Master VLC with These 10+ Expert Tips and Tricks

VLC is undoubtedly the best media player out there, but the ignorance of many users in learning it properly holds them back from utilizing the advanced features that VLC offers, which can ultimately improve the user experience to the next level.

VLC is actually a lot more than just a simple video player. I used its network streaming ability to connect to my home CCTV cameras as well. Knowing a bit more about what it can do, helps you get so much more out of it.

See https://linuxtldr.com/tips-and-tricks-for-vlc/

#technology #video #VLC

Polycentric is an Open-source distributed social network - Similar in some ways to Nostr

I've not done an in-depth look at this network but reading through their documentation shows it has a lot of similarity to the basics of the Nostr protocol and network. There is just not as much information available on the Polycentric site as there is already for Nostr. Nostr is also censorship resistant, with distributed relays doing the relaying of posts (Polycentric calls them servers). Both use public-private key cryptography, with every post being cryptographically signed. Both networks also have the ownership of the identity managed by the end client (no-one can delete a client on either network), and those profiles can be used across devices.

And whilst basic posting looks very similar (microblogging type format, and is limited to 280 characters) this is also where the differences lie. Nostr has likes, whilst Polycentric only shows boosts (reshares) and reactions through commenting.

The Nostr protocol is also an extensible one, which means it has new NEP standards added by various people to go way beyond just blog posts. So, it also already provides full length text posts (like Minds uses), events, link aggregation, and more.

Polycentric servers have a moderation API control built-in (non-recommendation vs non-storage) whilst Nostr does not have this, and it is left to individuals to block or mute a profile. But the recommendation feed is a nice touch on Polycentric to help new users find recommended content. Both networks allow anyone to host these servers/relays.

But if privacy and censorship resistant networks are what you're into, then both Polycentric and Nostr are worth having a look at.

See https://docs.polycentric.io/

#technology #socialnetworks #privacy

Samsung Health can now help you never skip your meds

It does look pretty much like I remember Apple Health's medication reminders, but sometimes Apple does come up first with good ideas.

Coming to the US this week, it lets you set reminders for your meds and even get a nudge when it's time to hit up your healthcare provider for refills, according to the company's press release.

The new feature allows you to log details like dosage and when you take those pills in Samsung Health. When you add a new medication to the app, you can note down the pill's shape and colour to avoid any mix-ups.

I have to say, though, that Samsung's Health app is getting pretty comprehensive. I already love the sleep stats I get, and I'm managing to get all my exercise data from my Polar H10 chest strap to also sync into the app.

See https://www.androidpolice.com/samsung-health-will-help-you-track-your-medications/

#technology #Samsung #health

The rise and fall of Usenet: How the original social media platform came to be 50 years ago

Long before Facebook existed, or even before the Internet, there was Usenet. Usenet was the first social network. Now, with Google Groups abandoning Usenet, this oldest of all social networks is doomed to disappear.

These days, Usenet's content is almost entirely spam, but in its day, Usenet was everything that Twitter and Reddit would become and more.

These messages, also known as articles or posts, were submitted to topic categories, which became known as newsgroups. Within those groups, messages were bound together in threads and sub-threads.

Much of the vocabulary we use today to talk about using the net springs from Usenet. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) files, for example, started on Usenet as summaries of information about a newsgroup, so the members wouldn't need to repeat the basics for newcomers. Flame and flame war, for instance, also started on Usenet.

In many ways, Usenet is a warning about how social networks can go bad. All the same, problems we see today on social networks appeared first on Usenet.

It is really not all unique to Usenet, though. Usenet, like most networks, was better in the beginning, but as more and more masses arrive, moderation is required to keep things civil and on track. As the moderators also move on, some groups/channels devolve into cesspits. All social networks seem to go through these lifecycle stages. And, of course, many people also move onto new networks.

What is fascinating is to see whether older networks have any potential for resuscitation. Can those who really care, if there are enough of them, revive it and rejuvenate the network? I've not really seen any old network come in any big way. Yes, Myspace is still around, but it is nothing like it was, and you don't hear much about it at all. Back in the day, users often went to Usenet and IRC for technical support, but most of the tech organisations today moved to mainstream social networks.

I'm thinking more and more that a massive decentralised federation of networks is more the way to go today. Individual networks can come and go, but the overall federation continues onwards as far as the bigger picture goes.

With centralised individual social networks, their users live or die by the existence of that one network and whatever rules it applies. Usenet is decentralised, and probably explains why it is still around today. Today we all watch the slow demise of a "modern" social network such as X-Twitter.

You can still connect to Usenet today by using Mozilla's Thunderbird E-mail client. The linked post does suggest some Usenet providers to try for accounts.

See https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-rise-and-fall-of-usenet-how-the-original-social-media-platform-came-to-be/

#technology #Usenet #socialnetworks

Samsung expands repair program to more devices, now in 43 countries (87 to go)

Samsung's repair program is currently active in the US, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. Samsung now says it's expanding the repair program to 30 additional companies, with the full list being: "Albania, Andorra, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland." Forty-three countries is a huge progression in just a year, but the flagship S23 is sold in 130 countries if Samsung wants complete coverage.

Really odd that batteries are not mentioned for Galaxy phones as a replaceable part... But it is good to see this program expanding to so many more countries. It also seems a bit unclear who the actual partners are in the different countries. So, clearly communication could be a bit better.

See https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/12/samsung-expands-repair-program-to-more-devices-now-in-43-countries/

#technology #RTR #Samsung

PostmarketOS Linux: Breathing New Life into Smartphones

A distinguishing feature of PostmarketOS is its commitment to a unified environment. Device-specific components are neatly packaged, allowing for identical builds across diverse devices. The release caters to a broad spectrum of user preferences with main user shells such as KDE Plasma Mobile, Phosh, GNOME Mobile, and Sxmo. Moreover, users have the flexibility to install other environments like MATE and Xfce.

But apart from bringing such an interface, along with updates, to devices such as Google Chromebooks and PINE64 phones, there is even support for really old phones like the Samsung Galaxy S III (GT-I9300 and SHW-M440S). Supposedly, this OS boots on over 54 devices.

The "downside" for many will be that it does not install Android apps "out of the box". In fact, native apps are installed from the command line. But Waydroid can be installed, which should allow many Android apps to be installed. There is actually a GUI installer for GNOME software, and for Plasma's Discover.

An extra perk is that postmarketOS can also be dual booted from an SD card, and many Linux Flatpak packages will also install.

See https://debugpointnews.com/postmarketos-23-12/

#technology #Linux #opensource

US FTC bans Rite Aid from using AI facial recognition in stores for 5 years - CCTV cameras are no longer just cameras

It's one thing just having CCTV cameras, but another thing when your face, regularity of visits, etc become part of a massive database. Too often we've seen such databases also been sold for profit. At some point, a line gets crossed as to what is acceptable to most people.

According to the US FTC, the retailer "failed to implement reasonable procedures and prevent harm to consumers in its use of facial recognition technology in hundreds of stores."

The company's facial recognition database was built by two companies contracted by Rite Aid and included tens of thousands of individuals. Many, the FTC disclosed, were low quality and came from store security cameras, employee phones, and even news stories.

I get that they're trying to prevent crime, but firstly the number of false positives actually caused the problem here with the FTC, and secondly you have to worry about those two contracted companies and what they're up to (previous issues around privacy leaks of data often involved 3rd party companies).

Although this involved a retail company, unfortunately many governments also collect masses of citizen data including biometrics, and their security controls are typically the most lax of all.

It is the era we live in today, so this is happening more and more, the worrying thing is that this data is really not that safe, whether being exposed by hacks or one of the parties willingly selling the data for profit.

In October 2023, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy thanks to a large debt load, slumping sales, and thousands of lawsuits alleging involvement in the opioid crisis. I like to think that ethical companies do survive in the longer term.

See https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/20/rite_aid_facial_recognition/

#technology #privacy

Steve Gibson's explanation of the quantum computing breakthrough

I've not really bothered to follow the quantum computing hype until it was going to become any sort of reality in our future. The issue has been mostly around its instability and required error correction.

Some encryption has already been pronounced as quantum safe, e.g. Signal's, but again we'd have to see that to believe it.

What has dramatically changed now, is that instead of the unstable physical quantum bits (qubits), a Harvard team has come up with a way to work with logical qubits s formed from bundles of redundant, error-corrected physical qubits. These can store information for use in a quantum algorithm. Creating logical qubits as controllable units — like classical bits — has been a fundamental obstacle for the field, and it’s generally accepted that until quantum computers can run reliably on logical qubits, the technology cannot really take off.

So, Steve does explain this in a way which is a bit easier to understand that it has taken things forward quite a bit. The link below is to the video of this episode of Security Now where he explains it. There is also a link on that page though to the PDF with the text notes from the show if you prefer to scan the text.

See https://twit.tv/shows/security-now/episodes/952?autostart=false

#technology #quantumcomputing

I don't think my banks are supporting proper passkeys yet. They are doing fingerprint biometrics for login on the device, so it is a sort of passkey I suppose. But yes, no option to "add a passkey" that I see.

Yes, it does if you want to move outside the Apple ecosystem. That's where the Apple and Google philosophies differ a bit. Apple is amazingly good if you just stick to their products, but that makes changing away really difficult.

I actually exited iOS quite easily last year, but mainly because I did not really use any Apple products on iOS. I love cross-platform as I know I have more freedom of movement and choice.

11 Fish Shell Features That Make it More Awesome Than Bash

Bash is not the only command line shell out there. There are many other shells available with slightly different feature sets. A few examples are Zsh, Fish, Ksh are Xonsh. You can have more than one shell installed on your system at any given time.

Bash the most common shell. Zsh is the most popular one among developers. But Fish is the most underrated one.

I posted last about Fish in 2020 (and looking now, it was a really basic post that did not do it justice at all). Although Bash can be tweaked a bit, Fish has these various features ready to use by default. It really makes me wonder why Fish is actually not the default bash shell, especially for new Linux users. Some of its useful features make the shell a lot more friendly place to be.

The features that are expanded on in the linked article are:

* Syntax highlighting

* Autosuggestions

* Interactive man page for command options

* Abbreviations instead of aliases

* Extensive web-based help

* Web-based configuration

* Automatic CD

* Easier path navigation

* Interactive history search

* Universal variables

* Private Mode

* Simple Multiline command edit using ALT+Enter

See https://itsfoss.com/fish-shell-features/

#technology #Linux #productivity #opensource

Find your ideal E Ink tablet with this comprehensive round-up for 2023

In an era where glowing screens dominate our everyday lives, E Ink tablets offer something a little different, fostering focus and a return to a more traditional reading and writing experience.

They may not have the bells and whistles of high-powered LCD or OLED Android tablets, but they excel where it counts by delivering a paper-like feel, free from distraction. The price of admission isn't cheap, as even the most affordable E Ink tablets are expensive. Still, it's a worthwhile investment for those seeking to blend analogue with digital.

Yes, they're not cheap tablets, but they are really about battery life, better bright daylight use, and hopefully fewer distractions.

See https://www.androidpolice.com/best-e-ink-tablets/

#technology #eink

29 Years ago Netscape Navigator 1.0 started the web we know today

Netscape Navigator was the world's first web browser developed for commercial purposes, and it dominated the market until Internet Explorer came out (with Explorer being bundled with Windows).

Netscape Navigator 1.0 launched on December 15th, 1994, and it quickly became the most popular browser in the world.

Up to that point, we'd all been using text based bulletin boards or Prestel type teletype services to "browse" the web. There was no Google search yet, but we had Gopher search and after Netscape Navigator's release we got Yahoo search which was really a directory that was manually organised (early days!). AltaVista did some of the first actual web page indexing.

I remember my excitement at getting my first copy of Netscape Navigator. By then I'd moved off AmigaOS to Windows, and this was around Windows 3.1 days. But of course, websites were all text based to start with, so they had to also be adapted for HTML before they displayed more like we are used to seeing today.

See https://www.xda-developers.com/on-this-day-1994-netscape-navigator/

#technology #retro #netscape

Nope as far as I know it's impossible - there is no standard yet for exporting/importing keys. Thinking also, Apple would not want to go with that - it would be like letting iMessage run on Android. So what I've been advising is to use passkeys with a service that will follow you across devices and OSs. In my case I'm using Bitwarden, but I think 1password (or similar) is also doing it.

How to Use ViVeTool to Enable Experimental Windows Features

The Feature Store is a system component that manages Windows features. These features can be anything from updating the navigation pane to adding a new Task Manager to introducing tabs in File Explorer.

ViVeTool interacts with the Windows Feature Store by using feature IDs. Each feature in the Windows Feature Store possesses a unique ID, which ViVeTool uses to toggle the feature's state. By default, feature IDs are set to state 0, indicating the feature's normal behavior. To disable a feature, you'll need to change its state to 1. Conversely, to forcibly enable a feature, you'll need to set its state to 2.

ViVeTool itself is safe to use, but the features you enable using it might not be safe for your computer. ViVeTool toggles on or off features that are already present in the Windows Feature Store. It doesn't install any additional features on your device.

See https://www.howtogeek.com/what-is-vivetool-and-how-to-use-it/

#technology #Windows

Proper Extensions Are Finally Landing on Firefox for Android

One of the most-awaited additions to Firefox on Android is extension support. Not only will it help the browser stand out even further from the sea of simple, Chromium-based browsers available on Android, but it will also allow for improving your Firefox browsing experience manifold. Mozilla had set a date for the launch of extensions on Firefox, and now, a selection of over 450 extensions is available for you to check out on your phone.

So, it finally looks like the bulk of extensions are now available to install.

See https://www.howtogeek.com/extensions-finally-landing-firefox-for-android/

#technology #Firefox

9 best iPhone Journal app alternatives for Android: Do you want to use them though?

Yes, Android certainly has some excellent journalling apps too. But before jumping in and using them, you may want to consider why you are doing a journal...

Quite often, the content created stays within that app. If you switch apps or phones later on, will you still have access to that content. Will it be readable in 10 years' time when the app is no longer supported?

Something that is capable of being exported maybe to a Markdown, or similar open standard format, can at least stand a chance of being readable.

Although I'm a big fan of technology, sometimes writing in a paper journal can actually be a lot better. No content format issues, and someone will probably be able to read it in 200 years' time still. I have some old family journals that were written over 100 years ago, and they are still readable. If our ancestors had smartphones back then, you can be pretty sure we would not be reading their journals today.

But if you just want to write for now and the intention is that no-one ever reads your journals, then an app may be the perfect thing. Just don't get disappointed after losing your phone, forgetting your password, or migrating to a new phone, and you find you've possibly lost the last few years of journal entries.

See https://www.androidpolice.com/best-iphone-journal-app-alternatives-for-android/

#technology #journal #diary

Open source Piwigo photo hosting updates to v14 with some nice improvements like WebP support

Search engine in the gallery gets an in-depth redesign. Piwigo 14 also comes with highly expected support for new image file types like HEIC (the default file type used for photos on iOS and Android phones, it will generate a JPEG file for display and keep the HEIC as original file), compatibility with PHP 8.2, new album editor and speed improvements.

For me, the best news was the support for WebP: vthe most "supported by web browsers" file type as a JPEG replacement. Piwigo will generate WebP files for multiple-size display. This is a big difference compared to other file types only supported "as input". WebP is supported for import as well as for display. What's interesting with WebP is that it can replace JPEG with higher quality for the same file weight, it can replace animated GIF for a much smaller weight and can also replace PNG with lossless quality and transparency.

PSD (Photoshop) and EPS: Piwigo will generate a JPEG or PNG for display and keep the PSD/EPS as the original file.

I know Piwigo still has a bit of a dated look and feel to it, but using the Bootstrap Darkroom theme does make it look quite a lot better. I'm also concerned about the community plugins as some really good ones are not being updated to keep pace with the Piwigo updates. So, what happens is that some excellent extra functionality falls by the wayside over time.

I'm still using Piwigo, mainly because it did an auto-import of my 11,000 photos and albums from Flickr. But I'm next going to look at Immich and see whether it is ready yet to replace Piwigo for me, or not.

See https://piwigo.org/release-14.0.0

#technology #photos #opensource

The Withings Scanwatch Light is a smartwatch for those who don't want one: It's a watch first, a health and fitness tracker second

I see Withings has a few of these hybrid watches. Another quite popular one is their more rugged looking diving watch with 10 ATM water resistance (Withings Scanwatch Horizon, looking more similar to a Seiko/Rolex). The Scanwatch Light has an IP rating of 5 ATM.

They are all aimed very much at those who primarily like watches, with some smart functionality. Usually these functions are exercise, health, and notification type functions. But there will be no actual apps that install or run on the watch, so if like using a shopping list app on your smartwatch, that won't be possible with the hybrid watch. The same goes for not having music controls or navigation directions.

So apart from looking like a real watch, the other big plus is a good 20 to 30 days of battery life between charges.

Not a lot gets said about the analogue watch hands, but if the time of day causes either the hour or minute hands to obscure the LCD window when the crown is pushed to wake the LCD display, the hands instantly revert to 10:10 so the full LCD display is clearly visible. The app also has a setting to "true" them to the correct position.

See https://www.androidauthority.com/withings-scanwatch-light-review-3391231/

#technology #smartwatch #Withings

Why I was on the point of buying a trackball mouse but did not

Firstly, I would not have had to pay for the mouse, so money was not the deciding factor (my medical insurance gives me rewards for exercising along with a 20% discount which would have covered the full cost).

I liked the idea of the trackball mouse, mainly for the ergonomics and supposed accuracy. I don't have shaky hands, but for someone who has, for example, lifting your finger off the trackball means zero mouse cursor movement while pressing the button. It also uses no movement on the surface, so can potentially take up less desk space (or be wired without the wire restricting any movement).

I had just decided on the Logitech MX Ergo Advanced mouse, when I read the linked article below. What clinched it for me was the following:

* A Standard mouse is quicker and more intuitive to jump directly to an area right on the other side of the screen (or your second or third screen) especially if you have your mouse acceleration set up correctly. There is no second or third finger scroll required, and your stop is more precise.

* The above is an absolute requirement for many games, especially first shooter games.

* Also highlighting text along a straight line, or drawing something across on a more straight line, can be easier with the standard mouse movement.

The ergonomics issue does require some further explanation, though. I don't have the sore wrist or other syndromes whilst using my standard mouse, mainly because I have a mouse pad with a raised wrist rest. My wrist stays static, and I just move my palm left/right or up/down. I'm pretty certain that without that good wrist pad, I would have a sore wrist or arm.

I have noticed some minor issues the last few weeks, where the cursor tracking loses itself slightly (which I why I thought about a trackball mouse). But I see that my mouse pad surface has warped a bit over time, and some contact gets lost nearer the edges.

So what I'm actually going to do, is to spend some time now looking for a good mouse pad replacement, with a good wrist rest as well.

I won't say I'm never going to get a trackball mouse, but I'm not rushing into it any more. I'll maybe try testing one out properly first to see if the issues above would really be problematic for me.

Furthermore, I realise there is a learning curve to optimally using a trackball mouse, and it also seems some thought is really needed about whether a thumb operated one vs fingers operated one is best. I'm actually now leaning more towards a fingers based one than a thumb based one. I do see a good Kensington model that is about 30% of the cost of the Logitech MX Ergo, which may be worth just getting to try out.

See https://ergonomictrends.com/trackball-vs-regular-ergonomic-mouse/

#technology #mouse #trackball