What is the first thing you do after receiving spam email? If you are like most people, it probably goes like this:

• Getting annoyed.
• Moving the message to your spam folder hoping that your provider/client will filter similar messages in the future.

The above approach, however, does not solve, but merely hides the problem — the spammers will keep spamming, and you will keep receiving them, even if you are not always aware of them since they end up in your spam folder.

SpamCop is a free service offered by Cisco which enables its users to report unsolicited email. For each email reported as spam, SpamCop determines the origin of the email and sends automated reports to the respective network owners.

Furthermore — and that’s the best part — given that a spammer is reported by an adequate number of users, the spammer’s IP is inserted into a blacklist, known as SpamCop Blocking List (SCBL), which helps email service providers throughout the world to identify and block spam sources before reaching your inbox.

Use the SpamCop DNS-based Blocking List with your own mailserver and get safe and effective spam filtering for free.

Oddly enough, I see I still have a very old (and still active) account at this service. I must have been mad enough one day to have started reporting spammers. Now, if only this was so easy for robocallers!

See https://ubuverse.com/put-on-a-mask-and-fight-spam-with-spamcop/

#technology #email #spammers

As technology continues to advance, so do the capabilities of our devices. The Macbook trackpad has evolved from a simple point-and-click tool to a versatile input method that offers a wide range of features. One such feature is trackpad handwriting, which allows users to write and edit text directly on their Macbook trackpad.

Whether you’re a student taking notes in class, a professional jotting down ideas during a meeting, or simply prefer the feel of pen and paper, trackpad handwriting provides a convenient and intuitive way to interact with your Macbook. With a few simple steps, you can enable trackpad handwriting and start writing directly on your trackpad.

The linked article includes a guide that will walk you through the process of enabling trackpad handwriting on your Macbook, adjusting the settings to suit your preferences, and exploring the various gestures and techniques for writing and editing with trackpad handwriting. Additionally, they also share some tips and tricks to help you make the most out of this feature.

It goes to show though that it's not only tablets that can be used for handwriting. A requirement though is that your Macbook is running macOS Mojave or a later version.

See https://robots.net/tech/how-to-use-macbook-trackpad-handwriting/

#technology #macOS #handwriting #notes

Quickly see info for installed Flatpak apps and runtimes (runtimes are hidden by default, but there’s a toggle to display them). It displays the same detail as the flatpak list command but in a GUI, and includes buttons to copy each snippet to your clipboard – handy!

Warehouse lets you clear user and app data for installed Flatpak(s) without having to remove them, which can be a handy way of ‘resetting’ an app back to its defaults.

The app is also able to scan for data left from previously uninstalled Flatpak apps.

So not exactly an all-in-one Flatpak management tool, but it has some quite useful features, making it worth installing. It is especially useful for doing some clean-ups and finding where the user data is stored. It also helped me identify some End-Of-Life Flatpak apps that I still had installed.

See https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/10/warehouse-flatpak-tool-for-linux

#technology #Linux #Flatpak #opensource

He’s coming to this from the viewpoint of a musician rather than an engineer, but his methodology is not diminished by this. He’s putting each mic on test in front of the same speaker at the same position, and playing a standard piece of music and a tone sweep through each. He doesn’t have an audio analyser, reference speaker and microphone, or anechoic chamber, so he’s come up with a real-world standard instead. He’s comparing every mic he can find with a Shure SM57, the go-to general purpose standard in the world of microphones for as long as anyone can remember, being a 1960s development of their earlier Unidyne series. His reasoning is that while its response is not flat the sound of the SM57 is what most people are used to hearing from a microphone, so it makes sense to measure the others against its performance.

My own hearing is really at a stage that I don't hear a lot of difference. I've always believed though in post-processing by just listening to the result and then making a few tweaks if the sound does not have enough bass. Chasing after expensive brand names is only for those who can really afford it. That said, I'd love to see a musician on stage with a soda can microphone.

See https://hackaday.com/2023/10/05/just-what-is-tone-in-a-microphone/

#technology #music #microphones

I'm wanting to replace my four Apple AirTags, since moving back to Android, so I'm closely watching developments around these tracker devices. But rather than buy something that requires a finder to, by chance, have a specific app installed to locate my lost/stolen tracker, I want it to be part of the generic Google Find Device network (like the AirTag works with all Apple devices).

To date, at least two other popular 3rd party brands have announced their Google Find Device trackers, but they don't seem to be available yet to purchase.

So, now finally Samsung has finally announced their new tracker tag BUT it appears to only work with Samsung's SmartThings Find service. Even though we have more Samsung phones circulating inside my country than Apple phones, I really don't want to get locked into a single brand again (even if I have a massive credit available to use with Samsung from buying my Galaxy S23 Ultra phone). I'm going to have to seriously weigh this up against the other Google Find Device offerings.

"The Galaxy SmartTag2 only works with SmartThings Find and won't be compatible with Google's upcoming Find My Device network" - this is rather a showstopper for me.

On the plus side, Samsung has dramatically improved the battery life (but I'm actually fine with around 10 to 12 months). I'm also a bit concerned about the size, as I currently carry one AirTag inside my wallet, and Samsung's tag is looking a bit too large for that.

So I'm really very 50-50 around the Samsung offering. I'm going to first watch a few reviews about all of these new devices before deciding.

See https://www.androidpolice.com/galaxy-smarttag2-big-improvements-still-limited-to-samsung-devices/

#technology #trackers #SmartTag2

The Wavacity project by Adam Hilss is a fork of the original Audacity. It looks and feels just like an older version of Audacity (specifically, 3.0.0). But the trick here is that he’s managed to get it working with WebAssembly (WASM) so you can run it in your browser. Impressively, it even works on mobile devices. Though the Audacity UI, which already carries the sort of baggage you’d expect from a program that’s more than 20 years old, is hardly suited to a touch screen.

The linked article contains a link to open the app in your browser. It will also open in a mobile browser, but the interface is not optimised for touch. The links to his other projects, will also take you to his GitHub project page, where the source code for this project can also be found.

See https://hackaday.com/2023/10/05/audacity-runs-surprisingly-well-in-your-browser/

#technology #opensource #audio

Samsung recently introduced Tactical Edition smartphones for the US military, the Galaxy S23 TE and Galaxy XCover 6 Pro TE. Both devices bring a laser rangefinder, external GPS connectivity, a tactical radio, a stealth mode to block radio signals, and a touchscreen that can be used even while wearing military gloves.

It supports ‘Night Vision Mode’, which protects the eyes when wearing night vision goggles, and ‘5G Band Lock Mode’, which allows connection to certified 5G networks only. It automatically accepts calls while the speaker is on, prevents call recording, and keeps mission-related secrets safe.

No prices are given, as these are probably not even for general use or retail sale. With the specs shown, I doubt these would be very affordable either.

See https://www.sammyfans.com/2023/09/26/say-no-to-iphone-heres-why-us-soldiers-use-samsung-galaxy-s23/

#technology #Samsung #military

Often, we’ll run a speed test, using Ookla’s speed test or similar, and wonder why we’re not getting the advertised speed of our fibre or ADSL link (if you’re still on dial-up then speed won’t matter to you). The speed is going to be determined by the SLOWEST link in the chain from your computer itself and the browser, through the LAN cable or Wi-Fi to your router, the router throughput can also affect things, and then on through your WAN link (the fibre, satellite, or ADSL link) to the Internet.

So firstly, just on the WAN speed result with Ookla, I noted my PC showing around 200 Mbps download speed, but my ISP is selling me a 300 Mbps download speed. My first thought was to complain that I’m only getting 2/3 of the speed I’m paying for.

I'm going to point to the original post though on my blog, as I embedded quite a few screenshots to show the results along the way.

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/how-to-test-your-lan-speed-through-your-home-router-to-troubleshoot-browser-speed-problems/

#technology #speedtests #troubleshooting

Like Linux desktops, every Linux user has their own preference for a file manager. The reason is, because you have lots of options to choose from, so you have the choice.

But if you're a Dolphin File Manager user, like I am (see, no attempt to convert you if you use something else), then these tips are well worth considering as they will make your use of the app a lot more feature-rich and useful.

There are one or two tips I did not know about myself, like the Reimage plugin. But I've long used a good many of these, and it's worth knowing that Dolphin also accepts various 3rd party plugins too.

See https://itsfoss.com/dolphin-tweaks/

#technology #Linux #opensource #Dolphin