Pretty rubbish article to be honest. It’s all hyperbole and no data or facts. It includes one embedded tweet with a graph about sharing political content.

While I suspect it’s true, it’s hard to trust a article that doesn’t back up it’s claims with any data or even quantify the claims it’s making. The closest it gest to data is “millions” but that’s pretty meaningless on its own.

I pay for my email (Proton) password manager (last pass), and VPN (nordvpn).

I’d say subs that maintain your privacy and security are well worth it - there is no such thing as a free lunch and instead the tech giants are dining out at the expense of users.

Googles ad monopoly needs to be torn apart. Because YouTube premium prices may actually represent what it really costs to maintain video sites like YouTube, but Google have managed to destroy all competition with the free model and now there is no one realistically able to compete on content or price.

if you’re american, manufactured 18 July 2023?

Intel claims to have caught up with the upcoming Lunar Lake series but still to be seen.

That may be too late for whatever new device Valve is working on as given the lead time for such devices they may already have committed to an architecture for devices next year.

Also running X86 games on Arm devices is not likely to be efficient. I doubt the energy efficiency of Arm chips would outweigh the overhead of X86 to Arm translation?

But it’s all speculation - even without hardware, getting Proton to work with Arm is good for steam regardless of any specific devices. For example it would allow steam to push the compatability tools onto Mac devices and even potentially mobile devices. Makes sense for Valve to do this without it meaning anything more that it being a god idea in itself.

According to Wikipedia, A028 is an open/free version of Albertus and widely available on Linux.

You could also download versions of Albertus itself to use in KDE - there seem to be lots of versions.

Fonts are easy to install in KDE, if what you want is not in your package manager then download the font files and install it with the Font manager tool in Settings (just look for Fonts). You can install fonts from files you have downloaded or download more from the KDE store (I don’t know if A028 is in the store).

It’ll be available immediately in LibreOffice, and you can also use Konsole settings to use the font for your terminal.

Just on the KDE front, I’m assuming you’ve optimised your KDE set up for your PC?

If not, first open your Settings app and in the search box type “Effects” - disable all the fancy desktop effects.

Next, if you’re on X11, go into the “Display and Monitor” section and disable compositing (you can also temporairly disable this with Alt+Shift+F12 to see what impact it has). This option is not available in Wayland; but you may be better using X11 if you don’t have a dedicated GPU? I’m not sure I’d be messing with Wayland on an old laptop; I’ve had serious issues on a high end PC - definitely improved with 6.1, but I’m using X11 still.

But KDE 6 isn’t as svelt as KDE 5 was, so even optimised it may just not be up to the job.

XFCE is a good shout, and should run nicely on a 2013 laptop.

The oldest intact building in my city is from 1320 - so 700 years old. Baguely Hall, which is an old landowners hall.

The city itself - Manchester - dates back to the roman era and we have the remnants of an old castrum/fort in the city centre dating back to 79 AD - so 1945 years old. Surprisingly there were more complete ruins at the site but much of it was levelled during the industrial revolution.

There are plenty of options for personal computers; you have to make the choice to go private and personal.

I built my own desktop, which remains very common and is relatively easy to do. I have Linux and Windows on it, and use Linux nearly 100% as I agree I don’t like ads etc. I use a Firefox with ad blockers and don’t get ads; I use lots of open source software even to access services like Youtube (Free tube).

There are also even linux laptops, and the Frame.Work laptop which is fully modular and bring your own OS.

There are open source OS for phones.

You’re right about the corporatisation of the internet and services, but it remains up to users to vote with their feet and chose to take back their privacy and person computing.

Linux is at 4% of desktop users in recent months - that is many millions of people actively choosing to exist in a space where they control their personal computers. People don’t need to remove computers, just chose to set them up to be what they want them to be.

As others have said, gaming is thriving - AAA and bloated incumbants are not doing well but the indie sector is thriving.

VR is not on the verge of collapse, but it is growing slowly as we still have not reached the right price point for a mobile high powered headset. Apple made a big play for the future of VR with its Apple Vision Pro but that was not a short term play; that was laying the ground works for trying to control or shape a market that is still probably at least 5 if not 10 years away from something that will provide high quality VR, untethefed from a. PC.

AI meanwhile is a bubble. We are not in an age of AI, we are in an age of algorithms - they will and are useful but will not meet the hype or hyperbole being banded about. Expect that market to pop and probably with spectacular damage to some companies.

Other computing hardware is not really stagnating - we are going through a generational transition period. AMD is pushing Zen 5 and Intel it’s 14th gen, and all the chip makers are desperately trying to get on the AI band wagon. People are not upgrading because they don’t see the need - there aren’t compelling software reasons to upgrade yet (AI is certainly not compelling consumers to buy new systems). They will emerge eventually.

The lack of any landmark PC AAA games is likely holding back demand for consumer graphics cards, and we’re seeing similar issues with consoles. The games industry has certainly been here many times before. There is no Cyberpunk 2077 coming up - instead we’ve had flops like Star Wars Outlaws, or underperformers like Starfield. But look at the biggest game of last year - Baldurs Gate 3 came from a small studio and was a megahit.

I don’t see doom and gloom, just the usual ups and downs of the tech industry. We happen to be in a transition period, and also being distracted by the AI bubble and people realising it is a crock of shit. But technology continues to progress.

As someone who drives to and around Wales multiple times a year, it’s a poorly thought out and implemented policy.

Many people speed and break the limit, particularly on main roads, and it’s lack of popular support is an issue in itself.

The policy could work if the speed limits was reverted to 30mph on bigger roads but local councils and the Welsh assembly blame each other for the issues.

There is also little enforcment at present - that is changing and once people start getting fined for breaking the 20mph limit it’s likely to become much more unpopular.

It could have probably been implemented successfully and with popular support with more careful designation of 30mph roads. It’s a failure of politicians rather than the idea itself.

Why “dr*g”? That’s a wierd bit of censorship - making a joke about drugs and sex workers and feeling the need to censor the word drug? I don’t get it?

Low temperatures are associated with lower barometric pressure. Temperature and air pressure are proportional. You might be confusing density with air pressure?

I don’t think hyperbole like damage lasting for millenia is worth much. People don’t think in such terms and the only people who will listen to that are those who are already on the side of climate action.

The articles call to arms is right, but this is not the way to beat trump. Instead of damage for millenia, the focus needs to be on convincing people that his short termist policies will damage then financially and personally.

Instead of cheap renewable electricity he wants to use voters tax money to subsidies and promote fossil fuels. Instead of clean cars in cities and towns, he wants to choke you and your children with petrol fumes.

An image of trump in a jacket covered in fossil fuel company sponsorship logos, and trying to force an exhaust pipe down a child’s throat is the kind of thing that summarises his position. We’re not trying to convince die hard republicans, just the moderate centre / undecideds that trump will harm them and their children directly with his policies, let alone millenia of damage.

950,000 Capri Suns

(200ml per Capri sun, 5 Capri sun per litre, 190,000 litres water)

But it would take a long time to open each packet and spray it on the fire.

After being forced to standardise to usb c and be responsible for some of the e-waste it produces, apple has finally relented.

They fought tooth and nail against the EU regulations to force charging standards. I don’t care if they up sell cables to some people; most people will reuse what they have and thats the whole point of the regulations.

Regulation works.

Probably a pixelation joke too for nudity that the kids won’t get but the adults will.

Why would I say no? If it can be turned off I don’t care. Mozilla might get some money from the idiotic AI frenzy which will help keep them going.

Of course if its implemented badly to affect privacy and security then no. But forks of Firefox like Fennac and Librewolf will strip this stuff out. I’m no fan of this AI nonsense but I haven’t seen anything yet to suggest this is anything more than a gimmick.

Just another example of how broken the premium end of the gaming industry is. Ubisoft is an old fashioned publisher, trying to churn out big hit AAA games based on big IP but producing poor quality buggy games, which don’t turn a profit.

We keep hearing how the games industry is “in trouble” but its actually thriving with loads of smaller devs and publishers doing well. The problem is the behemoth publishers like Ubisoft who release games based on financials timelines rather than the games being finished or high quality.

Its not like Ubisoft are short of good IP. What they’re lacking is good quality control and an environment to foster high quality creativity. When you treat gaming like its just a production line to generate money this is what you get. Making AAA games is expensive for sure, but its pointless if you don’t get the quality and the creativity right too - they’re just making expensice games.

We’re seeing the same in the movie industry - big studios producing franchise movies on a financially driven schedule with poor quality and lack of creativity.

This seems very worthwhile, good on you for forking and resurrecting this.

It might be worth you updating the about page to say what lightly is - I had to google and find the original git to work it out. I’m still not even entirely clear - this seems to be more than a theme? As well as retheme Breeze It also seems to expand on what Breeze does?

Your project can stand on its own merits rather than just referencing defunct projects - that might help future new contributors better understand what the ask is and get then more interested / excited about helping?

I’m sorry you and your brother have been through so much and been so damaged. I experienced an abusive up bringing and I know it never leaves you, and shapes who you are for the rest pf your life. For me i was lucky and it shaped me to try to be a better person then my parents and not repeat their mistakes; it sounds like you are also treading that path.

My siblings were not so lucky, they are all damaged and have been unable to live “normal” lives. I lost one brother who died through severe mental illness, another sibling is crippled by mental illness and another is struggling but fortunately getting by.

I’ve learnt the hard way that you can’t fix other people, no matter how clearly you see what is going wrong. You can encourage people to deal with their problems, and you can support them when they try but ultimately they have to want to change or get better. Everything else you do, no matter how well intentioned, will not change anything if the person themselves does not see the problem or want to change.

Regarding your brother, you can reach out to him and try but sadly you may have to accept his life is stuck on a trajectory of self destruction and even sadly violence. I don’t think anyone is born bad, but are shaoed by their childhood. Your step dad and mum are also likely products of bad events or difficult up-bringings and it sounds like they couldn’t change their life paths either. Its a cycle of chaos and tragedy disrupting each generation.

But there is something you do have control over and can change - your own family. You can break the cycle by being a good parent to your children. You are now in the position your mum and dad were, and can be the role model for your kids and ensure they have a happy childhood. That is where you should focus your time and effort.

I’m sorry for your brother, despite his crimes, but your priority should be your wife and children and everything you do has to be focused on what is best for them. Sadly, if that means not including your brother in your lives then so be it. Be there if your brother reaches out for help but otherwise I think your time and energy is best focused on giving your children the upbringing and future denied to you as a child.

You succeeded despite your parents. Ensure your children succeed with your help and support. That will break the cycle in your family and that love, kindness and compassion will be felt by your grand children and great grand children. That is what you can realistically control and that could help many more than one person in your family long term. That choice could have positive echoes throughout your children and their children’s lives.