Leftovers

• Hardware

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Found a Material That Gets Better at Conducting Electricity as It Shrinks

    Could this supercharge semiconductor performance?

  • Hackaday ☛ A 386 PC For Your RP2350

    We’re at a fortunate moment: microcontrollers available at modest prices are edging into the capability level previously reserved for full-fat systems and can, through emulation, run software beyond classic 8-bit home computers, consoles, or old arcade games. A project we’ve been watching for a while is tiny386, an emulator for ESP32 boards that provides a 386 PC with just enough 486 and 586 instructions enabled to run a modern Linux kernel. Now we’re pleased to note that this platform is making it to the RP2350, with ports for both the FRANK emulation platform and the Waveshare Pi Zero boards. You can now have a 32-bit PC with all the peripherals, including VGA and DVI/HDMI, for the cost of an inexpensive development board.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ School-age suicides in South Korea rise 65% in 5 years

    The government announced in June a nationwide strategy for teenage suicide prevention.

  • Futurism ☛ America’s Health Care System Is So Screwed That Patients Are Flying to China for Cancer Treatment

    "China has basically done to CAR-T cell therapy the same thing that it's done to other industries, which is, they've industrialized it."

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Find a Subtle Clue to ADHD Hidden in The Eyes

    A tell-tale sign?

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Toasted Skin Syndrome': Bizarre Rash Was Thought to Be a Liver Injury, But It Was Caused by a Common Habit

    Are you doing this right now?

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Find a Hidden Rule Guiding Evolution

    There's a hidden force on organisms.

  • Science Alert ☛ The 10,000-Steps Myth Is Dead. Here's What Science Says Works Instead

    There's more than one way.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Subtle Change to Your Fingernails Can Be a Sign of Hidden Disease

    Red for warning.

  • Science Alert ☛ Lifelong Deafness Could Rewire a Person's Peripheral Vision

    Our senses are shaped by how we use them.

• Proprietary / Vendor Lock-in / Malware

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

    • New York Times ☛ Some in Silicon Valley Are Questioning the Calls for an Hey Hi (AI) Slowdown

      The debate over the safety of artificial intelligence grew personal as key tech leaders said calls for government regulation were self-serving and misplaced.

    • Futurism ☛ Scam Altman Now Trying to Gain Control of Electric Grid

      How convenient.

    • Futurism ☛ California, Which Is Creating All the Hey Hi (AI) That’s Poisoning Children, Just Cracked Down on Hey Hi (AI) Use for Its Own Kids

      All it has to do is look inwards.

    • Futurism ☛ OpenAI Faces Congressional Probe Over Swarm Hacking Incident

      "The American people deserve to know the details of what went on in the Hugging Face incident and other incidents of Hey Hi (AI) models going rogue."

    • Futurism ☛ Amazon Deploying Hey Hi (AI) Tech That Forces Actors’ Mouths to Match Dubbed Dialogue

      But will it look any good?

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel revives One Mono font after brief retirement during open-source purge — typeface built to fight coder eyestrain gets reprieve

      Intel’s decision to archive its developer-focused One Mono font lasted only two days, with the company now restoring the open-source project despite its relatively limited development activity.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea aims to save seniors lost in digital age [Ed: Who said they must adopt crappy, user-hostile, spying tech?]

      The so-called grey digital divide has created significant challenges in the nation of about 52 million.

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ Yemen: Fighting escalates around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait

    Fighting is escalating in Yemen after Iran-backed Houthi forces seized strategic territory around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, prompting counterstrikes by government forces and reported Saudi air raids. The Houthis also claimed attacks inside southern Saudi Arabia and threatened to disrupt shipping through the key maritime chokepoint, raising fears for regional security and global trade.

  • NYPost ☛ North Korea says its recent live-fire drill demonstrated ‘huge destructive power’

    North Korea said Monday it conducted a joint live-fire drill involving missiles, artillery and drones that it claimed demonstrated “huge destructive power."

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea says missile launches were part of live-fire drills

    The “joint firepower attack drill” on Sept 12 involved five army units and tested several weapon systems.

  • New York Times ☛ Okinawa Elects a Conservative Amid Fears About China and the Economy

    Genta Koja will become the Japanese archipelago’s next governor, a win for the country’s hawkish prime minister as she works to accelerate a military buildup.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Can a 20-second Modi-Xi handshake at the BRICS summit break years of India-China ice?

    Xi’s first India trip in seven years stirs hope, but border tensions and tech curbs hinder a full reset

  • The Straits Times ☛ Voting starts in Philippines' south after three killed in election violence

    Voting began on Monday in the Philippines' Muslim-majority south under heightened security after three people were killed and 15 wounded in violence on the eve of the historic election.

  • France24 ☛ Swedish far-right eyes role in government

    As Sweden heads into a closely fought election, the far right is gaining ground by tapping into concerns over crime and security, issues that some voters increasingly associate with migration. On FRANCE 24, Stockholm University sociologist Zeth Isaksson said the movement has also softened its image in recent years, making it more acceptable to a broader electorate, while also cautioning against overstating the strength of the far right in Sweden.

  • New Yorker ☛ How to Protect Democracy

    The emergence of Germany’s far right as a political force represents an old dilemma.

  • France24 ☛ US hosts G20 energy talks in Texas as Iran war disrupts global fuel markets

    The United States begins G20 meetings in Houston on Monday promoting “energy abundance,” as President The Insurrectionist’s war against Iran disrupts global fuel markets. Delegations from major economies, including China, India, Japan and Germany, will attend alongside oil producers Canada and Saudi Arabia. Russia is also expected to participate.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Strikes on Ukraine Hits Near David Petraeus, ex-C.I.A. Chief

      David Petraeus was at a rail station when a drone hit. Another train, with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain and other dignitaries, had just left, Ukrainian officials said.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Ukraine triumphs in 'first-ever' drone-vs-drone boat battle — video shows Russian MBeK destroyed by Sargan 3000's 12.7mm automatic turret

      Ukraine’s Navy has claimed that it has won 'the first-ever battle of unmanned naval boats.'

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Tells Kyiv To Stop Attacks On Russian Diesel As Moscow's Drones Strike Near Polish Border

      Two Russian drone strikes hit near the Polish border early on September 13, Ukrainian authorities have reported, attacks that Kyiv said was Moscow “knocking on the doors of the EU and NATO” and urged further sanctions.

    • LRT ☛ Middle powers guarding Europe’s eastern flank – opinion

      Ukraine and Poland, two Central and Eastern European states whose regional influence has often been underestimated, illustrate how middle powers can shape outcomes once reserved for great powers, Maksym Khylko and Adam Reichard write for the New Eastern Europe Magazine, partners of LRT English.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine, Poland condemn Russia after drone strikes train near border

      Ukraine and Poland on Sunday condemned Russian strikes close to the Polish border as an "escalation" in the war, after drones struck a Warsaw-bound train. Ukraine's rail operator said former British PM Boris Johnson and ex-US CIA director David Petraeus were at a border train station nearby around the time the train was hit.

    • Latvia ☛ Operation 'Werewolf' overall a good thing, say Latvian interior services

      Operation ‘Vilkatis’ (Werewolf), aimed at combating illegal migration, has been extended until 3 October. Its objective is to ensure the security of Latvia’s eastern border and to significantly reduce the number of cases of illegal border crossings. One of the reasons for extending the operation was the storm in August, which caused serious damage to border infrastructure, including the fence, Latvian Radio reported on September 14.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China, Russia, India seek economic cooperation at BRICS

      Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modimir pointed out that the bloc represents 40 per cent of global GDP.

    • LRT ☛ New proposal sees Lithuania phasing out Russian-language instruction in schools

      Some politicians are proposing a gradual shift away from Russian-language instruction in schools serving the country’s Russian-speaking minority, with a proposal to teach all subjects in Lithuanian except the students’ native language by 2030.

• Environment

  • France24 ☛ Indonesia: Second ferry disaster in five days

    At least one person has died and more than 100 people remain missing after a ferry carrying 243 people sank in rough weather between the Indonesian islands of Java and Borneo. The disaster is the second major ferry accident in the region in five days, renewing concerns over safety standards, overcrowding and maintenance.

  • New York Times ☛ More Than 120 Unaccounted for After Ferry Sinks in Indonesia

    At least six people were killed and more than 100 rescued after the vessel sank in the Java Sea on Sunday, the authorities said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Himalayas approaching tipping point, millions of livelihoods at stake-report

    The Himalayas are approaching a tipping point as glaciers melt faster than a decade ago, threatening water security as the region approaches \"peak water\" by mid-century, according to a study released this month.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Science Alert ☛ Researchers Discover an Untapped Green Hydrogen 'Goldmine'

      "Could be transformative for our energy future."

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Mexico News Daily ☛ When Mexico bursts into bloom: A wildflower guide

      MND contributor Bel Woodhouse takes us on a tour of Mexico’s spectacular wildflowers, from vibrant sunflowers and cosmos to delicate poppies.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Deed, not breed’: Owners and experts push back on stigma against ‘fighting dogs’

      Rachel Law was making her usual stop at her neighbourhood Starbucks with her three dogs on an August afternoon when officers from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) approached her.

    • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover a Real-Life 'Devil Flower' That Doesn't Need Sunlight to Survive

      It looks like it escaped from a horror movie.

    • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Explain Why This Martian Hill Looks Exactly Like a Bear's Face

      Oh my!

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • JURIST ☛ Zambia’s cancellation of six critics’ passports on national security grounds raises human rights concerns, Amnesty International says

    Amnesty International on Friday accused Zambian authorities of using administrative powers to silence government critics after the passports of six opposition figures, academics and commentators were cancelled on national security grounds.

  • New York Times ☛ Texas Republican’s Racist Social Media Post Draws Condemnation

    Many Republicans criticized the post, some in more direct terms than others.

  • New York Times ☛ For Populist Democrats, a Movement Fueled by Anger at Both Parties

    A generation shaped by the pandemic and rising prices has helped drive an emergence of Democratic candidates who say they are as fed up as voters are.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • BIA Net ☛ Police raids, online censorship target Turkey’s LGBTI+ community in new crackdown

    Police raided LGBTI+ associations' offices and gay bars in İstanbul and Ankara. Access to numerous websites and social control media accounts has been blocked.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • France24 ☛ Radio France staff strike over appointment of far-right weekly editor

    Staff at public broadcaster Radio France began a two-day strike on Sunday over the appointment of Charles Sapin, deputy editor-in-chief at far-right weekly Valeurs Actuelles. Unions accuse Sapin of promoting far-right ideas ahead of next spring's presidential election, while management has defended the appointment in the name of pluralism.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • The Straits Times ☛ S. Korea’s gender minister nominee pulls out in fresh blow to Lee

    Yong Hye-in's withdrawal is the latest setback for South Korean President Lee following a hasty Cabinet reshuffle.

  • JURIST ☛ Guatemala judiciary closes criminal proceedings against four Indigenous leaders

    Amnesty International announced Saturday that Guatemala’s judiciary has closed criminal proceedings against four Indigenous leaders who had been charged over their role in nationwide protests during Guatemala’s October 2023 national strike, hailing it as a victory for the right to freedom of assembly.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indian government pushes wider rollout of polarising civil code

    The move is expected to stoke concern among minority Muslims.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Asia Pacific research networks commit to stronger cyber resilience cooperation

    Research and education network leaders across the Asia Pacific have signed the Auckland Declaration of Intent on Cyber Resilience, committing to stronger regional cooperation on cyber preparedness, information sharing, and incident coordination.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Copyrights

    • Heather J Meeker ☛ Training LLMs on Copyrighted Works Is Fair Use, Says the DOJ [Ed: Plagiarism is OK if you call it "hey hi" and then bribe the dictator and tell him it's a matter of "arms race"]

      On September 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest in the consolidated copyright monopoly litigation against Proprietary Chaffbot Company and Abusive Monopolist Microsoft that is pending before Judge Sidney Stein in the Southern District of New York.