Danie van der Merwe

SD memory card classes are a lot more than just a 'class 10' card now, as there is also the newer Application Performance Class

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 16:18:17 +0100

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

I used to just look for the symbol 10 encircled by the capital letter C as I remember that being the good card to get for cameras. Well things have moved on a lot further and that class 10 card is actually pretty ancient now. You'll still see that class 10 still shown today, as that particular standard stopped at 10. The number is used to represent the minimum sequential write speed, so a card with a speed of 90 MP/sec will still show only 10 (it is actually pretty meaningless now).

Since that original Speed Class, we have already also got UHS Speed Class, as well as a Video Speed Class, and more recently the Application Performance Class. So yes, you may see up to four separate types of speed classes, all cryptically crammed onto a card.

Why the APC one is of interest though, is because phones running apps from a SD card as expanded memory, as well as Raspberry Pi's, are recommended to use Application Performance Class 2 (or shown as A2). The reason being that A2 by uses functions of command queuing and caching, and more efficient flash memory management can also be supported by maintenance functions. So these types of cards are better suited for applications that write and read multiple simultaneous files to the SD card.

A2 class cards require host driver support, as they use command queuing and write caching to achieve their higher speeds. If used in an unsupported host, they might even be slower than other A1 cards, and if power is lost before cached data is actually written from the card's internal RAM to the card's internal flash RAM, that data is likely to be lost.

See Application Performance Class | SD Association

#technology #SDcards #standards #memory

These days installing applications and application data to SD memory card is commonly performed as an expanded usage of SD memory card, for example, it is used as workaround in case of a smartphone does not have enough internal memory. The demand of application memory expansion becomes even stronger with the introduction of Android’s Adoptable...

technology SDcard memory

KeyDecoder is an open source Android app that can generate all the necessary bitting info to duplicate a key from just an image

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 15:33:54 +0100

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Luckily for the paranoid among us, the image must be taken with the key laying flat without a keyring on an ISO/CEI 7810 ID-1 ID or credit card. A passerby can’t just snap a photo of your keys across the room and go liberate your home furnishings, but it still would be wise to keep a closer eye on your keys now that this particular hack is out of the bag.

I suppose, though, the photographer could also do some post editing to remove the keyring and fake a card behind it (judging the exact size). I think the software also uses the standard credit card size for getting the calibration right for the sizes.

See All Your Keys Are Belong To KeyDecoder

#technology #hacking #keydecoder #security #lockpicking

Physical security is often considered simpler than digital security since safes are heavy and physical keys take more effort to duplicate than those of the digital persuasion. [Maxime Beasse and Qu…

technology lockpicking hacking keydecoder security

Microsoft is checking everyone's bags for unsupported Office installs: Please, sir. I don't want a 365 subscription

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 16:18:29 +0100

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Microsoft wants to know how many out-of-support copies of Office are installed on Windows PCs, and it intends to find out by pushing a patch through Microsoft Update that it swears is safe, not that you asked.

Quietly mentioned in a support post this week, update KB5021751 is targeting versions of Office "including" 2007 and 2010, both of which have been out of service for several years.

Also missing is any explanation of how the update will gather info on Office installations, whether it is collecting any other system information or what exactly will be transmitted and stored by Microsoft.

The Register does mention a possible opt-out, but as they say, that could have other undesirable consequences. Of course, if you use LibreOffice this won't bother you, or if you pay for Office 365 then you probably also won't be bothered.

See Microsoft pushing update to count unsupported Office install

#technology #MicrosoftOffice

Please, sir. I don't want a 365 subscription

technology microsoftoffice

AirTag Helps Rescuers Find Dog Lost in California Flood - Like Most Things, AirTags can be Used for Many Good Purposes

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 16:05:23 +0100

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Apple's AirTag this week saved a dog that was swept away in California floodwaters, leading rescuers to his location. As reported by ABC7, one-year-old Australian shepherd Seamus fell into fast-moving storm drain after he got away from his owner during a walk.

Yes, too often all we read about is all the negative things that can be done with something. Usually that focusses on newer technology, as we seldom hear today about a brand of car being used for bank robberies, or a brand of watch worn most by murderers, etc. Or with all the vehicle accidents caused by humans daily, we will only really hear about the very few ones where a self-driving car is involved (no matter if it was the self-driving car's fault).

What gets way out of context is that we hear a lot of noise about the 1% of something being abused, whilst the other 99% that the item is being used for a good, and it's intended purpose, goes unnoticed. Bad news, and fear, sells better than good news. That's just a fact. I always like to look at things from the bigger picture perspective.

See AirTag Helps Rescuers Find Dog Lost in California Flood

#technology #tracking #airtag

Apple's AirTag this week saved a dog that was swept away in California floodwaters, leading rescuers to his location. As reported by ABC7,...

technology airtag tracking

Docfetcher is a cross-platform free and open source desktop search application

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 21:33:04 +0100

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

The program is an indexing search tool, meaning it has a local database of file content that it checks, rather than looking over all files on your machine. This means the program must always be running to monitor changes, but search results are instant. Search tools are based on Apache Lucene software, a widely-used, open source search engine.

I was actually looking for something to do this again on my desktop machine, and then found I had an old version of this app installed still. Much like the old Copernic Desktop Search, which I used a good two decades ago, this is near instant search as it is just searching what it has indexed.

You can specify just what directories, and even extensions, should be indexed. It has built in full text search for most major file formats including MS Office, OpenDocument, Outlook PST, ePub, PDF, etc.

It is Eclipse Public License open source code for the non-pro version, and although it is Java based, it is pretty fast. On Manjaro Linux, it installed directly from the AUR.

As they state, it is crap-free, free forever, cross-platform, portable, private (local only), and indexes only what you need. You can also set minimum and maximum file sizes to index.

See DocFetcher - Fast Document Search

#technology #fulltextsearch #search #docfetcher #opensource

Homepage of DocFetcher, a desktop search application for fast document retrieval

technology opensource docfetcher search fulltextsearch

How to Protect Your Linux Computer From Rogue USB Drives With Open Source USBGuard

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 17:25:27 +0100

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

USBGuard can protect you against software-based threats that are distributed on compromised USB memory sticks, such as BadUSB, where the attack commences when you’re manipulated into opening what looks like a document but is a disguised executable. USBGuard cannot protect you against hardware-based threats such as USB Killer devices that cause physical harm to your computer by releasing a high-voltage discharge into your machine.

Actually, USBGuard allows you to set up rules for all manner of different USB devices, including mice, webcams, and keyboards. It’s not just for USB memory sticks. Your computer knows the ID of each USB device, so you can choose which USB devices work in your computer, and which cannot. It’s something like a firewall for USB connectivity.

Warning: The USBGuard daemon runs as soon as it is installed. Make sure you configure USBGuard straight after installing it. If you don’t, all your USB devices will be blocked when you reboot your computer. USBGuard has a neat trick. It has a command that creates a rule allowing all currently connected USB devices to continue work unhindered.

See How to Protect Your Linux Computer From Rogue USB Drives

#technology #security #usb #Linux

USB memory sticks can be used to steal data from your Linux computer. USBGuard lets you set rules governing the use of USB memory sticks, like a firewall for USB storage devices. Here’s how it works and how you can set it up.

technology security USB Linux opensource

Best Privacy Focused Search Engines of 2023 Compared

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 14:53:43 +0100

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

When you search for any query in a web search engine, that specific query gets recorded on the server and becomes a part of your online search history. Most common and popular search engines record those keywords and create a behaviour pattern for your browsing profile. And it is then used to push ads to you via the browser and other devices connected to the same profile.

Hence, it’s important for you to know how to keep yourself protected and anonymous. If you use Linux, you can choose any privacy focussed Linux distribution, such as Tails. On top of that, you can stay private using the following search engines.

Due to obvious reasons, this list doesn’t have Google or Bing since they are prevalent in making your habit as a product by creating a shadow profile.

What about the browsers and incognito mode? Are they not making you private? Well, no. Even if you use incognito mode and Google or other search engines, your data and movement can still be tracked. However, if you use a VPN, then you should be good.

See Best Privacy Focused Search Engines of 2023 [Compared]

#technology #serach #privacy #searchengines

A list of best privacy oriented search engines that helps you to protect your data, browsing history and stay anonymous.

technology privacy search searchengines

OpenSnitch is an open source Linux application firewall with a simple graphical interface that allows to easily accept or deny network connections from any program

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 14:17:30 +0100

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

OpenSnitch, an application-based firewall, protects you from unwanted data leaks by letting you set customized rules for all your applications. The main thing that OpenSnitch does is track internet requests made by applications you have installed.

An application firewall can reveal what's going on behind the user's back. While conventional firewalls examine the data flow packets to and from the CPU, an application firewall takes an application-specific view when monitoring the outgoing data flow.

See OpenSnitch: a simple application firewall for GNU/Linux - RS1 Linux Tools

#technology #security #firewall #Linux #opensource

OpenSnitch is an application firewall with a simple graphical interface that allows to easily accept or deny network connection to any program.

technology security firewall opensource Linux

Apple’s iOS 16.3 update brings Advanced Data Protection functionality to iCloud for South African users

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 13:35:32 +0100

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Previously, only specific data types, like health information and passwords, were end-to-end encrypted.

Advanced Data Protection expands this to include photos, voice memos, notes, and complete device backups. Advanced Data Protection moves the encryption key from the cloud to the user’s device, making it harder for malicious actors to access if Apple’s servers are ever breached.

See Big iCloud security upgrade launching in South Africa

#technology #security #southafrica #iCloud #Apple

Apple’s latest version of its mobile operating system — iOS 16.3 — will include two new features to protect Apple IDs and iCloud accounts.

technology security southafrica icloud

Why I moved from an Apple Watch to a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 21:18:00 +0100

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

In this video I explain my reasons for this move, and also compare some side-by-side features around workouts, HRV/stress, sleep stats, and I show what sort of information both health apps provide. As I mention in the intro this is not a scientific analysis of the two watches, but was done more to gauge whether I had any buyer remorse after making the move.

Without a doubt, if you're an iPhone user then the Apple Watch is your better bet, and if you're a Samsung or Android user then the Galaxy Watch 5 is the better choice of these two. But if you are thinking of buying one of these two watches, this video gives a feel of what you can expect to manage with it.

Watch

Why I moved from an Apple Watch to a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

#technology #smartwatches #galaxywatch5 #applewatch #health #samsung

In this video I explain my reasons for this move, and also compare some side-by-side features around workouts, HRV/stress, sleep stats, and I show what sort ...

technology health smartwatch Apple Watch Galaxy Watch 5