Leftovers

• MWL ☛ 60: Free Probing from the Greys

  My brain is tired after the email book, and needs the concrete beaten out of it. The more experienced GalactiCop is on his fifth life, old enough to actually be grey. His people came from the sunny side of a tidelocked inner planet, like Mercury with ice machines.

• New York Times ☛ A Famous Winston Churchill Portrait, Stolen in Canada and Found in Italy

  A forgery delayed the discovery of the theft of the photograph long enough for it to be sold at an auction in London.

• Science

  • CS Monitor ☛ One small walk for a tech billionaire, one giant leap for ultra wealthy space tourists

    Emerging from the hatch into the cold vacuum of space, tech billionaire Jared Isaacman joined an elite group of professional astronauts from a dozen countries. He tested SpaceX’s new spacesuits, clinging to a spacecraft going farther than any since 1972.

  • University of Michigan ☛ Elena Gallo to direct Women in Science and Engineering program

    Elena Gallo, professor of astronomy, has been appointed the new director of U-M's Women in Science and Engineering program, effective Sept. 15.

  • Hackaday ☛ How Photomultipliers Detect Single Photons

    If you need to measure the presence of photons down to a very small number of them, you are looking at the use of a photomultiplier, as explained in a recent video by [Huygens Optics] on YouTube. The only way to realistically measure at such a sensitivity level is to amplify them with a photomultiplier tube (PMT). Although solid-state alternatives exist, this is still a field where vacuum tube-based technology is highly relevant.

• Education

  • Latvia ☛ Latvia's school principals often think about leaving job, survey suggests

    More than half of the heads of educational institutions have considered changing their occupation several times in the last year, according to a survey by the Latvian Education and Science Workers' Association (LIZDA), which was presented at the LIZDA Council meeting on Wednesday, September 11, LETA reports.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Building A Subwoofer Box Out Of Decking Material

    When you go to build a subwoofer box, wood is the most common choice. When it came to his project, though, [Startup Chuck] decided to go a different route entirely. Rather than the usual plywood or MDF, he decided to try Trex decking instead. Why? He had some lying around, and he suspected it might just sound good.

  • CNX Software ☛ 11.6-inch touchscreen display with In-Cell technology packs IPS panel and 10-point touch into a single layer

    Waveshare has introduced an 11.6-inch touchscreen LCD with in-cell technology and 1768 × 828 resolution. The display comes with an IPS panel, a 10-point capacitive touchscreen, and supports HDMI and Type-C interfaces. It includes brightness control through the OSD menu and DDC/CI software. The screen offers a 178° viewing angle and 72% NTSC color gamut, delivering 300cd/m² brightness. While we haven’t yet covered such a large screen with in-cell technology, we previously reviewed the Elecrow CrowVi VF156T, a 15.6-inch ultra-thin IPS touchscreen display.

  • CNX Software ☛ DeepRad is a cheap, modular SDR receiver based on the RTL-SDR (Crowdfunding)

    DeepRad is a software-defined radio (SDR) receiver built in the RTL-SDR form factor. The modular SDR receiver offers advantages over other RTL-SDR-based devices which make it easier to integrate with other components and build custom solutions for your specific applications. The DeepRad SDR receiver is based on the RTL-SDR dongle and features the same Realtek RTL2832U demodulator chip with an R860T tuner.

  • Hackaday ☛ Review: IFixit’s FixHub May Be The Last Soldering Iron You Ever Buy

    Like many people who solder regularly, I decided years ago to upgrade from a basic iron and invest in a soldering station. My RadioShack digital station has served me well for the better part of 20 years. It heats up fast, tips are readily available, and it’s a breeze to dial in whatever temperature I need. It’s older than both of my children, has moved with me to three different homes, and has outlived two cars and one marriage (so far, anyway).

  • Hackaday ☛ Back Up Your Data On Paper With Lots Of QR Codes

    QR codes are used just about everywhere now, for checking into venues, ordering food, or just plain old advertising. But what about data storage? It’s hardly efficient, but if you want to store your files in a ridiculous paper format—there’s a way to do that, too!

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ U.N. Says Gaza’s Anti-Polio Campaign Is Ending With High Hopes

    Health workers have reached many vulnerable children. But for the effort to be considered a success, they must also be able to administer a booster round of vaccinations in a few weeks.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Complaints about Physical Fitness surge as shuttered Hong Kong gym chain’s Wan Chai branch rebrands as Healthy

    A banner for wellness brand Healthy has been erected outside what was until a week ago the Wan Chai branch of gym chain Physical Fitness, as complaints surged following the arrests of the Physical’s two directors after its abrupt closure.

  • RFA ☛ South Korea, Interpol confiscate drugs worth $1bn in Golden Triangle

    South Korean police said the Golden Triangle region is the main origin of the drug ketamine.

  • New York Times ☛ WADA Report Concludes China Broke Rules in Doping Case

    An investigator hired by the global antidoping regulator found no bias toward China in a case that has outraged Olympic athletes and led to an F.B.I. investigation.

  • England and Wales Deaths in Week 34 2019: 8,994. In Week 34 2024: 9,819.

    Does the Labour Party plan to investigate the cause/s for this sharp rise in deaths?

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Eyesight Could Be Putting You at Risk of Developing Alzheimer's

    Windows into our brain health.

  • Science Alert ☛ 5 Ways You Can Resist Food Cravings And Stick to Healthy Eating

    Your brain doesn't make it easy.

  • Science Alert ☛ Weight-Loss Drugs Safe And Effective in Children as Young as 6, Study Finds

    At least in the short term.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Eyes Can Shed Light on Underlying Health Problems

    A window to early disease detection.

  • Science Alert ☛ Exercising Regularly Appears to Make Your Belly Fat 'Healthier'

    Another reason to get moving.

  • Science Alert ☛ These Tiny, Overlooked Bones Could Tell Us Why Our Knees Hurt

    Thanks evolution!

  • Science Alert ☛ Cannabis Use Is Rising Across The US – Except in One Key Group

    It's the adults driving the trend.

  • The Kent Stater ☛ COVID-19 cases rise as fall semester starts

    COVID-19 cases are rising in Kent, and the Kent City Health Commissioner is urging residents to practice safety measures to prevent further spread. With the return of Kent State students, Kent City Health Commissioners are reminding them of simple precautions to help keep the Flashes community safe.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ 1 in 3 Hong Kong upper primary students have been bullied at school, survey finds

    About one in three upper primary pupils in Hong Kong have been bullied at school, a survey has found, as an NGO launched a campaign calling for “zero tolerance” of bullying.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Bryan Lunduke ☛ The Register Runs Cover for CIA-Backed Smartphone Game

      Yes. Pokemon Go has ties to the CIA and other intelligence agencies. The facts of this were well documented roughly 8 years ago. The Register (one of the more prominent Tech News outlets) is seeking to discredit that story... many years later. Why?

    • Data Swamp ☛ Self-hosting at home and privacy

      You may self-host services at home, but you need to think about the potential drawbacks for your privacy.
      
      
      Let's explore what kind of information could be extracted from self-hosting, especially when you use a domain name. 
      
      
      

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Ireland opens privacy probe into Google’s PaLM 2 language model

      Ireland’s privacy regulator has opened a probe into Surveillance Giant Google LLC over its PaLM 2 large language model. The Data Protection Commission, or DPC, announced the move today. Officials will review whether PaLM 2 was built in a manner compliant with the European Union’s GDPR data privacy regulation.

    • JURIST ☛ Canada appeal court finds Facebook (Farcebook) infringed privacy law

      The Canadian Federal Court of Appeal found that social control media platform Facebook (Farcebook) violated statutory obligations for data protection and meaningful consent created by Canada’s primary legislation on the use of personal information by corporations, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

    • Hackaday ☛ Digital Bumper Sticker Tells Everyone What You’re Listening To

      Bumper stickers are usually political, crude, or otherwise inflammatory. Rather a more fun example is this digital creation from [Guy Dupont], who made a bumper sticker that broadcasts what he’s listening to on the stereo.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Strategist ☛ AUKUS needs seamless data sharing. Here’s how to get it

    AUKUS won’t work without seamless information sharing and data exchange between the partner nations and their private sectors.

  • France24 ☛ Alberto Fujimori, former Peruvian president convicted of crimes against humanity, dies at 86

    Peru's Alberto Fujimori, a deeply divisive strongman who revamped Peru's economy, muzzled political opponents, and oversaw deadly atrocities, died on Wednesday after years of struggling with multiple health issues.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea leader Kim calls for boosting nuclear might

    Kim’s regime has staged dozens of launches in 2024.

  • RFA ☛ North Korea fires multiple short-range ballistic missiles: Seoul

    The missiles flew about 360 kilometers, meaning the South Korean capital would be in their range.

  • France24 ☛ North Korea launches ballistic missiles off Korean peninsula, Seoul says

    After months of trading provocations with South Korea and a recently renewed vow to keep growing its nuclear arsenal, North Korea sent its most aggressive message yet when it fired multiple ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, as reported by Seoul's military.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Child sex abuse allegations in Malaysia welfare homes: 171 suspects to be remanded for 7 days

    All 20 premises raided on Sept 11 have been closed.

  • RFERL ☛ U.S. Imposes Sanctions On Chinese Suppliers To Pakistan's Ballistic Missile Program

    The U.S. State Department on September 12 imposed sanctions on a Chinese research institute and several companies it said have been involved in supplying Pakistan's ballistic missile program.

  • RFA ☛ China in delicate dance with Myanmar’s rebel groups

    The junta ally is likely trying to end conflict along its borders, but its assets are under rebel control.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan will ‘never succumb,’ official says amid intensifying pressure from Beijing

    The head of Taiwan’s top China policy body said Thursday that the democratic island will never surrender in the face of intensifying pressure from a “more aggressive” Beijing. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it would never renounce the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.

  • France24 ☛ China will ‘crush hostile encroachment’ in South China Sea, senior military official says

    A senior Chinese military official on Thursday said Beijing will “crush” any foreign incursion into the South China Sea, which it considers its territory despite an international court ruling the assertion has no legal basis. Chinese vessels have recently engaged in a series of high-profile confrontations with Philippine ships in the disputed waters.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Dispatch from Manila: On the frontlines of the ‘gray zone’ conflict with China

    In the Philippines, China’s aggression is not in some shadowy, ill-defined “gray zone.” It’s a real and constant series of attacks on the country’s people and sovereignty.

  • The Strategist ☛ Which countries challenge China’s claim to the Taiwan Strait?

    Spiegel magazine has reported that two German warships are set to sail through the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks, becoming the first German naval vessels to do so in 22 years. Germany will join ...

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Strike in Gaza Kills 18, Officials Say, Including 6 U.N. Workers

    While resuming its offensive against militants in the West Bank, Israel also kept up its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, striking a school building used as a shelter for displaced people.

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Commandos Carried Out Raid on Secret Weapons Site in Syria

    The missile production facility was destroyed in the attack, according to Western officials. Syrian state media reported that 18 people were killed in the strike.

  • New York Times ☛ Students at Apalachee High School Grapple With a Mass Shooting

    The 1,900 students at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., were just settling into the rhythms of a new year before a freshman killed two teachers and two students.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Supports Africa’s Bid for U.N. Security Council Seats, With a Catch

    The announcement provides U.S. support to permanent council seats for African nations, though not new veto powers. But the path to adding members requires far more than White House approval.

  • New Yorker ☛ The Latest “Poison Pill” in the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Negotiations

    What is the Philadelphi Corridor, and why is Netanyahu at odds with his own security establishment over whether I.D.F. troops should remain there?

  • The Strategist ☛ The strategic logic of Home Affairs

    There is a common idea that is contained in many of the written constitutions that derive from British constitutional theory and practice.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ Closed-Door Trial For Navalny Lawyers Facing Extremism Charges Begins Near Moscow

      A court in Russia's Vladimir region on September 12 began the trial of three former lawyers for late opposition politician Aleksei Navalny on extremism charges over their association with the Kremlin critic and his Anti-Corruption Foundation.

    • RFA ☛ Putin admires Kim Jong Un, unlike other world leaders, North Koreans are told

      Lectures cite Russian president’s punctuality to 2019 meeting and expensive gifts to Kim

    • Latvia ☛ Belarus-registered cars banned from Latvia as of October 31

      Cars registered in Belarus must be re-registered for use in Latvia by October 31 or leave the country, the Saeima decided in its final reading on Thursday, September 12.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Expected Russian Forces To Fight Back In Kursk, Zelenskiy Says

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on September 12 that Ukraine anticipated the recent Russian military attacks that have taken place in the Kursk region.

    • RFERL ☛ Civilian Cargo Ship Carrying Ukrainian Grain Hit By Russian Strike In Black Sea

      Ukraine accused Russia on September 12 of using strategic bombers to fire missiles at a civilian ship carrying Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Soldier Gets 8 Years In Prison For Beating Wife To Death

      A military court in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk said on September 12 that it sentenced Private Oleg Gorbachyov of the Russian armed forces to 8 years in prison for beating his wife to death.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Calls Chinese-Brazilian Peace Plan Proposal 'Destructive'

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called a Chinese-Brazilian peace proposal "destructive" that was created without the input of Kyiv.

    • RFERL ☛ Nikolai Svanidze, Veteran Russian Journalist And Ukraine War Critic, Dead At 69

      Russian TV journalist Nikolai Svanidze, who is credited as one of founders of Russian television, died in Moscow on September 12

    • RFERL ☛ Interactive Map: Ukraine's Surprise Invasion Of Russia's Kursk Region

      As fighting continues to rage in Kursk, RFE/RL’s Russian Service has been keeping track of Ukraine’s incursion with an interactive map of events that uses information compiled and verified from open sources, such as Ex-Twitter and Telegram.

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ Meet the radio-obsessed civilian shaping Ukraine’s drone defense

      Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov hates going to the front line. The risks terrify him. “I’m really not happy to do it at all,” he says. But to perform his particular self-appointed role in the Russia-Ukraine war, he believes it’s critical to exchange the relative safety of his suburban home north of the capital for places where…

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Forces Are Stepping Up Attacks on Pokrovsk, Ukraine Says

      Bombardments are increasing in and around Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, with water supplies now cut, while Russian troops simultaneously press a new counterattack in the Kursk region.

    • New York Times ☛ Biden Poised to Approve Ukraine’s Use of Long-Range Western Weapons in Russia

      The topic will be on the agenda Friday with the first official visit to Washington by Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Moscow gets Iranian missiles: Might that actually help Kyiv?

      Iran’s dispatch of missiles to Russia could backfire if the shipment provokes Washington into letting Ukraine aim U.S.-made missiles deep into Russia.

    • New York Times ☛ Red Cross Workers Killed in Ukraine in Shelling Attack

      The aid workers lost their lives as they were preparing to distribute heating supplies in preparation for winter in the region of Donetsk.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Says Russian Missile Hit Grain Ship in Black Sea

      If confirmed, the attack would be the first on a commercial vessel in open waters since the 2022 invasion, and a sharp escalation of hostilities in the Black Sea.

    • New York Times ☛ Friday Briefing: U.S. May Let Ukraine Use Long-range Weapons

      Plus, will Taylor Swift’s endorsement affect the U.S. election?

    • New York Times ☛ Should Ukraine Launch Western Weapons Deep Into Russia?

      President Biden has refused to allow Ukraine to use long-range Western missiles on Russian military targets, but he appears to be wavering.

    • Latvia ☛ Statue in Rīga daubed with paint

      The statue of a Russian general of the imperial era has been daubed with red paint, reports the LETA newswire.

    • Latvia ☛ Girl illegally taken to Russia returned home

      Monika Bukaine, who was illegally taken to Russia by her father while crossing the Zilupe River with a SUP board in late July, has returned to her mother in Latvia, Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže said on X.

    • Latvia ☛ Daugavpils in Latvia becoming a popular place to learn the Russian language

      At Daugavpils University in the south-east of Latvia, close to the border with Russia, the study of the Russian language has become a strong pull factor to attract foreign students, reports Latvian Radio.

    • JURIST ☛ European rights court rules Russia violated freedom of assembly and expression

      The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that Russia had violated an official’s and a group of filmmakers’ right to freedom of assembly and free speech on Tuesday. The applicants in the case were subject to administrative sanctions for violating the Public Events Act.

    • LRT ☛ Ship with Russian chemicals will not be allowed into Klaipėda port – PM

      The Maltese-flagged ship Ruby carrying a cargo of ammonium nitrate from Russia will not be allowed to enter the port of Klaipėda for repairs, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė says.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian FM warns EU against China deals amid Beijing-Moscow rapprochement

      Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has castigated fellow EU member states that do business with China, saying his own country is an example of surviving “without Russian gas and Chinese contracts”.

    • RFERL ☛ U.S. Black Rights Activists Convicted On Charges Linking Them To Promoting Russian Views

      Four Black rights activists were convicted in the United States on September 12 on charges of conspiring to act as unregistered Russian agents, the Justice Department said.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Japan says scrambled jets after Russia aircraft circled country

      The last time Russian military aircraft circled Japan was in 2019.

    • New York Times ☛ Justice Dept. Official Calls Election Meddling a ‘Clear and Present Danger’

      The head of the department’s national security division amplified warnings that other countries were seeking to sway the outcome in November, including Russia’s efforts to help Donald Trump.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Ukraine’s nationalist Azov fighters, once sanctioned by US, strive to clear name

      Ukraine’s Azov Brigade has been much maligned for a Nazi-tainted past. But today its renowned fighters proudly and emphatically assert their modern self-definition as nationalists with a broad appeal.

    • RFERL ☛ Red Cross Condemns Attack On Aid Truck That Killed 3 Workers In Donetsk Region

      The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on September 12 that three of its workers in the frontline Donetsk region of Ukraine had been killed and condemned the attack.

    • RFERL ☛ Polish Leaders Urge Blinken To Lift Limits On Ukraine's Use Of Long-Range Weapons

      U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on September 12 concluded a European tour in Poland, where he heard more appeals for a change in Washington's policy restricting the use of Western-supplied weaponry for long-range strikes inside Russia.

    • RFERL ☛ U.S. Army Already Implementing Key Lessons From Ukraine War, Chief Says

      The U.S. Army has reduced the footprint of its command posts and increased the speed with which they can be set up and taken down as it implements key lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, its chief said.

    • RFERL ☛ Orthodox Church Leaders In North Macedonia Express Support For Ukrainian Orthodox Church

      The leadership of the Orthodox Church in North Macedonia on September 12 expressed support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has been banned in Ukraine under a law signed last month by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

    • France24 ☛ Moscow claims it has recaptured 10 settlements in Kursk region

      Russia said Thursday its army had recaptured 10 settlements in its Kursk border region, where Ukraine last month launched a major incursion, seizing dozens of settlements.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky conceded Russia had launched its own counterattack in the region but insisted that the shock Ukrainian assault was still going to plan. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.

    • France24 ☛ Toronto festival suspends screening of Russian war film over threats

      The Toronto International Film Festival announced Thursday it is cancelling all screenings of the documentary Russians at War due to "significant threats" to public safety. Organizers cited reports of potential risks to festival operations. Directed by Anastasia Trofimova, the film follows a Russian battalion during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. TIFF described the decision as unprecedented.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Concerns grow over possible Russian sabotage of undersea cables

      The United States has recently detected indications of increased Russian military activity around key undersea cables, fueling concerns over a possible escalation in the Kremlin's hybrid war against the west, writes Aleksander Cwalina.

    • NYPost ☛ Even Democrats want Harris-Biden to end their cowardice and remove Ukraine’s handcuffs

      Despite Moscow’s escalations and now even demands from fellow Democrats, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden continue to twiddle their thumbs on lifting restrictions on Ukraine's use of US weapons against Russia.

    • Latvia ☛ Recently acquired education in Russia might not be recognized in Latvia

      Amendments to the Law on Education, which provide for non-recognition of education documents obtained in the Russian Federation after February 24, 2022, the date on which Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, will be viewed in the responsible parliamentary committee, LSM.lv reports September 12.

    • Latvia ☛ Riga film festival reveals movies competing for main award

      Riga International Film Festival (RIGA IFF, 17–27 October) has announced the contestants in its main competition section this year. Ten feature films from Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Ukraine will compete for the festival’s main award – 10 000 EUR and a bronze statuette.

    • New York Times ☛ Debate Puts Trump’s Affinity for Putin Back in the Spotlight

      The former president’s refusal to back Ukraine’s war effort showed the likely limits of U.S. support for Kyiv if he returns to the White House.

• Environment

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ Meet 2024’s climate innovators under 35

    This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. One way to know where a field is going? Take a look at what the sharpest new innovators are working on. Good news for all of us: MIT Technology Review’s list of…

  • France24 ☛ Nearly 100 dead as floods from seasonal rains devastate war-torn Yemen

    Heavy downpours in war-torn Yemen over the past weeks have triggered flash flooding and landslides, killing nearly 100 people and forcing hundreds to seek shelter. The seasonal rains, which experts say has been made worse by climate change, could lead to an increase in malnutrition and cholera cases among Yemen's population, according to the World Health Organization.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ G.M. and Hyundai Plan to Work Together on New Vehicles

      General Motors and the South Korean automaker say they will collaborate on new vehicles, buying parts and clean energy technologies.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Federal News Network ☛ Scientists are fighting wildfires with Hey Hi (AI) in the lab

      "There is concern where we're scientists and we talk data, and that data in its raw form isn't particularly helpful to a first responder," Norman Spiecher said.

  • Overpopulation

    • RFA ☛ How a cash-strapped Chinese woman sold her eggs to a surrogacy agency

      Activists say surrogacy is poorly regulated, and can fuel human trafficking and baby-selling.

• Finance

  • Federal News Network ☛ Social Security Administration urging budget anomaly to avoid ‘devastating’ impacts

    Without a 2025 budget increase for the Social Security Administration, Commissioner Martin O’Malley warned a hiring freeze and worsening services will come.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Optimism, profitability of US companies in China at record lows, report says

    American firms in China are grappling with an unprecedented web of challenges, a business group said Thursday, as economic woes and geopolitical tensions drag optimism and profitability to all-time lows.

  • France24 ☛ US government faces shutdown as Congress grapples with spending bill

    The US federal government is on the verge of a shutdown as Republicans in the House of Representatives struggle to agree on a spending bill. A new hurdle has emerged with former President Donald Trump pushing for voter ID requirements to be linked to any funding deal, further complicating negotiations ahead of a Sept.30  deadline.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Amazon boosts pay for subcontracted delivery drivers amid union pressure

    Amazon is giving another pay boost to its subcontracted delivery drivers in the U.S. amid growing union pressure.

  • New York Times ☛ To Put It Bluntly

    Much ado has been made of euphemism inflation. While it’s easy to make fun of it, it’s worth examining its logic.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New Yorker ☛ Eric Adams Stays Focussed, Avoids Distractions, and Grinds

    As members of his inner circle get investigated by the F.B.I., the Mayor of New York City, quarantining with COVID, tries to play it cool.

  • New York Times ☛ US Sanctions Venezuelan Officials in Response to Disputed Election

    The sanctions against 16 government officials appointed by the authoritarian president of Venezuela were seen as unlikely to be effective by observers and analysts.

  • France24 ☛ US imposes new sanctions on Venezuelan officials over 'election fraud'

    The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on 16 senior Venezuelan officials allied to President Nicolas Maduro for preventing "a transparent electoral process" in the July 28 presidential election and for the "brutal crackdown on free expression" as protesters took to the streets after the poll. Those sanctioned included military, intelligence and government officials.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • New York Times ☛ This Chatbot Pulls People Away From Conspiracy Theories [Ed: But chatbots are the source of the problem sometimes, they spread and create "Conspiracy Theories"]

      In a new study, many people doubted or abandoned false beliefs after a short conversation with the DebunkBot.

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ Chatbots can persuade people to stop believing in conspiracy theories

      The internet has made it easier than ever before to encounter and spread conspiracy theories. And while some are harmless, others can be deeply damaging, sowing discord and even leading to unnecessary deaths. Now, researchers believe they’ve uncovered a new tool for combating false conspiracy theories: Hey Hi (AI) chatbots.

    • New York Times ☛ Deepfake Sex Videos in South Korea Seen as Old Misogyny With New Tech

      Men in chat rooms have been victimizing women they know by putting their faces on pornographic clips. Some Korean women say the only thing new about it is the technology.

    • Silicon Angle ☛ White House secures commitment from Hey Hi (AI) firms to curb deepfake porn

      The White House today announced voluntary commitments from several leading artificial intelligence companies to rein in the creation and distribution of image-based sexual abuse, IBSA, including “deepfake” content generated by AI.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • RFA ☛ Lao blogger who criticized failed response to flood freed from prison

    ‘Where is the helicopter for rescuing people?’ Houayheuang Xayabouly pleaded in a 2019 Facebook (Farcebook) video.

  • RFERL ☛ Kyrgyz Opposition Politician Azimbek Beknazarov Detained After Questioning

    Kyrgyz opposition politician Azimbek Beknazarov was detained on September 12 after the State Committee for National Security (UKMK) summoned him for questioning, his son told RFE/RL.

  • New Yorker ☛ How a Scientific Dispute Spiralled Into a Defamation Lawsuit

    What does a Harvard Business School professor’s decision to sue the professors who raised questions about her research bode for academic autonomy?

  • JURIST ☛ Amnesty International condemns Libya Arab Armed Forces for allowing the suppression of dissidents

    Amnesty International has condemned the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) in a news report for authorizing the Internal Security Agency (ISA) to increase crackdown on dissidents, on Tuesday.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Now That Its California Twin Has Failed, Is the JCPA Poised for a Next Act?

    A bill that would have created a new “link tax” in California failed in part due to threats by Meta and Surveillance Giant Google to block links to news. Proponents of the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act want to bring back their bill, potentially with a bad, new twist.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Future of Media Awards 2024: FT, Telegraph and Sky News are big winners [Ed: Some of them take bribes to whitewash the reputation of people who commit crimes; is that something that merits an award?]

    Financial Times was the big winner followed by The Telegraph and Sky News.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Mill Media says goodbye to Substack and moves onto competitor Ghost

    The local news start-up says it's ready to use purpose-built websites rather than the newsletter platform.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Off Guardian ☛ The New Normal Right

    OK, this will be one of my non-satirical essays … or mostly non-satirical essays. It will serve as a companion piece to The New Normal Left, another non-satirical essay that I published in April 2023, which was basically just a reiteration of a speech I gave at a conference in London.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Congratulations to the 2024 ISIF Asia Award winners

    The APNIC Foundation congratulates the 2024 award winners.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Google Search now links to ancient websites via the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine

    Starting today, Surveillance Giant Google LLC’s search engine platform will provide direct links to cached articles within The Internet Archive‘s Wayback Machine, adding historical context to user’s search results.

  • AccessNow ☛ Access Now condemns the suspension of X in Brazil

    Access Now opposes the suspension of X in Brazil and is concerned by the growing trend of blocking of entire online platforms and applications as a response to systemic non-compliance.

  • Tedium ☛ Can Weird Creatures Survive?

    Unfortunately for all of us, the internet doesn’t reward noble ideas just because they’re noble. Hence, what happened to cohost.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge, Allies File To Defend Net Neutrality, Consumer Protections in Sixth Circuit

    Brief defends the FCC's reclassification of broadband as a Title II service.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• The Significant Mistakes in the DOJ’s Definition of the Ad Tech Market

  Google and the Justice Department (DOJ) have made their opening statements in the latest monopolization case against the internet company.

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ If the Barcode Doesn’t Fit: Reconsidering ‘Bodily Incorporation’ in Patent Law

    Many of us feel the daily pull toward coffee, and perhaps likewise toward PTAB decisions about coffee makers.

    I found interesting a recent pair of IPR decisions successfully brought by the Swiss Nespresso against German competitor K-Fee.  This post delves into these cases and what I call the 'glove doesn't fit' fallacy in patent monopoly law obviousness doctrine; it also provides a discussion of how written description continues to be a risk, even in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Federal Circuit’s New Hands-Off Approach: Recent Mandamus Denials Signal Shift in Venue Transfer Landscape

    by Dennis Crouch

    On September 11, 2024, the Federal Circuit issued three separate orders denying petitions for writs of mandamus related to venue transfer decisions. These cases highlight a trend that I previously recognized of the court stepping-back from its prior aggressive mandamus docket.  The cases here all include the similar procedural posture where the district court ordered transfer under the convenient venue statute 1404(a), and the patentee unsuccessfully petitioned the Federal Circuit to reverse the transfer.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Ericsson begins UPC experiment against AsusTech at local division Lisbon [Ed: UPC is not legal and not constitutional, so they're just leveraging EPO corruption and EU complicity to pretend this is about the law when in fact this is an attack on the law]

      No patent monopoly expert would have questioned a mobile communications action at the local division in Munich, Mannheim or Düsseldorf. Nor would they have been surprised if Ericsson had filed an action with the local divisions in Paris or The Hague.

    • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Scanning for signs of infringement at the UPC: First PI granted on the basis of indirect infringement by Munich Local Division [Ed: This is a fake court [sic] that operates outside the rule of law; it needs to be scuttled ASAP to salvage legitimacy at the EU ]

      On 27 August 2024, the Munich Local Division awarded a preliminary injunction (‘PI’) in an action brought by Hand Held Products against Scandit for infringement of EP3866051 (“Mobile computer configured to read multiple decodable indicia”) in relation to Scandit’s ‘Data Capture SDK’ software (Order UPC_CFI_74/2024).

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Precedential No. 22: Failure to Respond to Requests for Admissions Leads to Cancelled Registration

    Tip from the TTABlog: never fail to respond to admission requests. Respondent Hua Yungfu did just that, and it led to summary judgment and an order to cancel his registration for the mark LEARN JOURNEY for various products in Class 16. Petitioner pleaded several grounds for cancellation, including abandonment. When Respondent failed to respond to its admission requests, Petitioner moved for summary judgment and the Board granted the motion. The Learning Journey International, L.L.C. v. Hua Yongfu, Cancellation No. 92082654 (September 6, 2024) [precedential].

    FRCP 36(a)(3) provides that “[a] matter is admitted unless, within 30 days after being served, the party to whom the request is directed serves on the requesting party a written answer or objection addressed to the matter and signed by the party or its attorney.” Respondent did not respond to petitioner’s requests for admission in any manner, and so the requests were deemed admitted by operation of law.