Leftovers

• Peter 'CzP' Czanik ☛ Discussing RTO in my Genesi t-shirt...

  This Monday I talked to a couple of friends about work while wearing my Genesi t-shirt. A teacher going back to school after Spring break and an IT guy explaining the nightmare of RTO threat. I love coincidences :-) Why do I say that?

• Sahilister ☛ Sahil Dhiman: What is Life (to you)?

  It started with a thought: to understand people’s perspectives on life and its meaning. So I texted folks, “What is life (to you)?”. Each of the following list items (-) is a response from a different individual, mostly verbatim.

• Standards/Consortia

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ IPv6 usage reaches historic 50% across Surveillance Giant Google services, matching IPv4 — increased usage eases pressure on the IPv4 address market as 'new' protocol designed in 1998 finally hits its stride

    IPv6 usage reaches 50% across Surveillance Giant Google services

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Reversible Male Contraceptive Halts Sperm Production in Mice

    Perfectly timed to a critical checkpoint.

  • Science Alert ☛ Study Links 2 Simple Eating Habits to Lasting Lower Weight

    Do try this at home.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Reveal 4 Stark Options For Saving Venice From Rising Seas

    It's not going to be easy (or cheap).

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Reveal Why Bread Can Cause Weight Gain Without Overeating

    It's not just 'calories in, calories out'.

  • New York Times ☛ Analysis of Alzheimer’s Drugs Stirs Debate About Their Effectiveness

    The review said a certain class of drugs had little clinical benefit, but many Alzheimer’s experts criticized the analysis, saying it unfairly lumped failed drugs with two recently approved treatments.

  • Science Alert ☛ Much-Hyped Alzheimer's Drugs Show No Meaningful Benefit, Major Review Finds

    They were once hailed as breakthroughs.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Captured Light in a Trap 2,000 Times Thinner Than a Human Hair

    Microscopic gadgets could be next.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Finally Measured The Mind-Blowing Power of a Black Hole's Jets

    Because they found something strong enough to bend them.

• Career/Education

  • Stanford University ☛ Playgrounds for climbers: The state of America’s elite universities

    Kyle Gerstel argues against Stanford's toxic culture of competition and proposes learning through curiosity.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Children of talent visa holders face reduced eligibility for local tuition at Hong Kong universities under new rules

    Children of non-local talent visa holders may no longer be eligible for discounted local tuition fees at Hong Kong universities starting in 2027, according to new rules announced by the city’s university application body.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Chinese fabs import record volumes of US chipmaking equipment via Singapore and Malaysia — homegrown tool makers booked record 2025 revenues as price competition squeezes margins

    2025 was a bumper year for Chinese chipmaking equipment firms Naura, AMEC, ACM Research, and Piotech, with each posting record revenues.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Christina Applegate hospitalized amid MS battle: report

    A report says the actress, who battles multiple sclerosis, is hospitalized in Los Angeles.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia preparing to amend laws to curb waste dumping, report says

    This comes as the country seeks to avoid becoming a global dumping ground for discarded components.

  • New York Times ☛ What We Know About Clavicular’s Apparent Overdose and Hospitalization

    A harrowing incident involving Clavicular, ambassador to the “looksmaxxing” community, was captured on the same platforms that made him a star.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Cops in Malaysia seize fentanyl-laced vape cartridges in $10m drug bust

    One of the suspects worked as a transporter and the other as a storekeeper.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘AI shamans’ tell the fortunes of curious South Koreans

    Portraits of virtual shamans greet passersby at cultural products store Vinaida.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Why South Korea’s local governments are trying to sustain bathhouses

    Bathhouses have long served as frontline hygiene facilities in South Korea.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man to Nominate Dr. Erica Schwartz, a Vaccine Supporter, as CDC Director

    Dr. Erica Schwartz is seen as a highly qualified traditional choice and tapping her is the strongest signal yet that the administration is veering away from vaccine skepticism this election year.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man nominates Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to serve as CDC director

    President The Insurrectionist has nominated Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a social control media post, Convicted Felon described Schwartz as “incredibly talented” and said, “She is a STAR!” The Atlanta-based CDC, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats, has been in turmoil since Convicted Felon returned to office more than a year ago, with a succession of mostly temporary leaders. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the new team the CDC is bringing in is “extraordinary.”

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong’s largest hospital, Kai Tak Hospital, to open in October

    Hong Kong is set to open its biggest public hospital, Kai Tak Hospital, in October, providing 2,400 beds in a “healthcare hub” with a gross floor area of 500,000 square metres.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Mental health advocates ‘optimistic’ about reforms in Michigan

    Bipartisan support for early intervention legislation and newly outlined recommendations on bed capacity have renewed faith in revamping the state’s behavioral health system.

  • Latvia ☛ Medicine black market thrives online, also in Latvia

    High medicine prices often force people to look for cheaper alternatives online. Where there is demand, there will be supply. Unfortunately, scammers are also taking advantage of the situation, experts noted on the Latvian Radio program "How to Live Better."

  • JURIST ☛ India dispatch: death of first passive euthanasia patient closes landmark chapter, opens larger debate

    Samridh Chaturvedi is a JURIST correspondent and a third-year law student at the School of Law, Christ (Deemed to be University) where he covers legal, policy, and human rights developments in India.

  • EXCLUSIVE - SRA 'broke own guidance' banning solicitor for suicide attempts

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority should not have prevented a solicitor from practising law because of concerns about their mental health, according to a new SRA report into the matter seen by RollOnFriday.

    'CF', who RollOnFriday has agreed to keep anonymous, was reported to the regulator by their law firm in 2025.

    The SRA said it paused its investigation when CF’s lawyers argued that CF could not engage with the probe for mental health reasons, which included two attempts to commit suicide and being sectioned briefly.

• Proprietary

  • New York Times ☛ Snap Is Laying Off 16% of Full-Time Staff as It Embraces A.I. [as Lousy Excuse]

    The company, which owns the social control media app Snapchat, said it was laying off about 1,000 employees as it increased its reliance on artificial intelligence.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Security Week ☛ Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Microsoft's proprietary prison GitHub Copilot Agents Vulnerable to Prompt Injection via Comments

      A researcher has disclosed the details of the Hey Hi (AI) attack method he has named ‘Comment and Control’.

    • Futurism ☛ Woman Sues OpenAI, Saying Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot Unleashed a Vicious Stalker Against Her and Did Nothing When She Begged for Help

      "His location and plans are something Proprietary Chaffbot Company could shed light on if they were willing to cooperate."

    • Futurism ☛ Allbirds Stock Now Crashing as Reality Sets in About Its Delusional Hey Hi (AI) Pivot

      "The vast majority of times, these things end in tears."

    • Futurism ☛ Starbucks’ Baffling Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot Collab Treats Customers Like Empty, Soulless Venti Cups

      "If you are so paralyzed by an indecision that you need a chatbot to tell you what coffee drink to order, you probably need to check into a rehab."

    • Petter Reinholdtsen: Talking to the Computer, and Getting Some Nonsense Back...

      At last, I can run my own large language model artificial idiocy generator at home on a Debian testing host using Debian packages directly from the Debian archive.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • It's FOSS ☛ Privacy Email Service Tuta Now Also Has Clown Storage with Quantum-Resistant Encryption [Ed: Proprietary, so problematic]

      Tuta Drive is almost here, and it makes Surveillance Giant Google Drive and OneDrive look sus. I explored the early access release.

  • Confidentiality

    • Security Week ☛ Data Breach at Tennessee Hospital Affects 337,000

      Cookeville Regional Medical Center was targeted last year by the Rhysida ransomware group, which stole 500GB of data.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Two US citizens get combined 16 years in prison for running North Korean laptop farms — fake remote IT work scheme netted DPRK $5 million in around three years

    The Department of Justice announced the sentencing of the U.S. nationals that have been convicted of running laptop farms that allowed North Korean workers to pose as American residents and work at American tech firms.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ US nationals sentenced for aiding North Korea’s tech worker scheme

    Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang established shell companies and hosted laptop farms to help operatives obtain jobs at more than 100 U.S. companies.

  • New York Times ☛ Rohingya Refugee Recounts Rescue From Capsizing Boat That Left Nearly 250 Others Missing

    Hundreds of migrants from Bangladesh, including Rohingya refugees, are feared dead after a boat to Malaysia overturned.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea says not aware of US protest over minister’s remarks on North Korea nuclear site

    Washington was reportedly unhappy about the disclosure of an unconfirmed North Korean nuclear site.

  • France24 ☛ European airlines could run out of jet fuel 'in six weeks'

    European airlines could run out of jet fuel in six weeks' time. That's the warning from the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, who says passengers should expect fewer flights and higher prices. Carriers are already reducing their flight schedules ahead of the summer holiday season. Also in the show - European officials urge governments not to forget the Ukraine war, saying that Russia's economy cannot be allowed to benefit from the energy shock.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China embassy urges Tokyo to probe threats

    The Chinese embassy in Japan received three threats within a month.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China issues US safety alert over citizens citing ‘malicious questioning’ by US border officers

    The Chinese scholars were holding valid US visas, the ministry said.

  • New York Times ☛ Bahrain Charges Intelligence Officer in the Death of a Detainee

    The officer was charged with assault leading to death, in the case of a man who was accused by Bahraini authorities of espionage during a domestic crackdown tied to the war in Iran.

  • New York Times ☛ As Bahrain Cracked Down Amid War, a Death in Custody Sparked Outrage

    The body of a man accused of spying for Iran, Mohammed al-Mousawi, showed signs of torture, witnesses said. The U.N. has called for an investigation.

  • France24 ☛ 'Lebanon is being held hostage by Hezbollah acting at Iran's behest'

    Hezbollah plunged Lebanon into war with Israel in early March. Six weeks later, the group, which had suffered setbacks in 2024, is still putting up a fight. But how? And can the Lebanese government succeed in getting the militant group to disarm? In this edition of Middle East Matters, we are joined by Dr. Matthew Levitt, Fromer-Wexler Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute and Director of its Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Can the US and Iran close off the Strait of Hormuz? What international law says.

    Washington and Tehran are testing the boundaries of international laws that have managed the seas remarkably well, protecting freedom of navigation and facilitating a global economy.

  • The Strategist ☛ NDS 2026 – IIP prioritises uncrewed systems, strike and air-and-missile defence

    Australia’s updated defence capability spending plan has put strong emphasis on uncrewed air and underwater systems, strike weapons, and defence against advanced air and missile attack.

  • The Strategist ☛ NDS 2026 – Self-reliance will make Australia a better ally

    Ensuring greater security self-reliance for Australia and being a more useful security partner lead to the same place.

  • New York Times ☛ Xi Alludes to Convicted Felon’s Policies to Make a Case for Closer Ties to Vietnam

    China used a visit by the Vietnamese leader to show a deepening of security ties that analysts say far outpaces U.S. defense ties in the region.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australian PM’s ‘diesel diplomacy’ tour of S-E Asia seen as welcome bid to calm fears at home

    PM Albanese's tour covered Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia, resulting in joint commitments on energy security.

  • France24 ☛ ‘We're asking for our husbands' salaries’: The plight of soldiers' widows in eastern DR Congo

    Plastic sheeting serving as tents and mattresses laid on the ground: in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, the widows of fallen soldiers are struggling to survive in a makeshift camp. They say they fled the capital of North Kivu province, Goma, after it fell to the M23 rebels in January 2025. Left with nothing, they are demanding access to a share of their late husband’s pension.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Emergency services in Ukraine 'need armored vehicles' as Russia targets rescue workers

      Russia hit civilian areas of Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 100 others, officials said Thursday. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Paul Vazeux, founder of Dignitas Ukraine, which brings mobile clinics to Eastern Ukraine, says that his NGO will soon need armored vehicles as Russia continues to target emergency workers.

    • France24 ☛ Russia escalates internet crackdown, says curbs are temporary

      The Kremlin said on Tuesday that internet ​restrictions, which it conceded had caused disruption to many Russians, were needed for security reasons, but that they ​were ‌temporary in nature and would ⁠be lifted once it was safe to do so. Authorities shut ‌down the mobile internet in Moscow for nearly ⁠three weeks in March and regularly block it elsewhere across the world's largest country, ​citing the risk of Ukrainian drones using ‌it to guide attacks.

    • LRT ☛ Russia threatens Ukrainian drone manufacturers in Europe, names firm in Vilnius

      Russia’s Defence Ministry on Wednesday published lists of companies across Europe, including in Lithuania, that are allegedly involved in producing attack drones for Ukraine, threatening consequences.

    • RFERL ☛ Czechs Demand Explanation After Russia's Medvedev Threatens Europe's Drone Factories

      The Czech Republic demanded an explanation after Russia’s Defense Ministry published a list of companies it claimed are helping produce attack drones for Ukraine and bellicose former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called it “a list of potential targets” for the Russian military.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Pummels Ukraine With Hundreds Of Drones, Missiles; At Least 19 Killed, Dozens Wounded

      Russia fired hundreds of drones and missiles at Kyiv, Dnipro, and other Ukrainian cities, killing at least 19 people across the country in one of the largest bombardments in months.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Strikes Kill at Least 15 in Ukraine in Biggest Attack in Months

      Moscow is again ramping up missile and drone attacks on civilian targets, dispelling any notion that a temporary cease-fire for Orthodox Easter might become more lasting.

    • New York Times ☛ Got $100 Million? Ukraine Has Just the Fertilizer Plant for You.

      An effort to privatize the facility is a key test of whether Kyiv can overcome concerns about Russian attacks and corruption to attract foreign investment.

    • Latvia ☛ Rosļikovs banned from joining Rīga City Council meetings from Belarus

      Aleksejs Rosļikovs, a Riga City Council member who has gone to Belarus, participated remotely in a meeting of the Riga City Council’s Urban Development Committee on Wednesday. Rīga's mayor has stated he would ban Rosļikovs from participating remotely, LETA reported on April 15.

    • JURIST ☛ UN experts alarmed at new Belarus law targeting LGBTQ+ and women rights

      A group of seven UN experts expressed alarm on Wednesday about a new law aimed at repressing LGBTQ+ voices and proponents of human and women’s rights in Belarus. The experts were concerned that this repression would breed further harassment and marginalization of LGBTQ+ individuals, women, and other minority groups: This law represents a dangerous escalation.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania condemns Belarus decision to label exiled university ‘extremist organisation’

      Lithuania’s Education Ministry on Wednesday condemned Belarus’ decision to designate the Vilnius-based European Humanities University as an “extremist organisation”, calling it a serious violation of academic freedom.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia's emergency app security improved

      Āris Dzērvāns, head of the Information Centre at the Ministry of the Interior, said at a press conference on Tuesday, April 14, following a crisis management meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, that currently "112 Latvia" app operations have been significantly improved – security measures have been strengthened.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Tuapse port kills two children, governor says

      MOSCOW, April 16 - A major Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse killed two children and sparked a large fire, Russian officials and media reported.

    • France24 ☛ More than a dozen killed in Russian attacks on Kyiv, other Ukrainian cities

      More than a dozen people, including at least one child, has been killed in Russian missile and drone attacks on residential buildings in Kyiv and in other Ukrainian cities like Odesa and Dnipro overnight to Thursday. Several dozens of civilians were also injured in the assaults.

    • France24 ☛ Russian strikes kill three, including child, as drones and missiles hit Kyiv

      Russia launched overnight drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, killing three people, including a child, and triggering air alerts in Kyiv, officials said Thursday. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a 12-year-old boy and a 35-year-old woman were among the dead as strikes intensified after months of near-daily bombardments.

    • LRT ☛ Is there Plan B? Lithuanian officials clash over defence without US support

      After a closed-door meeting Wednesday, members of the Seimas National Security and Defence Committee said they were not presented with concrete plans for how Lithuania would defend itself without US support, despite earlier remarks by Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė that alternative scenarios exist.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • Federal News Network ☛ A proposed federal personnel shift could chill whistleblowers long before anyone gets fired

    "That's what this is ultimately about, whether the Constitution and the rule of law and speaking the truth will continue to matter," said Joe Spielberger.

  • New York Times ☛ Mandelson, a Friend of Epstein’s, Became U.S. Ambassador Despite Failing Security Vetting

    Britain’s foreign office overruled vetting officials in granting Peter Mandelson, a friend of Jeffrey Epstein, the highest level of security clearance, the government said.

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ Carbon Removal Industry Reels as Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Retreats

    Once held up as a key solution to climate change, a field that aims to remove carbon from the atmosphere is struggling to catch on.

  • New York Times ☛ The Long-Term Plan to Scrub Carbon From the Sky

    Microsoft is pulling back from efforts to remove carbon from the atmosphere. But the nascent industry’s proponents say they are thinking in decades, not years.

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ Is carbon removal in trouble?

    Last week, news outlets reported that Abusive Monopolist Microsoft was pausing carbon removal purchases. It was something of a bombshell. The thing is, Abusive Monopolist Microsoft is the carbon removal market. The company has single-handedly purchased something like 80% of all contracted carbon removal.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Federal News Network ☛ Space Force’s STARCOM to hire more than 400 civilians amid push to expand the force

      The hiring push comes as Space Force officials say the service will need to grow significantly in the coming years to meet rising national security demands.

    • Futurism ☛ NAACP Sues Elon Over His Noxious Hey Hi (AI) Data Center

      "All too often, big corporations like xAI treat our communities and families like obstacles to be pushed aside."

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Escaped wolf in South Korea recaptured, returned to zoo

      Neukgu's escape caused a school closure and a huge nine-day search.

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ The noise we make is hurting animals. Can we learn to shut up?

      When the covid-19 pandemic started, Jennifer Phillips thought about the songs of the sparrows. They were easier to hear, because the world had suddenly become quieter. Car traffic plummeted as people sheltered at home and shifted to remote work. Air travel collapsed.

    • New York Times ☛ Where Has All of New York City’s Outdoor Dining Gone?

      The number of eateries with permits for sidewalk and roadway tables has dwindled to about a third of its pandemic-era peak.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Man in Malaysia arrested after video of puppy aggressively submerged in water tank goes viral

      Three dogs were also seized with the assistance of the veterinary services department for further action, the police said.

    • Science Alert ☛ Dog Owners Often Miss The Subtle Signs Their Pet Is in Pain, Study Finds

      Here's what to look for.

  • Overpopulation

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Only 23% of Hongkongers want children, survey shows

      Only 23 per cent of Hongkongers want children, a survey has shown, with the majority citing economic pressure as the biggest obstacle. The Hong Kong Women Development Association (HKWDA) said at a press conference on Monday that 98.7 per cent of respondents identified economic pressure as the biggest barrier to having children.

• Finance

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Founder of China’s Evergrande pleads guilty to fraud, court says

    The founder of Chinese property giant Evergrande has pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and bribery, a court said on Tuesday, in the latest blow for what was once the country’s leading developer.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s economy beats forecasts to grow 5 per cent in first quarter of 2026

    The effects of the Iran war – which is clouding the global outlook – are still uncertain.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s economy beats forecasts, but war darkens outlook

    China’s economy expanded more than expected in the first three months of the year, with official data Thursday indicating resilience in the face of a Middle East crisis that threatens to hit global growth.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania records one of highest inflation rates in EU in March

    Lithuania recorded one of the highest annual inflation rates in the European Union in March, according to data released by Eurostat.

  • France24 ☛ France to reimburse young women for reusable menstrual products

    France announced Tuesday that it will expand access to sustainable menstrual products by reimbursing reusable cups and underwear for eligible young women and low-income groups. The move, aimed at tackling period poverty, is expected to benefit millions once implemented through the country’s social security system from the upcoming academic year.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • France24 ☛ Israeli military admit to posting Hey Hi (AI) photo of Lebanese journalist it killed

      The Foreign Press Association has accused the Israeli military of discrediting a Lebanese journalist it killed in March, by using an AI-generated photo to present him as a “Hezbollah terrorist.” The Israel Defence Forces claimed responsibility for killing Ali Shoeib in a targeted Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. It then shared an edited photo of him on social control media, overlaying his press vest with a Hezbollah uniform, saying a “press vest is just a cover for terror.”

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • JURIST ☛ UN experts warn French antisemitism bill threatens free speech

    UN experts warned Tuesday that proposed French legislation to target antisemitism, dubbed the PPL Yadan Bill, could jeopardize freedom of expression.

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group condemns Kazakhstan conviction of human rights protestors

    Amnesty International called the conviction and sentencing of 19 activists participating in a peaceful protest a “travesty of justice,” in a press release on Tuesday. The protest was intended to raise awareness of and to help end human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region. 

  • JURIST ☛ China authorities pressure ‘underground’ Catholic groups to join state-controlled church

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported Thursday that Chinese authorities are increasing their pressure on ‘underground’ Catholic communities to join the state-controlled church. The recent intensification includes subjecting clergy to intense political or ideological training.

  • RFERL ☛ Dozens Detained During Easter Gatherings in Turkmenistan

    Easter celebrations in the western Turkmen city of Balkanabat were overshadowed by a coordinated security operation near the only Christian church, with dozens of local Turkmen converts detained during Catholic and Orthodox services.

  • France24 ☛ Jailed Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi in critical condition, supporters say

    The health of jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi is critical after she suffered a heart attack last month, supporters said on Wednesday. Her family and lawyers, allowed a second prison visit, reported a sharp deterioration in her condition, with her physical state now described as critical, her foundation said.

  • Citizen Lab ☛ Beijing Codifies Repression of Overseas Activists

    Senior research associate Emile Dirks spoke with Domino Theory about a new law in China that threatens cross-border legal consequences.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Irish News wrong to allege ‘serious editorial misconduct’ on Stephen Nolan show, says IPSO

    Title breached Editors' Code with investigation into BillBC show.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Google changes hit revenue at The Sun as losses grow to £53m

    Prince Harry legal action prompted major hit to profits.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • The Straits Times ☛ Samsung asks court to block illegal strike activities by unions

    Samsung said it would like to prevent unlawful actions such as occupation of production lines.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Exploring the blind spot of IXPs Route Servers

    Guest Post: IRR-based filtering at IXPs often breaks the link between prefixes and their legitimate AS, allowing invalid announcements to slip through. This study measures the issue across many IXPs and offers actionable fixes.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • New York Times ☛ Reed Hastings Will Leave DRM spreader Netflix as Board Chairman

    The co-founder of the streaming giant will leave its board in June, the company said.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • JURIST ☛ US federal jury finds Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated illegal monopoly

    A US federal jury Wednesday found Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster violated multiple federal antitrust laws, determining the companies held an illegal monopoly over the live entertainment industry and overcharged consumers $1.72 per ticket.

  • Futurism ☛ Video Shows Amazon Delivery Drone Dropping Package Directly Onto Concrete, Smashing Its Delicate Contents

    "It does drop from 10 feet in the air."

  • Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Extra Credit Not Required: Teva v. Lilly and the Limits of Amgen’s Reach

      Federal Circuit reverses JMOL in Teva v. Lilly, holding that method-of-use claims face a lower Section 112 bar when the genus is well known and not itself the invention.

    • Unified Patents ☛ AutoConnect Holdings vehicle network patent monopoly challenged

      On April 14, 2026, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 9,290,153, owned and asserted by AutoConnect Holdings LLC, an NPE. The ‘153 patent monopoly relates to device discovery methods and systems for controlling access of a communication device to an on-board vehicle network.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ US appeals court restarts $3 billion patent monopoly infringement lawsuit against defective chip maker Intel — VLSI case from 2017 returns after court sets aside 2024 decision

      The U.S. Court of Appeals determines $3 billion VLSI lawsuit was not suitable for summary judgment and must instead be evaluated by a jury, so it must return to a district court for proceedings.

    • JUVE ☛ Corning and Quinn Emanuel defend special glass production method against TCL

      The injunction refers exclusively to Germany. Although the patent monopoly is still valid in France, Corning had apparently decided, for strategic reasons, not to pursue infringement proceedings there. Corning, a major US technology company specialising in advanced glass and materials science, accuses TCL of infringing EP 3 296 274.

    • Software Patents

      • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Start up toilet function’: Chinese carmaker patents voice-activated in-car toilet

        The on-the-go lavatory can be accessed manually through pushing the seat back.

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

        On April 8, 2026, three months after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on all challenged claims of U.S. Patent 10,965,425, owned and asserted by Atlas Global Technologies, LLC, an NPE and Acacia Research entity.

      • Unified Patents ☛ Dominion Harbor entity, Arlington Technologies, Wi-Fi patent monopoly found invalid

        On April 3, 2026, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) entered a notice of intent to issue a reexamination certificate cancelling claims 1-3, 5-6, and 8-9 of U.S. Patent 7,193,986, owned and asserted by Arlington Technologies LLC, an NPE and entity of the Dominion Harbor Group. The ‘986 patent monopoly is generally directed to communications between a master wireless network device and one or more slave network devices using a medium access protocol such as the MAC protocol. It was asserted against Comcast and T-Mobile on products that are wireless access points configured to support 802.11ax.

  • Copyrights

    • Public Domain Review ☛ Introducing PDR Press Minis

      Announcing an exciting new book series!

    • Public Domain Review ☛ “A Beautiful Purplish Hue”: Frank Dudley Beane’s Experience with Ergot and Cannabis Indica (1884)

      An early contribution to drug literature, in which a man came to be fashioned out of wood.

    • Creative Commons ☛ Call for Proposals: Regional Events Celebrating CC’s 25th Anniversary

      Gathering is a vital part of relationship building among and across movements, and we know we have supporters around the globe excited to get more involved in our work.