VitruvianOS

VitruvianOS (V\OS) is a free, open-source Linux-based operating system inspired by BeOS and Haiku, designed to deliver a fast, intuitive, and user-friendly desktop experience. It features a highly integrated desktop environment, supports BeOS/Haiku runtime with minimal API changes, and includes a custom Linux kernel subsystem called Nexus for enhanced device tracking and messaging. The system emphasizes privacy, ease of use, and community engagement, offering an “out of the box” solution with a focus on performance and simplicity.

https://v-os.dev/

Microsoft’s “Fix” for Windows 11: Flowers After the Beating

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Microsoft's recent announcement of a 7-point plan to “fix” Windows 11 is criticized as an insufficient response to years of user dissatisfaction caused by forced AI integrations, pervasive ads, mandatory Microsoft accounts, invasive data collection, and forced OneDrive syncing that harmed user control and privacy. While Microsoft promises to remove some visible annoyances like unmovable Copilot buttons and ads, it does not address deeper issues such as telemetry that cannot be fully disabled, forced cloud account usage, and aggressive data harvesting, leaving many of the more intrusive and privacy-hostile practices intact.

https://www.sambent.com/microsofts-plan-to-fix-windows-11-is-gaslighting/

Open Hardware Directory

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The Open Hardware Directory is a platform showcasing 781 devices that can be flashed with custom firmware, enabling users to build personalized hardware solutions without needing an electrical engineering degree. It features a variety of open hardware devices including single-board computers, development boards, IoT gateways, and modules with diverse functionalities such as WiFi, Bluetooth, LoRa, LTE, AI processing, and more, designed for applications in IoT, industrial automation, environmental monitoring, smart homes, and gaming. The directory provides detailed specifications, use cases, and pricing for each device, making it a valuable resource for hobbyists and developers.

https://openhardware.directory/

Microsoft Quietly Scraps Plans to Bring Copilot to Notifications and Settings on Windows 11 as It Moves to Reduce AI Bloat Across the OS

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Microsoft has quietly scrapped its plans to integrate Copilot AI features into Windows 11's notifications and Settings app, scaling back its original vision of an AI assistant embedded across the OS. Instead, Microsoft is adopting a more measured approach by reducing AI bloat, delivering AI capabilities without the Copilot branding, and focusing on making AI features optional and less intrusive in system apps.

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/microsoft-quietly-scraps-plans-to-bring-copilot-to-notifications-and-settings-on-windows-11-as-it-moves-to-reduce-ai-bloat-across-the-os

Recordly – Open-source App for Incredible Screen Recordings.

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Recordly is a free, open-source screen recording software that enhances videos with auto-zoom, smooth cursor animations, dynamic webcam overlays, and customizable backgrounds to minimize editing time. It features a user-friendly timeline editor for controlling video speed, zoom, annotations, audio, and more, while supporting dual audio sources, project saving, and export options like MP4 and GIF. Designed for creators, Recordly is available on macOS, Windows, and Linux with no paywalls or limits.

https://recordly.dev/

Ageless Linux — Software for Humans of Indeterminate Age

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Ageless Linux is a Debian-based operating system intentionally designed to be noncompliant with California's Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), which mandates age verification for users. The project highlights how the law disproportionately burdens small and volunteer-driven Linux distributions that cannot implement costly age-gating infrastructure, contrasting them with large corporations like Apple and Google that already comply easily. Ageless Linux rejects age-based user categorization, aiming to preserve user privacy and challenge the regulatory framework by providing an operating system that does not collect or transmit age data, thereby exposing contradictions and enforcement challenges in AB 1043.

https://agelesslinux.org/

MacBook Neo Is Kickin’ PC Ass and Taking Names… All the Names

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Apple’s new $599 MacBook Neo, powered by the A18 Pro chip, outperforms mobile processors from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm in single-core benchmarks, placing it ahead of many budget laptops from Acer, Asus, HP, and Lenovo. Notebook Check highlights that the MacBook Neo's strong single-core performance makes it well-suited for everyday applications, potentially shaking up the budget laptop market.

https://www.macworld.com/article/3088299/macbook-neo-kicks-pc-ass-and-takes-names-all-the-names.html

The Slow Death of the Power User

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The article “The Slow Death of the Power User” argues that deliberate actions by major tech companies have eroded users' technical literacy and autonomy, turning them into passive consumers reliant on managed platforms. This decline harms users' ability to audit, adapt, and innovate while consolidating control and surveillance in monopolistic ecosystems, with no clear industry or regulatory solution in sight—leaving individual effort to preserve technical competence as the only recourse.

https://fireborn.mataroa.blog/blog/the-slow-death-of-the-power-user/

Can LLMs Be Computers?

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Researchers at Percepta demonstrate that language models (LLMs) can internally execute programs by embedding a computer within a transformer architecture, bypassing typical reliance on external tools for computation. By implementing an efficient decoding scheme that leverages 2D attention heads, their approach performs execution traces with logarithmic-time attention lookups, enabling millions of computational steps within a single transformer run. This enables reliable, step-by-step internal computation of complex tasks like solving Sudoku or min-cost perfect matching, marking a significant advancement in LLMs’ ability to perform exact, long-horizon computations autonomously.

https://www.percepta.ai/blog/can-llms-be-computers

If Computers Are the Future, Why Are Computer Users Expected to Be Permanently Illiterate?

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Jeff Johnson reflects on his early experience with computers, arguing that ordinary users are fully capable of becoming skilled “power users” if given the opportunity, as demonstrated by his and his father's self-taught proficiency with the Apple II+. He criticizes modern computer vendors, especially Apple, for increasingly locking down devices and simplifying interfaces in a way that limits user autonomy and fosters permanent illiteracy, warning that this trend—amplified by AI—risks disempowering users and curtailing genuine learning and growth.

https://lapcatsoftware.com/articles/2026/3/5.html

A New California Law Says All Operating Systems, Including Linux, Need to Have Some Form of Age Verification at Account Setup

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California mandates operating systems, including Linux, implement age verification during account setup by January 2027, requiring users to disclose age-related data. Compliance concerns emerge, especially regarding enforcement and privacy implications.

https://www.pcgamer.com/software/operating-systems/a-new-california-law-says-all-operating-systems-including-linux-need-to-have-some-form-of-age-verification-at-account-setup/

The RAM Shortage Is Coming for Everything You Care About

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RAM shortages are causing significant price increases and product availability issues across multiple tech sectors, including smartphones, laptops, and gaming consoles. This crisis, referred to as “RAMageddon,” is exacerbated by high demand from AI companies. Anticipated price hikes may reach 8% for smartphones, with fewer models being available. The situation is unlikely to improve until 2028, with major manufacturers prioritizing profits, leading to higher consumer costs across all devices.

https://www.theverge.com/tech/880812/ramageddon-ram-shortage-memory-crisis-price-2026-phones-laptops

A Beginner’s Guide to Split Keyboards

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Extreme TLDR: A Beginner's Guide to Split Keyboards
Overview of split keyboards, emphasizing ergonomic benefits like natural hand positioning. Discusses types (row-staggered, column-staggered, ortholinear), time commitment for learning new layouts, and options for those short on time. Two paths: easy-to-learn layouts and more customizable options for higher ergonomics. Covers features, geometry, tenting, pointing devices, wired vs wireless, and keymap customization. Encourages breaks and professional help for pain.

https://www.justinmklam.com/posts/2026/02/beginners-guide-split-keyboards/

Bogdan’s Blog

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TLDR: The author switched from Windows to Linux after two decades due to frustrations with Microsoft's intrusive updates, ads, and bugs. Key issues included forced updates that caused system instability and unnecessary features. After trying Linux and facing challenges, they found it ultimately more reliable and user-friendly for their needs, especially in software development and content creation, despite some limitations in gaming and 3D modeling. They criticize Microsoft's evolving practices as detrimental to user experience.

https://www.himthe.dev/blog/microsoft-to-linux

The State of Linux Music Players in 2026

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In 2026, users are moving away from mainstream services like Microsoft and Spotify in favor of Linux music players that support media ownership. The article reviews various players, emphasizing features such as user-friendly interfaces and library management. Key players include:

  • Amberol: Simple and minimal, great for casual use.
  • Euphonica: MPD client with good features, stylish design but some quirks.
  • Feishin: Fully-featured and user-friendly for self-hosted services, despite Electron-based drawbacks.
  • Lollypop: Innovative but has a clunky user experience.
  • Recordbox: Offers a smooth onboarding and good library management.
  • Tauon: Tailored for power users, with extensive features and network source support.
  • Strawberry & Clementine: Classic options with outdated interfaces but functional.

Overall, the landscape for Linux music players is improving, providing users with diverse, customizable options for music enjoyment.

https://crescentro.se/posts/linux-music-players-2026/

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