Idle/Random/whatever Thoughts of a Demented/Idle/Whatever Mind

1. How Major Indian Apps Are Bypassing Google’s Policy to Spy on Your App Drawer? - Report reveals that many major Android apps on the Google Play Store are allegedly bypassing Google's privacy policies to access a list of other apps installed on users' devices. Apps like Swiggy, Zepto, and HDFC are among those seemingly "peeping" into users' app drawers. While some argue this access might be needed for core functionality (like fraud detection in banking apps), the report suggests it's being used for fingerprinting and user profiling. Analysis of AndroidManifest.xml files shows apps use methods like querying by package name or intent signature to extract this data. Concerns are raised about apps like KreditBee, which appear to be profiling users based on the presence of specific apps, including those related to religion and astrology. The report questions Google's enforcement of its policies and the lack of user consent or awareness regarding this data co...

   1. Chimps use more plant medicines than any other animal : A new study suggests chimpanzees might be the animal kingdom's top self-medicators. Researchers observed chimps in Uganda seemingly choosing plants with medicinal properties to treat illnesses and injuries. The chimps even ate plants outside their usual diet when sick. Interestingly, 11 out of the 13 plants identified by the researchers are already used in traditional local medicines. While the study can't definitively prove the chimps' motivations, it offers compelling evidence for their self-medication skills. This discovery could not only benefit chimp conservation but also lead to new drug development for humans. My Take: Animals' intelligence is likely underestimated. Their evolution may have led to different forms of smarts. While using them to discover new drugs is a fascinating idea, it's important to consider the limitations – what works for chimps might not translate to humans. However, veterin...

1. How LLMs Work, Explained Without Math : This post by @miguelgrinberg explains LLMs working in simpler terms as well as defining some of the important LLM terminology.  My Take : Now that all the initial hype around LLMs have kind of subsided, educating about the actual tech is taking a front seat. Its a good starting read for anyone trying to understand LLMs. I kind of loved the statement by the author "I wouldn't trust any workflow in which the LLM produces output that goes straight to end users without verification by a human.", which is pretty much on point here.    2. 37 tips from a Senior Frontend Developer :  Ndeye Fatou Diop got inspired by  @abbeyperini's post and compiled his own list of tips.   My Take: These are some very sane tips which all software engineers should follow. These are not taught in schools but are valid none the less. All engineers learn these the hard way, but thanks to Ndeye you can learn is from his post there....

1. LocalSend : On its website explains what it is, in a minimalist way with just two lines written there Share files to nearby devices. Free, open-source, cross-platform. This is all this product does My Take : This is an incredible app which works across different platforms. I tried it on Android and Linux and my experience was super boring, which is great. This process there is always a market for simple products which just work. I hope this app becomes like VLC player which is another great open source software which just works across different platforms. 2. Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi : A 3.6kW, Arduino controlled, single-axis tracking, ground mount solar system   My Take : Amazing work and all of it is open source. I guess anyone working to setup solar panels should look into this for better efficiency.  3. Oxygen Production at Europa : NASA's Juno mission has found that the ice-covered Jovian moon generates 1,000 tons of oxygen every 24 hours – enough to keep a million hum...

Well all this started with this one tweet disruptive, IIM, ninja, passion. leverage, LSD, enterprise. this takes buzzwords to whole next level and more https://t.co/BTKniycDxa — Sathya (@SathyaBhat) March 9, 2015 And finally ended with this one @jackerhack thanks, got it @SathyaBhat @mehulved — 100rabh™ (@the100rabh) March 9, 2015 And I had the entire dump of Hasjobs postings. It was pretty cool of Kiran to send them across to me and saving me the time and effort to scrape that data. At that time I had very little idea what I would do with it. I am aware of R and this was the moment when I thought I could make use of the little knowledge of it I had. So I got on with it. Step 1: Step R on my system. Step 2: Write some code to extract the data and cleanse it Step 3: Generate the counts for words Step 4: Manually pick up the technology words with counts Step 5: Generate the image with language popularity So as it stands the top 5 of required technolog...

I am sure that there are a lot of people in Bangalore who are truly frustrated by Autos in Bangalore. They violate all rules of the RTO by charging extra or refusing to ply to certain destinations or tampered/faulty meter. RTO Bangalore has come up with two email addresses to report these violations. But I found it really difficult to complain. I think the only way we would complain is in the heat of moment. With smartphones you can send a complain anywhere. But then again there are these lazy people like me who find typing the details very difficult. This is besides keeping the emailIDs handy. So I decided to create this Android app which makes creating and sending the email a breeze. You just need to enter the errant Auto's Number and details like to and from location. Next select the checkbox which is applicable in your case for the offense of the auto driver. You can optionally take a picture of the auto. Since you have a good camera on you Android handsets, you can take...