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Links 26/06/2022: Windows vs GNU/Linux and Mixtile Edge 2 Kit



  • GNU/Linux

    • Desktop/Laptop

      • IT ProWindows vs Linux: What's the best operating system?

        The way you utilise your PC can often depend on the operating system you use as well as your level of technical knowledge. Even though most people will turn to macOS or Windows when deciding on an OS, if you want something you can customise, there's nothing better than Linux.

        Despite the fact that it isn’t as popular as Windows, Linux offers far more avenues for customisation than any other OS as it's built on an open source foundation. It's certainly more intimidating to the average user as a result, but it can be incredibly powerful, and rewarding, if you possess the skills to fully take advantage of it.

        Obviously, there are advantages and disadvantages with both systems that are useful to know before making the decision on which is best for you.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • Adding a new application shortcut to the panel in Lubuntu

        To create a new application shortcut in the bottom panel of Lubuntu, you first need to create a new desktop shortcut.

      • Install Apache2 on Ubuntu and Ubuntu based distributions in 2022

        This is a basic guide to installing Apache2 on Ubuntu and Ubuntu based distributions

      • Barry KaulerTricky snapshot with top-level-zram

        Yes, it is tricky. I have edited /usr/local/easy_version/easy-version-control and I think it is now fixed. Not yet tested.

      • Using the rm command to delete a directory, files using the terminal in Linux

        Basic usage of using the rm command to delete directories and files using the terminal

      • Check amount of free disk space using the df command in the terminal on Linux

        If you want a quick way to check the amount of free disk space available on Linux, we can use the df command in the the terminal

      • HowTo GeekHow to Exclude Patterns, Files, and Directories With grep

        Since 1974, the Linux grep command has been helping people find strings in files. But sometimes grep is just too thorough. Here are several ways to tell grep to ignore different things.

      • TechTargetUse ssh-keygen to create SSH key pairs and more

        Logging into remote systems with SSH implementations is secure by default -- but those connections are secured only in that they use the TLS protocol to encrypt network protocol exchanges. SSH can be made even more secure by using it to authenticate communicating hosts through the exchange of public keys -- keys that are created using the ssh-keygen command.

      • FreeBSDFreeBSD Quick Guide: Audio on FreeBSD

        Whether for music, communication, or notifications, audio is an important feature of many personal computer systems. In a new FreeBSD system, an audio card will need to be configured to process audio files and send them to the connected speakers. Our newest FreeBSD quick guide will walk through setting up and configuring audio, connecting a pair of headphones (including pairing Bluetooth models), and testing the system’s sound, all in under 10 minutes!

      • Speeding up autoconf with caching - Julio Merino (jmmv.dev)

        In the recent Remembering Buildtool post, I described how setting up a cache of configuration checks was an important step in Buildtool’s installation process. The goal was to avoid pointless repetitive work on every build by performing such common checks once.

        Episode 457 of BSD Now featured my post and Allan Jude wondered how much time would be saved in a bulk build of all FreeBSD packages if we could just do that same kind of caching with GNU Autoconf. And, you know what? It is indeed possible to do so. I had mentioned it en passing in my post but I guess I wasn’t clear enough, so let’s elaborate!

      • Linux HintHow To Put Linux On A Laptop

        Linux is an operating system that comes with different distributions like Ubuntu, Debian, and Arch Linux. Just like macOS and Windows, Linux is also a popular operating system that is installed on computers and laptops to manage the hardware of the respective machine and perform the different tasks requested by the users.

        In this guide, different ways of installing or putting the Linux operating system on a laptop have been discussed.

      • LinuxiacWhat Is cURL Command and How to Use It (With Examples)

        This article explains the curl command in Linux and how to use it with examples based on best practices.

      • ID RootHow To Install Franz Messaging on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS - idroot

        In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Franz Messaging on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. For those of you who didn’t know, Franz is a free messaging app that allows users to access various social media accounts. Franz centralizes all of the popular services like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Line. You can choose to connect with whatever services right from your computer and use them.

        This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the Franz 5 on Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy Jellyfish). You can follow the same instructions for Ubuntu 22.04 and any other Debian-based distribution like Linux Mint, Elementary OS, Pop!_OS, and more as well.

      • WordPress: Fix Updating failed. The response is not a valid JSON response - kifarunix.com

        In this tutorial, I will show you a quick fix to the command WordPress Fix Updating failed. The response is not a valid JSON response related to default Gutenberg editor.

        Note that I experienced this issue while adding a specific block of text on WordPress post. Whenever i tried to save the post after adding that block, it always resulted in the annoying message;

      • Linux HintHow to Enable Function Keys on a Toshiba Laptop

        There are usually 12 different function keys ranging from F1 to F12 that you can find on a laptop, but their uses and functionality may vary depending on which company’s laptop you are using. These function keys provide the additional benefit of using them as a shortcut, which will also save you time. So, if you own a Toshiba laptop and are now looking for how you can enable the function keys, then you need to read this article.

      • Barry KaulerEasyOS: Boot menu in initrd when no password

        Without setting up a password, the boot time choices for no-x, rollback or file check were not presented. A password is entered at first bootup, which has the important security feature of encrypting certain folders in the working-partition.

        However, you may opt not to have a password, or you might not be able to. Folder encryption requires that ext4 "encrypt" feature be enabled in the partition. However, some older boot-managers, such as grub4dos version 0.4.4 (there are later versions, that I don't know about), do not recognize enhanced ext4 features such as "encrypt" and "64bit" and won't even recognize the existence of such partitions.

        With such an old boot-manager, you are forced to bootup without a password.

    • Games

      • Linux Links10 Fun Free and Open Source Role-Playing Games - LinuxLinks

        A role-playing game (RPG) is a genre of video game where the gamer controls a fictional character (or characters) that undertakes a quest in an imaginary world. RPG video games originate from tabletop or pen-and-paper RPGs, such as Rolemaster or Dungeons & Dragons — a type of game in which the players impersonate their characters by actively describing their actions and thoughts.

        It’s difficult to define an RPG given that modern games often contain elements from another genre. Traditional RPGs often let you improve your character as you play and interact with elements of the environment or storyline. You may have a menu-based combat system, and a central quest.

        There is an eligibility criteria that needs to be met to be included in this round up (see below).

        Let’s explore the 10 games. For each game we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, a screen shot of the game in action, together with links to relevant resources.

  • Distributions and Operating Systems

    • Fedora Family / IBM

      • GizmodoFan Builds Custom Miniature IBM Model F 40% Keyboard

        It uses the same buckling spring switches as an original Model F, but with a much smaller footprint.

      • Silicon AngleEdge opportunities guide Red Hat’s evolving partnerships with GM and chipmakers - SiliconANGLE

        Leading up to the start of Red Hat Summit in early May, the major news was expected to be the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 9 after a three-year wait.

        But that script changed when Red Hat Inc. announced its In-Vehicle Operating System in partnership with General Motors Co. during the Boston event. The impact of the deal with GM was hard to miss. RHEL, as a key resource that has driven enterprise computing for over 20 years, has now become a key element in one of the most personal of use cases — the safety and performance of cars.

        “This is a pivotal moment for the transportation industry and the technology industry to come together,” said Francis Chow, vice president and general manager, In-Vehicle Operating System and Edge, during a media briefing at Red Hat Summit. “It is built upon the strong heritage of RHEL.”

      • TechTargetEvaluate PowerVS for a streamlined hybrid cloud environment

        Move on-premises IT environments into the cloud with PowerVS and determine if PowerVM is a better option than -- or a better companion to -- the hybrid cloud.

      • TechTargetTanzu vs. OpenShift vs. Ezmeral: 3 rivals' Kubernetes offerings

        Learn how container management products from VMware, Red Hat and Hewlett Packard Enterprise compare when it comes to their overall Kubernetes strategies.

      • TechTargetHow to approach sustainability in IT operations [Ed: Mindless, facts-free greenwashing by LF]

        Sustainability has become a priority in all aspects of a business, and IT operations is no exception. To manage energy efficiency and be climate conscious, IT ops teams must look closely at where and what is using the most energy -- and a major offender is Kubernetes clusters.

        But many teams don't know how to measure pod energy use or overall energy consumption.

        At the Linux Foundation Open Source Summit, Huamin Chen, senior principal software engineer at Red Hat, and Chen Wang, research staff member at IBM, led a session on how to approach and implement sustainability in container environments to help cut unnecessary energy use.

      • TechTargetGreen software summit outlines developer best practices [Ed: More greenwashing from LF]
      • ForbesFinserv Responds To IBM z15 Mainframe With 45% Increase In Installed MIPS Since 2019
    • Canonical/Ubuntu Family

      • Tom's HardwareIoT Focused Ubuntu Core 22 Available Now

        Edge and IoT device developers have another weapon in their arsenal of operating systems following the announcement today of the latest version of Ubuntu Core. The operating system is Canonical’s latest fully containerized Linux distro for embedded systems, robots

      • IT ProUbuntu Core 22 is now generally available for IoT and edge devices

        Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, has announced a new version of Ubuntu Core for Internet of Things (IoT) and edge devices.

        The fully containerized Ubuntu Core 22 variant, aligned with Ubuntu 22.04 long-term support (LTS) through 2023, offers a new embedded operating system paradigm that is inherently reliable and secure, stated Canonical in a blog post.

    • Devices/Embedded

      • CNX SoftwareMixtile Edge 2 Kit mini PC/IoT gateway supports an external 20Ah battery pack - CNX Software

        Mixtile Edge 2 Kit is a mini PC/IoT edge computer powered by a Rockchip RK3568 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor coupled with up to 4GB RAM and 32GB flash that features a 12V SATA + SMBUS port that allows the insertion of a 20Ah battery pack lasting up to 12 hours for locations where power may be intermittent.

        [...]

        Software support includes Android 11 with Linux containers (Mixtile OS) like initially announced for the Blade 3 but based on customers’ feedback, I’ve read Mixtile changed their mind for the latter and now plans to make a proper Linux image without Android running in the background.

    • Open Hardware/Modding

      • peppe8oMotion Detection with PIR and Raspberry PI: HC-SR501 wiring and Python Code

        Projects involving motion detection actions require a reliable way to run their code when an object movement happens. One of the most common solutions to accomplish this task is by the HC-SR501 PIR sensor with Raspberry PI.

        In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to connect and use a PIR with Raspberry PI computer boards using Python.

        What is a PIR

        A PIR (Passive InfraRed, sometimes named “PID” as “Passive Infrared Detector”) sensor is an electronic device able to measure the infrared (IR) light radiating from objects. The term passive means that the PIR module doesn’t radiate energy for detection purposes: it only detects infrared radiation emitted by or reflected from objects.

        It can make your project aware if a generic movement happened in its range of view, but it can’t give more information (like, for example, who, where and how many the object moved).

        You can find a more detailed description of how the PIR works from the following Glolab PIR page.

      • Tom's HardwareTiny Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Robot Made For Robot Sumo | Tom's Hardware

        The Raspberry Pi in robotics is a smart mix—but what happens if the kit you ordered doesn’t support the Pi? You get creative like maker and developer WallComputer, of course! In this Raspberry Pi Zumo project, they've converted the classic Pololu Arduino Zumo kit to support the latest Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.

        This tiny robot uses tank-like treads to get around, which provide the traction needed for Sumo robots designed to push each other around. Traditionally this type of robot is controlled by an Arduino Uno, but this version uses both a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and an STM32 microcontroller with a little help from a couple of custom PCBs. To see how much has been modified, take a look at the original product listing for the Zumo kit over at Pololu’s website. This modification was not only necessary to use the Pi, but also to add additional features like a rechargeable battery pack.

      • Tom's HardwareBest Raspberry Pi Deals 2022 | Tom's Hardware

        With more than 40 million units sold and a powerful community of makers and fans behind it, Raspberry Pi is more than a single-board computer; it's a huge platform with an even bigger ecosystem behind it. Whether you want to build your own robot, create an A.I.-powered security camera, or just set up a simple computer for programming and web surfing, the Pi is for you.

      • Tom's HardwareRaspberry Pi Pico Drives $10 Nintendo 64 Flash Cart | Tom's Hardware

        We love retro gaming on the Raspberry Pi but there’s nothing quite like retro gaming with a Raspberry Pi. Instead of running an emulator on a Pi, this Raspberry Pi Pico Nintendo 64 cart project, created by maker and developer Konrad Beckmann, is using the Raspberry Pi Pico to host a ROM that runs on the original Nintendo 64 console.

        I built a working Nintendo 64 flash cart with a Raspberry Pi Pico, a breakout board and some extra flash for less than $10.It boots Super Mario 64. Can't wait to optimize, improve and add more features to it!Lots of stuff left before it's ready for general users though. pic.twitter.com/C1qVaTTfHiJune 22, 2022

      • Tom's HardwareRaspberry Pi Pico Detects Gamma Rays in Open Spectroscopy Project | Tom's Hardware

        There are many useful things you can do with a Raspberry Pi Pico (opens in new tab), as our listing of the best Raspberry Pi Projects (opens in new tab) underlines. However, here’s one we admit we’d never thought of: detecting radiation. Physicist Matthias Rosezky, AKA Nuclear Phoenix (opens in new tab), whose work has also been covered by Hackaday (opens in new tab), has written up a detailed account of building a DIY gamma-ray spectrometer in IEEE Spectrum (opens in new tab).

    • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

  • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

    • FSFE

    • Programming/Development

      • Tinkering with capsule scripts



        Building and creating content for a Gemini capsule is a great excuse to play around, and create or enhance scripts.

        The only real problem is, that it has to stop somewhere, there comes a moment in time when it is "finished". Well, there are always small things that you could improve ...

      • New TLS Certificates

        This project has kept me super busy. I haven't ran Xen in over ten years. I haven't used Ansible for over five. I discovered how great Alpine Linux is outside of Docker. And most of all, I've fallen in love with OpenBSD.

      • Medevel15 Open-source Physics Simulation Engine

        A physics simulation engine is a custom software engine that grants developers add visual effetcs, simulate and tweak objects and enviroments accroding to the law of physics in 2D, 3D or both.

        With physics engine software, developers and artists apply real-world physical properties, such as gravity and momentum, to their 2D and 3D objects rather than designing them from scratch.

      • SANSFLOSS 2.0 Has Been Released [Ed: The acronym "FLOSS" is being hijacked]

        When you have to deal with malware in your day job, for research purposes, or just for fun, one of the key points is to have a lab ready to be launched. Your sandbox must be properly protected and isolated to detonate your samples in a safe way but it must also be fulfilled with tools, and scripts. This toolbox is yours and will be based on your preferred tools but starting from zero is hard, that's why there are specific Linux distributions built for this purpose. The one that I use in FOR610 and for my daily investigations is REMnux[1], created and maintained by Lenny Zeltser[2]. This environment offers tons of tools that help to perform all the malware analysis steps from static analysis up to code reversing and debugging.

      • Make Use OfHow to Use SSL in a Create-React-App Application

        HTTPS is a must for modern applications, especially those that deal with user data. Set up HTTPS for React in just a couple of steps.

      • Devices

      • Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh

        • Re: Terminal Programs I Like

          My daily routines include working in many different environments. So I'm working on a Windows platform at work, an Android platform on work mobile, an Apple platform on all home mobiles and one home computer, a GNU/Linux platform on my home laptop.

          For the last two years, I'm also using the command line and text-only user interface (aka. TUI) in my free time, when I'm browsing the small-net. Each platform is built on different goals and purposes. But the most attention now I'm paying to the TUI environment, which I'm building from the scratch, solving new and new needs, and exploring the new functionalities. I'm GNU/Linux user for about two decades, but working only in text mode is a new challenge. It isn't a sort of ascetic experience, but it requires a change of point of view. Which then leads to surprising conclusions and convenient processes.

    • Standards/Consortia

      • OpenSource.comAn open source project that opens the internet for all | Opensource.com

        Accessibility is key to promoting an open society.

        We learn online. We bank online. Political movements are won and lost online. Most importantly, the information we access online inspires us to make a better world. When we ignore accessibility requirements, people born without sight or who lost limbs in war are restricted from online information that others enjoy.

        We must ensure that everyone has access to the open internet, and I am doing my part to work toward that goal by building Equalify.

  • Leftovers

    • Science

      • The One True Way of teaching maths

        ... is self-evidently a ridiculous notion to me. Different approaches in different contexts are going to be more and less suitable for different people. But in my experience, there seems to be (what i consider to be) an odd resistance to providing background / context / motivation when teaching undergrad mathematics.

    • Education

      • SparkFun ElectronicsInnovation Center Visits SparkFun - News - SparkFun Electronics

        The Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools seeks to transcend the traditional classroom and provides experiential opportunities that are developing today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, and change-makers. As a part of these efforts, the Innovation Center hosts dozens of “project teams” across several focus areas that seek to complete real projects for real people alongside industry partners who provide incredible mentorship opportunities for students.

    • Hardware

    • Proprietary

      • GizmodoWindows 10 and 11 Downloads Mysteriously Halted in Russia

        Downloads of the most recent versions of Windows have stopped in Russia, according to a new report from Bleeping Computer. Microsoft hasn’t publicly clarified why this is happening, though we’ve reached out to the company for comment and will update our story if they respond.

      • Computing UKMicrosoft blocks Windows downloads in Russia

        Without warning, Microsoft has apparently blocked the ability for Russians users to download the ISO files and installation tools for Windows 10 and Windows 11.

    • Security

      • Stacy on IoTodcast: Why there were 56 OT vulnerabilities this week

        This week we cover the Ericsson mobility report that offers some stats on cellular IoT connections, including the surprising nugget that we won’t see 4G/5G connections surpass 2G/3G connections until some time next year. Then we hit another report. This one is from NPR and covers the state of audio and smart speakers. It proves that growth is slowing for smart speakers and that we may not do as many things with voice as we think. In dystopian news we cover China using COVID tracking apps to lock down protesters, and Microsoft stopping sales of some facial recognition tools. In new product news we talk about the latest Philips Hue gear, a new material that could generate electricity for wearables, and new MCUs from NXP. We also address the closure of SmartDry and explain how Google’s update on the Nest Max Hub may break your Nest x Yale lock. We end by answering a listener question about more accurate motion sensors.

      • NVISO LabsCortex XSOAR Tips & Tricks – Creating indicator relationships in automations

        In Cortex XSOAR, indicators are a key part of the platform as they visualize the Indicators Of Compromise (IOC) of a security alert in the incident to the SOC analyst and can be used in automated analysis workflows to determine the incident outcome. If you have a Cortex XSOAR Threat Intelligence Management (TIM) license, it is possible to create predefined relationships between indicators to describe how they relate to each other. This enables the SOC analyst to do a more efficient incident analysis based on the indicators associated to the incident.

      • Social Engineering Kill–Chain: Predicting, Minimizing & Disrupting Attack Verticals

        It was a Friday afternoon when Bill was on his way back home from work when he received a call that made him take the next U-turn back to his office. It was one of these calls that he was dedicating all of his working hours to avoid. He was not given much detail through the phone, but it seems that Andre, someone working in the account payments department, had just fallen victim to a scam and had proceeded to a hefty payment. A scam? Bill recalled all the training videos he had put this department through. What went wrong?

      • CoryDoctorowDaycare apps are insecure surveillance dumpster-fires

        Apps are like software, only worse.

      • TechTarget12 best patch management software and tools for 2022

        These 12 tools approach patching from different perspectives. Understanding their various approaches can help you find the right product for your needs.

      • Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt/Fear-mongering/Dramatisation

        • Bleeping ComputerMitel zero-day used by hackers in suspected ransomware attack

          Mitel VOIP devices are used by critical organizations in various sectors for telephony services and were recently exploited by threat actors for high-volume DDoS amplification attacks.

        • Computer WeeklyDevelopers grapple with open source software security [Ed: Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt is now part of the mission of the Linux Foundation]

          The security of open source software remains a concern with developers who are taking longer to fix vulnerabilities as they combine open source components with their own code when building applications, a global study has found.

          According to The state of open source security report by Snyk and The Linux Foundation, more than four in 10 organisations surveyed do not have high confidence in the security of open source software, with the average application development project having 49 vulnerabilities and 80 direct dependencies.

    • Defence/Aggression

      • The Great Dividing Line in History

        There once was a tweet that I have read, but I have since lost. It outlines a particular phenomenon that I want to elaborate on just a little bit.

        It states, using approximately these words, that there is a line in history such that before that time, conquest, expansionism and exterminating others grants you the title "The Great"; after that time, it grants you the title of a genocidaire. The implication is that furthermore, everyone except Western and Central European civilisations have done all their conquest and expansion prior to that line and so can safely marked as blameless in all cases, leaving the so-named civilisation uniquely responsible to solemnly reflect on and correct their mistake.

        [...]

        Having said that, it's not only China and Russia that gets this benefit. Japan is also an empire in the sense that it had and still does rule over areas once owned (in some sense of the word) by other tribes that have been there since before records began. To a lesser extent, this also extends some level of protection to the ancient empires destroyed by Western European expansion in the Americas – in particular the Aztec and Inca Empires – but this is less frequently seen as [a] the empires have been dismantled entirely already, so to some extent justice has been delivered to those vanquished by these empires; and [b] this kind of argument is primarily used to apportion blame, and blame cannot be given to destroyed empires analogous to how it seems somewhat crass to assign responsibilities to a corpse.

    • Finance

      • VoxLabor exploitation, explained by Minions

        Minions 2: The Rise of Gru, is a movie about labor exploitation and capitalism.

        We can understand the entire history of the capitalist labor market through the Despicable Me franchise.

        If someone asked you to describe the Minions, what would you say? Likely, you would detail their small yellow pill-shaped bodies, dressed in overalls and oversized goggles. Perhaps you would provide the context that the Minions are characters first introduced in the 2010 animated children’s movie Despicable Me, and that their purpose is to serve their villainous master Gru while providing comic relief to an otherwise disturbing if bizarre plot. (A man wants to steal the moon.)

        You can say that they speak a language of gibberish punctuated by recognizable English words like “banana” (Minions love bananas) and “potato” and that their likenesses appear on everything from shampoo bottles to thongs. If you were generally an uncynical person, you might say that Minions are cute and people like them. If you were not, you might posit that they are agents of the capitalist machine, ready-made and endlessly merchandisable mascots that make the world’s destruction at the hands of mega-corporations seem adorable and fun.

      • Will MGNREGA help again? Rs 1,387 crore pending in wages

        Migrant workers are returning to their home states again as COVID-19 pandemic lashes out brutally at several urban centres

    • AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

      • ZimbabweThe sex tape link Facebook hackers have hit Zim, here’s how to secure your account

        The Facebook hacks are out of control, over the weekend two people I friended had their accounts hacked and they both had the same sex tape line from some “IG model”. I don’t them very well but it was suspicious that both had the same link tagging 98 other people they knew.

        This, at least to me, looks to be a trap for “vanhu vanoda zvinhu” and I encourage you all not to interact with the link if it pops up in your notifications. If you do get one, you can remove your name from those who have been tagged in the post.

      • GizmodoMicrosoft's Calling It Quits on Creepy Emotion Recognition Tech

        Microsoft’s turning its back on its scientifically suspect and ethically dubious emotion recognition technology. For now, at least.

      • EngadgetMicrosoft will phase out facial recognition AI that could detect emotions

        Microsoft isn't the first company to have second thoughts about facial recognition. IBM stopped work in that field over worries its projects could be used for human rights abuses. With that said, this is still a major change of heart. One of the world's largest cloud and computing companies is backing away from AI that could have a substantial impact.

      • MIT Technology ReviewThe smart city is a perpetually unrealized utopia [Ed: That just means mass surveillance city if one omits meaningless buzzwords]

        In 1959, in a short essay called “The Great Game to Come,” a little-known Dutch visual artist named Constant Nieuwenhuys described a new utopian city—one that he was soon to dub “New Babylon.” “The technical inventions that humanity has at its disposal today,” he presciently stated, “will play a major role in the construction of the ambiance-cities of the future.”

      • US News And World ReportDelta, Kellogg Join IBM Pledge to Fight Bias in Online Ad Targeting
    • Censorship/Free Speech

      • MIT Technology ReviewThe Download: Trolling text scammers, and China’s social media censorship

        The people using humor to troll their spam texts

        The other night, I received a mysterious WhatsApp message. “Dr. Kevin?” it began, the question mark suggesting the sender felt bad for interrupting my evening. “My puppy is very slow and won’t eat dog food. Can you make an appointment for me?”

        I was mystified. My name is not Kevin, I am not a veterinarian, and I was in no position to help this person and their puppy. I nearly typed out a response saying “Sorry, wrong number” when I realized this was probably a scam to get me to confirm my number.

        I didn’t respond, but many others who received similar texts have. Some are even throwing it back at their spammers by spinning wild tales and sending hilarious messages to frustrate whoever is on the other side. They’re fighting back with snark, and in some cases posting screenshots of their conversations online.

        Experts don’t recommend responding like this. But it is cathartic and funny. Read the full story.

    • Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

      • Michael GeistCRTC Chair Ian Scott Confirms Bill C-11 Can Be Used To Pressure Internet Platforms to Manipulate Algorithms

        The Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications held an exceptionally important hearing as part of its Bill C-11 pre-study (which is about to change into a Bill C-11 study) last night featuring Canadian Heritage officials and CRTC Chair Ian Scott. I will have a second post on the officials, who struggled to provide clear answers to basic questions on everything from how to identify what counts as Cancon for user content (Youtube’s Content ID was suggested) to the absence of thresholds for what is covered by the bill (there are no thresholds and the government wants the ability to also target small streamers). But the key moment of the day came in questioning Scott about the discoverability and the potential for algorithmic manipulation.



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Czech Republic: GNU/Linux Jumps Above 4%
data from the Czech Republic for 2024
IBM Engagement Surveys "Are Usually Useful for the Executives So They Know Which Things to Ignore"
This impacts Red Hat as well
Did Microsoft 'Write' (by Chatbots) This 'Article' About WINE?
The Web is drowning in garbage
Dictatorship Formalised: Python Software Foundation Violates Its Very Own Code Of Conduct (COC) or Code Of Censorship
Incoming Python Software Foundation Executive Director, Deb Nicholson, allegedly uses COCs to get ahead while violating COCs
[Meme] 'Self-Checkout' (and Banking 'Apps'): Passing All Accountability to the Customers
Stealing
Gemini Links 07/12/2024: Leasehold and NNTP
Links for the day
Fun Statistics About Techrights (Almost a Quarter Million Files)
Here are some raw numbers
PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) as an Instrumental But Largely Hidden (From the Public) Extra Layer of IBM's Workforce Reductions
The morale at IBM is really bad
Microsoft Money: From Bribing Bloggers to SLAPPing Bloggers
Microsoft money, different strategy?
Belgium: Windows Falls to Quarter of the Market, Mobile Devices Outsell or Overtake Desktops/Laptops on the Web
Microsoft has no operating system for 'smartphones'
Links 07/12/2024: CALEA Back Doors Backfiring, Fentanylware's (TikTok) U.S. Ban a Step Closer
Links for the day
statCounter: GNU/Linux Rises Sharply to All-Time High in Republic of South Korea
Notice how sharp the rise is!
It's FOSS? No, It's SPAM.
Another sellout
Another Massive Blow to the Web
This is awful news and it neatly relates to topics that we covered this morning
All the Latest Five Blog Posts at OSI's Blog Are Written by a Microsoft Operative Salaried by Microsoft
"Open Source" no longer means anything
Legacy of a Dying World Wide Web
Many people truly believe they're "stars" in social control media
Google Does Not Have a Search Engine Anymore
Google wants to "retain" users for more "screen time" and influence over their minds; it does not save you time, it's manipulating you
[Meme] Automattic: Host With Automattic, We'll Handle Our Own Complexity for You
The RHEL modus operandi (more so with systemd)
Finding Peace With Less
There seems to be a growing consensus (speaking to other editors helps confirm this) that the Web is going in a very bad direction
Links 07/12/2024: DEI Chopped by University of Michigan, French and South Korean Governments in Turmoil
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, December 06, 2024
IRC logs for Friday, December 06, 2024