The good folks over at Adafruit are raising the alarm about a new New York State 3D printing law that could greatly imperil the public's freedom to tinker and could generally make life way more annoying for the schools, libraries, hospitals, small businesses, hobbyists, and garages that utilize 3D printers.

New York's 2026-2027 executive budget bill (S.9005 / A.10005) includes language requiring that all 3D printers operating in the state need to include software or firmware that scans every print file through a "firearms blueprint detection algorithm" and then locks the hardware up so it refuses to print anything it flags as a potential firearm or firearm component.

As Adafruit's Phillip Torrone notes, the key problem here is it's largely impossible to detect firearms from geometry alone:

"A firearms blueprint detection algorithm would need to identify every possible firearm component from raw STL/GCODE files, while not flagging pipes, tubes, blocks, brackets, gears, or any of the millions of legitimate shapes that happen to share geometric properties with gun parts. This is a classification problem with enormous false positive and false negative rates."

NY's new law would apply to open source firmware like Marlin, Klipper, and RepRap, which are generally maintained by volunteers without the resources for compliance. As well as office printers that never touch the internet, or CNC milling machines that can basically generate any shape you can imagine.

Torrone goes on to explain how the bill could be dramatically improved by exempting open source firmware, and focusing more concretely on the intent to create fire-arms, instead of waging an impossible enforcement war on ambiguous shapes. They're also recommending limited liability for retailers, schools, and libraries, and the elimination of mandatory file scanning:

"But the answer to misuse isn't surveillance built into the tool itself. We don't require table saws to scan wood for weapon shapes. We don't require lathes to phone home before turning metal. We prosecute people who make illegal things, not people who own tools.

The Open Source 3D printing community probably does not know about this. OSHWA and other open source advocacy orgs have ignored many of the things we really need their help with. That needs to change. This bill is in early stages — the working group hasn't even convened yet. There's time to work together, in the open, for amendments that make sense."

Random aside: it's worth reminding folks that this proposal comes on the heels of a recently passed New York State "right to repair" law (supposed to make it easier and cheaper to repair technology you own) that Governor Kathy Hochul basically lobotomized at lobbyist behest after it was passed, ensuring it doesn't actually protect anybody's freedom to tinker.

The Trump administration's efforts to force coal and other dirty fossil fuels on Americans while blocking solar and wind energy projects are so blatant and obvious that there's really no debate what's going on. There are some lame excuses being trotted out, though. In Colorado, as in some other places, ... [continued]

The post Coloradans Push Back On Trump Trying To Force Coal On Them appeared first on CleanTechnica.

It's the band's contribution to War Child's forthcoming HELP(2) album

Pulp have released a new song, called 'Begging For Change'.

Recorded at Abbey Road Studios and produced and mixed by James Ford and Animesh Raval, the song appears on the forthcoming War Child album HELP(2), which is inspired by the charity's previous 1995 release of the various artists album HELP.

Pulp's song features contributions from a children's choir, as well as backing vocals from guests Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten, Kae Tempest and Carl Barat at the beginning of the track.

In 1996, the band's album Different Class was nominated for the Mercury Prize alongside the original HELP compilation. After winning the award, Jarvis Cocker dedicated it to War Child, and donated the £25,000 prize money to the charity during...

The post Pulp Share New Song, 'Begging For Change' appeared first on The Quietus.

The #11 started the weekend exactly as he'd have envisaged by leading the timesheets in the 45-minute FP1 session

It is my pleasure to publish this extract from Gillian Tindall's novel Journal of a Man Unknown which describes a nocturnal vision that is granted to the protagonist in Mile End

CLICK HERE TO ORDER JOURNAL OF A MAN UNKNOWN FOR £10

'It was a fine night, though chill, and the stars were out. I went walking on, beyond the Spital Fields and Brick Lane, out into the countryside to Mile End and beyond, to where there were few houses along the highway, out to where the Jews have made a burial ground. (I had met a few, newcomers to London like to the Huguenots, and they were very much the same manner of decent, hard-working people, for all their Spanish names). I had my knife in my belt as usual, but there was nothing to fear that far east out of Town: no-one about at all.

The moon was shining over St Dunstan's, out at Stepney, and I lent a while against the dead Jews' wall, watching it. I even contemplated walking yet further, so full of a strange energy did I feel. It was as if something that had been in the bottom of my mind for years, vaguely troubling me from time to time but ever quietly dismissed, had suddenly risen to the top that evening like liquid over a fire in a pan.

Jews, I know, have their own God whose son has yet to appear on earth. The Saracens have another one, of much the same kind by all accounts. The Huguenots, Protestants, Puritans, Catholics, Greek Christians and all the rest are supposed to believe in One God and His Son, but that has not stopped them from fighting and killing each other in the most un-Christian way in every century of which I have heard account. They were at it here in England all my childhood years.

How much fervent, angry, desperate praying goes on by all sides, many of the prayer-sayers wishing damnation on the others. And how little of it ever truly produces a result, except by ordinary life chances that are then falsely claimed as 'prayers answered'?

And in that moment I knew, in a burst of freedom, like a man before whom a door that he believed firmly locked and forbidden is suddenly open - that I did not believe in any of it, and had not done so for many years.

And as for the idea that the great Maker of the construction is perpetually watching each of us separate persons, intent on testing every one of his multitudinous subjects' loyalty with particular troubles and griefs, like a bad tempered and unjust King doling out unmerited torments to some on purpose to 'try them', while occasionally and unexpectedly bestowing blessings on others no more deserving - this was suddenly revealed to me as a story for badly behaved children.

And I strongly suspected in that same moment, that a number of the men whom I had met in London, and whom I most respected, had secretly come to the same never-to-be-spoken conclusion. Unbelief is contrary to the Law of both God and Man. But surely honest.

I went on standing there for quite a while, I think, trying to take in my new-found freedom. It felt right and just. But lonely, if - from - henceforth, there were none but myself in charge of my fate. Also a sense of my consequent, helpless separation in my secret heart from all others. For a few minutes my desolation recalled my first weeks alone in London. And I had no one at that time with whom I felt intimate enough to admit my new conviction.

And then something odd happened while I stood there. One of those moments, like the one in the night before I left the Forest (which I had dismissed as a dream). Although the Mile End Road was deserted, the few cottages around shuttered and none about but a half-grown fox in the Jews' cemetery, who had caught sight of me over the wall and had scampered away, I suddenly became convinced that I was surrounded. By houses and people that I could sense but could not see. The moon at that moment had gone behind a thick cloud, a country-dark descended. Yet I felt as if I were standing in a City street. Voices, passing by, that I could not hear properly, and footsteps on stone and other sounds of rushing or roaring that I could not identify. Such as the sound of machines. But my strongest sensation was that I was hemmed in, crowded.

Cravenly fearful, as if my ungodly thoughts were somehow visiting on me a revenge, I clutched the top of the brick cemetery wall with my hands. That at least seemed solid and of all time. Fearful of what the returning moon might reveal, I shut my eyes for a while. I believe that by habit I even cravenly and illogically prayed 'Keep me safe, Lord!'

I opened my eyes again at last when the sounds had faded away. The moon had returned. The Mile End Road was its peaceful, deserted, night-time self. The clock of St Dunstan's struck twelve.

Suddenly very tired, I must have made my way back to the Spital Fields, though that I do not remember.'

CLICK HERE TO ORDER JOURNAL OF A MAN UNKNOWN FOR £10

This tiny banana photo collection looks like it was taken in a dollhouse orchard. The bananas here stopped growing early, leaving behind perfect little replicas that seem designed for playing with rather than eating — small enough to feel like a trick of perspective. — Read the rest

The post These Tiny Bananas Look Like They Came From a Dollhouse Orchard appeared first on Boing Boing.

AI agents are becoming more common and more capable, without consensus or standards on how they should behave, say academic researchers.…

FAW reportedly has equipped a prototype sedan with a battery that has an energy density of 500 Wh/kg yet cost less than an LFP battery.

The post FAW Begins Testing Semi-Solid-State Battery With 500 Wh/kg Energy Density appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The FBI interviewed a woman four times in 2019 after she claimed Donald Trump sexually assaulted her when she was underage. Now, as Attorney General Pam Bondi howls "no evidence," independent journalist Roger Sollenberger has found that the record of those interviews has mysteriously vanished from the government's publicly available Epstein files

Yet last week, Attorney General Pam Bondi insisted that there was "no evidence" that Trump had committed any crime—adding to the growing pile of denials from Trump officials that constitute a sweeping cover-up of the president's alleged wrongdoing.

— Read the rest

The post Bondi says "no evidence," while DOJ quietly edits the index appeared first on Boing Boing.

The German Bundesrat's recent plea to Brussels to double green hydrogen-base fuel quotas is less a bid to accelerate decarbonization than a request to manufacture demand for an infrastructure program that never made economic sense and had weak demand signals from the start. The upper chamber's proposal to increase mandated ... [continued]

The post Germany's Bid To Double Hydrogen Fuel Targets Ignores Operator Demand And Cost Signals appeared first on CleanTechnica.

I published an article yesterday on Tesla's crazy-high market cap, more than the following automakers' combined: Toyota, BYD, GM, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, Geely, Ferrari, BMW, Volkswagen Group, Honda, Nissan, Renault, XPENG, and NIO. Unfortunately, we had a tech crisis today and had to republish several articles, which led ... [continued]

The post Tesla's Huge Market Cap — Reader Thoughts appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The #96 crashed on Day 2 of the Official Test and was ruled out of the season-opening round with fractures to his left wrist and hand

Researchers at Proofpoint late last month uncovered what they describe as a "weird twist" on the growing trend of criminals abusing remote monitoring and management software (RMM) as their preferred attack tools.…

Formula 1 has been receiving star treatment from Apple for awhile, and now the racing series will literally be getting even bigger. Apple is partnering with IMAX to show five races from the 2026 season. The Miami Grand Prix on May 3, the Monaco Grand Prix on June 7, the British Grand Prix on July 5, the Italian Grand Prix on September 6 and the United States Grand Prix on October 25 will be aired live at select IMAX theaters in the US. 

Apple landed a five-year deal for the US broadcast rights to Formula 1 last fall and there's already a dedicated channel for the car races on Apple TV ahead of the season's start. It also got the rights for a splashy feature film about the racing league, which amassed more than $630 million at the global box office, including with some IMAX screenings. It's unclear if IMAX will be paying to host more live F1 races at its theaters in future years, but it should be a fun way for fans to get the most immersive experience possible short of actually attending the racetrack.

Meta is formally sectioning off Horizon Worlds, the closest thing it has to a metaverse, from its Quest VR platform, according to a new blog post from Samantha Ryan, Meta's VP of Content, Reality Labs. While the decision runs counter to Meta's original plan to own an immersive virtual world that could serve as the future home for all online interaction, it fits with the recent cuts it made to its costly Reality Labs division, and Mark Zuckerberg's public commitment to focus the company on AI hardware like smart glasses going forward. 

"We're explicitly separating our Quest VR platform from our Worlds platform in order to create more space for both products to grow," Ryan writes in the blog post. "We're doubling down on the VR developer ecosystem while shifting the focus of Worlds to be almost exclusively mobile. By breaking things down into two distinct platforms, we'll be better able to clearly focus on each."

Meta has been developing mobile and web versions of Horizon Worlds in parallel with its VR app since at least 2023. Switching Worlds to being a mobile-first software platform isn't good for VR diehards, but it does make it a more natural competitor to something like Roblox or Fortnite, which also offer user-created and monetizable worlds and games. It's also a business Meta believes it can more easily scale because of its ability to connect games to "billions of people on the world's biggest social networks."

While Meta shuttered several of its own VR game studios earlier this year, it still wants to support third-party developers publishing games on its platform. The company says new monetization tools, better discoverability, a "Deals" tab and more ways for developers to talk to their customers should help make a difference. Maintaining the Quest's library of games could also be critical going forward. Business Insider reported in December 2025 that Meta was working on a gaming-focused Quest headset, and Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth confirmed earlier this February that the company still had multiple Quest devices on its roadmap.

Attempting to be funny, JD Vance was once again awkward. Also, the target of his derision slapped back so hard that Just Dance Vance may not know what day it is.

Vance attempted to make a joke, somehow comparing his own intelligence to a Congressperson who paused to think before answering a question. — Read the rest

The post JD Vance gets zero laughs appeared first on Boing Boing.

Vortex Racing and EK Chain will continue their support of MotoAmerica in 2026, returning as Official Sponsors of North America's premier motorcycle road racing championship.

Their continued sponsorship of the MotoAmerica series reinforces a shared commitment to competition, reliability, and development at the highest level of American road racing.

Vortex Racing, a long-time manufacturer of high-performance motorcycle components, and EK Chain, a global leader in drive-chain technology, bring decades of racing experience, acquired from the highest levels of competition, to the MotoAmerica Championship. Products from both companies, including sprockets, rearsets, clip-ons, and chains, are used broadly throughout the MotoAmerica paddock on every race weekend, in an unmatched test environment where durability and performance are critical.

The 2026 season marks another step in the ongoing relationship between MotoAmerica, Vortex Racing, and EK Chain reflecting the brands' continued investment in American road racing and their support of teams and riders competing at the national level.

"MotoAmerica continues to be the most demanding and meaningful proving ground for our products, and we are proud to support a championship that consistently pushes teams, riders, and manufacturers to perform at the highest level," said Steve Malone, VP of Operations at Vortex Racing and EK Chain. "We remain fully committed to the paddock, the people, and the competition that make this series what it is, and we are grateful to be part of a championship that continues to strengthen professional motorcycle road racing in the United States."

MotoAmerica emphasized the value of long-term partners with a deep understanding of racing and its demands.

"Racing in MotoAmerica often separates champions from competitors by hundredths of a second," said Lance Bryson, Director of Sponsorship for MotoAmerica. "Consistency in performance is non-negotiable, which is why companies like Vortex Racing and EK Chain are fixtures in our paddock with top performing teams. Their continued support reflects our commitment to strengthen the championship and push the level of our competition."

The 2026 MotoAmerica Championship will feature competition in seven classes and at 10 rounds across the United States, continuing the series' role as the top level of professional motorcycle road racing in North America.

For more information about Vortex Racing and EK Chain, visit www.vortexracing.com

The post Vortex Racing & EK Chain Return As MotoAmerica Partners appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

Fresh from the conflict with Venezuela last month, the USS Gerald R. Ford — America's newest and largest aircraft carrier — is speeding through the Mediterranean and toward a potential war with Iran. Another aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln is already deployed to the Middle East. The military pressure campaign, which could allow the U.S. to begin sustained attacks in a matter of days, is part of the Trump administration's multipronged effort to pressure Iran to cease a nuclear program whose key sites, according to President Donald Trump, were "completely and fully obliterated" in U.S. attacks last year.

America's latest gunboat diplomacy gambit comes as Trump's two main envoys, his friend Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, have engaged in indirect talks with Iranian diplomats in Geneva. The talks are taking place even though Trump previously said no agreement with Iran was necessary. "I don't care if I have an agreement or not," he announced last June. "I could get a statement that they're not going to go nuclear." Trump added: "They're not going to be doing it anyway."

Trump reversed himself late last month imploring Iran to "quickly 'Come to the Table'" or face more strikes. On Thursday, at a gathering of his self-styled Board of Peace in Washington, Trump reiterated his call for a deal. "Now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we're doing," he said. "If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. But bad things will happen if it doesn't."

"A massive Armada is heading to Iran," Trump announced on Truth Social.

The United States has, in fact, spent weeks moving military assets into place for a potential resumption of the war on Iran. The Ford alone can carry more than 75 aircraft, including F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters and F/A-18 Super Hornets, as well as EA-18 Growler radar-jamming jets. The Lincoln is accompanied by three warships that are equipped with Tomahawk missiles, which were used to strike two of Iran's nuclear facilities last June. In addition to destroyers, cruisers, and submarines at sea, the U.S. has moved additional air assets needed for sustained conflict across the Atlantic including a U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane, dozens of refueling tankers, scores of additional fighter jets, and critical E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System jets, which can provide advanced radar, communications, and sensors to track and thwart planes, drones, and cruise missiles.

The massive accumulation of military forces in preparation for a potential war with Iran dwarfs even the monthslong build-up that proceeded the U.S. coup in Venezuela that saw its leader Nicolás Maduro deposed and power transferred to a U.S.-backed puppet regime.

Related Would-Be Iran Monarch Reza Pahlavi Declares a Civil War in Iran

Three U.S. officials with long experience in the Middle East told The Intercept that they do not believe Trump has made a final decision to launch a new attack on Iran but the chances of it are high. All said that the U.S. attacks could possibly destabilize the Iranian regime, spur a grave humanitarian crisis, and have major impacts across the region. None thought the Trump administration had anything but vague plans to deal with such blowback.

All three officials believed that sufficient U.S. military assets were in place for a sustained military campaign. One said that Tehran may see the second major U.S. attack in a year as an existential crisis and respond by launching a more formidable counterattack than its ineffectual strikes on America's Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in 2025.

Over the past month, the U.S. military has moved critical air defense equipment — including Patriot missile batteries and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems, also known as THAAD — to the region to protect U.S. troops and allies from Iranian ballistic missiles.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he believes reports that Trump administration officials think there's a 90 percent chance the president will order strikes on Iran. He said that such a war would be "catastrophic" and lead to counterattacks that put U.S. troops in the region at risk.

Iran has repeatedly warned of retaliatory strikes on U.S. troops and allies in response to any American attack. Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week to conduct military exercises. 

Khanna announced on Thursday that he and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., would attempt to force a vote on a war powers resolution regarding Iran next week. "I am confident we can win this vote and assemble a bipartisan coalition," Khanna told The Intercept. Khanna believes they can force the vote before Trump attacks Iran, but one of the government officials expressed concern that strikes could come as early as Sunday or Monday. Another speculated that Trump might be convinced not to conduct an attack during Ramadan — the Muslim holy month that began Wednesday — or at least wait for a "decent interval" in deference to other U.S. allies in the Middle East.

Trump is also delivering his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday with a reported focus on messaging around domestic issues ahead of fall midterm elections, which may impact his decision. The conclusion of the Winter Olympics on Sunday might also play a role in the timing of the attacks as the notion of an Olympic truce, or "Ekecheiria," dates back millennia.

The White House did not reply to a request for comment.

For a president who ran for office promising to keep the United States out of wars, came into office claiming to be a "peacemaker, and has consistently campaigned for a Nobel Peace Prize, Trump has proven to be a warmonger. During his second term Trump has already launched attacks on Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, and on civilians in boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The Trump administration also claims to be at war with at least 24 cartels and criminal gangs it will not name and has also threatened Colombia, Cuba, Greenland, Iceland, and Mexico.

The post Trump Menaces Iran With Massive Armada Capable of Prolonged War appeared first on The Intercept.

Wikipedia celebrated its 25th birthday last month. Given the centrality of Wikipedia to so much activity online, it is hard to remember (or to imagine, for those who are younger) a time without Wikipedia. The latest statistics are impressive:

• Wikipedia is viewed nearly 15 billion times every month.
• Wikipedia contains over 65 million articles across more than 300 languages.
• Wikipedia is edited by nearly 250,000 editors every month around the world. Editors are defined by one edit or more every month; only editors with a username are counted.
• Wikipedia is accessed by over 1.5 billion unique devices every month.

That's testimony to the global nature of Wikipedia. But there's something else, not mentioned there, that is of great relevance to this blog: the fact that every one of those 65 million articles is made available under a generous license - the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license, to be precise. That means sharing and re-use are encouraged, in contrast to most material online, where copyright is fiercely enforced. Wikipedia is living proof that giving away things by relying on volunteers and donations - the "true fans" approach - works, and on a massive scale. Anil Dash puts it well in a post celebrating Wikipedia's 25th anniversary:

Whenever I worry about where the Internet is headed, I remember that this example of the collective generosity and goodness of people still exists. There are so many folks just working away, every day, to make something good and valuable for strangers out there, simply from the goodness of their hearts. They have no way of ever knowing who they've helped. But they believe in the simple power of doing a little bit of good using some of the most basic technologies of the internet. Twenty-five years later, all of the evidence has shown that they really have changed the world.

However, Wikipedia is today facing perhaps its greatest challenge, which comes from the new generation of AI services. They are problematic for Wikipedia in two main ways. The first, ironically, is because it is widely recognized that Wikipedia's holdings represent some of the highest-quality training materials available. In a post explaining why, "in the AI era, Wikipedia has never been more valuable", the Wikimedia Foundation writes:

AI cannot exist without the human effort that goes into building open and nonprofit information sources like Wikipedia. That's why Wikipedia is one of the highest-quality datasets in the world for training AI, and when AI developers try to omit it, the resulting answers are significantly less accurate, less diverse, and less verifiable.

That recognition is welcome, but comes at a price. It means that every AI company as a matter of course wants to download the entire Wikipedia corpus to be used for training its models. That has led to irresponsible behavior by some companies, when their scraping tools download pages from Wikipedia with no consideration for the resources they are using for free, or the collateral damage they are causing to other users in terms of slower responses.

Trying to stop companies drawing on this unique resource is futile; recognizing this, Wikimedia Foundation has come up with an alternative approach: Wikimedia Enterprise, "a first-of-its-kind commercial product designed for companies that reuse and source Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects at a high volume". In 2022, its first customers were Google and the Internet Archive, and last month, Wikimedia Enterprise announced that Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Mistral AI, and Perplexity have also signed. That's important for a couple of reasons. It means that many of the biggest AI players will download Wikipedia articles more efficiently. It also means that the Wikipedia project will receive funding for its work.

This new money is crucial if Wikipedia is to remain a high quality resource. And that is precisely why every generative AI company that uses Wikipedia posts for training should - if only out of self-interest - pay to do so. What is happening here echoes something this blog suggested back in May 2024: that AI companies should pay artists to create new works, and give away the results, because fresh training material is vital. Helping to pay for Wikipedia to create more high-quality articles that are freely available to all is a variation on that theme.

The other problem that generative AI causes Wikipedia is more subtle. The Wikimedia Foundation explains that alongside financial support, the project needs proper attribution:

Attribution means that generative AI gives credit to the human contributions that it uses to create its outputs. This maintains a virtuous cycle that continues those human contributions that create the training data that these new technologies rely on. For people to trust information shared on the internet, platforms should make it clear where the information is sourced from and elevate opportunities to visit and participate in those sources. With fewer visits to Wikipedia, fewer volunteers may grow and enrich the content, and fewer individual donors may support this work.

Without fresh volunteers, Wikipedia will wither and become less valuable. That's terrible for the world, but it is also bad for generative AI companies. So, again, it makes sense for them to provide proper attribution in their outputs. That requirement has become even more pressing in the light of a new development. According to tests carried out by the Guardian:

The latest model of ChatGPT has begun to cite Elon Musk's Grokipedia as a source on a wide range of queries, including on Iranian conglomerates and Holocaust deniers, raising concerns about misinformation on the platform.

That's potentially problematic because of how Grokipedia creates its entries. Research last year found that:

Grokipedia articles are substantially longer and contain significantly fewer references per word. Moreover, Grokipedia's content divides into two distinct groups: one that remains semantically and stylistically aligned with Wikipedia, and another that diverges sharply. Among the dissimilar articles, we observe a systematic rightward shift in the political bias of cited news sources, concentrated primarily in entries related to politics, history, and religion. These findings suggest that AI-generated encyclopedic content diverges from established editorial norms-favouring narrative expansion over citation-based verification.

If leading chatbots starts drawing on Grokipedia routinely for their answers, it is less likely that there are independent sources where the information can be checked, something generally possible with Wikipedia. It therefore becomes even more urgent for generative AI systems to provide attribution, so at least users know where information is coming from, and whether there are likely to be further resources that confirm a chatbot's claims. Not everyone will want to do that, but it is important to offer it as an option.

Wikipedia at 25 is an amazing achievement in multiple ways, one of which includes serving as a demonstration that material can be given away for free, supported directly by users, and on a global scale. It would be a tragedy if the current enthusiasm for generative AI systems led to that resource being harmed and even destroyed. A world without Wikipedia would be a poorer world indeed.

Follow me @glynmoody on Mastodon and on Bluesky. Republished from Walled Culture.

So MotoGP has lost Phillip Island. That is a tragedy in itself. Phillip Island and Mugello are the two greatest motorcycle race tracks on the planet, and to lose one from the calendar is devastating. The fans and most of the riders will be heartbroken.

I say "most of the riders", because as Aleix Espargaro pointed out on his social media account, losing Phillip Island means losing one of the most dangerous tracks on the calendar. You do not want to crash at Phillip Island, because when you do, it can end very badly. When pretty much every corner bar Miller Corner and MG are blisteringly fast, falling off is always going to hurt.

Which brings me to why Phillip Island lost MotoGP in the first place. As glorious as the location and layout is, the facilities are more 1976 than 2026. I freely admit that I am not speaking from first-hand experience. But I have been badgered for long enough by fans, friends and fellow journalists that I really should be making the pilgrimage to have gotten the truth about the facilities from them. The nicest thing that you can say about the circuit is that there is a barista in the media center.

Left behind

In more practical terms, the garages are over 20 years old, small and dingy. Power supplies struggle to cope with the demands of the current MotoGP grid, as data processing requirements have exploded. Spectators are mostly left exposed out in the open. Which at Phillip Island in October, risks hypothermia, a drenching, and sunburn all at the same time.

• Read more about OPINION: Mourning The Loss Of Phillip Island, And Why It Was Inevitable
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The Adv Cardputer from M5Stack retains the best features of the previous version, and adds some sensible upgrades.

The post Review: M5Stack Cardputer Adv Version (ESP32-S3) appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

In Washington, the first session of what has been dubbed the 'Peace Council' was held at the Trump Peace Institute. The event was dominated by US President Donald Trump, who positioned himself as the architect of Gaza's next phase.

The layout of the podium, the tone of the opening remarks, and the messaging all signalled an attempt to shape a new political and security framework for the post-war period.

Trump opened by declaring the end of the war in Gaza. He set firm conditions for the next phase, foremost among them the surrender of Hamas's weapons. He warned of severe consequences if the movement failed to comply. Trump then linked any political or economic progress in Gaza to Hamas's commitment to the new security arrangements. According to Trump, the international community is "waiting for Hamas" as the main obstacle to implementation.

At the same time, he acknowledged the group's role in certain humanitarian efforts, including the recovery of hostages' bodies. However, he stressed that Gaza's future requires governance reform and the creation of a stable civil administration.

He ruled out deploying US troops to Gaza and said Washington sees no need for direct military intervention.

Trump also announced the allocation of $10 billion to support the Peace Council and reconstruction efforts as part of a wider international funding package.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the initiative as the only viable path to prevent a return to war. He stated there is "no alternative plan for Gaza." Rubio argued that traditional international institutions had failed to contain the conflict. He expressed hope that the new approach could serve as a model for managing other global crises.

These statements suggest Washington aims to frame Gaza as a test case for a new conflict management model led by the United States, with regional and international backing.

Several Arab countries announced financial, political and logistical commitments:

• Qatar: Reaffirmed mediation efforts and pledged $1 billion.
• United Arab Emirates: Committed $1.2 billion and linked its support to the broader regional vision under the Abraham Accords.
• Morocco: Offered to send security and police forces, establish a field hospital, and support coexistence programmes.
• Egypt: Reiterated support for Palestinian self-determination, rejected West Bank annexation, and called for a new phase of coexistence.
• Saudi Arabia: Pledged $1 billion to ease Palestinian suffering.
• Kuwait: Announced $1 billion in contributions over the coming years.

Council Executive Director Nikolay Mladenov said the plan centres on disarmament in Gaza and the creation of a transitional security force. Around 2,000 people have reportedly applied to join a temporary police force, and recruitment has begun in coordination with Palestinian and Israeli authorities.

The commander of the international stabilisation force announced that Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have pledged troops. Jordan and Egypt will train Palestinian police officers.

Indonesia's president confirmed a commitment to send more than 8,000 personnel.

Beyond the US pledge of $10 billion, nine Council members committed an additional $7 billion for emergency relief. The UN Office for Humanitarian Assistance will seek to raise $2 billion.

FIFA is contributing $75 million for sports projects in Gaza. Additional funding is expected from China and Russia. The session outlined a transition phase tied closely to security conditions. Reconstruction funding is explicitly linked to disarmament and governance reform.

With Washington setting the political and security parameters, the Peace Council marks the beginning of a multilateral but US-led effort to reshape Gaza's future.

Featured image via France24

By Alaa Shamali

TL;DR: Get these eight CISSP exam prep courses covering all domains for $19.99, down from $424. No coupon needed.

We all know that one friend who's constantly paranoid about getting hacked. They use seventeen different passwords, won't connect to public Wi-Fi, and probably have their laptop camera covered with electrical tape. — Read the rest

The post Master CISSP certification prep for $19.99 with this eight-course bundle appeared first on Boing Boing.

A March 2025 Trump executive order that instructed our national parks to ignore or attempt to change history has sparked a chain reaction of stupidity.

Democracy Forward, a coalition of historians, scientists, and advocacy groups, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the Trump administration directed the removal or flagging of dozens of interpretive signs at National Park Service sites nationwide. — Read the rest

The post Outside Magazine's list of NPS signs altered by the Trump Administration appeared first on Boing Boing.

This country/gangsta rap mash-up is a lot of fun:

It seems turning NWA into country is not an isolated thing:

Keir Starmer has now — 19 February — appointed Antonia Romeo, formerly a senior diplomat in New York, as the next leader of the UK civil service. She's the first woman ever to hold the position of Cabinet Secretary.

However, the rumours of the appointment also brought numerous previous allegations of bullying against Romeo back into the spotlight.

Somewhat predictably, this has led to warring factions among the upper echelons of the UK's professional political gossipmongers. Either Antonia Romeo is a forceful and gifted leader attacked by rampant misogynists, or else a serial bully at the center of a Home Office coverup.

Without further ado, let's go wallow in the mud, shall we?

The furor kicked off last week, with ex-head of diplomatic service Simon McDonald's appearance on Channel 4 News. McDonald stated that:

Due diligence is vitally important, the Prime Minister has recent bitter experience of doing the due diligence too late. It would be an unnecessary tragedy to repeat that mistake… if [Romeo] is the one, in my view, the due diligence has some way still to go.

Fighting words, given that the other recent example of Starmer's failed diligence is Epstein's mate/Labour peer Peter Mandelson.

However, the government has claimed repeatedly that the investigation into the single complaint against Romeo has already been closed. Matthew Rycroft, ex-UK representative to the UN, and Rupert McNeil, former head of human resources, both made this 'single complaint' claim.

The three allegations in the complaint, which relate to bullying and the misuse of expenses, apparently had "no case to answer".

Several ex-officials who worked alongside Romeo called the Cabinet Office's 'single complaint' story "disingenuous". Rather, sources told the BBC that several individuals lodged complaints against the former diplomat during her stint in New York.

Cue the political muck-raking/ Home Office coverup, depending on your vantage point.

The new Cabinet Secretary certainly doesn't lack for admirers. Even the colleagues who voiced complaints also acknowledged her as "smart, dynamic and really talented" and an "extremely intelligent, innovative thinker". Starmer himself gave a glowing review:

outstanding public servant, with a 25‑year record of delivering for the British people […]

Since becoming prime minister, I've been impressed by her professionalism and determination to get things done.

Robert Buckland, a former colleague at the Department for Justice, said of Romeo:

I think she is an extremely impressive person. She's not a conventional backroom figure; she's not scared of publicly projecting herself, but that shouldn't be a block on her becoming first female cabinet secretary.

She confounds some of the old nostrums of the civil service. Seen not heard, be aware of the hierarchy. As a politician, I didn't have time for that. Running a department during Covid, I needed flat structures and quick decisions.

Addressing the allegations against Romeo directly, Dave Penman — FDA (civil servant's union) general secretary — told the House magazine that:

[Romeo is] an ambitious woman who doesn't mind a bit of publicity. A lot of underlying rumours around her are an example of sexist, misogynistic culture. Lord McDonald's talk around vetting is nonsense. She's been vetted within an inch of her life already; she can see documents that cabinet ministers don't have access to.

However, it should be noted that those allegations were serious enough that the government flew Tim Hitchens — ex-ambassador to Japan — to New York to investigate. Hitchens looked into accusations of:

bullying behaviour, financial probity, and putting her private objectives above those of the wider Consulate-General or government.

However, the BBC revealed that the reported "no case to answer" statement referred to the accusations of expense irregularities. On the contrary, there was indeed a case to answer for Romeo regarding her bullying behaviour.

A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office stated that:

Antonia Romeo is an outstanding leader with 25 years of public service. She has been appointed to three different Permanent Secretary roles and has led hundreds of thousands of public servants to deliver for governments of all stripes.

As we have repeatedly said, one formal complaint was raised nine years ago which was thoroughly investigated. The allegations were dismissed on the basis that there was no case to answer.

It is entirely inappropriate to resurface dismissed HR proceedings almost a decade later.

In a survey covering a year including 3 months of Antonia Romeo's tenure in New York, 47% of staff reported bullying in the workplace. Comparable surveys would normally report bullying levels below 10%.

In documents seen by the BBC, plaintiffs described Romeo as being "unreasonable", "degrading", and "demeaning" towards staff.

The majority of the complaints came from other women, with one individual branding Romeo:

very demanding, very disrespectful, very threatening.

And also adding that:

I'm used to big egos but this was something else. The minute she heard the word 'no' she'd say I'll go to your boss. But it was worse than that. She would go to your boss's boss and your boss's boss's boss.

Another source stated:

If you don't say 'yes' to her she's not only going to screw your career, but she'll screw all of those around you.

Yet another accuser charged Romeo with being overly self-promoting:

She's a diplomat, not a D-list celebrity. My 15-year-old, social-media-obsessed, brother is less shameless in his self-promotion.

Likewise, one member of staff stated that Romeo had them:

frame articles in Vogue and the New Yorker about her and place them in the Residence guest bathroom directly in the line of sight at all angles so that regardless of, um, how you use the bathroom, you have to stare at a photo of her in a magazine spread staring back at you.

Regarding the renewed attention to the complaint documents, a Whitehall spokesperson stated that:

The fact that selective excerpts are now being resurfaced, almost a decade on, to substantiate vexatious anonymous briefings from disgruntled individuals is frankly unconscionable.

So, there's your whistle-stop tour of praise and criticism of the new leader of the UK civil service. Of course, even if she does turn out to be a bully of the highest order, she'd probably fit right in with the pack of tax-dodgers, expenses-fiddlers, genocide-defenders, and bigots that make up the current UK government. Watch this space.

Featured image via the Canary

By Alex/Rose Cocker

Billionaire-funded Reform UK is fracturing, with much of its original support having broken away to establish another party, Restore.

Since the split, the two parties have been at war with one another. This signals, yet again — to quote the famous words of Martin Luther — that hate begets hate.

You just called Restore Britain 'neo-nazi'.

It's that sort of rhetoric that got Charlie Kirk shot in the neck - you should be ashamed of yourself.

We will not tolerate it. Our legal team is now involved.

— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) February 18, 2026

We wrote recently about the emergence of Restore and the backing it's received from far-right billionaire Elon Musk. In the words of our own Willem Moore:

One of the biggest criticisms of Reform is that it's just a rebrand of the Tory Party. Now, ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe has created his own spinoff party, and it's shaping up to be…a rebrand of a rebrand.

Adding that:

Lowe himself has said, he's open to attracting talent from the Tories, Reform, Advance — basically any reactionary party you can think of. Furthermore, Rupert Lowe seems intent on expanding his political circle.

Lowe's flip-flopping makes it apparent the man wasn't getting the adulation he so desperately wanted from his Reform pals.

This just goes to further reveal the priorities of these politically ambitious and privileged men — i.e. the size of their…bank accounts.

Moore wrote:

The timeline of Lowe leaving Reform is messy. The TLDR is:

• Lowe began criticising Farage (seemingly in coordination with Elon Musk).
• Farage suggested Lowe wouldn't be anywhere near office without Nigel's cult of personality (a.k.a. Reform).
• Reform suspended Lowe and reported him to the police for 'verbal threats' and "serious bullying" of female staffers.
• Lowe described the accusations as "vexatious".
• Several months of back and forth ensued.

With someone like Lowe, it's better to have them on the inside pissing out than on the outside pissing in. Now, Farage is going to learn why that saying exists.

The infighting is proving that Moore was bang on the money:

Far-right Reform UK (led by far-right multimillionaire Nigel Farage) calls far-right Restore Britain (led by far-right multimillionaire Rupert Lowe, who left far-right Reform) 'neo-nazi'. Far-right billionaire Elon Musk defends far-right Restore, calling far-right Reform 'Nazis'. pic.twitter.com/qDqwtfJjPY

— GET A GRIP (@docrussjackson) February 18, 2026

A message to Restore Britain members…

Be ready. They are going to come for us. The establishment. Reform. The other parties. The entire rotten lot.

It's already started.

We are not in this to make friends. We are in this to fundamentally change how our country is governed.…

— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) February 18, 2026

Lowe's post reads in full:

A message to Restore Britain members…

Be ready. They are going to come for us. The establishment. Reform. The other parties. The entire rotten lot.

It's already started.

We are not in this to make friends. We are in this to fundamentally change how our country is governed.

We are in this to Restore Britain.

That will mean pissing people off, and we already are.

Good.

That means we're making progress.

There will be insults, there will be unpleasant names.

Ride it out, stay the course. Eyes on the prize.

I will promise you two things - we are going to stay true to our beliefs, and we are going to be honest.

Who knows where that will end up taking us.

They've skipped the ignoring and laughing part, going straight to fighting.

We all know what comes next.

First they came for the fascists… https://t.co/9UEJOAgYCx

— ali (@ali__samson) February 18, 2026

Far right parties tearing chunks out of each other https://t.co/MqhwwRB2zq pic.twitter.com/JVQ2PcIkbt

— Dobby Club (@DobbyClub06) February 18, 2026

Musk has long defended Lowe, of course, stirring the pot of British domestic politics — having abandoned his support for Nigel Farage whose party he has called UK "Nazis."

A national strike by unions in Argentina has left the streets of capital Buenos Aires near-empty. A drone video showing the scene has been posted with the text:

Who moves the world?
Who moves Argentina?
Who moves Buenos Aires?
Workers and Workers.

¿Quién mueve el mundo?
¿Quién mueve Argentina?
¿Quién mueve Buenos Aires?
T R A B A J A D O R E S Y T R A B A J A D O R A Spic.twitter.com/FWwP2iDKCi

— Celeste Murillo (@rompe_teclas) February 19, 2026

Argentina's unions called the general strike in protest at far-right president Javier Milei's assault on workers' rights. Milei's 'reforms' — that camouflaging word loved by the right — to abolish overtime pay, cut redundancy payments and ban most strikes, among a host of measures aimed at impoverishing the working class, triggered immediate protests when Argentina's senate passed them. However, the general strike applies far more concerted pressure ahead of a key vote today on the legislation in Argentina's 'lower' legislative house, the Chamber of Deputies. Public sector workers, bank staff and transport workers are among those staying away or joining protests.

Around 40% of Argentina's workforce belong to a union. It's well past time for UK workers to wise up and take similar action against the endless uniparty war on their rights.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox