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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 22 - 27 APRIL, 2024
Hello and Welcome,
Meeting TODAY
2024/04/20 — 14:00-16:00 — April, Sat — Web Design
Today's meeting is at the Pitt Street venue, but if you can't make it, here are the Zoom details:
SPCTUG Web Design Meeting
Time: Apr 20, 2024 14:00 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82634658712
Meeting ID: 826 3465 8712
Passcode: webdesign
— Ed.
Meetings This Week
NO MEETINGS
Meeting Next Week
2024/05/04 — 13:00-14:00 — May, Sat — Penrith Group
Schedule of Current & Upcoming Meetings
First Tuesday 18:00-20:00 — Main Meeting
First Saturday 13:00-14:00 — Penrith Group
Second Tuesday 18:00-20:00 — Programming
Third Tuesday 10:00-12:00 — Tuesday Group
Third Saturday 14:00-16:00 — Web Design
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Go to the official Sydney PC Calendar for this month's meeting details.
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Penrith meetings are held every 2nd month on the 1st Saturday from 1-2 pm.
The next scheduled meetings are in May, July and September 2024.
See the other Tech stories as well as the Fun Facts article, in SWAY format.
ASCCA News:Tech News:
Commerce Commission takes Court action against One NZ for 'endangering vulnerable consumers'
See the iTWire article by Gordon Peters | Tuesday, 16 April 2024 at 11:17 am.
New Zealand competition regulator The Commerce Commission has filed proceedings in the High Court against One NZ — formerly Vodafone — for multiple breaches of the 111 Contact Code — some of which the Commission alleges are ongoing.
Telecommunications Commissioner Tristan Gilbertson says the Code was implemented to ensure that vulnerable consumers can contact the 111 emergency service during a power cut at their homes.
"We've brought this action in light of One NZ's disregard for the Code and the safety of vulnerable consumers.
"One NZ has a long history of breaching consumer protection laws — so we need to send a strong signal that we won't tolerate any disregard for its mandatory Code obligations."
Commissioner Gilbertson says the Code, which came into effect in February 2021, was created to protect the growing number of consumers moving away from copper landline connections (which work in a power cut to the home) to fibre or other alternative landline technologies (which require a power supply in the house to work).
"The Code recognises that some of these consumers are vulnerable because they are more likely to need to call 111 in a power cut for health, safety or disability reasons. Providers must give these consumers a means of calling 111 in a power cut, at no cost, and ensure they are aware of this obligation."
Gilbertson says that, given widespread compliance across the rest of the industry, One NZ's failure to inform and protect its customers is a serious concern — particularly since it has the second-highest number of landline connections in New Zealand.
"It's critical that all telecommunications providers comply with the Code to ensure the safety of their customers whose lives may be at risk in a power cut. They must provide their customers with information on how to protect themselves and where to go for further support.
"Just one breach could have devastating consequences, so it's encouraging to see most other providers respect the importance of the Code and do the right thing by their customers," Gilbertson says.
The Commission says this matter is now before the Court, so it cannot comment further.
By way of background, the Commission explains that it was required following the most recent update of the Telecommunications Act to develop the 111 Contact Code to protect the interests of consumers and help smooth the transition from copper to fibre services.
"The Code protects consumers who for health, safety or disability reasons rely on a landline connection for emergency calling that, following a switch from copper to fibre or another new landline technology, will not work in a power cut without an independent power supply," the Commission notes.
"If these consumers do not have any other means of contacting 111 in a power cut — such as a mobile phone — then their provider must supply a device that enables them to make emergency calls for at least eight continuous hours at no cost to the consumer.
"Providers are required to ensure consumers are aware of the Code, including through annual reminders, and to implement a process for registering and supplying vulnerable consumers with an alternative means of calling 111 when required.
"Most providers have supplied vulnerable consumers with a mobile handset or (outside mobile coverage areas) a battery back-up for their landline service to satisfy this obligation.
"Breaches of the Code under the Telecommunications Act carry monetary penalties of up to $300,000 for each breach and $10,000 per day for continuing conduct.
"One NZ (formerly Vodafone) has been prosecuted and convicted six times for breaches of the Fair Trading Act since 2010 — making it the worst offender under this Act of any entity in the economy over this period."
Firefox 125 Arrives With Address Bar and Autofill Improvements
See the How-To Geek article by CORBIN DAVENPORT | 17th April 2024.
The latest Firefox update has a few helpful improvements.
Mozilla Firefox receives major updates roughly every four weeks, giving the web browser a steady stream of bug fixes, new features, and security enhancements. Firefox 125 is now rolling out with a few new helpful features.
Firefox 125
Much like last month's release of Firefox 124, this isn't an overhaul that will completely change the browser — it's just a bunch of more minor changes that add up to a helpful update. First, Firefox in the US and Canada now asks people to save their addresses after submitting an address form so that information can be auto-filled. The browser has supported address autofill for a while, but you usually had to enter your address in the settings first manually. Firefox will ask you for it automatically, more like Google Chrome.
Firefox 125 also has a new "URL Paste Suggestion" feature. If you have a web address copied to your clipboard and you select Firefox's address bar, an autocomplete result for the clipboard entry appears automatically. That might save you a few key presses or clicks compared to pasting the address manually. Some other web browsers have had a similar feature, such as Chrome for Android (which adds a "Link You Copied" autocomplete suggestion), so it's also great to see it show up in Firefox.
Mozilla has been slowly improving Firefox's PDF reader over the years, and Firefox 125 includes another improvement: highlighting in PDF documents. That feature is marked as a "progressive rollout," so you might not see it immediately after updating. The new functionality comes after last year's Firefox 119 update, which allowed people to add images to PDFs.
This release includes a few other helpful improvements. The AV1 codec for Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) is now supported, which might allow more DRM media to work under Firefox. Downloads from URLs that are "considered to be potentially untrustworthy" are also blocked by default, and searching for tabs now works with tabs in different containers.
How to Update Firefox
Firefox will automatically install the update on your computer, phone, or tablet when available. To immediately check for and install any available updates, click the menu icon at the top-right of the browser toolbar and select "About Firefox."
Firefox can be downloaded from Mozilla's official website, the Google Play Store, the Apple App Store, or the Microsoft Store.
Source: Firefox Release Notes
YouTube Adds 'Jump Ahead' to Best Moments
See the InfoPackets article by John Lister on April 11, 2024, at 12:04 pm EDT.
YouTube may soon automatically determine a video's "best parts" and let users jump straight to them. This could aid viewers but might not be great news for people who make videos in return for compensation (whether it's an embedded paid sponsorship or Google Ads).
The company is testing the technology in what it calls "a very small experiment in the US." It suggests the feature will, at least initially, be exclusive to YouTube Premium subscribers.
The feature Jump Ahead, appears to being tested in both the mobile and connected TV app versions of YouTube. With Android and iOS, the test has it as an extra option for the existing function of a double-tap to jump forward 10 seconds. (Source: indiewire.com)
With the TV app version, the key moments appear as dots on the progress bar with an option to move between them using a remote control.
Chapter-Like Marks
The feature is designed to recreate the effect when video creators manually insert chapter marks. These are also available on the website version of YouTube, accessible through both the playback controls and timestamps in the description. Some reports suggest this has been replicated when testing the new feature.
The automatically generated key moments are created through a combination of artificial intelligence that analyses video content and viewing data from people who have already watched the video in question. What isn't clear is whether the choice of key moments is fixed or customized for the specific viewer.
Previous experiments with the feature included a graph showing which parts of a video were most replayed. That provided some insight but didn't cover cases where people watched some parts of a video but not others. It also did not account for if and when people stopped watching a clip. (Source: lifehacker.com)
Ad Revenue Could Fall
Perhaps surprisingly, there's no mention of the critical moment "algorithm" noticing whether people arrive at the video through a customized link to start playing at a specific point. That is a valuable indication of more important content.
Viewers may be relieved that it could be easier to see the best parts without having to watch lengthy videos in full. However, if that means they watch less of a video, they'll likely see fewer ads before or during that particular video, which could reduce video creators' revenue.
What's Your Opinion?
Do you usually watch YouTube videos in full? Would you find it helpful to access "key moments"? What factors should affect the selection of such moments?
Western Digital says it will launch 4TB SD card in 2025
See the iTWire article by Sam Varghese | Sunday, 14 April 2024, at 3:40 pm
Western Digital says it will launch a 4TB SD card under its SanDisk brand next year and demonstrate the hardware during the coming week at its NAB Show in Las Vegas.
The company said the card would use the SDUC standard (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity), which theoretically enabling up to 128TB.
The company added, "Attendees [at the NAB Show] will get a preview of the 4TB SD card's full capacity and learn more about how it will expand the creative possibilities for cameras and laptops."
The SD cards with the biggest capacity are 1TB, with 2TB microSD cards coming on sale this year.
Other devices promised by Western Digital include:
2TB SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I memory card — claimed to be the world's first 2TB UHS-I SDXC card.
2TB SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-I memory card — Western Digital's first and world's fastest 2TB UHS-I microSD card. It is expected to be available in the third calendar quarter of 2024.
4TB SD card
Florida Passes Age Restriction Rules for Internet
See the Info packets article by John Lister on April 12, 2024, at 01:04 pm EDT.
Florida law now says under-14s can't use social media while 14- and 15-year-olds need parental permission. The controversial law takes effect in 2025 but may still be challenged in the Supreme Court.
The new state law says social media platforms must delete any existing account held by someone under 14 and prevent under-14s from opening a new one. Supporters of the law said children of this age weren't mature enough to understand the "addictive technologies" of such sites and make an informed choice about whether to use them.
Hefty Penalties
For those aged 14 or 15, parent or guardian consent is needed to open a new account. The child or the parent/guardian can ask for an existing account to be closed. The company must do so within five business days.
If they fail, they could be sued on behalf of the child and have to pay them up to $10,000 in damages. That could create a bizarre incentive for families to develop and close accounts in the hope of cashing in. Companies that violate this rule in a "knowing or reckless" way could also be fined up to $50,000 for unfair trade practices. (Source: theverge.com)
Initially, the law would have wholly banned 15 and 16-year-olds from using social media sites that tracked user activity or included "addictive features." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis refused to approve the law until that rule was removed.
Age Verification For All
Commercial websites on which at least a third of the content is "material harmful to minors" must ensure users are 18, with a $50,000 penalty for violations. While it's unlikely they'd meet the threshold, news sites are specifically exempted from this rule.
That rule has gone down particularly badly with tech firms who say adults should be able to access websites freely without proving their age and, indirectly, their identity.
Tech companies are expected to challenge the law on First Amendment grounds. Lawmakers believe that's irrelevant as they specifically wrote the law to restrict access to sites based on the nature of the technology rather than the content. (Source: apnews.com)
What's Your Opinion?
Do you support the law? Will it survive court challenges? Should age laws affect some websites but not others?
Comments
Age limit — Submitted by ronangel1 on Fri, 12/04/2024 — 14:15.
Gone with the next President, as money and votes come first!
Next President? — Submitted by Chief on Sat, 13/04/2024 — 19:23.
Instead of being a sage that no one listens to, why don't you explain why the next President won't care about the welfare of children and how we can change that?
A good law is not a good law because of the political affiliation of its sponsors.
Let's go with what is good and right for Floridians and, hopefully soon, for all Americans.
On the right track — Submitted by Eric on Sat, 13/04/2024 — 10:09.
The worst thing about this Florida law is that it has caused me to agree with DeSantis.
For all the ridiculous stupidity and downright unAmerican stuff that comes from DeSantis and Florida Republitards, this law is a good thing for the children. TBH, I think it should also be expanded to include parental responsibility.
I cannot see how there is any possible 1st amendment claim.
Fun Facts:
Many Americans aren't yet sold on going electric for their next car, poll shows
See the PBS article by Tom Krisher, Matthew Daly and Hannah Fingerhut, Associated Press.
Charging the EV
WASHINGTON (AP) — Many Americans aren't yet sold on going electric for their following cars, a new poll shows, with high prices and too few charging stations the main deterrents. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults are at least somewhat likely to switch, but the history-making shift from the country's century-plus love affair with gas-driven vehicles still has a long way to travel.
The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago shows that the Biden administration's plans to dramatically increase U.S. EV sales could run into resistance from consumers. Only 8 per cent of U.S. adults say they or someone in their household owns or leases an electric vehicle, and just 8 per cent say their household has a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
Even with tax credits of up to $7,500 to buy a new EV, persuading drivers to ditch their gas-burning cars and trucks for vehicles without tailpipe emissions could be challenging.
Auto companies are investing billions in factories and battery technology to speed up the switch to EVs to cut pollution and fight climate change. Under the Environmental Protection Agency's greenhouse gas emissions proposal, about two-thirds of all new vehicle sales could have to be EVs by 2032. President Joe Biden has set a goal that up to half of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030 to cut emissions and fight climate change.
However, only 19 per cent of U.S. adults say it's "very" or "extremely" likely they would purchase an electric vehicle the next time they buy a car, according to the poll, and 22 per cent say it's somewhat likely. About half — 47 per cent — say it's not expected they would go electric.
Six in 10 said the high cost is a primary reason they wouldn't, and about a quarter cited it as a minor reason. Only 16 per cent said the high price would not be a factor in rejecting the EV.
New electric vehicles now cost an average of more than $58,000, according to Kelley Blue Book, a price beyond the reach of many U.S. households. (The average vehicle sold in the U.S. costs just under $46,000.) Tax credits approved under last year's Inflation Reduction Act are designed to decrease EV prices and attract more buyers.
However, new rules proposed by the U.S. Treasury Department could result in fewer electric vehicles qualifying for a total $7,500 federal tax credit later.
Many vehicles will only be eligible for half the full credit, $3,750, which may not be enough to entice them away from less-costly gasoline-powered cars.
About three-quarters say that having too few charging stations is why they wouldn't go electric, including half who call it a significant reason. Two-thirds cite a preference for gasoline vehicles as a major or minor reason they won't go electric.
The real cost of going electric
[ Even if everyone wanted to switch, there would not be enough electricity-generating capacity in the US anytime soon.
With amazing music from The Spectator TV, watch the startling 13m59s video "'It's rank incompetence': Lionel Shriver on the real cost of going electric" — Ed. ]
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