The creator of the popular Android hacking (rooting, modifying) system Magisk revealed some key updates this week. After having been hired by Google in May of this year, John Wu went a bit silent for a while. Rumors ran wild - which is understandable, when one of the most prominent Android hackers joins Google's Android Platform Security team. Now we get a bit of clarity.
PINE64 may have started out as a competitor to the Raspberry Pi's single-board computers (SBCs), but it has long grown out of its shell to expand into new territories. It is now better known for daring to create open source Linux devices that span laptops, tablets, smartphones, and even smartwatches. Now it is taking that growth a step further with the PineNote, an e-paper reader that's designed to be just as open as its other Pine-branded devices.
The dream of having mobile devices and wearables running open source software hasn't exactly died out, but neither has it reached any form of commercial success, for better or worse. Some companies continue to push niche devices that target more tech-savvy users that are willing to sacrifice some conveniences in exchange for more freedom in the software they use. Pine64, perhaps better known for its ARM Single-board Computers (SBCs), is one of the very few supporters of that movement, and it has just launched what may be the world's first commercial open source smartwatch, the PineTime.
Audacity owners Muse Group have denied that the popular open-source audio app is secretly turning into spyware, blaming an unclear privacy policy update rather than nefarious intent for the confusion. Long a popular tool for musicians and podcasters, Audacity made headlines earlier this week after changes to its privacy policy suggested the owners planned to sell user data.
One of open source software's biggest strengths is, naturally, its openness, which brings other benefits like freedom of use, security through scrutiny, flexibility, and more. That is mostly thanks to the open source-friendly licenses these programs use, but, from time to time, someone comes along and tries to make changes that infuriate the community of users and developers. Sometimes, those changes can even be illegal. Such seems to be the fate that has befallen Audacity, one of the open source world's most popular pieces of software that now comes under a very invasive privacy policy.
A few decades ago, the powers that be at Microsoft characterized Linux and open source in general as a cancer. Today, the company has pretty much embraced and even extended them, acquiring GitHub and allowing Linux to run almost natively inside Windows. The latter, officially named Windows Subsystem for Linux, is perhaps one of the best and most perplexing embodiments of its newfound love for Linux. It has now taken one step further by upgrading WSL2 to allow running graphical Linux apps, no third-party workarounds needed.
Our homes these days are riddled with cameras, from the ones in our phones and laptops to the more inconspicuous ones in security cameras inside and outside the house. Oftentimes, these cameras are designed to be invisible, utilitarian, and cold, even if they are sometimes used to communicate with a living being on the other end of the Internet line. Just as there have been attempts to make technology and devices feel more humane and human, a new experiment tries to make the humble webcam more relatable by turning it into a creepy eye that actually makes it feel more inhuman in the process.
Although a proprietary closed-source operating system, Windows also plays host to a suite of popular open source software, many of them providing functionality that's hard to find from proprietary solutions, especially for the price of free. Not all open source programs, however, are always free of shady behavior and, depending on who's in charge, some may start taking questionable actions to keep the lights on. One recent example is the popular FTP program FileZilla that has now resorted to a somewhat deceptive strategy to put adware on Windows computers.
I have a question about 3D scanning devices: Why aren't they easier to access? Today a project by Thomas Megel made the rest of the handheld smart device universe look silly by comparison. With OpenScan project software, Raspberry Pi, and the Pi camera v2.1, Megel created a budget-friendly 3D-scanning system that's able to capture highly accurate 10-micron 3D scans with relative ease.
A system for Android devices was created by user W1nst0n to crack down on bloatware with relative ease. This isn't a one-stop-shop for every single Android user - you still need to be able to use ADB. It IS far easier to use than most solutions that've been conjured over the past decade for this one purpose. This solution works without needing root, which means you're not going to need to mess with anything that'll void your smartphone's warranty - and again: easy.
There was a great deal of celebration at NASA and around the world when the Perseverance rover safely landed on the surface of Mars. That historic moment, however, carries a few firsts for a lot of things, and not just for space science alone. While the rolling rover is already important in itself, its companion helicopter drone is just as significant as it is the first time NASA used the open source Linux operating system on Mars, opening up the possibilities for tech demos like it in the future.
Tilt Brush is a virtual-reality painting application from Google that has been used by various creators over the years. Some of those creators are part of the Google Artist in Residence Program. Google says it wants to continue supporting artists using Tilt Brush by putting the application into the hands of everyone.