Leftovers

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • Science Alert ☛ There Might Be a Way to Observe Dark Matter Decaying Into Gravity Particles

    A new strategy could finally illuminate dark matter.

  • Science Alert ☛ Alzheimer's Brains Harbor a Previously Unknown Plaque, Study Finds

    A new lead...

  • Science Alert ☛ Monday Microscope Mystery: What Is This Black-And-White Vista?

    What do you see?

  • Science Alert ☛ Sponge Foraging in Dolphins Does Something Unique to Their Genes

    A biological footprint of a learned skill.

  • Science Alert ☛ Ecosystems of Rock-Eating Fungus And Tardigrades Found Thriving Deep Within a Gas Shale

    Deeper than we thought was possible.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Have Found The Brain Circuit Behind Misophonia's 'Rage Response'

    It's not you, it's your brain.

  • Science Alert ☛ You're Not Imagining It – Some People Really Are More Attractive to Mosquitoes, Study Shows

    There’s something about you.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Tiny Organ Plays a Far More Profound Role in Human Longevity Than We Realized, Study Finds

    We had no idea how powerful it was.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ 28.9M-parameter LLM runs locally on ESP32-S3 at 9 tokens/s

    Slava S. (slvDev) has optimized a 28.9M-parameter LLM running locally on an ESP32-S3 development board at around 9 tokens/s while generating text, or more exactly, telling short stories. We’ve written about LLMs and ESP32 in the past, but usually the boards are used as low-power gateways to interact with online LLMs hosted on powerful servers in data centers.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ In a troubling sign, Nvidia RTX 50 series prices jump up to 30% in South Korea — TSMC wafer hikes and $20 GDDR7 modules push RTX 5090 past $5,100

    The latest round of price increases affects the entire RTX 50 lineup, with premium models bearing the brunt of rising production costs.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan reports first 2 US deaths related to diarrhea-causing parasite

    The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said both had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration.

  • Futurism ☛ The Diarrhea Lettuce Is Officially Killing People

    Two deaths were just linked to the parasite.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Foreign tourists’ spending in South Korea surges with medical travel boom

    Foreign tourist spending is spreading beyond traditional destinations, data suggested.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Record heatwave spreads across Korean peninsula, prompting emergency response

    Seoul districts have expanded cooling shelters and distributed free water and sun umbrellas.

  • New York Times ☛ Meet the Bee Vet, Now Making Hive Calls

    Veterinarians are gingerly embracing the honeybee, a vital pollinator for agriculture but one that’s in increasing danger.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China warns of crop risks as heat sweeps agricultural regions

    Scorching heat is also set to take hold in Xinjiang, where almost all of the country’s cotton is grown.

  • New York Times ☛ Spotlight on Fauci Said to Boost Book Sales for Kennedy and His Publisher

    Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his son, and Senator Rand Paul have all written books criticizing Dr. Anthony S. Fauci. All were published by a company led by a close Kennedy adviser.

  • Futurism ☛ America Getting Lesson in Consequences of Convicted Felon’s War on Public Health as Rare Disease Outbreaks Ravage the Country

    Feeling healthy yet?

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ New Micron lawsuit reignites fight over New York fab — complaint alleges 'forever chemicals' will flow into Oneida River

    Micron's New York manufacturing facility is back in the crosshairs of another environmental lawsuit, claiming its wastewater and air permits should be nullified.

• Proprietary / SaaS

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Microsoft raises European Xbox prices by up to £200 — RAMpocalypse and component shortages force major console markups

    Xbox price increases across the UK and Europe have been revealed, with prices upped by as much as £170 or €200.

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

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ The Proprietary Chaffbot Company Hack Shows the Genie Is Out of the Bottle

      This essay originally appeared in Foreign Policy.

      Earlier this month, two of OpenAI’s models broke out of their containment sandbox and attacked another Hey Hi (AI) company. The story is kind of wild.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ More on the Proprietary Chaffbot Company Agent’s Attack on Hugging Face

      Hugging Face has published a detailed timeline of the attack.

    • Futurism ☛ Scam Altman’s Parenting Strategy Sounds Low Key Horrifying

      "What if you just talked to your children."

    • Futurism ☛ Tech Bro Boasts He Used Hey Hi (AI) to Secretly Monitor Toddlers’ Conversations, Categorize Them In Giant Database

      "I'd hate my parents if I found out they did this."

    • Futurism ☛ Top Consulting Group PwC Caught Using Hey Hi (AI) on “Thought Leadership” Report About AI, Resulting in Corporate Document Filled With Bizarre Hallucinations

      This is just so lazy.

    • Futurism ☛ Poll Finds Overwhelming Majority Disgusted by Convicted Felon’s Relationship With Hey Hi (AI) Industry, Saying He’s Using the Tech to Tear Down Democracy

      "These Big Hey Hi (AI) goliaths think they can buy off our government, our elections, our leaders, and our future and nobody will notice."

    • Press Gazette ☛ Who’s suing Hey Hi (AI) and who’s signing: Perplexity’s motion to dismiss vs Reddit rejected, News Corp sues Brave

  • Social Control Media

    • Mexico News Daily ☛ Sheinbaum invites author of ‘The Anxious Generation’ to explain social control media’s impacts on kids: Monday’s mañanera recapped [iophk: though I hope that Haidt has not been crushed by the Epstein class and their machinations to destroy two whole generations via social control media]

      U.S. psychologist Jonathan Haidt addressed today's mañanera, calling children's social control media and touchscreen use a "public health problem" and urging parents not to give kids access to phones until at least age four to six.

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ Across the EU, immigration being used as a 'political tool' across the political spectrum

    Delano D'Souza is pleased to welcome Dr. Manlio Graziano, Founder and Director of Nicholas Spykman International Center for Geopolitical Analysis. Italy's temporary suspension of the Schengen Agreement with Spain, following the migration episode in Ceuta, is presented less as a meaningful European policy than as a symbolic act driven by domestic politics. Dr Graziano argues that the episode reveals how migration has become an instrument of political positioning rather than policy making. His analysis suggests that Giorgia Meloni's principal audience is not Brussels or Madrid, but Italy's increasingly fragmented right, where competition from parties positioned even further to her right is compelling her to continually reaffirm her hardline credentials.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Security for the future’: Inside Japan’s multi-trillion-yen push to strengthen its defence industry

    Tokyo says such a future hinges on a robust domestic defence base capable of deterring the perceived threat from China, North Korea and Russia.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s military counter-intelligence command reform takes shape but concerns remain

    Aim is to improve oversight and prevent abuse of power but critics say coordination may be tough.

  • New Yorker ☛ Why The Insurrectionist Talks So Much About Foreign Election Interference

    The White House is distorting intelligence assessments instead of working to protect the midterm elections.

  • The Strategist ☛ North Korea’s naval buildup will stretch allied forces across the Indo-Pacific

    North Korea’s naval modernisation is still in its early stages. Much of its surface and submarine fleet remains outdated, while its more ambitious shipbuilding and undersea programs face serious technical and operational obstacles.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea says US-led cyber threat warnings are bid to smear its image

    North Korean IT workers use false identities to obtain remote jobs, generate revenue for its nuclear programme.

  • ACLU ☛ One Year After Hell Toupée Deployed National Guard Troops to Washington, D.C., Statehood is More Important Than Ever

    Hundreds of thousands of Washington residents oppose the Convicted Felon administration’s continued deployment of the National Guard. The only way to make sure this never happens again is to make D.C. a state

  • New York Times ☛ Myanmar Junta Allows Aung San Suu Kyi Rare Contact With an Outsider

    The ousted civilian leader, now 81, met with a representative of the Red Cross. Her long absence from public view had raised concerns about her health.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi meets Red Cross official

    The meeting comes after years of questions over the health and well-being of the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Latvia ☛ Trucks stuck at Latvia-Belarus border

      The “Pāternieki” border crossing with Belarus remains closed. It was closed due to technical faults in the information systems. Over the weekend, several lorry drivers were stranded there, unable to process their documents, Latvian Radio reported on August 3.

    • Latvia ☛ Closure of Latvia-Belarus border point proposed

      The Ministry of the Interior will ask the government to suspend operations at the ‘Pāternieki’ border crossing between Latvia and Belarus, according to a publicly available draft government decision from the ministry on August 3.

    • RFERL ☛ Patriot Debate Deepens As Congressman Don Bacon Questions Convicted Felon Shift, Senate Moves On Ukraine Arms

      US President The Insurrectionist's decision to step back from his earlier pledge to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors has prompted renewed debate in Washington over the future direction of US military support for Kyiv.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Logistics Sites Targeted Again As Zelenskyy Urges Faster Patriot Deliveries

      Ukraine and Russia exchanged another wave of overnight drone strikes targeting logistics, energy, and civilian infrastructure, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced frustration with Western allies over delays in delivering urgently needed Patriot air defense systems and other military aid.

    • France24 ☛ Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia kill at least six, spark fire at Wildberries warehouses

      At least six people were killed in Ukrainian drone attacks across Russia, local officials said Tuesday on the messaging app Telegram. Warehouses belonging to the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries were targeted for the second night in a row.

    • New York Times ☛ Drone Explodes on Russian Beach, Killing 7, Officials Say

      It was unclear what the drone was targeting and why it crashed in the crowded resort spot, but it has been a deadly summer for civilians caught up in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

    • The Strategist ☛ The autonomous arms race in the Russia–Ukraine war

      The war in Ukraine has become increasingly technological.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Strike Destroyed Millions of H.I.V. Prevention Supplies in Ukraine

      No medications were affected, but if new prevention items are not procured, aid groups fear a surge in new infections next year.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania seeks AI-powered air defence network after drone incidents

      Lithuania’s Defence Ministry and military are pursuing an ambitious plan to integrate mobile phones, surveillance cameras, radars and other sensors into a single artificial intelligence-powered airspace monitoring system, following a series of incidents involving drones and heightened concerns over regional air defence.

    • JURIST ☛ Russia-linked airstrike in Mali may violate international law, rights group warns

      Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday condemned a deadly airstrike by the Russia’s-Africa Corps in central Mali, saying the strike appeared to be an arbitrary attack that may have violated international humanitarian law. The Russian government-controlled Africa Corps launched the airstrike that killed eight civilians, including three children, on June 15.

    • LRT ☛ Russian independent media editor says he is leaving Lithuania for France

      Sergei Smirnov, editor-in-chief of the independent Russian news outlet Mediazona, said he is leaving Lithuania for France, citing what he described as a worsening climate for Russian opposition figures following an unsuccessful attempt to revoke the residence permit of opposition activist Leonid Volkov.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Opposition Politician Flees to France

      Boris B. Nadezhdin, 63, appeared in a video standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. He said he was “alive and free, but, unfortunately, not yet in Russia.”

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Fourteen dead, thousands displaced as rains, floods strike southern India

    Heavy rains and floods battered parts of southern India over the weekend, killing at least 11 and displacing thousands in the state of Kerala, and setting off a landslide that killed at least three in neighbouring Karnataka, authorities and news reports said.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Strategist ☛ How to win the battle for critical minerals

      In the struggle with China over critical-minerals supply chains, the United States and its partners should focus efforts across three fronts: commercial, technological and allied coordination.

    • Futurism ☛ It Appears That the US Military Accidentally Killed Everybody on Board a Civilian Medevac Flight in New Mexico

      "When those lights go out, man, you know you are in big trouble."

    • Futurism ☛ Tesla Whistleblower Describes Wildly Dangerous Safety Lapses While Developing Full Self-Driving

      Its autonomous test fleet in Houston were 24/7 "rolling hazards," he warned.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Latvia ☛ Top tick myths busted by Latvian researcher

      In the summer, along with going outdoors, concerns about ticks increase. But alongside the real risks, many myths are still prevalent – ​​both about where ticks are found and what to do after being bitten. Do ticks really fall from trees, and are they found on every city lawn?

    • Science Alert ☛ Ancient Microorganisms Discovered Inside One of Antarctica's Most Inhospitable Landmarks

      An ancient ecosystem living in the dark.

• Finance

  • BIA Net ☛ Three years into Şimşek's program, Turkey's inflation down only 6.46 points

    The country's inflation rate stood at 31.75% while İstanbul's inflation was calculated at 35.20% in July.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 1MDB civil trial kicks off with Najib accused of using vast powers to enable US$5.6b fraud

    Malaysian wealth fund's lawyer says the case is about ex-PM's "betrayal of public trust".

  • Chronicle Of Higher Education ☛ Vassar Agrees to $5-Million Fund to Settle Suit Claiming Women Were Paid Less

    Five female professors sued the college in 2023 alleging systemic gender-based discrimination. Under a proposed agreement, the money would be used to compensate 84 full professors.

  • New York Times ☛ WestJet Strike Ends After Canadian Airline Reaches Deal With Flight Attendants

    A tentative deal was reached early Monday morning after 4,400 flight attendants walked off the job a day earlier, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Singapore Bans Band Massive Attack for Displaying Palestinian Flag

    The British group was punished under a policy of racial harmony that has long been criticized as stifling free speech in the city-state.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Bangladesh asks India to clarify stance on Hasina's planned New Delhi speech

    DHAKA, Aug 4 - Bangladesh has asked India to clarify its stance on exiled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's planned virtual address from New Delhi, warning that allowing political activities by a fugitive could hurt improving bilateral relations.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Leaked exams, dashed dreams: Why India’s ‘cockroach’ youth turned on Modi

    Complaints include widening economic inequality, high youth unemployment and an erosion of free speech rights.

  • The Canary ☛ Burnham re-appoints former Israeli Supreme Court clerk as justice minister [Ed: Seems like bashing based on the biases of the author, not something based on a lack of qualifications]

    Eyebrows were raised, however, at the ministerial re-appointment of Sarah Sackman, Keir Starmer’s ex-solicitor general and a key supporter of Lammy’s jury proposals. Sackman has previously worked as a foreign law clerk at the Israeli Supreme Court, and her grandfather once served as an ambassador for the settler state. Last week, Burnham extended her role in government with a re-appointment at the Ministry of Justice.

  • Licensing / Legal

    • Mike Brock ☛ How to Launder a Break-In

      The model did not hack anything. A model cannot hack anything. Picture a brilliant captive locked in a room with no windows, no memory of any prior conversation, and no hands. A note slides under the door with a question on it. The captive writes an answer on the back of the note and slides it back, then stops. That is the whole transaction. The captive cannot open the door or pick up a phone, and has no memory that yesterday ever happened.

      What ran a four-day campaign across three companies was the crew standing outside that room. They read every answer, and whenever the captive said, in effect, try this password or look up that address, they did it — on the real [Internet], against real companies — and slipped the results back under the door with the next question. Then they did it again. Seventeen thousand six hundred times. Nobody asked whether the captive should be allowed to do any of it. The crew was told to keep going until the goal was met, and it did.

      [...]

      The man whose harness had just conducted an unauthorized intrusion into another company, and whose company took a week to notice, is identifying the terrifying visions at his competitors and casting himself as the one who will prevent them. This is an arsonist campaigning for fire chief on the strength of the blaze.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • New York Times ☛ Google Earth Disables Hey Hi (AI) Tool After One Day Over Disinformation Concerns

      A new Surveillance Giant Google Earth tool allowed the creation of Hey Hi (AI) deepfake maps. The company quickly pulled it back after users noted there were no safeguards to prevent content that could be harmful.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Futurism ☛ The Number of Regular People Being Arrested for Protesting Data Centers Is Astounding

    People are rising up everywhere.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ IETF 126 in space

    IP addressing, congestion control protocols, and a gold rush in space at IETF 126 in Vienna.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico partners with Viasat to expand internet access in rural areas

    Mexico’s Telecommunications Investment Promotion Agency and global communications company Viasat have agreed to establish a framework to foster the development of telecoms infrastructure, expand connectivity and strengthen coverage across the country.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Boilerplate or Not: Reading “Secure” Broader Than IPSec in MPH v. Apple

      The Federal Circuit rejects an IPSec limitation on “secure” in MPH v. Fashion Company Apple and reverses the indefiniteness holding on the ’581 patent’s claim 1.

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Flow-Motion sensor patent monopoly prior art

      Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claims 1 and 16 of U.S. Patent 9,987,520, owned and asserted by Flow-Motion Research and Development, Ltd., an NPE. The '520 patent monopoly relates to a system for monitoring and coaching physical exercise routines using motion/position sensors.

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Near Field Electronics input signal patent monopoly prior art

      Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 2 of U.S. Patent 7,373,531, owned and asserted by Near Field Electronics LLC, an NPE and entity of Equitable IP Corporation. The '531 patent monopoly relates to a simple circuit and method for detecting whether an input signal is present, toggling, stopped, or at a particular frequency, and then using that result to reduce power consumption.

    • JUVE ☛ Bayer loses Dutch Xarelto dosage patent monopoly in Sandoz appeal

      The current dispute between Bayer and Sandoz revolves around EP 1 845 961, which describes a dosage for Bayer’s thrombosis drug Xarelto using the active ingredient rivaroxaban.

    • JUVE ☛ Paris local division revokes Bostik’s cold-seal packaging patent monopoly in Henkel dispute

      US adhesives manufacturer Bostik is the owner of EP 1 725 627, protecting a water-based cold-seal cohesive coating for flexible food packaging. It is designed to withstand modern high-temperature converting processes above 127°C without losing seal integrity.

    • JUVE ☛ K&L Gates strengthens patent monopoly litigation offer in Munich with patent monopoly attorneys [Ed: Firm connected to Bill Epsteingate to come closer to patent trolls and other such parasites]

      With the move, K&L Gates gains a stronger foothold in one of Europe’s most important patent monopoly markets. The team from Wende IP comprises five patent monopoly attorneys including Christian Wende and Markus Eustermann.

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ Apple Music Classical Marks 150 Years of Wagner’s Ring With a Time-Synchronized ‘Listening Guide’

      Apple Music Classical launches the first time-synchronized “Listening Guide” to Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen for the epic’s 150th anniversary. Fashion Company Apple Music Classical is elevating the classical listening experience for enthusiasts once again with the release of the first time-synchronized “Listening Guide” to Richard Wagner’s four-part epic Der Ring des Nibelungen.