In addition to GNOME's Mutter compositor removing its X11 back-end support to focus exclusively on Wayland while keeping around XWayland client support, another notable GNOME change this week was the GTK toolkit adding a "reduced motion" accessibility option...

ole_timer shares a report from the New York Times: James D. Watson, who entered the pantheon of science at age 25 when he joined in the discovery of the structure of DNA, one of the most momentous breakthroughs in the history of science, died on Thursday in East Northport, N.Y., on Long Island. He was 97. His death, in a hospice, was confirmed on Friday by his son Duncan, who said Dr. Watson was transferred to the hospice from a hospital this week after being treated there for an infection. Dr. Watson's role in decoding DNA, the genetic blueprint for life, would have been enough to establish him as one of the most important scientists of the 20th century. But he cemented that fame by leading the ambitious Human Genome Project and writing perhaps the most celebrated memoir in science.

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The Verge's Ash Parrish writes: Nintendo has released a new store app on Android and iOS giving users the ability to purchase hardware, accessories, and games for the Switch and Switch 2. When I open my phone and scroll down to the N's, I get a neat, full row dedicated entirely to Nintendo. That's four apps: the Switch app, the music app, the Nintendo Today news app, and now the store. (The tally increases to five if you're a parent using the Switch Parental Controls app.) And it is entirely too much. Nintendo has always been the one company of the big three publishers that does its own thing, and that's worked both for and against it. The company hasn't chased development trends with the same zeal as Microsoft and Sony. That insulates Nintendo when those trends don't pan out, like exorbitant spending on live-service games that fail. But also hurts it when it comes to performance and user experience. Console-native voice chat, for example, has been a standard on other platforms for a long time, but was only offered on a Nintendo console with the Switch 2 this year. With the deployment of these apps, Nintendo is both trying to innovate and playing catch-up with results that feel confusing and overwhelming. Do we really need four distinct apps? That's not to say these apps shouldn't exist; they serve valuable and necessary purposes. But when I look at all the programs I have to manage in my Nintendo life, it just feels like it's too much... Further reading: Nintendo Won't Shy Away From Continuing To 'Try Anything'

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from SFGATE: At the Safeway on San Francisco's King Street, you now can't leave the store unless you buy something. The Mission Bay grocery store recently installed new anti-theft measures at the entrance and exit. New gates at the entrance automatically swing open when customers walk in, but they're set to trigger an alarm if someone attempts to back out. And if you walk into Safeway and change your mind about grocery shopping, you might find yourself trapped: Another gate that only opens if you scan your receipt blocks the store's sole exit. During my Monday visit, I purchased a kombucha and went through the check-out line without incident. (No high-tech gates block the exit if you go through the line like normal.) But for journalism's sake, I then headed back into the store to try going out the new gate. While I watched some customers struggle with the new technology, my receipt scanned immediately. The glass doors slid open, and I was free. But if, like this person on the San Francisco subreddit recounted, I hadn't bought anything, my only means of exit would have been to beg the security guard to let me out.

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Texas is suing Roblox, alleging the company misled parents about safety, ignored online-protection laws, and allowed an environment where predators could target children. Texas AG Ken Paxton said the online game platform is "putting pixel pedophiles and profits over the safety of Texas children," alleging that it is "flagrantly ignoring state and federal online safety laws while deceiving parents about the dangers of its platform." The Verge reports: The lawsuit's examples focus on instances of children who have been abused by predators they met via Roblox, and the activities of groups like 764 which have used online platforms to identify and blackmail victims into sexually explicit acts or self harm. According to the suit, Roblox's parental controls push only began after a number of lawsuits, and a report released last fall by the short seller Hindenburg that said its "in-game research revealed an X-rated pedophile hellscape, exposing children to grooming, pornography, violent content and extremely abusive speech." Eric Porterfield, Senior Director of Policy Communications at Roblox, said in a statement: "We are disappointed that, rather than working collaboratively with Roblox on this industry-wide challenge and seeking real solutions, the AG has chosen to file a lawsuit based on misrepresentations and sensationalized claims." He added, "We have introduced over 145 safety measures on the platform this year alone."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Gemini is (finally) rolling out on Android Auto, replacing Google Assistant while keeping "Hey Google," adding Gemini Live ("let's talk live"), message auto-translation, and new privacy toggles. "One feature lost between Assistant and Gemini, though, is the ability to use nicknames for contacts," notes 9to5Google. From the report: Over the past 24 hours, Google has quietly started the rollout of Gemini for Android Auto, seemingly starting with beta users. The change is server-side, with multiple users reporting that Gemini has gone live in the car. One user mentions that they noticed this on Android Auto 15.6, and we're seeing the same on our Pixel 10 Pro XL connected to different car displays, and also on a Galaxy Z Fold 7 running Android Auto 15.7. It's unclear if this particular version is what delivers support, but that seems unlikely seeing as this very started rolling out last week. Android Auto 15.6 and 15.7 are currently only available in beta, so it's also unclear at this time if the rollout is tied to the Android Auto beta or simply showing up on that version as a coincidence.

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: Denmark's government on Friday announced an agreement to ban access to social media for anyone under 15, ratcheting up pressure on Big Tech platforms as concerns grow that kids are getting too swept up in a digitized world of harmful content and commercial interests. The move would give some parents -- after a specific assessment -- the right to let their children access social media from age 13. It wasn't immediately clear how such a ban would be enforced: Many tech platforms already restrict pre-teens from signing up. Officials and experts say such restrictions don't always work. Such a measure would be among the most sweeping steps yet by a European Union government to limit use of social media among teens and younger children, which has drawn concerns in many parts of an increasingly online world. "We've given the tech giants so many chances to stand up and to do something about what is happening on their platforms. They haven't done it," said Caroline Stage, Denmark's minister for digital affairs. "So now we will take over the steering wheel and make sure that our children's futures are safe." "I can assure you that Denmark will hurry, but we won't do it too quickly because we need to make sure that the regulation is right and that there is no loopholes for the tech giants to go through," Stage said.

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It's been a while since having anything major to talk about with the NILFS2 file-system but it looks like that could be changing. NILFS2 as a reminder is a log-structured file-system with continuous snapshotting with its NILFS predecessor having been in the mainline kernel for two decades since the mid Linux 2.6 days...

An anonymous reader shares a report: A group of states is seeking to extend a World Trade Organization agreement to refrain from placing customs duties on digital transmissions, a World Trade Organization document showed on Thursday. The proposal submitted by Barbados on behalf of a group of African, Caribbean and Pacific states proposed to extend the current moratorium -- a key pillar of internet development for decades -- beyond March 2026, when it was set to expire.

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An anonymous reader shares a report: Nintendo has always been a company willing to try just about anything. Cardboard cutout toys that mesh with games? Done. A console called the Wii with a remote-shaped controller? Massive success. Legendary game designer and Nintendo executive Shigeru Miyamoto offered more insight into how the company operates in a recent financial briefing. "Nintendo has always worked with the idea that there are no limits to our efforts," he said. "For example, when we tried our hand at movies with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, its success was compared to the box office revenues of other movies. However, even if the movie topped the rankings, we would think there was more room for growth." Nintendo has been expanding its efforts in Hollywood after The Super Mario Bros. Movie became one of the best-selling films of 2023. The Legend of Zelda movie is now in production, and the Super Mario Galaxy movie is expected sometime in 2026. Miyamoto believes that some Nintendo IPs could see sales numbers "potentially reach beyond the boundaries of entertainment." "My latest theme is that there is no ceiling in the world of entertainment," he said. "In that sense, there are still many markets around the world that can be expanded through Nintendo Switch [...] One thing that is interesting about Nintendo is that it's okay to try anything."

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NextGov: The IRS has notified states that offered the free, government tax filing service known as Direct File in 2025 that the program won't be available next filing season. In an email sent from the IRS to 25 states, the tax agency thanked them for collaborating and noted that "no launch date has been set for the future." "IRS Direct File will not be available in Filing Season 2026," says the Monday email, obtained by Nextgov/FCW and confirmed by multiple sources. It follows reports that the program was ending and Trump's former tax chief, Billy Long, remarking over the summer that the service was "gone." The program, which debuted in 2024, was a big shift from the decades-long IRS policy of not competing with the tax prep industry in offering its own free, online tax filing service for Americans. Many Republicans had opposed Direct File, and tax prep companies also lobbied against it.

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Web-based video games are experiencing an unexpected revival as the broader $189 billion industry stagnates. Sales for browser-based titles like GeoGuessr and chess were expected to triple from 2021 to 2028, reaching $3.09 billion, according to Google and Kantar. Playgama hosted more than 15,000 new web games in the first half of 2025, exceeding the combined total from 2021 through 2023. Websites provide fast and easy access without console boot-ups or app downloads. Game creators sidestep the 30% revenue cuts imposed by Steam and Apple. Poki has doubled its employee count to 70 since 2020 and now serves 100 million monthly active users. A top-ten developer on the platform earns about $1 million in yearly revenue, up from $50,000 in 2020. Consoles cost more than $450, and smartphone gamers are downloading fewer apps. Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins predicted web games will be "one of the next waves."

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Mesa 25.3-rc4 is available for testing as the latest weekly candidate as we work toward the Mesa 25.3 stable release this month...

An anonymous reader shares a report: On the new MacOS 26 (Tahoe), Apple has mandated that all application icons fit into their prescribed squircle. No longer can icons have distinct shapes, nor even any fun frame-breaking accessories. Should an icon be so foolish as to try to have a bit of personality, it will find itself stuffed into a dingy gray icon jail. [...] While Apple had previously urged developers to use squircle icons on our apps, they've now taken things much further to ensure compliance. It's a shame. Apple updated their own app icons on Tahoe, for both the squircle shape as well as the new "Liquid Glass" interface. Mostly, these icons seem dumbed-down, with a loss of detail.

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Last year Brazil saw its biggest drop in emissions since 2009, new data show. The decline comes in the wake of a crackdown on deforestation. From a report: Since returning to power in 2022, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has moved to stem illicit clearing of forest by miners, loggers, and farmers, stepping up enforcement that had been weakened under his predecessor, far-right president Jair Bolsonaro. Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon is now at its lowest level in more than a decade. In Brazil, forests are largely destroyed to create new cropland and pasture, and together, the loss of forest and raising of cattle are its biggest sources of emissions. Lula's crackdown on illegal deforesters has put those emissions in check. According to the Climate Observatory, a green group, Brazilian emissions fell by 16.7 percent last year. "The new data shows the impact of the federal government retaking control over deforestation after a deliberate lack of control between 2019 and 2022," when Bolsonaro held office, the group said in a statement. Lula aims to end illegal deforestation entirely by the end of this decade, but as he makes progress on this goal, Brazil is still facing worsening droughts and fires fueled by warming. Last year, fires accounted for two-thirds of the primary tropical forest lost in Brazil, according to the World Resources Institute. Often small fires used to clear land get out of control, burning through larger, drought-ridden areas.

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Hyprland 0.52 is available today as the latest feature update for this alternative Wayland compositor...

It has been two years already since the Linux Containers project forked Canonical's LXD project as Incus. Now joining the Incus family is IncusOS as an immutable Linux OS built atop a Debian base with OpenZFS file-system support and designed around running containers with Incus...

U.S. corporate profits have risen to record levels this year as companies eliminated nearly 1 million jobs. Chen Zhao of Alpine Macro calls the disconnect a "jobless boom." Companies typically cut workers when profits decline. Amazon laid off 30,000 employees despite strong earnings. Zhao attributes the pattern to AI adoption boosting productivity across industries while reducing demand for workers. Labor demand has fallen to zero growth or mild contraction. The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates in September and October after Jerome Powell noted concerns about layoff announcements from large employers. The Department of Labor suspended monthly employment reports when the government shutdown began October 1. ADP reported private employers added 42,000 workers in October. The unemployment rate stood at 4.3% in August. The rate has remained stable because the labor pool is contracting due to baby boomer retirements and reduced immigration under Trump administration policies. Art Papas of Bullhorn disputes the AI explanation and argues companies are recalibrating after pandemic overhiring.

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Police de l'Internet : vous avez vos papiers ?

Le service de renseignement états-unien est à la recherche de la personne responsable d’un des sites d’archivage en ligne les plus connus, Archive.today, aussi connu par son autre nom de domaine archive.is. Le FBI a envoyé une injonction au bureau d’enregistrement Tucows pour récupérer les données personnelles associées.

Le 31 octobre dernier, Archive.today a posté sur X un lien vers une injonction faite au bureau d’enregistrement de son nom de domaine Tucows. Celle-ci demande au registrar canadien (un des plus importants dans le monde) de transmettre toutes les données relatives au client qui détient archive.today.

Archive.today, connu aussi sous le domaine archive.is ou archive.ph, c’est l’un des sites d’archivage du web les plus connus. Il existe depuis 2012 et on peut y accéder via différents noms de domaine du même genre, avec même un .onion utilisable via le protocole Tor.

Mais, contrairement à Internet Archive, dont la Wayback Machine propose d’accéder aux archives du web depuis 2001, Archive.today n’est pas une organisation à but non lucratif ayant pignon sur rue.

• Internet Archive : 1 000 milliards de pages dans la Wayback Machine

Utilisé pour passer outre les Paywalls

Le site permet à un utilisateur d’archiver une page qui pourra ensuite être consultée par d’autres. Ce mécanisme est massivement utilisé par des internautes pour passer outre les paywalls des différents médias. Sur sa page de FAQ, on peut y lire qu’il utilise Apache Hadoop et Apache Accumulo et que « toutes les données sont stockées sur HDFS, le contenu textuel est dupliqué trois fois entre les serveurs de différents centres de données et les images sont dupliquées deux fois ». Et selon cette même page, « tous les datacenters sont situés en Europe » (peut-être chez OVH). Mais aucune mention légale n’apparait concernant le responsable du site.

Comme le remarque le média allemand Heise, les pages de l’injonction faite par le FBI à Tucows ne permettent pas de savoir pourquoi le service de renseignement états-unien cherche à connaître l’identité du responsable du site. Le tweet posté par le compte d’Archive.today sur X accompagne le lien d’un simple « canary », faisant référence à l’utilisation du petit oiseau jaune dans les mines pour détecter le coup de grisou avant qu’il n’effondre les fondations souterraines.

Un « outil fragile » qui est « condamné à mourir »

La connaissance d’une telle injonction est le signal que le FBI enquête. Mais il n’en dit pas beaucoup plus sur le sujet. Est-ce l’enjeu de la sauvegarde massive de contenus d’éditeurs de médias états-uniens ? Est-ce celle de contenus problématiques ? Le FBI enquête-t-il sur les sources de financement du site ? Il est difficile de savoir quelle est la raison exacte.

Si personne n’a jamais revendiqué la responsabilité du site, en 2023, le blogueur Janni Patokallio a publié un billet sur le site dans lequel il cite le nom de la première personne ayant enregistré le domaine archive.is en 2012. « Même si nous ne connaissons ni son visage ni son nom, nous avons désormais une assez bonne idée du fonctionnement du site : il s’agit d’une œuvre passionnée menée par une seule personne, un Russe doté d’un talent considérable et d’un accès à l’Europe », concluait-il de ses recherches.

Comme le faisait remarquer Janni Patokallio, le créateur d’Archive Today est pleinement conscient que le site est un « outil fragile » qui est « condamné à mourir » un jour.

Police de l'Internet : vous avez vos papiers ?

Le service de renseignement états-unien est à la recherche de la personne responsable d’un des sites d’archivage en ligne les plus connus, Archive.today, aussi connu par son autre nom de domaine archive.is. Le FBI a envoyé une injonction au bureau d’enregistrement Tucows pour récupérer les données personnelles associées.

Le 31 octobre dernier, Archive.today a posté sur X un lien vers une injonction faite au bureau d’enregistrement de son nom de domaine Tucows. Celle-ci demande au registrar canadien (un des plus importants dans le monde) de transmettre toutes les données relatives au client qui détient archive.today.

Archive.today, connu aussi sous le domaine archive.is ou archive.ph, c’est l’un des sites d’archivage du web les plus connus. Il existe depuis 2012 et on peut y accéder via différents noms de domaine du même genre, avec même un .onion utilisable via le protocole Tor.

Mais, contrairement à Internet Archive, dont la Wayback Machine propose d’accéder aux archives du web depuis 2001, Archive.today n’est pas une organisation à but non lucratif ayant pignon sur rue.

• Internet Archive : 1 000 milliards de pages dans la Wayback Machine

Utilisé pour passer outre les Paywalls

Le site permet à un utilisateur d’archiver une page qui pourra ensuite être consultée par d’autres. Ce mécanisme est massivement utilisé par des internautes pour passer outre les paywalls des différents médias. Sur sa page de FAQ, on peut y lire qu’il utilise Apache Hadoop et Apache Accumulo et que « toutes les données sont stockées sur HDFS, le contenu textuel est dupliqué trois fois entre les serveurs de différents centres de données et les images sont dupliquées deux fois ». Et selon cette même page, « tous les datacenters sont situés en Europe » (peut-être chez OVH). Mais aucune mention légale n’apparait concernant le responsable du site.

Comme le remarque le média allemand Heise, les pages de l’injonction faite par le FBI à Tucows ne permettent pas de savoir pourquoi le service de renseignement états-unien cherche à connaître l’identité du responsable du site. Le tweet posté par le compte d’Archive.today sur X accompagne le lien d’un simple « canary », faisant référence à l’utilisation du petit oiseau jaune dans les mines pour détecter le coup de grisou avant qu’il n’effondre les fondations souterraines.

Un « outil fragile » qui est « condamné à mourir »

La connaissance d’une telle injonction est le signal que le FBI enquête. Mais il n’en dit pas beaucoup plus sur le sujet. Est-ce l’enjeu de la sauvegarde massive de contenus d’éditeurs de médias états-uniens ? Est-ce celle de contenus problématiques ? Le FBI enquête-t-il sur les sources de financement du site ? Il est difficile de savoir quelle est la raison exacte.

Si personne n’a jamais revendiqué la responsabilité du site, en 2023, le blogueur Janni Patokallio a publié un billet sur le site dans lequel il cite le nom de la première personne ayant enregistré le domaine archive.is en 2012. « Même si nous ne connaissons ni son visage ni son nom, nous avons désormais une assez bonne idée du fonctionnement du site : il s’agit d’une œuvre passionnée menée par une seule personne, un Russe doté d’un talent considérable et d’un accès à l’Europe », concluait-il de ses recherches.

Comme le faisait remarquer Janni Patokallio, le créateur d’Archive Today est pleinement conscient que le site est un « outil fragile » qui est « condamné à mourir » un jour.