Recent Entries

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-21 18:28:54

Cutting-edge Chinese “reasoning” model rivals OpenAI o1—and it’s free to download

DeepSeek R1 is free to run locally and modify, and it matches OpenAI's o1 in several benchmarks.

From School of War at 2025-01-21 10:35:00

Ep 170: Evan Mawdsley on WW2 in the Central Pacific (NEBM6164630139.mp3?updated=1737420755)

Evan Mawdsley, Honorary Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow and author of Supremacy at Sea: Task Force 58 and the Central Pacific Victory, joins the show to discuss the successful 1944 U.S. naval campaign through the Central Pacific in World War II. ▪️ Times      •      01:36 Introduction     •      02:27 The Central Pacific      •      11:15 Carrier air power      •     14:31 Embracing the task force        •      20:00 Replenishment at sea      •      24:28 A campaign for airbases      •      27:56 Limiting loss       •      33:38 Spruance & Mitscher      •      38:36 Japanese defense doctrine      •      45:58 Parallels today     Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-20 12:06:19

Biden Signs New Cybersecurity Order

President Biden has signed a new cybersecurity order. It has a bunch of provisions, most notably using the US governments procurement power to improve cybersecurity practices industry-wide.

Some details:

The core of the executive order is an array of mandates for protecting government networks based on lessons learned from recent major incidents­—namely, the security failures of federal contractors.

The order requires software vendors to submit proof that they follow secure development practices, building on a mandate that debuted in 2022 in response to ...

From The Rest Is History at 2025-01-20 00:10:00

532. Hitler's War on Poland: The Fall of Warsaw (Part 3) (GLT6308788391.mp3?updated=1737131466)

The Nazi invasion of Poland is one of the most harrowing episodes of the Second World War, which saw terrible scenes of abuse take place. Though long threatened, Poland was in no way prepared to face Hitler’s war machine when it finally attacked. Replete with tanks and planes, his would be a new kind of warfare. So, on the 10th of September 1939, Warsaw became the first capital in Europe to face relentless bombing raids, with Hitler - delighted by war - a spectator to the whole thing. The breaking point came when Stalin, whose troops had been fighting in Japan, agreed to send in his Red Army into Poland to reinforce the Germans. Before long, and despite their heroic resistance, the Poles had been decimated by German machinery, and nine days later the Nazis entered Danzig in triumph. With Warsaw an apocalyptic wasteland, Nazi occupied Poland became a hell of random brutality, discrimination, and horrific violence, particularly for the Jewish members of the population. Join Dominic and Tom for the tragic conclusion of their journey into the dark depths of the fall of Poland, including the invasion of the German war machine, Russian participation, and Poland's inspiring defence. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Editor: Jack Meek Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The Django weblog at 2025-01-19 20:30:00

Django earns the CHAOSS DEI Bronze badge 🫶

We’re excited to announce that Django has been awarded the CHAOSS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Bronze Badge!

This badge reflects our ongoing commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community for all Djangonauts. It’s part of the CHAOSS DEI Project Badging initiative.

Our new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Project Statement details all the ways in which we want to create an environment where everyone can participate and thrive, and complements our pre-existing Django Community Diversity Statement. From inclusive leadership structures to Django events, we strive to ensure our community is welcoming, transparent, and supportive.

Thank you to everyone in the Django community who contributes to making our project inclusive, accessible, and welcoming 🫶. Thank you to Sarah Boyce, who led the work for us to be awarded this badge as part of . We view this milestone as part of a continuous journey for our project and community to improve, and look forward to building an even more vibrant and supportive community together.

From The Week in Westminster at 2025-01-18 11:30:00

18/01/2025 (p0kkf6h0.mp3)

The Telegraph's Ben Riley-Smith assesses the latest developments at Westminster.

Following a ceasefire deal in Gaza and the Prime Minister's trip to Ukraine, Ben speaks to former Conservative Defence Secretary, Sir Ben Wallace, and the Labour peer, Baroness Ashton, formerly the EU's foreign policy chief, about how the imminent second Trump presidency is already shaping global geopolitics.

After another uncomfortable week for the Chancellor, Ben is joined by the Labour MP and chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Dame Meg Hillier, and former Conservative Treasury Minister, Sir Simon Clarke, to discuss the economic and fiscal outlook for the UK.

Tech entrepreneur, Matt Clifford, who also advises the Prime Minister on artificial intelligence, explains how AI will change the country in the week the government unveiled his AI Action Plan.

And, after the Government's decision to bring an early end to the Latin Excellence Programme, which funds the teaching of Latin in some state schools, Ben catches up with former Education Secretary, Sir Gavin Williamson, who introduced the policy, and Labour MP, Sarah Smith, who used to work in youth services and takes a special interest in education policy.

From More or Less: Behind the Stats at 2025-01-18 05:50:00

Can redheads handle 25% more pain than brunettes? (p0kkfjts.mp3)

What has the colour of your hair got to do with your capacity to withstand pain?

We investigate the claim, which regularly circulates on social media, that natural redheads are 25% tougher than their brunette peers.

Pain expert Jeff Mogil explains how it all comes down to something called MC1R.

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-17 22:02:23

Friday Squid Blogging: Opioid Alternatives from Squid Research

Is there nothing that squid research can’t solve?

“If you’re working with an organism like squid that can edit genetic information way better than any other organism, then it makes sense that that might be useful for a therapeutic application like deadening pain,” he said.

[…]

Researchers hope to mimic how squid and octopus use RNA editing in nerve channels that interpret pain and use that knowledge to manipulate human cells.

Blog moderation policy.

From A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry at 2025-01-17 18:49:25

Collections: On the Gracchi, Part I: Tiberius Gracchus

This week, we’re going to talk a bit about the brothers Tiberius (trib. 133) and Gaius (trib. 123-2) Gracchus, the famous Roman reformers of the late second century. There’s actually a fair bit to say about both of them, so we’re going to split this treatment over two weeks, talking about Tiberius this week and … Continue reading Collections: On the Gracchi, Part I: Tiberius Gracchus →

From The Incomparable Mothership at 2025-01-17 17:00:00

750: The Coolest Job in Space (275aa3a9-2279-4fc4-a216-224c7077b313.mp3)

We send off the crew of the USS Cerritos and salue the completion of the five-year mission of “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” This show expanded what “Star Trek” could be—in several dimensions. And yet it was also utterly, completely a “Star Trek” series. We try to find the special alchemy that brought it all together....

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-17 12:05:27

Social Engineering to Disable iMessage Protections

I am always interested in new phishing tricks, and watching them spread across the ecosystem.

A few days ago I started getting phishing SMS messages with a new twist. They were standard messages about delayed packages or somesuch, with the goal of getting me to click on a link and entering some personal information into a website. But because they came from unknown phone numbers, the links did not work. So—this is the new bit—the messages said something like: “Please reply Y, then exit the text message, reopen the text message activation link, or copy the link to Safari browser to open it.”...

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-16 19:49:59

Home Microsoft 365 plans use Copilot AI features as pretext for a price hike

"Classic" plans without AI or price increases are only for current subscribers.

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-16 13:24:17

Microsoft patches Windows to eliminate Secure Boot bypass threat

File that neutered Secure Boot passed Microsoft's internal review process.

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-16 12:03:36

FBI Deletes PlugX Malware from Thousands of Computers

According to a DOJ press release, the FBI was able to delete the Chinese-used PlugX malware from “approximately 4,258 U.S.-based computers and networks.”

Details:

To retrieve information from and send commands to the hacked machines, the malware connects to a command-and-control server that is operated by the hacking group. According to the FBI, at least 45,000 IP addresses in the US had back-and-forths with the command-and-control server since September 2023.

It was that very server that allowed the FBI to finally kill this pesky bit of malicious software. First, they tapped the know-how of French intelligence agencies, which had ...

From The Django weblog at 2025-01-16 12:00:00

Hello from the new Steering Council; and a quick temporary voting process change

Hello Django community! The Steering Council is officially in action and we want to give you a heads up on a change we're making for the short-term.

The process for formal Steering Council votes (documented in DEP 10) has not been working. It's our goal for the community to refresh Django's governance during the upcoming release cycle. In order to allow us to move forward now, and under supervision of the DSF Board, we are suspending use of the +1, 0, -1 public voting system in cases where a Steering Council consensus clearly exists. Instead, we will deliberate internally, summarize our opinions, and share that publicly (location and full details TBD).

We hope that this allows us to move faster on the smaller things we have in front of us currently. We appreciate all of your patience and look forward to what we all do together!

-- The Django Steering Council: Carlton, Emma, Frank, Lilly, and Tim

From Strong Message Here at 2025-01-16 09:45:00

A Lawyer, Not a Leader (p0kjw1br.mp3)

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

This week, after a well earned week off, Helen and Armando are back to break down how political attacks work. After Kemi landed a blow on Keir Starmer calling him 'a lawyer, not a leader', we look at what makes a political attack potent, and crucially, what makes them flop.

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King Production Coordinator - Katie Baum Executive Producer - Pete Strauss

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4. An EcoAudio Certified Production.

From In Our Time: History at 2025-01-16 09:02:00

Plutarch's Parallel Lives (p0kcd9c6.mp3)

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Greek biographer Plutarch (c46 AD-c120 AD) and especially his work 'Parallel Lives' which has shaped the way successive generations see the Classical world. Plutarch was clear that he was writing lives, not histories, and he wrote these very focussed accounts in pairs to contrast and compare the characters of famous Greeks and Romans, side by side, along with their virtues and vices. This focus on the inner lives of great men was to fascinate Shakespeare, who drew on Plutarch considerably when writing his Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, Timon of Athens and Antony and Cleopatra. While few followed his approach of setting lives in pairs, Plutarch's work was to influence countless biographers especially from the Enlightenment onwards.

With

Judith Mossman Professor Emerita of Classics at Coventry University

Andrew Erskine Professor of Ancient History at the University of Edinburgh

And

Paul Cartledge AG Leventis Senior Research Fellow of Clare College, University of Cambridge

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list:

Mark Beck (ed.), A Companion to Plutarch (Wiley-Blackwell, 2014)

Colin Burrow, Shakespeare and Classical Antiquity (Oxford University Press, 2013), especially chapter 6

Raphaëla Dubreuil, Theater and Politics in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives (Brill, 2023)

Tim Duff, Plutarch’s Lives: Exploring Virtue and Vice (Oxford University Press, 1999)

Noreen Humble (ed.), Plutarch’s Lives: Parallelism and Purpose (Classical Press of Wales, 2010)

Robert Lamberton, Plutarch (Yale University Press, 2002)

Hugh Liebert, Plutarch's Politics: Between City and Empire (Cambridge University Press, 2016)

Christopher Pelling, Plutarch and History (Classical Press of Wales, 2002)

Plutarch (trans. Robin Waterfield), Greek Lives (Oxford University Press, 2008)

Plutarch (trans. Robin Waterfield), Roman Lives (Oxford University Press, 2008)

Plutarch (trans. Robin Waterfield), Hellenistic Lives (Oxford University Press, 2016)

Plutarch (trans. Ian Scott-Kilvert), The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives (Penguin, 2023)

Plutarch (trans. Ian Scott-Kilvert), The Age of Alexander: Nine Greek Lives (Penguin, 2011)

Plutarch (trans. Richard Talbert), On Sparta (Penguin, 2005)

Plutarch (trans. Christopher Pelling), The Rise of Rome (Penguin, 2013)

Plutarch (trans. Christopher Pelling), Rome in Crisis: Nine Lives (Penguin, 2010)

Plutarch (trans. Rex Warner), The Fall of the Roman Republic: Six Lives (Penguin, 2006)

Plutarch (trans. Thomas North, ed. Judith Mossman), The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans (Wordsworth, 1998)

Geert Roskam, Plutarch (Cambridge University Press, 2021)

D. A. Russell, Plutarch (2nd ed., Bristol Classical Press, 2001)

Philip A. Stadter, Plutarch and his Roman Readers (Oxford University Press, 2014)

Frances B. Titchener and Alexei V. Zadorojnyi (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Plutarch (Cambridge University Press, 2023)

In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production

From The Django weblog at 2025-01-16 06:15:00

Django 5.2 alpha 1 released

Django 5.2 alpha 1 is now available. It represents the first stage in the 5.2 release cycle and is an opportunity for you to try out the changes coming in Django 5.2.

Django 5.2 brings a composite of new features which you can read about in the in-development 5.2 release notes.

This alpha milestone marks the feature freeze. The current release schedule calls for a beta release in about a month and a release candidate about a month from then. We'll only be able to keep this schedule if we get early and often testing from the community. Updates on the release schedule are available on the Django forum.

As with all alpha and beta packages, this is not for production use. But if you'd like to take some of the new features for a spin, or to help find and fix bugs (which should be reported to the issue tracker), you can grab a copy of the alpha package from our downloads page or on PyPI.

The PGP key ID used for this release is Sarah Boyce: 3955B19851EA96EF

From The Rest Is History at 2025-01-16 00:10:00

531. Hitler's War on Poland: The Pact with Stalin (Part 2) (GLT5437884494.mp3?updated=1736965184)

By the 11th of April 1939, Adolf Hitler and his Nazis were in the process of drawing up a plan of attack for Poland, the Poles having resisted Germany’s attempts to make them hand over Danzig and turn themselves into a satellite state. Now, with a new military alliance between France, Britain and Poland established, the time has come for Hitler to throw the dice and cast Europe into the long predicted war. Yet, at this most crucial and long awaited moment of his career, Hitler found himself in a state of emotional distress. Uncertain of whether France and Britain would join the war upon his invasion of Poland, and aware of Germany’s economic turmoil, the stakes had never been higher. He therefore decided to make a deal with his greatest ideological enemy - Joseph Stalin - forming an alliance with Russia, with the intention of dividing up Poland between them. Then, on the 1st of September, Hitler gave a landmark, excoriating address at the Reichstag, declaring war on Poland and tearing up his naval pact with Britain. War, it seemed, had become truly inevitable. Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the build up to Hitler’s invasion of Poland, one of the darkest episodes of all time, and the moment that the Second World War truly began. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Editor: Jack Meek Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The Duncan & Coe History Show at 2025-01-15 22:29:00

Framed by Blood: The Mary Lincoln Story (DC_MaryLincoln_Final.mp3?dest-id=4782257)

On the 10th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, his widow faces an unthinkable betrayal. Alexis dismantles the myth of the unhinged Mary "Never Todd" Lincoln and reveals thewidow's relentless battle for justice.

From The Media Show at 2025-01-15 17:20:00

Reporting the LA Fires, AI Michael Parkinson, US TikTok ban approaches (p0kjvr4j.mp3)

We talk to reporters in Los Angeles about the challenges of covering the fires there. As the government prepares to begin the charter renewal process which will decide the future of the BBC, one option being discussed is mutualisation. We explore what that could look like. A new podcast features celebrities interviewed by a reincarnated AI Michael Parkinson. We meet the team behind it. We get an update on the possibility of Tiktok being banned in the US, plus sift the TV industry’s viewing data for Christmas to see what it tells us about the kind of TV we all want to watch.

Presenter: Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

Guests: Jonathan Hunt, Chief Correspondent, Fox News; Emma Vardy, LA Correspondent, BBC News; Allison Agsten, Director, USC Annenberg’s Center for Climate Journalism and Communication; Caroline Frost, Columnist, Radio Times; Lara O'Reilly, Senior Correspondent, Business Insider; Tom Mills, Chair, Media Reform Coalition; Benjamin Field, Executive Producer, Deep Fusion Films

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-15 12:00:58

Phishing False Alarm

A very security-conscious company was hit with a (presumed) massive state-actor phishing attack with gift cards, and everyone rallied to combat it—until it turned out it was company management sending the gift cards.

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-14 17:05:17

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

This is a current list of where and when I am scheduled to speak:

• I’m speaking on “AI: Trust & Power” at Capricon 45 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, at 11:30 AM on February 7, 2025. I’m also signing books there on Saturday, February 8, starting at 1:45 PM.
• I’m speaking at Boskone 62 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, which runs from February 14-16, 2025.
• I’m speaking at the Rossfest Symposium in Cambridge, UK, on March 25, 2025.

The list is maintained on this page.

From The Django weblog at 2025-01-14 14:00:00

Django security releases issued: 5.1.5, 5.0.11, and 4.2.18

In accordance with our security release policy, the Django team is issuing releases for Django 5.1.5, Django 5.0.11, and Django 4.2.18. These releases address the security issues detailed below. We encourage all users of Django to upgrade as soon as possible.

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-14 12:00:43

The First Password on the Internet

It was created in 1973 by Peter Kirstein:

So from the beginning I put password protection on my gateway. This had been done in such a way that even if UK users telephoned directly into the communications computer provided by Darpa in UCL, they would require a password.

In fact this was the first password on Arpanet. It proved invaluable in satisfying authorities on both sides of the Atlantic for the 15 years I ran the service ­ during which no security breach occurred over my link. I also put in place a system of governance that any UK users had to be approved by a committee which I chaired but which also had UK government and British Post Office representation...

From School of War at 2025-01-14 10:45:00

Ep 169: Dmitry Filipoff on Naval Warfare in 2025 (NEBM2885591387.mp3?updated=1736821278)

Dmitry Filipoff, associate research analyst at the Center for Navy Analyses, joins the show to discuss the U.S. Navy surface component and the grave challenges it faces. ▪️ Times      •      01:19 Introduction     •      02:09 Lessons from the Red Sea      •      06:35 Friendly fire       •      10:55 Depletion        •      13:45 2027       •      18:07 How do fleets fight?      •      21:47 Scope and scale        •      24:57 “Catastrophic destruction”      •      29:00 The first few hours     •      34:30 Scripted exercises          •      37:15 Managing the chaos      •      41:34 Failing constructively   Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack

From Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum at 2025-01-13 20:57:00

EP31 Kushite Conversations (dchh-Addendum31-Kushite-Conversations.mp3?dest-id=596146)

Dan talks with writer, broadcaster and journalist Zeinab Badawi about the ancient African kingdom of Kush and her book on African history.

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-13 16:18:20

US splits world into three tiers for AI chip access

While close US allies get unrestricted AI chip access, the rest of the world has numerical limits.

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-13 12:01:55

Microsoft Takes Legal Action Against AI “Hacking as a Service” Scheme

Not sure this will matter in the end, but it’s a positive move:

Microsoft is accusing three individuals of running a “hacking-as-a-service” scheme that was designed to allow the creation of harmful and illicit content using the company’s platform for AI-generated content.

The foreign-based defendants developed tools specifically designed to bypass safety guardrails Microsoft has erected to prevent the creation of harmful content through its generative AI services, said Steven Masada, the assistant general counsel for Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit. They then compromised the legitimate accounts of paying customers. They combined those two things to create a fee-based platform people could use...

From The Rest Is History at 2025-01-13 00:10:00

530. Hitler’s War on Poland: Countdown to Armageddon (Part 1) (GLT8685711342.mp3?updated=1736529436)

Following the Munich agreement of September 1938, Nazi troops marched into Czechoslovakia and ruthlessly claimed it as a German protectorate. Still, even following his annexation of Czechoslovakia, Hitler’s determination to make Germany the greatest power in Europe was far from sated. Thus, hungry for war and keenly conscious of Germany’s fast imploding economic situation, his mind had turned by the beginning of 1939 to his next unfortunate target: Poland. And it was not only defeat that he envisaged this time, but Polish liquidation. But, with both the Poles and British becoming increasingly wary of Germany's growing assertiveness and militarism, in March 1939 they and France forged a military alliance. Enraged by this, Hitler finalised his plans for the conquest of Poland. In an unexpected turn of events, he also went in search of an unlikely ally of his own to counter the new alliance from which he was smarting: Russia’s Joseph Stalin, the Nazis’ ideological antagonist… Join Tom and Dominic for the appalling story of the build up to Hitler’s genocidal war on Poland. Was it possible that even at this inflamed juncture, war could still have been prevented? _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Editor: Jack Meek Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-11 12:15:43

161 years ago, a New Zealand sheep farmer predicted AI doom

Butler's "Darwin among the machines" warned of a future mechanical race that could subjugate humanity.

From The Week in Westminster at 2025-01-11 11:00:00

11/01/2025 (p0khz8tk.mp3)

Caroline Wheeler, political editor of The Sunday Times, assesses the latest developments at Westminster.

To discuss whether there should be a national inquiry into grooming gangs, Caroline is joined by Labour MP Paul Waugh who represents Rochdale, and former Conservative MP Laura Farris, who served as Safeguarding Minister in Rishi Sunak's government.

Following the announcement of the government's plans to reducing waiting lists in England, Caroline speaks to surgeon and former Labour Health Minister Ara Darzi who now sits in the House of Lords as an independent peer. He is the author of the recent government review into the NHS in England.

As the Chancellor Rachel Reeves visits China, Caroline brings together the chair of the business and trade select committee, Liam Byrne, and Conservative MP, Tom Tugendhat, who is a former Security Minister.

And, finally, the beginning of the Westminster week was dominated by political interventions made by the owner of the social media platform X. To discuss how the Prime Minister should handle such interventions, Caroline brought together Katie Perrior, former Downing Street Director of Communications for Theresa May and David Yelland, a former newspaper editor who is co-presenter of Radio 4's ‘When It Hits the Fan’.

From More or Less: Behind the Stats at 2025-01-11 06:00:00

Do 79% of Swedish asylum seekers go on holiday to the country they fled from? (p0khwych.mp3)

The claim that 79% of asylum seekers in Sweden go on holiday in their home country has been repeated regularly on social media. It’s used to argue that recent refugees are being disingenuous about the danger they face in the country they have fled from. But when you look at the survey the claim is based on, you see the stat in a very different way. We speak to Hjalmar Strid, who ran the survey for polling company Novus, and Tino Sanandaji from Bulletin, the online news site which published it.

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound Mix: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-10 23:10:57

Microsoft sues service for creating illicit content with its AI platform

Service used undocumented APIs and other tricks to bypass safety guardrails.

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-10 22:06:47

Friday Squid Blogging: Cotton-and-Squid-Bone Sponge

News:

A sponge made of cotton and squid bone that has absorbed about 99.9% of microplastics in water samples in China could provide an elusive answer to ubiquitous microplastic pollution in water across the globe, a new report suggests.

[…]

The study tested the material in an irrigation ditch, a lake, seawater and a pond, where it removed up to 99.9% of plastic. It addressed 95%-98% of plastic after five cycles, which the authors say is remarkable reusability.

The sponge is made from chitin extracted from squid bone and cotton cellulose, materials that are often used to address pollution. Cost, secondary pollution and technological complexities have stymied many other filtration systems, but large-scale production of the new material is possible because it is cheap, and raw materials are easy to obtain, the authors say...

From A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry at 2025-01-10 21:13:16

Fireside Friday, January 10, 2025

Hey folks, Fireside this week! I’m currently working on a post “On the Gracchi” taking a somewhat darker look at everyone’s favorite Roman reformers (though hardly the same black takedowns Alexander and Cleopatra got) , which will hopefully be ready for next week. Before we dive into this week’s musing, I do want to take … Continue reading Fireside Friday, January 10, 2025 →

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-10 17:52:29

AI could create 78 million more jobs than it eliminates by 2030—report

As AGI talk sparks job loss fears, new WEF report projects AI-driven net job growth by 2030.

From The Incomparable Mothership at 2025-01-10 17:00:00

749: Just Clean the Beakers (0c873cec-7e04-4aee-a23f-eb81af13f106.mp3)

The writers of “The Expanse” are back with a new series, and “The Mercy of Gods” is an alien invasion story that goes to some extremely dark places. But sometimes, dark is good… right? Right?! Plus: What are we reading?...

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-10 16:27:17

Apps That Are Spying on Your Location

404 Media is reporting on all the apps that are spying on your location, based on a hack of the location data company Gravy Analytics:

The thousands of apps, included in hacked files from location data company Gravy Analytics, include everything from games like Candy Crush to dating apps like Tinder, to pregnancy tracking and religious prayer apps across both Android and iOS. Because much of the collection is occurring through the advertising ecosystem­—not code developed by the app creators themselves—­this data collection is likely happening both without users’ and even app developers’ knowledge...

From Emperors of Rome at 2025-01-10 04:31:49

Episode CCXXXVI - The Madness of Commodus (Live in Melbourne) (250110-commodus-live.mp3)

To celebrate the 10th year of the Emperors of Rome podcast, Rhiannon Evans and Matt Smith convened a screening of the epic movie Gladiator starring Russell Crowe, preceded by a live podcast recording the history and basis of the character Commodus performed by Joaquin Phoenix.

Recorded on the 19th October 2024 at the Thornbury Picture House, Melbourne.

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-09 22:17:26

Ongoing attacks on Ivanti VPNs install a ton of sneaky, well-written malware

In-the-wild attacks tamper with built-in security tool to suppress infection warnings.

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-09 17:16:38

Zero-Day Vulnerability in Ivanti VPN

It’s being actively exploited.

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-09 17:11:54

How the UK was connected to the Internet for the first time

And a few months later, the Internet's first password.

From The Briefing Room at 2025-01-09 14:45:00

Why does Trump love tariffs? (p0khn5fd.mp3)

Donald Trump says he wants to introduce more tariffs on imports during his second presidency. He’s mentioned targeting imports from countries including Mexico, Canada, China and Demark as well as floating the idea of a universal tariff on all goods coming into the US.

So why does Trump like tariffs so much? What can we realistically expect him to do? And what would the effect be on the rest of us?

Archive clip included from Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Spotify, 25 October 2024.

Guests: Sam Lowe, Partner at Flint Global consultancy Meredith Crowley is a Professor of Economics at the University of Cambridge David Henig, Director of the UK Trade Policy Project Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham Sound engineers: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

From The Django weblog at 2025-01-09 00:43:00

DSF member of the month - Hiroki Kiyohara

This month marks the start of a new year, and the Django Software Foundation would like to wish you all a very happy new year. New year, new resolutions, but also the start of a new blog post series, with DSF members presented each month through an interview. A great way to learn more about the people behind Django, recognized for their contribution to the DSF mission.

For January 2025, we welcome Hiroki Kiyohara (@hirokiky) as our DSF member of the month! ⭐

Hiroki is the creator and a staff member of DjangoCongress JP. The CFP is still open!
He has done a lot for the Django Japan community which exist for many years and he has been a DSF member since October 2024.
You can learn more about Hiroki by checking out his website or visiting Hiroki’s GitHub Profile.

Let’s spend some time getting to know Hiroki better!

Can you tell us a little about yourself (hobbies, education, etc)

My name is Hiroki Kiyohara and I am the CEO of an AI Startup named ZenProducts. I like techno music, cars, drinking and VRChat!

How did you start using Django?

I started learning Python around 2010 after reading an essay "How to become a Hacker", which had a big impact on my life. I created a web service using Django, which has been a great project since then.

What other framework do you know and if there is anything you would like to have in Django if you had magical powers?

One thing I wanted to include in Django was an asynchronous worker, but it was already discussed as a future plan!

What projects are you working on now?

We are developing Shodo (https://shodo.ink/), an AI proofreading service for Japanese texts. The AI we developed in-house (by using transformers lib) and the server are all in Python. Of course we use Django with Async!

Which Django libraries are your favorite (core or 3rd party)?

We often use django-storages, DjangoRestFramework and pytest-django

What are the top three things in Django that you like?

Admin, Migration and ORM, and the last thing is the community (i.e. you!)

What made you decide to create DjangoCongress JP? Do you have any advice for someone who would like to create a local Django conference?

There was PyCon JP, but as Python became more widely used in different areas, there were fewer Django and web talks. So we created a Django-only event so that we could cover in-depth stuff.

I think if there is 1 person to join, you can start your event. Not just a big conference, we can create a community.

Do you have a quote or proverb in Japanese that you personally love?

I love 色即是空. It means that form is emptiness. So everything is not an absolute object or form and everything can be changed and something like flow. I also love "The times they are a changin’" by Bob Dylan. Both of them gave us a great perspective on the world.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

I'm very glad to be here, thank you!

Thank you for doing the interview, Hiroki!

From The Rest Is History at 2025-01-09 00:30:00

529. The Nazis' Road to War: Showdown in Munich (Part 2) (GLT8359198113.mp3?updated=1736382346)

On 17th September 1938, in Munich, one of the most extraordinary meetings in history took place. Neville Chamberlain launched an extraordinary and unprecedented diplomatic coup. Boarding a plane, he set off to meet Adolf Hitler in a desperate attempt to prevent war over Czechoslovakia, following the Nazis’ territorial incursions into Czechoslovakia. Little did he know that Hitler was already planning to launch a full blown war on the first of October - just two weeks later. Chamberlain, in his own mind the man of the hour, boldly wrestling the fate of Europe back under control, left with the goodwill of the British public behind him. Arriving at the Berghoff, Hitler’s fabled eerie, the two men talked and debated for three hours. Finally, Hitler agreed not to precipitate military action while Chamberlain discussed the situation with his Cabinet. Ominously, both men were delighted by the turn of events. Upon returning home, Chamberlain declared himself convinced of Hitler’s reliability, despite knowing full well of the atrocities he had already committed. Finally, in September 1938, another totemic emergency meeting of the main European powers took place in Munich, and an agreement - the consequences of which would change the world - was reached. Chamberlain would return to Britain a hero, but given the war that would follow, should he instead have been cast as a traitor? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the Munich Agreement: one of the most discussed, and infamous diplomatic instances in history, which has forever since shaped the way that Western nations have addressed international affairs. Had Neville Chamberlain delayed war with Germany, or inevitably doomed Czechoslovakia and Poland to the ruthless ravages of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party? _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Editor: Jack Meek Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-08 23:46:10

Here’s how hucksters are manipulating Google to promote shady Chrome extensions

How do you stash 18,000 keywords into a description? Turns out it's easy.

From The Media Show at 2025-01-08 18:15:00

Uncovering the grooming gangs, Meta ditches fact checkers, Grand Theft Auto 6 (p0khfln3.mp3)

We talk to Andrew Norfolk, one of the first journalists to report on the grooming gangs story, an issue now in headlines around the world because of the interventions of Elon Musk. Nazir Afzal, former prosecutor explains how journalists helped advise the Crown Prosecution Service about the case. Meta’s decision to scrap US fact-checkers in favor of user-led "community notes," has proved controversial. We find out why. We ask what journalists in the so-called legacy media can learn from news influencers on TikTok. Plus get the latest on one of the most hyped releases of the year (if it happens) Grand Theft Auto 6.

Guests: Andrew Norfolk, Former Chief Investigative Reporter, The Times; Nazir Afzal, former chief prosecutor for the North West England region; Julia Angwin, journalist and fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School; Angie Drobnic Holan, Director, PolitiFact; Joey Contino, TikTok news influencer; Alessandra Galloni, Thompson Reuters editor-in-chief; Vic Hood, games critic Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-07 16:33:05

Nvidia unveils $3,000 desktop AI computer for home researchers

Project DIGITS can run a local chatbot or other AI models up to 200B parameters in size.

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-07 14:00:28

Widely used DNA sequencer still doesn’t enforce Secure Boot

A firmware-dwelling bootkit in the iSeq 100 could be a key win for threat actors.

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-07 12:00:42

US Treasury Department Sanctions Chinese Company Over Cyberattacks

From the Washington Post:

The sanctions target Beijing Integrity Technology Group, which U.S. officials say employed workers responsible for the Flax Typhoon attacks which compromised devices including routers and internet-enabled cameras to infiltrate government and industrial targets in the United States, Taiwan, Europe and elsewhere.

From School of War at 2025-01-07 10:45:00

Ep 168: Nadège Rolland on China’s Vision of Strategic Space (NEBM7653297862.mp3?updated=1736209871)

Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow, China Studies, at the National Bureau of Asian Research and author of Mapping China's Strategic Space, joins the show to discuss how to better understand the geopolitical premises of China’s strategic elites. ▪️ Times      •      01:36 Introduction     •      02:04 Strategic space      •      05:05 Mao’s strategic vision       •      11:12 Origin points       •      17:10 Geopolitical dimensions      •      20:25 Finding answers      •      26:35 Encirclement        •      33:55 Core interests      •      38:56 China’s end goal      •      45:37 Multilateralism        •      49:04 Risk and overextension  Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-06 17:18:01

Sam Altman says “we are now confident we know how to build AGI”

The race to replace human workers continues in Big Tech, but not everyone is convinced it will happen so soon.

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-06 12:06:52

Privacy of Photos.app’s Enhanced Visual Search

Initial speculation about a new Apple feature.

From The Rest Is History at 2025-01-06 00:10:00

528. The Nazis' Road to War: Hitler Prepares to Strike (Part 1) (GLT9235039478.mp3?updated=1736117310)

Throughout the course of the 1930s, Adolph Hitler’s Nazi party has overwhelmingly, terrifyingly seized power in Germany. Now, Hitler’s vile ambitions have turned to Czechoslovakia. On the 12th of September 1938 at the Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg, he rabidly defended the supposed interests of the German speaking minority in Czechoslovakia, claiming that they had been ravaged and tortured by their cruel Czech overlords, but not so. In reality, Hitler is preparing the ground for the invasion and dismemberment of Czechoslovakia - what he sees as a crucial step towards the creation of a new German dominion in central and eastern Europe. In so doing, he is setting Europe upon the road to an increasingly imminent Second World War. With Nazism driven above all by the shattering experience of the First World War, a hunger for war burns at the very centre of the Nazi’s ambitions. For Hitler, it is personal - the German economy is in meltdown and with it, his frayed mental and physical state. Was it possible, then, that at this crucial juncture in 1938, the outcome of war could be prevented? Certainly, Britain’s Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, was determined to make it so… Join Tom and Dominic for the opening episode in their next series on the Nazis’ road to the Second World War. With European politics in turmoil, Adolph Hitler hungry for war, and Neville Chamberlain desperate to appease him, will there be peace in our time? At Munich, one of the most controversial diplomatic instances in history, the fate of the world will be decided. ______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Editor: Jack Meek Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From More or Less: Behind the Stats at 2025-01-04 06:00:00

Numbers of the year part 2 (p0kbvbk8.mp3)

We asked and you responded, this edition of ‘numbers of the year’ are from you. our loyal listeners. We scoured the inboxes to find three fascinating numbers that say something about the world we live in now and put them to our experts. Tune if you want to hear about rising global temperatures, what Taylor Swift has in common with 65 years olds and facts about fax (machines).

Contributors: Amanda Maycock, University of Leeds Jennifer Dowd, University of Oxford

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Producer: Vicky Baker and Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar.

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-03 22:04:47

Friday Squid Blogging: Anniversary Post

I made my first squid post nineteen years ago this week. Between then and now, I posted something about squid every week (with maybe only a few exceptions). There is a lot out there about squid, even more if you count the other meanings of the word.

Blog moderation policy.

From A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry at 2025-01-03 19:25:13

Collections: Coinage and the Tyranny of Fantasy ‘Gold’

This week on the blog I want to take a brief detour into discussing historical coinage, particularly in the context of modern fantasy and roleplaying settings. In particular, the notions I want to tackle are first how did ancient currency systems work in terms of value (what could you buy with how much) and then … Continue reading Collections: Coinage and the Tyranny of Fantasy ‘Gold’ →

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-03 14:46:03

ShredOS

ShredOS is a stripped-down operating system designed to destroy data.

GitHub page here.

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2025-01-03 12:15:47

Time to check if you ran any of these 33 malicious Chrome extensions

Two separate campaigns have been stealing credentials and browsing history for months.

From Dan Carlin's Hardcore History at 2025-01-03 06:16:05

Show 72 - Mania for Subjugation II (dchha72_Mania_for_Subjugation_II.mp3)

Is it safe to hand control of the deadliest army in the world to a 20-year old? If you are Thracian, Triballian, Illyrian or Theban, the answer is definitely no. Alexander becomes king and fights off threats to his rule in all directions.

From Schneier on Security at 2025-01-02 20:22:50

Google Is Allowing Device Fingerprinting

Lukasz Olejnik writes about device fingerprinting, and why Google’s policy change to allow it in 2025 is a major privacy setback.

From The Briefing Room at 2025-01-02 16:00:00

Is the push for the electric cars in trouble? (p0kfzs2x.mp3)

Encouraging everyone to make the change to electric vehicles has been a major part of government green and industrial policy for some time now. The government has announced a consultation on how to speed up the transition to electric cars and fade out the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. The last Government had extended plans to ban of the sale of new petrol cars to 2035. There are targets, there are mandates and there is scepticism about how quickly the transition is really happening.

So, as we enter 2025, what is the state of the country’s move from petrol to electric? How do we compare with other countries and what does it say about the British car industry?

Guests: Ginny Buckley, Editor-in-Chief and founder of electrifying.com Ian Henry, Owner and Managing Director of Auto Analysis and visiting Professor in Automotive Business Strategy at Royal Holloway, University of London David Bailey, Professor of Business Economics at the Birmingham Business School.

Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham Sound engineers: Rod Farquhar Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

From Strong Message Here at 2025-01-02 09:45:00

Listeners' Strong Messages (p0kdf0cw.mp3)

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

This week, Helen and Armando are delving into the email inbox to find out which political phrases have been driving our listeners to distraction.

Strong Message here will be back on the 16th January at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King Production Coordinator - Katie Baum Executive Producer - Pete Strauss

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4. An EcoAudio Certified Production.

From The Rest Is History at 2025-01-02 00:10:00

527. Beethoven: Napoleon and the Music of War LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall (GLT4140502571.mp3?updated=1735600324)

Ludwig Van Beethoven, like his precursor and possible acquaintance Mozart, is one of the most famous figures in Western musical history. With his wild hair and furrowed brow, his was a genius marked not by flamboyance and flare, but dark, bombastic gravity. Like Mozart, though, his musical talents also emerged at a young age. Born in Bonn, Germany, in 1770, he was initially taught by his father. Finding his home life dysfunctional however, he eventually moved to Vienna at the age of twenty-one. There he would study musical composition under the great composer Haydn, and garnered a reputation for being a talented pianist. By 1800, his symphonies were being performed to much acclaim. But, as music’s first true star and with the world seemingly before his feet, a terrible shadow was hanging over Beethoven - his encroaching deafness, which saw him becoming more and more anti-social. How was it, then, that in spite of this terrible affliction, he came to write some of his best known works during the height of his deafness? And what became of him? Join Tom and Dominic at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the Philharmonia Chorus, conducted by Oliver Zeffman, as they delve into the life of Beethoven, one of the most venerated figures in the history of music. With his unkempt appearance, ferocious reputation, and famously ill-fated deafness, what was the truth behind the legends of this extraordinary man? And how did he come to write some of the most iconic pieces of classical music of all time?  _______ Academy of St Martin in the Fields Orchestra Philharmonia Chorus Chorus Oliver Zeffman Conductor Stephanie Gonley Leader & Violin Soloist Mishka Rushdie Momen Pianist Nardus Williams Soprano Katie Stevenson Mezzo Andrew Staples Tenor William Thomas Bass _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producers: Tabby Syrett + Anouska Lewis + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The Media Show at 2025-01-01 17:13:00

PR v journalism, Post Office drama one year on, predictions for 2025 (p0kg48zk.mp3)

A New Years Day programme where we look forward and back. The Media Show teams up with Radio 4's crisis communications podcast, When it Hits the Fan, to discuss what the big stories of the year tell us about how journalists and PR professionals interact. It’s a year since the hugely influential ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office brought the plight of hundreds of sub-postmasters and mistresses wrongly accused of fraud into our living rooms. We hear how those affected have approached their relationship with the media since then. Plus we assemble a panel of media experts to get their predictions of major trends we'll see in 2025.

Guests: David Yelland and Simon Lewis, presenters, When it Hits the Fan; Rebekah Foot, Chair, Lost Chances; Madhumita Murgia, AI Editor, FT; Charlotte Tobitt, UK Editor, Press Gazette; Rebecca Jennings, Senior correspondent, Vox

Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson

From The Incomparable Mothership at 2025-01-01 04:00:00

748: Holes at the End of the World (bc1b272b-5bc2-4d5f-8f4f-c2f8098dd0e8.mp3)

Another year in the books, and there was a lot to appreciate about the stuff we consumed—movies, TV, books, video games, and more—in 2024. Our most prolific panelists collaborate on a massive list of the stuff we enjoyed over the past 12 months....

From Schneier on Security at 2024-12-31 12:02:13

Gift Card Fraud

It’s becoming an organized crime tactic:

Card draining is when criminals remove gift cards from a store display, open them in a separate location, and either record the card numbers and PINs or replace them with a new barcode. The crooks then repair the packaging, return to a store and place the cards back on a rack. When a customer unwittingly selects and loads money onto a tampered card, the criminal is able to access the card online and steal the balance.

[…]

In card draining, the runners assist with removing, tampering and restocking of gift cards, according to court documents and investigators...

From Schneier on Security at 2024-12-30 12:05:00

Salt Typhoon’s Reach Continues to Grow

The US government has identified a ninth telecom that was successfully hacked by Salt Typhoon.

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2024-12-30 12:00:53

Passkey technology is elegant, but it’s most definitely not usable security

Just in time for holiday tech-support sessions, here's what to know about passkeys.

From The Rest Is History at 2024-12-30 00:20:00

526. Mozart: History's Greatest Prodigy LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall (GLT4198925734.mp3?updated=1735520137)

In 1756 a musical prodigy was born in Salzburg, Austria: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Thanks to the efforts of his exacting father, Mozart's genius was exhibited and celebrated in some of the greatest courts of Europe from a young age. At four years old he wrote his first keyboard concerto, at six he was performing for the empress Maria Theresa. Soon he and his father were touring Europe, and the young Mozart's exploits proved increasingly lucrative for his overbearing parent. But, like all young men, Mozart was growing up and becoming increasingly uncontrollable. Feeling stifled and professionally frustrated, he began to disobey his wealthy patrons and went freelance, risking financial security and the favour of his family. Yet, it would also see him falling in love, and writing some of his most glorious works. Nevertheless, time and life was running out for the young composer, as he began to write the powerful Requiem, which may prove to be for his own death... Join Tom and Dominic at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the Philharmonia Chorus, conducted by Oliver Zeffman, they explore one of the most famous musical figures of all time: Mozart. What was the origin of his genius? What are the stories behind some of his most famous works, such as The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni? And, what is the truth behind his tragic and much mythologised death, young and penniless?  Academy of St Martin in the Fields Orchestra Philharmonia Chorus Chorus Oliver Zeffman Conductor Stephanie Gonley Leader & Violin Soloist Mishka Rushdie Momen Pianist Nardus Williams Soprano Katie Stevenson Mezzo Andrew Staples Tenor William Thomas Bass _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Anouska Lewis Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From More or Less: Behind the Stats at 2024-12-28 06:00:00

Numbers of the year 2024 (p0kbv26c.mp3)

It’s that time of year again, the time when we ask some of our favourite statistically-inclined people for their numbers of the year. We present them to you - from falling birth rates in India to children saved by vaccines.

Contributors: RukminiS, Data for India Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, Cambridge University, Hannah Ritchie, Our World in Data.

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Producers: Lizzy McNeill and Vicky Baker Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Engineer: Donald McDonald and Rod Farquhar

From A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry at 2024-12-27 16:21:13

Gap Week: December 27, 2024 (Year in Review)

Hey folks! Year is coming to a close, so once again I’m going to offer a bit of an end-of-year reflection on the state of the project, along with a brief ‘what’s on the stove’ coverage of what may be coming up. Also, here’s a cat picture: In terms of the project itself, 2024 was, … Continue reading Gap Week: December 27, 2024 (Year in Review) →

From Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics at 2024-12-27 12:52:00

Saturnalia (p0kfdknk.mp3)

No togas today please. Natalie celebrates the mid-winter festival of Ancient Rome, Saturnalia. According to Catullus, it's the 'best of days'.

Expect cross-dressing, sweets, drinking games and the wearing of special pyjamas. Oh and anarchy and jokes. Sounds a bit like a Christmas pantomime? Not surprising, according to veteran pantomime dame André Vincent, who traces the origins of panto back to the fifth century. Early in that same century - late antiquity - a Roman Christian named Macrobius wrote the most comprehensive extant guide to Saturnalia, which was celebrated in some places, in one way or another, until possibly the eleventh century.

You are invited to be part of this festive show which includes gifts for the entire Radio Theatre audience (cue noisy rustling of sweet bags) and the wearing of traditional Saturnalian pointy hats (the 'pileus') to celebrate. Even Professor Llewelyn Morgan has one. Honest.

Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery

From Schneier on Security at 2024-12-27 10:06:22

Friday Squid Blogging: Squid on Pizza

Pizza Hut in Taiwan has a history of weird pizzas, including a “2022 scalloped pizza with Oreos around the edge, and deep-fried chicken and calamari studded throughout the middle.”

Blog moderation policy.

From Schneier on Security at 2024-12-26 16:09:30

Scams Based on Fake Google Emails

Scammers are hacking Google Forms to send email to victims that come from google.com.

Brian Krebs reports on the effects.

Boing Boing post.

From The Briefing Room at 2024-12-26 16:00:00

Why we need to care about the Arctic (p0kddjbr.mp3)

The Arctic is going through changes to its climate, economics and geo-politics. What does it mean for the region and the rest of the world? The fact that glaciers are melting and the white landscape is turning green is bad for climate change but could it also bring economic benefits?

Guests: Jennifer Spence, director of the Arctic Initiative at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School. Heidi Sevestre, glaciologist and member of one of the Working Groups to the Arctic Council. Heather Conley, senior advisor to the German Marshall Fund's (GMF) board of trustees. Pavel Devyatkin is a Senior Associate and Leadership Group member at The Arctic Institute.

Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

From In Our Time: History at 2024-12-26 09:02:00

The Hanoverian Succession (p0k78x0d.mp3)

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the intense political activity at the turn of the 18th Century, when many politicians in London went to great lengths to find a Protestant successor to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland and others went to equal lengths to oppose them. Queen Anne had no surviving children and, following the old rules, there were at least 50 Catholic candidates ahead of any Protestant ones and among those by far the most obvious candidate was James, the only son of James II. Yet with the passing of the Act of Settlement in 1701 ahead of Anne's own succession, focus turned to Europe and to Princess Sophia, an Electress of the Holy Roman Empire in Hanover who, as a granddaughter of James I, thus became next in line to be crowned at Westminster Abbey. It was not clear that Hanover would want this role, given its own ambitions and the risks, in Europe, of siding with Protestants, and soon George I was minded to break the rules of succession so that he would be the last Hanoverian monarch as well as the first.

With

Andreas Gestrich Professor Emeritus at Trier University and Former Director of the German Historical Institute in London

Elaine Chalus Professor of British History at the University of Liverpool

And

Mark Knights Professor of History at the University of Warwick

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list:

J.M. Beattie, The English Court in the Reign of George I (Cambridge University Press, 1967)

Jeremy Black, The Hanoverians: The History of a Dynasty (Hambledon Continuum, 2006)

Justin Champion, Republican Learning: John Toland and the Crisis of Christian Culture 1696-1722 (Manchester University Press, 2003), especially his chapter ‘Anglia libera: Protestant liberties and the Hanoverian succession, 1700–14’

Linda Colley, Britons: Forging the Nation 1707 – 1837 (Yale University Press, 2009)

Andreas Gestrich and Michael Schaich (eds), The Hanoverian Succession: Dynastic Politics and Monarchical Culture (‎Ashgate, 2015)

Ragnhild Hatton, George I: Elector and King (Thames & Hudson Ltd, 1979)

Mark Knights, Representation and Misrepresentation in Later Stuart Britain: Partisanship and Political Culture (Oxford University Press, 2005)

Mark Knights, Faction Displayed: Reconsidering the Impeachment of Dr Henry Sacheverell (Blackwell, 2012)

Joanna Marschner, Queen Caroline: Cultural Politics at the Early Eighteenth-Century Court (Yale University Press, 2014)

Ashley Marshall, ‘Radical Steele: Popular Politics and the Limits of Authority’ (Journal of British Studies 58, 2019)

Paul Monod, Jacobitism and the English People, 1688-1788 (Cambridge University Press, 1989)

Hannah Smith, Georgian Monarchy: Politics and Culture 1714-1760 (Cambridge University Press, 2006)

Daniel Szechi, 1715: The Great Jacobite Rebellion (Yale University Press, 2006)

A.C. Thompson, George II : King and Elector (Yale University Press, 2011)

In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production

From The Duncan & Coe History Show at 2024-12-26 01:34:00

Squirrel's Troublesome Little Bones (Bonus_episode_DC_NYE.mp3?dest-id=4782257)

In this bonus episode, Alexis imagines a historic New Year's Eve menu for Mike.

patreon.com/duncanandcoe

Karen Abbott, The Ghosts of Eden Park:The Bootleg King, the Women Who Pursued Him, and the Murder that Shocked Jazz-Age America.

Candice Millard, Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

Malinda Russell, A Domestic Cook: Containing a Careful Selection of Useful Receipts for the Kitchen

Jon Mooallen, This Is Chance!

From The Rest Is History at 2024-12-25 00:10:00

525. Charlemagne: Emperor of the West (Part 3) (GLT6103469677.mp3?updated=1734100735)

“And from that moment on, he was addressed as emperor and Augustus!” The coronation of Charlemagne on Christmas Day 800 AD, is one of the landmark moments in all world history. More than three centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire in the West, the emperors had returned once more, and a Caesar ruled in Rome. But how did this legendary event come to pass? For many years Charlemagne, though a formidable figure, had been but one power player in the game of empires, competing with the emperor of Constantinople and the new Pope in Rome. Then, in 797 a spectacular crisis struck Constantinople. The cruel and politically feckless emperor, Constantine VI, was ruthlessly usurped by his mother, Irene, who became the first and only ruling empress in the whole sweep of Roman history. In the West though, her rule as a woman was not acknowledged. To Charlemagne, then, it seemed the perfect opportunity to claim the vacant throne. What unfolded after this would see Rome and Constantinople lock horns in a terrible power struggle, involving blindings, mutilation and political scheming. With Charlemagne acting as arbiter between them, would he take the ultimate step and become, for the first time since 476 AD, the emperor in Rome? Join Tom and Dominic for the climax of their epic series on Charlemagne: the Frankish king turned emperor, who transformed the western world forever. What would become of his mighty empire, faced with Saracen pirates, vikings and division? _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Editor: Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The Django weblog at 2024-12-24 14:00:00

Welcome to our new Django accessibility team members - Eli, Marijke, Saptak, Tushar

Sarah Abderemane, Thibaud Colas and Tom Carrick are pleased to introduce four new members in the Django Accessibility team ❤️.

Marijke Luttekes

Eliana Rosselli

Tushar Gupta

Saptak Sengupta

Marijke (pronounced Mah-Rye-Kuh) is a freelance web developer who creates human-friendly applications. She is based in Groningen, The Netherlands, specializing in Django, Python, HTML, SCSS, and vanilla JavaScript. She helps companies expand their existing projects, think about new features, train new developers, and improve developer team workflows. She is aDdjango contributor from the first session of Djangonaut Space program and she loves tea. You can learn more about Marijke on her website.

Eli is a full-stack developer from Uruguay who loves using Django and React. She is a Django contributor from the first session of the Djangonaut Space program. She is passionate about good quality code, unit testing, and web accessibility. She enjoys drinking Maté (and talking about it!) and watching her football team play.

Tushar is a software engineer at Canonical, based in India. He got involved on open source during his studies loving the the supportive community. Through fellowships like Major League Hacking, Tushar dove into Django and took part in Djangonaut Space. Learn more about Tushar on his personal website.

Saptak is a self-proclaimed Human Rights Centered Developer Web. He focuses on security, privacy, accessibility, localization, and other human rights associated with websites that makes websites more inclusive and usable by everyone. Learn more about Saptak on his personal website.

Listen to them talking about their work¶

Here are recent talks or podcasts from our new team members if you want to get to know them better.

What’s next¶

In truth, our four new accessibility team members joined the team months ago – shortly after we published our 2023 accessibility team report. Up next, a lot of the team will be present at FOSDEM 2025, organizing, volunteering, or speaking at the Inclusive Web Devroom.

From Schneier on Security at 2024-12-24 12:04:24

Spyware Maker NSO Group Found Liable for Hacking WhatsApp

A judge has found that NSO Group, maker of the Pegasus spyware, has violated the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act by hacking WhatsApp in order to spy on people using it.

Jon Penney and I wrote a legal paper on the case.

From School of War at 2024-12-24 11:00:00

Ep 167: Dan Blumenthal and Kyle Balzer on China’s Nuclear Buildup (NEBM3707752543.mp3?updated=1735005469)

Dan Blumenthal and Kyle Balzer, co-authors of The True Aims of China’s Nuclear Buildup for Foreign Affairs, join the show to discuss the geopolitical implications of China’s increasing and diversifying nuclear arsenal.  ▪️ Times      •      01:24 Introduction     •      02:40 China’s buildup      •      05:05 American perception       •     07:28 What is nuclear strategy?        •      11:49 Geopolitical vision      •      16:28 Shaping the world order      •      18:41 Restoring American credibility       •      25:10 Imagining failure      •      30:24 Prospects Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2024-12-23 17:21:39

Health care giant Ascension says 5.6 million patients affected in cyberattack

Intrusion caused medical errors and diversion of emergency services.

From Schneier on Security at 2024-12-23 17:04:02

Criminal Complaint against LockBit Ransomware Writer

The Justice Department has published the criminal complaint against Dmitry Khoroshev, for building and maintaining the LockBit ransomware.

From The Rest Is History at 2024-12-23 00:10:00

524. Charlemagne: Pagan Killer (Part 2) (GLT1992648453.mp3?updated=1734098988)

“Here was a program to wet the ambitions of warlords as well as scholars, and to send men into battle beneath the fluttering of banners, the hiss of arrows, and the shadow of carrion crows…” The year is 777 and Charles the Great - Charlemagne - has ruled as joint king of the Franks alongside his brother, Carloman, for nine years. Now though his brother and greatest impediment to sole authority has died under mysterious circumstances. The sole successor to the mighty Carolingian dynasty, then, Charlemagne behaves differently from all the Frankish warlords that have come before him. In the aftermath of the once great Roman Empire, he seems to have modelled himself on the image an Augustus, pushing the already formidable kingdom that he has inherited towards greater and greater dominion. In his sights now are the Saxons, long growing fractious in Germany, and also the terrifying Lombards. The campaigns that ensued would be more ruthless than any before, with Charlemagne himself personally leading his men into battle. But his regime is not only one founded upon the blade of a sword and militaristic might, it is also a religious and educational revolution. It would utterly transform the west forever, introducing widespread writing and learning, and Christianising vast swathes of Europe - poor and elite alike. But Charlemagne’s total dominion of the West was still incomplete. What would happen next? Join Tom and Dominic as they delve deeper into the rise of the mighty Charlemagne: his transition to sole ruler of the Franks, his violent militaristic conquests, and a Christian regime that would change the world.  _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Editor: Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The Week in Westminster at 2024-12-21 11:30:00

21/12/2024 (p0kdd1qx.mp3)

The BBC's deputy political editor, Vicki Young assesses a year when the political landscape shifted with the Whitehall Editor of the Financial Times Lucy Fisher, commentator and director of the London Defence Conference Iain Martin and Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff.

From More or Less: Behind the Stats at 2024-12-21 06:00:00

Did Mussolini make the trains run on time? (p0kdbcpr.mp3)

“Say what you like about Mussolini but he did make the trains run on time.” This phrase is the political equivalent of “every cloud has a silver lining” – but does it have any factual basis? Mussolini’s dictatorship in Italy was full of atrocities, brutal suppression and propaganda. Did it also create a more efficient railway network? We speak to Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat about the truth of the claim and why the Mussolini regime wanted us to believe it. Presenter: Lizzy McNeill Producer: Lizzy McNeill Researcher: Esme Winterbotham Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Master: James Beard Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison.

Image: Benito Mussolini in his train studying maps. (Photo by ullstein picture/ullstein picture via Getty Images)

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2024-12-20 22:01:34

12 days of OpenAI: The Ars Technica recap

Did OpenAI's big holiday event live up to the billing?

From Schneier on Security at 2024-12-20 22:00:59

Friday Squid Blogging: Squid Sticker

A sticker for your water bottle.

Blog moderation policy.

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2024-12-20 19:31:43

OpenAI announces o3 and o3-mini, its next simulated reasoning models

o3 matches human levels on ARC-AGI benchmark, and o3-mini exceeds o1 at some tasks.

From The Incomparable Mothership at 2024-12-20 17:00:00

747: Latin Rap Battle (0d49bcc6-0ba9-428b-bc7d-25d3b50a232c.mp3)

For Kilmas this year we travel to 19th century Arizona for “Tombstone,” where Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and their shady pal Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer!) confront a bunch of rotten outlaw thugs and their own mortality. Will our noted hater of westerns, Erika, accept the possibility of a Kilmas miracle? Listen to find out!...

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2024-12-20 15:44:05

The AI war between Google and OpenAI has never been more heated

Potentially groundbreaking AI releases have been coming in fast, sending experts' heads spinning.

From A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry at 2024-12-20 15:18:31

Collections: On Bread and Circuses

Coming off of some of the discussion of Gladiator II (I, II), this week I want to discuss the place of ‘bread and circuses’ in the narrative of Roman decadence and decline. This is one of those phrases which long ago entered the standard lexicon, but which gets used and interpreted in a range of … Continue reading Collections: On Bread and Circuses →

From School of War at 2024-12-20 10:30:00

Ep 166: Rachel Kousser on Alexander the Great (NEBM7221598614.mp3?updated=1734658457)

Rachel Kousser, professor of Classics and Art History at the City University of New York and author of Alexander at the End of the World, joins the show to talk about the violent, brilliant, complex career of Alexander the Great. ▪️ Times      •      01:27 Introduction     •      01:59 Early years and conquest     •      05:45 Pragmatic opportunist       •     09:20 Persepolis burning        •      11:48 Darius      •      14:36 Alexander in the field      •      19:30 Understanding the geography       •      25:56 Dreamer      •      29:50 “A war of choice…”     •      32:57 Building something new      •      34:36 Breaking point       •      38:00 King with consent      •      41:48 Harnessing strength Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack

From Strong Message Here at 2024-12-20 09:45:00

Words of the Year (p0kd4n8k.mp3)

In a year where Labour secured a 'loveless landslide' in the UK and Trump sealed his return to the White House, Helen and Armando will be 'laser-focused' on their 'mission' to skewer the use and abuse of political language. From 'freebies' to 'fascism', 'weird' to 'working people', all of the strong messages that helped Make 2024 Great Again will be put under the microscope.

A witty, illuminating exploration of the verbal tricks of the trade from two people both mesmerised and baffled by our political discourse. Helen and Armando will identify the worst political doublespeak, discover where it comes from, examine why it spreads - and look at what effect it has on the rest of us.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King Production Coordinator - Katie Baum Executive Producer - Pete Strauss

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4. An EcoAudio Certified Production.

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2024-12-19 21:49:53

Not to be outdone by OpenAI, Google releases its own “reasoning” AI model

Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking is Google's take on so-called AI reasoning models.

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2024-12-19 20:41:02

As firms abandon VMware, Broadcom is laughing all the way to the bank

Ingram Micro the latest to ditch VMware, but VMware's still making money.

From Biz & IT – Ars Technica at 2024-12-19 20:10:29

New physics sim trains robots 430,000 times faster than reality

"Genesis" can compress training times from decades into hours using 3D worlds conjured from text.

From The Briefing Room at 2024-12-19 16:00:00

Is chainsaw economics working in Argentina? (p0kd21jj.mp3)

In his election campaign President Milei set out his chainsaw approach to cutting spending and inflation. A year on, how has his presidency turned out?

David Aaronovitch and guests explore - why was Argentina’s economy in such a bad state when Milei took office, what new measures has President Milei introduced, and how have things turned out so far?

Guests: Monica de Bolle, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics Tyler Cowan, Professor of economics at George Mason University Pablo Castro, Professor of micro and macro economics at Buenos Aires University

Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham Sound engineers: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman