Links 29/01/2024: Antitrust Matters and More on GAFAM Layoffs
Contents
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Leftovers
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Troy Hunt ☛ Weekly Update 384
I spent longer than I expected talking about Trello this week, in part because I don't feel the narrative they presented properly acknowledges their responsibility for the incident and in part because I think the impact of scraping in general is misunderstood.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Problems run deep as Chinese football ‘slides into abyss’
Aleksandar Jankovic looks set to pay the price for China’s worst Asian Cup in history, but the problems afflicting Chinese football run far deeper than the coach.
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Hackaday ☛ A Hydroelectric Dam, Built Out Of LEGO
Hydroelectric dams are usually major infrastructure projects that costs tens of millions of dollars to construct. But they don’t have to be — you can build your own at home, using LEGO, as [Build it with Bricks] demonstrates!
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Hackaday ☛ In Praise Of “Simple” Projects
When I start off on a “simple” project, experience shows that it’s got about a 10% chance of actually remaining simple. Sometimes it’s because Plan A never works out the way I think it will, due to either naivety or simply the random blockers that always get in the way and need surmounting. But a decent percentage of the time, it’s because something really cool happens along the way. Indeed, my favorite kind of “simple” projects are those that open up your eyes to a new world of possibilities or experiments that, taken together, are nothing like simple anymore.
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LRT ☛ Lithuania’s pavilion at Venice Biennale looks at planet in fever
The Lithuanian artist duo Pakui Hardware will be representing the country at the 60th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale. Their work Inflammation explores the topic of the climate crisis and the fevers that consume the planet and its people.
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Science
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The Conversation ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Could quantum physics be the key that unlocks the secrets of human behaviour?
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Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Turkey's first astronaut takes off for ISS on private flight
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-20 [Older] Four Astronauts, Including Turkey's First, Arrive at Space Station
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Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-01-26 [Older] NASA's history-making Ingenuity takes its final flight
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Hardware
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Green Party UK ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Steel jobs cull underscores need for a just move to greening industry
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Hackaday ☛ A General-Purpose PID Controller
For those new to fields like robotics or aerospace, it can seem at first glance that a problem like moving a robot arm or flying an RC airplane might be simple problems to solve. It turns out, however, that control of systems like these can get complicated quickly; so much so that these types of problems have spawned their own dedicated branch of engineering. As controls engineers delve into this field, one of their initial encounters with a control system is often with the PID controller, and this open source project delivers two of these general-purpose controllers in one box.
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Hackaday ☛ A Look At 3D Printed Professional LED Signage
Customer perception is everything when you’re running a business, particularly in retail. High-quality signage can go a long way into creating a good impression in this respect. [king process] decided to show us how professional-grade LED signage is made in a Korean shop that specializes in the work.
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Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
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New York Times ☛ The Quiet Luxury of South Korea’s Postpartum Care Centers
Some new mothers say postpartum care centers are the best part of childbirth in South Korea, where fewer people are deciding to have children because of high costs.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s young workers turn to singing bowls to combat sleeplessness, stress
By Qian Ye and Greg Baker It’s just after midday in a quiet studio in Beijing, and Xuan Yi is finally getting the deep sleep she’s craved for months.
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Green Party UK ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] NHS needs increased funding, not Labour's 'reform and efficiency' savings say Greens
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ANF News ☛ 2024-01-21 [Older] 150 tons of wheat wasted in Turkish attacks on North-East Syria
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Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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The Gamer ☛ I’m Okay With Layoffs If A Video Game Company Shakes Its Keys At Me
Hi! As someone who loves video games, I also know that they’re sure hard to make! From the YouTube videos I’ve watched and podcasts I’ve listened to, I know it takes hundreds and even thousands of people to design, develop, and release a major video game. These are people who have spent decades of their lives invested in the creation of entertaining interactive experiences. Some of my favorite stories were crafted by these artisans. From designers to musicians to testers to office support staff, there are so many people who work to make things I like for a company that I love.
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Recent Microsoft Layoffs Casts Doubt on Future of Call of Duty
Earlier this week, Microsoft, for the second straight year, announced a series of layoffs, with more than 1,900 employees, primarily part of Activision Blizzard, having been let go.
While Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Game Studios, and Xbox were all affected by the layoffs, Activision Blizzard was hurt the most, with every Call of Duty team, from the big names such as Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games, and Raven Software to support studios like High Moon Studio, Beenox, and Toys for Bob, losing a chunk of their workforce. Sledgehammer Games and Toys for Bob, especially, were hit the hardest, losing 30% of their staff members, as noted by CharlieIntel.
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The Conversation ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] Spreadsheet errors can have disastrous consequences – yet we keep making the same mistakes
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Engadget ☛ 2024-01-18 [Older] Amazon's latest layoffs hit Buy with Prime, which lets you use Prime benefits on other websites
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Security
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Privacy/Surveillance
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JURIST ☛ US senator releases letter alleging NSA buys personal data without warrant
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a letter Thursday alleging that the US National Security Agency (NSA) buys Americans’ internet browsing information from commercial brokers without a warrant. According to the letter, US intelligence agencies are acquiring data about Americans from private data brokers, and have been for several years.
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Ars Technica ☛ Facebook suffers big loss in lawsuit against data-scraping company
One year after Meta sued a data-scraping company, a federal judge this week threw out Meta’s breach-of-contract claim because the defendant obtained only public data from Facebook and Instagram.
Meta sued Bright Data in January 2023, making claims of breach of contract and tortious interference with contract. Bright Data is an Israeli company that collects data from various websites and offers related products to businesses.
“Bright Data concedes that it was bound to Meta’s Terms while it had Facebook and Instagram accounts, and that it sells data collected from Facebook and Instagram,” US District Judge Edward Chen wrote in a ruling issued Tuesday. “However, even viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party (Meta)… the Facebook and Instagram Terms do not bar logged-off scraping of public data; perforce it does not prohibit the sale of such public data. Therefore, the Terms cannot bar Bright Data’s logged-off scraping activities.”
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Gizmodo ☛ 2024-01-24 [Older] Amazon’s Ring App Will No Longer Make It Easy for Cops to Get Video Footage
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Engadget ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] France fines Amazon $35 million over ‘intrusive’ employee surveillance
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Gizmodo ☛ 2024-01-20 [Older] Self-Checkout on the Outs, Google Search Kind of Sucks, and More
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Defence/Aggression
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RFA ☛ US urges China to push Iran to pressure Houthis over Red Sea attacks
Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bangkok.
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RFA ☛ US national security advisor meeting Chinese foreign minister in Bangkok
The meeting stresses Thailand’s strategic position as the middleman for the super powers, says expert.
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RFERL ☛ Biden Adviser Raised Iran's Support For Huthis With China
U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan pressed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to use his country's influence to help rein in Iran's support for Huthi rebels attacking Red Sea merchant vessels, according to a senior Biden administration official.
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RFERL ☛ Huthis' TV Says U.S., British Air Strikes Target Yemen Port
The Huthis' Al-Masira television said on January 27 the United States and Britain launched two air strikes that targeted the port of Ras Issa, Yemen's main oil export terminal.
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JURIST ☛ Burkina Faso military faces scrutiny for drone strikes on civilian targets
Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report Thursday bringing attention to three military drone strikes conducted by Burkina Faso’s government, reportedly targeting Islamist fighters.
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CS Monitor ☛ ‘We decide’: Netanyahu pushes back on UN ruling as war in Gaza beats on
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will “act according to what is required for our security” after the International Court of Justice’s order to limit death and destruction in Gaza.
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France24 ☛ Western countries mull funding for UN agency in Gaza
Several key donor countries to UNRWA, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, said they would suspend their funding following accusations by Israel that a dozen of its employees were involved in Hamas's October 7 attack. Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Finland joined the US and Canada on Saturday in pausing disbursements, with Switzerland saying it would take no decision until the “serious accusations” were clarified.
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YLE ☛ Finland suspends funding for UN agency serving Palestinians
The decision is in response to allegations that UN agency staff played a role in the Hamas attack on Israel last October.
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YLE ☛ Estonia sees more crossings since Finland's eastern border closure
Thousands of more people are passing through Narva than usual, according to Estonian border authorities.
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YLE ☛ Finland observes Holocaust Remembrance Day
The name change was spurred by the government's racism scandals last summer.
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Meduza ☛ Biden administration approves sale of F-16s to Turkey after Erdoğan ratifies Sweden’s accession to NATO — Meduza
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The Straits Times ☛ North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles: South Korea military
The launch comes just days after Pyongyang fired multiple cruise missiles towards the Yellow Sea.
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The Straits Times ☛ China acknowledges imprisoning a British man on spy charges
Businessman Ian Stones was sentenced to 5 years' jail in 2022; he disappeared from public view in 2018.
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JURIST ☛ WSJ: missing UK businessman convicted and being held for espionage in China
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an exclusive report Thursday revealing that UK businessman Ian J. Stones, who spent decades working in China and disappeared from public view in 2018, was actually convicted of espionage and is being held by the Chinese government.
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JURIST ☛ China urges US to cease military operations in Taiwan Strait
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) urged the US on Thursday to halt passage of military ships in the Taiwan Strait. A spokesperson for the PRC Ministry of National Defense stated that the US must “stop abusing international law,” and “cease all dangerous provocations.”
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Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Pakistan says ready to work with Iran on 'all issues'
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NL Times ☛ 2024-01-20 [Older] D66 leader warns against right-wing extremism and populism in Brussels speech
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-26 [Older] Climate Threatened Tuvalu Holds Election Watched by Taiwan, China
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-22 [Older] Saudi Arabia's Top Diplomat Says It Won't Recognize Israel Without a Path to a Palestinian State
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-20 [Older] Saudi Says Escalating Tensions Amid Houthi Attacks and US Strikes Are Dangerous
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Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
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The Local SE ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] Turkey expected to vote on Sweden's Nato membership this week [Ed: Asking Erdogan for permission to defend from Putin]
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CBC ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] Turkey's parliament approves Sweden's NATO membership, lifting key hurdle to entry into alliance
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The Local SE ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] Turkey approves Sweden's Nato application as Erdogan signs ratification
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BIA Net ☛ 2024-01-26 [Older] Turkey's parliament greenlights Sweden's NATO membership
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-24 [Older] Hungary Is the Last Holdout for Sweden's NATO Membership. So When Will Orbán Follow Turkey's Lead?
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Environment
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Fiasco over Hong Kong’s solid waste charging scheme highlights flaws in the way government works
The fiasco over Hong Kong’s solid waste charging scheme – the start of which has been further postponed, from April 1 to August 1 – highlights shortcomings in the way the government works and its failure to learn from the past.
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The Conversation ☛ 2024-01-24 [Older] The palm tree that lives beneath the rainforest floor
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International Business Times ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] Amazon Rainforest Faces Devastating Drought as Climate Crisis Worsens
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TruthOut ☛ 2024-01-24 [Older] Biden’s Base Revolts: Climate Activists Ramp Up Pressure Ahead of Super Tuesday
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Vox ☛ 2024-01-24 [Older] Surprise! There’s a reason to be (cautiously) optimistic about the climate.
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HRW ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] Panama Moves Closer Towards First Climate-Related Relocation
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] 'Doomsday Clock' Signals Existential Threats of Nuclear War, Climate Disasters and AI
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Vox ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] Your home’s cleaner, better heating system comes with one major cost
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TruthOut ☛ 2024-01-22 [Older] Exxon Sues to Stop Investors From Voting on Climate Resolution at Annual Meeting
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NL Times ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Dutch activists sue ING: "Climate crisis banker" funds firms "that endanger our future"
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The Local SE ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] What climate science says about this year's cold, snowy winter in the Nordics
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Climate Change Could Cut Global Life Spans by Half a Year
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Climate Change Could Make Diarrheal Illness More Common
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Vox ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Why have our winters gotten so weird?
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] US Launches Disaster Relief Reforms as Climate-Driven Events Rise
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Energy/Transportation
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] Court Clears Path for Brazil to Renew Energy Distribution Concessions
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Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-01-22 [Older] How a German town wants to reinvent clean energy sharing
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The Age AU ☛ 2024-01-21 [Older] Labor to pledge more help on energy costs
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-22 [Older] Tribes, Environmental Groups Ask US Court to Block $10B Energy Transmission Project in Arizona
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CBC ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Alberta regulator vastly underestimated cost of well clean-up, new internal documents suggest
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BIA Net ☛ 2024-01-26 [Older] Electricity consumption of ATMs in Turkey surpassed the consumption in four cities
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Bridge Michigan ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] State board OKs petition to repeal Michigan renewable energy siting law
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TruthOut ☛ 2024-01-20 [Older] Big Agriculture and Big Oil Join Forces to Lobby for Clean Energy Credits
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The Next Platform ☛ 2024-01-24 [Older] Energy Giant Eni Boosts Its HPC Oomph By An Order Of Magnitude
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YLE ☛ Spot prices negative Sunday night
Electricity prices will remain low on the Nord Pool exchange on Sunday.
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CBC ☛ 2024-01-24 [Older] What does a world full of EVs look like? Go to Norway
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Hackaday ☛ Ground-Effect Vehicle To Carry Passengers Around Hawaii
Although Hawaii used to have a ferry service to access the various islands in the archipelago, due to environmental and political issues, air travel is now the only way to island-hop. Various companies have tried to fill this transportation gap, but have all been stymied for one reason or another. The latest to attempt to solve this problem is a unique one, however. The Hawaii Seaglider Initiative is currently testing a ground-effect vehicle for inter-island passenger service that hopes to use the unique characteristics of this type of aircraft to reduce costs and limit environmental concerns.
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Hackaday ☛ Hotshot 3D Printed Hovercraft Is Devastatingly Fast
These days, it’s pretty cheap and easy to build your own little RC hovercraft. [ValRC] demonstrates just that with a hovercraft build that is surprisingly nimble, and fast to boot.
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New York Times ☛ London’s Highline Will Echo Its New York Inspiration, With Local Notes
Hoping to repeat the success of Manhattan’s park, London is transforming a disused rail line, elevated 25 feet above the city’s streets, into its own floating green space.
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Hackaday ☛ Harvesting Electricity From High-Voltage Transmission Lines Using Fences
When you have a bunch of 230 kV transmission lines running over your property, why not use them for some scientific experiments? This is where the [Double M Innovations] YouTube channel comes into play, including a recent video where the idea of harvesting electricity from HV transmission lines using regular fences is put to an initial test.
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Jacobin Magazine ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] Big Oil’s Marketing Campaign Is Targeting US Classrooms
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Overpopulation
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The Straits Times ☛ Waste incinerator plan sparks protests, highlights Malaysia’s landfill shortage
Malaysia is expected to run out of landfill sites to bury its rubbish by 2050.
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The Straits Times ☛ Baby boom expected in China during Dragon Year not enough to save fertility crisis [Ed: No, couples choosing not to over-populate the planet is not "fertility crisis"]
The birthrate has been on the decline despite government efforts to reverse it.
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Finance
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Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] Argentina: A general strike and a shot at consensus
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Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] ECB keeps key eurozone interest rates steady
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The Straits Times ☛ China’s new youth jobless rate does little to quell scepticism about economic data
Using a new methodology that excludes students, the unemployment rate for urban youth in December 2023 was 14.9%.
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Green Party UK ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] Poverty is a political choice: Carla Denyer reacts to Joseph Rowntree Foundation report
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Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-01-18 [Older] Davos: 'When will you tax extreme wealth?' super-rich ask
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] US Banks Warn Costly Deposits to Weaken Interest Income in 2024
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AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
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New York Times ☛ In South Carolina, Biden Tries to Persuade Black Voters to Reject Trump
President Biden sought to energize his base in the state that propelled him to the White House, but some local leaders said he needed to do more to highlight his achievements.
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New York Times ☛ The Ogre Gorging on America
Trump gives the bitchiest victory speech ever.
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JURIST ☛ Czech Republic senate rejects Istanbul Convention on violence against women
The Senate of the Czech Republic has voted against ratifying the Istanbul Convention, a convention from the Council of Europe (COE) intended to curb domestic violence and violence against women.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Expats’: Amazon show with Hong Kong Umbrella Movement protest scenes not shown in city
A new television series starring Nicole Kidman and featuring scenes of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests debuted on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, but could not be accessed in the Chinese city where it was partly filmed.
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The Straits Times ☛ Thailand, China sign mutual visa waiver agreements
Thailand and China agreed to waive visa requirements for each other's nationals to facilitate travel and tourism between the two countries, Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara said on Sunday.
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France24 ☛ US, China say top officials had 'candid' talks in Bangkok
China and the United States said Saturday that top diplomat Wang Yi and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held "candid, substantive" talks in Thailand's capital Bangkok, with the issue of Taiwan central after recent elections there.
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Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda
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Censorship/Free Speech
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New Yorker ☛ The Future of Academic Freedom
As the Israel-Hamas war provokes claims about unacceptable speech, the ability to debate difficult subjects is in renewed peril.
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Reason ☛ Libel, the Knights of Malta, and Demons
Not a new Dan Brown novel.
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Engadget ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] Meta’s Oversight Board raises concerns over automated moderation of hate speech
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Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] Turkey: Internet censorship before local elections
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BIA Net ☛ 2024-01-26 [Older] Turkey launches first crewed space mission
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Civil Rights/Policing
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JURIST ☛ China music student convicted in US for harassing democracy activist
Chinese music student Xiaolei Wu was convicted Thursday on charges that he harassed a democracy activist at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Wu was convicted following a four-day jury trial of one count of cyberstalking and one count of interstate transmissions of threatening communication.
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IP Kat ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Tom Mitcheson KC appointed Deputy High Court Judge [Ed: A man in robe to work for rich people, who can afford high legal fees]
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Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] HRW supports Evert and Navratilova on Saudi Arabia stance [Ed: But HRW once accepted a bribe from Saudi Arabia, only walked back after massive backlash]
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ANF News ☛ 2024-01-26 [Older] PACE concerned about rise in use of torture in Turkey
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BIA Net ☛ 2024-01-26 [Older] PACE: 'Torture and ill-treatment becoming more widespread in Turkey'
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BIA Net ☛ 2024-01-26 [Older] Court president in Dina's case: 'There is no racism in Turkey'
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CBC ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Suspended Vancouver lawyer's lawsuit dismissed as abuse of process with pseudolegal hallmarks
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Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
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[Repeat] Ruben Schade ☛ Longer-form posts
I’ve been trying an experiment this week writing fewer, longer posts instead of more short ones. It’s been kind of fun, and also a welcome distraction from some more bad family news.
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Digital Restrictions (DRM)
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Engadget ☛ 2024-01-24 [Older] Apple reportedly plans to charge developers if they offer sideloaded apps [Ed: The term "sideloaded" is a horrible misnomer. Who actually owns the device? The buyer?]
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Engadget ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] Apple details how third-party app stores and payments will work in Europe
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The Wall Street Journal ☛ Apple Plans New Fees and Restrictions for Downloads Outside App Store
Meta, Spotify and other companies are weighing new options for customers as Apple makes changes to comply with new European law
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Roberto Frenna ☛ 2024-01-23 [Older] How Apple accidentally broke my Spotify client
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BBC ☛ 2024-01-20 [Older] Spotify Attacks Apple’s ‘Outrageous’ 27 Percent Commission From External Links
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Engadget ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] The FTC is investigating Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet's investments into AI startups
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Gizmodo ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] Feds Launch Inquiry Into OpenAI and Microsoft’s Messy Relationship
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Engadget ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] Microsoft slashes 1,900 jobs across Xbox and Activision Blizzard
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Apple Offers Rivals Access to Tap-And-Go Payment Tech to Resolve EU Antitrust Case
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Engadget ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Apple offers to open up NFC payments to rival companies in EU antitrust case
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Patents
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Counter Punch ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] Big Pharma Embattled Over Cheap Drug Imports, Patents
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2024-01-26 [Older] USPTO Contributes Patent and Trademark Data to Help Launch National AI Research Resource Pilot Program [Ed: Surfing buzzwords.]
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US News And World Report ☛ 2024-01-24 [Older] EU Patent Rule, Disputed by Nokia and Ericsson, Gets Key EU Lawmakers' Vote
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2024-01-26 [Older] Malvern Panalytical Inc. v. TA Instruments-Waters LLC (Fed. Cir. 2023)
One of the characteristics of patent infringement litigation in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision in Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc. (holding that claim construction was a matter of law to be reviewed de novo by the Federal Circuit; but see Teva Pharma. USA, Inc. v. Sandoz, Inc.) was that an inordinate proportion of claim construction decisions were overturned in whole or part. Those proclivities have been attenuated in the years following the Cybor v. FAS Technologies* opinion, but the Court's recent decision in Malvern Panalytical Inc. v. TA Instruments-Waters LLC is reminiscent of those bygone days of Federal Circuit preeminence.
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Trademarks
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IP Kat ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] Another “brick” in Lego’s modular systems design protection
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IP Kat ☛ 2024-01-25 [Older] EU Court of Justice clarifies scope of TM referential use exception in ZARA case (C-361/22)
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IP Kat ☛ 2024-01-22 [Older] CJEU: Damage claim for unlawful provisional measures may be based on strict liability
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IP Kat ☛ 2024-01-20 [Older] [Guest post] 3D trade mark application refused due to lack of distinctiveness: Applicant must pull up stakes (tents) at EUIPO
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IP Kat ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] EU Regulation on geographical indication protection for craft and industrial products: Italy takes first step
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IP Kat ☛ 2024-01-19 [Older] How did WW1 and WW2 impact French geographical indications?
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Gemini* and Gopher
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Personal/Opinions
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Devpost for Woman and then nature of womanhood
If you didn't already know this about me, over the years on this mortal coil I've stumbled my way into a leadership position in the computer science course union at my university. The main thing we do each year is a hackathon. This year, I was designated "lead organizer."
If you aren't familiar, hackathons are kind of like case competitions for software engineers. I'd say "computer nerds" but I feel like demoparties are case competitions for computer nerds. Hackathons feel much more squarely like case competitions for software engineers. More specifically, a hackathon is a competition, usually one to a few consecutive days, where a small team develops a prototype for some computer-adjacent project and pitches it to a panel of judges, often working overnight, and usually being fed really awful pizza by a group of people who scantly know what they're doing 90% of the time. You know that stereotype of the 1980s software engineer working themself to death over some random thing and eating an ungodly amount of cheap pizza? It's kind of like a reification of that stereotype, packaged in a conference centre, with the promise that maybe you'll get compensated.
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Technology and Free Software
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Twelve months of Bivvy - Month 1
At the end of last year, I set some goals to motivate myself to get out more, deciding to spend at least one night each month in a bivvy bag throughout the year. Originally, I planned to start in mid-January when I had some free time from work. However, the north of Scotland experienced back-to-back storms, with Storm Isha followed by Storm Jocelyn, making it a no-go. Finally, this Friday became my last chance.
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The Cards, My Destination
Games such as RoboRally use random movement cards to program the motion of an object through a hazardous environment. There are non-zero odds that a bad hand will be dealt, but what are those odds, and how bad could a bad hand be? The problem here is that a bad hand will depend on the context. A typical bad hand might be when, say, your robot is facing a cell of sudden doom (cliff, crusher, etc), and you are only dealt move forward cards. With arbitrarily nine move forward cards in a deck of 27, and dealing five cards to a hand that's (if my math is right) 9/27 * 8/26 * 7/25 * 6/24 * 5/23 or pretty low odds of only move forwards.
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Internet/Gemini
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One Year Later: Surveying the Options Post-Twitter
Like a lot of people on Twitter at the time, I watched the transfer of ownership to Elon Musk play out like two aircraft carriers on an unalterable collision course. He made a crazy offer for $44B, which they said they'd accept; then he said was was just a joke, lol and lmao; then they dragged it to court; and then, likely knowing there was no way he'd win, he gave in.
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Lagrange crashes when fed binary file as index.gmi
Previously there was a question here, because I had no idea what was going on and I though it had something to do with localhost vs remote hosts. I was wrong.
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Monopolies/Monopsonies
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* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.