𝕿𝖊𝖈𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖘 Bulletin for Tuesday, September 12, 2023 ┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅ Generated Wed 13 Sep 02:53:27 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/2023/09/12/ ╒═══════════════════ 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐒 ════════════════════════════════════╕ Previous bulletins in IPFS (past 21 days, in chronological order): QmWKPms4oLgJhFJZPgySVW8kBSCBHkHuEbpSJ9Hu8w899a QmYRNEXfEKgCkNrxSJTkmHBQSawGzsT7jTG9zeGBgLZpYW QmXuNJQvwQEw7vxCEMaH6S2XP6CJWxyQPwQ5XwEnWrbwNY QmU8r9irxybJVwzTWsCaejmJ4dDWJ8vAHAHHAKEkyeufpQ QmeryNavwPZxt2XqRC8WzQsxzm8Q2aJpPrHDJjt4MVx7j9 QmV1aDkYP6Y7Yv8Eg5mojpfKfRqGkjzLoJiut9uECHzXbF QmNRJcNP3MBmn7dGr91i3qjc8AouAjwSZWUmroRDLJDj2W QmR3skFpi5NU2DwodXGtVWF1yWK1pJNg7U4BHJZ26DXmJr QmNyZCmQoHYnCZYzsD7hZtwEa43PmCo6mPJQSvxSE2bjMR QmbHjgPAAcGNUG9Sej4vSKhK8DfUYokfFkXLdKwr1JtGJG QmdLsuRLzrwb58dZaSmJah6oCmNNZ6cW4ick4chqJmHjmY QmTNR3uqcbMYjPAbbHjBqyNJb3ib8kytQvdFnATzkBFVvo QmfCHrqMLfMsHXYnQeAvVuNYt91Zw2AmMJ5mx4RqsrWy3b QmR2rr1yXDANjQBEz2oGtd2UMgy9U37FHdjpUhPfAk7h5z QmWE6ucdKk9Q1pi6ce3ko9xPWd9Y4BjpLij3W7tJ5TMjG3 QmaoEDiALTYYZdaq3SQ86aQpMwUji1nqCeLbXAoszFRYvJ QmSTkZUY74BcgbgqS6JKwwNbVnbzY5uqwpgWtYonGJua8s QmXZcp3rXLYa24pYd7jUu6sPDrhziRCNCok875WLJTLysP QmUE7nd24kx2soZFbSYKDsb1ik1wpirFTRTBhDTj6w9sjh QmdKeWBhfnjgQLYU48wto7DdStpXsB5mE1yEEnWcxQ53vu QmfSnnTnjcAe3YvtRsVgAwUJfpcEk1dM5J5yjJLyv7MxqM ╒═══════════════════ 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐗 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⦿ IRC Proceedings: Monday, September 11, 2023 | Techrights ⦿ GNU/Linux Market Share Has Doubled Since Last Summer, According to Survey (in Vietnam, 2 Out of 3 Clients Now Use Linux) | Techrights ⦿ The Death of Comedy, Corporations Offer Jobs to Silence Critics and Shut Down Opposition, and “Power Tool Product Activation” | Techrights ⦿ Vietnam’s and Other Nations’ Adoption of GNU/Linux in an Age of Rotting Financial Systems and Corporate Administrations | Techrights ䷼ Bulletin articles (as HTML) to comment on (requires login): http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/irc-log-110923/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/linux-in-vietnam/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/shutting-down-opposition/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/vietnams-and-other-nations-adoption-of-gnulinux-in-an-age-of-rotting-financial-systems-and-corporate-administrations/#comments ䷞ Followed by Daily Links (assorted news picks curated and categorised): http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/kde-plasma-5-27-8/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/one-year-without-windows/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/osi-attacking-the-osi-mission-for-microsoft/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/pgexporter-0-4-released/#comments ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 59 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/irc-log-110923/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/09/12/irc-log-110923/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 09.12.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ IRC_Proceedings:_Monday,_September_11,_2023⠀✐ Posted in IRC_Logs at 2:38 am by Needs Sunlight Also available via the Gemini protocol at: * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-techrights-110923.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-110923.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-social-110923.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-techbytes-110923.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  QmfJPV6sTYDzZ7Lue2kr58TGUd7ThWjtaSaZgZF6ZLZ9gs #boycottnovell 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #boycottnovell  QmX9KMcQgnKybHYTVESwPA4viVU7h2a7eB9bFTvzzni3sH (full IRC log 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ as plain/ASCII text) IRC log for #boycottnovell-  QmboXJeHyNicAtF9XrA3SMu3HFR7m6vjQxjXaGRttPME7J social 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #boycottnovell-  QmSzciMNyHgrPZhEuBauXNUHADt7crYFbZJBVsKLK1aVMT social 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ (full IRC log as plain/ASCII text) IRC log for  QmXmsq5ZbCy56oD5JuekdsV11Mca5xMmX741T6sLpX42ut #techbytes 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #techbytes  QmTccRQ4pyFtGoR227ahH5ZPkK5GE2NSe2DKTQD9aAYfLr (full IRC log 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ as plain/ASCII text) IRC log for  QmQWGhVw9VHgsmGwGMQsMGrEdJYCh2LNfZckNcGsVGQbgV #techrights 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇HTML5 logs⦈ (full IRC log as HTML) IRC log for #techrights  Qmdbf5WpFC2WW6hA6scKu6LbmkU2jXRPqt4VDwfE1sfvV3 (full IRC log 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ as plain/ASCII text) 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇IPFS logo⦈ § Bulletin for Yesterday⠀➾ Local_copy | CID (IPFS): QmfSnnTnjcAe3YvtRsVgAwUJfpcEk1dM5J5yjJLyv7MxqM ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 186 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/linux-in-vietnam/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/09/12/linux-in-vietnam/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 09.12.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ GNU/Linux_Market_Share_Has_Doubled_Since_Last_Summer,_According_to_Survey_(in Vietnam,_2_Out_of_3_Clients_Now_Use_Linux)⠀✐ Posted in Asia, GNU/Linux, Microsoft at 7:44 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz In Vietnam, Linux share doubled since April 2021: 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇Android_and_Linux_in_Vietnam⦈_ Underlying_data_as_OpenDocument_Format_(ODF) Windows sagged as low as 6% this past summer: 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇Vietnam_OS_stats⦈_ Globally, taking GNU/Linux into account and not counting Android at all, Windows is down to less than 30% and GNU/Linux is at over 3%: 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇The_global_share_of_GNU/Linux⦈_ Underlying_data_as_OpenDocument_Format_(ODF) So Android is at around 40%, GNU/Linux and ChromeOS at over 3%, and Windows keeps falling Summary: According to this_month’s_statistics_from_statCounter, Microsoft_is having_a_terrible_time_in_Vietnam (offering_"AI"_to_Vietnam_is_ludicrous vapourware); in the world at large Microsoft’s Windows is losing monopoly power/rents ⣿⣿⣿⠿⡿⣟⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣻⣛⣟⣻⣛⣟⣻⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣷⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠀⠻⠿⠿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣧⣤⣷⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠋⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠁⠃⠀⠀⠀⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣏⣉⣯⣵⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⡟⠛⣟⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣧⡾⢮⣦⣤⢤⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⡿⠿⣿⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠉⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣻⣿⣿⡿⠶⠷⠶⠿⠿⠿⠿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣷⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⡿⢿⠶⠷⠶⡷⡶⢶⠾⠿⢿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣷⣶⣿⣿⣾⣶⣶⣾⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠀⣿⣿⣿⠋⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣧⣤⣯⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠃⠀⣿⣿⡟⠀⠈⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⠀⢻⣿⠿⠇⠀⠀⠀⠘⠃⠀⠀⠈⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠉⢸⡿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠁⠙⠀⠘⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⣿⡟⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⡿⣛⣟⣯⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠉⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠋⠉⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ 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⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣼⣶⠈⠋⠀⠀⠀⣸⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⡇ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣶⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⡧⢰⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠛⢸⣿⡇ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠻⠟⢀⠁⠈⠙⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⢰⢸⣿⡇ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⠀⡄⢰⣿⣷⠀⠀⢹⢿⡿⠟⠁⣾⢸⣿⡇ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠏⢹⣿⣿⣿⠛⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⠆⠀⠀⠀⣰⣾⣶⣿⢸⣿⡇ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣶⡇⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⠀⢰⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⡶⣶⡶⠒⣶⣶⣶⠖⢲⣶⡶⠖⠖⠀⢀⠰⠲⣶⡆⠀⠀⠀⢶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⠶⠲⣶⡆⠐⠶⢀⡀⠒⢠⣤⠀⠀⢰⣶⣶⣶⢸⣿⡇ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⢸⣿⠀⢹⣿⣿⠀⡈⠀⡄⠹⠁⠹⠀⠀⠙⠀⣤⣤⡀⢸⡀⠂⠀⠀⠃⢰⠀⠈⠏⠸⢩⢭⣭⣤⣤⣭⣤⢤⠤⠬⢭⣭⣭⣭⡤⡥⢬⢭⣭⣭⡌⣿⡇ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠏⢀⠘⠏⣸⣄⣀⣉⡰⠷⠊⢀⠀⢰⣤⢾⣿⣶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠦⡀⠁⠰⠿⠗⠀⠀⠀⠘⠒⠚⠓⠒⠓⠛⠚⠛⠚⠚⠊⠚⠓⠓⠛⠚⠚⠛⠛⠃⣿⡇ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣿⡿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠟⠛⠛⠛⠃⠀⠀⠘⠀⠀⠁⠉⠁⠀⠀⠒⠚⠉⠉⠁⠀⠀⠁⠈⠉⠋⠁⠀⠀⠤⠤⠔⠶⠶⠤⠾⠏⠉⠹⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠇⠐⠀⠠⠀⠀⠀⠀⠐⠀⠡⠤⠆⠘⢸⣿⡇ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⡒⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⠀⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣼⣿⡇ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡁⣸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡁⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇ 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⣿⣿⣧⣴⣿⣿⣇⣶⣿⣯⣡⣾⣿⣧⣴⣿⣿⣇⣶⣿⣯⣠⣾⣿⣧⣴⣿⣿⣍⣴⣿⣯⣠⣾⣿⣧⣴⣿⣿⣅⣴⣿⣯⣠⣾⣿⣧⣰⣿⣿⣅⣴⣿⣯⣠⣾⣿⣧⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 320 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/shutting-down-opposition/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/09/12/shutting-down-opposition/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 09.12.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ The_Death_of_Comedy,_Corporations_Offer_Jobs_to_Silence_Critics_and_Shut_Down Opposition,_and_“Power_Tool_Product_Activation”⠀✐ Posted in Deception, DRM, Microsoft at 12:03 am by Guest Editorial Team Reprinted with permission from Ryan_Farmer. Corporations Offer People Jobs to Silence Critics and Shut Down the Opposition. The other day, I heard a commercial on the radio where Jim Gaffigan was shilling Walmart’s prepaid cell phones, “Straight Talk”. Even good comedians, like George Carlin, ended up doing advertising. Carlin didn’t apologize for it, nor should he have. Doing a few commercials for a phone company trying to get people to take their collect call business there wasn’t particularly unethical, and nobody was trying to cancel him or his message. (Besides, everyone knew how to use collect calls for free. You just hurried up and said the pay phone’s public phone number when it asked for your name and hung up after the other party declined the call. Then they knew which pay phone to call.) Everyone knew that George Carlin, was a fairly crass comedian, he pissed some people off, but it was the 80s, 90s, 2000s. So you had comedians like Sam Kinison, George Carlin, and Bill Hicks, and when they pissed people off, nobody cared. It wasn’t career-ending, and most people just weren’t even pissed off, they shrugged and went about their way, like grown ups used to do before everyone suddenly got so soft. Even when Gilbert Gottfried had a gaffe, he went to New York City right after 9/11 and said he would have flown, but they wanted to make a quick stop at the Chrysler Building, people shouted “Too soon, man!”, but they took it in stride. New Yorkers used to be tough. Even though Gottfried would have never worked with material like he had in the 90s, were he to start today, Disney put him in movies. He was the parrot in Aladdin, alongside Robin Williams, who also had “interesting” material. Jim Gaffigan is one of these “new” comedians. Not that funny. Not his fault, honestly. Society has become so thin-skinned that if you tell the wrong joke, you’ll never work again, so “comedy” is very sanitized now, and there’s really nothing out there that will make you fall out of your chair laughing. Most of the “fall out of your chair laughing” jokes are raunchy, socially inappropriate, a lampoon of someone that is now considered “marginalized” and “needing other people to feel offended for them”. As a gay man, I say that Married With Children was one of my favorite shows. Still is. It’s held up pretty well. Al, the every man. Al, with “the Dodge with no upholstery, no gas, and six more payments”. Al where, “I can always have more kids, but we all know that’s the only car I’ll ever be able to afford.” Al whose life went wrong because he “kept washing out and reusing a condom” which finally broke, causing him to get Peggy pregnant while they were in high school. Mind you, this was on TV, not even “premium” cable, at a time when the Moral Majority was everywhere and Ronald Reagan was in the White House! Also mind you, the United States CDC posted to “Twitter” just in 2019, I believe, that “We say it because people do it. Don’t put your condoms in the dishwasher.” Al Bundy was conveying an important public health message almost 40 years before the CDC would openly talk about condoms. When Married With Children “finally went too far”, it was the episode where Al and Steve went to a sex shop, and there were some jokes about transvestites and gay men, and I found them absolutely hysterical. My parents didn’t even care if I watched this show when I was 7-8 years old, you know. What makes Married With Children so funny is that it was a spoof of the Cosby Show. Where the Cosby Show was wholesome, and Bill Cosby was presented to people as the Moral Majority’s “TV Dad”, Al Bundy was dysfunction as all hell, not that bright, salty, and absolutely not a role model. Later, we’d find out that Bill Cosby was putting roofies in women’s drinks and raping them while they were unconscious. It’s always the people who are “too clean” that end up having the most dirty laundry, isn’t it? Bill liked pudding, in the commercials. Bill Cosby was doing Jell-O and Jell-O “puddin’” commercials. In real life, Bill liked pudding, pudding his dick where it didn’t belong. In a statement about how sick the real world actually is, his convictions were overturned by a court and he’ll die a free man while people worry about what jokes a comedian might tell. The truly great comedians are all gone. You start saying shit like this, you lose advertisers, you get canceled shows in Vegas (Carlin was in Vegas a lot), and you just “don’t work again”. So comedy has gotten rather un-funny thanks to “Social Justice Warriors”. Nobody asked me, as a gay man, if I thought Al’s trip to the sex shop was funny or not. I thought it was hysterical. It wasn’t like, some vicious anti-gay assault. But it wouldn’t have flown today. Why? Well, we have too many people like “Brandon Lobsta” (as we call him on Techrights, one of the trolls that harasses us…) claiming you can sue people for being impolite. Anyway, “Brandon Lobsta” and the rest of the modern “Left”, are like that stupid lady in Michigan who complained about “Al Bundy” to the FCC, but even back then, the network just went to the producers and said “tone it down, just a little, okay?” and they went on to make fun of “some lady in Michigan” on a future episode. But Jim Gaffigan, the closest he got to funny, the thing that made him notable at all, was the Hot Pockets routine. You can’t roast people, but you can call garbage Nestle “food” products, “Diarrhea Pockets” and go into all sorts of vitriol about how much you hate the barbecue beef. I read that after he started this routine, Nestle tried to hire him to do Hot Pockets commercials. Control the opposition. “If we hire him, he’ll stop telling people how bad Hot Pockets are. His routine is bad for the brand. Hiring him will be cheap.” It reminded me of when Apple tried to hire Linus Torvalds in 2000. Steve Jobs said they’d give him a lot of money and an important title at Apple, and he’d work on “the UNIX with the largest user base”. He refused. Linux is the “*nix” with the largest user base now. Across the widest variety of computers. Mac OS is falling apart and many of the people who attempted to use it as UNIX even admit it and switch to Linux. The stipulation to take the job at Apple was he’d have to quit working on Linux forever. Steve Jobs realized, years ahead of Android (Linux powers their iPhone competitor and has stopped Apple from gaining the other 86% of the global phone market), that Linux would be a problem for Apple someday and they should nip it in the bud. It would have been cheap, and it would have been brilliant (for Apple), if he took the bait, and the appeals to ego. Hell, the Mac might actually be a more serious operating system today if it had an actual kernel programmer that knew what he was doing working at Apple. The time period also was around the point that Steve Jobs tried to convince Richard Stallman to allow Apple to violate the GNU GPL and create a proprietary Objective-C compiler for GCC. When Stallman refused and told him the FSF would take action, we got a Free Software compiler for Objective-C. Later, Apple replaced GCC with a different compiler platform that does not generate very good compiled code, but it is under a license that allows proprietary compiler front-ends. The threat of “controlling the opposition” and keeping things “corporate friendly”, with stuff that seems innocent enough, like “Codes of Conduct” will always be out there. The powers that be have already done enormous damage this way. Being aware of the problems can help us avoid more. Apple didn’t manage to kill Linux or GCC, but they tried, through sabotage and appeals to vanity and ego. Clang has done enormous damage to the goal of having Free Software compiler tools. Mozilla even defamed the GNU Project, lied and said Clang produced better binaries, and then sabotaged the build environment for Firefox if you use GCC. (They don’t update the build system for that and so it’s basically lost its optimization options that way.) While we’re dealing with all of these “Leftist Karens” who get mad about comedy, we face bigger issues. Real issues. Today, I was listening to NPR while I was bored. They tipped me off to something Home Depot and Lowes are going to do. They’re going to sell power tools that_don’t_work_if_you_don’t_buy_them. They have “bluetooth” something-or-other, and of course it’s the future so “blockchain blockchain!”, and next it’ll be “AI!”. Maybe they can bring Microsoft in and create DeWalt 365 or something, where you have to subscribe to your power saw and if you don’t pay them $6.99 a month forever after you buy it, you can’t work. Also, no work for days when Azure crashes. It can be just like Microsoft Office. Sure it could start out as an anti-shoplifting measure, then you’ll have to pay a fee every month to keep using tools you own. Crazy? Hardly. My mechanic couldn’t do an alignment on my car several months ago because the activation server for the computer that runs the machine from Snap-On wouldn’t respond. When they called the vendor, Snap-On says “Oh we don’t support Windows XP anymore. So you’ll need a new machine running Windows 11, and we’re going to bill you for all the hardware on the rack, because it won’t work with the new computer. Also, it’s a monthly subscription now. Their attitude is, you need it to work. What are you going to do about it? Like Microsoft. The CEO of Home Depot says that the change is supposed to be less visible than putting the power tools behind locked cases or something. That they don’t want to “Look like an armed encampment” to the customers there to pickup their “hammers and nails”. The CEOs of the major hardware chains tend to be a bunch of MAGA people, really awful people. You know. “Spike the homeless, cut food stamps, kill Social Security! What? They’re stealing power tools? PRODUCT ACTIVATORS!” Perhaps, eventually, they can be like Walmart, cutting my spouse’s hours while they pay off duty police officers to stand there and not do anything about the arsonists and looters, but they have plenty of time for writing my license plate in their little clipbook for parking in a yellow zone (not a fire zone, not a handy crapped spot) for 2 minutes. When I go there to pick him up now, I just circle the parking lot following the arrows, at idle speed. Instead of getting out of the way, I can just let my car loop around a few times real slow until he comes out. I’m really glad to know they’re paying these people $25 an hour to mind where I idle for a couple minutes, but the CEOs still scream of “shrink”. █ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 651 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/09/12/vietnams-and-other-nations-adoption-of-gnulinux-in-an-age-of-rotting-financial-systems-and-corporate-administrations/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/09/12/vietnams-and-other-nations-adoption-of-gnulinux-in-an-age-of-rotting-financial-systems-and-corporate-administrations/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 09.12.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Vietnam’s_and_Other_Nations’_Adoption_of_GNU/Linux_in_an_Age_of_Rotting Financial_Systems_and_Corporate_Administrations⠀✐ Posted in America, Asia, GNU/Linux, Microsoft at 6:49 am by Guest Editorial Team Reprinted with permission from Ryan_Farmer. Also available in Gemini. More car thoughts about economics. As America falls over and stores complain about how much they lose to theft, I have some more musings on what’s going on with Capitalism in America. Capitalism, makes bad products, ones that even violate the minimum safety regulations that theoretically exist in America, and nobody does anything about it. About 10 years ago, I was broke, and I was looking for ways to save money on almost anything I could. When I went to the Dollar Tree, where everything really was $1, I bought some bags of coffee. They said, “Product of Vietnam”, but they were $1. So I bought several bags and figured I was done buying coffee for the month. When I got home, and brewed a pot, it left a plastic-like residue all over my coffee maker carafe, and I had to chisel it apart with a butter knife before I could use the coffee maker again. I have no idea what that stuff was, but needless to say I did not drink the coffee. I’ve bought a couple other products there before I realized completely what Dollar Tree actually was. It’s not a way to be frugal, it’s a false economy. They aim for low prices, because so many people in America can’t afford anything better, and it does not matter at all if any of the products are “good”, at least on some level. When I read that Dollar Tree is complaining about rampant theft, I because quite concerned about the current situation in America and what it means for the future. Previously, for an item to be considered worthy of theft, it had to appeal to people who would see it as sort of a “religious artifact”, yet didn’t have the money that a Capitalist economy demands for such a thing. Consider the $300-600 Air Jordan shoes, and how there are so many ways people get them. From smash-and-grab retail theft, to working a lot to buy just one pair of shoes, which cost 10-20 times what a perfectly good unbranded pair of shoes cost, to even using rent-to-own, and paying $1,200 for the shoes, eventually. Marx gave us the concept of “Commodity Fetishism”. It’s when an object loses its appeal over its utilitarian value to the consumer, and takes on, sort of a life of its own, being given an, almost mystical or mythological qualities in the person’s mind. Consider Apple products. They have very little utilitarian value. If you want a set of earbuds, you can get something as good as AirPods for no more than $40, yet Apple charges up to, I think $300 for a codec with a battery and a little plastic. This is commodity fetishism. People are encouraged through advertising, to pay for their own brainwashing, and a premium for an otherwise limited-value proposition. People who fall victim to fetishism of commodities will end up paying too much for everything from coffee to computers. While there is definitely a point where things get too cheap to possibly be good in a Capitalist economy ($1 coffee or $1 3.5 oz frozen ribeye steaks at the dollar store), there’s also a point where you get a good product, but you’re paying 10 times as much as you should, because there was a point where the utilitarian value of the purchase leveled off, and it was a long time ago. So now you’re in debt to the “credit card” people and the “finance company”, and reality sets in that the product did not raise your standard of living, but you are paying for them fooling you. Commodity fetishism leads to high levels of debt and dissatisfaction. When people say that nobody in America is poor because they all have flat screens and nice shoes, that’s what this means. You have no….money, per se, but Capitalism has made you rich in flat screen TVs, BMW cars, Apple phones, AirPods, Air Jordans, and Kirby vacuums… (I know, you just opened the door and before you knew it, the guy had you signing papers, and you don’t even have any carpet!) If a product is actually so much better that it earns its high price, then this isn’t automatically commodity fetishism, but this is a rarity. “A religion may be discerned in capitalism – that is to say, capitalism serves essentially to allay the same anxieties, torments, and disturbances to which the so-called religions offered answers.” “Capitalism is probably the first instance of a cult that creates guilt, not atonement.” – Walter Benjamin, Capitalism as Religion Most people born in America engage in Commodity Fetishism. It’s almost inevitable thanks to the cradle to grave brainwashing that you’re only one product away from happiness. Hell, I don’t know ONE person who isn’t affected by this lunacy, except me, and I must confess there have been times. But it seems everyone else I know has it so much worse. 70 hour work weeks and the whole Amazon warehouse in their closet. They don’t even open the boxes anymore. It’s rather disgusting. But human nature is to be greedy, and advertisers like this. Even in the Soviet Union, where you could get into huge trouble for having an underground dance club with Western music, booze, cigarettes, and clothing, they happened and the government was never successful in shutting them down although some did get raided. One of the latest, and weirdest, phenomenons of Capitalism is their belief that they can eventually replace most workers with “AI”. The third world…the third world….the southern hemisphere! The third world…..the third world….the southern hemisphere……A stop_job_is_running_1m_30s…. The computer is rebooting NOW….Reason: User pressed Ctrl-Alt-Del 5 times…..hangs. *sigh* *Holds in the power button.* -Joe Biden’s Brain and Karen Jean-Pierre When Bonehead Biden was in Vietnam the other day, where_his_brain_took_another dump_on_him_mid-sentence and he started saying “The third world, the third world, the southern hemisphere.” followed by a word salad and Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre quickly rushing the demented old coot off the stage, it was said that the United States will have Microsoft “export AI” to Vietnam. One does wonder what a “Communist worker’s state” will do with “Microsoft AI”, which has lost its novelty, and which people here don’t really use much anymore. As soon as people got tired of ELIZA on Steroids, they started leaving “ChatGPT” alone. The barely noticeable uptick in Bing market share quickly evaporated. Again, what are Communists going to do with a chat bot? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? The closest thing we have to a Communist Party in America is something called “RevCom” for Revolutionary Communism. I only became aware of it while I was in South Chicago for a while. I don’t think any of them have been brushing up on Marx. It’s a bit, uhm, dry reading, and the people calling themselves Revolutionary Communists don’t strike me as big readers who know a lot of five dollar words. I’ve never encountered, actual Communists, in America. The label is so toxic that the only people using it officially are derelicts who have nothing and are pissed. Even people who are basically Communists here swear up and down that they’re not. They’re Democrats, or Socialists, or Democratic Socialists, or they make up new words. Anything but Communism. What does amaze me is how a country that takes away everything from people and leaves them homeless or dying from lack of food or medical care, has been so good about suppressing revolt. The United States has been unbelievably more successful with violently suppressing dissent than the Soviet Union was. There came a point where so many people in the Soviet Union were so dissatisfied with it that it broke apart, and instead of murdering EVERYONE eventually the powers that be let it go. That rather says a lot about America, I think. We have long since crossed the point where people would replace it with something else if they possibly could. If they had the power to change things. Except that our government always credibly threatens “the most vicious dogs” and “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” (two of Trump’s best), and people just quietly go back inside their home (or tent) and quit “causing trouble”, again. There’s something different that’s happening this time, though. More people are just going into the stores and taking things and they don’t even care if the police are watching them. They have no job, despite the fake government statistics saying everyone is flush with cash, well fed, and gainfully employed. Communist governments would be too ashamed to produce statistics such as the ones that the Bureau of Labor Statistics has gotten away with. When Trump had them make a “math error” to not count a million unemployed people, Barack Obama stepped in and claimed nobody at BLS would ever lie to us. Oh sure, right. (The same BLS that says the dollar has only lost two-thirds of its value since I was born in 1984, through 2023, when I’ve seen it lose at least that much as it pertains to rent and food since 2003.) They’re all swamp monsters. Trump was just one that didn’t get along with the rest. Everyone who has been paying attention to this country knows that this is not a happy crew and that our current president is basically full-on Weekend at Bernie’s because his mind is so gone. Turns out, we don’t even need a president, because they can put documents in front of a confused old man and have him sign ’em. Maybe that’s how they got him to say Microsoft will export AI to Vietnam. One of the only things that a lot of Communist governments did get right was basing a national operating system on GNU/Linux. This isn’t actually just about Communism trying to provide affordable technology for its citizens. It’s a national security issue. Windows is horribly architected and impossible to secure. It’s also got built-in spyware for the US government. You would have to be retarded to rely on something like this from an enemy country that wants to keep tabs on you. It’s not just Communists that are ripping Windows and other US tech out of their computing, and a lot of it is because Microsoft is also an economic drain on their country’s economy. But that’s not even the main concern. I just fail to see how wasting money on some Microsoft chat bot is going to help them when their government throws Windows out because it doesn’t want to be the victim of espionage. Maybe they just don’t actually plan to use it for anything but had to do something to get the corrupt Bernie_Lomax Biden Administration to open talks with Vietnam. █ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 990 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 09.12.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Links_12/09/2023:_KDE_Plasma_5.27.8⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 12:01 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * GNU/Linux o Desktop/Laptop o Server o Audiocasts/Shows o Kernel_Space o Graphics_Stack o Applications o Instructionals/Technical o Games o Desktop_Environments/WMs # K_Desktop_Environment/KDE_SC/Qt * Distributions_and_Operating_Systems o Debian_Family o Canonical/Ubuntu_Family o Devices/Embedded o Mobile_Systems/Mobile_Applications * Free,_Libre,_and_Open_Source_Software o Productivity_Software/LibreOffice/Calligra o GNU_Projects o Programming/Development # Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh o Standards/Consortia * § GNU/Linux⠀➾ o § Desktop/Laptop⠀➾ # ⚓ 9to5Linux ☛ TUXEDO_Aura_Linux_Laptops_Now_Come_with_Wi-Fi 6E,_LTE_Modem,_and_TPM_2.0⠀⇛ The Gen3 TUXEDO Aura 14 and 15 laptops come with an Intel Core i5-1235U processor with 10 cores and 12 threads, Intel Iris Xe graphics, as well as 15 watts TDP, up to 64G DDR4 RAM, up to 4TB M.2 SSD PCIe Gen4 storage, a Full HD 1080p webcam with privacy shutter, and a 49 Wh battery with optional USB-C charging. Two models are available, TUXEDO Aura 14 with a 14.0 inch display and TUXEDO Aura 15 with a 15.6 inch display. Both displays are Full HD with a 1920×1080 pixels resolution, up to 100% sRGB, around 300 nits brightness, 1200:1 contrast for Aura 14 and 800:1 contrast for Aura 15, and a non- glare (matte) coating. # ⚓ Beta News ☛ TUXEDO’s_3rd_gen_Linux-optimized_Aura_notebooks are_powerful_and_affordable⠀⇛ As students start heading back to school, TUXEDO ushers in the third generation of their acclaimed Aura laptop line. These notebooks will provide high-quality Linux-optimized computing for the everyday user. Best of all, these computers are very affordable too. Aura 14, the most compact of the series boasts an ultra-mobile, lightweight but durable partial aluminum frame. It’s built to efficiently navigate everyday tasks, leveraging the strength of the Intel Core i5-1235U and its 2 performance and 8 efficiency cores. Users can select from a range of RAM options – 8, 16, 32, or even 64GB of speedy DDR4, complemented by an SSD that expands up to 4TB. o § Server⠀➾ # ⚓ Unix Men ☛ Data_Security_and_Privacy_in_Cloud_Migration [Ed: Linkspam_disguised_as_“advice”_about_“Linux_and_Unix”]⠀⇛ Cloud-based computing has revolutionized the way businesses operate. It provides secure data storage as well as cost-efficient access to vast amounts of information. # ⚓ Kubernetes Blog ☛ Comparing_Local_Kubernetes_Development Tools:_Telepresence,_Gefyra,_and_mirrord_|_Kubernetes⠀⇛ The Kubernetes development cycle is an evolving landscape with a myriad of tools seeking to streamline the process. Each tool has its unique approach, and the choice often comes down to individual project requirements, the team’s expertise, and the preferred workflow. Among the various solutions, a category we dubbed “Local K8S Development tools” has emerged, which seeks to enhance the Kubernetes development experience by connecting locally running components to the Kubernetes cluster. This facilitates rapid testing of new code in cloud conditions, circumventing the traditional cycle of Dockerization, CI, and deployment. In this post, we compare three solutions in this category: Telepresence, Gefyra, and our own contender, mirrord. o § Audiocasts/Shows⠀➾ # ⚓ Late_Night_Linux_–_Episode_246⠀⇛ The Steam Deck pushes Linux gaming stats over a small but significant threshold, why you should definitely switch from Chrome to Firefox, Microsoft throws its legal weight behind its generative AI, a quick KDE Xorner, and more. # ⚓ Petros Koutoupis ☛ [Old]_Reality_2.0_Episode_149: Everything_Is_Personal⠀⇛ New episode of the Reality 2.0 podcast is uploaded and out today: Reality 2.0 Episode 149: Everything Is Personal. Tune in to our new episode!… # ⚓ Linux in the Ham Shack ☛ [Old]_[Linux_in_the_Ham_Shack]_LHS Episode_#509:_The_Weekender_CV⠀⇛ It’s time once again for The Weekender. This is our departure into the world of hedonism, random topic excursions, whimsy and (hopefully) knowledge. # ⚓ Linux in the Ham Shack ☛ [Old]_LHS_Episode_#512:_The Weekender_CVI⠀⇛ It’s time once again for The Weekender. This is our departure into the world of hedonism, random topic excursions, whimsy and (hopefully) knowledge. Thanks for listening and, if you happen … o § Kernel Space⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Magazine ☛ KSMBD_Has_Finally_Reached_a_Stable_State⠀⇛ KSMBD (Kernel SMB Daemon) is the in-kernel module, developed by Samsung, that implements the SMB/CIFS protocol for sharing files and folders over a network. SMB3 server could take the place of the traditional Samba software. KSMBD was originally merged for Linux 5.15 but was tagged as experimental. That came about in 2021, and it’s taken some time to get KSMBD to a state that was considered stable. That time has come, and KSMBD is planned for Linux kernel 6.6. But why is KSMBD important? First off, it promises considerable performance gains and better support for modern features such as Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA). KSMBD also supports a number of features such as multiple dialects (SMB2.1, SMB3.0, SMB3.1), oplock cache mechanism, compound requests, ACL, and DCE/RPC. o § Graphics Stack⠀➾ # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ VKD3D-Proton_v2.10_brings_various_game fixes,_DirectStorage_additions_and_lots_more⠀⇛ VKD3D-Proton, the tool that translates Direct3D 12 to Vulkan for Steam Play Proton, has a brand new release out with version 2.10 and it’s an exciting one. And hey, I’m actually on time with this news unlike DXVK v2.3… # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ DXVK_2.3_has_game_fixes_for_The_Sims_2, Tomb_Raider_Anniversary,_Far_Cry_2⠀⇛ Somehow, I missed that DXVK 2.3 went out last week. So here’s a run over what’s new for this Vulkan- based translation layer that converts Direct3D 9/ 10/11 for Wine and Proton. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ DXVK-NVAPI_0.6.4_out_now_expanding_HDR support⠀⇛ DXVK-NVAPI is an alternative NVAPI (NVIDIA API) implementation used with DXVK and VKD3D-Proton for running Windows games on Linux and Steam Deck through Proton. o § Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Links ☛ 16_Best_Free_and_Open_Source_Linux_Earth Science_Software⠀⇛ Linux has a particularly strong and mature set of scientific software including a wide range of open source earth science software. We have not forgotten about astronomy software, but we’ve previously published recent articles on the finest astronomy software and astronomical data analysis tools. To provide an insight into the open source software that is available, we have compiled a list of 16 of our favorite earth science software. Hopefully, there will be something of interest here for budding scientists that need to work with large amounts of data with spatial attributes. Here’s our findings for each of the software. Here’s our ratings chart in the legendary LinuxLinks-style. # ⚓ TecMint ☛ 15_Best_Open_Source_Music_Making_Software_for Linux_in_2023⠀⇛ Are you a music producer and use Linux as your primary operating system, then music production is going to become easy for you after reading this article. There is good music production software in Linux just as it is in Windows and Mac OS, though a few features may vary, but the underlying functionalities mostly are the same. o § Instructionals/Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ Writer_Guide_7.6_is_Ready_for_You!⠀⇛ Jean H. Weber (photo) and the Documentation Team are happy to announce the immediate availability of the Writer Guide 7.6, the latest update based on the recently released LibreOffice 7.6 Writer is the word-processing application. It is compatible with a wide range of document formats including Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx), and you can export your work in several formats including PDF. Anyone who wants to get up to speed quickly with Writer will find this book valuable. You may be new to word processing software, or you may be familiar with another office suite. The Writer Guide 7.6 incorporates the latest features of the software release including the Themes management for better MS Word compatibility, the accessibility checker used to produce accessible document and the Styles Spotlight to assist user in the best practices in document editing with styles. # § idroot⠀➾ # ⚓ ID Root ☛ How_To_Install_Kubernetes_on_AlmaLinux_9⠀⇛ In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Kubernetes on AlmaLinux 9. In the realm of modern container orchestration, Kubernetes has emerged as the gold standard for managing containerized applications at scale. AlmaLinux 9, a robust and dependable Linux distribution, serves as an excellent foundation for hosting Kubernetes clusters. # ⚓ ID Root ☛ How_To_Fix_“E:_Unable_to_Locate_Package” Error_on_Ubuntu⠀⇛ If you’re an Ubuntu user who has encountered the “E: Unable to Locate Package” error, you’re not alone. # ⚓ ID Root ☛ How_To_Install_Wireshark_on_Debian_12⠀⇛ In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Wireshark on Debian 12. Wireshark, the acclaimed open-source network protocol analyzer, is a crucial tool for network administrators, security professionals, and anyone seeking insights into network traffic. # ⚓ It’s FOSS ☛ Install_and_Use_Additional_Gedit_Color_Themes⠀⇛ Don’t like the default looks for the Gedit text editor? You can surely try to change the color themes. Here’s how to do that. # ⚓ Dan Langille ☛ Bacula:_copying_jobs_from_one_bacula-sd_to another_bacula-sd_on_FreeBSD⠀⇛ I’m moving some backups from one bacula-sd to another bacula-sd. If you don’t know what that means, this is not the post for you. You need more Bacula knowledge. I’m retiring a host and moving some of the backups on that host to another host. # ⚓ [Updated] Linux Handbook ☛ Proxmox_Series_#8:_Upgrading Proxmox_version⠀⇛ As the final chapter of the Proxmox series, learn how to upgrade Proxmox version. # ⚓ Linux Handbook ☛ Proxmox_Series_#7:_Clustering_and_High Availability⠀⇛ One of my favorite features of Proxmox is its ability to form clusters from multiple nodes (servers). # ⚓ OSTechNix ☛ How_To_Easily_Configure_Flatpak_Apps Permissions_With_Flatseal⠀⇛ Flatpak is a software deployment tool that aims to simplify software distribution and usage on Linux. It was primarily developed to contain applications in a secure virtual sandbox, allowing users to operate applications without the need for root privileges, all while not compromising the system’s security. Since Flatpak apps are housed within this sandbox environment, they must request permissions to access other parts of the operating system, hardware devices (like Bluetooth, network, etc.) and sockets (like pulseaudio, ssh-auth, cups, etc.). This guide teaches you how to easily configure Flatpak apps permissions with Flatseal on Linux. # ⚓ RoseHosting ☛ How_to_Install_Odoo_on_Debian_12⠀⇛ Odoo (previously known as OpenERP) is a collection of open source Business applications. The most utilized components or modules for Odoo are Point of Sale (POS), Stock, CRM, Website, Live Chat, eCommerce, Invoicing, Accounting, Warehouse, etc. # ⚓ TecMint ☛ Apache_Virtual_Hosting:_Name-Based_and_IP-Based Virtual_Hosts_in_RHEL_Systems⠀⇛ Virtual Hosting is a concept where multiple websites or domains are hosted on a single server, which is done to reduce resource overhead and running costs of a business or organization. Apache web server simplifies hosting multiple sites by allowing system administrators to easily configure virtual hosts for each website. Virtual hosting can either be IP-based or name-based. o § Games⠀➾ # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Toaplan_Arcade_Shoot_‘Em_Up_Collection Vol.2_definitely_delivers⠀⇛ If you’re a fan of retro games and you love your shoot ‘em ups, you should check out Toaplan Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up Collection Vol.2. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Deckbuilding_RPG_‘Gordian_Quest’_gets_Steam Deck_Verified⠀⇛ Need some more deckbuilding? Gordian Quest looks great and it recently became Steam Deck Verified, with the developer talking about the work involved in it. Nice to see more developers improving their older games like this! # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ PSP_emulator_PPSSPP_adds_RetroAchievements support⠀⇛ PPSSPP is a free and open source emulator for the Sony PSP, with release 1.16 out now adding in support for the popular RetroAchievements project. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Sid_Meier’s_Alpha_Centauri_gets_an_in- development_open_source_remake⠀⇛ Seems like another classic is getting revived with the power of open source. Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri from 1999 has a remake in progress called GLSMAC. All unofficial, like most open source reimplementations and it’s early days for the project but it’s showing a lot of promise. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ RollerCoaster_Tycoon_2_reimplementation OpenRCT2_gets_a_new_title_theme⠀⇛ The team and community behind OpenRCT2, the open source re-implementation of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 have a brand new update out which includes some fun changes like a whole new title theme. # ⚓ Linux Links ☛ Understanding_RNG_(Random_Number_Generators) in_Linux-based_Casino_Games⠀⇛ In the ever-evolving world of online gaming, RNG stands as a beacon of trust, and Linux is at the heart of ensuring this trust is never broken. With its transparent, community-driven approach, Linux is poised to continue driving the future of RNG in online casino games, ensuring fairness and excitement for all players. o § Desktop Environments/WMs⠀➾ # § K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt⠀➾ # ⚓ ZDNet ☛ I_tested_KDE_Plasma_6_and_found_it_very familiar._Here’s_why_that’s_a_good_thing⠀⇛ When I first heard that KDE Plasma 6 was on the way, I immediately assumed it would be a major release with big changes. After all, the development and design team rarely fails to make a splash with a new release. But when I downloaded the unstable version of KDE Neon (which includes KDE Plasma 6), I was quite surprised to find the default layout and functionality to seem just as it was with the previous iteration. # ⚓ 9to5Linux ☛ KDE_Plasma_5.27.8_Improves_Hybrid_Sleep and_Monitoring_of_NVIDIA_GPUs⠀⇛ Coming six weeks after KDE Plasma 5.27.7, the KDE Plasma 5.27.8 update is here to add support for the new cross-desktop accent color standard to the KDE desktop portal implementation (xdg-desktop-portal-kde), improve Hybrid Sleep, and improve monitoring of NVIDIA GPUs on multi-GPU systems with Plasma System Monitor. KDE Plasma 5.27.8 is also here to fix a bug preventing the Night Color feature from being properly deactivated after waking up your computer from sleep at a time when it should’ve turned off automatically, as well as to improve taking screenshots with the Spectacle app on Plasma X11 sessions. # ⚓ KDE ☛ KDE_Plasma_5.27.8,_Bugfix_Release_for September⠀⇛ Today KDE releases a bugfix update to KDE Plasma 5, versioned 5.27.8. Plasma 5.27 was released in February 2023 with many feature refinements and new modules to complete the desktop experience. This release adds five months’ worth of new translations and fixes from KDE’s contributors. The bugfixes are typically small but important and include… * § Distributions and Operating Systems⠀➾ o § Debian Family⠀➾ # ⚓ 9to5Linux ☛ Linux_Mint_Debian_Edition_6_“Faye”_Is_Now Available_for_Public_Beta_Testing⠀⇛ Based on the Debian GNU/Linux 12 “Bookworm” operating system series, Linux Mint Debian Edition 6 is powered by the long-term supported Linux 6.1 LTS kernel series and features the latest Cinnamon 5.8 desktop environment that was introduced with the Linux Mint 21.2 “Victoria” release in July 2023. LMDE 6 contains all the changes of Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon and it appears to use PipeWire as the default audio backend. Other than that, you’ll get a solid Debian base, all of the goodies of the Cinnamon 5.8 desktop, improved support for Flatpak apps, and a global Dark Mode setting to support GTK4/libadwaita apps. o § Canonical/Ubuntu Family⠀➾ # ⚓ Linuxiac ☛ Ubuntu_23.10_to_Introduce_an_Experimental_TPM- Backed_FDE⠀⇛ Trusted Platform Module (TPM) full disk encryption is a security technology that combines hardware and software to protect the data stored on a computer’s hard drive. It is a hardware-based component, a microcontroller, that is typically integrated into a computer’s motherboard and provides various security-related functions, one of which is helping to secure encryption keys used for full disk encryption. For the past 15 years, Ubuntu’s solution to full disk encryption has relied on the well-known Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS), with users authenticated via passphrases. At the same time, on Ubuntu Core 20 and subsequent versions, full disk encryption has been implemented using trusted platform modules (TPMs). # ⚓ DebugPoint ☛ Ubuntu_23.10_(Mantic_Minotaur):_Best_New Features⠀⇛ Ubuntu 23.10, code-named “Mantic Minotaur” release, is gearing up as the final short-term release of 2023. With a support duration of nine months, this release aims to enhance Ubuntu’s core infrastructure while embracing new packages and cutting-edge technology. Let’s find out the best new features of Ubuntu 23.10. o § Devices/Embedded⠀➾ # ⚓ The Atlantic ☛ Car_Hackers_Are_Out_for_Blood⠀⇛ The Tesla in question was equipped with heated rear seats, but the feature is hidden behind a paywall and activated only after the driver forks over $300. To get around that, three Ph.D. students from Technische Universität Berlin, along with an independent researcher (and the Tesla’s owner), say they physically tampered with the voltage supply that powers the car’s infotainment system. This allowed them to essentially glitch the computer, in the process gaining access to the rear heated seats free of charge. By “jailbreaking” the car, they were also able to access many of its internal systems and private user data. “We are not the evil outsider, but we’re actually the insider, we own the car,” one of the researchers told TechCrunch last month ahead of a cybersecurity conference where they presented their findings. “And we don’t want to pay these $300 for the rear-heated seats.” # ⚓ Linux Gizmos ☛ SemiDrive-based_CPU_module_aims_for industrial_applications⠀⇛ # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Balloon-Eye_View_Via_Ham_Radio⠀⇛ If you’ve ever thought about launching a high- altitude balloon, there’s much to consider. One of the things is how do you stream video down so that you — and others — can enjoy the fruits of your labor? You’ll find advice on that and more in a recent post from [scd31]. You’ll at least enjoy the real-time video recorded from the launch that you can see below. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ This_Arduino_Debugger_Uses_The_CH552⠀⇛ One of the things missing from the “classic” Arduino experience is debugging. That’s a shame, too, because the chips used have that capability. However, the latest IDE has the ability to work with external debuggers and if you want to get started with a classic ATMega Arduino, [deqing] shows you how to get started with a cheap CH552 8- bit USB microcontroller board as the debugging dongle. o § Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ Explainer:_Why_are_Android_devices_prone_to_malware_and_how can_users_guard_against_it?_–_TODAY⠀⇛ # ⚓ Notebook Check ☛ Nokia_G42_touted_as_new_Super_Fast_5G Android_smartphone_on_launch_–_NotebookCheck.net_News⠀⇛ # ⚓ 9to5Google ☛ Threads_for_Android_gets_themed_icon,_other updates⠀⇛ # ⚓ Digital Trends ☛ Fairphone_5_review:_the_Android_phone_that lasts_for_years_|_Digital_Trends⠀⇛ # ⚓ Indian Express ☛ Gmail_app_on_Android_might_soon_get ‘Select_All’_option⠀⇛ # ⚓ SlashGear ☛ 5_Essential_Android_Auto_Utility_Apps_You Should_Have_Installed⠀⇛ # ⚓ Make Use Of ☛ 7_Helpful_Android_Tips_to_Curb_Your_Mobile Gaming_Addiction⠀⇛ # ⚓ Giz China ☛ Google’s_Long-Awaited_Android_TV_Redesign:_A Closer_Look⠀⇛ # ⚓ Hindustan Times ☛ Indian_government_warns_Android_phone users_of_dangerous_vulnerabilities;_do_this_now_|_Tech_News⠀⇛ # ⚓ SlashGear ☛ Here’s_How_You_Can_Use_Android_Auto_To_Control Your_Smart_Home⠀⇛ # ⚓ SlashGear ☛ How_To_Enable_Smart_Lock_On_Android_(And_Why You_Might_Want_To)⠀⇛ # ⚓ SlashGear ☛ This_Handy_Android_Lifehack_Allows_You_To_Read Webpages_Offline⠀⇛ # ⚓ XDA ☛ Motorola’s_popular_wireless_Android_Auto_adapter_is now_just_$70_in_this_limited-time_deal⠀⇛ # ⚓ The_Best_Android_Match_Three_Puzzlers_–_Droid_Gamers⠀⇛ # ⚓ 9to5Google ☛ OnePlus_11_gets_its_first_Android_14_beta update⠀⇛ # ⚓ GSM Arena ☛ vivo_announces_Android_14-based_Funtouch_OS_14 Preview_Program_for_X90_Pro_–_GSMArena.com_news⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Authority ☛ OnePlus_11_gets_first_taste_of_Android 14_with_OxygenOS_14_Open_Beta_-⠀⇛ # ⚓ What_Android_can_do_to_be_more_like_Apple_–_Phandroid⠀⇛ # ⚓ CBC ☛ All_TTC_subway_riders_getting_cellphone_service starting_Oct._3,_federal_minister_says⠀⇛ Champagne said that following an expedited public consultation process, “the licences of all major carriers will be revised to ensure that all TTC riders will now be able to have coverage in the subway system in Toronto.” * § Free, Libre, and Open Source Software⠀➾ o § Productivity Software/LibreOffice/Calligra⠀➾ # ⚓ Linuxiac ☛ LibreOffice_7.6_Hits_1.5_Million_Downloads⠀⇛ LibreOffice’s success story is, in many ways, the epitome of open-source software’s potential. It is a testament to the collaborative spirit of the global open-source community. One of the primary reasons behind LibreOffice’s popularity is its comprehensive suite of tools. From the powerful Writer to the versatile Calc and the dynamic Impress, this impressive office suite ensures that users have all the tools they need to accomplish their tasks efficiently. o § GNU Projects⠀➾ # ⚓ FSF ☛ The_GNU_System_is_turning_forty:_Come_and_celebrate with_us⠀⇛ The GNU Project is turning forty. Come and celebrate this event with us together with kith and kin! For those of you located in the United States, the Free Software Foundation (FSF), the sponsor of the GNU Project, is preparing a family hackday in Boston, MA. For those located in the European Union, the GNU Project is organizing a hacker meeting in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. # ⚓ FSF ☛ Call_for_Volunteers:_Flyering_for_the_fortieth anniversary_of_GNU⠀⇛ The fortieth anniversary of the GNU System is an excellent opportunity to bring free software to the attention of the people around us. By helping us invite people to this event, you will be helping to promote computer user freedom. Together, let’s show the people of Boston what free software is all about! Volunteering is a way to directly support the FSF’s work, have a great time meeting other free software enthusiasts, swap stories, and graze like a gnu. If you volunteer, you might just make some friends — and you will certainly make some memories. o § Programming/Development⠀➾ # ⚓ Rlang ☛ First_Publicly_Available_R-Based_Submission_Package Submitted_to_FDA_(Pilot_3)⠀⇛ The pilot 3 test submission is an example of an all R submission package following eCTD specifications. These include the installation and loading of the proprietary {pilot3} R package and other open- source R packages, R scripts for the analysis data model (ADaM) datasets from pilot 3 and tables, listings, figures (TLFs) from pilot 1, analysis data reviewer’s guide (adrg), and other required eCTD components. To our knowledge, this is the first publicly available R-based FDA submission package, which includes R scripts to generate ADaM datasets and TLFs. We hope this submission package and our learnings can serve as a good reference for future R-based regulatory submissions from different sponsors. Additional agency feedback will be shared in future communications. [...] # ⚓ Doug Brown ☛ Porting_my_Mac_ROM_SIMM_programmer_from_AVR_to ARM⠀⇛ Long story short, I was able to get the firmware working with the AT90USB1286, but it was more difficult than I thought it would be. For some strange reason, the 646 and 1286 have a subtle difference other than the flash size: the USB PLL bits have different meanings. Debugging this remotely without hardware of my own was “fun” to say the least, but I got it working! (Will offered to send me one, which was very kind, but I declined and later built my own.) I was able to automatically detect the chip type at runtime so that the same firmware binary could be used on both variants. # ⚓ Matt Rickard ☛ The_Low-Hanging_Fruit⠀⇛ Finding the “low-hanging fruit” is not only the most straightforward plan, but it’s often one of the most effective. Continuously executing against the obvious plan gets you much further than you’d think. # ⚓ Nicholas Tietz-Sokolsky ☛ A_systematic_approach_to debugging⠀⇛ I’ve got a reputation at work as being a skilled debugger. It’s a frequent occurrence that the weird stuff lands on my desk1 after it goes through another skilled engineer or two. To say my job is substantially “debug the weird shit” would not be an understatement and I’m here for it. This extends throughout our codebase, and into code I haven’t seen before at all. I’m the longest tenured engineer at my company, so I’m familiar with most of our systems. But I’ve lost track of most of the features that get deployed, and we have way more code changes than I can personally review. And my debugging spans the stack: backend to frontend to database to weird Ubuntu behavior on our dev laptops. (Yes, our principal engineer also does tech support, and again, I’m so here for it.) So… How do I do it? If I’m presented routinely with bugs I’m expected to solve in systems I’m unfamiliar with, what’s the process? And does it extend to things outside of code? # ⚓ Data Swamp ☛ How_to_add_pledge_to_a_program_in_OpenBSD⠀⇛ This article is meant to be a simple guide explaining how to make use of the OpenBSD specific feature pledge in order to restrict a software capabilities for more security. While pledge falls in the sandboxing features, it’s different than the traditional sandboxing we are used to see because it happens within the source code itself, and can be really tightened. Actually, many programs requires lot of privileges like reading files, doing DNS etc… when initializing, then those privileges could be removed, this is possible with pledge but not for traditional sandboxing wrappers. # § Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh⠀➾ # ⚓ Ciprian Dorin Craciun ☛ Please_don’t_write application_launchers_in_`sh`!⠀⇛ Thus, just like I’ve done a few years ago with Erlang, I’ll try to write my own erl and iex launchers in Rust… o § Standards/Consortia⠀➾ # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Exploring_Hidden_Lyrics_On_1990s_DCC_Audio Tapes⠀⇛ Having a fondness for old and obscure audio and video media formats, [Techmoan] recently revisited the Philips Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) format introduced in 1992. Despite being billed as the successor to Philips’ original analog Compact Cassette format from 1963, DCC was short-lived and slipped away after only four years in 1996. [Techmoan] obtained a unique cassette that purports to be the only known published DCC tape which contains embedded song lyrics that scroll on the DCC player’s tiny screen in sync with the music — “Size Isn’t Everything” by the Bee Gees from 1993. Sure enough, he is able to demonstrate this in the video down below the break. ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 1969 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 09.12.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Gemini_Links_12/09/2023:_On_Human_Rights_and_One_Year_Without_Windows⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 6:44 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * Gemini*_and_Gopher o Personal/Opinions o Politics_and_World_Events o Technology_and_Free_Software # Internet/Gemini # Games * § Gemini* and Gopher⠀➾ o § Personal/Opinions⠀➾ # ⚓ 🔤SpellBinding:_CHKMYUO_Wordo:_GUANO⠀⇛ # ⚓ Garden_Room⠀⇛ In my last post, I talked about a straw bale course I went on, and a few projects I had in mind coming out of it. One of them was the idea of a “garden room”. [...] I got one hundred bales. It works out at about 16 cubic metres of straw (top tip – 1M³ of straw more or less equates to one linear metre of wall). not all of it fitted in the garage – I’ve got an overflow pile in the garden, and we had to sort and throw away / gift / recycle a whole bunch of stuff that *was* in the garage. If I can’t use it, things might get a bit strained at home ^^. The bales are barley straw, very similar to what we worked with at CAT; as there, most of the bales are ~900mm long, with a few much-longer outliers. I don’t have a suitable moisture meter, but they feel dry – the farmer’s son said they monitor moisture when baling, and stop if it goes above 15%, and then they’re stored up high and under cover, so I’m not worried by that. The strings are nice and tight, and their density is ~105kg/M³. That could be higher, but it’s certainly good enough. Best of all – no wasps. # ⚓ Star_Log_2023-09-10_(Fairbanks,_AK,_USA,_publ._2023-09- 12)⠀⇛ Last Sunday (Sept 10) I had a brief opportunity for stargazing early in the morning, about 3am. The clouds mostly cleared away early that morning, so I went out to the boat launch. The boat launch itself was stuffed with campers and assorted folk, but providentially I found an unoccupied pull-off area a little further down the highway, which I noticed when I accidentally missed my turn-off into the boat launch. The pull-off area had a decent view of the skies in most directions, though I occasionally had to deal with the bright lights of passing vehicles. And i had a view of the city lights, through some spruce trees: [...] It seems that the S5300 has no way to allow manually setting the exposure time of the camera, like a bulb mode, but I found out later that there is a “fireworks” mode with a larger exposure of four seconds, which I would like to try out some time. Something interesting right now is that Uranus is located in the sky about halfway between the Pleiades and Jupiter, making it pretty easy to find with binoculars: [...] o § Politics and World Events⠀➾ # ⚓ “On_Education”⠀⇛ “On Education” by Bertrand Russell opens with the “evils” of educational institutions. One perhaps should define what “evil” means. Homeschooling is noted as perhaps lacking in sufficient socialization, and could make an outcast of a child. Evil softens to “grave defects”, and then to “not satisfactory”. A noteworthy question is whether education should produce independent judgment, or instill particular beliefs. Or, what kind of individuals, and what kind of community do we hope to see? # ⚓ Human_Rights⠀⇛ Last Sunday I was at a protest here in Stockholm against the world’s grossest and disgustingest snitch law, and I agree 100% that this law needs to be stopped. It’s a law mandating teachers, librarians, health personnel etc to turn in “illegal” refugees and immigrants. Others can and have written more eloquently & better against that law than I can. This (what I’m about to write about) is a much less important tangent, not at all meant to distract from the vital fight against the fascist law proposal. [...] “Eat the rich” is not gonna work but maybe we can starve ‘em by working for each other instead of for them. The coming mass automatization of centralized means of production via artifical learning models is an obstacle to that but maybe not an insurmountable one. o § Technology and Free Software⠀➾ # ⚓ The_Opaque_Corpus⠀⇛ I came of age in the dot com boom: Pentium chips, Herman Miller chairs, the first wave of media darling startups (who remembers pets.com?). It was a era before massive computational power was easily available, and long before “compute” entered the lexicon as a noun. AI was still not in a particularly good place – after the promises of the 1970s failed to deliver the general AI its practitioners were sure was on the horizon, funding dried up. For a long, long time. The state of the art in the 1970s was neural networks; after that, there were researchers involved in investigating other ideas, such as Bayesian networks, which work off probability and priors. These investigations yielded success in some very early-internet ways, with Naive Bayesian classifiers showing incredible promise in spam filtering. Before Google clogged up the web with SEO spam (whether written by underpaid writers, or now wholesale by AI), spam was a real plague # ⚓ Jumbled_thoughts_on_using_pinyin_instead_of_characters⠀⇛ For the most part i believe that switching to pinyin would not have any detrimental consequences. My reasoning for this is: (A) for a long time many people in china were illiterate and did not have trouble communicating without resorting to characters. (B) today in general speech people can have conversations without needing to resort to writing. (C) i have converted many wikipedia articles to pinyin and asked native speakers to read them. The consensus is that doing so is slow, but the content is understandable. # ⚓ Locust_cider_thoughts⠀⇛ I love Locust ciders, and I’ve tried enough of the flavors to make a semi-substantial post commenting on them. # ⚓ This_week_—_I_Welcome_My_New_Pixel_Overlords⠀⇛ TL;DR: I jumped down the rabbit hole of click-based pixel art virtual pets. I also grinded hard in GBF’s Exo Cocytus Crucible event, answered some surveys, and discovered some interesting websites. This is a late, brief update because I had to do some heavy chores last weekend. (For anyone curious on what I’ve done at work this week: I’ve made several preparations for my upcoming training program, while finishing other tasks here and there. Nothing exciting, really.) # ⚓ One_year_without_a_PC⠀⇛ I swapped my Windows 10 desktop machine for a Raspberry Pi 4 around a year ago. Time for a resume and asking “would I do it again”? Let’s start with the big question: Would I do it again, knowing what I know today? Well, yes and no. I’m much more happy with the streamlined, terminal UI based workflow that I have now. I feel more focussed and *way* less distracted. I spend less time procrastinating and I’m not really missing much. So that way it was totally worth it. # § Internet/Gemini⠀➾ # ⚓ AuraGem_Relaunch⠀⇛ I have just announced the relaunch of AuraGem! The address has changed to auragem.letz.dev. Most of the capsule should be as it was in 2022, aside from various updates and some things which I have taken down until they can be fixed (the music service and the starwars database). I was planning on waiting until I can pay for the original auragem domain, but I went with FreeDNS instead, which should mean that there should be no more DNS mishaps in the future. I have also made some updates to the search engine (AuraGem Search) which I am excited about, and will continue to make updates to it. One can read more about this on the search engine’s new About and Features page. # ⚓ More_Updates_to_AuraGem⠀⇛ Over the past two days I have made some more updates to AuraGem, particularly the Search Engine. These are mostly stability and QoL updates. # ⚓ Celebrating_the_small_web,_too⠀⇛ Recently Kagi’s announcement that they’d gone and done something to highlight small-web sites crossed my desk. I’m in favor of this. While the small not-web is nice — if you’re reading this, it’s probably on the small not-web — it doesn’t fit everything. If you’ve got a blog with a lot of pictures on every single post, things will probably be nicer for your audience if they don’t have to click on every single picture. Then there’s gwern.net, which does all sorts of fancy things with what I am told is completely optional JavaScript. Turning footnotes into sidenotes, that sort of thing. It has an entire Design page describing all the fancy stuff that goes into it, as well as an entire separate page that went into things that ended up not working out. # ⚓ linkhut2outdoors⠀⇛ This is a posix shell script for converting linkhut bookmarks to Solderpunk’s Smol Earth Compendium. You’ll get a text file; it’s up to you to then place that textfile on Gemini or Gopher. I’m not telling you to go use linkhut—the Smol Earth Compendium’s own format is much simpler, just use it straight up; this script is only good for people already using linkhut. It’ll only grab ones with the ‘outdoors’ tag (and remove that tag), and only bookmarks to pages on Gemini or Gopher, and not if they contain a tag that starts with the string “expires-2”. I want to submit more permanent entries. # § Games⠀➾ # ⚓ Dragons_of_Stormwreck_Isle⠀⇛ I finally got a chance to look at Dragons of Stormwreck Isle. This is a “capsule review” as opposed to a “playtest review” since I haven’t played it, only quickly thumbed through it! That’s right, I didn’t even read every room, just some of the intros. The original starter set, The Lost Mine of Phandelver, I’ve whole-heartedly recommended to new groups or people who wanna get started with D&D. =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 2343 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 09.12.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Leftover_Links_12/09/2023:_OSI_Continues_Attacking_the_OSI’s_Mission_and_Open Source_Definition_on_Microsoft’s_Money⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 11:55 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * Leftovers o Science o Education o Hardware o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Proprietary/Artificial_Intelligence_(AI) o Pseudo-Open_Source # Openwashing o Security # Integrity/Availability/Authenticity # Privacy/Surveillance # Confidentiality o Defence/Aggression o Transparency/Investigative_Reporting o Environment # Energy/Transportation o Finance o AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics o Censorship/Free_Speech o Freedom_of_Information_/_Freedom_of_the_Press o Civil_Rights/Policing o Internet_Policy/Net_Neutrality o Digital_Restrictions_(DRM) o Monopolies # Patents # Copyrights * § Leftovers⠀➾ o ⚓ Terence Eden ☛ What_if_civilisation_*doesn’t*_collapse?⠀⇛ I don’t want to live like a prepper and have a basement full of pickled vegetables slowly fermenting, or a library of paper slowly crumbling. I want to take full advantage of the modern world while it still exists. o § Science⠀➾ # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Out_With_The_Circus_Animals,_In_With_The Holograms⠀⇛ As futuristic as holographic technology may sound, in a sense it’s actually already in widespread commercial use. Concerts and similar events already use volumetric projection, with a fine mesh (hologram mesh or gauze) acting as the medium on which the image is projected to give the illusion of a 3D image. The widespread availability of this technology has now enabled Germany’s Roncalli circus to reintroduce (virtual) animals to its shows after ceasing the use of live lions and elephants in 1991 and other animals in 2018. o § Education⠀➾ # ⚓ APNIC ☛ Welcome_to_APNIC_56⠀⇛ There’s plenty of great content to look forward to over the next few days, including five technical sessions on topics including routing, DNS, multihoming, automation, and satellites. There are also two FIRST/APCERT/APNIC security sessions, an IPv6 deployment session, a Lightning Talks session, and more. # ⚓ RIPE ☛ CAPIF_2:_The_Road_to_Interconnection⠀⇛ From 19-20 September, network operators, local IXPs, peering coordinators, Internet researchers and government officials will meet at CAPIF 2 to build a more diverse interconnection environment in Central Asia, Iran, and beyond. To prepare, we’ve been examining changes in local interconnection and peering, IPv6 deployment, and network security. o § Hardware⠀➾ # ⚓ John Goerzen ☛ John_Goerzen:_For_the_First_Time_In_Years, I’m_Excited_By_My_Computer_Purchase⠀⇛ Some decades back, when I’d buy a new PC, it would unlock new capabilities. Maybe AGP video, or a PCMCIA slot, or, heck, sound. Nowadays, mostly new hardware means things get a bit faster or less crashy, or I have some more space for files. It’s good and useful, but sorta… meh. # ⚓ John Goerzen ☛ For_the_First_Time_In_Years,_I’m_Excited_By My_Computer_Purchase⠀⇛ Lately my aging laptop with 8GB RAM started OOMing (running out of RAM). My desktop had developed a tendency to hard hang about once a month, and I researched replacing it, but the cost was too high to justify. But when I looked into the Framework, I thought: this thing could replace both. It is a real shift in perspective to have a laptop that is nearly as upgradable as a desktop, and can be specced out to exactly what I wanted: 2TB storage and 64GB RAM. And still cheaper than a Macbook or Thinkpad with far lower specs, because the Framework uses off- the-shelf components as much as possible. # ⚓ Bruce Schneier ☛ On_Robots_Killing_People⠀⇛ As we move into a future where robots are becoming integral to our lives, we can’t forget that safety is a crucial part of innovation. True technological progress comes from applying comprehensive safety standards across technologies, even in the realm of the most futuristic and captivating robotic visions. By learning lessons from past fatalities, we can enhance safety protocols, rectify design flaws, and prevent further unnecessary loss of life. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Cheap_LCD_Uses_USB_Serial⠀⇛ Browsing the Asian marketplaces online is always an experience. Sometimes, you see things at ridiculously low prices. Other times, you see things and wonder who is buying them and why — a shrimp pillow? But sometimes, you see something that probably could have a more useful purpose than the proposed use case. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ This_Keyboard_Doesn’t_Work_Without_Game_Boy Cartridges⠀⇛ Just when we though we’d seen it all when it comes to custom keyboards (or most of it, anyway), along comes [Stu] with the TypeBoy and TypePak. Like the title implies, TypeBoy and TypePak are inseparable. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Flip_The_Switch_On_This_I2C_Controlled_USB_Hub⠀⇛ You’ve probably seen USB hubs with physical switches for each port, they provide a handy way to cut the power to individual devices, but only if you’re close enough to flip them. They won’t do you much good if you want to pull the plug on a USB gadget remotely. o § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ # ⚓ Reason ☛ Gavin_Newsom_Spins_Revisionist_History_of_His COVID_Record⠀⇛ Plus: internet censorship, outdoor dining land grabs, and more… # ⚓ The_clueless_conspiracy_theory_that_COVID-19_is_bacterial pneumonia⠀⇛ To antivaccine conspiracy theorists, it is always of the utmost importance to find a way to explain deaths from the pathogens that cause vaccine- preventable diseases as somehow not being due to that pathogen. The reason is simple. If antivaxxers can spin a convincing sounding narrative claiming that a specific pathogen isn’t causing disease and death that can be prevented by vaccines targeted against that pathogen, then they can add to that narrative the claim that the vaccine doesn’t work (because it’s not targeting the “true” cause of the disease and death) and is therefore unnecessary. Add to that claims that the vaccine is dangerous, and they can spin a narrative that seems compelling if you don’t know a lot about infectious disease. For COVID-19, we saw this narrative in the form of conspiracy theories falsely claiming that death certificates were misattributing deaths during the pandemic as being due to COVID-19 when they supposedly were not, leading to false claims that people were dying “with COVID-19” and “not of COVID-19” or that “only” 6% of deaths attributed to COVID-19 were actually caused by COVID-19. That latter lie was based figures showing that 94% of COVID-19 death certificates had multiple contributing factors but also involved conflating sequelae of COVID-19 infection that ultimately led to death with primary causes of death. As I like to say, everybody dies of cardiac arrest. Whatever ultimately kills you, your proximate cause of death will be cardiac arrest. That’s a trivial observation. The far more important thing to know is: What caused the cascade of events that led to your cardiac arrest and death. # ⚓ [Old] Iowa State University ☛ Cutting_back_on_social_media reduces_anxiety,_depression,_loneliness⠀⇛ Researchers at Iowa State University found a simple intervention could help. During a two-week experiment with 230 college students, half were asked to limit their social media usage to 30 minutes a day and received automated, daily reminders. They scored significantly lower for anxiety, depression, loneliness and fear of missing out at the end of the experiment compared to the control group. They also scored higher for “positive affect,” which the researchers describe as “the tendency to experience positive emotions described with words such as ‘excited’ and ‘proud.’” Essentially, they had a brighter outlook on life. # ⚓ [Old] Technology, Mind, and Behavior ☛ The_Effect_of_Self- Monitoring_Limited_Social_Media_Use_on_Psychological_Well- Being⠀⇛ An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of self-monitoring limited social media usage on psychological well-being. After completing pretest measures, 230 undergraduate students from a large Midwestern university were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions: either limit their social media usage to 30 min a day or to use social media as usual. After 2 weeks of limiting, the self-monitored group showed significant improvements in their psychological well-being. Anxiety, depression, loneliness, fear of missing out, and negative affect decreased while positive affect increased. These results suggest that limiting social media usage may improve psychological well-being on multiple dimensions. This study is one of the first to experimentally investigate feasible alternatives to social media use abstinence or experimenter-managed limitation. Future studies could investigate motivations and mechanisms of social media use through qualitative explorations. # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ US_Teen_Dies_After_Eating_Notorious_Spicy Chip_in_Viral_Challenge⠀⇛ In extreme cases the impact can be violent. Social media presents countless hours of individuals swearing, sweating, and slamming the table as they attempt to hold down chicken wings doused in hot sauces or entire record-breaking peppers. Serious complications from the heightened responses, such as the dangerous narrowing of cerebral arteries or damage to the esophagus with repeated retching, are thankfully uncommon, with fatalities – though recorded – even rarer. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ America_Already_Knows_How_to_Make Childbirth_Safer⠀⇛ Researchers, medical professionals and advocates say the United States should adopt best practices similar to those deployed in states like California, which according to federal data has the lowest rate of maternal deaths in the country; focus on improving the health care received by American women — but especially Black and Native women — during pregnancy and delivery, and up to a year after; and enhancing the social services offered to pregnant women, from transportation to housing. # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Techdirt_Podcast_Episode_363:_Social_Media_& Mental_Health⠀⇛ Social media isn’t the first phenomenon to spark a moral panic about its impact on people’s (and especially young people’s) mental health, and it surely won’t be the last — but for now, it’s the star of the show. A lot of people will gladly latch on to, and casually misrepresent, any research that might strengthen their belief in social media’s harms. But that doesn’t mean there are no harms: it’s just that good research needs to account for the complexity of the subject and social media’s myriad impacts, good and bad. One person doing such research is Professor Andy Przybylski from the University of Oxford, who joins us on this week’s episode for a more detailed and meaningful discussion about social media and mental health. # ⚓ Reason ☛ Rick_Doblin:_The_Man_Behind_the_‘Psychedelic ’20s’⠀⇛ The founder of MAPS talks about FDA approval for MDMA-assisted therapy and the “psychedelic renaissance” he has helped create. # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ How_Does_Extreme_Heat_Affect_the_Body?⠀⇛ During the hottest summer in history, The New Yorker’s Dhruv Khullar undergoes testing in a specialized chamber where researchers monitor the effects of heat on the body. # ⚓ Tux Digital ☛ Mastering_Your_Workday_with_Optimal_Sleep_and Lifestyle_Choices⠀⇛ Join us in this episode as we unlock the secrets to supercharging your workday through intentional lifestyle adjustments. From harnessing the power of sleep to crafting an invigorating morning routine and conquering mid-day slumps, we’ll guide you towards a more productive and fulfilling work life. # ⚓ Reason ☛ Why_We_Can’t_Have_Nice_Things:_The_Great_Baby Formula_Shortage_of_2022⠀⇛ A combination of “absurdly high” federal tariffs and excessive FDA regulations created the conditions for a crisis. # ⚓ The Atlantic ☛ Are_You_Plagued_by_the_Feeling_That_Everyone Used_to_Be_Nicer?⠀⇛ Don’t succumb. It’s a psychological illusion. o § Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)⠀➾ # ⚓ Gen_AI_Product_Development_Could_Slow_as_Reality_Catches Up⠀⇛ Startups and investors are learning, once again, that great technology doesn’t necessarily translate into great business. After months of hype surrounding the potential of generative AI, investors and startups are ratcheting back their enthusiasm and trying to take a more measured approach to the market. A number of startups built on a foundation of AI are confronting declining customer interest and the need for layoffs, reports The Wall Street Journal. Adding to the pressure: Investors aren’t convinced that new companies will survive as brand-names like Microsoft and Google push into the space. In addition, the flood of products unveiled since last year is bewildering many technology customers. On the one hand, they want time to understand how AI’s capabilities can fit their needs. On the other, they’re pressuring vendors to keep up with developments. “Some of our customers, all they want to hear is that we’re thinking about AI,” said Ellen Loeshelle, director of product management – intelligence platform at Qualtrics. “Like I could say that in one sentence and get off the phone and they’d be happy.” [...] How patient investors will be remains to be seen. OpenAI reportedly lost $540 million in 2022, despite ChatGPT’s popularity. While it’s unlikely investors will back away from generative AI bets entirely, numbers like that are sure to put a brake on things. # ⚓ Market_intelligence_firm_Sensor_Tower_conducts_layoffs, several_execs_out⠀⇛ According to LinkedIn’s headcount, a significant chunk of the 270+ employees at the renowned market intelligence company for the app economy Sensor Tower were let go last week—roughly 40 of them. The chief product officer, chief financial officer, and chief marketing officer are a few of the individuals who told TechCrunch about the layoffs. Both the finance department and almost all of the marketing are supposedly affected. The corporation held an all-hands conference to review the adjustments, which could still be in the works as part of a more extensive organizational restructure at Sensor Tower. Although Sensor Tower recognized the layoffs, it withheld further details, announcing that a more comprehensive announcement would be made the following week. According to Melissa Sheer, a Sensor Tower spokesperson, in an email statement made available to TechCrunch, “Earlier this week, Sensor Tower’s management team took necessary steps to reorganize and right-size our business under a talented and experienced senior leadership team. # ⚓ Software_Cos._See_Slight_Increase_in_OC_Employees⠀⇛ Blizzard’s parent company Activision Blizzard Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) of Santa Monica is awaiting a takeover by Microsoft to create a video game colossus. # ⚓ The Gamer ☛ 2023_Has_Been_A_Horrible_Year_For_Gaming⠀⇛ 2023 has been a great year for video games. Yeah, I know. Forget the headline for a second, alright? I’m going somewhere with this. Just three months after The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched to one of the highest Metacritic review scores of all time, Baldur’s Gate 3 beat it by a point. We’ve had a remake of the best horror game ever made, Resident Evil 4, which somehow managed to improve on the original. We’re in the midst of enjoying Starfield. We’re still full from Street Fighter, Metroid Prime, Sea of Stars, Final Fantasy, Armored Core, and Dead Space. We have Spider-Man, Super Mario, Mortal Kombat, and Assassin’s Creed still to come. We’re so sick of good games we’ve decided Diablo 4 is terrible. It’s been a good year for video games. A great year. A challenger to the likes of 2020, 2013, and 1998 as the best ever. But it has been a bad year for gaming. # ⚓ Microsoft_outage_worsened_by_staff_shortage⠀⇛ Only three people on duty during “power sag”. Microsoft has blamed insufficient staffing and automation issues for an outage at an Australian data centre which shook its Azure, Microsoft 365 and Power Platform services for over 24 hours. Between 30 August and 1 September, Australian businesses reliant on software giant Microsoft’s cloud services suffered significant downtime when a “power sag” caused an outage impacting multiple products. “This event was triggered by a utility power sag in the Australia East region which tripped a subset of the cooling units offline in one data centre, within one of the Availability Zones,” said Microsoft. # ⚓ Security Week ☛ MGM_Resorts_Confirms_‘Cybersecurity_Issue’, Shuts_Down_Systems⠀⇛ The incident began sometime on Sunday and affected hotel reservation systems throughout the United States and other IT systems that run the casino floors. # ⚓ The Register UK ☛ Google_thinks_$20M_ought_to_be_enough_to figure_out_how_or_if_AI_can_be_used_responsibly⠀⇛ The $20 million set aside for this Digital Futures Project – not a whole lot of money for Google but a lot for academics and think tanks – will go towards supporting outside researchers exploring how machine-learning technology will shape society as it increasingly encroaches on people’s lives. The project is particularly interested in AI’s potential to upend economies, governments, and institutions, and is funding boffins to probe issues such as: [...] # ⚓ Jim Nielsen ☛ LLMs,_Intuition,_and_Working_With_Computers⠀⇛ I am by no means on the leading edge of LLMs. However, one thing I’ve noticed listening to people who are closer to the leading edge than I, is this idea that nobody quite knows why LLMs give the results they do — and the results can’t be repeated either (which is why experience and intuition are key to using them effectively). In science, you say you “understand” something when you can describe how it works and reliably predict (and even manipulate) its outcomes. # § Windows TCO⠀➾ # ⚓ The Register UK ☛ Save_the_Children_feared_hit_by ransomware,_7TB_stolen⠀⇛ BianLian added that its victim, “the world’s leading nonprofit,” operates in 116 countries with $2.8 billion in revenues. The extortionists claim to have stolen 6.8TB of data, which they say includes international HR files, personal data, and more than 800GB of financial records. They claim to also have email messages as well as medical and health data. o § Pseudo-Open Source⠀➾ # § Openwashing⠀➾ # ⚓ OSI Blog ☛ Open_Source_Initiative_Hosts_2nd_Deep_Dive AI_Event,_Aims_to_Define_‘Open_Source’_for_AI [Ed: Microsoft propaganda fest, sponsored by Microsoft, for OSI_to_help_Microsoft_violate_the_GPL_instead_of fighting_against_Microsoft’s_GPL_violations. OSI is bribed and corrupted.]⠀⇛ The Open Source Definition isn’t directly applicable to AI systems, so global experts will gather to establish shared principles to protect the values of Open Source during this period of hyper growth in AI technology. o § Security⠀➾ # ⚓ Alan Pope ☛ Alan_Pope:_A_virus_for_the_BBC_Micro⠀⇛ About a year ago, I left a comment on a Nostalgia Nerd video about Viruses. It’s a good video, worth a watch, like most of their content. Here’s my silly comment. # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ FBI,_Federal_Judge_Agree_Fighting_Botnets_Means Allowing_The_FBI_To_Remotely_Install_Software_On_People’s Computers⠀⇛ The ends aren’t always supposed to justify the means. And a federal agency that already raised the hackles of defense lawyers around the nation during a CSAM investigation probably shouldn’t be in this much of hurry to start sending out unsolicited software to unknowing recipients. # § Integrity/Availability/Authenticity⠀➾ # ⚓ Mandiant ☛ Deleting_Your_Way_Into_SYSTEM:_Why Arbitrary_File_Deletion_Vulnerabilities_Matter⠀⇛ Windows arbitrary file deletion vulnerabilities should no longer be considered mere annoyances or tools for Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. Over the past couple of years, these vulnerabilities have matured into potent threats capable of unearthing a portal to full system compromise. This transformation is exemplified in CVE-2023-27470 (an arbitrary file deletion vulnerability in N-Able’s Take Control Agent with a CVSS Base Score of 8.8) demonstrating that what might initially seem innocuous can, in fact, expose unexpected weaknesses within your system. # § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ # ⚓ India Times ☛ India_Navy,_Uber_team_up_for_private travel_of_naval_personnel,_families⠀⇛ Uber will extend several benefits to Indian Navy’s personnel and their families, including a personalised profile on the Uber app; premier executive cab category “providing surge price protection during peak office hours”; availability of top-rated drivers; zero cancellation fee on all its rides and a 24×7 premium business support, the official said. # ⚓ Site36 ☛ Council_of_Europe_against_spyware:_Five members_to_investigate_cases_of_abuse⠀⇛ Among the main suppliers of state Trojan programs are companies from Israel. The country has observer status with the Council of Europe. The parliamentarians are calling on the government in Jerusalem to report on exports to countries where the software could be used for human rights violations. Morocco, which is considered a “partner for democracy” by the PACE Assembly, is also to investigate the use of “Pegasus” that has become known. # § Confidentiality⠀➾ # ⚓ Cendyne Naga ☛ Exploring_the_impact_of_PQC_on Cryptography_Key_Management⠀⇛ Sofía shares a short presentation on Post- Quantum Cryptography’s (PQC) development. PQC is special and different in how it uses complex problems with no efficient quantum solution to satisfy security goals. The panel commences on several topics and a few prompts from the audience. The competition should provide multiple solutions for exchanging keys and digital signatures so that when one solution is no longer secure, applications can change to another. The largest concern is how the performance characteristics will affect applications that need key exchange and digital signatures. Google will be testing key exchange at scale, but there is a gap for digital signatures. Cryptographic agility gets redefined with an emphasis on updating applications and hard to reach hardware like TPMs and satellites. This talk summary is part of my DEF CON 31 series. The talks this year have sufficient depth to be shared independently and are separated for easier consumption. # ⚓ Scoop News Group ☛ Taxpayer_information_is potentially_at_risk_due_to_IRS_oversight_weaknesses, watchdog_says⠀⇛ The review found other weaknesses, specifically those involving information systems, contractor oversight, information sharing, etc. The report also said that the IRS does not employ overall oversight efforts related to unauthorized access of contractors, even though multiple IRS offices oversee said contractors. # ⚓ USGAO ☛ Security_of_Taxpayer_Information:_IRS_Needs to_Address_Critical_Safeguard_Weaknesses:_GAO-23- 105395⠀⇛ In this review, we found weaknesses in training, information systems, contractor oversight, information-sharing, and more. Of the related recommendations we’ve made since 2010, 77 haven’t been implemented as of March 2023. We’re also making 16 new recommendations, including one for Congress to consider. o § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ # ⚓ The Nation ☛ September_11,_1973,_Was_a_Warning:_Democracy Can_Die_in_a_Day⠀⇛ Given the weight of sadness of September 11, it’s jarring to remember how innocent I was when I first encountered the date in a political setting. I was living in Chile as a study-abroad student. It was 1995, and as I walked the streets of Santiago, still a political novice, I saw that date, 11 de Septiembre, on a street sign and did not understand why an avenue would bear that name. The codirector of my study-abroad program was a Chilean journalist who explained to me that September 11, 1973, was when hell was unleashed on anyone in Chile who thought they could peacefully and electorally create a better world. # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Responding_‘with_life’:_A_divided_Chile_marks 50_years_since_coup⠀⇛ But today, on the 50th anniversary of the Chilean coup, there are individuals and groups, like Ecomemoria, for which Mr. Córdova has volunteered, working to ensure that the legacy of the dictatorship is remembered in its entirety. It’s a heavier lift than most expected, given that the atrocities from that period are well documented. But growing political divisions – and the ways in which Chileans envision their nation’s future – shape the way today’s anniversary is remembered. “There is not a single piece of land in Chile that doesn’t bear the scars of the dictatorship. Yet society lives as if nothing happened,” says Jimmy Bell, the son of a political prisoner who was imprisoned and tortured. # ⚓ El País ☛ The_tentacles_of_Saudi_money_in_the_West:_from telecom_to_electric_cars,_soccer_and_video_games⠀⇛ In its annual report, the PIF claims to have $776 billion in assets under management. Over the past year, it increased this figure by 10%, with 25 new companies incorporated. Despite its massive stake beyond Saudi borders, the fund’s investments abroad still only represent a minority part of its portfolio: 23% of the total. In the report, the PIF highlights that its shares “include high-tech and high-growth sectors, such as video games and the creative industries in general, as well as companies and initiatives linked to the rapidly expanding travel and tourism industries.” # ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ “The_Other_9/11”:_Ariel_Dorfman_on_50th Anniversary_of_U.S.-Backed_Coup_in_Chile_That_Ousted Allende⠀⇛ We look at the 50th anniversary of what is sometimes called the “other 9/11” — the U.S.-backed coup in Chile, when General Augusto Pinochet ousted President Salvador Allende and inaugurated almost two decades of brutal military rule. Allende died in the presidential palace on September 11, 1973, marking the end of Chile’s first socialist government. During Pinochet’s military dictatorship, more than 3,000 people were disappeared or killed, and some 40,000 more were tortured as political prisoners as Chile remained a close partner to the United States during the Cold War. “We’re still living in some sense under the shadow of Pinochet, and of course we’re living under the gigantic light … of Salvador Allende,” says renowned Chilean writer Ariel Dorfman, who served as a cultural adviser to Allende from 1970 to 1973 before going into exile following the coup. His latest novel, The Suicide Museum, explores the mystery around Allende’s death and whether it was a suicide or murder. # ⚓ Jacobin Magazine ☛ Salvador_Allende_Was_in_Washington’s Crosshairs⠀⇛ According to a 1975 Church Committee report on CIA involvement in Chile, its funding for Edwards’s right-wing newspaper El Mercurio, to the tune of roughly $2 million after Allende’s victory alone, was “by far the largest — and probably the most significant — instance of support for a media organization” in the country by the CIA. A postmortem by the CIA, the report explained, “concluded that El Mercurio and other media outlets supported by the Agency had played an important role in setting the stage” for the successful 1973 coup through their unrelenting propaganda campaign against Allende. It was all just one part of what the report described as the “continuous and massive” US covert action in the country between 1963 and 1973. # ⚓ The Nation ☛ September_11,_22nd_Anniversary⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Nation ☛ Farewell_to_Allende_|_The_Nation⠀⇛ # ⚓ Jacobin Magazine ☛ Neoliberal_Economists_Like_Milton Friedman_Cheered_on_Augusto_Pinochet’s_Dictatorship⠀⇛ The Chicago Boys’ opposition to the politicization of the economy preceded Allende’s victory by decades, but his socialist government’s economic planning, Keynesian demand-stimulation, and wealth redistribution provided their ideal adversary, and brought them to the attention of Chile’s business elites. From the Chicago-inspired perspective of these técnicos, Allende’s proposals amounted to an ignorant violation of the laws of the economy and the destruction of a free society. # ⚓ Jacobin Magazine ☛ Washington_Used_9/11_as_an_Excuse_to Unleash_a_Campaign_of_Global_Devastation⠀⇛ Under the war on terror rubric, open-ended warfare was well underway — “as if terror were a state and not a technique,” as Joan Didion wrote in 2003 (two months before the US invasion of Iraq). “We had seen, most importantly, the insistent use of September 11 to justify the reconception of America’s correct role in the world as one of initiating and waging virtually perpetual war.” In a single sentence, Didion had captured the essence of a quickly calcified set of assumptions that few mainstream journalists were willing to question. Those assumptions were catnip for the lions of the military-industrial-intelligence complex. After all, the budgets at “national security” agencies (both long-standing and newly created) had begun to soar with similar vast outlays going to military contractors. Worse yet, there was no end in sight as mission creep accelerated into a dash for cash. # ⚓ The Conversation ☛ How_we_uncovered_the_shared_personality profile_of_violent_extremists⠀⇛ These findings suggest that both basic personality traits and social factors help explain why individuals endorse group-based violence for their cause. Research solely focusing on social or social-psychological factors — and neglecting the role of personality — is missing an important piece of the “puzzle” of violent extremism. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ E.U._Official_Held_in_Iran_Prison_in Brutal_Conditions,_Family_Says⠀⇛ Mr. Floderus’s case is unusual because of his professional background, which makes him a high- value prisoner in what experts describe as an energetic “hostage diplomacy” advanced by Iran. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ Family_of_EU_diplomat_detained_in_Iran_pushing_for his_release⠀⇛ The New York Times also stated that Floderus’ detainment forms part of a series of arrests carried out by Iranian authorities in order to secure the release of Iranian prisoners held in foreign jurisdictions or to meet other demands. The BBC reports that Floderus is detained alongside several other foreign nationals and Iranians who are of dual nationality or foreign permanent residency. Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish medical specialist who has been held in Iran since 2016 and sentenced to death for “corruption on Earth”, is another detainee. Supporters for Djalali claim that his arrest stems from Iranian authorities seeking to exert pressure on Sweden to release Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian official, who is currently subject to a life sentence in Sweden. # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ Ronan_Farrow_on_the_Rule_of_Elon_Musk⠀⇛ How the tech billionaire built a one-man monopoly over American infrastructure and became too powerful for the U.S. government to rein in. # ⚓ Reason ☛ Technocolonialism_–_but_in_Reverse⠀⇛ Episode 470 of the Cyberlaw Podcast # ⚓ France24 ☛ North_Korea’s_Kim_to_visit_Russia_for_talks_with Putin,_state_media_confirm⠀⇛ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will soon visit Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin, the two countries confirmed on Monday, a potentially landmark summit amid Moscow’s deepening isolation over the war in Ukraine. # ⚓ RFA ☛ Kim-Putin’s_Vladivostok_bromance_may_risk_global security,_from_Europe_to_Asia⠀⇛ The potential summit puts the two’s longtime ally, Beijing, in a precarious position. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ U.S._Warns_Pyongyang_As_Kremlin_Confirms_Visit_Of North_Korea’s_Kim_At_Putin’s_Invite⠀⇛ The United States on September 11 warned North Korea against any moves toward supplying Russia with weapons and threatened further sanctions against Pyongyang after the Kremlin confirmed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia “in the coming days.” # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Kremlin_says_Kim_Jong-un_will_visit_Russia_‘in_the coming_days’_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ North_Korean_leader_Kim_Jong_Un arrives_in_Russia_before_an_expected_meeting_with_Putin⠀⇛ Joined by his top military officials handling his nuclear-capable weapons and munitions factories, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Tuesday, where he is expected to hold a rare meeting with President Vladimir Putin that has sparked Western concerns about a potential arms deal for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ North_Korean_leader_Kim_Jong_Un_heads to_Russia_for_Putin_talks⠀⇛ Mr Kim left on Sunday to visit the Russian Federation, said the Korean Central News Agency. # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Arms_deal?_Speculation_swirls_around_Kim_Jong Un_trip_to_Russia.⠀⇛ Kim Jong Un is expected to meet with Vladimir Putin, according to North Korea’s KCNA news agency. Mr. Kim is likely traveling on a personal train – similar to one used on previous trips – that has been seen idling on the North Korean side of the border. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Kim_Jong-un_Has_Something_Putin_Needs,_and That’s_a_New_Wrinkle⠀⇛ Kim Jong-un has ammunition stocks that Russia covets as it continues its war in Ukraine, and North Korea may get advanced technology and badly needed food aid in return. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ What_We_Know_About_Kim_Jong-un’s Bulletproof_Train⠀⇛ As he heads to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin, the North Korean leader continues his family’s history of traveling solely by rail. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Russia-Ukraine_War:_Kim_Jong-un_Will_Visit Russia_in_‘Coming_Days,’_Kremlin_Says⠀⇛ North Korea’s leader is expected to discuss military cooperation with President Vladimir V. Putin, including the possibility of sending more weapons for Russia’s war in Ukraine. # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ North_Korean_Leader_to_Visit_Russia⠀⇛ Ties between Russia and North Korea date back to the founding of the Asian country 75 years ago. # § Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine⠀➾ # ⚓ European Commission ☛ Eurobarometer:_Europeans approve_measures_taken_to_tackle_the_energy_crisis,_to promote_sustainability_and_to_support_Ukraine⠀⇛ European Commission Press release Brussels, 11 Sep 2023 New Flash Eurobarometer survey reveals support for EU’s energy security and green transition measures, on boosting clean tech and responding to Russia’s Ukraine invasion # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ On_the_brink_of_joining_NATO, Sweden_seeks_to_boost_its_defense_spending_by_28%⠀⇛ The Swedish government wants to increase the country’s defense budget by 28% as it prepares to join the NATO alliance. The increase would put Sweden on track to reach NATO’s target for military spending to be 2% of a country’s gross domestic product. Sweden’s center-right coalition government unveiled a defense bill Monday and said the defense budget will be increased by $2.4 billion. About $63 million will be spent on Sweden’s future membership of NATO. Sweden and neighboring Finland sought protection under the NATO security umbrella after Russia invaded Ukraine last year. Finland joined earlier this year but Sweden is still waiting. # ⚓ AntiWar ☛ Will_Ukraine’s_Western_Apologists_Finally Admit_the_Truth?⠀⇛ For Western officials and their news media conduits who have carefully crafted the myth that Ukraine is a vibrant democracy, the past few weeks have been extremely challenging.  First came the revelation that members of the country’s draft boards had engaged in a pervasive degree of corruption. # ⚓ AntiWar ☛ Hawks_Want_Biden_To_Take_the_Fight_With Russia_Global⠀⇛ Reprinted with permission from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Hawkish critics of the Biden administration have been constantly agitating for escalation over Ukraine for the last year and a half. # ⚓ France24 ☛ 🔴_Live:_Ukraine_says_Germany_‘wasting time’_on_decision_to_send_Taurus_missiles⠀⇛ Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday urged Berlin to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles during a surprise visit to Kyiv by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ Council_of_Europe_condemns_‘sham_elections’ in_Russian-occupied_Ukraine⠀⇛ The Council of Europe released a joint statement Sunday condemning the recent elections in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. Over the course of one week, Russia held regional elections across several parts Ukraine, including four regions that it does not fully control – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russian_National_Guard_reportedly_enlisting former_inmates_who_fought_with_Wagner_Group_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ LRT ☛ Lithuania_condemns_Russian_‘elections’_in Ukraine’s_occupied_territories⠀⇛ Lithuania on Monday condemned the elections held by Russia over the weekend in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and vowed a “strong and concrete response” to those involved. # ⚓ LRT ☛ Fewer_Belarusians,_Ukrainians_enrol_in Lithuanian_universities⠀⇛ Fewer Belarusians and Ukrainians have chosen to study at Lithuanian higher education institutions this year, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport has reported. # ⚓ RFA ☛ Chinese_opera_singer_performs_Russian_patriotic song_in_bombed-out_Mariupol_theater⠀⇛ In disgust, Ukraine moves to ban all Chinese tourists. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ U.K._Says_Russia_Targeted_Black_Sea_Cargo Ship_With_Missiles⠀⇛ Russia’s military targeted a civilian cargo ship in the Black Sea with “multiple missiles” last month, but they were successfully intercepted by Ukrainian forces, Britain said on September 11, citing intelligence. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ From_Kupiansk_to_Kherson,_Diverse Battlefields_Make_Up_the_War_in_Ukraine⠀⇛ A “striking fist” in the North, and river crossings in the South. Along a jagged 1,000- mile front, the fighting is multifaceted — and relentless. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Kazakhs_Call_For_Canceling_Concerts_Of Russian_Comedian_Over_Performance_In_Ukraine’s Donetsk⠀⇛ An online campaign has been launched in Kazakhstan calling for the cancellation of shows by Azamat Musagaliyev, a prominent Russian comic of Kazakh origin, over his recent performance in Ukraine’s Russian- controlled Donetsk region. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Ukraine_Claims_to_Have_Retaken_Oil and_Gas_Platforms_in_the_Black_Sea⠀⇛ The platforms have played a role in Russia’s ability to project power off Ukraine’s coast since Moscow seized them in 2015. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ ‘No_Risk’_That_Romania_Will_Be_Dragged_Into War,_Senior_NATO_Official_Says⠀⇛ NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana said on September 11 that there is “no risk” that alliance member Romania will be dragged into a war following the recent discovery of drone fragments on its territory near the border with war-torn Ukraine. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ As_Ukraine_Aid_Benefits_Their Districts,_Some_House_Republicans_Oppose_It⠀⇛ The American push to fund Kyiv’s war effort has created big economic opportunities for Mesquite, Texas, and other cities around the country. Some of their G.O.P. congressmen want to end it. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ EU_Warns_Russia_There_Will_Be_‘Consequences’ After_‘Illegal’_Vote_In_Occupied_Ukraine⠀⇛ The European Union has warned Russia of “consequences” for those involved in organizing the “illegal” elections over the weekend in Ukrainian regions occupied by the Kremlin, while Germany said new EU sanctions are possible. [...] Brussels followed soon afterward by condemning the vote, which it said represented “yet another manifest violation of international law,” adding that it will not recognize “either the holding of these so-called ‘elections’ or their results.” # ⚓ RFERL ☛ IAEA_Chief_Concerned_About_Russian_Troops, Fighting_Near_Ukrainian_Nuclear_Plant⠀⇛ Russia’s military presence at Ukraine’s occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and fighting near the facility pose a security risk, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has told the organization’s board of governors. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ Germany_charges_two_men_with_treason_for passing_classified_information_to_Russia⠀⇛ The German prosecutors office has officially charged two individuals with suspected treason on Friday, after they were indicted on August 24. The two suspects referred to as Carsten L and Arthur E were accused of high treason through the passing on of state secrets to Russia’s Secret Service. # ⚓ LRT ☛ Eastern_flank_to_see_largest_NATO_military exercise_since_Cold_War⠀⇛ NATO will hold the largest military exercise since the Cold War on its eastern flank next year to practice repelling a Russian attack, the Financial Times reports. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Russia’s_‘History_Of_Independent_Journalism Is_Over,’_Says_Nobel_Laureate⠀⇛ Russian journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov believes there is neither freedom of the press nor freedom of expression in his home country. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Russian_Ruble_Soars_To_Strongest_Level_Versus Dollar_Since_Late_August⠀⇛ The Russian ruble strengthened to a more than one-week high against the dollar on September 11, rising sharply after hitting its weakest mark since mid-August on September 8, as the market turns its attention to a central bank rate decision later this week. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ RFE/RL_Welcomes_EU_Move_To_Sanction_FSB Officials_Over_Yesypenko’s_Incarceration⠀⇛ RFE/RL has welcomed a decision by the European Council to sanction two officers of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) who are responsible for the investigation into, and torture of, the journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko. # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Chinese,_Iranian_automakers_woo_Russians after_Western_brands_leave⠀⇛ The auto market is one of the few areas in Russia where Western sanctions had an immediate effect. Today, Russia’s car industry has been transformed, with new players, foreign and domestic, stepping to the fore. # ⚓ Latvia ☛ Pressure_on_Latvia’s_border_with_Belarus rises_to_record_level⠀⇛ On Sunday, September 10, 256 people tried to cross the Latvian-Belarusian border illegally, which is the largest number of border violators ever detected during a 24- hour period, according to data from the State Border Guard. # ⚓ LRT ☛ Lithuania_mulls_extending_validity_of foreigner’s_passports_as_Minsk_no_longer_issues documents_abroad⠀⇛ The Interior Ministry will propose to the Seimas to extend the validity period of the foreigner’s passports issued in Lithuania in response to Minsk’s decision not to allow Belarusians to renew their identity documents abroad. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Lithuania_Counters_Lukashenka’s_Squeeze_On Belarusians_Abroad_With_‘Foreigner_Passports’⠀⇛ Lithuania says the number of Belarusian nationals seeking so-called foreigners’ passports is likely to rise following a consular clampdown by Minsk but that Belarusians who fled the regime and have the proper documents can receive the alternative Lithuanian travel document in as little as five days. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Latvia_Registers_Record_Number_Of_Migrants_At Border_With_Belarus⠀⇛ Latvia prevented 246 people from illegally crossing from neighboring Belarus on September 10 — a 24-hour record, the Latvian Border Guard said on September 11. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Bloomberg:_President_of_Brazil_takes_back promise_not_to_arrest_Putin_if_he_travels_to_Rio_de Janeiro_for_G20_summit_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Putin_spokesman_says_not_all_Russians_who left_country_after_war_began_will_be_welcomed_back_— Meduza⠀⇛ o § Transparency/Investigative Reporting⠀➾ # ⚓ EFF ☛ Arkansas_Lawmakers_Could_Wreck_A_50-Year-Old_FOIA_Law This_Week⠀⇛ In a special session of the state legislature, announced Friday by Gov. Sarah Sanders and convened Monday morning, lawmakers are expected to discuss making major amendments to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which has guaranteed the public’s right to government information since 1967. The proposed changes will do a number of things that will reduce transparency in the state. These new limits for requesters include: In her announcement, Sanders claimed that part of the urgency of amending FOIA had to do with possible threats to her safety and the fact that the state’s FOIA has not been updated since the advent of the smartphone. News reports on the sudden legislative session, which will also include an effort to lower certain taxes in the state, also note that the session was announced the same week that the governor’s office was named a defendant in a FOIA case to access records on the costs and companions associated with Gov. Sanders’s travel. The proposed FOIA legislation is meant to be applied retroactively to January 2022, which would cover the records associated in that lawsuit.  o § Environment⠀➾ # ⚓ Gizmodo ☛ Microsoft_Is_Using_a_Hell_of_a_Lot_of_Water_to Flood_the_World_With_AI⠀⇛ As artificial intelligence is increasingly developing and data centers are erected to further this tech, it’s becoming clear that AI has a water usage problem. # ⚓ The Register UK ☛ Microsoft’s_AI_investments_skyrocketed_in 2022_–_and_so_did_its_water_consumption⠀⇛ In its latest environmental, social, and governance (ESG) report, Microsoft said the higher rate of water consumption was in line with business growth. According to that report, water consumption increased by a third from 4.8 cubic metres of water in 2021 to 6.4 million cubic metres last year. That’s compared to the 14 percent increase in water consumption the software giant reported between 2020 and 2021. # ⚓ France24 ☛ France:_A_high-tech_solution_to_world’s_clothing waste_problem?⠀⇛ # ⚓ El País ☛ US_sets_record_for_billion-dollar_weather disasters_in_a_year_—_and_there’s_still_four_months_to_go⠀⇛ The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday that there have been 23 weather extreme events in America that cost at least $1 billion this year through August, eclipsing the year-long record total of 22 set in 2020. So far, this year’s disasters have cost more than $57.6 billion and claimed at least 253 lives. And NOAA’s count doesn’t yet include Tropical Storm Hilary’s damages in hitting California and a deep drought that has struck the South and Midwest because those costs are still to be totaled, said Adam Smith, the NOAA applied climatologist and economist who tracks the billion-dollar disasters. # ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ Morocco:_Earthquake_Death_Toll_at_2,500; Criticism_Grows_over_King’s_Response_to_Humanitarian_Crisis⠀⇛ We get an update from Morocco, which has declared three days of mourning after the strongest earthquake to hit the region in at least a century. About 2,500 people died in the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Friday, with another 2,500 injured and the death toll expected to rise. The epicenter was in the High Atlas Mountains located about 44 miles from Marrakech, where many villages remain largely inaccessible and lack both electricity and running water. The earthquake also damaged parts of Marrakech, including its old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We speak with Moroccan scholars Abdellah El Haloui, in Marrakech, where he is head of the English Department at Cadi Ayyad University, and Brahim El Guabli, associate professor of Arabic studies at Williams College, originally from Ouarzazate, Morocco, which was hit by the earthquake. # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ Talking_to_Conservatives_About_Climate_Change: The_Congressional_Climate_Caucus⠀⇛ During the hottest summer in history, The New Yorker’s Dhruv Khullar undergoes testing in a specialized chamber where researchers monitor the effects of heat on the body. # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ Talking_to_Conservatives_About_Climate Change⠀⇛ A congressional Republican and the head of the Sierra Club talk about the search for common ground on climate action. Plus, the fiction writer Tessa Hadley. # § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ # ⚓ New York Times ☛ U.S._Seized_Iranian_Oil_Over Smuggling_Incident_That_Escalated_Tensions_in_Gulf⠀⇛ The apprehension of the ship, the Suez Rajan, came after a group opposed to Iran raised accusations of sanctions violations last year. # ⚓ Robert Reich ☛ Why_Does_Flying_Suck_so_Much? ⠀⇛ You might not believe this, but I’m old enough to remember when flying was fun. Now I’m sure you’ve got your own airline horror stories, which I hope you’ll share. But what happened to make flying such a nightmare? The answer is simple: the same things happening across most industries. In fact, a close look at airlines reveals five of the biggest problems with our economy. Number 1: Consolidation means fewer choices. While there were once many more airlines, aseries_of_mergers_and_acquisitions over the last three decades has left only four_in control_of_about_80%_of_the_market. This # ⚓ NYPost ☛ Greek_shipper_pleads_guilty_to_smuggling Iranian_crude_oil_and_will_pay_$2.4_million_fine⠀⇛ A Greek shipping company has pleaded guilty to smuggling sanctioned Iranian crude oil and agreed to pay a $2.4 million fine, newly unsealed US court documents seen Thursday by The Associated Press show. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Greek_Shipper_Pleads_Guilty_To_Smuggling Iranian_Crude_Oil,_Will_Pay_$2.4_Million_Fine⠀⇛ A Greek shipping company has pleaded guilty to smuggling sanctioned Iranian crude oil and agreed to pay a $2.4 million fine, newly unsealed U.S. court documents seen on September 7 by the Associated Press show. # ⚓ Axios ☛ Where_“cryptoization”_could_thrive⠀⇛ The report took particular aim at stablecoins, reiterating the push for countries to get aligned with each other in terms of how they handle stablecoins and limit the potential for those instruments to create shocks to the global system. # ⚓ Financial Stability Board ☛ IMF-FSB_Synthesis_Paper: Policies_for_[Cryptocurrency]-Assets⠀⇛ At the request of the Indian G20 Presidency, the IMF and the FSB have developed this paper to synthesise the IMF’s and the FSB’s (alongside SSBs’) policy recommendations and standards. The collective recommendations provide comprehensive guidance to help authorities address the macroeconomic and financial stability risks posed by [cryptocurrency]-asset activities and markets, including those associated with stablecoins and those conducted through so- called decentralised finance (DeFi). # ⚓ The Atlantic ☛ An_FTX_Executive_Who_Broke_With_the Others⠀⇛ It’s not totally clear whether Salame is truly passionate about Republican political causes or if he was simply emerging as a Republican donor out of loyalty to his boss (and his girlfriend). He has reportedly said that he was not especially interested in politics, and that he was getting more involved at the encouragement of others at FTX. In a charging document, prosecutors surfaced messages that Salame wrote, saying that the purpose of donations was to “weed out anti [cryptocurrency] dems for pro [cryptocurrency] dems and anti [cryptocurrency] repubs for pro [cryptocurrency] repubs” In other words, it seems that he and his involved colleagues hoped to use donations to elevate politicians sympathetic to the [cryptocurrency] business, regardless of party. (Jason Linder, a lawyer for Salame, did not immediately respond to my request for comment, though he said in a statement last week that “Ryan looks forward to putting this chapter behind him and moving forward with his life.”) # ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ Hackers_Scammed_$500K_In_Crypto from_Twitter_Users_In_Just_20_Minutes⠀⇛ The cryptocurrency industry is rife with scams of every stripe, and they have often taken place on Twitter. There are a large number of users on the social network, and the nature of the blockchain is such that transactions are nearly instant and irreversible. A click is all it takes to lose everything. # ⚓ Interesting Engineering ☛ Luxury_supersonic_jet_will fly_from_NY_to_London_in_3_hours⠀⇛ Spike Aerospace’s supersonic aircraft has been dubbed S-512 and is designed to carry 12-18 passengers at a time. The aircraft mixes high-speed travel with high-end luxury, and the illustrations of the final offering clearly show that the aircraft is for the uber-rich who are in a hurry to get to their destinations. # ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ Regulators_Blast_Union_Pacific_for Running_Unsafe_Trains⠀⇛ On Friday, Union Pacific, the nation’s largest freight railroad carrier, received a blistering letter from federal regulators who criticized the company for poorly maintaining its fleet, furloughing workers who perform train maintenance and allowing its managers to pressure inspectors to stop their efforts in order to keep freight moving. The letter, signed by Federal Railroad Administration head Amit Bose, came after the agency inspected the company’s East Departure Yard in North Platte, Nebraska, this summer and found that more than 70% of the train engines had safety defects, as did 20% of the cars — defect ratios twice the national average. Conditions didn’t improve when inspectors returned and found locomotives with defects still in use. “We haven’t been able to get to them yet,” a Union Pacific director said, according to the letter. # ⚓ WhichUK ☛ Which?_Get_Answers_podcast:_will_renewables mean_cheaper_energy_bills?⠀⇛ We discuss whether moving away from fossil fuels will see the price we’re charged for energy fall. # ⚓ WhichUK ☛ Which?_Money_podcast:_are_cheaper_energy bills_on_the_way?⠀⇛ We ask whether bills will reduce with the energy price cap set to fall this October # ⚓ YLE ☛ Consumer_Ombudsman_bans_unilateral_electricity spot_price_switching⠀⇛ The ombudsman said that customers cannot be switched to market-based spot priced contracts without their consent. o § Finance⠀➾ # ⚓ BBC ☛ Wilko_closures_are_an_‘emotional_rollercoaster’_says worker_–_BBC_News⠀⇛ Martyn Butler, who has worked for Wilko for 16 years, says it has been an “emotional rollercoaster”. # ⚓ YLE ☛ APN_Podcast:_Should_jobseekers_get_lower_benefits_if they_don’t_know_Finnish?⠀⇛ This week the All Points North podcast explores the government’s proposal to tie benefit levels to Finnish language skills. # ⚓ Reason ☛ Carol_Roth:_You_Will_Own_Nothing!⠀⇛ The proponent of “big hair and small government” explains how to flourish in a global financial universe that is indifferent to the individual. # ⚓ KOL418_|_Corporations,_Limited_Liability,_and_the_Title Transfer_Theory_of_Contract,_with_Jeff_Barr:_Part_II⠀⇛ Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 418. This is a followup to KOL414 | Corporations, Limited Liability, and the Title Transfer Theory of Contract, with Jeff Barr: Part I. See that episode for more information and notes. In Part III, we need to talk about corporations. For more on that, see Corporate Personhood, Limited Liability, and Double Taxation.       # ⚓ KOL414_|_Corporations,_Limited_Liability,_and_the_Title Transfer_Theory_of_Contract,_with_Jeff_Barr:_Part_I⠀⇛ Yet Jeff still thinks that failure/inability to pay a future debt is “theft,” much like Rothbard (and Block) view this as “implicit theft,” thus justifying in principle debtor’s prison, although Barr thinks the theft is not even implicit; he thinks it’s explicit theft. This is the crux of our disagreement. # ⚓ KOL417:_Commentary_on_Larken_Rose,_“IP:_The_Wrong Question”:_Part_3⠀⇛ Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 417. Part 3 of my video commentary on Larken Rose’s recent comments on IP. # ⚓ KOL416:_Commentary_on_Larken_Rose,_“IP:_The_Wrong Question”:_Part_2⠀⇛ Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 416. Part 2 of my video commentary on Larken Rose’s recent comments on IP. o § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Venezuela_Congratulates_Russia_for_Regional Electoral_Processes⠀⇛ “United Russia party’s resounding victory ratifies the indisputable leadership of its political force,” the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry stated. # ⚓ The Gray Zone ☛ Announcing_‘Corporate_Coup:_Venezuela_and the_End_of_US_Empire’_by_Anya_Parampil⠀⇛ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russia’s_2023_regional_voting_Small_victories_for the_‘systemic_opposition,’_Moscow_keeps_its_mayor,_and violations_abound_in_a_dress_rehearsal_for_Putin’s_reelection next_year_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ At_G20,_Biden_promotes_US_leadership,_but faces_its_limits⠀⇛ Even without the Russian or Chinese leaders’ presence at the G20 summit, their influence created challenges for President Biden, who drew on creative diplomacy to assert U.S. global leadership. # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ HP_to_Relocate_PC_Assembly_to_Thailand, Mexico,_and_Vietnam:_Report⠀⇛ As the world’s second-largest PC manufacturer, following Lenovo, HP’s decision to relocate its production is notable. The company plans to produce some of its commercial notebooks in Mexico, while consumer laptops will be manufactured in Thailand. Additionally, there’s an upcoming shift to Vietnam slated for 2024. The production outside of China for this year is projected to be between a few million to 5 million units, a significant number considering HP’s global shipment of 55.2 million PCs in 2023. # ⚓ India Times ☛ Jumping_on_Arm’s_blockbuster_IPO_could_be_a risky_business_for_retail_investors⠀⇛ Retail traders getting their first bite at Arm Holdings’ highly anticipated public offering when the British chip designer begins trading this week should beware: individual investors often get burned when they jump on hot listings. Arm’s goal of raising around $5 billion in New York in what might be the biggest IPO of 2023 follows other major listings in recent years whose returns have mostly disappointed. # ⚓ India Times ☛ Europe,_its_partners_should_develop_new global_framework_for_AI_risks:_EU_Commission_chief_Ursula_von der_Leyen⠀⇛ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday said Europe and its partners should develop a new global framework for artificial intelligence risks, asserting that it would protect against systemic societal risks and foster investments in safe and responsible AI systems. # ⚓ MIT Technology Review ☛ The_Download:_what_to_expect_from US_Congress’s_first_AI_meeting⠀⇛ The US Congress is heading back into session, and they’re hitting the ground running on AI. We’re going to be hearing a lot about various plans and positions on AI regulation in the coming weeks, kicking off with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s first AI Insight Forum on Wednesday. This and planned future forums will bring together some of the top people in AI to discuss the risks and opportunities it poses and how Congress might write legislation to address them. # ⚓ Reuters ☛ Congress_to_hold_new_AI_hearings_as_it_works_to craft_safeguards⠀⇛ A House Oversight subcommittee will hold a hearing on Thursday that will look at potential risks in federal agency adoption of AI along with the adequacy of safeguards to protect individual privacy and ensure fair treatment. Witnesses include White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhaker along with the Pentagon’s chief digital and artificial intelligence officer Craig Martell and Homeland Security Department’s Chief Information Officer Eric Hysen. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ 2_Senators_Propose_Bipartisan_Framework for_A.I._Laws⠀⇛ The lawmakers plan to highlight their proposals in an A.I. hearing on Tuesday, which will feature Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, and William Dally, the chief scientist for the A.I. chip maker Nvidia. Mr. Blumenthal and Mr. Hawley plan to introduce bills from the framework. On Wednesday, top tech executives including Elon Musk, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and OpenAI’s Sam Altman will meet with the Senate leader, Chuck Schumer, and other lawmakers in a separate closed- door meeting on A.I. regulations. # § Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda⠀➾ # ⚓ Gizmodo ☛ Salacious_Chinese_Disinformation_Campaign Blames_Maui_Fires_on_Deadly_American_‘Weather_Weapon’⠀⇛ Researchers say they’ve discovered 85 social media accounts and blogs originating from China and working in tandem to amplify a conspiracy theory claiming the deadly fires in Maui were caused by a secretive “weather weapon” unleashed by the US military. NewsGuard, which has previously uncovered other online influence operations from China and Russia, claims the new “coordinated online campaign” represents the most expansive Chinese operation it has uncovered to date. The conspiracy-laden content was written in 15 different languages and appeared on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and around a dozen other platforms. Though the exact phrasing of the posts varied, they largely stemmed from a scandalous, baseless conspiracy theory involving the US military, British spies, and experimental sci-fi weaponry. Buckle up for some tinfoil hat activity. # ⚓ Press Gazette ☛ Ex-Sun_editor_David_Yelland_on_PR: Lying_is_‘far_less_common_than_you’d_think’⠀⇛ Yelland and former No 10 comms chief Simon Lewis talk PR and journalism ahead of their podcast launch. # ⚓ WhichUK ☛ Which?_Shorts_podcast:_the_facts_about_fake reviews⠀⇛ We’re on the case of the fraudsters, helping you decipher what is and isn’t legit o § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ # ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ TikTok_Blocked_‘WGA’_Searches_Amid Writer’s_Strike_Because_It_Thought_It_Was_a_Conspiracy⠀⇛ The social media app, which has been an instrumental tool during the strike, is blocking searches for “WGA.” # ⚓ Gizmodo ☛ Looks_Like_Twitter_Shadowbanned_The_New_York Times,_Which_Advertises_on_Twitter⠀⇛ X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has apparently shadowbanned The New York Times, preventing users from seeing tweets that link to the newspaper’s coverage. The move smacks of a particular irony, given that the Times is one of X’s major advertisers and is currently running campaigns to promote its new sports site, The Athletic. # ⚓ Semafor Inc ☛ Twitter_appears_to_throttle_New_York_Times⠀⇛ Times employees had already taken note of the pattern, as high-profile attempts to share Times articles failed to travel on the platform. For instance, earlier this week, former President Barack Obama shared multiple New York Times articles on X about healthcare costs, which the service said reached fewer than 900,000 and 800,000 users respectively. The number was far lower than any other post shared by the former president since X began sharing that data publicly earlier this year — for comparison, a Politico link shared by the president got nearly 13 million views. # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Another_Day,_Another_SLAPP_Threat_From_A ‘Wellness’_Influencer_Against_Someone_Reviewing_Their ‘Masterclass’⠀⇛ A few years back we had an article about the “The Green Smoothie Girl” aka Robyn Openshaw, who went on this weird SLAPPy binge of threatening people who left negative reviews of her brand of woo woo nonsense. Apparently since that time, Openshaw went down the unsurprising path of being a COVID anti- vaxxer (natch) and more recently had to admit to having lied about having a Ph.D. o § Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press⠀➾ # ⚓ Craig Murray ☛ Defend_Assange_US_Tour⠀⇛ I am currently in Minnesota where I am speaking tonight and doing several media interviews. The primary purpose of the whole US visit is not the public appearances, but preparation for the campaign and defence in the USA should extradition go ahead. # ⚓ Project Censored ☛ Challenging_Media_Integrity_and_Labor Rights:_Fox_TV_Renewal_and_Sex_Work_Perspectives_–_The Project_Censored_Show⠀⇛ Then Eleanor Goldfield hosts the second half of the show; her guests, two long-time sex workers, look at sex work and strip clubs from a labor perspective, addressing issues such as the difference between being treated as independent contractors and as employees. They also call for the decriminalization of sex work, and an end to the social and legal ostracism of sex workers. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Prosecutor_Seeks_Six_Years_In_Prison_For_Uzbek Journalist_Mavjuda_Mirzaeva⠀⇛ Prosecutors have asked a court in Tashkent to convict and sentence journalist Mavjuda Mirzaeva to six years in prison on charges of slander, insult, and extortion. [...] # ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Blinken,_Assange,_And_The_20th_Anniversary_Of The_Palestine_Hotel_Bombing⠀⇛ Ultimately, I don’t know whether the attack on the Palestine Hotel was a deliberate attack on journalists or not. If it was, it is unclear to me who in the chain of command was responsible. But the charges brought by Spain involved “serious criminal conduct,” and the juxtaposition between the U.S.’s own attempts to thwart a war crimes prosecution, versus its obsessive pursuit of Assange for exposing U.S. war crimes, make Blinken’s remarks on the political case against the WikiLeaks founder all the more maddening. o § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ # ⚓ Daniel Miessler ☛ The_Great_Bifurcation⠀⇛ The world is largely split into those who who are doing the daily behaviors that bring them success, and those who aren’t doing those behaviors. I call this The Great Bifurcation because technology magnifies the differences between those doing them and those who aren’t. # ⚓ RFA ☛ First_library,_learning_center_dedicated_to_Dalai Lama_opens_in_United_States⠀⇛ The center, officially named His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama Library and Learning Center, opened on Friday, Sept. 8. It includes a digital audio archive with 40,000 hours of the Dalai Lama’s teachings, about 4,000 books with translations of ancient texts on the evolution of Buddhist thought, and Buddhist artifacts from India and Tibet. # ⚓ Atlantic Council ☛ If_the_West_wants_to_support_Iranian women,_it_must_cut_diplomatic_ties_with_Tehran⠀⇛ However, there are two further approaches the West can take short of military interference. The first is to take actions that incentivize a change of behavior. These would include, but are not limited to, human rights sanctions and United Nations (UN) mechanisms. The other, more impactful, approach would be to gradually delegitimize the oppressive government by cutting off diplomatic ties or boycotting them from political, sporting, and cultural events. # ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ The_Four_Billionaires_Who_Want_to_Control_the Universe⠀⇛ Taplin’s distinction between the oligarchs of new and old is that the modern tech billionaires are granted immunity for content published on their platforms through Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Taplin describes the control these oligarchs possess over the speech dictated on their platforms, “So here [Musk] controls this platform, Twitter, and what he wants pushed gets pushed, what he wants suppressed, gets suppressed. And nobody even doubts that that’s happening.” # ⚓ YLE ☛ APN_Podcast:_Sorry_not_sorry?_Finland_wrestles_with racism⠀⇛ This week’s podcast asks whether Finland’s government is doing enough to deal with racism. # ⚓ Reason ☛ The_Geopolitics_of_Extraditing_Hackers⠀⇛ Episode 466 of the Cyberlaw Podcast # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ 5th_Circuit_Cleans_Up_District_Court’s_Silly Jawboning_Ruling_About_the_Biden_Admin,_Trims_It_Down_To_More Accurately_Reflect_The_1st_Amendment⠀⇛ We’re going to go slow on this one, because there’s a lot of background and details and nuance to get into in Friday’s 5th Circuit appeals court ruling in the Missouri v. Biden case that initially resulted in a batshit crazy 4th of July ruling regarding the US government “jawboning” social media companies. The reporting on the 5th Circuit ruling has been kinda atrocious, perhaps because the end result of the ruling is this: # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ 5th_Circuit_v._5th_Circuit:_When_Can_And_When Can’t_The_Government_Coerce_Content_Moderation_Decisions?⠀⇛ So, I already wrote a long post walking through the mostly very good 5th Circuit ruling in the Missouri v. Biden case, in which the court threw out most of the district court judge’s injunction against the government communicating with social media companies and academics. The end result is a very good, straightforward ruling on the 1st Amendment that reminds the government that they cannot coerce social media platforms on how they moderate. # ⚓ EFF ☛ EFF_Award_Winner:_Library_Freedom_Project⠀⇛ All are invited to attend the EFF Awards! Whether you are an activist, an EFF supporter, a student interested in cyberlaw or public interest technology, or someone who wants to eat good food and drink with other cool individuals, anyone can have a fun time at the ceremony. The celebration will begin at 6:30 pm. PT, Thursday, September 14 at The Regency Lodge, 1290 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. Register today to attend the event! We even have discounted tickets for EFF members and students. # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Supreme_Court_Asked_To_Determine_Whether_A_Drug Dog_Touching_A_Car_With_Its_Paws_Violates_The_Fourth Amendment⠀⇛ “Probable cause on four legs.” That’s the nickname for drug dogs, which give cops permission to perform searches just by performing a neat little trick cops call an “alert.” What constitutes an “alert” is pretty much up to the dog’s handler, who can claim any movement is the drug dog detecting contraband or (deliberately or inadvertently) prompt “alerts” just by being near the dog when the sniff of a car is performed. # ⚓ Atlantic Council ☛ Iran_will_never_go_back_to_the_way_it was⠀⇛ While some argue that the ongoing anti- establishment protests began in mid-September 2022, the reality is that Iranians have been defying the regime for years. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Swedish_E.U._Official_Johan_Floderus_Held in_Iran_in_Brutal_Conditions⠀⇛ Relatives of Johan Floderus have released details of his incarceration since April 2022, revving up a public campaign on his birthday to bring him home. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Six_Iranian_Miners_Remain_In_Custody_A_Month_After Protest⠀⇛ Six workers from the Agh-Dareh Vosta mines in West Azerbaijan Province have been held in detention since August 31, following union protests. # ⚓ Press Gazette ☛ Jeremy_Vine’s_stalker_agrees_to_pay ‘substantial’_damages_to_presenter⠀⇛ Former local radio presenter Alex Belfield was jailed for stalking Vine and others last year. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Iranian_Teachers’_Activist_Handed_Stiff_Sentence After_Attending_Memorial_For_Slain_Protester⠀⇛ Prominent Iranian teachers’ union activist Abolfazl Khoran has been handed a severe sentence by the Islamic Revolutionary Court for “disrupting public order” as the government continues to tightening its grip on dissent and the labor movement. # ⚓ 201_workers,_10_children_among_them,_killed_on_the_job_in August⠀⇛ The number of workers killed on the job exceeded 200 in a month for the first time in twelve years that the Health and Safety Labor Watch has been collecting this data except for the coronavirus pandemic period and the Soma mine disaster. # ⚓ Off Guardian ☛ The_Next_Crisis_Is_Anyone’s_Guess,_But_the Government_Is_Ready_to_Lockdown_the_Nation⠀⇛ “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.” HL Mencken First came 9/11, which the government used to transform itself into a police state. # ⚓ Unicorn Media ☛ EFF’s_Two_New_Board_Members_Bring_Equality and_Security_Cred_to_the_Table⠀⇛ Two new seats on EFF’s board are filled by Erica Astrella and Yoshi Kohno, who bring valuable experience in diversity, equity, inclusion, security research, and data privacy to the table. o § Internet Policy/Net Neutrality⠀➾ # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Critics_Say_Rules_Affixed_To_Biden’s_Massive Broadband_Subsidy_Program_Boxes_Out_Small_ISPs_And_Community Broadband⠀⇛ We’ve already noted how the 2021 infrastructure bill aims to spend a whopping $42 billion on broadband deployments via the Broadband Equity and Deployment program (BEAD). We’ve also noted how big regional monopolies are doing everything in their power to ensure the lion’s share of that money goes to them, and not smaller ISPs or a number of popular, community-owned broadband networks. o § Digital Restrictions (DRM)⠀➾ # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Spotify_CFO_Addresses_the_Podcasting Elephant_In_the_Room_—_“Okay,_How_Can_We_Structure_Deals Differently?” [Ed: Spotify loses billions of dollars. This is 'softball' session with the CFO, not covering the elephant in the room.]⠀⇛ Spotify spent more than $1 billion building a podcast empire that quickly crumbled around it. # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Spotify_Is_Cracking_Down_on_White Noise_Creators,_Removing_Them_From_Its_Lucrative_‘Ambassador Ads’_Program [Ed: A form of censorship from surveillance company unable to make a dime (huge losses)]⠀⇛ On Spotify, white noise creators can make up to $18,000 per month recording ambient sounds meant for background listening. According to a recent report from Bloomberg, however, these podcast aberrations will no longer be eligible for specific ads. # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Spotify_Adds_Patreon_Integration_for Paid_Podcast_Content⠀⇛ Spotify is streamlining how it presents podcasts with a new way for creators to grant patrons access to paid content on the platform. Here’s a peek at the Spotify + Patreon integration. # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Spotify_Burned_Through_$41_Million_in Podcast_Losses_Last_Quarter,_Financial_Filings_Show⠀⇛ Spotify took a $41 million loss in podcast-related write-offs—mostly due to contract terminations. The music company told investors it took steps to shrink its real estate footprint and rationalize certain areas of its podcasting business. # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Are_More_Spotify_Layoffs_on_the_Way? CFO_Paul_Vogel_Discloses_Plans_for_Lower_Year-Over-Year_Q3 Headcount:_‘We’re_Continuing_To_Become_More_Efficient’ [Ed: Means, "we fail, we lose billions"]⠀⇛ Last month, after kicking off 2023 by trimming about six percent of its global workforce, Spotify announced approximately 200 podcasting layoffs. Now, CFO Paul Vogel has indicated that his company expects “headcount year over year to actually be down in Q3,” and some are speculating that additional personnel cutbacks could be on the way. o § Monopolies⠀➾ # ⚓ India Times ☛ Google’s_dominance_of_internet_search_faces major_challenge_in_legal_showdown_with_US_regulators⠀⇛ The US government is taking aim at what has been an indomitable empire: Google’s ubiquitous search engine that has become the internet’s main gateway. The legal attack will swing into full force Tuesday in a Washington DC federal courtroom that will serve as the battleground for the biggest US antitrust trial since regulators went after Microsoft and its dominance of personal computer software a quarter century ago. # ⚓ India Times ☛ EU_antitrust_regulators_halt_Amazon,_iRobot probe,_await_info⠀⇛ EU antitrust regulators have delayed their investigation into Amazon’s $1.7 billion acquisition of robot vacuum cleaner maker iRobot as they wait for the companies to provide requested information. The European Commission, which acts as the competition enforcer in the 27-country bloc, said it stopped the clock on Sept. 8, with effect from Aug. 29. # § Patents⠀➾ # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Gilead_Delayed_Introduction_Of_New_Version of_HIV_Drug,_With_Fewer_Side_Effects,_Maximizing_Its Patent_Monopoly_And_Profits⠀⇛ Techdirt has been writing about “evergreening” for many years. It refers to the practice by pharmaceutical companies of making small changes to a drug, often about to come off patent, in order to gain a new patent that extends its manufacturer’s monopoly control over it. The New York Times has a story about the Big Pharma company Gilead Sciences that involves evergreening, but with a twist. # § Copyrights⠀➾ # ⚓ Michael Geist ☛ Countering_Copyright_Misinformation: Canadian_Libraries_Speak_Out_Against_Ongoing_Campaign to_Undermine_User_Rights⠀⇛ I had no involvement whatsoever with the statement, but was happy to tweet it out and was grateful for the effort to set the record straight on what has been a relentless misinformation campaign that ignores the foundational principles of copyright law. # ⚓ Creative Commons ☛ Peter-Lucas_Jones_to_Keynote_CC Global_Summit_2023⠀⇛ We have an incredible group of people lined up to be keynote speakers at the 2023 CC Global Summit, to be held 3–6 October in Mexico City. Recently we announced Anya Kamenetz, and now in our second announcement, we welcome Peter-Lucas Jones, who will address the Summit with a keynote that grows out of his work as a leading figure in Māori media and his collaborations to honor local and traditional knowledge and culture in a global context. # ⚓ Michael Geist ☛ Countering_Copyright_Misinformation: Canadian_Libraries_Speak_Out_Against_Ongoing_Campaign to_Undermine_User_Rights⠀⇛ Last month, the Canadian Federation of Library Associations released a much-needed statement that sought to counter the ongoing misinformation campaign from copyright lobby groups regarding the state of Canadian copyright and the extensive licensing by libraries and educational institutions. I had no involvement whatsoever with the statement, but was happy to tweet it out and was grateful for the effort to set the record straight on what has been a relentless misinformation campaign that ignores the foundational principles of copyright law. Lobby groups have for years tried to convince the government that 2012 copyright reforms are to blame for the diminished value of the Access Copyright licence that led Canadian educational institutions to seek other alternatives, most notably better licensing options that offer greater flexibility, access to materials, and usage rights. This is false, and when the CFLA dared to call it out, those same groups then expressed their “profound disappointment” in the library association. # ⚓ Hollywood Reporter ☛ ‘Winnie-The-Pooh:_Blood_and Honey’_Sequel_First-Look_Images_Revealed_(Exclusive)⠀⇛ The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively reveal the first stills from Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2, the follow-up to the micro- budget British slasher that went viral last year for its childhood-bludgeoning premise, became one of the most talked about films of 2023 and would earn $5.2 million in the global box office after costing under $100,000 to make. Currently in production, the sequel comes with a bigger budget, more kills and even an Olivier Award-winning, BAFTA-nominated star in the form of Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral), who has joined the cast. ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 4970 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 09.12.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Links_12/09/2023:_pgexporter_0.4_Released,_Microsoft_Covering_Up_Massive Breach⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 8:41 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * GNU/Linux o Server o Applications o Instructionals/Technical o Desktop_Environments/WMs # K_Desktop_Environment/KDE_SC/Qt * Distributions_and_Operating_Systems o Debian_Family o Canonical/Ubuntu_Family o Open_Hardware/Modding o Mobile_Systems/Mobile_Applications * Free,_Libre,_and_Open_Source_Software o SaaS/Back_End/Databases o Content_Management_Systems_(CMS) o FSF o Programming/Development # Perl_/_Raku # Python * Leftovers o Hardware o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Security # Privacy/Surveillance o Defence/Aggression o Environment # Energy/Transportation o Finance o AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics o Censorship/Free_Speech o Civil_Rights/Policing o Internet_Policy/Net_Neutrality o Monopolies # Patents # Trademarks * § GNU/Linux⠀➾ o § Server⠀➾ # ⚓ Eclipse_Foundation_Finds_Cloud_Native_Gaining_Ground⠀⇛ An Eclipse Foundation survey found 35% of an organization’s most critical applications are now cloud native. o § Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Links ☛ Manage_your_Business_with_a_Complete_Software Solution⠀⇛ To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, here’s our recommended open source Business Process Management software o § Instructionals/Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ Own HowTo ☛ How_to_change_the_size_of_Terminal_window_on Linux⠀⇛ The size of terminal window is defined by the system, so this may change from system to system. For example, in Debian the default size of the terminal is quite big, and it takes almost the whole screen, especially if your machine’s screen is small. # ⚓ FOSSLinux ☛ How_to_install_different_versions_of_Java_on Ubuntu⠀⇛ Navigating the installation of different Java versions on Ubuntu can sometimes feel like traversing a labyrinth. Whether you are a seasoned developer needing multiple versions for various projects, or a beginner aiming to get a grip on different Java environments, understanding how to effectively manage different versions is crucial. Ubuntu, with its robust and versatile framework, allows users to switch between different Java versions seamlessly, adapting to the specific needs of their projects. # ⚓ Fixed_vs._Rolling_vs._Semi-Rolling_Release_Models_in_Linux Distros⠀⇛ In the realm of Linux, software updates are typically delivered to users through three distinct models: fixed release, rolling release, and semi- rolling release. # ⚓ Linux Links ☛ tap_is_a_terminal-based_music_player_with fuzzy-finder⠀⇛ tap is terminal-based music player for the terminal that lets you jump to any album with fuzzy-finder shortcuts. # ⚓ ZDNet ☛ Two_tricks_that_make_using_the_Linux_command_line_a lot_easier⠀⇛ Using the Linux command line doesn’t have to be the chore you think it is. # ⚓ Cloudbooklet ☛ How_to_Create_Your_Own_VPN⠀⇛ Create your own VPN server on the cloud is a way to enjoy the benefits of using a VPN without the drawbacks of using a VPN service. o § Desktop Environments/WMs⠀➾ # § K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt⠀➾ # ⚓ QtWayland_6.6_Brings_Robustness_Through_Compositor Handoffs⠀⇛ Every release has a killer feature. Qt 6.6 features the opposite – staying alive. This blog post describes work to make Qt clients more robust and seemlessly migrate between compositors, providing resistance against compositor crashes and more. § Prologue Right now if you restart pulseaudio your sound might cut out, restart NetworkManager and you lose your wifi, restart an X11 window manager and your decorations disappear. But within a second it’s all back to normal exactly where you left off with everything recovering fine. This isn’t true for display servers. If X11 restarts you’re back at the login prompt. All drafts lost, games unsaved, work wasted. * § Distributions and Operating Systems⠀➾ o § Debian Family⠀➾ # ⚓ Debian_Brasil:_Debian_Day_30_anos_in_Maceió_–_Brazil⠀⇛ The Debian Day in Maceió 2023 took place at the Senai auditorium in Maceió with the support and organization of Oxe_Hacker_Club. There were around 90 people registered, and 40 ateendees present on Saturday to participate in the event, which featured the following 6 talks: [...] # ⚓ Debian_Disguised_Work:_Sven_Luther,_Thomas_Bushnell_& Debian’s_September_11_discussion⠀⇛ Today is the anniversary of the tragic attacks on the United States, where we remember thousands of civilians who died, especially the emergency services who risked their lives trying to help the victims. We began to explore Debian’s_relation_with September_11_in_2022. It is interesting to look at the way people reacted to the crisis in the rest of the world. Many people added comments into multiple threads on the debian- private_(leaked)_gossip_network. Today we will simply look at an exchange between Sven_Luther and Thomas_Bushnell. o § Canonical/Ubuntu Family⠀➾ # ⚓ Ubuntu News ☛ Ubuntu_Weekly_Newsletter_Issue_804⠀⇛ Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue 804 for the week of September 3 – 9, 2023. o § Open Hardware/Modding⠀➾ # ⚓ Purism ☛ Purism_Launches_New_Secure_Librem_11_Tablet⠀⇛ Purism is excited to be introducing the new Librem 11 tablet running secure PureBoot and linux kernel based PureOS by default. Today most tablets run operating systems that limit personal freedom and are designed to be as intrusive as possible. Unlike tablets supported by the Android OS, Apple iOS, or Microsoft Windows, the Librem 11 tablet runs PureBoot and PureOS offering the best security, privacy, and freedom respecting features that include… # ⚓ Liliputing ☛ Purism_Librem_11_is_a_$999_Linux_tablet_with_a 2.5K_AMOLED_display_and_Celeron_N5100⠀⇛ o § Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ TechRadar ☛ Beware_of_dodgy_Android_TV_boxes_are_laced_with malware_|_TechRadar⠀⇛ # ⚓ Notebook Check ☛ Google_Camera_9.0_update_rolls_out_for Android_14_ahead_of_Pixel_8_and_Pixel_8_Pro_releases_– NotebookCheck.net_News⠀⇛ # ⚓ India Times ☛ X90_Pro:_Vivo_announces_Android_14_Preview for_X90_Pro:_All_the_details_–_Times_of_India⠀⇛ # ⚓ 9to5Google ☛ HMD_Global_will_make_self-branded_Android phones⠀⇛ # ⚓ 9to5Google ☛ Wix_adds_tap-to-pay_on_Android_phones⠀⇛ * § Free, Libre, and Open Source Software⠀➾ o § SaaS/Back End/Databases⠀➾ # ⚓ PostgreSQL ☛ pgexporter_0.4⠀⇛ The pgexporter community is happy to announce version 0.4.0. This release was driven by @resyfer and his GSoC 2023 project. New Features # Support for PostgreSQL 10 – 16 # Documentation for Grafana integration # ⚓ PostgreSQL ☛ Call_for_New_Members_for_the_Community_Code_of Conduct_Committee⠀⇛ This message is being sent from the Community Code of Conduct Committee, with the approval of the Core Team. As part of the Community CoC policy, the Committee membership is to be refreshed on an annual basis. We are seeking up to three (3) volunteers to serve on the Committee for the coming year, October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024. We are seeking people who reflect the diversity of the PostgreSQL community, with the goal to have members from multiple countries and varied demographics. The time commitment for Committee involvement varies, based on internal administrative work and the number of active investigations. We estimate an average of 5 to 10 hours per month, but that could increase if there is an increase in the number of incident reports. o § Content Management Systems (CMS)⠀➾ # ⚓ WordPress ☛ The_Month_in_WordPress_–_August_2023⠀⇛ August 2023 marked another exciting chapter in WordPress, with the Community Summit and WordCamp US bringing the community together for meaningful discussions, knowledge sharing, and learning. This month also welcomed the long-awaited WordPress 6.3 release and offered a glimpse of what’s to come. o § FSF⠀➾ # ⚓ FSF ☛ FSF_News:_FSF_job_opportunity:_Operations_assistant⠀⇛ The Free Software Foundation (FSF), a Massachusetts 501(c)(3) charity with a worldwide mission to protect and promote computer-user freedom, seeks a motivated and organized Boston-based individual to be our full-time operations assistant. o § Programming/Development⠀➾ # ⚓ Adam_Young:_Following_a_code_path_in_the_Linux_Kernel without_a_debugger⠀⇛ Sometimes you don’t get to use a debugger. When do bare metal development, often it is faster to get to the root of a problem by throwing in trace statements, and seeing what path is taken through the code. # ⚓ Collabora ☛ Empowering_Open_Source_at_IBC_2023⠀⇛ Collabora is headed to Amsterdam! This year, we will be showcasing some of our recent work on the DAB protocol, as well as the software integration of LCEVC, MPEG’s novel enhancement codec, into the GStreamer multimedia framework. # ⚓ Trail Of Bits ☛ Holy_Macroni!_A_recipe_for_progressive language_enhancement⠀⇛ By Brent Pappas Despite its use for refactoring and static analysis tooling, Clang has a massive shortcoming: the Clang AST does not provide provenance information about which CPP macro expansions a given AST node is expanded from; nor does it lower macro expansions down to LLVM Intermediate Representation (IR) code. # § Perl / Raku⠀➾ # ⚓ Rakulang ☛ Rakudo_Weekly_2023.37_Issuing⠀⇛ Elizabeth Mattijsen got inspired by their work on the Raku grammar to make three problem solving issues that may affect the future of the Raku Programming Language: As usual all comments and suggestions on these issues are welcome! # § Python⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Use_the_Python_Generator Functions_Howto⠀⇛ In Python, the generator function is similar to the normal function unless the “yield” keyword is used to return the value instead of the “return” keyword. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Scipy_Stats_Fit⠀⇛ The scipy.stats module is used along with several distribution functions, such as norm (), expon(), and beta(), etc., to fit the data on these distributions. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_String_Formatting_Tutorial⠀⇛ The “string.format()”, “% Operator”, “f- strings”, and “String Template Class” methods are used to format a string in Python. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_OS_Copy⠀⇛ The “os.system()” method of the “os” module takes the string-type command as an argument and executes it to copy the files from one place to another. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_File_detach()_Method⠀⇛ The file.detach() method in Python is used to detach the binary buffer from a TextIOBase object and returns the underlying raw stream. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_AssertionError⠀⇛ The “assert statement” in Python is used to find errors in the code. If the statement is false, it will show an error message called “AssertionError”. * § Leftovers⠀➾ o ⚓ University of Michigan ☛ Web_developer’s_photography_passion takes_flight⠀⇛ Jocelyn Anderson, a web developer in LSA, has photographed or taken video of more than 200 species of birds in Michigan and shares them on her Instagram account and website. o § Hardware⠀➾ # ⚓ Ruben Schade ☛ “Bang_for_the_buck”_when_picking_a_graphics card⠀⇛ Read or watch any advice about choosing a GPU, and you’ll likely be given one of the following pieces of advice: AI-written spam with a vague comparison table, concluded with choose one that’s right for you. People don’t know what’s right for them, that’s why they landed on your article! Those who say you should always buy the best graphics card you can for your budget. It’s the part of any build that will make the most difference to gameplay or graphics workstation tasks. # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ TSMC_Rumored_to_Partner_With_Nvidia_and Broadcom_on_Silicon_Photonics_Tech⠀⇛ Nvidia and Broadcom are exploring silicon photonics to boost their AI and HPC datacenter platform. # ⚓ CNX Software ☛ Sony_energy_harvesting_module_generates power_from_electromagnetic_wave_noise⠀⇛ Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (SSS) has developed an energy harvesting module that uses electromagnetic wave noise energy to power IoT devices. The new module leverages Sony’s tuner development process to generate power from electromagnetic wave noise from robots inside factories, monitors and lighting in offices, monitors and TVs in stores and homes, etc. in order to provide a stable power supply needed to run low- power IoT sensors and communications equipment. The tiny 7×7 mm module uses the metal parts of electronic devices that serve as the source of electromagnetic wave noise as part of an antenna and employs a rectifier circuit in order to convert electromagnetic wave noise in a range of several Hz to 100 MHz into electrical energy and supply power to low-power consumption IoT sensors and communications equipment or # ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Qualcomm_shares_jump_on_surprise_Apple modem_chip_deal⠀⇛ Shares of Qualcomm Inc. jumped more than 3.8% today after the chipmaker announced that Apple Inc. will keep using its mobile modem chips for the next three years. Apple was previously expected to significantly scale back its use of the modems as early as this year. # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Starfield_on_AMD’s_GPUs_Fails_to_Render Stars⠀⇛ Starfield has plenty of problems at launch, and the latest to gain notice is that it’s not rendering the primary sun for planets on AMD graphics cards. We’ve confirmed things look correct on Nvidia and Intel hardware. o § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Biden’s_News_Conference_in_Vietnam_Ignites His_Opponents⠀⇛ The president’s top aides believe that stories about the president’s age and health are stoked by his enemies in an effort to undermine his accomplishments. o § Security⠀➾ # ⚓ LWN ☛ Security_updates_for_Tuesday/a>⠀⇛ Security updates have been issued by Debian (node- cookiejar and orthanc), Oracle (firefox, kernel, and kernel-container), Red Hat (flac and httpd: 2.4), Slackware (vim), SUSE (python-Django, terraform-provider-aws, terraform-provider-helm, and terraform-provider-null), and Ubuntu (c-ares, curl, linux-azure, linux-azure-5.15, linux-azure- fde, linux-azure-fde-5.15, linux-raspi, and linux- ibm, linux-ibm-5.4). # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ Testing_for_Host_Header_Injection Vulnerabilities⠀⇛ In the ever-evolving realm of web security, Host Header Injection stands as one of the vulnerabilities that can potentially plague web applications. This flaw arises when a web application or server does not properly validate or restrict the Host header in incoming HTTP requests, thereby exposing it to malicious exploitation. # ⚓ Cloudbooklet ☛ 8_Best_Tools_for_Website_Malware_Scanning Online_Free⠀⇛ Scan your website for malware and other security issues with Website Malware Scan. Get a detailed report and guidance on how to fix the issues. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ China_Sows_Disinformation_About_Hawaii Fires_Using_New_Techniques [Ed: New York Times cites "researchers from Microsoft and other organizations" as if they're experts in this area; this is how Microsoft is distracting from the fact that China breached everything at Microsoft -- a topic that should be at the front paper of every paper]⠀⇛ Beijing’s influence campaign using artificial intelligence is a rapid change in tactics, researchers from Microsoft and other organizations say. # ⚓ IT Wire ☛ Microsoft_cloud_breach_report_‘leaves_many questions_unanswered’⠀⇛ Cloud security company Wiz.io says there are many unanswered questions raised by Microsoft’s final report into a breach of its Azure cloud platform, pointing out that the threat actor, given the name Storm-0558, may have been forging authentication tokens for more than two years given the timeline in the report. # ⚓ Security Week ☛ After_Microsoft_and_X,_Hackers_Launch_DDoS Attack_on_Telegram⠀⇛ Anonymous Sudan launches a DDoS attack against Telegram in retaliation for the suspension of their primary account on the platform. # ⚓ IT Wire ☛ No_hacker_will_be_able_to_improve_security_in industry⠀⇛ Among other achievements, the CDC is known for Back Orifice, a program designed for remote administration, the brainchild of Sir Dystic, a member of CDC. Back Orifice was named to bring attention to the poor security in Windows. # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Microsoft_Announces_Endgame_for_Third- Party_Windows_Printer_Drivers⠀⇛ Microsoft is focusing on Mopria-compliant printers using the IPP Class Driver. # ⚓ SANS ☛ Apple_fixes_0-Day_Vulnerability_in_Older_Operating Systems,_(Mon,_Sep_11th)⠀⇛ This update fixes the ImageIO vulnerability Apple patched for current operating systems last week. Now, Apple follows up with a patch for its older, but still supported, operating system versions. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Chinese_Warnings_on_iPhones_Tap_Deep Strain_of_Security_Concerns⠀⇛ For years, officials in China have been told to shun foreign devices. Now reports of renewed curbs have unnerved Apple’s investors, heightening geopolitical tensions. # ⚓ Security Week ☛ Bookstore_Chain_Dymocks_Discloses_Data Breach_Possibly_Impacting_800k_Customers⠀⇛ The personal information of more than 800,000 individuals was stolen from bookstore chain Dymocks in a cyberattack last week. /blockquote> # ⚓ Security Week ☛ Associated_Press_Stylebook_Users_Targeted in_Phishing_Attack_Following_Data_Breach⠀⇛ Cybercriminals breached an AP Stylebook website and obtained information on customers who were then targeted in phishing attacks.  # ⚓ Security Week ☛ FBI_Blames_North_Korean_Hackers_for_$41 Million_Stake.com_Heist⠀⇛ FBI says North Korean hacking group Lazarus has stolen $41 million in cryptocurrency from online betting platform Stake.com. # ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ ‘Cybersecurity_issue’_disables_computer systems_at_MGM_Resorts⠀⇛ MGM Resorts International Inc., best known as an operator of casinos in Las Vegas, has been forced to shut down some casino and hotel systems following what the company described as a “cybersecurity issue.” # ⚓ Data Breaches ☛ MGM_Resorts_hit_in_disruptive_cyberattack⠀⇛ Long-time readers may recall a story in January 2017 about a luxury hotel that reportedly paid extortion to ransomware attackers because guests were locked in their rooms. Some of the story was ultimately considered to be fake news, although the whole scenario initially seemed possible at the time. Fast forward more than six years and MGM Resorts has been hit, and as part of the consequences of the digital attack, some guests may be having trouble getting into their rooms. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ ‘Cybersecurity_Issue’_Forces_Systems Shutdown_at_MGM_Hotels_and_Casinos⠀⇛ Company websites were down, and some guests complained of problems with slot machines and hotel room access. Cybersecurity experts point to a likely cyberattack. # ⚓ Data Breaches ☛ Hospital_Sisters_Health_System’s_CFO_exits as_it_continues_to_handle_‘cybersecurity_incident’⠀⇛ HSHS still hasn’t forthrightly disclosed whether this was a ransomware incident or not, although it certainly reads like one. No ransomware group has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack at this point. # ⚓ The Business Journals ☛ Local_health_care_system’s_CFO exits_as_it_continues_to_handle_‘cybersecurity_incident’⠀⇛ The chief financial officer of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), which operates several facilities in Metro East, has exited the nonprofit, while it continues to fight a “cybersecurity incident” that began impacting its operations late last month. Kimberly Hodgkinson, who has served as the senior vice president and chief financial officer of the Springfield, Illinois-based system since July 2022, left her position as of Friday, a spokeswoman confirmed to the Business Journal. # ⚓ Security Week ☛ Vulnerabilities_Allow_Hackers_to_Hijack, Disrupt_Socomec_UPS_Devices⠀⇛ A researcher has found 7 vulnerabilities in Socomec UPS products that can be exploited to hijack and disrupt devices.  # ⚓ Data Breaches ☛ Bloom_Health_Centers_discloses_data_breach involving_mental_health_data_of_1,545_patients⠀⇛ On September 11, Psych Associates of Maryland LLC d/b/a Bloom Health Centers (“Bloom Health”), a mental health service provider, announced a data security incident that involved the personal and protected health information of some clinicians and patients. Before digging into the details, note that some affected patients may have been treated by a Bloom Health doctor at Dominion Hospital. Dominion Hospital is not affiliated with Bloom Health Centers, but allows Bloom Health providers to serve their patients at the hospital. Additionally, certain patients may have been originally seen at companies acquired by Bloom Health, including Psych Associates of Maryland, Comprehensive Behavioral Health, and Kraus Behavioral Health. # ⚓ KSTP TV ☛ St._Paul_Public_Schools_notifies_families_of_data breach_from_February⠀⇛ St. Paul Public Schools notified families and staff last week of a “data security incident” last winter that may have exposed students’ names and email addresses. In a letter sent out on Friday, the district said it became aware of the issue in February and flagged the FBI, Minnesota IT Services and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to investigate “an unauthorized third party” that had accessed district data. The full scope of the breach wasn’t made clear until mid-July, but SPPS says it has identified everyone whose data might have been accessed. At this point, the district says it “has no reason to believe” there was any fraudulent use of anyone’s personal information. # ⚓ Save_the_Children_confirms_systems_breach⠀⇛ Save the Children appears to have been hacked by the Chinese data extortion gang BianLian, according to data posted to the latter’s victim blog. Though it does not mention the charity by name, the cybercrime organisation claims to have stolen up to 8GB of files from an international NGO “employing over 25,000 staff and operating in 116 countries”, a description experts have said fits the profile of Save the Children. [….] Save the Children confirmed that an outside party had obtained unauthorised access to part of its network, though it stressed that there had been no operational disruption as a result. “We are working hard with external specialists to understand what happened and what data was impacted, so we can take all the appropriate next steps,” a spokesperson told Tech Monitor. “Our systems are also secured, and we are confident in the ongoing integrity of our IT infrastructure.” # ⚓ Michigan News ☛ Cybercrime_investigation_causes_half-day for_East_Jackson_schools⠀⇛ A potential cybercrime is causing classes to be cut to a half day in East Jackson Community Schools on Tuesday, Sept. 12, officials said. The incident currently is under investigation by the Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety. School officials learned of the potential cybercrime Tuesday morning, Superintendent Steve Doerr said. # ⚓ US Dept Of Health and Human Services ☛ HHS_Office_for_Civil Rights_Settles_with_L.A._Care_Health_Plan_Over_Potential HIPAA_Security_Rule_Violations⠀⇛ Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a settlement of potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Rules with LA Care, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan that provides health care benefits and coverage through state, federal, and commercial programs. OCR enforces the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules that set the requirements that HIPAA-regulated entities must follow to protect the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI). The settlement concludes two OCR investigations initiated from a large breach report and a media article regarding a separate security incident. Under the agreement, LA Care agreed to pay $1,300,000 and to implement a corrective action plan, discussed in further detail below, which identifies steps LA Care will take to resolve these potential violations of the HIPAA Security Rule and protect the security of electronic protected health information (ePHI). # ⚓ Brazil’s_government_convicted_for_data_leak_exposed_by_The Brazilian_Report⠀⇛ Federal government agencies were convicted for leaking data of beneficiaries of Auxilio Brasil, a flagship federal aid program now renamed as Bolsa Familia, to financial agencies offering payroll deduction loans to low-income Brazilians. Prior to elections last year, the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro launched a program allowing people enrolled in aid programs to sign up for payroll deduction loans – a government push to create feel-good factors around the economy. # ⚓ Data Breaches ☛ Rhysida_claims_responsibility_for_attacks on_two_U.S._health_systems:_Prospect_Medical_Holdings, Singing_River_Health⠀⇛ On August 3, Prospect Medical Holdings disclosed a ransomware attack that affected some of its 16 hospitals and 10 clinics, including three hospitals in Connecticut and hospitals run by Crozer Health. Although they have made some progress with recovery, a note on their website today states, “Prospect Medical Holdings, along with all Prospect Medical facilities, is experiencing a systemwide outage. We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible and regret any inconvenience.” For its part, Rhysida ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the attack, stating, “They kindly provided: more than 500000 SSN, passports of their clients and employees, driver’s licenses, patient files (profile, medical history), financial and legal documents!!! If you are interested in our partner’s confidential documents, you will be able to purchase them too!!! Total 1TB unique files, as well as 1.3TB SQL database.” # § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ # ⚓ California_Privacy_Protection_Agency_publishes_new draft_regulations_addressing_AI,_risk_assessments, cyber_audits⠀⇛ The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) recently published two new sets of draft regulations addressing a range of cutting-edge data protection issues. Although the CPPA has not officially started the formal rulemaking process, the Draft Cybersecurity Audit Regulations and the Draft Risk Assessment Regulations will serve as the foundation for the process moving forward. Discussion of the draft regulations will be a central topic of the CPPA’s upcoming September 8th meeting. Among the noteworthy aspects to the draft Regulations are (1) a proposed definition of “artificial intelligence” that differentiates the technology from automated decision- making; (2) transparency obligations for companies that train AI to be used by consumers or other businesses; and (3) a significant list of potential harms to be considered by businesses when conducting risk assessments. # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Candidate_in_high-stakes Virginia_election_performed_sex_acts_with_husband_in live_videos⠀⇛ A candidate in a high-stakes legislative contest in Virginia performed sex acts with her husband in live videos posted on a pornographic website while asking viewers to pay them with “tokens” or ”tips” for individual requests. The Washington Post first reported the videos on Monday. Susanna Gibson, a Democrat running for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates in a district just outside Richmond, said in a written statement that exposing the videos is “an illegal invasion of my privacy designed to humiliate me and my family.” # ⚓ Grimes:_‘Clueless’_Elon_Musk_sent_photo_of_me_having C-section_to_friends,_family⠀⇛ The “Genesis” singer told biographer Walter Isaacson that the SpaceX founder was “clueless” as to why she would be upset about the intimate photo being distributed. # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ Would_Steven_Soderbergh_Kill_Baby Facebook?⠀⇛ The director of “Command Z”—a series about a regretful, time-bending billionaire, played by Michael Cera—ponders time-machine-aided do-overs with the writer Kurt Andersen. # ⚓ Security Week ☛ Spies,_Hackers,_Informants:_How_China Snoops_on_the_West⠀⇛ Some of the ways China has worked to spy on the West in recent years. # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China_slams_UK_spying_reports as_‘political_farce’_and_‘malicious_slander⠀⇛ China has lashed out at media reports alleging a man who was arrested on suspicion of espionage was gathering intelligence for Beijing, labelling the claim a “political farce”. o § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Georgia_Introduces_Visa-Free_Visits_For_Chinese Citizens⠀⇛ Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili said that as of September 11, Chinese citizens can enter the South Caucasus nation without visas. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ The_50th_Anniversary_of_the_Chile_Coup_in Photos⠀⇛ Gen. Augusto Pinochet led the violent overthrow of the socialist government of Salvador Allende, seizing power for nearly 17 years. Here is a selection of photographs from the coup and its aftermath. # ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ The_9/11_Memes_the_Government_Deemed Worthy_of_Preserving_in_the_National_Archive⠀⇛ The Bush White House and the National Archive saved early internet era 9/11 memes involving ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘The Terminator.’ # ⚓ France24 ☛ Syrian_militia_leader_close_to_Assad_attends Special_Olympics_meeting_in_Paris⠀⇛ Omar al-Aroub, the current second-in-command in a Syrian pro-regime militia accused of war crimes travelled to Paris in August 2023 and received an official welcome as head of the Syrian Paralympic Committee. Our team identified images of al-Aroub armed and in uniform, wearing the logo of the Ba’ath Brigades. A man with links to al-Aroub confirmed his role in the brutal repression of anti-regime protests in Aleppo in 2011. # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Outrage_intensifies_over_New_Mexico governor’s_temporary_gun_ban_as_sheriff_vows_not_to_enforce it⠀⇛ New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says she’d welcome a fight after announcing an emergency order to suspend the right to publicly carry guns around Albuquerque. That’s what she’s getting. Since the Democrat issued the 30-day public health order Friday, a furor has rained down from gun owners, GOP lawmakers and civil rights advocates. The sheriff for the county that includes Albuquerque vowed Monday not to enforce the order. A gun rights group asked a federal court to block it from taking effect. Meanwhile, anti-gun groups applauded the measure, which bans open and concealed carry in most public places in and around Albuquerque. # ⚓ Security Week ☛ US_Marks_22_Years_Since_9/11 Terrorist Attacks⠀⇛ One organization is hoping to transform the anniversary of 9/11 into a day of doing good. # § Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine⠀➾ # ⚓ Latvia ☛ Municipalities_want_financial_help_setting up_local_police_forces⠀⇛ As of January 1, 2024, all municipalities in Latvia are obliged to establish and finance a local, municipal police. State money is not intended for this purpose and local governments have to finance their autonomous functions, such as ensuring public order and security, themselves. o § Environment⠀➾ # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Hundreds_Reported_Dead_in_Severe_Libya Flooding⠀⇛ The waters swept away hundreds of homes as emergency officials raced to find survivors of the flooding caused by torrential weekend rains. Officials in one city described “catastrophic” devastation. # § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ # ⚓ Barry Kauler ☛ Tadpole_trike_front_suspension_ideas⠀⇛ A “tadpole” recumbent trike has two wheels at the front, a “delta” trike has two wheels at the back. The tadpole trike I have on order, currently en-route from China, is the tadpole variety. Most trikes that I see in Australia have no suspension, occasionally see one with rear suspension. Mine also is the rear-suspension- only type. I recently read that only about 30% of the impact of hitting bumps comes up via the rear wheel, which does make a good case for wanting front suspension. However, as there are two front wheels, if one wheel hits a bump it won’t be transferred directly upward, but via the frame arm — in other words there will be some twisting of the frame that will absorb the bump. o § Finance⠀➾ # ⚓ France24 ☛ US_clears_way_for_prisoner_swap_with_Iran_and release_$6_billion_in_frozen_funds⠀⇛ The Biden administration has cleared the way for the release of five American citizens detained in Iran by issuing a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of US sanctions. In addition, as part of the deal, the administration has agreed to release five Iranian citizens held in the United States. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Biden_Administration_Said_To_Issue_$6_Billion Sanctions_Waiver_Amid_Signs_Of_U.S.-Iran_Prisoner_Swap⠀⇛ The Biden administration has cleared the way for the release of five American citizens detained in Iran by issuing a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of U.S. sanctions, according to AP. # ⚓ TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ US_moves_to_advance_prisoner swap_deal_with_Iran_and_release_$6_billion_in_frozen_Iranian funds⠀⇛ The Biden administration has cleared the way for the release of five American citizens detained in Iran by issuing a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money in South Korea without fear of U.S. sanctions. Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed off on the move last week but Congress was not notified of the decision until Monday, according to the notification, which was obtained by The Associated Press. The waiver means that European, Middle Eastern and Asian banks will not run afoul of U.S. sanctions in converting the frozen money in South Korea and transferring it to Qatar’s central bank, where it will be held for Iran to use for the purchase of humanitarian goods. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ How_Tokyo_Achieves_Affordable_Housing⠀⇛ Tokyo has succeeded in maintaining an abundance of affordable housing because it has no downtown, many railroads and laws that make it easy to build. # ⚓ European Commission ☛ Summer_2023_Economic_Forecast:_Easing growth_momentum_amid_declining_inflation_and_robust_labour market⠀⇛ European Commission Press release Brussels, 11 Sep 2023 The European Commission has today presented the Summer 2023 Economic Forecast. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ How_the_U.S._Economy_Is_Taming_Inflation Without_a_Recession [Ed: Pure propaganda from NY Times; this is Communist Party territories; the economy sagged, US nearly defaulted on the debt, now they say "Without a Recession".]⠀⇛ The optimists were right. But why? # ⚓ Can_Yahoo_Be_Saved?_How_Apollo_Is_Rebuilding_an_Internet Icon⠀⇛ Once left for dead, the nearly 30-year-old internet brand is getting a new lease on life under Apollo ownership. # ⚓ Embracer_Group_considers_selling_Gearbox_following challenging_year⠀⇛ Two weeks after the group’s closure of Volition Games, the studio behind the Saints Row franchise, the Embracer Group are reportedly considering its options for Gearbox Entertainment, the company behind the Borderlands series. The Embracer Group, a Swedish company, has been having a “challenging year”, at least according to CEO Lars Wingefors, who announced a major restructuring of the company earlier this year with aims to reduce its net debt to under SEK 10 billion by the end of this financial year. After announcing studio closures, project cancellations, and layoffs, it looks like Embracer has considered selling Gearbox Entertainment, or spinning it off into a new company. Less than three hears ago, the Embracer Group acquired Gearbox Entertainment for $1.3 billion, and now Embracer want to recoup this investment. An email seen by Bloomberg has revealed that Embracer has three options for Gearbox Entertainment. These options are the status quo, keeping the studio as part of Embracer, selling the company to a 3rd party, and making Gearbox independent. At this time it is unclear which option is the best for Gearbox Software and the Embracer Group, though reports have claimed that Embracer has already been contacted by interested parties. # ⚓ Volvo_cutting_10%_of_white-collar_jobs_in_Canada,_U.S.⠀⇛ Volvo is laying off more than 10 per cent of its white-collar workers in Canada and the United States. The job cuts are part of the car manufacturer’s drive to cut global costs and find efficiencies. The company expects the job cuts to cost approximately $88 million, which includes severance payments to affected employees. Volvo will also be offering early retirement packages to some workers. “There’s not any area of the business that is not impacted,” said Volvo Car USA and Canada president Michael Cottone, in an interview with Auto News. o § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ # ⚓ France24 ☛ Biden_leads_US_tech_push_as_he_wraps_up_historic Vietnam_visit⠀⇛ President Joe Biden and senior executives from top US tech firms including Google and Intel met Vietnamese business leaders Monday after the two countries agreed to deepen cooperation as Washington seeks to counter China’s growing clout. # ⚓ France24 ☛ US,_Vietnam_agree_to_increase_cooperation_as China_worries_grow⠀⇛ US President Joe Biden hailed closer ties with Vietnam on Sunday as the two countries struck a deal to deepen cooperation, including on semiconductors, but said he was not aiming to contain China. # ⚓ RFA ☛ US,_Vietnam_raise_relations_to_highest_level⠀⇛ The deal is about stability, not containing China, Biden says. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Macron_aims_to_consolidate_France’s_Asia-Pacific push_on_Bangladesh_visit⠀⇛ President Emmanuel Macron was in Bangladesh on Monday in a bid to “consolidate” France’s Asia- Pacific strategy and counterbalance a “new imperialism” in a region where China’s influence is increasingly being extended. # ⚓ RFA ☛ UK_prime_minister_deplores_Chinese_interference_in democracy⠀⇛ Rishi Sunak reportedly confronts China’s Premier Li Qiang on the G20 sidelines over spying report. # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Cambodian_Prime_Minister_Hun_Manet to_meet_Chinese_leader_Xi_Jinping_this_week,_Beijing_says⠀⇛ Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will visit China this week and meet with President Xi Jinping, Beijing’s foreign ministry announced Monday. “At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang… Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will pay an official visit to China from September 14th to 16th,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement. # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ A_New_Path_Resumes_Between_Venezuela_and_China⠀⇛ At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is on a visit to China on Sept. 8-14. In an official statement, the Bolivarian leader highlighted various aspects of the strategic relationship between his country and the Asian nation. # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Algeria:_China_Donates_Wheelchairs_to_Charity Organization⠀⇛ “We hope these wheelchairs will make life and work easier for them,” said Li who also recognized “today’s charitable activity.” # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Venezuela_and_China_Build_A_Shared_Future: President_Maduro⠀⇛ The Bolivarian leader called for building a homeland for all humanity, “where we can meet, recognize each other, and take the path of development, peace, and cooperation.” # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ China_must_play_‘responsible’_role_in curbing_North’s_threats_–_South_Korea’s_Yoon⠀⇛ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Tuesday that he called for China to play a \”responsible\” role in reining in North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats when he met Chinese Premier Li Qiang last week. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ China_economic_woes_could_raise_Taiwan risks,_says_US_House_committee_chair⠀⇛ China’s economic slowdown could increase the risk of Beijing taking military action toward Taiwan, the Republican chair of a U.S. congressional committee on China said on Monday, drawing a contrast with Democratic President Joe Biden, who said it made it less likely. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ U.K.’s_Arrest_of_Suspected_Spy_Fuels_Calls for_Tougher_Stance_on_China⠀⇛ Allegations that a researcher in Parliament was a foreign agent have intensified a fiery debate over Britain’s relations with Beijing. o § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ # ⚓ Reason ☛ The_5th_Circuit_Agrees_That_Federal_Officials Unconstitutionally_‘Coerced’_or_‘Encouraged’_Online Censorship⠀⇛ The appeals court narrowed a preliminary injunction against such meddling but confirmed the threat that it poses to freedom of speech. o § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ # ⚓ JURIST ☛ Trade_Unions_Congress_report_UK_government_to_UN workers_rights_watchdog⠀⇛ The Trade Unions Congress (TUC) announced Sunday they are reporting the UK government to the UN watchdog on workers rights over the implementation of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Support_Grows_As_Hunger_Strike_By_Afghan_Activists In_Germany_Enters_Second_Week⠀⇛ A hunger strike by a group of Afghan rights activists to protest the anti-female policies of the ruling Taliban has entered its second week as they seek international recognition of the militants’ policies as “gender apartheid.” # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Live_Nation’s_Insomniac_Faces_Labor- Code_Suit_from_Former_Security_Guard_—_Alleged_Missing Overtime_Pay,_Failure_To_Provide_Breaks,_and_More⠀⇛ Live Nation’s Insomniac is officially facing a firmly worded lawsuit in which a former employee alleges all manner of California labor-code violations. One King Johnson just recently submitted the multifaceted complaint on behalf of himself and “all other aggrieved employees.” # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ The_U.A.W._Strike_Threat_Poses_a_Tricky Political_Challenge_for_Biden⠀⇛ As the negotiating deadline approaches, the issues at stake go beyond wages and benefits to whether the union’s members will benefit or suffer from the transition to electric vehicles. # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong_Kong_busker_deported,_banned from_Macau_after_being_detained_for_several_hours⠀⇛ A Hong Kong busker known for performing an English rendition of protest song Glory to Hong Kong has been banned from entering Macau for a year. He was detained by police for several hours and deported after busking without a permit. # ⚓ University of Michigan ☛ What_the_writers’_strike_could mean_for_the_future_of_TV⠀⇛ Every childhood Friday afternoon, like clockwork, I’d arrive home to find a copy of Entertainment Weekly sitting there atop the stack of mail in the foyer. # ⚓ RFA ☛ Teapot_drama_targeting_British_Museum_sparks nationalist_fervor_in_China⠀⇛ The show features a teapot ‘escaping’ amid calls for the repatriation of ancient artifacts to China. o § Internet Policy/Net Neutrality⠀➾ # ⚓ APNIC ☛ 2023_ISIF_Asia_grant_recipients_announced⠀⇛ The APNIC Foundation has announced the 24 recipients of the 2023 ISIF Asia grants to support Internet development. o § Monopolies⠀➾ # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ The_Real_Stakes_of_the_Google_Antitrust Trial⠀⇛ The case, centering on Google’s dominance in the search-engine industry, will have implications that ripple throughout the tech world, and beyond. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Who’s_Who_in_the_Google_Antitrust_Trial⠀⇛ The federal government’s first monopoly trial this century will feature top tech executives, experienced litigators and an Obama-appointed judge. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ The_U.S._Justice_Dept._Is_Taking_Google_to Trial:_What_to_Know⠀⇛ The government claims that Google illegally used its monopoly power to stifle rivals, while the company says its practices are legal and mainstream. # § Patents⠀➾ # ⚓ Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Narrowing_the_Analogous Arts_with_a_Problem-Solution_Statement⠀⇛ The Federal Circuit recently issued an important decision regarding the analogous art doctrine in Netflix v. DivX, No. 22-1138, — F.4th — (Fed. Cir. Sept. 11, 2023).  The Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s sided with the patentee, holding that a key prior art reference was not analogous art.  On appeal, the Federal Circuit has partially affirmed, but vacated and remanded on a procedural ground.  This case also raises questions about the value of explicitly stating the problem solved within the patent document, and perhaps directly in the patent claims. # ⚓ JUVE ☛ UPC_race_across_Europe [Ed: UPC propagandist, bribed by Team UPC, continues to promote this unconstitutional and illegal system. This is not media, it's a malicious disinformation operation.]⠀⇛ Welcome to the everyday small stuff, UPC! “Your file could not be uploaded” says the error message, which keeps popping up in the UPC CMS. Until finally, a partner sends their associate to the airport with a stack of papers in a briefcase. # ⚓ Unified Patents ☛ $2,000_for_Empire_IP_entity,_BT Wearables,_patent_prior_art⠀⇛ A new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, was added seeking prior art on at least claim 1 of U.S._Patent_10,729,336, owned by BT Wearables LLC, an NPE and entity of Empire_IP_LLC. The ‘336 patent relates generally to a mobile device such as a watch. It has been asserted against Dillard’s Incorporated. The contest will expire on October 31, 2023. Please visit PATROLL for more information and to submit an entry for this contest. # ⚓ Unified Patents ☛ DynaIP_entity,_Cloud_Systems_HoldCo IP,_IoT_patent_challenge_instituted⠀⇛ On September 8, 2023, less than six weeks after Unified filed_an_ex_parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding a substantial new question of patentability on all of the claims of U.S._Patent_8,909,779, owned and asserted by Cloud Systems HoldCo IP, LLC, an NPE and DynaIP entity.  The ’779 patent relates to methods for controlling devices in an environment. # ⚓ Unified Patents ☛ Atlantic_IP_entity,_Foras Technologies,_parallel_processors_patents_challenged⠀⇛ On September 1, 2023, Unified Patents filed ex parte reexamination proceedings against three separate patents owned and asserted by Foras Technologies, Ltd., an NPE and entity of Atlantic_IP_Services_Limited. The challenged patents relate to lockstep processor technology where two processors are paired together, and the two processors perform exactly the same-operations and the results-are compared.(e.g., with an XOR gate). # ⚓ Our_response_to_the_proposed_new_amendments_to_the Rules_of_Procedure_of_the_Boards_of_Appeal_(RPBA)⠀⇛ The EPO has opened a User Consultation on the proposed new amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal (RPBA). The amendments seek to support more ambitious timeliness objectives, but in our view they are unlikely to shorten appeal proceedings, will reduce the quality of decisions, and are unfair on Respondents. In our view, they should not be adopted in full. # § Trademarks⠀➾ # ⚓ TTAB Blog ☛ MAD_MONSTER_PARTY_for_Horror_and_Pop Culture_Conventions_and_Magazines_Not_Confusable_with MONSTER_ENERGY,_Says_TTAB⠀⇛ Frequent TTAB litigant Monster Energy Company lost another one. The Board dismissed its oppositions to registration of MAD MONSTER PARTY, in standard character form for “Organizing exhibitions for educational and entertainment purposes services, namely, organizing and conducting conventions in the fields of horror and popular culture,” and in word-and-design form for “General feature magazine in the field of horror and pop culture.” Monster claimed a likelihood of confusion with several registered MONSTER- formative marks used in connection with energy drinks, supplements, fruit juice and soft drinks; clothing, sports bags and stickers; and the services of promoting sports and music events and competitions for others. The Board, deeming the first DuPont factor to be dispositive, found that the marks differ sufficiently in their connotations and overall commercial impressions that confusion is unlikely. Monster_Energy_Company_v._Eben McGarr, Oppositions Nos. 91239678 and 91244601 (September 8, 2023) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Frances S. Wolfson). ╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛ ¶ Lines in total: 6711 ➮ Generation completed at 02:54, i.e. 74 seconds to (re)generate ⟲