Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Record Smashed For Largest Object to Be Seen as a Quantum Wave

    Pushing the quantum limits.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Scanned a Black Rock From Mars And Found Something Surprising

    It's a beauty.

  • Science Alert ☛ Signs of Mysterious Structures Near The Core Detected in Earth's Magnetic Field

    They're big, they're blobby, and they're hot.

  • Science Alert ☛ Baby Giants Were The Fast Food of The Jurassic, Study Reveals

    Why fight your food if you don't have to?

  • Science Alert ☛ A Pretend Tea Party May Have Revealed a Chimp's Imagination

    Just what are they thinking?

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ Cubie A7S – A compact Allwinner A733 SBC with USB-C DisplayPort, GbE, WiFi 6, PCIe Gen3 FFC connector, GPIO headers

    Radxa has launched its third Allwinner A733 octa-core Cortex-A76/A55 SBC with the compact Cubie A7S featuring up to 16GB LPDDR5 memory, up to 256GB eMMC flash and a microSD card slot for storage, a Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port, and a WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless module. Other features include two USB-C ports, including one supporting DisplayPort Alt mode for video output, a USB 2.0 Type-A port, a 16-pin PCIe Gen3 x1 FFC connector, 30-pin and 15-pin GPIO headers, and a 4-lane MIPI CSI camera connector.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Tesla's robotics ambitions rest on the knife-edge of US-China trade relations due to its supply chain — the majority of critical materials and suppliers are located in China

    For Tesla to reach its goal of producing a million Optimus robots a year, it will need mountains of critical materials and deep supply chain cooperation. The majority of that "Optimus Chain" is found in China, highlighting Tesla's future dependence on U.S.-China trade relations.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Futurism ☛ This Measles Outbreak at a Detention Center Perfectly Encapsulates America Right Now

    "I can't think of a better incubation environment for transmission of measles than a detention facility."

  • Latvia ☛ Flu still rampant in Latvia

    Last week's epidemiological situation in Latvia shows that the flu virus is still actively circulating, according to the Disease Prevention and Control Centre (SPKC) data on 4th February.

  • Science Alert ☛ Autism Probably Affects Boys And Girls Equally, Massive New Study Reveals

    'Current practices are failing.'

• Proprietary

  • Stanford University ☛ Apple co-founder Wozniak urges students to pursue technology for its own sake

    In a Monday talk, Fashion Company Apple co-founder Steven Wozniak and Ethan Song ’28 sat down in conversation about technology, becoming an inventor and the value of a college education.

  • Qt ☛ New Canvas Rendering Features in Qt

    With the new canvas rendering module, Qt Canvas Painter, we have the ambition to create the best modern C++ painting API achievable. This blog post goes through some of the new innovative canvas rendering features it brings to Qt users, explaining what they are and how to use them.

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • Qt ☛ Qt for Android Automotive 6.10.2 is released

      The latest patch release of Qt for Android Automotive 6.10.2 was released. This release is based on Qt 6.10.2 with around 300 bug fixes, security updates, and other improvements within Qt base. This version of Qt for Android Automotive module also features notable improvements in performance and scalability of the Service module as well as a few bug fixes. You can find the detailed changes within the changelog.

  • Windows TCO / Windows Bot Nets

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Yet another backdoored Windows update is wreaking havoc on gaming rigs worldwide — Nvidia recommends uninstalling backdoored Windows 11 KB5074109 January update to prevent framerate drops and artifacting

      Nvidia representative recommends GeForce graphics card owners to uninstall the backdoored Windows 11 KB5074109 update to solve framerate drops and gaming artifacts.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Backdoor in Notepad++

      Hackers associated with the Chinese government used a Trojaned version of Notepad++ to deliver malware to selected users.

      Notepad++ said that officials with the unnamed provider hosting the update infrastructure consulted with incident responders and found that it remained compromised until September 2. Even then, the attackers maintained credentials to the internal services until December 2, a capability that allowed them to continue redirecting selected update traffic to malicious servers.

    • Security Week ☛ VS Code Configs Expose Microsoft's proprietary prison GitHub Codespaces to Attacks

      VS Code-integrated configuration files are automatically executed in Codespaces when the user opens a repository or pull request.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • SANS ☛ Broken Phishing URLs, (Thu, Feb 5th)

      For a few days, many phishing emails that landed into my mailbox contain strange URLs. They are classic emails asking you to open a document, verify your pending emails,

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • AccessNow ☛ Artificial Insecurity: how Hey Hi (AI) tools compromise confidentiality

      In the first part of our blog series on the dodgy digital security practices underlying advanced Hey Hi (AI) tools, we unpack how LLMs can jeopardize the confidentiality of people’s data.

• Defence/Aggression

  • BIA Net ☛ Why is strangulation not considered a specific offense in male violence cases?

    Prof. Dr. Kadriye Bakırcı explains why non-lethal strangulation should be legally recognized as a specific offense, drawing on the example of recent legal reforms in England and Wales.

  • France24 ☛ Operation Savannah Shield launches as US troops confirmed in Nigeria

    In tonight's edition, a new military operation is launched in nigeria to stand between communities and extremist attacks after 162 people from a Muslim village are killed in an armed raid. Also, at the funeral of a Kenyan man killed in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, those left behind rail against the diplomatic silence and inertia. And Cameroon is hoping that people living in Yaounde will help tackle the city's enormous waste problem by sweeping their own streets with donated cleaning kits.

  • France24 ☛ US and Russia agree to reestablish military dialogue after Ukraine talks

    The U.S. and Russia agreed Thursday to reestablish high-level military dialogue for the first time in more than four years in another sign of warming relations between the two countries since President The Insurrectionist returned to office and sought to end the war in Ukraine. High-level military communication was suspended in late 2021 ahead of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson reports from Washington.

  • France24 ☛ Ukraine says Starlink terminals used by Russia deactivated in blow to Moscow

    Starlink internet terminals used by Russian troops in Ukraine have been deactivated, Kyiv said on Thursday, dealing what one official said was a big battlefield setback for Moscow that had disrupted assault operations. Russian forces ​have made unauthorised use of thousands of satellite-based Starlink internet connections for secure communications after the invasion of Ukraine in ‍2022, Kyiv says. FRANCE 24's Monte Francis reports.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico teams up with Ukraine for its first Antarctic research campaign

    Mexico is a strong supporter of Ukraine's right to defend its homeland, and Ukraine has had a strong presence in Antarctic scientific exploration. Now they're working together.

  • France24 ☛ Suspected China spies detained in France

    What began as internet outages in a small French village has escalated into an alleged international espionage operation. Authorities have arrested four individuals, including two Chinese nationals, on suspicion of spying on sensitive military data on behalf of Beijing. The arrests followed the discovery of a satellite dish at a rented property in southwest France, an installation neighbors say had been disrupting local internet service. The case emerges amid a rising number of alleged espionage activities targeting China across Europe. August Hakansson reports.

  • France24 ☛ Israel charges brother of Shin Bet’s chief for smuggling goods into Gaza

    Israeli prosecutors on Thursday filed charges against Bezalel Zini, brother of the chief of Israel's domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, over the alleged smuggling of cigarettes into Gaza. Zini, a reservist in the Israeli military, is suspected of smuggling around $117,400 worth of cigarettes into the besieged Palestinian territory, where the entry of all goods and people is controlled by Israel.

  • JURIST ☛ US judge restricts federal use of tear gas at Portland ICE protests

    A federal judge in Oregon issued a temporary restraining order on Tuesday that limits when federal officers can use tear gas and other less-lethal force against protesters who assembled near a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon.

  • France24 ☛ How a Jewish family’s Baghdad home became France’s rent-free embassy

    A Paris court on Monday dismissed a lawsuit brought by the descendants of an Iraqi Jewish family seeking compensation for a Baghdad villa occupied rent-free by France's diplomatic representation for decades. Forced to flee Iraq amid rising anti-Semitism in the late 1940s, the family said it will appeal the ruling.

  • JURIST ☛ UN Security Council condemns terrorist attacks in Pakistan

    The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned terrorist attacks which took place in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on January 31. The attacks killed 48 people, 31 of whom were civilians.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan says Xi-Dihydroxyacetone Man call will ‘stabilise’ regional security

    By Allison Jackson Taiwan welcomed US President The Insurrectionist’s call with his Chinese counterpart Pooh-tin Jinping, saying on Thursday it will help “stabilise” the region as China increases military pressure on the island.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man administration could pour trillions into Golden Dome that is unlikely to work

    “People in the national security community are deeply concerned about the cost ... the insurmountable viability issues facing it," Gabe Murphy said.

  • European Commission ☛ Commission increases submarine cable security with €347 million investment and new toolbox

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 05 Feb 2026 Submarine data cables, carrying 99% of intercontinental internet traffic, are essential for modern life and the European economy.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine, Russia 'Likely' To Continue Peace Talks In US, Zelenskyy Says As POW Exchange Completed

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the next round of US-brokered peace talks with Russia is "likely" to take place in the United States as officials from both countries wrapped up a second day of renewed peace negotiations in the United Arab Emirates.

    • LRT ☛ Planned Vilnius concert by rapper Gio Pika draws controversy over Russia ties

      Lithuanian authorities want to bar a performer from entering the country after it emerged that he had performed in Russia during the war in Ukraine and visited Crimea after its annexation by Moscow.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine, Russia exchange prisoners of war for first time in months

      Ukraine and Russia have conducted their first prisoner exchange in months, each releasing 157 captured soldiers, Russia's defence ministry said Thursday, amid US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the war. FRANCE 24's Emerald Maxwell reports.

    • LRT ☛ US approves funds for Baltic defence despite earlier signals

      The US Congress has approved $200 million in security assistance for the Baltic states as Russian activity along NATO’s eastern flank intensifies.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • France24 ☛ Royals, politicians, magnates, intellectuals: Epstein files spark storm in global elite circles

    The US Justice Department's latest release of nearly 3 million documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has revealed a staggering network of connections linking elites wielding power and influence across the globe. While the mere mention of a name does not necessarily imply wrongdoing or grounds for prosecution, the files have triggered a landslide of repercussions.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Panama hits back after China warns of ‘heavy price’ in ports dispute

      Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino on Wednesday rejected China’s threat to make the Central American country pay a “heavy price” after a Hong Kong company was evicted from two ports on the Panama Canal.

    • The Strategist ☛ Design for disruption: Australia’s food and energy security

      Australia’s food and energy security strategy needs to move beyond stability-based planning and instead address sustained volatility in the Indo-Pacific. Current policy thinking often treats disruption as episodic and recoverable.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • AccessNow ☛ Joint Statement on Internet Shutdowns in the Islamic Republic of Iran

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • BIA Net ☛ Iranian refugee journalist Kaveh Taheri faces deportation

    The journalist was detained while on his way to the French consulate in İstanbul to apply for a humanitarian visa.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Newsflation: UK newspaper cover prices up 10.2% since Jan 2025

    Daily Star has seen a 600% price increase in ten years.

  • Press Gazette ☛ ‘Search isn’t dead, it’s fragmenting’: How to manage Surveillance Giant Google traffic decline

    SEO leaders at Daily Mail, Telegraph and Bauer among those urging against ‘Google zero’ fatalism.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Internet Society ☛ Spectrum: The Natural Resource That Makes Wireless Connectivity Work

    Spectrum is one of the most essential—yet least visible—parts of the Internet ecosystem. It’s the foundation that enables billions of people and devices to connect wirelessly, across vast distances and diverse environments.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Assessing Section 230 Reform Proposals in the 119th Congress

    Lawmakers cite various reasons for supporting proposals to reform or repeal Section 230. But what effect would these have in practice?

  • APNIC ☛ Connecting an archipelago: Exploring Indonesia’s Internet ahead of APRICOT 2026

    Exploring how Indonesia’s unique geography, policy direction, and technical community are shaping one of the Asia Pacific’s most significant Internet ecosystems. Rapid digital expansion, growing infrastructure investment, and an increasingly active operator community are driving progress, even as challenges remain.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge Applauds Bill Protecting the Public’s Right to Repair

    New bill helps consumers gain access to the tools they need to repair their own devices.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Federal News Network ☛ With patent monopoly reform back on the table, Tillis says the stakes for American innovation couldn’t be higher [Ed: It's not reform, it's gross lobbying with bribery, funded by the mass litigation 'industry']

    "There's a smart, sustainable, respectful way to implement deportation policy, and there's the dumpster fire that's occurring in Minnesota," said Sen. Tillis.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Two more Wilus Wi-Fi patents challenged

    On January 30, 2026, Unified filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 12,166,587, owned by Wilus Institute of Standards & Technology, Inc., an entity of Good Day to Invent, Inc. The ‘587 patent monopoly generally related to how to identify padding in Wi-Fi trigger frames.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Polaris PowerLED power management patent monopoly found invalid

    On February 2, 2026, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) entered a notice of intent to issue a reexamination certificate cancelling challenged claims 18-21 of U.S. Patent 8,181,042, owned by Polaris PowerLED Technologies, LLC, an NPE. The ‘042 patent monopoly generally relates to power management in integrated circuits.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Boards of Appeal: EPO must reopen PET bottle patent monopoly case [Ed: Notice how JUVE intentionally avoids talking about EPO strikes? It's not a coincidence, JUVE is part of the cokeheads' propaganda apparatus.]

      The Boards of Appeal rarely express such clear criticism of the Opposition Division’s work as in the case concerning EP 3 678 838. The patent, belonging to French company Sidel Group, protects a manufacturing technique for preform transport devices used in PET bottle production./blockquote>