Zerush

Spotube is an open-source music streaming platform that functions as a lightweight alternative to the official Spotify client[^7]. The app allows users to stream music without requiring a Spotify Premium subscription.

Key features include:

• Ad-free listening using public Spotify and YouTube Music APIs
• Cross-platform support for mobile and desktop
• Downloadable tracks for offline listening
• Time-synced lyrics
• Anonymous/guest login
• No telemetry or user data collection
• Native performance without using Electron

A notable limitation is that Spotube can sometimes play mismatched tracks, particularly for less popular songs. Users have reported cases where the app plays incorrect versions of songs from YouTube when the original Spotify track isn't found[^5].

The app is available through:

• F-Droid for Android devices[^7]
• GitHub releases for desktop platforms^4

[^5]: GitHub - Incorrect, Mismatching Tracks Issue [^7]: F-Droid - Spotube

Ecosia, the tree-planting search engine from Berlin, and Qwant, France's privacy-focused search provider, announced a joint venture in November 2024 to develop their own European search index[^5][^6]. The partnership aims to reduce their dependence on Microsoft's Bing APIs, which both companies currently rely on for search results[^6].

The new venture, called European Search Perspective (EUP), is structured as a 50-50 ownership split between Ecosia and Qwant[^6]. Qwant's engineering team and existing search index development will transfer to EUP, with Qwant CEO Olivier Abecassis leading the joint venture[^6].

"The door is open and we are ready to talk to anyone," said Abecassis, while noting they want to "move as fast as possible" with their existing shareholders' support[^6]. The index will begin serving France-based search traffic for both engines by Q1 2025, expanding to cover "a significant portion" of German traffic by end of 2025[^6].

Rising API costs are a key motivator, following Microsoft's massive price hike for Bing's search APIs in 2023[^6]. However, neither company plans to completely stop using Bing or Google, instead aiming to diversify their technical foundation as generative AI takes a more central role in search[^6].

[^6]: TechCrunch - Ecosia and Qwant, two European search engines, join forces on an index to shrink reliance on Big Tech

(Above link with skipped Paywall)

Summary by Andi:

A teenage hacker named Reynaldo Vasquez-Garcia discovered that the Halo 3C vape detector, which looks like a standard smoke detector in school bathrooms, contained hidden microphones and security flaws that allowed it to be turned into a secret listening device[^1].

Working with another hacker known as "Nyx," Vasquez-Garcia found the device could be hacked by exploiting weak password controls and firmware update vulnerabilities. Once compromised, attackers could use it to eavesdrop on conversations in real-time, disable its detection capabilities, create fake alerts, or play audio through its speaker[^1].

The researchers revealed these findings at the 2025 Defcon hacker conference, demonstrating how any hacker on the same network could hijack a Halo 3C by brute-forcing passwords at 3,000 attempts per minute. The device's firmware could also be modified since its encryption key was publicly available in updates on the manufacturer's website[^1].

Motorola, which owns the Halo 3C's manufacturer IPVideo Corporation, said it developed a firmware update to address the security flaws. However, the researchers argue this doesn't solve the fundamental privacy concern of having microphone-equipped devices installed in sensitive locations like school bathrooms and public housing[^1].

[^1]: Wired - It Looks Like a School Bathroom Smoke Detector. A Teen Hacker Showed It Could Be an Audio Bug