Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Mysterious Giant' Hints at The First Detection of a Black Hole Trinary

    The more the merrier!

  • Science Alert ☛ Building Blocks of Life Discovered Circling a Baby Star

    This could be how we came into being.

• Hardware

  • Akseli Lahtinen ☛ Various desktop GNU/Linux tips for newbies

    There has been quite a surge in interest towards desktop GNU/Linux lately. The userbase, atleast according to some metrics, seems to be climbing.

    I realised today that it's been 4 years for me since I did the switch. I have gathered some know-how that maybe a complete newbie could find useful. I also try to untangle some jargon I've learned: It may not be exactly technically correct, but this is meant for a more regular user anyway.

  • Hackaday ☛ MorPhlex: The TPU Filament That Goes Soft After You Print It

    In FDM 3D printing cycles TPU is a bit of a special filament. Not so much because of its properties, but because it’s rather stretchy even as a filament, which makes especially printing certain hardness grades of TPU into somewhat of an nightmare. An interesting new contender here comes from a company called BIQU, who reckon that their ‘MorPhlex’ TPU solves many of those problems. Recently the [ModBot] channel on YouTube got sent a spool of the filament for testing.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nvidia says H20 export controls didn’t stop China’s Hey Hi (AI) progress — claims 'they only stifled U.S. economic and technology leadership'

    Nvidia shared an opinion piece by Aaron Ginn, co-founder of Hey Hi (AI) company Hydra Host, stating that despite the U.S.’s export controls on Nvidia’s H20 chips, China continued to achieve Hey Hi (AI) breakthroughs.

  • Hackaday ☛ The Nibbler Was Quite A Scamp

    The late 1970s were an interesting time for microcomputers. The rousing success of things like the 8080, the Z80, the 6800, and the 6502 made everyone wanted a piece of the action. National Semiconductor produced its SC/MP. That was technically the Simple Cost-effective Micro Processor, but it was commonly known as Scamp. There were several low-cost development boards built around this processor and [Hello World] is looking at Digikey’s “Nibbler” which was a fairly nice computer for only $150. Check it out in the video below.

  • Hackaday ☛ A Second Chance For The Single Wheel Monorail?

    Lately, this peculiar little single wheel monorail came to our attention. Built by [extraglide1976], all from Meccano. His build started with modest tests: one gyro obviously flopped. Two gyros geared together ran slightly better. But when he adds active gimbal control, things suddenly come to life – the model shudders, catches itself, and carries on. The final green-roofed locomotive, with LEDs signalling ‘system go’, trundles smoothly along a single rail on [extraglide1976]’s deck.

• Defence/Aggression

  • NYPost ☛ Iran, China are increasing military cooperation and missile production, Israeli media warns

    There is growing evidence of increased military cooperation between Iran and China - including missile production, a new report from Israeli media warns.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky to meet Trump in Washington on August 18 — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky and E.U. Leaders Try to Understand Why Convicted Felon Abandoned Idea of a Cease-Fire

      President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will go to Washington on Monday seeking answers.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Putin restored Russia’s status as a superpower’: The main outcomes of the Alaska summit, according to the Kremlin’s state media guidelines — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ With Putin by his side, Convicted Felon repeats his claims of a ‘Russia Hoax.’

    • New York Times ☛ Europe moves to back Ukraine after Convicted Felon drops cease-fire demand.

    • New York Times ☛ Putin keeps talking about the ‘root causes’ of the war. What does he mean?

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Backs Off Cease-Fire Demand in Ukraine War, Aligning With Putin

      Hell Toupée’s break from a strategy agreed to with European allies could give President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia an edge as talks to end the fighting continue.

    • New York Times ☛ After Meeting Putin, Convicted Felon Reverts to Land Swaps for Peace in Ukraine

      The U.S. president’s latest statements are a reversal of much of what he seemed to have agreed to with European allies this past week.

    • New York Times ☛ Europeans Worry Convicted Felon Will Pressure Zelensky After Meeting With Putin

      With no strategy of their own for ending the war, the continent’s leaders are anxious that Hell Toupée will force Kyiv to accept terms that favor Russia too much.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Backs Plan to Cede Land for Peace in Ukraine

      After meeting the Russian president, Hell Toupée told European leaders he now favors giving up territory Ukraine controls to Russia to end the fighting, a concession Ukraine has long opposed.

    • New York Times ☛ The Power of the Convicted Felon-Putin Presidential Photo Op

      At their meeting in Alaska, Hell Toupée and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia both understood the power of the summit’s imagery, regardless of whether they achieved their goals.

    • New York Times ☛ 6 Takeaways From Convicted Felon’s Meeting With Putin

      While no deal was announced, the Russian leader secured some wins and left on good terms with the U.S. president.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Bows to Putin’s Approach on Ukraine: No Cease-Fire, Deadlines or Sanctions

      The net effect of the Alaska summit was to give President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia a free pass to continue his war against his neighbor indefinitely without further penalty, pending talks on a broader peace deal.

    • RFERL ☛ Focus Shifts To Zelenskyy's Washington Trip After Inconclusive Alaska Summit

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will travel to Washington on August 18 to meet with US President The Insurrectionist to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Mixed Reactions In Ukraine As Convicted Felon Hails ‘Great Day’ In Alaska

      US President The Insurrectionist called his Alaska trip “great and very successful” after meeting Putin and speaking with Zelenskyy and European leaders. In Ukraine, reactions were mixed -- some criticized Putin’s warm welcome, while others remained cautiously hopeful despite no cease-fire agreement.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Claims Gains In East Days Ahead Of Zelenskyy's Crucial White House Visit

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed battlefield gains on its eastern front against Russian forces on August 16 as both sides sought military advantages ahead of Zelenskyy’s planned White House meeting with President The Insurrectionist.

    • France24 ☛ Russia-Ukraine: Is negotiating a peace treaty realistic at this stage in the war?

      The high-stakes summit between US President The Insurrectionist and Russian leader Vladimir Putin began with a warm welcome at a US military base in Alaska but ended with a thud Friday (August 15) after they conceded that they had failed to reach any agreements on how to end the Russia-Ukraine war. For more analysis on the summit, FRANCE 24's Erin Ogunkeye is joined by Claude Blanchemaison, Former French Ambassador to Russia.

    • France24 ☛ ‘Fear’ in Ukraine following Convicted Felon-Putin talks

      Ukrainians have expressed fears that Kyiv’s position is no longer being heard in Washington, says FRANCE 24’s Emmanuelle Chaze, reporting from Kyiv. Following the meeting between President The Insurrectionist and President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Ukrainians have noted the failure of the US and Russian leaders to agree on the need for a ceasefire.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukrainians left dismayed as Convicted Felon gives Putin the red carpet treatment

      US President The Insurrectionist's warm welcome for Russian President Vladimir Putin was a major PR victory for the Kremlin dictator that made for particularly painful viewing in Ukraine, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • Latvia ☛ Rinkēvičs comments on Convicted Felon/Putin meeting

      Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs gave some comments on August 16th following the meeting in Alaska between Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and American President The Insurrectionist.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Air Canada’s Flight Attendants Begin Strike, Crippling the Airline

      Ahead of the work stoppage, the airline said it had canceled most of the 700 flights that it directly operates, which carry about 130,000 people each day.

    • New York Times ☛ Government Shuts Down Air Canada Strike That Grounded Hundreds of Flights

      A walkout by flight attendants ended after about 12 hours with the imposition of binding arbitration. But getting travel back to normal will take days.

    • France24 ☛ Canadian government intervenes in Air Canada flight attendant strike

      The Canadian government on Saturday moved to end a strike by Air Canada flight attendants by asking a labour board to order an arbitration. The strike stranded more than 100,000 passengers across the world during the peak summer holiday season.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ New Statue of Martin Luther King Jr. Draws Criticisms Over Its Proportions

    A statue in Florida has prompted complaints about its shoes, arm and head but also a discussion about art and representations of historic figures.

  • JURIST ☛ Rights groups file criminal charges against German ministers amidst Afghan deportations in Pakistan

    Advocacy groups have filed criminal charges against Germany’s foreign and interior ministers on Friday, accusing them of “failing to prevent” Afghan nationals from deportation in Pakistan, “despite having been granted admission to Germany.”

  • JURIST ☛ Arizona court finds K-12 school funding system unconstitutional

    The Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona handed down a ruling on Wednesday, finding the current K-12 school funding system unconstitutional and siding with the schools after a years-long lawsuit.

Monopolies/Monopsonies