u/Training_Yak_4655

I couple of months ago I installed Stirling PDF. The installation created a web application that when launched opens a web page at http://localhost:8080

Did a few things with this app and all working nicely. There are no login prompts and apparently no cloud involvement.

Today I wanted to compress a big 30 page PDF which is a scan of all pages of a passport, for sending to passport authorities. Once compressed I can print it out at my local library. Naturally I wanted this compression to be locally processed. Found that that the available Stirling PDF local web based tool - the multitool pipeline method - failed to do any compression no matter how I fiddled with the config settings.

So went back to Stirling PDF's repository for a newer version. Found and downloaded the .MSI installer for Windows. This prompts for an account on installing, I thought fair enough and proceeded. I got a nice desktop app this time, quite different from the Stirling PDF web app I was used to.

However it's unclear which tools here need cloud support and which not. There's mention of an API which I assume talks to Stirling in the cloud.

So I turned off the WiFi and launched Stirling again. Got an immediate error as follows:

Cloud Processing Failed. This tool requires cloud processing but encountered an error: There was an error processing your request.. Please check your connection and try again.

It still launched and with the WiFi still off, I proceeded to compress an 11MB file - a medical insurance marketing brochure - and check the result. No errors flagged, It worked rather well, reducing from 11MB to 700KB with the embedded photos looking perfectly acceptable for a brochure if not zoomed in to pixel-peep. Makes you realise how wasteful big companies can be with their file sizes!

This is a tool I'd like to use but:

1. How can I be sure about what it does and does not send to the cloud?
2. How to differentiate the web vs desktop versions. Is it worth having both? I've now forgotten where I got the web app from!

Edit to add: I have now installed Wireshark and checked traffic.

1. On launching Stirling desktop app, there are packets exchanged with Stirling's domain. I assume this is just the session login based on the Gmail address I logged in with on installation/first launch.

2. On doing a series of operations to process a PDF, there are no further such packets.

People in remote areas could get these gadgets, hook it to your wired internet then you get indoor 4g reception where normally there is none.

It's a faff going into local stores like Sainsbury's and getting zero signal then having to connect to their WiFi, just in order to use my Nectar app.

Anyways connecting to Sainsbury's WiFi each time puts a nice advert in front of me, for O2!

Sunday 10pm. It was replaced by Archive on 4 when I tried to use catch-up on BBC Sounds app, so I assume it was cancelled. But no explanation given. Was this a 'tumbleweed test'? If no-one complains, the programme is ready for axing? (Like The World Tonight).

I won't name the finance related news site but do wonder why Reddit allows these.

An 'interesting' post with a link to the publisher's article. Click it and first (in Europe) you must accept cookies then you get half a paragraph of article and a paywall to an expensive subscription.

If the first full article you read were gratis as a promo I'd say fair (and a more effective promo). But no, it's a free cookie gathering service.

These are getting repetitive and take up a lot of space in my Reddit feed. Using Chrome on a tablet so no easy adblock add-ins even if that helped.

My reaction is to delete the last 15 mins browser history including cookies.

Long time ago I'd heard that the 'Barry' series was worth watching on one of the catch up channels in Now TV. After signing up for a promo deal recently I find that 'Barry' is locked up in the HBO Max service that's not included.

Fine so I thought let's see how much for an add-on. £6.99 per month, it doubles the monthly cost of that 6 month promo deal!

Makes me realise the scamming that's going on, worthwhile content being hived off into numerous sub-channels so in the end you need to 5 subscriptions to get a worthwhile range of content.

Rant over, is there any workaround to get an add on to Now Entertainment, to be be able to watch the one series, Barry, at a plausible cost?

A couple of competitor VPNs are supported already it seems, so can be found in the Vega OS app store. Does anyone know what Windscribe's plans are?