Linux smashes through five per cent desktop share in the US
For the first time ever, Linux has clawed its way past the five per cent desktop market share barrier in the United States so maybe 2025 is finally the much predicted year of Linux on the desktop.StatCounter’s latest figures for June 2025 show Linux holding 5.03 per cent of the US desktop market. That might sound modest, but it is a massive milestone for the open-source faithful who have been banging on for decades that Linux would one day break through. Even more satisfying, Linux has now overtaken the “Unknown” category in the stats, a small but symbolic victory that shows the growth is no longer being ignored or misattributed.
It took a grinding eight years for Linux to crawl from one to two per cent by April 2021. Another 2.2 years were needed to hit three per cent in June 2023. From there it snowballed, taking only 0.7 years to cross four per cent in February 2024 and just four months later Linux is through five per cent.
Analysts say AI workloads, the backlash against surveillance-heavy proprietary platforms, and the never-ending trainwrecks of Apple have made Linux a more attractive option for ordinary users. Microsoft’s increasingly locked-down Windows 11, with its forced online accounts and hardware restrictions, has not helped either.
I guess Apple and MS are finally finding out.
Linux smashes through five per cent desktop share in the US
2025 really is the year of Linux on the desktop For the first time ever, Linux has clawed its way past the five per cent desktop market share barrier in the United States so maybe 2025 is finally the much predicted year of Linux on the desktop.Nick Farrell (Fudzilla)
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Sectarian tension, Israeli intervention: What led to the violence in Syria?
The recent violence in Suwayda began after Bedouin armed groups kidnapped a Druze trader on the road to Damascus on July 11, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a United Kingdom-based monitor.
The abduction quickly turned into more widespread violence between the two communities – which have a longstanding rivalry due to land disputes – eventually dragging in Syrian government forces.
Syria’s new government has been attempting to impose its authority after a 14-year civil war and the end of half a century of al-Assad family rule. However, it has found it difficult to do so in Suwayda, partly because of Israel’s repeated threats against the presence of any government forces in the province, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Sectarian tension, Israeli intervention: What led to the violence in Syria?
Israel continues to bomb Syria, ostensibly to support Druze forces in the southwest, even after ceasefire is declared.Mat Nashed (Al Jazeera)
uBlock Origin is forever disabled in Chrome. Why it happened and what to use instead
uBlock Origin is forever disabled in Chrome. Why it happened and what to use instead
uBlock Origin got forever disabled in Chrome due to the browser's transition to MV3. What does it mean for the extension's many users and what are the alternatives?Ekaterina Kachalova (AdGuard)
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UK online safety law is going to change the way we use the internet
UK online safety law is going to change the way we use the internet
The UK's Online Safety Act is intended to stop children from accessing pornography online, but its potential implications are much wider reachingMatthew Sparkes (New Scientist)
You mean this Bill Gates?
GATES, GMOs & GEOENGINEERING
In 2006, the BMGF (Bill and Melinda Gate's Foundation) donated $100 million and formed an alliance with the Rockefeller Foundation to help spur a “green revolution” in Africa, with a major focus being to encourage the use of pesticides and “advanced” (i.e. GMO) seeds.
In 2010, the BMGF purchased 500,000 shares in Monsanto, the world’s largest producer of GMO food as well as pesticides like glyphosate (Roundup), making it abundantly clear that this so-called benevolent charity is up to something other than eradicating disease and feeding the world’s poor.
Since 2015, the BMGF has donated a total of $15 million to two global campaigns aimed at “ending world hunger” by encouraging small farmers around the world to use GMOs.
Interestingly, while the BMGF is heavily promoting GMO to farmers, at the same time it’s investing in the ‘Doomsday Crop Diversity Vault,’ a seed bank located in Norway. Other investors include the Norwegian government, the Rockefeller Foundation, and major GMO seed and agrichemical companies.
Food for thought … Why is the BMGF pushing GMO seeds (which destroy the plant seed varieties) while at the same time investing tens of millions of dollars to preserve every seed variety known in a bomb-proof doomsday vault near the remote Arctic Circle “so that crop diversity can be conserved for the future”? Think about it.
Since 2007, Gates has been personally funding and closely involved in the Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research (FICER), based at Harvard University, which carries out research into the possibility of blocking the sun in order to mitigate global warming, using chemicals or particles of metals such as aluminum.
In 2012 FICER announced their intention to spray sun-reflecting sulphate particles into the atmosphere to artificially cool the planet, and they also contemplated using aluminum for the same purpose.
That’s right, it’s no longer a “conspiracy theory” folks. Those ‘criss cross’ lines in the sky aren’t funny shaped clouds and they aren’t normal exhaust from planes. They are chemical trails (aka “chemtrails“) being intentionally sprayed into the atmosphere. Heck, there are actually multiple patents on this technology.
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A Latvian politician known for his anti-Russian views was wounded in Ukraine
A Latvian politician known for his anti-Russian views was wounded in Ukraine
The head of the Ogre region of Latvia, Egils Helmanis, was wounded in Ukraine. This was reported by Patriks Griva, the press secretary of the Ogre region, in a video message, according to Sputnik.newsmaker newsmaker (English News front)
"Hands up", Kiev: Ukraine coordinates concerts of Russian artists in Moldova
"Hands up", Kiev: Ukraine coordinates concerts of Russian artists in Moldova: EADaily
EADaily, July 17th, 2025. In the near future, a number of concerts with the participation of popular Russian performers are planned in Moldova.EADaily
Ukraine wing of US-founded terrorist group says it was involved in killing of intelligence officer in Kyiv
Ukraine wing of US-founded terrorist group says it was involved in killing of intelligence officer in Kyiv
The Base, a far-right group with suspected links to Russia, said killing of Ivan Voronych was ‘only the beginning’Ben Makuch (The Guardian)
Starmer and Merz find their happy place: War
Starmer and Merz find their happy place: War
Germany’s leader will use a London visit Thursday to finalize a wide-ranging pact that goes big on security cooperation.Esther Webber (POLITICO)
Trump administration pulls $4bn in funds for high-speed rail in California
Trump administration pulls $4bn in funds for high-speed rail in California
US president blasts long-delayed project to link Los Angeles and San Francisco as ‘boondoggle’ and ‘train to nowhere’.Al Jazeera
Japan’s exports fall for second straight month with no U.S. trade deal in sight, raising recession fears
Japan’s exports fall for second straight month with no U.S. trade deal in sight, raising recession fears
The decrease in exports was a reversal of the 0.5% rise expected by economists polled by Reuters, and comes amid a lack of a breakthrough in trade talks with the U.S.Lim Hui Jie (CNBC)
Trump Softens Tone on China to Secure Xi Summit, Trade Deal
Trump Softens Tone on China to Secure Xi Summit, Trade Deal
President Donald Trump has dialed down his confrontational tone with China in an effort to secure a summit with counterpart Xi Jinping and a trade deal with the world’s second-largest economy, people familiar with internal deliberations said.Jenny Leonard (Bloomberg)
‘Obvious similarity’ between Ukraine and Nazi Germany – Medvedev
‘Obvious similarity’ between Ukraine and Nazi Germany – Medvedev
Ukraine is resembling Nazi Germany in terms of dictatorship and economic degradation, the former Russian president has saidRT
Colombia plans to sever its relations with NATO
Colombia plans to sever its relations with NATO
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has announced plans to end relations with the North Atlantic Alliance. “We must leave NATO, there is no other way.newsmaker newsmaker (English News front)
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In the first place, it don't make sense. Colombia is not really North nor Atlantic, it's more of a Pacific /s
Put down this rightist treaty org relation.
are qr codes and pkpass files the same? what other formats do transportation authorities use?
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/33289366
obligatory I know this is not a linux question, but you provide good information and alternativesqr code is the squares code that, if used with a qr code scanner redirects me automatically to a website or to download a pkpass file, right?
after downloading said pkpass file to my android, any wallet application like fosswallet should recognize it and add it to the local library (on my android device), right?
what other formats do transportation authorities use?
To those residing in Germany, is pkpass use widespread there? What are common formats used there?
They are not at all the same thing.
A QR code is just a 2D barcode that can be used to hold a certain amount of alphanumeric data (and amount is limited by size).
While pkpass is an Apple format used in its wallet app to store data.
Aren't all barcodes 2D?
EDIT No wait, they're basically 1D aren't they? Nevermind!
Exactly. No matter the y dimension. Barcode data is only stored in x. Whereas QR uses x and y for data.
They also use the corner squares and a few specific dots to allow scanning from greater angles. Basically allowing the data to be read in 3d space. Even though only 2d is used to store that data.
This is why QR can work well with cameras. Whereas bar codes are designed for very short range laser reflection.
PS lots of info on QR online including open source programs to make your own.
The same goes for bar codes. But readers involve some very simple maker skills. Making simple barcode readers was a common school science project in the early 90s.
Your generic "barcode" for something like a UPC is considered a 1D barcode and uses things like the spacing of the lines and thickness to encode data. Although some 1D barcodes can detect the barcode is damaged they cannot do error recovery.
Your 2D barcodes, like QR or Data Matrix, store data in both directions and depending on format can have varying levels of error correction (duplicate data) built into the barcode. They also obviously can take up less room and hold the same or more data as well. You do need a scanner that can do 2D barcodes though, as not all scanners will read them.
A Stoccolma la scomparsa dei contanti ha creato vari problemi
A Stoccolma la scomparsa dei contanti ha creato vari problemi
Per esempio alle donne vittime di violenza domestica, ma non soloIl Post
Subaru Telescope Discovers "Fossil" of the Early Solar System
The Subaru Telescope has made an exciting discovery: a small body beyond Pluto, with implications for the formation, evolution, and current structure of the outer solar system.The object officially designated 2023 KQ~14,~ was found as part of the survey project FOSSIL (Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy), which takes advantage of the Subaru Telescope's wide field of view. The object was discovered through observations taken in March, May, and August 2023 using the Subaru Telescope.
![](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/53348658 "Subaru Telescope Discovers "Fossil\" of the Early Solar System | Obsevation Results | Subaru Telescope")
Subaru Telescope Discovers "Fossil" of the Early Solar System | Obsevation Results | Subaru Telescope
The Subaru Telescope has revealed a fourth member of the sednoids, a group of small bodies with peculiar orbits around the outer edge of the Solar System that includes Se...Subaru Telescope
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Microsoft saved $500 million using AI — after slashing over 15,000 jobs in 2025
Microsoft saved $500 million using AI — after slashing over 15,000 jobs in 2025
While AI may not be the direct cause of Microsoft’s recent layoffs, it’s already delivering impressive productivity gains — saving $500 million in the call center alone last year.Kevin Okemwa (Windows Central)
Dutch MPs want citizens to own the copyright to their faces
A majority of Dutch MPs are backing a proposal to give citizens the copyright to their body, facial features, and voice to prevent people from creating AI-generated deepfakes and putting them online.
Denmark has already announced it will extend copyright law to ensure people maintain the right to their own person and GroenLinks-PvdA, VVD, NSC and D66 MPS now want to follow suit.
They have also called for action against big tech companies that do not act against the dissemination of deepfakes on their platforms.
Obando said any case against big tech companies would be a “challenge” and may turn into a battle of “David against Goliath”. “An individual would have to take on an often anonymous perpetrator or a big tech platform,” he said.
Privacy watchdog Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) is calling on people who are the victims of sexually suggestive deepfakes to report them so it can impose fines and other measures.
Duursma and Obando both warned that the new legislation could compromise freedom of expression. However, parody and satire using deepfakes would still be allowed under the proposed rules.
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey pumps $10 million into a nonprofit to build Nostr-based social media apps
Jack Dorsey pumps $10 million into a nonprofit focused on open-source social media | TechCrunch
Jack Dorsey backs nonprofit 'and Other Stuff' with $10M to build open social technology.Sarah Perez (TechCrunch)
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Hackers Are Finding New Ways to Hide Malware in DNS Records
New ways, but they are really creative!
https://www.wired.com/story/dns-records-hidden-malicious-code/
For the first time, astronomers witness the dawn of a new solar system
For the first time, astronomers witness the dawn of a new solar system
International researchers have, for the first time, pinpointed the moment when planets began to form around a star beyond the Sun.www.eso.org
Ten children a day losing a limb in Gaza, warns UN-backed body
Ten children a day losing a limb in Gaza, warns UN-backed body
Ten children a day are losing one or both limbs in Gaza due to Israel's assault on the Palestinian enclave, a report warned on Tuesday.Alex MacDonald (Middle East Eye)
The Solidity Language open-source package was used in a $500,000 crypto heist
Code highlighting with Cursor AI for $500,000
Kaspersky GReAT experts uncover malicious extensions for Cursor AI that download the Quasar backdoor and a crypto stealer.Georgy Kucherin (Kaspersky)
ESWIN and Canonical team up to port Ubuntu to EBC77 RISC-V SBC
ESWIN Computing EBC77 RISC-V SBC To Support Ubuntu Linux
Canonical announced today that they teamed up with ESWIN Computing to ship Ubuntu Linux as the preferred operating system on their ESWIN Computing EBC77 Series single board computerwww.phoronix.com
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Robots on the Front Line: Ukraine’s Unmanned Land Vehicles Transforming Ground Warfare
Robots on the Front Line: Ukraine’s Unmanned Land Vehicles Transforming Ground Warfare
Ukraine has emerged as the global leader in integrating unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) into frontline combat.Matthew Parish (www.lvivherald.com)
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Liberating clients from servers, without throwing out baby with bathwater
"With targeted FEPs and pioneering implementations like Flowz, the Fediverse can break free of proprietary client APIs and monolithic client/server implementations and empower a new wave of social web innovation."
@stevebate
stevebate.net/activitypub-clie…
This is such a valuable insight! There are 2 extremes in decentralised social app dev, one where an app is just a dumb terminal for a particular server, and then the inverse, pure P2P apps with no server. But there is a middle ground. Apps can be a focus of UX development, and access different servers as needed to provide functionality that's impractical (if not impossible) to do with pure P2P networks.
ActivityPub Client API: A Way Forward | Steve Bate
The ActivityPub Client-to-Server (C2S) protocol was envisioned as a cornerstone of the decentralized social web, along with the Server-to-Server (S2S) protocol.Steve Bate
I may bring an additional more top-down design perspective into consideration and to ideate on, but please let me know if that is better addressed in a separate topic.
What if we "Liberate people from clients, apps and servers"?
If the "fediverse facilitates online communication and social interaction between people", then the ActivityPub protocol specifies how to implement an abstraction on top of servers and clients in order to provide "a distributed network of addressible actors for the exchange of social activities". This abstraction no longer relies on the notion of servers and clients, though for certain social networking use cases you may opt to re-introduce them (.. but then they live as concepts in this higher level of abstraction).
Though conceptually the ActivityPub spec didn't prescribe this, the dominant abstraction for "joining the fediverse" in the present day involves "select an app, select a server that hosts your app of choice, and use a client that supports that app, to access it". In other words, currently fediverse offers a predominantly app-centric view of the world. But this need not be the only view that is supported, and I advocate a shift towards having a fediverse of mixed apps & services, and elaborate a service-oriented view e.g. as a compliant AP protocol extension.
In the service-oriented view - and in a paradigm shift towards app-free computing - there wouldn't necessarily be "Instances" as we have today, but parties that are positioned as fediverse access providers. You can compare this to the telecom sector, providing the plug in your house to deliver TV, phone and internet services at your doorstep.
When relating that to a good software with ActivityPub C2S support, I can envision that people after gaining access and becoming fedizens, can easily discover, obtain and wire services together in interesting ways that support their social networking use cases and needs. And dynamic UI/UX that supports that, based on service configuration and protocol (control) data exchange.
Cybersecurity Impacts of US Government Cuts - Security Now
Texas has long been under threat from the launches and explosions of SpaceX rockets. Now Hawaii is emerging as another possible victim
Inside Elon Musk’s plan to rain SpaceX’s rocket debris over Hawaii’s pristine waters
Texas has long been under threat from the launches and explosions of SpaceX rockets. Now Hawaii is emerging as another possible victimDara Kerr (The Guardian)
UN’s Albanese Proposes Revolutionary Approach to Palestinian Crisis
Exclusive: UN's Albanese Proposes Revolutionary Approach to Palestinian Crisis - teleSUR English
In an exclusive interview with teleSUR, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has voicedteleSURenglish
TLDR:
UN has passed various resolutions concerning Palestine, these have often been stalled or undermined by the US veto power in the Security Council.
She characterized this initiative as “potentially revolutionary,” as it encourages countries to refrain from supplying arms, providing military support, or facilitating commerce that could harm the Palestinian people.
we can't even stop shopping at amazon or walmart to save what's left of our democracy.
i sometimes marvel as well accomplished people can be so disconnected from the rest of us. don't get me wrong: she's completely right, but we've proven that we're incapable of following through.
US Senate approves cutting $8B in foreign aid
US Senate approves cutting billions in foreign aid as Trump demands
The package, passed in a 51-48 vote, takes back $8bn in already approved foreign aid spending.Al Jazeera
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Massistant - new tool used by Chinese government to spy on seized phones
Chinese authorities are using a new tool to hack seized phones and extract data | TechCrunch
Researchers warned that Chinese residents, and visitors to China, should be aware of the tool's existence and the risks it poses.Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai (TechCrunch)
LEM 1689
in reply to Pro • • •I've read about this, haven't tried it. Says it's a chromium-based browser with ad-block.
bromite.org/
Bromite
csagan5Pro doesn't like this.
Pro
in reply to LEM 1689 • • •GitHub - uazo/cromite: Cromite a Bromite fork with ad blocking and privacy enhancements; take back your browser!
GitHub