𝕿𝖊𝖈𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖘 Bulletin for Sunday, May 14, 2023 ┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅ Generated Mon 15 May 02:40:45 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/2023/05/14/ ╒═══════════════════ 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐒 ════════════════════════════════════╕ Previous bulletins in IPFS (past 21 days, in chronological order): QmRARrRqZDNfBPqo7Hs3obwrESwkPCcQz3Ei7R4JRugvjz QmS32fMTkeYomdxPWCP42PHMfFdKs9rfkSgXboUoVNA3jB QmTGej9jj8spt5sAeA5fmFhTxbyEBhfyXn8vk91wJhQXcs QmUD3qvzBExdYcAqkwKAKng84v5we1kor95LS8wVEPQJY2 QmagVDKAew4AMq9Fs6yk4r4iAkxKc4L1W353hB8S99nTn1 QmcxQsZ2GCghqBFvbbovJYyNuZJr66gJWUEWRoU6QW9DNU QmUUcGwMx4Q4HgbQ85BsuddNvVw4ydnTVvsGdan6TnSNbf QmWh2te8JXntfFGaCH4vh9JvppYb6y58Eqjjp6bUqzuEXs QmQ6wsM94WLvAWQdunnNNfe588me4D44gA4xrHf3aTRBx1 QmUz7bi24zquFwAWfikt3EXBf3WZiScC6iyaZZ9q5PabBk QmbjVRkLQ4yrK3QTTACJcNbs4Z3VinU4mzjrwhHmMUKUzY QmandFvCxgudfiwZKJgux61Ncv1CRLo7HxRSnWUSvM6db2 QmUrfvwG6HwDJEu2RhtmCfm4VrFypj9mxDAqLWcvJnTgHo QmeK7zHQpdcwHbx8uR26LkVDXBdvbMng9z4pLo73jfH5QF QmXLWcERaT62jk6Wo1AD9b8Q68FXMYD367JovbY1ULwntt QmdZh6yx6XHSGUjNv8hpHYHaPD1tD43gBVHqGXHrajNVyN QmTF2pMBvBP5Dk3fq4pyka8M4P8oM4BWugLvejCa15k8va QmW3azBnU7buqhayP66v2xJeRySHJSgNkCJo11LNaUdUut QmXaswZ1iitN6RTpnpNFN6o7kQXkpopdAhoV6EHhdN52mn QmPA2gUGrxUHnaSzGwZTa6xsWZRMKqETbvrMmtiNZtJvDA QmXunK1VfrszdbZV3eLVtiEztrbpHXotzsSs5FidJqHzYd ╒═══════════════════ 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐗 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⦿ Europe’s Second-Largest Institution (the EPO) is Sabotaging Itself by Repelling Staff | Techrights ⦿ IRC Proceedings: Saturday, May 13, 2023 | Techrights ⦿ Immense Abuse, Sabotage and Vandalism in IRC Each Time We Mention Microsoft Crises | Techrights ⦿ Geminispace.org Goes Live (New Gemini Protocol Site) | Techrights ⦿ The EPO, Europe’s Largest Patent Office, Becomes Even More Secretive | Techrights ⦿ The Slowness of British Police Works to the Advantage of Fraudsters in Hiding (Sirius ’Open Source’ Managers) | Techrights ⦿ The European Commission and European Patent Office | Techrights ䷼ Bulletin articles (as HTML) to comment on (requires login): http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/disenfranchising-epo-staff/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/irc-log-130523/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/microsoft-crises/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/new-gemini-protocol-site/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/secretive-european-patent-office/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/sirius-vanishing/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/the-european-commission-on-frand/#comments ䷞ Followed by Daily Links (assorted news picks curated and categorised): http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/derpening/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/fedora-and-firefox-113-on-power/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/gnu-shepherd-0-10-0/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/ibm-cuts-into-fedora/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/proportional-coding-fonts/#comments ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 69 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/disenfranchising-epo-staff/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/05/14/disenfranchising-epo-staff/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Europe’s_Second-Largest_Institution_(the_EPO)_is_Sabotaging_Itself_by Repelling_Staff⠀✐ Posted in Europe, Finance, Patents at 8:18 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz Video_download_link | md5sum 2ff9c77c62a9c226be271a351c1b46bc Defunding Future, Present, and Past Examiners Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 http://techrights.org/videos/epo-salary-freeze-or-worse.webm Summary: Disenfranchising the workforce of the EPO certainly seems or feels like the goal; as things stand, there will be ongoing conflict and further declines in patent validity/quality (the EPO is meanwhile trying to replace the courts which judge European Patents, instead introducing an illegal kangaroo court which fails to meet basic constitutional requirements) THE EPO‘s staff union, SUEPO (or SUEPO Central to be precise; it covers all cities) circulated a letter regarding the diminishing salaries of staff. It’s not an entirely new problem. We saw that under Benoît_Battistelli (who went further by limiting terms/contracts) and we saw even more of that under António Campinos, especially since the pandemic started. Predating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (and massive inflation) the EPO froze salaries and pensions. With an inflation rate like 10% (or decrease of about 10% in purchasing power each year), the salaries and pensions have in some sense been reduced by 10%. How can that be justified? At the end of last week SUEPO issued the following statement, which is discussed in the video above. To quote: 12 May 2023 su23024cp 0.2.1 – 5.2 § Appeals against the freeze of remuneration with effect of 1 January 2022 – test-case procedure⠀➾ Dear SUEPO members, In July 2022, SUEPO provided model appeals to its members for challenging the Salary Adjustment Procedure and its implementation for 2022 resulting in a zero adjustment of salaries and pensions. Many of you lodged internal appeals on this basis. Recently, the Appeals Committee sent emails to appellants in this regard with reference to RI/2022/031-xxx (active staff) and RI/2022/ 032-xxx (pensioners). They asked the appellants on their opinion on the suitability of a test-case procedure and as to their wish to volunteer as test appellant. For the sake of procedural efficiency, SUEPO considers a test-case procedure adequate. The law firm which SUEPO entrusted with the appeals will inform the Appeals Committee that they are ready to represent mandators of the already existing groups of test appellants in a test-case procedure. SUEPO is of the opinion that with the appellants to be nominated by the law firm, enough volunteers are available for the test-case procedure. In our view, it is therefore not necessary for further appellants to volunteer to take part in the test-case procedure. Should you still wish to become a test appellant, we kindly ask you to contact your SUEPO Local Bureau. Your SUEPO Central Bureau As noted in the video, they are even punishing people who never knew or worked for Battistelli. We published_leaks_about_it_a_year_before_the_freeze. How does the EPO plan to actually recruit much-needed examiners? Unless that’s not the goal at all. █ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 170 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/irc-log-130523/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/05/14/irc-log-130523/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ IRC_Proceedings:_Saturday,_May_13,_2023⠀✐ Posted in IRC_Logs at 6:54 am by Needs Sunlight Also available via the Gemini protocol at: * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-techrights-130523.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-130523.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-social-130523.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-techbytes-130523.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  QmT5mzJeJutHu2MpXnaUVXdPV4Cp8TQ8ztSB43XEzZ5B3A #boycottnovell 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #boycottnovell  QmPxH39JaC8aBsqQzSUN8sKWwCzvHS9P74Efs1utyRvH9w (full IRC log 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ as plain/ASCII text) IRC log for #boycottnovell-  QmduH42Na2bawa69WbppnvRzFeJ2VzXAKKSyDj6RxroHDp social 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #boycottnovell-  QmZ8vhv9iq5NUHEuwNP63pqJubsBADCfSEqBQE4NzGHfBw social 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ (full IRC log as plain/ASCII text) IRC log for  QmSAVGBxZf9hnuUWzSZ2MYGgjKstm2EYMTFMNgfKb1tRbi #techbytes 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #techbytes  QmPDTZPJ9VTSzaA9s95bzdsYy9MpdrnvMBLhoFPTasAUST (full IRC log 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ as plain/ASCII text) IRC log for  QmYPjpgaKP994RBT47HHmStH3tLotUrumWEcPc8n1Be7gd #techrights 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #techrights  QmWUaT78V66qntaL8wGQt8VMqVAv9zGiz77iemwU2aEWep (full IRC log 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ as plain/ASCII text) 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇IPFS logo⦈ § Bulletin for Yesterday⠀➾ Local_copy | CID (IPFS): QmXunK1VfrszdbZV3eLVtiEztrbpHXotzsSs5FidJqHzYd ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 297 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/microsoft-crises/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/05/14/microsoft-crises/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Immense_Abuse,_Sabotage_and_Vandalism_in_IRC_Each_Time_We_Mention_Microsoft Crises⠀✐ Posted in Microsoft at 8:40 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz Video_download_link | md5sum d64f052e7347db15cf50f004090bf8aa Salaries Not the Real News at Microsoft, Layoffs Are Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 http://techrights.org/videos/microsoft-layoffs-and-distraction-again.webm Summary: Microsoft is having massive problems this year; computing LLMs and showering the media with bribes (to pretend that LLMs are the best things since sliced bread) isn’t sufficient to distract from Microsoft’s problems THE layoffs_at_Microsoft aren’t the full story. There is a lot_of_debt and entire business units are failing. Some products are shut down completely, some divisions are dismantled, and even entire offices get mothballed while media doesn’t pay attention. XBox_might_be_the_next_casualty though the video above focuses on Azure and Bing (no, chatbots won’t successfully replace actual search). Azure and Bing both suffered profound cuts (layoffs) this year and in the case of Azure those cuts have been going on each year since 2020. We’ve documented all this. “…there has been unprecedented veracity of trolling in IRC lately, especially when we brought up Microsoft’s trouble.”Microsoft won’t go away overnight. It’s being_'bailed_out'_by_presidents_from_both_sides_of_the_aisle. But generally speaking, it’s not a sustainable strategy and Microsoft will be thrown under the bus when the government runs out of money (borrowed capital). Do not be misled by a bunch of chatter about the salaries at Microsoft; last week there were many layoffs at Microsoft, so the CEO needed some way to change the discussion and distract the staff, not to mention the media (as media might inform the staff, demoralising workers). Speaking of distraction, there has been unprecedented veracity of trolling in IRC lately, especially when we brought up Microsoft’s trouble. The video above covers that too. █ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 354 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/new-gemini-protocol-site/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/05/14/new-gemini-protocol-site/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Geminispace.org_Goes_Live_(New_Gemini_Protocol_Site)⠀✐ Posted in Free/Libre_Software, Protocol at 9:11 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz Video_download_link | md5sum fe56ce0b303c16f4a0e2f5b56bebcd12 Geminispace Gets Another Project and Site Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 http://techrights.org/videos/geminispace-site.webm Summary: Geminispace.org is born; it was announced_a_day_ago and promoted, with Bubble being unveiled to the public. Discovery of new Gemini pages will hopefully be made easier, including collaboration and interaction across capsules and users. G eminispace.org has been unveiled. Over the World Wide Web it serves the_basic page_shown_below, promoting its author’s Gemini client Lagrange and some technical_documentation (for now). One thing Gemini has long lacked is “discovery” — in other words the ability to find/discover new “content”. For our own sake we’ve made this_page_that_updates every_60_minutes, but its functionality is very limited/basic. Geminispace.org can do a better job at it. It’s a much-needed expansion of Cosmos, another project from a_Finnish_“Graphics/multimedia_researcher_at_Nokia”. █ 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇Geminispace.org⦈_ ⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤ ⡿⠻⣿⣽⣿⣿⣿⢟⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⢿⣿⣿⣽⣟⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⢿⣯⣿⣫⣿⢛⢿⣿ ⣧⣦⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣤⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿⣼⣿⣧⣿⣿⣷⣾⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿⣾⣇⣿⣿⣿⣻⣿⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⣮⣾⣿⣿⣿⣷⣬⣴⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠛⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣯⣼⣿⣿⣧⣷⣿⣿⣤⣿⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣿⣷⣼⣧⣤⣿⣿⣧⣿⣿⣿⣶⣯⣿⣾⣇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣤⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⢿⢿⡿⡿⠿⢿⢻⢿⡟⡿⣿⢿⢿⣿⣿⠿⡿⣿⢿⢿⠿⢿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢻⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣾⣴⣽⣧⣽⣼⣼⣼⣥⣿⣼⣬⣶⣧⣮⣷⣽⣿⣮⣾⣽⣾⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣸⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 447 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/secretive-european-patent-office/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/05/14/secretive-european-patent-office/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ The_EPO,_Europe’s_Largest_Patent_Office,_Becomes_Even_More_Secretive⠀✐ Posted in Europe, Patents at 7:57 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz Video_download_link | md5sum 2c655343a6f286a503c15a96acd6a38a Why So Secret? Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 http://techrights.org/videos/epo-secrecy-conundrum.webm Summary: Instead of becoming more transparent, the increasingly ruthless and corrupt EPO just removes any remnants of transparency and some people believe that this seemingly minor thing is a sigh of grimmer things to come PRIOR to Benoît_Battistelli‘s EPO term it was made possible fot staff to know who’s coming and who’s leaving (as well as reason for leaving). As we’ve just noted, there are rumours about the future of the EPO in light of growing secrecy [1, 2] and it makes one wonder what António_Campinos plans for the next 5 years, aside from his promotion of European_software_patents under he guise of buzzwords and hype (e.g. blockchain and “Hey Hi” (AI), to name just a few). The video above discusses our recent publications and some possibilities ahead. █ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 492 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/sirius-vanishing/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/05/14/sirius-vanishing/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ The_Slowness_of_British_Police_Works_to_the_Advantage_of_Fraudsters_in_Hiding (Sirius_‘Open_Source’_Managers)⠀✐ Posted in Deception, Fraud, Free/Libre_Software at 1:36 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz Video_download_link | md5sum 760d7ca0d833706de57ab9de7dd5c620 Sirius Disappearing Faster Than Police Holds It Accountable Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 http://techrights.org/videos/sirius-collapsing-already.webm Summary: The crimes of Sirius_‘Open_Source’ have caught up with the management, which is leaving_in_droves; but the British police has made no visible progress in over 3 weeks since a report was filed, in effect delaying enough for the company to vanish and hide some more THE VIDEO above explains the latest situation at the company I left this past December. It stole money from employees for over half a decade. These employees had suspicions, but the company was evasive about the matter. Earlier this year we got all the formal confirmations (evidence) we needed and reported the matter to Action Fraud. “The worry here is the company might change name or dissolve, then pretend to have vanished, then resurface under another name and legal entity/identity.”How about a police force that can allocate endless pounds to protect an old monarch but cannot even respond for nearly a month to a serious complaint of fraud, impacting many people and amounting to several prestigious cars (like the ones the CEO was amassing)? The worry here is the company might change name or dissolve, then pretend to have vanished, then resurface under another name and legal entity/identity. It’s a worryingly common modus operandi, which mustn’t be tolerated by the police, the tax authorities etc. So we need to prevent that in order to protect others from abuse. There’s already censorship_happening (gagging the victims!) and time is running out if the CEO is hiding money in all sorts of places, or even bank accounts of friends and relatives. This won’t end well and we shall pursue the matter till the bitter end. The video above says a lot more. █ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 553 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/05/14/the-european-commission-on-frand/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/05/14/the-european-commission-on-frand/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ The_European_Commission_and_European_Patent_Office⠀✐ Posted in Europe, Patents, RAND at 7:39 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz Video_download_link | md5sum 631a59db17c64b4778f4f52db8384be6 Where the EU Goes With Patents Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 http://techrights.org/videos/eu-and-epo-crossroads.webm Summary: 13 years after the Benoît_Battistelli era began we’re seeing the agenda of European_software_patents being promoted through “FRAND” and “UPC”; this merits some analysis and reflection TDOAY’S VIDEO concerns the EPO‘s rather bizarre plan to hide HR-related information [1, 2]. Combined with with some_factors_we_recently_covered, one wonders if there’s a semi-secret deal to fold the EPO onto some EU agency like EUIPO, with or without mass layoffs. The efforts to piss off EPO staff and repel potential applicants (for the Office, not for European Patents) have certainly “worked”. But the quality of the work conducted at the Office fell noticeably — certainly enough for patent applicants to complain publicly, and not only once over the years. At the end of last month we saw text which a law firm said_the_following about: “The European Commission has today (27 April 2023) published proposals for changes impacting on patents in the EU in relation to compulsory licensing of patents in crisis situations [...] the introduction of a Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) for the new unitary patent right (UP) and a centralised SPC application procedure for this and national SPC rights.” “…the quality of the work conducted at the Office fell noticeably — certainly enough for patent applicants to complain publicly, and not only once over the years.”Notice they invoke EUIPO and combine SPC with UPC. So what exactly is going on here? Well, people sometimes wonder if EPO mass layoffs are in the cards (internal but leaked presentations suggest considerable headcount decease over the coming years; it’s part of the plan). If the EU (or EU agency with “IP” in its name) takes over the remainder, that would mean absorbing former staff. With António_Campinos starting his “next” 5 years in July it’ll be interesting to see what they are hiding or why they hide the HR information. “I presume they are pushing more “FRAND” crap,” an associate said recently, but it could be a lot bigger and more sinister, especially considering the lack of consultation with nation states (member states). Europe should not be governed in this way and if lots of improper monopolies are being granted in the interim, it spells trouble (e.g. poverty) for European citizens. According to some_reports: “The European Commission has proposed Regulations on standard essential patents, compulsory licensing of patents in crisis situations, and amendments to the laws about supplementary protection certificates. These aim to create a more transparent, effective and futureproof intellectual [sic] property [sic] rights [sic] framework.” This is the language of monopolists, not the language of knowledge sharing and solidarity. █ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 628 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Gemini_Links_14/05/2023:_Linux_‘Derpening’⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 12:19 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * Gemini*_and_Gopher o Technical # Music # Internet/Gemini * § Gemini* and Gopher⠀➾ o § Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux:_The_Derpening⠀⇛ I recently heard that I had not complained about Linux enough! # § Music⠀➾ # ⚓ Album_#260:_GZA_–_Liquid_Swords⠀⇛ I’ve tried and failed with Wu Tang Clan, but this solo album was a great surprise. Excellent beats, great flow, consistent quality. It loses a point for the film samples/skits. I guess they serve a purpose in breaking things up a bit/setting some atmosphere? The tracks stand up without them though. Hundreds of cassette edits of this must exist in lofts across the world. # ⚓ Album_#253:_The_Byrds_–_Sweetheart_of_the_Rodeo⠀⇛ This is the third Byrds album. Unposted reviews of ‘Fifth Dimension’ and ‘Younger than Yesterday’ were both 2s, so I came in expecting the worst. It’s good though! The album feels like a pitch for Country in a time when Country wasn’t cool. The result is an accessible, slightly watered down poppy- rocky-country record that almost certainly made some people covertly give Country a bit more of a chance. # § Internet/Gemini⠀➾ # ⚓ Captain’s_Log_Stardate_20230513.88784⠀⇛ I’m redesigning my entire network from the ground up. Media servers, web/i2p/Onion… everything. Gemini server too. # ⚓ communication_preferences⠀⇛ I genuinely feel like one part of the heaviness and sadness I experience at times is having to interact with so many people that I don’t know, in a way that is so uncaring and stifled. When your fellow humans might as well be robots and vending machines, you treat eachother accordingly. It all comes together; corporate culture, ideas of professionalism, stress, being overworked. So instead of time to talk, a warm smile, enthusiasm, getting to know eachother as regulars, being curious about one another, there are these walls. People become replaceable. I think I wasn’t meant to engage with the world this way, I think I and most others were made to engage with people we know and care about or get to know easily whenever we interact with employees. The employees weren’t just nameless figures quietly serving you, they used to be your family, your neighbors, your family friends who worked there. It’s becoming increasingly harder to build relationships between customers and employees, but the same goes for relationships between employees working for a big employer, where you never or barely see most people you have to work with. [...] Offline, if you sat together, and your friend (who worded it themselves and did not just hold up someone else’s thoughts uncritically) referenced wrong info or said something ignorant, you could challenge them respectfully and have a true dialogue. You have to look at eachother and you’re surrounded by people you are meaningful to, which is reflected in the discussion. They don’t want to cause a fight and neither do you, and they don’t want to hurt you with some mean quip for approval from others (and if they do, they aren’t a great friend). # ⚓ Hello_fellow_capsuleers!_I_have_a_new_Gemini_project that_may_interest_you…⠀⇛ It is a Gemini-based bulletin board system that combines elements from Station, Reddit, WordPress, and Git-adjacent issue trackers like on Gitea and GitHub. =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 781 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Links_14/05/2023:_Fedora_and_Firefox_113_on_POWER/POWER9OpenPOWER⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 6:59 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * GNU/Linux o Desktop/Laptop o Instructionals/Technical o Games * Distributions_and_Operating_Systems o BSD o Fedora_Family_/_IBM o Devices/Embedded o Modding * Free,_Libre,_and_Open_Source_Software o Web_Browsers/Web_Servers # Mozilla o SaaS/Back_End/Databases o Education o Programming/Development # IDEs * Leftovers o Science o Education o Hardware o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Proprietary o Pseudo-Open_Source # Large_Language_Models_and_Openwashing o Linux_Foundation o Security # Privacy/Surveillance o Defence/Aggression o Environment # Energy/Transportation # Wildlife/Nature o Finance o AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics o Freedom_of_Information_/_Freedom_of_the_Press o Civil_Rights/Policing o Monopolies # Copyrights * Gemini*_and_Gopher o Personal o Technical * § GNU/Linux⠀➾ o § Desktop/Laptop⠀➾ # ⚓ Your Story ☛ Ubuntu_Unleashed:_Why_Windows_and_Mac-OS_Are Looking_Over_Their_Shoulders⠀⇛ Step into the digital ring as we pit Ubuntu, the open-source underdog, against the heavyweight champions, Windows and macOS. quo. o § Instructionals/Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ University of Toronto ☛ The_paradox_of_ZFS_ARC_non-growth and_ARC_hit_rates⠀⇛ We have one ZFS fileserver that sometimes spends quite a while (many hours) with a shrunken ARC size, one tens of gigabytes below its (shrunken) ARC target size. Despite that, its ARC hit rate is still really high. Well, actually, that’s not surprising; that’s kind of a paradox of ARC growth (for both actual size and target size). This is because the combination of two obvious things: the ARC only grows when it needs to, and a high ARC hit rate means that the ARC isn’t seeing much need to grow. More specifically, for reads the ARC only grows when there is a read ARC miss. If your ARC target size is 90 GB, your current ARC size is 40 GB, and your ARC hit rate is 100%, it doesn’t matter than you have 50 GB of spare RAM, because the ARC has pretty much nothing to put in it. # ⚓ Koehntopp ☛ 50_years_in_filesystems:_1974⠀⇛ Progress is sometimes hard to see, especially when you have been part of it or otherwise lived through it. Often, it is easier to see if you compare modern educational material, and the problems discussed with older material. And then look for the research papers and sources that fueled the change. In Linux and Unix in general), this is easy. # ⚓ Koehntopp ☛ 50_years_in_filesystems:_1984⠀⇛ The original Unix filesystem was doing well, but also had a large number of obvious problems. BSD Unix undertook an effort to fix them, and this is documented in the book “The Design and Implementation of the 4.3BSD UNIX Operating System ” by Leffler, McKusick et. al. A more concise, but also more academic discussion can be found in the classic 1984 paper A Fast File System for UNIX , which lists Marshall McKusick, Bill Joy (then at Sun), Samuel Leffler (then at LucasFilm) and Robert Fabry as authors. The paper promises a reimplementation of the Unix filesystem for higher throughput, better allocation and better locality of reference. # ⚓ Koehntopp ☛ 50_years_in_filesystems:_1994⠀⇛ In 1994, the paper Scalability in the XFS File System saw publication. Computers got faster since 1984, and so did storage. Notably, we are now seeing boxes with multiple CPUs, and with storage reaching into the Terabytes. The improvements to the 4.3BSD fast filing system (or the modified version in SGI IRIX called EFS) were no longer sufficient. SGIs benchmarks cite machines that had large backplanes with many controllers (one benchmark cites a box with 20 SCSI controllers), many disks (three-digit-numbers of hard drives), and many CPUs (the benchmarks quote 12 socket machines) with a lot of memory (up to one gigabyte quoted in the benchmarks). Filesystems became larger than FFS could handle, files became larger than FFS could handle, the number of files per directory led to large lookup times, central data structures such as allocation bitmaps did no longer scale, and global locks made concurrent access to the file system with many CPUs inefficient. SGI set out to design a fundamentally different filesystem. Also, the Unix community as a whole was challenged by Cutler and Custer, who showed with NTFS for Windows NT 4.0 what was possible if you redesign from scratch. # ⚓ Terence Eden ☛ The_new_.zip_TLD_is_going_to_cause_some problems⠀⇛ So what happens when things which are not domain names look like they are domain names? I’ve been worrying about this for a few years: [...] o § Games⠀➾ # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ If_You_Like…_Diablo⠀⇛ There shouldn’t be any arguments when I claim that the original Diablo was a masterpiece. Launched in the 90’s, it defined a new genre of dungeon crawling, successfully mixing traditional Rogue/ Nethack elements with beautiful visuals, real-time combat, class selection, an innovative loot system, and haunting music. Let’s look at the series as a whole, and the genre it largely created. * § Distributions and Operating Systems⠀➾ o § BSD⠀➾ # ⚓ Vermaden ☛ FreeBSD_13.2_on_ThinkPad_T14_(GEN1)⠀⇛ I used to run FreeBSD on older laptops – some more then a decade old – like my favorite ThinkPad W520 daily driver or ThinkPad X220 mobile companion. Today I will share with you my experiences of running latest production ready FreeBSD 13.2- RELEASE system on a quite modern ThinkPad T14 (GEN1) from 2021/2022 (depending on the source of the information) – which is quite new I would say. … do not interpret this article wrong – The W520 and X220 (sometimes T420s) are still my daily/ mobile/… drivers and my points explained in the Epitaph to Laptops article remain the same. I just had an opportunity to use ThinkPad T14 for several days so I thought it would be a good idea to check and document FreeBSD behavior on it. o § Fedora Family / IBM⠀➾ # ⚓ Talospace ☛ Fedora_38_mini-review_on_the_Blackbird_and Talos_II⠀⇛ As I always say in these mini-reviews, Fedora was one of the first mainstream distributions to support POWER9 out of the box, it’s still one of the top distributions OpenPOWER denizens use and its position closest to the bleeding, ragged edge is where we see problems emerge first and get fixed (hopefully) before they move further downstream. That’s why it’s worth caring about it even if you yourself don’t run it. o § Devices/Embedded⠀➾ # ⚓ Hackster ☛ Canonical’s_Nathan_Hart_Wants_to_Get_You_Started with_Matter_on_a_Raspberry_Pi_Running_Ubuntu_–_Hackster.io⠀⇛ Canonical’s Nathan Hart has published a guide to getting started with the new Matter smart home standard with a Raspberry Pi and Ubuntu Linux — following the company’s entry into the Connectivity Standards Alliance last year. “The Matter standard is a particular focus for us. Its secure design and open ecosystem align well with Ubuntu’s own values of security and openness,” Hart claims. “Ubuntu Core and Matter make for a powerful pair. Ubuntu Core’s containerization makes it a highly secure OS that pairs well with the highly secure protocol. Its update and device management capabilities provide the missing pieces that the Matter standard leaves up to device makers to implement.” # ⚓ Notebook Check ☛ Orange_Pi_5_Plus:_Rockchip_RK3588_SBC debuts_from_US$89_with_dual_2.5_Gigabit_Ethernet_and_HDMI_2.1 connectivity_–_NotebookCheck.net_News⠀⇛ Shenzhen Xunlong Software has started selling the Orange Pi 5 Plus, a 100 x 70 mm single-board computer (SBC) and the third member in the Orange Pi 5 series. While the Orange Pi 5 Plus shares similarities with the Orange Pi 5 and Orange Pi 5B, it relies on the Rockchip RK3588 and not the Rockchip RK3588S like its series counterparts. As such, the newer model contains more ports and connectivity options. # ⚓ Linux Gizmos ☛ Rugged_computing_System_houses_Jetson_AGX Orin_SoM⠀⇛ The Jetsys-5330 is a rugged small computer system built around the NVIDIA Jetson Orin AGX Orin System-on-Module. The new device from Elma Electronic features multiple expansion ports and can handle up to 6x GMSL2/GMSL1 cameras.  # ⚓ Andrew Hutchings ☛ Acorn_Archimedes_A3000:_Restoration_Part 3⠀⇛ I last left this machine in a state where it boots RISC OS 3.11 when using a bench power supply, but there was a weird video issue which meant I could only use an OSSC for the SCART to work. # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Raspberry_Pi_Zero_Gambles_for_Bitcoins with_USB_Antminer⠀⇛ The way the project works is simple enough. The Raspberry Pi is running Raspberry Pi OS. It’s connected to an Antminer via USB which is responsible for handling Bitcoin mining algorithms. The system is connected to it Bitcoin wallet which will receive a handsome deposit if he’s lucky enough to win an entire hash. Because the system is so small, it’s not practical enough for regular mining and is better suited for what’s called lotto mining. In this case, he has a 1 in 2 billion chance of winning a whole block each day. o § Modding⠀➾ # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Intel_Deploys_Undisclosed_Microcode Security_Update_For_CPUs_Going_Back_To_Coffee_Lake⠀⇛ Nayeli Rico, a BIOS engineer at Intel, uploaded the release notes and source code for the microcode- 20230512 release 20 hours ago. The description reads: “Security updates for [INTEL-SA-NA].” The “SA” acronym likely stands for Security Advisory; meanwhile, “NA” probably stands for “Not Available.” Whatever the security vulnerability may be, it evidently affects many of Intel’s platforms, including the latest consumer Intel 13th Generation Core Raptor Lake and 4th Generation Xeon Sapphire Rapids server chips. However, it’s the first time that recent lineups, such as Alder Lake-N and Atom C series (Arizona Beach), received a microcode update. The lengthy list includes desktop processors dating as far back as the Coffee Lake days and mobile chips starting from Kaby Lake going forward. * § Free, Libre, and Open Source Software⠀➾ o ⚓ OMG! Linux ☛ List_–_a_Linux_App_that_Doesn’t_Overcomplicate_Your To-Dos⠀⇛ List is a (relatively) new to-do app for Linux built in GTK4/libadwaita (meaning it looks super nice on modern Linux desktop). Its USP is simplicity; Lists forgoes fussy organizational features in favour of flat focus. You add tasks and sub-tasks, mark them complete, and that’s basically it — it’s the digital equivalent of a plain sheet of paper and a biro where you jot stuff down, then get on with doing it. o ⚓ Is_sequential_IO_dead_in_the_era_of_the_NVMe_drive?⠀⇛ Two systems I know pretty well, Apache BookKeeper and Apache Kafka, were designed in the era of the spinning disk, the hard-drive or HDD. Hard-drives are good at sequential IO but not so good at random IO because of the relatively high seek times. No wonder then that both Kafka and BookKeeper were designed with sequential IO in mind. Both Kafka and BookKeeper are distributed log systems and so you’d think that sequential IO would be the default for an append-only log storage system. But sequential and random IO sit on a continuum, with pure sequential on one side and pure random IO on the other. If you have 5000 files which you are appending to in small writes in a round-robin manner, and performing fsyncs, then this is not such a sequential IO access pattern, it sits further to the random IO side. So just by being an append-only log doesn’t mean you get sequential IO out of the gate. o ⚓ Understanding_ActivityPub⠀⇛ In this blog post, I’m using ActivityPub.Academy (see the announcement post) to explore the ActivityPub protocol. We’ll see how different instances communicate that one user wants to follow another and how a social graph is built; how messages are distributed to followers on different instances; and lastly, what happens on the protocol level when an account is moved to a different one. The blog post has two purposes. First, it can hopefully be read as a stand-alone post if you are interested in ActivityPub, but you don’t want to read the entire ActivityPub Spec. And second, it serves as an introduction on how to use ActivityPub.Academy to explore the protocol. It is an invitation to do your own experiments and explorations and learn about the protocol in this way. And once you have some practical experience with the protocol, trying to read the Spec is probably not as daunting anymore. o § Web Browsers/Web Servers⠀➾ # § Mozilla⠀➾ # ⚓ Talospace ☛ Firefox_113_on_POWER⠀⇛ Yes, I skipped a version, sosumi. I’m running a little low on development space on the NVMe drive, but still managed to squeeze in Firefox 113 which introduces enhanced video Picture-in-Picture, more secure private windows and password generation, support for AVIS images, debugger improvements and additional CSS and API features. [...] o § SaaS/Back End/Databases⠀➾ # ⚓ [Old] Boston Review ☛ What_Does_That_Server_Really_Serve?⠀⇛ SaaS inherently gives the server operator the power to change the software in use, or the users’ data being operated on. Once again, no special code is needed to do this. Thus, SaaS is equivalent to total spyware and a gaping wide back door, and it gives the server operator unjust power over the user. We can’t accept that. o § Education⠀➾ # ⚓ Rlang ☛ The_15th_Annual_R/Finance_Conference_2023⠀⇛ The conference brings together experienced R users in the field to discuss quantitative finance – covering R (or Python or Julia!), portfolio construction, statistics, and more! Some of the topics that will be covered include advanced risk tools, decentralized finance, econometrics, high- performance computing, market microstructure, portfolio management, and time series analysis. # ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Navigating_the_intersection_of_open_source, AI_and_security:_Open_Source_Summit_final_analysis⠀⇛ Open-source communities and AI developers have been in a state of heightened collaboration in recent years. The dialogue between these two industries has expanded, fostering a mutual understanding of each other’s domains. The open-source community isn’t sitting on the sidelines. Industry experts are actively engaging and collaborating with AI-focused foundations. At this week’s Open Source Summit in Vancouver, Canada, developers, technologists and community leaders collaborated on open-source innovation. o § Programming/Development⠀➾ # ⚓ Ciprian Dorin Craciun ☛ Misusing_random_oracles_for practical_purposes⠀⇛ Why this article? Because I believe that cryptographic “random oracles” are such a wonderful construct that should be known and used even outside the theoretical cryptography domain, where they are used mainly to prove the security of various cryptographic constructs “in the random oracle model”. (And because, as feedback to my article from yesterday about multi-factor encryption, I’ve received a few comments that stated I’ve made a mess of things, mixing “theoretical constructs such as oracles used in proofs” with real world encryption.) # ⚓ Fernando Borretti ☛ Language_Tooling_Antipatterns⠀⇛ Earlier today I tried to write a small project starter template for OCaml, since tooling is the weakest link to getting started with that language. After a thousand little sources of friction I was defeated, so I decided to write this post instead. # ⚓ Remi Collet ☛ Remi_Collet:_PHP_version_8.1.19_and_8.2.6⠀⇛ RPMs of PHP version 8.2.6 are available in remi- modular repository for Fedora ≥ 36 and Enterprise Linux ≥ 8 (RHEL, Alma, CentOS, Rocky…) and in remi- php82 repository for EL 7. RPMs of PHP version 8.1.19 are available in remi- modular repository for Fedora ≥ 36 and Enterprise Linux ≥ 8 (RHEL, Alma, CentOS, Rocky…) and in remi- php81 repository for EL 7. The modules for EL-9 are available for x86_64 and aarch64. # ⚓ Why_engineers_need_to_be_bored._–_by_John_McBride⠀⇛ An analysis on boredom in engineering productivity and how it can lead to deeper innovation. # ⚓ Lucas F Costa ☛ You_don’t_need_Scrum._You_just_need_to_do Kanban_right.⠀⇛ Why did you choose Scrum instead of Kanban? If you can’t answer that question, you didn’t choose Scrum. Someone else chose it for you. # ⚓ Appreciating_Your_Way_to_XP⠀⇛ This advice from the first edition of XP Explained is a pretty good summary of the engineer’s approach to change: find a problem, solve it. Unfortunately, this approach ignores many of the prerequisites for lasting change. # ⚓ vmtest:_Run_your_tests_in_virtual_machines⠀⇛ Systems software that depend on specific kernel or host properties often contains logic to gate functionality based on what features are available at runtime. This necessarily begs the question: how do you test platform specific logic? Mocks can help, but they come with their own set of tradeoffs. At the end of the day, there is no substitute for actually running your code. eBPF (BPF) is somewhat of an extreme example because of how fast development occurs in that ecosystem. Most, if not all, BPF features are baked into the kernel, meaning that any non-trivial BPF- powered application heavily depends on kernel version. Since I do quite a bit of BPF development, the rest of this post is as a result, BPF focused. Despite that, keep in mind that all proposed techniques/solutions are quite general and can be applied to other domains. # ⚓ Rlang ☛ Working_with_Dates_and_Times_Pt_1⠀⇛ Introduction In this post, we will cover the basics of handling dates and times in R using the as.Date, as.POSIXct, and as.POSIXlt functions. We will use the example code below to explain each line in simple terms. Let’s get started! # ⚓ Key_practice:_Test_Driven_Development⠀⇛ Test Driven Development means test first + coding + refactoring. Test Driven Development doesn’t mean tests written shortly after coding OR just “developer testing”. Test First means code is designed to be testable as a primary concern. Test First means the tests tend not to be coupled to the implementation. # § IDEs⠀➾ # ⚓ Make Use Of ☛ How_to_Transform_Neovim_Into_a_Full- Fledged_IDE_on_Linux⠀⇛ Neovim is a modern, feature-rich, and highly extensible text editor that has become increasingly popular among developers in recent years. Although it comes with a wide range of features out of the box, it can also be transformed into a full-fledged integrated development environment (IDE) with the help of various plugins and configurations. This can be particularly useful for developers who prefer to work in a single, powerful environment that can handle all aspects of their workflow. Learn how you can supercharge Neovim and turn it into a full- fledged IDE on Linux. * § Leftovers⠀➾ o ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Atlantic_City_casino_can’t_live_without_a beach,_so_it’s_rebuilding_one⠀⇛ What’s an ocean without a beach? One Atlantic City casino that takes its name from the sea doesn’t want to find out, and so it’s spending up to $700,000 of its own money to rebuild a badly eroded beach in front of it. The Ocean Casino Resort began the work Wednesday, and plans to have a new 110-foot-wide beach open for Memorial Day weekend. Chronic erosion near the casino has reduced the beach to just 5 to 8 feet wide in places. Bill Callahan, the casino’s general manager, says Ocean simply can’t wait for the next government-funded beach replenishment project, which could take another year or two. o ⚓ Be_a_thermostat,_not_a_thermometer_|_Lara_Hogan⠀⇛ As I’ve learned more about how humans interact with one another at work, I’ve been repeatedly reminded that we are very easily influenced by the mood of those around us. It’s usually not even something we do consciously; we just see someone using a different tone of voice or shifting their body language, and something deep in our brain notices it. If you’ve ever attended a meeting where there were some “weird vibes,” you know what I’m talking about. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but something about the energy of the room was off—and that feeling affected you, even if it was super subtle. We’re wired to spidey sense this stuff; this gut instinct is part of what’s helped us stay safe for millenia. Our amygdalas are constantly on the lookout for threats in our environment that could be bad news. Plus, we tend to infer meaning from those weird vibes. Our brain is trying to make sense of the shift in behavior, so we’ll make some (often subconscious) guesses about what’s truly going on. We often even jump to the assumption that those vibes are about us. o § Science⠀➾ # ⚓ New York Times ☛ The_Biggest_Explosion_in_the_Cosmos_Just Keeps_Going⠀⇛ For three years, telescopes have monitored “one of the most luminous” events ever: a supermassive black hole consuming a gigantic cloud of interstellar gas. # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Astronomers_‘Puzzled’_by_The_Largest_Cosmic Explosion_We’ve_Observed⠀⇛ It’s 100 times the size of our Solar System. # ⚓ Gizmodo ☛ Shock_to_the_System:_Stuck_Antenna_on_Jupiter Probe_Finally_Unfurls_After_Clever_Fix⠀⇛ Success finally came earlier today, with controllers firing a “non-explosive actuator” affixed to the jammed bracket. “This delivered a shock that moved the pin by a matter of millimetres and allowed the antenna to unfold,” ESA explained in a May 12 statement. The firing of a second actuator allowed the final part of the stuck antenna to fully deploy, and the entire apparatus extended to its fully intended length. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Remembering_Virginia_Norwood,_Mother_Of_NASA’s Landsat_Success⠀⇛ Virginia T. Norwood passed away earlier this year at the age of 96, and NASA’s farewell to this influential pioneer is a worth a read. Virginia was a brilliant physicist and engineer, and among her other accomplishments, we have her to thank for the ongoing success of the Landsat program, which continues to this day. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ ESA_Juice’s_RIME_Antenna_Breaks_Free_After_Some Jiggling_And_Percussive_Action⠀⇛ After ESA’s Jupiter-bound space probe Juice (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) launched on April 14th of this year, it initially looked as if it had squeezed out a refreshingly uneventful deployment, until it attempted to unfurl its solar panels and antennae. One of these antennae, for the RIME (Radar for Icy Moons Exploration) instrument that uses ice-penetrating radar to get a subsurface look at Jupiter’s moons, ended up being rather stuck. Fortunately, on May 12th it was reported that ESA engineers managed to shock the sticky pin loose. o § Education⠀➾ # ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ Examining_the_Conway,_Arkansas,_School_Board Meeting_Arrests⠀⇛ When one police officer heard the radio call for backup at a high school campus outside Little Rock, Arkansas, he first thought there’d been a problem at a football game. The indecipherable chanting in the background sounded like roars from the bleachers. But it turned out that the rhythmic rallying call that November night last year was coming from the lobby outside a school board meeting. o § Hardware⠀➾ # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Tools_Of_The_Trade:_Dirt_Cheap_Or_Too_Dirty?⠀⇛ We’ve recently seen a couple reviews of a particularly cheap oscilloscope that, among other things, doesn’t meet its advertised specs. Actually, it’s not even close. It claims to be a 100 MHz scope, and it’s got around 30 MHz of bandwidth instead. If you bought it for higher frequency work, you’d have every right to be angry. But it’s also cheap enough that, if you were on a very tight budget, and you knew its limitations beforehand, you might be tempted to buy it anyway. Or so goes one rationale. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ An_Open-Source_4-Shaft_Portable_Loom⠀⇛ Part of writing for Hackaday involves doing the rounds of our community’s events in search of amazing projects for your delectation. This weekend it was a trip to Maker Faire Delft, thanks to the wonders of the European Interail scheme. Once on the site, [Aslı Aydın Aksan]’s 4-shaft weaving loom immediately caught our eye. This is an open-source portable folding loom design. In weaving terms, shafts are sliding vertical frames. As the name implies, this loom has four, which allow different sets of warp threads to be brought to the surface of the weave at different times. This feature makes it capable of weaving complex patterns in the fabric and thus makes it a very interesting project indeed. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Never_Stare_Down_A_Robot⠀⇛ There are a few things historically difficult to make a robot do. Stairs, of course, are the obvious problem. But realistic blinking behavior is harder than you might think. At first, it might seem frivolous and simple to have a robot blink, but according to Italian scientists, it is both more important and more difficult than you probably think. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Hackaday_Prize_2023:_The_NEOKlacker_Pocket Computer⠀⇛ Science fiction always promised us pocket computers. These days, we’re spoiled for choice. [Spider Jerusalem] eschewed a simple smartphone or tablet, though, instead building a custom pocket computer of their own design.  o § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Eating_Late_Can_Alter_How_You_Burn_Calories And_Store_Fat,_Depressing_Study_Finds⠀⇛ It’s not just what you eat. # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ New_Alzheimer’s_Drug_Shows_35%_Reduction_in Cognitive_Decline_in_Late-Stage_Trial⠀⇛ We don’t have all the data yet. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Am_I_Depressed?_The_Most_Common Symptoms_to_Look_Out_For⠀⇛ By Ann Schreiber HealthDay ReporterThink you might be struggling with depression? It’s not always easy to recognize, but identifying the symptoms… # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Pandemic_emergency_is_over._Societal_shifts linger.⠀⇛ The pandemic health emergency is officially over. But some related societal shifts could be lasting, from more remote work to a rise in children’s screen time. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ New_Menopause_Drug_for_Hot Flashes_Gets_FDA_Approval⠀⇛ The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new type of drug to treat hot flashes caused by menopause # ⚓ New York Times ☛ FDA_Approves_New_Drug_to_Treat_Hot Flashes⠀⇛ It is the first nonhormonal treatment for the menopause symptom. # ⚓ Quartz ☛ A_simple_skin_patch_shows_promise_for_preventing peanut_allergies⠀⇛ >Peanut allergy is a serious public health concern. Nearly 2% of people suffer from it in the western world, and it is the most common cause of anaphylaxis in children in the US. The allergy usually emerges in the early years of life; only about 20% of the children who have it outgrow it. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Kansas_Governor_Vetoes_Measures to_Aid_Anti-Abortion_Centers,_Limit_Health_Officials’_Power⠀⇛ Kansas’ Democratic governor has vetoed Republican legislation that would have provided a financial boost to pregnancy centers run by abortion opponents and curbed state and local officials’ powers during infectious disease outbreaks # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Your_Contact_Lenses_May_Be_a_Hidden_Source of_‘Forever_Chemicals’⠀⇛ It’s right in front of us. # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Popular_Obesity_Drug_Turns_Out_to_Have_a Secret_Cancer-Killing_Effect⠀⇛ Fighting the good fight. # ⚓ Helsinki Times ☛ Finnish_Medical_Association:_Healthcare cuts_threaten_patients’_basic_rights⠀⇛ The Finnish Medical Association has released a statement warning that cuts to healthcare funding threaten patients’ fundamental rights. In its spring meeting on May 12, 2023, the association stated that in the current situation where healthcare costs already exceed the allocated funding and waiting times are at record highs, cutting funding is not a viable way to save costs without completely collapsing the system. # ⚓ MIT Technology Review ☛ Why_tiny_viruses_could_be_our_best bet_against_antimicrobial_resistance⠀⇛ This article is from The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, sign up here. Regular readers will know that the microbiome is one of my favorite topics to cover. o § Proprietary⠀➾ # ⚓ Daily Dot ☛ Remote_Worker_Laid_Off_During_her_Trip_to Mexico⠀⇛ A remote worker went viral on TikTok after sharing how she was laid off from her job a week after arriving in Mexico to be a digital nomad. The video was uploaded by TikTok user @laoraz1 where she revealed the screen of her laptop, searching for “content marketing” jobs on LinkedIn. Then, she shifted the camera to show a pool and palm trees outside. According to the text overlay, @laoraz1 was laid off from her remote job after arriving on her trip to Mexico, so now she’s “unemployed and broke.” # ⚓ Denver ☛ Denver-based_software_company_Poppulo_laid_off_80 employees_as_tech_industry_downsizing_continues⠀⇛ Poppulo, a Denver-based software development company, laid off 80 employees at the end of April, including 20 workers in Colorado. The move follows downsizing in the tech industry that started in 2022, with impacted companies including Twitter, Microsoft, Dell Technologies Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc., the owner of Facebook and Instagram. But other Colorado sectors aren’t immune to layoffs either, with the energy, cannabis and manufacturing sectors also taking blows earlier this year. Although inflation is steadily slowing, and the U.S. isn’t in a recession yet, the economic forecast for 2023 remains shaky. # ⚓ Microsoft:_New_listing_reveals_Microsoft_job_cuts_may_cross 10,000 [Ed: Well, it crossed it a very, very long time ago. Shame on the media not fact-checking Microsoft months ago, then properly assess the real scope and scale of the layoffs there. It's like there's no real media left, just parrots.]⠀⇛ Microsoft announced job cuts this year citing global macroeconomic uncertainties. Reportedly, this is also the reason behind no salary hike this year. o § Pseudo-Open Source⠀➾ # § Large Language Models and Openwashing⠀➾ # ⚓ Introducing_MPT-7B:_A_New_Standard_for_Open-Source, Commercially_Usable_LLMs⠀⇛ Introducing MPT-7B, the latest entry in our MosaicML Foundation Series. MPT-7B is a transformer trained from scratch on 1T tokens of text and code. It is open source, available for commercial use, and matches the quality of LLaMA-7B. MPT-7B was trained on the MosaicML platform in 9.5 days with zero human intervention at a cost of ~$200k. Starting today, you can train, finetune, and deploy your own private MPT models, either starting from one of our checkpoints or training from scratch. For inspiration, we are also releasing three finetuned models in addition to the base MPT-7B: MPT-7B-Instruct, MPT-7B-Chat, and MPT-7B-StoryWriter-65k+, the last of which uses a context length of 65k tokens! # ⚓ Releasing_3B_and_7B_RedPajama-INCITE_family_of_models including_base,_instruction-tuned_&_chat_models ⠀⇛ The RedPajama project aims to create a set of leading open-source models and to rigorously understand the ingredients that yield good performance. A few weeks ago we released the RedPajama base dataset based on the LLaMA paper, which has galvanized the open-source community. The 5 terabyte dataset has been downloaded hundreds of times and used to train models like MPT, OpenLLaMA, OpenAlpaca. Today we are excited to release RedPajama- INCITE models, including instruct-tuned and chat versions. # ⚓ Kevin Liu ☛ Large_Language_Models_can_Simulate Everything⠀⇛ TL; DR: Simulation is the only way to forecast how future complex / AI systems will misbehave. This is post #1 in a series of 3 outlining my current views on AI. Part 1 focuses on the need for improving how people think, rather than improving their leverage over the world. Part 2 gives “no brainer,” objective strategies helpful for improving the safety of ML systems on the margin. Part 3 focuses on the best ways to measure and empirically evaluate ML systems as they are deployed in the world. A hot take: the #2 most important use case for AI in the next decade will be performing large-scale, in-silico sociological simulations. This has huge potential for safety; in a world where 99% of AI innovations make us more productive with less oversight (giving us a bigger hammer), it’s important to better understand where to point that hammer. Simulation and forecasting techniques can help us improve institutional decision- making, provide plausible tail scenarios with natural language feedback, and help us run instant, virtual A/B tests to iterate faster on all levels of policy and design. o § Linux Foundation⠀➾ # ⚓ Phoronix ☛ Microsoft_Aims_For_Greater_Script_Execution Control_On_Linux⠀⇛ This week alongside several other Linux Foundation events in Vancouver was the Linux Security Summit. Commanding a significant presence at the Linux Security Summit was Microsoft… # ⚓ Virtualization ☛ Tech_Talent:_Senior_Roles_Get_Axed,_Devs/ Managers_Get_Hired [Ed: The so-called 'Linux' Foundation keeps spreading all the meaningless buzzwords that proprietary vendors spread for lock-in purposes; the goal differs from the community's]⠀⇛ The Linux Foundation released its annual report on tech talent, examining the current and future technology staffing requirements and skills needed within organizations. [...] The Linux Foundation conducted the survey Feb. 23- March 10, 2023, and promoted it through various channels including social media, the Linux Foundation and Linux.com web sites, and the Linux Foundation Newsletter. # ⚓ Fintech_Open_Source_Foundation_(FINOS)_Announces_Addition of_Fidelity_Investments_as_Buy-Side_Member [Ed: Is "Fintech" as a buzzword still a thing? Shouldn't they come up with a newer, modern-sounding one like "MetaFin" and "FinDevAIOp", maybe "Internet of Fins" or something with "blockchain"?]⠀⇛ o § Security⠀➾ # ⚓ Hacker News ☛ New_Stealthy_Variant_of_Linux_Backdoor BPFDoor_Emerges_from_the_Shadows [Ed: The term "Linux Backdoor" is intentionally misleading because it does not come with Linux or via Linux or because of a hole in Linux. This is typical Microsoft-centric propaganda from Windows- friendly sites. If people inject some malware into a Windows PC via some Adobe Photoshop zero-day or Chrome flaw, does that mean it is a "Windows backdoor"? Meanwhile, former news sites have became shallow public relations for their sponsors, so FUD such as this won't be often (or ever) rebutted.]⠀⇛ The malware is specifically geared towards establishing persistent remote access to compromised target environments for extended periods of time, with evidence pointing to the hacking crew operating the backdoor undetected for years. # ⚓ Cybernews ☛ Russia-affiliated_CheckMate_ransomware_quietly targets_popular_file-sharing_protocol [Ed: Microsoft Window TCO]⠀⇛ Unlike most ransom campaigns, CheckMate, discovered in 2022, has been quiet throughout its operations. To the best of our knowledge, it doesn’t operate a data leak site. That’s quite unusual for a ransomware campaign since many prominent gangs brag about big targets and post them as victims on their data leak sites. They do this to raise the pressure for a victim to pay the ransom. Cybernews research has recently detected new CheckMate activity. It turns out the gang has been actively targeting weakly-protected SMB shares. # ⚓ Student_Medical_Records_May_Have_Been_Taken_in_San_Diego Unified_Hack⠀⇛ The breadth of a cyber attack against San Diego Unified School District last year is coming into view. Student medical records may have been taken during the hack, district officials notified parents in a letter dated May 4. # ⚓ Data Breaches ☛ Ransomware_attack_on_PharMerica_affected 5.8_million_patients [Ed: Microsoft Window TCO]⠀⇛ While the Fortra/GoAnywhere data breach by Clop is shaping up to be the biggest, or one of the biggest, breaches affecting HIPAA-covered entities and business associates in 2023, an attack by Money Message on PharMerica is currently the largest single breach reported so far this year, with almost 6 million affected. # § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ # ⚓ Security Week ☛ Executive_Fired_From_TikTok’s_Chinese Owner_Says_Beijing_Had_Access_to_App_Data_in Termination_Suit⠀⇛ A former executive fired from TikTok’s parent company ByteDance made a raft of accusations against the tech giant Friday, including that it stole content from competitors like Instagram and Snapchat, and served as a “propaganda tool” for the Chinese government by suppressing or promoting content favorable to the country’s interests. # ⚓ [Repeat] Axios ☛ Ex-ByteDance_exec_claims_CCP “maintained”_access_to_U.S._data⠀⇛ The Chinese Communist Party “maintained supreme access” to data belonging to TikTok parent company ByteDance, including data stored in the U.S., a former top executive claimed in a lawsuit Friday. # ⚓ [Repeat] EDRI ☛ Commissioner_Johansson_cannot_be trusted_with_the_EU’s_proposed_CSA_Regulation⠀⇛ EDRi has conducted an investigation into Johansson’s claims about the CSA Regulation and – based on solid evidence – has assessed that Johansson is repeatedly serving inaccurate and misleading claims about how technology works, what the law could really achieve in practice, and what current detecting practices have shown. o § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ What_to_know_about_judge’s_ruling_on age_limit_for_young_gun_buyers⠀⇛ A judge’s ruling striking down a federal law that bans licensed federal firearms dealers from selling handguns to young adults under 21 is the latest example of how a landmark Supreme Court decision is transforming the legal landscape around firearms. The ruling was issued Wednesday by a federal judge in Virginia. It is just the beginning of what’s likely to be a lengthy court battle over rules aimed at making it harder for 18- to 20-year-olds to get handguns. The judge’s ruling won’t go into effect until he issues a final order that would bar the government from enforcing the age limit. The Justice Department is likely to appeal and could ask for the final order to be put on hold while it does. # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ A_Texas_woman_was_fatally_shot_by_a boyfriend_angry_she_had_an_abortion,_police_say⠀⇛ Police in Dallas say a man angry that his girlfriend had an abortion in another state fatally shot the 26-year-old woman. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Gabriella Gonzalez was with her boyfriend in a Dallas parking lot Wednesday. She had returned from Colorado the night before. Police say 22-year-old Harold Thompson tried to put her in a chokehold, then shot her in the head. Police believe he was the father of the child and did not want her to get an abortion. As of Friday he was jailed on a murder charge. Court records don’t list an attorney. # ⚓ VOA News ☛ US_Lawmakers_Seek_to_Curb_Chinese_Farmland Purchases⠀⇛ The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports Chinese- connected investors own less than 162,000 total hectares (400,000 acres) of land in the U.S. — only a fraction of which is farmland. That is 1.12% of the total area of Iowa. # ⚓ [Old] NPR ☛ China_is_buying_up_more_U.S._farmland._Some lawmakers_consider_that_a_security_threat⠀⇛ Four witnesses — including H.R. McMaster, former president Donald Trump’s national security adviser, and Tong Yi, a former secretary to prominent Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng — spoke about issues involving national security, economic competition and human rights. Over the course of three hours, they made a case for how the Chinese Communist Party has gained power over global markets and endangered American interests. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Germany_to_supply_Ukraine_with_largest_military aid_package_yet,_worth_2.7_billion_euros_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Germany will supply Ukraine with military aid worth a total of 2.7 billion euros (nearly $3 billion), reported Der Spiegel. This would make it Germany’s largest military aid package to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russia_launches_overnight_drone_attacks_across Ukraine_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Russian troops shelled the city of Mykolaiv on the night of May 13. Mykolaiv’s governor, Vitaliy Kim, reported that a five-story apartment building was damaged and a two-story industrial building was destroyed. The attack sparked fires in both buildings, which were extinguished. Three people were injured. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Two_Mi-8_helicopters_and_two_bomber_planes_crash in_Russia’s_Bryansk_region_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Two Mi-8 helicopters, one Su-34 bomber plane and one Su-35 bomber plane crashed in Russia’s Bryansk region, according to Kommersant. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Rebrand_‘Mass_Shootings’_as_‘Second Amendment_Celebrations’⠀⇛ I don’t know about you, but I’m getting really bummed out by all of these mass shootings. One after another, day after day, more than one a day since the beginning of the year. Something has to change. This is America after all. The United States has a long history of dealing with challenging problems. o § Environment⠀➾ # § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Home_Heating_With_Bitcoin_Miners_Is_Now_A Real_Thing⠀⇛ If you were reading this post a month ago, you could have been forgiven for thinking it was an April Fools post. But we assure you, this is no joke. A company called HeatBit has recently opened preorders for their second generation of Bitcoin miner that doubles as a space heater. # § Wildlife/Nature⠀➾ # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Scientists_Discover_a_Subtle Difference_in_How_Monkeys_Perceive_The_World⠀⇛ A divergence some 25 million years ago. # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Surprisingly_Few_Insects_Live_in_The Ocean,_And_We_May_Finally_Know_Why⠀⇛ “A simple explanation to a long-standing question.” # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Deforestation_in_Brazilian_Amazon Fell_68%_in_April_Compared_With_Last_Year⠀⇛ Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest decreased by 68% this April compared with last year, according to preliminary government data published Friday. o § Finance⠀➾ # ⚓ Latvia ☛ Anti-graft_force_targets_MEPs_Ušakovs_and Ameriks⠀⇛ The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) is asking for the prosecution of five individuals for causing losses of more than €10 million to Rīga municipality and its capital company, LETA and Latvian Television reported on May 11. # ⚓ Axios ☛ U.S._inflation_is_hard_to_whip._Here’s_why.⠀⇛ For the first time in decades, the forces shaping the world economy look inflationary. Why it matters: We’re seeing a reversal of the economic trends that, pre-pandemic, helped put downward pressure on consumer prices. That might make it more difficult (and possibly more economically painful) to get inflation back down to policymakers’ desired level, and keep it there. =================================================== Driving the news:Inflation is below_5%, less than a year after peaking at 9%. That huge decline was the easier phase of the inflation fight: Energy prices plummeted and supply chain bottlenecks ebbed. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Tax_the_Rich_to_Defeat_the_Horrors_of_Child Labor⠀⇛ America’s social studies textbooks urgently need an update—on child labor. Our textbooks, ever since the middle of the 20th century, have been applauding the reform movement that gradually put an end to the child-labor horrors that ran widespread throughout the early Industrial Age. Now those horrors, here in the 21st century, are reappearing. o § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ # ⚓ The_voters’_decision_in_İstanbul’s_Fatih_may_turn_out_to_be staying_away_from_the_polls⠀⇛ The debate between MHP officials and the women, those who have lost their hope in AKP, those who prefer to keep silent, the woman who says that she will go to the polls with her conscience… Impressions from Fatih, “the castle of AKP,” when two days are left to the May 14 elections… # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Final_Acts_of_Election_Campaigns:_Erdoğan_and Kılıçdaroğlu⠀⇛ “…Voters in Turkey are heading to the polls…” # ⚓ France24 ☛ Turkey’s_Erdogan_to_lead_Hagia_Sophia_prayers_on eve_of_fight_for_political_life⠀⇛ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will lead Saturday prayers at Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia mosque, ahead of a battle for his political life against a powerful secular rival. # ⚓ Gizmodo ☛ TikTok_Is_Testing_Exclusive_Deals_With Musicians—but_It’s_Definitely_Not_a_Record_Label⠀⇛ A report from The Information details ByteDance’s plans for these new deals. According to the outlet, the company has been pursuing deals with dozens of musicians to distribute their music through ByteDance’s new service called SoundOn. SoundOn promises artists overwhelming control of their music, with distribution directly to TikTok and streaming services, 100% of ownership and royalties being paid directly to the musician, and promotional tools. TikTok’s global head of music business development and intellectual property rights Ole Obermann confirmed to The Information that the company had secured some distribution deals, but that these were operating more as test runs. # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ TikTok_Is_Expanding_Its_‘New_Music’ Hashtag_Into_‘A_Global_Music_Discovery_Hub’_Amid_Reports_of_a Streaming_Buildout⠀⇛ ByteDance-owned TikTok unveiled its latest feature – having also rolled out a “Creativity Program” and a “Work With Artists” option to this point in May – in an announcement message today. Meanwhile, although talks of the highly controversial platform’s potential stateside ban have largely simmered down in recent weeks, the service’s U.S. head of safety, Eric Han, quietly exited the role today. # ⚓ [Repeat] Silicon Angle ☛ From_proprietary_to_open_source: The_new_landscape_of_the_software_industry⠀⇛ Danen spoke with theCUBE industry analysts John Furrier and Rob Strechay at Open Source Summit NA, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the significant and disruptive influence of artificial intelligence and how to engage the next generation of contributors in the open-source community. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Celebrating_8_Years_of_Progressive Governance_in_Barcelona⠀⇛ “They want us isolated, but they will find us in common.” # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ US_Sold_Weapons_to_Roughly_60%_of_World’s Authoritarian_Nations_in_2022:_Analysis⠀⇛ President Joe Biden claims that the United States is leading “democracies” in a fight against “autocracies” to establish a peaceful international order, but his administration approved weapons sales to nearly three-fifths of the world’s authoritarian countries in 2022. # ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ The_Teapot_Dome_Scandal:_When_Democracy_Worked to_Hold_the_Fat_Cats_Accountable⠀⇛ In what is now considered run of the mill business in Washington, the Teapot Dome corruption scandal in the 1920s signified a time where politicians and the corporations that bribed them could be brought to justice at the hands of courageous representatives. # ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ GG_David_Hurley_and_his_beloved foundation,_a_secret_priority_yet_at_‘arms_length’?⠀⇛ It was the most unusual pet project for a serving Australian Governor-General, a project where the highest office in the land, on multiple occasions, lobbied then Prime Minister Scott Morrison, to support a mysterious foundation to the tune of $18 million. Ronni Salt and Jommy Tee report. New documents obtained via FOI reveal the Governor- General, David Hurley, and his top bureaucrat, Paul Singer, underplayed the level of their behind-the- scenes involvement in prodding the Morrison government to fund the Australian Future Leaders Foundation. # § Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda⠀➾ # ⚓ France24 ☛ Parties_in_Kyiv_nightclubs_in_the_midst_of war?_Watch_out_for_these_misleading_images⠀⇛ Several posts, including one with a video viewed more than 8 million times, claim to show current scenes of the nightlife in Kyiv, apparently showing that the population of Ukraine is using donations from the West to throw these parties despite the war. The footage in the video, however, comes from scenes filmed in 2021, or in establishments that have been closed since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. o § Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press⠀➾ # ⚓ VOA News ☛ Journalists_Attacked_and_Internet_Blocked_Amid Pakistan_Unrest⠀⇛ Following Khan’s arrest, authorities imposed [Internet] shutdown in several regions, including the capital Islamabad, and blocked platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. On Wednesday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said the [Internet] shutdown would remain in effect for an indefinite period. Digital rights groups condemned the latest development in what has become a pattern of Pakistani authorities blocking [Internet] access in response to political instability and protests. o § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ # ⚓ Voting_starts_at_08:00,_pre-election_restrictions_started at_18:00_yesterday⠀⇛ The voting for the presidential and parliamentary elections starts at 08:00 today throughout Turkey. The propaganda ban and other pre-election restrictions started at 18:00 yesterday. The sale of alcoholic drinks will be forbidden from 06:00 until 24:00. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Erdoğan_Re-Election_Would_Be_Horrific_for Turkey’s_Women⠀⇛ “It will be like the Taliban regime,” says Melek Önder, asked what will happen to women’s rights if Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is re-elected as president of Turkey in the election on Sunday. Önder is a spokesperson for We Will Stop Femicides (Kadin Cinayetlerini Durduracagiz), one of the most active groups in Turkey’s women’s movement. The platform was founded in 2010 after Cem Garipoğlu, 17, murdered his girlfriend Münevver Karabulut, also 17. It collects data on femicides and campaigns against violence against women. # ⚓ ANF News ☛ If_Erdogan_loses,_his_myth_will_be_over_and_it will_be_a_turning_point_for_Turkey⠀⇛ Over the past 20 years, Erdoğan’s AKP party has secured its power through violence against opposition parties, and justifications for the arrests and detentions of hundreds of thousands of people, for example, after the alleged 2016 coup. Is it still possible to call the Turkish political order a Republic? # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ United_Pilots_Picket_for_Better_Contract After_American,_Southwest_Counterparts_Authorize_Strikes⠀⇛ Following what the Air Line Pilots Association called “more than four years of empty promises,” 3,000 off-duty United Airlines pilots represented by the union protested at major airports across the U.S. on Friday, demanding the finalization of a contract with higher pay and humane scheduling practices. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ How_to_Ensure_Next_Month’s_Pride_Is_More Than_a_PR_Stunt⠀⇛ It’s official—we’re less than a month away from the beginning of Pride. And the anticipation is building. Disney recently announced its first ever Pride event, “Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite.” Meanwhile, cities around the country have been announcing their Pride themes. San Francisco will focus on “Looking Back and Moving Forward.” D.C. Capital Pride’s theme will be “Peace, Love, Revolution;” and New York City’s is “Strength in Solidarity.” # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Abolish_the_Death_Penalty_and_a_Touch_of Hope_for_Richard_Glossip⠀⇛ Richard Glossip has been on Oklahoma’s death row for 25 years, convicted of masterminding the 1997 beating death of Barry Van Treese, the owner of a motel he managed. While Glossip has maintained his innocence, he’s faced nine separate execution dates. Just weeks ago, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted to allow Glossip’s scheduled May 18th execution to proceed. Then, last week, the U.S. Supreme Court granted Glossip a temporary stay of execution pending its review of his case. Despite a growing consensus that Glossip is actually innocent, Oklahoma’s capital punishment “justice” system remains determined to kill him. # ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ Could_the_Oxford,_MI,_School_Shooting_Have Been_Prevented?⠀⇛ On a cold evening in March, at a school board meeting in Oxford, Michigan, Buck Myre approached members with a sheaf of papers. As they were passed down the line, he paced and fidgeted. For three minutes, the room was quiet. One board member covered her eyes with both hands. Finally, Myre stepped to the lectern. He released a shaky exhale, crackling the microphone. o § Monopolies⠀➾ # § Copyrights⠀➾ # ⚓ Torrent Freak ☛ One_YouTube-Ripping_Site_Will_Get_4 Billion_Visits_in_2023;_Time_to_Blame⠀⇛ With many pirate sites pulling in 10, 20, 50 or even 90 million visits per month, debate over popularity seems pointless. However, when compared to some platforms already declared illegal by rightsholders, even 200 million visits per month is nothing. Last month a single YouTube-ripping domain received a staggering 343 million visits and is still trending upwards, so who gets the blame? * § Gemini* and Gopher⠀➾ o § Personal⠀➾ # ⚓ 🔤SpellBinding:_EFHISLK_Wordo:_JEWEL⠀⇛ o § Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ Who_Likes_The_Likers⠀⇛ There’s a new social hub in Geminispace today at, appropriately enough, geminispace.org. # ⚓ Unix_Agitprop⠀⇛ There is of course “The Unix-Hater’s Handbook”, which is long, and now pretty old. I’ve only skimmed it now and then. =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 2612 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Links_14/05/2023:_GNU_Shepherd_0.10.0_and_GNU_poke_3.2⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 12:42 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * GNU/Linux o Audiocasts/Shows o Instructionals/Technical o Desktop_Environments/WMs # K_Desktop_Environment/KDE_SC/Qt # GNOME_Desktop/GTK * Distributions_and_Operating_Systems o Debian_Family o Devices/Embedded o Open_Hardware/Modding o Mobile_Systems/Mobile_Applications * Free,_Libre,_and_Open_Source_Software o GNU_Projects o Programming/Development # Python * Leftovers o Science o Hardware o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Security # Privacy/Surveillance o Defence/Aggression o Environment # Energy/Transportation # Overpopulation o Finance o AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics o Censorship/Free_Speech o Freedom_of_Information_/_Freedom_of_the_Press o Civil_Rights/Policing o Monopolies # Copyrights * § GNU/Linux⠀➾ o ⚓ Linux Links ☛ Linux_Around_The_World:_USA_–_Arizona⠀⇛ We cover user groups that are running in the US state of Arizona. This article forms part of our Linux_Around_The World_series. o § Audiocasts/Shows⠀➾ # ⚓ Tux Digital ☛ Sudo_Show_62:_Linux_Desktop_Application Landscape⠀⇛ The Hosts get back together to talk about our point of view on the previous and current state of the Linux app ecosystem and development state as a follow up to episode 61… o § Instructionals/Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ Trend Oceans ☛ [Solved]_Termux_Package_Management_Issue⠀⇛ Today you will learn the cause of the Termux package management issue, how to solve it, and other ways to solve it. If you have installed the Termux app from the Playstore, you might face the below error while upgrading or installing the package on an Android device. # ⚓ The New Stack ☛ Install_Sentry_to_Monitor_Live Applications⠀⇛ If you’re a developer, you’re probably interested in keeping tabs on live applications. # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ How_to_Delete/drop_all_Tables_from_a_Database_in MySQL⠀⇛ When managing your MySQL databases, there may come a time when you need to delete or “drop” all tables, essentially emptying the database. This task, while not complicated, requires a solid understanding of SQL syntax and commands. # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ How_to_Use_Shell_Scripting_to_Automate_Tasks⠀⇛ Shell scripting is a powerful tool that can be used to automate tasks on your computer. Shell scripts are written in a scripting language called the shell, which is a command-line interpreter. # ⚓ ID Root ☛ How_To_Install_Icinga_2_on_Ubuntu_22.04_LTS⠀⇛ In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Icinga 2 on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. For those of you who didn’t know, Are you looking to monitor your network and infrastructure for issues and potential problems? Then Icinga might be just what you need. # ⚓ Linux Capable ☛ How_to_Disable_SELinux_on_Fedora_38/37/36 Linux⠀⇛ In server administration, understanding how to manage Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) on a Fedora Server is paramount. This comprehensive guide offers a step-by-step approach to disabling SELinux, providing valuable insights for experienced professionals and field newcomers. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_Gzip_Decompress_Function⠀⇛ The terms encode and decode are used to compress or decompress or convert the input to some other not understandable format. These techniques are usually used for security purposes. In this article, we will discuss the use and examples of gzip.decompress(s), the decompressing function of the gzip library in Python. # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ How_to_Use_Python_with_MySQL_for_Web Development⠀⇛ Python and MySQL are two of the most powerful tools for web development. Python is lauded for its simplicity and versatility, while MySQL is an open- source relational database management system that is widely used for web-based applications. When used together, they can be a formidable pair for creating dynamic and interactive web applications. # ⚓ Trend Oceans ☛ How_to_Fix_Missing_Settings_in_Ubuntu_on_a GNOME_Desktop_Environment⠀⇛ Follow the basic steps to fix the missing settings option in Ubuntu or any distro that has a GNOME- based desktop environment. When you try to find setting options, you will not find them in activities or even in the quick applet section, as shown below. # ⚓ Trend Oceans ☛ How_to_Fix_Exception_‘open_failed:_EACCES_ (Permission_denied)’_on_Android_11/12⠀⇛ Today, I was working with my old program, which I had made in December 2020. Due to some odd reason, I delayed my app development process. # ⚓ Trend Oceans ☛ How_to_Extract_a_.7z_Compressed_File_from Terminal_in_Linux⠀⇛ Have you downloaded a 7z compressed file and are trying to find a way to extract it? Read this guide to learn how you can extract a 7z compressed file from the terminal in no time. File owners choose several types of compression utilities as per their requirements. # ⚓ UNIX Cop ☛ How_to_install_Electron_Framework_on_Ubuntu 22.04⠀⇛ In this post, you will learn how to install Electron Framework on Ubuntu 22.04 For those who don’t know, Electron is a framework for creating applications. Electron allows you to build cross- platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. # ⚓ How_to_install_OpenCV_for_Python_on_Ubuntu_22.04,_20.04_or others⠀⇛ We are going to learn the commands to install OpenCV (Open Source Computer Vision Library) on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 Linux system using the terminal. OpenCV is a Python library for those who develop applications for computer vision and machine learning. # ⚓ Linux Capable ☛ How_to_Install_ReactJS_on_Ubuntu_22.04_| 20.04⠀⇛ ReactJS, often simply referred to as React, is a robust, open-source JavaScript library developed and maintained by Facebook. It is primarily used to create interactive user interfaces (UIs) for single-page applications, leading to a smooth and seamless user experience. React works by rendering efficient components, which are simple, reusable pieces of JavaScript code. # ⚓ Linux Capable ☛ How_to_Install_TypeScript_on_Ubuntu_22.04_| 20.04 [Ed: It's a Microsoft attack on the Free software; don't use it]⠀⇛ If you’ve been involved in the ever-evolving world of web development, there’s a high chance you’ve heard about TypeScript. TypeScript is a powerful, statically-typed superset of JavaScript that brings you optional static typing and solid object- oriented programming capabilities. # ⚓ Linux Capable ☛ How_to_Install_FreeOffice_on_Linux_Mint_21/ 20⠀⇛ When it comes to productivity software suites, you may think of giants like Microsoft Office or open- source champions such as LibreOffice. However, for Linux Mint users, there’s a compelling alternative that’s free, feature-packed, and fully compatible with both of the aforementioned suites: FreeOffice. # ⚓ Launching_to_Success:_Mastering_Job_Execution_in Kubernetes⠀⇛ Introduction Kubernetes is a container orchestration system that has become an industry standard for deploying and managing containerized applications. It was originally developed by Google, but it has been open-sourced and is now maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). # ⚓ Unleashing_the_Power_of_Kubernetes:_Mastering_Volume Management_for_Optimal_Persistence⠀⇛ The Importance of Volume Management in Kubernetes Kubernetes is an open-source platform that provides automated deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It is becoming increasingly popular in the world of cloud computing due to its ability to manage container orchestration. With Kubernetes, developers can easily deploy and manage their applications across different environments. # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ The_Ultimate_Guide_to_Backing_Up_and_Restoring Your_Ubuntu_System⠀⇛ Ubuntu, a popular operating system based on the Linux kernel, offers robust functionality and stability. However, like any other digital environment, it is susceptible to data loss due to human error, hardware failure, or malware. # ⚓ Linux Links ☛ Alternatives_to_popular_CLI_tools:_split⠀⇛ This article spotlights alternative tools to split, a utility that splits a file into pieces. # ⚓ DebugPoint ☛ 10_Things_to_do_After_Installing_Arch_Linux⠀⇛ Arch Linux gives you a solid foundation to build your own custom Linux distribution. If you have installed a very basic Arch Linux installation using the archinstall or any other script, then it’s time to perform some post-installation steps to tailor your system. This article assumes that there are no GUI or desktop environments installed in your base Arch Linux system, so these steps can be applied to the majority of the user. o § Desktop Environments/WMs⠀➾ # § K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt⠀➾ # ⚓ KDE ☛ KDE_Frameworks_5.106.0⠀⇛ KDE today announces the release of KDE Frameworks 5.106.0. KDE Frameworks are 83 addon libraries to Qt which provide a wide variety of commonly needed functionality in mature, peer reviewed and well tested libraries with friendly licensing terms. For an introduction see the KDE Frameworks release announcement. This release is part of a series of planned monthly releases making improvements available to developers in a quick and predictable manner. # ⚓ Volker Krause ☛ Plasma_6_Sprint_2023⠀⇛ Last weekend I attended the first few days of the Plasma_6_Sprint in Augsburg, Germany. While I’m not deeply involved with the Plasma development as such, there’s plenty of overlap with KDE Frameworks topics there as well. § Wrapping up 2020⠀➾ The Plasma sprint was originally planned for April 2020, with accommodation and some trips already having been booked, but then COVID interfered. For me this was the last 2020 event to catch up with, after the recent PIM Sprint in Toulouse, so that part of 2020 is now finally concluded. Having missed Akademy last year this was also the first opportunity to finally meet some people again who I hadn’t seen in over three years, and to meet some people for the first time who have joined in recent years (as well as meeting some people I have met in three different countries this year alone already). That’s always the best part of sprints 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇:)⦈ # ⚓ Neowin ☛ Kdenlive_23.04.1⠀⇛ Kdenlive is an acronym for KDE Non-Linear Video Editor. It works on GNU/Linux, Windows and BSD. Through the MLT framework, Kdenlive integrates many plugin effects for video and sound processing or creation. Furthermore Kdenlive brings a powerful titling tool, a DVD authoring (menus) solution, and can then be used as a complete studio for video creation. # § GNOME Desktop/GTK⠀➾ # ⚓ Sriyansh_Shivam:_GSoC_2023 [Ed: “GNOME Foundation is a non-profit organization” is false because it’s acting as a front group for greedy for-profit corporations]⠀⇛ ✐ What is GSoC?⠀✐ Google Summer of Code is a global, online program focused on bringing new contributors into open source software development. GSoC Contributors work with an open source organization on a 12+ week programming project under the guidance of mentors. ✐ GNOME Foundation :⠀✐ GNOME Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Orinda, California, United States, coordinating the efforts in the GNOME project. The GNOME Foundation works to further the goal of the GNOME project: to create a computing platform for use by the general public that is composed entirely of free software. * § Distributions and Operating Systems⠀➾ o § Debian Family⠀➾ # ⚓ Petter Reinholdtsen ☛ Petter_Reinholdtsen:_OpenSnitch_in Debian_ready_for_prime_time⠀⇛ A bit delayed, the_interactive_application_firewall OpenSnitch package in Debian now got the latest fixes ready for Debian Bookworm. Because it depend on a package missing on some architectures, the autopkgtest check of the testing migration script did not understand that the tests were actually working, so the migration was delayed. A bug in the package dependencies is also fixed, so those installing the firewall package (opensnitch) now also get the GUI admin tool (python3-opensnitch-ui) installed by default. I am very grateful to Gustavo Iñiguez Goya for his work on getting the package ready for Debian Bookworm. o § Devices/Embedded⠀➾ # ⚓ CNX Software ☛ GL.iNet_Spitz_AX_review_–_Part_2:_a_router with_5G_NR,_WiFi_6,_2.5GbE,_failover_and_load_balancing⠀⇛ GL.Inet Spitz AX 5G NR and WiFi 6 router, also known as GL-X3000NR, is a promising OpenWrt router bringing fixed broadband-like speeds through 5G NR (depending on where you live see House 1 vs House 2 in the review) with Failover and Load Balance modes so you can always get networking connectivity even if your main broadband connection goes down, or combined fixed broadband and 5G bandwidth for extra performance. It also includes plenty of features such as VPN (WireGuard, OpenVPN, ToR), support for network shares through its USB 2.0 port, Home Adguard to get rid of ads and tracking, and support for services such as ZeroTier and Tailscale. 5G, WiFi 6, and 2.5GbE performance did not disappoint, but the beta firmware still has some issues, notably with stability as I had to refresh web pages or video streaming stopped from time to time when connected to the router. The modem did not automatically reconnect when driving a car in a zone without coverage and entering a city, I had to go to the Admin Panel and manually reconnected. I was also unable to transfer a file using SAMBA through a USB hard drive connected to the router over WiFi, albeit it worked fine over Ethernet. The company sent several samples to beta testers, so hopefully, all those issues will be improved upon soon enough. # ⚓ Linux Gizmos ☛ SBC_boasts_i.MX_8M_Plus_processor_for machine_learning⠀⇛ The eDM-SBC-iMX8MP is a Single Board Computer that runs Linux on the NXP i.MX8M Plus quad-processor with an integrated Neural Processing Unit and HiFi4 DSP. The datasheet indicates that this DATA MODUL SBC can be ordered with two variants of the NXP i.MX8M Plus processor. The main differences noticed is that one of the processor variants has a slower frequency (1.6GHz) and it doesn’t include the Tensilica HiFi4 DSP. o § Open Hardware/Modding⠀➾ # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Kubernetes_Cluster_Features_8_Raspberry Pis,_Custom_PCB⠀⇛ Alexander Rau has created a custom Raspberry Pi- powered cluster using Kubernetes with automated functions handled by Ansible. # ⚓ Andrew Hutchings ☛ Acorn_Archimedes_A3000:_Restoration_Part 4⠀⇛ After a lot of work I did in parallel for my previous post, almost everything is done. Now we need to check everything together and reassemble the machine! PSU Check As the PSU only produces a 5v output the test was relatively easy. # ⚓ Tedium ☛ The_Artist_and_the_Amiga⠀⇛ Andy Warhol was enamored with the first computer he ever owned—and he didn’t seem all that worried about the risks of disruption. o § Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ Android Police ☛ Google_wants_Wear_OS_4_to_push_health tracking_to_its_limit⠀⇛ # ⚓ Mirror UK ☛ If_your_Android_phone_is_on_this_list_you_can try_stunning_new_features_before_anyone_else_–_Mirror Online⠀⇛ # ⚓ GSM Arena ☛ Nokia_G11_is_receiving_Android_13_update_– GSMArena.com_news⠀⇛ # ⚓ Make Use Of ☛ Google_Maps_Voice_Navigation_Isn’t_Working_on Android?_Here’s_How_to_Fix_It⠀⇛ * § Free, Libre, and Open Source Software⠀➾ o § GNU Projects⠀➾ # ⚓ GNU ☛ GNU_Shepherd_0.10.0_released⠀⇛ We are pleased to announce the GNU Shepherd version 0.10.1. This release represents 132 commits by two people. It is a major overhaul of shepherd internals, addressing shortcomings and providing new features that help comprehend system state. # ⚓ poke_@_Savannah:_GNU_poke_3.2_released⠀⇛ I am happy to announce a new release of GNU poke, version 3.2. This is a bugfix release in the 3.x series. See the file NEWS in the distribution tarball for a list of issues fixed in this release. The tarball poke-3.2.tar.gz is now available at https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/poke/poke-3.2.tar.gz. GNU poke (http://www.jemarch.net/poke) is an interactive, extensible editor for binary data.  Not limited to editing basic entities such as bits and bytes, it provides a full-fledged procedural, interactive programming language designed to describe data structures and to operate on them. Thanks to the people who contributed with code and/ or documentation to this release. Happy poking! Jose E. Marchesi Frankfurt am Main 13 May 2023 o § Programming/Development⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Use_Not_Equal_Operator_in_PHP_with Examples⠀⇛ The not equal operator is a comparison operator that returns a boolean value of true if the two values being compared are not equal and false otherwise. # ⚓ Sergio_Durigan_Junior:_Ubuntu_debuginfod_and_source_code indexing⠀⇛ You might remember that in my last_post about the Ubuntu_debuginfod_service I talked about wanting to extend it and make it index and serve source code from packages. I’m excited to announce that this is now a reality since the Ubuntu Lunar (23.04) release. The feature should work for a lot of packages from the archive, but not all of them. Keep reading to better understand why. § The problem While debugging a package in Ubuntu, one of the first steps you need to take is to install its source code. # ⚓ Woodpecker_CI_with_automatic_runner_creation⠀⇛ I’ve been happily using Woodpecker CI to get CI for my repositories on Codeberg. Codeberg is a non-profit community-driven git repository hosting platform, so they can’t provide free CI to everyone. Since I run lots of stuff on small arm boards (for example this website), I need my CI jobs to create arm executables. The easiest way to get that done is to just compile on arm devices, so I was happy to see that Hetzner is now offering arm nodes in their cloud offering. # ⚓ C.J._Collier:_Early_Access:_Inserting_JSON_data_to_BigQuery from_Spark_on_Dataproc⠀⇛ Hello folks! We recently received a case letting us know that Dataproc 2.1.1 was unable to write to a BigQuery table with a column of type JSON. Although the BigQuery connector for Spark has had support for JSON columns since 0.28.0, the Dataproc images on the 2.1 line still cannot create tables with JSON columns or write to existing tables with JSON columns. The customer has graciously granted permission to share the code we developed to allow this operation. So if you are interested in working with JSON column tables on Dataproc 2.1 please continue reading! Use the following gcloud command to create your single-node dataproc cluster: [...] # § Python⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Matplotlib_Plot_Multiple_Lines⠀⇛ “Matplotlib” provides functions such as “plt.plot()” to plot multiple lines on same plot. These lines can also be plotted via different line styles and colors. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_Find_First_Occurrence_in_String⠀⇛ The “find()” method, “index()” method, and “rfind()” and “rindex()” functions are used to find the first occurrence in a string in Python. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_Removes_Newline_From_a_String⠀⇛ To remove newline from a string in Python, “strip()” method, “replace()” method, “List Comprehension” with “join()” method, or “re.sub()” function can be used. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ SciPy_Cosine_Similarity⠀⇛ “Cosine similarity” is a useful metric for comparing the similarity of two vectors in high-dimensional space and can be calculated via Python’s “scipy” library. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_Networking⠀⇛ “Python Networking” allows developers to create server and client applications, send and receive data over network, and manage network protocols effortlessly. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_Urlparse()⠀⇛ In Python, the “urlparse()” function is used to parse URLs and extract specific parts of the URL such as the scheme, network location, path, etc. * § Leftovers⠀➾ o ⚓ France24 ☛ Singer_Loreen_makes_history_as_Sweden_wins_Eurovision for_seventh_time⠀⇛ Sweden won the Eurovision Song Contest early Sunday, as singer Loreen beat out 25 competitors in the finale of the world’s biggest live music event, hosted by Britain on behalf of war-torn Ukraine. o ⚓ New York Times ☛ Canada’s_‘Most_Photographed_House’_May_Meet_the Wrecking_Ball⠀⇛ Municipal orders to tear down or fix the dilapidated 19th-century Ontario farmhouse have devastated photographers who see in it the faded grandeur of a bygone era. o ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Syria_Extends_Opening_of_2_Border Crossings_With_Turkey_for_Quake_Aid⠀⇛ The Syrian government has agreed to extend by another three months the use of two border crossings with Turkey into the rebel-held northwest that were opened for aid delivery after a deadly earthquake in February o ⚓ Off Guardian ☛ There_Is_No_Escape_From_Telling⠀⇛ By the lake’s lapping shore above the town and the railroad tracks, my wife and I stopped and marveled, struck stone silent by two dazzling Baltimore Orioles, clawed together as they tumbled, wrestling in the green morning breeze above our heads. o ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Syria_Extends_Permission_on_Post-Quake Aid_Border_Crossings_for_3_Months⠀⇛ o § Science⠀➾ # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ JWST_Takes_Our_Closest_Look_Yet_at_a_Steamy And_Mysterious_Mini-Neptune⠀⇛ An enigma wrapped in a dense cloud layer. # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Giant_Bubbles_Surrounding_The_Milky_Way_Are More_Complex_Than_We_Thought⠀⇛ A truly vast, mysterious phenomenon. # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Scientists_Think_They_Know_How_This_Extinct Bear-Like_Marsupial_Got_So_Big⠀⇛ It even had specially adapted opposable thumbs. # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Mushrooms_Appear_to_Have_Electrical ‘Conversations’_After_It_Rains⠀⇛ What are they saying? o § Hardware⠀➾ # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Scientists_Just_Unveiled_The_World’s_First Wooden_Electrical_Transistor⠀⇛ It even works… kind of. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Tennessee_Company_Refuses_US Request_to_Recall_67_Million_Potentially_Dangerous_Air_Bag Inflators⠀⇛ A Tennessee company could be heading for a legal battle with U.S. auto safety regulators after refusing a request to recall millions of potentially dangerous air bag inflators o § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ If_Corporations,_Rather_Than_the_Corporatized U.S._Health-Care_System,_Handled_Childbirth⠀⇛ Netflix: Hours into labor, the doctor pauses to ask, “Are you still pushing?” # ⚓ Helsinki Times ☛ Traffic-related_air_pollution_weakens brain_function:_Study⠀⇛ Memory loss, cognitive decline, and the activation of neural pathways linked to the start of Alzheimer’s disease were shown to be caused by exposure to air pollution caused by traffic in Irvine, according to research from the University of California, Irvine. Masashi Kitazawa, PhD, associate professor of environmental and occupational health in the UCI Programme in Public Health, is the corresponding and senior author of the study. # ⚓ Helsinki Times ☛ Study_reveals_how_brain_interprets_taste⠀⇛ Taste is a complicated neurological experience that has the potential to reveal vast, and maybe startling, information on how the brain makes sense of sensations and the organisation of brain networks. A National Institutes of Health-funded study conducted byChristian H. Lemon, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Biology in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, aims to better understand how the brain processes taste and how those neural connections might change. # ⚓ Helsinki Times ☛ Study_discovers_low_levels_of_vitamin_D association_with_long_Covid⠀⇛ Long-term COVID risk has been observed to rise with low vitamin D levels, according to a study presented at the 25th European Congress of Endocrinology in Istanbul. The findings imply that people should have their vitamin D levels monitored following COVID-19. # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Mouse_Study_Reveals_Unlikely_Connection Between_Menthol_And_Alzheimer’s⠀⇛ Sniff. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Afghanistan_Reports_First_Polio_Case_This_Year⠀⇛ Afghanistan on May 13 reported its first polio case this year after a 4-year-old child was diagnosed with the crippling disease. o § Security⠀➾ # § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ # ⚓ Internet Freedom Foundation ☛ We_wrote_to_the Election_Commissioner_of_India_on_the_use_of_Facial Recognition_Technology_for_voter_verification_in Karnataka⠀⇛ We asked them to immediately cease the use in light of the potential harms it may cause. # ⚓ France24 ☛ French_Catholic_Church_to_provide_clergy with_scannable_IDs_to_battle_sexual_abuse⠀⇛ Rattled by repeated cases of sexual abuse over the years, the French Catholic Church will soon provide digital ID cards with scannable QR codes that will offer colour- coded background information – ranging from green to orange to red – on bishops, priests and deacons. But the new measure is raising eyebrows. # ⚓ LRT ☛ KGB_collaborators_in_Lithuania_misunderstood_– historian⠀⇛ Throughout the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, KGB recruited thousands of people to collaborate. What do we know about them? o § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ # ⚓ JURIST ☛ Colombia_prosecutor’s_office_to_investigate_coup threats_made_by_retired_colonel_amidst_protests⠀⇛ The Colombian Prosecutor’s Office is currently investigating statements made by a retired army colonel who spoke of “defenestraring” the president during a radio interview on Thursday. The controversial statements implied support of a coup d’etat against the president. # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Zelenskyy_meets_Pope_Francis_at Vatican_and_seeks_backing_for_Ukraine’s_peace_plan⠀⇛ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, saying later he sought the pontiff’s support for his peace plan. Earlier on Saturday, during the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Rome, he also met with Italian officials. The pontiff has previously offered his efforts to try to end the war that Russia began with its invasion of Ukraine a year ago.  Earlier on Saturday, Zelenskyy received assurances from Italian leaders of continued military and financial support. Francis has previously said the Vatican has launched a behind-the-scenes initiative to try to end the war. # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Poland_detects_object_in_its airspace_that_flew_from_Belarus,_likely_observation_balloon⠀⇛ Poland’s Defense Ministry says it has detected an object in its airspace that flew in from the direction of Belarus and that it was probably an observation balloon. The ministry said Saturday that radar contact with the object was lost near the town of Rypin in central Poland. The ministry said that the Territorial Defense Forces were deployed to search for the object. The development follows two other known incursions into Poland’s air space since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which lies on Poland’s eastern border. # ⚓ NYPost ☛ Russian_missiles_hit_hometown_of_Ukraine’s Eurovision_contestants⠀⇛ As the Eurovision song contest was underway in Britain late on Saturday, Russian missiles hit the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, which is home to the electro-pop duo Tvorchi, this year’s contestants from Ukraine. # ⚓ Off Guardian ☛ Sowing_Seeds_of_Plunder:_A_Lose-Lose Situation_in_Ukraine⠀⇛ It’s a lose-lose situation for Ukrainians. While they are dying, financial institutions are insidiously supporting the consolidation of farmland by oligarchs and Western financial interests. So says Frédéric Mousseau, Policy Director of the Oakland Institute, an independent think tank. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Philippines_places_buoys_in_parts_of South_China_Sea_to_assert_sovereignty⠀⇛ Five buoys carrying the national flag were set up from May 10 to 12 in five areas within the EEZ. # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Chinese_FM_Proposes_Three_Principles_for_China- Europe_Relations⠀⇛ “What the international community needs most is peaceful development, fairness and justice, and progress rather than retrogression. The Cold War is a tragedy for mankind.” # ⚓ France24 ☛ 🔴_Live:_Zelensky_in_Berlin_to_meet_German leaders,_discuss_arms_deliveries⠀⇛ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday met his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on his first trip to Germany since Russia’s invasion. He is expected to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz later Sunday. The visit comes as Zelensky seeks further arms deliveries to help his country fend off the Russian invasion, and funds to rebuild what’s been destroyed by more than a year of devastating conflict. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Zelensky_says_he_thanked_pope_for_support_over Ukraine_‘tragedy’⠀⇛ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had thanked Pope Francis during a meeting in the Vatican Saturday for focusing on the plight of millions of Ukrainians after the Russian invasion. Earlier in the day, Germany pledged to send a new weapons package to Ukraine worth €2.7 billion ($2.97 billion), reportedly Berlin’s largest since the Russian invasion last year. Read our live blog to see how all the day’s events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2). # ⚓ France24 ☛ Parties_at_Kyiv_nightclubs_amid_the_war?_Watch out_for_these_misleading_images⠀⇛ A video compilation circulating since May 3 claims to show that – despite the war – the party is in full swing at Kyiv’s nightclubs, with revelers taking advantage of foreign aid meant for Ukraine’s war effort. Most of these images date from before the war, however, and some of the establishments that were filmed have been closed since the conflict began in February 2022. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Ukraine’s_Zelenskiy_In_Berlin_As_Germany_Announces Billions_In_New_Military_Aid⠀⇛ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has held crucial meetings with German leaders in Berlin, shortly after Germany announced a $3 billion military aid package to help Kyiv in its fight against the Russian invasion. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ China,_Russia_Increasing_Military_Collaboration, Japan_Warns⠀⇛ Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed concern on May 13 about Russian and Chinese military cooperation in Asia and said the security situation in Europe could not be separated from that in the Indo-Pacific region since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Multiple_Russian_Jets,_Helicopters_Reportedly_Crash Near_Ukrainian_Border⠀⇛ At least one Russian warplane and a military helicopter have crashed in the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine, Russian emergency services were quoted by TASS news agency as saying, with several reports claiming the craft had been shot down. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy_Gets_Backing_In_Rome_As_Germany_Announces $3_Billion_Military_Aid_For_Ukraine⠀⇛ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy received vocal backing from Italian leaders in Rome on May 13 as Germany announced a $3 billion military aid package for Kyiv — the biggest since the start of Russia’s unprovoked invasion — ahead of a visit by the Ukrainian leader to Berlin. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Ukraine’s_Zelenskiy_Thanks Germany_for_‘Fantastic_Solidarity’_in_Visit⠀⇛ # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Spurred_by_shootings,_protesters_march_against Serbia’s_populist_leaders⠀⇛ Many chanted slogans against Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic, whom they blame for creating an atmosphere of hopelessness and division in the country. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ U.S._Embassy_Slams_Bosnian_Serbs’_Possible ‘Strengthening’_Of_Russia_Ties⠀⇛ The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo says no government should expand its cooperation with Russia while it continues its aggression in Ukraine in response to a comment by the Kremlin’s spokesman about the possible strengthening of relations between Russia and the Serb-dominated entity of Bosnia- Herzegovina. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Military_Honors_for_Ukrainian President_as_He_Visits_Germany_to_Discuss_Arms_Deliveries⠀⇛ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been welcomed with military honors by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on his first visit to Germany since Russia invaded Ukraine # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Russian_Missiles_Hit_Home_Town of_Ukraine’s_Eurovision_Contestants⠀⇛ # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Ukraine_Says_Its_Troops_Are Advancing_in_Two_Directions_in_Bakhmut_Suburbs⠀⇛ # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ South_Africa_Is_‘Actively_Non- Aligned’_on_Ukraine_War,_Says_Government⠀⇛ # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ China_and_Russia_Are_Increasing Their_Military_Collaboration,_Japan’s_Foreign_Minister Warns⠀⇛ Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi has expressed concern about Russian and Chinese military cooperation in Asia, saying the security situation in Europe could not be separated from that in the Indo-Pacific region since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Germany_to_Provide_2.7_Billion Euro_Military_Aid_Package_to_Ukraine⠀⇛ # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Germany_Announces_$3_Billion Military_Aid_Package_for_Ukraine_Ahead_of_Expected_Zelenskyy Visit⠀⇛ Germany says it’s providing Ukraine with additional military aid worth more than 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion) including tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ EU_Must_Speed_up_Supply_of Ammunition_to_Ukraine_–_Borrell⠀⇛ # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Four_Russian_Military_Aircraft Shot_Down_Near_Ukraine,_Russian_Daily_Reports⠀⇛ # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Rheinmetall_and_Ukraine’s Ukroboronprom_Form_JV_to_Build,_Repair_Tanks⠀⇛ # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Russia_Says_Ukraine_Used_Storm Shadow_Missiles_From_Britain_to_Attack_Luhansk⠀⇛ # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Ukraine’s_Zelenskiy_Lands_in Germany_in_Bid_to_Shore_up_Support⠀⇛ # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Pope_Assures_Zelensky_He’s_in_‘Constant Prayer’_For_Peace_in_Ukraine⠀⇛ The Ukrainian president’s talks with the pope and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni came at a potentially pivotal moment in the war with Russia, as Kyiv’s forces make advances near the key city of Bakhmut. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Zelensky_Meets_With_German_Leaders_After Their_Massive_Weapons_Pledge⠀⇛ The two nations are trying to improve cooperation after a year marred by diplomatic spats over Berlin’s sluggish response to Ukrainian pleas for military aid. # ⚓ YLE ☛ Temporary_housing_donated_by_Finland_arrives_in Irpin⠀⇛ Housing constructed and donated by Finland was handed over to Ukrainian families in the city of Irpin on Saturday. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ As_Ukraine_Makes_Inroads_in_Bakhmut, Devastation_Still_Reigns⠀⇛ The fight for Bakhmut is now the war’s single longest and bloodiest battle. Although the Ukrainians are making small gains, Russia still controls about 90 percent of the largely ruined city. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Germany_Announces_Its_Biggest_Ukraine_Aid Package_Yet⠀⇛ The nearly $3 billion package is part of an effort by both sides to reset rocky relations, which have become increasingly important to maintaining European unity in backing the war. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ At_Eurovision,_Ukrainians_Find_Community Far_From_Home⠀⇛ This year, the competition is hosted by Liverpool, England, on behalf of Ukraine. A discounted ticket plan means thousands of displaced Ukrainians can attend. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Head_of_Russia’s_Crime_Agency Suggests_Nationalising_Key_Parts_of_Economy⠀⇛ # ⚓ YLE ☛ Paper:_Russia_annulling_Finnish_visas_on_border⠀⇛ Russia appears to have started invalidating Finnish visas at its border crossings, reports Helsingin Sanomat. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Seven_Troops,_Six_Militants_Killed_In_Pakistan Attack,_Military_Says⠀⇛ Six militants and seven members of the security forces were killed in fighting triggered by a militant attack on a military compound in Muslim Bagh, a district in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan Province. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Erdogan’s_Loss_in_Turkey’s_Election_Would Stir_Anxiety_in_Moscow⠀⇛ European leaders would be delighted to have “an easier Turkey,” while Russia could lose an important economic and diplomatic partnership should the Turkish leader lose power in Sunday’s elections. # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Islamic_Jihad_leader_says_cease-fire reached_with_Israel⠀⇛ A leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza says a cease-fire has been reached with Israel to end five days of heavy fighting. Mohamad al- Hindi told the Al Kahera Wal Nas channel that the Egyptian-brokered deal would go into effect at 10 p.m. (1900 GMT). As he spoke, Israel reported continued rocket fire out of the Gaza Strip. There was no Israeli comment on the cease-fire announcement. But the Egyptian station had earlier reported a deal was imminent. A similar announcement last week by Egypt unraveled amid continued fighting. The fighting has killed 33 Palestinians inside Gaza, including at least 13 civilians. Two people were killed by rocket fire in Israel. # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Kenya_cult_death_toll_hits_200,_with more_than_600_reported_missing⠀⇛ The death toll linked to a doomsday cult in Kenya has hit 201 after police exhumed 22 more bodies on Saturday. Most of them bore signs of starvation, according to the coast regional commissioner. More than 600 people are still missing. The bodies are believed to be followers of a pastor based in coastal Kenya, Paul Mackenzie. He’s alleged to have ordered congregants to starve till death in order to meet Jesus. Mackenzie who was arrested last month, remains in custody. Police plan to charge him with terror-related offenses. The bodies have been dug up from dozens of mass graves spread across his 800-acre property located in the coastal county of Kilifi. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Israel_and_Islamic_Jihad_reach_cease-fire_to_end five_days_of_fighting⠀⇛ Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group in the Gaza Strip agreed to an Egyptian-brokered cease- fire late Saturday, ending five days of intense fighting that left 33 Palestinians, including at least 13 civilians, dead. Two people in Israel were killed by rocket fire. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Israel,_Gaza_trade_rocket_fire_as Cairo_launches new_push_for_peace⠀⇛ Israeli air strikes battered Gaza and militants fired rockets again on Saturday as deadly fighting resumed after a night of relative calm, despite efforts to secure a truce. # ⚓ Axios ☛ Israel_and_Palestinian_militants_in_Gaza_agree_to cease-fire⠀⇛ Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group on Saturday agreed to an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza that began at 10 pm local time, the Egyptian government said. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Israel_and_Islamic_Jihad_Agree_to_Cease- Fire_After_5_days_of_Violence⠀⇛ Mediation efforts led by Egypt were expected to end fighting that has outlasted previous clashes between Israel and the militant group in Gaza. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Campaigning_draws_to_a_close_before_Sunday_vote that_could_end_Thailand’s_military_rule⠀⇛ From the back of open-top trucks and cars, candidates of Thailand’s political parties drove through Bangkok on Saturday, as a months-long campaign that could usher in a new government for the first time in nearly a decade drew to a close. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Thailand’s_Election:_What_to_Watch_and What’s_at_Stake⠀⇛ The vote is seen as a referendum on the military, which has ruled Thailand for nine years. Results could determine the path for democracy in the country. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ ‘May_all_Thais_come_out_to_vote’: Record_numbers_expected_at_Thailand_election⠀⇛ Election pits conservative military-backed faction against opposition parties pushing for change. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Thailand_to_decide_between_change_and continuity_in_today’s_general_election⠀⇛ The results of the polls will kick off negotiations as parties try to form the government. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Kenya_cult_death_toll_reaches_200,_with_more than_600_reported_missing⠀⇛ The death toll linked to a doomsday cult in Kenya hit 201 Saturday after police exhumed 22 more bodies, most of them bearing signs of starvation, according to the coast regional commissioner. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Thirty-five_years_on,_murder_of_anti-apartheid activist_Dulcie_September_still_unsolved⠀⇛ On March 29, 1988, South African anti-apartheid activist Dulcie September was shot dead at close range in central Paris. In the 1970s, she had been imprisoned in her home country for her activities against the apartheid regime. Upon her release, she had been authorised to leave South Africa on the condition that she never return. September was the representative of Nelson Mandela’s ANC party in France and yet she claimed to be followed and watched. What did the French secret services know? FRANCE 24′s Caroline Dumay, Stefan Carstens and Nadine Theron revisit the case. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Kenyan_Preacher_Told_Followers_Starvation Was_Their_Salvation⠀⇛ Hundreds were drawn to a remote wilderness in southeastern Kenya by the End Times preaching of pastor Paul Mackenzie. Relatives and ex-members tried to intervene, but some did not want to be rescued. o § Environment⠀➾ # ⚓ Axios ☛ Powerful_Tropical_Cyclone_Mocha_threatens humanitarian_disaster_in_Bangladesh,_Myanmar⠀⇛ Tropical Cyclone_Mocha rapidly intensified Friday and Saturday into a powerful Category 5 storm as it headed for a potentially disastrous strike on Sunday in a vulnerable region: low-lying Myanmar and parts of Bangladesh. Threat level:Cyclone Mocha contained maximum sustained winds of 160 mph as of 11 pm ET, putting it just shy of Category 5 intensity. It is now one of_the_top_5_strongest_cyclones on record in the Bay of Bengal. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Sunny_side_up:_Woman_in_Sabah_taps sizzling_heat_outdoors_to_fry_an_egg⠀⇛ Malaysia is currently facing a heatwave that is expected to last until June. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ When_One_Almond_Gulps_3.2_Gallons_of Water⠀⇛ If we don’t allocate water more sensibly in the West, Mother Nature will do it for us. And that will be ugly. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Canada’s_Alberta_Faces_More Wildfires_Amid_Hot,_Dry_Weather⠀⇛ By Ismail Shakil and Anna Mehler PapernyOTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada’s main oil-producing province of Alberta faces an upsurge in wildfire activity as… # ⚓ TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ New_regulations_would_require iron_mining_industry_to_reduce_emissions_of_toxic_mercury⠀⇛ The six iron ore processing plants in northeastern Minnesota would be required to cut their emissions by 57% by the end of 2026. # § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ # ⚓ RFERL ☛ South_Korean_Cryptocurrency_Fugitive, Business_Partner_Released_On_Bail_In_Montenegro⠀⇛ Do Kwon, the former CEO and co-founder of cryptocurrency company Terraform Labs, and his business partner have been released on bail in Montenegro, a court in Podgorica announced. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Calgary’s_New_Mayor_Says_Her_City_Is More_Than_an_Oil_Town⠀⇛ Jyoti Gondek wants to prepare Alberta’s largest city for a future in which oil and gas are no longer a major part of the world’s energy mix. # ⚓ Barry Kauler ☛ Outback_adventure_solar-powered recumbent_trike⠀⇛ This is something that I have dreamed about for years. I have an e-bike with a 200W motor, and there are 200W solar panels available, so it seems like a good match. # ⚓ YLE ☛ Finland_has_Europe’s_most_expensive_gasoline⠀⇛ Petrol in Finland is now the most expensive in all of Europe. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Staggered_working_hours_offered again_to_ease_Jakarta’s_traffic_congestion⠀⇛ Private office workers could start at 8am and 10am, which could reduce morning traffic by 30%. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Record_temperatures,_heatstroke cases_engulf_South-east_Asia⠀⇛ The heatwave that started in April continues to blast through the region. # § Overpopulation⠀➾ # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Mother’s_Day:_‘Why_would anyone_want_a_kid?’_–_How_Hong_Kong’s_fertility_rate sank_to_the_world’s_lowest⠀⇛ Fertility rates have been falling in high- income countries and territories across the world, and Hong Kong is no exception, with the number of births declining drastically. Indeed, Hong Kong has the lowest fertility rate in the world, according to a report by the United Nation Population Fund released on April 19. # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Why_offering_more_medical support_could_help_stop_Hong_Kong’s_birth_rate_from falling_further⠀⇛ By Francesca Chiu On April 19, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) issued its latest report on trends in world population, ranking Hong Kong as having the lowest fertility rate in the world at 0.8. # ⚓ France24 ☛ ‘The_country_is_becoming_a_desert’: Drought-struck_Spain_is_running_out_of_water⠀⇛ Spain is running out of water. After a long and painful drought, the country has been hit by an unusually early heat wave, evaporating even more of the “blue gold” it still has left in its reservoirs. While farmers fear for their survival, environmentalists say it is time for “Europe’s back garden” to rethink how it uses and manages its increasingly scarce water supply. o § Finance⠀➾ # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ How_TikTok_Sensation Squishmallows_Found_Warren_Buffett [Ed: SPAM for plutocrats]⠀⇛ # ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ Dutton_‘scratching_around’_for_ideas with_welfare_plan⠀⇛ The treasurer has accused the coalition of “scratching around” for ideas to get people off JobSeeker after an opposition pitch for those on welfare to be able to do more work without penalty. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Asian_consumers_saving_for_a_rainy_day double_down_on_gold_as_prices_soar⠀⇛ In times of crisis and uncertainty, the metal remains the go-to asset for rainy days. # ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ Dutton_‘scratching_around’_for_budget ideas:_Chalmers⠀⇛ The treasurer has accused the coalition of “scratching around” for ideas to get people off JobSeeker, following an opposition proposal for those on welfare to be able to work for longer. # ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ Welfare_payment_threshold_boost_just_a ‘thought_bubble’⠀⇛ An opposition proposal to allow those on welfare to work for longer before they lose payments has been criticised as an unsubstantial “thought bubble”. Opposition leader Peter Dutton used his budget reply speech to propose an increase to the maximum number of hours those on welfare could work before they would lose any financial benefits. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ Goldman_Sachs_$215M_deal_to_compensate_sex discrimination_a_potential_catalyst_for_gender-equality⠀⇛ Leading Wall Street investment banking firm, Goldman Sachs (Goldman), one month before trial agreed to a settlement of a $215 million lawsuit on Friday following a lengthy gender-biased class action lawsuit, first filed in September 2010. o § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ # ⚓ Kılıçdaroğlu_keeps_a_narrow_lead_over_Erdoğan_in_latest polls⠀⇛ A compilation of 11 recently conducted surveys suggests a slim lead for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of the Nation’s Alliance with 48.2% of the vote, while the incumbent, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, trails close with 47.6%. # ⚓ Political_party_leaders_cast_their_votes⠀⇛ Political party leaders are casting their votes, conveying their messages, and expressing their hopes for today’s elections. # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong_Kong_District_Councils: Why reforms_are_a_positive_step_for_the_city⠀⇛ District Councils in Hong Kong are undergoing a transformation that seeks to “depoliticise” them and refocus their emphasis on local community-level livelihood issues. The modifications strive to eliminate “anti-China troublemakers” and individuals advocating separatism and violence by “manipulating and paralysing” the councils. # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Türkiye_FM_Casts_Vote_in_Presidential_& Parliamentary_Elections⠀⇛ “the word is with the nation” # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Türkiye_JM_Casts_Vote_in_Presidential_& Parliamentary_Elections⠀⇛ “today, our nation will decide for the future of our children, families, nation and state” # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hongkongers_find_new_ways_to_defend democratic_ideals⠀⇛ Two years after being released from a Hong Kong prison, Lau Ka-tung has lost count of the times he has returned — not as an inmate, but to offer support to pro-democracy activists in jail. # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong_Kong_District_Councils:_Where has_public_opinion_gone?⠀⇛ The government’s attempt to sell its makeover of Hong Kong’s district councils has been something of a revelation. From the Legislative Council (LegCo) brief – there is no consultation document for the two-week consultation, now nearly over – and the comments of our political elite at press conferences, on the radio and in the media, # ⚓ Voting_has_started⠀⇛ The voting started in Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections. The total number of voters in the country and abroad is 64 million, 113 thousand, and 941. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Mauritanians_vote_in_local_and_legislative elections_in_test_for_President_Ghazouani⠀⇛ Mauritanians voted on Saturday in the first legislative and local elections since 2019 when President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani came to power in a litmus test for the veteran leader ahead of next year’s presidential vote. # ⚓ Drivers_of_6,000_trucks_kept_waiting_at_Iraq_border question_if_it_is_in_order_to_keep_them_from_voting⠀⇛ No vehicles have been allowed to pass through the Habur border gate between the KRG region of Iraq and Turkey for the last two days; 6,000 trucks and 30 buses are reported to be kept waiting. The drivers sent videos where they say, “We want to go to the polls and cast our votes.” # ⚓ France24 ☛ Turkish_voters_head_to_polls_in_pivotal_vote that_will_determine_Erdogan’s_future⠀⇛ Turkey on Sunday voted in a momentous election that could extend President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 21- year grip on power or put the mostly Muslim nation on a more secular course. # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Turkish_Election:_All_Security_Measures_for_May 14_Polls⠀⇛ “All measures and precautions with regards to our technological infrastructure and against possible power cuts and cyberattacks have been taken…” # ⚓ Axios ☛ America’s_surprise_revival:_The_suburbs⠀⇛ American suburbia— once marked by dying malls and empty office parks — is thriving. The big picture: A number of demographic, housing and business trends are coming together to revive suburbs. =================================================== By the numbers:Between 2010 and 2020, the share of Americans living in the suburbs grew by 10.5%, per Census data — and the pandemic only accelerated this trend, the New York Times reports. # ⚓ NYPost ☛ New_Twitter_CEO_Linda_Yaccarino_says_she_is excited_to_help_to_transform_Twitter⠀⇛ Newly appointed Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino said in a tweet on Saturday that she has been inspired by owner Elon Musk’s vision to create a brighter future and is excited to help to transform the social media platform. # ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ New_Twitter_CEO_inspired_to_create_a brighter_future⠀⇛ Newly appointed Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino says she has been inspired by owner Elon Musk’s vision to create a brighter future and is excited to help to transform the social media platform. # ⚓ Helsinki Times ☛ Elon_Musk_names_Linda_Yaccarino_as_new Twitter_CEO⠀⇛ Elon Musk, on Friday, named Linda Yaccarino as the new Twitter CEO. Taking to Twitter, Musk announced the news and wrote, “I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter! @LindaYacc will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design & new technology. Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app.” /blockquote> o § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Facebook,_YouTube,_Twitter_Reportedly_Down_Again_In Pakistan⠀⇛ Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter were inaccessible in Pakistan on May 13 after having been temporarily restored late on May 12. # ⚓ Twitter_blocks_some_content_in_Turkey_‘to_remain accessible’_a_day_before_elections⠀⇛ The platform has not disclosed what content was blocked. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Court_overturns_ban_to_allow_far-right monarchist_group_to_march_through_Paris⠀⇛ French monarchist movement Action Francaise was cleared to hold a demonstration in Paris on Sunday after the courts reversed a police ban issued on orders from the interior ministry to curtail far- right protests. # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Readers_write:_Don’t_cancel_thy_neighbor⠀⇛ Letters to the editor from the May 22 Weekly. Writers consider cancel culture, how we remember the past, and if Americans are as divided as we think. o § Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press⠀➾ # ⚓ LRT ☛ Lack_of_print_media_and_unusual_‘food_rhythm’_– French_journalist’s_25_years_in_Lithuania⠀⇛ Marielle Vitureau, the Baltic correspondent of the French public radio, has been living in Vilnius for a quarter of a century. The journalist, who calls Vilnius her home, says there are only a couple of things that bother her in Lithuania – the lack of print newspapers and the unusual “food rhythm”. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Iranian_Journalist_Shot_Dead_By_Unknown_Gunman⠀⇛ An Iranian journalist was shot dead in the country’s southwestern Khuzestan Province. o § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ # ⚓ JURIST ☛ US_authorities_confirm_unaccompanied_minor_died_in migrant_detention_center⠀⇛ A 17-year-old died in the custody US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) according to a Friday statement by the HHS. Enrique Reina, foreign affairs secretary for Honduras, identified the unaccompanied child and offered his condolences in a tweet. # ⚓ The Kent Stater ☛ OPINION:_The_Radium_Girls:_A_tragic result_of_sexism⠀⇛ Recently I was strolling through a store with some friends. They pointed out a clock that was bright neon green. The store was perfectly light, but the clock looked like it was glowing. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ North_Carolina_governor_vetoes_controversial abortion_ban⠀⇛ North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper vetoed a proposed law that would have imposed rigid new restrictions on abortion access in the state, including a ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ ‘All_we_want_is_to_be_safe’: Migrants_push_north_after_end_of_Title_42⠀⇛ Confusion has rippled from the U.S.-Mexico border to migrant routes across the Americas, as migrants scramble to understand complex and ever-changing laws. And while Title 42 has come to an end, the crush of migrants headed north has not.From the rolling mountains and jungles in Central America to the tops trains roaring through Mexico, migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Nicaragua, Ecuador and beyond push forward on their journeys.“We’ve already done everything humanly possible to get where we are,” said one Venezuelan migrant, resting in a park near a river dividing Mexico and Guatemala. “Our hands are tied.” # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ North_Carolina_governor_vetoes abortion_limits,_launches_override_showdown⠀⇛ North Carolina’s Democratic governor has vetoed legislation that would have banned nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The veto came Saturday, during a public rally. About a thousand abortion-rights activists and voters watched on a plaza in Raleigh between the governor’s office and the Legislative Building as Gov. Roy Cooper affixed his veto stamp to the bill, which also places additional restrictions on physicians, abortion clinics and the women seeking the procedure. The veto launches a major test for leaders of the GOP-controlled General Assembly to attempt to override Cooper’s veto. Cooper is a strong abortion-rights supporter. He had until Sunday night to act on the measure that would tighten current state law that bans most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. # ⚓ RFA ☛ Rohingya_must_stay_at_camps_despite_approaching cyclone,_Bangladesh_govt_says⠀⇛ Refugees “cannot take advantage of the disaster to cross the barbed-wire fence,” home minister says. # ⚓ RFA ☛ Striving_to_preserve_Tibetan_language_and_culture among_the_diaspora⠀⇛ ‘Once you lose the language, it’s very easy to lose your culture.’ # ⚓ RFA ☛ Cyclone_Mocha_barrels_toward_Myanmar_and_Bangladesh⠀⇛ Storm is similar in strength to 2008’s Nargis, which killed nearly 140,000. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ U.S._Military_To_Bolster_Defensive_Posture_In_Gulf Following_Seizure_Of_Vessels_By_Iranian_Forces⠀⇛ The U.S. military will work to bolster defenses in the Persian Gulf region following Iran’s seizure and harassment of commercial shipping vessels in recent months, U.S. officials said. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Frenchman_‘Weakened’_By_Iranian_Prison_Ordeal⠀⇛ The family of a Frenchman released after he had been jailed by Iran said on May 13 he was “relieved” to be back in France. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Pakistan_PDM_Leader_Blasts_Supreme_Court_Decision To_Release_Ex-PM_Khan⠀⇛ Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman on May 13 assailed a Supreme Court ruling that led to the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose arrest by the anti- corruption agency had set off nationwide protests. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Pakistan_ex-PM_Imran_Khan_calls_for nationwide_protests⠀⇛ Khan also announced a return to campaigning on Wednesday for immediate elections. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Defeat_for_Modi’s_Party_in_South_India Heartens_His_Rivals⠀⇛ An overturn in Karnataka is a morale boost for the beleaguered opposition Congress party. But defeating the B.J.P. nationally remains a long shot. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ India_Struggles_to_Eradicate an_Old Scourge: Witch Hunting⠀⇛ Once driven largely by superstition, the brutal practice is now often simply a tool to oppress women, in many cases violently. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Jordan_Neely_Was_on_New_York’s_‘Top_50’ List_of_Homeless_People_at_Risk⠀⇛ Mr. Neely, who was killed by another subway rider, was on a watch list for a city task force that kept track of the New Yorkers of most concern. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Amid_Record_Homeless_Deaths_in_the_U.S.,_a Struggle_for_Survival⠀⇛ As a record number of people die on America’s streets, Abdul Curry fights to stay alive. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Asylum_Debate_Snarls_Efforts_to_Forge_an Immigration_Deal_in_Congress⠀⇛ Despite hopes among some Democrats and Republicans that the expiration of strict pandemic-era border rules would force a compromise, bipartisan talks have sputtered. o § Monopolies⠀➾ # § Copyrights⠀➾ # ⚓ Off Guardian ☛ Art_Equals_Human—Not_Anymore⠀⇛ When I was a young lad of 11, I was fascinated with computers, or what little there was of them at the time. It was about 1966, and I checked out a book from the school library on the short but exciting history of the machines. I pored over every page of it. ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 4774 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Links_14/05/2023:_IBM_Has_Cut_Into_Fedora,_Not_Just_OpenSource.com;_Turkish Election_Today⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 12:22 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * GNU/Linux o Graphics_Stack o Instructionals/Technical * Distributions_and_Operating_Systems o Fedora_Family_/_IBM o Debian_Family o Devices/Embedded o Open_Hardware/Modding * Free,_Libre,_and_Open_Source_Software o Content_Management_Systems_(CMS) o Programming/Development * Leftovers o Education o Hardware o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Proprietary o Linux_Foundation 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 Monopolies # Patents # Copyrights * § GNU/Linux⠀➾ o § Graphics Stack⠀➾ # ⚓ Mike_Blumenkrantz:_Friday_Updates⠀⇛ A number of members of my team at Valve don’t blog, and I like to bring visibility to their work when I can. Here’s a quick roundup of what some of them have been doing, in no particular order. Or maybe from most important work to least important work. You decide. § Konstantin After another week of heroic work, his implementation of VK_EXT_descriptor_indexing for Lavapipe has finally passed CI. This means it will probably be merged within the next week or two. Given that Dave Airlie is practically done with his VK_EXT_mesh_shader (it draws multiple triangles now), this means the only thing remaining for full VKD3D-PROTON functionality on Lavapipe is sparse binding. I think. Which begs the question: will Lavapipe get sparse binding support before Intel? It’s depressing, it seems impossible given how many years we’ve all been waiting, and we don’t want to admit it to ourselves, but we already know the answer. o § Instructionals/Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ Trend Oceans ☛ How_to_Start_and_Stop_Monitor_Mode_in Linux⠀⇛ It’s a no brainer to start and stop monitor mode in Linux when you know what command to use. The Wifi module comes with multiple modes and one of them is monitor mode, which you have commonly heard from security enthusiasts to sniff over a network using Wireshark. > # ⚓ !_Avi_Alkalay_¡:_MariaDB_backups_in_one_line⠀⇛ First allow the Unix user that will make backups (root, in my case) to access MariaDB without a password (works only if accessing from same host that the server is running): GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO `root`@`localhost` IDENTIFIED VIA unix_socket WITH GRANT OPTION; Now the backup script, shown here in multiple lines for education purposes: TARGET=/some/folder/Backup/databases/`hostname`/ `date '+%Y-%m-%d'`; mkdir -p "$TARGET"; chmod -R go-rwx "$TARGET"; mariadb --batch --skip-column-names -e 'show databases;' | egrep - v 'information_schema|performance_schema|mysql' | while read db; do mariadb-dump --comments --dump- date --extended-insert --routines --system=user "$db" | gzip -c --best > "$TARGET/$db.sql.gz"; done Explained line by line: [...] # ⚓ peppe8o ☛ How_to_use_SANE_with_Raspberry_PI_terminal,_plus Project_to_upgrade_a_scanner_to_Scan-to-Mail⠀⇛ With more and more people going near programming languages, the requirement to get common external devices running from terminal commands can become useful… * § Distributions and Operating Systems⠀➾ o § Fedora Family / IBM⠀➾ # ⚓ Ben_Cotton:_#inaction_bcotton⠀⇛ On 25 June 2018, I published a post called “It’s hattening”. After years of rejected applications, I was finally starting a job at Red Hat. On 24 April 2023, Red Hat announced a 4% reduction in global staff. As a member of that 4%, today is my last day at Red Hat. § What does this mean for Ben? This is the first time I’ve been laid off from a job. I hope it will be the last, but who can say? I’d be lying if I said I haven’t felt a big range of emotions in the past three weeks: confusion, anger, sadness, amusement. o § Debian Family⠀➾ # ⚓ Holger_Levsen:_20230512-Debian-Reunion-Hamburg-2023⠀⇛ We’ll have days of hacking (inside and outside), a day trip and a small cheese & wine party, as well as daily standup meetings to learn what others are doing, and there shall also be talks and workshops. At the moment there are even still some beds on site available and the CfP is still open! o § Devices/Embedded⠀➾ # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ DietPi_v8.17_Announced_With_New_Software and_SBC_Enhancements⠀⇛ DietPi, the lightweight Debian based alternative OS announces a new update which sees new software and enhancements for many different SBCs o § Open Hardware/Modding⠀➾ # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ PLANKuter:_The_LattePanda_Powered_Maker Laptop⠀⇛ Protolino has created a custom LattePanda build with GPIO access and a drawer full of goodies for tinkering on the go. # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Leica_MPi_Camera_Uses_Raspberry_Pi_Zero_W with_HQ_Camera_Module⠀⇛ Michael Suguitan has put a Raspberry Pi Zero W inside of a Leica M2 camera along with a Raspberry Pi HQ Camera module. # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ DIY_Laser_Text_Projector_Made_Using_Old Hard_Drive⠀⇛ Ben from Ben Makes Everything is using an old hard drive to power a DIY laser text projector with a little help from an Arduino. * § Free, Libre, and Open Source Software⠀➾ o ⚓ Valhalla’s_Things:_I_hate_proprietary_software⠀⇛ Years ago I watched my SO play Brütal_Legend and of course loved it, but I’ve been only using used computers for a long time, and none of them was really able to run modern games. Admittedly, he told me that I could use his computer to play the game while he wasn’t home (and I do have an account on that computer, that I’ve sporadically used to do computationally intensive stuff, but always remotely), but it was a hassle, and I never did. This year, however, he gifted me a shiny new CPU and motherboard, and among other things that meant games from this century! The first thing I’ve spent time on was 0ad (which admittedly already worked on one of the old computers, as long as the map wasn’t too big), but now it was time to play basically the one recent proprietary game I had been wanting to play. So, this afternoon I started by trying to copy the installer (it was bought from an humble bundle, I don’t have steam) from the home server to my PC, and the home server froze. Ok, I could copy it through something else than git annex (or from the offline hard disk backup, as I did). Then I tried to run the installer, which resulted in the really helpful error message: bash: ./BrutalLegend-Linux-2013-05-07-setup.bin: cannot execute: required file not found o ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ From_proprietary_to_open_source:_The_new landscape_of_the_software_industry⠀⇛ Open source is now the standard for the software industry. Proprietary software is no longer the Goliath it once was. As the demand for more transparency yet better security increases, the challenges that arise from that put into question who is liable for that? ⚓ Nathan_Willis:_Friends,_Romans,_Italics:_lend_me_your_eyes!_(for_just_a_few minutes)⠀⇛ I should really subtitle this “part 1,” to fit into my established idiom of starting what’s meant to be a series and then letting the follow-ons stack up like cordwood in the Drafts folder. It’s worked well so far. I’m looking at several of them now … they seem so happy…. ANNYWAY, what I actually wanted to say is that I’ve got kind of an “ask.” I’m running an online survey as part of my PhD research, and I’d really be grateful if you’d give it a try. It’s about fonts; what you do is look at text samples and mark any stuff that looks bad. It’s designed to be something that you could finish entirely in less than half an hour (if you do all five samples), but you can do fewer if you want. If you’re game and want to jump at it, the survey site is letter.fit — please go for it, and thanks! The gist of this is that we want to collect responses from as wide a variety of readers as we can. It’s not about right answers or wrong answers. I’d love it if you’d give it a go and maybe spread the word, but if you don’t, that’s totally cool. Just to be less self-promotey (although I certainly don’t reap any profit from it) for the unintrigued, and also to make for a more informative blog-read, I’ll say a tad more about what the survey does and why it’s a question. My apologies if you’ve listened to this song & dance twice…. * § Content Management Systems (CMS)⠀➾ o ⚓ Press Gazette ☛ What_do_you_really_think_about_WordPress?_Survey seeks_publisher_views⠀⇛ Once just a tool for bloggers and sole traders, WordPress has rapidly evolved into a leading CMS for enterprise brands, with The Times, Vogue and even the White House among its regular users. * § Programming/Development⠀➾ o ⚓ Qt ☛ Responsive_Layouts_in_Qt⠀⇛ Qt has (almost) been here since the dawn of graphical user interfaces, being released just 5 years after Windows 3.0. Needless to say, technologies, expectations and duties for an UI toolkit evolved substantially over the years. Organizing and layouting of visual elements like buttons is one of those duties that changed significantly: From small screens with few pixels and fixed size embedded apps we came a long way to high resolution screens and handheld devices of all form factors. The changes in design philosophy are even more dramatic. Applications need to look and feel good on many devices as well as in different configurations, landscape and portrait, windowed and full screen. More than that, they need to be able to switch seamlessly between those modes.> o ⚓ Godot Engine ☛ Release_candidate:_Godot_4.0.3_RC_2⠀⇛ Another round of cherry-picks for the upcoming Godot 4.0.3, fixing a few regressions reported against RC 1 and backporting more important fixes. o ⚓ Rlang ☛ Introducing_{ggflowchart}⠀⇛ Back in April 2022, I participated in the #30DayChartChallenge and for the Storytelling prompt on day 29 in the Uncertainty category, I created the Goldilocks Decision Tree. § Leftovers⠀➾ * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Olympic_Swimming_in_the_Seine?_How_Paris_Is_Remaking_a River.⠀⇛ Organizers of the 2024 Summer Games promised a waterway clean enough for Olympic swimmers and then Parisians to swim in. The job was bigger than anyone knew. * ⚓ YLE ☛ Hospitals_release_over_half_of_bridge_collapse_victims, investigation_continues⠀⇛ At least 24 people, including teenagers on a class trip, fell about five metres after the plywood-based bridge gave way on Thursday morning. * § Education⠀➾ o ⚓ Latvia ☛ 15_Liepāja_teachers_lose_jobs_over_Latvian_language proficiency⠀⇛ Since teachers in Latvia have had to pass the official – Latvian – language proficiency tests, 15 teachers have lost their jobs permanently or temporarily in Liepāja, Kurzeme Television reported on May 11. o ⚓ uni Stanford ☛ Faculty_Senate_divided:_Should_Hoover_cut_ties with_Murdoch_and_Mercer?⠀⇛ After a heated 25-minute debate over the media magnates, the senate ultimately did not come to a vote over the resolution due to the loss of a quorum. President Marc Tessier-Lavigne opposed the resolution, claiming it would make the senate a “thought police.” o ⚓ uni Stanford ☛ Latine_students_demand_inclusion,_support_from_El Centro⠀⇛ Following the postponement of a community town hall planned to address several incidents of racial discrimination in Casa Zapata earlier this year, more than 100 Latine students advocated for their community center to be more representative on Friday. The demonstration was led by “ComuniLove NOW! Collective.” o ⚓ New Yorker ☛ The_Diary_of_a_Rikers_Island_Library_Worker⠀⇛ Every week for a year, I pushed a cart of books through the largest jail complex in New York City. * § Hardware⠀➾ o ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Tennessee_company_refuses_US_request_to recall_67_million_potentially_dangerous_air_bag_inflators⠀⇛ A Tennessee company could be heading for a legal battle with U.S. auto safety regulators after refusing a request to recall millions of potentially dangerous air bag inflators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is demanding that ARC Automotive of Knoxville recall 67 million inflators because they could explode and hurl shrapnel. The agency says at least two people have been killed in the U.S. and Canada, and six others have been hurt as a result of defective ARC inflators. The recall would cover about one-quarter of the vehicles now on U.S. roadways. In a letter posted late Friday, the agency told ARC that it has tentatively concluded a that the inflators have a safety defect. But ARC responded that no defect exists. o ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ US_maker_refuses_to_recall_67_million_air bag_inflators⠀⇛ A US company could be heading for a legal battle with car safety regulators after refusing a request that millions of potentially dangerous air bag inflators be recalled. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NGTSA) is demanding that ARC Automotive recall 67 million inflators in the US because they could explode and hurl shrapnel. o ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Tennessee_Company_Refuses_US_Request to_Recall_67_Million_Potentially_Dangerous_Air_Bag_Inflators⠀⇛ A Tennessee company could be heading for a legal battle with U.S. auto safety regulators after refusing a request to recall millions of potentially dangerous air bag inflators o ⚓ Quartz ☛ Peloton_tried_to_switch_into_the_right_gear—but_then seats_started_falling_off_its_bikes⠀⇛ Peloton users should watch out for issues with their bike seats. o ⚓ CNX Software ☛ UDOO_VISION_SBC_with_Intel_Atom_x5-E3940_or_x7- E3950_CPU_offers_Arduino_Leonardo_compatibility⠀⇛ UDOO VISION single board computer is powered by either an Intel Atom x5-E3940 or x7-E3950 Apollo Lake processor and features the same Microchip ATmega32U4 8-bit AVR microcontroller found in the Arduino Leonardo board to control GPIOs. Two versions of the Pico-ITX SBC are available: the X5 with an Atom x5 processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC flash, and the X7 with an Atom x7 processor, 8GB RAM, and 64GB eMMC flash. o ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Steam_Deck_vs._Asus_ROG_Ally:_Gaming_Handheld Faceoff⠀⇛ The Valve Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally are both fighting to be the best handheld console / gaming PC on the market. Which one you should pick depends on if you prefer a tightly integrated system or more versatility and cutting-edge components. * § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ o ⚓ New Yorker ☛ The_Superbloom_Is_a_Glimpse_of_California’s_Past⠀⇛ This year’s rains reversed, temporarily, more than a decade of catastrophic drought. Some of the seeds that caused the bloom have lain dormant for years. o ⚓ Latvia ☛ Man_refuses_booze_check_while_driving,_waves_goodbye_to Porsche⠀⇛ The Prosecutor’s Office has confiscated a man’s Porsche car after the owner refused an intoxicating substance test while behind the wheel, the Prosecutor’s Office said May 12. o ⚓ New York Times ☛ What_to_Know_About_the_New_Treatment_for_Hot Flashes⠀⇛ Veozah, a nonhormonal drug, is effective against a signature symptom of menopause. o ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ G-7_plans_new_vaccine_programme_for developing_nations:_Media [Ed: How about getting rid of the patents then?]⠀⇛ The new programme aims to pool rainy-day funds for vaccine production and purchases. o ⚓ France24 ☛ Portuguese_parliament_votes_to_legalise_limited euthanasia⠀⇛ After a long battle, Portugal on Friday passed a law legalising euthanasia for people in great suffering and with incurable diseases, joining just a handful of countries around the world. * § Proprietary⠀➾ o ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Judge_sides_with_Ellison_in_Oracle shareholder_suit_over_NetSuite_acquisition⠀⇛ A Delaware judge has ruled in favor of Oracle founder Larry Ellison in a shareholder lawsuit alleging that he coerced the company into paying a grossly inflated price to acquire software corporation NetSuite. The shareholders argued that the $9.3 billion deal in 2016 should be subjected to a rigorous “entire fairness” review because Ellison was both a controlling shareholder of Oracle at the time and owned almost 40% of shares in NetSuite, which he cofounded in 1998. The lawsuit alleges that Oracle overpaid for NetSuite by $3 billion. The judge acknowledged Friday that Ellison was “a force” at Oracle and a face of the company. But he said Ellison was not a controlling shareholder of Oracle and that the company empowered a special committee to negotiate the deal. o ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Judge_Sides_With_Ellison_in_Oracle Shareholder_Suit_Over_NetSuite_Acquisition⠀⇛ A Delaware judge has ruled in favor of Oracle founder Larry Ellison in a shareholder lawsuit alleging that he coerced the company into paying a grossly inflated price to acquire software corporation NetSuite * § Linux Foundation⠀➾ o ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Open_source,_AI_and_the_customer_journey_in FinOS:_Insights_from_Discover_Financial_Services [Ed: Some more 'Linux' Foundation sponsored spam and openwashing]⠀⇛ * § Security⠀➾ o ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ OpenSSF:_Making_SBOMs_more_dynamic_to_reduce software_security_risks [Ed: Not a good approach, but this is what monopolists and the states that they control are after. This article is also sponsored by the so-called 'Linux' Foundation, sponsored by Microsoft et al]⠀⇛ Since 41% of organizations are still not confident about their open-source software security, more innovations are needed to change this narrative. o ⚓ KSOC_Publishes_SBOM_Specification_for_Kubernetes⠀⇛ Kubernetes Security Operations Center (KSOC) this week published a Kubernetes Bill of Materials (KBOM) specification that promises to make it simpler to discover vulnerabilities. KBOM, available via an open source command line interface (CLI) tool, provides a quick view of workload count, cost and type of hosting service, vulnerabilities for o ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ As_cloud_computing_gets_more_complex,_so_does protecting_it._Here’s_what_companies_need_to_do [Ed: Clown computing means complexity and outsourcing. Both lessen security.]⠀⇛ Whether companies are repatriating their cloud workloads back on-premises or to colocated servers, they still need to protect them, and the market for that protection is suddenly undergoing some major changes. o ⚓ Press Gazette ☛ Prince_Harry_vs_Mirror_hacking_trial_week_one: Publisher_apology_and_Piers_Morgan_denial⠀⇛ The key points from the opening days in Prince Harry’s hacking trial against MGN. o § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ # ⚓ EDRI ☛ Commissioner_Johansson_cannot_be_trusted_with_the EU’s_proposed_CSA_Regulation⠀⇛ In the midst of a wide range of concerning practices and behaviours, EDRi has found it necessary to raise a formal complaint against the EU’s Home Affairs department for possible breaches of independence. # ⚓ Quartz ☛ Toyota_has_been_accidentally_sharing_personal_data for_millions_of_Japanese_users_over_the_last_decade [Ed: Well, it's inevitably going to happen when data is collected that should not be]⠀⇛ Toyota, the world’s largest car manufacturer, said that personal data for more than 2 million Japanese users of its T-Connect cloud service had been publicly available for the past decade. A spokesperson for the company blamed the oversight on human error, according to a report published by Reuters on Friday (May 12). # ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ CYBER:_Inside_the_Italian_Mafia’s Encrypted_Phone_of_Choice⠀⇛ A look inside the secretive world of ‘No. 1 Business Communication,’ an encrypted phone system used by the Mafia. * § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ o ⚓ TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Democrats_in_Minnesota_Senate_hold firm_to_pass_contentious_gun_control_measures⠀⇛ Democratic Minnesota senators held firm despite only a one-vote majority to pass gun control legislation strongly supported by the governor. The bill passed 34-33 on a party-line vote late Friday after around nine hours of debate. It would align the battleground state with others nationally that have taken steps to keep guns out of the hands of people in crisis and criminals. The proposals include a “red flag law” that would allow authorities to ask courts for “extreme risk protection orders” to temporarily take guns away from people deemed to be an imminent threat to others or themselves. The bill also contains expanded background checks for gun transfers. o ⚓ RFA ☛ Wolf_out_the_door⠀⇛ o ⚓ RFERL ☛ HRW_Raises_Alarm_Over_Surge_In_Iran_Executions⠀⇛ Human Rights Watch on May 12 said a dramatic recent rise in the number of executions in Iran amounts to “a serious violation of the right to life” and urged condemnation by the international community. o ⚓ The Strategist ☛ Working_with_the_Pacific_island_nations_to_build resilience⠀⇛ Soon after she became foreign minister in May last year, Penny Wong went on a self-described listening tour of the Pacific. o ⚓ RFA ☛ Myanmar_junta_forces_commit_more_atrocities,_burn_19 civilians_to_death⠀⇛ The death toll could rise because the area is ‘now like a battlefield,’ ethnic armed group says. o ⚓ LRT ☛ German_brigade_takes_part_in_exercise_in_Lithuania⠀⇛ Christian Nawrat, commander of the German brigade assigned to Lithuania, and the battalion commanders have arrived at the Rukla military base in central Lithuania for an exercise, the Armed Forces said on Friday. o ⚓ LRT ☛ Lithuanian_volunteer_soldiers_awarded_medals_on_return_from mission_in_Mali⠀⇛ Troops from Lithuania’s National Defence Volunteer Force (KASP) were awarded in a ceremony in Vilnius on Friday after completing their six-month mission in the UN-led stabilisation operation in Mali (MINUSMA). o ⚓ Defence Web ☛ Somalia_prepares_to_step_up_as_ATMIS_draws_down⠀⇛ After 18 years and three multinational peace missions, Somalia is getting ready to take full control of its own security. o ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ National_security_case_against_23-year-old Hong_Kong_student_moved_to_High_Court⠀⇛ A national security case against a 23-year-old Hong Kong student was moved to the city’s High Court on Friday. Cheung Ho-yeung appeared at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts in front of Chief Magistrate Victor So. o ⚓ New York Times ☛ My_Mother_Returned_From_World_War_II_a_Changed Woman⠀⇛ In her World War II photographs and those of her friends, my mother is laughing and bright-eyed in every single one. I almost don’t recognize her. o ⚓ France24 ☛ How_both_sides_in_Sudan_claim_to_be_cracking_down_on gang_violence_and_looting⠀⇛ Amid the ongoing fighting in Sudan since April 15, reports of street gangs looting and assaulting civilians, especially in Khartoum and two nearby towns, have emerged. These gangs, known as the “Niqez”, have a long- standing presence in the country. However, both conflicting parties in Sudan are now taking measures to arrest and publicly shame gang members to improve their image among civilians, according to our Observer. o ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ South_Korea_says_not_considering_conscripting women_amid_ongoing_debate⠀⇛ S. Korea is facing shortages in military personnel, which have been exacerbated by its looming demographic crisis. o ⚓ teleSUR ☛ UN:_+_18,000_People_Enter_Ethiopia_From_Sudan⠀⇛ “…more than 440 individuals have crossed the Kurmuk border crossing point…” o ⚓ Latvia ☛ Data_suggest_scale_of_Latvia’s_female_homicide_problem⠀⇛ An appalling recent murder in Jēkabpils has brought the issues of stalking and the homicides of women into sharp focus in Latvia. Figures published by Eurostat May 11 underline the scale of Latvia’s problem. o ⚓ New York Times ☛ Thousands_of_Guns_Turned_in_After_2_Mass Shootings_in_Serbia⠀⇛ The unregistered weapons were handed over to the authorities as the government vows to disarm the country after two mass shootings. o ⚓ France24 ☛ Thirty_killed_as_violence_between_Israel_and_Gaza escalates⠀⇛ Israel and Gaza militants traded heavy fire Thursday, the third day of the worst escalation of violence in months that has killed 29 people in the blockaded Palestinian enclave and one in Israel. o ⚓ France24 ☛ Renewed_Israeli_strikes_rock_Gaza_amid_Egypt’s_push for_truce⠀⇛ Israel and Gaza traded heavy fire on Friday but Egyptian mediators launched a new bid to end days of fighting that has killed dozens, all but one of them Palestinian. o ⚓ France24 ☛ Mali_army,_foreign_fighters_killed_at_least_500_people in_March_2022,_says_UN_report⠀⇛ The Malian army and foreign fighters killed at least 500 people during an anti-jihadist operation in central Mali in March 2022, according to a report released on Friday by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). * § Transparency/Investigative Reporting⠀➾ o ⚓ American Oversight ☛ American_Oversight_Receives_Indication_That Durham_Investigation_Has_Closed⠀⇛ o ⚓ American Oversight ☛ News_Roundup:_New_Voting_Restrictions, Harlan_Crow,_and_Florida_Textbooks⠀⇛ * § Environment⠀➾ o ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Bangladesh_evacuations_ahead_of_‘very_severe’ Cyclone_Mocha⠀⇛ Forecasters expect the cyclone to bring a deluge of rain, which can trigger landslides. o § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Industry_vs._poverty:_Guyana’s_challenge_with offshore_oil⠀⇛ Guyana is poised to become the fourth-largest offshore oil producer in the world. But many Guyanese people worry their lives won’t improve for the better even if the oil boom generates billions of dollars for this largely impoverished nation. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ China_Orders_Tesla_to_Recall_1.1_Million Vehicles_Over_Braking_Risks⠀⇛ Defects on certain Tesla models could lead drivers to step on the accelerator pedals for longer than necessary, increasing the risk of collisions, China’s market regulator says. # ⚓ YLE ☛ VR:_Technical_fault_behind_train_delays_across Finland_has_been_fixed⠀⇛ Late on Friday afternoon, VR said it had resolved the problem but that some long-distance trains would still be behind schedule. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Taiwanese_battery_maker_Prologium_to_invest_€5 billion_in_French_factory⠀⇛ Taiwanese battery maker Prologium said Friday it will invest billions of dollars in building a new factory in northern France for its first European plant. o § Wildlife/Nature⠀➾ # ⚓ Latvia ☛ Bird_flu_found_in_northern_regions_of_Latvia⠀⇛ Avian influenza H5N1 which has been raging in the eastern parts of Latvia has also been detected in Cēsis and Madona municipalities, as reported by the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD). o § Overpopulation⠀➾ # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Death_Toll_In_Kenya_Starvation_Cult_Rises_To 179⠀⇛ In the second phase of exhumations started this week, 29 more bodies have been found in Shakahola forest. # ⚓ Latvia ☛ Local_fruit_and_berries_will_be_scarce_this summer⠀⇛ Fruit orchards and gardens in all regions of Latvia have been damaged with the unusual frost last week. The damage will cost millions, estimated the Latvian Association of Fruit Growers, which will turn to the Ministry of Agriculture (ZM) for support to the sector, Latvian Radio reported on May 12. # ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ Only_rich_can_afford_to_have_children in_Italy:_Pope⠀⇛ Starting a family in Italy is becoming a “titanic effort” that only the rich can afford, Pope Francis says, warning that “savage” free-market conditions were preventing the young from having children. # ⚓ France24 ☛ ‘Without_water,_we_are_nothing!’:_Spain’s crippling_drought_reignites_tensions_over_Tagus_river⠀⇛ An early scorching heatwave across Spain has worsened the impact of the country’s long-term drought, causing unprecedented damage to the country’s crops. As farmers grow desperate for irrigation, the government’s plan to limit the rerouting of water from the nation’s longest river – the Tagus – for agricultural purposes lies at the centre of a heated debate. * § Finance⠀➾ o ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ With_a_shortage_of_properties_for_rental_in Australia,_many_are_moving_back_to_live_with_parents⠀⇛ Many tenants have been forced to move back home to live with their parents, while others were even forced to sleep in cars. o ⚓ WhichUK ☛ 100%_mortgage_makes_a_comeback:_what_are_the_risks?⠀⇛ Skipton launches new no-deposit mortgage o ⚓ WhichUK ☛ Investment_platform_fees_compared:_are_you_over- paying?⠀⇛ Which? reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds on your stocks and shares Isa, all while getting better service, tools and research o ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Little_Progress_Has_Been_Made_in Curbing_Too_High_Inflation,_Fed’s_Jefferson_Says⠀⇛ Federal Reserve governor Philip Jefferson says inflation remains too high and there has been “little progress” made toward bringing it down to the central bank’s 2% target o ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ G7_summit_to_target_China’s_‘economic coercion’:_source⠀⇛ Leaders of the Group of Seven countries are set to issue a statement of concern about China’s use of economic leverage abroad when they gather next week, according to a US official familiar with the discussions. o ⚓ teleSUR ☛ G7_Summit_to_Focus_On_China’s_“Economic_Coercion”⠀⇛ The world’s seven most industrialized countries, their biggest concern to discuss at their next meeting. o ⚓ teleSUR ☛ NATO_Liaison_Office_in_Japan_Harms_Regional_Peace, China_Warns⠀⇛ “What is North Atlantic Treaty Organization really up to?,” Chinese diplomat Wang asked. o ⚓ teleSUR ☛ China_Urges_G7_Not_to_Be_Accomplice_to_US_Economic Coercion⠀⇛ Washington has imposed unilateral economic sanctions on nearly 40 countries around the world, affecting nearly half of the world’s population. o ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Honduras_Will_‘Soon’_Launch_Trade Talks_With_China_as_Ties_Deepen⠀⇛ o ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Exclusive-G7_Summit_Statement_to Target_China’s_‘Economic_Coercion’_-Source⠀⇛ o ⚓ New York Times ☛ Some_U.S._Solar_Makers_Criticize_Biden’s_Tax Credits_as_Too_Lax_on_China⠀⇛ U.S.-based manufacturers of solar products say rules issued by the Biden administration on Friday will “cement China’s dominance” over the solar industry. o ⚓ RFA ☛ North_Korea_cracks_down_on_bribery_in_prisons⠀⇛ Wealthy inmates bribe prison officials to get out of hard labor and live in ‘special cells.’ o ⚓ Zimbabwe ☛ What_does_Stanbic’s_Unayo_have_to_offer_in_crowded domestic_remittance_market?⠀⇛ When we discussed Old Mutual joining the domestic USD remittance race, someone called it the ‘fintech and remittance gold rush.’ It really is a gold rush. Today, we are talking about another financial institution, Stanbic, launching its solution. o ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Zimbabwe_Lifts_Restrictions_on_Basic_Goods_Imports⠀⇛ “…Ncube affirmed the government’s commitment to preserve macroeconomic balance…” o ⚓ teleSUR ☛ UK_Economy_Grows_0.1_Pct_in_Q1_2023⠀⇛ The United Kingdom remains the only G7 country in which the main quarterly measure of GDP has not recovered to its pre-pandemic peak yet. o ⚓ Helsinki Times ☛ Danske_Bank:_Almost_fifth_of_Finns_are considering_moving_due_to_rising_costs⠀⇛ NEARLY A FIFTH of Finns are considering moving or actively looking to move due to high housing costs, finds a_survey commissioned by Danske Bank. Sari Takala, the director of consumer lending at Danske Bank, told Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday that the survey respondents were asked about the possibility of relocation for the first time, making it difficult to say whether the share of respondents considering moving is high or low. * § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ o ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Explainer:_How_Hong_Kong’s_District Council_electoral_overhaul_gives_new_power_to_3_gov’t-appointed committees⠀⇛ When the Hong Kong government announced plans to overhaul District Council elections following a pro-democracy landslide in 2019, a spotlight was shone on three local- level committees in each of Hong Kong’s 18 districts. o ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ Musk_names_Yaccarino_as_new_CEO_of_Twitter⠀⇛ Former NBCUniversal advertising chief Linda Yaccarino will become Twitter’s new CEO, current chief executive Elon Musk says in a tweet. “I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Musk said. He added “@LindaYacc will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design & new technology”. Yaccarino modernised […] o ⚓ France24 ☛ Musk_picks_advertising_guru_Linda_Yaccarino_to_replace him_as_Twitter_CEO⠀⇛ Elon Musk has chosen top ad executive Linda Yaccarino to take the day-to-day reins of Twitter as he fights to reverse the tide at the struggling platform he bought for $44 billion last year. o ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Elon_Musk_names_NBCU’s_Linda_Yaccarino_as Twitter’s_new_CEO⠀⇛ Updated: Elon Musk announced Friday that he has name Linda Yaccarino, NBC Universal Media LLC’s head of advertising, as Twitter’s new chief executive. “@LindaYacc will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design & new technology,” Musk tweeted Friday.> ⚓ Reason ☛ Tucker_Carlson’s_Twitter_Venture_Tests_Mainstream_Media’s_Eroding Grip⠀⇛ The controversial host launches his effort at a promising moment for dissident voices. ⚓ ACLU ☛ Here’s_How_Connecticut_Could_Implement_a_Historic_New_Voting_Law⠀⇛ Known as the “land of steady habits,” Connecticut represents a microcosm of the racist legacy of voter suppression nationwide — but that might change soon. While some people think of Connecticut as progressive, in truth, we’re behind on protecting the right to vote: Connecticut is one of only four states that does not have in-person early voting, one of only 15 states without no-excuse absentee voting, and is in the bottom_halfof states for individual voters when it comes to our personal costs, in time and effort, for us to vote. All of this is a vestige of Connecticut’s long, racist_history of trying to restrict Black, Indigenous, and Puerto Rican voters’ power — our state shamefully was the creator_of_literacy_tests. Like most states, though, Connecticut also has a proud history of voters, led by voters of color, fighting for better access to the ballot box. In the past five years alone, Connecticut has banned prison gerrymandering and restored the right_to_vote for people on parole. ⚓ Quartz ☛ Linda_Yaccarino_says_she’s_inspired_by_“provocative_leadership.” Elon_Musk’s_Twitter_fits_the_bill⠀⇛ Elon Musk announced that Linda Yaccarino would succeed him as Twitter CEO, confirming reports first published by the Wall_Street_Journal./ blockquote> ⚓ New Yorker ☛ What_Bluesky_Tells_Us_About_the_Future_of_Social_Media⠀⇛ The new platform aims to be a decentralized alternative to Twitter. The vibe there is mostly like that of a Portland coffee shop. ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ Keep_Bluesky_Weird⠀⇛ The nascent social network feels like a small community of unhinged friends and freaks—and that’s maybe its most promising feature. ⚓ RFA ☛ Cambodia’s_main_opposition_party_may_not_appear_on_July_ballots⠀⇛ Candlelight Party may get rejected because election officials won’t recognize prior paperwork. ⚓ RFA ☛ Papua_New_Guinea_foreign_minister_faces_backlash_over_primitive_animals comment⠀⇛ Foreign Minister Tkatchenko is stepping aside to allow an investigation into the incident. ⚓ RFA ☛ Cyclone_Mocha_barrels_toward_Myanmar_and_Bangladesh⠀⇛ Storm is similar in strength to 2008’s Nargis, which killed nearly 140,000 ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Elon_Musk_Sparred_With_New_CEO_Linda_Yaccarino_in On-Stage_Interview:_3_Takeaways_From_the_Exchange⠀⇛ Elon Musk sat down in April for an on-stage interview with Linda Yaccarino, the advertising executive he named as Twitter’s new chief executive on Friday ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Factbox:_Linda_Yaccarino_–_the_Advertising Executive_Musk_Picked_as_New_Twitter_CEO⠀⇛ ⚓ New York Times ☛ Elon_Musk’s_Twitter_Show_Makes_Sense._Yes,_Really.⠀⇛ Elon Musk’s seemingly erratic behavior is rational if one looks at the true source of his wealth. ⚓ Off Guardian ☛ WATCH:_A_Better_Way_–_#SolutionsWatch⠀⇛ In the run up to the Better Way conference – taking place in Bath next month – James Corbett (who will be speaking at the conference) sits down with the one of organisers, Dr Tess Lawrie. D Lawrie is a medical doctor and research consultant based in the UK. ⚓ Axios ☛ Elon_Musk_says_NBCU_ad_chief_Linda_Yaccarino_will_be_new_Twitter CEO⠀⇛ NBCUniversal’s veteran_ad_chief_Linda_Yaccarino will become the new CEO of Twitter, Elon Musk tweeted Friday. Driving the news:Yaccarino will “focus primarily on business operations” in the role as CEO, Musk wrote, adding that he would be in charge of product design and new technology. /blockquote> ⚓ RFA ☛ Vietnamese_activist_sentenced_to_8_years_in_jail_for_Facebook_posts⠀⇛ Case is the latest conviction for violating Article 117, a vague law often used to silence dissent. ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ Australian,_China_trade_ministers_hold_‘candid’_talks⠀⇛ China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang will visit Australia soon in a fresh sign of improved relations between the nations and the potential lifting of trade bans on Australian exports, Trade Minister Don Farrell says. Speaking on Friday in Beijing, Senator Farrell said he had also invited his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao to visit Australia. ⚓ RFA ☛ On_Sichuan_quake_anniversary,_bereaved_parents_hit_out_at_upbeat propaganda⠀⇛ The Communist Party has broken its promise to investigate shoddy school construction, parents say ⚓ RFA ☛ Laos,_China_launch_joint_‘Friendship_Shield’_military_exercises_in Laos⠀⇛ The drills come amid a larger push by Beijing to engage with its neighbors in Southeast Asia. ⚓ RFERL ☛ Kazakh_President_Says_It’s_‘Absolutely_Clear’_That_Taiwan_Is_Part_Of China⠀⇛ Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev said it is “absolutely clear” that Taiwan is a part of China as the Central Asian nation looks to build ties with its eastern neighbor. ⚓ New York Times ☛ From_Rap_Star_to_Engineer_to_Young_Mayor_Demolishing_Swaths of_Kathmandu⠀⇛ A music idol in his early 20s and then an engineer, Balen, 33, next won an upset victory as mayor of Nepal’s capital, inspiring a wave of young politicians. Now, he’s tearing down parts of the city. ⚓ New York Times ☛ Behind_the_New_Indictments_of_El_Chapo’s_Sons,_Rivalry Seethed_Between_Agencies⠀⇛ When sweeping charges against the Chapitos were announced last month, the Justice Department presented a unified front. It was another story behind the scenes. § Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda⠀➾ * ⚓ teleSUR ☛ The_US_Has_Been_Meddling_in_Türkiye’s_Elections,_Soylu Warns⠀⇛ If no presidential candidate gets over 50 percent of the votes on Sunday, a second round will take place on May 28. * ⚓ Press Gazette ☛ Woodward,_Bernstein_and_Schama_call_time_on_‘post- truth’_era⠀⇛ Watergate reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein discussed the role of journalism in a modern age. § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ * ⚓ RFERL ☛ Two_Jailed_Iranian_Educators_Launch_Hunger_Strikes_As_More Colleagues_Detained⠀⇛ Two jailed Iranian educators have launched hunger strikes after authorities detained three more of their colleagues — bringing the total to 16 — for supporting nationwide protests over what is seen as the government’s trampling of rights and freedoms. * ⚓ JURIST ☛ Vietnam_activist_sentenced_to_8_years_in_prison_for_‘spreading anti-government_propaganda’⠀⇛ Vietnamese media, including the state-owned Tuoitre newspaper, reported that the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City sentenced political activist Tran Van Bang on Friday to eight years in prison and three years of probation for “spreading anti- government propaganda.” * ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Books_by_satirical_cartoonist_Zunzi_disappear from_Hong_Kong_public_libraries_after_paper_axes_comic⠀⇛ Books by satirical cartoonist Zunzi have disappeared from Hong Kong public library listings, after his comic strip was axed by newspaper Ming Pao on Wednesday following criticism from an official. § Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press⠀➾ * ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Why_I_am_giving_up_writing_about_Hong_Kong politics⠀⇛ Sometimes, as Joni Mitchell sang many years ago, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Writing comments about public affairs only makes sense if there is a conversation to which you are contributing. § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ * ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ On_the_Front_Lines_of_the_Writers_Strike, Meet_the_True_Rat_Czar_of_NYC:_Scabby_the_Rat⠀⇛ For decades, a giant, inflatable rat with beady eyes, sharp teeth and a pustule-covered belly has been looming over union protests, drawing attention to construction sites or buildings with labor disputes * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Chinese_Dissident_Sentenced_to_8_Years_After_He_Tried to_Fly_to_His_Dying_Wife⠀⇛ The activist Yang Maodong said he had only wanted China to “fully realize authentic freedom, democracy, human rights and rule of law.” * ⚓ teleSUR ☛ German_Railway_Workers_on_Nationwide_Strike⠀⇛ The Railway and Transport Union is negotiating on behalf of around 230,000 employees from 50 different companies. * ⚓ TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Pilots_at_United_picket_for_higher_pay_as pressure_builds_before_summer_travel_season⠀⇛ The peak summer travel season is almost here, and pilots are stepping up their pressure on major airlines for new contracts that will include higher pay. United Airlines pilots walked picket lines at 10 big U.S. airports on Friday, although they’re not on strike. Their protests come right after pilots at American and Southwest voted to authorize strikes. Union officials at United say they might hold a strike vote too. But that doesn’t mean your summer trip will be ruined. Federal law makes it very hard for airline unions to conduct strikes, and gives Congress and the president power to block a strike. * ⚓ Quartz ☛ Adidas_has_finally_decided_what_to_do_with_its_Yeezy_stock⠀⇛ Unsold Yeezys have been hanging over Adidas ever since the German sportswear company decided to end its partnership with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. * ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Adidas_Won’t_Destroy_$1_Billion_Worth_of_Unsold Yeezy_Shoes_After_All_—_Here’s_The_Latest⠀⇛ Adidas will sell through its $1.3 billion dollar stock of unsold Yeezy shoes after all. Here’s the latest. Adidas’ new CEO Bjørn Gulden says the company will sell through its stock of the shoes and donate the proceeds to charity. * ⚓ The Wire ☛ Was_Fake_News_About_‘Attacks’_on_Migrant_Labourers_an Attempt_to_Malign_Tamil_Nadu?⠀⇛ On March 1, several non-BJP leaders – including Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Tejaswi Yadav – descended in Tamil Nadu. * ⚓ Atlantic Council ☛ Eight_months_into_anti-regime_protests,_Iran’s_women show_creativity_as_they_press_on_‘full_of_anger’⠀⇛ Three leading figures from the Iranian women’s protest movement spoke at an Atlantic Council Front Page event about how their struggle has attracted global attention and what’s next. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Iran_Releases_2_French_Citizens_From_Detention⠀⇛ Benjamin Brière and Bernard Phelan had been accused of spying, which they denied. They had protested their captivity with hunger strikes, and their families had fought for their release. * ⚓ France24 ☛ French_citizens_released_from_Iran_prison_return_to_France⠀⇛ Iran on Friday released two French citizens, including one also holding Irish nationality, as Paris urged Tehran to free other foreigners jailed by the Islamic republic. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ CUNY_Law_School_Graduates_Turn_Their_Backs_to_Mayor Adams⠀⇛ As Mayor Eric Adams began speaking at the law school’s commencement service, many of the graduates, in their caps and gowns, turned away from him in a show of protest. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Clarence_Thomas_Can’t_Undermine_the_Legitimacy_of_the Supreme_Court_Fast_Enough⠀⇛ Democrats are not out to weaken the Supreme Court. But they should be. * ⚓ LRT ☛ Lithuanian_border_guards_leave_for_counter-migration_operation_in the_Mediterranean⠀⇛ The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service’s (VSAT’s) Boomeranger 1100 high-speed boat on Friday is leaving for Joint Operation Themis 2023 in the Mediterranean Sea. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Striking_Writers’_Union_Denies_Waiver,_Imperiling_Tony Awards_Telecast⠀⇛ The Writers Guild of America indicated it would not grant a waiver to allow a live telecast of the Tonys on June 11, threatening one of Broadway’s biggest marketing moments. * ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ New_ground:_Churches_transform_land_into_affordable housing⠀⇛ As affordable housing becomes harder to find, many churches with dwindling congregations find that their greatest community gift might be their real estate. Hundreds of faith groups in the United States are using their property to build much-needed housing. * ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Mother_of_all_secrets:_When_the_CIA’s_top-ranked_woman_is your_mom [Ed: And kills, tortures innocent people]⠀⇛ It’s good to be enigmatic if you work for the CIA. But as her daughter, it took decades for me to understand. * ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Pakistan’s_army_vowed_to_avoid_politics._Now_it’s_back_in the_middle.⠀⇛ Mass protests over Imran Khan’s arrest have left a trail of destruction throughout Pakistan, and brought the integrity of the country’s most powerful institutions under fire. * ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Pakistan_ex-PM_Khan_freed_on_bail_after_unlawful arrest⠀⇛ Pakistani politicians have frequently been arrested and jailed since the country’s founding in 1947. * ⚓ RFERL ☛ Pakistan_Ex-PM_Khan_Granted_Two-Week_Bail_After_Freed_From Arrest⠀⇛ Former Prime Minister Imran Khan on May 12 was granted release on bail for two weeks by judges in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, a day after the Supreme Court ruled as unlawful his arrest that sparked a wave of deadly unrest across the south Asian nation. * ⚓ France24 ☛ Former_Pakistan_PM_Imran_Khan_granted_bail_after_arrest cancelled⠀⇛ A Pakistani court ordered former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s release on bail for two weeks, his lawyer said on Friday, following an arrest that sparked deadly unrest in the nuclear- armed nation. * ⚓ Michael West Media ☛ Inquiry_backs_unamended_laws_on_Indigenous_voice⠀⇛ A cross-party parliamentary committee has backed laws setting up a referendum to enshrine an Indigenous voice in the constitution. The inquiry report, released three days earlier than expected on Friday, said the need for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is “unquestionable”. * ⚓ JURIST ☛ UK_Government_to_reduce_number_of_EU_laws_repealed_in_2023⠀⇛ The UK Business and Trade Secretary announced Wednesday that the UK will reduce the number of EU laws being revoked or replaced from 4,000 to 600 by the end of the year. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ After_Title_42_Ends,_Thousands_of_Migrants_in_Border Towns_Eye_Next_Steps⠀⇛ Pandemic-era migration restrictions were lifted without a fresh spike in border crossings. Thousands of migrants now find themselves in a holding pattern. * ⚓ RFERL ☛ Tens_Of_Thousands_Of_Protesters_Decry_Serbian_Government’s Response_To_Mass_Shootings⠀⇛ Tens of thousands of people marched on May 12 in another protest in Belgrade following two mass shootings and a general increase of violence that have shaken the country. * ⚓ JURIST ☛ HRW_warns_new_Italy_immigration_law_will_have_‘devastating impacts’_on_migrants’_rights⠀⇛ Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned on Friday that Italy’s newly passed Cutro law will have “devastating impacts” on migrants’ rights, and threaten their ability to seek protection, access fair asylum and move freely throughout the country. * ⚓ JURIST ☛ EU_ratifies_Istanbul_Convention_to_prevent_and_combat_gender- based_violence⠀⇛ The European Parliament voted in favor of EU accession to the Istanbul Convention, which aims to prevent and combat violence against women. The convention was originally signed six years ago, but the refusal of some member states prevented it from being ratified. * ⚓ JURIST ☛ Human_rights_organizations_condemn_Biden_administration response_amid_expiration_of_Title_42⠀⇛ A delegation of human rights organizations traveled to the US’s southern border on Friday to “bear witness” to the end of Title 42, a Trump-era immigration policy. The organizations condemned the situation and described it as being “rooted in violence and abuse instead of compassion.” * ⚓ New York Times ☛ After_Title_42_Expires,_U.S._Border_Sees_Crowds,_but Not_Chaos⠀⇛ Despite the relative calm, the Biden administration faces court challenges that they say may undermine efforts to deal with record levels of border crossings. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ New_York_City_Plans_to_House_Migrant_Families_in Public_School_Gymnasium⠀⇛ The plan faced immediate criticism from a Brooklyn councilman, but a spokesman for the mayor said, “We are opening emergency shelters and respite centers daily, but we are out of space.” * ⚓ New York Times ☛ The_Most_Disturbing_Thing_About_Jordan_Neely’s Killing⠀⇛ It was all so calm and unhurried. Sometimes, somehow, the fear of violence shakes people more than violence itself. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Daniel_Penny_Arraigned_on_Manslaughter_Charge_in Jordan_Neely_Killing⠀⇛ The Manhattan district attorney’s office charged Mr. Penny with second-degree manslaughter for choking Mr. Neely to death on the subway. * ⚓ YLE ☛ Thai-Finnish_couple_suspected_of_pimping_in_six_Finnish_cities over_a_decade⠀⇛ Two people aged around 60 are suspected of procurement operations via Thai massage parlours since 2014. * ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ 7_Buddhist_monks_arrested_for_allegedly_embezzling nearly_$12m_from_Thai_temple⠀⇛ A Thai court said the actions of the ringleaders “gravely undermined Buddhism”. * ⚓ New Yorker ☛ A_Jewish_Immigrant_Novelist’s_Radical_Vision_for_Working Women⠀⇛ The fiction of Anzia Yezierska captures the perennial tension between personal ambition and the obligations of care. * ⚓ New Yorker ☛ W.G.A._Strike:_Why_Your_Favorite_Shows_Could_Go_Dark⠀⇛ Michael Schulman talks with Laura Jacqmin, a veteran TV writer and a Writers Guild strike captain. Plus, the comedian and essayist Samantha Irby in conversation with Doreen St. Félix. * ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ Amazon_Delivery_Drivers_Unionized._Now_They_Have_to Prove_They_Work_For_Amazon⠀⇛ The Teamsters say that Amazon is in “complete control” of the conditions which caused drivers to organize. Amazon has declined to bargain. § Internet Policy/Net Neutrality⠀➾ * ⚓ teleSUR ☛ New_Zealand_to_Speed_Up_5G_Rollout_to_Towns,_Rural_Areas⠀⇛ “By working together with our major mobile network operators, many more Kiwis will gain access to 5G services quicker…” * ⚓ SANS ☛ The_.zip_gTLD:_Risks_and_Opportunities,_(Fri,_May_12th)⠀⇛ About ten years ago, ICANN started the “gTLD” program. “Generic TLDs” allows various brands to register their own trademark as a TLD. Instead of “google.com”, you now can have “.google”&#;x26;#;x21; Applying for a gTLD isn&#;x26;#;39;t cheap, and success isn&#;x26;#;39;t guaranteed. But since its inception, dozens of new gTLDs have been approved and started to be used [1]. § Monopolies⠀➾ * ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Korean_Air_expects_EU_antitrust_warning_on_Asiana bid_by_end-May⠀⇛ The deal in which Korean Air would become the biggest shareholder in indebted Asiana was announced in late 2020. * § Patents⠀➾ o ⚓ PATLIB2023_conference [Ed: A patent maximalists' event, organised by a coup of criminal elements, hijacking the EPO to break the law and serve special interests]⠀⇛ Further strengthening the PATLIB network, fostering new synergies in the innovation landscape. * § Copyrights⠀➾ o ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ TLC_Re-Recording_Classic_Hits_(TLC_Version) for_SongVest_Fan_Royalty_Platform⠀⇛ TLC is partnering with SongVest to re-record classic versions of its hits, giving fans an opportunity to purchase fractionalized royalties from these songs. TLC fans now have the opportunity to own a piece of their favorite songs and receive royalty payments from the group’s newly-recorded versions of their hits “No Scrubs,” “Diggin’ on You,”… o ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ UK_Government_Formally_Rejects_CMA_Proposal for_Additional_Secondary_Ticketing_Regulatory_Action⠀⇛ Back in August of 2021, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) called for “stronger laws to tackle illegal ticket resale” and published a comprehensive report on the secondary market. Now, the UK government has formally rejected the reform demands. o ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Seth_Rogen_Questions_‘Insane_Salaries’_of Streaming_Platform_CEOs_Despite_Lack_of_Profits⠀⇛ Seth Rogen is joining the chorus with Snoop Dogg asking why streaming platform profits don’t seem to end up in artists’ hands. The ongoing Writers Guild of America strike has prompted comments from Snoop Dogg, who suggested music artists might do the same to DSPs. o ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Lucian_Grainge’s_$150_Million+_Compensation Blowout_Approved_by_Universal_Music_Shareholders⠀⇛ Universal Music shareholders have approved Lucian Grainge’s $150 million+ compensation blowout despite recommendations that shareholders vote against UMG’s remuneration policy. o ⚓ New York Times ☛ Rumored_Taylor_Swift_Memoir_Is_Actually_by_K-Pop Stars_BTS⠀⇛ When rumors started swirling that the pop star was writing a book, Swifties were ready for it. But their hunt for Easter eggs led them to a different global phenomenon: BTS. o ⚓ New York Times ☛ What_I’m_Reading:_Summer-Snobs_Edition⠀⇛ Tales of status, those who have it and those who want it, are on my list. ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 6664 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 05.14.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Gemini_Links_14/05/2023:_Computers_of_the_80s,_Proportional_Coding_Fonts,_and More⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 12:37 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * Gemini*_and_Gopher o Personal o Technical # Programming * § Gemini* and Gopher⠀➾ o § Personal⠀➾ # ⚓ All_mental_is_illness⠀⇛ All mental is illness. Just ask The Lankavatara Sutra. How does a little bit ‘o thought – i.e. “I” – consistently degenerate into a horrifying lot? The opposite direction, as it were: ineffable awareness. # ⚓ Meetup,_2⠀⇛ This feels like a week of firsts. I’ve barely been out of the house the last few years, except to run errands and walk the dogs. Thursday I met a poet who was in town for a few days; last night I met friends at an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ/sushi restaurant. Two writers in one week: one of my friends’ girlfriends is technically another Twitter mutual of mine. She writes fiction and works for one of the local lit mags, and we’ve sort of known/known- of each other for a while, though always electronically. She may have read some of my submissions over the last few years. Oof, there’s a thought. o § Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ Computers_of_the_80s⠀⇛ My first computer was a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48, an 8 bit computer, I got it for christmas in 1982. When I was in the computer shop with my parents in Paris, I looked briefly at the Intellivision and Atari 2600 and I spent most of my time playing Mine Storm on the Vectrex, I was impressed by the vector graphics, meanwhile my parents were talking with the salesman about the microcomputers. # § Programming⠀➾ # ⚓ Proportional_Coding_Fonts⠀⇛ Apparently people in the world of Gemini are talking about using proportional fonts for code. I will indulge myself by expressing one small opinion, likely to cause disgust amongst some: If you use a proportional font, you should also use the tab character (ASCII value 9) for indentation. One horizontal tab character per indentation level. # ⚓ Do_you_still_feel_the_magic?⠀⇛ I’m a programmer. I don’t know why. But I’ve been programming for… over two thirds of my life now (don’t judge me). And even now, even though I’ve been traversing these abstraction layers for so long and I pretty much assume that I could tackle any software problem now given enough time (*), even now just making *small* things work has some magic to it. Not even novel ideas, just simple things. =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛ ¶ Lines in total: 6790 ➮ Generation completed at 02:41, i.e. 70 seconds to (re)generate ⟲