Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Time Crystal Made in a Lab Using Little More Than Styrofoam And Sound

    "Our system is remarkable because it's incredibly simple."

  • Science Alert ☛ Daily Caffeine Could Reduce Your Risk of Developing Dementia, Study Shows

    Have another cup.

  • Science Alert ☛ Massive Survey of Runaway Stars Reveals a Surprise About Their Origin

    They're not what we thought.

• Career/Education

  • New York Times ☛ San Francisco Teachers Begin Strike, Closing School for 50,000 Students

    The strike closed public schools for more than 50,000 students in the city and had no end date. Health care costs are a key issue in negotiations.

• Hardware

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Updating the Minipro T48’s firmware

    I recently wrote about using the awesome minipro tool to interface with the Minipro T48 IC programmer.

    I noted these warnings each time I wrote to an EEPROM: [...]

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Latvia ☛ LTV: Prescription drug prices in Latvia have fallen over year

    A year after the Ministry of Health introduced medicine price reforms, the average price of prescription drugs fell by 17% last year, but the opposite trend can be observed in the non-prescription drug segment, where prices continue to rise, according to the Latvian Television programme "De Facto" aired on 8th February.

  • The Straits Times ☛ First S’porean charged under Malaysia’s new anti-littering law fined, ordered to do community service

    He was charged over throwing a cigarette butt in a public place instead of a designated container in KL.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Remnant' Cholesterol Cut by More Than 60 Percent in New Drug Trial

    Just need a little 'TLC'.

  • Science Alert ☛ Common Sweetener May Damage Critical Brain Barrier, Risking Stroke

    Sugar-free still has its risks.

  • Science Alert ☛ Simple Brain Exercise Cuts Dementia Risk by 25%, Study Claims

    Is it really that good?

  • Science Alert ☛ Study Ties 5 Subtypes of Sleep With Distinct Health And Lifestyle Patterns

    Which are you?

  • Science Alert ☛ Sleepless Nights Could Drive Half a Million Cases of Dementia in The US Each Year

    Putting insomnia in perspective.

  • Science Alert ☛ Osteoarthritis Is Appearing in Younger Adults, Triggering Decades of Discomfort

    These breakthroughs could help.

  • New York Times ☛ Oz Offers Forceful Call for Measles Vaccination

    The comments by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services director come as South Carolina grapples with a large measles outbreak.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Administration to Cut $600 Million in Health Funding From Four States

    The states, all led by Democrats, used the grants to support a wide variety of functions, including H.I.V. prevention and surveillance.

• Proprietary

  • 0

    Discord have announced that beginning in March, they're starting a global rollout of forced age verification to access all features of the platform.

  • Bennett, Coleman & Company Ltd ☛ Salesforce Lays Off Nearly 1,000 Employees In February; Which Departments Were Hit?

    Salesforce has reportedly trimmed its workforce at the beginning of this month (February), eliminating close to 1,000 roles across multiple departments. According to a report from Business Insider, these latest layoffs reflect a period of internal restructuring as the enterprise software giant deepens its focus on artificial intelligence while simultaneously reshaping its leadership team.

  • CRN ☛ Kyndryl Stock Falls 55 Percent Following SEC Document Request, CFO And General Counsel Exits

    The SEC’s request for Kyndryl documents related to its cash management, financial reporting, and other matters, and the departure of its CFO and general counsel, overshadow the company’s slowing revenue growth and significant drop in income for this third fiscal quarter 2026.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ AI-Powered Surgery Tool Repeatedly Injuring Patients, Lawsuits Claim

      "The product was arguably safer before integrating changes in the software to incorporate artificial intelligence."

  • Social Control Media

    • NYPost ☛ Meta and Youtube ‘addict the brains of children’: opening arguments in landmark trial

      The landmark trial, which kicked off on Monday, centers on claims that the masterminds behind Instagram and YouTube didn't just build apps--they built high-tech slot machines designed to hook the developing brains of children for profit.

    • France24 ☛ Landmark trial accusing social control media companies of addicting children to their platforms begins

      The world's biggest social control media companies face several landmark trials this year that seek to hold them responsible for harms to children who use their platforms. Opening statements for the first, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, began on Monday. Instagram's parent company Meta and Google's YouTube will face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks with data scientist, former whistleblower at Facebook (Farcebook) and advocate for social control media accountability, Frances Haugen.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Beta News ☛ The arrival of audio and video calling to WhatsApp Web is great news for GNU/Linux users [Ed: Surveillance is great news for GNU/Linux users?]

      One of the good things about WhatsApp is the fact that it is available for so many different platforms. From desktop to mobile, there are numerous apps available but, as is so often the case, GNU/Linux users do not get a look in. And this is part of the reason that the web-based version of WhatsApp is so important.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea police raid spy agency over drone flights into North

    Three civilians have been charged for their alleged role in the drone scandal.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Is a Global ‘Wrecking Ball,’ European Security Experts Say

    The organizers of the Munich Security Conference, Europe’s main defense-related forum, said in a report that Hell Toupée is helping destroy the postwar international order.

  • Site36 ☛ Frontex doubled number of “returns” in three years: Warsaw centre handles half of all EU deportations

    The EU border agency has further increased its involvement in voluntary and involuntary departures of third-country nationals. Frontex provides specialised operational staff and apps for this purpose. The EU border agency Frontex has almost doubled the number of “returns” it supported last year compared with 2023.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Gives Itself More Control Over Occupied West Bank

    The security cabinet took actions that make it easier for Jews to buy land in the territory. Critics say the changes violate the Oslo Accords and international law and accelerate attempts to annex the land.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean military helicopter crashes during training, killing two

    The training involved practising emergency landing procedures without shutting down the engine.

  • New York Times ☛ Gabbard’s 2020 Election Claims Put Her Back in Favor With Convicted Felon

    Tulsi Gabbard has focused on attacking the so-called deep state after an uneven first year as the director of national intelligence.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia cracks down on unauthorised temples: Could relocation be better than demolition?

    Critics say enforcing laws alone will not resolve longstanding disputes and risks fuelling religious tensions.

  • New York Times ☛ After M23 Takeover, Goma Carries Violent Memories and Signs of Hope

    A year after a rebel takeover, residents of Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, carry violent memories and signs of hope.

  • JURIST ☛ Cuba escalates surveillance, harassment of political prisoners’ families, Amnesty says

    Cuban authorities are escalating surveillance and harassment of families of political prisoners while denying adequate medical care to jailed dissidents, Amnesty International said Monday.

  • JURIST ☛ Houthis arbitrarily detain over 20 Christians in Yemen

    Houthi authorities in Yemen have arbitrarily detained more than 20 Christians over the past three months in what Human Rights Watch characterizes as a campaign of enforced disappearances targeting the religious minority, the organization reported Monday.

  • JURIST ☛ Military strike that killed 17 Niger civilians may be war crime, investigation finds

    A military drone strike in western Niger killed at least 17 civilians, including four children, and injured at least 13 others when it hit a crowded market on January 6, 2026, according to a Human Rights Watch investigation released Monday.

  • France24 ☛ UN warns of ongoing fatal drone strikes on civilians in Sudan’s Kordofan

    In tonight's edition, the UN rights chief said on Monday ⁠that fatal drone strikes on civilians are persisting. Also, a week since the latest batch of documents was released from the Epstein Files, the names of several high-profile African figures are included in them. And a cultural debate has been whipped up between Ghana and Zambia over the outfit worn by Ghana's president on a visit, the traditional fugu.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Latvia ☛ Rīga to donate EUR 100,000 to Ukraine's energy infrastructure

      On Monday, Rīga City Council decided to donate €100,000 intended to provide support in the emergency situation that has arisen in Ukraine's energy sector, Latvian Radio reported on 9th February.

    • Latvia ☛ LSM launches charity campaign for Ukraine

      In the month marking four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Latvian Public Media (LSM) in cooperation with Ziedot.lv is organising its fifth support campaign for Ukraine.

    • Defence Web ☛ Ukraine’s MAC HUB launches production of armoured vehicles in collaboration with Paramount Greece

      Ukrainian company MAC HUB has unveiled the MAC Owl armoured vehicle – what it says is the country’s first [...]

    • LRT ☛ Fourth RADAROM! campaign fundraises to buy robotic units for Ukraine military

      Lithuania on Monday launched the fourth annual RADAROM! fundraising campaign, calling on the public to donate for robotic units to support Ukraine’s armed forces as the war enters its fourth year.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Accuses Ukrainian Intelligence Of Plot To Assassinate Top General

      Russia officials said the man they identified as the gunman who shot the No. 2 general in the Russian military intelligence agency purportedly told them he was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Ukraine embraces a war anniversary

      Its people find spiritual strength in commemorating Feb. 24, the date of Russia’s full-scale invasion four years ago. One new addition: A day of prayer.

    • Latvia ☛ Public media official: Russian language content won't be around forever

      Latvian Public Media (LSM) will likely not have Russian-language content for many more years, according to Sanita Upleja-Jegermane, the chairwoman of the Public Electronic Media Council (SEPLP) – the public media watchdog – speaking on the Latvian Radio program "Krustpunktā" (At the Crossroads) on February 9th.

    • Latvia ☛ One year on from BRELL disconnect, Baltic states' energy grids are safer

      Since the Baltic states successfully disconnected from the same 'BRELL' energy grid as Russia and Belarus one year ago, those aggressor states can no longer affect Latvia's energy system by cutting energy sources, but at the same time, there are still risks that are also seen elsewhere in Europe including hybrid threats, cyberattacks and potential sabotage, according to Rolands Irklis, chairman of the board of electricity transmission system operator AS Augstsprieguma tīkls (AST), speaking on Monday on the Latvian Television program "Rīta panorāma" (Morning panorama).

    • LRT ☛ Belarus opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya begins work in Warsaw after move from Vilnius

      Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya began working in Warsaw last week, where her office plans to open a new base of operations, while maintaining a presence in Lithuania, her team said.

    • LRT ☛ New migration chief: how Lithuania decides who gets to stay

      “For a foreign national, coming to Lithuania is not a right – it is a privilege. European court practice confirms that a state has the right to restrict the entry and residence of foreigners on grounds of national security,” said Indrė Gasperė, the newly appointed head of the Migration Department, in an interview with LRT.lt.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania seeks EU funding to tighten security on Kaliningrad transit trains

      Passenger traffic under Lithuania’s simplified Kaliningrad transit scheme is now subject to tighter control following improved coordination among security agencies, though further infrastructure upgrades are still needed, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič said.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • Futurism ☛ Photo Shows MElon at Jeffrey Epstein Dinner

    It was apparently a "wild" occasion."

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea watchdog says tougher crypto rules needed after unintentional $50 billion giveaway

      South Korea's government aims to introduce another Bill widening regulatory control over digital assets.

    • Michael Lynch ☛ Eversource EV Rebate Program Exposed Massachusetts Customer Data

      I recently claimed a rebate for installing an electric vehicle (EV) charger, only to discover that Eversource, my power supplier, was publicly exposing personal information of customers who applied, including: [...]

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New Yorker ☛ Richard Holmes on Tennyson and Poetry in an Age of Science

      His poetry reckoned with the immensities of reality, time, and grief, confronting a world upended by new truths about the earth and the heavens.

  • Overpopulation

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean province sorry after official says ‘import young women’ to lift birth rate

      Jindo County Chief Kim Hee-su has apologised, conceding he had “used the inappropriate word”.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ China set to widen footprint in Bangladesh as India’s ties decline

    Frontrunner parties in Bangladesh's upcoming election have historically had cooler ties with India.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • The Straits Times ☛ Analysts warn of ‘flood’ of disinformation ahead of Bangladesh election

      The problem has become so severe that a special unit has been created to curb false content.

    • France24 ☛ AI photos fuel conspiracy theories Jeffrey Epstein is alive in Israel

      Following the latest file dump by the US Department of Justice, social control media is flooded with discourse about Jeffrey Epstein. It's triggered scores of conspiracy theories to resurface, including claims the convicted sex offender faked his death. Fake Hey Hi (AI) images went viral suggesting Epstein was alive and living in Israel, as well as claims his Fortnite account also showed him still active. Vedika Bahl goes through it in Truth or Fake.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • New York Times ☛ Jimmy Lai’s 20-Year Term Follows a Familiar Chinese Pattern

    The heavy sentence for the Hong Kong publisher aligns with mainland cases where influential critics of the Communist Party have been sent to prison for many years.

  • France24 ☛ Sebastien Lai: Father's release must precede normalisation with UK, all nations 'who love freedom'

    Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome Sebastien Lai, son of Hong Kong's media tycoon and pro‑democracy activist Jimmy Lai. He describes his 78-year-old father, sentenced to 20 years in prison for challenging China's hardline system, as a man of conviction who stands fearlessly for truth, democracy, and human dignity. Lai's spirit remains intact despite his deteriorating health, says Sebastien. He challenges the UK and other democracies across the globe to stand by press freedom, civil rights, and justice, over diplomacy.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Jimmy Lai jailed for 20 years in Hong Kong after nat. security conviction

    Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in jail following his conviction on foreign collusion and sedition charges. Lai, 78, appeared at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building on Monday morning to receive his sentence – over two years after his trial began.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Nat. security police ‘still investigating’ after Jimmy Lai gets 20 years

    Hong Kong’s senior national security police officer has said that authorities are “still investigating some matters” after pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison

    Jimmy Lai legal process labelled "nothing more than a sham".

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ How will Jimmy Lai’s 20-year prison sentence work?

    Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday, the harshest penalty doled out so far under a Beijing-imposed national security law. The 78-year-old newspaper founder has been behind bars since 2020, and has served time for other criminal convictions.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ National security judges cite ‘extensive roles’ as 6 ex-Apple Daily staffers jailed for up to 10 years

    Six former Fashion Company Apple Daily employees have been jailed for up to 10 years in a landmark national security case, with judges saying they played “affirmative and extensive roles.”

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong press groups silent on jailing of media tycoon Jimmy Lai

    Neither the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) nor the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) has posted statements on Monday’s jailing of media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Jimmy Lai jailing: Authorities hail 20-year prison term, as NGOs decry ‘effective death sentence’

    Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday morning following his conviction on collusion and sedition charges.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Jimmy Lai ‘deserves his punishment,’ Hong Kong leader says after Apple Daily founder’s 20-year jail term

    Pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai “deserves his punishment,” Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has said, after the activist was handed a 20-year-jail term for his national security conviction.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong tycoon and democracy firebrand standing up to China

    Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media mogul and China critic, was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in jail, the most severe punishment under the city's national security law which Beijing imposed after sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ UN deplores Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai’s jailing, demands release

    The United Nations rights chief deplored Monday the 20-year-sentence handed to Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, demanding that the verdict be “promptly quashed”.

  • New York Times ☛ Apple Daily Sentences Show a New Era of Media Peril in Hong Kong

    Two editors and an opinion writer from Jimmy Lai’s now-shuttered newspaper were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, a significant escalation in media prosecution in the once freewheeling city.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Reaction to Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai's 20-year sentence in security trial

    Feb 9 - Hong Kong's most vocal China critic, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in jail, ending the city's biggest national security case which drew international concern about Beijing's clampdown on the city's freedoms and autonomy.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China releases policy paper on national security in Hong Kong after Jimmy Lai sentencing

    China on Tuesday released a policy white paper on Hong Kong's practice of safeguarding national security to ensure stability in a volatile world, emphasising Beijing has "fundamental responsibility" for national security affairs in the city.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Will Lewis out as Washington Post CEO days after mass layoffs

    Lewis stepped down late on Saturday night days after 300 staff sacked.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Big Issue makes staff cuts ‘to ensure long-term stability’

    Digital editor and deputy both departing.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • Digital Music News ☛ Finneas Claps Back Against Billie Eilish Critics After Controversial Grammys Speech

    Billie Eilish’s brother Finneas is calling out the “powerful old white men” who criticized his sister’s ICE remarks during her Grammys speech. Billie Eilish’s comments about “stolen land” and ICE during her Grammy Award acceptance speech last week have met with intense backlash online—and now her brother and collaborator Finneas is calling out the haters.

  • New York Times ☛ Judge Strikes Down California’s Ban on Masks for Federal Agents

    The state can require federal agents to display identification, the judge said. The Forrest Dump administration had asked the court to block both laws, which were designed to help identify federal agents.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Public Knowledge ☛ HTTP Recognizes Public Knowledge Senior Policy Counsel Nicholas P. Garcia as 2026 Tech Innovadores Awardee

    Today, Hispanic Tech & Telecommunications Partnerships recognized Public Knowledge Senior Policy Counsel Nicholas P. Garcia as one of HTTP’s 2026 Tech Innovadores for his work advancing digital equity. HTTP’s Tech Innovadores award celebrates the extraordinary work of leaders who represent the best and brightest minds in technology and telecommunications.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Congress Is Still Getting Kids’ Online Safety Wrong

    Restricting kids' online freedoms is unlikely to have the desired effect.

  • Internet Society ☛ 30 Years of Section 230: Why We Still Need It for a Safer Internet

    This month marks the 30th anniversary of Section 230, a piece of US law that allows online platforms to moderate content in ways that best serve their users.

  • APNIC ☛ The current state of RDAP

    Guest Post: RDAP, the more modern replacement for whois, has matured, and adoption is growing rapidly.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Privity Without Duty: When Patent Inventors Are Bound but Not Represented

    Zirvi v. Akin Gump cert petition reveals how claim preclusion can bind inventors to judgments while courts deny any duty was owed to them.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ First Possession and Intellectual Property: A Supplement for Property Law

    A Property Law supplement connecting Pierson v. Post to patent, copyright, and trademark law—showing 1Ls how first possession frames all of IP.

  • JUVE ☛ Huawei takes the win in interim licence dispute with TP-Link

    Unlike typical FRAND rate-setting cases at the UK High Court concerning mobile communications or streaming portfolios, both TP-Link and SEP holder Huawei had agreed to accept the rate set by the court.

  • Patent Filing Trends in 2025 Show Impact of Hey Hi (AI) and Continued Decline in Listed Firm Share

    The Australian and New Zealand patent monopoly filing landscape in 2025 was marked by the continuation of established market trends alongside a striking new development that has potentially significant implications for both the patent monopoly system and the patent monopoly attorney profession.  Total standard patent monopoly applications filed in Australia decreased marginally by 0.4% to 30,327, representing the third consecutive year of modest decline following a pandemic-era peak. 

  • Software Patents

    • Netflix Scores Win at CAFC in Reversal of 101 Decision for Patent Owner

      The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) on Monday in part reversed a district court’s decision upholding GoTV Streaming, LLC’s patents as eligible, finding instead that they were invalid under Section 101. While the opinion, authored by Judge Taranto, also reversed the district court’s finding that the claims were invalid for indefiniteness, the panel found they were directed to an abstract idea and therefore vacated the district court’s summary judgment of no inducement and its denial of GoTV’s motion for a new trial on damages, ordering the district court to enter judgment for Netflix, Inc., ending the case.

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Pandora Moves to Invalidate the MLC’s Entire Ability to Sue on Copyright Grounds – As What Started As a Simple Royalty Dispute Turns Dead Serious

    Both Pandora and the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) are pushing for summary judgment in their increasingly ugly royalties dispute – with the DSP questioning whether the MLC even has standing to sue. Days out from the second anniversary of the case’s kickoff, each litigant just recently submitted a summary judgment motion.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Amazon Music Quietly Increases Prices—But Still Finds a Way to Undercut Spotify

    Amazon announces some pricing changes for its Amazon Music Unlimited plans, but still manages to undercut market leader Spotify. Amazon has announced an adjustment to the pricing of its Amazon Music Unlimited plans, effective on subscribers’ first billing date on or after March 5 in North America, and March 10 in the UK.