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LOL GitHub [2018]


That post aged like wine.


Samsung → iPhone: Need Your De-Google Tips


cross-posted from: sopuli.xyz/post/31024070

Making the jump from Samsung to iPhone soon, mainly for privacy reasons.
Want to cut Google out as much as possible while I'm at it.

What I'm planning so far:

  • Mailbox.org instead of Gmail
  • DuckDuckGo for search, would prefer something even better
  • Safari with all the privacy stuff turned on

Where I'm stuck:

  • What about YouTube? Just use the web version?
  • Google Drive alternatives that actually work well?
  • Best way to store photos that aren't big greedy corps?

Questions:
- Any must-have privacy apps once I get the iPhone?

  • Settings I should change immediately out of the box?
  • Services I'm forgetting that are probably feeding Google my data?



Samsung → iPhone: Need Your De-Google Tips


Note: I prefer Apple over Google and I’m not ready to go full privacy-hardened, I want to find a balance between convenience and privacy protection.

So I'm moving from Samsung to iPhone soon, mainly because I despise Google.
Want to cut Google out as much as possible while I'm at it.

What I'm planning so far:

  • Mailbox.org instead of Gmail
  • DuckDuckGo for search, would prefer something even better
  • Safari with all the privacy stuff turned on

Where I'm stuck:

  • What about YouTube? Just use the web version?
  • Google Drive alternatives that actually work well?
  • Best way to store photos that aren't big greedy corps?

Questions:
- Any must-have privacy apps once I get the iPhone?

  • Settings I should change immediately out of the box?
  • Services I'm forgetting that are probably feeding Google my data?





UK police treated to 10 new LFR vans in fresh expansion


A fresh expansion of UK crimefighters' access to live facial recognition (LFR) technology is being described by officials as "an excellent opportunity for policing." Privacy campaigners disagree.

The Home Office said today that more police forces across England will gain LFR capabilities thanks to ten new "cutting edge" vans being wheeled out, adding to those already in use by London's Metropolitan Police and forces in South Wales.

Seven forces will gain access to LFR vans as part of the latest expansion. These are: Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey and Sussex (jointly), and Thames Valley and Hampshire (jointly).



New De-Google and De-Amazon challenges


Thanks to everyone who participated in the first 5-Week De-Google Challenge on Signal!

I'm about to start another de-Google challenge AND a de-Amazon challenge on Monday.

Here is info on the de-Amazon group. (Signal group and PDF plan)

The de-Google Signal group is here.

And for the de-Google challenge we'll be using this checklist

I hope you'll join (and share) one...or both!.

in reply to Corduroy_Pillows_Making_Headlines [she/her]

Can you send a new link for the de-Google Signal group? The posted link doesn't work.
Questa voce è stata modificata (2 settimane fa)


New De-Google and De-Amazon challenges


Thanks to everyone who participated in the first 5-Week De-Google Challenge on Signal!

I'm about to start another de-Google challenge AND a de-Amazon challenge on Monday.

Here is info on the de-Amazon group. (Signal group and PDF plan)

The de-Google Signal group is here.

And for the de-Google challenge we'll be using this checklist

I hope you'll join (and share) one...or both!.



New De-Google and De-Amazon challenges


Thanks to everyone who participated in the first 5-Week De-Google Challenge on Signal!

I'm about to start another de-Google challenge AND a de-Amazon challenge on Monday.

Here is info on the de-Amazon group. (Signal group and PDF plan)

The de-Google Signal group is here.

And for the de-Google challenge we'll be using [this checklist](punchinguppress.com/post/shake…

I hope you'll join (and share) one...or both!).





presente pignanza con aggiornamenti stellari ci porta al futuro sempre più conifero (aggiornamenti Pignio)


Nonostante il corrente clima della mia terra ormai sia talmente tanto seccante da portare quasi difficoltà a respirare, figurarsi esistere (…nonostante sia un clima umido, che assurdo paradosso), stranamente in questo agosto non sto scadendo troppo nel rotting… e, infatti, piano piano il Pignio (che, manco a farlo apposta, sotto sotto in questo periodo dell’anno […]

octospacc.altervista.org/2025/…


presente pignanza con aggiornamenti stellari ci porta al futuro sempre più conifero (aggiornamenti Pignio)


Nonostante il corrente clima della mia terra ormai sia talmente tanto seccante da portare quasi difficoltà a respirare, figurarsi esistere (…nonostante sia un clima umido, che assurdo paradosso), stranamente in questo agosto non sto scadendo troppo nel rotting… e, infatti, piano piano il Pignio (che, manco a farlo apposta, sotto sotto in questo periodo dell’anno ci sta benissimo, ricordando le pinete a mare insomma) sta ancora crescendo, e ad ora credo sia tipo in quello stato perfettamente a metà tra la goduria infinita data dall’idea passata del primo rilascio, e la cristallizzazione definitiva come prevista da una versione finale più futura che inglobi tutto quello che deve essere necessario per godere non solo infinitamente, ma sul serio… 😤

Quindi eh eh… ehh boh. Nonostante io non abbia ancora completamente sistemato le robe di multi-utente, e in generale mancano ancora diverse cose relative ad un uso più da social network (per copiare Pinterest proprio per benino, insomma), le funzioni generali sono già di livello pazzo: feed Atom (in uscita) messo a punto, OCR automatico per le immagini tramite Tesseract (…nonostante faccia assolutamente schifo su foto con font strani o colori merdosi, purtroppo, ed è tutto dire che sia comunque la libreria open-source di OCR che funziona meglio al mondo), il salvataggio dei video che ora funziona benewow… (Ci sono poi anche miglioramenti generali sull’interfaccia, tipo che ho migliorato ancora un po’ le pagine di gestione e visualizzazione, oltre ad aver aggiunto la localizzazione in italiano oltre che in inglese… ma queste cose puntualmente quando ci sono non vengono apprezzate, e quando mancano invece arrivano i reclami, di utenti per giunta mai paganti…) 😻

Però, il pezzo proprio grosso ora sono i nuovi tipi di elementi supportati, perché con questi si passa davvero da “ma che è, Pinterest senza glitch?” a “wow, o’ Pign!!!“… perché per foto e video sono bravi tutti, ma i file audio molti se li dimenticano, i post di puro testo ma con immagini di sfondo non esistono da nessuna parte (…se non su Facebook, dal quale ancora non ho finito di copiare cose), i documenti (PDF) nessuno sa come visualizzarli, e i modelli 3D sono praticamente inconcepibili… e invece il Pignio ha già tutto ciò, ora!!! (E le faville arriveranno a breve.) Non ho finito finito, c’è ancora lavoro da fare per perfezionare queste categorie, ma intanto io delivero (…e solo per stavolta risparmio il mondo dal raccontare l’irreale trafila dell’orrore che renderizzare testo potenzialmente non-ASCII sotto forma di immagini lato server implica, ma il README ne fa indirettamente accenno). 💣
Schermata Pignio con i nuovi tipi di post visibili, e schermata creazione/modifica risistemata
Ecco però, a proposito di cose fatte a metà… Per questi nuovi elementi, che potrebbero in alcuni casi non avere proprio una miniatura visiva (come molti file audio), o per cui comunque non ho ancora potuto aggiungere una generazione automatica, ho aggiunto semplici emoji come icone segnaposto nell’interfaccia, che comunque è basata su queste liste a griglia e su elementi che hanno una certa presenza fisica visuale… e il fatto tremendo è che ho accidentalmente scatenato delle vibe che mi sembrano irrealmente buffe. Non tanto il foglio di carta per indicare i documenti, che non è nulla di strano, e nemmeno le scatole per indicare modelli 3D, che non è troppo una forzatura nonostante faccia ridere pensare che quella è una scatola che contiene l’oggetto 3D, che quindi si apre cliccandoci, rivelando l’oggetto… quanto le note musicali per i file audio, e qui ormai capisco che sono completamente da buttare. 🤧
Schermata musica come descritta
Io giuro che, per qualche motivo evidentemente inspiegabile, pure a distanza di 2 giorni, ancora mi viene assolutamente da ridere a guardare (ma anche solo ad immaginare, poverannuj!!!) questa schermata. Semplicemente i controlli di riproduzione sotto, e l’emoji della nota musicale sopra che funge da icona… non c’è una ceppa di buffo, non c’è un cazzo da ridere, eppure il mio cervello non ne vuole sapere! E non è nemmeno il brano del caso che magari è meme o che; è proprio che la pura idea di questo fatto mi fa pisciare. Boh, o sarà il pacchetto emoji di Windows 10 che è particolarmente buffo a vedersi, o altrimenti ormai è ufficiale che anche il mio senso dell’umorismo, così come altri tratti della mia personalità, si è corrotto… ma ormai l’unica cosa importante è che non si corrompa l’archivio del mio Pignio!!! (E pure se succede, di quello ho frequenti backup.) 🤗

#Dev #devlog #Pignio




GenAI tools are acting more ‘alive’ than ever; they blackmail people, replicate, and escape


Multiple studies have shown that GenAI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, DeepSeek, and Alibaba all showed self-preservation behaviors that in some cases are extreme in nature. In one experiment, 11 out of 32 existing AI systems possess the ability to self-replicate, meaning they could create copies of themselves.

So….Judgment Day approaches?



Brussels Airport ground staff unions refuse to service 'Israel'-bound flights


Unions representing workers at Alyzia, a ground services company operating at Brussels Airport, have called on management to stop providing services to 'Israeli' airline El Al and any other carriers flying to or from 'Israel'.

In a letter sent to company leadership, union representatives demanded that employees be given the choice to opt out of handling baggage or cargo for these flights. The move follows Brussels Airlines’ decision to resume flights to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, August 13, a plan that unions say should only proceed with fully voluntary participation from staff.

In an official joint statement, the Alyzia unions, including Pulse, CNE, and ACV-CSC Transcom, said:

“Since October 2023, genocide has been underway in Gaza and the West Bank against the Palestinian population. Serious violations of humanitarian law and international law continue. Despite this, some airlines have decided to resume flights to Tel Aviv (TLV). Our affiliates refuse to participate in these operations. We will not serve these flights.”


in reply to MarcellusDrum

Me smoking bongs before going out for a run, perfect combo chefs kiss
in reply to dependencyinjection

The mix of weed high with runners high when you get it right is just amazing!

Joint after is still a good call, everything hits harder after exercise when the blood is pumping 😁

in reply to MarcellusDrum

Your body your choice. I know, quite the hot take on planet earth.



How to disable Firefox's battery-draining AI features


A few settings you may wish to consider for your firefox's about:config page.
browser.ml.chat.enabled = false  
browser.ml.chat.shortcuts = false  
browser.ml.chat.shortcuts.custom = false  
browser.ml.chat.sidebar = false  
browser.ml.enable = false  
browser.tabs.groups.smart.enabled = false  


Orion Browser for Linux Gets Exciting Progress Update


in reply to Leaflet

Paid search engine makes sense to me but paid browser does not. The browser's target audience will have a better experience using a free of charge and Open Source browser than a paid one because the paid browser won't integrate very well with package managers.

This is off topic but their search engine pricing is quite scummy. Either you pay $5 for 300 searches per month, which is too little, or you pay $10 for unlimited searches, which is too many for a mere mortal. They are trying to up-sell the $10 subscription.

in reply to TMP_NKcYUEoM7kXg4qYe

The browser isnt paid though. help.kagi.com/orion/faq/faq.ht…

I agree the $5 a month option is pretty useless, but I also think $10 is completely reasonable for everything you get.

Also even if it was paid why would it have issues with a package manager? Paid software generally just uses an account or license key to verify payment, with the executable being frwely available. JetBrains and Burp Suite are two software that come to mind and both are in many repositories.

Edit: To be clear, the browser will only be for Kagi and Orion+ members during the testing phase, likely just to control the size of the testing group. After that it will be free.

Questa voce è stata modificata (3 settimane fa)
in reply to Leaflet

I've always been wary of Kagi, as they have not been very clear about how big part of their search is based on their own index and how much is metasearch on various other engines.
Questa voce è stata modificata (3 settimane fa)


in reply to MarcellusDrum

I also tried a bunch of things. Obsidian with journals plug-in is the perfect solution.

(Ok, journals + like 10 other plugins)

in reply to MarcellusDrum

So far the best for me is a mix of Google's Tasks and Notes.
Both hide ticked of tasks, have functional reminders and are accessible from any authenticated device (to be edited).

All others I've tried, lack the hiding of the ticked boxes requiring one to create new pages divided by months, weeks or some other divider.

Questa voce è stata modificata (3 settimane fa)





Russia makes biggest 24-hour advance in eastern Ukraine ahead of Alaska summit







[Technology Connections] VHS-C: when a lazy idea stumbles towards perfection (32:36)






Ecosia teaches how to activate ads for Ublock, but not for Ublock Origin.


Ecosia asks to disable ad blockers so they can earn money to plant trees, but I found that they explain it for several ad blockers, including Ublock, but not Ublock Origin. Do they think it's the same?


Karate or Tae Kwon Do for kids?


Hi everyone! So, my niece is alsmost 6 years old and is very energetic and generaly active as a child. Her parents are thinking of sending her to either Karate or Tae Kwon Do, both for physical and spiritual exercise and development.
Which one do you think could fit better for her age and also considering she likes it which is better in the long term?
in reply to WeAreAllOne

Karate is far better if teaching actual self defense is part of the goal. Tae Kwon Do is very questionable in terms of application outside the sport context. Of course, caveat is that, as with anything, it also very much depends on the skill of the instructor.

in reply to TheTwelveYearOld

do they need to whisper so we don’t hear what they did to Suchir Balaji



Destroy a Microphone


During Prime Days I was dumb and bought some Chinese lamp because it was on sale.
I gotta say, it’s actually awesome — with the app I can change colors, styles, and so on, and I really like it.

The account creation already bugged me, although I think it was only needed for the first startup. I deleted the account since then. The app is in deep sleep on my phone with zero permissions except Bluetooth.

What really bothers me, though, is the built-in microphone for voice commands — on a lamp! I don’t want someone listening to me.
It’s too late to send it back, and I actually want to keep it.

Until now, I’ve just unplugged it from the outlet every time I don’t use it, but that’s very tedious.
So, is there an easier way to completely disable the microphone?
Does putting tape over it completely mute it?
Or would I have to take it apart and desolder it — which I’m probably too lazy, impatient, and inexperienced to do? So is there maybe a smarter or brute force way to do it? im paranoid i dont want my fucking lamp listening to me. sometime i even turn of mic and cam acsess on my phone.

Questa voce è stata modificata (4 settimane fa)
in reply to Nino477

Disconnect it from internet and bluetooth
in reply to /home/pineapplelover

That's not a full solution really... unless you believe that the bluetooth software on the lamp has zero vulnerabilities that would ever be found and mass-exploited.
in reply to vas

That's true. In this case I guess you can try desoldering it
in reply to Nino477

I had a similar incident with a cheap, 360, cam I bought off of Aliexpress. It was not going to be a security cam, just a cam to keep an eye on some seedlings in a grow box. I set it all up and would review the video of the seedlings sprouting. Then I noticed an weird behavior. At 5:00 AM it would automatically pan and stop, then repeat.

At the time we were experiencing some heavy electrical storms in our area and I have a Woody doll that sits up on a shelf in my lab. When we get electrical storms in this area, my Woody doll will introduce himself all on his own. 'Hey howdy hey! My name's Woody!' It'll freak you out if you didn't know it does that. The Woody doll has a pull string voicebox and I haven't pulled the string in years. I attribute the phenomenon to static charges in the air that activate the voicebox somehow.

So the panning I attributed to this static electrical charge during electrical storms. However, it started becoming a schedule. At 5:00 AM~ it would begin panning. So I got into the guts of the cam and the software. Turns out, no matter what DNS you used, one was already hard coded (1.2.4.8) along with other network settings, into the firmware and seemed to bypass any setting you punched in. The cam operated as a normal cam would and for what I was using it for, it did the job, except for the early morning panning.

So, great, I've allowed a nefarious actor into my network. I removed the cam off the wifi, and destroyed it. Combed through the network for any signs of exfiltration or other angles of attack and found nothing, except that I had pretty much set up a cheap, Trojan horse on my network.



Is it possible to run qbittorrent and protonvpn in a VM?


Does anyone know how to run qbittorrent and protonvpn in a VM? When I try to run the qbittorrent setup app I get this message (image below) and I don't see anything mentioning a VM in the qbittorrent [dot] org forum.

I am new to torrenting, so I don't really know what to do. I figured/assumed that torrenting/seeding in a VM might be safer as it is another layer deep, and that it may help keep traffic separate (inside the VM: I'd be using a vpn and torrenting, and outside the VM: I'd not be using a vpn and just regular internet surfing). Is this possible?

Thank you.

in reply to Yourname942

Don't run your torrent client in a VM, that doesn't actually provide you with any additional security.

Use a Docker container instead. Binhex has torrent+vpn containers that will fetch the random open port number from Proton and pipe it into qBittorrent for you, as well as make sure the port is updated if the VPN drops. The container also acts as a killswitch.

in reply to _cryptagion [he/him]

Using a docker container provides you with the exact amount of extra protection as using a VM: zilch.

Only advantage is you can use other people's config easily.

  • signed, someone happily using their own VM-based setup


in reply to ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆

Big if true. They are claiming a lot of things, which would be exciting if I had any reason to believe that they're anything more than claims, probably to juice investment. Sodium ion battery tech is infamous for being heavier per kW such that it's less ideal for EVs, last for fewer power cycles such that it's less ideal for EVs, and the cost savings to switch just hasn't been enough to justify. Here, they're claiming comparable energy density, 2.5-5x the power cycles, and under 10% of the cost compared to lithium ion, all without mentioning how they've managed to achieve all of this. I want this to be true, but I'm not jumping for joy until I see them actually selling this product that they claim will exist at this price that they claim it will be.

I would've been on board with sodium ion tech for home battery solutions connected to smart power management on a market adjusted power plan before ever seeing a breakthrough like this. Imagine subsidizing your home power needs with a battery during the hot summer day and then charging that battery overnight at 2am when there are minimal power needs on the grid. That application doesn't really care about weight, and if you could just call somebody to come swap out your batteries every couple years, then the power cycle limit doesn't really matter either. As for cost, early adopters of the idea could inject the capital for these companies to scale up production which would drive costs down. Suddenly, 20 years from now, who the fuck bothers to have a gas/diesel backup generator at their house anymore? Now if these claims turn out to be true, every home and business could utilize this plan.

in reply to ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆

This is mostly interesting for grid scale imho, but nice if it happens. We'll see how it works out for EV's. Their electronics will need major redesign because sodium battery voltages drop a lot more than lithium does during the discharge cycle.

undecidedmf.com/how-catl-made-…

Large LFP auctions seem to be running US$50 to US$60 a kwh as of a month ago:

reneweconomy.com.au/watershed-…

Questa voce è stata modificata (4 settimane fa)

in reply to BeatTakeshi

Here you go fam
en.mehrnews.com/news/235304/Uk…
in reply to BeatTakeshi

Where are the Western outlets reporting on this?

It's almost like not reporting on news that makes your opposition look good is a part of how propaganda works...

Questa voce è stata modificata (4 settimane fa)
in reply to bubblybubbles

For those that aren't aware, RT dot com is direct propaganda from the Russian government This is like Israel writing an article about Palestine.
Questa voce è stata modificata (4 settimane fa)




Study: Social media probably can’t be fixed


It's no secret that much of social media has become profoundly dysfunctional. Rather than bringing us together into one utopian public square and fostering a healthy exchange of ideas, these platforms too often create filter bubbles or echo chambers. A small number of high-profile users garner the lion's share of attention and influence, and the algorithms designed to maximize engagement end up merely amplifying outrage and conflict, ensuring the dominance of the loudest and most extreme users—thereby increasing polarization even more.

Numerous platform-level intervention strategies have been proposed to combat these issues, but according to a preprint posted to the physics arXiv, none of them are likely to be effective. And it's not the fault of much-hated algorithms, non-chronological feeds, or our human proclivity for seeking out negativity. Rather, the dynamics that give rise to all those negative outcomes are structurally embedded in the very architecture of social media. So we're probably doomed to endless toxic feedback loops unless someone hits upon a brilliant fundamental redesign that manages to change those dynamics.

Co-authors Petter Törnberg and Maik Larooij of the University of Amsterdam wanted to learn more about the mechanisms that give rise to the worst aspects of social media: the partisan echo chambers, the concentration of influence among a small group of elite users (attention inequality), and the amplification of the most extreme divisive voices. So they combined standard agent-based modeling with large language models (LLMs), essentially creating little AI personas to simulate online social media behavior. "What we found is that we didn't need to put any algorithms in, we didn't need to massage the model," Törnberg told Ars. "It just came out of the baseline model, all of these dynamics."