Leftovers

• Science

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea prepares $46 billion fund for national strategic industries

    The industries include semiconductors and aerospace.

  • Science Alert ☛ Giving Up Already? Here Are 5 Tips For Staying on Top of Your Goals.

    You're a bundle of habits.

  • Science Alert ☛ Paradox-Busting Study Finds Bigger Animals Really Are at Greater Risk of Cancer

    Here's what's really happening.

  • Science Alert ☛ Signs of a Sleeping Brain Could Reveal Hidden Consciousness in Coma Patients

    They're still in there.

  • Federal News Network ☛ National Science Foundation rehires half of employees fired two weeks ago

    The reversal comes after a federal judge ruled last week that the Convicted Felon administration's directives to fire their probationary employees were illegal.

• Career/Education

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s Hey Hi (AI) digital textbooks off to shaky start as semester begins

    The Education Ministry revealed that the adoption rate remains at just 33 per cent.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ UP Squared 7100 Edge fanless mini PC features defective chip maker Intel Processor N97 or N100 CPU for industrial automation

    AEEON UP Squared 7100 Edge is a fanless industrial mini PC for edge applications powered by an defective chip maker Intel Processor N97 or Processor N100 CPU and based on the UP Squared 7100 SBC. The computer comes with up to 16GB LPDDR5, 128GB eMMC flash, M.2 sockets for storage and wireless expansion, HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs, two gigabit Ethernet ports, three USB 3.2 ports, two COM ports (RS232/RS485), and Line Out and Mic In audio jacks.

  • CNX Software ☛ GL.iNet Slate 7 (GL-BE3600) WiFi 7 travel router up for pre-order for $96 and up

    GL.iNet Slate 7 (GL-BE3600) is yet another travel router from the company, but it adopts the latest WiFi 7 standard with combined link speed of up to 3600 Mbps. The Slate 7 router supports both OpenVPN up to 100 Mbps and WireGuard up to 540 Mbps, and integrates with over 30 VPN services. The WiFi 7 router is relatively affordable starting at just $96 for pre-orders, but that’s limited to the first 800 orders, and after that the price goes up to $102 for the next 1,000 pieces, and the retail price will be $120 after that.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man administration reportedly fires dozens of staffers from CHIPS Act office

    The Forrest Dump administration has reportedly dismissed dozens of staffers from the government office that oversees CHIPS Act financing deals. The move was first reported by Bloomberg on Monday.

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • Ruben Schade ☛ Fixing phone reception in rural Australia

      They all have something else in common though, and it’s something they share with everyone from remote Aboriginal communities to farmers. Phone reception has traditionally sucked. It sucked when 3G was rolling out, it sucked when 3G was being taken down, and it sucked at every other time. You’d drive down the highway and see the bars for the three major telcos drop from five, to four, to three, to two, to stabilising on one for a bit, and then nothing.

      The reasons for this are complicated, but there are a couple of perhaps unsurprising themes.

    • Michał Sapka ☛ The phone tragedy

      I have not chosen to be a phone user; it’s the society who decided that requiring this peace of crap for everything is a great idea. Ordering food? A scooter maybe? Taxi? How about paying for stuff? Listening to music? Logging into my bank account? We had all those handled elegantly, but the terror of modern tech decided that it was never good enough.

      I hate modern phone, yet I always have it at hand. I hate everything about it: the battery, the size, the lack of buttons. But if I had a chance to create a phone, what would I incorporate?

    • Evan Hahn ☛ An ode to my favorite mobile game

      I can’t stop telling my friends about Forward: Escape the Fold and now I’m telling you. I bought it more than two years ago and it’s my favorite mobile game by a mile.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • ADF ☛ Chinese Trawlers Pillage Somali Waters of Yellowfin Tuna

    Due to persistent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by China and other foreign fleets, stocks of Somalia’s yellowfin tuna are facing a collapse that could devastate the economy and affect food security. IUU fishing costs Somalia $300 million annually and threatens the livelihoods of up to 90,000 artisanal fishermen.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Georgia Won’t Reveal the Names of Its Maternal Mortality Committee Members

  • The Straits Times ☛ China to 'refine' centralised medicine procurement policies

    China will also “improve pricing mechanisms”, and create a “medical insurance catalogue” for innovative drugs.

  • Science Alert ☛ Australian Man Whose Blood Donations Saved Millions Dies Age 88

    Doctors called him 'the man with the golden arm'.

  • Science Alert ☛ Brain Autopsies Reveal a Potential Culprit Behind Alzheimer's

    But is it cause or effect?

  • Science Alert ☛ Largest Insect on Earth Headed For Extinction Thanks to Our Love of Chocolate

    There's still time.

  • New York Times ☛ As Measles Spreads, Kennedy Embraces Remedies Like Cod Liver Oil

    In an interview, the H.H.S. secretary claimed that unconventional treatments were helping patients but did not mention vaccination.

  • JURIST ☛ Former Manitoba chief judge to investigate corruption allegations against Alberta Health Services

    Alberta appointed former Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba Raymond Wyant to lead the investigation into corruption allegations against Alberta Health Services on Monday. The investigation is set to end by June 30 this year, with a published final written report and recommendations.

• Proprietary

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Box’s stock falls as executives warn of foreign exchange hit on profits

    The cloud storage company Box Inc. beat Wall Street’s targets by the narrowest of margins in its latest earnings results, but it warned that current-quarter profit will take a significant hit from the strength of the U.S. dollar. Investors recoiled at the prospect, and Box’s stock sank more than 8% after-hours.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    • The New Stack ☛ Why Hey Hi (AI) Agents Suck So Bad

      Let me set the stage. The other day I realized my DJI LIDAR was on the fritz.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ Victims or accomplices: Over 110 Thais repatriated from Cambodia scam centre to be screened

      Over 100 police officers have been deployed for interrogations to distinguish the victims from accomplices.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean deepfake porn crimes shift to other encrypted messaging apps

      Users began moving after Telegram began active cooperation with police officials in Sept 2024.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Supreme Court weighs Mexico’s US $10B lawsuit against gun manufacturers

    Several U.S. news outlets reported on Tuesday that both conservative and liberal justices seemed skeptical of the arguments made by Mexico.

  • Defence Web ☛ Parliament hears SA soldiers in DR Congo had “sufficient military equipment”

    The aftermath of what is colloquially now termed “the Battle of Goma” continues to reverberate in South Africa with Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga being asked whether SA National Defence Force (SANDF) troops were properly equipped after 14 were killed in fighting M23 rebels in late January.

  • The Strategist ☛ When dealing with China, Australia must prioritise security over economics

    China’s economic importance cannot be allowed to supersede all other Australian interests. For the past couple of decades, trade has dominated Australia’s relations with China. This cannot continue.

  • Philippines accuses Chinese state outlet of ‘deceptive messaging’ on disputed shoal

    Philippine national security adviser warns of fabricated historical claims that 'undermine' Philippine sovereignty.

  • JURIST ☛ UN expresses concerns over M23 rebels attacks on hospitals in DRC

    UN Human Rights Office expressed grave concerns on Monday concerning attacks on hospitals and abductions of patients by the Rwandan-backed group M23 during the ongoing armed conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Strikes Syria Again as Tensions Rise

    The latest attacks came a week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel demanded the demilitarization of much of southern Syria, stoking fears of conflict with the country’s new leadership.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean lawmaker says North Korean prisoner of war wants ‘normal life’ in Seoul

    Under South Korea’s Constitution, all Koreans, including those who live in the North, are considered citizens.

  • North Korea vows to ‘step-up’ action against US as aircraft carrier arrives in South

    North’s warning comes as global nuclear watchdog confirmed signs of the North operating uranium enrichment plants.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian PM sceptical about bilateral or regional security pacts

      Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas is sceptical about the idea of Lithuania launching discussions on bilateral or regional security agreements.

• Environment

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Wildlife Haven Spared Impact as World's Largest Iceberg Grinds to a Halt

      "It will be interesting to see what will happen now."

    • Science Alert ☛ The Sun's Activity Can Trigger Earthquakes, And Now We Know How

      A cosmic butterfly effect.

    • Science Alert ☛ These Woolly Mice Bring The Mammoth's De-Extinction a Step Closer

      Tiny steps.

  • Overpopulation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Vietnam considers relaxing its two-child policy amid declining birth rate

      The Ministry of Health has proposed allowing couples to decide the number and timing of their children.

• Finance

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Break up peacefully’: Hong Kong labour chief defends city’s talent schemes after ex-leader casts doubt on policy

    Hong Kong’s labour minister has taken to Facebook (Farcebook) to defend the city’s talent admission schemes following concerns raised by a former leader.

  • The Strategist ☛ Overseas investment is getting riskier. The government needs to step up

    Australian companies operating overseas are navigating an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape where economic coercion, regulatory uncertainty and security risks are becoming the norm.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Beijing groans under tight security as top advisory body opens

    The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference has ties to the rich, private firms and compliant orgs.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s elite don traditional garb for annual ‘Two Sessions’ talking shop

    Security was tight around Beijing, where pedestrians were stopped for security checks.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China imposes new curbs on U.S. firms as trade row grows

    China on Tuesday hit back against the United States with retaliatory tariffs and placed export and investment restrictions on 25 U.S. firms on national security grounds, though it refrained from punishing big U.S. household names.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China hits back at US imports as Convicted Felon’s fresh tariffs take effect

    Beijing also placed 25 US firms under export and investment restrictions on national security grounds.

  • New York Times ☛ In Oct. 7 Report, Israeli Security Agency Puts Some Blame on Netanyahu Government

    The Shin Bet said that it had disregarded intelligence from Gaza about a planned Hamas raid, but also that government policies may have emboldened the militants to attack.

  • New York Times ☛ Mexico Gave Convicted Felon Much of What He Wanted. Tariffs Came Anyway.

    President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico took steps sought by Hell Toupée, including sending troops to the border and cracking down on drug cartels. The tariffs went into effect anyway.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Ethical Concerns Surround Sen. Joni Ernst’s Relationships With Military Officials

    Earlier this year, the Air Force revealed that the general who oversaw its lobbying before Congress had inappropriate romantic relationships with five women, including three who worked on Capitol Hill.

    Maj. Gen. Christopher Finerty’s colleagues told investigators the relationships were “highly inappropriate” as they could give the Air Force undue influence in Congress. “I honestly felt sick to my stomach,” one said, according to a report about the investigation, “because it just felt so sleazy.”

  • New York Times ☛ Here’s How Democrats Are Protesting Convicted Felon’s Speech to Congress

    Many Democrats are taking guests who they say have been hurt by MElon’s gutting of the federal bureaucracy. Several others will skip the speech and host counterprogramming, such as live fact-checking.

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man address to Congress likely to be 'list of self-praise', expert says

    We're looking ahead to The Insurrectionist's address to a joint session of Congress, due at 3am Paris time on Wednesday. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Andrew Rudalevige, Professor of Government at Bowdoin College. He says that the speech will be less about legislative priorities and more a list of self-praise over the last six weeks.

  • New York Times ☛ Senator Elissa Slotkin Will Deliver Democratic Response to Convicted Felon’s Speech

    The Michigan Democrat, a first-term senator, is expected to lay out the economic and national security stakes of Hell Toupée’s agenda.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Meta deletes 18 Facebook (Farcebook) accounts seeking to discredit the Dalai Lama

    The accounts impersonated Tibetan exiles and were used to spread disinformation about the spiritual leader.

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Save our Sites: Deadline 17 March

    Incredible as it may seem, thanks to the Online Safety Act, dozens of harmless, safe, small websites are closing down by 17 March, rather than face threats of fines that could lose their operators their homes.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • BIA Net ☛ Trial begins for İstanbul Bar executives over statement on killed journalists

    Chair and executives of the bar association are facing up to 12 years in prison due to a statement they issued about the killing of two Kurdish journalists in an airstrike in Syria.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong judge orders prisoner to foot legal costs for failed Article 23 challenge after gov’t petition

    A Hong Kong prisoner whose legal fees for a failed legal challenge of the city’s local security law were waived after a judge said it was in the public’s interest has been ordered to pay half the costs following the Correctional Services Department’s successful petition.

  • Stanford University ☛ Chabad’s lessons of love and humanity for this gentile

    The warmth with which Chabad treated me with helped me see how to live with greater love and humanity, Strawser writes.

  • Citizen Lab ☛ Online Presentation of No Escape – Tackling Gender-Based Digital Transnational Repression: March 24, 10 am ET

    Join us on March 24, 2025, for a virtual presentation and Q&A on the gendered dimension of digital transnational repression.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Public Knowledge ☛ Competition and Consumer Protection Need Reinforcements: Why the FTC Should Remain Independent [Ed: Well, but the messenger itself is not independent, it's stacked with Microsoft]

  While the Federal Trade Commission has already overcome constitutional challenges from corporations, the Convicted Felon administration seeks to undermine the agency’s independence. If FTC Commissioners can be fired at-will, competition and consumer protection enforcement that protects American people will be significantly kneecapped.

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ IngenioSpec eyeware patent monopoly prior art found

    Unified is pleased to announce prior art has been found on U.S. Patent 12,078,870, owned by IngenioSpec LLC, an NPE. The ‘870 patent monopoly generally relates to eyewear designed to support electrical components, enhancing the functionality of traditional eyeglasses with technological advancements.

    We would also like to thank the dozens of other high-quality submissions that were made on this patent.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Last Word: ParkerVision’s Reply Brief Makes Final Push for Supreme Court Review of Rule 36

    The Supreme Court is poised to decide whether to grant review in the pair of R.36 cases that have been pending now since last fall, ParkerVision and Island IP.  These cases challenging the Federal Circuit's practice of issuing one-word "AFFIRMED" judgments under Rule 36 without providing any explanation. ParkerVision's reply brief was filed on February 28, 2025 rests on a straightforward statutory interpretation: 35 U.S.C. § 144 requires the Federal Circuit to "issue to the Director its mandate and opinion" when deciding appeals from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). >

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Swiss court limits scope of Ortovox’s avalanche rescue patent [Ed: Unified Patent Court is illegal and unconstitutional; JUVE keeps promoting this abomination because it got paid to]

      Ortovox sued its competitor Mammut at the Unified Patent Court for infringement of its EP 3 466 498, achieving significant victories. The Düsseldorf local division not only granted a preliminary injunction against Mammut in 2023 but also issued a permanent injunction against the well-known outdoor equipment manufacturer in mid-January 2025.

• Copyrights

  • Public Domain Review ☛ For He’s a Jolly Bad Fellow: Now and Then #1

    Expulsion threat from the Royal Society, in 2025 and 1775.

  • Public Domain Review ☛ José Guadalupe Posada’s Engravings of Unusual Births (ca. 1880–1910)

    Engravings of unusual births by an artist best known for his joyous skeletons.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Drake Settles Lawsuit Against iHeartMedia Over Payola Allegations — But Legal Action Against UMG Remains

    Drake settles his lawsuit against iHeartMedia in his ongoing battle over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.” But his dispute with UMG remains. Drake and iHeartMedia have reached a settlement in the legal dispute filed by the former back in November.

  • Peter 'CzP' Czanik ☛ Music of the week: Rhapsody in Blue

    This week, I reorganized the speakers in my room and wanted to test the change by listening to a wide variety of music. The first piece that came to my mind was “Rhapsody in Blue” by Gershwin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhapsody_in_Blue, as I have a fantastic recording of it made by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. That said, I know that I’m not a music maniac enough, as I do not have it on vinyl, but rather as a digital download from HDTracks: https://www.hdtracks.com/#/album/5de7b4c75935a842dd765e23. Rhapsody in Blue already sounded great with the original setup, but placing the speakers farther away from each other and turning up the volume made wonders. Even in a middle-sized room, it suddenly sounded as if I was in a huge concert hall.

    TIDAL: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240363