Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Scan of Mummified Croc's Stomach Reveals Details of Ancient Egyptian Ritual

  • Science Alert ☛ Greenland's Centuries-Old Sharks Could Hold The Secret to Living Longer

    What can they teach us?

  • Science Alert ☛ Earth's Days to Grow at an Unprecedented Rate as Polar Ice Melts

    "It's like when a figure skater does a pirouette."

  • Science Alert ☛ Never-Before-Seen Method For Making The Color Blue Found in Stingray Spots

    Brilliant!

  • Science Alert ☛ Self-Awareness Might Not Have Evolved to Benefit The Self After All

    I think, therefore we are?

• Education

  • European Commission ☛ Introductory remarks by Commissioner Urpilainen at the 5th General Assembly of the Sahel Alliance – panel II “Youth empowerment through education and skills development”

    Warm congratulations to German colleagues for an exemplary organisation of the European Football Championship which just ended.

  • RFA ☛ China shuts renowned Tibetan private school, sparking outcry

    Tibetans say the move is part of Beijing’s efforts to erode Tibetan language and culture.

• Hardware and Games

  • Ruben Schade ☛ The new SilverStone CS382 homelab case

    SilverStone announced the CS382 MicroATX case at the recent Computex in Taiwan, and it looks like an efficient box of wonders: [...]

  • Hackaday ☛ Show Us Your Minimalist Games, And Win

    Sometimes the tightest constraints inspire the highest creativity. The 2024 Tiny Games Challenge invites you to have the most fun with the most minimal setup. Whether that’s tiny size, tiny parts count, or tiny code, we want you to show us that big fun can come in small packages.

  • Eric Bailey ☛ Dungeons & Dragons taught me how to write alt text

    If you are not familiar with Dungeons & Dragons, there are two general flavors for how to play:

    1. Using miniatures and a map, or

    2. Theater of the mind.

    We elected for theater of the mind more often than not. This was mostly because the rule books by themselves were expensive enough, and my friends and I were lower middle class.

    Theater of the mind play means that the entire game is conducted verbally. The sole exception is your character sheet, which is a text and number-based armature you build the rest of your character from.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • European Commission ☛ Vice-President Suica delivers a keynote speech via video message for an awards ceremony “Going for gold: How do countries compete when it comes to healthy ageing?” organized by International Longevity Centre, ILC France and ILC EU Network

    I am so grateful for this opportunity to address this event organised by the International Longevity Centre.

  • Science Alert ☛ Protein Discovery Suggests New Target For Early-Stage Alzheimer's Drugs

    Stopping it before it starts.

  • Science Alert ☛ Tiny Blockages in The Brain's Plumbing Could Be Causing Migraines

    No wonder they're painful.

  • Science Alert ☛ Common Sedative Could Break Consciousness by Tipping Your Brain Into Chaos

    Your mind sits on a knife's edge.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Lake Elmo information meeting set on new PFAS limits

    It will include presentations from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Department of Health and the city of Lake Elmo.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Future Halo games will be outsourced: 343 Industries cuts staff

    It is reported that 343 Industries, the studio that develops Halo games, has been significantly downsized, and future games in the series will be outsourced. This was reported by Twisted Voxel.

    The host of the BathrobeCast podcast, who has shared true Halo insights in the past, claims that since 2023, the number of employees has dropped from 500 to 280. The reductions were caused by the fact that the studio was increasingly leaning towards outsourcing.

    It is reported that some of the studio’s tasks have been taken over by members of the Microsoft Xbox Team. Many in the studio are dissatisfied with the fact that the management has not drawn conclusions from the production of Halo Infinite. In addition, contractors who have not become permanent employees are not perceived by the studio as employees.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • NYOB ☛ Analysis: GDPR Procedural Regulation enters critical phase

      We have analysed the European Parliament's and the European Council's amendments to the Commission's draft GDPR procedural regulation

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ North Korean Diplomat Defects to the South, Talks of Execution

    Ri Il-kyu, who fled to South Korea late last year, alleged that two North Korean officials who had been assigned to negotiate with the Trump administration had been punished.

  • RFA ☛ North Korean diplomat commended by Kim Jong Un defects to South Korea

    Ri Il Kyu is the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to defect to the South since 2016.

  • New York Times ☛ Taiwan’s Blunt-Talking Leader Faces China’s Backlash

    China is putting more military and political pressure on Taiwan and its new president, whose rhetoric has been sharper than his predecessor’s.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Site36 ☛ Lessons learnt from the war in Ukraine: German Armed Forces to catch up on drones

      Last year, the Bundeswehr set up a “Task Force Drones”. Now the media are reporting on some of the 200 existing and new measures identified. Drones play a central role in the war in Ukraine, but the German Bundeswehr is still lagging behind in this technology.

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky’s right-hand man How Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak redefined his post to become the country’s second most powerful figure — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine’s Azov Regiment posts video showing shooting of Russian soldier, sparking fury and an investigation in Moscow — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Pushing Quick End to Ukraine War, Orban Plays Trump’s Messenger to E.U.

      Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary has been on a self-appointed diplomatic mission that aligns with Donald J. Trump’s preferences in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

    • New York Times ☛ Dysfunction Sidelines Ukraine’s Parliament as Governing Force

      With the president’s party split, the government relies on formerly pro-Russian lawmakers to help it pass legislation and, the opposition says, minimize scrutiny.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russian chief of staff praises capture of Ukrainian village, sets new targets

      The chief of Russia's general staff, Valery Gerasimov, thanked Russian forces on Tuesday for capturing the village of Urozhaine in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, Russia's Defence Ministry said.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Court Grants Bail To Senior Military Officer Who Reportedly 'Coordinated' Nord Stream Sabotage

      A Ukrainian law firm said a court of appeals in the Kirovohrad region granted bail of 9 million hryvnyas ($218,000) to Special Forces Colonel Roman Chervinskiy, who was described by The Washington Post in November as a "coordinator" in the 2022 attack on the Nord Stream natural-gas pipeline.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine, Czech Gunmaker To Build Ammunition Factory

      Ukrainian state company Ukroboronservice will work with Czech gunmaker Sellier & Bellot to build an ammunition factory in Ukraine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on July 16.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Sentences Man To 26 Years For Setting Fire To Enlistment Offices

      Russian-Ukrainian dual citizen Ivan Nedilsky was sentenced to 26 years in prison for treason, participation in a terrorist organization, and vandalism, Mediazona reported on July 16.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia's Statistics Service Excludes Data From Annual Report To Hide War Deaths

      Russia’s State Statistics Service has excluded the total number of deaths from external causes in its annual report, Meduza reported, citing demographic expert Aleksei Rashka.

    • France24 ☛ Europe wary of Trump VP pick Vance’s opposition to Ukraine military aid

      US presidential candidate Donald Trump's choice of Republican Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate for the November election has been met with alarm by some European politicians, who warn that his opposition to US military aid for Ukraine could force Kyiv to make substantial concessions to Moscow.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ I was sentenced to ten years in absentia for highlighting Belarus’s descent into dictatorship

      My recent ten-year sentence in absentia in a sure sign that Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka is increasingly insecure and dependent on the Kremlin, writes Alesia Rudnik.

      The post I was sentenced to ten years in absentia for highlighting Belarus’s descent into dictatorship appeared first on Atlantic Council.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia to donate EUR 100 thousand to Ukraine's hospitals

      On Tuesday, July 16 , the Government decided to allocate € 100,000 from contingency funds for the operation of medical facilities in Ukraine in war conditions.

    • Latvia ☛ Baltic states give Russia notice of electricity grid switch-off date

      Baltic electricity transmission system operators Elering (Estonia), AST (Latvia), and Litgrid (Lithuania) have officially notified Russia and Belarus of their withdrawal from the existing 'BRELL' system which links the electrical grids of the five states.

    • Latvia ☛ 67 Latvian companies imported food from Russia this year

      In the first half of this year, 67 companies imported food and feed from Russia to Latvia, while 36 companies imported food and feed from Belarus, the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) told LETA July 16.

    • Latvia ☛ First signs of fence in marshy areas on Latvian-Russian border

      Floating supports are being installed on the Latvian-Russian border in the Ludza region to make it possible to install a fence in the marshy terrain, construction contractors Nordes būve Ltd. said in a release on July 16.

    • Latvia ☛ Questions about Russian military celebration on the Latvian border

      Although a fence extends along the border of Latvia, the Russian and Belarusian sides continue to gather people, praising the Soviet army at what is known as the "friendship monument" where the three state borders meet.

    • JURIST ☛ Russia court sentences journalist in absentia to 8 years over spreading false information on armed forces

      A Moscow court on Monday sentenced Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen in absentia to eight years in prison under Article 207.3 of the Russian Criminal Code over charges of spreading false information on Russian armed forces. The court also banned Gessen from managing online resources for four years.

    • LRT ☛ Baltics inform Moscow, Minsk of their exit from Russian power system

      The Baltic power transmission system operators on Tuesday notified Russia and Belarus of the non-extension of the so-called BRELL contract and their withdrawal from the Moscow-controlled post-Soviet electricity system as of February 2025.

    • RFA ☛ Russia may have shared US arms info with China: lawmakers

      The claim comes as Beijing and Moscow hold joint naval drills.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Launches Probe Against Prominent Self-Exiled Environmentalist Yevgenia Chirikova

      Russia's Investigative Committee said on July 16 it has launched a probe into self-exiled environmentalist Yevgenia Chirikova on a charge of distributing false information about Russia's military.

    • RFERL ☛ Kaspersky To Shutter U.S. Operations After Its Software Is Banned By Commerce Department

      Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky on July 16 said it would shut down all of its operations in the United States after the Commerce Department banned the use of the company's software in the country.

    • RFERL ☛ Moscow Court Sentences Self-Exiled Kremlin Critic Mark Feigin To 11 Years In Prison

      A Moscow court on July 16 sentenced self-exiled former lawyer Mark Feigin  to 11 years in prison in absentia on a charge of distributing "false" information about Russia's military.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Lavrov says US threatens multilateralism, US rejects remarks as 'whining'

      Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the United States on Tuesday of demanding "unquestioning obedience" from allies and threatening multilateralism, prompting the U.S. to pan his remarks in the United Nations Security Council as "whining".

    • Meduza ☛ Watching your spending How Russia’s Central Bank plans to use its new digital ruble to monitor and police citizens’ financial activity — Meduza

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Ruben Schade ☛ Australia needs more rail freight

      I have a tattered old photo book of Australian locomotives titled Australian Locomotives. Thanks Ruben, that was helpful. This is the part of the opening from chapter one:

      Australia’s vast distances presented early European settlers with formidable transport problems. The railways offered a solution […and] helped develop the country.

      The people Europeans displaced may have something to say about that, but it’s true that railways were instrumental in building out the country into what it is today.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China appeals ‘discriminatory, protectionist’ US electric car subsidies before WTO

      China has appealed against subsidies granted to the US electric vehicle industry under President Joe Biden’s green plan, accusing Washington of implementing “discriminatory, protectionist” policies, the commerce ministry said Monday.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ Exiled Chinese Billionaire Guo Wengui Is Convicted of Fraud

    A federal jury found that Guo Wengui defrauded investors, many his own fervent supporters, of hundreds of millions of dollars. He could face decades in prison.

  • RFA ☛ Hong Kong shoppers flock to Japan in search of bargains

    Some are buying up household necessities in bulk to make their money go further in a difficult economy.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Asking for donations an exercise in free speech, Hong Kong democracy advocate Chan Po-ying tells court

    Calling for donations is an exercise in the freedom of speech, the head of one of Hong Kong’s last remaining opposition parties has said in an appeal against her conviction over collecting money in a public place without a permit.

  • RFA ☛ Chinese censors delete, hide links to Trump shooting T-shirts

    T-shirts showing Trump’s raised fist and defiant slogans go on sale within hours of the assassination attempt.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • Jeremy Burge ☛ Why eSIM is my new best friend Data roaming fees...

      There’s lots of ways to do this, but if you’re reading now from the departure lounge of an airport or train station and want to dive right in, here’s my recommendation: [...]

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ Music streaming can be a drag on the environment. These K-pop fans want to clean it up.

    On Valentine’s Day 2023, five K-pop fans came to a bustling street in the center of Seoul, one of them in a bee costume.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Phantom Menace: Federal Circuit Upholds Judge Connolly’s Investigative Powers Evan After Dismissal

    In Backertop Licensing LLC v. Canary Connect, Inc., the Federal Circuit addressed the scope of a district court’s inherent authority to investigate potential litigation misconduct. Chief Judge Connolly of the District of Delaware had initiated an inquiry into dozens of patent monopoly infringement cases filed by plaintiff LLCs associated with IP Edge, a patent monopoly monetization firm, and Mavexar, an affiliated consulting shop. The district court was concerned that the real parties in interest may have been concealed, that fictitious patent monopoly assignments were filed with the USPTO to shield those parties from liability, and that the plaintiff LLCs’ attorneys may have violated the Rules of Professional Conduct by taking direction from Mavexar without their formal-clients’ informed consent.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Sanofi and Regeneron overturn key Amgen patent monopoly at UPC [Ed: UPC is illegal and unconstitutional, so this entire fake kangaroo court needs to be challenges, not the patent]

      Sanofi and Regeneron have achieved a significant win. Before the Unified Patent Court was launched, it was a key fear of many patent monopoly holders that the court could destroy an important patent monopoly for all UPC states. This fate has now befallen Amgen. Today, the Munich central division declared Amgen's EP 3 666 797 invalid...

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for InnoBrilliance video patent monopoly prior art

      Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 21 of U.S. Patent 8,925,010, owned by InnoBrilliance, LLC, an NPE and entity of AppBrilliance, Inc. The ‘010 patent monopoly relates to methods of displaying video from a plurality of streams on a television, and more particularly, to a system and method for organizing television channel groups.