Leftovers

• Games

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Africa’s game revolution is loading

    With the right investment, infrastructure, and visibility, Africa won’t just be a player in the global gaming industry—it will be the one pushing it forward.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nintendo reportedly pulled products, including Switch 2, from Amazon U.S. because of alleged sales dispute — both companies deny claims

    A new report claims Nintendo began pulling its products from Amazon last year because of a disagreement over unauthorized sales.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ 3D Time Could Solve Physics' Biggest Problem, Says Bizarre New Study

    How am I still running late?

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China could be the world's top semiconductor foundry hub by 2030 — despite US curbs, nation to hold 30% of global installed capacity, surpassing Taiwan

    China is projected to become the biggest manufacturer of semiconductors by 2030, but how advanced will these chips be?

  • Hackaday ☛ Super8 Camera Brought To The Modern World

    Certain styles of photography or videography immediately evoke an era. Black-and-white movies of flappers in bob cuts put us right in the roaring 20s, while a soft-focused, pastel heavy image with men in suits with narrow ties immediately ties us to the 60s. Similarly, a film shot at home with a Super 8 camera, with its coarse grain, punchy colors, and low resolution brings up immediate nostalgia from the 80s. These cameras are not at all uncommon in the modern era, but the cartridges themselves are definitely a bottleneck. [Nico Rahardian Tangara] retrofitted one with some modern technology that still preserves that 80s look.

  • Yahoo News ☛ Can Layoffs Plug High Operating Expenses, Buoy Intel's Sinking Ship?

    Intel Corporation INTC is reportedly winding up its automotive architecture business and laying off a significant number of employees as part of its broader restructuring process to trim operating costs and boost liquidity. The layoffs are expected to affect 15-20% of Intel's global workforce, with the company aiming to focus more on its core operations. The company expects to free up significant resources by winding down this peripheral unit, thereby making more money available for R&D funding in the core PC and data center segments.

  • Can Layoffs Plug High Operating Expenses, Buoy Intel's Sinking Ship?

    INTC is exiting its automotive business and laying off 15-20% of its global workforce to reduce expenses.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Steam and Linux gaming is safe: Fedora will not drop 32-bit support after all — dev says proposal was 'not some conspiracy to break the gaming use case'

    The backlash stemmed from reports that the change could potentially undermine support for gaming service Steam. The developer said the proposal to eliminate 32-bit support was "...not some conspiracy to break the 'gaming use case'." Valentini clarified that the proposal aimed to address specific technical issues that package maintainers and release engineers encounter with Fedora.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Calgary Brings Fluoride Back to Its Drinking Water

    Calgary removed fluoride from its water supply in 2011, but residents voted to reverse course after studies linked the move to worse dental health among children.

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ Meet Jim O’Neill, the longevity enthusiast who is now RFK Jr.’s right-hand man

    When Jim O’Neill was nominated to be the second in command at the US Department of Health and Human Services, Dylan Livingston was excited.

  • BIA Net ☛ Erdoğan pardons elderly Kurdish prisoner with severe health issues

    Amid longstanding criticism over the continued imprisonment of ill PKK-linked prisoners, Erdoğan issues pardon for a severely ill prisoner during a new Kurdish peace initiative.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Report on Malaysia’s gas pipeline fire has residents worried about future safeguards

    One resident wondered why monitoring systems had failed to detect the pipeline moving before it broke.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia gas pipeline fire: No foul play, negligence found, say police

    Ground instability led to the blast in Selangor on April 1 that destroyed homes and injured about 150 people.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China to restart imports of some Japanese seafood after nearly 2-year Fukushima ban

    China has lifted a ban on seafood imports from most regions of Japan, partially mending a years-long dispute over Tokyo’s handling of nuclear wastewater. China and Japan are key trading partners, but increased friction over territorial rivalries and military spending has frayed ties in recent years.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Press Gazette ☛ Former Guardian blogger alarmed that work included in Proprietary Chaffbot Company deal

      Freelances and news agencies not consulted or paid in publisher Hey Hi (AI) licensing deals.

  • Social Control Media

    • Digital Music News ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says ‘We Have a Buyer for TikTok’ — Though Approval from ByteDance, China Remains a Hurdle

      Dihydroxyacetone Man says he has found a group of “very wealthy people” to buy TikTok, just after extending the divestiture deadline by another 90 days. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, The Insurrectionist said he has found a buyer for TikTok, which he described as a group of “very wealthy people.”

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Latvia ☛ Scammers less successful in Latvia this year so far

      According to data published by the Finance Latvia Association (FLA), customers of Latvia's four largest banks lost a total of €4.28 million in the first five months of this year through payment fraud, which is 49.2% less than in the same period last year, LETA reported on 30 June.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Lifts Sanctions on Syria, Tightening His Embrace of Its New Leader

    U.S. officials said sanctions against targets such as its central bank would end, but they would remain on Syria’s former dictator, Bashar al-Assad.

  • New York Times ☛ Gulf States Lead Push to Invest in New Syria

    The fall of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has opened a window for wealthy Gulf countries to expand their influence as the sway of Iran diminishes.

  • New York Times ☛ Taiwan’s President Takes on China, and His Opponents, in Speaking Tour

    Lai Ching-te is ramping up his warnings about China’s threat to Taiwan. Critics say he is stoking divisions, and risking blowback from Beijing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Explainer-How will the Dalai Lama's successor be chosen?

    The choice of a successor to the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, is a matter of riveting interest not only for followers of his religion, but also China, India, and the United States, for strategic reasons.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines says military leaders working to set up ‘one-theatre’ approach in East, South China seas

    This comes after Japan made a similar proposal to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

  • The Strategist ☛ Every day is Independence Day in Taiwan

    In a speech kicking off his ‘10 Talks on the Country’ series on 22 June, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te declared that Taiwan ‘is of course a country’, citing its democratic system and separate history [...]

  • France24 ☛ The Bright Side: Celebrations mark Dalai Lama's 90th birthday

    Celebrations marking the Dalai Lama’s up-coming 90th birthday kicked-off on Monday in Dharamshala, the Indian Himalayan town where he has lived in exile. Wearing his traditional maroon and yellow robes, the revered Tibetan leader listened as monks, nuns and global well-wishers offered speeches and chants.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Glastonbury Goes Seriously Sideways—Police Investigating Hate Speech Allegations Following Sets by Bob Vylan and Kneecap

    The Glastonbury 2025 music festival became a flashpoint for controversy when performances by British punk duo Bob Vylan and Irish-language rap Group Kneecap led to accusations of hate speech. The show received a swift response from festival organizers and an investigation by British police is ongoing.

  • France24 ☛ Police inquiry after anti-Israel speech at Glastonbury

    The Glastonbury Festival is making headlines for controversy rather than music. France 24's Jennifer Ben Brahim tells us more.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indian tech hub state pushes jail terms for ‘fake news’, sparks worries

    This has stirred concerns among free speech activists that it could lead to censorship.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s former president Yoon defies summons in martial law probe

    He said he needed to prepare for a later hearing.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Arrest, seizures in latest U.S. operation against North Korean IT workers

    The coordinated steps included searches spanning 16 states involving workers who obtained employment at more than 100 U.S. companies.

  • New York Times ☛ Gaza City Cafe Hit by Deadly Strike

    The restaurant, a destination for Palestinians seeking a respite or internet access, was reduced to a mere shell by the blast.

  • New York Times ☛ Fordo Nuclear Site Work Taking Place in Iran, Satellate Images Show

    Amid competing assessments of how badly the enrichment facility was damaged in U.S. strikes, Iran appears to be making its own inspection.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ German Foreign Minister Calls Putin's Negotiating Stance A 'Facade'

      German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has accused Russia of wanting to "subjugate" Ukraine and says President Vladmir Putin has no desire to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.

    • LRT ☛ Belarusian opposition hold anti-Lukashenko rally in Vilnius

      Around 200 people gathered outside the government office in central Vilnius on Saturday to demand the release of political prisoners from Belarusian prisons and vowed to continue fighting for their country’s freedom.

    • Meduza ☛ Police raid Baku office of Russian state media agency Sputnik Azerbaijan — Meduza

    • The Straits Times ☛ Azerbaijan arrests journalists at Russian state outlet as tensions with Moscow rise

      Authorities in Azerbaijan arrested two journalists from the local branch of a Russian state news agency on Monday in a move likely to further stoke tensions with Moscow following arrests in Russia of ethnic Azerbaijanis suspected of serious crimes.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Unacceptable violence’: Sudden mass arrests in decades-old murder case spark diplomatic row between Russia and Azerbaijan — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘You can’t deny people living through hell a chance to be happy’: Three queer Russians on finding love after the Kremlin branded LGBTQ+ people ‘extremists’ — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ From Iran-Israel Strikes to Russia’s War: How Conflicts Reshape Air Travel

      Whether caused by a long war or brief skirmish, the closing of skies to air travel is having big effects on cost, convenience and safety.

    • New York Times ☛ Drifting From the West’s Orbit, Russians Find a New Role Model in China

      China has become trendy for Russians who once worshiped everything Western. Young people are learning Mandarin, and Chinese culture and goods have become ubiquitous in Moscow.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China is quietly supplanting Russia as Cuba's main benefactor

      Hours over rutted roads inland from Havana, the small Cuban city of Jatibonico is a snapshot of late 19th-century living, its streets crowded with horse-drawn carriages and lacking power much of the day and night.

    • NYPost ☛ Women can be drafted into the Danish military as Russian aggression grows

      Peering across a dense stretch of woodland outside of Denmark’s capital with camouflage paint smeared across her face, 20-year-old Katrine scans the horizon for approaching threats.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Russia’s approach hasn’t changed: they strike where people are likely to be’: Moscow’s latest attacks in Ukraine kill civilians in Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, and beyond — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia opens ‘rehabilitating Nazism’ case over video of teenagers singing Ukrainian anthem and song about Bandera — Meduza

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea's Kim seen draping coffins with flag at Russia treaty anniversary

      It appeared to be the repatriation of soldiers killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine.

    • Latvia ☛ Photos: Baltica folklore festival in Rīga, Daugavpils

      Last week, from 26 to 29 June, the international folklore festival ‘Baltica’ took place in Rīga, Sigulda and Daugavpils, bringing together more than 3,000 participants from all of Latvia's regions as well as foreign guests.

    • Meduza ☛ Kadyrov’s teenage son arrives at wedding in limited-edition Mercedes-Benz, despite E.U. export ban — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ St. Petersburg child services now require proof of ‘no sex change’ for adoption — Meduza

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ What to Know About the Heat Wave in Europe

    Health warnings were issued to tens of millions of Europeans as temperatures climbed well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or more than 40 degrees Celsius.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Rush hour commuter ferries to be suspended Thursday as Chinese naval fleet arrives in Hong Kong

      Nine outlying island ferry service routes will be suspended during Thursday rush hour to allow for the arrival of China’s Shandong aircraft carrier. Ferries will be suspended from around around 7:20am to 9:50am on Thursday, and again next Monday from around 10am until noon, as the fleet leaves.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Guangdong vehicles to be allowed into Hong Kong urban areas ‘in phases’ as gov’t vows to strengthen safeguards

      Vehicles from neighbouring Guangdong province in mainland China will be allowed into Hong Kong’s urban areas “in phases” in a move to ease travel arrangements, transport chief Mable Chan has said, adding that authorities are drafting application procedures and guidelines.

• Finance

  • The Strategist ☛ Defying China, Jim Chalmers enforces our critical-minerals red line

    Jim Chalmers is enforcing national sovereignty and defying risk of economic intimidation. The treasurer has taken court action to force a China-linked entity to divest from a key rare-earths miner.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ US Senate holds marathon vote on Convicted Felon's 'big beautiful bill'

    A marathon vote is underway in the Senate over Convicted Felon's megabill, with Republicans divided over how much to cut welfare programmes to extend tax breaks. Meanwhile the UK-US trade deal has come into effect, but there's still no news on aluminium and steel. Plus, China's largest coffee chain is escalating its race against Starbucks.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Less investment, less influence: Why the US risks losing ground in the Indo-Pacific

    The US withdrawal of foreign aid to Indo-Pacific countries creates space for China to expand its influence in the region.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US-funded Radio Free Asia halts Cantonese service in face of Convicted Felon’s funding cuts

    Radio Free Asia has halted its Cantonese-language service after 27 years due to funding cuts by US President The Insurrectionist’s administration. In a letter posted to its website on Monday, the Cantonese service said it would cease publishing news from Tuesday – the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from Britain to China.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Mediahuis Belgium’s battle to persuade young to pay for news

    Subscription for under 26 to newsbrands like De Standaard has around 3,200 people signed up.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Shetland’s only local newspaper saved from closure

    Highland News and Media deal ends 131 years of family ownership.

  • New York Times ☛ He Made Billions on Surveillance Giant Google and PayPal. Now, He’s Betting on News.

    Michael Moritz co-founded The San Francisco Standard, a local news organization. It is acquiring Charter, a start-up focused on the future of work.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Licensing / Legal

    • FSF ☛ Choose the GPL instead of a "no attribution" license for your next program

      While NA licenses are still free software licenses, even if you preserve the notices anyone who receives the program from you might remove them. Instead of advancing the goals of the free software movement, NA licenses have a saddening antisocial effect. If the notice is removed from a program under this kind of license, it in effect becomes nonfree to anyone who receives the program after. Such users are left on their own to find the source code and confirm freedom from the original distributors. To avoid this major risk, we recommend that you seek differently licensed free software programs that do the same job when possible.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Nostromo location-based patent monopoly prior art

    Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 1 of U.S. Patent 8,559,970, owned and asserted by Nostromo Holdings LLC, an NPE. The '970 patent monopoly is generally directed to providing location-based information and notifications to a user's device, based on location, user preference settings, and conditions for triggering the information delivery.

  • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Proxense authentication patent monopoly prior art

    Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 17 of U.S. Patent 11,095,640, owned and asserted by Proxense LLC, an NPE. The '640 patent monopoly focuses on a system and method for securely and automatically authenticating users to access data or applications, notably through radio frequency identification (RFID) and electronic authentication technologies.

  • The USPTO Acting Director Uses “Settled Expectations” to Violate the Rule of Law

    The America Invents Act (AIA) created a system of “inter partes review” (IPR), which was intended to make it easier for alleged patent monopoly infringers to challenge the validity of patents they’re accused of infringing, by requesting review from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Eye Therapies v. Slayback: Federal Circuit Abandons Standard Transition Construction

    Eye Therapies v. Slayback offers a concerning example of the Federal Circuit departing from well-established patent monopoly claim construction doctrine. In this case, the court abandoned the standard interpretation of the transitional phrase "consisting essentially of" after finding that the patentee's prosecution statements created sufficient grounds to narrow claim scope.  As I explain below, in my opinion, this result conflicts with the court's own Ecolab precedent and threatens to shift claim-transition interpretation from its traditional position as a canon of claim construction.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Ortovox’s settlement with Mammut shows UPC’s reputation as a catalyst for settlements grows [Ed: UPC is illegal, so they put pressure to settle using something that's not even legal]

      A significant number of UPC disputes have concluded with a settlement since the start of the year. Following Roche’s resolution with Tandem Vital Aire and other defendants earlier this month, two more notable disputes have now reached their conclusion.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Three Recent TTAB Inter Partes Decisions: a Mixed Bag of Defeats for the Plaintiffs

    Here for your consideration are three recent Board decisions. The plaintiff lost in each one: for lack of standing, failure to prove priority, and failure to prove lack of bona fide intent.

    California Wheel Distributor Inc. v. Peregrine Automotive, LLC., Cancellation No. 92080626 (June 26, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Thomas W. Wellington) [The Board denied this petition for cancellation of a registration of the mark REVENGE AUTO PARTS for “on-line wholesale and retail store services featuring auto parts,” because the petitioner failed to prove its statutory standing. Petitioner alleged nonuse and abandonment and claimed that it had standing to bring the petition because its application to register the mark REVENGE was blocked by the challenged registration. However, it failed to submit a copy of the file history of its application and there was no other supporting evidence.]