This Website Shows How Much Google’s AI Can Glean From Your Photos

Software engineer Vishnu Mohandas decided he would quit Google in more ways than one when he learned that the tech giant had briefly helped the US military develop AI to study drone footage. In 2020, he left his job working on Google Assistant and also stopped backing up all of his images to Google Photos. He feared that his content could be used to train AI systems, even if they weren’t specifically ones tied to the Pentagon project. “I don't control any of the future outcomes that this will enable,” Mohandas thought. “So now, shouldn't I be more responsible?”

Apart from the incredible detail that is recognised from the smallest details on a single photo, the AI also draws all sorts of inferences from appearances, expressions, etc. But you really need to think about the collective analysis across hundreds or thousands of personal photos a single Google user backs up into Google Photos. The power of AI across all of those photos is where the true value lies.

Google though, says the company doesn’t sell the content stored in Google Photos to third parties or use it for advertising purposes. Users can turn off some of the analysis features in Photos, but they can’t prevent Google from accessing their images entirely, because the data are not end-to-end encrypted.

As a user, you just have to hope that analysis really does not get into the wrong hands, no matter whose hands those may be.

See https://www.wired.com/story/website-google-ai-photos-ente

#technology #privacy #AI #ggooglephotos

South Korea arrests CEO for adding DDoS feature to 240,000 satellite receivers

Allegedly, the functionality was needed to counter the attacks of a competing entity.

The exact way the DDoS functionality was leveraged on the devices was not specified, but these attacks are always illegal when targeting external systems.

Moreover, users of the satellite receivers were involuntarily taking part in attacks and might have experienced reduced device performance during these occurrences.

There has been more and more of a shift towards satellite communications for civilian Internet and mobile phone use, so this is probably just a wake-up call for all of us to realise that those satellites sitting up there in plain view, are not just going to be "allowed" to be used without any interference or weaponizations.

It will be both military (and I include all nations here) who will try to intercept or even block messages, as well as the usual hacking and ransomware suspects who will try to exploit them. The military of all nations will be pushing to have their encryption back doors included, and will want to be able to disable civilian satellite services "in times of need".

All I'm saying is, we cannot assume these satellites will all just be there functioning in our interests 100% of the time. Of all the communications mediums ever invented, satellites are the most exposed and vulnerable of all. In other words, be sure not to rely solely on satellite communications in the future. Consider them a useful supplementary tool for communications, but do not neglect your more traditional means of communications.

See https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/korea-arrests-ceo-for-adding-ddos-feature-to-satellite-receivers

#technology #satellites #vulnerabilities #ssecurity

Cross-platform open source HandBrake Video Converter Just Got a Big Update

HandBrake, the free and open-source video converter and encoder, has released a new update. HandBrake 1.9 has improved support for Intel hardware, VP9 video, disc sources, and much more.

It also supports many of the newest codecs, and the linked article also mentions which codes are succeeding which ones in future.

It is also using the latest FFmpeg version 7.1.

If you don't use FFmpeg on the command line, then HandBrake is pretty well much the go-to GUI alternative.

See https://www.howtogeek.com/handbrake-1-9-release

#technology #opensource #vvideo

YOURLS is an open source self-hosted alternative to Bitly or TinyURL

A link shortening service translates any web URL link into a custom, and typically shorter and more manageable link.

A link shortening service is useful for a number of reasons:

* A shorter link to share, especially if the target is a long complex one

* The short link can have a more intuitive name to remember

* Basic stats are provided on how often it is accessed and from which countries

* A self-hosted one could bypass Bitly being blocked

* No need to update social media posts if the backend is moved

* Brand consistency by using your own custom domain

My video goes over how YOURLS can be used, and includes a few tips that I picked up for installing php-zip for the download plugin, as well as how to deal with any plugins which break the service.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ0LUsbpDRI

#technology #opensource #selfhosting #YYOURLS

It works with all Samsung phones, no app needs to be installed. Lots if Samsung phones on my area. But it also has separation alerts which Google app has not got.

Casio made a tiny fully functional Ring Watch

Wearables are all the rage right now, with options from Samsung, Ultrahuman, and others offering every imaginable fitness tracking feature in the compact form factor of a ring. The Casio Ring Watch launched to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary does none of those fancy fitness tracking duties and simply tells you the time. This was originally thought to be a Japan-exclusive, but a listing on Casio's US website confirms model CRW001-1 is actually headed stateside.

Casio's latest innovation is a complicated piece of tech using a miniature display and internals, powered by a simple coin cell battery that should last two years before needing replacement.

It almost seemed like an April Fool's joke, but seems real enough. This is pretty unique actually, and even seems to perform all the other functions like stopwatch, flashing alarm, etc. It's a genuine and unique Casio!

See https://www.androidpolice.com/casio-ring-watch-coming-us

#technology #watch #Casio

You can turn your non-smart TV into an Android TV with just a Raspberry Pi

This should work just fine, but also consider using any other mini PC. I used an Intel NUC with 8 GB of RAM, and with Manjaro Linux on it, it does not only movie streaming very well, but just about everything else too.

Although I have an "early" 3D smart TV, I always found the apps that came on the TV to be a bit crippled vs the full website functionality you could have.

An added bonus is, your OS is always updating unlike most smart TV's after the first year or two, so you get richer features for many years if you connect a Raspberry Pi or mini PC to your TV.

See https://www.xda-developers.com/turn-raspberry-pi-android-tv

#technology #smarttv #raraspberrypi

The Samsung SmartTag 2 is down to $15 for Black Friday - But In South Africa still at Full Price!

Yep, it is pretty sad to watch some other countries get some really great tech bargains. I did go to Samsung though in Cape Town and managed to negotiate R100 off a 4-pack (that's a US$5 discount).

I couldn't wait any longer to ditch my AirTags seeing I moved back to Android over a year ago.

At least on the furniture front, I made up for this with a lucky draw, which got me an additional discount over the Black Friday discount at Four Walls. It was my biggest purchase today, so pretty happy about that.

Too many stores were also just giving 10% discounts, which is not really in the spirit of Black Friday.

But back to tech, I do love the Samsung SmartTag 2's as they do have separation alerts, which the Google Find My Device still does not have.

See https://www.androidpolice.com/galaxy-smarttag-2-60-deal

#technology #Samsung #SoSouthAfrica

I need to follow up again with what happened, as HAMNET WC director fell ill after the first meeting, and things then stalled.

yes we have a good 25 or more nodes. Plan was to try get a Meshtastic node on the mountain between us and Worcester to connect up.

First time a satellite operator and a wireless carrier have received FCC authorization for a Direct-To-Cell service

Satellite connectivity on smartphones can be an incredibly important safety feature, and both phone makers and carriers are working to expand its availability. Now, Starlink's direct-to-cell service that will be used by T-Mobile now has FCC approval.

The big promise of direct-to-cell satellite service is that you will be able to connect to a satellite just like you currently connect to a cell tower, with your current smartphone, whenever you find yourself in a dead spot. It's like putting a cell tower in space that you can access at all times.

So, this is actually a huge event. Any ordinary cellphone user, stuck in some rural area (or at sea) where these satellites have coverage, could establish communications as if there was a cellphone tower in range.

It will be very interesting to see how these pan out in terms of more congested areas, and how operating costs compare. I'm thinking too here of some of the extreme electricity load shedding that South Africa experienced, where cell towers had no grid power for up to 6 hours at a time. South African operators have also had very expensive backup batteries being stolen on a regular basis from their terrestrial sites.

When one factors all this in, how do a few satellite units compare? Even for rural communications, due to the reach of the towers, how many towers and interconnectivity infrastructure are required to cover a 200 square kilometre area vs by satellite?

See https://www.howtogeek.com/starlink-direct-to-cell-satellite-service-fcc-approval

#technology #satellite #communications

How to make a 3D model from a 2D image in Blender

Even though Blender is free of cost, building anything in Blender can come with a high barrier to entry for users who are new to the software. But if you are just starting out and want to create a model that you can actually finish while simultaneously learning about the basic functions of the software, then you should give this easy project a try.

Creating 3D models from 2D images is a great way to start off or practice in Blender without the need to watch hours of tutorials just to learn the tools.

Many a Blender veteran will most likely scoff at a project like this. However, for many beginners who are practising on Blender, there are very few fun projects for users to jump into and learn the basics of the software, which ultimately leads to something they can be proud of or show off. While everyone loves the basic doughnut or coffee cup tutorials, the truth is that most people want to see cool results when they put a lot of effort into their first project.

See https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-make-a-3d-model-from-a-2d-image-in-blender

#technology #opensource #blender

How many years do we need to be told VR is the future before it actually takes off?

Virtual reality has been close to mainstream adoption for decades, yet it remains a niche technology. While promising developments and incremental improvements continue, the game-changing app that will propel VR into every home remains elusive despite the efforts of tech giants like Meta, Google, and Apple.

History is littered with VR failures, from the early Nintendo Virtual Boy to the pricey Apple Vision Pro, but the promise of immersive digital worlds keeps companies investing billions. The stakes are high, as whoever unlocks mass-market VR will shape the future of the user experience across gaming, fitness, productivity, and beyond.

I'm very sure that VR will be an amazing and immersive technology. I was only about a month a way from buying a Quest headset myself, when Meta bought them out, and I dropped that idea very quickly. I've clung onto my 3D TV because I've always enjoyed watching movies in 3D.

But, for me, VR really needs two things to happen:

* Pricing needs to be affordable (not Apple $3,500).

* It needs some killer apps that take it to the next level and are truly immersive and compelling to use (the apps need to pull users in).

I don't even think it is about having the very highest of resolutions, as the 3D stereo effect will still reel people in. And there are some who seem to experience problems wearing VR headsets for longer periods, and we probably need to understand why that is.

See https://www.androidpolice.com/when-will-vr-take-off

#technology #VR

Using Linux File Manager Right-Click Menus to Quickly run Scripts

This video will show how to link any bash script file to a right-click menu on Linux, by creating a .desktop file. I'm using it to select a few .mp4 video files, and then to batch convert their AAC audio codec to PCM audio codec. But you can link any script file that you want to use on your files.

I also explain how to change the context so that the script would only show in the menu for a particular MIME type e.g. video, audio, text, etc files.

I intended this to work for DaVinci Resolve as it does not support the decoding of AAC audio codecs at all on Linux (free or paid version). At the end of this video, I demonstrate how I can now quickly convert any video with AAC audio codecs, within a few seconds, from "inside" DaVinci Resolve.

The bash script file has been modified, after I recorded the video, to now handle single or multiple audio track conversions.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7lYaF6JENg

#technology #Linux #bash #DaVinciResolve

Yes you can use the adaptors - for outside must make sure you put on some weatherproof tape and have a cable tie over that so it does not come loose

Serval Tracker will notify you of price specials on Takealot in South Africa

Serval Tracker not only shows you the price history of an item (giving you an idea of its past lows) but you can set an e-mail alert for the moment it drops below a price level. Useful for this coming Black Friday.

The link below goes to their website, but you can also get a 3rd party Chrome extension at https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/serval-tracker-linker/lgkaeblmlapcmgmnjnddefdinlcmpmnk and a Firefox extension at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/serval-tracker-linker/.

See https://www.servaltracker.com

#technology #southafrica #Takealot #BlBlackFriday

Not Sure What a Linux Command Will Do to Your System? Ask ChatGPT or Google Gemini

You've likely heard you should never run a command or script that you don't fully understand in the Linux terminal (or any command line). Unfortunately, the syntax for command-line apps can be tricky to break down and understand. Here's how ChatGPT or Google Gemini can help.

They both give an excellent break-down for what each parameter does. I often use them in reverse, and get them to help give the correct parameters to do something with, for example FFmpeg. Just bear in mind, they do sometimes get this wrong.

See https://www.howtogeek.com/not-sure-what-a-linux-command-does-ask-chatgpt

#technology #help #Linux #rereference

5 Things I Wish I Knew When I First Learned Programming

Starting your programming journey is exciting, but it’s easy to fall into traps that slow down your progress. By understanding the common mistakes new programmers make, you’ll set yourself up for success right from the start. Here are five mistakes often made that you can learn from.

I must say what always helped me, was having a real world problem to solve and build in my new language I was learning. I had an app that I'd written way back to do prompt for data and then to calculate one independent variable regressions from that.

Every time I was learning a new language, I'd take that code, and rewrite it in the new language. Needless to say, it improved every time I learnt a new language!

Coding is very much about perseverance, having a problem to solve, and being able to break down the errors bit by bit until you get it working. It is very rarely going to work the first time around.

Another thing that worked for me was breaking it down into chunks, and getting each chunk or module to work on its own with an input and an output. It made diagnosis easier as you progressed.

I'm not sure about art, as I'm really useless as design and artistic flair, but coding can be gotten right with just persevering with it long enough. I have infinite patience, and can (used to) persevere through many nights to finish a coding job. It filled me with excitement to arrive at the final product, and have someone use it, and then finding it helped them.

To me, coding was like creating a work of art. If it was functional, and was also durable and future-proofed, I was always filled with a sense of satisfaction and achievement.

See https://www.howtogeek.com/things-i-wish-i-knew-when-i-first-learned-programming

#technology #programming #coding

Yes it should work as long as it is resonant for 868 MHz band. You can always use an adaptor on the coax side. One thing though is 868 MHz does lose a lot of signal over distances of coax so you want to keep coax short, or use LMR400 type coax for that frequency. You can see my antenna, and some tips, on my page at https://gadgeteer.co.za/hamradio/meshtastic-in-south-africa.

Is Choosing Last Year's Flagship Smartphone Worth Your Money? Here Are 5 Reasons Why

This actually makes a lot of sense as you can discount prices, and actually have a phone that outperforms midrange phones.

Flagship phones get all the updates still, usually for a good 2 to 3 years, and quite often the previous model is not really a way lower spec model than the latest version.

I got relatively ripped off buying the Galaxy S23 Ultra just when it was released. The inflated price included a voucher (which turned out to be utterly useless as it expired after only 3 months, but that was not stated clearly anywhere). I could buy this phone today at a good 30 to 40% less, and it is still an excellent phone.

Also, with a good enough phone now, I can wait a bit longer until today's models are a year or so old before buying again.

See https://www.howtogeek.com/is-choosing-last-years-flagship-smartphone-worth-your-money-here-are-5-reasons-why

#technology #prices #flflagshipphones