Leftovers

• Arca Noae ☛ Main site upgrade complete – all services available

  Thanks to everyone who gave us the time required to get things properly sorted and address our site upgrade and login issues.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Astronomers Have Traced Our New Interstellar Comet's Origin, And It's a First

    What’s this ancient object doing in our Solar System?

  • Science Alert ☛ Modified Herpes Virus Found to Shrink Deadly Skin Cancers in Clinical Trial

    A potentially life-saving treatment is on the horizon.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Common Sleeping Pill Could Reduce Alzheimer's Protein Buildup, Study Finds

    Intriguing...

  • Science Alert ☛ Quantum Breakthrough Could Make Your Devices 1,000 Times Faster

    Introducing 'thermal quenching'.

  • Science Alert ☛ Three Epic Meteor Showers Are About to Light Up July – Here's Your Guide

    The sky's your oyster.

  • Science Alert ☛ Atlantic Ocean's Nanoplastic Problem Revealed in Shocking New Study

    The scale is terrifying.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ NXP introduces IW693 Wi-Fi 6E SoC with 2×2 MIMO for industrial IoT and Smart Home applications

    NXP has unveiled the IW693 Wi-Fi 6E (and Bluetooth) SoC with 2×2 MIMO for industrial IoT and Smart Home applications, offering a higher-end option to the company’s IW612 tri-radio solution, but which omits an 802.15.4 radio.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel CEO says it's "too late" for them to catch up with Hey Hi (AI) competition — reportedly claims defective chip maker Intel has fallen out of the "top 10 semiconductor companies" as the firm lays off thousands across the world

    Intel CEO says it's "too late" for them to catch up with competition and claims defective chip maker Intel has fallen out of the "top 10 semiconductor companies" as the firm lays off thousands across the world and loses contract manufacturing for 18A node.

  • Dan Langille ☛ Doing a bit of stress work on a new HDD

    As foreshadowed in x8dtu – drive problems, I will be visiting a data center soon to replace a 4TB HDD. The replacement HDD arrived last night. It was unceremoniously tossed onto the front porch by the courier. However, it was properly packaged. I’m sure it’s fine. The original idea: put this drive into a host, and write some data to it, to exercise it a bit.

  • Hackaday ☛ Ask Hackaday: Are You Wearing 3D Printed Shoes?

    We love 3D printing. We’ll print brackets, brackets for brackets, and brackets to hold other brackets in place. Perhaps even a guilty-pleasure Benchy. But 3D printed shoes? That’s where we start to have questions.

  • Hackaday ☛ Voltage Divider? Filter? It’s Both!

    When we do textbook analysis, we tend to ignore the real-world concerns for the sake of learning. So, a typical theoretical voltage divider is simply two resistors. But if you examine a low-pass RC filter, you’ll see a single resistor and a capacitor. What if you combine them? That’s what [Old Hack EE] did in a recent video, and you can check it out below.

  • Hackaday ☛ Hacking A Guitar Into A Hurdy-Gurdy Hybrid With 3D Prints

    If you’re looking for a long journey into the wonderful world of instrument hacking, [Arty Farty Guitars] is six parts into a seven part series on hacking an existing guitar into a guitar-hurdy-gurdy-hybrid, and it is “a trip” as the youths once said. The first video is embedded below.

  • Hackaday ☛ Double Your Printing Fun With Dual-Light 3D Printing

    Using light to 3D print liquid resins is hardly a new idea. But researchers at the University of Texas at Austin want to double down on the idea. Specifically, they use a resin with different physical properties when cured using different wavelengths of light.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Pro Publica ☛ TX Overhauls Wasteful Anti-Abortion Program That Has Had Little Oversight

    Texas health officials are overhauling a program designed to steer people away from abortion following a ProPublica and CBS News investigation that found that the state had funneled tens of millions of taxpayer dollars into the effort while providing little oversight of the spending.

    The money has been flowing to a network of nonprofit organizations that are part of Thriving Texas Families, a state program that supports parenting and adoption as alternatives to abortion and provides counseling, material assistance and other services. Most of the groups operate as crisis pregnancy centers, or pregnancy resource centers, which often resemble medical clinics but are frequently criticized for offering little or no actual health care and misleading women about their options.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Simple Daily Habit Could Help Lower Your Blood Pressure

    You can even add delicious sides.

  • Science Alert ☛ Major Study Links 4 Healthy Diets With Up to 28% Lower Dementia Risk

    Your food could protect your brain.

  • Science Alert ☛ How a Medical Mystery Revealed The World's Rarest Blood Type

    Only one person on Earth has it.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Qt ☛ Get Better QML Code Completions with CodeLlama 13B-QML and 7B-QML v3 [Ed: Qt is pushing slop]

      Today, we released updated versions of the fine-tuned CodeLlama 13B-QML and 7B -QML models. The updated versions include the first skills to complete code for Qt Quick enhancements in Qt 6.9 and Qt 6.10.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Purism ☛ Google to Pay Texas $1.4 Billion to End Privacy Cases

      Google’s $1.375 billion settlement with Texas is a wake-up call for digital privacy (Bloomberg Law).

  • Confidentiality

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Using Signal Groups for Activism

      Good tutorial by Micah Lee. It includes some nonobvious use cases.

• Defence/Aggression

  • BIA Net ☛ DEM Party-led group departs Diyarbakır for PKK disarmament ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan

    A large group including politicians, intellectuals, and journalists will be in Sulaymaniyah as the PKK holds a symbolic disarmament ceremony tomorrow in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Authorities launch national strategy against extortion to tackle a pernicious and widespread crime

    The strategy contemplates new laws that would force states to investigate the crime, even when victims are too afraid to make an official report.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Two US policy options for Venezuela: Shaping reform vs. ‘maximum pressure’ toward regime collapse

    The White House faces a choice: Should it use sanctions leverage to try to extract concessions from Nicolas Maduro on energy security, migration, and democratic reforms? Or should it bet on a return to “maximum pressure" in the hopes of precipitating a transition in Caracas?

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Populist gains are threatening Europe’s strategic coherence. Here’s how the EU can fight back.

    Far-right populist gains across Europe risk hindering the military buildup necessary to deter mounting security threats to the continent.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ How the Mexican security minister’s slip of the tongue rankled Salvadoran President Bukele

    President Bukele took exception after García Harfuch's identified a drug-smuggling plane as coming from El Salvador.

  • New York Times ☛ U.K. Faces Rising Threat From Iranian Plots, Intelligence Committee Says

    An official report warned that Iran was targeting dissidents and gathering intelligence on Jewish and Israeli targets in Britain.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Netanyahu swings into campaign mode, with photo ops and a victory lap

    Benjamin Netanyahu has long sold himself to the Israeli public as “Mr. Security,” but Hamas’ devastating Oct. 7 attack stained his record. Now he’s hoping the war with Iran has rehabilitated his image.

  • New York Times ☛ A Lethal Israeli Airstrike Hits Near a Gaza Aid Clinic

    The attack struck near a facility run by an American aid organization as negotiators from Hamas and Israel wrangle over a potential new cease-fire agreement.

  • France24 ☛ Israel strikes medical center in Gaza as ceasefire talks stall in Doha

    An Israeli airstrike hit Palestinians near a medical centre in Gaza on Thursday, killing 10 children and six adults, local health authorities said, as ceasefire talks dragged on with no immediate deal expected. The Deir al-Balah missile strike came as Israeli and Hamas negotiators hold talks with mediators in Qatar over a proposed 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal aimed at building agreement on a lasting truce.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Quicker immigration clearance system at revamped checkpoint will not send data to mainland China, says security chief

    A quicker immigration clearance system that will be deployed at a revamped land crossing between Hong Kong and China will not send residents’ data to mainland authorities, the city’s security chief has said.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China says foiled foreign spying plots including ‘honeytrap’

    China said Thursday it had cracked three spying plots, including one in which a public servant was lured by the “seductive beauty” of a foreign agent, urging government workers to remain vigilant against overseas threats.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong nat. security police arrest 4, aged 15 to 47, for alleged subversion via Taiwan-based group

    Hong Kong national security police have arrested four people, aged 15 to 47, for allegedly conspiring to subvert state power through a Taiwan-based group that advocates for the city’s independence.

  • JURIST ☛ US sanctions UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese over Palestine human rights work

    The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions against UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights Francesca Albanese, marking an escalation in the Convicted Felon administration’s efforts to prevent international scrutiny of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

  • New York Times ☛ A Reporter’s Trail From a Bush-Era Cyberattack to Convicted Felon’s Strike on Iran

    During the Obama administration, a Times reporter revealed details of a cyberattack on a nuclear enrichment center in Iran. He followed the story to the White House, and learned lessons critical to covering the recent bombing of Fordo and Natanz.

  • New York Times ☛ Some of Iran’s Enriched Uranium Survived Attacks, Israeli Official Says

    The assessment came as experts are trying to determine how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program in the aftermath of U.S. and Israeli strikes.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ France, UK sign ‘historic’ deal to coordinate nuclear deterrence for first time

      French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday announced a new defence relationship that will, for the first time, coordinate their countries' nuclear deterrence systems. The "historic" deal aims to  jointly protect Europe from threats amid growing uncertainty over US commitment to European security.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • Delay in release of national security documents raises questions in parliament

    The Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, is facing renewed scrutiny over delays in the release of key national security documents promised during her 2024 budget speech.

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ Texas City Racked by Floods Becomes a Hub for Search and Recovery

    Most summers, Kerrville, Texas, draws crowds for its July 4 celebration. This year, the streets are filled with emergency responders.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Bitcoin Depot tells 27,000 crypto ATM customers that it leaked their personal information, but waited a year to disclose due to an ongoing investigation

      Bitcoin Depot is reportedly informing nearly 27,000 users of its crypto-dispensing ATMs that someone made off with their personal information in June 2024.

    • Russell Coker ☛ Russell Coker: Bad Product Comparisons and EVs

      When companies design products a major concern seems to be what the reviewers will have to say about it. For any product of significant value the users are unable to perform any reasonable test before buying, for a casual user some problems may only be apparent after weeks of use so professional reviews are important to many people. The market apparently doesn’t want reviews of the form “here’s a list of products that are quite similar and all do the job well, you can buy any of them, it’s no big deal” which would be the most technically accurate way of doing it.

      So the reviewers compare the products on the criteria that are easiest to measure, this lead to phones being compared by how light and thin they are. I think it’s often the case that users would be better served by thicker heavier phones that have larger batteries but instead they are being sold phones that have good battery life in a fresh installation but which don’t last a day with a full load of apps installed.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Blue Sharks May Be Secret Chameleons, Scientists Discover

      Yellow shark, do dooo do-do do-do.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Feng shui woodlands have protected Hong Kong; it’s our turn to care for these long-neglected, forgotten forests

      By Kit Lee and Michael Boyle Amidst the villages and valleys of Hong Kong, tiny pockets of ancient forest lie scattered across the landscape. These forgotten forests absorb carbon from the air, give shelter to rare plants and animals, and provide locals with spaces to reconnect with nature and their cultural roots.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ Former Girl Bosses Are ‘Leaning Out’ to Redefine What Ambition Looks Like

    They reached the heights of corporate success. Now some women are trying to redefine what ambition looks like.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Hybe Responds As Criminal Case Moves Forward Against Bang Si-hyuk, Says It Will ‘Demonstrate That the IPO Was Carried Out in Full Compliance With Laws and Regulations’

    Hybe has responded to the reportedly imminent fraudulent-trading charges against Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, maintaining that its “IPO was carried out in full compliance with laws and regulations.” The K-pop giant addressed the much-publicized subject in a statement provided to DMN.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man is threatening Brazil with a 50 percent tariff. How will Lula respond?

    The large tariff on Brazilian imports to the United States is set to take effect August 1, unless the US president and his counterpart in Brasília can strike a deal.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ EU chief Von der Leyen comfortably survives confidence vote

    EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday comfortably saw off a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament -- but the rare challenge has exposed frictions between her backers and complaints about her leadership style. FRANCE 24's Armen Georgian has the analysis.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Federal judge blocks Convicted Felon’s executive order on birthright citizenship

    A New Hampshire judge issued a ruling pausing President The Insurrectionist’s executive order to end birthright citizenship. He also certified a class action lawsuit on behalf of children who would be affected by the president’s order.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Administration Is Forcing Prosecutors to Ignore Law, Whistle-Blower Says

    In an interview with The New York Times, a former Justice Department lawyer, Erez Reuveni, said officials pressed subordinates to mislead judges, and dared the courts to stop it.

  • American Oversight ☛ American Oversight Sues for Records on Convicted Felon Judicial Nominee Emil Bove Amid Alarming Whistleblower Allegations

    We’re seeking DOJ documents that could shed light on Bove’s potential misconduct, including his role in defying court orders, politically motivated dismissals of charges, and mass deportations.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong waiter charged with inciting subversion under Beijing-imposed nat. security law

    A Hong Kong waiter has become the latest person charged with inciting subversion under the Beijing-imposed national security law. Chan Ho-hin, 22, appeared at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday to face the charge, according to local media reports.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Reach to ‘streamline’ sports teams into one hub with ‘around 50’ redundancies

    Reach to continue having dedicated writers for biggest football clubs and certain sports.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Mail defended inaccurate immigrants story by saying Telegraph was source

    Mail argued it did not need to check story taken from Telegraph front page.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • EDRI ☛ EDRi-gram, 10 July 2025

    What has the EDRis network been up to over the past two weeks? Find out the latest digital rights news in our bi-weekly newsletter. In this edition: European Commission must champion the Hey Hi (AI) Act, EDRi pushes back against risky GDPR deregulation, & more!

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Hackaday ☛ Long Live RSS!

    While we know that many of you are reading Hackaday via our Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed, we suspect that most people on the street wouldn’t know that it underlies a lot of the modern internet. [A. McNamee] and [A. Service] have created an illustrated history of RSS that proudly proclaims RSS is (not) dead (yet)!

  • New York Times ☛ A.I.-Generated Images of Child Sexual Abuse Are Flooding the Internet

    Organizations that track the material are reporting a surge in Hey Hi (AI) images and videos, which are threatening to overwhelm law enforcement.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge Urges FCC To Block or Condition T-Mobile/U.S. Cellular Deal Eroding Wireless Competition

    Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that the agency would “not seek an injunction to prevent T-Mobile from closing on its proposed acquisition of U.S. Cellular,” including U.S. Cellular’s customers, stores, and at least 30% of its spectrum assets in a deal valued at $4.4 billion.

  • APNIC ☛ APNIC registry services availability during Q2 2025

    The latest measurements on APNIC’s Whois, RDAP, RPKI, IRR, and rDNS are now available.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Motorola Follows SAP with Mandamus Challenge to Acting Director Stewart’s IPR Policy Reversal

    The Federal Circuit is now confronting a second major mandamus petition challenging the USPTO's major changes with regard to its approach to discretionary denials in inter partes review proceedings. In re Motorola Solutions, Inc., No. 25-134 (Fed. Cir. 2025).  Motorola presents an even more procedurally compelling challenge to Acting Director Stewart's retroactive system changes than the earlier In re SAP petition I discussed previously. While both cases attack the same underlying agency action, Motorola's petition benefits from having actually obtained PTAB institution decisions before they were subsequently vacated, creating a more concrete harm from the retroactive policy change.

  • JUVE ☛ “Powell Gilbert has staked its flag in the heart of the German patent monopoly market”

    Düsseldorf is not just any German city. For years, it was the epicentre of European patent monopoly litigation, with the regional court hearing more patent monopoly cases than any other venue.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Overlapping Ranges and the Presumption of Obviousness

    The Federal Circuit's decision in Janssen v. Teva narrows the scope of the overlapping-range presumption of obviousness, holding that when a patent monopoly claim involves an integrated, time-dependent sequence of steps rather than a simple selection of numeric values, courts must conduct a full obviousness analysis instead of applying the presumption that overlapping ranges are obvious.

  • Software Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Google v. Sonos: Oral Arguments

      Today the Federal Circuit is hearing oral arguments in Surveillance Giant Google v. Sonos on the doctrine of prosecution laches. The panel is interesting and has the potential of resulting in a pro-Google decision.  Federal Circuit Judges Prost and Lourie, along with  D.N.J. District Court Judge Renée Marie Bumb, sitting by designation.

      Judge Lourie authored the Symbol v. Lemleson decision that revived the doctrine back in 2005. More interestingly, Judge Lourie wrote the opinion in Cancer Research Tech. Ltd. v. Barr Laboratories, Inc., 625 F.3d 724 (Fed. Cir. 2010), with Judge Prost in dissent. In that case, the majority found no laches, but Judge Prost would have found the patent monopoly unenforceable due to prosecution laches.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Is NATIVE NATIONS CANNABIS Merely Descriptive of Hemp-Containing Cosmetics?

    The USPTO refused to register the mark NATIVE NATIONS CANNABIS , finding it to be merely descriptive of "Cosmetic bath salts; massage oils; cosmetic mud masks; body butter; anti-aging cream; moisturizing creams; bath bombs; and hand lotions; all of the foregoing containing ingredients solely derived from hemp with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis" [CANNABIS disclaimed]. Applicant is "from" the native nation Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. How do you think this appeal came out? In re FSST Pharms, LLC, Serial No. 97419333 (July 8, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Cheryl S. Goodman).