otter

The word, used by computer scientists to mean ‘no value,’ has created long-running challenges

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/39411782

After moving in to our new server last month, our next large project is to set up some new Fediverse platforms. One of the most requested of those was Pixelfed, which is an image sharing platform.

You should be able to sign up here: pixelfed.ca

As with any new instance, some issues are to be expected and while we've done some testing already, please bear with us as things get going. For any support related issues with pixelfed.ca, please post in the new !pixelfed@lemmy.ca community

Edit: We have moved from pixeld.ca to pixelfed.ca!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/26220818

I am shocked by this - the quote in below is very concerning:

"However, in 2024, the situation changed: balenaEtcher started sharing the file name of the image and the model of the USB stick with the Balena company and possibly with third parties."

Can't see myself using this software anymore...

I've heard good things from others so far, anything to be concerned about with them?

From their about page:

It began on Kits Beach in Vancouver, Canada. Three friends launched a mission to create a better way to help people see.

We've served over 1 million customers since 2018, proving that premium eyecare can be convenient, fast, and affordable.

KITS offers a rich selection of premium eyecare products: our own KITS brand as well as a large, curated portfolio of designer frames and contacts.

We prioritize our customers above all else. We are obsessed with the quality of our products and your KITS experience.

KITS is vertically integrated, lean and local. This enables us to make premium eyecare affordable, convenient, and fast.

KITS is proudly Canadian - owned and operated. Our modern optical lab in Vancouver is where we craft our lenses and tailor glasses to customer's prescription.

Authors:

• Rosanna Carver, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Victoria
• Natache Iilonga, Researcher, School of Environmental Science, University of Victoria

In September 2025, Namibia will host the Global African Hydrogen Summit. The Namibian government has ambitions to turn the country into a leading producer of green hydrogen for export to markets in Europe and elsewhere. However, the lands and waters now regarded as being essential to Europe’s energy transition are tied to traumatic memories of colonial violence; especially the ocean, which is the final resting place for thousands of Namibians.

As countries around the world transition to renewable energy, an inconspicuous peninsula in Namibia known as Shark Island is positioned to play a key role in the production of so-called “green” hydrogen, which is a proposed alternative to fossil fuels.

However, the peninsula and its waters are at risk of being compromised by proposed port expansions to support the transportation of green hydrogen. Shark Island, near the town of Lüderitz, is now a campsite for tourists.

But Shark Island is also called Death Island, and it was a concentration camp and a site of genocide during German colonial rule from 1884 to 1915. The concentration camp has since been destroyed, leaving little evidence of the violence that occurred there. However, recent international investigations highlight what many Namibians have known and worked on for generations.

from newsletter:

Have you ever found your mind wandering while watching a show or a movie as you become distracted once again by your smartphone? I confess it happens to me too often, requiring me to rewind to figure out what I missed — when what I should do is simply turn off my phone.

But Netflix apparently knows that most of us find it impossible to pay close attention when our phones are nearby. So the streaming giant is creating what are known as second-screen shows with distracted viewers in mind.

Today in The Conversation Canada, Daphne Rena Idiz of the University of Toronto delves into research she’s conducted on how Netflix shapes screen production in Europe, a region where the streaming giant has invested billions in original content. And, astonishingly, producers there have been told by Netflix executives to make shows that the audience can follow without looking at the screen.

She concludes: “The next time you’re watching a Netflix show and feel the urge to scroll during another repetitive voice-over, the question is: Are some shows written like this because the audience is disengaged, or is the audience disengaged because shows are written like this?”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/38021492

via https://mastodon.nl/users/Jigsaw_You/statuses/114018619621784503

Obligatory BAN X in Europe!

From the newsletter

I'm not a gamer, but my 13-year-old son is. All of his classmates play games on Windows, and he has tried almost everything too.

But now he has found a Linux gaming console, and we are both happy with it. He can play, and he doesn't spend all his money on a Windows gaming PC which will never work the way he wants. And what's the best? The Arch Linux and the KDE desktop on it!

If you are interested, he wrote about it here: https://www.hellotux.com/2025_02_16_Finally-a-Linux-gaming-console

Hellotux being that family business that partners with open source projects / linux distros to make merch for them

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/39264127

Flashpoint Archive is a community effort to preserve games and animations from the web.

Internet history and culture is important, and the web is evolving at such a rapid pace that what might be commonplace today could be obsolete tomorrow. This project is dedicated to preserving as many experiences from these platforms as possible, so that they aren't lost to time. Since December 2017, over 200,000 games and animations have been preserved across more than a hundred browser plugins and web technologies.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/39264127

Flashpoint Archive is a community effort to preserve games and animations from the web.

Internet history and culture is important, and the web is evolving at such a rapid pace that what might be commonplace today could be obsolete tomorrow. This project is dedicated to preserving as many experiences from these platforms as possible, so that they aren't lost to time. Since December 2017, over 200,000 games and animations have been preserved across more than a hundred browser plugins and web technologies.