Use the "passwords" feature to check if one of yours is compromised. If it shows up, never ever reuse those credentials. They'll be baked into thousands of botnets etc. and be forevermore part of automated break-in attempts until one randomly succeeds.
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I'm getting into hobbyist photography and while my Pixel 7 Pro has an adequate camera, eventually I'm going to want something purpose-built. I'm been looking at the Fujifilm X-T10 but I also want to consider other options. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
I just watched this scene for the first time. I couldn't take it seriously because I kept thinking of the guy screaming, "Splitters!" from Monty Python's Life of Brian.
I want to start with I’m very impressed by the new 1.3.0 update, and congratulations to everyone who put in the work to make that happen.
Small, nitpicky comment: I believe Amethyst was using a green color for the font before, and now has a very cool pu
I want to start with I'm very impressed by the new 1.3.0 update, and congratulations to everyone who put in the work to make that happen.
Small, nitpicky comment: I believe Amethyst was using a green color for the font before, and now has a very cool purple (I like!).
But for clicked links in dark mode, the purple is so dark that I can barely make out the words. I'm just wondering if this can be adjusted later. Light mode works just great though!
Fascist Israeli settlers haveattacked a group of foreign journalists filming their assaults on the Palestinians in the West Bank, injuring five, two of them so badly they were hospitalised.
The journalists were, Ranin Sawafteh, Mohammed al-Atrash, Louay Saeed, Nasser Ishtayeh and Nael Bouaitel. Some reports say that Ms Sawafteh was shot as well as beaten:
Among the others wounded were Palestinian farmers, medics, and international activists.
Israel has killed hundreds in attacks in the West Bank since the start of the faux-ceasefire in Gaza, including children.
Israeli settler attacks are growing in frequency, while total impunity ensures the next one is only a matter of time.
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.
Apparently they should work with Heroic through Comet. If I launch a GOG game in gaming mode as a non-steam game would it work as long as the checkbox about comet in Heroic is activated? Or do I have anything to do such as what’s decribed here github.com/imLinguin/comet/wik… or there reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comment… ? The explanations are a bit complex for me and contradictory.
Downloads:
Is there a way to download a GOG game in the background while playing a Steam game in gaming mode?
I really want to support GOG and these features are important. Of course I know that the Steam Deck is subsidized by Valve and that we can’t have everything, but I hope GOG will be more Linux friendly in the future.
Well, get ready for everything to get even more expensive! I'm sick of the winning at this point. But at least I won't have to vote, right?
Magical thinking is indispensable to understanding Team Trump’s economic policymaking. The White House often seems to believe two opposing policies can work together while one policy can do two or three contradictory things.
A heavy dose of hocus pocus will be needed to make the administration’s dollar policy work in the interest of the United States, for it appears that they want to end the US dollar’s supremacy in global finance.
At least some part of it does. True, Donald Trump has warned countries not to replace the dollar, or else. And, reportedly, some members of the administration want to encourage more countries to adopt the dollar outright. But what is also true is that Stephen Miran, the president’s chief economic adviser, on leave to act as board member of the Federal Reserve, thinks the dollar’s position as the main reserve currency of the world is an undue burden for the US and a principal driver of the large trade deficit that Trump finds so odious.
“America runs large current account deficits not because it imports too much,” Miran wrote last year. Rather, it imports too much because it must export Treasury bonds to provide other countries with assets in which to park their reserves. This leads to “persistent dollar overvaluation that prevents the balancing of international trade.”
A year out from the 2026 midterms, with Republicans feeling the blows from a string of losses in this week’s elections, Donald Trump and his allies are mounting a multipronged attack on almost every aspect of voting in the United States and raising what experts say are troubling questions about the future of one of the world’s oldest democracies.
While Democratic leaders continue to invest their hopes in a “blue wave” to overturn Republican majorities in the House and Senate next year, Trump and some prominent supporters have sought to discredit the possibility that Republicans could lose in a fair fight and are using that premise to justify demands for a drastically different kind of electoral system.
This is not the first time Trump has questioned the credibility of US elections – he did it almost as vigorously in 2016 and 2024, when he won his bids for the White House, as he did in 2020, when he did not – but now the president’s confidants are threatening emergency powers to seize control of a process over which presidents ordinarily have no control.
Trump’s former chief political adviser, Steve Bannon, is urging him to get the elections “squared away” even before the voters have a chance to weigh in. Former legal advisers have suggested the electoral system is in itself an emergency justifying extraordinary intervention, possibly including federal agents and the military stationed outside polling stations.
Or: How I made the single most flammable object in my flat.
Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting.
And while I would love to say that it was this line that inspired me, it was rather a friend of mine that had those 20$ plastic candles hanging from strings in her hallway. Waving a plastic wand around they not only turned on, but also left quite the impression on me. However, the more keen eyed might have already noticed: There are no candles on my photos. There's no wand either. This is not even about floating candles and I'm just about done with them. Now while I really liked the looks, I didn't like the thought of changing batteries every week (I never checked the runtime of those plastic candles you find everywhere, but I doubt it's anywhere near acceptable for me). Adding permanent wiring came to my mind, but this would require hiding cables and a transformer somewhere. Not that easy with the average ceiling, at least if you live in a rented flat and consider moving within the next 15 years. Luckily J.K. Rowling also came up with this whole indoor cloud thing, so I ended up with a build idea after all.
Now that you know how this idea came about, let me ramble about the build a little. Not that I think I'm the most qualified person to do this - you will be able to find plenty of images online where people did the same thing, arguably lots nicer than my own build. But no one tells you that you should not be doing this because it's annoying and sticky and fiber gets everywhere. Also it's not unlikely to catch fire and burn down my whole apartment with it. But starting from the start: I grabbed some cheap 20mm thick foam board, attached two wooden cross members to it and into those some hooks. This way I can hang the whole sheet to the ceiling and also got space for the cable bits. While still being cumbersome to hang, it allows for an undisturbed underside (where the cloud part is). And even more important: The cloud can be assembled on the living room floor (or any other floor you would like to cover in glue and fiberfill). Next were the LEDs, where I grabbed 8m of 60LEDs/m strip. With a fitting transformers and a ZigBee controller everything lights up and integrates into Home Assistant. Playing a little with the look I decided on a fairly dense layout, leaving only around 5cm between the rows of LEDs. The fiberfill does a good job of covering up whichever bad job you did laying out the LEDs and no one will be able to see that you bend the strips around the corners instead of doing a proper wiring job. Speaking of the fiberfill: You don't need much of it. If I had to guess, 500g would be plenty for my 120*60cm panel. I don't have an exact number here, but the reason is not that I seem to have no perception of how much 5kg of fiberfill are. So I totally don't have a human sized box of fiberfill sitting in my apartment that barely lost any weight. And even though it's not much weight you need for the cloud, it sure seems like a lot when it frees itself from the double sided tape and comes tumbling down. After being pissed at the tape and myself for being lazy, I did it 'right'. Hot glue and spray glue did a good job at fixing the fiberfill to the foam board, my hands and the floor. No more cloud fall so far.
All jokes aside: I tried to sneak a few actual numbers and useful information into my text, and yes it was annoying to build. On the other hand it's low effort in both tool requirements and cost. If you have a way of getting outside for the glue up, I'm certain that's a good idea. At least if you use spray glue. Also while the fiberfill did a great job at covering up the LEDs and making it look fluffy, it barely covered up the contour of my very rectangular board. I thought it would do more here, but it is what it is now. And regarding the fire hazard: Enclosing the strips in aluminium channels is certainly a good idea!
The whole looks is not for everyone and I'm fully prepared to take it down in a year or two because it turned into a filthy rain cloud. But until then it sure does give off some nice light and makes for an interesting piece to look at.
I'm fully prepared to take it down in a year or two because it turned into a filthy rain cloud. But until then it sure does give off some nice light and makes for an interesting piece to look at.
I wish more people had this attitude. So many people won't start a project because it may not be perfect. I'm certainly guilty of it sometimes. But the world is so much better for having these creations, even if they may not last forever.
Awesome build! Making it into a removable drop-ceiling was genius.
I'm not sure how I landed here, so apologies if this is a repost. It's quite worth the read. If anyone still believes the NYT is worth the paper it's printed on, this is a great example of why it isn't.
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a student there, who maybe resided only on the far periphery of your professional orbit, will become one or another kind of famous. At that point, out of the vast and silent ether, messages will come glowing into your inbox one after another. Do you remember this person? they will say. Was he your student? Did you work with him? We’re hoping for some insight—would it be possible for us to talk for a bit?
I taught at a place called Bowdoin College for 16 years, and during the last of those there was a student in attendance you’ve perhaps heard of. His name is Zohran Mamdani. And so, shortly after his startling, spirit-lifting victory in the primary last spring, the gentle flood of inquiries commenced. Word had gotten out not only that he went to Bowdoin—again, a very pricey, very wealthy, quite comprehensively the-thing-that-it-is small liberal arts college on the East Coast—but that, while there, he had majored in something called “Africana Studies.” You can probably see where this is going.
The first few messages wondered if I knew him (I don’t think I did, though I certainly had students who did, and do), if I taught him (possibly? but in truth not that I remembered), but mostly if I could say something about what he might have been reading and doing and studying, there in his time at this little college on the coast of Maine. More than once, the name “Frantz Fanon” was broached—which had the virtue of certain hand-showing clarity.
Emphasis mine. They started with framing that had to be met, no matter how wrong it was.
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.
There is a point where taking technology for granted hides some of the incredible capabilities of seemingly simple devices. Optical mice are a great example of this principle, using what are more o…
Nyligen presenterade Sky News Data and Forensics team resultaten från en månader lång granskning av plattformen X algoritm. Granskningen resulterade i en problematisk och allt för tydlig slutsats.
Quando il pregio coreografico di una sequenza del movimento dei corpi alberga nella staticità, piuttosto che il dinamismo? La risposta, in questo caso, è rintracciabile direttamente nell’approccio umano a una determinata attività del mondo: il volo, …
A South Korean solar company says it will temporarily reduce pay and working hours for about 1,000 of its 3,000 employees in Georgia because U.S. customs officials have been detaining imported components for solar panels
I think about this a lot for real. If you go to a park and toss a rock in the lake you are most likely the first person to ever touch that rock, and you're almost guaranteed to be the last. It's a weird sensation that I can't explain.
TL;DR: Stop running a Jellyfin server. MPV can directly play anything from your NAS, stream YouTube ad-free, handle literally every codec, and is infinitely customizable. It's like vim for video.
Why I ditched my Jellyfin setup
I used to run Jellyfin on my NAS. Transcoding, web interface, the works. Then I realized... why am I running a whole server stack when MPV can just directly play files from my NAS with zero setup?
What MPV Actually Is
MPV is a command-line video player that plays literally everything. But it's way more than that - it's a video engine you can build workflows around.
That's it. Ad-free YouTube in your video player with all your custom keybinds. Works with Twitch, Vimeo, Twitter, Reddit, literally hundreds of sites via yt-dlp.
Play entire directories:
mpv /Volumes/NAS/shows/BreakingBad/Season1/*
Boom. Instant binge session. Space bar skips to next episode. No library scanning, no metadata scraping, just files.
Workflows That Changed My Life
1. The "Watch Anywhere" Setup
Mount your NAS shares in Finder (or /etc/fstab for auto-mount). Now MPV treats your entire media library like local files. Add this to your shell config:
alias play="mpv"
alias tv="mpv /Volumes/NAS/shows/"
alias movies="mpv /Volumes/NAS/movies/"
2. YouTube as Your Streaming Service
alias yt="mpv"
alias ytm="mpv --no-video" # audio only for music
Now: - yt "youtube-url" = instant ad-free playback - ytm "youtube-playlist" = whole playlists as audio - Keep your YouTube history/recommendations in browser, watch in MPV
3. Picture-in-Picture for Anything
Add ontop=yes to config, resize window small = instant PiP for any video source while you work. Works with live streams, security cameras, whatever.
4. The "No Plex Shares Needed" Share
Send someone an SMB/NFS share to your media. They install MPV. They can now browse and play your media library like it's local. No Plex accounts, no streaming limits, no transcoding quality loss.
5. Live Stream Monitoring
mpv http://192.168.1.50:8080/stream.m3u8
Home security cameras, baby monitors, anything streaming HLS/RTMP = instant monitoring with keybind controls.
Customization That Makes Jellyfin Look Basic
My Config (vim-style keybinds + YouTube controls)
Saved as ~/.config/mpv/mpv.conf:
input-default-bindings=no
> add speed 0.1
< add speed -0.1
j seek -10
k cycle pause
l seek 10
LEFT seek -5
RIGHT seek 5
UP add volume 5
DOWN add volume -5
. frame-step
, frame-back-step
m cycle mute
f cycle fullscreen
s cycle sub
a cycle audio
0 seek 0 absolute-percent
1 seek 10 absolute-percent
2 seek 20 absolute-percent
3 seek 30 absolute-percent
4 seek 40 absolute-percent
5 seek 50 absolute-percent
6 seek 60 absolute-percent
7 seek 70 absolute-percent
8 seek 80 absolute-percent
9 seek 90 absolute-percent
[ add speed -0.25
] add speed 0.25
SPACE cycle pause
ESC set fullscreen no
i script-binding stats/display-stats
S screenshot video
profile=gpu-hq
scale=ewa_lanczossharp
cscale=ewa_lanczossharp
hwdec=auto-safe
vo=gpu
screenshot-format=png
screenshot-png-compression=9
screenshot-directory=~/Downloads
cache=yes
demuxer-max-bytes=150M
osd-level=1
osd-duration=2000
save-position-on-quit=yes
keep-open=yes
alang=jpn,jp,eng,en
slang=eng,en
ytdl-format=bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best
mpv-discordRPC - Show what you're watching on Discord
Advanced Workflows
Watch Parties (Syncplay)
Install syncplay, point it at MPV, now you and friends watch your NAS content together in perfect sync. No Plex share limits, no quality loss.
Audio Streaming
ytm "youtube-playlist-url"
# or
mpv --no-video /Volumes/NAS/music/*
No GUI needed. Terminal command plays audio, you use keybinds (k=pause, j/l=skip, etc). Or just minimize and use as background music player.
For GUI: IINA (Mac) is literally just MPV with a pretty interface and uses your MPV config.
Frame-by-Frame Analysis
Built-in keybinds (. and , in my config) step forward/back frame-by-frame. Perfect for animation analysis, sports breakdown, debugging video issues.
Automated Workflows
# Watch anything in clipboard
mpv $(pbpaste)
# Random episode
mpv "$(find /Volumes/NAS/shows -name "*.mkv" | shuf -n1)"
# Continue last watched (auto position restore)
mpv /Volumes/NAS/shows/CurrentShow/*
Why This Beats Jellyfin For Me
Pros: - Zero server maintenance - No transcoding = perfect quality - Plays literally any codec without setup - Way faster (direct file access) - Keyboard-driven workflow - Works offline/online seamlessly - Infinitely scriptable - Cross-platform (Linux/Mac/Windows)
Cons: - No pretty web UI (I consider this a pro) - No user management (just use OS permissions) - No watch tracking (unless you script it) - No mobile app (VLC on phone + SMB works though)
Who This Is For
You're comfortable with terminal/config files
You want maximum quality (no transcoding ever)
You prefer keyboard controls
You value simplicity over features
You already have a NAS/file server
You want YouTube ad-free without browser extensions
Getting Started
# macOS
brew install mpv yt-dlp
# Linux
sudo apt install mpv yt-dlp
# Windows
scoop install mpv yt-dlp
EDIT: Holy shit, didn't expect this response. Common questions:
Q: But I need to share with family who aren't technical A: IINA (Mac) or mpv.net (Windows) give them a normal GUI that uses MPV underneath. Or just... teach them? play movie.mkv isn't rocket science.
Q: What about mobile? A: VLC on phone + SMB share to your NAS. Or just use MPV on desktop/laptop like a civilized person.
Q: No watch history tracking? A: save-position-on-quit=yes remembers position per file. For tracking across devices, write a simple script or just... remember what you watched?
Q: This sounds like gatekeeping A: It's literally a config file. If you can set up Jellyfin, you can handle this.
I've been running a seedbox for some time now but have never made a new torrent before. I've got a file I want to make publicly available but for some reason can't seed it normally.
On the seedbox, Transmission is bound to an open port, and I added the best 20 trackers from this repo to the torrent. I also have a client I'm trying to test uploading to, but it can't seem to connect to the seedbox unless I also open the port on the leech client. Once I do it works normally, but I was under the impression only the seeder needed to be on an open port in order for clients to connect. Am I wrong and it's expected that both seeder and leecher have open ports? Would really appreciate some help!
Just to double-check did you already test that the open port is actually open and connectable from the internet? e.g. use any port test website & see if it can connect to your seedbox Transmission open port e.g. canyouseeme.org/ , portchecker.co/ or similar.
Also, not sure how the open port itself was configured but make sure it is open for both TCP and UDP traffic if you needed to specify that during your firewall setup.
A free open port check tool used to detect open ports on your connection. Test if port forwarding is correctly setup or if your port is being blocked by your firewall or ISP.
Always good to double check, but yes, I used canyouseeme and the port is definitely open.
The port is configured through ProtonVPN. A few menu options below the one for port forwarding there's another for configuring the connection as OpenVPN(TCP), OpenVPN(UDP), or Wireguard. I've had other issues in the past and Transmission's internal port testing thing always specifies it's testing TCP, so that's what I had it set to with Proton. I switched Proton to UDP and am waiting a few minutes before testing it with Wireguard.
lol well with Proton's Wireguard config it doesn't seem like I can open a port at all, so I've set that back to TCP for now.
Could I be missing a step with the trackers? Do I need to upload something to them first? I looked around on opentrackr.org and didn't see anything, plus in the client the trackers are reporting 1 seeder (me) and leechers, plus it worked when I opened the port on my test leech... I'm so lost 🙁
Always good to double check, but yes, I used canyouseeme and the port is definitely open.
That means TCP should be working as expected with the current configuration. Note those port test websites are only testing TCP, not UDP.
A few menu options below the one for port forwarding
I'm not familiar with ProtonVPN configuration so can't guide you much there, presumably if the port forwarding option only allows for one setting then maybe it's doing both TCP/UDP? I dunno..
there’s another for configuring the connection as OpenVPN(TCP), OpenVPN(UDP), or Wireguard.
Don't worry about that one, that's for configuring the VPN client you will be using to connect to the VPN server. It should not affect the port forward itself unless ProtonVPN is doing something odd.
I’ve had other issues in the past and Transmission’s internal port testing thing
Yeah I wouldn't rely on that, the internet port test inside the torrent client isn't always reliable. But in theory it should show up as open all the time if you have a stable open port :/
Could I be missing a step with the trackers?
Doubt it being a tracker issue, they update themselves on their own schedule usually.
I also have a client I’m trying to test uploading to, but it can’t seem to connect to the seedbox
Maybe should have asked this before - can the test torrent client see that there is a seed on the torrent? Or does it load the torrent but just isn't seeing any seeds or peers at all? The open trackers take a bit to update themselves with a new torrent hash so sometimes it just takes a bit before the torrent client sees a seed and begins downloading from it.
I’m not familiar with ProtonVPN configuration so can’t guide you much there, presumably if the port forwarding option only allows for one setting then maybe it’s doing both TCP/UDP? I dunno..
Maybe that's a good place for me to do some digging, but this is an issue specific to the new torrent I made. Things I download first seed just fine, and at much higher rates when I have the port open, so I think that's working normally regardless of any TCP/UDP stuff under the hood.
can the test torrent client see that there is a seed on the torrent?
I think I misread this. No, neither client sees any peers, but when viewing the trackers within the client, the trackers are reporting peers. I'll keep what I originally typed in the spoiler below.
::: spoiler Tap for spoiler
Yes. Incidentally, when I opened the port on the leech client, a few other leechers joined the swarm as well, but I was only ever able to upload anything to my own test client. Even once the upload finished, neither client uploaded anything to those other leechers either. A few hours later, the count (looking from both seed and leech client) went back down to 1 seeder and 1 leecher.
Um. Just out of curiosity, I checked the peer list again, and while I'm still the only leecher, some of the trackers are now showing multiple seeders? I definitely only ever uploaded anything to myself, how is that possible? :::
"Mozilla has been adding in llm & ai related features to Firefox for a while, enabling them by default without asking the user... The main problem with this is users are having this forced on them with no gui option to disable these features."
Article contains instructions for disabling the LLM through about:config.
"Mozilla has been adding in llm & ai related features to Firefox for a while, enabling them by default without asking the user... The main problem with this is users are having this forced on them with no gui option to disable these features."
Article contains instructions for disabling the LLM through about:config.
An AI analysis shows that climate deniers increasingly use charts, data visuals, and academic design to appear trustworthy. Researchers warn that fact-checking alone can’t counter the power of these deceptive aesthetics.
An AI analysis shows that climate deniers are using data visuals to appear trustworthy. Fact-checking can’t counter the power of these deceptive aesthetics.
Something I've been realizing lately is that fascism's whole deal is adopting the appearances of trustworthy institutions like universities, activism and TV news (and apparently scientific papers) but the goal isn't to inform it's to persuade. All the bullshit ultimately leads to the same path.
Something I’ve been realizing lately is that fascism’s whole deal is adopting the appearances of trustworthy institutions like universities, activism and TV news (and apparently scientific papers) but the goal isn’t to inform it’s to persuade.
In Germany, there is the term "Gleichschaltung" for what happened to institutions after 1933. Basically, Nazis applied pressure and bullying to get out of institutions anyone who would state a different opinion. Any institution not obeying to this was forbidden soon, even churches or organizations like the boy scouts or the "Wandering Bird movement". And after that, a rule of violence started.
And it is all too clear that the people in power in the US are going straight after the institutions, like universities and military. I think the political and social resistance from communities and cities is really important.
Today I wish I had been wrong but for me it was already hair-rising for me what language e.g. the Brexit supporters were using in 2017. Fascist language has tell-tale and unmistakeable signs. It was like they were using Goebbels' memoirs as an instruction manual.
All the bullshit ultimately leads to the same path.
I have been wondering for a long time what all the pervasive bullshit language e.g. in larger corporations or, say, greenwashing PR statements, means and what would be its purpose. Today I think that it is primarily power-play. It is displaying the power that somebody else can re-define reality in whatever illogical way.
Good observation. One of the protections from this kind of appropriation is peer review (in every sense). As the amount of information available for review has shot up, the available time of peers capable of reviewing it has not risen to compensate. Additionally, we're developing more and more ways to compromise peer review itself. I think this is (in part) to blame for the rise of fascist elements in the world. This pressure (combined with the ratcheting up of climate change realities) has put humanity in a precarious position.
I am physicist and saw disinformation like that on youtube. It was made up like a science channel. Charts, Latin terms, images, even white lab coats. But completely fake. It felt like somebody was pulling a rug under my feet. And I knew for 100% sure it was bullshit because it claimed that the temperature effect of climate change would be strongest in the tropics, not in higher latitudes as is the case.
This has been the opposite case, like forever. (Except the ai part)
"An AI analysis shows that climate deniers increasingly use charts, data visuals, and academic design to appear trustworthy. Researchers warn that fact-checking alone can’t counter the power of these deceptive aesthetics."
Its the same tactics on both sides even. Show shit tons of anecdotal evidence and call it proof of this bullshit or that bullshit
Edit: and this isn't an invitation to hear your own bullshit so please dont.
Since mosquitoes thrive in the warmer tropical habitats in the low elevations of Hawaii’s islands, the remaining honeycreepers found a refuge higher up in the mountains of islands such as Maui and Kauai, he explains.
Now, this is changing. “With climate change, we are seeing warmer temperatures and we’re watching the mosquitoes move up the mountains,” he says. “(In places like Kauai) we’re watching the populations of birds there just completely plummet.”
Taiwan’s deputy leader urged the European Union to boost security and trade ties with the self-governing island and support its democracy in the face of growing threats by China, in a rare address to a group of international lawmakers in Brussels on Friday.
“Peace in the Taiwan Strait is essential to global stability and economic continuity, and international opposition against unilateral changes to the status quo by force cannot be overstated,” Vice President Bi-Khim Hsiao told lawmakers assembled for a China-focused conference in the European Parliament building.
While Hsiao did not formally address the whole EU Parliament — the European trade bloc does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan — her visit drew ire from China.
“In an era marked by increasing fragmentation, volatility and rising authoritarianism, this gathering affirms something vital — that democracies, even when far apart, are not alone,” she added to a standing ovation in a small chamber of the European Parliament.
Hsiao also called on the lawmakers from countries including Germany and Spain to collaborate more on trusted supply chains and AI technology with Taiwan, the island off China’s east coast that Beijing claims as part of its territory and says must come under its rule.
Taiwan's deputy leader has urged the European Union to strengthen security and trade ties with Taiwan and support its democracy amid growing threats from China. Vice President Bi-Khim Hsiao addressed international lawmakers in Brussels on Friday.
Oggi è sabato, e quindi… aridaje, non credo di dover ripetere per l’ennesima volta quali sono le vibe mortali del mio fine settimana. Di conseguenza, anche oggi ci sono accadimenti e realtà che forse fanno ridere, seppur non dovrebbero… del tipo di cosa succede quando arriva l’ora di alzarmi dal letto, al mio orario benedettissimo […]
“octo condannata ad uscire dal letto” (come questo sabato mattina ci ho messo 1 ora per alzarmi dal letto quando non volevo)
Oggi è sabato, e quindi… aridaje, non credo di dover ripetere per l’ennesima volta quali sono le vibe mortali del mio fine settimana. Di conseguenza, anche oggi ci sono accadimenti e realtà che forse fanno ridere, seppur non dovrebbero… del tipo di cosa succede quando arriva l’ora di alzarmi dal letto, al mio orario benedettissimo della mattina senza impegni, ma ovviamente io non, perché in quel momento la mia anima è già abbastanza appesantita dall’essermi in primo luogo svegliata. Niente di nuovo neppure in tutto ciò, ovviamente, ma stavolta le aggiunte alla mia disperazione sono abbastanza degne di nota. 👌
Praticamente, mi sono svegliata circa alle 11, e a quel punto non riuscivo più a riaddormentarmi, nonostante io abbia quindi dormito appena 10 ore, che per gli standard dei miei desideri è pochino. Sarà stato perché un po’ avevo tipo da andare in bagno, un po’ avevo la gola tipo secca di sete, un po’ l’aria della stanza era a quel punto diventata ben marcia a causa delle mie solfatare… e, sorvolando sul fatto che almeno 2 di queste cose saranno sospettosamente in comune con le piante, il problema è che comunque non avevo proprio voglia di alzarmi. Cioè, che palle alzarmi, perché mai dovrei quando tanto non ho comunque un assoluto niente da fare (eccetto un piccolo frangente questo specifico pomeriggio)!?!?!!?? 😤
Alla fine mi sono effettivamente alzata, purtroppo… dopo praticamente 1 ora sveglia (gli spiriti proprio non volevano che io continuassi a mimire…) lì un po’ ferma a fare niente, un po’ a cercare di alzarmi fallendo miseramente tra le 5 e le 10 volte. Ho però notato che, quasi ogni volta che provavo ad alzarmi, curiosamente (ma forse neanche troppo…), qualcosa mi rimbalzava verso il lato dove avevo il secondo cuscino, e finivo per volerlo abbracciare malamente… ops. E che dobbiamo fare; da vera femcel sono assolutamente touch-starved, e questo forse non è neanche il più grosso dei miei problemi… almeno, sicuramente in quel momento il più grave era questo mio combattimento intero tra il dovermi e il non volermi alzare. 😵
Probabilmente sarei riuscita in questa mia impresa con meno difficoltà (non zero, eh) se ci fosse stato qualcuno ad alzarmi le persiane, visto che — e con ciò certamente non batterò le allegazioni di fare la fotosintesi come le piante, ma questa è una cosa che so da prima della mia scoperta di ieri — vedere la luce naturale del sole mi da un attimo una forza di vivere, e quindi di alzarmi, che altrimenti mi sfugge… oppure, se semplicemente avessi alzato le lenzuola così da rotolare fuori, ma lo spostamento di aria causato da ciò mentre sto bella al caldo gnam mi urta non poco… ma ecco, io sono complicata. Alla fine, però, ho detto basta e, con il cuscino ben abbracciato, sono in qualche modo strisciata fuori dalla mia bara, mettendomi prima tipo seduta verso l’uscita, poi tirando fuori le gambe, e infine mettendo i piedi per terra ed alzandomi. E buongiorno principessa, suppongo. 😳 Allora, finalmente, dopo questa come al solito infinita spiegazione, eccomi com’ero nell’esatto momento in cui mi sono alzata, ed ero lì, boh, da sola… però, col cuscino ancora bello stretto, che mamma mia, sono così sola, col freddino dentro e addosso, e i capelli scombinati ancora più del solito, me misera tapina (tutto confermato guardandomi allo specchio). Ovviamente, non avevo le guance luccicanti fisicamente… però, dentro di me, sotto sotto, mi sento un po’ così… chissà che cavolo penso, così nel profondo che nemmeno riesco a percepirlo razionalmente, mentre stringo forte questo affare costretto a supportarmi fisicamente e spiritualmente ogni notte. Spero che un giorno magari qualcuno mi potrà abbracciare come io abbraccio il mio cuscino, non sia mai che me lo merito, aaaahh… 💔 (E comunque, si, in questi ultimi giorni mi sono assolutamente iperfissata col disegnare, e non capisco proprio perché… voglio dire, non è una cosa che ho mai fatto particolarmente nell’ultimo decennio. Sarà perché le altre mie cose che faccio di solito ora non mi vanno, ma io ho pur sempre bisogno di fare almeno qualcosa per sopravvivere, altrimenti davvero non mi alzerei proprio più dal letto, e quindi sarò stata spinta proprio su questo dagli spiriti… e, in effetti, non ci sono troppe altre alternative congruenti con la mia personalità, quindi forse era inevitabile. Se questa cosa non scemerà, credo che godrò.)
A group of illegal settlers stormed the outskirts of the Abu Falah village and torched the one-story home, causing parts of the house to burn, local sources told the state news agency Wafa.
Israeli forces raided the area and opened fire at residents who gathered near the scene, though no injuries were reported, the agency said.
The UN warned on Friday of a sharp rise in illegal Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, reporting 264 settler attacks in October alone, the highest monthly toll in nearly two decades.
“That’s the highest monthly toll in nearly two decades of record keeping, averaging more than eight incidents every single day since 2006,” UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said, citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
In a separate attack, Palestinian farmers, journalists, and foreign activists sustained fractures and bruises after illegal settlers assaulted them during an olive-harvesting activity in the town of Beita, south of Nablus, Wafa said.
Mohammad Hamayel, deputy mayor of Beita, said that illegal settlers attacked participants harvesting olives in the Qamas Mountain area.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its medical teams treated several injured people and transferred them to hospitals, but did not specify a number.
Among those injured were foreign solidarity activists, paramedics, and journalists, including Reuters reporter Raneen Sawafta and two journalists from Al Jazeera, according to local sources cited by Anadolu.
In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Cross-posted from fediverse user @peachy@goto.micromail.me
Is there such a thing as a configurable full-body input controller for computers? Is anyone working on that? I know there is work on controlling computers directly with the brain, which will be ace for people with full paralysis, but what I’m interested in is something that goes in the other direction - using more of the body. Think Tom Cruise’s interface in Minority Report but better. Sitting, or even standing, to work at a computer takes its toll on the body, especially the back. Our bodies didn’t evolve to be so static while we’re awake. Emerging from a flare-up of a slipped disc, it has got me thinking of better ways to interface with machines.
Imagine the following:
You come to see me in my studio to see how I and my colleagues do image editing and graphic design in GIMP 4.0. Some of us are stood in front of large displays but no one seems to be using a keyboard, mouse or graphics tablet. I appear to be doing a dance routine from a music video... As I bounce my knee up and across my body you see that the Move tool has been selected. As I raise my left fist above my head it is as though I am holding shift to toggle “Pick a layer or guide”. I draw my right hand across my body with my thumb and forefinger pinched and the selected layer moves with me. Finally, I quickly raise both hands, like I'm flipping over a table and my project is saved and closed. Now that I’ve stopped moving around so energetically you notice that my stylish and comfortable cotton loungewear and gloves have small sensors dotted around them. I explain that the position of these sensors relative to each other and to the space have been mapped to traditional keyboard and mouse inputs via my operating system.
Moving to the next workspace you see my colleague Babs. Her white hair pokes out above a VR headset and she has a number of small cameras tracking her movement to the soundtrack of Chinese classical music. She is an elder and a veteran and even contributed some of the code that makes this stuff work, back in the day. She says it was no big deal; she mostly just connected up different programs, some of which Hollywood has been using since the 1990s. Her movements are slow and smooth. It looks like she’s doing Qi Gong or Tai Chi or something. Raising a hand in front of her heart you see the Filters menu open and lowering it slowly the menu scrolls down to Enhance. Gracefully stepping sideways and lowering her hand further, Heal Selection is highlighted in the submenu. Turning her hand palm-up launches the plugin. She tells you that one of her first contributions to the interface was to make the body position tolerances configurable by the user in their desktop settings.
Lastly you watch my cousin Tommy at work. When we met I told you about how a head injury had left him partially paralysed and unable to speak. He too is using a VR headset, but instead of having cameras pointed at him he has a HD sonar array. His disability was caused by an error in the police’s facial-recognition software and understandably he’s had a thing about cameras ever since. The bad guy got away and he never caught the bus he was running to catch. Every couple of days he asks whether Nancy’s cameras are still disconnected from the network, which they always are. Tapping his ring-finger once on the armrest of his wheelchair selects the Text tool. Turning his head to the side, he purses his lips and sweeps his face back around to make his text box. You see his mouth moving but there is no sound. “Hi, nice to meet you” appears in his projects new text layer. “You too” you reply. Twitching his right shoulder you see his text layer is duplicated, blinking twice and nodding his head replaces the text with what you just said. He must have used speech-to-text to record your words to his desktop clipboard and then pasted them into the text field. Pressing his index finger against the arm rest and looking toward the ceiling brings the new text layer to the top of the stack. Running the same sequence of movements again, a third text layer becomes visible onscreen. “I’d never edited a picture in my life until I got into this tech as part of my physiotherapy treatment. My cousin ended up offering me this job and now I can work faster than anyone else here, especially Babs. I’m pretty sure she’s just here for fun but none of us mind.”
The human body as an input controller. Is there such a thing as a configurable full-body input controller for computers? Is anyone working on that? I know th…
The modern smartphone, laden with the corporate ecosystem pulsing underneath its screen, robs us of this feeling, conspires to keep us from “true” fullness. The swiping, the news cycles, the screaming, the idiocy — if anything destroys a muse, it’s this. If anything keeps you locked into a fetid loop of looking, looking, and looking once more at the train wreck, it’s this. I find it impossible to feel fullness, even in the slightest, after having spent just a bit of a day in the thralls of the algorithms.
The smartphone eradicates “space” in the mind. With that psychic loss of space, grace becomes impossible. You see the knock-on effects of this rippling out across the world politically.
Which is why these long walks of mine are so inspiring (to me), and I feel so compelled to head out on them, again and again: They are nothing if not “space generation” machines for the mind. They’re full-bodied reminders of what fullness is and how it can manifest. How close we are to it (it’s right there!!), every day, and how elusive it has become because of our digital habits, our diets of, mostly, garbage.
Allora, finalmente, dopo questa come al solito infinita spiegazione, eccomi com’ero nell’esatto momento in cui mi sono alzata, ed ero lì, boh, da sola… però, col cuscino ancora bello stretto, che mamma mia, sono così sola, col freddino dentro e addosso, e i capelli scombinati ancora più del solito, me misera tapina (tutto confermato guardandomi allo specchio). Ovviamente, non avevo le guance luccicanti fisicamente… però, dentro di me, sotto sotto, mi sento un po’ così… chissà che cavolo penso, così nel profondo che nemmeno riesco a percepirlo razionalmente, mentre stringo forte questo affare costretto a supportarmi fisicamente e spiritualmente ogni notte. Spero che un giorno magari qualcuno mi potrà abbracciare come io abbraccio il mio cuscino, non sia mai che me lo merito, aaaahh… 💔
whoever loves Digit
in reply to silence7 • • •