Leftovers

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ Twins’ Peaks: The Gilbertson Brothers Want to Rewrite Your Country’s Map

    Two brothers, both mechanical engineers, are climbing many of the world’s tall peaks to prove they have been measured incorrectly.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Bizarre Parasitic 'Mushroom' Plant Quit Photosynthesis – And It's Thriving

    A fascinating curiosity of evolution.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Twist Between Hidden Dimensions May Explain Mass

    A simpler solution?

  • Science Alert ☛ Over 50% of Heart Attacks in Younger Women Aren't From Clogged Arteries

    We're not getting the full story.

  • Science Alert ☛ The World Is Sleeping on Bird Flu, Expert Warns

    We’re making the same mistake again.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Music Playlist Could Influence Your Driving Ability in Unexpected Ways

    Here's how to choose your tunes.

  • Science Alert ☛ This 70-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Egg Contained a Sparkling Crystal Surprise

    *Gleam*

  • Science Alert ☛ Cheese Really Is Linked to Lower Dementia Risk, But There's a Catch

    It's important to get the full story.

  • Hackaday ☛ Photographing Cosmic Rays With A Consumer Camera

    The reason photographic darkrooms are needed is because almost any amount of light can ruin the film or the photographic paper before they are fixed. Until then these things are generally kept in sealed, light-proof containers until they are ready to be developed. But there are a few things that can ruin film even then, most notably because some types of film are sensitive to ionizing radiation as well as light. This was famously how [Henri Becquerel] discovered that uranium is radioactive, but the same effect can be used to take pictures of cosmic rays.

  • Futurism ☛ Doomsday Glacier Approaching Catastrophic Collapse

    Cracks are continuing to grow at an alarming rate.

  • Science Alert ☛ Menopausal Weight Gain Starts Sooner Than You'd Think. Here's How to Act Early.

    Consider it a window of opportunity.

• Career/Education

  • The Straits Times ☛ Over 4,000 schools closed in South Korea, with 82 left unused for 30 years

    The total number of teaching positions for the 2025 academic year was cut by 2,232.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Cheetah MX4 Mini: A Pint-Sized 3D Printer Controller

    There’s a seemingly unending list of modifications or upgrades you can make to a 3D printer. Most revolve around the mechanical side of things, many are simple prints or small add-ons. This upgrade is no small task: this 17-year-old hacker [Kai] took on designing and building his own 3D printer control motherboard, the Cheetah MX4 Mini.

  • Hackaday ☛ Create Aerated Concrete Using Xanthan Gum And Dishwashing Liquid

    To make aerated concrete, add a foam-forming agent and stir in a significant amount of air. This serves to make the concrete significantly lighter, better insulating, and more resilient to fire. Making it can however be a bit of an issue, often requiring ingredients that aren’t purchased at the average DIY store. This is where [NightHawkInLight]’s method seems rather promising, requiring effectively only xanthan gum and dishwashing detergent.

  • New York Times ☛ Can You Reboot a Lamp Like a Superhero Franchise?

    Riding an endless wave of nostalgia, one company is exhuming the intellectual property of midcentury designers to create new audiences for forgotten work.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nexperia China seeks new wafer suppliers amid legal standoff with Dutch parent, could take 6 months for qualification — chip shortages have suspended some automotive production lines as Nexperia faces wafer shortage

    Nexperia’s China unit is moving to line up new wafer suppliers over the next six to nine months amid a deepening legal and operational dispute with its Dutch parent company.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Amiga A500 Mini user builds working scale-sized Commodore 1084 monitor with 3D printed components — 3D printer project details shared for all

    A retro computing aficionado with a love of the classic mini releases has built a complementary, compact, and cute 'Commodore 1084 Mini' monitor.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Extremely rare East German game console from the late 1970s tested — only such device produced by communist GDR, bought for $1,000 at auction

    One of the rarest video games consoles has been acquired and tested by YouTube docu-channel Fern.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ 110-pound cast-iron Victorian radiator modded into a gaming PC — massive radiator used for cooling the bottom-mounted PC components

    Billet Labs have teased a new gaming PC build where a 110 pound cast iron radiator is (almost entirely) the PC.

  • CNX Software ☛ Rockchip RK628D based HDMI-to-MIPI-CSI board converts HDMI video into camera feed for embedded systems

    The Firefly HDMI-to-MIPI-CSI converter board converts an HDMI video and audio source into a MIPI-CSI camera stream for supported Rockchip SoCs, which is the complete opposite of the Olimex MIPI-HDMI adapter that converts MIPI DSI display signals to HDMI output. Built around the Rockchip RK628D video bridge chip, the board supports HDMI 1.4/2.0 input with 8-bit and 10-bit video, RGB888 and YUV420 color formats, and resolutions up to 4K @ 60fps.

  • CNX Software ☛ Forlinx FET1126Bx-S low-power Rockchip RV1126BJ industrial SoM powers SBC with 40-pin GPIO header

    Forlinx has recently released the FET1126Bx-S, a low-power SoM, which is based on the Rockchip RV1126B (commercial) or RV1126BJ (industrial) SoC. Designed for edge Hey Hi (AI) applications, the module is suitable for smart cameras, AIoT gateways, and intelligent monitoring systems where local video analytics, low power consumption, and long-term stability are required.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ How Cameroon Fought to Save Its Malaria Program After the U.S. Cut Critical Funding

    When the Convicted Felon administration slashed foreign aid, it gutted a program that had reduced malaria deaths world wide. In northern Cameroon, health workers tried to protect children in one last rainy season.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Vape valley’: Double standards in China’s powering of world’s e-cigarette boom

    Chinese consumers are barred from buying the same flavoured nicotine vapes that China exports.

• Proprietary

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Google planning update that will allow users to change their embarrassing old email addresses

    Google LLC is giving Indian users the opportunity to change the @gmail.com address associated with their existing Surveillance Giant Google accounts in a dramatic shift away from its long-held policy on usernames.

  • New York Times ☛ Gmail to Let Users Change Their Addresses While Keeping Data

    Under the shift, which Surveillance Giant Google said would eventually be rolled out to all users, old addresses would remain active. Messages and services would not be lost.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ Musician Cancelled as Hey Hi (AI) Falsely Accuses Him of Horrific Crimes

      "Google screwed up, and it put me in a dangerous situation."

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Rainbow Six Siege is under siege by hackers, Ubisoft forced to take all servers offline — players randomly received billions of credits, ultra-exclusive skins, and bans or unbans

      Unknown entities have seemingly taken control of Rainbow Six Siege, giving away billions in credits and other rare goodies to random players. Ubisoft took down all online services, with servers still unavailable at the time of writing.

  • Confidentiality

    • The Straits Times ☛ Coupang announces $1.5 billion compensation to South Korean users for data leak

      Coupang said users will get vouchers of $44 each for its various services.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean President Lee names conservative lawmaker as budget minister

    Lee Hye-hoon said she aligns with the president's goals economic goals.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim Jong Un oversees cruise missile launches

    This comes as the country races to wrap up its current “five-year plan” of development.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China welcomes Thailand-Cambodia truce ahead of trilateral talks

    BEIJING, Dec 28 - China on Sunday congratulated Cambodia on reaching a ceasefire with Thailand after weeks of deadly border fighting, as officials from the three countries prepared to open a two-day meeting in southwestern China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China launches military drills around Taiwan amid tensions with Japan

    This marks China’s sixth major round of war games since 2022.

  • France24 ☛ China conducts large-scale Taiwan drills amid rising tensions

    China mobilised army, naval, air force and artillery units around Taiwan on Monday for its "Justice Mission 2025" exercises. Taipei responded by deploying troops to rehearse repelling a potential Chinese attack, underscoring the island's commitment to defending democracy amid escalating regional tensions.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China blames military drills for reef damage around disputed Scarborough Shoal

    China did not name any country.

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man to press Netanyahu on stalled Gaza ceasefire, Iran and Lebanon

    US President The Insurrectionist is expected to push for progress on the faltering Gaza ceasefire when he meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, with talks also set to cover Israel’s security concerns over Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran.

  • JURIST ☛ World leaders reject Israel’s recognition of independent Somaliland

    21 Arab, Islamic, and African nations on Saturday issued a joint statement formally rejecting Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent nation.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ “Border security is the primary element of national security.”

    Stephen Miller, who never ties of confessing that his understanding of immigrants in the United States is entirely fictional nonsense, has nevertheless prioritized his fight against the fictional immigration menace over more basic threats to the United States. The results might make a good comedy if they weren't so deadly serious.

  • New York Times ☛ Syrian Protests Over Lack of Security Leave 2 Dead

    Days after a bombing at a mosque in a predominantly Alawite area, members of the religious minority in Syria demonstrated for better protections.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russia vows to support China if Taiwan contingency flares up: Top diplomat

      China and Russia have conducted joint bomber flights repeatedly over the years.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Is Russian technology behind North Korea’s new nuclear submarine?

      Analysts in Seoul say suspicions of Russian assistance are difficult to dismiss.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Vows To Continue Peace Drive After Convicted Felon Talks End With No Deal

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded his talks with US President The Insurrectionist without a peace deal, but he said US and Ukrainian teams will meet again soon and that a gathering of leaders -- including those from Europe -- will be held in Washington next month.

    • New York Times ☛ The Status of the 20-Point Peace Plan for Ukraine

      The blueprint covers a broad range of issues, including territory, security guarantees and postwar reconstruction. But Russia has indicated little willingness to end the war.

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky to Meet With Convicted Felon at Mar-a-Lago About Plan to End War With Russia

      President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine brings a revised 20-point peace proposal, as well as doubts about whether Russia is serious about pursuing peace.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man says Ukraine-Russia peace ‘closer than ever’ after talks with Zelenskyy

      President The Insurrectionist says Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace deal, even as Russia launched another round of attacks on Ukraine while Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy flew to the United States.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Calls On Allies To Cement Peace Ahead Of High-Stakes Talks With Convicted Felon

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is set to hold talks with US President The Insurrectionist in what could be the most consequential meeting in the country's recent history, said securing peace with Russia depends on Kyiv's allies.

    • France24 ☛ Ukrainian president Zelensky to meet with Convicted Felon in Florida

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will sit down with US President The Insurrectionist on Sunday (December 28) and seek to secure his stamp of approval for a new proposal to end the nearly four-year conflict with Russia.

    • France24 ☛ War in Ukraine: 'Sometimes you feel like the end is close, but every day it feels like far away'

      Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet US President The Insurrectionist in Florida on Sunday (December 28) to discuss a 20-point peace plan aimed at ending Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian civilians are amongst those who have suffered most from Russia's war especially vulnerable populations. For more on that topic, FRANCE 24's Erin Ogunkeye is joined by Oleksii Starovierov, networks engineer at Chernihiv Rehabilitation Center for children with disabilities.

    • France24 ☛ The week in pictures: US strikes on Nigerian jihadists, AFCON 2025 and the death of Brigitte Bardot

      Morocco hosted the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital with more than 650 drones just two days before Christmas, the US carried out strikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in Nigeria, and the cinema world paused to remember Brigitte Bardot: FRANCE 24 looks back at the week's most striking images.

    • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man, Zelensky say Ukraine peace deal edging closer but key issues unresolved

      US President The Insurrectionist said on Sunday that talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were moving “very close” to an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, though both leaders acknowledged that major sticking points, including territory and security guarantees, remain unresolved.

    • The Strategist ☛ Editors’ picks for 2025: ‘Europe’s lesson for Australia: invest in defence now, or spend more later’

      Instead of learning from Europe’s mistakes in the decade leading into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine—underinvesting in defence, increasing trade with a strategic adversary and expecting the United States to disproportionately carry the security burden [...]

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man and Zelensky Meet to Iron Out Peace Plan, but Deal Remains Elusive

      The U.S. president said after a meeting at Mar-a-Lago that a deal was “maybe very close.” But a joint U.S.-Ukraine proposal appeared unfinished, as Russia rejected several ideas.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says Ukraine Peace Talks Moving In 'Right Direction' After Zelenskyy Meeting

      Peace talks to end Russia's war on Ukraine were "moving in the right direction," US President The Insurrectionist asserted after holding two hours of critical talks with his visiting Ukrainian counterpart and a call with European leaders.

    • France24 ☛ Analyst: Convicted Felon ’delusional’ if he thinks Putin is serious about ending war in Ukraine

      US President The Insurrectionist is “delusional” if he thinks that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is serious about wanting to end the war in Ukraine any time soon, Melinda Haring, a senior analyst at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, told FRANCE 24.

    • JURIST ☛ Russia court sentences pro-war activist and Putin critic to six years in prison

      A court in Moscow on Thursday convicted pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin, Sergei Udaltsov, of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in a maximum-security prison.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Mild earthquake hits Malaysia, with tremors felt across Johor and Melaka

    The epicentre of the earthquake was located 16km south-west of Segamat, Johor.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean president vows to reveal truth on anniversary of Jeju Air crash

      Relatives of the victims have demanded answers about the accident.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Nearly 80% of South Korea’s dog meat farms shut ahead of 2027 ban

      Over half of the farms scheduled to close in 2026 and 2027 opted to shut down earlier than planned.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Hidden gem in the Straits of Johor: Seahorses found in Malaysia’s largest seagrass meadow

      The country currently leads Asia in field research and citizen science participation for seahorse conservation.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s ex-first lady Kim received bribes and meddled in state affairs, prosecutor says

    Kim Keon Hee has denied any wrongdoing.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Hackaday ☛ Cloudflare’s Outages And Why Cool Kids Test On Prod

    Every system administrator worth their salt knows that the right way to coax changes to network infrastructure onto a production network is to first validate it on a Staging network: a replica of the Production (Prod) network. Meanwhile all the developers who are working on upcoming changes are safely kept in their own padded safety rooms in the form of Test, Dev and similar, where Test tends to be the pre-staging phase and Dev is for new-and-breaking changes. This is what anyone should use, and yet Cloudflare apparently deems itself too cool for such a rational, time-tested approach based on their latest outage.

  • APNIC ☛ Three of the best: Geoff Huston

    Geoff Huston delivered many insightful posts in 2025. Here are three of the best.

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • Zimbabwe ☛ Why Zimbabwe's Mobile Networks Are Bad Around Christmas Time

      In this piece, we’re getting into why that happens, and then we’ll look at a few things you can do to reduce how badly it affects you.

      The short answer is: this is predictable.

      The longer answer has to do with how Zimbabwe’s mobile networks are built, powered, and used.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Copyrights

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Top 10 Most Read Pieces from 2025

    From sublime spheres to hungry cats, a rundown of the ten most read of what we published this year.