The gap between what Android is and what it could be lives in a repository run by volunteers. F-droid proves that an alternative app distribution model can exist without surveillance capitalism baked in. Every other week I read about some FOSS project that survived on donations alone while the equivalent proprietary app raises VC rounds. Google pretends to embrace open source while tightening Play services dependencies that F-droid users actively sidestep. Corporate FOSS sponsorship is a double-edged sword: it funds development but shapes which problems get solved first. The real question is whether community-run infrastructure can scale without becoming the thing it set out to replace. #FOSS #Privacy #Android #TechLiberation #OpenSource

My problem with articles like these is that I can point out all the issues:

Charging turns out to be fiddly and time-consuming.

No it's not

There's no tap-and-go option, and I need to scan a QR code, download an app, and set up an account. It takes me another 10 minutes because the verification email never turns up.

Yes the FIRST time, this is like saying an iphone is difficult and time consuming... because you have to set it up first

There's no tap-and-go option

You mean this? https://evie.com.au/autocharge/

Just plug in. No app, no tap.

...

The NRMA recommends charging "to 80 per cent unless more range is absolutely needed" as a courtesy to other drivers.

So what did he do? Like a typical petrol driver he:

But for this experiment, I charge from 46 to 100 per cent. It takes about an hour.

._.

This is the thing, if I know he's done a shit job on something I know about, how badly are they writing about topics I don't know about?

Thanks for nothing

Community energy has emerged as a quiet undercurrent in Estonia, but has yet to firmly establish itself in the broader energy debate. Still, a number of pioneering communities across the country have already taken control of their energy production and consumption. Aiming to replace fossil fuels with cleaner and more affordable alternatives, they have adopted practical solutions that combine local needs, renewable energy and cooperative collaboration.

...

IBM framed the announcement as American tech fighting back against Japan’s increasing domination of the memory market.

We open sourced Voiden a few months ago: an offline API tool where API requests live as executable Markdown and are versioned in Git. We wanted to build something that combines the power and flexibility of Obsidian-style files with the simplicity of curl.

The basic idea of Voiden is that instead of being static forms, API requests are composed by using blocks (endpoint, auth, params, body). Blocks that you can add, reuse, override, and stitch together across files (more like functions than requests).

Most of the feedback, requests and contributions that we have gotten since Open Sourcing, have been around defining workflows, chaining requests, scripting them, and structuring everything in reusable .void files.

These are some of the key highlights that I wanted to share:

– Real scripting, (instead of sandboxes): In most API tools scripting lives in a constrained JS sandbox, an environment that doesn’t take advantage of powerful runtimes that might be available locally for a developer. The biggest limitation here is the assumption that the tool should define the runtime. Voiden runs fully locally, so this allows you to just run your scripts with actual runtimes (JS, Python, shell, with support for others being added).

– Multiple requests per file (mini workflows): Allowing multiple requests in a single .void file turned out to be surprisingly useful. Instead of scattering related requests, you can group them naturally: an order flow (create - pay - confirm), or a full CRUD cycle in one place. The file effectively becomes an executable flow: run one request, or the entire sequence end-to-end. And since Voiden is executable Markdown, docs and tests are in the same .void file that can be organised better, preventing duplication and drift.

– Stitch (composable workflows across files): Instead of a single large collection, workflows (“Stitch”) are built from .void files that you can combine across scenarios. You define small flows (auth, setup, CRUD, etc.) and stitch them together into larger workflows, without duplication. This is just the first version of this capability, we still have a lot to do here.

– Agents :The file-based, local-first model also works well with agents. Since Voiden has a built-in terminal and uses Markdown, we added “skills” so that Claude and Codex agents can work directly with .void files (using your own subscriptions).

We also published an SDK for community plugins, and made improvements to performance, reliability, and DX (keyboard-first), with careful attention to performance given the Electron base

Looking for feedback and suggestions.

Github : https://github.com/VoidenHQ/voiden

Download : https://voiden.md/download

Latest Lemmy discussion : https://lemmy.world/post/43922166

Welcome again to everybody. Make yourself at home. In the time-honoured tradition of our group, here is the weekly discussion thread.

☭ Matrix homeserver and space
☭ Theory discussion group on /c/theory@lemmygrad.ml
☭ Find theory on ProleWiki, marxists.org, Anna's Archive

Qtopia Sydney has announced the program for Pride Fest 2026, which will run from 1 to 30 June. Billed as “Sydney’s queer arts and culture festival”, it will feature more than 300 events, marking the largest program in the festival’s history.

cross-posted from: https://libretechni.ca/post/1263630

New York’s state budget could pass within days. Buried deep in the text is a provision that has nothing to do with balancing the books. Part C of the budget bill would require every 3D printer sold in New York to run surveillance software that scans every design file you create, and blocks anything an algorithm flags as a potential firearm component . A separate provision would expose researchers, journalists, and educators to felony charges simply for possessing or sharing certain design files.

cross-posted from: https://libretechni.ca/post/1263630

New York’s state budget could pass within days. Buried deep in the text is a provision that has nothing to do with balancing the books. Part C of the budget bill would require every 3D printer sold in New York to run surveillance software that scans every design file you create, and blocks anything an algorithm flags as a potential firearm component . A separate provision would expose researchers, journalists, and educators to felony charges simply for possessing or sharing certain design files.

The arrival of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in Dresden, Germany, is set to change the city.

...

The company’s joint venture, European Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (ESMC), will be its first plant in Europe. The fab is scheduled to open by late 2027 and will produce 28-nanometer chips.

TSMC has already brought a few dozen Taiwanese employees and their families to Dresden, per Nikkei. About 2,000 employees and their families will eventually settle there for at least three years.

The figure will rise to about 15,000 when employees and families of ESMC suppliers of other nationalities are included.

...

Regarding the influx of Taiwanese employees, Dresden Mayor Dirk Hilbert said, “There are no organized protests against the project, and support within city committees is strong,” per Nikkei. “The influx of new residents is expected to significantly increase regional value creation and also strengthen other sectors such as skilled trades, thereby increasing overall purchasing power,” he added.

Kelly Su, president of the Taiwanese Business Association in Dresden, said TSMC’s relocation support differs greatly between its employees and those at smaller supplier companies,

...

Web Archive link

[Edit typo.]

cross-posted from: https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/58799415

By Robert Ariail