Leftovers

• Positech Games ☛ Some thoughts after visiting China

  I was woken today at 6.20AM, so you get to hear my thoughts on a 2 week trip to China before breakfast. First, where did I go?

• Robert Lützner ☛ My brain is filled with Pointers

  But I also remember a lot of specific quirks in our software products. Or rather, I know exactly where to find them. Because I think of myself having terrible memory, I write down everything. It’s also the idea of “I figured this out once, so nobody else should go through it again”.

• Robert Birming ☛ Shifting focus

  Today I decided to quit my blog. Not this one, but the microblog I've been running under another domain name.

  I want to focus 100% on this blog instead.

• James G ☛ Background; foreground

  I love that my website can sit in the background for a little while. It’s here for everyone who comes to read, and it’s here for me, too, both as a reference – I visit my website basically every day, often to look something up I have written – and as a creative space. Maybe I’ll make a web page. Or write a blog post. Or find a link to share with a friend. And then I keep doing all the other things I do: reading and thinking and walking and dreaming and chatting.

• Hugo Daniel ☛ Colophon

  A small, opinionated stack. Mostly built from open-source pieces I trust and have read.

• Positech Games ☛ Some thoughts after visiting China

  I am a lucky middle-aged man in the UK who owns his house outright. But young people in the west are kinda *fucked*. House prices are insane and unaffordable. Now to be fair house prices in trendy bits of shanghai are no different to central London, but in general, everything seems CHEAP in China. They have just built so much infrastructure its insane. There was a maglev train from the airport to city-center in Shanghai that goes 300kph, took 8 minutes and cost peanuts. All public transport is ludicrously cheap. Food is roughly a third of the price in the UK. And the public transport is modern, fast and high spec. And the provision for electric cars… oh my god. They are the DEFAULT in many cities. Not just of new cars, of ALL cars on the road. Its wonderful.

• Jim Grey ☛ So long, CBS "bong"

  A single tone preceded every hourly CBS radio newscast, and for many years marked the hour on CBS television as well. Not just on newscasts — on every program, every hour, whenever an affiliate carried the network feed. It was part of the ambient sonic landscape of American life.

  You could set your watch to it, as the bong hit exactly at the top of the hour. That precision wasn’t accidental. It reflected an institutional culture of discipline and reliability that CBS embodied at its peak.

• Declan Chidlow ☛ Lessons From Tech Support

  I’ve done a lot of tech support, previously operating a tech support business which had me helping all varieties of people, both at their homes and remotely. Here is an attempt to catalogue some of the tips and tricks I picked up. Worth noting is that the primary demographic I found myself helping was the elderly. They usually have all-in-ones, though sometimes laptops, and are more often than not running Windows. Naturally, my notes therefore have a skew in the direction of the older cohort.

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • New York Times ☛ A New Era of Exploring the Universe in Radio

    With 263 antennas spread across the U.S. and Mexico, the Next Generation Very Large Array, would join a new wave of radio astronomy.

  • Hackaday ☛ The Maths Behind A Chord Recognition Engine

    A key part of any tertiary musical education is learning about all the wonderful (and less wonderful) types of chords out there. Typically this involves a great deal of exercises involving the identification of a given chord from its component notes. But how would you do this programmatically? Well, thankfully, the developers behind the WhatChord tool are happy to explain just how it’s done.

  • Jarema ☛ How I estimate geographic distances from my timezone memory

    So I’m in a video call with some friends, one of them mentions they just moved to Bali. Another friend lives in Osaka. They ask half-jokingly which is closer to us here in Hanoi. I say “Osaka” as they’re still opening Google Maps. A few seconds later, “how did you know that?” I didn’t have a great answer at the time. But I just did the math in my head with a system I figured out through mental mapping.

  • John D Cook ☛ Circular and hyperbolic functions differ by rotations

    The difference between a circular function and a hyperbolic function is a rotation or two.

    For example, cosh(z) = cos(iz). You can read that as saying that to find the hyperbolic cosine of z, first you rotate z a quarter turn to the left (i.e. multiply by i) and then take the cosine.

  • John D Cook ☛ Couth and uncouth function pairs

    “You can’t always get what you want. But sometimes you get what you need.” — The Rolling Stones

    Circular functions and hyperbolic functions aren’t invertible, but we invert them anyway. These functions map many points in the domain to each point in the range, and we invert them by mapping a point in the range back to some point in the domain. Often this works as expected, but sometimes it doesn’t.

  • Bartosz Milewski ☛ Bending, Yanking, and Cartesian Squares in Double Categories

    The major advantage of string diagrams is that they provide surprisingly natural language for complex diagram manipulations. The fact that two traditional diagrams are equal can be often described as a permission to bend, yank, or pinch strings in particular ways. They provide visual and often tactile clues to our senses. This is even more helpful in the context of double categories and equipments.

  • Science Alert ☛ Stem Cells Can Revive Insulin Production in Type 1 Diabetes, Trials Show

    This brings real hope.

  • Science Alert ☛ Fossil Kept in a Museum For Decades Turns Out to Be a Fearsome New Predator

    Hiding in plain sight.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Found a Notebook in a Medieval Toilet, And It's Still Legible

    Relatable.

  • Science Alert ☛ Almost 50% of Preventable Cancers Linked to Just Two Lifestyle Habits

    We have the power to make great change.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Found The Atomic Reason That Gold Refuses to Rust

    How is it possible?

  • Science Alert ☛ One Word Could Be Putting Women at Risk During Heart Attacks, Doctors Say

    Err on the side of caution.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Simple Chore Could Help Calm Your Mind, And It's Popular With Zen Monks

    "It can start to function more like a mindfulness exercise."

• Career/Education

  • Stanford University ☛ The unofficial class teaching students how to ‘rule the world’

    Each year, 12 students are selected through an exclusive interview process to join a cohort focused on understanding and leveraging systems of power.

  • Brandon ☛ re: Who Knows You Blog

    I don't talk about my blogging at work, at least I haven't in many years. While I don't tend to write anything controversial, its just part of my life that I'm not interested in having critiqued. I've seen some scary Facebook stalking go on at work, so I'd prefer to just keep my personal thoughts and interests out of the hands of anyone I work with. I work in a professional environment, and often my co-workers have no idea what my interests are. It almost always comes as a shock when someone finds out that I'm into video games, comics, or sci-fi and I'm okay with that. I like the element of surprise. Of course, if for some strange reason someone did stumble upon my blog, I'm not worried about it.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Class-action price-fixing lawsuit targets hard drive component makers as costs skyrocket — 13-year scheme allegedly drove up prices for major HDD brands

    Class-action lawsuit filed against HDD suspension assembly makers

  • Dedoimedo ☛ Eleven years later, my Lenovo G50 is still going strong

    This is going to be a short article. A short happy article. Back in 2015, I purchased one G50 machine, a mid-level laptop, intended purely for (Linux) distro testing purposes. Since, I've used in extensively, with probably at least 100 distros tried. At one point, I even had an eight-boot setup configured on the system. Jolly jolly times. All these adventures are meticulously detailed in my Linux section, so feel free to roam and explore at your leisure.

  • Gabriel ☛ G.A.S.

    Ever since I got my first “legit” camera, G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) has been a thing. I think whether you like to admit it or not, it gets us all. More lenses, other cameras, etc.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia to introduce new rules to protect youth on online platforms

    Online service providers will be required to include safeguards for users under the age of 16.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Formula milk inclusion in Indonesia’s free meals programme draws opposition

    Paediatricians have urged the government to reassess the inclusion of formula milk in the programme.

  • France24 ☛ Health workers struggle with Ebola outbreak as WHO declares highest risk level in DR Congo

    First, at least 160 lives already feared lost, health workers in the DRC are racing against time to contain a deadly disease that spreads as fast as it kills. Also, a diplomatic rift with the European Union is widening over security funding in Mozambique. The Foreign Ministry has criticised Brussels for halting support for Rwandan troops deployed in Cabo Delgado. And, African animation is stepping out of the margins with bold global ambitions. As studios, streamers, and creators invest in original stories from the continent, the key question remains: can Africa turn this creative momentum into a truly sustainable animation industry?

  • The New Lede ☛ Bayer's proposed Roundup settlement violates Constitution, new legal filing claims

    Bayer is hoping that the settlement deal will resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits brought by people suffering from cancer they blame on exposure to glyphosate herbicides, such as Roundup. But it has drawn criticism from several legal observers since it was announced and hastily granted preliminary approval by a Missouri judge.

  • France24 ☛ Hantavirus isn’t very contagious, but it can spread from human to human

    Social media users around the world have been claiming that hantavirus can’t be spread from one human to another. However, scientists have confirmed that the strain of the virus that circulated on the MV Hondius cruise ship can indeed be transmitted that way, though it isn’t very contagious.

  • France24 ☛ WHO warns Ebola outbreak risk now 'very high' in DR Congo

    The World Health Organization has raised the risk of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo to “very high,” warning the outbreak could accelerate rapidly. With no approved vaccine or treatment available, health officials are racing to contain the virus and prevent wider regional spread.

• Proprietary / SaaS

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

    • Futurism ☛ Starbucks Scraps Disastrous Hey Hi (AI) Tool

      The Hey Hi (AI) never had its coffee.

    • Futurism ☛ Marc Andreessen Sputters Incomprehensibly at Question About How Hey Hi (AI) Will Actually Benefit Humankind

      "I mean, look, so it, it is, alright — I mean, alright I'm gonna give you the deepest of all pitches, I'm gonna give you the, the — okay."

    • Futurism ☛ Cannes Film Festival Says the Wall Street Journal Is Wrong: It’s Not Debuting an AI-Generated Feature Film This Week

      "We can confirm that ‘Hell Grind’ was not screened as part of the official Festival de Cannes program."

    • Futurism ☛ Democrats’ 2024 Election Autopsy Shows Signs of Sloppy Hey Hi (AI) Generation

      Make it make sense.

    • Unicorn Media ☛ Gemini CLI’s Short Life and Google’s Antigravity Bait‑and‑Switch

      Enterprise customers keep Gemini CLI, but open source users are nudged toward a proprietary “upgrade” called Antigravity CLI

      >

    • Digital Music News ☛ Universal Music and Fentanylware (CheeTok) Ink New Multi-Year Licensing Deal, Say They’ll ‘Work Together to Remove Unauthorized AI-Generated Music from the Platform’

      Universal Music Group’s inked a fresh multi-year licensing deal with TikTok, which is teeing up expanded marketing campaigns and doubling down on efforts to decommission Hey Hi (AI) deepfakes. UMG and the self-described “best platform for music discovery and promotion” unveiled their latest partnership agreement today. As usual, the companies opted against shedding light on the payout […]

  • Social Control Media

    • NYPost ☛ German tourists caught ‘driving’ Staten Island Ferry in viral video that leads to probe

      Two German tourists managed to talk their way into the captain's seat of a Staten Island Ferry, sparking a major city investigation after bragging about it on TikTok.

    • JURIST ☛ Australia federal court orders X to pay $465,000 fine for failing to disclose online safety information

      The Federal Court of Australia fined X (formerly Twitter) around $465,000 USD in a decision on Thursday. The fine stems from the company’s failure to disclose information to Australia’s online safety watchdog regarding the steps it had taken to prevent child exploitation on the site.

Security

• Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

  • New York Times ☛ Their Phones Were Stolen in London. Then the Threats Started.

    Tens of thousands of smartphones were reported stolen in the British capital in recent years. For some victims, losing their phone was only the beginning.

  • Security Week ☛ ‘First VPN’ Cybercrime Service Disrupted, Administrator Arrested

    The FBI says First VPN has been used by dozens of ransomware groups for network reconnaissance and intrusions.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Europol's Operation Saffron takes down First VPN service over ransomware attacks — 33 'bulletproof' servers spread across 27 countries seized

    Europol's Operation Saffron takes down privacy-focused First VPN service

• Privacy/Surveillance

  • Futurism ☛ Town Councilmember Goes Berzerk at Surveillance Camera Ban, Threatens to Outlaw Virtually All Modern Technology

    "We are going back to 1880, paper ledgers and cash only."

  • JURIST ☛ Netherlands privacy advocates sue AppLovin over alleged unlawful tracking and data trading practices

    A Dutch privacy advocacy group filed a class-action lawsuit against US-based tech company AppLovin on Thursday, alleging the company unlawfully collected and traded the personal data of millions of Dutch users, including an estimated 1.5 million children, through hidden tracking software embedded in popular mobile applications. Amnesty International Netherlands backed the legal challenge.

  • New York Times ☛ Tulsi Gabbard Resigns as Director of National Intelligence. Convicted Felon Names Aaron Lukas Acting Chief.

    Ms. Gabbard had a difficult tenure in the Convicted Felon administration and was seldom seen in the room when the president made important national-security moves.

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard resigns

    Tulsi Gabbard resigned Friday as President The Insurrectionist’s director of national intelligence, saying she is stepping down to support her husband after his diagnosis with a rare bone cancer. Her departure marks the fourth Cabinet-level exit of Convicted Felon’s second term and comes amid growing tensions over the administration’s Iran policy after Gabbard’s public testimony at times diverged from the president’s claims.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Tulsi Gabbard resigns as director of national intelligence, citing her husband’s health

    Tulsi Gabbard has resigned as President The Insurrectionist’s director of national intelligence, saying she needed to leave office as her husband battles cancer. She is the fourth Cabinet member to depart during Convicted Felon’s second term, all of them women. In her resignation letter, which she posted on social control media, Gabbard said she told Convicted Felon she would leave her job on June 30. She said her husband had recently been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months.” Convicted Felon posted that her principal deputy, Aaron Lukas, will serve as acting director of national intelligence.

Defence/Aggression

• France24 ☛ Haiti's children trapped by gangs face an uncertain future despite new UN security force

  Haiti’s powerful gangs nearly tripled their recruitment of children in 2025. This year, a new UN-backed security force has begun deploying – but for the thousands of children already caught up in armed groups, the path back to a stable future remains uncertain.

• JURIST ☛ UN warns of surging mass displacement in Haiti due to gang violence

  The UN reported on Wednesday that nearly 30,000 people have fled their homes in Haiti to escape a new wave of violent attacks perpetrated by armed gangs over the past ten days, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian and security situations resulting from ongoing gang violence in the Caribbean island nation.

• The Straits Times ☛ New Zealand unveils defence boost for fleet and drones

  New Zealand's government has allocated NZ$1.58 billion ($924.62 million)  in new defence funding in its 2026 budget, with a strong focus on maritime security, including drone systems and fleet renewal, Defence Minister Chris Penk said on Saturday.

• The Straits Times ☛ China’s foreign minister to chair UN Security Council meeting in US, visit Canada

  The New York leg of Mr Wang's trip follows a summit between Presidents Convicted Felon and Xi.

• Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

  • LRT ☛ Lithuanian border guards detain Polish man attempting to enter Belarus

    Lithuanian border guards detained a Polish citizen who was preparing to climb a border barrier to enter Belarus, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said on Friday.

  • Latvia ☛ Thursday's drone "either left or fell in Latvia"

    The drone that had flown into Latvian territory from Belarus on May 21 either left Latvian airspace or crashed in an unknown location, the National Armed Forces (NBS) told the LETA news agency.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuanian FM says NATO has means to neutralise Kaliningrad air defences

    Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said that NATO possesses the means to destroy air defence capabilities in Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave on the Baltic coast.

  • Latvia ☛ Braže: Latvia's allies know the truth about Russia's drone lies

    Foreign Minister Baiba Braže has said that Latvia's allies are fully aware that Russia is spreading disinformation about drone-related incidents in the Baltic states – though the Foreign Ministry continues to publish repeated public rebuttals of Russia's claims.

  • RFERL ☛ Exclusive: US Asks Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine To Allow Belarusian Fertilizer Exports

    US officials have proposed that Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine lift sanctions on Belarusian potash to allow the transit of the agricultural product – a major source of hard currency revenue for Minsk --- through their territories.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania to add nearly 600 Russia war-linked individuals to Schengen blacklist

    Lithuania is adding nearly 600 more individuals involved in Russia’s war in Ukraine to Schengen blacklists.

  • LRT ☛ 'Unjammable' drones pioneered in Ukraine emerge in Middle East war

    When an armed quadcopter buzzed over Lebanon’s southern border into Israel on May 19, one Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldier raced up a nearby hill and attempted to snag the drone’s fibre-optic control cable with a piece of scrap metal.

  • New York Times ☛ From General to Governor: Putin Pushes a ‘New Elite’ of War Veterans

    The popular leader of a region bordering Ukraine is replaced by a military commander as President Vladimir V. Putin looks to reward those who fought in his war.

  • New York Times ☛ Before Europe Anoints Someone to Talk to Putin, It Debates What to Talk About

    Europeans are considering appointing an envoy to Ukraine peace talks with Russia. First, many warn, they need to decide what to ask.

  • France24 ☛ Putin Xi, To Catch a Castro, Red Carpet Rebellion

    It’s been a week marked by major geopolitical, legal and public health developments across several fronts.

    In Washington, the Convicted Felon administration has indicted 94-year-old former Cuban president Raúl Castro over alleged murder and conspiracy to kill US nationals, linked to the 1990s downing of two civilian aircraft — a move officials describe as long-delayed justice, but which critics see as part of a wider push on regime change.

    In Beijing, President Vladimir Putin made a rare visit to meet Pooh-tin Jinping, with carefully staged ceremony and renewed pledges of “unyielding relations”, while Ukraine reported continued deep-strike drone operations inside Russian territory.

Environment

• Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Earthquakes Strike Like Clockwork – We May Finally Know Why

  The secrets of predictable faults.

• BBC ☛ Hottest day of year so far as temperatures soar on bank holiday weekend

  The Met Office said it was very rare for the UK to record temperatures above 30C in May, with the last time being on 25 May 2012.

• Energy/Transportation

  • France24 ☛ Energy crisis heightens risk of poverty and social exclusion: EU Commissioner Minzatu

    Our guest has an important role in promoting social policies in the European Union, at a time when much of the political oxygen is being sucked out by the competitiveness and simplification agenda, as well as by defence and security issues. Roxana Minzatu is Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and is in charge of social rights and skills, quality jobs and preparedness.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s energy supply secure despite global uncertainties, says PM Anwar

    The Malaysian government is working to ensure energy supply security can be extended until December.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China set for latest space launch, with Hong Kong astronaut – a police superintendent – aboard

    A Hong Kong astronaut will join a Chinese space mission for the first time as part of a three-person crew launching on Sunday, as Beijing edges closer to its goal of landing people on the Moon.

  • The Straits Times ☛ More than 80 killed in China coal mine blast: State media

    A total of 247 workers were underground at the time of the blast.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China's Pooh-tin orders rescue efforts after Shanxi coal mine blast kills 8, traps 38

    Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping has ordered all-out rescue efforts after a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China's Shanxi province killed eight people and left 38 trapped underground, state media reported on Saturday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ APEC trade envoys gather in China to discuss trade imbalances, supply chain resilience

    The event is part of meetings ahead of an annual APEC leaders summit later in Shenzhen.

• Wildlife/Nature

  • New York Times ☛ In Idaho’s Suburbs, a Rat Invasion Tests the Limits of Small Government

    Irrigation canals around Boise have served as a rat superhighway, bringing an infestation so serious that health officials have floated declaring a public emergency.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Finally Know How an All-Female Fish Keeps Cloning Itself

    New insights into the longstanding mystery.

  • New York Times ☛ When Humans Went Away, the Wildlife Strayed

    When people disappeared from the landscape, as they did during the pandemic, wild animals changed how they used space and resources, scientists found.

Finance

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Supermarket chain ParknShop will not merge with rival Wellcome, says CK Hutchison exec.

  An executive for Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison Holdings has dismissed speculation that its supermarket chain ParknShop could merge with rival Wellcome. Dominic Lai, CK Hutchison’s group co-managing director, was responding to a question at the company’s general meeting on Thursday, according to Indexbox.

• New Yorker ☛ “I Love Boosters,” Reviewed: A Socialist-Surrealist Shoplifting Fantasy

  Boots Riley’s new film is an exuberantly inventive but overstretched comedy about the redistribution of luxury goods.

• New York Times ☛ ‘Amazon.com of South Korea’ Is New Source of Tension With U.S.

  A corporate compliance dispute between South Korea’s government and the online retailer Coupang is testing the resilience of U.S.-South Korean ties.

• Futurism ☛ SpaceX Stock May Actually Be a Horrendous Investment [Ed: Still losing money]

  "Bro, have you seen inflation lately? Ketamine is expensive!"

• CS Monitor ☛ Property prices in Seoul: A threat to national survival?

  In South Korea, President Lee Jae-myung sees housing affordability as an existential challenge for the future of the country.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

• JURIST ☛ Alberta to vote on whether to initiate independence referendum after adverse court rulings

  Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced Thursday that the government will ask voters in a fall referendum whether the province should remain in Canada. The announcement comes after a provincial court quashed a citizen-initiated independence petition over concerns that First Nations were not properly consulted.

• Breach Media ☛ Alberta separatists are in denial about the treaty rights of First Nations

• New York Times ☛ Lawsuit Argues Convicted Felon’s $1.8 Billion Fund Excludes Those He Targeted

  The constellation of individuals and groups involved claims to have suffered partisan attacks by the federal government under Convicted Felon, yet would not be compensated.

Censorship/Free Speech

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Construction worker pleads guilty to distributing ‘seditious’ materials, incl. calls to boycott ‘patriots only’ polls

  A 55-year-old man has pleaded guilty to making and distributing “seditious” materials, including ones that called for a boycott of the “patriots only” legislative elections last year. Raymond Wong, a construction worker, was charged and brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday afternoon.

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Taiwan Travelogue’ author hopes award-winning novel can be read in China, spark dialogue

  The author of “Taiwan Travelogue”, Yang Shuang-zi, told AFP she hopes her International Booker Prize-winning novel can one day be read in China and facilitate dialogue about the “future Taiwanese people want”.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

• Press Gazette ☛ IPSO notifies Information Commissioner over ‘AI-generated’ Misan Harriman complaints

  Regulator says it has received 25,000 complaints over articles about Southbank Centre boss.

• New York Times ☛ Colbert’s Final ‘Late Show’ Draws 6.7 Million Viewers

  The total tripled his usual audience this season. But it is only about half of what Jay Leno and David Letterman attracted for their final episodes.

• New York Times ☛ ‘Colbert’ Is Done. ‘SNL’ is Stale. Where Does Late-Night TV Go From Here? | Cannonball

  Maybe “Saturday Night Live” should go instead.

Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

• JURIST ☛ UN court affirms international labor treaty protects workers right to strike

  The International Court of Justice opined Thursday that an international labor treaty protects the right to strike. The advisory opinion provides clarity to the treaty provisions, particularly the scope of the right to association at international law.

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China signals it will ease household registration restrictions

  China proposed changes on Friday to its household registration system, calling for more cities to abolish restrictions that have impacted migrant workers for decades, state media reported.

• JURIST ☛ Rights organizations issue joint letter on human rights ahead of EU–China engagement and MEP visit

  A group of top human rights organizations issued a joint public letter on Wednesday ahead of the highly anticipated EU/China conference, urging the Members of the European Parliament to put human rights at the centre of attention.

• The Straits Times ☛ China uses for the first time new rules to counter ‘improper’ foreign jurisdiction over its firms

  The shift towards enforcement comes as foreign pressures on its companies grow.

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China probes cross-border brokers in crackdown; Hong Kong ‘loophole’ in crosshairs

  China’s market regulator announced a sweeping investigation on Friday against three major brokers running cross-border trading, as it launched a two-year crackdown on investment leaving the country. China does not allow private individuals to directly invest in overseas markets, requiring them to trade assets only through approved third-party channels.

• The Straits Times ☛ China to crack down on ‘illegal’ cross-border securities activities

  The move intensifies scrutiny of capital outflows, which are strictly controlled by China.

• The Straits Times ☛ China to expand public service access for migrant workers

  The move could help more migrant workers access urban public services.

Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

• Daniel Lemire ☛ Parsing IPv6 Addresses Crazily Fast with AVX-512

  Every machine connected to the Internet has an address called an IP address. Originally, these addresses were 32-bit integers (IPv4), giving a theoretical maximum of about four billion distinct addresses. We are all familiar with these addresses (e.g., 192.168.0.0). There was a big fuss about how we would run out of addresses.

Digital Restrictions (DRM)

• Digital Music News ☛ Canada Tees Up Major ‘Streaming Tax’ Hike — New Framework Would Require Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Others to Pay 15% of Domestic Revenue

  Forget about a 5% “streaming tax”: Now, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has moved to require Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other video streaming platforms to cough up 15% of their domestic revenue annually. Is a fee hike in the cards for on-demand music services as well?

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• New York Times ☛ Google Appeals Landmark Ruling Declaring It a Monopolist in Search

  Google asked a federal appeals court on Friday to reverse a judge’s ruling that it had violated antitrust laws, as well as a requirement it share some data with rivals.

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ $3,000 for Valtrus Innovations' patent monopoly prior art targeting open source software Kubernetes

    Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $3,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 1 of U.S. Patent 8,379,538, owned and asserted by Valtrus Innovations Ltd., an NPE and a New PP Licensing LLC entity. The '538 patent monopoly relates to using a machine-readable monitoring model to store and maintain the configuration of a monitoring environment. A monitoring element reads that model and automatically adjusts how it operates based on the defined configuration. It has been asserted against Kubernetes implementations within applications owned or created by SAP America.

  • JUVE ☛ Munich confirms PI in Silimed vs Polytech breast implant dispute

    At the centre of a complex and years-long dispute lies EP 2 581 193. The patent monopoly protects a process for manufacturing implants. Since 2017 the Brazilian manufacturer Silimed had fought with competitor Polytech over the ownership of the technology. In December 2024, the Higher Regional Court Frankfurt awarded EP 193 to Silimed.

  • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Jeffrey Gross entity, Helix Microinnovations, fabrication patent monopoly prior art

    Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 17 of U.S. Patent 7,238,550, owned and asserted by Helix Microinnovations LLC, an NPE and entity of Jeffrey M. Gross. The '550 patent monopoly relates to the fabrication of chip-on-board memory modules using unpackaged semiconductor die mounted directly on a circuit board. It is currently asserted against Realtek Semiconductor, Lumileds, Luminus, and Infineon.

    The contest will expire on July 10, 2026.

  • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Paypulz transactions patent monopoly prior art

    Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 1 of U.S. Patent 8,732,085, owned by Paypulz LLC, an NPE. The '085 patent monopoly relates to a proxy payment card usable like a normal credit or debit card at ATMs and merchant point-of-sale terminals, including legacy systems.

    The contest will expire on July 10, 2026.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Unjust Enrichment Option: A Trade Secret Plaintiff’s Choice of Remedy

    A willing licensor does not forfeit unjust enrichment damages. Versata v. Ford on the trade secret plaintiff's choice of remedy.

• Trademarks

  • The Straits Times ☛ Businesses, creators in Thailand urged to trademark ‘sound marks’ to shield against AI, deepfakes

    The government-led push targets non-traditional trademarks.