@mackaj@mastodon.me.uk

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Aug 06, 2026

Replying to @robtherunt@cupoftea.social

@robtherunt@cupoftea.social @millihertz@oldbytes.space @sarahdalgulls@ecoevo.social He was the Secretary of State for the "Department for Energy Security and Net Zero". Completely different remit to the one he has now. Apples vs oranges.

0

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Aug 03, 2026

Replying to @hansbot@mastodon.green

@hansbot@mastodon.green We might have had a chance of getting there, but the advent of AI and the staggering power demands that come with it have thrown us off course. We're heading for a place where significant portions of the planet won't be incompatible with most mammalian life. We won't be able to survive with current numbers so our population size will shrink by billions. The survivors are going to have to work out how to get along and live sustainability.

0

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 30, 2026

Replying to @GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social

@GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social Par for the course for this administration.

0

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 30, 2026

RE: @Sarahp@mastodon.social

Sounds like a scattergun approach to find The Next Big Thing™

Count me out – on principle.

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 28, 2026

Replying to @neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk

@neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk How would they expect a site to be able to deduce an incoming connection via a known VPN IP has a UK user on the other end of it?

0

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 11, 2026

Replying to @michaelharley@infosec.exchange

@michaelharley@infosec.exchange Is that 4 stars of 5? of 10? If the former then maybe add a 5th blank star to avoid confusion. PS. Not got round to watching that myself.

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 04, 2026

Replying to @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk

@Npars01@mstdn.social @deutrino@mstdn.io Maybe this will help. https://youtube.com/shorts/qO5PK7EpDhI?is=KrhJCeQvQimohro_

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 04, 2026

Replying to @Npars01@mstdn.social

@Npars01@mstdn.social @deutrino@mstdn.io You're not understanding the technology. Either that or I'm doing an awful job of explaining this 😞 Are you familiar with how SSL certs work and their role in making HTTPS web connections secure? The bank, in this context, is the equivalent of an SSL CA (Certificate Authority). Maybe I should have titled this from the start as Anonymous Authentication, because essentially that's what it is.

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 03, 2026

Replying to @deutrino@mstdn.io

@deutrino@mstdn.io @Npars01@mstdn.social The government doesn't have to be involved though. Let's assume my bank is allowed to issue digital age certs (they already know who I am). I store that cert in my phone wallet. When a website issues an age challenge, ZKP on my phone pulls the cert from my wallet, computes a proof and sends it. They validate using the bank public cert and I'm in. The bank has no visibility of how/when it's used, nor the government, and the website doesn't have to inform them either.

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 03, 2026

Replying to @deutrino@mstdn.io

@deutrino@mstdn.io @Npars01@mstdn.social Yes, I'd rather walk away in most cases than risk handing over personal data when I've no control over how it's used afterwards. But that's why ZKP is such a good tool. I can prove I am what I say I am, without having to give any information away about myself. It's bloody clever 🙂

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 02, 2026

Replying to @Npars01@mstdn.social

@Npars01@mstdn.social Yep. Not logging into or using services that demand age verification is definitely a "choice".

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 02, 2026

Replying to @Npars01@mstdn.social

@Npars01@mstdn.social Well, the world is changing and it's happening, whether you or I like it or not. In which case we're better off using tech that gives away as little as possible.

0

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 02, 2026

Replying to @Npars01@mstdn.social

@Npars01@mstdn.social The whole point of a ZKP challenge is you can prove you're 18+ without giving away your identity or any personal information. No passport, no pictures, no digital ID, nothing.

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jul 02, 2026

Google open sources their Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) libraries to support age ID verification.

Authenticate your birth date with a trusted authority (the Issuer) and receive a cryptographically signed digital certificate.
A website requiring an age ID sends you a random maths puzzle.
The ZKP library solves the puzzle with your digital cert and replies with the proof.
Using the Issuers Public Cert the website validates the proof.

#security #ageID #ZKP

https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/safety-security/opening-up-zero-knowledge-proof-technology-to-promote-privacy-in-age-assurance/

4

2

4

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jun 30, 2026

Replying to @Mastodon@mastodon.social

@Mastodon@mastodon.social Can we search exclusively for collections? If not what's the best way to discover them? Can we follow collections or use them to make lists?

4

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jun 16, 2026

Replying to @angusm@mastodon.social

@angusm@mastodon.social 😂

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jun 05, 2026

Replying to @Nonilex@masto.ai

@Nonilex@masto.ai 72 seems far too young; he still had a lot of brilliant acting left in him. A sad day. Fortunately he leaves a lot of great memories behind that millions can still experience and enjoy. I'd say that was a life well lived and well spent. I hope that gives his daughters a lot of comfort in the future. #buffy #AnthonyHead

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jun 04, 2026

Replying to @mattburgess@infosec.exchange

@mattburgess@infosec.exchange Sounds like a bullying tactic.

4

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jun 04, 2026

Replying to @attoparsec@clacks.link

@attoparsec@clacks.link Is that AI generated ?

0

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · May 17, 2026

Replying to @astrocampEU@mastodon.social

@astrocampEU@mastodon.social I think they should have called it the Smash Burger Galaxy, from that pic.

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Apr 19, 2026

Replying to @mattferrell@mastodon.social

@mattferrell@mastodon.social I hadn't thought of the longevity / wear and tear of this new type of generator. Hope they can manage this. Will be a game changer if they can.

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Apr 16, 2026

_"Telco broadband contracts in North America have an average monthly cost of $98.40. The US is ranked 167th out of the 214 countries studied""_

That seem expensive, but they don't say what you get for that money. I'm paying £42.99 ($58.17) per month in the UK for a 500 Mbps fibre link.

#uk #us #broadband #internet

https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/16/iran_cheapest_broadband/

mastodon.me.uk

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Apr 16, 2026

Replying to @argv_minus_one@mastodon.sdf.org

@argv_minus_one @ee @sri @stux It's better than nothing.

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Apr 16, 2026

Replying to @argv_minus_one@mastodon.sdf.org

@argv_minus_one @stux And you're still there. That's dedication.

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Apr 16, 2026

Replying to @lancetay@universeodon.com

@lancetay I just picked that up from a Google news feed that fed me a Toms Guide article about it. But it's not made any of my normal news outlets, and didn't even see it on The Register. Not that critical to the larger world I guess. Also not very "distributed" either if trouble in one geographic region can take it out. #bluesky

1

0

2

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Apr 13, 2026

Tried browsing my local instance live feed this morning. Don't do that often enough.

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Apr 03, 2026

Replying to @geerlingguy@mastodon.social

@geerlingguy@mastodon.social I wonder if interleaving memory access between two chips will have a noticeable effect on memory performance over the single chip model.

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Apr 03, 2026

Replying to @mattferrell@mastodon.social

@mattferrell@mastodon.social What matters most though is how it performs on the actual bike. Does it give the advertised range and impressive charging speeds. Maybe someone with a ton of money to waste will buy one and do a tear down (won't be me lol).

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Apr 03, 2026

Replying to @MiguelGuerreiro@ecoevo.social

@MiguelGuerreiro @xkcd That got me too. Then I realised I had to wait a minute for the text and menu to scroll into view. Had me panicking for a while there though 😁

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Apr 02, 2026

I just signed a petition calling on the UK government to scrap anti-protest laws which attack our hard won democratic freedoms. Please can you defend the right to protest too by signing the petition? https://act.gp/42Gqvia

#uk #ukpol #protest

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Apr 01, 2026

Ellie's story is quite inspirational and I think she'd appreciate a bit of support, so I'm giving her a boost. Would appreciate it if you could boost to help too. Thanks.

https://youtube.com/shorts/smv_G4hbd6w?si=uJZmFbOA1IMUxgbu

Her fundraising page is: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/ellie-maries-giving-page-5

#uk #cancer #pain #charity

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Mar 31, 2026

RE: @arstechnica@mastodon.social

I'm really looking forward to seeing this.

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Mar 31, 2026

RE: @arstechnica@mastodon.social

I have no sympathy. Using a phone while driving kills other innocent road users. What if his car had hit a passing child after he'd lost control of it. 😬

mastodon.social

Ars Technica: "Sweaty, glassy-eyed Tiger Woods blames cell phone…" - Mastodon

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Mar 31, 2026

Replying to @imanijoy@mastodon.social

@imanijoy @morrisp @kayrah87 Oh definitely. I'm here for the long haul. Sorry you only get to hear about the things we don't like. The mobile web app is the interface I use the most, and I really like recent improvements in the look and feel. E.g. the embedding of quoted toots. Keep up the good work. We appreciate your efforts.

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Mar 31, 2026

Meet Olaf. Not just a fun recreation of a much loved Disney character, but also a self regulating animatronic marvel that makes decisions on what and how to move to manage captured heat. 🤯

#disney #olaf #robot #animatronics

https://youtube.com/shorts/zi0xi_UwvBU?si=nJd2rxrlaidA1Xq1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Mar 30, 2026

Replying to @morrisp@mastodon.social

@morrisp @imanijoy @kayrah87 The mobile web app does it right, though a few releases ago they started truncating the text you're replying to with no way to expand it. You have to have a good memory or two tabs open; one for reference and one for typing. Who makes these decisions? Do they even canvas users first? 🤦🏼‍♂️

1

3

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Mar 26, 2026

Replying to @gunchleoc@mastodon.scot

@gunchleoc @imanijoy @kayrah87 It's a little niggle and I like Mastodon otherwise, including the instance I'm on (I have a small monthly DD donation running to support it). I'd be very reluctant to start over somewhere else.

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Mar 26, 2026

Replying to @imanijoy@mastodon.social

@imanijoy @kayrah87 I find the tiny space we're allocated on the left side to write posts and replies very off putting. It's too small and feels strange having to focus on the side of my screen instead of the centre. I find myself leaning to the left when I'm writing to correct for that, which isn't comfortable. Would prefer something in the middle and also inline when replying to others. Thanks, J.

3

2

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jan 27, 2026

Replying to @j0ebaldw1n@mastodon.social

@j0ebaldw1n@mastodon.social @jim@social.openrightsgroup.org I think they'll be ok as (I believe) Visio is a common french abbreviation for video conference.

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Dec 24, 2025

Replying to @micr0@wetdry.world

@micr0@wetdry.world The smart thing would be to post about this AFTER the redacted text has been recovered. 🙄 They're just going to fix this now and the opportunity will be lost.

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Dec 07, 2025

Replying to @ridetheory@mastodon.social

@ridetheory @paka They still help to contain the spread by catching droplets that would otherwise travel. Anti-maskers who complained during covid always got it backwards -- they assumed the mask is there to protect the wearer, but it's actually the other way round.

1

0

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Dec 07, 2025

Replying to @starsider@valenciapa.ws

@starsider@valenciapa.ws Given so many other things in life need memory (Cars, Planes, TVs, Washing Machines, etc) if they all suffer huge price increases that slow or stop people's purchasing choices, this could trigger a global recession.

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Nov 27, 2025

Replying to @TechConnectify@mas.to

@TechConnectify As a brit, I had a seriously good laugh at that. Most entertaining 👍

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Nov 18, 2025

Replying to @Gargron__dup_1@mastodon.social

@Gargron@mastodon.social Thanks for all the time, effort and hard work you've put in over the last 10 years. We wouldn't be here without you. Really appreciate it 👍🏻

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Sep 12, 2025

Replying to @CelianGodefroid@piaille.fr

@CelianGodefroid @Mastodon @MastodonEngineering @renchap I can't see this getting used much if it's opt-in, so think opt-out is the right move. It's a quick change for anyone who feels passionately otherwise.

0

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Aug 22, 2025

Replying to @helenczerski@fediscience.org

@helenczerski Some thoughts: If we can perform geo engineering at any meaningful scale without also creating large amounts of pollution, then maybe. How predictable are the results likely to be? If it could potentially affect the weather in other countries, should they be consulted for permission first? What is it goes wrong and creates dangerous weather side effects? Could it be reversed? How expensive would this be and who would fund it?

1

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jun 13, 2025

Replying to @helenczerski@fediscience.org

@helenczerski@fediscience.org Robert brought this subject up too in his latest ABN episode from the Everything Electric Channel. The numbers are astonishing.

0

2

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jan 02, 2025

Replying to @rejzor@mastodon.world

@rejzor@mastodon.world @rhelune@mastodon.social @Lundemo@mstdn.social @Nickiquote@mstdn.social @Elleaster@ohai.social Well we know from the reports that isn't what happened.

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jan 02, 2025

Replying to @rhelune@mastodon.social

@rhelune@mastodon.social @Lundemo@mstdn.social @Nickiquote@mstdn.social @Elleaster@ohai.social The video shows those ejected from the initial explosion – that weren't consumed by it – detonating as they hit the street.

0

2

0

Mackaj @mackaj@mastodon.me.uk · Jun 28, 2024

Replying to @Jerry@hear-me.social

@Jerry I wish my instance federated with Threads. If I want this I may have to move. @JeriLRyan @georgetakei @GoodAaron

1

0

Mackaj

Posts

mastodon.me.uk

Ars Technica: "Sweaty, glassy-eyed Tiger Woods blames cell phone…" - Mastodon

Remote instance