The U.S. Treasury Department has "very serious concerns" about Facebook's new Libra cryptocurrency, according to Secretary Steve Mnuchin. "Libra could be misused by money launderers and terrorist financiers. Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, have been exploited to support billions of dollars of illicit activity, like cybercrime, tax evasion, extortion, ransomware, illicit drugs, human trafficking," he said. "Many players have attempted to use cryptocurrencies to fund their malign behavior. This is indeed a national security issue." [More...]

Twitter has unveiled a fresh new look for its desktop website that mimics the look and feel of its mobile platforms. The company has been testing a new version of its desktop website since the beginning of the year. The most noticeable change is the organization and layout of the Twitter home screen itself. The upgraded design simplifies navigation with a new and larger left-hand sidebar that directs you to all of Twitter's key sections: Notifications, Direct Messages, Explore, Bookmarks and Lists. [More...]

After 25 months of development, the makers of the granddaddy of the Linux OSes released an upgrade that updates many of the software packages and plays general catch-up with modern Linux trends. However, Debian Linux 10 Buster is a boring upgrade. It does little to draw attention to its merits. For serious Linux users, though, boring can be endearing. It reinforces Debian's reliability and ultimate stability. Debian by design is more conservative in upgrading application packages and venturing into new technologies. [More...]

I've been spending time this summer barnstorming Barnes & Noble bookstores in New England signing copies of my book on repairing climate change, The Age of Sustainability. These were my first visits to bookstores as a seller, not a customer -- and I previously hadn't visited a store in a while. I wasn't prepared for what I found: The experience was palpable. Like many people with busy lives, I'd gotten seduced by the convenience of going online to purchase what I wanted without understanding what I was giving up. [More...]