Leftovers

• Hackaday ☛ Inside NFC

  [Ken Shirriff] likes to take chips apart and this time his target is an NFC chip used in Montreal transit system tickets. As you might expect, the tickets are tiny, cheap, and don’t have any batteries. So how does it work?

• Hackaday ☛ 2024 Business Card Challenge: Go Tic-Tac-Toe-to-Toe With Them

  There is perhaps no more important time to have a business card than when you’re in college, especially near the end when you’re applying for internships and such. And it’s vital that you stand out from the crowd somehow. To that end, Electrical & Computer Engineer [Ryan Chan] designed a tidy card that plays tic-tac-toe.

• Science

  • The Straits Times ☛ US needs Chinese students in humanities and Indian students for sciences: US diplomat

    Concerns about theft of US expertise have subjected Chinese students to unwarranted suspicion.

  • Science Alert ☛ Teen Cannabis Use Dramatically Raises Risk of Psychotic Disorders

    A critical window of brain development.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Pinpoint Where Extreme Moods of Bipolar Disorder Exist in Brain

  • Science Alert ☛ Drinking Coffee May Lower Risk of Death From Too Much Sitting

    The miracle compound?

  • Science Alert ☛ Texas Abortion Ban Linked to Marked Increase in Infant Deaths, Study Finds

    Very concerning findings.

• Hardware

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ How much RAM will you need in 5 years?

    Apple and Microsoft recently bumped their minimum system requirements to 16 gigs of RAM (mostly to accommodate new AI features in Windows and macOS). How much RAM will we need to have in 5 years? Let's look at the RAM usage trajectory of personal computers to figure out what we'll need to have in the near future.

  • Hackaday ☛ One-handed PS-OHK Keyboard Doesn’t Need Chording Or Modifier Keys

    Most one-handed keyboards rely on modifier keys or chording (pressing multiple keys in patterns) to stretch the functionality of a single hand’s worth of buttons. [Dylan Turner]’s PS-OHK takes an entirely different approach, instead putting 75 individual keys within reach of a single hand, with a layout designed to be practical as well as easy to get used to.

  • Hackaday ☛ Build Your Own Core Rope Memory Module?

    [Luizão] wanted to create some hardware to honour the memory of the technology used to put man on the moon and chose the literal core of the project, that of the hardware used to store the software that provided the guidance. We’re talking about the magnetic core rope memory used in the Colossus and Luminary guidance computers. [Luizão] didn’t go totally all out and make a direct copy but instead produced a scaled-down but supersized demo board with just eight cores, each with twelve addressable lines, producing a memory with 96 bits.

  • Hackaday ☛ An Easy Transparent Edge Lit Display

    Displays are crucial to modern life; they are literally everywhere. But modern flat-panel LCDs and cheap 7-segment LED displays are, well, a bit boring. When we hackers want to display the progress of time, we want something more interesting, hence the plethora of projects using Nixie tubes and various incantations of edge-lit segmented units. Here is [upir] with their take on the simple edge-lit acrylic 7-segment design, with a great video explanation of all the steps involved.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Could Delaying Menopause Improve Women’s Health and Longevity?

    Scientists are studying how to keep the ovaries working longer — and potentially, prevent age-related diseases in the process.

  • University of Michigan ☛ MHealthy encourages eating more fruits and vegetables

    Registration is now open for U-M faculty and staff to join a six-week challenge encouraging them to take steps to eat more produce, a vital source of healthy nutrients.

  • Reason ☛ 'Vast Majority' of Pandemic Employee Retention Credit Claims Are Likely Scams, Says IRS

    Just the latest development in the continuing saga of COVID stimulus fraud.

  • Reason ☛ Claim That Public School Employee Was Unconstitutionally Fired for Sharp Pro-COVID-Vaccine Post Can Go Forward

    From Webb v. Aspen View Academy, decided Thursday by Magistrate Judge Scott Varholak (D. Colo.); the plaintiff was the Business Manager of a public charter school, and alleges she was fired in part based on a Facebook (Farcebook) post (though there's a lot more there as well, discussed in the long opinion).

  • NIH award funds new center on infectious disease pathogens

    A new $10 million award to Michigan Medicine from the National Institutes of Health will help accelerate the understanding of pathogens that threaten human life.

  • Reason ☛ The FDA's Belated Approval of Menthol-Flavored E-Cigarettes Epitomizes Its Arbitrary Edicts

    The agency's inscrutable approach to harm-reducing nicotine products sacrifices consumer choice and public health on the altar of youth protection.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ US resumes avocado and mango inspections in Michoacán

    USDA health inspections were suspended in Michoacán after employees reported being threatened in the town of Aranza.

  • University of Michigan ☛ U.S. Supreme Court preserves access to abortion medication mifepristone

    On June 13, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled to maintain current access to the abortion medication mifepristone.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Gov’t orders probe after 9-hour system glitch stopped Hong Kong airport display screens from functioning

    The Hong Kong government has ordered an investigation into a nine-hour system glitch that stopped the airport’s display screens from working on Sunday. The Airport Authority said the system failure was not due to a cyberattack and apologised for causing inconvenience to passengers.

  • WhichUK ☛ Facebook and Instagram pauses plans to use posts to train Hey Hi (AI) models

    Meta's Hey Hi (AI) plans on hold after receiving pushback from regulators

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Man attacks school bus in China, wounding three including Japanese woman and child

    A Chinese woman, who was aboard the bus, is in critical condition.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China dismisses Canadian complaints over Xinjiang human rights

    Beijing said Ottawa should focus instead on its own issues with discrimination.

  • RFA ☛ US official on Vietnam visit warns of ‘irresponsible’ China

    US Assistant State Secretary Kritenbrink visited Vietnam amid heightened tensions between China and Philippines.

  • RFA ☛ Vietnam improves in US human trafficking report

    But Myanmar, Cambodia, China and North Korea remain in the annual report’s worst category.

  • RFA ☛ China changes names of 630 Uyghur villages in Xinjiang: report

    It’s another way of erasing Uyghur religion, history and culture, a human rights group says.

  • JURIST ☛ Canada ambassador to China raises human rights concerns during visit to Xinjiang Uyghur region

    Canada’s Ambassador to China, Jennifer May, visited the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region from June 19 to 22, where she expressed concerns over documented human rights violations, according to a statement released Sunday by Global Affairs Canada.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te vows to seek to overturn controversial reform that sparked massive protests

    Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te signed into law on Monday a controversial reform expanding parliament’s powers, but vowed to seek a ruling from the island’s top court to try to overturn it.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te says China ‘has no right to punish’ island’s residents for their views

    Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said Monday that China “has no right to punish” Taiwanese people for their views or advocacy, after Beijing warned “diehard” supporters of the island’s independence could face the death penalty.

  • France24 ☛ ‘China has no right to punish the people of Taiwan’, says President Lai

    Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said Monday that China "has no right to punish" Taiwanese people for their views or advocacy, after Beijing warned "diehard" supporters of the island's independence could face the death penalty.

  • Defence Web ☛ Two more ships hit by Houthis

    Houthi forces have hit another two ships off Yemen, as continued strikes are damaging and sinking a growing number of vessels and disrupting maritime trade. The Houthis on Sunday 23 June said they had attacked two ships in the Red Sea and Indian ocean.

  • New York Times ☛ Supply Chain Under Strain as Houthis Intensify Red Sea Strikes

    As Houthi rebels intensify strikes on vessels headed for the Suez Canal, global shipping prices are soaring, raising fears of product shortages and delays.

  • France24 ☛ Israeli defence chief heads to US to discuss Gaza, Lebanon hostilities

    Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant headed to Washington on Sunday for “critical” talks on the next phase of the Gaza war and the escalating hostilities against Hezbollah on the Lebanon border.

  • JURIST ☛ Iran issues indictment against US over general’s killing in drone strike

    Iran has announced an indictment targeting the US government and 73 military officials concerning the death of General Qassem Soleimani, according to Iranian state media reports on Sunday. Soleimani was killed in a drone strike ordered by former US President Donald Trump on January 3, 2020.

  • RFA ☛ Myanmar airstrike on monastery where villagers were sheltering kills 17 activists

    The air force apparently bombed a monastery under the control of junta forces by mistake.

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Strike Kills Health Official, Gazans Say, as Gallant Visits U.S.

    Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, was meeting with the C.I.A. director and the secretary of state on Monday as Israel signaled a potential shift in its military campaign in Gaza.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ President-elect Sheinbaum confirms she will support military control of National Guard

    Post-election, the president-elect hasn't changed her tune: She continues to support AMLO's security strategy and proposed changes to the Constitution.

  • Defence Web ☛ The need for military oversight to be probed by SU webinar

    A Stellenbosch University (SU) arranged webinar set down for Thursday (27 June) will look into the need for oversight of South African military deployments and operations internally as well as continentally.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Press Gazette ☛ Nigel Farage goes to war with Mail titles over coverage of Ukraine comments

      Mail and Mail on Sunday reports about Farage and Putin have prompted a Ex-Twitter tirade and legal threats.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Sweden’s NATO accession: A twenty-month square dance

      Despite concerns over Erdogan's personal ties to Putin, Turkey's slow approval of Sweden's ascension to NATO was rooted in very real issues.

    • CS Monitor ☛ How North Korea is capitalizing on Russia’s war woes

      Vladimir Putin’s brief Asia tour marks his latest bid to rally old allies of the Soviet Union, with major ramifications for international security.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • Reason ☛ Why I Post About Pretrial Decisions (on Motions to Dismiss and Such)

    A commenter on the Claim That Public School Employee Was Unconstitutionally Fired for Sharp Pro-COVID-Vaccine Post Can Go Forward thread wrote: Eugene Volokh likes to post about cases that can go forward because they survive some kind of summary judgement.

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ Heavy Rain and Deadly Flooding in Southern China, in Photos

    The city of Meizhou reported a “once-in-a-century” flood, with at least 38 people dying in one county alone.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Fire at Lithium Battery Plant in South Korea Kills at Least 22

      The blaze was one of the country’s deadliest in recent years. Most of the victims were migrant workers from China.

    • Barry Kauler ☛ Trike simplified steering linkage assembled

      A couple of days ago, I posted about a simplified steering linkage that I can put together quickly:

    • Trike simplified steering linkage — June 22, 2024

    Today manufactured the wheel-knuckle lever extensions. Used 50x3mm cross-section mild steel. Here is a sketch: [...]

  • New Yorker ☛ An Around-the-World Eco-Voyage Makes a Pit Stop Near Wall Street

    Energy Observer, a ship equipped with solar panels and a hydrogen fuel cell, has spent the past seven years circumnavigating the globe, powered by sun, water, and salads.

• Wildlife/Nature

  • European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner Stella Kyriakides at Agrifish Council - Protection of Animals During Transport

  • European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner Stella Kyriakides at Agrifish Council - Plant and Forest Reproductive Material

Finance

• New York Times ☛ Fearing Losses, Banks Are Quietly Dumping Real Estate Loans

  If landlords can’t pay back loans on office buildings, the lenders will suffer. Some banks are trying to avoid that fate.

• Mexico News Daily ☛ Peso stronger, prices higher as June comes to a close

  The peso responded to a slight weakening of the US dollar and to data published on Monday showing another uptick in Mexico's inflation rate.

• Reason ☛ Eating Doritos While Drowning in Debt

  Plus: A listener asks if there are any libertarian solutions to rising obesity rates.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

• New York Times ☛ How Much Is the Health of Biden and Trump Our Business?

  We live in an age when people can live longer and healthier even with significant health conditions. What does this mean for future presidents?

• New York Times ☛ Japan and South Korea Are Fighting Over an App at a Tense Time

  SoftBank and Naver helped bridge geopolitical relations with a joint venture to own the operator of the messaging app Line, but now the partnership is fraying.

• New York Times ☛ They Came to See Trump. First They Heard a Pitch to Buy Gold and Silver.

  At a recent campaign speech, one of Donald Trump’s warm-up acts was a precious metals salesman being sued by federal regulators for fraud.

• New York Times ☛ Judge Skeptical About Request to Limit Trump Statements on F.B.I.

  Judge Aileen Cannon posed tough questions to prosecutors who want to bar the former president from making inflammatory remarks about the agents who searched Mar-a-Lago in the documents case.

• CS Monitor ☛ Amid economic turmoil, Iranians pin hopes on ‘Hamster Kombat’ app

  The rise of the “Hamster Kombat” crypto app in Iran underscores economic desperation and widespread hope for relief amid the presidential election. Iran’s economy suffers from Western sanctions, high inflation, and few jobs.

• France24 ☛ French far-right leader Bardella pledges to curb immigration, inflation ahead of elections

  French far-right leader Jordan Bardella said Monday his party was ready to govern as he pledged to curb immigration and tackle cost-of-living issues ahead of the country's most divisive election in decades.

• CS Monitor ☛ Trash talk? Border tensions soar as North Korea deploys more garbage balloons.

  North Korea has resumed its launch of balloons filled with trash toward South Korea. Citizens have been advised not to touch the balloons and to report sightings to authorities.

• RFA ☛ Hong Kongers in UK 'feeling nervous' over ID card changes

  Some fear security laws could be used to target them for their overseas social control media activity, if they return.

• RFA ☛ Myanmar junta chief issues rare apology for shooting death of Buddhist abbot

  But Min Aung Hlaing said troops fired on his car for ‘security reasons’ when it failed to stop.

Censorship/Free Speech

• AccessNow ☛ #NoExamShutdown: Jordan’s commitment to #KeepItOn should continue this year

  We're sending an open letter to authorities in Jordan calling them to continue to #KeepItOn during this year's exams.

• RFA ☛ Activists accuse 2 Chinese companies of helping junta control the internet

  Justice for Myanmar linked Geedge Networks and a state-run company to the architect of the ‘Great Firewall.’

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Leader of Hong Kong radical group received HK$1.2 million during 2019 protests, court hears

  The leader of Hong Kong radical group “Dragon Slayers” received deposits of at least HK$1.2 million into his bank accounts during the 2019 protests and unrest despite only earning about HK$56,000 in the previous two years combined, a court has heard.

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Former Tiananmen vigil activist Chow Hang-tung seeks to remove judge from national security trial over potential bias

  Rights activist Chow Hang-tung, in a bid to have a judge replaced in her national security trial, has argued that the judge’s involvement in an earlier case could compromise her right to a fair trial.

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Safeguarding national security is most important value for Hong Kong’s civil servants, official says

  Safeguarding national security is the most important value for Hong Kong’s 175,000 civil servants and the framework guiding their work, the Secretary for Civil Service Ingrid Yeung has said.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

• Press Gazette ☛ Mind the London news gap: The boroughs which have little coverage of council activities

  All but two London boroughs have publications covering council activities, although in some cases self-published reporters have stepped into the gap left by the withdrawal of established publishers.

Civil Rights/Policing

• Reason ☛ Court Strikes Down Arkansas Town Limit on Signature Gathering at Town Festival

  The Town of Rose Bud restriction appears aimed at a particular proposed constitutional amendment, which would "require all schools receiving public funds to meet identical standards and would require universal access to pre-K education."

• JURIST ☛ Iran Supreme Leader bans judges from basing decisions on Western human rights principles

  The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei ordered the country’s judiciary not to refer to Western human rights principles in their decisions, in a Saturday speech during a meeting with the country’s Judiciary Chief and other senior judiciary officials. The Supreme Leader said that the principles are incorrect and described Western countries as hypocritical.

• ACLU ☛ Overturning Roe is Just the Beginning

  Today marks two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, wiping out federal protections for abortion rights. This decision was a direct result of Donald Trump’s actions. In 2016, during his presidential campaign, he vowed to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe. Over the course of his presidency, he did just that – appointing the three Supreme Court justices who later voted to reverse decades of protections for abortion rights.

• RFERL ☛ U.S. Supreme Court To Take Up Hungary's Bid To End Lawsuit Filed By Holocaust Survivors And Heirs

  The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on June 24 to intervene for the second time in a dispute between Hungary and Holocaust survivors who want to be compensated for property confiscated from them during World War II.

• CS Monitor ☛ As book bans surge, LGBTQ+ library employees say the workplace no longer feels safe

  LGBTQ+ library workers say they are encountering hostile patrons even as lawmakers are increasingly considering lawsuits, fines, and even imprisonment for distributing books some regard as inappropriate.

• New York Times ☛ Louisiana Parents Sue to Block Display of Ten Commandments in Schools

  A law enacted last week requires the display of the commandments in every public classroom. The parents argued it “pressures students into religious observance.”

Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

• APNIC ☛ Exploring IPv6 scanning activities and prefix discovery

  Guest Post: An analysis of scanning behaviour in darknets and honeynets.

• Ruben Schade ☛ The other side of nostalgia, and the IndieWeb?

  Electronic nostalgia and history are important to me. There was something magical about the 1980s and early 1990s when it came to home and mini computers, and I revel in teaching my old dogs new tricks. I assumed this was harmless fun, but I’m seeing more pushback against the idea, or at least nostalgia in general.

  I was scrolling through a podcast directory recently, like a gentleman, when I chanced upon a sociology series that discussed the “problems with nostalgia”. Their angle, at least based on the description, was that modern companies are playing on nostalgia to release new devices, movies, foods, and so on. But they’re overpriced, crappy, or otherwise uninspired. I suppose there’s big business in giving people modern analogues to their nostalgia, whether it respects the source material or not.