Leftovers

• Hackaday ☛ The Screamer Is Just Like The Clapper But Even More Annoying

  Remember The Clapper? It was a home automation tool (of sorts) that let you turn appliances on and off by clapping. [Kevin O’Connor] has built something rather similar, if more terrifying. It’s called The Screamer.

• Hackaday ☛ New Bismuth Transistor Runs 40% Faster And Uses 10% Less Power

  Recently in material science news from China we hear that [Hailin Peng] and his team at Peking University just made the world’s fastest transistor and it’s not made of silicon. Before we tell you about this transistor made from bismuth here’s a whirlwind tour of the history of the transistor.

• Hackaday ☛ Moon Phase Flip Clock Is Fantastic

  We love clocks, but we especially love unusual timepieces that aren’t just about showing the hour of the day. [Simone Giertz] built a flip clock moon phase tracker for a friend.

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ Nine Federally Funded Scientific Breakthroughs That Changed Everything

    The U.S. is slashing funding for scientific research, after decades of deep investment. Here’s some of what those taxpayer dollars created.

  • New York Times ☛ Peter Lax, Pre-eminent Cold War Mathematician, Dies at 99

    As the computer age dawned, he saw how the new technology could be harnessed to mathematics to solve problems in everything from designing weapons to predicting the weather.

  • New York Times ☛ Studies of Breast Cancer and Other Diseases Threatened by New Policy

    N.I.H. restrictions on payments to foreign partners may jeopardize research into conditions that would benefit Americans.

  • The Conversation ☛ 2025-05-14 [Older] Forget chatbots: research suggests reading can help combat loneliness and boost the brain

  • The Conversation ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] There’s growing evidence of possible life on other planets – here’s why you should still be sceptical

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Soviet-era Venus probe plunges back to Earth after 53 years

• Hardware

  • The Straits Times ☛ Nvidia plans China research centre as export curbs bite: Report

    The tightened US export curbs come as China’s economy wavers.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Nvidia plans China research centre as US export curbs bite, report says

    US chipmaker Nvidia is planning to build a research and development centre in Shanghai, the Financial Times reported Friday, as tighter export restrictions imposed by Washington threaten sales in the key Chinese market.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s humanoid robots will not replace human workers, Beijing official says

    They will instead help boost productivity and lessen risks for humans, he says.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ Haunting last words: Ailing Malaysian vaper dies days after warning others to kick the habit

    He is seen in a Fentanylware (TikTok) video holding a surgical bag containing tubes to drain abscess fluid from his lungs.

  • Science Alert ☛ World First: US Baby Treated With Personalized CRISPR Gene-Editing

    "We hope he is the first of many."

  • Science Alert ☛ Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Early Signs of Parkinson's Disease

    "Nutritious foods could be a good strategy for maintaining brain health."

  • Science Alert ☛ The Roots of Dementia Trace Back All The Way to Childhood, Experts Say

    The evidence is growing.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discovered Structural, Brain-Wide Changes During Menstruation

    Period brain is real.

  • Science Alert ☛ One Stage of Sleep Seems Critical For Reducing Risk of Dementia

    Our brains need it.

  • Thai building collapse exposes flaws in its migrant-heavy construction sector

    Many migrant workers, including Burmese, are vulnerable to labor abuse, said advocates.

  • The Conversation ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] For children with a rare form of dementia, music could be a powerful therapy tool

  • Truthdig ☛ 2025-05-15 [Older] As Egg Prices Soar, Amazon and Top Investors Cash In

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Spain: Curbs lifted after toxic smoke confined thousands

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Michael Geist ☛ Solomon’s Choice: Charting the Future of Hey Hi (AI) Policy in Canada

      The decision to create a Minister for Artificial Intelligence sends an unmistakable signal that the Carney government recognizes the need to prioritize Hey Hi (AI) as a core part of its economic strategy. My Globe and Mail op-ed notes that while few doubt the importance of AI, what the federal government should do about it is far less certain. The Trudeau government emphasized both government handouts and regulation, with billions in Hey Hi (AI) spending promises on the one hand and ill-considered legislation that was out of step with global trends on the other. The result was a mish-mash of incoherent policies that left the Hey Hi (AI) sector confused, civil society frustrated and Canada at risk of being left behind.

    • New York Times ☛ Grok Chatbot’s ‘White Genocide’ Responses Blamed on xAI Employee

      Grok, the chatbot operated by MElon’s artificial intelligence company, was providing the responses about South Africa to unrelated questions.

  • Social Control Media

    • New York Times ☛ China’s First Police Corgi Has 400,000 Followers and a Nose for Trouble

      Fu Zai has won top workplace reviews as an unusual breed of sniffer dog. But his lack of self-control cost him his annual bonus.

• Security

  • Confidentiality

    • American Oversight ☛ American Oversight Files Final Brief Before Friday Hearing on Emergency Motion in Signalgate Lawsuit

      American Oversight heads before Judge Boasberg on Friday regarding the request for a preliminary injunction against the Convicted Felon administration.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim oversees air drills

    He also underscored the need for a step-up in war preparations, state media outlet KCNA said.  

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s Billion-Dollar Tech Deals, and a Military Buildup at the Border

    Plus, your Friday news quiz.

  • Security Week ☛ From 60 to 4,000: NATO’s Locked Shields Reflects Cyber Defense Growth

    The 15th edition of NATO’s Locked Shields cyber defense exercise brought together 4,000 experts from 41 countries.

  • Cabinet commends SAPS operations against GBVF related crimes

    Cabinet has welcomed the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) ongoing operations aimed at preventing and combating Gender-Based Violence and Femicide related crimes. This follows the arrest of 224 suspects for rape, and five suspects for attempted rape between 5 and 11 May 2025.

  • Defence Web ☛ Procure to export: A new mindset for South Africa’s defence industry

    The South African government wants to drive growth and job creation. The local defence industry has existing capabilities that can be exploited to assist. There are two elements that would need to be satisfied if the country wanted to use the defence and related security industry to assist in leveraging a growth strategy.

  • Defence Web ☛ Parliament sounds the alarm on SANDF crisis during explosive debate

    Parliament descended into fierce debate on Thursday 15 May over the mid-term strategic review of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), with multiple parties warning of a looming national security disaster.

  • Beyond trespass: Legal boundaries against land grabs and shack syndicates

    Shack farming syndicates and illegal land invasions are an escalating threat to South Africa’s property rights, legal integrity, and urban stability. These invasions frequently orchestrated by organized criminal networks exploit legal ambiguities, municipal inefficiencies, and enforcement delays.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Turkey's Celebi sues India over 'vague' clearance pullback amid Pakistan conflict

    Turkey-based Celebi, which provides airport ground handling in India, has launched a legal challenge to New Delhi's decision to overturn its security clearance, arguing that "vague" national security concerns were cited without reasoning.

  • New York Times ☛ A Reality Show Where Immigrants Compete for U.S. Citizenship? D.H.S. Is Considering It.

    A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security said the agency was happy to review “out-of-the-box pitches.”

  • New York Times ☛ Succès Masra, Opposition Leader in Chad, Is Arrested and Accused of Inciting Violence

    A former prime minister and presidential candidate, Succès Masra, was detained by a government that has used the security forces and judiciary to quash opposition.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Appointee Pressed Analyst to Redo Intelligence on Venezuelan Gang

    The move followed a disclosure that intelligence agencies disagree with a key factual claim Convicted Felon made to invoke a wartime deportation law.

  • New Yorker ☛ Building Drones—for the Children?

    The influential venture capitalist Katherine Boyle is making the case that creating things for America—from weapons to rockets to nuclear-energy plants—is pro-family.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Lorry driver in crash that caused 9 Malaysian officers’ deaths charged with reckless driving

      The accused pleaded not guilty to the nine charges read to him.

    • The Strategist ☛ Energy security needs pipelines, not promises

      Few issues are as urgent and as poorly understood as Australia’s energy policy.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New York Times ☛ Cher Wants a Better Home for L.A.’s Elephants. Not Tulsa.

      A lawsuit is seeking to stop Los Angeles Zoo officials from shipping their two surviving elephants to another zoo in Oklahoma. Cher and other advocates want them to go to an animal sanctuary.

    • Science Alert ☛ Mystery of T. Rex's Debated North American Origins Finally Solved

      The truth has been buried for a very long time.

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-05-12 [Older] As the Amazon’s Waves Weaken, a Surfer Fights to Protect Them

  • Population

    • The Straits Times ☛ Rise in single mothers reflects changing face of Chinese families

      Almost two in three, or 64.6 per cent, of single mothers are hesitant to disclose their single-parent status.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ China-US 90-day tariff truce should be extended, Global Times says

    This came as envoys from the world’s two biggest economies met in South Korea on May 15.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ST Picks: China’s bargaining chip amid trade war truce with US

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Low-budget mainland tourists welcome in Hong Kong, but their fear of foreigners is overblown

    Well, you should be careful what you wish for. Hong Kong is seeing a lot more tourists visiting from mainland China. The bad news: many of them are coming in ways that involve very little local spending. Many tourists reportedly come just for the day.

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

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

  • Latvia ☛ Inflation in Latvia driven by food prices

    Inflation continues to be driven up by rising food prices. Over the year, prices have risen by 7.3%, while the average increase in the eurozone was only 2.6%. Bank analysts and economists point out that prices are rising in line with global markets, but the President is urging the authorities not to pass the buck, but to come up with concrete proposals, Latvian Radio reports on 16 May.

  • New York Times ☛ S.E.C. Investigating Whether Coinbase Misstated Its User Numbers

    The inquiry continued even after the commission dropped a lawsuit accusing Coinbase of illegally marketing digital currencies to the public.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • CS Monitor ☛ Why Japan, South Korea inch closer

    Will their troops work together to save democracy in Asia? Perhaps. Meanwhile, an election in South Korea reveals a shift toward reconciliation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China investigates Guangxi government head over suspected disciplinary violations

    China has opened an investigation into Lan Tianli, the government chairman of south China's Guangxi region, over suspected violations of law and discipline, the country's anti-graft watchdog said on Friday.

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Why Albania's election is a critical test for EU membership

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s ex-president Yoon leaves PPP as conservative party’s candidate trails liberal front runner

    PPP members who saw him as a liability had urged him to leave the party.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea minister says deadline tight to reach deal on US tariffs

    The minister said Seoul would try to reach a deal with Washington on tariffs by the July deadline.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan meets with US for tariff talks in South Korea

    The main Taiwan and U.S. trade representatives met in South Korea for trade negotiations, yielding optimism that further talks would lead to reduced U.S. tariffs on Taiwan exports, the island's Vice-Premier Cheng Li-chiun said on Friday.

  • BIA Net ☛ Erdoğan signals end to state takeovers of pro-Kurdish municipalities after PKK disbands

    Turkish intelligence will oversee the PKK's disarmament process, the president has said.

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] The late Margot Friedländer and the hope for a better future [Ed: Unlike Fröhlinger: The shill who promoted the illegality of the UPC for the EPO; her legacy (Fröhlinger's) is going to be crime]

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer dies at 103

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] Germany's socialist Left Party is flying high

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • New Yorker ☛ Arrested for Singing While Female, in “My Orange Garden”

    In Anna-Sophia Richard’s short documentary, a woman sentenced to prison for singing in public in Iran both grapples with repression and longs for home.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong independence activist jailed under nat. sec law appeals for shorter sentence at top court

    A Hong Kong independence activist jailed for five years over conspiring to incite secession under the national security law has taken his challenge to the city’s top court, appealing for a lighter sentence.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Meduza ☛ Say ‘No’ in style Introducing Meduza’s new merch collection, inspired by our 10th anniversary art exhibition — Meduza

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Kashmir crisis sparks press crackdown in India

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Rights group raises alarm over ethnic Kazakh who fled Xinjiang

    Group says the 23-year-old man has been held in Kazakhstan and could be deported to China.

  • 30 years on, rights groups press China for word of Tibet’s missing Panchen Lama

    The Panchen Lama was abducted on May 17, 1995 as part of China’s plan to control the succession of the Dalai Lama.

  • JURIST ☛ HRW urges China to release 11th Panchen Lama, calls on ‘concerned parties’ to assert Tibetan rights

    Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged China to free the 11th Panchen Lama, Gendun Choki Nyima, and his parents, who were removed from public view in 1995 and have remained missing ever since.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Smokey Robinson Faces Criminal Investigation Following Sexual Assault Lawsuit

    A criminal investigation has been launched into the sexual assault allegations against Smokey Robinson in a lawsuit filed by his former housekeepers. Legendary singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson was sued last week by former employees who allege assault, sexual battery, and false imprisonment.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Diddy Paid Cassie $20 Million In Hush Money, Testimony Reveals

    Cassie Ventura, the R&B singer and former partner of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, delivered testimony on May 14th in the rap mogul’s ongoing trial. The testimony revealed a jaw-dropping $20 million payment to settle her civil lawsuit.

  • TechSpot ☛ Silicon Valley's era of open debate fades as companies clamp down on employee dissent

    As the tech industry continues to tighten control over employee speech and activism, a culture once defined by open dialogue and political engagement gives way to one marked by silence and fear of reprisal. "It's different now; employers feel they can get away with stuff," said a former Google employee.

    In recent years, Silicon Valley has witnessed a sharp shift in how major technology companies respond to employee activism and internal dissent. Once known for a culture encouraging open debate and political engagement, the tech industry is now cracking down on workers who challenge company policies or voice concerns about controversial business practices.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Digital Music News ☛ Live Nation and AEG Reportedly Face Criminal Antitrust Probe Over Alleged Ticket-Refund Collusion

  Live Nation is reportedly grappling with yet another wave of Justice Department scrutiny. Now, a reported criminal antitrust probe is zeroing in on alleged refund-related ticketing collusion during the early days of the pandemic. This possible probe just recently entered the media spotlight and was confirmed by Live Nation.

• Digital Music News ☛ Apple Rejected Fornite’s Return to the iOS App Store—Game is Blocked in the EU Now, Too

  Apple has one again blocked the return of Fortnite to the iOS App Store—also impacting the game’s availability in Europe. The game could be installed on iOS devices through the Epic Games Store on European iOS devices, but no longer. This move marks the latest escalation in an ongoing legal and regulatory battle between Fashion Company Apple […]

• European Commission ☛ Commission seeks feedback on commitments offered by Abusive Monopolist Microsoft over possible anticompetitive practices related to Teams

  The European Commission invites comments on commitments offered by Abusive Monopolist Microsoft to address competition concerns over tying its communication and collaboration [...]

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-05-10 [Older] Mexico sues Google over Cheeto Mussolini's renaming of Gulf of Mexico

• Patents

  • IP Kat ☛ 2025-05-13 [Older] Defining the undefinable: The challenges and opportunities for cell therapy IP [Ed: Patent monopolies on cell therapy benefits the few]

  • IP Kat ☛ 2025-05-09 [Older] UK court reaffirms its stringent plausibility standard in AstraZeneca despite G 2/21 [Ed: AstraZeneca? Conflict of interest in this coverage.]

• Trademarks

  • IP Kat ☛ 2025-05-11 [Older] [Guest Post] Out the Door, Back In Through the Grille: Warsaw Court Reverses Audi Advantage

  • IP Kat ☛ 2025-05-13 [Older] The never-ending story of Brexit – Chapter: EUIPO v Nowhere – Act I: The Advocate General’s Opinion