Techrights

Links 04/08/2024: Environmental Issues and Lots of Political

Posted by Roy Schestowitz on Aug 04, 2024

GNOME bluefish

Contents

=> https://techrights.org/#m0404534309 HTTPS: Defence/Aggression

=> https://techrights.org/#m0404534314 HTTPS: Finance

Leftovers

MWL ☛ July’s Japish Sausage

Because this all certainly feels like a jape. Last month, I hoped the RYOMS Kickstarter might round out at $50k. It hit $76,883, with 1966 backers. $25K of that was in the last three days. Plus, there were a few hundred sponsors. This is what we in the writing business call “freaking insane.”

Science

Science Alert ☛ A 'New Star' Will Soon Appear in The Sky: Here's How to See It

It's your once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Education

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-27 [Older] Indian students look to Europe for educational opportunity

CBC ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] As more seniors head online, efforts are needed to help their digital media literacy skills [Ed: Typically by "literacy skills" they mean "how to use some proprietary malware of a foreign corporation"]

Hardware

CNX Software ☛ AAEON PICO-MTU4 Pico-ITX SBC features defective chip maker Intel Core Ultra 5/7 “Meteor Lake” SoC

The AAEON PICO-MTU4 Pico-ITX SBC may be the world’s smallest platform based on 14th Gen defective chip maker Intel Core Ultra 5/7 SoCs part of the Meteor Lake family and follows the company’s UP Xtreme i14 SBC introduced a couple of months ago with the same processors, although the new model is limited to 15W parts due to its small size (100x72mm).

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] India: Heat and sickness march together as climate shifts

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Brazil deaths: What is Oropouche fever? Symptoms and causes

CBC ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] 'Absolutely frightening': Winnipeg senior charged $146K for water bill

Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Unicorn Media ☛ Leaseweb Brings Its Object Storage Platform to Canada

With Leaseweb Canada, its Montreal-based subsidiary, the Dutch company hopes to use Canada's data sovereignty laws to its advantage.

“Microsoft definitely dodged a bullet…”: Bungie Nearly Ended Up at PlayStation’s Competitors, and Xbox May Be Glad They Decided Against It Now

Before Sony and PlayStation acquire Bungie, Xbox and Microsoft were aiming to buy it in 2021. It seems that the company dodge a bullet.

Security

Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

The Age AU ☛ 2024-07-30 [Older] Is this really my bank calling? Westpac moves to stop impersonation scams

Defence/Aggression

Reason ☛ The 9/11 Plotters Should Have Been Found Guilty in a Real Court

War on Terror fears and the CIA’s torture program kept Khalid Sheikh Mohammed out of civilian courts—and prevented true justice from being served.

France24 ☛ Bombing in Nigeria's Borno state kills more than 15 people, say police

Although no one has claimed the attack, Boko Haram are suspected to be behind a bombing which killed at least 16 people on Wednesday, the latest in a series of lethal attacks against civilians in the area.

[Repeat] JURIST ☛ US Justice Department sues Fentanylware (TikTok) for violations of children’s privacy laws

Social media platform Fentanylware (TikTok) and its parent company ByteDance are facing civil charges of violating children’s privacy laws, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday.

France24 ☛ US sues TikTok, accusing it of violating online privacy laws for children

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the Fentanylware (TikTok) social control media site on Friday, accusing it of violating online privacy laws aimed at protecting children.

Digital Music News ☛ When It Rains, It Pours: DOJ and FTC File Children’s Privacy Lawsuit Against Fentanylware (TikTok) As Forced-Sale Deadline Nears

When it rains, it pours – at least for Fentanylware (TikTok) and its ByteDance parent, which are facing a Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission lawsuit over alleged children’s privacy law violations.

US News And World Report ☛ 2024-07-28 [Older] US-Japan Security Talks Focus on Bolstering Military Cooperation, Underscores Threat From China

US News And World Report ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Turkey's Erdogan Announces $30 Billion in Incentives for High Tech Areas

BIA Net ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Turkey’s crackdown on the Kurdish political movement expands to ‘terrorist weddings’

BIA Net ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Turkey, Israel trade ‘Hitler’ and ‘Saddam’ comparisons in diplomatic row

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Nigeria: US, UK, Canada issue travel warnings over protests

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-27 [Older] Manila completes naval resupply run amid US-China friction

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] German court denies protection status to Syrians

US News And World Report ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Italy Appoints Ambassador to Syria to 'Turn Spotlight' on Country, Foreign Minister Says

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-27 [Older] Will EU's normalization push with Syria help Bashar Assad?

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] France: Telecom fiber optic networks sabotaged

Defence Web ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] DRC ceasefire for humanitarian aid is a small step forward – what must happen next for peace

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Decades after independence, what does it mean to be free in Africa?

Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] U.S.-Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum: Challenges and Future Pathways

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] German CDU candidate attacked, racially abused on campaign

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] France: Basel-Mulhouse airport reopens after bomb scare

Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

US News And World Report ☛ 2024-07-27 [Older] Hungary’s Nationalist Leader Warns of EU's Demise and Backs Trump in Anti-Western Speech

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-28 [Older] Putin threatens response if US deploys missiles in Germany

Environment

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Japan's exceptional rainfall prompts evacuation orders

TruthOut ☛ 2024-07-28 [Older] Our Answer to the Climate Crisis Must Emerge From Global Class Struggle

Scheerpost ☛ 2024-07-27 [Older] Decarceration is the Best Way Prisons Can Adapt to Climate Change

US News And World Report ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Joyce DiDonato Stars in `Eden in Olympia' Coinciding With Paris Games, a Call to Climate Action

US News And World Report ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] US, Brazil to Work Together on Climate Partnership, Says Yellen

Off Guardian ☛ 2024-07-25 [Older] “CopenPay” – Europe’s first Climate-centric Social Credit Scheme

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] North Korea's Kim Jong Un oversees flood rescue operation

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-28 [Older] China reports deadly landslide, heavy rains as Gaemi weakens

Energy/Transportation

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Philippines 'racing against time' after oil tanker capsizes

Vox ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Do bigger highways actually help reduce traffic?

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Germany: E-scooter accidents and fatalities on the rise

CBC ☛ 2024-07-27 [Older] N.S. government rejects company's appeal on cleanup of Touqouy gold mine

TruthOut ☛ 2024-07-27 [Older] AIG Faces Protest and Backlash Over East African Crude Oil Pipeline

Wildlife/Nature

Defence Web ☛ Dehorning given as reason for slight drop in rhino poaching

The GNU (Government of National Unity) minister leading South Africa’s conservation efforts was able to report a decrease in rhino poached numbers for the first half of the year, driven in part by extensive dehorning in KwaZulu-Natal.

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Spain: EU court rules against regional wolf hunting plan

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Mosquitoes, flies and wasps: The unsung heroes of pollination

BIA Net ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Turkey’s parliament approves controversial euthanasia measure for stray dogs

CBC ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Hundreds under evacuation order in B.C. as wildfires grow

US News And World Report ☛ 2024-07-27 [Older] Fires in Canada's Jasper Town Coming Under Control, Say Authorities

CBC ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Golden, B.C., residents recount 'harrowing' wildfire experience

CBC ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Jasper, Alta., mayor shown rubble of his own home as officials tour wildfire damage

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-27 [Older] US: Wildfire races across California, thousands evacuated

Finance

CBC ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Walmart Canada raises hourly store wages for roughly 40,000 workers

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Biden proposes sweeping US Supreme Court reforms

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Kenya: Gen Z unimpressed by Ruto's cabinet changes

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Bangladesh: Can student uprising bring new, young leaders?

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-27 [Older] Bangladesh: Protest leaders held 'for their own security'

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] Venezuela: World leaders express skepticism over vote tally

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-28 [Older] Immigrants frustrated at German citizenship bureaucracy

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-28 [Older] Italy's Meloni signs deal to 'relaunch' ties with China

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

CBC ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Postmedia enters agreement to buy SaltWire chain of newspapers

Civil Rights/Policing

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-25 [Older] Ruth Weiss' lifelong fight against apartheid and racism

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-29 [Older] US: Strict Iowa abortion law comes into effect

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-25 [Older] Mass tourism sparks rise in locals' resentment

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-28 [Older] Philippines' drug war victim receives shred of justice

Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-07-28 [Older] Private museum showcasing Jewish history in Berlin at risk

CBC ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Toronto backtracks on removing businessman's name from historic house after racism controversy

CBC ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] Ontario megachurch pauses programming in wake of sex abuse allegations

CBC ☛ 2024-07-26 [Older] How a B.C. immigration fraud case crumbled due to court delays

Monopolies/Monopsonies

Patents

2024-07-26 [Older] [patent maximlist] Judge Newman Suspension Renewed

Gemini* and Gopher

Personal/Opinions

Heckadeck initial thoughts!

I suffer from a particular brand of FOMO and gullibility for things that promise to replace a bunch of other things in my home. I guess I ultimately have some neuroses around my posssessions and around surplus culture in general. Also my apartment is super tiny. So lured in by the idea that a “game system” can replace all my other games, I’ve of course gotten a bunch of game systems without getting rid of the other games. Some of these game systems are multidecks; I’ve got the the Suit Suit deck, the Everdeck, Glyph, the five-suited deck from Pyramid Arcade and so many traditional decks and tarot decks that it’s ridiculous. On top of having some specific single-purpose decks like Parade and The Bottle Imp (and both Pairs and Dalmuti even though you can play one with the other).

Politics and World Events

Bitcoin is Stupid and Does Not Deserve an Emoji

Yeah so, a group of 35 cryptocurrency companies started a stupid change.org petition. The idea, as far as I can tell, is to put pressure on the Unicode Consortium to normalize their magic ponzi beans by officially making a Bitcoin emoji

Technology and Free Software

Cash, Facebook Market, and Related Subjects

So, I've continued on in my idealistic pursuit of trying to live life using only cash, while avoiding using debit cards and, when possible, communicating any of my personal banking information to vendors. Of course, I have had to make various compromises and least-evil choices, since one cannot use cash to make online purchases, which these days is difficult (impossible?) to avoid entirely, and some of my bills must be paid to out-of-state companies.

Recently I switched to a new bank. A great feature of the bank is they allow you one free cashiers check per day. Cashiers checks are nice because they don't give away your own personal bank account number or another other personal info, other than which bank you use, and your name. Also, the money is immediately taken out of your account, so you don't end up with payments happening at random times, like you do with a personal check. But you can still put a stop payment on a cashiers check if you need to. Also, companies that don't trust personal checks are usually happy with a cashier's check, and other banks won't require a clearing time, if you are trying to deposit into somebody else's account. So I use cashier's checks for bills that must be mailed out, or if I need to move a huge amount of money across town (like, $1000) to pay a local bill.

* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.