Leftovers

• EDRI ☛ The European Digital and Media Literacy Conference

  The European Digital and Media Literacy Conference in Brussels puts the many faces of digital and media literacy in the European spotlight during the Belgian EU presidency.

• Hackaday ☛ Flat-Pack Multi-Tool Has Many Dimensions

  Sometimes, you just have to see whether something can be done. Such is the case with [ToolTechGeek]’s flat-pack metal multi-tool build. Can an entire multi-tool be made with only flat pieces of laser-cut metal and fasteners? It would seem so, yes. And quite nicely, too, as you’ll see in the video after the break.

• Hackaday ☛ Polynesian Wayfinding Traditions Let Humans Roam The Pacific Ocean

  Polynesian cultures have a remarkable navigational tradition. It stands as a testament to human ingenuity and an intimate understanding of nature. Where Western cultures developed maps and tools to plot courses around the world, the Polynesian tradition is more about using human senses and pattern-finding skills to figure out where one is, and where one might be going.

• Hackaday ☛ Robot Can Read Braille Much Faster Than Humans With New Sensor

  Braille is a method of physical writing used to allow humans to read by touch — most commonly used as a substitute for printed text by those who may be visually impaired. Both displaying Braille and reading it is difficult to do with machines, but there has been a development in the latter area. A research team has trained a robot to read Braille at a speed far exceeding humans.

• New York Times ☛ Reality, Art and Peloton Stars Party at the Whitney

  Guests at the museum’s annual Art Party in New York City talk about A.I.’s role in making their work.

• Hackaday ☛ Navigate Burning Man With Ease With This Custom Tool

  When setting up a city in the desert, the team behind Burning Man does its best to lay things out in an ordered fashion. Even still, getting around at ground level can be a challenge at times, and it’s easy to get lost. To help get around easier, [Zach] developed a nifty GPS device built specifically for navigating the ephemeral clock-like city.

• Hackaday ☛ Multi-way Capacitor Replacement Without The Pain

  Anyone who’s worked with older tube-based equipment will be familiar with the type of vintage electrolytic capacitor which integrated several capacitors into one can. Long obsolete, they can be bought as reproduction, but unfortunately at an eye-watering price. [D-Lab Electronics] introduces us to a solution using a very useful kit, that it’s worth sharing.

• New York Times ☛ Plan to Resurface a Pyramid in Granite Draws Heated Debate

  A project to restore granite blocks that once covered a greater portion of the Pyramid of Menkaure in Giza has been criticized by some preservationists.

• Techdirt ☛ Techdirt Podcast Episode 378: The Data Transfer Initiative After One Year

  Back in April, we were joined on the podcast by Chris Riley, the Executive Director of the new nonprofit Data Transfer Initiative that aimed to promote data portability and empower users to transfer their data from one service to another. Today, the Initiative has released its first annual report (pdf link), and Chris is back on the podcast for a discussion all about how things are going, and what’s on deck for 2024.

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ A Shape-Shifting Plastic With a Flexible Future

    The material can be tempered into different shapes — like steel in the hands of a blacksmith — and could someday transform space travel, recycling and more.

  • Science Alert ☛ 6-Million-Year-Old Ape's Ear Suggests We Learned to Walk Upright in 3 Steps

    We're kind of odd.

  • Science Alert ☛ Revealed: HIV's Trick For Invading The Nucleus of a Host's Cell

    A sneaky approach.

  • Science Alert ☛ Turns Out There's One Animal Powerful Enough to Mess With Lions' Feeding Habits

    Everything’s connected.

• Education

  • Reason ☛ Test Scores Are Rebounding After Pandemic School Closures, but Some Students Will Never Catch Up

    A new study sparks hope that the historic declines in students' reading and math performance following the pandemic may not be permanent.

• Hardware

  • TecAdmin ☛ CPU vs. GPU: Unpacking the Core Differences

    In the ever-evolving landscape of computing technology, two critical components play pivotal roles in the functioning of our devices: the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). While they may seem similar at a glance, serving as the brains behind our computational devices, their roles, architectures, and efficiencies differ vastly.

  • New York Times ☛ India’s Quiet Push to Steal More of China’s iPhone Business

    The companies that make iPhones are bringing their factories to one corner of India, to graft them onto a network of manufacturers.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ New Nvidia Hey Hi (AI) GPUs designed to get around U.S. export bans come to China — H20, L20, and L2 to fill void left by restricted models

    Nvidia has launched yet another datacenter GPU for China in the wake of bans on many of its previous devices.

  • Hackaday ☛ A Concrete Solution To Balance And Protect Camera Gear

    Knocking over expensive camera equipment is an unfortunate occupational hazard when filming projects in a workshop. [Dane Kouttron] wanted to stop sacrificing lights to the cause, so he came up with a practical use for a weeble: A self-stabilizing monopod.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • CS Monitor ☛ Why small farmers are blocking roads from Paris to Brussels to Rome

    European farmers are blocking roads across France, Italy, and Spain leading up to the Feb. 1 European Union summit. A combination of severe climate events, the war in Ukraine, and inflation has put many small farms in dire straits.

  • Science Alert ☛ WHO Warns Cancer Cases Will Jump 77% by 2050. Here's Why.

    The writing's on the wall.

  • Science Alert ☛ Several Bizarre Visual Symptoms Shown to Be a Strong Predictor For Alzheimer's

    And we need to catch them earlier.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Almost 30% ethnic minorities in Hong Kong at high-risk of mental health disorder, survey finds

    Almost 30 per cent of people from South Asian and Southeast Asian backgrounds were at “high-risk” of developing a mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety or insomnia, a survey has found. Many respondents cited the cost of professional help and “language and cultural barriers” as reasons they would not seek help.

  • Latvia ☛ Doctors want your healthcare experience stories

    On February 1, the Latvian Medical Association (LĀB) starts the “Understand and Support” promotion to draw public attention to the importance of mutual understanding, trust, and support in medical and patient contact for successful healthcare process, the association said.

  • New York Times ☛ China Meets the U.S. to Discuss Fentanyl, But the Détente Has Limits

    Negotiations have resumed on restricting the flow of fentanyl into the United States. But Beijing may prove less cooperative on Iran and North Korea.

  • RFA ☛ Residents of dam resettlement village say water system has dried up

    Tavanh village was built on high ground in Luang Namtha province by the developers of a China-backed dam.

  • Federal News Network ☛ NIH seeks new AI-friendly EHR to make better use of health care data [Ed: They just simply use statistics, but they surf buzzwords and hype waves now]

    The National Institutes of Health is planning to replace its decades-old legacy Electronic Health Record, and looking at how a new EHR could help accelerate its use of artificial intelligence.

  • New York Times ☛ How to Quit Your Smartphone

    Readers who have taken the plunge said it had improved their lives, marriages and mental health, and offered advice to those going without their smartphones for “Flip Phone February.”

  • Reason ☛ Do New Documents Prove a COVID Lab Leak?

    Health reporter Emily Kopp and biologist Alex Washburne discuss new documents that detail plans to manipulate bat-borne coronaviruses in Wuhan on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • New York Times ☛ Trump’s Privacy Case Over Dossier Thrown Out by U.K. High Court

      A judge ruled that Donald J. Trump had no grounds for claiming compensation over the dossier from Christopher Steele, a former British spy.

    • Techdirt ☛ Smartmatic Claims OAN Violated Privacy Laws By Giving Employee Passwords To Trump Campaign

      When last we checked in with right wing propaganda mill One America News (OAN), the conspiratorial gibberish farm was busy trying to pretend (with the help of numerous Republican AGs) that DirecTV’s decision to boot the network from its cable lineup was part of a vast, diabolical cabal to censor conservatives (it wasn’t, the channel simply isn’t very popular with the broader public).

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Taping over your webcam might not be enough to stop hackers from spying on you — they can now use a device's ambient light sensor

      Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have highlighted the imaging privacy threats facilitated by a device's ambient light sensor.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Facebook’s Extensive Surveillance Network

      Consumer Reports is reporting that Facebook (Farcebook) has built a massive surveillance network:

      Using a panel of 709 volunteers who shared archives of their Facebook (Farcebook) data, Consumer Reports found that a total of 186,892 companies sent data about them to the social network. On average, each participant in the study had their data sent to Facebook (Farcebook) by 2,230 companies. That number varied significantly, with some panelists’ data listing over 7,000 companies providing their data. The Markup helped Consumer Reports recruit participants for the study. Participants downloaded an archive of the previous three years of their data from their Facebook (Farcebook) settings, then provided it to Consumer Reports...

    • Press Gazette ☛ Google plans to limit reader data sharing for publishers to groups of five sites

      Details have emerged of how Google's Privacy Sandbox could strengthen its online monopoly.

      >

    • France Fined Amazon €32 Million Over “Excessive Surveillance” in the Warehouses

      Anything can turn excessive when taken too far and in the latest update to the warehouse woes of big corporations, we now learn that France fined Amazon’s French warehouse unit €32 million or $34.9 million for excessive surveillance of its employees. Amazon employee monitoring systems have often been criticized for being too over-the-top in its pursuit for efficiency and this case is no different. Amazon was fined by French regulator CNIL (Commission Nationale Informatique & Libertés) which is a data protection agency that oversees information technology services within the region. The company was found to be in violation of the EU’s data protection regulation on how personal data was collected and used, according to France 24.

    • Reason ☛ NSA Purchases Internet Metadata To Spy on You Without a Warrant

      A new letter from Sen. Ron Wyden (D–Ore.) reveals that the agency admitted the practice nearly three years ago but would not allow him to reveal it.

    • Federal News Network ☛ CIA doesn’t just collect data, it also collects art

      You might not think of the CIA is concerned with art or what it calls "the beauty in intelligence." But the agency, in fact, has an extensive art collection dating back to the late 1960s to go along with some artist who work there.

    • JURIST ☛ Canada federal court criticizes foreign intelligence service mismanagement of personal information

      The Federal Court of Canada urged the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to “do better” in fulfilling its duty owed to the court, according to a decision handed down by Chief Justice Crampton in October. The decision was declassified on Tuesday.

    • Citizen Lab ☛ Confirming Large-Scale Pegasus Surveillance of Jordan-based Civil Society

      As part of a collaborative investigation led by Access Now, Citizen Lab researchers conducted forensic analysis of iPhones belonging to members of Jordan-based civil society.

    • Security Week ☛ At Least 30 Journalists, Lawyers and Activists Hacked With Pegasus in Jordan, Forensic Probe Finds

      Pegasus spyware from NSO Group was used in Jordan to hack the cellphones of journalists, lawyers, human rights and political activists.

    • Press Gazette ☛ C4 News’ Ciaran Jenkins wanted to set ‘benchmark’ for openness with Sturgeon Whatsapp question

      Sturgeon admitted this week she deleted Covid-era Whatsapps, despite telling Jenkins she would not.

• Defence/Aggression

  • BIA Net ☛ Hostages rescued at P&G factory in Gebze

    The assailant who had taken 7 people hostage in the factory by raiding it with a weapon, citing "Protest against the Israeli invasion of Gaza," was apprehended unharmed during a police operation late at night without any conflict. It was reported that the hostages are also in good health.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea fires multiple cruise missiles: South Korea

    February 02, 2024 6:47 AM
    
    

    The latest launch comes after the North said leader Kim Jong Un inspected a shipyard in the port city of Nampho.

  • RFA ☛ US, Japan carriers drill in the Philippines Sea amid regional tension

    The drill took place near the South China Sea, site of confrontations between Chinese, Philippine vessels.

  • RFA ☛ Taiwan sends 3 Chinese nationals back to Malaysia

    The trio had been seeking political refuge in the island while they awaited resettlement elsewhere

  • RFA ☛ Taiwan’s pro-China speaker choice stirs fears of deeper Beijing influence

    Han Kuo-yu’s win may challenge the ruling party’s president-elect in setting direction in the legislature.

  • CS Monitor ☛ El Salvador embraces democracy. Why is nation backing an authoritarian?

    Salvadorans embrace democracy. But amid violence that has wracked this nation for years, citizens are ready to compromise it in favor of security.

  • YLE ☛ Supo: No signs of election interference by foreign powers

    According to the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service Supo, it would be very difficult for outsiders to influence the outcome of elections in Finland.

  • LRT ☛ People granted Lithuanian citizenship by exception pose no security threat – agency

    People granted Lithuanian citizenship by way of exception pose no threat to national security, the State Security Department (VSD) has concluded.

  • RFA ☛ Taiwan protests Chinese plan for flight paths to skim median line

    Beijing is walking back an earlier concession that had shifted the civilian air routes closer to China.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Beijing seeks ‘continuous improvement’ of ties with Vatican as 3 Chinese bishops ordained

    China said Thursday it was seeking “continuous improvement” of ties with the Vatican, after the Church announced the ordination of its third Chinese bishop in one week. Pietro Wu Yishun, 59, was ordained the bishop of Shaowu city in China’s southeastern province of Fujian, the Vatican said on Wednesday.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ China doesn’t have as much leverage in the Middle East as one thinks—at least when it comes to Iran

    China is more likely to continue to be the regional actor it has been over the past decade—one that comes to the Middle East to trade and build, not lead. 

  • Federal News Network ☛ Red Sea chaos jacks up relocation costs for feds around the world

    In today's Federal Newscast: The White House is widening the rule prohibiting employers from asking potential employees about their salary history. Cloud infrastructure providers are getting new cybersecurity requirements. And the chaos surrounding Red Sea shipping routes has jacked up the cost to relocate federal employees.

  • Chris ☛ War – What is it Good For?

  • teleSUR ☛ Yemen: US Launches Fresh Strikes on Hodeidah City

    A few hours earlier, the U.S.-led military coalition also attacked Saada city.

  • RFA ☛ Third anniversary of military coup marked with ‘silent strike’ across Myanmar

    Residents stayed indoors and shop owners kept their businesses closed to protest the coup.

  • RFERL ☛ Pakistani Forces Kill 22 Alleged Militants In Southwest

    Officials say Pakistani security forces killed 22 alleged Baluch militants this week after they launched attacks in retaliation for Pakistani air strikes on militant positions in Iran last month.

  • ACLU ☛ Alabama Has Executed A Man With Nitrogen Gas Despite Jury’s Life Verdict

    On January 25, the state of Alabama executed Kenneth Smith using nitrogen hypoxia, subjecting him to inhale pure nitrogen through a mask until he suffocated. Despite state claims that it would be a painless death, witnesses reported Mr. Smith shook, convulsed, writhed, and gasped for minutes until he was pronounced dead at least 22 minutes after the execution began, though just how long it took is unknown since Alabama closed the execution curtain before the official time of death.

  • The Strategist ☛ The EU and the Indo-Pacific: partners for a more stable and prosperous world

    At the start of 2024, Europeans are of course deeply concerned by the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine and by the conflict that has broken out again in the Middle East.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • The Kent Stater ☛ Ukrainian refugee finds hope in Akron’s welcome center

      Olga Brock, 46, was born in Odesa, Ukraine. As a child, she saw herself growing up in the country where she was from and dreamt of becoming a physician. As Brock got older, she stayed close to home and began working in real estate.

    • Latvia ☛ Russia's War on Children conference in Rīga

      Taking place on January 31 and February 1 at the Latvian National Library, the conference “Russia’s War on Children” (Krievijas karš pret bērniem) brings together lawyers, journalists, representatives of advocacy NGOs, diplomats and other defense, foreign law and war crimes experts to discuss the possibilities for returning abducted children to Ukraine.

    • Latvia ☛ 'Kidnapped by Russia' art exhibit set up near Russian Embassy in Latvia

      At the same time as the conference in Rīga on Thursday, which sought solutions for the recovery of Ukrainian children deported to Russia, an art object “Kidnapped by Russia” was created in Kronvalda Park opposite the Embassy of Russia – a distressed playground in barbed wire.

    • European Commission ☛ Opening remarks by President von der Leyen at the joint press conference with President Michel following the special meeting of the European Council of 1 February 2024

      Today is a very special day. The European Council re-confirmed Europe's unwavering commitment to stand with Ukraine.

    • Meduza ☛ Jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny calls on all Russians voting against Putin to go to polls simultaneously — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Navalny Calls On Russians To Flock To Polling Stations At Noon During Election To Show Opposition To Putin

      Jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has called for a protest against incumbent Vladimir Putin during a presidential election next month by having voters turn out en masse at noon on the voting days to form huge lines as a show of opposition.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Zelenskyy gives Putin a long overdue history lesson

      Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s weaponization of bad history has helped fuel the bloodiest European conflict since World War II, writes Taras Kuzio.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia’s New Threats to Exiles: Seized Assets and Forced Returns

      The Kremlin is sending a chilly message to antiwar Russians abroad: A new law will allow their property back home to be seized, and other countries are being pressured to crack down on them.

    • Latvia ☛ 'Impeccable reputations'? Latvian Radio probes the Petr Aven fund in Latvia

      Latvian Radio's investigative journalism strand 'Atvertie Faili' (Open Files) on February 1 published its latest probe, this time into the charitable donations of one of Latvia's most controversial citizens – sanctioned Russian oligarch Petr Aven.

    • Latvia ☛ Passenger travel from Latvia to Russia, Belarus still active

      Passengers can still travel from Rīga bus station to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Pskov in Russia, as well as Minsk and Gomel in Belarus. The laws and regulations currently do not restrict passenger transport. According to a passenger carrier surveyed by Latvian Radio February 2, the passenger flow has decreased but is still active.

    • Meduza ☛ Russia says it downed 11 Ukrainian drones over border regions — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukrainian forces sink Ivanovets Russian missile ship, Ukrainian intelligence says — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Dwindling resources It’s become increasingly difficult for Ukraine to repel Russian attacks, but so far, defenses are holding — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ E.U. leaders agree on $54-billion aid package for Ukraine — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Friday Briefing: The E.U.’s Ukraine Aid Deal

      Also, U.S. sanctions on Israeli settlers and battles over bullfighting.

    • Meduza ☛ Turkish banks reportedly cracking down on Russian accounts in response to U.S. secondary sanctions — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia bans Germany-based Russian Election Monitor as ‘undesirable’ organization — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Moscow reportedly luring Syrian men to Russia and coercing them into joining army — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Satellite image of Russian Il-76 military plane crash site released — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Kremlin propagandists finally acknowledge anti-war presidential hopeful Boris Nadezhdin, and — surprise! — they say Kyiv and Russia’s exiled opposition are controlling him — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ The E.U.’s $54 Billion Deal to Fund Ukraine, Explained

      European leaders authorized the long-term financing after Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, dropped his opposition.

    • New York Times ☛ Grateful for E.U. Aid, Ukraine Now Waits for the United States

      The E.U. package of about $54 billion will be spent on nonmilitary expenses, like pensions, payments to displaced people and paying teachers and doctors.

    • New York Times ☛ Schumer Plans Senate Vote on Border and Ukraine Deal Next Week

      The Senate majority leader promised a test vote by Wednesday on a measure pairing an immigration crackdown with Ukraine aid, but its outlook remains dim with Republican resistance.

    • New York Times ☛ EU Ukraine Aid Deal Is a Pawn in Orban’s Longer Populist Game

      His real aim is to lead a populist and nativist rebellion against Europe’s liberal elite, though that campaign is showing signs of faltering.

    • New York Times ☛ EU Agrees to $54 Billion Fund for Ukraine

      Top European leaders coordinated to get the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, to agree to the 50-billion-euro plan aimed at keeping Ukraine’s economy afloat during the war with Russia.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Saving Ukraine in Hotel Amigo

      European leaders relied on both good faith and tough love to convince Hungary not to block $54 billion in aid for Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ EU Leaders Reach Deal On Ukraine Aid As Hungary Drops Demands

      Leaders from the European Union unanimously agreed to a four-year 50 billion-euro aid package for Ukraine as Hungary, which vetoed the deal in December, fell into line with the other 26 member states, ending weeks of wrangling over the move.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Says It Shot Down 11 Ukrainian Drones Over Three Border Regions

      Russia's Defense Ministry says its air-defense forces on February 1 shot down 11 Ukrainian drones over the Russian border regions of Belgorod, Kursk, and Voronezh.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Claims It Sank Another Russian Warship In Crimea

      Ukraine's military intelligence (GUR) said on February 1 that sea drones attacked and sank a Russian corvette in the Black Sea near Crimea overnight.

    • RFERL ☛ China Warns Ukraine About Labeling Its Firms As 'Sponsors Of War'

      China has warned Ukraine about designating Chinese companies as "international sponsors of war," saying it could damage relations between the two countries, Reuters reported, citing unidentified sources familiar with the matter.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine's First Lady Urges Allies To Act 'Faster' In Effort To Force Russia To Return Children

      Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska called on Kyiv’s allies to move more quickly in their joint effort to force Moscow to return Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the war, saying that time is not on the children's side.

    • RFERL ☛ Frozen Russian Central Bank Assets Generated $4.8 Billion In Interest Income In 2023

      Frozen Russian Central Bank reserves held in an account at Euroclear, the Belgium-based international depository, generated 4.4 billion euros ($4.8 billion) in interest income in 2023, Euroclear reported.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine's Military Chief Reiterates Need For Unmanned Weapons Amid Dispute With Zelenskiy

      Valeriy Zaluzhniy, the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces, said the country must develop an array of unmanned weapons systems to reduce combatant losses amid a dispute with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over mobilization.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian president critical of Hungary’s proposal for annual vote on Ukraine aid

      Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda is critical of Hungary’s proposal to have annual votes on the EU’s aid to Ukraine.

    • LRT ☛ EU’s Ukraine aid deal sends ‘very good signal’ to Washington – Lithuanian president

      EU leaders have agreed on a 50 billion euro aid package for Ukraine on Thursday. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says he hopes it will prompt the US Congress, which is now blocking funding for Kyiv, to follow suit.

    • France24 ☛ EU summit agrees €50 billion aid for Ukraine despite Hungary's veto threat

      European Union leaders unanimously agreed on Thursday to extend 50 billion euros in aid to Ukraine, the chairman of the summit said, overcoming weeks of resistance from Hungary.

    • France24 ☛ Russian strike in Ukraine kills two French nationals

      Two French nationals were killed and three other foreigners wounded on Thursday in Beryslav, near the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, Ukrainian officials said.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Experts react: The EU just approved a 50 billion euro aid package for Ukraine. How will it impact the war?

      The breakthrough follows weeks of resistance from Hungary and comes as the two-year mark of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine draws near.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Europe United: EU leaders agree on long-term support package for Ukraine

      The European Union confirmed a landmark $54 billion aid package for Ukraine on February 1 in Brussels, after EU leaders were able to overcome opposition from Hungary.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Wartime Ukraine ranks among world’s top performers in anti-corruption index

      Ukraine’s partners are right to expect maximum accountability, but there are currently no grounds for abandoning the country based on claims of corruption that are both exaggerated and outdated, writes Peter Dickinson.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Zimbabwe ☛ Bolt aggressively enters Zim ride-hailing market, zero commissions to drivers, low fares for riders

      Most people will tell you that ride hailing will not work in Zimbabwe, the citizens are too poor to afford it. Yet, Bolt, a ride-hailing platform from Estonia with operations in 45 countries across Europe and Africa, has launched its services in Harare, Zimbabwe. It follows the American company inDrive.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Determine The Dog Breeds That Live Longest – And It's All in The Nose

      Choose wisely.

    • New York Times ☛ The Dogs That Live Longest, by a Nose

      Small dogs with prominent noses live longer than bigger, flat-faced canines, a new study suggests.

    • The Straits Times ☛ S’pore-born giant panda cub Le Le has a ‘beary’ good time playing with snow in China

      February 02, 2024 1:45 PM
      
      

      The cub, who turns three years old in August, is expected to be quarantined for 30 days.

    • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Find Mysterious, Oozing Black Eggs Almost 4 Miles Below The Ocean's Surface

      Sick.

• Finance

  • Essel Group ☛ US job cuts surge | Amazon, Alphabet & Microsoft make waves in January layoffs

    The New Year brought bleak news for job seekers. Announced job cuts in the US surged in January, reaching over 82,000. It’s a 136% increase from December. This also marks the highest monthly total since march 2023. Watch to know more!

  • US layoffs more than doubled in January

    Layoffs announced in January reached their highest level in 10 months, due to restructuring efforts undertaken by companies in the financial and technology sectors, according to a report published on Thursday.

    Announced layoffs reached 82,307 in January, an increase of 136% from 34,817 in December, according to data released by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which assists companies in the employee exit process. This is the highest monthly total since March 2023.

  • US Job Cuts Surge in January: Financial & Tech Sectors Bear the Brunt

    A recent report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas delivers concerning news about the employment landscape in the United States. The data indicates an alarming surge in job cut announcements, reaching the highest level in a decade. Let’s delve into the key findings and implications.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Is China decelerating or recovering?

    Rhodium Group predicts a modest recovery for China in 2024, a contrast to previous deceleration, contingent on Beijing's structural reforms and credible policy shifts.

  • The Strategist ☛ As China’s housing market slumps, Australia’s iron ore budget bonanza is unlikely to last

    The grim state of China’s housing market has so far had little effect on the iron ore price because its steel mills are diverting their surplus output onto export markets [...]

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Despite solid figures, Atlassian shares fall on widening quarterly loss

    Shares in Atlassian Corp. fell nearly 10% in after-hours trading today after the Australian collaboration software company reported a widening loss in its latest quarter.

  • Windows Central ☛ Pay cuts for execs at Microsoft won't stop massive layoffs / Ex-Microsoft HR VP reveals why most executives don't take pay cuts to prevent massive layoffs [Ed: Inflating share price by paying people in stock instead of money]

    The tech and gaming industries have been hit hard by massive layoffs, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning of 2023, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed that the company would cut 10,000 jobs by the end of FY23 Q3, with the most recent round of layoffs affecting its gaming department. 1900 people lost their jobs across Activision Blizzard, Xbox Game Studios, and ZeniMax Media.

  • Microsoft owes everyone more context for mass Xbox layoffs

  • CRN ☛ Zoom Layoffs Total 150 As Video Giant Turns Attention To 'Critical' Areas, Including AI

    Zoom Video Communications is carrying out more job cuts. This time, the company is slashing about 150 jobs, according to a report first published by Bloomberg on Thursday.

    Zoom, which was a staple for millions of global users working remotely at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been on the decline in popularity as many workers returned to the office and as companies shifted into hybrid models.

    A spokesperson for Zoom confirmed the cuts to CRN.

    [...]

    According to recent posts on TheLayoff.com, the company's LATAM sales team was impacted by the job cuts, among other departments. On LinkedIn, several employees from various departments took to the platform to confirm they had been included in the new round of layoffs, including an integrated marketing manager and webinar program manager.

  • Zoom lays off 150 employees

    The reductions are not companywide and Zoom will continue to add people in 2024 in areas such as artificial intelligence, sales and engineering, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing internal company strategy.

  • Digital Trends ☛ What the video game industry’s layoff wave means for you | Digital Trends

    With over 6,000 developers laid off in January alone, the video game medium has been dealt some devastating blows that we'll all feel long term.

  • India Times ☛ Deutsche Bank To Lay Off 3,500 People: 10 Big Companies That Are Offboarding Employees In 2024

    Looks like the massive lay-off drive across the world is far from ending. As if 2023 wasn’t distressing enough, big companies are carrying forward the activity of cutting jobs in 2024.

    Germany’s biggest bank, Deutsche, recently announced that it would cut 3500 jobs, buy back shares and pay dividends to the investors so that its turnaround remains on track.

  • YLE ☛ Forestry giant Stora Enso mulls up to one thousand job cuts

    A weak and uncertain market is the cause for the reduction in employees, says the company.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • European Commission ☛ EU and Canada boost their strategic digital partnership to address new challenges

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 01 Feb 2024 Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton and Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne met on 1 February to begin work on implementing the EU-Canada Digital Partnership, which was concluded at the 23-24 November summit held in Canada.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean President Yoon sees support slide after Dior bag uproar

    His approval rate fell to 29%, reaching a low not seen in about nine months.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan’s message for Trump: Don’t cut a deal with China

    Tokyo has stepped up attempts to engage with people close to Trump in recent weeks.

  • New York Times ☛ History of Failure on Border Policy Hangs Over Current Push in Congress

    Republicans have scuttled efforts to rewrite immigration laws repeatedly over the past two decades, despite powerful bipartisan coalitions behind the efforts.

  • JURIST ☛ Democratic Unionist Party accepts UK government’s proposal to restore Northern Ireland power-sharing plan

    The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) agreed Tuesday to the UK government’s deal regarding the restoration of Stormont power-sharing in Northern Ireland and the operation of the Windsor Framework.

  • RFERL ☛ Georgia's Ruling Party Nominates Kobakhidze For Post Of Prime Minister

    Georgian Dream, Georgia's ruling party, nominated its leader Irakli Kobakhidze, as its candidate for prime minister on February 1, just days after Irakli Gharibashvili stepped down to give the party time to prepare for general elections that are to be held in the Caucasus nation by October.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong withdraws from esports competition after gaming programme omits ‘China’ from name of team

    Hong Kong has withdrawn from an esports tournament at the AFC Asian Cup after a computer programme for the event failed to include “China” as part of the city’s name, the Football Association of Hong Kong, China has announced.

  • JURIST ☛ US Rep. Cori Bush under investigation for potential misuse of political funds

    US Representative Cori Bush (D-MO) released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday confirming that she is currently under investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) over the potential misuse of campaign funds. In October 2022, reports alleged Bush spent high levels funds on personal security measures.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • EDRI ☛ Panel: “Misinformation and Disinformation: is democracy in crisis, and is it at aisk of failing?”

      The R Street Institute is a think tank for the modern age that focuses on deep scholarship and pragmatic policy solutions.

    • New York Times ☛ Is Fentanylware (TikTok) Over?

      The app once offered seemingly endless chances to be charmed by music, dances, personalities and products. But in only a few short years, its promise of kismet is evaporating.

    • New York Times ☛ Will Lawmakers Really Act to Protect Children Online? Some Say Yes.

      After senators grilled the leaders of Meta, TikTok, X and others, there may be momentum to pass rules to safeguard the internet’s youngest users, some said.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • JURIST ☛ Disney lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dismissed

    A federal judge in Florida dismissed Disney’s lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Secretary of Commerce on Wednesday for lack of standing and failure to state a claim.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Florida judge: Free speech can’t free Disney from DeSantis mousetrap

    Disney alleges they were stripped of self-rule of Florida land after voicing opposition to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” a free-speech violation. Judge Winsor said Disney could not prove imminent future harm from its new government.

  • Reason ☛ What Can Professors Say in Public?

    My new article on the First Amendment and controversial faculty speech

  • Techdirt ☛ Sorry Appin, We’re Not Taking Down Our Article About Your Attempts To Silence Reporters

    Back in December, we wrote about Appin. We were not writing about the reports (of which there have been many) that the organization that started as a sort of cybersecurity training school, but morphed into a kind of “hack-for-hire” scheme was involved in all sorts of nefarious activity. Rather we wrote about their (ab)use of the Indian court system to order Reuters to remove a big, detailed, investigative report on the company.

  • Reason ☛ Mark Zuckerberg Is Not a Murderer, Mr. Senator

    Republicans and Democrats are using emotional manipulation to push an agenda of censorship.

  • Techdirt ☛ ExTwitter CEO Yaccarino Says They Support Censorial KOSA Law And Wants To ‘Make Sure It Accelerates’

    So as you probably know, yesterday, the Senate held one of its semi-regular “let’s call tech CEOs to Congress and make ourselves look out of touch and foolish” hearings. This time the focus of the discussion was on “children’s safety,” but there was little to no discussion on what it actually takes to protect children online. Instead, there was plenty of nonsense grandstanding, misleading claims about Section 230, and lots and lots of baseless accusations.

  • Reason ☛ He Was Arrested for Making a Joke on Facebook. A Jury Just Awarded Him $205,000 in Damages.

    The verdict vindicates the constitutional rights that Louisiana sheriff's deputies flagrantly violated when they hauled Waylon Bailey off to jail.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Ex-publisher of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily denies police asked him to testify against Jimmy Lai, court hears

    The former publisher of pro-democracy newspaper Fashion Company Apple Daily has denied being asked to testify against his former employer Jimmy Lai by police, as the high-profile national security trial against the media mogul continued. Cheung Kim-hung returned to the witness stand for his 11th day of testimony on Thursday afternoon.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong press group again refutes ‘untruthful remarks’ made by security chief at event for new security law

    Hong Kong’s largest association of journalists has defended itself over “untruthful remarks” after being called out by security chief Chris Tang as “unrepresentative” of the media at a consultation event for Hong Kong’s homegrown national security legislation.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • JURIST ☛ Zimbabwe political prisoner released following 595 day detention

    Former member of parliament and opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Job Sikhala was released Tuesday following an almost 600 day detention in Zimbabwe’s Chikrubi Maximum Security Prison, where he remained without a chance for bail. Sikhala was arrested in June 2022 on charges of inciting public violence and has been detained since.

  • Techdirt ☛ Appeals Court Says FBI Violated The Fourth Amendment During Its Raid Of US Private Vaults

    US Private Vaults has an interesting business model. It offered something akin to end-to-end-encryption for physical goods. Unlike banks and their safety deposit boxes, US Private Vaults did not collect or retain information about its customers. Nor did it retain master keys that would allow it to access stored goods. This lack of master keys meant it was much more difficult for law enforcement to obtain access as well.

  • New York Times ☛ Airport Security Screeners in Germany Go on Strike, Grounding Flights

    An estimated 200,000 passengers were expected to be affected by the action at 11 major airports, the latest show of labor unrest in the country.

  • YLE ☛ Supermarkets open, but some shortages will be seen

    Most supermarkets and groceries are open Thursday despite widespread strikes, but shoppers may soon find some items missing from the shelves.

  • YLE ☛ Strikes culminate with 13 000 gathering on Helsinki's Senate Square

    Political walkouts hit a wide range of sectors from education and air travel to grocery stores.

  • teleSUR ☛ Finnish Workers Carry Out Strikes in Defense of Their Rights

    Parliament could approve reforms that limit social security and other rights acquired by workers.

  • France24 ☛ France's teachers go on strike, piling pressure on embattled education minister

    Teachers were striking across France on Thursday for better pay and conditions, increasing pressure on the embattled education minister who has been embroiled in a series of controversies.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Digital Music News ☛ Joe Rogan’s Podcast Is the Last Remaining Spotify Exclusive — Will It Stay That Way?

    Spotify has shifted its podcast strategy from snatching up exclusives to wider distribution. After sending the audio version of Call Her Daddy out to other platforms—The Joe Rogan Experience remains the only Spotify exclusive podcast in its stable. But for how long?

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• New York Times ☛ Developers Pan Apple’s New Plan for App Store in Europe

  To comply with European regulations, Fashion Company Apple has proposed reducing its commission on app sales while adding new fees and hurdles.

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Two Mandamus Petitions: Transfer Granted, Improper Service Denied

    In the first case, In re Honeywell Int’l Inc., Honeywell was sued for patent monopoly infringement in the Western District of Texas. Lone Star SCM Systems, Ltd. v. Honeywell International Inc., Docket No. 6:21-cv-00843 (W.D. Tex., Filed Aug 12, 2021). Honeywell moved to transfer the case to the Western District of North Carolina under 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a), arguing that the bulk of the evidence and witnesses were located there — making that location much more convenient. The district court analyzed the private and public interest factors but denied transfer, mainly based on the plaintiff’s choice of forum and judicial economy.  In particular, Judge Albright has two other cases filed by the same plaintiff pending for several years in his courtroom and he has developed substantial understanding of the patents at issue.

  • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 awarded for Empire IP entity Fleet Connect Solutions packet generator patent monopoly prior art

    Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners, Mani Manikandan and Nitish Jaswal, who split a cash award of $2,000 for their prior art submissions on U.S. Patent 7,742,388, owned by Fleet Connect Solutions, LLC, an NPE and entity of Empire IP.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Qualcomm earnings call suggests Fashion Company Apple will again extend 5G modem license, to 2027

    Due to several setbacks in its original plans to introduce its own modem SoC, Fashion Company Apple decided to extend its agreement with Qualcomm, extending its current patent monopoly license agreement until 2027.

  • JUVE ☛ Higher Regional Court Düsseldorf banks on continuity with Thomas Kühnen successor

    When it comes to appointing the heads of its patent monopoly chambers and senates, the Düsseldorf regional and higher regional courts traditionally plump for patent monopoly judges with pedigree and many years of experience in patent monopoly cases.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Three Recent TTAB Oppositions Sustained on the Ground of Non-use

    Here are three recent TTAB rulings, each sustaining an opposition based upon non-use of the opposed service mark. Remember, if a mark that is the subject of a Section 1(a) application is not in use in commerce as of the filing date, or not in use as of the filing date of an Amendment to Allege Use or a Statement of Use in a Section 2(b) application, the application is void ab initio. For a service mark, the services must be rendered in order to qualify as "use in commerce" as defined in Section 45 of the Lanham Act.

• Copyrights

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Sheet Music Covers for the Gotham-Attucks Company, ca. 1905–1911

    Beginning in 1905, one star-studded song-publishing company would push the aesthetic limits of how Black popular music was shown to the public.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Universal Music Disappears from Fentanylware (TikTok) Amid Licensing Row—Is Content Featuring UMPG Songs Being Deprioritized?

    Following UMPG’s open letter to its artists and songwriters about its lack of licensing deal with TikTok, Universal Music songs have disappeared from the platform.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Let the Muting Begin: Creators Speak Out As Fentanylware (TikTok) Axes Uploads’ Audio Due to UMG Licensing Dispute

    Let the muting begin: Amid a high-profile licensing dispute between TikTok, Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) and its mega-label parent UMG, the short-form app is officially axing the audio from videos containing certain protected works.

  • New York Times ☛ TikTok and Universal Music Group: What’s Next for Users and Artists?

    Universal Music Group, the biggest of the three major conglomerates, pulled songs by Taylor Swift, Drake and other stars after failing to agree on a new contract. Here’s what’s at stake.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Copyright, news and gen AI: Action needed from Government says Lords

    House of Lords report says it was unfair for Hey Hi (AI) firms to use copyrighted work without permission or compensation.

  • University of Michigan ☛ The public domain is more than just Mickey Mouse

    As Mickey Mouse finally enters the public domain after a grueling 95 years of legal disputes, the issue of the public domain and the laws that constrain it accompany it.

• Gemini* and Gopher

  • Personal/Opinions

    • Dyskami Owns Tri-Stat/BESM Outright

      Listening to an interview with Mark MacKinnon about Dyskami's current kickstarter I found out that Dyskami owns the Tri-Stat/BESM system outright again, having bought it back from Paradox Interactive. I was glad to see that.

    • 🔤SpellBinding: YEGHOPA Wordo: DEALT

  • Technology and Free Software

    • My new Nework Setup

      It may be risky to publish my network layout, but because I got a new PFSense router and I like to talk about my homelab and the things I'm tinkering with I'm writing this gemlog post. Maybe it's some inspiration for someone.

      It's always a mess to switch out such an integral and central part of a homelab like a router, so I did a lot of planning and research this time to get it right.

    • FOSDEM 2024

      Does anyone from here go to FOSDEM? :)

    • Internet/Gemini

      • The year the Internet changed

        If I had to put my finger on the most recent major inflection point for the Internet, it would be 1995.

    • Programming

      • Experiments in Minimal Syntax Highlighting

        A few weeks ago, I saw someone posting on the Fediverse about their experiments with extremely minimalist syntax highlighting (i.e. little to no highlighting at all, other than maybe comments and strings), and had mentioned a few Vim plugins for it. Pinned the plugin tab in my browser because I've been wanting to look into something like that for a while, but didn't get around to it until a few days ago.