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Submission + - Elon Musk admits DOGE was a waste of time (and money) (yahoo.com)

Submitted by echo123
echo123 writes: Elon Musk appeared to admit for the first time that his work at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency was a total waste of time—which also destroyed his reputation.

He told Katie Miller, who is married to Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, that he would not take the controversial post in Washington, D.C., if he had his time over again.

“I think instead of doing DOGE, I would have basically built—worked on my companies, essentially," he told The Katie Miller Podcast.

“If you could go back and start from scratch like it’s January 20th all again, would you go back and do it differently? And, knowing what you know now, do you think there’s ever a place to restart?”

After a deep sigh, Elon Musk, 54, replied, “I mean, no, I don’t think so.”

“You gave up a lot to DOGE,” she said.

“Yeah,” he conceded, sadly.

DOGE oversaw a $220 billion jump in federal spending—not including interest—in the fiscal year, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Bill Gates has warned Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts will cause ‘millions of deaths’

Submission + - Cats Meow More Than Twice as Much at Men, And We Can Only Guess Why (sciencealert.com) 1

Submitted by alternative_right
alternative_right writes: "Our results showed that cats vocalized more frequently toward male caregivers, while no other demographic factor had a discernible effect on the frequency or duration of greetings," write the researchers in their published paper.

A total of 22 different behavior types were looked at by the researchers, including yawning (often a sign of cat stress) and food-related behaviors (including heading to their food bowl). The vocalizations were the only behaviors that changed based on the owners' sex.

Submission + - Facebook admits it is the masturbation epicenter of the world (torrentfreak.com)

Submitted by Mr. Dollar Ton
Mr. Dollar Ton writes: Meta is using a classic BitTorrent defense in its legal battle with adult film producer Strike 3 Holdings. In its motion to dismiss, the tech company argues that IP-address evidence is insufficient to prove who the infringer is. Meta further counters that the "sporadic" downloads on its corporate network began years before its relevant AI research started. Instead of AI training, Meta argues the activity was likely just for "private personal use"

Submission + - Am I The Last Surviving 3-Digit User ID on Slashdot? 5

Submitted by Jeremiah Cornelius
Jeremiah Cornelius writes: Some distinctions mean very little to anyone other than the singular individual holding them. Are there others remaining? Does Rob Malda ever bother checking in here? Who remembers the promising ascent and rapid zenith of VA Linux Systems? How about the decade-old sighting of the Slashdot PT Cruiser?

If you're out there we want to hear from you. Or just tell us why we don't.

Submission + - A SiriusXM Update Sent Some Audi Screens Into A Forced-Reboot Loop For Months (thedrive.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: This week, a reader wrote to us sharing that the infotainment in their 2020 Audi A4 had been “rebooting every five minutes all year.” It looks like the problem was caused by a compatibility issue with a SiriusXM app update. Audi tells us the situation’s been rectified, but it illustrates a serious pain point in modern cars—myriad apps interacting with a diverse population of in-car software systems. Our reader was not the only Audi owner affected. “Randomly restarting” Audi infotainment screens have been discussed on Reddit, the Audiworld forum, and elsewhere, going back many months. Audi’s recall notice and related service action only went out this summer.

It looks like this particular problem was caused when the satellite radio app pushed an update that was supposed to work on the latest version of Audi’s infotainment software, but not all cars were running that. Then SiriusXM reverted, which, I guess, did not solve the problem for every owner. Audi now states that the problem has been fixed and originated with the SiriusXM app, but really, the automaker bears more than a little blame, too. [...] I dropped our own contacts at Audi a note about how and why this might have happened, and they added this clarification: "At the beginning of the year, SiriusXM did a programming update which was addressed via a software update to the MMI. However, as not all customers had their cars updated and SiriusXM then reverted back to the previous category numbering. Nonetheless, a MMI update is recommended as the two versions do seem to cause the issue."

Submission + - Gen Z and millennials struggle to pay rent, could it slow iPhone and laptop sale (nerds.xyz)

Submitted by BrianFagioli
BrianFagioli writes: A new Redfin report paints a troubling picture of housing affordability in America, particularly for Gen Z and millennial renters and homeowners. Seven in 10 renters in those generations say they struggle to make their regular housing payments. Even homeowners in the same age group are feeling the pressure, with 41 percent saying the same.

The study, based on a May 2025 survey of more than 4,000 U.S. adults, shows just how widespread the crunch has become. Younger generations were hit hardest, though baby boomers and Gen Xers are also affected. Over half of baby boomer renters and more than two-thirds of Gen X renters said they have a hard time making monthly payments.

To make ends meet, young renters are cutting back on eating out, with 40 percent saying they dine at restaurants less often. Nearly one-third are skipping vacations, 27 percent borrow money from family or friends, and 25 percent pick up extra shifts. Some of the most drastic measures include selling belongings, delaying medical treatments, and in more than one in five cases, skipping meals.

Millennials and Gen Zers who own their homes report similar adjustments. They are more likely than renters to cut luxuries like eating out and traveling, but fewer said they are skipping meals or putting off doctor visits to make mortgage payments. Older Americans also trim back on non-essentials. Roughly 45 percent of baby boomer and Gen X homeowners said they cut back on restaurants, and two in five reported taking no or fewer vacations.

The backdrop is a basic affordability problem. Home prices are up more than 40 percent since before the pandemic, mortgage rates have doubled, and rents have climbed more than 20 percent. Wages, on the other hand, have grown about 28 percent in the same period. Younger workers typically earn less because they are earlier in their careers. Many are also burdened with student loans and do not have equity from a previous home sale to help.

“Many Gen Zers and millennials are making real sacrifices, picking up side gigs, selling their possessions, even delaying doctor’s appointments just to pay for the basic need of housing,” said Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist. She added that “a lot of the young people who can easily afford housing can do so because they have major financial support from their parents, with roughly one-quarter of the young Americans who recently bought a home using family money for their down payments.”

Fairweather warned that with home costs rising much faster than wages, “people without access to family money are much more likely to struggle to pay for housing, which could widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots in the future.”

There are a few encouraging signs, however. Mortgage rates recently dropped to a 10-month low. Buyers now have more purchasing power and sellers are more willing to negotiate. Affordability has even improved in 11 major metro areas, including parts of California and Florida.

Jim Fletcher, a Redfin Premier agent in Tampa, Florida, explained that “the local market is slow, with builders offering incentives to entice people to buy and individual sellers willing to negotiate because there’s so much supply on the market.” He suggested that for people early in their careers, “it’s a good time to start building equity. They can get homes for less than they could have a few years ago, especially if they’re open to condos or townhouses.”

But the report also raises a larger question. If so many young people are skipping meals and delaying medical care just to afford rent, how are they still buying the latest smartphones, tablets, and laptops?

Look, folks, flagship devices now range from $800 to more than $2,000 nowadays. Even so-called budget laptops and tablets remain a serious expense. If housing continues to strain budgets, younger buyers may finally cut back on yearly gadget upgrades. That could ripple into the consumer tech industry, which depends heavily on these same demographics for steady sales.

Submission + - Uranus has a fiery secret (sciencedaily.com) 3

Submitted by alternative_right
alternative_right writes: Uranus emits more heat than it gets from the Sun, meaning it still carries internal warmth from its ancient formation. This revelation rewrites what scientists know about the ice giant’s history, strengthens the case for NASA’s upcoming mission, and offers fresh insight into the forces shaping not only other planets, but also Earth’s future climate.

Submission + - The Trump Phone no longer promises it's made in America (theverge.com) 1

Submitted by ArchieBunker
ArchieBunker writes: When the Trump Organization launched the Trump Mobile wireless carrier, it also launched a flagship phone called the T1 Phone 8002 (gold version). One of the phone’s main selling points was that it was to be made in America. We figured that was unlikely to be true. And we were right: sometime in the last several days, the Trump Mobile site appears to have been scrubbed of all language indicating the phone is to be made in the USA. (Like, for instance, the huge banner on the homepage that says the T1 is “MADE IN THE USA.” Just to name one example.)

Instead, the Trump Mobile website now includes what can only be described as vague, pro-American gestures in the direction of smartphone manufacturing. The T1’s new tagline is “Premium Performance. Proudly American.” Its website says the device is “designed with American values in mind” and there are “American hands behind every device.” Under Key Features, the first thing listed is “American-Proud Design.” None of this indicates, well, anything. It certainly doesn’t say the device is made in the USA, or even designed in the USA. There are just some hands. In America.

That’s not the only thing that appears to have changed about the phone since its launch last week. It was originally advertised to have a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen, but now the T1’s site says it’s 6.25 inches. The site used to list the phone as having 12GB of RAM, and now doesn’t list RAM at all. It’s not entirely clear what’s happening here — the Trump Organization hasn’t responded to a request for comment — but it looks like Trump Mobile may have switched suppliers for the T1. Whatever’s going on, it’s certainly another reason to doubt whether this phone is for real. (The badly photoshopped image of the phone hasn’t changed, though, so that’s something.)

When Trump Mobile first launched, it was also promising the T1 Phone 8002 would ship in September. Now, the only timing I could find was “later this year.” Probably best not to hold your breath.

Submission + - JD Vance joined Bluesky - was banned 11 minutes later. (x.com) 7

Submitted by RoccamOccam
RoccamOccam writes: U.S. Vice President JD Vance joined Bluesky with the post "Hello, Bluesky, I've been told this app has become the place to go for common sense political discussion and analysis. So I'm thrilled to be here to engage with all of you." His post included a screenshot from the United States Supreme Court Decision that upheld Tennessee's law barring "gender-affirming" treatments on minors.

He then wrote "To that end, I found Justice Thomas's concurrence on medical care for transgender youth quite illuminating. He argues that many of our so-called 'experts' have used bad arguments and substandard science to push experimental therapies on our youth. I might add that many of those scientists are receiving substantial resources from big pharma to push these medicines on kids. What do you think?".

He was banned 11 minutes later.

Submission + - Starship destroyed in test stand explosion (spacenews.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: “SpaceX provided no other details about the explosion. It took place as Ship 36 was being prepared for a static-fire test. However, the explosion occurred before the vehicle ignited its Raptor engines.”

Submission + - Google, Microsoft CEOs: No Developers, Developers, Developers!

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: Last week saw Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai boast to Wall Street that AI is now writing "well over 30%" of the code at Google (up from 25% last fall).

This week saw Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella boast that AI is writing 20%-30% of the code at Microsoft during a fireside chat with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Meta’s LlamaCon conference (Zuckerberg said he didn’t know how much of Meta’s code is being generated by AI).

So, is "No Developers, Developers, Developers!" the new "Developers, Developers, Developers!"?

Submission + - Zoom is down (downdetector.com)

Submitted by sdinfoserv
sdinfoserv writes: Meetings everywhere have ceased. Zoom home page lists "Bad Gateway". Down detector reports thousands of users are reporting problems

Submission + - Social Security Administration will only communicate through Twitter (X) (federalnewsnetwork.com)

Submitted by smooth wombat
smooth wombat writes: The Social Security Administration has announced the only method it will communicate with the public or media is through posts on Twitter (X). This change took place after large numbers of communications staff were either fired or reassigned, sometimes to less senior positions. SSA Midwest-West (MWW) Regional Commissioner Linda Kerr-Davis told employees in a call Thursday that those regional offices will no longer issue press releases or “Dear Colleague” letters to advocate groups.

SSA is centralizing its process for responding to all inquiries, except those coming from members of Congress. For non-congressional inquiries, SSA regional offices will send their draft responses to SSA’s deputy commissioner of operations for review.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that SSA technicians received an email that read: “Effective immediately, do not respond directly to any public or congressional inquiries.”

Submission + - Trump Admin Used Signal for War Plans and Included Journalist (theatlantic.com) 1

Submitted by josmar52789
josmar52789 writes: âoeThe world found out shortly before 2 p.m. eastern time on March 15 that the United States was bombing Houthi targets across Yemen.

I [Jeff Goldberg], however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing.â

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