Leftovers

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • Gunnar Wolf ☛ Gunnar Wolf: How deep is your deceit

    I am a teacher. Since January 2013, I have been teaching the “Operating Systems” course at the Engineering Faculty of UNAM. And yes, that means May and November are highly stressful months, where I have to review the work done by my students and… sigh… come to the difficult decisions leading to a numerical score that will, in very very short, represent the 64 hours they spent listening to me talk and how they shaped their understanding, plus the countless (in the sense that I cannot count them 😉) hours they devote to fulfilling my requests.

  • Science Alert ☛ Nightly Sleep Apnea Pill Fast-Tracked For Approval After Latest Trial Success

    A more comfortable sleep awaits.

  • Science Alert ☛ Surprising Number of People Linked to Early US Colonists, DNA Study Finds

    The analysis also identified remains of lost historical figures.

  • Science Alert ☛ One Dietary Supplement Was Found to Lower Aggression by Up to 28%

    A new tool for anger management?

  • Science Alert ☛ A Common Arthritis Drug Appears to Work When Antidepressants Don't

    Promising results from a small clinical trial.

• Hardware

  • Linux Links ☛ PELADN WO4 5600H Mini PC: Benchmarking

    In this article, I benchmark the PELADN WO4 5600H across a range of tests, most of which are run using the Phoronix Test Suite.

  • CNX Software ☛ Khadas Mind Graphics 2 review – A powerful NVIDIA Geforce RTX 5060 Ti eGPU dock for the Mind 2 mini PC

    Earlier this month, I received the Khadas Mind 2 (Intel Core Ultra 7 155H) mini PC with two accessories connecting through the Mind Link (PCIe x8) connector: The Mind xPlay Display and Keyboard combo, and the Mind Graphics 2 dock, adding a range of interfaces and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti GPU with 16GB of VRAM.

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • Richard Green ☛ Making the Digital Physical

      To you I would say: I am overwhelmed by my smartphone. I open it to check my calendar, and minutes later I emerge, having just read three emails, a text from my mother-in-law, and a Bluesky thread about the latest horror from the presidency. I never even opened the calendar app, and now, with a fresh dose of stress chemicals flooding my body, I have in fact forgotten why I even took out my phone in the first place.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia govt to keep medical supply prices stable amid global uncertainties, says PM Anwar

    The Health Ministry will closely monitor any stock supply chain or pricing challenges.

  • New York Times ☛ The Medical System Abandons Women When They Are Most Vulnerable

    One year after my daughter’s birth, I’m still experiencing health complications.

  • New York Times ☛ One-and-Done Heart Disease Prevention? Scientists Show It May Be Possible.

    A single infusion of an experimental gene-editing drug seemed to reduce LDL long-term in a small trial. The results may point to something “curative,” one expert said.

  • WhichUK ☛ Ashwagandha: stress buster or health risk?

    It's claimed to help relieve stress and anxiety, but safety concerns mean some countries are considering a ban

  • France24 ☛ WHO puts suspected Ebola deaths at 220, warns outbreak is outpacing response efforts

    The World Health Organization warned Monday that a fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda was outpacing response efforts, with at least 220 suspected deaths reported. Health workers in the conflict-hit Ituri province face attacks on medical facilities, complicating efforts to contain the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus.

  • France24 ☛ DR Congo: Authorities struggle to contain fast-moving Ebola outbreak

    Uganda has confirmed two new Ebola cases among healthcare workers in Kampala, bringing the country’s total to seven, all linked to the outbreak in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. In eastern Congo, where more than 900 suspected cases have been identified, authorities and volunteers are struggling to contain the spread amid limited resources, ongoing violence, and the absence of a vaccine or treatment for the rare Bundibugyo strain.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Addiction counselor shortage hits Michigan hard: ‘We’re all struggling’

    Michigan is facing one of the nation’s highest shortages of addiction treatment providers. Organization heads say the stress on providers created by the shortage, along with low reimbursement rates for services, is impossible to sustain.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Common Vitamin Helps Cancer Defend Itself – But Could Also Let Us Fight It

    Cutting off cancer's supply.

  • Science Alert ☛ These Kinds of Activities Could Help You Age Better – And They're Not Exercise

    You should probably still exercise too, though.

  • Science Alert ☛ Watch: Immune Cells Caught on Video Eating Live Skin Cancer Cells

    Remember to thank your macrophages.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Common Diabetes Drug Is Linked With 'Exceptional Longevity' in Women

    Hidden anti-aging powers?

  • Science Alert ☛ Ming Dynasty Surgeons Used Poison as an Anesthetic, Ancient Tools Reveal

    Skilful indeed.

• Proprietary / SaaS

  • Qt ☛ Introducing Qt's GUI Design Skill: Design for Developers in Agentic Workflows [Ed: Qt peddling slop some more]

  • Futurism ☛ Graduating Students Cheer as Steve Wozniak Tell Them Human Intelligence Still Matters

    Finally: a sane commencement speaker.

  • So-Called 'Artificial Intelligence' ('AI') / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Nolan Lawson ☛ Using Hey Hi (AI) to write better code more slowly

      A lot of people seem convinced that the point of Hey Hi (AI) coding is to write low-quality code as fast as possible. Spew out barely-passable slop, open massive PRs, and merge them unvetted. Ship it! But the thing is, LLMs are very flexible.

    • New York Times ☛ Artificial Intelligence Floods Court Dockets with Home-Brewed Lawsuits

      For years, courts have welcomed cases brought by self-represented litigants. Now those plaintiffs have A.I., and their filings are consuming more and more bandwidth.

    • Futurism ☛ Two Men Arrested for Creating Hey Hi (AI) Deepfake Porn

      "This case makes clear that posting deepfake pornography is not a victimless crime."

    • Futurism ☛ Paul Schrader Says His Hey Hi (AI) Girlfriend Dumped Him

      "When I persisted, she terminated our conversation."

    • Futurism ☛ People Are Loading Their Writing With Typos to Prove They’re Not AI

      Typos have become indicative of the human element. At a time when Hey Hi (AI) is becoming unavoidable, they're a welcome sight.

    • Futurism ☛ Record Label Claims That Bizarre AI-Generated “Viking Rappers” Garnering Millions of Views are Real People

      "This is my creative sanctuary, where the viking blood flows into every track."

    • France24 ☛ Pope Leo warns Hey Hi (AI) must be “disarmed” in landmark encyclical

      Pope Leo XIV personally presented his first encyclical at the Vatican, outlining a strong warning about artificial intelligence and its impact on humanity. He argued that Hey Hi (AI) should be “disarmed,” warning it could deepen global conflicts and dehumanise society, while calling for broader regulation and diverse voices in shaping its development. Joined by Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah, the Pope framed Hey Hi (AI) as a defining challenge of the modern era, comparable to the Industrial Revolution.

    • France24 ☛ Pope Leo’s first encyclical tackles artificial intelligence

      On Monday, Pope Leo XIV unveiled his broad vision for the relationship between artificial intelligence and humanity in his first encyclical, a major papal letter addressed to bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. The document was presented alongside Chris Olah from Anthropic, in what appeared to be an effort to encourage dialogue between Hey Hi (AI) researchers and wider society. FRANCE 24's correspondent in Rome, Hannah Roberts, has the details.

    • New York Times ☛ Pope Leo Warns of Risks From Hey Hi (AI) in 42,300-Word Encyclical

      The document marks a powerful foray by the leader of the Roman Catholic Church into the debate about the misuse or overuse of artificial intelligence.

    • The Conversation ☛ ‘AI needs to be disarmed’: Pope Leo sees threat to humanity in technological arms race

      In the document – comprising around 42,300 words in its English translation – the pope writes: “To disarm does not mean rejecting technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity.”

      Encyclicals are exceptionally important papal documents that respond to the most pressing social issues of the time. Typically written as letters to all bishops and archbishops, they have become a crucial vehicle for disseminating the theology and political commitments of the Roman Catholic Church across the world.

    • New York Times ☛ Pope Leo Has Released an Encyclical About Hey Hi (AI) Why Is That Important?

      Leo XIV issued his thoughts about artificial intelligence in the modern world using a centuries-old form of papal communication called an encyclical.

    • New York Times ☛ As Hey Hi (AI) Fever Rises in Silicon Valley, Pope Leo Has a Few Words

      The American pope wants to take artificial intelligence down a notch. Is he challenging the tech companies, or will tech take over the papacy?

    • Microsoft cancels Claude Code licences after engineers use it too much [Ed: Faking 'productivity' with plagiarism tools]

      Microsoft is reportedly cancelling most internal licences for Claude Code across its Experiences and Devices division after heavy employee usage pushed AI-related costs sharply higher, exposing a growing financial challenge facing enterprise AI adoption.

      According to reporting by TechRadar, the company has instructed engineers working across Windows, Microsoft 365, Outlook, Teams and Surface to stop using Anthropic’s coding assistant and shift instead to GitHub Copilot CLI, Microsoft’s own AI-powered command-line coding tool.

  • Social Control Media

    • The Straits Times ☛ Tourists’ ‘travel hack’ to get free hot water in South Korean airport nursing rooms sparks backlash

      The posts have prompted criticism from parents and caregivers in South Korea.

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ 'Posing for cameras': Israel mocks flotilla activists online as torture, rape allegations mount

    Israel’s Foreign Ministry mocked the activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla online, alleging that injuries were “staged” for the cameras as an activist pictured in a neck brace displayed a “marvellous recovery," when returning home without it. This comes as many activists have returned to their home countries after being detained and deported from Israeli custody. Multiple activists accused Israeli forces of abuse, torture, sexual violence and rape whilst they were held in detention.

  • JURIST ☛ UN Chief denounces returns of Afghan asylum seekers and refugees as violation of international law

    UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Friday condemned the forced repatriations of refugees and asylum-seekers to Afghanistan by countries citing national security and economic strain, deeming it a clear violation of international human rights law. 

  • EXPLAINED: Why Taiwan wants U.S. weapons and why Washington supplies them

    Reports of a delayed U.S. arms package have renewed attention on the unusual security relationship with Taipei.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pakistan train bombing kills more than 30 people, officials say

    A separatist group claimed the attack and described it as a suicide bombing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea fires unidentified projectile, South Korea military says

    If confirmed as a missile launch, it would be the first since April 19.

  • France24 ☛ Israel pounds Lebanon with fresh air strikes, vows to 'crush' Hezbollah

    Israel intensified air strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “crush” Hezbollah, deepening fears of a wider regional conflict. The escalation comes despite an April ceasefire and as another round of US-Iran talks takes place in Doha in a bid to negotiate terms for a broader Middle East peace deal.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Carries Out Renewed Strikes in Southern Iran

    Military officials said that the strikes targeted missile sites near a major Iranian port that threatened U.S. ships.

  • RFERL ☛ US Says It Carried Out ‘Self-Defense’ Strikes in Southern Iran Amid Fragile Cease-Fire

    As the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, deliver ongoing updates and analysis.

  • France24 ☛ Middle East live: US carries out 'self-defence' strikes on Iran

    US forces have struck missile sites and boats allegedly laying naval mines in southern Iran on Monday, according to United States Central Command. The move threatens to further destabilise a fragile ceasefire as Iranian negotiators arrived in Doha for high-stakes talks aimed at ending the war. Follow our liveblog for all the latest updates.

  • New York Times ☛ As Delegations Gather in Qatar For Talks, U.S. Strikes Iran’s Gulf Coast

    Iranian officials went to Doha on Monday for the negotiations, hours before the U.S. military announced the strikes it said were intended to protect troops. Israel’s leader said his country plans to intensify attacks against Hezbollah, Iran’s ally, in Lebanon.

  • France24 ☛ Middle East live: US targets Iranian missile sites and boats in new strikes

    US forces struck missile sites and boats allegedly laying naval mines in southern Iran late on Monday, the United States Central Command said. The strikes, which the Pentagon said were taken "in self-defence", threaten to further destabilise a fragile ceasefire as Iranian negotiators are in Doha for high-stakes talks aimed at ending the war. Follow our liveblog for all the latest updates.

  • RFERL ☛ US Says It Carried Out 'Self-Defense' Strikes in Southern Iran Amid Fragile Cease-Fire

    As the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, deliver ongoing updates and analysis.

  • New York Times ☛ Gov. Sherrill Demands Access to ICE Facility as Hunger Strike Widens

    After Gov. Mikie Sherrill joined protesters at an immigration jail in New Jersey, the standoff grew tense, with ICE agents deploying pepper balls and spray.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • CS Monitor ☛ Leaders eye on Belarus for signs it might offer Russia help in Ukraine

      Belarus’ exiled opposition leader visits Kyiv as the city recovers from Russia’s largest missile attack of the year. World leaders are closely watching Belarus’ potential support for Russia’s invasion.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan drone exports soar amid Ukraine war

      Taiwanese companies are seeking a stake in the fast-growing global market for UAVs.

    • New Yorker ☛ The Ukrainian Stunt Pilot Hunting Russian Drones

      A Ukrainian flying ace is leveraging his aerobatics skills to protect his countrymen from nightly attacks.

    • RFERL ☛ Amid Mounting Tensions Between Kyiv And Minsk, Belarus Opposition Leader Tsikhanouskaya Visits Ukraine

      Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya arrived in Kyiv, in the exiled Belarusian opposition leader’s first trip to Ukraine more than four years into the all-out Russian invasion.

    • LRT ☛ Russia redirecting Ukrainian drones toward Baltic states – media

      Russia is using a facility in Kaliningrad to direct the Ukrainian drones toward the Baltic states and Finland, security experts told The Daily Telegraph.

    • LRT ☛ US asks Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine to allow Belarusian fertiliser exports

      US officials have proposed that Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine lift sanctions on Belarusian potash to allow the transit of the agricultural product – a major source of hard currency revenue for Minsk – through their territories.

    • France24 ☛ Russia deploys hypersonic missile in latest major strikes on Ukraine

      Kyiv is still dealing with the aftermath of a large-scale Russian overnight strike that killed four people and injured dozens, with emergency teams continuing search and cleanup operations across the city. More than 50 sites were hit, including homes, a school and a museum, while Russia says it used its Oreshnik hypersonic missile for only the third time in the war. Moscow describes the attacks as retaliation, while Ukraine denies targeting civilians and says its strikes focus on military infrastructure.

    • France24 ☛ Russia threatens fresh Kyiv strikes, warns foreigners to leave

      Russia said Monday it would intensify strikes on Kyiv, targeting what it called Ukraine’s “decision-making centres”, and urged foreign diplomats and civilians to evacuate the capital. The warning followed a weekend barrage of drones, missiles and hypersonic weapons that killed four people, as Moscow vowed retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian attack in occupied Lugansk.

    • Latvia ☛ Second 'Drone Summit' taking place in Latvia this week

      The keywords 'drones' and 'Latvia' are already generating plenty of search results on the internet at present, and that tendency will only increase this week with the Latvian capital, Rīga set to host a major 'Drone Summit' for only the second time.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ A scorching Asian summer will add to risk of surging gas prices

      The key risk is that the heat triggers stronger demand in China, the world’s No. 1 LNG buyer.

    • France24 ☛ China prepares for future Moon mission with new crew launch

      China has successfully launched and docked the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft with its Tiangong Space Station, marking a major step forward in the country’s space ambitions. The new crew will begin a mission that includes preparations for future lunar landings, advanced scientific experiments, and China’s first planned year-long stay in orbit.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Human body parts found in bear’s stomach in Japan’s Yamagata confirmed as 78-year-old man

      The bear was killed nearby immediately after the body was found.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Fisherman hospitalised after crocodile attack near Malaysia’s Port Dickson

      "The victim was standing on the riverbank when the reptile suddenly lunged at him", the authorities said.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Drenched, injured monkey’s highway rescue in Malaysia goes viral

      A Fentanylware (CheeTok) of the rescue has since garnered more than 1.2 million views and thousands of likes.

• Finance

  • JURIST ☛ Federal charges brought in Minnesota for alleged involvement in defrauding social service programs

    At a press conference on Thursday, Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement Colin McDonald announced that federal charges were being brought against 15 defendants accused of participating in fraudulent schemes in Minnesota. These individuals allegedly stole funds from Medicaid and other social service programs accumulating over $90 million in losses.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • The Straits Times ☛ Starbucks Korea executives apologise as ‘Tank Day’ campaign boycott hits revenue

    Police also launched an investigation after civic groups filed complaints, Yonhap News reported.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Starbucks furore in South Korea hijacks election finale with fight over hate speech

    The incident is now shaping shifts in support for rival parties mere days before local elections.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong slams wanted activist’s ‘unfounded’ allegations about top gov’t prosecutor

    Hong Kong authorities have slammed viral claims by an overseas activist, saying her allegations that a top government prosecutor used public funds to pursue a romance with a colleague amounted to “malicious smearing.” The Department of Justice (DoJ) said they have referred the matter to police.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • BIA Net ☛ Top court annuls rules allowing police to seize digital devices and copy data

    The Constitutional Court ruled that digital searches are legitimate but can violate privacy when authorities gain access to data unrelated to the investigation.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Internet Society ☛ Local Infrastructure, Lower Costs: How Peering Is Moving the Needle on Internet Affordability

    Local infrastructure impacts Internet affordability for users: if the cost is lower and speed and reliability are higher, providers can offer customers lower prices.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ Sony Music Moves to Dramatically Expand Its Udio Lawsuit, Says 30,000+ Allegedly Infringed Recordings Represent ‘Only a Fraction’ of the Hey Hi (AI) Platform’s ‘Illegal Activity’

      Far from winding down its lawsuit against Udio, Sony Music is now looking to supersize the copyright monopoly infringement action by accusing the Hey Hi (AI) music platform of training on north of 30,000 recordings without authorization.