Leftovers

• Standards/Consortia

  • New York Times ☛ Should We Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent?

    More light at the day’s end comes at a price: much later winter sunrises across much of the U.S. Scientists have documented consequences for public health and the economy.

  • Martin Chang ☛ It seems I restarted the TOFU war again (and my thoughts on it)

    This post is going to be very rambly. TOFU has been a major point of discussion since I started my journey in the Geminispace. At that time I was also in support of TOFU to remove PKI as a Geminispace dependency. Back in early 2021 there were 2 major camps in support of TOFU (and Solderpunk's origin in the Gopherspace was a major influence, I believe, with the goal being making a better Gopher rather than to strip the web down to its bare essentials): [...]

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Forever Chemicals': Scientists Find a Genius (And Cheaper) Way to Remove PFAS From Soil

    It's a really, really big mess we've made.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mathematicians Reveal Why Humans Keep Becoming Cannibals

    It keeps happening, but not for long.

  • Science Alert ☛ Giant Concentric Rings Discovered in The Atmosphere of Venus

    "We hope our paper inspires others to observe Venus."

  • Science Alert ☛ Test Your Eyes: What Is This Week's Microscope Mystery?

    Introducing Monday Microscope Mystery!

  • Science Alert ☛ Where You Carry Your Body Fat Is Directly Linked to Brain Aging in First-of-Its-Kind Study

    A much stronger link than BMI.

  • Science Alert ☛ There's a Scientific Reason Regular Cannabis Users Wake Up More Stressed

    Unfortunate!

• Career/Education

  • Chronicle Of Higher Education ☛ 31 Colleges Recently Became ‘Black-Serving Institutions.’ What Does That Mean?

    The California colleges recently made explicit commitments to graduating more Black students — at a time when the Convicted Felon administration has targeted institutions for their diversity efforts.

• Hardware

  • The Straits Times ☛ What is CXMT, and how did it become China’s DRAM champion?

    CXMT became China's most valuable listed company following a 470 per cent surge in shares on July 27.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Chinese memory maker CXMT jumps 460%+ in first day of trading

    Shares of ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc. closed 466% higher in their trading debut on the Shanghai Stock Exchange today. The stock jump follows an initial public offering in which CXMT, China’s largest memory maker, sold about 6.8 billion shares for 8.66 yuan apiece.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China begins mass production of homegrown immersion chipmaking machines in major breakthrough, report claims — first DUV lithography units will be delivered this year to SMIC, Hua Hong, and CXMT

    A state-backed company in Shanghai has begun mass-producing immersion deep ultraviolet lithography machines and is due to deliver the first units this year.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Science Alert ☛ One Common Sweetener May Increase Stroke Risk by Damaging The Brain's Protective Barrier

    Not as safe as we thought.

  • New York Times ☛ This Teen Took on a $10 Trillion Industry. We Might All Be Healthier Because of Him.

    A teenager’s lawsuit against the food industry shows us the path to a better food system.

• Proprietary / SaaS

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

    • Press Gazette ☛ New research reveals Hey Hi (AI) answers only as trusted as the newsbrands they cite

      Survey reveals crucial part publishers play in providing plausible Hey Hi (AI) responses.

  • Social Control Media

    • Irish Times ☛ Graham Norton secures court order forcing Meta to disclose those behind ‘harassing’ posts [Ed: Rianne's barrister against GAFAM]

      Broadcaster Graham Norton has secured a US court order to force social media firm Meta to reveal who is behind a Facebook account publishing “untrue and deeply distressing” posts about his life, legal records show.

      A submission to a district court in California said a Facebook page called The Westminster Wire has published “false and harassing” posts about Norton since it was set up in December 2025.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Futurism ☛ A Whole Bunch of People’s Claude Chats Are Publicly Accessible Online, and There’s Some Wildly Private Stuff in There

      Anthropic said the system is working as intended.

    • The Straits Times ☛ AI-powered cameras spot suicide attempts in Seoul [Ed: Surveillance pretexts and slop hype]

      In South Korea, suicide is the leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 49.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Japan mulls over GPS tracking of stalkers to prevent further harm

      The Japanese government will also consider revising current anti-stalking laws.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Modi faces challenge from activists over surveillance at India youth protest

      The Delhi High Court has been asked to declare mass surveillance of protesters, using Hey Hi (AI) tech, unconstitutional.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Cognyte Sells a Mobile Cell Surveillance Van

      Yet another Israeli mass surveillance company:

      Made by Israeli surveillance company Cognyte, the tech simulates a mobile phone tower, which forces nearby phones to connect to it. That enables cops to keep tabs on any phones in the vicinity ­ whether they’re owned by a suspect in a case or not. Cognyte’s contract with the state of Texas reveals that the simulator, called FalcoNet, can be concealed within the vehicles, hidden in a backpack for on-foot missions or attached to a helicopter.

    • Ruben Schade ☛ AusAlert fired off yesterday

      Yesterday at exactly 14:00 AEST, (almost) every phone in Australia got the following message from AusAlert: [...]

• Defence/Aggression

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China supports Brazil in opposing ‘interference’: Pooh-tin to Lula

    Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping told his Brazilian counterpart on Monday that he supports the country in “opposing external interference”, Beijing’s state media said, reporting a call between the leaders.

  • The Strategist ☛ Legacy technology is a national security threat hiding in plain sight

    The problem with legacy technology is not that organisations do not know the risks. It is that no mechanism forces a decision.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Explosion, second suspected bomb found in Philippine capital before Marcos speech

    It was not immediately clear how large the early morning blast near the justice ministry had been.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea court gives ex-President Yoon suspended jail term for violating election law

    Yoon's political party may have to return 39.7 billion won (S$34.85 million) in election expenses.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim Jong Un marks war anniversary with daughter by his side

    South Korea's NIS believes his daughter, Ju Ae, has been positioned as his successor.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia detains over 100 Rohingya refugees seeking shelter at UNHCR

    The refugees were allegedly evicted from their homes in northern Penang state on July 26.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuanian politicians divided over new probe into alleged CIA black site

    Lithuania’s ruling coalition and opposition remain divided over whether to launch a new parliamentary investigation into an alleged US Central Intelligence Agency detention site after the country suffered another defeat at the European Court of Human Rights.

  • JURIST ☛ Amnesty International condemns India’s invocation of police powers under National Security Act

    Amnesty International on Friday condemned the July 15 decision of Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor to invoke Section 3(2) of India’s National Security Act (NSA), which effectively grants police the power to hold individuals in administrative detention without procedural guarantees.

  • France24 ☛ Haiti schedules December presidential election despite security concerns

    Haiti's electoral council has scheduled the country's first presidential election in a decade for December 13, with a runoff planned for late February, after postponing an earlier timetable due to security fears. The vote remains contingent on improved security and funding, as widespread gang violence continues to cast doubt over whether the long-delayed electoral process can proceed as planned.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says He Will Ask Putin If Russia Supplied Satellite Images To Iran

      As the conflict in the Persian Gulf continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, deliver ongoing updates and analysis.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian border guards find tunnel from Belarus

      Lithuania’s border guards discovered a tunnel leading from Belarus into the country, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said in a statement on Monday, adding that the tunnel was likely intended to be used for irregular migration.

    • The Straits Times ☛ New Zealand intelligence casts doubt on Russia spy accusation

      FSB said a Russian citizen had been arrested after passing information to New Zealand spies.

    • The Strategist ☛ Intellect, inquiry, and inspiration: Kyle Wilson, 1950–2026

      Kyle Wilson, a diplomat and intelligence analyst who was one of Australia’s most influential and globally respected experts on Soviet and post-Soviet Russia, has died aged 76 after a long illness.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukrainian Attacks in Crimea Deprive Towns of Power and Water

      Ukraine’s campaign to bring the war home to ordinary Russians is meant to pressure the Kremlin to negotiate. Moscow has acted as if there were no crisis.

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky and Convicted Felon Will Meet at the White House. Has Their Relationship Thawed?

      Hell Toupée will meet his Ukrainian counterpart in Washington this week. President Volodymyr Zelensky will also attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Becomes First Foreign Visitor For New British PM Burnham

      President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on July 27 as he kicked off a key week of talks with officials around the world to bolster Ukraine's defenses amid a rising civilian death toll from Russian air strikes back home.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania considers more national sanctions on Russian, Belarusian citizens

      Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry has proposed expanding national sanctions against Russian and Belarusian citizens, including new restrictions on property purchases near strategic sites and entry bans for individuals who support Russia’s war in Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ US walks out of UN Security Council meeting as France condemns rights vote

      The United States walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on Monday during France's remarks on Ukraine, escalating a public dispute between the longtime allies over human rights. The move followed a clash over Washington's vote against extending the mandate of the UN human rights chief, after France likened the US position to that of Russia, North Korea and other authoritarian states.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s new government promises to be tough on migration – but are concerns justified?

      Lithuania’s new government is signalling a tougher approach to migration, with President Gitanas Nausėda proposing stricter rules for foreign workers and officials insisting that migration flows could pose economic and security challenges.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Futurism ☛ High School Teacher Arrested for Clapping in Support of Anti-Data Center Activists

      "I think we're all in a state of fear because of what this government's doing to us."

      >

    • Futurism ☛ SpaceX Stock Hammered After Starship Booster Fails in First Launch Since IPO

      It's not rocket science, it's Wall Street.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ A Son of Wealth Finds His Calling in a High-End Grocery Store

    How the scion Sammy Nussdorf found his calling among the carefully arranged shelves of Meadow Lane, his chic market in Lower Manhattan.

  • New York Times ☛ The Iran War Is Making Asia’s Street Food More Expensive

    Some staple dishes in Asia are no longer as affordable to purchase or prepare. Customers and food sellers alike are feeling the pinch.

  • The Straits Times ☛ How youth in S-E Asia get hooked on illegal online gambling | The Straits Times

  • CS Monitor ☛ How to dull the lure of sports gambling

    Several U.S. states are taking steps to address the rise in gambling addiction. Preventive education could help shift the focus from the ‘troubling illusion’ of luck to the importance of individual agency – and restore players' and fans' joy in athletic competition.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Blames Affordability Problems on Biden in Michigan Speech

    The president also assured supporters that negotiations over ending the war in Iran, a conflict that has sent fuel and energy prices soaring, are continuing in a “friendly” fashion.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Daniel Pocock ☛ Youth crime: new Saints could be magic formula

    In recent times, I've heard mixed messages from young people telling me they don't have anything to do and older people concerned they can't go out on the streets at night.

    If religion is a from of PsyOps (a.k.a. social engineering), the saints may be its most powerful weapon. In fact, Mgr Roger Landry told us exactly that in the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries but without using my PsyOps metaphor.

    [...]

    Anybody can look at the public criteria published by religious institutions and see if somebody they know of might qualify for formal sainthood. If you believe somebody has been overlooked, don't hesitate to draw attention to their cause.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Hooray for the sockets interface

    In 1983, BSD 4.2 introduced sockets, treating network communication like file I/O. This simplification sped UNIX adoption of shared protocols and services, marking a key turning point in modern networking.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Google’s solution to hacker name confusion? Yet another naming system

    APT-number conventions are out, cryptonyms are in, and security teams now have one more naming system to keep straight.

  • Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ Wilus Wi-Fi patent monopoly challenged

      On July 24, 2026, Unified filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 10,651,992, owned by Wilus Institute of Standards & Technology, Inc., an entity of Good Day to Invent, Inc. The '992 patent monopoly relates to a wireless communication method for coexistence between a legacy wireless communication terminal and a non-legacy wireless communication terminal in a wireless communication environment. >

    • JUVE ☛ UK Supreme Court hands Tesla landmark win in Avanci 5G pool licence dispute

      The UK Supreme Court has allowed Tesla’s appeal in the dispute over the terms of a licence to SEPs on the Avanci 5G platform.

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Rothschild entity Electronic Edison Qi-related wireless charging patent monopoly prior art

      Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 1 of U.S. Patent 9,448,603, owned and asserted by Electronic Edison Transmission Technologies LLC, an NPE and entity of Leigh M. Rothschild. The '603 patent monopoly relates to transferring power from one portable/mobile device to another, especially when no outlet or charger is available. A “donor” device with remaining battery power charges a “receptor” device, such as a laptop charging a phone.

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Two Pages of Testimony: JMOL of Anticipation in Board of Regents v. Boston Scientific

      Federal Circuit reverses UT's $42M stent verdict, granting Boston Scientific JMOL of anticipation on a two-page unrebutted expert record.

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ FRAND at the Pool Level

      UK Supreme Court revives Tesla's Avanci pool rate challenge and holds Delaware is not an available forum for setting FRAND terms on UK patents.

  • Copyrights/Music

    • Digital Music News ☛ Roxette Has Racked Up Billions of Streams, But Hitting the Road Has Proven Difficult

      Their 1990 hit “It Must Have Been Love” has billions of streams, but the financials just didn’t add up for Roxette. Now, their North American tour has been canceled by Live Nation amidst soaring costs. Swedish duo Roxette’s 1990 hit “It Must Have Been Love” just made the YouTube Billion Views Club last week.

    • Digital Music News ☛ American Federation of Musicians Fires Off Amended Hey Hi (AI) Licensing Lawsuit Against Universal Music and Warner Music; Majors Just Want This Thing to Go Away

      Less than two months after kicking off its labor agreement lawsuit against Universal Music and Warner Music, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) has doubled down with an amended action. The AFM just recently submitted its first amended complaint, which arrives on the heels of an ugly exchange over the relevant labor contract provision.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Ariana Grande Files Lawsuit Against Shadowy Hacker Group Targeting the Singer

      Ariana Grande is suing a group of anonymous hackers she says have targeted her inner circle, stealing unreleased music, private photos, and more. Ariana Grande has filed a lawsuit against at least two unidentified hackers who allegedly stole unreleased music, private photos and videos from Grande and her inner circle, and behind-the-scenes content.

    • Digital Music News ☛ D4vd’s Fashion Company Apple Music Account Hacked With a Darkly-Reworked Track

      D4vd’s Fashion Company Apple Music account was seemingly hacked, posting a song titled “I DID IT,” about the murder of a teen for which he is currently facing charges.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Charli XCX Releases a Bunch of Album B-Sides—”On iTunes”

      After withholding her B-side tracks from streaming platforms, Charli XCX has released them on Fashion Company Apple Music—or as she still likes to call it, iTunes. Earlier this year, Charli XCX said she was deliberately withholding the B-sides from her latest album, Music, Fashion, Film, from streaming platforms.