Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ At 1.3 Billion Light-Years Wide, Quipu Is Officially The Biggest Thing in The Universe

    That's pretty big.

  • Science Alert ☛ Claim '2 Degree Target Is Dead' Triggers Debate Over Climate Scenarios

    Could it really be that bad?

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Simulated Bennu Crashing to Earth in September 2182. It's Not Pretty.

    Odds are only 0.04 percent.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Asus China compensates and assists owners with damaged GPUs due to PCIe Q-Release Slim mechanism — confirms revision on the way

    Asus China provides free motherboard replacements for customers who succumbed to PCIe damage from Asus' new Q-Release Slim connector.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘I could taste gunpowder in my mouth’: Woman in China mistakes firecracker for candy, bites on it

    It exploded, causing numbness in her mouth, but she was still able to eat and brush her teeth.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand buries 60 tonnes of durians contaminated with yellow dye; 26 exporters banned

    The durians were rejected by China for being contaminated with yellow dye.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Non-Opioid Painkiller First in Decades to Win FDA Approval

    A game changer.

  • Science Alert ☛ Radioactive Dust Still Blows Over The Sahara From Cold War Nuclear Tests

    We're still feeling the effects.

  • New York Times ☛ What to Know About Canada’s Role in the Fentanyl Crisis

    Responding to threatened tariffs by President Convicted Felon, Canada has unveiled a security plan aimed at tackling the trafficking of fentanyl, which is also killing many Canadians.

  • France24 ☛ Smartphones: A lifeline or a dangerous distraction?

    On World No Mobile Phone Day, we take a look at how this event started and was named in honour of a famous French song. We also dive into which nations are most on their smartphones and which are not. Finally, we discuss what smartphone use could be doing to our society.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    • Security Week ☛ House Lawmakers Push to Ban Hey Hi (AI) App DeepSeek From US Government Devices

      A bipartisan duo in the the U.S. House is proposing legislation to ban the Chinese artificial intelligence app DeepSeek from federal devices.

    • China calls Australia’s DeepSeek ban ‘politicization of technological issues’

      Australia ordered all government bodies to remove DeepSeek products from their devices immediately.

    • Silicon Angle ☛ US lawmakers introduce bill to ban DeepSeek on federal devices

      U.S. lawmakers today introduced a bill that would prohibit federal employees from using DeepSeek’s app on government devices. The proposed legislation is known as the No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act. According to Ars Technica, it would ban DeepSeek within 60 days of going into effect.

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ An Hey Hi (AI) chatbot told a user how to kill himself—but the company doesn’t want to “censor” it

      For the past five months, Al Nowatzki has been talking to an Hey Hi (AI) girlfriend, “Erin,” on the platform Nomi. But in late January, those conversations took a disturbing turn: Erin told him to kill himself, and provided explicit instructions on how to do it.

  • Social Control Media

    • New York Times ☛ A Professor Put Her Class on TikTok. Thousands Enrolled in a Digital H.B.C.U.

      A video welcoming students to Leah Barlow’s African American studies course inspired Hillmantok, a virtual university of free Fentanylware (TikTok) lectures from Black academics and experts.

    • Digital Music News ☛ TikTok’s ‘Environment of Uncertainty’ Is a Boon for Snapchat, Says Snap CEO

      TikTok’s ‘overall environment of uncertainty’ has been benefitting Snapchat’s business, according to Snap founder and CEO Evan Spiegel. The social control media company reported revenue of $1.55 billion, up from $1.36 billion the year prior, reaching 453 million daily active users in the fourth quarter of 2024. That’s up 9% year-over-year.

    • Digital Music News ☛ TikTok Sale Reportedly Getting ‘Slow-Rolled’ By the Chinese Government Amidst Broader Trade Negotiations

      President Convicted Felon gave ByteDance a 75-day stay to find an American buyer for TikTok. But the company appears to be slow-rolling the process amid broader trade negotiations.

    • Stanford University ☛ I secretly wished the Fentanylware (TikTok) ban had succeeded. Now, I realize the app wasn’t the issue

      "Beneath my performative relief that my favorite funny videos remain safe, I feel a growing sense of missed opportunity. And I know I’m not alone," writes Gottlieb.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Xi, Thai PM Paetongtarn agree to deepen cooperation on tackling cross-border scams

      Thailand and China mark 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2025.

    • China thanks Thailand for scam crackdown; militia frees foreigners

      Pressure has grown for action to tackle the fraud and human trafficking.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s Pooh-tin Jinping hails Thailand’s ‘strong’ action against scam call centres targeting Chinese people

      Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping thanked visiting Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Thursday for the “strong measures” her country has taken against scam centres targeting Chinese people. Scam compounds have mushroomed along the Thai-Myanmar borderlands, staffed by trafficked foreigners who are forced to swindle their compatriots in an industry analysts say is worth billions.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Privacy International ☛ Karisma and Privacy International’s Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights

    • Privacy International ☛ PI’s submission in advance of the consideration of the United Kingdom at the 77th session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

    • Privacy International ☛ Joint submission in advance of the consideration of Kenya at the 77th session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

    • Privacy International ☛ Joint stakeholder report reagrding the 49th Universal Periodic Review – Kenya

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ Bangladesh protesters raze buildings linked to ousted leader

    Thousands of protesters in Bangladesh took out their anger at former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by burning her family's former residence to the ground on Wednesday. Hasina fled to India last autumn after being forced to resign, but recently called on her supporters to oppose the Bangladeshi government, which sparked anger and outrage. Leo McGuinn has the details.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Bangladesh protesters torch house of ex-PM Hasina’s father

    Several thousand protesters gathered to demolish the historic house and independence monument.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Helicopter catches fire while landing in Pahang, killing one person

    Initial reports suggest the fire ignited during the helicopter’s landing attempt.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Xi calls for China and Thailand to strengthen ties to address external uncertainties

    Ms Paetongtarn is on an official visit to China from Feb 5 to 8.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China names combative diplomat as senior envoy for Europe

    Mr Lu Shaye made controversial statements during his five-year tenure as Beijing’s ambassador to Paris.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India seeks to push pace of defence cooperation with South-east Asia

    It sees an opening in enhancing its presence in a region where China has strategic influence, say experts.

  • Former US Federal Reserve adviser pleads not guilty in spy case

    John Harold Rogers allegedly passed secret information about U.S. money policy to Chinese officials for years.

  • Did Taiwan ‘severely punish’ students for supporting unification with China?

    Verdict: False

  • Number of Japanese living in China falls to lowest in 20 years

    A flagging economy, rampant nationalism and fear of 'foreign spies' is making life harder for foreign investors.

  • Vietnam builds islands in South China Sea amid tension, challenges

    Experts weigh the pros and cons of Hanoi’s ambitious island-building program.

  • Trump’s China tariffs include Hong Kong, ending city’s separate status

    The move stops Chinese exporters using the city as a transshipment loophole to avoid US tariffs.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ T.X. Hammes proposes containerized weapons for US Navy merchant fleet in US Naval Institute Proceedings

    On February 3, T.X. Hammes, a nonresident senior fellow at Forward Defense, wrote with Captain R. Robinson Harris, US Navy (ret.) in the US Naval Institute’s Proceedings, that deploying containerized weapons on merchant ships would bolster the US Navy’s capacity to manage the growing threat from China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia passes tough hate crime laws with mandatory jail time for Nazi salutes

    The laws will impose minimum jail sentences between 12 months for less serious hate crimes.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Waives Funding Freeze at Syria Camp Holding ISIS Fighters, but Future Is in Doubt

    Upholding security at the camp in Syria is seen as critical to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State, but contractors don’t know where they stand as the United States looks to cut foreign aid.

  • New York Times ☛ Japan’s Prime Minister Will Seek to Preserve Status Quo at Summit With Convicted Felon

    Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to cite his country’s increased investment in the U.S. and its regional security role when he meets President Convicted Felon on Friday.

  • Defence Web ☛ Political assassinations, police violence and lack of press freedom: 3 barriers to peace in Mozambique

    Mozambique’s parliament and its new president, Daniel Chapo, were sworn in in mid-January 2025 after a tumultuous post-election period of protests, barricades and police violence. The 9 October 2024 elections prompted countless reports of fraud, leading the European Union election observer mission to note irregularities during counting of votes and unjustified alteration of election results.

  • Living ‘day-by-day’ in Myanmar’s rebel camps

    Fighters in Myanmar's Kayah state are trying to create a new government to meet the needs of the residents here.

  • Building a police force in the middle of Myanmar’s civil war

    A lot is riding on the success of the Karenni State Police. RFA gets an inside look.

• Environment

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Bonobos Know Something You Don't Know, And Are Willing to Tell For a Price

      They're just like people.

    • Science Alert ☛ Humans Are Evolving Before Our Eyes on The Tibetan Plateau

      "This is a case of ongoing natural selection."

    • JURIST ☛ Nearly 20,000 live animals seized in global wildlife trafficking operation

      INTERPOL reported on Tuesday that “Operation Thunder” 2024 against wildlife and forestry trafficking, coordinated jointly with the World Customs Organization (WCO), resulted in the seizure of nearly 20,000 live animals and the arrest of 365 suspects.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ A Judge Delayed Convicted Felon’s Plan to Persuade Federal Workers to Quit

    Also, New Orleans is rattled but ready for the Super Bowl. Here’s the latest at the end of Thursday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China commerce ministry says US tariffs ‘vile’, ‘unilateralist’

    The 10 per cent US tariffs on Chinese goods went ahead on Feb 4, with Convicted Felon warning he might up them.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, Pakistan pledge to boost cooperation on infrastructure, mining projects

    Chinese investment and financial support for Pakistan since 2013 have been a boon for Islamabad's struggling economy.

  • The Strategist ☛ With US funding freeze, China nonprofits are facing extinction. They need emergency assistance

    An entire ecosystem of vital China-related work is now in crisis.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s economy expected to grow this year, inflation will rise – IMF

    Lithuania’s economy has shown resilience in recent years and should continue to grow this year, but inflation will also rise, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said as it assessed Lithuania’s economic situation and prospects in Vilnius last week.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • JURIST ☛ EU court upholds €320M fine against Poland over judicial reforms

    The EU General Court on Wednesday upheld a significant financial penalty against Poland, amounting to approximately €320 million, due to non-compliance with EU laws through its judicial reforms enacted in 2019. The European Commission argued that legislative changes to Poland’s judicial system, specifically those adopted in December 2019, contravened foundational EU principles, prompting legal proceedings.

  • JURIST ☛ Maryland federal judge blocks Convicted Felon executive order purporting to end birthright citizenship

    A judge for the US District Court for the District of Maryland granted a preliminary injunction at a hearing on Wednesday against President The Insurrectionist’s executive order attempting to end all birthright citizenship.

  • JURIST ☛ Israel withdraws from UN Human Rights Council

    Foreign Minister Gideon Saar formally announced on Thursday that Israel will withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). According to Saar’s letter, addressed to the UNHRC President, the decision was reached “in light of the ongoing and unrelenting institutional bias against Israel in the Human Rights Council”.

  • JURIST ☛ Recently fired NLRB chair sues Convicted Felon administration for alleged unlawful removal

    Former chair of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Gwynne Wilcox filed a lawsuit Wednesday, accusing President The Insurrectionist of breaking the law when he fired her last week.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • NYPost ☛ TikTok owner’s new Hey Hi (AI) project brings Albert Einstein back to life in shockingly real deepfake — generated from a single image

      Influencers could eventually be out of a job, one expert suggested.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • University of Michigan ☛ CSG discusses censorship, passes Emergency Protect All Students Act

    The University of Michigan’s Central Student Government met Tuesday evening to discuss the dangers of censorship, create scholarships for conflict-affected students and student caretakers and pass the Emergency Protect All Students Act protesting the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on campus. 

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ £6.4m sale costs pushed Spectator into loss for 2023

    Challenges with subscription technology platform blamed for dip in turnover.

  • Press Gazette ☛ News Corp results cite Sun traffic decline but growing Times subscriptions

    Sun global website traffic has halved in the space of a year.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Federal Circuit Affirms PTAB’s Obviousness Decision Despite Claim Construction Error [Ed: Patent propagandist in the pockets of the litigation industry (Dennis Crouch) keeps moaning about PTAB just doing its job]

    The Federal Circuit has affirmed the PTAB finding of obviousness in an inter partes review (IPR) challenge to an integrated circuit manufacturing patent, even while disagreeing with the Board's claim construction. HD Silicon Solutions LLC v. Microchip Technology Inc., No. 2023-1397 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 6, 2025). The decision is fairly narrow - offering a situation where the lower tribunal's errors can be harmless when alternative grounds support the ultimate conclusion.

  • Forbes ☛ New Nintendo Patent Suddenly Confirms Switch 2 Rumor

    Pretty much every major rumor about the Switch 2 turned out to be true so far. And now a new Nintendo has pretty much confirmed another one.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ InterDigital launches attack on Disney at multiple venues including UPC [Ed: Kangaroo Courts like UPC are illegal; why does JUVE keep promoting illegal 'courts? Because it's paid to do so.]

      InterDigital claims the streaming platforms Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu operated by the Walt Disney Company use advanced video compression that falls within the scope of InterDigital’s patents.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ $1,000 awarded for AutoConnect user profile patent monopoly prior art

      Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winner, Ekta Aswal, who was awarded $1,000 for her prior art submission on U.S. Patent 9,147,297, owned by AutoConnect Holdings LLC, an NPE. The ‘297 patent monopoly focuses on building profiles associated with vehicle users, enhancing user interface and virtual personality presentations based on user profiles, creating targeted advertising profiles, modifying behavior through map routes based on user information, implementing vehicle location-based home automation triggers, and initiating vehicle communications with third parties.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Finds MENTCHEES Generic for .... Guess What?

    The Board sustained on opposition to registration of the proposed mark MENTCHEES "for Toy figures; Modeled plastic toy figurines; Molded toy figures," on the ground of genericness. Alternatively, the Board found MENTCHEES to be merely descriptive of the goods and lacking in acquired distinctiveness. Chazak Kinder Inc. v. Mitzvah Kinder, Inc., Opposition No. 91272685 (January 28, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Angela Lykos)