Leftovers

• Tom's Hardware ☛ Linux was announced by Linus Torvalds 35 years ago today — humble OS started with 10,000 lines of code but has now grown to 40 million, dominates global infrastructure [Ed: Nowadays contaminated by slop while removing proper code understood by humans]

  The development of Linux, a free ‘hobby’ operating system, was announced by Linus Torvalds 35 years ago today.

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • Science Alert ☛ No Place on Earth Is Safe if All Hell Breaks Loose, But One Place Is Safer Than The Rest

    Somewhere to ride out the storm?

  • Science Alert ☛ Deep Sea Scientists Hunting a Shipwreck Accidentally Stumbled Across The Ocean's Own Backrooms

    Is there no corner of this Earth our junk does not reach?

  • Science Alert ☛ Should We All Be Taking Probiotics Daily? An Expert Weighs in

    It's all about the gut biome.

  • Science Alert ☛ Massive Study Says Vaping Really Is The Most Effective Way to Quit Smoking – But There's a Catch

    Don't get too carried away.

• Hardware

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Using and powering shelf retrocomputers

    The reception to my second post about keeping retro motherboard builds on shelves has been far more positive than the first post, which has been lovely. A few of you had questions, which I thought I’d answer here.

  • CNX Software ☛ Lantronix Open-M 720G/520G – Ultra-compact LGA system-on-modules based on MediaTek Genio 720 and Genio 520 SoCs

    Lantronix Open-M 720G and 520G are compact (43x44mm) LGA system-on-modules (SoM) powered by 6nm MediaTek Genio 720 and Genio 520 SoCs, offering an Hey Hi (AI) performance of 10 TOPS, and designed for Edge IoT applications running low-power Vision Hey Hi (AI) and GenAI tasks. The Genio 720 dual-camera module ships with 8GB LPDDR5 and the Genio 520 single-camera module with 4GB LPDDR5.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Apple price hikes continue as Mac mini with 16GB RAM and 256GB is now $899 — 1TB storage option adds $500 to entry-level headless system

    Apple's Mac mini and Mac Studio see price hikes, while memory and storage upgrades get even more expensive

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New Yorker ☛ Stumped by a Medical Mystery? Try Metagenomics

    When doctors can’t figure out what’s ailing us, they can search our bodies for snippets of genetic material from viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

  • International Business Times ☛ Trapped in a Pill Culture: Nearly 9.1 Million in England Rely on Antidepressants as Prescriptions Hit Record High

    NHS figures show a record 9.1 million people in England were prescribed antidepressants last year, raising concerns about medication reliance and mental health care effectiveness.

  • Science Alert ☛ Experimental Drug Makes Obese Mice Burn Fat Without Losing Muscle – Or Eating Less

    A new approach?

  • Science Alert ☛ Meet Orexin, The Brain Chemical Behind Staying Motivated

    Why we do (or don't) stay on task.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Millions in Indonesia suffer respiratory illnesses as haze spreads nationwide

    The Indonesian health authorities have conducted screenings in affected communities.

  • Futurism ☛ Massive Black Market for Unapproved and Potentially Dangerous Obesity Drug Alarms Doctors

    "Promising isn't the same as proven."

  • Science Alert ☛ World First: Mitochondria From a Woman's Leg Were Injected Into Her Eyes

    Here's what happened.

• Proprietary / Vendor Lock-in / Malware

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

    • Futurism ☛ Nobody Wants Anthropic’s Best Hey Hi (AI) Model Anymore Now That There Are Way Cheaper Alternatives

      Who needs pricey models?

    • Futurism ☛ Even Babies Are Still Way Better at Learning Than Hey Hi (AI) Models

      "We still have to burn down a forest and scrape the entire sum of all human knowledge to re-create this milestone that happens in our living rooms over the course of a year."

    • Futurism ☛ 90 Percent of Execs Say Oops, Hey Hi (AI) Didn’t Help Productivity, So Layoffs Will Continue

      It's a race to the bottom.

    • Futurism ☛ MElon Just Said Something About Hey Hi (AI) That’s Literally Incomprehensible

      Sure, man.

  • Social Control Media

    • The Straits Times ☛ Teens return to Fentanylware (CheeTok) after world’s first usage ban, data shows

      The new data underscores concerns about the effectiveness of Australia’s age controls.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ AliExpress allegedly uses your browser's audio system to fingerprint your PC — hidden code runs even when no sound is playing

      A developer's investigation into a Bluetooth headphone issue uncovered hidden Web Audio processing on AliExpress that allegedly fingerprints browsers and collects detailed device information.

    • ACLU ☛ Beware of Other License Plate Surveillance Companies Besides Flock

      Flock deserves the heat it’s getting, but switching to another provider won’t necessarily improve anything

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ USS Abraham Lincoln to dock in Thailand next week, Thai official says

    There have been reports of concerns about mental health and deteriorating conditions aboard the the aircraft carrier.

  • New York Times ☛ Confronting South Korea’s Violent Past and Its Echoes Today

    The National Museum of Korean Democracy, which opened last year, documents an era of brutal suppression. But that dark history has resurfaced in troubling ways.

  • CS Monitor ☛ What does a self-reliant South Korea look like? Some push for a nuclear option.

    Washington’s curtailing of joint military drills in South Korea was widely framed as a humiliating moment for Seoul. But it could also push the country on a path to self-reliance – and nuclear arms.

  • The Strategist ☛ ‘West Asia’, not the Middle East: it’s time for Australia to reset its strategic compass

    West Asia should stand closer to the centre of Australian strategic thinking, but the language used to describe it too often leaves it sitting on the sidelines.

  • The Straits Times ☛ New bridge linking China, North Korea may open soon with Customs facility built

    Construction of the new bridge began in 2010.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines seeking to expand military drone capabilities, says defence chief

    It plans to acquire more guided-missile corvettes and other major assets to beef up its external defence capabilities.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Satellite images hint at China adding radar ‘eyes’ near emerging South China Sea base

    China is reportedly building on Antelope Reef its largest military base in the South China Sea.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, India hold border talks, agree to continue search for boundary settlement

    The two nuclear powers share a roughly 3,800km, largely undemarcated and disputed border in the Himalayas.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin signals defiance as US threatens sanctions over Iran help

    The leaders of US and China are due to meet in Washington on Sept 24.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China renews scrutiny of military procurement with call for tips

    It provided a hotline number for tipsters, seeking information specifically from suppliers and military personnel.

  • France24 ☛ Nigeria’s president orders rescue operation after mass kidnapping at mosque

    Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday ordered security agencies to conduct a rescue operation after the mass kidnapping of worshippers during an attack on a mosque in the north-central Niger State last week. Local authorities were still trying to verify the number of missing people, but local residents said roughly 600 women, children and elderly people had been abducted.

  • New York Times ☛ Airstrikes and Illegal Mining Add to Myanmar’s Troubles

    A thriving ‘conflict economy’ is extracting minerals while the military and armed groups inflict abuse on civilians, according to a new report on the scale of recent violence in Myanmar.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • The Straits Times ☛ Three killed, some 150 injured in fire at Russian gas chemical complex

      MOSCOW, Aug 25 - Three people were killed and around 150 others were injured after a fire broke out on Tuesday at a gas chemical complex under construction in Russia's Far East, the plant's press service said.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea says Russian military planes entered its air defence zone

      The Russian aircraft did not violate South Korean airspace, it said.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Russia Says ‘Nyet’ to Kanye Performances, Claims No Agreements Were Ever Signed

      Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, will not be performing in Russia, as originally planned.

    • Latvia ☛ American military plane flies from Rīga to Moscow

      A  Boeing C-17A Globemaster III US Air Force military transport aircraft departed Rīga Airport for Moscow in aggressor state Russia early on the morning of Tuesday, August 25th.

    • International Business Times ☛ CIA Chief John Ratcliffe Sparks Global Frenzy With Unannounced Moscow Flight for High-Level Discussions

      CIA Director John Ratcliffe's unexpected visit to Moscow has sparked intense speculation about discussions on the Ukraine war and US-Iran tensions, highlighting the role of intelligence amid strained diplomatic relations.

    • RFERL ☛ CIA Director Ratcliffe's Surprise Moscow Trip Raises Questions Over Russia, Ukraine, Iran

      CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced visit to Moscow on August 25, US officials confirmed to RFE/RL, a rare trip that comes as Washington’s efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine have stalled and tensions over Moscow’s relationship with Iran have intensified.

    • France24 ☛ CIA director Ratcliffe visits Moscow, US media reports

      CIA Director John Ratcliffe ​visited Russia to attend meetings in Moscow on Tuesday, according to two US media outlets, in what is believed to be Ratcliffe's first known trip to Russia since taking over as US spy chief. The reported visit comes as US-brokered talks aimed at ending the Ukraine war have stalled.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia broadens list of banned items from Russia and Belarus

      Latvia's government on Tuesday, 25th August added various items to the list of banned imports from aggressor states Russia and Belarus.

    • LRT ☛ Amid drone threat, Lithuania deploys air defence system near capital Vilnius

      The Lithuanian Armed Forces have deployed a medium-range NASAMS air defence system on the outskirts of Vilnius, replacing the previous short-range systems that have been deployed there since the first drone incursions from Belarus last year.

    • New York Times ☛ What Happened to the Coveted Western Tanks Sent to Ukraine?

      Ukraine pleaded for the expensive weapons, and ultimately got them, but drones have rendered them almost unusable.

    • CS Monitor ☛ For Ukraine’s Greek peoples, the war threatens a language and a way of life

      Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has displaced North Azovian Greek community, a minority-language people now trying to save their cultural identity.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Congress eyes tighter sanctions on Russia – with wiggle room for Convicted Felon

      The U.S. House will consider a Russia sanctions bill, which could be Congress’ first major action on the Ukraine war in Hell Toupée’s second term.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nvidia Jetson Orin-guided Russian Hey Hi (AI) drone killed three civilians in Ukraine, forensic teams say — first documented case of civilian deaths caused by a Russian drone using fully autonomous targeting

      A Russian Molniya drone carrying an Nvidia Jetson Orin module killed three civilians at a gas station in Zaporizhzhia last month.

    • France24 ☛ ‘Not an isolated incident’: Russian drones stalk Ukraine’s civilians in ‘human safaris’

      The video of a Ukrainian cyclist being targeted and killed by a short-range drone posted – and later deleted – by the Russian military Friday left viewers outraged and shaken. But it’s not the first time that Russian drone operators have been accused of terrorising Ukrainian civilians by deliberately targeting them in “human safaris” denounced as a war crime by an independent UN commission.

    • Defence Web ☛ The last, perilous, 6 miles: where drones are replacing men

    • Defence Web ☛ Report exposes Russian plot to lure Africans into its war

      A recent investigation has cast light on the shadowy web of operatives, recruiters, social control media influencers and travel agents [...]

    • Latvia ☛ Ukrainian cinema days returning to Rīga

      With the support of the State Film Agency of Ukraine, “Ukrainian Cinema Days in Latvia” will be held in Riga on August 28–30, 2026 – a cultural project that will offer Latvian and international audiences an opportunity to get to know contemporary Ukrainian cinema, significant works of Ukrainian cinematic heritage, and stories about contemporary Ukraine.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia will use VAT rebate to buy 12 more diesel generators for Ukraine

      At its meeting on August 25th, the Latvian government approved using what is effectively a VAT rebate on its existing plan to send diesel generators to Uraine in order to buy more units.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia contributes to UN Security Council hearing on Ukraine

      The Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dace Melbārde, is currently in New York, in the United States of America (USA), to participate in high-level meetings of the UN Security Council during the Danish presidency.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ China flexes its auto-safety chops with huge recall of Tesla, other cars

      Nine automakers in China, the world’s biggest car market, said they would fix a combined 4.3 million vehicles.

    • Futurism ☛ China Recalls Nearly Three Million Teslas Over Unsafe Door Handles

      Better late than never.

    • Ruben Schade ☛ My first class action

      In 2020, Clara and I had flights booked from Sydney to Kansai airport in Japan. You may recall that something happened in 2020 that resulted in a bunch of flight cancellations. Something about a Mexican beer?

      A class action lawsuit was filed in Australia against Qantas for how they handled refunds (or lack thereof) for these flights. According to the legal firm: [...]

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Japan zoos, aquariums change long-standing practices over animal welfare concerns

      Problems like rough handling from visitors sometimes caused the health of animals to decline.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Green turtles return to Malaysia’s Kelantan coast after 30 years

      As part of conservation efforts, 156 of the hatchlings were released back into the sea.

    • Science Alert ☛ 'Brand New' Frog Species Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight For Years, And It's Adorable

      Identified at last.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ China examines new legal tool to pursue graft suspects, assets abroad

    It would likely take at least several months before the Bill becomes law.

  • International Business Times ☛ 'Bored Rich Kids': North West's Dream of a 'Regular Job' at Starbucks Divides the Internet

    North West, daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, expressed a desire to work at Starbucks, sparking online debate about celebrity privilege and the pursuit of normalcy.

  • New York Times ☛ N.Y.C. Officials Defend Second-Home Tax Rollout and Move to Ease Worries

    Mamdani administration officials said they had used new data to shrink the pool of properties potentially subject to the tax and extended the deadline for homeowners to prove city residency.

  • JURIST ☛ DHS proposes new $100K filing fee on H-1B visa petitions

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday published a proposal for a $103, 265 fee on those filing a “cap-subject” petition for an H-1B visa.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • The Straits Times ☛ China sentences artist Gao Zhen to 3 years’ jail for ‘insulting heroes’, says rights group

    The authorities appeared to be applying a 2021 law to works he created between 2005 and 2009.

  • Hong Kong court verdict aims to erase Tiananmen memory, 1989 student protester says

    Court convicts two former leaders of the group that organized yearly candlelight vigils of “inciting subversion.”

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s human rights progress held back by gaps between law and practice – report

    Lithuania made progress in several areas of human rights in 2025, but many issues remain unresolved because existing laws often fail to translate into practical improvements in people’s daily lives, the country’s parliamentary ombudsmen said Tuesday.

  • JURIST ☛ Amnesty International calls for children to be included in youth digital rights regulatory processes

    Amnesty International reported on Monday that international failure to ensure children’s online safety from Big Tech harms is connected to a lack of youth perspectives in policy-making spaces. Classifying existing solutions as performative, the organization pointed out that increasing surveillance, data tracking, and censorship is a major threat to their safety.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong court acquits gov’t statistician who followed, photographed girl during school open day

    A Hong Kong magistrate has acquitted a government statistician of a loitering offence, despite describing his behaviour of following and photographing a schoolgirl during an open day last year as “highly suspicious.”

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ South Asia SRF highlights Member priorities on IPv6, routing security, and training

    More than 100 APNIC Members attended the South Asia APNIC Sub-Regional Forum alongside SANOG 44 in Kathmandu. Member feedback gathered during the event will help inform APNIC's future priorities across the region.

  • APNIC ☛ Beyond origin validation: Four classes of routing attack nobody Is validating

    Guest Post: RPKI has made real progress against prefix hijacking. But when you map every known class of BGP attack against the defences that exist, four of them turn out to sit entirely outside cryptographic validation — handled with local filters, static thresholds and reactive response.

  • SANS ☛ Obfuscating IP Addresses as Hostnames, (Tue, Aug 25th)

    It is pretty obvious that hostnames can replace IP addresses. Pretty much any software accepting an IP address will also accept a hostname as an argument. Last week, I wrote about scans for the clown metadata service listening at 169.254.169.254. These scans attempted to exploit Server Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability. One way to prevent these types of exploits is to filter requests that contain the string "169.254.169.254" or to add this IP to a blocklist of URLs that should not be accessed.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Design Patents Did It: How China Passed Japan in US Patent Grants [Ed: Designs should not be patented but copyrighted; this is not real system meant to encourage anything but protectionism]

      China passed Japan in US patent monopoly grants in 2024, but the margin is almost entirely design patents. Japan still leads in utility patents.

    • Software Patents

      • JUVE ☛ InterDigital escalates UPC campaign against Disney over VP9 workaround [Ed: Patent troll uses illegal 'court' (UPC) to leverage software patents]

        InterDigital has filed a preliminary injunction application against Disney at the Mannheim local division of the Unified Patent Court (case ID: UPC_CFI_3044/2026). The dispute concerns  EP 2 465 265, the same patent monopoly the Mannheim panel under presiding judge Peter Tochtermann had already found valid and infringed in a decision handed down in June 2026.

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ Kroger Faces a Massive Social Media Infringement Lawsuit from Sony Music — Retail Giant Allegedly ‘Chose Not to Obtain the Required Licenses for Hundreds of Commercial’ Adverts

      Today in social control media infringement lawsuits: A massive complaint against Kroger, which is accused of using all manner of Sony Music recordings in promotional clips without authorization. Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and a number of its subsidiaries just recently submitted the lengthy action to a California federal court.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Newly Launched Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator Exposes $11 Billion Annual Ticket Resale Price Inflation

      A new white paper released by the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator exposes ticket resale practices inflating the cost of entry by $11 billion every year.

    • WikiHow Files Lawsuit Against Proprietary Chaffbot Company Over ChatGPT’s Use of Its How-To Library

      On August 21, wikiHow, Inc. filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against OpenAI, Inc. and eight affiliated entities, alleging violations of the Copyright Act and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The lawsuit centers on claims that Proprietary Chaffbot Company copied wikiHow's how-to articles without authorization to train Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot and to ground its outputs, then used that copied content to generate substitutes for wikiHow’s website.

    • Digital Music News ☛ WikiHow Launches Copyright Infringement Suit Against Proprietary Chaffbot Company Over Instructional Material Used to Train Hey Hi (AI) Models

      DIY website wikiHow has sued Proprietary Chaffbot Company for copyright monopoly infringement over the alleged misuse of its instructional content to train the company’s popular Hey Hi (AI) chatbot ChatGPT.