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MediaTek MT7902 wireless chipset finally gets a Linux driver  CNX Software

MediaTek MT7902 wireless chipset finally gets a Linux driver  CNX Software

MediaTek MT7902 wireless chipset finally gets a Linux driver  CNX Software

MediaTek MT7902 wireless chipset finally gets a Linux driver  CNX Software

MediaTek MT7902 wireless chipset finally gets a Linux driver  CNX Software

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Scientific American: Why does "bouba" sound round and "kiki" sound spiky? This intuition that ties certain sounds to shapes is oddly reliable all over the world, and for at least a century, scientists have considered it a clue to the origin of language, theorizing that maybe our ancestors built their first words upon these instinctive associations between sound and meaning. But now a new study adds an unexpected twist: baby chickens make these same sound-shape connections, suggesting that the link to human language may not be so unique. The results, published today in Science, challenge a long-standing theory about the so-called bouba-kiki effect: that it might explain how humans first tethered meaning to sound to create language. Perhaps, the thinking goes, people just naturally agree on certain associations between shapes and sounds because of some innate feature of our brain or our world. But if the barnyard hen also agrees with such associations, you might wonder if we've been pecking at the wrong linguistic seed. Maria Loconsole, a comparative psychologist at the University of Padua in Italy, and her colleagues decided to investigate the bouba-kiki effect in baby chicks because the birds could be tested almost immediately after hatching, before their brain would be influenced by exposure to the world. The researchers placed chicks in front of two panels: one featured a flowerlike shape with gently rounded curves; the other had a spiky blotch reminiscent of a cartoon explosion. They then played recordings of humans saying either "bouba" or "kiki" and observed the birds' behavior. When the chicks heard "bouba," 80 percent of them approached the round shape first and spent an average of more than three minutes exploring it compared with an average of just under one minute spent exploring the spiky shape. The exploration preferences were flipped when the chicks heard "kiki." Because the tests took place within the chicks' carefully supervised first hours of life outside their eggshell, this association between particular sounds and shapes couldn't have been learned from experience. Instead it may be evidence of an innate perceptual bias that goes back way farther in our evolutionary history than previously believed. "We parted with birds on the evolutionary line 300 million years ago," says Aleksandra Cwiek, a linguist at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toru, Poland, who was not involved in the study. "It's just mind-blowing."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Experts Reveal Best Linux Server Distros For Home Labs  findarticles.com

Experts Reveal Best Linux Server Distros For Home Labs  findarticles.com

Experts Reveal Best Linux Server Distros For Home Labs  findarticles.com

Experts Reveal Best Linux Server Distros For Home Labs  findarticles.com

The U.S. State Department is reportedly developing a site called freedom.gov that would let users in Europe and elsewhere access content restricted under local laws, "including alleged hate speech and terrorist propaganda," reports Reuters. Washington views the move as a way to counter censorship. Reuters reports: One source said officials had discussed including a virtual private network function to make a user's traffic appear to originate in the U.S. and added that user activity on the site will not be tracked. Headed by Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, the project was expected to be unveiled at last week's Munich Security Conference but was delayed, the sources said. Reuters could not determine why the launch did not happen, but some State Department officials, including lawyers, have raised concerns about the plan, two of the sources said, without detailing the concerns. The project could further strain ties between the Trump administration and traditional U.S. allies in Europe, already heightened by disputes over trade, Russia's war in Ukraine and President Donald Trump's push to assert control over Greenland. The portal could also put Washington in the unfamiliar position of appearing to encourage citizens to flout local laws.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

I found the best Linux server distros for your home lab  ZDNET

California's recently-proposed AB-2047 would require 3D printers sold in the state to be DOJ-approved models equipped with "firearm blocking technology," banning non-certified machines after 2029 and criminalizing efforts to bypass the software. Adafruit notes that unlike similar legislation proposed in Washington State and New York, California's version "adds a certification bureaucracy on top: state-approved algorithms, state-approved software control processes, state-approved printer models, quarterly list updates, and civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation." From the report: Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan introduced AB-2047, the "California Firearm Printing Prevention Act," on February 17th. The bill would ban the sale or transfer of any 3D printer in California unless it appears on a state-maintained roster of approved makes and models... certified by the Department of Justice as equipped with "firearm blocking technology." Manufacturers would need to submit attestations for every make and model. The DOJ would publish a list. If your printer isn't on the list by March 1, 2029, it can't be sold. In addition, knowingly disabling or circumventing the blocking software is a misdemeanor. [...] As Michael Weinberg wrote after the New York and Washington proposals dropped⦠accurately identifying gun parts from geometry alone is incredibly hard, desktop printers lack the processing power to run this kind of analysis, and the open-source firmware that runs most machines makes any blocking requirement trivially easy to bypass. The Firearms Policy Coalition flagged AB-2047 on X, and the reactions tell you everything. Jon Lareau called it "stupidity on steroids," pointing out that a simple spring-shaped part has no way of revealing its intended use. The Foundry put it plainly: "Regulating general-purpose machines is another. AB-2047 would require 3D printers to run state-approved surveillance software and criminalize modifying your own hardware."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Gentoo Charts a New Path: Moving Away from GitHub Toward Codeberg  Linux Journal

Google has introduced Gemini 3.1 Pro, a reasoning-focused upgrade aimed at more complex problem-solving. 9to5Google reports: This .1 increment is a first for Google, with the past two generations seeing .5 as the mid-year model update. (2.5 Pro was first announced in March and saw further updates in May for I/O.) Google says Gemini 3.1 Pro "represents a step forward in core reasoning." The "upgraded core intelligence" that debuted last week with Gemini 3 Deep Think is now available in Gemini 3.1 Pro for more users. This model achieves an ARC-AGI-2 score of 77.1%, or "more than double the reasoning performance of 3 Pro." This "advanced reasoning" translates to practical applications like when "you're looking for a clear, visual explanation of a complex topic, a way to synthesize data into a single view, or bringing a creative project to life." 3.1 Pro is designed for tasks where a simple answer isn't enough, taking advanced reasoning and making it useful for your hardest challenges.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: Last month, Jason Grad issued a late-night warning to the 20 employees at his tech startup. "You've likely seen Clawdbot trending on X/LinkedIn. While cool, it is currently unvetted and high-risk for our environment," he wrote in a Slack message with a red siren emoji. "Please keep Clawdbot off all company hardware and away from work-linked accounts." Grad isn't the only tech executive who has raised concerns to staff about the experimental agentic AI tool, which was briefly known as MoltBot and is now named OpenClaw. A Meta executive says he recently told his team to keep OpenClaw off their regular work laptops or risk losing their jobs. The executive told reporters he believes the software is unpredictable and could lead to a privacy breach if used in otherwise secure environments. He spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak frankly. [...] Some cybersecurity professionals have publicly urged companies to take measures to strictly control how their workforces use OpenClaw. And the recent bans show how companies are moving quickly to ensure security is prioritized ahead of their desire to experiment with emerging AI technologies. "Our policy is, 'mitigate first, investigate second' when we come across anything that could be harmful to our company, users, or clients," says Grad, who is cofounder and CEO of Massive, which provides Internet proxy tools to millions of users and businesses. His warning to staff went out on January 26, before any of his employees had installed OpenClaw, he says. At another tech company, Valere, which works on software for organizations including Johns Hopkins University, an employee posted about OpenClaw on January 29 on an internal Slack channel for sharing new tech to potentially try out. The company's president quickly responded that use of OpenClaw was strictly banned, Valere CEO Guy Pistone tells WIRED. "If it got access to one of our developer's machines, it could get access to our cloud services and our clients' sensitive information, including credit card information and GitHub codebases," Pistone says. "It's pretty good at cleaning up some of its actions, which also scares me." A week later, Pistone did allow Valere's research team to run OpenClaw on an employee's old computer. The goal was to identify flaws in the software and potential fixes to make it more secure. The research team later advised limiting who can give orders to OpenClaw and exposing it to the Internet only with a password in place for its control panel to prevent unwanted access. In a report shared with WIRED, the Valere researchers added that users have to "accept that the bot can be tricked." For instance, if OpenClaw is set up to summarize a user's email, a hacker could send a malicious email to the person instructing the AI to share copies of files on the person's computer. But Pistone is confident that safeguards can be put in place to make OpenClaw more secure. He has given a team at Valere 60 days to investigate. "If we don't think we can do it in a reasonable time, we'll forgo it," he says. "Whoever figures out how to make it secure for businesses is definitely going to have a winner."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Updated with 2026 promo details. Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU) has a $300 new checking account bonus. That is also my referral link as I successfully did a similar $300 deal previously. PSECU is a digital-first credit union with a very open membership. If you don’t satisfy the available free options, anyone can join with $10:

Don’t meet any of the criteria above? No problem! You can still become eligible for PSECU membership by joining the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS).

PRPS is a statewide association providing education, advocacy, and resources for those working and volunteering to manage Pennsylvania’s 6,000+ local parks. Park and recreation departments provide safe and affordable recreation opportunities, creating stronger and more inclusive communities.

PRPS membership dues are $20, but we cover $10 when you select to join PRPS during our application process.

There may also be a required $5 initial deposit into a share savings account. I also experienced a hard credit check on Experian when I joined over a year ago, but more recent reports are that they have switched to a soft pull. Here are the details on the bonus requirements:

$300 Checking Bonus Requirements

• Enter your email address into the referral link. Make sure this email address matches the one on your application.
• Complete your application with promo code 2026REFER (should be automatically applied) and be approved for at least one savings and one checking account with debit card.
• Sign up and log into digital banking (online or mobile).
• Set up and receive 2 Qualifying Payroll Direct Deposit(s), each of $500 or more, into either the new savings or checking accounts.
• Above must be completed within 100 days of establishing your membership.

My application process went smoothly and similar to other credit unions. I did have to upload a scan of the front and back of my driver’s license to help verify my identity (which is a good thing in my opinion) as well as answer some identity verification questions based on my credit report. The application took a couple days to process but I was able to get my account information and online access without any phone call or physical paperwork required. I did have to call them briefly to get my checking account number (didn’t want to wait on the free checks to arrive) in order to set up my direct deposit. My bonus arrived without issue and as promised.

One bonus per tax ID, so a couple could each open their own PSECU accounts and get $300 each even if they live in the same household.

PSECU occasionally has some decent CD rates, and they have a 2% cash back credit card with no annual fee if you maintain a checking account with direct deposit.

Greenlight perk. Another useful perk of PSECU for those with kids and teens is they include a free Greenlight subscription, which is a popular reloadable debit card service for kids. This is usually $5 a month ($60 a year). Here’s my Greenlight Kids Debit Card review.

More fine print, saved for future reference:

* $300 New Member Bonus Terms and Conditions. From 1.1.26 to 12.31.26, PSECU is running a new member incentive bonus. To be eligible to receive $300, new members must apply for membership using the promotional code and satisfy each of the requirements listed below. Your membership application must be started between 1.1.26 and 12.31.26 to be eligible to participate in this bonus offer. Applications started before 1.1.26 or after 12.31.26 will be disqualified from participation in the promotion. After the first 100 days from the date membership is established, PSECU will assess whether all promotional requirements have been met. If eligible, bonus processing may take up to an additional 45 days. Therefore, if all conditions are satisfied, the $300 bonus can be deposited into your Regular savings share within 145 days of the membership establishment date. PSECU reserves the right to extend processing time if requirements are not met or if additional verification is needed. This promotion is limited to individuals who are either a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident alien residing in the U.S. who are 18 years of age or older at the time membership is established. Eligibility is determined based on the applicant’s status as of the date of membership establishment, and no exceptions will be made. Limit one (1) new member $300 New Member Bonus per tax identification number used to open a new PSECU account. Joint owners listed on accounts are not eligible to be rewarded for this bonus unless they open their own account. You will not be eligible for the $300 New Member Bonus if you are a current PSECU member or have closed an account within the past 12 months. You are not eligible to receive this bonus if you ever received any new member incentive bonus from PSECU for opening a new account, regardless of when the prior bonus was awarded. This restriction applies to all prior new member promotional offers and is not subject to exception. Members who open accounts and/or loans by fraudulent, suspicious, or illegal means, including but not limited to providing PSECU with fraudulent or fabricated information, are not eligible to participate in this bonus offer. PSECU may adjust the deposited bonus or remove the deposited bonus at any time if PSECU suspects accounts and/or loans were opened by fraudulent, suspicious, or illegal means, including but not limited to providing PSECU with fraudulent or fabricated information. A minimum share deposit of $5 is required to open and maintain a Regular savings share account. The $5 share deposit is also a mandatory condition for eligibility to receive the $300 New Member Bonus, and the member must be in good standing as defined by PSECU’s Bylaws Article II, Section 1. A $5 minimum share purchase will be made on behalf of the new member by PSECU. The Annual Percentage Yield on PSECU’s Regular savings share account is 0.25%. This variable rate is current as of 12.1.2025 and may change. Withdrawals and fees may reduce earnings on the account. The recipient of the bonus ($300) is solely responsible for payment of applicable taxes on that amount. If you have any questions, please seek the advice of a qualified tax professional. The decision to award a portion or total bonus is solely within PSECU’s discretion, and all decisions made by PSECU shall be final. PSECU may terminate or change the terms and conditions of this promotion without notice. Subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Updated with new and slightly improved 5% deposit bonus. Also, check if any of your past bonuses are unlocked. Crypto exchange OKX is currently offering a few different bonuses which may be stackable. Details below.

1. New customers: $200 referral bonus Should auto-populate the promo code 79795662. That’s mine, thanks if you use it! Details below.
2. New and existing customers: New 5% Deposit Match for all deposits of at least $10 (max $5,000 on $100k deposit). 24 week hold period to get full deposit match, paid out every 14 days. Details below. If you use your deposits to hold USDG, then you will stack on top of the 5% APY earned on USDG.
3. New and existing customers: 5% APY on USDG (stablecoin)
4. New and existing customers: Free crypto via X Drops Club. Must maintain a $1,000+ portfolio of crypto (cash, USDC, USDT and USDG stablecoin does not count). BTC, ETH do count. You must also “join” each airdrop before the window closes. More details here and here.

1. $200 New customer bonus details. For new OKX customers:

• Sign up via special referral link. I think they allow either smartphone or browser sign-up, but identity verification may be easier on a smartphone. That’s my referral link, which should auto-populate with the promo code 79795662. Thanks if you use it!
• Complete identity verification (driver’s license and smartphone selfie).
• $200 BTC Bonus if you deposit $200+ of either cash (link bank account via Plaid) or crypto within 30 days, trade that $200 or more of crypto (can purchase stablecoin like USDG), and hold the assets for at least 30 days within a 90-day period. After 90 days, the bonus will be tradable and withdrawable.
• Stablecoins such as USDG, USDT, and USDC qualify for deposit, trading volume, and AUM holding requirements.

2. New 5% Deposit Match

• OKX is running a 5% bonus match on new deposits (minimum $10 and maximum $100,000). You must hold for 24 weeks to get the full 5%, but it is paid out gradually every 14 days (2 weeks). That means up to a $5,000 payout on $100,000 after 24 weeks. You still keep liquidity and can withdraw your deposits at any time, but you lose the match.
• Must opt in *first* by March 4th, 2026, and then make the deposit. Look for this offer in app.
• Full terms.
• This works out to over 10% annualized, plus if you hold USDG that also earns an additional 5% APY at OKX.

3. OKX is also paying 5% APY on USDG deposits currently. USDG stablecoin is not FDIC-insured. They claim to be fully backed by US Treasury Bills with monthly audits and regulated by Singapore, but I still plan to withdraw my USDG out into a real FDIC-insured bank as soon as the holding period is over. This is a short-term play for me; I’m in for the stacking bonus duration and then I’m out.

4. X Drops Club is a recurring rewards program with automatic daily drops that scale with a user’s eligible crypto balance. Must maintain $1,000+ in eligible crypto assets (excluding fiat, USDC, USDT, and USDG).

Please perform your own due diligence on crypto apps. They are still not regulated on the same level as bank account or brokerage accounts. The bonuses are bigger, but there is added platform risk with crypto apps that are not FDIC or SIPC-insured. I don’t like to keep significant funds in there any longer than is required for the bonus to clear, and I only do short-term deals.

Here is the OKX Wikipedia page and they are profiled in the Forbes article “The World’s Most Trustworthy Crypto Exchanges”. (Also see: Kraken and Gemini bonuses.)

Note: OKX does not allow customers to be individuals residing in New York, Texas, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands.

Turbostat With Linux 7.0 Can Report New L2 Cache Statistics  Phoronix

5 programs you need to know about as a Linux user  MakeUseOf