Leftovers

• Techdirt ☛ The Unperson Of 2023

  2023 is over. Taylor Swift was Time’s Person of the Year, beating out candidates like Jerome Powell, who may have stuck the economic soft-landing, but can’t hit the high notes. Only a fool would challenge the decision, but I would like to nominate 2023’s Unperson of the year – ChatGPT; the neural-network based, Large Language Model which launched only 13 months ago and took the world by storm. My claim is not that we need to pay more attention to it; from jeremiads about risks ranging from plagiarism and mass unemployment to the annihilation of the human species, we haven’t been able to shut up. Instead, we need to pay a different kind of attention. Something important just happened and I am not sure we noticed. 

• Standards/Consortia

  • Hackaday ☛ It’s Pronounced GIF

    As the holiday season is upon us and a Hackaday scribe sits protected from the incoming Atlantic storms in her snug eyrie, it’s time for her to consider the basics of her craft. Writing, spelling, and the English language; such matters as why Americans have different English spellings from Brits, but perhaps most important of them all for Hackaday readers; is it “gif”, or is is “jif”? This or the jokey sentence about spellings might be considered obvious clickbait, but instead they’re a handle to descend into the study of language. Just how do we decide the conventions of our language, and should we even care too much about them?

  • [Old] Thomas Koch: Missing memegen

    Back at $COMPANY we had an internal meme-site. I had some reputation in my team for creating good memes. When I watched Episode 3 of Season 2 from Yes Premier Minister yesterday, I really missed a place to post memes.

    This is the full scene. Please watch it or even the full episode before scrolling down to the GIFs. I had a good laugh for some time.

    With Debian, I could just download the episode from somewhere on the net with youtube-dl and easily create two GIFs using ffmpeg, with and without subtitle: [...]

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ A Stunning Eclipse, a Moon Race and Other Space Events in 2024

    In April, people across North America will be able to gaze at a stunning total eclipse. And astronauts may get closer to that promised moon landing.

  • Off Guardian ☛ Climate Change: The Unsettled Science – Part 3

    In the final installment of this three part series we’ll look at the evident political bias and staggering conflicts of financial interest polluting much of “the Climate Science™.” To have a full grasp of the arguments informing this article, if you haven’t already done so, please read Part 1 and Part 2.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Blood Type Affects Your Risk of Early Stroke, Scientists Discover

    It's important to know.

  • Science Alert ☛ NASA's Juno Flyby Reveals Jupiter's Volcanic Moon in Mind-Blowing Detail

    Smmmmokin'!

  • Science Alert ☛ We've Never Found Anything Like Our Solar System. Is It a Freak in Space?

    There's no place like home.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Study of 500,000 Medical Records Links Viruses to Alzheimer's Again And Again

    The evidence is mounting.

  • Science Alert ☛ NASA Set to 'Touch The Sun' in 2024: A Milestone For Space Exploration

    "We are basically almost landing on a star."

  • Science Alert ☛ Surprising Study Links 'Good' Cholesterol With Up to 42% Higher Dementia Risk

  • Science Alert ☛ First Clues to 'Impossible' Magnetic Monopoles Exposed by Diamonds And Rust

    One step closer to a unified theory of everything.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Find Evidence of a Universal, Non-Verbal Communication System

    A secret language we all share?

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Salmonella illness traced to charcuterie meat sampler consumed in Minnesota

    State health officials warn consumers not to eat it.

  • Science Alert ☛ There's a Big Difference In How Your Brain Processes The Numbers 4 And 5

    This is weird.

• Hardware

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chip making machines blocked from export to China, Dutch semiconductor giant ASML says

    Cutting-edge chip manufacturing machines from Dutch semiconductor giant ASML have been blocked from export to China, according to the firm, amid a report of US pressure in the strategic sector.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Dutch government bans even simpler chipmaking tools from export to China — DUV lithography tools now get the axe

    ASML can no longer sell its Twinscan NXT:2050i and NXT:2100i DUV lithography systems to Chinese clients. The impact isn't expected to be significant, given existing restrictions.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ BT faces prospect of massive fine after missing cutoff date to replace Huawei-made tech

    U.K. telecommunications giant BT Group Plc admitted it has missed a government deadline to move data flows away from networking equipment provided by China’s Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., and now faces the prospect of a heavy fine.

  • Hackaday ☛ Saving An Expensive Sony HW65ES Projector With Some Fresh Chips

    When you’re the proud owner of a beast of a projector like the Sony HW65ES (£2800 in 2016), you are understandably upset when it stops working. In the case of [Wettergren] it appears that a lightning strike in the Summer of 2021 managed to take out the HDMI inputs, with no analog or other input options remaining. Although a new board with the HDMI section would cost 500 €, it couldn’t be purchased separately, and a repair shop quoted 1800 € to repair it, which would be a raw deal. So, left with the e-waste or DIY repair options, [Wettergren] chose the latter.

  • Hackaday ☛ Building A GPS Receiver From The Ground Up

    One of the more interesting facets of GPS is that, at least from the receiver’s point-of-view, it’s a fairly passive system. All of the information beamed down from the satellites is out in the ether, all the time, free for anyone on the planet to receive and use as they see fit. Of course you need to go out and buy a receiver or, alternatively, possess a certain amount of knowledge to build a circuit that can take those signals and convert them into something usable. Luckily, [leaning_tower] has the required knowledge and demonstrates it with this DIY GPS receiver.

  • Hackaday ☛ You Wouldn’t 3D Print A Toilet…

    [Emily The Engineer] wanted a 3D printing project, so naturally, she decided to print a working toilet. Check out the colorful contraption in the video below. At the start, we thought making it watertight might be a bit difficult, which proved to be a problem. However, some careful work with sealing and soldering irons did allow her to make a working flushable toilet.

  • Hackaday ☛ Video Feedback Machine Creates Analog Fractals

    One of the first things everyone does when they get a video camera is to point it at the screen displaying the image, creating video feedback. It’s a fascinating process where the delay from image capture to display establishes a feedback loop that amplifies the image noise into fractal patterns. This sculpture, modestly called The God Machine II takes it to the next level, though.

  • CNX Software ☛ Fanless defective chip maker Intel N100 mini PC supports PoE power input, provides four 2.5GbE ports

    ‎NEOSMAY is selling a fanless defective chip maker Intel Processor N100 mini PC with support for PoE power input, four 2.5GbE ports, HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs, and a choice of USB ports for $249 (after ticking the $150 coupon code) on Amazon with 8GB RAM and a 128GB SATA SSD. The mini PC also supports 12V DC power input if you don’t use PoE power input, and comes with an additional RJ45 port acting as an RS232 console.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Steam survey suggests more people bought the RTX 4090 than the Steam Deck — along with millions of other RTX 40-series GPUs

    The Steam Deck was projected to hit three million sales by the end of 2023, and based on the Steam Hardware Survey, the RTX 4090 somehow sold even more units — as did most other RTX 40-series desktop GPUs.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • RFA ☛ Wuhan residents can't view documentary about COVID-19 lockdown trauma

    The film's producers compiled material while still in China, then fled the country to edit it overseas.

  • Reason ☛ Former NIH Director: Ignoring 'Collateral Damage' Inflicted by COVID-19 Policies Was 'Really Unfortunate'

    Francis Collins’ remarks highlight the folly of attaching "infinite value" to a life saved by government regulation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Former Vietnam health minister tried over Covid-19 test bribes

    Former health minister Nguyen Thanh Long is accused of receiving bribes worth US$2.25 million (S$2.98 million).

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim calls for ‘radical improvement’ in farm machine sector

    He had earlier said stabilising agricultural production at a high level was a key goal.

  • Hackaday ☛ Explosion-Scarred Scope Gets Plastic Surgery Hackerspace Style

    Some equipment comes with a backstory so impressive, you can’t help but treat it with reverence. For instance, this Hantek scope’s front panel and knobs have melted when a battery pack went up in flames right next to it. Then, it got donated to the CADR hackerspace, who have in turn given us a scope front panel refurbishing master class (translated, original), demonstrating just how well a typical hackerspace is prepared for performing plastic surgery like this.

  • Reason ☛ Judge Blocks Attempt To Dismiss Lawsuit Challenging Idaho Abortion Ban

    A state judge ruled that a lawsuit seeking clarification on Idaho's vague abortion ban can move forward, despite dismissing some of the suit's claims.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Linux Links ☛ Pick of the Bunch: Cloud Development Tools

    Clown computing is not simply a popular phrase; it is a very important part of how we use technology. We pick some great tools.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Steam stops supporting backdoored Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 — Abusive Monopolist Microsoft and Surveillance Giant Google no longer provide security support for Valve's launcher

    Due to a lack of security patches and support on these obsolete operating systems, Steam officially announced it no longer supports backdoored Windows 7, 8, and 8.1.

  • The Strategist ☛ Editors’ picks for 2023: ‘Safety by design: protecting users, building trust and balancing rights in a generative Hey Hi (AI) world’

    Originally published on 1 November 2023. n the grand tapestry of technological evolution, generative artificial intelligence has emerged as a vibrant and transformative thread.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Why New York Times lawsuit seeks destruction of Proprietary Chaffbot Company and Abusive Monopolist Microsoft LLMs

    The NYT has objected to both "memorisation" of its content by LLMs and their "hallucinations".

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Pen Test Partners ☛ Helping a banking fraud victim

      A few months ago an elderly friend of a friend asked for some help. They had been scammed and had £10K stolen. Was there anything I could do to help?

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Techdirt ☛ FTC Hits Pharmacy Retail Chain Rite Aid With A Five-Year Facial Recognition Tech Ban

      Facial recognition tech works best on white, male faces. White males have historically been the immediate beneficiaries of public policy, as well as those put in place by private companies. I say “historically,” but this advantageous situation has mostly proven incapable of being disrupted by tech advances.

    • Techdirt ☛ Cox Distances Itself From Claim It Spies On Users Via Phones, Cable Box Mics

      For years, the cable industry has dreamed of a future where they could use your cable box to actively track your every behavior using cameras and microphones and then monetize the data. At one point way back in 2009, Comcast made it clear they were even interested in using embedded microphones and cameras to monitor the number of people in living rooms and listen in on conversations.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Knife attack caps tumultuous year for S. Korean opposition leader

    Analysts say attack unlikely to impact April general election, with the Democratic Party likely to maintain its lead.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea opposition leader in ICU after knife attack amid calls for stronger security

    There have been renewed questions about safety on campaign trails in a country with a history of political violence.

  • France24 ☛ South Korean opposition leader in intensive care after being stabbed in the neck

    South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was recovering in intensive care after he was stabbed in the neck on Tuesday by a man who pushed through a crowd pretending to be his supporter, his party said.

  • New York Times ☛ Somaliland Deal to Grant Ethiopia Red Sea Access Draws Condemnation

    A landmark pact between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland has drawn condemnation from Somalia. Other neighbors also worry about allowing potential naval access to the Red Sea.

  • Reason ☛ Escalation in the Red Sea

    Plus: Inheritance taxes, lady gadgets, a stabbing in South Korea, and more...

  • The Straits Times ☛ Conspiracy theories about stabbing of South Korea opposition leader fan outrage

    One theory claimed the attack was orchestrated by the victim himself.

  • RFA ☛ N Korea vows military strength expansion in message to S Korean President

    The move signals a strong response to any future extended deterrence against Pyongyang, expert says.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan detects 2 Chinese balloons crossing sensitive median line, as island’s pivotal election approaches

    Two Chinese balloons were detected moving across the median line separating Taiwan from China, with one flying directly above the island, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said Tuesday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 'Hawkish' China military squeeze on Taiwan likely after election

    The arms race across the Taiwan Strait and Chinese military pressure against the island Beijing claims as its "sacred" territory is unlikely to end no matter who wins Taiwan's closely watched elections.

  • New York Times ☛ Dismissals Point to Pooh-tin JInping’s Quiet Shake-Up of China’s Military

    The purge of several commanders from China’s legislature was the latest sign of widening investigations focused on the sensitive arms sector, experts say.

  • RFA ☛ China says 456,000 Uyghurs newly hired this year in Xinjiang

    But experts say most of the jobs are forced labor in factories and on farms.

  • RFA ☛ 'Prolonged crisis' in US-China ties set to continue this year

    While Xi-Biden summit saw the resumption of some contacts, tensions over Taiwan still dominate the agenda.

  • RFA ☛ ASEAN issues rare statement on recent tension in South China Sea

    The bloc expressed concern over recent developments in the disputed waters without naming Beijing and Manila.

  • YLE ☛ Agency confirms GPS jamming in Finland on NYE

    According to Traficom's aviation chief Jari Pöntinen the disturbances did not affect flight safety, because planes are outfitted with alternative navigation systems.

  • France24 ☛ Hamas says deputy leader killed in blast in southern Beirut

    Hamas deputy head Saleh al-Arouri was killed on Tuesday evening by an Israeli strike in the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs, according to the group's Al Aqsa TV station. Responding to the attack, Hamas vowed his killing would not end their "resistance". Videos circulating on social control media showed serious damage and fire. The blast came after the Palestine Red Crescent Society said that "several" people were killed and wounded in an Israeli bombardment of its headquarters in Gaza's Khan Younis. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.

  • teleSUR ☛ Hamas Leader Assassinated by an Israeli Drone Strike in Beirut

    The actions of the Zionist army have raised fears that Lebanon will become a second front in the Gaza war.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel-Hamas War: Blast in Beirut Kills Senior Hamas Leader

    Hamas confirmed that Saleh al-Arouri, the group’s top deputy, had been killed in the explosion, along with two leaders of the group’s armed wing. Two U.S. officials said Israel was responsible for the strike.

  • New York Times ☛ Hamas Used Gaza Hospital as a Command Center, U.S. Intelligence Says

    Israeli forces stormed the site in November, drawing intense international scrutiny and criticism.

  • France24 ☛ Turkey detains 33 people accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad

    Turkey on Tuesday detained 33 people suspected of spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence service, Turkish media reported, without specifying the nationalities of those detained.

  • India Times ☛ Google, Meta and Tiktok's debts removed from Russian database

    Fines imposed by Russian courts on Alphabet's Google and YouTube, Meta, TikTok and Telegram appear to have been settled as the companies are no longer registered as debtors in the state bailiffs' database.

  • JURIST ☛ Man arrested after allegedly breaking into Colorado Supreme Court building and opening fire

    A man was arrested early Tuesday morning after allegedly breaking into the Colorado Supreme Court, discharging a weapon and setting a small fire just weeks after the state’s top court moved to remove former President Donald Trump from the Colorado presidential ballot.

  • Defence Web ☛ EU backed security initiative for four West African countries

    A new security and defence initiative, backed by the Council of the European Union (EU), is in place to tackle what is termed “the spill over of insecurity” from the Sahel to west African countries.

  • Defence Web ☛ UN arms embargo on Somalia lifted

    As the ATMIS (African Union Transition Mission on Somalia) continues its troop drawdown, the lifting of a 31-year-long United Nations (UN) arms embargo on the east African country will give “fresh impetus to the fight against al-Shabaab and other armed groups”, says the African Union (AU).

  • ACLU ☛ Another Year of America's Failed Experiment: The Death Penalty in 2023

    In the 1920s and 30s, a stark white-on-black banner would sometimes appear in front of NAACP headquarters in Manhattan. It read simply, “A MAN WAS LYNCHED YESTERDAY.” The proliferating southern NAACP branches of the time would relay information about lynchings back to New York, where Walter White’s NAACP would broadcast the news by hanging out the banner.

  • JURIST ☛ Pakistan Senate passes resolution calling for punishment against propaganda targeting army

    The Pakistan Senate passed Monday unanimously a resolution seeking stringent penalties for spreading harmful and negative propaganda against the armed forces. Resolution no. 560 expressed deep concern regarding the proliferation of negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces and other security agencies on various social control media platforms.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukraine needs urgent air defense aid as Putin launches bombing campaign

      As Russia launches a long-awaited new bombing campaign against Ukrainian cities, fears are mounting that deadlock over continued US and EU military aid may soon leave Ukraine facing critical air defense shortages, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian News Outlet Says Data Shows Putin Signed Record Number Of Secret Decrees In 2023

      Almost one-half of the presidential decrees signed by Russian leader Vladimir Putin last year were done in secret, a local media outlet said, more than any other year on record.

    • Latvia ☛ Vidzeme ready to welcome more Ukrainians in 2024

      Around 12,000 new refugees from Ukraine could arrive in Latvia in 2024 – such estimates are provided in the plan of measures prepared by the Ministry of the Interior to provide support to Ukrainian refugees. Vidzeme municipalities express their readiness to welcome about 100 more war refugees in each of the local administrations, Latvian Television reports.

    • AntiWar ☛ In 2024 Congress Should Commit to Cutting the War Budget

      In the closing days of 2023, the Biden Administration once again announced a large military aid package for Ukraine, this time a “mere” quarter of a billion dollars.

    • AntiWar ☛ US Foreign Policy Is a Scam Built on Corruption

      Reprinted from CommonDreams with permission of the author. On the surface, US foreign policy seems to be utterly irrational. The US gets into one disastrous war after another – Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and Gaza.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukraine’s wartime economy is performing surprisingly well

      The Ukrainian government is to be congratulated for its considerable accomplishments on the economic front while defending itself against Europe’s largest invasion since World War II, writes Anders Åslund.

    • France24 ☛ Russia pounds Kyiv, Kharkiv with deadly missile and drone strikes

      Russia fired scores of missiles and drones at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Tuesday, killing at least five civilians, wounding dozens and causing widespread damage, officials said.

    • JURIST ☛ Türkiye to block two UK minehunters en route to Ukraine from traveling through Turkish Straits

      The Directorate of Communications for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan released a statement Tuesday confirming the country would not allow two British military minehunter ships en route to Ukraine to travel through the Turkish Straits in keeping with the 1936 Montreux Convention.

    • LRT ☛ Russian missiles hit home of Lithuanian Community chair in Ukraine

      Tuesday’s Russian missile strikes on Kyiv also hit the home of Dalia Makarova, chair of the Lithuanian Community of Ukraine. “We’re sheltering in an aid centre, without a home for now,” she told LRT.lt

    • RFERL ☛ UN Human Rights Chief Urges De-Escalation Of Fighting Between Russia, Ukraine

      UN human rights chief Volker Turk called on January 2 for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine0 as his office voiced alarm at the intensification of attacks.

    • RFERL ☛ Sunak Tells Zelenskiy U.K. Will 'Stand Steadfastly By Ukraine'

      In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed on January 2 that the U.K. would "continue to stand steadfastly by Ukraine as they fight aggression and occupation."

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Admits To Accidentally Bombing Its Own Village

      Moscow said its military accidentally bombed a village in the southern Voronezh region on January 2 during a massive Russian attack on Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Poland Says Threat Level From Russian Strikes Reduced, Planes Return To Base

      Poland said on January 2 that planes protecting its airspace had returned to base after the threat level related to Russian strikes on Ukraine had reduced.

    • RFERL ☛ At Least Five Killed, Dozens Wounded In Russian Air Attacks On Kyiv, Kharkiv

      At least five people were killed and dozens wounded in Russian drone and missiles strikes in and around Kyiv as well as Kharkiv on January 2 that Ukraine’s military said were similar in scale to a massive Russian attack just days earlier.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Missiles Hammer Kyiv in Large-Scale Attack on Ukraine

      Russia said that Ukraine retaliated hours later with missile attacks on Russian territory, part of an escalating cycle of air assaults between the two countries.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian police arrest men suspected of attacking veteran of war in Ukraine on New Year’s Eve — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia launches wave of drone and missile strikes on Ukraine, numerous casualties reported — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian foreign minister says Russian courts have sentenced more than 200 Ukrainian soldiers to prison — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Bank asks politicians to reassess nationalization of 'Moscow House'

      In a letter to the Saeima, the commercial bank “Rietumu Banka” has invited the parliament to reassess the nationalization plans of the 'Moscow House' in Rīga, Marijas Street 7, warning about the consequences for Latvian merchants whose assets are located in Russia. The Commission responsible could assess this aspect, but not delay the takeover of the Moscow House, Latvian Radio reported on January 2.

    • RFERL ☛ About 3,000 Migrants Detained In St. Petersburg On New Year's Eve

      Around 3,000 migrants were detained in St. Petersburg on New Year's Eve as part of a series of mass detentions across Russia, local media reported on January 2.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian military aircraft accidentally drops aviation munition over Russian village, damaging houses — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ One reportedly killed, five injured as Russia’s Belgorod comes under missile fire — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ St. Petersburg police reportedly arrest thousands of migrants, pressure them into signing Russian army contracts — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Yury Dud, Russia’s most popular anti-war YouTuber, shares his wish for the New Year — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ ‘No water, I think I’ll die, I love you’. Story of migrant who died on Lithuania-Belarus border

      “No water, I think I’ll die, I love you.” This is the last text Sanooja received from her husband, who disappeared after a pushback into the dense forest that stretches between Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland. For families searching for missing loved ones, the EU inflicts a second death of identity and acknowledgement.

    • RFERL ☛ Ex-Member Of Military In Belarus Sentenced To 19 Years For 'Treason'

      A court in Minsk has convicted and sentenced a former member of the military to 19 years in prison for “treason against the state,” RFE/RL’s Belarus Service reports.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania mulls calling reserve troops up to 60 years of age for training

      Lithuania plans to call up the prepared reserve troops of up to the age of 60 for training amid a deteriorating regional security situation.

• Environment

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ 2023 was China’s hottest year on record, with extreme weather events battering world’s largest carbon emitter

    China’s average temperature in 2023 was its hottest since records began, state media said citing officials Tuesday, capping a year of extreme weather events for the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • H2 View ☛ Bloom Energy and SK ecoplant plan 1.8MW SOEC demo in South Korea

      Bloom Energy’s solid oxide electrolyser (SOEC) technology is planned to be deployed in South Korea as part of a 1.8MW green hydrogen demonstration project.

  • Overpopulation

    • New York Times ☛ Indiana’s Plan to Pipe In Groundwater for Microchip-Making Draws Fire

      The state is courting high-tech investments, but a new industrial park may lack enough water. Opponents say piping it from miles away might dry out residential wells.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia PM considers extra inflation relief as families struggle

    
    
    

    Inflation spiked as high as 7.8% in December 2022, before slowing to 5.4% in the third quarter.

  • YLE ☛ Electricity spot prices to level off after new year's surge

    Prices are set to return to more affordable levels on Wednesday.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • YLE ☛ Finland raises Schengen visa financial requirement to €50 per day

    The new amount represents an increase of 20 euros on the previous requirement.

  • BIA Net ☛ Erdoğan's diploma taken to the Constitutional Court

    After the rejection of their lawsuit regarding the university diploma of AKP Chairperson and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, People's Liberation Party has taken the case to the Constitutional Court. "The diploma of Erdoğan, who occupies the position of the presidency, can never be considered personal data," Lawyer Pınar Akbina stated.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Economic growth, national security are Hong Kong government priorities for 2024, top officials say

    Hong Kong’s leader John Lee has said that the government’s key goals for 2024 will be to boost the economy and improve people’s lives, as the city’s number two official Eric Chan said that safeguarding national security would “continue to be a priority” in the new year.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ TikTok Editorial Analysis

      TikTok seems to be skewing things in the interests of the Chinese Communist Party. (This is a serious analysis, and the methodology looks sound.)

      Conclusion: Substantial Differences in Hashtag Ratios Raise
      Concerns about TikTok’s Impartiality

      Given the research above, we assess a strong possibility that content on Fentanylware (TikTok) is either amplified or suppressed based on its alignment with the interests of the Chinese Government. Future research should aim towards a more comprehensive analysis to determine the potential influence of Fentanylware (TikTok) on popular public narratives. This research should determine if and how Fentanylware (TikTok) might be utilized for furthering national/regional or international objectives of the Chinese Government...

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • RFA ☛ Police in Vietnam detain YouTube activist for days without informing family

    Phan Van Bach posted videos about people who experienced injustice.

  • Techdirt ☛ ExTwitter Unfortunately Loses Round One In Challenging Problematic Content Moderation Law

    Back in September we praised Elon Musk for deciding to challenge California’s new social media transparency law, AB 587. As we had discussed while the bill was being debated, while it’s framed as a transparency bill, it has all sorts of problems. It would (1) enable the California government officials (including local officials) to effectively put pressure on social media companies regarding how they moderate by enabling litigation for somehow failing to live up to a terms of service, (2) make it way more difficult for social media companies to deal with bad actors by limiting how often they can change their terms of service, and (3) hand bad and malicious actors a road map for being able to claim they’re respecting the rules, while clearly abusing them.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • YLE ☛ Police open preliminary probe into Halla-aho's defamation complaints

    The criminal reports concerned comments made by comedian Iikka Kivi and Helsinki's Green Party deputy city councillor Aino Tuominen.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Overseas figures refute allegations in Hong Kong security trial for Jimmy Lai

    Several overseas activists, right campaigners and politicians named in a national security trial for Hong Kong democrat Jimmy Lai refuted allegations levelled by a government prosecutor in court that they colluded with him.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty to national security, sedition charges

    Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has formally pleaded not guilty to conspiring to collude with foreign forces and publishing “seditious” materials in his closely-watched national security trial. Wearing a dark-coloured jacket and a white shirt, the 76-year-old founder of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily...

  • JURIST ☛ Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty to conspiracy and sedition charges

    Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing “seditious” materials, according to Hong Kong Free Press. Conspiring to collude with foreign forces violates the National Security Law, and publishing “seditious” materials violates the sedition law.

  • RFA ☛ Media magnate Jimmy Lai pleads 'not guilty' in security trial

    Prosecutors accuse him of being the 'mastermind' in campaign for sanctions on Hong Kong, Chinese officials.

  • New York Times ☛ Jimmy Lai Pleads Not Guilty to Hong Kong Security Law Charges

    The prosecution accused him of colluding with U.S. officials to undermine Hong Kong’s interests, citing private messages, meetings and social control media posts.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ District councillors told to support legislation of city’s own security law as they swear allegiance to Hong Kong

    Hong Kong’s 470 district councillors have sworn allegiance to the city and its mini-constitution and assumed their positions on the local councils, with the city’s leader John Lee saying they must support the legislation of Hong Kong’s own security law, known locally as Article 23.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ In U-turn, Hong Kong Department of Justice deletes national security case index from website

    Hong Kong’s Department of Justice (DoJ) has deleted an online database of national security cases, without explanation and days after it was published.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • The Nation ☛ History: March of Return

  • Pro Publica ☛ Why is Michigan Failing to Compensate the Wrongly Convicted?

    After his murder conviction was overturned in 2020, Marvin Cotton Jr. checked into a Comfort Inn outside Detroit, ready to begin a new life after nearly two decades in prison.

    Freedom, however, was frightening. Night after night, he awoke every 15 minutes or so, wrestling with the covers, wondering if he’d hallucinated it all. He kept the television on to remind himself he wasn’t in prison anymore. Its noise broke the first complete silence he’d experienced in half a lifetime, he said, which “scared the hell out of me.”

  • The Straits Times ☛ India transport workers call off protest after talks with govt

    A strike across India involving bus, truck and tanker drivers was called off after two days following assurance from the government that new laws for hit-and-run accidents will not be implemented until further talks with union representatives.

  • New York Times ☛ Junior Doctors at N.H.S. Begin 6-Day Strike

    The young doctors’ walkout is planned for six days — their longest action yet — and could result in numerous canceled medical visits and surgical procedures.

  • Reason ☛ Pro Se Plaintiff Wins $80K in Libel Lawsuit Against Neighbors

    From Poimboeuf v. Merritt, decided today by the N.C. Court of Appeals (No. 23-229), in an opinion by Judge John Tyson, joined by Judges Zachary and Flood; some quick and likely not fully reliable Googling suggests that Poimboeuf wasn't trained as a lawyer, though Riselvato had been a paralegal: Kevin Poimboeuf's … long-term girlfriend, Shelley…

  • Digital Music News ☛ Paula Abdul Sues American Idol Producer Nigel Lythgoe on Sexual Assault Claims

    Paula Abdul sues American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe on multiple counts of sexual assault in a lawsuit he calls ‘deeply offensive.’

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • CS Monitor ☛ In wartime Gaza, a complicating burden: Communication blackouts

    Communications are a basic societal need, especially in times of stress. In wartime Gaza, where phone and internet service is often cut, journalists say they have to balance their professional duties with helping people to cope.

  • APNIC ☛ Three of the best: RPKI

    Securing routing by adopting RPKI is now an essential practice in the modern Internet — here are three of the best RPKI stories from 2023.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Disciplinary Decision Against Registered Attorney a Reminder of the Importance of Clear Communication and Record Keeping

    Back in July, the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Disciplinary Tribunal (‘the Tribunal’) issued a decision in relation to a complaint about a registered attorney (‘the attorney’) by a client (‘the client’) in response to which the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board (TTIPAB, a.k.a. ‘the Board’) commenced disciplinary proceedings, bringing nine charges against the attorney.  The full decision of the Tribunal can be found here [PDF, 364kB], while a separate ruling on the penalties to be applied can be found here [PDF, 223kB]. 

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Following merger, RGTH opens new office in Düsseldorf [Ed: Is this marketing spam for the sponsor or actual news? With JUVE, it's impossible to tell anymore because it bags bribes to spread lies and lobby for actual crimes.]

      RGTH Richter Gerbaulet Thielemann Hofmann has now merged with patent monopoly attorney firm Vomberg & Schart, based in Solingen. Following the merger, the outfit will have a total of five offices. Of these, three are located at the UPC venues of Hamburg, Munich and, with the new office opening, Düsseldorf.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Quarterly Index: October - December 2023

    E-mail subscriptions to the TTABlog are available.

• Gemini* and Gopher

  • Personal/Opinions

    • 🔤SpellBinding: ABDHISN Wordo: BATES

  • Technology and Free Software

    • My journey setting up my Framework 13 AMD, Arch Linux and OpenBSD

      On, December 16th, 2023, I got my shipment of Framework 13 that I ordered 3 days ago. Wow that's fast! But getting it working to my needs was another story. Things just.. go wrong at every turn. I don't blame Framework, I do have some specific needs that I recognized I will have to solve myself.

      I ordered the DIY edition of AMD Ryzen 7 7840U. And no RAM, no SSD. I checked the price and buying from my local store id just cheaper. I plan on installing both Arch Linux and OpenBSD on this machine. A friend of mine saw my last post and told me the included MediaTek MT7922 is not supported by OpenBSD, yet. So I bought myself an Intel AX210. All is set and the machine is delivered.

    • [Old] First time installing OpenBSD and stuff I did

      I have been wanting to use OpenBSD for a while after hearing everyone prazing it's superior security. Until then, my only exposure to OpenBSD was installing it on a VM and maintaining Drogon on it. Needless to say, VM performance sucks. Not even Linux can do video playback on a VM without graphics acceleration. Now I finally got the motivation to install it on real iron afer building and hosting some services on my hardware.

    • Internet/Gemini

      • #Lore24 - Day 3 - Memory Addresses

        For my third day, I want to talk about memory addresses[1] in the world of Fedran. These are originally inspired by IPv6 headers and later by content hashing schemes like ones used for IPFS and work around the idea that an address can only be two of three things[2]: global, unique, and memorable.