Link roundup for 2019-09-01
Facebook keeps spying on its users
Jane Manchun Wong, a security researcher, writes:
Facebook scans system libraries from their Android app user’s phone in the background and uploads them to their server
This is called "Global Library Collector" at Facebook, known as "GLC" in app’s code
It periodically uploads metadata of system libraries to the server
Don't use Facebook.
New modern book on Lisp
Loving Common Lisp, or the Savvy Programmer's Secret Weapon, free to read here (via) is a very accessible and modern take on Common Lisp by veteran author Mark Watson.
It covers the basics, but also not-so-common topics like network programming, NoSQL databases, NLP and NNs. Definitely worth a look if you want a good Lisp book, and definitely worth it to support the author by purchasing a copy.
On browser privacy
- What happens when you launch Google Chrome for the first time on a Windows 10 machine?,
- What happens when you launch a fresh install of Firefox?,
- What happens when you install the Edge (Chromium) Beta build and run it for the first time?, and
- What happens with other minor browsers
(via) are a series of posts by Jonathan Sampson analyzing how browsers phone home on first launch and its privacy implications
My personal opinion is that Mozilla shoud try to do better. However, since Google is one of the big donors of the Mozilla Foundation, their hands probably will always be tied.
Windows' and Linux's birthday
What would you like to see most in minix?, asked Linus the 25th of August, 1991, in comp.os.minix. (via)
Coincidentally, Windows 95 was released August 24th, 1995 with such a big marketing campaign that I still remember even though I was a kid.
And, in case you haven't seen it: "The Most 90s Video Ever," Microsoft Windows 95 Video Guide - Jennifer Aniston & Matthew Perry
More bash black magic trickery
Seven God-Like Bash History Shortcuts You Will Actually Use
(via)
goes deep into the !! argument expander.
Definitely give it a read, and if you're interested in more bash tricks, let me plug in my own compilation of commandline tricks
Youtube nostalgia
Youtube Decade (via) is a nice daily nostalgia dose.
10 years of Internet Time is like 100 years IRL.
Tags: roundup