Keith Whyte @keith@tic-ac.org

Due to "anti-features" introduced unilaterally by some people from FDroid community, it is not possible to find Organic Maps using the search in FDroid client without tinkering with its settings first: https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroiddata/-/issues/3347

By default, it is possible to find apps with ads, with tracking, with non-free network services, dependencies and assets, apps without source code and with known vulnerabilities. But it is not possible to find Organic Maps, an open-source app without ads and tracking.

Why do they have to be in such a dense orbit? Why do they need 42,000 of them?! They are launching more into this same super dense orbit and we're supposed to just trust that their "autonomous collision avoidance system" will be good enough to keep going at higher and higher densities?

There's an opportunity for error about every 30 seconds. One small mistake and we're in Kessler Syndrome, no more LEO satellites for decades.

I did a calculation yesterday that made me want to scream. If you look at the *current* density of satellites in 1km altitude bins in Low Earth Orbit, and assume they are travelling at circular velocities (generally true), then Starlink satellites pass within <1km of each other EVERY 30 SECONDS.

At Starlink altitudes, everything is travelling at 7 km/second, so <1 km close approaches are terrifyingly close. Every 30 seconds. WHY.

Mercury software-defined modem over-the-air demonstration. https://tube.tchncs.de/videos/watch/ffd26c90-f865-442e-8e8f-f083d0ad4773

Mercury modem demonstration 1 (on dummy loads). https://tube.tchncs.de/videos/watch/9c8bb371-8232-452b-b2c3-a0134af220cc

Fantastic post by @mre and I agree with every point. Boggles my mind how much people willingly hand over to Google through Chrome when there’s a better option: Firefox.

(No need to tell me about the minor things Mozilla had done compared to Google or that your particular bank doesn’t work in Firefox—it’s possible to use more than one browser)

The Dying Web https://endler.dev/2024/the-dying-web/

While liberating a Pixel phone I came across this poetry, and on the day Google is convicted of illegal market monopoly in the US: the power button itself, the interface to switching off a device one supposedly owns, is intercepted by a Google 'AI' product. The device can not be powered off, even using buttons as described, without first downloading software from the company.

This domineering and invasive interface culture has to be stopped.

every single cent the EU seizes from bigtech in penalties should be redirected to fund @NGIZero

anyone with me?

in case you haven't heard yet: EU is planning wild budget cuts in the area of open source funding in their HORIZON program. This directly affects NGI big time.

dear @EUCommission , please continue funding NGI . If you don't there will be less and less tech and people left that are willing to develop and run europe's vision of a free and democratic internet.

Can I ask a favour?

There has been much interest in #PeerTube, the Fediverse's video platform. It's really cool and its accounts can be followed from Mastodon etc.

However, PeerTubers sometimes don't get followers and views, and they need followers for their videos to be noticed/searchable by the Fediverse's federation system, so it's catch-22.

This cycle would be broken if more people followed PeerTubers, so here's a thread of some active accounts to follow! (And feel free to share!)

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Antikes Handy

Meeting