Firefox 147 Will Support The XDG Base Directory Specification
Phoronix’s Michael Larabel reports: A 21 year old bug report requesting support of the XDG Base Directory specification is finally being addressed by Firefox. The Firefox 147 release should respect this XDG specification around where files should be positioned within Linux users’ home directory.
The XDG Base Directory specification lays out where applic … ⌘ Read more
Google Must Double AI Serving Capacity Every 6 Months To Meet Demand
Google’s AI infrastructure chief told employees the company must double its AI serving capacity every six months in order to meet demand. In a presentation earlier this month, Amin Vahdat, a vice president at Google Cloud, gave a presentation titled “AI Infrastructure.” It included a slide on “AI compute demand” that said: “Now we must dou … ⌘ Read more
NVIDIA 580.94.11 Linux Driver Brings HDR Metadata Support
NVIDIA today issued the 580.94.11 driver release as their newest Vulkan beta driver for Linux customers. Most notable with this beta driver update is adding VK_EXT_hdr_metadata support… ⌘ Read more
Tech Company CTO and Others Indicted For Exporting Nvidia Chips To China
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The US crackdown on chip exports to China has continued with the arrests of four people accused of a conspiracy to illegally export Nvidia chips. Two US citizens and two nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), all of whom live in the US, were charged in an indictment … ⌘ Read more
British Army Will Use Call of Duty To Train Soldiers
British soldiers are using computer games such as Call of Duty to sharpen their “war-fighting readiness,” an Army chief has said. From a report: General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes, the deputy commander of Cyber and Specialist Operations Command, said the war in Ukraine, where remote-operated drones have become crucial on the battlefield, proved the worth of having soldiers s … ⌘ Read more
Japan Says World’s Largest Nuclear Plant To Restart
The Japanese government said that the world’s biggest nuclear plant would restart operations. Semafor: The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa site closed in 2012, as Japan – which previously generated 30% of its electricity from nuclear power – shuttered most of its fleet in the wake of the Fukushima meltdown. But like much of the world, it is looking once again to nuclear power for reliable … ⌘ Read more
Google Says Hackers Stole Data From Over 200 Companies Following Gainsight Breach
Google confirmed in a statement Friday that hackers have stolen the Salesforce-stored data of more than 200 companies in a large-scale supply chain hack. TechCrunch reports: On Thursday, Salesforce disclosed a breach of “certain customers’ Salesforce data” – without naming affected companies – that was stolen v … ⌘ Read more
Microsoft Finally Admits Almost All Major Windows 11 Core Features Are Broken
Microsoft has acknowledged in a support article that major Windows 11 core features including the Start Menu, Taskbar, File Explorer and System Settings break after applying monthly cumulative updates released on or after July 2025.
The problems stem from XAML component issues that affect updates beginning with July’s P … ⌘ Read more
Thunderbird Pro Enters Production Testing Ahead of $9/Month Launch
Thunderbird Pro has moved its Thundermail email service into production testing as the open-source email client’s subscription bundle of additional services prepares for an Early Bird beta launch at $9 per month that will include email hosting, encrypted file sharing through Send, and scheduling via Appointment.
Internal team members are now tes … ⌘ Read more
How Two Janitors Made One of the Year’s Most Charming RPGs
Adam Marshall spent more than a decade developing Kingdoms of the Dump while working as a custodian at a school in suburban Philadelphia, cleaning floors and hauling trash bags from 3 PM to 11 PM before coming home to work on his turn-based role-playing game until 5 or 6 AM. The game, which Bloomberg has called “one of the year’s most charming RPGs,” came out … ⌘ Read more
AI Nutrition Tracking Stinks
AI nutrition tracking features in popular fitness apps are producing wildly inaccurate calorie and macro counts despite promises to simplify food logging through automated photo analysis. The Verge tested AI-powered nutrition tools in Ladder, Oura Advisor, January and MyFitnessPal. Ladder’s AI estimated the outlet’s carefully measured 355-calorie breakfast at 780 calories and got the macro breakdown wrong even after the r … ⌘ Read more
Amazon Cut Thousands of Engineers in Its Record Layoffs, Despite Saying It Needs To Innovate Faster
Amazon’s 14,000-plus layoffs announced last month touched almost every piece of the company’s sprawling business, from cloud computing and devices to advertising, retail and grocery stores. But one job category bore the brunt of cuts more than others: engineers. CNBC: Documents filed … ⌘ Read more
Meta Enters Power Trading To Support Its AI Energy Needs
Meta is venturing into the complex world of electricity trading, betting it can accelerate the construction of new US power plants that are vital to its AI ambitions. From a report: The foray into power trading comes after Meta heard from investors and plant developers that too few power buyers were willing to make the early, long-term commitments required t … ⌘ Read more
Microsoft’s AI-Powered Copy and Paste Can Now Use On-Device AI
An anonymous reader shares a report: Microsoft is upgrading its Advanced Paste tool in PowerToys for Windows 11, allowing you to use an on-device AI model to power some of its features. With the 0.96 update, you can route requests through Microsoft’s Foundry Local tool or the open-source Ollama, both of which run AI models on your device’s neural proces … ⌘ Read more
Google’s Recent Progress in AI Could ‘Create Some Temporary Economic Headwinds’ For OpenAI, Altman Warns Employees
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told colleagues last month that Google’s recent progress in AI could “create some temporary economic headwinds for our company,” though he added that OpenAI would emerge ahead, The Information reports [non-paywalled source]. Fro … ⌘ Read more
Homeschooling Hits Record Numbers
An anonymous reader shares a report: “In the 2024-2025 school year, homeschooling continued to grow across the United States, increasing at an average rate of 5.4%,” Angela Watson of the Johns Hopkins University School of Education’s Homeschool Hub wrote earlier this month. “This is nearly three times the pre-pandemic homeschooling growth rate of around 2%.” She added that more than a third of the states fr … ⌘ Read more
HP and Dell Disable HEVC Support Built Into Their Laptops’ CPUs
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Some Dell and HP laptop owners have been befuddled by their machines’ inability to play HEVC/H.265 content in web browsers, despite their machines’ processors having integrated decoding support. Laptops with sixth-generation Intel Core and later processors have built-in hardware support for … ⌘ Read more
Google Mocks iPhone in Musical ‘Wicked’ Ad Claiming Pixel Firsts
Google this week shared a new ad in its ongoing anti-Apple “BestPhonesForever” series, this time leaning into the launch of the new Wicked: For Good movie that’s out in theaters.
The spot features an iPhone fawning over a Pixel smartphone before breaking into the Wicked: For Good song. Google suggests that it was first to multiple features that the iPhone then copied, like screening phone calls an … ⌘ Read more
CERN Can Now Produce Antihydrogen Atoms Eight Times Faster Than Before
fahrbot-bot shares a report from Phys.org: Physicists from Swansea University have played the leading role in a scientific breakthrough at CERN, developing an innovative technique that increases the antihydrogen trapping rate by a factor of ten. The advancement, achieved as part of the international Antihydrogen Laser Physics Appara … ⌘ Read more
Moss Spores Survive 9 Months Outside ISS
alternative_right shares a report from Phys.org: Inspired by moss’s resilience, researchers sent moss sporophytes – reproductive structures that encase spores – to the most extreme environment yet: space. Their results, published in the journal iScience on November 20, show that more than 80% of the spores survived nine months outside of the International Space Station (ISS) and made it … ⌘ Read more
next-20251121: linux-next
Version:next-20251121 (linux-next)Released:2025-11-21 ⌘ Read more
Advocacy Groups Urge Parents To Avoid AI Toys This Holiday Season
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: They’re cute, even cuddly, and promise learning and companionship – but artificial intelligence toys are not safe for kids, according to children’s and consumer advocacy groups urging parents not to buy them during the holiday season. These toys, marketed to kids as young as 2 years old … ⌘ Read more
Report: Low-Cost iPhone, iPad, MacBook Coming Early 2026
Apple is planning to release new entry-level models across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac categories early next year, with an all-new affordable MacBook the most notable addition to the lineup.
According to a new research report by Jeff Pu of GF Securities seen by MacRumors, Apple will launch the iPhone 17e – its second iteration of the “e” line … ⌘ Read more
Fired Techie Admits Sabotaging Ex-Employer, Causing $862K In Damage
An Ohio IT contractor pleaded guilty to breaking into his former employer’s network after being fired, impersonating another worker and using a PowerShell script to reset 2,500 passwords – an act that locked out thousands of employees and caused more than $862,000 in damage. He faces up to 10 years in prison. The Register reports: Maxwell Schu … ⌘ Read more
IBM, Cisco Outline Plans For Networks of Quantum Computers By Early 2030s
IBM and Cisco plan to link quantum computers over long distances by the early 2030s, “with the goal of demonstrating the concept is workable by the end of 2030,” reports Reuters. “The move could pave the way for a quantum internet, though executives at the two companies cautioned that the networks would require technologies that … ⌘ Read more
Mozilla Says It’s Finally Done With Two-Faced Onerep
Mozilla is officially ending its partnership with Onerep after more than a year of controversy over the company’s founder secretly running people-search and data-broker sites. Monitor Plus will be discontinued by December 2025, existing subscribers will receive prorated refunds, and Mozilla says it will focus on privacy tools it fully controls. KrebsOnSecurity reports: I … ⌘ Read more
Major Music Labels Strike Deals With New AI Streaming Service
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: The world’s largest music companies have licensed their works to a music startup called Klay, which is building a streaming service that will allow users to remake songs using artificial intelligence tools. Klay is the first music AI service to reach a deal with all three major record labels, … ⌘ Read more
Roblox Blocks Children From Chatting To Adult Strangers
Roblox is rolling out mandatory facial age-verification for chat features to prevent children from communicating with adult strangers. The platform will restrict chat to verified age groups, expand parental controls, and become the first major gaming platform to require facial age checks for messaging. The BBC reports: Mandatory age checks will be introduced for … ⌘ Read more
US Employee Well-Being Hit New Low In 2024, Survey Reveals
alternative_right shares a report from Phys.org: New research from the Human Capital Development Lab at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School analyzes the state of the American workforce in 2024 and shows an overall decline in employee well-being compared to years prior. […] The latest research confirms a decline in general employee well-being since 20 … ⌘ Read more
How to Disable Camera Lock Screen Swipe on iPhone
iPhone users have been able to access the iPhone camera through the Lock Screen by a swipe left gesture, which some people find to be very convenient, while others have noticed the swipe gesture can lead to inadvertent camera access and taking dozens of pocket pictures. If you’re in the latter camp, or you just … Read More ⌘ Read more
Early Black Friday Deals: $250 Off MacBook Air, $150 Off iPad Air, AirPods for $80, etc
Early Black Friday deals are available for many great Apple products through Amazon, check some of them out now and get an early start on your holiday shopping. M3 iPad Air for $150 Off The M3 iPad Air 13″ and 11″ model are available at a $150 discount from Amazon. These are great iPad models … [Read More](https://osxdaily.com/2025/11/20/early-black-friday-deals-250- … ⌘ Read more
Dell Now Shipping Laptop With Qualcomm NPU On Linux Ahead Of Windows 11
Dell announced today that their new Pro Max 16 Plus laptop with a Qualcomm discrete NPU is now shipping… That is if you are running Ubuntu Linux while the Windows 11 pre-load option is expected in early 2026. An exciting twist with the Linux version of the Dell Pro Max 16 Plus shipping before Microsoft Windows… ⌘ Read more
Google’s New Nano Banana Pro Uses Gemini 3 Power To Generate More Realistic AI Images
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Google’s meme-friendly Nano Banana image-generation model is getting an upgrade. The new Nano Banana Pro is rolling out with improved reasoning and instruction following, giving users the ability to create more accurate images with legible text and mak … ⌘ Read more
Future Google TV Devices Might Come With a Solar-powered Remote
An anonymous reader shares a report: Epishine, a company that makes solar cells optimized for indoor lighting, has announced its technology is being used in a new remote control for Google TV devices, as spotted by 9to5Google. The remote will rely on rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones, and thanks to the use of solar cells on both sid … ⌘ Read more
Microsoft Open-Sources Classic Text Adventure Zork Trilogy
Microsoft has released the source code for Zork I, II, and III under the MIT License through a collaboration with Team Xbox and Activision that involved submitting pull requests to historical source repositories maintained by digital archivist Jason Scott. Each repository now includes the original source code and accompanying documentation.
The games arrive … ⌘ Read more
Nvidia Brings Ad-free Cloud Gaming To New Chromebooks
Nvidia and Google announced today a new cloud gaming plan called GeForce Now Fast Pass that is exclusive to Chromebooks. Anyone who purchases a new Chromebook will receive a year of the service included with their device at no additional charge. Fast Pass allows Chromebook owners to stream more than 2,000 games from their existing Steam, Epic or Xbox libraries.
The … ⌘ Read more
CDC Changes Webpage To Say Vaccines May Cause Autism, Revising Prior Language
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage that previously made the case that vaccines don’t cause autism now says they might. WSJ: The contents of the webpage came up during Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Senate confirmation process. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.) in February said Kennedy had assured hi … ⌘ Read more
As Windows Turns 40, Microsoft Faces an AI Backlash
Microsoft’s push to transform Windows into an “agentic OS” that allows AI agents to control PCs is drawing user backlash similar to the Windows 8 controversy, as the company marks the operating system’s 40th anniversary this week, writes Tom Warren, a reporter at The Verge who has been covering Microsoft for nearly two decades. Windows chief Pavan Davuluri announced the ag … ⌘ Read more
Monarch Tractor Preps For Layoffs and Warns Employees It May ‘Shut Down’
Autonomous electric tractor startup Monarch Tractor – which we covered in 2022 – warned staff Thursday it may need to lay off more than 100 employees, or possibly even “shut down,” according to a company-wide memo obtained by TechCrunch. The report adds: The memo comes after Monarch Tractor was already cutting some positions over … ⌘ Read more
Updated Steam Runtime Switches To Debian 13 Libraries, SDL2 Using Compatibility Layer
An updated version of the Steam Linux Runtime 4 branch was rolled out that has now shifted from Debian 11 to Debian 13 libraries for some significant upgrades. In the process more libraries have gone x86_64 only in foregoing the i386 builds. In addition, the SDL 2 library support for the Steam Runtime is now provided by sdl2-compat as the compatibility layer for SDL2 atop SDL3… ⌘ Read more
You Can Finally AirDrop Files Between Android and iPhone, Starting with Pixel 10
Android’s Quick Share file transfer service can now work with Apple’s AirDrop, allowing users to send files between iPhones and Android devices. Google has started rolling out the feature to its Pixel 10 family of smartphones. The cross-platform compatibility includes security protections that the company says indepen … ⌘ Read more
Disney Loses Bid To Block Sling TV’s One-Day Cable Passes
A federal judge in New York denied Disney’s request to block Sling TV’s short-term passes, which give viewers the ability to stream live content for as little as one day. From a report: In a ruling on Tuesday, US District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that Disney didn’t prove that Sling TV’s passes caused “irreparable harm” to the entertainment giant, a … ⌘ Read more
American Kids Can’t Do Math Anymore
An anonymous reader shares a report: For the past several years, America has been using its young people as lab rats in a sweeping, if not exactly thought-out, education experiment. Schools across the country have been lowering standards and removing penalties for failure. The results are coming into focus.
Five years ago, about 30 incoming freshmen at UC San Diego arrived with math skills below high- … ⌘ Read more
Verizon Cutting More Than 13,000 Jobs As It Restructures
An anonymous reader writes: U.S. wireless carrier Verizon said Thursday it will cut more than 13,000 jobs in its largest single layoff as it works to shrink costs and restructure operations. Verizon also said it plans to convert 179 corporate-owned retail stores into franchised operations and close one store.
Verizon’s new CEO, Dan Schulman, said in a note to employe … ⌘ Read more
VKD3D 1.18 Released With Numerous Improvements For Direct3D 12 On Vulkan
VKD3D 1.18 is now available for this Direct3D 12 implementation that is part of the upstream Wine project. The VKD3D 1.18 release also comes just ahead of next month’s feature freeze for the upcoming Wine 11.0 stable release… ⌘ Read more
Microsoft Exec Asks: Why Aren’t More People Impressed With AI?
An anonymous reader shares a report: A Microsoft executive is questioning why more people aren’t impressed with AI, a week after the company touted the evolution of Windows into an “agentic OS,” which immediately triggered backlash.
“Jeez there so many cynics! It cracks me up when I hear people call AI underwhelming,” tweeted Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO for M … ⌘ Read more
Who is OpenAI’s Auditor?
OpenAI won’t say who audits its books. The company, which projects to hit an ARR of $20 billion this year and is valued at $500 billion, has committed to spending about $1.4 trillion on data centers over the next decade. It accounts for roughly two-thirds of unfulfilled contracts at Oracle and two-fifths at CoreWeave. Microsoft alone holds around $375 billion in unfulfilled contracts with OpenAI.
Reuters reported the company may t … ⌘ Read more
White House Prepares Executive Order To Block State AI Laws
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Politico: The White House is preparing to issue an executive order as soon as Friday that tells the Department of Justice and other federal agencies to prevent states from regulating artificial intelligence, according to four people familiar with the matter and a leaked draft of the order obtained by POLITICO. The dr … ⌘ Read more
An architectural decision: Containers on bare metal or on virtual machines
Building and running modern applications begins with selecting Kubernetes distribution as a baseline. Once a platform team has selected its orchestration layer, one of the next architectural choices involves the deployment architecture where that cluster will… ⌘ Read more
Will Apple Kill Google’s Surprise Android to iPhone AirDrop Interoperability?
Earlier today, Google made a surprise announcement that the Quick Share file transfer feature on Pixel 10 smartphones was able to work with AirDrop, enabling first-party file sharing between Android devices and Apple devices.
Typically, Apple and Google wor … ⌘ Read more