I have been slowly making my way through the B5 novels. Today, I just finished reading "Casting Shadows" by Jeanne Cavelos, which is the first book of a trilogy called "the Passing of the Techno-mages." In this first book, we learn quite a lot about the techno-mage order and a lot more about the technology that they use to do what seems like magic. We meet Elric, a member of the techno-mage's inner circle, and his apprentice Galen, whom we later see in the spin-off series "Crusade."
This book explains why the techno-mages decided to leave once they became aware of the existence of an ancient enemy. This is a great prequel to the second season B5 episode "the Geometry of Shadows" and any fan of B5 should consider reading this book.
November 6, 2024 – Apple smart glasses rumors, more
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts...Seth Kurkowski (9to5Mac)
One downside to Braille is that you have to use your brain. And if you're like me, you get words confused because your brain doesn't always register every dot your fingers feel. So, Lyft becomes Loft. Just, uncontracted if you're reading this in Braille.
One good thing about Braille, though, is you get to use your brain. So, if your TTS or narrator doesn't pronounce a name correctly, you can read it in Braille any way you want. And if you're like me, you really notice the things.
At the time I got married, 13 years ago, I lived in a flat. I liked it cos it was a short walk from the train station. Good for getting home after late nights out.
My wife moved in. One day she said, "The only problem with this flat is that it's a long walk from the station."
Long?
Turns out it's short if you go thru the woods & by the dark underpass, a route a woman would never think of taking.
And that was my 1st lesson in how we inhabit the same space but live in different worlds.
WE WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS
A JEWELRY GIFT PROGRAM FOR TRANS PEOPLE
Basically: I'm extremely depressed about America and would like to cheer myself up by giving trans people who can't afford my jewelry some jewelry for free.
nora.jewelry/pages/we-want-you…
EDIT: I had to close submissions because I got totally overwhelming response. If you've already submitted you're in my system and I'll get to you.
We Want You To Have This: Jewelry Gifts For Trans People
Requests for gifts are currently closed! I will open them up again once I have restocked the store and sent out the current batch.Nora Reed Designs
Microsoft tests AI-powered editing in Notepad
Microsoft is rolling out a new Rewrite feature in Notepad for Windows Insiders, allowing users to rephrase and adjust the tone of their text with AI.Emma Roth (The Verge)
What is Umask in Linux and how to use it effectively? - RoseHosting
What is Umask in Linux and how can you use it effectively? Learn everything you need to know with our latest easy-to-follow guide.Jeff Wilson (RoseHosting)
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#Telegram nabízí další limitované dárky! 🎁 Stále mi chybí funkce, abych si dárek mohl zakoupit sám pro sebe. Ten gramofon nutně potřebuji. 😀😀
Bitkár je predsedom výboru pre obranu a bezpečnosť. To nevymyslíš. To je naozaj možné len na Slovensku.
aktuality.sk/clanok/XCCjLsw/ri…
Richard Glück je novým predsedom parlamentného výboru pre obranu a bezpečnosť
Richarda Glücka podporilo 85 poslancov.TASR (Aktuality.sk)
It’s because she’s a woman.
I don’t want to hear any other excuses or analysis around “the campaign could have done this or that”.
It turns out the majority of the American people would rather vote for any man over a woman. 2016 was not a fluke.
Deep, deep misogyny. A whole new level of disturbing.
Wow, amazing! And, of course, it had to be #California! nfb.social/@President/11343753…
To my knowledge this is the first time that a blind woman will serve in Congress! Congratulations to Lateefah Simon on being elected to represent California’s 12th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Representative Simon was born blind and is a fierce advocate for accessible transportation, civil rights, and racial justice. We continue to encourage more blind people to seek elected positions in government.
Ukraine Daily Summary - Wednesday, November 6 2024
Wednesday, November 6
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Military and police members inspect the remains of a Russian drone in the Shevchenkivskyi district after the Nov. 5 attack in Kharkiv. As a result of the strike, two women were injured. (Oleksandr Manchenko/Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Umerov confirms first battles between Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast. The clashes were small-scale, according to Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Russia launches record number of drones in October, General Staff reports. Russia launched at least 4,300 Shahed-type attack drones and similar UAVs imitating Shaheds against Ukraine between August and October 2024 — a sharp increase compared to earlier months — according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Ukrainian Legion in Poland reportedly receives over 500 applications in a month. The recruitment center of the Ukrainian Legion in Poland has received over 500 applications in a month from Ukrainians living in 30 countries, Ukrinform reported on Nov. 5, citing the center's officials.
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Ukrainian GPS spoofing for repelling drone attacks could indirectly affect smartphone clocks, General Staff says. Users in Ukraine have begun to experience more frequent automatic time changes on their smartphones due to the activation of electronic warfare systems during air raid alarms.
Google responds to claims map images revealed locations of Ukrainian weapons. "These satellite images were taken more than a year ago and come from publicly available sources — we deliberately do not publish the latest images of war zones," Google said.
Putin appoints Ukraine war veteran as governor of Tambov region. Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed a Ukraine war veteran to govern one of Russia’s regions, marking the highest position awarded to a participant in the full-scale invasion so far.
The Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF) — one of the largest international forums in Eastern Europe — will take place on Nov. 7, with the Kyiv Independent as a media partner.
KIEF brings together representatives of business, government, and society to promote Ukraine's integration into the global community.
Register here: **forumkyiv.org/en/**
Read our exclusives
Zelensky used talk with Trump about nuclear weapons as leverage before crucial US election, analysts say
With Ukraine's future hanging in the balance ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, Ukraine’s president turned up the heat, invoking the specter of nuclear weapons to nudge whoever lands in the Oval Office toward offering more conventional weaponry to Kyiv.
Photo: Uliana Boichuk/Novyny LIVE/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
| Learn more |
Ukraine war latest: Kyiv confirms first battles between Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast
The first clashes between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and North Korean soldiers have already taken place in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed on Nov. 5 in an interview with South Korean TV channel KBS.
Photo: Ed Jones / AFP via Getty Images
| Learn more |
Ukraine struggles to contain Russian advance in Donetsk Oblast as US elections loom
As U.S. voters head to the polls on Nov. 5 for presidential elections likely to shape the course of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the situation on the battlefield is beginning to unravel for Kyiv.
Photo: Gaelle Girbes/Getty Images
| Learn more |
‘Trump wants to do everything he can to help Putin,’ McCain Institute head says
Evelyn Farkas, head of the McCain Institute—a U.S.-based think tank named after the late Republican Senator John McCain—fears that Donald Trump's return as president would be the worst-case scenario for Ukraine.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
| Learn more |
Harris or Trump — Ukraine braces for best, worst-case scenarios as US elects new president
The two candidates' pre-election positions on continuing to support Ukraine with weaponry are in such stark contrast that some experts estimate whoever emerges victorious will impact whether Kyiv stays in the fight or is choked of supplies to the point of capitulation.
Photo: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
| Learn more |
Human cost of war
Russian military shoots 6 Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk Oblast, Prosecutor General's Office says. Russian troops shoot six captured Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in the Pokrovsk sector of the front line in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office reported on Nov. 5.
Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia kills 6, injures 23. Russian forces reportedly targeted an infrastructure facility, starting a fire. The full extent of damage is being determined.
Russia strikes near residential area in Kharkiv**, injuring at least 2.** Moscow struck the Shevchenskyi district with a Shahed-type drone at nearly 5 p.m. local time, according to the preliminary data.
McFaul on Ukraine's future with Trump vs. Harris
International response
Sweden unveils new aid package for Ukraine worth over $9 million. Sweden will provide Ukraine with a new aid package valued at nine million euros ($9.8 million), which includes two vessels designed to enhance maritime security. The country will also supply 40,000 protective masks and respirators to Ukraine's Emergency Service personnel.
Estonia wants to bar Russian, Belarusian citizens from voting in local elections. Estonia aims to narrow voting eligibility in local elections to exclude Russian and Belarusian citizens in order to counter Russian influence, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told state broadcaster ERR on Nov. 4.
North Korean military involvement in Russia's war to be met with 'coordinated response,' G7 foreign ministers say. Besides the G7 members, including the U.S., Japan, Italy, the U.K., Germany, France, Canada, and the High Representative of the European Union, the statement was also signed by South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
U.S. presidential election
Republicans take back US Senate. The Republican party has won control of the U.S. Senate, according to projected election results on Nov. 5.
Trump wins key US state of North Carolina. With 90% of votes tallied, Trump led Democratic challenger Vice President Kamala Harris 50.8% to 48%. The projection marks the first call of a major swing state in the U.S. presidential election.
Chinese accounts linked to Russian election disinformation. Analysts at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab found that accounts originating in China helped amplify Russian disinformation videos targeting U.S. voters.
Russia stepping up election interference as US citizens head to polls, intelligence agencies warn. Russia is expected to intensify attempts to undermine the U.S. vote on election day with a focus on swing states, U.S. intelligence agencies said in a statement on the eve of the election on Nov. 4.
Bomb threats across multiple states traced to Russian email domains**, FBI says.** As Americans head to the polls on Nov. 5, the FBI has announced that bomb threats targeting polling sites in multiple states appear to have originated from Russian email domains. The agency clarified that none of these threats have been deemed credible.
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Zelensky used talk with Trump about nuclear weapons as leverage before crucial US election, analysts say
With Ukraine's future hanging in the balance ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, Ukraine’s president turned up the heat, invoking the specter of nuclear weapons to nudge whoever lands in the Oval Office toward offering more conventio…Oleg Sukhov (The Kyiv Independent)
I'm Russian living in Russia. I was 5 when Putin was 'elected'. I'm 30 now. I know that feeling of hopelessness very well. You should never surrender. Autocrats of the world are counting on you being down and depoliticized because all of this. Don't give them an easy win. Always fight, no matter how bad situation seems.
#usa #trump #election #democracy #us #uspol #USPolitics #harris #russia #putin #palestine #ukraine
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Looks like #IzzyOnDroid passed Hetzner's first maintenance window fine 🤗
Let's keep our fingers crossed for the other two (tomorrow and Friday) 🤞
Eh François Legault. Ferme ta gueule
(that's the racist piece of shit at the head of the province for those who don't follow)
Great to see you're adopting some of the #security features we've implemented earlier this year at #IzzyOnDroid @fdroidorg! Maybe you want to check our documentation on them?
android.izzysoft.de/articles/n…
* it's SIGNING blocks, not FROSTING blocks
* MEITUAN is about payload, not metadata
* there's no fixed number of blocks as your code assumes (gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroidserver…)
The article you link to (bi-zone.medium.com/easter-egg-…) tells you the same :wink:
Easter Egg in APK Files: What Is Frosting - BI.ZONE - Medium
A file structure is a whole fascinating world with its own history, mysteries and a home-grown circus of freaks, where workarounds are applied liberally. If you dig deeper into it, you can discover…BI.ZONE (Medium)
Only what you call "Google metadata" (0x2146444E) is the Google Play Frosting Block, neither the DEPENDENCY_INFO_BLOCK (0x504b4453) nor the MEITUAN_APK_CHANNEL_BLOCK (0x71777777) are. And Meituan calls their block Payload themselves:
github.com/search?q=repo%3AMei…
PS: you can find our corresponding code here:
gitlab.com/IzzyOnDroid/repo/-/…
Note the "UNKNOWN" towards the end of the screenshot, to make sure yet unknown blocks are not missed.
lib/CheckSigningBlocks.py · master · IzzyOnDroid / repo · GitLab
The F-Droid compatible repo at https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/GitLab
My Android APK signing block payload PoC from Feb 2023 can use either a custom block or hide the payload in the verity padding block.
The IzzyOnDroid scanner will catch either variant, but the F-Droid scanner will miss both.
github.com/obfusk/sigblock-cod…
GitHub - obfusk/sigblock-code-poc: android apk signing block payload poc
android apk signing block payload poc. Contribute to obfusk/sigblock-code-poc development by creating an account on GitHub.GitHub
A bridge basking in the last rays of the day. The shadow has already reached the bridge. However, a sunset also promises a sunrise. And I look forward to that, even if it sometimes takes a while.
#photography #squared #minimalism
A few folks have reached out because I have been posting less since the result came in. I really appreciate y'all looking out for me, but the reduction in posting volume is a *good* indication for my mental health, not a bad one :).
I was posting like a maniac and focused on politics in the lead-up to draw attention to Super Swing Districts, trying to spend my political capital, such as it is, with my largely tech audience to advance something that I thought might help. And I feel like it did.
Do not mistake this to mean that I think everything will be fine now. I am, absolutely, grieving this result. I think there will be horrors in the next four years that they will write history books about, if the oceans have not risen to cover everything that they could write books with.
But I could be wrong about that. The horrors are not happening *now*. They are not happening here, and they are not happening to me. Most likely, they are not happening to you, right now, either.
Between here and the horrors, we must each do what we can. And that means helping each other. But it also means doing what we are good at.
There *are* some people for whom that is constantly posting about politics. We need polemicists and "influencers", polling analysts and newscasters. But that's not me. And if it's not you, either, you need to give yourself grace not just to rest and grieve, but to get back to your actual work, even if it feels further from the fight.
Inspired by this post by @glyph: mastodon.social/@glyph/1134377…
Thank you @nolan for all of your work on the Pinafore client for Mastodon, and for continuing to operate this instance.
Glyph (@glyph@mastodon.social)
One of the folks who reached out even specifically mentioned that they were using https://github.com/glyph/pomodouroboros for the first time, and it was helping them be productive. And speaking of mental health, that helped more than anything.Mastodon
Jamie Teh reshared this.
You wouldn't believe the hoops I had to jump through to vote by mail from overseas this year.
I wouldn't be surprised if the turnout from us abroad is much lower due to all of the mischief.
Extra mess:
The GA portal had errors and it linked to another site for the mailing address… which was unreachable.
Then there were two different mailing addresses.
I wouldn't have been able to mail in my ballot if I didn't have chat history and Archive.org (which was even down later).
Felyashono
in reply to David Goldfield • • •David Goldfield
in reply to Felyashono • • •