The Document Foundation (TDF), responsible for the open-source LibreOffice suite, issued a new public statement criticizing Microsoft. The central claim is that the company uses tactics to keep users locked into proprietary Microsoft Office formats, such as DOCX (Word), XLSX (Excel), and PPTX (PowerPoint).
In a previous statement made this year in February, the TDF had already pointed out that Microsoft makes the OOXML specifications more complex, which hinders the compatibility of this standard with third-party software, including LibreOffice itself. OOXML (Office Open XML) is the file format standard primarily implemented in Office programs, giving rise to formats like DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX.
According to the TDF, OOXML lacks the openness that Microsoft claims, due to its intricate technical nature. The most recent criticism reinforces the previous one, suggesting that the company employs subtle methods to force users and corporations to remain dependent on OOXML, despite the inherent limitations of this standard.
The TDF explains that the technological dependency mechanism imposed by Microsoft lies in the complexity of OOXML. A truly open format must allow any compatible application to read, write, and display a file accurately, regardless of the program used. In contrast, a proprietary format may include undocumented functionalities or exhibit behaviors that only the original software can process, resulting in rendering failures in other programs.
This leads the user to remain with the original software to avoid problems. Proprietary formats establish this dependency through a system that, while simple in theory, is extremely effective in practice: they make the data of a document inseparable from the software that created it. Italo Vignoli, from The Document Foundation and LibreOffice, describes this as a 'silent and persistent friction' that makes any work done outside the Microsoft ecosystem appear slightly misaligned.
Although the TDF has not directly recommended using LibreOffice, it advises individuals and organizations to prioritize document formats based on the open standard Open Document Format (ODF). This standard is supported by other solutions such as OpenOffice and OnlyOffice. Newer versions of Office and Microsoft 365 also offer ODF compatibility, but Microsoft does not openly promote this standard. Additionally, some specific package features, such as VBA macros or ready layouts, may require OOXML formats to function correctly.
India's water bodies face daily challenges from pollution, sewage discharge, and plastic waste. Four Indian startups are employing robotics and artificial intelligence to enhance the efficiency, speed, and safety of the cleaning process.
Unscene Innovation, founded in 2022 by Cepas Joseph, Ritika Sadana, Ben George, and Dr. Glenn Bennett Hermon, addresses water pollution using autonomous robotics. Their flagship autonomous aquatic vehicle, Amit, utilizes advanced sensors, robotics, and AI to detect, collect, and remove floating plastic debris from rivers, lakes, and other water bodies.
Amit is capable of operating without a crew in both still and flowing water. It independently identifies, collects, and returns the debris to its base, making the water purification process safer and more effective.
Clearbot, founded by Sidhant Gupta and Matteo Masini, develops AI-based autonomous vessels for collecting floating debris from rivers and lakes. These electric boats use computer vision to recognize plastic bottles, bags, and other waste, collecting them in a manner that does not disrupt the ecosystems of the water bodies. The vessels transmit data on collected waste in real time, helping governments and organizations monitor pollution and reduce the need for manual cleanup.
Solinas, a startup incubated at IIT Madras and founded in 2018, uses AI and robotics to transform water resource and sanitation management. Their HomoSEP robots clean septic tanks and wells without human entry, replacing dangerous manual labor with safe robotic operations. Furthermore, EndoBot inspects underground pipelines for cracks and leaks, while Swasth AI creates maps of underground assets for predictive maintenance and accelerated repair. Today, Solinas operates in over 30 cities and 15 states, helping municipalities improve sanitation, prevent groundwater contamination, and modernize water supply systems.
Fluid Robotics, founded by Abhinav Ramesh, creates robots for inspecting and cleaning water infrastructure, eliminating the need for workers to enter hazardous conditions. The company's robots penetrate reservoirs, pipelines, and confined spaces to assess damage, clear blockages, and gather real-time data where human work is difficult to perform safely. By reducing manual intervention and improving inspections, Fluid Robotics helps municipal services maintain the condition of water infrastructure while enhancing personnel safety and operational efficiency.
The Governor of the Fergana Region, Khayrullo Bozorov, held a meeting with international expert on strategic innovations, Samer Chidiak. The goal of the negotiations was to discuss plans for the digital transformation and innovative development of the region.
The parties focused on the potential of implementing digital technologies in the region's economy. Discussions covered the modernization of industrial sectors, human capital development, and the formation of modern professional competencies.
During the meeting, possibilities for broader application of information technology and artificial intelligence solutions to increase the efficiency of various economic sectors were also examined. The discussions were aimed at further promoting the innovative development of the Fergana Region and expanding the use of modern digital tools.
Researchers from Loma Linda University examined over three thousand dinosaur bones recovered from a deposit in Wyoming, United States, and managed to identify four pieces with markings attributed to the Tyrannosaurus rex.
The study, published in the journal PLOS One last Wednesday (15th), demonstrated that signs resembling bites can mislead even specialists. Factors such as diseases, decomposition processes, and the natural structures of the bones are capable of generating marks that imitate predator attacks.
Bethania C. T. Siviero and her team conducted this investigation with the aim of establishing methods to differentiate traces left by carnivorous animals from modifications resulting from natural phenomena.
The fossils analyzed come from the Lance Formation, located in northeastern Wyoming, an area that formed approximately 66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period. This site contains a large quantity of bones, predominantly belonging to the herbivorous dinosaur Edmontosaurus annectens.
Over two decades of excavations, thousands of fragments were collected from the deposit, forming a collection known as a bonebed, which contains remains of various species mixed together, without the configuration of complete skeletons.
Although the team sought evidence of predation, they found only 13 bones with any mark similar to a bite. After a more detailed inspection, only four exhibited characteristics consistent with the action of the T. rex.
The confirmation of the identification was based on comparing the patterns left by the teeth with the known characteristics of carnivores from that era. The most significant marks were small parallel scratches created by dental indentations.
According to Bethania C. T. Siviero, a paleontologist at Loma Linda University and project leader, it is crucial to recognize the correct origin of changes in bones to interpret the behavior of extinct animals. She clarified to Earth.com that surface marks can have multiple origins and require careful evaluation.
The team concluded that the spacing of the small protuberances on the teeth corresponded to the Tyrannosaurus rex, as other predators in the region possessed teeth with closer serrations, generating distinct patterns.
Among the fossils examined were a rib, a caudal vertebra, a piece of the spine, and a section of a forelimb. A second bone showed scratches similar to those of the T. rex, but lacked sufficient detail for definitive confirmation.
One of the most illustrative findings of the study involved a jaw fragment that initially appeared to have been attacked by a crocodile, due to a sequence of regular perforations resembling tooth marks.
However, analysis performed by computed tomography revealed a different explanation: the channels traversed the interior of the bone in several directions and connected, a characteristic compatible with natural structures that transported blood vessels and nerves while the animal was alive.
Additionally, it was verified that the material did not belong to Edmontosaurus, as initially thought. Comparison pointed to a similarity with the jaw of a young Torosaurus, a dinosaur belonging to the ceratopsid group, which includes Triceratops.
This incident highlighted how a mistaken interpretation can lead to incorrect conclusions about the interaction between ancient species, since a supposed crocodile bite on an herbivore would actually be an intrinsic anatomical feature of the animal itself.
The researchers also investigated the context of the marks found. The absence of any sign of healing suggested that the animals had likely already died before sustaining the observed damage.
Siviero explained to Earth.com that bones of animals that survived attacks would show signs of tissue regeneration. Since such signs were almost nonexistent, the researchers considered it more probable that predators consumed available carcasses.
Other elements at the same site corroborated this hypothesis: broken ribs near the ends, insect marks, and signs of climatic exposure indicate that the bodies were exposed on the surface for a period before being buried.
The frequency of tooth marks also varied between different fossil deposits. While a study in a deposit in Colorado, dated to about 150 million years ago, recorded signs on nearly one-third of the bones analyzed, the Wyoming site presented a proportion of less than 1%.
Based on the results obtained, scientists established specific criteria to determine whether a bone alteration truly corresponds to a bite. This analysis takes into account the shape, depth, edges, and location of the marks, as well as the anatomy of the suspected animal.
The purpose is to increase the credibility of inferences about the feeding habits and relationships between extinct species. A mistakenly classified mark can transform a natural alteration into false evidence of hunting or conflict between animals.
For the researchers, this study does not invalidate the theory that the T. rex fed on other dinosaurs, but rather demonstrates that such records are significantly rarer and more complex to recognize than previously assumed.
