Leftovers

• Hackaday ☛ I Want To Believe: How To Make Technology Value Judgements

  In the iconic 1990s TV series The X Files, David Duchovny’s FBI agent-paranormal investigator Fox Mulder has a poster on his office wall. It shows a flying saucer in flight, with the slogan “I Want To Believe”. It perfectly sums up the dilemma the character faces. And while I’m guessing that only a few Hackaday readers have gone down the full lizard-people rabbit hole, wanting to believe is probably something that a lot of us who love sci-fi understand. It would be a fascinating event for science if a real extraterrestrial craft would show up, so of course we want to believe to some extent, even if we’re not seriously expecting it to appear in a Midwestern cornfield and break out the probes any time soon.

• Manuel Moreale ☛ Small scale is the best scale

  Scale matters. Send 1$ to a very small creator and you’ll make their day. Send 50$ to a famous YouTuber and they’ll barely notice it. Send an email to someone who wrote a post that resonated with you on their small personal site and you might start a friendship. Send a message to a famous celebrity and there’s a high chance they won’t even see it.

• Sara Jakša ☛ My Interview in the Manu's People and Blogs

  Yesterday, the interview that I wrote up on the beginning of October was published on the People and Blogs site.

  It is an interesting series, where he highlight the other bloggers by asking them questions covering different aspects of their blogs. I invite all of you to read some of it. While I would be happy if you read my interview, I won't mind if you skip mine and and read some other you would find interesting.

• Derek Sivers ☛ To question is to consider, not refute | Derek Sivers

  Some people hear questions as disinclinations. You say, “Why are we going?” They hear, “I don’t want to go.”

  Maybe they grew up around people who are indirect, and use questions to communicate cancellation. But questioning is necessary for exploring ideas.

• Chris Hannah ☛ Sticking With Eleventy for Now

  I've spent 2 days looking into the possible futures of my blog, which essentially boiled down to WordPress or Ghost as the primary options. And to be completely honest, I wasn't happy enough with any of my attempts that I'd be willing to spend time in the short term to migrate to another platform.With both platforms, I tried using various import tools, even using Perplexity to build various scripts that would take my Eleventy blog content and produce the correctly formatted files for each platform.

• Standards/Consortia

  • Manuel Moreale ☛ An appreciation of the “mark all as read” button

    Social media timelines are designed to be an endless stream of, well, mostly garbage these days. Platforms are doing their absolute best (worst?) to exploit every single one of our psychological weaknesses to keep us hooked on their stupid platforms. And that’s precisely why I love, LOVE, RSS. RSS was and still is an incredible invention, one that I strongly believe is gonna be the antidote to much of the insanity that’s plaguing the modern web. There are two things in particular in my setup that make RSS the perfect tool for media consumption. The first is the ability to control syncing.

  • Air Force Times ☛ Space Force targeting more affordable GPS satellites

    Four companies — Sierra Space, L3Harris, Astranis and Axient, which was recently acquired by Astrion — won study contracts in late September to draft early concepts for the Space Force’s Resilient GPS program, or R-GPS. In five to eight months, the service plans to choose at least two companies to finalize their designs and build prototypes. It will then pick one or more firms to build the first eight satellites, which it wants ready for launch by 2028.

  • [Old] Encyclopedia Britannica ☛ RSS | Definition, Meaning, & Facts | Britannica

    RSS was originally introduced in 1999 by the American Internet-services company Netscape Communications Corp., for use with its MyNetscape portal. After Netscape abandoned the standard, software maker UserLand picked up development. With the 2002 release of the RSS 2.0.1 specifications, UserLand froze the standard and assigned the copyright to Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Desire in the Web community for further development led to the creation of an alternative syndication standard known as Atom. Many websites offered subscriptions in both formats. However, with the rise of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, use of RSS declined as more people used those services to be notified of new content.

  • [Old] Dave Taylor ☛ What we need is a great metaphor for RSS

    So, dear reader, where do we go from here? People are most familiar with magazines in this sense: what of the magazine subscription model is relevant to the Web and RSS? Business-folk are also familiar with newspaper “clipping services” but that doesn’t really describe the RSS subscription space either. I can see the need. I just can’t quite capture that great metaphor that lets us truly communicate the essence, concept and value of RSS. Can you?

  • [Old] San José State University ☛ RSS Explained - SJSU - School of Information

    What does the orange radio signal icon mean? Perhaps you regularly visit a blog, and don’t want to miss a posting? RSS can help.

    The simplest analogy for understanding RSS is that it lets you subscribe to an Internet source of information like you subscribe to a newspaper or magazine. When the latest issue of a magazine is published, you could go to a local store to buy it, or you could save time and money by having it delivered in the mail. RSS is akin to subscribing to the magazine rather than going to the store. You no longer have to visit a site every day to get all the latest content. Blog posts come at irregular intervals: some days there are more than one, other days there are none. Rather than check every day, RSS does it for you.

• Science

  • Wired ☛ These Rats Learned to Drive—and They Love It

    Although cars made for rats are far from anything they would encounter in the wild, we believed that driving represented an interesting way to study how rodents acquire new skills. Unexpectedly, we found that the rats had an intense motivation for their driving training, often jumping into the car and revving the “lever engine” before their vehicle hit the road. Why was that?

  • Bartosz Milewski ☛ Sieves and Sheaves

    We’ve seen an intuitive description of presheaves as virtual objects. We can use the same trick to visualize natural transformations.

    A natural transformation can be drawn as a virtual arrow \alpha between two virtual objects corresponding to two presheaves S and P. Indeed, for every s_a \in S a, seen as an arrow a \to S, we get an arrow a \to P simply by composition \alpha \circ s_a. Notice that we are thus defining the composition with \alpha, because we are outside of the original category. A component \alpha_a of a natural transformation is a mapping between two arrows.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Bypassing Airpods Hearing Aid Georestriction With A Faraday Cage

    When Apple recently announced the hearing aid feature on their new AirPods Pro 2, it got the attention of quite a few people. Among these were [Rithwik Jayasimha] and friends, with [Rithwik] getting a pair together with his dad for use by his hard-of-hearing grandmother. That’s when he found out that this feature is effectively limited to the US and a small number of other countries due them being ‘regulated health features’, per Apple. With India not being on the approved countries list and with no interest in official approval legalities, [Rithwik] set to work to devise a way to bypass this restriction.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong caregivers urged to set aside ‘me-time’ as survey finds 80% are aged 60 or above

    Hong Kong caregivers have been urged to set aside “me-time” and address their own well-being as a survey found that 80 per cent of them were aged 60 or above.

  • Robert Birming ☛ The Zen of Coding

    They say time is money. Considering how rewarding these precious moments are to me, it’s a bargain.

  • New York Times ☛ First U.S. Case of Severe Form of Mpox Reported in California

    The unidentified patient had recently returned from Africa, where the virus has caused a deadly epidemic, health officials said.

  • NYPost ☛ US Health officials report first known case of new, more severe strain of monkeypox

    The first known case in the United States of a more severe strain of the monkeypox virus was confirmed in California Saturday.

  • New York Times ☛ What We Know About R.F.K. Jr.’s Diet and Eating Habits

    Mr. Kennedy, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, could wield considerable influence over the nation’s food supply. Here’s what we know about his own habits.

  • New York Times ☛ Trump Relished, and Rewarded, Kennedy’s Endorsement. Did It Matter?

    In the backing of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald J. Trump found the kind of name-brand validation he covets. But polls suggest Mr. Kennedy’s supporters didn’t race to the ballot box.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • NYPost ☛ Google Hey Hi (AI) chatbot threatens student asking for homework help, saying: ‘Please die’

    AI, yi, yi.

  • Head Topics ☛ Goodbye to big tech’s big perks? Singapore workers say global techlash has come for their benefits [Ed: Losing benefits at Microsoft, workers lost many "perks"]

    John , who has worked at Amazon and left Microsoft earlier in 2024 after five years in technical sales, described the state of the industry as grim.

  • Semafor Inc ☛ New AI granny fights digital scammers

    “Daisy” is an AI with the voice of a grandmother, developed for a British telecoms company: Using technology similar to ChatGPT Voice, it keeps fraudsters on the phone to “waste as much of their time as possible,” telling meandering stories about her family and handing out fake personal information. It has kept frustrated scammers on the phone for up to 40 minutes, and shows that like any new technology, AI is dual-use: While it will make scamming easier, it can provide tools for fighting it, too.

  • Pivot to AI ☛ Substack readers may be paying for AI-generated newsletters, Medium full of slop too

    Substack is a hugely popular newsletter platform. Top writers can draw in over $1 million a year in subscriptions. But a lot of these top blogs may be at least partly AI slop.

    AI detection startup GPTZero looked at 100 top Substack newsletters. It claims that 10% contained at least some LLM-generated text content — while 70% significantly relied on it.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Pro Publica ☛ Gun Industry’s Sharing of Customer Data Slammed by U.S. Sen. Blumenthal

    A U.S. senator this week criticized the gun industry for secretly harvesting personal information from firearm owners for political purposes, calling it an “invasive and dangerous intrusion” of privacy and safety.

    In a letter sent to the National Shooting Sports Foundation on Tuesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., questioned the legality of the “covert program” in which firearms manufacturers for years shared sensitive customer information with political operatives.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Pounds Area Near Beirut Amid Signs of a Widening Offensive

    Israel and Hezbollah indicated they were clashing deeper inside Lebanese territory. An escalation could undermine efforts to reach a cease-fire, as Iran’s leader signaled he supported ending the war with Israel.

  • New York Times ☛ Lebanese Fear That Wherever the Displaced Go, Israeli Bombs Will Follow

    Tensions among multiple sects in the country have long lurked just below the surface. As hundreds of thousands flee Israeli airstrikes in the south, those strains are worsening.

  • Malaysia protests new Philippine maritime zones laws for South China Sea

    The action comes about a week after Kuala Lumpur filed a similar complaint against Vietnam.

  • Defence Web ☛ BMA Commissioner calls for private sector involvement to help with SA’s border management

    Dr Mike Masiapato, Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner, has called for public-private partnerships to improve the management of South Africa’s borders, as the BMA “was never meant to work alone”.

  • Defence Web ☛ Escalating Red Sea risks divert German Navy Task Group to South Africa

    The German Navy’s (Deutsche Marine) Task Group 500.01, comprising the frigate FGS Baden-Württemberg (F222) and the replenishment vessel Frankfurt am Main (A1412) made an unexpected but warmly welcomed arrival at the Port of Cape Town on Tuesday 12 November.

  • The Strategist ☛ Ongoing staff shortages handicap Australia’s peak intelligence oversight body

    Staffing levels at Australia’s peak intelligence oversight body are regressing, impeding its ability to ensure that national security agencies operate as intended within our democratic framework of institutions and laws.

  • Federal News Network ☛ DoD adds new drones, software enablers under Replicator

    Since the launch of the program last August, defense officials have been tight-lipped about the initiative, and prior to this week’s announcement, the only publicly disclosed drone used in the program was AeroVironment’s Switchblade 600.

    Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said the Anduril Industries Ghost-X and Performance Drone Works C-100 UAS selected for the second tranche of Replicator will advance the Army’s Company-Level Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) effort.

  • New Yorker ☛ Bearing Witness to American Exploits

    Peter van Agtmael’s images of war and domestic strife are arresting and almost cinematically spare, but it is the careful narrative arc of his new book, “Look at the U.S.A.,” that deepens the viewer’s experience.

  • Latvia ☛ It's no secret – Latvian security service has a new home

    On November 15, a new headquarters for the Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) was officially opened. SAB is one of Latvia's three security and intelligence services alongside the State Security Service (VDD) and Defence Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD).

  • New York Times ☛ North Korea Blasts Unbearable Sounds To South Korea

    Relations between the neighbors have sunk to the lowest level in years. Now, Pyongyang is blaring eerie sounds across the border that villagers say is making their lives hell.

  • China, Taiwan

    • Digital Music News ☛ TikTok Launches Full-Blown ‘Immersive Hub’ for BTS’ Jin [Ed: Beijing controlling Seoul digitally]

      TikTok partners with K-pop superstar Jin of BTS to release an immersive hub in support of his first solo album, ‘Happy,’ out now. Fentanylware (TikTok) announces its latest artist partnership, with a new multimedia campaign and immersive hub in support of BTS’ Jin and his first solo album, Happy, which released today, November 15.

    • Digital Music News ☛ YouTube Takes a Page Out of the Fentanylware (TikTok) Playbook with Digital Gift ‘Jewels’ [Ed: A race to the bottom (digital poisons)]

      YouTube takes a page out of the Fentanylware (TikTok) and Twitch playbook with digital ‘jewels’ you buy to send to your favorite creators.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Eight dead, 17 hurt in China school knife attack

      A 21-year-old former student has been arrested; police say he was angry after failing an exam.

    • France24 ☛ At least eight dead after stabbing attack at a vocational school in eastern China

      At least eight people were killed and 17 others wounded Saturday in a knife attack at a vocational school in eastern China, and the suspect – a former student – has been arrested, police said. This is the second deadly attack within a week after a man rammed his car into a crowd at a sports facity in southern China, leaving 35 dead.

    • New York Times ☛ China Hit Again With Fatal Violence as at Least 8 Die in Stabbing

      The stabbing, in the eastern city of Wuxi, took place days after a man drove a vehicle into a crowd in southern China, killing dozens.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Police formally arrest suspect in China car ramming

      Thirty-five people died when an SUV was driven into people exercising outside a sports complex in the southern city of Zhuhai.

    • New York Times ☛ As Pooh-tin and Biden Meet, Trump and Uncertainty Loom Large

      The two leaders will meet in Peru, where China has steadily expanded its influence in a challenge to the United States in its own region.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan’s Apec representative invites Biden to visit island

      Apec is one of the few international meetings both Taiwan and China take part in.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan's APEC representative says no handshake or dialogue with China's Xi, only wave

      The lack of interaction contrasts with the meeting Mr Lin had with US President Joe Biden.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China frees Taiwan fishing boat captain after four months

      Four of the crew were released in August, while the boat and its captain were freed on Nov 15.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China frees Taiwan boat captain after 4 months of detention over illegal fishing

      A Taiwanese fishing boat captain held in China for more than four months on allegations of illegal fishing has been released after paying a fine, Taiwan’s coast guard said Saturday.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s Yoon tells China’s Pooh-tin cooperation for peace needed

      Xi and Yoon held a summit for the first time in two years on the sidelines of the Apec summit.

    • The Straits Times ☛ As Trump return looms, Chinese President Pooh-tin criticises protectionism at Apec summit

      But some analysts say China’s pitch as a counterbalance to a protectionist US has lost its shine.

    • The Straits Times ☛ New Zealand PM Luxon, China's Pooh-tin Jinping pledge cooperation at APEC

      New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping, in their first meeting, pledged cooperation at an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru.

    • The Straits Times ☛ All eyes on Indonesia’s next move after ‘overlapping claims’ used in its deal with China

      Asean nations in territorial disputes with China are watching whether Indonesia uses the term again.

    • The Straits Times ☛ This man spent 20 years of his life restoring the most dangerous part of the Great Wall of China

      While large swathes have been damaged or disintegrated with time, a generation of Great Wall guardians is stepping up to protect it.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China willing to be partners and friends with US, says top Chinese envoy

      Beijing is seeking to reset relations with the US ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the presidency.

    • RFERL ☛ In Final Meeting, Pooh-tin Tells Biden China Is Ready To Work With New Administration

      In their final meeting, China’s leader Pooh-tin Jinping told U.S. President Joe Biden that his nation was "ready to work with a new administration,” as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take over.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan minister takes group of company executives to Lithuania

      The visit will very likely draw a rebuke from China.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Japan's Mount Fuji eyes China-made tram to transport hikers

      Mount Fuji is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ World's second-largest GPU maker flees China on cusp of RTX 5090 launch to avoid US sanctions — Zotac, Inno3D, and Manli bail amidst looming US GPU export controls

      According to reports, the Hong Kong-based PC partner will relocate the company and headquarters to Singapore while shifting its production facilities to Indonesia.

    • Fresh Chinese support may not be enough to save Myanmar junta

      Fresh Chinese support may not be enough to save Myanmar junta

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • European Commission ☛ G7 Leaders´ Statement on Enduring support for Ukraine

      European Commission Statement Brussels, 16 Nov 2024 We, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes. We stand in solidarity contributing to its figh...

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky says he wants to end war in Ukraine by 'diplomatic means' in 2025

      Russian air defenses downed a series of Ukrainian drones in the Kursk region on Friday along with other regions along the border. This comes as Russia increases the intensity of its drone attacks on Ukraine, which experts say could be part of Moscow's strategy to attack energy infrastructure during the winter. Meanwhile Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia's war against his country will "end sooner" than it otherwise would have done, once Donald Trump becomes US president. Analysis by FRANCE 24 Chief international affairs editor Rob Parsons.

    • France24 ☛ 'Ukraine does not wait for authorisation from its Western partners to act on Russian territory'

      In the past few months, Russia but also Ukraine have increased their use of drones in the war. According to FRANCE 24 correspondent in Kyiv Emmanuelle Chaze, this is a sign that Ukraine does not wait for authorisation from its Western partners to act on Russian territory.

    • France24 ☛ How Russia mixes deadly new weapon among decoy drones in Ukraine

      Russian air defence units intercepted a series of Ukrainian drones in several Russian regions, officials said, many of them in Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops launched a major incursion in August.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky says he wants Russia-Ukraine war to end by ‘diplomatic means’ in 2025

      As Ukraine and Russia prepare for Donald Trump's return to the White House next year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said Russia's war against his country must end by diplomatic means.

    • RFERL ☛ Host Georgia, Ukraine Draw Under Downpour In Nations League Match

      Georgia and Ukraine drew 1:1 in their fifth-round meeting of the UEFA Nations League group stage. The match was played in pouring rain at Adjarabet Arena in the Georgian Black Sea coast city of Batumi.

    • RFERL ☛ 12 Ukrainians Held By Belarus On 'Extremism' Charges

      At least 12 Ukrainian citizens have been detained in Belarus on "extremism" charges, according to Kyiv's former ambassador to Minsk and current ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, Ihor Kyzym.

    • RFERL ☛ G7 Vows 'Unwavering Support' For Ukraine As Invasion Nears 1,000th Day

      The Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized countries reiterated its members' "unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes" as that country battles for its survival against invading Russian forces.

    • RFERL ☛ In Ukraine, Top Japanese Diplomat Warns Of 'Alarming' North Korean Move

      Visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said that Tokyo and Kyiv have committed to increased dialogue on security issues in light of the "extremely alarming situation" around the recent deployment of North Korean troops to Russia as Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 could be banned in Russia, and players could face criminal charges — Russian government will evaluate whether the game contains anti-Russian sentiments or terrorism justification

      According to RBC-Ukraine News, the Russian government is considering banning Stalker 2.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea troops in Ukraine war ‘extremely significant’ for East Asia security, says Japan minister

      Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya was speaking during a visit to Kyiv.

    • France24 ☛ Biden, Pooh-tin set for tense final meeting in Peru as Trump era looms

      Joe Biden meets Chinese president Pooh-tin Jinping for the last time as U.S. president on Saturday, but the leaders' goal of lowering tensions before Donald Trump's inauguration is challenged by fresh conflicts over cyber crime, trade, Taiwan and Russia. For more information, FRANCE 24's William Hilderbrandt interviews Jean-Paul Tchange, economist specialising in Chinese economics.

    • France24 ☛ Protesters storm parliament in breakaway Georgian region Abkhazia over deal with Russia

      Protesters stormed the parliament of the Russian-backed breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia on Friday and opposition politicians demanded the resignation of the self-styled president over an unpopular investment agreement with Moscow. Details by Nick Rushworth.

    • RFERL ☛ Black Liquid Splashed On Election Chief As Georgia Validates Disputed Poll Results

      Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC) on November 16 validated the results of last month's disputed elections despite weeks of protests by the opposition and accusations of widespread fraud and Russian interference.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia's Gazprom Stops Flow Of Natural Gas To Austria, OMV Utility Says

      Russia’s state-owned natural gas company Gazprom stopped supplies to Austria early on November 16, according to the Vienna-based utility OMV, after OMV said it would stop payments for the gas following an arbitration award.

    • RFERL ☛ Austria Says Russia's Gazprom Will Cut Off Natural Gas Supply This Weekend

      Russia’s state-owned natural gas company Gazrom will cut off supplies to Austria’s OMV utility early on November 16, Austria’s chancellor said, adding his country’s underground gas storage was full and that it had alternative, non-Russia supplies.

    • New York Times ☛ Vladimir Shklyarov, Star Russian Ballet Dancer, Dies at 39

      The Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, which announced the death, did not say how or where he died.

    • RFERL ☛ Embattled Leader Vows To 'Stabilize' Abkhazia, But Protesters Still Hold Parliament

      The embattled leader of Georgia's Moscow-backed separatist region of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, was quoted as saying on November 16 that "legitimate authorities" control all of Abkhazia except the parliamentary complex that opposition protesters wrested control of a day earlier.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ 6.6-magnitude quake strikes off Papua New Guinea: USGS

    The quake was 51km deep.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Muslims in Pakistan’s smog-shrouded Punjab province pray for rain

    Pakistan's most populous province grapples every winter with smog.

  • France24 ☛ 'Green Islam': How Indonesian Muslims are helping protect the Earth [Ed: 'Greenwashing Islam']

    Indonesia may be on the front lines of the fight against global warming, but many of its people are climate sceptics. A 2019 survey found that Indonesia – the world's biggest Muslim-majority country – has the highest proportion  of climate change sceptics globally. About 18 percent of respondents said human activity is not affecting the climate, compared with 16 percent in the US. Campaigners are hoping that Islamic authorities and mosques can help raise awareness of environmental issues. They've condemned deforestation, installed solar panels on their premises and spearheaded waste recycling.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Defence Web ☛ Defence Minister to visit Stilfontein as significant number of illegal miners remain underground

      Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga, together with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, will this morning (Friday 15 November) visit the North West Province in response to the government’s ongoing operation to address illegal mining in the Stilfontein area, where a significant number of illegal miners remain underground.

    • DeSmog ☛ British Gas Given Under the Radar Access to COP29 Climate Summit

    • The Verge ☛ 18 states want the SEC to stop enforcing [cryptoxurrency] regulation

      The US Securities and Exchange Commission wants to “unilaterally wrest regulatory authority away from the States” when it comes to [cryptourrency], according to a lawsuit from 18 states. These states want to halt the SEC’s enforcement actions, so they can manage crypto regulation instead. Also named as a plaintiff on the suit is the DeFi Education Fund, a special interest lobbyist.

    • Molly White ☛ Issue 70 – The Cryptocurrency States of America

      Crypto’s efforts to buy the 2024 elections paid off, and we’re in for a bumpy ride.

    • Science Alert ☛ New Thermal Material Could Slash Data Center Cooling Demands

      In an experimental lab test setup, the TIM was able to double the amount of heat that could be safely transferred away from every square centimeter of an electronic component, compared to a leading thermal paste – while also reducing the component's overall temperature.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New York Times ☛ Man Hiding Tarantulas, Centipedes and Ants Is Stopped From Boarding Flight

      Officials in Lima, Peru, said the endangered spiders had been taken from the Amazon basin. The man was flying to South Korea.

    • Derek Kędziora ☛ Sperm whales and language

      I’m fascinated by the idea that whales are an advanced civilization right in front of us that we have haven’t given much thought to communicating with. Our idea of aliens has been shaped by Star Trek, and we think that we’ll happen upon some green creatures that conveniently speak fluent English.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ Yes, Most People Probably Should Hold Off on Claiming Social Security

    Readers had a lot of thoughtful objections to this idea. As a general rule, I stand by it.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ 18 state attorneys general sue SEC over digital asset regulation

    A group of Republican state attorneys general has sued the Securities and Exchange Commission over the agency’s regulatory approach toward digital assets.  The lawsuit was filed late Thursday with a federal court in Kentucky. The plaintiffs include 18 state attorneys general as well the DeFi Education Fund, a digital asset advocacy organization.

  • Thailand to grant citizenship to nearly 500,000 people [Ed: That's citizenship as a product on sale to "support the economy"]

    The aim is to improve national security and support the economy, officials said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan marks modern-day adventurer’s final stop on 46,000km trek across Asia

    A former financial analyst for Amazon, he funded his journey through savings and frugal spending.

  • New York Times ☛ Stocks Fall as Wall Street’s Election Enthusiasm Subsides

    The post-election rally has lost steam, with the S&P 500 down 2 percent for the week. But major stock indexes are still up since Election Day.

  • CRA Plans Job Cuts For Temporary Workers

    This move by the CRA is part of a larger trend of layoffs affecting numerous industries across Canada. Big names like AMD, Boeing, Visa, and IBM are among other companies facing similar cuts due to economic pressures. This has led to heightened worries among workers about job security across multiple sectors.

  • Hardware giants cut 20,000+ jobs in 2024 as industry double down on AI [Ed: As if rebranding GPUs as "hey hi" means that financial failure is expected and "innovation"]

    It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for hardware companies. For a handful of hardware companies, 2024 was a tough year. Intel, Dell, AMD, IBM jointly cut more than 23,000 jobs this year.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Lessons from Red States on How to Push Back

    For many, last week's election was a paralyzing shock. But progressives in red states have proven that it is possible to push back against MAGA -- and win.

    [...]

    What matters most, here, is not “the courts solved this” but the fact that this school district — in a relatively evenly divided blue/red community — chose to stand up for themselves and their community. Of the 47 districts to receive Schmitt’s cease and desist letter, this was the only district to push back and get it on the record that the AG was way out of bounds trying to dictate to schools how they are to protect the health of students, teachers, and other staff.

  • JURIST ☛ India Supreme Court directs Jammu & Kashmir government to develop prisoner premature release policy

    The Supreme Court of India on Friday directed the newly formed Jammu & Kashmir union territory government to frame a policy for the premature release of prisoners.

  • France24 ☛ Would banning Marine Le Pen from running for president be a gift for France's far right?

    France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen faces the prospect of being banned from running in the 2027 presidential election if found guilty of embezzling EU funds. But a guilty verdict, if it comes, could be a blessing for Le Pen’s photogenic protégé Jordan Bardella, leaving the 29-year-old with a clear path to the Elysée Palace.

  • New York Times ☛ Bernie Sanders on the Democratic Party’s Future, on “The Daily”

    “There was no appreciation — no appreciation — of the struggling and the suffering of millions and millions of working-class people,” the senator said.

  • New Yorker ☛ The Authors of “How Democracies Die” on the New Democratic Minority

    Two leading political scientists explain why voters failed to defend democracy: We never do.

  • Wired ☛ Meta Lobbyist Turned Regulator Says Europe’s Big Tech Rules Have Gone Too Far

    Aura Salla was once the tech giant’s top lobbyist in Brussels. Now, her presence as a regulator in the European Parliament is proving controversial.

    It was a bitter and knowing laugh that rippled through the audience when it was announced that Finnish politician and former Meta lobbyist Aura Salla would no longer be speaking at an event in Brussels last month.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • France24 ☛ International media accused of skewing and lying in coverage of Amsterdam riots

      Unrest broke out before and after the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv football match in Amsterdam on November 7. In the following days, international media coverage of the riots was criticised. Many outlets focused on anti-Semitic attacks, while overlooking anti-Arab or anti-Muslim behaviour by Maccabi supporters. Part of this was because a video filmed by Dutch photographer Annet de Graaf was widely circulated and often misrepresented. Our guest in this edition of Scoop is professor and disinformation expert Marc Owen Jones.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Beijing condemns US legislators over support for detained Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai

    Beijing has condemned US legislators who expressed support for Jimmy Lai, a jailed pro-democracy media tycoon whose national security trial resumes in Hong Kong next week and who faces life imprisonment if convicted. The Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong said some US lawmakers in a letter to Secretary of State Antony […]

  • New York Times ☛ Court Hears New York Times Case Against European Commission Over Vaccine Deal

    The news outlet is pushing the Commission to release text messages that the E.U.’s top official and Pfizer exchanged as they negotiated a Covid-19 vaccine contract.

  • RFERL ☛ Journalist Commits Suicide In Protest Over Arrests In Iran

    Kianoosh Sanjari, a journalist and political activist, has committed suicide to protest numerous arrests and interrogations of himself and other political activists.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • JURIST ☛ UN special rapporteur urges Ecuador to investigate alleged torture of ex-vice president

    UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Edwards on Thursday called on Ecuador to investigate and prosecute the alleged torture of its former vice president Jorge Glas. The Special Rapporteur raised alarm over the conditions of Glas, who has shown signs of physical and psychological torture.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thai soldiers tortured and killed Myanmar migrant, rights group says

    A human rights group called on Thailand to fully investigate three soldiers for the \"horrific\" death of a Myanmar migrant on the border earlier this year, saying they had tortured and beaten the man.

  • Stanford University ☛ Meyer family’s counsel responds to Stanford’s evidence modification allegations

    In the legal battle over the suicide of former Stanford women’s soccer goalkeeper Katie Meyer, the University’s counsel alleged the family modified digital evidence.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Military suicides went up again in 2023

    The number of suicides among military personnel increased again in 2023, according to the Defense Department’s annual report on suicide released Thursday.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Most Australians favor banning kids from social control media sites. But will it work?

    While the planned social control media ban has broad support, more than 140 technology and child welfare experts signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling it “too blunt an instrument” to be effective. The specifics will be unveiled next week.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Revolution over but more protests than ever in Bangladesh

    There are signs of growing concern within the govt over the constant disruptions caused by protests.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Event Wrap: VNIX-NOG 2024

    Shane Hermoso presented remotely on BGP Peering and RPKI at VNIX-NOG 2024, held in Hue, Viet Nam from 17 to 18 October 2024.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Wired ☛ Taylor Swift Fans Sue Ticketmaster for Price Gouging

  A group of almost 400 fans of Taylor Swift and other musicians filed a new lawsuit in California state court on Friday against Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation, accusing them of colluding with partner organizations to drive up ticket prices for concertgoers.

  The complaint, which expands on an existing federal court case brought by Swift fans, accuses Ticketmaster and Live Nation of engaging “in a pattern of racketeering activity” whereby ticket buyers are made to “part with more money than they are led to believe, and well exceeding the value of the products and services they receive.”

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Rise of ‘Non-Transitory’ Claims: How a Single Word Became Key to Software Patent Eligibility

    Recent patent monopoly prosecution data reveals a striking trend: the percentage of utility patents containing "non-transitory" software claims continued to increase -- from virtually zero 15 years ago to nearly 22% in 2024. This dramatic rise illustrates both the central role of software in our patent monopoly system and the peculiar formalistic requirements that have emerged around software patent monopoly eligibility under 35 U.S.C. § 101.

  • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Patent case: Judgment no. 403/2024 of Barcelona Court of Appeals, Spain

    A case concerning an automated vinification system offers us a glimpse of that rare species of patent monopoly litigation: the declaratory non-infringement action. The case demonstrates the need to carefully draft this type of action, as well as the need to choose the right evidence to support declarations that go beyond specific models.

  • Software Patents

    • PREVAIL Act Is the Latest Attack on the PTAB

      Most Patent Progress readers are probably familiar with the PREVAIL Act—legislation that is pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee that would sharply limit access to PTAB review.

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Chris Brown and Drake’s ‘No Guidance’ Hits Diamond Certification As Major Copyright Lawsuit Looms

    Chris Brown earns his first Diamond cert thanks to his collaboration with Drake, ‘No Guidance,’ the subject of a major copyright monopoly infringement lawsuit. Chris Brown and Drake’s 2019 collaboration, “No Guidance,” has been certified Diamond per the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on Tuesday, November 12, having sold over 10 million units.

  • Digital Music News ☛ U.S. Copyright Office Chief Says Hey Hi (AI) Is What Keeps Her Up At Night

    Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property on November 13. Perlmutter told the Senators that the Copyright Office is still working to get parts two and three of its report on how Hey Hi (AI) impacts copyright monopoly by the end of 2024.

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Last Order Dates for the Holiday Season - 2024

    The recommended cut-off dates to order from our shop by to ensure delivery in time for Dec 25th.

  • Torrent Freak ☛ RIAA Should Disclose Anti-Piracy Details, Altice Argues

    Altice, owner of Internet provider Optimum, is not content with the RIAA's refusal to share detailed information about its anti-piracy efforts. The ISP subpoenaed the music group to obtain potential key evidence for use in its defense against a piracy liability lawsuit filed by record labels. Faced with the RIAA's objections, Altice has filed a motion to compel.

  • Roger Comply ☛ Disney+ has turned me into a hardboiled criminal | ParanoidPenguin.net

    I find it abhorrent that a show produced by Lucasfilm (Disney-owned) and distributed by Disney has been pulled from its streaming catalog shortly after release. As a paying Disney+ subscriber, I was never permitted to watch the series in its entirety.

    Granted the show was not great, and I probably spent a year getting through the first five episodes. I still find it offensive that Disney took it down to avoid paying the show’s rights holders. What a way to give customers the middle finger.

• Gemini* and Gopher

  • Personal/Opinions

    • From Amsterdam to Tbilisi by train

      In July 2024 I went on a great summer trip, going from my home in Amsterdam, Netherlands to Tbilisi, Georgia (თბილისი, საქართველო). While for sure I was looking forward to the destination, at least half the trip (by time and by what I saw) was the journey itself and the places on the way - I went by train (and more, read on!).

      While I've done longer trips in the past, for example Amsterdam to Thessaloniki in Greece (where a small part also [made it onto my blog](/post/2023-07-17-ferry-brindisi-igoumenitsa/)), this was by far the longest and furthest I've travelled like that. And apart from a trip to Taiwan it was the furthest I've ever travelled away from home.

  • Technology and Free Software

    • Internet/Gemini

      • How I Watch for Website Updates

        This week I was wanting to setup some sort of self-hosted solution for watching a couple web pages for updates, and I believe I found a pretty great solution using ChangeDetection.io[a] and ntfy.sh[b].

        Setup here was pretty straightforward. Clone the repo, edit docker-compose.yml as needed, and run docker compose up -d. For my use case, I didn’t change anything except the default port. I also didn’t need to enable any of the fancy Webdriver or Playwright parts of the config since I knew the pages I was interested in monitoring were static, but that’s something you’ll need to look into more closely if you want to monitor any dynamic pages that depend heavily on javascript.