We aren’t talking about current cameras. We are talking about the proposed plan to make cameras that do cryptographically sign the images they take.

Here’s the link from the start of the thread:

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/09/google-seeks-authenticity-in-the-age-of-ai-with-new-content-labeling-system

This system is specifically mentioned in the original post: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-image-labels-ai-edited-38082.html when they say “C2PA”.

It’s not that simple. It’s not just a “this is or isn’t AI” boolean in the metadata. Hash the image, then sign the hash with digital signature key. The signature will be invalid if the image has been tampered with, and you can’t make a new signature without the signing key.

Once the image is signed, you can’t tamper with it and get away with it.

The vulnerability is, how do you ensure an image isn’t faked before it gets to the signature part? On some level, I think this is a fundamentally unsolvable problem. But there may be ways to make it practically impossible to fake, at least for the average user without highly advanced resources.

Take a high-quality AI image, add some noise, blur, and compress it a few times.

Or, even better, print it and take a picture of the print out, making sure your photo of the photo is blurry enough to hide the details that would give it away.

Even if you assume the images you care about have this metadata, all it takes is a hacked camera (which could be as simple as carefully taking a photo of your AI-generated image) to fake authenticity.

And the vast majority of images you see online are heavily compressed so it’s not 6MB+ per image for the digitally signed raw images.

lol your VPN company is going to kick you the instant you turn on LOIC through them. Your packets wont even get to the target site because you are basically attacking your own VPN.

I’d recommend looking for keyboards with hot-swappable switches. They may be more expensive up front, but they are repairable so they will be much more cost effective in the long term. Plus there are fun things you can do like trying out different switches or even mix-and-matching different types.

I usually have a key fail about once a year or so. For a keyboard without hot swappable switches that’s a new keyboard each time one key fails (assuming it’s a key that’s important, which it usually is - keys you use more frequently are more likely to fail sooner). Keys are like $1 a pop (although you usually have to buy them in bulk).

I used to buy the Corsair keyboard for like $50 each. I switched to a $150 keyboard with hot swappable switches. I’ve had my keyboard for about 5 years now and I think I’ve replaced 3 keys.

I like GoG for the idea of getting games DRM free. I buy from them when I can.

But there’s some key features of Steam GoG just can’t compete with:

• multiplayer infrastructure
• gifts and other interactions with friends

I bought BG3 on Steam instead of GoG solely to make it easier to play multiplayer with my friends.

And these features of Steam you can take advantage of even if you buy from GoG (but where would we be without Steam?)

• VR support
• controller support
• linux support (proton)

Also there’s a much better selection on Steam. But sometimes that’s a bad sign. If a game is present on GoG and Steam, that’s a good sign there isn’t a dedication to shitty DRM, even in the Steam version. If a game is present on Steam only, you have to watch out because that game might be DRM-ridden.

The first time an app does it I delete it. If I really need it that bad I can just redownload it when I actually need it.

It’s more than just the header information. The graphics and audio checksum can give away details of what your device is, even if those details don’t match what header information you are sending. That mismatch is itself information they can use.

First of all, a university having a police force is already crazy.

You’ve already said the university having its own police force isn’t what you are really concerned with.

but dealing with protesters with grenade launchers?

So here’s the part where you keep straw-manning. I’ve agreed with you on this point several times. Tear gas is excessive. I find it hard to come up with a scenario where tear gas isn’t excessive. There should be limits on the amount of force police can use.

Ah, so the problem you see is the university having its own police department.

I definitely do think it’s a bit weird that the university has its own police. That’s not uncommon for universities in the United States. I’ll be honest that I don’t fully know the history behind it.

I just don’t think it’s unreasonable to use force to stop things from actively being destroyed.

Do they have “protests” where they go smash any business in the surrounding area that’s a franchise of a recognizable brand? When it started as a protest about a politician?

In general the Steam Deck is not the kind of device that is going to run things at max settings. You are gonna play at 720p30FPS low settings but be happy you can play at all on a train or airplane. It’s really meant to be a competitor to the Nintendo Switch than a replacement for a gaming PC.

You can stream from your PC to your couch or bed if you are at home.

The tear gas is definitely excessive, but the right amount of “weapons” to buy is not 0.

DLSS doesn’t work that well. I’m not looking forward to AI replacing artist’s work.

What people in this thread are missing or ignoring:

• The University of California is known for being a place for political protests
• These protests do not always stay peaceful
• These protests are not always primarily student-run or consisting of students

All combinations have happened. Peaceful student-run protests with overreactive police. Violent non-student protests with police doing their job to control things. And everything in between.

It does happen today though. The price for things on Amazon is unique to you and constantly changes.

To add to this.

Here’s a website to help you check your own trackability:

https://coveryourtracks.eff.org

It can also help give you advice on how to improve your privacy.

Things that help: (tldr use adblockers but otherwise it’s really about blending into the crowd)

• using a browser that respects privacy (e.g. not Chrome)
• using a “popular” browser (using something weird can help narrow it down to you because not many people are using that)
• (Firefox is a good browser choice. Safari is fine, Edge is probably ok. Avoid Chrome).
• using an ad blocker
• using a VPN can sometimes help but can also sometimes hurt because, again, it helps narrow you down.
• using a popular device can make it harder to track

Hard to track: uses Firefox with uBlock origin. Maybe using a popular VPN. Uses an iPhone or a popular model of Android like the Pixel (although Google owning Android/Pixel might mean they get your data anyway…)

Actually very easy to track: uses a niche Chromium-based browser you got from GitHub with niche GitHub project as blockers and a little/known VPN. Uses a niche brand of smartphone with a niche non-Android based OS on it.

And it’s not just things you search on Google. Anything you type into any website that has an interest in your data or has a deal with a company that’s interested in your data. Anything you post publicly on the internet. Anything you say near any Google or Facebook software that is microphone enabled. Anything you type into messenging software run by those companies (especially if there’s no pretense of encryption, like Discord or Facebook Messenger).

And anything they collect from friends and family that might be related to you.