50% of Consumers Prefer Brands That Avoid GenAI Content
Slashdot reader BrianFagioli writes: According to the research firm Gartner, 50% of U.S. consumers say they would prefer to do business with brands that avoid using GenAI in consumer facing content such as advertising and promotional messaging.
The survey of 1,539 Americans, conducted in October 2025, also found growing skepticism about the reliability of online inform … ⌘ Read more
Firefox Announces Built-In VPN and Other New Features - and Introduces Its New Mascot
A free built-in VPN is coming to Firefox on Tuesday, Mozilla announced this week:
Free VPNs can sometimes mean sketchy arrangements that end up compromising your privacy, but ours is built from our data principles and commitment to be the world’s most trusted browser. It routes your browser traffic throug … ⌘ Read more
SystemD Adds Optional ‘birthDate’ Field for Age Verification to JSON User Records
“The systemd project merged a pull request adding a new birthDate field to the JSON user records managed by userdb in response to the age verification laws of California, Colorado, and Brazil,” reports the blog It’s FOSS.
They note that the field “can only be set by administrators, not by users themselves” — it’s … ⌘ Read more
Jeff Bezos Seeking $100 Billion to Buy Manufacturing Companies, ‘Transform’ Them With AI
Jeff Bezos “is in early talks to raise $100 billion,” reports the Wall Street Journal, “for a new fund that would buy up manufacturing companies and seek to use AI technology to accelerate their path to automation.”
“The Amazon.com founder is meeting with some of the world’s largest asset managers to raise … ⌘ Read more
Linux Driver Being Worked On For Pulsar Gaming Mice
A Linux HID driver is being developed for Pulsar branded gaming mice to expose additional information and capabilities… ⌘ Read more
LibreOffice 26.8 To Add A Donation Banner To Its Start Center
LibreOffice 26.8 merged initial support for adding a donation banner to its Start Center. This initial UI when launching LibreOffice aims to make users aware of the community-driven focus of the project and to hopefully solicit additional donations from the community… ⌘ Read more
In the interest of fairness and hopefully for the last time, I ever have to address this, Google has flip-flopped again and promised “sideloading” will not be removed from their version of Android, but instead have to be enabled in the developer settings, using the following “advanced flow”:
To be perfectly clear, this still falls short of what I wanted, but at this point, it is a compromise I’m willing to take, over further pursuing this, through the various available European courts, myself.
Here is their full statement:
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/03/android-developer-verification.html
NASA’s Hubble Unexpectedly Catches Comet Breaking Up
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope unexpectedly captured a rare, early-stage breakup of comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) just days after it first began disintegrating. Phys.org reports: “Sometimes the best science happens by accident,” said co-investigator John Noonan, a research professor in the Department of Physics at Auburn University in Alabama. “This comet got observed becaus … ⌘ Read more
@movq@www.uninformativ.de Yeah well I’ve put in an order for a much better quality Ocarina 😅 The one I originally started with was a bit on the “cheap” side. It’s been okay, but the high notes are a bit “meh” (airy).
KDE Plasma 6.7’s KWin Lands Support For 3D LUTs To Help With Modern GPUs
In addition to releasing Plasma 6.6.3 this week, KDE developers remain quite busy working on new features for the Plasma 6.7 desktop while also already queuing some changes for the next Plasma 6.6.4 point release… ⌘ Read more
@lyse@lyse.isobeef.org 22 thru 25 are wallpaper-worthy. 👌👍
@prologic@twtxt.net Nice. 😊 That’s the beauty of a small instrument like that: You can just pick it up, play a little bit, put it back. 👌 (Can’t do that with my stuff. 🤣)
There you go, user-defined color schemes:
SUSE’s Agama Installer Sees Architectural Revamp
The modern Agama OS installer for SUSE/openSUSE is out with its first new release since November. With the time since the prior release, SUSE engineers have been making key improvements to Agama and enhancing its architecture to more align with their original vision for it… ⌘ Read more
SysV Init 3.16 Released With Cleanups, Improved systemd Unit To SysV Script Conversion
For any holdouts still running SysV Init instead of systemd or other alternatives like OpenRC, SysV Init 3.16 is out as the first release in a half-year and bringing a few refinements… ⌘ Read more
Officer Leaks Location of French Aircraft Carrier With Strava Run
schwit1 shares a report from the BBC: A French officer has reportedly revealed the location of an aircraft carrier deployed towards the Middle East after publicly registering a run on sports app Strava. French news outlet Le Monde first reported the officer, referred to as Arthur, logged a 35-minute run on the app while exercising on the deck o … ⌘ Read more
I dread the day that someone accuses an entry on my Gemini log or a cover letter to an employer of being created by AI. It’s just the way I write, I promise!
White House Unveils National AI Policy Framework To Limit State Power
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: The Trump administration on Friday issued (PDF) a legislative framework for a single national policy on artificial intelligence, aiming to create uniform safety and security guardrails around the nascent technology while preempting states from enacting their own AI rules.
The six-pronged out … ⌘ Read more
Cambalache 1.0 Released After Five Years For Designing Modern GTK UIs
Cambalache 1.0 released today after more than five years in development as a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) application for creating and editing user interfaces for both GTK3 and GTK4… ⌘ Read more
OpenShot 3.5 Released As One Of Their “Biggest Releases” Ever
OpenShot 3.5 hit the web today for this open-source non-linear video editor that describes the new version as one of their “biggest releases” ever in its 18+ year history… ⌘ Read more
CBS News Shutters Radio Service After Nearly a Century
CBS News is shutting down its nearly 100-year-old radio news service due to economic pressures and the shift toward digital media and podcasts. Longtime CBS News anchor Dan Rather said: “It’s another piece of America that is gone.” The Associated Press reports: When it went on the air in September 1927, the service was the precursor to the entire network, giving a y … ⌘ Read more
Microsoft Says It Is Fixing Windows 11
BrianFagioli writes: Microsoft says it is finally listening to user complaints about Windows 11, promising a series of changes focused on performance, reliability, and reducing everyday annoyances. In a message to Windows Insiders, the company outlined plans to bring back long requested features like taskbar repositioning, cut down on intrusive AI integrations, and give users more control over upd … ⌘ Read more
Wine 11.5 Release Is Big: Syscall User Dispatch Feature Supported On Linux
Wine 11.5 is out today as the latest bi-weekly development release for this software to run Windows games and applications on Linux and other platforms. Most exciting with Wine 11.5 is the introduction of the Syscall User Dispatch feature on Linux… ⌘ Read more
Work From Home and Drive More Slowly To Save Energy, IEA Says
As energy prices soar from the Iran conflict, the International Energy Agency is urging governments to cut energy use by taking up measures like remote work and reduced speed limits. The group warns the energy security crisis could persist for months, even if supply routes stabilize. “I believe the world has not yet well understood the depth of the … ⌘ Read more
OpenAI Plans Launch of Desktop ‘Superapp’
joshuark shares a report from Neowin: OpenAI is planning to combine its Atlas web browser, ChatGPT app, and Codex coding app into a singular desktop “superapp.” CEO of Applications, Fidji Simo, said the company was doubling down on its successful products. By taking this move, the AI company aims to streamline the user experience and reduce fragmentation. Simo said in an internal memo: “We realized … ⌘ Read more
Oregon School Cell Phone Ban: ‘Engaged Students, Joyful Teachers’
An anonymous reader quotes a repot from the Portland Tribune: There was plenty of uncertainty and debate about the effectiveness of a cell phone ban decreed (PDF) by executive order last summer. But at least in Estacada, the policy has earned two thumbs up, including approval from a “grumpy old teacher.” Jeff Mellema is a language arts teacher at E … ⌘ Read more
DOJ Charges Super Micro Co-Founder For Smuggling $2.5 Billion In Nvidia GPUs To China
Longtime Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shares a report from CNN: The co-founder of Super Micro Computer and two others were charged with diverting $2.5 billion worth of servers with Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips to China, in violation of U.S. laws barring exports to that country without a license. Yih-Shya … ⌘ Read more
Chuck Norris Dies At 86
Longtime Slashdot reader SchroedingersCat writes: Chuck Norris, known for his roles in action films and as Texas Ranger Cordell Walker on the TV show “Walker, Texas Ranger,” passed away on March 19, leaving behind a legacy of inspiring millions around the world. He was 86.
He became Internet phenomenon after “Chuck Norris Facts” went viral online with such wildly hyperbolic statements as, “Chuck Norris had a staring contest w … ⌘ Read more
@prologic@twtxt.net don’t! You might be into troubles. Just record something small, and masterful, for us to listen, forget the costume. 😅
Amazon Plans Smartphone Comeback More Than a Decade After Fire Phone Flop
Amazon is reportedly developing a new AI-focused smartphone that doesn’t rely as heavily on traditional apps. “The phone is seen as a potential mobile personalization device that can sync with home voice assistant Alexa and serve as a conduit to Amazon customers throughout the day,” reports Reuters. From the report: As envisio … ⌘ Read more
Dell Upstreams Firmware For The XPS Snapdragon X Elite Laptop
When it comes to using Qualcomm Snapdragon X1 Elite laptops on Linux, one of the big challenges have involved the need to extract the necessary firmware from the Windows 11 partition due to most vendors not providing the firmware in an easily redistributable and public form. The one exception has been the Lenovo ThinkPad with X1 Elite having upstream firmware in linux-firmware.git while now the Dell XPS model has joined the party too… ⌘ Read more
As OpenClaw Enthusiasm Grips China, Kids and Retirees Alike Raise ‘Lobsters’
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Fan Xinquan, a retired electronics worker in Beijing, has recently started raising a “lobster,” hoping that the AI agent he has been training can help organize his specialized industry knowledge better than chatbots like DeepSeek. “OpenClaw can actually help you accomplish many pra … ⌘ Read more
Ubuntu 26.04 Delivers Enhanced Performance For AMD Radeon Linux Gaming
Earlier this month was a preview of the Ubuntu 26.04 performance benefits for NVIDIA Linux gaming while today’s article is providing an early look at how the open-source AMD Radeon gaming experience is looking for the upcoming Ubuntu 26.04 LTS release. ⌘ Read more
SteamOS 3.8 Preview Preps For Steam Machine, KDE Plasma Desktop With Wayland By Default
In addition to last night’s Steam client beta with Steam Runtime container support for the client and that SteamRT3 client now a 64-bit build, Valve also released a big preview update to the forthcoming SteamOS 3.8. The SteamOS 3.8 preview release brings initial support for Steam Machine hardware, various handheld gaming device support improvements, various other Steam Deck updates, improved compatibility with newer Intel and AMD p … ⌘ Read more
Ubuntu 26.04 Delivers Enhanced Performance For AMD Radeon Linux Gaming
Earlier this month was a preview of the Ubuntu 26.04 performance benefits for NVIDIA Linux gaming while today’s article is providing an early look at how the open-source AMD Radeon gaming experience is looking for the upcoming Ubuntu 26.04 LTS release. ⌘ Read more
@bender@twtxt.net Haha 🤣 Not sure where I’ll find such a costume from, but I’ll ask my girls 🧒
Patches Sent Out For Booting Linux On Apple M3 But Without Much Functionality
Asahi Linux developers have been working for a while now on porting Asahi Linux to the Apple M3 hardware that launched back in 2023. Sent out today to the Linux kernel mailing list were finally Device Tree files for booting Linux on Apple M3 hardware but it’s far from functional for end-users… ⌘ Read more
@prologic@twtxt.net show a video of you playing it while wearing a medieval joker costume, or it didn’t happen! :-D
Linux Patches Updated To Steal Tasks For Improving CPU Utilization
Huawei engineer Chen Jinghuang posted the latest request for comments (RFC) patches for stealing tasks from overloaded CPUs in the same last level cache (LLC) in order to improve overall CPU utilization with today’s large core count servers… ⌘ Read more
This year for some reason or another, I decided to purchase an Ocarina, I’ve been practising a fair bit every now and again, basically during work breaks and sometimes in the afternoon / evenings (not enough to annoy the family 🤣) Anyhoo, that was 3 months ago, since then I’ve built up a bit of a Repertoire:
I’ve now decided to purchase a slightly better quality Ocarina, the one I originally bought was a cheap $28 one, I’m now upgrading to a more professional instrument worth about $80 – Wish my luck 🍀
Just learned this nice little life-hack for disconnecting MC4 Solar connectors 👌 Works really well! And I don’t have to buy a special little MC4 assembly tool 🥳
Opera GX Web Browser Comes To Linux
BrianFagioli writes: Opera GX has officially landed on Linux, bringing its gamer-focused browser experience to Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and openSUSE-based systems. The browser includes GX Control for limiting RAM and network usage, a Hot Tabs Killer to shut down resource-heavy tabs, and built-in sidebar integrations for Discord and Twitch. Opera says this is not just a one-off port, but a long-term effo … ⌘ Read more
Ubuntu Maker Canonical Announces MicroCloud Cluster Manager
Ubuntu maker Canonical announced today MicroCloud Cluster Manager that is now in beta as a new cloud platform for managing lightweight cloud clusters… ⌘ Read more
Vulkan 1.4.347 Debuts With Three New Extensions
Vulkan 1.4.347 made its debut overnight as the latest routine update to this high performance graphics and compute API. Beyond the usual maintenance churn over the past week, Vulkan 1.4.347 brings three new extensions… ⌘ Read more
Vulkan 1.4.347 Debuts With Three New Extensions
Vulkan 1.4.347 made its debut overnight as the latest routine update to this high performance graphics and compute API. Beyond the usual maintenance churn over the past week, Vulkan 1.4.347 brings three new extensions… ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.1 Adding DRM Dedicated CRTC Background Color Property
Sent out today was the latest weekly round of drm-misc-next patches for queuing ahead of the Linux 7.1 merge window that is set to happen in mid-to-late April… ⌘ Read more
Steam Linux Beta Prepares For 64-bit, Can Be Run Inside Steam Runtime Container
An interesting new Steam client beta dropped overnight from Valve with some exciting low-level enhancements… ⌘ Read more
China Is Helping Drive Cuba’s Solar Boom
AleRunner writes: “China is helping Cuba race to capture renewable solar energy as the United States imposes an effective oil blockade on the Caribbean island, creating its worst energy crisis in decades,” reports The Washington Post. Later in the article, it states that “China’s decades-long push into clean energy technology is now helping to protect it from the soaring oil and gas crisis … ⌘ Read more
EU Cloud Lobby Asks Regulator To Block VMware From Terminating Partner Program
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: A lobbying trade body for smaller cloud providers is asking the European Commission to impose interim measures blocking Broadcom from terminating the VMware Cloud Service Provider program, calling the decision a death sentence for some tech suppliers and an illegal … ⌘ Read more