Gabe Rocks

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gaberocks.substack.com

Cyber Fix is a show to provide entertaining and insightful analysis of developments in Cyberspace. This broadcast is made for the explicit purpose of supporting the Libre Solutions Network project as a whole. As a paid subscriber you get access to full episodes!

Stories

Platform Peril

* Telegram Changes Policy, Says It Will Provide User Data to Authorities

* Si…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gaberocks.substack.com

Cyber Fix is BACK!

I have a lot on the go at the moment but I’m glad I was able to put this together and I hope you appreciate the return of Cyber Fix! As always I front-load the show with pressing news and a solutions roundup so nobody is missing out on vital intelligence. In the second part I try to share more of my analysis of ongoing trends.

This proj…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gaberocks.substack.com

Welcome to Cyber Fix, your dopamine-infused tech news update.My name is Gabriel, here to help get other information junkies up to speed with important tech news. Stay tuned for a light-hearted exploration of hostile cyberspace and what we can do about it.

Tech Disasters

* Hackers leak 2.7 billion data records with Social Security numbers

* Inside the “3 Billio…

I had a great conversation with Michael Ginsburg of Actionable Truth Media discussing how people are manipulated into supporting fake decentralization or fake solutions to pressing technological troubles. If you enjoyed our conversations you can visit his website at actionabletruth.media or on his own Substack.

The Musk Operation (X)

We briefly touch on how many people are falling into the cult of personality around Elon Musk, ultimately empowering Musk to have more control over their digital lives. Rallying around false saviors has a high opportunity cost in the best case scenario, and makes one complicit in all manner of concerns the worst case.

Web3 Technocracy

While the Odysee team seems to be making an admirable effort taking action against censorship, there is reason to be concerned with the finer details. When one takes a close look at the “web3” ecosystem, many red flags come into view. Regardless of how one feels about the SEC decision, there are good reasons to take a close look at what new direction Odysee is taking.

I’m quite hard on blockchain projects these days, you can see some of that in my earlier mini Q&A with Michael. This conversation was in some ways motivated by my desire to dig deeper into the questions raised at the time.

* The End of LBRY Inc.

* What Happened To LBRY & Odysee?

* The SEC Burned LBRY to the Ground

* Ruling

* FAQ concerning Odysee’s new tech

* Odysee moving from Ads

* Fiat monetization for creators

* Meet Arweave: Permanent information storage.

* Additionally, persons in the US will not be able to mint $AO tokens via bridging to the network.

* World Economic Forum - Crypto, What Is It Good For?

* Forward Research, what is Arweave AO

* Arweave AO economics

* Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN)

One of my principle concerns is that the “Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks” (DePIN) buzzword is a term to market the “tokenization” of every facet of life. Most concerningly, there seems to be a desire to use so-called “decentralization” (even if in name only) as a means to eschew responsibility and accountability.

Michael raised the concern around Internet shutdowns. In whole or in part, internet shutdowns are a recurring phenomenon as governments seize control during times of unrest. World-wide accessible communication is a vitally important objective for those who care about a free and open Internet. In our conversation Michael explores how an internet shutdown could be used to manufacture consent for various policies such as digital ID. Currently, it seems like the primary use of internet blackouts is to quell dissent.

What Can We Do?

Disconnect from Big Tech:

Rebuilding the Foundations:

Don’t Miss Your Cyber Fix!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gaberocks.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gaberocks.substack.com

Cyber Fix is a show to provide entertaining and insightful analysis of developments in Cyberspace. This broadcast is made for the explicit purpose of supporting the Libre Solutions Network project as a whole. As a paid subscriber you get access to full episodes!

If you like Cyber Fix, I’d really appreciate your feedback!

Example PSA: Backups

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gaberocks.substack.com

Cyber Fix is a show to provide entertaining and insightful analysis of developments in Cyberspace. This broadcast is made for the explicit purpose of supporting the Libre Solutions Network project as a whole. As a subscriber you get access to full episodes!

In Case You Missed It: Episode 3

Links Discussed

Wacky tech news:

* $2,350 Amazon ‘Astro’ Business Robo…

In this conversation, I join The Starfire Codes by Demi Pietchell to learn from her experience as someone with a long career in online media. Demi is a fascinating kindhearted woman with a real flair for memes and metaphysics. We touch on many concerns such as community dynamics, censorship, the loss of coherence online, and even how that impacts artistic and intellectual creatives. I hope you enjoy listening to us unwind the madness and learn more about how we can all shape our online social environment for the better. It’s good to remember that even non-technical details about online interactions can have massive impacts on how conversations are able to take place.

Featured Works

Related

Special Thanks

Thank you to Margaret Anna Alice for the introduction. I had an fantastic time and greatly appreciate a chance to discuss these issues with others who stand up against tyranny.

Some may not know that Margaret is a repeat guest on this series!

Join the discussion

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gaberocks.substack.com/subscribe

I had the honor and pleasure to speak with Sam Smith about the new operating system he’s building: Serenum. We had a conversation about what motivated him to build this system, plans for the future, and where this all meets the bigger picture.

Now more than ever, it’s time to seriously look closer at the fundamentals of our technological landscape and Sam has done the hard work of building something that could be the beginning of a solid new foundation to build on. For those who want to really advance their technical skills, it’s a great chance to seize the opportunity to understand computers at a very sophisticated level.

Even for those among us who aren’t ‘computer wizards’, this project should represent a ray of hope in an otherwise tragically bleak digital experience. When it comes to forging a new path, I believe that making technology truly personal is something that can be a real game-changer. Even if one isn’t able to engage with or directly support this project, some of the fundamental principles are worth understanding to be aware of just how different things can be.

This project is fascinating for many reasons, but especially because it’s a call to action for those who wish to start truly innovating for the future. Many programmers, especially inexperienced ones can become intimidated by “low level” development, feeling filtered by complexity and lost in a labyrinth of extremely technical documentation.

The Serenum project is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of an exciting new frontier to take one’s technological knowledge to a new level. At the very least, let this conversation to be a reminder to stay curious, push the boundaries of your knowledge, and take the time to truly gain mastery over circuitry.

This is not about us putting all our hopes entirely on Sam’s shoulders. Some may be inspired to get involved, others may be moved to begin their own parallel pursuits. This is a real chance for those who want to develop critically important technological skills to observe what it takes to forge a new path.

If you’d like to learn more about the Serenum operating system, you can take a look at the latest release. Interested in more technical background details? Take a look at his original demo and follow-up Q&A.

Keep up with Sam’s work at: Twitch, YouTube, or join the discussion on Discord.

This is an ambitious project, which in its own right is worth celebrating. I highly recommend thinking seriously about having reasonable expectations for what you intend to get out of this. If you feel you have the desire, time, and patience you may want to consider getting your hands on the hardware. You can do so at taberna.shop.

Other from scratch operating systems you may have heard of, or be curious about are:

* Redox

* SerenityOS

* ReactOS

* ToaruOS

* TempleOS

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gaberocks.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gaberocks.substack.com

I hope you find the show informative as well as fun. The goal here is to help out fellow information junkies without taking it too seriously. Stay tuned for a lighthearted exploration of hostile cyberspace and what we can do about it.

In Case You Missed It: Episode 2

This Episode was recorded on July 6th 2024 and discussed:

Internet of Terrors:RockYou2024: 10 billion passwords leaked in the largest compilation of all timeNew Android Spyware Steals Data from Gamers and TikTok UsersI Will F**king Piledrive You If You Mention AI AgainRoot Your Sleep Number Smart Bed, Discover It Phoning HomeBats Can No Longer Haunt Apple VR Headsets Via Web ExploitCybercriminals Are Targeting Digital Identity of Singapore CitizensFighting Bots is Fighting HumansAlt-Tech Updates:Telegram says it has ‘about 30 engineers’; security experts say that’s a red flagWhat Manifest V3 means for Brave Shields and the use of extensions in the Brave browserProton launches free, privacy-focused Google Docs alternativeNaomi Brockwell on signal desktop issue📢 Update: Statement by Meredith Whittaker (President of Signal Foundation)

1. The reported issues rely on an attacker already having *full access to your device* — either physically, through a malware compromise, or via a malicious application running on the same device. This is not something that Signal, or any other app, can fully protect against. Nor do we ever claim to. 2. We continue working to harden our desktop build across supported operating systems and take advantage of new platform capabilities as they emerge. Those of you following our repo can follow this work there.

Problems with X:Hack of Age Verification Company Shows Privacy Danger of Social Media LawsX Re-Joins Pro-Censorship Advertisers’ AllianceSolutions Roundup:Sustainability and Standards: We Need To Talk About Building Censorship Circumvention InfrastructureCelebrating 1 year of MakerTube Public RegistrationsUsing LM Studio to Run LLMs Easily, Locally and PrivatelyAnnouncing the Ladybird Browser Initiative

Music Credits:Y&V - LuneValcos - A New LightKillercats - KaibuMy Path - Next Route

More Episodes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gaberocks.substack.com

Welcome to the second episode of Cyber Fix a show to provide entertaining and insightful analysis of developments in Cyberspace. This broadcast is for the explicit purpose of supporting the Libre Solutions Network (this project) as a whole.

In Case You Missed It: Episode 1

To Celebrate the launch of this show I’m offering permanent discounts to those who sign up, for a limited time.

Links Discussed:

Data and Government:

No Data Protection, No DemocracyMy health information has been stolen. Now what?A Rising Enforcement of CensorshipPolice love Google’s surveillance data. Here’s how to protect yourself.Cryptographers’ Feedback on the EU Identity Wallet45 Projects Receiving New NGI Zero Grants

Location Data:

One of the major sellers of detailed driver behavioral data is shutting downLocation Tracker Firm Tile Hit by Data Breach, Hackers Access Internal Tools

Email:

Microsoft: New Outlook security changes coming to personal accounts

AI Nonsense:

Maven Imported 1.12 Million Fediverse PostsPerplexity AI Is Lying about Their User AgentThe AI industry is a grift so big that it's really hard to explain it to people not familiar with the tech industry.Payoff from AI projects is 'dismal', biz leaders complainAI Detectors Get It Wrong. Writers Are Being Fired AnywayOpenAI just hired the guy who was in charge of mass surveillance at the NSA.Human Brains Can Tell Deepfake Voices From Real Ones

Workplace

Wells Fargo Fires Employees Over "Mouse Jigglers"

Music Credits:

Y&V - LuneValcos - A New LightKillercats - Kaibu@SavkMusic - The Traveling SymphonyGhostrifterOfficial - Resurgence