Positive Carbon uses both camera and LiDAR sensors. Perched on the ceiling above food bins, they autonomously track exactly what enters the bin.
The sensors are connected to the customer’s purchasing software. As a result, the system can monitor what a business buys and connect that information to the waste.
The data is then aggregated to generate targeted interventions. Purchasing plans can then be adjusted accordingly. That might mean buying less of a specific ingredient, preparing fewer portions of a specific dish, or simply putting less food on plates.
The use of sensors is quite clever, along with the analysis, but in essence it is nothing that a micromanagement chef can't do. I suppose it makes the chef's job easier in that they can concentrate on making food, and rely on a constant analysis being done around waste. The AI side would help with predictive ordering.
It's good use of technology and AI, as no human gets replaced, it just extends their functionality and efficiency.
Yes, I can see it going further eventually too into domestic households as so much waste is also often not necessary. Certainly for recognising too what is recyclable waste versus garbage.
See https://thenextweb.com/news/positive-ventures-sensors-fight-food-wastage
#technology #waste #foodwaste
Withings Body Scan review: A smart scale that tracks cardio health, body comp and more
Given all the ongoing issues that Google Fitbit Aria Scale users have been experiencing, I see many had moved to Withings scales. So, it was interesting to read this review as I'm considering a similar move in future.
The review certainly shows some issues, some of which can be explained through reliability of algorithm reasons, but it does seem that Withings users have generally been happier than Google Fitbit users (many of whom can only now get readings for one person on their scales).
When a scale reads done to 50g of accuracy though, it is true that you can't get too hung up about the change of measurements throughout the day, and you need to look at the trends over days whilst keeping the measurement conditions as constant as possible.
Withings relies on sending a tiny electrical charge through the user’s body to measure arterial stiffness, too. It does this by tracking the time it takes for a wave that’s created in the blood as the heart beats to arrive at the foot — a measure called Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV). The app records and tracks a speed value for PWV, to monitor changes over time. It also provides a comparative rating for “Vascular Age” (vs the user’s age) — charting whether it falls in the normal, not normal or optimal range.
Another flagship feature of Body Scan — one of two that’s been approved by medical device regulators in the US and Europe — is a 6-Lead Electrocardiogram (ECG) which can detect AFib (aka atrial fibrillation), a common cardiac rhythm disturbance that can cause stroke and heart failure.
See the review at https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/07/withings-body-scan-smart-scale-review/
#technology #health #Withings
The Proton VPN GUI app for Linux has not been popular, with many complaints of bugs and missing features, but Proton promises the new version is much improved.
Their official app for Linux now natively supports all these advanced Proton VPN features, including:
The only snag is that they provide the binary installs for Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora only. This leaves out the Arch distros. There was an AUR package (and a Flatpak) available that wrapped the previous Proton VPN app into an AUR package that an Arch distro could install, but it has not yet been updated.
I see that Proton says they can really only provide support for limited distros, but it probably also highlights the need for creators to support something more cross-platform like Flatpak or AppImage. Flatpak is probably more preferable as it has a package updater, versus AppImage relying on the app itself to do the updating.
I hope the AUR package will be updated soon, but it is less than ideal having something like a VPN app being provided by a 3rd party.
See https://www.howtogeek.com/proton-vpn-linux-app-update-2023/
#technology #ProtonVPN #Linux
Elgato hasn’t just made an excellent teleprompter, it’s also made a great USB-C cable that ships with it. Professional audio engineer Matt “Spike” McWilliams spotted that Elgato’s latest USB-C cable has the bandwidth and USB type imprinted on the connector, and now I wish all manufacturers did this.
Once you've collected a drawer (or two) full of different USB cables, it is really useful to know which ones are what type. Using inferior spec cables, means that even with an expensive charger, your device may only trickle charge instead of fast charge, may not transfer data, etc. It is not always very obvious what the issue is, but it often comes down to the incorrect USB-C cable.
When it comes to USB-C cables, a cable is not just a cable.
See https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/6/23948486/usb-c-cables-marking-speed-power-delivery-elgato
#technology #USBC
I featured my OpenWebRx receiver about a year or two back, which allows you to use any desktop or mobile browser, to be able to listen to various radio transmissions that are received at my home in Cape Town.
The previous version would allow you to tune into ham radio bulletins, repeaters, and simplex chats, including SSB on VHF and UHF, and even DMR repeaters. It also had decoding for APRS location beaconing for vehicles, weather stations, etc.
By upgrading to the Plus version, my station is now also able to receive and decode the ADS-B locator beacons sent out by planes on 1.09 GHz. Not new to the Plus version, but I also added a profile for Cape Town International Airport's Tower and Approach frequencies.
To view APRS or plane ADS-B beacons on a map, first open the correct profile (see red circle on attached image) and choose RTL-SDR Air ADS-B for the planes, or RTL-SDR 2m VHF Digital for the APRS beacons. Then, once they start to show data, click on the Map button at the far top right of the screen to view the map with those locations updated. In both cases, those profiles open on the correct frequencies ready to use.
Be aware though that up to 15 users can use this service, but everyone controls the same view. So, if you are listening to the plane beacons, someone else may switch it to APRS beacons and everyone sees the APRS view. And of course, if tow or three people try to control it, it could become chaotic. I may have to think about limiting it to one person at a time if the experience is not a good one.
You can click on the very top bar where it says ZS1OSS Cape Town, South, and the bar will expand to reveal more information.
See https://openwebrx.gadgeteerza.co.za/
#technology #hamradio #planespotting #capetown
Recalling my recent post about USB sticks not delivering the stated storage sizes, this tester looks pretty interesting for testing USB fast chargers. There are supposedly similar issues around USB fast chargers that chronically overheat and are not up to spec.
Most USB charger testers are just voltage and current measurers, but this device goes way beyond that. Not only does it test for the various USB-C charging modes, ripple and noise testing, eMarker detection, and lots more.
The device claims the ability to monitor 4-28V, 0-7A, 0-120W and can integrate capacity/consumption. Resolution is claimed to be 10uV/uA/uW. It supports USB-A, micro-B and type-C connections.
It also has PC and Android apps to obtain more advanced views.
I see many people complaining they don't get full speed charges, or a device is not starting properly, and it is mostly due to the USB-C power output not being sufficient. With a device like this it is a lot easier to diagnose whether it is the charger or the cable at fault (an incorrect USB-C cable will negate advanced USB-C charging or power delivery).
See https://goughlui.com/2023/04/29/review-tested-fnirsi-fnb58-usb-fast-charge-tester/
#technology #USBchargers #testing
Although Bitwarden now supports storing and logging in using passkeys from its browser extensions, it’s not currently possible to store passkeys in the company’s mobile app. According to Bitwarden’s FAQ, this feature is “planned for a future release.”
Finally, it arrived for me today on Bitwarden. Seems to work seamlessly enough, as the extension pops up automatically when you choose to add a passkey on a website. For sites with multiple logins, it prompts you to select which one to use.
The theory, for me at least, is that I can use these passkeys across all my OS's and devices (when mobile support is finally added). In the meantime, for mobile, the normal ID and password still work as before.
See https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/2/23943173/bitwarden-passkey-support-released-browser-extension
#technology #passkeys #Bitwarden
The head of the Russian department responsible for identifying threats to the "stability, security and integrity" of the internet, has revealed the extent of the Kremlin's VPN crackdown. Former FSO officer Sergei Khutortsev, a central figure in Russia's 'sovereign internet' project, confirmed that 167 VPN services are now blocked along with over 200 email services. Russia is also reported as stepping up measures against protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard.
But it is not just Russia, as there is also the Great Wall of China, and to a lesser extent many other governments practice similar blocking or interceptions. Even the supposedly "free" governments also practice some forms of censorship (e.g. Australia), so actually the issue of privacy and access to information does really affect everyone.
The main article I've linked to below has some good guidance on how to overcome some common issues with VPNs being blocked. I realise it is still focused on China, but the suggestions would work as well anywhere else. I've also added a link to the EFF's article about the use of Snowflake, as that was primarily intended to hide VPN activity where VPNs may be blocked.
Anyone thinking they may need such solutions in future, really should prepare today for such an event. It becomes far more difficult once the restrictions are already imposed.
See https://privacy.net/undetectable-vpn-bypass-blocks/ and also about Snowflake at https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/10/snowflake-makes-it-easy-anyone-fight-censorship
#technology #VPN #privacy #censorship
As I'm often having to choose how to use what digital mode on different radios that I have, it has meant also trying to understand which device works with which radio, and what modes it will support (not to mention radio functionality).
It has taken me a while to try to understand some of the differences, as there is no one device that just does everything. So this linked webpage is my attempt to clarify this for myself. I'd be happy to also get input from others so that I can improve or correct it.
For anyone else trying to decide which device they should buy first (or do they even need one?), this webpage will hopefully help to quickly clarify things a bit.
For now, I have just added details for the SignaLink USB, Mobilinkd TNC, and the DigiRig, as these were the options I'd been actively looking at.
See https://gadgeteer.co.za/hamradio/hardware-devices-for-digital-ham-radio-modes/
#technology #hamradio #amateurradio
Nvidia's GPUs are considered second to none in the enthusiast PC space, and there are plenty of convincing reasons to go with Team Green for your next build. XDA Developers highlighted a few of those reasons to consider an Nvidia GPU over an AMD one recently, going over things like DLSS and the raw performance of RTX GPUs. AMD graphics cards, however, have also come a long way, and they aren't trailing too far behind in 2023.
In fact, there are some good reasons to consider them over Nvidia's options, and you certainly can't count them out of the race. If you are in the market to buy a new graphics card and are split between AMD and Nvidia, then here are a few reasons why you should consider an AMD GPU for your build.
OK, admittedly two of the reasons are related, so this could be more of two good reasons. I did opt to go with an AMD Ryzen 7 for my last CPU I bought (my first non-Intel in decades), and I've been very happy with that choice. I only realised a month later, after I'd bought an Nvidia GPU, that I never really took a serious look at the AMD GPUs.
I'm certainly going to do so next time I buy a GPU (I don't buy them with every PC upgrade I do). In my case, too, I'm using Linux, so I really don't get to use some of those additional extra Nvidia Windows-only features. I have way less to lose, actually.
A GPU comparison for Linux users would be quite interesting to see, where it compares head-to-head on open source as well as OEM proprietary drivers.
See https://www.xda-developers.com/reasons-ditch-nvidia-for-amd/
#technology #GPU
While texting is great for asynchronous conversations, calls are still the way to go if you want real-time conversation.
That's not an option for people who are hard of hearing or have speech difficulties. RTT or Real-time text solves this issue by allowing people to text in real-time. In this guide, Android Police explain the RTT feature, how to activate it on Android smartphones, and how to use it in different situations.
One benefit of RTT over text messaging is that it allows you to connect to businesses, government agencies, and emergency services. To connect to emergency services using RTT, all you do is dial 911 (in the USA) in RTT mode.
This feature makes emergency services accessible to people with hearing or speech disabilities and allows everyone to connect to emergency services without speaking. If you are in a situation where speaking out loud can be detrimental to your safety, use the RTT feature to connect to 911.
To connect to government agencies or businesses, you can use the Relay service. People who are hard of hearing or have speech impediments can connect to the relay service by dialling 711 (probably also USA). An operator picks up their call and connects them to the desired service.
See https://www.androidpolice.com/what-is-rtt-calling/
#technology #disabilities #accessibility
A hardware security key makes your online accounts even more secure. When you sign in, you'll have to plug in your key and press a button---or touch it to your phone. They work on websites like Google, Facebook, and many more.
If you've been on the internet, then you've probably heard of two-factor authentication, usually abbreviated as 2FA. Typically, 2FA involves receiving a code you have to insert after you enter your password correctly. You can receive this code either through an SMS message, an email, or an authenticator app.
These solutions can have problems though, especially since SMS messages can be intercepted through SIM-swapping attacks, emails can be broken into with social engineering, and authenticator apps lose their value if your phone is stolen or you forget it somewhere.
This is where security keys come in. Using Multi-Factor Authentication, or MFA for short, means using more than just one authentication vector, so 2FA is part of MFA.
Where physical security keys shine is that they don't have the issues stated above regarding interception or breaking in. Of course, they can be stolen, but some keys have biometrics in them or require another PIN, making it a true MFA key so that even if it's stolen, people can't hack into your accounts.
The linked article goes into a bit more detail about what to look for in a hardware key, and it provides some comparisons of what the most popular keys offer. I did not even know about the open source option one.
Because security is a bit more serious with the hardware key option, you can (hopefully) expect the service not to just issue a new password reset via e-mail if you lose your key. For this reason, it is vitally important you note down any backup codes for that key - preferably also written on a piece of paper and stored in a safe. I do this not only for me to regain access to any accounts, but also in case anything happens to me, that my family can access it in a usable form.
See https://www.howtogeek.com/785677/best-hardware-security-keys/
#technology #2FA #security
This is quite a nice project, but is not an off the shelf solution. Most folks may get by quite well with the 4 or so fans that a PC can already control, but if you need this level of granular control for up to 10 fans, this project may be for you.
It is also open-source hardware, and a lot of thought went into how it can easily connect inside the case. The video he published does explain it very well.
I see the board has place for external temperature sensors to be added, which he does not seem to be using yet, and of course, the other big thing is the automation by 3rd party software to manage it.
That all said, the project appears to have been published only about 4 days back, so there may be a lot more contributions that will still be made to this project.
See https://sasakaranovic.com/projects/openfan-controller/
#technology #fans #cooling #opensource
If you have not set your Linux server/VPS (or workstation if you have the SSH service running) for public key authentication only (way quicker and more secure for later use), then this guide may be really useful. It is one of the easier-to-follow ones that I have seen.
It will help put in place a really basic and essential protection that any Linux server should have. Fail2Ban is a vigilant sentry for your servers. It is one of the most effective shields against unauthorized access attempts, especially brute force.
One of its most valuable things is it acts proactive. In other words, instead of waiting for an attack, Fail2Ban offers an approach by identifying and blocking potential threats in real time. The beauty of Fail2Ban lies in its simplicity and adaptability. Moreover, it is light on resources, so it doesn’t burden your server’s performance.
For any of my servers, straight after changing the admin password, the Fail2Ban service is the immediate next step on my list to activate.
See https://linuxiac.com/how-to-protect-ssh-with-fail2ban/
#technology #hosting #security
The app brings all your messaging apps together in a single dashboard, including iMessage, Slack, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Messenger, LinkedIn, Signal, Discord and X, with plans for more in the future, a company blog post announced.
Though other companies have tried to do something similar — like Beeper — Texts.com offers end-to-end encryption of your chats and other features users have always wanted, like the ability to schedule messages at a time that’s convenient for the recipient, not just for you. In addition, you can mark messages as unread even on services that don’t offer that feature, allowing you to remember to check that message again when you return, as well as get summaries of long group chats you’ve missed.
It is certainly a similar approach to Beeper, but different. Beeper dropped their charge per month whilst this service is still $15 pm. The service has iMessage but only on macOS - whilst Beeper offers iMessage across all platforms. However, that is another difference in that Beeper does break the E2EE for iMessage, with that virtual Mac in the middle, which you have the password to.
Beeper also includes full iMessage use on Windows, Linux, and Android phones, and also has Google Chat and Google Messages (SMS/RCS). The other services are the same minus IRC.
Right now they support iMessage (only on macOS), SMS (with iMessage), WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Messenger, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, IRC (IRC is really interesting!), Slack and Discord DMs. Texts app runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. Texts for iOS is under development and Android is on the roadmap.
I'm not sure how they're doing Signal and WhatsApp still with the E2EE intact. They mention an in-house Texts Platform SDK for the integration, but unless they are independently audited, or their code is open, we can only take their word for the full E2EE. Their privacy policy does state, however: "The App also preserves end-to-end encryption of your messages if supported by your Messaging Service". Maybe WhatsApp and Signal don't support this? I do think that Beeper was a lot more forthcoming about exactly how they manage each service. They also say your messages don't touch their servers - that implies everything is in the client app i.e. a 3rd party WhatsApp inside the Texts app. But it also means no iMessage at all then for Android or non-macOS platforms.
Whilst we have no real approved global open messaging standard (no, not SMS as no encryption at all), and whilst the likes of Tim Cook insist on their own walled garden for iMessage (they could have just included Android iMessage apps) we're going to have lots of disconnected messaging services. So, it is still good to see more options like this appearing, as clearly users do want to integrate their messaging more. The fact is, the whole world is just not going to be on one messaging service.
See https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/24/wordpress-com-owner-buys-all-in-one-messaging-app-texts-com-for-50m/
#technology #interoperability #messaging
Too many people think just running a VPN will solve all privacy, security, malware, etc problems. A VPN only really does two or three things:
But it is probably important to note all the things it is not protecting you against:
So, it really depends on why you'd want to use a VPN e.g. bypass geo-blocking for media streaming, bypass country censorship, be more secure on a public Wi-Fi network, etc. For example, for country censorship, Tor browser and Signal messenger have toggles you can activate which use special servers and can make the traffic look more like normal web traffic.
So, whilst VPNs may help hide activity from your carrier and ISP, it is only one part of a privacy and security solution as you need to secure your device itself, as well as your browser and extensions, your DNS provider, and be careful of what information you provide to websites. Unique passwords and proper 2FA (not via mobile phone number) are also essential.
Privacy and security are not really protecting you from your own government as they should already know who you are, where you work, what health conditions you have, how much you get paid, where you live, and much more. It is more about those who want to sell your behaviour analytics to advertisers and data brokers, and even worse, those who want the information for identity theft purposes.
The human is still the weakest link in most cybersecurity threat chains, and it is not always about your personal finances, but often a way to leverage into an organisation which is way more attractive to threat actors.
See https://www.howtogeek.com/do-vpns-hide-data-usage-from-isps-or-cellular-carriers/
#technology #VPN #privacy
Casual Android games are the perfect way to kick back after a long day at work. From atmospheric puzzle games like Monument Valley to creative sandboxes like Townscaper, these games offer relaxing and satisfying experiences. There's a considerable amount of variety, too, so you don't need to worry about playing the same game repeatedly.
Sometimes you just want something to while away some time, without having to tax your brain or think too deeply about the game (a bit like why I play Snowrunner). I'd rather do this than doom-scroll through TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
See https://www.androidpolice.com/best-casual-games-android/
#technology #Android #gaming #relaxing
The exercise bike, dubbed HR Bank, was designed to provide urban dwellers with a reliable source of clean energy, but, perhaps more importantly, also for those in need of power during emergencies like natural disasters or wars.
“Our idea was that a person who bought an HR bank could not only use it as an external battery, charged from the sun or the grid, but in the absence of an external power source, could generate energy by pedalling,” said CEO Jonas Navickas.
A lot of thought has gone into this design with it not only being portable, but also storing a very useful 2kWh of power. Pedalling is not its only source of energy as it can also charge from the grid, car batteries, solar or wind power.
It is not only a clean source of power, but pedalling daily on it will help keep its owner fitter and healthier too.
The downside probably is the price of around €3,000 but I suppose you have to factor in it is a very useful battery storage, an exercise bike, and an emergency generator all rolled into one (saving some space too).
See https://thenextweb.com/news/exercise-bike-inspired-by-ukraine-war-provides-backup-power-during-emergencies
#technology #emergencypower #batteries
This was an interesting watch and brings home the fact that you should just consider what you are needing your screen for. TVs are certainly also getting better, but there is more to it than just HDMI ports, contrast ratios, and response times.
We've long been using our standard (and now pretty old) TV with HDMI ports as our media screen in the lounge, connected to a Linux computer. It works perfectly for that purpose. But we're not playing high-end games on it.
But even for many gamers, MAYBE a TV could work fine. Given the price differences, it may be worth it. As it is, many say that the ultra-high refresh rates (or FPS) we are seeing on the latest monitors are just not good bang for the buck at all. It is unlikely the human eye is even perceiving much difference beyond 144Hz (I did a post about that in June 2023).
It is certainly something worth considering at least.
See https://youtu.be/rdg8tKNZt1s
#technology #monitors
Don't try memorising all of these, but rather quickly skim the headings in the linked article to give you an idea of what CAN be done with the Find command. You'll realise, too, that using the command line sometimes, offers way greater power, as well as speed.
Find does not only find a file name matching a pattern, but can also be useful to find all files modified in the last 60 minutes, that have executable permissions, that belong to the root user, that are empty files, that were accessed in the last hour, that are larger than a specified size, and lots more.
The find command is an advanced tool for searching files or directories rigorously in your file system, taking a little longer time than its alternative tools like the locate command. It’s due to its nature of searching a specified file by walking through each file for a match in your system, instead of creating a database where all the file paths are indexed.
See https://linuxtldr.com/find-command/
#technology #Linux #Find #opensource