Files is a file manager for Windows with a powerful yet intuitive design. Cloud files integration? Tabs and multiple layouts? Rich file previews? Files has it covered with robust features you expect from a modern file manager.

Have it your way. Files features a fully customizable user interface, right down to the colours and materials. Try custom themes that are built into Files, or dive right into the docs and create your own.

See https://files.community/

#technology #windows #fileexplorer #alternativeto

I've been looking through so many clones (and I expect we'll see even more coming now) for a self-hosted alternative that also only has a single daily word that you can play only once. Some come very close, but all allow you to replay the same game multiple times, and that takes away the competitive part I have going with some friends (yes I suppose you could just switch browsers too).

But as Wordle is actually locally executed Javascript, and it's collection of words are also stored there, you can save the whole Javascript package to a folder, and just click to open the page file to continue playing the game as it exists right now. I tested this with Firefox and Edge browsers, and it worked fine. Brave however has some block for local files, so it did not work with that browser.

To do it:

• Go to the Wordle online page.
• Right-click and choose "Save Page" or "Save As".
• Then choose "Web page, Complete" (this ensures not just the page itself is downloaded, and includes supporting Javascript files).
• Save it to a location on your computer.
• To play it, just use your file explorer to find that download location, and double-click on the single html file to open it in your browser.
• You can bookmark that newly opened page to always find it easily.

Always use the same browser, otherwise, you will lose your stats history.

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/how-to-continue-playing-wordle-offline-as-it-exists-now/

#technology #wordle #puzzles #gaming

Wordle, the app that has dominated so many of our hours these past weeks, has been purchased by the New York Times for a sum “in the low seven figures,” according to a Times news release Monday.

The big attractions of Wordle really were quick and simple rules to play, no registration (instant to get going and no tracking), and no adverts (no distractions). Much of that may likely disappear in the future if it belongs to a large media group. I suppose we must enjoy it while we can, and I suspect other alternatives will appear too.

See https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2022/01/31/wordle-has-been-bought-by-the-new-york-times-fans-are-tweeting-their-outrage.html

#technology #puzzles #gaming #wordle

Logseq is a versatile knowledge platform with the support for Markdown and Org-mode. You can create tasks, manage notes, and do a lot more things with them. It also has the ability to install various 3rd party plugins from its marketplace.

I like the cross-platform functionality, as well as its compatibility with using an open standard like Markdown. The knowledge graph is also quite unique amongst basic note editors. It did open and edit all my existing QOwnNotes notes, but on the whole I still prefer to use QOwnNotes because it has more menu options for text formatting and marking code snippets.

See https://itsfoss.com/logseq/

#technology #opensource #crossplatform #notes #tasks

The original very low quality German VHS factory tour of MOS and Commodore has been around for years, but this version uses advanced techniques to improve the video quality, along with English commentary.

It is incredible now to look back at all the human intervention, and rigorous testing, for the manufacture of this computer. Considering all the effort that went into it, it is surprising that it was actually affordable to home users.

The Sinclair ZX81 may have been revolutionary in its day for bringing an affordable and real computer into the home, but the C64 that followed just after it, was revolutionary for the advances in sound and graphics, and was probably one of the reasons why it became the world's best-selling computer. It was the first computer I owned that could play actual games that are recognisable today. Prior to this, there were only beeps and black and white characters that were drawn on the terminal screen. Back then, IBM was only starting out with PC's, and Microsoft was not yet out of diapers with their own MS-DOS.

See https://youtu.be/WBqGyf8eQVk

#technology #retro #C64 #commodore

Visual Basic is a fully proprietary software programming platform, that means, the language, the IDE, the resulting programs, and the OS where it can run, are all proprietary. This makes programs created with VB proprietary, and can only run on Windows.

This is a list of free/libre open source software (FLOSS) alternatives to Visual Basic (part of Microsoft Visual Studio) computer programming platform. If your school is still teaching VB 6, or if you now use Ubuntu for programming classroom, we strongly suggest you to switch to either one of these alternatives. With these, one can create computer programs visually by drag and drop as well as coding just like what one can do with VB.

I'm a big fan of open source software, but along with that, also cross-platform applications as they do not lock you into one OS or a single vendor. This just keeps all your options open, maximises competition (innovation), and covers the broadest possible potential user base.

See https://www.ubuntubuzz.com/2022/01/alternatives-to-visual-basic.html

#technology #opensource #alternativeto #programming #crossplatform

Games that support cross-play are common on consoles like Xbox and PlayStation, but mobile gamers can often feel left out. Controls suited for console and PC games often don't translate well to mobile. You can buy gaming peripherals, but these are often bulky and inconvenient to carry around.

But even with these issues, there are plenty of fantastic cross-play games available on Android. These great Android games won't require you to buy any fancy peripherals and were designed with cross-play in mind.

See https://www.androidpolice.com/best-android-games-that-support-cross-play/

#technology #gaming #mobile #crossplay #interoperability

Hacking can often be perceived as a bad thing, but there is an awful lot of good hacking that happens, not just like this case of ruining scams. But this is one sweet example of how some vulnerable victims got saved. What is noteworthy here, is the lengths the hacker went to, to follow up and make sure the old man was not scammed. The absolute irony was the victim not believing the warning he got, and then telling the scammer he thinks the person warning him was trying to scam him!

We can laugh at the absurdity of the scam, but it just shows how many people can get taken in. Don't reveal personal information or passwords to a stranger over the phone, and don't post cash off to some odd address via the post office...

It's good to see lots of hackers sharing their videos about taking down of these scam call centres.

See https://youtu.be/YGXAaTIWP10

#technology #scams #hacking #scambusting

In 2015, Shell installed a carbon capture facility at its Scotford refinery northeast of Edmonton in Alberta. According to Dezeen, the system was designed to eliminate emissions from hydrogen production. And lo and behold, Shell is trumpeting the fact that it actually captured close to five million tons of carbon dioxide over the course of 5 years. Great news, right?

No, says Global Witness, which claims the facility actually released more carbon emissions than it captured — 7.5 million tons worth, equivalent to the carbon footprint of 1.2 million cars. The greenhouse gases emitted included highly potent methane, which in the short term has a more than 80-times higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide.

Global Witness argues that this casts doubt on the messaging pushed by the oil and gas industry that carbon capture and storage technology makes it possible for hydrogen derived from natural gas to be used as a “low emissions” fuel to help the world reach its net zero goals. “Fossil fuel companies see fossil hydrogen as a way of continuing to make profits from extracting and burning fossil gas, whilst greenwashing it at the same time,” the report says.

See https://cleantechnica.com/2022/01/27/global-witness-exposes-the-lie-behind-the-carbon-capture-scam/

#technology #environment #carboncapture #bluehydrogen #shell