Weird URL Protocols

The old Microsoft Edge had a big security hole where you could just open an app from a website using the protocols. If you use some clever JavaScript to make a loop of it, you can't stop that until you power cycle your device.

The Steam one is actually what is used for Steam's desktop shortcuts. They don't point to an exe like normal app shortcuts, they instead point to a Steam URL telling Steam which game to launch (and launching Steam if it's not already running)

about:blank has to be my favorite website

Actually, the mailto: protocol is really powerful ! Because you can actually put in the subject, and the body inside.

In a book, I once saw a reference that said "file://D:\text.pdf"

Ah yes magnet links. Used exclusively for downloading Linux ISOs... right?

I want more of this type of content from this channel, all the nerdy details, everything.

8:16 these protocols have been around since Windows 8, almost every UWP app has its own protocol so it can be called basically anywhere in the system.

ThioJoe: uses Steam in the example Also ThioJoe: uses Spotify as the visual aid

12:50 In the olden days some sysadmins used to create protocols to open terminal apps so you could have webpages that displayed info about servers and then have a link to open a terminal to that server.

There're also a number of protocols and URI Schemas that can be used on iOS to launch apps in different states, like different pages of the Settings app, and if I'm not mistaken, SpringBoard (the home screen). These can be used from a shortcut within the Shortcuts app (by Apple), which allows you to make some rather nifty shortcuts (not to mention that shortcuts can execute commands on remote machines via SSH, which is a completely different, but very interesting, topic).

6:28 I think it's worth just to add on to this (if not just because it's an interesting fact to know): There's actually nothing special about what we call "email addresses" that set them apart from normal URLs. The part before the "@" specifies what the username is, and you can add that to basically any url and the server will use that as your username. It's also possible to send both a username AND password, but these are not supported by most modern websites for obvious reasons. back on topic: The only thing that makes an email an email is the "mailto" scheme at the beginning which tells the client to use the address for sending and receiving emails. Almost all email clients like Gmail and Outlook will implicitly assume it's there the same way web browsers will assume urls have the http prefix when entered there.

URL used to stand for "Universal Resource Locator", rather than "Uniform Resource Locator" - I wonder if that is just an American thing or it was changed since back when did my Masters in Computing in England.

Your videos are so soothing and relaxing. I know most of this info already (I'm a huge nerd), but I still watch all your videos! You also word things very well, explain in-depth, and it's actually very helpful and interesting.

Very freaking awesome! Had no idea about registry keys for protocols. That explains where that association between a protocol and the program is captured. Thio forever!!!

"chrome:" is not just used for google chrome (and chromium). It is also used in Firefox, but for a slightly different purpose. In firefox it refers to the chrome of the firefox window, as in: everything that isn't the website itself (think of the menu, favorites and status bar, the tabs, etc.). I don't know for sure, but I believe that plugins sometimes also use them, whenever they don't use "moz-extentions:".

before watching this video i was legitmately joking that the magnet protocol would make your computer literally attract every peice of metal. it'd just become a gigantic magnet idk why

about:blank is my fav url it shows a lot of fully lit pixels at a 1:1 scale

i cant believe you upload still. used to watch you about 7 or 6 years ago when you made those videos like how to upgrade your ps3 to a ps4 and and how to charge your phone in 10 seconds. i believed that ps3 one and tried it but didnt work dissapointed as a kid but looking back at it. it was so funny and stupid

I haven't finished watching the video but thank you for putting the time and effort into making these videos, I truly appreciate it😊😃..... Okay now back to the video 👌😅