Leftovers

• Jim Nielsen ☛ Social Share Imagery via a Data Attribute

  I’ve done something few on the internet do. I’ve changed my mind.

• Hackaday ☛ Mesmerizing Patterns From Simple Rules

  Nature is known for its intense beauty from its patterns and bright colors; however, this requires going outside. Who has time for that insanity!?!? [Bleuje] provides the perfect solution with his mesmerizing display of particle behavior.

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ Nobel Prize in Physics Is Awarded for Work in Quantum Mechanics

    John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis were recognized for work that made behaviors of the subatomic realm observable at a larger scale.

  • New York Times ☛ John B. Gurdon, 92, Dies; Nobelist Paved Way for Cloning of Animals

    His work in the manipulation of cells laid the foundation for stem cell biology and regenerative medicine and led to the first cloned large mammal, a sheep named Dolly.

  • New York Times ☛ Mars Orbiter Captures Rare Images of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

    3I/ATLAS, only the third object from beyond our solar system ever spotted from Earth, was viewed from Mars by an orbiting European spacecraft.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan students lag in reading. Will mandatory teacher training help?

    Michigan leaders agree student literacy scores need to improve. One idea some are pushing is to mandate a specific ‘science of reading’ training called LETRS.

  • Science Alert ☛ Look Up! 2 Stunning Meteor Showers to Light Up October's Skies

    Need more space? We've got you covered.

  • Science Alert ☛ Artificial Neuron That 'Whispers' to Real Brain Cells Created in Amazing First

    Pssst.

  • Science Alert ☛ Does Running on All Fours Promote Fitness? Here's The Science on 'Quadrobics'.

    It's a thing.

  • Science Alert ☛ There Are 5 Profiles of Sleep – Here's What Yours Says About Your Health

    It's not just total hours.

  • Science Alert ☛ Surprise Hair Loss Breakthrough: A Sugar Gel Sparks Robust Regrowth

    Results seen in mice within weeks.

  • Science Alert ☛ Quantum Tunneling Experiments Earn Team The Nobel Prize in Physics

    'Enormously useful'.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvia has room for improvement in innovation

    The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has published its latest Global Innovation Index (2025), naming three science universities as Latvia’s strongest innovation centres – Riga Technical University (RTU), the University of Latvia (LU), and Riga Stradins University (RSU), reports Labs of Latvia.

• Hardware

  • Peter 'CzP' Czanik ☛ Budapest Audio Expo 2025

    Last year’s Budapest Audio Expo was the first hifi event I had truly enjoyed in years. Needless to say, I spent a day this weekend at the Audio Expo again :-) Building on last year’s experience, I chose to visit the expo on Sunday. There were fewer people and better-sounding systems.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ In a Toxic World, Pets Could Be Vital Health Watchdogs

    A better understanding of how pollution affects pets could benefit humans and animals alike.

  • New York Times ☛ How to Protect Your Pets From Pollution

    Wildfire smoke, lead paint and other environmental toxins are health hazards for animals, too.

  • New York Times ☛ Health Care Politics Bolster Democrats in Shutdown Fight

    Even Hell Toupée has conceded that he and his party could face political pain from rising premiums, stiffening Democrats’ spines as they demand a subsidy extension.

  • CS Monitor ☛ GOP hits Democrats over health care, unauthorized immigrants. What’s behind the claim?

    Republicans say Democrats won’t agree to a budget until they get health care for unauthorized immigrants. Here are facts related to the claim.

  • Stanford University ☛ Global Health Club hosts annual ‘Mapathon’

    The Global Health Club hosted its annual Mapathon on Monday, where participants mapped routes in rural areas in hopes of improving relief in the event of a disaster.

  • CS Monitor ☛ A Seoul soup kitchen serves up kimchi – and community – to combat loneliness

    Thomas House fulfills a pressing need for human connection as South Korean society ages and increasingly faces an isolation crisis.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Anwar issues stern warning to minister Tiong, tourism ministry over alcohol issue

    He said the ministry's explanation that alcohol was served only after the event was unacceptable.

  • JURIST ☛ Singapore urged to halt execution of Malaysian national for drug offense

    Amnesty International (AI) on Monday pushed Singaporean authorities to immediately halt the execution of Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, scheduled for Wednesday, 8 October 2025. The Malaysian national was convicted of drug trafficking and has been on death row since 2017 for importing 51.84 grams of diamorphine (Heroin) into Singapore.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man to Unveil Farmer Aid as China Shuns U.S. Crops

    As it did in 2018, the White House plans to dole out relief funds to struggling U.S. farmers who have lost their biggest customer.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s durian exports to China hit $1.85 billion in seven years

    Statistics showed an upward trend in durian exports to China.

  • France24 ☛ Nigerian nut ban slammed as shea madness

    Nigerian communities that rely on sales of shea nuts are worried that a six-month export ban aimed at encouraging local use of the crop will leave a worrying crack in the $6 billion global market. Also, Benin's entrepreneurs take on the prickly problem of breakdowns in the pineapple production process.

• Proprietary

  • Qt ☛ Qt 6.10 Released!

    Qt 6.10 is now available, with new features and improvements for application developers and device creators!

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ AI toys are all the rage in China—and now they’re appearing on shelves in the US too

      Kids have always played with and talked to stuffed animals. But now their toys can talk back, thanks to a wave of companies that are fitting children’s playthings with chatbots and voice assistants.

    • New York Times ☛ A.I. Companion Ads for Friend.com Flood NYC Subway, Fueling Backlash and Vandalism

      An ad campaign for a wearable Hey Hi (AI) companion has blanketed New York City, starting conversations and inspiring vandalism.

    • Futurism ☛ Cocky Hey Hi (AI) CEO Does Photoshoot in Front of His Subway Ads That Got Relentlessly Vandalized

      "The picture of the billboard is the billboard."

    • Press Gazette ☛ Automated PR tool is bombarding UK media with AI-generated content

      'Olivia Brown' reads websites, writes press releases then 'relentlessly' sends emails.

  • Social Control Media

    • The Straits Times ☛ Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK party, says migrant's Fentanylware (CheeTok) video 'chilling'

      Nigel Farage, the leader of the populist Reform UK party which leads opinion polls in Britain, told a court on Tuesday an Afghan migrant's Fentanylware (CheeTok) video about him while making apparent gun gestures was "chilling".

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • BIA Net ☛ From productive force to destructive force: Digital colonialism in Palestine

      When read together, the layers of infrastructure, surveillance, and narrative reveal the alliance at the heart of digital colonialism in Palestine: the partnership between Israel and global technology corporations.

  • Confidentiality

    • Federal News Network ☛ Senate Democrats charge DOGE is putting federal data at risk

      Peters said despite an SSA risk assessment warning of up to 65% chance of catastrophic breach, the data remains in systems without verified security controls.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ In Israel, the Anniversary of Oct. 7 Was Quiet but Inescapable

    Also, the Supreme Court seemed skeptical of a ban on conversion therapy. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.

  • New York Times ☛ New Race-Day Worry for the Chicago Marathon: Immigration Enforcement

    Tensions over the federal intervention in the city have many runners worried about what to expect during the race, which passes through immigrant neighborhoods and draws many participants from abroad.

  • New York Times ☛ Oct. 7 Anniversary Arrives During Heated Final Stretch of Mayor’s Race

    Both Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo planned to attend events marking the anniversary of the Hamas attacks and honoring the victims.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Myanmar junta strike kills dozens at festival protest: Residents

    A local media outlet also said 40 people were killed in the attack.

  • JURIST ☛ ICJ holds first-ever hearings on legal status of labor right to strike

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) commenced advisory opinion hearings on the right to strike under International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 87 on Monday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea's Kim Jong Un holds talks with Laotian President in Pyongyang, KCNA says

    SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks with Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith in Pyongyang on Tuesday, North Korean state media KCNA said on Wednesday. 

  • The Straits Times ☛ China exiles in Thailand lose hope, fearing Beijing’s long reach

    Bangkok does not legally recognise refugees or offer asylum.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China angered by EU ‘challenging’ UN resolution that led to Taiwan leaving global body

    China and Taiwan have been locked in an increasingly bitter dispute about UN Resolution 2758.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chinese Premier Li Qiang to visit North Korea this week

    China’s premier will pay an official visit to North Korea this week, Beijing said Tuesday, announcing the high-level diplomatic engagement to the isolated nuclear state. Despite periods of strained ties between China and North Korea over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme, the neighbours have maintained a close relationship in recent years.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China Premier Li Qiang to visit North Korea for ruling party anniversary

    China is willing to take the opportunity to deepen partnerships with the North, said its Foreign Ministry.

  • The Straits Times ☛ In home town of Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’, supporters stress her softer side

    Sanae Takaichi, who is set to be the nation's first female premier, is known for being a hardline conservative.

  • JURIST ☛ West Africa deportees sue Ghana government over alleged illegal detention

    Eleven individuals, deported from the US to Ghana last month, filed a lawsuit against the Ghana government, alleging that they were illegally held in a military detention camp.

  • France24 ☛ ‘Taking off our kippahs’: French Jews face anti-Semitism surge in wake of October 7

    Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel and the subsequent outbreak of Israel’s war in Gaza, many Jews in the Paris region have been gripped by anxiety. Between fears of anti-Semitic attacks, unease amid rising tensions within society and plans to migrate to Israel, members of the Jewish community describe how their daily lives are marked by a climate of insecurity and mistrust.

  • France24 ☛ Burkina Faso's military junta arrests European humanitarian NGO workers for 'spying'

    Burkina Faso's military government said it had arrested eight members of a Hague-based humanitarian NGO on Tuesday, accusing them of collecting and sharing sensitive information detrimental to the African country's security. Those arrested included a Frenchman, a French-Senegalese woman, a Czech man, a Malian and four Burkinabe nationals.

  • Digital Music News ☛ White House, Department of Homeland Security Respond to Zach Bryan’s Anti-ICE Track

    Country sensation Zach Byan sparks controversy with a clip of new music criticizing ICE raids, much to the chagrin of the US government. Zach Bryan made headlines over the weekend after sharing a clip on his Instagram account of a new song he’s working on, which criticizes ICE raids and the police.

  • The Jubaland Forces incursion: Safeguarding Kenya’s territorial integrity amid regional volatility

  • South Africa spends millions deporting illegal immigrants

    South Africa, as per the reply to a Parliamentary question, remains a “popular” destination for illegal immigrants from particularly countries [...]

  • Civilian deaths rise in South Sudan conflict

    Civilian deaths in the world’s newest country – South Sudan – are on the rise [...]

  • ACLU ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Is Weaponizing the USCIS for the First Time in the Agency’s History

    In an effort to weaponize an agency that provides pathways to legal immigration, the Convicted Felon administration is arming the United States Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS) for the first time since the agency was created.

    Under new regulations published in September, USCIS special agents will be allowed to make arrests, carry firearms, and execute search and arrest warrants. This is the latest effort in The Insurrectionist’s agenda to systematically restrict legal immigration and strip people of their legal status. The administration’s goal is to redeploy as many parts of the federal government as possible to serve a mass deportation system that will detain and remove as many people as possible.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Daily homicides at lowest in 9 years: Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

    Marcela Figueroa Franco, head of the National Public Security System, presented data showing there has been an average of 67.4 homicides per day this year, the lowest figure since 2016.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ ‘Missed opportunity to be quiet’: Merkel's interview sparks backlash in Lithuania

      Baltic officials responded in uproar over what they saw as Angela Merkel, the former German leader, blaming the three countries and Poland for blocking Europe’s contacts with the Kremlin that partly led to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russia says Ukrainian drone crashed into nuclear plant, without causing damage

      Russia's state nuclear energy company said on Tuesday that a Ukrainian drone had tried to strike a nuclear plant in Russia's Voronezh region, which borders Ukraine.

    • Meduza ☛ Russia says Ukraine attempted drone attack on nuclear plant’s cooling tower — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ 'Irregular' coach trips to Belarus and Russia banned by Latvia

      From November 1st, irregular bus passenger transport to Russia and Belarus will be banned, the Latvian government decided on Tuesday.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia will maintain airspace restrictions along eastern border until further notice

      Latvia will keep its existing airspace restrictions in place along its borders with Belarus and Russia until further notice, the Ministry of Defence announced on October 7th.

    • LRT ☛ Russia blocks mobile data and text messages for European roaming customers

      Russia has temporarily blocked the ability to use mobile data and send or receive SMS messages for customers of Lithuanian and other European operators roaming in the country, Lithuania’s Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) said.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russia and India begin joint military drills in Rajasthan

      MOSCOW - Russia and India have begun joint military drills in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan aimed at improving counter-terrorism operations, Russia's defence ministry said.

    • Marcy Wheeler ☛ “Do something, bitch!”* Kristi Noem Dressed Russia’s Useful Idiot Up to Cosplay CBP

      DHS is increasingly using overt propaganda to justify its invasions of Democratic states. It's horrible in real time--and possibly designed to feed Convicted Felon false claims about the states--but it could backfire in spectacular way.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘I didn’t want to live in an apartment in Moscow’: Why did a Russian woman live with her daughters in an Indian cave for nine months? — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania reduces security detail for Belarusian opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya

      Lithuania has reduced the level of physical protection provided to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has lived in Vilnius since fleeing Belarus after the disputed 2020 presidential election, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys confirmed to LRT.lt.

    • France24 ☛ Russian forces seized nearly 5,000 square km of Ukrainian land in 2025, says Putin

      Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday Russian forces had captured nearly 5,000 square km (1,930 square miles) of Ukrainian territory this year, claiming Moscow retained “complete strategic initiative” on the battlefield. The gains represent about 1% of Ukraine’s land area, bringing total Russian control to nearly 20%.

    • RFERL ☛ Putin Decree Appears To Take Aim At Assets Of European Companies Still Active In Russia

      Russian President Vladimir Putin last week signed a decree that appears to target the assets of foreign companies that continue to operate in Russia and currently have no connection to Russian federal property.

    • Meduza ☛ Arrr these inspections legal? Putin claims E.U. detentions of Russian ‘shadow fleet’ ships are ‘piracy.’ But what does the law say? — Meduza

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Evacuation of stranded Everest trekkers set to wrap up on Oct 7

    The evacuation that began on Oct 6 came as snowstorms tore across western China.

  • France24 ☛ 🏔️ Hundreds of trekkers escape from blizzard-struck Everest in Tibet

    ❄️ Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a blizzard near the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet have been guided to safety by rescuers, Chinese state media reported, as unusually heavy snow and rainfall pummelled the Himalayas.

    🇨🇳 Outdoor enthusiasts have flocked to China's rugged interior since an eight-day holiday began on October 1, but a sudden blizzard over the weekend caught off guard hundreds of hikers hoping to catch a glimpse of Everest's Kangshung face.

    ⛑️ Some 350 trekkers have reached the small town of Qudang, while more than 200 trekkers still stranded in freezing temperatures are expected to be evacuated by Tuesday.

  • European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner Lahbib on Supporting Women and Communities affected by the Earthquakes in Afghanistan

    Our thoughts go out to all those who have lost loved ones, the injured, and the emergency responders.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Tourist arrivals in Malaysia up 14.5% to hit 28.24 million in first eight months of 2025

      A total of 28,242,804 tourists visited Malaysia from January 2025 to August 2025.

    • Hackaday ☛ Can A Coin Cell Make 27 Volts?

      We have all no doubt at some point released the magic smoke from a piece of electronics, it’s part of what we do. But sometimes it’s a piece of electronics we’re not quite ready to let go, and something has to be fixed. Chris Greening had a board just like that, a 27 volt generator from an LCD panel, and he crafted a new circuit for it.

    • New York Times ☛ Air Traffic Staffing Shortages Disrupt Travel for Second Straight Day

      The national air space has long been reeling from a staffing crisis among air traffic controllers, as the F.A.A. grapples with a shortage of about 3,000 controllers.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Bear wanders into supermarket in eastern Japan, injures 2 customers

      Security camera footage showed that the bear appeared to be an adult about 1.4m long, police said.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Athens Democracy Forum: Dialogue Is An Antidote for Security Threats

    At a forum in Athens, leaders discussed challenges to democracy that they said stemmed from both internal and external forces.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • The Straits Times ☛ Meet the mystery editor behind most of the Wikipedia pages on South Korea

      Of all his contributions, he is proudest of his article on 15th-century Korean king Sejong the Great.

    • Futurism ☛ People Are Making Sora 2 Videos of Stephen Hawking Being Horribly Brutalized

      Beyond poor taste.

    • Futurism ☛ Sora 2 Has a Huge Financial Problem

      "People are generating much more than we expected per user, and a lot of videos are being generated for very small audiences."

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • BIA Net ☛ Prison sentences sought for music group Manifest over “obscene acts”

    With investigations ongoing, the Ankara 6th Criminal Judgeship of Peace imposed an access ban on concert footage on the grounds of “protecting national security and public order”.

  • CS Monitor ☛ In first big case of the term, Supreme Court tackles free speech and LGBTQ rights

    In its new term, the Supreme Court will hear several cases on LGBTQ+ rights, including on transgender athletes and conversion therapy for minors.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Internet Society ☛ Community Snapshot—September

    Our global chapters work to keep the Internet a force for good. This brief overview covers just some of the things they achieved in September.

  • APNIC ☛ Autocast: Automatic anycast site optimization

    Guest Post: Automatically selecting the optimal anycast locations for fast .nl response times worldwide.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Digital Music News ☛ Bay Area Musician Event ‘Death to Spotify’ Gains Steam as Daniel Ek Pivots Away — Is This an Emerging Snowball?

    Spotify’s ‘AI war machine’ problem doesn’t seem to be going away, despite Daniel Ek stepping down as the company’s CEO—musicians still hate Spotify. Spotify founder and former CEO Daniel Ek’s investments in military technology continue to hover like a grim specter over Spotify’s business.

  • Digital Music News ☛ California Passes Law to Ban Loud Commercials on Streaming Services

    California is taking aim at excessively loud commercials on ad-supported streaming platforms. A new law requires streaming services like DRM spreader Netflix and Prime Video to ensure that the volume of ads does not exceed regular programming audio.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ DynaIP entity, Random Chat, chat patent monopoly challenged

    On October 4, 2025, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 8,402,099, owned and asserted by Random Chat LLC, an NPE and entity of Dynamic IP Deals LLC (d/b/a DynaIP). The '099 patent monopoly is generally related to a method for setting up multimedia connections between users.

  • JUVE ☛ When private equity falls in love with IP

    When considering the big names among European patent monopoly attorney firms, one tends to think of Bardehle Pagenberg, Hoffmann Eitle, Carpmaels & Ransford, D Young, Marks & Clerk or Grünecker. Dutch law firms are not usually the first to spring to mind.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Is "TAC-O" Merely Descriptive of Food Seasonings and Cooking-Related Services?

    The USPTO refused registration of the marks TAC-O and TAC-O LIFE in four classes - including food seasonings, related online retail store services, and entertainment services in the field of cooking - deeming TACO-O to be merely descriptive and requiring a disclaimer of TAC-O in the TAC-O LIFE application. Applicant Danos conceded the descriptiveness of "taco," but maintained that the hyphenated term "TAC-O" is a double entendre, suggesting "both a taco flavor profile and an outburst of overwhelming emotion, surprise or desire." How do you think this appeal came out? In re Danos Seasoning LLC, Serial Nos. 98316492 and 98470064 (September 30, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Catherine Dugan O'Connor).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Concord v. Anthropic Tug of War Continues — Court Rejects Latest Dismissal Push Amid Ugly Discovery Dispute

    Let the years-running Concord v. Anthropic tug of war continue: A federal judge has denied the Hey Hi (AI) giant’s latest motion to toss the major music publishers’ copyright monopoly suit. Meanwhile, the litigants “have lost the ability to” effectively manage discovery, per the court.

  • Digital Music News ☛ RIAA Singles Out Discord and Telegram as ‘Primary Mechanisms’ of Pre-Release Piracy In US Government Report

    The RIAA has shone a light on Telegram and Discord as key facilitators of pre-release piracy in its latest submission to the US government. In the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) yearly review of “Notorious Markets” facilitating copyright monopoly infringement, the RIAA submitted its latest assessment to aid in identifying this year’s biggest offenders.

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Vertiginous Accounts: Travels in the Air (1871 edition)

    Expedition accounts of aeronauts bravely venturing into the heavens on hot-air balloons.