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Daily Archives: December 7, 2022

New Vivaldi version integrates Mastodon into the browser sidebar

Bleeping Computer: “Vivaldi 5.6 was released today with a Mastodon client integrated directly into the browser’s sidebar, seamlessly incorporating the rising social media platform in the browser’s interface. Vivaldi is a cross-platform web browser created by the former co-founder and CEO of Opera Software, Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner. It is geared towards power users who want multiple customization options that enable them to create a highly tailored user experience on their browsers. Moreover, the browser features a rich set of in-built tools that respect user privacy, like an email client, translator, calendar, contacts manager, mobile sync, and a screen capturing tool. Vivaldi has been a vocal supporter of distributed social networks based on open standards, and in November, it became the first web browser project to create an instance on Mastodon’s fediverse. The release of Vivaldi version 5.6 integrates Vivaldi’s own Mastodon instance, ‘Vivaldi Social,’ directly into the browser’s sidebar. Vivaldi’s Mastodon instance counts over 11,000 active users and is integrated directly into the federated social platform, allowing users to interact with anyone on other instances. Vivaldi Social will now be easily accessible via the Panel. Users can also add it permanently onto the sidebar, keeping it in view in a split-screen-styled browser window..”

Overseas Real Property: State’s Initial Assessment of Natural Hazard Risks Faced By its Posts

Overseas Real Property: State’s Initial Assessment of Natural Hazard Risks Faced By its Posts, GAO-23-105452. Published Oct 18, 2022. Publicly Released Nov 17, 2022: “In 2020, the State Department created a Climate Security and Resilience program. The program assesses the risk natural hazards pose to each of its 294 locations around the world. State selected… Continue Reading

Cory Doctorow Wants You to Know What Computers Can and Can’t Do

The New Yorker: “…Doctorow, who is fifty-one, grew up in Toronto, the descendant of Jewish immigrants from what are now Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. Before becoming a novelist, he co-founded a free-software company, served as a co-editor of the blog Boing Boing, and spent several years working for the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation. Our first… Continue Reading

Potentially Adverse Impact of Twitter 2.0 on Scientific and Research Communication

USC Information Sciences Institute: “In just over a month after the change in Twitter leadership, there have been significant changes to the social media platform, in its new “Twitter 2.0.” version. For researchers who use Twitter as a primary source of data, including many of the computer scientists at USC’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI), the… Continue Reading

We don’t need another Twitter

Vox: …“Twitter’s power was to be like a wire service for the 21st century,” explained Emily Bell, director of Columbia University’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism. “Yes, it’s your celebrities, but it’s also your companies, your politicians, your news organizations, your academics — people who are engaged in knowledge production. Or, indeed, shitposting.” (Disclosure: Emily… Continue Reading

Apple advances user security with powerful new data protections

Apple: “Apple today introduced three advanced security features focused on protecting against threats to user data in the cloud, representing the next step in its ongoing effort to provide users with even stronger ways to protect their data. With iMessage Contact Key Verification, users can verify they are communicating only with whom they intend. With… Continue Reading