179616760
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
A new study from UserTesting suggests AI will play a surprisingly big role in holiday shopping this year. One in three consumers across the U.S., U.K., and Australia say they plan to use AI to brainstorm gift ideas, track deals, and even verify whether Black Friday discounts are worth the hype. Among Gen Z, the number jumps to more than half, with many reporting they now trust AI gift recommendations as much as those from friends or family. Despite inflation and tariffs, spending is expected to rise, with U.S. shoppers averaging $449 compared to $423 last year.
Still, the picture isnâ(TM)t entirely rosy. Over a third of shoppers believe Black Friday deals are no better than sales throughout the year, and frustrations like high shipping costs, product shortages, and restrictive return policies continue to weigh on buying decisions. Concerns about data privacy and scams also linger, yet most agree AI will change shopping in the next few years. The mix of optimism, skepticism, and reliance on digital tools makes 2025 one of the most unusual holiday seasons in recent memory.
179616460
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Microsoft is celebrating its 50th anniversary in an unusual way: with Crocs. The company has revealed a Microsoft Limited Edition Crocs Bundle that puts a nostalgic spin on footwear, including shoes inspired by Windows XP.
The bundle comes with Crocs styled after the iconic operating system, custom Jibbitz charms, and a drawstring bag featuring the famous Bliss wallpaper. That green hill and blue sky photo from Sonoma County, California became a cultural touchstone for millions of Windows XP users in the early 2000s. Now, more than two decades later, it returns in the form of fashion.
179593798
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
NASA has awarded Solstar Space a $150,000 SBIR Phase I contract to develop a Lunar Wi-Fi Access Point (LWIFI-AP). The system is designed to provide wireless connectivity for astronauts, rovers, and orbiting spacecraft as part of the Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services programs. Solstarâ(TM)s goal is to build a space-rated, multi-band, multi-protocol access point that can survive radiation, extreme lunar temperatures, and other harsh conditions. NASA has identified Wi-Fi and 3GPP standards as core communication needs across mission systems ranging from the Human Landing System and Lunar Terrain Vehicle to the Lunar Gateway.
Although this is only an early-stage contract, Solstarâ(TM)s proposal addresses a clear gap in space-qualified networking hardware. The company says that just as Wi-Fi transformed daily life on Earth, it will be equally important for living and working on the Moon. If the project advances, astronauts could soon be relying on familiar wireless technology that has been adapted for one of the most challenging environments in existence.
179578974
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Electronic Arts has agreed to a $55 billion buyout by Saudi Arabiaâ(TM)s Public Investment Fund (PIF), private equity firm Silver Lake, and Jared Kushnerâ(TM)s Affinity Partners, marking the largest all-cash sponsor take-private deal ever. Shareholders will receive $210 per share, a 25 percent premium over EAâ(TM)s unaffected price, and once the transaction closes the company will be delisted from public markets. EA CEO Andrew Wilson will remain in charge, with the group arguing that private ownership will allow the publisher to innovate faster and expand its global footprint.
The deal, however, is already sparking controversy. PIF, a sovereign wealth fund controlled by the Saudi government, will effectively gain control of one of the most influential names in gaming. While investors stand to profit, many gamers and industry watchers are concerned about how Saudi ownership could shape EAâ(TM)s creative direction, monetization strategies, and role in esports. With regulatory approvals still pending, the takeover raises difficult questions about the intersection of gaming, politics, and global soft power.
179532800
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Cloudflare has revealed something I did not see coming. The company, best known for protecting and accelerating websites, is now introducing a stablecoin called NET Dollar. A U.S. dollar-backed cryptocurrency from Cloudflare feels unusual to me, and Iâ(TM)m still surprised by it. The decision shows just how much the Internet is shifting in response to artificial intelligence.
NET Dollar is meant to support instant, secure payments for what Cloudflare calls the âoeagentic web.â In this future, AI agents handle tasks such as booking flights, buying groceries, and managing calendars. For that kind of automation, the money itself needs to move instantly, work globally, and be trustworthy. Cloudflare believes NET Dollar will fill that role.
CEO Matthew Prince said, âoeFor decades, the business model of the Internet ran on ad platforms and bank transfers. The Internetâ(TM)s next business model will be powered by pay-per-use, fractional payments, and microtransactionsâ"tools that shift incentives toward original, creative content that actually adds value.â He added that by using its global network, Cloudflare aims to âoehelp modernize the financial rails needed to move money at the speed of the Internet.â
Cloudflare says NET Dollar will make payments possible anywhere in the world, across currencies and borders. It will allow personal AI agents to act instantly, such as paying for a plane ticket the moment a price drops, while business AI agents could be programmed to release payment as soon as a delivery is confirmed. The company also expects creators, developers, and content providers to benefit from easier monetization.
Alongside NET Dollar, Cloudflare is contributing to open standards like the Agent Payments Protocol and x402. These are intended to simplify how payments move across the Internet.
I remain shocked that Cloudflare is taking this step. It feels odd to see a company rooted in security and performance suddenly create a digital currency. Still, AI is reshaping the Internet faster than many expected, and Cloudflare clearly wants to position itself at the center of how payments will work in that world. Whether NET Dollar becomes widely adopted or fades as an experiment, the launch is a reminder that the financial side of the Internet may look very different in the years ahead.
179516368
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Cloudflare has unveiled the Content Signals Policy, a free addition to its managed robots.txt service that aims to give website owners and publishers more control over how their content is accessed and reused by AI companies.
The idea is pretty simple: robots.txt already lets site operators specify which crawlers can enter and where. Cloudflareâ(TM)s new policy adds a layer that signals how the data may be used once accessed, with plain-language terms for search, AI input, and AI training. âoeYesâ means allowed, âoenoâ means not allowed, and no signal means no preference.
Matthew Prince, Cloudflareâ(TM)s co-founder and CEO, said: âoeThe Internet cannot wait for a solution, while in the meantime, creatorsâ(TM) original content is used for profit by other companies. To ensure the web remains open and thriving, weâ(TM)re giving website owners a better way to express how companies are allowed to use their content.â
Cloudflare says more than 3.8 million domains already use its robots.txt tools to signal they donâ(TM)t want their content used for AI training. Now, the Content Signals Policy makes those preferences clearer and potentially enforceable.
Danielle Coffey of the News/Media Alliance called it âoean important step towards empowering publishers of all sizes to reclaim control over their own content.â Meanwhile, Stack Overflow CEO Prashanth Chandrasekar pointed to his companyâ(TM)s large corpus of developer Q&A and said he applauds Cloudflare âoefor playing a central role to empower and protect content creators in this new AI era.â
Starting today, the new policy language will be automatically added to Cloudflare-managed robots.txt files for customers who opt in. For others, Cloudflare is publishing tools to help them declare content preferences manually. Whether AI companies will respect these signals remains uncertain, but Cloudflare is betting that legal clarity and public pressure will push them to comply.
179460328
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Mac users have a new reason to be cautious when downloading software. LastPass has revealed that cybercriminals are running a large-scale campaign using fraudulent GitHub repositories to trick people into installing the Atomic Stealer (AMOS) malware.
The LastPass Threat Intelligence, Mitigation, and Escalation (TIME) team discovered the effort, which uses aggressive Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics to push malicious links to the top of Google and Bing results. The attackers create GitHub pages impersonating companies such as LastPass, 1Password, Citibank, Fidelity, Docker, Dropbox, Shopify, and dozens more. Once clicked, the repositories redirect victims to malicious websites that instruct them to run terminal commands on their Macs. Those commands eventually pull down the Atomic Stealer payload.
LastPass says it immediately reported and helped take down multiple GitHub pages targeting its own customers. One example involved a repository that pretended to offer âoeInstall LastPass on MacBook,â which funneled users through a series of redirects until they unknowingly executed a CURL command that decoded into a malicious download from bonoud[.]com. That file planted the infostealer under the guise of an âoeUpdateâ process.
Atomic Stealer is not new. It has been circulating since at least April 2023 and is associated with financially motivated groups that focus on harvesting passwords, crypto wallet keys, and other sensitive information. This latest campaign simply repackages an old threat in a new delivery method, using GitHubâ(TM)s trusted reputation and search visibility to ensnare victims.
The list of impersonated brands is long. Beyond password managers and financial firms, the attackers set up GitHub repos imitating software projects like Audacity, Thunderbird, Docker, Notion, Obsidian, and even Adobeâ(TM)s After Effects. This shows a broad shotgun-style approach rather than a narrow focus.
LastPass has shared a full set of Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) to help defenders identify infections and related infrastructure. Security teams can use these to block known domains and hashes linked to the campaign. The company is continuing to monitor the operation and warns that the same actors may quickly create new repositories after takedowns.
For everyday users, the advice is simple but critical: do not install software from random GitHub pages or unfamiliar websites, even if they appear high in search results. Download only from official company sites or trusted app stores.
LastPass stresses that protecting users is its top priority and says it will keep collaborating with industry partners to disrupt the attackers. But at the end of the day, personal vigilance remains the best defense.
179345760
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Tails 7.0 has officially arrived, marking the first release of the privacy-focused, Linux-based operating system based on Debian 13 âoeTrixieâ and GNOME 48 âoeBengaluru.â This update delivers faster startup times, refreshed applications, and stronger hardware support.
One of the most noticeable improvements is boot speed. Thanks to a switch from xz to zstd compression, Tails now starts 10 to 15 seconds quicker on most machines. The tradeoff is a slightly larger image size, but for users with reliable USB sticks the difference in speed is worth it. The developers caution that low-quality USB drives could still cause slower boots.
Software updates are a major part of this release. GNOME Terminal has been replaced by GNOME Console, and GNOME Image Viewer has been swapped for GNOME Loupe. Key applications have been updated as well, including Tor Browser 14.5.7, Tor client 0.4.8.17, Thunderbird 128.14.0esr, Electrum 4.5.8, KeePassXC 2.7.10, GIMP 3.0.4, Inkscape 1.4, and Audacity 3.7.3. The Text Editor and Document Scanner also get substantial upgrades.
GNOME itself sees a wave of improvements. The Settings app now has redesigned sections for sound, accessibility, and input. New accessibility features include Overamplification and always-visible scrollbars. Other changes include a workspace indicator replacing the Activities button, better screen reader navigation, and an option to extend battery life in laptops. While GNOME 48 is a polished release, itâ(TM)s worth noting that GNOME 49 was released just yesterday, which makes Tails 7.0 feel slightly behind the curve from day one.
Some older tools have been removed, such as unar, aircrack-ng, and the Power Statistics utility, but alternatives remain. File Roller still handles most RAR archives, and aircrack-ng can be reinstalled if needed using Additional Software.
Under the hood, the Linux kernel has been updated to 6.12.43, boosting compatibility with newer graphics cards and Wi-Fi hardware. Memory requirements have also increased from 2GB to 3GB, though the developers expect this will affect very few users.
Tails 7.0 is a huge step for anyone who values privacy and security. With faster performance, updated apps, and better hardware support, it continues to be one of the most important Linux-based tools for staying anonymous online.
179288022
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
The Fedora Project has announced Fedora Linux 43 Beta, giving users and developers the opportunity to test the distribution ahead of its final release. This beta introduces improvements across installation, system tools, and programming languages while continuing Fedoraâ(TM)s pattern of cleaning out older components.
The beta can be downloaded in Workstation, KDE Plasma, Server, IoT, and Cloud editions. Spins and Labs are also available, though Mate and i3 are not provided in some builds. Existing systems can be upgraded with DNF system-upgrade. Fedora CoreOS will follow one week later through its âoenextâ stream.
Installer changes are a major focus in Fedora 43. The Anaconda WebUI is now the default across Spins, creating a consistent and modern setup experience. The installer has also moved to DNF5, replacing DNF4. Support for modular packages has been removed, simplifying the installation process further. Fedora Kinoite now enables automatic updates by default, applying fixes in the background and finalizing them after reboot.
Fedora 43 updates its core development tools. The GNU toolchain has been refreshed with gcc 15.2, glibc 2.42, binutils 2.45, and gdb 17.1. LLVM has been updated to version 21. Perl moves to 5.42, and OpenJDK 25 is now the preferred Java version. RPM itself jumps to 6.0, bringing structural changes for packagers. Package maintainers also benefit from new RPM macros for build flags, easing per-package compiler adjustments.
On the language front, Python has been updated to version 3.14. Go 1.25 is included, with Golang packages now vendored by default to improve reproducibility. Idris 2 makes its debut, offering advanced type system features. Haskell GHC is updated to 9.8 with Stackage 23. The release also introduces support for the Hare programming language, which is still under development but available for experimentation.
Other notable updates include PostgreSQL 18, Ruby on Rails 8.0, MySQL 8.4 as the default version, Dovecot 2.4, and Tomcat 10.1. Fedora CoreOS is now built with Containerfile, allowing Podman users to build locally. Greenboot has been rewritten in Rust, and SELinux handling sees adjustments with reduced âoedontauditâ rules.
Fedora 43 also makes graphical and user-facing changes. Noto Color Emoji now uses the newer COLRv1 format, improving scalability. GNOME is now Wayland-only, retiring the old X11 session. The default monospace fallback font has been set to avoid inconsistent text rendering.
Deprecated or removed components include the gold linker, python-nose, YASM, legacy GTK Rust bindings, and outdated Python RPM macros tied to setup.py. Packages depending on async-std and python-async-timeout are also being phased out.
179261332
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Canonical is making life a whole lot easier for developers who rely on NVIDIA GPUs. The publisher of Ubuntu has announced that the NVIDIA CUDA toolkit will now be distributed straight through Ubuntuâ(TM)s repositories. No more chasing downloads from NVIDIAâ(TM)s website or dealing with a long list of installation steps. Soon, a single command inside Ubuntu will get CUDA up and running.
CUDA is the platform that lets developers push NVIDIA graphics cards beyond gaming and into serious number crunching. It gives direct access to GPU threads, memory handling, and kernels, which makes it essential for machine learning and large-scale computing tasks. While Ubuntu users have always had access to CUDA, setting it up hasnâ(TM)t exactly been seamless. Canonicalâ(TM)s change aims to fix that.
This isnâ(TM)t some new partnership either. Canonical and NVIDIA have worked closely for years, with Ubuntu already being the go-to Linux distribution for data centers running GPU workloads. By distributing CUDA inside Ubuntu, Canonical is basically removing one of the last headaches for developers who want to get straight to building and testing their apps.
For anyone managing systems at scale, this could be a big time-saver. Developers will be able to list CUDA as a dependency, and Ubuntu will handle the installation and compatibility behind the scenes. Thatâ(TM)s a huge shift from the current multi-step process, and it means fewer things breaking in production.
It also ties neatly into Ubuntuâ(TM)s overall approach. Canonical has long promoted its secure supply chain, LTS releases, and the extended coverage available through Ubuntu Pro. Now CUDA falls under the same umbrella, which gives enterprises more confidence that their AI workloads will stay reliable over the long haul.
If youâ(TM)re a developer, the takeaway is simple: youâ(TM)ll spend less time wrestling with installs and more time writing code. Canonical putting CUDA inside Ubuntuâ(TM)s repositories just makes sense, and itâ(TM)s a move that should benefit everyone from solo developers to massive data centers.
179231628
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Buying a car is one of the biggest financial moves most people make, and it rarely feels simple. Prices are high nowadays, financing is confusing, and every website claims to have the right answer. When it came time to replace my 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport with 45,000 miles, I wanted a smarter way to cut through the noise. So I leaned on ChatGPT 5, the newest generation of AI, to see if it could help me make a clearer decision.
This was not an experiment for fun. It was a real purchase that mattered to my family. With a toddler and more road trips ahead of us, the Rogue Sport just was not cutting it anymore. It was starting to feel cramped, and I knew it would not hold up trouble free forever (its CVT is notoriously problematic). Trading it in before it hit 50,000 miles made sense, but deciding what to buy next was the real challenge.
At the end of it all, I drove home a used Honda Pilot EX-L. It may not be the flashiest option, but it was the most balanced. Big enough for road trips, dependable enough for long term peace of mind, and comfortable for family life. Trading in the cramped Rogue Sport for the roomy Pilot felt like the right move, a big step up that matched our needs without creating new headaches. Most importantly, I love it.
The truth is, I probably would have gotten to the Pilot eventually. But ChatGPT 5 helped me cut the noise, confirm the facts, and feel confident that I was not missing something better. That confidence changed the whole experience.
179162502
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Artificial intelligence is often blamed when companies announce layoffs, but new data shows the picture is far less dramatic. While some tasks are being reshaped by AI, most jobs are not disappearing. The bigger problem comes from business leaders choosing cuts instead of retraining.
TechWolf, a workforce intelligence company, has released its Workforce Intelligence Index. It draws on more than two billion job postings collected worldwide between 2015 and 2025. The numbers tell a different story from the headlines. Only 18 percent of tasks can be fully automated. About 62 percent of work remains entirely human. Another 38 percent falls into the category of disruption, meaning tasks that can be either automated or augmented by AI.
That means most workers are not being replaced. They are facing change, and change can be managed through reskilling. According to the data, 75 percent of employees at large technology firms have the potential to retrain into AI-augmented roles. Yet too often, companies fall back on layoffs, a move that may cut costs in the short term but weakens innovation and morale for years.
Engineering jobs are a prime example. These roles are often painted as endangered, especially with the rise of AI-assisted coding tools. The Index shows the opposite. Engineers are shifting into roles where AI speeds up development, improves code quality, and frees up time for more complex architecture and design work.
Some of the biggest names in tech highlight this potential. Microsoft shows 86 percent of its workforce could benefit from retraining. IBM sits at 85 percent, Dell at 79 percent, Apple at 75 percent, Cisco at 70 percent, and Qualcomm at 71 percent. In all of these cases, layoffs risk throwing away talent that could instead be retrained to master AI-driven tools.
The same trend shows up outside of tech. Healthcare workers can be trained to work alongside AI in diagnostics and administration. Retail employees can move from repetitive logistics tasks to data-driven customer engagement. Even within industries, the picture varies. For example, one pharmaceutical companyâ(TM)s supply chain may be ripe for AI adoption, while another companyâ(TM)s sales team shows little disruption.
The big takeaway is simple. AI is not triggering mass unemployment. It is reshaping tasks. The real damage comes when executives rush to layoffs instead of investing in their people. Companies that choose reskilling are better positioned to keep expertise, maintain culture, and capture the productivity gains that AI can actually deliver.
179110096
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Microsoft has decided it is time to rein in remote work. The company will soon require employees to spend at least three days per week in the office, starting with those in the Puget Sound region by February 2026. From there, the policy will spread across the United States and eventually overseas.
The announcement came in a memo from Amy Coleman, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer. She reminded staff how work has evolved over the decades, from the old days of desktop machines in the office to the pandemic era when working from home became normal. Coleman claimed that Microsoftâ(TM)s own data shows people thrive when they are together in person, saying teams are more energized, deliver stronger results, and drive the kind of collaboration needed to build its next wave of AI tools.
That may be the official line, but I think forcing employees back into the office nowadays is rotten. It feels like a step backwards at a time when workers have already proven they can get the job done from home. While the company insists this is not about cutting staff, the underlying message is clear: Microsoft wants people at desks again, whether itâ(TM)s truly necessary or not.
Exceptions can be requested, but managers are expected to enforce the rule and guide their teams through the change. The company also said it is beefing up safety and security measures at its offices to help ease the transition.
For employees outside of Puget Sound, nothing changes immediately, but new timelines for other U.S. regions are on the way. International offices will follow in 2026.
The bottom line? Remote work at Microsoft is being chipped away, and many workers who built their lives around flexibility will be left scrambling to adjust. To me, itâ(TM)s a disappointing move that ignores the lessons of the past few years.
179093588
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Plex has alerted its customers about a security incident that may have affected user accounts. In an email sent to subscribers, the popular media server company confirmed that an unauthorized third party gained access to one of its databases. The breach exposed emails, usernames, and hashed passwords.
Plex emphasized that passwords were encrypted following best practices, so attackers cannot simply read them. The company also reassured users that no credit card data was compromised, since Plex does not store that information on its servers. Still, out of caution, it is requiring all account holders to reset their credentials.
Users are being directed to reset their passwords at plex.tv/reset. During the process, Plex recommends enabling the option to sign out all connected devices. This measure logs out every device associated with the account, including Plex Media Servers, forcing a fresh login with the updated password.
The company says it has already fixed the method used by the intruder to gain entry and is conducting additional security reviews. Plex is also urging subscribers to enable two-factor authentication if they have not already done so.
In its message, Plex stressed that no employee will ever ask for a customerâ(TM)s password or payment details via email. The company closed by apologizing to users and promising to strengthen its defenses to avoid similar incidents in the future.
178994698
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Influencers are everywhere. A study from Casino.org estimates there are between 30 and 50 million of them worldwide, with that number growing by as much as 20 percent each year. For many, the lifestyle looks glamorous. But behind the brand trips and photo shoots is a grind that can have real consequences.
Ava is a glimpse into what an influencer of the future might look like by 2050. She is not just a thought experiment but a warning about what years of chasing trends, filters, and cosmetic fixes can do to a body.
The images of Ava were created by Casino.org as concept art, informed by medical research, to visualize how influencer habits might shape a personâ(TM)s health and appearance over decades. Put simply, this is what someone like iJustine (one of the internetâ(TM)s most enduring influencers) could look like if she kept living the lifestyle far into the future.
