Standards/Consortia

• PerThirtySix ☛ How The Heck Do QR Codes Work? (An Interactive Exploration)

  Quick Response codes (or QR codes) are everywhere these days, from restaurant menus and product packaging to tombstones and tattoos. They are a type of 2D barcode invented in Japan in the 1990s and released patent-free, meaning anyone can generate and use them without restriction. But how do they work? How do they store information? How do they work so reliably?

  This page is an interactive primer on QR codes. A lot of this gets pretty technical, but we'll keep it as high-level as possible and link to more in-depth resources for those who want to dive deeper.

  To start, let's look at some QR codes. You can type in the text you want to encode in the input box below, and the QR code will update in real-time. The parts of the code are labeled, and we'll dive into each part in detail below.

Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

• Science Alert ☛ Ancient Roman Technique Discovered 8,000 Years Earlier, Study Says

  "A technology lost to history."

• Science Alert ☛ Scientists Gave People Wings in VR, And It Triggered Changes in The Brain

  Your brain is ready for this.

• Science Alert ☛ Antarctic Sea Ice Enters 'Shock' Decline as Ocean Heat Breaks Through

  Our planet's 'heartbeat' is faltering.

• Science Alert ☛ Humans Age Faster at 2 Sharp Peaks, Research Shows

  You're in for a bumpy ride.

• Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover Over 1,700 'Dark' Proteins Hidden in Human Cells

  A new layer of the human genome has been revealed.

Hardware

• The Straits Times ☛ Samsung Electronics, South Korea union to resume pay talks on May 18, union says

  Samsung Electronics chairman apologised to customers and the public over the labour dispute.

• Tom's Hardware ☛ China bypasses US GPU bans with 1.54-exaflops 'LineShine' supercomputer — CPU-only monster packs 2.4 million Huawei-designed Armv9 cores

  China's National Supercomputing Center in Shenzhen takes a page from Japan's Fugaku supercomputer and Fujitsu's A64FX processor, build LineShine supercomputer based entirely on Armv9-based LineShine LX2 CPUs.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

• NYPost ☛ Arkansas gamer allegedly threatened to carry out mass shooting at Walmart if hantavirus outbreak caused lockdown

  The 20-year-old allegedly told other players on a gaming platform that he would open fire inside his nearest local Walmart "if the country were locked down again due to the Hantavirus."

• Science Alert ☛ Can't Stomach Energy Gels? There Are Other Ways to Match Their Benefits, Studies Show

  Every body is different.

• The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian police to boost sensitivity training for handling autism cases

  The Inspector-General of Police said they are committed to advancing social inclusivity.

• Science Alert ☛ Deadly Ebola Outbreak Declared Global Emergency as Cases Spread in Africa

  Here's what we know.

• France24 ☛ WHO declares global health emergency over Ebola outbreak in DR Congo

  General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the Ebola disease outbreak in Congo and neighboring Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths. In a post on X, the World Health Organization said the outbreak does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic, and advised against the closure of international borders.

• New York Times ☛ W.H.O. Declares Ebola Outbreak a Global Health Emergency

  The agency made the declaration just a day after Africa’s top public health agency first announced the outbreak. There is no approved vaccine for this species of Ebola.

• New York Times ☛ What to Know About the Latest Ebola Outbreak

  The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency after about 80 people died from the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• France24 ☛ Ebola outbreak declared health emergency in DR Congo and Uganda

  Ariel Kestens, Head of IFRC Kinshasa Delegation, is our guest.

• France24 ☛ WHO declares emergency as Ebola outbreak kills more than 80 in DR Congo

  The World Health Organization declared an international health emergency on Sunday over an outbreak of an Ebola strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has killed more than 80 and for which there is no vaccine.

• Futurism ☛ Gene Therapy Causes Patient to Grow Alarming Tumor

  Tinkering with the genetic code of a living human is risky.

Proprietary / SaaS

• So-Called 'Artificial Intelligence' ('AI') / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

  • Futurism ☛ Oops: Bosses Realize Their Companies Have Been Swarmed by Legions of Redundant Hey Hi (AI) Agents

    Who's at fault for that one, we wonder?

• Futurism ☛ Mayor Eats His Words After Admitting He’s Delegating Work to 11 Hey Hi (AI) Agents

  "Any Hey Hi (AI) agents or tools I have experimented with were used strictly in a personal capacity."

Social Control Media

• New York Times ☛ Did You Mean to Share That Selfie? What to Know About Instagram Instants.

  Instagram’s new feature blasts photos to your mutual followers or close friends, immediately.

Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

• The Straits Times ☛ Crackdown in South-east Asia pushes scam networks to Sri Lanka

  Scammers are drawn by Sri Lanka’s relaxed visa regime and reliable, high-speed internet.

• The Straits Times ☛ 187 arrested as Malaysian police bust global scam rings

  The suspects are believed to be involved in cross-border online scam activities.

Privacy/Surveillance

• The Strategist ☛ Digitally watched without consent: spyware as a tool of coercive control

  Spyware, once primarily used by intelligence agencies and nation-states, has become a tool of intimate partner abuse, quietly deployed against people – mostly women – who have no idea they are being watched.

[Old] Jewish News ☛ Dale Vince discontinues High Court libel claim against Lord Shaun Bailey

Dale Vince has said that he has discontinued his High Court libel claim against former London mayoral candidate Lord Shaun Bailey.

The green energy industrialist sued the peer, whose full title is Lord Bailey of Paddington, in 2024.

The legal row came after comments made by Mr Vince in an interview with Times Radio on 9 October 2023, two days after the Hamas attacks on Israel.

The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim calls to make border with South Korea an ‘impregnable fortress’

Mr Kim Jong Un stressed ideological loyalty and vigilance against the “archenemy”, South Korea.

ADF ☛ Strike Takes Out Islamic State Camp and Senior Commander

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu confirmed a joint U.S. and Nigerian military raid took place early Saturday morning targeting a major Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) compound in northeast Nigeria.

France24 ☛ Middle East war live: Drone strikes on UAE and Saudi Arabia fuel escalation fears

A drone strike caused a fire at a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, officials there said on Sunday, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones, as US President The Insurrectionist warned that Iran must act "fast" after efforts to end the US-Israeli war with Iran appeared to have stalled. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

France24 ☛ Drone strike sparks a fire on the edge of UAE nuclear facility

A drone strike sparked a fire near the United Arab Emirates’s Barakah nuclear power plant on Sunday, authorities said, in an attack Abu Dhabi condemned as a threat to regional security. The strike highlighted the possibility of renewed war amid a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

New York Times ☛ Hamas’s Top Leader in Gaza Is Killed in Israeli Strike

Izz al-Din al-Haddad took over the group’s military wing in Gaza last year. Hamas officials confirmed Mr. al-Haddad’s death in an Israeli attack.

CS Monitor ☛ Under fire from Israel like never before, Lebanon’s first responders are determined to persevere

Lebanese first responders face unprecedented casualties from Israeli strikes. Carrying their colleagues’ loss, they continue with deepened resolve.

The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia-Norway tensions deepen over scrapped missile deal

Norway is limiting sales of its most sensitive defence technologies to allies and closest partners.

The Straits Times ☛ Earthquake hits south-west China; thousands evacuate, buildings collapse

There were two confirmed deaths with one still missing, and four people were taken to hospital.

New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Uses Taiwan Arms Sales as Bargaining Chip With China, in a Risky Move

The president said a potential arms deal for Taiwan was a “very good negotiating chip” in talks with Beijing. His words raise questions about the reliability of U.S. support.

New York Times ☛ Eager for Arms Deal, Taiwan Stresses Need for U.S. Support

After Hell Toupée hinted that weapons sales to Taiwan could figure in negotiations with China, officials emphasized their island’s strategic importance.

Tom's Hardware ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man calls $14 billion Taiwan arms deal a 'negotiating chip' with China after Pooh-tin said Taiwan issue could lead to 'clashes and even conflicts' — Convicted Felon says 'Taiwan would be very smart to cool it a little bit'

Dihydroxyacetone Man's remarks came at the close of a two-day summit with Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping.

Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan says it is an ‘independent’ nation, after Convicted Felon’s warning

Taiwan said Saturday it is an “independent” nation, hours after US President The Insurrectionist warned the democratic island against declaring formal independence.

Hong Kong Free Press ☛ German town fears impact of industrial decline after chemical giant shifts focus to China

Germany’s industrial decline is taking a painful toll on communities that have long relied on local manufacturing titans for jobs, prosperity and a sense of a secure future.

New York Times ☛ Rival Protests Take Place in London, With a Major Security Effort

The police have deployed thousands of officers, partly to keep far-right and pro-Palestinian marchers apart. The events drew tens of thousands to London.

New York Times ☛ France Has a New Picture of the Holocaust

A new collection of photographs gives us a new picture of the Holocaust in France.

Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

• The Straits Times ☛ Akita dog gifted by Japan to Russian President Putin has died

  The Akita prefectural government presented Yume to Mr Putin in July 2012.

• Tom's Hardware ☛ Russia’s Mikron is selling framed test wafers with up to 120,000 processors as souvenirs — 12 designs, priced around $170 each, sold alongside $2 vials of cleanroom air

  Russia’s Mikron is earning a bit of cash on the side by selling picture-framed test wafers as souvenirs with 12 designs to choose from, priced around $170.

• RFERL ☛ US Lets Russian Oil Waiver Linked To Iran War Expire, Reimposing Sanctions

  The Forrest Dump administration has allowed a controversial waiver on sanctions targeting Russian seaborne oil to expire, reimposing restrictions that had temporarily enabled countries such as India to continue purchasing Russian crude despite Western efforts to curb Moscow’s wartime revenues.

• Scoop News Group ☛ Former CISA nominee Sean Plankey named US CEO of defense startup

  UFORCE, a London-based company founded by Ukrainians, is looking to make drones in America.

• New York Times ☛ He’s Forging the Future of War

  Meet the man who wants Ukraine to use autonomous drones that could decide on their own to use lethal force.

• New York Times ☛ Wave of Ukrainian Strikes Kills at Least 4, Russia Says

  More than 550 drones were intercepted or shot down in more than a dozen regions, including Moscow, in one of largest attacks of the war.

• RFERL ☛ Ukraine's Biggest Assault On Moscow Region In A Year Leaves 3 Dead

  Three people have been reported dead as Russia's Moscow region faced the largest Ukrainian assault in over a year on May 17.

• LRT ☛ Drone crashed in Lithuania, believed to be Ukrainian military aircraft

  A drone has crashed in the Utena district of northern Lithuania, with initial assessments suggesting it is of Ukrainian origin, authorities have said.

• France24 ☛ Suspected Ukrainian military drone discovered after crashing in Lithuania

  A suspected Ukrainian military drone was found crashed in Lithuania on Sunday, officials said, as Baltic NATO members face growing concern over stray drones crossing into their airspace from the war in neighboring Ukraine.

• Latvia ☛ Braže: speed of Russian advance in Ukraine 'an insult to snails'

  Latvian Foriegn Minister Baiba Braže was in Tallinn, Estonia on May 16th, taking part in the annual Lennart Meri Conference, a geopolitical meeting named after the distinguished former Estonian president.

• France24 ☛ 🔴 Ukraine launches around 600 drones at Russia, Zelensky claims ‘justified’ attack

• France24 ☛ Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia kills at least 4 and wound 12 others

  One of Ukraine's largest drone strikes on Russia killed at least four people, including three near Moscow, and wounded a dozen others, local authorities said Sunday. Debris fell on Russia's largest airport without causing damage.

• France24 ☛ Ukraine strikes Russia: Zelensky says response to Moscow's aggression 'justified'

  Douglas Herbert has more.

• JURIST ☛ UN Mechanism rejects application of convicted Bosnia war criminal for early release following health concerns

  The UN’s International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague on Thursday announced that it had dismissed the request from convicted Bosnian war criminal Ratko Mladić, who is currently serving a life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, for early provisional release [...]

• New York Times ☛ China Will Host Putin, Days After Convicted Felon’s Visit

  The Russian leader will go to Beijing on Tuesday for talks with President Pooh-tin Jinping. The Kremlin said he had watched Hell Toupée’s visit closely.

CS Monitor ☛ New testimony in Epstein case could address persistent conspiracy theories

Tova Noel, one of the prison guards who found Jeffrey Epstein deceased, is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee.

Energy/Transportation

• Tom's Hardware ☛ AI data centers require 36 times more fiber than designs with standard servers — severe glass shortages push cable lead times out to a full year

  Major Chinese optical fiber manufacturers have booked orders stretching into 2027, as Hey Hi (AI) data center construction drives demand growth that the supply chain can't match.

• Andy Wingo ☛ Andy Wingo: soot, solar, sedimentation, sin, & 'centers

  Good evening, friends. Tonight I have a few loosely-knit stories.

  soot

  A couple years ago, my house was heated by a condensing gas boiler. It was awful from both an environmental and a geopolitical perspective: environmental, as I would emit somewhere around 2.5 tons of CO2 equivalent per year to heat my home, which compares poorly to the target total CO2e emissions of 2 tons per year per person; and geopolitical, because although France gets 40% of its gas from Norway, with whom we have no beef, all the rest is a problem in some way. (Algeria, 10%, is the least of my worries; the 20% for Russia and the US respectively are the most, followed by 10% for the Gulf states.)

Wildlife/Nature

• Futurism ☛ Scientists Say $600,000 Lab-Grown “T-Rex Leather” Handbag Is Actually Something Laughable

  "In fact, it's more chicken than anything else."

• Futurism ☛ The Latest Data on El Niño Is a Looming Nightmare

  The damage could be incalculable.

The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian delivery riders among 35 arrested for alleged loan sharking activities in Singapore

Riders were allegedly recruited through Telegram groups.

France24 ☛ UK leadership crisis: ‘Keir Starmer is a lame duck Prime Minister’ says former Labour adviser

It’s been a tumultuous week for Britain’s Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, who is facing a leadership crisis. Following a chaotic week in which nearly 90 Labour MPs called on Starmer to resign, along with a series of ministerial resignations, the Prime Minister is clinging on to power.

Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said he would stand in any leadership contest, while Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, is plotting a return to Parliament after confirming he will stand in the Makerfield by-election.

To discuss the unfolding events, France 24’s Gavin Lee is joined by Karl Hansen, former Labour adviser and political writer for Tribune Magazine.

New York Times ☛ A North Korean Soccer Team Makes a Rare Visit to South Korea

The team’s trip, for a women’s soccer tournament, is unlikely to catalyze a diplomatic thaw between the two Koreas, although some sports events have.

The Straits Times ☛ Japan’s bullied children have found a new controversial avenue to get back at their tormentors

Victims and their families are increasingly turning to vigilante justice on social control media.

Law Society Gazette ☛ Misconduct reports to SRA continue to rocket

The number of potential misconduct reports coming into the Solicitors Regulation Authority has continue to soar to unprecedented levels, new figures have revealed.

In the six months to the end of April the regulator reviewed 8,955 reports about potential misconduct at an average of 1,493 new reports a month. This is 58% more reports than recorded for the same period just two years ago. In those six months, 1,322 reports (at an average of 220 a month) were escalated from the assessment team for formal investigation.

Patents

• Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Amazon as Prior Art: The Rise in Design Patent §102 Rejections

  Design patent monopoly §102 anticipation rejections have risen sevenfold since 2008, driven almost entirely by Amazon and e-commerce listings replacing patents as the dominant source of prior art.

• Tom's Hardware ☛ Jay Forrester filed the first practical computer RAM patent monopoly 75 years ago this week — his Magnetic Core Memory patent monopoly would be granted five years later

  Granted as U.S. Patent 2,736,880 in February 1956, Forrester's invention evolved from MIT's Project Whirlwind.

• Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Drafting Fixable vs. Amendment Created: A Tale of Two §112 Rejections

  USPTO data show §112(b) rejections drop between first and final office actions, while §112(a) rejections rise. Two charts, opposite stories.