Danie van der Merwe

I blog about #technology #gadgets #opensource #selfhosting #greentech #traditionalwetshaving #alternativeto #hamradio (ZS1OSS) #southafrica - see my blog at https://gadgeteer.co.za/blog and Fediverse full text posts at @danie10 or follow my YT videos at https://www.youtube.com/@GadgeteerZA.

#fedi22

Public Key

npub1lymwawg9m79csj556prf9ymdjxrvmrstcek3ys75lc93e8p2j8jsz84jwu

NIP-05 Address

danie10@mastodon-social.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs0jdhwhyzalzugf22dq35jjdkerpkd3c9uvmgjg020uzcuns4fregpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds3h8vrs

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1lymwawg9m79csj556prf9ymdjxrvmrstcek3ys75lc93e8p2j8jsz84jwu

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Last Notes

2025-12-19 20:01:26 UTC

Decentralized YouTube Alternative PeerTube Adds Creator Mode
“PeerTube is a free and open source video hosting platform that serves as an alternative to YouTube. Unlike centralized platforms, it allows anyone to create their own video hosting instance while connecting with others through federation. It is dev ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/decentralized-youtube-alternative-peertube-adds-creator-mode/
#opensource #Peertube #technology

2025-12-08 16:01:02 UTC

8 tiny open source utilities that can instantly make your Linux desktop feel faster
I’d not heard of these apps before, so would be interested to hear if anyone has had good experiences with them?
Zram-generator
Preload
Profile-sync-daemon
Ananicy-cpp
Nohang
Wl-clipboard
FSearch (had heard of this one)
Vici ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/8-tiny-open-source-utilities-that-can-instantly-make-your-linux-desktop-feel-faster/
#linux #opensource #technology

2025-12-05 09:01:05 UTC

Big Microsoft 365 price increases coming next year
This should also be a call to those of us (personal or organisations) who have been using free and open source alternatives such as LibreOffice, FreeOffice, ONLYOFFICE, and many others for the last decade or two, to make a small donation to those pr ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/big-microsoft-365-price-increases-coming-next-year/
#opensource #technology

2025-11-28 21:00:31 UTC

Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are better to use for major social network services than their mobile apps
Yes, you do lose a few things like instant notifications and some performance, but the benefits are no app in the background that tracks your location the whole time, sometimes storing masses of data on your phone, and also sometimes chewing data in ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/progressive-web-apps-pwa-are-better-to-use-for-major-social-network-services-than-their-mobile-apps/
#privacy #socialnetworks #technology

2025-11-16 20:33:54 UTC

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@nprofile…ua0z I also looked at Beaver Notes a long time back but it is actively maintained. Also, local-first files with a good interface — https://github.com/Beaver-Notes/Beaver-Notes

2025-11-16 20:28:39 UTC

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@nprofile…ua0z Flatnotes is also interesting in that it is locally self-hosted but saves in plain .md files. So you'll have access without needing to sync, unless you want to take notes with you - https://github.com/dullage/flatnotes

2025-11-16 18:49:56 UTC

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@nprofile…ua0z it shows two views of the note: The WYSIWYG editor is a rendering of the Markdown so it shows everything converted to bold, checklists, etc.
In the Markdown editing mode that would show the raw Markdown code so an x will be typed in.
In WYSIWYG editor you would be able to tick the box. That is how I understand it.
It can toggle between the two editors. But some features work in the one, and not the other editor.

2025-10-30 09:50:26 UTC

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@nprofile…nmwl agree 100%.
Reminds be a bit of the pen (pun) being mightier than the sword (sarcasm)...

2025-10-28 11:22:06 UTC

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@nprofile…nmwl mine was a ZX81 kit computer. I remember it had a downhill skier game on it, once you'd first typed all the source in to get it to run ;-)

2025-10-28 10:42:06 UTC

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@nprofile…nmwl see there was life before Microsoft, much to many's amazement

2025-10-24 17:00:58 UTC

Sanity Prevails Finally! Your passwords don’t need so many fiddly characters, NIST says
“The US National Institute of Standards and Technology has released its latest guidelines for password creation, and it comes with some serious changes. Gone are the days of resetting your and your employees’ passwords every month or so, and no long ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/sanity-prevails-finally-your-passwords-dont-need-so-many-fiddly-characters-nist-says/
#passwords #security #technology

2025-10-18 21:02:42 UTC

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@nprofile…vkq7 LOL my wife usually does the tiling as she says she is the only one who gets it properly straight. She even tore up some garden paving and redid it after the last plumber made a mess of it after he put pipes under it.
I am allowed to do minor painting work, as long as she checks off on the final product ;-)

2025-10-11 14:00:42 UTC

Fantastic News! South Africa’s Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe to steam ahead again after 19 years
“The return of the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train, which was officially announced on Monday, will not just be the revival of a beloved heritage attraction, but a major economic boost for the entire region.”
It really looks like everything is in ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/fantastic-news-south-africas-outeniqua-choo-tjoe-to-steam-ahead-again-after-19-years/
#southafrica #steamlocomotives #tourism

2025-08-08 18:00:39 UTC

Using Signal groups for activism
“Things are heating up. Millions of people are taking to the streets against Trump’s rising authoritarianism. Communities around the US are organizing to defend against ICE raids, to protest Israeli genocide, for mutual aid, and for other forms of f ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/using-signal-groups-for-activism/
#activism #chatapps #privacy #technology

2025-08-07 12:01:00 UTC

How to Clear RAM Cache, Buffers, and Swap in Linux Without Reboot
“Like any other operating system, GNU/Linux has implemented memory management efficiently and even more than that. However, if any process is eating away your memory, and you want to clear it, Linux provides a way to flush or clear the RAM cache. In ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/how-to-clear-ram-cache-buffers-and-swap-in-linux-without-reboot/
#linux #opensource #technology

2025-07-06 19:33:08 UTC

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@nprofile…73ne the roadworthy certificate is good news?

2025-06-21 19:00:17 UTC

Steam Now Has an Overlay Performance Monitor
“Steam has added a new performance monitoring tool to its in-game overlay, giving you information about how your games are using your computer’s resources. This should help you spot potential performance problems, although it is currently in beta. T ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/steam-now-has-an-overlay-performance-monitor/
#gaming #technology

2025-06-21 15:00:35 UTC

WUD is a better alternative to Watchtower for Docker updates
What’s Up Docker (WUD) will notify you of updated Docker container images for installation, just like Watchtower can do, but WUD solves a number of challenges that I have with using Watchtower:
Shows a custom descriptive name for images, includi ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/wud-is-a-better-alternative-to-watchtower-for-docker-updates/
#docker #opensource #selfhosting #technology

2025-06-20 10:00:57 UTC

This is a good overview of how regex works
“Regex is a pattern-matching language; it’s a way to expressively describe patterns that match strings (e.g., words or sentences). For example, say you’re searching your hard drive for an image called foo, but you cannot remember if it’s a JPEG or a ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/this-is-a-good-overview-of-how-regex-works/
#regex #technology

2025-06-20 10:00:51 UTC

ZorinOS is a worthy consideration for Windows users newly moving to Linux
The linked article is from a Windows user’s perspective, moving to Linux. The timing is good as many are faced with working hardware, but which is not compatible for Windows 11.
ZorinOS is an Ubuntu-based distro, meaning there are tons of support ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/zorinos-is-a-worthy-consideration-for-windows-users-newly-moving-to-linux/
#linux #opensource #technology

2025-06-19 12:00:45 UTC

OpenCloud is the lightweight Nextcloud alternative that runs on anything
If you are finding that NextCloud is using too many resources, and just packs way more functionality than you need just for file syncing and sharing, then OpenCloud may be the answer.
You are not going to have calendar, mail, chat, etc functional ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/opencloud-is-the-lightweight-nextcloud-alternative-that-runs-on-anything/
#filesharing #opensource #technology

2025-06-15 14:00:24 UTC

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 battery life hammered by Samsung Health Monitor app
I noticed about a month or two back that my Galaxy Watch was suddenly no longer getting its two days of use out a battery charge. I do keep my watch usage quite light, and normally have the Wi-Fi off, display set to lower brightness, etc, so 2 days ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/samsung-galaxy-watch-7-battery-life-hammered-by-samsung-health-monitor-app/
#batterylife #samsung #technology

2025-06-15 06:00:36 UTC

How To Check Disk Health In Linux: A Beginners Guide
“Your computer’s disk drive stores all your important files. Photos, documents, videos, and everything lives on your disk. But what happens when your disk starts to fail? You could lose everything. Worry not! Linux has built-in tools to check your d ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/how-to-check-disk-health-in-linux-a-beginners-guide/
#diskdrives #linux #technology

2025-06-10 14:00:39 UTC

Linux Foundation unveils decentralised WordPress plugin manager
“A collective of former WordPress developers and contributors backed by the Linux Foundation has launched the FAIR Package Manager, a new and independent distribution system for trusted WordPress plugins and themes.”
An interesting development. S ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/linux-foundation-unveils-decentralised-wordpress-plugin-manager/
#security #technology #vulnerabilities

2025-05-26 19:00:23 UTC

KOReader is an ebook reader application supporting many formats, running on Cervantes, Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook and Android devices
KOReader is actually intended to replace your existing ebook reader software that runs on a Kobo or Kindle ereader. For Kindles, this will also mean you have to jailbreak them. But it can also install on Android, Linux and other OSs.
It does prov ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/koreader-is-an-ebook-reader-application-supporting-many-formats-running-on-cervantes-kindle-kobo-pocketbook-and-android-devices/
#koreader #opensource #reading #technology

2025-02-23 15:00:33 UTC

9 hidden features in VLC you might not know about
“If you’re one of the millions who already know that VLC is one of the best media players around, maybe you also know a few of the hidden things on this list. But if you’ve never experienced one of the best open-source media players to replace Windo ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/9-hidden-features-in-vlc-you-might-not-know-about/
#technology #VLC

2025-01-01 14:01:13 UTC

Ghostty – The Fast GPU-Accelerated Terminal Emulator for Linux and macOS
Ghostty is an open source and cross-platform terminal emulator created by Mitchell Hashimoto, the co-founder of HashiCorp.
Hashimoto’s goal with Ghostty was clear: to build a terminal emulator that is fast, feature-rich, and provides a platform-n ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/ghostty-the-fast-gpu-accelerated-terminal-emulator-for-linux-and-macos/
#opensource #technology #terminalemulators

2024-12-16 14:01:17 UTC

Europe’s Starlink competitor is a go
290 IRIS² satellites by 2030 to provide secure connectivity to governmental users as well as private companies and European citizens. IRIS² is an acronym for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite.
The bonuses ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/europes-starlink-competitor-is-go/
#satellites #technology

2024-12-15 21:00:45 UTC

Seafile is an enterprise-ready free and open source alternative to DropBox or NextCloud for file syncing and sharing
Seafile provides very fast file syncing. Tens of thousands of small files can be synced in a minute. It does what it does very well, without including an entire kitchen sync of extras. Seafile’s built-in collaborative document, SeaDoc, make it easy ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/seafile-is-an-enterprise-ready-free-and-open-source-alternative-to-dropbox-or-nextcloud-for-file-syncing-and-sharing/
#filesync #opensource #selfhosting #technology

2024-12-09 14:00:56 UTC

The OTIO standard can allow importing of a video editor’s timeline into a different video editor
This means a timeline that contains various media with multiple tracks and clips with cuts, can be exported, for example, from Kdenlive and imported into DaVinci Resolve. This is useful where often one editor can do things that another editor cannot ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/the-otio-standard-can-allow-importing-of-a-video-editors-timeline-into-a-different-video-editor/
#interoperability #openstandards #technology #video

2024-12-04 16:02:49 UTC

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@nprofile…ts8x what a marriage!

2024-12-03 18:00:53 UTC

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 a ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/this-website-shows-how-much-googles-ai-can-glean-from-your-photos/
#AI #GooglePhotos #privacy #technology

2024-11-15 22:50:29 UTC

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@nprofile…nrz7 @0521db95 Well a new development now was a mail from Alby saying they are discontinuing the free tier wallet in the cloud so I'm busy installing a self hosted Alby Hub and hoping I get that linked.

2024-11-15 19:59:36 UTC

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@nprofile…nrz7 OK that is odd as I seem to see zaps coming in. I'm set up with an Alby wallet.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/488/732/431/323/312/original/aa24e10530fe7017.png

2024-11-15 18:46:19 UTC

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@nprofile…nrz7 yes on Nostr it is - have zaps accumulating there I see

2024-11-15 12:01:06 UTC

Mermaid is an open source tool that can be used to create such charts using Markdown plaintext
|send pitch| etc and continues on." style="display: block; margin: auto; margin-bottom: 5px;max-width: 100%;" link_thumbnail="1" decoding="async" srcset="https://gadgeteer.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mermaid-400x225.webp 400w, https://gadgeteer. ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/mermaid-is-an-open-source-tool-that-can-be-used-to-create-such-charts-using-markdown-plaintext/
#markdown #opensource #technology

2024-11-14 20:55:18 UTC

Google’s Gemini AI Chatbot Finally Has an iPhone App
Billed as a way to converse with Google’s AI, it’s kind of like using speech-to-text, but without having to press a microphone icon before each question. Just say your questions out loud, and Gemini will respond to them in real time, incorporating c ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/googles-gemini-ai-chatbot-finally-has-an-iphone-app/
#AI #ios #technology

2024-11-09 14:01:49 UTC

Time Changes Everything Including Our Favourite Social Media
No-one ever thought MySpace, FriendFeed, Orkut, Google+, etc would ever be usurped, as they were amongst the biggest social networks around. But everything changes over time, and that includes all social networks as well as their users.
Twitter, ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/time-changes-everything-including-our-favourite-social-media/
#decentralisation #socialnetworking #technology

2024-10-20 20:01:10 UTC

IOPaint is an open source locally run Python app for AI-powered photo editing
There are many cloud services that offer many of these features but they either require registration, or serve adverts, or require payment to do things like background removal, inpainting or outpainting tasks.
This app runs locally for free acros ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/iopaint-is-an-open-source-locally-run-python-app-for-ai-powered-photo-editing/
#AI #opensource #photos #technology

2024-10-07 10:04:19 UTC

Banana Pi and OpenWrt’s One/AP-24.XY Router Board Hits the Market
The MediaTek MT7981B (Filogic 820) SoC is at the heart of the OpenWrt One, paired with the MediaTek MT7976C dual-band WiFi 6 chipset. The device supports WiFi 6 with dual-band capabilities, offering 3×3 and 2×2 MIMO configurations for enhanced wirel ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/banana-pi-and-openwrts-one-ap-24-xy-router-board-hits-the-market/
#BananaPi #opensource #openwrt #router #technology

2024-08-26 10:03:41 UTC

This Raspberry Pi project uses AI to tell visually impaired people what’s around them
The idea behind this “third eye” project involves the patient wearing glasses with a little camera on them. This camera feeds information to a Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32S3 Sense and a Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+, which uses object recognition to work out w ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/this-raspberry-pi-project-uses-ai-to-tell-visually-impaired-people-whats-around-them/
#AI #opensource #technology #vision

2024-08-18 17:14:48 UTC

Guess which is new Galaxy Watch 7... Yes I know one is cleaner than the other one, and I suppose that is also a clue.
So far so good, will test exercise functions out on Mon. Am liking the extra info on AGEs Index, Energy Score, sleep apnoea monitoring, and better summary data (yes I suppose it is AI, but more informative than just plain data).
#galaxywatch7
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/984/134/813/998/696/original/1b653b358ef6b271.jpg

2024-07-11 14:01:55 UTC

How to fake the GPS location on your iPhone or Android phone
Perhaps you’re trying out an app that searches for nearby stores or restaurants in another city, wanting to access services that are only available within a specific country or region, or playing a location-based game. Whatever the reason, sometimes ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/how-to-fake-the-gps-location-on-your-iphone-or-android-phone/
#location #technology

2024-07-10 18:57:56 UTC

South Africans lose visa-free entry to Ireland
LOL well, I was about 70% far with my planning to visit Ireland in October, mainly because it was visa-free for us. I may as well now reconsider going to Europe again if I really have to go through a painful visa process again... Just glad I had not booked our flights last week!
See https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2024-07-09-south-africans-lose-visa-free-entry-to-ireland/
#southafrica #ireland

2024-07-10 17:36:06 UTC

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@npub1ts4…ue2y yep apparently they got caught out after getting greedy and taking a bigger chunk of money than usual. Who can blame them though after 10 years of being busy.

2024-07-10 15:36:51 UTC

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@npub1ts4…ue2y about US$17 million

2024-05-24 11:09:06 UTC

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@npub10dx…0dm6 good going! I should have learnt some of the tricks first to narrowing things down.

2024-05-24 10:13:57 UTC

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@npub1cxe…wefc oh dear, I'm seeing more Microsoft Cloud services being rolled out....

2024-05-24 10:02:47 UTC

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And actually the remaining words were pretty simple, but problem is you get no hint if you have part of a word.

2024-05-24 10:00:43 UTC

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And of course plenty of others such as https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/best-wordle-alternatives

2024-05-24 09:19:49 UTC

Jumblie #234
🟠🔴
I gave up after 64 guesses in 1h 40m 11s
https://jumblie.com

2024-05-13 15:00:34 UTC

Manjaro’s Plasma 6 update has gone globally live today
This was a major update from Plasma 5.27 to Plasma 6.0, but also along with just about everything else, and was a 6.8 GB download for me.
It all went off flawlessly apart from one applet I use for transparent folders, which seems to still only be ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/manjaros-plasma-6-update-has-gone-globally-live-today/
#linux #manjaro #technology

2024-05-12 11:44:18 UTC

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@npub10dx…0dm6 I think it's lazy speech, and it is more difficult (US: hard) to expand it into its component parts.

2024-05-12 11:40:50 UTC

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@npub1avr…pnem supposedly the board manages the charging and use of a battery attached to it, if the power supply is coming in on the USB-C port to the board.

2024-05-12 11:37:47 UTC

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@npub10dx…0dm6 and there I'd been thinking the son was arrested in his place because the father was immune. But I imagine if the son lived in a different city maybe his father did not even know he had a Starlink service.

2024-05-05 22:25:53 UTC

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@npub1zde…75ft
I really need to try them out as it is just not something you can appreciate from someone trying to describe in words

2024-05-05 18:00:40 UTC

Before you buy a gaming headset, consider getting In-Ear Monitors instead
Full-size gaming headsets have long been a popular choice for most gamers. IEMs (in-ear monitors), on the other hand, have traditionally been overlooked. While traditional headsets like the Logitech G Pro X 2 provide an immersive audio experience, t ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/before-you-buy-a-gaming-headset-consider-getting-in-ear-monitors-instead/
#gaming #headphones #technology

2024-04-29 13:52:41 UTC

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Got a new Yuasa battery now which I'm assured should be a notch up on the Toplite. Have it on charge for 24 hours before I test it, and then put into the bike.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/354/837/156/151/112/original/2bd0e607ef6f4705.jpg

2024-04-29 12:24:30 UTC

Pretty disappointing as I only got 3 years off this battery. Original battery lasted over 10 years. I keep it on charge whenever I park the bike and bad vibrations in last years riding... Going to try a Yausa brand now.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/354/490/317/440/862/original/e889fe62dafe5cb7.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/354/490/435/331/842/original/76ec0921bcbebd43.jpg

2024-04-24 21:00:05 UTC

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@npub1rar…q4yr InoReader is pretty good, but I self-host FreshRss which works well from me.

2024-04-24 17:44:18 UTC

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@npub1lrv…tth9 it is hardly extending freedoms of choice etc at all. The rest of th world too, would prefer not to have a single country dominating/owning all the major social media platforms.

2024-04-24 17:42:23 UTC

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@npub18sn…mrxg hope TikTok does not sell, as the rest of the world also does not need the USA dominating all the major social networks. A mix of ownership isa good thing.

2024-04-06 08:14:40 UTC

Happy #caturday
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/223/270/265/225/003/original/577f1253e99c2655.webp

2024-04-05 13:15:49 UTC

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@npub1phw…f6cj pretty odd though that a National Minister can grant a license for something in Cape Town. I would have thought the City of Cape Town would have to grant permission as it's a public event.

2024-04-05 13:10:45 UTC

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@npub1uyx…dmcm if they'd just called it a search "summary" no-one would have worried ;-)

2024-04-05 13:01:53 UTC

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@npub15zu…s7lx one would assume the heading continues to read, "and murder charges were instituted to investigate any culpability".

2024-03-15 13:02:14 UTC

CATS is a new comms and telemetry standard intended to surpass the current APRS standard by leveraging modern, super-cheap FSK transceivers
It does make a lot of sense as the more modern digital modes we’ve seen over ham radio, achieve the same with less bandwidth required, more accurate transmission, and better weak signal support.
It’s true though that APRS is very mature and widel ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/cats-is-a-new-comms-and-telemetry-standard-intended-to-surpass-the-current-aprs-standard-by-leveraging-modern-super-cheap-fsk-transceivers/
#APRS #hamradio #opensource #technology

2024-03-15 12:41:01 UTC

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@npub10dx…0dm6 yes I remember going to a few gaming cafes to play first person shooter games. Here's me back in the day, in the striped shirt, playing something. Remember we used to get to use the places after they'd closed for the normal day.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/099/747/726/114/331/original/87c538f93c90387a.jpg

2024-03-15 12:26:34 UTC

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@npub10dx…0dm6 maybe in her case, a bit more planning or prevention?

2024-03-15 12:01:14 UTC

Plash is a free and open-source app that lets you turn any website into your Mac desktop wallpaper
Do you ever wish your Mac’s wallpaper was a little more…animated? Plash is a free app that lets you turn any website into your desktop wallpaper—and you’ll even be able to interact with it.
There’s an easy way to use transform any YouTube video i ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/plash-is-a-free-and-open-source-app-that-lets-you-turn-any-website-into-your-mac-desktop-wallpaper/
#livewallpaper #macos #opensource #technology

2024-03-14 22:09:22 UTC

Wordle 1000 4/6
⬛🟨🟨⬛⬛
⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨
⬛🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Finished original #Wordle number 1000 today...

2024-03-14 21:00:17 UTC

SIM swappers hijacking phone numbers in eSIM attacks: Protect your cellular service account
Previously, SIM swappers relied on social engineering or worked with insiders at mobile carrier services to help them port a target’s number. However, as companies implemented more protections to thwart these takeovers, cybercriminals turned their a ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/sim-swappers-hijacking-phone-numbers-in-esim-attacks-protect-your-cellular-service-account/
#eSIM #technology #vulnerabilities

2024-03-12 21:00:24 UTC

Ready Player One Author Gives First Look at His Metaverse Battle Royale Game
This was a movie that I REALLY enjoyed. Sadly, though this is not a playable demo of any type, but more a video trailer….
The company has described Open as “the first genre-defining AAA metaverse gaming experience, interoperable with top-tier IP ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/ready-player-one-author-gives-first-look-at-his-metaverse-battle-royale-game/
#gaming #technology #VR

2024-03-12 21:00:17 UTC

Tor’s new WebTunnel bridges mimic HTTPS traffic to evade censorship
The Tor Project officially introduced WebTunnel, a new bridge type specifically designed to help bypass censorship targeting the Tor network by hiding connections in plain sight.
It makes it harder to block Tor connections by ensuring that the tr ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/tors-new-webtunnel-bridges-mimic-https-traffic-to-evade-censorship/
#censorship #technology #tor

2024-03-11 11:02:43 UTC

INFURIATING reCAPTCHA!!!! Spent over 10 minutes on it now. OK I realised later it considers a scooter to be a motorcycle. But after getting to the end twice, I click submit only for it to say my answer wasn't correct. Of course my answer was right, I'm human!
What an utter failure if a #reCAPTCHA can't even detect a human after 10 minutes for a site I have a login for. So looks like I can't do business with Communica today!
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/076/715/401/794/501/original/3aa9258c5d0f7708.jpg

2024-03-03 22:02:36 UTC

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@npub10pn…engt
Many South African ISPs do provide free email but it does mean being tied to that provider or facing pains if changing addresses later. I went with a paid Proton Mail account (Swiss) and use my own co.za domain with it. Means I can change my mail provider but keep using same mail address.

2024-03-02 19:53:19 UTC

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@npub1avr…pnem not sure if it does some sort of soft or hard reboot.

2024-02-20 18:30:38 UTC

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@npub1qml…mdus finally! I immediately hid my number on Telegram when that feature went live there. Just hoping that Signal also allows registration without us giving our number.

2024-02-20 17:00:20 UTC

5 reasons to use AMD in your next gaming PC
AMD is already quite well known for their really easy overclocking, and their better price point for what you get.
My current PC build has had an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X CPU in it for the last 3 years or so, and running with Manjaro Linux as OS, it has been runn ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/5-reasons-to-use-amd-in-your-next-gaming-pc/
##amd ##competition #gaming #technology

2024-02-20 12:47:56 UTC

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@npub1jve…nmhu nope one unread mail in my inbox. All my statements, invoices, to-dos etc originate in my inbox, so I work on it most of the day to keep it clean. Anything for later gets pushed to my ToDo app, and the mail is archived.

2024-02-19 19:01:09 UTC

Young Typewriter repairman is in high demand for this retro technology today
Lucas started repairing typewriters about ten years ago, at the age of 14. That’s when he found a 1930s Royal No. 10 and taught himself how to fix it. Eventually, he realized there was a need for his services outside of family and friends’ machines.
Dul is ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/young-typewriter-repairman-is-in-high-demand-fort-this-retro-technology-today/
#retro #technology #typewriters

2024-02-19 15:00:26 UTC

10 mistakes you should not make when building a new PC for the first time
Buying a ready-made PC is full of compromises. I’ve always built my own PC’s ever since I moved from an Amiga to using DR-DOS. It’s one way of ensuring you get all the components you really want, and you can easily swap out upgraded parts as well.
In the l ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/10-mistakes-you-should-not-make-when-building-a-new-pc-for-the-first-time/
#hardware #technology

2024-02-19 13:53:57 UTC

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@npub1uqr…79gz and #Hubzilla - operates along similar lines to #Friendica, but it has nomadic ID which is pretty unique which is a bit slicker than #Mastodon migration. Many sit with a dilemma, choosing between Hubzilla and Friendica (I still use both as I could never decide).

2024-02-09 19:52:22 UTC

Had lunch at the Back Area Gardens restaurant in #CapeTown #SouthAfrica today - had their beef burger
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/111/903/265/849/093/710/original/c91c526e4f58104b.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/111/903/265/893/979/462/original/a75db6a600535811.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/111/903/266/128/850/382/original/646e58210b0e729f.jpeg

2024-01-28 21:56:09 UTC

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@npub1d6v…r3pu
be sure to also watch my video about Immich as that is a pretty impressive option too

2024-01-28 19:00:42 UTC

LibrePhotos – a self-hosted open-source photo management service
Unlike commercial service that store your photos in the cloud and scan/index them to train their machine learning models and collect ad targeting data on you, LibrePhotos keeps all your photos and metadata on your local machine. Your data is never sent to or ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/librephotos-a-self-hosted-open-source-photo-management-service/
#librephotos #opensource #photos #privacy #technology

2024-01-27 10:00:30 UTC

How to set up a VPN on your home router
Choosing a secure VPN app for your Android phone or tablet is a great way to enhance your security and privacy on that device. However, setting up a VPN on your router protects every device connected to the router’s network. This is an efficient way of protec ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/how-to-set-up-a-vpn-on-your-home-router/
#privacy #technology #VPN

2024-01-11 17:20:07 UTC

US FTC bans data broker from selling Americans’ location data – Only Americans?
“Geolocation data can reveal not just where a person lives and whom they spend time with but also, for example, which medical treatments they seek and where they worship,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan.
It’s a reminder again why so many are very sensitive ab ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/us-ftc-bans-data-broker-from-selling-americans-location-data-only-americans/
#databrokers #privacy #technology

2024-01-10 22:23:58 UTC

Clocked 500 days of continual reading! Wish I could do longer than 45 minutes a day as reading is one of my favourite things to do...
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/111/733/993/451/585/729/original/0938ec6c0477cd07.jpg

2024-01-02 10:01:43 UTC

Open-Source Desktop Publishing App Scribus Gets Huge Update
When it comes to free, open-source desktop publishing (DTP) there’s little as capable, as fully-featured, or as widely used in professional settings as Scribus.
Now a brand new stable release of this powerful page-making tool is available, the first since ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/open-source-desktop-publishing-app-scribus-gets-huge-update/
#DTP #opensource #publishing #technology

2023-12-14 19:00:30 UTC

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 ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/9-best-iphone-journal-app-alternatives-for-android-do-you-want-to-use-them-though/
#diary #technology

2023-12-07 16:40:42 UTC

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@npub1x6a…0wgy ouch! Well, so much for the Minister of Electricity saying that by Summer we'd have an excess of generation capacity. It's almost like the stars are aligning themselves for big change in 2024. Nothing comes right on hope and talk alone - it needs actual commitment and action...

2023-12-07 16:35:26 UTC

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@npub16gp…dvqx the world does not really care much for any of the billions of people on Earth - it's more about how we make our own part of the world better, including our communities, because those we have more interaction with, and some control over. It's all the little bits that add up to a bigger picture (or so I think).

2023-12-07 16:27:06 UTC

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@npub1tmk…0y85 yes we've certainly seen false positives before. I think the article did say it is not absolute. It is suggested probability, i.e. look into it further.
No-one has ever claimed these types of tests are absolute proof some was, or was not, using AI. It may help teachers though for the volumes they have to work through, to narrow down cases they must look further into themselves.
The article only suggests this as one example, as they covered other methods too.

2023-12-07 16:24:12 UTC

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@npub1hx5…ju7f ah got you now - yes that was the original part of the headline. As I alluded to in my own blog, there are also even 3rd party push notification services such as apps on F-Droid that could likely also be exposed with this. I'm suspecting Apple was mentioned because it arose from their raising the problem (doing the good thing), but it certainly includes any push notification service, not just Apple and Google.
In retrospect I'd say any push notification service - but valid point by u

2023-12-06 22:17:49 UTC

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@npub1hx5…ju7f what was the problem though? The accessing is nothing new as that has been in place since the start of sms texts. Keeping a lid on reporting is country specific. I think the US CLOUD Act if I recall correctly also had a similar provision muzzling the reporting?

2023-12-06 21:00:21 UTC

Apple admits to secretly giving governments push notification data: Push notifications contain useful metadata
Push notifications are used to provide a wide variety of alerts to app users. A friendly ding or text alert on the home screen notifies users about new text messages, emails, social media comments, news updates, packages delivered, gameplay nudges—basically a ...continues
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/apple-admits-to-secretly-giving-governments-push-notification-data-push-notifications-contain-useful-metadata/
#government #metadata #privacy #technology

2023-12-06 19:35:58 UTC

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@npub15nw…s0l7 yes that was pretty much well exactly what I said my blog post that i link to - it is mainly going to catch out the copy-and-pasters like criminals who repeat their modus operandi. Their change of style is also what gives them a way and even humans can determine that - again, not prove it, but suspect with a good probability.

2023-12-06 17:45:11 UTC

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@npub15nw…s0l7 there is an independent review at https://originality.ai/blog/zerogpt-ai-content-detector-review, and it produces around 70% accuracy - so not entirely a lie (which would have been a zero percent accuracy).

2023-12-06 17:38:07 UTC

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@npub15nw…s0l7 it is a probability from 0% to 100% based on language style usage. I don't think that is difficult as it is probably better at it that many humans picking up on those subtle usages. It is not claiming to be absolutely correct as it cannot reference back to anything. I would not go as far as to say it is an outright lie - it is an attempt to give a probability. Accuracy is not the same thing as a lie really.