Submission + - Would AI Give Advice on Stopping AI?
BrendaEM writes: Use AI? Feel like giving it a test? What responses would it give? Can AI be convinced that is disrupting human society?
Submission + - Tivo announces it is enshittifying (cordcuttersnews.com)
AmiMoJo writes: TiVo has begun notifying customers of a significant change to one of its longest-standing and most popular DVR features. Starting November 2, 2026, the current version of SkipMode that allows users to jump over commercial breaks with a single button press on the remote will no longer be available. The company is instead preparing to test a new paid add-on called Premium Auto Commercial Skip.
Submission + - US Military Disables Ad Trackers on Devices to Protect Troops (reuters.com)
DeanonymizedCoward writes: Reuters reports that the US Military is disabling ad tracking on devices, to prevent adversaries from buying publicly-available tracking data to assist in targeting troops. Military officials say that they have disabled trackers on a variety of computers and mobile devices, according to letters released on Friday by Sen. Ron Wyden, and following reports that commercially-available tracking data has been used to target troops in the Middle East.
This effort comes amid attempts by the military to impose tighter restrictions on use of personal devices in the field, and after it was reported that videos posted publicly by troops abroad have also been used by adversaries to target military facilities.
Wyden said in a statement that it was clear that the military's efforts "have not been effective at neutralizing this threat." U.S. Representative Pat Harrigan, a North Carolina Republican, said that U.S. enemies "should not be able to pull out a credit card and buy information that helps them track American troops."
Rep. Harrigan remains silent as to the larger question of whether the general public should be able to pull out a credit card and buy information that helps them track anyone they please.
This effort comes amid attempts by the military to impose tighter restrictions on use of personal devices in the field, and after it was reported that videos posted publicly by troops abroad have also been used by adversaries to target military facilities.
Wyden said in a statement that it was clear that the military's efforts "have not been effective at neutralizing this threat." U.S. Representative Pat Harrigan, a North Carolina Republican, said that U.S. enemies "should not be able to pull out a credit card and buy information that helps them track American troops."
Rep. Harrigan remains silent as to the larger question of whether the general public should be able to pull out a credit card and buy information that helps them track anyone they please.
Submission + - ZCOM will close (www.mdr.de)
Elektroschock writes: The Zuse Computer Museum in Hoyerswerda is about to close. Konrad Zuse is one of the early computer pioneers, a real tinkerer who independently developed the Z2 and the programming language Plankalkül.
Comment Detente was a mistake. (Score 1, Interesting) 352
Why enrich a genocidal enemy society we and our remaining allies spend trillions to contain? That's slow, inexorable economic suicide.
Communist China abandoned communism but not oppression and ultranationalism. Uighers being Muslim even those who hate US strategic mistakes in the Middle Eastdon't complain about Chinese genocide when the target minority lacks appeal.
Amusing that those yowling about other US strategic mistakes are silent when an enemy society sells us shiny objects so the Epstein class can finish destroying the US economy. There is no rational obligation to social suicide over mere economic ideals. Ideals have no place in business because business is war.
One thing I must admire about Bejing, if you sufficiently undermine their society they unapologetically kill you, a practice the US should adopt with its own social saboteurs instead of worshipping kleptocracy.
Submission + - Dark matter detector finds a strange signal scientists canâ(TM)t yet explai (sciencedaily.com)
alternative_right writes: The LUX-ZEPLIN experiment has detected a rare particle interaction that looks unusually difficult to explain as ordinary background noise and appeared where dark matter might be expected. Scientists are not claiming a discovery yet, but additional data could show whether this single mysterious event is the first hint of a long-sought dark matter particle.
Submission + - Audacity 4 rebuilds the open source audio editor but leaves some features behind (nerds.xyz)
BrianFagioli writes: Audacity 4.0 has been released with a rebuilt Qt interface, a new clip-editing model, customizable workspaces, native high-DPI rendering, and a new AUP4 project format. The open source audio editor also adds ASIO playback and recording support to official Windows builds, while bringing major changes to recording, playback, plugins, and project handling.
The overhaul comes with some tradeoffs. Audacity 4.0 currently lacks several features found in Audacity 3, including Time Tracks, Note and MIDI tracks, Mixer, Macro Manager and scripting pipe, VAMP and LADSPA plugin hosting, and play-at-speed. The developers say they plan to bring the missing functionality back in future releases.
The overhaul comes with some tradeoffs. Audacity 4.0 currently lacks several features found in Audacity 3, including Time Tracks, Note and MIDI tracks, Mixer, Macro Manager and scripting pipe, VAMP and LADSPA plugin hosting, and play-at-speed. The developers say they plan to bring the missing functionality back in future releases.
Comment Not to mention asbestos etc. (Score 1) 59
Asbestos siding works fine unless it's made friable by demolition. Ditto abundant asbestos plumbing etc insulation in old structures.
The world has plenty of other sources of scrap copper.
Comment Re:Backfeeding kills and injures line repair crew. (Score 1) 246
I should have added "Even allowing it via compliant systems invites Bubba to do it his way".
Comment Backfeeding kills and injures line repair crew. (Score 1) 246
Evidently this was not thought through.
Backpowering service panels by connecting external power via household outlets can and has killed and injured linemen.
"Suicide cords" were originally DIY items used by idiots to power home circuits without a proper transfer switch.
Submission + - Gov. DeSantis bans Flock cameras from state highways (www.wctv.tv)
schwit1 writes: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he’s removing Flock camera from state roadways.
The announcement comes amid a growing concern over the misuse of automated license plate readers.
On Monday, DeSantis ordered all Flock cameras removed from what he calls the “state highway system” within the next 30 days, which would include interstates like I-10 and I-75.
That order led to several sheriff’s departments like in Franklin, Liberty and Putnam Counties to announce they’re ending their own license plate reader programs.
The announcement comes amid a growing concern over the misuse of automated license plate readers.
On Monday, DeSantis ordered all Flock cameras removed from what he calls the “state highway system” within the next 30 days, which would include interstates like I-10 and I-75.
That order led to several sheriff’s departments like in Franklin, Liberty and Putnam Counties to announce they’re ending their own license plate reader programs.
Comment Copyright is a gift by government (Score 0) 52
Copyright is a gift by government which may become too troublesome to be worth the expense. Copyright expires
(despite Disney and their puppet Sonny Bono who lived far too long considering the damage he did) after all, and could expire much sooner than later. It's an annoyance.
If artists want money they can emulate the Grateful Dead who generated a fanatically loyal following (that long outlived the band) by encouraging taping, even off their sound boards at concerts.
Comment If you have Apple money why does this matter? (Score 1) 35
If the price hurts, just cancel the account. It's a want not a need.
I have no such accounts because I've better uses for money than entertainment subs.
Comment How large are their peer groups? (Score 1) 195
What other numbers make that 48 impressive or otherwise?
Submission + - US sanctions Italian leftwing net infrastructure provider (wewillfreeus.org)
Elektroschock writes: The United States put an Italian hacktivism group providing net infrastructure on a terror list and revoked their domain name. On August 26, 2026, the United States State Department designated Autistici/Inventati a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and placed it on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list.
