@withaveeay nice! I'm sure I had done some VHS video but can't seem to find it. Does sound tho like the old carriages etc are being restored so it won't be some modern monstrosity.

Fantastic News! South Africa’s Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe to steam ahead again after 19 years

“The return of the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train, which was officially announced on Monday, will not just be the revival of a beloved heritage attraction, but a major economic boost for the entire region.”

It really looks like everything is in ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/fantastic-news-south-africas-outeniqua-choo-tjoe-to-steam-ahead-again-after-19-years/

#southafrica #steamlocomotives #tourism

Maybe #AirMobile was testing #RCS the last year, but they claim it was “mistakenly” enabled. But it shows that it DOES work, actually. Now it is disabled and that interoperability is lost again. #MTN appears to not have enabled RCS unlike #vodacom #Telkom and #CellC have done.

The Discord Hack is Every User’s Worst Nightmare — Why Uploaded IDs are a Problem

“A hack impacting Discord’s age verification process shows in stark terms the risk of tech companies collecting users’ ID documents. Now the hackers are posting peoples’ IDs and other sensitive information online.”

This was EXACTLY my concern abo ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/the-discord-hack-is-every-users-worst-nightmare-why-uploaded-ids-are-a-problem/

#hacks #privacy #technology

ProtonUp-Qt v2.14 Brings New Proton-EM Compatibility Tool

“ProtonUp-Qt, an open-source GUI that streamlines the installation and updating of Proton-GE and Wine-based compatibility layers, enabling Linux gamers to run Windows-exclusive titles on their preferred distributions, has rolled out the brand-new 2. ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/protonup-qt-v2-14-brings-new-proton-em-compatibility-tool/

#gaming #linux #technology

Did you know that Linux kernels are (officially) named? In my career, I've used at least:
* Avast! A bilge rat!
* Arr Matey! A Hairy Bilge Rat!
* Rotary Wombat
* Man-Eating Seals of Antiquity
* Terrified Chipmunk
* Linux for Workgroups
and probably many others.

(Hint: check "NAME" in the kernel/Makefile, e.g. https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/tree/Makefile?h=v3.11 )

@pee or just gets hacked as so much other gov data has been...

@nemo yep I agree - considering how many sects and some religions "prey" on kids, do fraud, suicide pacts, etc there may well have to be some sort of management. We need to think of the all-encompassing number of religions.

@GrahamDowns nope I used to use Linux at work (only one of two people I think) and I ditched MS at home a good 10 or 15 years back now. Just no need to really use it at all.

@GrahamDowns LOL yes I'm not on WhatsApp. I had to tell a fridge repair guy to e-mail me my receipt as he tried to WhatsApp it from his app.

Now I just discovered AirMobile switched off RCS as they say it was mistake to have it on the last year. How can a company back out of open standards...

Nearly 100 submissions from reproductive rights advocates around the world paint a clear picture of censorship in action: abortion content is being removed, restricted, and silenced by platforms at an alarming rate. https://www.eff.org/pages/stopcensoringabortion-what-we-learned-and-where-we-go-here#main-content

South Africans can now spend cryptocurrency directly at more than 650 000 Scan to Pay-enabled stores

“The integration allows users of major exchanges — including Binance, Luno, Blink and VALR — to pay merchants using bitcoin, stablecoins and other digital assets without first converting them into rand. Payments are made instantly via QR code at che ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/south-africans-can-now-spend-cryptocurrency-directly-at-more-than-650-000-scan-to-pay-enabled-stores/

#crypto #southafrica #technology

Google Confirms Non-ADB APK Installs Will Require Developer Registration

I get there is still ADB installation as an option, but that often requires a cable connection and disabling security in the Dev settings of the phone. The whole philosophy around Android was having the freedom of choice to do what you wanted with y ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/google-confirms-non-adb-apk-installs-will-require-developer-registration/

#android #freedoms #privacy #technology

@dangillmor and most PR people themselves are anyway clueless about what a company actually does...

Cairo-Dock 3.6 Released With Wayland Support and HiDPI Display Handling

“Cairo-Dock 3.6 is ported to Wayland to mark the project’s return to relevance now in 2025 in working with the many Wayland-focused desktops. Cairo-Dock 3.6 is working with the likes of the Wayfire, KDE KWin, Labwc, COSMIC, Sway, Hyprland, and other ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/cairo-dock-3-6-released-with-wayland-support-and-hidpi-display-handling/

#cairodock #linux #opensource #technology #wayland

Linux 6.18 Will Be A Big Improvement For Servers Encountering DDoS Attacks

“A set of patches merged via the networking pull request for the Linux 6.18 will help servers better cope with distributed denial of service “DDoS” attacks. Thanks to a Google engineer there are some significant optimisations found in the Linux 6.18 ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/linux-6-18-will-be-a-big-improvement-for-servers-encountering-ddos-attacks/

#linux #opensource #technology

@dangillmor I'm glad I ditched Apple for the second (and now last time). That said I see Google's putting more pressure on sideloading with Android so at some point we're going to have to retreat to Google-less Android or Linux phones.

@Gina yep we tried to rail against that in South Africa too - that Act is global and enforced on any US owned company in any country. Worse, it also requires no warrant or court order, which is a major issue for most civilised countries.

@Zumbador I left Discovery Health a few years back, but I did note with Bonitas they have a special mental health programme with extra benefits.

@TechDesk @AssociatedPress yet ICE wants to now track masses of people through their phones — seems very one-sided.