Joseph Akbrud
@byteforbyte.bsky.social
Street Photographer based in NYC 📸, Product Guy, Tech Enthusiast.
You know Apple’s marketing is strong when so many people refer to the 8x crop as a “lens.”
September 22, 2025 at 1:20 AM
You know Apple’s marketing is strong when so many people refer to the 8x crop as a “lens.”
ADMIRAL HARRY KIM youtube.com/watch?v=VkBU... #startrek
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | First Look Teaser | Paramount+
YouTube video by Paramount Plus
youtube.com
July 26, 2025 at 9:27 PM
ADMIRAL HARRY KIM youtube.com/watch?v=VkBU... #startrek
Apple News+ while useful continues to be a mixed bag. Offering a subscription service that requires other subscriptions to view content is not a good user experience.
July 26, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Apple News+ while useful continues to be a mixed bag. Offering a subscription service that requires other subscriptions to view content is not a good user experience.
“…it is also introducing a new feature that would allow police to request live-stream access to people’s home security devices.”
I don’t care how wonky it can be, it’s not worth giving up HomeKit Secure Video for privacy abusing alternatives
www.techdirt.com/2025/07/22/a...
#privacy #surveillance
I don’t care how wonky it can be, it’s not worth giving up HomeKit Secure Video for privacy abusing alternatives
www.techdirt.com/2025/07/22/a...
#privacy #surveillance
Amazon Ring Cashes In On Techno-Authoritarianism And Mass Surveillance
Ring founder Jamie Siminoff is back at the helm of the surveillance doorbell company, and with him is the surveillance-first-privacy-last approach that made Ring one of the most…
www.techdirt.com
July 23, 2025 at 12:10 PM
“…it is also introducing a new feature that would allow police to request live-stream access to people’s home security devices.”
I don’t care how wonky it can be, it’s not worth giving up HomeKit Secure Video for privacy abusing alternatives
www.techdirt.com/2025/07/22/a...
#privacy #surveillance
I don’t care how wonky it can be, it’s not worth giving up HomeKit Secure Video for privacy abusing alternatives
www.techdirt.com/2025/07/22/a...
#privacy #surveillance
This is good news and I’m glad that the administration applied the necessary pressure to make this happen.
www.macrumors.com/2025/07/20/u...
www.macrumors.com/2025/07/20/u...
UK May Backtrack on Controversial Demand for Backdoor to Encrypted Apple User Data
The British government may be forced to drop its plans to force Apple to build a backdoor to access encrypted user data, the Financial Times reports....
www.macrumors.com
July 21, 2025 at 3:04 AM
This is good news and I’m glad that the administration applied the necessary pressure to make this happen.
www.macrumors.com/2025/07/20/u...
www.macrumors.com/2025/07/20/u...
An absolute must watch for me at this time of year. It’s important to remember a time when Silicon Valley was a lot more optimistic. That’s not to say that tech isn’t interesting anymore, but it does feel like the motivation has often changed. Jobs was truly unique.
youtube.com/watch?v=jiHZ...
youtube.com/watch?v=jiHZ...
Steve Jobs - 2005 Stanford Commencement Address (Enhanced to HD/1080p)
YouTube video by Steve Jobs Archive
youtube.com
June 13, 2025 at 3:15 PM
An absolute must watch for me at this time of year. It’s important to remember a time when Silicon Valley was a lot more optimistic. That’s not to say that tech isn’t interesting anymore, but it does feel like the motivation has often changed. Jobs was truly unique.
youtube.com/watch?v=jiHZ...
youtube.com/watch?v=jiHZ...
This is so gross. tvOS is the only platform that at least somewhat respects its users and doesn't try to shove as many ads as possible in my face www.thurrott.com/smart-home/3...
Roku Devices Start Showing Ads When Users Hit Pause
Roku has recently launched a new type of ads that show up when users pause a movie or show.
www.thurrott.com
May 6, 2025 at 2:17 PM
This is so gross. tvOS is the only platform that at least somewhat respects its users and doesn't try to shove as many ads as possible in my face www.thurrott.com/smart-home/3...
Get ready to hear this a whole lot when you go shopping
April 4, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Get ready to hear this a whole lot when you go shopping
A reminder that what little we know about what is happening right now is due to efforts to archive data and provide everyone with free, strong end-to-end encryption. If you can, donate to @signal.org and @archive.org. Their work is arguably more important than ever.
February 3, 2025 at 6:41 PM
A reminder that what little we know about what is happening right now is due to efforts to archive data and provide everyone with free, strong end-to-end encryption. If you can, donate to @signal.org and @archive.org. Their work is arguably more important than ever.
Plex is by far the best software license/subscription I’ve paid for in a long time, if not ever. They are constantly improving the experience (backend and front end) and i couldn’t be happier. Pair that with an OTA tuner and you’re really cooking with gas.
www.plex.tv/blog/new-yea...
www.plex.tv/blog/new-yea...
New Year. Same Mission.
22 days into 2025. Miles to go before we sleep. It’s all hands on deck, and all eyes on our...
www.plex.tv
January 22, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Plex is by far the best software license/subscription I’ve paid for in a long time, if not ever. They are constantly improving the experience (backend and front end) and i couldn’t be happier. Pair that with an OTA tuner and you’re really cooking with gas.
www.plex.tv/blog/new-yea...
www.plex.tv/blog/new-yea...
Reposted by Joseph Akbrud
The last few weeks have really highlighted just how fragile corporate social media is, and just how beholden to political power it is. To build any sort of ground-up power we must continue to invest in decentralized alternatives that are resistant to intervention
www.404media.co/decentralize...
www.404media.co/decentralize...
Decentralized Social Media Is the Only Alternative to the Tech Oligarchy
The TikTok ban and Donald Trump's rise to power show how fragile our social media accounts are. We must normalize and invest in decentralized social media.
www.404media.co
January 21, 2025 at 5:35 PM
The last few weeks have really highlighted just how fragile corporate social media is, and just how beholden to political power it is. To build any sort of ground-up power we must continue to invest in decentralized alternatives that are resistant to intervention
www.404media.co/decentralize...
www.404media.co/decentralize...
January 19, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Reposted by Joseph Akbrud
This piece is making the rounds again this week. There is a LOT to look at here — My Big List of Photography Videos. Enjoy!
www.flakphoto.news/p/my-big-lis...
www.flakphoto.news/p/my-big-lis...
My Big List of Photography Videos
Watching photographers do their thing
www.flakphoto.news
January 16, 2025 at 12:32 PM
This piece is making the rounds again this week. There is a LOT to look at here — My Big List of Photography Videos. Enjoy!
www.flakphoto.news/p/my-big-lis...
www.flakphoto.news/p/my-big-lis...
“In trying to “protect” Americans from China, our gripped-by-moral-panic political class has made us just like China. The government has decided that the only way to combat China’s techno-authoritarian censorship model is to emulate it.”
www.techdirt.com/2025/01/14/t...
www.techdirt.com/2025/01/14/t...
TikTok Users Gleefully Embrace Even More Chinese App To Spite US TikTok Ban
Great job, US government. You went so overboard with your “TikTok is an evil Chinese app” and deciding to ban it that you’re pushing kids to go even deeper into the Chinese app ecosystem. The US go…
www.techdirt.com
January 15, 2025 at 12:18 PM
“In trying to “protect” Americans from China, our gripped-by-moral-panic political class has made us just like China. The government has decided that the only way to combat China’s techno-authoritarian censorship model is to emulate it.”
www.techdirt.com/2025/01/14/t...
www.techdirt.com/2025/01/14/t...
Reposted by Joseph Akbrud
Better idea: pass a comprehensive data privacy bill that applies across the board... and maybe *DON'T* mimic Chinese authoritarianism by creating a "Great Firewall" of apps that aren't allowed to operate here.
You can actually fix things AND not abuse the 1st Amendment in one shot!
You can actually fix things AND not abuse the 1st Amendment in one shot!
I’m concerned that Americans are flocking to a number of adversary-owned social media platforms. We still need a comprehensive and risk-based approach to assessing and mitigating the risks of foreign-owned apps.
January 15, 2025 at 4:38 AM
Better idea: pass a comprehensive data privacy bill that applies across the board... and maybe *DON'T* mimic Chinese authoritarianism by creating a "Great Firewall" of apps that aren't allowed to operate here.
You can actually fix things AND not abuse the 1st Amendment in one shot!
You can actually fix things AND not abuse the 1st Amendment in one shot!
This needs to be paired with streets being aggressively pedestriainized.
this is incredible stuff. most state DOTs would spend tens of billions on highway expansions to try and see numbers like this (that wouldn’t even pan out anyway thanks to induced demand lol)
January 14, 2025 at 2:11 AM
This needs to be paired with streets being aggressively pedestriainized.
Kudos to Mastodon for walking the walk and structuring themselves in a way that ensures decentralization of not just the protocol but of Mastodon itself.
blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/01/the-...
blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/01/the-...
The people should own the town square
It is more important than ever that the social web is not controlled by corporations. Today, Mastodon is taking another step towards its founding ideals: independence and non-profit ownership. We're t...
blog.joinmastodon.org
January 13, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Kudos to Mastodon for walking the walk and structuring themselves in a way that ensures decentralization of not just the protocol but of Mastodon itself.
blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/01/the-...
blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/01/the-...
270+ Blade Runner 2049 Screen Shots in glorious 4k. This movie is such a feast for the eyes.
lukedowding.com/blade-runner...
lukedowding.com/blade-runner...
January 9, 2025 at 9:34 PM
270+ Blade Runner 2049 Screen Shots in glorious 4k. This movie is such a feast for the eyes.
lukedowding.com/blade-runner...
lukedowding.com/blade-runner...
I should’ve left Twitter after seeing this exchange because clearly this was impossible to top
December 27, 2024 at 10:02 PM
I should’ve left Twitter after seeing this exchange because clearly this was impossible to top
If you are feeling generous this holiday season and want to do some good, consider donating to organizations that are fighting to preserve and protect the internet as we know it.
@archive.org archive.org/donate/?orig...
@signal.org signal.org/donate/
@eff.org supporters.eff.org/donate/year-...
@archive.org archive.org/donate/?orig...
@signal.org signal.org/donate/
@eff.org supporters.eff.org/donate/year-...
Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine
archive.org
December 27, 2024 at 4:51 PM
If you are feeling generous this holiday season and want to do some good, consider donating to organizations that are fighting to preserve and protect the internet as we know it.
@archive.org archive.org/donate/?orig...
@signal.org signal.org/donate/
@eff.org supporters.eff.org/donate/year-...
@archive.org archive.org/donate/?orig...
@signal.org signal.org/donate/
@eff.org supporters.eff.org/donate/year-...