[$] Fedora shares strategy updates and “weird research university” model

In early February, members of the Fedora Council met in Tirana,
Albania to discuss and set the strategic direction for the Fedora Project. The
council has published
summaries
from its strategy summit, and Fedora Project Leader (FPL) Jed Spaleta,
as well as some of the council members, held a video meeting to discuss outcomes from
the summit on February 25. Topics included a plan to experiment with Open Collective to raise
funds for specific Fedora projects, tools to build image-based editions, and
more. Spaleta also explained his model for Fedora governance.

Americans trust Fauci over RFK Jr. and career scientists over Trump officials

Anti-vaccine activist and current Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has worked hard to villainize infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, even writing a conspiracy-laden book lambasting the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

But a year into the job as the country’s top health official, Kennedy—who has no background in medicine, science, or public health—still holds less sway with Americans than the esteemed physician-scientist.

In a nationally representative survey conducted in February by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, 54 percent of respondents said they had confidence in Fauci, while only 38 percent had confidence in Kennedy. Breaking those supporters down further, 25 percent of respondents said they were “very confident” in Fauci, while only 9 percent said the same for Kennedy.

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Proton Mail Helped FBI Unmask Anonymous ‘Stop Cop City’ Protester

Longtime Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shares a report from 404 Media: Privacy-focused email provider Proton Mail provided Swiss authorities with payment data that the FBI then used to determine who was allegedly behind an anonymous account affiliated with the Stop Cop City movement in Atlanta, according to a court record reviewed by 404 Media. The records provide insight into the sort of data that Proton Mail, which prides itself both on its end-to-end encryption and that it is only governed by Swiss privacy law, can and does provide to third parties. In this case, the Proton Mail account was affiliated with the Defend the Atlanta Forest (DTAF) group and Stop Cop City movement in Atlanta, which authorities were investigating for their connection to arson, vandalism and doxing. Broadly, members were protesting the building of a large police training center next to the Intrenchment Creek Park in Atlanta, and actions also included camping in the forest and lawsuits. Charges against more than 60 people have since been dropped.


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Best Buy MacBook Neo, Air And Pro Preorders Get Up To A $100 Gift Card

Best Buy MacBook Neo, Air And Pro Preorders Get Up To A $100 Gift Card
Apple is coming off one of its busiest weeks in a long time, in terms of product announcements. Instead of announcing a bunch of products on a single day, Apple took a staggered approach to unveiling a barrage of hardware, some of which includes its cheapest MacBook ever, the MacBook Neo, along with an M5 MacBook Air and a refreshed MacBook

NASA Updates Odds Of A City-Killer Asteroid Smashing Into The Moon In 2032

NASA Updates Odds Of A City-Killer Asteroid Smashing Into The Moon In 2032
NASA has announced that the asteroid known as 2024 YR4, a space rock roughly the size of a 20-story building, no longer poses a threat of crashing into the Moon during its close approach in 2032. While initial projections suggested a slim but still possible lunar impact, new data has refined the object’s trajectory that will carry it past

Climate change sucks, but at least it won’t kill your EV battery

If you’ve spent more than five minutes driving an electric vehicle, chances are good you’re a convert. But most people haven’t driven an EV, and surveys show that many are scared to consider ditching internal combustion engines for something that plugs in because of concerns about battery reliability. It’s easy to see why—if you don’t follow the field that closely, you’ll have missed some serious technology advances over the last few years.

Early EVs indeed suffered from lithium-ion battery degradation over time, similar to the energy storage loss common in lithium-ion-powered consumer electronics. But modern EV batteries aren’t the same as the ones in your toothbrush or that old tablet that lasts just a few hours. With modern EV battery management systems and active thermal control—liquid cooling, in other words—range loss shouldn’t be more than about 2 percent per year.

A new study from researchers at the University of Michigan provides a clear illustration of this progress. We all know the planet is undergoing human-caused warming, and a warm world is worse for EVs in a couple of ways.

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Apple users in the US can no longer download ByteDance’s Chinese apps

While TikTok operates in the United States under new ownership, Apple has deployed technical restrictions to block iOS users in the United States from downloading other apps made by the video platform’s Chinese parent organization ByteDance.

ByteDance owns a vast array of different apps spanning social media, entertainment, artificial intelligence, and other sectors. The leading one is Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, which has over 1 billion monthly active users. While most of those users reside in China, iPhone owners around the world have traditionally been able to download these apps from anywhere without using a VPN, as long as they have a valid App Store account registered in China.

That’s not true anymore. Starting in late January, iPhone users in the US with Chinese App Store accounts began reporting that they were encountering new obstacles when they tried to download apps developed by ByteDance. WIRED has confirmed that even with a valid Chinese App Store account, downloading or updating a ByteDance-owned Chinese app is blocked on Apple devices located in the United States.

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ASRock Pushes Mini-ITX Memory Limits To 256GB DDR5-7400 With CQDIMM Support

ASRock Pushes Mini-ITX Memory Limits To 256GB DDR5-7400 With CQDIMM Support
If you read the headline and, like me, thought ‘What the heck is a CQDIMM?’, I’m here to tell you it’s actually not that complicated. ASRock is using the term CQDIMM to refer to standard CUDIMMs that have four memory ranks, making them quad-rank. This allows for memory modules that offer both high transfer rates and high capacity; ASRock specifically

ZimaBoard 2: An Interesting Intel-Powered Linux Home Mini Server

For those looking for a low-power, well-built small office / home office Linux server with interesting connectivity options, the ZimaBoard 2 is an interesting option that has been available for some months now and powered by the Intel N150 processor. Besides the interesting single board hardware and well built aluminum chassis, the offering is rounded out by being preloaded with ZimaOS as a Linux-based “personal cloud OS” to easily get hosting for your own SOHO server needs.

Anthropic Challenges US Department Of War’s Supply Chain Risk Designation

Anthropic Challenges US Department Of War's Supply Chain Risk Designation
In a week of unprecedented friction between Claude AI’s Anthropic and the Pentagon, the federal government has now flagged the AI company as a national security threat, more specifically with a “supply-chain risk” label. This labeling is similar treatment for foreign adversaries like Huawei, and all because the company had become at odds with

Capcom’s long-delayed Pragmata is now arriving a week earlier

Capcom revealed during its March 5 Spotlight showcase that Pragmata, its repeatedly delayed dystopian sci-fi adventure game, will release on April 17 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via Steam. The game had been set for April 24 since its appearance at The Game Awards in December.

The game’s new trailer shows previously unseen locations and gameplay moments, and new elements within the Shelter, the in-game lunar base. Pragmata was first revealed in 2020 with a 2022 release window. Capcom then delayed it to 2023, then went radio silent on the project before resurfacing with a new 2026 date last year.

A free Sketchbook demo is available now on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop and Steam. Pre-orders for the game are available now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/capcoms-long-delayed-pragmata-is-now-arriving-a-week-earlier-160257053.html?src=rss

This $286 boutique seatpost from legendary US brand ‘cuts no corners’

Paul Components has launched a new seatpost named the Tall & Elegant with a not-inconsiderable $286 price tag.

For that price, you might expect carbon, but the new seatpost is made from 2024 and 6061 aluminium alloy. The brand says it delivers ‘no cut corners’ craftsmanship.

The new seatpost is a zero-setback update to the brand’s original Tall & Handsome 26mm-setback seatpost. It’s been launched in response to consumer requests and is machined in-house in Chica, California.

Paul Components’ other offerings include $108 bar ends and $308 square-taper cranks.

Easy adjustment

Stainless steel and brass hardware is claimed to provide smooth saddle adjustment.

Paul says its design spaces the saddle clamp bolts away from the post itself, so they can be adjusted easily with a multi-tool or a torque wrench. It claims the two-bolt design is self-aligning and should avoid any slippage.

It uses a pair of brass rail-top retainers that Paul says are compatible with oval rails, shouldn’t corrode or bind, and offer smooth saddle-tilt adjustment through around 15 degrees.

Your cash buys you a choice of colours and finishes.

The new seatpost is available in three diameters: 27.2mm, 30.9mm and 31.6mm, with weights between 327g and 402g dependent on diameter – a little more than the brand’s setback seatpost.

There’s a choice of silver, polished, purple or black finishes – maybe the black would pass for carbon. 

Despite the Tall and Elegant name, there’s no mention of how tall the seatpost is. The setback Tall & Handsome is 360mm in length though, so we’d guess it’s the same.

AI Startup Sues Ex-CEO Saying He Took 41GB of Email, Lied On Resume

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Hayden AI, a San Francisco startup that makes spatial analytics tools for cities worldwide, has sued its co-founder and former CEO, alleging that he stole a large quantity of proprietary information in the days leading up to his ouster from the company in September 2024. In a lawsuit filed late last month in San Francisco Superior Court but only made public this week, Hayden AI claims that former CEO Chris Carson undertook what it called “numerous fraudulent actions,” which include “forged board signatures, unauthorized stock sales, and improper allocation of personal expenses.” […] Hayden AI, which is worth $464 million according to an estimated valuation on PitchBook, has asked the court to impose preliminary injunctive relief, requiring Carson to either return or destroy the data he allegedly stole. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that Carson secretly sold over $1.2 million in company stock, forged board signatures, and copied 41GB of proprietary company emails before being fired in September 2024. The complaint also claims Carson fabricated key parts of his resume, including a PhD and military service. It’s a “carefully constructed fraud,” says Hayden AI.

“That is a lie,” the complaint states. “Carson does not hold a PhD from Waseda or any other university. In 2007, he was not obtaining a PhD but was operating ‘Splat Action Sports,’ a paintball equipment business in a Florida strip mall.”


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Grinn ReneSOM-V2H module runs Renesas RZ/V2H vision AI processor

Polish embedded systems company Grinn has introduced the ReneSOM-V2H, described as the world’s smallest SoM based on the Renesas RZ/V2H processor. Measuring 37 × 42.6 mm, the module targets edge AI and vision-based systems such as smart cameras, robotics platforms, and industrial inspection devices. The ReneSOM-V2H integrates the RZ/V2H processor with a heterogeneous architecture featuring […]

Arc Raiders Logged Private Discord DMs And Tokens In Plaintext, Researcher Finds

Arc Raiders Logged Private Discord DMs And Tokens In Plaintext, Researcher Finds
A serious security issue in Arc Raiders’ Discord integration has been uncovered by computer engineer Timothy D Meadows II, who posted a full write-up of the findings on his personal blog. These issues stem from the fact that the Discord software development kit (SDK) logs an unnecessarily large amount of user data, including direct messages

Apple’s 512GB Mac Studio vanishes, a quiet acknowledgment of the RAM shortage

If the only thing you had to go off was Apple’s string of product announcements this week, you’d have little reason to believe that there is a historic AI-driven memory and storage supply crunch going on. Some products saw RAM and storage increases at the same prices as the products they replaced; others had their prices increased a bit but came with more storage than before as compensation. And there’s the MacBook Neo, which at $599 was priced toward the low end of what Apple-watchers expected.

But even a company with Apple’s scale and buying power can’t totally defy gravity. At some point between March 4 and now, Apple quietly removed the 512GB RAM option from its top-tier M3 Ultra Mac Studio desktop. Pricing for the 256GB configuration has also increased, from $1,600 to $2,000. The Tech Specs page on Apple’s support site still acknowledges the existence of the 512GB configuration, but both the Apple Store page and the list of available configurations have removed any mention of it.

We’ve asked Apple to comment on the disappearance of the 512GB Mac Studio and will update this article if we receive a response.

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NVIDIA Now Controls Over 90% Of PC Graphics Card Market As Tariffs Take A Toll

NVIDIA Now Controls Over 90% Of PC Graphics Card Market As Tariffs Take A Toll
NVIDIA is absolutely dominating the PC graphics card market. We already knew this, of course, but according to the latest market audit by Jon Peddie Research (JPR), NVIDIA’s lead has grown to new heights to the point where virtually every add-in board (AIB) is a GeForce product. As in, NVIDIA’s graphics cards now account for 94% of all AIBs

With Gateway likely gone, where will lunar landers rendezvous with Orion?

Last week, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman unveiled a major shakeup in the Artemis Program, intended to put the nation on a better path back to the Moon. The changes focused largely on increasing the launch cadence of NASA’s large SLS rocket and putting a greater emphasis on lunar surface activities. Days later, the US Senate indicated that it broadly supported these plans.

This is all well and good, but it neglects a critical element of the Artemis program: a lander capable of taking astronauts down to the lunar surface from an orbit around the Moon and back up to rendezvous with Orion. NASA has contracted with SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop these landers, Starship and Blue Moon MK2, respectively.

As part of his announcement, Isaacman said a revamped Artemis III mission will now be used to test one or both of these landers near Earth before they are called upon to land humans on the Moon later this decade.

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Nothing Phone 4a Pro Arrives With 144Hz AMOLED And 140X Zoom For $499

Nothing Phone 4a Pro Arrives With 144Hz AMOLED And 140X Zoom For $499
Nothing is attempting to steal some thunder away from Google’s Pixel 10a with its mid-range Phone (4a) and Phone (4a) Pro. Unveiled at a high-profile event at London’s Central Saint Martins, both version feature new Glyph notification lighting, while the Pro model debuts as the company’s first metal unibody handset and its slimmest release

The National Videogame Museum Acquires the Mythical Nintendo Playstation

The National Videogame Museum has acquired an extremely rare MSF-1 development kit, believed to be the oldest surviving prototype of the canceled Nintendo PlayStation. Engadget reports: Nicknamed the Nintendo PlayStation, the idea was that a new CD-ROM format backed by Sony would be added to the cartridge-based Super NES, resulting in a hybrid console that could play both. The partnership didn’t last long, though, with Nintendo backing out before it ever really got off the ground, announcing that it would instead be working with Philips. Sony decided to make the PlayStation on its own instead, in an act of revenge that you have to say paid off in the long run, and we never did get to see Crash Bandicoot running around the Mushroom Kingdom. Still, the short-lived Nintendo PlayStation remains a fascinating what-if scenario in video game history, and the USA’s National Video Museum has acquired the original development kit.


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