#android 11 new features

[dipuguide]

बाप रे! इतने सारे POCO X6 Pro स्मार्टफोन के फीचर, देखकर उड़ जाएंगे होश

बाजार में सिर्फ एक ही मोबाइल का नाम गुज है जिसका नाम है POCO X6 Pro यह Phone अपने ग्राहकों के लिए बहुत जल्द ही POCO X6 Pro Smarphone को launch करने जा रहा है | इसके फायदे और फीचर्स इतने लाजवाब है, जिनको सुनकर आप हैरान हो जाएंगे | वैसे भी मैं इस फोन के फायदे और फीचर्स इस लेख में बताया है और उसी के साथ ही मैंने इसकी लॉन्च की तारीख की भी जानकारी दी है | तो देर किस बात की चलिए जानते हैं की POCO X6…

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Reverse engineers bust sleazy gig work platform

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/23/hack-the-class-war/#robo-boss

A COMPUTER CAN NEVER BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

THEREFORE A COMPUTER MUST NEVER MAKE A MANAGEMENT DECISION

Supposedly, these lines were included in a 1979 internal presentation at IBM; screenshots of them routinely go viral:

https://twitter.com/SwiftOnSecurity/status/1385565737167724545?lang=en

The reason for their newfound popularity is obvious: the rise and rise of algorithmic management tools, in which your boss is an app. That IBM slide is right: turning an app into your boss allows your actual boss to create an "accountability sink" in which there is no obvious way to blame a human or even a company for your maltreatment:

https://profilebooks.com/work/the-unaccountability-machine/

App-based management-by-bossware treats the bug identified by the unknown author of that IBM slide into a feature. When an app is your boss, it can force you to scab:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/30/computer-says-scab/#instawork

Or it can steal your wages:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

But tech giveth and tech taketh away. Digital technology is infinitely flexible: the program that spies on you can be defeated by another program that defeats spying. Every time your algorithmic boss hacks you, you can hack your boss back:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/02/not-what-it-does/#who-it-does-it-to

Technologists and labor organizers need one another. Even the most precarious and abused workers can team up with hackers to disenshittify their robo-bosses:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/08/tuyul-apps/#gojek

For every abuse technology brings to the workplace, there is a liberating use of technology that workers unleash by seizing the means of computation:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/13/solidarity-forever/#tech-unions

One tech-savvy group on the cutting edge of dismantling the Torment Nexus is Algorithms Exposed, a tiny, scrappy group of EU hacker/academics who recruit volunteers to reverse engineer and modify the algorithms that rule our lives as workers and as customers:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/10/e2e/#the-censors-pen

Algorithms Exposed have an admirable supply of seemingly boundless energy. Every time I check in with them, I learn that they've spun out yet another special-purpose subgroup. Today, I learned about Reversing Works, a hacking team that reverse engineers gig work apps, revealing corporate wrongdoing that leads to multimillion euro fines for especially sleazy companies.

One such company is Foodinho, an Italian subsidiary of the Spanish food delivery company Glovo. Foodinho/Glovo has been in the crosshairs of Italian labor enforcers since before the pandemic, racking up millions in fines – first for failing to file the proper privacy paperwork disclosing the nature of the data processing in the app that Foodinho riders use to book jobs. Then, after the Italian data commission investigated Foodinho, the company attracted new, much larger fines for its out-of-control surveillance conduct.

As all of this was underway, Reversing Works was conducting its own research into Glovo/Foodinho's app, running it on a simulated Android handset inside a PC so they could peer into app's data collection and processing. They discovered a nightmarish world of pervasive, illegal worker surveillance, and published their findings a year ago in November, 2023:

https://www.etui.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/Exercising%20workers%20rights%20in%20algorithmic%20management%20systems_Lessons%20learned%20from%20the%20Glovo-Foodinho%20digital%20labour%20platform%20case_2023.pdf

That report reveals all kinds of extremely illegal behavior. Glovo/Foodinho makes its riders' data accessible across national borders, so Glovo managers outside of Italy can access fine-grained surveillance information and sensitive personal information – a major data protection no-no.

Worse, Glovo's app embeds trackers from a huge number of other tech platforms (for chat, analytics, and more), making it impossible for the company to account for all the ways that its riders' data is collected – again, a requirement under Italian and EU data protection law.

All this data collection continues even when riders have clocked out for the day – its as though your boss followed you home after quitting time and spied on you.

The research also revealed evidence of a secretive worker scoring system that ranked workers based on undisclosed criteria and reserved the best jobs for workers with high scores. This kind of thing is pervasive in algorithmic management, from gig work to Youtube and Tiktok, where performers' videos are routinely suppressed because they crossed some undisclosed line. When an app is your boss, your every paycheck is docked because you violated a policy you're not allowed to know about, because if you knew why your boss was giving you shitty jobs, or refusing to show the video you spent thousands of dollars making to the subscribers who asked to see it, then maybe you could figure out how to keep your boss from detecting your rulebreaking next time.

All this data-collection and processing is bad enough, but what makes it all a thousand times worse is Glovo's data retention policy – they're storing this data on their workers for four years after the worker leaves their employ. That means that mountains of sensitive, potentially ruinous data on gig workers is just lying around, waiting to be stolen by the next hacker that breaks into the company's servers.

Reversing Works's report made quite a splash. A year after its publication, the Italian data protection agency fined Glovo another 5 million euros and ordered them to cut this shit out:

https://reversing.works/posts/2024/11/press-release-reversing.works-investigation-exposes-glovos-data-privacy-violations-marking-a-milestone-for-worker-rights-and-technology-accountability/

As the report points out, Italy is extremely well set up to defend workers' rights from this kind of bossware abuse. Not only do Italian enforcers have all the privacy tools created by the GDPR, the EU's flagship privacy regulation – they also have the benefit of Italy's 1970 Workers' Statute. The Workers Statute is a visionary piece of legislation that protects workers from automated management practices. Combined with later privacy regulation, it gave Italy's data regulators sweeping powers to defend Italian workers, like Glovo's riders.

Italy is also a leader in recognizing gig workers as de facto employees, despite the tissue-thin pretense that adding an app to your employment means that you aren't entitled to any labor protections. In the case of Glovo, the fine-grained surveillance and reputation scoring were deemed proof that Glovo was employer to its riders.

Reversing Works' report is a fascinating read, especially the sections detailing how the researchers recruited a Glovo rider who allowed them to log in to Glovo's platform on their account.

As Reversing Works points out, this bottom-up approach – where apps are subjected to technical analysis – has real potential for labor organizations seeking to protect workers. Their report established multiple grounds on which a union could seek to hold an abusive employer to account.

But this bottom-up approach also holds out the potential for developing direct-action tools that let workers flex their power, by modifying apps, or coordinating their actions to wring concessions out of their bosses.

After all, the whole reason for the gig economy is to slash wage-bills, by transforming workers into contractors, and by eliminating managers in favor of algorithms. This leaves companies extremely vulnerable, because when workers come together to exercise power, their employer can't rely on middle managers to pressure workers, deal with irate customers, or step in to fill the gap themselves:

https://projects.itforchange.net/state-of-big-tech/changing-dynamics-of-labor-and-capital/

Only by seizing the means of computation, workers and organized labor can turn the tables on bossware – both by directly altering the conditions of their employment, and by producing the evidence and tools that regulators can use to force employers to make those alterations permanent.

Image: EFF (modified) https://www.eff.org/files/issues/eu-flag-11_1.png

CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

[twipsai]

doodle dump 2: the misc one! featuring splatoon, dragon ball, and some ocs :D

SPLATOON ZONE

1 - grandfest shiver!!!

2 - my Agent 8 and New Agent 3 ocs :D

3 - Gorge doodle trying to emulate the splatoon style

4 - splatband ocs being silly (Hadal and Lag)

5 - my player character doodle

6 - summer nights outfit with Hadal

8 - summer nights Shiver,,, theyre not even my fav idol i just love drawing them ig

9 - PAUL!!!! i drew these right after his new design was shown :D

DRAGON BALL ZONE

10, 11 - GOKU DRAWING PRACTICE YAYYYY drew him as some sonic official art

12 - Goten and kid Trunks! im watching buu saga rn and i really liked their interactions,, bffs!

13 - Gohan and future Trunks cuz i got a little too obsessed with dragon ball whoops

14 - kid trunks reminds me of a cockatoo

15 - traditional doodles from class cuz honestly dragon ball has been infecting my brain its a problem. help

16 - perfect cell

android - 17

18, 19 - this was literally the entire cell saga. it would cut from Trunks going through hell to Goku and Gohan having so much fun training in the hyperbolic time chamber

OC ZONE

20, 21 - Ellie and Mae in a sketchy style i was trying

22, 23 - biamg profile shots except for Will cuz i hate that guy

24 - an oc i havent shown off here, Terabyte!

25 - a miserable Will i drew cuz i dont like him

[kwebtv]

Ruth Ann Buzzi (/ˈbʌzi/ BUZZY; July 24, 1936 – May 1, 2025) Actress and comedienne who appeared on stage, in films, and on television. She is best known for her performances on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973, for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received five Emmy nominations.

Her first national recognition on television came on The Garry Moore Show in 1964, shortly after Carol Burnett was replaced by Dorothy Loudon on the series. She performed as "Shakundala the Silent", a bumbling magician's assistant to her comedy partner Dom DeLuise, who played "Dominic the Great". Buzzi was a member of the regular repertory company on the CBS variety show The Entertainers (1964–65). 

In 1967, Buzzi appeared in all eight episodes of The Steve Allen Comedy Hour, a variety series starring Steve Allen. Her character parts in the Allen sketches led her to be cast for NBC's new show Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. She was the only featured player to appear in every episode of Laugh-In including the pilot for the show and the Laugh-In television special. Among her recurring characters on Laugh-In were Flicker Farkle, youngest of the Farkle family; Busy-Buzzi, a Hedda Hopper-type Hollywood gossip columnist; Doris Swizzler, a cocktail-lounge habituée who always got smashed with husband Leonard (Dick Martin); and one of the Burbank Airlines Stewardesses, inconsiderate flight attendants.

She was widely known for her role as "spinster" Gladys Ormphby, clad in drab brown with her bun hairdo covered by a visible hairnet knotted in the middle of her forehead. Buzzi first used this look when she played Agnes Gooch in a school production of Auntie Mame. In most sketches, she used her purse as a weapon, with which she would flail away vigorously at anyone who incurred her wrath. She most often was the unwilling object of the advances of Arte Johnson's "dirty old man" character Tyrone F. Horneigh. NBC collectively called these two characters The Nitwits when they went to animation in the mid-1970s as part of the series Baggy Pants and the Nitwits. Buzzi and Johnson both voiced their respective roles in the cartoon.

Buzzi was featured as Gladys in many of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, ranting about notable roastees including Muhammad Ali, Frank Sinatra, and Lucille Ball. In each case, Gladys pugnaciously attacked the honoree with her purse, and she would also hit Martin when he made disparaging remarks about her looks and her romantic prospects.

Buzzi was featured as a semi-regular on the comedy That Girl as Marlo Thomas's friend Margie "Pete" Peterson. She starred with Jim Nabors as the time-traveling androids Fi and Fum in The Lost Saucer produced by Sid and Marty Krofft which aired from September 11, 1975, until September 2, 1976 (16 episodes).

In 1979, she co-starred on the Canadian children's comedy show You Can't Do That on Television (also known as Whatever Turns You On).

Buzzi was a guest star on many television series, including Donny & Marie, The Flip Wilson Show, The Dean Martin Music and Comedy Hour, the Dean Martin Roasts, The Carol Burnett Show, Tony Orlando and Dawn, The Monkees, Emergency!, and variety series hosted by Leslie Uggams and Glen Campbell. She also appeared occasionally on game shows and was a celebrity judge on The Gong Show. She appeared in Lucille Ball's last comedy Life with Lucy as Mrs. Wilcox in the episode "Lucy Makes a Hit with John Ritter". She appeared eight times on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and made more than 200 other television guest appearances.

She joined the cast of Sesame Street in 1993 as shopkeeper, Ruthie, as part of the "Around the Corner" set expansion. (Wikipedia)

IMDb Listing

[monsterfucktoberbingo]

Monsterfucktober Bingo 2023

This spooky season, play a round of Monsterfucker Bingo with us! Fill as many squares as possible with your original works before November 1, and receive special badges once the event is over!

👾 Monsterfucktober Bingo 👾

First Row (left to right): bioluminescent, orc, android, undead, cryptid

Second Row (left to right): fae, tentacles, vampire, naga, plant creature

Third Row (left to right): ghost, eldritch, free space, were-being, dragon

Fourth Row (left to right): centaur, arthropod, giant, angel, merfolk

Fifth Row (left to right): science gone wrong, alien, slime, elemental, demon

Rules & Guidelines

Event runs from October 1 - October 31.

All ships and fandoms welcome! ♡

Use the tag #monsterfucktoberbingo or tag our blog @monsterfucktoberbingo to have your fills featured on our blog! If you think we missed your post, send us an ask!

All forms of media (fanart, fanfiction, fanmade videos, playlists, food recipes inspired by the bingo square, etc.) are accepted. ☆

Old works are allowed to be used to complete your card! We want to promote all monsterfucker content, new and existing, for this event.

Works do not need to be explicit; we're monsterlovers, first and foremost 😘

Between November 1 (12:00am PST) and November 3 (11:59pm PST), send an email to monsterlover.bingo@gmail.com with your bingo card, and we'll send you back your badges! We'll have badges for completed bingo lines and blackout cards, but we're also going to have badges for each completed square!

HAVE FUN!

~ Mods @seiya-starsniper @valiantstarlights & @gil212

[choiceofgames]

New game! “Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names” — Unleash Rage and wield spirit to heal the land and rebuild your fallen pack

Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names is now available on Steam, iOS, and Android!

It’s 25% off until May 2nd! Furthermore, as a special offer, if you purchase "Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names" by 11:59pm PDT on April 26th, we'll give away the "Wardens and Furies" DLC, featuring the options to play as a member of the Black Fury tribe or the Hart Warden tribe, for free.

You and your shattered werewolf pack must save the living Earth with Rage and spirit! In this interactive novel with hundreds of choices, can you defeat a Wyrm Spirit who manifests as a lie that you want to believe?

Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names is an interactive novel by Kyle Marquis set in the World of Darkness. It's entirely text-based—1.8 million words, without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Shapeshifter. Mystic. Hero. Monster. You are a werewolf, and you are all these things. Werewolves are the living earth's last guardians, created by Gaia, given the gift of shifting between human and wolf forms, and called to stop humanity from destroying the world.

But you have failed.

Three years ago, packs of werewolves worked together as a Sept in Broad Brook, Massachusetts, battling the Wyrm, the enemy of Gaia. While other Septs fell to the Wyrm or tore themselves apart with fratricidal Rage, Broad Brook thrived. Some said they would be the ones to stop the Apocalypse.

But in one night, a Wyrm Spirit called "the Answering Tiger" destroyed the Broad Brook Sept and defiled its caern. In fact, Broad Brook had never been thriving at all. The Tiger had deceived their senses, disordered their thoughts, and turned them against one another. Where the different tribes saw trust, in truth there was resentment and growing Rage. Where the different packs saw safety, there were security flaws that could be exploited. Where they saw the Wyrm, there were innocents that they massacred, before reporting to other Septs about another glorious victory.

Their cruel pride allowed the Wyrm Spirit to deceive them, and they mostly destroyed themselves. The Answering Tiger had servants, too, monstrous Banes and fomori, and even werewolves sworn to the Wyrm. But they were only there to pick off whoever was left.

Now, the Stormcat, once the Patron Spirit of the Broad Brook Sept, has called upon you to rebuild a pack from the survivors and fight back against the Answering Tiger. In the savage woods and decaying towns of New England, you will forge your own legend.

Build Your Pack. Human and werewolf survivors haunt the woods and hide in the cities: find them to learn what happened and to rebuild the werewolf nation. But not all werewolves can be trusted: shun those wolves consumed by Rage, and pity those who have lost the Wolf and become empty shells.

Survive the Wilds. A desperate exile, shunned by those of your old pack who have abandoned their oaths to Gaia, you'll have to survive by your wits. A winter night can kill as surely as any monster: find shelter, seek allies among spirits and humans, and learn how far you'll go to survive.

Unleash Your Rage. You are one of Gaia's monsters, a living weapon, herald of horror and death. Now the Apocalypse is here: wield your Rage with savage cunning and keen discretion, or it will swallow you whole.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; befriend or romance werewolves and humans of all genders.

• Shapeshift among five forms to slaughter your enemies, or outwit them to take what you need.

• Choose your auspice (moon-sign) and your werewolf tribe: Bone Gnawer, Child of Gaia, Glass Walker, Shadow Lord, or Silver Fang

• Claim your territory and heal the spirits there to unlock Gifts that let you summon animals, see into the past, or enter the spirit world.

Buy it now!

[ducktoonsfanart]

Ducktales Crew in spacesuits in space on the Moon - Ducktales kids, teenagers and adults on the Moon - Happy Moon Landing and Happy Independence Day of the USA - Gift for my friend - Ducktales in Space (Ducktales AU) - Tribute to Ducktales 2017 - Second part

Although I already drew Ducktales characters in spacesuits on the moon last year, still because of Landing Moon Day which is held on July 20th every year and this year is the 55th anniversary of human walking on the moon, I drew somehow a similar drawing, in my own way, in my own style where the Ducktales characters are on the moon in spacesuits.

Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins who led the Apollo 11 crew in the Saturn V rocket from July 16 to July 24, 1969, with July 20 and 21 being Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon and were the first people to walk on the moon and brought great pride to the USA and to all mankind. July 20 and 21, 1969 were the significant dates when people were on the moon for the first time. And those are the days of Moon Landing. After the crew of Apollo 11, the crew members of Apollo 12-17 will go and walk on the moon, until 1972, except for Apollo 13. Unfortunately, after more than 50 years, people reportedly did not go to the moon due to numerous problems with the construction of further rockets, but lately there is a race to the moon again, so maybe in the near future people will go to the moon again, unless they are faking it. Space travel is back in fashion. And 55 years have passed since the first walk on the moon.

You can see a similar previous drawing here: https://ducktoonsfanart.tumblr.com/post/732385519766487040/ducktales-crew-in-spacesuits-on-the-moon-in-space

I didn’t manage to draw Ducktales characters from head to toe in spacesuits, but certainly the special way I imagine Ducktales 2017 is that they wear spacesuits like Sandy Cheeks from Sponge Bob, I just reshaped it in my own way and these suits can be used and for traveling under water, in volcanic regions and protection against pandemics. Yes, they wear bubble helmets, which are actually glass-proof. This time is the second part of Ducktales 2017 characters with family members and their friends, since not everyone could fit in the previous drawing. Anyway, check out the previous drawing from Ducktales 2017 crew in spacesuits on the Moon part one: https://ducktoonsfanart.tumblr.com/post/756620890157056000/ducktales-crew-in-spacesuits-in-space-on-the-moon

Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera and Gandra Dee drive the moon rover (I love how Fenton and Gandra are together so I drew them sticking together), Scrooge McDuck in his vintage spacesuit holds moon ore filled with diamonds and gold found on the moon, and Violet holds a banner along with Daisy's nieces April, May and June Duck and mostly writes this: "We are the first ducklings on The Moon. One small step for ducklings, one big step for ducks!" If you understand this sentence. ;) What Neil Armstrong said when he walked on the moon on July 20, 1969. And that Louie Duck took photos with his android mobile phone (see previous drawing) of these characters to mark the new event and the big anniversary of 55 years ago. And Gyro keeps an Oxy-Chew just in case he runs out of oxygen in his space suit. As for Daisy's nieces as I imagine them in Ducktales 2017, see here: https://ducktoonsfanart.tumblr.com/post/743089775258615808/april-may-and-june-duck-as-teenagers-quack-pack

And that's how I imagine these characters in my version of Ducktales 2017 (Ducktales AU) and in my version of the Quack Pack reboot if it was a sequel to Ducktales 2017. Yes, Boyd is holding the US flag since it's also Independence Day which is celebrated in the US every 4th of July. , and the Americans were the first on the moon, allegedly. While the others wear symbols of the USA, Gladstone wears the flag of Ireland on his space suit, because after all Ireland represents the country of lucky. ;) This drawing features Violet Sabrewing, April, May and June Duck, Boyd Gearloose (Boyd Beaks), Kabooie Duck (5th Donald's nephew wearing a brown space suit and how I imagine him in DT17), Scrooge McDuck, Gladstone Gander, Fethry Duck, Drake Mallard, Launchpad McQuack, Bentina Beakley and Gyro Gearloose.

I hope you like this drawing and this idea and feel free to like and reblog this, just don’t use these same ideas of mine without mentioning me. Thank you! Also this is dedicated to my friend @ducksinspaceadventure, who organized Moon Landing Day. Happy Independence Day everyone and Happy Moon Landing Day! And the 55th anniversary of walking on the Moon!

[tbznewberry]

the boyz become human

Part 2

In a collaboration with Cyberlife, you've helped create 11 new androids to be used in the police force, but they seem to have a certain humanly soft spot for their creator.

Genre: yandere, sci-fi, futuristic, Detroit become human AU

Warnings: I'm not sure what to put to be honest, creepy behavior?

A/N: this was originally a chapter story that never got done, this is the first 3 chapters, I might post more chapters but we'll see

"Follow my hand, good job."

The nice lady in front of him holds up her fingers and he follows them with his eyes back and forth. She moves closer, picks up a small flashlight and shines in his eyes. He doesn't move. She smiles proudly and pulls back, looking at the other person in the laboratory. 

"This one has functional eyes", she says.

"Good, which one was that?" the human male says, looking at his clipboard in hand.

"The third one", she says. 

"God, I’ll never know who you mean! You should name them!”

“Me?”

“Yeah? They're your creations."

"Not really, I just planned how they were supposed to look, it was your people that built them.” She looks at the android in front of her. “Nevertheless, they don't need any. They aren't going to be household androids."

"But we have eleven of them, it'd be easier to get their names. I know everyone will mix them up calling them the first, the second and whatever." He points at the android in front of the woman. "Start with him. Was he the third?"

She nods and turns to the android, frowning. "I'll name him Younghoon." 

"Alright, and the others?"

She gives them all a name each, saying that she’s picking the first that comes to mind.

“You haven’t told me what they’ll be used for”, the woman says. “Why have I helped Cyberlife build them? I know that they’re meant for something special since you don’t use the normal models. You’re making brand new ones. If they’re not going to be household androids … then what are they going to do?”  

“They’ll be used by the police. We already have interrogation and detective androids, but these ones are different.” The man breaks out into a smile. “They can fight … they can manipulate … they can seduce, they’re quicker than any other android, they charge quickly, they have scanners to read humans feelings … and they’re perfect with children! They’ll be perfect in the police force. They’ll be amazing!”

The woman in front of Younghoon nods. He follows her motions with his eyes, studying her.

“That does sound amazing”, she says thoughtfully. “It explains a lot about why you needed them to be handsome. You can’t seduce a criminal with ugly androids, can you?”

The man chuckles. “No. You can’t. Thank you for being such a good designer.”

“Thank you for bringing my sketches to life …” She looks at the android sitting in front of her up and down with proud eyes, “... they’re remarkable.”

“We’re so happy you like them. Cyberlife will send you a check.”

“I know. I could use some money. How much for each android?”

“Around $250 000.”

“Oh shit.”

The man laughs again. Y/N lifts her eyebrows amusingly. 

“You don’t even know how much money you’ll get for the job?” he asks. “And still you took it?”

The woman smiles shyly. “Of course, this job would look great on my resume in the future. Who wouldn’t want to work for Cyberlife?”

The man smiles and shakes his head, walking over to the window. 

“Y/N”, the man says. “We should start the next test. It’s getting late and I think you need to go home soon.”

Y/N nods and stands up. 

“What’s the next test?” she asks. 

“Physical test”, the man says, looking through his list. “Strength, speed, reflexes and so on.”

Y/N looks at the androids. 

“Stand up”, she says. 

They all stand up at the same time and wait for their next instruction. They’re different heights with different hair colors and different facial features. But they all wear the same outfit — a gray suit with their serial number, a white shirt and some glowing parts. Y/N notices how Eric’s dark blue-gray hair is falling over his eyes and gently pushes it up again. She gives him a smile. 

"Thank you", he says.

Y/N looks at the man behind her in surprise.

"Who programmed him to say that?" she asks. "I thought they were only programmed to answer when you speak to them?"

"If you give them something or do something for them, they'll thank you", the man says.

"How polite."

She looks at Eric again, placing her hand on his cheek. He can feel her warmth. It’s not artificial, it’s not produced or charged — it’s human.

"It's almost scary how human they feel and look", she says. "If I didn't see the emotion indicator on his temple, I'd think he was a human in an android's suit. His skin is so soft."

"Yeah, we made them warm for the victims sake", the man says. "They're supposed to comfort victims in any situation and if they don't feel warm and human, it might make the situation worse." The main smirks slightly. "We've made sure their hugs are as comforting and welcoming as possible. We made this survey of what type of hugs are the best and gave them all the most voted ones. Smart, right?"

Y/N smiles mischievously. 

"You want to try it out, don't you?" the man asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe", she giggles. "I created them, I should get to test their abilities out."

"Then what are you waiting for? Just choose one."

Y/N looks at the row of androids, visibly thinking. She walks over to Jaehyun.

"Do I give him a command or …?" she asks.

"No, he knows that you want a hug, he can scan you. He'll choose what type of hug he'll give you."

"Right, sorry. They're so advanced I forget everything."

The android opens his arms and she walks right into the embrace. He closes his arms around her tightly. Her warmth is flowing from under her white shirt. 

"They have three different types of embraces", the man says. "Loving, comforting and protecting."

"What's the difference?"

"Well, a loving one is when there's nothing wrong. We call it 'the everyday hug'. Then there's the comforting feeling of a tighter but more sentimental hug for when the victims are crying or scared. And the last one, is the one he's doing right now … weirdly enough."

"The protective hold?"

"Yeah … it only occurs when the victim is in danger … but you're not. The protective embrace is a tight, firm hug that isn't supposed to be easy to get out of. If the victim is in danger, then it shouldn't be easy to get out of." The man looks through his papers. "Weird, we've tested it before with different men, women and children, they haven't given the protective hug to any of them."

Y/N taps the android on his arm. He looks down at her hand. It'd be so easy to break, so important to protect.

"Let me go", she says.

Jaehyun opens his arms and she leaves. The warmth lingers on his hands.

“Let’s start with the real test.”

Kevin follows Y/N with his eyes. She’s walking to the other side of the room to collect something. She picks up a red, little ball in her hand, bouncing it on the hard floor a couple of times. 

“Now throw it”, the man says. “At any of them.”

“What if I hurt them?” she wonders hesitantly. 

“They’re androids, they won’t feel it.”

“Well … what if I break them instead?”

“They’re equipped with quick reflexes, don’t worry.”

Y/N looks at the androids with a concerned gaze in her eyes. They can scan her, see how nervous she feels. It’s almost enough to make them ask how she’s feeling to see if she needs to be protected. She throws the ball at them. Chanhee catches it before it hits any of them. 

“Woah”, she gasps in shock. “Those are really quick reflexes.” 

Chanhee holds out the ball to her. She takes it gently and backs away to throw again. Sangyeon catches it this time and gives it back.

“I’m so scared to damage them”, the woman says, throwing an uncertain gaze in their direction. “They’re so advanced and so many people have been working on them. I’d feel horrible if I broke them.”

“You won’t”, the human male says. “They’re built for that.”

She throws the ball a few more times before moving onto the next test. Strength. The man places out boxing bags with a strength meter. One by one, they’re allowed to punch it, scoring higher than anyone has done before. 

“Shit, one blow to my head and it’ll fall off”, she whispers. “They can seriously hurt someone.”

“They can, but they won’t if it isn’t necessary”, the man says. “They’re more for protecting people than hurting them. Y/N, would you want to be the guinea pig for that?”

“For what?”

“I’ll slap your wrist and we’ll see how they react. If I’m correct, they’ll go into protection mode.”

The woman nods. The human male rolls up her sleeve on her left arm and hits her wrist fast and hard with two fingers. A ‘swoosh’ along with a ‘snitch’ echoes throughout the room. She whimpers and backs away. The first one to reach her is Haknyeon, pulling her back from the male in the room as the others form a barricade between her and the man. Haknyeon embraces her in that tight hug again. He hides her face down into his shoulder. 

“If I were to put up a fight now, they’d attack”, the man says. “But I won’t.”

Changmin turns around and lifts up Y/N’s arm in his hands to examine it. There’s nothing to see, but he can’t help but keep holding her arm.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Yes, yes, I’m okay”, she answers. “You can stop now. Everything is okay.”

The eleven androids listen, going back to their positions. All but one. 

“Haknyeon, you can let Y/N go now”, the man says. 

“She’s not safe yet”, Haknyeon answers.

“Yes, I’m safe”, Y/N says, tapping his arm. “You can let me go now.”

“You’re not safe.”

“Is this a malfunction?” 

The man frowns. “I’m not sure. What would you be in danger of?”

“You”, Haknyeon answers. 

“No, he’s not a threat”, Y/N reassures him. “I’m okay, he’s not dangerous, it was all a test. Haknyeon, please, let me go.”

The eleven androids scan her and grow cautious again. She’s afraid. They go into protective mode once more. 

“I don’t think you thought this through”, Y/N whispers, eyes on the male that caused this situation. 

“Guys, it’s okay, it was just a test.” 

She places her hand over Haknyeon’s. He looks down at her hand, feeling the warmth ooze from it. Should he let her go? He can detect her fear, but she promises that she’s alright. This kind of morality isn’t programmed for him. He senses fear, he can’t let her go until she’s not afraid anymore. 

“Well, since this isn’t working …”, she starts mumbling before trying to break free from Haknyeon’s arms. 

He doesn’t budge. Instead, his grip grows tighter. He can’t let her go. She’s in danger, she can’t leave his arms. 

“Fucking dammit!” she mutters, giving up. “What do I do?” 

“I’m not sure”, the man replies, looking through the papers. 

“Maybe you should leave the room? They see you as the threat.”

The man nods and leaves the room. The eleven androids relax. Instead of looking at the guy, they turn towards the woman, having their full attention to her. 

“You’re still scared”, Jacob says. 

“I’m not afraid of the man, he’s not a threat”, she says. 

“Then what are you scared of?” Kevin asks. 

“Well … you … kind of. Just please let me go now. Scan me. I’m not scared anymore.”

She’s right.

“Let her go”, Chanhee says. 

Haknyeon does. She hurries over to the door and lets her colleague in again. 

“I think i should go”, Y/N says, grabbing her beige coat. “I don’t want that to happen again. You should check with the ones programming them. That shouldn’t happen with a real victim.”

“You’ll be here for the presentation, right?” the man asks. “You should be the one introducing them to the police.”

“I think so”, she says. “I’ll go now. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Y/N. Get home safely and sleep well.”

She thanks him, wishes him the same and leaves. The androids follow her with their eyes until she’s left the laboratory. The man turns to the androids. 

“Well, I guess that means bedtime for you”, he says, clapping his hands once. “Let’s get you charged and ready for tomorrow.”

The androids sit down on their chairs as the man walks behind them, plugging the cords into the back of their necks. Sunwoo can feel how he gets shut off, eyes falling shut, everything turning black. The last thing he sees is a picture of the woman that created them. 

——♤——

She's nervous. They can tell … both from scanning her and her walking back and forth across the floor. She's wearing a white suit that enhances all of her features. The only thing separating them and the audience is a giant, red curtain. 

"Y/N", Juyeon says. "You're stressed."

"I know", she answers quickly. "I'm about to hold a speech in front of a thousand people! They're Cyberlife workers, cops, journalists … I can't do it."

"Yes, you can", Chanhee says, taking a step forward and hugging her in the comforting manner he’s been programmed with. He can feel that it’s not enough. "Look at me."

And she does. He holds his hands on her upper arms. Everything about her is so human. Everything from how her gaze falters, hands tremble and chest rises and falls. Neither Chanhee or the others do any of that.

"Breathe in and breathe out with me", he says, doing the technique he's programmed with.

She breathes along with him until he can't detect the same level of nervousness anymore. He lets her go.

"Everything we did in the laboratory last week will be presented live on the stage", Y/N says. "You'll have to show them what you showed me and my colleague. But you can do that, I'm sure. You’re programmed to perfection.” She clears her throat. “Do any of you feel that there's something wrong with your programming or if there are any parts that are loose?"

They answer negatively.

"Good", Y/N says, fixing Younghoon’s tie. “You’ll do better than me out there. I’m jealous … you can’t feel nervous.”

“No, we can’t”, Kevin says. 

Y/N fixes her hair, but it gets stuck on one of the buttons in the suit and her shaky fingers can’t untie it. 

“Can you help me?” she asks, looking at Sangyeon. “I can’t turn my head up if I’m stuck on the button.”

He takes a smooth step forward and starts untying her hair from the button. 

“Is that okay?” he asks as the hair is loose. 

“Yes, it’s okay, thank you”, Y/N answers with a smile. “Go back to the line now before the curtain is removed. Perfection, okay?”

“Yes, ma'am”, Kevin says. 

“Don’t move from your positions. Last week shouldn’t be repeated … not here. Whatever your scanners say … I’m alright, okay?”

“Okay”, the eleven men answer. 

The woman fixes their ties, hair and blazers before brushing off her own white clothes. The red curtains pull to the side and she freezes. Sunwoo’s scanner shows that her anxiety is rising. His instinct is to walk over to her and help her, but there’s an invisible wall that prevents him from doing that. An order. Don’t move from your positions. 

“Welcome!” Y/N smiles. “On the behalf of Cyberlife, I am proud to present the coming generations of androids!”

She walks to the side of the stage to show the eleven androids. A wave of applause roars throughout the auditorium. It’s maxed to its capacity. 

Y/N talks on and on about what special features the eleven androids have that separates them from the rest of the androids Cyberlife has produced. Curious and impressed eyes wander over the androids, looking at them up and down. They can detect some lust in the audience, some are doing more than admiring them.

One by one, they show their strength, speed and communication ability. The crowd cheers for them.

"Impressive, aren't they?" Y/N smiles. "They will be working undercover, hence why their faces aren't like the other androids Cyberlife given to the police force. Connor, for an example." Y/N looks at them up and down and all they can detect is sadness although she smiles. "They'll do just fine, I'm sure of it. Thank you for listening. They will be put into work before the month is over."

The crowd applause for the last time before the red curtain separate them again. Y/N breathes out shakily and removes the headset she's been using.

"You can move now", she says.

"Why are you sad?" Jaehyun asks. 

"I'm not sad, I- …" she interrupts herself. "I guess there's no need to lie to you. You can tell. Well, I'm just a little sad because this is probably the last time we'll see each other."

The LED rings on the androids temples flashes yellow. Why aren't they going to meet? What has happened? If she's sad, does that mean something bad will happen?

"Why?" Haknyeon asks.

"My job here is done", Y/N sighs. "You'll be given to the police next week or so … and then your real life starts." 

None of the androids answer. They're trying to process the newly given information. It doesn't make sense. She created them, she can't leave them now. From the moment they opened their eyes the first time she's been there.

"I guess I'm just a little sad my work is over", she says, shrugging. "But it's been nice to meet you. I'm sure you'll do great. I'll cheer you on."

"Will you visit?" Changmin asks. "We'd appreciate it."

"I don't think so. I don't want to grow attached to you. You have work to do and it wouldn't be appropriate. You're androids … you don't have feelings … I'd just hurt myself."

Being androids, they can't understand what she's meaning. Confused, they look at her.

"What do you mean?" Kevin asks. "We can't understand emotions."

"Well … what I mean is that you're programmed to seduce and I made you handsome. Even I would fall for you and that wouldn't be good for anyone. You'd seduce me without thinking and I'd be left hoping for something that'd never be able to happen. And even if that wouldn’t happen … I’d expect too much from you and get hurt."

"We understand", Chanhee says.

Silence. 

"I'll get going now", Y/N says and picks up her bag. "Good luck with everything. Wait,  before I go, can I ask you something, Jaehyun?"

"Of course", he answers.

"When you hugged me, you held the protective hold. My coworker said that none of you had ever done that to any of the participants that tried it out. Why?"

"They weren't in any danger", Jaehyun answers.

"I wasn't either. So why?"

Jaehyun looks into her eyes, scanning her. Confusion. 

"You're our creator", he answers. "We’ll always need to protect you."

[cheritzteam]

[The Ssum] Ssumone “Harry” Ending Update Complete! Don’t Miss the Celebration Event♡ v2.0.6 App Update

Hello, dear lab participant!

Harry’s Ending for <The Ssum> v2.0.6 update has been completed. 

Don't forget to claim the server maintenance reward of 10 Aurora Batteries, available for 3 days! *Claim your reward by: ~ December 23rd, 2023 (KST)

[Download <The Ssum> and meet Harry] ♥ iOS: https://bit.ly/3oMM81e ♥Android: https://bit.ly/3poKHTJ

♥Harry Ending Update♥

Harry’s Full Story of 271 days has been completely updated!

What awaits our lab participant and Harry in the final chapter?

Access <The Ssum> right now to continue the story between the two of you.

From Season 1 to 11, every call now has a video call feature🎦added in. Enjoy the past stories again in a new way!

TIP 1) When you’re uploading important content, use the hashtag #TheSsum_Spoilers or #더썸_스포 to protect fellow lab participants from spoilers! If you are a lab participant who has reached the end of the story, this is also a way to find others who have finished it as well! TIP 2) This update has made Season 9-11 emoticons available for purchase at the Aurora LAB once you have finished each Season. If you’re interested, please check it out!

♥Celebration Event Guide♥

< ① X(Twitter) Repost Event >

Remember the X(Twitter) Repost Event that was held from D-7 to D-Day of the update?

As an appreciation for our lab participants’ incredible support, we will be holding an Encore Event!

This time, the limited-time prize is your Ssumone’s New Year Photo Memento Towel😍 (Try using it as a fabric poster!)

💌 How to Participate

Login to X(Twitter)🔑

Retweet @ Cheritz_DL’s Event Post(link)🔁

📆 Event Period

~ December 28th, 2023 (Wed) 9 AM KST

🎁Event Reward

Limited Time The Ssum New Year Photo Memento Towel (1 Random) + 100 Aurora Batteries (3 winners for each Ssumone, total 9 winners)

50 Aurora Batteries (10 winners)

📢 Winner Announcement

January 4th, 2024 (Thu) KST

※Please Note※ - You cannot participate with a private account. - If we do not get a DM reply within 10 days of the winner announcement, your prize will be canceled.

Disappointed because the event is only on X?

Keep an eye out for the Surprise News that’s coming out in a week (๑>؂•̀๑) 

< ② New Subscription Promotion >

For your comfortable ride to Harry’s Ending, the Aurora LAB is doing a new subscription promotion for lab participants that have never purchased a subscription!

The 1-month package, even the 3-month package — if it’s your first time subscribing, the Aurora Evolution Package is 20% off💥

Seize the perfect chance to get the benefits of the Aurora Evolution Package at the price of a Rainbow Evolution Package!

Visit the Aurora LAB right now♡

*This event promotion is for users who meet the requirements for the promotion. You can only participate once per account.

📆 Promotion Period

~ January 3rd, 2024 (Wed)

🎉 Promotion Details

Aurora Evolution Package (1 month/3 months) 20% discount

Q. What are the special benefits that only the Aurora Evolution Package has? A. That’s a great question! If you get a subscription for the Aurora Evolution Package, you can get the following exclusive benefits.

More Secondary Batteries! 104 secondary batteries are provided every day! you can also get max. 18 more after each chat thanks to eco-friendly charging!

More Anticipation Chatting and Calling Your Ssumone! During the subscription period, you can use 5 types of ringtones and text tones in your Ssumone’s voice!

A More Pleasant Experience with the Infinite Universe! Not only do you get The Premium AidBot rental, but you can also experience the Emotion Incubator at its greatest potential! PIU-PIU’s Belly storage gets increased and can hold 120 items for extra comfort♪

The Bigger and Better Sunshine Shelter! The Shelter gets an Aurora Renovation which lets you take in more Creatures. Bet you can get more presents from this upgrade!

< ③ Special Lab Support >

We are providing every lab participant with Special Lab Support in celebration of the update!

Make sure to collect the items while they’re available - especially the Aurora Creature Box which can only be acquired through purchase💨

📆 Reward Period

~December 28th, 2023 (Wed) 9 AM KST

🎁 Lab Support Details

5 Aurora Batteries + 1 Aurora Creature Box

Got any questions or concerns while using <The Ssum>? 📨The Ssum Customer Support: https://bit.ly/3cPacLg

We hope you hop onto the hype for our newly released Harry Ending Update of <The Ssum>.

We will do our best to provide you with more heart-racing content in the future.

Thank you.

-Cheritz-

[jpivblog]

📣 clip studio paint is having a 60% off sale from now until june 23rd 11:59pm pst (deadline is actually june 24 1am pst but whatever)

that means perpetual v4.0 is $23.40 and ex is $180.60. updates from 3.0->4.0 is pro->pro 17.49 and ex->ex 50.39

question and answer segment ⬇

is clip studio paint good i do not like adobe so i use this instead of photoshop. i like it and i like drawing in it

whats the difference between pro and ex ex doesn't have the 24 frames animation limit that pro has and it also has a lot more comic page and comic printing features. if you dont do multi-page comics or animation just get pro

should i buy now? i think if you wait until november or december for their last sale of the year you can get 5.0 also. so if you dont really need it now you could just wait i guess

is upgrading to csp 4.0 worth it compared to the csp version im using right now??? look at the features comparison list here and see if there is anything that strikes your fancy. features that i cared for off the top of my head: 2.0 added liquify across multiple layers, align/distribute tools, and proper word wrap for text. 3.0 added better mesh transformation controls, made timelapse more efficient, and webp import/export support (lol). 4.0 added better snapping and you can now select multiple brushes at once in the menu to move or delete them (HUGE)

how do i upgrade to 4.0 from 2.0. or 1.0 youd have to upgrade twice, once up to 3.0 and then again to 4.0, so honestly id just buy a new license. you should buy a new license if you have 1.0 regardless so you can continue to have access to 1.0 imo cuz thats the only one that doesnt have the online checks

aw does it still have the online checks yes but its not every day. its like, either every 3 days or 14 days, something like that. they changed it from being every 24 hours after everyone got mad when 2.0 came out

im a time traveller from the future. the 4.1 feature update in october or whatever added something lifechanging incredible why cant i use it! perpetual license only gives you up to 4.0 features. which includes 4.0 and 3.2, 3.1, 3.0 etc etc. you dont get 4.1 or 4.2 stuff. you have to wait for 5.0 perpetual for those. if youre impatient you can pay 11 dollars for an update pass that lasts 1 year and is functionally the same as a 1 year subscription. the update pass is only available if u have perpetual license and never goes on sale so its always 11 dollars which is coincidentally about the same price as an on-sale 1 year sub.

i use ipad tablet or android phone perpetual license is only for desktops. mobile devices can only have subscription. 1 year sub is on sale for $10.79 though (its usually $27)

[satoshi-mochida]

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night DLC ‘Classic II: Dominique’s Revenge’ launches June 11 - Gematsu

[Spoiler warning]

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night downloadable content “Classic II: Dominique’s Revenge” will launch for all platforms on June 11, publisher 505 Games and developer ArtPlay announced.

Here is an overview of the downloadable content, via 505 Games:

An All-New Bloodstained Adventure Awaits!

This all new premium downloadable content mode features the retro gameplay of Classic Mode with a larger map, more enemies, and new storyline that begins where Ritual of the Night ends. Dominique may have been defeated, but she is not finished. Banished to Limbo, she must steal Bael’s power if she hopes to escape to the mortal realm and take her revenge! Explore a massive new map with retro gameplay that takes Classic Mode to a whole new level.

Acquire valuable abilities and artifacts that will add to Dominique’s power. Speak to friendly demons to gather clues, but beware the waning moon! When the moon changes, friends become foes.

More details to come on launch day!

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC via Steam, iOS, and Android.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

An adversarial iMessage client for Android

Adversarial interoperability is one of the most reliable ways to protect tech users from predatory corporations: that's when a technologist reverse-engineers an existing product to reconfigure or mod it (interoperability) in ways its users like, but which its manufacturer objects to (adversarial):

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

"Adversarial interop" is a mouthful, so at EFF, we coined the term "competitive compatibility," or comcom, which is a lot easier to say and to spell.

Scratch any tech success and you'll find a comcom story. After all, when a company turns its screws on its users, it's good business to offer an aftermarket mod that loosens them again. HP's $10,000/gallon inkjet ink is like a bat-signal for third-party ink companies. When Mercedes announces that it's going to sell you access to your car's accelerator pedal as a subscription service, that's like an engraved invitation to clever independent mechanics who'll charge you a single fee to permanently unlock that "feature":

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/12/05/carmakers-push-forward-with-plans-to-make-basic-features-subscription-services-despite-widespread-backlash/

Comcom saved giant tech companies like Apple. Microsoft tried to kill the Mac by rolling out a truly cursèd version of MS Office for MacOS. Mac users (5% of the market) who tried to send Word, Excel or Powerpoint files to Windows users (95% of the market) were stymied: their files wouldn't open, or they'd go corrupt. Tech managers like me started throwing the graphic designer's Mac and replacing it with a Windows box with a big graphics card and Windows versions of Adobe's tools.

Comcom saved Apple's bacon. Apple reverse-engineered MS's flagship software suite and made a comcom version, iWork, whose Pages, Numbers and Keynote could flawlessly read and write MS's Word, Excel and Powerpoint files:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/06/adversarial-interoperability-reviving-elegant-weapon-more-civilized-age-slay

It's tempting to think of iWork as benefiting Apple users, and certainly the people who installed and used it benefited from it. But Windows users also benefited from iWork. The existence of iWork meant that Windows users could seamlessly collaborate on and share files with their Mac colleagues. IWork didn't just add a new feature to the Mac ("read and write files that originated with Windows users") – it also added a feature to Windows: "collaborate with Mac users."

Every pirate wants to be an admiral. Though comcom rescued Apple from a monopolist's sneaky attempt to drive it out of business, Apple – now a three trillion dollar company – has repeatedly attacked comcom when it was applied to Apple's products. When Apple did comcom, that was progress. When someone does comcom to Apple, that's piracy.

Apple has many tools at its disposal that Microsoft lacked in the early 2000s. Radical new interpretations of existing copyright, contract, patent and trademark law allows Apple – and other tech giants – to threaten rivals who engage in comcom with both criminal and civil penalties. That's right, you can go to prison for comcom these days. No wonder Jay Freeman calls this "felony contempt of business model":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

Take iMessage, Apple's end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) instant messaging tool. Apple customers can use iMessage to send each other private messages that can't be read or altered by third parties – not cops, not crooks, not even Apple. That's important, because when private messaging systems get hacked, bad things happen:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_celebrity_nude_photo_leak

But Apple has steadfastly refused to offer an iMessage app for non-Apple systems. If you're an Apple customer holding a sensitive discussion with an Android user, Apple refuses to offer you a tool to maintain your privacy. Those messages are sent "in the clear," over the 38-year-old SMS protocol, which is trivial to spy on and disrupt.

Apple sacrifices its users' security and integrity in the hopes that they will put pressure on their friends to move into Apple's walled garden. As CEO Tim Cook told a reporter: if you want to have secure communications with your mother, buy her an iPhone:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tim-cook-says-buy-mom-210347694.html

Last September, a 16-year old high school student calling himself JJTech published a technical teardown of iMessage, showing how any device could send and receive encrypted messages with iMessage users, even without an Apple ID:

https://jjtech.dev/reverse-engineering/imessage-explained/

JJTech even published code to do this, in an open source library called Pypush:

https://github.com/JJTech0130/pypush

In the weeks since, Beeper has been working to productize JJTech's code, and this week, they announced Beeper Mini, an Android-based iMessage client that is end-to-end encrypted:

https://beeper.notion.site/How-Beeper-Mini-Works-966cb11019f8444f90baa314d2f43a54

Beeper is known for a multiprotocol chat client built on Matrix, allowing you to manage several kinds of chat from a single app. These multiprotocol chats have been around forever. Indeed, iMessage started out as one – when it was called "iChat," it supported Google Talk and Jabber, another multiprotocol tool. Other tools like Pidgin have kept the flame alive for decades, and have millions of devoted users:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/07/tower-babel-how-public-interest-internet-trying-save-messaging-and-banish-big

But iMessage support has remained elusive. Last month, Nothing launched Sunchoice, a disastrous attempt to bring iMessage to Android, which used Macs in a data-center to intercept and forward messages to Android users, breaking E2EE and introducing massive surveillance risks:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/21/23970740/sunbird-imessage-app-shut-down-privacy-nothing-chats-phone-2

Beeper Mini does not have these defects. The system encrypts and decrypts messages on the Android device itself, and directly communicates with Apple's servers. It gathers some telemetry for debugging, and this can be turned off in preferences. It sends a single SMS to Apple's servers during setup, which changes your device's bubble from green to blue, so that Apple users now correctly see your device as a secure endpoint for iMessage communications.

Beeper Mini is now available in Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beeper.ima&hl=en_US

Now, this is a high-stakes business. Apple has a long history of threatening companies like Beeper over conduct like this. And Google has a long history deferring to those threats – as it did with OG App, a superior third-party Instagram app that it summarily yanked after Meta complained:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/05/battery-vampire/#drained

But while iMessage for Android is good for Android users, it's also very good for Apple customers, who can now get the privacy and security guarantees of iMessage for all their contacts, not just the ones who bought the same kind of phone as they did. The stakes for communications breaches have never been higher, and antitrust scrutiny on Big Tech companies has never been so intense.

Apple recently announced that it would add RCS support to iOS devices (RCS is a secure successor to SMS):

https://9to5mac.com/2023/11/16/apple-rcs-coming-to-iphone/

Early word from developers suggests that this support will have all kinds of boobytraps. That's par for the course with Apple, who love to announce splashy reversals of their worst policies – like their opposition to right to repair – while finding sneaky ways to go on abusing its customers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/22/vin-locking/#thought-differently

The ball is in Apple's court, and, to a lesser extent, in Google's. As part of the mobile duopoly, Google has joined with Apple in facilitating the removal of comcom tools from its app store. But Google has also spent millions on an ad campaign shaming Apple for exposing its users to privacy risks when talking to Android users:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/21/23883609/google-rcs-message-apple-iphone-ipager-ad

While we all wait for the other shoe to drop, Android users can get set up on Beeper Mini, and technologists can kick the tires on its code libraries and privacy guarantees.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/07/blue-bubbles-for-all/#never-underestimate-the-determination-of-a-kid-who-is-time-rich-and-cash-poor

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Business / Tech

Apple launches the iPhone 16e, a cheaper new version of the iPhone 16

By Lisa Eadicicco, CNN

4 minute read

Updated 11:55 AM EST, Wed February 19, 2025

People walk by an Apple store at the Westfield UTC shopping center on January 31, 2025 in San Diego, California.Kevin Carter/Getty Images North America/Getty Images CNN  — 

Apple on Wednesday announced a cheaper new version of the iPhone 16 called the iPhone 16e, signaling a renewed push into the budget smartphone market for the tech giant. It’s also the first iPhone with a cellular modem designed by Apple, and the cheapest iPhone Apple currently sells that supports Apple Intelligence.

The iPhone 16e costs $599 and launches on February 28.

Adding Apple Intelligence on a cheaper iPhone could be crucial for putting the company’s AI tools in the hands of more consumers. Apple has faced increased competition from Google and Samsung in recent years, both in the budget smartphone market and in the AI space. Google’s cheaper Pixel A-series of phones have been well received, for example, and both Google and Samsung have prioritized updating Android devices with new AI features over the last year.

The launch also marks a shift away from the iPhone SE, the budget iPhone line Apple debuted in 2016 and last updated in 2022. The iPhone SE made up only a sliver of Apple’s iPhone market share, according to research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, which reports it accounted for just 5% of US iPhone sales as of December 2024.

The iPhone 16e, despite being more expensive than the SE, could be more appealing to those who want a device that feels more like Apple’s more recent phones. The iPhone SE was the last iPhone with a traditional home button and fingerprint sensor on the front, a longtime staple that Apple began shifting away from with the iPhone X in 2017.

Apple announced the iPhone 16e on February 19.Apple

What the iPhone 16e can do

Apple claims the new 5G modem in the iPhone 16e is the “most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone.” The new modem is arriving more than five years after Apple acquired the majority of troubled chipmaker Intel’s smartphone modem business in 2019. Using its own modems makes Apple less reliant on partners and suppliers, giving it more control over product development and launch timing.

The iPhone 16e marks a long-awaited overhaul to Apple’s cheaper iPhone. The $429 iPhone SE, while less expensive, looked like the seven-year-old iPhone 8 and lacked features found on most new phones, such as face unlock and a nearly borderless screen. After Wednesday’s announcement, the iPhone SE is no longer available on Apple’s online store.

Unlike the iPhone SE, the iPhone 16e has a lot in common with the iPhone 16, bringing it up to speed with Apple’s current lineup. Both phones have a 6.1-inch screen, Face ID, a 48-megapixel camera and the Action button for programming shortcuts. However, the iPhone 16e is cheaper and it lacks a dedicated second camera for capturing wider shots and the Camera Control button for quickly accessing the camera.

It’s powered by the same processor as the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup, enabling it to run Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence, which until now has only been available on the iPhone 16 family, 2023’s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and certain iPads and Macs, is a blanket term that refers to a handful of AI-powered tools – such as the ability to generate emojis and images with a prompt, summarize notifications, and remove objects from photos as well as ChatGPT integration with Siri.

The popularity of ChatGPT following its late 2022 release sent a shockwave through the tech industry, prompting companies such as Microsoft, Google and Samsung to incorporate generative AI into their products.

But Apple was largely considered to be a latecomer to consumer-facing artificial intelligence. Like many tech companies, Apple has long used AI to power backend features, like camera modes, but didn’t begin rolling out Apple Intelligence until last fall. Apple Intelligence’s arrival on a cheaper device like the iPhone 16e signals the company sees AI as being a core part of its products moving forward.

Tech giants have positioned generative AI and chatbots as the next major evolution in how consumers use and interact with technology. Yet it’s unclear whether AI tools like Apple Intelligence will be compelling enough to drive smartphone upgrades, with Apple’s iPhone revenue falling short of Wall Street’s expectations in its fiscal first quarter of 2025.

[mariacallous]

Owners of Spotify's soon-to-be-bricked Car Thing device are begging the company to open source the gadgets to save some the landfill. Spotify hasn't responded to pleas to salvage the hardware, which was originally intended to connect to car dashboards and auxiliary outlets to enable drivers to listen to and navigate Spotify.

Spotify announced this week that it's bricking all purchased Car Things on December 9 and not offering refunds or trade-in options. On a support page, Spotify says:

We're discontinuing Car Thing as part of our ongoing efforts to streamline our product offerings. We understand it may be disappointing, but this decision allows us to focus on developing new features and enhancements that will ultimately provide a better experience to all Spotify users.

Spotify has no further guidance for device owners beyond asking them to reset the device to factory settings and “safely” get rid of the bricked gadget by “following local electronic waste guidelines.”

The company also said that it doesn’t plan to release a follow-up to the Car Thing.

Early Demise

Car Thing came out to limited subscribers in October 2021 before releasing to the general public in February 2022.

In its Q2 2022 earnings report released in July, Spotify revealed that it stopped making Car Things. In a chat with TechCrunch, it cited “several factors, including product demand and supply chain issues.” A Spotify rep also told the publication that the devices would continue to “perform as intended,” but that was apparently a temporary situation.

Halted production was a warning sign that Car Thing was in peril. However, at that time, Spotify also cut the device’s price from $90 to $50, which could have encouraged people to buy a device that would be useless a few years later.

Car Thing's usefulness was always dubious, though. The device has a 4-inch touchscreen and knob for easy navigation, as well as support for Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and voice control. But it also required users to subscribe to Spotify Premium, which starts at $11 per month. Worse, Car Thing requires a phone using data or Wi-Fi connected via Bluetooth in order to work, making the Thing seem redundant.

In its Q1 2022 report, Spotify said that quitting Car Thing hurt gross margins and that it took a 31 million euro (about $31.4 million at the time) hit on the venture.

Open Source Pleas

Spotify's announcement has sent some Car Thing owners to online forums to share their disappointment with Spotify and beg the company to open source the device instead of dooming it for recycling centers at best. As of this writing, there are more than 50 posts on the Spotify Community forums showing concern about the discontinuation, with many demanding a refund and/or calling for open sourcing. There are similar discussions happening elsewhere online, like on Reddit, where users have used phrases like “entirely unacceptable” to describe the news.

A Spotify Community member going by AaronMickDee, for example, said:

I'd rather not just dispose of the device. I think there is a community that would love the idea of having a device we can customize and use for other uses other than a song playback device. Would Spotify be willing to maybe unlock the system and allow users to write/flash 3rd party firmware to the device?

A Spotify spokesperson declined to answer Ars' questions about why Car Thing isn't being open sourced and concerns around e-waste and wasted money.

Instead, a company rep told Ars, in part: “The goal of our Car Thing exploration in the US was to learn more about how people listen in the car. In July 2022, we announced we’d stop further production and now it’s time to say goodbye to the devices entirely.” I followed up with Spotify's rep to ask again about making the device open source but didn't hear back.

At this point, encouraging customers to waste nearly $100 on a soon-obsolete device hasn't resulted in any groundbreaking innovations or lessons around “how people listen in the car.” In their initial response, Spotify's rep pointed me to a Spotify site that searches Spotify's newsroom for “how to listen to Spotify in the car.” One of the top posts is from 2019 and states that “if your car has an AUX or USB socket, using a cable is probably one of the fastest ways to connect by using your phone.”

As for Spotify, using customer dollars for company-serving learning experiences isn't the best business plan. And for regular users, it's best to avoid investing in an unproven hardware venture from a software company.

As Redditor Wemie1420 put it:

Doesn’t feel great that there is literally no alternative other than trashing it. Feels like we’re being punished for supporting them. Dissuades me from buying anything Spotify puts out in the future. I feel like there would be some way to approach this without being like, ‘yeah we’re done. Just throw it out it’s a waste of money now.’

[allaboutkeyingo]

9 Best Places To Buy Windows 11 Keys

The lastest Windows 11 is one of Microsoft’s best OSs . Not only it is stable, but it also comes with a host of new features like Windows Hello, Dark Mode, and advanced security，Android Gaming, Remote connections， To access these features, you’ll need to activate your Windows 11 or Windows 11 Pro , meaning a product key will be necessary, so where are the best places to buy Windows 11 Keys?

Microsoft Store Amazon Newegg Walmart BestBuy Keyingo Microcenter TigerDirect On the Hub

As most branded laptops come with windows 11 without activations, and the PC you build by yourself, you might have to get a windows 11 key from these legit market places !

The best place to buy Windows 11 keys is through the official Microsoft website. However, you can also buy from other trusted websites like Bestbuy, Amazon, Walmart, Newegg，Keyingo, On the Hub.

Then you can activate your Windows 11 and make the most of the OS.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Read on as we examine some of the best places to buy Windows 11 keys.

Microsoft Store

Microsoft is hands down the best place to buy Windows 11 keys. Purchasing product keys from the official website gives you the peace of mind that you’re buying a perfectly legal product that won’t have any issues in the future.

While the Microsoft website doesn’t allow you to purchase a product key independently, you can still acquire a product key by buying the different Windows 11 packages.

Windows 11 Home is best for household and personal use, licensed for one PC. Windows 11 Pro is perfect for small businesses and users in need of enhanced functionality, while Windows 11 Pro for Workstations — as the name suggests — is perfect for advanced users and businesses.

Investing in any of the above products will give you a product key that you can find in the email (confirmation) sent after purchasing Windows.

Or, you can find the product key in the packaging box your OS came in.

Keyingo

Keyingo store is among the few trusted websites that deal with product keys.

The website sells various digital products and software ranging from operating systems, office suites, packs, antiviruses and security software, and graphic design products.

You’re also likely to find Windows 11 products at a lower price when buying from Keyingo Store

However, the good thing is that Keyingo deals with legitimate products, meaning you won’t suffer any losses when purchasing directly from the site.

You can track your order or make any inquiries about Windows 11 product keys without having to wait for ages to get a response.

The site also has a software blog that helps users learn a thing or two about making the most of their devices and software.

Amazon

Amazon is also a great place to buy Windows 11 keys. All you’ll need is to head on to the site and search for Windows 11 Home.

You’ll spot several products sold by the official Windows store. However, to avoid making a wrong purchase, paying close attention to the product and its features is crucial.

Amazon allows you to buy Microsoft Windows 11 Home as a DVD, or as a USB that’ll ship to your location. Unfortunately, finding just the digital download copy of Windows 11 Home these days seems to be a bit of a challenge.

It is similar in comparison when considering Windows 11 Home. The main difference is that a USB version or digital download are obtainable and popular choices.

According to Amazon reviews, the USB version is a lot easier to install than the DVD version.

Just because Amazon is a trusted e-commerce site, that doesn’t mean you let your guard down when buying products on the platform.

Pay close attention when purchasing software like Windows 11 to ensure you buy from trustworthy sellers.

And since some software can have identical names and titles, don’t forget to closely check the name to make sure you don’t walk away with the wrong software !

Newegg

It’s hard to talk about online marketplaces for PC components and software without mentioning Newegg.

Formed in 2001, Newegg has established itself as one of the best tech-focused e-retailers in North America and worldwide.

Newegg sells Microsoft products like Windows 11 Home at relatively lower prices than you’d find on the official Microsoft website.

Even better, the site regularly updates its prices, allowing customers to buy software and PC parts at considerably low prices.

While the price cuts won’t be as significant compared to when buying to marketplaces like Kinguin, Newegg allows clients to reduce costs through discounts and promo codes.

Newegg also offers free shipping to clients in the US, which can cut your costs even further.

You’ll receive the activation key upon purchasing the product. On most occasions, the code will be super tiny and strategically located under the ‘scratch off’ sticker.

You can easily scratch off the product key on your package, so it’s best to scratch slowly and carefully.

Walmart

You can also buy Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro on the Walmart website.

One advantage of buying at Walmart is you’ll be eligible for free shipping, and you can buy the product at slightly lower prices than buying directly from Microsoft.

Based on client reviews, you’ll find the key on the Windows 11 product package. Remember to scratch gently to reveal the code.

Walmart also gives you access to a host of other genuine Windows products, making it a great option if you want to buy legit Windows 11 keys without having to pay the full price on the Microsoft website.

Microcenter

Microcenter is another legitimate online store to purchase legitimate Windows 11 for your PC.

The website exclusively deals with tech, computer, and software-related products, making it a great place to hunt for affordable Windows 11 Home or Pro product keys.

Similar to other genuine Microsoft merchants, you’ll get your Windows 11 keys on your packaging.

So, scratch gently to avoid removing the tiny product key figures. Microcenter allows clients to purchase a maximum of ten keys per household, which is a great way to limit further reselling.

TigerDirect

Tigerdirect is another great place to purchase Windows 11 and get a product key for activation.

While the prices aren’t as affordable as you’ll find on several other sites, Tigerdirect is still cheaper than Microsoft.

That means you can ship via TigerDirect if you find buying directly from Windows to be expensive.

Tigerdirect is a lot faster than other sites when it comes to shipping.

And although you won’t get massive discounts on the site, the knowledge that you’ll be buying legitimate Windows 11 keys should give you peace of mind.

Besides fast shipping, Tigerdirect also stands out due to its highly responsive support team.

Clients who’ve bought from the site claim the support team is dedicated to resolving client issues in the shortest time possible.

On the Hub

On the Hub has partnered with hundreds of schools, universities, and colleges from various countries to make Microsoft products and a host of other products available to students.

However, only students with valid school IDs and institution email addresses are eligible for the discounts provided on the site.

To make the most of the offers on the site, you’ll first need to key in your country, state or province, and school.

This information will allow the system to determine the deals and offers you’re eligible for based on your school’s agreement with On The Hub.

Although not suitable for everyone, On The Hub is an excellent website for students looking to purchase or get Windows 11 keys for free.

If you’re a student, then you might want to consider trying out On The Hub if your institution is registered as an academic partner

[animesavior]

“About earlier, I'm sorry. Back when I shut down your ideas about love, my father didn't...well, he never approved of how I lived my life. And when your opinions are continuously shunned and ignored, it makes it hard to accept the opinions of others. In order to defend your position, you assert your legitimacy by rejecting what other people have to say. But you're not concerned about winning approval [Akira]. You just say whatever comes to your mind. I guess that made me a little jealous, and the old me slipped out for a bit. The truth is, I'm just bad at romance. I'm afraid of getting hurt. Which is probably why I put up a front and acted like work was more important.  [...] If one day, I do find myself falling in love, I can only hope that it's with someone I can be this open with.” -          Shizuka Mikazuki, Zom 100 (Ep. 08)

The Toonami Trending Rundown for June 8-9, 2024. Some fun times this week, as Beatrix joins the crew in Zom 100 as they go out for sushi and a hot spring visit, while Lex Luthor leads the charge in calling for Superman’s denouncement, and Sabo substitutes in for Luffy in trying to secure the Flame Flame fruit in One Piece, among other great moments.

In terms of trends, Toonami trended in the USA alongside My Adventures with Superman and Zom 100. In addition, Android 18 interestingly enough trended during the night. The reason? Check out the next episode preview for My Adventures with Superman, and you can probably see why fans have compared the show’s newest character Kara to DBZ’s Android 18.

No trends were spotted during Week 2 of Toonami Rewind on Friday, which probably wasn’t helped that Summer Game Fest (considered to be the successor to the now defunct E3) was going on at the same time.

This week’s feature was a new ID indent titled Rubiks Cube, as TOM and SARA try to solve a Rubiks Cube. You can check it out below.

Speaking of Summer Game Fest, Toei Animation and Bandai Namco released a new trailer for the upcoming video game, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. The newest game to the Dragon Ball franchise, it will be available for fans to play on Steam, the PS5, and the Xbox Series X/S this upcoming October 11, 2024.

Dragon Ball will be once again featured in San Diego Comic-Con this July, as Toei will once again have a booth in the convention center halls during the event on July 25-28, in addition to an outside booth at the Marriott Marquis next door for non-badge holders. I’ll be covering SDCC for Toonami Squad once again, so be sure to follow @AnimeSavior and @ToonamiSquad on Twitter and Bluesky for any news that will be coming about during the con.

This week, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival is taking place in France, and among the awards and presentations, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim have announced several new and continuing original productions. Of interest for Toonami viewers, Adult Swim has greenlit production on a third season of My Adventures with Superman. Among some of the other productions from Cartoon Network include an animated adaptation series of Get Jiro!, a graphic novel penned by the late Anthony Bourdain and Super Mutant Magic Academy, a new Adult Swim original series created by J.G. Quintel (of Regular Show fame) and Jillian Tamaki, the creator of the franchise’s original comics. The Adventure Time franchise will also see three different animation productions, including a movie; Adventure Time: Side Quests, which will feature stand-alone episodes in Finn and Jake’s adventures; and Adventure Time: Heyo BMO, a preschool series starring BMO.

Toonami creator Jason DeMarco is also at Annecy this week to promote the new Lord of the Rings anime film, titled The War of Rohirrim. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, produced by Joseph Chou and Jason DeMarco, and animated by Sola Entertainment; the anime film will also feature the talents of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, as executive producers. "The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim" opens in theaters on December 13, 2024.

Hera and Wulf, respectively, from The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Photos from Warner Bros. Pictures via Entertainment Weekly.)

Unfortunate news in the anime industry this week, as Gainax, known for giving us the Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, and FLCL franchises, alongside other classics including His and Her Circumstances, Nadia, Gunbuster, has filed for bankruptcy after 40 years in existence. Studio Khara, Evangelion creator Hideki Anno’s newest animation studio, will assist in foreseeing Gainax’s liquidation, including transferring or selling the rights of all their remaining properties. While Gainax will be missed among the anime community, its legacy will certainly live on through its successor companies and veteran animators, including the likes of Studio Khara, Studio Trigger, and Production I.G.

Not much else to say other than see you again next time for another round of the better cartoon show. Later.

Legend: The shows listed are ordered based on their appearance on the schedule. Show trends are listed in bold. The number next to the listed trend represents the highest it trended on the list (not counting the promoted trend), judging only by the images placed in the rundown. For the Twitter tweet counts, the listed number of tweets are also sorely based on the highest number shown based on the images on the rundown.

United States Trends:

#Toonami [Trended with #Zom100]

#MyAdventuresWithSuperman [Trended with #Zom100]

#Zom100 [#8]

Android 18 [#18]

Tweet Counts:

Android 18 [1,575 tweets]

If you wish to send me a tip for the work on the trending rundown, donations can be sent to PayPal.Me/DanielLimjoco.

“Does that mean…you…” Only Toonami on [adult swim] on Cartoon Network.