Posts by fPuck

Microsoft confesses April Windows update breaks some VPN connections

Third party VPNs typically create their own adapter rather than use the built-in VPN settings, but this is a patch of a patch so they're not really forthcoming with details.

Google pulls RISC-V support from generic Android kernel

Yeah, this kinda seems like a nothing burger. It's still in development, they're just not packaging it with official builds, 3rd parties can still add them just like any other package.

UK lays down fresh legislation banning crummy default device passwords

Re: Default passwords are allowed?

According to the gov website it says: banning universal default and easily guessable passwords.

To me that sounds like they're banning single passwords as well, the media have just blended the two.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/regulations-consumer-connectable-product-security

Encrypted email service files DMA complaint claiming it vanished from Google Search

Re: Not just Google

They didn't drop down the rankings, they're completely absent.

I said a lot of websites take email, but refuse you if it's not gmail.

First, no you didn't.

Second, they may well just be blacklisting your particular email host. It is absolutely not standard practice to block other hosts, as evidenced by the rest of us managing just fine.

Re: Not just Google

This has happened before to lots of privacy-oriented services, including Proton.

https://proton.me/blog/search-risk-google

That's not remotely true. I haven't had a gmail or outlook (hotmail) account for 20 years. Lots of websites have Google and Microsoft's single sign on but I've yet to encounter a single site or service that didn't also have an email sign up.

Australia’s spies and cops want ‘accountable encryption’ - aka access to backdoors

Re: Terrorists relying on AI for bomb-making instructions?

Based on how bad ChatGPT is at maths - yet completely convinced of its accuracy, I kinda hope they are using it to come up with plots.

"we cannot actually read it without the assistance of the company that owns and operates the app,"

None of these people have ever heard of PGP, have they? Put backdoors in apps and criminals will just encrypt their messages beforehand.

Official: EU users can swerve App Store and download iOS apps from the web

Re: Where is the EU in this?

Again, that requirement was added because of the GDPR, which 3rd party store also have to follow. Apple can even force them to follow it. You seem to think these 3rd party stores will just be running unfettered in their own little corner of the OS, they'll all have to use Apple's APIs, meaning they can still dictate how the apps on them work just as they do on the App Store..

Re: Where is the EU in this?

I think you may have misunderstood Apple's marketing a little. Facebook isn't blocked from tracking you on iOS, they just have to ask first through a popup (which uses a dark pattern to make you think "allow" is the default) which Apple only introduced after the GDPR passed. Apple can also still require Facebook to do this through their API. Remember, we're talking about device tracking, no tracking within Facebook, they do that on their servers, there's nothing Apple can do about that.

Re: Where is the EU in this?

If the developer is comfortable putting their app on a shady store, why would you trust the app? If an app you want moves to a store you don't trust, tell them you want it on a store you do trust. There are plenty of apps that are only available on Android or only on iOS, you don't buy the other phone just to get that app, do you?

Re: Where is the EU in this?

Where did the app store touch you? Show us on the doll.

Seriously, who is forcing (or even suggesting) you to install any 3rd party store or app? If you want the walled garden, just keep using your iPhone in exactly the same way you already are. For those who want to go outside the walled garden, they have to explicitly seek it out, so how does this affect you?

Plus the $99 a year developer account fee, which even FOSS developers will have to pay, even if they're hosting the app themselves.

No App Store needed: Apple caves, will allow sideloading in EU

Re: Your freedom weakens my security.

Allow me to actually read those articles for you...

"through malicious apps on the Google Play Store"

They're not sideloaded. Yes apps can be malicious, news at 11. The question is whether people are being tricked into sideloading malicious apps on an OS that has supported doing that for over a decade?

Re: Your freedom weakens my security.

It already has locks in Screen Time. That's how you lock App Store purchases and payments.

Also, I'd really like to see any evidence that Android users are subjected to malicious sideloading scams.

Academics probe Apple's privacy settings and get lost and confused

App Privacy

I just went through the App Privacy Report. The Photos app apparently went through my contacts 14 hours ago despite the fact that I haven't opened the app in months, and there's no way to disable it. I had a look at the analytics data too. Even though I have it disabled there are still hundreds of pages of analytics data being constantly collected.

Samsung enterprise SSD prices skyrocket thanks to AI's appetite for storage

Re: I call bullshit

Those are just the cheap ones, most 4TB drives are more like £300 now.

Rust developers at Google are twice as productive as C++ teams

Re: How much of the improvement in the conversion to Rust is because it's a re-implementation

That really depends on their deadline. Translating code is time-consuming enough without also refactoring.