Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Bees May Tell Us if We Can Use Math to Talk to Aliens

    Wiggle if you understand.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Made This Lung-on-a-Chip Breathe. Then They Gave It TB.

    Crucial insights.

  • Science Alert ☛ 40-Year-Old Iceberg Turns Vivid Blue as It Approaches Total Disintegration

    It was one of the greats.

  • Science Alert ☛ Youngest Person to Be Diagnosed With Dementia in Britain Dies at 24

    There's so much we still don't understand.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Geologist Explains What Makes Greenland So Incredibly Special

    An island of buried treasures.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Smart Home? Make It Smart Quarters With This LCARS Dashboard

    At the risk of starting a controversy: is there anyone who goes to the effort of setting up Home Assistant who wouldn’t really rather be living on the Enterprise-D? If such a person exists, it’s not [steve-gibbs5], who has not only put together a convincing LCARS dashboard on an Android tablet, but has also put together an easy-to-follow Instructable so you can too.

  • Hackaday ☛ The SCSI Film Scanner Resurrection

    [Ronan] likes 35mm film photography, but the world, of course, has gone digital. He picked up an Epson FilmScan 200 for about €10. This wonder device from 1997 promised to convert 35mm film to digital at 1200 DPI resolution. But there was a catch: it connects via SCSI. Worse, the drivers were forever locked to Windows 95/98 and Mac System 7/8.

  • Hackaday ☛ The Intel 8087 And Conditional Microcode Tests

    Continuing his reverse-engineering of the Intel 8087, [Ken Shirriff] covers the conditional tests that are implemented in the microcode of this floating point processing unit (FPU). This microcode contains the details on how to perform the many types of specialized instructions, like cos and arctan, all of which decode into many microcode ops. These micro ops are executed by the microcode engine, which [Ken] will cover in more detail in an upcoming article, but which is effectively its own CPU.

  • Hackaday ☛ A New Kind Of Inductively-damped Compass

    At some point during our primary school careers, most of us probably constructed a simple compass, often by floating a magnetized needle on a cork in a cup of water. The water in such a configuration not only lets the needle spin without friction, but also dampens out (so to speak) the needle’s tendency to swing back and forth across the north-south line. Liquid-filled compasses use the same principle, but even well-made compasses can develop bubbles when exposed to temperature or pressure variations. Rather than accept this unsightly state of affairs, [The Map Reading Company] designed a new kind of liquid-free, inductively-damped compass.

  • Hackaday ☛ Taking A Look At Variable Vacuum Capacitors

    Variable capacitors may be useful, but the air gap that provides their capacitance is their greatest weakness. Rather than deal with the poor dielectric properties of air, some high-end variable capacitors replace it with a vacuum, which presents some obvious mechanical difficulties, but does give the resulting capacitor a remarkable quality factor, high-voltage performance, and higher capacitance for plate area than their air-gapped brethren. [Shahriar] of [The Signal Path] managed to acquire a pair of these and took a detailed look at their construction and performance in a recent video.

  • Hackaday ☛ Design Of Common Emitter Amplifier

    It used to be a rite of passage to be able to do the math necessary to design various bipolar transistor amplifier configurations. This doesn’t come up as often as it used to, but it is still a good skill to have, and [Void Electronics] walks us through a common emitter amplifier in a recent video you can see below.

  • Hackaday ☛ EnderSpark: Convert Your Broken Creality FDM Printer Into An EDM Machine!

    EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) is one of those specialised manufacturing processes that are traditionally expensive and therefore somewhat underrepresented in the DIY and hacker scenes. It’s with great delight that we present EnderSpark, a solution to not one but two problems. The first problem is how to perform CNC operations on hard-to-machine materials such as hardened metals (without breaking the bank). The second problem is what to do with all those broken and forgotten previous-generation Creality Ender 3D printers we know you have stashed away.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ Why kimchi made the US government’s gut health list

    Scientists have identified dozens of functional strains of bacteria in kimchi.

  • New York Times ☛ New Children’s Vaccine Schedule May Not Be the Last of RFK Jr.’s Big Changes

    Comments by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies suggest the revised schedule may presage an approach to immunization that prizes individual autonomy and downplays scientific expertise.

  • New York Times ☛ Famed Nigerian Author Blames Death of Toddler Son on Negligent Care

    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is accusing a private hospital in Lagos of administering an overdose of a sedative, prompting an outpouring of complaints by Nigerians about their health care system.

  • Science Alert ☛ Menopause Hormone Therapy Is Not Linked to Dementia Risk, Review Suggests

    After years of debate.

• Proprietary

  • France24 ☛ AI-powered innovation dominates Consumer Electronics show

    Pendants and brooches packed with artificial intelligence abounded at the Consumer Electronics show, using cameras and microphones to watch and listen through the day like a vigilant personal assistant. The return of the wearable tech comes about a year after the discontinuation of a Humane Hey Hi (AI) Pin panned by reviewers after it was launched amid high expectations in early 2024.

  • Futurism ☛ Elon’s xAI Is Losing Staggering Amounts of Money

    Executives told investors they still have enough money to "continue spending aggressively."

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Windows Media Player’s ‘find album information’ functionality has been removed — you’ll have to find other software for playing and ripping CDs with relevant track information

    Microsoft has quietly removed ‘find album information’ and ‘update album info online’ tools from the Media Player apps supplied with backdoored Windows 11.

  • Social Control Media

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia blocks Grok Hey Hi (AI) chatbot over sexually explicit content

      It remains open to engagement with X and xAI, subject to demonstrable compliance with Malaysian law.

    • New York Times ☛ Malaysia and Indonesia Block Access to Grok Because of Sexually Explicit Content

      Grok, the chatbot created by MElon’s artificial intelligence company, has produced a flood of explicit images featuring real people in recent weeks.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ Rental fraud spikes 400% in Malaysia amid rise in identity theft

      Modus operandi involves the use of fake profiles or accounts of property agents or home owners.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • The Straits Times ☛ India’s proposed phone security rules that are worrying tech firms

      Apps cannot access microphones or location services in the background when phones are inactive.

    • The Straits Times ☛ India proposes forcing smartphone makers to give source code in security overhaul

      The source code would be analysed and possibly tested at designated Indian labs, the documents show.

  • Confidentiality

    • Security Week ☛ Hackers Accessed University of Hawaii Cancer Center Patient Data; They Weren’t Immediately Notified

      UH officials declined an interview request and have refused to provide key information, including which cancer research project had been affected or how much UH paid the hackers to regain access to files.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Essel Group ☛ From Julian Assange to CIA whistleblowers: 5 massive legal wins by Barry Pollack

    High-profile lawyer Barry Pollack secured Julian Assange’s 2024 freedom. His record includes major wins for CIA whistleblowers, Enron executives, and the wrongfully convicted.

  • Axios ☛ Maduro being represented by Julian Assange's attorney

    Captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro is being represented in court by a high-profile lawyer whose list of clients includes WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

  • Times Media Limited ☛ Who is Barry Pollack? The Assange lawyer now defending Maduro

    The man representing the captured Venezuelan president in a US court has previously secured the release of the WikiLeaks founder and cleared an Enron executive

  • France24 ☛ Conditions not met for oil firms to invest in Venezuela, expert says

    President The Insurrectionist has urged top oil executives to invest in Venezuela's oil industry following the capture of Nicolas Maduro by US forces. However, his push has been met with caution, as the conditions for oil firms to invest in Venezuela are not yet met, said Francis Perrin, Senior Research Fellow at IRIS, citing three key requirements: “security, long-term stability and profitability.”

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Threats and Venezuela Strike Leave Mexico Agonizing Over How to Respond

    President Claudia Sheinbaum and her inner circle have been grappling with the right tone to strike in the country’s response to the Venezuela strike for fear of antagonizing the White House.

  • New York Times ☛ Venezuela, Renee Good and Convicted Felon’s ‘Assault on Hope’

    The Opinion columnist M. Gessen examines how the president governs through spectacle, and the message his displays of force are meant to send.

  • RFERL ☛ Live Blog: Iran Protests Show No Letup As Deadly Crackdown Deepens

    Triggered by soaring prices, inflation, and a plunging currency, Iranians have taken to the streets in what is the biggest threat to the Islamic regime in years. Journalists from RFE/RL’s Iranian service, Radio Farda, bring you the latest developments, analysis, and reporting from on the ground.

  • RFERL ☛ Iranian Protesters Remain On Streets As Convicted Felon Steps Up Pressure On Tehran

    Iranian protesters showed no letup as the country entered the 15th straight day of anti-government protests despite a mounting crackdown by security personnel and as the West, led by US President The Insurrectionist, intensified pressure on the hard-line rulers in Tehran.

  • As Death Toll Surges in Iran, Leaders Take Tough Line Against Protesters

    Despite an internet blackout, reports are emerging of a rise in deadly violence as protests spurred by economic woes have snowballed into a mass movement.

  • France24 ☛ Hundreds killed in protests in Iran, rights group says

    Hundreds of protesters have been killed in demonstrations over the past two weeks, according to rights groups and local sources in Iran, FRANCE 24 Observers journalist Ershad Alijani reported, noting that it remains difficult to gauge the exact number of victims because of the information blackout in the country. In an attempt to thwart the protests, Iranian authorities have shut down the internet and cut off phone lines.

  • France24 ☛ Iran warns US troops, Israel will be ‘legitimate targets’ if America strikes over protests

    Iran's parliament met on Sunday to discuss ongoing mass protests, with the speaker warning that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America strikes the country, as threatened by President The Insurrectionist. The death toll linked to the protests rose to 116, a US-based human rights groups said Sunday, as an internet blackout crossed the 60-hour mark.

  • France24 ☛ Israel launches new strikes in southern Lebanon after issuing evacuation order

    The Israeli army struck an area in southern Lebanon on Sunday that it had earlier called on residents to evacuate, killing one person, according to Lebanese authorities.

  • France24 ☛ Fresh protests hit Iran amid intensifying crackdown

    Iranians took to the streets in new protests against the clerical authorities overnight despite an internet shutdown, as rights groups warned on Sunday that authorities were committing a "massacre" to quell the demonstrations. The protests, initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, have now become a movement against the theocratic government that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution and have already lasted two weeks.

  • France24 ☛ 'No more oil or money': Convicted Felon urges Cuba to cut deal with US 'before it's too late'

    A week after the capture of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro by US forces, President The Insurrectionist on Sunday urged Cuba to “make a deal before it's too late” and the country finds itself without Venezuelan oil or money. The loss of Venezuelan oil would be highly detrimental to Cuba's economy, according to US intelligence reports.

  • New York Times ☛ After Minnesota Shooting, ICE Again Limits Congressional Visits

    The new guidelines for immigration facilities, issued by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, are virtually identical to a policy that a federal judge halted last month.

  • France24 ☛ 'Hundreds more' US agents head to Minneapolis, says Homeland Security Secretary

    Hundreds of additional federal agents are bound for Minneapolis after the killing of Renee Nicole Good in the Midwestern city by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer prompted mass protests, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News on Sunday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan doubles down on Asia’s defence by expanding budget, reach of security aid scheme

    The country has allocated $147.6 million for 2026, a significant hike from previous years’ budgets.

  • JURIST ☛ Pope Leo XIV warns ‘zeal for war’ is spreading

    In a Vatican speech, Pope Leo XIV voiced concern regarding the erosion of respect for human rights and what he termed the modern world’s “zeal for war.”  He emphasized that the fundamental prohibition against violating sovereign borders has been completely undermined, lamenting that “war is back in vogue, and a zeal for it is spreading.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Kyiv residents endure freezing cold after Russian strikes knock out power

      Kyiv residents huddled against bitter winter cold inside their unheated apartments on Saturday as engineers struggled to restore ⁠power, water and heat knocked out in the latest salvo of Russian strikes. Some have been forced to choose between eating a hot meal or keeping warm.

    • New York Times ☛ Schools in Occupied Ukraine Aim to Turn Children Into Russian Nationalists

      Required lessons are heavy on militarism and pro-Russian, anti-Ukrainian propaganda. Some people make an arduous escape, partly to avoid the indoctrination.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Slams 'Cynical Terror' As Russian Attacks Cut Heat To Hundreds Of Thousands

      President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s latest attacks on Ukraine amount to “conscious, cynical Russian terror," as the country continues to face deadly strikes and heavy damage to its energy system amid freezing winter temperatures.

    • New York Times ☛ A Russian Videographer Reveals How Putin Shapes the Next Generation

      Pavel Talankin was a school events coordinator and videographer. When Russia overhauled the curriculum to make students into patriotic soldiers, he kept his camera rolling. The footage became a film that is shortlisted for an Oscar.

• Environment

  • Futurism ☛ Doomsday Glacier Bombarded by Earthquakes

    The earthquakes, while low in magnitude, spell a troubling fate for the glacier.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ China debuts unmanned mid-altitude, low-cost cargo aircraft: CCTV

      The aircraft is designed for multi-functional roles, including cargo transport and rescue operations.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Chimps Reveal Why Teenagers Are Notorious For Risky Behaviors

      It's not really their fault.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s ramyeon exports hit new record of $1.9b, driven by US and China markets

    The country’s leading noodle makers have also begun to expand overseas.

  • JURIST ☛ US Justice Department serves Federal Reserve with grand jury subpoenas

    Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced Sunday that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) served the central bank with grand jury subpoenas. The documents, delivered on Friday, are related to Powell’s testimony to the Senate Banking Committee regarding renovations to Fed buildings. President The Insurrectionist previously threatened litigation against Powell over the planned renovations.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Futurism ☛ Researchers Just Discovered Something Startling About How Conservatives Pick Political Positions

    "Indeed, people's political beliefs influence how they look for information (often without them realizing it)."

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • The Straits Times ☛ Support mounts for Indonesian comedian after DRM spreader Netflix special reported to police

    Comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono was reported to the police for incitement and blasphemy.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong court to hear mitigation hearing for Fashion Company Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai, 8 defendants

    A Hong Kong court will hear on Monday a mitigation hearing for pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai and eight other defendants in a landmark national security case. The other eight defendants include six former staff members of Fashion Company Apple Daily and its parent company Next Digital, as well as an activist and a paralegal.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ HKFP Live: Jimmy Lai mitigation hearing – media tycoon faces up to life in prison after nat. security conviction

    Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, 78, and eight other defendants are attending a mitigation hearing at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Law Courts.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Incredible Shrinking PTAB

    PTAB ex parte inventory is nearing zero and that raises major implications for PTAB judges.

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Los Lobos Files Dual Lawsuits Against Sony Music & Sony Pictures Over Alleged Non-Payment of Royalties from Films La Bamba, Desperado

    Los Lobos sues Sony Music and Sony Pictures in two separate lawsuits alleging non-payment of royalties for songs featured in the films La Bamba and Desperado.

  • Digital Music News ☛ MElon’s X Countersues Music Publishers and the NMPA, Alleging ‘Collusion’ and ‘Weaponized’ Takedowns

    X is suing music publishers and the NMPA with allegations of “weaponizing” takedown requests and colluding to “coerce” the platform into licensing deals. MElon’s X has been embroiled in legal battles with music publishers united under the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) since 2023.