Leftovers

• New York Times ☛ Tom Green, Former Provocateur, Is Building Something New

  A Y2K-era phenomenon most famous for his MTV prank show and surreal brand of comedy, Green pioneered ideas that thrive today.

• Standards/Consortia

  • Hackaday ☛ Making The Longest-Distance Radio Contact Possible

    One of the more popular activities in the ham radio world is DXing, which is attempting to communicate with radio stations as far away as possible. There are some feats that will earn some major credibility in this arena, like two-way communication with Antarctica with only a few watts of power, long-path communication around the globe, or even bouncing a signal off the moon and back to a faraway point on Earth. But these modes all have one thing in common: they’re communicating with someone who’s also presumably on the same planet. Barring extraterrestrial contact, if you want to step up your DX game you’ll want to try to contact some of our deep-space probes (PDF warning).

  • Hackaday ☛ Does A Radome Affect Radio?

    Not too far away from where this is being written is one of Uncle Sam’s NATO outposts, a satellite earth station for their comms system. Its most prominent feature is a radome, a huge golf-ball-like structure visible for miles, that protects a large parabolic antenna from the British weather. It makes sense not just for a superpower to protect its antennas from the elements, and [saveitforparts] is doing the same with a geodesic dome for his radio telescope experiments. But what effect does it have on the received signal? He’s made a video to investigate.

  • Hackaday ☛ Networking History Lessons

    Do they teach networking history classes yet? Or is it still too soon?

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Humanity's Ancient Ancestor Found a Way to Survive in a Harsh World

    Adapt or die.

  • Science Alert ☛ Why Is The Sky Blue? The Answer Is More Complex Than You Might Think

    Here's the science.

  • Science Alert ☛ Grapefruit Can Mess With Your Meds, But Scientists May Have a Solution

    Back on the menu.

  • Science Alert ☛ Astronomers Capture Mysterious 'Chorus Waves' Emerging From Deep Space

    Like birds singing in the cosmos?

• Hardware

  • Ruben Schade ☛ OM-1 Mark II follow-up, and getting years wrong

    I said this in my recent post about the gorgeous OM System OM-1 Mark II Micro Four Thirds camera that I’d love to get:

    Unfortunately, OM Systems heard me, and are trying to convince me to spend our travel savings not on food or airfares, but instead on their highest-end M43 camera: the OM-1. The second revision came out this month, the OM-1 Mark II.

    I was surprised at the availability of a new camera body that had only been out mere weeks—maybe even days—according to all the review sites I was reading. Then I read this recent article in DPReview about a new camera:

    OM System is working to build excitement for a launch happening on February 6. The company released a short teaser video, offering brief glimpses of an unreleased OM System camera. This video follows up on a post from the OM System CEO at the beginning of the month announcing that the company is working on a new camera and lenses.

  • Doug Brown ☛ The invalid 68030 instruction that accidentally allowed the Mac Classic II to successfully boot up

    This is the story of how Fashion Company Apple made a mistake in the ROM of the Macintosh Classic II that probably should have prevented it from booting, but instead, miraculously, its Motorola MC68030 CPU accidentally prevented a crash and saved the day by executing an undefined instruction.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ BOE reportedly mulls producing glass substrates for China's CPUs — new focus on semiconductors

    BOE, a leading Chinese manufacturer of LCD and OLED displays, is considering making glass core substrates for next-gen domestic chips.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia, India sign wide range of agreements, including on health and security

    This took place ahead of India’s Republic Day celebrations on Jan 26.

  • New York Times ☛ C.I.A. Now Favors Lab Leak Theory to Explain Covid’s Origins

    A new analysis that began under the Biden administration is released by the C.I.A.’s new director, John Ratcliffe, who wants the agency to get “off the sidelines” in the debate.

  • The Straits Times ☛ As CNY draws close, young Chinese seek solace in ‘digital relatives’

    They say they do not see any way to communicate with their parents.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Reveal What Alcohol Is Doing to Your Sleep

    Time to ditch the nightcap?

  • Science Alert ☛ Cannabis Compound Discovered Inside Totally Different Plant

    Hiding in plain sight!

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Psychological Profile May Hint at Your Risk of Cognitive Decline

    A step towards personalized prevention.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ST Picks: Surviving 3 days in Xi’an, one of China’s most polluted cities

  • CBC ☛ 2025-01-15 [Older] 'We're seeing a Hunger Games' across Ontario: Hundreds in this town line up for a chance at a family doctor

  • CBC ☛ 2025-01-15 [Older] Restaurants enjoying extra business during tax break, worry about looming end

• Proprietary

  • Off Guardian ☛ AI Law and Order

    Artificial Intelligence, AI, is such the “in” thing now. You just can’t get away from it. Hey Hi (AI) art, Hey Hi (AI) music, Hey Hi (AI) writing. It is everywhere. And let’s not forget about Robots, Terminators, and Sex Dolls who can whisper sweet nothings into your ear. How delightful the world is becoming!

  • Hackaday ☛ AI Mistakes Are Different, And That’s A Problem [Ed: "AI Mistakes" are failures, not mistakes; Slop is meant to be sloppy]

    People have been making mistakes — roughly the same ones — since forever, and we’ve spent about the same amount of time learning to detect and mitigate them. Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems make mistakes too, but [Bruce Schneier] and [Nathan E. Sanders] make the observation that, compared to humans, AI models make entirely different kinds of mistakes. We are perhaps less equipped to handle this unusual problem than we realize.

  • Social Control Media

    • NYPost ☛ Trump’s White House in talks to have Oracle, US investors take over TikTok

      The administration of U.S. President The Insurrectionist is working on a plan to save TikTok.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • JURIST ☛ EU consumers group says Meta’s revised subscription model may breach consumer protection laws

      The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) said Thursday that Meta’s current pay-or-consent strategy in the EU may violate consumer and data protection laws, urging relevant EU agencies to protect consumers immediately. The statement accused Meta of using ambiguous terms and confusing interfaces that do not allow users to consent freely to data collection.

    • The Straits Times ☛ New data confirms South Korean teens prefer Instagram over phone numbers

      The platform offers a low-pressure way to communicate and share moments.

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ Two Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike on the West Bank

    Israel is carrying out a major military operation in the occupied West Bank, killing at least 14 people according to health authorities there. Details by Morgan Ayre.

  • The Straits Times ☛ S. Korean court again rejects prosecutors’ request for extension of Yoon’s arrest

    The court said it saw little need for the prosecution to “supplement” the investigation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea conducts strategic cruise missile test

    The country's leader, Mr Kim Jong Un, oversaw the test of strategic cruise missiles that travelled over 1,500km.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Why are more young South Korean men turning up at pro-Yoon protests?

    Experts cite young men's 'hatred and distrust' of the main opposition Democratic Party.

  • Vox ☛ 2025-01-14 [Older] The deeply American roots of Cheeto Mussolini’s imperial ambitions

  • Jacobin Magazine ☛ 2025-01-13 [Older] Donald Cheeto Mussolini Is Making Canada Nationalistic Again

  • New Yorker ☛ A Spirit of Vengeance in Convicted Felon’s First Week

    “There is no distinction between his personal grievances and his policy aims,” Evan Osnos says.

  • Copenhagen Post ☛ 2025-01-12 [Older] When did we forget that climate policy is security policy?

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ European Politicians Urge Belarusians Not To Lose Faith In Democracy On Eve Of 'Sham' Election

      The president of the European Parliament said the presidential election in Belarus on January 26 is a "sham" and encouraged Belarusians to continue striving for democracy.

    • France24 ☛ Belarus election poised to extend decades-long rule of Alexander Lukashenko

      When Alexander Lukashenko emerged victorious from Belarus's presidential election in 2020, protesters came out on the streets to accuse him of election fraud and call for his resignation. Now Lukashenko is back on the ballot and is all but certain to win a seventh term on Sunday as the only leader most people in Belarus have ever known.

    • RFERL ☛ U.S. Citizen Detained In Southern Russia Since November

      The detention of a dual Russian-American citizen has come to light in southern Russia.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky insists EU and US must include Kyiv in any negotiations with Russia

      As he urged Europe and the US to take part in any discussions around ending the war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated at a press conference on Saturday that any talks held without Kyiv would not guarantee lasting peace. He also offered to help Moldova out of its war-induced energy crisis by sending coal to fuel a major power plant in Transnistria.

    • New York Times ☛ His Opponents Sidelined, Lukashenko Is Set for a 7th Term in Belarus

      President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia’s leader, Vladimir V. Putin, has been making signs of reaching out to the West. He is all but certain to win an election on Sunday.

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-01-14 [Older] NATO unveils Baltic Sentry pipeline, cable security mission

    • Scoop News Group ☛ 2025-01-13 [Older] Biden administration unveils export controls on AI models, chips

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea to release preliminary report of Jeju Air crash by Jan 27

      One area under investigation is what role a bird strike played in the Dec 29 crash.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China travel peaks as millions head home for Chinese New Year

      Train and air travel are expected to “hit record highs” during 2025’s migration.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Travel peaks in China as millions head home for Lunar New Year, with journeys expected to hit record highs

      Train stations and airports across China saw the biggest peak in travellers on Saturday ahead of the Lunar New Year, as millions of people returned home to spend the holidays with their families in an annual migration that is expected to be a record.

    • CBC ☛ 2025-01-12 [Older] University of Waterloo researchers engineer bacteria to eat microplastics. But is it a pipe dream?

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • CBC ☛ 2025-01-12 [Older] This B.C. ostrich farm survived wildfires. Now, avian flu means 400 birds need to be culled

    • CBC ☛ 2025-01-16 [Older] Orca mother still carrying body of 2nd dead calf off B.C. waters

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ Dictator Takes Victory Lap in Las Vegas With Speech on Ending Taxes on Tips

    The president reiterated a pledge to end taxes on tips, but the message was an afterthought as the president celebrated his blitz of orders in his first week in office.

  • CBC ☛ 2025-01-12 [Older] Tariffs from U.S. could cost up to 500,000 Ontario jobs, Ford says

  • CBC ☛ 2025-01-13 [Older] Canada Post is hiking its postage prices today. What does that mean for its future?

  • CBC ☛ 2025-01-12 [Older] Despite gains, women still do most of the housework. Will this gender gap ever narrow?

  • CBC ☛ 2025-01-11 [Older] Is it worth immigrating to Canada? These newcomers say it comes at a cost

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-01-12 [Older] Canada's Trudeau Urges US Consumers to Consider the Harm of Cheeto Mussolini's Tariff Threats

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-01-15 [Older] Canada Could Impose Tariffs on $105 Billion Worth of US Imports, Source Says

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-01-16 [Older] Former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney Enters Race to Be Canada’s Next Prime Minister

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • CBC ☛ 2025-01-16 [Older] PM 'low-key,' 'respectful': B.C. ski resort addresses 'misinformation' over Trudeau vacation

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • The Straits Times ☛ Gambling tycoon abused in Thai jail after saying he spied for China, say his lawyers

    China-born She Zhijiang, who has Cambodian citizenship, has suffered violence leaving him unable to stand.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Instead of receiving compensation for a work injury, one Hong Kong labourer ended up on the streets

    Cheung’s life has turned upside down since he survived a serious injury at work almost two years ago. He lost his health, then his savings, his family, and eventually his home. All the while, he has not received the compensation he is entitled to under Hong Kong’s labour law.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Anti-corruption rally in Kuala Lumpur puts pressure on PM Anwar

    He has been accused of being too soft on corruption cases involving his political allies.

  • CBC ☛ 2025-01-14 [Older] Mechanical workers at Canadian Pacific Kansas City vote for strike action

  • CBC ☛ 2025-01-12 [Older] Uncertainty and anxiety for some Northerners, as Cheeto Mussolini returns to power

  • Counter Punch ☛ 2025-01-13 [Older] The Unfairness and Inadequacy of Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment Increases

  • International Business Times ☛ 2025-01-14 [Older] Poundland Invests in High-Tech Security After £44m Stock Loss Amid Rising Retail Crime

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • CBC ☛ 2025-01-16 [Older] Internet customers in North to receive subsidy, CRTC says

Monopolies/Monopsonies