Leftovers

• Standards/Consortia

  • Jeff Geerling ☛ Using GPS for the most accurate time possible on a Mac

    Imagine having access to an "optical molasses" clock, plus millions of dollars of other atomic clocks, for a one-time $10 or $20 fee—well, that's GPS in a nutshell. And today there are multiple PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) constellations—not just the GPS constellation run by the US—which we refer to as 'GNSS' constellations.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Dark Matter Could Be Evolving, And The Implications Are Profound

    A radical new idea.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Walking Style Can Have Surprising Health Benefits, Study Says

    And it's never too late to start.

  • Science Alert ☛ The Most Violent Solar Storm Ever Detected Hit Earth in 12350 BCE

    ​​"This event establishes a new worst-case scenario."

• Career/Education

  • New York Times ☛ For Some International Students, U.S. Dreams Dim Under Convicted Felon

    Once drawn to American universities as havens, some students from abroad are finding the United States is not the bedrock of free speech they had expected.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Hack Aims For Polaroid, Hits Game Boy Camera Sweet Spot

    There’s just some joy in an instant camera. They were never quality cameras, even in the glory days of Polaroid, but somehow the format has survived while the likes of Kodachrome have faded away. [Mellow_Labs] decided he wanted the instacam experience without the Polaroid pricing, so he made his own in the video embedded after the break.

  • Hackaday ☛ Mylar Space Blankets As RF Reflectors

    Metalized Mylar “space blankets” are sold as a survivalist’s accessory, primarily due to their propensity for reflecting heat. They’re pretty cheap, and [HamJazz] has performed some experiments on their RF properties. Do they reflect radio waves as well as they reflect heat? As it turns out, yes they do.

  • Hackaday ☛ Remembering More Memory: XMS And A Real Hack

    Last time we talked about how the original PC has a limit of 640 kB for your programs and 1 MB in total. But of course those restrictions chafed. People demanded more memory, and there were workarounds to provide it.

  • CNX Software ☛ SmartWings Smart Shade Review – An outdoor, solar-powered Matter shade tested with Fashion Company Apple HomeKit and Home Assistant

    Recently, we received a custom-made-to-order smart shade from SmartWings for review. We never heard about SmartWings before, but the company claims to have been in the smart blind/shade and home automation industry for over 15 years. Their standout feature is the high degree of customisation they offer—whether it’s the type of shade, custom size up to almost 3 meters in width and height, various fabric styles, and compatibility with major Smart Home platforms like Amazon Alexa, Surveillance Giant Google Home, Fashion Company Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant, and Hubitat.

  • Hackaday ☛ Not A Sewing Machine: A Multimedia Briefcase

    When you think of Singer, you usually think of sewing machines, although if you are a history buff, you might remember they diversified into calculators, flight simulation, and a few other odd businesses for a while. [Techmoan] has an unusual device from Singer that is decidedly not a sewing machine. It is a 1970s-era multimedia briefcase called the Audio Study Mate. This odd beast, as you can see in the video below, was a cassette player that also included a 35mm filmstrip viewer. Multimedia 1970s-style!

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ U.S. issues worldwide crackdown on using Huawei Ascend chips, says it violates export controls

    While scrapping the Hey Hi (AI) Diffusion Rule, the U.S. government has banned Huawei's Ascend Hey Hi (AI) processors as they allegedly use American technologies without authorization.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong Originals: Wing Lok Noodle Factory blends tradition with innovation to weather hard times

    As Hong Kong’s economic boom faded and manufacturing moved to China, some long-established, family-run companies preserved their traditions as others innovated to survive. In our new series, HKFP documents the craftsmanship and spirit behind the goods that are still proudly “Made in Hong Kong,” as local firms navigate the US-China trade war.

  • New York Times ☛ Federal Officials May Limit Recommendations for Covid Vaccine

    With new testing requirements, it’s not even clear how new Covid or flu shots can be made available this fall.

  • JURIST ☛ Indonesia dispatch: provincial governor’s proposal to make vasectomy a prerequisite for social aid to men may violate human rights

    Shofa Umrotul H. is a student in the Faculty of Law, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia. She filed this dispatch from Malang.  At the end of April, Governor Dedi Mulyadi of Indonesia’s West Java province sparked national controversy after proposing a policy that would require men to undergo vasectomy to qualify for government-provided social aid.

  • Science Alert ☛ Too Much Work Could Be Literally Reshaping Your Brain

    A warning from neuroscience.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Genetic Risk For Disease Can Be Changed by Your Environment

    It’s not nature or nurture.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Experts call for unified policy across all Malaysian states to halt sales of vape products

    Johor, Terengganu and Perlis are among those that have banned vaping.

• Proprietary

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Microsoft may have killed the Surface Laptop Studio

    Microsoft is streamlining the Surface lineup, and the Surface Laptop Studio 2 reportedly won't get a successor.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Digital Music News ☛ Anthropic Counsel Apologizes for Citation ‘Hallucination’ in Music Publishers Lawsuit — Pinning Most of the Blame on Claude

      Time to lay off the use of Hey Hi (AI) in legal documents? Amid a high-stakes copyright monopoly battle with music publishers, Anthropic attorneys have apologized for an apparent citation “hallucination,” pinning the blame mainly on Claude. We broke down the citation crisis after counsel for the music publisher plaintiffs formally voiced related concerns to the court.

  • Social Control Media

    • European Commission ☛ Commission preliminarily finds TikTok's ad repository in breach of the Digital Services Act

      European Commission Press release Brussels, 15 May 2025 Today, the Commission has informed Fentanylware (TikTok) of its preliminary view that the company does not fulfil the Digital Services Act (DSA)'s obligation to publish an advertisement repository.

    • Mexico News Daily ☛ Influencer’s murder in Jalisco to be investigated as possible femicide

      The 23-year-old model was killed while livestreaming on Fentanylware (TikTok) from a Zapopan beauty salon.

    • JURIST ☛ Advocacy group says major social control media platforms failing LGBTQ+ users

      Major social control media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), are failing to adequately protect LGBTQ+ users from hate, harassment, and disinformation, according to the 2025 Social Media Safety Index released Tuesday by the LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD.

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] Mexico: Beauty influencer shot dead while live on TikTok

    • International Business Times ☛ 2025-05-14 [Older] TikTok Star Valeria Marquez Executed Live on Camera — Another Woman Lost to Mexico's Femicide Crisis

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-14 [Older] Mexican Beauty Influencer Shot to Death During TikTok Livestream

    • New York Times ☛ MrBeast’s Tour of Maya Ruins Draws Criticism and Legal Threats in Mexico

      Mexico’s culture secretary said her agency was weighing legal action against a production company for video that seemed to show the YouTube star MrBeast violating the rules for visiting Maya ruins.

    • Digital Music News ☛ YouTube Shorts Revenue Now Equals Regular Videos

      YouTube Shorts has reached a pivotal milestone—it’s revenue per watch-hour now matches that of regular long-form YouTube videos in the United States and other countries.

    • University of Michigan ☛ SXSW 2025: ‘American Sweatshop’ explores the horrors of social control media

      Logging onto the internet is a massive gamble. The moment you open your screen, you’re given all the information you could possibly need and bombarded with content from around the world — content that doesn’t always have good intentions. “American Sweatshop” explores the consequences of the internet and its dark side.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Privacy International ☛ Enter the Fediverse

    • University of Michigan ☛ Michigan Law ACLU raises civil liberties concerns over surveillance cameras in Diag, Law Quad

      The University of Michigan Law School chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has been circulating an open letter over the past month regarding surveillance cameras installed in the Diag and the Law Quadrangle.

  • Confidentiality

    • American Oversight ☛ There’s a Solution for the Convicted Felon Administration’s Record-Keeping Failures — And It’s Not TeleMessage

      The use of TeleMessage, an insecure platform used to archive Signal messages, has triggered even more concerns about security and records preservation.

      >

• Defence/Aggression

  • Atlantic Council ☛ The killing of Abdul Ghani al-Kikli may be a turning point for Libya

    The killing is considered to be part of a push to eliminate influential militia leaders and consolidate GNU loyalist control over Tripoli.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Propublica: US looks to revoke visas of Mexican politicians with alleged cartel ties

    The visa revocations trace back to a list of corrupt Mexican politicians that the U.S. began to compile in 2019.

  • France24 ☛ Israel launches 'extensive strikes' in new major offensive in Gaza

    Israel has announced the launch of "extensive strikes" in Gaza over the past day, the Israeli military said Saturday, as part of the "initial stages" of a campaign to expand its war objectives and to force Hamas to release hostages.

  • France24 ☛ More than 250 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza as Convicted Felon voices support for aid

    Israeli air and artillery strikes on Gaza have left over 250 people dead since Thursday, amid one of the most intense bombardments since March’s truce collapse. As a new ground offensive looms, US President The Insurrectionist expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis, stating that “people are starving” in Gaza, while international calls for ceasefire talks grow louder.

  • NYPost ☛ NYU withholds diploma from student who decried ‘genocide’ in Gaza during commencement speech — as Dem says, ‘Good luck getting a job’

    “You know, in fact, they can give him his diploma, it’s not going to matter. Good luck getting a job. That was a stupid, selfish thing — ruined the ceremony for a lot of families."

  • France24 ☛ US-backed aid group to start work in Gaza by end of May under heavily criticized plan

    A US-backed organization set to take over aid delivery to starving civilians in Gaza said Wednesday that it expects to begin operations before the end of the month. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation identified several U.S. military veterans, former humanitarian coordinators and security contractors that it said would lead the delivery effort. Many in the aid community believe it is meant to supplant the distribution system now run by the U.N. and other international aid agencies.

  • France24 ☛ Nantes' Mohamed opts out of Ligue 1 anti-homophobia campaign, cites personal beliefs

    Nantes' Egypt international, Mostafa Mohamed, announced he would not participate in his club's final Ligue 1 fixture on Saturday, opting out of a league-wide anti-homophobia initiative. The 27-year-old striker, who also skipped the campaign last season, cited personal beliefs tied to his faith and origins for the decision.

  • Defence Web ☛ Could prolonged warfare in Sudan lead to the country splitting?

    The war in Sudan has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. Changes in battlefield tactics, along with new political and diplomatic dynamics, are hampering mediation – and could see Sudan divided under two or more rival administrations.

  • New York Times ☛ Justices Extended Block on Deportations Under Wartime Law

    Also, a New Jersey Transit strike left commuters scrambling. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.

  • New Yorker ☛ Kanye Gave Ex-Twitter an Exclusive Hit Single

    Spotify and YouTube barred the song, which salutes Hitler, from their platforms. It found its audience, anyway.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Trump Moves to Block U.S. Travel of Mexican Politicians It Says Are Linked to Drug Trade

    In what could be a significant escalation of U.S. pressure on Mexico, the Trump administration has begun to impose travel restrictions and other sanctions on prominent Mexican politicians whom it believes are linked to drug corruption, U.S. officials said.

    So far, two Mexican political figures have acknowledged being banned from traveling to the United States. But U.S. officials said they expect more Mexicans to be targeted as the administration works through a list of several dozen political figures who have been identified by law enforcement and intelligence agencies as having ties to the drug trade.

  • LBC ☛ Southport killer Axel Rudakubana’s supervision was downgraded before ‘pre-planned attack’ on prison officer

    The 18-year-old allegedly used a kettle in his cell to heat water up and then poured boiling water over the officer on Thursday.

    It is claimed he targeted the prison officer through the hatch in the door of his cell, with the officer taken to hospital as a precaution.

    The officer did not require further treatment and was discharged later that evening, it is understood.

    It comes just weeks after Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, reportedly attacked prison officers with boiling oil in a prison kitchen.

  • JURIST ☛ UN rights expert calls on Somalia to accelerate reforms amid conflict and uncertainty

    A UN human rights expert for Somalia urged the Somali government on Thursday to accelerate important reforms and strengthen protections for its people amid persistent conflict and political uncertainty. The expert’s statement came at the conclusion of her fourth official visit to the country.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Eighteen separatists killed in Papua region, Indonesian military says

    The military seized dozens of munitions, including an assault rifle and bows and arrows.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India revokes security clearance of Celebi aviation unit over Turkey’s support for Pakistan

    Officials cited national security concerns for the move.

  • New York Times ☛ Law Firms Fighting Back Against Convicted Felon Report Security Clearance Suspensions

    WilmerHale and Jenner & Block pleaded with the courts to intervene as the Justice Department moved to implement Hell Toupée’s orders targeting their business.

  • France24 ☛ UAE taking the 'opposite side of Islamist groups' in conflicts across Libya, Sudan and Yemen

    US President The Insurrectionist arrived Thursday in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates' capital, on the final stop of his multi-day Gulf tour, AFP journalists on Air Force One said. After visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar this week, Convicted Felon is hoping to secure billions of dollars in business deals with the oil-rich UAE that seeks to become an artificial intelligence hub. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's François Picard welcomes Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East Correspondent for The Economist.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • NL Times ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] Malaysian PM discusses MH17 plane crash with Vladimir Putin; Russia rejects UN findings

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] Russian Nationalists Press Putin to Fight on in Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] Rubio Says Russia-Ukraine Talks at 'Logjam,' Cheeto Mussolini-Putin Meeting Needed for Breakthrough

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] Russian-Backed Union Free Trade Deal With Iran Goes Into Effect

    • CBC ☛ 2025-05-14 [Older] Zelenskyy says he is ready to meet Putin in Turkey. But Russia's president may be a no-show

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-14 [Older] Germany arrests 3 for planning Russian 'sabotage' attacks

    • HRW ☛ 2025-05-14 [Older] Russian Court Convicts Rights Defender on Bogus Charges

    • The Age AU ☛ 2025-05-14 [Older] ‘Horrific act’: Russia responsible for downing of MH17, UN aviation body rules

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-13 [Older] UN body finds Russia responsible for downed MH17 flight

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-13 [Older] France's Macron Says Russia Could Face New Sanctions if No Ceasefire

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-13 [Older] 'Massive' EU Sanctions on Russia Would Take Time and US Help, Diplomats Say

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-13 [Older] Russian Economy in Worse Shape Than Moscow Says, Report for EU Shows

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Poland to shut Russian consulate as Russia blamed for arson

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Ukraine updates: UK to host 'critical' talks on Russia

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Factbox-What Happened the Last Time Russia and Ukraine Held Peace Talks?

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Iran Is Preparing for Russian President Vladimir Putin to Visit, Tehran Says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Poland to Close Russian Consulate in Krakow, Citing Arson Attack

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Russia Launches 108 Drones Overnight After Ukraine, EU Demand Ceasefire, Kyiv Says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Russian Drones Attack Ukraine After the Kremlin Turns Down a Ceasefire Proposal but Promises Talks

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Russian Prosecutor Seeks 6 Years in Prison for Independent Election Monitor

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Ukraine Says Russia 'Completely Ignoring' Ceasefire Proposal

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Germany Says Russia Has Hours to Abide by Truce or Face Sanctions

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Pope Leo, in First Known Call With Foreign Leader, Speaks to Ukraine's Zelenskiy

    • CBC ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] Russian overtures welcome but ceasefire must come before peace talks, says Zelenskyy

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] Turkey Ready to Host Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks, Erdogan Tells Putin

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] Ukraine's Zelenskiy Calls on Russia to Confirm Ceasefire Before Talks

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] Ukrainian President Welcomes Russian Overtures, but Says Ceasefire Must Come Before Peace Talks

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] US Secretary of State Rubio to Attend NATO Meeting on Ukraine-Russia

    • CBC ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Ukraine, European leaders in Kyiv urge Moscow to agree to 'unconditional' ceasefire

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Ukraine, European allies want 30-day truce with Russia starting Monday

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] EU Commission Chief Says Bloc Ready to Impose More Sanctions on Russia if Ceasefire Breached

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] European Leaders Say Cheeto Mussolini Agreed to Sanction Russia Unless Ceasefire Agreed

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Long-Range Russian Attacks Continue to Kill Ukrainians Amid Ceasefire Deadlock

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Russia and Ukraine Blame Each Other as Fighting Continues Despite Moscow's Truce

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Russia Says Western Arms Flows to Ukraine Would Need to Stop During Any Ceasefire

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Russia's Putin Proposes Direct Talks With Ukraine

    • CBC ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Journalist Ekaterina Barabash describes her harrowing escape from Russia

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Xi meets Putin as China, Russia strive for new world order

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Russia and US Are in Talks on Russian Gas Flows to Europe, Kremlin Says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Russian Patriarch, Criticised by Pope Francis, Sends Warm Message to Leo

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] US, Europeans Finalising 30-Day Ukraine-Russia Ceasefire Proposal, Says Diplomatic Source

    • Counter Punch ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] Fantasy and Exploitation: The US-Ukraine Minerals Deal

    • Counter Punch ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] Letter from London: Connecting and Healing in Ukraine

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] An elusive peace: Charting ceasefire attempts in Ukraine

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy slams Putin's absence in Turkey

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] War Reaches Ukrainian Rock Band Ziferblat Even at the Eurovision Song Contest

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] Putin's Negotiator at Istanbul Talks Says Moscow's Aim Is to Secure a Long-Lasting Peace With Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-14 [Older] Brazil's Lula Asks Putin to Attend Talks With Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-14 [Older] Pre-War EU-Ukraine Trade Deal May Temporarily Return When Tariff Suspension Expires

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-13 [Older] Japan deploys old and new tech to ease Ukraine mine danger

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-13 [Older] Ukraine: Zelenskyy says he'll wait for Putin in Turkey

    • Counter Punch ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] From Oak Flat to Ukraine: Cheeto Mussolini’s Feverish Lust for Green Energy Resources

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Zelenskyy and Erdogan discuss proposed Ukraine peace talks

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Australian Bomb Disposal Aid Worker Killed in Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] EU and Ukraine Defence Industries Need to Integrate More, EU Commissioner Says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] Hungary Cancels Talks With Ukraine on Minority Rights Amid Espionage Row

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] Hungary's Orban blasts Ukraine to bolster domestic support

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] Hungary's Viktor Orban targets Ukraine, as opposition grows

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] Ukraine: Merz says Putin's peace talks proposal falls short

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] Ukraine: Zelenskyy willing to meet Putin in Turkey

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace in Ukraine and Gaza, and Offers a Happy Mother's Day

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] Zelenskiy Cautious After Putin Proposes Direct Peace Talks With Ukraine

    • The Age AU ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] European leaders unite, call Cheeto Mussolini to propose unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine war

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Ukraine and Its Allies Push for a 30-Day Ceasefire Starting Monday

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] France in Talks With Britain, Ukraine About Potential Troops, Macron Tells Paper

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Germany Will Stop Reporting Arms Deliveries to Ukraine, Merz Says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Turkey Ready to Undertake Duty for Observing Potential Ceasefire in Ukraine, Source Says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers Ask: What Ceasefire?

    • CBC ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Ukrainian couple paid lawyer $3K to help them stay in Canada but say she 'disappeared.' It's not the 1st time

    • Counter Punch ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Cheeto Mussolini’s ‘Mineral Rights’ Deal is about Continuing the American War in Ukraine

    • Counter Punch ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Cheeto Mussolini’s Ukraine Minerals Deal 2.0 Capitulation

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Ukraine updates: Kyiv and Budapest trade spy accusations

    • The Local DK ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Norway, Sweden and Denmark back Ukraine 30-day ceasefire plan

    • The Local SE ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Norway, Sweden and Denmark back Ukraine 30-day ceasefire plan

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Ceasefire Efforts in Ukraine Moving in Right Direction, Finland Says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Ukraine Imposes Sanctions Against Chinese, Iranian Companies

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Ukraine to Host 'Coalition of Willing' Leaders Saturday, Zelenskiy Says

    • Meduza ☛ Moscow reportedly demanded Kyiv recognize Crimea as Russian territory at Istanbul talks — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Bending with the wind Created to co-opt urban voters, this minority party’s wartime struggles expose how little space remains for opposition politics in Russia — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Hiker or Russian Spy? Latvia Advises Its People How to Be on the Lookout.

      A Latvian security agency tells people to note radio gear and provocative questions, but some signs of espionage that it cites — like fit, unkempt backpackers — could apply to hikers and tourists.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania, 9 other countries agree to step up protection of underwater infrastructure

      Ten European countries have agreed to step up the protection of critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea amid fears that Russia uses its shadow fleet as a weapon against EU and NATO countries.

    • JURIST ☛ Russia urged to release detained publishing workers amid LGBTQ+ crackdown

      Amnesty International on Thursday demanded the release of book publishing professionals who have been detained in Russia during the country’s “anti-LGBTI campaign,” calling on officials to drop all criminal charges against the individuals. Amnesty International’s Russia director Natalia Zviagina said: [...]

    • JURIST ☛ Niger urged to release journalists detained for reporting on country’s military ties with Russia

      The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Thursday called on Nigerien officials to free three Sahara FM radio journalists who have been detained twice for covering Niger’s intelligence collaboration with Russia. According to CPJ’s Francophone Africa Representative Moussa Ngom, the ongoing detentions of journalists highlights a growing trend of censorship concerning security issues in Niger.

    • Security Week ☛ Russian APT Exploiting Mail Servers Against Government, Defense Organizations

      Russia-linked APT28 has been exploiting mail server vulnerabilities against government and defense entities since September 2023.

    • Latvia ☛ Man handed community service for drunken Russian war crime rant

      A man has been sentenced to 240 hours of community service for publicly glorifying and justifying war crimes committed by Russia, the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Latvia announced May 16.

    • European Commission ☛ Doorstep by President von der Leyen at the European Political Community Summit

      It is good to be here again at the EPC. The European Political Community was founded when Russia's war of aggression started.

    • Meduza ☛ BBC and Mediazona confirm deaths of more than 108,600 Russian soldiers in Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Delegations from U.S., Ukraine, and Turkey hold talks in Istanbul — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Talks between Russia and Ukraine conclude in Istanbul — TASS and CNN — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine considers Russia’s demands in talks unrealistic — Reuters — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia and Ukraine announce 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap after Istanbul talks — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia reportedly threatened to seize Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Sumy regions during Istanbul talks — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky, Macron, Merz, Starmer, and Tusk hold call with Trump following Russia–Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Once red hot, Russia’s war-driven economy is slowing down. What does that mean for consumers, the Kremlin, and Ukraine? — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘We’re prepared to fight forever. How about you?’ Moscow opens first direct talks with Ukraine in three years by threatening endless war and new land grabs — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ Several killed after Russian strike on civilian bus in Ukraine, military says

      At least nine people were killed and four others wounded after a Russian drone attack on a bus carrying civilians in Ukraine's Sumy region, the local military administration said on Saturday. The strike comes just hours after Moscow and Kyiv held their first direct peace talks in years.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukrainian Man, Roman Lavrynovych, Appears in Court Over Fires at Keir Starmer’s Properties

      Roman Lavrynovych, 21, was charged with committing arson at two properties and a car with connections to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Man Charged With Arson For Setting Fires At British PM Kier Starmer's London Properties

      A court in London has ordered the detention of a Ukrainian man implicated in a series of fires targeting assets linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

    • New York Times ☛ Peace Talks Between Russia and Ukraine Stop After Short Meeting

      But the two sides failed to broker a temporary cease-fire or a meeting between their two leaders, a sign of how far apart they remain on ending the conflict.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Australia condemns Russia's jailing of Melbourne man caught in Ukraine

      Australia's foreign minister on Saturday condemned a 13-year prison sentence handed by a Russian court to an Australian citizen for fighting alongside Ukrainian forces.

    • LRT ☛ NATO’s Hague summit must pledge support for Ukraine’s armed forces – Lithuanian FM

      President Volodymyr Zelensky should be invited to NATO’s summit in The Hague this June and hear a strong commitment from the alliance to support Ukraine’s armed forces, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys believes.

    • France24 ☛ Russia-Ukraine peace talks end after less than 2 hours in Istanbul, officials say

      The first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow’s 2022 invasion ended in under two hours, according to Turkey and a senior Ukrainian official. Kyiv accused Moscow of introducing “unacceptable demands,” including the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from large areas of territory. Here's FRANCE 24's journalists analyses.

    • NYPost ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man says Zelensky ‘pissed away’ Ukraine aid

      “The money is the money. What bothered me — I hated to see the way it was, you know, excuse me, pissed away," Convicted Felon told Fox News' “Special Report” host Bret Baier

    • Meduza ☛ E.U. leaders weighing punitive tariffs on Russia after Putin skips Istanbul talks — Politico — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Calls For Putin Meeting After No Ukraine-Russia Breakthrough In Istanbul Talks

      US President The Insurrectionist called for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in more than three years ended without a breakthrough.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Calls For Putin Meeting After No Ukraine-Russia Breakthrough In Istanbul Talks

      US President The Insurrectionist called for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in more than three years ended without a breakthrough.

    • LRT ☛ If Russia genuinely wanted talks, Putin would come to Istanbul – Lithuanian official

      The Lithuanian president’s adviser argues that Russia does not genuinely want a peace agreement with Ukraine, because otherwise Vladimir Putin himself would have attended this week’s talks in Turkey.

    • France24 ☛ In Albania, EU readying new sanctions to increase pressure on Russia as talks stall

      The European Union is working on a new package of sanctions to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday as leaders from across Europe met in Albania.

    • France24 ☛ No breakthrough in Turkey as Ukraine-Russia peace talks falter

      The first direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in three years concluded in Turkey after just two hours. With Russian President Vladimir Putin absent, the meeting yielded no progress as Ukraine accused Moscow of introducing “unacceptable demands,” including the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from significant territories.

    • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man's Middle East week, Kyiv calls Putin's bluff and Cannes' opening week

      In the week that Hell Toupée made the first overseas tour of his second term, where Riyadh royalty rolled out a lavender carpet ahead of a 600 billion dollar pledge of Saudi investment for US contracts.  Qatar next, The Beast surrounded by a caravan of camels, while the man inside watched a ceremonial swordfare spectacle.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ To achieve his goal of a durable peace, Convicted Felon must turn up the pressure on Putin

      The Forrest Dump administration can only achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine if it makes clear that there will be consequences for Russia’s unwillingness to compromise.

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ Tornadoes Strike Missouri, Killing at Least Seven

    Widespread damage was reported, including toppled trees and power lines. The tornadoes were part of a larger weather system that threatened numerous states.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Mexico News Daily ☛ Customs agents strike slows operations in Mexico’s largest international trade port

      The strike disrupted customs and international commerce this week in Manzanillo, Mexico’s top Pacific port.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ End of nuclear power in Taiwan fans energy security fears

      Taiwan will turn off its last nuclear reactor on Saturday, fuelling concerns over the self-ruled island’s reliance on imported energy and vulnerability to a Chinese blockade. The island, which targets net-zero emissions by 2050, depends almost entirely on imported fossil fuel to power its homes, factories and critical semiconductor chip industry.

    • Hackaday ☛ FPV Drone Takes Off From A Rocketing Start

      Launching rockets into the sky can be a thrill, but why not make the fall just as interesting? That is exactly what [I Build Stuff] thought when attempting to build a self-landing payload. The idea is to release a can sized “satellite” from a rocket at an altitude upwards of 1 km, which will then fly back down to the launch point.

    • Pro Publica ☛ After SpaceX Explosions, U.K. Asks FAA to Change Starship 9 Flight Plans

      British officials told the U.S. they are concerned about the safety of SpaceX’s plans to fly its next Starship rocket over British territories in the Caribbean, where debris fell earlier this year after two of the company’s rockets exploded, according to documents reviewed by ProPublica.

      The worries from the U.K. government, detailed in a letter to a top American diplomat on Wednesday, follow the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision last week to grant SpaceX’s request for a fivefold increase in the number of Starship launches allowed this year, from five to 25. Growing the number of launches of the most powerful rocket ever built is a priority for SpaceX head Elon Musk, who is also one of President Donald Trump’s closest advisers.

    • Hackaday ☛ Automatic Transmission For Manual Transportation

      The drivetrain of most modern bicycles has remained relatively unchanged for nearly a century. There have been marginal upgrades here and there like electronic shifting but you’ll still mostly see a chain with a derailleur or two. [Matthew] is taking a swing at a major upgrade to this system by replacing the front derailleur with a torque converter, essentially adding an automatic transmission to his bicycle.

    • Hackaday ☛ Voyager 1’s Primary Thrusters Revived Before DSN Command Pause

      As with all aging bodies, clogged tubes form an increasing issue. So too with the 47-year old Voyager 1 spacecraft and its hydrazine thrusters. Over the decades silicon dioxide from an aging rubber diaphragm in the fuel tank has been depositing on the inside of fuel tubes. By switching between primary, backup and trajectory thrusters the Voyager team has been managing this issue and kept the spacecraft oriented towards Earth. Now this team has performed another amazing feat by reviving the primary thrusters that had been deemed a loss since a heater failure back in 2004.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Wild Chimps Appear to Administer 'First-Aid' to Each Other

      Are they practicing medicine?

• Finance

  • France24 ☛ US loses top triple-A credit rating after Moody’s cites debt concerns

    Moody's warned of a growing government debt burden in the US after it downgraded the country's pristine triple-A credit rating on Friday, undercutting President The Insurrectionist's narrative that his administration is steering the economy towards prosperity.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ APEC says ‘concerned’ over challenges to global trade as ministers meet in South Korea amid US tariff woes

    By Julien Girault and Hieun Shin The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group said Friday that it was “concerned” over the challenges to global trade, as ministers from APEC countries met in South Korea in the shadow of growing woes from US tariffs.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong taxi trade demands tougher action as gov’t warns ride-hailing services to obey the law

    A group of Hong Kong taxi owners has petitioned for tougher action against ride-hailing services, as the government warns online platform operators to “comply with the law.”

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Grand Kornhill Cinema becomes latest movie theatre to shut down in Hong Kong

    Grand Kornhill Cinema will close at the end of May – the latest and fourth movie theatre to put up its shutters this year in Hong Kong. MCL Cinemas, the operator of Grand Kornhill Cinema, posted the news on social control media on Thursday [...]

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean loan shark who allegedly drove single mom to suicide to face jail term

    The loans carried annual interest rates as high as 5,124 per cent.

  • France24 ☛ What's next in the US-China trade war?

    A 90-day truce in the US-China trade war has officially begun, with both sides temporarily lowering sky-high tariffs on each other's goods. But there's still a lot of uncertainty facing global trade. Yuka Royer speaks with Louise Loo, China lead at Oxford Economics, about what came out of the recent tit-for-tat tariff tussle and what to expect next.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ In the S. Korean presidential race, candidates, their ideological stripes and pledges may not matter

    Political observers say it will boil down to whether voters agree with Yoon's short-lived martial law.

  • Pro Publica ☛ EPA Employees Declined to Report Colleagues Working on DEI Initiatives

    Days after President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term, the acting head of the Environmental Protection Agency sent an email to the entire workforce with details about the agency’s plans to close diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and included a plea for help.

    “Employees are requested to please notify” the EPA or the Office of Personnel Management, the federal government’s human resources agency, “of any other agency office, sub-unit, personnel position description, contract, or program focusing exclusively on DEI,” the email from then-acting Administrator James Payne said.

  • Pro Publica ☛ After N.C. Supreme Court Win, Democrats Lose Control of Board That Sets Voting Rules

    Last week, North Carolina Democrats scored a victory when Republican Judge Jefferson Griffin, who’d lost a tight race for the state’s Supreme Court, finally conceded defeat after a six-month legal battle to throw out ballots that he contended were illegitimate.

    But that same morning, the party suffered a setback that may be more consequential: losing control of the state board that sets voting rules and adjudicates election disputes.

  • New Indian Express ☛ VerSe Innovation cuts 350 jobs amid AI-transformation [Ed: "Hey hi" as go-to excuse for a business failing]

    This marks the company’s first major downsizing since its last round of layoffs two and a half years ago, which affected 150 employees.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Texas Lawmakers Push to Impose Penalties on Local Governments for Violating Campaign Finance Posting Requirements

    Texas lawmakers are pushing to impose steep penalties on local governments that don’t post campaign finance reports online, after an investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found some school districts weren’t doing so.

    The initial posting requirements, designed to make election spending more transparent, went into effect nearly two years ago. Most of the school district leaders said they had no idea they were out of compliance until the newsrooms contacted them. Even after many districts uploaded whatever documentation they had on file for their trustee elections, reports were still missing because candidates hadn’t turned them in or the schools lost them.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Trump State Dept. Leaned on African Nations to Help Musk’s Starlink

    In early February, Sharon Cromer, U.S. ambassador to Gambia, went to visit one of the country’s Cabinet ministers at his agency’s headquarters, above a partially abandoned strip mall off a dirt road. It had been two weeks since President Donald Trump took office, and Cromer had pressing business to discuss. She needed the minister to fall in line to help Elon Musk.

    Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet company, had spent months trying to secure regulatory approval to sell internet access in the impoverished West African country. As head of Gambia’s communications ministry, Lamin Jabbi oversees the government’s review of Starlink’s license application. Jabbi had been slow to sign off and the company had grown impatient. Now the top U.S. government official in Gambia was in Jabbi’s office to intervene.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Can the EU-UK summit lead to a new post-Brexit partnership?

    With shared challenges at home and abroad, the United Kingdom and European Union have an opportunity to renew their trade and security ties.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong’s ‘patriots only’ legislature to form subcommittee to oversee new updates to Article 23

    Hong Kong’s “patriots only” legislature will form a subcommittee to oversee two new pieces of subsidiary legislation under the city’s homegrown national security law, appointing the same roster of lawmakers who oversaw its passage last year.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Scoop News Group ☛ FCC commissioner blasts Convicted Felon administration censorship policies

    “When minority commissioners dissent, they are fired,” Commissioner Anna Gomez said of the Convicted Felon administration’s assault on free speech.

  • France24 ☛ India-Pakistan crisis: Rise in misinformation, warmongering and censorship

    The ceasefire is apparently holding between India and Pakistan. But even if the fighting has stopped, the information war continues. There has been misinformation, warmongering and a crackdown on independent journalists in both countries. Experts say the fog of war has created one big casualty: the truth. This week's guest on our media show Scoop is data journalist Uzair Rizvi, an OSINT and fact-checking expert based in New Delhi.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Facebook deactivated journalist’s account for posting story about sex offender

    Radio station's news page was also taken down but restored after being told it was a "mistake".

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • JURIST ☛ Niger urged to release journalists detained for reporting on country’s military ties with Russia

    The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Thursday called on Nigerien officials to free three Sahara FM radio journalists who have been detained twice for covering Niger’s intelligence collaboration with Russia. According to CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative Moussa Ngom, the ongoing detentions of journalists highlights a growing trend of censorship concerning security issues in Niger.

  • JURIST ☛ Jordan news ban over reported Gaza aid corruption spurs press freedom concerns

    The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Friday called on Jordanian authorities to reverse a sweeping ban on 12 online news outlets accused of “spreading media poison and attacking Jordan” after they reported that the government profited from humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program director Sara Qudah stated:

  • SLAPPs, Assange and the Trump effect: Fiona O'Brien of Reporters Without Borders on UK press freedom

    The annual World Press Freedom Index ranks the UK as 20th out of 180 countries. We reflect on the big trends and turning points from the last 12 months

  • Exclusive interview: Stella Assange on her husband, faith and meeting Pope Francis - Catholic Herald

    On the 30 June, Stella Assange and her two children were granted a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

  • Variety ☛ Cannes Festival Adds More Films, Including Eugene Jarecki’s Julian Assange Doc ‘The Six Billion Dollar Man,’ Bi Gan’s ‘Resurrection,’ Martin Bourboulon’s ’13 Days, 13 Nights’

    The Cannes Film Festival has added a final film to the competition, Bi Gan’s anticipated “Resurrection,” as well as Eugene Jarecki’s Julian Assange documentary “The Six Billion Dollar Man” in Special Screenings and Martin Bourboulon’s “13 Days, 13 Nights” out of competition.

  • Deadline ☛ Cannes Adds Further Titles To 2025 Selection Including Eugene Jarecki’s Julian Assange Doc ‘The Six Billion Dollar Man’

    Eugene Jarecki‘s latest documentary feature, The Six Billion Dollar Man, about Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, will screen at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

    The film was announced this afternoon as a late addition. The film joins Cannes’ Special Screening sidebar. Also announced this afternoon were Martin Bourboulon’s 13 jours, 13 nuits, which will play Out Of Competition, Ma Fere by Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret, which plays in Cannes Premiere, and Chinese filmmaker Bi Gan lands in Competition with Resurrection.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Newsletter platforms for publishers compared: Substack versus the rest

    We compare costs and functionality of Substack, Ghost, Beehiiv and Kit.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Online Safety Act Entrenches Big Tech Market Dominance, New Report Finds

    A new report by digital campaigners, the Open Rights Group, outlines how the Online Safety Act favours big tech, and harms small websites and the general public. How to fix the Online Safety Act: A Rights First Approach identifies key recommendations to ensure that potential harmful outcomes of the sprawling law are avoided.

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Online Safety Act: A Guide for Organisations Working with the Act

    This document is intended as a full overview of the Online Safety Act (OSA, or the Act) and how it works for organisations attempting to understand it and its implications.

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ ORG Slams Use of e-Visas for Immigration Raids

    Open Rights Group has responded to the government’s white paper Restoring Control over the Immigration System. The white paper calls the shambolic and flawed  eVisa scheme a ‘success’ and says that it will be used to support immigration raids.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Connecticut Towers Use Belongings Found in Cars to Collect Fees, Drivers Say

  • Pro Publica ☛ Trump’s HUD Is Weakening Enforcement of Fair Housing Laws

    Kennell Staten saw Walker Courts as his best path out of homelessness, he said. The complex had some of the only subsidized apartments he knew of in his adopted hometown of Jonesboro, Arkansas, so he applied to live there again and again. But while other people seemed to sail through the leasing process, his applications went nowhere. Staten thought he knew why: He is gay. The property manager had made her feelings about that clear to him, he said. “She said I was too flamboyant,” he remembered, “that it’s a whole bunch of older people staying there and they would feel uncomfortable seeing me coming outside with a dress or skirt on.”

    So Staten filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in February. It was the type of complaint that HUD used to take seriously. The agency has devoted itself to rooting out prejudice in the housing market since the Fair Housing Act was signed into law in 1968, one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. And, following a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that declared that civil rights protections bar unequal treatment because of someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity, HUD considered it illegal to discriminate in housing on those grounds.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge Warns $34.5 Billion Cox/Charter Merger Might Be Weaponized [Ed: But they will not comment on their NGO weaponised by Microsoft]

    Today, Charter Communications and Cox Communications announced a $34.5 billion merger agreement that would leave Charter with majority control of the new combined company.

  • TecAdmin ☛ What Is an IP Address? A Beginner’s Guide

    What’s an IP Address? Imagine the internet is like a huge city, and every device—your phone, laptop, or even your smart TV—is like a house in that city. Now, just like every house has a unique address (like “123, Main Road, Delhi”), every device on the internet has a unique address too.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Bryan Lunduke ☛ Google Intentionally Cripples Nextcloud Android App

  Nextcloud is an open source competitor to Surveillance Giant Google Drive.

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ EPO revokes another Novo Nordisk patent monopoly behind Ozempic and Wegovy drugs

    After the EPO Boards of Appeal revoked two patents related to Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster semaglutide in autumn 2024, EP 2 866 825 has now also fallen to opposition from Teva, Generics UK and Galenicum Health.

  • Unified Patents ☛ 2025 Q1 PTAB Discretionary Denial Report: Fintiv in Overdrive

    The Patent Office is in a period of transition. Director Vidal left her post in December 2024, and the new administration’s appointee has not yet had a first day. Nonetheless, the acting director has made sweeping policy changes at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. On February 28, acting director Coke Morgan Stewart rescinded Director Vidal’s guidance memo clarifying the standard for discretionary denial based on parallel litigation.

  • Unified Patents ☛ RazDog web video control patent monopoly challenge instituted

    On May 14, 2025, two months after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 10,334,068, owned and asserted by RazDog Holdings LLC. The ‘068 patent monopoly relates to providing users with interactive elements on a video player webpage.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ UPC confirms new system on track for July launch [Ed: UPC is still illegal and unconstitutional, so this is just a new version of a high-level crime, celebrated in this case by a site funded by Team UPC to normalise illegalities]

      Preparations for the new CMS are entering their final stages, as the Unified Patent Court announced in response to an enquiry from JUVE Patent.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Affirms Another Section 2(e)(5) Functionality Refusal: Beach Canopy

    In a thorough and instructive opinion, the Board upheld another Section 2(e)(5) functioality refusal, this time rejecting the proposed product configuration marks shown below for "Canopies of textile or synthetic materials." Once again, the applicant's utility patents and advertising established the functional benefits of its designs. In re Shibumi Shade, Inc., Serial Nos. 90785780 and 90785791 (May 13, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Jennifer L. Elgin).

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Finds SLEEP HEADPHONES to be Generic for . . . . Guess What?

    The Board sustained an opposition to registration of the proposed mark SLEEP HEADPHONES for "Audio speakers; Calculators; Camera flashes; Cases for smartphones; Contact lens cases; Dust masks; Earphones; Protective glasses" [HEADPHONES disclaimed] on the grounds of genericness and, in the alternative, mere descriptiveness. Applicant moved to delete "earphones" from its identification of goods, but the Board denied the motion as "too little, too late." Shenzhen Tianjian Business Co. Limited v. Shenzhen Ruiquansheng Technology Co., Ltd., Opposition No. 91273631 (May 7, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge David K. Heasley).

• Copyrights

  • Creative Commons ☛ The Next Chapter: Strengthening the Creative Commons Community Together

    A thriving and connected community is key to building a stronger open movement. That’s why, as part of our 2025–2028 strategic plan, we’re placing community at the center of everything we do. Our vision is clear: a world where communities actively leverage CC’s open infrastructure to share knowledge in the public interest.

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Gilded Fish: Illustrations from Histoire naturelle des dorades de la Chine (1780)

    The first monograph on goldfish published in Europe.

  • Digital Music News ☛ To All Independent Artists And Record Labels, Distinctive Promo Is Built To Support Your New Music Releases!

    We are Distinctive Promo. Distinctive Promo was created because new music was not properly being discovered. Independent artists and record labels had access to get music released on DSP’s, but they didn’t easily have access to tastemakers that could support these new releases such as DJs, radio programmers, curators and early adopters.