Leftovers

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Disastrous MindsEye launch plagued by performance issues — even an RTX 5090 can't deliver 60 fps despite 19GB VRAM usage, developer working on a fix

    MindsEye players are complaining of poor performance despite having hardware that exceeds the game's recommended requirements.

  • CNX Software ☛ PCIe 7.0 specification released with up to 512GB/s bi-directional data rate

    The PCIe 7.0 specification has been released, offering a data rate of up to 128GT/s, or a bi-directional transfer rate of 512GB/s in x16 configuration. This doubles the speed of PCIe 6.0 specification released in 2022, reaching up to 64GT/s data rate, or 256GB/s bi-directional transfer rates. PCI-SIG says the PCIe 7.0 specification targets data-intensive applications such as AI/ML, 800 Gbps Ethernet, cloud, and Quantum computing. Work on PCIe 8.0 has started, likely aiming for 256GT/s and a 2028 release date. Like PCIe 6.0, PCIe 7.0 utilizes PAM4 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation with 4 levels) signaling and Flit-based encoding. It also provides improved power efficiency and maintains backwards compatibility with previous generations of PCIe technology. New specifications are released regularly, and since the introduction of PCI in 1992 with a 013GB/s data rate, the PCI/PCIe bandwidth has roughly doubled every three years, as illustrated in the chart below.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Digital Music News ☛ Joe Rogan Claims Two Former Presidents Reached Out to Spotify Over His COVID Commentary

    Joe Rogan claims that two unnamed former presidents contacted Spotify regarding his COVID commentary on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ podcast. The disclosure came amid ongoing debates about misinformation and content moderation on major media platforms. Spotify faced significant backlash for hosting Joe Rogan’s podcast, which critics accused of spreading misinformation about the pandemic.

  • NIH Cuts

    The Trump administration cut research funding that sought cures for future pandemics, examined the causes of dementia and tried to prevent HIV transmission. More than 150 researchers shared with ProPublica what is being lost.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Lower income, less hygienic? Sign at South Korean private pool sparks backlash

    Photos of the sign that detailed the guidelines for using the pool began circulating online.

  • Science Alert ☛ Popular 'What I Eat in a Day' Videos Could Have 5 Dangerous Downsides

    You aren't them.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Identity and access management failure in Surveillance Giant Google Cloud causes widespread internet service disruptions

      An identity and access management failure within Surveillance Giant Google Cloud earlier today caused widespread service disruptions across a range of internet services, including portions of Clownflare Inc., Surveillance Giant Google Workspace apps and third-party platforms reliant on Surveillance Giant Google infrastructure. The incident began late Wednesday morning PDT and was traced to a misconfiguration within Surveillance Giant Google Cloud’s IAM systems.

• Defence/Aggression

  • CS Monitor ☛ ‘I always felt very protected there’: Austria grapples with rare school shooting

    Hundreds lined the central square in Graz, Austria, for a minute of silence for the 10 people killed in a school shooting on June. In a search of the shooter’s home, investigators found a farewell letter, video, and a non-functional pipe bomb.

  • New York Times ☛ What to Know About Israel’s Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Program

    Israel’s military struck Tehran and other targets early Friday morning, raising fears of a broader war. The U.S. said it was not involved in the strikes.

  • RFERL ☛ Israel Strikes 'Heart' Of Iran's Ballistic Missile And Nuclear Enrichment Programs In Widespread Attack

    Israel conducted a “preemptive strike” on Iranian nuclear facilities early on June 13, Israeli officials said after people in Tehran awoke to the sound of explosions in the city.

  • France24 ☛ Israel launches strikes against Iran nuclear facilities

    Israel launched a "preemptive strike" on Iran early Friday, its defence minister said, hours after former US President The Insurrectionist warned Israel could soon target Iran’s nuclear sites. The attack escalates tensions in the region amid longstanding concerns over Tehran’s nuclear program.

  • France24 ☛ Israel strikes Iran, Tehran vows 'severe punishment' in response

    Israel attacked Iran's capital early Friday in strikes that targeted the country's nuclear program and raised the potential for an all-out war between the two bitter Middle East adversaries. It appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq, with multiple sites around the country hit.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Appears Ready to Attack Iran

    Concern about a strike and the prospect of retaliation led the United States to withdraw diplomats from Iraq and authorize the voluntary departure of U.S. military family members from the Middle East.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Was Not Involved in Israeli Strikes on Iran, Rubio Says

    Hell Toupée has said he would like to negotiate a deal with Tehran over its nuclear program but had also acknowledged that Israel might attack Iran first.

  • NYPost ☛ Rubio calls Israeli strikes against Iran ‘unilateral action,’ urges ‘US interests or personnel’ not to be targeted

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday called Israel's strikes against Iran a "unilateral action" and said Washington was not involved while also urging Tehran not to target U.S. interests or personnel in the region.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • JURIST ☛ Russia dissident and Navalny ally Leonid Volkov sentenced in absentia to 18 years imprisonment

      The Moscow Military Court on Wednesday sentenced in absentia Leonid Volkov, an ally of Alexey Navalny and a former leader of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, to 18 years of imprisonment and a fine of 2 million rubles (approximately $25,000).

    • France24 ☛ Torture and forced disappearances: Inside Wagner’s secret prisons in Mali

      Since arriving in Mali in 2021, Russian Wagner mercenaries have abducted and detained hundreds of civilians in former UN bases and military camps shared with the Malian army. Our investigation, as part of the Viktoriia project, reveals secret prisons where abuse and torture are carried out with total impunity.

    • Latvia ☛ Large drop in number of Ukrainian refugees officially registered in Latvia

      On 30 April 2025, 4.26 million non-EU citizens who fled Ukraine as a consequence of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine had temporary protection status in the EU.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukraine is shaping the future of drone warfare at sea as well as on land

      Kyiv’s string of remarkable naval victories in the Battle of the Black Sea confirm that Ukrainian innovation is shaping the future of drone warfare at sea as well as on land, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • France24 ☛ Russia and Ukraine exchange more prisoners of war on Thursday

      Russia and Ukraine carried out a prisoner of war exchange on Thursday, according to statements by the Russian defence ministry.

    • LRT ☛ Hundreds of Russian soldiers treated in Belarusian hospitals, investigation finds

      Hundreds of Russian soldiers wounded in the Ukraine war have been treated in Belarusian hospitals, including some from military units linked to alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), partners of LRT English, report.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Taking lessons from Ukraine, Taiwan eyes sea drones to counter China

      The drones are uncrewed, remotely controlled small vessels packed with explosives.

    • Meduza ☛ A new ‘buffer zone’? Russia advances in east-central Ukraine, pushing toward territory it does not already claim — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia and Ukraine conduct new prisoner swap involving wounded soldiers — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian forces launch second consecutive night of drone strikes on Ukraine’s Kharkiv, injuring 14 — Meduza

    • JURIST ☛ Russian officials approve abortion propaganda ban, increase pressure on women

      Saint Petersburg legislators approved a provincial bill Wednesday to introduce fines for “encouragement of abortions” to purportedly help create a “safe… family and motherhood informational environment” in the region. The bill would establish an increasing fine scale for citizens, public persons, and people of legal professions for encouraging abortions.

    • LRT ☛ No point for Lithuania to impose sanctions against Russia, Belarus alone – PM

      If the European Union failed to extend its economic sanctions against Russia and Belarus, it does not make sense for Lithuania to impose such sanctions alone, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Thursday.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘You Are Not Alone’: campaign raises over $150,000 for Russian political prisoners in a single day — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Marco Rubio issues first Russia Day greeting by a U.S. secretary of state since 2022 — Meduza

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin’s peace plan is a blueprint for the end of Ukrainian statehood

      Russia’s peace plan sends a clear signal that Moscow wants to erase Ukraine as a state and as a nation. If Western leaders wish to avoid this catastrophic outcome, they must convince Putin that the alternative to a negotiated peace is a Russian defeat, writes Tetiana Kotelnykova.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia's Prabowo to meet Putin in Russia for talks

      He will be in Russia from June 18 to 20.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Says Tough Sanctions Could 'Force Putin To Seek Peace' As Russia Hits Kharkiv Again

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged countries that back Kyiv in its defense against the Russian invasion to step up sanctions against Moscow, saying that the Kremlin does not care about massive casualties but could be swayed to end the war if economic pressure is sufficient.

    • Latvia ☛ NIB opens public consultation on defence financing

      The Nordic Investment Bank’s Board of Directors today approved the start of a 30-day public consultation on changes to the NIB Sustainability Policy Exclusion List. The proposed revision permits NIB (in which Latvia is a shareholder) to finance conventional weapons and ammunition, while excluding producers of 'controversial' weapons.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Deadly Air India Plane Crash: Photos and Video

      A passenger flight traveling from Ahmedabad, a city in western India, to London crashed shortly after takeoff.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Air India crash: Bird strike a possible cause as mayday call being probed

      The nature of the Mayday emergency transmission will be crucial info for investigators, said one air safety expert.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Australia to boost aerial surveillance of Pacific for illegal fishing fleets

      Australia plans to significantly boost surveillance of Pacific Islands territorial waters, spending A$477 million ($310.72 million) on aerial patrols for illegal fishing fleets, tender documents viewed by Reuters show, as China takes steps towards sending its coast guard to the region.

• Finance

  • France24 ☛ Rate of women hired into top jobs falls for the third year running

    Fresh analysis from Microsoft's Surveillance Arm LinkedIn shows the rate of women hired into leadership positions has slowed for the third year in a row, leaving the hiring rate back where it was in 2020. The data shows women are being shut out of senior positions, holding less than a third of top roles despite making up almost half of the global workforce. Sue Duke, LinkedIn’s Global VP of Public Policy discusses some of the solutions that would help reverse this decline.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Federal News Network ☛ Ex-congressman Billy Long confirmed as commissioner of the IRS, an agency he once sought to abolish

    Former congressman Billy Long of Missouri has been confirmed to lead the Internal Revenue Service, an agency he once sought to abolish. Long's confirmation on a 53-44 Senate vote Thursday gives the beleaguered IRS a permanent commissioner after months of acting leaders and massive staffing cuts that have threatened to derail next year's tax filing system. Democratic senators strongly opposed Long's nomination based on the Republican’s past work for a firm that pitched a fraud-ridden coronavirus pandemic-era tax break and on campaign contributions he received after President The Insurrectionist picked him. While in Congress, Long sponsored legislation to get rid of the IRS, the agency he's now tasked with leading.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Lawbreakers to be ‘held accountable,’ China says as US airs support for activist Joshua Wong after nat. security charge

    China’s foreign ministry office in Hong Kong has slammed the United States for voicing support for jailed activist Joshua Wong after he was charged under the national security law, accusing Washington of “blatantly interfering” in the city’s affairs.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan’s PM Ishiba signals no rush to strike US deal as gaps persist

    He is expected to meet Convicted Felon on the sidelines of the upcoming Group of Seven leaders’ gathering.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong bans gaming app that police say incites ‘armed revolution’ against China

    Gamers say it shows the government’s ‘fear of freedom’ as it extends its grip on dissent in the city.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • EDRI ☛ EDRi-gram, 12 June 2025

    What has the EDRis network been up to over the past two weeks? Find out the latest digital rights news in our bi-weekly newsletter. In this edition: UK data adequacy under scrutiny, ProtectEU strategy a step further towards digital dystopia, and more!

    The post EDRi-gram, 12 June 2025 appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

  • BIA Net ☛ Mass layoffs after strike at İzmir Municipality

    İzmir Metropolitan Municipality (İzBB) is set to lay off 1,000 workers from its affiliated companies İZDOĞA, İZULAŞ, and İZBETON following a large-scale strike.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Federal Circuit Clarifies Enablement Standards: Amgen Doesn’t Apply to Anticipatory Prior Art

    No. 2023-2186 (Fed. Cir. June 11, 2025), affirming PTAB decisions that invalidated all claims of two CRISPR gene-editing patents. The case featured arguments by IP luminaries Mark Lemley and Edward Reines, with the patent monopoly challenger, Reines, coming up on top this time.  The case distinguishes Amgen Inc. v. Sanofi, 598 U.S. 594 (2023): establishing clear boundaries between the enablement requirements for patent monopoly validity under 35 U.S.C. § 112 and the enablement standards for anticipatory prior art under § 102.

    The unanimous Judge Prost decision also establishes that abandoned patent monopoly applications and research projects retain their full potency as prior art, rejecting arguments that abandonment should diminish their anticipatory effect.  The patentee's appellant brief had pointedly asked:

    Did the Board err in finding that the claims were anticipated by and obvious over a prior art reference that never worked, was ultimately withdrawn, and which offered quadrillions of possible art combinations with no guidance to choose one that might work?

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Federal Circuit and the Convicted Felon Tariff En Banc Ruling

    by Dennis Crouch

    In a significant development that places the Federal Circuit at the center of a major  political debate and constitutional question, the court recently issued a rare en banc order granting the United States' motions for stays of permanent injunctions that had halted Hell Toupée's sweeping tariff program. The unanimous per curiam order in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Convicted Felon allows the contested tariffs to remain in effect while the court considers what it characterized as "issues of exceptional importance warranting expedited en banc consideration of the merits in the first instance." [ORDER].

    The Federal Circuit's decision comes against a backdrop of contradictions between the Convicted Felon administration's public posture and its private legal arguments as detailed in recent NYTimes reporting. While Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick publicly dismissed the lower court's adverse ruling as costing them only "a week, maybe" and insisted that other countries "came right back to the table," the government's emergency filings argued that the injunction could "catastrophically harm our economy" and create a "foreign policy disaster scenario."

  • Unified Patents ☛ Fraud Free Transactions secure transactions patent monopoly challenge instituted

    On April 24, 2025, six weeks 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 11,551,215, owned and asserted by Fraud Free Transactions, LLC. The ‘215 patent monopoly relates to fraud deterrence for secure transactions.

  • JUVE ☛ Realme secures second victory in German dispute over LTE technology

    The parties are fighting over EP 2 068 582 in Germany. The patent monopoly protects “a handoff access method and device based on random access channel”.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Finds VORSPRUNG for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Confusable with VORSPRUNG DURCH TEKNIK for Land Vehicles

    The Board affirmed another Section 2(d) refusal, finding the mark VORSPRUNG for various electrical goods for vehicles, including charging stations, confusable with the registered mark VORSPRUNG DURCH TEKNIK (owned by Audi AG) for "Land vehicles and structural parts thereof." Applicant feebly argued that the word VORSPRUNG in its mark has a different meaning than the same word in the cited mark. The Board was unmoved. In re DropNet Ltd, Serial No. 97660649 (June 10, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Mark A. Thurmon).

• Copyrights

  • Press Gazette ☛ Who’s suing Hey Hi (AI) and who’s signing: Raft of Prorata partnerships, New York Times signs with Amazon