Leftovers

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong girl, 13, arrested for alleged assault at Kwun Tong Promenade on New Year’s Day

  Hong Kong police have arrested a 13-year-old girl for allegedly slapping and kicking another girl, 15, at Kwun Tong Promenade in the early hours of New Year’s Day. Police said on Thursday that the alleged attack took place at around 1am and that the two teenage girls knew each other.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Controversial Ancestor Found to Have Done Something Eerily Human

    A 7-million-year-old fossil may rewrite humanity's story.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Giant Telescope Searched 3I/ATLAS For Signs of Aliens. Here's Why.

    It pays to check.

  • Science Alert ☛ Pouring The Wrong Things Down Your Sink Can Damage Cities. Here's How.

    If you wonder if you should, you probably shouldn't.

• Career/Education

  • The Straits Times ☛ 10 state-run universities in South Korea reject 162 applicants over school bullying records

    All universities in the country are required to reflect penalties for school bullying across all admission tracks starting in 2026.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia schools in a knot after move to make neckties optional for students

    Some insist ties cultivate self-discipline, while others think comfort matters given the tropical climate.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ Cincoze MD-3000 is a scalable DIN-Rail computer with up to 14th Gen 24-core defective chip maker Intel Core i9-14900 CPU

    Cincoze MD-3000 is a high-performance, scalable DIN-Rail computer powered by a 12th, 13th, or 14th Gen defective chip maker Intel processor and designed to be expanded with up to six modules through the company’s “Scalable Expansion Deck” (SED) connected to the computer’s PCIe x16 slot. Based on an up to a 14th Gen 24-core defective chip maker Intel Core i9-14900 Raptor Lake-S Refresh CPU, the MD-3000 supports up to 96GB DDR5 SO-DIMM memory with optional ECC, up to two M.2 NVMe SSDs, and a 2.5-inch SATA bay, and is equipped with two 4K-capable DisplayPort connectors, five Gigabit Ethernet ports, four USB 3.2 ports, an RS232/RS485 DB9 connector and more.

  • Hackaday ☛ Zork Running On 4-Bit Intel Computer

    Before DOOM would run on any computing system ever produced, and indeed before it even ran on its first computer, the game that would run on any computer of the pre-DOOM era was Zork. This was a text-based adventure game first published in the late 70s that could run on a number of platforms thanks to a virtual machine that interpreted the game code. This let the programmers write a new VM for each platform rather than porting the game every time. [smbakeryt] wanted to see how far he could push this design and got the classic game running on one of the oldest computers ever produced.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ The primary purpose of lift lobbies

    I may have a (somewhat irrational) fascination with lifts, or elevators for my North American friends.

    Lifts are interesting because they’re intricate, complicated mechanical devices that are otherwise not thought about much. Our buildings have these towering empty tubes we regularly propel ourselves through thanks to the wonders of hydraulics and/or electricity, and save for a few novely glass lifts and those older ones in warehouses, we see barely any of it. The purpose of this post however wasn’t to discuss the operation of lifts in any great detail; I’ve had a post pending about lifts, paternosters, and “dumb” waiters for almost a decade at this point. It’s gone into so much needless detail that I suspect I could split it out into two posts, or ten.

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • Interesting Engineering ☛ Clicks unveils BlackBerry-style keyboard phone for work-focused users

      Ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week, the company unveiled two new products aimed at people who type for a living.

      The first is Clicks’ debut smartphone, called the Communicator.

      The second is a slide-out physical keyboard designed to work across phones, tablets, and even smart TVs.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says He Takes a High Daily Dose of Aspirin. How Safe Is That?

    Despite his doctors’ recommendations, Hell Toupée takes a high dose.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ NGO urges streamlined process for public hospital fee waivers

    A social service NGO has called on Hong Kong authorities to streamline their application procedures for public healthcare charge waivers after a new hospital fee regime kicked in on Thursday.

  • New York Times ☛ Brenna Henn Wanted to Improve Genetic Medicine. Then Her N.I.H. Grant Was Cut.

    Brenna Henn had a long-term grant to study the genetic diversity of Africans and people of African descent. Then her N.I.H. funding was cut.

  • New York Times ☛ In China, Hey Hi (AI) Finds Pancreatic Cancer That Doctors May Miss

    A tool for spotting pancreatic cancer in routine CT scans has had promising results, one example of how China is racing to apply Hey Hi (AI) to medicine’s tough problems.

  • The Straits Times ☛ In China, Hey Hi (AI) finds deadly tumours that doctors may miss

    An artificial intelligence tool has been trained to look for pancreatic cancer in non-contrast CTs.

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ Job titles of the future: Head-transplant surgeon

    The Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero has been preparing for a surgery that might never happen. His idea? Swap a sick person’s head—or perhaps just the brain—onto a younger, healthier body. Canavero caused a stir in 2017 when he announced that a team he advised in China had exchanged heads between two corpses.

  • Science Alert ☛ Something in Dark Chocolate Could Slow Aging on a Genetic Level

    "This is a very exciting finding."

  • Science Alert ☛ The Sad Case of The Youngest Person Ever to Be Diagnosed With Alzheimer's

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

  • Science Alert ☛ Why You Always Seem to Get Sick Just as Your Holiday Begins

    Isn’t relaxing good for our health?

  • New York Times ☛ Boredom Is the Latest Online Trend Trying to Sharpen Young People’s Short Attention Spans

    Boredom, or an approximation of it, is an online trend for young people trying to sharpen their attention spans.

• Proprietary

  • Hackaday ☛ Benchmarking Windows Against Itself, From Windows XP To Windows 11

    Despite faster CPUs, RAM and storage, today’s Windows experience doesn’t feel noticeably different from back in the 2000s when XP and later Windows 7 ruled the roost. To quantify this feeling, [TrigrZolt] decided to run a series of benchmarks on a range of Windows versions.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ Cops Forced to Explain Why Hey Hi (AI) Generated Police Report Claimed Officer Transformed Into Frog

      "That’s when we learned the importance of correcting these AI-generated reports."

    • Digital Music News ☛ Black Sabbath Bassist Geezer Butler Says Hey Hi (AI) Is Bringing a Trove of Unreleased Songs to Life

      Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler reveals he’s using Hey Hi (AI) to bring his previously unreleased material to life, some of which he wrote back in the 80s.

    • Human input still needed in AI’s military decision making

      Artificial intelligence (AI) is already in a position to decide to act [...]

• Defence/Aggression

  • JURIST ☛ Taiwan president pledges to defend island’s sovereignty amidst military drills by China

    Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te vowed on Thursday to defend the island’s sovereignty, just days after Beijing concluded the “Justice Mission 2025” military drills near Taiwan.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Koreans now free to read North’s newspaper, once banned as seditious

    South Koreans can from this week access the Rodong Sinmun at select locations without state approval.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean court issues fresh arrest warrant for former president Yoon

    The order extends the former leader’s detention, set to end on Jan 18, by a maximum of six months.

  • France24 ☛ From joy to horror: Ski resort bar fire is 'worst Swiss tragedy' of recent times

    PRESS REVIEW – Friday, January 2: Several front pages headline on the tragic Swiss bar fire which killed dozens on New Year's Day. It's been described as the worst accident in recent Swiss history. In other news: the New Year brings new additions to the public domain, as cartoon Betty Boop, literary sleuth Nancy Drew and the 1930 film "All Quiet on the Western Front" all become copyright-free this year. Plus: we bring you some new travel trends for 2026.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Asia giants find warmer ties may cool conflict

    China and India are taking tentative steps to restore diplomacy and replace contention with dialogue and trade. The benefits of such stability would serve American interests and the region.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Lack of moderate voices around Japan PM Sanae Takaichi sparks concern

    Doubts are growing over the hawkish Premier's ability to steer diplomacy beyond China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan PM Takaichi, Convicted Felon agree to arrange summit in US in spring

    She likely hopes to coordinate positions with him on China after her remarks on a Taiwan contingency angered Beijing.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man invites Japan’s Takaichi to the US early this year

    President The Insurrectionist invited Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to the United States during a phone call late on Friday and they agreed to work towards a meeting early this year, officials said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Custodians or thieves? When China’s treasures are lost from within

    The disappearance of a Ming dynasty masterpiece raises questions about custodianship, power and trust.

  • New York Times ☛ Federal Appeals Court Says California Open-Carry Ban Is Unconstitutional

    A Ninth Circuit panel said the ban ran afoul of a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that required courts to evaluate gun laws based on the country’s “historical tradition of firearm regulation.”

  • New York Times ☛ After Watergate, the Presidency Was Tamed. Convicted Felon Is Unleashing It.

    In the 1970s, Congress passed a raft of laws to hold the White House accountable. Hell Toupée has decided they don’t apply to him.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Authoritarian fears loom in Indonesia as new criminal laws take effect

    Critics say the new criminal codes accelerate a drift towards authoritarian governance.

  • JURIST ☛ Indonesia enforces new penal code replacing colonial criminal law

    Indonesia enforced its new penal code on Friday, according to local media, replacing colonial-era laws that had governed the country for over a century. Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra described the move as a historic milestone that marks the beginning of a new era in Indonesia’s legal system.

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Government Accuses Mamdani of Antisemitism Over Canceled Orders

    Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York canceled executive orders issued by his predecessor that had barred city agencies from boycotting Israel and defined some criticism of Israel as antisemitic.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australian police boost security for Ashes Test in Sydney after Bondi Beach attack

    The Dec 14 massacre has sparked more active policing in Sydney.

  • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Tells Iranian Protesters US Supports Them As Death Toll, Arrests Rise

    The US president backed demonstrators braving brutal suppression from Iranian security forces after five days of protests that have resulted in several deaths and dozens of arrests.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania seeks seats on key international bodies, eyes UN Security Council bid

      Lithuania will seek election to 12 international bodies this year, including positions at the United Nations and its agencies, as it looks to expand its role in global governance.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Ukrainian soldier's M1 MacBook Air takes direct shrapnel hit, saving his life — screen cracked and letter 'K' missing but laptop remains functional

      An Fashion Company Apple M1 MacBook Air took a shell shrapnel hit and survived, with the laptop still working despite damage to the screen and the letter K on the keyboard missing.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine’s Zelensky Names Kyrylo Budanov as New Chief of Staff

      President Volodymyr Zelensky said that in addition to that appointment, he planned to name a new defense minister as part of “a wave of personnel changes.”

    • New York Times ☛ Why a Nuclear Plant Is a Big Sticking Point in the Ukraine Peace Plan

      The Zaporizhzhia plant, occupied by Russia, would be crucial to powering Ukraine’s postwar recovery.

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine’s spy chief Kyrylo Budanov accepts new position as Zelensky’s chief of staff — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Oil Tanker Fleeing U.S. Coast Guard Broadcasts Location in North Atlantic

      Russia requested this week that the United States end its pursuit of the vessel, which was intercepted in the Caribbean on its way to pick up oil in Venezuela.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine's Enigmatic Military Intelligence Chief To Become Zelenskyy's Top Adviser

      The chief of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency will be Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s new top political adviser, the Ukrainian president announced, elevating a shadowy figure who is credited with some of the country’s more audacious war-time endeavors.

    • France24 ☛ Volodymyr Zelensky appoints Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov new chief of staff

    • France24 ☛ Secret operation unveiled: Ukraine fakes death of anti-Kremlin Russian fighter

      Ukraine staged the death of an anti-Kremlin Russian fighter, Denis Kapustin, to prevent his killing ordered by Moscow's special forces, Ukrainian military intelligence announced Thursday.

      His assassination, GUR said in a statement, "was ordered by the special services of the aggressor state Russia, which allocated half a million dollars to carry out the crime."

    • France24 ☛ Russia makes largest territorial gains in Ukraine since 2022 invasion

      Russia captured more than 5,600 sq km of Ukrainian territory in 2025, its largest advance since 2022, as Kyiv prepares to host allied security talks. As pressure on the battlefield continues to build, President Volodymyr Zelensky named Kyrylo Budanov his new top aide, proposed Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister and ordered the evacuation of thousands from frontline settlements.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine's Zelensky names spy chief Kyrylo Budanov as new top aide

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday appointed military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as head of his office, following the resignation of top aide Andriy Yermak over a corruption scandal. Budanov, credited with daring operations against Russia, will focus on security, defence and diplomatic efforts amid the ongoing war.

    • In Ukraine, Russia tests a double-warhead kamikaze drone: experts fear a new threshold of lethality

      Open sources report the emergence of a Russian attack drone, the Harpiya-A1, equipped with two distinct explosive charges.

    • Meduza ☛ What’s changing in Russia in 2026? Year-round conscription, higher taxes, rising utility costs, and AI surveillance — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ New investigation reveals Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill’s ‘secret common-law wife’ of 50 years — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ If I could save time in a photo: Meduza interviews photographer Sergey Maximishin about his two-volume farewell to Russia and a century of history captured in his work and amateur images — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Back From The Dead: Ukraine Unveils Ruse On Death Of Anti-Putin Neo-Nazi Militia Leader

      Reports of Denis Nikitin’s death in a Russian drone strike turned out to be a calculated Ukrainian deception. The twist not only exposed efforts to lure would-be assassins but also underscored the murky alliances and controversial figures shaping the war’s covert battles.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ China’s BYD Surpasses Tesla as World Leader in Electric Car Sales

      As the largest maker of electric vehicles in the United States, Tesla suffered more than other carmakers from the elimination of federal incentives.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Tesla loses EV crown to China’s BYD in 2025 as sales slip

      By Beiyi Seow Tesla’s sales fell in 2025, the company reported Friday, ceding its position as the world’s biggest electric vehicle maker for the year to Chinese auto giant BYD.

    • Hackaday ☛ Adding Solar Power To An Electric Tractor

      In my country, we have a saying: the sun is a deadly lazer. Well, it’s not so much a folk saying as a meme, and not so much in one country as “the internet”. In any case, [LiamTronix] was feeling those cancer rays this harvest season when running his electric tractor, and realized that– since he’s already charging it with ground-mounted solar panels anyway–if he’s going to build a roof for his ride, he might as well make charge the batteries.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New York Times ☛ In the Arctic, Drones Help Identify Deadly Virus in Whales

      Scientists took samples from whale blow, identifying possible disease risks for marine mammals in northern seas.

• Finance

  • Digital Music News ☛ Damon Dash’s Film Company Sells for a Paltry $100 In Bankruptcy Auction

    Former Jay-Z business partner Damon Dash’s filmmaking company was sold for a paltry $100 at a bankruptcy auction held to offset the million he owes. Damon Dash, former Jay-Z business partner and hip-hop mogul, owes nearly $1 million from defamation lawsuits.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter makes public visit to state mausoleum

    His daughter Ju Ae has been speculated to be the next leader of the country.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim Jong Un visits greenhouse farm, encourages workers: KCNA

    In recent weeks, he has made a series of visits to various military and economic facilities.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Litterbugs in Malaysia, including foreigners, may trim trees in new community service punishment

    The court may impose on offenders a community service order for up to six months.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Islamist PAS set to lead Malaysia’s opposition PN; Hadi Awang says decision on new chairman soon

    The next PN chairman is likely to be its PM candidate should it win power in the next general election.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 7 Malaysian siblings finally get citizenship after uncle’s DNA confirms family ties

    Their DNA test results were finalised in June 2025.

  • NYPost ☛ Joe Rogan defends Kamala Harris after guest doubts she could have handled 3-hour podcast like Convicted Felon

    "I'm telling you man, it would have been fine."

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • LRT ☛ ‘Amendments would amount to censorship’. Journalists to boycott working group on LRT

    The Association of Professional Journalists and an initiative group of journalists at LRT announced on Friday that they will not take part in a parliamentary working group set up to discuss changes to the Lithuanian public broadcaster.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Sri Lanka launches investigation over English syllabus’ gay website link

    The document’s authors admitted it was prepared with the help of artificial intelligence platforms.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong gov’t condemns BillBC over ‘unfounded report’ on Jimmy Lai’s health

    The Hong Kong government has slammed the BillBC over what it said was an “unfounded report” about pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai’s health conditions while in prison. The government said on Thursday that it “strongly condemned the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for the deliberate[ly] unfounded report [...]

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Digital Music News ☛ Warner Bros. Board Expected to Vote Against Paramount Offer—Will ‘Stay the Course’ With Netflix’s $80B Buyout

    The Warner Bros. Discovery board is expected to reject the amended takeover offer from Paramount Skydance. The offer came after Warner Bros. Discovery had already struck an agreement to merge with DRM spreader Netflix in a deal worth $80 billion+. Paramount Skydance isn’t giving up on the takeover offer, making a tender offer to WBD shareholders.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ All UPC judges and their current capacities [Ed: UPC is illegal, JUVE knows this, but JUVE is paid to promote this Mafia-connected abomination that's tied to Cocainegate and other forms of corruption in the EU]

      The bench of the Unified Patent Court is steadily growing. While there were 124 legally and technically qualified judges in mid-2025, by the end of the year there were already 129.

  • Software Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ PTAB Doubles Section 101 Reversal Rate Under Director Squires

      PTAB Section 101 reversal rates doubled under Director Squires, hitting 29% in November 2025. Ex parte Mercer illustrates the evidentiary shift.

• Copyrights

  • Louis-Philippe Véronneau: 2025 — A Musical Retrospective

    2026 already! The winter weather here has really been beautiful and I always enjoy this time of year. Writing this yearly musical retrospective has now become a beloved tradition of mine¹ and I enjoy retracing the year's various events through albums I listened to and concerts I went to.

    Albums

    In 2025, I added 141 new albums to my collection, around 60% more than last year's haul. I think this might have been too much? I feel like I didn't have time to properly enjoy all of them and as such, I decided to slow down my acquisition spree sometimes in early December, around the time I normally do the complete opposite.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Will Smith Slapped With Sexual Harassment & Wrongful Termination Lawsuit Following Attempted Comeback Tour

    Touring violinist Brian King Joseph is suing Will Smith and Treyball Studios Management as defendants, accusing Smith of “predatory behavior” and “deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation.” According to the lawsuit, Smith hired Joseph in November 2024 to perform at a show in San Diego.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Live Nation and Ticketmaster Face Updated Eras Tour Ticketing Lawsuit — Swifties Say Verified Fans With Codes Didn’t ‘Even Get Access to the Presale’

    Happy New Year, Live Nation: The promoter and its Ticketmaster subsidiary are facing an amended lawsuit from hundreds of Swifties who were allegedly shortchanged during the Eras Tour presale fiasco.