Syncthing for secure private file syncing directly between your devices

Whether you want to automatically sync your photos or audio recordings from your phone directly to your desktop PC, or to sync your notes between all your devices, free and open source Syncthing will help you do this securely, privately, and reliably. I'll show how I'm doing this, and how I'm also keeping older versions of changes my notes so that I can restore them if needed (a bit like a basic backup).

Unlike many backup or sync applications, Syncthing will sync any number of folders directly between your devices, so no server is required. This can be done without even knowing the IP addresses of the devices. It can also sync over the Internet to a friend, if you want to share backup space with each other - you can set your own encryption password for each folder to keep your data private.

Watch https://youtu.be/u1tXHRQz458

#technology #opensource #Syncthing #filesync

DXOMARK's Apple iPhone 15 Pro Camera test: They won't like being rated Global no2 behind Huawei P60 Pro

We do need to keep in mind that the iPhone is overall a very quality piece of phone hardware (although I'm no fan of their restrictive OS philosophy), and also that this is a pure camera rating (not an overall phone rating).

But it also shows how really good the Huawei hardware is. Another thing that becomes clear from these ratings is, more megapixels does not equal the better camera. The Google Pixel series has also been proof of there, with Google really pulling way ahead, with more credit to the software than the hardware.

These are real world benchmarks though, and nothing at all to do with specifications on paper or marketing fluff, which is why I like them.

See https://www.dxomark.com/apple-iphone-15-pro-camera-test/

#technology #iphone #camera #photography

Especially for your wife - wives really appreciate celebrating good memories, and its a great thing to page through when friends visit.

Start Making Physical Photo Albums: Digital Memories Are Too Easily Lost

https://void.cat/d/Ae5cZmZTQEEysiDoCaLqYC.webp

The linked article really focusses on physically printing photos and sticking them in an album. But I've actually found printed Photo Books to work very well. They do achieve the same purpose of sitting around a table and being able to enjoy looking at the memories together, and they both last 100+ years. I've been able to add the text captions, stickers, etc quite well to Photo Books, and they look great with their hard covers which also include selected photos.

Digital photos are very easy to share, and to forget, as the constant stream on Instagram or Facebook moves relentlessly onwards. People die, and hard drives crash: It's easier than you think to lose thousands of photos in a flash. We're not even sure if the JPG format will be readable in 100 or 200 years time.

A photo book is a great birthday or anniversary gift, as memories are probably more precious than a pair of socks or another T-shirt. By doing a book, you are also forced to select the very best memories to be printed.

And it's not just about family or friends, organisations should also be producing similar printed Photo Books. When I left my company I was working for, I had 10+ years of photos and videos. Hopefully, many of those are still on one of the servers, but a collection of printed Photo Books by the year, would have been really worth something to have on a bookshelf or even in the reception area.

I've been slack myself, but I'm going to now commit to doing at least just one such Photo Book annually from now on.

See https://www.wired.com/story/photo-album-rave/

#technology #photos #memories

Put on a Mask and Fight Spam with SpamCop instead of just Deleting It

What is the first thing you do after receiving spam email? If you are like most people, it probably goes like this:

* Getting annoyed.

* Moving the message to your spam folder hoping that your provider/client will filter similar messages in the future.

The above approach, however, does not solve, but merely hides the problem — the spammers will keep spamming, and you will keep receiving them, even if you are not always aware of them since they end up in your spam folder.

SpamCop is a free service offered by Cisco which enables its users to report unsolicited email. For each email reported as spam, SpamCop determines the origin of the email and sends automated reports to the respective network owners.

Furthermore — and that’s the best part — given that a spammer is reported by an adequate number of users, the spammer’s IP is inserted into a blacklist, known as SpamCop Blocking List (SCBL), which helps email service providers throughout the world to identify and block spam sources before reaching your inbox.

Use the SpamCop DNS-based Blocking List with your own mailserver and get safe and effective spam filtering for free.

Oddly enough, I see I still have a very old (and still active) account at this service. I must have been mad enough one day to have started reporting spammers. Now, if only this was so easy for robocallers!

See https://ubuverse.com/put-on-a-mask-and-fight-spam-with-spamcop/

#technology #email #spammers

How To Use Macbook Trackpad Handwriting For More Intuitive Note-Taking

As technology continues to advance, so do the capabilities of our devices. The Macbook trackpad has evolved from a simple point-and-click tool to a versatile input method that offers a wide range of features. One such feature is trackpad handwriting, which allows users to write and edit text directly on their Macbook trackpad.

Whether you’re a student taking notes in class, a professional jotting down ideas during a meeting, or simply prefer the feel of pen and paper, trackpad handwriting provides a convenient and intuitive way to interact with your Macbook. With a few simple steps, you can enable trackpad handwriting and start writing directly on your trackpad.

The linked article includes a guide that will walk you through the process of enabling trackpad handwriting on your Macbook, adjusting the settings to suit your preferences, and exploring the various gestures and techniques for writing and editing with trackpad handwriting. Additionally, they also share some tips and tricks to help you make the most out of this feature.

It goes to show though that it's not only tablets that can be used for handwriting. A requirement though is that your Macbook is running macOS Mojave or a later version.

See https://robots.net/tech/how-to-use-macbook-trackpad-handwriting/

#technology #macOS #handwriting #notes

That looks like a record button ;-)

Just what is Tone, in a Microphone?

He’s coming to this from the viewpoint of a musician rather than an engineer, but his methodology is not diminished by this. He’s putting each mic on test in front of the same speaker at the same position, and playing a standard piece of music and a tone sweep through each. He doesn’t have an audio analyser, reference speaker and microphone, or anechoic chamber, so he’s come up with a real-world standard instead. He’s comparing every mic he can find with a Shure SM57, the go-to general purpose standard in the world of microphones for as long as anyone can remember, being a 1960s development of their earlier Unidyne series. His reasoning is that while its response is not flat the sound of the SM57 is what most people are used to hearing from a microphone, so it makes sense to measure the others against its performance.

My own hearing is really at a stage that I don't hear a lot of difference. I've always believed though in post-processing by just listening to the result and then making a few tweaks if the sound does not have enough bass. Chasing after expensive brand names is only for those who can really afford it. That said, I'd love to see a musician on stage with a soda can microphone.

See https://hackaday.com/2023/10/05/just-what-is-tone-in-a-microphone/

#technology #music #microphones

The Galaxy SmartTag2 is here with big improvements but still only limited to Samsung devices only

I'm wanting to replace my four Apple AirTags, since moving back to Android, so I'm closely watching developments around these tracker devices. But rather than buy something that requires a finder to, by chance, have a specific app installed to locate my lost/stolen tracker, I want it to be part of the generic Google Find Device network (like the AirTag works with all Apple devices).

To date, at least two other popular 3rd party brands have announced their Google Find Device trackers, but they don't seem to be available yet to purchase.

So, now finally Samsung has finally announced their new tracker tag BUT it appears to only work with Samsung's SmartThings Find service. Even though we have more Samsung phones circulating inside my country than Apple phones, I really don't want to get locked into a single brand again (even if I have a massive credit available to use with Samsung from buying my Galaxy S23 Ultra phone). I'm going to have to seriously weigh this up against the other Google Find Device offerings.

"The Galaxy SmartTag2 only works with SmartThings Find and won't be compatible with Google's upcoming Find My Device network" - this is rather a showstopper for me.

On the plus side, Samsung has dramatically improved the battery life (but I'm actually fine with around 10 to 12 months). I'm also a bit concerned about the size, as I currently carry one AirTag inside my wallet, and Samsung's tag is looking a bit too large for that.

So I'm really very 50-50 around the Samsung offering. I'm going to first watch a few reviews about all of these new devices before deciding.

See https://www.androidpolice.com/galaxy-smarttag2-big-improvements-still-limited-to-samsung-devices/

#technology #trackers #SmartTag2

400 days of reading without missing one single day...

#reading #books

I think Matrix's metadata may still be a concern vs XMPP, and XMPP is definately lighter on self hosting resources than Matrix. But what I've also realised with both tech and privacy is, the best ones are not usually the most popular ones in use by the masses...

I haven't really studied it so mainly look at what is required to register. They do have very secure rooms, and you can still self host too if one wishes to. Matrix is certainly more used between the two. I have real friends on Matrix which I still don't have on XMPP, but yes that has nothing to do with metadata leakage itself.

The Best Obsidian Note Plugins, nor Not?

https://void.cat/d/PeMbYGdHHFdg7ob3zKobDt.webp

I had not tried Omnisearch, but apart from that and Advanced Tables, the suggested ones are not really "my best ones". But the linked article does again highlight one of Obsidian's most powerful features - it's community plugins. Many note takers are good Markdown editors, but few come close to rivalling Obsidian's plugin power, largely created by the community themselves.

Even though free Obsidian is not open-source, it gained a lot of traction and users have created so many valuable plugins. I also like that it leaves all my Markdown formatted files in place where they are. One excellent open-source notes editor I tried, insisted on inserting an odd character at the start of every new line as it was intended an outliner, not a notes editor. Thing is, I like to keep my notes as standard as possible so that I can switch to another note taker in future.

The ones I find really useful are:

* Advanced Tables

* cMenu

* Code block from selection

* Copy Image and URL context menu

* Dynamic Table of Contents

* Excel to Markdown Table

* Highglightr

* Kanban

* Kindle Highlights

* Local Images

* Markdown Formatting Assistant

* Obsidian Enhancing Export

* Omnisearch

* Ozan's Image Editor Plugin

* Related Notes Finder

* Tag & Word Cloud

* Tag Wrangler

* Text Format

* txt as md (edits existing .txt files)

* Underline

* Vault Statistics

But we all have different requirements (like some wanting to play Zoom inside Obsidian, use AI, publish to Nostr, etc), so it is well worth browsing the community plugins and seeing what is of interest to you. There are around 1,180 plugins right now.

See https://www.alphr.com/best-obsidian-plugins/

If you've not seen Obsidian, I did quite a long video about it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_4LR76g-jU

#technology #markdown #notes #productivity

Element X for Android and iOS is a whole new approach to the Matrix messaging app

https://void.cat/d/BkRZ8kA6Jp5BjduqktUB7T.webp

A bit like Telegram has a Telegram X for highlighting new beta features (no neither have anything at all to do with the X network), so has Element now "ignited" their Element X messenger. It will eventually become the main Element app.

The reason it is different, is that it uses the new Matrix API called Sliding Sync, and they are not joking when they say it is 6,000 times faster than the classic Element app. That slick speed is immediately noticeable. They have also integrated Matrix's own voice and video chat (or will be later on in X) instead of using Jitsi meetings as an external service.

The other thing is that the UI is much improved too. This is all with the aim of making Element X become a preferred instant messenger for everyone. Yes, there is Signal and other E2EE messengers, but have you noticed you still require a phone number and / or e-mail to register with Signal? Element has been re-developed natively using Rust for both Android and iOS, so updating it will be easier in future.

Matrix, as a service, is starting to become really interesting. Apart from the one big server most of us know, it is also a service that is self-hosted by many organisations, individuals, as well as governments to ensure maximum privacy as well as control. This allows those organisations to fully verify who connects, and to enforce E2EE in rooms and chats.

But where Matrix really differentiates itself, is its ability to do numerous types of bridges, and to interconnect with WhatsApp, XMPP, IRC, Telegram, and many more services. This is why Beeper uses Matrix to power their services.

So with this move to Element X, Matrix is clearly being strongly positioned for the future, and it is also clear that Matrix was not satisfied with just incremental adoption and advances in their technology.

Just note that although the iOS and Android apps are available now in the official stores, the Android APK install file can also be obtained directly from the linked GitHub project location under Releases.

See https://element.io/blog/element-x-ignition/

#technology #opensource #Matrix #privacy #messengers

Element X for Android and iOS is a whole new approach to the Matrix messaging app

https://void.cat/d/BkRZ8kA6Jp5BjduqktUB7T.webp

A bit like Telegram has a Telegram X for highlighting new beta features (no neither have anything at all to do with the X network), so has Element now "ignited" their Element X messenger. It will eventually become the main Element app.

The reason it is different, is that it uses the new Matrix API called Sliding Sync, and they are not joking when they say it is 6,000 times faster than the classic Element app. That slick speed is immediately noticeable. They have also integrated Matrix's own voice and video chat (or will be later on in X) instead of using Jitsi meetings as an external service.

The other thing is that the UI is much improved too. This is all with the aim of making Element X become a preferred instant messenger for everyone. Yes, there is Signal and other E2EE messengers, but have you noticed you still require a phone number and / or e-mail to register with Signal? Element has been re-developed natively using Rust for both Android and iOS, so updating it will be easier in future.

Matrix, as a service, is starting to become really interesting. Apart from the one big server most of us know, it is also a service that is self-hosted by many organisations, individuals, as well as governments to ensure maximum privacy as well as control. This allows those organisations to fully verify who connects, and to enforce E2EE in rooms and chats.

But where Matrix really differentiates itself, is its ability to do numerous types of bridges, and to interconnect with WhatsApp, XMPP, IRC, Telegram, and many more services. This is why Beeper uses Matrix to power their services.

So with this move to Element X, Matrix is clearly being strongly positioned for the future, and it is also clear that Matrix was not satisfied with just incremental adoption and advances in their technology.

Just note that although the iOS and Android apps are available now in the official stores, the Android APK install file can also be obtained directly from the linked GitHub project location under Releases.

See https://element.io/blog/element-x-ignition/

#technology #opensource #Matrix #privacy #messengers

Obtainium installs and updates Android Apps directly from their releases pages, with notifications for updates

This open-source and privacy-respecting app will install from a number of popular locations such as GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, F-Droid, IzzyOnDroid, SourceForge, Huawei AppGallery, APKPure, and many more.

The Obtainium app is ideal if you already avoid the Google Play Store and prefer to get your apps from these locations, where the source code is published directly. This is also suited to users who like to get the latest pre-releases for the developers, to test out. For those who really value privacy and a de-Googled experience, then they will usually already be sourcing their apps manually from these locations. This app makes that process easier.

The onus though is on the user of this app, especially the first time when selecting the source, to be very sure it is the correct and valid source. This is not an official Play Store where that sort of validation is 'most' done for you. So, if you are a search, click to install person without worrying, then you may be better off with using the official Play Store, from a security perspective, or possibly the F-Droid app store.

The app tracks updates locally from the app, so it is not relying on any cloud notification pushes.

See https://github.com/ImranR98/Obtainium

#technology #opensource #privacy #Obtainium

Latency Meter, made from an Arduino, for accurate gaming

https://void.cat/d/6pjJxmz95SqRSXRtzSgRJb.webp

Unlike other measurement devices that use the time between a mouse button input and the monitor’s display of a bullet or shooting event, this one looks at mouse movement and the change in the scene instead. This makes it much more versatile than other methods since it’s independent of specific actions, and can be used in any game without any specific events needed to perform the measurement. A phototransistor is placed on the monitor’s top edge, and the Arduino-based device sends mouse commands to the computer while measuring the time between those commands and the shift in the image on the monitor.

It works differently:

* Unlike other common HW latency meters, this device doesn't measure a "click-to-photon" latency, but rather an "aim-to-photon" latency.

* The device presents itself to the PC as a mouse, and sends a mouse movement (not a click!) message.

* Once the message is sent, the device measures the time until the image on screen changes.

Advantages over other latency metering devices:

* You don't need bullets to measure latency, so you never run out of ammo - you can (quickly) make as many measurements as you wish. As a result, the device can work autonomously to collect unlimited number of measurement samples, reaching a much higher accuracy.

* The measurement doesn't rely on the muzzle flash animation, which (depending on developer) may be rendered with a delay, producing incorrect results.

* You can measure latency in games that don't shoot guns (e.g. shoot arrows or explore)

* You don't need to place the device in the middle of the screen every time. It is unobtrusive enough that you don't even have to take it off.

* The device requires only one connected wire for operation.

* The device can even estimate the effective framerate - something the other devices cannot do.

* And of course, last but not least - the device is open source, cheap, and easy to make!

Seen at https://hackaday.com/2023/09/19/latency-meter-for-accurate-gaming/

#technology #gaming #opensource

Yep, but imagine more players launching whole networks - it's going to get busy up there!

Yes that's what I like about Markdown formats - it's basically standard so you can switch between using different Markdown clients.

Live Animation of over 5000 Starlink Satellites as well as GPS satellites around Earth

https://video.nostr.build/155bc761920c45524f3d0c2121e85ccf810bf61547eccc171e4d93309478e3e3.mp4

This is quite an interesting animation which really highlights very well how good the Starlink satellite coverage is. Even for continents like Africa, there is pretty good coverage, and over the vast oceans as well.

You can change the view to see GPS satellites and then you notice they are a lot higher altitude than Starlink's satellites. If normal mobile phones could start to use these low orbiting satellites, we'd really be able to connect all humans on Earth, and have coverage during disasters, or treks out into the uninhabited areas.

As long, of course, as you can trust the provider of the satellite service, whether it be an individual billionaire or a spy-happy nation state. This brings a whole new era in being able to data mine what passes through (or even under) this network.

Spotted this piece of news on Mastodon from @jwildeboer@social.wildeboer.net

See https://satellitemap.space/

#technology #satellitecomms #Starlink