It was pretty clear Spotify was iffy on its streaming-to-automobiles accessory when the company gave it the bland name of "Car Thing." It launched in Feb 2022 and was discontinued months later. Now Spotify is planning to brick existing units in December, 2024. https://buff.ly/44QP0ex#CarThing#Spotify#InternetOfShit
@postmarketOS
This seems like a great opportunity for your devs to ask people for their spotify car thing instead of throwing it away since it can be unlocked and someone could definitely port postmarketOS to it: https://oddsolutions.github.io/Spotify-Car-Thing-Root/
This could prevent a lot of unnecessary ewaste and you could even make it run spotify.
The current owners of Winamp have announced they will release the source code for its Windows music player on September 24, 2024, "enabling the entire community to participate in its development." https://buff.ly/4bmHZnV#Winamp#OpenSource
OFGB is a utility that lets you easily disable the ads (or "recommendations" that Microsoft has been inserting into the Window Start Menu, Lock Screen, File Explorer, and other locations, by adjusting the relevant registry keys. https://buff.ly/4ag0nxD#Windows#Microsoft#OFGB
We already knew that the $199 Rabbit R1 had the specs of a budget Android smartphone and ran a basic version of Android (with a custom Launcher that mostly interacts with Rabbit's cloud services). Now someone has ported LineageOS to run near-stock Android on the R1. https://buff.ly/4b8gbUn#RabbitR1#Android#LineageOS#CouldHaveBeenAnApp
Google removes Android Generic Kernel Image support for RISC-V architecture, which means it'll be a lot tougher for device makers who want to port Android to RISC-V hardware moving forward, although Google says it's not ending RISC-V support altogether. https://buff.ly/4dhodf3#Android#RISCV#Google
The first company to announce a handheld gaming PC that will run the Linux-based Playtron operating system is blockchain company Mysten labs, which is positioning the SuiPlay0X1 as a Web3-enabled handheld set to launch in 2025. https://buff.ly/4akGGpb#Web3#Blockchain#Playtron#HandheldGamingPC#SuiPlay0X1
iOS 17.5 Beta 1 is out now, and it's the first version of Apple's iPhone operating system that lets users install apps downloaded from the web... but only in the EU, and only from developers that opt into Apple's new terms (assuming they're not rejected by EU regulators). https://buff.ly/4cIXSGl#iOS#Apple#iPhone#EU#DMA
The "world's smallest Steam Deck" is a Linux game system that pairs a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W with a tiny game controller and an even tinier display: a 640 x 480 screen that measures just 6mm (0.23"). It's practically unplayable, but sure, why not? https://buff.ly/3J4wrJv#RaspberryPi#HandheldGaming#DIY
The latest System76 Oryx Pro Linux laptop is up for pre-order for $1899 and up. It has a 16 inch FHD+ 165 Hz display, a Core i9-14900HX processor. Thunderbolt 4, 2.5 GbE LAN, and up to RTX 4070 graphics, 96GB RAM, 8TB storage. https://buff.ly/4cv9Tzg#LinuxLaptop#System76#System76OryxPro#laptop
Hackers have discovered a hardware vulnerability in Apple's M series processors that could allow encryption keys to be extracted. Software-based mitigation would probably degrade performance, but the vulnerability is very hard to exploit. https://buff.ly/4cCBCy6#Vulnerability#Security#AppleSilicon#Apple#GoFetch
GNOME 46 released, with the latest version of the desktop environment bringing a new Ctrl+Shift+F shortcut for file search from any screen, the file app has a dynamic progress view, Online Accounts adds OneDrive support, and much more. https://buff.ly/4co7y9e#GNOME#Linux#DesktopEnvironment#GNOME46
Google will charge fees to developers that distribute apps in the Play Store, while directing users in the EU outside the app for third-party payments. This is part of the company's response to the Digital Markets Acts, and it's very similar to Apple's approach. https://buff.ly/3TpMcRt#DMA#Europe#Google#GooglePlayStore
@bradlinder
Few years ago, I was unsure if to publish my #freesoftware app also on Google Play or Apple Store.
I didn't, preferring to stick with @fdroidorg
And now again my choice is confirmed.
(Even though I currently have technical issues with company PC and I can't continue work on my app till I buy a personal PC... 😒 but that's another story!)
Amazon has pushed a Fire TV software update that blocks Android apps from establishing local ADB connections to do things like free up space by clearing cache from installed apps or bypass the home screen when using third-party launchers. https://buff.ly/48waihx#Amazon#FireTV#ADB
Bluesky opens the doors for federation (you can host your own server), but notes that its AT Protocol is different from ActivityPub, which powers Mastodon, in key ways. Content, moderation, timelines, and other data are tied to accounts, not servers. https://buff.ly/3uI8kgb#BlueSky#SocialMedia#Federation