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Links 09/01/2023: Kdenlive 22.12.1 and Alpine 3.17.1



  • GNU/Linux

    • 9to5Linux9to5Linux Weekly Roundup: January 8th, 2023

      This first week of 2023 was quite busy and packed with lots of great releases, starting with the approval of the Fedora Budgie and Sway official spins, Arch Linux’s first ISO release in 2023, OpenMandriva Lx’s first-ever rolling-release edition, and a major release of the Debian-based Nitrux distribution.

      On top of that, I present you with the Xfce apps roundup for December 2022, warn you about the end of life of the Linux 4.9 kernel series, and tell you all about the release schedule of the upcoming GNOME 44 desktop environment. Below, you can enjoy these and much more in 9to5Linux’s Linux weekly roundup for January 8th, 2023.

    • TecMint10 Myths About GNU/Linux Operating System [Ed: A very old article reposted today with some changes]

      If you are getting started with Linux or have been using it for a while, there is a pretty good chance that you have stumbled upon some half-truths and misconceptions about it. Some of these myths can ultimately dissuade you from embracing and making the most out of the operating system.

      In this guide, we debunk some of the myths and half-truths going around about GNU/Linux operating systems.

    • Net2Can Linux be used by businesses

      Linux is a popular open-source operating system that is used by businesses of all sizes. It is known for its stability, security, and flexibility, and offers a number of benefits and features that can be useful for businesses. However, it is not the right choice for every organization, and it is important to carefully consider the advantages and drawbacks of using Linux in a business setting before making a decision.

      [...]

      In conclusion, Linux can be a viable option for businesses that want to take advantage of its cost savings, customization options, security features, and reliability. However, it is important to carefully consider the compatibility and support issues that may arise, as well as the limited user base, when deciding whether Linux is the right choice for your organization. It may be necessary to weigh the benefits and disadvantages of Linux against those of proprietary operating systems in order to determine the best fit for your business. Ultimately, the decision to use Linux in your business will depend on your specific needs and goals.

    • Audiocasts/Shows

    • Kernel Space

    • Applications

      • ByteXD4 of the Best Free and Open-Source Password Managers

        We have to make our security-related decisions with a critical mindset. Because even if systems are secure, we are may still not prone to hacking.

        Interacting with computers requires some measures in order to get the most out of this relationship. One of these measures is using strong passwords, which should satisfy strict criteria we all encountered, such as mixing letter cases and using numbers and other characters. Not just that, but also to be a lengthy password 😑.

        Selecting only one strong password is troubling enough, not to mention the need to create countless passwords for all the sites you visit. Thinking of all that encourages people to take shortcuts, and in security, shortcuts mean vulnerabilities that directly impact the system.

        One of the best ways to counteract this dullness without compromising security is to use a password manager.

      • It's FOSSOBS Studio 29 Release Has Little in Store For Linux

        OBS Studio is one of the most popular open-source screen recording and streaming software.

        Used by many Linux users and content creators, it has a pretty neat set of tools and features that lets you record and stream content.

        Its last major release was back in September 2022, which brought in native support for Apple Silicon, updated UI, improved color support, and more.

      • GamingOnLinuxOBS Studio recording software v29.0 is out now

        OBS Studio, the very useful and popular recording and livestream software has a new release available with version 29.0 out now. As usual there's plenty of features that only currently work€ on Windows, some that will hopefully come to Linux eventually when OBS have people to work on them.

      • MedevelImagination: Standalone PowerPoint Alternative for Linux

        Imagination is a free open-source standalone app for creating beautiful presentation with outstanding page traditions. It is originally made for Linux and FreeBSD systems, in order to provide a solid alternative for the commercial software like Microsoft PowerPoint.

        Imagination is written in the C language, and it offers a smooth user-friendly experience, especially for users without tech experience.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • Manuel MatuzovicDay 76: overwriting colors in font palettes

        You can use the override-colors property to override colors in a font palette.

        Color fonts come with one or more predefined color palettes. You can select them by using the font-palette property. You can also define your own color palettes or change specific colors in a palette using the override-colors property.

      • University of TorontoLet's Encrypt's complex authorization process and multi-name TLS certificates

        One of the things that people don't like about Let's Encrypt's ACME protocol for getting TLS certificates is that it's complicated (even beyond using JSON Web Tokens (JWT)). Part of this complexity is that it famously requires you to create and register an account, and the actual authorization process to get a TLS certificate for a domain involves this account in a multi-step process. You can readily come up with simpler single-step processes (such as the one in Another look at the steps for issuing a cert), so you can ask why ACME requires its multi-step process. It recently occurred to me that one reason for this is that it probably makes the logic of issuing a TLS certificate for multiple names simpler.

      • Tom's HardwareHow To Add Chat to OBS

        Before tackling this project it would be prudent to take a look at our How To Record in OBS and How to Stream on Twitch guides. Those two guides will act as a foundation for building the best stream for your viewers.

        Here is how to add chat to your stream using Facebook, Twitch (using StreamLabs and StreamElements and YouTube.

      • BeebomWhy Is My Chromebook So Slow? 6 Fixes to Try! | Beebom

        Chromebooks rarely slow down over time, but if your Chrome OS device is not performing well, don’t worry. There are several ways you can try to improve a Chromebook’s performance and fix the issue. One option is to revert to an earlier build or update to the latest build, as this can resolve issues caused by a recent update. You can also identify any apps that may be causing the slow-down and close or uninstall them on your Chromebook. If you’re not sure which apps may be causing the issue, use the built-in task manager to help identify them. With that said, let’s look at the steps to troubleshoot and fix a Chromebook that’s running slow.

      • HowTo ForgePerfect Server Automated ISPConfig 3 Installation on Debian 10, Debian 11, Ubuntu 20.04 and Ubuntu 22.04

        This tutorial shows you how to easily set up a web, email and DNS server with ISPConfig 3 using the ISPConfig auto-installation script....

      • ID RootHow To Install LibreOffice on Rocky Linux 9 - idroot

        In this tutorial, we will show you how to install LibreOffice on Rocky Linux 9. For those of you who didn’t know, LibreOffice is a free and open-source office suite and is often considered a good alternative to the Microsoft Office suite. It offers impressive features, a user-friendly interface, comprehensive, and compatible with MS Office files. LibreOffice is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems, and it can be downloaded and installed for free from the LibreOffice website.

        This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of LibreOffice on Rocky Linux. 9.

      • LinuxTutoHow to Install Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04 - LinuxTutorials

        Mattermost is an open-source, self-hosted chat and collaboration platform that is designed for modern teams. Mattermost is an alternative to Slack.

        In this tutorial, we will show you the complete steps to install Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04 with PostgreSQL database server.

      • Make Use OfHow to Use KDE Discover to Manage Linux Apps, Widgets, and Much More

        Discover is the default package manager for the KDE Plasma desktop. Both Discover and KDE Plasma are found in a growing number of Linux distributions, including the version of Linux that powers the Steam Deck.

        True to its name, Discover can help you discover new software, but that's only a small part of what the app does. This is also the primary way you download updates or remove installed apps. So if you're new to KDE, let's take a look at how this fundamental piece of software works.

      • Trend OceansHow to Setup and Enable WhatsApp Proxy on Linux

        When you are cut off from your loved ones for an extended period of time, how do you think you will feel? I mean, it’s bad, right? To solve this problem, WhatsApp made a feature called “WhatsApp proxy,” which lets you talk to your loved ones even if the government blocks or disrupts the connection.

      • LinuxiacHow to Set up Automatic Updates on Fedora Linux

        This article shows how to set up the dnf-automatic service to apply updates automatically on a Fedora Linux.

        If you’re using Fedora as your operating system, keeping your system up to date with the latest software and security patches is important. One way to ensure your system stays current and secure is by setting up automatic updates. This process is simple and only takes a few easy steps.

        Fortunately, Fedora provides a ready-made solution to deal with this case that can be quickly and easily implemented without much effort. Following this guide, you can easily set up automatic updates on your Fedora system and never have to worry about manually updating again. So let me show you how.

      • TecMintHow to Share Fedora Desktop Screen [GNOME] Remotely

        At some point, you might need to share the Fedora desktop screen (GNOME) desktop with other users for one reason or the other. There are multiple remote desktop-sharing applications that can help you achieve this.

        These include TeamViewer, AnyDesk, Remmina, and many others. These are all third-party applications that require installation.

        Ever heard of the ‘screen-sharing’ feature? This is a built-in tool that allows you to seamlessly share your GNOME screen.

        In this guide, we will demonstrate how you can share your GNOME Desktop screen in Fedora using the ‘screen-sharing’ feature.

      • Red Hat OfficialHow to create a Ceph cluster on a single machine | Enable Sysadmin

        Ceph storage is common in many large-scale use cases, so simpler implementations for testing or training may go unnoticed.

      • TecAdminHow to Install Python3 on Pop!_OS {3 Methods} - TecAdmin

        Pop!_OS is a popular operating system based on Ubuntu, and like most operating systems, it comes with a default version of Python installed. However, you may want to install a newer version of Python or multiple versions of Python on your system for different purposes.

        Python is a popular programming language that is widely used in many fields, including data science, web development, and scientific computing. Pop!_OS is a popular operating system based on Ubuntu, and like most operating systems, it comes with a default version of Python installed. However, you may want to install a newer version of Python or multiple versions of Python on your system for different purposes.

        In this article, we will explore three methods for installing Python 3 on Pop!_OS: using the Pop!_OS package manager, using `deadsnakes` PPA, and building Python from the source.

      • ID RootHow To Install Nomacs on Fedora 37 - idroot

        In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Nomacs on Fedora 37. For those of you who didn’t know, Nomacs is a versatile and easy-to-use image viewer that is well-suited for a wide range of image viewing and editing tasks, and it is open-source software that is actively developed and supported by a large community of users and developers. It is designed to be lightweight and easy to use, and it supports a wide range of image formats, including BMP, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF

        This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the Nomacs image viewer on a Fedora 37.

      • Linux CapableHow to List RPM Package Dependencies with DNF - LinuxCapable

        Installing applications on Linux derivatives such as CentOS, Rocky Linux, and RHEL may require investigating the dependencies needed for the RPM packages you are installing with the DNF Package manager. Knowing what files and processes will be affected during an installation can help in certain situations, mainly around troubleshooting.

      • UNIX CopHow To Install Rudder on Ubuntu 20.04 | 22.04 LTS - Unix / Linux the admins Tutorials

        Rudder is an open source audit and configuration management utility to help automate system configuration across large IT infrastructures. Rudder relies on a lightweight local agent installed on each managed machine.

        In this guide, you will show you how to install Rudder on Ubuntu systems.

      • UNIX CopHow To Install QMPlay2 on Ubuntu 20.04 | 22.04 LTS - Unix / Linux the admins Tutorials

        QMPlay2 is a video and audio player. It can play all formats supported by FFmpeg, libmodplug (including J2B and SFX). It also supports Audio CD, raw files, Rayman 2 music and chiptunes. It contains YouTube and MyFreeMP3 browser.

        In this guide, we will show you how to install QMPlay2 on Ubuntu systems.

      • Linux HintLinux Cat Command Examples

        In Linux, the “cat” is the concatenation of files which combines multiple files into a single file. There are other several uses of the cat command in Linux which we will talk in this article to give you an understanding of how it works in different scenarios.

    • Games

    • Desktop Environments/WMs

      • K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

        • KdenliveKdenlive 22.12.1 released - Kdenlive

          The first maintenance release of the 22.12 series is out with support for Akaso proxy files and a small improvement to audio pause/play. Some highlights include fixes to timeline preview rendering, copy/paste/move of keyframes in the rotoscoping effect, moving of clips on low zoom levels and avoid overlay issues with subtitles backgrounds with alpha.

  • Distributions and Operating Systems

    • DebugPointPiscesys: An "official" Cutefish OS Fork Arrives

      For those who don't know - Cutefish OS is built primarily for general users who want a simple desktop Linux with a "macOS" look out of the box. The underlying Cutefish Desktop Environment (DE) features a Global menu, bottom dock, top panel, icon and cursor themes, and many other features. The desktop is built from scratch, based on Qt, Kwin and used C++ as the primary programming language.

      Piscesys, another Cutefish OS fork, is under development. here's all the information you need to know.

    • New Releases

    • Fedora Family / IBM

      • Enterprisers Project7 Kubernetes resources for IT leaders to bookmark in 2023

        Within the last several years, Kubernetes has evolved from being an emerging technology to a critical component of how enterprises operate. In 2022, The Enterprisers Project's community of contributors shared thoughtful advice on how to continue to embrace Kubernetes. Whether your organization is resolving to adopt containers in the new year or you are an IT hiring manager seeking candidates with Kubernetes expertise, these articles will set you up for a successful 2023.

      • Enterprisers ProjectArtificial intelligence: 3 trends to watch in 2023

        The artificial intelligence (AI) market has been on a swift growth path for several years – so much so that the industry is expected to reach $42.4 billion in 2023. This momentum will continue, and we’re starting to realize it with the debut of powerful new AI-powered tools and services across industries.

      • Fedora MagazineUsing OpenSearch in Fedora Linux - Fedora Magazine

        OpenSearch is Amazon’s open-source search engine and analytics suite. Individuals, businesses, and organizations can use the service to search for a wide range of information and use visualization tools to better understand user behavior and search trends. This article will discuss how you can use OpenSearch in Fedora Linux.

      • Please keep fedora-review alive | FrostyX.cz

        The fedora-review is an essential tool for reviewing new Fedora packages. It helps us ensure that they are of a good enough quality, don’t violate any licenses, and don’t unpleasantly surprise our users. And it needs more developers.

      • Copr - look back at 2022

        Let me sum up what the Copr team did during 2022.

    • Canonical/Ubuntu Family

    • Devices/Embedded

      • ArduinoThis Arduino Nano-based synthesizer can produce a wide range of intriguing sounds | Arduino Blog

        Synthesizers have existed in their current form for several decades now. In essence, they generate simple waveforms that are then either added or subtracted together and modified through the use of filters, envelopes, and modulators to control pitch, volume, and several other characteristics. Due to their simplicity, many types of components can be combined to create them with a wide variety of unique characteristics.

        Built by Ignacio Ríos, his take on the synthesizer incorporates an Arduino Nano along with a series of buttons, potentiometers, and an amplifier to produce sounds. It starts by taking a carrier frequency that is modulated by a secondary oscillator, similar to how FM radio functions. From here, four potentiometers modify how the carrier frequency responds to the modulated wave. Another four potentiometers change the attack, decay, sustain, and release durations, all of which are read by the Nano’s onboard ADC.

      • Linux Gizmos3D Vision Camera powered by NVIDIA Jetson Nano SoM

        This week, Orbbec presented a multi-mode Depth and 4K RGB camera capable of streaming processed images over Ethernet or USB in real-time. The Femto Mega leverages Microsoft’s ToF technology, a 6-DoF IMU along with an integrated Jetson Nano System-on-Module for AI processing.€ 

      • HackadayForth Cracks RISC-V

        Over the decades there have been many programming languages, some of which have flowered briefly, and others that have stuck around despite newer, better, and faster competition. Few languages embody this last group more than FORTH, over five decades old and still cropping up wherever a simple, elegant, fast, and compact stack-based programming language fits the bill. [Alexander Williams] has now taken it somewhere new, with a FORTH in RISC-V assembly which runs on the GD32 series of microcontrollers that are RISC-V lookalikes of the popular STM32 ARM parts.

      • [Repeat] GSM ArenaGoogle proclaims official Android RISC-V support

        Google has officially announced that Android will support the RISC-V instruction set architecture. The announcement is from the RISC-V Summit held last month.

      • HackadayLow-Cost 433 MHz Door Sensors Get Open Firmware

        It’s an unfortunate reality these days that if you see a cheap piece of consumer electronics, there’s a good chance its only cheap because it’s designed to lock you into some ecosystem where you’ll either end up paying a subscription, or worse, have your personal information sold behind your back. One of the best tools we have against these sort of anti-consumer practices is the development of open source firmware replacements that put control of the device into the hands of the community, rather than a corporation.

    • Open Hardware/Modding

      • OMG! LinuxRaspberry Pi Camera Module 3 Boasts Powered AutoFocus, HDR + More - OMG! Linux

        Say cheese — a brand new Raspberry Pi camera module has arrived!

        Unveiled today, the Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 is the first major camera update produced by the company since 2020.

        Naturally, plenty of big improvements are the frame. The Camera Module 3 boasts a higher resolution, and is available in variants that offer infrared, HDR, a wide angle field-of-view, and fast, powered autofocus.

        The Camera Module 3 uses 12-megapixel Song IMX708 sensor. This is larger than the camera sensor offered in the Camera Module 2, first released in 2016.

        A bigger sensor means sharper images, plus better low-light sensitivity. The 16:9 aspect ratio means the unit captures 1080p HD video at up to 50 frames per second, using the full area of the sensor.

      • CNX SoftwareRaspberry Pi Camera Module 3 launched with autofocus and HDR - CNX Software

        Raspberry Pi Trading has launched the Camera Module 3, their first camera module supporting autofocus and HDR, designed to work with all Raspberry Pi boards that can take a camera, and offered with either a standard or wide field-of-view, and an optional infrared cut filter.

        All four variants of the new camera module are equipped with a Sony IMX708 12MP sensor that supports high-dynamic range (HDR) and features phase detection autofocus. The Camera Module 3 has the same X/Y dimensions and mounting holes as the popular Camera Module 2 launched in 2016, but is several millimeters taller due to the improved optics.

      • Jeff GeerlingRaspberry Pi's Camera Module 3 adds autofocus and new Sony sensor

        Raspberry Pi just announced their new Camera Module 3, which comes in four variations (standard and wide angle, normal and NoIR for infrared use), and costs $35.

      • SparkFun ElectronicsThe New RPi Camera Module 3

        Raspberry Pi is at it again! Their new Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 is now available here at SparkFun Electronics! We have three new product that all revolve around this new version of the Pi Camera Module and we are extremely excited to share them with you. Sit a spell and take a look!

      • [Old] OlimexAgonLight Open Source Hardware Retro Computer Running BBC Basic was captured in KiCad and updated by€ Olimex

        AgonLight is a well-documented small computer based on the Z80 family and running BBC BASIC.

        With a VGA output and a PS2 Keyboard this is a stand alone retro style computer.

        The project is open source hardware and software.

      • [Old] OlimexAgonLight2 now is officially certified by OSHWA as Open Source€ Hardware

        AgonLight2 now is officially listed on OSHWA.org directory as true Open Source Hardware project.

      • [Old] OlimexAgonLight2 update: embedded Hello world in BBC€ basic

        AgonLight2 is Z80 based retro computer running BBC Basic.

        The first thing you do with embedded computer is to run the Hello World equivalent i.e. to blink LED.

    • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

  • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

    • SaaS/Back End/Databases

      • MediumOptimizing our longest nightly job — a story of sessions, complexity, and toilets

        One day, we noticed that one of these commands was in fact still running after more than 20h, and that the next run would indeed be run before the previous one has ended. This was a big problem — not because the data could have been corrupted (it could not thanks to our idempotency requirement), but because it indicated clearly that we had a performance bottleneck, and probably some scalability issues down the line.

        We took on a mission to find out how to improve this run time; we learned a lot along the way. Come with us!

    • Productivity Software/LibreOffice/Calligra

      • [Old] LibreOfficePerpetual Calendar

        A perpetual calendar that adapt to the language installed on the system.

    • Public Services/Government

      • FSFEFediGov seeks to promote sovereign communication in the public sector - FSFE

        Encouraging public institutions to communicate sovereignly is the aim of the FediGov campaign, launched by FSFE Switzerland and GNU/Linux.ch, that is asking individuals to explain to their local authorities the importance of sovereign communication in the public sector.

        Public administrations are currently using commercial social networks to establish direct communications, excluding residents that are not using the commercial services but alternatives that allow them to use the Internet in a self-determined and privacy-friendly way.

        These alternatives such as the Fediverse are also enjoying growing popularity, for example with many federal authorities in Germany. The Fediverse is a federated social network of free opensoftware servers (referred to as “instances”) with applications such as Mastodon that communicate with each other via a common protocol. Users have the option of operating their own instance or joining existing instances.

    • Programming/Development

      • RlangPerformance comparison of converting list to data.frame with R language

        When you are working with large datasets performance comes to everyone’s mind. Especially when converting datasets from one data type to another. And choosing the right method can make a huge difference.

        So in this case, I will be creating a dummy list, and I will convert the values in the list into data.frame.

        Simple function to create a large list (approx. 46MB with 250.000 elements and each element consists of 10 measurements).

      • MaskRayAll about sanitizer interceptors

        Many sanitizers want to know every function in the program. User functions are instrumented and therefore known by the sanitizer runtime. For library functions, some (e.g. mmap, munmap, memory allocation/deallocation functions, longjmp, vfork) need special treatment. Sanitizers leverage symbol interposition to redirect such function calls to its own implementation: interceptors. Other library functions can be treated as normal user code. Either instrumenting the function or providing an interceptor is fine. In some cases instrumenting is infeasible (e.g. assembly source files, When can glibc be built with Clang?) or is inefficient, and interceptors may be the practical choice.

        This article talks about how interceptors work and the requirements of sanitizer interceptors.

      • Harish PillayOpen source codebases are the bedrock of today’s enterprise systems

        My friend and colleague, Vijira published a post summarising his technical keynote on “Open Hybrid Cloud: The Foundation for a Robust Digital Transformation” as part of Red Hat Summit Connect last year.

        There are key takeaways from the post and you should read that first before continuing here.

      • OpenSource.comUse this open source API gateway to scale your API | Opensource.com

        An API gateway is a single point of entry for incoming calls to an application programming interface (API). The gateway aggregates the services being requested and then returns the appropriate response. To make your API gateway effective, it's vital for you to design a reliable, efficient, and simple API. This is an architectural puzzle, but it's one you can solve as long as you understand the most important components.

      • Python

        • NextGenTipsHow to implement Celery with Django – NextGenTips

          Perhaps you might be wondering like me what the heck is Celery? Let’s begin by first understanding what Celery is. Celery is an open-source asynchronous task queue that is based on distributed message passing. And what is a task queue? A task queue’s input is a unit of work called a task. They are used as a mechanism to distribute work across threads or machines.

        • ByteXDHow to Write to a CSV File in Python

          Knowing how to write to a CSV file in Python is essential for handling excel-related files and automating repetitive tasks. This tutorial shows you how to write to CSV file with (A) local data and (B) data scraped from a third-party website.

          Let’s get started.

  • Leftovers

    • HackadaySpaceballs Get Serialized

      As much as we’d love a TV show version of the cult classic movie, we’re talking about a different kind of Spaceball. While there have been many iterations, [Evan] had a Spaceball built by a company known as Spacetec in 1991 and rebranded by HP. Being an older peripheral, he used the Orbotron 9001, a converter from RS232 serial to USB, to interface his Spaceball with modern devices.

    • HackadayCan AI Replace Your DM?

      The current hotness is anything to do with artificial intelligence, and along with some interesting experiments comes a lot of mindless hype. The question is, what can it do for us! [Jesse] provides a fun answer by asking ChatGPT to perform as a Dungeons and Dragons dungeon master.

    • Online countries are not countries | Stop at Zona-M

      There is a book out there making the case for “network states”, that is “states” created out of nothing and nowhere by “a group of people who get together on the internet and decide that they’re going to start a country”, run and managed “in the cloud”, and paid with cryptocurrencies, of course.

    • CoryDoctorowSocial Quitting

      This is where network effects and switching costs come into play. A service has "network effects" if it gets more valuable as users join it. You joined Twitter to talk to the people who were already using it, and then other people joined so they could talk to you.

      "Switching costs" are what you have to give up when you leave a service: if a service is siloed – if it blocks interoperability with rivals – then quitting that service means giving up access to the people whom you left behind. This is the single most important difference between ActivityPub-based Fediverse services like Mastodon and the silos like Twitter and Facebook – you can quit a Fediverse server and set up somewhere else, and still maintain your follows and followers: [...]

    • Counter PunchSportswashed: Ronaldo Heads to Saudi Arabia

      It just keeps getting darker and darker.€  For the professionally ignorant, things are only getting better.€  With one of history’s great events of sportswashing concluded – the 2022 Qatar World Cup – another state famed for its cosmetic distractions and moneyed seductions made a splash.€  Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, his sun setting and his prospects diminishing among Europe’s top clubs, was signed to play in Saudi Arabia.

      He had been seething and fuming at Manchester United, increasingly cast into peripheral, bench warming roles.€  The inner truculent brat screamed and found a voice on the ever humbly named show Piers Morgan Uncensored.€  In a conversation between brats who felt they had been mistreated over the years, the impression given by Ronaldo was always going to be a love of the game over cash.

    • Counter PunchLetter From London: Take Me to the River

      One evening last week I walked down to Greenwich under an early evening sky in order to catch a River Bus to Westminster in central London. The shimmering lights on the Thames looked beautiful. It was one of those occasions when you remembered exactly why you loved London so much. The only reason the city was here and not somewhere else on the island of Britain was because of this river. And yet it was one of the most under-utilised parts of the city. How was that? To not embrace it felt shortsighted, risible. Like fat, traffic clogged up each and every artery, the trains and tubes not on strike were over-packed, while the river remained as empty as a country lane. Don’t get me wrong: there was much wrong with it — I can go into that later — but I always like walking to the water’s edge, even when not catching a boat. Just to know it is there is enough when you were born just a sand dune away from water yourself. I will go further. The Thames flows into the North Sea, which in turn flows into the Atlantic Ocean, which in turn meets the Pacific Ocean, telling us everything we need to know about the world being one. Incredibly, the Thames even used to be a tributary of the River Rhine. This was before what became the English Channel. Mind you, they also say we human beings evolved from a sea creature some 540 million years ago with a large mouth and no anus, so of course the Thames feels like home.

      A couple of smokers huddled by a street lamp and I could hear seagulls as I reached the ramp for the River Bus. I saw my fourth Arctic tern in a week, squawking at a group of London pigeons as if telling them they were nowhere to be seen on its latest 35,000 km (22,000 miles) round trip to Australia. (Truly.) When I stepped aboard the River Bus, the tern flew away. A lone passenger jet illuminated its flightpath and I could hear its engines across the night sky. This was when I stared back at the Christmas lights on the tall rigging of the Cutty Sark, thinking of that special time one bright and early morning when I caught a two-masted Danish brigantine called Soren Larsen from St Catherine’s Dock close to London Bridge. We had passed this very spot in Greenwich. The artist had been waiting tongue-in-cheek to wave me past. A policeman noticed the artist — everywhere was deserted; it was very early — and approached her to check she was okay. ‘My boyfriend is about to pass this very spot on a nineteenth-century sea clipper,’ she declared. He looked at her again: ‘Are you sure you’re okay, madam?’ he asked. At which point, two masts miraculously appeared around that gentle bend in the river towards Deptford, and the brigantine sailed past, dipping her Ensign as she did so. I could see the artist waving and of course waved back. The Soren Larsen however had just finished circumnavigating the globe as part of an official reenactment of the First Fleet to Australia, and I would later feel a complete fraud when feted and hugged by assembled strangers on the pier at Southampton where the journey for the rest of the voyage crew had several years ago begun.

    • Science

    • Education

    • Hardware

      • CNX SoftwarePanthronics PTX30W is a 1W NFC wireless charging listener IC - CNX Software

        Panthronics PTX30W is an NFC wireless charging listener chip that can receive up to 1W as per the NFC Wireless Charging (WLC) specification unveiled in 2020 and integrates a power management unit and a Li-Ion battery charger. Offered in a compact 3.2mm2 (1.78 x 1.78 mm) WL-CSP package, the PTX30W will enable small battery-powered products, such as smartwatches and other wearables, to be charged over NFC. The chip can operate in standalone mode or connected to a host microcontroller, and the company claims it is around four times smaller than existing designs based on multiple discrete components. PTX30W features and specifications: Integrated NFC Wireless Charging Listener device Ffficient Active Rectifier RF interface according to Forum Type 2 Tag Li-Ion battery charger with charging current from 5mA to 250mA MCU LDO with 1.8V or 3.3V output, up to 50mA Embedded power negotiation logic High-efficiency NFC wireless charging listener IC with up [...]

      • HackadayRecreating A Numpad For The ADM-3A

        [Evan] already had a working ADM-3A (a dumb terminal from 1976) but was starting to eye the accessories hungrily. He had only seen the numpad on Wikipedia and in the manual. So when he found some authentic stackpole numpads on a surplus sale, he grabbed them and converted them to be ADM-3A compatible.

      • HackadayBuilding A Giant Remote Controlled Model Airbus A380 In A Year

        A year ago [Ramy RC] set out on a momentous challenge: to build a 1:21 scale Airbus A380-800 RC model with functional engines, landing gear and all other details. Recently he finished the project and published a video with a summary of the whole build process (also linked below). The full video series can be found on the Ramy RC channel. The final RC airplane came out at a massive wingspan of 3.9 meters (12.7′), a length of 3.6 meters (11.8′) and a weight of 25 kg. This weight is carried by the full landing gear of multiple bogeys that can retract much like on the real airplane.

    • Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

      • If 2022 was the “year of the gaslighter,” expect a lot more gaslighting in 2023

        Last year at this time, I wrote a post entitled 2021: The year the weaponization of VAERS went mainstream, to be followed by a more general post, Who could ever have seen this coming? The depressing thing that I just realized is that I could very easily have simply repurposed both old posts, changing the years and updating some of the examples used, and they would have been perfectly appropriate for this new year too. In fact, as depressing as it sounds, I could just revise and update the latter of these posts every year if I wanted to, and it would remain just as relevant, likely for however long I have left on this earth and many years beyond, assuming that someone takes up the banner after my passing and keeps it updated. This New Year, however, I thought I’d deal with a different narrative, one that COVID-19 minimizers, quacks, and antivaxxers have been claiming a lot recently, namely gaslighting. Like so many antivax narratives, the charge that against CDC, medical profession, government, and “Them” of “gaslighting” us about the pandemic is pure projection, but unfortunately it’s effective projection.

      • NPRSeattle's schools are suing tech giants for harming young people's mental health

        It blames them for worsening mental health and behavioral disorders including anxiety, depression, disordered eating and cyberbullying; making it more difficult to educate students; and forcing schools to take steps such as hiring additional mental health professionals, developing lesson plans about the effects of social media, and providing additional training to teachers.

      • GeekWireSeattle Public Schools sues TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and others, seeking compensation for youth mental health crisis

        The suit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, seeks “the maximum statutory and civil penalties permitted by law,” making the case that the companies have violated Washington state’s public nuisance law.

        Hundreds of families are pursuing similar cases against the companies, following revelations about the tactics used by Facebook, Instagram, and others to boost engagement among children and teenagers.

        However, Seattle Public Schools appears to be the first school district in the country to file such a suit against the companies.

      • US News And World ReportSeattle Schools Sue Tech Giants Over S

        It blames them for worsening mental health and behavioral disorders including anxiety, depression, disordered eating and cyberbullying; making it more difficult to educate students; and forcing schools to take steps such as hiring additional mental health professionals, developing lesson plans about the effects of social media, and providing additional training to teachers.

        “Defendants have successfully exploited the vulnerable brains of youth, hooking tens of millions of students across the country into positive feedback loops of excessive use and abuse of Defendants’ social media platforms,” the complaint said. “Worse, the content Defendants curate and direct to youth is too often harmful and exploitive ....”

      • The ColumbianSeattle Schools sues social media firms over youth mental health crisis

        The 90-page lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, alleges the social media companies intentionally market, design and operate their platforms to maximize engagement from young users for profit, and cites research linking social media use to mental and behavioral disorders including anxiety, depression, disordered eating and cyberbullying.

        “This mental health crisis is no accident. It is the result of the Defendants’ deliberate choices and affirmative actions to design and market their social media platforms to attract youth,” the lawsuit states.

        The lawsuit argues the tech companies have violated Washington’s public nuisance law and says SPS seeks “the maximum statutory and civil penalties permitted by law.”

      • [Old] Associated PressThe Facebook Papers

        The Facebook Papers represents a unique collaboration between 17 American news organizations, including The Associated Press.

        Journalists from a variety of newsrooms, large and small, worked together to gain access to thousands of pages of internal company documents obtained by Frances Haugen, the former Facebook product manager-turned-whistleblower.

    • Security

      • LWNSecurity updates for Monday [LWN.net]

        Security updates have been issued by Fedora (python2.7), SUSE (ca-certificates-mozilla, libksba, and ovmf), and Ubuntu (linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-5.4, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-5.4, linux-gke, linux-gkeop, linux-hwe-5.4, linux-ibm, linux-ibm-5.4, linux-kvm, linux-oracle, linux-oracle-5.4, linux-raspi, linux-raspi-5.4, linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-hwe, linux-azure, linux-azure-4.15, linux-dell300x, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-4.15, linux-hwe, linux-kvm, linux-oracle, linux-raspi2, linux-snapdragon, linux, linux-aws, linux-kvm, linux-lowlatency, linux-raspi, linux, linux-gcp, linux-gke, linux-gkeop, linux-hwe-5.15, linux-ibm, linux-kvm, linux-lowlatency, linux-oracle, linux-raspi,, and linux-aws).

      • Fixed security issue that affected tsp.opensuse.org - openSUSE admin - openSUSE Project Management Tool

        We were contacted by Lukas Euler from Positive Security, to inform us that Travel Support Program (TSP), the application we use to reimburse the costs of traveling to events where you can promote or are organized by the project, had a significant security flaw that impacted our and others' production systems. We have since patched the vulnerability, contacted other organizations that also use the software, and have spent some time and wrote a script to parse logs, in order to asses the impact. Over the span of the last 2 years, the flaw has not been abused, outside of a script written by Lukas, which read contents of the production database via brute force.

      • Bleeping ComputerMicrosoft ends Windows 7 extended security updates on Tuesday
      • Privacy/Surveillance

      • Confidentiality

        • Filippo ValsordaSSH WHOAMI.FILIPPO.IO

          How it technically works is that the client sends public keys to the server until the server answers that it likes one of them, and then the client sends a signature from that key.[2] The client is allowed to skip the first part and start sending signatures right away, but it doesn’t because producing a signature might require user interaction (for example to decrypt the private key or to enter the PIN of a hardware token) and it’s bad UX to require that for a key the server will reject. This is also why age ciphertexts encrypted to SSH keys carry a hash of the public key: to let the client know if it should bother the user to decrypt an encrypted private key.

          (A neat consequence is that you can test what public keys a server accepts even without having the corresponding private key.)

          The second thing going on that might be unexpected is that your GitHub SSH keys are, well, public. For example, you can see mine at https://github.com/FiloSottile.keys.

    • Defence/Aggression

    • Environment

      • Counter PunchOn Giuseppe Trani and the ‘Human Condition’: Positive Vibes for 2023

        When the newsstand of Giuseppe Trani was swept away by massive flooding that devastated the southern Italian town of Casamicciola, near Naples, the 70-year-old man lost everything.

        Not for long, though, as the townsfolk, who were also affected by the flooding and landslides experienced throughout the whole region, raised the needed funds to help Trani rebuild his kiosk.

      • Counter PunchClimate, Covid & Wishful Thinking

        The challenges presented by climate chaos and the Covid-19 pandemic have both elicited cultural responses that superficially appear to be opposed to one another, but that end up working hand-in-hand to bolster a status quo that’s intrinsically harmful to everyone. Both succeed by appealing to wishful thinking.

        In the case of anthropogenic climate chaos, the two clusters are centered around denialism and what we could call technophilia or perhaps techno-hopium. Climate chaos results from industrial-scaled agricultural civilization, so seriously addressing it would any would entail significantly changing that system, and—if we’re going to be honest—ultimately phasing it out. Avoiding such change is the shared motivation of both parties, so Team Denial shrilly insists that climate chaos is not real, or if real is “natural” rather than “man-made,” so there’s nothing we have to change about how we live. Team Technophile smugly assures us that it€ is€ real, but that “green energy” (so-called “renewables” like solar, wind & hydro) will solve the problem, so… there’s nothing we have to change about how we live.

    • Finance

      • Sign My RocketSign My Rocket

        NGO "Center Of Assistance To The Army, Veterans and Their Families" is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that has been operating since 2014 and focuses on helping units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Territorial Defense, Volunteer Forces in the struggle for Ukraine.

      • Counter PunchThe First US Onslaught to “Weaken” Post-Cold War Russia.

        Even Before NATO Expansion, the West Sought to Strangle Russia Economically.

        The first post-cold war assault on Russia by the West began in the early 1990s well before the expansion of NATO. It took the form of a U.S.-induced economic depression in Russia that was deeper and more disastrous than the Great Depression that devastated the U.S. in the 1930s. And it came at a time when Russians were naively talking of a “Common European Home” and a common European security structure that would include Russia.

      • Counter PunchMcKinsey’s Addiction Corporations

        Almost 30 years ago, tobacco CEOs were forced to answer questions – under oath. For the first time, corporate bosses had to admit that tobacco companies were designing cigarettes to sustain addiction – a dark day for corporate profits, tobacco corporations, and the ever supportive management consultancy firm: McKinsey. Yet, it was a good day for everyone else. Corporate CEOs also confessed that they had manipulated an addictive drug. But Big Tobacco wasn’t finished.

        The $157bn heavy tobacco giant Philip Morris shot back by trying to intimidate the media. The corporation did this by filing a $10bn lawsuit against two reporters and their employer – ABC News.

      • Common DreamsMcCarthy Pledges Repeal of IRS Funding Meant to Target Wealthy Tax Cheats

        Soon after the U.S. House reconvenes Monday to vote on the rules package containing many of the concessions House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made to secure to votes of far-right Republicans, the party is also expected to introduce what the new leader said early Saturday would be its "very first bill": a proposal repealing new Internal Revenue Service funding meant to help audit the wealthiest Americans.

      • Common DreamsThe Republican Party Is Now More Dangerous Than It's Ever Been

        Very early Saturday morning, Kevin McCarthy finally won on the 15th round of voting for Speaker.

      • Common DreamsMcCarthy Did Not "Cave" To the Right-Wing. He€ Is the€ Right-Wing

        After a bitter, grueling, melodramatic and days-long contest on the House floor, Kevin McCarthy was finally elected as Speaker of the House just after the clock struck midnight on the early morning of January 7.

      • Counter PunchUnemployment Falls Back to Half-Century Low, But Wage Growth Slows

        The pandemic increase in the length of the average workweek has been completely reversed.

        The December employment report showed a very strong labor market but much less evidence of inflationary pressures than in prior months. The unemployment rate fell back to 3.5 percent, its half-century low. The U-6 measure of labor market slack fell to 6.5 percent, its lowest level on record.

    • AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

      • The HillElon Musk secures world record for largest-ever loss of personal fortune

        While the true figure is unclear, Musk’s losses appear to easily surpass those of the previous record-holder, Japanese tech investor Masayoshi Son, who lost $58.6 billion in 2000.

      • Guiness World RecordsElon Musk suffers worst loss of fortune in history amid “market madness”

        Elon Musk (South Africa) has officially broken the world record for the largest loss of personal fortune in history.

        He has lost approximately $182 billion (€£153B; €173B) since November 2021, as estimated by Forbes, although other sources suggest that it could actually be closer to $200 billion.

      • LRTIs Facebook truly neutral? – opinion

        While Russia is using social media "to create diversion in Europe", Facebook is routinely banning and blocking those advocating for Ukraine, writes Robert van Voren, professor at Vytautas Magnus University (VDU) in Kaunas and head of the Andrei Sakharov Research Center for Democratic Development in Lithuania.

      • Telex (Hungary)Orbán's goal is to make Hungary a regional middle power in Central Europe according to his political director
      • Common DreamsThree Possibilities for the War in Ukraine in 2023

        In the end, as in any war, the most important factor in the future course of the Ukraine conflict will be what happens on the battlefield. There are essentially three possibilities, though each of these would bring in its wake a range of potential consequences: a Ukrainian breakthrough; a Russian breakthrough; and a stalemate roughly along the present lines of military control.

      • Insight HungaryOrban is the only EU leader who received holiday greetings from Putin

        The Kremlin published a statement last Friday that included € Vladimir Putin’s Christmas and New Year wishes. Only three EU politicians received holiday greetings from the Russian president: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and former heads of government Silvio Berlusconi and Gerhard Schröder.

      • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

        • SalonThe "copaganda" epidemic: How media glorifies police and vilifies protesters

          Current crime reporting is not based on "criminological facts" but continues to repeat familiar narratives that helped drive the mass-incarceration binge. As Hechinger detailed, reporting is marred by "alarmist headlines" and "dehumanizing language" with "overly simplistic stories" that "provoke fear in the public." Indeed, the narrative elements Hechinger described follow the storylines of the docu-cop reality shows that aired on Fox and other networks in the 1980s and '90s, which were often mirrored in local news reporting. Today, the misleading narratives show up across the media, even in prestigious newspapers.

          Fear-based coverage of the FBI report excluded the perspectives of public defenders, social workers, health professionals, academics, researchers and communities with direct experience of the criminal justice system. Foreclosing those voices with editorial selections of "newsworthy" sources is a hallmark of News Abuse. In this case, as Hechinger noted, it allowed police "to use their failures to demand more resources, more funding, more support." The pro-police framework for reporting on crime and justice issues serves to misdirect policy discussions on policing and blocks solutions to corruption, police brutality and the criminalization of people and communities of color.

    • Censorship/Free Speech

      • ANF NewsTwo men executed in Iran on Saturday were a karate champion and a volunteer children's trainer

        Following the executions, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the European Union urged Iran to immediately suspend the latest death sentences and provide a fair legal process for all detainees.

      • RFERLU.S. Condemns Executions In Iran Of Two More Men In Connection With Protests

        "This is yet another sign of the Iranian authorities' violent repression of civilian demonstrations," Borrell's spokesperson said. "The European Union calls once again on the Iranian authorities to immediately end the strongly condemnable practice of imposing and carrying out death sentences against protesters."

      • BarronsIran Sentences Three More To Death Over Amini Protests

        Iran has sentenced to death three more people, accused of killing three members of the security forces during the protests triggered by Mahsa Amini's death, the judiciary said Monday.

        The Islamic republic has been rocked by civil unrest since the September 16 death of Kurdish Iranian Amini, 22, following her arrest for allegedly violating Iran's strict dress code for women.

        The latest sentences, which can still be appealed, bring to 17 the total number of people condemned to death in connection with the more than three months of protests.

    • Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

      • Associated PressW.Va. journalist let go after reporting on abuse allegations

        File said in a statement that Knisely was never fired and remains on the WVPB payroll, though she said her door key and email were deactivated.

        Knisely’s departure comes during a tumultuous time for West Virginia media. Days before she left WVPB, three reporters for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Gazette-Mail said they were fired after publicly criticizing an editorial decision by their company president Doug Skaff, who is minority leader in the state House of Delegates. Skaff approved and led a video interview with Don Blankenship, a coal company executive convicted of safety violations connected to one of the worst coal mining disasters in recent U.S. history.

    • Civil Rights/Policing

      • Kev QuirkHome vs Office Working

        Some people prefer home work, others like to be in the office. Here’s my opinions on the whole debate.

      • TruthOutIncarceration and Ableism Go Hand in Hand, Says Abolitionist Talila Lewis
      • ScheerpostWhy the Godfather of Human Rights Is Not Welcome at Harvard

        Kenneth Roth, who ran Human Rights Watch for 29 years, was denied a fellowship at the Kennedy School. The reason? Israel.

      • TruthOut“Thirst” Updates the Vampire Genre for Our Age of Rising Fascism
      • Common DreamsThousands in Israel March Against 'Fascism and Apartheid' at Anti-Netanyahu Protests

        Carrying signs reading, "Together against fascism and apartheid" and "Democracy in danger," thousands of Israelis on Saturday marched in protest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition government, which less than a week after being sworn in has already threatened to strip the country's judiciary of power and announced punitive measures against Palestinian people and leaders.

      • Common DreamsBen Gvir's Arrogant Provocation at Al Aqsa Strains Middle Eastern Relations

        On January 3, Israel’s new National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of the fascist Jewish Power party visited the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount, in an attempt to stir controversy. He succeeded.

      • Counter PunchThe Cow-Patty Stench of Texas’s Death Penalty

        The putrid stink of Texas’s death penalty—with its rancid racism, rotten dehumanization, and moral depravity—is about to get worse.

        Despite a mental-gymnastics-inducing headline—“Inmates allege Texas plans to use unsafe execution drugs”—Associated Press (AP) reporter Juan Lozano helpfully explains: “Texas plans to use expired and unsafe drugs to carry out executions early this year in violation of state law, three death row inmates allege[.]” Two of the condemned men, John Balentine and Wesley Ruiz, have execution dates in early February, whereas Robert Fratta is scheduled for execution January 10.

      • ScheerpostChris Hedges: America’s Theater of the Absurd

        The 15 rounds of voting it took to install Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House is part of the carnival of folly that passes for politics.

      • Counter PunchConspiracy Theorists are Missing the Real Scandal of Abused Power

        On 1 October 1963, the CIA station in Mexico City intercepted a phone call to the Soviet Embassy. Speaking in broken Russian, the caller said his name was Oswald and asked if there was any reply to his request for a Soviet visa made in person a few days earlier. After consulting a colleague, the guard on duty said that no reply had been received.

        The CIA memo about the call is part of a vast trove of previously classified US government documents relating to the assassination of President Kennedy, made public just before Christmas in the teeth of objections from the CIA and the FBI.

      • TruthOutCIA-Backed Units Killed Hundreds of Afghan Civilians in Brutal Night Raids
      • Counter PunchAre the New Congressional Progressives Real?

        What follows is an encore for a column I wrote in 2018 for the new progressive Democrats elected to the House of Representatives. The Democratic Party won control of the House in 2018, and again barely in 2020. There was no response nor adoption of any of these power-enhancing suggestions from any of the novice legislators in those two election cycles.

        I am now sending to the entering class of 2022 these helpful tools to strengthen both their efforts and those of the citizen groups in the halls of Congress.

    • Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

      • Internet Freedom FoundationTRAI-caller? We tell TRAI why it is a bad idea.

        The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India released its consultation paper on the ‘Introduction of Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) in Telecommunication Networks’ on 29th November 2022. We have submitted comments on the citizens’ privacy-centric issues identified in the consultation paper. In our comments, we have suggested that the service must be made opt-in with clear notice to the end users to their enable informed consent; a central database should be avoided since it increases the threat surface to privacy risks. It must be enabled only after a data protection law is in place.

        [...]

        Telephone consumers have voiced their need to identify the calling party, which is currently not met by the Calling Line Identification (CLI) supplementary service. This can be achieved through a name presentation facility that would display the identity of the calling party on the called party's telephone. Additionally, they have raised concerns about robocalls, spam calls, and fraudulent calls. Robocalls are automated calls used to dupe consumers financially, spam calls are unsolicited marketing calls that bypass the do-not-disturb feature, and fraudulent calls may aim to obtain details of bank accounts or OTPs with an aim to defraud consumers.

        There is a concern that without the CNAP facility, the CLI service does not provide enough information for consumers to trust that a call is genuine. As a result, even genuine calls are going unanswered, resulting in missed opportunities for both the caller and the receiver.

        [...]

        It is important for telecommunications companies to ensure that they obtain the consent of telephone subscribers before activating the CNAP service. This can help to protect the privacy of users and ensure that the service is used responsibly and ethically. TRAI and the TSPs can run awareness campaigns and encourage users to sign up for the CNAP service.

        We have opposed using Customer Acquisition Forms (CAFs) for the purpose of Calling Name Presentation (CNAP). Apart from the risk of being inaccurate, using CAFs for CNAP lacks explicit consent and can lead to potential misuse of personal information.

    • Digital Restrictions (DRM)

    • Monopolies

      • Broadband BreakfastMore Big Tech Regulation, Tim Wu Leaving White House, Microsoft Antitrust Hearing

        Still, the FTC is concerned about Microsoft’s alleged history of acquiring content to suppress competition, noting in December that “Microsoft would have both the means and motive to harm competition by manipulating Activision’s pricing, degrading Activision’s game quality or player experience on rival consoles and gaming services, changing the terms and timing of access to Activision’s content or withholding content from competitors entirely.”

      • [Old] ReutersFirst pre-trial hearing in Microsoft-Activision case set for Jan. 3

        The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which enforces antitrust law, asked a judge to block the transaction earlier this month, arguing that the merger would allow Microsoft's Xbox to get exclusive access to Activision games, leaving Nintendo consoles and Sony's PlayStation out in the cold.

      • Patents

        • Kluwer Patent BlogDemonstration EPO staff during meeting about re-election president Campinos

          The demonstration has been organised by trade union Suepo. According to an announcement distributed among Suepo members, Campinos was elected and mandated by the Administrative Council in 2018 to restore social dialogue at the EPO after the harsh years of president Benoit Battistelli, but failed to do so. ‘EPO staff hoped the new President elect would put an end to the breaches of fundamental rights’, but is instead ‘protecting Mr Battistelli’s inheritance as long as possible and at all costs’.

          ‘Mr Campinos continues the attacks against staff representation and trade unions by banning them from freely using mass-emails on EPO lines and disbanded in 2021 any secretarial support for staff representation. There are also warning signs that staff representation and unions will be hidden further clicks away in the new Intranet.

          Since 2012, the EPO is consistently testing the limits of Employment Law and feels only governed by the Tribunal. In this respect, Mr Campinos continues to act along the line of his predecessor.’

        • Kluwer Patent BlogTop 10 of most popular articles in 2022: less UPC than expected, much on EPO social climate

          An outburst of anger of a president and his re-election, social tensions, industrial actions: for anyone familiar with the world of patents it will be clear that all this refers to the European Patent Office, which drew a lot of attention on the Kluwer Patent Blog last year, even more than the biggest change in the European patent landscape in decades, the upcoming Unitary Patent system. Below the overview of the ten most read articles of 2022.

        • [CE] January 2023 press articles

          (Kluwer Patent Blog published on 09/01/2023) "Top 10 of most popular articles in 2022: less UPC than expected, much on EPO social climate". Translations are available in German, French and Dutch.

      • Copyrights

        • Internet ArchiveWelcoming 1927 to the Public Domain

          This year we are welcoming works from 1927 into the public domain in the United States, including books, periodicals, sheet music, and movies.

          Big events of 1927 include the first transatlantic phone call from New York to London, the formation of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the first successful long distance demonstration of television, the release of the first popular “talkie,” The Jazz Singer, and the first nonstop transatlantic solo airplane flight, from New York to Paris, by Charles Lindbergh.

        • Torrent FreakBelarus Legalizes Piracy of Movies, Music & Software of 'Unfriendly' Nations

          Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has signed a new law that legalizes piracy of movies, music, TV shows and software owned by rightsholders from 'unfriendly countries'. The law also allows goods protected by intellectual property law to be imported from any country without obtaining permission from rightsholders.

        • Torrent FreakSpammers Exploit IMDb to Promote Fishy Movie Piracy Sites

          The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is littered with scammy advertisements for pirate streaming sites. Whether it's the latest Avatar movie or an episode of "Loki", you can easily 'find' it on the site. IMDb appears to be the ideal target for this type of spam, as these pages are more likely to rank well in search results.

  • Gemini* and Gopher

    • Personal

      • 🔤SpellBinding: AGIMOSY Wordo: ROADS
      • 2023 Week 1: Thoughts and Photos



        In previous years, I've used this kind of log to collect various thoughts and catch-up content that doesn't (yet) warrant a full post of its own. Since I have some goals for 2023, or at least habits I want to form and aspirations to motivate me, I'd like to start logging my progress in relation to them in these posts.

        I have a large backlog of books to read this year. Last night I finished "Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson, which was quite a ride. My next target is to finish the novel written by former coworker, mostly so that I can give him feedback on the manuscript. He asked me to read it almost a year ago; it's past time for me to get back to him on it.

      • New Year, Same Me

        It's been a while since I've written anything for my gemlog. I had stuff going on irl but also not a lot to say in general. I wanted to at least post _something_ to commemorate the new year, so this is it.

        I've thought a lot about new years resolutions. I was thinking of things I wanted to accomplish or strive towards, but anything I thought to make my official resolution was likely carried over from 2022. This isn't to say that I didn't accomplish what I wanted in 2022, it's just that the big picture goals I'm working towards are slow going and I've been learning to practice patience with myself in achieving them.


* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.



Recent Techrights' Posts

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