Leftovers

• Ruben Schade ☛ Blinking cursors and tea in the evening

  I’m “sat here”, as my English friends would say, having a cup of tea and staring at the cursor in this text editor. It’s blinking, just like that C:\> prompt did on the family 486. Had I been born a decade prior, I might have first stared at a blinking cursor near a READY, or ], or A>, or maybe even $.

• Ruben Schade ☛ Finding and using a 5:4 display in 2026

  People in my area keep getting rid of some amazing kit. Last week I was walking back from our local coffee roaster—like a gentleman—when I chanced upon these two panels covered with autumn leaves by side of the road. Clara said words to the effect of “uh oh, more stuff we have to take back?”

  Yes, yes indeed. I’m sorry.

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • Latvia ☛ Distinguished scientist Juris Upatnieks has died

    On May 17, 2026, the outstanding physicist of Latvian origin, founder of holography, and foreign member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (LAS), Professor Juris Upatnieks, passed away, the LAS announced.

  • Futurism ☛ China Launches Synthetic Human Embryos to Space Station

    "Can humans survive and reproduce in space? I hope the answer is yes."

  • Science Alert ☛ Something Made Earth's Molten Core Reverse Direction in 2010

    This is freaking weird.

  • Science Alert ☛ Exercising Beyond Current Guidelines Could Unlock Incredible Heart Benefits

    The dose matters.

  • Science Alert ☛ One Vital Bodily Function Could Link Many Dementia Risk Factors

    It's so complicated.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Mammoth' Bones Kept in a Museum For 70 Years Turn Out to Be Entirely Different Animal

    Oops.

  • Science Alert ☛ JWST Reveals A Star-Scorched Mercury-Like Planet That's Bigger Than Earth

    A weird alien world.

  • Science Alert ☛ Are Your Hobbies Reducing Your Dementia Risk? 4 Questions to Ask Yourself

    There's one 'ingredient' you should prioritize.

  • New York Times ☛ A Fiery Visitor From Space Photo-Bombs an Erupting Volcano

    For a split second, a fireball outshone the rivers of molten lava flowing from the Philippines’ most active volcano.

• Hardware

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan said to suspect Nvidia chips smuggled to China via Japan

    The shipment went to Japan before eventually making it to Hong Kong.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China tech giant Huawei touts new chipmaking technology to sidestep US restrictions

    Chinese tech giant Huawei said on Monday it had developed a new way of making semiconductors that could get around its US-enforced lack of access to the most advanced chipmaking equipment.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ Vape business in Malaysia thrives underground after online ban

    In underground networks, new buyers need a referral from existing customers to purchase vapes.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China takes aim at ‘zero-gravity’ seats in EV draft safety rules

    Occupant safety in a collision may not be guaranteed when the seats are semi-reclined.

  • New York Times ☛ Xi Jinping Quit Smoking. China Still Cannot.

    China’s tobacco monopoly has become so financially vital to the government that even its powerful leader has failed to curb the country’s smoking habit.

  • New York Times ☛ A Powerful H.I.V. Drug Lands in Zambia. But Will It Reach Those Who Need It?

    Lenacapavir, which protects people from H.I.V. infection with twice-yearly shots, is arriving in a country where the health system has been hollowed out by American aid cuts.

  • New York Times ☛ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Keeps Picking Up Snakes. Is He Doing It Right?

    The health secretary wrangled two nonvenomous snakes while visiting Florida in a video that drew widespread attention.

  • New Yorker ☛ I Am a Woman in My Thirties, and I Am Thriving

    I take a mental health walk and call my mother. I then take another mental health walk.

  • Futurism ☛ They Held a New Olympics Where Athletes Can Take as Many Drugs and Steroids as They Want, and the Funniest Possible Thing Happened

    This is just embarrassing.

• Proprietary / SaaS

  • Microsoft to end Samsung Gallery app's direct sync with OneDrive

    Microsoft has announced that Samsung Gallery will stop syncing directly with OneDrive from September 30, 2026. This will bring to an end a long-running cloud photo integration available on Samsung smartphones. New users will not be able to link Samsung Gallery with OneDrive anymore, while existing users will also lose direct syncing support through the Gallery app.

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

    • Futurism ☛ New Tools Strip Hey Hi (AI) Guardrails In Minutes, Allowing Them to Give Instructions on Chlorine Gas Attacks

      "The genie is out of the bottle."

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Uber chief warns no link yet between Hey Hi (AI) tokenmaxxing and shipping successful products — company pumps the brakes on all-out Hey Hi (AI) spending

      Uber might be having a serious rethink about lavishing cash on Hey Hi (AI) services as management still can't draw a clear link between LLM use and beneficial results.

    • JURIST ☛ Pope Leo XIV urges regulation of Hey Hi (AI) weapons

      Pope Leo XIV warned Monday of the dangers presented by artificial intelligence (AI) systems, citing the threat of “increasingly autonomous weapons systems practically beyond human reach to govern effectively.” The topic of Hey Hi (AI) regulation was addressed in his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, or magnificent humanity, on safeguarding the human person in the time of AI.

    • Futurism ☛ Man Humiliated by His Hey Hi (AI) Use Says He Just Can’t Quit

      "It's strangely creative and crafty and unusual in all these ways... and then it betrays you in ways that are just really quite horrible."

    • Futurism ☛ OpenAI’s Attempt at an AI-Generated Pixar-Style Movie Is in Shambles

      Making movies ain't so easy after all.

    • Andrew Halberstadt: Your Job is to Integrate

      You felt it. The shift. That your role has fundamentally changed thanks to LLMs. It first entered your subconscious when you realized how easily you can now crank out PRs. You felt it more concretely (and less enthusiastically), as a reviewer when you opened your laptop one morning and noticed your review queue was double what it normally is thanks to everyone else cranking out PRs. And you feel this pervasive, general sense of friction.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea aims to launch first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s

    It is aimed at countering North Korea’s submarine-launched nuclear and missile threats.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea fired projectiles, including short-range ballistic missile, Seoul says

    It is North Korea’s first known missile launch since April 19.

  • France24 ☛ North Korea tests new lightweight multi-purpose missile launch system

    North Korea said on Wednesday it had tested a new lightweight multi-purpose missile launch system and a multiple tactical cruise missile weapon system a day earlier, under the supervision of leader Kim Jong Un. South Korea's military said the North fired several projectiles, including a ballistic missile, that flew about 80 km (50 miles).

  • France24 ☛ Israeli strikes kill 31 in southern Lebanon as Netanyahu expands ground campaign

    Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed 31 people and wounded 40 on Tuesday, Lebanon’s health ministry said, including at least four children and three women, as Israel said it was intensifying operations despite a truce with Hezbollah. Hezbollah said it confronted Israeli troops entering the southern town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah.

  • France24 ☛ Middle East Live: New strikes threaten ceasefires in Iran, Lebanon

    Tehran on Tuesday accused Washington of breaching their ceasefire and warned it was ready to retaliate after overnight US strikes, while Israeli bombardment in Lebanon left dozens dead, threatening an increasingly fragile truce there. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments.

  • France24 ☛ Iran says US violated ceasefire with strikes near Hormuz

    Iran accused the United States on Tuesday of breaching a fragile ceasefire with strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, threatening efforts to end nearly seven weeks of conflict. Washington said the attacks were defensive, targeting missile sites and vessels allegedly laying mines.

  • France24 ☛ Israel issues fresh evacuation orders in south Lebanon despite ceasefire

    Israel has issued an evacuation order for residents in the southern Lebanese town of Nabatiyeh, warning of fresh strikes against Hezbollah, despite a ceasefire. It comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to intensify attacks on Lebanon, following the killing of another Israeli soldier by a fibre optic drone sent by Hezbollah.

  • France24 ☛ Iran looking to 'buy time to rebuild its military' amid talks to end war

    Iran accused the United States of breaching their ceasefire and warned it was ready to retaliate after overnight US strikes targeting Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats. Despite the strikes, the US is adamant that a deal was within reach, and a top Iranian official delegation in Qatar says it is finalising a 14-point framework for a deal to end the war. FRANCE 24's Philip Turle looks at where talks are stalling.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US strikes fuel concern over Iran deal talks; China urges both sides to respect truce

    By AFP teams in Tehran, Dubai, Beijing and Mecca US forces launched overnight strikes on missile sites in southern Iran and boats they said were trying to lay mines in Gulf waters, sending oil prices higher Tuesday and fuelling tension as diplomats sought a deal to end the war.

  • New York Times ☛ Iran War Updates: U.S. Saw Threats From Iran Before Renewing Strikes, Officials Said

    Iran has warned that it would retaliate after American military forces attacked sites near the Strait of Hormuz.

  • New York Times ☛ Iran Threatens to Renew Strikes Against U.S. Amid Push for Diplomatic Deal

    The warnings came after U.S. forces struck military sites in Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that negotiations to end the war were continuing.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Said to Have Observed Series of Iranian Threats Before Latest Strikes

    Two U.S. officials said Iran launched drones near American ships, sent speedboats to mine the Strait of Hormuz and stepped up activity at some of its missile sites.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Steps Up Lebanon Offensive as U.S. Pushes for Iran Peace Deal

    Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, has also kept up rocket and drone attacks on Israeli troops, as the escalation threatens to complicate diplomatic efforts.

  • JURIST ☛ Canada PM denounces Israel’s treatment of flotilla activists

    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that Israel’s treatment of detained flotilla activists is “appalling” and “unacceptable” after a call between the two on Monday.

  • ADF ☛ Houthi Technology Transfer Fuels Violence in Somalia

    Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Somalia’s al-Shabaab terrorist group are separated by the narrow Gulf of Aden. Their emerging collaboration to exchange intelligence, weapons and technical expertise presents a threat to East Africa and its maritime zone.

  • The Strategist ☛ Australia’s national security debate needs younger voices

    In today’s national security environment, experience alone is no longer enough. As technology, industry and strategic competition evolve at speed, Australia needs to do more than rely on established voices. .

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania cyber attacks fall overall, but breaches in organisations nearly double

      Lithuania recorded a 25% fall in cyber incidents last year compared with 2024, but breaches affecting organisations and legal entities nearly doubled, according to a national cyber security report published on Tuesday.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania warns Belarus fertiliser transit would undermine EU sanctions

      Lithuania’s State Security Department has warned that proposals to resume the transit of Belarusian fertilisers through the port of Klaipėda would effectively circumvent European Union sanctions without reducing security threats posed by Minsk.

    • ADF ☛ Mercenaries in Mali Come With High Cost, Few Results

      Mali’s ruling junta has paid nearly $1 billion to Russian mercenaries since 2021 in an effort to stop the spread of Islamic terrorists and Tuareg rebels. However, analysts say it’s unclear what the country has gotten for its money.

    • CS Monitor ☛ What do sanctions accomplish? Maybe not what you think.

      As countries like Russia and Iran keep pursuing their agendas despite being hit by heavy Western sanctions, many wonder: Are sanctions effective?

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian FM says Kaliningrad remarks aimed at countering Russian narrative

      Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys says his recent comments about NATO’s ability to neutralise military capabilities in Russia’s Kaliningrad region were intended to counter what he described as Moscow’s exaggerated narrative about the exclave’s strength.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania says Russia waging information campaign amid Baltic drone incidents

      Lithuania’s State Security Department says Russia is conducting an information campaign against the Baltic states following recent drone incidents in the region, while also testing their readiness for a range of possible scenarios.

    • Security Week ☛ Admins of Bulletproof Hosting Service Used by Russian Hackers Arrested in Netherlands

      The two own Dutch companies that allegedly provided bulletproof hosting services to Russia-aligned threat actors.

    • The Strategist ☛ The West indulges China in its backing for Russia against Ukraine

      Since not long after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the democratic world has largely watched passively as China has been the main enabler of Moscow’s war effort.

    • New York Times ☛ In Ukraine, a Divisive 20th-Century Figure Comes Home

      Andriy Melnyk, criticized as a Nazi collaborator and lionized as an anti-Soviet resistance leader, was given state honors for his reburial near Kyiv.

    • New York Times ☛ Russians Are Thriving on This Thai Island, but the Scene Feels Fleeting

      Thousands who fled Russia after the invasion of Ukraine have built an enclave in Phuket. An air of impermanence hangs over their community.

    • New York Times ☛ The Wars in Ukraine and Iran Are More Alike Than You May Think

      Aspects such as drone technology and diplomacy show how the wars intersect on the battlefield and in global alignments, providing a model for future conflicts.

    • New York Times ☛ High-Level British Spy Warns of Expanding Russia Threat

      The director of Britain’s electronic surveillance agency warns that Russia is only getting more brazen as battlefield losses in Ukraine mount.

    • RFERL ☛ Lavrov Warns Rubio To Evacuate US Citizens, Threatening 'Consistent and Systematic Strikes' On Kyiv

      Russia sharply escalated threats against Kyiv, warning of "systematic and consistent strikes" as Russia's top diplomat urged American citizens to evacuate the Ukrainian capital.

    • Latvia ☛ Four suspected of railway arson in Latvia

      On May 21, the State Security Service (VDD) urged the Prosecutor’s Office to initiate criminal proceedings against four persons for the malicious arson of Latvian railway facilities in the interests of a foreign country, the VDD said.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • American Oversight ☛ What We Still Need to Know About Bondi’s Handling of the Epstein Files

    Pam Bondi oversaw the Justice Department’s review of the Epstein files. She’s now scheduled to be interviewed by Congress.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea overpass collapse kills 3 people during safety inspection

      Authorities said part of the road deck collapsed during demolition work.

    • New York Times ☛ Canada Strikes Landmark Deal to Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Germany

      The agreement is important for both nations, as Canada seeks new markets away from the United States and Germany tries to diversify its energy supply.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ EU firms say business challenges in China still increasing: Survey

    A majority of respondents said since 2022 the business environment had worsened.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ French luxury department store shuts doors in Beijing after 13 years

    Major French luxury department store Galeries Lafayette closed its first China flagship branch on Wednesday, over a decade after opening, pointing to sluggish domestic consumption and shifting spending habits.

  • France24 ☛ French luxury store shuts Beijing flagship after 13 years as China spending weakens

    French luxury retailer Galeries Lafayette closed its flagship Beijing store on Wednesday after 13 years, underscoring weak consumer spending and changing shopping habits in China. Shoppers snapped up final bargains as staff cleared unsold goods and dismantled displays at the six-floor department store before its indefinite closure.

  • The Straits Times ☛ French luxury store Galeries Lafayette shuts doors in Beijing after 13 years

    Luxury sector in China has struggled since the Covid-19 pandemic dampened domestic consumption.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Samsung’s unionised workers in South Korea approve pay deal, shares surge

    The union said nearly 74 per cent of the 62,616 workers who cast ballots backed the deal.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Angry TSMC employees considering strikes, unionization over employee bonuses, report claims — company reportedly considering 15% payout cut to fund capex despite record revenues fuelled by Hey Hi (AI) surge

    TSMC responded by saying it expects employee profit-sharing bonuses to grow at a faster rate in 2026 than they did in 2025.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Where Time Is Always 15 Minutes Apart From Everywhere Else

    In Nepal, a nation wedged between India and China, a unique time zone is just one expression of a singular national identity.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, Pakistan aim to revamp economic corridor, Gwadar port

    They agreed to promote “high-quality” development of CPEC, a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road initiative.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • The Straits Times ☛ Starbucks Korea offers full refunds for prepaid cards amid boycott backlash

    According to Starbucks Korea, the refund period will run from June 1 to 14.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Officials tried to silence Papua film Pesta Babi. It drew millions of views on YouTube instead

    The documentary examines large-scale food estate and bioethanol projects in South Papua.

  • New York Times ☛ Iran Begins Lifting Monthslong Internet Blackout, Officials Say

    Organizations that track online traffic confirmed an uptick in activity on Tuesday, as Iranians reconnected to the global internet after a government-imposed shutdown.

  • RFERL ☛ Iran Restoring Internet, With Limits, After 88-Day Blackout

    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 ☛ Iran partially restores internet access after three-month shutdown

    Iranian authorities on Tuesday partially restored internet access after an almost three-month nationwide shutdown imposed during the war with Israel and the United States. While home broadband connections resumed in some areas, mobile internet remained largely blocked, leaving many Iranians still reliant on VPNs to access international websites and social control media.

  • New York Times ☛ Supreme Court Reverses Ruling in Immigration Judges’ Free Speech Lawsuit

    A group of immigration judges in 2020 challenged work-related restrictions on their public speaking engagements, saying they violated their free speech rights.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Administration Wants Employees to Sign NDAs

    Lawyers representing federal workers said the move is intended to chill speech and could be challenged on First Amendment grounds.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Dorset newsbrand relaunches after acquiring assets of defunct magazine

    Former Future of Media Awards winner BV Magazine takes over Dorset Life brand.

  • NYPost ☛ Donald Newhouse, billionaire newspaper mogul and heir to media empire, dead at 96

    During his career, he served as president of the Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey and head of Advance Publications’ newspaper group, which he navigated into the internet age.

  • Press Gazette ☛ What Surveillance Giant Google Hey Hi (AI) Mode push means for publishers

    'Small sigh of relief' for publishers as Surveillance Giant Google Hey Hi (AI) Mode not yet default in search.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Growing up in an online world: ORG Consultation Response

    Executive Summary Age-gating was implemented in 2025 as a limited mechanism aimed primarily at restricting children’s access to pornographic content online. Within a short period of time, its scope has rapidly expanded. We have seen age checks introduced across online gaming services, app stores, social control media platforms, and other general online services.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea detains Chinese man found at sea after report on fleeing dissident

    SEOUL, May 27 - South Korean authorities are questioning a Chinese national found in a rubber boat off the west coast, the coast guard said on Wednesday, with a media report identifying him as likely to be a dissident who had repeatedly tried to flee China.

  • New York Times ☛ A Dissident Escapes China by Rubber Boat and Lands in South Korea

    Dong Guangping, 68, fled China at least three other times but was always sent back. His friends hope things might be different this time.

  • New York Times ☛ Supreme Court Rejects Lawsuit Over Commercial Driver’s Licenses for Migrants

    Florida officials had asked the justices to hear a lawsuit accusing California and Washington of improperly granting licenses to an immigrant accused in a fatal crash.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Revisiting Sixteen Years of §101 After a Data Correction

      Corrected examiner data shows the post-2019 PEG rebound in §101 rejections was steeper than reported, with a small recent Stewart-Squires decline.

    • Unified Patents ☛ Acacia entity, Stingray IP, Wi-Fi patent monopoly found invalid

      On May 20, 2026, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) entered a notice of intent to issue a reexamination certificate cancelling all challenged claims of U.S. Patent 7,224,678, owned and asserted by Stingray IP Solutions, an NPE and entity of Acacia Research Corporation. The Examiner maintained the rejections of all challenged claims of the ‘678 patent.

    • JUVE ☛ Simmons & Simmons litigator Priya Nagpal has joined Wiggin [Ed: How is this news rather than marketing spam/classifieds?]

      Experienced patent monopoly litigation partner Priya Nagpal is moving to UK competitor Wiggin after nine years at Simmons & Simmons.

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ Suno’s Legal Battle Against Sony Music and UMG Just Got 100 Times More Serious—Literally

      Universal Music and Sony Music are dramatically expanding their litigation against Hey Hi (AI) music giant Suno, claiming over 61,000 copyright monopoly infringements. Just moments after Sony Music Entertainment expanded its lawsuit against Hey Hi (AI) music company Udio, Sony and Universal Music Group dramatically expanded their litigation against Suno, the biggest Hey Hi (AI) music platform in the game.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Warner Music and Crumbl Cookies Confirm Settlement Agreement In Social Media Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

      After 13 months of litigation, Crumbl and Warner Music Group (WMG) are finalizing a settlement in their copyright monopoly infringement showdown. The major label and the self-described “fastest-growing dessert company in the nation” recently informed the court of their settlement in principle.

    • Digital Music News ☛ ClicknClear Moves to Dismiss Amended Tresóna Multimedia Suit, Calls Out the Expanded Complaint’s ‘Recycled Allegations’ and ‘Fundamental Defects’

      The ugly Tresóna v. ClicknClear legal battle isn’t through yet: Now, ClicknClear is pushing to dismiss Tresóna’s amended false advertising and copyright monopoly infringement complaint. Co-defendants ClicknClear (CnC), CEO Chantal Epp, and director/investor David Walsh just recently moved to toss Tresóna’s retooled action, which itself arrived in April.

    • Public Domain Review ☛ Harold A. Taylor’s Autochromes of California Flowers (early 20th century)

      Photographs of flowers by an advocate of California’s beauty.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Cam’Ron, J. Cole Quietly Settle Lawsuit Over Ill-Fated “Ready ’24” Collab

      Cam’ron and J. Cole have settled the strange lawsuit surrounding their “Ready ‘24” collaboration, after J. Cole denied the claims against him. J. Cole and Cam’ron have reached a settlement in their legal battle, filed by the latter against the former over a supposed verbal agreement in 2021 pertaining to their collaboration “Ready ‘24.”