Leftovers

• Licensing / Legal

  • Nick Heer ☛ U.S. Federal Trade Commission Settles With Amazon Just Two Days Into Trial

    As usual for settlements like these, Amazon will admit no wrongdoing. The executives will not face liability, something Adam Kovacevich, head of the Chamber of Progress, a tech industry lobbying group, said today was a “wild … theory” driven by “Khan’s ego”. Nonsense. The judge in the case, after saying Amazon broke the law, gave credence to the concept these executives were personally liable for the harm they were alleged to have caused.

• Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

  • CNN ☛ The Secret Service traced swatting threats against officials and found an operation for spies, hackers and organized crime

    What they found was an operation apparently capable of chaos far beyond masking swatting calls to potentially disabling cell phone towers, disrupting emergency services and enabling spies, hackers and organized crime.

    The new unit traced the swatting signals to an apartment just outside New York City.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Space Can Hurt Your Vision, And Now We Can Predict The Damage

    Look before you leap.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Rock Is Not From Earth, And We Can Finally Reveal Its Story

    Where did it come from?

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Finally Reveal Why 'Hobbits' Were So Small

    Wrap your brain around this.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Million-Year-Old Skull Just Rewrote The Origin Story of Humanity

    We're older than we thought.

  • Science Alert ☛ The Sad Case of The Youngest-Ever Alzheimer's Diagnosis

    There's so much we still don't understand.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover Giant Black Hole Growing 2.4X Faster Than Theoretical Limit

    "One of the biggest questions in astrophysics."

  • Science Alert ☛ The Moon Is Rusting, And It's All Earth's Fault

    It's the only explanation that makes sense.

  • Science Alert ☛ Eerie Circles in Space Could Be Blasts From Black Holes

    They've puzzled astronomers for years.

• Hardware

  • Volker Krause ☛ KDE Android News (September 2025)

    KDE’s Android builds as well as CI/CD and development containers and VM images have finally been switched to Android SDK 35 a few weeks ago. That was about time, with Surveillance Giant Google requiring this at least for Play Store updates starting from September 1st. Here’s why this took so long.

    SDK 35 and Qt 6.9

    Starting with SDK 35 applications are drawing the entire screen, with the system status and navigation bars transparently overlaying the app content. This was possible in older SDKs already but generally wasn’t used by us. Now it’s the default and cannot be disabled anymore.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ YouTuber's homebrew aim-assist exoskeleton grabs them second place in global Aimlabs leader board — 63% aim boost from AI-powered project

    A YouTube gamer has constructed a homebrew aim-assist exoskeleton which tracks on-screen movement and adjusts his aim physically, helping to max out his score in Aimlabs' FPS training program.

  • Hackaday ☛ Robot Bartender Is The Life Of The Party

    As the old saying goes, when the only tool you have is a 6 DOF industrial robotic arm, every problem looks like an opportunity to make it serve up adult beverages. [benkokes] found himself in this familiar predicament and did what any of us would do, but his process wasn’t without a few party fouls as well as a few head-scratchers.

  • Hackaday ☛ Set Phone To… Hyperspectral

    While our eyes are miraculous little devices, they aren’t very sensitive outside of the normal old red, green, and blue spectra. The camera in your phone is far more sensitive, and scientists want to use those sensors in place of expensive hyperspectral ones. Researchers at Purdue have a cunning plan: use a calibration card.

  • Hackaday ☛ Active Probe Reaches 3 GHz

    When you think of a scope probe, you usually think of what is basically a wire with a spring hook and an attenuator. Those are passive probes. [Kerry Wong] shows off a pre-release active probe that sidesteps some problems with those ordinary passive probes.

  • Hackaday ☛ The 19th Century Quantum Mechanics

    While William Rowan Hamilton isn’t a household name like, say, Einstein or Hawking, he might have been. It turns out the Irish mathematician almost stumbled on quantum theory in the or around 1827. [Robyn Arianrhod] has the story in a post on The Conversation.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Futurism ☛ Something Grisly Happens When Hospitals Become For-Profit

    Horrifying.

  • Latvia ☛ It will be harder to get local apples in Latvia this year

    Local apples are hard to find on the shelves this year. The reason is the poor harvest, which means that many farmers can only provide fruit for schools within the state programme. Juiceries are also less busy because there are no apples for their customers. The worst situation is in Latgale, Vidusdaugava Television reported on 25 September.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Security Week ☛ North Korea’s Fake Recruiters Feed Stolen Data to IT Workers

      North Korean threat actors pose as recruiters to steal developers’ identities and supply them to fraudulent IT workers.

    • Security Week ☛ Interpol Says 260 Suspects in Online Romance Scams Have Been Arrested in Africa

      The operation took place in July and August and focused on scams in which perpetrators build online romantic relationships to extract money from targets or blackmail them with explicit images, Interpol said.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Federal News Network ☛ When seconds count: Location intelligence and the new era of emergency tech

      As severe weather increases in frequency and severity, the demand for advanced tools to support government entities has never been greater.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Brutal Murder of 3 Women, Broadcast On Instagram, Shocks Argentina

    The live streamed torture and killing of three young women in Buenos Aires has stunned the country, setting off worries about the increasing presence of drug cartels.

  • TechnologyAdvice ☛ Microsoft Blocks Israeli Military Access to Hey Hi (AI) and Cloud

    Israel’s Unit 8200 built a massive surveillance system on Microsoft’s Microsoft trap Azure cloud. The system was storing millions of intercepted Palestinian phone calls every day in Abusive Monopolist Microsoft data centers.

  • France24 ☛ US to revoke visa for Colombian President Petro over 'incendiary' comments

    The State Department will revoke Colombian President Gustavo Petro's US visa "due to his reckless and incendiary actions" after he took to New York's streets on Friday in a pro-Palestinian demonstration and urged US soldiers to disobey the orders of US President The Insurrectionist. Petro on Tuesday slammed Convicted Felon as "complicit in genocide" in his speech to the UN General Assembly.

  • New York Times ☛ Netanyahu’s Defiant U.N. Speech Aimed at Home as Well as the World

    The Israeli prime minister faced walkouts and protests at the United Nations, but signaled that resisting Palestinian statehood could become the core of his appeal to Israeli voters.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Prabowo backs Palestine, offers rare security pledge to Israel in bold UN speech

    The Indonesian president’s offer of a security guarantee has sparked debate at home.

  • New York Times ☛ Netanyahu Wears QR Code Referencing Oct. 7 During U.N. Speech

    During his speech to the U.N., Israel’s prime minister sought to focus attention on the carnage of the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel that led to the war in Gaza.

  • New York Times ☛ Thousands Protest Netanyahu’s U.N. Speech in NYC

    Demonstrators gathered early on Friday in Times Square before making their way across town to the United Nations building.

  • RFERL ☛ Iran Recalls Ambassadors As 'Snapback' Sanctions Loom

    Iran has recalled its ambassadors to Britain, France, and Germany as the clocked ticks down toward the imposition of UN "snapback" sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program.

  • France24 ☛ USA: The Insurrectionist witch hunt allegations intensify

    The Insurrectionist has gotten his wish : the Department of Justice has indicted James Comey. The former FBI director had long been on the President's enemies list, dating back to his involvement in the investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 Presidential election. Convicted Felon is also pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James, raising fears that the DOJ is being weaponised to target Convicted Felon's political rivals. Story by Catherine Viette.

  • The Strategist ☛ Stop the World: Greenland’s strategic weight surges amid US, China, Russia jostling

    Greenland, an often-overlooked expanse of ice and rock, is fast becoming a focal point of strategic competition between the United States, China and Russia.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ New Drone Sightings Over Denmark As EU Plans Defensive Wall

      European Union members agreed to press ahead toward creation of a "drone wall" along the borders with Russia and Ukraine following incursions that have raised fears of a stepped-up Russian "hybrid warfare" tactics.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Assets, Frozen in Europe, Could Help Ukraine in New Plan

      Germany’s chancellor is the latest to back a loan plan that is meant to send a message to Moscow that Ukraine will not collapse. But the idea carries risks.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Ukrainian YouTuber arrested in Japan over Fukushima live stream

      The arrest is the latest in a string of incidents involving fame-seeking foreigners behaving badly in Japan.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Dispatch from Chișinău: Will Russia’s political pincer move put Moldova’s EU hopes in jeopardy?

      Ahead of parliamentary elections in Moldova on September 28, Moscow appears to be throwing its weight behind two political parties to pull support from the party currently in power.

    • New York Times ☛ U.K. Politician Admits Making Pro-Russia Statements in Return for Bribes

      Nathan Gill, a former leader of Reform U.K. in Wales, pleaded guilty on Friday to charges of bribery while he was a member of the European Parliament.

    • France24 ☛ 'We are already in a hybrid war with Russia': EU Commissioner Dombrovskis

      We sit down with Valdis Dombrovskis, EU Commissioner for Economy and Productivity and a former prime minister of Latvia. He comments on the recent drone incursions into EU airspace. He also discusses France's budget deficit, which is around 5.4 percent of GDP, meaning it is well over the criteria set out in the EU's Stability Pact.

    • LRT ☛ Why – and do – Russian-speaking migrants struggle to learn Lithuanian?

      As debates over Russian-speaking migrants intensify, Lithuanian politicians warn of potential threats to society, while others point to structural barriers that make integration difficult, particularly the lack of accessible Lithuanian language courses.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s Panemunė border crossing to close for four hours on Monday

      Pedestrian traffic will be suspended at the Panemunė–Sovetsk border crossing on the Lithuanian–Russian frontier from 10:00 to 14:00 on Monday, September 29, due to electrical maintenance on the Russian side, Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said on Friday.

    • France24 ☛ Moldova to vote in parliamentary elections amid claims of Russian interference

      Moldova's Sunday parliamentary elections will determine whether the country continues on a westward path toward the EU or if it is pulled back into Moscow's orbit. The vote has already seen claims of Russian interference, with Prime Minister Dorin Recean warning that Russia spent hundreds of millions of euros to try to “seize power in Chisinau”.

    • France24 ☛ Moldova to vote in critical parliamentary election fraught with Russian interference claims

      Moldovans head to the polls Sunday to cast ballots in a tense parliamentary election fraught with claims of Russian interference. The vote could decide the country’s geopolitical future: a stark choice between East and West. Story by Maria Gerth-Niculescu.

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky says he’s ready to not run for reelection if the war ends — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Denmark’s Aalborg Airport closed twice in one week after drone reports — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian and Estonian companies joining forces to build 'Drone Wall'

      Latvian defence tech startup Origin Robotics and Estonian defence company Defsecintel Solutions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding confirming the launch of a partnership that will offer a significant contribution to the so-called 'Drone Wall' – intended to be Europe’s first operational, cross-border system purpose-built to detect and defeat hostile drones, reports Labs of Latvia.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russian vlogger arrested over viral video of couple having sex on pickup truck in Phuket

      The woman in the video said she was paid $40 to take part in the act which was meant for the Russian man’s followers.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Russia’s repeated flights over NATO countries prompt calls for action

      Russia’s continued flying of drones and jets over Europe is prompting NATO’s review of how effectively it can defend against military moves by Moscow.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Steps Up Provocations in Europe, Alarming Leaders There

      European officials fear that Moscow is escalating its antagonism of Europe as U.S. support recedes. A focus of worry now: election interference in Moldova.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia and China Fail to Delay U.N. ‘Snapback’ Sanctions Against Iran Over Nuclear Program

      The unsuccessful bid to put off the sanctions for six months over Iran’s nuclear program means they would go into effect early Sunday in Iran.

    • RFERL ☛ EU Eyes 'Drone Wall' Amid Concerns Over Russian Airspace Violations

      Several European Union defense ministers are urgently holding talks on a "drone wall" after a cascade of mysterious drones violated EU member-states' airspace

    • France24 ☛ NATO plans 'drone wall' to counter threats

      EU countries and Ukraine have agreed on the urgent need to create a "wall" of anti-drone defences. The decision comes after a spate of incidents in which Europe’s borders and airports have been tested by rogue drones. Russia has been blamed for some of them but denies that anything was done on purpose or that it played a role. Story by Charlotte Lam.

    • France24 ☛ Ukrainians in Poland face legal limbo as permits expire

      A law governing the protected status of Ukrainian nationals in Poland is set to expire, and nationalist President Karol Nawrocki has yet to sign a bill to renew it — putting up to a million people at risk of falling into a legal limbo. Story by Peter O'Brien.

    • The Strategist ☛ Indo-Pacific should study Europe’s counter-hybrid playbook

      Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European leaders have done their utmost to contain the conflict.

• Environment

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Super Typhoon Ragasa: Taiwan races to rescue over 20 missing after barrier lake burst

    By Joy Chiang Rescuers in eastern Taiwan pulled a man in his nineties from his flooded home on Thursday, where he had been trapped for three days after a barrier lake burst during torrential rains brought by Super Typhoon Ragasa.

• Finance

  • Federal News Network ☛ IRS touts ‘major progress’ on IT modernization, but has yet to decommission legacy systems

    The IRS told GAO it spent about $2 billion on IT modernization projects in FY 2024, all using funds it obtained through the Inflation Reduction Act.

  • Futurism ☛ Longtime Investor Warns the Hey Hi (AI) Industry Is Set to Collapse for a Basic Financial Reason

    “Each big tech company needs a global monopoly in Hey Hi (AI) to sustain their success and market value. They are not all going to get one.”

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • New Yorker ☛ How Free Is Free Speech?

    Doxing, deplatforming, defunding, persecuting, firing, and sometimes killing—all are part of an escalating war over words. What happens next?

  • Futurism ☛ Chinese Release of “Together” Edited Woman’s Face Onto Gay Man to Censor Same-Sex Couple

    "It’s also disrespectful to the LGBT community.”

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Bayer and Regeneron secure market exclusivity of Eylea with PI in Munich

    Regeneron and Bayer are embroiled in a global battle against several generic companies over their ophthalmic drug Eylea. Along with Xarelto, it is one of Bayer’s most important revenue drivers and is used to treat neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular oedema.

  • JUVE ☛ G2/24: EBA brings skin-cleanser dispute to an end

    At the centre of the dispute over EP 2 941 163 are three skincare companies. On one side is Swedish patent monopoly holder Foreo AB, which primarily sells skincare and anti-ageing products. On the other are German skincare companies Breuer and Geske.

  • JUVE ☛ Newron defends SPC for Parkinson’s drug Xadago against Puren

    The original medication is safinamide, sold under the brand name Xadago. Newron holds the patent monopoly and has licensed distribution to Zambon. According to its 2024 annual report, Newron received licence fees of €6.9 million from Zambon for Xadago last year. These fees stem partly from existing SPCs in several European countries.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 awarded for Adaptive Avenue website patent monopoly prior art

      Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winner, Ekta Aswal, for her prior art submission on U.S. Patent 7,171,629, owned and asserted by Adaptive Avenue Associates, Inc., an NPE. The '629 patent monopoly focuses on an enhanced web site access system, improving user experience through automated, customizable navigation across multiple web pages. It replaces static web browsing with dynamic presentations, incorporating bookmarks and slideshow features for ease of use and efficient content delivery.

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 awarded for Key Patent Innovations entity, Malikie Innovations, video streaming patent monopoly prior art

      Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners, Nitish Jaswal, Huang Chien-Cheng, and Calvin Zhong, who split an award of $2,000 for their prior art submissions on U.S. Patent 8,411,742, owned by Malikie Innovations Limited, an NPE and entity of Key Patent Innovations. The ‘742 patent monopoly introduces a hybrid video encoder that optimizes multivariable solutions across various elements, such as quantizers and motion compensators, by employing soft decision processing.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ CAFC Reverses and Remands ASPIRE BANK Opposition for Reconsideration of First and Sixth DuPont Factors

    In a precedential opinion, the CAFC affirmed-in-part and reversed-in-part the Board's decision [pdf here] sustaining an opposition to registration of ASPIRE BANK & Design (in three similar forms) for "banking and financing services" (BANK disclaimed) in view of the registered mark ASPIRE for "credit card services." The appellate court upheld the Board's analysis of the second DuPont factor (the similarity of the services) but vacated the findings regarding the first (similarity of the marks) and the sixth (third-party usage) factors and remanded the case to the Board for further consideration. Apex Bank v. CC Serve Corp., Appeal No. 2023-2143 (Fed. Cir. September 25, 2025) [precedential].

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ UMG, Sony Music Sign Major Hey Hi (AI) Copyright Detection and Fingerprinting Alliance

    UMG and Sony team up with a research lab to deploy first-of-its-kind fingerprinting tech for detecting Hey Hi (AI) copyright monopoly infringement in music. Universal Music Group (UMG) and Sony Music have announced a collaboration with SoundPatrol, a research lab for large music models.