The Snout-Like "PiggyMeter" Is a Home Assistant-Compatible Sensor for Energy Meters and More

Pseudonymous maker "Aquaticus" has designed a kit to get your energy, water, or other IEC 62056-21-compatible meter talking to Home Assistant or other smart home platforms, dubbed the PiggyMeter — thanks to its snout-like appearance.

"The PiggyMeter can read data from an electric meter or any device with a compatible interface," Aquaticus explains of his creation, which communicates with the meter over an IEC 62056-21 connection. "It uses widely available components, open source software, and is compatible with the popular home automation software Home Assistant."

I had a look at my pre-paid meter in South Africa, to check, and interestingly enough, although it does not actually have such an interface, there is part of a circular recess barely visible, and in the centre can clearly be seen the faint outlines of where the two holes would be. It looks like the holes could have been pressed out to accommodate such an interface. In my case, I'm using a Hall Effect sensor clamped around the live wire to read power draw.

So, an alternative is other a Hall Effect sensor which would be fully universal across any meter.

See https://www.hackster.io/news/the-snout-like-piggymeter-is-a-home-assistant-compatible-sensor-for-energy-meters-and-more-b3376b6af6ab

#technology #opensource #HomeAssistant

CORRECTION to POST: I got the terminology mixed up. The Messages app on iOS will get RCS alongside iMessage as an additional protocol inside the same app.

Running Signal Will Soon Cost $50 Million a Year: $6 million for SMS so maybe RCS can save that cost

“By being honest about these costs ourselves, we believe that helps provide a view of the engine of the tech industry, the surveillance business model, that is not always apparent to people,” Whittaker tells WIRED. Running a service like Signal—or WhatsApp or Gmail or Telegram—is, she says, “surprisingly expensive. You may not know that, and there’s a good reason you don’t know that, and it’s because it’s not something that companies who pay those expenses via surveillance want you to know.”

The biggest chunk of those infrastructure costs, fully $6 million annually, goes to telecom firms to pay for the SMS text messages Signal uses to send registration codes to verify new Signal accounts’ phone numbers. That cost has gone up, Signal says, as telecom firms charge more for those text messages in an effort to offset the shrinking use of SMS in favour of cheaper services like Signal and WhatsApp worldwide.

So, if SMS is finally replaced with RCS in 2024 (thank you, Apple), OR if Signal were to ditch the phone number registration altogether (and go purely with the usernames they are testing now), a big chunk or change (and user privacy) can be saved.

This may also explain why their username testing is taking place completely in parallel and is separated from the existing user base. I think users would be way happier not registering using their phone number. This would put Signal in a near perfect position for many users. Signal is run on donations.

So what funds WhatsApp, Telegram, etc then with even bigger numbers of users? Telegram is being funded by its venture capital firm Digital Fortress, advertising, merchandise sales, and premium subscriptions. WhatsApp is owned by Meta (Facebook) and is still testing out advertising. It does get income from business tools subscriptions, and of course its privacy policy still allows user data to be passed upstream to Meta. There is still the strong suspicion that the user data is being sold to third party companies, as this was part of Meta's business model.

See https://www.wired.com/story/signal-operating-costs/

#technology #Signal #privacy

Apple to finally bring RCS to iPhones: But alongside iMessage

I was really sure this was an early April Fool's joke, but it appears to be genuine...

Apple will keep its iMessage as-is, so that won't affect its security, and they don't want to bring iMessage either to Android (as that would lose them customers).

Right now though, iMessage is handling SMS messages, so they either need to move that into the RCS app, or find some way of routing between the two apps, as SMS and RCS are carrier supported messaging linked to the phone number. iMessage can actually work using the Apple ID.

So, it will be interesting to hear exactly how they're doing this, but ultimately iPhone users will have an app for each service. WE are probably already used to having WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal (and more) installed, and whichever one pops a message up, we just hit reply.

I suppose this move by Apple makes the most sense for them actually by keeping iMessage unaffected. Thing is though that RCS will then of course be a truly universal chat app that could also replace SMS finally. So many organisations are still geared around bulk SMS services, so it may be time for those services to start thinking about transitioning to RCS, which will probably save them a lot of money.

See https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/16/apple-to-finally-bring-rcs-to-iphones/

#technology #RCS #iMessage #Apple

What is the best weather forecasting service for your location?

The simple answer is it is almost impossible to tell, unless you live in the USA. The USA has a website, called ForecastAdvisor, that validates forecasts and observations for around 990 different locations. Forecasts are typically retrieved from providers’ public websites and APIs. Forecasts for a given location are retrieved at the same time from all providers, and location order is randomized each day.

It is notable though that there is no single forecasting service that is best for all locations. So, although AccuWeather claimed in 2020 to be the most accurate forecasts overall, it does not mean that in 2023 they still are, nor are they the best everywhere.

ForecastWatch calculates the accuracy, skill, and quality of weather forecasts. They collect over 40,000 forecasts each day from Accuweather, the National Weather Service, and others for 990 U.S. cities and 1300 international cities and compare them with what actually happened. But it appears that ForecastWatch does not make that data freely available to end users to do comparisons. Their customers include AccuWeather, WeatherTrends360, etc, so I'm assuming those services use it to tweak their own forecasts.

Something interesting that an app like the weawow app provides, is in its settings it shows a graphical comparison of forecasts from the various services it supports. So, you could go look at your own local weather forecasting service and then compare which of weawow's providers most closely match that.

So until the rest of the world gets a ForecastAdvisor service we'll probably have to keep guessing which is the best weather app for our own location.

See https://forecastadvisor.com/

#technology #weather #forecasts

Yep one of the best!

The Circular Ring Slim: This smart ring claims to be the lightest ever — and the first with haptic navigation

Weighing just 2 grams and measuring a mere 2.2 mm in thickness, the device packs big features into a tiny frame. To analyse the user’s health, the ring assesses seven biometrics and 142 derived markers. These markers are captured by a suite of sensors.

In the Circular Slim Ring, the PPG combines three different LED light wavelengths — green, red, and infrared — to capture numerous health vitals. These range from heart and respiratory rates to blood oxygen levels.

All readings are then transmitted to Kira+, Circular’s AI assistant, which turns the data into insights and advice.

It appears to have more sensing data available than the Oura Ring, as well as the haptic vibrations in addition too. Its normal price of $275 is also a bit cheaper than Oura Ring's starting price of $300. Given also they are focussing specifically on accuracy, and they say there is only the one-time ring cost without a monthly subscription (like Oura has), it looks like there is a lot of going for this ring.

Coming out of France, in the EU, we'll probably also find better respect for the privacy of our data. Right now it only syncs to Apple Healthkit, but they are working on syncing with Google Fit and Samsung Health.

See https://thenextweb.com/news/circular-ring-slim-thinnest-lightest-smart-ring

#technology #health #smartring

Google Maps will dodge South Africa’s crime hotspots: Sadly it is needed as tourists have been misdirected

Google Maps will avoid directing motorists through crime hotspots, Pretoria FM reports.

This comes after tourism minister Patricia de Lille and Google country director Alistair Mokoena signed a memorandum of understanding at Parliament on Monday.

Just this last week, a US tourist (thankfully without his family) was directed off the N2 freeway to avoid traffic congestion. The problem is he was directed into an area that is notorious for muggings and attacks. He was shot in the face (without any prior warning) and thankfully he is alive and well. But only a month or two ago, a UK doctor also took a wrong turn off the same freeway and was killed. Locals obviously avoid these off ramps if they can.

It should be noted that this recent case was with an iPhone and there is NO mention of what navigation app was actually used. Google has been the first to respond to take action, and I've raised this with Waze last week (still no reply). There is a fair chance it was actually Apple Maps being used, but we don't know right now.

This stretch of N2 freeway is especially dangerous and a Provincial Traffic patrol, and also a temporary police station, was set up there years ago (not sure if it is still there). Generally, during daylight hours the stretch from the airport to the city is fairly safe, as long as you don't take any of the turn-offs between the airport and the Jan Smuts Drive turn off. I'd really expect too that any car rental company, at the airport, would thoroughly brief any foreigners before letting them drive off.

So, although we've seen warnings for isolated crime hot spots before, they have not actually been routed around crime hot spots properly.

See https://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/515099-google-maps-will-dodge-south-africas-crime-hotspots.html

#technology #navigation #capetown #southafrica

Withings Launches Smart Scale That Helps With Diabetes Management

Using add-on health modules that are available by prescription, the scale is able to track biomarkers that are usually only available in a clinical setting. The diabetes module monitors Electrochemical Skin Conductance, which allows it to detect signs of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathies that can lead to diabetic foot ulcers. Peripheral neuropathies are one of the most common diabetic complications, according to Withings, and as of now, are checked for only at annual doctor visits.

Whilst Google's Fitbit scales seem to be stagnating and struggling with software support issues (and have been withdrawn from 30 countries), it does look like Withings is expanding their functionality. Nothing is going to last forever, and one always has to be aware that cloud-based functionality can disappear or become more expensive over time.

For many the convenience of a connected scale is that it records your weight over time. Maybe we just need a smartphone app that you take a photo every time of the weight reading, and it uploads that automatically to your favourite health app?

See https://www.macrumors.com/2023/11/14/withings-smart-scale-diabetes-management/

#technology #health #diabetes

That's the biggest issue often - finding them where you live.

Yep I also use SimpleX but of course you can't find your friends unless you actively send them their unique invite.

Pebble, a startup that tried and failed to take on Twitter, finds new life on Mastodon

The company announced last month that it was shutting down its Twitter/X alternative citing the increasingly competitive landscape, X’s ability to retain users and its own failure to gain traction with a wider audience. But after deliberately avoiding any plans to participate in the decentralized social network Mastodon during its time as a startup, Pebble has now given itself a fresh start as a dedicated Mastodon server dubbed pebble.social.

TechCrunch has now confirmed the Pebble instance was recently established by Pebble co-founder and CEO Gabor Cselle as something of a new social experiment. However, members of the Pebble community are involved in the server’s moderation.

So, it's quite small still at this stage, but it is great that their community could not only live on in their own space, but also integrate out more broadly into the whole Fediverse.

I think their server description is underselling itself a little now, though: It says "A tiny stone can cause ripples across a whole pond. Just like every one of you, sharing your stories and insights, can create waves in our online community". Now, in fact, they can cause a ripple right across the entire Fediverse, and not just inside their own online community!

Interestingly, they also appear to have a news feed under their Explore options. They look like a very friendly community, so I hope they prosper well on their instance.

See https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/13/pebble-a-startup-that-tried-and-failed-to-take-on-twitter-finds-new-life-on-mastodon/

#technology #Mastodon #Fediverse

DeepMind’s new AI called GraphCast promises the most accurate 10-day weather forecasts in the world

A new AI model from Google DeepMind is the world’s most accurate 10-day global weather forecasting system, according to the London-based lab. The model is open sourced, with the code on GitHub.

Named GraphCast, the model promises medium-range weather forecasts of “unprecedented accuracy.” In research published today, GraphCast was found to be more precise and faster than the industry gold standard for weather simulation, the High-Resolution Forecast (HRES).

The system also predicted extreme weather from a more distant future than was previously possible. These insights were analysed by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), an intergovernmental organisation that produces the HRES.

In tests, the results were impressive. GraphCast significantly outperformed the most accurate operational deterministic systems on 90% of 1,380 test targets.

It's not perfect though, as it has had issues with predicting the intensity of cyclones, as well as precipitation amounts.

And whilst this is all great and fine, I don't actually find any mobile app at all that uses these predictions. There is also no mention of 'whether' Google's own weather forecasts are actually using it. So I suppose we have to stay tuned to hear when it really filters into what real end users actually use.

See https://thenextweb.com/news/deepmind-ai-graphcast-weather-forecasting

#technology #weather

Ayoba is an all-in-one chat, call, and social media app that has over 30 million active monthly users mostly in Africa

This is probably the app that Elon Musk wants X to be... Ayoba has chats, voice calling, channels, music, games, money transfers (MoMo - only available currently in Ghana, Uganda, Congo B and Cameroon), and various 3rd party services. It runs on Android and iOS. Ayoba is owned and managed by Simfy Africa Pty Ltd, based in Cape Town, South Africa.

The app is apparently based on XMPP and WebRTC technologies, but all of that is deeply embedded within the app, so the user experience is all within Ayoba. The messaging is fully end-to-end-encrypted.

They have a partnership with MTN, which is Africa's largest cellular network and this partnership provides some really interesting value-adds such as MTN subscribers not paying for data to use the app, and any non-Ayoba MTN subscribers can receive and reply for free using SMS text messages. The zero-rated data usage for MTN users is stated to be for "a promotional period and may be subject to a fair usage policy".

However, there are some probable cons such as voice calls within the app to another Ayoba contact being charged for as a standard cellular voice call (no other chat app I know of does this, they use standard data). Elsewhere, it is stated "Note that voice and video calls will consume a user’s data" so maybe data can be used, but it is not part of the MTN zero-rated data.

The other con is the privacy policy does state (from the Android data safety policy) that information such as precise location is used for analytics, and that phone number, app interactions, and Device ID can be shared for analytics and advertising and marketing. So in this regard it is not as private as XMPP and some other messengers. It is likely that this, along with the MTN partnership, is what funds and sustains the app.

Ayoba is highly localised and tailored for African consumer needs, supporting 22 relevant languages. Users can send and receive encrypted messages, share photos, videos, files, and voice notes and can also subscribe to live channels. Family-friendly localised content is available through curated channels aimed at entertaining, educating and empowering communities.

Channels though are a big part of Ayoba, with over 150 channels, providing the latest in sports, fashion, beauty, news, comedy, health, entertainment, education, empowerment and more. All free to use. The content is updated daily, and is available in English, French, Arabic and select local languages including isiZulu, Kinyarwanda and more.

The app is just over 4 years old, and to have reached 30 million active users in that time, it quite an achievement. This is probably due to MTN's reach across Africa, and the strong focus on African culture and languages.

Although the app is based on open-source XMPP it does not state it has any interactivity with the larger global XMPP user base, nor any form of federating with the Fediverse.

Ayoba's big focus going forward from October 2023 will be on gaming and advancing its integrated ecosystem development approach revolving around the MicroApps vertical. With this, they are already way ahead of Musk's X.

See https://www.ayoba.me/

#technology #Ayoba #messaging #Africa

The 13 Most Soothing, Smooth and All Around Best Shaving Soaps for Men

There are few things that can make a modern man feel more like a classic gentleman than grabbing a proper shaving brush and lathering on a soft layer of a good shaving soap.

Sure, nowadays there are dozens – if not hundreds – of brands pushing various shaving gel, shaving cream and lotion products that can give you all sorts of skin-boosting benefits.

But as Moneypenny said as she (sexily) shaved Daniel Craig’s James Bond in Skyfall: "Sometimes the old ways are the best".

Single blades are single blades, but where traditional wet shaving really gets the rubber hitting the road, or the blade gliding on skin, is the amazing variety of quality shaving soaps and creams. Not only are they good quality, and often artisan made, but they are very good to use on the skin, without having the chemicals or aerosols that come with most commercial shaving products.

I still prefer a harder shaving soap puck, which I use a stiffer brush to lather. But there are no shortage of options out there, and if you look around you'll usually also find artisan soap makers in most cities (and even small towns).

The very essence of the traditional shaving experience typically lies in the soap or cream being used.

See https://www.irreverentgent.com/best-shaving-soap-for-men/

#traditionalshaving #wetshaving

Why buy a Samsung phone with an S Pen and only use two of the 40+ things it can do?

I did buy my Galaxy S23 Ultra primarily for its camera, but I did justify the buy too, thinking that a built-in stylus would be really useful as well... But just using that S Pen for notetaking and signing the odd PDF is a real waste of what more that S Pen actually can do! It is more than just a stylus.

The video linked below really needs to be watched every month, as I've seen one similar to it a year ago, and I've forgotten most of this.

For me, some highlights are:

* Easily annotate PDF documents in Samsung Notes

* The S-Pen can open the camera app, switch front/rear cameras, zoom in/out, take the photo

* Similarly controlling music, gallery, etc apps by gesture

* Media controls

* Hover over word to translate

* Have any app in a small glance window

* Keeping phone unlocked while doing notes

* Pin a note to always-on display e.g. shopping list

* Screen-off memos for notes without unlocking phone

* Create a quick pop-up note over any other app (and make them transparent)

* If you have Galaxy Tablet, you can use your phone alongside it as a toolbar (very Apple this is)

The only way really to remember this functionality is to get into the habit of using some of the additional features, and refreshing your memory around what all it can do. I did make some summary notes in Google Keep at the time, but I've not really looked at them again.

Which brings me to two other points:

1. Samsung Notes, especially with the S Pen, really makes Google Keep look very bland and basic (apart from maybe Keep's location reminders).

2. Some of the fancier S Pen to Text functionality only works with the Samsung keyboard, so if you're using a 3rd party keyboard like I do, that doesn't work. My only issue with the Samsung keyboard is I just don't find its autocorrect very good, but maybe I should also give it another try. For me, a fluid and accurate autocorrect is the most important function of a keyboard.

Watch https://youtu.be/B5DrJYScXT4?si=F7hJHLzRY1DiXFK4

#technology #productivity #SPen

Data broker’s “staggering” sale of sensitive info exposed in unsealed US FTC filing: Major value in users' data

One of the world's largest mobile data brokers, Kochava, has lost its battle to stop the Federal Trade Commission from revealing what the FTC has alleged is a disturbing, widespread pattern of unfair use and sale of sensitive data without consent from hundreds of millions of people.

The FTC has accused Kochava of violating the FTC Act by amassing and disclosing "a staggering amount of sensitive and identifying information about consumers," alleging that Kochava's database includes products seemingly capable of identifying nearly every person in the United States.

According to the FTC, Kochava's customers, ostensibly advertisers, can access this data to trace individuals' movements—including to sensitive locations like hospitals, temporary shelters, and places of worship, with a promised accuracy within "a few meters"—over a day, a week, a month, or a year. Kochava's products can also provide a "360-degree perspective" on individuals, unveiling personally identifying information like their names, home addresses, phone numbers, as well as sensitive information like their race, gender, ethnicity, annual income, political affiliations, or religion, the FTC alleged.

These data brokers handle really massive amounts of private data. It costs time and money to obtain, and it seems there is a market of buyers willing to pay for it too. If we look at the types of data then it is also easy to see this is not just about advertising at all.

We know that even law enforcement agencies pay these types of 3rd parties to collect the data that they are prohibited from doing so (for example, recently the NYT 15 Nov 2013 report re CIA collecting global data on transfers of money).

Then there are also the criminals who can purchase this information for blackmail and extortion. Most hackers will admit that their attempts start out with getting to know more about an organisation and its employees, with a view to exploiting social engineering. Even phishing e-mails are way more likely to succeed if they are personalised towards a target.

Data brokers are a serious threat to everyone, and the way that data is collected, means that one person who does not care, can end up exposing family and friends' private data. The data is not collected in isolation from everyone else... effort goes into tying up all the data points with locations, times, other people, behaviours, and related information. The real value comes once all the individual pixels form a larger, clear picture.

In years past this type of business was very labour, and later computer intensive, and was as a result quite delayed in terms of its value. With the computing power and analysis available today, combined with rich and varied data sources, it's been taken to a whole new level. And of course there are now online markets that even trade this data on the Dark Web.

It is also getting more and more difficult for people to effectively stay offline as social services, banking, booking a flight, etc all involve being registered and having interaction with online systems.

The clock also never travels backwards (unless you live in a daylight saving region) as societal "innovations" keep moving forward.

See https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/11/data-brokers-staggering-sale-of-sensitive-info-exposed-in-unsealed-ftc-filing/

#technology #privacy #databrokers

Qualcomm and Iridium's satellite link-up deal not going ahead as smartphone makers are not buying it

According to Iridium, the companies developed and demonstrated the technology, but it appears that smartphone makers have not implemented the feature in their Snapdragon-based devices. Iridium said Qualcomm therefore notified it on November 3 of the decision to terminate things, effective December 3.

Qualcomm told The Register: "Smartphone OEMs have indicated a preference towards standards-based solutions for satellite connectivity in mobile devices. We expect to continue to collaborate with Iridium on standards-based solutions, while discontinuing efforts on the proprietary solution that was introduced earlier this year (2023).

It could partly be due to pretty expensive rates that would be charged by Iridium, or the developments around just placing normal cell tower radios on low orbiting satellites (like the recent post about Starlink's tests). It looks more like the leaning is towards unmodified cellphones being able to be used.

A good reason for this is open competition, as the device is not locked into a specific chipmaker or satellite service. Competition means more choices (no vendor lock-in) and lower costs.

For consumers, it means there is a chance too that existing phones can be used without expensive (and exclusive) upgrades being required.

See https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/10/qualcomm_cancels_iridium_partnership/

#technology #satellitecomms

Signal finally testing usernames that keep your phone number private but the number is still required to register

Telegram has now long had usernames without revealing for private phone number, so it is good to see Signal finally moving in this direction too. It is really not always desirable to have your real phone number being visible in group or community chats.

It is even worse for those who live in risky areas, are experiencing abuse, or who are whistleblowers, etc. Signal's claim to fame, after all, is privacy.

Unlike Telegram though, Signal seems to be running this test service is a completely separate staging environment, which both parties need to create accounts for.

There is, of course, a downside to going fully over to usernames, and ditching phone numbers altogether. That is, that discoverability becomes more difficult as one person really has to invite others to connect with them. Family and friends won't just find you automatically by your phone number. WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal have been very aware of this and that is why they have had such good networking, as the phone number was always available, and I doubt Signal will be ditching the phone number.

The moment you get onto chat services like XMPP, Wire, Briar, Jami, SimpleX, etc you'll find it impossible to find anyone you know unless they share their username with you (and even more specifically for SimpleX as each username is unique between contacts).

But with Signal's new move at least you will be able to protect your phone number from other ad-hoc contacts and group chats.

See https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/signal-tests-usernames-that-keep-your-phone-number-private/

#technology #Signal #privacy

How to clean and care for your wireless earbuds

It's true that better maintained devices (or anything) last longer and perform better. The same goes for these devices that you plug into your head.

This article covers a broad range to do's and don'ts to observe when cleaning ear buds. But it is worth also checking for own device specifically, as mine for the Anker Soundcore era buds actually says to use running alcohol. Note though that nearly every guide does state you should apply rubbing alcohol to the cloth, and not spray or apply it directly to the device being cleaned.

See https://www.androidpolice.com/how-to-clean-and-care-for-your-wireless-earbuds/