Leftovers

• New Yorker ☛ Is Matt Walsh Trying to Make “Am I Racist?” the “Borat” of the Right?

  In his work with the Daily Wire and in a new movie, the conservative podcaster and activist tries to expose the hypocrisies of the left.

• HowTo Geek ☛ What’s the Worst Subscription That You Still Pay For?

  Subscription services are everywhere, and it's getting out of control. People pay monthly for movies and TV, music, storage space, razors, Xbox Live, food delivery, BarkBox, Loot Crates, wallpaper apps, heated car seats, and I could go on and on. Some of these are amazing, while others are pretty awful. So, what's the worst (or least favorite) subscription you keep paying for? And why?

• Science

  • Hackaday ☛ Static Electricity And The Machines That Make It

    Static electricity often just seems like an everyday annoyance when a wool sweater crackles as you pull it off, or when a doorknob delivers an unexpected zap. Regardless, the phenomenon is much more fascinating and complex than these simple examples suggest. In fact, static electricity is direct observable evidence of the actions of subatomic particles and the charges they carry.

  • Hackaday ☛ 3D Printer Swaps Build Plates To Automate Print Jobs

    [Andre Me] has long-standing interest in automating 3D print jobs, and his latest project is automating build plate changes on the Bambu A1 Mini.

  • Science Alert ☛ Overlooked Weather Phenomenon Produces Gamma Rays in Our Atmosphere

    Meteorologists didn't believe it at first.

  • Science Alert ☛ An Act of River 'Piracy' Could Explain Why Everest Grew So Tall

    No, not that kind.

  • Science Alert ☛ Ant Queens Practice 'Hygienic Cannibalism' Out of Tough Love

    Don't mess with mama.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Made a Golden Lettuce That Comes With a Vitamin Boost

    Eat your greens and golds.

  • Science Alert ☛ Doomed Franklin Expedition Ate Their Captain, Bone Study Reveals

    The most desperate times.

  • Science Alert ☛ First New Schizophrenia Treatment in Decades a Much-Needed Alternative

    A game changer.

  • Science Alert ☛ One Group of Muscles Stands Out in The World's Strongest Men (And It's Not What You Think)

    Don't skip leg day.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Pacific Megastructure May Be Seafloor From Time of The Dinosaurs

    Reaching through time.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Building A 3D Printed Scanning Tunneling Microscope

    YouTuber [MechPanda] has recreated a DIY STM hack we covered about ten years ago, updating it to be primarily 3D-printed, using modern electronics, making it much more accessible to many folks. This simple STM setup utilises a piezoelectric actuator constructed by deliberately cutting a piezo speaker into four quadrants. With individual drive wires attached to the four quadrants. They (re)discovered that piezoelectric ceramic materials are not big fans of soldering heat. Still, in the absence of ultrasonic welding equipment, they did manage to get some wires to take to the surface using low-temperature solder paste.

  • Liam Proven ☛ Chris da Kiwi's personal history of computers

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Despite Intel's woes, the U.S. remains the revenue leader of the semiconductor industry [Ed: How to spin Intel's collapse as not a big deal]

    With $264.6 billion in 2023 sales, the U.S. semiconductor industry remains the largest on the planet, and this will not change anytime soon.

  • CNX Software ☛ Congatec conga-TCR8 AMD Ryzen Embedded 8000 COM Express computer-on-module series delivers up to 39 TOPS of Hey Hi (AI) performance

    Congatec has released a new line of Ryzen Embedded 8000-powered COM Express Type 6 Compact computer-on-modules with the conga-TCR8 module series offering up to 39 tera operations per second (TOPS) for Hey Hi (AI) inference and 128GB of DDR5-5600 memory with error correction code (ECC) for data-sensitive and data-critical applications.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Science Alert ☛ Ohio Train Derailment's Toxic Fallout Lingered in The Worst Possible Places

    A true catastrophe.

  • Science Alert ☛ FDA-Approved Antidepressant Treats Incurable Brain Cancer in Preclinical Trial

    This is promising.

  • Dhole Moments ☛ Why are furry conventions offering HIV testing to attendees?

    Spoiler: It’s nothing scandalous or bad. Every once in a while, someone posts this photo on Ex-Twitter to attempt to dunk on furries: Over the years, I’ve seen this discourse play out several times.

  • New Yorker ☛ Has Social Media Fuelled a Teen-Suicide Crisis?

    Mental-health struggles have risen sharply among young Americans, and parents and lawmakers alike are scrutinizing life online for answers.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Beyond balance: A call for work-life integration in the federal workplace for Suicide Prevention Month

    By embracing work-life integration, we can unlock the potential for our work to foster connection, purpose, and meaning.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • JURIST ☛ California governor vetoes Hey Hi (AI) regulation bill for over-breadth

    California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill (SB) 1047 on Sunday, concluding the bill was too broad in its regulation of large artificial intelligence (AI) models and lacked empirical support.

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ Why bigger is not always better in AI

    This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. In Hey Hi (AI) research, everyone seems to think that bigger is better. The idea is that more data, more computing power, and more parameters will lead to models that are more powerful.…

  • Sharkmob London Cancels Game, Laying Off Employees

    Sharkmob London is laying off an unknown number of employees. The move comes after the studio cancelled a game that it was working on.

    In a statement released to GamesIndustry.biz, the studio says it is working through trying to determine how many layoffs need to be made.

  • HoloLens Dies

    • Games ☛ Microsoft discontinues HoloLens 2, no replacement planned

      Microsoft has confirmed it will stop manufacturing the HoloLens 2 at the end of 2027.

      As reported by UploadVR, the device will continue to receive "updates to address critical security issues and software regressions" until the cut off point, after which software support will end.

      The HoloLens 2 launched in 2019, three years after the first iteration of the augmented reality headset.

    • Microsoft Discontinuing HoloLens 2 With No Plans For Another Headset

      Microsoft is sunsetting the production of its HoloLens 2 mixed-reality headset. First reported by UploadVR, Microsoft is discontinuing the HoloLens 2, five years after it launched in 2019.

      For those that own the headset, it will still receive “update to address critical security issues and software regressions” until December 31, 2027. At that time, all support for the device will stop.

      For those with an original HoloLens headset, support for that device ends on December 10, 2024.

    • Inkl ☛ It's over. Microsoft discontinues HoloLens 2, ending its foray into VR.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Defence Web ☛ Africa facing significant security and stability headwinds – Africom

    African nations are facing complex and layered threats to their stability and security, with significant headwinds across the continent, according to General Michael Langley, Commander of the US military’s Africa Command (Africom).

  • Sky News ☛ Iran attack on Israel: 'If this is the best Iran can do then Israel will chalk this up as another victory,' says analyst

    Israel's army said nearly 200 missiles were launched into Israel from Iran. The military said there were very few injuries. But Iran's state TV has claimed 80% of the missiles hit their targets.

  • JURIST ☛ Amnesty International calls for accountability from DRC president over human rights violations

    Amnesty International urges the international community on Monday to hold the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi, accountable for violations of human rights.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s Pooh-tin Jinping reiterates call for Taiwan ‘reunification’ in National Day speech

    President Pooh-tin Jinping reiterated his call for China to “reunite” with Taiwan, the self-ruled island China claims as its own, during an address on the eve of national holiday celebrations.

  • New York Times ☛ Senior Officer Gets 3 Years Over South Korea Crowd Crush

    Lee Im-jae, a former district chief, is the most senior official to be convicted in connection with the 2022 disaster that killed nearly 160 Halloween partygoers.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Shanghai knife attack kills three, wounds 15 on eve of China’s national day

    Police said the man went on the rampage in anger caused by a “personal financial dispute”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese military conducts patrols in parts of South China Sea: State media

    This is an extension of rare military drills and exercises in the region over the weekend.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, US to hold talks on economic and trade issues, Xinhua reports

    Both sides are set to discuss key issues of mutual concern, including restrictions on electric vehicles.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Vietnam fishing boat attacked near contested South China Sea islands, media reports

    Three of the fishermen had their legs and arms broken during the attack.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea appears to dismiss return to personal diplomacy with US

    At an August press conference, Trump said Kim Jong Un “liked me a lot”.

  • RFA ☛ INTERVIEW: Former ‘Office 39’ official on how North Korea finances nukes

    ‘Nowadays, no one believes that having nuclear weapons will lead to a better life,’ Ri Jong Ho says.

  • RFA ☛ South Korea unveils missile that can hit the North’s bunkers

    Dubbed the ‘monster missile,’ the Hyunmoo-5 is reported to have capacity comparable to that of a nuclear weapon.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea criticises US deployment of nuclear assets in South Korea

    South Korean media has reported that a B-1B bomber will join a military parade set for Oct 1 and fly over Seoul.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Options for India, China to resolve border stand-off, Indian army chief says

    The militaries haven't secured a breakthrough on two remaining points of friction.

  • RFA ☛ China holds drills at disputed Scarborough Shoal

    The exercises took place as the Philippines, the U.S. and allies held joint drills in the South China Sea.

  • RFA ☛ Vietnam says China attacked fishing boat near disputed islands

    It says assailants beat the crew with iron bars and confiscated their catch.

  • JURIST ☛ Fiji president calls for respect and regional safety following China missile test

    Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere has called for “respect for our region” and an end to missile testing in the Pacific following China’s recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Katonivere reminded the world of the Pacific Ocean’s troubling history as a nuclear weapons testing ground.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US approves US$567 million in defence assistance for Taiwan as Beijing warns arming island will ‘backfire’

    US President Joe Biden on Sunday approved US$567 million in defense assistance for Taiwan, the White House said, as China ramps up political and military pressure on the self-ruled island.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong man arrested on suspicion of damaging decorations for China’s National Day in Sheung Shui

    A Hong Kong man has been arrested for allegedly damaging decorative lights put up outside the Sheung Shui MTR station to celebrate China’s National Day. The 51-year-old clerk, surnamed Chiu, was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of five counts of criminal damage, police said on Monday.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ U.S. Must Prepare For 'Long-Term' Confrontation With Russia, Helsinki Commission Says

      The United States must prepare for a “long-term” confrontation with Russia that won’t end when authoritarian President Vladimir Putin departs from the political scene, according to a new report by a bipartisan commission.

    • Latvia ☛ LTV: Navalny associate attack suspect had fake Latvian passport

      Russian citizen Anatoly Blinov, arrested in Poland on suspicion of organizing an attack on Leonid Volkov, an associate of the deceased Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, moved around Europe using a forged Latvian passport issued in the name of a repeatedly convicted non-citizen living in Liepāja, Latvian Television's De Facto reported on September 29.

    • Latvia ☛ PMLP: Latvian passport used by Blinov was issued legitimately

      The passport of a Latvian non-citizen, which was illegally used by a Russian citizen Anatoly Blinov, detained in Poland in connection with the attack on Alexei Navalny's associate Leonid Volkov, was issued correctly to its owner, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs told LETA on September 30.

    • RFERL ☛ Navalny May Have Been Poisoned To Death In Prison, Investigative Group Says

      Russian opposition politician and outspoken Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, who died in prison in February, might have been poisoned, the Insider investigative group said, citing official documents that appear to have been edited to conform with the state's contention he died from cardiac issues.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Stresses Need For Battlefield Gains Ahead Of Next Ramstein Meeting

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy once again acknowledged the "very, very difficult” situation his military is facing after his air defenses were forced to destroy multiple waves of Russian drones targeting Kyiv.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • University of Michigan ☛ Michigan Engineering hosts Theranos whistleblower Erika Cheung

    About 350 University of Michigan students and faculty gathered in the Stamps Auditorium Thursday evening to listen to Erika Cheung discuss her experience as a key whistleblower who exposed fraud at Theranos, a biotech startup company.

• Environment

  • France24 ☛ More than 120 dead across southeastern US in aftermath of Hurricane Helene

    At least 121 people have been killed across a wide swath of the southeastern US after torrential rains and flooding brought by Hurricane Helene downed power and communication lines, blocked roads, and caused supply shortages. Officials said the death toll could rise into the hundreds, given that 600 are currently unaccounted for  as rescuers work to bring basic supplies to isolated areas devastated by the hurricane.

  • New York Times ☛ Super Typhoon Krathon Nears Taiwan After Lashing the Philippines

    The storm is expected to bring torrential rain this week to Taiwan’s south, including Kaohsiung, the island’s third-largest city.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Digital Music News ☛ BTS’ Suga Slapped with $11,000 Fine for Electric Scooter DUI Offense

      A Seoul court fines BTS’ Suga $11,500 for driving an electric scooter while under the influence of alcohol. BTS member Suga has been fined by a Seoul court an amount totaling $11,500 (15 million KRW) for driving an electric scooter while under the influence of alcohol.

• Finance

  • CVS Health Layoffs: Healthcare, Pharmacy Company To Lay Off Around 2,900 Employees Amid Cost Cutting Strategy

    CVS Health is reportedly planning to lay off around 2,900...

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • JURIST ☛ ACLU to challenge Pennsylvania’s mail ballot dating rule before the US Supreme Court

    The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed a petition on Friday to the US Supreme Court to determine if Pennsylvania’s requirement for voters to include a date on their mail ballot return envelopes violates federal law.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ In Pictures: Hong Kong must contribute to China’s growth amid global uncertainty, leader John Lee says on National Day

    Hong Kong must leverage its own strengths as an international financial hub and seek new areas of growth to contribute to China’s national development amid a “once-in-a-century” global shake-up, Chief Executive John Lee has said. Tuesday marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of People’s Republic of China.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ HKFP Lens: Hong Kong awash with public displays of patriotism on China’s National Day

    Hong Kong marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on Tuesday with more than 400 events, discounts on public transport and at certain restaurants, and free admission to government-managed museums.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Could the United States’ future liftoffs take place in Africa?

    This summer, as France and China continued to mark their sixtieth anniversary of diplomatic relations, the Space Variable Objects Monitor—a satellite developed by the two countries—launched successfully into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

  • The Strategist ☛ Somaliland is where India can counter China in east Africa

    India should develop closer relations with Somaliland, especially by using its port. This could provide India a valuable tool for countering China’s influence along the eastern coast of Africa.

  • The Strategist ☛ Broadening strategic reliance to signal Australia’s resolve against China

    To signal resolve to China, Australia must develop and clearly communicate a broadened strategic reliance on Indo-Pacific partners.

  • The Strategist ☛ How giant China looms over tiny Palau’s economy

    Palau is finding itself increasingly entangled in China’s economic web—in many cases, it seems, because Beijing is controlling investment and business links with the strategically critical Pacific nation of 18,000 people.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Five challenges facing Japan’s new PM Ishiba

    The challenges include party scandals, security threats and an ageing population.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Visitors to Hong Kong museums hail China’s history and champion its development on National Day

    Residents and visitors headed out across Hong Kong on Tuesday to make the most of a public holiday for China’s National Day and the associated events and discounts on offer – including free admission to government-managed museums.

  • France24 ☛ Budget, immigration set to dominate French PM Barnier’s much-awaited policy speech

    French Prime Minister Michel Barnier outlines the policy priorities of his new government in a much-awaited speech on Tuesday as it seeks to shore up its fragile position following a record two-month transition period that politically paralysed France.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • New York Times ☛ Assange, in First Speech Since Release, Says He Was Jailed for Journalism

    Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, said in public remarks in Strasbourg, France, that his imprisonment had set a dangerous precedent.

  • NYPost ☛ Julian Assange tells European lawmakers he ‘chose freedom over an unrealizable justice’ in first public comments since release from prison

    "I am free today after years of incarceration because I pleaded guilty to journalism, pleaded guilty to seeking information from sources, I pleaded guilty to obtaining information from a source and I pleaded guilty to inform the public."

  • Press Gazette ☛ Tortoise heads for showdown with NUJ over bid to buy Observer

    Observer staff remain unconvinced after meeting James Harding.

  • Michael Geist ☛ The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 214: Erin Millar on Trust in Media and the Implementation of the Online News Act

    Questions about trust in the media have escalated in Canada in recent months as with each error or questionable tweet, there is seemingly an inevitable chorus of concerns that raise doubts about the implications of government regulation and funding of the media. So where is the Online News Act at right now? What of the new collective designed to distribute the $100 million that Surveillance Giant Google agreed to pay in return for an exemption from mandated arbitration? And what can be done about the mounting trust deficit?

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• The Strategist ☛ Pacific initiatives need transparency and ground rules to reduce harmful competition

  It’s time for the Pacific to talk about ground rules in the security sector.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Posts October 2024 Hearing Schedule

    The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (Tee-Tee-Ā-Bee) has scheduled three (III) oral hearings for the month of October 2024. As indicated below, two of the hearings will be held virtually and the third will be in-person at the USPTO's Madison East Building in Alexandria, Virginia. Briefs and other papers for each case may be found at TTABVUE via the links provided.

    
    

    October 1, 2024 - 10 AM [Virtual]: Morris Bart, III and Morris Bart, LLC v. Laborde Earles Law Firm, LLC, Serial No. 97325462 [Opposition to registration of ON MY SIDE for legal services, in view of opposer's registered mark I’M ON YOUR SIDE for legal services.]

    
    

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Precedential No. 24: TTAB Rejects Law School Amicus Brief, Denies Partial Summary Judgment, and Tosses Out Six Affirmative Defense

    In a merciless three-pronged, precedential interlocutory ruling, the Board (1) denied a law school clinic's dubious motion for leave to file an amicus brief, (2) denied Applicant Herman Jones's hopeless motion for partial summary judgment on his nonuse counterclaims, and (3) jettisoned Opposer Monster Energy's improper and ill-pled affirmative defenses. So who's the bully here?Monster Energy Company v. Herman Jones, Opposition No. 91284247 (September 23, 2024) [precedential].

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ 24 Hours Later, YouTube Is Now Reinstating SESAC-Repped Videos After Securing a Deal — So What the Hell Happened?

    YouTube is reinstating its missing songs from SESAC-repped artists like Adele and Nirvana after reaching an agreement with the performing rights organization. That’s good news for everyone, though the strange incident is raising a bevy of questions.

  • Digital Music News ☛ YouTube Says Its SESAC Contract Expired Without a Deal — Adele, Nirvana, Kendrick Lamar, Britney Spears & More Unavailable

    This weekend YouTube claimed that its SESAC contract expired without a renewal, resulting in some of the most popular music being pulled from YouTube and YouTube Music. Searching for music from Adele, Kendrick Lamar, Britney Spears, Green Day, Kanye West, Burna Boy, and many more stars simply returns an error. “Video unavailable,” the error begins.