Leftovers

• James G ☛ What type of cheese are you?

  Now that I know what type of anime hair colour would suit me best, I felt it was time to investigate another significant question: what type of cheese I am. With help from an internet quiz, I was able to ascertain the answer to this stilton-ly difficult question. (Evidently, my cheese pun repoitoire is limited.)

• Off Guardian ☛ Jordan B Peterson: The Reflection I Never Wished to See

  In the dusty corridors of intellectual exploration, I, an avid follower of Jordan B Peterson’s insights into Jungian psychology and Nietzschean philosophy, find myself confronting a recent heartbreak.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Even Climate Scientists Weren't Ready For 2023, And That's a Worry

    Something is very wrong.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Giant Exploding Craters in Siberia May Finally Be Explained

    A decade old puzzle solved?

  • Science Alert ☛ Thousands of US Cities Could Verge on Becoming Ghost Towns by 2100, Study Finds

    Bringing unprecedented challenges.

  • Science Alert ☛ Physicists Announce a Breakthrough in Quantum Coherence at Room Temperature

    Bringing practical devices closer.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel quietly releases China exclusive Core i7-14790F 'Black Edition' CPU

    Intel releases its second 14th generation Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs exclusively with the Chinese market within a few days, continuing its tradition of having a handful of exclusive variants for the domestic market. Apart from a black colored box and CPU cooler, there's no real difference compared to universally available variants.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China's chip imports fell by a record 15% due to U.S. sanctions and globally weaker demand

    Chip imports to China have fallen for a second year in a row, and this time a record has been set at 15.4%.

  • Hackaday ☛ USB-C PD: New Technology Done Right

    There is a tendency as we get older, to retreat into an instinctive suspicion of anything new or associated with young people. All of us will know older people who have fallen down this rabbit hole, and certainly anything to do with technological advancement is often high on their list of ills which beset society. There’s a Douglas Adams passage which sums it up nicely:

  • Hackaday ☛ Feeding The Fire By Robot

    It might seem a little bit counterintuitive, but one of the more carbon-neutral ways of heating one’s home is by burning wood. Since the carbon for the trees came out of the air a geologically insignificant amount of time ago, it’s in effect solar energy with extra steps. And with modern stoves and well-seasoned wood, air pollution is minimized as well. The only downside is needing to feed the fire frequently, which [Anders] solved by building a robot.

  • Hackaday ☛ PDP-11 Trouble With A Ruthless Power Supply Issue

    After [David Lovett] of [Usagi Electric] was donated a few cars full of DEC PDP-11 minicomputers of various flavors and vintages, he passed on most of them to loving homes, but kept a few of them himself. One goal of this being to put together a PDP-11 system that could be more easily taken to vintage computer shows than the ‘rollable’ PDP-11s he had access to prior. Of 1980s PDP-11s, the first-generation Large Scale Integration (LSI) PDP11/03 system (so-called Q-Bus models) is among the smallest, taking up about as much space as a 1980s desktop PC, while supporting the second generation LSI PDP-11/23 cards. It all seemed so easy until [David] tried testing the PDP-11/03’s PSU and everything went south.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Samsung, SK hynix to build $471B chip hub in South Korea

    Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and memory maker SK hynix Inc. will spend 622 trillion won, or about $471 billion, to establish a new chip hub in South Korea. Bloomberg reported the plan today.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • YLE ☛ Finnish airports see rise in passenger numbers, but no return yet to pre-pandemic levels

    Helsinki Airport was by far the nation's busiest airport last year, but an increase in passenger numbers was particularly evident in Finnish Lapland.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Got 1 min? Tourism in Mexico surpassed pre-pandemic numbers in 2023

    Foreign currency earnings from international tourism to Mexico are expected to reach US $30 billion this year after a strong 2023.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong sees almost 34 million visitor arrivals in 2023, firmly below pre-Covid levels

    Hong Kong saw nearly 34 million visitor arrivals last year, according to provisional statistics released by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) on Saturday, although figures remained firmly below pre-pandemic levels.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Advertising and road safety

    Speaking of cars, I overheard a great conversation at this coffee shop this morning from a motorbike group; paraphrased:

    I was riding around Gordon. Did you see the massive billboards on the overpass? It’s a bloody massive TV screen. It literally has moving images and video.

  • Science Alert ☛ Vaccination Rates in The US Could Be Close to a Dangerous Tipping Point [Ed: What the administration did regarding COVID-19 lowered confidence in vaccines in general]

    Are we getting complacent?

  • YLE ☛ Finland expands TBE vaccinations amid 'significant' increase in cases [Ed: Could it be that something weakened the immune response to it?]

    More cases of tick-borne encephalitis were reported last year, despite a shorter monitoring period compared to past years.

  • Science Alert ☛ Ancient DNA Helps Solve Multiple Sclerosis Mystery in Europe

    Genes aren't all good or all bad.

  • New York Times ☛ Workplace Wellness Programs Have Little Benefit, Study Finds

    An Oxford researcher measured the effect of popular workplace mental health interventions, and discovered little to none.

  • Latvia ☛ Ministry mulls takeover of Latvian regional hospitals

    The Ministry of Health (VM) has pledged this year to assess the usefulness of becoming a shareholder in regional health institutions. A couple of years ago it saved the “Ludza Medical Center” from debts, Latvian Television reported January 14.

  • European Commission ☛ Commission opens participation to Critical Medicines Alliance

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 16 Jan 2024 The European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) launched today an open call for expression of interest to join the Critical Medicines Alliance

  • France24 ☛ Guadeloupe in murky waters: French islands hit by wastewater treatment scandal

    Located in the heart of the French Caribbean, Guadeloupe is best known for its beaches, rivers and waterfalls. But beyond the postcard image, more than 70 percent of wastewater treatment plants in the island are out of order – or nearly – despite significant funding, particularly from the European Union. The result is a health and environmental catastrophe that threatens all the bathing waters in this French overseas archipelago.

  • Latvia ☛ Court cancels penalty on LTV's broadcast testing Covid immunity

    By a judgment of January 8 this year, Riga Regional Court revoked the punishment imposed by the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) on Latvian Television (LTV) for the March 29, 2021 show "Forbidden Method“ testing Covid vaccines.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Charge against student accused of conspiring to wound Hong Kong police and anti-epidemic workers dropped

    A Hong Kong court has dropped a criminal charge against a student originally accused of conspiring to wound police officers and healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Hackaday ☛ AI Binoculars Know More About Birds Than You

    2024 is the year of adding Artificial Intelligence to everything. Now, even a pleasant walk in the woods is getting a dose of AI: optics manufacturer Swarovski has announced the AX Visio, a binocular set with an AI bird identification feature. Not sure if that is a lesser or greater scaup on your pond? These binoculars will tell you, for the low, low price of  $4799.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Who Will Watch the Hey Hi (AI) Music Hubs? Discord Layoff Announced

    Following a spate of layoffs at Amazon-owned subsidiaries like Prime Video, Twitch, and Audible, it appears more layoffs are on the horizon. Discord has announced layoffs that will impact 170 workers at its San Francisco headquarters.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Voice Cloning with Very Short Samples

      New research demonstrates voice cloning, in multiple languages, using samples ranging from one to twelve seconds.

      Research paper.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Science Alert ☛ Can Activity Trackers Really Help You Achieve Your Fitness Goals? [Ed: Surveillance disguised as safety, fitness, and health]

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ Outperforming competitors as a data-driven organization [Ed: Surveillance spun or twisted as "HEY HI" (AI) to make it seem like worthy of celebration]

      In 2006, British mathematician Clive Humby said, “data is the new oil.” While the phrase is almost a cliché, the advent of generative AI is breathing new life into this idea.

    • Reason ☛ When Your Heart Becomes a Snitch

      Modern medical devices are lifesavers. But they’re vulnerable to hackers and compromise our privacy.

    • Zimbabwe ☛ When govts give out free SIM cards, you know the potential for tracking and surveillance is huge

      Some of us are old enough to remember when SIM cards were out of the reach of many people. I’ve heard stories of people selling their cattle to buy SIM cards and that is not an exaggeration, we really did buy cards for over $300 at one point.

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ The FTC’s unprecedented move against data brokers, explained

      This article is from The Technocrat, MIT Technology Review‘s weekly tech policy newsletter about power, politics, and Silicon Valley. To receive it in your inbox every Friday, sign up here. We’re only a few weeks into 2024, and violations of people’s privacy are already making some big headlines!

    • RFA ☛ Is Apple's AirDrop safe to use in China?

      The company has yet to comment on concerns that user anonymity is no longer guaranteed.

• Defence/Aggression

  • teleSUR ☛ Sudan: More than 7.4 Million People Flee War, UN Says

    "Insecurity, looting, bureaucratic impediments, poor network and phone connectivity, lack of cash, and limited technical and humanitarian staff are affecting the delivery of aid."

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania loses second CIA prison case in Strasbourg court

    The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday awarded 100,000 euros to Saudi national Mustafa al-Hawsawi for his unlawful detention two decades ago at a suspected secret facility in Lithuania run by the US Central Intelligence Agency.

  • RFERL ☛ Director, Editors Of Kyrgyz News Website Detained After Offices Searched

    Security officers in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek,  detained Asel Otorbaeva, the director-general of the 24.kg news website, and chief editor Makhinur Niyazova on January 15 after searching the independent media outlet's offices.

  • The Strategist ☛ Ideology shapes China’s views of Australia more than we think

    As I’ve previously argued on this forum, conceptions of the virtues of a historically China-centric regional order are deeply ingrained in Chinese society, including among a new generation taught from infancy to resist external threats [...]

  • New York Times ☛ ​North Korea Says It No Longer Wants to Reunify With South Korea

    Abandoning the longtime goal, however unlikely, Kim Jong-un, the North’s leader, instead threatened to subjugate South Korea in war.

  • RFA ☛ Kim Jong Un to revise constitution, label S Korea as ‘primary enemy’

    The move shows Pyongyang’s dissatisfaction with South Korea’s hardline stance against North Korea, says expert.

  • France24 ☛ N. Korea formally abolishes govt agencies working for cooperation with South

    North Korea is formally abolishing a handful of key government agencies charged with promoting cooperation and reunification with the South, state media reported Tuesday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea closes agencies working for reunification with South

    Mr Kim Jong Un threatened South Korea with war if “even 0.001 mm” of the North’s territory is violated.

  • JURIST ☛ New president of Guatemala formally inaugurated after failed weekend coup d’état

    Guatemala’s new president, Bernardo Arévalo, was inaugurated and sworn into office Monday after an initial ceremony on Sunday was interrupted by what international observers called an “orchestrated coup d’état.” In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter) in Spanish just hours before Monday’s rescheduled ceremony, Arévalo said the nation will now move forward.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea, US to start defence cost talks early, before US elections: Report

    The countries had agreed to start talks in 2024 on extending the deal to 2026 and beyond.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Korean Air, Cathay Pacific planes collide at Hokkaido airport

    There are no immediate reports of injuries.

  • Latvia ☛ Corruption cops to look at Latvian MPs' trip to China

    The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) plans to assess the trip of several Saeima deputies to China. Several members working with China's Parliament are currently in China. Foreign policy experts also pay heightened attention to the visit, Latvian Television reported on January 16.

  • RFA ☛ Nauru severs diplomatic ties with Taiwan, to seek full relations with China

    Nauru’s government said recognition of Beijing will help with the island country’s development

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Nauru switching ties from Taiwan to China is ‘disappointing,’ US says

    The United States has expressed disappointment in tiny South Pacific nation Nauru for switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China, while a de-facto US envoy to Taipei criticised its “distorted” rationale. Self-ruled Taiwan held a crucial poll Saturday, with voters electing pro-sovereignty candidate Lai Ching-te as the island’s next president.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ South Pacific nation Nauru cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan in boost to China

    The tiny South Pacific nation of Nauru announced Monday it was switching diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China, a move that bolsters Beijing’s ambitions in the region. The Nauru government said it would no longer recognise Taiwan “as a separate country” but “rather as an inalienable part of China’s territory”.

  • New York Times ☛ Taiwan Loses Ally Nauru After Electing President Beijing Loathes

    The tiny Pacific island of Nauru severed relations with Taiwan, a move that boosts China’s regional sway and was seemingly timed to Taiwan’s contentious recent election.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US says Nauru switching ties from Taiwan to China ‘disappointing’

    China rebuked the US’ expression of disappointment, calling it a “smear” on Beijing.

  • RFA ☛ Taiwan’s president-elect hopes US can continue to support the island

    Lai Ching-te’s remarks came during a high-level United States delegation’s visit to Taiwan for a three-day trip.

  • France24 ☛ Taiwan hails US ties but loses rare ally as Pacific nation Nauru switches to China

    Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te on Monday hailed the island's "solid partnership" with the United States as he welcomed a delegation from Washington making a post-election visit expected to anger Beijing. But in a blow to Taipei, the tiny South Pacific nation of Nauru announced it was severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and would instead recognise China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines reaffirms ‘one China’ policy after President Marcos congratulates Taiwan’s Lai

    Mr Marcos had on Jan 15 referred to Mr Lai as Taiwan’s next president.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Wrongful words’: China summons Philippine ambassador over congratulatory message to Taiwan’s president-elect

    China on Tuesday said it had summoned the Philippine ambassador after President Ferdinand Marcos said he looked forward to working with Taiwanese president-elect Lai Ching-te.

  • Defence Web ☛ Red Sea crisis: expert unpacks Houthi attacks and other security threats

    Recent attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi militia in the Red Sea have put the vital shipping region in the spotlight. The Yemen-based rebels claim to be targeting Israeli-linked vessels, in protest at Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

  • Defence Web ☛ Houthi missile strikes US merchant ship

    A Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile struck a US-owned and operated cargo ship on Monday 15 January, US Central Command said in a statement. The vessel, Gibraltar Eagle, a 199-metre long, 32 metre wide bulk carrier owned and operated by US-owned Eagle Bulk, sustained minor damage.

  • AntiWar ☛ The US Military Role in the Red Sea – Now Turning Offensive – Is a Bad Deal

    Last week’s US/​British strike against Houthi military targets in Yemen escalated operations to protect shipping in the Red Sea from an expensive and wasteful defensive project to an offensive that could draw the United States further into the Yemeni civil war.

  • Defence Web ☛ US and UK military launch attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen amid fears of a wider conflict

    Following repeated attacks using UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), anti-ship and ballistic missiles and a manned multiple boat attack on commercial and US and UK naval shipping in the lower Red Sea, a combined US and UK air and missile strike was carried out on Thursday 11 January against selected Houthi sites in Yemen.

  • France24 ☛ Iraq condemns 'attack on its sovereignty' as Iranian missiles strike Kurdish region

    Iraq condemned an "attack on its sovereignty" on Tuesday after Iran's Revolutionary Guards launched missile strikes on anti-Tehran groups and an alleged Israeli "spy headquarters" in Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.

  • France24 ☛ Houthi rebels claim missile strike on US-owned ship off Yemen

    Yemen's Houthi rebels hit a US-owned cargo vessel with a missile on Monday, the US military said, heightening fears for the volatile region after repeated attacks on shipping triggered American and British strikes.

  • RFERL ☛ Iran Strikes Targets In Northern Iraq, Syria As Regional Tensions Escalate

    Iran fired missiles late on January 15 at what it claimed were Israeli "spy headquarters" near the U.S. consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, and at targets linked to the extremist group Islamic State in northern Syria.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Iran says it launched missiles toward Iraq and Syria to deter security threats

    January 16, 2024 5:07 PM
    
    

    Iran said on Tuesday it had launched ballistic missiles at targets in Iraq and Syria in defence of its sovereignty and security as well as to counter terrorism.

  • New York Times ☛ Houthis Attack More Ships in Red Sea After U.S.-Led Strikes in Yemen

    The Iranian-backed militants launched a fresh round of attacks days after their military sites were hit by U.S. and British forces.

  • AntiWar ☛ To Hell With Fighting the Houthis!

    Here we go again. The “Joe Biden” thing just started another war in Yemen without a constitutionally compliant declaration by Congress. And it/they did so against a rag-tag tribe of desert insurgents who cannot possibly harm the liberty or security of the American homeland.

  • New York Times ☛ Hamas Says Two More Israeli Hostages Are Dead

    The group said the two were killed by Israeli airstrikes, which the Israeli military said was at least partly false.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ Local Lawmaker Added To Russian Wanted List After Criticizing Putin Over Ukraine

      Russia's Interior Ministry on January 15 added a member of the Perm city council, Sergei Medvedev, to its wanted list on unspecified charges.

    • Meduza ☛ Local Russian lawmaker who spoke out against war in Ukraine and called Putin a monster reportedly put on wanted list — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Ukrainian nurse in Latvia: I will try to get citizenship

      Nine doctors from Ukraine work in Liepāja, and two others – dentist Oleksy Buryak and nurse Natalya Reutskaya – in South Kurzeme. She and her family have decided to stay in Latvia until her son graduates school. Natalya continues to learn Latvian and thinks she might acquire Latvian citizenship in the future, TV Kurzeme reported on January 16.

    • Latvia ☛ 4x4 vehicles donated to Ukraine by Latvian forest rangers

      Riga Forests Ltd has donated 12 Lada 4X4 Pickup cars to Ukrainian soldiers. On the front, such four-wheel drive cars are particularly needed, Latvian Television reported on January 15.

    • Latvia ☛ Researcher: Latvia's Russian speakers are conflicted about their identity

      Russian-speakers in Latvia are in the grip of an identity crisis, and despite many of them supporting Ukraine's defense against the aggression of the Russian Federation, divisions remain on issues such as the interpretation of history, says Mārtiņš Kaprāns, a researcher in philosophy and sociology at the University of Latvia, in an interview with Latvian Radio.

    • Latvia ☛ 43,000 Ukrainians currently have refuge in Latvia

      On 30 November 2023, about 4.27 million non-EU citizens (4 274 630), who had fled Ukraine as a consequence of the Russian invasion in 2022, were under temporary protection in the EU, according to latest Eurostat data.

    • Latvia ☛ President Zelenskyy pays tribute to Baltic states

      Following his official visit to Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has released a powerful video message in which he thanks all three countries for their support.

    • AntiWar ☛ Neocons Blame America First

      The blame game has commenced; America’s Ukraine hawks have met the enemy, and it is us.

    • AntiWar ☛ Wall Street Journal Sets Standard for Irresponsible Journalism in Ukraine

      Recently, The Wall Street Journal joined the flood of American mainstream media outlets, including The New York Times, Politico and several others, in preparing the American public for a Russian victory.

    • Security Week ☛ Hacker Behind $2 Million Cryptocurrency Mining Scheme Arrested in Ukraine

      Ukrainian authorities have arrested an individual allegedly involved in a $2 million cryptojacking operation.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky headlines Davos forum as he tries to rally support for Ukraine

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is headlining a frenzied first full day of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, where top officials from the United States, the European Union, China, the Middle East and beyond will also take center stage Tuesday.

    • France24 ☛ 'Don't forget Ukraine': UN seeks $4.2 billion in aid for millions stricken by war

      The United Nations appealed for $4.2 billion from donors on Monday to support war-ravaged communities in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in 2024, as war rages nearly two years on from Russia's invasion.

    • LRT ☛ IOM Lithuania to cover part of rent for Ukrainian war refugees

      The International Organization for Migration Vilnius Office (IOM Lithuania) said on Tuesday that it will provide funds for war refugees from Ukraine to help cover part of their rent.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania still undecided whether to repatriate military-age Ukrainians

      As Ukraine’s military is struggling to refill its ranks, Kyiv wants to mobilise men living abroad. The Estonian interior minister has suggested that he would help help find Ukrainians living in the country to be mobilised. Lithuania, meanwhile, has not yet made up its mind at this point.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy To Make Case For Continued Western Support For Ukraine At Davos Forum

      President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is to address the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 16 as he seeks continued international support for Ukraine in its fight to stave off the Russian invasion that is nearing the two-year mark.

    • RFERL ☛ Romanian Farmers, Truckers Block Roads In Protests Of High Business Costs, Ukraine Policy

      Hundreds of Romanian farmers and truck drivers on January 15 protested for the sixth consecutive day amid ongoing negotiations with the government over the high cost of diesel and other issues, including some tied to the war in Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Switzerland Agrees To Zelenskiy's Request To Host Peace Summit

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on January 15 after arriving in Switzerland that Ukrainian representatives have started preparations for holding a global peace summit in Switzerland.

    • RFERL ☛ Latvian President Says Conscription Needed In Face Of Potential Russia Threat

      Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has made the reintroduction of mandatory military service in Latvia a necessity even though the Baltic country is already a member of NATO, President Edgars Rinkevics told Current Time on January 15.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea may get bolder as ties with Russia deepen, say analysts

      
      

      North Korea has much to gain from Russia’s reliance on its weapons supply for Ukraine war.

    • New York Times ☛ The War Has Reined In Ukraine’s Oligarchs, at Least for Now

      Oligarchs have lost billions from the shelling of their factories, and the government has used its wartime powers to break their political influence.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Not one Western general would fight without air superiority’: Evaluating The Washington Post’s analysis of Ukraine’s 2023 offensive — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Daugavpils' Russians stay in Latvia after failing language test

      There are a number of Russian citizens living in Daugavpils who have not passed the Latvian language proficiency test and have not received a temporary residence permit, but they are not leaving for Russia either, Latvian Radio reported on January 16.

    • Latvia ☛ Survey: public rather indifferent to Latvian Olympics boycott plan

      The Latvian Olympic Committee (LOK) has not yet decided whether Latvian athletes will start at the Paris Olympics in the summer of 2024 if the participants include "neutral athletes" from the aggressor countries Russia and Belarus. There is no widespread support in Latvian society for either scenario according to the survey of residents conducted by Norstat Research Centre in cooperation with LSM.lv.

    • RFERL ☛ Thousands In Russia's Bashkortostan Demand Release Of Activist

      Thousands of people gathered on a central square of the city of Baimak in Russia's Bashkortostan region on January 15 to demand the release of activist Fail Alsynov, who is on trial on a charge of inciting hatred, which he and his supporters reject as politically motivated.

    • RFERL ☛ Detention Of Self-Exiled Bashkir Activist's Half-Brother Extended

      A court in Ufa, the capital of Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan, on January 15 extended the pretrial detention of Rustam Fararitdinov, the half-brother of self-exiled Kremlin critic Ruslan Gabbasov, until at least March 22.

    • YLE ☛ Finnish border authorities prepare for migrant influx

      A group of asylum seekers told Yle that there are 2,000-3,000 people on the Russian side of the border waiting to cross into Finland, but authorities say this figure is unreliable.

    • YLE ☛ Up to 3,000 migrants waiting to enter Finland from Russia, asylum seekers tell Yle

      A group of four Syrian men attempted to enter Finland via its eastern border last week.

    • RFERL ☛ Putin's Daughter Reportedly Earned More Than $10 Million In Three Years With Well-Connected Medical Company

      Russian President Vladimir Putin's eldest daughter, Maria Vorontsova, earned 944 million rubles ($10.7 million) as an employee of the New Medical Company (NOMEKO) from 2019 to 2022, opposition politician Aleksei Navalny’s team said in an investigative report published on January 15.

    • teleSUR ☛ Russia and Iran Condemn Attacks on Yemen [Ed: Russia and Iran back terrorism against cargo ships]

      The United States and the United Kingdom have been shelling the Houthis since Thursday.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘He’s just not charismatic’: Russia’s leaders want this guy to take second place in the next election. They have their work cut out for them. — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Tinder To End Operations In Belarus After Valentine's Day

      Tinder owner Match Group has said the dating app will end its operations in Belarus from February 15 -- a day after Valentine's Day.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ About 1,000 tourists trapped in China’s Xinjiang after avalanches

    They were stranded in a remote holiday village.

  • YLE ☛ FMI issues cold weather warning as bone-chilling conditions return

    The latest cold snap is forecast to remain over Finland until Saturday.

  • NYPost ☛ How likely is New York City to break its 700-day snow drought?

    New York City has a “pretty good shot” of reaching an inch of snow in Central Park Tuesday to end its historical powder drought as Big Fashion Company Apple residents cheered the season’s first real winter storm.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ New U.S. Solar and Electric Car Factories Face Familiar Challenge: China

      Worries are growing in Washington that a flood of Chinese products could put new American investments in clean energy and high-tech factories at risk.

    • CNX Software ☛ Betavolt BV100 3V nuclear battery aims to deliver 100 microwatts for over 50 years

      Btavolt BV100 is a nuclear battery that never needs to be charged and designed to output 3V/100µW (microwatts) for over 50 years for the aerospace industry, Hey Hi (AI) equipment, medical devices, MEMS systems, advanced sensors, small drones, and micro-robots.

• Finance

  • Ruben Schade ☛ The VW “Phaeton Effect”

    I’ve never known that much about cars, and thesedays I’m all but hostile to them as a technology in urban settings. They stand in the way of meaningful change in every metric we care about, from the environment and health, to fiscal responsibility and safety. Not that I’m biased towards walkable urban environments and public transport or anything.

    Here comes the proverbial posterior prognostication: but… I was fascinated by the Volkswagen Phaeton back in the mid-2000s. I don’t own one, I never have, and I never will. Here comes another but: the marketing and design of this vehicle have informed specific ways in which I live in my life, to the point where I say I’m Phaeton-ing something. You can appreciate the impact it must have had, given I’m willing to utter such an awkward, syllable-laden phrase.

  • YLE ☛ Inflation hits 3.6% in December, average rate of 6.2% for 2023

    Price rises during December were driven by increases in the average interest rate on housing loans, consumer credits and the prices of package holidays.

  • Latvia ☛ Monetary policy has mitigated the toll of inflation

    Only a few days ago, we wished each other a happy New Year. With the year behind us, we reflect on the events and achievements that shaped it.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New Yorker ☛ How Donald Trump Broke the Iowa Caucuses

    Whether he wins as expected or somehow underperforms, the former President has upended the Republican contest without participating in a single debate and having barely campaigned on the ground.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Najib pardon unlikely due to other charges and reputational risk to Malaysia: Analysts

    Najib has so far served 17 months of his 12-year prison sentence for graft.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China appoints son of ex-president Hu Jintao to ministerial role

    Mr Hu Jintao’s abrupt exit at a key party congress in 2022 sparked talk he had been purged.

  • New York Times ☛ Joseph Tacopina, Key Trump Lawyer, Withdraws as Manhattan Criminal Trial Nears

    Joseph Tacopina brought extensive experience with high-profile cases to former president Donald J. Trump’s legal team.

  • Latvia ☛ Saeima to discuss Latvia's withdrawal from Ottawa Convention

    A collection of signatures on Latvia's withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention has started. According to the author of the initiative, Latvian society would thus acquire a sense of security that the Latvian border could be mined in case of attack of the aggressor, Latvian Radio reported January 15.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • JURIST ☛ Russia designates author Boris Akunin as ‘foreign agent’ amidst dissent crackdown

    Russia’s Ministry of Justice designated popular fiction writer Grigori Chkhartishvili (pen name Boris Akunin) a “foreign agent” for his criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

  • YLE ☛ Police deny prioritising Halla-aho complaints

    Finland's Speaker of Parliament and presidential candidate Jussi Halla-aho (Finns) has filed two separate defamation claims against a comedian and a Green party councillor.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong man handed 2-month suspended jail term over inciting boycott of ‘patriots’ District Council election

    A Hong Kong man has been handed a two-month suspended sentence over inciting others to boycott the “patriots-only” District Council election in December.

  • Meduza ☛ Security agents search newsroom of media outlet 24.kg, take top editors in for questioning — Meduza

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong’s own security law should be ‘forward looking’ to address emerging technology risks, leader John Lee says

    Hong Kong’s own national security law should be “forward looking” to address emerging risks presented by technology, Chief Executive John Lee has said.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Off Guardian ☛ This Week in the New Normal #80

    Our successor to This Week in the Guardian, This Week in the New Normal is our weekly chart of the progress of autocracy, authoritarianism and economic restructuring around the world. Also, we have a new banner.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • IT Wire ☛ TPG uses survey results to plug new fibre upgrade program

    In a statement on Tuesday, the company said its first Crappy Internet Report, conducted along with data and insights organisation Pureprofile, had surveyed 1000 users within Australia and found that 46% of users wanted better speeds and more reliable connections.

    TPG is using the survey results to plug a recently announced Fibre Upgrade program which is being run in collaboration with NBN Co.

    The survey found that a quarter experienced one to five dropouts while using the Internet, with the worst home areas being the bedroom, living room and toilet.

    {loadposition sam08}TPG head of Fixed Product Commercial Sammi Te said: “The good news is, with a healthy dose of TPG Fibre, you can flush away those crappy Internet problems once and for all.

  • Trail of Bits ☛ Internet freedom with the Open Technology Fund

    By Spencer Michaels, William Woodruff, Jeff Braswell, and Cliff Smith Trail of Bits cares about internet freedom, and one of our most valued partners in pursuit of that goal is the Open Technology Fund (OTF).

  • APNIC ☛ Exploring Telekom Malaysia’s RPKI deployment

    Guest post: When it comes to RPKI and ROA, prevention is better than cure.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ The End of the Road for DABUS and Dr Thaler at the UK Supreme Court

    On 20 December 2023, the UK Supreme Court handed down its highly anticipated judgment in the case of Thaler v Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks [2023] UKSC 49, unanimously ruling that only a natural person can be named as an inventor on a patent monopoly application.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Apple proposes Fashion Watch redesign to avoid import ban

    Apple Inc. may redesign the Fashion Company Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 to avoid an import ban that could prevent it from selling the two devices in the U.S. The development was disclosed today in a court filing spotted by 9to5Mac.

  • JUVE ☛ Ones to Watch UK 2024: Toby Bond [Ed: Spam disguised as "news". JUVE already disclosed this firm pays it not just for such spam but also disinformation and lobbying for crimes, including UPC. JUVE found that the UPC 'underworld' and blackhat marketing pay more than actual journalism.]

    Every year, JUVE Patent carries out extensive research in the UK patent monopoly market, culminating in the publication of the UK patent monopoly ranking. Our latest research highlighted Toby Bond, partner at Bird & Bird, as one of five ‘Ones to Watch’ in the UK patent monopoly market for 2024.

  • JUVE ☛ Ones to Watch UK 2024: Edward Cronan [Ed: And yet more spam. JUVE is a hired gun for marketing SPAM and lobbying for crimes (that law firms stand to profit from). It used to do actual journalism a decade ago.]

    Every year, JUVE Patent carries out extensive research in the UK patent monopoly market, culminating in the publication of the UK patent monopoly ranking. Our latest research highlighted Edward Cronan, junior barrister at 11 South Square, as one of five ‘Ones to Watch’ in the UK patent monopoly market for 2024.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ IP Investments Group entity DigiMedia H.264/AVC patent monopoly held invalid

      On January 12, 2024, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) issued a final written decision in Unified Patents, LLC v. DigiMedia Tech LLC, holding one challenged claim of U.S. Patent 6,473,532 unpatentable, and that another challenged claim could not be ruled on due to an antecedent basis issue (i.e., likely rendering that claim indefinite, or if not, unpatentable; see pp. 36-41 of the decision). Owned and asserted by DigiMedia Tech, an NPE and an IP Investments Group entity, the ‘532 patent monopoly relates generally to processing and encoding of video images for later compression by standard compression techniques.

• Copyrights

  • New Yorker ☛ Is Hey Hi (AI) the Death of I.P.? [Ed: They mean copyrights, not "I.P.", and this headline presents a false dilemma. Plagiarism, even if automated, is an old issue.]

    Generative Hey Hi (AI) is the latest in a long line of innovations to put pressure on our already dysfunctional copyright monopoly system.

  • YLE ☛ Court fines Junes Lokka for copyright monopoly infringement, ethnic agitation

    The charges relate to the controversial former Oulu city councillor's discriminatory use of a Somali-language news bulletin, originally broadcast by Yle.

• Gemini* and Gopher

  • Personal/Opinions

    • 🔤SpellBinding: ACIJLOM Wordo: SKOAL

    • Frames Of Reference- Chapter 1

      I don’t know who said that. I’m tired, but as it happens there’s nobody outside and I know there isn’t. I’m aware of my surroundings- out here on my hammock, nestled tightly in, between the folds, untethered by gravity, free to rock back and forth.

    • Petanque?!

      Petanque is a boules-type game played with sets of hollow steel balls and a small wooden ball called a "cochonnet". Its modern version originated from southern France in the early part of the 1900's. Petanque is played around the world, and is a very accessible sport or pastime for all age groups and levels of athletic ability.

  • Technology and Free Software

    • If You Give a Hobbyist a Harddrive

      I recently bought a 2TB hard drive for my home server. I use this server to host NextCloud and you can never have enough storage space.

      This server is an Inspiron 560s from 2008. It only has two hard drive bays and already has two hard drives. There is however a dvd bay and a SD-card bay. The new hard drive fits just perfectly in the SD-card bay, so that's its new home.

    • Retro Typing Kids Toys

      Since my young boy loves to mash keyboard buttons, I thought it would be a good idea to get him something of his own. Many new toys have lcd screens in them and I'm trying to avoid getting him addicted to screens as much as possible. So why not have a look into what we used to play with a couple of decades ago. Off I went on the hunt for some retro toys.

    • Objectives 🎯

      In every dev job that I've had, I've had a yearly meeting with a manager to set objectives. Then we forget about them for a year. Then we assess my performance against them.

    • Internet/Gemini

      • ew0k talked about Gemini in a Swedish podcast

        Today my favorite Swedish developer podcast Kodsnack (that is, "code chat", not "cod snack", but that sounds like a think that you could actually find in northern Europe, probably Iceland. I digress.) released a new episode about my favorite network protocol: Gemini!

      • Hyperscalers and the Smolnet are Incompatible

        Because running something small on something huge is a contradiction. Especially, because the smolnet is supposed to be an antidote to Big Tech and the concentration of power. And bigger tech than hyperscalers like Aamazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, or CloudFlare does not exist, if you ignore Meta for a moment.

      • our future in Internet

        The Internet is still very young, like everything in it (much younger than the network itself). Projects that are opened and promoted attract mainly young people, because those who are older want to sit on a chair and have live links for many, many years, and not missing sites of the same age.

        After a certain time (not as soon as we would like), the network will be cut into many cheburnetics, separately for all sorts of Netflixists, for geeks and smart people, for all sorts of flat-earthers and other sectarians, and for marketers. what will be of interest to the majority will be by subscription. as well as software (almost all), to edit an icon, avatar - subscribe, pay, and endure now live like this))))).

      • Gemlog again, naturally