@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

NiaTheCat

@[email protected]

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NiaTheCat, (edited )
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

btw its not actually fully private when watching them from DuckDuckGo, they give a warning that the video provider can still track you when watching from ddg. Likely much less, but they still have their ways

Interesting to know that it doesn’t have ads from there though

NiaTheCat, (edited )
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

I mean, there’s good reason to hate the guy, but there’s plenty of controversies the browser has had as well that should ward anyone who cares about privacy away from it, they’ve proven they will do shady stuff without users knowing like affiliate link injection, and then just “apologize” when caught.

Google would be crucified for doing that yet when a shady crypto browser does it it gets a pass.

NiaTheCat, (edited )
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

I’ve been using the translation feature ever since they first released it in extension form way before the update, I really like it and have put it to tons of use.

They really should start sticking this stuff in settings disabled by default though, maybe offer it as a toggle in the first boot welcome screen or the first time it detects you’re on a foreign language site, but never pop up again if you dismiss it, preferably the former.

NiaTheCat, (edited )
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

It actually is like that or at least close to that but it’s a bit hard to find in the settings, looks like you can’t just add them directly and have to do it when the popup shows which is a bit awkward though

https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/pictrs/image/55dc5dc9-3db7-4cf4-9bf9-b606f1555d85.png

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

At the time of writing this reply, its at 345k now. I read through the petition and agree entirely with it with that context.

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

If the launch of these is anything like the original launch, I think I’ll pass on this one too. That launch experience trying to get ahold of one really soured me on the PS5

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Funnily enough same for me, I already had a prebuilt gaming PC but after spending the time trying to get ahold of the PS5, I just started saving and made my first PC build as an upgrade to what I already had, feel like it was the better choice in the long run.

NiaTheCat, (edited )
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

It really takes a huge toll and wears you down keeping up with it, I’ve found myself having to take breaks so I don’t get into a very doomed feeling mindset

I totally forgot how terrible a non-ad-free YouTube experience is

So I’ve been using youtube ad blockers since pretty much when ad blocker extensions were first available. Lately though I’ve been getting hit more and more with these messages that YT was sending out every 5 or so videos telling me that adblockers aren’t allowed. No problem, just gotta wait 5 seconds to x it out and then...

NiaTheCat, (edited )
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

If you’re open to recommendations, sideloading uYou+ (via altstore or other methods, no jailbreak needed) is sort of like ReVanced but for iOS.

There’s also Yattee which is on the App Store or you can sideload it. It can connect to a Piped or Invidious instance to play YouTube vids.

Both of them are open source if that’s important for you

NiaTheCat, (edited )
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

First, to answer the main question of the post, I’ve been using DuckDuckGo on and off, switching between it and Mojeek ultimately wanting to use Mojeek as my primary search engine once it improves a bit.

Before using any Brave product I highly recommend people read up on the CEO, especially the “Appointment to CEO and resignation” section en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_EichTL;DR:

spoiler> donation of $1,000 to California Proposition 8, which called for the banning of same-sex marriage in California. > donations in the amount of $2,100 to Proposition 8 supporter Tom McClintock between 2008 and 2010. > On March 26, 2014, Eich expressed “sorrow for causing pain” and pledged to “work with LGBT communities and allies” at Mozilla. > After 11 days as CEO, Eich resigned on April 3, 2014, and left Mozilla over his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Aside from that, I don’t trust anything Brave due to their affiliate link controversy they had, I do not trust they won’t “accidentally” do something similar with their search engine. No software or CEO is without their fair share of controversy, but I feel it’s best to at least know what they are.

As for DuckDuckGo, their CEO Gabriel Weinburg’s primary buried controversy is the Names Database

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Here’s an archive link for it since nytimes sometimes throws a paywall web.archive.org/…/brave-brendan-eich-covid-19.htm…

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

This is likely a very unpopular opinion, but I’m not a fan of the “only use uBlock origin” view that seems to be going around, yes using just that makes you less fingerprintable, but you’re also just giving yourself a single point of failure and giving full control of your privacy to whatever the uBlock Origin devs want to add or refuse to add, who are at the end of the day still only human and can make mistakes.

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

You can turn off ads directly in DDG settings https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/pictrs/image/7d14e907-92be-4e91-b79a-ada05218e264.png

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

There are these little handheld console things you can get online for like $20-50 if you think she’d like older games like classic Nintendo, one of the cheap ones is called data frog SF2000 and it looks like an old SNES controller or this one for something higher quality that can run more consoles powkiddy.com/…/powkiddy-q90-3-inch-ips-screen-han…

They’re a little janky but they get the job done, they’re basically just a tiny weak laptop with emulators built in that you can only play the games on

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

From the Wikipedia of the game in the picture from OP:

For the first three levels, there is a row of three blocks which move side-to-side on the LED display. When the player presses the start/stop button, the row of blocks stop moving. Then, another row of blocks appear above the previous row, moving faster than the one before it. Blocks that do not align directly above the previous set are removed. If the player misses completely, the game is over. The number of blocks is automatically reduced to two at level four, then one at level 10. The goal is to consistently get the blocks directly above the previous set, stacking them to the minor prize and ultimately the major prize level.

Edit: found a gameplay video youtu.be/tM2RisbrdqI

NiaTheCat, (edited )
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Haven’t used it in a while, but in the time I used it I didn’t have many issues maintaining it. General rule is to just check out the news before you update because they’ll warn you if a package is likely to break stuff or requires manual intervention to update.

I remember installing a package that would prompt me for any packages I was about to update that had a new warning/news since the last update and would link me to it, but I haven’t been able to remember what it was called, it was really helpful.

Edit: It was this (aur.archlinux.org/packages/informant), though just reading the announcements before every update would be just as effective

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Allowing behavior like this to continue unopposed is just enabling the problem though

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Basically a trap made to look tempting or valuable, ex: police run a site to buy illegal stuff for cheap to catch the people trying to buy it, like catching flies that want the honey

In this case if Tor Browser is a honeypot it means feds run the majority of nodes and would have a high chance of being able to easily identify users.

NiaTheCat, (edited )
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

I moved from Tutanota and Proton to Skiff, though I’m still waiting for their privacy claims to be put to the test so I’m keeping my old accounts around just in case.

They offer more storage was my main reason for switching, the free tier seems like a decent Google free tier replacement as long as they don’t screw us over

What has been happening to Piped (YouTube Frontend)?

I use LibreTube and it looks like half of the instances keep getting shut down and then get back up, and the speeds for all are atrociously slow that it is just better to watch it on YouTube on Firefox. I heard a while ago YouTube was blocking certain Piped instances but do not know if that is the same case right now.

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

It’s a cat and mouse game with Google blocking the Piped proxy IP address of popular instances, and then those instances getting a new IP to use for it.

Solution is to use smaller instances or self host your own small/private instance, issue with that solution is that then the small instances become popular and the cycle continues.

On mobile some apps like LibreTube can disable the piped proxy and make a direct connection instead (which also lets Google see your IP), but I don’t know any way to disable piped proxy for public instances on PC

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

For the last two you do have limited sideloading via things like Altstore, the catch is that without a developer account you have to refresh the apps once a week or they can’t be opened anymore, and you can only do it for three apps at a time (including the altstore app).

There are other ways but that’s the only one I know without jailbreaking.

Back when I had an iPhone I always had an emulator and a third party YouTube app sideloaded

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

You can disable the proxy on Libretube as well in the instance settings menu in-app, it also has another one that lets you make it fallback to the proxy if something goes wrong with direct connection which is convenient

Anyone use Skiff?

I’m only just hearing about the suite from skiff.com and curious if anyone here uses it. They’ve been around for 3 years and apparently offer an open sourced encrypted suite. They’re mainly known a Google Docs alt, but I just learned they offer encrypted mail, calendar, and cloud (10GB for free) along with their docs....

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

I use them as my main email but don’t consider them truly private for anything sensitive until they prove it with a clean track record.

For now, they’re “at least they’re not Google” status to me. I would use Proton instead if the free tier didn’t lock spam/trash folder auto deletion behind a paywall.

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Mull is pretty much the only option right now to get Arkenfox level Firefox on mobile, might change after broad extension support for mobile Firefox comes out soon and brings some more third party dev attention to it. Generally for now it’s just Firefox, then Fennec if you want telemetry and proprietary bits removed, then Mull if you want to get close to Arkenfox.

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Most terminals on Linux don’t show any feedback when you’re typing your password, so that someone looking over your shoulder can’t tell how long or short it is.

It’s still registering it as you type, type your password and press enter and it will work despite not showing anything.

Ask Lemmy: Traditional vs natural mouse scrolling; which do you use?

Despite being a heavy cell phone user for more than 25 years, it only recently occurred to me that vertical navigation on most phones is inverted when compared to traditional computers. You swipe down to navigate upward, and up to navigate downward. I recently spent time using a MacBook, which apparently defaults to this...

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Traditional on a mouse, natural on a touchpad. Any other way feels wrong to me.

NiaTheCat, (edited )
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Openboard was good but got abandoned a year-ish ago, but there’s a fork of it now that I’d highly recommend checking out, they have glide typing but you have to manually install it but it’s a really easy install. I switched from gboard and I’ve been using it for about a month or two happily.

beehaw.org/comment/1196291 (app in the OP I made but link is to a comment giving instructions for the glide typing)

Archive links in case the link is down: GhostArchive / Archive.ph / Archive.org

Edit: Installing the glide typing makes it partially non-foss because it uses Google’s glide typing library, which is also why it has to be manually installed.

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

I can’t remember for sure but I think that I got Xbox cloud games working on Firefox before with thr user agent switcher back when I had it, it also works well for those sites that don’t work in Firefox sometimes.

That’s a YMMV thing though because sometimes the sites just genuinely don’t work in Firefox rather than just being blocked because they haven’t tested it

NiaTheCat,
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

This is no longer the case as of August last year, they managed to get the terms of the agreement changed pcworld.com/…/duckduckgo-will-now-block-microsoft…

Edit: Duckduckgo’s statement on it spreadprivacy.com/more-privacy-and-transparency/

NiaTheCat, (edited )
@NiaTheCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Oh definitely, I’m a bit hesitant about them because of things like that, I just consider them as an “it’s at least better than Google” kind of thing

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