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● 08.22.23

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● Links 22/08/2023: Microsoft Kills Off Yet Another Product; Bridging IIO and Input in Linux

Posted in News Roundup at 8:31 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

=> ↺ Linux Format 306

• Get into AI coding! Learn to code smarter, accelerate development with rapid prototyping and automated code creation and the pitfalls to watch for! We explain the coding companions and what they’re good for.

=> ↺ Linux vs. macOS: Choosing the Best OS for Your Needs

• At the very beginning, I would like to tell you that there’s no “better OS”; instead, it will depend on how a user uses it or the purpose of using it. Every OS, either Linux vs. Mac OS vs. Windows OS, has its overriding factors considering the various usages of categories.

=> ↺ 10 Best Portable Linux OS/Distros To Install & Run From USB

• Undoubtedly, Linux is one of the most used and trusted systems for security and stability. But in some cases, if you’re using an old configuration of a PC or a very tiny notebook, you might face the urgency to have a Linux OS or distros that is lightweight and portable.

=> ↺ Best Linux Gaming Distros: 10 Shortlisted Recommendations

• In the past, Linux was not a viable option for gamers seeking stability and performance. However, now there are hundreds of different Linux distributions that can be used for various purposes–including gaming! Although it is not as popularized, there are some great Linux gaming distributions that provide excellent performance, stability, and flexibility.

=> ↺ 10 Best Lightweight Linux Distros To Revive Your Old Computer

• A lightweight Linux distro is the perfect solution if you have an old computer that you want to breathe new life into. Lightweight Linux distros are designed to use less system resources and are very easy to install. When choosing a lightweight Linux distro, there are a few things to consider.

Server

=> ↺ Unix Men ☛ What does a job as a remote Linux administrator entail: how to become a professional, and the skills you need?

• Remote Linux Administrator Jobs: Balancing Flexibility and Technical Excellence Information technology professionals can choose any field they like. In particular, the profession of remote Linux administrator is gaining popularity lately – more and more companies need this specialist, but there are few applicants in the labor market.

Audiocasts/Shows

=> ↺ Linux User Space Episode 4:03: This is the WEI

• Coming up in this episode

• • Immutability is confusing

• • Going the wrong WEI (or W-E-I)

• • Reverb Focus

• • Hardware Focus

• • And Gentoo Focus

=> ↺ Late Night Linux – Episode 243

• Rooting Amazon Echo devices to use with your own open source software, a remote desktop solution to watch for the future, the state of tech magazines and why Linux ones are among the last remaining, another Pocket alternative, making shell scripts look prettier, a novel approach to IT training, and more.

Kernel Space

=> ↺ Collabora ☛ Bridging IIO and Input in Linux

• In Linux, the Industrial Input/Output subsystem manages devices like Analog to Digital Converters, Light sensors, accelerometers, etc. On the other hand, the Input subsystem handles keyboards, mice, touchscreens, and any device that has a human interface.

=> ↺ Melissa Wen: AMD Driver-specific Properties for Color Management on Linux (Part 1)

• Color is a visual perception. Human eyes can detect a broader range of colors than any devices in the graphics chain. Since each device can generate, capture or reproduce a specific subset of colors and tones, color management controls color conversion and calibration across devices to ensure a more accurate and consistent color representation. We can expose a GPU-accelerated display color management pipeline to support this process and enhance results, and this is what we are doing on Linux to improve color management on Gamescope/SteamDeck. Even with the challenges of being external developers, we have been working on mapping AMD GPU color capabilities to the Linux kernel color management interface, which is a combination of DRM and AMD driver-specific color properties. This more extensive color management pipeline includes pre-defined Transfer Functions, 1-Dimensional LookUp Tables (1D LUTs), and 3D LUTs before and after the plane composition/blending.

• The study of color is well-established and has been explored for many years. Color science and research findings have also guided technology innovations. As a result, color in Computer Graphics is a very complex topic that I’m putting a lot of effort into becoming familiar with. I always find myself rereading all the materials I have collected about color space and operations since I started this journey (about one year ago). I also understand how hard it is to find consensus on some color subjects, as exemplified by all explanations around the 2015 online viral phenomenon of The Black and Blue Dress. Have you heard about it? What is the color of the dress for you?

=> ↺ Linux Plumbers Conference (LPC) ☛ Linux Plumbers Conference: VFIO/IOMMU/PCI MC CFP

• On behalf of the PCI sub-system maintainers, we would like to invite everyone to join the VFIO/IOMMU/PCI micro-conference (MC) this year.

• We are hoping to bring together, both in person and online, everyone interested in the VFIO, IOMMU, and PCI space to talk about the latest developments and challenges in these areas.

Applications

=> ↺ Linux Links ☛ Alternatives to popular CLI tools: telnet

• This article spotlights alternative tools to telnet, a tool to login to a remote system.

=> ↺ Linux Links ☛ 6 Best Free and Open Source Type 1 Hypervisors

• This article identifies the finest open source Type 1 hypervisors that are available to download.

=> ↺ Linux Buzz ☛ Top 8 RDP (Remote Desktop) Clients for Linux

• Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) clients for Linux have revolutionized the way we access and control remote systems.

Instructionals/Technical

=> ↺ Mastering Zip and Unzip Commands in Linux

• In Linux, “zip” and “unzip” are two popular command-line utilities that are used to create or extract Zip archives, respectively.

=> ↺ Red Hat ☛ Enhance Ansible development experience with Lightspeed [Ed: Red Hat assumes you use Microsoft proprietary spyware, offers instructions for nothing other than this]

• Ansible Lightspeed is a generative AI tool that provides an efficient way for developers to create Ansible content and automation tasks for Ansible playbooks.

=> ↺ Linux Nightly ☛ Install Firefox as Normal Package on Ubuntu 22.04

• Starting with Ubuntu 22.04, Firefox comes installed as a Snap package by default. In this tutorial, you will learn how to remove the Firefox Snap and install Firefox as a normal software package on Ubuntu. Some users simply do not like Snapd, and choose to remove it.

=> ↺ OSTechNix ☛ Linux Bat Command – A Cat Clone With Syntax Highlighting And Git Integration

• Elevate your file viewing experience with the bat command on Linux. Syntax highlighting, line numbering, and more for enhanced readability.

=> ↺ It’s FOSS ☛ Remove Home Folder Icon from Ubuntu Desktop

• Here’s a quick tip for Ubuntu users who don’t want to see the home folder icon on the desktop.

=> ↺ How to Install Shaders in Minecraft on Ubuntu [Ed: Well, Minecraft is proprietary and controlled by Microsoft. Try Minetest instead of Minecraft.]

• Getting tired of the usual Minecraft graphics? No worries at all!

=> ↺ Own HowTo ☛ How to install Simplenote on Linux Mint

• Simplenote is a free and open source app that you can use to take notes on Linux Mint.

• Simplenote can be easily installed on Linux Mint, by downloading and installing its deb file.

=> ↺ Net2 ☛ How to display your sound card details using the terminal on Ubuntu 22.04

• Understanding your sound card setup is vital for Ubuntu administrators to verify hardware compatibility and driver functionality. With a few simple terminal commands, you can retrieve valuable details about your audio devices and drivers in Ubuntu 22.04.

=> ↺ Net2 ☛ How to Configure Sendmail on Ubuntu 22.04

• Sendmail is a widely used Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) for sending and receiving email on Linux systems. It handles routing email messages between senders and recipients as well as delivering messages locally. While Ubuntu 22.04 comes preconfigured with a basic sendmail server, you may want more customization and security hardening for production environments.

=> ↺ How to Find Files by SELinux Security Context, Labels and Types

• SELinux (“Security-Enhanced Linux”) is a robust security framework within some Linux distributions like Fedora…

idroot

=> ↺ ID Root ☛ How To Install Cockpit on Debian 12

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Cockpit on Debian 12. Cockpit stands as a versatile toolset that eliminates the complexities associated with traditional server management interfaces. With its web-based graphical interface, it bridges the gap between user-friendliness and robust functionality.

=> ↺ ID Root ☛ How To Install Jellyfin on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Jellyfin on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. In the ever-evolving landscape of digital entertainment, having a reliable media server at your fingertips is a game-changer.

=> ↺ ID Root ☛ How to Enable Universe and Multiverse Repositories on Ubuntu

• In the world of Linux, Ubuntu reigns supreme as a user-friendly and widely-used distribution. Unlocking its true potential involves tapping into the Universe and Multiverse repositories. These repositories serve as treasure troves, offering an array of software packages that can supercharge your Ubuntu experience.

=> ↺ ID Root ☛ How To Install ManageEngine OpManager on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install ManageEngine OpManager on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. In the dynamic landscape of modern IT infrastructure, efficient network management, and monitoring play a pivotal role in ensuring seamless operations.

Desktop Environments/WMs

GNOME Desktop/GTK

=> ↺ GNOME ☛ Christian Hergert: Visualizing Scheduler Details

• One thing we’ve wanted for a while in Sysprof is the ability to look at what the process scheduler is doing. It can be handy to see what processes where switched and how they may be dependent on one-another. Previously, I’d fire up kernelshark for that as it’s a pretty invaluable tool. But having scheduler data inline with everything else you capture is too useful to pass up.

Distributions and Operating Systems

Fedora Family / IBM

=> ↺ Fedora Project ☛ Fedora Community Blog: CPE Weekly update – Week 33 2023

• 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.

• Week: 14 August – 18 August 2023

• Purpose of this team is to take care of day to day business regarding CentOS and Fedora Infrastructure and Fedora release engineering work.It’s responsible for services running in Fedora and CentOS infrastructure and preparing things for the new Fedora release (mirrors, mass branching, new namespaces etc.).The ARC (which is a subset of the team) investigates possible initiatives that CPE might take on.Planning boardDocs

Debian Family

=> ↺ ZDNet ☛ Debian Linux founder Ian Murdock would have been amazed at its legacy

• Debian Linux is 30 years old. Today, it remains one of the most dominant Linux distributions. Here’s how it started and where its impact is still felt today.

Canonical/Ubuntu Family

=> ↺ Top 36 Best Ubuntu Themes That Will Blow Your Mind

• We covered different icon themes for Ubuntu; most of them being icon themes inspired by material design and flat design.

=> ↺ Ubuntu News ☛ Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter Issue 801

• Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue 801 for the week of August 13 – 19, 2023. The full version of this issue is available here.

=> ↺ Ubuntu Fridge ☛ The Fridge: Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter Issue 801

=> ↺ Ubuntu Pro: Are the Benefits Worth Upgrading?

• Ubuntu Pro comes with many advanced security features. But is that enough to convince regular users to switch to the Pro version? If you’re an Ubuntu user and are curious about its Pro version, this article will help you understand what makes Ubuntu Pro different and if it’s worth trying.

=> ↺ LinuxTechLab ☛ Introduction To C Libraries On Ubuntu

• Libraries or Software Libraries are the easiest way to reduce the hard work to implement a code as it helps to reuse it.

Devices/Embedded

=> ↺ CNX Software ☛ ESP ZeroCode web application creates custom Matter-certifiable firmware for ESP32 targets

• Low-code/no-code platforms keep on coming and Espressif Systems ESP ZeroCode adds to the list. It is a web application designed to prepare Matter-certifiable firmware for ESP32 devices as per the user’s requirements. The website is supposed to streamline the product development where the firmware is developed for you (no need for those costly software/firmware engineers!) and future OTA updates are also guaranteed for a period of three years. It’s a bit similar to the Tuya platform, but for ESP32 devkits, modules, and/or rebranded products with Matter-certified firmware. So I went to the website to give it a try in Firefox in Ubuntu. After registration and login, we are given three options: Your products, Create a new product, and Rebrand a Certified Product I went with the second option and named by new product “CNX Software Gizmo”.

Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

=> ↺ Phone Arena ☛ Will your Galaxy handset get the One UI 6/Android 14 beta? – PhoneArena

=> ↺ 9to5Google ☛ Google opens Android 14 Beta 5.1 feedback as stable nears

=> ↺ My Next Favorite Android Tool Gets Spotted: eSIM Tranfers

=> ↺ Ars Technica ☛ Google says its Android runtime makes apps faster, even without an OS update | Ars Technica

=> ↺ The Sun ☛ Android owners receive free upgrade that instantly boosts their TV | The US Sun

=> ↺ Android Authority ☛ Xiaomi matches Samsung’s industry-leading Android updates policy

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

=> ↺ Libre Arts ☛ LibreArs Weekly recap — 21 August 2023

• Double-week highlights: new releases of Qucs-S, Bespoke Synth, and VCV Rack, progress with GIMP’s autoexpanding layers and CMYK PDF exporting in Inkscape, exciting changes in Ardour.

Programming/Development

=> ↺ Gentoo ☛ Week 12 report on porting Gentoo packages to modern C

• Hello all, hope you’re doing well. This is my week 12 report for my

• Similar to last week I took up bugs from the tracker randomly and

• Also been working with Juippis on masking firefox-bin and rust-bin in glibc llvm profile, Juippis has for now reverted the commit masking those bin packages, but likely a proper fix will be committed soon.

• Just warping things up for final review. I’m also in 1:1 contact with Sam in case there is some major work needed on a particular section of my project or a package.

Python

=> ↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ How To Use Dictionaries in Python

• Learn how to create and use dictionaries in Python by creating a real world project which has them at its heart.

Leftovers

=> ↺ Ruben Schade ☛ Ugly American truck follow up

• I haven’t had that much follow up for a post in a while:

• Ugly American trucks

• The sentiment among my American readers is that these trucks are ubiquitous, but unwanted. They make driving in anything other than a large truck scary, because they wreck your visibility even in optimal conditions. They also tend to be driven by oblivious people or jerks, which I can appreciate from personal experience.

• Aaron in Milwaukee told a harrowing story of his hatchback being forced off a road in sleety conditions by a Dodge RAM driver who was either asleep or malicious. Chuck in Austin discussed a move back to the Pacific Northwest, in part due to being fed up being threatened by the sheer number of these trucks in Texas. A person with an anonymous address expressed sadness that her husband and youngest son had been sucked into these things, and she worried about the safety of her other children.

=> ↺ Ruben Schade ☛ Electronic bookends

• No, this isn’t a post about Microsoft Bookshelf, or another multimedia CD-ROM containing volumes of books on one shiny disc. Though I do think those are overdue for a revisit too.

• Tech is interesting because it effects social and global change, but also affects us personally in ways that are completely unique. One way I find myself thinking about tech’s impact on my own life is seeing their introduction as a series of bookends.

Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

=> ↺ The Wall Street Journal ☛ Google Can’t Afford to Take Its Foot Off the Spending Brakes

• Competing in AI isn’t getting cheaper, and Alphabet’s Other Bets is still a drag on earnings

=> ↺ The Verge ☛ Microsoft kills Kinect again

• Microsoft is discontinuing the Kinect — again. The company officially stopped manufacturing the depth camera and microphone in 2017 and brought it back in a new form in 2019 as the Azure Kinect Developer Kit. Now, Microsoft is ending production of that, too, but it has partnered with some outside companies to provide options available for people who need similar types of devices.

• If you want to get one of the remaining Azure Kinect Developer Kits, they’ll be available to buy through the end of October or “until supplies last,” Microsoft’s Swati Mehta said in a post on the company’s website. If you already have one, Mehta promises that you can keep using it “without disruption.”

Linux Foundation

=> ↺ Linux Foundation’s Site/Blog ☛ Linux Foundation Newsletter: August 2023

• Welcome to the August edition of the Linux Foundation Newsletter! We have an important announcement for the 3D graphics and virtual world industry: the launch of the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD). Plus, don’t miss our exclusive training and certification discounts, and stay updated with the latest news from our Linux Foundation projects.

=> ↺ Linux Foundation’s Site/Blog ☛ OpenDaylight: Celebrating 10 Years of the Most Popular Open Source SDN Controller

• This year marks the 10-year anniversary of Open Daylight, so we at LF Networking wanted to spotlight how it has grown to be the most popular open source SDN controller, a top important open source project in networking, and how it will continue to evolve in the future.

Security

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Researchers Uncover Real Identity of CypherRAT and CraxsRAT Malware Developer

• Cyfirma security researchers uncover the real identity of the CypherRAT and CraxsRAT malware developer and MaaS operator.

=> ↺ IT Wire ☛ auDA says attack was on sole trader, not on its servers

• The au Domain Administration, the organisation that administers the Australian domain namespace, says it has completed investigating claims of a breach of its site and says there is no evidence to back up such a claim.

Privacy/Surveillance

=> ↺ Ghacks ☛ Privacy is Sexy: custom privacy scripts for Windows, Linux and macOS

• Privacy is Sexy is a free service that allows users of desktop operating systems to improve their privacy by creating and executing custom scripts.

Defence/Aggression

Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Wagner Mercenary Group Leader Appears In First Video Since Mutiny, Hints He’s In Africa

• Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has appeared in his first video since leading a short-lived mutiny in June.

=> ↺ Latvia ☛ Ukraine’s independence day to be celebrated in Rīga

• The Independence Day of Ukraine will be celebrated in Riga on August 24 with a wide program of art performances, flash events, a concert and the illumination of the Freedom Monument in Ukrainian colors, Riga City Council representatives have announced.

=> ↺ AntiWar ☛ Ukraine Is More Than Wounded

• Getting a count of Ukraine’s dead that isn’t the output of someone’s propaganda machine is difficult to do. But the number of dead is indisputably a horror. Measuring the maiming of Ukraine solely in deaths, though, is an injustice to the depth of the Ukrainian wound.

=> ↺ AntiWar ☛ Ancient Greece Called Them ‘Slaves’ Ukraine Calls It ‘Conscription’ the Product Is the Same

• The war in Ukraine has reopened Europe’s eyes to the horrifying realities of the wars of history. Battles fought almost entirely by artillery barrages, trench warfare, mass assaults through minefields; the kinds of combat not seen in the world since the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, or World War II in Europe.

=> ↺ NYPost ☛ State Department was ‘impressed’ with ex-prosecutor Biden pressured Ukraine to fire: report

• “We have been impressed with the ambitious reform and anti-corruption agenda of your government,” Nuland writes in the June 2015 letter.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ 🔴Live: Russia says it destroyed Ukrainian reconnaissance boat in the Black Sea

• Russia on Tuesday said one of its jets had “destroyed” a Ukrainian reconnaissance boat near a gas production facility in the Black Sea. Russia also said it had downed two attack drones near Moscow overnight, which makes it the fifth consecutive night the Russian capital has been targeted by such attacks.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Says Talks With Serbia’s Vucic ‘Honest, Fruitful’

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he had “an open, honest, and fruitful meeting” in Athens with his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Russia Strikes Several Ukrainian Regions As Moscow Says It Repelled Drone Attacks

• The Ukrainian military and regional officials on August 22 reported Russian drone and missile strikes on Zaporizhzhya, Kryviy Rih, and Kupyansk as Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had repelled drone attacks on the Moscow and Bryansk regions while temporarily closing three airports in the capital.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Ukraine Seizes Assets Worth More Than $25 Million Belonging To Russian Colonel General

• Around 20 commercial establishments in the Poltava region, including restaurants and hotels, were seized.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Greece Hosts Meeting Of Several Balkan Leaders; Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Also Attends

• The leaders of several Balkan countries gathered on August 21 in Athens along with top European Union officials to discuss the region’s European future, and Ukraine’s president joined them later in the day.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Ukraine Reports Gains In Southeast As Counteroffensive Creeps Forward

• Intense fighting has been reported in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, with Defense Minister Hanna Malyar claiming “success” as Kyiv continues its counteroffensive to regain territory occupied by Russian forces.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ Russia Frustrates Ukrainian Drones Attacks Against Moscow

• In recent days, Ukraine has escalated its drone attacks on the Russian rear, targeting both Moscow and the adjacent regions of Rostov and Kursk.

=> ↺ Atlantic Council ☛ What the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact tells us about today’s war in Ukraine

• Putin’s rehabilitation of the Nazi-Soviet pact shows that only credible security guarantees will protect Ukraine from Russian aggression.

• /blockquote>

=> ↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Tavio: Finland’s development co-operation to prioritise countries not supporting Russia

• MINISTER for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio (PS) on Monday confirmed that the government will slash the number of country-specific international development programmes during the course of the electoral term, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

• The programmes, he revealed, will be targeted especially to countries that are willing to receive their own citizens and that do not support the war of aggression waged in Ukraine by Russia.

=> ↺ YLE ☛ Finnish foreign minister Valtonen: “Russia has ruined its relationship with Finland”

• Speaking to a crowd of Finnish diplomats on Monday, the Finnish Foreign Minister said Finland should be prepared for the possibility of a prolonged war in Ukraine.

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ A ‘priceless’ weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal

• Little can be taken for granted during wartime. One thing Ukrainians count on is the care and generosity of other civilians.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Even in War, Ukrainian Soldiers Find Time for World of Tanks Video Game

• The urge to play a violent video game in the midst of the most brutal land war in Europe since World War II may seem baffling. But it’s a way to cope.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Dueling Tours for Influence as Ukraine War Scrambles Alliances

• As Volodymyr Zelensky went on a diplomatic blitz of Europe, a top Iranian general made his way to Moscow.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Russia-Ukraine War: Zelensky Arrives in Greece, Aiming to Shore Up Support For Ukraine

• President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Athens on Monday, the fourth stop in a European tour aimed at securing more support in the war against Russia.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Ukrainian Drones Are Intercepted Over Russia, Including Near Moscow

• Russia said it intercepted drones in two parts of the country, in what appeared to be the latest in a string of Ukrainian attacks designed to bring the war home to Russia’s citizens.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Tuesday Briefing: Japan’s Radioactive Water

• Also, Ukrainian soldiers playing video games.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Zelensky Thanks Denmark for Pledging to Donate F-16 Fighter Jets

• The Netherlands and Denmark became the first countries to announce that they would donate the planes.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Ukraine is building a case of ecocide against Russia as dolphins keep dying in the Black Sea.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ There is a crisis of wounded psyches among Ukrainian soldiers.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Ukraine Will Get F-16 Fighter Jets From Denmark and Netherlands

• President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said the Netherlands had agreed to supply 42 of the jets. Denmark also said it would donate the planes.

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ Domino’s Pizza becomes the latest brand to leave Russia, cementing the country’s economic isolation

• The world’s largest pizza chain—Domino’s—announced that it’s closing 142 stores across Russia, via DP Eurasia, its franchise holder in the country.

=> ↺ Defence Web ☛ South Africa contributes to silencing the guns – Ramaphosa

• South African president Cyril Ramaphosa used the upcoming BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in Johannesburg to outline foreign policy, including peacekeeping.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Size, population, GDP: The BRICS nations in numbers

• Officials from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa gather in Johannesburg on Tuesday for a three-day BRICS summit, a five-nation club comprising 40% of the world’s population and more than 25 percent of global GDP that positions itself as an economic counterweight to the West. Almost 15 years on from the group’s founding, FRANCE 24 takes a look at the BRICS nations in numbers and their relative weight in the global economy.

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ Russia court closes human rights organization for alleged legal violations

• The Moscow City Court ruled Friday to liquidate the Public Commission for the Preservation of the Heritage of Academician Sakharov (Sakharov Center), a human rights organization,  for “systematic, gross and irremediable violations of the law,” according to Interfax.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ ‘Send me to Belarus and see what happens‘ – Belarusian activist denies cooperation with Russian intelligence

• Belarusian activist Olga Karach continues to deny any allegations by Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) about her cooperation with the Russian intelligence services.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ Belarusian activist Karach cooperated with Russian special services – Lithuanian intelligence

• Olga Karach, a Belarusian activist who lives in Lithuania, cooperated with the Russian intelligence services, according to Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD).

=> ↺ Press Gazette ☛ Russia adds BBC, Guardian and Telegraph staff to journalist blacklist

• New additions include prominent BBC correspondents Ros Atkins and Marianna Spring.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Musician Blocked From Performing In Moldova Due To Pro-Russia Views

• The Moldovan Interior Ministry on August 21 cited a ban on musician Goran Bregovic imposed last year because of his pro-Russian views as the reason he and his band were not allowed to enter Moldova over the weekend.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Court Shuts Down Rights Group In Russia’s Mari El Republic

• The Supreme Court of Russia’s Mari El Republic ruled on August 21 to shut down the Man and the Law rights group citing the nongovernmental organization’s ‘involvement in political activities.”

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Propulsion System Malfunction Caused Russian Spacecraft’s Crash On Moon, Roskosmos Chief Says

• The main cause of the crash of the Luna-25 spacecraft on the surface of the moon over the weekend was that its propulsion system worked for 43 seconds longer than it was supposed to during a correction of its orbit, said Yury Borisov, the director of the Russian space agency, Roskosmos.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Postgraduate Student From Gabon Stabbed To Death In Russia

• A 32-year-old postgraduate student from Gabon has been stabbed to death in a cafe in the Russian Urals city of Yekaterinburg, with witnesses calling it “a racially motivated attack.”

=> ↺ Vice Media Group ☛ Russia’s First Lunar Mission in 47 Years Has Crashed Into the Moon

• Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft “ceased its existence” after colliding with the lunar surface, the Roscosmos space agency announced.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ At Risk of Invasion or Lovely to Visit: Two Views of a Polish Border Area

• Polish authorities have issued dire warnings that the Suwalki Gap, on Poland’s northern border between Russia and Belarus, is under threat. Locals say that is just election-related fear-mongering.

=> ↺ Latvia ☛ Army could be involved in building Latvia-Belarus border

• The construction of the fence on the border with Belarus is hampered by builders’ capacity, so the possibility of involving the National Armed Forces (NBS) is also under consideration, said Interior Minister Māris Kučinskis (United List) in an interview on the “Morning Panorama” broadcast of Latvian Television August 22.

=> ↺ Latvia ☛ Border Guard: we are ready to defend Latvian-Belarusian border

• This year, a total of more than 6,000 people have been prevented from crossing the Latvian–Belarusian border and nearly 300 have been admitted for humanitarian reasons. It’s more than the entire last year. Border Guard told Latvian Television on August 21 that they are ready for possible threats.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ US tells citizens to leave Belarus immediately

• The US embassy in Minsk on August 21 told US citizens to leave Belarus immediately and advised any Americans planning a trip to the East European country not to go.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ ‘Robbed of childhood’: Overcoming trauma in Lithuanian exile

• Belarusian opposition politician Palina Sharenda-Panasyuk was at home in the western city of Brest in January 2021 when the police broke down her door and led her away in handcuffs as her 4-year-old son looked on.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ Complete closure of Lithuania’s border with Belarus unnecessary at present – adviser

• Complete closure of Lithuania’s border with Belarus is not necessary at present, says Kęstutis Budrys, national security adviser to the Lithuanian president.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ U.S. Embassy In Minsk Again Tells Americans To Leave Belarus

• The U.S. Embassy in Minsk on August 21 told U.S. citizens to leave Belarus immediately and advised any Americans planning a trip to the East European country not to go.

Environment

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Tour Of Moscow’s Sewer Tunnels Ends In At Least Four Deaths After Heavy Rainfall Overwhelms System

• The bodies of four people, including two teenagers, who took part in an excursion into Moscow’s sewer tunnels have been found in the Moskva River

=> ↺ Axios ☛ Tropical Storm Hilary slammed Southern California with historic rainfall

• New rainfall records were set across Los Angeles County after Tropical Storm Hilary crossed into Southern California near Palm Springs on Sunday evening after earlier making landfall in Mexico.

Wildlife/Nature

=> ↺ Axios ☛ Hawai’i braces for crushing death toll with 850 missing nearly 2 weeks on from fires

• There are 850 people who remain missing nearly two weeks after Hawai’i’s historic wildfires, as state officials warn the death toll will climb while search and recovery efforts continue.

• The big picture: The fire that razed most of the historic town of Lahaina on Maui on Aug. 8 is already one of the deadliest wildfires in modern U.S. history, but the full extent of its devastation may not be known for a long while.

Finance

=> ↺ YLE ☛ Nordea joins current account interest trend

• Finnish banks have been criticised for not paying interest on current accounts, even though customers may pay a rate of over 4 percent on mortgages, for example.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Seoul’s Yeouido financial hub to go English-friendly to attract investment

• Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is committed to transforming Yeouido into a global financial hub.

Censorship/Free Speech

=> ↺ RFA ☛ Myanmar’s junta arrests Swiss filmmaker, 13 cast members for defaming Buddhism

• One film, posted on YouTube last month, emphasized the importance of Buddha’s teachings over images and pagodas.

Civil Rights/Policing

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ India state high court orders re-investigation into 2021 police shooting death of tribe member

• India’s Jharkhand High Court on Thursday released its judgment ordering a new investigation into the killing of a man which took place in the district of Latehar in 2021.

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ Someone’s in the Kitchen with Ted Sarandos

• With actors and writers on strike, Netflix decided to squeeze new content out of its cooking shows by opening a restaurant in L.A.

Monopolies

Patents

=> ↺ Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Size Matters: Element-by-Element Analysis in Obviousness

• In re Universal Electronics, Inc., No. 2022-1716 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 15, 2023) (non-precedential)

• This was a consolidated appeal from two Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) decisions affirming the rejection of claims from Universal Electronics, Inc.’s (UEI) U.S. Patent Application Nos. 12/645,037 and 16/279,095 as obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103.  On appeal, the Federal Circuit has affirmed.

=> ↺ Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Utility Patents Granted per Calendar Year, 1840-2022

• I’m getting ready to teach my Fall 2023 Patent Law class, and that means updating the granted utility patents graph that I do every few years.  This year’s version shows U.S. utility patents granted per year from 1840-2022:

• Data for 2023 isn’t included in the table, but as of July 25, 2023, the authority file contains just 171,556 patents.  If the pace remains the same, that would work out to about 294,000 patents granted this calendar year–around 10% fewer than 2022 (327,482 granted patents) and around 18% lower than 2020 (356,640 granted patents). (In contrast, at the end of July 2022 there were 186,500 patents listed on the Authority file.) But my sense is that the drop from 2022 may be due to a delay in actually publishing the granted patents rather than reflecting a decline.

=> ↺ Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Unified Patent Court extends number of technically qualified judges [Ed: Unified Patent Court is illegal, unconstitutional and it will likely fall over due to the fact that it exists in defiance of international conventions. The UPC profiteers carry on with this crime of theirs regardless, looking to make a buck or a euro because the inevitable outcome.]

• Since the start of June 2023, 21 new technically qualified judges have been appointed to the Unified Patent Court and more will follow later this year. >

=> ↺ Unified Patents ☛ Ask Sydney image search patent reexam granted

• On August 18, 2023, 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 the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 10,474,705, owned and asserted by Ask Sydney, LLC, an NPE. The ‘705 patent relates to analyzing tags associated with a sequence of images presented to a user to guide a user to a current interest.

Trademarks

=> ↺ TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Which of these Section 2(d) Refusals Was/Were Reversed?

• Here are three recent appeals from Section 2(d) refusals. At least one of the refusals was reversed. How do you think these came out? Answers will be found in the first comment.

Copyrights

=> ↺ Digital Music News ☛ AI-Generated Art Cannot Be Copyrighted, Rules US Federal Court In Another Landmark Decision

• Art created by artificial intelligence without human input cannot be copyrighted under US law, rules a federal court in Washington, DC. When Stephen Thaler, the creator of an AI system he calls the “Creativity Machine,” sought to register work generated by the system for copyright…

=> ↺ Reason ☛ No Copyright for Certain AI-Generated Works, but Maybe Yes for Others, if Prompts are Detailed Enough

• From Thaler v. Perlmutter, decided Friday by Judge Beryl Howell (D.D.C.): Plaintiff Stephen Thaler owns a computer system he calls the “Creativity Machine,” which he claims generated a piece of visual art of its own accord.

=> ↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Forensic Watermarking Tool Embeds Trackable Info in Every Frame

• A new forensic watermarking tool promises to be able to recover actionable information for piracy and copyright-infringement pursuits over a single frame.

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