Hackaday ☛ A Buzzing, Flashing Phone Ringer For The Elderly

For a lonely person, elderly or otherwise, the sound of a ringing phone can be music to the ears, unless of course it’s another spam call. But what good is a phone when you can’t hear it well enough to answer?

Science Alert ☛ Female Frogs Fake Their Own Deaths as a Unique Mating Strategy

It seems to do the job.

Science Alert ☛ Lego Will No Longer Aim to Use Recycled Plastic. Here's Why.

A cautionary tale.

Science Alert ☛ Future Medicines Could Take The Form of Tiny Artificial Life Forms

Super-tiny, synthetic doctors.

New York Times ☛ NASA Reveals First Pictures of Osiris-Rex Asteroid Samples

Scientists said they got more material than expected from the Osiris-Rex mission during its seven-year journey to the asteroid Bennu.

Science Alert ☛ A Shocking Number of Amphibian Species Are Vanishing, Scientists Warn

It’s ecocide.

Science Alert ☛ Glass Shards of Ancient Volcanic Eruption Found in Antarctic Ice 3,000 Miles Away

Forged in fire, buried in ice.

University of Michigan ☛ $3.3M to aid research into surgical care for opioid patients

U-M received a $3. 3 million grant to launch a comprehensive data science project that aims to inform best practices on pre- and post-surgical care procedures for patients with opioid use disorder.

Science Alert ☛ Wild Experiment Shows How Lasers Could Be Used to Build Moon Roads

Zzzzzap! Zzzzzap!

Hackaday ☛ The Wirtz Pump Spins

Over the ages, a lot of human activity has been concerned about getting water from where we find it to where we want it. If you want to move water to a lower elevation, there’s no problem. But if you want to move water up, you need a pump. The ancients used what we call Archimedes’ screw to raise water. But a Wirtz pump as [Steve Mould] shows in the video below, is another kind of spiral pump that is also very old and uses the same basic principle as the screw pump.

Hackaday ☛ Micromanipulator Touches The Tiny Things, Cheaply

Some things are small and fragile enough that they cannot be held or touched by even the steadiest of hands. Such cases call for a micromanipulator, and [BYU CMR]’s DIY micromanipulator design can be 3D printed and assembled with the help of some common hardware, and a little CA glue.

LRT ☛ Lithuanian opposition unsuccessfully contests China’s inclusion in unreliable supplier list

A group of Lithuanian opposition MPs have unsuccessfully appealed to the Constitutional Court against the government’s decision to include China in the list of unreliable suppliers of software and computer systems.

Tom's Hardware ☛ Former Arm China Execs Establish New Government-Backed Chip Firm

Shenzhen government back startup established by former managers of Arm China.

New York Times ☛ Mary Lou Retton Has Pneumonia and ‘Is Fighting for Her Life,’ Daughter Says

The gymnastics champion sprang to stardom at the 1984 Olympics, where she became the first American woman to win a gold medal in the all-around competition. Her family is raising money online, saying she lacks health insurance.

European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner Stella Kyriakides to the Future Of Health Summit - "Digitalisation as a Driver for Sustainable and Resilient Global Health"

European Commission Speech London, 12 Oct 2023 Ladies and gentlemen,

Digital technologies can be hugely beneficial to our citizens in so many areas of their lives.

Healthcare is no exception.

TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Mayo Clinic Minute: Strategies to stay healthy during respiratory virus season

Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, an infectious diseases expert, outlines some strategies you can use to keep you and your family healthy during respiratory virus season.

New York Times ☛ Mary Lou Retton Crowdfunded Her Medical Debt, Like Many Thousands of Others

But unlike the Olympic gymnast, most people don’t raise enough money to cover their costs.

teleSUR ☛ Kenya: WHO Quality of Care in Mental Health Initiative Adopted

The initiative will help the country move closer to the realization of the constitutional right to the highest attainable standards of health.

Latvia ☛ Latvian Radio outlines planned alcohol marketing limitations

Latvian Radio has been addressing Latvia's drinking problem in its series "Zeme, kur dzer" (Land that drinks). Drinking is also encouraged by alcohol advertising and various marketing measures that encourage not just to buy, but to buy more. In its newest story on October 12, Latvian Radio summarizes limitations on marketing that are planned to be introduced.

Privacy/Surveillance

• Techdirt ☛ Facial Recognition Tech Again Fingers The Wrong Person For The Job

  As was always going to be the case with tech that can more reliably identify white middle-aged males than anyone else, another minority has been nabbed because of a facial recognition fuck up.

• NYPost ☛ Dad of American killed by Hamas tracked her phone and Apple Watch to where she was murdered

  Danielle Waldman was among some 260 people who were killed at the Nova music festival.

Meduza ☛ A clash of nostalgias Political scientist Laurence Broers explains how the principles of territorial integrity and self-determination collided in Nagorno-Karabakh — Meduza

RFA ☛ Australian Cheng Lei home with family after China 'spying' sentence

'Tight hugs, teary screams' as former state TV anchor Cheng reunited with her children after three-year jail term.

RFA ☛ China stages naval drills during Philippines-US exercise

Navy held an exercise in South China Sea in apparent response to Manila’s increased military cooperation with West.

RFA ☛ Taiwan independence ruins safe life for its people, China warns

Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwanese people will be ‘democratic and freer’ for generations to come.

RFA ☛ S Korean voting system ‘vulnerable’ to N Korean hacking: spy agency

The agency warned Pyongyang could penetrate the election watchdog’s network ‘at any time.’

USDOJ ☛ U.S. Navy Sailor Pleads Guilty to Transmitting Sensitive U.S. Military Information to Chinese Intelligence Officer

A United States Navy service member pleaded guilty today to federal felony offenses and admitted he transmitted sensitive U.S. military information to an intelligence officer from the People’s Republic of China in exchange for bribery payments.

Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, also known as Thomas Zhao, of Monterey Park, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with the intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe.

LRT ☛ Lithuania to step up protection of Jewish sites following calls for violence

Lithuania will step up the protection of Jewish sites on Friday in response to public calls to attack Jews.

LRT ☛ Lithuanian PM rules out raising defence spending through debt

After the President’s Office suggested that Lithuania could borrow in order to increase its defence spending, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė says it is impossible under EU rules.

France24 ☛ Macron calls on nation to ‘stay united’ amid rise in anti-Semitic acts

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on the French people to remain united at a time of bloody warfare in the Middle East after Saturday's Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 13 French nationals. Macron's speech came amid fears of a spillover of the conflict in France, home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim communities.

New Yorker ☛ The Numbing Sameness of War Footage

The proliferation of images via cell phones may have taken away the war photographer’s ability to create a single, arresting, and iconic image, but their accumulation will haunt us.

New York Times ☛ When Everyone Becomes a War Photographer

The images streaming onto our phones from Israel and Gaza, many coming from those fighting or caught up in the war, don’t just document the story — they shape it.

Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

• RFERL ☛ Putin Arrives In Bishkek For CIS Leaders Summit, Armenian PM Absent

  Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek on October 12 to take part in a summit of the Council of the Leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) scheduled for October 13.

• New York Times ☛ A Russian Town Where the War Dead Were Everyone’s Neighbors

  The contradictions of Vladimir Putin’s war are changing the face of towns with military bases in Russia. Patriotism and pride are abundant, but so are sadness and death.

• Latvia ☛ Latvia prepares to close two crossing points on Russian border

  In response to Russia's decision to significantly restrict the possibilities of entry of Ukrainian citizens, the Latvian Ministry of the Interior (IeM) has prepared a draft government decision October 12 on the suspension of the operation of Pededze and Vientuļi border crossing points.

• Latvia ☛ NATO STRATCOMCOE publishes new Russia research

  The Rīga-based NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence (STRATCOMCOE) published new research October 12 that examines Kremlin narratives in the context of Russia's war in Ukraine.

• Latvia ☛ Russia restricts border access for Ukrainians via Latvia

  Russia has limited the entry of Ukrainian citizens into its territory from the European Union (EU) to just two border crossing points, one of which is the Vientuļi border post on the Latvian-Russian border, reported the LETA newswire October 11.

• Reason ☛ Those Who Support Israel Against Hamas Should also Back Ukraine Against Russia

  The justifications for backing Israel's struggle also apply in spades to Ukraine's.

• Atlantic Council ☛ Russia’s Ukraine invasion highlights the need for fundamental UN reform

  The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the ineffectiveness of the current international security architecture and underlined the need for fundamental reform of the United Nations, writes Paul Niland.

• Atlantic Council ☛ Israel, Ukraine, and how Biden should connect the dots

  When Biden does get around to making his speech on Ukraine, he should discuss the attacks on Israel and how the US and its allies face the greatest threat to global order since the 1930s.

• Defence Web ☛ Paramount well positioned to take advantage of global surge in armoured vehicle spending

  Driven by the Russo-Ukraine conflict, armoured vehicle spending is seeing a global renaissance, and Paramount aims to take advantage of this with its 4×4, 6×6 and 8×8 armoured vehicle solutions.

• LRT ☛ Keep focus on Ukraine, despite Israel flare-up, says Lithuanian FM

  Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has urged the international community to maintain its focus on Ukraine and its fight against the Russian invasion, despite the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

• RFERL ☛ IOC Suspends Russian Olympic Committee Over Inclusion Of Organizations From Occupied Ukraine

  The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suspended the Russian Olympic Committee over its decision to incorporate sports bodies in eastern Ukrainian areas that it occupies.

• RFERL ☛ Ukraine Identifies All 59 People Killed In Missile Strike On Grocery Store

  Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram on October 12 that all 59 people killed in a suspected Russian missile strike on a grocery store and cafe in the Kharkiv region last week had been identified.

• RFERL ☛ Drone Debris Kills Three People In Russia's Belgorod

  The governor of Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine said on October 12 that debris from a drone that was hit by air defense systems fell on a house in Belgorod's outskirts overnight, killing three and severely injuring two people.

• RFERL ☛ Romania's Defense Ministry Says Drone Crater Found Near Border With Ukraine

  Romania's Defense Ministry said a crater caused by the possible explosion of a drone was found early on October 12 near the NATO member's Danube border with Ukraine.

• RFERL ☛ Russian Drones Damage Danube Port Facilities Amid Intense Fighting In Donetsk Region

  A fresh wave of Russian drone strikes on Danube port installations critical for Kyiv's grain export caused damage and injury, Ukrainian authorities said on October 12, as Romania urged Russia to stop its attacks after again finding debris on its territory near the border with Ukraine.

• teleSUR ☛ Ukraine Asks for More Aid as World's Attention Turns to Israel

  "We need concrete things need in very concrete geographic points on our land," Zelensky said.

• The Straits Times ☛ G7 finance leaders condemn Hamas 'terror attacks' on Israel

  October 13, 2023 12:58 AM
  
  

  G7 finance leaders on Thursday condemned "terror attacks" on Israel by Hamas and voiced "unwavering" support for Ukraine in its continuing struggle against a Russian invasion.

• New York Times ☛ Ukraine and Russia Try to Use Israel-Hamas War to Sway Opinions

  Kyiv says Russia is looking to leverage the Israel-Hamas war to dampen support for Ukraine, while Moscow is calling it a failure of the West.

• New York Times ☛ U.S. Clamps Down on Russian Oil Sales With New Sanctions

  Finance ministers from the Group of 7 pledged more support for Ukraine and condemned Hamas.

• Federal News Network ☛ NATO will hold a major nuclear exercise next week as Russia plans to pull out of a test ban treaty

  The chief of NATO says the alliance will hold a major nuclear exercise next week. The announcement by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg came after Russia warned it would pull out of a global nuclear test ban agreement. NATO’s “Steadfast Noon” exercise is held annually and involves fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads, but no live bombs are used. Stoltenberg said Thursday: “This is a routine training event that happens every October.”

• JURIST ☛ Russia court rejects appeal of Wall Street Journal reporter in espionage case

  A Russian court dismissed an appeal Tuesday from Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been held in pre-trial detention for more than six months on allegations of espionage, ruling that Gershkovich will continue to be held in jail.

• LRT ☛ Lithuanian father who took his daughter to Russia to stand trial for illegal border crossing in Kaliningrad

  A Lithuanian man who kidnapped his nine-month-old daughter and took her to Russia will stand trial for illegal border crossing in Kaliningrad, a court has said.

• RFERL ☛ Former Leader Of Banned Group In Russia's Bashkortostan Faces Charge Of Inciting Hatred

  Authorities in Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan have launched a probe against Fail Alsynov, the former leader of the banned Bashqort group, accusing him of inciting hatred.

• RFERL ☛ U.S. Sanctions Owners Of Two Vessels For Carrying Russian Oil Priced Above Cap

  The U.S. Treasury Department has announced sanctions on two companies for allegedly violating a price cap on Russian oil agreed last year by Western countries.

• RFERL ☛ Moscow Court Puts Tajik Citizen In Pretrial Detention On Espionage Charge

  The Telegram channel of the Moscow courts of common jurisdictions said on October 11 that the Russian capital's Lefortovo district court had ruled a day earlier to send a Tajik national to pretrial detention for at least two months on an espionage charge.

• RFERL ☛ Moscow Court Sends Anti-War Activist To Psychiatric Clinic

  A military court in Moscow ruled on October 11 to send Aleksei Onoshkin, an anti-war activist from the city of Nizhny Novgorod, to a psychiatric clinic.

• YLE ☛ Thursday's papers: Russian meddling, poll results and a stormy morning

  Finland woke up to windy conditions and power cuts on Thursday.

• YLE ☛ Supo: Russia treats Finland as a hostile country

  The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service published its annual national security overview on Thursday.

• YLE ☛ Finnish government to end Finland-Russia Society funding

  "There is no justification for continuing to support a friendship association with a state waging a brutal war of aggression," says Minister of Science and Culture.

Energy/Transportation

• MIT Technology Review ☛ These Chinese companies prove green tech can be profitable

  This story first appeared in China Report, MIT Technology Review’s newsletter about technology in China. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Tuesday. Living through the epic rainfall that flooded New York City a few weeks ago was nothing if not a reminder of just how urgently we need to tackle the climate crisis.

• New York Times ☛ China’s Economic Stake in the Middle East: Its Thirst for Oil

  China is the largest oil importer by far from Saudi Arabia and from Iran, highlighting the risk it faces if the war in Israel and Gaza were to broaden.

• H2 View ☛ Elcogen receives backing from HD Hyundai to increase its solid oxide technology capacity

  Elcogen has announced Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) has signed a strategic investment in the company of €45m ($47.7m) into its hydrogen production technology.

• New York Times ☛ Solar Eclipse 2023: When, Where and How to Watch

  The so-called “ring of fire” will grace the skies of the Western Hemisphere on Saturday.

• RFERL ☛ Finland Can't Rule Out 'State Actor' Involvement In Pipeline Damage

  Finland can't rule out the possibility that a "state actor" was involved in damaging a Baltic Sea gas pipeline and a parallel telecoms cable, the Finnish Security Intelligence Service said as NATO ministers sat down for talks on the incident.

• YLE ☛ Gas pipe disruption prompts uptick in electricity futures

  Electricity futures for the coming winter period have risen sharply following reports of damage to the Balticconnector pipeline, but normal market adjustments may be the root cause.

• YLE ☛ Power being restored after nighttime storm

  Strong winds downed trees and power lines overnight, cutting electricity to more than 30,000 homes.

• H2 View ☛ China’s first hydrogen-powered boat begins voyage

  China’s ‘first’ hydrogen-powered vessel, the ‘Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat No.1’, has made its maiden voyage from Yichang City.

Wildlife/Nature

• The Straits Times ☛ ‘Cuter in real life’: South Korea names its twin panda ‘treasures’

  The female cubs – named Rui Bao, or "wise treasure", and Hui Bao, "shining treasure" – were born in July.

The Straits Times ☛ Goldman Sachs sues Malaysia as 1MDB settlement dispute escalates

Executives have grown frustrated with the country’s demands to redo its 2020 pact in favour of more onerous penalties.

No Layoffs, Washington Post CEO Vowed in June. ‘I Regret That Statement,’ She Says Now

In a more-than-hour-long staff meeting on Wednesday, one day after The Washington Post announced major cuts, interim CEO Patty Stonesifer told employees that subscriptions were down 15% from 2021, according to a post on X by one of its media reporters.

When Stonesifer, an Amazon board member, was appointed by Post owner Jeff Bezos as interim CEO in June, she said there would be no layoffs, a staff writer who requested anonymity told The Messenger.

Silicon Angle ☛ Flexport confirms second round of layoffs, with 20% of its staff to go

Troubled logistics and supply chain software firm Flexport Inc. has confirmed it will lay off about 20% of its staff, in what is the second major round of job cuts it has embarked on this year.

CNBC was the first to report the news, saying Flexport’s workforce was first informed of the job cuts this afternoon through an internal memo. The layoffs were then officially confirmed in a blog post written by Flexport founder and Chief Executive Ryan Petersen several hours later. He explained that affected staff will be informed via email starting Friday morning.

Latvia ☛ Saeima takes first step on mortgage relief law

The Latvian Saeima on October 12 took a first step towards legislating on compulsory reductions in mortgage payments that banks can charge their existing customers.

LRT ☛ Lithuania’s banks report 2.5-fold surge in profits

Banks operating in Lithuania earned 515 million euros in combined profits in the first half of this year, 2.5 times more than in the same period last year (203 million), the central Bank of Lithuania reported on Thursday.

New York Times ☛ Inflation Slowdown Remains Bumpy, September Consumer Price Data Shows

Prices are rising at a pace that is much less rapid than in 2022, but signs of stalling progress are likely to keep Federal Reserve officials wary.

Reason ☛ Inflation Won't Go Away Until Congress Gets the Deficit Under Control

The Federal Reserve's higher interest rates were supposed to trigger changes to fiscal policy. So far, that hasn't happened.

Federal News Network ☛ US inflation eased slightly last month as price increases extend slow descent

Measures of U.S. inflation barely declined in September, evidence that consumer price increases are grinding lower at a gradual pace. Consumer prices rose 0.4% from August to September, below the previous month’s 0.6% pace. Year-over-year inflation was unchanged last month from a 3.7% rise in August. And underlying inflation declined a bit: So-called core prices, which exclude volatile food and energy costs, climbed 4.1% in September from a year earlier, down from a 4.3% pace in August. That is the smallest such increase in two years. Economists pay particularly close attention to core prices because they provide a good signal of inflation’s likely future path.

RFA ☛ Another brick wobbles in China’s Great Wall of debt

It’s ‘default’ mode for China’s last property giant Country Garden with knock-on effects uncertain but 'grim.'

RT ☛ US adds $500 billion to debt in less than a month — RT Business News

Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

• New York Times ☛ As Red States Curb Social Media, Did Montana’s TikTok Ban Go Too Far?

  Montana is at the forefront of a wave of new tech laws passed by Republican-led states. Some give parents control over their children’s social media accounts.

• New York Times ☛ ‘A.I. Obama’ and Fake Newscasters: How A.I. Audio Is Swarming TikTok

  TikTok accounts are spreading falsehoods with the help from A.I.-generated voices.

RFA ☛ UN 'very troubled' over mass trial of Hong Kong democracy activists

'Subversion' charges faced by 47 based on peaceful criticism of the government, organizing democratic primary.

New York Times ☛ New Laws on Kids and Social Media Are Stymied by Industry Lawsuits

Federal judges in three states have blocked children’s privacy and parental oversight laws, saying they very likely violate free speech rights.

Reason ☛ Journal of Free Speech Law: "Taxing Nudity: Discriminatory Taxes, Secondary Effects, and Tiers of Scrutiny," by Prof. Alexander Volokh (Emory)

(That's Sasha Volokh, who occasionally blogs here.)

JURIST ☛ HRW: Rwanda violating the civil rights of those who criticize the government

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report Tuesday alleging that civil and political rights such as freedom of speech are being attacked by Rwandan authorities, even the rights of those living outside the country.

Reason ☛ Libel Lawsuit Against N.Y. Times and Taylor Lorenz, Related to Meaning of Word "Leaked," Can Proceed

From Judge Edgardo Ramos's decision Tuesday in Jacob v. Lorenz (S.D.N.Y.) (the underlying allegedly libelous article appears to be the one here): Plaintiffs Ariadna Jacob and her company, Influences, Inc., brought this defamation action against Defendants Taylor Lorenz and the New York Times.

Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US condemns ‘forced repatriation’ of Chinese rights lawyer Lu Siwei from Laos

The United States denounced Wednesday the deportation of a prominent human rights lawyer from Laos to his native China, calling for details on his whereabouts and assurances on the ailing activist’s access to medical care.

RFA ☛ Police round up Uyghurs from 2 villages before China’s National Day

The operation focused on young people and those who previously eluded capture.

CS Monitor ☛ Falsely imprisoned: How one man used COVID relief to clear his name

Ricky Dority spent decades in jail on a wrongful murder conviction. He used pandemic relief funds to hire a private investigator, which led to his exoneration.

teleSUR ☛ UAW Workers at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant Go on Strike

This is the 3rd time the Union has escalated the strike and the 1st time it has expanded the action without any warning in advance.

CS Monitor ☛ Autoworker strike expands as 8,700 walk out of Ford truck plant

In a surprise move, employees walked out of the most profitable Ford truck plant in the world in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s part of a wider United Auto Workers union strike against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis.

New York Times ☛ Talks Between Striking Actors and Studios Are Suspended

The sides said they remained far apart on the most significant issues, dealing a blow to hopes that the entertainment industry could soon fully roar back to life.

LRT ☛ Over 1,000 teachers rally outside Lithuanian government office amid continuing strike

More than 1,000 teachers gathered outside the government office in central Vilnius on Thursday amid an ongoing strike. A group of teachers arrived in the Lithuanian capital on foot from Klaipėda.

JURIST ☛ France highest administrative court rejects police racial profiling class action

The highest administrative court in France, the Conseil d’Etat (Council of State), dismissed on Wednesday a class action against the French government for alleged racial profiling practices amongst French police in identity checks against people of African origins and Arabs.

JURIST ☛ Australia journalist detained in China released after three years

Prominent Australian journalist Cheng Lei was released Tuesday by Chinese authorities and reunited with her family in Australia after being detained in China since August 2020.

RFA ☛ US calls for China to ‘confirm’ location of rights lawyer

Lu Siwei was arrested in Laos while trying to travel to the US. Beijing says it’s none of Washington’s business.

RFA ☛ China replaces ‘Tibet’ with ‘Xizang’ in latest diplomatic documents

The move is seen as ‘completely politically-driven, to legitimize the occupation and rule of Tibet,’ say experts.

RFA ☛ China repatriates N Korean escapees after Asian Games: source

Most of the defectors were civilians and religious figures who were attempting to travel to the South.

Patents

• Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Unified Patent Court: no second preliminary injunction for 10x Genomics against NanoString [Ed: Unified Patent Court is illegal and unconstitutional. Its very existence is an abomination to the EU.]

  The Unified Patent Court has refused to grant 10x Genomics a second preliminary injunction against rival NanoString, as it was not convinced of the infringement of 10x’s patent. The case concerned European Patent 2 794 928 B1 (EP 928 patent).

• Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Secondary Considerations Get Short Shrift in Airbed Patent Fight

  I was disappointed to see the Federal Circuit’s no-opinion affirmance in this case — affirming the PTAB finding that Team Worldwide’s inflatable airbed invention was unpatentable as obvious.  US9211018. The case peaked my interest because I have been working on a short article focusing on what the courts term “secondary considerations” of obviousness, and the patentee raised substantial evidence of commercial success.   Ultimately the PTAB sided with the patent challenger and and that determination was affirmed on appeal in a R.36 no-opinion judgment.

• Unified Patents ☛ B.S.D Crown streaming video patent instituted

  On October 5, 2023, less than five weeks after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding a substantial new question of patentability on the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 6,389,473, owned and asserted by B.S.D Crown Ltd. (f/k/a Emblaze Ltd.), an NPE.

• JUVE ☛ Crystal Clear Codec wins against strawman VerifyIP over decoding technology

  Granted by the EPO in 2020 and invented by Huawei, EP 2 940 685 covers a method for predicting a bandwidth extension frequency band signal, and a decoding device.

Trademarks

• TTAB Blog ☛ UNH Law School: "Section Two Small: Exploring the New Constitutional Limits on Trademark Law" - November 3rd.

  The Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law invites you for its upcoming trademark law symposium, "Section Two Small: Exploring the New Constitutional Limits on Trademark Law" on Friday, November 3, 2023.The event will consist of panels on topics expected to include the threat of further constitutional challenges to Section 2, the Lanham Act’s core provision on trademark registration, expressive use of trademarks in the wake of Jack Daniels v. VIP Products, and the interaction between trademark law and commercial speech doctrines more generally.

Copyrights

• Reason ☛ Lawsuit Against Netflix Over Use of Man's Photo in The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker Can Go Forward

  From Judge David Godbey's opinion today in Hazlewood v. Netflix, Inc. (N.D. Tex.): This case arises from the use of a photograph of Plaintiff Taylor Hazlewood in the film The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker ("the Film"), published by Defendant Netflix, Inc. in early 2023.

• Public Domain Review ☛ Marked by Stars: Agrippa’s Occult Philosophy

  Reading Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa’s encyclopedic study of magic is like stumbling into a vast cabinet of curiosities, where toad bones boil water, witches transmit misery through optical darts, and numbers, arranged correctly, can harness the planets’ powers. Anthony Grafton explores the Renaissance polymath’s occult insights into the structure of the universe, discovering a path that leads both upward and downward: up toward complete knowledge of God, and down into every order of being on earth.

Your 1990s TV Schedule

Sometimes I get bitten by a nostalgia bug, usually this results in me gathering old tech-relics or playing DOS games, but this time I want to focus on 90's TV. For some it's already hard to comprehend the feeling of looking forward for your favorite show to air (or at least ensure your VCR is set up to record it). While you did have a choice between a select number of channels, you were limited to the programming of that night. The only thing close to on-demand was going to your local video rental store.

Aerial Premonition

In 2015 I met a woman who was training to work as an air traffic controller. Given my love of aviation, we immediately connected and began to socialize quite frequently. She knew several recreational pilots based at the airport where she trained, and in December she helped arrange for me to go on a private flight with one of them.

Our flight plan took us north to fly over my parents' house. Along the route were several neighborhoods with which I was unfamiliar and in which had no interest. In my excitement about being in a private plane, I took dozens of photos anyway.

Fall Colors (publ. 2023-10-12)

Actually, the ground here in Fairbanks is covered with snow, but a few weeks ago I took these photos from out in the yard.

Internet/Gemini

• the N in NC and ND stands for "never use these"

  Solderpunk announced that the license for the gemini and gemtext specifications will now be Creative Commons BY-NC-ND: gemini://geminiprotocol.net/news/2023_10_03.gmi Separated specifications and copyright updates I want to voice my disappointment with this, and explain why using such a license should be discouraged.

• Leaking Personal Details in Geminispace

  I've been careful about this here - giving away some information, definitely not all, ideally nothing that could be used in a cursory Google search to turn up who I am. If you've been found before, if you've had to deal with unwanted attention, you'll understand. It could be argued that such a thing is overkill in Geminispace - and anyway, there's one person who knows who I am irl (and who I trust) - but using a (new) alias, and holding back a bit of information, is a safety mechanism.