Leftovers

• Futurism ☛ Meta Workers Say They’re Seeing Disturbing Things Through Users’ Smart Glasses

  "In some videos you can see someone going to the toilet, or getting undressed."

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ A Hidden Shift Inside The Sun Could Help Explain Weak Solar Cycles

    Watch out for the quiet ones…

• Hardware

  • Linux Gizmos ☛ Grinn ReneSOM-V2H module runs Renesas RZ/V2H vision Hey Hi (AI) processor

    Polish embedded systems company Grinn has introduced the ReneSOM-V2H, described as the world’s smallest SoM based on the Renesas RZ/V2H processor.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ “Future-proofing” PC builds

    Years ago I remember building my first computer with my dad. We kept wondering if we should go with the Pentium Pro, or save a bit of money and get the Pentium with MMX Technology. I didn’t know what MMX Technology was, but it sounded impressive. That said, so did Pro. The seller at Funan Centre in Singapore told us the MMX Pentium offered the more “future proof” platform. It turned out to be a moot point; a year later the ATX platform was introduced, and AGP cards took over from PCI.

  • CNX Software ☛ Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite wearable platform offers 5G RedCap, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, built-in Hey Hi (AI) accelerator

    Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite is described as the “world’s first Personal Hey Hi (AI) wearable platform”, and features an NPU for on-device Hey Hi (AI) delivering up to 12 TOPS of performance at low power, supporting 2B parameter models.

  • CNX Software ☛ Renesas RA0E3 Arm Cortex-M23 MCU is a stripped-down RA0E1 for cost-sensitive applications

    Back in 2024, Renesas first released the RA0E1, an ultra-low-power Cortex-M23 MCU designed for cost-sensitive applications, followed by the RA0E2, with extended temperature range support (-40°C to +125°C). The company has expanded its lineup with the RA0E3, a stripped-down version of the RA0E1 with less memory, fewer peripherals, and fewer GPIOs, designed for small and budget-focused applications for sensing, motor assist, safety, and basic system control.

  • CNX Software ☛ pureLiFi Bridge XC Flex delivers gigabit broadband internet through windows (made of glass)

    pureLiFi Bridge XC Flex is a consumer-installable solution designed to be installed on windows (the ones made of glass, not backdoored Windows operating system!) in order to provide up to 1 Gbps broadband internet to the home. The solution leverages LiFi data transmission using invisible infrared light combined with up to 25W wireless power transfer for fast, cost-effective broadband deployment that does not require any cabling. It is comprised of indoor and outdoor units compatible with a wide range of window types, including single, double, and triple-glazed panes, as well as energy-efficient Low-E coatings.

  • CNX Software ☛ Quectel RM255C mid-tier 5G RedCap M.2 and LGA modules support LTE Cat 4 fallback, multi-constellation GNSS

    Quectel has just announced two new 5G RedCap modules, the RM255C-GL (Global, M.2) and RG255C-NA (North America, LGA), both of which are 3GPP Release 17-compliant 5G RedCap (Reduced Capability) modules designed to bridge the gap between LTE Cat 4/6 and full-featured 5G. Both the modules support 5G Sub-6GHz SA with LTE Cat 4 fallback, peak data rates of up to 223 Mbps downlink and 123 Mbps uplink, and backward compatibility with Rel-15/16 networks.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Futurism ☛ Government Handing Out Cash Bonuses to Drug Researchers Who Rush Through Regulatory Approvals

    "If you don't like it, we can get rid of it, but usually everybody loves money."

  • Science Alert ☛ Common Supplement Shows a Concerning Link to Heart Failure

    We need more research.

  • Science Alert ☛ Microbes That 'Disarm' Peanut Allergy Proteins Discovered in Mouth And Gut

    Hidden allies.

  • Science Alert ☛ Rising CO2 Could Be Altering Our Blood Chemistry, Study Suggests

    This isn't great news.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover New Evidence a Common Virus Helps Trigger MS

    A virtually unavoidable infection.

  • Science Alert ☛ Pollution Linked to Anxiety And Depression, EU Agency Warns

    Let's clear the air.

  • Science Alert ☛ Universal Vaccine Blocks Viruses, Bacteria, And Allergies With a Nasal Spray

    One vaccine to rule them all.

• Proprietary

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Drones attack several proprietary trap AWS Middle East region data centers amid Iran war, leading to outages — service health been disrupted after power cut due to fire risk

    Amazon’s data center business in the Middle East has been adversely impacted amid the 2026 Iran Conflict.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • It's FOSS ☛ Microsoft Locks Down Discord Server Over “Microslop” Posts

      Microsoft banned "Microslop" on its Copilot Discord community, locked the server, and then blamed spammers.

    • Futurism ☛ Scam Altman Is Realizing He Made a Gigantic Mistake

      "Opportunistic and sloppy."

    • Futurism ☛ Humongous Numbers of People Are Uninstalling Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot as Anti-OpenAI Sentiment Surges

      Yikes.

    • Futurism ☛ OpenAI Says It Will Let Users Add Trusted Contacts to Alert If They Experience a Mental Health Crisis While Using ChatGPT

      Interesting.

    • RFERL ☛ Merz Meets Convicted Felon Amid Fears In Europe That Iran War Diverting Attention From Ukraine

      US President The Insurrectionist will meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House on March 3, with transatlantic security and Ukraine high on the agenda. But as Washington intensifies military operations against Iran, European officials fear the war is eclipsing Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.

    • Futurism ☛ Harvard Professor Says Hey Hi (AI) Users Are Losing Cognitive Abilities

      "Regarding Hey Hi (AI) as similar to the beauty of the human mind is just like putting lipstick on a pig."

    • CS Monitor ☛ I trusted Hey Hi (AI) with daily decisions. The way it dived in, experts say, raises flags.

      Artificial intelligence is being marketed as a helpful problem-solver for daily life. A one-week experiment revealed some flaws.

    • Tony Asleson: Honey, I Shrunk the Model (Maybe): blk-archive vs Hey Hi (AI) Data

      Because “It Should Work” Isn’t Data

      After reading about the billions spent on Hey Hi (AI) infrastructure, I kept wondering: how much of that storage is just… the same bytes over and over? So I decided to find out.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ On Moltbook

      The MIT Technology Review has a good article on Moltbook, the supposed AI-only social network:

      Many people have pointed out that a lot of the viral comments were in fact posted by people posing as bots. But even the bot-written posts are ultimately the result of people pulling the strings, more puppetry than autonomy.

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • Open Source Initiative ☛ Google Summer of Code 2026: Advancing Open Source Through Mentorship

      The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is proud to highlight Surveillance Giant Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2026, a global program that continues to strengthen Open Source communities by pairing new contributors with experienced mentors.

• Linux Foundation

  • Linux Foundation Launches OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation [Ed: Promoting slop, as usual]

    LF said Sunday the foundation will operate as an open collaboration hub focused on developing, scaling and sustaining open source software for the centralized unit and distributed unit layers of Open RAN architectures while establishing a foundational reference platform that incorporates AI-based algorithms to support software-defined RAN deployments.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • LWN ☛ CBP Tapped Into the Online Advertising Ecosystem To Track Peoples’ Movements (404 Media) [Ed: So not blocking ads can get you killed, too]

      This

      404 Media article looks at how the US Customs and Border Protection

      agency (CBP) is using location data from phones to track the location of

      people of interest.

    • Privacy International ☛ Analysis of the Disclosures following the ICO Enforcement Notice on GPS Tagging of Migrants

    • Security Week ☛ Researchers Uncover Method to Track Cars via Tire Sensors

      Using low-cost receivers deployed along roads, academic researchers tracked drivers and their movement patterns.

    • Michael Geist ☛ More Transparency Not Police Reporting: Navigating the Safety-Privacy Balance for Hey Hi (AI) ChatBots

      My Globe and Mail op-ed begins by noting that Hey Hi (AI) Minister Evan Solomon summoned executives from Proprietary Chaffbot Company to Ottawa last week to explain why the company declined to alert police that it had flagged the account of Jesse Van Rootselaar, the Tumbler Ridge shooter who killed eight people earlier this month. The company stopped short of warning authorities, concluding that the account activity did not meet its standard of an “imminent and credible risk of serious physical harm to others.” After the meeting, Mr. Solomon expressed disappointment with OpenAI, saying the company had not presented “substantial new safety protocols.”

  • Confidentiality

    • Security Week ☛ 1.2 Million Affected by University of Hawaii Cancer Center Data Breach

      Hackers stole names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license information, voter registration records, and health-related information.

    • Security Week ☛ Quantum Decryption of RSA Is Much Closer Than Expected [Ed: Pure hype? hey have said this for decades already]

      For decades, the quantum threat to RSA and ECC encryption has been tied to Shor’s algorithm and the assumption that we would need million-qubit quantum computers to make it practical. A newly announced algorithm challenges that assumption and suggests the breaking point could arrive far sooner than expected.

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ 'Strangely normal': As war rages in Iran, daily life in UAE remains 'orderly, calm'

    Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Susan Marie Ossman, anthropologist, artist, historian, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Professor of Movements, Spaces and Cultural Practices Affiliationat NYU Abu Dhabi. As war rages in Iran and across the Middle East, Professor Ossman's classes have moved to Zoom, echoing the pandemic era. All the while, Abu Dhabi's infrastructure and daily routines remain intact under uneasy skies. The UAE has long projected stability and insulation from regional volatility.

  • JURIST ☛ Pakistan declares war on Afghanistan after Taliban border attacks

    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 ☛ China’s top political advisory body votes out three generals

    The move comes as Beijing escalates a sweeping purge of military officials.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China votes to oust 3 generals from political advisory body

    China’s top political advisory body has voted to remove three generals, state media said, a week after nine military officials were ousted from its legislature.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Speculation on Indian ex-army chief’s ‘unpublished’ book ignites concerns over military storytelling

    One of the passages refers to behind-the-scenes events from the 2020 India–China border stand-off.

  • Futurism ☛ After Nixing Its Planned Moon Landing, NASA Is Starting to Seriously Lose the Moon Race to China

    China is providing "credible competition," said NASA head Jared Isaacman in an incredible understatement.

  • JURIST ☛ US federal judge grants Congress open access to ICE facilities

    A US federal judge ruled on Monday for the third time that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cannot bar members of Congress from making unannounced visits to ICE detention facilities.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ UK national security trial involving Hong Kong trade office employee set to begin

    A UK national security trial tied to the Hong Kong government is set to begin this week in London, as jury selection is under way.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • New York Times ☛ In a World Order Defined by Convicted Felon, the Key to Europe’s Defense Is Germany

      In the wake of the U.S. bombing of Iran and its dismissal of European allies, an anxious continent’s best chance at security runs through its largest economy.

    • CS Monitor ☛ As US and Russia unbind from nuclear treaty, China’s arsenal has been growing

      China is engaged in a huge nuclear weapons expansion, growing the size and capabilities of its arsenal. At a time when the will to curb nuclear proliferation is waning, this could unleash a new wave of nuclear arms competition.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Space Agency Says It's Repaired Damaged Baikonur Launch Pad Ahead Of Schedule

      Engineers have repaired a badly damaged launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome, Russia's space agency said, averting a potentially longer-term problem for supplying the International Space Station.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian intelligence foresees end to Ukraine war – president

      Lithuanian intelligence agencies predict that Russia’s war in Ukraine will eventually end, but threats to the region and Europe will persist, President Gitanas Nauseda said Tuesday.

    • Latvia ☛ Woman faces trial for donating to Russian military

      A criminal case has been filed with the Riga City Court against a Latvian national for transferring money with the aim of supporting Russia's illegal military operations in Ukraine, reports LSM's Latvian language service.

    • European Commission ☛ Read-out of President von der Leyen's call with President Zelenskyy

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • Latvia ☛ KNAB anti-corruption cops report on 2025 and take on whistleblowing duties

    The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) says in a review of its activities in 2025 that it launched 45 criminal proceedings. Despite being less than one per week, this is the largest number in the last five years, the bureau said.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Myanmar junta to ration fuel for private vehicles, blaming Middle East shipping disruptions

      Myanmar is heavily reliant on refined fuel imports from Singapore and Malaysia, which serve as regional processing hubs.

    • New York Times ☛ Ford and G.M. Face a Dilemma as China Excels in Electric Vehicles

      General Motors, Ford and other established automakers risk becoming relics if they don’t catch up to Chinese carmakers and technology companies in electric vehicles and self-driving cars.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ South Korean authorities lose over $4.8 million in crypto after posting mnemonic recovery phrase online — stolen PRTG tokens part of funds seized by National Tax Service from high-value tax evaders

      South Korea's National Tax Agency added a photo of a hardware wallet in a press release, which also listed its mnemonic seed phrase. This led to an unknown user using the code to recover the wallet and steal over US$4.8 million in crypto seized by the government.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New York Times ☛ Chimpanzees Are Really Into Crystals

      In an attempt to understand our own fascination with the shiny minerals, researchers gave some to chimps.

    • New York Times ☛ Can Owning a Pet Help You Live Longer?

      Research suggests pets keep you healthier. But there are some caveats.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ Stocks Drop as Inflation Risk Emerges in Wake of Iran War

    The S&P 500 recovered ground in the afternoon but still ended the day lower, as investors sought cover from the unpredictable effects that the fighting could have on the world economy.

  • BIA Net ☛ Food inflation more than doubles monthly rate in February

    The annual inflation stood at 31.53%, with a 7.95-point decrease since the end of the last year.

  • France24 ☛ Can Iran's economy survive if the war drags on?

    Iran took the risky gambit of closing the Strait of Hormuz, which could backfire and hurt its own economy.  France 24's Yuka Royer speaks with Iranian-Austrian economist Mahdi Ghodsi from the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies about Iran's unsustainable economic path and whether it's headed for hyperinflation.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Epstein, ‘Lolita’ and a Culture of Disembodiment

    Disturbing images released in the Epstein files showing passages from Nabokov’s infamous novel written on bodies exemplify a world where women and girls are treated as objects for consumption.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea to elect delegates to legislative assembly

    Focus will be on whether leader Kim Jong Un will be named president.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea overhauls immigration policy to attract more highly skilled workers

    A new agriculture and fisheries skilled worker visa will also be introduced for seasonal workers.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Palestine Action ruling: Human rights organisations call for Ofcom to issue guidance on content takedowns

    Human rights organisations, academics and writers have written to ask Ofcom to provide immediate guidance to tech platforms following the High Court ruling that the UK Government’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was unlawful.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Ex-Apple Daily editor files appeal for sentence cut in national security case

    A former Apple Daily editor who was sentenced to 10 years in prison last month in a national security trial alongside his former boss, Jimmy Lai, has filed an appeal seeking a shorter sentence.

  • Press Gazette ☛ GB News grows revenue by two thirds to £26m as losses narrow [Ed: GB News still losing money]

    Right-leaning broadcaster has now lost £131m for owners since launch in 2021.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Telegraph declines to tell regulator how fake banker story got published

    Newspaper 'lost confidence' in story after issue with images became clear.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Bullies have the thinnest skins

    There are a pair of radio DJs in Sydney that have made a name for themselves by being shock jocks. Aka, antagonising, rude, and controversial on purpose for ratings. You know the type. Anyway, they’ve had a falling out, which has terminated their lucrative partnership.

    What do you think caused the rift? Did they feel guilty for interrogating a rape victim on air? Had their act worn thin? Was it a dispute over money, or ratings?

  • JURIST ☛ Mass retrial opens in Algeria as Amnesty warns against death penalty and torture

    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.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Opinion | Michigan can protect children, families from immigration enforcement excesses

    Michigan needs state laws so that we’re not at the mercy of federal decisions and shifting tides. The time is now.

  • Law Society Gazette ☛ SRA shuts down multi-office firm and suspends three solicitors

    Solicitors Angelo Luiz-Barrea, Christopher Stocker and Howard Rind have all been made subject to intervention on the basis they allegedly failed to comply with SRA rules, although there is no suggestion they were in any way dishonest.

    Midlands firm Shakespeare Martineau has been appointed as intervening agent and has begun to contact clients of Hunter’s.

    Hunter’s Solicitors LLP had its head office in High Wycombe but also operated from nine other offices across Essex, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire under different trading names.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ DNS blocking in practice: PDNS in a Research and Education Network

    Guest Post: Despite their relative simplicity, Protective DNS blocklists are not a catch-all security solution; blocklists differ in their goals, threat categorization, maintenance frequency, and community support.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Plunging Surveillance Giant Google Discover traffic hits Reach digital revenue

    Reach boosted profits in 2025 by cutting costs faster than falling revenue.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Digital Music News ☛ Amazon to Sunsets Wondery After Acquiring It Nearly Six Years Ago

    Amazon plans to sunset the Wondery podcast app and subscription service Wondery+ in the coming months, after acquiring the brand in late 2020. Amazon is ready to sunset the Wondery podcast app and Wondery+ subscription service, according to customer notices posted on Tuesday on the Wondery website.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Guest Post: Design Patents at the ITC

    The ITC's GoPro v. Insta360 exclusion order reveals a troubling willingness to ignore claimed design elements when analyzing design patent monopoly infringement.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Federal Circuit Dissent Rates Collapse After Newman’s Removal

    Empirical analysis of 4,850 Federal Circuit opinions shows Judge Newman authored 303 dissents. Two full years after her departure, dissent rates have collapsed from 19% to under 6%.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Wolverine Barcode patent monopoly validity challenge coming soon

    The team at Unified IP Services is using Pearl to identify and chart prior art against a patent monopoly owned by Wolverine Barcode IP LLC, an NPE and entity of Pueblo Nuevo LLC. Unified Patents, the top requester of ex parte reexaminations in recent years, will likely challenge its validity. The patent monopoly generally relates to a system for offline electronic commerce transactions utilizing a User ID Barcode for purchasing goods without needing physical cards or PINs.

  • Unified Patents ☛ $4,000 for Radiant Patents optical patents prior art

    Unified Patents added two new PATROLL contests, each with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on the list below. The patents are owned by Radiant Patents LLC (f/k/a PLS XLIV LLC), an NPE and entity of MVRE LLC. The patents are currently asserted against Nokia.

  • JUVE ☛ EirGen Pharma and Meissner Bolte defend basic patent monopoly for kidney drug

    DSM Nutritional Products’ EPO opposition against EP 2 968 172 is not a classic dispute between an originator and generic drug manufacturers. The patent monopoly protects formulations of the active ingredient calcifediol.

• Copyrights

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Wayang Kulit: Raden Soelardi’s Illustrations of Javanese Puppets (1919)

    Illustrations of Javanese *wayang kulit* puppets with vivid colour and gilding.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Perplexity claims News Corp tried to ‘entrap’ chatbot to make copyright monopoly case

    Perplexity asks to be given full logs of queries inputted into its search tool by News Corp.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Supreme Court Declines to Review a Monumental Hey Hi (AI) Copyright Decision — Leaving the ‘Human Authorship’ Standard In Place

    The Supreme Court has opted against hearing a case concerning an attempt to copyright monopoly AI-generated artwork – thereby leaving in place an appellate court’s determination that the Copyright Act “requires all eligible work to be authored in the first instance by a human being.”

  • Digital Music News ☛ 90s Band Lit Says Sony Music Is Their Own Worst Enemy, Still Owes Them $800K

    90s rockers Lit are suing Sony Music Entertainment over an alleged breach of contract and unpaid streaming royalties of over $800,000. Rock band Lit, best known for the 90s hit “My Own Worst Enemy,” has filed a lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment (SME) over an alleged breach of contract.