Links 24/01/2024: Mass Layoffs art eBay, SIM-Swapping Enough to Hijack the SEC's Official Account
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
- Digital Restrictions (DRM) Monopolies/Monopsonies
-
Leftovers
-
Tom's Hardware ☛ Game Boy Advance games can be recreated from the sound they make when they die, modder demonstrates
YouTuber TheZZAZZGlitch has proven that unique per-game GBA crash sounds contain all the data needed to create a bootable copy of the crashing game.
-
New York Times ☛ Gary Graham, ‘Alien Nation’ and ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ Actor, Dies at 73
In a 50-year acting career, Mr. Graham appeared in several shows, including “Starsky and Hutch” and “The Incredible Hulk.” But it was in science fiction where he made his biggest mark.
-
Thomas Rigby ☛ Organising feeds
I finally settled on a simple alphabetical folder structure. It's not too far to scroll to the end. I get my news in neat bite-sized chunks now. It's even helping with my "need to clear" because I get a little satisfaction from clearing one folder.
-
Roy Tang ☛ Books: Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #13)
Finished reading Reaper Man, Discworld book #11. This book focuses on Death, the omnipresent character in all Discworld books, as he faces down his own mortality.
-
Lee Peterson ☛ Thinking about my blog
I’ve been thinking a lot about my blog, it’s a passion project and has over the last six months really started to pick up some traction. I don’t check in with stats a lot but looking monthly there’s a steady uptick. This got me thinking about what I put on here.
Then I realised that my blog is my blog, I write what comes to mind and I want to share – regardless of topic.
-
32-Bit Cafe ☛ Ideas for Your Personal Website
You've just made a website, but now you're unsure where to go from here. Here are some ideas for things to add and techniques to learn. If you need more inspiration, browse other folks' websites (start on Neocities!) and surf the 'net! You'll surely find something that you want to add to your own personal website.
-
Science
-
Gizmodo ☛ Sunlight May Reignite Japan’s Struggling 'Lunar Sniper' on the Moon
Shortly after its landing on Friday, January 19, JAXA reported issues with SLIM’s solar cells, which were not generating sufficient electricity. On Monday, JAXA revealed that it had shut down the system approximately three hours after landing to conserve its remaining power, as the space agency noted on X. The decision was made when SLIM’s battery level fell to 12 percent, as this low battery level threatened to cause issues for future recovery if mission controllers didn’t disconnect it in time.
-
New York Times ☛ A Bird’s-Eye View of a Technicolor World
Scientists have a devised a new video system that reveals how animals see color, and us.
-
Federal News Network ☛ The U.S. Geological Survey brings new technology to an old mission
The U.S. Geological Survey has turned to quantum technology to help it with the next generation of challenges in geological science. It established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with a quantum company called Q-CTRL.
-
Science Alert ☛ The Very First Cells Could Have Bubbled Out of Hot Springs on The Ocean Floor
Tiny envelopes of life.
-
Science Alert ☛ It's Open! Breathtaking First Look at The Contents of NASA's Bennu Asteroid Sampler
A time capsule from the birth of the Solar System.
-
Science Alert ☛ Stone Age Teenagers' Chewing Gum Reveals Life 9,700 Years Ago in Fascinating Detail
A bad habit, or a valuable time capsule?
-
Science Alert ☛ Japan's Moon Lander Could Still Be Saved, And Lots of Data Has Been Received
There is hope!
-
-
Education
-
Omicron Limited ☛ Q&A: Even among immigrants, English is the preferred language in Miami
For example, maybe someone says, "I want to pass Spanish down to my kid." But the data shows that doesn't always happen. Instead, kids tend to choose English and not Spanish when they have a choice to speak either language. Sometimes this is a subtle preference for English and a subtle rejection of Spanish, and sometimes this is a very active preference for English and active rejection of Spanish. In either case, this means there are things in society working against that parent's wish to pass down Spanish. It's not that people don't try to implement it. It's more like they are trying to swim upstream.
-
Terence Eden ☛ Lessons learned from bringing promotional sweets to a conference
My question to you is this - what's the favourite swag you've ever given out?
-
CS Monitor ☛ AI in the classroom: Why some teachers are embracing it
School-based computer labs once seemed futuristic. Now the internet is everywhere and the next frontier – AI – is seeping into learning environments. ChatGPT’s debut more than a year ago brought ongoing concerns about cheating and the tool’s ability to mislead students. But some educators also see it as an opportunity for innovation.
David Touretzky chairs the Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Initiative, which began in 2018 after he realized computer science standards had barely mentioned the burgeoning AI field. The group has been developing instructional guidelines, establishing what students should know about AI, and how they should be able to use it.
-
-
Hardware
-
Ruben Schade ☛ Modern C64 boards compared to original prices
A couple of weeks ago I posted about reproduction Commodore 64C motherboards. Two things I didn’t mention were availability and price. I’m thankful we can get them at all, but these points were still glaring omissions with hindsight.
-
Hackaday ☛ Is This The World’s Smallest N-Scale Train Layout?
There’s just something about miniature worlds — they’re just so relaxing to look at and ponder. Think you don’t have ample room for a model train layout at your place? You may not be thinking small enough. [Peter Waldraff] knows a thing or two about hiding train layouts inside of furniture (that’s one solution), but this time, he’s built a track in plain sight that’s meant to sit on the bookshelf. The whole thing is just 5.5″ x 12″.
-
-
Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
-
The Kent Stater ☛ OPINION: Exercise is crucial for the health of your body and mind
Our bodies were designed to move. Our extraordinarily complex muscular, nervous and circulatory systems collaborate to accomplish incredible feats including running, climbing, jumping and swimming. Even more fundamentally, they help us move and interact with our environment.
-
BIA Net ☛ Healthcare services 'nearly halted' in prisons, says report
"In addition to the general problems of the healthcare system, prisons faced hindrances and inadequacies, leading to a virtual halt in access to health and treatment opportunities," says the latest Human Rights Association report.
-
Science Alert ☛ Even Nicotine-Free Vapes Can Damage Lung Tissue: One Protein Plays a Key Role
Nicotine-free doesn't mean damage-free.
-
Federal News Network ☛ Labor Dept. watchdog offers buyouts, early retirement to cut staffing by 20%
The Labor Department's watchdog is not only losing staff, but racing against the clock to complete its ongoing work on pandemic-era fraud before time runs out.
-
RFA ☛ Tibetan monk serving 3 years in prison for leading prayers during COVID lockdown
Chinese authorities arrested Lobsang Tashi of Kirti Monastery in June 2021.
-
RFERL ☛ Measles Cases Soar In Europe, WHO Says, Noting Highest Numbers In Russia, Kazakhstan
The number of measles cases soared in Europe in 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on January 23 as it called for urgent vaccination efforts to halt the spread.
-
RFERL ☛ CIA Tries To Recruit Double Agents In Russia With New Video
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has released a Russian-language video to try to persuade Russian intelligence employees to switch sides and work as double agents for Washington.
-
-
Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
-
Futurism ☛ Google Insider Says Bosses Have No Idea What They're Doing With AI
"Right now, all of these boring, glassy-eyed leaders are trying to point in a vague direction (AI) while at the same time killing their golden goose," she wrote. Theriault was responding to the latest round of layoffs, which affected hundreds of employees in the company's ad sales team.
"Given that they have no real vision of their own, they really need their subordinates to come up with cool stuff for them," she added.
-
Terence Eden ☛ The (theoretical) risks of open sourcing (imaginary) Government LLMs
What does it mean to open source an AI? Generally speaking, it means releasing some or all of the following.
01. The training data.
02. The weights assigned to the training data.
03. The final model. -
Tech Central (South Africa) ☛ The Apple Macintosh turns 40
Jobs’s words were echoed – deliberately so – in the classic television advertisement for the Macintosh. The ad – watch it below – was directed by Ridley Scott and was set against a musty backdrop, the lone colourful figure of a vigorous female athlete amid a horde of inert, hypnotised automatons. She hurls a hammer that destroys the on-screen image of a commanding dictator, metaphorically shattering the status quo and freeing masses in the process. “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce the Macintosh. And you will see why 1984 won’t be like 1984,” a narrator says.
And just like that, the Macintosh (shortened to just “Mac” after 1999) had arrived – and the computer industry would never be the same again.
-
Scoop News Group ☛ Child sexual abuse material found on popular dataset shows risks for federal AI research
The National Science Foundation, a federal agency that provides funding to scientific researchers, pointed to the need for a National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource in the aftermath of a major Stanford report that highlighted the presence of child sexual abuse material on LAION-5B — an open dataset created by the Large-scale Artificial Intelligence Open Network that’s popular among researchers and some generative AI systems. The report highlighted a major vulnerability with AI research, experts told FedScoop.
(LAION doesn’t have a relationship with NSF, but a researcher affiliated with an NSF-funded AI research institute appears to have collaborated on a paper presenting the dataset.)
-
Futurism ☛ OpenAI Struggling to Destroy Onslaught of AI Girlfriends
AI girlfriends are not, of course, peculiar to OpenAI. The Replika AI companion chatbot has been around since 2018, and last year gained headlines first for the AI's propensity for sexual harassment and later for being banned in Italy and subsequently suspending sexual conversations over the regulatory blow.
The advent of the GPT Store, however, has opened up a Pandora's box of AI girlfriends — and there's no telling how hard it will be to get it closed now.
-
Quartz ☛ AI girlfriend bots are already flooding OpenAI’s GPT store
The proliferation of these apps comes as the US faces an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Alarming studies show that one-in-two American adults have reported experiencing loneliness, with the US Surgeon General calling for the need to strengthen social connections. AI chatbots could be part of the solution if people are isolated from other human beings—or they could just be a way to cash in on human suffering.
-
404 Media ☛ These Are the Notorious NSA Furby Documents Showing Spy Agency Freaking Out About Embedded AI in Children's Toy
The NSA’s interest in and concern with the spying capabilities of the Furby—the iconic furry robot toy—has been documented over the years by various news outlets, YouTube channels, and the Federal Aviation Administration (which banned Furby operation during takeoff and landing). But previous write-ups rely on a brief news story in the Washington Post from January 13, 1999 called “A TOY STORY OF HAIRY ESPIONAGE,” which noted that Furby had been banned from the NSA’s offices in Maryland in part because they were worried that NSA employees would discuss classified information to the Furby, which could learn from it and would possibly repeat what it’d heard at a later date.
-
The Verge ☛ Google cancels contract with an AI data firm that’s helped train Bard
Human workers at companies like Appen often handle many of the more distasteful parts of training AI and are often the lower-paid, often ignored backbone of the entire industry. At Appen, contractors help rate data quality and answers from AI models. Fast Company wrote last year that some Appen employees who are members of the Alphabet Workers Union had been petitioning Appen to increase wages from $10 an hour to $15. While the union won wage increases, the final number fell short of its goal. Many of these workers were then laid off, with Appen citing business conditions.
-
GamingOnLinux ☛ Riot Games cutting 11% of staff (about 530 people)
Ouch. Yet another developer is getting rid of staff in a move to cut some costs and this time it's Riot Games, who will be waving goodbye to 11% of their people. That's 530 people who will lose their jobs and "the biggest impact to teams outside of core development".
-
Techdirt ☛ Was The NO AI FRAUD Act Written By A Fraudulent AI? Because Whoever Wrote It Is Hallucinating
A couple of weeks ago, a friend sent me Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar’s and Rep. Madeleine Dean’s proposed NO AI FRAUD Act, which purports to “protect Americans’ individual right to their likeness and voice against AI-generated fakes and forgeries.”
-
EuroGamer ☛ Video game developers union membership in UK increases as layoffs continue across the industry
Union membership numbers in the UK have risen significantly, following a tumultuous period in the video game industry (which still continues today).
The Game Workers branch of the IWGB union - which aims to "end the institutionalised practice of excessive/unpaid overtime" among other goals - told The Observer it saw its membership numbers increase by almost 50 percent between December 2022 and the end of last year. In October 2023 specifically, the union saw membership rise by 12 percent. This was soon after Fortnite developer Epic announced a wave of job cuts.
-
TikTok adds to January tech layoffs by letting go of 60 employees
Add TikTok to the list of companies that are cutting jobs at the start of 2024. The ByteDance-owned app has laid off approximately 60 employees, most of whom worked in the sales and advertising divisions.
NPR first reported on the layoffs on January 22. TikTok confirmed the cuts to CNBC on the following day. The affected employees included workers in Los Angeles, New York, and Austin. TikTok scheduled a town hall meeting on Tuesday to share the bad news.
TikTok’s latest layoffs come less than two weeks after Twitch let go of about 500 employees, and only a few days after YouTube announced its own round of pink slips. Like YouTube, TikTok chalked up its cuts to reorganization. Both companies have invited terminated employees to pursue other roles at the company. A TikTok spokesperson told CNBC that laid-off workers “may apply to any open internal roles, of which there are over 120 similar roles posted currently.”
-
Visual Capitalist ☛ Chart: All the Major Tech Layoffs in 2024 So Far
Layoffs tend to pick up in January as companies look to restructure, reorganize, and re-prioritize based on their forecast for the new year.
-
-
Security
-
Integrity/Availability/Authenticity
-
Cyble Inc ☛ SEC Confirms Cyberattack on X Account via SIM-Swapping
More than 10 days after the breach, the SEC has released an official statement detailing the nature of the attack. The unauthorized party gained control of the SEC cell phone number associated with the SEC X account through a SIM swap attack, a technique used to transfer a person’s phone number to another device without authorization.
The SEC clarified that the access to the phone number occurred via the telecom carrier, not through SEC systems. There is no evidence to suggest that the unauthorized party gained access to SEC systems, data, devices, or other social media accounts, according to SEC staff.
-
-
Privacy/Surveillance
-
Patrick Breyer ☛ PIRATES call for an end to voluntary chat control 1.0 by big tech companies
“Instead of taking up the EU Parliament’s new approach for more effective and court-proof child protection without chat control mass surveillance, EU Commissioner ‘Big Sister’ Johansson is incorrigibly insisting in the destruction of digital privacy of correspondence, playing for time and hoping to manipulate critical EU states into agreeing by running infamous campaigns and spreading misinformation. This approach has gotten us into deadlock politically, failing children and abuse victims alike. We should clearly reject this strategy and insist on finding better solutions than mass surveillance, as proposed by the European Parliament last year.”
Breyer strongly criticises the instrument of voluntary chat control: “The voluntary mass surveillance of our private communication by US services such as Meta, Google or Microsoft does not make any significant contribution to saving abused children or convicting abusers, but conversely criminalises thousands of minors, overburdens law enforcement officers and opens the door to arbitrary private justice by internet companies. If, according to Johansson’s own statements, only one in four flagged conversations are relevant to the police at all, this means 75,000 leaked intimate beach photos and nude pictures for Germany every year, which are not safe with unknown moderators abroad and do not belong in their hands.”
-
EPIC ☛ EPIC Comments to the DOJ/DHS on Law Enforcement’s Use of FRT, Biometric, and Predictive Algorithms
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) submits these comments in response to the 2023 Guidance for Written Comments released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to inform a report to the President that assesses law enforcement agencies’ use of facial recognition technology, other technologies using biometric information, and predictive algorithms, as well as data storage and access regarding such technologies, and that safeguards privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties, as required by EO 14074. EPIC firmly believes that certain technology—such as facial recognition technology—should not be used at all for surveillance. EPIC also firmly believes that any use of these other technologies—such as DNA biometric technologies—must be based on a robust framework of safeguards that are present prior to any use and that are effectively enforced. As DOJ and DHS continue to review law enforcement use of these technologies, EPIC renews our call to protect privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.
-
-
-
Defence/Aggression
-
Hindustan Times ☛ Atomic scientists set ‘Doomsday Clock’ at 90 seconds to midnight. What it means
Atomic scientists of Tuesday reset the symbolic 'Doomsday Clock' at 90 seconds to midnight, the theoretical point of annihilation, for the second consecutive year. The members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' Science and Security Board set the clock based on "existential" risks to Earth and its people: the war in Ukraine, climate change and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and new biotechnology.
-
Bulletin ☛ A moment of historic danger: It is still 90 seconds to midnight
The members of the Science and Security Board have been deeply worried about the deteriorating state of the world. That is why we set the Doomsday Clock at two minutes to midnight in 2019 and at 100 seconds to midnight in 2022. Last year, we expressed our heightened concern by moving the Clock to 90 seconds to midnight—the closest to global catastrophe it has ever been—in large part because of Russian threats to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine.
Today, we once again set the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight because humanity continues to face an unprecedented level of danger. Our decision should not be taken as a sign that the international security situation has eased. Instead, leaders and citizens around the world should take this statement as a stark warning and respond urgently, as if today were the most dangerous moment in modern history. Because it may well be.
But the world can be made safer. The Clock can move away from midnight. As we wrote last year, “In this time of unprecedented global danger, concerted action is required, and every second counts.” That is just as true today.
-
The Conversation ☛ The top risks from technology that we’ll be facing by the year 2040
We consulted 12 expert “futurists” for a new research paper. These are people whose roles involves long-term forecasting on the effects of changes in computer technology by the year 2040.
Using a technique called a Delphi study, we combined the futurists’ forecasts into a set of risks, along with their recommendations for addressing those risks.
-
Modern Diplomacy ☛ A ‘Donald Trump menace’ to the White House, NATO and Kyiv
A congressional aide familiar with the discussions said that the longer negotiations over the supplemental drag on, the less likely it is to be approved.
In the near term, Ukraine may be able to hang on, albeit in a stalemate, without US support, a Western intelligence source said. But that would still be a significant loss not only for Ukraine, but also for the US’ standing in the world, this person said.
As Trump’s return looms, Europe shivers at prospect of facing Putin alone, notes POLITICO.
-
The Conversation ☛ Drone-zapping laser weapons now effective (and cheap) reality
Compared to standard missiles, a high-power laser system has a range of strategic advantages. It is surprisingly cheap to operate. Running DragonFire for ten seconds costs the equivalent of using a heater for an hour (less than £10 per shot).
-
US News And World Report ☛ Detergent Pod Poisoning Threat to Kids Hasn't Gone Away
U.S. poison centers received 36,279 calls regarding liquid detergent pods during three recent years, according to data from the National Poison Data System.
Most of the calls involved a child younger than 6 (87%), and nearly all happened in the home (99%).
-
FamilyMinded ☛ 20 Most Dangerous Social Media Challenges to Avoid
Humans are social animals with an innate desire for attention. Social media capitalizes on this need, which is why people love joining viral "challenges."
Some of these challenges — like the mannequin challenge and the trashtag challenge — are admittedly awesome. Others are just plain silly. Worse, many social media trends have proven to be dangerous and even deadly.
-
New York Times ☛ Swatting and the Dangerous Rise of Political Violence
These hoaxes pose real dangers. Sending armed police officers to someone’s home on the ruse that violence is occurring there risks tragic outcomes, including fatalities, as we saw in Kansas in 2017, when swatting led to a police officer shooting an unarmed man. In addition, swatting diverts law enforcement resources from real emergencies. But more insidiously, these tactics are tools of intimidation, designed to silence voices in the political process.
-
DeSmog ☛ Congressman: DOJ Investigation of Big Oil Is Now “Even More Urgent” Following Shell Revelations
After new evidence emerged last week showing that oil major Shell internally acknowledged the dangers of their fossil fuel products decades ago, a member of Congress is renewing his previous call for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether Shell and other Big Oil companies’ “alleged campaigns of climate deception” may have violated federal law.
The company documents, first unearthed by Dutch researcher Vatan Hüzeir and reported last week by DeSmog and Follow the Money, reveal Shell executives and employees predicting “major adverse changes” to the climate from fossil fuel emissions — and admitting Shell’s role in causing the problem. “Global warming could challenge the very fabric of the world’s ecological and economic systems,” warned Shell executive Ged Davis in one newly uncovered document from 1989.
-
Site36 ☛ Martin Sellner faces own “remigration”: Far-right influencer may be banned from Germany
Martin Sellner is calling for the “remigration” of millions of people from Germany. As a right-wing “Gefährder”, the Austrian could soon be stopped at the German border himself.
-
The Straits Times ☛ Philippines says armed forces to ensure ‘unimpeded and peaceful’ exploration in South China Sea
Manila is shifting its focus to external defence, said Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.
-
Tom's Hardware ☛ China warns that it may "react" to "hegemonic" treatment by the U.S. in 'Chip War'
China's ambassador in the Netherlands calls for enhanced dialogue between China and the European Union.
-
RFA ☛ China unlikely to invade Taiwan in next 5 years: survey
Experts polled by a U.S. think tank said the Chinese military was still capable of isolating the island.
-
Atlantic Council ☛ It’s time for a US-Taiwan free trade agreement
A free trade agreement between the United States and Taiwan would help protect the island democracy from China's economic coercion.
-
RFA ☛ Little time to review China’s rights record at UN
Because 160 countries signed up, each only had 45 seconds to speak about China’s human rights record.
-
RFA ☛ China tried, but failed, to prevent UN scrutiny of its human rights violations
The U.N. Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of China in Geneva will require serious follow-up by key players.
-
RFA ☛ S Korea ramps up pressure on N Korea, China in EU, UN diplomacy
Europe ties for countering Pyongyang, challenging Beijing on N Korean defector issues key to Seoul’s diplomacy.
-
Techdirt ☛ DOJ Report Calls Botched Uvalde School Shooting Response A Series Of ‘Cascading Failures’
Any school shooting is horrific. But the Uvalde school shooting went far beyond the usual nightmarish levels of something that happens so often in the United States, we can actually use the modifier “usual.”
-
ADF ☛ Somalia Recaptures ‘All Important’ Town from al-Shabaab
The Somali National Army and local forces in late December recaptured Masagaway, a town in central Galmudug State, from al-Shabaab, marking a significant victory in the ongoing war. Masagaway is about 270 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu and is home to a military base.
-
ADF ☛ Professionalism a Hallmark of Senegalese Military
That Senegal has never had a coup or a civil war is both a source of great pride among its people and a rarity in Africa.
-
Hackaday ☛ DB Cooper Case Could Close Soon Thanks To Particle Evidence
It’s one of the strangest unsolved cases, and even though the FBI closed their investigation back in 2016, this may be the year it cracks wide open. On November 24, 1971, Dan Cooper, who would become known as DB Cooper due to a mistake by the media, skyjacked a Boeing 727 — Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 — headed from Portland to Seattle.
-
ADF ☛ Attacks Fuel Fears of Return of Somali Piracy, But Analysts Say Surge is Unlikely
In early December, a Maltese-flagged merchant ship was hijacked off the coast of Somalia. It is believed to be the first successful attack on a merchant ship in the region since 2017.
-
France24 ☛ From 1924 to 2024: Spotlight on the Paris Olympics, then and now
Paris is preparing to hold the Olympics this summer, but did you know that the last time the French capital hosted the Games was exactly 100 years ago? Much has been forgotten about the 1924 Olympics, but records were broken, champions were made and more women athletes took part than ever before.
-
Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
-
Meduza ☛ Turkish parliament approves Sweden’s NATO accession bid — Meduza
-
Atlantic Council ☛ No European security without Ukrainian victory
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches the two-year mark, Western leaders increasingly acknowledge that there can be no European security without Ukrainian victory, writes Pavlo Zhovnirenko.
-
JURIST ☛ 27 civilians killed at Donetsk market amid Ukraine-Russia war
At least 27 civilians were killed and 25 injured at a market in the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk on Sunday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation released a statement that a market in the suburb of Tekstilshckik was shelled on Sunday, causing civilian fatalities and injuries.
-
JURIST ☛ President Zelensky proposes constitutional amendment to introduce dual citizenship
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, extended thanks to Ukrainians abroad for their support during Russia’s invasion and proposed constitutional amendments to allow dual citizenship.
-
RFERL ☛ Russia Denies Deporting Ukrainian Children But Admits Hundreds Of Thousands Are On Its Territory
Russia has flatly rejected allegations that it has deported Ukrainian children since its invasion but said that more than 700,000 have moved into its territory.
-
RFERL ☛ 3 Arrested In Netherlands On Suspicion Of Circumventing Russia Sanctions
Dutch fiscal crime authority FIOD said on January 23 that it had arrested three people suspected of circumventing sanctions on Russia related to the war in Ukraine.
-
RFERL ☛ Documentary 20 Days In Mariupol Nominated For Oscar
The film 20 Days in Mariupol about the horrors of the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been nominated for the best documentary Oscar.
-
RFERL ☛ Russia-Installed Police In Crimea Search Home Of Crimean Tatar Activist
Russia-imposed police in Ukraine's Moscow-annexed Crimea searched the home of Crimean Tatar activist Nazim Memetov and confiscated his mobile phone and laptop on January 23, saying the search was linked to a case involving illegal firearms.
-
RFERL ☛ Anti-War Nadezhdin Collects Enough Signatures To Register As Russian Presidential Candidate
Russian politician Boris Nadezhdin, who has openly called for a halt to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, received the 100,000 signatures by January 23 that are needed to be registered as a candidate for the March 18 presidential election.
-
New York Times ☛ Turkey’s Parliament, After Delay, Backs Sweden’s NATO Bid
The vote in the Turkish Parliament puts the Nordic nation closer to joining the military alliance, easing months of friction that have impeded efforts by the West to isolate Russia over its war in Ukraine.
-
New York Times ☛ What Is NATO?
This Western mutual-defense alliance is central to the pushback against Russia, even though Ukraine is not a member.
-
New York Times ☛ Russian Missiles Hit Ukrainian Cities Amid Fears Over Air Defenses
The assault killed at least five people and wounded scores in Kyiv and Kharkiv. Ukraine is pushing for further American military aid, which has been stalled in Congress.
-
ADF ☛ Russian Diamond Mining Brings Violence and Environmental Degradation to the CAR
On the surface, Diamville SAU is a Central African company working in the diamond trade. But Diamville is more than that: It’s the front for a Russian operation selling diamonds from the Central African Republic to finance Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
-
Latvia ☛ Rally against imports from Russia in Rīga
Outside the government building on Tuesday, January 23, the association the Rising Sun (Austošā Saule) protested against imports and transit of Russian goods.
-
LRT ☛ ‘Kremlin preparing for long-term confrontation with the West’ – Lithuanian intelligence chief
Russia may initiate various provocations on NATO’s borders, and Lithuania should expect aggressive rhetoric from the Kremlin, says Darius Jauniškis, head of the State Security Department (VSD).
-
LRT ☛ Few Lithuanian schools will offer Russian classes in 10 years – minister
Gintautas Jakštas, Minister of Education, Science and Sport, says that fewer and fewer Lithuanian students are choosing Russian as a second foreign language, and only a few schools will offer Russian language classes in ten years.
-
-
-
Transparency/Investigative Reporting
-
Gizmodo ☛ How to Use Google’s Fact Check Explorer to Verify Claims on the Web
As the name suggests, Fact Check Explorer simply lets you explore all of these fact checks—the fact checks aren’t being carried out or verified by Google, but Google is doing the work of indexing them, and making them more easily accessible through the Fact Check Explorer interface that we’re covering here.
-
-
Environment
-
RFA ☛ Snowless winter in Himalayas – another sign of climate change
Warmer-than-normal temperatures and little precipitation over the past month have resulted in what experts are calling a “historical snowless dry winter” for not just Kashmir but the sprawling Himalayan region, from northern Pakistan to Tibet and Bhutan.
-
Bridge Michigan ☛ Detroit’s ‘ghost’ streams can be a threat in the present
Since 1905, 85% of the city’s historic streams have been buried for urban development, leading to long-term ramifications for Detroit’s most vulnerable residents.
These streams and wetlands are a little-examined flood risk, according to a new study published in City and Environment Interactions. Using historical maps to identify once-active waterways, researchers compared the streams to flood risk data and historic Home Owners’ Loan Corporation redlining maps, finding that flooding disproportionately impacts redlined neighborhoods.
-
RFERL ☛ Eight People Injured In Earthquake Near Almaty
Authorities in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, said on January 23 that eight people sustained injuries during an overnight earthquake that struck the nearby Kyrgyz-China border region.
-
Atlantic Council ☛ The US wants to end its reliance on Chinese lithium. Its policies are doing the opposite.
US regulations are hurting demand for electric vehicles, the very products that will incentivize the development of lithium supply chains away from China.
-
Energy/Transportation
-
Federal News Network ☛ USPS outlines its majority-electric vehicle future, as it unveils its first charging stations
USPS on Monday unveiled its first set of electric vehicle charging stations at the South Atlanta Sorting and Delivering Center (S&DC), which will support its majority-electric future fleet.
S&DCs are large facilities that consolidate the operations of letter carriers and mail handlers under one roof. USPS plans to have 100 of them up and running by the end of this year, and over 400 S&DCs in the next three years.
-
DeSmog ☛ ‘They’re Destroying Our Coastline’: Activists at the Americas Energy Summit Protest Fossil Fuel Expansion
On a frigid but sunny Tuesday afternoon outside New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, a small but dedicated group of environmental activists affiliated with Sunrise Movement New Orleans protested the start of the 20th edition of the Americas Energy Summit & Exhibition.
The conference was originally scheduled for the end of October of 2023. But it was canceled without explanation by conference organizers several weeks before it was due to begin. The event aims to bring together policymakers and liquified natural gas (LNG), natural gas, and hydrogen players to explore new avenues for fossil fuel expansion.
-
Hackaday ☛ Could Solar-Powered Airships Offer Cleaner Travel?
The blimp, the airship, the dirigible. Whatever you call them, you probably don’t find yourself thinking about them too often. They were an easy way to get airborne, predating the invention of the airplane by decades. And yet, they suffered—they were too slow, too cumbersome, and often too dangerous to compete once conventional planes hit the scene.
-
-
Wildlife/Nature
-
Science Alert ☛ For Some Reason, Bigfoot Sightings Keep Showing Up Around Bear Hangouts
Wonder why that is...?
-
-
-
Finance
-
Robert Reich ☛ The Silent Revolution in American Economics
-
-
AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
-
The Verge ☛ eBay will lay off 1,000 employees — 9 percent of the company
Despite reporting profit of $1.3 billion last quarter, which it described as “another quarter of solid results,” eBay today suggests that there is a “Need for Change.” Company president and CEO Jamie Iannone writes that “there is more we can do to ensure our success,” and argues that eBay should be a “more nimble” company that “makes decisions more quickly” to position itself for “long-term, sustainable growth.”
-
The Verge ☛ Google CEO tells employees to expect more job cuts this year
So far, those “tough choices” have included layoffs and reorganizations in Google’s hardware, ad sales, search, shopping, maps, policy, core engineering, and YouTube teams.
-
Tom's Hardware ☛ China warns that it may "react" to "hegemonic" treatment by the U.S. in 'Chip War'
Tan Jian, the Chinese ambassador to the Netherlands, addressed the escalating tensions between China and the United States over advanced chip fabrication technologies in a recent interview with NRC, a Dutch newspaper. He stated that China might react to the United States' attempts to cut the country off from advanced chipmaking tools, but hoped this would not affect China's relationship with the European Union. China is upset that the U.S. has managed to persuade the government of the Netherlands to curb shipments of advanced ASML lithography tools to China.
-
Quartz ☛ Google, Amazon, TikTok, and more: 2024 starts with thousands of tech layoffs
And TikTok this week laid off 60 employees.
-
Quartz ☛ TikTok workers feel tech's troubles as the company cuts 60 jobs
The social media video app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is reportedly laying off 60 employees in Los Angeles, New York, and Austin, and in other countries.
-
India Times ☛ AI testing firm RagaAI closes $4.7 million funding led by Pi Ventures
The firm will use the funds raised for research and development of its technology, and to expand its team with a focus on the US and European markets, Agarwal said. With this funding, the company expects a runway of at least 18 months, which will be further augmented by the revenue it is generating.
-
Democracy Now ☛ Marianne Williamson on Running for President, Challenging Biden & Calling for a Gaza Ceasefire
It’s primary day in New Hampshire. As Donald Trump and Nikki Haley square off in the Republican race, we speak to 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson on her longshot campaign against President Biden. In an unusual twist, Williamson’s name is on today’s ballot, but Biden’s is not. Biden opted out of running in New Hampshire after the state refused to move its primary until after South Carolina’s. Williamson discusses why she’s running for president, her antiwar platform, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, immigration reform and the New Hampshire primary election. “Just like with health and sickness, you don’t just treat sickness, you learn to cultivate health,” she says. “We need to not just drop bombs and put people in prison when there is conflict. We need to learn to prevent conflict. We need to proactively create peace.”
-
The Nation ☛ Nikki Haley Is Hanging On In Case Trump Unravels
Just after the Iowa caucuses delivered a resounding win for Donald Trump, former GOP Rep. David Jolly, now a Democrat, stated the obvious on MSNBC. Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis “are running to be the last ones to drop out.” Noting that Jolly “stated the obvious” isn’t meant as an insult; sometimes pundits of both parties resist the truth to create narratives that are more interesting than the clear reality, and Jolly resisted that. We have seen too much resisting reality this year.
-
Project Censored ☛ Warnings: the Holocaust, US Global Relations, and our Endangered Democracy
-
The Nation ☛ Solidarity. Black Lives Always Matter.
-
The Straits Times ☛ ST Picks: Anti-graft probes in Malaysia raise questions over potential abuse
-
RFERL ☛ Uzbek President Starts 3-Day State Visit To China
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev left Tashkent for Beijing on January 23 to start a three-day state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese leader Pooh-tin Jinping.
-
Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda
-
University of Michigan ☛ Schools should teach media literacy
More than three quarters of Generation Z relies on social media for news [sic]. Although X, formerly known as Twitter, is the most commonly used social media website by journalists, the general public decidedly prefers Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for their news. Younger generations increasingly rely on social media influencers rather than journalists to interpret and report the news.
-
Futurism ☛ Officials Investigating AI-Powered Joe Biden Calling People in New Hampshire
"Although the voice in the robocall sounds like the voice of President Biden, this message appears to be artificially generated based on initial indications," the statement indicated. "These messages appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election and to suppress New Hampshire voters."
Sent out on January 21, the message with the fake Biden voice told residents of the state that their vote vote "makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday."
-
NBC ☛ Fake Joe Biden robocall tells New Hampshire Democrats not to vote Tuesday
And Sullivan said that while it is not clear who is behind the robocall, “it’s obviously somebody who wants to hurt Joe Biden.”
“I want them to be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible, because this is an attack on democracy,” said Sullivan, an attorney, who said she believes the call could violate several laws. “I’m not going to let it go. I want to know who’s paying for it. Who knew about it? Who benefits?”
She said she also plans to engage with federal law enforcement.
-
-
-
Censorship/Free Speech
-
RFA ☛ Chinese flag-wavers call in London cops over YouTuber's livestream
Pianist defends right to free speech despite being told by transport police to stop filming and not to post.
-
JURIST ☛ UN expert condemns ‘severe crackdowns’ on environmental protestors in UK
In his letter, Forst highlighted the use of the Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 to prosecute environmental defenders. Peaceful protestors have been convicted under this law for the crime of “public nuisance,” which can be punished with up to ten years imprisonment. Forst emphasises that prosecution of peaceful protests has been “almost unheard of since the 1930s” in the UK. He stated, “States have a duty to facilitate the right to protest, and private entities and broader society may be expected to accept some level of disruption as a result of the exercise of this right.”
Another issue highlighted in the letter was the “harsh bail conditions” of those waiting for their criminal trial. Forst reported prohibitions on contact with others in the environmental movement, requirements to wear electronic ankle tags, enforcement of curfews, and GPS tracking. Forst “seriously question[ed] the necessity and proportionality of such conditions for persons engaging in peaceful protest.”
-
Democracy Now ☛ “Many of My Shows Have Been Canceled”: Chinese Artist Ai Weiwei on Israel, Gaza & Censorship
We speak with acclaimed Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who recently had an exhibition in London canceled after he publicly criticized Israel’s assault on Gaza. “We are gradually losing the ground of democracy or personal freedom,” says Ai, whose show in London was indefinitely postponed after he posted a controversial tweet about Israel in November. He joins Democracy Now! to discuss his longtime support of Palestine and Western hypocrisy over human rights and free speech. Ai Weiwei also describes his new graphic novel Zodiac, about his experiences as a Chinese dissident.
-
Torrent Freak ☛ X Corp. Fights 'Genshin Impact' Subpoena, Defends Alleged Leakers' "Anonymous Speech"
X Corp refuses to comply with a DMCA subpoena targeting X/Twitter users who allegedly leaked unreleased Genshin Impact content online. Publisher Cognosphere obtained the subpoena last November and views this is a straightforward matter. X Corp believes that the lack of judicial oversight built into the DMCA subpoena process poses a risk to the First Amendment rights of its users.
-
Techdirt ☛ Freshman State Lawmaker Wants To Ban Porn In Oklahoma
A far-right state lawmaker in the Oklahoma state legislature has started his first term on the civil liberties shortbus. Sen. Dusty Deevers, a Republican lawmaker and Southern Baptist pastor, introduced a complete ban on consensual pornography despite its First Amendment protections.
-
-
Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
-
Counter Punch ☛ There’s No Free Press Without a Free Assange
There is a gauntlet at the feet of the U.S. government—the truth versus more duplicity and doublespeak. Julian Assange and represents this conflict. As Maurizi recently observed, even 13 years later, the Wikileaks revelations continue to inform the public of some of the most serious crimes of the United States and those states in its global thrall. It is unclear whether any U.S. official will ever have to answer for those crimes. That seems less than likely. Successive military and intelligence leaders have perjured themselves in an attempt to cover this wrongdoing, doubling and tripling down on a distraction campaign focused on the very few people like Assange who have dared to tell the truth about the murder and destruction perpetrated on the world by the U.S. and its vassals.
-
Consortium News ☛ John Pilger: Assange Arrest a Warning From History
Consortium News this month pays tribute to the life and work of John Pilger, an all-time great journalist who died Dec. 30. Today we republish his essay from April 2019 just after Julian Assange’s arrest.
[...]
Even if journalists who published WikiLeaks‘ leaks are not summoned by an American grand jury, the intimidation of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning will be enough. Real journalism is being criminalized by thugs in plain sight. Dissent has become an indulgence.
-
Scheerpost ☛ Julian Assange Excluded From Jailed Journalist Index Again
The 2023 census takes on greater significance given the Israeli government’s war on Gaza and the military attacks and crackdown on Palestinian journalists. Seventeen journalists were jailed by Israel, the “highest number of arrests” since CPJ began tracking arrests in 1992. It is the first time that Israel has “ranked among the top six offenders.”
But at this moment, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his legal team are preparing for a major hearing on February 20 before the High Court of the Justice in the United Kingdom. They view the hearing as a final opportunity to save him from extradition to the United States, where he was charged with violating the Espionage Act in 2019.
-
New Statesman ☛ The Pitchfork years
The gutting of Pitchfork is not just a loss for writers and editors, but all music fans. Spotify’s algorithm can introduce you to new music but it can’t contextualise it or tell its stories. Replacing media “gatekeepers” with AI ones has not enriched the culture. There are new formats for music journalism – the YouTuber Anthony Fantano is perhaps the world’s most influential music critic, while Cole Cuchna’s podcast Dissect is a masterclass in analysis – but like any art form, popular music deserves a thriving critical culture in the written word. While some music websites survive, notably the defiantly left-field digital magazine, the Quietus, it is striking that the alleged dinosaurs of print, led in the UK by Mojo and Uncut, have outlasted most of their supposed successors.
-
-
Civil Rights/Policing
-
Democracy Now ☛ From Freezing Cold to Housing Insecurity, Migrants Face Crisis in NYC, Chicago & Beyond
As nine Democratic governors join together to call on President Biden and Congress to address the humanitarian crisis faced by migrants, we look at conditions faced by tens of thousands of asylum seekers in New York City and Chicago. Many arrived over the last year on buses from Texas as part of Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s anti-immigrant efforts. We hear from a migrant staying in a tent shelter at a former airport site in New York City where they face below-freezing temperatures and a lack of medical services, and we speak with immigration rights activists. Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, and Oscar Chacón, executive director of Alianza Americas, discuss how immigrants have been treated as scapegoats by leaders who have failed to provide services and reform the immigration system. “Migrants are simply making these failures in our society very visible,” says Chacón.
-
Futurism ☛ Oops! Replacing Workers With AI Is Actually More Expensive, MIT Finds
As detailed in a new paper, the team examined the cost-effectiveness of 1,000 "visual inspection" tasks across 800 occupations, such as inspecting food to see whether it's gone bad. They discovered that just 23 percent of workers' total wages "would be attractive to automate," mainly because of the "large upfront costs of AI systems" — and that's if the automatable tasks could even "be separated from other parts" of the jobs.
That said, they admit, those economics may well change over time.
-
RFA ☛ Tibetan monk serving 3 years in prison for leading prayers during COVID lockdown
Lobsang Tashi, 43, the former chant master of Kirti Monastery in Ngaba county in southwest China’s Sichuan province, was also sentenced for making offerings on behalf of those who died during the pandemic to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama and the India-based abbot of his monastery, said the sources, who asked not to be named for safety reasons.
Chinese authorities arrested Tashi on June 10, 2021 and detained him for a few months, during which a secret trial was held, the sources told RFA. One of the sources is from inside Tibet and the remaining two, who now live outside China, were formerly based in Ngaba.
-
Modern Diplomacy ☛ Trade unions alarmed by EU’s industrial collapse
Europe’s major trade union organisations have expressed deep concern about the scale of the EU’s industrial decline, as structurally high energy prices continue to lay waste to a crucial pillar of the bloc’s economy, notes ‘The Euractiv’.
Fears were compounded after a Eurostat study published on Monday (15 January) found that month-on-month industrial production in the EU fell by 0.2% in November last year, the third consecutive monthly decrease. Year-on-year industrial output was also down 5.8% in November after declining by 5.4% in October.
-
RFERL ☛ Underage Marriages Rampant In Tajikistan Despite Increased Legal Age To Wed
The government also warned religious figures not to conduct a "nikah" to anyone below 18.
-
CS Monitor ☛ When your job interviewer’s initials are AI
Artificial intelligence is spreading into the hiring process despite widespread public skepticism. Innovations in automated interviewing are happening so quickly that governments are struggling to keep up with ground rules. Left unresolved are larger ethical questions, such as: Can we trust machines to judge human talent and potential? Will AI interviewers be less biased than human ones?
Such questions haven't stopped companies from rushing to embrace the technology, at least for entry-level positions and internships, despite drawbacks of machine-based interviewing and previous problems with discrimination.
-
Silicon Angle ☛ Amazon fined in France for excessively monitoring warehouse employees
CNIL said workers were under pressure to perform, knowing surveillance systems were continually monitoring what they did. One such apparatus was “stow machine guns” that keep track of hand speeds when staff are scanning packages. The watchdog said there were also artificial intelligence systems that measure a worker’s “idle time.”
-
Scoop News Group ☛ White House is ‘doubling down’ on accessibility when it comes to digital experiences
Jonathan Finch, the White House’s acting director for digital experience, said during a webinar Tuesday that the General Services Administration’s Technology Modernization Fund is staying especially busy with requests of that kind, which are coming in the aftermath of OMB M-23-22, released last September, and a December digital accessibility memo building off that guidance and the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act of 2018.
-
EFF ☛ EFF and More Than 100+ NGOS Set Non-Negotiable Redlines Ahead of UN Cybercrime Treaty Negotiations
The last draft published on November 6, 2023 does not adequately ensure adherence to human rights law and standards. Initially focused on cybercrime, the proposed Treaty has alarmingly evolved into an expansive surveillance tool.
Katitza Rodriguez, EFF Policy Director for Global Privacy, asserts ahead of the upcoming concluding negotiations:
Historically, cybercrime legislation has been exploited to target journalists and security researchers, suppress dissent and whistleblowers, endanger human rights defenders, limit free expression, and justify unnecessary and disproportionate state surveillance measures. We are concerned that the proposed Treaty, as it stands now, will exacerbate these problems. The proposed treaty concluding session will be held at the UN Headquarters in New York from January 29 to February 10th. EFF will be attending in person.
-
Techdirt ☛ Streisand Effect Still Applies Even If You Steal Every Copy Of A Newspaper To (You Believe) Protect A ‘Victim’
I don’t think I’ve ever had so many people send me a “Streisand Effect” story as the one about a small town having nearly every copy of a newspaper stolen. Many people assumed that the culprit who stole the papers did so to try to perhaps protect the perpetrators of a sexual assault (or possibly one of the accused’s step-father, the local police chief). In reality, it turns out that it was actually someone who (incorrectly and naively) thought they were protecting the victim of the crime. But, the Streisand Effect still applies one way or the other — and the stolen newspapers brought way, way, way more attention to the whole thing.
-
Meduza ☛ German court bans Forbes from saying billionaire Alisher Usmanov ‘fronted’ for Putin — Meduza
-
Meduza ☛ Russian city council votes to revoke mandate of lawmaker who condemned war and called Putin a monster — Meduza
-
RFERL ☛ Russian Regional Lawmaker's Mandate Annulled After His Open Criticism Of Putin
Lawmakers on the Perm City Council on January 23 voted to cancel the mandate of their colleague, Sergei Medvedev, over his open criticism of Kremlin policies.
-
-
Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
-
Techdirt ☛ FCC To End Broadband Discounts For Poor People After Republicans Undermine Program
The FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), part of the 2021 infrastructure bill, currently provides 23 million low-income Americans a $30 broadband discount. While it didn’t get much hype, that’s a big deal in a country where broadband affordability is a massive obstacle due to muted competition.
-
-
Digital Restrictions (DRM)
-
Lee Peterson ☛ Trying to budget for one TV streaming service at a time
I’ve been watching a lot of TV over the last year but decided to only budget for one at a time. I’ve been looking at what’s coming out and planning accordingly.
-
EFF ☛ Fragging: The Subscription Model Comes for Gamers
The video game industry is undergoing the same concerning changes we’ve seen before with film and TV, and it underscores the need for meaningful digital ownership.
Twenty years ago you owned DVDs. Ten years ago you probably had a Netflix subscription with a seemingly endless library. Now, you probably have two to three subscription services, and regularly hear about shows and movies you can no longer access, either because they’ve moved to yet another subscription service, or because platforms are delisting them all together.
The video game industry is getting the same treatment. While it is still common for people to purchase physical or digital copies of games, albeit often from within walled gardens like Steam or Epic Games, game subscriptions are becoming more and more common. Like the early days of movie streaming, services like Microsoft Game Pass or PlayStation Plus seem to offer a good deal. For a flat monthly fee, you have access to seemingly unlimited game choices. That is, for now.
-
Tom's Hardware ☛ HP CEO justifies blocking third-party ink cartridges by claiming they can inject malware
HP CEO Enrique Lores gave an interview to CNBC where he was asked about the firmware bricking printers with third-party inks. The CEO said they're protecting their IP, but continued saying that third-party cartridges can inject viruses.
-
-
India Times ☛ Apple bids to throw out $1 billion UK lawsuit over app store fees
The case, worth up to 785 million pounds ($998 million) and one of several faced by the tech giant in the United Kingdom, alleges Apple charged third-party developers unfair commissions of up to 30% on purchases of apps or other content.
Sean Ennis, a competition law professor and a former economist at the OECD, is spearheading the case which was filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) last year.
-
CoryDoctorow ☛ Boeing, Spirit and Jetblue, a monopoly horror-story
Why, after all, have Spirit and Jetblue been so ardent in pursuing mergers? Jetblue has had two failed merger attempts with Virgin, and this is the third time they've failed in an attempt to merge with Spirit. Spirit, meanwhile, just lost a bid to merge with Frontier. Why are these two airlines so obsessed with combining with each other or any other airline that will have them?
As Dayen explains, it's because US aviation has been consumed by monopoly, hollowed out to the point of near collapse, thanks to neoliberal policies at every part of the aviation supply-chain. For one thing, there's just not enough pilots, nor enough air-traffic controllers (recall that Reagan's first major act in office was to destroy the air traffic controller's union).
But even more importantly, there are no more planes. Boeing's waitlist for airplane delivery stretches to 2029. And Boeing is about to deliver a lot fewer planes, thanks to its disastrous corner-cutting, which grounded a vast global fleet of 737 Max aircraft (again): [...]
-
Deutsche Welle ☛ EU antitrust authority probes Lufthansa's ITA stake bid
The European Union's anti-trust authority has launched an investigation into German carrier Lufthansa's effort to acquire a 41% stake in Italy's ITA Airways.
-
Patents
-
Unified Patents ☛ INPADOC Extended Families can now be searched on Unified's Portal
These features are available in the Patent Search portal, as well as OPAL’s IEEE, 3GPP, and Video Codec landscapes, to enable accurate top-down counting and analysis.
DOCDB simple families typically include a collection of patent monopoly applications covering the same technical content.
-
Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Judge Pauline Newman: Evaluate For Yourself [Ed: A patent maximalist who caused problems for CAFC, insisting that monopolies were great; nothing says "moderate" like being in Substack, the nazi's go-to pub]
David Lat has a great new podcast with Judge Pauline Newman and asks listeners to “evaluate the 96-year-old jurist’s mental acuity for yourself by listening to this podcast.
-
-
Trademarks
-
TTAB Blog ☛ Precedential No. 3: TTAB Rules that a Cancellation Petition Filed During Grace Period is Mooted If Section 8 Declaration Is Not Filed
In a slight variation of the recent precedential ruling in Taylor v. Motor Trend [TTABlogged here], the Board ruled that a cancellation proceeding commenced during the Section 8 grace period for the target registration is mooted if the registrant does not timely file its Section 8 Declaration of Use. The Men’s Wearhouse, LLC v. WKND NYC LLC, 2024 USPQ2d 86 (TTAB 2024) [precedential].
-
TTAB Blog ☛ At USPTO's Request, CAFC Re-designates as Precedential Its EVERYBODY VS RACISM Failure-to-Function Affirmance
At the request of the USPTO under Fed. Cir. R. 32.1(e), the CAFC has re-designated as precedential its opinion in In re GO & Associates, LLC, Appeal No. 2022-1961 (Fed. Cir. Nov. 14, 2023, re-designated as precedential, January 22, 2024).
-
-
Copyrights
-
Michael Geist ☛ Canadian Copyright in the Age of Generative AI: My Submission to the Government’s Copyright Consultation
The government’s consultation on copyright and generative AI closed last week. The submissions are not yet public, but I am pleased to post my submission, which focused on an exception for text and data mining, the inclusion of copyrighted works in large language models, and the copyright implications of outputs from generative AI systems. My submission noted that the consultation raises several questions related to generative AI and copyright. I focused on three: [...]
-
Public Domain Review ☛ Clear Shadows (1867)
A compilation of silhouette portraits by the artist Ochiai Yoshiiku (1833–1904), which includes short biographies, picture riddles, and poems.
-
Digital Music News ☛ TikTok is Eyeing Another Big Music Move, This Time in Nashville [Ed: Nashville's music scene to be captured by a weapon controlled by CPC?]
TikTok is eyeing a big move into Nashville with a minimum 100,000-square-foot lease in Music Row’s Moore Building. Fentanylware (TikTok) is looking to expand its Music City footprint with a move into a larger and more permanent Nashville office.
-
-
Gemini* and Gopher
-
Personal/Opinions
-
Technology and Free Software
-
DNS Guardrails with dnscrypt-proxy
Over the holidays we got our two younger children HP laptops for them to do their school work on and to have a proper computer. While the schools Google login effectively adds restrictions to Chrome, I still wanted to have some guardrails on their Internet access as well as ad-blocking.
-
Programming
-
building veilidchat
it was kind of straight forward.
-
-
-
Monopolies/Monopsonies
-
* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.