Leftovers

• dwaves.de ☛ once more we made it to christmas

  thanks to all contributing to libre software, open source and transparency where it is needed to shed light into darkness, and privacy and dataprotection where it is required to protect those that contribute positively to society [...]

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Belgium's 'Little Einstein' Earns PhD in Quantum Physics at Age 15

    The world's youngest doctor in this field?

• Hardware

  • Clint Adams: monkeying around bitrot

    One of the servers to which I SSH ratcheted up its public key requirements and thus the Monkeysphere key I've been using for 15 years stopped working.

  • Russell Coker ☛ Russell Coker: 10gbit and 40gbit Home Networking

    Aliexpress has a 4 port 2.5gbit switch with 2*SFP+ sockets for $34.35 delivered [1]. 4 ports isn’t very good for the more common use cases (if daisy chaining them then it’s only
    2 available for devices) so this is really a device for use with 10Gbit uplink.

    Aliexpress has a pair of SFP+ 10Gbit devices with 1M of copper between them for $15.79 delivered [2]. That page also offers a pair of QSFP+ 40Gbit devices with 1M of copper between them for $27.79 delivered.

  • CNX Software ☛ COM Express Type 6 module targets Edge Hey Hi (AI) applications with an up 99 TOPS defective chip maker Intel Core Ultra 9 “Arrow Lake” CPU

    AAEON COM-ARHC6 is a COM Express Type 6 Compact module powered by a choice of defective chip maker Intel Arrow Lake processors up to the 16-core Core Ultra 9 285H processor, delivering up to 99 TOPS for high-performance Edge Hey Hi (AI) applications such as diagnostic imaging equipment and automated optical inspection.

  • CNX Software ☛ DIN-rail mountable LoRaWAN control terminal offers RS485, analog input, and digital I/Os

    The DFRobot LoRaWAN Control Terminal is a compact, DIN-rail mountable industrial IIoT terminal that features long-range LoRaWAN connectivity with local sensing and control capabilities. It’s designed for industrial, agricultural, and building-automation scenarios that need reliable, low-power wireless communication up to 4 km. The terminal supports the standard LoRaWAN protocol (OTAA/ABP, Class A/C) with up to 4 km line-of-sight range and works with private gateways or public networks like TTN.

  • Hackaday ☛ USB DAC Comes With Graphic EQ

    [shiura] had a problem — they wanted a nice high-quality audio output for their computer, but they didn’t fancy any of the DACs that were readily available on the market. They specifically wanted one that was affordable, capable, and included a graphic equalizer so they could simply hook it up to a regular amplifier and dial in the perfect sound. When they couldn’t find such a device, they decided to build their own.

  • Hackaday ☛ Build Your Own Compact Temp Gun

    Sometimes you need to know what temperature something is, but you don’t quite want to touch it. At times like these, you might want a temp gun on hand to get a good reading, like the one [Arnov Sharma] built.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Data center cooling issue halts world's largest derivatives exchange — CME trading shutdown ripples across Malaysia, UK, and EU markets

    CME had to halt trading after the cooling system at the data center that primarily serves suffers from a massive failure.

  • Hackaday ☛ Instant Sketch Camera Is Like A Polaroid That Draws

    These days, everyone’s got a million different devices that can take a passable photo. That’s not special anymore. A camera that draws what it sees, though? That’s kind of fun. That’s precisely what [Jens] has built—an instant sketch camera!

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ A Different Type of Dementia is Changing What’s Known About Cognitive Decline

    On its own, LATE dementia is less severe than Alzheimer’s, but in combination, it makes Alzheimer’s symptoms worse, scientists say.

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ What we still don’t know about weight-loss drugs

    MIT Technology Review Explains: Let our writers untangle the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what’s coming next. You can read more from the series here. Weight-loss drugs have been back in the news this week.

  • European Commission ☛ EU launches plan to strengthen preparedness for cross-border health crises

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 28 Nov 2025 Today, the European Union is boosting its health preparedness architecture through the new Union prevention, preparedness and response plan for health crises.

  • Science Alert ☛ New 'Mutation Hotspot' Discovered in The Human Genome

    The trigger point for change.

  • Science Alert ☛ Aging Scrambles Brain Proteins – And Diet Could Partly Reverse It

    "Our results show that even in old age, diet can still have an important influence."

  • Science Alert ☛ One Form of Exercise Can Improve Sleep Long Term, Study Finds

    Meditation in motion.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Single 30-Minute Exercise Session Has an Immediate Antidepressant Effect

    Ugh, your mom was right.

  • Science Alert ☛ Red Hair Gene Could Explain Why Some Wounds Never Heal

    A mysterious link emerges.

  • JURIST ☛ UN expert calls for better protection of persons with albinism in Portugal

    A UN expert on Wednesday urged increased efforts to promote the implementation of laws to protect people with albinism in Portugal, ensuring their equitable access to education, health, and employment. The Independent Expert, Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond, elaborated in her report that Portugal lacks specific legal provisions on albinism. 

  • The Straits Times ☛ Durian, pineapple compete to be Malaysia’s national fruit

    Some argue that the thorny fruit deserves national recognition.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ South Korea’s Experiment in Hey Hi (AI) Textbooks Ends in Disaster

      "The overall quality was poor, and it was clear it had been hastily put together."

    • The Straits Times ☛ China says humanoid robot buzz carries same bubble risk as AI

      It is mirroring investment frenzy over artificial intelligence worldwide.

    • Futurism ☛ Journalist Caught Publishing Fake Articles Generated by AI

      "I did not speak with this reporter and did not give this quote."

    • Futurism ☛ Large Language Models Will Never Be Intelligent, Expert Says

      "LLMs are simply tools that emulate the communicative function of language."

    • Futurism ☛ OpenAI’s Financial Situation Will Cause a Nauseating Sensation in the Pit of Your Stomach

      OpenAI will have to pull off a miracle.

    • Citizen Lab ☛ The Hey Hi (AI) hype-machine: Canada’s ill-advised ‘national sprint’ on artificial intelligence

      Citizen Lab senior fellow Cynthia Khoo speaks with Resh Budhu, host of the Courage My Friends podcast, about the problems with Canada’s ‘national sprint’ on artificial intelligence.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • The Straits Times ☛ UN fears mass electronic surveillance during Myanmar vote

      Concerns were raised around the possible tracking of votes.

    • Surveillance tech, UAVs, smarter procurement key to border security

      The strategic acquisition of new technologies could help alleviate the numerous challenges confronting South Africa’s border management environment.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Grateful’: Singapore man who lost and found bag containing $4.7k thanks Malaysian immigration officers

    The two officers found the bag lying in the car lane and checked CCTV footage to identify the owner.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says armed attack on Tajik-Afghan border kills three of its nationals

    An armed attack killed three Chinese citizens in Tajikistan on the Central Asian nation's border with Afghanistan, China's embassy in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe said on Friday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan’s message to China: We are not alone

    The island’s diplomatic space may be shrinking but it wants to engage the world on its own terms

  • The Straits Times ☛ Key suspect arrested in kidnap-murder of South Korean college student in Cambodia: Report

    On Aug 8, the student was found dead in the trunk of a truck near a suspected criminal compound.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Japan denies report that US Hell Toupée told PM Takaichi not to provoke China on Taiwan

    Japan denied on Thursday a Wall Street Journal report that said US President The Insurrectionist had advised Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi not to provoke China over Taiwan’s sovereignty.

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Raid in Southern Syria Kills at Least 13, Syrian Officials Say

    The raid was one of Israel’s deadliest cross-border incursions since Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s former dictator, was ousted last year.

  • France24 ☛ Damascus blasts Israeli war crime : At least 10 killed

    At least 13 people, including two children, were killed and 25 injured as Israel carried out another incursion into Syrian territory in the Damascus countryside, according to state media, which also reported that several Israeli soldiers were wounded in the clashes. The dawn raid and accompanying strikes forced dozens of families to flee the town of Beit Jinn for safer nearby areas. Camille Knight reports.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s Public Security Service to use machine guns to shoot down drones

      Lithuania’s Public Security Service (VST) expects to obtain machine guns with ammunition safe for peacetime use against hostile drones as early as next year, the service’s commander said Friday.

    • Meduza ☛ Ukrainian anti-corruption agents search home of Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Home of Ukraine’s Lead Negotiator Is Searched in Corruption Case

      The scrutiny of Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, could disrupt U.S.-led peace talks and further rattle Ukrainian politics.

    • Meduza ☛ Andriy Yermak resigns as head of Ukrainian president’s office — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Andriy Yermak Resigns: What to Know About Ukrainian Official

      The chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was seen as the second-most powerful person in Ukraine. He was dismissed on Friday.

    • New York Times ☛ Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, Resigns

      Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff and top peace negotiator, became the highest-ranking casualty of an investigation into a vast kickback scheme.

    • RFERL ☛ Yermak Resigns After Ukrainian Anti-Graft Investigators Launch Surprise Search Of His Office

      Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) are conducting searches in the office of the presidential chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, NABU said in a statement on November 28.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky says his chief of staff Andriy Yermak has resigned after anti-graft raids

      President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Friday that his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has submitted his resignation amid a corruption scandal. Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies searched Yermak's home in the morning. Meanwhile, Kyiv hit Russia's Saratov oil refinery and the Saky air base in occupied Crimea overnight, the Ukrainian military said Friday. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments. France24 correspondent Gulliver Cragg has the latest.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky dismisses top aid Andriy Yermak as corruption investigation widens

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, resigned Friday after anti-corruption investigators searched his apartment and office in Kyiv. The move comes as Ukraine faces intense US pressure to reach a peace deal with Russia and seeks to demonstrate its commitment to fighting corruption to the European Union.

    • New York Times ☛ South Africans Were Promised Job, but Ended Up ‘Going to War’ for Russia

      The South African government is investigating how more than a dozen men unwittingly ended up on the front line in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ Zuma's daughter quits South African parliament amid war recruitment claims

      A daughter of South Africa's ex-president Jacob Zuma has resigned from parliament after claims she was involved in recruiting men to join Russian mercenaries in the Ukraine war, her party said Friday. Police last week said they were investigating allegations that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, an MP in her father's Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, had lured 17 South African men to Russia "to fight in the Ukrainian war without their knowledge or consent".

    • France24 ☛ 'We need a coalition of the billing, not just of the willing': Belgian FM on Ukraine

      The EU was caught off guard when US President The Insurrectionist unveiled his 28-point plan for peace in Ukraine on November 21 – a document that Brussels and Kyiv see as being heavily favourable to the Kremlin. The EU has since presented a counter-proposal, but the bloc has given the impression of reacting to events rather than driving them. This after an apparent US-Russian rapprochement in Alaska last August set off alarm bells in Ukraine and in the EU. We speak to the foreign minister and deputy prime minister of Belgium, Maxime Prévot. His country is a crucial player as it holds most of the frozen Russian assets in the Euroclear depository.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine & the shape shifting 'Dim-Wit' plan, Venezuela, Europe's call of duty

      This week brought frantic peace manoeuvres over Ukraine, as a leaked 28-point plan triggered emergency talks and a swift Geneva rewrite, with Hell Toupée quietly shelving his ultimatum while Kyiv grappled with a corruption scandal. In West Africa, Guinea-Bissau plunged into turmoil after a sudden military coup left President Embaló claiming he had been deposed. Nigeria declared a national emergency after the worst mass school kidnappings since Chibok, as pressure mounted from Washington. Meanwhile, Rachel Reeves’ tax-raising budget in the UK sparked a full-blown political pantomime, drawing furious fire from the opposition.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia's Baiba Braže receives Ukrainian award during Kyiv visit

      On 27th November, Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, met with probably the greatest president in the world, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Kyiv and was presented with a Ukrainian state award – the Order of Merit, Second Class – and thanked her for her significant personal contribution to strengthening cooperation between the two countries, support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state, charitable activities, and raising awareness of Ukraine in the world.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Putin to discuss 'privileged partnership' with Modimir on India visit next week

      Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modimir will discuss all aspects of their countries' "privileged strategic partnership" when Putin visits New Delhi next week, the Kremlin said.

    • Meduza ☛ Putin’s new national policy strategy targets ‘foreign meddling’ and aims to have 95 percent of citizens share a ‘Russian civic identity’ — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Former Kremlin deputy chief of staff reportedly wrote Putin letter condemning war in Ukraine before his resignation in September — Meduza

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Storm Senyar set to hit 10 locations in Malaysia

    Perak, Selangor and Pahang are expected to be the worst-hit before Senyar moves to the east coast.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian disaster agency steps up response as flood conditions worsen

    MetMalaysia has issued continuous rain warnings for several states, with some areas under dangerous conditions.

  • New York Times ☛ Sri Lanka Battered by Cyclone as Death Toll Climbs to 69

    Torrential downpours and high winds struck large parts of the island nation as Cyclone Ditwah churned northwest toward India.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • BIA Net ☛ A data-driven fight for nature against mega mines: We are racing against time

      Fueled by laws, regulations, and incentives that disregard nature, mining is expanding through mega projects covering tens of thousands of hectares, leading to ecocide. Polen Ecology’s mapping and EIA monitoring project based on MAPEG data offers a warning for the near future: “The outlook for 2026–2027 will be even more disastrous.”

    • Hackaday ☛ Live Train Departure Screens Keep You Abreast Of Transit Developments

      If you want to know when the train is coming, you could pull up a webpage on your phone, or walk all the way to the station to look at the displays there. Or, like [eastfamilyreddish], you could build a neat little train info display to decorate your desktop instead.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China’s BYD recalls 88,981 plug-in hybrids over battery safety hazard

      In extreme cases, they will not be able to drive in pure electric mode.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Tai Po fire: What we know about Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades

      A blaze that tore through a Hong Kong high-rise residential complex and killed more than 120 people was extinguished on Friday, as investigators pointed to construction netting catching fire as the likely cause.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Residents at Hong Kong estates undergoing repairs fear repeat of deadly Tai Po fire

      Residents at multiple Hong Kong estates undergoing repair works fear that the scaffolding and netting covering their buildings could go up in flames like the fatal Tai Po fire, according to local media reports and social control media posts.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Of 243 animals trapped in Tai Po fire, 92 recovered, NGO says

      Out of 243 animals trapped in the buildings of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po that were engulfed in a massive fire, 92 have been recovered, according to an NGO’s tally.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong gov’t to give condolence money, living allowance to families impacted by Tai Po fire

      The Hong Kong government has pledged to give HK$50,000 in living allowance to households affected by the fatal Tai Po fire and another HK$200,000 to households that have lost a family member in the blaze.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong university student urges gov’t to respond to ‘4 demands’ in aftermath of fatal Tai Po fire

      A university student has created a petition urging the government to respond to “four big demands” after the deadly Tai Po fire, including setting up an independent investigation committee and reviewing construction supervision procedures.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Tai Po fire: Officials observe 3-min silence for victims as city begins 3 days of mourning

      Hong Kong officials have mourned victims of this week’s Tai Po fire tragedy by observing a three-minute silence, with the death toll remaining at 128 as of Saturday morning.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ In Pictures: Hongkongers mourn victims of deadly Tai Po fire as flags at half mast across city

      Hongkongers are paying tribute to victims of the deadly Tai Po fire, which has claimed at least 128 lives, as an official three-day mourning period began on Saturday.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Tai Po blaze death toll rises to 128, while 200 residents still missing

      The death toll from the massive fire at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court has risen to 128, while around 200 residents are still unaccounted for, Hong Kong authorities have said.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Imprisoned in this inferno called home’: Wang Fuk Court resident recalls dramatic escape from burning tower

      The blaze in Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, which erupted on Wednesday, has become Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in over 70 years, killing at least 94 people. A resident known as “Lim ALim” on Facebook (Farcebook) shared a detailed account of his escape from the inferno on social control media on Friday.

  • Overpopulation

    • [Repeat] Overpopulation ☛ Silence about “överbefolkning” in Swedish public discourse, but is there a change in the media?

      Överbefolkning (=overpopulation) generated no hits on the Internet for the Swedish government, state agencies, municipalities, or environmental organisations.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ China demands Malaysia and Cambodia clarify trade deals with US

    Both deals were signed in October during US President The Insurrectionist’s visit to Malaysia.

  • NYPost ☛ London eyes new tourist tax to help boost local economy

    London Mayor Sadiq Khan plans to implement a new tourist tax targeting overnight travelers.

  • Zimbabwe ☛ Liquid credit rating downgraded again: big debt, leadership exits and no answers from the company

  • JURIST ☛ Amnesty International urges fashion brands and states to respect labor rights

    Amnesty International charged on Thursday that governments and the global fashion industry profit from the ongoing abuse of workers’ right to freedom of association in four major garment manufacturing hubs, asserting that this violates international labor rights.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • European Commission ☛ EU and the Republic of Korea reinforce tech and digital cooperation at the third Digital Partnership Council

    European Commission Press release Seoul, 28 Nov 2025 Today, the European Union and the Republic of Korea (ROK) reaffirmed the central role of their partnership in advancing cooperation on emerging digital technologies to unlock mutual benefits for their economies.

  • New York Times ☛ Where Hundreds of Undocumented Migrants Have Died in Custody

    Malaysia launched a “year of enforcement” in response to a surge in undocumented migrants, many of them from Myanmar. Some faced nightmarish fates.

  • The Straits Times ☛ KLIA aerotrain undergoes nightly checks to fix persistent system faults, but will it be enough?

    Its frequent breakdowns risk undermining Malaysia’s target of welcoming 47 million visitors in 2026.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines’ Marcos seeks Singapore, Malaysia help over lawmaker-turned-fugitive’s jet, helicopters

    The lawmaker is at the centre of a massive corruption scandal involving billions worth of “ghost projects”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian PM’s former aide, whistleblower nabbed by anti-corruption agency

    Three individuals were nabbed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • The Straits Times ☛ Thai police apologise for AI-modified flood relief image

      The image, which had a star-shaped Gemini watermark, was created using Google’s Hey Hi (AI) software.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Futurism ☛ Researchers Hack DeepSeek to Speak Freely About Tiananmen Square

    It's far more efficient when not being bogged down by all that censorship.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • JURIST ☛ Thailand urged to drop defamation charges against journalist reporting on Malaysia media regulating agency

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Thai government on Wednesday to drop the charges against Murray Hunter, an Australian journalist accused of defaming the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

  • LRT ☛ Funding shortfall risks ending block on Sputnik Radio broadcasts in Lithuania

    Lithuania’s effort to block broadcasts from the Russian state-run radio station Sputnik may be short-lived, as the Culture Ministry failed to secure funding needed to continue the interference next year.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • New York Times ☛ Worker Cleared of Stealing Snacks From Office Fridge After 2 Years in Court

    A South Korean man accused of stealing a Choco Pie and a mini custard cake was acquitted after a prosecution that drew widespread criticism.

  • Citizen Lab ☛ Avoiding the kitchen sink: A guide to mixed methods approaches within digital rights governance

    The Citizen Lab’s Gabrielle Lim, Noura Aljizawi, Shaila Baran, and Nicola Lawford recently published an article in Internet Policy Review on the methodology of digital rights governance research. Through a  scoping review of 141 articles, the authors assess the relationship between interdisciplinary scholarship and single-, multi-, and mixed methods research.

  • JURIST ☛ Death of political prisoner in UAE custody sparks international condemnation

    A political prisoner died in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following 13 years of arbitrary detention and abuse, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center (EDAC) reported on Wednesday.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Heuking grows partner ranks with patent monopoly attorney [Ed: Spam about single staff change, spun as "news"]

    Patent attorney Christian Heine (52) joins Heuking’s patent monopoly team at the start of the new year. The physicist, with a minor in medicine, comes on board as a salaried partner. Heine was previously one of the founding partners of law firm Keenway.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Edwards still on winning streak against Meril at UPC Court of Appeal [Ed: UPC is basically illegal, so this is yet more jingoism over EPO corruption spreading to the EU]

      The dispute over heart-valve patents predates the UPC’s launch. When the European court opened on 1 June 2023, Edwards promptly filed an infringement lawsuit against its Indian competitor at the Munich local division concerning EP 3 646 825.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Supreme Court Developments in TTAB cases

    The U.S. Supreme Court has recently denied petitions for certiorari in several cases arising out of the  TTAB and CAFC, while two petitions remain pending.

    On October 6th, the Court denied petitions for certiorari in the US SPACE FORCE case (Section 2(a) false connection refusal) [TTABlogged here] and in the "pink hip joint" case (Section 2(e)(5) functionality).  [TTABlogged here].