Leftovers

• Ruben Schade ☛ A brief review of Aldi’s official LEGO tubs

  Anyone who’s ever shopped at Aldi is well familiar with what those of us in Australia refer to as the isle of shame, where the weekly specials are placed. You’d expect a supermarket to stock food, sundries, or maybe even kitchen accessories, but Aldi regularly places everything there from toys and linen, to power tools and entire washing machines. You’ll go to buy some simple ingredients for a salad, and leave with two beach towels, a light-water reactor, and a Commodore 64. What is it with four-letter European retailers?

  Last week’s fateful find was a set of large LEGO block storage tubs made to look like the legendary Danish building blocks. Each box has the characteristic studs across the top, and the same recessed areas on the bottom so one could stack them just like real LEGO. Fiendishly clever, one could say.

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • Federal News Network ☛ Office of Naval Research rolls out new science and technology strategy

    The office also wants closer ties to industry and troops to get new equipment to the field faster.

  • Futurism ☛ Illinois Is Getting Battered by Freak Tornadoes

    Illinois has already withstood more tornadoes in 2026 than any other state, for an entire decade.

  • Science Alert ☛ The Chemistry of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Is Unlike Anything We've Ever Seen

    It may be far older than we thought.

  • Science Alert ☛ Human Ancestors May Have Used Fire Far Earlier Than We Thought, Study Reveals

    Ancient bones revealed a surprise.

  • New Yorker ☛ What Science Knows About Grief

    After my husband’s death, I had never been more pliable, tender, open, or raw. It was then that I tried E.M.D.R. therapy.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover Strange Horn-Shaped 'Hyperparasite', a World First

    It preys on 'zombie fungus'.

  • Science Alert ☛ The Secret to Why Sloths Are So Slow May Be Hidden in Their DNA

    Evolution doesn't always reward speed.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Simple Family Activity May Boost Brain Function, Study Finds

    It also gives all generations an opportunity to spend time together.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ ST VL53L9CX direct Time-of-Flight 3D LiDAR supports 5cm to 9m range, 2.3K zones resolution

    STMicroelectronics VL53L9CX, or VL53L9 for short, is the company’s first direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) 3D LiDAR all-in-one module. It offers a sensing range of  5 centimeters to 9 meters, a wide 72º field of view, a resolution of 2.3K zones, and up to 100 Hz frame rate. ST’s ToF sensors have gone a long way since we covered the VL53L0X sensor with a single zone and 2-meter range in 2017. Since then, the company has steadily improved its tiny ToF sensors with up to 64 zones and long range in recent sensors like the VL53L8CP.

  • New York Times ☛ China Tightens Rare-Earth Grip on U.S. Firms, Threatening Trade Clash

    The move targets two U.S. manufacturers at the center of the Convicted Felon administration’s effort to rebuild the domestic supply chain for critical magnets.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Strategist ☛ A year on: food security preparedness is just beginning

  • The Straits Times ☛ Dry season raises concern about Jakarta’s air quality

    Some Jakartans have reported feeling the impact of the worsening air quality.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Durian prices in Malaysia crash to 16 cents each as oversupply hits market

    A recent surge in durian production has led to a severe oversupply in the market.

  • New York Times ☛ A Loophole Brings Cystic Fibrosis Patients a ‘Miracle Drug’ in Generic Form

    A generic version of a breakthrough cystic fibrosis drug, manufactured in Bangladesh for a fraction of the American price, may give some families around the world an unlikely lifeline.

  • Latvia ☛ Possible medical misconduct case to be reviewed in Latvia

    The Ministry of Health’s (VM) planned reform of the hospital network promises to address a long-standing problem – inconsistent quality of care in hospitals. Several cases have come to the ministry's attention in which the quality of care provided was so poor that specialists in Rīga had to correct mistakes made by lower-level hospitals, Latvian Television reported on June 21.

  • Science Alert ☛ Common Vaccine Linked to 24% Lower Dementia Risk in Major Study

    A neuroprotective benefit?

  • Science Alert ☛ A Copper-Based Drug Clears Buildup of Alzheimer's Proteins in Mice

    A promising start.

  • Science Alert ☛ One Blood Type Appears to Carry Higher Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

    Here's what we know.

• Proprietary / SaaS

  • Did Oracle Need To Fire 21,000 Because It Is In Trouble?

    Badly damaged tech company Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL | ORCL Price Prediction) fired 21,000 people. It said they were being replaced by AI. It is 13% of the company’s total workforce. Oracle took a charge of $1.84 billion.

    In its 10K, the company explained “… improve operational efficiencies, including through the adoption and integration of AI technologies…” But is that the case? More and more investors are skeptical of this explanation. What if the company is just in financial trouble?

    Financial trouble is a real issue. Oracle’s stock is down 14% in the last year. The S&P is 25% higher.

  • MediaReflector ☛ XBOX Wants to Find the Next Kojima Amid Studio Closure & Layoffs Rumors

    There is a lot going on with XBOX right now. In between reports of layoffs, ongoing restructuring rumors, uncertainty surrounding multiple first-party studios, and a business reset might be taking shape behind the scenes. That’s what makes XBOX’s latest comments about creativity and game development particularly interesting.

  • Hacker Noon ☛ We brought Hermes Agent to iMessage, even on Linux and Windows

    Hermes Agent can now connect to iMessage through Photon Spectrum. Choose Photon as the channel, complete setup, and your Hermes agent can send and receive iMessages without running on a Mac.

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

    • Ruben Schade ☛ Australian trust in the US and “AI”

      The Lowe Institute published another of their excellent annual reports on Australian public sentiment. The polling results are unsurprising:

      Cactus spines are produced from specialized structures called areoles, a kind of highly reduced branch. Areoles are an identifying feature of cacti. As well as spines, areoles give rise to flowers, which are usually tubular and multipetaled.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Australians value China ties over US as Convicted Felon confidence slumps

      Confidence in The Insurrectionist slumped to a record low.

    • Qt ☛ Qt Creator 20 and local AI Slop [Ed: Qt is not just proprietary; it is swallow and spreading the slop Kool-Aid]

      Qt Creator 20 has become an Agent Client Protocol (ACP) Client extension. The protocol is supported by many Hey Hi (AI) Slop providers and handles the details of the communication between the Hey Hi (AI) Slop agent and the IDE.

    • Qt ☛ Introducing the Qt Project CMake Skill for Hey Hi (AI) Agents

      The gap between “CMake that compiles” and “CMake that is correct” is wider for Qt than for most frameworks. CMake has been Qt’s official build system since Qt 6.0, and the pairing is genuinely capable: a well-configured Qt CMake project supports cross-platform builds, incremental QML compilation, seamless C++/QML integration, and deployment-ready install targets. But getting there requires mastering a build API that has evolved rapidly across Qt 6 minor releases - and that evolution is precisely where things can become challenging for Large Language Models, especially older or smaller models.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Los Angeles superintendent resigns after Hey Hi (AI) contract comes under scrutiny

      Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho touted student progress, but came under investigation over artificial intelligence spending.

• Linux Foundation

  • Unicorn Media ☛ Get GNU/Linux Certification and Help Fund FOSS Force All at Once! [Ed: This is not independence: "The other is to sign up for 'Linux' Foundation training, and let the foundation make a "donation" for you." LF is GAFAM.]

    There are two ways to contribute to FOSS Force. The first way is to make a donation to our GoFundMe FOSS Force 2026 Independence Drive. The other is to sign up for 'Linux' Foundation training, and let the foundation make a "donation" for you.

  • Linux Foundation forms Appia Foundation to build shared AI conformity checks [Ed: Still promoting scams using the name "Linux"]

    A coalition including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Professional Athletes and Wearables

      I haven’t thought about the privacy issues surrounding professional athletes and wearables.

      Wearables present serious privacy issues for “Average Joe” consumers, who are entrusting tech companies to safely store and protect their biometric data. Imagine the stakes for a professional athlete, whose entire livelihood could be affected by a single biometric data point. To give one of many realistic hypotheticals: a basketball player has a terrible game, and the coach wonders if they showed up to the gym hungover. The coach has access to the player’s wearable data, and checks to see when they went to sleep, as well as what their heart rate looked like during the night. Should the player have been out partying before a game? No. Should the coach be able to surveil them?

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Court rules SAVE database illegal, orders it dismantled

      A judge said the administration’s database violates the Privacy Act, the Social Security Act and the Administrative Procedures Act.

    • Press Gazette ☛ Biggest UK local newsbrands: Reach sites worst hit after Surveillance Giant Google algorithm changes

      Just 16 of the 75 biggest local news sites increased their audience year on year in April.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China imposes export controls on 10 US companies – gov’t

    China imposed export controls on 10 US companies involved in defence and rare earths mining in response to Washington’s blacklist, and banned public procurement from dozens more firms, Beijing said Monday. The move comes a month after The Insurrectionist visited Beijing, seeking to stabilise fraught relations during talks with Chinese counterpart Pooh-tin Jinping.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia sells advanced radar to Canada in $2.26 billion deal

    It is the first international sale of Australia’s advanced radar technology.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says Liaoning aircraft carrier completes over 40 days of drills

    China's Liaoning aircraft carrier and accompanying vessels on Monday returned to a Chinese port after more than 40 days of drills in the South China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

  • LRT ☛ China signals openness to dialogue, urges Lithuania to act

    
    

  • The Straits Times ☛ US gives Philippines underwater vehicles as China feud persists

    The vehicles worth around US$13 million are capable of collecting data above and below ocean surface.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim vows to accelerate military build-up: Report

    The North Korean leader cited military modernisation efforts by South Korea and the US in the region.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea ex-minister gets 25 years for role in martial law disaster

    Park Sung-jae was found guilty of involvement in “insurrection”, the Yonhap news agency reported.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Myanmar army killed over 700 civilians in six months: UN

    The UN said air strikes remained the single largest cause of destruction and suffering.

  • Defence Web ☛ Anti-migrant myths that have been allowed to fester in South Africa

    As countries mark World Refugee Day on 20 June, antagonism towards foreigners globally is at an all-time high.

  • JURIST ☛ Rights groups demand release of Burkina Faso journalist held in secret detention

    Burkina Faso’s authorities have failed to account for the whereabouts of journalist Atiana Serge Oulon two years after she was forcibly “disappeared” by tate security forces, a coalition of rights groups said Monday, renewing demands for his immediate release.

  • France24 ☛ Middle East live: Iran says Strait of Hormuz will be administered by Tehran

    Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will be administered by Tehran following US-Iran talks in Switzerland, as negotiations continue over regional security arrangements and the future of the key shipping route. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Colombians want security – with rule of law

    The country has chosen a right-wing president by a slim margin. The close win for Abelardo de la Espriella suggests a public yearning for safety and security as well as trustworthy, commonsense governance.

  • The Strategist ☛ Hacktivism is an underestimated threat, especially in geopolitical crises

    Hacktivists, while individually unsophisticated, are collectively generating persistent disruption, particularly during geopolitical crises. Their impact is being amplified by a wider accessibility of tools, faster mobilisation and alignment with real world events.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales

      Ukraine has intensified its drone attacks on the Russian-controlled territory of Crimea, prompting a fuel shortage on the peninsula. The campaign has prompted officials there to halt gasoline sales to the public and has caused a larger threat to Russia's fleet in the Black Sea. FRANCE 24's Monte Francis has the story.

    • France24 ☛ Romania parliament rejects liberal PM-designate Adrian Vestea

      Romania's parliament rejected prime minister-designate Adrian Vestea on Monday, extending months of political turmoil in the EU and NATO member bordering Ukraine and raising the prospect of a snap election if a second government nominee also fails to secure lawmakers' backing.

    • New York Times ☛ Thousands Are Fleeing as Putin Bombs the Donbas Cities He Most Covets

      While Kyiv’s fortunes have brightened in other ways in the war, Moscow’s forces are raining bombs and drones on “fortress belt” cities like Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

    • Latvia ☛ Many Latvian road signs still point to Russia

      On 318 road signs in Latvia, the names Moscow, Vitebsk, or other Russian and Belarusian city names are still visible. An initiative submitted to the government to replace them has not yet been approved, Latvian Television reported on June 21.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania to try Russian FSB officer in absentia over spying

      Lithuania has referred to court a criminal case against a Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officer accused of organising intelligence-gathering operations in the country, prosecutors said on Monday.

    • LRT ☛ Deported or left willingly? Mystery surrounds a desserter's return to Russia

      A dispute has emerged over the circumstances surrounding the return to Russia of a young man reported to be a deserter from the Russian military, after he spent several months in Lithuania detained and seeking asylum.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Escalates Crimea Attacks, Creating a New Pressure Point for Russia

      To pressure Moscow, Ukraine is stepping up an air campaign to isolate the peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Demand for air-conditioner servicing, repairs heats up in Malaysia amid prolonged hot weather [Ed: Global warming - and point of no return]

    Many customers have been seeking urgent appointments after their air-con units failed from prolonged use.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Climate fight will not stall because certain countries drop out, China says

    Global cooperation to tackle climate change will not stall because of the absence of certain countries, China's environment minister told a meeting of governments on Monday, as nations prepare for this year's U.N. climate negotiations without the United States.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Barry Kauler ☛ Oh dear what has become of this world?

      I miss cars from about 15 years ago. New cars now... I won't go there, something else has happened that I find alarming...

      [...]

      ...AU$163.46 OK, that is probably the retail price. It is only guaranteed for 3 years.
      

      There was a time when I would have just gone down to the local shopping centre and bought a new LED globe for about 15 dollars. I am left muttering, oh dear...

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Sturgeon once extinct in the wild returns to China’s Yangtze River

      It is the first time natural reproduction of the Yangtze sturgeon is documented in a wild setting.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Why more South Koreans are becoming ‘full-time children’

    Job scarcity and climbing housing costs have fuelled the phenomenon.

  • New York Times ☛ How Remote Work Has Helped a Generation of Working Parents

    Post-pandemic, a new openness to accommodating family needs has made it possible for more mothers and fathers to balance work and parenting — particularly mothers of young children.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Federal News Network ☛ A new House task force is taking aim at everything from free speech to federal programs

    "The chair of the task force himself has said that the goal is to create policy recommendations for the broader Republican conference," said Kim Hamm.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia’s PM rejects far-right call for ‘monocultural’ society

    The country's far-right party led in a recent national poll for the first time.

  • New Yorker ☛ The Torture Chamber of British Politics Crushes Its Latest Prime Minister

    Keir Starmer becomes the sixth Prime Minister over the past decade to resign, surrendering to the U.K.’s manifold problems.

  • France24 ☛ Ethiopian PM's party secures win in national election

    In tonight's edition, Ethiopia's ruling Prosperity Party takes roughly 90% of seats in elections that hand Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed another half decade in power. Also, in Tunisia, inflation topped 5 percent last month causing price hikes in food and essentials across the board. And Cape Verde keeps on coming after its two-all draw against two-time World Cup champions Uruguay.

  • JURIST ☛ UN human rights chief concerned over new EU migration law

    UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Saturday expressed deep concern about the adoption of the new European Union regulation facilitating detention and deportation of migrants and asylum seekers. The so-called “Returns Regulation” was initially proposed in March of this year, and the EU parliament voted for its adoption on Wednesday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Bangladesh PM asks Malaysia to reopen labour market to Bangladeshi workers

    Malaysia has been a key destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • New York Times ☛ South Korea’s Starbucks Shut Early After ‘Tank Day’ Promotion Debacle

    All Starbucks stores in South Korea shut early on Monday because of a franchise-wide training instituted in the wake of a disastrous marketing campaign.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Journalism job cuts in 2026 tracked: Fintech giant axes Sherwood News staff amid 10% cuts

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ APNIC and APNIC Foundation sign MoU to maximize sponsorship support for the Asia Pacific Internet community

    APNIC and the APNIC Foundation have formalized a sponsorship partnership to improve coordination and strengthen support for the Asia Pacific Internet community.

  • APNIC ☛ Mobile Internet prices in PNG: Stability amid infrastructure developments

    Guest Post: Mobile Internet prices in PNG remained largely stable in 2025, with some unpredictable fluctuations. As new undersea cables and satellite services emerge, the market may be entering a new phase of competition and change.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Patents

    • JUVE ☛ Dutch patent monopoly attorney firm V.O. banks on private equity

      Rumours of a private equity investor taking a stake in the Netherlands’ largest patent monopoly attorney firm, Vereenigde Octrooibureaux (V.O.), had intensified by the end of last week. The firm has now confirmed to JUVE Patent that Swedish investor Consolid has taken a stake.

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ En Banc Ninth Circuit to Reconsider Copyright’s Total Concept and Feel Test

      The Ninth Circuit grants en banc rehearing in Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg, putting its intrinsic test and total concept and feel standard on trial.

    • JUVE ☛ Nokia strikes patent monopoly licensing deals with Lenovo and Acer [Ed: Patent shakedown is nothing to be celebrated

      The Finnish company announced both agreements this month. With Lenovo, Nokia has signed a multi-year, multi-technology patent monopoly cross-licence agreement. The terms remain confidential. The deal succeeds the previous cross-licence between the two companies, which was concluded in 2021.

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ Major Labels and BMG Urge the Supreme Court to ‘Step In and Reverse’ the Landmark Vetter v. Resnik Copyright Termination Decision

      BMG and the majors have officially petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse the landmark Vetter v. Resnik termination decision, arguing that the appellate court’s “startling conclusion departs from bedrock copyright monopoly law” and “unsettles long-settled judicial, academic, industry, and international norms.” Those parties just recently moved to bring the high-stakes case before the nation’s highest court.

    • Digital Music News ☛ 29 Organizations Rally Behind ‘No Consent, No Deal’ Hey Hi (AI) Approach, Call on Labels and Publishers to End ‘Default Opt-Ins,’ ‘Forced Hey Hi (AI) Clauses,’ and More

      Looks like the AFM’s lawsuit against Universal Music and Warner Music was just the beginning. Now, 29 organizations are calling on labels and publishers to prioritize “meaningful consent, fair remuneration and full transparency” in their Hey Hi (AI) licensing agreements.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Drake, OVO Sued for Nearly $4M Over ‘Multiple Loan Payment Defaults’

      Drake’s lifestyle brand OVO is locked in ugly litigation with a Florida-based lender over a loan gone sour to the tune of roughly $3.7 million. Drake’s lifestyle brand October’s Very Own (OVO) has been hit with a nearly $4 million lawsuit over “multiple loan payment defaults” from earlier this year.