@nixCraft

Aloha!

Let's sink Microsoft, while it's down. 😜
Please boost this article ( if you like it ).

https://rant.li/ashwin/castles-made-of-sand

🐧 ✊

#FreeSoftware #FSF #GNU #UNIX #BSD #FOSS #Debian #Linux

"[Google] has been gradually eroding Android’s open-source capacity in the last decade.

For example, it recently released the source code for Android 16 without the device trees and drivers for its Pixel phones. Device trees tell the operating system what hardware is present in the device: camera, display, speakers, Bluetooth, and so on. Drivers provide instructions for how to use these components. Without them, your phone is just an expensive paperweight.

In March, Google said that it would develop Android behind closed doors. Previously everyone could see the code as it was being written. Developers working on alternative versions could grab this prerelease code, make their changes, and test them on actual devices. They could release their versions just days after Google. Now they must wait for months until Google dumps the code alongside the stable release. This greatly delays the development cycle for competitors.

In 2023, Google deprecated the open-source Dialer and Messaging features and made future versions proprietary. This means that others must build their own software to make phone calls or send text messages from scratch. Over the years, Google has moved many crucial features, such as the camera, keyboard, and push notifications, from the open-source project to its closed-source black box. Competitors must now spend their scarce resources on reinventing the wheel rather than implementing new features.

Being open source helped Android compete against the iPhone and swiftly dominate the global smartphone market. Manufacturers could quickly adapt it to their devices and sell at lower prices than they could if they had to make their own operating systems from scratch. But now that it has captured the market, Google is rolling up the ladder behind it to keep competition at bay."

https://jacobin.com/2025/07/google-android-smartphones-open-source

#OpenSource #Android #Google #Smartphones #Oligopolies #Monopolies #IP #BigTech

We’re excited to announce that Mastodon 4.4 is now generally available as an upgrade for all Mastodon servers. The update brings improvements to profiles, navigation, list management, media controls, server moderation notes, and more.

https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/07/mastodon-4.4

#TangerineUI v2.4 is out!

This new version brings the theme up to date with Mastodon 4.4, with support for all the new features included in the release, and more.

This includes support for displaying Quote Posts, for Mastodon's revamped navigation on smaller screens, for the new Featured tab and Pinned Posts carousel on profiles pages, as well as for the new List editor.

To install, follow the instructions in the README document as usual: https://github.com/nileane/TangerineUI-for-Mastodon?tab=readme-ov-file#installation-for-mastodon-admins

• More on Tangerine UI v2.4 here: https://github.com/nileane/TangerineUI-for-Mastodon/releases/tag/v2.4
• More on Mastodon 4.4 here: https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/07/mastodon-4.4/

Just days since launch, and CoMaps is already making waves! Many have downloaded the new navigation app, and the reviews are rolling in!

From fast directions to support of the CoMaps principles, people are loving the way CoMaps makes getting around.

Thank you to everyone sharing the love — and tell your friends. This is just the beginning.

20 years ago, the first complete Pokémon Red mod to totally change the region and story was released.

Since then, it has inspired many beautiful games and kick-started careers. Today, we give the game its biggest update ever.

This is Pokémon Brown!

https://rainbowdevs.com/title/brown