Shows, GNOME, and Ubuntu Leftovers

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Oct 18, 2026

• Audiocasts/Shows

  • CubicleNate ☛ Linux Saloon 224 | Open Mic Night

    Mike Chilson demonstrated DevsFTP and discussed backup solutions in the recent tech session. Participants shared experiences about their GNU/Linux systems, emphasizing varied engagement levels. Future sessions will cover different application topics. Community suggestions are encouraged via email or dedicated platforms. Resources and project links provided support ongoing learning and collaboration.

  • Sabine Hossenfelder ☛ Sabine Hossenfelder: Backreaction: The Universe Was Born Magnetic, Scientists Say

    For a decade, two ways of measuring how fast the universe expands have given different answers, a problem known as the “Hubble tension”. Now a group of physicists says the problem isn’t the supernovae but how we read the cosmic microwave background. The culprit, they say, is something we’ve ignored: magnetic fields from the birth of the universe. Crisis averted? Let’s take a look.

• Desktop Environments (DE)/Window Managers (WM)

  • GNOME Desktop/GTK

    • OMG Ubuntu ☛ Now Playing Card shows media info for multiple apps at a time

      Now Playing Card is an extension for GNOME Shell that can show playback info and media controls from multiple sources at the same time.

• Distributions and Operating Systems

  • Canonical/Ubuntu Family

    • FunOS 26.10

      Release Date: October 17, 2026Base: Ubuntu 26.10 (Stonking Stingray) Introduction The FunOS team is proud to announce the release of FunOS 26.10, built on top of Ubuntu 26.10 (Stonking Stingray). This release introduces significant upgrades to core utilities, multimedia handling, and hardware support, while providing a refreshed look and feel.

    • Ubuntu 26.10 "Stonking Stingray" Launches With GNOME 51, Linux 7.3 and Optional Speech-to-Text Feature

      Canonical has released Ubuntu 26.10 "Stonking Stingray," shipping with GNOME 51, Linux kernel 7.3, and a new optional speech-to-text feature called Myna. Following its official release in September, GNOME 51 lands in Ubuntu 26.10 and promises a more responsive desktop experience and improved accessibility. Linux kernel 7.3 brings hardware support for Intel Xe3P (Nova Lake), AMD Zen 6, and NVIDIA 615.x Linux drivers, along with improved DRM, power management hooks and out-of-the-box Lustre filesystem support. However, the headline that could easily get unnoticed is the Myna, an opt-in speech-to-text agent that runs entirely on-device using local LLMs. Canonical says it is positioning it as the first step toward a more natural AI-assisted desktop, with accessibility as the stated priority for the initial rollout. Jon Seager, VP of Ubuntu Engineering at Canonical, says "Stonking Stingray delivers the first milestone through the integration of Myna: a speech-to-text agent that utilizes on-device LLMs. We've led Ubuntu's first AI integration with accessibility to ensure that cutting-edge features are available to all users from day one."