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Comment Re:AI? (Score 1) 3

by internet-redstar (#65949492) Attached to: Linux-Inspired Album Released Under Creative Commons License
The lyrics and compositions are mine. Some production tools (including Linux AI-assisted ones) were used in the process, but the intent and authorship are fully human.

The album is released under CC-BY specifically so people can reuse, remix, and even critique it, tooling is less important to me than openness and reusability. If AI assistance disqualifies work, we should probably also revisit compilers, DAWs, and digital cameras. ;)

Submission + - Linux-Inspired Album Released Under Creative Commons License (thefreelantern.com) 3

Submitted by internet-redstar
internet-redstar writes: An independent musician has released a full-length album inspired by Linux, GNU, and Free Software culture, making all tracks available directly from the project website under a Creative Commons CC-BY license.
The album can be downloaded in open formats including FLAC, MP3, and Opus, and is explicitly intended to be reused for talks, videos, streams, and remixes with attribution.
"Free by Design" will appear on major streaming platforms at the start of FOSDEM, but it was intentionally released first outside of closed platforms to encourage direct access and reuse.

Submission + - FBI Accessed Encrypted PCs Using Microsoft Recovery Keys (reclaimthenet.org)

Submitted by alternative_right
alternative_right writes: Federal investigators obtained access to encrypted computers for the first time through Microsoft’s own recovery keys, a move that has intensified long-standing concerns about how much control the company retains over user data.

The development emerged from United States v. Tenorio, a fraud case in Guam tied to alleged misuse of pandemic unemployment funds. Investigators believed three laptops contained evidence of the scheme. When they discovered the machines were protected with BitLocker, the encryption system built into Windows, they turned to Microsoft.

Microsoft confirmed that it complied with the FBI’s warrant, saying it provides recovery keys only when required by law. “While key recovery offers convenience, it also carries a risk of unwanted access, so Microsoft believes customers are in the best position to decide how to manage their keys,” a spokesperson said.

Submission + - New Project Announcement: Brax Open_Slate - Android/Linux Tablet (braxtech.net)

Submitted by walterbyrd
walterbyrd writes: Open_Slate is a powerful and private 2-in-1 tablet.

It’s designed as a multipurpose platform that can serve different roles depending on how it’s configured and used:

- A consumer tablet for everyday use
- A productivity device for work and development
- A Linux-capable workstation on ARM
- A privacy-focused alternative to locked-down tablets

Rather than forcing users into a single ecosystem, open_slate is built around choice and control — from hardware design to operating system support.

Submission + - Code.org Lays Off 18 Employees "To Ensure Long-Term Sustainability"

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: Tech-backed K-12 CS+AI education nonprofit Code.org (revenue) confirmed that it has laid off 18 employees, or about 14% of its staff. Following the cuts, Code.org’s staff now numbers 107. "Code.org has made the difficult decision to part ways with 18 colleagues as part of efforts to ensure our long-term sustainability," the organization said in an emailed statement. "Their contributions helped millions of educators and students around the world, and we are grateful for their efforts."

Launched in 2013 with a mission to expand computer science education to K-12 students, the organization partnered with donors Microsoft, Google, and Amazon in December to "switch hats" in a pivot from coding to include AI literacy, replacing its flagship annual event the Hour of Code with the new Hour of AI.

Submission + - TikTok Is Now Collecting Even More Data About Its Users (wired.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: When TikTok users in the US opened the app today, they were greeted with a pop-up asking them to agree to the social media platform’s new terms of service and privacy policy before they could resume scrolling. These changes are part of TikTok’s transition to new ownership. In order to continue operating in the US, TikTok was compelled by the US government to transition from Chinese control to a new, American-majority corporate entity. Called TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, the new entity is made up of a group of investors that includes the software company Oracle. It's easy to tap “agree” and keep on scrolling through videos on TikTok, so users might not fully understand the extent of changes they are agreeing to with this pop-up.

Now that it’s under US-based ownership, TikTok potentially collects more detailed information about its users, including precise location data. Here are the three biggest changes to TikTok’s privacy policy that users should know about. TikTok’s change in location tracking is one of the most notable updates in this new privacy policy. Before this update, the app did not collect the precise, GPS-derived location data of US users. Now, if you give TikTok permission to use your phone’s location services, then the app may collect granular information about your exact whereabouts. Similar kinds of precise location data is also tracked by other social media apps, like Instagram and X.

[...] Rather than an adjustment, TikTok’s policy on AI interactions adds a new topic to the privacy policy document. Now, users' interactions with any of TikTok’s AI tools explicitly fall under data that the service may collect and store. This includes any prompts as well as the AI-generated outputs. The metadata attached to your interactions with AI tools may also be automatically logged. [...] This change to TikTok’s privacy policy may not be as immediately noticeable to users, but it will likely have an impact on the types of ads you see outside of TikTok. So, rather than just using your collected data to target you while using the app, TikTok may now further leverage that info to serve you more relevant ads wherever you go online. As part of this advertising change, TikTok also now explicitly mentions publishers as one kind of partner the platform works with to get new data.

Submission + - Cheap green tech allows faster path to electrification for the developing world (japantimes.co.jp)

Submitted by Mr. Dollar Ton
Mr. Dollar Ton writes: According to a new report from a think tank, "Ember", the availability of cheap green tech can have developing countries profit from earlier investment and skip steps in the transition from fossil to alternatives.

India is put forward as an example. While china’s rapid electrification has been hailed as a miracle, by some measures, India is moving ahead faster than China did when it was at similar levels of economic development. It’s an indication that clean electricity could be the most direct way to boost growth for other developing economies.

That’s mainly because India has access to solar panels and electric cars at a much lower price than China did about a decade ago. Chinese investments lowered the costs of what experts call "modular technologies” — the production of each solar panel, battery cell and electric car enables engineers to learn how to make it more efficiently.

India's per-capita consumption of oil for road transport is 60% lower than when China hit that milestone. As a result India’s peak road-oil consumption per person will likely never reach Chinese levels.

Submission + - Poll Suggestion 2

Submitted by nuckfuts
nuckfuts writes: I would be interested in a poll that asks: If you could change one thing about the Constitution of the United States, what would it be? (1) Citizenship Requirements, (2) Supreme Court Structure, (3) Electoral System, (4) Executive Branch Powers?

Submission + - DeVry is turning AI into a general education requirement (nerds.xyz)

Submitted by BrianFagioli
BrianFagioli writes: DeVry University plans to embed AI literacy and skill-building into every course by the end of 2026, effectively turning artificial intelligence into a general education requirement for all students. The career-focused school says AI skills will no longer be limited to tech majors, but taught across business, healthcare, and other programs as a basic workplace competency, similar to email or spreadsheets. DeVry has been building toward this since 2020, gradually expanding automation and machine learning coursework before making AI part of its core curriculum.

The move also leans heavily on AI inside the classroom itself. Every course will include an AI learning assistant for 24/7 support, and students will have access to AI-powered advising and administrative tools. While DeVry frames this as freeing faculty to focus on higher-value teaching, the shift raises questions about how much instruction is being automated. It also highlights a growing divide in higher education, where career schools are moving fast to embrace AI while traditional universities are still debating whether students should be allowed to use it at all.

Submission + - Belgium Introduces "Freedom Fee" on US Commercial Software, Open Source Spared

Submitted by internet-redstar
internet-redstar writes: The Belgian government has announced a “Freedom Fee” on commercial software developed in the U.S. The 17.76% tariff — yes, seriously — will apply to proprietary software licenses sold or deployed within Belgium. Open-source software? 100% exempt, no fishes included.

Comment Positive fallout? (Score 1) 187

Every self-respecting organisation will now want to open and verify their purchases to see if there's no tampering being done with the hardware in manufacturing or in transit. I hope this will boost the 'repairability' factor needed. One can only verify a product if it can be opened and put together again. Like, for example, the fairphone. While this has been a human tragedy for all the victims involved, maybe there will be some positive influence on the long term?
Yes, I'm an optimist...

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