𝕿𝖊𝖈𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖘 Bulletin for Thursday, April 27, 2023 ┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅ Generated Fri 28 Apr 02:42:54 BST 2023 Created by Dr. Roy Schestowitz (𝚛𝚘𝚢 (at) 𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚣 (dot) 𝚌𝚘𝚖) Full hyperlinks for navigation omitted but are fully available in the originals The corresponding HTML versions are at 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈 Latest in 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒕𝒙𝒕 and older bulletins can be found at 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒕𝒙𝒕-𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 Full IPFS index in 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒊𝒑𝒇𝒔 and as plain text in 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒊𝒑𝒇𝒔/𝒕𝒙𝒕 Gemini index for the day: gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/04/27/ ╒═══════════════════ 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐒 ════════════════════════════════════╕ Previous bulletins in IPFS (past 21 days, in chronological order): QmXVTtYKBj7YYynimusrQVJhUSP3pfweuTEYSPcrhD2ASb QmVUT45ycsKRgi37kQLNiQNuCh7cuvozaw12yokkLJKB6L QmUSqzedHUcKwLvcEf9D3XCctMhAPyN4mNay8FKYAZkx4t QmVRuwEr1EKmtByWys7jARxX4mYTQ7LTTqA9ZdrqMttGYR QmVrcQmfEQYVJRLokWriUwoUTrBKxPtp8uxEaYrY5dFHJG QmaZKc4FiFz4h7QFc3KF64jMmtXbsHerkpNJoAY12ZC4XY QmfUadam9GijU4hb41M31LBESW7HZrreepetvGAKawDBT4 QmSW9FJDEiN7oEzt1iqhTLpC8jPbVaRWyV1ieH1zndNGcM QmUXGmSWZBU6qRWVXf26y2DBiCLvVfxKRAzafZDjN8EZxb Qmcu34r9DJuJH5mkMZYeG5soaWgi8BaqexYQwMx7Vv2APb QmNrkX2sAawgyubjCVjVRLjiSwJYToGQXdMnEoRTcy8GjR QmYxcFMe5vgLYfVxHFwQiR5wL8rMKxUVmbEZg9nD1YRjmr QmareZcZYJ7X5LnopoYKkNAZiPh21BtWv6APRwEPG8eUfV QmVTAqmSFnL2S5PCjgDDPmB4DnwNJYNAxqia6VrXKa5s22 QmbRrB3WabmpkzoFcTd7CEFvdz8fQtTuUncUD8LG1MGZQH Qmb7BTL7qTWyErEm8Lq2L2crCyBN6Woe2SXwQ1XC6nRfp4 QmXcfyTgb74hf2Qk22gDrho14TF3papse9Ts6cvKC4cj4G QmRARrRqZDNfBPqo7Hs3obwrESwkPCcQz3Ei7R4JRugvjz QmS32fMTkeYomdxPWCP42PHMfFdKs9rfkSgXboUoVNA3jB QmTGej9jj8spt5sAeA5fmFhTxbyEBhfyXn8vk91wJhQXcs QmUD3qvzBExdYcAqkwKAKng84v5we1kor95LS8wVEPQJY2 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐗 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⦿ Anthony Wang Introducing the ForgeFed Protocol (Decentralised Development) | Techrights ⦿ IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | Techrights ⦿ Microsoft Leaving Atlanta | Techrights ䷼ Bulletin articles (as HTML) to comment on (requires login): http://techrights.org/2023/04/27/decentralised-development/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/04/27/irc-log-260423/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/04/27/microsoft-leaving-atlanta/#comments ䷞ Followed by Daily Links (assorted news picks curated and categorised): http://techrights.org/2023/04/27/gcc-13-1/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/04/27/microsoft-down-sharply/#comments ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 54 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/04/27/decentralised-development/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/04/27/decentralised-development/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 04.27.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Anthony_Wang_Introducing_the_ForgeFed_Protocol_(Decentralised_Development)⠀✐ Posted in Free/Libre_Software, FSF, Videos at 12:43 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz Video_download_link https://media.libreplanet.org/mgoblin_media/media_entries/2829/lp2023-saturn- saturday-1555.webm Summary: The above LibrePlanet talk by Anthony Wang was_uploaded_by_the_FSF 8 days ago (slides_here; PeerTube_link); From the official page: “Free software needs free tools! We’re making software development collaboration and hosting websites (a.k.a forges) talk to each other using shared protocols, hopefully allowing the free software community to create a decentralized network of self- hosted forge websites powered by fully free software, and whose UX design is geared towards filling human needs rather than company profits. We’ll explore this vision, talk about (and see) our latest development progress, examine the challenges, and present our roadmap for realizing this dream.” Licence: CC_BY_SA_4.0 ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 95 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/04/27/irc-log-260423/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/04/27/irc-log-260423/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 04.27.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ IRC_Proceedings:_Wednesday,_April_26,_2023⠀✐ Posted in Site_News at 5:06 am by Needs Sunlight Also available via the Gemini protocol at: * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-techrights-260423.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-260423.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-social-260423.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-techbytes-260423.gmi Over HTTP: 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇H 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇HTML5_logs⦈_ #techrights_log_as_HTML5 #boycottnovell_log_as_HTML5 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇H 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇HTML5_logs⦈_ #boycottnovell-social_log_as_HTML5 #techbytes_log_as_HTML5 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇t 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇text_logs⦈_ #techrights_log_as_text #boycottnovell_log_as_text 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇t 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇text_logs⦈_ #boycottnovell-social_log_as_text #techbytes_log_as_text Enter_the_IRC_channels_now =============================================================================== § IPFS Mirrors⠀➾ CID Description Object type IRC log for  QmZbHpcxne7PFbb8mKstG5bCiCvQFpqQ8ymWj612dLE6TD #boycottnovell 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #boycottnovell  QmT77t1bfE8Bu3cf6EqyhfvzDy9TKCRSxEodain4ZHvSgV (full IRC log 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ as plain/ASCII text) IRC log for #boycottnovell-  QmdmEFqtJH16p4YzfrVjFQkjaLAXUHpK615Kouht8yhCCC social 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #boycottnovell-  QmZoBUj1cYKDzSQFubkJGkPhweamaRj4A5A9S5jwWzk4rS social 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ (full IRC log as plain/ASCII text) IRC log for  QmeMcGcwDn3Jh2ssxbX9gR1E1MdNnVR15HR2u8A1tLy9C1 #techbytes 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #techbytes  QmScK65DdjG9jH7qfEYUh6cvGwQ5WgpJtsqfrPfGPy47gJ (full IRC log 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ as plain/ASCII text) IRC log for  QmWm2CWbzwfQi9RwiFBKwsNAgwNT3KD2JG8h8QcZFdWSKT #techrights 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #techrights  QmTofJdXDUchEKauM1q4MLQ21oTJ4pqboX5DY8SiU4iEma (full IRC log 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ as plain/ASCII text) 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇IPFS logo⦈ § Bulletin for Yesterday⠀➾ Local_copy | CID (IPFS): QmUD3qvzBExdYcAqkwKAKng84v5we1kor95LS8wVEPQJY2 ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 222 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/04/27/microsoft-leaving-atlanta/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/04/27/microsoft-leaving-atlanta/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 04.27.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Microsoft_Leaving_Atlanta⠀✐ Posted in America, Microsoft at 4:54 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz Is_Microsoft_Leaving_Atlanta? Summary: In Seattle, Redmond and Bellevue (Washington) Microsoft has hit the brakes and laid off many people (more than it admits to the press); apparently Atlanta too is impacted (skip to 1:22) ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 250 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 04.27.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Links_27/04/2023:_GCC_13.1_and_Intel’s_Biggest_Ever_Losses⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 6:06 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * GNU/Linux o Desktop/Laptop o Kernel_Space o Applications o Instructionals/Technical o Games o Desktop_Environments/WMs # K_Desktop_Environment/KDE_SC/Qt # GNOME_Desktop/GTK * Distributions_and_Operating_Systems o Fedora_Family_/_IBM o Debian_Family o Canonical/Ubuntu_Family o Devices/Embedded o Open_Hardware/Modding o Mobile_Systems/Mobile_Applications * Free,_Libre,_and_Open_Source_Software o Web_Browsers/Web_Servers o Education o GNU_Projects o Programming/Development # Python # Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh # Rust o Standards/Consortia * Leftovers o Science o Education o Hardware o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Proprietary o Security # Privacy/Surveillance o Defence/Aggression o Transparency/Investigative_Reporting o Environment # Energy/Transportation # Wildlife/Nature # Overpopulation o Finance o AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics o Censorship/Free_Speech o Freedom_of_Information_/_Freedom_of_the_Press o Civil_Rights/Policing o Internet_Policy/Net_Neutrality o Digital_Restrictions_(DRM) o Monopolies # Patents # Software_Patents # Trademarks # Copyrights * Gemini*_and_Gopher o Personal o Technical # Internet/Gemini * § GNU/Linux⠀➾ o § Desktop/Laptop⠀➾ # ⚓ Unix Men ☛ Introduction_to_Linux_and_Real_Estate_Website Design⠀⇛ Linux is an operating system (OS) that runs on many different devices, including computers and smartphones. Linux was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991, who wanted to create a free alternative to the Unix OS. He developed it with help from other developers over time until it became stable enough for everyday use and gained popularity among users who wanted something more flexible than Windows or Mac OS X. Linux is popular among developers because it’s free, open-source software, meaning anyone can see how it works and make changes if they want to improve upon something in their own way. It also has fewer vulnerabilities than other operating systems due to its community nature; people constantly check each other’s code for errors before releasing new versions of Linux so there are fewer bugs overall. # ⚓ ZDNet ☛ CachyOS_isn’t_for_beginners_but_it’s_great_for those_looking_to_get_into_Arch_Linux⠀⇛ This fast Arch-based Linux distribution aims to serve users of all types. Minus one small shortcoming, it hits that mark. o § Kernel Space⠀➾ # ⚓ Tavian Barnes ☛ You_could_have_invented_futexes⠀⇛ The futex (fast userspace mutex) is a Linux kernel feature designed for synchronization primitives (mutexes, condition variables, semaphores, etc.). Like many topics in concurrency, they have a reputation for being tricky (for example, see the paper Futexes Are Tricky). Despite that, they really are a well-motivated and simple but powerful API. This post tries to explain that motivation, and even shows how to implement something similar yourself. o § Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Links ☛ Machine_Learning_in_Linux:_GPT4All_–_local_AI chat_application⠀⇛ GPT4All Chat is a locally-running AI chat application powered by the GPT4All-J Apache 2 Licensed chatbot. The software lets you communicate with a large language model (LLM) to get helpful answers, insights, and suggestions. The model runs on a local computer’s CPU and doesn’t require a net connection. No chat data is sent to external services. This is free and open source cross-platform software. # ⚓ Ubuntu Handbook ☛ Audacity_3.3.0_Released!_How_to_Install in_Ubuntu_22.04_|_23.04⠀⇛ The Audacity audio tag editor announced the new 3.3.0 release. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, and Ubuntu 23.04. Audacity 3.3.0 is a new major release that features initial version of Beats and Measures. # ⚓ 9to5Linux ☛ Ardour_7.4_Open-Source_DAW_Released_with Support_for_MIDI_Subgroup_Busses ⠀⇛ Ardour 7.4 is here after more than two months after Ardour 7.3 and introduces support for MIDI subgroup busses, support for the Lua DSP processor to downmix 5.1 audio to stereo, a volume control to the clip picker, a new option that lets you use a neutral color for new tracks and busses, and a new preference item for the PPQN value in exported MIDI files. Controller support has been updated for the FaderPort 8 controller to show parameter values as formatted by the plugin and no longer duplicate makeup control, the X-Touch controller to show track colors, and the Ableton Push 2 controller to send modulation when holding Shift while using the touch strip instead of a pitch bend. # ⚓ Ardour_7.4_released⠀⇛ Ardour 7.4 is now available. This is mostly a bugfix release — several important ones have accumulated since 7.3 — but there is also a sprinkling of new features, notably MIDI subgroup busses. There has also been a lot of work on features that we had hoped to have ready for 7.4, but will now be officially released in 7.5. The curious may find some of them already, but we’re not ready to announce or document them yet. One other small change for this release: people interested in just trying Ardour out via our free/ demo build will no longer have to wait to get an email containing the link. We’ve decided that after 10 years of asking people for their email address and doing nothing with them, we’ll just stop asking and provide the download link directly. # ⚓ Libre Arts ☛ Audacity_3.3.0_released⠀⇛ The release notes for Audacity 3.3.0 say it’s “focused on under-the-hood changes”. It’s true, but there are some very useful and long-anticipated new features too. Number one feature, in my opinion, is the newly added musical time ruler. Instead of minutes and seconds you get bars and beats (the toggle is in the right-click menu for the time ruler): [...] # ⚓ OMG! Linux ☛ Amberol_Audio_Player_Adds_‘Restore_Playlist’ Feature⠀⇛ A new version of effortlessly easy audio player Amberol is rolling out on Flathub. # ⚓ TecMint ☛ Wikit_–_A_Command_Line_Tool_to_Search_Wikipedia on_Linux⠀⇛ Wikit is a free and open-source command-line program for easily viewing Wikipedia summaries of search queries on the Linux command line; it is built using Nodejs. o § Instructionals/Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ OSTechNix ☛ How_To_Install_Fedora_38_[A_Step_By_Step Guide]⠀⇛ Fedora Linux 38 has been released! This step by step guide explains how to install Fedora 38 desktop with screenshots. # ⚓ peppe8o ☛ 7-Segment_Display_with_Arduino_Uno⠀⇛ In this tutorial, we will use an I2C 7-segment display with Arduino. # ⚓ UNIX Cop ☛ How_to_install_FOSSBilling_on_Ubuntu_22.04⠀⇛ FOSSBilling is a cost-free and open-source system for managing clients and billing. It can be utilized as a free substitute for various other systems like WHMCS, Blesta, and ClientExec. FOSSBilling provides several useful features such as automated invoicing, support for multiple payment gateways, and modules that can automate services like DirectAdmin and cPanel. # ⚓ UNIX Cop ☛ How_to_Install_digiKam_on_Ubuntu_22.04⠀⇛ digiKam is a powerful open-source photo management application that provides users with a wide range of tools for importing, managing, editing, and sharing their digital photos. # ⚓ UNIX Cop ☛ How_To_Install_Buddy_on_Ubuntu_22.04_LTS⠀⇛ Buddy is a powerful Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tool that allows you to automate your software delivery process. In this article, we will discuss how to install Buddy on Ubuntu 22.04 using Docker Compose. # ⚓ UNIX Cop ☛ I2P_SETUP_FOR_SQUID_OUTPROXY⠀⇛ This post is about I2P SETUP FOR SQUID OUTPROXY. I2P INSTALLATION ON DEBIAN 10 The ‘Invisible Internet Project’ (I2P) is a fully encrypted private network layer that has been developed with privacy and security by design in order to provide protection for your activity, location and your identity. # ⚓ UNIX Cop ☛ How_To_Install_Bluefish_Editor_on_Ubuntu_22.04 LTS⠀⇛ Bluefish is an open-source text editor that is widely used by developers and web designers. It offers a wide range of features, including syntax highlighting, code folding, auto-completion, and many more. # ⚓ OMG Ubuntu ☛ 3_Ways_to_Solve_Pip_Install_Error_on_Ubuntu 23.04⠀⇛ If you make the upgrade to Ubuntu 23.04 and try to run ‘pip install’ you’ll notice it now throws an error – but it’s not a bug. The reason why the pip install command doesn’t work in Ubuntu 23.04 is down to an intentional shift in policy (also taken in Ubuntu’s upstream, Debian) to avoid conflicts between the Python package manager and Ubuntu’s underlying APT. Basically, you can’t run pip install outside a virtual environment in Ubuntu 23.04. # ⚓ DJ Adams ☛ More_on_the_comma_as_generator,_and_streaming with_select_in_jq⠀⇛ In the context of writing a short jq script to turn a JSON representation of an OData entity set into a set of CSV records, I came across something in jq that reminded me of something I’d discovered recently, and made me think a bit more about it. In the source data, each entity was represented by an object, but I only wanted to include properties whose value types were either strings, numbers or booleans. I ended up taking the simplest route to check, in an expression supplied to a call to select, using type to check whether the type of a value was one of these. # ⚓ RIPE ☛ How_to_Ensure_Robust_DNS_Services_for_the_Public Sector⠀⇛ What do public sector organisations need to know to ensure they are protected and that their DNS services are as secure and robust as possible? The team from Netnod poses the questions all such organisations should be asking their DNS providers. # ⚓ University of Toronto ☛ Understanding_ZFS_ARC_hit_(and miss)_kstat_statistics⠀⇛ The ZFS ARC exposes a number of kstat statistics about its hit and miss performance, which are obviously quite relevant for understanding if your ARC size and possibly its failure to grow are badly affecting you, or if your ARC hit rate is fine even with a smaller than expected ARC size. Complicating the picture are things like ‘MFU hits’ and ‘MFU ghost hits’, where it may not be clear how they relate to plain ‘ARC hits’. # ⚓ OSTechNix ☛ How_To_Reset_Root_Password_In_Fedora_38,_37, 36,_35⠀⇛ Have you forgotten the root password in Fedora? Or do you want to change the root user password in your Fedora system? No problem! This step by step guide walks you through the steps to change or reset root password in Fedora operating systems. # ⚓ Ubuntu Handbook ☛ How_to_Install_Adobe_Reader_9.5.5_in Ubuntu_22.04_|_20.04⠀⇛ This simple tutorial shows how to install Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.5.5 in all current Ubuntu releases and other Linux. Adobe has discontinued Linux support for its Acrobat PDF reader for many years! # ⚓ ID Root ☛ How_To_Install_CUDA_on_Ubuntu_22.04_LTS⠀⇛ In this tutorial, we will show you how to install CUDA on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. For those of you who didn’t know, CUDA is a parallel computing platform and programming model developed by Nvidia for GPU- accelerated computing. # ⚓ It’s Ubuntu ☛ How_To_Fix_Busybox_Initramfs_Error_On_Ubuntu_ [2023]⠀⇛ In this tutorial,  we will show you the solution to fix the “|Busybox Intiramfs Error On Ubuntu”. BusyBox creates an executable file from the many common UNIX utilities. # ⚓ LinuxBuz ☛ How_to_Use_Docker_Exec_Command_to_SSH_into Docker_Container⠀⇛ If you are a system administrator and responsible for managing Docker containers then you may often need to connect to a running Docker container. # ⚓ LinuxBuz ☛ How_to_Upload_and_Download_Images_To_Docker_Hub_ (Push_and_Pull_Command_in_Docker)⠀⇛ The Docker pull command is used for downloading Docker images from the Docker Hub or private registry. By default, it will download the images from the Docker Hub. # ⚓ LinuxBuz ☛ How_To_List_/_Start_/_Stop_Docker_Containers⠀⇛ A Docker container is a lightweight and executable package of software that has everything you need to run an application… # ⚓ LinuxBuz ☛ How_to_Install_and_Use_Docker_on_Ubuntu_20.04_| 22.04_(Step_by_Step_Guide)⠀⇛ Docker is a free, open-source and cross-platform containerization tool that helps you to deploy and run the application in an isolated environment. # ⚓ LinuxBuz ☛ How_to_Use_Docker_Run_Command_with_Examples⠀⇛ The docker run command is one the most important command you should become familiar with. The docker run command is used to launch Docker containers from a specified image. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_are_Volumes_Defined_in_Docker_Compose YAML?⠀⇛ Volumes are defined using the “volumes” key in Docker compose YAML file. Users can define Docker host-mounted volume, Docker internal or external named volume. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Get_the_Version_of_CUDA_Installed_on Linux⠀⇛ Comprehensive tutorial on how to find out the versions of CUDA that are supported by the currently installed NVIDIA GPU drivers of your Linux computer. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Install_and_Enable_SSH_Multi-Factor Authentication_for_Linux_Systems⠀⇛ Tutorial on how to install and enable MFA for SSH access on Linux systems by setting up a supported MFA method such as Google Authenticator or Duo Security. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Install_CUDA_on_Ubuntu_22.04_LTS⠀⇛ Tutorial on how to install CUDA on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS from the official package repository of Ubuntu and how to write, compile, and run a simple CUDA program. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Docker_Engine_Plugins⠀⇛ Docker Engine plugins can be used in different ways, such as installing, listing, inspecting, enabling, or disabling plugins, and removing plugins. # ⚓ Djalel Oukid ☛ How_to_install_TUXEDO_Control_Center_on Fedora?⠀⇛ To Install TCC on Fedora, you need first to install the tuxedo-keyboard package [...] o § Games⠀➾ # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Core_Keeper_is_getting_pets_and_a_creative mode_on_May_10th⠀⇛ The upcoming “Paws & Claws” update for Core Keeper sounds wonderful, adding in two major features with pets and a creative mode. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Valheim_is_getting_siege_weapons, fortresses_and_fearsome_foes⠀⇛ The upcoming major update to Valheim with The Ashlands is sounding increasingly exciting, as the developers have another spoiler-filled development blog post up. Naturally, you’ll want to avert your eyes if you don’t want anything spoiled. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Stellaris:_Galactic_Paragons_announced_for May_9th_and_a_big_free_update⠀⇛ Stellaris: Galactic Paragons is the next expansion for my favourite space strategy game from Paradox Interactive and it’s coming May 9th. This DLC will give deeper character and story progression allowing for more customisation of your leaders. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Steam_Deck_gets_a_Preview_update_with_STAR WARS_Jedi:_Survivor_improvements⠀⇛ STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor is releasing on April 28th, so Valve has released an updated graphics driver in the Preview update branch for Steam Deck. This is the work covered previously where Valve wouldn’t name the game, so we got a bit too excited about it. o § Desktop Environments/WMs⠀➾ # § K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt⠀➾ # ⚓ KDE ☛ Report_From_The_German_Parliament’s “Sustainable_by_Design”_Conference⠀⇛ In March 2023, a conference on Green Digitisation, “Nachhaltig_by_Design_–_für eine_klimaneutrale_Zukunft”, took place at the German Parliament. I was invited as an expert due to KDE’s experience obtaining the Blue_Angel_ecolabel_for_Okular. The Green Party organized the conference, and participants from a wide range of organizations attended, contributing their views and expertise. The first part of the conference featured keynotes and panels where subject matter experts and political representatives discussed the challenges surrounding sustainable digitisation. Cory_Doctorow (Invidious_link) spoke about how we lose control of our digital lives as big vendors force changes on users and legal regulations hinder our ability to prevent this. Mojib Latif (Invidious_link) presented a scientific perspective on climate change, emphasizing the urgency of taking action to mitigate long-term harmful effects on our global living conditions. Germany’s Vice Chancellor, Robert_Habeck (Invidious_link), provided insight into current political activities and stressed that energy-efficiency isn’t getting the required attention yet. # § GNOME Desktop/GTK⠀➾ # ⚓ 9to5Linux ☛ GNOME_44.1_Improves_Screencast_Support, Quick_Settings,_Background_Apps,_and_More⠀⇛ Arriving more than a month after the launch of GNOME 44 “Kuala Lumpur”, the GNOME 44.1 point release is here to add a section title in the Background Apps menu, use consistent naming for the “Power Mode” toggle in Quick Settings, improve the accessible names in Wi- Fi and VPN menus, as well as to fix some minor visual issues with the Bluetooth menu. It also improves the light theme variant, fixes window screenshots with a pointer, improves support for transparent colors in symbolic SVG files, fixes recording of screenshots in recent items, fixes reloading of GNOME extensions on version-validation changes, and improves keyboard navigation of menu-less buttons. * § Distributions and Operating Systems⠀➾ o ⚓ DebugPoint ☛ Voyager_Linux_23.04:_Snap-free_Ubuntu_Experience with_A_Gorgeous_Look⠀⇛ If you are unaware, Voyager Linux is based on Ubuntu Linux with great customizations for the GNOME desktop. Earlier, it used to follow only the Ubuntu LTS cycle, but from last year, it’s also available for short-term Ubuntu releases. After the Ubuntu 23.04 “Lunar Lobster” release, the Voyager team announced the release of Voyager 23.04. Here’s a quick review. o ⚓ 9to5Linux ☛ Clonezilla_Live_3.1_Released_with_Memtest86+_6.10, Improved_RAID_Support⠀⇛ Synced with the Debian Sid repository as of April 26th, 2023, and powered by Linux kernel 6.1.25 LTS, the Clonezilla Live 3.1 release is here to introduce two new tools, namely dvtm (dynamic virtual terminal manager) and dtach, a program that emulates the detach feature of screen. Clonezilla Live 3.1 also introduces a new “-K” (–ignoreactivationskip) option to the vgchange command to allow it to handle snapshots, adds support for x86 architectures in the makeboot.sh script, and treats block devs that contain a file system in the image when restoring as a partition. o ⚓ MIT Technology Review ☛ A_new_operating_system_for_health_care⠀⇛ What we don’t have is a way to make this data all work together—a “personal health ecosystem,” says Bharat Sutariya, MD, managing director in health care for Deloitte Consulting LLP and an emergency medicine specialist. The endocrinologist treating your diabetes doesn’t have ready access to your eye exam results, which could help them preserve your eyesight. Your phone might contain vital medical information that emergency room (ER) staff needs to properly take care of you, but it has to be able to connect with the hospital’s systems to transmit that data. o ⚓ MJ Fransen ☛ The_old_Thinkpad_X201_has_become_my_daily_driver⠀⇛ Also, my X270 runs FreeBSD, so it can run jails, something that OpenBSD does not facilitate. o § Fedora Family / IBM⠀➾ # ⚓ Bryan Lunduke ☛ Tech_Layoffs_Hit_Linux:_Red_Hat_Laying_Off 760_Employees⠀⇛ CEO of the largest Linux company: “We must continue to sharpen our focus and do fewer things better.” # ⚓ Enterprisers Project ☛ Cloud_computing:_3_business advantages [Ed: Red Hat is pushing clown computing, citing Microsoft_Gartner, despite the corporate media openly saying now that it may be a passing fad]⠀⇛ Most global enterprises have embraced – or at least considered – moving to cloud computing, and the momentum continues to grow. According to data from Gartner, worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services is forecast to reach $591.8 billion in 2023, up from $490.3 billion in 2022. But for those who are slow to adopt the cloud, its benefits can seem unclear, especially given the significant effort required to move decades of data from on-prem servers. Regardless of the size of your organization, moving to the cloud is imperative if you want to be an innovator in the next decade. The most successful cloud migrations happen when business leaders keep the problem they are trying to solve at the forefront. This ensures that cloud investments translate to business outcomes that will continue to push the business forward. # ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Red_Hat_accelerates_platform_engineering_as developer_experience_takes_center_stage⠀⇛ As Kubernetes enters its maturity phase, more emphasis is being placed on developer experience. With platform engineering gaining momentum, Red Hat Inc. is using Kubernetes to boost this discipline, as it allows developers to work seamlessly using self-service capabilities, according to Natale Vinto (pictured, right), developer advocate lead at Red Hat. o § Debian Family⠀➾ # ⚓ Linuxiac ☛ Debian_Re-Elects_Jonathan_Carter_as_Project Leader⠀⇛ Debian developers have re-elected Jonathan Carter as Project Leader for the fourth time. There were no other candidates for the role. o § Canonical/Ubuntu Family⠀➾ # ⚓ 9to5Linux ☛ Canonical_Issues_New_Ubuntu_Kernel_Updates_to Fix_Two_Local_Privilege_Escalation_Flaws⠀⇛ The first vulnerability patched in this new Ubuntu kernel update is CVE-2023-1829, a flaw discovered in the Traffic-Control Index (TCINDEX) implementation that could allow a local attacker to elevate its privileges to root. Canonical notes the fact that to actually fix this flaw, they had to remove kernel support for the TCINDEX classifier. The second local privilege escalation vulnerability affecting the aforementioned Ubuntu releases is CVE-2023-0386, a flaw discovered in the OverlayFS file system implementation that could allow a local attacker to escalate their privileges on the vulnerable system. # ⚓ Ubuntu ☛ No_more_DHCP(d)⠀⇛ “He’s dead, Jim.”  Dr. McCoy DHCP is dead; long live DHCP. Yes, the end-of-life announcement for ISC DHCP means that the ISC will no longer provide official support or updates for the software. Our ever- faithful, omnipresent friend — the familiar dhcpd daemon — is retiring, albeit over a really long walk to that cabin in the mountains.  While the software will continue to function, it will become increasingly vulnerable to breakage, security vulnerabilities, and other issues over time as the software ages. “I’m not a magician, just an old country doctor.” Dr. McCoy “It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it.”  Dr. McCoy “I’m a doctor, not an engineer.” Dr. McCoy “The man you knew won’t exist for another 5,000 years.” Dr. McCoy # ⚓ Net2 ☛ Ubuntu_23.04_features⠀⇛ Get ready to embark on a thrilling voyage with Ubuntu 23.04, the latest and greatest release of Ubuntu Desktop. In this article, we’re excited to introduce you to a treasure trove of cutting-edge features and functionalities that are specially designed to  meet the unique needs of developers, gamers, creators, and tinkerers. # ⚓ Ubuntu ☛ Ubuntu_Blog:_ChatGPT_uncertain_about_the_future_of cloud_computing [Ed: Canonical is hyping up Microsoft's proprietary spyware; why do this?]⠀⇛ o § Devices/Embedded⠀➾ # ⚓ Stacey on IoT ☛ Looking_to_replace_Z-Wave_bulbs?_Try_these Matter_or_Zigbee_options⠀⇛ On a recent Internet of Things podcast, we took a voicemail from Michael on our podcast hotline. Michael recently had a bunch of Z-Wave bulbs die on him and he’s thinking to replace them. He wants to know what Matter or Zigbee options are the better choices. He also wants an option that has some network repeater or mesh technology. His approach makes sense. Matter devices are starting to become available and they create a mesh network. Additionally, they provide more flexibility in terms of controlling bulbs with your choice of voice assistant. o § Open Hardware/Modding⠀➾ # ⚓ Raspberry Pi ☛ Picodeck_controls_your_computer_with_your feet⠀⇛ Colin had seen Elgato’s own-brand Stream Deck Pedal, which is designed to further streamline your live content output by letting you access a lot of functionality completely hands-free. But he wanted to experiment by making his own using Raspberry Pi Pico. o § Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ 9to5Google ☛ Boox_Tab_Ultra_C_brings_e-ink_to_life_with_a 10.3-inch_color_display_and_full_Android⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Central ☛ Android_games_will_get_an_upscaling_boost to_4K,_60FPS_later_in_2023_|_Android_Central⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Sun ☛ People_are_just_realizing_certain_Android_phone calls_are_ruining_their_battery_life_and_even_Google_advises hanging_up_|_The_US_Sun⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Police ☛ Samsung_Galaxy_S22_review:_Former_flagship feeling_fine⠀⇛ # ⚓ Digital Trends ☛ This_Android_tablet_has_an_e-ink_screen that_destroys_the_Kindle_|_Digital_Trends⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Authority ☛ Wallpaper_Wednesday:_Android_wallpapers 2023-04-26_–_Android_Authority⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Central ☛ ThinkPhone_review:_The_best_Motorola phone_you_won’t_buy_|_Android_Central⠀⇛ * § Free, Libre, and Open Source Software⠀➾ o ⚓ Justin Garrison ☛ Mastodon_Is_Doomed⠀⇛ I asked some of the largest instance admins to share how much it cost to run their instances on a per account and per monthly active user (MAU) basis. On average it cost $.0085 per registered account and $.041 per MAU. That may seem cheap, but if Mastodon ever hopes to grow into the millions of MAU or have any celebrities join their platforms admins are going to be paying thousands or tens of thousands per month. As volunteers. With no income potential. They also will be trusted with user’s private keys and unencrypted DMs. The financial and trust models of Mastodon just don’t add up. o ⚓ OpenSource.com ☛ Test_your_Drupal_website_with_Cypress⠀⇛ If you don’t include tests in your Drupal development, chances are it’s because you think it adds complexity and expense without benefit. Cypress is an open source tool with many benefits: This article covers three topics to help you start testing your Drupal project using Cypress: o ⚓ OpenSource.com ☛ 5_open_ways_to_help_UX_designers_and_developers collaborate_better⠀⇛ Ideally, designers have a good relationship with their product team and users. However, the relationship between designers and developers is more difficult to build and maintain. The lack of a close relationship makes it difficult to solve problems or improve. In my experience, the open source Open Decision Framework can overcome many of these obstacles. The Open Decision Framework asserts that open decision- making is transparent, inclusive, and customer-centric. It involves clearly sharing problems, requirements, and constraints with affected parties. It enables collaboration with multiple stakeholders to secure diverse opinions and comprehensive feedback. Most importantly, it manages relationships and expectations across competing needs and priorities. These principles probably resonate with anyone involved in the many decisions around designing a product, feature, or service. For a designer, developers are key stakeholders in making the best design decisions. If you’re a designer, it’s time to embrace the opportunity to get diverse opinions. o § Web Browsers/Web Servers⠀➾ # ⚓ University of Toronto ☛ Putting_the_‘User-Agent’_in_your web_crawler’s_User-Agent⠀⇛ That’s right, these User-Agents have ‘User-Agent’ in them (at the start). This is not exactly a new development in crawler user-agents, since I saw it long ago when Wandering Thoughts was new, and possibly even before then (but if so, I didn’t bother writing it down). # ⚓ Kifarunix ☛ The_Best_Web_Browsers_Compatible_With_Linux_in 2023⠀⇛ If you are just getting started with a Linux-based operating system like Ubuntu, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the best web browsers open to Ubuntu and other popular Linux distributions. o § Education⠀➾ # ⚓ SparkFun Electronics ☛ Open_Hardware_Summit_2023⠀⇛ Whether you attend in person or virtually, the Open Hardware Summit presents a valuable opportunity to learn, collaborate, and network with like-minded individuals in the open hardware community. The summit features an impressive lineup of activities, including hands-on workshops, an unconference session, and two full days of inspiring talks from speakers around the world. Topics covered at the event include open source hardware, education, creative tech, engineering, and more. For the full event schedule, visit the OHS website. o § GNU Projects⠀➾ # ⚓ GCC ☛ GCC_13.1_Released⠀⇛ The GCC developers are proud to announce a new major GCC release, 13.1. This release integrates a frontend for the Modula- 2 language which was previously available separately and lays foundation for a frontend for the Rust language which will be available in a future release. Support for emitting the STABS debugging format was removed. GCC supports DWARF in almost all configurations. The C frontend got support for several C23 features, the C++ frontend for C++23 features. The C++ standard library experimental support for C++20 and C++23 was enhanced. For the C family of languages you can now use -fstrict-flex-arrays[=level] to control the behavior for the various legacy forms of specifying flexible array members. GCCs static analyzer has been greatly improved with 20 new diagnostic kinds. Link-time optimization now makes automatic use of GNU makes jobserver when that supports named pipes which it does starting with version 4.4. It is no longer required to alter makefiles. Support for new CPU features in the ARM, x86 family, RISC-V and LoongArch were added. Notably RISC-V supports vector intrinsics as specified in the 0.11 specification and OpenMP/OpenACC offloading to AMD Instinct MI200 series devices has been added. Some code that compiled successfully with older GCC versions might require source changes, see http://gcc.gnu.org/gcc-13/ porting_to.html for details. See https://gcc.gnu.org/gcc-13/changes.html for more information about changes in GCC 13.1. This release is available from the WWW and FTP servers listed here: https://sourceware.org/pub/gcc/releases/gcc-13.1.0/ https://gcc.gnu.org/mirrors.html The release is in the gcc-13.1.0/ subdirectory. If you encounter difficulties using GCC 13.1, please do not contact me directly. Instead, please visit http://gcc.gnu.org for information about getting help. Driving a leading free software project such as GCC would not be possible without support from its many contributors. Not only its developers, but especially its regular testers and users which contribute to its high quality. The list of individuals is too large to thank individually! o § Programming/Development⠀➾ # ⚓ CNX Software ☛ LattePanda_Sigma_–_An_Intel_Core_i5-1340P Raptor_Lake_SBC_with_ATmega32U4_MCU_for_Arduino_support⠀⇛ LattePanda Sigma is a 3.5-inch single board computer (SBC) with an Intel Core i5-1340P Raptor Lake-P processor and a Microchip ATmega32U4 microcontroller to control I/Os with Arduino programming. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Use_Chrono_in_C++?⠀⇛ The chrono is a built-in C++ library that allows users to easily manage date and time. For more details about its use in C++, follow this guide. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Use_PHP_serialize()_Function⠀⇛ serialize() function can serialize an array, object, or complex data structure into a string that can be stored in a database and passed to another PHP script. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Use_array_reverse()_Function_in_PHP⠀⇛ The array_reverse() can reverse the order of the elements in an array. It takes an array as its input and returns an array with elements ordered and reversed. # ⚓ Medevel ☛ 19_Free_Open_Source_Flutter_Projects_and Samples⠀⇛ Flutter is a free and open-source UI development kit that enables developers to create iOS/Android mobile and desktop apps for macOS, Linux, and Windows using a single codebase. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Use_SQLite_Viewer_Web_App⠀⇛ SQLite Viewer Web App provides excellent features for viewing the SQLite databases online on the browser. Read this guide to learn the steps for using this tool. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Introduction_to_Golang_Programming_Language⠀⇛ Golang is an open-source programming language developed by Google. Follow this article to learn in detail about this programming language. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Create_an_Empty_Data_Frame_R⠀⇛ Tutorial on the various approaches to create an empty DataFrame using the data.frame() function with specified columns in R along with practical examples. # ⚓ Daniel Lemire ☛ Vectorized_trimming_of_line_comments⠀⇛ A French graduate student reached out by email yesterday with the following problem. Consider a format such as TOML which has line comments: when a ‘#’ character is encountered, the rest of the line is omitted. Let us look at an example: [...] # ⚓ Justin Blank ☛ Characterizing_Tech_Debt⠀⇛ These notes focus on accurately describing what tech debt is, moreso than tactics for handling it. # ⚓ MaskRay ☛ Compiler_output_files⠀⇛ For a GCC or Clang command, there is typically one primary output file, specified by -o or the default (a.out or a.exe). There can also be temporary files and auxiliary files. # ⚓ Rlang ☛ simulated_annealing_and_logistic_regression_to_the max⠀⇛ A Riddler puzzle on the three binary and sequential questions one should ask three players hiding their respective U(0,1) realisation, U, V, and W, to best guess which player holds the largest number, max {U,V,W}. [...] # ⚓ Seth Michael Larson ☛ urllib3_v2.0.0_is_now_generally available⠀⇛ It’s my honor to present the next major release of urllib3. This major release has been in progress since 2020 and will be the foundation of future improvements to the package. Everyone on our team of contributors is excited to finally share what we’ve accomplished with you all. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Copy_a_Table_from_One_Database_to Another_in_PostgreSQL⠀⇛ Tutorial on the step-by-step process on how to copy tables from one database to another in PostgreSQL using the pg_dump command along with practical examples. # ⚓ Tomeu_Vizoso:_A_long_overdue_update⠀⇛ Cannot believe it has been years since my last update here! There are two things that I would like to tell people about: [...] # ⚓ TecMint ☛ 18_Best_NodeJS_Frameworks_for_App_Development_in 2023⠀⇛ Node.js is used to build fast, highly scalable network applications based on an event-driven non- blocking input/output model, and single-threaded asynchronous programming. # ⚓ Bálint_Réczey:_Improve_build_time_of_Rust,_Java_and_Intel Fortran_projects_with_Firebuild’s_new_release!⠀⇛ Firebuild’s latest release incorporated more than 100 changes just from the last two months. They unlocked acceleration of Rust builds with Cargo, fixed Firebuild to work with the latest Java update that slightly changed its behavior, started accelerating Intel’s Fortran compiler in addition to accelerating gfortran that was already supported and included many smaller changes improving the acceleration of other compilers and tools. If your favorite toolchain is not mentioned, there is still a good chance that it is already supported. Give Firebuild_a_try and tell us about your experience! # § Python⠀➾ # ⚓ Adafruit ☛ CircuitPython_8.1.0_Beta_2_Released! @circuitpython⠀⇛ Firmware downloads are available from the downloads page on circuitpython.org. The site makes it easy to select the correct file and language for your board. # ⚓ Earthly ☛ Managing_Dependencies_Using_Poetry_in Python⠀⇛ Python is a versatile language used for various applications. However, managing dependencies, the packages a project relies on can be a complex and time-consuming task. With the growth of the Python ecosystem, developers need to manage a large number of packages and dependencies and ensure that they are compatible with each other. Poetry provides a solution to these challenges. Poetry is a package manager for Python that allows developers to manage dependencies, create virtual environments, and package their projects for distribution, all using a single command-line tool. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Seaborn_Axis_Labels⠀⇛ The “axes.set()” function, Matplotlib library functions, or the “set_xlabel()” and “set_ylabel()” functions can be used to set the axes of the plot. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_OS_Mkdir⠀⇛ The “os.mkdir()” method of the “os” module is used to create a single directory, multiple directories, and nested directories in Python. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_Not_All_Arguments_Converted During_String_Formatting⠀⇛ This error can be fixed by correcting the syntax of the % operator, using the format() function instead of the % operator, and converting the str into an int. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Pandas_Read_csv_Multiprocessing⠀⇛ To improve the data loading speed, including its benefits and limitations the “pd.read_csv ()” function is used with the multiprocessing module. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_chmod⠀⇛ The “os.chmod()” function of the os module is used to change the ownership of the Python file by accepting the path and mode as an argument. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Matplotlib_2d_histogram⠀⇛ In Python, the “plt.hist2d()” function of the “pyplot” module in the “matplotlib” library is used to plot a 2D histogram in Python. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Convert_a_String_to_JSON_Python⠀⇛ The JSON module functions, the “ast” module function, or the “eval()” function is used to convert a string to JSON in Python. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Seaborn_Tsplot⠀⇛ In Python, the “seaborn.lineplot()” method is used to plot multiple lines in a single plot, customize the lines and markers, add title and axis labels, etc. # § Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh⠀➾ # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ How_to_Extract_Substrings_Using_${}_in Bash_Scripts⠀⇛ Bash (Bourne Again SHell) is a popular shell scripting language, especially in the Linux and Unix world. One of the most common tasks in shell scripting is manipulating strings, including extracting substrings from a given string. # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ A_Comprehensive_Guide_to_Exiting_on_Errors in_Bash_Scripts⠀⇛ Bash scripts are an essential tool for system administrators, programmers, and even regular users who want to automate repetitive tasks. # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ Mastering_Bash_Exit_Codes:_A_Comprehensive Guide_to_Error_Handling_and_Script_Success⠀⇛ When working with Bash scripts, it’s essential to understand exit codes and how they can improve the way you handle errors and script success. Exit codes are integer values returned by a program or script to indicate the outcome of its execution. # § Rust⠀➾ # ⚓ Rust Blog ☛ The_Rust_Programming_Language_Blog: Announcing_Rustup_1.26.0⠀⇛ The rustup working group is happy to announce the release of rustup version 1.26.0. Rustup is the recommended tool to install Rust, a programming language that is empowering everyone to build reliable and efficient software. o § Standards/Consortia⠀➾ # ⚓ Dominic Szablewski ☛ QOA_Benchmark_Results_and_File_Format Specification⠀⇛ The specification for the Quite OK Audio Format, announced in a previous blog post, is now finalized. QOA is a lossy audio compression format. Typical audio signals (44100hz, stereo) are encoded into 278 kbits/s, or more precisely 3.2 bits per sample – exactly 1/5 of the bits needed for an uncompressed WAV. # ⚓ Chris Hannah ☛ Feedback_results⠀⇛ The first question was to find out some primary information on how people primarily consume my blog, to provide a foundation for further questions. Results It’s clear to see RSS being the clear winner here, which did surprise me a bit, to be honest. I thought it would be a bit more even. * § Leftovers⠀➾ o ⚓ The Nation ☛ The_Gift_of_Slam_Poetry⠀⇛ the greatest Americans have not been born yet they are waiting patiently for the past to die.—Saul Williams o ⚓ The Nation ☛ Remembering_Randall_Robinson,_a_Lifelong_Fighter_for Justice⠀⇛ When I arrived in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 1978, I didn’t have high hopes for TransAfrica, a newly formed organization created only a year earlier with a young leader, Randall Robinson, at its helm. I was convinced that we did not need another liberal organization that saw compromise as a path to freedom for oppressed people, and which would be unwilling to confront imperialist nations still bent on exploiting Africa and the African world. As history and my own life went on to show, my initial impression of TransAfrica, and of Randall, who died on March 24 at the age of 81, was sorely mistaken. o ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Smoke_Some_Weeds:_Lasers_Could_Make_Herbicide Obsolete⠀⇛ We’ve all tangled with unwelcome plant life at one point or another. Whether crabgrass infested your lawn, or you were put on weeding duty in your grandfather’s rose patch, you’ll know they’re a pain to remove, and a pain to prevent. For farmers, just imagine the same problem, but scaled up to cover thousands of acres. o ⚓ Hackaday ☛ 2023_Hackaday_Prize:_The_Assistive_Tech_Challenge Starts_Now⠀⇛ We’d all love to change the world and make it a better place, but let’s be honest…that’s a pretty tall order. Even the best of ideas, implemented perfectly, can only do so much globally. But that doesn’t mean the individual can’t make a difference — you just need to think on a different scale. If improving everyone’s life is a bit out of reach, why not settle for a smaller group? Or perhaps even just one person? o ⚓ NYPost ☛ Steven_Spielberg_blasts_revising_old_films_for_modern audiences,_reveals_regret_about_‘E.T.’⠀⇛ Steven Spielberg has slammed the revision of old films in a bid to make them more appealing to modern audiences. The legendary director admitted that he regrets editing scenes, specifically one from his hit 1982 film “E.T.” that showed government agents armed with guns. o § Science⠀➾ # ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ Tomb_of_Roman_physician_buried_with_his medical_equipment_found_in_Hungary⠀⇛ # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Nuke_Your_Own_Uranium_Glass_Castings_In_The Microwave⠀⇛ Fair warning: if you’re going to try to mold uranium glass in a microwave kiln, you might want to not later use the oven for preparing food. Just a thought. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Why_Researchers_Turned_This_Goldfish_Into a_Cyborg⠀⇛ Neuroscientists are examining how fish navigate their world using different brain circuits than those relied on by mammals like us. # ⚓ IDA ☛ Q&A_with_IDA_Advocate_Federico_Pellegrino⠀⇛ Each month the International Dark-Sky Association features an IDA Advocate from the worldwide network of volunteers who are working to protect the night in a feature called ‘Monthly Star.’ # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Japanese_Moon_Lander_Most_Likely_Crashed, Ispace_Says⠀⇛ The Japanese company aimed to be the first to change the paradigm for transporting things to the moon, but that will have to wait for a future mission. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Hard_landing:_Japan_firm_fails_in historic_Moon_bid⠀⇛ Japan’s ispace said it could not establish communication with the unmanned Hakuto-R lunar lander. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ What_Was_Lost_in_the_Hakuto-R_Moon_Lander Crash⠀⇛ The Ispace mission had planned to carry a number of customer payloads to the moon’s surface. o § Education⠀➾ # ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ NYC_Budget_Would_Close_Libraries_On Weekends_While_Police_Get_Huge_Bonuses⠀⇛ As Mayor Eric Adams inks a deal to increase police officer pay by billions, libraries say they may not have enough cash to stay open on weekends. # ⚓ uni Stanford ☛ Editorial_Board_|_Greek_life_is_not_the solution_for_Stanford’s_social_problem⠀⇛ In the first of a three part series on sustainably reviving social life on campus, the Editorial Board argues against idealizing Greek life as the sole solution to restoring fun, and offers suggestions to create a more inclusive campus social life. “Together, we can envision a social life at Stanford where everybody feels welcome,” the Board writes. # ⚓ uni Stanford ☛ Stanford_president_dodges_research misconduct_questions⠀⇛ Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne has declined to answer dozens of questions and made statements about his research that contradict accounts of fellow researchers, Genentech and the scientific record. Meanwhile, professors have publicly questioned his ability to lead as he grapples with mounting allegations. # ⚓ La Prensa Latina ☛ Slight_reduction_of_illiteracy_in_El Salvador⠀⇛ The Survey of Households of Multiple Purposes 2022 found that in the last year 9.7 percent of the population did not know how to read or write, that is, about 522 000 Salvadorans were illiterate last year within a population of 5,385,593 people over 10 years old. o § Hardware⠀➾ # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Tactile_Feedback_In_VR,_No_Cumbersome_Gloves_Or Motors_Required⠀⇛ This clever research from the University of Chicago’s Human Computer Integration Lab demonstrates a fascinating way to let users “feel” objects in VR, without anything getting in the way of using one’s hands and fingers normally. Certainly, the picture here shows hands with a device attached to them, but look closely and you’ll see that it’s on the back of the hand only. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ VCF_East_2023:_Adrian_Black_On_Keeping_Retro Alive⠀⇛ While roaming the halls of Vintage Computer Festival East 2023, we ran into [Adrian Black], who was eager to talk about the importance of classic computing in his own life and how his experience hosting the YouTube channel Adrian’s Digital Basement has impacted him these last few years. # ⚓ Tedium ☛ CISC-y_RISC-ness⠀⇛ In the early years of computing, it was common to put a number of basic functions inside a processor, to help keep the sizes of programs relatively minimal. After all, when space is at a luxury, you want to keep the code fairly dense. That line of thinking made sense during the mainframe and minicomputer eras, and came to be known as the complex instruction set computer (CISC) processing set. But over time, some came to debate the value of this approach, suggesting that it might be better to increase processing efficiency by cutting down on instruction complexity. In other words, the chip has fewer types of things to execute, but it might do them more often. Some types of processors actually did this before the concept got a name, but eventually, it did get one—the reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processing set. # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ PCIe_Card_Adds_M.2_SSDs_You_Can_Swap Without_Opening_Your_PC⠀⇛ The SSD goes into a small aluminum enclosure, or M.2 locker, as Icy Dock calls it. The installation consists of popping the lid off, sliding the drive, and putting the cover back into place. The M.2 locker accepts M.2 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110 SSDs. The maximum allowed width is 3.8mm, though. The M.2 locker is a huge heatsink, while the included thermal pad helps heat dissipation. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Leonardo_Da_Vinci’s_Visualization_Of_Gravity_As A_Form_Of_Acceleration⠀⇛ Although we take a lot of scientific knowledge for granted today, each of the basics – whether it be about light, gravity, mass or the shape of the Earth – had to be theorized and experimentally verified. In the case of gravity, as far back as around 500 BCE the Ionian Greek philosopher Heraclitus theorized on the balance created by what we came to call ‘gravity’. Later, the Greek philosopher Aristotle coined his own postulations and Greek physicist Archimedes did research that led him to discover the center of mass. Centuries later, the Roman engineer and architect Vitruvius argued for the concept of specific gravity rather than mass alone. # ⚓ Market Watch ☛ Intel_expected_to_post_biggest_loss_on record:_Has_chip_maker_finally_hit_bottom⠀⇛ o § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ # ⚓ Off Guardian ☛ WATCH:_National_Citizens_Inquiry_– #SolutionsWatch⠀⇛ The National Citizens Inquiry is a citizen-led and citizen-funded initiative that is hearing testimony from Canadians and experts examining the nature, the legality and the effects of the Canadian government’s COVID mandates and restrictions. In the most recent episode of #SolutionsWatch, James Corbett talks to the volunteer-run inquiry’s volunteer communications director, Michelle Leduc Catlin… # ⚓ The Nation ☛ The_Poison_Pill_in_the_Mifepristone_Lawsuit That_Could_Trigger_a_National_Abortion_Ban⠀⇛ When the Supreme Court’s conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade last June, they cited Victorian-era state abortion bans—which were nullified by Roe—to justify “return[ing]” the abortion issue to the states. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Oklahoma_Woman_Told_to_Wait_in_Hospital Parking_Lot_Until_‘Crashing’_for_Abortion⠀⇛ Mounting news reports since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year have detailed the experiences of pregnant people who have been denied lifesaving abortion care, and in the case of one woman in Oklahoma last month, the state’s abortion ban effectively barred her from receiving cancer treatment. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ The_Group_That_Searches_for_Missing Ukrainian_Children⠀⇛ Save Ukraine’s mission includes reuniting families victimized by Russia’s deportations in occupied areas. # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ COVID_panel_offers_lessons_learned,_three years_on⠀⇛ Congress never formed a commission to evaluate the U.S. COVID response – including what went wrong and why. So this group of experts took it upon themselves. # ⚓ Dr._Joseph_Ladapo:_Busted_lying_with_statistics_about COVID-19_vaccines⠀⇛ I hadn’t planned on posting today, but then there was a news story published Monday by Politico that I felt the obligation to acknowledge at least briefly (for me). It concerns everybody’s favorite COVID-19 minimizing antivax Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who, not coincidentally, was a member of the hydroxychloroquine-pushing grifting group of doctors known as America’s Frontline Doctors. Dr. Ladapo, as you might recall, was appointed to lead Florida’s health department by Gov. Ron DeSantis, in an apparent bid to make Florida the most COVID-friendly state in the union, all in the name of “freedom.” Since then, he’s done everything he could to dismantle whatever was left of Florida’s public health infrastructure. Most notoriously, though his health department made antivax disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines official by publishing a study claiming to have found that the risk of myocarditis after mRNA vaccines in men aged 18-39 was so high that young men should forego vaccination against COVID-19, because—or so Dr. Ladapo claimed—vaccination is more dangerous than COVID-19 for younger men. It ultimately turned out that, not only was the study as bad as many of us had suspected when it was released, but that the study had gone through multiple iterations that looked like p-hacking, post hoc alterations in the protocol, and the failure to report certain statistics, all designed to make the vaccine look worse. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Angry_Farmers_Pierce_Europe’s_United_Front on_Ukraine⠀⇛ A grain deal that got Ukrainian exports moving and eased a global food crisis is now fueling protests in Romania and among other staunch supporters of Kyiv. # ⚓ Mexico News Daily ☛ Navy_finds_11,250_tequila_bottles filled_with_liquid_meth_in_Manzanillo⠀⇛ Naval customs officers at the Pacific port discovered the bottles of tequila-colored liquid after being alerted by a sniffer dog. # ⚓ Mexico News Daily ☛ ‘Anti-fentanyl’_law_approved_in_Chamber of_Deputies⠀⇛ The reform is designed to help the government better detect and punish trafficking of precursor chemicals used in the drug’s production. # ⚓ Mexico News Daily ☛ Health_Minister_reports_that_AMLO’s health_is_‘good’⠀⇛ President López Obrador has mild COVID-19 symptoms but is doing fine, Jorge Alcocer told reporters at a press conference Tuesday. # ⚓ PHR ☛ New_Study:_Most_Oklahoma_Hospitals_Unable_to_Explain Their_Policies_on_Emergency_Abortion_Care⠀⇛ Not a single hospital in Oklahoma appears able to articulate clear, consistent policies for emergency obstetric care to pregnant patients, according to a new study published Tuesday. # ⚓ Off Guardian ☛ “Arcturus_Variant”:_Russia_revives_Covid scam,_right_on_cue⠀⇛ Riley Waggaman Russia is bracing for a wave of highly infectious Arcturus, the newest and trendiest “COVID subvariant”, Rospotrebnadzor chief Anna Popova announced on Thursday. Fellow BRICS member India is currently experiencing an “intense” outbreak of this computer model, and Russia—which has already registered four confirmed cases!—should expect its own Arcturus surge by the end of May… # ⚓ YLE ☛ Skin_cancer_rates_increase_in_Finland_as_UV_radiation rises⠀⇛ Some 981 men and 798 women were diagnosed with melanoma in Finland in 2021. # ⚓ Wired ☛ The_Quest_for_Longevity_Is_Already_Over⠀⇛ Healthspan—years lived in good health—might be the unsexy cousin of longevity research, but figuring out ways for people to live healthier lives could have a much greater impact than extending lifespan by a few years. A big part of extending healthy lives is pinpointing when people start to decline in health, and what the early indicators of that decline might be. One way is by looking at frailty—a measure that usually takes into account factors like social isolation, mobility, and health conditions to produce an overall frailty score. In England, the National Health Service automatically calculates frailty scores for everyone aged 65 and over, with the aim to help people live independently for longer and avoid two major causes of hospital admissions for older people: falls and adverse responses to medication. But Jylhävä’s research suggests that frailty indicators might be useful much earlier in life, too. She found that increased frailty scores were associated with higher mortality risks in old age, but that this association was particularly pronounced at age 50, where a jump in frailty score indicated a relatively large increase in mortality risk. Jylhävä says this is a sign that assessing frailty at age 65 is too late. Rather than looking to the ultra-old for the key to healthy aging, we should actually be looking at when and why younger people start the decline into ill health. # ⚓ Vox ☛ One_big_idea_that_could_prevent_thousands_of_gun deaths⠀⇛ This is a fact that should alarm us. In 2020, firearms surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for American children, with 4,357 children killed by gunfire that year. While the majority of child deaths from guns are due to homicide, an average of 35 percent between 2018 and 2021 were suicides, while 5 percent were caused by unintentional, accidental shootings. # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ British_Depleted_Uranium_in_Ukraine⠀⇛ “We have sent thousands of rounds of Challenger 2 ammunition to Ukraine, including depleted uranium armour-piercing rounds,” he said, adding the weapons “are now under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU)” and that the Defence Ministry “does not monitor the locations from where DU rounds are fired by the AFU in Ukraine.” When queried whether the government possesses a duty to remediate depleted uranium rounds used in Ukraine after the conflict, the minister declared that it “no obligation” to do so, instead stressing “Ukraine’s immediate needs.” # ⚓ Rlang ☛ R_Applied_to_Epidemiology_and_Infectious_Disease_in Glasgow⠀⇛ Antonio Hegar, organizer of the R Glasgow user group (also on Twitter), shared with the R Consortium his efforts to build an R community in Glasgow. He discussed the widespread use of R in Glasgow across a broad range of fields and stressed the need to bring together R users for knowledge sharing. He also shared his work as an epidemiologist with the Ministry of Health in Belize for reporting COVID-19-related data for public policy and planning. # ⚓ CoryDoctorow ☛ Private_equity_finally_delivered_Sarah Palin’s_death_panels⠀⇛ But for the millions of Americans with insurance, death panels are an everyday occurrence, or at least a lurking concern. Anyone who pays attention knows that insurers have entire departments designed to mass-reject legitimate claims and stall patients who demand that the insurer lives up to its claim: [...] o § Proprietary⠀➾ # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Alphabet_Shrugs_Off_Advertising_Slump, Thanks_to_Search_Engine⠀⇛ Google’s parent company returned to sales growth, even as an advertising slowdown continued to crimp YouTube. # ⚓ The Verge ☛ Microsoft_Edge_is_leaking_the_sites_you_visit to_Bing [Ed: And yet worse, it also leaks your passwords by default, without even asking for consent]⠀⇛ Microsoft’s Edge browser appears to be sending URLs you visit to its Bing API website. o § Security⠀➾ # § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ # ⚓ EFF ☛ Maine_Gets_Another_(Necessary)_Opportunity_to Defund_Its_Local_Intelligence_Fusion_Center⠀⇛ Fusion centers are yet another unnecessary cog in the surveillance state—and one that serves the intrusive function of coordinating surveillance activities and sharing information between federal law enforcement, the national security surveillance apparatus, and local and state police. Across the United States, there are at least 78 fusion centers that were formed by the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of the war on terror and the rise of post-9/11 mass surveillance. Since their creation, fusion centers have been hammered by politicians, academics, and civil society groups for their ineffectiveness, dysfunction, mission creep, and unregulated tendency to veer into political policing. As scholar Brendan McQuade wrote in his book Pacifying the Homeland: Intelligence Fusion and Mass Supervision: An explosive 2023 report from Rutgers University’s Center for Security, Race and Rights also gives us more evidence of why these centers are invasive, secretive, and dangerous. In the report, researchers documented how New Jersey’s fusion center leveraged national security powers to spy almost exclusively on Muslim, Arab, and Black communities and push an already racially biased criminal justice system into overdrive through aggressive enforcement of misdemeanor and quality of life offenses.  Moreover, in recent years, the dysfunction of fusion centers and the ease with which they sink into policing First Amendment-protected activities have been on full display. After a series of leaks that revealed communications from inside police departments, fusion centers, and law enforcement agencies across the country, MIAC came under particular scrutiny for sharing dubious intelligence generated by far-right wing social media accounts with local law enforcement. Specifically, the Maine fusion center helped perpetuate disinformation that stacks of bricks and stones had been strategically placed throughout a Black Lives Matter protest as part of a larger plan for destruction, and caused police to plan and act accordingly. This was, to put it plainly, a government intelligence agency spreading fake news that could have deliberately injured people exercising their First Amendment rights. This is in addition to a whistleblower lawsuit from a state trooper that alleged the fusion center routinely violated civil rights.   # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Missouri_Nukes_Its_‘Tell_Us_If_You’ve_Seen A_Trans’_Reporting_Form_After_It’s_Swarmed_With_‘Bee Movie’_Scripts⠀⇛ Who doesn’t love the wisdom of the crowds? Hey, it’s a great thing if you’re seeking comment from the oft-disrespected “stakeholders” known as the people who pay your salaries. Comment periods for proposed regulation ensures a healthy mix of intelligent commentary and unhinged partisanship. You know, like pretty much any congressional hearing. # ⚓ The Nation ☛ What_Were_the_Twitter_Files?⠀⇛ What exactly were “the Twitter Files” about? By now, it’s settled into a near-consensus everywhere but on the right that the disclosures were of little consequence. This view only hardened after MSNBC anchor Mehdi Hasan challenged Matt Taibbi, the journalist most associated with the so-called Files, on several major reporting errors two weeks ago. # ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ New_York_Times_Profiles_Back-to- Office_Culture_at_Company_That_Used_Surveillance_to Harass_Coworkers_at_the_Office⠀⇛ While bemoaning the fact that workers have “less supervision” at home. # ⚓ Stacey on IoT ☛ CareBand_bet_on_Amazon_Sidewalk._How will_it_turn_out? [Ed: Perhaps surveillance of human beings, sold as protecting people with dementia]⠀⇛ I first met Adam Sobol, the CEO of CareBand, at the LoRaWAN World Expo in Paris last year. He was building a wearable device for people with dementia using LoRaWAN connectivity to track them in case they wandered off. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Murdoch’s_News_Group_Paid_Settlement to_Prince_William,_Court_Filing_Shows⠀⇛ A legal filing by Prince Harry in his own case against News Group claims his brother received “a huge sum of money’’ to settle phone-hacking allegations. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Why_Countries_Are_Trying_to_Ban TikTok⠀⇛ Governments have expressed concerns that TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, may endanger sensitive user data. # ⚓ YLE ☛ Russia_tracks_visiting_Finns_via_smartphone IMEI_codes,_Yle_finds⠀⇛ A number of Finns who visited Russia told Yle they were interrogated at the Russian border, and asked to reveal their mobile phones’ IMEI numbers. # ⚓ YLE ☛ HUS_suspects_employee_of_‘hundreds’_of_patient data_breaches⠀⇛ The Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district (HUS) has asked police to investigate patient data breaches it suspects had been going on for around three-and-a-half years. # ⚓ LRT ☛ US_Palantir_Technologies_to_set_up_regional_hub in_Vilnius⠀⇛ Palantir Technologies, a US-based software and services company, is planning to expand its operations in Lithuania and establish a regional hub of big data competencies in Vilnius, Invest Lithuania said on Tuesday. The company has entered into a strategic partnership with the Lithuanian Defence Ministry to develop new digital solutions, the government’s foreign investment promotion agency said in a press release. # ⚓ Wired ☛ How_Parenting_Tech_Opens_the_Door_to_State Surveillance⠀⇛ The need to know whether a child is safe and well is perfectly natural, which makes the nature of such surveillance appear innocent. Behind the wholesome sheen, however, these technologies conceal the possibility of false positives, disrupted emergency services, and collaboration with state forces—wittingly or unwittingly—all in the name of keeping children safe. Seemingly private, domestic technologies can dovetail with state surveillance, turning parent-to-child surveillance into a dragnet, one that catches other parents and children in its wake. # ⚓ Patrick Breyer ☛ Data_retention_and_undermining encryption:_expert_group_to_present_proposals_for expanding_surveillance_by_mid-2024⠀⇛ At the request of MEP Dr Patrick Breyer , Europol has published documents showing that a newly established group of experts is to draw up proposals on the topics of data retention, encryption and anonymity by mid- 2024. Among other things, the focus is on access to encrypted communication data, to location data and to IP data of citizens. The expert group goes back to a proposal of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union from January 2023 (PDF). The tasks and objectives of the expert group are discussed under the programme name ‘Going Dark’. o § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ At_least_15_killed,_dozens_hurt_as blasts_damage_Pakistan_police_station⠀⇛ A debate is raging over whether terrorists were responsible for the damage. # ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ ‘Fallout’-Style_Cartoons_Meant_to_Train Russian_Soldiers_Are_Spreading_on_Telegram⠀⇛ The meme-filled videos spread on Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels, though it’s unclear if the Kremlin created them. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Daniel_Ellsberg:_a_Profound_Voice_Against the_Doomsday_Machine⠀⇛ The current Daniel Ellsberg Week celebrates the achievements and inspirational spirit of the most significant whistleblower of the 20th century. Daniel Ellsberg’s recent announcement of a terminal diagnosis broke my heart, but his remarkable response gave me great hope. To quote Ellsberg: “As I just told my son Robert: He’s long known (as my editor) that I work better under a deadline. It turns out that I live better under a deadline!” # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Bipartisan_US_Bill_Aims_to_Prevent_AI_From Launching_Nuclear_Weapons⠀⇛ In the name of “protecting future generations from potentially devastating consequences,” a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday introduced legislation meant to prevent artificial intelligence from launching nuclear weapons without meaningful human control. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ 44_Ukrainian_and_40_Russian_soldiers_returned_in prisoner_exchange_—_Meduza⠀⇛ President Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak reported that 44 people have returned to Ukraine as part of a prisoner exchange, including 36 privates and sergeants, six officers, and two civilians. Yermak said that the servicemen participated in the defense of Mariupol, Azovstal, and Kherson, as well as combat in eastern Ukraine. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russian_fighter_jet_crashes_in_Murmansk_region_— Meduza⠀⇛ A MiG-31 fighter jet crashed in Russia’s Murmansk region, the Telegram channel Baza and Russian state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ ‘The_explosions_calm_them_down’:_What_Russian soldiers_are_teaching_children_after_returning_from_the_war in_Ukraine_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russia_expels_10_Norwegian_diplomats_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry declared 10 employees at Norway’s embassy in Moscow persona non grata. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russian_State_Duma_Defense_Committee_head_proposes enlisting_civilian_volunteers_to_defend_state_borders_— Meduza⠀⇛ Andrey Kartapolov, the head of the Russian State Duma’s Defense Committee, said Wednesday that civilian volunteers should be involved in defending Russia’s state borders. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russian_authorities_begin_issuing_military summonses_threatening_‘restrictive_measures’_in_case_of_no- show_—_Meduza⠀⇛ The Russian authorities have begun sending out military summonses that explicitly threaten their recipients with “restrictive measures,” Grigory Sverdlin, the head of the anti-war initiative Go by the Forest, reported on Wednesday. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ After_the_siege_Google_updated_its_satellite images_of_Mariupol_for_the_first_time_since_2021._The_photos show_destruction_on_a_catastrophic_scale._—_Meduza⠀⇛ On April 25, Google Earth and Google Maps updated their satellite images of Mariupol. The previous satellite images were from June 2021, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The new photographs were taken at different times following the start of the war, which is why fires are visible in some parts of the city, while in other areas occupying authorities are seen constructing new buildings. What’s more, one newly reconstructed area of Mariupol, which Vladimir Putin visited in March 2023, isn’t visible at all. The following photographs from Google Earth offer a glimpse at the extent of the destruction inflicted upon Mariupol since the start of the Russian invasion. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russian_ambassador_says_Polish_prosecutor’s_office seized_funds_from_embassy_accounts_—_Meduza⠀⇛ The Polish prosecutor’s office seized funds from Russia’s embassy and trade mission accounts, the Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreev told RIA Novosti. # ⚓ The Nation ☛ A_US-China_War_Over_Taiwan?⠀⇛ What will happen when China invades Taiwan, as so many in Washington believe is inevitable? To answer that question, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, an entity created at Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s behest in February, conducted a “tabletop exercise” involving a simulated attack of this sort on April 19. No official report on the closed-door exercise has been made public, but participants indicated that the outcome of such an encounter would prove catastrophic for all parties involved. Committee members were confronted “with the potential for death and destruction on scales that haven’t been seen in decades,” reported one game-player. What hasn’t been reported, however, is that any such engagement would almost certainly brush up against the nuclear threshold—and very likely cross it. # ⚓ YLE ☛ Intelligence_agents_account_for_one_third_of_Russian embassy_staff_in_Helsinki,_Yle_probe_finds⠀⇛ A report by Yle’s investigative journalism unit MOT has revealed that one third of staff at Russia’s embassy in Helsinki are actually intelligence agents. The findings were confirmed by the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service Supo. # ⚓ The Telegraph UK ☛ How_the_Sudan_crisis_could_trigger_a_new migration_wave⠀⇛ The United Nations is preparing for up to 270,000 refugees to flee Sudan, where almost five million people have already been displaced. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick predicted “very significant numbers” would flee Africa’s third- largest country, which could lead to a surge in illegal small boats crossing to Britain. # ⚓ The Gray Zone ☛ Did_Bellingcat_get_Ukrainian_forces killed?⠀⇛ # ⚓ Axios ☛ Zelensky_and_Xi_speak_in_first_call_since_Russia invasion_of_Ukraine⠀⇛ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that he’d had a “long and meaningful call” with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Why it matters: It was the first known call between Xi and Zelensky since Russia invaded Ukraine. Xi has offered_himselfas a mediator in the conflict, but he made a lengthy_state_visit_to_Moscow and has offered diplomatic cover for the invasion. # ⚓ Defence Web ☛ Exclusive:_Wagner_founder_Prigozhin_says counter-terrorism_is_company’s_primary_African_focus⠀⇛ Founder of Russian private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has defended his company’s activities in Africa, saying that his involvement on the continent is mainly to defeat terrorism and help countries liberate their territories from insurgents. defenceWeb was granted an exclusive interview with Prigozhin in Moscow, where he elaborated on a number of topics. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Violence_in_Sudan_Cuts_Through_Shaky_U.S.- Brokered_Cease-Fire⠀⇛ Gunfire and shelling still trapped many residents in their homes in the capital, but others took advantage of the truce announcement to flee on the 11th day of fighting. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ South_Africa’s_Shifting_Stance_on_Whether It_Will_Quit_the_I.C.C.⠀⇛ As the International Criminal Court seeks to arrest Vladimir Putin, South Africa objects to its “unfair treatment” of some countries, but sends mixed signals about withdrawing. # ⚓ Axios ☛ U.S._moves_to_reassure_South_Korea_of_protection against_nuclear_attack⠀⇛ President Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will sign a declaration on nuclear coordination during Yoon’s visit to Washington this week in response_to_“provocations”_from_North Korea, senior U.S. officials briefed reporters. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ US,_Philippines_sink_mock_enemy_ship_in their_largest_South_China_Sea_drills⠀⇛ > It is the first time for both sides to simulate a sea attack and rocket-bombardment exercise in the disputed waterway. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan_publisher_under_investigation for_national_security_crime:_China⠀⇛ Gusa Books has published books on history and politics critical of China’s ruling Communist Party. # ⚓ NYPost ☛ Sweden_launches_research_rocket,_accidentally_hits Norway⠀⇛ The rocket reached an altitude of 155.34 miles where experiments were carried out in zero gravity, the agency said in a statement. # ⚓ NYPost ☛ US_to_send_nuclear_submarine_to_South_Korea_for first_time_in_40_years⠀⇛ The US will send a nuclear submarine to visit South Korea for the first time in decades. # ⚓ The Strategist ☛ Review_identifies_real_threats,_in_real time⠀⇛ The Defence Strategic Review gives the clearest description yet of the perilous strategic circumstances in which we are living. # ⚓ Atlantic Council ☛ Putin’s_dreams_of_a_new_Russian_Empire are_unraveling_in_Ukraine⠀⇛ Putin saw the invasion of Ukraine as a key step toward rebuilding the Russian Empire. Instead, it has forced countries across the former Soviet Union to distance themselves from the Kremlin, writes Mark Temnycky. # ⚓ The Strategist ☛ The_Defence_Strategic_Review:_a_revolution in_Australian_defence_planning?⠀⇛ Public discussion of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) has focused on the announced changes to major capability programs. # ⚓ Atlantic Council ☛ Russia’s_invasion_highlights_the_need_to invest_more_in_Ukrainian_studies⠀⇛ The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the need for greater international investment into Ukrainian studies but has also created huge challenges for Ukrainian academia, writes Oleksandra Gaidai. # ⚓ Scoop News Group ☛ FBI_aiding_Ukraine_in_collection_of digital_and_physical_war_crime_evidence⠀⇛ U.S. law enforcement is helping officials in Kyiv process the huge amounts of data from investigations of alleged war crimes. # ⚓ Defence Web ☛ More_than_450_killed_in_Sudan_fighting⠀⇛ United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pulled no punches during a Security Council emergency session on Sudan this week calling the fighting in Sudan “an ongoing power struggle between top generals”. # ⚓ Defence Web ☛ Jammer_and_target_drone_amongst_advanced_DoD technology_projects⠀⇛ Defence technology research and development in the Department of Defence (DoD) has led to tangible progress on several important projects, including a new radar system, low-cost target drone, and electronic warfare systems. o § Transparency/Investigative Reporting⠀➾ # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Twitter_Turns_In_Its_Transparency_Homework_Late And_Incomplete⠀⇛ Twitter 1.0 had one of the most complete and thorough transparency reporting operations around. It was incredibly useful to anyone studying issues, especially regarding the all important information on government demands on the company, and Twitter’s compliance rate. Indeed, as we reported, while basically all of the other big tech companies folded when the government demanded they obfuscate how many requests they get from government, old Twitter (alone) pushed back and sued the government. # ⚓ ABC ☛ Slain_Japanese_journalist’s_camera_surfaces_after_15 years⠀⇛ The handover of the camera comes as Myanmar is in the grip of upheaval far worse than that of 2007. A widespread, determined armed resistance has sprung up in response to the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government by the military in 2021. According to tallies kept by journalists in Myanmar, three of their local colleagues have been killed by the authorities since the army takeover and more than 150 detained. A handful of foreign journalists were also detained and later deported. The camera when found still had the original tape inside it. Its contents were screened at Wednesday’s event. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Dutch_to_Make_Public_the_Files_on_Accused Nazi_Collaborators⠀⇛ More than 65,000 accused collaborators ended up standing trial in a special court system that stripped some of certain civil rights, sent some to prison and condemned others to death. Most of the cases were resolved by 1950 and the filings of the special court — including police reports, witness depositions, material evidence and photos — were packed off to an archive with restricted access for a period of 75 years. In two years those restrictions will be lifted and a vast trove of about 32 million documents — files on people who stood trial as well as the many others who only came under scrutiny — will be opened to the public. It is a prospect that has some people bracing for possibly discomforting disclosures. o § Environment⠀➾ # ⚓ International Business Times ☛ How_deforestation_affects_us all⠀⇛ One of the primary drivers of deforestation is the production of pulp and paper products, including toilet paper. Many toilet paper brands rely on virgin pulp sourced from old-growth forests, rather than using recycled content or sourcing from sustainably managed forests. This practice has significant environmental and social impacts, including habitat loss, carbon emissions, and human rights violations. # ⚓ The Nation ☛ Inside_the_Youth_Campaign_to_Bring_Climate Change_to_the_World’s_Highest_Court⠀⇛ Before the pandemic, before the floods that swept through my hometown and across Appalachia, before the two cyclones that struck Vanuatu earlier this spring, I stood on the United Nations plaza with a group of friends in September 2019. As the after- party for the UN Secretary General’s Youth Climate Summit continued late into the night, talk turned to an innovative theory from a group of law students in the South Pacific. An obscure procedural mechanism—Article 96(1) of the UN Charter—would allow the General Assembly to request an advisory opinion on climate change from the International Court of Justice, jump-starting the development of climate law around the world. # ⚓ Axios ☛ Environmental_group_organizing_millions_for_climate justice⠀⇛ The Climate Funders Justice Pledge (CFJP) has mobilized $120 million in funding from major climate donors, the group tells Axios. Why it matters:The new milestone demonstrates the growing recognition that minorities and low-income residents tend to suffer the most from climate change, including extreme weather events such as heat waves and flash floods. [...] Why it matters: The new milestone demonstrates the growing recognition that minorities and low-income residents tend to suffer the most from climate change, including extreme weather events such as heat waves and flash floods. It also signals growing momentum behind climate justice as a pillar of work in the climate space among major donors. # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ A_Heat_Shield_for_the_Most_Important_Ice_on Earth⠀⇛ Engineers might be able to protect Arctic ice by coating it with tiny glass bubbles. Should they? # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Teacher_in_the_Philippines_holds_class outdoors,_as_school_bakes_amid_heatwave⠀⇛ Temperatures in the country have hit 37 deg C, as a heatwave sears much of Asia. # ⚓ Axios ☛ California’s_big_melt_is_set_to_accelerate_amid_the first_spring_heat_wave⠀⇛ California’s “Big Melt” from its historic_snowpack is set to accelerate when temperatures reach as much as 20 degrees above average this week, forecasters warn. By the numbers:The statewide snowpack contained a snow water equivalent (SWE) on Monday that was 256% of average for the date, and temperatures are forecast to break 80°F in parts of the Sierra Nevada for the first time this year by Thursday. # § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ As_EU_Parliament_Weighs_Methane Rules,_Green_Groups_Warn_of_US_‘Certified_Gas’_Scheme⠀⇛ On the heels of a “damning exposé” of U.S. companies’ so-called “certified gas” programs, a pair of green groups this week told members of the European Parliament that “it is crucial to strengthen the measures to regulate methane emissions from fossil fuel imports.” # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ How_a_Puerto_Rican_community_battles blackouts_with_solar_power⠀⇛ In Puerto Rico, extreme weather fuels fears of power blackouts. Yet microgrids of solar panels could provide backup energy and boost self-sufficiency. Nearly 700 rooftop solar panels were recently installed as part of a growing microgrid initiative. # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ India’s_Quest_to_Build_the_World’s Largest_Solar_Farms⠀⇛ Pavagada Ultra Mega Solar Park, a clean-power plant the size of Manhattan, could be a model for the world—or a cautionary tale. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ As_It_Promises_Environmental_Justice, Biden_Admin._Disrespects_Those_in_MVP’s_Path⠀⇛ I am saddened by the depths that proponents of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) will go to advance a false narrative and spread inaccuracies. This time it is Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm who on Friday, April 21, 2023 wrote a cheerleader’s letter rooting for the MVP, Joe Manchin’s pet project. It is very ironic and even a bit disturbing that she wrote this letter one day after she appeared before the Senate Energy Committee and the very next day after she told me personally that she (or her staff) would meet with me in the next week or two. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘Landmark’_Carbon_Capture_Credit Purchase_by_NextGen_Denounced_as_Total_‘Scam’⠀⇛ A leading U.S. green group on Wednesday dismissed a major carbon offset deal as a “scam,” while underscoring such schemes’ inefficacy at reducing emissions. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Binance_Faces_Mounting_Pressure_as U.S._Crypto_Crackdown_Intensifies⠀⇛ The scrutiny on Binance, the giant cryptocurrency exchange, has sent new tremors through a market that is still bruised by the implosion of FTX. # ⚓ uni Michigan ☛ U-M’s_renewable_energy_zoning initiative_expands_to_six_states⠀⇛ An expanded renewable energy zoning database from U-M helps simplify matchmaking between renewable energy developers and interested host communities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. # ⚓ Scott Feeney ☛ The_myth_of_“transit_streets,_bike streets_and_car_streets”⠀⇛ Every one of these so-called bike streets and transit streets lets cars park on both sides for most of its length. They all allow cars to through-travel for a mile or more in at least one direction, if not the entire length of the street.2 With the possible exception of Page, none meet NACTO low-stress criteria of fewer than 1,000 vehicles per day at speeds under 15 mph.3 And none of this was even up for debate on Valencia, “the bike street, the people street.” Instead, staff, acting under dictates from Mayor London Breed, forced board members and advocates to reluctantly back the questionably safe, unpopular center bike lane design as the only available option. # ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ How_Bankruptcy_Helps_the_Coal_Industry Avoid_Environmental_Liability⠀⇛ Whenever a hard rain fell on Harlan County, Kentucky, the mud, rocks and debris from the Foresters No. 25 mine pounded down the hillside into the community of Wallins Creek. Local residents repeatedly complained about washed-out culverts and mud in their yards. Time after time, county work crews came out after a heavy rain to repair Camp Creek Road, a water line that runs alongside it and a local bridge. The strip mine’s owner, Blackjewel, fixed some problems, but when the rains came again, so did the muddy flooding. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Printed_Gas_Can_Accessories_Make_Refueling A_Little_Neater⠀⇛ No matter what your position is on internal combustion engines, it’s pretty safe to assume everyone is on the same page regarding wasting fossil fuels: it’s a bad thing. And nothing is as frustrating as spilling even a drop of the precious stuff before you even get a chance to burn it. # ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ How_We_Measured_the_Environmental_Cost of_Bankrupt_Mines⠀⇛ State environmental regulators have a trove of data on coal mines, including their histories, ownership and environmental violations. ProPublica and Mountain State Spotlight obtained this information for West Virginia and Kentucky, which together are home to about half of the nation’s coal mines. We then combined the states’ data with court records of coal industry bankruptcies. The result was a new look at the association between bankruptcy and environmental problems. # ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ Blocked_Crossings_Force_Kids_to_Crawl Under_Trains_to_Get_to_School⠀⇛ Jeremiah Johnson couldn’t convince his mother to let him wear a suit, so he insisted on wearing his striped tie and matching pocket square. It was picture day and the third grader wanted to get to school on time. But as he and his mom walked from their Hammond, Indiana, home on a cold, rainy fall morning, they confronted an obstacle they’d come to dread: A sprawling train, parked in their path. # ⚓ DeSmog ☛ The_Rise_of_the_‘Climate_Friendly’_Cow⠀⇛ In early March, global food giant Tyson unveiled a new beef product line at the 2023 annual industry meat conference. Named “BrazenTM Beef”, it was the first ever product of its kind to receive the “Climate- Friendly” stamp from the US Department of Agriculture. The brand, which grew out of Tyson’s “Climate-Smart Beef Program”, reportedly earned this badge through securing a 10 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions compared to regular North American beef. # ⚓ DeSmog ☛ Hospitals_Are_Investing_Billions_of_Dollars in_Fossil_Fuels,_Report_Reveals⠀⇛ Major hospital systems and medical institutions in the United States are betraying their oath to “first do no harm” through their investments in the fossil fuel sector, warns a new report from a campaign advocating for fossil fuel divestment in healthcare. According to the report, The Biggest Malpractice: How Hospitals Betray the Public Trust with Billions in Fossil Fuel Pension Investments, it is likely that privately owned U.S. hospitals have investments amounting to well over $10 billion in the fossil fuel economy. The report, released today by the First Do No Harm campaign and the Climate Safe Pensions Network, examines fossil fuel pension investments made by some of the largest U.S. private hospital systems. It calls for the health sector to divest from the industry most responsible for driving the climate crisis, which the medical community has recognized as a public health emergency. # § Wildlife/Nature⠀➾ # ⚓ The Revelator ☛ Coral_Reefs_Are_in_Crisis._Could_a Controversial_Idea_Help?⠀⇛ # § Overpopulation⠀➾ # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Joy_and_fear_as_India’s population_becomes_world’s_biggest⠀⇛ Many of its cities struggle with water shortages, air and water pollution as well as packed slums. o § Finance⠀➾ # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Sri_Lanka_Trying_to_Reduce Overall_Debt_by_$17_Billion,_President_Says⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Nation ☛ The_Cost_of_Exporting_Capitalist_Culture?⠀⇛ # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ As_GOP_Targets_Food_Aid,_House_Dems_Remind McCarthy_of_$1.9_Trillion_in_Trump_Tax_Cuts⠀⇛ Before House Speaker Kevin McCarthy opened debate Wednesday on a bill that would raise the nation’s debt ceiling while gutting social programs and imposing more barriers to access them, nearly 200 House Democrats from across the ideological spectrum signed a letter imploring Republican deficit hawks to drop their demands and pass a clean hike. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ McCarthy’s_GOP_Cruelly_Targets_Most- Vulnerable_With_Sabotage_of_US_Economy_as_Ransom⠀⇛ This week, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy plans to hold a vote on a bill that would raise the nation’s debt limit, but only in conjunction with extraordinarily steep spending cuts and new barriers to accessing income support programs. This is the next milestone in House Republicans’ attempt to play a game of dangerous political brinkmanship with the U.S. economy, trying to force through harmful and deeply unpopular federal spending cuts in exchange for increasing the debt limit. This approach recklessly flirts with bringing on the economic catastrophe of a government default in the short term. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘MAGA_Economic_Sabotage’:_217_House Republicans_Pass_Debt_Ceiling_Bill_With_Harmful_Cuts⠀⇛ A wide range of advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday fiercely denounced Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives for narrowly passing their “debt ceiling scam” containing “extreme, harmful cuts against average Americans to protect billionaire tax breaks.” # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Chamber_of_Commerce_Is_Big_Business Masquerading_as_‘Mom_and_Pop_Shops’⠀⇛ A Wednesday report on who funds the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reveals that the vast majority of donors to the powerful business lobbying group remain anonymous on government forms—but the number of large donations received by the Chamber annually raises serious questions about whether the group truly represents the interests of small businesses, considering that nearly half the money donated in 2021 came from just 46 contributors who gave $1 million or more. # ⚓ Shadowproof ☛ Protest_Song_Of_The_Week:_‘We_Are_All Prostitutes’_By_The_Pop_Group⠀⇛ “We Are All Prostitutes” declared that “capitalism is the most barbaric of all religions” and that “we are all prostitutes, everyone has their price.” The lyrics remain relevant decades later given politics, where wealthy lobby groups hold considerable influence over policy and greed fuels the climate crisis and other societal ills. # ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ Robodebt_Cover-Up:_documents_on repairing_Australian_Public_Service_buried⠀⇛ Most people have watched in disgust at the failures of elements of the senior public service in relation to Robodebt; where top level bureaucrats morphed into political toadies as a result of their own considerable ambition, turning a blind eye to illegal and, ultimately, fatal conduct. On March 8, the Public Service Commissioner, Peter Woolcott AO, met with the secretaries of the Federal Secretaries Board, the Top Level Committee of Heads of Departments, to discuss public service issues that had been canvassed in the Royal Commission into the Robodebt scandal. This is something most people would consider quite appropriate. # ⚓ DaemonFC (Ryan Farmer) ☛ S&P_500_“Earnings_Season”_Off_to Weak_Start_as_Bonds_Reverse_Losses⠀⇛ In my last post I pointed out the bloated valuation of Microsoft and “tech”. Today we have to turn our attention over to companies like UPS and First Republic Bank. # ⚓ Chris Hannah ☛ One-off_upgrade_fees_are_more_honest⠀⇛ When a developer feels like they need to have a continuous stream of money coming in, for them to work on and improve an app, it’s because they want security to allow them to continue. They want reassurance that they won’t be wasting time. A more honest solution would be that if you work on a major update to an app, that you could make it available alongside an upgrade price. # ⚓ Axios ☛ After_going_on_a_shopping_spree,_Americans_are spending_less⠀⇛ Adapted from Morning Consult Economic Intelligence Survey, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics; Note: Morning Consult’s spending data is deflated with the CPI, while PCE is deflated using its own price index; Seasonally adjusted; Chart: Axios Visuals Consumer_spending fell substantially in March from the previous month, according to a survey out Wednesday from Morning_Consult. ⚓ New York Times ☛ G.M.’s_Profits_Fell_18.5%_in_the_First_Quarter⠀⇛ The company also announced a new U.S. battery factory and said it would stop production of its top-selling electric car, the Chevrolet Bolt. ⚓ Stellantis_Layoffs_2023:_What_to_Know_About_the_Latest_STLA_Job_Cuts⠀⇛ According to recent reports, Stellantis is looking to reduce its headcount by 3,5000 workers. The report claims that the company is planning for these job cuts to affect hourly workers in the U.S. ⚓ GeekWire ☛ Rad_Power_Bikes_lays_off_employees_for_the_4th_time_in_the_past year⠀⇛ Rad Power Bikes is laying off employees for the fourth time since April of last year. The Seattle-based e-bike company confirmed the latest round of cuts on Wednesday. It did not provide an updated headcount, or information on which positions are being affected. Rad Power Bikes slashed 100 positions in April 2021, then made another 63 cuts in July, and had its third round of layoffs in December. The company now has around 400 employees, according to LinkedIn. ⚓ Axios ☛ Tyson_Foods_says_it_will_chop_10%_of_corporate_workforce⠀⇛ Tyson Foods announced Wednesday the company will cut 15% of its senior leadership — mostly senior vice president and vice president roles — and 10% of its corporate jobs. § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ * ⚓ The Nation ☛ Pick_’Em:_Making_Sense_of_the_Free-for-All_Primary_for Mayor_of_Philadelphia⠀⇛ Philadelphia, Pa.—“The City of Brotherly Love” has at various times in its history taken on another, less salutary identity: “The City That Doesn’t Work.” As far as most of its 1.6 million residents are concerned, this is one of those times. Infrastructure (such as it is) is a mess. The city is a welter of dubious projects—including cookie-cutter apartment complexes in my West Philadelphia neighborhood that I somehow doubt will help meet the city’s urgent need for affordable housing. The streets are obstacle courses of potholes, orange traffic cones, and errant piles of uncollected trash. Even the sidewalks, never pristine, betray Philadelphia’s longtime reputation as a ”walkable” city. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘I_Will_Say_What_Needs_to_Be_Said’:_Sen._Ed_Markey Calls_on_Clarence_Thomas_to_Resign⠀⇛ Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts on Monday echoed other members of Congress who have urged U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to step down over mounting evidence of unethical behavior, and he also reiterated progressives’ long- standing demand to expand the court. * ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Jeffrey_Sachs_on_China’s_‘Historic’_Push_for_Multipolar World_to_End_US_Domination⠀⇛ China is taking an increasingly assertive role in world affairs, helping to broker a restoration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, offering a 12-point peace plan for Ukraine, and strengthening its relationships with European and Latin American powers. * ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ The_US_and_War_Crimes_in_the_War_on_Terror⠀⇛ “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” – Thucydides, 5th Century BC. For the past two decades, the International Criminal Court has concentrated on the war crimes and criminals who have operated in Africa. * ⚓ Off Guardian ☛ BBC_Musk⠀⇛ There is a whiff of desperation in the air and it is emanating from the BBC. In a car crash of an interview, reminiscent of Kathy Newman’s self-immolating attempt to shoot down Jordan Peterson for Channel 4, the BBC’s North America Technology reporter, James Clayton, similarly imploded in the face of perfectly reasonable questions from Elon Musk. * ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ US_Ambassador:_‘Hungary’s_policy_of_standing_alone_to block_high_level_meetings_of_NATO-Ukraine_Committee_untenable’⠀⇛ * ⚓ Unicorn Media ☛ After_Fox_Fires_Tucker_Carlson,_Vegas_Plays_‘Who’s Next’⠀⇛ Since Monday, the oddsmakers in Las Vegas have been taking bets on all sorts of things related to the “parting of ways” between Fox News and Tucker Carlson. The Vegas angle isn’t surprising since Vegas will take bets on just about anything. The surprise was that Fox handed its most popular liar news reporter and political pundit his walking papers. Like many, I was totally caught off-guard by the news of Carlson’s firing. Sure, Carlson’s on-air lying ways were recently proven by Dominion in its legal action against Faux News, but he’s been being called out for disregarding the truth almost daily since 2016 when he joined the network. I figured (like practically everyone else) that Fox didn’t really care about factual reporting. * ⚓ New Yorker ☛ The_World_According_to_Tucker_Carlson⠀⇛ Donald Trump had the raw power on the right. But it was Carlson who set the ideological agenda. * ⚓ New Yorker ☛ It_Doesn’t_Matter_Who_Replaces_Tucker_Carlson⠀⇛ Perhaps more than those of any other network on television, the stars of Fox News are more or less interchangeable. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ What_I’ll_Remember_Most_About_Tucker_Carlson?_His_Ability to_Unleash_the_Haters.⠀⇛ Nothing in my professional life has frustrated my ability to work as much as having my words attacked by Tucker Carlson. I’ve been called out by Sean Hannity and quoted out of context in the pages of Brietbart; I’ve been mocked by the Federalist Society and watched Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz disparage my book during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. But in terms of pure disruption to my life, nothing compared to having my image shown on Carlson’s nightly white supremacist hoedown. * ⚓ Marcy Wheeler ☛ Employer_Rupert_Murdoch_Turned_Out_to_Be_a_More Important_Tucker_Carlson_“Spy”_Than_the_NSA⠀⇛ While it’s not yet clear what specific things Tucker said in the privacy of a Fox News server got him fired, it seems clear that Fox’s review of those statements as part of multiple legal discovery efforts had a more immediate impact on him than the NSA review of his communications with a back channel to Putin. * ⚓ Axios ☛ Harry_Belafonte_was_one_of_the_last_surviving_Civil_Rights-era performers⠀⇛ Harry Belafonte broke racial barriers in the 1950s as a musician and actor. He also was one of the last surviving performers of the Civil_Rights_Movement who put careers in jeopardy to march and protest. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ The_Gifts_Harry_Belafonte_Gave_Me⠀⇛ The last time I saw Harry Belafonte was at his 93rd birthday party at Harlem’s Apollo Theater on March 1, 2020. I gave him a quick hug and spent the next week worried that I’d given him the newly terrifying disease Covid-19. Belafonte’s birthday was my last social event for literally years, so with hindsight—knowing he lived three more happy and relatively healthy years, with his wonderful wife, Pamela, despite the isolation of Covid—I’m very glad I went. When he died Tuesday at 96, I felt sad for his family and friends of course, but strangely blessed too. Late in his life, when time was short, he gave me a great deal of his time. * ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ “Sing_Your_Song”:_Remembering_Harry_Belafonte,_Who_Used His_Stardom_to_Help_MLK_&_Civil_Rights_Movement⠀⇛ We remember the remarkable life of Harry Belafonte, the pioneering actor, singer and civil rights activist, who died at his home on Tuesday in New York at the age of 96. The son of Jamaican immigrants, Belafonte rose to stardom in the 1950s and became the first artist to sell a million records with his album Calypso. He was also the first African American actor to win an Emmy. Along with his growing fame, Belafonte became deeply involved in the civil rights movement. One of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s closest confidants, he helped to organize the March on Washington in 1963 and frequently raised money to bail activists out of jail and fund their activities throughout the South. Belafonte was also a longtime critic of U.S. foreign policy, calling for an end to the embargo against Cuba, supporting the anti-apartheid movement and opposing policies of war and global oppression. He spoke out against the U.S. invasion of Iraq and once called George W. Bush the “greatest terrorist in the world.” Harry Belafonte appeared on Democracy Now! numerous times over the years. In 2011, we spoke to him upon the premiere of Sing Your Song, a documentary about his life, and we begin our special by featuring an extended excerpt from our interview. “Going into the South of the United States, listening to the voices of rural Black America, listening to the voices of those who sang out against the Ku Klux Klan and out against segregation, and women, who were the most oppressed of all, rising to the occasion to protest against their conditions, became the arena where my first songs were to emerge,” Belafonte recalled. * ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ Harry_Belafonte_in_His_Own_Words_on_Opposing_Iraq_War_& Calling_George_W._Bush_a_“Terrorist”⠀⇛ As we remember the life and legacy of Harry Belafonte, we look back at his antiwar activism, including his outspoken opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. On February 15 of that year, amid global protests against the war, Belafonte addressed hundreds of thousands who rallied in New York City and called for peace. “We have let the world know that we are in solidarity with those who seek to have other ways than war to settle our grievances,” he told Democracy Now! Belafonte later made worldwide headlines in 2006 when, on a trip to Venezuela, he called President George W. Bush “the greatest terrorist in the world.” * ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ “Get_Down_to_Business”:_Harry_Belafonte_in_2016_on Trump,_Socialism_&_Fighting_for_Justice⠀⇛ Harry Belafonte last appeared on Democracy Now! in 2016 at a special event at the historic Riverside Church in New York to celebrate our 20th anniversary. He co-headlined the event with Noam Chomsky in their first public appearance together. Belafonte spoke about Donald Trump, who had just been elected president, and ongoing struggles for freedom and justice in the United States. “We just have to get out our old coats, dust them off, stop screwing around and just chasing the good times, and get down to business,” he said. “There’s some ass-kicking out here to be done. And we should do it.” * ⚓ Patrick Breyer ☛ Patrick_Breyer_on_Chat_Control:_To_ensure_the_safety of_children_online,_we_need_a_new_approach!⠀⇛ Today, Conservative rapporteur Javier Zarzalejos presented his draft report on the proposal to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAR), also known as “chat control”, in the European Parliament’s lead Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). Zarzalejos criticised the “chat control” label Breyer gives the proposal. Patrick Breyer, Pirate Party MEP, Greens/EFA lead negotiator and long-time opponent of indiscriminate chat control, proposed a consensual, new approach to the file today in his speech: [...] * ⚓ India Times ☛ Google,_Amazon,_Meta,_Microsoft,_15_others_subject_to_EU content_rules⠀⇛ Alibaba’s AliExpress, Amazon’s Marketplace, Apple’s App Store and 16 other tech companies will be subject to new EU online content rules as of August, EU industry chief Thierry Breton said on Tuesday. The other 16 companies are booking.com, Facebook, Alphabet’s Google Maps, Google Play, Google Search, Google Shopping, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube, Microsoft’s Bing and Zalando. Under the landmark rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), the companies, all with more than 45 million monthly active users, are required to do risk management, conduct external and independent auditing, share data with authorities and researchers and adopt a code of conduct. * ⚓ 37signals LLC ☛ Getting_America’s_mojo_back⠀⇛ America is in a funk right now, there’s no doubt about it. Some of that funk is rooted in real, novel, and difficult dilemmas and regressions. But plenty of it also just stems from the general vibe that things are terrible because they feel terrible. And that’s the part that seems self-inflicted, unnecessary, and correctable. * ⚓ Earthly ☛ Misaligned_Incentives_in_Dev_Tool_Businesses⠀⇛ It’s possible to overcome incentives like this. Product managers now understand this trade-off and consider carefully when to say no. But it’s a complex trade-off. First, you are fighting against your hardcore users, who are all you hear from. Second, the more features you add, the better deal buyers think they are getting. Because, at least back then, enterprise software was sold based on who had the most features. The incentives are all wrong. But I never really thought about the incentives at the time. I just observed the software getting stranger and more complex the more the company succeeded. I just thought this was some software end-state where like dying stars, the checkboxes and buttons expand to fill all possible visual space. But then, years later, I joined Earthly, and the topic of incentives started coming up more and more. * ⚓ India Times ☛ Samsung_Electronics_logs_worst_quarterly_earnings_in_14 years⠀⇛ The company’s first-quarter net income fell 86.1 percent to 1.57 trillion won, and sales dropped 18 percent to 63.75 trillion won. * ⚓ India Times ☛ Meta’s_metaverse_business_continues_to_lose_billions_of dollars⠀⇛ As per the numbers revealed by Meta, the company lost relatively less amount of money compared to the corresponding quarter last year. In Q1 2022, Meta had recorded a loss of $4.28 billion but now the number is $3.99 billion. The revenue from Meta Reality Labs was close to $339 million. One of the biggest source of revenue — at present — is the Quest series of headsets. Meta slashed the prices of the headset last month. However, as per a report by CNBC, sales of VR headsets declined by 2% in 2022. * § Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda⠀➾ o ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ After_Tucker_Carlson:_Expect_a_new_face,_not_a_new formula,_at_Fox⠀⇛ Why would you fire your top-rated host? Fox News has a history of doing just that – with its brand being more important than any individual personality. o ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ An_Insider’s_Guide_to_“Anti-Disinformation”⠀⇛ Andrew Lowenthal spent more than two decades defending digital rights, and watched as peers and partner organizations switched to an opposite mission called “anti-disinformation.” An inside account: o ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Matt_Taibbi:_Report_on_the_Censorship-Industrial Complex⠀⇛ Introduction to a series of features about the new global speech-policing bureaucracy, uncovered in the Twitter Files and beyond o ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Eleven_Minutes_of_Media_Falsehoods,_Just_On_One Subject,_Just_On_One_Station⠀⇛ This special report hoped to make a list of all the editors’ notes and retractions that would be needed because of the #TwitterFiles. The problem turned out to be too big to count o ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Like_The_Social_Dilemma_Did,_The_AI_Dilemma_Seeks_To Mislead_You_With_Misinformation⠀⇛ You may recall the Social Dilemma, which used incredible levels of misinformation and manipulation in an attempt to warn about others using misinformation to manipulate. o ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Just_After_Fox_News_Settled_With_Dominion,_Lachlan Murdoch_Dropped_His_Censorial_SLAPP_Suit_Against_Crikey⠀⇛ Last fall, we wrote about Rupert Murdoch’s son, Lachlan (who seems to have won out over brother James in the Succession-style fight to lead his father’s nonsense peddling media outfit) lost his shit over an opinion piece in the Australian independent media organization Crikey and sued them for defamation in Australia. § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ * ⚓ EFF ☛ Greenpeace_Stands_Up_Against_SLAPPs_And_Wins⠀⇛ At EFF, as more speech of all types has moved online, we’ve seen SLAPPs proliferate over digital speech. SLAPPs get filed against protesters who oppose oil pipelines, and regular people doing everyday things like sending emails to local officials, or even posting an online review.  Five years ago, together with Greenpeace and other environmental nonprofits, EFF helped create the Protect the Protest coalition, or PTP. It’s a group of nonprofits that supports its members and others in their fights against SLAPP lawsuits.  * ⚓ ANF News ☛ Lawyers:_If_no_voice_is_raised_against_the_crackdown,_it will_spread_all_over_Turkey⠀⇛ Zincir insisted that bar associations, non-governmental organizations and political parties in Turkey should react to the detentions. “If this political genocide operation is not stopped, election security cannot be provided anywhere in Turkey. The government is about to fall down after 21 years in power. For this very reason, the opposition should raise a voice against this crackdown. Therefore, standing by the resisting Kurdish people and those who are fighting for truth, democracy and freedom in these lands is a sine qua non for democracy in Turkey today. Bar Associations and the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) should raise their voices. If no voice is raised against this crackdown, it will spread all over Turkey.” * ⚓ The Atlantic ☛ The_Supreme_Court_Is_Struggling_to_Distinguish_Fantasy From_Reality⠀⇛ A few years ago, Billy Raymond Counterman was convicted of stalking. Now his case is before the Supreme Court—where, bafflingly, the justices spent oral arguments last week exploring how to define a “true threat,” something Counterman was never convicted of making. Threats and stalking are entirely different crimes, with entirely different elements and constitutional implications. If the Court goes ahead and issues a ruling about threats, as it seems poised to do, it could inadvertently weaken stalking laws around the country. A set of imaginary facts could lead to serious real-world harm. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Former_Yekaterinburg_Mayor_Evgeny_Roizman_pleads_not_guilty_to charges_of_‘discrediting’_Russian_army_in_first_day_of_trial_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Wednesday marked the first day of the trial against former Yekaterinburg Mayor Evgeny Roizman, who stands accused of “discrediting” the Russian military. * ⚓ New Yorker ☛ The_Comic-Strip_Writer_Who_Became_a_Legend⠀⇛ In Oesterheld’s early stories, his political views are disguised, at least in part out of necessity. He addresses his country’s problems elliptically, and in narrative forms that would have been familiar to young people browsing newsstands stocked with exciting stories, but his outrage at the status quo is unmistakable. His boldness in the face of Argentina’s parade of violent and censorious dictators earned him a devoted following, but when, late in life, he became the kind of guerrilla fighter he admired, the government with which he had sparred so effectively in his stories crushed him with no more difficulty than it had thousands of others. In his memory, other writers continued to produce comics about his characters, including fictional versions of himself, granting him a posthumous career not as a pulp comic-book hero come to life but as a real-life guerrilla who became a comic-book hero. § Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press⠀➾ * ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ The_Lifeblood_of_Democracy⠀⇛ Journalists are on the front lines of battles to defend the right to freedom of expression. * ⚓ Marcy Wheeler ☛ James_Gordon_Meek_and_Merrick_Garland’s_“Suspect Exception”⠀⇛ The case against James Gordon Meek, in which an investigative reporter gets arrested for a crime entirely unrelated to his reporting, raises important questions about the application of Merrick Garland’s media policy. * ⚓ RFERL ☛ Uzbek_Journalist_Abdullaev_Detained_In_Turkey⠀⇛ Noted Uzbek journalist Bobomurod Abdullaev has been detained in Turkey on unspecified charges and his family says they fear he will be tortured if returned to the Central Asian country. Abdullaev’s daughter, Kamola Qodiri, who is a university student in Turkey, told RFE/RL on April 26 that police in Turkey’s northwestern city of Eskisehir detained her father two days earlier. * ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Facebook_Censors_Journalist_Seymour_Hersh’s_Report_on_Nord Stream_Pipeline_Attack⠀⇛ Facebook censored a report by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh on the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Germany, forcing users to instead read a website funded and partially owned by NATO member Norway. § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ * ⚓ Marcy Wheeler ☛ Daylight_Come,_and_He_Got_to_Go_Home⠀⇛ The jam session in heaven is going to be epic tonight, because daylight came and Harry Belafonte has gone home. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Senate_Urged_to_Confirm_Julie_Su_After_Key_Panel Advances_Labor_Secretary_Nominee⠀⇛ Labor rights advocates on Wednesday renewed calls for the U.S. Senate to swiftly confirm Julie Su, President Joe Biden’s next pick for labor secretary and “a champion for working families,” after an 11-10 panel vote. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russian_opposition_politician_Alexey_Navalny_says_he_could spend_life_in_prison_under_new_terrorism_charges_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny said Wednesday that the Russian authorities have opened a new “terrorism case” against him that will be heard by a military court. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Prosecutors_request_12-year_prison_sentence_for_Navalny activist_Lilia_Chanysheva_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Russian prosecutors have requested a 12-year prison sentence for Lilia Chanysheva, a former regional coordinator for Alexey Navalny’s organization, another top associate of the jailed opposition politician said on Wednesday. * ⚓ FSF ☛ Call_on_the_IRS_to_provide_libre_tax-filing_software⠀⇛ This is an invitation to tell the IRS about the importance of free (as in freedom) software. The Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund launched a petition calling for a gratis, “simple tax filing system that saves taxpayers time and money.” This is not enough! We need a tax filing system in which every taxpayer can file their taxes entirely with free software. There are already some providers who allow eligible people to file their taxes free of charge, but none of the software offered is free as in freedom. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ The_Anti-Immigrant_Policies_Abbott_and_DeSantis_Are Pushing_Will_Backfire⠀⇛ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott are competing to push the most irrational and hateful anti- immigrant policies and political stunts. To the detriment of all Floridians and Texans, DeSantis and Abbott seem not to have learned anything from Donald Trump’s failed experiments in xenophobia or those of Arizona state officials in the late 2000s and early 2010s. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ Émigrés_in_Times_of_War⠀⇛ “Right now, I have never felt this much of an ideological divide with my father,” says Viktor (a pseudonym), aged 25 who, along with tens of thousands of other Russian émigrés, is now living in Tbilisi, Georgia. “We stopped talking at the end of October.” * ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ YouTube_Music_Workers_Just_Unanimously_Won_A_Union Vote⠀⇛ YouTube Music contract workers have voted overwhelmingly in favor of unionizing on Wednesday, according to a statement released by the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The workers will join the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA, which represents all Alphabet- and Google-affiliated workers who choose to organize. * ⚓ Breach Media ☛ Despite_exorbitant_cost_of_flying,_crews_say_their_pay is_unlivable⠀⇛ It’s not just WestJet pilots who are fed up with their working conditions. Workers across the aviation industry are fighting unpaid work and low wages * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Soviet_Pop_Art_Duo_Reunites_for_First_U.S. Retrospective_Since_Their_Breakup⠀⇛ The rebellious artists Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid founded their own artistic movement. They agreed to their first interview together in 20 years. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Russian_Lawyers_Ask_Court_to_Ease_Crackdown_on Dissent⠀⇛ With thousands arrested for criticizing the invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has “criminalized dissent,” said a lawyer who asked the court to step in. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Chief_Justice_Roberts_Declines_to_Testify_Before Congress_Over_Ethics_Concerns⠀⇛ In an accompanying statement on ethics practices, the Supreme Court’s justices insisted their current ethical guidelines on gifts, travel and financial deals are sufficient. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Ad_Flap_Leaves_Bitter_Aftertaste_for_Bud_Light_and Warning_for_Big_Business⠀⇛ Bud Light’s marketing effort with a transgender influencer has put it “in the center of the culture wars in a way that no company could possibly want to be,” one observer said. § Internet Policy/Net Neutrality⠀➾ * ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ An_AI_Scraping_Tool_Is_Overwhelming_Websites_With Traffic⠀⇛ “It is sad that several of you are not understanding the potential of AI and open AI and as a consequence have decided to fight it.” * ⚓ Bryan Lunduke ☛ The_era_of_ad_supported_services_is_coming_to_an_end_ (and_that’s_a_good_thing).⠀⇛ Services like Substack, Locals, and Twitter (seriously) are leading the way. § Digital Restrictions (DRM)⠀➾ * ⚓ Bryan Lunduke ☛ Microsoft_&_Google:_“You’ll_have_no_real_computers,_and you’ll_be_happy”⠀⇛ This is a trend we need to put the kibosh on. § Monopolies⠀➾ * ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Wizards_Of_The_Coast_Sends_Pinkerton_Agency_To_Person_That Bought_Unreleased_‘Magic’_Cards_In_Error⠀⇛ Wizards of the Coast (WotC), the company behind both Dungeons & Dragons and Magic The Gathering has been on our pages recently and not for good reasons. Most recently, the company kicked up a completely unnecessary shitstorm for itself by changing the OGL license under which it released D&D Fifth Edition in such a way that it essentially kneecapped the wider community’s ability to create off of the base content, as the community had for years and years. The public response to that change was almost universally negative. * ⚓ Techdirt ☛ One_More_Time_With_Feeling:_The_GOP_Never_Seriously Supported_‘Antitrust_Reform’_Or_Monopoly_Busting⠀⇛ For the last few years, press and policy circles were absolutely dominated by talk about how there was an amazing “new, bipartisan coalition” of folks interested in “reining in ‘Big Tech’,” meaningfully checking corporate power, and finally embracing competent “antitrust reform.” * ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Apple_Triumphs_in_Antitrust_Battle_with_Fortnite Maker_Epic_Games⠀⇛ Apple wins its antitrust battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games over its App Store policies but must revise its anti-steering behavior. According to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Apple has won its antitrust appeals court battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games over its App Store policies. * ⚓ Axios ☛ U.K._regulators_to_block_Microsoft’s_$69_billion_deal_for Activision⠀⇛ British antitrust regulators on Wednesday said they’ll seek to block Microsoft’s $69_billion_takeover of video game giant Activision Blizzard, citing_how_the_merger could hinder competition in the emerging cloud gaming market. * ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ UK_CMA_blocks_the_Microsoft_takeover_of_Activision⠀⇛ Here’s some industry news for you: the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has announced today they’ve blocked Microsoft’s takeover of Activision. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ U.K._Watchdog_Blocks_Microsoft’s_Bid_to_Buy Activision⠀⇛ The British antitrust watchdog blocked the takeover attempt, in a decision that will be closely watched in Washington and Brussels. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ U.K._Blocks_Microsoft’s_Activision_Bid,_a_Blow_to_the Tech_Giant⠀⇛ The decision barring the takeover of a big video game publisher is a major loss for Microsoft, which also faces pushback from U.S. regulators. * ⚓ NPR ☛ The_U.K._blocks_Microsoft’s_$69_billion_deal_to_buy_game_giant Activision_Blizzard⠀⇛ The Competition and Markets Authority said in its final report that “the only effective remedy” to the substantial loss of competition “is to prohibit the Merger.” The companies have vowed to appeal. The all-cash [sic] deal faced stiff opposition from rival Sony and was also being scrutinized by regulators in the U.S. and Europe over fears that it would give Microsoft control of popular game franchises like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush. * ⚓ The Hill ☛ UK_regulator_blocks_Microsoft’s_acquisition_of_Activision⠀⇛ In a news release, posted on Wednesday, the CMA said the investigation revealed that Microsoft already accounts for an estimated 60-70% of global cloud gaming services. The agency said allowing the company to procure Activision’s gaming content — including the popular games Call of Duty, Overwatch and World of Warcraft — could allow Microsoft to monopolize the market. * ⚓ Hollywood Reporter ☛ Microsoft’s_Activision_Blizzard_Deal_Blocked_by U.K._Regulator⠀⇛ The acquisition, the largest in Microsoft’s history, would have made the tech powerhouse the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony. The transaction, which has faced opposition from such rivals as Sony and U.S. regulators, would bring together Microsoft, which owns the Xbox game platform and Xbox Game Studios (owner of Bethesda Softworks and 343 Industries, among other game publishers) and Activision, maker of the Call of Duty, Warcraft, Tony Hawk and Candy Crush franchises, reshaping the gaming landscape. * ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Italian_Regulatory_Agency_Rules_Against_Meta_in SIAE_Music_Rights_Case⠀⇛ The Italian regulatory agency ruled against Meta in the SIAE music rights case, ordering the company to resume talks with SIAE and put SIAE-protected music content back on Facebook and Instagram. Italy’s antitrust agency said Friday that it had ruled against Meta Platforms over allegations the company abused its position in the country, part of an * § Patents⠀➾ o ⚓ ABC ☛ Ex-Harvard_prof_sentenced,_fined_for_lying_about_China ties⠀⇛ Lieber also concealed his income from the Chinese program on his U.S. tax returns, including $50,000 a month from the Wuhan University of Technology, some of which was paid to him in $100 bills in brown paper packaging, according to prosecutors. In exchange, they say, Lieber agreed to publish articles, organize international conferences and apply for patents on behalf of the Chinese university. o ⚓ UPC’s_presiding_judges_announced [Ed: This is an illegal, fake ‘court’. Bristows spent years lying about it, promoting a patently illegal agenda. This will destabilise the EU by emboldening its critics.⠀⇛ o ⚓ Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ UPC_designates_presiding_judges_of_central, local_and_regional_divisions [Ed: UPC is illegal, so all this junk "reporting" (lobbying) lends to the idea that EU now thrives in deliberate lawlessness]⠀⇛ The Unified Patent Court has designated the presiding judges of the central, local and regional divisions, as well as presiding judges of the relevant panels of the Court. o ⚓ Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ What_Does_it_Mean_to_be_an_Inventor? The_Inventor_Diary_Project_and_Kicking_off_the_Diversity_Pilots Initiative_Blog_Series [Ed: Painting aggressive litigation and monopolies with the "Diversity" PR brush]⠀⇛ A down payment on a house, a sense of being seen, the pride of one’s parents and children, validation of one’s creativity, a permanent mark, and confidence – these are just some of the answers received to the question, “what does being an inventor mean to you?” Though the patent system exists to promote innovation, it also serves to promote inventors and innovators. Today, on World IP Day, this post shares the often-overlooked personal journeys of invention that patent professionals play a crucial role in, by encouraging idea submission, collaborating with engineers and innovators, managing outside counsel, and in patent drafting, prosecuting claims,  patent examining, and studying and teaching patenting. o ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘The_Rulers_Are_Exploiting_Us’:_Rana_Plaza Survivors_Still_Struggle_10_Years_After_Collapse⠀⇛ April 24, 2023, marks the tenth anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh. On that fateful day in 2013, the eight-story building collapsed, killing over 1,100 people and injuring more than 2,500, mostly garment workers who were producing clothes for global brands. * § Software Patents⠀➾ o ⚓ India Times ☛ Nokia_says_draft_EU_patent_rules_one-sided,_will undermine_Europe⠀⇛ The comments from the Finnish telecoms equipment maker, which makes 40% of its revenues from its portfolio of standard essential patents (SEPs), come two days before the European Commission is scheduled to present the draft rules. Under the proposal, patent holders are required to register their patents with the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) if they want to charge patent fees or take legal action. * § Trademarks⠀➾ o ⚓ TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB_Finds_“VETEMENTS”_Generic_for_…._Guess_What?⠀⇛ The Board affirmed the USPTO’s refusals to registerVETEMENTS, in standard character and slightly stylized form, for various clothing items, including shirts, skirts, and sweaters, and for related retail store services, finding the proposed marks to be generic and, in the alternative, merely descriptive of the goods and services and lacking in acquired distinctiveness. * § Copyrights⠀➾ o ⚓ Torrent Freak ☛ Movie_&_TV_Giants_Want_Australia_to_Introduce_DNS Blocking_to_Prevent_Piracy⠀⇛ The consultation stage of Australia’s Copyright Enforcement Review has revealed the movie and TV industries’ latest anti-piracy demands. The submissions are a rollercoaster ride; site-blocking measures collapsed visits to pirate sites, legal consumption increased significantly, yet 51% of pirates “are not impacted by site blocking at all” so DNS blocking is required. o ⚓ Torrent Freak ☛ Anti-Piracy_Group_Recruits_Teens_to_Keep_Up_with Social_Media_Piracy_Trends⠀⇛ Danish anti-piracy group Rights Alliance is offering teenagers jobs as panelists in its efforts to better understand the latest piracy trends. Successful candidates will have to commit to several two-hour planned panel sessions, fully paid. Rights Alliance stresses that teens will not be expected to expose their friends or family. § Gemini* and Gopher⠀➾ * § Personal⠀➾ o ⚓ Names_II⠀⇛ Kettle is an odd name, though might be serviceable as “thunderhelm”, even if the Helm of Thunder does see duty as a pot. Pass the beans? Here we take the liberty of quoting Lord Dunsany in detail. o ⚓ A_Book’s_ROI⠀⇛ My current read is Brandon Sanderson’s “The Well of Ascension”. The book is rather long, almost 800 pages: much longer than the other books I’ve been reading since I picked up fiction again last year. Though I have admittedly been very busy in the last several weeks, after over a month I am only a third of the way through. o ⚓ Excellent_Webcomics:_Erfworld⠀⇛ Erfworld is to most webcomics as The Lord of The Rings is to most books; as the ocean is to a lake. Which is to say: it has unrivalled depth and breadth. The setup is simple: a board games geek, Parson Gotti, has nothing in his life worth living for besides the gaming. In a sudden twist, he is transported to an another world. o ⚓ Engaging_in_consumerism⠀⇛ In honor of my finishing graduate school, I have purchased one of those leather traveller’s notebooks. A real and expensive one! From Japan! Not one of the knockoffs! Was the release of an olive color option the catalyst for this decision? No comment! I’m convinced I’m going to be a real bonafide notebook boy with this. I’m already thinking about learning to bind my own notebook inserts with all the paper I have lying around. * § Technical⠀➾ o § Internet/Gemini⠀➾ # ⚓ Home_Server_Setup⠀⇛ After a disk failing I’ve decided to rebuild my server from scratch and document it here =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 4492 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 04.27.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Links_27/04/2023:_Microsoft_Down_Sharply_on_the_Web_and_Weston_12.0.0_Alpha⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 2:16 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * GNU/Linux o Server * Kernel_Space * Graphics_Stack * Instructionals/Technical * Games * Distributions_and_Operating_Systems o SUSE/OpenSUSE o Fedora_Family_/_IBM o Open_Hardware/Modding o Mobile_Systems/Mobile_Applications * Free,_Libre,_and_Open_Source_Software o Events o Productivity_Software/LibreOffice/Calligra o Content_Management_Systems_(CMS) o GNU_Projects o Programming/Development # Rust * Leftovers o Hardware o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Proprietary o Security o Defence/Aggression o Environment # Energy/Transportation # Wildlife/Nature o Finance o AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics o Censorship/Free_Speech o Freedom_of_Information_/_Freedom_of_the_Press o Civil_Rights/Policing o Internet_Policy/Net_Neutrality o Monopolies # Patents # Trademarks * Gemini*_and_Gopher o Personal o Politics o Technical # Internet/Gemini * § GNU/Linux⠀➾ o § Server⠀➾ # ⚓ Kubernetes_v1.27_Update_Brings_Chill_Vibes⠀⇛ Kubernetes v1.27, the first K8s release of 2023, has been announced. The v1.27 release includes 60 enhancements, 18 of which are alpha, 29 are beta and 13 are stable at the time of writing. Due to a surprisingly easy release process, the maintainers have coined v1.27 the Chill Vibes release. * § Kernel Space⠀➾ o ⚓ LWN ☛ Process-level_kernel_samepage_merging_control⠀⇛ The kernel samepage merging (KSM) feature can save significant amounts of memory with some types of workloads, but security concerns have greatly limited its use. Even when KSM can be safely enabled, though, the control interface provided by the kernel makes it unlikely that KSM actually will be used. A small patch series from Stefan Roesch aims to change this situation by improving and simplifying how KSM is managed. As its name would suggest, KSM works by finding pages of memory with identical contents and merging them into a single copy that is shared by all users. An early use case, as described by Avi Kivity in 2008 when the feature was first proposed, was “”the typical multiuser gnome minicomputer with all 150 users reading lwn.net at the same time instead of working””; this workload would generate a lot of identical cache pages that could be shared rather than duplicated across the system. There are other use cases, such as virtual machines or containers running the same software, that could also be optimized once the important workloads have been addressed. o ⚓ LWN ☛ Avoiding_the_merge_trap⠀⇛ The kernel subsystem maintainers out there probably have a deep understanding of the sinking feeling that results from opening one’s inbox and seeing a response from Linus Torvalds to a pull request. When all goes well, pull requests are acted upon silently; a response usually means that all has not gone well. Several maintainers got to experience that feeling during the 6.3 merge window, which seemed to generate more than the usual number of grumpy responses related to merge commits. Avoiding that situation is not hard, though, with a bit of attention paid to how merges are done. When using a distributed system like Git, development is done in numerous parallel tracks, each of which has its own starting point. Even if a particular project starts at the tip of the mainline tree, the mainline itself is almost certain to have moved on by the time that work is ready to land there. Bringing independent lines of development back together is called “merging”; depending on what has changed, any given merge can be simple or a nasty mess of conflicting changes. * § Graphics Stack⠀➾ o ⚓ Free Desktop ☛ [ANNOUNCE]_weston_11.0.91⠀⇛ Hi all, This is the alpha release for Weston 12.0.0. * § Instructionals/Technical⠀➾ o ⚓ Ubuntu ☛ Optimise_your_ROS_snap_–_Part_6⠀⇛ Welcome to Part 6 of our “Optimise your ROS snap” blog series. Make sure to check Part 5. This sixth and final part will  summarise every optimisation that we did. We will provide a critique for every optimisation that we tried along this series of blogs. o ⚓ ID Root ☛ How_To_Install_Bitwarden_Password_Manager_on_Ubuntu 22.04_LTS⠀⇛ In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Install Bitwarden Password Manager on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. o ⚓ How_to_Create_a_SuSE_rpm_Package_From_a_Directory⠀⇛ To create an RPM package from a directory such as /opt/ asd in SuSE, you can follow these general steps… o ⚓ How_to_install_TradingView_app_for_Ubuntu_Linux_desktop⠀⇛ Whether you are using Ubuntu 23.04/22.04/20.04, if you want to install the TradingView app on your Ubuntu Linux using GUI or command terminal then here are the steps to follow. o ⚓ Linux Capable ☛ How_to_Install_Curtail_on_Ubuntu_22.04_|_20.04⠀⇛ If you’re an Ubuntu user seeking a powerful and efficient image compression tool, look no further than Curtail. This software offers a unique, user-friendly approach to file size reduction, making it an excellent choice for those who want to optimize their images without sacrificing quality. o ⚓ HowTo Forge ☛ How_to_Install_Strapi_CMS_on_Rocky_Linux_9⠀⇛ Strapi is an open-source, headless Content Management System (CMS), built with the JavaScript programming language. In this tutorial, you will learn how to install the community version of Strapi CMS on a Rocky Linux 9 server along with Nginx as a reverse proxy server. o ⚓ Linux Capable ☛ How_to_Install_Wike_on_Ubuntu_22.04_|_20.04⠀⇛ Wike is a powerful and user-friendly Wikipedia reader explicitly designed for Ubuntu users seeking an alternative to more popular existing software. Wike offers a unique browsing experience that is both elegant and efficient. o ⚓ How_to_switch_from_root_to_another_user_in_Ubuntu_terminal?⠀⇛ In Ubuntu and any other Linux you are using, the root user is a superuser and quite important. Because this Linux user account has all files and service access. o ⚓ Linux Capable ☛ How_to_Install_Foliate_on_Ubuntu_22.04_|_20.04⠀⇛ Foliate is a modern, open-source eBook viewer designed specifically for Linux platforms. Its user-friendly interface, customizable features, and lightweight design make it a fantastic choice for Ubuntu users looking to enhance their reading experience. While there are several popular eBook readers available, Foliate has carved its niche as a powerful and versatile alternative. o ⚓ Linux Capable ☛ How_to_Install_LibreWolf_Browser_on_Debian_12/11/ 10⠀⇛ In the age of digital surveillance and data collection, privacy has become a top concern for many internet users. One way to ensure online privacy is to use a secure and privacy-focused browser. o ⚓ Beebom ☛ How_to_List_Users_in_Linux_(4_Methods)⠀⇛ As a Linux administrator, it is an important job to ensure that access to directories and files is granted to select, trustworthy users. This prevents unintended users from accessing the entirety of the Linux file system, thus, safeguarding the integrity of the system. Therefore, it becomes essential to learn about the commands that help you list all users in your Linux system. There are multiple ways to list users in Linux. Some of them are using commands such as cat, more, less, which are used to read and alter files in Linux. The other method is by using pattern scanning methods with tools such as Awk and Getent. In this guide, let’s look at how to list all users in Linux. o ⚓ Android Police ☛ How_to_install_and_use_ADB_on_Windows,_Mac, Linux,_Android,_Chromebooks,_or_even_in_a_browser⠀⇛ The Android Debug Bridge, or ADB for short, is one of the most powerful tools for your favorite Android phone. While it may take some time to learn all the options the command-line tool offers, like installing your favorite custom ROM, activating it, and using it with guidance is as easy as running a simple line of code on your computer. The best part is that it doesn’t matter which device you use to send ADB commands to your phone. ADB works on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, and even on the web or your phone, at least to an extent. o ⚓ Unix Men ☛ Fast_And_Easy_Explanation_of_sudo_apt_update_Command⠀⇛ The sudo apt update command is one of the first commands a Linux newbie learns to use. The command instructs a Linux machine to download and update all the package information from every source configured on the machine. But what are packages? What are the sources we are referring to? And where are we supposed to run this command? We explain how the sudo apt update command works in this brief guide. * § Games⠀➾ o ⚓ Unix Men ☛ Exploring_Game_Development_on_Linux:_A_Step-by-Step Guide⠀⇛ Game development is an exciting field that can pay off as big for you as it does for the players who play your games. But game development on Linux? That’s an entirely different story. Linux is a great platform for game dеvеlopmеnt, because it has a large user base, a large number of games, and a large number of tools available for use. Linux is especially good for indie developers who want to make games for multiple platforms. You’ll want to choose a game engine that is compatible with Linux. There are many options, but here are some of the most popular… * § Distributions and Operating Systems⠀➾ o ⚓ LWN ☛ Vanilla_OS_shifting_from_Ubuntu_to_Debian⠀⇛ Vanilla OS, a lightweight, immutable operating system designed for developers and advanced users, has been using Ubuntu as its base. However, a recent announcement has revealed that in the upcoming Vanilla OS 2.0 Orchid release the project will be shifting to Debian unstable (Sid) as its new base operating system. Vanilla OS is making the switch due to Ubuntu’s changes to its version of the GNOME desktop environment along with the distribution’s reliance on the Snap packaging format. The decision has generated a fair amount of interest and discussion within the open-source community. Other distributions have explored making a similar switch; for example, Linux Mint, as Hacker News user “pyrophane” pointed out in a comment on the Vanilla OS announcement. The Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) was created “”to ensure Linux Mint can continue to deliver the same user experience if Ubuntu was ever to disappear””. o § SUSE/OpenSUSE⠀➾ # ⚓ SUSE’s Corporate Blog ☛ Are_you_meeting_SUSE_and_Microsoft at_SAPPHIRE_Orlando [Ed: SUSE is still shilling Microsoft instead of the actual roots of SUSE, which Microsoft is still attacking]⠀⇛ o § Fedora Family / IBM⠀➾ # ⚓ Red_Hat_Focuses_Konveyor_Efforts_for_Kubernetes_on_App Modernization [Ed: Absent disclosure: this site is funded and controlled by Red Hat to issue puff pieces such as this]⠀⇛ Red Hat has revamped the open source Konveyor project it launched in collaboration with IBM to focus more specifically on tools and processes that enable existing legacy Java applications to run on Kubernetes clusters. Previously, Konveyer was an effort to aggregate the development of multiple open source projects that are # ⚓ Red Hat ☛ How_to_add_public_Ingress_to_a_Private_Link_ROSA cluster⠀⇛ This article demonstrates how to expose applications to the internet by deploying in a PrivateLink Red_Hat_OpenShift_Service_on_AWS (ROSA) cluster within a truly private Virtual_Private Cloud (VPC) that doesn’t have a network address translation (NAT) gateway or an internet gateway attached to it. We will be using a single VPC for Ingress and Egress traffic. However, you might choose to have separate VPCs for Ingress and Egress traffic to provide more security control of this traffic. # ⚓ Red Hat Official ☛ Red_Hat_Insights_Upgrade_Risks_for_Red Hat_OpenShift⠀⇛ Red Hat Insights powers a number of services that improve your operational, business and security experiences with Red Hat products, including Red Hat OpenShift. # ⚓ Enterprisers Project ☛ The_future_of_healthcare_is_in_the cloud [Ed: Red Hat is promoting surveillance on/of medical data]⠀⇛ Across life sciences and health care (LSHC), cloud adoption is rising as organizations accelerate their business and digital transformation efforts. Some seek the traditional benefits that the cloud offers – scalability, flexibility, the ability to optimize costs, and access to the latest technology. However, many organizations have realized that the bigger potential of the cloud may lie in creating seamless consumer-centric experiences for patients and customers and in building workflows that drive better outcomes while fostering greater collaboration. What’s in the cloud for LSHC organizations? Although each LSHC organization has its own goals for the cloud, key workloads across the LSHC sector are commonly being moved there. Typically, moving these workloads can help improve operational efficiency and optimize IT costs, which can ultimately help enhance the patient experience. o § Open Hardware/Modding⠀➾ # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Pimoroni_Stealthily_Announce_RP2040_Yukon Modular_Robotics_Platform⠀⇛ At Cambridge Raspberry Jam, Pimoroni sneakily announced a new RP2040 based modular robotics board. o § Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ TechRadar ☛ Google_is_bringing_an_awesome_Android_phone feature_to_your_Chrome_browser_|_TechRadar⠀⇛ # ⚓ Giz China ☛ Delete_these_34_malware_apps_from_your_Android device_right_now⠀⇛ # ⚓ Tom’s Guide ☛ Daam_Android_malware_can_hold_your_phone hostage_—_what_you_need_to_know_|_Tom’s_Guide⠀⇛ # ⚓ WCCF Tech ☛ The_Xperia_1_V_Could_Bring_the_Next_Flagship Camera_to_Android_Smartphones_Next_Month⠀⇛ # ⚓ 9to5Google ☛ Android_TV:_Must-have_apps_for_2023_[Video]⠀⇛ # ⚓ Make Use Of ☛ How_to_View_WhatsApp_Messages_Deleted_by_the Sender_on_Android⠀⇛ # ⚓ Geeky Gadgets ☛ How_to_use_Android’s_Find_My_Phone_feature –_Geeky_Gadgets⠀⇛ # ⚓ SamMobile ☛ Samsung_owns_Google_and_other_Android_brands_in software_updates_–_SamMobile⠀⇛ # ⚓ Giz China ☛ Upcoming_Android_Games_will_Feature_4K_60_FPS_– Gizchina.com⠀⇛ # ⚓ GSM Arena ☛ Nokia_XR30_rugged_Android_phone_detailed_press images_leak_–_GSMArena.com_news⠀⇛ # ⚓ SlashGear ☛ 15_Best_Strategy_Games_For_Android_Phones, Ranked⠀⇛ # ⚓ Forbes ☛ Honor_Magic5_Pro:_A_Nicely_Balanced_Android Flagship⠀⇛ # ⚓ Nokia Power User ☛ Nokia_G21_receiving_Android_13_now, Nokia_X30_gets_it_in_new_markets,_Nokia_C22_listed_in_India_– Nokiapoweruser⠀⇛ # ⚓ Notebook Check ☛ One_UI_6.0_based_on_Android_14_destined for_imminent_launch_in_2023_–_NotebookCheck.net_News⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Police ☛ Android_14_Beta_1.1_is_here_to_help_save your_phone_from_Google’s_most_frustrating_bugs⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Sun ☛ People_are_just_realizing_common_Android_app mistake_speeds_up_destruction_of_battery_|_The_US_Sun⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Sun ☛ Billions_of_Android_owners_warned_of_‘bank- raiding’_attack_that_can_even_get_around_security_checks_| The_US_Sun⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Sun ☛ Google_issues_warning_to_billions_of_Android users_over_battery_myth_that_can_ruin_your_device_|_The_US Sun⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Sun ☛ People_are_just_realizing_Google’s_Android_Photos app_is_hiding_a_genius_secret_–_here’s_the_easy_way_to_access it_|_The_US_Sun⠀⇛ # ⚓ CNX Software ☛ Onyx_BOOX_Tab_Ultra_C_10.3-inch_color_E-Ink Android_tablet_comes_with_stylus_support_–_CNX_Software⠀⇛ * § Free, Libre, and Open Source Software⠀➾ o ⚓ OpenSource.com ☛ Run_a_virtual_conference_using_only_open_source tools⠀⇛ n this article, I’ll share some background on the conference, why using open source tools to run it was important to us, and the specific tools and configurations our team used to make it all work. I’ll also talk about what worked well and what will need improvement at our next summit in 2024. o ⚓ OpenSource.com ☛ 3_key_open_source_challenges_in_developing countries⠀⇛ When I go back home and talk to people in the tech industry, or any other industry for that matter, about what I do and the topics I’m involved in daily, I’m usually met with bemusement at the idea of an Open Source Programs Office (OSPO). The concept of a company contributing to an open source project without obvious immediate financial benefit can be culturally strange to understand or explain. As someone born and raised in a country that has been trying to develop for quite some time, I understand and relate to that. There was a point in time when my only understanding of open source was that it was software that I could use without paying and without needing to wait for a specific issue or additional feature to be released. I could just do whatever I needed myself, locally. o § Events⠀➾ # ⚓ FreeBSD ☛ SCaLE20X_Conference_Report⠀⇛ A month ago, I had the opportunity to head down to Pasadena, California to join members of the open source community at SCaLE20X. This was my second SCaLE, and the first time I had been to one held in the original Pasadena location. On the first day of the conference, o § Productivity Software/LibreOffice/Calligra⠀➾ # ⚓ Don’t_know_how_to_code_–_how_to_contribute?_LibreOffice_at the_FLISOL-DF_Brasília⠀⇛ The Brazilian Community Gave a Presentation at the FLISOL-DF event (Festival Latino Americano de Instalação de Software Livre) about the LibreOffice Project. o § Content Management Systems (CMS)⠀➾ # ⚓ Make Use Of ☛ Create_a_Great-Looking_Static_Blog_From_Your Linux_Terminal_With_Bashblog⠀⇛ Blogging is a therapeutic way to spend time. You can put your thoughts out into the world, without needing to worry about clicks or the kind of toxic response you’d get on social media. But setting up a blog can be hard, and maintaining a full content management system is a security risk. [...] Content management systems are unnecessarily complicated for most blogs. Every time a visitor accesses an article on your site, the entire web page is assembled from its components to be ephemerally displayed, and then destroyed. It’s a waste of computing resources, and web-based logins are a security risk that can lead to your site being taken over. Static websites address both of these problems by serving HTML pages from a directory. Because the HTML already exists, there’s no additional resource overhead, and because you don’t need to expose a login page over the internet, your security is improved too. A well-put-together static blog can be every bit as attractive and function as one produced by a CMS, and you can easily create one from the Linux terminal. o § GNU Projects⠀➾ # ⚓ LWN ☛ GCC_13.1_released_[LWN.net]⠀⇛ Other changes include the removal of support for the STABS debugging-information format, addition of a number of C++23 features, a number of static- analyzer improvements, support for a number of recent CPU features, and more. See this page for details. o § Programming/Development⠀➾ # ⚓ KDAB ☛ Shader_Variants⠀⇛ Background of Shaders One particular facet of modern graphics development that is often a pain – even for AAA games — is shader variants! # ⚓ Andy_Wingo:_structure_and_interpretation_of_flutter⠀⇛ Good day, gentle hackfolk. Like an old-time fiddler I would appear to be deep in the groove, playing endless variations on a theme, in this case mobile application frameworks. But one can only recognize novelty in relation to the familiar, and today’s note is a departure: we are going to look at Flutter, a UI toolkit based not on JavaScript but on the Dart language. § The present, from the past⠀➾ Where to start, even? The problem is big enough that I’ll approach it from three different angles: from the past, from the top, and from the bottom. With the other frameworks we looked at, we didn’t have to say much about their use of JavaScript. JavaScript is an obvious choice, in 2023 at least: it is ubiquitous, has high quality implementations, and as a language it is quite OK and progressively getting better. Up to now, “always bet on JS” has had an uninterrupted winning streak. But winning is not the same as unanimity, and Flutter and Dart represent an interesting pole of contestation. To understand how we got here, we have to go back in time. Ten years ago, JavaScript just wasn’t a great language: there were no modules, no async functions, no destructuring, no classes, no extensible iteration, no optional arguments to functions. In addition it was hobbled with a significant degree of what can only be called accidental sloppiness: with which can dynamically alter a lexical scope, direct eval that can define new local variables, Function.caller, and so on. Finally, larger teams were starting to feel the need for more rigorous language tooling that could use types to prohibit some classes of invalid programs. ⚓ GNU ☛ GNU_Guix:_The_Full-Source_Bootstrap:_Building_from_source_all_the_way down⠀⇛ We are delighted and somewhat relieved to announce that the third reduction of the Guix bootstrap binaries has now been merged in the main branch of Guix! If you run guix pull today, you get a package graph of more than 22,000 nodes rooted in a 357-byte program—something that had never been achieved, to our knowledge, since the birth of Unix. We refer to this as the Full-Source Bootstrap. In this post, we explain what this means concretely. This is a major milestone—if not the major milestone—in our quest for building everything from source, all the way down. How did we get there, and why? In two_previous blog posts, we_elaborated_on_why_this_reduction_and_bootstrappability_in_general is_so_important. One reason is to properly address supply chain security concerns. ⚓ LWN ☛ Textual:_a_framework_for_terminal_user_interfaces⠀⇛ For developers seeking to create applications with terminal user interfaces (TUIs), options have been relatively limited compared to the vast number of graphical user interface (GUI) frameworks available. As a result, many command-line applications reinvent the same user interface elements. Textual aims to remedy this: it’s a rapid-application-development framework for Python TUI applications. Offering cross-platform support, Textual incorporates layouts, CSS- like styles, and an expanding collection of widgets. While colors, interactivity, and all sorts of widgets are standard features in graphical applications, terminal applications are often a bit more basic. And although many terminal applications support the mouse, it’s an exception to see scroll bars, clickable links, and buttons. Python developer Will McGugan saw an opportunity there, and started working on Textual in 2021. * § Rust⠀➾ o ⚓ Rust Weekly Updates ☛ This_Week_In_Rust:_This_Week_in_Rust_492⠀⇛ Hello and welcome to another issue of This Week in Rust! § Leftovers⠀➾ * § Hardware⠀➾ o ⚓ [Repeat] Tom’s Hardware ☛ AMD_Ryzen_7000_Burning_Out:_EXPO_and SoC_Voltages_to_Blame_(AMD_Responds)⠀⇛ We reached out to industry contacts to find out why AMD’s Ryzen 7000 processors are burning out. o ⚓ CNX Software ☛ Corsair_MP600_Mini_M.2_2230_NVMe_SSD_delivers_up to_4800_MB/s_read/write_performance⠀⇛ Corsair MP600 Mini is a high-performance M.2 2230 SSD based on the Phison E21T controller that delivers up to 4800MB/s sequential read and write performance and designed to be used in Valve’s Steam Deck, Microsoft’s Surface Pro 8 and 9, and other products that won’t take a M.2 2280 SSD. * § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ o ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Covid-19_sub-variant,_haze_fuel_demand_for test_kits,_face_masks_in_Penang⠀⇛ Pharmacies in the state have seen a 10 to 20 per cent increase in sales of test kits, and more adults are buying face masks. o ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia_eyes_return_of_mask_mandate_in schools_as_Arcturus_subvariant_surfaces⠀⇛ Health and education ministries are set to issue new guidelines before schools reopen on May 2. * § Proprietary⠀➾ o ⚓ Netcraft ☛ April_2023_Web_Server_Survey [Ed: Servers can be cash cows. Microsoft has lost this game.]⠀⇛ In terms of web-facing computers, nginx led this month with a 6,541 increase (+0.14%), whereas Microsoft saw the largest decrease with a 20,360 loss (-1.66%). The standings for market share by computer count are now: 38.88% nginx (+0.11pp), 27.02% Apache (+0.01pp) and 9.99% Microsoft (-0.15pp). o ⚓ dwaves.de ☛ best_alternative_to_Microsoft_Teams_(Classic_aka_Free not_available_after_2023.04.12_#wtf)⠀⇛ Jitis Meet is based on an Open standard WebRTC o ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Apple_Slices_Bitcoin_Manifesto_Out_of_Latest macOS_Beta⠀⇛ Apple has removed the Bitcoin whitepaper from macOS Ventura 13.4 beta 3. o ⚓ SD_Memory_Card_Formatter_Supports_Linux_with_Update_from_Tuxera [Ed: Microsoft shills in 'Linux' clothing]⠀⇛ o ⚓ Opera_Launches_New_Browser_‘Opera_One’_for_Windows,_MacOS_and Linux⠀⇛ San Francisco, April 25: Web browser company Opera on Tuesday launched a new, redesigned browser — ‘Opera One’, which will replace the company’s flagship browser for Windows, MacOS, and Linux later this year. * § Security⠀➾ o ⚓ LWN ☛ Security_updates_for_Wednesday_[LWN.net]⠀⇛ Security updates have been issued by Fedora (chromium, lilypond, and lilypond-doc), Oracle (java-1.8.0-openjdk), Red Hat (emacs, java-1.8.0-openjdk, java-11-openjdk, java-17-openjdk, kernel, kernel-rt, pesign, and virt: rhel, virt-devel:rhel), Scientific Linux (java-1.8.0- openjdk and java-11-openjdk), Slackware (git), SUSE (fwupd, git, helm, and runc), and Ubuntu (firefox, golang-1.18, linux-hwe-5.15, and openssl, openssl1.0). o ⚓ LWN ☛ TOTP_authentication_with_free_software⠀⇛ One-time passwords (OTPs) are increasingly used as a defense against phishing and other password-stealing attacks, usually as a part of a two-factor authentication process. Perhaps the most commonly used technique is sending a numeric code to a phone via SMS, but SMS OTPs have security problems of their own. An alternative is to use time-based one-time passwords (TOTPs). The normal TOTP situation is to have all of the data locked into a proprietary phone app, but it need not be that way. The TOTP approach is simple enough; it starts with a secret shared between the client and server sides. The algorithm used to generate an OTP starts by looking at the current time, usually quantized to a 30-second interval. That time is combined with the secret, hashed, and used to generate a six-digit code that is used as the password. Both the client and server sides will generate a code at authentication time; if the client can provide the same code that the server calculates, then authentication succeeds. The code can only be used once and, in any case, is only valid for a short period. o ⚓ Nunn_announces_bipartisan_plan_to_prevent_school_cyberattacks⠀⇛ Third District Congressman Zach Nunn is supporting federal legislation aimed at preventing school cyberattacks like the one that canceled classes for Des Moines students for two days earlier this year. The measure would make federal officials available to advise school districts on ways to improve network security and respond to hacking attempts. Nunn described it as a 911 call center for school cyberattacks. The bill would also create a voluntary registry to gather information about attacks happening nationwide. o ⚓ Jackson_school_gives_update_on_November_cyberattack⠀⇛ The November ransomware attack forced Jackson and Hillsdale schools to shut down for days. At the time details were limited, but now officials say the ones behind the attacks were international, adding it was a Jackson technician that first discovered something wasn’t right. […] With the investigation now complete officials believe the international group known as the ‘Hive’ found a window into the network and looked for personal information to sell on the dark web. o ⚓ Data Breaches ☛ NIST_to_Finalize_Special_Publication_(SP)_800-66 Revision_2_and_Collaborate_on_Resources_for_Small,_Regulated Entities⠀⇛ o ⚓ Purism ☛ How_PureOS_Can_Stop_Devices_From_Being_Infected_With Intrusive_Adware!⠀⇛ It has been reported by TechRadar and other publications that over 100 million devices, such as smartphones, have been infected with an intrusive adware that operates in the background without the knowledge of the device owner and/or end user. The intrusive adware has been identified as Goldoson malware by cybersecurity researchers at McAfee and was distributed by Google Play via intrusive apps intentionally designed to spread the adware. Adware such as Goldoson are only a symptom of a much larger problem that needs to be addressed which is predatory surveillance and data mining business practices rooted in surveillance capitalism. Solving this is easy when all the source code is transparent and released for audit. According to cybersecurity researchers, the Goldoson malware is an intrusive adware that clicks on ads in the background without the consent of the device owner who has no idea that their device has been turned into a “zombie” client. o ⚓ How_to_fix_You_can’t_access_this_shared_folder_because_your organization’s_security_policies_block_unauthenticated_guest_access error_on_Windows_11 [Ed: Microsoft Windows is a joke of a system]⠀⇛ o ⚓ Scoop News Group ☛ Sen._Warner:_AI_firms_should_put_security_at the_center_of_their_work⠀⇛ The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee wants answers to questions ranging from supply chain security to privacy. o ⚓ Bleeping Computer ☛ Microsoft_removes_LSA_Protection_from_Windows settings_to_fix_bug [Ed: Microsoft itself is a bug and Windows is bugging its users for Microsoft]⠀⇛ Microsoft has fixed a known issue triggering Windows Security warnings that Local Security Authority (LSA) Protection is off by removing the feature’s UI from settings. o ⚓ APNIC ☛ Event_Wrap:_PITA_Working_Group_Meeting_on_Cybersecurity and_Protection_Initiatives⠀⇛ Adli Wahid shares ways the Internet community can collaborate on cybersecurity at the PITA Working Group Meeting on Cybersecurity and Protection Initiatives, held online on 6 April 2023. * § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ o ⚓ The Strategist ☛ Why_China’s_coercion_of_Australia_failed⠀⇛ China’s campaign of economic coercion against Australia failed because of support from other Asian trading partners who turned to Australia to secure their energy supplies. o ⚓ LRT ☛ Two_Lithuanian_workers_unintentionally_cross_into_Belarus_– border_guards⠀⇛ Two Lithuanian workers unintentionally crossed the border with Belarus illegally while carrying out work at the Medininkai border checkpoint on Tuesday, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) has confirmed. o ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ Palantir_Demos_AI_to_Fight_Wars_But_Says_It Will_Be_Totally_Ethical_Don’t_Worry_About_It⠀⇛ The company says its Artificial Intelligence Platform will integrate AI into military decision making in a legal and ethical way. o ⚓ LRT ☛ Lithuania_broadens_criteria_for_declaring_extreme_situation over_migration⠀⇛ The Lithuanian government on Wednesday expanded the criteria allowing to declare the extreme situation over the influx of irregular migrants based on the legislative amendments recently adopted by the Seimas. o ⚓ teleSUR ☛ UN_Personnel_Evacuated_to_Red_Sea_Port_From_Sudanese Capital⠀⇛ The United Nations has set up a hub in Port Sudan, where a core team of UN staff will lead humanitarian operations in the country. o ⚓ teleSUR ☛ South_Sudan_Receives_10,000_People_Fleeing_Conflict_in Sudan⠀⇛ South Sudanese President engaged the warring Sudanese parties to ensure that the ceasefire is held to allow foreign missions to evacuate their diplomatic staff and nationals. o ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Founder_of_Taiwan’s_Foxconn_Terry_Gou_says China_won’t_attack_if_he’s_president⠀⇛ China’s priority is not striking Taiwan, says Mr Terry Gou, as he criticised international media for portraying the island as a ticking time bomb. o ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Chinese_Ship_Blocks_Philippine_Vessel as_Journalists_Watch⠀⇛ A Chinese coast guard ship blocked a Philippine patrol vessel steaming into a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing a frightening near-collision in the latest act of Beijing’s aggression in the strategic waterway * § Environment⠀➾ o ⚓ France24 ☛ Climate_change_behind_‘devastating_drought’_in_Horn_of Africa,_report_says⠀⇛ A devastating drought that has struck the Horn of Africa could not have occurred without global warming, according to a new report released Thursday from an international team of climate scientists. o ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Scientists:_Climate_Change_Worsened Eastern_Africa_Drought⠀⇛ An international team of climate scientists says the ongoing drought in Eastern Africa has been made worse by human-induced climate change o ⚓ New York Times ☛ Climate_Change_Made_East_African_Drought_More Likely,_Study_Finds⠀⇛ Droughts like the one that has ravaged Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are now 100 times as likely as in the preindustrial era, a new study has found. o ⚓ New Yorker ☛ The_Climate_Crisis_Gives_Sailing_Ships_a_Second Wind⠀⇛ Cargo vessels are some of the dirtiest vehicles in existence. Can a centuries-old technology help to clean them up? o ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ Call_for_energy_ratings_to_shut_the_door_on leaky_homes⠀⇛ Buyers and renters could know the energy efficiency of their home before moving in if all housing is required to have a performance rating. “The energy rating on your fridge tells you if you are cooling your food and drinks efficiently,” Property Council of Australia chief executive Mike Zorbas said. o § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ # ⚓ H2 View ☛ Global_hydrogen_electrolyser_projects_grow_to over_1TW_but_just_1%_are_in_construction⠀⇛ Aurora Energy Research has said, global hydrogen electrolyser projects currently under development total 1,125GW, having grown by 168GW (18%) in the past six months, however, just 1% are in construction. # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Risky_tunnel_project_promises_security, prosperity_in_northern_India⠀⇛ As Delhi fast-tracks infrastructure projects near the India-China border, a new tunnel is set to bring all-weather connectivity to the long-isolated region of Ladakh. # ⚓ Trail Of Bits ☛ What_should_governments_consider_when getting_involved_with_blockchain?⠀⇛ Last September, Principal Security Engineer Dr. Evan Sultanik was on a panel hosted by the Naval Postgraduate School’s Distributed Consensus: Blockchain & Beyond (DC:BB) movement, where faculty and students there are seeking opportunities to learn and share knowledge, research, funding, and events focused on distributed consensus technologies. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ New_Rules_for_Power_Plants_Could_Give Carbon_Capture_a_Boost._Here’s_How.⠀⇛ The technology has struggled to gain traction, but strict new emissions limits for gas and coal stations could encourage broader adoption. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Bank:_Asia_Must_Quit_Coal_Faster to_Stem_Worst_Climate_Woes⠀⇛ Asia must rapidly cut fossil fuel subsidies and plow more money into a clean energy transition to avoid catastrophic climate change that puts its own development at risk # ⚓ The Strategist ☛ The_critical_minerals_end-game?⠀⇛ Climate breakdown is becoming more apparent with frequent extreme weather events around the world. # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ California_to_vote_on_ambitious locomotive_emission_rule⠀⇛ The California Air Resources Board plans to vote on a first-in-the-nation, ambitious rule limiting rail pollution. The goal is to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions from locomotives. The standards would also reduce a group of chemicals that contribute to the formation of smog. They could improve air quality for people living near railyards and ports. The standards would need approval from the Biden administration. They follow rules approved by the Environmental Protection Agency to cut emissions from heavy trucks. The proposed locomotive rule is part of the state’s plan to establish itself as a global leader in the fight against climate change. # ⚓ Quartz ☛ Why_is_Big_Oil_afraid_of_state_courts?⠀⇛ For more than five years, oil companies have attempted to fend off climate change-related lawsuits by filing appeals to move the cases from state courts to the federal system. o § Wildlife/Nature⠀➾ # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Deforestation_in_Brazilian_Amazon_Jumps_129_%In 2013-2021⠀⇛ “…resulted in an estimated 96 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions…” # ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ Scientists_Recording_Ocean_Sounds_Picked Up_a_Mysterious_‘Buzz’_They_Can’t_Identify⠀⇛ The unexplained sound could be a species we’ve never seen before. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ 150,000_hens_killed_in_fire_at_Ibaraki farm_amid_shortage_of_eggs_in_Japan_due_to_bird_flu⠀⇛ Japan has culled over 17 million egg-laying hens since bird flu was first detected in October 2022. * § Finance⠀➾ o ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Bolivia_Takes_Control_of_Banco_Fassil, Executives_Arrested⠀⇛ LA PAZ (Reuters) – Bolivia’s government took control of one of the country’s largest banks, Banco Fassil… o ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ Suggested_Entrance_Fee_for_LA_Landlord Conference:_A_Can_of_Food_for_the_Homeless⠀⇛ The conference featured talks titled “Is the Eviction Moratorium Over? Can We Take Back Our Property?,” and “Evictions and Tenant Protections: Where Do Landlords Stand?” o ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Chinese_police_question_US_consultancy_giant Bain’s_employees⠀⇛ The news fuelled concern among US companies in China that Beijing might take retaliatory action against them for Washington’s moves against Chinese firms. o ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Stock_market_today:_Global_shares_up_ahead of_US_GDP_update⠀⇛ Global shares are mostly higher ahead of the release of U.S. economic growth data. They are expected to show the world’s biggest economy slowing in the first quarter of the year. Shares rose in Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai but fell in London and Sydney. U.S. futures and oil prices were higher. The U.S. economy stood firm last year but is expected to weaken and slip into a recession in coming months. Worries over the impact of higher interest rates aimed at vanquishing high inflation have offset relatively strong earnings reports for many companies. o ⚓ Zimbabwe ☛ Local_startup_shakes_up_banking_sector_with_banking software_as_a_service_platform⠀⇛ At its core, banking is the same across the world. What started as a gold custodian service evolved into what it is today. The core may be similar across the world but each country has to tweak the service to meet the specific needs of its people. o ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Jobless_young_Chinese_seek_solace_in_temples as_China_claws_way_to_post-Covid_recovery⠀⇛ Temple visits are up 310 per cent so far in 2023 compared to 2022. o ⚓ Quartz ☛ First_Republic_lost_more_than_$100_billion_in_deposits in_the_first_quarter⠀⇛ First Republic, which found itself at the_center_of_a brief_banking_panic in March following the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, now holds $104.5 billion in deposits, down more than 40% from the $176.4 billion it held at the end of last year. o ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ ‘Arrogant’_banks_leaving_bush_residents_at the_bus_stop⠀⇛ In the West Australian wheatbelt town of Carnamah, some locals could be forced to take a 120km bus ride to the closest bank and wait for two days before a return service can bring them home. o ⚓ LRT ☛ Some_3.8_percent_of_Lithuanian_population_live_below absolute_poverty_line⠀⇛ Around 107,000 people in Lithuania, or 3.8 percent of the population, lived below the absolute poverty line last year, down from 3.9 percent in 2021, the country’s State Data Agency said on Thursday. o ⚓ Axios ☛ The_401(k)_generation_enters_a_retirement_minefield⠀⇛ Americans retiring_now are going it alone: They’re the first generation to rely on private savings instead of pensions to navigate the financial vortex of retirement. o ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ Temporary_migrants_win_wage_rise,_residency in_shake_up⠀⇛ Wages for temporary skilled migrants will be raised by about $16,000 and thousands will be eligible for permanent residency by the end of the year under a major overhaul of Australia’s “broken” system. * § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ o ⚓ LRT ☛ Estonia_mulls_giving_16-year-olds_the_vote⠀⇛ < Estonia’s new ruling coalition is considering giving 16- year-olds the right to vote in national elections, the country’s public broadcaster ERR News reports. * § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ o ⚓ Quartz ☛ Disney_sues_Ron_DeSantis_on_First_Amendment_grounds⠀⇛ The Walt Disney Company is suing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis alleging that he and his political allies have discriminated_against_the_company (pdf) for exercising its constitutionally protected right to free speech. o ⚓ The Kent Stater ☛ Disney_sues_DeSantis_and_oversight_board_after vote_to_nullify_agreement_with_special_taxing_district⠀⇛ Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Wednesday sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his hand-picked oversight board, accusing the Republican 2024 presidential prospect of weaponizing his political power to punish the company for exercising its free speech rights. o ⚓ Reason ☛ Disney_Sues_Ron_DeSantis,_Claiming_‘Targeted_Campaign_of Retaliation’⠀⇛ The lawsuit says Disney has been subject to “a targeted campaign of government retaliation—orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech.” o ⚓ RFA ☛ China_probes_Taiwan-based_book_publisher_for_‘endangering state_security’⠀⇛ Taiwan says Beijing is trying to exert ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ on the democratic island. o ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ Disney_Sues_DeSantis_for_Violating_Its_Free Speech_Rights⠀⇛ Disney claims in part that it is suing Florida officials “to take a stand” for “smaller businesses and individuals.” * § Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press⠀➾ o ⚓ Axios ☛ Exclusive:_Time_to_remove_digital_paywall⠀⇛ Time is fully removing its digital paywall beginning June 1, its CEO Jessica Sibley told Axios. o ⚓ Press Gazette ☛ UK_government_silence_over_detention_of_Apple Daily_owner_Jimmy_Lai_‘an_outrage’⠀⇛ The British government is yet to call for Lai’s release. * § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ o ⚓ JURIST ☛ UK_House_of_Commons_passes_controversial_Public_Order Bill⠀⇛ The UK Parliament Wednesday passed the Public Order Bill, which is set to become law. According to the government, the bill “protects the fundamental right to protest,” as well as “brings new penalties for disruptive and dangerous so-called ‘guerrilla tactics’” whilst “reducing delays to the law-abiding majority. o ⚓ RFA ☛ Leaked_memo_shows_top_Communist_Party_officials_intervened in_sentencing_of_Fang_Bin⠀⇛ Party’s law enforcement arm ordered Wuhan court to remove ‘subversion’ from the charge sheet and keep trial quiet o ⚓ RFA ☛ Baton-wielding_Vietnamese_police_crush_protest_against drainage_project⠀⇛ Members of the Ede minority fear wastewater will be channeled into a lake o ⚓ RFA ☛ Police_give_no_information_on_detained_Vietnamese_blogger after_end_of_custody_period⠀⇛ Duong Van Thai has been held since April 14 for ‘illegally entering’ the country from Laos. * § Internet Policy/Net Neutrality⠀➾ o ⚓ Zimbabwe ☛ China_tests_300Gbps_wireless_internet,_yes,_300_GIGS per_second⠀⇛ Earlier this month Econet whitelisted all its customers for 5G and we ran speed tests on it and got an impressive 266Mbps down and 27.8Mbps up. A few days ago, we got to play with a Starlink kit and it gave us 131Mbps down and 2.83Mbps up. This is all in Zimbabwe, my friend. o ⚓ Zimbabwe ☛ Everything_you_need_to_know_before_you_bring_your Starlink_kit_to_Zimbabwe⠀⇛ Ok. So the question of whether or not Starlink will work in Zimbabwe even though it’s not officially available yet has been answered. It works and the speeds are pretty good. Now the question is how does one buy it and use it in the motherland. * § Monopolies⠀➾ o ⚓ Quartz ☛ Antitrust_regulators_in_the_UK_blocked_Microsoft’s takeover_of_Activision⠀⇛ British regulators blocked Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision, the popular video game company, on Wednesday (April 26), putting the future of the landmark deal in doubt. o ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ UK_blocks_Microsoft’s_Activision_deal_over competition_fears⠀⇛ British regulators have blocked Microsoft’s $69 billion deal to buy video game maker Activision Blizzard over worries that it would stifle competition in the cloud gaming market. The Competition and Markets Authority said in its final report Wednesday that “the only effective remedy” to the significant loss of competition that the deal would result in “is to prohibit the Merger.” The all-cash deal was set to be the biggest in the history of the tech industry. But it faces stiff opposition from rival Sony and is being scrutinized by global regulators over fears that it would give Microsoft control of popular game franchises like Call of Duty. o ⚓ IT Wire ☛ UK_regulator_knocks_back_Microsoft’s_proposed Activision_deal⠀⇛ In its statement, the CMA said it had weighed up whether having Activision’s content available on GamePass would nullify the downsides of the merger in the UK. Coleman said: “Gaming is the UK’s largest entertainment sector. Cloud gaming is growing fast with the potential to change gaming by altering the way games are played, freeing people from the need to rely on expensive consoles and gaming PCs and giving them more choice over how and where they play games. This means that it is vital that we protect competition in this emerging and exciting market. “Microsoft already enjoys a powerful position and head start over other competitors in cloud gaming and this deal would strengthen that advantage giving it the ability to undermine new and innovative competitors. “Microsoft engaged constructively with us to try to address these issues and we are grateful for that, but their proposals were not effective to remedy our concerns and would have replaced competition with ineffective regulation in a new and dynamic market.” o ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ British_Regulators_Block_$68.7B_Microsoft/ Activision_Acquisition⠀⇛ UK regulators have blocked Microsoft’s proposed $68.7 billion acquisition of the video game giant Activision. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) analyzed more than 3 million Microsoft and Activision documents and more than 2,100 comments from the public about the proposed deal. o ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ UK_regulators_block_Microsoft’s_Activision Blizzard_acquisition,_citing_cloud_gaming_concerns⠀⇛ The United Kingdom’s antitrust regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority, has stifled Microsoft Corp.’s deal to acquire Activision Blizzard Inc. in a dramatic move after a monthlong investigation, stating that the deal would “alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market.” o ⚓ New York Times ☛ As_Regulators_Block_Tech_Deals,_They Increasingly_Look_to_the_Future⠀⇛ British regulators cited the newness of the cloud gaming field to block Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision, a shift in antitrust strategy. o § Patents⠀➾ # ⚓ Unified Patents ☛ Jeffrey_M._Gross_entity_Hyperquery_patent prior_art_found⠀⇛ Unified is pleased to announce prior art has been found on U.S._Patent_9,529,918, owned by Hyperquery, LLC, an NPE and Jeffery M. Gross entity. # ⚓ Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Patent_Law_Primer:_A_Newsletter Series_on_Key_Patent_Law_Topics [Ed: Only patent maximalists are permitted to speak; instrument of oppression]⠀⇛ # ⚓ European Commission ☛ Questions_and_Answers_on_Standard Essential_Patents⠀⇛ European Commission Questions and answers Brussels, 27 Apr 2023 Why is intellectual property important and why is the Commission proposing a new initiative on patents today? # ⚓ European Commission ☛ Intellectual_property:_harmonised_EU patent_rules_boost_innovation,_investment_and_competitiveness in_the_Single_Market [Ed: This is a lie and this is EU pushing something outrageously illegal and unconstitutional which, contrary to what it claims, would harm SMEs]⠀⇛ European Commission Press release Brussels, 27 Apr 2023 Today, the Commission has proposed new rules to help companies, especially small and medium- sized companies (SMEs), make the most of their inventions, leverage new technologies and contribute to the EU’s competitiveness and technological sovereignty. # ⚓ JUVE ☛ NautaDutilh_partner_Anne_Marie_Verschurr_to_succeed Gertjan_Kuipers_at_De_Brauw [Ed: This is patent spam (marketing puff) disguised as 'article', as usual from JUVE these days]⠀⇛ Anne Marie Verschurr is one of the best-known patent lawyers in the Netherlands and will join De Brauw as a partner from NautaDutilh. She is not only active in the patent litigation field but also advises in the life sciences and tech sectors. # ⚓ JUVE ☛ UPC_Presidium_confirms_presiding_judge_selection_for all_divisions [Ed: This is patently illegal, but lobbying makes it happen and nobody wants to point out the obvious]⠀⇛ Florence Butin, Edger Brinkman, Sabine Klepsch, Peter Michael Tochtermann, Ulrike Voß, Matthias Zigann. All six judges are renowned in patent circles across Europe; all are probably the best- known names among the 15 presiding judges, which the UPC Presidium yesterday confirmed. # ⚓ EPO_and_EIB_to_conduct_a_study_on_clean_and_sustainable technologies [Ed: EPO crimes disguised using greenwashing PR stunts]⠀⇛ The study will assess how sustainable- and clean- tech companies in Europe and the US commercialise products and services and create economic value. o § Trademarks⠀➾ # ⚓ TTAB Blog ☛ TTABLOG_Test:_Is_“JIGUANI”_Primarily Geographically_Deceptively_Misdescriptive_of_Coffee?⠀⇛ The USPTO refused to register the proposed mark JIGUANI for coffee, finding the term to be primarily geographically deceptively misdescriptive under Section 2(e)(3). Do you know where Jiguani is? How do you think this appeal came out? In_re Ruta_Maya_Royalty,_Ltd, Serial No. 90453034 (April 14, 2023) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Thomas W. Wellington). § Gemini* and Gopher⠀➾ * § Personal⠀➾ o ⚓ 🔤SpellBinding:_CGWLORI_Wordo:_ALIEN⠀⇛ o ⚓ portfolio_reborn⠀⇛ I am not a hacker or a programmer. Doing something seemingly as trivial as a visual portfolio in Hugo* while wanting to minimally customize an existing theme proved to be a tough nut to crack. It’s been probably six months since I took the first steps in this direction. Countless hours were spent by trial and error, and searching for tutorials. At some point, after a tentative request for help that I posted on the mastodon social network, I was joined by mr_glitch**, who, also not being a specialist but knowing himself a bit better than me, also quite selflessly devoted countless hours to understand the operation of the various components of the site and make the add-ons I wanted to use fully compatible. I hope this will soon result in his own portfolio created in Hugo and/or a tutorial for beginners like me on how to achieve the results we achieved. o ⚓ Myrkheim_people⠀⇛ As you will recall, I’m working on a Myrkheim setting generator for Halberts and Knives. It’s all untested, but here’s the gist of it. o ⚓ Three_and_a_half_cheers⠀⇛ It can become frustrating winding up revisiting gemini sites, and yet nothing is worse than gamed search results married in hell to advertising. Every time following links to often too-familiar places in gemini feels clunky, I need to remember how I feel seeing obviously gamed top search results regardless the engine, with gobs of advertising lurking about the edges, no doubt prelude to popups, cookie-acceptance requests, and my browser – if not entire computer – slowing down to an even clunkier crawl than following gemini links manually. o ⚓ Vaneigem’s_“Revolution_of_Everyday_Life”⠀⇛ Having read Debord’s “Society of the Spectacle” last year, i’ve gone on to read Raoul Vaneigem’s “Revolution of Everyday Life” (1963-1965)[a]. As with my collection of quotes from the former[b], the following quotes are simply those that stood out to me, for whatever reason. * § Politics⠀➾ o ⚓ My_place_in_antifa⠀⇛ I recently read an article on the ABC news site that gave me a lot to think about. * § Technical⠀➾ o § Internet/Gemini⠀➾ # ⚓ New:_Weather_For_Gemini⠀⇛ I just implemented a simple weather page for the Gemini community # ⚓ The_death_of_the_uncurated_internet⠀⇛ We are nearing the end of a period of time between the dawn of the internet and the rise of humanlike machine generated content. For a brief moment, it was possible to quickly find an answer written by a human to nearly any question you had. The answer might not have been high quality, but with a little bit of digging and some critical thinking, the better answers were identifiable. However, the rise of machine generated content has begun to radically change this. For the first time, machines are capable of generating arbitrary content which sounds like it was written by a human. I predict that, within a few years time, the uncurated internet will be dead as we know it. First, machine generated content will flood the internet. Search results will be full of generated content about trending topics, which will make it difficult to find accurate information. This problem will be exacerbated for political or otherwise controversial topics. Obscure topics, however, will be relatively safe from generated content. Search engines will have a hard time keeping up with the influx of machine generated spam. # ⚓ Celebrating_an_Occasion_on_LinkedIn⠀⇛ I’m getting tired of those posts I see posted by my disconnected connection. They celebrate an occasion such as getting promoted, and I am invited to say “congrats”. Why should I? Do I see anything from their achievements? Do they celebrate the occasions with me? =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛ ¶ Lines in total: 6363 ➮ Generation completed at 02:43, i.e. 31 seconds to (re)generate ⟲