Leftovers

• Hackaday ☛ Flyback, Done Right

  A common part used to create a high voltage is a CRT flyback transformer, having been a ubiquitous junk pile component. So many attempts to use them rely on brute force, with power transistors in simple feedback oscillators dropping high currents into hand-wound primaries, so it’s refreshing to see a much more nuanced approach from [Alex Lungu]. His flyback driver board drives the transformer as it’s meant to be used, in flyback mode relying on the sudden collapse of a magnetic field to generate an output voltage pulse rather than simply trying to create as much field as possible. It’s thus far more efficient than all those free running oscillators.

• Hackaday ☛ Double Your Analog Oscilloscope Fun With This Retro Beam Splitter

  These days, oscilloscope hacking is all about enabling features that the manufacturer baked into the hardware but locked out in the firmware. Those hacks are cool, of course, but back in the days of analog scopes, unlocking new features required a decidedly more hardware-based approach.

• Hackaday ☛ Aftershock II: How Students Shattered 20-Year Amateur Rocket Records

  When it comes to space exploration, we often think of billion-dollar projects—NASA’s Artemis missions, ESA’s Mars rovers, or China’s Tiangong station. Yet, a group of U.S. students at USC’s Rocket Propulsion Lab (RPL) has achieved something truly extraordinary—a reminder that groundbreaking work doesn’t always require government budgets. On October 20, their homemade rocket, Aftershock II, soared to an altitude of 470,000 feet, smashing the amateur spaceflight altitude and speed records held for over two decades. Intrigued? Check out the full article here.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Experiments Reveal What Happens When You Hand in Work Late

    Spoiler alert: It's not good.

  • Science Alert ☛ Voyager 1 Just Activated a Radio That's Been Offline Since 1981

    Weird happenings in interstellar space.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Mysterious Explosion of Color in Animals Has Lasted 100 Million Years

    But where did it come from?

  • Science Alert ☛ A Huge Design Flaw in CPR Dummies Could Have Deadly Consequences

    A grave omission.

• Career/Education

  • University of Michigan ☛ The University of Michigan is a corporation

    The past two years have been eventful for the University of Michigan, to say the least. Community stakeholders have grappled with a strike by the Graduate Employees’ Organization, outspoken student protests, disapproval from student and alumni groups, and national criticism of the University’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

• Hardware

  • New York Times ☛ Washington Curtails Intel’s Chip Grant After Company Stumbles

    The Biden administration is reducing its award to the chip maker, partly to account for a multibillion-dollar military contract.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ World Seeks an End to Plastic Pollution at Talks in South Korea

    Many nations hope to reduce the half a billion tons of plastic made each year. But pushback from plastic and oil producers, and Donald Trump’s election, could scuttle an agreement.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Johor to ride medical tourism wave

    Malaysia has been stepping up efforts to pull in medical tourists from Africa to Indonesia.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia boosts efforts to fight pneumonia, the leading cause of death in country

    Pneumonia became the principal cause of death for the first time in two decades.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s local governments step up public safety measures after attacks

    The safety initiatives come nearly two weeks after the deadliest mass attack in China in a decade.

  • Science Alert ☛ Should You Be Worried About The Mold Growing in Your Home?

    Here's what we know.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Nurses at Ramsay Health Care hospitals in New South Wales announce 24-hour strike

    Hundreds of nurses and midwives across Ramsay Health Care's 17 hospitals in Australia's New South Wales will go on a 24-hour strike on Tuesday, demanding a pay hike and better staffing, a union representing them said on Monday.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Researchers jailbreak Hey Hi (AI) robots to run over pedestrians, place bombs for maximum damage, and covertly spy

    Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that a range of AI-enhanced robotics systems are dangerously vulnerable to jailbreaks and hacks.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 gets a new patch to address ongoing stability issues — Abusive Monopolist Microsoft suggests users install 1.1.9.0 patch, relocate Community Folder to mitigate long loading times

    The latest hotfix for Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 rectifies a few stability issues and advises users to move the Community Folder.

  • Neil Selwyn ☛ Hey Hi (AI) … minding our language [Ed: Well, they totally distort the term to mean almost anything]

    As Melanie Mitchell argues in a recent article in Science, experts and non-experts alike have long struggled with finding the right words to describe AI.

  • New York Times ☛ Do Coding Boot Camps Make Sense in an Hey Hi (AI) World? [Ed: This "Hey Hi (AI) World" nonsense from NY Times helps companies lie about the capabilities of LLMs and some garbage as such]

    Coding boot camps once looked like the golden ticket to an economically secure future. But as that promise fades, what should you do? Keep learning, until further notice.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ Thai medical tycoon wanted for fraud fled to China, police say

      Scam victims believed they were investing in medical businesses in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • The Straits Times ☛ Australia PM plays down privacy fears of social control media ban for children

      Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday social control media firms would be required to destroy personal data used to verify ages of users, as part of what the government says is a world-leading ban on under-16s using the services.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan mayor regrets South Korea’s absence from wartime memorial

    The South Korean Foreign Ministry said officials will hold a separate memorial on Nov 25.

  • The Strategist ☛ Australia needs a coastguard to meet modern maritime threats

    The maritime domain is increasingly contested. From attacks on shipping and undersea cables in Europe to grey zone threats in the South China Sea, risks to maritime security are mounting.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ 2 men arrested over flying drones near Chinese army assault ship docked in Hong Kong

    Two men have been arrested on suspicion of flying drones in a restricted zone where a Chinese army assault vessel was docked during a five-day visit. A 35-year-old man surnamed Wong, and a 18-year-old man surnamed Yeung, were apprehended at the China Merchants Wharf near Kennedy Town on Friday and Saturday. They were suspected of […]

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippine V-P’s assassination threat against President ‘a national security matter’

    Ms Sara Duterte says she has instructed an assassin to kill Mr Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his wife if she is herself killed.

  • JURIST ☛ Halifax dispatch: protesters at annual security forum declare ‘Warmongers are not welcome in Kjipuktuk!’

    William Hibbitts is JURIST’s Deputy Editorial Director, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He filed this dispatch from Halifax.  The atmosphere in Halifax was marked by contrasts Saturday.

  • France24 ☛ Live: Hezbollah fires about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel in massive barrage

    Hezbollah fired about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday, wounding seven people in one of the militant group's heaviest barrages in months, in response to deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut. This comes as the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Israel-Hezbollah war while on a visit to the Lebanese capital for talks.

  • NYPost ☛ Hezbollah fires about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel in heaviest barrage in weeks

    BEIRUT — Hezbollah fired about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday, wounding seven people in one of the militant group’s heaviest barrages in months, in response to deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut while negotiators pressed on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. Some of the rockets reached the Tel Aviv area in the...

  • CS Monitor ☛ Israel-Hezbollah conflict widens after Israeli strike kills Lebanese soldier

    Israel's attacks are aimed at Hezbollah militants, but a fatal weekend strike hit Lebanon's army center, igniting a heavy barrage in the ongoing war.

  • New York Times ☛ Hezbollah Fires Waves of Projectiles Into Israel After Deadly Strike in Lebanon

    The waves of attacks on Sunday came amid diplomatic efforts to reach a cease-fire in the conflict.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Conducts Widespread Strikes Near Beirut

    As negotiators inch toward a cease-fire deal, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has intensified.

  • New York Times ☛ Palestinians See Echoes of Israel’s Gaza War in West Bank Raids

    West Bank residents say Israeli forces are adopting tactics similar to the ones they are deploying in Gaza, including airstrikes and the use of Palestinians as human shields.

  • Cambodia, Laos sack foreign ministers in preparation for more combative geopolitics

    The new top diplomats in Phnom Penh and Vientiane are likely to heed China’s concerns.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Set To Name New Ambassador To United States

      Aleksandr Darchiyev is slated to be appointed as Russia’s ambassador to Washington, the Kommersant newspaper reported on November 24, citing three unidentified sources.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ U.K. closely monitoring Russian spy ship as it passes near British Isles — 'undersea cables are a shared concern' says Ministry of Defense

      The U.K. government is concerned about the presence of the Russian ship and has been closely monitoring it since it entered its waters.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea and Russia agree on sports exchanges in 2025, says KCNA

      The Russian delegation also toured North Korean stadiums and viewed a taekwondo demonstration.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia-Friendly Candidate Takes Surprising Lead In Romanian Presidential Vote, Runoff Expected

      Pro-Russia candidate Cailin Georgescu has edged ahead in Romania's presidential vote, partial preliminary results showed, throwing the race into unexpected territory and setting up a likely runoff against Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.

    • LRT ☛ In Russia’s war economy, the warning lights are blinking

      Prices of milk, potatoes, and butter are soaring in Russia. Retailers are beefing up security to prevent shoplifting. Mortgage rates are skyrocketing as the sales of new apartments plummet.

    • JURIST ☛ Belarus opposition figure faces terrorist charges following extradition to Minsk

      Belarusian opposition activist Vasil Verameichuk has been detained in Vietnam and extradited to Belarus, where he faces accusations of terrorism and a possible death penalty, the opposition in exile said Thursday.

    • JURIST ☛ IAEA condemns Iran for non-compliance over nuclear program

      The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) condemned Iran for insufficient cooperation regarding its nuclear program, in a resolution passed Thursday. The resolution is supported by nineteen member states, including the US, the UK, France and Germany. However, China, Russia and Burkina Faso opposed the resolution, with 12 other countries abstaining.

    • France24 ☛ Pro-Russia candidate surges in Romania presidential vote

      Hard-right candidate Călin Georgescu appears to be on track to make it to the final round of presidential elections in Romania. Georgescu is leading with 22 percent followed closely by center-left Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on 20.6 percent, according to partial results on Sunday.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Survivors, sniffing dogs join anti-mine march at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat

      The protest comes after the US decision to send anti-personnel mines to Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Calls For More Air-Defense Systems For Ukraine

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 24 his country “needs more air-defense systems” to protect its people as Russia continues to target Ukraine with aerial bombs, combat drones, and missiles.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Reportedly Recruiting Fighters From Yemen Through Huthi Intermediaries

      The Financial Times reports that Russia has recruited hundreds of Yemeni men to fight in Ukraine, lured by the promise of high salaries and potential Russian citizenship.

    • JURIST ☛ International community to establish special tribunal for crime of aggression against Ukraine

      The Core Group on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine has reaffirmed its commitment to establishing an effective and legitimate tribunal, in a resolution adopted on Friday. The resolution marks a significant step towards holding those responsible for the aggression against Ukraine accountable.

    • France24 ☛ 'The Ukrainian army is outnumbered, in men and equipment'

      Ukraine was bound to lose the territory it held in Russia, said FRANCE 24's correspondent in Ukraine Emmanuelle Chaze. "At the height of the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region, the Ukrainian army controlled over 1300 square kilometres of land, and within four months, Russia has managed to reclaim 40% of this land," she said. "This didn't come as a surprise for the Ukrainians, simply because the Ukrainian army is outnumbered, in men and equipment," she added.

    • France24 ☛ PM Marcel Ciolacu leads first round of Romanian presidential vote, show exit polls

      In the first round of Romania's presidential election on Sunday, far-right leader George Simion is campaigning to replace President Klaus Iohannis, a liberal and staunch Ukraine ally. The election is being held amid a surge in inflation and fears over the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

• Environment

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ COP29 summit ends with ‘paltry’ US$300 billion climate finance deal; no change for China’s contribution

    By Nick Perry, Laurent Thomet and Shaun Tandon The world approved a bitterly negotiated climate deal Sunday but poorer nations most at the mercy of worsening disasters dismissed a US$300 billion a year pledge from wealthy historic polluters as insultingly low.

  • New York Times ☛ Monday Briefing: U.N. climate talks End With a Deal

    Plus, photographing the world’s food.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • RFERL ☛ Freight Train Arrives In Afghanistan From China As Beijing Looks To Increase Ties

      The first train carrying goods from China to Afghanistan arrived in Mazar-e Sharif on November 23 after crossing through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the de facto Taliban rulers said.

    • Hackaday ☛ Modular Multi-Rotor Flies Up To Two Hours

      Flight time remains the Achilles’ heel of electric multi-rotor drones, with even high-end commercial units struggling to stay airborne for an hour. Enter Modovolo, a startup that’s shattered this limitation with their modular drone system achieving flights exceeding two hours.

    • The Strategist ☛ Chinese electric vehicles are a rolling security threat

      Senate estimates earlier this month heard the remarkable revelation that Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has had to take ‘precautions’ based on warnings from his own department to protect himself and the nation’s sensitive information...

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Hackaday ☛ Hacking The Soil To Combat Desertification

      While the Sahara Desert is an important ecosystem in its own right, its human neighbors in the Sahel would like it to stop encroaching on their environment. [Andrew Millison] took a look at how the people in the region are using “half moons” and zai pits to fight desertification.

• Finance

  • NL Times ☛ School kids often regret in-game purchases, UNICEF survey finds

    Many children in the Netherlands between the ages of eight and 12 regret in-game purchases, a recent UNICEF survey has found. This refers to additional purchases of computer or video games in which users can buy money for loot boxes, weapons, skins (outfits), or virtual surprise chests, NOS reports.

    Around 188,000 Dutch primary school pupils who play games in their free time took part in the survey. The results showed that almost half of them (92,000) had made in-game purchases during a computer game.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Tedium ☛ Corporate Casserole

    Pondering Thanksgiving through an exceedingly corporate lens. Some of the holiday’s most important elements were brought to you by marketing and lobbying.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ We must not be done with kindness

    Paul Kafasis concluded a post about the recent elections in the US with this, but I think it broadly applies:

    Even as cruelty is ascendent, we must not be done with kindness. Let us also not be done with joy. Instead, we should locate humor wherever we can and revel in it. The darkest times still contain something to laugh about. We’re going to continue to find it right here, together.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Wealthy South Korean parents ditch passports to get kids into international school

    “Citizenship by investment” programmes serve as crucial pathways for some of South Korea’s wealthy.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea pushes for better work-life balance to ease falling birth rate

    Poor work-life balance has been cited as a key reason for the country's record low 0.72 births per person in 2023.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Countries remain divided as fifth UN plastics treaty talks begin in South Korea

    South Korea is hosting the fifth and ostensibly final UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean man convicted after binge eating to avoid military service

    He followed a regimen cooked up by his friend.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • New York Times ☛ Egypt Feuds With Travel Blogger, Issuing 1,100-Word Response to Complaints

    When a blogger criticized Cairo’s airport, Egypt’s government fired back, citing security footage, threatening legal action and asking, “Is it reasonable for a passenger to visit two lounges before a single flight?”

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Who are the 45 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures jailed for subversion? Part II – Activists, ex-lawmakers

    Hong Kong’s largest national security case came to a close on Tuesday as 45 prominent pro-democracy advocates were jailed for up to 10 years over taking part in a conspiracy to commit subversion.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Digital Music News ☛ SiriusXM Made It Too Difficult for Customers to Cancel Subscriptions, New York Judge Rules

    A New York judge rules that SiriusXM made it too difficult for customers to cancel their service, weeks after federal regulators enact a click-to-cancel rule for subscriptions.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Copyrights

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘We need to talk’: Artist surprised to see his iconic Penang mural artwork on AirAsia plane

    Artist Ernest Zacharevic said AirAsia didn't seek his consent for using his Children On A Bicycle artwork.