Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ One Simple Trick Could Help Tardigrades Survive in Martian Dirt

    An encouraging discovery.

  • Science Alert ☛ 48-Hour Oatmeal Diet Could Cut Cholesterol Levels For Weeks, Study Shows

    But there are caveats.

  • Science Alert ☛ Two Cancers Have Links With Talc. An Expert Explains The Science.

    Should you stop using it?

  • Science Alert ☛ Viagra May Be One of Our Best Existing Options For an Alzheimer's Treatment

    Here's what we know.

  • Science Alert ☛ NASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon

    Why the shake-up?

  • New York Times ☛ Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse 2026: Time and Visibility Guide

    Earth’s shadow will temporarily drape the moon in a copper hue before sunrise on Tuesday.

  • New York Times ☛ Your Closest Forest Gets Lit Up by a Hidden Purple Glow

    Research shows that a phenomenon called St. Elmo’s Fire, which occurs during thunderstorms, may be much more common than previously understood.

• Career/Education

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania to offer internship scholarships for international students

    Foreigners and Lithuanian diaspora students studying in Lithuania will be eligible to apply for state scholarships, the Education, Science and Sport Ministry said Monday.

  • New York Times ☛ China’s Parents Are Outsourcing the Homework Grind to A.I.

    Parents in China are turning to Hey Hi (AI) chatbots and other tools to help their children gain an edge and ease the fighting over homework.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ Lenovo ThinkEdge SE60n Gen 2 fanless edge Hey Hi (AI) computer features up to 97 TOPS defective chip maker Intel Core Ultra 7 265H SoC

    Lenovo has recently unveiled new ThinkEdge devices for edge Hey Hi (AI) applications: the defective chip maker Intel “Arrow Lake”-powered ThinkEdge SE60n Gen 2 fanless computer for up to 97 TOPS of Hey Hi (AI) performance, the ThinkEdge SE10n Gen 2 edge gateway, the compact ThinkEdge SE30n Gen 2 “Raptor Lake” edge client with up to defective chip maker Intel Core 7  150U, and the company’s first industrial all-in-one (AIO) Panel PC, the ThinkEdge SE50a.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Latvia ☛ Three cases of Chikungunya virus confirmed in Latvia

    Three cases of the tropical Chikungunya virus have been confirmed in Latvia this year, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) has confirmed.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Illegal vapes hidden in plain sight in Malaysia’s Klang Valley

    Disposable vape devices exceeding the 3,000-puff limit are also being sold openly.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Delaying hip surgery, skipping exercise put Malaysian seniors at risk of fracture and death

    Such risks are expected to increase exponentially as Malaysia becomes an ageing nation, say doctors.

  • New York Times ☛ States Move to Limit Access to H.I.V. Treatment

    Citing rising costs and shortfalls in federal support, about 20 states are toughening eligibility requirements for patients in drug assistance programs.

  • New York Times ☛ As Kennedy Turns From Vaccines, MAHA Allies See a ‘Betrayal’

    As the midterm elections approach, the health secretary is focusing on “real food.” Anger is rising among some of his supporters.

  • JURIST ☛ UN report details systemic restriction of access to healthcare for Afghan women

    UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, on Friday released a report detailing systemic restriction of access to the healthcare system for Afghan women. Bennet found that the Taliban imposed gender-oppressive policies, including limits on their rights to access education, work, and freedom of movement.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan paid consultants $2.9M for failed mental health redesign

    Michigan paid McKinsey & Co. about $2.9 million to design a Medicaid behavioral health overhaul that a judge later struck down — hiring a firm the state had previously sued for its role in the opioid crisis.

  • Latvia ☛ Teenager self harm cases up tenfold over seven years, says hospital

    Self-harm among adolescents has increased tenfold over the past seven years, according to an analysis commissioned by the Ministry of Health (VM) last year on cases of self-harm among children and young people recorded in outpatient clinics, LETA reported on 2nd March.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Experts weigh in on whether ‘slapping’ ritual in South Korean skincare works

    The phenomenon is closely tied to South Korea’s multistep skincare and make-up routines, where speed and absorption are key.

  • Science Alert ☛ Medical Chatbots Are Coming. Here's What You Need to Know Before Using One.

    They're no substitute for professional advice.

  • Science Alert ☛ Rare Form of Dementia Causes Man to Fall in Love With One Sound

    Here is his story.

  • Science Alert ☛ Superagers' 'Secret Ingredient' May Be The Growth of New Brain Cells

    Perhaps just one of many factors.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ Scam Altman in Damage Control Mode as Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot Users Are Mass Cancelling Subscriptions Because Proprietary Chaffbot Company Is “Training a War Machine”

      "The optics don't look good."

    • Futurism ☛ Microsoft Bans the Word “Microslop” on Copilot Discord, Gets So Humiliated That It Locks Down the Whole Server

      "Streisand effect in full swing."

    • Futurism ☛ AI Tools Are Supercharging Hackers

      "It’s like an AI-powered assembly line for cybercrime, helping less skilled workers produce at scale."

    • Silicon Angle ☛ MongoDB’s stock craters as lower guidance whips up investors’ Hey Hi (AI) software fears

      Investors bailed on the database company MongoDB Inc. today after it crushed expectations in its latest financial results, only to follow up with miserable guidance for the current quarter.

    • Futurism ☛ Ars Technica Fires Reporter After Hey Hi (AI) Controversy Involving Fabricated Quotes

      Benj Edwards is no longer working at Ars Technica following an Hey Hi (AI) controversy that angered readers.

• Linux Foundation

  • Linux Foundation OCUDU Foundation establishes 6G Open Source RAN standardization with AI native software systems [Ed: Slop promotion]

    Linux Foundation creates OCUDU Foundation for 6G Open Source RAN standardization

  • Linux Foundation launches OCUDU foundation for open RAN software - Telecompaper

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Privacy International ☛ Nowhere to Hide? Privacy Risks and Policy Implications of Hey Hi (AI) Geolocation

    • Michael Geist ☛ The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 259: The Privacy and Surveillance Risks of Hey Hi (AI) Chatbot Reporting to Police

      Over the past ten days, Canada has witnessed one of the fastest-moving technology policy debates in recent memory. What began as reporting about a tragic act of violence – the shootings in Tumbler Ridge, BC -  quickly evolved into questions about Hey Hi (AI) safety, corporate responsibility, police reporting obligations, and now potential Hey Hi (AI) regulation.

    • Citizen Lab ☛ Austrian Interior Ministry Using Cobwebs Surveillance Software

      Citizen Lab research fellow Wolfie Christl spoke with Der Standard about the Austrian Interior Ministry’s €900K investment in Tangles, a surveillance software that gathers and analyzes data from across social control media and the web. Christl and a Citizen Lab colleague discovered that the tool was purchased by the Austrian ministry last summer.

  • Confidentiality

    • Security Week ☛ Google Working Towards Quantum-Safe Chrome HTTPS Certificates [Ed: Hype, some buzzwords]

      The internet giant is developing an evolution of the certificates based on Merkle Tree Certificates (MTCs).

• Defence/Aggression

  • Security Week ☛ US-Israel and Iran Trade Cyberattacks: Pro-West Hacks Cause Disruption as Tehran Retaliates

    Both sides conduct hacking and other attacks, including the deployment of wiper malware, DDoS, and disruptions to critical infrastructure. 

  • JURIST ☛ Pakistan declares ‘open war’ against Afghanistan

    Pakistan’s Defense Ministry said on Friday that the country now considers itself in an “open war” with Afghanistan after the two countries carried out cross-border strikes Thursday night. Pakistan launched overnight airstrikes on targets in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktika hours after Afghan Taliban forces attacked Pakistani military posts along the border.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Military called to northern Pakistan region after deadly Iran protests

    Pakistan sent the military into Himalayan Gilgit-Baltistan region on Monday and banned large gatherings nationwide after deadly protests against U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran spread, with 26 dead so far.

  • New York Times ☛ Pakistan Strikes Bagram Air Base, Satellite Images Show

    Satellite imagery showed flattened warehouses at the base that served as the nerve center of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan, a prized asset for the Taliban.

  • New York Times ☛ Bagram Air Base Targeted by Pakistan, Afghanistan Says

    Afghan officials said they had thwarted a Pakistani airstrike on the former U.S. base, Bagram airfield, amid an intensifying campaign that has targeted dozens of military sites across the country.

  • New York Times ☛ After a Drone Strikes RAF Base in Cyprus, UK Risks Being Dragged Further Into Iran Conflict

    The government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer risks being dragged deeper into the conflict, after allowing the U.S. military to use British bases for “defensive” purposes.

  • The Strategist ☛ How China would intimidate and disrupt Australia in a Taiwan Strait crisis

    Beijing’s primary concern in a Taiwan contingency is US intervention—but its planning would not stop there. China has the capacity to pressure key US allies, including Australia, even while focusing on the United States itself.

  • France24 ☛ France to boost nuclear arsenal, could deploy atomic weapons to European allies

    President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France will expand its atomic arsenal and could deploy nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries for the first time, as he unveiled an unprecedented plan to bolster security on the continent. FRANCE 24's Emerald Maxwell reports.

  • Stanford University ☛ University to pursue investigation, increase security following antisemitic emails

    The University issued a statement condemning antisemitism Monday morning following threatening emails to Jewish community members.

  • New York Times ☛ As Maduro and Khamenei Learned, It’s Harder Than Ever for Leaders to Hide

    A surge in sensors and cameras, combined with artificial intelligence, has transformed U.S. intelligence’s ability to locate foreign heads of state. Add to that an American president willing to capture or kill them.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • The Strategist ☛ Copying Ukraine, Russia has begun using uncrewed boats at sea

      Ukraine’s most significant success in fighting off Russia has arguably been in the Black Sea.

    • LRT ☛ Vilnius will require ‘Ukrainian card’ for free public transport

      Ukrainian refugees in Vilnius will need a valid, personalised “Ukrainian card” to use the city’s public transport for free starting in September, authorities said.

    • LRT ☛ LRT to boycott Paralympics opening ceremony over Russian, Belarusian participation

      Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT said Monday it will not air the opening ceremony of the upcoming Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics after the International Paralympic Committee allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags.

    • The Straits Times ☛ India refiners may embrace Russian oil again following Iran crisis

      India is weighing options that include turning to Russian cargoes currently loitering near its waters.

    • New York Times ☛ Macron Expands French Nuclear Arsenal and Vows Protection for Neighbors

      The announcement was a significant step in forging a European deterrent as Russia grows more aggressive and the U.S. steps back.

    • LRT ☛ Belarusian challenges Lithuania’s residency revocation at human rights court

      The European Court of Human Rights has begun examining a complaint by a Belarusian citizen whose temporary residence permit in Lithuania was revoked, according to court documents.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Helicopter crash kills two in Philippines

      The helicopter was carrying five people, including two Malaysians.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Neanderthal DNA Is Missing From Our X Chromosome. This Could Be Why.

      "I don't know if we'll ever get a definitive answer to how this happened."

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ Global Economy Is Facing the Prospect of Another Profound Shock

    A protracted conflict in the Middle East risks a spike in energy prices and broader inflation.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • JURIST ☛ Vietnam implements sweeping Hey Hi (AI) law

      Vietnam’s Law on Artificial Intelligence (AI) came into into effect on Sunday, marking the first framework of its kind in Southeast Asia. The new law’s content largely mirrors the European Union’s Hey Hi (AI) Act, which seeks to ensure accountability, transparency, and safety in light of challenges that follow Hey Hi (AI) use, including copyright monopoly infringement, misinformation, and deepfakes.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australian far-right senator Pauline Hanson censured over ‘inflammatory’ Muslim comments

    She called the motion a “stunt” before storming out of the chamber.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong woman given suspended jail term for reposting calls to boycott legislative polls

    A Hong Kong woman was given a suspended jail sentence for sharing online posts calling for a boycott of December’s “patriots only” legislative elections.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ ‘Hacked’ Daily Mail Harry story came from press office, says royal editor

    Daily Mail's Rebecca English says stories came from cuttings, royal press offices and other legitimate sources.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • The Straits Times ☛ Revenge for hire services spread via Telegram in South Korea

    A suspect allegedly spread food waste and sprayed red lacquer paint on the front door of an apartment unit.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Family That Stood By Michael Jackson for Decades Just Sued His Estate

    The Cascio family, who stood by Michael Jackson for years amid allegations of him sexually abusing minors, is now suing his estate—with allegations of sexual abuse against the late superstar.

  • JURIST ☛ South Korea relaunches truth commission probe into overseas adoption abuses

    South Korea officially relaunched its Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on Thursday to renew its investigation into human rights violations in the nation’s history, with a special focus on alleged irregularities and fraud in the nation’s historic intercountry adoption system.

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group calls for compliance with rights safeguards ahead of retrial in Algeria

    Amnesty International on Friday pressed for Algerian authorities to ensure that the retrial of 94 people in the events of August 2021 in the Kabylie region complies with international human rights safeguards, emphasizing opposition to use the death penalty and warning against any form of torture.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Network Management session at APRICOT 2026: DNS logs, enterprise open source, and configuration management

    The Network Management session at APRICOT 2026 brought together four presenters to share practical, data‑driven insights into how operators can better understand and optimize their networks.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ United States CP fingerprint authentication patent monopoly campaign - invalidity charts coming soon

    The team at Unified IP Services is using Pearl to identify and chart prior art against U.S. Patent 9,760,753, owned by United States CP, LLC, an NPE. The ‘753 patent monopoly relates to a finger guide device intended for securing precise placement of a digit on a scanner to capture fingerprints accurately.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Third Way: Examiner Action Dates and the Allowance Rate Curve

    The third in a trilogy on USPTO allowance rates uses examiner action dates to map the allowance rate curve to director tenures with the sharpest precision.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Intitled to Tie Him Up: Can 18th-Century Chancery Practice Restore Patent Injunctions?

    DOJ and USPTO back NPE injunctive relief for third time as Collision Communications invokes 1789 Chancery practice to challenge post-eBay framework.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Forthwith: Federal Circuit Issues Mandates in V.O.S. Selections, Clearing the Way for $175 Billion Refund Reckoning

    Federal Circuit issues mandates in V.O.S. Selections tariff case after Supreme Court holds IEEPA does not authorize presidential tariffs. Importers scramble for refunds.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Cleaning House: Director Squires Responds to Examiner Conflict-of-Interest Scandal

    USPTO Director Squires orders patent monopoly examiners to recuse from any application where they hold stock.

  • Unified Patents ☛ InfoGation navigation patent monopoly found invalid

    On February 24, 2026, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) entered a notice of intent to issue a reexamination certificate cancelling all challenged claims of U.S. Patent 8,898,003, owned and asserted by InfoGation Corporation, an NPE. The '003 patent monopoly is generally directed to displaying maps on GPS receivers. It was asserted against TomTom, Nissan, Mazda, Hyundai, Volvo, Toyota, Honda, BMW, and Ford.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Acacia entity, Atlas Global, Wi-Fi patent monopoly challenged

    On February 27, 2026, Unified filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 9,628,310, owned and asserted by Atlas Global Technologies, LLC, an NPE and Acacia Research entity. The ‘310 patent monopoly is directed to the format of HE LTFs (high efficiency long training fields) for various combinations of HE LTF modes and channel bandwidths in Wi-Fi transmissions.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ Dominion Harbor entity, Columbia Peak, video surveillance patent monopoly found invalid

      On February 26, 2026, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) entered a notice of intent to issue a reexamination certificate cancelling all claims of U.S. Patent 7,446,803, owned by Columbia Peak Ventures, LLC, an NPE and Dominion Harbor entity. The ‘803 patent monopoly relates to a system for annotating and searching video files.

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Too Lost Launches Profile Defender to Shield Artist From AI-Driven Fakes

    As artificial intelligence continues reshaping how music is created and distributed, it has also introduced significant challenges. Perhaps the most egregious is unauthorized music appearing under legitimate artists’ names and profiles on digital streaming providers.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Who’s suing Hey Hi (AI) and who’s signing: Reach and Amazon agree usage deal, Danish publishers take Proprietary Chaffbot Company to court

    Plus: New York Times and Chicago Tribune sue Perplexity and Surveillance Giant Google signs non-licensing Hey Hi (AI) deals.