mastodon - Link to source

My @thunderbird regularly marks some S/MIME-signed mails with:

"Digital Signature is not valid!"

#TIL the reason: these mails are signed with sha1-algorithm which is considered insecure since TB 115.

There is a config to accept such signatures, see blog.thunderbird.net/2023/10/t…

However, I think the error message:

"There are unknown problems with this digital signature." is suboptimal.

Seems like an easy issue to fix, but on the other hand I was not even able to finde the appropriate repo. 😬


Thunderbird 115 and Signatures Using The Obsolete SHA-1 Algorithm

A change was made in Thunderbird 115.0 that rejects the use of the SHA-1 algorithm in digital signatures of S/MIME emails.
Kai Engert (The Thunderbird Blog)
#til @Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox
in reply to Tamas G

mastodon - Link to source

James Scholes

This is bullshit from someone who doesn't treat LLMs as tools. If you want them to interpret your asks and respond in a certain way, put that context in the system prompt and stop wasting tokens.

Saying "You act as though I always say please" is just as effective as actually saying it. Saying you want bullet points, or headed paragraphs, or responses without visual references, or whatever is even better. Not valuing politeness from a computer is even better than all of that.

This entry was edited (8 months ago)
in reply to James Scholes

mastodon - Link to source

Tamas G

I think the "valuing politeness" comes more from getting a greater effective output through it than otherwise, which isn't changing the core principle of LLMs: Since human data showed them that passages with polite dialog exert greater effort from the participant, it's likely that bias has now largely creeped into the average dataset of the models themselves. It's valid though to consider how this changes when applied to the prompt directly, as it least avoids repetition and can keep the positive sentiment the same rather than varying it across them.
This entry was edited (8 months ago)

mastodon - Link to source

I noticed a bug in our binutils port that had been generating semi-randomly broken branch relaxation trampolines for decades.

Why did it take so long to notice this code generation bug? The branch has to reach farther than +-32MB for the branch relaxation trampoline generation to kick in. And even then not all branches were affected (the type of relocation affected it, it had to be in a link library in a specific kind of segment and not in the beginning of it). Finally, for it to actually come into play, the branch had to actually be taken, too.

What did it do wrong then? It added the offset to the target function in the link library .text segment twice. So instead of jumping to the intended function it jumped somewhere random after that. Funnily, the jump might end up hitting some code that did not crash, but did something unintended. For you all non-developer peeps: That is very, very bad.

Fun features of this bug: Since whether the trampoline was generated or not depended on the order of object code and from where the affected call was being made, the bug would pop in and out of existence even on the smallest changes to the code or link libraries. If you know a thing about debugging, this is not very conducive to locating bugs.

Needless to say this one took a lot of head scratching to finally figure out. The fix was a change on a single line.

This bug was old enough to get into bars and drink alcohol legally.

EDIT: Oops, this was supposed to be a reply to this post: infosec.exchange/@harrysintone… - so added some context.

#bugstories #bugs #development #coding


Harry Sintonen (@harrysintonen@infosec.exchange)

Attached: 1 image The feeling when you notice a bug in your binutils port that has been generating semi-randomly broken branch relaxation trampolines for decades. #programming #coding #oops
Infosec Exchange
#development #coding #bugs #bugstories
This entry was edited (8 months ago)

mastodon - Link to source

With Andor s2 about to drop, it's good to keep in mind that in spite of popular assumptions, the Galactic Empire isn't based on the Nazis. George Lucas was very explicit that it's in fact supposed to represent the United States.

cbr.com/george-lucas-vietnam-w…


Star Wars Was A Vietnam War Allegory

One of George Lucas' main influences for the original Star Wars trilogy was the Vietnam War and the United States' involvement in the conflict.
Robert Vaux (CBR)

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mastodon - Link to source
LibreOffice had two major updates in 2024 with many improvements and fixes. Learn more from The Document Foundation's Annual Report: blog.documentfoundation.org/bl… #foss #OpenSource
Screenshot of comments using the new styles support

LibreOffice in 2024 – TDF's Annual Report - The Document Foundation Blog

In 2024, LibreOffice celebrated its fourteenth birthday. Two new major versions of the suite introduced a variety of new features, while minor releases helped to improve stability as well (This is part of The Document Foundation’s Annual Report for 2…
Mike Saunders (The Document Foundation)
#foss #opensource

mastodon - Link to source

Did you catch the recent ACB Vispero Presentation - Manage Windows 11 notifications with JAWS? In case you missed it, the archive is now available: acb-community.pinecast.co/epis…

#FreedomScientificTraining #JAWS


20250410 Vispero Presentation - Manage Windows 11 notifications with JAWS

Originally Broadcasted April 10, 2025, on ACB Media 5
ACB Community
#jaws #freedomscientifictraining

mastodon - Link to source

A cracked phone screen doesn't mean you need a new phone! Instead, choose #repair or refurbishment—it's better for your wallet, and the planet.

Repairing will refresh your device, but when you do replace it, remember to trade it in to somewhere like Back Market. Instead of ending up in a landfill, it'll find a new home in someone else's pocket (and put some money in yours!). This enables phones to stay in use for 10 years, saving cost and energy.

Learn more on our blog: ifixit.com/News/109306/fix-it-…

Diagram that shows "The Old Way" on the top and "The New Way" on the bottom, separated by a horizontal line. Under the "The Old Way" title is a sub-line that says "New phone every 2.5 years," and under that is four identical graphics in a row of a shiny phone with an arrow pointing to a trash can with an electrical plug symbol on it, implying the phone is being thrown away. Under that is the horizontal line that splits the image in half, and under that is the "The New Way" title. Under that is a sub-line that says "Repair and refurb for 10 years," followed by four different graphics in a row, separated by blue arrows pointing right: a shiny new phone > a screwdriver and wrench in an "X" shape > a hand holding the phone with the screen outlined in blue > a recycling bin.
Graphic titled "Keeping our Phones 10 Years Would Prevent 21.6 Million Tons of CO₂ Per Year," in all caps, with "21.6 Million Tons" circled in blue. Underneath the title is a collage of four different graphics that are meant to convey San Francisco: the Golden Gate bridge, the Transamerica Pyramid surrounded by two other generic building shapes, a trolley car ascending a hill, and three identical townhomes in a row. Underneath that is the caption "Equivalent to the annual energy consumption of the entire San Francisco Bay Area."

Fix It, Then Pass It On: iFixit Joins Forces with Back Market

Let’s say your phone starts slowing down. Battery life’s tanking. The screen’s got a few, uh, character lines. You could toss it in a drawer…
Elizabeth Chamberlain (iFixit)
#repair

mastodon - Link to source

END OF 10

"Support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025.

Microsoft wants you to buy a new computer.

But what if you could make your current one fast and secure again?

If you bought your computer after 2010, there's most likely no reason to throw it out. By just installing an up-to-date GNU/Linux operating system you can keep using it for years to come.

Installing an OS may sound difficult, but you don't have to go it alone! With any luck, there are people in your area ready to help!"

endof10.org/

#Microsoft #Windows #Windows10 #Windows11 #Linux #FOSS

Support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025. Microsoft wants you to buy a new computer. But what if you could make your current one fast and secure again?
If you bought your computer after 2010, there's most likely no reason to throw it out. By just installing an up-to-date GNU/Linux operating system you can keep using it for years to come. Installing an OS may sound difficult, but you don't have to go it alone! With any luck, there are people in your area ready to help!

End of 10

endof10.org
#linux #foss #Windows #Windows11 #microsoft #windows10
This entry was edited (8 months ago)

misskey - Link to source

【𝕭𝖆𝖘𝖘𝖕𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖑 🎬】
AxWax remixes at the Not Bonk What I Call Wave: Remixes Vol 2 launch party

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My two remixes on Not Bonk What I Call Wave: Remixes Vol 2, recorded at the release party Owncast stream. The tracks, Secret Deal - All Around (AxWax Remix) and Traiken - The Snag in Your Makeshift Cape (AxWax Remix) can be streamed / d...

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📺 v.basspistol.org/w/njehmVvLcBj…
⚠️ Your comments to this post are appreciated, but consider following this creator or interacting with the video directly by pasting the link above in your instance's search-box! 💌
🈁 #peerTube #Basspistol

#peertube #basspistol

mastodon - Link to source

🚨 EU citizens - Meta will start using your data for AI 🚨

Say NO and object!

Here's how 👉 tuta.com/blog/how-to-turn-off-…

#MetaAI #EU #AI

Screenshot from the Meta page where you can object to your data being used for AI

How to turn off Meta AI? You can’t, but... | Tuta

Noticed an AI assistant is now in your WhatsApp? Meta’s AI feature is now being rolled out in the EU and you can’t turn it off – but you can stop the AI invasion by opting for privacy-focused alternatives.
Tuta
#AI #EU #MetaAI

mastodon - Link to source
I meant to try this out for a few days now, and I finally did it. I was able to view a Telemundo News report in Spanish and have Meta glasses translate it to me in real time using the Live Translate feature. There is about a 5-10-second delay, but over all it's quite impressive. I even tried watching trailers for some Spanish-speaking movies... Quite something!
This entry was edited (8 months ago)

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mastodon - Link to source
Love some quotes in this article, e.g. that democrats and liberals are more likely to buy Teslas than republicans. Guess Elon forgot whose pockets he should be thankful to... As Tesla profits plunge 71%, Elon Musk says he’ll spend less time on DOGE - NPR apple.news/AXomrUMyFRKGbQrC1aN…

As Tesla profits plunge 71%, Elon Musk says he’ll spend less time on DOGE — NPR

Elon Musk says he’ll cut back his work with the federal government to one to two days per week. He said demand for Teslas is still strong, despite protests and plunging sales.
apple.news

glitchsoc - Link to source

"The old and new right-wing parties are amalgamating into a neoliberal and hyper-conservative ‘pleiad’ (social notables) that comprises neo-Christian fundamentalists, including Fatimists (a Catholic religious faction). The new desire to celebrate November 25 emerges from here. The latest extreme on the right is embodied in the anti-communism of IL (the Liberal Initiative) and the neo-fascism of Chega. The media normalizes it all as milquetoast ‘liberals’ rather than what they are – figures of the ‘radical / extreme right’. These groupings want to celebrate November 25 for what it was: a coup d’état against democracy at work, against the duality of popular power. In short, they want to celebrate the counter-revolution, the beginning of the end of the Revolution.

November 25 heralded Portugal’s reconstruction from a ‘national capitalism’ dependent on forced labour in its African colonies until 1974 to a subservient capitalism that is a de facto protectorate of the leading European power of Germany, France, and Britain. Portugal now helplessly depends on investments and capital goods from North America, Spain, China, and other countries.

The ostensible ‘democratic counter-revolution’ of 25 November 1975 is a central political event for understanding what happened in Portugal, and it was far less democratic and far more reactionary in its roots. As we rescue the authentic memory of the Carnation Revolution and lament its demise, no wonder Father Martins Júnior said in a piercing manner that what remains is “50 neo-fascists in the hemicycle 50 years after the April Revolution.”

The impossible became possible on that day 50 years ago. The dreams unleashed on April 25, 1974, neither have been vanquished nor fulfilled. The slogan could not be more urgent: April 25 forever, fascism never again!"

socialistproject.ca/2025/04/th…

#Portugal #CarnationRevolution #25deAbril #25deNovembro #Fascismo #Fascism #EstadoNovo


The Carnation Revolution of Portugal Today

In an unmistakable style in the form of a provocative lecture in Lisbon in 2024, at the age of 84 Father Martins Júnior asked: “50 years later, what irony! There are 50 fascists, one for each year, in Parliament.
socialistproject.ca
#fascism #portugal #fascismo #25deabril #carnationrevolution #25denovembro #estadonovo

mastodon - Link to source
If you heard about that hacking of the voices of traffic light crosswalks in the US recently, the root cause is the devices all had the password '1234' and an app to reprogram the devices was on the Apple app store.
theregister.com/2025/04/19/us_…

Hacking US crosswalks to talk like Zuck is as easy as 1234

Video: AI-spoofed Mark joins fellow billionaires as the voice of the street – here's how it was probably done
Iain Thomson (The Register)

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