Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Humanoid Robots Have a Serious Design Flaw, And We Need to Fix It

    Is the entire industry on the wrong path?

  • Troy Hunt ☛ Weekly Update 465

    How much tech stuff do I have sitting there in progress, literally just within arm's reach? I kick off this week's video going through it, and it's kinda nuts. Doing runeos and house build doesn't help, but it means there's

  • Science Alert ☛ Billions of Sea Stars Are Wasting Away, And We Finally Know Why

    A tale of trophic cascade.

  • Science Alert ☛ Ants Are 'Superefficient' at Teamwork, Scientists Discover

    We can learn a lot from them.

  • Science Alert ☛ Earth's Continents Are Drying Out at an Unprecedented Rate, Study Warns

    Our world is parched.

  • Science Alert ☛ First-Of-Its-Kind Cell Transplant Brings a Cure For Diabetes Closer

    No immune suppression needed!

• Hardware

  • Ruben Schade ☛ The meaning of “Lenovo”

    I was looking at Notebook Check before buying a used ThinkPad X230—like a gentleman—when I saw this:

    Lenovo: Lenovo (“Le” from English legend, novo (Latin) for new) was founded in 1984 as a Chinese computer trading company.

    I… didn’t know that. I did know that the earlier version of the company was called Legend, in part because of retrocomputer shenanigans I’ve been researching.

  • CNX Software ☛ Testing a 30-meter fiber HDMI cable

    When RUIPRO asked me to review an HDMI cable, I almost immediately deleted their email. After all, who wants to review a dumb HDMI cable? But I still took a look and noticed that their cable used optical fiber, and they sold HDMI cables up to 300 meters long on Amazon.  My longest HDMI cable is about 1.5 meters long, so I got intrigued and asked for a 100-foot (30-meter) fiber HDMI cable for testing.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ China’s Biotech Is Cheaper and Faster Than America’s

    China’s biotechnology sector has established a bright future by focusing not on breakthrough cures and treatments but on speed and efficiency.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Gov’t partially halts HK$52.9m deal with firm supplying bottled water from mainland China, police launch probe

    Hong Kong authorities have partially halted a HK$52.9 million contract with a bottled water supplier, as police launch a probe into suspected illegal activity. The supplier had been selected to provide mainland Chinese bottled water to Hong Kong government offices. The Government Logistics Department (GLD) said on Saturday that it had “partially terminated” the contract […]

• Proprietary

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Microsoft Store change removes the ability to stop App updates — pausing automatic updates now limited to a 5-week duration

    Microsoft wants to keep you safe by ensuring that you always update your apps.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean found dead in alleged Cambodian scam compound; signs of torture reported

      Mr Park is believed to have been held inside before being killed by the gang.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Strategist ☛ ASPI Defence Conference: Delivering national defence through whole-of-nation integration

    Defence’s role remains paramount in delivering national security, but hybrid threats, cyber security and access to space-based services are not problems for the military alone to solve.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean military hit by 9,200 cyber attacks in first half of 2025, up 45% from 2024

    The South Korean military said all cyber attacks were blocked and no damage was inflicted.

  • JURIST ☛ China urges Cambodia and Thailand to mend ties following recent border clashes in bid to stabilise regional dynamics

    The People’s Republic of China on Friday called on Cambodia and Thailand to deepen dialogue and restore mutual trust following recent border clashes, emphasizing the importance of stability for the two neighbors and the wider region. Speaking during a tea gathering on Thursday with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai […]

    The post China urges Cambodia and Thailand to mend ties following recent border clashes in bid to stabilise regional dynamics appeared first on JURIST - News.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Australia grants asylum to ‘wanted’ Hong Kong democrat Ted Hui

    Former pro-democracy Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui who is wanted by the Chinese city has been granted asylum in Australia, he said in a social control media post, calling on Canberra to do more for those who remain jailed.

  • France24 ☛ Nationwide protests over Gaza war, hostage deal sweep Israel

    Demonstrators rallied across Israel on Sunday (August 17), demanding an end to the war in Gaza and a deal to free the remaining hostages, as the military readies a new offensive. The protests come amid rising domestic pressure and international concern over the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. Protest organisers and the main campaign group representing the families of hostages also called for a general strike.

  • France24 ☛ Protesters go on strike in Israel demanding ceasefire

    Protestors in Israel demanding their government make a deal to secure the release of hostages held by militants in Gaza escalated their campaign on Sunday, (August 16) staging a strike. Meanwhile, Israel said it is preparing to move Palestinians from combat zones to southern Gaza. FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky tells us more. "It may be part of a psychological warfare operation to try and persuade Gazans to leave their homes or whatever spaces they were in, in central Gaza", she said.

  • New York Times ☛ Israelis Join Nationwide Rallies to Call for Release of Hostages

    Hundreds of thousands turned out for an evening demonstration in Tel Aviv following a national day of protest, organizers said.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • JURIST ☛ UN experts urge Belarus to stop ill-treatment of prisoners convicted under broad terrorism law

      A group of UN experts on Friday urged Belarus to halt the reported ill-treatment of prisoners convicted of terrorism and extremism charges, and to immediately launch a thorough and impartial investigation into such claims.

    • Meduza ☛ Trump says Zelensky could end war ‘almost immediately,’ rules out return of Crimea or Ukraine joining NATO — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ What to Know About Russia-U.S.-Ukraine Peace Talks

      The president of Ukraine and his European allies are to visit the White House on Monday, after Hell Toupée backed Russia’s plan to end the war.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Weighs Convicted Felon’s Offer of Security Guarantees With Caution

      Hell Toupée offered security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression. But the offer was vague, prompting Kyiv to seek clarity.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukrainians Fleeing Russia’s Attacks Say the Alaska Summit Was an Insult

      Evacuees at a shelter in eastern Ukraine reacted angrily to talk that land that has long been theirs could be given to Russia in exchange for peace.

    • CS Monitor ☛ European leaders will join Zelenskyy for Washington meeting

      At least six European and NATO leaders say they will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Aug. 18 meeting with U.S. President The Insurrectionist.

    • France24 ☛ NATO-like protection for Ukraine in focus as Zelensky, European leaders head for Convicted Felon meeting

      European and NATO leaders are joining Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington on Monday to present a united front in talks with President The Insurrectionist as US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Sunday said Russia is open to the idea of the US and its European allies offering Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defence mandate.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Will Europe rise to its strategic moment?

      With the future of European security on the line, the Ukrainian president and several European allies will meet with US President The Insurrectionist on Monday.

    • New York Times ☛ Putin’s Ukraine Proposal Backed by Convicted Felon Centers on Donbas. Here’s Why.

      The traditionally Russian-speaking area is at the heart of what the Russian president calls the “root causes” of the war, and taking it over is near the top of his list of territorial and political demands.

    • New York Times ☛ President’s Advisers Tout Progress in Summit With Putin

    • New York Times ☛ Putin Sees Ukraine Through a Lens of Grievance Over Lost Glory

      Speaking after Friday’s summit, President Putin again implied that the war is all about Russia’s diminished status since the fall of the Soviet Union.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Officials Hint at Possible Concessions by Putin

      Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, an envoy for Hell Toupée, suggested that a peace deal was still distant.

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky Brings Backup to the White House as Convicted Felon Aligns More Closely With Putin

      European leaders are joining a trip to Washington to make sure the trans-Atlantic alliance remains intact.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Europe stands with Ukraine after Convicted Felon tilts toward Putin at summit

      European leaders head to the White House after President The Insurrectionist, following the Alaska summit, drops his Ukraine ceasefire demand to back Russia’s conditions for peace.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Claims Battlefield Gains Ahead Of Zelenskyy's Crucial White House Visit

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed battlefield gains on its eastern front against Russian forces on August 16 as both sides sought military advantages ahead of Zelenskyy’s planned White House meeting with President The Insurrectionist.

    • RFERL ☛ Europe-Backed Zelenskyy Seeks Security Guarantees As Convicted Felon Meeting Looms

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, bolstered by the planned presence of key European allies, will meet President The Insurrectionist at the White House on August 18 in a session that could go a long way to deciding his embattled nation's future.

    • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man drops ceasefire demand, echoing Putin’s position and jittering Ukraine

      US President The Insurrectionist reversed course after his meeting in Alaska with Russia’s Vladimir Putin by abandoning his demand for a ceasefire and adopting a Kremlin position calling for a full peace deal to end the Ukraine war.

    • France24 ☛ Von der Leyen, other EU leaders to join Zelensky in Washington on Monday. Follow our live coverage

    • France24 ☛ Live: United front critical for 'durable’ peace in Ukraine, Macron says ahead of key White House meeting

    • Latvia ☛ Nordics and Baltics say they are 'steadfast' in support for Ukraine

      Leaaders of the 'Nordic Baltic Eight' group of countries (NB8) issued a statement August 16th in the wake of a controversial meeting between Presidents Trumo and Putin in Alaska. It is reproduced below.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Northern China flash flood kills 9, Xinhua reports

    One person has been rescued.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Flash floods devastate Buner, Pakistan after rare cloudburst kills hundreds

    Aziz Ahmed, a local schoolteacher in Buner, northwestern Pakistan said the thunder accompanying recent torrential rains was so loud he thought the "end of the world had come".

  • The Straits Times ☛ Dozens injured after magnitude 6.0 quake strikes Sulawesi, Indonesia, official says

    Twenty-nine people were injured, two critically, the authorities said.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • James Brown ☛ Here comes the sun!

      Did you know that the sun is a mass of incandescent gas, a gigantic nuclear furnace? A source of a constant stream of high-energy photons?

      Did you know that PG&E is a gigantic racket with some of the highest rates in the state?

    • France24 ☛ Air Canada flight attendants defy back-to-work order, continue strike

      The union representing Air Canada's striking flight attendants on Sunday said it will remain on strike and spurn a government return-to-work order that they called unconstitutional. The strike has stranded more than 100,000 passengers across the world during the peak summer travel season.

    • France24 ☛ Air Canada to resume flights after government ends flight attendant strike

      Canada’s labour board has ordered Air Canada to resume operations after a nationwide flight attendant strike grounded over 700 flights. The directive, issued following a request from Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu, marks the end of the airline’s first flight attendant walkout since 1985.

    • New York Times ☛ Air Canada Flight Attendants Say They Will Defy Back-to-Work Order

      The decision by the union representing the 10,000 workers means that travel chaos will continue for at least a second day. Air Canada said it had suspended its reopening plan until Monday evening.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Rats from the sky’: Urban India finds itself divided on pigeons

      A jump in the population of these birds has been linked to health and ecological risks.

• Finance

  • The Strategist ☛ Actually, China can’t put Australia over an economic barrel

    Contrary to widespread commentary, Australia’s trade exposure to China doesn’t put Beijing in a position to apply powerful economic coercion on this country.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Timeline: Hong Kong civil society’s mysteriously axed venue bookings

    Independent civil society groups, NGOs, opposition parties and activists say that the space for operating in Hong Kong has shrunk since the onset of the city’s two security laws. But aside from dwindling political room, finding literal, physical spaces for their events and fundraisers has also become complicated.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • JURIST ☛ Human Rights Watch condemns Qatar imprisonment of religious dignitary

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday condemned the five-year prison sentence of Remi Rowhani, a Baha’i religious dignitary, following months of trial by Qatari authorities.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Hackaday ☛ Cracking Abandonware DRM Like It’s 1999

    As long as there have been games, there have been crackers breaking their copy protections. “Digital Rights Management” or DRM, is a phrase for copy protection coined near the end of the 1990s, and subverted shortly thereafter. But how? [Nathan Baggs] show us what it took to be a cracker in the year 2000, as the first step to get an old game going again turned out to be cracking it. 

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ After “Schedule A”: The Cross-Border IP Enforcement Gap

    In a comprehensive 24-page opinion that may reshape intellectual property enforcement against foreign online merchants, Judge Kness of the Northern District of Illinois has systematically dismantled the already weak doctrinal foundations of "Schedule A" litigation in Eicher Motors Limited v. The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule "A", No. 25-cv-02937 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 8, 2025). The decision represents the most thorough judicial examination to date of whether this mass litigation mechanism comports with fundamental principles of civil procedure and due process. [Eicher Motors][Eicher Motors II].

• Copyrights

  • Ninth Circuit Says Copyright Owner Can’t Subpoena Cox for Names of Users Showing Pirated Film

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled Friday, August 15, that internet service providers (ISPs) who merely serve as a conduit for service are protected from the requirements of Section 512(h) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) under one of that section’s four safe harbors.