Latest Comments

Here's a list of the most recent comments. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to say something!

Comment on What's going on with User Agent strings?:

User-Agent strings are going through a major shift. Traditionally, they identified browsers and devices, helping websites deliver tailored content. But now, due to privacy concerns and user tracking, major browsers like Chrome are phasing out detailed User-Agent strings. Instead, they’re introducing a new approach called User-Agent Client Hints, which gives websites only the data they need, when they need it. This change helps reduce fingerprinting while still allowing responsive design. Developers need to start adapting to this modern method to future-proof their sites. It’s all part of the web’s move toward stronger privacy and smarter data handling. https://miyari.pk/

Comment on Lots of Penpot signups after Adobe's Figma announcement:

The surge in Penpot signups after Adobe’s Figma announcement doesn’t come as a surprise. Many designers value open-source, collaborative platforms, and Penpot offers a refreshing alternative. With Adobe acquiring Figma, users may be concerned about pricing changes, integration issues, or creative restrictions. Penpot’s flexibility, transparency, and independence are appealing in contrast. It’s a reminder that competition fosters innovation, and users will always explore options that best meet their needs. This shift reflects not just preference, but a growing demand for community-driven tools. The design world is watching closely—and clearly, some are already making moves. https://miyari.pk/

Comment on What's going on with User Agent strings?:

User Agent strings are undergoing a big shift in the name of privacy and simplification. Traditionally, they revealed detailed information about your browser and device, but that’s now seen as a potential risk—websites could use that data to track users or create inconsistent experiences. Major browsers like Chrome are phasing out parts of the User Agent string in favor of a new system called Client Hints, which gives websites just the info they truly need. This move aims to standardize behavior, improve security, and reduce fingerprinting. So, in short, User Agent strings are becoming smarter, cleaner, and more privacy-focused. https://miyari.pk/

Comment on Elite Dangerous console development has been cancelled:

Yes, the console development for Elite Dangerous was officially halted, a decision that sparked disappointment across the player community. Frontier Developments chose to focus all future updates on the PC version, citing the challenges in maintaining parity across platforms—especially after the troubled launch of the Odyssey expansion. While existing console players can still access the game, they won’t receive new content or updates. This move, though practical from a development standpoint, felt like a setback for many loyal console commanders. It marked a shift in focus, aiming for quality and stability, but left a part of the galaxy offline. https://miyari.pk/

Comment on What's going on with User Agent strings?:

User Agent strings are evolving as major web browsers shift toward greater privacy and security. Traditionally, these strings provided detailed browser and device information, helping websites optimize user experiences. However, this data also allowed fingerprinting and tracking, raising privacy concerns. Google Chrome is gradually reducing User Agent details through User Agent Reduction, while introducing Client Hints as a more secure alternative. Other browsers like Firefox and Safari are following similar trends. This shift impacts developers, advertisers, and analytics tools, requiring adjustments for compatibility. Stay updated on these changes to ensure seamless web performance. https://miyari.pk/

Comment on What's going on with User Agent strings?:

There is a method for identifying browser/platform that is much more reliable than UA/CH headers. It’s browser fingerprinting via feature testing. One needs not look much further than the MDN compatibility tables to devise a method of detecting specific browsers. I’m willing to bet that there’s multiple bits of information unique to Chromium on Windows 11 too.

See: https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/

The EFF’s panopticlick is opensource and the anti-fingerprinting code of browsers is opensource. There’s likely many relevant projects easily discoverable on Github as well. For proprietary methods, spending some time reverse engineering WAFs such as Cloudflare can’t hurt. Cloudflare goes as far as to weigh low level networking protocol parameters into it’s bot score rating system,i.e., TCP and TLS properties such as cipher parameters and protocol extensions (signature algorithms). The browser/platform/CPU combination of your system will result in different TLS configuration and Cloudflare does a good job at using AI to learn/filter it’s traffic.

Some random site (https://amiunique.org/fp), correctly identifies the Linux kernel version I’m using, etc. etc. I also think Nmap deserves a mention.

There’s more than enough information to correctly identify the browser/platform. There may very well be enough information to make fingerprinting more reliable than IP addresses.

Comment on Getting Audio Visualizations working with Web Audio API:

I am having the same issue as Ollie.

I can’t get this to work for an MP3 stream. I was able to get it working with a static MP3 file stored on my server. This problem exists only on Safari.

createMediaElementSource() seems to be buggy in Safari. Specifically, the frequencyBinCount() returns just an array of zeroes.

Is anyone else experiencing this? I will try using the adapter.js shim, but I was hoping for a native Safari solution.

Comment on Changelog (7.10 - 7.12.1):

Hey Andre, I think about it a lot actually! There’s a lot in the source though, some of which I don’t really want to make public. Some career/salary information, some personal pages for family, stuff like that (some of that stuff is stored in the database, but I have some custom pages with the data in the source).

I was thinking about pulling out different parts of the project, making them their own repos, and open sourcing those. I’ll definitely write about it if I decide to do it.

Comment on Changelog (7.10 - 7.12.1):

Never thought about publishing the source of your “server”? I just came along your site while I was thinking what my next steps for my personal site will be.

Especially I was looking for solutions which support webmentions out of the box and this is why Google led me to your site.

Comment on Re: Are Outdoor Mask Mandates Still Necessary?:

I agree with all of these points! Especially about wearing them to protect from pollen. It looks like the CDC is going to release new guidance soon on wearing masks outdoors, so it’ll be interesting to see that. I’d prefer if people just continue wearing them out of an abundance of caution, there doesn’t seem to be any harm in doing so.