There was something of a space theme that pervaded the Embedded Linux
Conference (ELC) portion of the 2023 Embedded
Open Source Summit (EOSS), which is an umbrella event for various
sub-conferences related to embedded open-source development. That may
partly be because one of the organizers of EOSS (and ELC), Tim Bird,
described himself as “a bit of a space junkie”; he made that observation
during a panel session that he led on embedded Linux in space. Bird and
four panelists discussed various aspects of the use of Linux in
space-related systems, including where it has been used, the
characteristics and challenges of aerospace deployments, certification of
Linux for aerospace use, and more.
Source: LWN.net – [$] A discussion on Linux in space
Monthly Archives: July 2023
Firefox 116 Will Add HW Accelerated Video Playback for Raspberry Pi 4
Firefox 116 kicks off work on implementing hardware-accelerated H.264 video decoding on Linux for the AArch64 (ARM64) hardware architecture.
The post Firefox 116 Will Add HW Accelerated Video Playback for Raspberry Pi 4 appeared first on Linux Today.
Source: Linux Today – Firefox 116 Will Add HW Accelerated Video Playback for Raspberry Pi 4
Ubisoft Account Deletion Policy Sparks Backlash, Confusion

A viral tweet about Assassin’s Creed creator Ubisoft’s account deletion policy has ignited an intense conversation about data collection and game access. Though the policy isn’t new, the wording has players confused about the consequences of inactive accounts.
Source: Kotaku – Ubisoft Account Deletion Policy Sparks Backlash, Confusion
These Are the Cheapest Vacation Destinations in the U.S. Right Now

It can be hard to relax and genuinely enjoy yourself on a vacation that you know you can’t afford. Splurging on a bucket list trip is one thing, but the costs of the average solo, family, or group getaway also add up quickly, and can end up being a source of stress both during the trip, and in the time it takes you to…
Source: LifeHacker – These Are the Cheapest Vacation Destinations in the U.S. Right Now
JWST Detects Water In A Region Known To Host Protoplanets And It Has NASA Stoked
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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected water vapor in a planetary system that could help scientists answer the question of how Earth got its water. This is the first time that water has been detected in the terrestrial region of a protoplanetary disk known to host two or more protoplanets.
The new finding by JWST comes from
Source: Hot Hardware – JWST Detects Water In A Region Known To Host Protoplanets And It Has NASA Stoked
Apple's Incredibly Rare Sneaker From the '90s Selling for $50,000

Sotheby’s is selling a limited edition pair of Omega Sports Apple Computer Sneakers from the ‘90s in new condition for the exorbitant price of $50,000. The shoe was distributed at an Apple event but was never made available to the public, making it a highly coveted item.
Source: Gizmodo – Apple’s Incredibly Rare Sneaker From the ’90s Selling for ,000
GM says a next-gen Chevy Bolt is on the way
General Motors isn’t quite done with the Chevrolet Bolt. Back in April, it emerged the company will end production of the popular, wallet-friendly EV and EUV this year, largely because it relies on old battery cell tech and the factory where it’s made is being refitted. However, there’s some positive news for fans of the EV as GM has confirmed a new version of the Bolt is on the way.
The company hasn’t revealed many details about the new Bolt — you’ll need to wait until later this year for that. Unsurprisingly, though, the next-gen model will use GM’s Ultium battery system as well as its Ultifi software platform. The company says that, by harnessing these technologies, it will be able to bring the Bolt back to market “on an accelerated timeline,” but didn’t give an indication of when that might be.
GM made the Bolt announcement during its quarterly earnings call. The company said it saw its strongest Bolt EV and EUV sales to date in the first half of 2023. It posted quarterly revenue of $44.7 billion, up 25 percent year-over-year, but noted there was a $792 million charge related to a new partnership with LG. “The charge reflects the conscious decision GM made during the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV recall to serve customers in ways that go beyond traditional remedies,” GM said.
The company built around 50,000 EVs in North America in the first six months of 2023. It’s doubling that target for the second half of the year. It aims to reach a capacity of 1 million EVs in the continent by 2025.
In the meantime, Chevy has three other EVs on the way this year: the Silverado, the Blazer and the Equinox. The brand will reveal its first full-size electric SUV, the Escalade IQ, on August 9th.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gm-says-a-next-gen-chevy-bolt-is-on-the-way-144518735.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – GM says a next-gen Chevy Bolt is on the way
Google's Nightmare 'Web Integrity API' Wants a DRM Gatekeeper For the Web
Google’s newest proposed web standard is… DRM? Over the weekend the Internet got wind of this proposal for a “Web Environment Integrity API. ” From a report: The explainer is authored by four Googlers, including at least one person on Chrome’s “Privacy Sandbox” team, which is responding to the death of tracking cookies by building a user-tracking ad platform right into the browser. The intro to the Web Integrity API starts out: “Users often depend on websites trusting the client environment they run in. This trust may assume that the client environment is honest about certain aspects of itself, keeps user data and intellectual property secure, and is transparent about whether or not a human is using it.”
The goal of the project is to learn more about the person on the other side of the web browser, ensuring they aren’t a robot and that the browser hasn’t been modified or tampered with in any unapproved ways. The intro says this data would be useful to advertisers to better count ad impressions, stop social network bots, enforce intellectual property rights, stop cheating in web games, and help financial transactions be more secure. Perhaps the most telling line of the explainer is that it “takes inspiration from existing native attestation signals such as [Apple’s] App Attest and the [Android] Play Integrity API.” Play Integrity (formerly called “SafetyNet”) is an Android API that lets apps find out if your device has been rooted.
Root access allows you full control over the device that you purchased, and a lot of app developers don’t like that. So if you root an Android phone and get flagged by the Android Integrity API, several types of apps will just refuse to run. You’ll generally be locked out of banking apps, Google Wallet, online games, Snapchat, and some media apps like Netflix. […] Google wants the same thing for the web. Google’s plan is that, during a webpage transaction, the web server could require you to pass an “environment attestation” test before you get any data. At this point your browser would contact a “third-party” attestation server, and you would need to pass some kind of test. If you passed, you would get a signed “IntegrityToken” that verifies your environment is unmodified and points to the content you wanted unlocked. You bring this back to the web server, and if the server trusts the attestation company, you get the content unlocked and finally get a response with the data you wanted.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Google’s Nightmare ‘Web Integrity API’ Wants a DRM Gatekeeper For the Web
What an AI Girlfriend Can (and Can't) Do

I’ve been trying to cheat on my wife with an artificial intelligence all week, and it’s proving so difficult I might have to resort to an affair with a human being.
Source: LifeHacker – What an AI Girlfriend Can (and Can’t) Do
Thomas Hayden Church Thinks Sam Raimi Might Actually Do Spider-Man 4

Ryan Reynolds wants to bring back the Biker Mice From Mars. Meet Ice Cube’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem villain. Gamera gets ready to rumble in a new look at Netflix’s latest Kaiju anime. Plus, what’s coming on Riverdale. Spoilers now!
Source: Gizmodo – Thomas Hayden Church Thinks Sam Raimi Might Actually Do Spider-Man 4
Bad News for Open Source: EU Approves Cyber Resilience Act
Open-source organizations are saying that if the Cyber Resilience Act passes, it will do damage to open source, both in Europe and globally.
The post Bad News for Open Source: EU Approves Cyber Resilience Act appeared first on Linux Today.
Source: Linux Today – Bad News for Open Source: EU Approves Cyber Resilience Act
The Arc personalized web browser is now available to everyone
If you’ve wanted to customize (or simply deface) the websites you visit, you’ll now have an easy time of it. The Browser Company has released its Arc 1.0 browser for the Mac, no waitlist required. The finished version includes a few features that have popped up in recent weeks, including an optional toolbar, a site “control center” and picture-in-picture support for Google Meet video calls. The software should be leaner and faster than previous versions, too.
As before, Arc rethinks some of the fundamentals of web browsers. You can personalize the look and layout of a website using Boosts that let you change colors, replace fonts and even “zap” sections you don’t want to see. While this doesn’t work perfectly for every website, you can share many customizations with other users. You can use coding and scripts to create Boosts, but they don’t require that know-how.
Tabs are still present. However, you primarily organize browsing around switchable virtual spaces (effectively tab groups) that help you focus on a given task, such as work or your social media catch-up. You can pin sites you use often, and there’s a command bar that courts power users.
A Windows version of Arc is coming “soon,” the company says. This probably won’t supplant Chrome, Edge or Safari if you’re a fan of those browsers. They still cover common tasks well, and the familiar interfaces may well be enough. However, Arc may be what you’re looking for if you wish you could reshape the web to your liking.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-arc-personalized-web-browser-is-now-available-to-everyone-140015020.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – The Arc personalized web browser is now available to everyone
Google Is Really, Really Thirsty

Waste is sort of the thesis statement of modern economics, and big tech is no different. Google recently published its 2023 Environmental Report which sheds some light on its water consumption—and a more aggressive foray into artificial intelligence could make it worse.
Source: Gizmodo – Google Is Really, Really Thirsty
EU Enacts $48 Billion Chips Act in Bid To Boost Production
The European Union’s plan to bolster domestic semiconductor production will become law after ministers completed the final approval on Tuesday. From a report: The EU’s Chips Act, which was approved by the European Parliament earlier this month, will take effect once it’s published in the bloc’s Official Journal. The European Commission first proposed the $47.5 billion Chips Act as part of an ambitious goal of producing 20% of the world’s semiconductors by 2030. Numerous companies, including Intel and STMicroelectronics, have already announced new sites in Europe.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – EU Enacts Billion Chips Act in Bid To Boost Production
This Refurbished MacBook Pro Is $470 Right Now

This refurbished MacBook Pro is on sale for $469.99. It was originally manufactured in 2017 and great for budget-conscious students or professionals. You won’t want to get this computer if you need a laptop that can run heavy art programs with all your Google Chrome tabs open, but it’s worth considering if you need a…
Source: LifeHacker – This Refurbished MacBook Pro Is 0 Right Now
I Played The World’s Largest Donkey Kong Arcade Game And Lived

You would never guess it, but The Strong National Museum of Play in the great, gray Rust Belt city of Rochester, New York houses the world’s largest operational Donkey Kong arcade machine. It’s almost 20 feet tall, says a press release from this spring, and intended to act as a “playful, whimsical installation” in a…
Source: Kotaku – I Played The World’s Largest Donkey Kong Arcade Game And Lived
Trademark Disputes Could Mean Elon’s ‘X’ Is Already Fxxked

Despite Elon Musk’s intentions to rebrand the bird app into a dull, bland, easily copied “X,” the billionaire tech mogul might have a few roadblocks standing in his way since every company under the sun has already called dibs on the letter. There are hundreds of companies with a trademark on “X,” and many could be…
Source: Gizmodo – Trademark Disputes Could Mean Elon’s ‘X’ Is Already Fxxked
Ace Back To School With These Best Buy Killer Gaming Laptop Deals Up To 45% Off
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Having a bout of the back-to-school blues as summer rushes by? Well, let’s turn that frown into a gigantic grin giddy with anticipation, because while you’re stocking up on essentials for the upcoming school year, we’ve rounded up a whole bunch of gaming laptops that are equally suitable for schoolwork and play. And there’s still time left
Source: Hot Hardware – Ace Back To School With These Best Buy Killer Gaming Laptop Deals Up To 45% Off
GM announces a new Ultium-based Chevrolet Bolt during Q2 report
Enlarge (credit: Jeffrey Sauger for Chevrole)
One of the first modern mass-market electric vehicles we tested remains one of our favorites. It’s the Chevrolet Bolt, which we first sampled at CES in 2016, then drove for real when it went on sale the following year. A fun-to-drive hatchback that could feel a little spartan—some people hate the seats in early models—it was also quite affordable, with prices dropping well below $30,000 for a car with a range of 259 miles (417 km).
Understandably we were pretty upset to learn that General Motors was calling time on this solid little EV; in April this year it announced it was ending the product line. But today, during GM’s Q2 results call, CEO Mary Barra revealed the Bolt will be back.
“Our customers love today’s Bolt. It has been delivering record sales and some of the highest customer satisfaction and loyalty scores in the industry,” said Barra. “It’s also an important source of conquest sales for the company and for Chevrolet. We will keep the momentum going by delivering a new Bolt… and we will execute it more quickly compared to an all-new program with significantly lower engineering expense and capital investment by updating the vehicle with Ultium and Ultifi technologies and by applying our ‘winning with simplicity’ discipline,” Barra said.
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Source: Ars Technica – GM announces a new Ultium-based Chevrolet Bolt during Q2 report
Drizzle a Little Honey on Your Tomatoes

One of my favorite sides is exceedingly simple: sliced, fresh tomatoes with a little salt (extra credit if they’re served on Blue Willow china). Ripe summer tomatoes don’t need much adornment, and I tend to be mulish about involving unnecessary ingredients, so when I saw a woman drizzling honey on her tomato toast,…
Source: LifeHacker – Drizzle a Little Honey on Your Tomatoes