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callc

1,021 karma · joined December 25, 2023

“In the face of madness, rationality was powerless.”
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callc··on Meta Blocks President Lula's Facebook Page, Campaign Ads 2 Weeks from Election
It just comes naturally to me, I know them as Facebook.

There’s some effect of corporate name changing in order to have a reputational reset. I’m opposed to that.

Real people OTOH I’m happy to call them whatever they wish

callc··on Meta Blocks President Lula's Facebook Page, Campaign Ads 2 Weeks from Election
If they changed their name to “Flobular” it wouldn’t change a thing.

They’re Facebook in many people’s minds.

“Meta” doesn’t convey the same meaning that “Facebook” does. And it’s also squatting on an important term in English. Mets is used all over the language, like metaphysical.

No thanks, I’ll use Facebook

callc··on Breaking Up with Google Play: Why Conversations Is Now Free
> Dare I say programming isn’t as fun anymore

I can imagine programming being an absolute blast if phone OSes were open like desktop.

Just imagine publishing little apps for your friends and family, easily, without asking anyone’s permission!

callc··on What even is an OS now?
My little story:

I recently replaced my $HEALTHCARE_APP with the PWA of their website. It was the *exact* same. The app was just a webview (and a pretty good one at that!)

It makes me really question how much “security” these services need when they have websites that can do everything the app can do.

callc··on Apple has added persistent 'ads' to iOS, and it's driving users crazy
> Turns out Apple disables it if it can't detect a third party battery. Why? I'm sure someone will come and try to defend it, but if you do, you better come with an EE degree and math. To me, it looks like a punishment for not being able to go back to USA within my warranty period to replace my phone's battery which was down to 75% capacity.

Simpler than that: money and control.

Marked up replacement parts for and the inability to compete because “not Apple certified” comes with disabled features.

The best part of market capitalism, no market! Pure profits because we make the rules!

callc··on I don't like passkeys
Maybe this gets us closer to some idea of email being a more protected digital service, that has some legal guarantees?

Putting the potential negatives under the rug for a second…

I would be nice to have email that (1) you can’t get locked out of arbitrarily, (2) acts similarly to US mailbox (in its protections and universal service), (3) acts as an identity

Is this a bad idea?

callc··on I replaced my brown-noise browser tab with a menu bar app
I use brown noise sometimes to focus. It’s like an auditory blank wall.

I’m sure I could train my brain to ignore the random sounds around me, since I grew up in a not super noisy city.

It really does help me ignore the distracting sounds. It gives my easy something to focus on rather than distracting noises.

callc··on Reverse engineering my e-scooter and rewriting the firmware in Rust
Take it one step at a time. I’ve had a fun time just intercepting the Bluetooth communication part for little devices.

Most of the time the protocols are not locked down, and if it’s a popular device chances are someone else already did it for you.

You can get help by decompiling the Android app for the device which should give more info about the content of the Bluetooth messages.

That’s the level I’m at right now. Oscilloscopes and all that look intimidating to me too!

callc··on 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]
Respectfully disagree. Toggle buttons have an expected behavior that everyone understands.

It should work just like a physical button. I don’t appreciate the “we know better for you so we’ll adjust the behavior accordingly” MITM.

callc··on Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements
Spare batteries that are designed as internal batteries not to be easily swappable, yes.

Look at DSLR cameras: take out in 1 second, put in in 1 second, physically robust.

We absolutely can have the best of both worlds. We just need to align the smartphone manufacturers to user serviceability and right to repair… even if they go kicking and screaming since they decided their bottom line is most important.

callc··on O&O ShutUp10 – The antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11
IMHO:

I like the issues faced on Linux more, since I can solve them. I too have a handful of repair scripts.

I feel like an adult to be given access all the internals. I don’t feel that way on Windows (and any other locked down OS).

We should put in the volunteer hours to upstream these fixes to make it nicer for normies :^)

callc··on Student teacher arrested for private Snapchat message
For those with more knowledge, what’s the best direct and group messaging platform for security nowadays? Is it signal?

I don’t use Snapchat but have been meaning to increase personal and family security (security from government in TFA’s case, which is a sad thing to say)

callc··on Tether: iMessage, SMS, etc. on Linux
> their own devices

Sure! Apple can do whatever they want with their devices. But when they sell them to people, it’s no longer theirs.

People are (IMHO rightfully) not happy with a general computing device not being open.

Societies are pushing back against this practice through legal means, which is good!

The best part is if people want to stay inside whatever ecosystem, they can! It can be opt-in to enable developer mode to do what you can already do on any desktop PC.

If you want to lock down gran and gramps iphone (or PC for that matter), you can! Make an admin account and have them use an account with less privileges.

We can have the best of all worlds. An integrated ecosystem. Security. User computing rights.

callc··on Canada will match US tariffs 'dollar for dollar' as trade talks break down
You could also try a bowl of mashed potatoes on Donald’s head.

This was one of the very embarrassing things that happened to Donald as a boy, done by Freddy Trump (his late older brother), when everyone had enough of him.

callc··on HTML Can Do That
One more thing thats nice with <picture> and <source> and <img> over <img> with srcset is the former can responsively change images, while some browsers (Chromium based IIRC) will assume srcset corresponds to the “same looking” image.

IIRC Chromium based srcset will never “downsize” to a smaller image, whereas <source>’s media is like a real media query.

Use if you want jumpscares at specific sizes lol

callc··on Devices with GrapheneOS support should be available in 2027
Sometimes I wonder if randos peek in and see this terminology and think we’re all nut cases
callc··on Apple announces changes for apps in the European Union
Following this to its logical conclusion… “Sorry, you didn’t buy a Development Pro Guitar. Please bring it in to your nearest Apple repair shop to get it retuned or restringed”

See? “Development machine” just means the ability to do what you want with your own machine. No third party interference.

Let Timmy Can’t-Tune bring his guitar to someone who can. Let grandma have her new phone be setup by her grandson appropriately so she can’t install malware.

Freedom. Digital rights.

callc··on Firefox for iOS now has a native adblocker
The warden is making the prison just nice enough to not cause riots, to put it vividly.

Most people won’t care or understand about this openness. Their needs are satisfied with the limitations. Similar to other freedoms we have (at least in the US), like speech, assembly.

I think it will take very brazen acts on Apple’s part (or other gatekeepers) to get the everyday Joe/Jane to care about things enough to learn more or look for alternatives.

Things like blocking certain websites, removing super popular apps for not following monopolistic rules

callc··on Firefox for iOS now has a native adblocker
It’s a combination of Stockholm syndrome, having an expensive phone as a status symbol, and corporate worshiping.

It also makes me “:(“ when I think of an alternate reality of where phones were as customizable and open as a plain old desktop. Open boot loader, manu supported open drivers (no blobs).

Makes me seriously consider Ubuntu touch / graphene or something else and a $200 low end / 2nd hand locked-down phone for everything else.

callc··on Show HN: iPhone app takes simultaneous images from 2 lenses, fuses into 1 photo
Similar story but my low-light snake photo turned out much less “scary” than in real life.

I’m guessing it has to do with how intensely focused / scared my brain was with the little guy

callc··on Software development with AI is starting to feel like cooking steak
150k sounds like a LOT… what’s your use case for the app?

It seems for any particular problem/comexity there is an estimate of how many LoC is needed (written by humans, good coding practices). And after reaching maturity (and not increasing scope) the LoC converges.

My experience with LLMs so far is it’s a constant battle to not explode the LoC. There’s always pressure away from “maintainability” and a “small elegant cohesive” codebase.

callc··on Meta Ran Ads That Contained AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Imagery
The problem is equating profitability with what societies want and don’t want.

Morality exists outside of the business world (and it should inside as well).

Further, it is a societies’ right to enforce the boundaries of what business are allow to do / not do.

For example: banning ads along roads and scenic areas.

Idk, the whole idea of “how much fines will I get doing X shitty business practice” is just gross. I’d rather see harsher enforcement to keep businesses on the straight and narrow more often than not.

callc··on Software for One
Installing.

The ability to install software on your own device should be independent of any marketplace.

callc··on Software for One
s/sideload/install/g

Sideloading implies a subversive action, which we should not be primed to think.

callc··on What does privatization of the US Postal Service mean?
The beautiful thing is a society deeming universal (gasp!) access to mail to be important.

The ugly part is profit driven mindset, and a “you live in an unprofitable area to mail to, sorry” obvious outcome

callc··on The Boeing 747 begins its final descent
Do you have any reason to back up your claims?

See the guidelines “Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith.”

Just because this story points out that one executive many years ago said something very unsavory is not a generalization for all executives.

callc··on Zuckerberg's war on whistleblowers
Legality != morality
callc··on Elastic lays off 7% of employees
Please write nicer comments.

Everyone has their own problems and their own feelings. Their socioeconomic conditions do not invalidate them.

callc··on Deno Desktop
Temporarily at a place with 10-15 mbps. 150 MB is around 1 minute.

I grew up on 30 mbps. >= 100 is all I need nowadays.

But 10 mbps and websites and downloads really start to take a while.

The more bits and bytes you save, the more people will be pleased with your stuff! Even if they don’t know what bits and bytes are, and just go based on impatience

callc··on Volkswagen started blocking GrapheneOS users
Because laws are (mostly) a reflection of what society wants.

People are growingly concerned with both the car manu and Apple/Google control over their car and related extra software goodies.

Laws are really needed when businesses don’t play nicely. I don’t know the legal specifics, but I’m sure glad I don’t need to buy $1000’s of specialty tools to maintain my vehicle, and sure glad that replacement parts are readily available (and will be for decades).

Just image how much worse society would be if car manus did the same thing as Apple and had ID-paired parts. Sorry! Your AC doesn’t work anymore, please install a genuine Honda oil filter at your nearest Authorized Honda Shop, available for a minimum of $500.

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