Leftovers

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ Philip Glass Withdraws From Kennedy Center, as Its Symphony Vows to Play On

    Amid cancellations and turmoil, the National Symphony Orchestra is planning to stay. “I cannot make everybody happy,” its conductor said.

  • Science Alert ☛ Ambitious Survey Hints at Tantalizing New Theories on Dark Energy

    Why is the Universe expanding ever faster?

  • Science Alert ☛ Hidden Faults Discovered at a Major US Earthquake Hotspot

    It's more complicated than we thought.

  • Science Alert ☛ Microbes in Fukushima Found Surprisingly Unscathed by Radiation

    No superpowers required.

  • Science Alert ☛ Study Finds Meat Eaters Are More Likely to Live to 100, But There's a Catch

    It's important to get the full story.

  • Science Alert ☛ Bamboo Could Be The Next 'Superfood', But There's a Reason to Be Cautious

    Pandas might be onto something.

  • Science Alert ☛ If an Asteroid Hits The Moon in 2032, The Aftermath Might Reach Earth

    But there's a bright side.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Identify 'Master Regulator' Behind Alzheimer's Problematic Proteins

    This may unlock new treatments.

  • Science Alert ☛ Nike Says Its New Shoes Can Alter Your Mind. A Neuroscientist Weighs in.

    "We're tapping into the brain-body connection in new ways."

  • Science Alert ☛ Tiny Bubbles Help Cancer Invade New Organs – And May Be Key to Stopping It

    Preventing metastasis would be huge.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ MaixCAM2 modular 4K Hey Hi (AI) camera is based on Axera AX630 SoC with 3.2 TOPS NPU (Crowdfunding)

    Designed for makers and researchers, Sipeed’s MaixCAM2 is a modular Hey Hi (AI) camera built around an Axera AX630 Hey Hi (AI) SoC with 3.2 TOPS (INT8) to 12.8 TOPS (INT4) of Hey Hi (AI) performance, yet delivering 10 to 20x higher performance on OpenMV-N6 and Raspberry Pi 5, and about the same performance (140 FPS) as a 33 TOPS Jetson Orin Nano 4GB Super in YOLO11n. The camera comes with 1GB or 4GB RAM, a 32GB eMMC flash, and a microSD card slot for storage, a 2.4-inch touchscreen display, and an 8MP / 4Kp30 camera sensor with LED flash, as well as two microphones and a speaker, making it suitable for local LLM and VLM applications. 

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Clever Brit successfully repurposes telephone wiring for gigabit internet throughout his vintage home — Lad converts "incomprehensible mess of wires" into high-speed ethernet links

    Tired of slow, laggy internet throughout your house and don't want to deal with cables dangling outside? The solution could be simpler than you think, repurposing existing cables inside your walls to achieve fast internet everywhere in the home. That's what an Englishman has just done, and it's better than powerline adapters.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Zotac warns component shortages threaten the 'very survival' of GPU manufacturers and distributors — message to Korean customers suggests that the worst could be yet to come

    Zotac Korea has expressed concerns about the current market situation for graphics cards and how the shortage poses a threat to the survival of graphics card manufacturers and distributors across the industry.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ Two-year-old dies of heat exhaustion after being forgotten in car in Malaysia

    The child's 35-year-old mother has been detained to assist in investigations.

  • New York Times ☛ Man Went on ‘Trial Run’ Before Killing 4 Homeless Men, Prosecutors Say

    Randy Rodriguez Santos faces four murder charges for the beating deaths of homeless men in Manhattan’s Chinatown in 2019. The killings left the city’s homeless population on edge.

  • Science Alert ☛ Gut Inflammation Link to Alzheimer's Disease Confirmed Once Again

    Not just a brain disease.

  • Latvia ☛ On-site work: an obligation or an opportunity?

    Latvian business practice shows that a full return to on-site work has not become the dominant trend following the changes caused by the Covid pandemic.

  • New York Times ☛ TikTok Settles Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Ahead of a Landmark Trial

    The settlement means Fentanylware (CheeTok) will avoid a trial where plaintiffs had planned to argue that social control media platforms are inherently defective and subject to personal injury liability.

  • France24 ☛ TikTok settles landmark social control media addiction lawsuit ahead of trial

    TikTok has agreed to settle a major lawsuit claiming its platform deliberately addicted and harmed children, just days before the trial was set to begin. The case, which also involves Meta’s Instagram, Google’s YouTube and Snap, could influence hundreds of similar lawsuits targeting social control media companies over youth mental health and safety.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Social media giants head to court in landmark addiction trial

    The world’s largest social control media firms are in court this week in an unprecedented series of trials that could determine whether their platforms are responsible for harming young people’s mental health.

  • Stanford University ☛ Stanford settles lawsuit with family of Katie Meyer, announces reforms

    The University and the family of Katie Meyer reached a settlement after three years, announcing new mental health reforms as a part of a joint resolution.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Chilean community draws on human intelligence to highlight AI’s excessive thirst for water

    A small community in one of Chile’s most water-stressed regions is trying to draw attention to the enormous water footprint of artificial intelligence chatbots. To do so, it has come up with the novel idea of replacing Hey Hi (AI) with “human intelligence” for 24 hours.

• Proprietary

  • Backfilling Discord forum channels with the power of terrible code

    Hey all! We've got a Discord so you can chat with us about the wild world of object storage and get any help you need. We've also set up Answer Overflow so that you can browse the Q&A from the web.

    Today I'm going to discuss how we got there and solved one of the biggest problems with setting up a new community or forum: backfilling existing Q&A data so that the forum doesn't look sad and empty.

    All the code I wrote to do this is open source in our glue repo. The rest of this post is a dramatic retelling of the thought process and tradeoffs that were made as a part of implementing, testing, and deploying this pull request.

    Ready? Let's begin!

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ Scam Altman Says Proprietary Chaffbot Company Is Slashing Its Hiring Pace as Financial Crunch Tightens

      The company is looking to "dramatically slow down" hiring.

    • Futurism ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Department Responsible for Airline Safety Using Hey Hi (AI) to Write New Regulations, So They Can Be Churned Out as Fast as Possible

      "We're flooding the zone."

    • Federal News Network ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s use of Hey Hi (AI) images pushes new boundaries, further eroding public trust, experts say

      Misinformation experts worry government-endorsed Hey Hi (AI) image-sharing will sow public distrust amid the White House's latest push of harmful content altered by AI.

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Moonshot Hey Hi (AI) releases open-source Kimi K2.5 model with 1T parameters

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Ai2 launches family of open-source Hey Hi (AI) developer agents that adapt to any codebase

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ DoomBuds ports the 1993 FPS classic to open-source earbuds by streaming JPGs at 18fps — runs on 300MHz CPU with less than 1MB of RAM

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • WhichUK ☛ 'I was scammed by a fake Fentanylware (CheeTok) shop'

      It's far too easy to get lured in by a scam ad on social control media. Know how to spot the signs of a fake retailer

    • Arca Noae ☛ Website issues impacting new and renewal orders

      Our most recent website updates (mandatory, for security reasons) seem to have led to some instabilities. We have worked to manage the situation while we continue to solve the underlying problem(s). In the interim, customers may experience intervals of exceptional slowness on the site and there is a potential for failed payment processing.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Cambodia scam crackdown sheds light on Indonesia’s employment gaps

      Weaknesses in employment and economic security have lured vulnerable Indonesians into scam work, some said.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Put your application inside a VPN jail

      The premise Note; political rant with European bias follows. If you don’t want to be exposed to my political views but still want to read the technical content of this article, simply skip the “Premise” and scroll down to “My data under my control”.

  • Confidentiality

    • Scoop News Group ☛ WhatsApp releases account feature that looks to combat spyware [Ed: WhatsApp is itself spyware]

      The new “Strict Account Settings” toggle extends WhatsApp’s privacy push beyond end-to-end encryption.

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ US naval buildup in Middle East heightens tensions

    Iran, Houthi rebels, and Hezbollah are reacting to the increased U.S. military presence in the Middle East. The arrival of a US aircraft carrier comes amid violent protests in Iran and threats of U.S. strikes. According to FRANCE 24's Philip Turle, Convicted Felon is pressuring Iran but does not want a war; he sees this as a chance to push for a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, especially during an election year.

  • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says Iran Wants To Talk As US Warships Arrive In Middle East Waters

    A US aircraft carrier group arrived in the Middle East on January 27 as tensions mount over a possible strike against Iran after a brutal crackdown on protests that rights groups say killed thousands of people.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea fires ballistic missile towards Sea of Japan

    The test is Pyongyang’s second of the month.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Kim says North Korea soon to unveil ‘next-stage’ nuclear deterrent plans: Report

    The country has defied a UN ban against its ballistic missile development.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee to learn verdict in corruption case

    Prosecutors are demanding a 15-year prison term over alleged stock fraud and corruption.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines, US hold joint military drill at disputed South China Sea shoal

    The Philippines has pivoted closer to Washington under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China to seek deeper cooperation with Britain, Chinese ministries say

    British PM Keir Starmer is expected to visit China from Jan 28 to 31.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Xi Jinping says China seeks to uphold UN-based world order

    President Pooh-tin Jinping said Tuesday that China seeks to uphold the UN-based world order, in remarks as he met Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Beijing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Xi says China, Finland should uphold international system, advance multipolar order

    China's President Pooh-tin Jinping told Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo on Tuesday that Beijing was ready to work with Helsinki to uphold a U.N.-centred international system and advance a multipolar world based on economic globalisation, according to state news agency Xinhua.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China vows ‘support’ for Cuba after US threats

    US President The Insurrectionist has told Havana to “make a deal” or pay a price similar to Venezuela.

  • JURIST ☛ South Sudan UN Commission condemns indiscriminatory military incitement against civilians

    The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Monday expressed concerns over “highly inflammatory” rhetoric, accompanied by troop movements, by senior military officers in South Sudan.  A statement by a military commander in Jonglei State, calling for indiscriminate violence against civilians, had reportedly led to 180,000 fleeing their homes.

  • New York Times ☛ How Computer Warfare Is Becoming Part of the Pentagon’s Arsenal

    The military tested a new approach in Venezuela and during strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

  • New York Times ☛ Trinidadian Families File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Over Boat Strike by U.S. Military

    The case tests the Convicted Felon administration’s argument that its extrajudicial killings of people suspected of smuggling drugs at sea have been lawful.

  • Futurism ☛ Google Staffers Terrified of ICE After Attempt to Force Entry Into Company Building

    The head of security said that an "officer arrived at reception without notice."

  • The Straits Times ☛ 23 soldiers died in Indonesia’s West Java landslide, official says

    The 23 marines were caught in the landslide during training exercises on Jan 24.

  • Defence Web ☛ Could Mali fall to terrorists?

  • France24 ☛ Japanese have 'greater awareness of security issues and a greater concern over actions by China'

    Hundreds ‍of Japanese ​panda lovers bid an emotional farewell to the country's last two giant pandas, Xiao ⁠Xiao and Lei Lei, as they left Tokyo's Ueno Zoo for China on Tuesday. Their departure leaves Japan with no pandas for the first time in half a century, and the chances of getting a replacement are poor, with Tokyo's relations with Beijing at their lowest point in years. We speak with Kristi Govella, senior adviser and Japan Chair at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

  • Green Party UK ☛ Green peer calls for fan boycott of USA world cup venues due to fears of ICE

    Green Party peer, Baroness Jenny Jones said: “The horrific shooting of innocent people by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raises big concerns about the security of people from this country visiting the USA, especially if they are victims of racial profiling by ICE agents.

  • France24 ☛ Anger as branch of ICE to help with security at Winter Olympics in Italy

    A branch of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will help with security for the Winter Olympics in Italy, it confirmed Tuesday, sparking anger and warnings they were not welcome. Reports had been circulating for days that the agency embroiled in an often brutal immigration crackdown in the United States could be involved in US security measures for the February 6-22 Games in northern Italy.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US ouster of Maduro nightmare scenario for Kim Jong Un, says North Korean ex-diplomat

    Maduro's extraction will spark panic among North Korea’s security-obsessed leadership, said the diplomat.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia PM Albanese visits East Timor to discuss security, gas

    SYDNEY, Jan 27 - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will flag Australia's desire for deeper security and energy ties when he addresses East Timor's parliament on Wednesday, in his first visit to the northern neighbour as leader.

  • New York Times ☛ Democrats Push to Impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem After Minneapolis Shooting

    Following the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, a drive to impeach the homeland security secretary has drawn dozens more Democratic supporters, including the party’s top three leaders.

  • ADF ☛ Mauritania Receives U.S. Military Equipment

    To help Mauritania address growing security threats from the Sahel region and West Africa, the United States government in December 2025 donated a shipment of operational military equipment which will enhance field performance during upcoming military exercises, such as Flintlock 2026, which will be held in Libya and Côte d’Ivoire.

  • ADF ☛ Houthis Provide Somali Pirates With Advanced Tech

    Authorities in semiautonomous Puntland State are warning that collaborations between Somali pirate groups and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen represent a major threat to maritime security in the Horn of Africa.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Latvia ☛ U.S. 'ICE' agents remind Minneapolis Latvians of Russian riot police

      The actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the American city of Minneapolis – which have resulted in the deaths of civilians in recent weeks – are comparable to those of Russia's notorious OMON riot police and Stalin's brutal Gulag system of oppression, according to Latvians living in the city.

    • ADF ☛ Russia Recruits Gamers for ‘Meat Grinder’ War

      As Russia’s war on Ukraine staggers into its fifth year, the Kremlin is turning to increasingly deceptive and unusual recruiting methods. While playing a first-person military simulation game called Arma 3, two young South African men met a recruiter named @Dash on the social platform Discord.

    • New York Times ☛ Troop Casualties in Ukraine War Near 2 Million, Study Finds

      The number of deaths, injuries and missing is approaching a grim milestone after nearly four years of fighting.

    • RFERL ☛ New Round Of Russian Strikes Kills 9, Knocks Out Power In Several Areas Of Ukraine

      Russian air strikes hit several regions across Ukraine, killing several people and damaging an energy facility in the southern port city of Odesa and knocking out power in Kharkiv as the country struggles through blackouts and heating outages amid a deep winter freeze.

    • Press Gazette ☛ Research shows journalists rarely name weapons systems used in explosive attacks

      Nearly all reports naming weapons relate to Russian attacks on Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ Families of Kenyans lured into Russia-Ukraine war seek state intervention for repatriation

      In tonight's edition, the families of Kenyans fighting for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine are demanding that their loved ones be brought back home. Also, white farmers in Zimbabwe hire a US lobbying firm as they court President The Insurrectionist's help in chasing their government for billions of dollars in compensation for land seized in the 2000s. And more South African schools are introducing phone-free days.

    • The Straits Times ☛ India, EU strike ‘mother of all deals’ free trade agreement and defence pact in the age of Convicted Felon

      The trade pact lowers tariffs on a range of goods and gives some Indian exporters wider access to Europe.

    • France24 ☛ 'Geopolitical momentum': Is EU-India deal a challenge to great powers wielding 'imperialist policy'?

      Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome Dr. Tobias Scholz, Asia Associate in the Research Cluster of Cybersecurity and Digital Policy at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.After nearly two decades of on-again, off-again negotiations, the EU-India trade agreement has been signed and is awaiting ratification in a shifting geopolitical landscape. As Dr. Tobias Schultt explains, Russia’s war on Ukraine, the rise of economic protectionism, and a recalibration of global partnerships have pushed both the EU and India to re-evaluate each other’s strategic and economic relevance. Unlike the contested Mercosur deal, the EU-India pact is gaining support, largely due to its exclusion of sensitive agricultural sectors and India's growing economic and political stature.

    • European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner Micallef at High-level Meeting on Heritage and Architecture in Ukraine

      European Commission Speech Paris, 27 Jan 2026 Heritage and Architecture in Ukraine

    • European Commission ☛ Opening statement by Commissioner Dombrovskis before the European Parliament's AFET/SEDE/INTA/BUDG committees on the Ukraine Support Loan

• Environment

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Japan-born pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei arrive home in China's Sichuan

      China's giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei arrived safely in Sichuan on Wednesday, China's panda research base said in a social control media post, following an emotional goodbye from fans in Tokyo where the pair were born and raised.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Japan’s beloved last pandas leave for China as ties fray

      Two popular pandas are set to leave Tokyo for China Tuesday, leaving Japan without any of the beloved bears for the first time in 50 years as ties between the Asian neighbours fray.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Japan-born pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei arrive home in China’s Sichuan

      The twin pandas were born in Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo in 2021.

• Finance

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Newegg stock price falls 17.7% after Chinese owner is detained by anti-corruption authorities — company insists it’s operating normally and ‘in accordance with the laws’

    Various law firms are calling out to Newegg investors for a potential class action lawsuit as the company's stock price fell by 17.7% after the chairperson of its majority stockholder was detained on suspicion of corruption.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ 'Voter rolls could be used to intimidate', professor says as Bondi requests Minnesota records

    Speaking with FRANCE 24's Monte Francis, Nadine Strossen, Professor of Constitutional Law at New York Law School and Former President of the ACLU, says that voter rolls 'could definitely be used to intimidate people who are lawfully entitled to vote'. US Attorney General Pam Bondi demanded Minnesota hand over voter registration records in a letter to Governor Tim Waltz amid tensions over ICE deployment in the state.

  • The Straits Times ☛ On political tightrope, Anwar shelves reforms as Malaysia enters pre-election mode

    He is setting aside politically risky reforms that may inflame ethnic sensitivities or split his fragile coalition.

  • France24 ☛ British PM imitates Macron's viral sunglasses moment at Davos

    British Prime Minister Keir #Starmer imitated #Macron's viral sunglasses moment from the #Davos summit. The French President was giving a speech responding to #Dihydroxyacetone Man's threats of tariffs on European countries until they agreed to a US purchase of #Greenland.

  • The Strategist ☛ Australia and New Zealand need regional focus for multipolar order

    In the coming multipolar order, New Zealand and Australia need to shape a new regional economic and security project.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • JURIST ☛ Interpol leaked files reveal states abuse red notices to target dissidents

    Two media outlets reported on states’ abuses of Interpol red notices to target political dissidents and human rights defenders on Monday. Amnesty International urged Interpol to address this “grave institutional failure” and improve its transparency.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Tiananmen vigil activists sought end to communist rule in name of democracy, Hong Kong nat. sec trial told

    Three Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil activists had sought the end of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s rule in the name of “so-called democracy,” prosecutors have argued during a high-profile national security trial.

  • France24 ☛ How AI-generated images are being used to deny the massacre of protesters in Iran

    After a widely-shared image showing hundreds of bodies piled up in a morgue in Tehran turned out to have been AI-generated, supporters of the Iranian regime have been using the picture to cast doubt on a real photo taken in the same morgue.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Mail on Sunday broke the law to reveal abortion, claims Sadie Frost

    Actress also told High Court she believes her landline phone was listened to.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Sir Simon Hughes says he was target for Mail after being outed by The Sun

    Emails and payment records suggest Greg Miskiw worked for Mail.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ Stratospheric internet could finally start taking off this year

    Today, an estimated 2.2 billion people still have either limited or no access to the internet, largely because they live in remote places. But that number could drop this year, thanks to tests of stratospheric airships, uncrewed aircraft, and other high-altitude platforms for internet delivery.

  • APNIC ☛ Bangladesh’s network community comes together at bdNOG 20

    At bdNOG 20, Bangladesh’s Internet community came together to share practical experience, address operational challenges, and strengthen local capacity for a more secure, IPv6-ready Internet.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Section 230 Is Way More Than Just a Social Media Liability Shield

    Repealing Section 230 won't hurt Big Tech, but it will hurt everyone else.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ The FCC Wants to Let Broadcasters Turn Off Your TV

    The proposed transition to ATSC 3.0 could leave millions suddenly disconnected.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Federal Court of Justice confirms Munich ruling in VoiceAge vs HMD

    Around 40 observers — representatives of SEP holders and implementers — travelled to the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe today to follow the hearing in VoiceAge vs HMD. Expectations were high on all sides that the court might make fundamental changes to German FRAND case law.

  • JUVE ☛ Federal Court of Justice hears FRAND appeal in VoiceAge vs HMD

    After five years, FRAND is once again on the agenda in Karlsruhe. The city is home to the Federal Court of Justice, Germany’s highest civil court and final instance in patent monopoly proceedings.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Patent Venue’s Method Claim Problem: How Many Steps Must Occur in the District?

    Does §1400(b) venue require all method steps in the district? Comcast seeks en banc review of a question to further limit patent monopoly forum shopping.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Affirms Genericness Refusal of FREE PHOTOS for . . . Guess What?

    The Board upheld refusals to register, on the Supplemental Register, the proposed marks FREE PHOTOS and FREEPHOTOS (in standard form), finding the terms to be generic for “printing services for printing photos and personalized items, namely, photo albums, photo posters, photo tiles, canvas prints, photo cards, photo blankets, photo mouse pads, photo magnets, and photo cups." Applicant Inmate Photos argued that neither “free photos” nor “freephotos” are defined dictionary terms, but other evidence developed by the Office proved to be decisive. In re Inmate Photos, LLC, Serial Nos. 97513508 and 97513513 (January 15, 2026) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Lawrence T. Stanley, Jr.).

• Copyrights

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Autobiography of a “Jeep” (1943)

    A WWII propaganda film narrated as an "auto"-biography

  • Digital Music News ☛ Italian Photographer Drops Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against Drake

    Drake scores a win as the copyright monopoly infringement lawsuit an Italian photographer filed against him over visuals in a music video was dismissed. Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti sued Drake for alleged copyright monopoly infringement back in November over visuals featured in the music video for “What Did I Miss?”