Links 12/10/2023: Hardware Sales Still Falling, Samsung Profits to Fall to Almost Nothing
Contents
- Leftovers
- Science
- Education
- Hardware
- Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
- Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Security
- Defence/Aggression
- Transparency/Investigative Reporting
- Environment
- Finance
- AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
- Censorship/Free Speech
- Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
- Civil Rights/Policing
- Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
- Monopolies
- Gemini* and Gopher
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Leftovers
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Science
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Hackaday ☛ Tech In Plain Sight: Skyscrapers
It is hard to imagine that for thousands of years, the Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest manmade structure in the world. However, like the Lincoln Cathedral and the Washington Monument, which also held that title, these don’t count as skyscrapers because they didn’t provide living or working space to people. But aside from providing living, retail, or office space, skyscrapers also share a common feature that explains why they are even possible: steel frame construction.
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Education
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Federal News Network ☛ Black student suspended over his hairstyle to be sent to an alternative education program
A Black high school student who spent more than a month on in-school suspension over his dreadlocks has been told he will be removed from his Texas high school and sent to a disciplinary alternative education program on Thursday. Darryl George was suspended Aug. 31 at his Houston-area school. School officials say George’s dreadlocks violate the district’s dress code regarding hair length for boys. The principal says in a letter provided to The Associated Press by the family that he will be sent to EPIC, an alternative school program, from Oct. 12 through Nov. 29 for “failure to comply” with multiple campus and classroom regulations.
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Hardware
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IT Wire ☛ Global PC shipments continue to fall, but downward trend slows [Ed: Trying hard a "positive" spin (so that even negatives sound like positives)]
Global PC shipments dropped to 65.6 million units in the third quarter of 2023, a 7% year-on-year fall, the technology analyst firm Canalys reports, adding that this was, however, a rise of 8% from the second quarter of the year.
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Linux Gizmos ☛ AAEON launches palm-sized UP 7000 Edge with N-Series processors
AAEON has introduced the UP 7000 Edge, a Mini-PC that accommodates the entire spectrum of embedded Intel Processor N-series CPUs. This compact and versatile device offers compatibility with both Windows 10 LTSC 2021 and Linux Ubuntu 22.04.
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Hackaday ☛ Tattoo-Removal Laser Brought Out Of Retirement For A Megawatt Of Fun
We’ve got to say that [Les Wright] has the most fun on the internet, at least in terms of megawatts per dollar. Just look at his new video where he turns a $30 eBay tattoo-removal laser into a benchtop beast.
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Tom's Hardware ☛ China AI Server Market Expected to Quintuple In Size, Hit $16 Billion By 2027
AI server growth in China is rapid, with 54% growth seen over the last year, and the market is expected to quintuple in size by 2027.
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Ruben Schade ☛ The mysterious Aywun 307 case
A friend pointed this case out to me yesterday, and it piqued my interest. I thought it was surprisingly okay, at least by the gaudy standards of modern PC design: [...]
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Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
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New York Times ☛ In Paris, Bedbugs and Fear of Bedbugs
Exterminators in France are playing the role of therapist to an anxious post-pandemic population that they say is panicking over recent bedbug outbreaks.
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Federal News Network ☛ ‘Addictive’ social media feeds that keep children online targeted by New York lawmakers
New York is bidding to put new controls on social media platforms that state leaders say will protect the mental health of younger users. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James announced legislation Wednesday that would restrict the ways online platforms like Instagram and YouTube can collect and share children’s personal data. The legislation also would let parents opt their kids out of getting feeds curated by an algorithm, and instead offer content from users they already follow. Supporters say the bills are aimed at protecting children from features that keep them endlessly scrolling and endanger their mental health.
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LRT ☛ Is drug use among Lithuanian teenagers indeed on the rise?
Drug use among teenagers has become the hot policy topic of the day in Lithuania, with the President’s Office going so far as to call it a national security threat. But do data bear that out?
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JURIST ☛ UN and WHO launch new guidance to address human rights in mental health care
The World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Human Rights Office launched new guidance on Monday to improve laws addressing human rights violations in mental health care. The guidance encourages countries to rethink their approach to mental health policy so that the individual’s dignity and human rights are at the center of conversation and care.
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YLE ☛ 12 doctors banned in Sweden still able to work in Finland
Twelve doctors who lost their credentials in Sweden are still allowed to work in Finland. Three had sexual offence convictions while one doctor's licence was revoked due to mistakes.
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Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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Press Gazette ☛ Publishers adapt to Twitter dropping headlines from story snippets [Ed: They should adapt by dropping Twitter]
From posting the links twice to full-on back-end CMS changes, here's what we found.
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Techdirt ☛ Math Problem For Linda Yaccarino: If 90% Of The Top Advertisers Have Come Back, But Are Only Spending 10% Of What They Used To, How Screwed Are You?
Last week, we highlighted how it appears that exTwitter’s ad revenue remains in freefall.
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Security
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Privacy/Surveillance
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The Strategist ☛ Examining Chinese citizens’ views on state surveillance
The relentless advance of new and more invasive surveillance technologies poses a growing threat to open societies and human rights. The need to understand their impact around the world has never been more pressing.
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Defence/Aggression
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Digital Music News ☛ Utah Sues ‘Incredibly Dangerous’ TikTok Over Alleged Harmful Impact on Children and Teens
Utah has officially become the latest state to sue TikTok for allegedly exposing children to harmful content in violation of consumer protection law. Utah’s Division of Consumer Protection only recently filed the firmly worded action against ByteDance-owned TikTok.
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JURIST ☛ Utah sues TikTok over ‘deceptive’ business practices that ‘manipulate children’
Utah filed a lawsuit against TikTok on Tuesday, claiming the app harms children in the state by knowingly creating an “addicting” social media platform that damages children’s mental health.
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Press Gazette ☛ How Daily Mail went from voice of Middle England to Tiktok sensation [Ed: Beijing is amplifying divisive, malicious, racist "press"]
Boris Johnson has become an unlikely Tiktok star for the Daily Mail.
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Latvia ☛ State Security Service repeats terrorism risks in Latvia are low
In relation to the threat emails received by many Latvian educational institutions, the State Security Service (VDD) reiterates that the terrorism threat level in Latvia is low. The service does not have any information indicating the need to raise the level of terrorism threat, VDD said on October 11.
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AntiWar ☛ ‘Israel’s 9/11’ Is a Slogan to Rationalize Open-Ended Killing of Palestinian Civilians
When Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations spoke outside the Security Council on Sunday, he said: “This is Israel’s 9/11. This is Israel’s 9/11.” Meanwhile, in a PBS NewsHour interview, Israel’s ambassador to the United States said: “This is, as someone said, our 9/11.”
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YLE ☛ Nato defence ministers to discuss pipeline break; Stoltenberg promises "united and determined response"
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) is discussing the latest developments with Nato colleagues in Brussels on Wednesday.
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Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
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AntiWar ☛ Putin’s Valdai Speech, What You Need to Know [Ed: antiwar.com is pro-war if the war is Putin's]
On October 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club near Sochi, Russia. The session was attended by scholars and diplomats from forty-two countries.
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France24 ☛ Putin arrives in Kyrgyzstan on first trip abroad since ICC arrest warrant
Vladimir Putin arrived in Kyrgyzstan Thursday, visiting abroad for the first time since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him in March.
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teleSUR ☛ Russia Advocates Creation of Sovereign Palestinian State
President Putin urged the U.S. not to exacerbate the situation by deploying aircraft carriers, guided missile cruisers, and destroyers to the region.
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The Straits Times ☛ North Korea leader Kim shares letters with Russia’s Putin, wishes victory over ‘imperialists’
He wished Putin good luck in resisting Western pressure over Ukraine.
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New York Times ☛ In Russian Military Town, Patriotism and Pathos Live Side by Side
The contradictions of Vladimir Putin’s war are changing the face of towns with military bases in Russia. Patriotism and pride are abundant, but so are sadness and death.
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Meduza ☛ Putin spokesman walks back assurance that all Russians who left after Ukraine invasion can safely return — Meduza
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Latvia ☛ Fire engines, 4x4 vehicles head to Ukraine from Latvia
A fresh batch of pickup trucks, 4x4s and fire engines was on the way to the front lines in Ukraine from Latvia October 11.
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France24 ☛ Zelensky makes first visit to NATO headquarters since invasion, alliance says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday visits NATO headquarters in Brussels for the first time since the Russian invasion, the military alliance said. Zelensky was in Romania on Tuesday for talks with President Klaus Iohannis about security and grain exports.
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RFERL ☛ Russian Drone Strikes Damage Danube Grain Storage Facilities In Odesa Region
Russian drones targeted Danube port infrastructure in southern Ukraine early on October 12, damaging warehouse buildings and wounding a woman, Ukraine's Southern Defense Force and Odesa regional governor said.
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RFERL ☛ Belgium Expects To Use $2.4 Billion In Tax On Frozen Russian Assets To Fund Ukraine
Belgium, where most frozen Russian central bank assets are held, expects to collect 2.3 billion euros ($2.4 billion) in taxes on the assets and use them to help reconstruct Ukraine, a spokesperson for Belgium's prime minister said on October 11.
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Meduza ☛ Russia trying to take Avdiivka, Ukraine says successfully fending off attacks — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ Belgium to give Ukraine F-16 fighter jets in 2025 — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ Two Ukrainian ‘traitors’ responsible for deadly strike on Hroza wake, says Ukraine — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ ‘I knew what I was getting into by moving here’: Israeli soldiers from Russia and Ukraine describe the start of a new war in the Middle East — Meduza
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Latvia ☛ Latvia ready to assist Estonia and Finland if needed over pipeline damage
Latvian officials said they were ready to provide any necessary assistance to NATO allies Estonia and Finland if required, amid suspicions that Russia may have intentionally damaged an undersea pipeline and cable between the two countries.
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Meduza ☛ Russia not ready to designate Hamas as terrorist organization — Meduza
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YLE ☛ Thursday's papers: Russian irritation, poll results and a stormy morning
Finland woke up to windy conditions and power cuts on Thursday.
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Transparency/Investigative Reporting
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JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court hears arguments in landmark whistleblower case
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday in a landmark whistleblower case, Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC, in which the court was asked to consider whether publicly traded companies can discriminate against employees who report wrongdoing within the company.
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Environment
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Energy/Transportation
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Breach Media ☛ Ford PCs took $60K from donors linked to company pushing giant gravel mine
Major construction firm’s executive donated thousands to Ford government, benefitted from PC’s rollback of environmental laws
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YLE ☛ Wednesday's papers: Suspicion and sabotage in the Baltic
What does the pipeline damage mean for Finland?
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Finance
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Latvia ☛ Economists: Wages will catch up with costs in 1.5 years minimum
This week, it was reported that inflation has fallen back to what it was two years ago, that it will continue to ease and wage rises are currently outpacing price increases. But this news is only seemingly positive because the pay rises are far from catching the cost of living. The better-off people will catch the price jump in 1.5 years but lower-income people will have to wait even longer, economists surveyed by Latvian Radio October 11 said.
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Silicon Angle ☛ Samsung forecasts 78% drop in profit, but its stock rises as investors see signs of recovery
South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. said late today it’s expecting its third-quarter operating profit to fall 78% from the same period last year. The forecast would mean Samsung misses analysts’ expectations, at a time when its flagship semiconductor business continues to struggle with the chipmaking industry downturn.
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YLE ☛ State alcohol monopoly sees sales dip – even for non-alcoholic beverages
Alko reported a 2.4 percent decline in September sales, with the sharpest drop in alcohol-free drinks and the steepest rise in rosé wines.
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YLE ☛ Finland sees drop in work-based immigration from record-high 2022 levels
The Finnish Immigration Service Migri granted over 20,000 work-related visas in 2022, but the figure this year is expected to fall to about 15,000.
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AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
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Atlantic Council ☛ #BalkansDebrief – Civil society’s role in Western Balkans EU accession | A Debrief with Andi Dobrushi
Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare is joined in this episode of #BalkansDebrief by Andi Dobrushi, Western Balkans Executive Director of the Open Society Foundation, to discuss the importance of holding Western Balkan governments and EU member states accountable for their commitments to EU reforms and the role of civil society in the region.
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Federal News Network ☛ Wisconsin GOP leader reveals names of former justices he asked to look at impeachment
Wisconsin’s Republican Assembly speaker revealed the names of the three former state Supreme Court justices he asked to investigate possible impeachment of a sitting justice for the first time in a court filing made public Wednesday. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos floated impeaching liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz if she did not recuse from a redistricting lawsuit seeking to toss GOP-drawn legislative district boundary maps. She is not recusing. Vos asked three former justices to review the possibility of impeachment, but he refused to name them. In a court filing, Vos identified those he asked as former Chief Justice Patience Roggensack and former justices David Prosser and Jon Wilcox.
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France24 ☛ Top French court rejects lawsuit contending 'systemic' racial profiling by police
France's highest administrative court rejected on Wednesday a class action lawsuit against the state for failing to stop police racial profiling, saying it was not the judges' role to redefine public policy while recognising that discrimination was a problem but not "systemic.".
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American Oversight ☛ Court Filings in American Oversight Lawsuit Reveal Former Wisconsin Justice Jon Wilcox as Third Member of Secret Impeachment Panel
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Federal News Network ☛ Jill Biden recognizes 15 young women from 13 states for advocacy to improve their communities
Fifteen young women from around the United States have been recognized by the White House for their advocacy on a range of issues to improve their communities. Many of those issues are priorities for the White House, too. They range from lobbying for tighter gun laws and against banning books to encouraging civic engagement and ensuring that everyone can get menstrual supplies. First lady Jill Biden honored the 15 teenagers at the White House to celebrate Wednesday's designation by President Joe Biden as International Day of the Girl. The honorees range in age from 15 to 18, and represent 13 states.
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Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda
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Silicon Angle ☛ EU now tells Meta to keep platform free of misinformation during Israel-Gaza conflict
A day after the European Union warned X Corp. about the spread of disinformation regarding the Hamas attack on Israel, a similarly worded letter was sent to Meta Platforms Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg.
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Silicon Angle ☛ EU sends stern words to Elon Musk over Hamas attack disinformation appearing on X
The European Union Tuesday issued a warning to X Corp. boss Elon Musk over possible disinformation appearing on the platform regarding the recent Hamas attack on Israel.
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Censorship/Free Speech
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Techdirt ☛ Sure, There’s Disinfo On ExTwitter, But The EU Should Not Be Demanding Censorship
Some of us have been warning about the dangers of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in the EU for quite some time, and pointed out that Elon Musk was effectively endorsing censorship in May of 2022 (after announcing his plans to purchase then-Twitter) by meeting with the EU’s Thierry Breton and saying that the DSA was “exactly aligned” with his thinking about his plans for Twitter content moderation. As we pointed out at the time, this was crazy, because the DSA is set up to position the EU government as ultimate censors.
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JURIST ☛ Delhi official authorizes sedition prosecution against award-winning author over 2010 speech
A Delhi official approved the prosecution of Booker prize-winning author Arundhati Roy on Tuesday based on charges of sedition.
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BIA Net ☛ 'We want to redirect the direction of Kurdish theater from basements to balconies'
Recep İçen describes "Înfaz" as an "absurd comedy" and says that the next two plays will be in a similar style.
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Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
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BIA Net ☛ Can Dündar's lawsuit against Sabah newspaper rejected by Constitutional Court
Journalist Can Dündar took the rejection of his lawsuit against Sabah's news claiming "He sold his villa through FETÖ at an exorbitant price" to the Constitutional Court. The application claiming the violation of the "right to protect honor and reputation" was deemed inadmissible by the supreme court.
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Civil Rights/Policing
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Reason ☛ Alexandra Hudson: How Civility Can Save America—and the World
We don't need better manners, we need a commitment to mutual respect and tolerance, and space to live our lives as we see fit.
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ACLU ☛ My Journey From Death Row to Becoming an Advocate for Justice
In 2006, I was sentenced to death for a crime I didn’t commit. The jury in my case was split 8-4. Eight people thought I was guilty and should be executed, and four people thought I was not guilty and should not be. Despite the divided jury, I was sentenced to death.
At the time in Florida, it was possible for a person to be sentenced to death by a non-unanimous jury. Only in 2017 did the law change to require a unanimous jury. But this year, Florida took a step backwards, reinstating non-unanimous juries for the death penalty.
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ACLU ☛ Unchecked Growth: Private Prison Corporations and Immigration Detention, Three Years Into the Biden Administration
Three years into the Biden administration, the number of people held in ICE detention continues to grow, and private prison companies hold an increasingly tight grip on the mass immigration detention system.
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Reason ☛ Holding Protest Leaders Liable for Others' Violence Threatens First Amendment Rights
A lawsuit against a Black Lives Matter activist could have a chilling impact on constitutionally protected activity.
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CS Monitor ☛ Youth violence national priority as Ecuador votes in presidential runoff
A security spiral can stun a nation. In Ecuador, where young people increasingly find themselves on both ends of violence, citizens look to politics, and community programs, to put a stop to it.
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The Atlantic ☛ [Old] Surprise! You Work for Amazon.
The retail giant is offering local businesses a side hustle delivering packages. Do we all eventually become couriers?
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EDRI ☛ How tech corporations like Google, Meta and Amazon should assess impacts on our rights
A new policy paper by EDRi members ECNL and Access Now outlines key recommendations on how to make fundamental rights impact assessments meaningful under the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA).
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New York Times ☛ U.A.W. Expands Strike to Ford Plant in Kentucky
The factory employs 8,700 and makes some of Ford’s most profitable products, including pickups and sport utility vehicles.
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Pro Publica ☛ We Don’t Talk About Leonard: The Man Behind the Right’s Supreme Court Supermajority
The party guests who arrived on the evening of June 23, 2022, at the Tudor-style mansion on the coast of Maine were a special group in a special place enjoying a special time. The attendees included some two dozen federal and state judges — a gathering that required U.S. marshals with earpieces to stand watch while a Coast Guard boat idled in a nearby cove.
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Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
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APNIC ☛ [Podcast] Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego’s data centre?
Exploring Stephen Song's work in mapping the Internet and Open Data in telecommunications.
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Techdirt ☛ Error 402: Exploring The Little Understood History Of Online Monetization
I realized recently that I had now passed 30 years on the internet, having obtained my first internet access in August of 1993 — the same year that many consider to be the year that the internet became commercial. That was back when you had to obtain access to the internet, rather than just… having internet access around you at all times. I’ve lived through a decent amount of internet history, and sometimes that makes me forget that other people have not.
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Monopolies
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Software Patents
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Digital Music News ☛ Federal Judge Tosses $32.5 Million Sonos Verdict Against Google: ‘It Is Wrong That Our Patent System Was Used in This Way’
Back in May, a jury awarded Sonos over $32.5 million in its years-long patent-infringement complaint against Google. Now, a federal judge has tossed the jury verdict, finding, among other things, that the patents in question are “unenforceable.”
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Trademarks
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TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Is INDESTRUCTIBLE & Design for Shoes Confusable with INDESTRUCTIBLE & Design for Athletic Apparel?
The USPTO refused to register the mark shown below left, for "shoes," finding confusion likely with the registered mark shown below right, for "athletic apparel, namely, shirts, pants, jackets, footwear, hats and caps, athletic uniforms; Athletic shirts; Body shirts; Button down shirts." Now, we know that there is no per se rule that various types of wearing apparel are related. Plus, the designs are different, and surely "indestructible" is a laudatory and weak term. How do you think this appeal came out? In re Indestructible Shoes LLC, Serial No. 88615185 (October 3, 2023) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Mark Lebow).
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Gemini* and Gopher
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Personal/Opinions
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C04 A few French Films
Sorry for that but I went to the cinema to see French movies.… very French this time !
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The Undeath of the Author
In 1967, Roland Barthes published his influential essay "The Death of the Author". The essay was a key reference point in the structuralist and post-structuralist movements and called for the abandoning of the idea of the 'author' as the focal point for meaning when interpreting a text. According to structuralist theories of language, meaning arises through a variety of factors (grammar, culture, history, etc.). Seeing the meaning of the work as the product of a single mind (the 'author') misses this diversity of perspectives at the heart of language.
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whale fall 13
being very smart this week and actually working a few days ahead so i don't forget and get lazy on sunday. i know i should have done this earlier — it's what i do for my monthly artlogs — but ehhhhhh. now however i have mirrored my entire capsule locally and will be uploading stuff through rsync. baby steps towards using git over at neocities, which i've been putting off because i'm lazyy.
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Mowing Da Lawn
1. The electric mower is much nicer than the gas mower. Both are self-propelled, but the speed control is nicer on the electric than the gas. Also, the electric mower is easier to start.
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Souvenirs of Milk
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Fake Rain
So somehow the topic had gotten onto chod (whatever that may be) and from there the Chöd wikipedia and for some reason someone asked for a bell. Having been nosing around SoundFont files a suitable bell was not too hard to find.
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In the Grip of the Distant Universe by Graneau and Graneau (publ. 2023-10-07)
I found a few minutes this morning when everyone else in the family was still asleep, so I decided to throw out a book review I had been wanting to post. While trying to do some research into Mach's principle, I found "In the Grip of the Distant Universe: The Science of Inertia" by Peter Graneau and Neal Graneau (ISBN 981-256-754-2). There is so much in the book which challenged my mental paradigm that I think it is worthy of special mention here.
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Strangeness
Why was I playing a bit of Beethoven on a piano in West Berlin? This is perhaps due to the strangeness of life. Some ancestor had assisted with the Berlin blockade, and decades later there remained a link to one in West Berlin who had a baby grand. The usual piano in Pakistan did not keep itself much in tune. At least it had all the keys, which is not always the case.
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Busy with new baby (publ. 2023-10-06)
Our fourth child was born a few weeks ago. I've had to go into newborn-survival mode, such that almost all energy and time is spent trying to take care of the family, and to get sufficient rest, while still going to work.
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My Wife Hates Linux
Let me start by apologizing for the sensational headline but it really is something that I encountered that stopped me in my tracks.
I am currently a year into my journey to switch away from big tech and have been setting up my own digital sovereignty. I have my own website, I host my own email (sort of) and I have a handful of indispensable services all running quietly on a little tiny box in my closet. So for me this is all very satisfying and yet is almost an exact replacement to the services I was using a year ago. Along the way I have built up an understanding of the basic principals of Linux and have spent quite a bit of time in the terminal and of course been tinkering with config files ....... so many config files........ however......
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Technology and Free Software
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Proxy Protocol Idea
As you might have noticed, gemini has TLS, but it also has proxy support. Which means you can't really reverse proxy services like Bubble or Astrobotany, because they require a TLS Client Certificate. So I thought about making some kind of additional protocol that would be usefull for gemini proxy servers.
This would be usefull on tildes where they would for example want to run their own bubble or astrobotany and also have their normal website, but all being hosted by the same program.
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Re: I've stopped using mobile phones in my life.
There aren't many people who intentionally go phoneless in today's society, especially not young people like myself[1]. But there are some who resist the social expectation to carry a proprietary surveillance device at all times. Since we are few, it's important to spread the word about our efforts. So today, I comment on Jakub Bidžan's blog post written in January of this year, "I've stopped using mobile phones in my life.[2]"
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Games Are How Big Now!?
I was trying to compile a work thing at home yesterday, and ended up in a discussion with colleagues about bandwidth because of the long time to download dependencies.
I have a 10 Mbit/s connection (that's 10 both up and down). That's always been enough for me. In fact it's plenty enough for streaming video on three devices simultaneously (a 75" TV, an iPad, and a phone). Apparently that's not enough for anyone else today. I was informed that you need at least 100 Mbit/s, and even that is painfully slow.
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Re: Games Are How Big Now?!
Most of them aren't, but frostpunk is probably the best game I've ever played in my life. I was obsessed with that game for weeks. The storyline and gameplay was so well done, and I love the city-builder-like survival type simulator strategy games. Games like Foundation, Going Medieval, and Frostpunk. I'm very excited for Frostpunk 2.
Otherwise, most games are meh, especially if they are FPS games (the most boring genre of all time, for me at least). I think simulation games tend to be smaller, but some city-builder simulation games, like Surviving Mars, can be pretty big, but only 5-6 GB, which is small compared to some other games.
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Haunted By Printers
Apparently some print cartridges have you drilling a chip off a legitimate print cartridge and pasting said chip onto the replacement, somehow. A better world might run along the lines of "no chip, less hassle" in four inscrutable characters. But that would probably mean less profit for you know who, and who knows what would happen if there were more competition in the printer market.
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Internet/Gemini
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Lagrange v1.17
Version 1.17 adds a host of small features, some of which I've been planning on doing for a long time. There are also recent suggestions from users that enhance day-to-day usage of the app. Highlights: support for submenus (bookmarks, page tools, split view, and user data), text snippets, additional search URLs, visual UI tweaks, resizable input/upload/bookmark dialogs, improved upload editor, new input prompt functionality, and support for Nex.
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Re: NC and ND
From my understanding, Solderpunk made his intentions clear, that he didn't want derivative specs that *look like* the official spec spreading around that made changes and fooled people into believing it's an official spec. The goal of the license is to convey these wishes, not to sue people over anything, as solderpunk already stated.
Now, about ND: The point is not about disallowing all summaries of the spec, but about preventing derivatives from *looking like* the spec but making small changes that have a large impact. Emphasis on the *looking like* an official spec part! Everyone can tell a summary or wikipedia entry from a mile away, but that's not the point of ND.
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Software Releases/Announcements
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Misfinmail Client Version 0.4.3 Update
Misfinmail will now only fetch and save new messages to your local gembox, which means the whole local gembox will not be overwritten with the entire gembox from the gemini fetch address. This allows you to delete mail from your local gembox without them coming back after a fetch.
This gives a similar interface to a POP3 server configured to never delete messages from the server. When you delete from your local gembox, the message is not deleted from the server.
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Programming
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Projects going into maintenance
I've been doing some re-evaluation of my priorities recently in relation to my journey as a programmer. I've written previously about some of the issues that I have with the direction and leadership of the Rust project (as well as the toxicity of it's community at times). I've also mentioned that I have been getting re-aquainted with C. Honestly, I've been loving C.
One of the things that I have a bad habit of doing is starting too many projects at the same time. I suspect a lot of programmers share this trait of course. But when taken with the shift that I'm already in the middle of, that leaves me with a few projects that are kind of in limbo at the moment. So I guess I want to clarify their status "for the record".
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* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.