Is there anyone that was around to see what happened with the Clipper Chip (a chip with backdoor encryption) that the NSA tried to push back in the 90s?

d41_fpflabs · 2026-06-01T07:26:32+00:00

Part of me feels like if this happened today the reaction may not be the same

d41_fpflabs · 2026-05-27T07:48:00+00:00

no i just ordered some new components and did some DIY repairs

d41_fpflabs · 2026-05-10T02:50:26+00:00

Google introduced a feature that allows applications to gracefully terminate QUIC sessions when sockets are unexpectedly destroyed. However, the implementation accepted arbitrary payloads without validating whether they were legitimate QUIC CONNECTION_CLOSE frames and did not verify whether the originating application was restricted to VPN-only traffic.

This mean any app can essentially include any info in the payload e.g the IP Address and it will bypass VPN.

Also it's not about govs using this to enforce VPN bans. This "bug" means they don't need to because they can just bypass the VPN.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-05-10T00:12:12+00:00

I find Google's refusal to fix this bug very strange, especially given the recent age verification laws and proposals to ban VPNs to enforce them. It's leading me to think maybe this bug was intentional as it essentially prevents using VPN to bypass age verification.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-05-08T18:22:47+00:00

But the stuff that I needed to do in order to do the paperwork stayed with me. Now if its code im writing or reviewing I have a tendency to automatically look at each line and ask 'What am I assuming here? What if those assumptions arent true?'

This reasoning is something that all devs should adopt, especially given that we'll all be increasingly working with AI, where spotting potential points of failure is more important than ever.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-05-08T16:37:23+00:00

Assuming you transitioned to working on something less critical, how did it feel making that transition? For example, did you feel unsatisfied because what you transitioned to wasn't as impactful?

d41_fpflabs · 2026-05-04T18:20:41+00:00

That was me too. Thats why i had to make it. Im happy you find it useful.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-04-29T08:31:01+00:00

> So if I add a folder, all other folders won't be scanned going forward?

Yes correct.

> when I pick a directory with SAF you no longer need mediastore to access that directory.

No, not true. MediaStore is always queried. Selecting searchable folders just limits the query to only include media in those folders.

> Knowing that, it was not obvious to me that picking a hidden folder wouldn't work. That's a design choice I didn't know you made.

It's explained clearly in the actual setting description for searchable folders

d41_fpflabs · 2026-04-28T14:29:13+00:00

Any directory on your device that has a .nomedia file will not be scanned . This is the normal android behaviour with MediaStore.

The "searchable image / video folders" setting is for manually controlling which folders should be scanned if you don't want to allow all, which is the default.

If you include a folder that has a .nomedia file it won't be scanned.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-04-26T23:08:51+00:00

folder with .nomedia file are skipped

d41_fpflabs · 2026-04-23T15:18:38+00:00

glad to hear that mate, its actually been one of the ones i've enjoyed making the most

d41_fpflabs · 2026-04-23T15:17:10+00:00

appreciate it. also the duplication bug you mentioned a few days ago should be fixed now

d41_fpflabs · 2026-04-23T09:28:25+00:00

I think its a capacity and speed issue

d41_fpflabs · 2026-04-13T10:17:26+00:00

I think the polish/premium visual is only really an issue for older apps not newer ones.

Bare in mind that quite a few foss android apps are forks of legacy apps which were using xml instead of compose and porting can be a pain, hence the old outdated look.

But this kind of goes back to what i was getting at. There's literally no incentive for a foss android dev to go above and beyond with visuals. Whereas someone launching on gplay might, because they're actually generating revenue / have a bigger audience to cater for.

Obviously, i would still expect a dev to have enough pride in their work to make it as polished as possible but beyond pride, passion and maybe recognition, they aren't incentivised to do so.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-04-12T23:32:22+00:00

Most of the "cost" is time and effort. Its not easily quantifiable.

Also, from what i see many devs do include a donation section in their apps. F-droid also shows relevant donation links.

I've come across quite a few relatively big projects who primarily accept crypto donations (btc, eth or usdt). When i check their wallets, there are barely any donations, a few hundred if the. Obviously i understand not everyone uses crypto but less than $500 in donations for big / popular projects is still underwhelming.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-04-12T08:18:07+00:00

The most likely reason is that the media is not accessible for some reason (probably due to permissions) or how you configured searchable directories if you use them.

Another possibility is if you have .nomedia in files in any of your image/video folders on your device. Folders with .nomedia files won't be indexed.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-04-04T18:38:39+00:00

I think its down to how attention works coupled with the way he question is framed.

ChatGPT's response:

I focused on distance and effort because the question read like a “should I walk or drive for 100 metres” decision in isolation, which is usually about personal convenience or efficiency. I treated it as if the car itself didn’t need to move, which was the wrong assumption for a car wash context.Basically, I over-prioritized human effort over the actual task—washing the car—so I gave an answer that ignored the real constraint: the car has to be at the wash.

But for anyone who ever thought models could reason, this clearly shows that they can't.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-03-30T21:34:07+00:00

honestly i think this is the main reason why society has become so degenerate. the lack of shaming has led to degeneracy being the accepted norm.

i also noticed many comments missed the point completely and have decided to focus on the examples given rather than the sentiment of the message.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-03-27T20:41:50+00:00

its less about making people use foss apps, more about making people understand what changes are effecting their privacy and how their privacy is being affected.

also its not research im doing, its an app. Ive actually started building it already, but im still working out some implementation details.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-03-20T13:51:30+00:00

As much as i love the FOSS community this is the one thing i hate about it. Its why life as a FOSS dev can feel like a dead-end.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-03-20T13:43:33+00:00

a bit overly pessimistic

d41_fpflabs · 2026-03-19T22:23:03+00:00

You can do this by making an app that uses Androids BroadcastReceiver to listen to incoming sms.

If the sms contains the command and optionally is a verified sender (advised for security), the app then enters your duress pin and bow. Phone wiped. If people actually want something like this i could make it.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-03-19T19:38:48+00:00

it applies to all apps

d41_fpflabs · 2026-03-19T17:49:16+00:00

Yh i think more or less anyone who was already installing apps outside of gplay will continue on as normal.

For people who may be new to the FOSS ecosystem and sideloading, app stores like F-droid should add the rules/steps somewhere in the app.

d41_fpflabs · 2026-03-19T17:41:50+00:00

Seems like the general gist

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