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#Accessibility #android #google #blind

I'm writing this post here today in hopes to bring some attention to something that is near and dear to my heart, and that's an update to the current situation with Nova Launcher, that I worked for and with for nine years up until August of 2024.

For those that haven't seen the news, Kevin Barry, the founder and developer of Nova has left Branch which in turn means he's now no longer involved with Nova Launcher in any way going forward.

teslacoilapps.com/nova/solong.…

For the past year or so Kevin has stated that he was working on the open source version of Nova Launcher so that if/when this time came, it would be out in the open and the community could take it over and contribute to it and have it continue being developed.

However, it seems that Harish Thimmappa and others at Branch had told him to stop working on that effort as they didn't want him to continue doing that for unknown reasons. This is sad news because this was something that former CEO, Alex Austin, had promised both via a contract and publicly that if Kevin were to ever leave Branch, Nova Launcher would become open source. You can find that quote here:

reddit.com/r/Android/comments/…

and another very similar quote with similar conversation here:

reddit.com/r/Android/comments/…

The reason for this post is to try and draw some attention to the folks at Branch, specifically folks like Harish Thimmappa to do the right thing and honor these promises and any writings in the contracts from 2022 and to fully focus on releasing Nova Launcher as an open source app.

The community deserves this more than anything, since that was something that Kevin was very adamant about when he allowed Branch to acquire Nova Launcher back in 2022. Plus, this is just something that Branch should do since it is something that has been promised.

There is currently a petition on Change.org to try and get Branch to do this as well. After only 3 days of it being posted to Change.org, it sits at almost 1,500 signatures, and that's with very little to no press coverage at this time, which is something that would be super useful to bring full attention to this situation. You can find the petition here:

change.org/p/make-nova-launche…

I ask that everyone who sees this post can share it with their followers as I would love to see Branch do the right thing and follow through with their promises that were made back in 2022 when they acquired Nova Launcher and release it fully as an open source app now that Kevin is no longer working for Branch and not involved in Nova Launcher.

I'm going to tag some folks below that I worked with at Branch in hopes of getting this post seen by as many folks there as possible.

#NovaLauncher #Nova #Branch #BranchMetrics #OpenSource #OpenSourceNova #Petition #Android #Apps #Google

A banner image for the Android app Nova Launcher.

Make Nova Launcher Open Source, Let the Community Continue Its Development!

Jack Moreland (Change.org)
#android #google #opensource #apps #petition #novalauncher #nova #branch #branchmetrics #opensourcenova

The #Google playstore bias against #FOSS apps should end, @daniel. I'm so sorry you face this.

Never would software freedom activists like myself, in 2005, imagined that 20 years later the most common computers that most users have would forbid users from installing FOSS, *AND* impede small FOSS businesses from operating boutique shops that provide useful FOSS apps to their users.

The computing world quickly slouches toward dystopia.

#foss #google @Daniel Gultsch

#google #privacy #GMail #france #tuta

Since I was a kid, I've always wondered how people could have let the Nazis do it... now I know : « #Google’s $45 million contract to spread #Netanyahu's #propaganda »

(all sources in the article)

› jackpoulson.substack.com/p/goo…

#BigTech #GAFAM #Colonialism #Fascism #Palestine #FreePalestine


Google’s $45 million contract to spread Netanyahu's propaganda

Google is in the middle of a six-month, $45 million propaganda contract with Netanyahu’s office and was described as a “key entity” supporting Israel's messaging.
Jack Poulson (All-Source Intelligence)
#google #propaganda #GAFAM #palestine #bigtech #colonialism #fascism #netanyahu #freepalestine

I emailed the EU (COMP-DMA@ec.europa.eu) explaining why I think #Google's new anti #sideload measures are problematic.

They responded stating they "welcome feedback from interested parties", noting that the #DMA does allow "strictly necessary and proportionate measures to ensure [3rd party apps/stores] do not endanger the [hardware or OS] or to [allow users to effectively protect security]".

May be worth sending an email explaining your opinion on the necessity and proportionality :)

#google #dma #sideload

I've been using @ecosia for several weeks. Its privacy protection is less strict than DuckDuckGo's, but otherwise, it's a very usable #search engine, on par with #Google (no surprise, since it uses their index). If you keep using Google because you can't get used to other search engines, consider Ecosia. You'll get the same results, and while Google would use the profits from your searches to build more data centers for AI, Ecosia will use them to plant trees.
#google #search @Ecosia

#Accessibility #google @Michael Hanscom

Is it possible to allow sideloading *and* keep users safe?


shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/08/is-it…

In which I attempt to be pragmatic.

Are you allowed to run whatever computer program you want on the hardware you own? This is a question where freedom, practicality, and reality all collide into a mess.

Google has recently announced that Android users will only be able to install apps which have been digitally signed by developers who have registered their name and other legal details with Google. To many people, this signals the death of "sideloading" - the ability to install apps which don't originate on the official store0.

I'm a fully paid-up member of the Cory Doctorow fanclub. Back in 2011, he gave a speech called "The Coming War on General Computation". In it, he rails against the idea that our computers could become traitorous; serving the needs of someone other than their owner. Do we want to live in a future where our computers refuse to obey our commands? No! Neither law nor technology should conspire to reduce our freedom to compute.

There are, I think, two small cracks in that argument.

The first is that a user has no right to run anyone else's code, if the code owner doesn't want to make it available to them. Consider a bank which has an app. When customers are scammed, the bank is often liable. The bank wants to reduce its liability so it says "you can't run our app on a rooted phone".

Is that fair? Probably not. Rooting allows a user to fully control and customise their device. But rooting also allows malware to intercept communications, send commands, and perform unwanted actions. I think the bank has the right to say "your machine is too risky - we don't want our code to run on it."

The same is true of video games with strong "anti-cheat" protection. It is disruptive to other players - and to the business model - if untrustworthy clients can disrupt the game. Again, it probably isn't fair to ban users who run on permissive software, but it is a rational choice by the manufacturer. And, yet again, I think software authors probably should be able to restrict things which cause them harm.

So, from their point of view it is pragmatic to insist that their software can only be loaded from a trustworthy location.

But that's not the only thing Google is proposing. Let's look at their announcement:

We’ve seen how malicious actors hide behind anonymity to harm users by impersonating developers and using their brand image to create convincing fake apps. The scale of this threat is significant: our recent analysis found over 50 times more malware from internet-sideloaded sources than on apps available through Google Play.


Back in the early days of Android, you could just install any app and it would run, no questions asked. That was a touchingly naïve approach to security - extremely easy to use but left users vulnerable.

A few years later, Android changed to show user the permissions an app was requesting. Here's a genuine screenshot from an app which I tried to sideload in 2013:

A terrifying list of permissions.

No rational user would install a purported battery app with that scary list of permissions, right? Wrong!

We know that users don't read and they especially don't read security warnings.

There is no UI tweak you can do to prevent users bypassing these scary warnings. There is no amount of education you can provide to reliably make people stop and think.

Here's the story of a bank literally telling a man he was being scammed and he still proceeded to transfer funds to a fraudster.

It emerged that, in this case, Lloyds had done a really good job of not only spotting the potential fraud but alerting James to it. The bank blocked a number of transactions, it spoke to James on the phone to warn him and even called him into a branch to speak to him face-to-face.


Here's another one where a victim deliberately lied to their bank even after acknowledging that they had been told it was a scam.

Android now requires you to deliberately turn on the ability to side-load. It will give you prompts and warnings, force you to take specific actions, give you pop-ups and all sorts of confirmation steps.

And people still click on.

Let's go back to Google announcement. This change isn't being rolled out worldwide immediately. They say:

This change will start in a few select countries specifically impacted by these forms of fraudulent app scams, often from repeat perpetrators.

…

September 2026: These requirements go into effect in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. At this point, any app installed on a certified Android device in these regions must be registered by a verified developer.


The police in Singapore have a page warning about the prevalence of these scams. They describe how victims are tricked or coerced into turning off all their phone's security features.

Similarly, there are estimates that Brazil lost US$54 billion to scams in 2024 (albeit not all through apps).

There are anecdotal reports from Indonesia which show how easily people fall for these fake apps.

Thailand is also under an ongoing onslaught of malicious apps with some apps raking in huge amounts of money.

It is absolutely rational that government, police, and civic society groups want to find ways to stop these scams.

Google is afraid that if Android's reputation is tarnished as the "Scam OS" then users will move to more secure devices.

Financial institutions might stop providing functionality to Android devices as a way to protect their customers. Which would lead to those users seeking alternate phones.

Society as a whole wants to protect vulnerable people. We all bear the cost of dealing with criminal activity like this.

Given that sideloaded Android apps are clearly a massive vector for fraud, it obviously behoves Google to find a way to secure their platform as much as possible.

And Yet…


This is quite obviously a bullshit powerplay by Google to ensnare the commons. Not content with closing down parts of the Android Open Source Project, stuffing more and more vital software behind its proprietary services, and freezing out small manufacturers - now it wants the name and shoe-size of every developer!

Fuck that!

I want to use my phone to run the code that I write. I want to run my friends' code. I want to play with cool open source projects by people in far-away lands.

I remember The Day Google Deleted Me - we cannot have these lumbering monsters gatekeeping what we do on our machines.

Back in the days when I was a BlackBerry developer, we had to wait ages for RIM's code-signing server to become available. I'm pretty sure the same problem affected Symbian - if Nokia was down that day, you couldn't release any code.

Going back to their statement:

To be clear, developers will have the same freedom to distribute their apps directly to users through sideloading or to use any app store they prefer.


This is a lie. I can only distribute a sideloaded app if Google doesn't nuke my account. If I piss off someone there, or they click the wrong button, or they change the requirements so I'm no longer eligible - my content disappears.

They promise that Android will still be open to student and hobbyist developers - but would you believe anything those monkey-punchers say? Oh, and what a fricking insult to call a legion of Open Source developers "hobbyists"!

I hate it.

I also don't see how this is going to help. I guess if scammers all use the same ID, then it'll be easy for Android to super-nuke all the scam apps.

Perhaps when you install a sideloaded app you'll see "This app was made by John Smith - not a company. Here's his photo. Got any complaints? Call his number."

But what's going to happen is that people will get their IDs stolen, or be induced to register as a developer and then sign some malware. They'll also be victims.

So What's The Solution?


I've tried to be pragmatic, but there's something of a dilemma here.

  1. Users should be free to run whatever code they like.
  2. Vulnerable members of society should be protected from scams.

Do we accept that a megacorporation should keep everyone safe at the expense of a few pesky nerds wanting to run some janky code?

Do we say that the right to run free software is more important than granny being protected from scammers?

Do we pour billions into educating users not to click "yes" to every prompt they see?

Do we try and build a super-secure Operating System which, somehow, gives users complete freedom without exposing them to risk?

Do we hope that Google won't suddenly start extorting developers, users, and society as a whole?

Do we chase down and punish everyone who releases a scam app?

Do we stick an AI on every phone to detect scam apps and refuse to run them if they're dodgy?

I don't know the answers to any of these questions and - if I'm honest - I don't like asking them.


  1. Post by @Gargron
    View on Mastodon


    ↩︎


#android #google #rant #scam

How Little Do Users Read?

On the average Web page, users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% is more likely.
Jakob Nielsen (Nielsen Norman Group)

Eugen Rochko

2025-08-26 04:30:36

mastodon - Link to source

"Sideloading" is the rentseeker word for "being able to run software of your choosing on a computing device you purchased". There is no reasonable case for an operating system developer having a say over what programs you run on your hardware.

#Android #Google


#android #google #scam #rant @Eugen Rochko

#Google here is showing one of the most toxic attitudes possible, that of arrogance and ignorance.
#google

#android #google

So what? Whoever wants (near) full control doesn't run stock #Android but a decent #CustomROM such als #LineageOS and its derivatives (/e/OS, iodé and more), and runs FOSS Apps as far as possible.
What #Google does? I couldn't care less.
#android #google #customrom #lineageos

#google #googleplay #sideloading

Re last: I absolutely agree, but doesn't #Apple do the same all this time? #Google #Android
#android #apple #google

"Sideloading" is the rentseeker word for "being able to run software of your choosing on a computing device you purchased". There is no reasonable case for an operating system developer having a say over what programs you run on your hardware.

#Android #Google

#android #google

***** Google's plans to restrict sideloading on Android are an authoritarian wet dream come true *****

Let me be really clear about how horrifically dangerous #Google's plans are to restrict #Android sideloading to "verified developers" (that is, entities for which Google has full verified identity and associated information that they could hand over to authorities on demand).

This means that even though you own your Android device, you cannot install apps obtained from ANY source (except perhaps apps you build yourself that will only be permitted to run on your own device) unless Google knows pretty much everything about who created that app.

The ways that this could be abused are so numerous I won't even start listing them here, other than to note that it is absolutely horrific overreach by Google and at least appears to be Google bending over for abusive government demands, and could put already vulnerable individuals and groups at even more risk.

Absolutely disgusting.

L

#android #google

#android #google

#android #playstore #google #fdroid #MapComplete

nechť je to na YouTube, protože tam se to bude víc šířit“. Jsem malej pán, abych přesvědčením porazil algoritmy Big Tech, potřebuju reálný marketing a organický dosah.


Přesně s tímhle argumentem mě vyfuckovali holky z FITFAB .. je vidět, že ten lock-in má prostě #Google zmáknutej.

Co s tim dělat - nevim... :/

#google

#android #google #degoogled #futokeyboard #gboard

#google @Organic Maps

Na landing page pro ureleased.art (pro neprihlasene vede na join.unreleased.art) se nam hromadi prichozi z Google Searche. S rostouci tendenci. Me to prekvapuje. Search Console mlci.

Vyzkoumal jsem, ze Google AI overview nas zminuje u nasich umelcu. viz photo. Zajimavost na tom AI overview je, ze dost veci je tam spatne/vymyslenych. A taky vede na pidgin landing page, coz je tak trochu meh 🤷

Jak s tim nalozit netusime. Rady vitany.

#google #ai #search #hudba

Na obrazovce je tmavé uživatelské rozhraní s nadpisem „AI Overview“, pod nímž se zobrazuje text oznamující, že Asher Roth vydal na platformě Unreleased.art kolekci písní „New Dessert“ s pěti nenahranými rapy produkovanými umělcem Peanut MPC (aka Logic). Dole jsou podrobné body „Key details about ‘New Dessert’“ včetně obsahu, platformy, účelu a výhod pro fanoušky, vše v bílém písmu na tmavém pozadí s modrými odkazy.
Snímek obrazovky tmavého uživatelského rozhraní s nadpisem „AI Overview“, kde text oznamuje, že Asher Roth vydal pětisklá EP „New Dessert“ dne 23. října 2024, které je dostupné výhradně těm, kdo upečou specifický dezert. Pod tím jsou odrážky s podrobnými detaily – koncept, netradiční způsob vydání, inspirace receptu, omezená edice 100 kopií a spolupráce s producentem Logicem – a vpravo se zobrazuje malá černobílá fotografie Ashera Rotha.
#google #AI #search #hudba

So…who hates those Google log-in pop-ups that are seemingly everywhere now? Wanna make them go away?

1. Get uBlock Origin (which you should have already been using):

github.com/gorhill/uBlock

2. Open the plugin and click the settings button.

3. Click on the “my filters” tab and paste this into the input:

||accounts.google.com/gsi/*$xhr,script,3p

That’s it! Worked flawlessly for me.

(Updated URL. Thx @IceWolf
and @emz!)

#Google #Privacy #Security #PopUps #InfoSec #BadGoogle

Screenshot of a pop-up window with the title “sign in with google” followed by other information and a button with the label “continue.”
Two screenshots of the ublock origin interface. The first one shows where the settings button is. The second shows where the filters input is on the view behind the tab with the label “my filters.”

GitHub - gorhill/uBlock: uBlock Origin - An efficient blocker for Chromium and Firefox. Fast and lean.

uBlock Origin - An efficient blocker for Chromium and Firefox. Fast and lean. - gorhill/uBlock
GitHub
#google #privacy #infosec #security #badgoogle #popups @Frost, glow wolf 🐺 @Emma Zühlcke

#google #chromeos #guadec2025

#google #guadec2025

#gemini #google #privacy #AI #consent

#google #meta @GrapheneOS

From the BrailleNote mailing list, about BrailleNote updates:

I'm not a HumanWare employee but was also there and can get this started and they can come in and verify.

They started with the first Braillenote Touch that had android. They went thru the entire Google certification process to allow it to have all the google services like google play store. This certification allowed them to update its Android OS to a certain point. To go any farther they had to have a device certified for the new version. They tried to certify the first braillenote touch for the new android OS but google will not allow recertification of a already certified device. This is where Braillenote touch plus comes to play. They created a new model and got it certified for the new version of android OS. Braillenote touch plus has now again gotten to the limit of its android OS updates. Human ware said the process of certifying a device of extensive and the cost was extremely high for the low number of devices they sell. They said there will be new devices to continue the segment with, but they can't talk about those right now. They said they're not just stopping the braillenote touch plus and that's it! They're working on finding a valid solution for the high cost of google certification for a new device. Rather that's Linux, windows, uncertified android, etc.

The Monarch has an uncredited android which is not a bad or wrong thing to do, this just means it doesn't have the google services like play store.

I hope this helps everyone understand where they are with this and that it's a google stupidity thing not a HumanWare thing.

#Braille #accessibility #blind #BrailleNote #technology #Android #google

#Accessibility #android #google #blind #technology #braille #braillenote

#google #privacy #meta #bigtech

#google

I love how smart these AI technologies are. They understand that "bigger" for cities can be ambiguous, refer to either the population or the area. It's also great that it's showing the sources in the upper corner, and displaying the basic facts.

Small minus on consistency and correctness, but other than that, really a great answer.

#google #ai #googleaioverview

Google Search AI Overview screenshot. Query: is zurich bigger than Stuttgart? Answer: Yes, Zurich is bigger than Stuttgart, both in terms of population and land area. Stuttgart has a population of around 632,000, while Zurich's population is around 434,000. Zurich's urban area is also larger, covering 91.88 square kilometers compared to Stuttgart's 207.35 square kilometers.
#google #AI #googleaioverview

@iode
@e_mydata

auf welchen #Google #Android
#Smartphones ist #Gemini den vorinstalliert ??

auf allen, außer den Custom ROMs ??

Ergänzung, habe Ich über flogen...

,, Wenn Sie nicht Googles Android, sondern Alternativen verwenden, ist das Risiko von fragwürdigen Updates wie diesem nahe null. ,,

#android #gemini #google #smartphones @iodé @/e/OS - deGoogled mobile OS

⚠️Today Gemini starts scanning your phone ⚠️

We've updated this blog post with recommendations from the @Mastodon community. Learn:

👉 How to disable Gemini
👉 How to deinstall Gemini

And why @GrapheneOS @LineageOS and others are better in the first place.

Stop #Google now: 👉 tuta.com/blog/how-to-disable-g…

Screenshot of the email Google sent with a headline "We've made it easier for Gemini to interact with your device" next to text, "NO THANKS! Learn how to disable Gemini on Android on the Tuta blog."

On July 7, Gemini AI will access your WhatsApp and more. Learn how to disable it on Android. | Tuta

Gemini AI needs to be disabled on Android or it will override your privacy settings and gain full access to your texts, calls, and WhatsApp - even if you’ve turned off Gemini Apps Activity.
Tuta
#google @Mastodon @LineageOS @GrapheneOS

#android #google #privacymatters #geminiai

Love how #Google has decided to lock down #Android in increasingly ridiculous ways. I can no longer save files to my downloads folder, for "security and privacy reasons." This includes USB transfer from my PC to my phone, as well as Tailscale. Not even iOS is this restrictive! Switching to something like #GraphineOS or #lineage becomes more and more tempting by the day.
#android #google #graphineos #lineage

#Android: Millionenurteil gegen #Google wegen Datenübertragung im Hintergrund
heise.de/news/Android-Millione…

"Das habt ihr falsch verstanden! Das ist doch für die Sicherheit!" (Kein Scherz, sondern Google's Antwort auf das Urteil)


Android: Millionenurteil gegen Google wegen Datenübertragung im Hintergrund

Wenn Android im Hintergrund Daten an Google schickt, kann das die Mobilfunkrechnung belasten. Laut einem kalifornischen Urteil soll Google dafür geradestehen.
Daniel AJ Sokolov (heise online)
#android #google

#google

#google #privacy #fediverse #facebook #GAFAM #vieprivee #PersonalData #privacylife #privacydata #donneespersonnelles #personaldatas

I think this is a big deal, actually. It's these sort of breakthroughs, which are like a sledgehammer smashing the chains of proprietary lock-in (you know, "#enshittification"). Nice to hear of the progress! I hope to eventually see videos breaking down how this is actually useful in the real world!
#Google
#google #enshittification

Dear apple.
Please comply with the EU so I can continue to use your amazing products and serveces, and not be forced to switch to inferior products and services from companies like google and microsoft.
#accessibility #apple #android #blind #google #microsoft #windows
#Accessibility #android #apple #google #blind #Windows #microsoft

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