Trump Admin to Hire 1,000 for New 'Tech Force' to Build AI Infrastructure
December 21, 2025 at 11:34PM
December 21, 2025 at 11:34PM
news.slashdot.org
Trump Admin to Hire 1,000 for New 'Tech Force' to Build AI Infrastructure
An anonymous reader shared this report from CNBC: The Trump administration on Monday unveiled a new initiative dubbed the "U.S. Tech Force," comprising about 1,000 engineers and other specialists who will work on artificial intelligence infrastructure and…
FSF Says Nintendo's New DRM Allows Them to Remotely Render User's Device 'Permanently Unusuable'
December 22, 2025 at 12:34AM
December 22, 2025 at 12:34AM
games.slashdot.org
FSF Says Nintendo's New DRM Allows Them to Remotely Render User Devices 'Permanently Unusable'
"In the lead up to its Switch 2 console release, Nintendo updated its user agreement," writes the Free Software Foundation, warning that Nintendo now claims "broad authority to make consoles owned by its customers permanently unusable." "Under Nintendo's…
Will Work Change Over the Next 20 Years?
December 22, 2025 at 01:34AM
December 22, 2025 at 01:34AM
it.slashdot.org
Will Work Change Over the Next 20 Years?
What is the future of work? The Wall Street Journal asked five workplace experts and practitioners. So while AI "is already doing tasks once relegated to newly minted college graduates in many professions," the Journal predicts that in the next 20 years AI…
Inaugural 'Hour of AI' Event Includes Minecraft, Microsoft, Google and 13.1 Million K-12 Schoolkids
December 22, 2025 at 02:34AM
December 22, 2025 at 02:34AM
news.slashdot.org
Inaugural 'Hour of AI' Event Includes Minecraft, Microsoft, Google and 13.1 Million K-12 Schoolkids
Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes: Last September, tech-backed nonprofit Code.org pledged to engage 25 million K-12 schoolchildren in an "Hour of AI" this school year. Preliminary numbers released this week by the Code.org Advocacy Coalition showed…
Package Forge: The Lesser Known Snap/Flatpak Alternative Without Distro Lock-In
December 22, 2025 at 03:34AM
December 22, 2025 at 03:34AM
linux.slashdot.org
Package Forge: The Lesser Known Snap/Flatpak Alternative Without Distro Lock-In
An anonymous reader shared this report from the site It's FOSS: Linux gives you plenty of ways to install software: native distro packages, Flatpak, Snap, AppImage, source builds, even curl-piped installers. The catch is that each one solves a different problem…
Do Gamers Hate AI? Indie Game Awards Disqualifies 'Clair Obscur' Over GenAI Usage
December 22, 2025 at 04:34AM
December 22, 2025 at 04:34AM
games.slashdot.org
Do Gamers Hate AI? Indie Game Awards Disqualifies 'Clair Obscur' Over GenAI Usage
"Perhaps no group of fans, industry workers, and consumers is more intense about AI use than gamers...." writes New York magazine's "Intelligencer" column: Just this month, the latest Postal game was axed by its publisher, which was "overwhelmed with negative…
'Confused' Waymos Stopped in Intersections During San Francisco Power Outage
December 22, 2025 at 05:34AM
December 22, 2025 at 05:34AM
tech.slashdot.org
'Confused' Waymos Stopped in Intersections During San Francisco Power Outage
"On Saturday, videos shared widely on social media showed Waymo vehicles stopped mid-intersection with hazard lights flashing, forcing other cars to maneuver around them," reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The Independent notes that "Without working traffic…
Are 'Geek Gifts' Becoming Their Own Demographic?
December 22, 2025 at 06:34AM
December 22, 2025 at 06:34AM
entertainment.slashdot.org
Are 'Geek Gifts' Becoming Their Own Demographic?
Long-time Slashdot reader destinyland wonders if "gifts for geeks" is the next big consumer demographic: For this year's holiday celebrations, Hallmark made a special Christmas tree ornament, a tiny monitor displaying screens from the classic video game "Oregon…
可再生能源开始超越化石燃料
自工业革命以来，人类长期依赖煤炭、石油和天然气等化石燃料作为能源。源自这些有限资源所导致的碳排放极大地加剧了气候变暖的速度。然而 2025 年标志着这一模式发生了重大转变，因为太阳能和风能等可再生能源已在多个领域开始超越传统的化石燃料能源生产。今年全球可再生能源增长量足以满足上半年全球新增电力需求，全球发电量已超过煤炭。这一转型由中国引领：其在太阳能电池板、风力涡轮发电机和锂电池储能领域的规模化发展已使其稳居全球可再生能源生产与技术的领先地位。在其他地方，得益于由中国制造业主导而实现价格亲民且得以普及的小型屋顶太阳能系统正在迅速推广，特别是在欧洲、南亚和全球南方地区，并为数百万人提供了可靠且成本低廉的能源保障。现有的可再生能源已显著减缓了中国温室气体排放的增长速度，预示着全球应对气候变暖的转折点即将到来。 via Solidot
自工业革命以来，人类长期依赖煤炭、石油和天然气等化石燃料作为能源。源自这些有限资源所导致的碳排放极大地加剧了气候变暖的速度。然而 2025 年标志着这一模式发生了重大转变，因为太阳能和风能等可再生能源已在多个领域开始超越传统的化石燃料能源生产。今年全球可再生能源增长量足以满足上半年全球新增电力需求，全球发电量已超过煤炭。这一转型由中国引领：其在太阳能电池板、风力涡轮发电机和锂电池储能领域的规模化发展已使其稳居全球可再生能源生产与技术的领先地位。在其他地方，得益于由中国制造业主导而实现价格亲民且得以普及的小型屋顶太阳能系统正在迅速推广，特别是在欧洲、南亚和全球南方地区，并为数百万人提供了可靠且成本低廉的能源保障。现有的可再生能源已显著减缓了中国温室气体排放的增长速度，预示着全球应对气候变暖的转折点即将到来。 via Solidot
AI 公司对 AGI 的警告是为了掩盖对权力的争夺
AI 公司不断警告 AGI（通用 AI 智能或超级智能）的到来是不可避免的，但大语言模型的缺陷已是众所周知，在大模型基础之上是否能发展出 AGI 在科学上并不存在共识。围绕 AGI 的喧嚣是在试图掩盖真正的问题。Cork 大学学院的 James O'Sullivan 认为这是一种政治叙事，是将关于企业问责、失业、算法偏见和民主治理等问题转化为关于意识和控制的抽象哲学问题。AGI 不可避免的话语是试图营造“科技救世主神话”，警告 AI 风险的人，也是同时在构建 AI、并试图获得权力和财富的人。大模型的每一次改进都被解读为迈向 AGI 的一步，成为 AI 公司争取巨额投资与宽松监管的策略。我们的未来是政治性的，而非技术性的。问题不在于 AGI 是否会到来，而在于谁决定什么样的 AI，不应该由少数科技精英去决定我们的未来。 via Solidot
AI 公司不断警告 AGI（通用 AI 智能或超级智能）的到来是不可避免的，但大语言模型的缺陷已是众所周知，在大模型基础之上是否能发展出 AGI 在科学上并不存在共识。围绕 AGI 的喧嚣是在试图掩盖真正的问题。Cork 大学学院的 James O'Sullivan 认为这是一种政治叙事，是将关于企业问责、失业、算法偏见和民主治理等问题转化为关于意识和控制的抽象哲学问题。AGI 不可避免的话语是试图营造“科技救世主神话”，警告 AI 风险的人，也是同时在构建 AI、并试图获得权力和财富的人。大模型的每一次改进都被解读为迈向 AGI 的一步，成为 AI 公司争取巨额投资与宽松监管的策略。我们的未来是政治性的，而非技术性的。问题不在于 AGI 是否会到来，而在于谁决定什么样的 AI，不应该由少数科技精英去决定我们的未来。 via Solidot
Google Launches CO2 Battery Plants for Long-Duration Storage of Renewable Energy
December 22, 2025 at 09:34AM
December 22, 2025 at 09:34AM
hardware.slashdot.org
Google Launches CO2 Battery Plants for Long-Duration Storage of Renewable Energy
In July Google promised to scale the CO2 batteries of "Energy Dome" as a long-duration energy storage solution. Now IEEE Spectrum visits its first plant in Sardinia, where 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide power a turbine generating 20 MW over 10 hours —…
FSF Says Nintendo's New DRM Allows Them to Remotely Render User Devices 'Permanently Unusable'
December 22, 2025 at 12:34AM
December 22, 2025 at 12:34AM
games.slashdot.org
FSF Says Nintendo's New DRM Allows Them to Remotely Render User Devices 'Permanently Unusable'
"In the lead up to its Switch 2 console release, Nintendo updated its user agreement," writes the Free Software Foundation, warning that Nintendo now claims "broad authority to make consoles owned by its customers permanently unusable." "Under Nintendo's…
The U.S. Could Ban Chinese-Made Drones Used By Police Departments
December 22, 2025 at 12:05PM
December 22, 2025 at 12:05PM
news.slashdot.org
The U.S. Could Ban Chinese-Made Drones Used By Police Departments
Tuesday the White House faces a deadline to decide "whether Chinese drone maker DJI Technologies poses a national security threat," reports Bloomberg. But their article notes it's "a decision with the potential to ground thousands of machines deployed by…
In 2025 Scammers Have Stolen $835M from Americans Using Fake Customer Service Numbers
December 22, 2025 at 02:34PM
December 22, 2025 at 02:34PM
yro.slashdot.org
In 2025 Scammers Have Stolen $835M from Americans Using Fake Customer Service Numbers
They call it "the business-impersonator scam". And it's fooled 396,227 Americans in just the first nine months of 2025 — 18% more than the 335,785 in the same nine months of 2024. That's according to a Bloomberg reporter (who also fell for it in late…
Apple Developer's Account Restored After Compromised Gift Card Incident
December 22, 2025 at 06:34PM
December 22, 2025 at 06:34PM
apple.slashdot.org
Apple Developer's Account Restored After Compromised Gift Card Incident
"It's all fixed," says that Apple developer who was locked out of his Apple Account after redeeming a compromised Apple Gift Card. "A lovely man from Singapore, working for Apple Executive Relations, who has been calling me every so often for a couple of…
Is Xbox Betting on Cross-Platform Gaming?
December 22, 2025 at 08:34PM
December 22, 2025 at 08:34PM
games.slashdot.org
Is Xbox Betting on Cross-Platform Gaming?
A "slew of layoffs, price hikes and studio closures" for Microsoft's Xbox "have led many to declare — not for the first time — that the Xbox is dead," reports CNBC. Or is it just changing its business model? The company's overall gaming revenue…
Spotify Says 'Anti-Copyright Extremists' Scraped Its Library
December 22, 2025 at 10:00PM
December 22, 2025 at 10:00PM
entertainment.slashdot.org
Spotify Says 'Anti-Copyright Extremists' Scraped Its Library
A group of activists has scraped Spotify's entire library, accessing 256 million rows of track metadata and 86 million audio files totaling roughly 300TB of data. The metadata has been released via Anna's Archive, a search engine for "shadow libraries" that…
iRobot Founder Says FTC Treated Blocked Deals 'Like Trophies' as Bankruptcy Follows Failed Amazon Acquisition
December 22, 2025 at 10:40PM
December 22, 2025 at 10:40PM
slashdot.org
iRobot Founder Says FTC Treated Blocked Deals 'Like Trophies' as Bankruptcy Follows Failed Amazon Acquisition
Colin Angle, the founder of iRobot who built the company from his living room over 35 years and sold more than 50 million Roomba vacuums, watched his creation file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month after what he describes as an "avoidable" regulatory…