Vivaldi 8.0 released with ‘biggest design overhaul, ever’

Vivaldo logo on a colourful backgroundA bold new look arrives in Vivaldi 8.0, the latest update to the Chromium-based web browser. The browser’s main UI elements (the bits that make a browser looks like a browser, so tabs, toolbars, panels, and content) drop their boundaries to form a continuous look. Hence the named Unified. Similar to Zen Browser, the canvas for web content is now ‘framed’ with rounded corners, rather than web pages flowing fully from edge-to-edge. “Unified is not a visual refresh. It is a rethinking of how the Vivaldi interface works as a system” the company says in a press release (invoking a […]

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Ubuntu Core 26 cuts OTA update size, enables ARM64 Livepatch

Ubuntu Core 22 for IoT an Embedded devicesCanonical has released Ubuntu Core 26, a new long-term support (LTS) version of its immutable, snap-based OS. Among the changes Ubuntu Core 26 brings is smaller over-the-air updates, with download sizes reduced by up to 90% for most snaps thanks to a new snap-delta format. Updates to the Core base snaps specifically drop from 16 MB to 1.5 MB. Installation times are faster as the initramfs-based installer skips redundant reboots during provisioning. Core 26 also enables live kernel patching on ARM64 devices so that critical and high vulnerability kernel security fixes are applied without the need for a device reboot. […]

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Firefox 151: New Tab design changes, PDF merging + more

The new tab page has a (ever-so-slightly) new look and a new name in Firefox 151, the newest version of Mozilla’s famous open-source web browser that begins roll out today, May 19, 2026. Now called Firefox Home, the new tab page has a “new look and feel”, to quote Mozilla. It’s not quite that dramatic, though the rounded search bar draws from the upcoming Nova redesign with its rounded pill shape (it is also no longer sticky on scroll): Stories stay put, but the ‘follow’ topic button is now an plus-sign icon left of the section header. You can continue […]

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Ubuntu 26.04 support added to VMware Workstation Pro

A new version of Broadcom’s free virtualisation software VMware Workstation Pro is out with been support Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. VMware Workstation Pro 26H1, along macOS counterpart VMware Fusion Pro, both support the latest long-term support version of Ubuntu as host OS (what the software runs on) and a guest OS (a virtual machine inside the software). Fedora 43 and 44, SUSE Linux Enterprise 16 and openSUS 16.0 are similarly supported as both guest and host OSes, while FreeBSD 15.0 is supported as a guest only. Windows builds of VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 see “all binaries, libraries, installer components, and related […]

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Canonical share Ubuntu 26.04 concept build for CIX P1 devices

CIX P1 SBCs.Canonical has shared a new Ubuntu Concept image for the CIX P1, an Armv9 SoC powering single-board computers like the Radxa Orion O6 and Orange Pi 6 Plus. The image is based on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and ships with a Linux 7.0 kernel from CIX’s open-source GitHub tree using only open-source drivers. A set of patches sits on top of the mainline kernel, but the goal is for them to be upstreamed too. Canonical is using the same approach it took with its Snapdragon builds by letting the hardware describe itself to the OS at boot (ACPI) rather than per-device […]

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BudsLink Brings Advanced Earbud Controls to Linux Desktops

BudsLink Brings Advanced Earbud Controls to Linux Desktops

Linux users have long faced a frustrating limitation with wireless earbuds: basic Bluetooth audio usually works, but advanced features often remain locked behind proprietary mobile apps. A new open-source project called BudsLink is trying to change that.

Designed specifically for Linux desktops, BudsLink adds support for battery monitoring, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) controls, ambient sound modes, gesture customization, and other premium earbud features that are typically unavailable outside Android or iOS ecosystems.

For Linux users who rely on devices like AirPods, Sony earbuds, Samsung Galaxy Buds, or Nothing earbuds, this is a significant quality-of-life improvement.

What Is BudsLink?

BudsLink is an independent open-source application that communicates directly with supported Bluetooth earbuds using Linux Bluetooth protocols such as L2CAP and RFCOMM sockets. Instead of treating earbuds as simple audio devices, the application exposes many of the advanced controls usually hidden behind vendor apps.

The project currently supports multiple device families, including:

  • Apple AirPods and Beats
  • Sony audio wearables
  • Samsung Galaxy Buds
  • Nothing and CMF earbuds

The application is available through Flatpak and can run across multiple Linux distributions.

Features Linux Users Normally Don’t Get

Traditionally, Linux Bluetooth support has focused mainly on audio playback and microphone functionality. BudsLink goes much further by exposing premium earbud features directly within Linux.

Current capabilities include:

  • Monitoring earbud battery levels
  • Viewing charging case battery status
  • Switching between ANC and ambient sound modes
  • Conversation awareness support on compatible devices
  • Automatic volume reduction during conversations
  • In-ear detection for automatic pause/resume
  • Gesture and stem control configuration
  • Customizable icons and appearance settings

For many Linux users, these are features they’ve never had access to outside mobile apps.

Closing a Long-Standing Linux Gap

Bluetooth earbuds have become increasingly dependent on proprietary ecosystems. Features like adaptive audio, transparency modes, or touch controls often require vendor-specific mobile applications that are unavailable on Linux.

That has created a frustrating situation where:

  • The earbuds technically work on Linux
  • But users lose many of the features they paid for

BudsLink aims to bridge that gap by reverse-engineering communication protocols and exposing those controls natively on Linux desktops.

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