Leftovers

• Standards/Consortia

  • Hackaday ☛ From PostScript To PDF

    There was a time when each and every printer and typesetter had its own quirky language. If you had a wordprocessor from a particular company, it worked with the printers from that company, and that was it. That was the situation in the 1970s when some engineers at Xerox Parc — a great place for innovation but a spotty track record for commercialization — realized there should be a better answer.

  • APNIC ☛ Monitoring highly distributed DNS deployments: Challenges and recommendations

    DNS nameservers are crucial for the reachability of domain names. For this reason, nameserver operators rely on multiple nameservers and often replicate and distribute each server across different locations around the world. Operators monitor the nameservers to verify that they meet the expected performance requirements. Monitoring can be done from within the system, for example, with metrics like CPU use, and from the outside, mimicking the experience of the clients.

    In this article, we focus on the latter. We take the root server system as a use case and highlight the challenges operators and researchers face when monitoring highly distributed DNS deployments from the outside. We also present recommendations on building a monitoring system that is more reliable and that captures only the relevant metrics.

• Science

  • The Straits Times ☛ China launches Shenzhou-20 mission to Chinese space station, state media report

    China sent three astronauts to its permanently inhabited space station on Thursday in its 15th crewed spaceflight and 20th overall in the Shenzhou program that started more than three decades ago.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China to lend moon rocks to NASA-funded US universities

    SHANGHAI - China's national space agency announced on Thursday it would let scientists from the U.S. and allied countries analyse rocks it retrieved from the moon, Beijing's latest move to increase the international influence of its lunar exploration programme.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Spotted Signs of a Hidden Structure Inside Earth's Core

    A lost chapter in our planet's history.

  • Science Alert ☛ Just 15 Extra Minutes of Sleep Is Linked to Brain Benefits in Young People

    Every minute of shut-eye counts.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Bone Collector' Caterpillar Wears Dead Bugs to Steal Prey From Spiders

    Ever seen a cannibalistic carnivore dressed in insect body parts?

  • Science Alert ☛ 113 Million-Year-Old 'Hell Ant' Discovery Is Oldest Ever Found

    "We were shocked by the characteristics."

  • Science Alert ☛ Study Reveals The Optimal Number of Daily Steps to Offset Sitting Down

    "An important public health message."

  • Science Alert ☛ Smart Brain Implants Can Now Adapt to Optimize Parkinson's Treatment

    A surgical observation in 1987 led to this.

  • Science Alert ☛ Rare 'Smiley Face' Moon About to Hit The Sky With Venus And Saturn

    You should go look at it. It's fun.

• Career/Education

  • NYPost ☛ Yale draws tepid praise from Convicted Felon admin after cracking down on protesters accused of antisemitism, yanking Yalies4Palestine’s student group status

    "We are cautiously encouraged by Yale's actions and will be keeping an eye on the situation and aftermath."

• Hardware

  • Latvia ☛ Are we ready for new cyber threats in the quantum era?

    Our lives are closely intertwined with digital technologies ranging from online banking and health data storage to national security systems. However, the era of quantum computing is rapidly approaching, promising a revolution in the world of technology, as well as serious cybersecurity challenges, warns Professor Andris Ambainis, Head of the Centre for Quantum Computing Science at the University of Latvia.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel CEO announces layoffs, restructuring, $1.5 billion in cost reductions, expanded return to office mandate

    Intel CEO Lip Bu-Tan announced a series of sweeping measures today, including an unspecified number of layoffs, a company restructuring, the elimination of non-core products, and a return-to-office mandate, as the company presented its first-quarter earnings report.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Intel’s stock dives on lower guidance as new CEO Lip-Bu Tan outlines long-term vision

    Intel Corp.’s stock headed south in extended trading today after the company offered disappointing guidance for the current quarter and announced yet more spending and staff cuts that will go into effect this year.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Federal Officials Promise to Restore Funding to Women’s Health Initiative

    The decades-long research effort has contributed to thousands of research papers, altering medical care for women around the world.

  • France24 ☛ "Many people will die" because of funding cuts and vaccine disinformation: public health expert [Ed: Why does he say "vaccine disinformation" unless he means to say the money should be spent on marketing propaganda?]

    Global aid funding cuts, led by the United States, are disrupting efforts to vaccinate children against deadly diseases almost as much as the COVID-19 pandemic did, the United Nations said on Thursday. Lawrence Gostin, Distinguished Professor at Georgetown University and Director of the WHO Center on Global Health Law, says that "many people will die and many will be hospitalized all because of funding cuts and disinformation".

  • Thibault Martin: TIL that I can ask my smartphone to respect my attention

    If my phone is making me miserable my constantly nagging me for attention, surely the solution must be to ditch it and take a dumb phone that can only place calls and send texts?

    Except calls are particularly intrusive interruptions, and the only texts I receive are from couriers. My family and friends use iMessage or Signal. And what about the pictures I can snap in a few seconds by pulling my phone from my pocket? What about GPS navigation? What about those parking lots where you can only pay with an app? What if I need to order a cab in a country I don't speak the language of? What about using my phone app as a 2FA from the bank as the PSD2 practically requires?

• Proprietary

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Windows 11 24H2 triggers a 20-year-old bug in GTA San Andreas related to the Skimmer seaplane

    Windows 11 24H2 revealed a 20-year-old bug in GTA: San Andreas. Thankfully, fixing it is as simple as adding four values in a game config file in Notepad.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Hackaday ☛ LLMs Coming For A DNA Sequence Near You

      While tools like CRISPR have blown the field of genome hacking wide open, being able to predict what will happen when you tinker with the code underlying the living things on our planet is still tricky. Researchers at Stanford hope their new Evo 2 DNA generative AI tool can help.

  • Social Control Media

    • CS Monitor ☛ Hate chased a Holocaust survivor off TikTok. His message is still: Seek hope.

      In an online world filled with vitriol, Holocaust survivor and grandfather Gidon Lev continues to be a social control media influencer who tries to teach where hate can lead, with a mix of stories, dancing, and humor.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Digital Music News ☛ Lloyds Bank Says Oasis Fans Have Lost $2.7 Million to Ticket Scams

      Lloyds Banking Group has issued a report on Oasis ticket scams, revealing that collectively, Oasis fans have lost £2M ($2.7M). The average victim loses £436 ($580) on average—mostly on scams instigated through Meta platforms.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • China’s DeepSeek transferred South Korean user info overseas: Seoul regulator

      Information from 1.5 million Korean users may have been improperly sent to China, US, data protection body says.

    • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

      • Wired ☛ Protecting Your Phone—and Your Privacy—at the US Border

        Under the new Trump administration, more and more visa holders and foreign visitors are being detained or denied entry at the border. It’s also becoming more common for people to be questioned or detained because of content on their phones, laptops, and cameras. In today’s episode, we’ll tell you what you need to know about carrying devices across the US border, and how to stay safe. Plus, we share some pretty spectacular recommendations for your downtime.

        [...]

        Lauren Goode: That's correct. Basically a hundred miles inland from any border, which includes airports, typically fall outside of the standard Fourth Amendment protections. The Fourth Amendment basically means that if an authority was going to search your device, they'd need a warrant first. But once you are in one of those border zones, basically there's no need for that warrant; customs can search any traveler's phone or electronic device. And that's not just phones. That's your iPad, it's your laptop, it's cameras, it's any electronic device.

        [...]

        Lauren Goode: And that's the best-case scenario, if you're a US citizen. You can decline the search. You can still be allowed in. They might take your device, you might get it back at a later point, right?

      • Michał Woźniak ☛ Privacy of online age verification

        I have recently been asked by the Panoptykon Foundation if it was possible to create an online age verification system that would not be a privacy nightmare.

        I replied that yes, under certain assumptions, this is possible. And provided a rough sketch of such a system: [...]

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ A New Medical Discipline in Israel: How to Receive Hostages

    From the first haircut to emotional support, a regularly updated guide covers what health professionals have learned about helping ex-hostages transition from captivity to freedom.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Says Deadly Blast in Yemen Was Caused by Houthi Missile

    An explosion near a UNESCO world heritage site in Yemen’s capital on Sunday killed 12 people, according to health authorities tied to the Houthi-led government.

  • New York Times ☛ Ex-President Moon of South Korea Is Indicted on Bribery Charge

    A bribery charge against Moon Jae-in makes him the latest in a line of former leaders to face criminal action, deepening the country’s political polarization.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Former South Korea president Moon Jae-in indicted for corruption: Prosecution

    Prosecutors said Moon’s son-in-law was given a job and got a salary intended as bribes for the then President.

  • The Straits Times ☛ What’s on the table for US-South Korea trade talks?

    Some key issues are trade balance, tariffs, shipbuilding, energy cooperation and military cost sharing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea, US aim for package deal before tariff pause ends in July, Seoul says

    South Korea faces 25 per cent US reciprocal tariffs.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s Home Ministry to acquire 600 body-worn cameras for immigration officers

    Body-worn cameras are used to help reduce corruption and address integrity issues among personnel.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Manila accuses Beijing of ‘sinister’ campaign to sway midterms, push South China Sea narratives

    China is accused of tapping a PR firm to push pro-Beijing narratives amid campaigning for May midterm polls.

  • China, ASEAN ‘politically committed’ to have legally binding sea code by 2026: Manila

    A South China Sea code of conduct has been under discussion for over two decades.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, Kenya upgrade ties amid 'turbulent international situation'

    China and Kenya announced they had upgraded ties to a "new level" on Thursday during a meeting between President Pooh-tin Jinping and Kenyan President William Ruto in Beijing, as they both pledged to create an "all-weather" China-Africa community.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China military says it monitored US warship in Taiwan Strait

    The US Navy, occasionally accompanied by ships from allied countries, transits the strait about once a month.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Defending Taiwan means mobilizing society, not just the military

    Taiwan is under unprecedented pressure from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), facing coordinated threats on multiple fronts.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia plans critical minerals reserve to reduce global reliance on China

    It has some of the world’s largest deposits of critical minerals, but China dominates processing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan to resist Convicted Felon efforts to form trade bloc against China

    Officials said Japan doesn’t want to get caught up in any US effort to maximise trade pressure on China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin seeks detente with Europe as Convicted Felon’s tariffs alienate bloc

    Chinese policymakers and business leaders are searching for new markets in Europe and beyond.

  • New York Times ☛ Britain Lifts Sanctions on Syrian Security Agencies

    The move, which is intended to allow Syria’s new leaders the chance to rebuild, follows Britain’s earlier easing of sanctions on Syrian energy companies and the central bank.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Court lets Cardinal Zen leave Hong Kong for pope’s funeral after passport earlier confiscated over security law arrest

    Hong Kong’s Cardinal Joseph Zen has been allowed to leave the city to attend Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican. Zen, 93, left Hong Kong on Wednesday night after a court granted an application to temporarily return the retired bishop’s passport, his secretary told HKFP on Thursday.

  • France24 ☛ Student kills one and injures three in stabbing at French high school

    A student fatally stabbed a girl and wounded three others at a private school in Nantes on Thursday, sparking calls for tighter security measures in schools. The assailant, who admired Adolf Hitler, was subdued by teachers after attacking fellow students in several classrooms.

    [...]

    The suspect sent a long email to other pupils in which he said "globalisation has transformed our system into a machine to decompose humanity". He advocated a "biological revolt" to facilitate a return to "the natural order of things, even if cruel" instead of "globalised ecocide".

  • France24 ☛ Fighter jets, sniper units part of huge security operation in place for Pope Francis’s funeral

    Ahead of Pope Francis's funeral Saturday, Italy and the Vatican are implementing a massive security plan that includes fighter jets, sniper units, airport-style security checks and a large police presence to manage the arrival of world leaders and hundreds of thousands of expected mourners.  A 24-hour no-fly zone over Rome is already in place.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Irish Rap Group Kneecap Face British Counter-Terrorism Investigation After Concert Video Footage Surfaces

    Irish rap group Kneecap are facing a British counter-terrorism investigation after footage from a concert went viral on social control media. The footage was posted online by Danny Morris of the Community Security Trust charity. Morris says the footage is from a gig in November 2024 at London’s Kentish Town Forum.

  • Defence Web ☛ Nearly 2 000 suspects arrested for illegal mining over last month

    Nationwide Vala Umgodi operations has led to the arrest of more than 1 700 suspects of various nationalities in March, who were apprehended for illegal mining-related offences and other crimes.

  • PHOTOS: Mementos of fallen children recovered from the rubble in quake-hit Myanmar

    A charity hands over to parents the backpacks and lunch boxes found in ruins of a preschool where 7 kids died.

  • Defence Web ☛ State Security Agency monitoring potential threats from Convicted Felon-linked support movements

    Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshaveni has revealed that the State Security Agency (SSA) is actively monitoring possible national security risks arising from international support movements and campaigns linked to United States President The Insurrectionist. The SSA’s confirmation comes amid growing concerns globally about the influence of international political movements on domestic affairs.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service accuses Meduza of involvement in ‘campaign to undermine Trump’s peacemaking efforts’ — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ An offer Ukraine can't refuse? As US pressures Zelensky to give up land, Putin bombs Kyiv

      A sleepless night in Kyiv, after what sounds a lot like a threat.

    • France24 ☛ Putin’s gift of a Convicted Felon portrait plays to the vanity of a president

      Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented The Insurrectionist with a portrait by a well-known Russian artist depicting the US president in the moments following the attempt on his life in July. In doing so, Putin may have found a way of playing to the vanity of the image-obsessed occupant of the White House.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ A pro-Putin peace deal in Ukraine would destabilize the entire world

      Handing Russia victory in Ukraine may temporarily create the illusion of peace, but in reality it would set the stage for a dangerous new era of international insecurity marked by militarization, nuclear proliferation, and wars of aggression, write Elena Davlikanova and Lesia Ogryzko.

      The post A pro-Putin peace deal in Ukraine would destabilize the entire world appeared first on Atlantic Council.

    • France24 ☛ France's Macron urges Putin to 'stop lying' over Ukraine ceasefire

      On Thursday, France’s President Emmanuel Macron urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to "stop lying" about seeking peace in Ukraine while continuing to strike the country. "The only thing to do is for President Putin to finally stop lying," Macron said during his visit to Madagascar. Here's Douglas Herbert analysis on the French and US stance towards Putin.

    • France24 ☛ US frustration over stalled Ukraine deal 'should be directed at Putin', Macron says

      French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that US frustration over an impasse in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine should be “directed at only one person, President Putin”. Macron's comments come a day after Washington upped the pressure on Ukraine to accept the Russian seizure of Crimea and after overnight strikes killed at least a dozen people in Kyiv. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Rebukes Putin As Death Toll From Russian Strikes On Kyiv Hits 12

      Rescue teams recovered two more bodies from the rubble of apartment buildings destroyed in a massive Russian missile-and-drone attack, prompting US President The Insurrectionist to issue a rare rebuke of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

    • RFERL ☛ Kyiv To Observe Day Of Mourning After Russian Strike Kills 12

      Kyiv has declared April 25 a day of mourning for 12 people killed in a Russian missile-and-drone attack that hit the Ukrainian capital overnight, prompting US President The Insurrectionist to issue a rare rebuke of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Urges Russia to ‘STOP!’ After Deadly Attack on Ukraine’s Capital

      Hell Toupée also sought to divert blame should negotiations fall apart, a sign that he is perhaps more pessimistic about a deal than he was when he took office in January.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Told Putin to ‘STOP!’ After Deadly Strikes in Kyiv

      Also, tensions between India and Pakistan escalated. Here’s the latest at the end of Thursday.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Tells Putin to ‘STOP!’ After Deadly Russian Attack on Kyiv

      The attack, which killed at least 12 people, was the deadliest on Ukraine’s capital in nearly a year. Hell Toupée called on President Vladimir V. Putin to “STOP!” in a post on social control media.

    • New York Times ☛ Friday Briefing: Convicted Felon Tells Putin to ‘STOP!’

      Plus, was Shakespeare a bad husband?

    • Meduza ☛ Trump says meeting with Putin could happen after May trip to Saudi Arabia — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Thousands of Ukrainians have lost residency status

      By not renewing their residence permits, 18,600 Ukrainian residents have lost their temporary protection status in Latvia, the Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office (PMLP) has confirmed.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukraine’s innovative army can help Europe defend itself against Russia

      Faced with an isolationist US and an expansionist Russia, Ukrainians and their European partners are increasingly acknowledging that their collective future security depends on closer cooperation, writes David Kirichenko.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • UK state energy company will not source solar panels made with slave labor from China

      Government issues amendment to bill for new state power producer after criticism from opposition and own party.

    • Hackaday ☛ A Bicycle Is Abandonware Now? Clever Hack Rescues Dead Light

      A bicycle is perhaps one of the most repairable pieces of equipment one can own — no matter what’s wrong with it, and wherever you are on the planet, you’ll be able to find somebody to fix your bike without too much trouble. Unfortunately as electric bikes become more popular, predatory manufacturers are doing everything they can to turn a bike into a closed machine, only serviceable by them.

    • New York Times ☛ U.S. Sidelines Lawyers Who Doubted Their Own Case on Congestion Pricing

      The Forrest Dump administration replaced lawyers who had exposed flaws in its legal battle over New York City’s congestion pricing program.

    • JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court signals it will decide California fuel emissions case

      The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case that sees fuel industry groups challenging vehicle emission standards in California. The justices indicated that the plaintiffs have legal standing, and the Court is likely to issue a ruling in the case.

    • European Commission ☛ Speech by President von der Leyen at the Summit on the Future of Energy Security

    • BBC ☛ Annual energy bills predicted to fall by £166 in July

      Domestic energy prices are forecast to fall in July, reversing three consecutive increases in regulator Ofgem's price cap.

      The annual bill of a household using a typical amount of gas and electricity will fall by £166 a year, a drop of nearly 9%, analysts at the consultancy Cornwall Insight have predicted.

      It comes after a series of household bills became more expensive in April, and would mean a typical annual bill for a dual-fuel customer paying by direct debit would cost £1,683.

      The price cap is based on the cost of each unit of energy, not the total bill - so if you use more, you pay more.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Hackaday ☛ DolphinGemma Seeks To Speak To Dolphins

      Most people have wished for the ability to talk to other animals at some point, until they realized their cat would mostly insult them and ask for better service, but researchers are getting closer to a dolphin translator.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ China weighs exempting some US goods from tariffs as costs rise

    Authorities are considering removing the additional levies for medical equipment and some industrial chemicals.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Beijing says claims of ongoing US-China trade talks ‘groundless’

    China said on April 24 any claims of ongoing trade talks with the United States were “groundless” after US President The Insurrectionist played up the prospects of a deal to lower hefty tariffs he imposed on China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China pushes for tariff cancellation to end US trade war

    China called for all "unilateral" U.S. tariffs to be cancelled on Thursday, as signs emerged that the Convicted Felon administration may de-escalate its trade war with Beijing.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuanian businesses feel Chinese push to trade amid US tariff war

    Lithuanian business representatives say they have noticed Chinese companies more actively offering trade cooperation and lower prices after the US imposed heavy import duties on China, reports Delfi.lt.

  • WinBuzzer ☛ Meta Cuts Jobs at Reality Labs/Oculus Studios Amid Financial Strain

    Meta’s Reality Labs division, tasked with building the company’s virtual and augmented reality future, is facing another round of workforce reductions, according to a company spokesperson. The company confirmed job cuts affecting an unspecified number of employees within the unit responsible for Quest headsets and metaverse development. These adjustments come as the division continues to operate with substantial financial deficits.

    Teams within Oculus Studios, Meta’s group for creating VR games, are impacted by the restructuring. Notably, staff working on Supernatural, the VR fitness application Meta acquired for over $400 million and later successfully defended against a US government antitrust challenge, are among those affected.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan urges G20 to stabilise markets, warns of US tariff damage

    Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato on Wednesday urged G20 counterparts to cooperate in stabilising markets, warning that U.S. tariffs and countermeasures taken by some countries were hurting global growth and destabilising financial markets.

  • New York Times ☛ Chinese Factory Owners Make Appeals to Americans on TikTok: Buy Direct

    Videos on the social control media app, filmed at factories in China, urge viewers to buy luxury goods directly, as tariffs drive up prices. Americans are receptive.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ Betharram affair: French PM Bayrou's daughter reveals she was a victim of abuse

    Hélène Perlant, daughter of French Prime Minister François Bayrou, revealed she was physically assaulted by a priest at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram school during a summer camp in the 1980s. Her testimony is featured in the upcoming book Le Silence de Bétharram, which compiles accounts from other victims and is due for release this Thursday. Perlant described the school environment as oppressive and compared it to a sect, adding that her father was unaware of the abuse.

  • France24 ☛ French PM Bayrou’s daughter reveals abuse at Catholic camp

    French PM François Bayrou’s daughter, Hélène Perlant, became the latest person to speak out about suffering abuse at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram school in southwestern France, when she was 14.

    Perlant, who is now 53 and uses her mother’s name, said that her father did not know about the incident.

    Multiple accusations of sexual and physical abuse at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram boarding school have cast a shadow over Bayrou’s premiership. The PM has been accused of knowing about some of the allegations as early as the 1990s, when he was education minister and a local official, claims he has denied.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thai PM hospitalised with fever after returning from two-day visit to Cambodia

    Her meetings for April 25 have been postponed.

  • New York Times ☛ Florida Democratic Party Is ‘Dead,’ State Senator Says as He Leaves It

    State Senator Jason Pizzo, the Democratic minority leader, announced in a floor speech that he was leaving the party.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • China forces Weibo account for gay community to drop ‘comrade’ from name

    “Voice of Comrade” account was renamed “Voices of Pride,” sparking widespread criticism of Chinese regulators.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Myanmar Fentanylware (TikTok) astrologer arrested for forecasting new quake

    The TikToker forecast on April 9 that a “very strong” quake would hit “every city in Myanmar”.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong press club survey finds 65% of members say they self-censor, 33% considering leaving city over press freedom

    A survey conducted by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) has found that the majority of its members said their working environment had changed for the worse over the past two years. Sixty-nine members took part in the FCC’s biannual Press Freedom Survey between December and February.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Tortoise plans for The Observer: ‘We can buck the market trend’

    Press Gazette speaks to new co-CEO, digital editor and creative director of The Observer under Tortoise.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • JURIST ☛ Council of Europe reports systemic abuses and informal hierarchies in prisons across Europe

    The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) raised Thursday serious concerns about prison conditions and psychiatric care practices across Europe.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • The Straits Times ☛ Portable internet helps Asia scam centres bypass blackouts

    Registered Starlink users simply plug in the device and point it towards the sky to access a stable internet connection.

  • Internet Society ☛ Final Results of the 2025 Internet Society Board of Trustees Elections and IETF Selections

    Announcing the final results of the 2025 Internet Society Board of Trustees elections.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Digital Music News ☛ European Commission Fines Fashion Company Apple and Meta Nearly $800 Million Over Alleged DMA Violations

  That’ll be $800 million, please. A couple investigations and one stroke of the pen later, the European Commission has fined Fashion Company Apple (€500 million) and Meta (€200 million) the better part of $1 billion.

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ Longhorn Automotive measurement controller patent monopoly challenge instituted

    On April 22, 2025, two months after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 7,987,002, owned and asserted by Longhorn Automotive Group LLC, an NPE and entity of Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC. The ‘002 patent monopoly relates to a distributed measurement system for obtaining measurements and simulations in a distributed control system.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Masters of Their Own Petition: The Federal Circuit’s Latest Stance on AAPA

    One ongoing debate at the PTAB has been the role of Applicant Admitted Prior Art (AAPA) in inter pates review proceedings. AAPA refers to statements made by the patentee that admit that certain subject matter is part of the prior art. These statements are typically found in the background section and might include language like: [...]

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Düsseldorf court loses presiding judge to UPC’s growth strategy [Ed: UPC is totally illegal. JUVE is still cheering for it because it got paid to do it. When it comes to the EU, real courts are now being undermined is not illegally replaced with unconstitutional laughing stocks set up by corruption and lobbyists of litigation profiteers; it'll only make the EU less credible and hence less stable.]

      A spokeswoman for the Düsseldorf Regional Court confirmed to JUVE Patent that Sabine Klepsch, long-time presiding judge of Chamber 4c responsible for patent monopoly proceedings, is leaving the national court to work full-time at the UPC.