‘Obvious similarity’ between Ukraine and Nazi Germany – Medvedev
‘Obvious similarity’ between Ukraine and Nazi Germany – Medvedev
Ukraine is resembling Nazi Germany in terms of dictatorship and economic degradation, the former Russian president has saidRT
Colombia plans to sever its relations with NATO
Colombia plans to sever its relations with NATO
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has announced plans to end relations with the North Atlantic Alliance. “We must leave NATO, there is no other way.newsmaker newsmaker (English News front)
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In the first place, it don't make sense. Colombia is not really North nor Atlantic, it's more of a Pacific /s
Put down this rightist treaty org relation.
are qr codes and pkpass files the same? what other formats do transportation authorities use?
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/33289366
obligatory I know this is not a linux question, but you provide good information and alternativesqr code is the squares code that, if used with a qr code scanner redirects me automatically to a website or to download a pkpass file, right?
after downloading said pkpass file to my android, any wallet application like fosswallet should recognize it and add it to the local library (on my android device), right?
what other formats do transportation authorities use?
To those residing in Germany, is pkpass use widespread there? What are common formats used there?
They are not at all the same thing.
A QR code is just a 2D barcode that can be used to hold a certain amount of alphanumeric data (and amount is limited by size).
While pkpass is an Apple format used in its wallet app to store data.
Aren't all barcodes 2D?
EDIT No wait, they're basically 1D aren't they? Nevermind!
Exactly. No matter the y dimension. Barcode data is only stored in x. Whereas QR uses x and y for data.
They also use the corner squares and a few specific dots to allow scanning from greater angles. Basically allowing the data to be read in 3d space. Even though only 2d is used to store that data.
This is why QR can work well with cameras. Whereas bar codes are designed for very short range laser reflection.
PS lots of info on QR online including open source programs to make your own.
The same goes for bar codes. But readers involve some very simple maker skills. Making simple barcode readers was a common school science project in the early 90s.
Your generic "barcode" for something like a UPC is considered a 1D barcode and uses things like the spacing of the lines and thickness to encode data. Although some 1D barcodes can detect the barcode is damaged they cannot do error recovery.
Your 2D barcodes, like QR or Data Matrix, store data in both directions and depending on format can have varying levels of error correction (duplicate data) built into the barcode. They also obviously can take up less room and hold the same or more data as well. You do need a scanner that can do 2D barcodes though, as not all scanners will read them.
A Stoccolma la scomparsa dei contanti ha creato vari problemi
A Stoccolma la scomparsa dei contanti ha creato vari problemi
Per esempio alle donne vittime di violenza domestica, ma non soloIl Post
Subaru Telescope Discovers "Fossil" of the Early Solar System
The Subaru Telescope has made an exciting discovery: a small body beyond Pluto, with implications for the formation, evolution, and current structure of the outer solar system.The object officially designated 2023 KQ~14,~ was found as part of the survey project FOSSIL (Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy), which takes advantage of the Subaru Telescope's wide field of view. The object was discovered through observations taken in March, May, and August 2023 using the Subaru Telescope.
![](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/53348658 "Subaru Telescope Discovers "Fossil\" of the Early Solar System | Obsevation Results | Subaru Telescope")
Subaru Telescope Discovers "Fossil" of the Early Solar System | Obsevation Results | Subaru Telescope
The Subaru Telescope has revealed a fourth member of the sednoids, a group of small bodies with peculiar orbits around the outer edge of the Solar System that includes Se...Subaru Telescope
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Microsoft saved $500 million using AI — after slashing over 15,000 jobs in 2025
Microsoft saved $500 million using AI — after slashing over 15,000 jobs in 2025
While AI may not be the direct cause of Microsoft’s recent layoffs, it’s already delivering impressive productivity gains — saving $500 million in the call center alone last year.Kevin Okemwa (Windows Central)
Dutch MPs want citizens to own the copyright to their faces
A majority of Dutch MPs are backing a proposal to give citizens the copyright to their body, facial features, and voice to prevent people from creating AI-generated deepfakes and putting them online.
Denmark has already announced it will extend copyright law to ensure people maintain the right to their own person and GroenLinks-PvdA, VVD, NSC and D66 MPS now want to follow suit.
They have also called for action against big tech companies that do not act against the dissemination of deepfakes on their platforms.
Obando said any case against big tech companies would be a “challenge” and may turn into a battle of “David against Goliath”. “An individual would have to take on an often anonymous perpetrator or a big tech platform,” he said.
Privacy watchdog Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) is calling on people who are the victims of sexually suggestive deepfakes to report them so it can impose fines and other measures.
Duursma and Obando both warned that the new legislation could compromise freedom of expression. However, parody and satire using deepfakes would still be allowed under the proposed rules.
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey pumps $10 million into a nonprofit to build Nostr-based social media apps
Jack Dorsey pumps $10 million into a nonprofit focused on open-source social media | TechCrunch
Jack Dorsey backs nonprofit 'and Other Stuff' with $10M to build open social technology.Sarah Perez (TechCrunch)
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Hackers Are Finding New Ways to Hide Malware in DNS Records
New ways, but they are really creative!
https://www.wired.com/story/dns-records-hidden-malicious-code/
For the first time, astronomers witness the dawn of a new solar system
For the first time, astronomers witness the dawn of a new solar system
International researchers have, for the first time, pinpointed the moment when planets began to form around a star beyond the Sun.www.eso.org
Ten children a day losing a limb in Gaza, warns UN-backed body
Ten children a day losing a limb in Gaza, warns UN-backed body
Ten children a day are losing one or both limbs in Gaza due to Israel's assault on the Palestinian enclave, a report warned on Tuesday.Alex MacDonald (Middle East Eye)
The Solidity Language open-source package was used in a $500,000 crypto heist
Code highlighting with Cursor AI for $500,000
Kaspersky GReAT experts uncover malicious extensions for Cursor AI that download the Quasar backdoor and a crypto stealer.Georgy Kucherin (Kaspersky)
ESWIN and Canonical team up to port Ubuntu to EBC77 RISC-V SBC
ESWIN Computing EBC77 RISC-V SBC To Support Ubuntu Linux
Canonical announced today that they teamed up with ESWIN Computing to ship Ubuntu Linux as the preferred operating system on their ESWIN Computing EBC77 Series single board computerwww.phoronix.com
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Robots on the Front Line: Ukraine’s Unmanned Land Vehicles Transforming Ground Warfare
Robots on the Front Line: Ukraine’s Unmanned Land Vehicles Transforming Ground Warfare
Ukraine has emerged as the global leader in integrating unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) into frontline combat.Matthew Parish (www.lvivherald.com)
Mechanize likes this.
Liberating clients from servers, without throwing out baby with bathwater
"With targeted FEPs and pioneering implementations like Flowz, the Fediverse can break free of proprietary client APIs and monolithic client/server implementations and empower a new wave of social web innovation."
@stevebate
stevebate.net/activitypub-clie…
This is such a valuable insight! There are 2 extremes in decentralised social app dev, one where an app is just a dumb terminal for a particular server, and then the inverse, pure P2P apps with no server. But there is a middle ground. Apps can be a focus of UX development, and access different servers as needed to provide functionality that's impractical (if not impossible) to do with pure P2P networks.
ActivityPub Client API: A Way Forward | Steve Bate
The ActivityPub Client-to-Server (C2S) protocol was envisioned as a cornerstone of the decentralized social web, along with the Server-to-Server (S2S) protocol.Steve Bate
I may bring an additional more top-down design perspective into consideration and to ideate on, but please let me know if that is better addressed in a separate topic.
What if we "Liberate people from clients, apps and servers"?
If the "fediverse facilitates online communication and social interaction between people", then the ActivityPub protocol specifies how to implement an abstraction on top of servers and clients in order to provide "a distributed network of addressible actors for the exchange of social activities". This abstraction no longer relies on the notion of servers and clients, though for certain social networking use cases you may opt to re-introduce them (.. but then they live as concepts in this higher level of abstraction).
Though conceptually the ActivityPub spec didn't prescribe this, the dominant abstraction for "joining the fediverse" in the present day involves "select an app, select a server that hosts your app of choice, and use a client that supports that app, to access it". In other words, currently fediverse offers a predominantly app-centric view of the world. But this need not be the only view that is supported, and I advocate a shift towards having a fediverse of mixed apps & services, and elaborate a service-oriented view e.g. as a compliant AP protocol extension.
In the service-oriented view - and in a paradigm shift towards app-free computing - there wouldn't necessarily be "Instances" as we have today, but parties that are positioned as fediverse access providers. You can compare this to the telecom sector, providing the plug in your house to deliver TV, phone and internet services at your doorstep.
When relating that to a good software with ActivityPub C2S support, I can envision that people after gaining access and becoming fedizens, can easily discover, obtain and wire services together in interesting ways that support their social networking use cases and needs. And dynamic UI/UX that supports that, based on service configuration and protocol (control) data exchange.
Cybersecurity Impacts of US Government Cuts - Security Now
Texas has long been under threat from the launches and explosions of SpaceX rockets. Now Hawaii is emerging as another possible victim
Inside Elon Musk’s plan to rain SpaceX’s rocket debris over Hawaii’s pristine waters
Texas has long been under threat from the launches and explosions of SpaceX rockets. Now Hawaii is emerging as another possible victimDara Kerr (The Guardian)
UN’s Albanese Proposes Revolutionary Approach to Palestinian Crisis
Exclusive: UN's Albanese Proposes Revolutionary Approach to Palestinian Crisis - teleSUR English
In an exclusive interview with teleSUR, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has voicedteleSURenglish
TLDR:
UN has passed various resolutions concerning Palestine, these have often been stalled or undermined by the US veto power in the Security Council.
She characterized this initiative as “potentially revolutionary,” as it encourages countries to refrain from supplying arms, providing military support, or facilitating commerce that could harm the Palestinian people.
we can't even stop shopping at amazon or walmart to save what's left of our democracy.
i sometimes marvel as well accomplished people can be so disconnected from the rest of us. don't get me wrong: she's completely right, but we've proven that we're incapable of following through.
US Senate approves cutting $8B in foreign aid
US Senate approves cutting billions in foreign aid as Trump demands
The package, passed in a 51-48 vote, takes back $8bn in already approved foreign aid spending.Al Jazeera
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Massistant - new tool used by Chinese government to spy on seized phones
Chinese authorities are using a new tool to hack seized phones and extract data | TechCrunch
Researchers warned that Chinese residents, and visitors to China, should be aware of the tool's existence and the risks it poses.Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai (TechCrunch)
Thursday, July 17, 2025
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
Ukrainian emergency service workers extinguish a fire in three houses after Russian shelling on the city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, on July 16, 2025. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Ukraine’s parliament dismisses prime minister and his cabinet. The move comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky tapped First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to replace Shmyhal after he had held the office for more than five years.
Zelensky unveils new cabinet nominees in major government reshuffle. “Today, I have already signed documents to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding Denys Shmyhal as the new defense minister,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Patriot missiles bound for Ukraine already being shipped, Trump says. “They’re already being shipped,” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters when asked about Patriot missiles and other weaponry. “And in all cases, the United States gets paid back in full.”
Putin unfazed by Trump’s threats, plans to fight on in Ukraine, Reuters reports. According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin sees no reason to back down. Instead, the undisclosed sources say the Russian leader is confident that Russia’s military and economy can withstand additional Western pressure.
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France, Italy reportedly opt out of US-NATO arms deal for Ukraine. France declined to join the plan because of President Emmanuel Macron’s push for European nations to strengthen their own defense industries by purchasing domestically produced arms, Politico reported, citing French officials.
‘We are doubling the Ukraine Facility’ — EU proposes 100 billion euros for Ukraine aid fund in 2028–2034 budget. The proposed package doubles the current Ukraine Facility budget of 50 billion euros, which was approved in February 2024 and runs through 2027.
‘No one has been briefed’ — Europe blindsided by Trump’s Ukraine weapons deal. U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed weapons deal for Ukraine caught NATO allies off guard, with European diplomats saying they weren’t consulted ahead of the announcement, Reuters reported on July 16.
After rejecting ceasefire, Russia calls on West to ‘pressure’ Ukraine toward negotiations. “Many statements have been made, many words of disappointment have been spoken, but we want to hope that pressure is being exerted on the Ukrainian side,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Mass attack hits cities overnight as Ukrainians brace for 50 more days of Russian terror
Explosions rocked Ukrainian cities overnight on July 16 as Russia once again launched waves of drones and missiles across the country.
Photo: State Emergency Service/Telegram
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Ukraine’s new ground drones are hitting the battlefield in ever-increasing numbers
Ukraine’s use of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) has accelerated in recent months, a development experts say could help ease pressure on infantry as Kyiv struggles with ongoing recruitment problems and losses.
Photo: Serhii Mykhalchuk / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Learn more
Azov is where you can learn to defend your homeland from Russia
Today, the International Battalion of the Azov Brigade is the best place for foreign citizens to gain firsthand experience and learn the rules of modern warfare.
Photo: Elizabeth Servatynska / Azov Media / Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
Russia drops 500-kg bomb on shopping center in Donetsk Oblast — killing 2, injuring 28. Russian forces dropped a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) aerial bomb on a shopping center in Donetsk Oblast, killing at least two people and injuring 27 others, regional officials reported July 16.
Latvian mayor injured in Russian strike while delivering aid in Ukraine. The mayor of the Latvian town of Ogre, Egils Helmanis was injured while delivering vehicles and other support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Russian double-tap attack injures 5, including emergency workers, in Nikopol. Russian first-person-view (FPV) drones initially struck a cargo truck, causing a fire and injuring two civilians. Soon after, as emergency workers were working on site, another Russian drone targeted the scene, injuring three emergency workers, the State Emergency Service said.
Missing Russian Mi-8 helicopter found crashed in Far East, all 5 onboard dead. The aircraft, operated by the airline Vzlyot, disappeared on July 14 during a flight from the remote settlement of Okhotsk to the city of Magadan, according to the state news agency TASS.
US-founded extremist group claims killing of Ukrainian security service colonel in Kyiv. In a statement, the local affiliate — known as White Phoenix — praised its “comrades” for the July 10 killing of the colonel. Sources in the counter-terrorism field consider the group’s claim credible, the Guardian reported.
Latvian PM on Trump’s NATO deal and new Russia sanctions
International response
‘Unbearable’ — EU’s Kallas raises alarm over Russia’s escalating chemical warfare in Ukraine. “Again, it shows that Russia wants to cause as much pain and suffering as possible so that Ukraine would surrender,” top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said at a press conference during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. “It is really unbearable,” she added.”
US State Department fires Russia and Ukraine analysts in recent layoffs, NYT reports. It remains unclear how many analysts of the department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) were fired, and the arm retains employees who specialize in Russia and Ukraine, the NYT reported.
‘Call the Ayatollah’ — Senator Graham warns Putin as he backs Trump’s 50-day Russia ultimatum. “If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and others are wondering what happens on day 51, I would suggest they call the Ayatollah,” Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X.
EU slaps new sanctions on Russia over hybrid threats, disinformation. The new restrictive measures target actors involved in what the EU described as “Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference” (FIMI), a term encompassing activities such as cyberattacks, disinformation, and manipulation of infrastructure and public opinion.
German Quantum Systems takes 10% ownership in Ukrainian defense robotics firm Frontline. German-Ukrainian defense technology company Quantum Systems has acquired a 10% stake in Frontline, a Ukrainian defense robotics firm, Quantum Systems announced in a press release on July 16.
Russian authorities call for urgent tax increase to save national budget. Moscow needs to urgently raise more money as shrinking oil and gas revenues and a worsening economic outlook continue to strain the federal budget, a senior Russian lawmaker warned on July 16.
In other news
Home of deceased Ukrainian pilot ‘Juice’ searched over anti-corruption activist’s case, media reports. Lilia Averianova, the mother of late MiG-29 pilot Andrii “Juice” Pilshchykov, told Suspilne that investigators came to the Kharkiv apartment on July 11 and demanded entry, threatening to break down the door.
4 Ukrainians make Forbes’ ranking of wealthiest immigrants in US. Ukraine entered the top ten countries by the number of billionaire immigrants, with four Ukrainians securing spots on Forbes’ ranking of America’s wealthiest immigrants and their combined fortunes totaling $25.3 billion, Forbes Ukraine reported on July 15.
Ukraine parliament backs nearly $10 billion defense budget increase in first reading. Ukraine’s parliament approved a Hr 412.4 billion ($9.8 billion) increase in defense spending in the first reading, Ukraine’s Finance Ministry announced in a press release on July 16.
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Ukraine parliament backs nearly $10 billion defense budget increase in first reading
Ukraine's parliament approved a Hr 412.4 billion ($9.8 billion) increase in defense spending in the first reading, Ukraine’s Finance Ministry announced in a press release on July 16.Yana Prots (The Kyiv Independent)
Advertisers win, users lose in an Instagram spinoff: Meta could be forced to sell Instagram if a court rules it’s an illegal monopoly.
New Stanford research into likely advertising effects suggests a split wouldn’t be good for users.
Advertisers win, users lose in an Instagram spinoff
Meta could be forced to sell Instagram if a court rules it’s an illegal monopoly. New Stanford research into likely advertising effects suggests a split wouldn’t be good for users.news.stanford.edu
adhocfungus likes this.
pignastico aggiornamento sulla via della persistente miglioranza! (aggiornamenti Pignio)
È incredibile e pazzesco quanto in questi giorni sto migliorando infinitamente il mio Pignio, anziché marcire spiritualmente (…per quanto continuando a farlo fisicamente perché, se pur posso programmare in giro, è chiaramente più comodo e produttivo farlo a casina). Soprattutto, penso di aver risolto diversi problemi in un colpo solo stavolta, quindi miao!!! Poi oh, […]
octospacc.altervista.org/2025/…
pignastico aggiornamento sulla via della persistente miglioranza! (aggiornamenti Pignio) - fritto misto di octospacc
È incredibile e pazzesco quanto in questi giorni sto migliorando infinitamente il mio Pignio, anziché marcire spiritualmente (...per quanto continuando a farlminioctt (fritto misto di octospacc)
Fossil discovery reveals ancient giant marine reptile relied on stealth while hunting in darkness
Fossil discovery reveals ancient giant marine reptile relied on stealth while hunting in darkness
A new study has uncovered evidence that a giant marine reptile from the Early Jurassic period used stealth to hunt its prey in deep or dark waters – much like owls on land today.University of Manchester
Does AI understand? — It may be getting smarter, but it’s not thinking like humans (yet), say experts
Does AI understand?
It may be getting smarter, but it’s not thinking like humans (yet), say experts.Sy Boles (Harvard Gazette)
The new space age could thin the ozone layer
The new space age could thin the ozone layer
The rapid rise in global rocket launches could slow the recovery of the vital ozone layer, says Sandro Vattioni. The problem is being underestimated – yet it could be mitigated by forward-looking, coordinated action.ETH Zurich
UK government secretly paid foreign YouTube stars for ‘propaganda’
UK government secretly paid foreign YouTube stars for ‘propaganda’
Revealed: Media agency Zinc Network has contract to recruit social media influencers across Europe.Martin Williams (Declassified Media ltd)
The fact that One Trillion is as easy to say as One Million is a travesty. It's great for coming to terms with astronomic scales, but it really hampers the average person in understanding just how much wealth a single plane of people hold.
This is my favorite attempt to show just how much wealth they're actually talking about. It's a bit biased towards phones, and it dates itself a bit, but it certainly makes an impression.
Wealth, shown to scale
Wealth inequality in the United States is out of control. Here we visualize the issue in a unique way.hmijail.github.io
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