● 03.19.23

Gemini version available ♊︎

● Links 19/03/2023: LLVM 16.0.0 and EasyOS Kirkstone 5.1 Releases

Posted in News Roundup at 8:46 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

=> ↺ Linux Around The World: Albania

• We cover user groups that are running in Albania. This article forms part of our Linux Around The World series.

=> ↺ Linux Around The World: United Kingdom

• We cover user groups that are running in the United Kingdom. This article forms part of our Linux Around The World series.

Server

=> ↺ Amazon Linux 2023, a cloud-optimized Linux distro, is now available

• Amazon Linux 2023 was released earlier this week. Amazon said that with this release it aims to deliver a high-security standard, a predictable lifecycle, and deterministic updates.

=> ↺ The CI/CD Process in a Cloud-Native World

• The continuous integration and continuous deployment or delivery (CI/CD) process is a set of practices and tools used by software development teams to automate the building, testing and deployment of software.

Kernel Space

=> ↺ Linux Jargon Buster: What is LUKS Encryption

• Linux Unified Key Setup – LUKS is a disk encryption specification created by Clemens Fruhwirth in 2004 and was originally intended for Linux. It is a well-known, secure, and high-performance disk encryption method based on an enhanced version of cryptsetup, using dm-crypt as the disk encryption backend. LUKS is also a popular encryption format in Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices.

• LUKS can also be used to create and run encrypted containers. Encrypted containers feature the same level of protection as LUKS full-disk encryption. LUKS also offers multiple encryption algorithms, several modes of encryption, and several hash functions – a little over 40 possible combinations.

Graphics Stack

=> ↺ Mike Blumenkrantz: Overdue

• The blog has been there before, it’ll be there again, I’m over it.

• Let’s talk about the only thing anyone cares about on this blog for the 23.1 release cycle: perf.

• What does it mean? Who knows.

• How does one acquire it? See above.

• But everyone wants it, so I’ve gotta deliver like a hypothetical shipping company that delivers on-time and actually rings the bell when they drop something off instead of just hucking a box onto my front porch and running away to leave my stuff sitting out to get snowed on.

• Unlike such a hypothetical shipping company which doesn’t exist, perf does exist, and I’ve got it now. Lots of it.

• Let’s talk about what parts of my soul I had to sell to get to this point in my life.

Applications

=> ↺ Read It Later is a Wallabag Client for Linux

• Are you an avid user of Wallabag, the popular open-source read-it-later service that some folks prefer to Mozilla’s Pocket?

=> ↺ Hubert Figuière: Integrating the RawTherapee engine

• RawTherapee is one of the two major open source RAW photo processing applications, the other is Darktable.

• Can I leverage RawTherapee RAW processing code for use in Niepce? Yes I can.

Instructionals/Technical

=> ↺ How to Create a New User and Grant Permissions in MySQL

• MySQL is a popular open-source relational database management system that helps businesses manage large amounts of data efficiently. One of the key features of MySQL is its ability to create multiple users with different permissions, allowing businesses to control who has access to what data.

=> ↺ How to Remove Docker Images, Containers, and Volumes

• Docker has become an indispensable tool for developers and system administrators. It enables them to run applications in isolated containers, making it easy to manage dependencies and streamline deployment processes. However, as you work with Docker, you may accumulate unused images, containers, and volumes, which can occupy valuable storage space.

=> ↺ How to Write Bash Script with User Input

=> ↺ How to Install and Configure UFW Firewall on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

• This in-depth guide will walk you through installing and configuring the Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW) on Ubuntu 22.04 and 20.04. We will provide multiple configuration examples, detailed explanations of each command, and discuss additional features such as logging, application profiles, and remote connections.

=> ↺ How to Configure Security Headers in Nginx

• In this article, we will discuss how to improve the security of your web server by implementing various security headers in NGINX. By utilizing security headers, you can safeguard your website against a wide range of web-based attacks and ensure the protection of user data. What are Security Headers in Nginx?

=> ↺ How To Install MariaDB on Fedora 37

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install MariaDB on Fedora 37. For those of you who didn’t know, MariaDB is a popular open-source database management system that is widely used in web applications.

=> ↺ How to Configure Linux Mint 21 Automatic Updates

• Keep your Linux Mint 21 up-to-date and bug-free with automatic updates. Learn how to set them up with our step-by-step guide.

=> ↺ Linux Mint User and Group Management

• This article will provide an overview of managing users and groups in Linux Mint, a popular Linux distribution. It will cover the basics of user management, including adding and deleting users, modifying user settings, and managing user groups.

=> ↺ How to Get a Directory Size in Linux: Practical Examples

• Getting a directory size in Linux is common for administrators and users who want to manage their disk space effectively. This article will explore 10 examples of how to get the size of a directory in Linux using various commands and scripting techniques.

=> ↺ How to Use Fail2ban Commands in Linux

• Fail2Ban is an intrusion prevention software framework that protects computer servers from brute-force attacks. It does this by monitoring system logs for repeated failed login attempts and blocking the offending IP addresses.

=> ↺ Python Variables: Concepts and Examples

• Python is a versatile and powerful programming language popular among developers for its readability and ease of use. In this article, we will explore the concept of variables in Python and understand how to use them effectively. We will cover ten topics with three unique examples and break them down into relevant sections.

=> ↺ How to Create a Systemd Service in Linux

• This comprehensive guide focuses on mastering systemd services—an integral aspect of contemporary Linux systems. By delving into the structure of systemd service files and understanding how to create custom services for root and normal users, readers will acquire the knowledge and expertise necessary to manage and develop systemd services proficiently.

=> ↺ How to Delete a Git Branch Locally and Remotely

• In Git, people often make different branches to work on new features and bug fixes, while keeping them separate from the main codebase. But when the work on a feature is done, it’s a good idea to remove the branch to keep things tidy and clear.

=> ↺ Status Resolved: Failed! Error: SET PASSWORD has no significance for user ‘root’@’localhost’

• Getting error: “Failed! Error: SET PASSWORD has no significance for user ‘root’@’localhost”? Then read the steps here to fix it up. When you run the mysql_secure_installation command in your terminal window, it will ask you to enter the root password and set up security options for your MySQL installation.

=> ↺ Managing Large-Scale Web Applications with NGINX on Linux

• Introduction NGINX is a popular open-source web server known for its high performance and scalability. It is commonly used to manage large-scale web applications that require high availability and performance.

=> ↺ Linux Shell Scripting: Automating Tasks and Streamlining Workflows

• Introduction Linux shell scripting is writing scripts to automate tasks and streamline workflows in the Linux operating system. With the power of the Linux command line interface and a range of scripting languages available, users can write scripts to automate repetitive tasks, perform complex data manipulations, and even build entire applications.

=> ↺ Building a Real-Time Data Pipeline with Apache Kafka on Linux

• Introduction Building a real-time data pipeline is a common requirement for modern data-driven applications. Apache Kafka is a popular distributed streaming platform allowing developers to build scalable, fault-tolerant, highly available real-time data pipelines.

=> ↺ Configuring a Load Balancer on Ubuntu Server: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

• This tutorial will show you how to configure a load balancer on Ubuntu Server. Introduction Load balancing is a critical component of modern web applications, allowing them to distribute traffic across multiple servers to improve performance, scalability, and availability.

=> ↺ Boost Your Network Performance: How To Clear DNS Cache on Linux

• As a Linux user, you might have experienced slow internet connections or the inability to access some websites. Often, this issue can be traced back to your DNS cache.

=> ↺ Fix “Updating from such a repository can’t be done securely” Error In Linux

• How to fix the “Updating from such a repository can’t be done securely” error in Linux You might have encountered this error while trying to run the apt update or the apt upgrade command.

=> ↺ Everything You Need to Know About UFW Logs

• Learn all about UFW logs and how to use them effectively. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about UFW logs.

=> ↺ Check for Container Image Vulnerabilities with Trivy

• Security should be one of the most important aspects of container deployments, especially for enterprise production environments that depend on highly scaled applications and services that will not only see massive demand but that will also interact with other services, servers, APIs, etc.

• If you skimp on security, you could leave your company open to hacking. All it takes is one hacker gaining access to a single container and they could wind up with the keys to your kingdom.

• You don’t want that.

• The thing is security has to start from the ground up, otherwise, everything is susceptible. Think of it this way: You cannot build a house on a foundation with cracks, holes, and other vulnerabilities and expect it to be secure. Eventually, that house could crumble. Containers are the same way. If you build them on a foundation with vulnerabilities, there’s no way they’ll be secure.

=> ↺ 6 Ways to Find a Raspberry Pi’s IP Address

• Quite often, it is necessary to know the IP address of your Raspberry Pi. You will need the IP to configure any service related to networking, such as SSH. Also, you need to know the IP when using the Pi as a web server, a file server, or a print server.

• It is easy to find the Raspberry Pi’s IP address using the GUI, command line, or network scan, which are all discussed here.

=> ↺ How to Connect to a Wi-Fi Network on Ubuntu Server

• Ubuntu Server is a powerful server operating system. It’s very much similar to Ubuntu Desktop but comes without the GUI. You interact with the system primarily via the terminal.

• If you are used to connecting Ubuntu to Wi-Fi from the GUI, you might find it a bit tricky to connect to Wi-Fi from the command line. Don’t worry though, here’s how you can connect to Wi-Fi on Ubuntu Server.

=> ↺ How To Install Printrun on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Printrun on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

=> ↺ 2 ways Install Nomacs on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 LTS

• Learn the steps to install Nomacs, an open-source image viewer — editor on Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy or Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Linux using the command terminal.

=> ↺ What are Tar and Gz? Difference between them.

• While working in Linux you would have seen files downloaded from the internet ended up with either “.tar” or “.tar.gz”.

=> ↺ How to Install OpenLDAP Server and Client on Rocky Linux 9

• OpenLDAP is a software implementation of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). In this guide, you will install and set up OpenLDAP on a Rocky Linux 9 server. You will install the OpenLDAP server, configure the OpenLDAP server manually, and enable secure SSL/TLS on the OpenLDAP server.

=> ↺ How to Install Audacity on Fedora Linux

• Audacity is a powerful, open-source audio editing and recording software that has gained immense popularity among professionals and enthusiasts alike. It offers a comprehensive set of features that cater to various audio-related tasks, including podcast creation, music production, and audio restoration.

=> ↺ How to Install LEMP on Fedora Linux

• LEMP is an acronym for a popular web server software stack consisting of Linux (the operating system), Nginx (the web server), MariaDB (the database server), and PHP (the programming language). LEMP has gained popularity in web development due to its high performance, stability, and flexibility.

=> ↺ How to Install Fail2ban with Firewalld on Fedora Linux

• Fail2Ban is a widely-used, open-source intrusion prevention software that helps protect Linux servers from various attacks, including brute-force login attempts, DDoS attacks, and malicious bots. Fail2Ban operates by scanning log files for suspicious activity, such as multiple failed login attempts, and subsequently banning the associated IP addresses for a specified duration.

=> ↺ Special Variables in Zsh

• Zsh is a powerful shell that provides a wide range of features and functionalities to enhance the user’s experience. One of the key features of Zsh is its support for special variables, which allow users to perform various tasks easily and efficiently.

=> ↺ How to Install a Non-Snap/.deb Version of Firefox on Ubuntu 22.04

• Having issues with Snap based Firefox? Then read the mentioned steps to ditch the Snap version of Firefox for the classic/regular Firefox on your Ubuntu 22.04 system.

=> ↺ How to get the latest version of GCC on Debian 11 / 10

• Hello, friends. In this post, you will learn how to get the latest version of GCC in Debian 11 / 10. GCC is the compiler of the GNU project for C language, and one of the most important bases that we have on Linux.

=> ↺ How To Check Disk Space on Linux: Simple Steps for Better Disk Management

• In the world of Linux, checking disk space is an essential task for any system administrator.

=> ↺ 3 Ways To Fix “No Space Left on Device” Error In Linux

• Fix “No Space Left on Device” Error In Linux Are you going through an error like…

=> ↺ 21 .htaccess tricks that everyone should know

• The .htaccess file is a powerful configuration file used by web servers to control the behavior of websites. It can be used to perform a wide range of functions, including URL redirection, password protection, caching, and more.

=> ↺ 10 Strace Command Examples for Effective System Analysis in Linux

• Strace is a powerful tool in Linux that can be used to trace system calls, signals, and other related information. It is a valuable tool for system administrators, developers, and programmers to debug issues and optimize system performance. With Strace, you can gain deep insights into how your system is working and identify potential issues.

=> ↺ Mastering the Strace Command in Linux: A Complete Guide

• Strace is a powerful command-line tool that can be used for tracing system calls and signals in Linux. It is an essential tool for system administrators, developers, and programmers to debug issues and optimize system performance.

=> ↺ Working with Processes and Services in Linux: A Beginner’s Guide

• Linux is a popular open-source operating system used by developers, system administrators, and everyday computer users around the world. One of the most powerful features of Linux is its ability to manage processes and services.

=> ↺ Tmux Essentials: Start Using Terminal Multiplexing

• In this article, we will discuss the essential commands to start using Tmux. Tmux is a terminal multiplexer that allows you to run multiple terminal sessions in a single window. By the end of this article, you will have a good understanding of Tmux and be able to use it efficiently.

=> ↺ Tmux vs. Screen: Choosing the Right Multiplexer

• Explore the primary differences between Tmux and Screen, two popular terminal multiplexers. Learn their unique features and benefits to make an informed choice.

=> ↺ The Ultimate Guide to Linux Mint Network Configuration

• In this article, we’ll explore the different ways to configure network settings in Linux Mint, including managing network interfaces and configuring DHCP and static IP addresses.

=> ↺ How to use a proxy server in Linux Mint

• By following the steps outlined in this guide, users can enhance their online privacy, improve security, and gain access to geo-restricted content. Users will gain a thorough understanding of the proxy server concept and its benefits, as well as practical knowledge to implement it seamlessly on their Linux Mint machine.

=> ↺ Mastering Ubuntu Keyboard Shortcuts

• Master the art of Ubuntu keyboard shortcuts with this comprehensive guide. Boost your productivity and enhance your user experience by unlocking the full potential of your Linux-based system.

=> ↺ How To Install Xfce Desktop on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Xfce Desktop on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. For those of you who didn’t know, Xfce is a lightweight, open-source desktop environment that is based on the GTK+ toolkit.

=> ↺ How To Install BleachBit on Debian 11

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install BleachBit on Debian 11.

WINE or Emulation

Wine development release 8.4 is now available for Linux FreeBSD and macOSThe Wine development release 8.4 is now available. What’s new in this release: Initial step of the Wayland graphics driver.Cleanups in IME support.A number of test fixes.Various bug fixes.The source is available now. Binary packages are in the process of being built, and will appear soon at their respective download locations. 

=> ↺ WineHQ – Wine Announcement – The Wine development release 8.4 is now available.

• The Wine development release 8.4 is now available.

• What’s new in this release: – Initial step of the Wayland graphics driver. – Cleanups in IME support. – A number of test fixes. – Various bug fixes.

• The source is available at:

• https://dl.winehq.org/wine/source/8.x/wine-8.4.tar.xz

• Binary packages for various distributions will be available from:

• https://www.winehq.org/download

• You will find documentation on https://www.winehq.org/documentation

• You can also get the current source directly from the git repository. Check https://www.winehq.org/git for details.

• Wine is available thanks to the work of many people. See the file AUTHORS in the distribution for the complete list.

=> ↺ Wine 8.4 released with initial native support for Wayland

Games

=> ↺ Sunday Gold, Review on Linux (Proton Experimental)

• I am a little late to review Sunday Gold – since it came out later in 2022. It caught my attention with the excellent presentation for an indie title, with awesome hand-drawn art in high resolution…

=> ↺ Quake III, Steam, OpenGL error, high resolution workaround

• We want our pixels! Here’s a short guide explaining how to make Quake III Arena and Team Arena (Steam version) run with full HD or UHD resolution on modern displays by using custom game launcher configuration. Go.

=> ↺ Steam Spring Sale, Many titles at Great Prices, 1 Game For Free and Steam Deck gets a Celebration with a Discount

• Steam Spring Sale, Many titles at great prices, 1 Game to Grab for Free and the Steam Deck gets a celebration with a Discount So the Steam Spring Sale has begun and as usual you will find many games discounted…

=> ↺ Godot Arrives in the Epic Games Store

• We are honored to announce that Epic Games is offering Godot Engine a place on Epic Game’s own digital distribution platform, the Epic Games Store.

=> ↺ Release candidate: Godot 4.0.1 RC 2

• Adding finishing touches to the first patch release of Godot 4, here comes 4.0.1 Release Candidate 2. It brings even more urgent fixes, and documentation improvements.

=> ↺ RetroArch 1.15.0 Released! How to Install in Ubuntu 22.04 | 20.04

• RetroArch emulator released version 1.15.0 a few days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 22.10, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04 and Ubuntu 18.04 via PPA. The new 1.15.0 release feature steam support for macOS user, though macOS 10.13 or later is required.

Desktop Environments/WMs

GNOME Desktop/GTK

=> ↺ Alexander Mikhaylenko: Libadwaita 1.3

• Another cycle, another release. Let’s take a look at what’s new.

• AdwBanner is a brand new widget that replaces GtkInfoBar.

• Jamie started implementing it before 1.2 was released, but we were already in the API freeze so it was delayed to this cycle instead.

=> ↺ Sam Thursfield: Status update 17/03/2023

• Hello from my parents place, sitting on the border of Wales & England, listening to this excellent Victor Rice album, thinking of this time last year when I actually got to watch him play at Freedom Sounds Festival, which was one of my first adventures of the post-lockdown 2020s.

• I have many distractions at the moment, many being work/life admin but here are some of the more interesting ones: [...]

=> ↺ Felix Häcker: #87 Editable Shortcuts

• Update on what happened across the GNOME project in the week from March 10 to March 17.

Distributions and Operating Systems

New Releases

=> ↺ EasyOS Kirkstone-series version 5.1 released

• Version 5.0 was released on February 26:

• https://bkhome.org/news/202302/easyos-kirkstone-series-version-50.html

• Version 5.1 brings a couple of small bug fixes, plus Samba now builtin — in 5.0 it had to be installed via the “pkg” icon (PKGget package manager).

• The single biggest change from 5.0 is a new application, “AppImage Installer”, which does what the name suggests, it is for installing AppImages.

=> ↺ AppImage Installer bug-fix and more apps

• When the Installer installs an .AppImage file, it creates a folder /files/apps/, for example /files/apps/audacity. This is a convenience, the app can be set to save files in this folder.

• However, the Installer creates the folder, for example ‘audacity’ with owner:group = root:root, which means that Audacity does not have permission to write into that folder. Auadacity is running as user ‘audacity’, so this is the fix: [...]

=> ↺ AppImage Installer simplified info window

• There are some snapshots of the AppImage Installer here:

• There are changes in the first window, including now shows size of each AppImage.

• The final information window contains details that might not interest non-technical users. In fact, I received an email informing me of that fact. That last information window can be simplified.

SUSE/OpenSUSE

=> ↺ SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 Public RC is out!

• We are thrilled to announce the Public Release Candidate (RC 2) of SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4! SLE Micro is an ultra-reliable, lightweight operating system purpose built for edge computing. Please check out our Product page to learn more, but for the beta program, please refer to our dedicated beta page.

=> ↺ SUSE Manager and the A-REST API

• What is SUSE Manager?  SUSE Manager is an open-source infrastructure management solution designed to simplify and secure your entire mixed Linux environment.

Dominique Leuenberger ☛ openSUSE Tumbleweed – Review of the week 2023/11Dear Tumbleweed users and hackers,This week, I had the sad duty to discard one snapshot due to a bug that snuck through staging and was only identified later in the full product test suite (systemd 253, restarting some services failed weirdly). But as we know from the past, users prefer no snapshot as opposed to one that breaks their system in weird ways. And despite that, 6 snapshots have been delivered during this week (0309 … 0313 & 0315)The most relevant changes in these snapshots are:Linux kernel 6.2.2 (lockdown patches disabled) & 6.2.4NetworkManager 1.42.4Apache 2.4.56LibreOffice 7.5.1.2KDE Frameworks 5.104.0GStreamer 1.22.1Mesa: patch to address multiple crashes seen in gnome-shell since Mesa 23.0git 2.40.0

Arch Family

=> ↺ Arch Linux: February

• Arch Linux in February 2023 # Git packaging sources # All major workflow and usability requirements for the pkgctl tooling have been finished and a experimental devtools-git-poc package has been put into the repositories. Furthermore the proof of concept sandbox environment has been set up and rolled out to anyone interested in testing. In the current phase we will collect feedback to catch bugs and further usability improvements [0]. We are still very eagerly seeking for more testers.

Fedora Family / IBM

=> ↺ Fedora Community Blog: Friday’s Fedora Facts: 2023-11

• Here’s your weekly Fedora report. Read what happened this week and what’s coming up. Your contributions are welcome (see the end of the post)!

• I have weekly office hours most Wednesdays in the morning and afternoon (US/Eastern time). Drop by if you have any questions or comments about the schedule, Changes, elections, or anything else. See the upcoming meetings for more information.

=> ↺ Fedora Community Blog: CPE Weekly update – Week 11

• This is a weekly report from the CPE (Community Platform Engineering) Team. If you have any questions or feedback, please respond to this report or contact us on #redhat-cpe channel on libera.chat.

• We provide you both infographics and text version of the weekly report. If you just want to quickly look at what we did, just look at the infographic. If you are interested in more in depth details look below the infographic.

• Week: 13 March – 17 March 2023

Debian Family

=> ↺ Bits from the Release Team: bookworm in hard freeze

Canonical/Ubuntu Family

=> ↺ Ubuntu Wants You to Test its Steam Snap

• Remember when Ubuntu said it was getting serious about gaming? Well, it hasn’t forgotten entirely — it’s once again asking gamers to take part in a fresh bout of testing for its Steam snap. Steam is available on Ubuntu through traditional packaging methods but Canonical sees its Steam snap as the real future of the games platform on Ubuntu. That kinda of makes sense: it’s a tad easier to cater for the tangle of 32-bit libraries older games require using a sandboxed, separated Snap file system.

Devices/Embedded

=> ↺ A first look at GL.iNet GL-S200 Thread Border Router kit with three nRF52840 Thread boards

• The gateway runs OpenWrt 21.02 with a Linux 5.4 kernel.

• Let’s now have a look at the Thread Dev boards included with the kit.

• The other antenna should be for WiFi using the electronics hidden under a metal shield for EMC/EMI compliance. People interested in messing with the OS will also find a 4-pin UART header on the left side of the board.

Open Hardware/Modding

=> ↺ You Can Add a Second HDMI Port to a Laptop with Raspberry Pi

• With a Raspberry Pi 3, some Linux knowledge and plenty of effort, Pierre Cuoy has created their own DIY DisplayLink

=> ↺ This Affordable Device Will Let Anyone Connect Their Brain to a Computer

• PiEEG aims to let people control robots and computers with their minds, using a Raspberry Pi.

=> ↺ Digital European roulette wheel takes advantage of charlieplexing

• Roulette is one of the classic casino games, along with poker, blackjack, baccarat, and craps. There are two popular versions of roulette: American and European. The American version features an additional zero (green) pocket and the numbered pockets in a different arrangement.

=> ↺ Infinity dodecahedron puts on a mesmerizing light show

• If you’ve ever stood in an elevator with mirrored walls and saw your reflection bouncing back and forth endlessly, then you’ve experienced an “infinity mirror” from the inside.

Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

=> ↺ Massive Android boost will bring flagship features to vastly cheaper smartphones – Mirror Online

=> ↺ The Best SMS Text Messaging Apps for Android | WIRED

=> ↺ Check your Android phone now to avoid dangerous bug sweeping the globe | Express.co.uk

=> ↺ All Motorola phones confirmed to get the Android 13 update

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

=> ↺ 11 Open Source Free Customer Feedback Tools

• Open source customer feedback tools are software solutions that allow businesses to gather and analyze customer feedback. These tools are typically free to use and can be customized to meet the specific needs of the business.

=> ↺ 12 Open Source Libraries to Build Telegram Bots

• Telegram bots are special accounts that automatically handle messages. Users can interact with bots by sending commands in private or group chats. They are useful tools for many people around the world, offering an interface to communicate with customers and manage Telegram channels.

=> ↺ Tremor is a Complete Dashboard Components Library for React and Next.js

• Tremor is a free, open-source library that aids developers in building data-rich dashboards. With Tremor, you can create simple and modular components to build insightful dashboards with ease. The library is fully open-source and was made by data scientists and software engineers with a sweet spot for design.

=> ↺ 7 Open Source Tools That Benefit IT Operations Teams

• Open source tools are often more flexible and cheaper than commercial alternatives. These seven can assist ITOps teams with their work.

Events

=> ↺ We were at the Chemnitzer Linux-Tage 2023!

• In the LibreOffice community, most of our activities take place online: development, design, QA, localisation, marketing and so forth. But we like to meet face-to-face too, at events and conferences – and last weekend we did just that, at the Chemnitzer Linux-Tage 2023 in Germany.

Web Browsers/Web Servers

Mozilla

=> ↺ Mozilla released Firefox 111 with various vulnerability patches, improved Relay, and more!

• Firefox is a free, open-source, cross-platform web browser developed by the Mozilla foundation with security and privacy in mind.Firefox browser receives updates and improvements constantly, and this time Mozilla could not wait more than a month from the release of version 110 to announce the release of Firefox 111.

FSF

=> ↺ FSF News: Free Software Awards winners announced: Eli Zaretskii, Tad (SkewedZeppelin), GNU Jami

• The Free Software Foundation (FSF) today announced the recipients of the 2022 Free Software Awards, which are given annually at the FSF’s LibrePlanet conference to groups and individuals in the free software community who have made significant contributions to the cause for software freedom. This year’s recipients of the awards are Eli Zaretskii, Tad (SkewedZeppelin), and GNU Jami. As LibrePlanet 2023 is a hybrid in-person and online conference this year, the ceremony was conducted both in person and virtually.

=> ↺ FSF Blogs: Reporting back from day one of LibrePlanet: Charting the Course

GNU Projects

=> ↺ GNU Health: Leading Public Mental Health Hospital in Argentina embraces GNU Health

• The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

• Unfortunately, this definition is far from being a reality in our societies. Instead of embracing the system of health, we live in the system of disease, ruled by a reactive, reductionist and unsustainable model of healthcare. The beautiful noble art and science of medicine is ill. Financial institutions and giant technological corporations are removing the human factor from medicine, transforming people and patients into clients. They are reducing the non-negotiable human right to healthcare to a privilege of a few.

• Coming back to the formal definition of health, in the current system of disease very little is taken into account from the social and mental well-being . Today, many people with mental health conditions not only have to deal with the physiopathological aspects of the disorder, but also with the stigma, exclusion and invisibilization from the society.

Programming/Development

=> ↺ Finally upgraded FlatPress

• DreamHost finally bugged me to upgrade FlatPress from my super-old version running PHP 7 to the latest one running PHP 8.1. Making a tiny blog post just to test it — hope this works!

=> ↺ Differences Between Software and Computer Engineering

• For those considering a tech career, it’s important to know the difference between software engineering and computer engineering.

=> ↺ LLVM 16.0.0 Release

• LLVM 16.0.0 is now available!

Perl / Raku

=> ↺ Why Python Mostly Replaced Perl

• Both Perl and Python are powerful scripting languages that are used extensively in software development, system administration, and data analysis. Here are some key differences between the two languages: In recent years, Python has become the preferred language for many tasks, particularly in the areas of data science, machine learning, and web development.

Java

=> ↺ How to Use the Java 8 Stream API to Perform Filtering, Mapping, and Reduction operations

• The Java 8 Stream API is the best choice when it comes to working with collections.

=> ↺ Sure, here’s an example of how to create and use a custom exception in Java:

• Custom exceptions should be used when you want to handle specific error scenarios in your application that are not covered by the built-in exception classes in Java. When you throw a custom exception, you can provide a more meaningful and specific error message that describes the reason for the exception.

=> ↺ The Problem with Overusing Static Variables and Methods in Java

• Static variables and methods are shared among all instances of a class and can be accessed without creating an object of that class. While static variables and methods can be useful in certain situations, overusing them can lead to code that is difficult to test, maintain, and extend.

=> ↺ Why is Proper Exception Handling Important in Java

• A common bad practice in Java programming is not properly handling exceptions. Java has a robust exception handling mechanism, but not using it properly can lead to unexpected behavior and errors in your program.

=> ↺ Why is It a Bad Idea to Solve Programming (Java) problems with if statements

• Using if statements to solve Java problems is not necessarily a bad idea, as if statements are a fundamental part of the language and are used extensively in programming.

=> ↺ What are the Benefits of Lambdas in Java

• Lambda expressions were introduced in Java 8, and they provide several benefits over traditional anonymous inner classes. Some of the benefits of lambdas in Java include: Overall, the use of lambdas in Java can lead to more concise and readable code, improved code reuse, and improved performance. Here is an example.

Leftovers

=> ↺ US actor Lance Reddick, ‘The Wire’ and ‘John Wick’ star, dies at 60

• Actor Lance Reddick who played steely Baltimore police lieutenant Cedric Daniels in hit TV show “The Wire” has died, his publicist said Friday. He was 60.

=> ↺ My Coffee Isekai

• Coffee is one of the most important parts of my daily ritual. Historically, I had never really drank coffee regularly; and I had never really had good coffee before. Sure, I’ve drank coffee from time to time, but I usually had to get it double-double and drown out the bitterness with other flavors. This did make something that was pleasant to drink, but I didn’t really get to understand or appreciate the flavor of the coffee in particular.

=> ↺ Andrea Corbellini: On ignoring mistakes, resilience, and the hidden dangers therein

• As a scuba diver who often explores new places, I can say that I have found myself in some dangerous situations, but I always made it back to the surface without facing any negative consequences. Does this mean that I never made any mistakes? Absolutely not: mistakes were made, and lessons were learned.

• We can all agree that learning from mistakes is good, but sometimes, when mistakes happen and consequences don’t manifest themselves immediately, we run the risk of not noticing them, not learning from them, repeating them, and over time developing a false sense of confidence, which can drive us to believe that our repeated mistakes are actually good practices.

• Why do we ignore mistakes? Because sometimes outcomes are positive even if we make mistakes. “I made it out of water even this time, this means that my dive was executed perfectly.” This is a common way of reasoning, but in reality, things are much more complex than that. There is a difference between correct execution and successful outcome, and the two should not be confused. In fact, everyone should know from experience that goals can be achieved even if the execution was sloppy and full of mistakes. Catastrophic consequences may happen if we fail to see that.

=> ↺ Competition

• For the last few jobs, I’ve kept a private are.na board of competition. Every time I saw something that looked like it was competing with Observable, or Placemark, or val.town I’d add it to the list. Eventually I’d have a big gallery of screenshots of all the other companies and projects doing something similar to what I was building.

Education

=> ↺ Libraries were full of tech inflexion points

• Have you ever looked at a specific moment in your life and realised this is where everything changed? I’ve been thinking about tech inflection points again recently (while trying to distract myself from grim ones like AI), and I keep coming back to the beloved libraries in which I grew up.

• When we lived in Melbourne in the early 1990s, our local council library had newspapers on microfiche, which my parents would show me. It seemed impossible for such a tiny slide to contain so much information, though it answered an early question in my head about where these libraries keep all their archives. Doesn’t newspaper degrade, yellow, and fall apart!?

• My parents were big into audiobooks, so we’d also be checking out dozens of cassette tapes. Books were out on CDs by the time we moved to Singapore, but aside from being more portable they weren’t actually better. A tape would remember exactly where you left off; CDs required you to remember your last track.

Hardware

=> ↺ WisDuo RAK11720 LoRaWAN & Bluetooth LE module features Ambiq Apollo3 Blue low-power MCU

• RAKwireless WisDuo RAK11720 is a LoRaWAN and Bluetooth LE (module) equipped with Ambiq Apollo3 ultra-low-power BLE 5.0 microcontroller and a Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver.

=> ↺ Intel Reportedly Cancels Thunder Bay Hybrid SoC

• Intel cancels hybrid SoC with Movidius VPU and general-purpose CPU for edge computing.K11720 is a LoRaWAN and Bluetooth LE (module) equipped with Ambiq Apollo3 ultra-low-power BLE 5.0 microcontroller and a Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver.

=> ↺ Despite Sanctions, Russians Still Obtaining Latest PCs From Major Brands

• Chinese, Taiwanese, and American brands dominated Russian PC market last year.

=> ↺ Appetite for Destruction

• The history of the paper shredder, a device that’s most important when you have something to hide. Not all shreds are alike.

=> ↺ A first look at GL.iNet GL-S200 Thread Border Router kit with three nRF52840 Thread boards

• GL.iNet are better known for their routers, but the company is also offering IoT gateways and Smart Home hubs such as the GL-S10 BLE to MQTT IoT gateway. The company is now preparing to launch the GL.iNet GL-S200 Thread Border Router in early April, and I’ve been asked to do some beta testing before launch, so GL.iNet have sent me a kit with the GL-S200 and three Thread development boards acting as IoT nodes. A Thread Border Router acts as a WiFi or/and Ethernet gateway connecting to battery-powered Thread sensor nodes equipped with a low-power 802.15.4 radio. In this first post, I’ll go through the hardware and specifications, before reporting my finding in a separate post next week.

=> ↺ Yaber Pro V9 1080P Projector Review vs Yaber V10 & Ace K1

• I have previously reviewed the affordable Yaber V10 and the excellent Yaber Ace K1 projectors.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

=> ↺ Tanzania to Investigate Rare Disease Outbreak in Kagera

• Five people died in two villages in the Bukoba rural district after they suffered fever, vomiting, hemorrhage, and kidney failure.

=> ↺ Paris Suffers From Piling Up Of Over 10 000 Tons Of Garbage

• Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has rejected the government’s request to force garbage collectors and street cleaners back to work.

=> ↺ Wyoming governor signs measure prohibiting abortion pills

• Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has signed into law the nation’s first explicit ban on abortion pills since they became the predominant choice for abortion in the U.S. in recent years. Gordon on Friday also allowed a separate measure restricting abortion to become law without his signature. The pills are already banned in 13 states with blanket bans on all forms of abortion, and 15 states already have limited access to abortion pills.

=> ↺ Caffeine in Your Blood Could Affect Body Fat And Diabetes Risk, Study Finds

• Something to think about.

Security

=> ↺ Atlanta man sentenced to federal prison in connection with a multi-million dollar international cyber and fraud scheme

• Christian Akhatsegbe has been sentenced for wire and computer fraud conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft related to a multi-million-dollar cyber-fraud scheme perpetrated through email phishing, credential harvesting, and invoice fraud. His brother, Emmanuel Aiye Akhatsegbe, who is believed to be residing in Nigeria, was also charged in the scheme and remains a fugitive.

=> ↺ Huawei Has Replaced Thousands of US-Banned Parts With Chinese Versions: Founder

• Huawei has replaced thousands of product components banned by the US with homegrown versions, its founder has said.

=> ↺ Latitude Financial Services Data Breach Impacts 300,000 Customers

• Latitude Financial Services says the personal information of 300,000 customers was stolen in a cyberattack.

=> ↺ Google discovers 18 vulnerabilities in multiple Samsung chips

=> ↺ Old Backdoor, New Obfuscation, (Sat, Mar 18th)

• When you’re hunting, sometimes you feel lucky because you spotted something that looks brand new, but sometimes it’s not new or… the code has been changed to bypass existing detections.

=> ↺ US Government Warns Organizations of LockBit 3.0 Ransomware Attacks

• Three US government agencies have issued a joint warning to organizations about LockBit 3.0 ransomware attacks.

=> ↺ New ‘Trigona’ Ransomware Targets US, Europe, Australia

• The recently identified Trigona ransomware has been highly active, targeting tens of organizations globally.

=> ↺ New Espionage Group ‘YoroTrooper’ Targeting Entities in European, CIS Countries

• A newly identified threat actor named YoroTrooper is targeting organizations in Europe and the CIS region for espionage and data theft.

=> ↺ Exploitation of Recent Fortinet Zero-Day Linked to Chinese Cyberspies

• Mandiant links exploitation of the Fortinet zero-day CVE-2022-41328, exploited in government attacks, to a Chinese cyberespionage group.

=> ↺ Thunderbird 102.9.0 is a security update for the open source email client

• The Thunderbird team has released a new stable version of the open source email client. Thunderbird 102.9.0 is a security and bug fix update.

• The new version of the email client is available already. Existing Thunderbird installations should receive the update automatically, if the automatic updates functionality has not been disabled by the administrator.

Privacy/Surveillance

=> ↺ The Right to Be Let Alone: When the Government Wants to Know All Your Business

• John Whitehead “Experience teaches us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government’s purposes are beneficent.” Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis There was a time when the census was just a head count. That is no longer the case.

=> ↺ Feedback about the “friend zone” post

• A gentleman emailed me last month (sorry, it’s a big backlog!) regarding my friend zone post. If you didn’t see it, I read an article republished on a Singapore news site offering advice for people stuck in the aforementioned zone. Instead, it offered a lesson in what not to do!

• I didn’t get permission to repost what he sent, and it was written in good faith, so I’ll be mostly paraphrasing. In short, is a phrase with two words! And people say I’m too serious around here.

• The crux of his email was that he was in college, had a crush on someone in their dorm, and that my comment that love isn’t a transaction was a “splash of cold water [they] needed”. He took exception to my characterisation in a few places, but otherwise agreed that trading favours for feelings wasn’t a tenable strategy.

=> ↺ Cell phone not personal enough for GDPR protection?!

• Cell phone not personal enough for GDPR protection?!

• Contradictory Decision: Traffic and location data are particularly sensitive data that require additional protection, at the same time they are not personal data at all?!

=> ↺ Patient’s ’embarrassing’ private health information posted to Facebook after breach

• A woman has reported that the results of her test for sexually transmitted diseases were posted to Facebook after a worker at a California hospital gained access to her medical records, according to a complaint shared by her attorney.

• For privacy, the woman was identified by the initials S.B. Her attorney, Torin Dorros, alleges that an employee at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Contra Costa County gained access to S.B.’s personal medical records and released the information without the patient’s consent, in violation of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

=> ↺ Break-in poses security threat to Multnomah County Health Department patients – oregonlive.com

=> ↺ NBA alerts fans of a data breach exposing personal information

• The NBA (National Basketball Association) is notifying fans of a data breach after some of their personal information, “held” by a third-party newsletter service, was stolen.

• The NBA is a global sports and media organization that manages five professional sports leagues, including the NBA, WNBA, Basketball Africa League, NBA G League, and NBA 2K League.

• NBA programming and games are broadcasted worldwide, in over 215 countries and territories, spanning over 50 languages.

Defence/Aggression

=> ↺ The international criminal court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin

• The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday (March 17), accusing him of ordering war crimes during his invasion of Ukraine.

=> ↺ PHR Welcomes ICC Arrest Warrant for Putin, Calls for Enforcement

• Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) today welcomes the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants against Vladmir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and Maria Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President, for the war crimes of unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of children from occupied areas in Ukraine…

=> ↺ 20 years on, most Americans say Iraq invasion was the wrong decision

• Two decades after the U.S. invaded Iraq, 61% of Americans do not believe the U.S. made the right decision by invading Iraq, according to a new Axios/Ipsos poll.

• Why it matters: The chaos and destruction that followed the invasion have made a generation of Americans and their leaders more skeptical of the use of military force overseas, in particular in the Middle East. The invasion toppled a brutal dictator but sparked 20 years of instability in Iraq, and damaged America’s standing in the world.

=> ↺ Poland, Slovakia become first NATO members to offer Ukraine fighter jets

• Polish President Andrzej Duda said this week that Poland will transfer four of its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in the coming days and plans to send others, as well.

=> ↺ The Pentagon’s B-Movie: Looking Closely at the September 2001 Attacks

• Edward Curtin This new book by Graeme MacQueen (click here for a free e-copy) contains a collection of his articles and essays on the attacks of September 11, 2001, the subsequent anthrax attacks, and analyses of other false flag operations.  They are profoundly important and shatter the official versions of those events.

=> ↺ North Korea fires missile into sea amid US-South Korea drills

• North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile on Sunday, Seoul’s military said, the fourth show of force in a week as South Korea and the United States stage major military drills.

=> ↺ Germany’s Migration About-Face: Berlin Seeking to Recruit Skilled Labor from Africa

• For years, many Germans were frightened by the idea of economic immigrants from Africa. Now, though, Berlin has begun to proactively recruit them. It is a drastic change from a history of skepticism.

=> ↺ Interview with Yulia Navalnaya: “It Is Putin Personally Who Is Keeping Alexei in Prison”

• Yulia Navalnaya has been unable to visit her husband for 13 months now. On Sunday, a documentary film about the Russian opposition leader won an Oscar. In an interview, she discusses the dangers Alexei Navalny faces in prison and her hopes for Russia’s future.

=> ↺ Wagner Mercenaries Back Libyan Group That Says It Recovered Missing Uranium

• On Facebook, a representative for the Libyan National Army says it found 2.5 tonnes of missing uranium near Chad.

=> ↺ Erdoğan: Turkey to ratify Finland’s NATO membership

• The president’s announcement comes a week after the trilateral talks resumed.

=> ↺ Education directorate investigates ‘Nazi salute’ during high school football game

• A student gave a Nazi salute after scoring a goal against an İstanbul Jewish high school.

Transparency/Investigative Reporting

=> ↺ News Roundup: Sunshine Week and the Sunshine State

Environment

Wildlife/Nature

=> ↺ Nalayini Brito-Davies: Leading Dark Skies in New Zealand

• Each month the International Dark-Sky Association features an IDA Advocate from the worldwide network of volunteers working to protect the night.

Finance

=> ↺ French MPs file no-confidence motion, clashes erupt over pension reform

• Protesters on Friday clashed with police in Paris and other cities for a second night in a row after French President Emmanuel Macron rammed a pension reform through parliament without a vote. Opposition lawmakers earlier Friday tabled a no-confidence motion against the government amid mounting public anger.

=> ↺ Protests resume across France after Macron forced through contested pension reform

• People took to the streets across France on Saturday after President Emmanuel Macron imposed an unpopular pension overhaul without a parliament vote.

=> ↺ Bank sector set for third week of whipsaw action, questions

• The banking sector is poised to head into a third week of existential questions and whipsaw volatility, despite official efforts to stabilize markets and reassure depositors.

=> ↺ Railway workers, employers: Strike more than likely

• Railway workers’ industrial action could bring train transport to a total halt from Monday if no agreement is reached.

=> ↺ Driver shortage hits home as Brisbane, Gold Coast buses cancelled

• On Friday, 205 bus services were cancelled across Queensland, with Brisbane and the Gold Coast the hardest-hit regions.

=> ↺ ‘Crisis of confidence’ in global banking system grows

• In the past month, UBS has held talks to acquire a troubled Credit Suisse, while three mid-size US banks have failed or been bailed out. Now investors are worried about the leverage of non-bank lenders.

=> ↺ The Productivity Commission wants wage bargaining shifted further in favour of employers

• What’s conspicuously absent from all the bemoaning of the slowdown in our rate of productivity improvement, is any acknowledgement that there’s also been a huge fall in the rate of the flow-through to real wages of what improvement we are achieving.

=> ↺ ‘No other option’: Russia’s unequal economic marriage with China

• Bilateral trade between them has soared since Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow.

=> ↺ SVB Financial Group files for bankruptcy as it works to sell assets

=> ↺ SVB Financial files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

• Silicon Valley Bank’s former parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday, a week after the U.S. government took over its commercial bank that collapsed from a run on deposits.

• Why it matters: The filing is an effort to preserve value for the remaining businesses within the former parent company, SVB Financial Group.

=> ↺ Biden to Congress: Ban execs of failed banks from the industry

• President Biden wants Congress to enact tougher penalties for executives who oversee failed banks.

=> ↺ Pension pains plague Paris, as Macron raises retirement age by force

• Protests in Paris continue to mount against President Macron’s plan to raise the retirement age to 64, which he is pushing through parliament without a vote. Opposition plans a no-confidence vote on the government led by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.

=> ↺ Pluralistic: SVB’s investors will get $2b in public bailout money (18 Mar 2023)

=> ↺ SVB’s European Shockwaves: Silicon Valley Brings Disruption to Global Finance

• Rising interest rates have plunged the financial markets into turbulence. Regional banks in the U.S. are facing bank runs while in Europe, Credit Suisse is on the brink. Is a new global financial crisis coming?

=> ↺ Bank of Finland: Finnish economy in hibernation

• The central bank says that it will take some time before the effects of inflation are fully felt in the economy.

=> ↺ SVB employees blame remote work for bank failure

• In a story in the Financial Times out Thursday, current and former Silicon Valley Bank employees cited the bank’s commitment to remote work as one reason for its failure.

=> ↺ The Fed’s discount window is lending to banks at 2008 levels

=> ↺ UK passport officials are going on strike for five weeks

• Unionized members of the UK’s passport offices will go on strike next month over low wages, likely disrupting the delivery of passports during the busy easter holiday.

=> ↺ After Macron’s use of ‘nuclear option’ on unpopular pension reform, what’s next?

• Several consequences could follow the French government’s use of Article 49.3 of the constitution to pass President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform without a vote in the National Assembly on Thursday. They include no-confidence motion against the government, the dissolution of the Assembly, and ongoing street protests. FRANCE 24 breaks down the options for the opposition and the president.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

=> ↺ Steady Burn

• Todd Hayen I find myself, uncharacteristically, wishing for bad things to happen regarding all this world take-over crap.

=> ↺ Trump says he expects to be arrested, calls for protest

• Donald Trump says in a social media post that he expects to be arrested Tuesday and he’s calling on supporters to protest. A New York grand jury is investigating hush money payments to women who alleged sexual encounters with the former president. But there’s no evidence that prosecutors have made any formal outreach to him. And a spokesperson and a lawyer for Trump says his Truth Social post was based on media reports rather than any actual update from, or communication with, prosecutors.

=> ↺ Some Trump rivals rally to his side as possible charges loom

• Top Republicans, including some of Donald Trump’s potential rivals for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination, are rushing to his defense after Trump said he’s bracing for possible arrest. The reaction points to the political risks faced by would-be opponents who are eager to convince voters that it’s time to move on from the former president but also fear alienating his loyal base. The comments came hours after Trump declared in a social media post that he expects to be arrested this coming week in a case that the Manhattan district attorney is investigating over hush money payments made to women who alleged Trump had sexual encounters with them.

=> ↺ Trump says he expects to be arrested Tuesday, calls for protest from supporters

• Former US President Donald Trump said he expects to be “arrested” on Tuesday over hush money allegedly paid to a porn star before the 2016 election, calling on his supporters to protest.

=> ↺ Hong Kong’s freedom to protest comes back to life… or does it?

• Article 27 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR states that: “Hong Kong residents shall have freedom of speech, of the press and of publication; freedom of association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration; and the right and freedom to form and join trade unions, and to strike.”

=> ↺ What one tweet can teach us about “Fake News”

• Kit Knightly Three days ago this tweet turned up on OffG’s timeline: Charlotte, I couldn’t agree more. Women lose thousands of dollars each year, and hundreds of thousands over a lifetime, because of gender and racial wage gaps.

=> ↺ TikTok and Chinese Government Officials Push Back Against ByteDance Divestiture Demand As Bipartisan Criticism Continues

• As the White House reportedly demands that ByteDance sell its interest in TikTok or grapple with the short-form app’s potential stateside ban, both the video-sharing service and the Chinese government itself are firing back against the ultimatum.

=> ↺ Democracy or monarchy? 19th-century Mexico struggled for identity

• Mexico’s century after independence saw coups d’etat, flamboyant personalities and foreign invasions as it forged its identity it has today.

=> ↺ Can Lula walk the tightrope between Washington and Beijing?

• As Brazil’s New President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (popularly known as Lula) prepares to visit China later this month, maintaining neutrality would be difficult as the winds of change enwrap  Beijing. Brazil is Back President Lula’s coming to power has marked a decisive shift in Brazilian foreign policy.

Censorship/Free Speech

=> ↺ Roger Waters Says He’s Fighting Back Against German Concert Cancellations

• Roger Waters is threatening legal action against proposed concert cancellations in Frankfurt and Munich. The former Pink Floyd frontman has said he will take legal action against city authorities in Germany over the threatened cancellation of concerts after Roger Waters was accused of antisemitism, which he has staunchly denied.

=> ↺ Scoop: YouTube restores Trump’s channel

• YouTube will lift its restrictions on former President Trump’s channel Friday, a spokesperson confirmed to Axios.

Civil Rights/Policing

=> ↺ Celebrating 60 Years of Gideon v. Wainwright

• Sixty years ago today, the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Gideon v. Wainwright. The court held that states must abide by the Sixth Amendment and that those whose liberty is threatened by criminal prosecution have the assistance of an attorney: “The right of one charged with crime to counsel may not be deemed fundamental and essential to fair trials in some countries, but it is in ours. … This noble ideal cannot be realized if the poor man charged with crime has to face his accusers without a lawyer to assist him.”

=> ↺ India: ‘Internet shutdown capital of the world’

Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

=> ↺ Digital Transparency: A Right to Information Report for February, 2023

• For the month of February 2022, IFF has filed 13 Right to Information (“RTI”) applications and 01 First Appeal. We received 5 responses including 1 from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and 4 from the Department of Electronics and Information Technology.

Monopolies

Patents

=> ↺ Withers & Rogers strengthens Paris team with Bardehle patent attorney

=> ↺ Jeffrey M. Gross entity, Focus Global Solutions, patent prior art found

• Unified is pleased to announce prior art has been found on U.S. Patent 6,978,301, owned by Focus Global Solutions, an NPE and Jeffrey M. Gross entity.

=> ↺ As China Prioritizes Its Patent System, America Must Do the Same and More

• During the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) earlier this month in Beijing, China began outlining a series of proposals to give itself an edge over its competitors in critical technological sectors, including the manufacture of semiconductors.

Trademarks

=> ↺ TTAB Affirms Geographical Descriptiveness Refusal of “SOHO INK” for Tattoo Ink

• The Board affirmed a Section 2(e)(2) refusal of SOHO INK for tattoo ink, tattooing equipment, and tattoo service in Classes 2, 8, and 44 [INK disclaimed], finding the mark to be primarily geographically descriptive of those goods and services. It also affirmed a requirement that the applicant disclaim the word SOHO for clothing. In re Ink Projects LLC, Serial No. 87856799 (March 15, 2023) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Angela Lykos).

Gemini* and Gopher

Personal

=> ↺ Support Means Supporting

• I don’t support women’s rights. I once supported refugees – I cut onions to make lots of soup for refugees. I couldn’t get them any of the information they wanted, but at least they had some soup.

• I don’t support any refugees any more.

• I hear far too much of people ‘supporting’ by simply declaring ‘I support’. I sounds an awful lot like saying ‘you should ask for that request to be in writing so you won’t be [legally] liable for sharing admin passwords with interns, but this isn’t legal advice’.

• I that really not advice? Does it not pertain to law? Is it not advice about law?

Technical

=> ↺ emacs and elfeed and youtube oh my

• i’m fully aware that this is a weirdly precise setup for a weirdly niche group of folks, but it took me some time to figure out! so i’m sharing it, in case i have to do it again. i watch youtube to chill. various different youtubers. from weird minecraft folks, to techie guys all the way round to vlogs. i’ve been collecting subscriptions for years, and was happily paying for youtube premium since i watch so much of it, and i hate ads as much as the next guy. recently, youtube has decided to up the fee for premium from a fairly reasonable 15 bucks, to a much less reasonable 24 bucks. that’s almost 10 bucks jump! i don’t know if that’s reflecting over to paying youtubers, but considering how many of them beg for patreon users, members, twitch follows, merch stuff, etc. i’m going to assume no one is getting paid but some big wig at google headquarters.

Internet/Gemini

=> ↺ Moving to my own server

• Howdy Y’all smol.pub folks

• I decided to host my own server and start posting there, figured I’d let you guys know. I’ll still be lurking around these parts though so don’t go bad-mouthing me (I jest).

• Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. Share in other sites/networks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. Permalink  Send this to a friend

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