Purism makes premium phones, laptops, mini PCs and servers running free software on PureOS. Purism products respect people's privacy and freedom while protecting their security.
  • 10001110101@lemm.eeEnglish
    26·
    15 days ago

    Kinda depressing that all of big-tech seems to have given up “innovating” (finding applications for publicly-funded research), and have become rent-seeking dinosaurs.

    • interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.mlEnglish
      3·
      15 days ago

      That would mean less money, at least in the short term, but also in the long term as it grants the user the autonomy of optionality, the power to choose some of Google’s edicts. Really it’s about the power to shape the choices of the users in the future. Take their power away. And in the future this will be conducive to leverage this power against the user for more money.

      I asked the AI about it, in case anyone is curious https://chatgpt.com/share/68454a70-5cd8-8005-8075-3579244f0ce4

  • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    19·
    15 days ago

    The restrictions on apk access over the past 10 years have already been an annoying pita. Many of the best power user apks have had to gut themselves over their original functionality, all while obtaining root access over your owned devices has become harder or next to impossible.

    • anticurrent@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      14·
      15 days ago

      Maybe you should curb your enthusiasm a bit. have you seen what it take to unlock the bootloader from most manufacturers? you might even need your grandma’s birth certificate before you’re allowed to do so in the future

      • kadup@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        15 days ago

        Certainly depends on where you live.

        Unlocking a Samsung phone is trivial here.

      • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        4·
        15 days ago

        Depends on the manufacturer. Ideally, they’re forced to allow choice, but until that happens, we can at least prefer phones that don’t lock you in.

      • kratoz29@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        15 days ago

        I am aware, but what choices do we have? I for one stopped using banking apps in my Android phone, not a big deal, we didn’t have banking apps there pre 2007 right?

        I know not everyone can do it, but we can fight back in our own ways.

        And voting with your wallet should be an obvious statement at this point.

  • flop_leash_973@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    15 days ago

    Are they talking about the changes that were made that allow a dev to prevent their app from launching if it fails a Play integrity check?

    If so I don’t see that as a big deal since it is up to the dev to use it. OSS devs that want to distribute their app via apk download won’t enable it, and anyone distributing cracked apks will just disable that along with whatever other changes they are making.

    • KingRandomGuy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      15 days ago

      Some apps only require ‘basic’ play integrity verification, but now check to see if they’re installed via the Play Store. They refuse to run if they’re installed via an alternative source.

      This has been a problem for GrapheneOS, since some apps filter themselves out of the Play Store search if you don’t pass strong play integrity, despite the fact that they don’t require it. Luckily Graphene now had a bypass for this.

  • masterofn001@lemmy.caEnglish
    81·
    15 days ago

    There is exactly one app I use that is available only on play store - my bank.

    I don’t really need the app.

    They have a website.

    I have a few phones, just got one that now has grapheneOS.

    I’ve been using it for a few weeks to see how it works before I switch over anything to use it as my main. it has a lot of very interesting privacy/security features to test out.

    Either way, I don’t get anything from the play store anymore.

    It’s F(L)OSS or a website.

    As god intended.

  • Alex@lemmy.mlEnglish
    31·
    16 days ago

    From the article it sounds like the limitations come for some app types downloaded directly from a browser. I think this doesn’t affect alternate app stores like f-droid where you are effectively delegating approval to their process.

    I have come across the other limitations mentioned with the Home Assistant companion app which I could only get matter registration to work with the version downloaded from the Play store.

    • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
      2·
      16 days ago

      Maybe for the Singapore thing. For the play integrity thing, it applies to apps from anywhere except the play store directly. I use Aurora to install apps that say “not compatible with your device” for no reason. But a week or two ago ago, they started blocking access and saying I needed to install from the play store.

      Fortunately I was able to downgrade and they kept working, but I don’t know how long that will last. At some point the server side will change the API.

        • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
          1·
          16 days ago

          Fortunately I haven’t had to do this for anything like my bank app or its multifactor code app, but yeah it would be like that. For apps not published on the play store, they continue working.

    • masterofn001@lemmy.caEnglish
      1·
      15 days ago

      It’s funny because one browser I use is downloaded from the browsers website which I then use to install the update to said browser.

      Google needs a Luigi.

  • Luffy@lemmy.mlEnglish
    32·
    15 days ago

    Eh, if you are still on a Gservices Version of Android you are lost anyway

    So I just urge y’all to step back and watch at this clownshow.