Distributions and Operating Systems

• Canonical/Ubuntu Family

  • Ubuntu ☛ Buzzwords in Healthcare: 5 Use Cases and 1 challenge

    The accelerated developments in machine learning and artificial intelligence in healthcare have set the stage for some interesting transformations. By enabling better care for patients, optimizing processes, and generating new opportunities for medical research and treatment, these technologies are indeed going to change the healthcare industry radically.

  • Canonical ☛ AI in Healthcare: 5 Use Cases and 1 challenge

Leftovers

• Hackaday ☛ 2024 SAO Contest: Speak, SAO

  For some of us, the Speak ‘n Spell evokes pleasant memories of childhood as our first computer, along with one of those Merlin things. For others, it’s the ultimate circuit bending victim. For [Jeremy Geppert], they’re all-around good fun and he wanted to immortalize the device in a Simple Add-On (SAO).

• The Straits Times ☛ Fast cars, speed dating: Lifestyles of ‘tech new rich’ in Taiwan’s Silicon Valley

  Tech workers in Hsinchu's semiconductor industry tend to earn more than average but clock long hours.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Dark Matter May Interact With Regular Matter Beyond Gravity, Study Finds

    This is very unexpected.

  • Science Alert ☛ Tiny Black Holes Could Zip Through Our Solar System, Causing Mars to Wobble

    Dark matter comes to us!

  • Science Alert ☛ Research Says You Can Change Your Personality if You Do This

    It could help you live the life you want.

  • Science Alert ☛ Vikings Sailed to The Ends of Earth to Search For Ivory, DNA Suggests

    A crucial moment in the history of our species.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Neutrino Detector Finally in Operation, And It Could Break Physics as We Know It

    On the hunt for ghosts.

  • Science Alert ☛ Earth's Largest Organism Is Slowly Being Eaten, Scientist Says

    Nothing lasts forever.

  • Science Alert ☛ Fossils Reveal The True Origin of The Oldest Tombstone in The US

    Probably not next-day delivery.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Nearby Supernova May Have Boosted Diverse Life On Earth

    Did the ripples of a dying star contribute to our existence?

• Education

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chinese University of Hong Kong approves scientist Dennis Lo as new head

    The Chinese University of Hong Kong has approved renowned molecular biologist Dennis Lo as its new vice-chancellor and president. The university council on Friday unanimously approved the appointment of Lo, currently the associate research dean of the institution’s medical faculty. The decision came after a search committee recommended Lo as the sole candidate.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Turn A Mouse Into An Analogue Tuning Knob

    The software defined radio has opened up unimaginable uses of the radio spectrum for radio enthusiasts, but it’s fair to say that there’s one useful feature of an old-fashioned radio they lack when used via a computer. We’re talking of course about the tuning knob, because it represents possibly the most intuitive way to move across the bands. Never fear though, because [mircemk] has a solution. He’s converted a mouse into a tuning dial.

  • Hackaday ☛ Retro Gadgets: Things Your TV No Longer Needs

    It is hard to imagine that a handful of decades ago, TV wasn’t a thing. We’ve talked a few times about the birth of television. After an admittedly slow slow start, it took over like wildfire. Of course, anything that sells millions will spawn accessories. Some may be great. Then there are others.

  • Hackaday ☛ Spectroscopy On The Cheap

    [Project 326] wanted to know exactly what gas was in some glass tubes. The answer, of course, is to use a spectrometer, but that’s an expensive piece of gear, right? Not really. Sure, these cheap devices aren’t perfect, but they are serviceable and, as the video below shows, there are ways to work around some of the limitations.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ AMD X670E motherboard bug downgrades PCIe 5.0 SSDs to PCIe 1.0 speeds

    Some AMD X670E motherboards are downgrading PCIe 5.0 SSDs to PCIe 1.0 speeds — but why?

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Canon delivers first nanoimprint lithography tool to US institute backed by Intel, Samsung, DARPA

    Nanoimprint lithography could get a serious boost as Canon delivers first tool to the Texas Institute for Electronics, which is backed by defective chip maker Intel and other notable companies.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Questionable report claims Arm approached defective chip maker Intel to buy products group and got rejected

    Arm is reportedly interested in Intel's products group, Bloomberg says.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel is on track to receive its $8.5 billion CHIPS Act award by year-end

    Sources say that defective chip maker Intel could start receiving parts of its $8.5-billion CHIPS Act payout before the end of 2024.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China urges local companies to stay away from Nvidia’s chips

    Nvidia chips are the gold standard for companies looking to develop artificial intelligence services.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Scoop News Group ☛ U.S. government charges three Iranians in Trump campaign hack

    The individuals allegedly used spearphishing and malware to target the accounts of “dozens” of current and former U.S. officials. 

  • The Strategist ☛ Why informed discussion on AUKUS is good for everyone

    The Australian government needs to lead the narrative on AUKUS. If it doesn’t, others will. More and better-informed discussion about AUKUS is a good thing.

  • New York Times ☛ The Wily Spy Who Risked His Life to Meet North Korea’s Secretive Leader

    Park Chae-so was so successful in infiltrating the North that Kim Jong-il, the enigmatic ruler, once gifted him blueberry wine. So why was the celebrated undercover agent later jailed by South Korea?

  • The Straits Times ☛ China holds military drills in South China Sea after talks with U.S.

    Chinese air and sea forces are conducting manoeuvres in a disputed area of the South China Sea, the military said on Saturday, hours after the country's top diplomat discussed ways of reducing regional tension with his U.S. counterpart.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China conducts air, sea patrols near flashpoint reef

    Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines, US, Australia, Japan, New Zealand to hold joint maritime activity in South China Sea

    The Philippines and China have sparred over disputed areas of the South China Sea.

  • RFA ☛ Chinese nuclear submarine sank at dock: media

    US officials were quoted as saying that a Chinese Zhou-class nuclear sub sank during construction.

  • CS Monitor ☛ ‘We’re going to take care of you.’ Marine Corps museum offers veterans respite.

    A new respite room at the Marine Corps museum lets veterans grapple with wounds of war – a big step for a military branch known for bravado.

  • Defence Web ☛ Aspides’ Sounion mission prevented environmental and humanitarian catastrophe

    The importance of maritime security – from securing assets and cargo to environmental protection – was ably displayed by the recent attack on an oil tanker in the Red Sea.

  • Defence Web ☛ Police recover 200+ firearms out of more than seven thousand stolen

    Minister Senzo Mchunu’s SA Police Service (SAPS) recovered less than five percent of the recorded 7 653 stolen and 588 lost firearms in the 2022/23 financial year.

  • Modern Diplomacy ☛ Change in American Foreign Policy: A Fatal Blow to Democracies

    Recent changes in the foreign policy of the United States of America have caused fundamental shifts in the global democratic order and dealt a fatal blow to democratic values ​​and systems. To reduce economic costs, address internal challenges, and expand geopolitical reach, the U.S. shifted from a “hardware-oriented” approach focusing on military presence to a “software-oriented” strategy based on technology and outsourcing. Based on the logic of outsourcing, this country reduced its direct political and military presence in the Middle East and North Africa region, delegating military and political responsibilities to its regional allies. Instead, it relied on technology and aerial control to maintain influence and manage threats.

  • New York Times ☛ In U.N. Speech, Netanyahu Declares That Israel Is ‘Winning’

    The Israeli prime minister castigated Israel’s critics and the United Nations itself during his visit to New York for the U.N. General Assembly.

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ Scenes From Florida as Hurricane Helene Roared Through

    Helene made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast late Thursday, one year after the area was hit by Hurricane Idalia.

  • University of Michigan ☛ SEAS and Michigan Climate Action Network host 2024 Climate Summit

    The Michigan Climate Action Network and the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability hosted the 2024 Michigan Climate Summit in Ann Arbor Thursday.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Titan Sub Hearing: What We’ve Learned So Far

      Contrary to public reports last year, the passengers probably had no idea that the vessel was about to implode.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Renewables offer opportunity in the Western Balkans. But challenges remain.

      The Western Balkans rely heavily on aging coal plants for electricity production, with five of its nations generating about 40 to 95 percent of their electricity from lignite, leading to significant pollution and related health issues.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ PSA: 2024's Funniest Wildlife Photos Are Here. It's Comedy Break Time.

      We haven't stopped laughing.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Squid Fishing in Japan

      Fishermen are catching more squid as other fish are depleted.

• Finance

  • Digital Music News ☛ National Symphony Orchestra Goes on Strike Ahead of Season Opening

    For the first time in 46 years, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) musicians have called a strike against their employer, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Here’s the latest.

  • Breach Media ☛ Pierre Poilievre is wrong: immigrants aren’t the culprit of the housing crisis

    Pierre Poilievre claims immigrants are causing the housing crisis—here’s why he’s wrong

  • CS Monitor ☛ Five comedians walk into a barbershop. Why secret shows are selling out worldwide.

    Don’t Tell Comedy’s success reflects the remarkable boom of live comedy since the pandemic. Held on boats or in boxing gyms, the pop-up shows sell out to audiences that don’t know whom they’re seeing – or where they’re going.

  • CS Monitor ☛ ‘Tariff Man’ Trump proposes even bigger tariffs on foreign goods. Will they deliver?

    Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has recently announced a flurry of new tariff proposals on imports from Mexico. Economists say tariffs are a mostly inefficient way to raise funds and increase jobs, and the burden often hits consumers.

  • RFA ☛ China calls on Hong Kong tycoons to help kickstart national economy

    But the city's business families, many from Shanghai and Ningbo, have scant trust for the Chinese Communist Party.

  • RFA ☛ China investigates US company for refusing to buy Xinjiang cotton

    The action is in apparent response to US law banning goods produced in the region, analysts say.

  • France24 ☛ France’s debt rose to 112 percent of GDP in second quarter, data show

    France’s public debt increased to near €3.23 trillion, or 112 percent of GDP, between April and June, official statistics showed Friday. The data was published as the country’s new government is looking to tackle the mounting debt pile, with Prime Minister Michel Barnier expected to outline his policies in a speech to lawmakers next week.

  • Press Gazette ☛ News media job cuts 2024 tracked: US national network Scripps News shuts with loss of 200 jobs

  • The Strategist ☛ Exclusive: Inside Beijing’s app collecting information from Belt and Road companies

    China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs operates a secure digital platform that connects it directly with Chinese companies operating abroad, requiring participating companies to submit regular reports about their activities and local security conditions [[...]

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China releases estimated US$140b liquidity as it cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending

    By James Edgar China on Friday cut the amount banks must hold in reserve, releasing an estimated US$142.6 billion in liquidity into the financial market as leaders embark on one of their biggest drives in years to kickstart growth.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • JURIST ☛ HRW report finds EU Commission president overlooked founding principles in new mandate

    A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published on Thursday stated that the President of the European Union (EU) Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, overlooked the EU’s founding principles and guidelines on human rights in the mission letters she wrote to the European commissioners for the new mandate of 2024 to 2029.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China says it hopes to improve ties with Japan after ruling party picks Shigeru Ishiba as new leader

    China on Friday said it wanted to improve ties with Japan, after the country’s ruling party chose former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba as its new leader. “The long-term, sound and steady development of China-Japan relations serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.

  • The Kent Stater ☛ Voter registration group botched registering Kent State students

    Throughout the semester, members of a group known as Akron Votes have roamed around campus registering student voters. Recently, it has been revealed that this group has been registering students incorrectly.   Several YikYak posts warned students of Akron Votes’ activity on campus and questioned the group’s origin and intentions.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Security Week ☛ Sophistication of AI-Backed Operation Targeting Senator Points to Future of Deepfake Schemes

      Experts believe schemes like this will become more common now that the technical barriers that once existed around generative artificial intelligence have decreased.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • RFA ☛ INTERVIEW: Umbrella Movement ‘was about protecting Hong Kongers’

    For co-founder Chu Yiu-ming, the campaign was fueled by memories of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre in Beijing.

  • New York Times ☛ This Is What Can Land You in Jail for Sedition in Hong Kong

    Three men were the first to be convicted under the city’s recently expanded national security law, which has greatly curtailed political speech.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ 10 years on, where are the leaders of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement now?

    Saturday marks the 10th anniversary of the start of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement, which saw protesters occupy major thoroughfares in key districts to call for the right to elect their own leader.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Brand safety a ‘con’ costing news industry billions, new research says

    Huge research project suggests brand safety fears over news content are misplaced.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Pay for UK journalists has grown since 2018 after period of stagnation

    NCTJ Journalists at Work survey results show those who use Hey Hi (AI) are paid more.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Gaming media group Gamurs cuts 30 staff, blaming Surveillance Giant Google ‘helpful content’ update

    Staff were informed by mass email and immediately logged out of their Slack and email accounts.

  • Press Gazette ☛ News diary 30 Sept – 6 Oct: UK-EU talks, Conservative Party conference, Julian Assange gives testimony

  • Press Gazette ☛ Ceefax 50th birthday party in four paragraphs

    Ceefax was the BBC’s text-based TV news service which taught a generation of journalists to write stories in chunks of four paragraphs which made sense whatever scrolling page of an article the reader landed on. Here Ian Westbrook marks the Ceefax anniversary – in four paragraphs.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Future closes titles and events deemed ‘low to no growth assets’

    3D World, All About Space, Total 911 and iMore among brands closing.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Academy for Disabled Journalists issues funding SOS

    Diploma course postponed as Lottery funding runs out for academy.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Stanford University ☛ This law school alum founded a world-famous nonprofit supported by Oprah and Jimmy Kimmel

    GEANCO, a nonprofit that brings healthcare and education to communities in Nigeria, was founded by Stanford Law School alumnus Afam Onyema J.D. ’07.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • Mat Duggan ☛ How Mobile Networks Work

      I've spent a fair amount of time around networking. I've worked for a small ISP, helped to set up campus and office networks and even done a fair amount of work with BGP and assisting with ISP failover and route work. However in my current role I've been doing a lot of mobile network diagnostics and troubleshooting which made me realize I actually don't know anything about how mobile networks operate. So I figured it was a good idea for me to learn more and write up what I find.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • MWL ☛ Why “Run Your Own Mail Server” is not in Amazon’s Kindle store

    I expect folks to ask this, so here’s a pre-emptive blog post. TLDR: for the same reasons OpenBSD Mastery: Filesystems is not. Amazon’s deal is unacceptable. You can get Run Your Own Mail Server for Kindle direct from me at Tilted Windmill Press or at Gumroad.

  • Digital Music News ☛ YouTube Wrapper App ‘Musi’ Finally Pulled from the App Store — Free Lunch Ends for Millions of Users

    After ruffling some serious major label feathers, YouTube wrapper app Musi has now been removed from the App Store. The app provided a way for users to create playlists and stream music without paying for YouTube Premium.

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ New California Law: Digital Stores Cannot Say "Buy" When They Mean "License"

    Tired of "buying" software only to realize you merely have a "license" that can be taken away?

  • Digital Music News ☛ Spotify Stock Slips After Cracking a Record High — What Does the Future Hold for SPOT?

    Spotify stock (NYSE: SPOT) has cooled after touching a record high of nearly $400 per share following Fentanylware (TikTok) Music’s shutdown announcement. Ahead of the streaming giant’s newly scheduled Q3 2024 earnings release, where will shares go from here?

  • Licensing / Legal

    • 404 Media ☛ Steam Removes Forced Arbitration Clause, Gamers Can Now Sue Valve

      "The updated Steam Subscriber Agreement (SSA) now provides that any disputes are to go forward in court instead of arbitration."

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• The Verge ☛ Google files EU antitrust complaint over Microsoft’s cloud practices

  Google has filed an antitrust complaint to EU regulators, accusing Microsoft of unfair licensing contracts for its Azure cloud services. CNBC reports that Google, which is third behind Microsoft and Amazon in the cloud market, alleges that Microsoft uses licensing terms that make it difficult and expensive to use Windows Server and Office products on non-Azure cloud infrastructure.

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Check your Patent Term Adjustments (PTA): What you Need to Know about the USPTO Error

    The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has disclosed a significant error in its patent monopoly term adjustment (PTA) calculations, potentially affecting patents issued between March 19, 2024, and July 30, 2024.

    The USPTO discovered a coding error introduced in a recent software update.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Dominion Harbor entity, Columbia Peak, video surveillance patent monopoly challenged [Ed: Also connected to Microsoft troll]

    On September 26, 2024, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 7,446,803, owned and asserted by Columbia Peak Ventures, LLC, an NPE and Dominion Harbor entity. The ‘803 patent monopoly relates to a system for annotating and searching video files.

    Unified is represented by in-house counsel, Alyssa Holtslander and Michelle Aspen, in this proceeding.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ How the UPC is accelerating generational change in Dutch patent monopoly litigation firms [Ed: This is an illegal and fake court, but this site got paid to actively lobby, lie for, and trying to legitimise this illegality while also ignoring serious crimes that are going on at EPO; this is not journalism]

      Amsterdam in late summer belongs to the youth. From August to September groups of young people can be found on every corner of the Dutch metropolis.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ Factor2 Multimedia authentication patent monopoly challenge instituted

      On September 17, 2024, two months after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 10,083,285, owned and asserted by Factor2 Multimedia Systems, LLC, an NPE. The ‘285 patent monopoly relates to two-factor authentication methods and systems.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Are these two "I * NY" Confusable for Backpacks and Clothing?

    The USPTO refused to register the mark shown below left, for "Back packs; fanny packs; tote bags" and for "“Clothing, namely, aprons, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats," finding confusion likely with the registered mark shown below right, for, inter alia, backpacks and t-shirts. The goods are in-part identical and those goods presumably travel in the same trade channels to the same classes of consumers. But what about the marks? How do you think this appeal came out? In re Damselfly Global LLC, Serial No. 97669661 (September 23, 2024) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Mark Lebow).