Advice For The Unfortunate Windows User?
Long story short here: I tried making Linux my main OS on my PC. I had it dual booted with Win 11 on a separate SSD. Win 11 was going to be solely for work purposes since it was crucial.
However I noticed that I had begun to migrate slowly back to Win 11 because I'm a gamer and Linux just doesn't get along with my graphics card, so games are almost impossible to play well.
I've succumbed to the idea that my PC will just solely run on Win 11. (I do use Linux on a laptop tho). So I got some debloat tools to shut off most of Microsoft's annoying spy shit and manually uninstalled the rest like Cortana. I also have pihole running on my raspi5 so my PC is connected to that, plus I use ProtonVPN. I use Firefox with plugins like ublock, privacy badger, etc.
I want to try to make Windows as private and away from Microsoft's prying eyes as much as possible. Got any other recommendations?
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What Does Alaska Summit Mean for Ukraine?
Ukraine Braces for Outcomes of Putin-Trump Alaska Negotiations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that "the time has come to end the war" as tensions mount in Kyiv ahead of the high-stakes U.S.-Russia summit in AlaskaPetr Ermilin (Pravda English)
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Ukraine hits residential district in Russian city ahead of summit
Ukraine hits residential district in Russian city ahead of summit (PHOTOS)
One person was killed and three more injured in an attack on two apartment blocks in the city of Donetsk, according to local officialsRT
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French MEP questioned by police for praising Palestine 'struggle'
French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Emma Fourreau was questioned by the Caen judicial police on Wednesday as part of an investigation into "apology for terrorism", French media reported.
Fourreau, who is a member of the left-wing La France Insoumise (France Unbowed, LFI) party, is under investigation for her comments welcoming the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a Lebanese pro-Palestine activist imprisoned for over 40 years in France.
"FINALLY! After 41 years in prison, Georges Ibrahim Abdallah will be released on 25 July. He was the oldest political prisoner, and France should be ashamed for keeping him locked up for so long. Long live his struggle, long live Palestine!" she wrote on X on 17 July.
The 25-year-old elected official said the investigation was launched by the prosecutor's office after reports of her post were sent via Pharos, the public platform for reporting illegal online content.
As per the French criminal code, "apology for terrorism" is defined as "directly inciting acts of terrorism or publicly condoning such acts". Rights defenders say that France's "apology for terrorism" law is being used to criminalise Palestine solidarity.
Zebra Crossing: An easy-to-use digital safety checklist
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/35752925
GitHub Repo.
Zebra Crossing: An easy-to-use digital safety checklist
GitHub - narwhalacademy/zebra-crossing: Zebra Crossing: an easy-to-use digital safety checklist
Zebra Crossing: an easy-to-use digital safety checklist - narwhalacademy/zebra-crossingGitHub
Quantum alternative to GPS navigation will be tested on US military spaceplane
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/35701350
Quantum alternative to GPS navigation will be tested on US military spaceplane
Quantum alternative to GPS navigation will be tested on US military spaceplane
The experimental sensor could be groundbreaking.The Conversation
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It's not really an alternative to GPS. It has no idea where on earth you are, it simply accurately tracks your motion through the world but it has no idea where that motion is occurring, you have to start off with a known starting point, then it tracks your motion to work out your current location. But it is only as accurate as the accuracy of the starting point, if that's off by 400 m then so will be the result.
It's basically a very good inertial navigation system, plus this isn't the first time it's been tested it's been tested on ships and planes before.
It's not going to replace GPS for commercial purposes because there's very few scenarios where you don't have a GPS up link. But it'll be useful is in situations where that's not possible like on submarines or yeah in space. It isn't like your car is ever going to use this though.
Study Finds That School-Based Online Surveillance Companies Monitor Students 24/7
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/35701835
Study Finds That School-Based Online Surveillance Companies Monitor Students 24/7
Study Finds That School-Based Online Surveillance Companies Monitor Students 24/7
Recent study at UC San Diego is the first detailed assessment of companies offering school-based online surveillance services such as social media monitoring, student communications monitoring and online activity monitoring to middle and high schools…today.ucsd.edu
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Wow, where do I start with how insane this is?
Those aren't 'services', those are personal privacy intrusions. For PROFIT. There is no way this could happen without the school's cooperation. AFTER they got the parent's permission, that's not good enough. They ought not only to have that permission (not to mention spelling it out for each student), but also know exactly what data is gathered, every place it is sent to, what privacy protections are in place, and what is done with it once it's "evaluated", In detail, per student, 24/7.
"student communications monitoring" 24-7 and/or outside of school is SPYING. There is NO legal OR educational OR ethical mandate for this collecting.
If the kids don't know about unknown adults prying into their personal lives, AND KEEPING RECORDS ABOUT IT, that's not necessarily their fault. If the parents don't know about it, that's the school's fault for not getting their knowing permission. AND guarantee their physical and mental safety. (Which is impossible, because as we hear about all the time, hospitals, banks, companies, etc. are constantly leaking personal information or getting hit by ransomware attacks.
If I was the parent of one of those students and wasn't told about it, I'd sue that school into a coma.
Trump’s Venezuela Drug War Gambit and the Militarization Playbook at Home
US President Donald Trump has quietly authorized the Pentagon to carry out military operations against what his administration calls “narco-terrorist” networks in Latin America. The directive allows the US to target groups unilaterally labeled as both criminal and terrorist. Once that designation is made, the military can operate without the consent of the targeted country, a move that violates international law. In a region with a long history of US-backed coups, covert wars, and destabilization campaigns, the risk of abuse isn’t hypothetical; it’s inevitable.
While the order applies across Latin America, Venezuela stands at the top of the list. The Trump administration has accused President Nicolás Maduro’s government of working with transnational cartels, and has doubled the bounty on him to $50 million (double the bounty for Osama bin Laden). It’s a lawfare tactic designed to criminalize a head of state and invite mercenaries and covert operatives to participate in regime change.
The core premise of the accusation is that Maduro is involved in a cocaine trafficking network of Venezuelan military and political figures called Cartel de los Soles. The Venezuelan government denies the cartel’s existence, calling it a fabrication to justify sanctions and regime change efforts. Multiple independent investigations have shown no hard evidence exists and that this narrative thrives in a media-intelligence echo chamber. Reports from outlets like Insight Crime cite anonymous US sources; those media stories are then cited by policymakers and think tanks, and the cycle repeats until speculation becomes policy.
Trump’s Venezuela Drug War Gambit and the Militarization Playbook at Home
Whether it’s a wall in the desert or barricades in front of the White House, the message is the same: Perceived threats, real or manufactured, are met with troops, not talks.michelle-ellner (Common Dreams)
Trump’s Venezuela Drug War Gambit and the Militarization Playbook at Home
US President Donald Trump has quietly authorized the Pentagon to carry out military operations against what his administration calls “narco-terrorist” networks in Latin America. The directive allows the US to target groups unilaterally labeled as both criminal and terrorist. Once that designation is made, the military can operate without the consent of the targeted country, a move that violates international law. In a region with a long history of US-backed coups, covert wars, and destabilization campaigns, the risk of abuse isn’t hypothetical; it’s inevitable.
While the order applies across Latin America, Venezuela stands at the top of the list. The Trump administration has accused President Nicolás Maduro’s government of working with transnational cartels, and has doubled the bounty on him to $50 million (double the bounty for Osama bin Laden). It’s a lawfare tactic designed to criminalize a head of state and invite mercenaries and covert operatives to participate in regime change.
The core premise of the accusation is that Maduro is involved in a cocaine trafficking network of Venezuelan military and political figures called Cartel de los Soles. The Venezuelan government denies the cartel’s existence, calling it a fabrication to justify sanctions and regime change efforts. Multiple independent investigations have shown no hard evidence exists and that this narrative thrives in a media-intelligence echo chamber. Reports from outlets like Insight Crime cite anonymous US sources; those media stories are then cited by policymakers and think tanks, and the cycle repeats until speculation becomes policy.
Trump’s Venezuela Drug War Gambit and the Militarization Playbook at Home
Whether it’s a wall in the desert or barricades in front of the White House, the message is the same: Perceived threats, real or manufactured, are met with troops, not talks.michelle-ellner (Common Dreams)
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Trump’s Venezuela Drug War Gambit and the Militarization Playbook at Home
US President Donald Trump has quietly authorized the Pentagon to carry out military operations against what his administration calls “narco-terrorist” networks in Latin America. The directive allows the US to target groups unilaterally labeled as both criminal and terrorist. Once that designation is made, the military can operate without the consent of the targeted country, a move that violates international law. In a region with a long history of US-backed coups, covert wars, and destabilization campaigns, the risk of abuse isn’t hypothetical; it’s inevitable.
While the order applies across Latin America, Venezuela stands at the top of the list. The Trump administration has accused President Nicolás Maduro’s government of working with transnational cartels, and has doubled the bounty on him to $50 million (double the bounty for Osama bin Laden). It’s a lawfare tactic designed to criminalize a head of state and invite mercenaries and covert operatives to participate in regime change.
The core premise of the accusation is that Maduro is involved in a cocaine trafficking network of Venezuelan military and political figures called Cartel de los Soles. The Venezuelan government denies the cartel’s existence, calling it a fabrication to justify sanctions and regime change efforts. Multiple independent investigations have shown no hard evidence exists and that this narrative thrives in a media-intelligence echo chamber. Reports from outlets like Insight Crime cite anonymous US sources; those media stories are then cited by policymakers and think tanks, and the cycle repeats until speculation becomes policy.
Trump’s Venezuela Drug War Gambit and the Militarization Playbook at Home
Whether it’s a wall in the desert or barricades in front of the White House, the message is the same: Perceived threats, real or manufactured, are met with troops, not talks.michelle-ellner (Common Dreams)
“We Can’t Have Greece Become a Playground For IDF Soldiers": Israeli Tourists Traveling to Greek Islands Met With Pro-Palestine Protests
ATHENS, GREECE—An Israeli cruise ship making repeated tours of Athens and the Greek islands has been met by protests nearly every time it docks this summer, as Palestine solidarity demonstrators in Greece escalate actions and tactics amid growing anger over Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
The Crown Iris—a 10-deck cruise ship complete with a casino, theater, waterslide, and basketball court and holding up to 2,000 passengers—leaves from Haifa every few days for four- to seven-day cruises of the nearby Greek Islands.
At its most recent stop at the port of Piraeus near Athens on Thursday, Greek riot police cordoned off an area around the ship to prevent several hundred protesters from approaching. Demonstrators held flares and waved Palestinian flags from behind a cordon, formed by riot police buses, as Israeli tourists disembarked. The Crown Iris has set sail only to find protests along its route since late July, when a mass demonstration almost prevented the ship from docking on the island of Syros—an incident that made international headlines.
The demonstrations against the Israeli cruise ship are part of a wider trend of anti-Zionist protests across Greece in recent weeks that culminated in what organizers say was one of the largest pro-Palestine mobilizations in Greek history on August 10, when tens of thousands took to the streets in over 120 different locations across the country—primarily in popular tourist areas.
“We Can’t Have Greece Become a Playground For IDF Soldiers": Israeli Tourists Traveling to Greek Islands Met With Pro-Palestine Protests
As Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza continues, Israeli tourists in Greece this summer are facing a growing backlash.Drop Site News
Israeli unit tasked with smearing Gaza journalists as Hamas fighters – report
A special unit in Israel’s military was tasked with identifying reporters it could smear as undercover Hamas fighters, to target them and to blunt international outrage over the killing of media workers, the Israeli-Palestinian outlet +972 Magazine reports.
The “legitimisation cell” was set up after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack to gather information that could bolster Israel’s image and shore up diplomatic and military support from key allies, the report said, citing three intelligence sources.
According to the report, in at least one case the unit misrepresented information in order to falsely describe a journalist as a militant, a designation that in Gaza is in effect a death sentence. The label was reversed before the man was attacked, one of the sources said.
Earlier this week, Israel killed the Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif and three colleagues in their makeshift newsroom, after claiming Sharif was a Hamas commander. The killings focused global attention on the extreme dangers faced by Palestinian journalists in Gaza and Israel’s efforts to manipulate media coverage of the war.
Foreign reporters have been barred from entering Gaza apart from a few brief and tightly controlled trips with the Israeli military, who impose restrictions including a ban on speaking to Palestinians.
Palestinian journalists reporting from the ground are the most at risk in the world, with more than 180 killed by Israeli attacks in less than two years, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Israel carried out 26 targeted killings of journalists in that period, the CPJ said, describing them as murders.
Israel has produced an unconvincing dossier of unverified evidence on Sharif’s purported Hamas links, and failed to address how he would have juggled a military command role with regular broadcast duties in one of the most heavily surveilled places on Earth. Israel did not attempt to justify killing his three colleagues.
Israeli unit tasked with smearing Gaza journalists as Hamas fighters – report
Israeli-Palestinian magazine says IDF ‘legitimisation cell’ set up to blunt global outrage over killing of media staffEmma Graham-Harrison (The Guardian)
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Israeli unit tasked with smearing Gaza journalists as Hamas fighters – report
A special unit in Israel’s military was tasked with identifying reporters it could smear as undercover Hamas fighters, to target them and to blunt international outrage over the killing of media workers, the Israeli-Palestinian outlet +972 Magazine reports.
The “legitimisation cell” was set up after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack to gather information that could bolster Israel’s image and shore up diplomatic and military support from key allies, the report said, citing three intelligence sources.
According to the report, in at least one case the unit misrepresented information in order to falsely describe a journalist as a militant, a designation that in Gaza is in effect a death sentence. The label was reversed before the man was attacked, one of the sources said.
Israeli unit tasked with smearing Gaza journalists as Hamas fighters – report
Israeli-Palestinian magazine says IDF ‘legitimisation cell’ set up to blunt global outrage over killing of media staffEmma Graham-Harrison (The Guardian)
Blackwater founder Erik Prince to send forces to Haiti to fight gangs
A private security company run by Blackwater founder Erik Prince will send hundreds of fighters to violence-racked Haiti to combat the country’s gang violence problem and restore its tax collection system, according to United States media reports.
Prince, a controversial figure who is a major donor to Donald Trump, revealed details of the new mission for his company, Vectus Global, in an interview with the Reuters news agency on Thursday. A person with knowledge of the plans also confirmed details to The Associated Press news agency.
Prince told Reuters that he expected Vectus Global, his US-based private security firm, which provides logistics, infrastructure and defence, would regain control of gang-held roads and territory in Haiti within about a year.
Blackwater founder Erik Prince to send forces to Haiti to fight gangs
Vectus Global, a security company led by Erik Prince, has a contract to battle Haiti’s gangs and restore tax collection.Al Jazeera
Blackwater founder Erik Prince to send forces to Haiti to fight gangs
A private security company run by Blackwater founder Erik Prince will send hundreds of fighters to violence-racked Haiti to combat the country’s gang violence problem and restore its tax collection system, according to United States media reports.
Prince, a controversial figure who is a major donor to Donald Trump, revealed details of the new mission for his company, Vectus Global, in an interview with the Reuters news agency on Thursday. A person with knowledge of the plans also confirmed details to The Associated Press news agency.
Prince told Reuters that he expected Vectus Global, his US-based private security firm, which provides logistics, infrastructure and defence, would regain control of gang-held roads and territory in Haiti within about a year.
Blackwater founder Erik Prince to send forces to Haiti to fight gangs
Vectus Global, a security company led by Erik Prince, has a contract to battle Haiti’s gangs and restore tax collection.Al Jazeera
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Exclusive: ICC arrest warrant applications ready for Israel's Ben Gvir and Smotrich on apartheid charges
Arrest warrant applications against two prominent Israeli ministers on charges of apartheid are ready and with two deputy prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Middle East Eye can reveal.
If the warrants for National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are issued, it will be the first time that the crime of apartheid is charged at an international court.
"Those applications for the arrest warrants are completely done," an ICC source told MEE. "The only thing that didn't happen was submitting them to the court," the source said on condition of anonymity.
Two ICC sources told MEE that the two deputy prosecutors, Nazhat Shameem Khan and Mame Mandiaye Niang, have not filed the applications due to the threat of US sanctions.
British-Israeli ICC defence lawyer Nicholas Kaufman told Israel's Kan public broadcaster in June that the US sanctions on four ICC judges were "meant to be designed to encourage the dropping of the arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Gallant". Raji Sourani, a lawyer representing Palestine at the ICC and ICJ, criticised the deputy prosecutors for their delay in applying for the warrants.
Raji Sourani, a lawyer representing Palestine at the ICC and ICJ, criticised the deputy prosecutors for their delay in applying for the warrants.
Laws for thee but not for me, how the elite work.
Just like trump. He should be in jail so many times over at this point too.
Exclusive: ICC arrest warrant applications ready for Israel's Ben Gvir and Smotrich on apartheid charges
Arrest warrant applications against two prominent Israeli ministers on charges of apartheid are ready and with two deputy prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Middle East Eye can reveal.
If the warrants for National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are issued, it will be the first time that the crime of apartheid is charged at an international court.
"Those applications for the arrest warrants are completely done," an ICC source told MEE. "The only thing that didn't happen was submitting them to the court," the source said on condition of anonymity.
Two ICC sources told MEE that the two deputy prosecutors, Nazhat Shameem Khan and Mame Mandiaye Niang, have not filed the applications due to the threat of US sanctions.
British-Israeli ICC defence lawyer Nicholas Kaufman told Israel's Kan public broadcaster in June that the US sanctions on four ICC judges were "meant to be designed to encourage the dropping of the arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Gallant". Raji Sourani, a lawyer representing Palestine at the ICC and ICJ, criticised the deputy prosecutors for their delay in applying for the warrants.
Raji Sourani, a lawyer representing Palestine at the ICC and ICJ, criticised the deputy prosecutors for their delay in applying for the warrants.
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Even while vacationing abroad, Israelis can't escape the horrors of the Gaza war
I went to Greece for a weekend to see a new production of Aeschylus' "Oresteia" trilogy. In the open-air of ancient Delphi, the bloodcurdling deeds of Agamemnon at the end of the Trojan War were dredged up from the recesses of oblivion.
In the first hour, Agamenon was murdered. On the way to Troy, he sacrificed his daughter, Iphigenia, to the gods and was disposed of by his wife, Clytemnestra. In the second hour Clytemnestra is murdered by her son Orestes, along with her lover, Aegisthus. And then, in the finale, Orestes seeks shelter, the goddesses of revenge haunting him like crazy. They infest the stage, blood streaming revoltingly from their eyelids. Like monsters in Pac-Man after the game ends.
And then something unexpected happened. From the heart of the audience, a loud cry suddenly burst forth: "Palestine! Palestine! Palestine!" For a moment I wasn't sure that this was what I was hearing – after all, what's the connection between a Greek play and the Palestinian struggle? But hundreds of people in the audience joined in the rhythmic chant: "Palestine! Palestine! Palestine!" The crowd was seized by ecstasy.
Outside the theater, there's nowhere to escape. Messages and graffiti in Hebrew on the walls of Athens are protesting the genocide in the Gaza Strip. Written below the price of coffee and lemonade on the whiteboard of a café is "Fuck Zionism." The whole country seems to be rising up against Israel.
Graffiti in Athens that reads "Every IDF soldier is a war criminal. Occupiers - rapists - murderers. We don't want you here."
There's something paradoxical about a vacation experience in the summer of 2025. We go abroad in order to escape the burdensome malaise, to flee the awful situation in Israel. Yet it's abroad that reality cries out from the walls – like horror that pursues us in a dream. The idyllic vacation dream morphs into a nightmare. It's impossible to escape into sleep.
Even while vacationing abroad, Israelis can't escape the horrors of the Gaza war
Israelis are taking their summer vacation abroad to escape the malaise of the war and the horrific sights in Gaza. But when they reach their destination, the walls shout reality at themOfri Ilany (Haaretz)
Democrats introduce joint resolution to end Trump’s ‘lawless’ DC takeover
Democratic lawmakers have introduced a joint resolution aimed at ending what they call Trump’s unlawful and unprecedented move to federalize the Metropolitan police department (MPD) in Washington DC.
Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House judiciary committee, DC’s non-voting House delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and representative Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House committee on oversight and government reform introduced the resolution on Friday, invoking the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973.
The resolution states that Trump has not demonstrated the existence of any special emergency conditions that would warrant the federalization of the police force. In the Senate, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland will sponsor the resolution.
Democrats introduce joint resolution to end Trump’s ‘lawless’ DC takeover
Legislation says special emergency conditions that would warrant federalization of DC police have not been metMarina Dunbar (The Guardian)
Microsoft launches inquiry into claims Israel used its tech for mass surveillance of Palestinians
Microsoft has launched an “urgent” external inquiry into allegations Israel’s military surveillance agency has used the company’s technology to facilitate the mass surveillance of Palestinians.
The company said on Friday the formal review was in response to a Guardian investigation that revealed how the Unit 8200 spy agency has relied on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to store a vast collection of everyday Palestinian mobile phone calls.
The joint investigation with the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call found Unit 8200 made use of a customised and segregated area within Azure to store recordings of millions of calls made daily in Gaza and the West Bank.
Microsoft launches inquiry into claims Israel used its tech for mass surveillance of Palestinians
Company says use of its cloud technology to store millions of intercepted calls would breach terms of serviceHarry Davies (The Guardian)
The company who has fired employees who have spoken out about their complicity in the genocide is going to do an internal investigation?
Yeah, I'm sure this will be fruitful. 🙄
finishing torrents and seeding question
ok, i'll start grabbing the descriptive files too thanks!
i think the torrents i'm seeding that have very few seeds besides me are just a couple of movies without extra files so it should be fine for now but i'll take that into mind for the future.
this is true if you manually delete the txt file.
however, just unchecking it in the client doesn't result in a broken seeder - at least transmission-gtk 4 will write the "file.txt" even if you didn't check its box, or transmission will create a (sparse) "file.txt.part" file if there's additional pieces to the "file.txt" that you didn't download.
I would expect other clients to behave similarly.
A torrent software that breaks your big/video file sharing while calling it complete seems somewhat questionable, not following a good practice, for the reasons you said.
qBittorrent stores the partial file data of deselected files as generic files. Given that only with it the download and a recheck marks the big file complete, without it a recheck considers the big file unfinished (and if partial files are renamed it is despite being complete as a file), I presume it will also send out the block that is partially that file and another to other peers too.
If the other file is fully in the partial block qBittorrent even creates the files despite not having been selected for downloading.
Fun fact, you probably download the file anyway because it's smaller than one of the torrent blocks. That block contains info from a file you do want, so you download the whole block. Your torrent client just puts that file in a different place.
So ultimately it doesn't make a difference, except to show you the file. If you don't actually look at the files that often, I'd leave that file checked just to make it less complicated.
Israeli army unit tasked with linking Gaza journalists to Hamas
Israeli army unit tasked with linking Gaza journalists to Hamas
Treating the media as a battlefield, a secretive intelligence squad scoured Gaza for material to bolster Israeli hasbara — including questionable claims that would justify the killing of Palestinian reporters.Amos Brison (+972 Magazine)
Microsoft launches inquiry into claims Israel used its tech for mass surveillance of Palestinians
Microsoft launches inquiry into claims Israel used its tech for mass surveillance of Palestinians
Company says use of its cloud technology to store millions of intercepted calls would breach terms of serviceHarry Davies (The Guardian)
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It turns out that they did do that, we knew all along, and we're ok with it.
- Microsoft
New Documents Show First Trump DOJ Worked With Congress to Amend Section 230 that protects users’ online speech by protecting the online intermediaries we all rely on to communicate
New Documents Show First Trump DOJ Worked With Congress to Amend Section 230
In the wake of rolling out its own proposal to significantly limit a key law protecting internet users’ speech in the summer of 2020, the Department of Justice under the first Trump administration actively worked with lawmakers to support further eff…Electronic Frontier Foundation
AI experts return from China stunned: The U.S. grid is so weak, the race may already be over
AI experts return from China stunned: The U.S. grid is so weak, the race may already be over
China is “set up to hit grand slams,” longtime Chinese energy expert David Fishman told Fortune. “The U.S., at best, can get on base.”Eva Roytburg (Fortune)
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I don't really give a shit about the AI race and I genuinely hope that we lose it, because I feel like being a winner in that "industry" is inherently unsustainable.
The AI hype is so infuriatingly frustrating.
Chinese infrastructure and manufacturing lead is real. You don't need to believe any propaganda, just travel and observe.
The asterisks are not about their usecase but political.
Chinese infrastructure and manufacturing lead is real.
And if you ignore the theory of comparative advantage, not only is it real, but it also matters. Otherwise, not.
I also run a consistent payment deficit with my barber. Should that be corrected?
No need to discuss defecit. That's a totally unrelated item. My statement was purely about their infra and manufacturing lead in multiple sectors.
Imagine you are a top student and some other student suddenly gets better marks than you in multiple subjects. You do need to introspect and see where you can improve (Or if you even care about those subjects).
If you don't care about infra and manufacturing, no need to sweat
We've been hearing about this decades.
Yes, you've been hearind that for decades, just like climate change: if you wait for an abrupt treshold with a clear before/after cut , you're going to wait for a while.
China has developed an advanced high speed trains network. You have no idea how much US looks backward on that.
China still opens coal burning power plants, jut also a very large number of renewable and nuclear power plants. They're serious about electrification.
They took the lead in scientific publication.
US needs to put up tariffs to protect its car makers from being wiped out by Chinese ones. Western car makers rely more and more on Chinese batteries suppliers.
All the signs are there. You just need to ackowledge them.
People underestimate just how corrupt, dysfunctional, and incompetent the Chinese system is under the CCP.
As compared to what? In the US, corruption is legal, it's called campaign donation and SuperPAC. At this stage, elections pick which pack of oligarchs will rule: GOP donators or Dems donators.
If the system is so much better, where are the high speed trains, advanced power grid, decarbonation plan, school that can get high potentials to the top, decent healthcare system?
Where are the fruits of this less corrupt dysfunctional and incompetent system?
China's isolation give it the illusion that it's better, but in reality, it's even worse.
Alother delusion from local US news. China is not that isolated, they have developed deep relations with a number of countries in Africa and middle east, and they're a privileged trade partner with many more. Worse even: with the current US policy of tariffs, several countries that were reluctant to have deeper ties with China are pushed in their arms.
Every major Chinese achievement from their mass transit system to their big corporations to their economic growth to them pulling ahead technologically to so many more, all come with big asterisks attached that make them much more questionable.
Meaning what? Their high speed trains are absolutely working. In large cities, half of the cars in the street are electric cars, majority from domestic brands and a few Tesla. They have very advanced and very cheap mass transit networks.
As I was saying: it's just like global warming: if you sit and wait claiming it's not really happening and/or not that bad, you're totally unprepared when disasters hit you.
The only thing I will agree with you here is their emonomy is not half as great as they want to claim. The estate market has been in a free fall in all but the big 4 cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guandong, Shenzhen).
But if the US wants to be the first power of the rest of the 21st century world, they need to wake up!
This is the dawn of the new Chinese century. I have no doubt in 20 more years China will be in an even stronger position as the USA continues to decline.
We, the USA, could do all the stuff that would make us competitive. That would require more socialism, more taxing of billionaires, more spending in green energy, education, transportation, healthcare becoming affordable and an actual human right for all in our borders, a real plan to transition off fossil fuels and shore up our domestic energy production and electric grid.
Idk more than that of course but that's the elevator pitch.
We won't do it though because corrupt capitalism and the oligarchy.
Maybe we will if at some point enough of us are struggling but we're pretty fat and have plenty of entertainment to distract us even if we are being fucked. So ... Yeah ... Desperately hoping I'm wrong about most of my predictions, devastated as I keep seeing them come true.
This is the dawn of the new Chinese century.
Betting on a totalitarian kleptocracy saving the world is as unwise as betting in the 1980s that already overworked Japanese wage slaves could be overworked even further.
I didn't say they were going to save the world, no more than the USA did or any nation state turned empire.
I do think China will eclipse America when it comes to being in a position of strong global leadership and the hegemonic power on the world stage. The USA seems to be shirking our duties, reshaping and destroying our society's moral fabric, racing towards worse and worse education results and hellbent on making sure our healthcare is broken and our people are fat and dumb.
It's not a winning recipe, even with a military that can dominate.
Every country has its problems and its demons, China is no different and certainly their problems are complex and grand. As far as greater or lesser evils - I'd put the USA and China about on par for all the fucked up stuff we have done the past hundred years and keep doing now.
I'd love to at least visit China sometime - honestly there's so much fascinating history and getting to see a different approach to community building and infrastructure planning would be neat.
Where can i find reference book on pharmacy?
I'm looking for reference books like Vogel's and remington and for my course.
Does someone know a good place to find them?
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Zebra Crossing: An easy-to-use digital safety checklist
Zebra Crossing: An easy-to-use digital safety checklist
An easy-to-use digital safety checklistzebracrossing.narwhalacademy.org
Consumer Advocates Demand Investigation into Elon Musk’s Grok AI Tool Facilitating Illegal Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery
A coalition of consumer protection, privacy, and digital rights advocacy organizations led by CFA filed a formal request for investigation yesterday afternoon calling on state and federal regulators to investigate and enforce laws against xAI for their promotion, creation, and facilitation of sharing non-consensual intimate imagery (“NCII”) through their “spicy” feature on Grok Imagine, their AI image and video generation platform.
Consumer Advocates Demand Investigation into Elon Musk’s Grok AI Tool Facilitating Illegal Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery · Consumer Federation of America
A coalition of organizations led by CFA filed a formal request for investigation calling on state and federal regulators to investigate and enforce laws against xAI for their promotion, creation, and facilitation of sharing non-consensual intimate im…Consumer Federation of America
New Cloudflare Pirate Site Blocking May Already Involve Thousands of Domains
Last month Cloudflare began blocking pirate site domains already subject to blocking orders obtained years ago by Hollywood studios at the High Court in London. With no public announcement from any of the parties and no official information to accurately determine the scale, our estimate of a couple of hundred sites/domains was deliberately low. New information indicates one thousand domains is more realistic, but we can't rule out double that amount either.
New Cloudflare Pirate Site Blocking May Already Involve Thousands of Domains * TorrentFreak
New information indicates that Cloudflare blocking of pirate sites in the UK may affect one thousand domains; double that can't be ruled out.Andy Maxwell (TF Publishing)
A People’s Handbook of Surveillance
s3.documentcloud.org/documents…
A People's Handbook of Surveillance — S.T.O.P. - The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project
In this handbook, researchers from Morgan State University and the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.S.T.O.P. - The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project
Display Next Hackfest 2025
Display Next Hackfest 2025
A few weeks ago, a bunch of display driver and compositor developers met once again for the third iteration of the Display Next Hackfest. The tradition was started by Red Hat, followed by Igalia (thanks Melissa), and now AMD (thanks Harry).swick's blog
Ukraine’s Patriots Now Struggling To Intercept Enhanced Russian Ballistic Missiles
Ukraine’s Patriots Now Struggling To Intercept Enhanced Russian Ballistic Missiles
U.S. intel confirms that improvements to Russia's ballistic missiles are proving to be a major challenge for the Patriot air defense system.Joseph Trevithick (The War Zone)
South Africa and China set up a quantum communication link: how we did it and why it’s historic
South Africa and China set up a quantum communication link: how we did it and why it’s historic
The success of Jinan-1 points the way towards networks of quantum microsatellites, making secure global communication a real possibility.The Conversation
Is GPT-5 really worse than GPT-4o? Ars puts them to the test.
Is GPT-5 really worse than GPT-4o? Ars puts them to the test.
It’s OpenAI vs. OpenAI on everything from video game strategy to landing a 737.Kyle Orland (Ars Technica)
shortwavesurfer
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •nefarioushoneybee
in reply to shortwavesurfer • • •Edit: This is a very viable option that I am willing to try
metaStatic
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •FauxLiving
in reply to metaStatic • • •Yup, I'm using a 3080 with no problems.
It sucked with gamescope, but with GE-Proton10, we can use Wayland for HDR, like Linus intended.
artyom
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •OhVenus_Baby
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •like this
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davel
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •HubertManne
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •flatbield
in reply to HubertManne • • •Generally too one should not be using same hardware for work and personal use anyway for so many reasons.
Plus it kind of goes without saying, choose the OS based on the apps and the hardware based on the OS.
metaStatic
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •what card are you running that linux has problems with?
I would still keep 11 for work if it truly needs to be 11 and dual boot 10 IoT LTSC for games. it sounds like you're already doing everything I would suggest to harden it besides only running a local user account.
lethal
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •If you haven't already, I would try a different distribution and desktop environment. In my experience this made significant a difference. If privacy is important to you I would not give up on Linux.
Other than that. Do not login with a MS account, debloat the heck out of it, etc. I can't help you for any advanced configurations, however, with some basic searching on the internet I found some articles that gave good tips. Do some research on that, you might learn a few things.
If you want to take things a step further you might also look into changing browser, search engine etc. But that's a whole different topic.
atrielienz
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •My advice (even if you do decide to use a separate device for gaming) is to get rid of anything that does telemetry, tracking, ad service, or AI. If you have a pro version or enterprise version of windows 11 you can use Group Policy Editor to remove or disable a lot of stuff and what is left is usually taken care of by Registry Editor in the command line. You can find many guides online that will walk you through how to debloat and remove a lot of the stuff MS uses to track you. I recommend this for anyone who uses windows.
There's also a lot of stuff you can turn off from the setting menu that may help if you're privacy conscious. It also might not hurt to make your account local rather that one attached to outlook or MS services (I recognize this may not be possible depending on what you use for work).
You may also want to try a different distribution of Linux that's specifically made for gaming. I don't know what kind of graphics card you have but the proton compatibility layer has been getting better overtime and so you might give that a shot.
monovergent 🛠️
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •Good starting point would be looking through privacy.sexy
I have Windows for work stuff on a separate, weaker laptop so there's no temptation to game on it. In your case, would you consider a more gaming-focused distro like Bazzite? If not, using Windows LTSC might help since the semi-annual major updates on Home/Pro tend to undo your hard work with debloat tools and scripts.
Jumuta
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •humanamerican
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •You can use an XML file with the Windows installer to disable/uninstall most of the bloat and spyware. It'll also automatically configure local accounts for you so you don't have to manually bypass the Windows account install step.
This site will generate the file you need based on the options you select: schneegans.de/windows/unattend…
And this video might help you if you get stuck: youtu.be/h9SpKVEc_Yo
Generate autounattend.xml files for Windows 10/11
schneegans.deFauxLiving
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •The problem with using those debloat tools is that Windows will quietly re-enable things with Windows Update.
Nuke windows, use Linux, post your problems in the Linux community and we'll get you operational.
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Broken
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •Ameliorated.io
If you're gong to stick with windows that is a really good way to do it, and super simple to install.
hexagonwin
in reply to nefarioushoneybee • • •