Leftovers

• Jim Nielsen ☛ Contrast Is Clarifying

  We must have a diversity to understand and discuss which is most fit for a given context. The web is big! “It depends”!

  How do you understand one thing without the contrast of its opposite? What is white without black? How do you understand salty without sweet? One, by definition, excludes the other, which gives form and shape to the definition of each.

  And guess what? Whichever you choose, you’ll likely choose poorly. That’s ok. Choosing poorly is where growth happens — if you let it.

  Silver bullets are for killing werewolves not building technology.

• James Brown ☛ Life Updates, 2024

  So, I haven't posted here in a while (excepting the tiny CSS post this morning, and for fixing jsSnow earlier today). I promise: I have good reason. It's been a mighty busy few months!

  Moved!

  I suppose the first thing to mention is that we've moved! Such a giant distance, from our old house in Bateman, Berkeley, CA to Rockridge, Oakland, CA¹. We moved from a 2BR/1.5BA to a 3BR/3BA, and the extra space is great. Unfortunately, its another more-than-100-year-old house, and has all of the problems that we'd already dealt with at our old house; to wit, we've had to do the following:

• Rewire the whole house, which was previously a mix of knob-and-tube and romex, mostly put together in totally unprofessional ways by a previous owner who fancied himself an electrician but apparently had never heard of a junction box and just liked to tape things together in the air/wall/ceiling. It also had a Zinsco/Sylvania panel² with 100A service and the whole house shoved onto like 6 circuits.

• Hackaday ☛ Modular Breadboard Snaps You Into Benchtop Tidiness

  Solderless breadboards are a fantastic tool for stirring the creative juices. In a few seconds, you can go from idea to prototype without ever touching the soldering iron. Unfortunately, the downside to this is that projects tend to expand to occupy all the available space on the breadboard, and the bench surrounding the project universally ends up cluttered with power supplies, meters, jumpers, and parts you’ve swapped in and out of the circuit.

• Hackaday ☛ From Cans To Sheet Metal, With Ease

  Aluminium drinks cans make a great source of thin sheet metal which can be used for all manner of interesting projects, but it’s safe to say that retrieving a sheet of metal from a can is a hazardous process. Cut fingers and jagged edges are never far away, so [Kevin Cheung]’s work in making an easy can cutter is definitely worth a look.

• Kushal Das: Bahnhof Bar

  A few weeks ago Bahnhof organized an evening to celebrate technology/innovation/freedom, and opened Bahnhof Bar only for the evening. Back in 2005 their office was raided and servers were taken, and the latest TV series, The Pirate Bay on SVT Play already showed that as part of the series.

• Jonathan Dowland ☛ Jonathan Dowland: jungle/acid/etc

  I thought it had been a full year since I last shared a playlist, but it's been two! I had a plan to produce more, but it seems I haven't. Instead here's a few tracks I've discovered recently which share a common theme.

• Junichi Uekawa: Graph for my furusato tax.

  Graph for my furusato tax.

  Exceeding 150-man will inevitably exceed 50-man limit for Ichiji-shotoku. So added some rough calculation there.

  graph.

• IT Jungle ☛ As I See It: Gratitude

  Tech has taken a number of hits this year, and many of them were aptly deserved. The issues are well known and thoroughly documented. What is often obscured, what is often lost amid the outrage, are some of tech’s extraordinary accomplishments. They are overlooked in part because they have become the baseline for our expectations.

• Standards/Consortia

  • CNX Software ☛ Matter 1.4 specification improves multi-admin and energy management, adds new devices like solar panels, batteries, and water heaters

    We covered the Matter 1.3 specification in May 2024, but the Connectivity Standards Alliance is wasting no time and the Matter 1.4 specification is already out with features and improvements such as “Enhanced Multi-Admin”, Matter certifiable Home Routers and Access Points, energy management enhancements, and several new device types such as solar power equipment and batteries.

  • CNX Software ☛ Wi-Fi 8 (802.11bn) to focus on reliability and efficiency while maintaining Wi-Fi 7 performance

    Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) routers and modules have only been launched recently, but engineers are already working on Wi-Fi 8 (802.11bn) “Ultra High Reliability (UHR)”, and MediaTek shared some details in a whitepaper detailing some of the improvements of the new standard for its upcoming Filogic Wi-Fi 8 SoCs.

• Science

  • Stanford University ☛ From micro to macro: Transforming biopigments into art pieces

    An installation at the Shriram Center blends the science of synthetic biology with the art of watercolor paintings in an exhibition entitled, "From Petri Dish to Palette: Exploring Bacterial-Based Paint."

  • NYPost ☛ Largest collection of Roman coins ever found called ‘the most miraculous’ discovery in ‘the last 100 years’

    Dr. Murray Andrews, lecturer in British archaeology at University College London, said: "It's the most miraculous thing I've seen over the last 100 years. It's an important piece of archaeology."

  • Science Alert ☛ A Hidden Process in Hot Springs May Have Been Vital For Life on Earth

    A different kind of missing link.

  • Science Alert ☛ The FDA Outlawed a Soda Ingredient Banned Around The World. Here's Why.

    It was time.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Large Head People': Mysterious New Form of Ancient Human Emerges

    Provocative claims of an entirely new hominin.

  • Science Alert ☛ We Thought Venus Was Like Earth Gone Bad. What if We Were Wrong?

    A new origin story for Earth's sister planet.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Unique 3D Printer Has A Print Head With A Twist

    If you’re used to thinking about 3D printing in Cartesian terms, prepare your brain for a bit of a twist with [Joshua Bird]’s 4-axis 3D printer that’s not quite like anything we’ve ever seen before.

  • Hackaday ☛ The Automatic Battery Charger You Never Knew You Needed

    When we saw [Max.K]’s automatic NiMh battery charger float past in the Hackaday tips line, it brought to mind a charger that might be automatic in the sense that any modern microcontroller based circuit would be; one which handles all the voltages and currents automatically. The reality is far cooler than that, a single-cell charger in which the automatic part comes in taking empty cells one by one from a hopper on its top surface and depositing them charged in a bin at the bottom.

  • Hackaday ☛ A Brief History Of Calculator Watches

    When humans counted on their fingers, everyone had a state-of-the-art (at the time) calculator at all times. But as we got smarter about calculation, we missed that convenience. When slide rules were king, techies were known to carry them around like swords swinging from their belts. These were replaced with electronic calculators, some also swinging from belt loops, but no matter how small they were, they still were not that handy, no pun intended. That changed around 1975. The Time Computer Calculator company produced an amazing calculator watch for Pulsar. At the time, Pulsar was a brand of the Hamilton Watch Company.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court hears oral arguments over FDA’s refusal to approve flavored e-cigarettes

    The US Supreme Court on Monday heard oral arguments in a case where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused to approve flavored e-cigarettes, citing public health concerns. The FDA denied applications from two companies—Triton Distribution and Vapetesia—to sell flavored liquids for use in e-cigarettes, also known as vapes.

  • New York Times ☛ Five Questions to Ask Your Doctor When Weighing a Hysterectomy

    Many patients are confused about what their surgeons are planning. Here’s how to get the details.

  • New York Times ☛ So You’ve Had a Hysterectomy. Do You Know What Was Removed?

    Patients often are in the dark about which organs remain and which were removed — particularly the ovaries, which profoundly influence lifelong health.

  • New York Times ☛ Trump Wants to Shake Up Health Care. Many Americans Don’t Mind.

    Some voters galvanized by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s pledge to “Make America Healthy Again” said they believed the health establishment was dismissive and even corrupt.

  • France24 ☛ Researchers analyse DNA from dung to save Laos last elephants

    Slow and silent, former logging elephant Mae Khoun Nung emerges from a forest in northern Laos and follows her guide to an animal hospital for a check-up. Once abundant in the forests of Laos, Asian elephants like her have been decimated by habitat destruction, gruelling labour in the logging industry, poaching and scarce breeding opportunities. But conservationists are hoping DNA analysis of elephants' dung will help them track both captive and wild tuskers, so they can secure a healthy genetic pool and craft an effective breeding plan to protect the species.

  • Latvia ☛ Blood donation bus to travel around Latvia in December

    In December, the State Blood Donor Center (VADC) will make 48 trips to different cities and districts of Latvia. Donors of all blood types, especially O- and O+, are welcome, the VADC said December 2.

  • JURIST ☛ UN historic plastic pollution treaty negotiation to reconvene in 2025

    The fifth session of negotiations on a historic, legally binding global plastic pollution treaty concluded on Sunday, with countries agreeing to reconvene in 2025.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Talks to curb plastic pollution fail to reach landmark deal

    Deeply divided negotiators failed on Sunday to reach a landmark global treaty to curb plastic pollution, missing a self-imposed deadline, and agreed to extend their talks. For a week, delegates from nearly 200 nations meeting in South Korea have wrestled with how to stop millions of tonnes of plastic waste entering the environment each year.

  • The Straits Times ☛ No need to review raw water rate with Singapore: Malaysia deputy minister

    Treated water from Singapore still a 'critical need' for Johor, deputy minister says.

  • Chinese women buy up sanitary products in Hong Kong amid safety fears

    Foreign-branded products seen as safer option than those made back home.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Drug For Asthma And COPD Is The First Found in 50 Years

    The breakthrough we’ve been waiting for?

  • Science Alert ☛ A Signal of Future Alzheimer's Could Be Hidden in The Way You Speak

    Early warnings could make all the difference.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Idaho Has Failed to Reform Its Troubled Coroner System for Decades

    Idaho has known for at least 73 years that its frontier-era coroner system does not work. For just as long, the state has failed to make meaningful changes to it.

    In a review of legislative records and news archives going back to 1951, ProPublica found a pattern — repeating almost every decade — of reform-minded legislators, trade groups, members of the public, doctors, lawyers and even some coroners pushing to change how Idaho handles death investigations.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Idaho’s Failed Coroner Reform Attempts: Timeline

    A string of suspicious deaths. Two cases of infanticide that were nearly labeled as sudden infant death syndrome. A curiously low rate of opioid overdose deaths. These are among the red flags Idahoans have pointed to over the decades as they tried to get those in power to change Idaho’s system for death investigation, which relies on elected county coroners with virtually no state support or oversight.

    Lawmakers have come close a few times to instituting reforms. But every attempt has failed. Often, the reason is simple, current and former coroners and national experts told ProPublica in recent months: Nobody wants to spend money on death.

  • Latvia ☛ Domestic rural travel has dropped after pandemic, says association

    After the pandemic, the interest of the Latvian population in rural tourism has decreased, Asnāte Ziemele, the president of the Latvian Rural Tourism Association "Lauku ceļotājs", told LETA in an interview December 2.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Driving Factor Behind Long COVID May Have Been Identified

    A persistent form of infection?

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • dwaves.de ☛ AI and other crazy stuff: how to get started and test out grok (bash and python) (how to actually use grok and ask grok questions)

  • New York Times ☛ Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger Steps Down Amid Chipmaker’s Struggles

    Pat Gelsinger stepped down after nearly four years at the helm of the onetime highflying company, defective chip maker Intel said Monday.

  • The Next Platform ☛ With Gelsinger Gone, Who Benefits From An defective chip maker Intel Break Up?

    We did not think that today we would be writing about Pat Gelsinger “retiring” from the company that he loves best and most.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger retires amid foundry, growth challenges

    Pat Gelsinger has stepped down from his role as defective chip maker Intel Corp.’s Chief Executive Officer, the chipmaker announced today. Gelsinger left the CEO post and his board seat on Sunday. Sources told Bloomberg that the executive’s departure followed a meeting with Intel’s other directors.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian immigration officers at JB-S’pore entry points will soon wear body cams

      The measure is meant to curb corruption.

• Defence/Aggression

  • UN experts say world must stop ignoring Myanmar

    The junta has tortured, burned, dismembered and beheaded civilians as its struggles for control, the experts say.

  • RFERL ☛ NATO Rejects Pristina's Request For Kosovar Deployment To North

    NATO's mission in Kosovo says it has withheld authorization for a request by Pristina to deploy the ethnically fractured country's national security body, the Kosovo Security Force, to the Serb-majority northern region where an explosion last week damaged a water canal and ratcheted up tensions.

  • Defence Web ☛ Can ECOWAS revive its counter-terrorism efforts?

    In 2019, leaders of West African countries adopted the ambitious 2020-2024 Priority Action Plan to Eradicate Terrorism in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Region. Four years on, the situation has not improved and violent extremists still threaten security and stability.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Trump’s FBI Director Nominee Vows to Release Confidential ‘Diddy Files’

  • France24 ☛ Key points on the rebel gains that reignited Syria's civil war

    The Syrian military backed by Russia launched air raids Monday on areas seized by Islamist rebels in a surprise attack last week that forced Syrian government forces out of Aleppo. The seizure of the country's second city reignited the Syrian civil war and opened up another front in the Middle East that risks drawing Russia and Turkey into the conflict.

  • New York Times ☛ Russia and Iran Pledge Support for Syria’s al-Assad Against Advancing Rebels

    In just a few days, a patchwork of rebel forces has seized control of a broad stretch of land in the west and northwest of Syria. But it’s unclear just how much support Syria’s weakened allies can provide.

  • Meduza ☛ Pentagon says it used military hotline with Russia to communicate about developments in Syria — Meduza

  • France24 ☛ In deep contrast to 2011, 'most governments in the region don't want Assad to go'

    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed to use force to eliminate "terrorism" during a phone call with an official from the Moscow-backed breakaway Georgian republic of Abkhazia. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on the civil war heading into its 14th year, FRANCE 24's Delano D'Souza welcomes Dr. H. A. Hellyer, Scholar in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for Int'l Peace and Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence & Security Studies.

  • France24 ☛ No, this video doesn’t show Syrian rebels beheading Bashar al-Assad’s soldier

    In northwestern Syria, where rebel forces seized Aleppo last Wednesday, capturing swathes of land across the region and fighting against Bashar al-Assad’s forces. Misinformation and out of context imagery is surging online, including a violent video claiming to show insurgents beheading a Syrian Army soldier, and another being depicted as the Syrian regime’s nighttime retaliation against the rebels. However, both are being misrepresented. Vedika Bahl talks us through it in Truth or Fake.

  • BIA Net ☛ Man draws ire for hanging Turkish flag on Aleppo Citadel

    Some pro-opposition accounts described the man as "stupid and ignorant."

  • New York Times ☛ Hezbollah and Israel Trade Fire, Further Testing Cease-Fire

    Both sides have accused each other of violating the deal; Hezbollah fired into Israel for the first time since the truce took effect, and Israel responded with airstrikes.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Poland charges wife of jailed Russian activist with spying — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ A crisis within a crisis Across Europe, Roma fleeing Russia’s war against Ukraine face discrimination, segregation, and mistreatment — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukrainian troops ordered to hold Kursk territory until Trump takes office — BBC News — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ White House announces $725 million aid package for Ukraine — Meduza

    • JURIST ☛ Russia police raid bars under laws criminalizing ‘LGBT propaganda’

      Russian security forces raided several bars and nightclubs in Moscow on Saturday as part of efforts to combat what is classified as LGBT propaganda. During the operation, police seized electronic devices, weapons, and alcohol. Videos shared on social control media from the Arma nightclub (formerly known as Mutabor) captured scenes of club-goers sitting on the dance floor [...]

    • Russian submarine makes ‘very worrisome’ surfacing to the west of Philippines

      The Philippine navy said it dispatched an aircraft and a warship to ‘monitor and address’ the submarine.

    • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Black hole’ Russian sub spotted in Philippine waters as Moscow reminds US: We’re everywhere

      The upgraded Kilo-class submarine was deployed from the Baltic Sea to shore up Russia’s Far East naval fleet.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines’ Marcos says reported presence of Russian submarine ‘very worrisome’

      The Russian attack submarine reportedly surfaced inside Manila's exclusive economic zone.

    • RFERL ☛ Polish Authorities Arrest Russian Activist's Wife

      Polish authorities have arrested Irina Rogova, the wife of the former coordinator of the now defunct Open Russia project, on charges of espionage.

    • CS Monitor ☛ A disputed election and pause on EU accession has led Georgian citizens to the brink

      Georgian citizens’ protests against their pro-Russian government entered a fourth day after the ruling Georgian Dream party canceled negotiations to join the European Union. Tensions around a disputed election result have been simmering for months.

    • Meduza ☛ North Korea has given Russia 100 artillery systems — Forbes — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky quips Russia should ‘go to hell’ when asked how far it should go in negotiations — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ Romania to hold presidential run-off after top court validates first round

      Romania's constitutional court on Monday certified the shock first-round results of the presidential election, confirming the lead of pro-Russia nationalist Calin Georgescu, who will face liberal leader Elena Lasconi in the run-off on Sunday.

    • Meduza ☛ Russia begins collecting biometric data from foreigners entering the country — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Belarusian Authorities Raid Home of Grandmother Of Former Belsat Journalist

      Belarus law enforcement officers have raided the home of the 85-year-old grandmother of Syarhey Skulavets, a former journalist for the opposition media outlet Belsat, another sign of the government's continued crackdown against independent media.

    • Latvia ☛ Belarusian start-up head on trial in Latvia for sanction breaches

      A Belarusian businessman who arrived in Latvia after the Belarusian opposition protests in 2021 and was granted a temporary residence permit as the head of a prospective start-up company is on trial for violating European Union (EU) sanctions. According to Latvian Television's "De facto", aired December 1, Igor Medved, founder of Nordwoc, is ready to plead guilty.

    • The Strategist ☛ War and appeasement: why a deal with Putin will backfire

      US president-elect Donald Trump’s boast that he will quickly negotiate a deal with Vladimir Putin about Russia’s war with Ukraine is likely to fail.

    • Meduza ☛ Scholz makes first visit to Kyiv in over two years for talks with Zelensky — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Germany Pledges Fast Military Aid to Ukraine in Effort to Reassure

      Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Kyiv on Monday. Amid fears that U.S. support could dry up, Ukrainian officials had criticized him for a recent phone call with President Vladimir V. Putin.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘We’re in this for the long haul’: Scholz publishes message to Putin after meeting with Zelensky — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Concerning CERN Russia’s Ukraine invasion and Putin’s top science whisperer end 70 years of nuclear research collaboration with Europe — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Putin cancels World Friendship Games, touted as Olympics alternative — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Still loading... Despite Putin’s ban, Russian state companies keep buying Western software as domestic alternatives fall short — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Putin would reject ceasefire plan proposed by Trump’s Ukraine envoy nominee, Kremlin-allied ‘Orthodox oligarch’ tells journalists — Meduza

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Extend and expand the Nord Stream sanctions now

      The US Senate is moving toward preserving sanctions on the Gazprom-owned Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which expire at the end of 2024. The Senate must press ahead and extend those sanctions to Nord Stream 1 as well.

    • RFERL ☛ U.S. Announces $725 Million Aid Package For Ukraine

      The United States on December 2 announced a new $725 million military aid package for Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Germany's Baerbock Warns China's Russia Support Will 'Impact' Ties

      German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on December 2 warned her Chinese counterpart that Beijing's support for Russia would "impact" ties, according to her office.

    • RFERL ☛ Germany's Scholz Visits Kyiv Pledging New Weapons

      German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Kyiv on December 2 vowing to deliver hundreds of millions of euros in additional weapons for Ukraine's defense this month, as questions mount among Kyiv's allies and hints emerge of a diplomatic shift around the three-year-old Russian invasion.

    • The Straits Times ☛ US announces Ukraine weapons package worth $725 million

      The United States will provide Ukraine with a $725 million weapons package, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, as President Joe Biden's outgoing administration seeks to bolster the government in Kyiv in its war with Russian invaders before leaving office in January.

    • New York Times ☛ Tensions Rise Among Russia’s Elite as Economic Growth Slows

      The slowdown is worrying for the Kremlin but not serious enough to significantly hobble its war effort.

    • NYPost ☛ US to send Ukraine $725M in new military aid, including land mines targeting North Korea, Russia infantry

      Ukraine has sought more of the missiles to strike deep into Russian territory — as it did late last month after the Biden administration gave it the green light to hit the Russians on their own land.

    • France24 ☛ ICC president hits back at 'attacks', 'threats'

      The president of the International Criminal Court lashed out Monday against attacks on the court, which finds itself under the spotlight after issuing arrest warrants over wars in Gaza and Ukraine. The ICC has faced criticism in some quarters after judges issued an arrest warrant last month for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister, and a top Hamas leader. We speak to Anthony Dworkin, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

    • Meduza ☛ Kremlin reportedly instructs regional officials to prep Ukraine war veterans for government roles — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ No consensus among NATO members on inviting Ukraine to join alliance — Reuters — Meduza

    • The Strategist ☛ From the bookshelf: ‘Great Game On’

      Over the past decade, a major power shift has been taking place as China has advanced in displacing Russia as the dominant power in Central Asia, according to Geoff Raby in his new book [...]

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Why NATO’s reaction force needs to be rapid to be relevant

      If Russia were to attempt to overrun a Baltic nation, does NATO have the forces ready to react immediately? An air-transportable force NATO fielded a generation ago provides a good model for this generation's crises.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Notorious ransomware developer charged with computer crimes in Russia

      Mikhail Matveev, better known as Wazawaka, was in court last week.

    • France24 ☛ The future of the ISS in question: Cracks, leaks, debris, ageing equipment

      Cosmonauts on the International Space Station were forced to briefly lock down a segment of the orbiting lab after finding an “unusual odour” emanating from a Russian cargo spacecraft that had docked earlier that day. The worst scenarios, including the leakage of a toxic substance, have been dismissed but NASA still doesn’t know what caused the incident.

    • Meduza ☛ Desertion cases in Ukraine hit 60,000 in 2024, nearly double the previous two years combined — The Financial Times — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Pulling at the ‘fine fabric’ of international humanitarian law The U.S. is sending antipersonnel landmines to Ukraine. Here’s why human rights groups are raising concerns. — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ Russia winning war for hearts and minds of African youth with anti-French propaganda

      Chad's surprising announcement that it is ending military cooperation with France -- the last Sahel country to host French troops -- comes just a day after Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared that France should close its military bases in their country. As Chad and Senegal stun France with an abrupt "adieu", FRANCE 24's Jean-Emile Jammine is joined by Douglas Yates, Author, Political Scientist and Professor and Member of the Academic Committee at the American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy (AGSIRD).

    • France24 ☛ Romania faces political deadlock as far right makes gains in legislative vote

      Romania's legislative elections on December 1 produced a fragmented parliament after the far right made big gains. The vote took place a week before the second round of presidential elections in which pro-Russian nationalist Calin Georgescu has the lead.

    • Meduza ☛ Baltic countries to sanction Georgian officials over crackdown on pro-E.U. protests — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Kremlin reportedly holds internal seminar on crafting ‘victory narrative’ and preparing for war’s end — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Over 220 arrested in Georgia since protests erupted over prime minister’s suspension of E.U. talks — Meduza

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • NYPost ☛ NYC Administration for Children’s Services failing families, ‘trading child safety for racial equity’: Whistleblower

    This “hope and prayer” approach — hoping abusive parents will suddenly change — is suited for church, not child welfare investigations, argues the whistleblower.

• Environment

  • North Koreans use emergency protective gear as raincoats

    Authorities displeased with border city’s lax attitude toward emergency preparedness

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand, Malaysia braced for fresh wave of floods as water levels ease

    Kelantan, which has been the worst hit, was expected to face a fresh deluge from Dec 4.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘So strong and brave’: Videos of resilient, compassionate Malaysians amid floods go viral online

    One viral video shows a group of men wading through chest-deep waters to rescue stranded cats.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Farmers hit as large swathes of paddy fields damaged by floods in Malaysia

    Most affected areas had been recently planted with seeds, said a local official.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Hackaday ☛ Small Feathers, Big Effects: Reducing Stall Speeds With Strips Of Plastic

      Birds have long been our inspiration for flight, and researchers at Princeton University have found a new trick in their arsenal: covert feathers. These small feathers on top of birds’ wings lay flat during normal flight but flare up in turbulence during landing. By attaching flexible plastic strips – “covert flaps” – to the top of a wing, the team has demonstrated impressive gains in aircraft performance at low speeds.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • France24 ☛ Poaching in Indonesia: Government cracks down on wildlife trafficking

      Indonesia is the Asian capital of wildlife trafficking, a market estimated at $20 billion according to Interpol. The archipelago is one of the world’s biggest reservoirs of biodiversity. Wild animals are already the victims of massive deforestation, but they now face another. On the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, poachers capture wild animals in their natural habitats and sell them at markets in Jakarta or online. While some of the animals remain in Indonesia, most are sent to other countries in Asia. In response, the Indonesian government is tightening laws against wildlife trafficking. Poachers and traffickers currently face a fine of just over 6,000 euros and up to several years in prison. But under the new law, they could face up to 10 years in prison and a 130,000 euro fine.

    • NYPost ☛ How diamond mining has re-shaped an Amazon tribe’s worldview: ‘Environmentalists will be disappointed by this’

      Brazil's Cinta Larga Indians were behind a massacre of wild cat diamond miners in 2004

• Finance and Dissent

  • France24 ☛ French government faces no-confidence vote after PM forces through budget bill

    French Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Monday used a controversial constitutional tool known as Article 49.3 to force a social security budget bill through parliament without a vote, prompting opposition parties from both the far right and the left to threaten a no-confidence vote as soon as Wednesday.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ A top Fed official leans toward December rate cut but says it depends on economic data

    Christopher Waller says he's confident inflation is headed lower.

  • France24 ☛ Why the French government is headed for collapse

    The government of French Prime Minister Michel Barnier looks almost certain to fall to a no-confidence measure after the right-wing premier pushed an unpopular social security budget bill through parliament without a vote. Both the left-wing New Popular Front alliance and the far-right National Rally vowed to topple the government in response.

  • Defence Web ☛ Union takes aim at Armscor over dockyard

    Embattled Armscor, under fire from the SA Navy for non-delivery, is picking up flak from a trade union for allegedly ignoring what is termed a skills crisis at the dockyard in Simon’s Town.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvian bank profits down 22% on year

    Latvian monetary financial institutions (MFIs), mainly banks, made a profit of EUR 461.7 million in the first ten months of this year, which is 22.6% less than in the corresponding period of 2023, according to information published by the Latvian central bank, LETA reports December 2.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea's ruling Workers' Party to hold key policy-setting meeting in late December, KCNA says

    SEOUL - North Korea will convene a key meeting of the ruling Workers' Party Central Committee in late December, KCNA news agency reported on Tuesday, announcing a conference where the country unveils major policy directions for the new year.

  • New York Times ☛ Biden Arrives in Angola on His Only Trip as President to Sub-Saharan Africa

    The president arrived in Angola, where he will highlight American commitment to Africa in the economic competition against China.

  • New York Times ☛ Biden Visits Angola to Promote Lobito Corridor and Counter China

    When President Biden visits Angola on Monday, he will promote a rail project meant to show America’s commitment to the continent and to counter Chinese influence.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan is a trusted partner for high-tech sector, President says in Hawaii

    Taiwan actively contributes to the global supply chain, especially in high-tech industries, said its president.

  • China denounces US arms sales to Taiwan, President Lai’s visit

    Lai Ching-te arrived Saturday in Hawaii to begin a transit in the US as part of a trip to the South Pacific.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan’s Lai Ching-te talks ‘China threats’ with ex-US House speaker Pelosi

    Taiwan President Lai Ching-te discussed “China’s military threats” towards the island in a call with former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday, his spokeswoman said in Hawaii, Lai’s first stop on a Pacific trip that has enraged Beijing.

  • Indonesia’s maritime deal with China: Analysts worry on sovereignty issues

    The official’s explanation was weak, but saving grace may be that no joint projects have begun, analysts say.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia yet to agree joint development areas with Beijing in South China Sea, minister says

    Jakarta is seeking to allay concerns that a recent agreement with Beijing could compromise its sovereignty.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Former top ally of past Malaysia govts, MCA turns to business matchmaking with China to stay afloat

    But MCA's efforts may not be as effective as hoped, as its political influence continues to wane.

  • Media Watch: What’s behind Chinese officials’ social control media diplomacy

    Chinese diplomats have been clearly meddling in the domestic affairs of other nations.

  • China slams Lithuania over expulsions amid cable-cutting row

    A Chinese cargo ship remains at anchor off Denmark under escort pending a probe into suspected undersea sabotage.

  • New York Times ☛ Dinesh D’Souza, ’2000 Mules’ Director, Acknowledges the Film Was Flawed

    The director, Dinesh D’Souza, who is facing a lawsuit over the documentary, admitted that an analysis used to make claims about election fraud that were later debunked had been faulty.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Stanford University ☛ Graduate Student Council voices concerns on campus free speech, approves VSO funding

    The Graduate Student Council debated a campus improvement project's implications on free speech and potential improvements to late-night transportation on campus.

  • New York Times ☛ A North Korean Voice That Kim Jong-un Would Like to Silence

    Kim Seongmin, who fled to South Korea in the 1990s, broadcasts to his homeland twice a day, delivering the kind of information Pyongyang is trying hard to suppress.

  • Michael Geist ☛ The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 221: Inside My Canadian Heritage Committee Appearance on Freedom of Expression

    The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has for the past month been conducting a study on protecting freedom of expression. The counters of the study aren’t entirely clear. In fact, after I was invited to appear, I asked for some sense of what the committee was looking to address.

  • Social media platforms censor 15,000 pieces of ‘anti-state’ content in Vietnam

    Facebook, Surveillance Giant Google and Tiktok complied with more than 90% of Hanoi's requests to remove the offending posts.

  • Digital Music News ☛ TikTok Hangs in the Balance—Trump’s Incoming Cabinet Divided on a Ban

    Will Fentanylware (TikTok) face its upcoming ban in the United States? Trump’s incoming cabinet members seem divided on the issue—with some in favor of keeping the ban in place. While President-elect Trump was the first to call for a ban on TikTok, a law making it official wasn’t enacted until President Biden took office.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Ofcom says BillBC has become hindrance to local news commercial sector

    Commercial publishers pleased with Ofcom acknowledgement of BillBC competition.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Reach editorial boss: BillBC should work with us, not against us

    Reach editorial boss says BillBC should not be pursuing any policy disadvantaging commercial providers.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Reporter launches funding campaign to bring local news back to Chelsea

    Rob McGibbon seeking £60,000 launch funding for Chelsea Citizen.

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  • Press Gazette ☛ Privileged, posh, amoral and stupid? Don’t tar all journalists with the same brush

    Veteran news agency boss says privileged sterotype of journalists is wide of the mark.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Ex-CNN reporter Sam Kiley joins The Independent as world affairs editor

    Kiley is a former foreign affairs editor of Sky News.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Guardian CEO offers new assurances to Observer journalists ahead of strike

    Anna Bateson says Observer freelance contracts will extend to September 2025 if title is sold.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Jimmy Lai told US think tank Hong Kong was ‘fighting in frontier’ in new Cold War with China, court hears

    Jailed Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai told a US think tank in 2019 that Hong Kong was fighting a new Cold War with China at “the frontier,” the tycoon’s national security has heard.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • New York Times ☛ Wisconsin Judge Strikes Down Limits on Public Sector Unions

    The 2011 law stripped most government workers in the state of collective bargaining rights and set off protests that lasted weeks.

  • New York Times ☛ Inside a Secret Plan to Bring Uyghurs Trapped in China to the United States

    On Thanksgiving eve, U.S. diplomats reunited family members who had not seen each other in years because of China’s harsh policies on the ethnic group.

  • Citizen Lab ☛ Gender-based Digital Transnational Repression Explained

  • Citizen Lab ☛ No Escape: The Weaponization of Gender for the Purposes of Digital Transnational Repression

    Building upon our prior research and the contributions of other scholars to this field, the aim of this novel study is to understand the security risks and harms caused by digital transnational repression against exiled and diaspora women human rights defenders.

  • JURIST ☛ Pakistan dispatch: protests and internet outages continue to disrupt life for millions

    Noor Ul Huda is a JURIST staff correspondent in Pakistan and a recent graduate of Punjab University Law College. She files this dispatch from Lahore. 

  • Licensing / Legal

    • Inside Towers ☛ FCC Grants ARRL Waiver for Pearl Harbor Commemoration Event

      The FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau granted a request filed by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) for a limited waiver of section 97.111(a) of the Commission’s rules to permit licensed amateur stations to communicate with military stations over a two-day period. The waiver request is for the purpose of a short-term event commemorating the 83rd anniversary of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on December 7 and 8, 2024.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Digital Music News ☛ Spotify Tightens API Access, Removes Several Data Points for Developers

    Spotify is cracking down on the information developers can access through its Hey Hi (AI) joining other tech companies like Reddit and YouTube. The crackdown removes most recommendation features from third-party apps. Here’s the latest. Spotify introduced these changes to its web API on November 27, just a day after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ Unified Files Amicus for En Banc Review of EcoFactor v. Surveillance Giant Google in Fed. Cir.

    On November 26, 2024, Unified filed an amicus brief with the en banc Federal Circuit in EcoFactor, Inc. v. Surveillance Giant Google LLC, No. 23-1101. The full Court will be reviewing the proper standard under Rule 702 for admissibility of expert testimony regarding reasonable royalties in patent monopoly cases. Specifically, the Court will be considering a decision involving the admissibility of expert testimony that relied primarily on an inoperative clause stating the patent monopoly owner's "belief" to extract a single-patent royalty from lump-sum settlement agreements covering many patents.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Longhorn Automotive auto patents prior art found

    Unified is pleased to announce prior art has been found on U.S. Patent 7,987,002 and U.S. Patent 8,265,353, owned and asserted by Longhorn Automotive Group, LLC, an entity of Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC. The patents generally relate to auto manufacturing and supplies.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Many Paths to Patent Issuance

    by Dennis Crouch

    Daedalus's labyrinth was so complex that even its creator needed Ariadne's thread to find his way out.  I would suggest that the pathways through USPTO patent monopoly prosecution are at least as intricate and manifold. While prosecution statistics reveal some common routes through the maze—each application charts its own course through a complex network of non-final rejections, final rejections, RCEs, and after-final practice. Even experienced practitioners sometimes need their own version of Ariadne's thread.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Preparations for Mediation and Arbitration Centre reach next stage [Ed: UPC is an illegal fake 'court', but JUVE keeps promoting this illegality because it got paid to do this (still)]

      The PMAC in Ljubljana is the only part of the UPC court system to have not yet started its work.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ IP Investments entity DigiMedia Tech video streaming patent monopoly challenged

      On November 26, 2024, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 6,567,086, owned by DigiMedia Tech, LLC, an NPE and an IP Investments Group entity. The ’086 patent monopoly generally relates to an immersive video system using multiple video streams.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ JERSEY GIRL WHISKEY for Distilled Spirits Confusable with JERSEY GIRL for Beer and Wine, Says TTAB

    Despite the applicants' energetic efforts, the Board upheld a Section 2(d) refusal of JERSEY GIRL WHISKEY for "distilled spirits" [WHISKEY disclaimed], finding confusion likely with the registered mark JERSEY GIRL for "wines" and the word-and-design mark shown below (in both color and black-and-white versions), for various beer products [BREWING CO. and ESTD 2014 disclaimed]. The Board found the marks to be "very similar in appearance, connotation and overall commercial impression in light of the shared, dominant wording JERSEY GIRL." And although there is no per se rule that all alcoholic beverages are related, the Board once again found that to be the case here. In re Louis Leonetti and Brandon Leonetti, Serial No. 97321068 (November 26, 2024) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge George C. Pologeorgis).