@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

danie10

@danie10@mastodon.social

I blog about #technology #gadgets #opensource #FOSS #greentech #traditionalwetshaving #LCHF #health #alternativeto #hamradio (ZS1OSS) #southafrica - see my blog at https://gadgeteer.co.za/blog and Fediverse full text posts at https://squeet.me/profile/danie10 or follow my Peertube videos at https://video.hardlimit.com/video-channels/gadgeteerza.

#fedi22

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danie10, to technology
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

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 f ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/realvnc-is-ending-their-free-home-plan-but-here-are-some-alternatives-for-remote-gui-desktop-management/

pee, to HomeAutomation
@pee@mastodon.online avatar

Beware of #SONOFF Products in #HomeAutomation. If you have a choice, don't buy them! The #eWeLink App refuses to populate the WiFi Network to pair new devices if you do not deactivate 'Private WiFi Address' (MAC randomisation), 'Limit IP Address Tracking' & activate 'Location Services' and give access to 'Precise Location' on iPhone. #HomeAssistant . They even published a blog article about it, recommending to deactivate these vital protections, instead of fixing the App. #ChinaCloud #SpyWare 🤦

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@pee I've always flashed mine with Tasmota firmware before using - more control and 100% local.

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@pee well if setup once then it works OK. I did buy a small USB-serial adaptor ages ago, and the wires coming out have those socket connectors on. I may have had to solder those pin things onto the Sonoff switch (can't remember as it was years ago) and then just connect the adaptor and flash. But I do also recall that things got easier as updates just required a file to be copied and reboot the device.

Mehrad, (edited ) to manjaro
@Mehrad@fosstodon.org avatar

If you are using :manjaro: #Manjaro or :arch: #Arch and you have #Nvidia graphics card, and you updated to Plasma 6, you are up for a nasty surprise, as after typing your password to login, you will get into a black screen. It seems X11 doesn't have this issue, but Wayland is completely toasted!

The only solution I found is to create /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia.conf and put these two lines in it:

options nvidia_drm modeset=1
options nvidia_drm fbdev=1

Source: https://forum.manjaro.org/t/black-screen-issue-with-manjaro-kde-plasma-on-wayland/161201/9

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@Mehrad thanks yes I'm on X11 and that was fine, but the previous version was actually working (sort of) under Wayland, but now I also got the same - nothing but a black screen. I was really hoping the NVidia issue was now 100%.

On the plus side, under X11, the 30sec compositor delay I was getting has completely gone so that is really great.

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@Mehrad thanks am going to try that. I had the first line in already but second must be key. Yes, bit worrying about the testing as many know there was an Nvidia issue to get fixed.

Power of the Community!

youronlyone, to Signal
@youronlyone@c.im avatar

#WhatsApp uses the open-source #Signal protocol… However, encryption isn’t the whole story… WhatsApp and, by extension, all #Meta organizations know you sent something, when you sent it, and who you sent it to…

https://proton.me/blog/whatsapp-safe-private-photos

#Privacy #Security

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@youronlyone it's the metadata, and lots of it, that leaks upstream...

danie10, to random
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

Wow calls to are now way more than to China, at about R659/min (US$35/min). Seems it will be cheaper to just SMS back and forth than to speak.

From https://www.afrihost.com/airmobile/rates

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@pee yes they replied today that it is an error (despite me reporting the South Africa rate was incorrect about 3 weeks back). Seems there was no QA check done. It should be per min and not per sec. Probably not getting them much new business ;-)

danie10, to Autism
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

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 ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/wolf-grid-is-an-opensim-world-with-ai-integration-and-other-innovations/

glynmoody, to australia
@glynmoody@mastodon.social avatar

David McBride: former army lawyer sentenced to five years for stealing and leaking #Afghanistan war documents - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/14/david-mcbride-former-army-lawyer-sentenced-to-five-years-for-stealing-and-leaking-afghanistan-war-documents he was jailied for revealing war crimes... shame on #australia

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@glynmoody that really seems to go against human rights, as far as exposing war crimes go. Covering up a crime should never be justified by law.

amyfallon, to random
@amyfallon@aus.social avatar

Now true in Australia, sadly!

Exposing War Crimes Riskier Than Doing War Crimes, Australian Man Finds

https://theshovel.com.au/2023/11/16/exposing-war-crimes-riskier-than-doing-war-crimes/ #DavidMcBride

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@amyfallon covering up war crimes should be a crime itself against humanity. No law should be justifying keeping war crimes a secret.

danie10, to linux
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

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 ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/manjaros-plasma-6-update-has-gone-globally-live-today/

darrenolivier, to random
@darrenolivier@mastodon.social avatar

Remarkably, DefenceWeb managed to obtain combat radio recordings from this weekend's SANDF engagements against ASWJ insurgents in Macomia, Mozambique, as well as a detailed breakdown of how the fighting unfolded.
It's extremely rare for these to leak.
https://www.defenceweb.co.za/african-news/they-are-attacking-my-base/

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@darrenolivier incredible! Shows again though, it is only teamwork and discipline that get you through something like that. If that falls apart, you're lost.

danie10, to android
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

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 ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/8-ways-android-handles-notifications-better-than-ios/

danie10, to southafrica
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

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 ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/garmin-sos-fails-south-african-biker-after-accident/

adingbatponder, to solar
@adingbatponder@fosstodon.org avatar

panel with USB A connector is plugged into the USB micro power in port. The tbeam has a 16850 3400 mAh Li-Ion 3.7 V battery. The panel & tbeam are behind a velux roof window angled at the sky. The sun is shining well today, no clouds. The t-beam shows 4.2 V plugged in symbol in the app. When unplugged from the panel, the t-beam shows 100% charge.
solar panel https://www.botnroll.com/en/solar-panels/3244-monocrystalline-solar-panel-5v-1a.html
This is test to see how long this lasts - there is no power management circuit.

meshtastic andoid app showing the same node now with a battery symbol which implies it is running on its battery only. It shows 100%
A tbeam plugged into a small solar panel via usb
the solar panel and tbeam are placed under a roof velux window behind its rolled-down blind. the sky shows it is dusk and is a dark blue

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@adingbatponder supposedly the board manages the charging and use of a battery attached to it, if the power supply is coming in on the USB-C port to the board.

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@adingbatponder think it's the same concept, I'd imagine the micro USB has been replaced by USB-C on the newer boards.

danie10, to android
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

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 b ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/gcam-is-a-modded-version-of-the-pixel-camera-app-that-you-can-install-on-your-android-phone/

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@tuxicoman not too sure as they don't go into the detail of "where" the algorithms are, but being a standalone APK I'm not sure it actually has any Google login?

youronlyone, to twitter
@youronlyone@c.im avatar

Woah, this is… big(?). “Jack Dorsey says he quit Bluesky because it was becoming another Twitter”

https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-dorsey-bluesky-twiiter-nostr-interview-2024-5

He left #Twitter, then #BlueSky, and now endorsing #Nostr… but still not the #Fediverse.

#SNS #SocialMedia #ActivityPub #ATproto

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@youronlyone because the Fediverse still has an account hooked to a server and an admin can block that. You migrate, you lose your posts, and migration is not seamless across diff networks.

Nostr requires no account creation on any server, and the keypair you use works seemlessly across any clients or Nostr websites. Any post you make with Nostr relays through 8 or more (of over 2,000) relays. Even if one relay owner were to "block" your profile, it still flows out seamlessly through any other.

MikeElgan, to random
@MikeElgan@mastodon.social avatar

Claim of the moment: "Google is killing independent websites" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq7KErC6aTc

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@MikeElgan problem is many people like a big central site where everything is there, but the downside is that service gets massive and has to sustain itself, and then it has to drive more ad revenue, it tries to push down new players, it pays $20 billion to be the default search engine, can pay lobbyists, etc. No-one has the funding to fight that in their personal capacity.

danie10, to southafrica
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

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, th ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/south-african-mobile-network-operators-must-zero-rate-content-from-approved-public-benefit-organisations/

#southafrica #technology

danie10, to HomeAutomation
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

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 ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/you-can-automate-much-of-your-home-and-devices-with-a-raspberry-pi-and-open-source-home-assistant/

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@pee yes as it all works local - I have the REolink integration in my HA and it connecst to teh WiFi cam locally.

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@pee you can block it in the DNS but mine is also not setup for cloud storage - it all works locally, toi my NVR and passwords are all changed.

danie10,
@danie10@mastodon.social avatar

@pee only if you expose it - mine is all in the LAN and if I want to connect from outsid ethen I just flick OpenVPN on in my phone, do what I need to, and disable OpenVPN.

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