Leftovers

• Rlang ☛ Using Quarto to Write a Book

  I’ve spent the last couple of months revising my Data Visualization book for a second edition that, ideally, will appear some time in the next twelve months.

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ Meteorite Crashes Through Roof in Germany After Fiery Light Show

    The fireball from space was spotted by a network of sky-watching cameras in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Germany.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Simple Photo of Your Hand Could Detect a Rare Health Disorder

    The future is in your fist.

  • Science Alert ☛ Pesticide Exposure Could Increase Disease Risk For The Next 20 Generations

    It won't just go away.

• Career/Education

  • New York Times ☛ O.S.U. President Walter Carter Jr. Resigns Over ‘Inappropriate Relationship’

    The university said it was investigating a company owned by a podcaster after the president, Walter Carter Jr., said he had “made a mistake.”

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Latvia ☛ 'Hypnotherapist' started practicing after taking a four-day course

    In the month and a half since Latvian Television's De Facto investigative show first reported on Andris Medians, who presented himself as an experienced addiction treatment specialist and in connection with whom criminal proceedings for sexual violence have been initiated, a lot has happened. Several more people have come forward, stating that they experienced harassment during consulatations with Medians, and the Health Inspectorate has found unauthorized medical treatment during an inspection.

  • The Straits Times ☛ New Zealand Covid-19 curbs saved lives but brought social fiscal costs

    A commission said the country is still grappling with the long-term consequences of both the pandemic and the policy response.

  • New York Times ☛ An Amish Avatar and an Hey Hi (AI) Monk Are Pitching Supplements on Social Media

    Influencers have long hawked supplements on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Increasingly, the influencers are fake.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Birth defects in Malaysia claim 30% of young lives

    It is the second most common cause of death for children under the age of five.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Lansing gridlock jeopardizes licenses for 8K Michigan doctors

    Doctors say Michigan patients can expect longer wait times if an interstate agreement isn’t signed. Members of both political parties blame each other for the stalemate.

• Proprietary

  • Futurism ☛ Oracle Axing Huge Number of Jobs as Hey Hi (AI) Crisis Intensifies

    A data center project reportedly triggered a "cash crunch."

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ Top Proprietary Chaffbot Company Executive Quits in Protest

      "The announcement was rushed without the guardrails defined."

    • Press Gazette ☛ New Hey Hi (AI) licensing scheme helps smaller publishers strike deals with platforms

      PLS leading development of content store that can be accessed with a licence fee by Hey Hi (AI) companies.

    • Security Week ☛ Cloned Hey Hi (AI) Tool Sites Distribute Malware in ‘InstallFix’ Campaign

      Threat actors replace legitimate commands on the cloned installation webpages with malicious commands.

  • Social Control Media

    • EDRI ☛ EDRi files DSA complaint against YouTube for undermining user autonomy

      EDRi has filed a complaint with the Belgian Digital Services Coordinator against YouTube under the Digital Service Act (DSA), challenging the legality of the recommender system options offered by the platform. EDRi requests a thorough investigation and effective enforcement measures.

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • Open Source Initiative ☛ Help Shape the Research Agenda for Open Technology [Ed: After openwashing they speak of "Open Technology" in Microsoft's OSI]

      Open technologies are increasingly central to digital infrastructure and public policy, but research in the field remains fragmented. The Open Technology Research Network is launching a global consultation to help shape a shared research agenda.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ Four crime families in Myanmar in spotlight as China deepens fraud crackdown

      The cases against the four families resulted in immediate executions of 16 members.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Thermal Grizzly scammed out of $46,000 by Alibaba metals suppliers — company spread the risk across two copper and aluminum suppliers, only for both to send cheaper, fake materials

      Thermal Grizzly (TG) has been stung by fake materials sellers based in China, with nearly $50,000 down the drain.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Privacy International ☛ Privacy International's submission on the impact of digital and AI-assisted surveillance on assembly and association rights

    • Privacy International ☛ Privacy International's response to the UK Home Office consultation on facial recognition technology

    • Privacy International ☛ Privacy International & Women on Web - Securing Reproductive Justice: A Guide to Digital Privacy for Sexual and Reproductive Justice Activists

  • Confidentiality

    • SANS ☛ Encrypted Client Hello: Ready for Prime Time, (Mon, Mar 9th)

      Last week, two related RFCs were published: [...]

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia will send spy jet, missiles to help UAE fend off Iran

  • The Strategist ☛ Beijing’s new missile threat to Australia

    Vital strategic installations such as the top-secret intelligence site at Pine Gap are more than ever at risk of direct attack by China in a conflict.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US planes fly out of South Korea as asset redeployment reports grow

    The potential redeployment may be an indication of a strained weapons stockpile for the US.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s Lee says he cannot stop US forces from redeploying weapons to Middle East

    Lee added that the removal of US weapons from the country does not hinder any deterrence strategy.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Sharp drop in Chinese military aircraft near Taiwan raises questions

    Only two Chinese aircraft have been recorded in a single 24-hour period near Taiwan since Feb 28.

  • New York Times ☛ So Much for the Donroe Doctrine

    Hell Toupée’s efforts to force the Western Hemisphere into alignment will keep falling short.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China condemns ‘evil designs’ of Taiwan premier’s Japan visit

    Cho Jung-tai told reporters in Taipei on March 8 that he was on a private visit to watch the baseball.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Governments’ actions in response to oil price surge and the escalating Middle East conflict

      South Korea plans to cap domestic fuel prices for the first time in nearly 30 years.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ 3D printer that can mine Bitcoin uses excess heat for temperature control — throttled ASICs use printing bed as a heatsink

      The creator of a 3D printer that mines Bitcoin took part in an interview on the Home Mining Podcast at the weekend.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysians must be prepared to pay a higher price for RON95 fuel, says petrol dealers chief

      With crude oil prices soaring, Malaysians must be prepared to pay a higher price for subsidised petrol.

    • ADF ☛ China Seeks to Expand Influence Through Port Development

      Chinese companies are present in more than one-third of all African port developments. As noted by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, these companies in some cases dominate the entire port development process from finance to construction and operations. Sometimes, they share ownership. Port development is part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Trees Seen Emitting a Ghostly Light During a Thunderstorm For The First Time

      Spooky.

• Finance

  • Futurism ☛ Looks Like the Economy Is Hitting a “Nightmare Scenario”

    Wall Street is seeing red.

  • New Yorker ☛ How to Prevent Insider Trading on Convicted Felon’s Wars

    A flurry of well-timed and anonymous bets on Polymarket right before the U.S. strike on Iran shows the need for reform.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ PM Anwar set to dump Malaysia’s embattled anti-graft chief as pressure over abuses mounts

    Allegations of MACC abusing its wide-ranging powers have sparked calls for its chief Azam Baki to be suspended.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong woman, 21, charged over 2019 protests after returning from Australia

    A Hong Kong woman is facing charges stemming from the 2019 protests and unrest after returning from Australia – more than six years after her alleged offence took place.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Lawyers for Tiananmen vigil activist seek early acquittal in subversion trial

    Lawyers for a Tiananmen vigil activist have begun submissions seeking an early acquittal from the subversion charge, arguing that prosecutors misinterpreted China’s constitution and presented a flawed case.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Happy International Womens Day

    I’m a couple of days late, but I thought it was worth sharing a story where this man (mild gender dysphoria notwithstanding!) learned something.

    For a while I’ve had a set of rules and filters on my social control media accounts, email, and so on that match on certain key phrases. These include, not exhaustively: [...]

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Internet Society ☛ Women Who Connect: Celebrating Six Women Championing the Internet

    This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the Women Who Connect—members of the Internet Society community who are driving a more inclusive Internet.

  • JURIST ☛ Iranian authorities urged by rights groups to lift restrictions on internet access

    Human Rights Watch on Friday urged authorities in Iran to lift restrictions on internet and communication services, citing concerns that civilians will be left unable to access potentially lifesaving information in the midst of the armed conflict between with Israel and the US.

  • New Yorker ☛ A Day in the Pre-Internet World, as Understood by Someone Born in 2002

    ​When clock radios, film cameras, and the Yellow Pages ruled the world.