Leftovers

• The Straits Times ☛ Chinese tourist falls off cliff while posing for photo on Indonesian volcano

  Her tour guide said he had warned her and her husband about the dangers on the crater.

• Hackaday ☛ Radio Frequency Burns, Flying A Kite, And You

  Most hams can tell you that it’s possible to get a nasty RF burn if you accidentally touch an antenna while it’s transmitting. However, you can also cop a nasty surprise on the receiving end if you’re not careful, as explained in a video from [Grants Pass TV Repair].

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Giant Rogue Waves Could Happen Much More Often Than We Realized

    Colossi of the sea.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Initials Could Seriously Impact The Grade You Receive For an Assignment

    Sorry Xiao, Yates, and Zaborowski.

  • Science Alert ☛ Experiment Prepares to Test a Possible Second Purpose For Stonehenge

    It could mark more than solar alignments.

Education

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ University of Hong Kong to require tourists to register before entering campus amid complaints about visitors

  The University of Hong Kong (HKU) will soon require tourists to register ahead of entering the campus, amid student and staff complaints over an increasing number of visitors coming to the school to take photos and sight see.

Hardware

• CNX Software ☛ Microchip 8-bit AVR DU family supports secure USB connectivity and 15W power delivery

  At Embedded World 2024, Microchip announced their new AVR DU family of 8-bit MCUs featuring a full-speed USB 2.0 data interface along with USB-C 15W Power Delivery enabling up to 12Mbps data transfer and charging. They also have features like secure bootloaders and Program and Debug Interface Disable (PDID), which protect your embedded designs.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

• RFA ☛ Lao coffee growers feel pinch of worker shortage, high inflation

  Many laborers are switching to cassava farms or leaving the country for higher-paying jobs in Thailand.

• Science Alert ☛ Every New Memory You Make Causes Damage to Your Brain Cells

  Try to forget about it.

Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Digital Music News ☛ Drake Uses Hey Hi (AI) In Rap Beef with Kendrick Lamar [Ed: That's CG. Well, they say Hey Hi (AI)... that's misleading or inaccurate]

  Rap beef sells records and now Drake is using Hey Hi (AI) to channel the sound of Tupac and Snoop Dogg to help in his latest freestyle. Here’s the latest.

• Medevel ☛ Introducing Jan: A Powerful Open-Source Alternative to Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot for Your Desktop and Docker

  What is Jan?

  Are you in search of a reliable, open-source alternative to ChatGPT? Look no further! We introduce you to Jan, a powerful Hey Hi (AI) chatbot that runs 100% offline on your computer. Unlike many other AI-powered chatbots, Jan offers you complete privacy and security as it operates entirely offline.

• Pax8 Latest to Make Cuts to Global Workforce

  Plenty of big tech companies went on a hiring frenzy at the onset of the pandemic, poaching top talent from each other and building up what looked to be a formidable army to prepare for a digital age. But a hangover soon followed when tech companies admitted to over-hiring. Many have made big cuts since then.

  Late last week, Pax8 was the latest to announce workforce reductions. As ChannelFutures reported (and Pax8's John Trent, senior director of external communications, confirmed with ChannelE2E), the company has let go 5% of its workforce, mostly in North America. A Reddit thread posted an internal email allegedly received by Pax8 employees, but "We do not comment on leaked emails," Trent told Channel Futures.

• Tom's Hardware ☛ Global PC shipments grew 3% in Q1 2024 says Counterpoint — with Hey Hi (AI) expected to continue to drive PC sales this year [Ed: And grew compared to what? A depression? The population grew too, so this is not much growth. This is just "Hey Hi" hype and lies, desperate to make spin for Microsoft et al.]

  The global PC shipments during the first quarter of 2024 indicated a positive comeback since the pandemic according to a report published by Counterpoint Research, which could enjoy further growth as end-users wanting AI-powered PCs.

• Talent Talk: Lots of Layoffs, but Relatively Few in Plastics

  We all know that the past couple of years have not been the best for many plastics manufacturers. We have also written about how we see that changing in 2024 and beyond, although stubborn inflation and high interest rates remain as headwinds for the industry.

• Embracer Group Is Splitting Into Three Companies Following Recent Layoffs | Pure Xbox

  Embracer Group has today announced its intention to split into three separate companies - 'Asmodee Group', 'Coffee Stain & Friends' and 'Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends'. The three companies will handle different aspects of Embracer's operations, as explained in a new blog post from the huge gaming entity.

  Asmodee Group will handle the company's tabletop games and partnerships, Coffee Stain & Friends will be in charge of Embracer's "A/AA premium and free-to-play games for PC/console and mobile", while Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends will take charge of the team's "powerhouse in AAA game development and publishing for PC and console" - with the latter also becoming "the stewards of The Lord of the Rings and Tomb Raider intellectual properties".

• Windows 10 Users will Soon Face Pressure to Switch to Microsoft Accounts [Ed: Many also move to GNU/Linux on their existing PCs]

  Despite Microsoft’s efforts, Windows 10 continues to maintain its popularity worldwide, with many users opting to stick with the older operating system despite the availability of Windows 11. The reasons for this preference are multifaceted. Some users adhere to the age-old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” while others cite concerns over Windows 11’s high system requirements, a perceived lack of compelling new features, or the contentious mandate to create a Microsoft account. Now, Microsoft is gearing up to take a more aggressive approach in pushing Windows 10 users towards adopting online accounts.

• Ghacks ☛ Microsoft Store apps install quicker now and with extra Telemetry - gHacks Tech News

  Microsoft launched Microsoft Store installers for web over the weekend to improve Microsoft Store application installs.

Security

• Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

  • New York Times ☛ How Scam Calls and Messages Took Over Our Everyday Lives

    To own a computer or smartphone — indeed, to engage with the digital world to any degree — is to be a mark. You can try to block, encrypt and unsubscribe your way out of it, but you may not succeed.

Defence/Aggression

• France24 ☛ Ecuador voters overwhelmingly approve of extradition, anti-gang measures

  A solid majority of Ecuadoran voters on Sunday approved the extradition to the United States of organized crime bosses in a referendum on measures against drug trafficking and gangs, the electoral council said.

• JURIST ☛ US congressmen call on Biden to sanction Sudan RSF for human rights violations

  A group of four US congressmen called on Friday for President Joe Biden to sanction Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (commonly known as Hemedti), for gross violations of human rights.

• The Straits Times ☛ Touts posing as immigration officers extorting money from foreigners at Malaysia’s KLIA

  Their targets are travellers from Bangladesh and Pakistan arriving in the country for the first time.

• teleSUR ☛ US House of Representatives Votes Bill to Ban TikTok

  The bill could barring the company from operating in the US market, a "free and open market."

• Digital Music News ☛ UMG Artist Encourages Distorting Music on Fentanylware (TikTok) to “Spread the Sound”

  JT of the hip-hop duo City Girls has told her fans to distort her music to get around the UMG boycott of Fentanylware (TikTok) as a platform.

• The Straits Times ☛ US, Philippine troops kick off joint drills as China tensions mount

  The exercises will be held in multiple Philippine locations near the disputed South China Sea and Taiwan.

• The Straits Times ☛ China is committed to resolving maritime disputes through talks: Official

  The sea should not be an arena where countries can flex their "gunboat muscles".

• France24 ☛ Rockets fired from northern Iraq target US-led coalition base in Syria

  Rockets were fired late Sunday from northern Iraq at a military base in Syria housing a US-led coalition, according to Iraqi security forces.

• New York Times ☛ Israel Planned Bigger Attack on Iran, but Scaled It Back to Avoid War

  The strike on Iran on Friday was originally intended to be much broader in scope, but after intense pressure from allies, Israeli leaders agreed to ratchet it down.

• New York Times ☛ Israeli Airstrikes in Rafah Kill at Least 10 Palestinians, Including Children

  For weeks, Palestinians have been bracing for a ground offensive on the southern Gaza city, where over one million displaced people have fled.

• Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

  • JURIST ☛ Poland authorities arrest three in relation to attack on Navalny ally

    Polish authorities arrested three people on Friday in relation to the attack on an ally of the late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. Leonid Volkov was “brutally attacked” in mid-March outside his home in Lithuania, where he lives in exile.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ ‘A bad day for Putin’: US aid vote gives Ukrainians renewed hope

    Ukrainians let out a collective sigh of relief on Saturday as the US House of Representatives passed a long-delayed $61 billion aid bill that will provide Ukraine with a crucial lifeline in the struggle against Russian aggression, writes Peter Dickinson.

  • France24 ☛ Zelensky welcomes US House approval of Ukraine aid, urges passage into law

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday welcomed the passage of $60 billion in aid for Ukraine by the US House of Representatives but urged Washington to quickly turn the bill into law and proceed with the actual transfer of weapons, saying long-range arms and air defense systems were top priorities.

  • RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Navy Says It Hit Russian Salvage Ship In Sevastopol

    Ukraine says its navy struck another ship belonging to Russia's Black Sea fleet.

  • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Says U.S. Breakthrough On Military Aid Gives Ukraine A 'Chance For Victory'

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he sees "a chance for victory" for Ukraine over invading Russian forces after passage of a long-delayed aid bill critical to Ukraine's defense by the U.S. House of Representatives.

  • New York Times ☛ Monday Briefing: U.S. Poised to Resume Aid to Ukraine

    Also, Iran appears to stand down after Israel’s strike and Myanmar’s conflict may be shifting.

  • JURIST ☛ Russia journalist’s home searched in probe of prominent exiled colleague

    The media outlet Fontanka.ru reported Friday that their journalist, Ksenia Klochkova, had her home searched by police in connection with a criminal investigation against journalist Andrei Zakharov.

  • LRT ☛ Does Russia pose real threat to Lithuania? Poll shows most Lithuanians think yes

    Seven out of ten Lithuanians believe that Russia poses a real threat to Lithuania’s national security, according to a poll commissioned by LRT. Experts say this is as broad a consensus as one can get in a pluralistic society, although there is an apparent gap between ethnic Lithuanians and minority citizens of the country.

  • RFERL ☛ Iran Disputes Reports Of First Delivery Of Russian Su-35 Fighter Jets

    Iranian officials have denied media reports about the imminent delivery of new Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to Iran.

  • RFERL ☛ Moldova Faces New Challenge From Restive Gagauzia Region

    Moldova's pro-European government faces a new challenge from its restive pro-Moscow Gagauzia region after its leaders denounced proposed judicial reforms and demanded enhanced status for the Russian language.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Russia prepares 128-core server platform for supercomputers: Report

    Russia reportedly preps a supercomputer platform based on a 128-core server platform but it is unclear where the processors will be made.

  • YLE ☛ Russia behind cyber attacks on Western utilities, security firm says

    "It's kind of an escalation in that we're seeing more than just data collection, surveillance and intelligence gathering," Mikko Hyppönen says.

Environment

• Science Alert ☛ 2023 Was Even Hotter Than Predicted, Raising Fears We're in Uncharted Territory

  “Humbling and a bit worrying.”

• teleSUR ☛ UN: Heavy Rains Affect 770,000 People in Somalia

  OCHA said it has joined with partners and Somali health authorities to intensify response and preparedness activities.

• New York Times ☛ Heavy Rains and Potential Flooding in Guangdong, China, Force Evacuations

  Bad weather in Guangdong Province forced evacuations as forecasters warned of more rain and potential flooding.

• The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia issues Level 1 hot weather alert for 10 areas

  MetMalaysia said eight areas in the peninsular will be experiencing scorching hot weather.

• Science Alert ☛ Satellite Measures Find Nearly Half of China's Biggest Cities Are Slowly Sinking

  Coastal cities could face a major problem.

• Energy/Transportation

  • RFA ☛ Hong Kong loses ground as top container port amid change in status

    Analysts say the decline is clearly visible, blaming the loss of status as a free port separate from China.

  • Hackaday ☛ Keeping Alive The Future Of Cars, 1980s Style

    Here at Hackaday we’re a varied bunch of writers, some of whom have careers away from this organ, and others whose work also appears on the pages of other publications in different fields. One such is our colleague [Lewin Day], and he’s written a cracking piece for The Autopian about the effort to keep an obscure piece of American automotive electronic history alive. We think of big-screen control panels in cars as a new phenomenon, but General Motors was fitting tiny Sony Trinitron CRTs to some models back in the late 1980s. If you own one of these cars the chances are the CRT is inoperable if you’ve not encountered [Jon Morlan] and his work repairing and restoring them.

  • Hackaday ☛ Restoring A Vintage German EV

    When you think of EVs from the 90s, GM’s EV1 may come to mind, but [bleeptrack] found a more obscure CityEL three wheeler to restore.

  • Hackaday ☛ The MUSE Permanent Magnet Stellarator: Fusion Reactor With Off-The-Shelf Parts

    When you think of a fusion reactor like a tokamak or stellarator, you are likely to think of expensive projects requiring expensive electromagnets made out of exotic alloys, whether superconducting or not. The MUSE stellarator is an interesting study in how to take things completely in the opposite direction. Its design and construction is described in a 2023 paper by [T.M. Qian] and colleagues in the Journal of Plasma Physics. The theory is detailed in a 2020 Physical Review Letters paper by [P. Helander] and colleagues. As the head of the Stellarator Theory at the Max Planck Institute, [P. Helander] is well-acquainted with the world’s most advanced stellarator: Wendelstein 7-X.

• Wildlife/Nature

  • France24 ☛ In Amazon rainforest, Peru's ancient shihuahuaco trees are under threat

    The shihuahuaco tree is one of the giants of the Amazon rainforest, reaching heights of up to 60 metres. But it is coveted for its hardwood, one of the most precious and sought-after types of wood in the world. Peru exports it to China, but also to Europe and in particular France, which is one of the main buyers of this tropical timber used for parquet flooring in homes and on terraces. Some 500,000 tonnes have been exported from Peru in the last 10 years. Scientists are now warning that the shihuahuaco tree faces extinction. They estimate that the trees could disappear from certain regions of the Amazon within a few years. Our correspondents report.

Finance

• Off Guardian ☛ Beijing McCafé

  The people’s expectations have evolved in general from satisfying basic needs to improving the quality of life, and their demands at different levels and in various areas are becoming more diverse.”

• I’m a Retirement Planner: 6 Ways To Avoid a Forced Retirement

  This topic hits close to home for Van Alstyne, whose mother experienced a layoff from IBM in the early ’90s, putting them into tight financial times. Layoffs are, unfortunately, a reality in any industry, as well as other unforeseen events, such as sudden illness, or even divorce or the collapse of a self-employed business. While you can’t always avoid these circumstances, you can be prepared, he urged.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

• The Straits Times ☛ China braces itself for worst as it becomes punching bag in US election

  Chinese policymakers have scant incentive to escalate tensions.

• New York Times ☛ China’s Pinduoduo Has Reshaped Discount Shopping

  Pinduoduo appeals to people seeking deals and “downgraded spending,” as consumer purchasing in China has slowed recently amid economic rockiness.

• The Straits Times ☛ China's ambassador to Canada leaves his post

  The end of his posting came as a surprise to some in the diplomatic corps because of its abruptness.

• Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

  • The Straits Times ☛ Top court orders Indian yoga guru and tycoon to issue public apology for false ads

    It initiated contempt of court proceedings against Mr Baba Ramdev after he failed to stop false medical advertisements. 

Censorship/Free Speech

• France24 ☛ Brazil's ex-president Bolsonaro hails Musk's 'courage' over freedom of speech at Rio rally

  Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro hailed Elon Musk at a rally in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, saying the billionaire has stood up for freedom of expression -- which the former president claims is at risk in his country.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

• IT Wire ☛ Murdoch media steps up Assange smears, calls him a 'work-shy fraud'

  The second piece, by Michael Ware a former CNN war correspondent. and Justine Rosenthal, a former executive editor of Newsweek, called for Assange's release but only after considerable criticism of the Australian.

  Howe wrote that Assange's "betrayals raise him into treason’s hall of fame alongside Norway’s Nazi collaborator Vidkun Quisling, the Gunpowder Plot’s Guy Fawkes, and Marshal Philippe Petain who led Vichy France".

Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

• APNIC ☛ In-network acceleration for Hey Hi (AI) / ML workloads

  Guest Post: How programmable switches can handle collective offloading seamlessly. Challenges and future trends.