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Submission Summary: 0 pending, 16 declined, 18 accepted (34 total, 52.94% accepted)

Submission + - EventBrite is being acquired by BendingSpoons (morningbrew.com)

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: The Italian company BendingSpoons seems to be on an acquisitions spree. Their recent Acquisitions of AOL [https://f6ffb3fa-34ce-43c1-939d-77e64deb3c0c.atarimworker.io/story/25/10/29/1631223/aol-to-be-sold-to-bending-spoons-for-roughly-15-billion] and Vimeo [https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F25%2F09%2F10%2F1853252%2Fbending-spoons-buys-video-platform-vimeo-for-138-billion] are not yet finalized, yet on Dec 02, they anounced they are buying EventBrite (a company specializing in publicizing and organizing local events) for "just half a milliard U$D. Bending Sppons portfolio also includes other companies like Evernote and WeTransfer.

Submission + - PSA for all Synology users, DSM 7.3 arrived

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: As a PSA For all Synology users:

DSM 7.3 arrived Oct 8, 2025. The most interesting user facing feature is that now ExFAT support is free. The release notes are here:
https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.synology.com%2Fen-us...

DSM 7.1 is already unsupported and DSM7.2 will be unsupported in Dec 2025. The support lifecycle is here:
https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fkb.synology.com%2Fen-my%2F...

Each time synology does a DSM7.3 update, it means that bad actors get a good idea where to strike DSM 7.1 (and, from Jan 2026 onwards, DSM 7.2).

If you are running DSM 7.1 you need to do a good backup and then migrate to 7.3 ASAP... OR... take steps to airgap/protect/harden your DSM 7.1 box.
If you are runnig DSM72. Plan Ahead.

Submission + - Firefox 140 arrived, the most important feature: Is an ESR

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: Firefox 140 just landed. Some user facing features include:
Vertical Tabs: You can now keep more — or fewer — pinned tabs in view for quicker access to important windows. Just drag the divider to resize your pinned tabs section.
You can now unload tabs by right-clicking on a tab (or multiple selected tabs) and selecting "Unload Tab". This can speed up performance by reducing Firefox's memory and CPU usage.
( https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mozilla.org%2Fen-US%2F... )

But the most important feature: Is an ESR. Why are ESR so important?
ESR is the firefox version that ships as default with many a Linux distro.
Some downstream projects (like Waterfox) depend on the ESR version.
Many enterprise SW is tested only against ESR.
When features are droped (like older OSs or Flash) ESR keeps the functionality for longer.

And speaking of old operating systems, if you are using Win7 or 8.1, or MacOS 10.12~10.15 please notice that FireFox ESR 115 (the last version which supports said OSs) will be keept patched until at least Sept 2025 ( https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwhattrainisitnow.com%2Fr... )

So one can see why the ESR is very important for some people.

Submission + - Spirit Airlines files for Chapter 11 (apnews.com)

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: Remember when in 2023 Jetblue tried to merge with spirit and word + dog (including /. ) said "no, this will diminish competition" ?

And remember in early 2024 when a federal judge in 2024 blocked the merger ( https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fbusine... ) and world+dog (including /. ) said "great! This will preserve competition! " ?

well, abot that...

https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapnews.com%2Farticle%2Fspi... ... spirit airlines just entered chapter 11.

Will it raise like a phoenix?

or its carcass will be picked apart by more powerfull rivals?

only time will tell

Submission + - FireFox 128 is here, and the most important feature is: It's an ESR

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: Mozilla has released version 128 of the Firefox web browser. Some noteworthy features include: "Firefox can now translate selections of text and hyperlinked text to other languages from the context menu. [...] Firefox now has a simpler and more unified dialog for clearing user data. In addition to streamlining data categories, the new dialog also provides insights into the site data size corresponding to the selected time range. [...] On macOS, microphone capture through getUserMedia will now use system-provided voice processing when applicable, improving audio quality." More info in the release notes here: https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mozilla.org%2Fen-US%2F...

But the most important feature of 128 is that it is the newest ESR. Why is this important? Glad you asked:

* Firefox ESR is the browser of choice for many Linux distros (including Debian), so this is important for the Linux comunity at large.
* Many downstream projects (like Thunderbird or KAiOS) use Firefox ESR as their base, so whatever is included in 128 will determine the capabilities of those projects for the next year.
* Many ISVs (software makers), both big and small, test/certify their software only against the ESR version of Firefox. For users of such software, the new ESR is very important.
* Many companies and individuals value stability of the UI/Workflow over new bells and whistles, for them, ESR is important.
* When an OS is discontinued, Mozilla lets the ESR be the last browser on the platform, exceeding the support window of the likes of Alphabeth, Apple or Microsoft, so for people on older OSs, ESR is important.

Link to download (the ESR) here:

https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mozilla.org%2Fen-US%2F...

Submission + - OpenELA drops first RHEL 8&9 "Enterprise Linux" compatible source code (theregister.com)

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: In the ongoing battle between Red Hat and other "Enterprise Linux — RHEL compatible" distros, today the OpenELA (Open Enterprise Linux Association), a body Consisting of CIQ (stewards of Rocky Linux), Oracle and Suse, released source code for a generic "Enterprise Linux Distro" (Sources available for RHEL8 and RHEL9). Also a Steering Comitee for the foundation was also formed.

War between Red Hat and what they call "clones" (Mostly Oracle. CentOS, Rocky, Alma and others seem to be collateral damage) has been raging on for years.

First, in 2011, RedHat chaged the way they distributed Kernel Patches: https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Flinux.slashdot.org%2Fsto...

Then in 2014, RedHat absorbed CentOS.

In 2019 RedHat tranformed CentOS to CentOS stream, and shoteneed support Timetables for CentOS 8, all out of the blue.

Then, in 2023, RedHat severely restricted Soruce Code access to non-customers.

What will be RedHat's reaction to this development?

My bet is that they will stop to release source code of distro modules under BSD, MIT, APACHE and MPL Licenses for RHEL and in certain Windows for CentOS Stream.

What is your bet?

Let us know in the comments.

Submission + - Firefox 115 released, and its most important feature: It is the new ESR (mozilla.org)

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: Today, mozilla released Firefox 115 ( https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mozilla.org%2Fen-US%2F... ). Changes most visible to users include:

* Hardware video decoding enabled for Intel GPUs on Linux.

* Migrating from another browser? Now you can bring over payment methods you've saved in Chrome-based browsers to Firefox.

* The Tab Manager dropdown now features close buttons, so you can close tabs more quickly.

* The Firefox for Android address bar's new search button allows you to easily switch between search engines and search your bookmarks and browsing history.

* We've refreshed and streamlined the user interface for importing data in from other browsers.

* Users without platform support for H264 video decoding can now fallback to Cisco's OpenH264 plugin for playback.

But the most important feature is that this release is the new ESR. Why this is important? y'all ask, well:

* Many a "downstream" project depends on Firefox ESR, for example the famous email client Thunderbird, or KaiOS (a mobile OS very popular in India, SE Asia, Africa and LatAm), so, for better or worse, whatever made it to (or is lacking from) this version of the browser, those projects have to use for the next year.

* Firefox ESR is the default browser of many distros, like Debian and Kali Linux, so, whatever made it to this version will be there for next year, ditto to whatever is lacking.

* If you are on old & unsupported OSs, like Windows 7, 8 & 8.1 or MacOS 10.14 (Mojave, the last MacOS with support for 32 Bit Apps), 10.13 or 10.12 you will automatically be migrated to Firefox ESR, so this will be your browser until ( Sept. 2024 https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.mozilla.org%2Fen... )

* Many large organizations use FireFox ESR extensively.

* Many software providers test/certify their SW for FireFox only on the ESR variant.

Download it today from Mozilla (like I'll do), or, if you are on ESR 102, you can wait 8 weeks and it will be offered to you by the automatic update route.

Submission + - Backblaze finds SSDs are more reliable than HDDs, but just 'by this much'

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: The fine folks at Backblaze have published their first ever report that includes their SSD fleet. To the surprise of no one, SSDs are more more reliable (0.98% AFR) than HDDs (1.64% AFR). The surprising thing thing was how small the difference is (0.66% AFR).

The Full blogpost is here: https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.backblaze.com%2Fblog...

A TL;DR article by well regarded storage reporter Chris Mellor is here: https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblocksandfiles.com%2F202...

Also worthy of note: S.M.A.R.T. attribute usage among SSD makers is neitther standarized, nor very smart:

"Klein notes that the SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) used for drive state reporting is applied inconsistently by manufacturers. “Terms like wear leveling, endurance, lifetime used, life used, LBAs [Logical Block Address] written, LBAs read, and so on are used inconsistently between manufacturers, often using different SMART attributes, and sometimes they are not recorded at all.”

That means you can’t use such SMART statistics to make valid comparisons between the drives. Come on, manufacturers. Standardize your SMART numbers."

Submission + - Amazon to get the rights for WH40K Henry Cavil to executive produce and Act

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: Both ArsTechnica ( https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Farstechnica.com%2Fgaming... ) and TheRegister ( https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theregister.com%2F20... ) report that Amazon, Vertigo, and Games Worksop have entered a preliminary deal for the Movies/TV/Merchandising rights of the Warhammer 40K franchise. The deal also brings (long time Warhammer 40K fan) Herny Cavil as both Executive producer and actor.

While this is only a MoU, is highly likely that the deal will pass.

What is still not clear is if this will be handled by MGM (meaning a higher probability of theatrical release4s and Physical media) or if it will go to Amazon Studiuos (increasing the probability of a streaming only affaire), or both.

What is your oppinion? Let us know in the comments.

Submission + - Mozilla Releases Firefox 102 (and it is an ESR) (mozilla.org)

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: Today, Mozilla released Firefox 102.
https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mozilla.org%2Fen-US%2F...

New features include:
* Tired of too many windows crowding your screen? You can now disable automatic opening of the download panel every time a new download starts. Read more.
* Firefox now mitigates query parameter tracking when navigating sites in ETP strict mode.
* Subtitles and captions for Picture-in-Picture (PiP) are now available at HBO Max, Funimation, Dailymotion, Tubi, Disney+ Hotstar, and SonyLIV. This allows you to view video in a small window pinned to a corner of the screen while navigating between apps or browsing content on the main screen.

But do not get fooled, the most important feature is that this release is an ESR, this is super-important of a host of reasons:

* Firefox ESR is the basis for KaiOS (an evolution of BootToGecko), an OS for Semi-Smart Phones very popular in India (100milion+), SE Asia + Africa (~60Milion), so, whatever made the cut in 102 will define the base capabilities for KaiOS for the next year

* Firefox ESR is the basis for Thunderbird, so, if you use Thunderbird or a derivative, whatever made the cut in 102 will underpin Thunderbird for the next year.

* Many popular Linux distros (like Debian or Kali) use Firefox ESR as the default browser.

* Many companies and organizations use Firefox ESR as their default browser, and many SW development companies certify Firefox ESR as an alowed browser for their SW.

So, 102 is a very important release, becuase it brings a year of advances to ESR.

Submission + - Firefox 78.0 is out (and the ESR too) (theregister.com)

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: FireFox 78.0 is out.

The Register reports:
" Among the most important user facing features is Protections Dashboard, a screen which shows trackers and scripts blocked, a link to the settings, a link to Firefox Monitor for checking your email address against known data breaches, and a button for password management."

There are also plenty of goodies for Developers.

Also, since this relase IS an ESR, it means that, if you stick with it, you get no changes (only security patches) for a year, and also the blessing (or curse) of having flash installed and functioning until about Aug/Sept 2021

Submission + - Linus Torvalds drops Intel and adopts 32-core AMD Ryzen on personal PC (theregister.co.uk)

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: From TFA:
In his weekly State of the Kernel post Torvalds released Linux 5.7 rc7, [...] then offered this remark:
“In fact, the biggest excitement this week for me was just that I upgraded my main machine, and for the first time in about 15 years, my desktop isn't Intel-based. No, I didn't switch to ARM yet, but I'm now rocking an AMD Threadripper 3970x. My 'allmodconfig' test builds are now three times faster than they used to be, which doesn't matter so much right now during the calming down period, but I will most definitely notice the upgrade during the next merge window.”

Good endorsement for AMD, a PR blow for Intel.

Submission + - Toshiba published a ful list of all their drives using SMR (blocksandfiles.com)

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: Toshiba has just published a full list of all the consumer HDDs in their lineup that use SMR ( https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblocksandfiles.com%2F202... ) From the article: "Toshiba uses SMR technology – previously undocumented – in several desktop drives and in some video surveillance HDDs : P300 6TB, P300 4TB, DT02 6TB, DT02 4TB, DT02-V 6TB and DT02-V 4TB. [...] The company does not use SMR in the N300, a NAS drive intended for the consumer market – unlike Western Digital which uses SMR in some low-end WD Red NAS devices." This comes after the whole submarine consumer SMR HDDs fiasco (reported on /. here: https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhardware.slashdot.org%2F... ), and fresh on Western Digital publishing a full list of all their consumer HDDs using SMR (reported on /. here: https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhardware.slashdot.org%2F... )... With this, Seagate is the only HDD vendor which has not yet published a full list of their consumer HDDs using SMR.

Submission + - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group are merging (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: This puts Alfa Romeo, Citro"en, Chrysler, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, and Vauxhall under a single corporate parent and will merge operations. PSA Group boss Carlos Tavares will be CEO of the 11-person board, with FCA's John Elkann as chair. Fiat Chrysler and PSA said that the 50:50 merger should save more than $4 billion (€3.7 billion) a year from "run-rate synergies without any plant closures. " Why is this news for nerds and stuff that matters? Because there are car nerds too, and cars use a lot of software nowadays.

Submission + - Venezuela's Govt. Owned ISP CANTV blocked Access to Wikipedia

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: Venezuela's largest ISP, CANTV, owned by the Venezuelan Goverment, blocked Access to Wikipedia today. Possibly because an Edit war on pages concerning the renovation of goverment amid a majority of world countries not recognizing it.

The method used seems to be to intercept the SSL handshake and not a simple DNS block.

As of now, the situation is developing. There were no links that could be found.

NOTE: I am a Venezuelan in Venezuela.

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