Identify your open source project’s dependencies through the Back Your Stack initiative and consider one of the many creative ways to show support.
Source: LXer – How to back your open source projects stack
Monthly Archives: January 2022
(open)SUSE Announces D-Installer: Working On A Web-Based Distro Installer
In addition to the Fedora / Red Hat Anaconda installer working on a web-based implementation, openSUSE/SUSE is also exploring a web-based installation front-end built atop their existing YaST. They are developing this new web front-end as the “D-Installer” project…
Source: Phoronix – (open)SUSE Announces D-Installer: Working On A Web-Based Distro Installer
Google Hires PayPal Vet to Reset Strategy After Its Banking Retreat
Alphabet’s Google has hired former PayPal executive Arnold Goldberg to run its payments division and set a new course for the business after it scrapped a push into banking. Bloomberg reports: The move is part of a broader strategy to team up with a wider range of financial services, including cryptocurrencies, said Bill Ready, Google’s president of commerce. The business, known for the Google Pay system and mobile wallet, has largely avoided the crypto industry. The changes follow a major turnabout in October. Google had spent years planning a digital checking and savings service, lining up 11 banking partners for the launch. But that month the company nixed the proposed offering, called Plex. Instead, Google wants to become the connective tissue for the entire consumer finance industry, not just certain partners, according to Ready. “We’re not a bank — we have no intention of being a bank,” Ready said in an interview. “Some past efforts, at times, would unwittingly wade into those spaces.”
Tom Noyes, an industry analyst, estimated in 2020 that Google accounted for 4% of contactless payments in the U.S., calling the service “largely a failure.” As part of the overhaul, Google will focus more on being a “comprehensive digital wallet” that includes digital tickets, airline passes and vaccine passports, Ready said. He didn’t provide an update on the current number of Google Pay users. The company is integrating payments more tightly with Google’s shopping efforts, such as a feature that shows consumer loyalty cards and personal discounts directly in search results. Google also is trying to position itself as more welcoming to merchants than Amazon. In 2020, Google eliminated fees for retailers selling on its shopping service.
Tiptoeing into crypto also could help Google entice users. Google has partnered with companies, including Coinbase and BitPay, to store crypto assets in digital cards, while still having users pay in traditional currencies. Ready said Google is looking to do more of these partnership, though the company still isn’t accepting crypto for transactions. “Crypto is something we pay a lot of attention to,” he said. “As user demand and merchant demand evolves, we’ll evolve with it.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Google Hires PayPal Vet to Reset Strategy After Its Banking Retreat
The Batman Movie Is Waaaaaaaaaaay Too Long
The complaint that blockbuster movies nowadays are too long has been a standard gripe for awhile now, and so common that it’s become stale and annoying on its own. I want to acknowledge that I know this, and agree with this sentiment, and yet I am utterly powerless not to say Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson’s…
Source: Gizmodo – The Batman Movie Is Waaaaaaaaaaay Too Long
Blizzard Outlines Plans To Improve After 'Challenging' 2021
Blizzard’s 2021 was a year marked by lowlights, with the company beset by allegations of a toxic workplace and rocked by the departures (and firings) of several key personnel. Now, with a new year and likely new ownership as well, president Mike Ybarra has outlined Blizzard’s plan to “rebuild your trust”.
Source: Kotaku – Blizzard Outlines Plans To Improve After ‘Challenging’ 2021
Samsung Teases Its Next Phone, the Second Coming of the Galaxy Note
We’re still waiting for the full details of Samsung’s next Unpacked event, which will take place next month. But there’s good news for anyone who’s been missing the company’s Galaxy Note: Samsung just teased its return, though it will be a different device than what you might expect.
Source: Gizmodo – Samsung Teases Its Next Phone, the Second Coming of the Galaxy Note
Attacks Escalating Against Linux-Based IoT Devices
Incidents of malware targeting Linux-based Internet of Things (IoT) devices jumped by more than a third in 2021, with three malware families the primary drivers behind the increase. Learn more about how attacks are escalating against Linux-based IoT devices here.
The post Attacks Escalating Against Linux-Based IoT Devices appeared first on Linux Today.
Source: Linux Today – Attacks Escalating Against Linux-Based IoT Devices
Samsung will unveil its next Galaxy S flagship in February
After introducing S Pen support to the Galaxy S21 Ultra and not launching a new version of the Note series last year, Samsung’s next Unpacked event would be a timely opportunity to address concerned fans. Though the company has yet to confirm an exact date beyond the month of February (rumors suggest it might take place Feb. 8th), president TM Roh has written a blog post on what we can expect at the launch. Samsung has also shared a teaser trailer.
“We know many of you were surprised when Samsung didn’t release a new Galaxy Note last year,” he wrote. “At Unpacked in February 2022, we’ll introduce to you the most noteworthy S series device we’ve ever created.” The company is expected to unveil the Galaxy S22 series this year.
Roh also said “the next generation of Galaxy S… [brings] together the greatest experiences of our Samsung Galaxy into one ultimate device.” He teased nighttime photography, power and performance as some areas to look out for, ending his post with “Get ready for the ultimate Ultra experience.” That could mean the best upgrades could be limited to the Ultra model again, as in previous years.
The rest of Roh’s post is mostly recap of its S and Note series, as well as vague allusions like “we haven’t about these [Galaxy Note] experiences you love.” There aren’t any details on what exact Note-esque features we might see in the next S flagship, and our biggest clue is the use of the word “noteworthy” to describe the upcoming product.
Finally, Samsung also announced today that tomorrow (Jan. 21st) at 10am ET, it’ll open its Reserve Now offers ahead of time like it’s done for previous launches. If you want to guarantee you can get whatever Samsung announces in February, you can reserve early and get perks like a $50 Samsung credit towards other Galaxy products during pre-order, as well as more deals when it’s time to pre-order.
Source: Engadget – Samsung will unveil its next Galaxy S flagship in February
We're All Getting Free N95 Masks, With a Catch
Some governments in other parts of the world have been providing free tests and masks for a while. The U. S. just got on board with the trend last week, promising to send four rapid tests to each household (you just need to request them at covidtests.gov). Now, we’re getting free N95 masks—but only three per adult.
Source: LifeHacker – We’re All Getting Free N95 Masks, With a Catch
Lots of new toys, caps lock still stuck on: ONLYOFFICE hits version 7
LibreOffice alternative unfurls latest productivity software update. Another contender in the productivity stakes, ONLYOFFICE Docs, has hit version 7, introducing fillable forms as well as multiple tweaks for its web and desktop applications.
Source: LXer – Lots of new toys, caps lock still stuck on: ONLYOFFICE hits version 7
First details leak on Project Iris, Google’s next AR headset
Enlarge / Product photography of the Google Glass wearable. Project Iris won’t look like this; it is said to more closely resemble ski goggles than casual glasses. (credit: Google)
Google engineers are working hard at developing a new augmented reality (AR) headset, according to a report by The Verge citing two people familiar with the project.
Google hopes to ship the product—code-named “Project Iris”—sometime in 2024, but that date is likely not set in stone.
Like Apple’s rumored mixed reality glasses, Project Iris would be wireless and use external cameras to send an augmented image of the real world to you. And like one of the devices Apple has reportedly worked on, the glasses would leave the heavy-duty graphics processing to an external computer. In Google’s case, the device will rely on cloud computing instead of nearby hardware.
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Source: Ars Technica – First details leak on Project Iris, Google’s next AR headset
This Hello Kitty Headset Is The Best Thing Razer's Made Since Quartz
Gaming gear maker Razer has taken a break from making industrial dancewear masquerading as covid safety equipment to cater to a softer crowd: Hello Kitty lovers. The company’s new Hello Kitty capsule collection plasters Sanrio characters all over pink mice, mousepads, gaming chairs, and lumbar pillows, but the best…
Source: Kotaku – This Hello Kitty Headset Is The Best Thing Razer’s Made Since Quartz
New Android game uses a smart vibrator as a controller
In October, roboticist and software engineer Allison Liemhetcharat announced that she had been working on a game that would use a smart vibrator as a controller. Specifically, the Lioness smart vibrator, which gathers bio-data like body temperature and pelvic pressure. Liemhetcharat said she was partly inspired by the Perifit kegel exerciser, which also uses games and a device to help people strengthen their pelvic floor. The game, an endless runner called You Are What You Eat, has been in beta since then. Today, Liemhetcharat has released the Android version, which you can now download from the Google Play Store.
Liemhetcharat told Engadget that You Are What You Eat is based on her family’s favorite activity. “Our running joke is that we eat everything,” she said. By itself, the game is an endless runner, with the objective of eating as many creatures as possible before dying. You begin as a blob, then grow and morph depending on what you ingest. That will also affect what you can continue to consume, as some creatures will subsequently become “inedible” based on what you’ve become. A WebGL version of the game is available.
But for those who own the Lioness smart vibrator, you can use it to control your slimeball. Squeeze the dildo’s head (where the pressure sensors are) to jump, and do that twice to fly or jump twice. The device will also vibrate in response when you do those things or eat something.
Those on iOS won’t be left out — Liemhetcharat told Engadget that a version for the iPhone is coming soon, too. So far, the game itself is simple, but the most intriguing aspect is its use of the bio-sensing vibrator as a controller. As a proof of concept, YAWYE is fairly straightforward, though we’ll have to wait for medical professionals to weigh in before we can say with any certainty if it can be helpful in strengthening pelvic floor muscles.
Source: Engadget – New Android game uses a smart vibrator as a controller
Ready for Google Glass, Round Two?
With every tech giant from Apple to Microsoft to Amazon rumored to be developing a pair of augmented reality glasses or mixed reality headset, we’ve been wondering whether Google was planning to wade back into consumer headsets. After all, the company gave AR a shot a decade ago and still hasn’t quite recovered from…
Source: Gizmodo – Ready for Google Glass, Round Two?
Destiny 2's Hated Blue Engram Problem Is About To Get Better
Next month, Destiny 2’s new expansion The Witch Queen launches, and with it comes some nice quality-of-life changes. Perhaps the biggest and most exciting is that blue engrams, currently junk that annoys longtime players, will become much rarer at higher power levels. Good start. Other coming changes include the…
Source: Kotaku – Destiny 2’s Hated Blue Engram Problem Is About To Get Better
Antitrust bill that bars Big Tech self-preferencing advances in Senate
Enlarge / The dome of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, DC. (credit: Getty Images | Phil Roeder)
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 16-6 today to advance an antitrust bill that would prevent Big Tech firms from giving their own services preferential treatment.
The bill attempts to limit the ability of dominant firms to “unfairly preference” their own products or services in a way that would harm competition. For example, Apple and Google could not rank their own apps higher than competitors’ on app stores or in searches. With five Republican senators voting alongside Democrats, the bill has a reasonable chance of passing once it hits the Senate floor. A similar bill has been introduced in the House.
“We haven’t meaningfully updated our antitrust laws since the birth of the Internet,” said Senate co-sponsor Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in a committee hearing today. “We have to look at this differently than just startup companies in a garage. That’s not what they are anymore.”
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Source: Ars Technica – Antitrust bill that bars Big Tech self-preferencing advances in Senate
Senate Committee Passes Tech Antitrust Bill That's Making Apple and Google Lose Their Minds
Legislative efforts to rein in Big Tech’s alleged anti-competitive, self-preferential business practices took a big step forward on Thursday as a bipartisan group of lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted overwhelmingly (16-6) in favor of advancing new antitrust legislation. Now, the hotly contested…
Source: Gizmodo – Senate Committee Passes Tech Antitrust Bill That’s Making Apple and Google Lose Their Minds
Godzilla Stomps Onto Apple TV+ With New Spinoff Series
First Godzilla defeated Kong, and now he’s going to Apple TV+. The streamer just announced it has ordered a series centered on everyone’s favorite King of the Monsters; it will be created by Chris Black and Matt Fraction and be set after the events of the 2014 Garth Edwards film. Here’s the logline:
Source: Gizmodo – Godzilla Stomps Onto Apple TV+ With New Spinoff Series
Nintendo Does Nothing As Wario And Waluigi Go To War In Mario Kart
It seems the feud between Wario and Waluigi will never end as the mobile racer Mario Kart Tour pits the two brothers against each other in a new event coming January 25. On your mark. Get set. WAAAAAAAA!
Source: Kotaku – Nintendo Does Nothing As Wario And Waluigi Go To War In Mario Kart
'Havana Syndrome' Unlikely Caused By Hostile Foreign Power, CIA Says
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: An initial CIA investigation into the mysterious set of symptoms known as Havana syndrome has found that it is unlikely to be the result of a worldwide campaign of attacks by a foreign power against US diplomats and spies. However, two dozen cases, including some of those originally afflicted in Havana in 2016, could not be explained and would be further studied for evidence of a possible attack, according to a senior CIA official who briefed the US press.
“While we have reached some significant interim findings, we are not done,” the CIA director, Williams Burns, said in a statement. “We will continue the mission to investigate these incidents and provide access to world-class care for those who need it.” Since the original outbreak of the symptoms, which include hearing strange sounds, dizziness, loss of balance, nausea and memory loss, more than 1,000 cases have been studied around the world. The interim findings of a CIA investigation have found that the majority of cases could probably be attributed to a pre-existing medical condition, or environmental factors, or stress, the senior official said. The defense department and an independent panel of experts are conducting their own investigations which have yet to publish reports. A Havana syndrome victims support group said in a statement: “The decision to release the report now and with this particular set of ‘findings’ seems a breach of faith, and an undermining of the intent of Congress and the president to stand with us and reach a government-wide consensus as to what is behind this,” a Havana syndrome victims group said in a statement.
“This report was neither cleared nor coordinated through the interagency and must stand as the assessment of one agency [CIA] alone.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – ‘Havana Syndrome’ Unlikely Caused By Hostile Foreign Power, CIA Says