Leftovers

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ 86-type Smart Home control panel features a 3.5-inch display, physical buttons, Bluetooth SIG Mesh gateway

    The Tuya WiFi 3.5-inch Smart Center Control Panel (CCP-S05) is designed to replace traditional 86-type switches while adding a Bluetooth SIG Mesh gateway, a touchscreen interface, and three buttons for smart homes, apartments, and small commercial spaces. Compared to other 86-type control panels such as the Luckfox-Pico-86-Panel, Dusun DSGW-130, and Waveshare’s ESP32-P4 Smart 86 Box, the Tuya device follows a hybrid approach, combining a capacitive touchscreen with three physical buttons for instant local control.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ 4 Dead in Mushroom Poisoning Outbreak in California

    State health officials discouraged foraging this year, saying that toxic mushrooms can easily be confused with safe ones to eat.

  • Futurism ☛ GLP-1s Are an Environmental Catastrophe

    Popular weight loss drugs have an dirty secret.

  • JURIST ☛ Arizona state judge strikes down state abortion restrictions

    A judge in Maricopa County Superior Court ordered Friday that the state must stop enforcing laws that predate Arizona’s Right to Abortion constitutional amendment. Judge Greg Como enjoined the state from enforcing laws that barred abortion if sought for a non-fatal genetic abnormality and that barred the prescription of abortion pills by telehealth. 

  • The Straits Times ☛ More non-Chinese in Malaysia seeking traditional Chinese medicine treatments

    Tung Shin Hospital in KL said that more than 20% of those seeking TCM treatment there are non-Chinese.

  • Science Alert ☛ 93% Success Rate Shown in Experimental Sleep Apnea Procedure

    It could succeed whether other treatments fail.

  • NYPost ☛ Skipping Costco for ‘backwards shopping’ may be the trick to slashing your grocery bill

    While most people know about coupon clipping and grocery rewards cards, “backwards shopping” is an overlooked yet very effective money-saving strategy that is starting to make waves.

  • Science Alert ☛ Hidden Patterns of Body Fat Could Be Shrinking Your Brain, Study Finds

    Here's what we know.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Genes May Influence Longevity More Than Ever Before. Here's Why.

    A decades-long debate may finally be settled.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Invented a Radical New Way to Produce Ashwagandha Compounds

    "We were actually very surprised it worked."

  • Science Alert ☛ One Decade in Life Is More Exhausting Than The Rest, But There Is Good News

    It's not all downhill.

  • Kev Quirk ☛ Step Aside, Phone!

    I read this post on Manu's blog and it immediately resonated. I've been spending more time than I'd like to admit staring at my phone recently, and most of that consists of a stupid game, or YouTube shorts.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nvidia says it didn't use pirated books to train its Hey Hi (AI) models — company asking for Anna's Archive suit to be dismissed

      Nvidia is pushing back against claims that it trained Hey Hi (AI) models on pirated books, telling a federal court that alleged contact with Anna’s Archive doesn’t amount to proof of copyright monopoly infringement.

    • Carl Svensson ☛ Circumstantial Complexity, LLMs and Large Scale Architecture

      On software architecture and the paradox of machine-assisted programming.

• Security

  • Security Affairs ☛ DKnife toolkit abuses routers to spy and deliver malware since 2019

    Cisco Talos found DKnife, a powerful Linux toolkit that threat actors use to spy on and control network traffic through routers and edge devices. It inspects and alters data in transit and installs malware on PCs, phones, and IoT devices.

    “Cisco Talos uncovered “DKnife,” a fully featured gateway-monitoring and adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) framework comprising seven Linux-based implants that perform deep-packet inspection, manipulate traffic, and deliver malware via routers and edge devices.” reads the report published by Talos. “Based on the artifact metadata, DKnife has been used since at least 2019 and the command and control (C2) are still active as of January 2026.”

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Futurism ☛ The Department of Homeland Security Is Demanding That Surveillance Giant Google Turn Over Information About Random Critics

      "You don't have to lock somebody up to make them reticent to make their voice heard."

• Defence/Aggression

  • Futurism ☛ There’s Not Enough Money in the World for Convicted Felon’s Golden Dome

    Simply ludicrous.

  • The Straits Times ☛ New Zealand mosque shooter tells court mental health forced him to plead guilty

    Feb 9 - A white supremacist who killed 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand seven years ago said on Monday that he was irrational when he pleaded guilty, local media reported, as he sought to overturn his conviction in a New Zealand court.

  • New York Times ☛ China’s Presence Looms Large in Japan’s Election

    Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s handling of bilateral relations has become a campaign issue. Her earlier comments on Taiwan brought reprisals from Beijing.

  • The Strategist ☛ Sanae Takaichi’s victory is a win for Indo-Pacific security

    Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decisive victory in Japan’s 8 February lower-house election will be a game-changer for the Indo-Pacific security landscape. Armed with a supermajority (holding more than two thirds) in the House of Representatives, ...

  • New York Times ☛ Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslide

    Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a sweeping mandate from voters for her economic agenda and tough stances on immigration and China.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China overturns death sentence for Canadian in drug case

    China has overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, a Canadian official told AFP Friday, in a possible sign of a diplomatic thaw as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to boost trade ties with Beijing.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US accuses China of secret nuclear explosive tests

    Washington on Friday accused China of conducting secret nuclear explosive tests, and of preparing for more tests with massive yields, in what it said violated an international test ban.

  • Futurism ☛ SpaceX Gives $1 Million Prize to Literal Nazi Who Has Bragged About His Profound Racism

    "I am a Nazi."

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thai security officials warn of renewed conflict with Cambodia, citing border military build-up

    The border has been officially designated a critical security vulnerability.

  • The Strategist ☛ National security will suffer if Defence keeps cutting northern presence

    Since the 2023 Defence Strategic Review, the government has spoken often and loudly about the strategic importance of northern Australia.

  • RFERL ☛ Iran Insistent On Uranium Enrichment As US Navy Flotilla Sails In Arabian Sea

    Iran's foreign minister insisted on his country's right to enrich uranium, striking a defiant note as a US naval strike force sailed in regional waters amid weeks of unprecedented domestic turmoil inside Iran.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia, India deepen trade ties as Anwar and Modimir vow to grow friendship rooted in trust

    The leaders also discuss Gaza and Ukraine, with Anwar praising Modi’s unequivocal peace commitment.

  • LRT ☛ Quiet solidarity: how Lithuania practices hospitality – opinion

    Two sociologists, one Lithuanian and one Ukrainian, take a look at the structures and experiences of solidarity between the host society and one particular group of refugees.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Suspect in shooting of senior Russian intelligence officer arrested in Dubai

      A Ukrainian-born Russian man suspected of shooting and seriously wounding Vladimir Alekseyev, a senior Russian military intelligence officer, has been arrested in Dubai and extradited to Russia, the FSB security service said Sunday. The incident comes amid a series of attacks on high-ranking Russian officials since the start of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Four Indian students injured in knife attack in Russia, embassy says

      Four Indian students were injured in a knife attack at a medical university in Russia's Bashkortostan region on Saturday, the Indian embassy in Moscow and Russian investigators said.

    • New York Times ☛ On the Brink of a New Arms Race

      For the first time in decades, the U.S. and Russia no longer have a nuclear arms control agreement.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Indian refiners avoid Russian oil in push for US trade deal

      New Delhi has not announced plans to halt Russian oil imports.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Authorities Say Third Person Held Over Attack On Top Military Intelligence Officer

      Russian authorities said they detained a third person in connection with the shooting of a top military intelligence general in a Moscow apartment building.

    • RFERL ☛ Once Washington's Closest Caucasus Partner, Georgia To Watch Vance Visit From The Outside

      Once Washington’s closest partner in the South Caucasus, Georgia now finds itself stranded in US regional diplomacy. And as Tbilisi deepens ties with China while maintaining its engagement with Russia, Washington’s attention is increasingly shifting toward Azerbaijan and Armenia.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian 'Glide' Bombs Kill At Least 3 Civilians In Eastern Ukraine Amid Latest Barrage

      At least three people were killed in overnight Russian strikes that targeted residential buildings in the eastern city of Kramatorsk.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • Futurism ☛ Jeffrey Epstein Had a Bizarre Obsession With “Improving” Human DNA, and He Was Emailing With Top Scientists About It

    Creepier and creepier.

  • France24 ☛ Links between Epstein and the Israeli government: What the files show

    The huge trove of Epstein documents released by the US Department of Justice has sent shock waves through Europe’s political, economic and social elites — dominating headlines, ending careers and spurring political and criminal investigations. This includes government intelligence agencies. Murtaza Hussein is a national security and Foreign Affairs Reporter for Drop Site News. He has been reporting on the links between the Epstein scandal and the Israeli government.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Heatwave in the northern Malaysia to last until April

    The archipelago of Pulau Langkawi recorded 38 consecutive days without rain since Dec 31, 2025.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Futurism ☛ US Government Seeking Volunteers to Store Nuclear Sludge

      Calling all patriots!

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Fired Lasers at Charles Darwin's Priceless Specimens. Here's Why.

      Don't open those jars!

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ India, Malaysia renew pledges to boost trade, collaboration

    India's Prime Minister Narendra Modimir and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim renewed pledges on Sunday to bolster trade and explore potential collaborations in semiconductors, defence and other fields.

  • Science Alert ☛ US Births Fell Again in 2025 Amid Ongoing Social And Economic Uncertainty

    2024's uptick was short-lived.

  • France24 ☛ Betting on catastrophe: the dizzying rise of prediction markets

    Bets on the fall of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro have shed light on the spectacular rise of prediction markets: portals where people place bets on everything from sporting events, to Convicted Felon’s next strikes, to the resurrection of Jesus. Some are profiting from the predictions, while others are concerned about real world human and geopolitical impacts of prediction markets.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Recent comments from (some) Americans

    Recently I’ve posted some, let’s just say, less then flattering comments about the current US executive in the context of global security, among other things. Maybe the sudden influx of comments from angry Americans is just a coincidence, but either way is a phrase with three words.

    This is my attempt to aggregate the common themes into one.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • France24 ☛ Iran sentences Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to six years in prison

    An Iranian court has sentenced Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi to six years in jail on charges of “gathering and collusion to commit crimes,” her lawyer said Sunday, adding that she was also banned from leaving the country and ordered into internal exile. The verdict, which can be appealed, comes despite serious health concerns for the prominent human rights activist.

  • New York Times ☛ Iranian Nobel Laureate Gets Second Prison Sentence and Ends Hunger Strike

    The activist Narges Mohammadi was sentenced to another seven years, bringing the total she must serve to 17 years, her foundation said.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • The Straits Times ☛ Reaction to Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai's 20 year sentence in security trial

    Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced on Monday to a total of 20 years in jail on three security charges comprising two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one of publishing seditious materials.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai given 20 years’ jail in national security case

    The sentencing marks closure of a lengthy trial that has gone on for years.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • JURIST ☛ UN experts call for stronger torture prevention measures in Mexico

    UN torture prevention experts on Friday urged a significant strengthening of preventive measures in Mexico, recognizing progress, but expressing particular concern over unregulated drug rehabilitation centers. The assessment was delivered by the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) following a week-long visit to the country, its first in a decade.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Science Alert ☛ Quantum Teleportation Was Performed Over The Internet For The First Time

    "Nobody thought it was possible.”

  • Vincent Bernat ☛ Vincent Bernat: Fragments of an adolescent web

    I have unearthed a few old articles typed during my adolescence, between 1996 and 1998. Unremarkable at the time, these pages now compose, three decades later, the chronicle of a vanished era.¹

    The word “blog” does not exist yet.

  • APNIC ☛ 2025 Annual Report now available

    The 2025 Annual Report is available.

  • APNIC ☛ Welcome to APRICOT 2026

    APRICOT 2026 starts today in Jakarta, Indonesia! Here are some highlights.