Otter

I waddled onto the beach and stole *found* a computer to use.

🍁⚕️ 💽

>
> **Note:**> I’m moderating a handful of communities in more of a caretaker role. If you want to take one on, send me a message and I’ll share more info :)

>

Last Notes

2026-05-05 02:36:47 UTC

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I didn't catch the previous post and gave it a quick skim now. My thoughts are more to do with how LLM based moderation is viewed by users.
It's not a new thing, since sentiment analysis based moderation has been around for a long while. Where it becomes a problem is
- The sentiment analysis makes mistakes and it gets tedious to deal with platforms that use it for automated moderation. This is a big problem with old social media platforms like Reddit, or comment sections in places like Instagram/Facebook.
- It can be used as a flimsy excuse to take moderation actions when such actions aren't necessary, which makes users trust that moderation team less
I also don't agree with the privacy angle since all content here is public by nature, but I do see value in discussing these other problems since that's what this community is for?
Also, while Rimu can defederate, letting people discuss it first is better. Best case scenario, the groups find some kind of compromise. Otherwise it lets people weigh in on the platform policies and federation status, instead of having admins make that call on their own

2026-04-21 02:55:59 UTC

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Why not wear it on the inside of your wrist?
Its easier and more discreet to check, you don't need a complicated new setup, and you won't have any issues working with your hands.
I know some people do this already, and flip it around depending on the setting. Inner wrist when walking around, and regular placement when working at a desk.
Unless I'm getting whooshed here

2026-02-19 13:08:59 UTC

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![](https://lemmy.ca/pictrs/image/adca58dd-5bbd-4bc4-bd65-eacc692c050a.png)
"Stronger: 7%"
😐
That's not even a partisan issue, and yet

2026-02-16 01:41:31 UTC

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> We are reinforcing our editorial standards following this incident.
It sounds like they will be reminding their team not to do that and scrutinizing articles in the near future

2026-01-01 01:05:52 UTC

Happy New Years, hope next year is kind to everyone :)
I'm happy to edit in any other live streams / feeds / links into this post

2025-11-29 07:46:18 UTC

If anyone has an article with more technical details on what the solar radiation did, and how they're going to patch it, I'd like to read about it :)
> Airbus said it discovered the issue after an investigation into an incident in which a plane flying between the US and Mexico suddenly lost altitude in October.
>
> The JetBlue Airways flight made an emergency landing in Florida after at least 15 people were injured.
> The problem identified with A320 aircrafts relates to a piece of computing software which calculates a plane's elevation.
>
> Airbus discovered that, at high altitudes, its data could be corrupted by intense radiation released periodically by the Sun.
> The A320 family are what is known as "fly by wire" planes. This means there is no direct mechanical link between the controls in the cockpit and the parts of the aircraft that actually govern flight, with the pilot's actions processed by a computer.

2025-09-17 18:54:14 UTC

A friend is looking for one and I don't know what to recommend.
Assuming that the goal is to never connect it to the internet and plug in another device with HDMI.

2025-06-26 00:20:27 UTC

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/215357
> ![Flock Removes States From National Lookup Tool After ICE and Abortion Searches Revealed](https://www.404media.co/content/images/2025/06/flock.png)
>
> Flock, the automatic license plate reader (ALPR) company with a presence in thousands of communities across the U.S., has stopped agencies across the country from searching cameras inside Illinois, California, and Virginia, 404 Media has learned. The dramatic moves come after 404 Media revealed local police departments were repeatedly performing lookups around the country [on behalf of ICE](https://www.404media.co/ice-taps-into-nationwide-ai-enabled-camera-network-data-shows/), a Texas officer searched cameras nationwide for a woman [who self-administered an abortion](https://www.404media.co/a-texas-cop-searched-license-plate-cameras-nationwide-for-a-woman-who-got-an-abortion/), and lawmakers recently signed a new law in Virginia. Ordinarily Flock allows agencies to opt into a national lookup database, where agencies in one state can access data collected in another, as long as they also share their own data. This practice violates multiple state laws which bar the sharing of ALPR data out of state or it being accessed for immigration or healthcare purposes.
>
> The changes also come after a wave of similar coverage in local and state-focused media outlets, with many replicating our reporting to learn more about what agencies are accessing Flock cameras in their communities and for what purpose. The [Illinois Secretary of State is investigating](https://chicago.suntimes.com/abortion/2025/06/12/license-plate-readers-illinois-abortion-immigration?ref=404media.co) whether Illinois police departments broke the law by sharing data with outside agencies for immigration or abortion related reasons. Some police departments have also shut down the data access after learning it was being used for immigration purposes.
>
> “Some states, like California, do not allow any sharing across state borders. For those states, Flock has disabled National Lookup to make compliance easier,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley wrote in [a public blog post on June 19](https://www.flocksafety.com/articles/statement-network-sharing-use-cases-federal-cooperation?ref=404media.co).
>
> In that blog post, titled “Setting the Record Straight: Statement on Flock Network Sharing, Use Cases, and Federal Cooperation,” Langley says he is writing to provide transparency on “recent clickbait-driven reporting and social media rumors that mischaracterize Flock’s LPR devices.” Rather than refuting any of our reporting, he instead explains that as a result of it, Flock has decided to perform numerous internal audits about how police are using the network that exactly aligns with 404 Media’s reporting, and that Flock has decided to make specific changes to how Flock works to ensure that local police are complying with state data sharing laws, which include disabling the national lookup tool in California.
>
> That post followed another published by the company a few days earlier, which discussed an audit Flock conducted on what agencies were accessing data in Illinois. “Since we initiated the audit in May, 47 agencies have been removed from access to Illinois data,” that [blog post reads](https://www.flocksafety.com/articles/flock-safetys-response-to-illinois-lpr-data-use-and-out-of-state-sharing-concerns?ref=404media.co).
>
> Flock has also removed the national lookup feature for cameras in Virginia, according to an internal Flock message viewed by 404 Media. 404 Media granted the source who shared it anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the press. On Tuesday a Flock spokesperson confirmed in an email to 404 Media that the changes to Virginia data access are complete.
>
> In May, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a new law which will limit the use of such data to specific criminal investigations, human trafficking, stolen vehicles, and missing persons cases, the [local TV outlet WAVY reported](https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/governor-signs-bill-regulating-flock-camera-system/?ref=404media.co). The law comes into effect July 1, the report added.
>
> Flock cameras work by continuously scanning the plates, model, and color of vehicles driving by. Law enforcement can then access data collected from their own cameras, but Flock also allows state and nationwide lookups. For a nationwide search, agencies are able to search other police departments’ cameras if they in turn make theirs available for search. But this can result in illegal data sharing if such access violates state law.
>
> 💡****Do you know anything else about Flock? We would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message Joseph securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send him an email at joseph@404media.co. Jason's Signal is jason.404****
>
> [404 Media reported in May](https://www.404media.co/ice-taps-into-nationwide-ai-enabled-camera-network-data-shows/) that local police around the country were performing Flock lookups on behalf of ICE. That included lookups on cameras administered by the Danville, Illinois Police Department, triggering the audit there. [404 Media also reported](https://www.404media.co/california-cops-investigate-immigration-protest-with-ai-camera-system/) cops in California are illegally sharing Flock data with agencies out of state, and searched cameras related to an “immigration protest.”
>
> Flock says it conducted an internal audit of agencies that had access to Illinois data. If an agency was found to have affirmed compliance with Illinois law while also conducting multiple searches using reasons impermissible under state law, then Flock revoked their access to Illinois data. Flock also wrote that “All out of state agencies with access to Illinois data are being re-educated on Illinois-specific legal requirements and product functionality,” and that the company is placing new emphasis on “responsible sharing, with updated training content, in-product guidance, and communications to reinforce compliance.”
>
> Flock also said it launched a new tool that blocks impermissible searches in real time. “If a search involving Illinois camera data includes terms that indicate an impermissible purpose under Illinois law, the Illinois data will automatically be excluded,” the company wrote.
>
> Flock said it also has plans for an AI-based tool that will identify suspicious searches and allow agencies to require case numbers when their cameras are searched (as opposed to the vague reasons such as “immigration” in some of the data 404 Media obtained).
>
> [404 Media’s investigation](https://www.404media.co/ice-taps-into-nationwide-ai-enabled-camera-network-data-shows/) into local police departments performing Flock lookups for ICE was based on a “Network Audit” obtained by researchers by public records requests. A Network Audit shows what agency searched another agency's Flock cameras, and for what stated purpose. The investigation into a Flock search performed for “had an abortion, search for female,” was based on Network Audits from other police departments obtained by 404 Media. The sheriff in that case said the family was worried for the woman’s safety and so authorities used Flock in an attempt to locate her.
>
> Since publishing those articles and much of the related data, other outlets have dug into the information themselves. For example, Suncoast Searchlight used the data we published to find the [Florida Highway Patrol tapped Flock cameras to aid immigration crackdowns](https://suncoastsearchlight.org/florida-fhp-flock-license-plate-immigration-searches/?ref=404media.co); the [Evanston Roundtable used it to find](https://evanstonroundtable.com/2025/06/16/foia-records-reveal-evanston-data-accessible-to-out-of-state-police-in-ice-searches/?ref=404media.co) its police department shared access to its cameras with agencies that performed searches related to immigration; the [Central Current reports officials in Syracuse, New York](https://centralcurrent.org/syracuse-police-have-been-searching-a-license-plate-reader-database-can-other-police-search-syracuses/?ref=404media.co), are investigating their data sharing practices the outlet reviewed the data; and [KUSA-TV Denver found](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/loveland-police-license-plate-tracking-used-for-ice-searches/ar-AA1H8fYL?ref=404media.co) Loveland Police Department’s Flock cameras were used for “ICE” searches.
>
> And several cities have decided not to renew or expand their contracts with Flock. The City of Austin let its contract with Flock lapse, in part because of concerns around ICE access to the data. The City of San Marcos decided to not place additional cameras in the city. The San Marcos Police Department also changed their policy to require outside law enforcement agencies to file a request concerning a specific crime in order to receive Flock data, [Spectrum News 1 reported](https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/dallas-fort-worth/news/2025/06/17/no-more-austin-lprs?ref=404media.co).
>
> The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said it blocked outside access to its cameras after learning the data was being searched by departments “focused on immigration-related violations,” [local media reported](https://www.woodtv.com/news/kalamazoo-county/kzoo-police-shut-down-immigration-related-use-of-license-plate-readers/?ref=404media.co).
>
> “License plate readers can serve as an important tool for law enforcement, but these cameras must be regulated so they aren’t abused for surveillance, tracking the data of innocent people or criminalizing lawful behavior. No one seeking legal healthcare services in Illinois should face harassment or jail—period,” Secretary Giannoulias told 404 Media in a statement.
>
> Flock declined to comment further on its changes to California data access.
>
> ---
>
> *From [404 Media](https://www.404media.co/) via [this RSS feed](https://www.404media.co/rss)*

2025-04-18 05:39:06 UTC

> Synology's telegraphed moves toward a contained ecosystem and seemingly vertical integration are certain to rankle some of its biggest fans, who likely enjoy doing their own system building, shopping, and assembly for the perfect amount of storage. "Pro-sumers," homelab enthusiasts, and those with just a lot of stuff to store at home, or in a small business, previously had a good reason to buy one Synology device every so many years, then stick into them whatever drives they happened to have or acquired at their desired prices. Synology's stated needs for efficient support of drive arrays may be more defensible at the enterprise level, but as it gets closer to the home level, it suggests a different kind of optimization.

2025-03-23 13:26:23 UTC

I saw this article earlier:
> [Tesla 'going bankrupt' is endpoint of protests, says local organizer](https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/tesla-protests-metro-vancouver)
In the spirit of right to repair, self-hosting, giving a second life to old devices, and limiting data collection by car companies:
- What are some considerations?
- Are there any projects worth keeping an eye on?
An example that came to mind was [Valetudo](https://valetudo.cloud/), which is a cloud replacement for vacuum robots enabling local-only operation. Some robot vacuums are easy to install this on, and others require more invasive modifications.
What I've found so far:
- [FreedomEV](https://archive.fosdem.org/2019/schedule/event/tesla_hacking/), a project that was presented at FOSSDEM 2019 but doesn't have recent activity
- [TeslaMate](https://github.com/teslamate-org/teslamate), which is a popular and active selfhosted data logger for Teslas, but not necessarily a replacement for the software
https://lemmy.ca/pictrs/image/58e8ff1a-930a-4e1e-8c7c-da3bcc7dc88b.jpeg

2025-02-24 15:28:33 UTC

It's brief, around 25:15
https://youtube.com/watch?v=nf7XHR3EVHo
---
If you've been sitting on making a post about your favorite instance, this could be a good opportunity to do so.
Going by our registration applications, a lot of people are learning about the fediverse for the first time and they're excited about the idea. I've really enjoyed reading through them :)
https://lemmy.ca/pictrs/image/0aea2da3-7753-4706-86ea-7bc4dcaf506a.png

2025-01-12 18:50:19 UTC

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/37011397
[!opensource@programming.dev](https://programming.dev/c/opensource)
> > The popular open-source VLC video player was demonstrated on the floor of CES 2025 with automatic AI subtitling and translation, generated locally and offline in real time. Parent organization VideoLAN shared a video on Tuesday in which president Jean-Baptiste Kempf shows off the new feature, which uses open-source AI models to generate subtitles for videos in several languages.

2024-12-07 12:41:55 UTC

> [...] Many users are complaining of hallucinated artists' stats, songs they've never heard appearing in most listened lists, and more. Some users aren't happy with the way that Spotify Wrapped looked this year, complaining that it was boring, and not as creative as previous years. [...]
> One of the most common complaints seems to be that Spotify Wrapped has misreported on the stats in claims to represent. Now, while this has happened in previous years, this year it seems to be a whole lot more prevalent — as you can see in this Spotify support thread. It's filled with users complaining about top artists they've never listened to, songs appearing in at the top of their lists that they didn't even know existed, or a mixture of the two.
>
> Just anecdotally talking with people outside the internet-o-sphere and you'll quickly find people with iffy Spotify Wrapped statistics. I have friends who listen exclusively to bizarre, underground punk acts, and their Wrappeds were topped by the likes of The Weeknd and Taylor Swift. Even on the Tom's Guide team, we've seen strangeness — our own Millie Fender discovered Swift among her top artists, yet her songs didn't appear in her top 100.
> Just read people's reactions online, especially in the trending topic on X or even the announcement thread on Reddit. Many are blaming Spotify's pivot to AI this year for the lack of personality, and some even hold it responsible for their weird Spotify statistics. I have reached out to Spotify for comment, but I am yet to hear a response.
> What can we do?
>
> First off, there are other streaming platforms with year-end roundups. Deezer, for example, has unleashed My Deezer Year, and like everything the French streamer does, it's filled with creativity and personality. That's a streaming service with better sound quality too. Apple Music has its Replay feature, which similarly takes you through your year. There are options.
>
> If you're duty-bound to Spotify, then there is a way to really check your most-listened-to artists, songs, and genres — Track your listening with Last.FM, for example, which gives you breakdowns over the course of the year. Whatever happens, I (and many others) are hoping that Spotify Wrapped is a whole lot better next year.

2024-12-04 15:15:54 UTC

The article has full details, excerpts below
> The week before Thanksgiving, Marshall Brain sent a final email to his colleagues at North Carolina State University. "I have just been through one of the most demoralizing, depressing, humiliating, unjust processes possible with the university," wrote the founder of HowStuffWorks.com and director of NC State's Engineering Entrepreneurs Program. Hours later, campus police found that Brain had died by suicide.
> Marshall David Brain II established HowStuffWorks.com in 1998 as a personal project to explain technical topics to general audiences. The website grew into a major success that Discovery Communications acquired for $250 million in 2007. He later expanded his educational reach through books like The Engineering Book and television shows on National Geographic Channel [...]
>
> Brain was also well-known in futurist and transhumanist circles. In 2003, his "Robotic Nation" essay, published freely on the web, predicted that widespread automation and robotics would cause a massive labor crisis by 2050, warning that up to half of American jobs could be eliminated, leading to unprecedented unemployment and social upheaval. [...]
> At 4:29 am—just two and a half hours before he was discovered dead in his office, Brain sent a final email, obtained by Ars Technica, to over 30 recipients inside and outside the university. In the detailed letter, Brain disputed an announcement made by his boss, Stephen Markham, executive director of NC State's Innovation and Entrepreneurship program. Markham had told staff Brain would retire effective December 31, 2025. Brain wrote that he had instead been terminated on October 29 and was forced into retirement as a face-saving option.
>
> The termination followed Brain's filing of ethics complaints through the university's EthicsPoint system about an employee at the university's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The complaints stemmed from an August dispute over repurposing the Engineering Entrepreneurs Program meeting space.
>
> "What got us to this point? The short answer is that I witnessed wrongdoing on campus, and I tried to report it," Brain wrote in his email. "What came back was a sickening nuclear bomb of retaliation the likes of which could not be believed," Brain wrote in the email. He stated that the accused person "excommunicated me from my department for reporting my concerns to her."
> In his email, Brain wrote that the school's head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering later informed him the department would stop recommending students for Brain's Engineering Entrepreneurs Program. According to Brain's account, this led to disciplinary action against Brain for "unacceptable behavior."
>
> "My career has been destroyed by multiple administrators at NCSU who united together and completely ignored the EthicsPoint System and its promises to employees," Brain wrote. "I did what the University told me to do, and then these administrators ruined my life for it."
> So far, that investigation has not been forthcoming. University spokesperson Mick Kulikowski declined to comment to The Technician about Brain's death or the allegations. To date, the university has not issued a public statement about Brain's death.
>
> Barry and Kashani expressed disappointment in the university's lack of public response. "It's been six days now," Kashani said at the time to the school newspaper. "There hasn't been any acknowledgment of mistakes that were made, systems that failed, no resignations, not even a call to celebrate Marshall's achievements."

2024-11-17 12:17:22 UTC

I got a copy of the text from the email, and added it below, with personal information and link trackers removed.
> Hello [receiver's name],
>
> I’ve long dreamed about working for Mozilla. I learned how to send encrypted e-mail using Mozilla Thunderbird, and I’ve been a Firefox user since almost as long as I can remember. In more recent years, I’ve been an avid follower of Mozilla’s advocacy work, and was lucky enough to partner with Mozilla on investigative journalism in my last job.
>
> In many ways, Mozilla was the dream – and now, as the leader of the Foundation, my job is to make my dreams for Mozilla come true. What that means, though, is making your dreams come true – for a trustworthy and open future of technology; for tech that is a tool for liberation, not limitation; and for tech that values people over profit.
>
> So I’m reaching out to technologists, activists, researchers, engineers, policy experts, and, most importantly, to you – the people who make up the Mozilla community – to ask a simple question.
>
> [receiver's name]. What is your dream for Mozilla? I invite you to take a moment to share your thoughts by completing this brief survey.
>
> Let’s start with this question:
> >
> > Question 1: What is most important to you right now about technology and the internet?
> >
> > - Protecting my privacy online
> > - Avoiding scams
> > - Choosing products, apps, technology, and services that I can trust
> > - Keeping children safe online
> > - Responsible use of AI
> > - Keeping the internet is open and free
> > - Knowing how to spot misinformation
> > - Other (please specify)
>
> [Take the survey now →](https://mozillafoundation.tfaforms.net/100)
>
>
>
> With your help, together we can imagine and create the Internet we want. Thank you for being a part of this.
>
> Always yours,
>
> Nabiha Syed
> Executive Director
> Mozilla Foundation

2024-10-23 10:38:12 UTC

> Privacy advocates got access to Locate X, a phone tracking tool which multiple U.S. agencies have bought access to, and showed me and other journalists exactly what it was capable of. Tracking a phone from one state to another to an abortion clinic. Multiple places of worship. A school. Following a likely juror to a residence. And all of this tracking is possible without a warrant, and instead just a few clicks of a mouse.

2024-10-18 06:04:49 UTC

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/18171286

2024-09-22 16:47:07 UTC

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Preview for anyone that didn't click the link
> This week we had a new Ruqola, KDE's Rocket.chat client, release and a new GCompris release. There is also news regarding NeoChat, KDE's Matrix chat client; Itinerary, the travel assistant that lets you plan all your trips; the Dolphin file browser; Marble, KDE's map application application; the Okular document view and more.