Danie van der Merwe

SA wants to be involved in innovation, not just be consumers of it: It's easy! Start with open source software like Brazil, China, and Russia

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 11:18:37 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

South Africa no longer wants to be just a consumer of hi-tech and innovative products. It wants to play an active role in technological research & development to produce such products locally.

This was said by communications and digital technologies minister Mondli Gungubele, who will host communication ministers from the Brics countries in Cape Town on Monday and Friday. The Brics members are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Well, this is really not difficult... You start with seeing where you can actively replace paid subscription based software with tailored free and open source software alternatives, like South Africa was already doing in the mid-2000's. There is zero need to re-invent the wheel when we already have so much enterprise-ready open source software. In fact, this is exactly what Brazil, China, and Russia have done with their own operating systems (achieved after a previous promise at a Brics summit in Brazil back in the 2000's). South Africa actually had the Impi Linux OS but abandoned it later in that same decade (other countries followed through while SA lost its perseverance).

There is no question at all that free and open source software actually works. We've seen it working in retailers, banks, cellular companies, and governments in Germany and France. You can even have cloud-based services using Nextcloud and similar software.

It all comes down to the WILL to make it actually work, and the PERSEVERANCE to see it through. You're still going to often use consultants, and internal staff, but your money is going nearly 100% to local economic investment. There will likely still need to be government tenders, but these would be for much smaller amounts, and for ensuring a service level support service when necessary. To sustain open source projects into the future, you also want to make some contribution to the upstream projects, so there is some money that may flow out of the country, but you decide how much, and remember that it is sustaining your product that you want to use into the future.

But yes, not only do you get a free product that you can copy and tailor to your local purposes, but the local industry learns and innovates from that software as well. You'll also find many start up businesses can kick-start themselves not having to worry about exorbitant software costs, nor lock-in to one vendor's cloud services.

We've long seen that necessity is the mother of invention. When you need something to work, or a problem to be solved, you come up with solutions. Open source software helps enable this through it being able to be adapted. South Africa can rely on learners at school and university level to solve these challenges using cheap Raspberry Pi computers and free software such as Linux, Python, Nextcloud, and numerous other choices. And of course, they learn from this, and can use it in their own future business endeavours.

So let's see if this is all just political talk, or will we actually see some active projects with real outcomes...

See SA wants to be involved in innovation, not just be consumers of it: Gungubele

Speaking ahead of the meetings at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Gungubele said his department would promote the rapid deployment and rollout of infrastructure, including promoting a connected Africa.

#technology #opensource #southafrica

technology SouthAfrica opensource innovation

The Best Way to Bulk Export Your Apple Notes to More Portable Markdown Format

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 15:02:28 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Apple Notes are only really usable inside Apple Notes. If you are regularly working across other operating systems, like I do, this can actually be inconvenient (Steve expects you to only work inside the Apple ecosystem). There is iCloud login, but the editing is not really optimised for the devices you use.

An alternative is to export your Apple Notes into Markdown format, which will allow you to use any Markdown editor across any device to edit those notes. The linked article below explains how to do that quite easily.

I'm using my own self-hosted Nextcloud server to sync my notes between all my devices, but you could also use Dropbox to start with, or any other sync service.

The nice things about the Markdown format are:
1. It's an open standard which is future-proof in that it is not locked into any vendor service that disappears one day.
2. It's free.
3. You can pick the best Markdown editor for each platform you're using.

On my Linux desktop, I'm still using Obsidian as my Markdown editor, and the Ulauncher launcher allows me to quick search my Obsidian notes without even open the app.

See The Best Way to Bulk Export Your Apple Notes

Use this app to back up or export all of your Apple Notes files in one click.

#technology #AppleNotes #Markdown

technology AppleNotes Markdown

show all 4 comments

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 13:42:24 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

@Flous :gnome: :debian: no I haven't and it does look good. I went through a lot of options about 2 years back when deciding. At the time, I was tossing up between Obsidian and another, but I liked Obsidian's mass of plugins and their knowledge graph that showed the relations between notes. But the great thing with Markdown is that you can also switch between apps as it is all one standard really.

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 21:22:21 +0200 zuletzt bearbeitet: Thu, 03 Aug 2023 20:47:30 +0200

Flous :gnome: :debian:

lgeurts@fosstodon.org

@gadgeteer I liked that part about "relations between notes'". Just to clarify, those have to be Obsidian too right? Or can it be any in markdown?

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 09:56:24 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

@Flous :gnome: :debian: Obsidian is just linking common hashtags inside the notes so it does it and there was another editor too that was doing it. So any one could do it.

Wireless earbuds, such as AirPods and Galaxy Buds 2, can actually help you hear conversations better with Ambient Sound

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 11:30:05 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Apple’s wireless earbuds are routinely praised for their natural-sounding transparency mode, and for good reason. But did you know you can customise the level of ambient noise that transparency mode lets through? And if that’s not enough, there’s a separate “conversation boost” mode that’s designed to make it easier to hear face-to-face conversations happening in front of you.

Samsung also provides granular control over the ambient sound mode on the company’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. You can choose between five different levels of amplification and set individual preferences for each ear. Moreover, there’s also a slider that can adjust ambient sound from “soft” to “clear” based on what sounds best to each person.

And there are also more dedicated ear buds for hearing aid type use. Yes, they do cost a lot more, but are still way cheaper than actual medical hearing aids. In all cases, our ears become less sensitive to certain frequencies, which accounts for some noise sounding louder than someone speaking next to us. All these ear buds are doing is normalising that sound so that what you want to really hear, is more audible to you.

See Wireless earbuds can actually help you hear conversations better

Transparency mode is way more useful than you might realize.

#technology #hearing #accessibility

technology hearing accessibility

Beeper, the universal chat and messenger app for 15 services, is now free to use

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:36:45 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

I did a post about this app in Sep 2022 at https://gadgeteer.co.za/beeper-lets-you-use-imessage-on-android-and-windows-without-any-apple-device-but-it-comes-at-a-price/ as it was using quite an innovative way to achieve iMessage use on Android without requiring a Macbook.

It appears that the app has been growing steadily and now integrates numerous different chat services apart from just the commonly used big ones. They have even been rolling out some features that have not gone live on the parent services. There is also now forwarding between services as well as scheduling of messages, voice notes and more.

It runs cross-platform on desktop, Android, iPhone, Android Auto, Chrome OS, and even notifies via a Pebble watch. Chat services connected appear to be Whatsapp, Telegram, Slack, Twitter (X), Instagram, Discord, LinkedIn, IRC (yes really!), Matrix, Facebook Messenger, iMessage, Android SMS, Signal, and Google Chat.

All Beeper chat messages are end-to-end encrypted. Messages sent using Beeper to other chat networks are re-encrypted if the other network supports encryption (like Signal, WhatsApp and iMessage). So yes, you won't be having true E2EE all the way on those services, but a lot depends on what you're actually saying I suppose. There is however full E2EE between any other Beeper users and to Matrix users. They do state though they have zero-access to the contents of messages, so if you lose access to all your devices and your Recovery Code, they will not be able to recover your chat history (the way it should be). Their servers are located in Europe.

They built Beeper on the open source chat protocol Matrix, using its bridges functionality. Unlike other chat networks, there is no lock-in. You’re free to use open source Matrix clients to connect to Beeper, or download your data and move to a different Matrix server and continue chatting with your friends on Beeper.

For those who prefer not to use their default web service that they offer, it is possible to self-host the majority of the Beeper backend yourself. They open sourced all their bridges.

This is what they explain about how they transitioned to going free: "Later this year, we will launch an optional paid subscription, called Beeper Plus, which includes additional features like larger chat history backup, access to multiple network connections, and more. By making Beeper free, more people will feel comfortable sharing it with their friends, enabling more people to start using Beeper. Through the optional paid subscription, we will earn enough money to run the app. Currently, everyone who signs up for Beeper will enjoy a free trial of some features that will be part of Beeper Plus."

I'm thinking that I will now give this a try. I'd like to see how it works, or not, with iMessages (as I no longer have an iPhone) and with Whatsapp/Facebook (as I have no accounts with these services, so maybe this won't work).

See Beeper — All your chats in one app. Yes, really.

A single app to chat on iMessage, WhatsApp, and 13 other chat networks. You can search, snooze, or archive messages. And with a unified inbox, you’ll never miss a message again.

#technology #interoperability #Beeper #universalchat

technology opensource Airpods repairability

South Africa’s first laptop library launched - a refundable deposit gives you temporary loan of a laptop

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 22:44:18 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

The laptop library works in the same way as a regular library: instead of borrowing a book, customers can borrow a laptop for a week by visiting TechMarkit’s Rosebank Mall store. A R500 refundable deposit is required with completion of the lending form, and that’s it. If the laptop is returned to the store on the stipulated date, the R500 deposit is refunded.

“It’s certainly not a money-making operation. In fact if anything, we will probably lose money,” said TechMarkit CEO David Hirsch. “I’m sure out of every 20 or so we lend out, one won’t come back.

It will be interesting to see how this goes. They are using refurbished laptops so I'd imagine these are laptops that have got old and are no longer in regular use, but could still be used for this sort of use. It may be a good project too, to accept donations of old working laptops. As it's not actually making any profit, it would not be sustainable as a standalone service, but it is saving usable laptops from becoming e-waste, and could fulfil a useful purpose for many.

Maybe other tech providers could also start up similar initiatives elsewhere in the country as a community service. After all, libraries themselves are community services.

See South Africa's first laptop library launched - TechCentral

TechMarkit has launched a laptop library to provide computers to South Africans, free of charge.

#technology #southafrica

technology SouthAfrica

touchHLE emulator runs 32-bit Doom Wolfenstein 3D on both iPhone and Android

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:08:28 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Ciciplusplus ported the iPhone OS emulator, written in Rust, to Android, and then ported a version of DOOM that runs on iPhone OS to go with it.

There were obviously lots of challenges along the way, so he has also made a video available about all the trails and tribulations. Of course, this was only all possible because it was open source software. He has also published his code as open source on Github (it is linked in the article below).

The emulator is also able to run other 32-bit games.

See DOOM On IPhone OS, On Android

So you want to play some games from the early days of 32-bit iPhone OS that no longer run on recent OS versions? [Hikari-no-yume] wrote a sweet high-level emulator, touchHLE, to do so on modern iOS…

#technology #gaming #Doom #opensource

technology gaming opensource Doom

European radio standard TETRA has had a baked in vulnerability known for years by the vendors: Open standards are a better way to go

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 17:06:39 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

For more than 25 years, a technology used for critical data and voice radio communications around the world has been shrouded in secrecy to prevent anyone from closely scrutinizing its security properties for vulnerabilities. But now it’s finally getting a public airing thanks to a small group of researchers in the Netherlands who got their hands on its viscera and found serious flaws, including a deliberate backdoor.

The backdoor, known for years by vendors that sold the technology but not necessarily by customers, exists in an encryption algorithm baked into radios sold for commercial use in critical infrastructure. It’s used to transmit encrypted data and commands in pipelines, railways, the electric grid, mass transit, and freight trains. It would allow someone to snoop on communications to learn how a system works, then potentially send commands to the radios that could trigger blackouts, halt gas pipeline flows, or re-route trains.

Researchers found a second vulnerability in a different part of the same radio technology that is used in more specialized systems sold exclusively to police forces, prison personnel, military, intelligence agencies, and emergency services, such as the C2000 communication system used by Dutch police, fire brigades, ambulance services, and Ministry of Defense for mission-critical voice and data communications. The flaw would let someone decrypt encrypted voice and data communications and send fraudulent messages to spread misinformation or redirect personnel and forces during critical times.

Three Dutch security analysts discovered the vulnerabilities—five in total—in a European radio standard called TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio), which is used in radios made by Motorola, Damm, Hytera, and others. The standard has been used in radios since the ’90s, but the flaws remained unknown because encryption algorithms used in TETRA were kept secret until now.

While the TEA1 weakness has been withheld from the public, it’s apparently widely known in the industry and governments. The issue really is that these proprietary algorithms are not subjected to the scrutiny that the open standards ones are. With a proprietary algorithm you are placing all your trust in only that vendor, and if they know about a vulnerability for years without telling you, you're just not going to know. But as we've seen many times, that does not mean someone else has not found it, and may be quietly exploiting it for a long time already.

As we also see in this very linked article, governments are no more trustworthy, as they will deliberately sell something with vulnerabilities to another country, which they think they can maybe later exploit if the need arises.

An open standard is interrogated publicly to find potential weaknesses. It is why so many researchers say it is better to adopt open standards encryption algorithms which are proven, rather than to try to be clever and develop your own one.

TETRA is also used widely in South Africa by emergency personnel. It is anyway always better to assume someone is listening in on your radio messages, than to think it is 100% secure. The advice to TETRA radio users is to check with their vendors where any patch or mitigation is available.

See Code Kept Secret for Years Reveals Its Flaw—a Backdoor

A secret encryption cipher baked into radio systems used by critical infrastructure workers, police, and others around the world is finally seeing sunlight. Researchers say it isn’t pretty.

#technology #radio #TETRA #vulnerability #security

technology security vulnerability TETRA radio

NoiseTorch-ng is an easy-to-use open source app for creating a virtual microphone on Linux to suppress noise

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 11:12:33 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

NoiseTorch uses RNNoise, a noise suppression library based on a recurrent neural network (RNN). A RNN is a class of artificial neural networks where connections between nodes can create a cycle, allowing output from some nodes to affect subsequent input to the same nodes. RNNs are particularly effective for background noise removal because they can learn patterns across time, which is essential for understanding audio.

NoiseTorch isn’t only useful for gamers who are live-streaming and recording. It can be used to suppress noise in a wide range of applications.

Be sure not to miss page two of the linked article, which explains how to use it. I've set "proper" noise-cancelling and enhancement on OBS Studio, and it can take quite a while, and still not be perfect. NoiseTorch is a great option for those who don't want to fuss with all that. Some apps do have noise-cancelling built in, and in those cases continue to connect to your existing physical microphone.

See Awesome Linux Game Tools: NoiseTorch-ng - LinuxLinks

NoiseTorch-ng is billed as an "easy to use open source application for Linux with PulseAudio or PipeWire".

#technology #noisetorch #opensource #noisesuppression

technology opensource noisesupression NoiseTorch

HP-1973 is a Python simulator app for the retro HP-45 calculator and 5 other HP ROMs, written by Sarah K. Marr

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 15:46:24 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

The app was written in Python and started out for the HP-45 (ROM is included) but finally included also the HP-35 and the HP-80, as well as three others. For macOS and Windows you could just run the included executables, or with the Python code, this will run fine on Linux if you have Python installed. Nice thing is that you can also modify or tweak the Python code if you wish.

As she states, this is not a "how to learn HP or RPN" but there is a lot of included online help, and the original HP manuals are available online.

What an amazing resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the inner workings of these legendary calculators.

See https://sarahkmarr.com/retrohp1973.html

#technology #opensource #Python #HP1973 #HP45

technology opensource OpenStreetMap StreetComplete

StreetComplete is a gamified Android app specifically for casual contributors to OpenStreetMap Editor for mapping in the field

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 15:17:46 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

The app is made specifically for casual contributors and beginners as no prior knowledge about OpenStreetMap (such as tagging schemes) is required to contribute with this app. Furthermore, there is a bit of gamification and statistics that aim to introduce and try to inspire users to venture deeper into the world of OpenStreetMap.

This app finds missing map data in your vicinity and displays it on a map as quests. Solve each quest by visiting the location on-site and answering a simple question to update the map.

The info you enter is directly added to OpenStreetMap in your name, without the need to use another editor. OpenStreetMap is a really valuable free resource that anyone can contribute to, and which numerous mobile apps also use for their navigation. It is the Wikipedia of Mapping!

The app is open source and is available both on the Google app store but also on the F-Droid store.

See StreetComplete - OpenStreetMap Wiki

StreetComplete is an easy to use OpenStreetMap editor for Android phones and tablets, used for mapping in the field. The app is made specifically for casual contributors and beginners as no prior knowledge about OpenStreetMap (such as tagging schemes) is required to contribute with this app. Furthermore, there is a bit of gamification and...