Android

There are lots of good FOSS options.

I would strongly recommend checking this site for the trackers in an app if you're at all concerned about privacy. Links to each app's exodus privacy report is also at the end of the table linked above.

FYI, Nova has been owned by a data mining company for many years and it is worth moving away from even if you think it is good enough now and doesn't need updates.

This was posted by Kevin Barry, the original developer and founder of Nova Launcher.

So long and thanks for all the fish

Updated Pocket Casts to the latest beta (7.97-rc-1) and got these stupid fucking banner ads on top

cross-posted from: https://lazysoci.al/post/33349285

cross-posted from: https://lazysoci.al/post/33349150

Android 16 QPR1 brings a major design overhaul, an early look at Android’s DeX-like desktop mode, and much more.

Summary

• A US judge has ruled that Google doesn't need to sell off its Android operating system or its Chrome browser in a monopoly case

• However, the tech giant has been ordered to share data with competitors to help open up competition in online search

• The judgment follows a finding that Google acted illegally to maintain a monopoly in online search

• Google was sued by the US Department of Justice in 2020 over its control of about 90% of the online search market

• Prosecutors accused Google of spending billions of dollars annually to Apple, Samsung, Mozilla and others to be pre-installed as the default search engine

• The US said Google typically pays more than $10bn (£7.8bn) a year for that privilege

Alternative/descriptive title?

I decided to mangle a Samsung Flip into a custom made Blackberry all the while, not going bald somehow.

Lad has tenacity I'll give them that.

cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/36703523

It does not require root, user namespaces support or disabling SELinux, but it relies on proot and other hacks instead. It uses a fork of Termux-the-terminal-emulator app, but has no relation to Termux-the-distro.

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/45207780

TIL about Android Translation Layer (ATL), a way to port Android apps to Linux Mobile

I was searching for YouTube clients on my Plasma Bigscreen Linux TV Box, and found NewPipe, a popular Android YouTube frontend. Turns out this tool is how they moved it over.

Great solution alongside projects like Waydroid, as you can post individual apps to Flathub or other Linux storefronts, rather than needing to install a whole ROM to get your Android apps to appear in your Linux app tray.

I saw it on f-droid news and I'm surprised I haven't heard anything about it. Probably because it's new.

Most other browsers are Firefox forks, but if I understand this one only uses the engine. As such most other ones feel like just slightly different Firefox versions. But this one is very different, and I'm liking a lot! Many things on the UI are easier to use and many options I don't see in Firefox. I specially like the options it give before you first use (search engine, ublock, block or not AI).

It's also a lot faster, because I blocked many samsung services on my phone like face recognition and Firefox becomes super slow without it (Fennec keeps crashing).

The only thing I don't like so far is that I don't see how to hide the URL bar for fullscreen, and typing a URL is very weird in the middle of a bunch of options (very welcome options, but URL typing should be prioritized).

I highly recommend giving it a go. Specially the chromium browser people. I never experienced the complaints I see from them before blocking services on my phone, but those who had issues with Firefox clones might find that it's better.

One question I have is how trustworthy is the developer. But he seems to not be based in the US, which is a big plus to begin with.

Are there other communities I should post this on? I think this project would benefit from more exposure.

I don't see any donation option. And it's annoying that the only communication is through microsoft's github..