Nostr notes by Bruce Lawson ✅ ♫ ♿ ✌️♂️✊

Perhaps I'm projecting, but the footage from Budapest right ...

2026-04-12T21:00:12Z

Perhaps I'm projecting, but the footage from Budapest right now reminds me of the images of Berlin when the wall came down.

aww, I'm touched. I now get paid to do this, so can be more ...

2026-04-12T20:56:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…mk26
_________________________

aww, I'm touched. I now get paid to do this, so can be more active than I used to be. But we're all doing our bit.

Amazon is cutting off support for older Kindles ...

2026-04-09T09:01:04Z

Amazon is cutting off support for older Kindles https://www.engadget.com/mobile/amazon-is-cutting-off-support-for-older-kindles-115653205.html - but don't worry! Bountiful beneficent Bezos is "encouraging" you to buy a new one with a 20% discount, so just drop your old one in a canal, or hoik it at an eagle, or bash an otter with it.

Happy Thatcher Death Day to all who celebrate it! ...

2026-04-08T12:32:37Z

Happy Thatcher Death Day to all who celebrate it!

I Decompiled the White House's New App ...

2026-03-31T14:33:17Z

I Decompiled the White House's New App https://blog.thereallo.dev/blog/decompiling-the-white-house-app
The official White House Android app has a cookie/paywall bypass injector, tracks your GPS every 4.5 minutes, and loads JavaScript from some guy's GitHub Pages.

◞˚📣ₓ Schadenfreude klaxon! ◞˚📣ₓ Elon Musk's X ...

2026-03-27T10:10:52Z

◞˚📣ₓ Schadenfreude klaxon! ◞˚📣ₓ
Elon Musk's X advertising boycott lawsuit dismissed by US judge https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05dlm0l0jgo

The Goose and the Common - video of my CSS Day 2025 talk. ...

2026-03-25T12:58:23Z

The Goose and the Common - video of my CSS Day 2025 talk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWDvt85qJNQ

Germany makes Open Document Format mandatory as the standard ...

2026-03-24T09:27:19Z

Germany makes Open Document Format mandatory as the standard format for documents within its sovereign digital infrastructure (along with PDF/UA - accessible PDF) https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/03/20/big-news-germany-has-just-made-odf-mandatory/

A man used LLMs to generate hundreds of thousands of ...

2026-03-23T14:57:27Z

A man used LLMs to generate hundreds of thousands of "songs", then used bots to stream them billions of times, to collect $8m in royalties. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/north-carolina-man-pleads-guilty-music-streaming-fraud-aided-artificial-intelligence-0 Is there a better metaphor for late-stage capitalism than burning resources to make songs that are never listened to, then steaming them to robots that will never hear them, ad infinitum?

Surrounded by feral Norwegians, about to give a keynote talk ...

2026-03-12T11:02:49Z

Surrounded by feral Norwegians, about to give a keynote talk called "How to unfuck the web"

Up ludicrously early to berate unsuspecting Oslo conference ...

2026-03-12T06:42:48Z

Up ludicrously early to berate unsuspecting Oslo conference attendees with my talk "how to unfuck the web".

Today's Vivaldi desktop snapshot has a trial of a new ...

2026-03-05T14:35:24Z

Today's Vivaldi desktop snapshot has a trial of a new onboarding step for people to quickly configure Vivaldi for assistive tech, keyboard-only use or with visual impairments.
https://vivaldi.com/blog/desktop/easier-onboarding-for-all-users-vivaldi-browser-snapshot-3969-3/

quoting
note1ptx…y8dx

**Easier onboarding for all users — Vivaldi Browser snapshot 3969.3**

###

Onboarding accessibility changeWe’re trying out a new onboarding step for people who have visual impairments, require keyboard-only access or use assistive technologies. This presents the earliest opportunity to choose the most important settings – for example, keyboard focus goes to all controls and links in a web page, set zoom, control movement etc. This comes from feedback that it’s laborious for screen reader users and others to go through all the settings from the menus.

For the privacy-conscious: this purely a quick access to the primary relevant settings; your disability status is not recorded by Vivaldi, nor communicated to anyone.

It does not offer all the applicable settings, only the main ones needed to get started. We’re eager to hear any feedback on this new onboarding stage. (Existing Vivaldi users can see this via “Help → Vivaldi welcome tour”, and go to the first step.)###

Changelog
[AutoHide] Grey out the background when showing Auto-Hide notice pop-out (VB-125648)
[AutoHide] Panels and toolbars go crazy after downloading a file (VB-125635)
[AutoHide] Toolbar disappears when initializing Proton VPN (closing and re-opening ToolbarButtonPopup) (VB-125527)
[AutoHide] Wrapper doesn’t hide after resizing (VB-124987)
[Calendar] Add explanation text on function of View buttons (VB-112126)
[Calendar] Task status not saved in event’s template (VB-121345)
[Crash] During Tab Restoration (VB-125570)
[Crash] When granting permissions (VB-125657)
[Find in Page] Does not respect UI density setting (VB-125605)
[Mail] Add “Rich / Plain Text” toggle in Mail Composer (VB-125250)
[Mail] Add context menu entry for “Sender is not a mailing list” (for message-id) (VB-124729)
[Mail] Deleting trash permanently makes them appear again in the trash, after each restart (VB-125505)
[Mail] Unable to reorder mail labels after deleting one (VB-118667)
[Mail] undock and dock composer (VB-125517)
[Media] PiP sets video volume to max (VB-124950)
[Onboarding] Ask if user wants to use assistive tech/ keyboard only (VB-115238)
[Onboarding] New UI for “Default/Import/Pin to dock” onboarding step (VB-106755)
[Reader Mode] Does not work on certain sites where it should (VB-125589)
[Windows] “Pin to Taskbar” Toast notification is missing after installing the application (VB-105468)
[Windows][Updates] Checking for update text in vivaldi about doesnt update (VB-125549)
###

Download (3969.3)
https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/Vivaldi.7.9.3969.3.x64.exe" rel="nofollow">Windows 10+ 64-bit
https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/Vivaldi.7.9.3969.3.arm64.exe" rel="nofollow">Windows 10+ ARM64
https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/Vivaldi.7.9.3969.3.universal.dmg" rel="nofollow">macOS 12+
Linux 64-bit: https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot_7.9.3969.3-1_amd64.deb" rel="nofollow">DEB | https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot-7.9.3969.3-1.x86_64.rpm" rel="nofollow">RPM | https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot-7.9.3969.3-x64.tar" rel="nofollow">TAR^{[https://ruario.vivaldi.net/2024/09/24/forget-snap-and-flatpak-i-use-vivaldi-tarballs/#warning">*]}
Linux ARM64: https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot_7.9.3969.3-1_arm64.deb" rel="nofollow">DEB | https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot-7.9.3969.3-1.aarch64.rpm" rel="nofollow">RPM | https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot-7.9.3969.3-arm64.tar" rel="nofollow">TAR^{[https://ruario.vivaldi.net/2024/09/24/forget-snap-and-flatpak-i-use-vivaldi-tarballs/#warning">*]}
*Main photo by [Bruce Lawson](https://brucelawson.co.uk )*.

https://vivaldi.com/blog/desktop/easier-onboarding-for-all-users-vivaldi-browser-snapshot-3969-3/

The Enshittificator - a Norwegian documentary about the life of ...

2026-03-04T12:32:54Z

The Enshittificator - a Norwegian documentary about the life of an Enshittificator and how the Internet and AI has enhanced his productivity. https://vimeo.com/1168468796

Shirt manufacturers: a shirt without a breast pocket is only ...

2026-03-02T13:57:48Z

Shirt manufacturers: a shirt without a breast pocket is only half-finished. Do better.

Me and Laura repping the Browser Choice Alliance at State of the ...

2026-02-28T10:33:42Z

Me and Laura repping the Browser Choice Alliance at State of the Browser Conference #sotb26

The winner of the FIFA Peace Prize is bombing another country, ...

2026-02-28T07:51:04Z

The winner of the FIFA Peace Prize is bombing another country, without stopping the Ukrainian war in 24 hours as promised.

I have two! ...

2026-02-26T15:17:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…9uz0
_________________________

I have two!

Leave big tech behind! How to replace Amazon, Google, X, Meta, ...

2026-02-26T14:31:12Z

Leave big tech behind! How to replace Amazon, Google, X, Meta, Apple – and more https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/26/how-to-replace-amazon-google-x-meta-apple-alternatives - contains nice words about Vivaldi.

Except Chrome isn't open source. ...

2026-02-25T18:23:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…j4dd
_________________________

Except Chrome isn't open source. [@S_Paternotte](https://social.vivaldi.net/@S_Paternotte )

Another gruelling training session in preparation for the State ...

2026-02-25T14:35:24Z

Another gruelling training session in preparation for the State of the Browser cage fight between browser vendors. Vivaldi Browser (npub19rt…adh9) are sponsoring the event - and winning the fight!

AI Added ‘Basically Zero’ to US Economic Growth Last Year, ...

2026-02-25T10:45:53Z

AI Added ‘Basically Zero’ to US Economic Growth Last Year, Goldman Sachs Says https://gizmodo.com/ai-added-basically-zero-to-us-economic-growth-last-year-goldman-sachs-says-2000725380

RE: https://techhub.social/@keepandroidopen/116126023448256005 At ...

2026-02-24T16:41:39Z

RE: https://techhub.social/@keepandroidopen/116126023448256005

At Vivaldi, we believe you should be free to install the software you want on a device you own. This is as important for Android as it is for iOS, so we'e signed this letter to Google, along with friends.

quoting
note1na2…yvu0

We have published an open letter to Google opposing the Android Developer Verification Program with over 30 organizations as signatories: https://keepandroidopen.org/open-letter/

Hackers Expose Age-Verification Software Powering Surveillance ...

2026-02-22T11:34:31Z

Hackers Expose Age-Verification Software Powering Surveillance Web https://www.therage.co/persona-age-verification/
Three hacktivists tried to find a workaround to Discord’s age-verification software. Instead, they found its frontend exposed to the open internet.

People often ask me the secret of my brilliant career, stupendous ...

2026-02-21T12:25:20Z

People often ask me the secret of my brilliant career, stupendous good looks, incredible talent and astonishing virility. It's this breakfast every Saturday.

Hats off to G11 Barbers in Glasgow who got annoyed at ...

2026-02-07T13:20:36Z

Hats off to G11 Barbers in Glasgow who got annoyed at Farage's racist dogwhistling about Turkish barbers, so teamed up with the local artist "rebel bear" (https://www.instagram.com/the.rebel.bear/)

An extra bonus for Vivaldi users on iOS: today's new Vivaldi ...

2026-02-05T16:00:55Z

An extra bonus for Vivaldi users on iOS: today's new Vivaldi 7.8 lets you install alternate app stores, such as AltStore (npub168y…upza) where you don't have to pay tribute to Apple. (Note, only in EU; other jurisdictions don't have Digital Markets Act, so Apple won't let you have nice things.)

France to ditch US platforms Microsoft Teams, Zoom for ...

2026-01-27T16:04:20Z

France to ditch US platforms Microsoft Teams, Zoom for ‘sovereign platform’ amid security concerns. (It's called Visio, based on LiveKit, MIT licensed) https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/01/27/france-to-ditch-us-platforms-microsoft-teams-zoom-for-sovereign-platform-amid-security-con

European Union companies' annual purchases of cloud software ...

2026-01-20T10:44:41Z

European Union companies' annual purchases of cloud software services that benefit the US economy amount to €264 billion … If the EU were able to produce 15% of the cloud software services it currently purchases from the United States in 2035, this would result in 463,000 additional jobs in the EU. https://www.cigref.fr/technological-dependence-on-american-software-and-cloud-services-an-assessment-of-the-economic-consequences-in-europe

I tried to change my password to "BeefStew" but the ...

2026-01-19T10:43:47Z

I tried to change my password to "BeefStew" but the system told me that it's not stroganoff.

According to Tech Radar, a reason to avoid using Vivaldi web ...

2026-01-15T11:36:20Z

According to Tech Radar, a reason to avoid using Vivaldi web browser is "No AI-powered assistant". Yup - and we're proud of it! If you don't want slop while you shop, or scurf while you surf, give the European browser a try.
https://vivaldi.com/blog/a-i-browsers-the-price-of-admission-is-too-high/

New Tesla feature to automatically create explicit images of ...

2026-01-13T11:08:18Z

New Tesla feature to automatically create explicit images of pedestrians it passes on the street https://newsthump.com/2026/01/13/new-tesla-feature-to-automatically-provide-explicit-images-of-pedestrians-it-passes-on-the-street/

Are you evil? Test your level of evilness (evility? evilosity?) ...

2026-01-12T09:56:47Z

Are you evil? Test your level of evilness (evility? evilosity?) with these absurd trolly problems https://neal.fun/absurd-trolley-problems/

Well, slap my 12 faces and call me a dodecahedron, it's the ...

2026-01-09T15:20:37Z

Well, slap my 12 faces and call me a dodecahedron, it's the first Reading List of the year: Reading List 352! https://brucelawson.co.uk/2026/reading-list-352/

Extracting books from production language models - "We ...

2026-01-09T15:03:25Z

Extracting books from production language models - "We extract nearly all of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone from jailbroken Claude…substantial proportions of the book from Gemini 2.5 Pro and Grok 3 and notably do not need to jailbreak them to do so" PDF: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.02671v1

"42% of Danes want to try new alternatives to Big Tech. 68% ...

2026-01-05T10:38:18Z

"42% of Danes want to try new alternatives to Big Tech. 68% would like to reduce their screen time … Danmark Skifter [Denmark shifts] is a national campaign where thousands of Danes take back control of their digital lives – not alone, but together.

The campaign runs from January 1 to March 20, 2026. It starts with digital New Year's resolutions in January and culminates with The Big Shift Day on March 20, when all of Denmark shifts together." https://danmarkskifter.dk/en/

.. of course, no browser vendor is likely to be able to ship ...

2025-12-18T11:03:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…78xp
_________________________

.. of course, no browser vendor is likely to be able to ship their own browser, because of Apple's anti-competitive Ts&Cs it imposes: " if Apple has reason to believe You or Your Embedded Browser Engine App (Japan) have failed to comply… Apple reserves the right to…remove Your Embedded Browser Engine App (Japan) and/or other Applications from the App Store; block Your Applications from distribution on Apple platforms; and/or to suspend or remove You from the Apple Developer Program." https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/download/embedded_browser_engine_jp.pdf

Changes to iOS in Japan. iOS 26.2 introduces changes for iOS to ...

2025-12-18T08:26:24Z

Changes to iOS in Japan. iOS 26.2 introduces changes for iOS to comply with the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), creating new options for developers with apps in Japan. Developers can distribute apps on alternative app marketplaces, operate alternative app marketplaces, process app payments for digital goods and services outside of Apple In-App Purchase, use alternative web browser engines, and more. https://developer.apple.com/support/app-distribution-in-japan/

thank you. I will not allow this accolade to change how I treat ...

2025-12-17T23:36:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…lykl
_________________________

thank you. I will not allow this accolade to change how I treat utter peasants such as you.

Wow, I've just had a late-night phone call to tell me ...

2025-12-17T23:28:43Z

Wow, I've just had a late-night phone call to tell me I've been awarded the National Basketball Association's inaugural Web Standards prize!

US Embassy in UK: “Effective immediately, all individuals ...

2025-12-15T15:09:18Z

US Embassy in UK: “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under U.S. law.” https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/

Prepping a (hopefully) excellent roast beef pre-xmas meal for my ...

2025-12-13T15:51:30Z

Prepping a (hopefully) excellent roast beef pre-xmas meal for my mum, as she'll be with my kid brother on 25th. Nice merlot is open and breathing, roast potatoes are peeled, green veg ready for steaming. I'll keep you posted.

On January 3, 1941, Martin Bormann issued a circular to all ...

2025-12-10T15:18:21Z

On January 3, 1941, Martin Bormann issued a circular to all public offices which declared Fraktur typeface to be Judenlettern (Jewish letters) and prohibited their further use. https://alphahistory.com/pastpeculiar/1941-nazis-ban-jewish-fonts/

Remove Windows Ai https://github.com/zoicware/RemoveWindowsAI ...

2025-12-10T10:01:31Z

Remove Windows Ai https://github.com/zoicware/RemoveWindowsAI "The current 25H2 build of Windows 11 and future builds will include increasingly more AI features and components. This script aims to remove ALL of these features to improve user experience, privacy and security."

The European Commission has opened an investigation into Google ...

2025-12-09T17:38:31Z

The European Commission has opened an investigation into Google over the use of publisher content for its AI products “without appropriate compensation" https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/european-commission-google-ai-investigation/

As a fashion influencer, Awesome Lawson Apparel(tm) has sent many ...

2025-12-02T13:15:27Z

As a fashion influencer, Awesome Lawson Apparel(tm) has sent many buyers across the globe. Valiant [@patrick_h_lauke](https://mastodon.social/@patrick_h_lauke ) sent me this from sunny Japan - a "Lawson Station" t-shirt, which will be the latest addition to my "Pret A Snogger" range. Thanks Pattypoo! #fashionBuyerOfTheMonth

Leak confirms OpenAI is preparing ads on ChatGPT for public roll ...

2025-12-01T11:45:20Z

Leak confirms OpenAI is preparing ads on ChatGPT for public roll out https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/artificial-intelligence/leak-confirms-openai-is-preparing-ads-on-chatgpt-for-public-roll-out/ "what most people don't understand is that GPT likely knows more about users than Google." Hooray.

Absolute scenes at Chateau Lawson yesterday when I caught La ...

2025-12-01T11:27:28Z

Absolute scenes at Chateau Lawson yesterday when I caught La Daughter's Useless Dog somehow on top of the kitchen table munching a bowl of plum crumble I'd saved for El Son.

that would imply some sort of corruption going on - isn't ...

2025-11-29T16:01:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…shyg
_________________________

that would imply some sort of corruption going on - isn't there a swamp to drain?

So, Trump has killed 80 people, and is preparing to invade ...

2025-11-29T15:28:42Z

So, Trump has killed 80 people, and is preparing to invade Venezuela because Maduro is (USA says) involved in drug trafficking - and also will pardon the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of drug trafficking. Hmm.

for THREE days

2025-11-20T18:13:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…kdn5
_________________________

for THREE days

co-worker!

2025-11-20T15:36:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…34q2
_________________________

co-worker!

Off to another vast Euro building for 2 meetings, this time with ...

2025-11-20T12:44:44Z

Off to another vast Euro building for 2 meetings, this time with politicians. Then train home + beers.

It's my bloody birthday, and all I wanted was a long ...

2025-11-13T16:22:31Z

It's my bloody birthday, and all I wanted was a long cinnamon-coloured iPhone Pocket, for a bargain $229.95. Perhaps @sil has one for me at the pub later.

Breaking news (to me): "If wheel running is indeed caused by ...

2025-11-12T10:19:22Z

Breaking news (to me): "If wheel running is indeed caused by captive housing, wild mice are not expected to use a running wheel in nature. This however, to our knowledge, has never been tested. Here, we show that when running wheels are placed in nature, they are frequently used by wild mice, also when no extrinsic reward is provided. … Wheel movement not caused by mice was caused by shrews, rats, snails, slugs or frogs" https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2014.0210

FFmpeg to Google: Fund Us or Stop Sending Bugs ...

2025-11-12T09:13:47Z

FFmpeg to Google: Fund Us or Stop Sending Bugs https://thenewstack.io/ffmpeg-to-google-fund-us-or-stop-sending-bugs/
A lively discussion about open source, security, and who pays the bills has erupted on Twitter.

Someone put this "blue plaque" on a London Tesla showroom ...

2025-11-08T14:09:55Z

Someone put this "blue plaque" on a London Tesla showroom to mark his becoming the world's first trillionaire. “World’s first trillionaire Elon Musk. Could have solved world hunger but funded fascists instead. Bellend.” https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/everyone-hates-elon-protest-tesla-dealership-london-400042/

Another scene from Vivaldi HQ in Oslo: @npub1e35…d5me and Atle, ...

2025-11-06T12:08:58Z

Another scene from Vivaldi HQ in Oslo: Jon S. von Tetzchner (npub1e35…d5me) and Atle, our glamorous design lead, making some sultry and subtle tweaks to make you go "oooooh"

I've just realised that cottage cheese isn't really ...

2025-11-05T09:41:49Z

I've just realised that cottage cheese isn't really cheese, at all. It's literally just a curd to me.

75 years ago today, European nations signed this Convention, so ...

2025-11-04T16:10:26Z

75 years ago today, European nations signed this Convention, so the Holocaust could not be repeated. Beware those who want this to end.

Are you forced to work with Linux? Do you miss the convenience of ...

2025-11-04T09:49:36Z

Are you forced to work with Linux?
Do you miss the convenience of Microsoft spying on you and keeping track of everything?
https://github.com/rolflobker/recall-for-linux

But WHY does docusign want to know my location? ...

2025-10-31T16:31:40Z

But WHY does docusign want to know my location?

Big Tech lobby budgets hit record levels ...

2025-10-29T10:29:40Z

Big Tech lobby budgets hit record levels https://corporateeurope.org/en/2025/10/big-tech-lobby-budgets-hit-record-levels

"lobby groups have used their lavish budgets to aggressively push for the deregulation of the EU’s digital rulebook… Big Tech companies have on average more than one lobby meeting per day with EU Commission officials."

Yesterday, Apple took the EU to court, to argue that it's ...

2025-10-22T10:29:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…vls5
_________________________

Yesterday, Apple took the EU to court, to argue that it's "really mean" and "totally, like, not fair" to expect it to allow "stinky competitors" to access APIs on iOS. Free Software Foundation Europe (npub16xn…g7f8) intervened on behalf of "users" to argue why DMA 6(7) applies even to a small startup like Apple. Their hearing is at https://fsfe.org/news/2025/news-20251021-01.en.html

Which DMA article does Apple believe should not apply to iOS? ...

2025-10-22T10:09:51Z

Which DMA article does Apple believe should not apply to iOS? "The gatekeeper shall allow providers of services and providers of hardware, free of charge, effective interoperability with, and access for the purposes of interoperability to, the same hardware and software features accessed or controlled via the operating system" It's 6(7)!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgfHt52vys8 (https://www.eu-digital-markets-act.com/Digital_Markets_Act_Article_6.html#:~:text=The%20gatekeeper%20shall%20allow%20providers%20of%20services%20and%20providers%20of%20hardware)

Browsers from "A.I." companies? Now they can start ...

2025-10-22T08:15:09Z

Browsers from "A.I." companies? Now they can start constructing the panopticon to monetise the millions; all those NVIDIA chips and data centres don't come cheap, and investors need dividends.

Following Rishi Sunak and Nick Cleggs' move to advising tech ...

2025-10-20T09:08:08Z

Following Rishi Sunak and Nick Cleggs' move to advising tech companies, let's all wish Liz Truss well on her first day at Amazon Web Services.

Open Social https://overreacted.io/open-social/ - a nice ...

2025-10-13T11:47:08Z

Open Social https://overreacted.io/open-social/ - a nice explanation, with pictures, of how new open social protocols work, and why they're more 'webby'.

Best roast pork with crackling I've done in a while. The ...

2025-10-12T17:53:34Z

Best roast pork with crackling I've done in a while. The roast parsnips with chilli flakes were pretty tasty too.

Anthropic stole the books I co-wrote in order to train their ...

2025-10-11T21:04:42Z

Anthropic stole the books I co-wrote in order to train their planet-burning hallucination machine, so I've filed a claim. They wept that if every plagiarised author does so, the company will go bankrupt. Boo emdash hoo. www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com

Happy Anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, to all decent ...

2025-10-04T12:41:35Z

Happy Anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, to all decent people.

Dear Labour Party - you don't neutralise the threat from ...

2025-10-04T08:57:22Z

Dear Labour Party - you don't neutralise the threat from Reform by adopting their policies or talking points. You do it by reducing inequality. Fascism doesn't flourish if people feel they're fairly recompensed, equally treated, well-fed and well-housed and their jobs are safe. So be more Labour.

Developers! If you want to distribute software ...

2025-10-03T08:50:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…jcj5
_________________________

Developers! If you want to distribute software "applications" that don't depend on the whims of multi-billion dollar organisations romantically linked to illiberal regimes across the globe, there's a brand new vague-but-exciting technology you can use, called "the Web"! https://pwa.dev

WHAAAAAT?!?!?

2025-09-12T08:39:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…r7lj
_________________________

WHAAAAAT?!?!?

"Former Meta user experience researcher Cayce Savage said the ...

2025-09-12T08:07:36Z

"Former Meta user experience researcher Cayce Savage said the company shut down internal research showing Meta knew children were using its VR products and being exposed to sexually explicit material." https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/meta-put-virtual-reality-profit-over-kids-safety-whistleblowers-tell-us-congress-2025-09-09/

Apparently, it's bad luck to mention a "MacBook" in a ...

2025-09-09T09:11:44Z

Apparently, it's bad luck to mention a "MacBook" in a software company. You have to call it "the Scottish laptop".

Meta to stop its AI chatbots from talking to teens about suicide ...

2025-09-08T15:17:56Z

Meta to stop its AI chatbots from talking to teens about suicide https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2kzl79jv15o Yay? "It comes two weeks after a US senator launched an investigation into the tech giant after notes in a leaked internal document suggested its AI products could have "sensual" chats with teenagers." - if Meta were a person, no-one would let their kids anywhere near them.

Reform councillor Robert Bloom resigned 117 days after his ...

2025-09-01T12:47:33Z

Reform councillor Robert Bloom resigned 117 days after his election, after repeatedly shouting the word ‘n*****’ at his black neighbour, saying he would set the far-right English Defence League on her and told her there’d be ‘black body bags’. It's triggered a by-election, which will cost the taxpayer about £27,000. https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/corby-reform-councillor-resigns-over-serious-racism-allegations-5289085

Mastodon says it doesn’t ‘have the means’ to comply with ...

2025-09-01T11:23:28Z

Mastodon says it doesn’t ‘have the means’ to comply with age verification laws https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/29/mastodon-says-it-doesnt-have-the-means-to-comply-with-age-verification-laws/ #willNobodyThinkOfTheChildren

Your mother paints roundabouts and your father shouts at hotels. ...

2025-09-01T08:36:25Z

Your mother paints roundabouts and your father shouts at hotels.

Featuring a voice over from yours truly! (They rejected both my ...

2025-08-31T21:05:05Z

Featuring a voice over from yours truly! (They rejected both my comedy hillbilly and my brilliantly accurate French accents, so I had to go with my normal suave tones.) https://social.vivaldi.net/@Vivaldi/115124691138254723

Meta might be secretly scanning your phone's camera roll - ...

2025-08-29T11:23:46Z

Meta might be secretly scanning your phone's camera roll - how to check and turn it off https://www.zdnet.com/article/meta-might-be-secretly-scanning-your-phones-camera-roll-how-to-check-and-turn-it-off/
"Some Facebook users have noticed new settings that let Meta analyze and retain your phone's photos. Yes, you read that right."

Hurrah for the security and privacy of Native apps!

Yuck, it looks like Microsoft's GitHub is teaming up with ...

2025-08-27T13:40:15Z

Yuck, it looks like Microsoft's GitHub is teaming up with Space Karen https://github.blog/changelog/2025-08-26-grok-code-fast-1-is-rolling-out-in-public-preview-for-github-copilot/

Google will block sideloading of unverified Android apps starting ...

2025-08-26T10:24:20Z

Google will block sideloading of unverified Android apps starting next year https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/google-will-block-sideloading-of-unverified-android-apps-starting-next-year/ imagine if Big Tech just allowed you to install whatever you wanted to on a device that you own?

I popped into McDonald's on the way back from a bank holiday ...

2025-08-25T16:39:39Z

I popped into McDonald's on the way back from a bank holiday day out, and saw that they're offering fish filets made out of ornamental carp. I was sceptical, but they're the real McKoi.

Have a lovely day, designer chums. ...

2025-08-18T11:45:10Z

Have a lovely day, designer chums.

The seven deadly sins of tech (as a service) ...

2025-08-14T10:26:06Z

The seven deadly sins of tech (as a service)
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rubendominguezibar_tech-didnt-kill-the-seven-deadly-sins-activity-7357674090750447616-6GT_/

What does it mean for Americans to be a "registered ...

2025-08-05T15:47:42Z

What does it mean for Americans to be a "registered Republican" (or Democrat)? Do you have to announce your allegiance publicly? Are you fined if you don't vote according to your registered affiliation? Or is it just like being a member of a party?

“Gen AI in the UK. It’s coming sometime, maybe. Give the ...

2025-07-30T16:49:13Z

“Gen AI in the UK.
It’s coming sometime, maybe.
Give the wrong date, hallucinate.
Your future dream is a shopping scheme”
Hurrah! Google Search has introduced "AI mode" in UK, ahead of the commies in the EU. Heretically, not *everyone* is weeping with happiness at Google's increasing use of "A.I.". https://brucelawson.co.uk/2025/gen-ai-in-the-uk/

The first 100% effective HIV prevention drug is approved. The ...

2025-07-29T15:37:55Z

The first 100% effective HIV prevention drug is approved. The makers are also providing affordable access to the drug in the US and beyond, signing royalty-free licensing agreements with six generic manufacturers to produce and supply it. https://newatlas.com/infectious-diseases/hiv-prevention-fda-lenacapavir/

On the subject of EU data sovereignty, the EU is developing an ...

2025-07-28T13:52:09Z

On the subject of EU data sovereignty, the EU is developing an age verification app that relies on Google or Apple. https://manganiello.social/objects/5fa082b5-9920-4fe7-87f5-26efbac219cd

Microsoft admits it 'cannot guarantee' data sovereignty ...

2025-07-28T10:32:35Z

Microsoft admits it 'cannot guarantee' data sovereignty https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/25/microsoft_admits_it_cannot_guarantee

"Under oath in French Senate, exec says it would be compelled – however unlikely – to pass local customer info to US admin"

Another excellent Scottish placard. ...

2025-07-27T14:58:52Z

Another excellent Scottish placard.

Meta to stop selling political ads in the EU from October ...

2025-07-25T15:29:57Z

Meta to stop selling political ads in the EU from October https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/25/meta-to-stop-selling-political-ads-in-the-eu-from-october/ The EU "mandates companies selling ads to clearly label political ads; provide information about their sponsor, the election or referendum they concern, what the ad cost, and targeting mechanisms used".

Meta is sad: “we’re seeing regulatory obligations effectively remove popular products and services from the market".

With whom is micro-targeted brainwashing popular, you shady zuckwits?

"a site previously ranked first in a search result could lose ...

2025-07-24T10:32:43Z

"a site previously ranked first in a search result could lose about 79% of its traffic for that query if results were delivered below an AI overview. The study also found that links to YouTube – owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet – were more prominent compared with the normal search result system. The research has been submitted as part of a legal complaint to the UK’s competition watchdog about the impact of Google AI Overviews" https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/24/ai-summaries-causing-devastating-drop-in-online-news-audiences-study-finds

i doubt Pootle would describe himself as communist, but it is ...

2025-07-22T10:36:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…0cke
_________________________

i doubt Pootle would describe himself as communist, but it is bizarre. Some of the particularly lunatic christian fundamentalists in Trumpistan have hard-ons (it's always men) for the Taliban, too

An American father who moved to Russia to avoid LGBTQ+ ...

2025-07-22T08:43:49Z

An American father who moved to Russia to avoid LGBTQ+ “indoctrination” for his kids is being sent to the front line in Ukraine, despite being assured he would serve in a non-combat role. His wife added that, after a month of service, her family had yet to receive any pay. https://www.thedailybeast.com/texan-moved-fam-to-russia-to-flee-wokenow-hes-headed-to-ukraine-front-line/

I hate to agree with Apple or JD Vance, but on this occasion I ...

2025-07-21T13:29:58Z

I hate to agree with Apple or JD Vance, but on this occasion I do. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/21/uk-demand-backdoor-access-apple-users-encrypted-data

I don't recall voting Tory. ...

2025-07-16T05:44:54Z

I don't recall voting Tory. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jul/15/rachel-reeves-rules-red-tape-boot-on-neck-innovation-mansion-house

A clip from my @npub1apy…0qmg talk in which I explain why we ...

2025-07-11T07:49:05Z

A clip from my CSS Day conference (npub1apy…0qmg) talk in which I explain why we need alternatives to Big Tech https://youtu.be/cRYLA8Hohqg

"LLMs are essentially confident-sounding lying machines with ...

2025-07-10T05:29:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…lqy9
_________________________

"LLMs are essentially confident-sounding lying machines with a penchant to occasionally disclose private data or plagiarise existing work. While they do this, they also use vast amounts of energy and are happy using all the GPUs you can throw at them which is a problem we’ve seen before in the field of cryptocurrencies.

As such, it does not feel right to bundle any such solution into Vivaldi. There is enough misinformation going around to risk adding more to the pile." https://vivaldi.com/blog/technology/vivaldi-wont-allow-a-machine-to-lie-to-you/