Bloomberg:
President Trump says Netflix's planned acquisition of WBD will have “to go through a process” and he will be personally involved in the decision-making process  —  President Donald Trump raised potential antitrust concerns for Netflix Inc.'s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. …

We stumbled upon a story this week that really raised our eyebrows and made us wonder if we were missing something. The gist of the story is that U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who has degrees in both electrical and mechanical engineering, has floated the idea of using the nation’s fleet of emergency backup generators to reduce the need to build the dozens of new power plants needed to fuel the AI data center building binge. The full story looks to be a Bloomberg exclusive and thus behind a paywall — hey, you don’t get to be a centibillionaire by giving stuff away, you know — so we might be missing some vital details, but this sounds pretty stupid to us.

First of all, saying that 35 gigawatts of generation capacity sits behind the big diesel and natural gas-powered generators tucked behind every Home Depot and Walmart in the land might be technically true, but it seems to ignore the fact that backup generators aren’t engineered to run continuously. In our experience, even the best backup generators are only good for a week or two of continuous operation before something — usually the brushes — gives up the ghost. That’s perfectly acceptable for something that is designed to be operated only a few times a year, and maybe for three or four days tops before grid power is restored. Asking these units to run continuously to provide the base load needed to run a data center is a recipe for rapid failure. And even if these generators could be operated continuously, there’s still the issue of commandeering private property for common use, as well as the fact that you’d be depriving vital facilities like hospitals and fire stations of their backup power. But at least we’d have chatbots.

Well, that won’t buff right out. Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, suffered a serious setback last week when it damaged the launchpad at Site 31/6 during a Soyuz launch. This is bad news because that facility is currently the only one in the world capable of launching Soyuz and Progress, both crucial launch vehicles for the continued operation of the International Space Station. As usual, the best coverage of the accident comes from Scott Manley, who has all the gory details. His sources inform him that the “service cabin,” a 20-ton platform that slides into position under the rocket once it has been erected, is currently situated inside the flame trench rather than being safely tucked into a niche in the wall. He conjectures that the service cabin somehow got sucked into the flame trench during launch, presumably by the negative pressure zone created by the passage of all that high-velocity rocket exhaust. Whatever the cause of the accident, it causes some problems for the Russians and the broader international space community. An uncrewed Progress launch to resupply the ISS was scheduled for December 20, and a crewed Soyuz mission is scheduled for July 2026. But without that service cabin, neither mission seems likely. Hopefully, the Russians will be able to get things tidied up quickly, but it might not matter anyway since there’s currently a bit of a traffic jam at the ISS.

We saw a really nice write-up over at Make: Magazine by Dom Dominici about his impressions from his first Supercon visit. Spoiler alert: he really liked it! He describes it as “an intimate, hands-on gathering that feels more like a hacker summer camp than a tech expo,” and that’s about the best summary of the experience that we’ve seen yet. His reaction to trying to find what he assumed would be a large convention center, but only finding a little hole-in-the-wall behind a pizza place off the main drag in Pasadena, is priceless; yes, that mystery elevator actually goes somewhere. For those of you who still haven’t made the pilgrimage to Pasadena, the article is a great look at what you’re missing.

And finally, we know we were a little rough on the Russians a couple of weeks back for their drunk-walking robot demo hell, but it really served to demonstrate just how hard it is to mimic human walking with a mechanical system. After all, it takes the better part of two years for a new human to even get the basics, and a hell of a lot longer than that to get past the random face-plant stage. But still, some humanoid robots are better than others, to the point that there’s now a Guinness Book of World Records category for longest walk by a humanoid robot. The current record was set last August, with a robot from Shanghai-based Agibot Innovations going on a 106-km walkabout without falling or (apparently) recharging. The journey took place in temperatures approaching 40°C and took 24 hours to complete, which means the robot kept up a pretty brisk walking pace over the course, which we suppose didn’t have any of the usual obstacles.

PLUS: New kind of DDOS from the Americas; Predator still hunting spyware targets; NIST issues IoT advice; And more!

Infosec in Brief  The Apache Foundation last week warned of a 10.0-rated flaw in its Tika toolkit.…

The Geminids are considered one of the most productive annual meteor showers, with  as many as 160 “shooting stars” visible an hour in the right conditions. This year the Geminid meteor shower will peak on the night of Saturday, December 13 into Sunday, December 14 ET, so now is a great time to start making […]

The post You won’t want to miss the Geminids meteor shower. Here’s how to watch appeared first on Digital Trends.

When planting outdoors, it’s highly probable that there will be problems that may leave plants in a less than perfect state. Even the best cocktail of nutrient and trace chemicals can still allow a nutrient deficiency. Grasshoppers may rear their ugly green heads or the nutrient will attract unsavory company, leading to an infestation that must be dealt with.

There are many variables to growing outdoors, but the most common of nutrient deficiencies will be encountered during the green foliage growth period. Lack of nitrogen is the most common deficiency. A large green leafy plant requires a very high level of nitrogen to achieve its full glory. The first sign is a gradual creep of yellow among the lowest and therefore leaves of the plant. If this happens, be sure to add a full ration of nitrogen to the next watering session. The yellow creep can be cured in only a few days if it hasn’t progressed to a point at which the tips of the leaves are curling and black or brown. At that point, it’s a permanent situation that can’t be remedied. It will be necessary to increase the amount of nitrogen so it doesn’t damage any newer leaves that would be higher on the plant. Some other symptoms of a nitrogen deficiency include red stems, smaller new leaves and slow growth.

A phosphorus deficiency rears its head by slow and stunted growth. The newer leaves of the plant will be smaller and a darker green than usual. As with nitrogen deficiency, a red color appears on the stems. The leaves may also develop a nasty red or purple color in the veins on the underside of the leaf. If phosphorous isn’t added, the older leaves will start to die. The affected leaves won’t be healed, but the progression of the damage will be stopped. The leaves will lighten in color to the beautiful green and the growth rate will pick up.

A potassium deficiency is often a tricky one to diagnose. Most of the time a potassium deficient plant will be tall and healthy looking, though they may be slightly phototropic in appearance. The indicators are the phototropic appearance and browning of the ends of the oldest leaves. A phototropic plant is one who expends all of its energy to reach a feeble light source, thus the tall spindly look they have. Recovery from a potassium deficiency is usually slow and is measured in weeks. The leaves that have been browned already usually die off. The leaves will have brown spots on them, particularly along the prominent center vein. As with most deficiencies of a serious nature, the stems and underside veins have a reddish or purple hue to them. The most common source of potassium is wood ash; so if last year the crop had a potassium deficiency, add a cup of wood ash this year to the nutrient or growing medium.

There are also deficiencies to be had with the elements iron, manganese, boron, molybdenum, zinc and copper. Because most outdoor growing mediums tend to be natural in source, nature has already included the other trace elements required for most of their life. However, adding trace elements two or three times in the life of the plant is always a good idea. If the plants don’t require them, they simply won’t take them up.

For those of growers in the country and planting in the backyard, the easiest way to keep pests and animals away from the plants is to plant geraniums around them. The common geranium secretes a substance that acts as an all-around pest repellent. This is its natural way to combat predators and has been working great for a lot longer than humans have been growing grass, so take note. Both animals and pests will shy away from your crop.

Whatever growing medium that will be used will eventually attract a pest, then many pests. This infestation of the growing medium can be tricky to get rid of. If the little critters are in the topmost inch or so of the growing medium, that medium will have to be replaced. Be gentle with the root system and deluge the area with a good garden-safe insecticide after removal of the top inch. It’s important to replace the growing medium with a chemically-inert medium. Test and alter the pH of the medium as required to hit a neutral value of seven. The growing medium will eventually adjust itself to the pH levels the plant is accustomed to over a space of about a week.

Growing outdoors is an easy and productive means to reduce or even replace the costs incurred by our green friend over the winter. With the right knowledge this year’s crop should thrive.

What are some of your outdoor growing tips? Share with our community on Facebook.

The post Re-Coup Winter Costs: Grow Outdoor appeared first on Cannabis Now.

Friday six European Union countries "asked the European Commission to water down an effective ban on the sale of internal combustion engine cars slated for 2035," reports Reuters The countries have asked the EU Commission to allow the sale of hybrid cars or vehicles powered by other, existing or future, technologies "that could contribute to the goal of reducing emissions" beyond 2035, a joint letter seen by Reuters showed on Friday. The letter was signed by the prime ministers of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Slovakia. They also asked for low-carbon and renewable fuels to be included in the plan to reduce the carbon emissions from transportation... Since they adopted a regulation that all new vehicles from 2035 should have zero emissions in March 2023, EU countries are now having second thoughts. Back then, the outlook for battery electric vehicles was positive, but carmakers' efforts have later collided with the reality of lower-than-expected demand and fierce competition from China. Car and Drive reports that Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany also "wants to allow exceptions for plug-in hybrids, extended-range EVs, and 'highly efficient' combustion vehicles beyond the current 2035 deadline." They cite a report in Automotive News. The European Commission hasn't made any official changes yet, but mounting pressure suggests that a revised plan could be coming soon.... Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, was cited by the German paper Handelsblatt as saying that the EU "will take all technological advances into account when reassessing fleet emission limits, including combustion engines running on e-fuels and biofuels." And these renewable products will apparently be key pieces of the puzzle. BMW uses a vegetable-oil-derived fuel called HVO 100 in its diesel products throughout Europe. The plant-oil-based fuel reportedly reduces tailpipe emissions by 90 percent compared with traditional diesel. For its part, Porsche has been working on producing synthetic fuel at a plant in Chile since 2022. The European Commission is set to meet on December 10. At that time, the body is expected to assemble a package of proposals to help out the struggling European automotive industry, though the actual announcement may be pushed to a later date. Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader sinij for sharing the article.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is heading to Downing Street once again, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will be keen to make this meeting more than just a photo op.

Emma Jacobs / Financial Times:
An interview with Headspace CEO Tom Pickett on its AI chatbot Ebb, which he insists isn't for serious mental health issues, Ebb's upgrade to voice, and more  —  Tom Pickett says care is needed when chatbots take the role of therapists  —  Before meeting for this interview …

Subscriptions are the new cable, and if you're not careful, you might find that your subscription costs wind up creeping higher than any cable subscription ever did.

Linux is generally less prone to malware than Windows, and so long as you're careful about the commands you enter, Linux systems tend to age much more gracefully than Windows systems. However, no system is truly immune to malware, and blindly following instructions online can easily break something on your system if you're not cautious. That is where immutable distros can save the day.

If you haven't yet upgraded to Apple's AirPods Pro 3, you can pick up the company's latest model at a discount through a deal on Amazon right now. The AirPods Pro 3, which came out in September, are currently $20 off, bringing their price down to $230. With the new AirPods Pro, Apple made some big improvements, including better battery life and sound quality, and introduced useful new features, such as Live Translation.

The AirPods Pro 3 are the best AirPods available today, with Apple's H2 chip, and earned a score of 90 out of 100 in Engadget's review this fall. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is one of the biggest selling points of the AirPods Pro, and Apple has made the experience even better with the AirPods Pro 3. They sport new foam-infused ear tips that create a better seal to improve passive noise isolation, and as Engadget's Billy Steele wrote in his review, "Ultra-low-noise microphones combine with advanced computational audio to silence even more background noise." In testing, they had no problem blocking out the chatter of people nearby or otherwise noisy environments.

With the AirPods Pro 3, Apple introduced heart-rate sensing, so you'll be able to see your heart rate data from the earbuds in the Fitness app and other workout apps. The AirPods Pro 3 also boast Live Translation, which you can activate via controls on the earbuds themselves. As long as you have an Apple Intelligence-capable device, you'll be able to translate in-person conversations in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese (Mandarin).

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-airpods-pro-3-drop-to-230-on-amazon-222806114.html?src=rss

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© Billy Steele for Engadget

AI is the second-largest major at M.I.T. after computer science, reports the New York Times. (Alternate URL here.) Though that includes students interested in applying AI in biology and health care — it's just the beginning: This semester, more than 3,000 students enrolled in a new college of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity at the University of South Florida in Tampa. At the University of California, San Diego, 150 first-year students signed up for a new A.I. major. And the State University of New York at Buffalo created a stand-alone "department of A.I. and society," which is offering new interdisciplinary degrees in fields like "A.I. and policy analysis...." [I]nterest in understanding, using and learning how to build A.I. technologies is soaring, and schools are racing to meet rising student and industry demand. Over the last two years, dozens of U.S. universities and colleges have announced new A.I. departments, majors, minors, courses, interdisciplinary concentrations and other programs. "This is so cool to me to have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this," one 18-year-old told the New York Times. Their article points out 62% of America's computing programs reported drops in undergraduate enrollment this fall, according to a report in October from the Computing Research Association. "One reason for the dip: student employment concerns." Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader theodp for sharing the article.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Reform UK has denied claims of Nigel Farage breaking electoral law.

Alfredo Díaz, 56, died in prison cell on Saturday, human rights groups say, prompting opposition outcry.

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Dec. 8, No. 911

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Dec. 8, No. 645.

There are no bad Christmas episodes of Bob's Burgers, but there are a couple that stand out in the crowd.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle for Dec. 8, No. 1,633.

Vector is a minimalist take on Spotlight that uses AI to and the gives a conversational twist to the whole experience. It's not perfect, but definitely deserves a chance.

The post I wish Apple made this Mac tool, it’s better than Spotlight and you should try it appeared first on Digital Trends.