Saturday, February 28, 2026
System Engineer
bleepingcomputer
No commentsSaturday, February 28, 2026LiveStreamTechnical storiesNo commentsFor years now, Valve fans have been making jokes about the company's slow transition from game maker to glorified digital hat and knife paint marketplace. This week, though, a lawsuit brought by the state of New York argues that Valve's in-game loot box sales amount to an illegal gambling outfit worth tens of billions of dollars.
Lawyers who have looked into the particulars of the case tell Ars that the state faces an uphill battle in convincing courts that this portion of Valve's business legally constitutes gambling. That said, there are a few elements of the case that might make Valve legally vulnerable to the state's arguments.
For a game to legally be counted as "gambling" in most jurisdictions, it has to pass a three-part test: a player has to pay money (1) for an outcome that's materially determined by chance (2) in the hopes of receiving something of value (3). While buying a key to a loot box in a Valve game easily passes those first two tests, New York's legal case will likely hinge on whether the random cosmetic items players get from those loot boxes constitute "something of value" for statutory purposes.
Saturday, February 28, 2026LiveStreamUbuntu NewsNo commentsMozilla Thunderbird is the default email client application on Ubuntu. This powerful application has many features other than email management, and among them is, an RSS feed reader. That means an Ubuntu user can subscribe to any website and blog on the internet and the news will be ready to read every time he or she goes online. Isn't that amazing? Now we will explain it in a step-by-step manner as usual below based on our OS version 24.04 "Noble Numbat." Happy reading!
Subscribe to UbuntuBuzz Telegram Channel to get article updates.
We picked up some news sources here as examples for us to practice:
1. Ubuntu News, a company's news website
2. Distrowatch, a news aggregator and reviews of many other news websites
3. unixbhaskar.wordpress.com, an example of personal blog
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What is RSS? RSS stands for really simple syndication, that is, a technology that allows Internet-based web news delivered automatically from the news source to the subscribers indicated by a symbol of an orange square. Nowadays, every website have a RSS feed for people to subscribe to.
(The RSS logo. Image source: Wikipedia.)
****
1. Visit ubuntu.com website.
2. Find the RSS logo or link on the webpage. Here's some examples from the three sources above:
 |
 |
 |
|
RSS logo on the bottom |
RSS logo on the middle |
RSS logo on the top |
3. Right-click on the RSS logo or link -> Copy Link -> the link copied.
4. Run Thunderbird -> triple-line menu button -> New Account -> Feed.
5. On the Feed Account Wizard: click Next -> Finish.
6. Click the new entry "Blogs and News Feeds" in the left panel -> Manage Subscription.
7. Paste link from step number 3. It will look like this "https://ift.tt/7qomrPw".
8. Click Add.
9. Subscription added. Done.
10. Repeat steps number 1-9 for Distrowatch and the WordPress.com blog.
****
(Left: Blog & News Feeds selected. Middle: list of news. Right: news being read.)
Above is an example of a latest news from the Ubuntu blog titled "Unmasking Resolute Raccoon" that is planned to be released April this year. To read a news:
1. Click Blogs & News Feed section on the left panel.
2. Select a source you subscribed to. In this example, the "Ubuntu blog."
3. Select a news in the middle. In this example, the "Unmasking Resolute Raccoon."
4. The news will be viewed in the right panel. Done.
The default view mode is called Vertical View.
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Above is an alternative view mode that puts the news content to the bottom instead of the right. This is called the Classic View. To enable it: click triple line button -> View -> Layout -> Classic.
Above is another alternative view mode that is similar to Classic but wider for the reader are to the bottom. This is called the Wide View. To enable it: click triple line button -> View -> Layout -> Wide.
To revert back to the default view mode, select Vertical View instead under Layout menu.
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1. List of RSS Feeds from the Free Software Community, GNU/Linux tech., and etc.
2. Commafeed, a web-based free software RSS reader.
3. Getting started to the user interface of Thunderbird on Ubuntu.
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This article is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Friday, February 27, 2026LiveStreamTechNo commentsFriday, February 27, 2026System EngineerregisterNo commentsAs with any piece of obsolete software, you might expect an outdated AI model to just be switched off. Anthropic, however, argues that simply pulling the plug has downsides. After “retirement” interviews, Claude Opus 3 said it wanted to keep sharing its “musings,” so Anthropic suggested a blog.…
Friday, February 27, 2026System EngineerbleepingcomputerNo commentsFriday, February 27, 2026LiveStream I Can't Wait to Try Spotify's Newest Playlist Sorting Feature, LifehackerNo commentsSpotify's adding a new way to sort playlists for paying subscribers. The feature is called Smart Reorder, and it allows you to automatically sort your songs by BPM (beats per minute) and key. This is great for those who want to gradually bump up the intensity of the songs they listen to.
It's worth noting that this feature only works for playlists you've created or those you've mixed using the Spotify Mix feature, which lets you add or customize song transitions like a DJ would. Also, because Smart Reorder is an extension of Spotify Mix, you can't have one without the other. Spotify Mix hasn't yet been launched in all markets where the streaming service is present, including where I live, and as such, Smart Reorder isn't available in those regions yet. It's a shame, because I'm really excited to try it.
If you're a Spotify Premium subscriber, using the Smart Reorder feature is easy. Just open any of the playlists you've created or mixed, and tap the Edit button above the first song. Scroll to the bottom and select Smart Reorder. Spotify will automatically rearrange your songs by BPM, and you can tap the Save button up top to confirm the changes.
Smart Reorder should be a very useful feature for people like me, who prefer workout playlists that slowly bump up in intensity. I like to hear high BPM songs towards the end of my gym sessions or runs, but that might not be ideal for everyone. Some types of exercises, such as spin workouts, might be better off switching between high and low BPM songs as the intensity varies, and Smart Reorder wouldn't be great for those use cases. Some users on Reddit also suggested that you should create a copy of your playlists before using Smart Reorder on them, since you can't automatically restore playlists to their original order if you end up not liking the changes after saving them. To duplicate a Spotify playlist, open the playlist and tap the three-dots button above the list of songs. Select Add to other playlist > New playlist, then add a name for the copy and and tap Create.
This is another example of Spotify doing more with its AI DJ feature than Apple Music, where the AutoMix AI DJ feature has been more of a mixed bag for me. At the moment, AutoMix just handles song transitions, and Apple hasn't added any kind of custom playlist reordering to it.
Thursday, February 26, 2026System EngineerbleepingcomputerNo commentsThursday, February 26, 2026LiveStream Samsung Just Announced the Galaxy S26 Series, LifehackerNo commentsThe newest Galaxy series is officially here. Samsung announced its latest batch of flagship phones During its big Unpacked 2026 event. The company had announced as much ahead of the presentation but was silent on the name, though few will be surprised to learn this year's phones are the Galaxy S26 series—specifically, the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra. While the new devices look similar to last year's models, there are some new features and changes (including ones exclusive to the S26 Ultra) that may make them worth upgrading.
Since Samsung is all-in on AI, it's only fitting there are a couple of new Galaxy AI features making their debut on the Galaxy S26 series. First is the "Now Nudge," Samsung's answer to the Pixel 10's Magic Cue feature. Now Nudge uses AI to understand the context of what's currently on your screen and prompts users with helpful information, such relevant photos, calendar availability and more.
The Galaxy S26 series supports switching between three AI assistants at once. You can access Google Gemini and Bixby, of course, but users will now be able to use Perplexity as well. This includes hands-free voice commands (e.g. "Hey Plex.") Galaxy S26 users can utilize Perplexity to get info, manage tasks, or even navigate through their device using natural voice or text prompts.
Samsung is also upgrading Circle to Search with version 3.0. Now, users can circle multiple items within an image, such as a whole outfit, and Galaxy AI can identify and itemize each item at once. Then, there's Notification Intelligence, where the AI will prioritize your most important messages and notifications, such as conversations with humans, above promotional or subscription notifications. The higher priority notifications will appear higher in your incoming notifications list.
One of the S26 Ultra's exclusive features is Privacy Display, which allows users to make their screen only visible when viewing straight on, as if you're using a privacy screen protectors. Privacy Display can be enabled all the time or during certain conditions, like using certain apps or when entering a passcode or password.
All models in the Galaxy S26 series are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip, a slightly overclocked version of the SoC exclusive to Samsung phones. Compared to last year's Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, the 8 Elite Gen 5 brings a 20% performance boost and 35% CPU power efficiency, thanks to the 3 nanometer manufacturing process. The new Adreno GPU in the 8 Elite Gen 5 should also improve graphics performance by 23%.
Like the Galaxy S25 series, all three Galaxy S26 models feature a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, which supports an adaptive refresh rate of 1-120Hz. Storage options include 256GB and 512GB on the S26 and S26+, while the S26 Ultra comes in an optional 1TB variant as well. All three come with 12GB of RAM, but the 1TB S26 Ultra comes with 16GB of RAM. Screen sizes have stayed relatively the same apart from the base S26, which has gone up to 6.3 inches:
Galaxy S26: 6.3-inch display (2340 x 1080)
Galaxy S26+: 6.7-inch display (3120 x 1440)
Galaxy S26 Ultra: 6.9-inch display (3120 x 1440)
The base model S26 comes with a 4,300 mAh battery, up from the 4,000 mAh battery on the S25, while the S26+ stays with a 4,900 mAh battery and the S26 Ultra continues with a 5,000 mAh battery. The S26 supports 25W wired and 15W wireless charging, while the S26+ supports 45W wired and 20W wireless charging. The S26 Ultra, however, has the fastest speeds of all, with 60W wired and 25W wireless charging. Despite those speeds, the Galaxy S26 series does not support Qi2 with the built-in magnetic array like Pixelsnap on the Pixel 10 series. That being said, Samsung will happily sell you their official cases with magnets built-in and will offer a magnetic charging puck and magnet battery pack.
As far as the cameras go, Samsung isn't changing much with the Galaxy S26 series. The S26 and S26+ have the same 12MP ultra-wide, 50MP wide, and 10MP telephoto lenses as the S25 and S25+. The Galaxy S26 Ultra gets a slight upgrade, at least to the 200MP wide lens, which now comes with a new f/1.4 aperture. It carries over the 50MP ultra-wide and two telephoto lenses, 10MP (3x) and 50MP (5x), of the S25 Ultra. The 12MP selfie camera on all three models also hasn't changed from the S25 series. Thanks to the wider aperture on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, you can shoot what Samsung calls Nightography Video. It allows users to capture more detail in low light environments, to complement Samsung's Nightography photo mode.
The Galaxy S26 series is available for pre-order starting today. The phones will be available in a number of colors including, Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue and Black.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026System EngineerregisterNo commentsNorth Korea’s Lazarus Group appears to have added another tool to its kit. It has begun using Medusa ransomware in extortion attacks targeting at least one US healthcare organization and an unnamed victim in the Middle East, according to Symantec and Carbon Black threat hunters.…
Wednesday, February 25, 2026System EngineerbleepingcomputerNo commentsWednesday, February 25, 2026LiveStream and Now It's $500 Off, This 55-Inch Samsung OLED TV Was Already a Great Value, LifehackerNo commentsWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
OLED TVs are not for everyone. They are dimmer than LEDs, can suffer from burn-in, and they are much more expensive. The upside comes in the contrast and colors, which are exponentially better, resulting in just about the best picture quality you can get with the current generation of TVs.
If you're looking for an OLED that offers the best value for your money in 2026, consider the 55-inch Samsung S90F OLED. It's always been a great value option, but right now it's going for $1,097.99 ($500 off the list price of $1,597.99). This is the lowest price this TV has ever reached, according to price tracking tools.
The S90F is the lowest-priced OLED TV from Samsung's 2025 lineup, and a step below the more premium S95F. For around half the price, the S90F cuts out some features that might not be essential for you anyway: It has lower brightness (though it's still pretty good—see below), no anti-reflective coating, and no connection box (that is, an external input/output hub with HDMI, power, and USB for reducing cable clutter). If you don't plan on putting this TV in a well-lit space or do most of your watching in the evening, and you don't care for the connection box, this model offers an incredible value for the money. For $1,097.99, you'll be getting an OLED with premium specs for a budget price.
This TV has been one of the best-value OLEDs you can buy since its 2025 release. It offers a dynamic picture and excellent gaming brightness that you won't find in other TVs at this price point. According to CNET's review, the brightness in game mode is especially great when compared to its main competitor, the LG OLED C5, which is currently on sale for $1,046.99 (originally $1,156.99).
If you want to watch a premium-quality picture on TV while getting the most for your money in 2026, the S90F is a your best option, especially for gamers who need a brightness boost for sessions during the day.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026LiveStreamTechnical storiesNo commentsDespite being regarded as one of the greatest role-playing games of all time, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind disappointed some fans upon its release in 2002 because it didn't match the colossal scope of its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. Almost immediately, fans began modding the remaining parts of the series’ fictional continent, Tamriel, into the game.
Over 20 years later, thousands of volunteers have collaborated on the mod projects Tamriel Rebuilt and Project Tamriel, building a space comparable in size to a small country. Such projects often sputter out, but these have endured, thanks in part to a steady stream of small, manageable updates instead of larger, less frequent ones.
It's true that Daggerfall included an entire continent’s worth of content, but it was mostly composed of procedurally generated liminal space. By contrast, Morrowind contained just a single island—not even the entire province after which the game was named. The difference was that it was handcrafted.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026LiveStream The Best Samsung Galaxy Watch for Most People Is 41% Off Right Now, LifehackerNo commentsWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Apple users will naturally gravitate to Apple Watches, but it's not so simple for Android folks. Depending on whether you have a Pixel or a Samsung phone, there's a better smartwatch choice for you. If you have a Samsung, a Samsung Galaxy Watch is the best choice, and the best model for most people is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (though it works with any Android phone).
Right now, you can get the 44mm LTE Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 for $196 (originally $329.99). It's only $1 more than the 40mm Bluetooth version and the lowest price this bundle has reached, according to price tracking tools.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 came out in 2024, receiving an "excellent" review from PCMag for its accurate heart rate measurement, detailed sleep monitoring data tracking, AI health insights, and overall smooth user experience. It offers a Super AMOLED screen of 44 mm or 40mm. This sale covers the LTE version, which means you're not dependent on wifi to use the internet and can receive calls or listen to music without keeping your phone nearby.
The main downside with this smartwatch (and most Galaxy watches) is the battery life. It lasts about 22 hours, depending on use, according to PCMag's tests (it can last up to 28 hours if you don't use the GPS). This means you'll likely need to charge it during the day to use sleep tracking. However, the watch does charge pretty quickly, reaching max battery in 88 minutes.
If you care about fitness and sleep tracking, it's hard to beat the Wear OS, especially at the current price. You can have metrics from its Heart Rate Monitor, Blood Oxygen Monitor, Pedometer, Barometer, Temperature Sensor, Gyroscope, and others, and they're accurate. If you can't get over the battery life issue, consider the ONEPLUS Watch 2 for $489, which can last up to 100 hours.
Monday, February 23, 2026LiveStreamTechNo commentsMonday, February 23, 2026System EngineerregisterNo commentsLinus Torvalds has pondered his professional mortality in a self-deprecating post to mark the release of the first release candidate for version 7.0 of the Linux kernel.…
Monday, February 23, 2026System EngineerTech CENTRALNo commentsMonday, February 23, 2026System EngineerregisterNo commentsInfosec In Brief An unknown attacker accessed the French government’s database listing every bank account in the country and made off with 1.2 million records.…
Sunday, February 22, 2026LiveStreamTechNo commentsSunday, February 22, 2026LiveStreamTechnical storiesNo commentsA day after NASA officials expressed optimism that they could be ready to launch the Artemis II mission around the Moon next month, the space agency's administrator announced Saturday that a new problem will require the removal of the rocket from its launch pad in Florida.
The latest issue appeared Friday evening, when data showed an interruption in helium flow into the upper stage of the Space Launch System rocket, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote in a post on X. Isaacman posted a more thorough update Saturday, writing that engineers are still examining the potential cause of the problem, but any fixes must take place inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.
That means NASA and contractor ground teams will immediately begin preparing to roll the 322-foot-tall (98-meter) SLS rocket off of Launch Complex 39B and back to the VAB. The rocket and its mobile launch platform will ride NASA's crawler-transporter for the 4-mile journey.
Sunday, February 22, 2026LiveStreamTechNo commentsSunday, February 22, 2026System EngineerTech CENTRALNo commentsSaturday, February 21, 2026System EngineerTech CENTRALNo commentsSaturday, February 21, 2026System EngineerregisterNo commentsLas Vegas hotel and casino giant Wynn Resorts appears to be the latest victim of data-grabbing and extortion gang ShinyHunters.…
Saturday, February 21, 2026System EngineerbleepingcomputerNo commentsSaturday, February 21, 2026LiveStream This 27-Inch LG 4K Monitor Just Dropped to Under $200, LifehackerNo commentsWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Gamers and multi-taskers shouldn’t sleep on the 27-inch LG 27UP650K-W Ultrafine 4K monitor—like most options from LG, it’s a versatile and visually striking display with appeal for multimedia, gaming, and office usage. Right now, it’s cheaper than it's ever been at 30% off, bringing its price down from $279.99 to $196.99.
The monitor offers top-tier 4K clarity for a sub-$200 price tag, with Native 3840×2160 resolution on a 27-inch IPS panel. Its strong color accuracy with HDR400 makes it equally suitable for creative or media consumption. Additionally, it has wide viewing angles and reliable brightness (around 400 nits, which isn’t cinema-quality, but still impressive for a budget 4K monitor), which improves daytime visibility but is modest compared to pricier monitors. Users can adjust the monitor's pivot, tilt, and height, while HDMI and DisplayPort make it a good choice for most desk setups.
Given its 60Hz refresh rate, it’s better for work, watching movies, and casual gaming; competitive gamers might find it limiting. It also lacks USB-C connectivity, which is a con for those who use laptops like a MacBook. While it can’t offer the same as luxury displays, if you’re looking for a monitor that gets it all done, whether that’s light gaming, office work, media consumption, or content creation, the 27-inch LG 27UP650K-W Ultrafine 4K monitor is a strong budget 4K productivity and casual gaming monitor, particularly at less than $200 with its current discount.
Friday, February 20, 2026System EngineerregisterNo commentsSome AI advocates claim that bots hold the secret to mitigating climate change. But research shows that the reality is far different, as new datacenters cause power utilities to burn even more fossil fuels to meet their insatiable demand for energy.…
Friday, February 20, 2026LiveStream This iPhone Feature Can Save Your Life in an Emergency, LifehackerNo commentsThis week, an avalanche killed eight people who were on a backcountry skiing expedition on Lake Tahoe. One person is also missing, but presumed dead. This story is tragic, but, miraculously, six members of the group survived the disaster. According to the New York Times, those skiers were rescued thanks to a standard iPhone feature, Emergency SOS via satellite, which let them connect to emergency services from where they were trapped by snow.
If you have an iPhone, you probably have this feature available to you, as well. Better yet, it's not hard to activate in the event of an emergency, though it doesn't hurt to know exactly how it works ahead of time. This isn't the first time Emergency SOS via satellite was credited with saving lives during disasters, and knowing about it now could potentially save your life in a future emergency.
You might be familiar with your iPhone's Emergency SOS feature—you may have even set it off accidentally when clicking the buttons too many times in a row. Emergency SOS makes it easy to quickly dial 911 in the event of an emergency.
But Emergency SOS via satellite is different. This feature connects you to emergency services when you're in an area with no cellular service. Where a typical 911 call would route through your carrier's network, Emergency SOS via satellite connects your call or message to the nearest satellite above your head. That means, so long as conditions are right, you're able to contact emergency services from basically anywhere in the world, regardless of whether that area is covered by cell networks.
Of course, since communications are being routed via satellite, the experience is much different than a standard cellular connection. Apple says that in "ideal conditions" with a clear sky, it might take 30 seconds for messages to send. Less ideal conditions, say, if your view of the sky is blocked by trees, could slow a message down to 60 seconds or more.
Apple first launched this feature with the iPhone 14, but since iOS 18, you've been able to text anyone via satellite. The principle is the same, but you can reach out to friends and family rather than 911. If there's an emergency, but not one you need police, fire fighters, or EMTs for, this can connect you to close friends no matter where you are.
To connect to satellite with your iPhone, you'll need an iPhone 14 or later. You'll also need to be running iOS 16.1 in the U.S. and Canada, though other regions have their own software requirements. The feature is currently available in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the U.S.
You won't have the option to connect to satellite services when you have a connection, either cellular or wifi. Instead, the option appears when you have no service. Once this happens, iOS' Connection Assistant will ask if you want to connect to satellite. If you miss the prompt, you can launch it from the Cellular tile in Control Center, or from Settings > Satellite.
Once the Connection Assistant launches, it'll walk you through connecting to your nearest satellite, including with on-screen visuals, but here's the gist: You'll need to be outside with as clear a view of the sky as you can. Apple says that "light" to "medium" foliage from trees could slow down messages, while "dense" foliage, hills, mountains, or tall structures could prevent connection at all.
Apple says you can hold your iPhone as you usually would—no need to point it at the sky—but you may be instructed to move left or right depending on the location of the satellite. Apple also says the connection might not work in places above 62° latitude, which includes northern parts of Alaska.
Once connected, the first thing you should do is try calling 911. The call might go through even over satellite, but if it doesn't, you'll find the option to send an "Emergency Text." Tap this option, then choose the appropriate services (roadside assistance or emergency services.). You can also open the Messages app, text 911, then choose "Emergency Services." Here, tap "Report Emergency," then answer questions when prompted to describe the situation you're in. You can also choose to automatically notify emergency contacts that you contacted 911. From here, your iPhone shares all this information, along with your location, remaining iPhone battery life, and Medical ID (if set up), with responders.
Yes! (For now.) Since its launch, Emergency SOS via satellite has been free to use, though Apple officially says that the feature is free for two years after an iPhone is activated. The company pushed back that deadline for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users last year, so no iPhone has actually had to pay for the feature yet. The company might continue to push it back, or begin charging, but there's no word on pricing at this time.
It's worth noting T-Mobile has its own satellite feature, as well. If you have the service, and an iPhone 13 or later, you could use their satellite connectivity services instead.
Friday, February 20, 2026LiveStreamTechnical storiesNo commentsIn Formula One, grip is everything. The world's best engineers devote their careers to designing cars that maximize downforce and grip to squeeze every bit of performance out of a set of four humble tires. These cars punish their drivers by slinging them at six Gs through corners and offer similar levels of abuse in braking.
It's all wildly impressive, but I've long maintained that those drivers are not the ones having the most fun. When it comes to sheer enjoyment, grip is highly overrated, and if you want proof of that, you need to try ice racing.
Should you be lucky enough to live somewhere that gets cold enough consistently enough, all you need is a good set of tires and a car that's willing and able. That, of course, and a desire to spend more time driving sideways than straight. I've been ice racing for well over 20 years now, and I'm here to tell you that there's no greater thrill on four wheels than sliding through a corner a few inches astern of a hard-charging competitor.
