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Netherlands Blocks US Takeover of Vital Digital Supplier

"Following months of public debate and protests against American IT giant Kyndryl's proposed acquisition of Solvinity, a Dutch cloud provider that hosts the Netherlands' online identity platform, the Dutch government has decided to block the acquisition," writes longtime Slashdot reader rastakid. "The deal triggered fears that it would mean that 'DigiD' data would fall under foreign control, and could be demanded by U.S. authorities." Politico reports: In a letter to the national parliament published on Tuesday, State Secretary for Digital Economy Willemijn Aerdts said the national authority charged with screening investments had advised the government to block the acquisition. The purchase was seen as posing "a possible risk to the public interest."

The government on Monday decided to adopt the advice and block the acquisition, Aerdts said. "The Netherlands attaches great value to the presence of foreign, especially U.S.-based tech companies, and their added value to the Dutch economy and digital infrastructure, but it maintains, at the same time, an independent investment screening framework aimed at protecting the public interest and which applies equally to all investors, independent of their country of origin," the letter read. Kyndryl said in a statement it was "extremely disappointed" about the decision. "The politicization of this process has overshadowed the clear and important benefits this transaction would have brought to Solvinity's customers and Dutch citizens."

Further reading: Challenges Face European Governments Pursuing 'Digital Sovereignty'

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Nvidia Retires Its GeForce Control Panel App After 20 Years

Nvidia is retiring its classic Control Panel for GeForce Game Ready and Studio Driver users after 20 years, as it pushes users to a newer, more unified "NVIDIA" app. Longtime Slashdot reader BrendaEM first shared the news, commenting: "Nvidia seems to no long want you to have control over your own video card that you paid your hard-earned money for? WTF!?" VideoCardz.com reports: Existing Control Panel installs will remain on users' systems. NVIDIA says the old panel will only disappear after a clean driver installation. Users who still need it can continue to download it from the Microsoft Store, but NVIDIA will no longer add new features, fixes, or other changes.

The retirement currently applies to Game Ready and Studio Drivers. NVIDIA RTX PRO users will continue to receive Control Panel support until the company moves professional features to the NVIDIA app. For GeForce users, NVIDIA says the app now includes the modern functionality previously available through Control Panel. [...] The classic panel is therefore not being removed from every system overnight. It is being moved into maintenance mode for GeForce users...

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California Moves To Exempt Linux From Upcoming Age-Verification Law

California lawmakers are moving to exempt most open-source operating systems from the state's upcoming age-verification law after backlash from Linux and privacy advocates who warned that the original rules could force decentralized projects to collect users' ages. The amendment would likely shield major Linux distributions, though SteamOS and other Linux-based platforms tied to proprietary app stores may still face compliance questions. Tom's Hardware reports: Assembly Bill 1856 (AB 1856), currently moving through California's legislature ahead of committee reviews in June, would amend the state's earlier age-assurance law by excluding software distributed under licenses that allow users to "copy, redistribute, and modify the software." The proposed amendment specifically states: "Operating system provider" does not mean a person or entity that distributes an operating system or application under license terms that permit a recipient to copy, redistribute, and modify the software.

The amendment follows months of backlash after California passed the original Assembly Bill 1043 (AB 1043), formally known as the Digital Age Assurance Act, in late 2025. The law sought to shift online age verification away from individual websites and apps and down to the operating-system level instead. Under the original law, operating systems would be required to request a user's age or birth date during device setup, then expose an "age bracket signal" to apps and app stores. The law, which defined brackets such as "under 13," "13-15," "16-17," and "18+," immediately raised questions about how such requirements would apply to decentralized, open-source software ecosystems. [...]

AB 1856 does not repeal the original Digital Age Assurance Act. Instead, it narrows the definition of who qualifies as an "operating system provider" under the law. Commercial platforms with proprietary app ecosystems could remain subject to California's age-assurance requirements even if most open-source Linux distributions are ultimately exempted. California Assembly Member Buffy Wicks introduced the amendment on February 11, 2026. However, the open-source exemption language appeared in later revisions that began drawing attention across Linux and privacy communities. The latest version is dated May 18, 2026, and as of May 19, 2026, the bill was read a second time and ordered to third reading.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Formula 1 News

Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website

PALMER: Why Russell should take heart from the Canadian GP

When you take a step back and judge George Russell’s race weekend on it’s merits, it was almost faultless and exactly what he needed, writes former Renault F1 driver Jolyon Palmer.

Bibliotheek wil boeken op middelbare scholen vervangen door games (??)

Onze kinderen zijn dommer dan ze zouden moeten zijn omdat ons onderwijs ondermaats is, en dus laten we ze hele domme dingen doen, zodat ons onderwijs gewoon ondermaats kan blijven, en die kinderen lekker dom, of zo. Pubers kunnen en willen niet lezen, dus stoppen we maar helemaal met pubers lezen, want god (was een scharrel van Gerard Reve, red.) verhoede dat die stumpers iets moeten doen dat ze tegenstaat. Wat hebben we nou weer aan onze fiets hangen: Bibliotheek AanZet wil niet langer aanzetten tot lezen, maar probeert actief middelbare scholieren zo ver te krijgen computerspelletjes te spelen ipv boeken tot zich te nemen. Het blijkt te gaan om De reis om de wereld in tachtig dagen, een klassieker van Jules Verne waar een of andere duffe rode ui een gameversie van heeft gemaakt. "In het boek heb je hele lappen tekst en is het verhaal al honderd jaar hetzelfde," filosofeert hij. "De game maakt met de plaatjes, muziek en keuzevrijheid het verhaal toegankelijker. Het is vooral veel meer plezier dat we willen terugbrengen en stiekem zijn leerlingen dan heel veel aan het lezen." Ja dan kun je ze dus ook gewoon films laten kijken, of je kunt natuurlijk beginnen met iets minder suffe schrijvers dan Verne, om maar eens een zijstraat te noemen.

Twilight Paths of Asakusa

T.Marko has added a photo to the pool:

Twilight Paths of Asakusa

As dusk settles over Tokyo, the timeless atmosphere of Asakusa begins to glow beneath the city lights. The illuminated shopping street leads the eye toward the majestic Sensō-ji Temple and the iconic five-story pagoda, where tradition and modern urban life quietly coexist. Captured from above, this scene reflects the rhythm, depth, and serenity hidden within one of Tokyo’s most historic districts.

kottke.org

Jason Kottke's weblog, home of fine hypertext products

Tenderly Tracking My Husband . “Knowing when to...

Tenderly Tracking My Husband. “Knowing when to step in and tell a loved one with [Alzheimer’s] that they can no longer do something because it’s too risky is a game of chance we caregivers hate to play.” Lovely & heartbreaking.

Descent to Darkness

Greg Adams Photography posted a photo:

Descent to Darkness

Denver Art Museum, 2025

xiffy

Public posts from @xiffy@mastodon.nl

@fabio
Heerlijke stad, nog niet uitpuilend met toeristen. Strand op half uurtje treinen en ook daar is t heerlijk.
Ik moest nog aan je denken toen we over Rügen vlogen, waar we ook een jaartje voor jullie waren 😁.
Zo van "tijd voor Fabio om naar Riga te gaan".

Voor de Filippijnse Alexandra Eala is elk tennistoernooi een thuistoernooi

Veel grote successen kende ze nog niet maar de 21-jarige Alexandra Eala is al razend populair. Voor de nu al beste tennisser uit de Filippijnen ooit staan overal ter wereld fans in de rij. „We zijn een trots volk.”