Nostr notes by Bruce Lawson ✅ ♫ ♿ ✌️♂️✊

I just had a scary trip to the local Tesco Express. People ...

2026-10-22T08:45:08Z

I just had a scary trip to the local Tesco Express. People glowered at me, muttering "Happy now, PHP developer?". One woman shielded her kids, shrieking "Don't go near the nasty server-side man, kids". And when I got home, someone had posted a ColdFusion manual through my letter box with a message in cut-out newspaper text saying "learn to code, loser".

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Clearleft/117478992516156944 I love ...

2026-10-21T12:56:22Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Clearleft/117478992516156944

I love a good name.

Vivaldi fetches certificate updates every few hours, and those ...

2026-10-21T12:45:19Z

Vivaldi fetches certificate updates every few hours, and those certificates were blocklisted some days before the fault was publicly announced. As a result, it is not affected by the EMudhra failure. (If you want to be extra sure, you can also force a manual CRLSet update check in vivaldi:components.) And I’ve written to the regulators asking them to ban the number “4”, which has always struck me as the least trustworthy of the all-Harshad numbers.

"In 2022, security researcher Felix Krause showed that ...

2026-10-21T10:50:58Z

"In 2022, security researcher Felix Krause showed that Instagram and Facebook’s in-app browsers injected JavaScript into the pages users visited" - what if links to web pages simply opened in your default browser, the one you installed because you trust it? Imagine being able to use the software *you choose* on a device you own. https://www.absolutegeeks.com/tech-news/whatsapp-is-building-an-in-app-browser-for-every-link-you-open/

Does your org want to move away from Big Tech, and use a browser ...

2026-10-20T15:23:29Z

Does your org want to move away from Big Tech, and use a browser based in Europe? We're working on Vivaldi Enterprise: our secure, private browser built for organisations of all sizes—from businesses and public institutions to schools and Starfleet Constitution-class starships. https://vivaldi.com/enterprise/

Mozilla Is Calling Out Microsoft for Forcing Edge on Users, and ...

2026-10-19T09:02:24Z

Mozilla Is Calling Out Microsoft for Forcing Edge on Users, and It's Absolutely Right https://uk.pcmag.com/migrated-3765-windows-10/167981/mozilla-is-calling-out-microsoft-for-forcing-edge-on-users-and-its-absolutely-right "European laws now force Microsoft to make Windows more respectful of user choices. … no one should have to fight their OS this hard on something as simple as a browser preference."

AI Company Lets Cops Pinpoint Specific Houses Based on a Single ...

2026-10-13T07:44:04Z

AI Company Lets Cops Pinpoint Specific Houses Based on a Single Interior Photo https://www.404media.co/ai-company-lets-cops-pinpoint-specific-houses-based-on-a-single-interior-photo/ "Raven, previously called GeoSpy, lets cops figure out what specific Airbnb or Zillow property a photo was taken in." Hurrah for the panopticon.

I see the inventor of gravy granules had the Nobel Prize for ...

2026-10-12T09:22:11Z

I see the inventor of gravy granules had the Nobel Prize for cookery bistoed upon him.

Finally, a CAPTCHA that doesn't require me to instantly know ...

2026-10-12T07:49:33Z

Finally, a CAPTCHA that doesn't require me to instantly know what American fire hydrants or school buses look like.

Just how much longer will UK and Europe kick the can down the ...

2026-10-10T11:38:57Z

Just how much longer will UK and Europe kick the can down the road over digital sovereignty, after Comb-over Caligula ordered a ban on US entities making transactions with the International Criminal Court, because its former judge Navi Pillay was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize (and she didn't even drop a bomb on a girls' school). https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj20vkkx3rdvo

If I don't keep my car roadworthy and crash into yours, it ...

2026-10-06T08:23:55Z

If I don't keep my car roadworthy and crash into yours, it hasn't gone "rogue", it's my negligence and I'm responsible. If my dog attacks you, I am liable. There are no rogue AIs, just negligent AI companies. Prosecute them.

Today marks three years since we released Vivaldi for iOS. ...

2026-09-28T13:47:57Z

Today marks three years since we released Vivaldi for iOS. Hurray! We released Vivaldi on Android seven years ago. So what explains the iOS delay? Quite simply, Apple caused the delay. Here's a look at how we're working with other browsers and groups to liberate all platforms so you have the right to run the software you want on a device that you own. https://vivaldi.com/blog/ios/happy-3rd-birthday-vivaldi-on-ios/

grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(min(100%, 22rem), ...

2026-09-28T08:07:57Z

grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(min(100%, 22rem), 1fr));
= the best bit of CSS ever. Thank you, new layout algos.

70% of Americans think that AI is bad for society and 73% of ...

2026-09-27T11:20:11Z

70% of Americans think that AI is bad for society and 73% of Americans think the costs of datacenters outweigh the benefits, according to a survey https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2026/sep/27/democracy-ai-datacenters-power

There are no "rogue AIs". Just rogue AI companies. ...

2026-09-24T22:09:49Z

There are no "rogue AIs". Just rogue AI companies. Regulate them hard.

A tasty shakshuka in a Palestinian cafe before my train. It's ...

2026-09-24T17:51:55Z

A tasty shakshuka in a Palestinian cafe before my train. It's been too long since I've had this pleasure.

I don't need a JavaScript syntax highlighter, but when I read ...

2026-09-23T08:00:19Z

I don't need a JavaScript syntax highlighter, but when I read "Twinkleplop is a syntax highlighter of unspeakable power" I suddenly really want it. https://twinkleplop.pngwn.at/docs

If you thought the departure of Tim Cook would see a new caring ...

2026-09-22T10:46:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…z4d3
_________________________

If you thought the departure of Tim Cook would see a new caring "Consent is a human right" Apple, think again. Not-Steve-Either has been in post 10 minutes, and they're forcing 22GB of AI on you. That's the equivalent of 32 shit U2 albums.

RE: https://social.lol/@db/117313366685749740 "The AI ...

2026-09-22T09:37:29Z

RE: https://social.lol/@db/117313366685749740

"The AI industrial complex does not do consent. You will use it. You cannot look away, it will be stuffed down your throat and if you say “no” they’ll cut out your tongue … Call me a radical but I’ve chosen not to kowtow to billionaires."

quoting
note182x…a56n

blogged: I said no and Apple said yes

https://dbushell.com/2026/09/22/apple-intelligence/

just more AI industrial complex bullshit 🫩

Artificial intelligence data ‘land grab’ looms amid proposed ...

2026-09-21T15:59:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…qmmj
_________________________

Artificial intelligence data ‘land grab’ looms amid proposed digital changes, privacy activist Max Schrems warns https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/09/21/ai-data-land-grab-looms-amid-proposed-digital-changes/
EU proposals put interests of private AI firms above citizens’ rights, warm campaigners

Ireland has long been a fiefdom of Big Tech, and now it has the ...

2026-09-19T15:42:57Z

Ireland has long been a fiefdom of Big Tech, and now it has the EU Presidency, this leaked non-public document shows they have submitted a presidential amendment to GDPR to allow AI free rein over your data. Yay. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/johnnyryan1_this-is-insanity-irish-presidencys-draft-share-7506654125808476160-hwTd/

"Generative AI is unavoidable if you install macOS 27 Golden ...

2026-09-17T17:16:46Z

"Generative AI is unavoidable if you install macOS 27 Golden Gate. I’m being very literal: There used to be a toggle you could hit if you wanted to turn off Apple Intelligence and delete the gigabytes’ worth of AI models it would download to your disk, and now there isn’t". https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/09/macos-27-golden-gate-the-ars-technica-review/

There’s a new W3C Community Group “The mission of the Browser ...

2026-09-16T11:25:36Z

There’s a new W3C Community Group “The mission of the Browser Data Portability Community Group is to build consensus amongst web browser developers and implementers on how to meet the needs of users who wish to transfer their data between browsers.” https://www.w3.org/community/browdatport/

RE: https://mas.to/@FantasticalEconomics/117271376665334027 The ...

2026-09-15T05:57:13Z

RE: https://mas.to/@FantasticalEconomics/117271376665334027

The most plausible explanation for the sudden Broligarch panic about "A.I." I've seen.

quoting
note19jj…qu9c

A handful of bros in Silicon Valley and Wall Street have wagered much of the global economy on being able to hyperscale stochastic parrots into AGI super beings.

Many in the know have long known that is a losing bet as LLMs are mathematically guaranteed to produce plausible sounding errors (too often called "hallucinations"). Sucking up increasing amounts of water and energy to train on more stolen information only results in marginal improvements.

All this talk of 'needing to slow down the super scary AI' is just a tacit admission from the AI CEOs that they are running out of venture capitalist marks to con and are looking for a government bailout - it's only fair to be compensated if they are tapping the breaks to save humanity, after all.

These AI companies have no path to profitability (unless LLM to AGI transition is, in fact, possible and around the corner, to which it's not), but can find a 'nice' home within increasingly fascist surveillance states.

#LLM #AI #AIDoomerism

ATTENTION! EXTENSIONS! Loads of you asked for extensions to be ...

2026-09-10T16:03:20Z

ATTENTION! EXTENSIONS! Loads of you asked for extensions to be added to Vivaldi for Android. Nobody at all asked for LLMs to be integrated. At Vivaldi, we're not Big Tech. So we've implemented extensions, and added 0% A.I. to the browser. https://vivaldi.com/blog/vivaldi-on-mobile-8-2/

Loads of fighting age people in burkas invade our coast and cause ...

2026-09-06T08:09:06Z

Loads of fighting age people in burkas invade our coast and cause massive disruption. I thought Patirots hate that?

Defrag98 - take yourself back to a simpler time with the ...

2026-09-03T15:59:39Z

Defrag98 - take yourself back to a simpler time with the meditative UI and sounds of Windows 98 defragmenting a variety of disks. Om Shan–76% Complete. https://defrag98.com

Uk people: use this form to ask your MP to attend a Parliamentary ...

2026-09-02T07:52:56Z

Uk people: use this form to ask your MP to attend a Parliamentary event on Digital Sovereignty by Open Rights Group (npub1p2p…hjzg) https://action.openrightsgroup.org/invite-your-mp-orgs-event-digital-sovereignty

Elon Musk’s xAI used child porn to train Grok models, lawsuit ...

2026-08-28T14:32:58Z

Elon Musk’s xAI used child porn to train Grok models, lawsuit says https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/08/elon-musks-xai-used-child-porn-to-train-grok-models-lawsuit-says/
"Doe explained that she was preschool-age in the early 2000s when adult men repeatedly raped her to create CSAM… CCCP notified her that it had identified AI-generated CSAM on xAI that depicted her."

A better showing from the Grim Reaper ...

2026-08-27T14:40:06Z

A better showing from the Grim Reaper https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ywxpryj95o

Marginalia: a search engine that prioritizes non-commercial ...

2026-08-26T10:59:47Z

Marginalia: a search engine that prioritizes non-commercial content, no AI, no tracking, open-source. "The goal is to bring you the sort of grass fed, free range HTML your grandma used to write" https://marginalia-search.com

Taxpayers to foot the bill for by-election after Reform ...

2026-08-25T08:26:28Z

Taxpayers to foot the bill for by-election after Reform Councillor can't be arsed to turn up for 6 months. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98v75nl8zpo

Microsoft built a Windows app to install extensions in every ...

2026-08-24T09:54:47Z

Microsoft built a Windows app to install extensions in every installed browser to change the search engine to Bing. "Wait! don't change it back!" begs the extension. I've no love for Google search, but Clippy farting in the face of the user's wishes is outrageous. https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/08/22/microsoft-built-a-dedicated-app-that-forces-bing-everywhere-on-windows-11-including-chrome-firefox-and-brave/

[@patrick_h_lauke](https://mastodon.social/@patrick_h_lauke ) I ...

2026-08-20T10:40:09Z

[@patrick_h_lauke](https://mastodon.social/@patrick_h_lauke ) I saw this in Stratford on Tuesday night, and instantly thought of you.

Why are black olives so delicious, but green olives horrid? ...

2026-08-20T10:13:58Z

Why are black olives so delicious, but green olives horrid? It's a mystery.

Meta and Google mobile apps gorge on user data: Study ...

2026-08-19T08:25:01Z

Meta and Google mobile apps gorge on user data: Study https://www.theregister.com/personal-tech/2026/08/18/meta-and-google-mobile-apps-gorge-on-user-data-study/5289171 "Our research shows that the Big Tech business model is often built on an insatiable appetite for user information" - who knew?!?!!

Happy 90th birthday to Margaret Hamilton, who led the development ...

2026-08-17T10:09:18Z

Happy 90th birthday to Margaret Hamilton, who led the development of the on-board flight software for NASA's Apollo Guidance Computer. Here she is in 1969, standing next to listings of the Apollo guidance software she and her MIT team produced.

'The exact words we choose when writing matter. I want any ...

2026-08-17T09:58:30Z

'The exact words we choose when writing matter. I want any LLM I use to choose the very best, most precise words at every single decision point" - then, err, write it yourself? (It's especially weird to see an Apple cheerleader weeping about a company overriding user autonomy.) https://daringfireball.net/2026/08/anthropics_watermark_text_adulteration_in_claude_is_a_perversion_of_writing

So more like this? ...

2026-08-14T17:08:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…3948
_________________________

So more like this?

Today's Vivaldi desktop snapshot includes an indicator in the ...

2026-08-14T09:38:03Z

Today's Vivaldi desktop snapshot includes an indicator in the address bar if a website is an installable PWA. This is because we 💕 web apps. Sadly, the lovely button I personally crafted was vetoed by our design team in a jealous rage.
https://vivaldi.com/blog/desktop/address-field-calculator-and-vpn-fix-vivaldi-browser-snapshot-4133-3/

I can't believe that this obvious front for money-laundering ...

2026-08-13T08:14:42Z

I can't believe that this obvious front for money-laundering criminal lowlifes has been allowed to open on our High Street. And right next to a barber shop that gets used by young kids, too. Disc race.

And my chums from the web platform team at Microsoft join Brave ...

2026-08-12T06:52:35Z

And my chums from the web platform team at Microsoft join Brave and Opera in supporting Vivaldi Browser (npub19rt…adh9)'s DMA 6(7) request for Google to open WebAPK minting, so all Android browsers can install Progressive Web Apps as fully-fledged apps. https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/543049061#comment7

Of course he had to out-do Boris Johnson hiding in a fridge. ...

2026-08-11T21:19:13Z

Of course he had to out-do Boris Johnson hiding in a fridge. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/10/trump-secret-flight-nato-return

GPS-enabled children’s smartwatches and aftermarket vehicle ...

2026-08-11T14:21:15Z

GPS-enabled children’s smartwatches and aftermarket vehicle accessories are riddled with security vulnerabilities that leave kids and drivers susceptible to hacking and tracking. What could possibly go wrong? https://www.wired.com/story/hackers-stalked-me-by-hijacking-a-smartwatch-for-kids/

knowing the word isn't pomposity - it's unsolicited ...

2026-08-11T09:12:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…y7t5
_________________________

knowing the word isn't pomposity - it's unsolicited demonstration of the knowledge

I almost wish it would rain to end the heatwave and drought, ...

2026-08-11T07:15:18Z

I almost wish it would rain to end the heatwave and drought, except I know some pompous smartarse will use it as an opportunity to tell social media about "petrichor". Oh bugger I just did.

This is the best photo of Sid James riding a Chopper past a ...

2026-08-08T13:21:29Z

This is the best photo of Sid James riding a Chopper past a statue you'll see this weekend.

Microsoft admits it force-installed AI-powered OneDrive on ...

2026-08-07T15:41:35Z

Microsoft admits it force-installed AI-powered OneDrive on Windows 11, says it’s not training on your faces (really) https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/08/07/microsoft-admits-it-force-installed-ai-powered-onedrive-on-windows-11-says-its-not-training-on-your-faces-really/ So, that's OK then. You didn't want that storage space, did you?

I'm always delighted when a new regulator contacts us to ask ...

2026-08-05T09:12:37Z

I'm always delighted when a new regulator contacts us to ask questions about the villainy of Big Tech, but -by Darwin!- it takes an age to gather all the info together. Just another 5 Qs to go…

RE: https://mastodon.social/@ecosia/117008148726987183 Nice to ...

2026-08-03T13:39:20Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@ecosia/117008148726987183

Nice to see our chums at Ecosia (npub1aua…86wd) making use of the European Search Perspective. (Shameless plug; I interviewed Ecosia's Wolfgang Oels about the project for my For A Better Web podcast https://vivaldi.com/blog/wolfgang-oels-ecosia-for-a-better-web/)

quoting
note1x9f…6q9a

Your Ecosia searches in Germany just became more independent.

Earlier this month, we started delivering results from our European search index to some searches in Germany, and plan to serve a majority of German search queries by Janaury.

Right now, most searches in Europe depend on infrastructure controlled by just a few US companies.

So we built an alternative.

Together with Qwant (npub1yrc…txj5), we created European Search Perspective, a European search index for more choice and digital sovereignty 🚀

The thing that offends me the most about how A.I. "music" ...

2026-07-16T08:42:50Z

The thing that offends me the most about how A.I. "music" generator Suno scraped decades worth of music and podcasts from the internet without permission, attribution or payment is that the CEO said "I think the majority of people don’t enjoy the majority of the time they spend making music.” https://www.404media.co/hack-reveals-suno-ai-music-generator-scraped-youtube-deezer-and-genius/

I spoke to Mitch McConnell for around 20 minutes this morning ...

2026-07-15T08:37:09Z

I spoke to Mitch McConnell for around 20 minutes this morning about whether the XHTML 2 specification should be restarted.

Today, the European Commission preliminarily found Meta in breach ...

2026-07-10T13:36:25Z

Today, the European Commission preliminarily found Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act for the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook. The investigation focuses on features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and the platforms’ highly personalised recommender systems. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_1579

Bent as a 9 bob note. "Farage was given a deadline of 1pm on ...

2026-07-08T06:14:29Z

Bent as a 9 bob note. "Farage was given a deadline of 1pm on Tuesday to respond to the Guardian about this article. He gave a video address at 2pm announcing he would force a byelection in his seat of Clacton-on-Sea." https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/07/revealed-farages-5m-gift-reported-to-uk-agency-over-money-laundering-concerns

I wouldn’t say that coprolite is my top favourite fossil, but ...

2026-07-04T18:19:12Z

I wouldn’t say that coprolite is my top favourite fossil, but it’s certainly a solid number two.

If you’ve never had your car stolen in France, you don’t know ...

2026-07-02T18:04:48Z

If you’ve never had your car stolen in France, you don’t know voiture missing.

In this edition of my For A Better Web podcast, I chat with ...

2026-06-25T13:34:11Z

In this edition of my For A Better Web podcast, I chat with Wolfgang Oels, COO of Ecosia, about the European Search Perspective (an EU search index they co-founded), saving the planet and more. https://vivaldi.com/blog/wolfgang-oels-ecosia-for-a-better-web/

Nostr event nevent1qqspak5umjnv9vhmyz957ldvnnrdu4x04n2r5prxr79gxdslpufjjugzyphjaz45hp97e2d93ck3xc6ugflap0pm30cjvd8gn4h4d8dj0enmsm65g8j

2026-06-24T09:29:03Z

Relatable.

A lovely community event, free entry to all, with kids, older ...

2026-06-21T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…7flz
_________________________

A lovely community event, free entry to all, with kids, older people, families of all ethnicities & sexualities having a beer and a dance together is the epitome of the birmingham that I live in.

At a far nicer gathering today at Kings Heath church for the ...

2026-06-21T12:12:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…hm3n
_________________________

At a far nicer gathering today at Kings Heath church for the local LGBTQ Pride event: Queens' Heath Pride.

I'm happy that when the fascists came to my city yesterday, ...

2026-06-21T09:36:14Z

I'm happy that when the fascists came to my city yesterday, they were hugely outnumbered by counter-protesters, and lots of the knuckle-draggers skulked off home posting sadly about how local pubs and shops refused to serve them. Well played, Birmingham.

"Me, in hotpants, shaking the golden-clad Brucie Booty(tm) to ...

2026-06-12T13:42:28Z

"Me, in hotpants, shaking the golden-clad Brucie Booty(tm) to a song based on "In the Navy", I suggested to our head of marketing. He muttered something under his breath and left the room. But now he's on paternity leave, so here it is: "In Vivaldi". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r9eJv2J7WA

Apple designed its wonderful new (fast! private! thinking of the ...

2026-06-09T07:39:03Z

Apple designed its wonderful new (fast! private! thinking of the children!) Siri AI in a way that it knew contravened the EU Digital Markets Act. Then asked the EU to let them do it anyway, pinky-promising that it would make it compliant after 18 months. Understandably sceptical, after 2 years continued WebKit monopoly on iOS, EU said "no". Not-Steve and Not-Steve-Either are both Very Sad (while still Thinking Of the Children) https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/06/due-to-dma-siri-ai-delayed-in-eu-for-ios-27-and-ipados-27/

"Marketers chose the slogan after consulting an AI tool, ...

2026-06-06T07:19:39Z

"Marketers chose the slogan after consulting an AI tool, looking for suggestions... It turned out some managers who approved the campaign never opened the email attachments showing the marketing material." https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/06/starbucks-south-korea-tank-day-promotion-blunder

Dear Microsoft, Enough is Enough - an open letter from the ...

2026-06-05T13:57:49Z

Dear Microsoft, Enough is Enough - an open letter from the Browser Choice Alliance (of which Vivaldi Browser (npub19rt…adh9) is a founder member) https://browserchoicealliance.org/open-letter/

I'm knackered after getting back to Lawson Towers in the ...

2026-06-03T10:58:37Z

I'm knackered after getting back to Lawson Towers in the early hours after a day synergizin' with the Glitterati in Brussels. I was invited to attend KushFest, organised by Mozilla, for panel discussions and an insight into the future of Big Tech regulation in UK, EU, Brazil and Japan.

I'm off to Brussels on Monday for meetings with some partner ...

2026-05-30T11:13:11Z

I'm off to Brussels on Monday for meetings with some partner orgs who want to end Big Tech's anti-competitive behaviour in Europe, so naturally I have a new t-shirt.

What's missing in CSS layout ...

2026-05-28T10:16:10Z

What's missing in CSS layout https://patrickbrosset.com/articles/2026-05-20-whats-missing-in-css-layout/ by glamorous Patrick Brosset (npub152k…te0s)

'Millions' of pounds saved by replacing Palantir tech in ...

2026-05-27T13:36:50Z

'Millions' of pounds saved by replacing Palantir tech in refugee system https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2l2j1lxdk5o - the new system was built by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in-house staff, delivered on time, and users report it's simpler to use and more accessible than its predecessor. Hooray.

The only way to stop a bad dog with a gun is with a good dog with ...

2026-05-27T10:29:38Z

The only way to stop a bad dog with a gun is with a good dog with a gun. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/26/dog-shotgun-nebraska-convenience-store

1 in 5 people arrested in the 2024 Farage riots have since been ...

2026-05-26T17:27:28Z

1 in 5 people arrested in the 2024 Farage riots have since been reported for domestic abuse. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/26/one-in-five-people-arrested-over-2024-riots-have-since-been-reported-for-domestic-abuse

Read this. "Google didn’t talk about ads in the I/O ...

2026-05-22T09:37:43Z

Read this. "Google didn’t talk about ads in the I/O keynote. Everything they announced is the new ad system. One that, in the eyes of Google, no longer needs the open web as an intermediary … Google is betting its entire future on a world where people eagerly hand over their emails, their files, their habits, and their trust – to an AI system that will quietly auction off their attention, word by word, to the highest bidder." by Matthias Ott (npub1spt…wwgs) https://matthiasott.com/notes/ad-infinitum

In these trying times, why not cheer yourself up with Vivaldi 8, ...

2026-05-21T08:03:22Z

In these trying times, why not cheer yourself up with Vivaldi 8, our biggest UI overhaul to date? Getting started is now easier, so that's another reason to switch from Big Tech's snooping and its AI-pooping. https://vivaldi.com/blog/vivaldi-on-desktop-8-0/

UK competition regulator investigates Microsoft ...

2026-05-20T11:34:08Z

UK competition regulator investigates Microsoft https://brucelawson.co.uk/2026/uk-competition-regulator-investigates-microsoft/ - I explain why the investigation is happening, and how UK orgs (or orgs with UK customers) can give the regulator feedback. And, as a bonus, I correct the common mispronunciation of "Copilot".

In today's "For A Better Web" podcast, my victims are ...

2026-05-15T13:21:48Z

In today's "For A Better Web" podcast, my victims are Sebastian Snell and Chris Ristovski, co-founders of Sidephone, a newly-shipping device that is intentionally a premium dumbphone that helps you prioritise Real Life over doom-scrolling. https://vivaldi.com/blog/sebastian-snell-chris-ristovski-sidephone-for-a-better-web/

BruceLab. An important announcement. BruceLab Act 2.1: ...

2026-05-12T08:04:26Z

BruceLab. An important announcement. BruceLab Act 2.1: Accelerating Human-Centric Agentic Synergy at Machine Velocity https://brucelawson.co.uk/2026/brucelab-act-2-1-accelerating-human-centric-agentic-synergy-at-machine-velocity/

People have asked me if @npub19rt…adh9 parks this on your ...

2026-05-06T11:52:03Z

People have asked me if Vivaldi Browser (npub19rt…adh9) parks this on your machine. No, we don’t, because this “A.I.” is short for “Annoyingly Invasive”. We know it’s your machine, and you’d rather use storage space for music from The Cruellest Months/ Cheeky Girls songs, or selfies with your pet triceratops. Of course, you can visit any AI site you want in Vivaldi, but we won’t build it into our browser. There are plenty of data hoovers dressed up as browsers for that. https://www.theverge.com/tech/924933/google-chrome-4gb-gemini-nano-ai-features

Absolutely dreadful. I hope this bloke gets awarded 5% of their ...

2026-05-05T08:00:06Z

Absolutely dreadful. I hope this bloke gets awarded 5% of their worldwide turnover. (and another 50% goes to the journalists and creators whose work powers AI overviews, but have seen their revenues crash because people don't click through any more). https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/may/05/canadian-ashley-macisaac-fiddler-musician-singer-songwriter-sues-google-ai-sex-offender-ntwnfb

The most severe Linux threat to surface in years catches the ...

2026-05-01T16:38:45Z

The most severe Linux threat to surface in years catches the world flat-footed https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/04/as-the-most-severe-linux-threat-in-years-surfaces-the-world-scrambles/ "Publicly released exploit code for an effectively unpatched vulnerability that gives root access to virtually all releases of Linux is setting off alarm bells"

At @npub19rt…adh9, we agree with Mozilla's Jank Architect. ...

2026-05-01T08:45:21Z

At Vivaldi Browser (npub19rt…adh9), we agree with Mozilla's Jank Architect. The Prompt API isn't a Web API, and we drown it in a bucket at compile time. https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/30/mozilla_pushes_back_against_googles/

As luck would have it, on the platform for my train home from ...

2026-04-28T22:01:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…kkr5
_________________________

As luck would have it, on the platform for my train home from London I bumped into the disgraced ex-ambassador to Washington, Peter Madalorianson.

I'm in the European Parliament to argue that achieving ...

2026-04-28T12:19:14Z

I'm in the European Parliament to argue that achieving European tech sovereignty requires enforcing the law against Big Tech taking the piss.

Nostr event nevent1qqs8e4mmqdeyz4yknr4rmkkn3xxv4dfk5sxq3fmvj3ajk64r3rmuejgzyphjaz45hp97e2d93ck3xc6ugflap0pm30cjvd8gn4h4d8dj0enmsm2nxhc

2026-04-26T06:02:24Z

Typical. No NATO members helped him during the dinner.

Perhaps I'm projecting, but the footage from Budapest right ...

2026-04-12T21:00:12Z

Perhaps I'm projecting, but the footage from Budapest right now reminds me of the images of Berlin when the wall came down.

aww, I'm touched. I now get paid to do this, so can be more ...

2026-04-12T20:56:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…mk26
_________________________

aww, I'm touched. I now get paid to do this, so can be more active than I used to be. But we're all doing our bit.

Amazon is cutting off support for older Kindles ...

2026-04-09T09:01:04Z

Amazon is cutting off support for older Kindles https://www.engadget.com/mobile/amazon-is-cutting-off-support-for-older-kindles-115653205.html - but don't worry! Bountiful beneficent Bezos is "encouraging" you to buy a new one with a 20% discount, so just drop your old one in a canal, or hoik it at an eagle, or bash an otter with it.

Happy Thatcher Death Day to all who celebrate it! ...

2026-04-08T12:32:37Z

Happy Thatcher Death Day to all who celebrate it!

I Decompiled the White House's New App ...

2026-03-31T14:33:17Z

I Decompiled the White House's New App https://blog.thereallo.dev/blog/decompiling-the-white-house-app
The official White House Android app has a cookie/paywall bypass injector, tracks your GPS every 4.5 minutes, and loads JavaScript from some guy's GitHub Pages.

◞˚📣ₓ Schadenfreude klaxon! ◞˚📣ₓ Elon Musk's X ...

2026-03-27T10:10:52Z

◞˚📣ₓ Schadenfreude klaxon! ◞˚📣ₓ
Elon Musk's X advertising boycott lawsuit dismissed by US judge https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05dlm0l0jgo

The Goose and the Common - video of my CSS Day 2025 talk. ...

2026-03-25T12:58:23Z

The Goose and the Common - video of my CSS Day 2025 talk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWDvt85qJNQ

Germany makes Open Document Format mandatory as the standard ...

2026-03-24T09:27:19Z

Germany makes Open Document Format mandatory as the standard format for documents within its sovereign digital infrastructure (along with PDF/UA - accessible PDF) https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/03/20/big-news-germany-has-just-made-odf-mandatory/

A man used LLMs to generate hundreds of thousands of ...

2026-03-23T14:57:27Z

A man used LLMs to generate hundreds of thousands of "songs", then used bots to stream them billions of times, to collect $8m in royalties. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/north-carolina-man-pleads-guilty-music-streaming-fraud-aided-artificial-intelligence-0 Is there a better metaphor for late-stage capitalism than burning resources to make songs that are never listened to, then steaming them to robots that will never hear them, ad infinitum?

Surrounded by feral Norwegians, about to give a keynote talk ...

2026-03-12T11:02:49Z

Surrounded by feral Norwegians, about to give a keynote talk called "How to unfuck the web"

Up ludicrously early to berate unsuspecting Oslo conference ...

2026-03-12T06:42:48Z

Up ludicrously early to berate unsuspecting Oslo conference attendees with my talk "how to unfuck the web".

Today's Vivaldi desktop snapshot has a trial of a new ...

2026-03-05T14:35:24Z

Today's Vivaldi desktop snapshot has a trial of a new onboarding step for people to quickly configure Vivaldi for assistive tech, keyboard-only use or with visual impairments.
https://vivaldi.com/blog/desktop/easier-onboarding-for-all-users-vivaldi-browser-snapshot-3969-3/

quoting
note1ptx…y8dx

**Easier onboarding for all users — Vivaldi Browser snapshot 3969.3**

###

Onboarding accessibility changeWe’re trying out a new onboarding step for people who have visual impairments, require keyboard-only access or use assistive technologies. This presents the earliest opportunity to choose the most important settings – for example, keyboard focus goes to all controls and links in a web page, set zoom, control movement etc. This comes from feedback that it’s laborious for screen reader users and others to go through all the settings from the menus.

For the privacy-conscious: this purely a quick access to the primary relevant settings; your disability status is not recorded by Vivaldi, nor communicated to anyone.

It does not offer all the applicable settings, only the main ones needed to get started. We’re eager to hear any feedback on this new onboarding stage. (Existing Vivaldi users can see this via “Help → Vivaldi welcome tour”, and go to the first step.)###

Changelog
[AutoHide] Grey out the background when showing Auto-Hide notice pop-out (VB-125648)
[AutoHide] Panels and toolbars go crazy after downloading a file (VB-125635)
[AutoHide] Toolbar disappears when initializing Proton VPN (closing and re-opening ToolbarButtonPopup) (VB-125527)
[AutoHide] Wrapper doesn’t hide after resizing (VB-124987)
[Calendar] Add explanation text on function of View buttons (VB-112126)
[Calendar] Task status not saved in event’s template (VB-121345)
[Crash] During Tab Restoration (VB-125570)
[Crash] When granting permissions (VB-125657)
[Find in Page] Does not respect UI density setting (VB-125605)
[Mail] Add “Rich / Plain Text” toggle in Mail Composer (VB-125250)
[Mail] Add context menu entry for “Sender is not a mailing list” (for message-id) (VB-124729)
[Mail] Deleting trash permanently makes them appear again in the trash, after each restart (VB-125505)
[Mail] Unable to reorder mail labels after deleting one (VB-118667)
[Mail] undock and dock composer (VB-125517)
[Media] PiP sets video volume to max (VB-124950)
[Onboarding] Ask if user wants to use assistive tech/ keyboard only (VB-115238)
[Onboarding] New UI for “Default/Import/Pin to dock” onboarding step (VB-106755)
[Reader Mode] Does not work on certain sites where it should (VB-125589)
[Windows] “Pin to Taskbar” Toast notification is missing after installing the application (VB-105468)
[Windows][Updates] Checking for update text in vivaldi about doesnt update (VB-125549)
###

Download (3969.3)
https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/Vivaldi.7.9.3969.3.x64.exe" rel="nofollow">Windows 10+ 64-bit
https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/Vivaldi.7.9.3969.3.arm64.exe" rel="nofollow">Windows 10+ ARM64
https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/Vivaldi.7.9.3969.3.universal.dmg" rel="nofollow">macOS 12+
Linux 64-bit: https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot_7.9.3969.3-1_amd64.deb" rel="nofollow">DEB | https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot-7.9.3969.3-1.x86_64.rpm" rel="nofollow">RPM | https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot-7.9.3969.3-x64.tar" rel="nofollow">TAR^{[https://ruario.vivaldi.net/2024/09/24/forget-snap-and-flatpak-i-use-vivaldi-tarballs/#warning">*]}
Linux ARM64: https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot_7.9.3969.3-1_arm64.deb" rel="nofollow">DEB | https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot-7.9.3969.3-1.aarch64.rpm" rel="nofollow">RPM | https://downloads.vivaldi.com/snapshot/vivaldi-snapshot-7.9.3969.3-arm64.tar" rel="nofollow">TAR^{[https://ruario.vivaldi.net/2024/09/24/forget-snap-and-flatpak-i-use-vivaldi-tarballs/#warning">*]}
*Main photo by [Bruce Lawson](https://brucelawson.co.uk )*.

https://vivaldi.com/blog/desktop/easier-onboarding-for-all-users-vivaldi-browser-snapshot-3969-3/

The Enshittificator - a Norwegian documentary about the life of ...

2026-03-04T12:32:54Z

The Enshittificator - a Norwegian documentary about the life of an Enshittificator and how the Internet and AI has enhanced his productivity. https://vimeo.com/1168468796

Shirt manufacturers: a shirt without a breast pocket is only ...

2026-03-02T13:57:48Z

Shirt manufacturers: a shirt without a breast pocket is only half-finished. Do better.

Me and Laura repping the Browser Choice Alliance at State of the ...

2026-02-28T10:33:42Z

Me and Laura repping the Browser Choice Alliance at State of the Browser Conference #sotb26

The winner of the FIFA Peace Prize is bombing another country, ...

2026-02-28T07:51:04Z

The winner of the FIFA Peace Prize is bombing another country, without stopping the Ukrainian war in 24 hours as promised.

I have two! ...

2026-02-26T15:17:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…9uz0
_________________________

I have two!