most convenient being online, whilst an option like OninionShare is fully peer-to-peer but then does require the app to be installed at both ends (but is available for all generally used platforms).
See https://itsfoss.com/share-large-files-tool/
#technology #filesharing #privacy

2024-05-04 22:35:16

Video Overview of the Meshtastic Radio Mobile App Interface and Settings
This video explores what the Android app looks like, how to use the main screens, and what various settings and menu options it has. It gives a good feel of how you'd use Meshtastic radio communications from the app to control the radio settings and to communicate. I did a previous video that dealt with a non-technical intro to what Meshtastic radio is, and this is well worth just watching first if Meshtastic is completely new to you.
Meshtastic is license-free, so anyone can use it, and has really started picking up in popularity in the last year, so much so, that stock has often not been available for a month or two at a time. It's a really fun way to also connect to neighbours nearby, or keep in contact in the wilderness when out hiking.
Watch https://youtu.be/GAGOkXUlbaY
#technology #radio #Meshtastic #offgrid #opensource

2024-04-30 22:08:05

Koodo Reader is an open-source ebook reader for Linux, Windows, macOS and the Web
https://image.nostr.build/5e9ccc09a2c70ca682ae6d0bfde8bc15a58c1ea06bad8609571dc9d2ba4f8fae.jpg
This is a great looking ebook reader for ePub, PDF, comic book archive and a few other formats. It allows highlighting, bookmarks and notes per book, and for non-PDFs there is also a reading mode with a side-by-side view (no page flipping animation, but it has a page-slide animation).
I like that it has numerous settings to changer colours and most of the layout settings you can think of. You can also customize the source folder and synchronize among multiple devices using OneDrive, iCloud, Dropbox, etc.
It has touch-screen support, but one thing I don't see is handwritten annotations (although you have typewritten notes you can add).
See https://github.com/koodo-reader/koodo-reader
#technology #ereader #koodoreader

2024-04-30 18:24:46

How to Install KDE Plasma in Ubuntu, Debian and Mint: Because you have Choices
https://image.nostr.build/e350d85fa1953365a61c7424762d7d8a28b3182e4a6591f30bf2bd03f029d008.jpg
KDE Plasma (KDE) is a well-known desktop environment for Unix-like systems designed for users who want to have a nice desktop environment for their machines, it is one of the most used desktop interfaces out there.
Linux distros usually ship with one main desktop environment, but you can install others without reinstalling the distro. I have Manjaro KDE as my distro, but I also have Gnome desktop installed on it as an alternative desktop, and I can switch between them from the login screen. This is because the underlying Linux kernel across all the distros is the same one. The distros just add their choice of desktop, theming and apps on top.
The key thing is to be sure you install all the dependencies it expects to find, and the linked article below will show how to do that.
See https://www.tecmint.com/install-kde-plasma-ubuntu/
#technology #Linux #KDE

2024-04-27 21:38:48

GoToSocial is a new ActivityPub social network server for the Fediverse
https://image.nostr.build/5c97148e34ac48fc7c2c7ffb2fa6838adba76fbedf18b80fb683de689dbedd83.jpg
This service is still in Alpha release but is already deployable and usable, and federates with other Fediverse servers.
However, there is no "main" instance you go to join. The intention really is that you host your own instance for yourself and a few friends and family. To this end, it is designed to be very lightweight and will happily run on a Raspberry Pi or even a $5/pm VPS.
This is taking a very different approach from say Mastodon which has one main instance everyone could join, but then it sits with the issue that everyone joins there, and it becomes a bit "centralised". GoToSocial has been designed as lightweight for self-hosting, and also has a Docker image installation, so it makes it really easy for (and encourages) most people to host their own instance.
It seems to also be focussed very much around privacy (defaults to unlisted posts) and permission controls (for example, you have an option to post to mutual-only where both people follow each other). Also, by hosting your own service you set the rules, and you are also your own admin. You can choose to turn off likes, replies, boosts, etc as well. Being your own admin also means you can easily adjust the post length as well.
It does conform to the Mastodon API so apparently some Mastodon clients will also work fine with it.
See https://github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/
#technology #ActivityPub #GoToSocial

2024-04-27 18:33:41

Kobo's new reparability push could heat up competition
https://image.nostr.build/d7bfff7c849ee33bd8d7e06eea76c5368fd751c16f1a34d92050dba05843c55f.jpg
"The competition" is probably primarily Amazon Kindle (without a colour model, nor any repairability announced yet). Certainly, consumers score with repairability, and on the face of it, you'd think suppliers lose out. But actually, I may be inclined to buy a far more expensive model if I know I can repair it and keep it going for a few years.
Though I should add after many years of owning a Kobo reader and a few Kindles, not one of them has had any issue at all, and all still work fine. But I get that some people do drop their devices, or things can die after the initial warranty period.
Kobos are now available I see for purchase on Amazon (yes really, just not to my country) as well as Walmart.
Kobos are excellent readers actually and the only thing that counts a bit against them, is they don't have that vast availability of books that Amazon has. But the Calibre app works perfectly well with being able to buy books elsewhere and push them to your Kobo reader.
See https://www.androidpolice.com/kobos-reparability-push-sounds-interesting/
#technology #reading #ebooks #Kobo

2024-04-27 17:03:52

Android Tasker routine to warn if home WiFi is not functioning correctly
https://image.nostr.build/565f1ad7a818fac8c272f1cb30f22731f7fea4dca7825889f60aab05ed66cab2.jpg
Been experiencing a bit of an issue the last month with everything seemingly on and connected, but my Chromecast device would not connect across Wi-Fi today, and sometimes my wife says her phone is not connecting, and I'd have to reboot the home router. So, I decided to write a small routine using the Tasker app to check every 10 mins whether my phone can ping the Home Assistant server over the home LAN. If so, all good, but if not pop up an alert. It only runs this while I'm actually home. If I happen to be at home, but using mobile data, then it will still give an error as the mobile data won't reach the internal IP address.
I'm using the Auto Location 3rd party app for Tasker, which provides more reliable geofencing status, but one could also use the standard Tasker location Profile. Basically, either of these will set a variable called %HOME to 1 if I'm at home, or to 0 if I'm away from home. Below is the Profile that triggers this: If at home it runs task Set Is Home, and if not at home (Exit action) it will run Set Not Home.
The details with screenshots are available at the link below.
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/android-tasker-routine-to-warn-if-home-wifi-is-not-functioning-correctly/
#technology #Android #automation #Tasker

2024-04-25 23:19:30

‘Secret’ iPhone feature lets you easily sign online documents for free, with no scanning, printing, or app installing
https://image.nostr.build/c9a05a3ca37ec983802c35363c27aaf193f4f23f512fbeba44167ea4e2796618.jpg
In the age of digital communication, needing to sign important documents online has become increasingly common, but it’s not necessarily the easiest process.
For an iPhone you can just use the standard Photos app to open it, hit Edit, click the Markup button, and add signature. Useful that you can also move it around.
I see on my Samsung Galaxy phone I can similarly use the Samsung Notes app and just a PDF with the S Pen. The selection tool will also allow me to select and move that signature around or resize it.
Both phones will allow you to sign, or complete, a document offline and no 3rd party apps needed.
See https://www.thefocus.news/lifestyle/secret-iphone-feature-lets-you-easily-sign-online-documents-for-free-with-no-scanning-or-printing/
#technology #signature #iOS

2024-04-25 19:24:37

Palm OS and the devices that ran it: Before smartphones, we had PDAs in our pockets, and Palm did them best
https://image.nostr.build/ea1c2386c45af20b9a4e6900fef5eda64e65204c15b2c9caa1c506ac4ed81764.jpg
I remember my PalmPilot very well. I used its Graffiti handwriting recognition to take many memos and keep my life organised.
I'm pretty sure before the PalmPilot I only had fixed ROM organisers which had the standard notes, calendar, contact, etc functionality (like the Sharp ZQ-3200 organiser with 64kB of RAM and a serial link). The PalmPilot also allowed 3rd party apps to be installed. It would also interface with some PC apps to sync data when you pressed the sync button on the cradle.
I think I moved to a Psion 5 after the Palm Pilot. Its EPOC OS was the forerunner to the Symbian OS that appeared on Nokia phones later on.
The 1990s was an exciting time of innovative breakthroughs in all sorts of consumer computing devices.
There is a pretty good history and context and the link below and covers both the rise and the fall of Palm.
See https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/04/palm-os-and-the-devices-that-ran-it-an-ars-retrospective/
#technology #palmpilot #retrocomputing

2024-04-19 11:25:26

A Privacy Policy: We do not display advertising on the website or app but...
https://image.nostr.build/98cc5805d08e8f9cd45076b1fbe156f00e3eef3aeb848ec10d430c5d511fad39.jpg
I can't recall what this service was for as I don't find any login saved for it, but I was reading the updated privacy policy they sent me in an e-mail (looks like it may have been a service a tried a long time ago). It's very long and starts out quite well, but it was when I got to these paragraphs below that it really starts to worry me as they are basically claiming all sorts of metadata will be passed on online advertising networks, social media companies and other 3rd party services, including GPS locations and click stream information. This includes for children 13 years and older. It's similar to what WhatsApp passes up to Meta, which made me drop WhatsApp like a hot potato, because of who that data gets passed to.
An extract: "Specifically, we permit third party online advertising networks, social media companies and other third-party services, to collect information about your use of the VERO Website over time so that they may play or display ads for our products and services on other websites or services you may use, and on other devices you may use. Typically, though not always, the information used for interest-based advertising is collected through tracking technologies, such as cookies, web beacons, embedded scripts, location-identifying technologies, and similar technology, which recognize the device you are using and collect information, including click stream information, browser type, time and date you visited the VERO Websites, AdID, and other similar information. If permitted by your device settings, they may also collect location data through GPS, Wi-Fi or other methods. We and our third-party partners use this information to make the advertisements you see online more relevant to your interests, as well as to provide advertising-related services such as reporting, attribution, analytics and market research. We may also use services provided by third parties (such as social media platforms) to serve targeted ads to you and others on such platforms."
This extract could imply your data gets made available to data brokers even: "Please be aware that your Personal Information and communications may be transferred to and maintained on servers or databases located outside your state, province, or country. We store and process the information that we collect in the United States in accordance with this Privacy Policy though our Service Providers may store and process data outside the United States. The laws in the United States may not be as protective of your privacy as those in your location."
Well, this re-assuring that they don't "sell" the information: "We do not “sell” personal information as most people would typically understand that term. However, on certain portions of the VERO Website, we do allow certain third-party partners and providers to collect information about consumers directly through our services for purposes of analyzing and optimizing our services, displaying ads on third party sites, providing content and ads that are more relevant, measuring statistics and the success of ad campaigns, and detecting and reporting fraud. This practice may be interpreted to constitute a “sale” under the U.S. state privacy laws, or may constitute the “sharing” or processing of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes."
They at least do expand here on selling: "We have “sold” or “shared” the following categories of personal information for the purposes described in our Privacy Policy, subject to your settings and preferences and your Right to Opt-Out: Identifiers, Commercial Information, and Internet/Network Information."
This is what is stated about 3rdparty identity services: "VERO does not receive the biometric identifier generated from the images, however, for identity verification and security purposes, VERO will receive the results of the identity verification process, including the images of your ID and the results of the liveness check, as well as text extracted from the ID scan. We may use some or all of this information and associated information to verify your account."
And this: "We do not sell sensitive information, and we do not process or otherwise share sensitive information for the purpose of targeted advertising." Except that this contradicts what was said earlier about targeted advertising! Because I understand "to make the advertisements you see online more relevant to your interests" to mean targeted advertising. Maybe relevant and targeted mean two different things?
We don't always have time to read updated privacy policies, but many do contain these hidden gems, that quite frankly can put you off using such services. The sites of course are usually "free" to use, so are funded by advertisers who require these conditions to be in place.
One can see why so many then flock to the Fediverse and other decentralised platforms which are funded by volunteers. It worth considering giving some small donations to these volunteer projects when they're keeping you free from invasive advertising and data collection policies.
From https://vero.co/privacy-policy
#technology #privacy

2024-04-16 15:25:48

Fujifilm X100 VI vs iPhone 15 Pro Max camera shootout: the most hyped against the most mainstream
https://image.nostr.build/91202d67427ac6a50aace5ca67877b003558605cee27536097448df19a8e66b3.jpg
LOL the "most mainstream phone camera" in my country is certainly not an iPhone, but OK, you can substitute with any other flagship brand phone.
In case you were wondering about the Fujifilm camera, it is a retro-style digital camera with a 40MP sensor and fixed-lens that shoots around the equivalent of a 35 mm lens. Why this one specifically over maybe a Canon or Nikon DSLR? Well, it was apparently made famous on TikTok at some point a year ago, and is now permanently sold out.
The camera is a lot more compact than any DSLR, but a downside then also is it not being able to take additional lenses. Like it or not, we just have to accept that in 2024 a really good camera phone mostly will outrank any camera when it comes to auto mode, compactness, size, and versatility. A DSLR will certainly outperform any smartphone when it comes to the extremes of low light, massive zoom levels, and resolution, but the extra dedicated cost, weight, bulk, and lack of quick versatility make it impractical for day-today users.
See https://www.xda-developers.com/fujifilm-x100-vi-vs-iphone-15-pro-max-camera-shootout/
#technology #photography #fujifilmx100vi

2024-04-15 18:00:35

StreamController is a brand-new opens-source app for enabling and managing the Elgato Stream Deck on Linux
https://image.nostr.build/3e27e79dbba4f416117d58457651cdfbae51a30a74f42e9dbe72030ffb75c20a.jpg
Many of us were using Stream Deck UI, which was a fork from a previous such app which was no longer being maintained. The devs decided to restart the initiative using a different coding language (Python), which would allow them to do a lot more.
So, what a surprise when I saw an announcement in the Discord chat that we should migrate to the new app called StreamController. Not only is it noticeably faster, but it also has support now for plugins, wallpapers, screensaver, as well as automatic page switching for Gnome and Hyprland (For example, you could see your favourite music albums when you open Spotify, your projects when you open VSCode, or your favorite websites in Firefox).
It is still in Beta and I installed the Flatpak version on Manjaro Linux, which is working just fine.
It has its own in-app Store for plugins and icon packs, so you are not installing these directly from Elgato. But there are already a number of useful plugins available such as Audio Control, Audio Switcher, Clocks, Counter Deck Controller, Gnome Window Calls, Media, OBS, OS, Pi-hole, HTTP requests, Speediest, Volume Mixer, and Weather.
Various of the plugins are supporting animation, so the OS one for CPU can display the live CPU percentage, or even show a graph that updates in the button display. The clock plugin will show the time as it updates. The volume level will show the volume percentage as it changes.
The OBS plugin correctly sends its button presses to the OBS app, when it is running with its standard server active. I was able to get all my main scenes working for zooming in around the screen, and to trigger the various hotkeys I have active inside OBS. There are still a few more features that likely need to be added to the OBS plugin.
There is only one icon pack right now in the store for Material Icons designed by Google (unofficial). But you can easily add Custom Assets such as your own JPG or PNG icons by just uploading them into the app. And of course, anyone else can contribute extra plugins and icon packs.
Overall, I'm really impressed with this app and can see why it needed a complete rewrite. It is already a lot of fun to use, so I'm looking forward to further enhancements over the coming months.
See https://core447.com/
#technology #opensource #StreamDeck #Linux

2024-04-12 18:11:49

Petivity Smart Litterbox Monitor System: Uses Existing Pet Litter Box
https://image.nostr.build/2a9f08eb61060b20861244a54371a986084535cb67641164c501ebfb73710f58.jpg
It takes about a week or so for it to learn your cats' habits accurately. During that time, the app alerts you when an event is detected and, based on the weight recorded, you select which cat it was (or if it was a non-cat event, like you scooping). Once it learns who's who, it compiles that day's activities into the app, letting you know when each cat peed, pooped, or did a little dance inside the litter but didn't actually go, complete with cute illustrated icons. You can set up multiple monitors if you have several boxes.
I like that this using exiting litter boxes, and seemingly has no subscription cost. It appears to recognise which pet it is as well (well it prompts you to tell it), and it monitors the frequency the pet uses it, for any changes.
It's also a handy 'weigh' to monitor their weight as well.
Interesting gadget, but is probably a bit pricey for most of us.
See https://www.wired.com/review/petivity-smart-litterbox-monitor/
#technology #gadgets #cats

2024-04-12 13:00:53

The Best Podcasts for Your Smart, Bored Kid
https://image.nostr.build/0396bc3e898263a66684de280282f16fe3b421aae44014e21e8d894e2708839f.jpg
Some excellent kid safe and also informative podcasts in the list at the linked article. I'd say though they are not just for long trips in the car, as it is actually a good habit to listen to focussed and informative topics at any time. Much of my own day, including shopping trips and when driving, are spent listening to podcasts.
Audio podcasts are great for those times when you are busy doing something, and cannot be watching a screen the whole time. You can slow down, or speed up, podcast listening too.
See https://www.wired.com/story/best-podcasts-for-kids/
#technology #kids #podcasts

2024-04-11 00:16:02

- reply

Politics has a goal, seems to me, to deliberately drive divisions between people. Opposing something for the sake of it, breaking down instead of building, and achieving power seems to be what it wants to achieve. Serving all of the people has long gone as a goal...

2024-04-10 14:27:05

Free app Actions adds nearly 150 features to Apple Shortcuts
https://image.nostr.build/a4ab8a183cf3414899e03b196c16cf9a5e7f064d98eac1a939ce6fde3dfd8d3a.jpg
Highlights include many tools for converting units, a bunch of system integrations for checking things like whether a particular Bluetooth device or wifi device is connected, and a bunch of features for working with images and lists. The application works for both mobile devices, including the iPhone and iPad, as well as Macs. A few of the actions only work on one or the other but the vast majority work on all devices.
To get started, simply install the application and create a new shortcut. The best way to get a feel for the new abilities is to go to Shortcuts, create a new shortcut, and browse the actions by app. You'll find everything under "Shortcuts".
See https://lifehacker.com/tech/actions-app-adds-new-features-to-apple-shortcuts
#technology #iOS #shortcuts

2024-04-10 14:16:24

- reply

But Starlink is also illegal still in South Africa as the same applies for the frequency license, and type approval of the hardware. So it is legally not for sale inside South Africa either until those are approved.

2024-04-10 14:15:00

- reply

Yes, broadcasting is one type of license, but actual portion of the frequency is approved for different uses, and each device must be type approved. Most countries have this in place. It is reliant on the importer locally to apply for the type approval of the hardware. The satellite provider may have to apply for the frequency use so as not to blot out someone else using it.

2024-04-10 14:12:40

- reply

The answer is usually "why not" ;-) There is rarely any practical reason to do something like this. Supposedly DOOM can also play in the BIOS - only use I can think of is if you have an unbootable PC.

2024-04-10 14:10:59

- reply

I noticed that iFixit also published some info about earpub battery replacement and the top-end Sony earbuds is also fairly easy to change out the battery. So, the lesson is we need to look around a bit as it is certainly something to consider.

2024-04-10 11:37:24

Kobo announces its first colour e-readers
Rakuten Kobo is launching its first colour e-readers, the Kobo Libra Colour and the Kobo Clara Colour. Both use E Ink’s latest Kaleido colour screen technology, which has subtle, pastel-like hues and drops from a 300ppi grayscale resolution to 150ppi when you view content in colour.
Prices seem to be about $10 to $30 more than the black and white model, and a stylus will cost extra if you want one.
It will be interesting to see what thew reviews show from May 2024 after they've shipped. Kobo's are actually excellent readers and this also shows again how they can out-innovate Amazon. Kobo's also have long supported the ePub format, which Amazon only started to support about a year or two back. Amazon's only big strength is their massive bookstore.
It is quite easy to buy books and use Calibre to push them to a Kobo reader.
See https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/10/24124411/kobo-libra-colour-clara-colour-e-reader-kindle-e-ink
#technology #ereader #Kobo

The Fairbuds noise-canceling earbuds have an easily swappable battery
https://image.nostr.build/f18afd9294abba1879954e724478103368d468863fc09b6d73cbc88b3beba23d.jpg
Fairphone, the makers of the ultra-repairable Fairphone 5, have launched a new pair of easy-to-repair wireless earbuds. Instead of tossing away your earbuds when the batteries eventually die, Fairphone’s new Fairbuds let you replace the batteries inside the buds themselves and their charging case.
In addition to replacing the batteries, you can repair or exchange the left or right earbud, the silicone ring, earbud tips, the charging case outer shell, and the charging case core. The new buds also come with a standard two-year warranty, but you can add one extra year if you register them online.
Certainly, these objectives should be embraced by all manufacturers. I will never forget my first (and only) Apple AirPods and their batteries failing just a month past the warranty period ended. They were super expensive, and I vowed to never again pay so much money for a disposable product.
The downside though with Fairphone products is they are not the cheapest around, so many are still going to buy cheap disposal earbuds. They are very likely not as good as the top end earbuds are either, but I'd be interested to see some reviews around the sound quality.
One would have to assume these could last at least two or three times longer than any earbuds which have non-replaceable batteries (batteries are usually the component that fails). But the cost of any batteries being replaced also needs to be factored in.
I'd hope though if there is enough support and sales, that these prices could actually get cheaper over time too.
See https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/9/24125089/fairbuds-fairphone-noise-canceling-earbuds-battery-replace-repairability
#technology #earbuds #environment

2024-04-09 15:46:51

Modder made an IRC client that runs entirely inside the motherboard's BIOS chip
https://image.nostr.build/de5005755e8489b630ec7f97913c0614bc3733e7d01817bccd362e682fb22c9e.jpg
Phillip Tennen, developer of the open-source axleOS, has recently decided to use what he learned from that project to create an IRC client that runs entirely within the UEFI pre-boot environment, with no operating system required. This "UEFIRC" is nearly fully functional, with a graphical interface and a TrueType font renderer, and it's all written in the Rust programming language.
Wow! It does suggest two things to me:
1. IRC is really the lightest weight social chatting app of them all...
2. IRC users are a bit different...
Technically I suppose any text based micro-blogging type service could work. Twitter or Mastodon without videos and photos may also work. But the nature of how IRC still works today, means you can get a pretty close experience to the real thing even in the BIOS.
See https://www.tomshardware.com/software/someone-made-a-functioning-irc-client-that-runs-entirely-inside-the-motherboards-uefi
#technology #IRC #BIOS

2024-04-09 00:47:56

- reply

No but all communications providers using any radio spectrum must be licensed to use spectrum.

2024-04-08 15:40:44

Solved e-mail not working in luckyBackup app with smtp-cli app
https://image.nostr.build/83645dd9b5669b713139cbe33dfe6930745e2c3d5213230893552341d30368d2.jpg
I love the free and open source luckyBackup app for doing rsync backups of my user data, as rsync is fast and reliable, and you can easily verify seeing your files that are backed up. I've been using luckyBackup for many years now, despite it no longer being supported from about 12 years ago (little has changed with regards to rsync, which it uses, and rsync updates still).
The only problem I, and many others had, was when Google tightened up their SMTP access for sending of mail. We started getting authentication errors for SMTP logins with app passwords. But I'd seen many complain but no easy solution was ever mentioned for luckyBackup, which executes a command line execution to send the logs via e-mail.
This week it became critical as I noticed my backups stopped running a few days ago, and of course, I got no error e-mail. I looked to using Duplicati backup now which is really excellent and saves masses of space, but it is horribly slow, especially on the first run. For my 1.1 TB of data it has now been running nearly 24 hours and it has 230 GB still to go!
So, a renewed effort on luckyBackup finally found a breakthrough. I looked at alternative CLI mail command apps and actually got ssmtp to work, by adding an option `AuthMethod=LOGIN`. This got me to realise that of course GMail's (and some other SMTP servers) are not always standard. But the ssmtp app does not execute properly from within luckyBackup.
Then I came upon a comment in a post where someone said they had created an open-source app called smtp-cli for the command line, and it also did some diagnostics along with some optional parameters including also an option `--auth-login`. And it worked, including inside of luckyBackup!
The app only had updates done 5 years ago, but I see various issues have been closed, and more than once it was said no update was actually required as users can use the numerous parameters to control various issues. It also has a `--verbose` option to give lots of feedback on its progress or issues.
This app is also pretty useful if you're having any issue with e-mailing from cron jobs as it will handle that job pretty well too.
I just wish I'd come across this app sooner!
See https://github.com/mludvig/smtp-cli
#technology #opensource #smtp #luckybackup

2024-04-07 21:16:17

Magnets are switching up the keyboard game with an additional keystroke setting
https://image.nostr.build/ae39f65d6ca3708b94e587cd23ab63da4529190baca0a1a097548b73ece58734.jpg
These keyboards rely on magnets and springs and activate by sensing changes in the magnetic field. Popularized by Dutch keyboard startup Wooting, these switches rely on the Hall Effect and have actually been around since the 1960s.
You can change how far you need to press down to register the keystroke, as well as for the release point.
The one thing you can’t change, though, is the switch’s resistance. Despite all the talk of magnets, that’s still handled by the spring inside the switch, after all (for the moment, until the xyz is released).
But interestingly, this also means with temperature differences, you may also have to "calibrate" your keyboard. The price point for the Akko MOD007B PC Santorini keyboard at around US$110 to $150 is certainly not more expensive than many mechanical keyboards.
See https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/07/magnets-are-switching-up-the-keyboard-game/
#technology #keyboards

2024-04-07 20:52:10

How to update the firmware on Raspberry Pi
https://image.nostr.build/d95c9bc9741ee929c51544c8f7d457f1f87a99fd251ef5b5ddb254e0a593940a.jpg
Essentially, firmware is a form of low-level software that instructs hardware on how to operate and interact with other devices and components. For instance, firmware tells a computer to turn on when you press the power button, and it also tells a Raspberry Pi how to read micro-SD cards and USB drives.
Depending on what you do with your Raspberry Pi, you might never need to update its firmware. Aside from the occasional bug fix, you only have to update your Raspberry if you upgrade a project with new processors, memory chips, or printed circuit boards. You probably won’t need a firmware update if you only use the Raspberry Pi to power a mini RC rover, but if you feel like adding a bit more processing power to a device running Windows 11, you’d better install new firmware.
So, this may mostly not really be required, but it is handy to know if you plan to re-purpose your Pi with newer hardware.
See https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-update-the-firmware-on-raspberry-pi/
#technology #raspberrypi

2024-04-06 13:53:59

Starlink in Zimbabwe: Techies Find Ways to Disguise Kits, Evading Authorities
https://image.nostr.build/fce9512fd8fa9dd0fe8cd62c73cda4a23f1beed37c02625c3ca6594d57248326.jpg
In a country choked by high internet costs and limited options, Zimbabweans are turning to remarkable ingenuity. Facing arrest and equipment seizure for using Starlink, tech-savvy individuals have devised a way to disguise the kits.
One such individual who communicated anonymously with us here at Techzim has said he’s helping people hide their Starlink terminals from the authorities.
They modify the terminal so that it looks like a solar panel, or just a light. They are also able to make it work without the indoor router, removing any evidence of the presence of a Starlink connection, even if the authorities suspect, or a neighbour snitches.
It now seems to be a sort of business helping do this via kits that can be purchased. It is certainly also needed in countries where the Internet is itself censored (LOL yes also including Australia).
It's just really sad also where suppliers can get away with not having enough innovative competition for them to lower their prices through a competitive market. Governments too are not always putting their citizens first as licensing seems to have some other objectives. Ask citizens, and they're probably going to just say they want to have choices.
See https://www.techzim.co.zw/2024/04/starlink-in-zimbabwe-techies-find-ways-to-disguise-kits-evading-authorities/
#technology #Zimbabwe #Africa

2024-04-06 11:07:21

This Asus PC case monitors your dust filter so you don't have to
https://image.nostr.build/11b65cbb2ac42ab71326bf78dd0123ed193a174dc12c363fc62abdd1bba30346.jpg
Traditionally, one would have to periodically check the status of the dust filtering on a PC case, but that's not the case (pun intended!) with the Asus ProArt PA602. This chassis has a fancy infrared (IR) sensor behind the front-facing dust filter. Should this detect a set layer of dust covering the filter material, a small LED will illuminate on the side of the case. It's tastefully done. No alert on an LCD screen, no obnoxious sound. With this activated, you will know to clean the filter (and give the inside a quick air blast) next time the system has been shut down.
Quite a thoughtful case, apart from having the dust filter warning, it also has wheels to move it more easily.
But it does show also, is that even cases can innovate as well. I'd like to see more of these and maybe have the sensors also on the other dust filters (my case has one underneath as well), as IR sensors themselves are not very expensive to incorporate.
See https://www.xda-developers.com/this-asus-pc-case-monitors-your-dust-filter/
#technology #cases #dust

2024-04-04 20:16:32

German state of Schleswig-Holstein ditches Windows, Microsoft Office for Linux and LibreOffice
https://image.nostr.build/fad7a4c0d6b1ea25dd71a170ca7adeb1301344f50f9df29f46119590290c10a8.jpg
Schleswig-Holstein, Germany's most northern state, is starting its switch from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice, and is planning to move from Windows to Linux on the 30,000 PCs it uses for local government functions.
The announcement (in German) was made yesterday by the state's Minister-President Daniel Gunther, who has served in that position since 2017. According to a translated version of the announcement, independence was a key motivation for switching to open source software.
This is unlike the reasons that were given by Munich and Lower Saxony which were stayed to be cost savings, and then Microsoft discounted their services. Back when LiMux started, it was mostly seen as a way to save money. Now the focus is far more on data protection, privacy and security. Consider that the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) recently found that the European Commission's use of Microsoft 365 breaches data protection law for EU institutions and bodies."
See https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/04/germanys_northernmost_state_ditches_windows/
#technology #opensource #datasovereignty #Germany

2024-04-04 20:01:52

Android’s Find My Device network settings FINALLY start going live for some users
https://image.nostr.build/84b6fddd6103e7e1feeac1c9c170e4036dad3558842efff60724948e1ff0c3de.jpg
Nearly a year ago at Google I/O, the new “Find My Device” network for trackers was announced for Android, but then delayed indefinitely for the benefit of iPhone users. Now, finally, the network is starting to roll out – sort of.
The Find My Device network piggybacks off of all Android phones with Google Play Services to help users find lost items including phones and smartwatches, as well as trackers, headphones, and more. Google first announced the network in May 2023 with the goal of rolling it out in the months to follow, but the company later announced a delay.
Yes, the hold-up was supposedly Apple refusing to implement their part of the deal, to warn Apple users that an Android tracker was following them. And yes, this despite Google having long ago implemented the warning for Android users. A whole lot of new trackers for Android were supposed to be based on this new standard.
So, I've been sitting with a set of AirTags that warn me daily that they are following me around, because I could not yet buy the new trackers for Android. Let's just hope this now moves ahead with some speed. No-one wants to buy outdated trackers that only work with Samsung, or Tile, or whoever. The new standard will allow any Android device to find your lost tag, which is how Apple's AirTags work for any iOS device passing by.
See https://9to5google.com/2024/04/03/android-find-my-device-network-live-early/
#technology #trackers #Android

2024-04-04 19:48:25

UK govt office admits ability to negotiate billions in cloud spending curbed by vendor lock-in
https://image.nostr.build/aa91a1085b6aba753dec0191bb1d423c70a9db1342c8bab6bdd2e7dc787a96e6.jpg
It's one of the points I've been making since the beginning of enterprise cloud services. It's not to say necessarily that a cloud service is bad, but you have no control (and often no easy way out) if prices jump (remember Microsoft changing their SQL database licenses from per CPU to per core - think it was that way around).
Quite often too, cloud providers use their own proprietary formats inside their cloud, so all works wonderfully, but what went out of the window was many governments' requirements around open data standards. There was one very good reason for open data standards, and that was for easy portability to any other service, e.g. using ODF document standard and then moving from LibreOffice to, or from, FreeOffice.
Combine both of these and you're in a tightish spot. You may also have very few skilled IT staff left, because all your services now sit in someone else's cloud.
So, you just want to factor all of this in very carefully when considering whether to go into a cloud or not. We won't even mention the UK govt's experiences recently with Oracle...
See https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/04/uk_cddo_admits_cloud_spending_lock_issues_exclusive/
#technology #cloud #vendorlockin

2024-04-02 13:28:30

- reply

These are software passkeys so they're durable enough ;-) But for hardware I bought a YubiKey a while ago, and it's still going strong. I bought one that was USB as well as NFC.

2024-04-02 13:22:52

- reply

True that Nextcloud offers many additional underlying functions, and file backup/sync is its claim to fame.

2024-04-01 20:45:17

Overview of Memories Advanced Photo Management Suite that installs inside Nextcloud
https://image.nostr.build/5babda22695a9b41a261ee0300afe111db1ffd87e9af0ad59b0dd8361e6dc851.jpg
Memories is a fast, modern and advanced photo management suite, that installs quickly and easily inside Nextcloud. My video contrasts it with the Photos app that comes with Nextcloud, and highlights some reasons why you may want to use it instead of Photos. This app has face, object, landmark, place, and human action recognition capability through the Recognise app. It's not that obvious, but albums can be shared, and photos commented on, with other Nextcloud registered users using the underlying Nextcloud file commenting system.
Memories is a great way to collaborate and share photos privately with friends and family, and even to share public links to some of your albums. It can even work on a Raspberry Pi hosted in the home.
It also has apps for iOS and Android, which can optionally auto-upload photos into Memories.
By saving/reading titles and descriptions into the photo's EXIF headers means that importing or exporting out of Memories is a lot less of a chore with migrating between photo services.
Watch https://youtu.be/2A6u0AluCnI
#technology #opensource #selfhosting #photomanagement

2024-03-30 18:42:08

Android 15 may be taking privacy to a whole new level by hiding locations even from the network
https://image.nostr.build/5710efa398d68021331bcedac2b60ebf0a3e2bb9f27722642e0c0611ef343395.jpg
In a surprise move that’s more iPhone than iPhone, it looks like Android may be taking privacy to the next level, with new devices able to hide their locations even from their networks.
Even more markedly, Google has also previewed a feature to protect devices from IMSI grabbers and intercept platforms. These are the technologies used by law enforcement and sometimes criminals to capture phone IDs and trick those phones into connecting to a copycat network, allowing calls and messages to be intercepted.
As ever with this level of phone security and privacy, it’s good to have even if it won’t be a game-changer for the vast majority of users. But for journalists, politicians, celebrities, dissidents and protesters, this is a major advance in the improvement of personal privacy and data security and is as welcome as it is surprising.
I suppose too with the global adoption of RCS it also means that insecure text messaging can also be a thing of the past soon (ish). Wonder if the bulk SMS companies have aligned with this yet.
See https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2024/03/29/google-upgrade-samsung-s24-s23-pixel-vs-apple-iphone-15-pro-max/
#technology #privacy