Martin Ruskov @mapto@qoto.org

USB-C just matched with your laptop! 💻

As of 28 April 2026, laptops join phones, tablets and other portable devices under the EU common charger rules.

This means less e-waste and less clutter.

No swiping left on compatibility.
🔗http://link.europa.eu/QDMFTh
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https://nitter.net/DigitalEU/status/2051628977173811553#m

The framework boils down to key tests:
• Legitimate authority
• Just cause
• Right intent
• Proportionality
• Last resort
• Likelihood of success

Fail these and the war isn’t justified.

Brussels bars Chinese-made ‘brains’ of solar panels from EU funding https://www.euractiv.com/news/brussels-bars-chinese-made-brains-of-solar-panels-from-eu-funding/?utm_source=eac&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=%40euractiv%40masto.ai

Life finds a way

I've put together a test AppImage for work-in-progress CMYK mode in GIMP. If you're interested in trying it out, you can get it here: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gimp/-/merge_requests/2379#note_2750929

While it's functional, note this is very much a "help me start finding the bugs and unimplemented areas to work on" kind of thing, not a "this is 100% ready for production!!!" :)

This is at the crux:
Macroeconomics: from fossil import drain to electric abundance

And the question for future energy choice: Fast-track or detour?

This is IMO one of the most compelling graphics on the leapfrogging:

Developed countries have made a fossil fuel detour on the way from biomass to clean energy, but countries who have not committed to fossil fuels can make a shortcut straight to clean energy.

https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-electric-fast-track-for-emerging-markets/

It's a quiet leapfrogging that's not in the news because "Change is outpacing the centralised statistics: for example, small solar panels on balconies and rooftops go largely unregistered in national figures. The gap between panels imported and capacity officially reported is large and growing."

https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-electric-fast-track-for-emerging-markets/

"Solar panel imports will reduce fuel imports. The savings from avoiding diesel can repay the cost of a solar panel within six months in Nigeria, and even less in other countries. In nine of the top ten solar panel importers, the import value of refined petroleum eclipses the import value of solar panels by a factor of between 30 to 107."

https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-first-evidence-of-a-take-off-in-solar-in-africa/

"In 2024, Pakistan installed about 15 Gigawatts of solar panels; for context, the country’s total peak electricity demand is about 30 Gigawatts.

Households put so many panels on their rooftops that Pakistani cities now look visibly different on satellite maps."

https://www.wired.com/story/african-imports-of-chinese-solar-panels-increase/

These countries are leapfrogging "developed" countries which have painted themselves into a fossil fueled corner.

Courage isn’t about being fearless.

It’s speaking up, risking failure and acting anyway, even when you’re not ready.

And experts say it’s a skill you build – one hard decision at a time.
https://theconversation.com/what-courage-is-how-to-build-it-and-why-you-should-take-a-risk-280257

Thanks to @deadsuperhero for the collaboration on this update to my article from last summer. As Sean put it: "It's a way to reflect on how things have changed over the past six months, with clear ideas on where things are headed." Hope like the last time, this sparks good conversations and further motion.

The Seven Deadly #Fediverse UX Sins: A Redemption Report Card https://wedistribute.org/2026/04/the-seven-deadly-fediverse-ux-sins-a-redemption-report-card

The US is so pathologically capitalist

...that they get to the point where:
1. they commoditize political resistance by writing tons of self-help books of dubious quality on the topic
2. they commoditize the abundance of the above by selling the excess in an outlet (Humble Bundle is a sort of outlet for digital products)

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/no-kings-library-berrettkoehler-books
@resist

Your face is becoming your password, and you can’t change your face.

Facial recognition systems turn your identity into a permanent digital key. If that data is breached, it’s not just another hack — it’s a lifelong vulnerability that can track you, expose you and be nearly impossible to undo.
https://theconversation.com/facial-recognition-data-is-a-key-to-your-identity-if-stolen-you-cant-just-change-the-locks-278289

#tech #security #data

https://theconversation.com/facial-recognition-data-is-a-key-to-your-identity-if-stolen-you-cant-just-change-the-locks-278289

Italy's prime minister is now aligning with European leaders like Merz and Macron instead of Trump, a shift driven partly by Trump's unpopularity in Italy.

Just 12% of Italians view him favorably, and his attacks on the Pope in a predominantly Catholic country are not helping.

https://theconversation.com/meloni-and-trumps-cooling-relationship-marks-the-failure-of-an-eu-maga-middle-ground-280982

https://theconversation.com/meloni-and-trumps-cooling-relationship-marks-the-failure-of-an-eu-maga-middle-ground-280982

Amazon spent $75M on Melania. It may finish under $20M at the box office, with theaters keeping half. Hollywood calls that a loss. Amazon calls it strategy. When power and capital intersect, the math carries weight.
https://theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/melania-the-movie-and-amazons-60

Japan is moving to become a major arms supplier in Asia to shore up regional security as U.S. leadership wanes, but must act faster and compete with South Korea to make that strategy work. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/04/30/japan/japan-teaches-no-us/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #us #usjapanrelations #southkorea #defense #asiapacific

AI’s apparent inability to generate interesting and unique images and videos is becoming harder to ignore.

A computer scientist explains why they weren’t surprised about OpenAI’s decision to shut down video generation tool Sora.
https://theconversation.com/soras-downfall-signals-broader-problems-with-ais-creative-utility-280013