The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is proposing to expand mandatory social media screening, currently required only for new arrivals, to include all non-citizens already residing in the U.S. who apply for immigration benefits. The Register reports: Back in 2019, the Department of Homeland Security, which runs USCIS, decided anyone looking to enter the US on a work visa or similar had to hand over their social media handles to the authorities so that they could be looked over for wrongdoing and subversion. In fact, this goes back to 2014, at least, to one degree or another, and has been standard procedure for years for foreigners, particularly those coming in on a visa. [...]
On January 20 this year, President Trump signed an executive order calling for much tougher vetting of foreign aliens, and in response, USCIS has proposed rules saying those already in the country who are going through some process with the agency -- such as applying for permanent residency or citizenship -- will have their social media scanned for subversion. That means if you came to America before foreigners' internet presence was screened as it now is, and you're now seeking some kind of immigration benefit, at this rate you'll be subject to the same scanning as those entering the Land of the Free today. The proposed changes have a 60-day comment period for the public to suggest amendments. The last day to send them in is May 5.
A new set of patches hitting the Linux kernel mailing list today may cause some flashbacks and likely not on your 2025 bingo card... Some DeviceTree updates for AMD's short-lived Opteron A1100 "Seattle" ARM SoC that was cancelled shortly after being announced back in 2016...
Google Gboard for Android is introducing circle or pill-shaped keys for some beta testers today. "Instead of the key borders being rounded rectangles, Gboard is switching to circles and pills for letters, while the space bar and other keys are now pill-shaped," reports 9to5Google. "While there should be no functional change to touch targets, these new shapes really shift the look of Gboard for Android." From the report: On paper, it's a bit more modern (and rounded) compared to what came before. However, it's a bit cramped if you have "Long press for symbols" enabled, which goes from the top-right corner to being directly above the letter. The physical analog Gboard is moving away from is how most keys on laptops and desktops are square.
Earlier this week, Meta chief product officer Chris Cox said the company's upcoming open-source Llama 4 AI will help power AI agents for hundreds of millions of businesses. CNBC reports: The AI agents won't just be responding to prompts. They will be capable of new levels of reasoning and action -- surfing the web and handling many tasks that might be of use to consumers and businesses. And that's where Shih comes in. Meta's AI is already being used by over 700 million consumers, according to Shih, and her job is to bring the same technologies to businesses. "Not every business, especially small businesses, has the ability to hire these large AI teams, and so now we're building business AIs for these small businesses so that even they can benefit from all of this innovation that's happening," she told CNBC's Julia Boorstin in an interview for the CNBC Changemakers Spotlight series.
She expects the uptake among businesses to happen soon, and spread far and wide. "We're quickly coming to a place where every business, from the very large to the very small, they're going to have a business agent representing it and acting on its behalf, in its voice -- the way that businesses today have websites and email addresses," Shih said. While major companies across sectors of the economy are investing millions of dollars to develop customer LLMs, "doing fancy things like fine tuning models," as Shih put it, "If you're a small business -- you own a coffee shop, you own a jewelry shop online, you're distributing through Instagram -- you don't have the resources to hire a big AI team, and so now our dream is that they won't have to."
For both consumers and businesses, the implications of the advances discussed by Cox and Shih will be significant in daily life. For consumers, Shih says, "Their AI assistant [will] do all kinds of things, from researching products to planning trips, planning social outings with their friends." On the business side, Shih pointed to the 200 million small businesses around the world that are already using Meta services and platforms. "They're using WhatsApp, they're using Facebook, they're using Instagram, both to acquire customers, but also engage and deepen each of those relationships. Very soon, each of those businesses are going to have these AIs that can represent them and help automate redundant tasks, help speak in their voice, help them find more customers and provide almost like a concierge service to every single one of their customers, 24/7."
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: The U.S. House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Alphabet on Thursday seeking its communications with former President Joe Biden's administration about content moderation policies. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, a Republican, also asked the YouTube parent company for similar communications with companies and groups outside government, according to a copy of the subpoena seen by Reuters. The subpoena seeks communications about limits or bans on content about President Donald Trump, Tesla CEO and close Trump ally Elon Musk, the virus that causes COVID-19 and a host of other conservative discussion topics. "Alphabet, to our knowledge, has not similarly disavowed the Biden-Harris Administration's attempts to censor speech," Jordan said in a letter.
Meanwhile, Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said the company will "continue to show the committee how we enforce our policies independently, rooted in our commitment to free expression."
1Password has introduced a 'nearby items' feature, allowing users to tag credentials with physical locations so the relevant information automatically surfaces when users are near those locations. Engadget reports: Location information can be added to any new or existing item in a 1Password vault. The app has also been updated with a map view for setting and viewing the locations of your items. In the blog post announcing the feature, the company cited examples such as door codes for a workplace, health records at a doctor's office, WiFi access at the gym and rewards membership information for local shops as potential uses for location data.
Privacy and security are paramount for a password manager, and 1Password confirmed that a user's location coordinates are only used locally and do not leave the device. Nearby items is available to 1Password customers starting today.
OpenAI's ChatGPT app for macOS now directly edits code in tools like Xcode, VS Code, and JetBrains. "Users can optionally turn on an 'auto-apply' mode so ChatGPT can make edits without the need for additional clicks," adds TechCrunch. The feature is available now for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team users, and will expand to Enterprise, Edu, and free users next week. Windows support is coming "soon." From the report: Direct code editing builds on OpenAI's "work with apps" ChatGPT capability, which the company launched in beta in November 2024. "Work with apps" allows the ChatGPT app for macOS to read code in a handful of dev-focused coding environments, minimizing the need to copy and paste code into ChatGPT. With the ability to directly edit code, ChatGPT now competes more directly with popular AI coding tools like Cursor and GitHub Copilot. OpenAI reportedly has ambitions to launch a dedicated product to support software engineering in the months ahead.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The Trump administration is eliminating a preference for fiber Internet in a $42.45 billion broadband deployment program, a change that is expected to reduce spending on the most advanced wired networks while directing more money to Starlink and other non-fiber Internet service providers. One report suggests Starlink could obtain $10 billion to $20 billion under the new rules. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick criticized the Biden administration's handling of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program in a statement yesterday. Lutnick said that "because of the prior Administration's woke mandates, favoritism towards certain technologies, and burdensome regulations, the program has not connected a single person to the Internet and is in dire need of a readjustment."
The BEAD program was authorized by Congress in November 2021, and the US was finalizing plans to distribute funding before Trump's inauguration. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the Commerce Department, developed rules for the program in the Biden era and approved initial funding plans submitted by every state and territory. The program has been on hold since the change in administration, with Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other Republicans seeking rule changes. In addition to demanding an end to the fiber preference, Cruz wants to kill a requirement that ISPs receiving network-construction subsidies provide cheap broadband to people with low incomes. Cruz also criticized "unionized workforce and DEI labor requirements; climate change assessments; excessive per-location costs; and other central planning mandates."
Lutnick's statement yesterday confirmed that the Trump administration will end the fiber preference and replace it with a "tech-neutral" set of rules, and explore additional changes. He said: "Under my leadership, the Commerce Department has launched a rigorous review of the BEAD program. The Department is ripping out the Biden Administration's pointless requirements. It is revamping the BEAD program to take a tech-neutral approach that is rigorously driven by outcomes, so states can provide Internet access for the lowest cost. Additionally, the Department is exploring ways to cut government red tape that slows down infrastructure construction. We will work with states and territories to quickly get rid of the delays and the waste. Thereafter we will move quickly to implementation in order to get households connected." Lutnick said the department's goal is to "deliver high-speed Internet access... efficiently and effectively at the lowest cost to taxpayers."
The upcoming Linux 6.15 kernel is expected to merge two new Direct Rendering Manager (DRM) display drivers for supporting the Apple Touch Bar displays on older Intel x86 Macs and a newer "ADP" driver for handling the Apple Touch Bar displays on the newer Apple M1/M2-powered MacBooks...
Global sea ice fell to a record low in February, scientists have said, a symptom of an atmosphere fouled by planet-heating pollutants. From a report: The combined area of ice around the north and south poles hit a new daily minimum in early February and stayed below the previous record for the rest of the month, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Thursday. "One of the consequences of a warmer world is melting sea ice," said the C3S deputy director, Samantha Burgess. "The record or near-record low sea ice cover at both poles has pushed global sea ice cover to an all-time minimum."
The agency found the area of sea ice hit its lowest monthly level for February in the Arctic, at 8% below average, and its fourth-lowest monthly level for February in the Antarctic, at 26% below average. Its satellite observations stretch back to the late 1970s and its historical observations to the middle of the 20th century. Scientists had already observed an extreme heat anomaly in the north pole at the start of February, which caused temperatures to soar more than 20C above average and cross the threshold for ice to melt. They described the latest broken record as "particularly worrying" because ice reflects sunlight and cools the planet. The agency found the area of sea ice hit its lowest monthly level for February in the Arctic, at 8% below average, and its fourth-lowest monthly level for February in the Antarctic, at 26% below average. Its satellite observations stretch back to the late 1970s and its historical observations to the middle of the 20th century.
Brother has rejected claims that its firmware updates intentionally disable printer functionality when third-party cartridges are installed. The controversy emerged after a YouTube video by Louis Rossman, which has garnered over 160,000 views, alleged the company had joined competitors in anti-consumer practices. The allegations stem from online reports, including a 2022 Reddit post claiming firmware update W1.56 disabled automatic color registration on a Brother MFC-3750 using non-Brother toner, rendering it "effectively non-functional."
In a statement to Ars Technica, Brother explicitly denied these accusations: "Please be assured that Brother firmware updates do not block the use of third-party ink in our machines." The company said it recommends genuine supplies for "optimal performance" and performs a "Brother Genuine check" during troubleshooting, which may have caused "misunderstanding."
Outre le panorama général dépeignant les marchés GPU et CPU dans leur globalité au 4 trimestre 2024, le Jon Peddie Research a publié son rapport traitant des expéditions des solutions graphiques AIBs (add-in board) au quatrième trimestre 2024. Avec 8,4 millions d’unités, elles progressent de 4 % en glissement trimestriel mais reculent de 11 % en annuel... [Tout lire]
Le JPR a publié ses données pour les expéditions globales de CPU et de GPU au quatrième trimestre 2024. Avec 76,9 millions de livraisons, le marché des GPU a augmenté de 4,4 % par rapport au troisième trimestre ; de 1 % en glissement annuel... [Tout lire]
The U.K. government appears to have quietly scrubbed encryption advice from government web pages, just weeks after demanding backdoor access to encrypted data stored on Apple's cloud storage service, iCloud. From a report: The change was spotted by security expert Alec Muffett, who wrote in a blog post on Wednesday that the U.K.'s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is no longer recommending that high-risk individuals use encryption to protect their sensitive information.
The NCSC in October published a document titled "Cybersecurity tips for barristers, solicitors & legal professionals," that advised the use of encryption tools such as Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP). ADP allows users to turn on end-to-end encryption for their iCloud backups, effectively making it impossible for anyone, including Apple and government authorities, to view data stored on iCloud. The URL hosting the NCSC document now redirects to a different page that makes no mention of encryption or ADP. Instead, it recommends that at-risk individuals use Apple's Lockdown Mode, an "extreme" security tool that restricts access to certain functions and features.
C’est fait. Ariane 6 a réussi son premier lancement commercial. La mission est un succès sur toute la ligne, avec une dépose précise du satellite militaire CSO-3 à 800 km d’altitude (orbite héliosynchrone), après plusieurs réallumages (prévus) du moteur Vulcain.
Cette fois, c’était (enfin) la bonne
Après de multiples reports, dont un dernier en début de semaine, Ariane 6 a finalement décollé en fin d’après midi de Guyane. L’Europe peut pousser un ouf de soulagement : la mission est un succès sur toute la ligne.
Le décollage s’est effectué sans la moindre anicroche puis, après une heure de vol, a bien effectué le largage de la charge utile. Entre temps, le moteur Vinci a été redémarré plusieurs fois pour ajuster la trajectoire de l’étage supérieur, comme prévu.
Les premières minutes de fonctionnement sont juste idéales et parfaites
Vers 18h30, Arianespace indiquait que « le satellite CS0-03 vient d’être déposé précisément à son point de livraison afin qu’il puisse à son tour remplir brillamment sa mission en symbiose avec CSO-01 et CSO-02 ».
« On a acquis le signal de télémétrie du satellite, on a détecté sa bonne séparation. La séquence automatique a démarré, on a déployé les quatre panneaux solaires […] On peut dire que les premières minutes de fonctionnement sont juste idéales et parfaites », ajoute Paul Arberet, chef de projet senior au CNES.
Souveraineté, souveraineté et souveraineté
« Le retour de Donald Trump à la Maison-Blanche avec Elon Musk à ses côtés a déjà des conséquences considérables sur nos partenariats sur la recherche, sur nos partenariats commerciaux », a déclaré Philippe Baptiste dans le live accompagnent le lancement (l’intégralité du live figure dans la vidéo plus bas dans cet article) : « Dois-je mentionner les incertitudes qui pèsent aujourd’hui sur nos coopérations avec la NASA et la NOAA, quand des programmes aussi emblématiques que l’ISS sont remis en cause unilatéralement par Elon Musk ? »
L’ancien président du CNES et désormais ministre chargé de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, rattaché à Élisabeth Borne, a sonné la charge contre les États-Unis et les enjeux de souveraineté :
« Si nous voulons conserver notre indépendance, assurer notre sécurité, préserver notre souveraineté, nous devons nous donner les moyens de notre autonomie stratégique. Et le spatial en est une composante incontournable. L’espace est présent partout, de nos téléphones aux champs de bataille, dans les télécommunications, la navigation et l’observation de la Terre. Ce lancement joue un rôle particulier car il permet la mise en orbite d’une nouvelle capacité spatiale militaire […] Nous ne devons pas céder à la tentation de préférer SpaceX ou un autre concurrent qui paraît plus à la mode, plus fiable ou moins cher aujourd’hui ».
Pour Philippe Baptiste, Ariane 6 est un « nouveau jalon essentiel » de notre souveraineté. Cette question n’est pas nouvelle, elle occupe même l’espace médiatique depuis quelques années (et encore ici), mais elle est devenue d’autant plus importante avec le retard d’Ariane 6 et la mise à la retraite d’Ariane 5, sans compter les déboires de Vega(-C).
« Une étape importante du retour à l’autonomie et à la souveraineté spatiale française et européenne est franchie », a de son côté déclaré Sébastien Lecornu, ministre des Armées. Il ajoute que CSO permet « à nos armées, et à nos alliés, d’obtenir des images optiques et infrarouges à une définition inégalée en Europe ».
Vous pouvez revoir le lancement et les discours sur la vidéo ci-dessous :
C’est fait. Ariane 6 a réussi son premier lancement commercial. La mission est un succès sur toute la ligne, avec une dépose précise du satellite militaire CSO-3 à 800 km d’altitude (orbite héliosynchrone), après plusieurs réallumages (prévus) du moteur Vulcain.
Cette fois, c’était (enfin) la bonne
Après de multiples reports, dont un dernier en début de semaine, Ariane 6 a finalement décollé en fin d’après midi de Guyane. L’Europe peut pousser un ouf de soulagement : la mission est un succès sur toute la ligne.
Le décollage s’est effectué sans la moindre anicroche puis, après une heure de vol, a bien effectué le largage de la charge utile. Entre temps, le moteur Vinci a été redémarré plusieurs fois pour ajuster la trajectoire de l’étage supérieur, comme prévu.
Les premières minutes de fonctionnement sont juste idéales et parfaites
Vers 18h30, Arianespace indiquait que « le satellite CS0-03 vient d’être déposé précisément à son point de livraison afin qu’il puisse à son tour remplir brillamment sa mission en symbiose avec CSO-01 et CSO-02 ».
« On a acquis le signal de télémétrie du satellite, on a détecté sa bonne séparation. La séquence automatique a démarré, on a déployé les quatre panneaux solaires […] On peut dire que les premières minutes de fonctionnement sont juste idéales et parfaites », ajoute Paul Arberet, chef de projet senior au CNES.
Souveraineté, souveraineté et souveraineté
« Le retour de Donald Trump à la Maison-Blanche avec Elon Musk à ses côtés a déjà des conséquences considérables sur nos partenariats sur la recherche, sur nos partenariats commerciaux », a déclaré Philippe Baptiste dans le live accompagnent le lancement (l’intégralité du live figure dans la vidéo plus bas dans cet article) : « Dois-je mentionner les incertitudes qui pèsent aujourd’hui sur nos coopérations avec la NASA et la NOAA, quand des programmes aussi emblématiques que l’ISS sont remis en cause unilatéralement par Elon Musk ? »
L’ancien président du CNES et désormais ministre chargé de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, rattaché à Élisabeth Borne, a sonné la charge contre les États-Unis et les enjeux de souveraineté :
« Si nous voulons conserver notre indépendance, assurer notre sécurité, préserver notre souveraineté, nous devons nous donner les moyens de notre autonomie stratégique. Et le spatial en est une composante incontournable. L’espace est présent partout, de nos téléphones aux champs de bataille, dans les télécommunications, la navigation et l’observation de la Terre. Ce lancement joue un rôle particulier car il permet la mise en orbite d’une nouvelle capacité spatiale militaire […] Nous ne devons pas céder à la tentation de préférer SpaceX ou un autre concurrent qui paraît plus à la mode, plus fiable ou moins cher aujourd’hui ».
Pour Philippe Baptiste, Ariane 6 est un « nouveau jalon essentiel » de notre souveraineté. Cette question n’est pas nouvelle, elle occupe même l’espace médiatique depuis quelques années (et encore ici), mais elle est devenue d’autant plus importante avec le retard d’Ariane 6 et la mise à la retraite d’Ariane 5, sans compter les déboires de Vega(-C).
« Une étape importante du retour à l’autonomie et à la souveraineté spatiale française et européenne est franchie », a de son côté déclaré Sébastien Lecornu, ministre des Armées. Il ajoute que CSO permet « à nos armées, et à nos alliés, d’obtenir des images optiques et infrarouges à une définition inégalée en Europe ».
Vous pouvez revoir le lancement et les discours sur la vidéo ci-dessous :
The FCC says it plans to vote next month to explore alternatives to GPS after national security concerns have been raised about relying on a single system crucial to modern life. From a report: "Continuing to rely so heavily on one system leaves us exposed," FCC Chair Brendan Carr said. "We need to develop redundant technologies." There have been reports of a rise in GPS interference around the world, particularly since 2023, known as spoofing raising fears of an increased risk of accidents if planes veer off-course. "Disruptions to GPS have the potential to undermine the nation's economic and national security. And the risks to our current system are only increasing," Carr said, noting President Donald Trump and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have called for action for years.
Denmark's state-run postal service, PostNord, is to end all letter deliveries at the end of 2025, citing a 90% decline in letter volumes since the start of the century. From a report: The decision brings to an end 400 years of the company's letter service. Denmark's 1,500 post boxes will start to disappear from the start of June. Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen sought to reassure Danes, saying letters would still be sent and received as "there is a free market for both letters and parcels." Postal services across Europe are grappling with the decline in letter volumes. Germany's Deutsche Post said on Thursday it was axing 8,000 jobs, in what it called a "socially responsible manner."
Deutsche Post has 187,000 employees and staff representatives said they feared more cuts were to come. Denmark had a universal postal service for 400 years until the end of 2023, but as digital mail services have taken hold, the use of letters has fallen dramatically. PostNord says it will switch its focus to parcel deliveries and that any postage stamps bought this year or in 2024 can be refunded for a limited period in 2026.
Prix de folie sur l'un des meilleurs SSD PCIe 4.0 du marché : le Samsung 990 PRO. Il est en version 2 To à seulement 113,23 € chez PcComponentes, avec la livraison gratuite. Une offre qui, forcément, ne va pas durer longtemps !Le Samsung 990 PRO 2 To affiche des débits séquentiels de 7450 Mo/s en le...
The folks at Bafta are running a public survey to identify the most influential video game ever made. When The Guardian asked prominent gaming figures to weigh in, they received a fascinating array of responses with zero overlap. Game designer Mike Bithell picked Metal Gear Solid 2, while Blumhouse's Louise Blain chose the short-lived horror experiment PT. The Guardian's own games editor backed Ocarina of Time for establishing 3D game world standards.
Other notable selections included Tomb Raider (pioneering female protagonists), QWOP (inspiring experimental design), Doom (revolutionizing FPS and modding), Mario Kart (competitive social play), Journey (emotional storytelling), Princess Maker (branching narrative systems), Paperboy (everyday world simulation), and Super Mario Bros (fundamental game design principles).
So, Slashdotters, what's your pick for the most influential video game ever created? Which title fundamentally changed how games are designed, played, or experienced? Did it influence you personally, the industry as a whole, or both?
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