03.15.23

GNU/Linux

• Audiocasts/Shows

  • Late Night Linux – Episode 220

    Flathub’s grand plans spark a debate the merits of modern packaging, we feel old 20 years on from the SCO lawsuit, great news for un-Googled Android users, a lengthy quest to stream DRM-restricted media on Arm Macs, KDE Korner, and more.   News Flathub in 2023 The SCO lawsuit, 20 years later NewF-Droid  repository format…

  • WordPress ☛ WP Briefing: Episode 51: Is Routine a Rut?

    Join Josepha as she discussed the benefits of routine and what role it plays in the WordPress project.

  • Jupiter Broadcasting ☛ Hybrid Hangover | Coder Radio 508

    Our spicy take on the Silicon Valley Bank bailout, how it will impact everyday developers, and how badly this screws over small businesses.

  • Linux User Space Episode 3:18: The Neverending Story

    Coming up in this episode

    1. The Never Ending History

    2. A Cassidy James Experience

    3. And we go berry picking

    Timestamps

    0:00 Cold Open

    1:30 Vivaldi 5.7… Again

    3:20 Itty Bitty Server Things

    18:44 EndlessOS History, 2010-2012

    21:51 2013-2015

    25:36 2016-2018

    29:25 2019-2021

    32:57 2022-2023

    36:08 (A Short) How’d It Go?

    42:33 A Cassidy James Experience

    1:15:31 Next Time: Topics and Feedback

    1:19:53 Stinger

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ The Lunduke Big Tech Show – Mar 12, 2023 – Hour 1

    Listen now (53 min) | Tech News, Computer History, and Other Important Stuff.

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ The Lunduke Big Tech Show – Mar 12, 2023 – Hour 2

    Listen now (50 min) | You ask Tech questions! Lunduke answers!

• Applications

  • Trend Oceans ☛ Pano: Next-gen Clipboard Manager for Gnome Shell

    Tired of losing content from the clipboard? If yes, then you should use Pano Clipboard Manager. If you are the type of person who opens a text editor and pastes clipboard contents over and over again, then you should stop doing that.

  • OMG! Linux ☛ Tube Converter Beta Boasts Faster Downloads, Queue Feature

    If you want to download a YouTube video on Linux you’re not short of options, with command-line tool yt-dlp the most featured and efficient method.

  • Ubuntu Pit ☛ Best Linux Monitoring Tools For SysAdmin

    With so many Linux Monitoring Tools in the market, ranging from open source software to homemade scripts, it can be tricky to find an ideal solution. Everyone has different purposes and requirements when monitoring a system, making this task even more daunting.

  • The 16 Best and Free Linux Apps To Have in 2023

    People usually assume that Linux is something quite difficult and confusing especially those who wish to shift towards it and are newbies. But, the story is quite different as like others you can enjoy the freedom of using the best Linux software which comes in free.

• Instructionals/Technical

  • Linux Capable ☛ Upgrade WordPress with WP-CLI

    Upgrading WordPress is a crucial step in maintaining website security and optimal performance. Regular WordPress updates help fix bugs, improve features, and enhance security. However, upgrading WordPress can be time-consuming and tedious, especially for larger websites with multiple plugins and themes.

  • TecAdmin ☛ Mathematical Calculations in Bash

    Bash is a powerful scripting language that can be used for a variety of tasks, including mathematical calculations. However, working with numbers in Bash can be challenging, especially when dealing with floating-point arithmetic, large numbers, and complex calculations. In this article, we will explore some tips and tricks for mathematical calculations in Bash.

  • ID Root ☛ How To Enable TCP Fast Open on Nginx

    In this tutorial, we will show you how to enable TCP Fast Open on Nginx.

  • ID Root ☛ How To Install OpenLDAP on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

    In this tutorial, we will show you how to install OpenLDAP on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

  • ID Root ☛ How To Install Bmon on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

    In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Bmon on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

  • TuMFatig ☛ Self-Hosted Email services on OpenBSD

    Looking at my notes , it seems I haven’t setup an email services server from scratch since 2015. Of course, mine have evolved following OpenBSD updates and upgrades.

    Let’s benefits from the fact that I’m migrating from Vultr to OpenBSD Amsterdam to write a few notes about the mail server (re)creation. At the time of writing, OpenBSD is available in version 7.2.

    “Setting up a mail server” means all and nothing. So to clarify, here’s what I want to be able to do: [...]

  • Andrew Hutchings ☛ Font rendering on the SSD1351 display

    Now that we have image rendering down, it is time to look at font rendering on the SSD1351. As before the techniques used here will work with other graphics displays and libraries with minimal effort.

  • TecAdmin ☛ Using awk, bc and expr to perform Math calculations in Bash

    When it comes to mathematical calculations in Bash, there are a few built-in tools that you can use, such as the expr command and the “(( ))” arithmetic expression.

  • Linux Capable ☛ How to Install Apache (HTTPD) on Fedora Linux

    Apache, or Apache HTTP Server or httpd, is a powerful and widely used open-source web server software. It was developed by the Apache Software Foundation and has been one of the most popular web servers since its inception in 1995. Apache is available for many operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.

  • Linux Capable ☛ How to Install LibreOffice on Fedora Linux

    LibreOffice is a popular open-source office suite that has gained considerable popularity amongst users who seek free and open-source alternatives to commercial office suites. It is a free and open-source software suite with various applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, diagrams, and more.

  • Linux Capable ☛ Extract Embedded Images from PDFs in Linux

    Extracting Embedded Images from PDFs in Linux is a task that can be accomplished using various command-line tools.

  • Linux Capable ☛ How to Install MariaDB 10.6 on Fedora Linux

    MariaDB 10.6 is the latest Long-Term Support (LTS) open-source relational database management system release. It was released on June 15, 2021, and is based on the latest stable version of MySQL, with added features and performance improvements.

  • How to install a NetBSD server?

    In the world of free operating systems, GNU/Linux is the best known and most used, but there are also other operating systems that are very robust, very stable and have excellent performance, such as the BSD family, within the BSD family there are 3 well-known operating systems: FreeBSD, OpenBSD y NetBSD.

  • Linux Capable ☛ How to Install Nmap on Debian 12, 11 or 10

    Nmap is a powerful and versatile network scanner that security professionals widely use, including system administrators and network engineers, to explore and audit networks, detect vulnerabilities, and map the network topology.

  • Linux Capable ☛ How to Update Manjaro Linux with Command Terminal

    Manjaro Linux is a widely adopted, user-friendly Linux distribution that provides users with a clean and streamlined interface.

  • UNIX Cop ☛ How To Install FreeTube on Ubuntu 20.04 | 22.04 LTS

    In this guide, we will show you how to install Freetube on Ubuntu systems. FreeTube is a Free and Open Source client for YouTube built with privacy in mind. Its goal is to make a front end that would interface with YouTube without its users needing to run proprietary JavaScript code.

  • UNIX Cop ☛ Linux Audio Production: Creating and Editing Music

    Introduction Linux Audio Production is creating and editing music using open-source tools available on the Linux operating system. Linux offers a range of powerful audio production tools capable of professional-grade audio editing and production.

  • UNIX Cop ☛ How To Install PHP OPcache on Ubuntu 20.04 | 22.04 LTS

    In this guide, we will show you how to install PHP OPcache Extension o Ubuntu systems OPcache is a popular open-source PHP extension that helps speed up the performance of PHP scripts with caching the compiled versions in memory.

  • UNIX Cop ☛ How To Install QElectroTech on Ubuntu 20.04 | 22.04 LTS

    In this guide, we will show you how to install QElectroTech on Ubuntu systems with two different methods. QElectroTech is a free application that has been designed to help create electrical, electronic, automation, control circuits, mechanical objects to illustrate processes, instrumentation drawings and many other things.

  • LinuxConfig ☛ Linux: Install Java

  • LinuxConfig ☛ Linux: Setup Mail server

  • LinuxBuz ☛ Best Conan Exiles Server Hosting for Everyone (Review And Comparison)

    Survival games offer a unique and thrilling experience that can be found nowhere else.

  • Andrew Hutchings ☛ Basic graphics on the SSD1351 display

    Yesterday I wrote a post on how to wire up and initialise the SSD1351 display with a Raspberry Pi Pico.

  • Linuxiac ☛ How to Install Google Chrome on openSUSE with Ease

    Learn how to easily install Google Chrome on openSUSE Leap and Tumbleweed with our step-by-step guide to get it up and running in no time!

  • LinuxConfig ☛ How to Deploy an Application in Kubernetes

  • LinuxConfig ☛ How to use disk quota on Linux with examples

  • Linux Capable ☛ How to Install R Lang on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

    R Programming Language is a powerful and flexible open-source programming language and environment for data analysis, statistics, and graphics. Its syntax is easy to learn, making it a popular choice among data scientists, statisticians, and researchers.

  • DietPi on RISC-V StarFive VisionFive 2 SBC

    This blog post gives an overview about what can actually be done with a system consisting of the brand new RISC-V single board computer VisionFive 2 from StarFive.

    The article will be updated whenever new insights and findings are present.

  • Adam Young: Use * to Seach for the word under the cursor in vim

    This might be my new favorite vimism.
    The idea that there is a single character shortcut for searching for the character under the cursor is brilliant, and something I will use, quite a bit, in my day to day work. It might be more powerful than tags.

  • When and How to Use Iptables and Ipsets

    iptables and ipsets are both tools that are commonly used in Linux-based operating systems for managing network traffic. However, they serve different purposes and have different capabilities.

  • dwaves.de ☛ S21 Ultra SmartPhone photography – spring is coming – how to improve colors and sharpness with Gimp

    RawTherapeed: spring is coming, like a rebirth of everything that was dead the process of picture post processing with RawTherapee (available for GNU Linux (Debian), Windows, OSX) was done like this [...]

• Desktop Environments/WMs

  • K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

    • digiKam 7.10.0 is released

      Dear digiKam fans and users,

      After three months of active maintenance and other bugs triage, the digiKam team is proud to present version 7.10.0 of its open source digital photo manager.

      See below the list of most important features coming with this release.

Distributions and Operating Systems

• Make Tech Easier ☛ How to Select A GNU/Linux Distribution

  If you’re new to the Linux world, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of distros available to you. On the surface, it may look like an endless maze that leads you through a bottomless rabbit hole. However, even the most avid distro hopper has a daily driver they eventually settle on. This guide aims to help you find your new home in Linux while making the experience as enjoyable as possible.

• New Releases

  • DietPi v8.15

    The March 11th, 2023 release of DietPi v8.15 comes with new images for the StarFive VisionFive 2 RISC-V board, the PINE64 Quartz64 and a couple of improvements and bug fixes.

• Fedora Family / IBM

  • Enterprisers Project ☛ Cutting cloud costs: 3 tips

  • Enterprisers Project ☛ Security automation: 3 key benefits

  • Red Hat Official ☛ Handle exceptions in Ansible Playbooks with block and rescue

    Handle errors gracefully in your automation by using Ansible block and rescue keywords.

  • Red Hat ☛ How to use automation controller to install MS SQL [Ed: Red Hat helps Microsoft promote proprietary software that does not even properly runs in GNU/Linux (Drawbridge does not count). Saying that Microsoft SQL Server runs on GNU/Linux is almost like saying Adobe Photoshop works with WINE.]

    The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how to create an execution environment with custom dependencies and how to execute Ansible Playbooks using the automation controller’s GUI, a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform. For this article, we will use Ansible Roles to install Microsoft SQL on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.

  • NeuroFedora ☛ The NeuroFedora Blog: Next Open NeuroFedora meeting: 13 March 1300 UTC

• Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

  • 9to5Google ☛ YouTube Music for Android preps support for podcasts

  • Neowin ☛ SwiftKey for Android gets updated with Unicode 15 emojis and a new theme – Neowin

  • 9to5Google ☛ The best smartwatches for Android in March 2023

  • Notebook Check ☛ New Google Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet features discovered in Android 14 Developer Preview 2 – NotebookCheck.net News

  • Gizmo China ☛ Xiaomi Pad 5 Global Receives MIUI 14 Based on Android 13 Update

  • SlashGear ☛ Google Pixel 8 Pro Leaks As Next Android Flagship

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

• The Register UK ☛ Elon Musk’s Twitter open source foul-up • The Register

  On February 21, Twitter god-king Elon Musk proclaimed “our algorithm is made open source next week.” He added it wouldn’t work well at first, “but it will improve rapidly!” That hasn’t happened.

  Musk has been claiming he wanted to open source Twitter’s algorithm even before he took over the social network and again when he announced his intention to acquire it in April 2022. Here we are, and nothing’s changed.

• Medevel ☛ 10 Open Source Free Farm Management Software

  Farms may vary in shape, size, and specialization, but with persistence and discipline, they are all manageable.

• Medevel ☛ Top 10 Pomodoro Timer Apps to Boost Your Productivity

  What is a Pomodoro technique?

  The Pomodoro technique is a time management method that involves breaking work into 25-minute intervals, separated by short breaks. It was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.

  How can the Pomodoro technique improve your productivity?

• Programming/Development

  • Hillel Wayne ☛ A Neovim Task Runner in 30 lines of Lua

    I like how easy it is to configure neovim. Last month I wanted a task runner for a very particular use-case that none of the available plugins handled. So I wrote my own.

    Show Code

    This is not good code.

    vim.g.global_task = {} function LoadTask(cmd, num, silent) local tmp = vim.g.global_task — (a) if not num then num = vim.tbl_count(vim.g.global_task) + 1 end tmp[tonumber(num)] = cmd — (a) vim.

  • Qt ☛ Qt Installer Framework and Qt Online Installer 4.5.2 Released

    We are happy to announce the release of Qt Installer Framework and Qt Online Installer 4.5.2 today. 

  • Collabora ☛ Showcasing the STM32MP1 at Embedded World

    As a recent new member of STMicroelectronics’ Partner Program, we’re excited to be showcasing the STM32MP1 at Embedded World this week, our first demo featuring the STM32 platform.

  • Medevel ☛ Top 9 Reasons to Choose Flutter for App Development in 2023

    Although Flutter is still considered to be fairly new, it is one of the most well-liked mobile development frameworks among programmers worldwide. It contains every component needed to quickly construct reliable native-like applications for various devices.So why is Flutter so trendy nowadays? Will it work for your business?

Leftovers

• uni Emory ☛ What are the risks of using Metaverse? [Ed: Metaverse is meaningless BS, is Emory shilling Facebook?]

  Metaverse is among Blockchain’s advancements. Using the metaverse to access web-based services can be extremely advantageous; however, it is also accompanied by a few inherent risks. Due to its decentralized structure, users may become exposed to potential threats if they are not careful and informed.

• Federal News Network ☛ Nobel laureate Kenzaburo Oe, writer of poetic fiction, dies

  Nobel literature laureate Kenzaburo Oe, whose darkly poetic novels were built from his memories during Japan’s postwar occupation and from being the parent of a disabled son, has died. He was 88. His publisher said Oe died March 3. Oe in 1994 became the second Japanese author awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. The Swedish Academy cited the author for his works of fiction, in which “poetic force creates an imagined world where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today.” His most searing works were influenced by the birth of Oe’s mentally disabled son in 1963. “A Personal Matter” was published a year later. He also wrote nonfiction and spoke against nuclear power.

• YLE ☛ Aamulehti’s chief editor quits following inappropriate behaviour at student party

  The Tampere-based newspaper reports that its editor-in-chief, Jussi Tuulensuu, was clearly intoxicated at a stakeholder event on Saturday evening and behaved inappropriately towards women.

• Helsinki Times ☛ National Coalition Party proposes strict measures to combat youth and gang violence in Finland

  Finland’s National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) has proposed 15 measures to prevent youth and gang-related crime. The party’s chairman, Petteri Orpo, and vice-chairman, Antti Häkkänen, say that Finland needs to wake up to the reality that violence committed by minors and even children is on the rise and has become more brutal. The party is calling for stricter punishments for crimes, increased resources and powers for law enforcement agencies, and measures to prevent youth from becoming marginalized.

• CNN ☛ Nobel Prize-winning Japanese novelist Kenzaburo Oe dies at 88

  Japanese Nobel Prize-winning author Kenzaburo Oe, a writer who was renowned for a strong pacifist stance that weaved its way into much of his work, has died of “old age”, his publisher confirmed Monday.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Identify Chemical Reaction That May Have Triggered Life on Earth

    The tipping point for biological life.

  • The Scientist ☛ Relieving the Pipetting Toll for Better Results

    Scientists use an automated liquid handling station to ensure consistency across a range of experiments.

  • Science Alert ☛ Simple Math Predicts Electrical Activity in The Brain, Study Shows

    Groundbreaking.

  • Science Alert ☛ ‘Time Reflections’ Finally Observed by Physicists After Decades of Searching

    An echo in time, not space.

  • Science Alert ☛ Oceans May Have Once Graced Venus Before It Became a Hell Planet

    Was Venus habitable billions of years ago?

• Hardware

  • Helsinki Times ☛ Siruja Suomesta Initiative: How Finland can become a European leader in microchip technology

    A national chip program initiative, called “Siruja Suomesta,” has been proposed by the Semiconductor Industry Group of Technology Finland, along with other partners such as VTT, Tampere University, Aalto University, and the cities of Tampere and Espoo. The initiative aims to establish Finland as a European leader in semiconductor and quantum technology. The initiative will bring new expertise and growth to Finland, strengthen Europe’s chip self-sufficiency and technological security, and create growth in high-tech expertise, innovation, and industry.

  • CNX Software ☛ DFI PCSF51 – An 1.8-inch industrial SBC with AMD Ryzen R2000 processor

    DFI PCSF51 is a 1.8-inch single board computer (SBC) powered by an AMD Ryzen Embedded R2000 processor with up to 8GB DDR4 memory and 128GB eMMC flash designed for space-constraints industrial applications, robotics, edge computing, AI vision systems, and more. The business card-sized board comes with HDMI 1.4 video output, Gigabit Ethernet networking, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and an M.2 Key-E socket for wireless expansion, as well as eight digital I/Os. Other features include a watchdog and an RTC, and the SBC takes 12V DC input on a 2-pin terminal block.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Latvia ☛ More than 6,000 lives lost to Covid-19 over three years in Latvia

    Exactly three years ago today, on March 13, 2020, the first state of emergency related to the spread of Covid-19 took effect in Latvia. In total, the deaths of 6,632 people are associated with Covid-19 over the course of three years.

  • Copenhagen Post ☛ Whopper of a story! Burger King in Copenhagen going meatless for a month

    Meanwhile, in related news, McDonald’s has called time on breakfast

  • NOAA ☛ Studying the health of dolphins after pollution

    After an oil spill or release of industrial chemicals, it is important to determine if the health of wild dolphins has been impacted. In some cases, a team of scientists and veterinarians may temporarily capture wild dolphins to assess their health.

  • New York Times ☛ Abortion Opponents Want to Make Women Afraid to Get Help From Their Friends

    A wrongful-death lawsuit in Texas is an act of intimidation.

  • Reason ☛ Five Women Sue Texas Over the State’s Narrow Abortion Exception

    The law allows abortions when there is a “medical emergency”—but what qualifies as an emergency?

  • Off Guardian ☛ “One Health”, ESG & “Sustainable Development”: Inside the WHO’s “Pandemic Treaty”

    Simon Elmer The World Health Organization is the One Ring to Rule them All, and its written goal, inscribed in fiery letters along both sides of its band, is the Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Treaty.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ You don’t need to pursue happiness if you’ve already caught it

    Joseph Sorrentino learns from some Mexico City garbage collectors it’s not necessarily what we own or achieve that makes us content.

  • Gizmodo ☛ A Bad Night’s Sleep Could Weaken Your Response to Vaccines [Ed: Very misleading headline, as the body does not even agree. It's like they try to blame sleep for adverse reaction to lousy vaccines. This is about immune systems in general and it has long been common sense.]

    Getting enough sleep is refreshing for both you and your immune system, a new review of research out Monday suggests.

  • The Age AU ☛ Qld research suggests COVID, chronic fatigue have similar effect on brains

    Researchers have used one of the most powerful imaging tools in the world to look for similarities between how COVID-19 and chronic fatigue affect the brain.

  • New Yorker ☛ What Conversation Can Do for Us

    Our culture is dominated by efforts to score points and win arguments. But do we really talk anymore?

  • The Scientist ☛ Parasite Drove Natural Selection in Amazonian Indigenous Groups

    The findings could help researchers understand why some individuals are more vulnerable to deadly Chagas disease.

  • RFERL ☛ Afghanistan Opens Four-Day Anti-Polio Vaccination Campaign

    Afghanistan on March 13 kicked off a nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign for children under the age of 5, the office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Afghanistan told RFE/RL.

  • RFERL ☛ Bulgarian Growers Call For Ban On Wheat Imports From Ukraine

    Grain producers in Bulgaria have called for a halt to imports of Ukrainian wheat.

  • The Strategist ☛ Protecting crops and promoting resilience in Australian agriculture

    Australia has faced continuous and concurrent crises over the past few years. The nation’s resilience has been tested by challenges ranging from Covid-19 to economic coercion and from drought to floods. While we have weathered …

  • ACLU ☛ COVID-19 is Not Over for People Who Are Incarcerated

    The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, especially not for people who are incarcerated. The ACLU, our clients, and our allies predicted early on that serious illness and death would strike people in jails, prisons and immigration detention facilities disproportionately if government agencies did not take effective precautions, including by reducing the number of people in jails, prisons, and ICE detention.

• Proprietary

  • Neowin ☛ Microsoft is showing new full-page ads asking you to set Edge as the default browser

    We already know that Microsoft has become more aggressive with marketing its Edge browser, going as far as to show banner ads on the Chrome download website, reminding you that Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome but has the “added trust of Microsoft”. Now, it seems like the company is going one step further in its push to get Edge more customers.

  • Bleeping Computer ☛ Microsoft finally fixes Windows 11 slow file copy issues over SMB [Ed: Better headline is, Vista 11 is defective and Microsoft isn't fixing that]

    Microsoft has finally addressed a known issue causing significant performance hits when copying large files over SMB after installing the Windows 11 2022 update.

    The bug was fixed with the KB5022913 February 2023 non-security preview update released on February 2022, which also introduced newly announced Moment 2 features.

    “This update addresses an issue that affects copying from a network to a local drive. Copying is slower than expected for some users,” Microsoft said.

• Security

  • Security Week ☛ CISA Warns of Plex Vulnerability Linked to LastPass Hack

    CISA has added vulnerabilities in Plex Media Server and VMware NSX-V to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

  • Common Mistakes Which Leave a Linux Vulnerable

    Securing a Linux system can be a complex task, and there are many potential pitfalls and mistakes that can compromise the system’s security.

  • Security Week ☛ Euler Loses Nearly $200 Million to Flash Loan Attack

    London, UK based De-Fi platform company Euler has lost a reported $196 million to a flash loan attack.

  • Security Week ☛ New ‘GoBruteforcer’ Botnet Targets Web Servers

    The recently identified Golang-based GoBruteforcer botnet is targeting web servers running FTP, MySQL, phpMyAdmin, and Postgres services.

  • Security Week ☛ Zoll Medical Data Breach Impacts 1 Million Individuals

    Zoll Medical is notifying one million individuals that their personal information was compromised in a data breach earlier this year.

  • Security Week ☛ Counting ICS Vulnerabilities: Examining Variations in Numbers Reported by Security Firms

    Reports published by various industrial cybersecurity companies provide different numbers on ICS vulnerabilities — here’s why.

  • Help Net Security ☛ 6 cybersecurity and privacy Firefox add-ons you need to know about – Help Net Security

    In today’s digital age, cybersecurity and privacy have become major concerns for internet users. With the increase in cyber attacks and data breaches, it is vital to protect your online privacy and security. One way to do this is by using add-ons for your web browser that can help enhance your security and privacy. Firefox is one of the most popular web browsers, and it offers a variety of add-ons that can help you stay safe and secure online.

    By using the Firefox add-ons below, you can significantly enhance your online security and privacy, and protect yourself from various threats that can compromise your personal information and online activity.

  • LinuxSecurity ☛ New Linux IceFire Ransomware Variant Discovered: What You Need to Know to Secure Your Systems [Ed: This is a proprietary IBM issue, not "Linux" issue; the site called LinuxSecurity continues spreading FUD.]

  • Gizmodo ☛ In Yet Another Crypto Attack, Hackers Pillage $197 Million From Euler Finance

    Unidentified cybercriminals managed to boost nearly $200 million from the decentralized finance lender Euler Finance on Monday. The attack, which stole millions in crypto assets like DAI and USD Coin, is being hailed as the biggest crypto hack of the year so far.

  • LWN ☛ Security updates for Tuesday [LWN.net]

    Security updates have been issued by Debian (redis), Fedora (cairo, freetype, harfbuzz, and qt6-qtwebengine), Red Hat (kpatch-patch), SUSE (chromium, java-1_8_0-openj9, and nodejs18), and Ubuntu (chromium-browser, libxstream-java, php-twig, twig, protobuf, and python-werkzeug).

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Gizmodo ☛ How To Clear Cookies Every Time You Close Your Browser [Ed: Bad advice that won't work because they identity the users by other means and resurrect the fingerprinting]

      You might be familiar with the practice of regularly clearing out the local data stored by your browser, including cookies—those little files that can store your preferences, your personal details, and other bits of information that help sites know who you are.

  • Confidentiality

    • Data Breaches ☛ Gang Leaks Nude Photos of Patients

      The BlackCat ransomware gang recently leaked some nude photos of cancer patients from a healthcare entity in Pennsylvania that wouldn’t pay their ransom demand. The gang has threatened to leak more. But is this really a sign of any new or escalating trend, as suggested in a report on Wired?

      BlackCat is certainly not the first gang to use nude photos of patients and threats of more of the same to try to pressure victims into paying a ransom. The tactic never became a trend before, even though earlier criminals were desperate to secure payment from victims.

    • EIN Presswire ☛ PHILADELPHIA FIRM FILES FIRST LAWSUIT AGAINST LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK FOLLOWING ITS LATEST DATA BREACH – EIN Presswire

      Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky P.C. asserts in class-action complaint that privacy violations by LVHN resulted in release of cancer patient nude photos

    • Data Breaches ☛ Ransomware Vulnerability Warning Pilot (RVWP)

      The Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA), which President Biden signed into law in March 2022, required CISA to establish the RVWP (see Section 105 [6 U.S.C. 652]).

    • Silicon Angle ☛ 1M records potentially stolen from medical device and software maker Zoll

      Medical device and software maker Zoll Medical Corp. has disclosed that it has suffered a data breach that resulted in the possible theft of records belonging to about a million people.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Age AU ☛ Could the AUKUS nuclear subs deal rival WA’s resources sector?

    Defence Industries Minister Paul Papalia said the AUKUS nuclear submarine announcement would create a huge defence industry in WA.

  • LRT ☛ Poland builds anti-tank barriers on its borders. Should Lithuania follow suit?

    Poland is erecting anti-tank barriers along its border with Belarus and Kaliningrad. Should Lithuania do the same?

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ AMLO: ‘Mexico is safer than the United States’

    Despite having only anecdotal evidence to back up his claims, the president insisted Monday that Mexico is freer from violence than the U.S.

  • JURIST ☛ Moldova police arrest 54 at antigovernment protests amid alleged Russia-backed destabilization attempt

    Moldovan police Sunday arrested 54 people during an anti-government protest in the capital city of Chișinău hours after police announced the arrests of seven people linked to a Russian-backed plot to destabilize the country.

  • Defence Web ☛ Wagner mercenaries remain in Libya

    Nearly five years after they first arrived in Libya, Wagner Group mercenaries show no signs that they’re willing to leave the country, despite a joint demand by representatives of Libya’s rival governments for them to do so.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Iran is still exporting oil to Hezbollah and the Assad regime. It’s using Syrian ports for transit.

    Despite sanctions imposed on both countries, Tehran has continued to use Syrian ports as the main gateway to supply oil to its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, and its ally, the Bashar al-Assad regime.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ The US has gotten the day to day right in Africa policy. Time to think bigger.

    The Biden administration’s commitment to high-level engagement with African leaders is welcome, but its recent US-Africa Leaders summit should have been a launch pad for big, bold ideas.

  • JURIST ☛ UK asylum bill passes House of Commons second reading amid controversy

    The UK House of Commons Monday approved the controversial Illegal Immigration Bill, which seeks to “prevent and deter unlawful migration,” by a vote of 312 to 249. The bill will now pass to the committee stage of the House of Commons.

  • France24 ☛ UK to boost defence spending over China, Russia concerns

    Britain on Monday detailed plans to bolster military and security spending to confront the “epoch-defining challenge” posed by China while also countering Russia, as London updated its strategic foreign and defence policy.

  • France24 ☛ Macron meets with Hungary’s Orban at Elysée Palace to discuss Ukraine war

    French President Emmanuel Macron received Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban to discuss the Ukraine war and other issues ahead of a European Council meeting over a working dinner at the Elysée Palace on Monday night.

  • LRT ☛ Steven Seagal to help set up international pro-Russia movement

    An international movement of Russophiles will be established on March 14 in Moscow, following an initiative by Nikolay Malinov, head of the Bulgarian National Movement Russophiles, who is teaming up with US actor Steven Seagal.

  • RFERL ☛ Russia’s Treatment Of Institutionalized Ukrainian Children Constitutes A War Crime, HRW Says

    Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine has put children in residential institutions at extreme risk, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on March 13.

  • RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Troops Wrap Up Leopard Tank Training In Spain

    Ukrainian soldiers wrap up a four-week training course in Spain this week on how to operate the Leopard 2 tanks Western allies have agreed to deliver to help Kyiv fight Russian forces.

  • uni Michigan ☛ Holocaust survivor shares her story with UMich students

    Editor’s Note: The event organizers did not permit the recording of this event to protect the speaker’s personal experience and story. About 80 University of Michigan students gathered in Angell Hall to hear from Irene Miller, a Holocaust survivor who spoke about her experience escaping Poland as a child…

  • RFERL ☛ Russia and China Threaten To Create Global ‘Danger And Disorder,’ Says Britain’s Sunak

    Britain cast China as representing an “epoch-defining challenge” to the world order, in an update to its foreign policy framework published on March 13 that declared that the U.K.’s security hinged on the outcome of the Ukraine war.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea fires ballistic missile, South Korea says

    North Korea has fired a ballistic missile off its east coast.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan says it hopes to bring back soldier who went to China

    The soldier, serving on Erdan islet close to the Chinese coast, went missing last week and was found on Monday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia says Aukus nuclear submarine plan to cost up to $330 billion by 2055

    The programme is slated to create 20,000 jobs in Australia over three decades.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Russia invited to participate in Central Asian soccer event

    Russia has been invited to participate in the inaugural Central Asian Football Association Championships in June along with seven other national teams. Russian teams have been barred from European and FIFA competitions since the invasion of Ukraine in February of last year. But the Tajikistan Football Association has announced that a Russian team could join the new regional tournament along with former Soviet republics Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. Afghanistan and Iran are also in the draw. The Russian Football Union has said it’s in “discussions about the possibility and conditions of the Russian national team’s participation in this tournament.”

  • Federal News Network ☛ North Korea launches 2 missiles to sea as allies hold drills

    South Korea says North Korea has launched two ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters in its second show of force this week. The launches Tuesday morning came a day after the U.S. and South Korean began military drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff says the missiles were launched from the southwestern coast, flew across North Korea and landed in its waters. Japan’s prime minister said no damage was immediately reported in Japanese waters.

  • YLE ☛ US B-52 bomber flight was “strategic deterrent”, Finnish Defence Minister says

    A United States Air Force B-52 bomber flew over the Gulf of Finland on Saturday evening, turning back before the island of Gogland, which is owned by Russia.

  • CNN ☛ ‘We are not rats’: Some Ukrainians refuse to leave home as Russia threatens second capture

    As Russia threatens a second capture of liberated Kupiansk, Ukraine, CNN’s Melissa Bell talks to Ukrainian residents choosing to stay in their homes despite constant shelling.

  • CNN ☛ 3-year-old girl fatally shoots 4-year-old sister with unsecured firearm in Texas

    A 3-year-old girl fatally wounded her 4-year-old sister in an unintentional shooting in Texas, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

  • Danish authorities can send sirens to phones with new alert system

    A new digital warning system takes effect in Denmark from April.

  • Copenhagen Post ☛ First Danish tanks ready for Ukraine in May

    Acting defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen made announcement in connection with visit to Germany on Friday

  • Sightline Media Group ☛ The Army keeps getting smaller

    Last year’s numbers brought the service to historic lows. These cuts go deeper.

  • New York Times ☛ Biden Extends Stay for Thousands of Ukrainians

    One-year extensions for those who fled in the first months after Russia’s invasion will be granted on a case-by-case basis, officials said.

  • New York Times ☛ Russian Attacks Along a Wide Arc of Ukraine Yield Little but Casualties

    Moscow’s forces have stepped up artillery and infantry assaults across eastern Ukraine, trying to improve their position before either side attempts a major breakthrough.

  • New York Times ☛ Ron DeSantis Says Protecting Ukraine Is Not a Key U.S. Interest

    The Florida governor, on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show, broke with Republicans to attack President Biden’s foreign policy and align more closely with Donald Trump as he weighs a presidential bid.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • American Oversight ☛ Sunshine Week 2023: Three Major Threats to Government Transparency — and Three Big Wins

  • American Oversight ☛ This Sunshine Week, American Oversight Celebrates Six Years of Victories in Government Transparency

• Environment

  • CNN ☛ Here’s how many times you need to reuse your reusable grocery bags

    The battle against the single-use plastic bag may not be won but it’s definitely under way.

  • The Age AU ☛ Cyclone Freddy kills more than 100 on return to Mozambique, Malawi

    Freddy is one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere and could be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ European Green Deal: EU agrees stronger rules to boost energy efficiency

      The Commission welcomes the provisional agreement reached this morning with the European Parliament and the Council to reform and strengthen the EU Energy Efficiency Directive. This deal marks a further step in the completion of the ‘Fit for 55′ package to deliver the European Green Deal and the REPowerEU Plan.

    • H2 View ☛ Universal Hydrogen targets airline hydrogen supply with Japanese collaboration

      Universal Hydrogen has formed a collaboration to study and develop a green hydrogen supply and logistics solution to enable Japanese airlines to scale their utilisation of hydrogen-powered aircraft in the near term.

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Less than a year after launching, Meta to wind down NFT support

      Meta Platforms Inc. today announced that it is winding down support for nonfungible tokens on Instagram and Facebook less than a year after launching support for the digital collectibles. Meta was first reported to be working on NFTs in January 2022 before testing them on Instagram in May and rolling out international support in August.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • CNN ☛ Why a wildlife photographer took 40,000 photos to capture these extraordinary birds

      “I’m willing, more than most people, to go through some discomfort.”

    • CS Monitor ☛ Laws with teeth: Slowing shark loss and new coal mines

      Progress roundup: Quotas boost ranks of female legislators, more shark protections in Costa Rica, and how a law averted a new coal mine in Australia.

    • New Yorker ☛ The Little-Known World of Caterpillars

      An entomologist races to find them before they disappear.

• Finance

  • YLE ☛ Gigantti starts talks on up to 100 job cuts

    The firm blamed a challenging home electronics market, weakened consumer confidence levels as well as global price increases and high inflation.

  • YLE ☛ Finnish consumers paid €5bn extra in electricity costs last year, Yle investigation finds

    Finland’s electricity pricing system led to consumers paying more than they should have during the second half of 2022, according to an Aalto University professor.

  • CNN ☛ China’s new premier tries to reassure private sector amid widespread concerns about future

    China’s new premier has tried to reassure the private sector in his debut press conference, as concerns grew about the country’s future policy direction with the introduction of a new cabinet loyal to leader Xi Jinping.

  • New Yorker ☛ How America Manufactures Poverty

    The sociologist Matthew Desmond identifies specific practices and policies that consign tens of millions to destitution.

  • France24 ☛ Rubbish piles up in streets of Paris as France’s pension battle enters final stretch

    A protracted strike by rubbish collectors has added a new twist to France’s festering dispute over pension reform as the battle over President Emmanuel Macron’s deeply unpopular reform enters a make-or-break week with tonnes of uncollected garbage piling higher by the day.

  • Reason ☛ Want To Beat China? Let in More Chinese!

    More immigration from China would both hobble a geopolitical rival and make America richer and better.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Latvia ☛ Confusion, dissatisfaction among politicians about lobbying law

    Latvian Television’s De Facto investigative show reported March 12 on the requirements of Latvia’s recently-introduced ‘lobbying law’. It is supposed to improve transparency in political lobbying of parliament, but according to De Facto, there is widespread ignorance and confusion about the law, even among those who are supposed to monitor it.

  • Press Gazette ☛ MEN editor on bid to become ‘national of the North’ and ‘sexist’ clickbait jibes

    Sarah Lester discusses her “high ambitions” for the MEN and why clickbait claims are often “snobby” and “sexist”.

    Gazette.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Latvia ☛ STRATCOMCOE: It’s ‘easy to circumvent sanctions’ to buy Russian manipulation online

      The Rīga-based NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence (STRATCOMCOE) has a new report available.

    • Copenhagen Post ☛ Wag the Bear: How a Danish NGO is helping to deliver the truth to Russians via YouTube

      The WHY Foundation intends to broadcast ‘the truth’ in 50 documentaries dubbed into Russian. Reach ‘a few good men’ and who knows what might happen

    • Gizmodo ☛ TikTok Overrode Its Algorithm to Boost the World Cup and Taylor Swift

      A TikTok executive admits the company sometimes overrides the app’s algorithm at a South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) on Saturday.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • RFA ☛ Nothing to see here

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania to block IPs of sanctioned Russian media

    Lithuania’s authorities have ordered internet providers to block IP addresses used to access banned Russian TV channels online.

  • Latvia ☛ Protest against removal of Rīga Pushkin statue

    Protesters voiced their opposition March 12 to plans to potentially remove a statue of Russian writer Alexander Pushkin from a Rīga park, reported Latvian Television.

  • AntiWar ☛ With the Twitter Files, Democrats Support Government Censorship of Lawful Speech

    Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission. Yesterday, journalists Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. Their testimony, and the risible reactions of Democrats on the subcommittee, are well worth watching; I watched the entire hearing, which lasted 140 minutes.

  • Michael Geist ☛ The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 159: Fenwick McKelvey on the Rapid Spread of Government TikTok Bans

    TikTok may be enormously popular, but according to the growing number of government, there are concerns regarding links between the app and the Chinese government. That has led to a rapid spread bans of the TikTok app on government devices not only at the federal level, but at provincial and municipal governments and even at universities for university-owned devices. But is TikTok unique in this regard? How to reconcile the government’s insistence that TikTok contribute to Cancon in Bill C-11 with it banning the app due to security risks? Are the privacy concerns more about TikTok or the government’s inaction on privacy reform?

  • LWN ☛ The suspension of ipmitool

    It would appear that the ipmitool repository has been locked, and its maintainer suspended, by GitHub. This Hacker News conversation delves into the reason; evidently the developer was employed by a sanctioned Russian company. Ipmitool remains available and will, presumably, find a new home eventually. (Thanks to Paul Wise).

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • CNN ☛ Britain’s treasured BBC is engulfed in an impartiality storm of its own making

    The jaunty theme tune to “Match of the Day,” the BBC’s flagship Saturday night soccer show, has been whistled by British viewers since its first edition aired in 1964.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Latvia ☛ SORTIQ triumphs at Women in Tech hackathon

    The annual “Women in Tech” hackathon “Energy. Resources. Efficiency.” was held over the weekend of March 12-13, gathering participants both in person, in the Nature House of the University of Latvia, and online.

  • France24 ☛ California court: Uber, Lyft can classify drivers as independent contractors

    A California state appeals court on Monday revived a ballot measure allowing app-based services such as Uber Technologies and Lyft Inc to treat drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, in a major victory for the industry.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Victory bells sound for Uber and Lyft as California court confirms drivers are contractors

    A California court ruled today that ride-sharing apps can continue treating their drivers as independent drivers, upholding the state’s controversial Proposition 22. Prop 22 was a ballot initiative put to voters in California in 2020 that would make it so drivers working for companies such as Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. [...]

  • Federal News Network ☛ California court rules for Uber, Lyft in ride-hailing case

    A California appeals court has ruled companies like Uber and Lyft do not have to treat their drivers as employees. The ruling means app-based ride hailing and delivery companies do not have to provide certain worker protections and benefits. The state Legislature passed a law in 2019 requiring these companies to treat their drivers as employees. Companies like Uber and Lyft spent $200 million in 2020 on a campaign to convince voters to exempt them from that law. Voters agreed. In 2021 a state judge ruled the companies were not exempt from the law. Monday, a state appeals court overturned that decision.

  • New York Times ☛ California Court Mostly Upholds Prop. 22 in Win for Uber and Other Gig Companies

    The decision lessens the chances that gig drivers will be considered employees in the state, but it is expected to be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

  • Helsinki Times ☛ Georgian in turmoil, is Hungary next?

    As protests erupted in Georgia against the proposed “foreign agent” bill, some critics argued that the move was a part of a larger pattern of US influence and color revolutions in the region.

    The bill, which was withdrawn after two days of protests, would have required organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register as “foreign agents” or face substantial fines. Protesters in Georgia compared the proposed law to Russia’s 2012 legislation, which has been used to suppress western-funded NGOs and media.

  • The Local SE ☛ ‘Watch that scene’: an end to Sweden’s ridiculed dance permit rule

    Sweden’s parliament is set to vote to let anyone who feels the beat from the tambourine to dance, jive and, yes, have the time of their lives… even if the pub or restaurant they are in doesn’t have a dance permit. Here’s the background.

  • RFERL ☛ Iranian Justice Chief Says 22,000 Protesters Pardoned As Part Of Amnesty

    The head of Iran’s judiciary says some 22,000 people arrested for participating in riots sparked by the death of a young woman while in police custody have been pardoned.

  • RFERL ☛ Iranian Students Say They’ve Been Banned From Campuses After Protesting Suspected Poisonings

    Dozens of Iranian students across the country say they have been banned from entering their universities after they protested the suspected poisoning of pupils that has hospitalized scores, mainly schoolgirls.

  • uni Stanford ☛ Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative tackles human rights at sea

    On Tuesday, Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative shared its work with Stanford’s Center for Ocean Solutions and Center for Human Rights and International Justice on equitable ocean governance.

  • France24 ☛ Hunger-stricken families in Madagascar forced to sell children

    Cyclone Freddy hit Madagascar first in February and then again in March, a rare loop trajectory that left behind a trail of destruction. The island nation was already reeling from last year’s Batsirai and Emnati cyclones, which had destroyed farmland and infrastructure in the southeast. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people are going hungry, unable to find enough to eat. In January, Malagasy media claimed that some families had been forced to sell their children to survive. These claims quickly spread and were speedily denied by the government. FRANCE 24′s team has been to some isolated villages and obtained exclusive accounts that contradict the official narrative.

  • France24 ☛ ‘They spit on us’: What’s really going on in the El Ouardia migrant centre in Tunis

    Officially, the El Ouardia migrant centre in Tunis is meant to serve as a reception centre to “welcome and orient” new arrivals to Tunisia. However, what is actually happening there has long remained opaque because NGOs and lawyers aren’t allowed access. The FRANCE 24 Observers decided to investigate the nightmarish conditions inside. Our source told us that about fifty migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, most of them Black Africans, are being arbitrarily detained in the squalid centre.

  • Helsinki Times ☛ Childless employees face discrimination in vacation planning, finds study

    A recent study conducted by Finnish associations, Simpukka ry and Vapaaehtoisesti Lapsettomat ry, has found that childless employees face discrimination in vacation planning, work shift scheduling, and career advancement. According to the study, vacation plans and work shift schedules tend to prioritize the preferences of employees with children. Childless employees are expected to be more flexible and are subjected to career advancement discrimination.

  • AntiWar ☛ Hear, O Israel – Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death

    An older generation of Americans, including Jewish Americans, admire the colonists who resisted the British king and parliament in the late 1700s. Jewish Americans go further and admire the Judeans who revolted against the Greeks and Romans (twice) in antiquity.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Internet Freedom Foundation ☛ Our comments on Draft 2.0 of the UNESCO Guidelines on Regulating Digital Platforms

    We submitted our comments on draft 2.0 of the UNESCO Guidelines on Regulating Digital Platforms (“Guidelines”) on March 08, 2023. Having participated in the consultation for draft 1.1 of the Guidelines, we built upon our existing comments and inserted additional analysis.

• Monopolies

  • Patents

    • JUVE ☛ Gulde & Partner strengthen offering with new Düsseldorf office [Ed: JUVE posting pure SPAM again, for the very same sponsors that pay JUVE to incite politicians to break the law and violate constitutions with the UPC]

    • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ The other “saisie” : the saisie conservatoire in France to recover evidence for foreign proceedings

      Many readers of this blog are familiar with the French saisie-contrefaçon, which consists of the seizure of allegedly infringing products and all related documents, but requires a writ of summons within one month of the saisie (e.g., here).

  • Copyrights

    • The Age AU ☛ Woman’s image used without her knowledge

      A US is woman urging others to read contracts thoroughly after her image was used without her knowledge.

    • Gizmodo ☛ Facebook and Instagram Threaten to Pull the Plug on News in Canada

      Meta puffed out its chest over the weekend, threatening to block links to news sites in Canada from its social networks if the country moves forward with its “Online News Act,” which would force internet companies to pay publishers for their content.

    • Gizmodo ☛ DoNotPay, the ‘Robot Lawyer,’ Is Being Sued

      The startup behind the “world’s first robot lawyer,” DoNotPay, is gearing up for one of its first big court battles. And this time it probably can’t just back out of the case, as DoNotPay is the defendant.