Google has started to track Android developers that run instrumentation tests sending all sorts of data about you and your device to Google Analytics. The opt-out solution they give is to add these options to the adb command: adb shell am instrument -e disableAnalytics true However, this is not how I typically run my tests.… Continue reading Disable Google Android Instrumentation Test Tracking
Interview zu F-Droid mit ZDF Heute
Der Onlineauftritt von ZDF heute hat zwei Artikel zu F-Droid veröffentlicht. Im Vorfeld gab es dazu ein Interview mit mir. Da es nicht das ganze Interview in die Artikel geschafft hat, veröffentliche ich es hier der Vollständigkeit und Transparenz halber. Marktplatz F-Droid – Zehn freundliche Android-Apps Hintergrund – F-Droid richtig nutzten – und andere Fragen… Continue reading Interview zu F-Droid mit ZDF Heute
Building Briar Reproducible And Why It Matters
Briar is a secure messenger, the next step in the crypto messenger evolution if you want. It is Free Software (Open Source), so everybody has the possibility inspect and audit its source code without needing to trust third-parties to have done so in secret. However, for security critical software, just being Free Software is not… Continue reading Building Briar Reproducible And Why It Matters
What is DNS Privacy and how to set it up for OpenWRT
The Domain Name System (DNS) enables your computer to find the actual addresses of other computers. So when you type fsfe.org in your browser, the DNS tells you that 217.69.89.176 is the actual IP address for fsfe.org. It needs this real address to make a connection to that server and present the website hosted there… Continue reading What is DNS Privacy and how to set it up for OpenWRT
How F-Droid is Bringing Apps to Cuba
Only in 2015, when the government opened the first public WiFi hotspots in the country, did internet access become available to ordinary Cubans. Before that, even though modern mobile phones had already found their way into the country, they were mostly used off-line. Now, all these phones can be connected to the internet. However, at… Continue reading How F-Droid is Bringing Apps to Cuba
The Proprietarization of Android – Google Play Services and Apps
Android has a market share of ~70% for mobile devices which keeps growing. It is based on Linux and the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), so mostly Free Software. The problem is that every device you can buy is additionally stuffed full with proprietary software. These programs and apps are missing the essential four freedoms… Continue reading The Proprietarization of Android – Google Play Services and Apps
Is Signal a threat to Free Software?
Someone made a lot of noise regarding the LibreSignal shutdown, called it a “new threat to Free Software” and compared it with Tivoization. I was then asked to explain the situation in a discussion with RMS where I gave my own perspective on it. Since I already took the time to write it down, I… Continue reading Is Signal a threat to Free Software?
Briar – Next Step of The Crypto Messenger Evolution
Update: Há uma versão em português. Who still remembers ICQ, AIM and MSN? My first messenger was ICQ and I liked the fact that it was instant. In those days, I didn’t think much about security and was probably too young anyway. We can count ourselves lucky if those tools even used transport encryption. This… Continue reading Briar – Next Step of The Crypto Messenger Evolution
WhatsApp Adopts Secure End-to-End Encryption. But will it federate?
WhatsApp has announced that it is currently switching all its users to secure end-to-end encryption. It is now using a state-of-the-art protocol that was developed for the Free Software app TextSecure. This cryptographic protocol fulfills most desired security properties and is simple to use at the same time. The encryption happens without the users even… Continue reading WhatsApp Adopts Secure End-to-End Encryption. But will it federate?
What to use instead of WhatsApp and Threema?
WhatsApp is a messaging app for smartphones that allows you to send (text) messages free-of-charge. After WhatsApp’s recent acquisition by Facebook and in the face of the NSA revelations, many of the millions of WhatsApp users are looking for secure and trustworthy alternatives. Because this effects so many people, we at the Free Software Foundation… Continue reading What to use instead of WhatsApp and Threema?