Sylvain Miermont @miermont@qoto.org

Do y’all think about governments putting more than $1 trillion into fossil fuel consumption subsidies last year?

The doxing and threats against the Georgia grand jurors is arguably an even worse travesty than the sickening harassment of low-level election workers (though both are unacceptable and frightening).

The jurors weren't there by choice and had no idea what cases they would be evaluating. They were simply ordinary citizens, selected at random, who answered a summons to serve a routine, but critical, civic duty.

Power Engineers: 1000 V is high voltage.
Electronics Engineers: 12 V is high voltage.
Semiconductor Engineers: 5 V is high voltage.

Internet Archive: “Late Friday, some of the world’s largest record labels, including Sony and Universal Music Group, filed a lawsuit against the Internet Archive and others for the Great 78 Project, a community effort for the preservation, research and discovery of 78 rpm records that are 70 to 120 years old … the Great 78 Project has been in operation since 2006 to bring free public access to a largely forgotten but culturally important medium.”

https://blog.archive.org/2023/08/14/internet-archive-responds-to-recording-industry-lawsuit-targeting-obsolete-media/

How Can You Help the #InternetArchive?

1. Use The Internet Archive Site

2. Save websites via "Save Page Now" browser tool

3. Become a patron to get a free "library card"

4. Curate & Upload to the Archive

5. Tell People That the Internet Archive Exists

6. Browse The Many, Many Collections

7. Take care of yourself and the people you care about.

https://blog.archive.org/2020/06/14/how-can-you-help-the-internet-archive/

Hey anyone who uses #etsy, they are changing their terms and conditions so you cannot participate in class action lawsuits against them. You can opt out using these steps, but you have to do it before 23rd August 2023.

It applies if you have a profile there, whether you sell or not!

Summary: Car bloat is terrible – for road safety, for the planet, for equity, and for road maintenance.

But bigger cars are often more profitable, so automakers like making them.

The only way out: Government action. Examples:
🔹 Tax vehicles by weight.
🔹 Test vehicles for pedestrian and cyclist safety (still doesn’t happen in the US).
🔹 Require a CDL for the most gigantic vehicles.

Left alone, this problem will only worsen. Governments must step up.

https://slate.com/business/2023/01/electric-cars-hummer-ev-tax-fees-weight-joe-biden.html

Did you write code for #Psion machines in the #80s and #90s?

We're calling for you to open source your code!

I'm working with a group of enthusiasts, building a library of information about the SIBO/EPOC16 platform. Your old code could give valuable insight, as well as encourage people to write new code.

We're especially interested in old C and #x86 #assembly.

Upload it to your public repository of choice, and set it free!

#retrocomputing #retrodev #16bit #pda #laptop #epoc16 #sibo #oldcode

My latest: A grand natural test of geoengineering is under way above our oceans -- and the changes are already being seen.

While the drop in ship pollution may be one factor in recent ocean warming, more importantly it is an experiment that could reveal how clouds respond to aerosols -- the greatest physical uncertainty in projecting the pace of #climate change.

https://www.science.org/content/article/changing-clouds-unforeseen-test-geoengineering-fueling-record-ocean-warmth

Individual and systemic #climateaction go hand in hand and reinforce each other. #dkgreen #dkpol

HT to Steve Westlake for this graphics

Tried some croissants in the solar oven. 50 minutes was too long, but still. Bread from the sun! ☀️

#SolarPunk #SolarOven #GoSun #SolarCooking #Food #Solar #Cooking #Sustainability

https://coreysnipes.com/croissants-in-the-solar-oven/

We've seen this movie before. As Imani Barbarin says, they’re going to “herd immunity” climate change.

Bad idea: Buy 102 of these "Energy Harvesting
Bluetooth Low Energy" EVBUM2596/D switches and build a keyboard.

They're buttons that communicate over bluetooth and don't require a battery, as they're so energy efficient that pushing the button provides the required power.

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/onsemi/BLE-SWITCH001-GEVB?qs=0lSvoLzn4L8T2idaVxoXbQ%3D%3D

Google killing the web, one “proposal” at a time https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/07/googles-web-integrity-api-sounds-like-drm-for-the-web/ 💩

#ditchChrome

Stop using Chrome as your daily driver.

Google proposed adding DRM to Chrome, which will be used to stop ad blockers, privacy tools, password plugins, accessibility/reader modes.

The only way to stop Google’s Chrome from wrecking the internet like Internet Explorer did for many year to switch to a NOT chromium-based browser as soon as possible for your day to day. You’ve got Safari, and Firefox as your choices.

I know you’ll have to use Chrome sometimes because it’s already happening.

Never forget, the truth about a city’s aspirations isn’t found in its vision. It’s found in its budget.

#Google is trying to #kill the #OpenWeb.

Using the proposed "Web Environment Integrity" means websites can select on which devices (browsers) they wish to be displayed, and can refuse service to other devices. It binds client side software to a website, creating a silo'd app.

https://github.com/RupertBenWiser/Web-Environment-Integrity/blob/main/explainer.md

This penalizes platforms on which the preferred client side software is not available.