Black belt in Mikado, Photo model, for the photos where they put under ‘BEFORE’
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Cake day: Apr 25, 2021
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Maybe Diffusion, a free standalone conversion of Half Life https://www.moddb.com/mods/diffusion
There is also a nice First Person Stealth game, OpenSource (my favorite) https://www.thedarkmod.com/main/
I always used Bandcamp as mainsource to listen music of my favorite bands (if present). For general background music mostly https://www.internet-radio.com/ or https://www.radio.net/genre (genre specific channels, 24/7)
## LoRa Communication
*Image: [en.wikipedia.org - LoRa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoRa)*
**LoRa** (long range) is a proprietary radio modulation technique based on [Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoRa), which encodes data on radio waves using frequency-sweeping chirp pulses. It operates on license-free sub-gigahertz bands: 868 MHz in Europe, 915 MHz in North America and Australia, 433 MHz globally.
The core tradeoff is range vs. data rate. Spreading factors (SF5–SF12) let you tune this: higher SF means longer range and better sensitivity, but slower throughput and more battery drain. Data rates run from 0.3 to 27 kbit/s, per [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoRa). Typical range is 2–5 km urban, 5–15 km rural, and beyond 15 km line-of-sight, according to [readthedocs.io](https://lora.readthedocs.io/en/latest/).
LoRa is the physical radio layer only. **LoRaWAN** sits on top as the network protocol (MAC layer), defining how devices connect to gateways and the internet. The [Things Network](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/lorawan/what-is-lorawan/) describes LoRaWAN devices as capable of running up to 10 years on a single coin cell battery.
[Semtech](https://www.semtech.com/lora/what-is-lora) owns the LoRa IP and makes the chipsets. The LoRa Alliance, a 500-member non-profit, maintains the LoRaWAN standard, which the ITU formally recognized in December 2021.
Common applications include smart agriculture, asset tracking, water leak detection, cold chain monitoring, and mesh networks like Meshtastic.
For a thorough technical grounding, [The Things Network's LoRaWAN guide](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/lorawan/what-is-lorawan/) is the most practical starting point.
Sources: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoRa), [The Things Network](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/lorawan/what-is-lorawan/), [Semtech](https://www.semtech.com/lora/what-is-lora), [readthedocs.io](https://lora.readthedocs.io/en/latest/)
## Google's reCAPTCHA Now Requires Play Services on Android
Google has [tied its next-generation reCAPTCHA system to Google Play Services](https://reclaimthenet.org/google-broke-recaptcha-for-de-googled-android-users), meaning users running GrapheneOS or any custom ROM without Google's software automatically fail verification challenges, per Reclaim The Net.
When reCAPTCHA flags suspicious activity, it skips the old image puzzles and instead demands a QR code scan. That scan requires Play Services version 25.41.30 or higher running in the background. No Play Services, no access.
Google announced the broader system, called Google Cloud Fraud Defense, at Cloud Next on April 23, framing it as a platform to handle AI agents and bots. The Play Services dependency was not highlighted. An Internet Archive snapshot from October 2025 shows the [same requirement](https://support.google.com/recaptcha/answer/16609652?hl=en) was already listed at version 25.39.30, meaning Google built this in quietly at least seven months before a Reddit user on r/degoogle flagged it, with [PiunikaWeb](https://piunikaweb.com/2026/05/07/google-recaptcha-play-services-requirement/) and Android Authority picking it up.
The iOS comparison is telling: Apple devices on iOS 16.4 or later pass the same verification without any additional software. Only Android users without Play Services are locked out.
*Image: [Reclaim The Net - Google Broke reCAPTCHA for De-Googled Android Users](https://reclaimthenet.org/google-broke-recaptcha-for-de-googled-android-users)*
An Ars Technica forum user [noted the practical problem](https://arstechnica.com/civis/threads/google-broke-recaptcha-for-de-googled-android-users-so-this-seems-pretty-bad.1512971/) bluntly: "I'm betting some sites or services that do use it are unavoidable." Commenters on LinkedIn have suggested hCaptcha as an alternative for web developers who don't want to exclude privacy-conscious users.
Sources: [Reclaim The Net](https://reclaimthenet.org/google-broke-recaptcha-for-de-googled-android-users), [Ars Technica OpenForum](https://arstechnica.com/civis/threads/google-broke-recaptcha-for-de-googled-android-users-so-this-seems-pretty-bad.1512971/), [PiunikaWeb](https://piunikaweb.com/2026/05/07/google-recaptcha-play-services-requirement/)
## Flipbook (sketchapedia.com)
*Image: [Flipbook - Flipbook](https://sketchapedia.com/)*
[Flipbook](https://flipbook.page/) (hosted at sketchapedia.com) is an AI-powered visual browser that generates illustrated, interactive infographics on demand in real time. You type any topic, and it renders a clickable, sometimes animated image explaining it — similar to prompting ChatGPT or Claude, but the output is visual rather than text.
According to [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dan-zinkin_flipbook-the-infinite-visual-browser-flipbook-activity-7453062289869533184-1ESi), the tool was built by Zain Shah and team. It describes itself as "an infinite visual browser generated entirely on demand in real time."
Japanese bookmarking site [Hatena](https://b.hatena.ne.jp/entry/s/flipbook.page/) categorises it under AI, LLM, and web tools, with users tagging it as worth reading later.
Sources: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dan-zinkin_flipbook-the-infinite-visual-browser-flipbook-activity-7453062289869533184-1ESi), [Hatena](https://b.hatena.ne.jp/entry/s/flipbook.page/)
Yes, depending the case there are several alternatives, eg.Yggdrasil or OSHI Mesh. 40 years ago there was the Finger Protocol which still is implemented by default and works in Windows, Mac and most distros
F**k US tech, as seen all those from big corps with an kill switch in the hands of an orange asshole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbspvLmhnUQ
creator
to
Also Palomares in Spain are still radioactive, thanks to “our good friends”
There is also an Metasearch engine which, like Ecosia, create search revenues to support several charity projects (Environment, Education, Medical Support), Max-Impact (FOSS)
creator
toDon’t forget that Graphene OS is made to work exclusivly in a Google phones, that gives Google naturally the possibility to control what you can do with Graphene OS and what not. But Google didn’t have any influence in independent Phones and other Linux forks than Android. It’s like saying that MS has influences in Linux Mint or other distro on desktop. Google has influences in his products, OS and its apps, not in those of others.
creator
toThat is nonsense, Android is OpenSource, based on Linux, adapted to mobile, but with APIs controlled by Google, Linage, e/OS, Ubuntu Touch, etc… are other distros of Linux for Mobile, compatible with Android apps. There Google can do nothing to avoid the use of not approved apps, like it can do it in Android due it’s inbuild APIs and banning those from Google Play, which other OS don’t have or use. Because of this I also don’t like GrapheneOS, because it works only on Google Phones, which can block apps on HW base if Google want it. In other Phones, eg.FairPhone with own idependent OS, there Google see only the middle finger.
"Breaking Free: Pathways to a fair technological future" is a new report from Forbrukerrådet. The report itself is a light read: it's in English, and while it is 100 pages long [PDF], it is in fact enjoyable and even amusing – we laughed quite a few times when reading it. For one thing, it contains a surprising number of puns and the occasional starred-out swearword, such as "Do androids dream of electric s***." A stodgy bureaucratic report this is not.
https://youtu.be/T4Upf_B9RLQ
On January 27, 2026, the European Commission opened proceedings to assist Google in complying with two key Digital Markets Act (DMA) obligations[^18]:
1. Interoperability Requirements:
- Google must allow third-party services to interoperate with its operating system and software features
- The company cannot restrict access to hardware and software features that it uses for its own services[^2]
2. Search Data Sharing:
- Google must provide competitors with access to search ranking, query, click and view data on fair terms
- This data must be anonymized when it contains personal information[^2]
These proceedings follow earlier DMA enforcement actions from March 2024, when the Commission launched investigations into Google's potential self-preferencing in search results and restrictions on app developers in the Google Play Store[^10].
The Commission's role is to ensure Google implements these obligations effectively while maintaining security and privacy protections. Under the DMA, failure to comply could result in fines up to 10% of global turnover, rising to 20% for repeat violations[^8].
[^2]: [Bruegel - Digital Market Act designations: the interoperability of Google Android](https://www.bruegel.org/analysis/digital-market-act-designations-interoperability-google-android-0)
[^8]: [EU Digital Markets Act - Updates and Compliance](https://www.eu-digital-markets-act.com/)
[^10]: [Hausfeld - 1st Anniversary of the Digital Markets Act (DMA): Lessons learned and road ahead](https://www.hausfeld.com/en-gb/what-we-think/competition-bulletin/1st-anniversary-of-the-digital-markets-act-dma-lessons-learned-and-road-ahead)
[^18]: [Commission opens proceedings to assist Google in complying with DMA obligations](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_202)
creator
toSilicon isn’t the cheapest, sand is. The manufacturing price of the silice mono crystal is high and very similar of that from mono crystal fabrication of any other substance. Artificial diamonds as raw material isn’t much more expensive, used in the industry since a long time, manufactured in mass for cutting tools, drills, abrasive material…, nothing to do with the ones for jewelery.
creator
toWom’t make a difference with any current OS, none of those would work with the new arquitecture, way different from the current one. One thing is the new hardware and another is the current lack of any soft or OS for it. Not even DOOM would run in it. Maybe in one or two years it would make sense to change your PC.
Another alternative to silice are diamonds, there the chips are with the same arquitecture as those from silice, but with the advantage that they support much more heat to the point that they don’t even need refrigeration, apart the electric apabilities of diamond is way better as those from silice, that permits a way higher speed and stability. The price isn’t much higher as the one from normal chips with sythetic diamonds. They are already in use, even with manufactories in Spain.
China has begun mass production of next-generation processors based on molybdenum disulfide instead of traditional silicon semiconductors[^4]. According to Professor Li Hongge's team at Beihang University, these chips merge binary and stochastic logic to achieve better fault tolerance and power efficiency for applications like touch displays and flight systems[^9].
The breakthrough came through developing a Hybrid Stochastic Number (HSN) system that combines traditional binary with probability-based numbers[^9]. This innovation helps overcome two major challenges in chip technology - the power wall from binary systems' high energy consumption, and the architecture wall that makes new non-silicon chips difficult to integrate with conventional systems[^9].
[^4]: [AzerNews - China mass-produces silicon-free chips](https://www.azernews.az/region/252794.html)
[^9]: [SCMP - China starts mass production of world's first non-binary AI chip](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3313349/beyond-1s-and-0s-china-starts-mass-production-worlds-first-non-binary-ai-chip)
>Every year, at the end of January and the beginning of February, thousands of people from Europe and around the world gather in Brussels to discuss open source and open technologies. The main attraction is FOSDEM, Europe’s largest open source conference, which has inspired a range of side events, social activities, and workshops. For those interested in open technology, digital policy, and EU developments, OpenForum Europe’s EU Open Source Policy Summit brings together open source leaders and policymakers. Together, these events make up the EU Open Source Week.
creator
toAgree, it has no technical reasons for not having European sovereignty, only political, bureaucratic reasons, ignorance and commodity that prevent it. There are plenty of good and even better alternatives to US big brother crap.
Europe faces a critical dependency on US cloud infrastructure, with 90% of its digital infrastructure controlled by American companies, according to competition expert Cristina Caffarra[^1]. This vulnerability has spurred concrete action, with public institutions in Austria, Germany, France and the International Criminal Court moving away from US providers.
The core issue stems from the US CLOUD Act of 2018, which allows American authorities to access data held by US companies regardless of location, conflicting directly with EU privacy laws[^1]. This creates an "irreconcilable legal conflict" since any contract between European customers and US cloud providers is subordinate to US federal law.
Several key developments highlight this shift:
- Austria's Federal Ministry for Economy completed migration of 1,200 employees to European open-source platform Nextcloud[^1]
- The International Criminal Court is replacing Microsoft office software with OpenDesk after its chief prosecutor was locked out of Outlook[^1]
- Germany's Schleswig-Holstein state has moved 24,000 civil servants to open-source alternatives[^1]
However, challenges remain. The acquisition of Dutch cloud provider Solvinity by US-based Kyndryl demonstrates how European alternatives can be undermined through foreign acquisition[^1]. Critics also warn about "sovereignty washing," where US hyperscalers market 'sovereign cloud' solutions that don't resolve the fundamental legal conflicts[^1].
[^1]: [The Register - Europe gets serious about cutting digital umbilical cord](https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/22/europe_gets_serious_about_cutting/)
Diffusion is the first-person shooter with an extensive singleplayer story (8-12 hours) and a multiplayer deathmatch mode, running on Xash3D-FWGS engine.
You, James Smith (served in SWAT for a decade with no failed ops), on vacation and driving your car to some nice place, to take a break from your usual work routines. Driving on a deserted road somewhere in Utah, the car breaks down. With miles of nothing behind, J. decides to go forward and stumbles upon an abandoned rock/sand processing factory with just one yawning guard sitting there. Pointed by the guard, J. walks behind the factory to find the phone. When he comes back, he only sees two army trucks and the dead guard… J.'s curiosity leads him inside the factory only to find that this place is absolutely not what it seems to be…
(Windows, Linux)
Trailer
https://youtu.be/7Goi0egBgLI
In KARANTIIN you can use anything you find. Manage your inventory, monitor your vital stats (food, thirst, health, bleeding, radiation,infection), search for supplies, and fight to stay alive. The game features an open world and two additional game modes.
Trailer
https://youtu.be/jxZk2k4XDLw
creator
toI think so, if DOOM even works in a PDF file
https://doompdf.pages.dev/doom.pdf
And even on a pregnancy test stick
A tape-based piece of unique Unix history may have been lying quietly in storage at the University of Utah for 50+ years. The question is whether researchers will be able to take this piece of middle-aged media and rewind it back to the 1970s to get the data off.
See also
https://archive.org/details/utah_unix_v4_raw
TAR file
http://squoze.net/UNIX/v4/
As said, independent of the OS, every soft, add, extension, script you install without checking it, is an Malware vector. Windhawk even advice to check the script before you active it. All scripts are full listed in the app. There is nothing hidden https://github.com/ramensoftware/windhawk
If you like, with Windhawk you can have, without any problems, the look and feel of Windows 98 in Windows 11. The biggest problem in Windows is the amount of bloatware, spyware, services which nobody needs and other crap filling the memory, which it has by default. Luckily there are tons of FOSS apps out there which permits to show the middlefinger to M$ and turn it in a fast, small and reasonable private OS (my Windows has less than 800 MB in RAM (RAM 16GB -15,3 GB free) and is blazing fast.). All apps and tools I use are FOSS.
Yes, this is why using Windhawk is mandatory in W11 (apart of Portmaster)
It’s absolute nonsense the MS argumentation about it, when a simple script of Windhawk with few lines solve this “problem” same as with the crappy W11 Startmenu.
Windhawk is something like an Userscript Manager, with tons of different scripts to change at the Milimetre instant any aspect of the UI, no restart needed, on off the change with a click. All script visible and editable.
creator
toThat is the point, I use Windows but the Copilot was one of the first thing, among a lot of other crap, which I deleted from the system. I prefer to lick my Ellbow before tolerating an inbuild AI in the system or in the browser. I’m using sometimes since almost 3 years an AI search (Andisearch), because I know that it ist one of the most private and anonym search engine out there and offers 99% trustworth results from reliable sources, no logs, no tracking, searches not even appears in the browser history, but it is an exeption. It don’t invent nothing, if it don’t find a result of the question, it say it and offers an normal websearch (DDG). But this, It can give an direct answer, but in internet it is always needed to check before use, with and without AI.
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) permanently deleted its account on X (formerly Twitter) on December 4, 2025, citing the platform's increasing hostility and misalignment with their values[^1].
The FSFE explained that while they initially used Twitter to promote free software values and connect with policymakers and journalists, the platform had become "a centralised arena of hostility, misinformation, and profit-driven control"[^1]. They specifically criticized X's algorithm for prioritizing "hatred, polarisation, and sensationalism"[^1].
While leaving X, the FSFE continues to maintain some presence on other proprietary platforms to reach wider audiences, but strongly encourages supporters to follow them on decentralized alternatives in the Fediverse, specifically their Mastodon and Peertube accounts[^1].
[^1]: [FSFE - Opening the cage: the FSFE flies away from X (Twitter)](https://fsfe.org/news/2025/news-20251204-01.html)
Microsoft has launched a new rewards program offering Chrome users "real cash value" points to switch to Edge browser[^1]. When users search for "Chrome" on Bing, they receive a prompt offering 1,300 Microsoft Rewards points that can be exchanged for gift cards, including on Amazon[^1].
The Browser Choice Alliance, representing Chrome, Opera and Vivaldi, criticizes this as Microsoft's latest tactic to manipulate browser choice, following earlier practices like "forced resets, misleading prompts, and hidden settings"[^1].
The market context shows why Microsoft is pursuing this strategy - Edge holds less than 9% market share compared to Chrome's 78%[^1]. The rewards program appears targeted specifically at Chrome users, with Windows Latest noting "we're not seeing ads for other browsers, such as Opera, Firefox or Brave"[^1].
[^1]: [Forbes - Microsoft Offers Chrome Users 'Real Cash' Rewards To Change Browser](https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2025/11/11/real-cash-value-how-windows-users-get-microsofts-free-new-offer/)
The Internet faces an existential crisis as nearly 50% of all traffic is now non-human, with AI-generated content and bots threatening to overwhelm authentic human interaction[^1]. According to recent studies, this includes automated programs responsible for 49.6% of web traffic in 2023, a trend accelerated by AI models scraping content[^1].
The problems are stark:
- Search engines flooded with AI-generated content optimized for algorithms rather than humans
- Social media platforms filled with AI "slop" and automated responses
- Genuine human content being drowned out by machine-generated noise
- Erosion of trusted information sources and shared truth
However, concrete solutions exist:
1. Technical Defenses:
- Open-source spam filtering tools like [mosparo](https://mosparo.io/) for protecting website forms
- AI scraper blocking through systems like [Anubis](https://xeiaso.net/blog/2025/anubis/)
- Content authenticity verification via the CAI SDK[^1]
2. Community Building:
- Supporting decentralized social networks (Mastodon, Lemmy)
- Using open-source forum platforms that emphasize human moderation
- Participating in curated communities with active fact-checking[^1]
3. Individual Actions:
- Using privacy-focused browsers and search engines
- Supporting trusted news sources and independent creators
- Being conscious of data sharing and digital footprint[^1]
"While exposure to AI-generated misinformation does make people more worried about the quality of information available online, it can also increase the value they attach to outlets with reputations for credibility," notes a 2025 study by Campante[^1].
[^1]: [It's FOSS - The Internet is Dying. We Can Still Stop It](https://news.itsfoss.com/internet-is-dying/)
To make america great again, I think.
A faulty HP OneAgent update (version 1.2.50.9581) silently deleted Microsoft Entra ID certificates on HP's AI-enabled devices, breaking cloud authentication for affected organizations[^1]. The issue stemmed from a cleanup script in package SP161710 that indiscriminately removed certificates containing "1E" in their identifiers, inadvertently deleting critical MS-Organization-Access certificates needed for Entra ID authentication[^1].
The problem specifically affected HP's Next Gen AI models like the EliteBook X Flip G1i, with the update pushed through HP's AWS IoT backend without proper testing[^1]. While HP has pulled the problematic update, affected devices require manual intervention - either logging in with local admin credentials to rejoin Entra ID or using Microsoft Defender's Live Response for remote fixes[^1][^2].
According to HP, "The update is no longer available and will not affect more AI PCs. We're investigating the issue and working closely with impacted customers on mitigation"[^12].
[^1]: [PatchMyPC - HP OneAgent Update Broke Entra Trust on HP AI Devices](https://patchmypc.com/blog/hp-oneagent-update-broke-entra-trust-on-hp-ai-devices/)
[^2]: [CyberSecurityNews - HP OneAgent Update Brokes Trust And Disconnect Devices From Entra ID](https://cybersecuritynews.com/hp-oneagent-update-brokes-trust/)
[^12]: [BleepingComputer - HP pulls update that broke Microsoft Entra ID auth on some AI PCs](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/hp-pulls-update-that-broke-microsoft-entra-id-auth-on-some-ai-pcs/)
Kohler unveiled Dekoda, a $599 toilet sensor that uses a tiny camera and spectroscopy to analyze bodily waste and provide health insights[^1][^13]. The device clamps onto the toilet bowl rim and monitors hydration levels, bowel movements, and checks for blood in the toilet.
Users sign in with a fingerprint sensor before use, allowing multiple household members to track their individual data through the companion app. The system requires a subscription costing between $70-156 per year[^1].
"Kohler Health isn't just another app or product. It's a promise that your home can play a more active role in your well-being," said CEO David Kohler at the launch event[^13].
The company emphasizes privacy protection through end-to-end encryption. The camera uses "discreet optics" aimed only at bowl contents, not body parts[^1]. The technology works best with light-colored toilets, as dark bowls can interfere with the sensors[^1].
Dekoda represents Kohler's entry into the digital health space, joining other smart toilet sensors from companies like Withings and Vivoo that appeared at CES 2023[^13].
[^1]: [CNET - Kohler Wants to Put a Tiny Camera in Your Toilet and Analyze the Contents](https://www.cnet.com/health/medical/kohler-wants-to-put-a-tiny-camera-in-your-toilet-and-analyze-the-contents/)
[^13]: [ZDNet - This new Kohler sensor is like a health detective in your toilet](https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-new-kohler-sensor-is-like-a-health-detective-in-your-toilet-tiny-camera-and-all/)
Scientists at UNSW have achieved a breakthrough in quantum computing by entangling nuclear spins across distances of up to 20 nanometers in a silicon chip - the same scale as modern computer transistors[^1].
The team demonstrated a two-qubit controlled-Z logic operation between the nuclear spins of two phosphorus atoms, with each atom binding separate electrons that mediate the interaction through exchange coupling[^1]. They proved genuine quantum entanglement by preparing and measuring Bell states with 76% fidelity[^1].
"The spin of an atomic nucleus is the cleanest, most isolated quantum object one can find in the solid state," said Professor Andrea Morello from UNSW[^2]. Previous methods required nuclei to be very close together and share a common electron, limiting scalability. This new approach uses separate electrons as "telephones" to let distant nuclei communicate[^2].
Lead author Dr. Holly Stemp explains the significance: "You have billions of silicon transistors in your pocket or in your bag right now, each one about 20 nanometers in size. This is our real technological breakthrough: getting our cleanest and most isolated quantum objects talking to each other at the same scale as existing electronic devices."[^2]
The method remains compatible with current semiconductor manufacturing, using phosphorus atoms implanted in ultra-pure silicon. Professor Morello notes: "Our method is remarkably robust and scalable. Here we just used two electrons, but in the future we can even add more electrons, and force them in an elongated shape, to spread out the nuclei even further."[^2]
[^1]: [Science - Scalable entanglement of nuclear spins mediated by electron exchange](https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.06872v2)
[^2]: [SciTechDaily - "Like Talking on the Telephone" – Quantum Breakthrough Lets Individual Atoms Chat Like Never Before](https://scitechdaily.com/like-talking-on-the-telephone-quantum-breakthrough-lets-individual-atoms-chat-like-never-before/)
Microsoft will provide free Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10 in the European Economic Area through October 13, 2026, but with specific conditions[^1]. While users won't need to enable Windows Backup or use Microsoft Rewards points, they must sign in with a Microsoft Account at least once every 60 days to maintain access to updates[^2].
"If your Microsoft Account is not used to sign in for a period of up to 60 days, ESU updates will be discontinued, and you'll need to re-enroll by signing in using the same MSA," Microsoft confirmed[^3].
This change came after pressure from Euroconsumers, who argued that linking security updates to Microsoft's cloud services raised concerns under the Digital Markets Act[^4]. The free ESU program applies to Windows 10 version 22H2 devices in the EEA (European Union member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway)[^5].
Outside the EEA, users still must either enable Windows Backup, redeem Microsoft Rewards points, or pay approximately $30 for ESU access[^2].
[^1]: [BleepingComputer - Microsoft will offer free Windows 10 extended security updates in Europe](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-will-offer-free-windows-10-security-updates-in-europe/)
[^2]: [Windows Central - Microsoft will revoke free access to Windows 10's extended security updates in the EEA](https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-10/windows-10-free-esu-eea-requirements-revealed-microsoft-account-60-days)
[^3]: [WindowsLatest - No, you'll still need a Microsoft account for Windows 10 ESU in Europe](https://www.windowslatest.com/2025/09/26/no-youll-still-need-a-microsoft-account-for-windows-10-esu-in-europe/)
[^4]: [The Verge - Microsoft forced to make Windows 10 extended security updates truly free in Europe](https://www.theverge.com/news/785544/microsoft-windows-10-extended-security-updates-free-europe-changes)
[^5]: [gHacks - Microsoft makes Windows 10 Extended Security Updates free, but only for users in one region](https://www.ghacks.net/2025/09/26/microsoft-makes-windows-10-extended-security-updates-free-but-only-for-users-in-one-region/)
YouTube announced it will restore thousands of channels that were previously banned for violating its COVID-19 and election integrity policies[^1]. This decision came in a 28-page letter from Alphabet to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan on September 23, 2025[^7].
The company acknowledged that Biden administration officials had pressured YouTube to remove content "that did not violate its policies," which Alphabet called "unacceptable and wrong"[^1][^7]. YouTube's current guidelines now permit a "wider range of content" regarding COVID-19 and elections[^1].
Notable figures who could return include Dan Bongino (now FBI Deputy Director), White House counterterrorism chief Sebastian Gorka, and others who were banned for discussing COVID-19 or election claims[^14]. The platform will offer terminated creators a process to rejoin if they were banned for violating policies that are no longer in effect[^7].
As part of this change, YouTube will also ban the use of official fact-checkers on its platform, instead launching a feature similar to X's "Community Notes" that allows users to provide context on videos[^7].
[^1]: [Ars Technica - YouTube will restore channels banned for COVID and election misinformation](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/youtube-will-restore-channels-banned-for-covid-and-election-misinformation/)
[^7]: [Deseret News - YouTube restores accounts that were censored over COVID-19 and 2020 election claims](https://www.deseret.com/politics/2025/09/23/youtube-restores-accounts-removed-over-covid-election/)
[^14]: [Washington Examiner - YouTube content creators no longer banned over political speech](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/technology/3819776/google-vows-restore-youtube-creators-banned-political-speech/)
A developer repurposed discarded disposable vapes into functioning web servers by utilizing their built-in PUYA microcontrollers[^1]. The project runs on a 24MHz Cortex M0+ chip with 24KiB flash storage and 3KiB RAM, found inside modern rechargeable "disposable" vapes[^6].
The web server implementation uses uIP for TCP/IP networking and communicates via SLIP protocol through semihosting. After optimizing the data transfer with ring buffers, the server achieves 20ms ping times and 160ms page load speeds[^6].
The project demonstrates creative e-waste reuse at a time when disposable vapes face increasing restrictions, with recent bans enacted in Rhode Island[^13] and other jurisdictions. The developer notes the irony of "disposable" devices containing USB-C ports and rechargeable batteries[^6].
[^1]: [Hosting a WebSite on a Disposable Vape | Lobsters](https://lobste.rs/s/3ihcwv/hosting_website_on_disposable_vape)
[^6]: [Hosting a WebSite on a Disposable Vape](https://bogdanthegeek.github.io/blog/projects/vapeserver/)
[^13]: [New year, new laws: RI to put host of new laws on the books | ABC6](https://www.abc6.com/new-year-new-laws-ri-to-put-host-of-new-laws-on-the-books/)
A lot of things have gone wrong since than