With the upcoming Kernel Feature Freeze (September 16th) and Kernel Freeze (September 30th) development stages, it would appear that Ubuntu 21.10 (Impish Indri) is sticking with Linux kernel 5.13, which recently landed in the main archives of the distribution as the default kernel instead of the Linux 5.11 kernel used until now from the Ubuntu 21.04 (Hirsute Hippo) release.
Linux kernel 5.13 has been released at the end of June 2021, and it introduces initial support for Apple’s M1 processor, support for the Landlock security module to create safe security sandboxes for mitigating the security impact of various flaws in user space apps, as well as the ability to handle ASN.1 trusted keys.
No shit: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms has concluded that the Los Angeles Police Department is responsible for that huge fireworks explosion because it exploded too many fireworks at once.
Chinese police are using a new anti-fraud app installed on more than 200m mobile phones to identify and question people who have viewed overseas financial news sites, according to individuals summoned by the authorities. From a report: The app was launched in March by the public security ministry’s National Anti-Fraud Center and blocks suspicious phone calls and reports malware. Police said it was needed to combat a surge in fraud, often perpetrated by overseas operations managed by Chinese and Taiwanese nationals. The ministry recommended that the app was downloaded but numerous local government agencies made it mandatory for their employees and individuals with whom they work, such as students and tenants. One Shanghai-based user told the Financial Times he was contacted by police after accessing a US financial news service. He was also asked whether he had contacts abroad and regularly visited overseas websites. The user, who asked not to be identified, said police seemed genuinely concerned about foreign scams. “But the questions they raised about whether I have contacted foreigners made me feel like they don’t want me accessing foreign websites,” he added. “I deleted the app after the meeting.”
For a minute there, Cyberpunk 2077 wasn’t wet enough. Today, it is, thanks to an update that restores missing water effects in the troubled open-world shooter.
Btrfs or commonly pronounced as b-tree FS or butter FS is a COW (copy-on-write) based disk storage format and filesystem combined with a volume manager. In this article, I will show you how to create a disk partition and format it with Btrfs file system on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.
Paramount’s top executive, James Gianopulos, was ousted on Monday as part of a large-scale reorganization effort that will see more of the iconic studio’s resources devoted to making original content for its streaming service, Paramount+.
Summer is waning, which means it’s probably time to bring your hanging outdoor plants indoors. A little extra foliage inside can do a lot to brighten your interior—but indoor plants also take up a fair amount of space. Luckily, installing a reinforced double curtain rod will allow you to hang your plants and upgrade…
Beginning with the outstanding Porsche 956, IMSA regulations required that the driver’s feet be behind the front axle for safety reasons. Porsche extended the wheelbase and moved the pedal box behind the front wheels, allowing the 962 to be approved for racing. These IMSA-spec 962s began with Porsche’s Type 962/70 2.8-liter flat six engines with air-cooling only and a single turbo, as twin-turbo systems were not allowed in the IMSA GTP class at the time. The 962-102 was campaigned by legendary driver Bob Akin in 1984. [credit:
The Petersen Museum/Ted7 ]
Trying to crown the world’s greatest race car is a futile endeavor, as everyone has a different definition of “greatest.” But if you were making a shortlist for such an award, Porsche’s 956 and 962 would have to make the cut.
When the 956 first debuted with the introduction of Group C racing in 1982, it was a departure from Porsche’s previous Le Mans-winning prototypes. From the 917 (which gave Porsche its first overall win in 1970) to the 936 (which won in 1976, 1977, and 1981), all of Porsche’s cars used a relatively fragile tubeframe chassis clad in fiberglass bodywork.
But the 956 exchanged this old way of doing things for a much more up-to-date approach. The chassis this time was an aluminum monocoque with much greater stiffness—and much better driver safety.
In the following tutorial, you will learn how to download the latest version of Python 3.8, compile and make it on your Debian 11 Bullseye operating system.
Offensive Security has released Kali Linux 2021.3, the latest version of its popular open-source penetration testing platform. You can download it or upgrade to it.
The developers have also announced tweaks to Kali ARM images, a new site for exploring Kali Tools, and redesigned desktop and themes.
Provocative new research suggests the blood of astronauts, when mixed with Martian soil, can produce a durable concrete-like substance. Incredibly, other human bodily fluids were shown to make this biocomposite even stronger.
India and Singapore are working to link their digital payments systems to enable “instant, low-cost fund transfers,” in a major push to disrupt the cross-border transactions between the two nations that amounts to over $1 billion each year. From a report: The project to link India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Singapore’s PayNow is targeted for operationalization by July 2022, both nation’s central banks said on Tuesday. Users on either of the systems will be able to make transactions to one another without having to sign up to the second platform, the banks added.
Companies are starting to take console gaming more seriously, building headsets and controllers designed explicitly for Xbox and PlayStation systems. Razer’s been at the forefront of the pack for a few years now thanks to its line of Wolverine controllers, which gains a new member of the family today, the Wolverine v2 Chroma.
Razer
While the name would seem to suggest it’s just a color upgrade, it’s not just the addition of Razer Chroma RGB lighting that makes this a step up from last year’s V2. It keeps the two multifunction buttons at the top but now they’re joined by four triggers on the back of the gamepad. They’re not paddles like the ones you’d find on Microsoft’s Elite or Scuf’s line of controllers, but they are equipped with 2-stage stop-switches that let you choose between a short and long pull distance depending on what type of game you’re playing.
Razer
Also new to the V2 Chroma are interchangeable thumb stick caps. The default sticks on pretty much any gamepad you can buy are short and concave, and Razer still includes a pair of those in the box. But the package also lets you swap in a tall, concave cap for sniping or a short, convex one for running-and-gunning. You don’t need special tools to swap them out either, just give either thumb stick a good tug.
Razer
If you’re thinking that all these improvements don’t come cheap, you’d be correct, with the Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma going for $150, a $50 increase over the regular V2. But then again, competing options from Microsoft and Scuf will run you $170 to $200, and none of them have snazzy lighting.
Cozy is different from the music players we’ve covered. While it plays music, the software is geared to playing audio books. Written in Python, Cozy is free and open-source software.
When Moog debuted its Sound Studio bundles earlier this year, the company paired two analog synths with a mixer, cables and everything else you need for a starter kit. Of course, these are for slightly more advanced users given the investment. The only problem is you have to make a decision. The bundles include the three Mother synthesizers, but you have to decide between the Mother-32 and DFAM or DFAM and Subharmonicon. Those are the two combinations available starting $1,399. However, Moog is going a step further with its latest offer: all three Mother synths with the extra gear for $1,999.
Like the previous bundles, this three-synth option comes with everything you need to get started. That includes a dust cover, audio mixer/power distribution hub, rack kit, cables, cable organizer, learning materials and even those adorable cardboard cutouts. As a refresher, the Mother-32 is a production synthesizer with a step sequencer and 64 slots of memory. It offers a classic Moog voice for raw analog tone combined with the company’s deep bass. The DFAM is a drum synth for all of your rhythm and percussion needs while the Subharmonicon is designed for experimentation.
Moog
For this three-synth bundle, Moog created a card game to foster collaboration and experimentation. Inspired by the gaming community in the company’s home city of Asheville, North Carolina, Circuitous Connections allows you to explore analog synthesis at your own pace. The game helps you discover new sounds and learn patching techniques along the way. The company says this “happy accident generator” will allow you to play repeatedly without patching the same thing twice. Moog also explains that you can have just as much fun playing solo as you can with others.
Like it did with the initial Sound Studio packages, Moog is releasing another EP alongside this new offering. Explorations in Analog Synthesis, Volume II includes work from Boy Harsher, Hannah Peel, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Galcher Lustwerk, Ya Tseen, Tygapaw and Paula Temple. And like the first edition, this collection is also available to stream for free on SoundCloud.
The Moog Sound Studio: Mother-32 & DFAM & Subharmonicon bundle is now shipping from authorized Moog dealers.
Arturia’s V Collection consists of a staggering 28 virtual instruments at this point, covering everything from analog classics, to acoustic pianos to forgotten digital keyboards. At some point, you’d think the company would run out of interesting synths to emulate, but not just yet. The newest addition to the Arturia family is the SQ80 V, a recreation of the Ensoniq SQ-80.
The SQ-80 was a bit of a strange beast. It was released in 1987 and combined 8-bit digital wavetables with analog filters. It’s quirky, crunchy and seriously fun. It combines crunch lo-fi digital samples with analog warmth for something pretty unique. Also, at a time when many synth makers were stripping down their interfaces while stuffing in every feature they could imagine (looking at you DX7), the SQ-80 was surprisingly easy to program. It was also one of the earliest keyboards with polyphonic aftertouch, which is captured here thanks to MPE support.
Arturia normally takes great pains to recreate the physical appearance and controls of a synth they’re emulating, but the company simplified things a bit for the SQ80 V. You can change the oscillator waves and tweak the filter, but many of the controls, like the three LFOs and four envelopes are all on a separate synthesis tab that’s a little more mouse friendly.
Arturia also went all out with the sound sources. It includes the original 75 waveforms, as well as the “hidden” waves from the SQ-80 and it’s predecessor the ESQ-1, plus a selection of transient waveforms. The company greatly expanded on the sound design possibilities of the SQ80 V without really straying from the heart and character of the original.
This is pretty par for the course, though. Arturia has been at this long enough, meticulously emulating classic synths while adding some modern conveniences, that it’ be more surprising if it missed the mark at this point.
The one thing this means though, is that the company is filling increasingly small niches in its arsenal of instruments. The SQ80 V is a digital synthesizer, with a lo-fi character built around sampled waveforms and an analog filter. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the same broad description also applies to the E-MU Emulator II which Arturia recreated for V Collection 8 in December.
Terrence O’Brien / Engadget
While both are definitely crunchy and digital they have identities all their own. The Emulator II is more of a straightforward sampler, and the SQ-80 is closer to a traditional synthesizer. While I quite enjoyed the lo-fi bit-crushed keys of the Emulator, I dig the SQ80 V more. It’s more approachable to someone coming from the world of synthesizers. Plus, it’s a little warmer and more timeless sounding. Not that you can’t get cheesy 80s sounds out of the SQ80 V, it’s just easier to coax modern sound out of than the Emulator which can be a touch too cold and brittle for my tastes.
While there are some analog style sounds in the SQ80 V, its bread and butter is crushed digital sounds. Harsh industrial hits, dusty keys and ambient pads. There are two sound packs being released alongside it that lean into those strengths: Dust Factory and Raw Machinery.
But even if you skip the sound packs, you should be able to easily find sounds that you like either in the included presets or by designing your own. And building your own patches is pretty simple. The three digital oscillators have dropdown menus for selecting waveforms, the envelopes and LFOs all have their own tabs, and the filter can be shaped with the mouse. The whole interface is clean, charmingly retro and easy to navigate. It’s especially impressive considering how much power there is to manipulate things. Most parameters can be modulated by a number of different sources — and many can be modulated by two sources at the same time.
Terrence O’Brien / Engadget
My one minor complaint UI-wise is that the tiny dials next to the various modulation destinations could be a little clearer. It might not be immediately obvious to everyone that, if you want LFO two to change the filter cutoff you have to hover over the darkened circle underneath it then click on the even tinier plus sign that pops up to select a modulation source. Then you click and drag on the circle to set the modulation amount.
Minor quibble with that aside, Arturia does deserve credit for putting a lot of effort into creating thorough and clear tutorials for all its instruments over the last couple of years and SQ80 V is no different.
Arturia’s V Collection is stuffed with great instruments and great sounds, but the SQ80 V is quickly becoming one of my favorites (though, it is technically not part of the V Collection — yet). It’s available now as a standalone instrument for an introductory price of $99 until October 5 at which point it will go up to $199. It can also be bundled with V Collection 8 at a discount, though the final price will depend on your status as an Arturia customer.
Flipping past a technicolor dinosaur in a shiny, blue sports car: that’s the Cruis’n Blast lifestyle at work. [credit: Raw Thrills / Nintendo
]
Cruis’n Blast‘s placement on my list of favorite video games of 2021 should not be taken as a universal recommendation. As a painstakingly authentic refresh of the dated Cruis’n arcade-racing series, it’s a simple game, and in many ways, it lags behind other arcade racers that have come and gone in the past few years.
Still, if you’re looking for sheer, unadulterated, all-ages racing fun, especially on the underpowered Nintendo Switch, you should set your GPS coordinates to the bonkers racetracks and Burnout-leaning smashy-smash of Cruis’n Blast as soon as possible.
Cruis’n through history: A primer
Cruis’n emerged in the ’90s as one of the only major Western racing series in arcades, years after Sega and Namco unleashed their own dazzling 3D racers. This Midway series didn’t really compete with the likes of Daytona USA or Ridge Racer, as it was marked by wimpy tech and simple mechanics. Instead, 1994’s Cruis’n USA kept things loud and silly in a shameless, drive-straight-ahead manner. The result was, depending on where you lived, a pizza parlor mainstay—and one that rode Nintendo’s coattails, since it was emblazoned with “Nintendo Ultra 64” logos before that console launched with a different name.
While trying to source a new Xbox Series S/X is still a bit tricky, Razer’s new Wolverine V2 Chroma controller is designed to offer superior responsiveness regardless of whether you’re playing on Xbox or PC.
