Links 09/11/2023: Amazon Layoffs, Broker Lays Off Most Of Its Staff
Contents
Leftovers
Kev Quirk ☛ Seeking Pen Pals
I want to get to know you better. So I've decided to start a new mini-project where we become Pen Pals for a month.
I've made a number of friends from blogging, but I'd like to take it one step further. Inspired by Jarrod Blundy, I'd like to start a Pen Pal project where I email back and forth with one reader for a month.
This will hopefully result in me making more friends from blogging by allowing us to have a good chat for a month, and will also give your blog (if you have one) some exposure.
Hackaday ☛ Forever Writing On Monofilament Fishing Line
Collectively, we have a long-term memory problem. Paper turns to mulch, dyes in optical disks degrade, iron oxides don’t last forever, and flash memories will eventually fade away. So what do you do when you want to write something down and make sure it’s around a couple of thousand years from now? Easy — just use something that even Mother Nature herself has trouble breaking down: plastic.
Hackaday ☛ Lunar Gateway’s Advanced Solar Electric Propulsion Engine Passes Initial Qualification Tests
Recently NASA announced earlier this month that the 12 kW Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) – which is scheduled to form an integral part of the Lunar Gateway when it is launched – has passed a number of qualification tests, after a rather tumultuous number of years during its development.
Meduza ☛ A deadly impasse Meduza’s combat map shows the latest developments around Avdiivka and the Dnipro — Meduza
Science
Scientist Claims Quantum RSA-2048 Encryption Cracking Breakthrough
Tom's Hardware ☛ Nature Retracts Controversial Room Temperature Superconductor Paper (But Not LK-99)
Room-temperature superconduction would be the holy grail for humanity's computing and energy-efficient future. But there are risks to being a poster-boy for the pursuit of Nobel prizes: that individuals co-opt science to advance personal goals.
Hardware
CNX Software ☛ Giveaway Week 2023 – GL.iNet GL-S200 Thread Border Router devkit
It’s already day 4 of CNX Software Giveaway Week 2023 and today, we’ll be giving away GL.iNet GL-S200 Thread Border router kit that also includes three USB or battery-powered Thread development boards to experiment with various Thread topologies. The GL-S200 router comes with a Qualcomm QCA9531 MIPS router processor running a fork of OpenWrt and provides two Fast Ethernet WAN/LAN ports, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 4 802.11b/g/n up to 150 Mbps, and support for Thread (via a 802.15.4 radio) and Bluetooth 5.0. The development boards are based on the Nordic Semi nRF52840 microcontroller and each features a potentiometer+button, a PIR sensor, and two RGB LEDs.
CNX Software ☛ STMicro launches Bluetooth 5.3/5.4 LE STM32WB09 MCU and STM32WB1MMC wireless module
STMicro has released two new Bluetooth 5.3/5.4 products with the STM32WB09 Cortex-M0+ wireless Bluetooth 5.3 LE microcontroller and the ST32WB1MMC Cortex-M0+/M4 Bluetooth 5.4 LE module for simpler design [...]
Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
Democracy Now ☛ The Choice Is Choice: Abortion Rights Supporters Win Big in Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia
We look at the results of Tuesday’s U.S. elections with The Nation's Amy Littlefield and John Nichols, who say the results leave no doubt that protecting and expanding abortion rights is motivating voters across the country. Ohio approved a state constitutional amendment to protect reproductive access, overcoming numerous procedural hurdles from opponents, and Democrats won key races for the governor's mansion in Kentucky and the Virginia statehouse based on enduring voter anger over abortion restrictions. “This is one of the best nights for Democrats in an off-year election that we’ve seen in a very, very long time,” says Nichols, who adds that the results suggest the electorate is more progressive than pundits often claim. Littlefield notes that after decades of abortion being treated as a third rail in U.S. politics, Democrats now “need the abortion rights movement more than the movement needs them.”
Latvia ☛ Covid and flu patient numbers in hospitals grow
The spread of Covid-19 is seasonally increasing in Latvia, with more and more patients also ending up in hospitals. Similarly, circulation of type A influenza virus has started and the intensity of flu spread is slightly increasing, according to last week's monitoring data of the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC).
Reason ☛ Brickbat: Can You Keep a Secret?
Escambia County, Alabama, District Attorney Stephen Billy has charged Atmore News publisher and co-owner Sherry Digmon and reporter Don Fletcher with revealing grand jury secrets. The charges are based on a story about an investigation into whether federal COVID-19 funds were improperly paid to seven former Escambia County School System employees.
France24 ☛ Paris 'La Défense' business district looks to students to fill void left by Covid lockdowns
With companies cutting back on office space as working from home remains popular, Europe's biggest business district is looking to students to fill the void left by workers.
YLE ☛ Pet food recall expands, Musti & Mirri to pay vet fees
As the Musti Group announced details of a suspected culprit for recent pet illnesses, a second manufacturer pulled a dog food from sale as a precaution.
Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Bryan Lunduke ☛ When Fashion Company Apple built MacOS... for Solaris and HP-UX. In 1994.
Listen now (16 mins) | Back in 1994, Fashion Company Apple released the Macintosh Application Environment for UNIX.
Reason ☛ More Than a Dozen Judges "Have Released Official Guidance on Using Hey Hi (AI) Tools in Litigation"
Jessiah Hulle (Gentry Locke) provides the data (mostly federal, but also noting one state judge's order and a Canadian court's order), and summarizes the different approaches.
Tom's Hardware ☛ University Builds Robot-Designing AI, Churns Out Designs in Seconds
Researchers from Northwestern University created an Hey Hi (AI) algorithm that can build robots off of user prompts. For demo purposes, the Hey Hi (AI) was able to build a functioning robot in under 30 seconds.
Silicon Angle ☛ Following San Francisco accident, Cruise recalls 950 of its robotaxis
Cruise LLC, a self-driving car subsidiary of General Motors Co., today announced it’s recalling 950 of its driverless vehicles more than a month after one of its robotaxis ran over a pedestrian. On Oct. 2, a pedestrian in San Francisco was first hit by a car driven by a human driver [...]
Security
Privacy/Surveillance
New York Times ☛ Israel-Hamas War: U.S. Says Surveillance Drone Was Shot Down Off Yemen’s Coast
The episode highlights the risks that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas could spiral into a wider war.
Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge President and CEO Chris Lewis Testifies Before Senate Hey Hi (AI) Insights Forum on Privacy and Liability
His testimony urges Congress to establish a regulatory framework – including a comprehensive federal privacy law – to ensure that Hey Hi (AI) transforms society for the better.
Privacy International ☛ UK MPs Asleep at the Wheel as Facial Recognition Technology Spells The End of Privacy in Public
Techdirt ☛ Report: Unregulated Data Brokers Sell Military Family Info For Pennies
We’ve noted many times that there are two major reasons that the U.S. still hasn’t passed even a basic privacy law for the internet era or regulated data brokers. One, the U.S. government is corrupt, and has repeatedly buckled to the lobbying of multiple industries that find the current dysfunction very profitable. Two, the government loves the current lax system because it allows them to dodge warrants.
Reason ☛ New Jersey Secretly Stores Your Newborn's Blood for Decades
According to a new lawsuit, New Jersey has handed over leftover blood from newborn genetic testing to law enforcement and sold it to third parties.
Defence/Aggression
New York Times ☛ Houthi Rebels Shot Down a U.S. Drone Off Yemen’s Coast, Pentagon Says
The downing of a Reaper drone, the mainstay of the American military’s aerial surveillance fleet, was the latest escalation of violence between the U.S. and Iran-backed groups in Yemen, Iraq and Syria.
Defence Web ☛ Terrorists target the Sahel’s gold mines as a source of financing
Artisanal gold mines in the Sahel have become the targets of terrorist groups operating in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The groups smuggle gold out of the region to finance their activities.
RFERL ☛ Family Says French Traveler Sentenced By Iranian Court To 5 Years In Prison
Iran has sentenced French national Louis Arnaud, whose family says he was traveling in the country as a tourist, to five years in prison on national-security charges.
France24 ☛ Iran sentences Frenchman Louis Arnaud to five years on national security charges
An Iranian court has ordered a five-year jail sentence against a French national tried on national security charges, his family announced on Wednesday.
RFERL ☛ Iranian Security Agents 'Violently' Arrested At Least 9 Baha'i Followers Amid Crackdown
Iran has arrested at least nine more members of the Baha’i faith, the country's largest non-Muslim community, and raided the homes of 20 Baha’i families in the western Iranian city of Hamadan, sources told RFERL’s Radio Farda.
France24 ☛ Can the Palestinian Authority lead a post-Hamas Gaza Strip?
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is working hard to involve the Palestinian Authority in a resolution of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Despite having a significant security apparatus, a civil service and other trappings of a state, the weaknesses of the internationally recognised Palestinian leadership mean it may not be well positioned to play a meaningful role in Gaza’s future.
New York Times ☛ Israel Raises Alarms by Suggesting ‘Indefinite’ Role in Gaza
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken quickly pushed back, but what exactly comes next is far from clear.
The Strategist ☛ The PLA Strategic Support Force: future-proofing China’s military
It’s technical, it’s growing and it’s secretive.
The Strategist ☛ US-led Indo-Pacific framework isn’t shifting regional trade away from China
US efforts to encourage Indo-Pacific nations to diversify their trade away from China confront a well-established trend towards deeper regional integration, according to a report by the US-based Peterson Institute for International Economics.
New York Times ☛ U.S. Strikes Iran-Linked Facility in Syria in Round of Retaliation
Drone and rocket attacks on U.S. forces have continued in recent weeks, prompting a second round of retaliatory airstrikes in eastern Syria.
Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
Meduza ☛ Activist who disappeared from home in Tbilisi reportedly found in Russian jail — Meduza
Meduza ☛ Russian man jailed for ex-girlfriend’s brutal murder in 2020 pardoned by Putin following stint in Ukraine — Meduza
RFERL ☛ Putin Calls For Closer Russia-China Cooperation On Defense Technologies, Including Military Satellites
Russian President Vladimir Putin told a senior Chinese military official on November 8 that Moscow and Beijing should expand their cooperation on military satellites and other prospective defense technologies.
New York Times ☛ Ukraine Accuses Russia of Deadly Strike on Civilian Ship in Black Sea
The episode, which killed one and injured four others, comes amid a recent uptick in military activity and attacks in the Black Sea, a hot spot in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Latvia ☛ Latvian NATO ambassador: Putin must not be allowed to create new world order
Assistance to Ukraine must be viewed in a broader context – supporting the war-torn state should not allow Vladimir Putin's regime to establish a new world order, Latvian Ambassador to NATO Māris Riekstiņš said in an interview with Latvian Television's "Today's Question" broadcast on Wednesday, November 8.
Latvia ☛ Latvian 'Patriot Week' online film selection to be available worldwide
The National Film Center (NKC), in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has prepared a Patriot Week online film festival – a selection of films that will be available free of charge from November 11 at any time and anywhere in the world where there is an Internet connection.
New York Times ☛ Russia Tries to Lure Wagner Veterans Back Into Ukraine War
A force led by President Vladimir Putin’s former bodyguard is trying to recruit veterans of the paramilitary force, which mutinied against Russian military leaders and saw its leader killed in a plane crash.
Meduza ☛ Russia, the ‘island of tranquility’ Putin’s new campaign will downplay the war while painting the West as rife with problems, Kremlin insiders say — Meduza
The Strategist ☛ The new ‘Geneva code’ for hackers on the cyber battlefield
There’s been plenty of debate about why Russia’s invasion of Ukraine never devolved into the full-blown cyber Armageddon many expected at the start of the war [...]
France24 ☛ European Commission recommends opening EU membership talks with Ukraine
Top European Union officials recommended on Wednesday that Ukraine be invited to begin membership talks as soon as it meets final conditions, taking Kyiv a step closer to major strategic goal even as it struggles to repel Russia's invasion.
France24 ☛ ‘In the Rearview’: Filmmaker who drove hundreds to safety documents plight of Ukrainians
“In the Rearview”, about filmmaker Maciek Hamela’s efforts to rescue civilians stranded by war, is a gripping testimony to the plight of the millions of Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s invasion. As the award-winning documentary opens in French cinemas on Wednesday, its Polish director hopes it will remind viewers of what is at stake in Ukraine – and of the suffering of refugees from all conflicts.
LRT ☛ Ukraine’s EU accession talks: what do they really mean?
Kyiv is hopeful it will be able to start EU accession talks this year. But Ukraine faces an uphill climb to join the EU, one which includes more domestic reform. The EU itself also has questions about its own future.
LRT ☛ Lithuania allocates €2m to Ukraine to address social consequences of war
Lithuania is allocating 2 million euros to Ukraine to address the social consequences of the war, the Finance Ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.
LRT ☛ NATO defence plans include protection of Lithuanian strategic facilities – committee chair
NATO’s defence plans include strategic facilities in Lithuania that would be protected in the event of war, Laurynas Kasčiūnas, chair of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence (NSGK), has said.
LRT ☛ Lithuanian president welcomes EC decision on Ukraine, Moldova accession negotiations
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has welcomed the European Commission’s recommendation to open formal EU membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova.
RFERL ☛ 17-Year-Old Taken From Ukraine Last Year Received Draft Summons From Russian Military, Lawyer Says
Russia’s Military Commissariat has sent a letter to a 17-year-old boy who was taken to Russia last year from the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol informing him that he must register for military service, a lawyer for the teenager and his guardian in Russia said.
RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Has Plan To Continue Fighting After Slow Counteroffensive
Ukraine has a plan to continue fighting against Russian forces despite the difficulty of its ongoing counteroffensive and a shift in the focus of Western leaders, who are now dealing with the conflict in the Middle East.
RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Court Sentences In Absentia Russia-Appointed Governor Of Kherson Region For Treason
The Malynovskiy district court in the Ukrainian city of Odesa said on November 8 that it had sentenced in absentia the Russia-appointed governor of Ukraine's Kherson Region, Volodymyr Saldo, to 15 years in prison.
Meduza ☛ Ukraine says Russian forces hit civilian vessel during attack on Odesa port, killing one person — Meduza
RFERL ☛ Britain Targets Russian Gold, Oil Sectors In New Sanctions
Britain on November 8 imposed sanctions on 29 individuals and entities in Russia's gold and oil sectors, as it targets the Kremlin's finances supporting the war in Ukraine.
RFERL ☛ New Slovak Government Rejects Final Military Aid Package For Ukraine
Slovakia's new government on November 8 rejected a previously drafted plan to donate rockets and ammunition to Ukraine, following through on a pledge by incoming Prime Minister Robert Fico to halt military aid to Kyiv as it fights a Russian invasion.
RFERL ☛ Prosecutors Seek Eight Years For Russian Artist Who Used Price Tags For Anti-War Protest
Prosecutors in Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, have asked a court to sentence to eight years in prison an artist who was arrested last year for using price tags in a city store to distribute information about Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Meduza ☛ Prosecution requests eight-year sentence for Sasha Skochilenko, St. Petersburg artist who replaced price tags with information about war in Ukraine — Meduza
RFERL ☛ Moscow-Backed Separatist Figure In Occupied Luhansk Killed In Car Bombing
Mikhail Filiponenko, a member of the regional assembly in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, was killed in a car bombing, his son said on November 8.
RFERL ☛ European Commission Proposes Opening EU Accession Talks For Ukraine And Moldova, 'Right Step' Zelenskiy Says
In a strong show of support for Kyiv as it fights to repel invading Russian troops, the European Commission has recommended opening EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, while it also recommended opening talks with Moldova once it meets final conditions.
RFERL ☛ Russian Missile Strike On Civilian Ship At Odesa Port Kills Pilot, Military Says
The pilot of a civilian ship flying the Liberian flag was killed on November 8 when a Russian missile struck the vessel as it entered one of the ports of Odesa, Ukraine's southern command said.
Meduza ☛ Ukraine’s parliament extends martial law and mobilization period — Meduza
France24 ☛ Junta-led Myanmar holds joint naval exercise with top arms supplier Russia
The military-run Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar is holding its first joint naval exercise with Russia, state media reported Tuesday, with the countries carrying out maneuvers in the Andaman Sea.
RFA ☛ Junta forces, Russian navy train together off western Myanmar coast
Russia has been widely criticized for supplying weapons to Myanmar’s military regime.
RFERL ☛ Russian Activist Missing In Georgia May Be In Russian Custody
A group of Russian lawyers and rights defenders known as Pervy Otdel said on November 8 that Rafail Shepelev, a member of the Artpodgotovka movement, who disappeared last month in Georgia, may be in custody in Russia on terrorism charges.
RFERL ☛ Finland Says Informed Russia About Baltic Gas-Pipeline Probe
Finland has informed Russia about its investigation into the damage on October 7 to the subsea Balticconnector gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland, the Finnish foreign minister said on November 8.
JURIST ☛ NATO countries freeze participation in arms control treaty
NATO countries on Tuesday froze their participation in the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty following Russia’s withdrawal, signaling a continued break-down of the status quo in global security. Russia and 22 other countries signed the treaty in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
teleSUR ☛ Ukraine Attacks on Donetsk Violate International Law - Nebenzia
The November 7 attacks left six civilians dead and 55 others injured, including three children and 23 first responders from the Ministry of Emergencies.
teleSUR ☛ Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia-Herzegovina Accession to EU Advances
Von der Leyen presented reports on the progress of ten countries with aspirations to join the European Union.
The Straits Times ☛ North Korea on Blinken's agenda in Seoul under shadow of Gaza, Ukraine
November 09, 2023 10:14 AM
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks in South Korea on Thursday on growing military ties between North Korea and Russia, while he continues efforts to broker humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas war and long-term solutions for Gaza.
New York Times ☛ Ukraine Gets an Encouraging Sign in Its Bid to Join the E.U.
The European Union’s executive arm recommended beginning membership talks with Ukraine on condition of some further changes in Kyiv.
New York Times ☛ Can the U.S. Handle China While Supporting Israel and Ukraine Wars?
To U.S. allies in Asia, the sudden focus on Gaza risks progress on America’s long-delayed pivot to the Indo-Pacific region.
YLE ☛ Bulgarian deported after trying to walk from Finland into Russia
Finnish immigration officials sent the would-be border-crosser back to his home country and banned him from entering Finland for three years.
Latvia ☛ Latvian Armed Forces participate in 'Neptune Strike 2023'
November 10 will see military exercises dubbed 'Neptune Strike 2023' taking place in Latvia within the framework of NATO's increased vigilance activities.
YLE ☛ US Marines training on the beaches of southernmost Finland
A major defence cooperation agreement between Finland and the United States is in the works.
Environment
Atlantic Council ☛ How digitalization can improve climate resilience in the Global South
Digitalization offers a novel opportunity to build climate resilience if properly supported by the Bretton Woods Institutions.
Energy/Transportation
European Commission ☛ Presentation of the State of the Energy Union Report 2023 by Commissioner Simson in the European Parliament
European Commission Speech Brussels, 08 Nov 2023 Madam President,
Honorable Members,
I am very glad to discuss with you the State of our Energy Union and the challenges ahead.
Finance
Business Insider ☛ Travis Kalanick's $15 billion ghost kitchen company lays off staff
Travis Kalanick's ghost kitchen company cut jobs on Wednesday, two employees told Insider.
Before the layoffs, City Storage Systems had more than 4,300 employees. It wasn't immediately clear how many CSS employees were affected.
Staff were told on Wednesday that they would receive invitations for meetings with human resources if their jobs were being eliminated, and the company scheduled an afternoon all-hands meeting, according to the two employees who spoke with Insider. They asked not to be identified discussing a sensitive topic.
Broker Lays Off Most Staff, Leaving Carriers with Unpaid Loads
The folks at Armada Transport are at their wits’ end trying to get paid more than $22,000 owed to them by third-party logistics provider Elite Transit Solutions.
They and other motor carriers that have been having trouble getting paid by Elite Transit Solutions may face more struggles to get what they’re owed, with reports of sudden layoffs at the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based company and an apparent pending cancellation of its broker surety bond.
Tech Times ☛ Amazon Music Lays Off Employees Across Continents
Amazon Music, as per Reuters, has notified employees from Latin America, North America, and Europe that their jobs have been eliminated, according to "people familiar with the matter."
This was later confirmed by an Amazon spokesperson stating that the company will continue to invest in Amazon Music and that the company has "been closely monitoring [their] organizational needs and prioritizing what matters most to customers and the long-term health of our businesses.
Reuters ☛ Amazon cuts jobs in music streaming unit
Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong gov’t spends less than 1% of HK$20 billion budget on purchase of welfare premises
The Hong Kong government had spent HK$150 million as of March on buying properties for welfare uses after the 2019-20 Budget allocated HK$20 billion for that purpose, the city’s labour and welfare chief has said.
Latvia ☛ Latvia's annual inflation in October at 2.1%
The latest data published November 8 by the Central Statistical Bureau show that in October 2023, compared to October 2022, the average level of consumer prices increased by 2.1 %.
WhichUK ☛ Car insurance premiums hit another record high – how can you save on your cover?
Inflation and the rising cost of repairs to blame for latest price hikes
Silicon Angle ☛ Shares of Twilio move higher on solid earnings and revenue beat
Shares of the communications and customer engagement platform provider Twilio Inc. rose more than 7% in late trading today after it posted a solid third quarter earnings and revenue beat and followed that with a bullish forecast.
Silicon Angle ☛ Arm’s stock sinks on lower guidance following first post-IPO earnings call
YLE ☛ Employment minister pushes for upper limits on pay rises; unions sceptical
Finland's right-wing government is looking to make radical changes to the labour market.
YLE ☛ Tax data: Wolt founder records Finland's biggest income in 2022
Finland's taxpayers' income and taxation data was published on Wednesday morning.
Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico beats Canada and China again as top US trade partner
Newly published data shows two-way trade between Mexico and the U.S. was worth nearly US $600 billion in the first nine months of 2023.
AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
NYPost ☛ Republican candidates engage in heated spats at third GOP debate over foreign policy, Fentanylware (TikTok) and Trump
Five of the six leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination exchanged personal attacks in between verbal salvos over foreign policy and the economy at Wednesday's primary debate.
New York Times ☛ Haley and Ramaswamy Tussle Onstage: ‘You’re Just Scum’
An exchange over Fentanylware (TikTok) turned into a heated confrontation that ended with Nikki Haley calling Vivek Ramaswamy “scum.”
New Yorker ☛ Inside the Democratic Party Rift Over Israel and Gaza
Andrew Marantz discusses the divided political response to Hamas’s terror attack and Israel’s counteroffensive.
The Kent Stater ☛ DOJ announces arrests in ‘high-end brothel network’ used by elected officials, military officers and others
Three individuals have been arrested on charges of operating a “high-end brothel network” in Massachusetts and Virginia with a clientele that included elected officials, military officers and government contractors with security clearances, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
New York Times ☛ Music Executive L.A. Reid Is Accused of Sexual Assault in Lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed by Drew Dixon in federal court in Manhattan under the Adult Survivors Act, says that Mr. Reid’s misconduct cut short her career in music.
NYPost ☛ Minnesota court dismisses 14th Amendment case seeking to block Trump from primary ballot
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that former President Donald Trump can appear on the state’s Republican primary ballots, dismissing a lawsuit that argued he should be barred for violating the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause.
Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda
Silicon Angle ☛ Meta introduces disclosure requirement for AI-generated political ads [Ed: Misinformation/Disinformation is the very business model of Facebook though]
Meta Platforms Inc. will require organizations to disclose if they use Facebook (Farcebook) and Instagram to distribute ads that were created with the help of artificial intelligence. Meta announced the new policy in a blog post published today.New York Times ☛ Meta to Require Political Advertisers to Disclose Use of A.I.
The social networking giant, which has long had a contentious relationship with political ads, is reckoning with a wave of generative Hey Hi (AI) tools.
Censorship/Free Speech
European Commission ☛ Mr Olivér Várhelyi addresses the participants of the Balkans Forum against Antisemitism in Tirana, via video message
European Commission Speech Brussels, 08 Nov 2023 Prime Minister Rama,
Distinguished Guests,
Thank you for inviting me to the Balkans Forum Against Antisemitism.
Reason ☛ 'A Tyranny of the Minority': Why This College Dropout Wants To Cancel Cancel Culture
"Being a true free speech champion does require that you defend speech that even you disagree with," says libertarian Rikki Schlott.
Reason ☛ Yes, Anti-Israel Protests Are Free Speech
Peaceful pro-Palestine protests are protected by the First Amendment, even if protesters often use offensive or inflammatory rhetoric.
New Yorker ☛ Inside the Israeli Crackdown on Speech
Since the October 7th attack, Palestinians and peace activists in Israel have increasingly been targeted by employers, universities, government authorities, and right-wing mobs.
New York Times ☛ Israel-Hamas War Has Stifled Speech At Google, Employees Say
Google has long been a hub for employee activism, including over the company’s business with Israel. But workers looking to express support for Palestinians say they face hostility.
Reason ☛ Vivek Ramaswamy Knows That Republicans Who Embrace Cancel Culture Are Fools
"We don't quash this with censorship because that creates a worse underbelly," said Ramaswamy.
France24 ☛ Amazon Prime under fire for homophobic chants broadcast during PSG match
A French gay rights group said Wednesday it had launched legal action against Amazon Prime for offering on streaming replay a football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille in which homophobic chants were audible.
Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
RFERL ☛ Husband Of RFE/RL Journalist Detained In Russia Says Wife Is A 'Political Prisoner'
The husband of detained U.S. journalist Alsu Kurmasheva says his wife is a "political prisoner" and he called on the United States to classify her as "wrongfully detained" as she remains behind bars in Russia on a charge of failing to register as a foreign agent.
Reason ☛ Hunter Biden Sues for Libel Over Claims That He Tried to Sell Influence to Iran
From today's Complaint in Biden v. Byrne (C.D. Cal.): Plaintiff brings this action for defamation against Byrne because he has made, published, and repeated false and defamatory statements about Plaintiff, knowing full well that the statements are false, for the purpose of subjecting Plaintiff to harassment, intimidation, and harm.
Civil Rights/Policing
JURIST ☛ EU dispatch: political accord on Crisis Regulation paves way for a new EU Migration and Asylum Pact
Mykyta Vorobiov is a political science student at Bard College, Berlin. He previously studied at Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine, the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the University of Tartu, and the University of Zagreb.
Off Guardian ☛ AUDIO: Kit Knightly on Reality Check Radio
Reality Check Radio is an independent radio station based in New Zealand. Tune in via their website.
France24 ☛ Hollywood actors agree deal with studios to end strike
Hollywood actors and studios reached a tentative deal Wednesday to end a months-long strike that has crippled the entertainment industry, delayed hundreds of popular shows and films, and cost billions to the US economy.
New York Times ☛ SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood Studios Agree to Deal to End Actors’ Strike
The agreement all but ends one of the longest labor crises in the history of the entertainment industry. Union members still have to approve the deal.
New York Times ☛ A Mixed Mood as Hollywood Strikes Finally End
Celebratory feelings are competing with resentment over the work stoppage and worries about the business era that is coming.
RFERL ☛ Activists Say Nobel Winner Mohammadi Finally Allowed Hospital Visit After Launching Hunger Strike
Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi has been transferred to a hospital for urgent medical care after she launched a hunger strike to protest moves by prison officials to twice block her access to hospital care because she would not wear a head scarf.
New York Times ☛ Tesla Faces Blockade in All Swedish Ports, Union Says
Swedish unions are joining in blockades and targeted strikes against the U.S. automaker over its refusal to sign a collective bargaining agreement with its mechanics.
Vice Media Group ☛ Unions Are Finally Teaching Elon Musk a Lesson in Europe, and the U.S. Could Be Next
After Elon Musk refused to sign a collective bargaining agreement, Swedish Tesla workers are on strike, and dock workers are refusing to let Teslas into the country in solidarity.
Techdirt ☛ Appeals Court: Bad Cloud Data Warrant Good Enough To Jail Someone For Crime Cops Weren’t Even Investigating
Adding to the unearned wins racked up by cops is this decision [PDF] from the Eleventh Circuit Appeals Court. According to the court, figuring out digital stuff is just too complicated. And if it can’t handle the nuances, it certainly can’t expect cops to follow the constitutional rules.
Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
APNIC ☛ [Podcast] Negative caching of DNS resolution failures
Duane Wessels discusses caching failure in the DNS.
APNIC ☛ How we measure: RPKI ROA signing and Route Origination Validation
How APNIC Labs measures ROA production and ROV-invalid filtering.
Internet Society ☛ How Internet Exchange Points are Expanding and Improving Internet Access in Morocco
If you needed to send a letter to your neighbor, you wouldn’t choose to send it via airmail across the continent and back first. Yet, this is how Internet traffic is routed in some parts of the world.
Hackaday ☛ 2G Or Not 2G, That Is The Question
Since the very early 1990s, we have become used to ubiquitous digital mobile phone coverage for both voice and data. Such has been their success that they have for many users entirely supplanted the landline phone, and increasingly their voice functionality has become secondary to their provision of an always-on internet connection. With the 5G connections that are now the pinnacle of mobile connectivity we’re on the fourth generation of digital networks, with the earlier so-called “1G” networks using an analogue connection being the first. As consumers have over time migrated to the newer and faster mobile network standards then, the usage of the older versions has reduced to the point at which carriers are starting to turn them off. Those 2G networks from the 1990s and the 2000s-era 3G networks which supplanted them are now expensive to maintain, consuming energy and RF spectrum as they do, while generating precious little customer revenue.
Techdirt ☛ Dish Network, The Trump Era ‘Fix’ For The Sprint T-Mobile Merger, Looks Increasingly Doomed
Aging satellite TV provider Dish Network is supposed to be undergoing a major transformation from tired old satellite TV provider to streaming and wireless juggernaut, but it’s… not going well.
Monopolies
Patents
JUVE ☛ Ones to Watch in German patent monopoly litigation 2023 [Ed: Pure spam disguised as article or "recommendation" from then rogue site JUVE, which took bribes to basically promote and then whitewash serious crimes]
JUVE Patent’s Ones to Watch Germany 2023 Stephan Dorn, Freshfields Burckhaus Deringer (Düsseldorf) Dania Esser, Hogan Lovells (Düsseldorf) Lucas Fischer, Samson & Partner (Munich) Peter Reckenthäler, Cohausz & Florack (Düsseldorf) André Sabellek, Rospatt Osten Pross (Düsseldorf) Stephan Dorn: Specialist for standards Freshfields’ up-and-coming SEP specialist conducts his first case at the UPC... [UPC is illegal, but some sites made money by promoting illegalities and hope we forget simple facts]
Unified Patents ☛ Another Fortress entity, Entropic, broadcast cable patent monopoly reexam granted
On November 6, 2023, seven weeks after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding a substantial new question of patentability on the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 9,210,362, owned and asserted by Entropic Communications, an NPE and Fortress IP subsidiary. The ’362 patent monopoly generally relates to a wideband receiver that outputs a selected plurality of television channels to a demodulator.
Techdirt ☛ FTC Finally Goes After Big Pharma And Its Fraudulent Orange Book Patent Listings
Fucking finally. I’ve been somewhat critical of the glaring failures of this FTC, which has been something of a mess, seemingly spending more time on questionable academic theories, rather than focusing on all sorts of obvious low-hanging fruit, clearly within its authority to protect consumers. So, it was nice a few months ago to see the FTC suggest it was finally going to target big pharma abusing the Orange Book to list drugs as being protected under patents, even if they weren’t, which had the impact of massively delaying the competitive generic market from coming together and offering cheaper solutions.
Trademarks
TTAB Blog ☛ Which of These Three Section 2(d) Refusals Was/Were Reversed?
Here are three recent appeals from Section 2(d) refusals. At least one of the refusals was reversed. How do you think these came out? Answers will be found in the first comment.
In re Total Tax Experience, LLC, Serial No. 90502524 (November 6, 2023) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Karen S. Kuhlke). [Section 2(d) refusal of THE TAX COP for "a series of printed books, printed articles, printed handouts and printed worksheets in the field of tax planning, tax strategy, and tax relief; Printed workbooks directed to tax planning, tax strategy, and tax relief; Printed worksheets in the field of tax planning, tax strategy, and tax relief [TAX disclaimed]," in view of the registered mark COPS & Design (shown below) for "printed sheets or booklets."]
Copyrights
Digital Music News ☛ Is Spotify’s 1,000-Stream Payment Threshold Legal? Songwriter Calls on CRB To Block ‘Unreasonable, Discriminatory, and Anticompetitive’ Model
Amid continued debate about (and criticism of) Spotify’s reported plan to cease paying royalties for the vast majority of on-platform works, one songwriter is formally questioning whether the involved model is legal under stateside copyright monopoly law.
Techdirt ☛ News Media Alliance Already Plotting How To Get Free Cash Payments From AI Companies
Last week we wrote about our comments submitted to the Copyright Office’s request on copyright and AI. We tried to make it clear that copyright had no place in the data that is used to train AI, and that computers simply consuming data shouldn’t require any kind of special copyright protection or licensing.
Public Domain Review ☛ The Reluctant Levitator: Teresa of Avila’s Humble Raptures
Levitation was the last thing Teresa of Avila wanted. It drew the wrong kind of attention and embarrassed her in public. She tried to remain grounded, clinging to furniture when the weightlessness set in, and then suddenly, it stopped for good. Carlos Eire reads Teresa's autobiographic *Vida* and finds the 16th-century saint complaining to God about the aethrobatic miracles that he forced her to endure.
Public Domain Review ☛ Humanity 101: The Syllabus of Frankenstein's Monster
An examination of the three books that Frankenstein's monster reads to educate himself about human life.
Gemini* and Gopher
Personal/Opinions
🔤SpellBinding — DEIMRSZ Wordo: NINES
This is a wordlog for the SpellBinding puzzle (in which you construct words using the specified letters; each word must contain the anchor letter).
Recovery
I knew the recovery time for the type of surgery I had towards the end of last month was usually quick, but what I didn't internalize, even when I was writhing in agony the first day, just how tired recovering from even a relatively minor surgery would make me.
Instead of some of the grand plans I'd made for myself when I was deluded, it’s been a subdued but productive few weeks.
First up was my long overdue migration off Gmail. The importance of email in my life has dropped the last few years, but it's still important and I exchange fairly length emails with several friends, even today.
Another week nearly over
Today is looking like a road trip between home and former home, where presence at the latter will entail corralling property not staying with the place (most of it already in bins and boxes) into the garage to get a better feel for necessary moving truck size, as it appears buyer has secured financing, making a closing likely in roughly a week.
We'll likely bring a carload back with us, although limited to lighter stuff as we performed enough physical labor yesterday to incur an abundance of aches and pains.
Politics and World Events
Low-Hanging Fruit
Turns out that 20% of Swedish CO2e emissions are from our diked-out peatlands, and we’ve been promising to fix this since 1971. That’s the same amount as private cars (which we also need to fix). Other countries have similar issues with their own peatlands.
Steel without fossils
I’ve been a li’l frustrated in the past with how the Swedish gov’ts investment in flashy “Pave the Earth”–style climate projects like fossil free steel (that might not even work) seems to be at the expense of also doing much cheaper, high-impact, low-hanging fruit like peatland restoration.
Still, steel production that does use fossil fuels is not gonna be sustainable in the long run, and switching over to other ways is going to be necessary if there should even be steel at all.
Technology and Free Software
Programming
signing git commits with GPG
I had recently written about publishing this blog through git to make it available offline. Signing commits with GPG makes sense for this, to prove authenticity.
We live in a world of fake news, fake images, fake videos, fake revenge porn …all of them both manually crafted or AI-generated. Proof of authenticity of content is becoming more and more relevant.
Proof of authenticity is why I GPG-sign my emails. I usually don't and can't encrypt them, because GPG (or PGP) is so absolutely unknown to the wider public. At least my emails can prove — to anyone who cares — that they really originate from me.
* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.