The Linkielist

Linking ideas with the world

How the EU allowed Big Tech to sideline everyone else to weaken the EU AI act for US profit and citizens detriment

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“The current draft,” Meta wrote in a confidential lobby paper, is a case of “regulatory overreach” that “poses a significant threat to AI innovation in the EU.” It was early 2025, and the text Meta railed against was the second draft of the EU’s Code of Practice. The Code will put the EU’s AI Act Read more about How the EU allowed Big Tech to sideline everyone else to weaken the EU AI act for US profit and citizens detriment[…]

computer chip Vagus nerve stimulation receives US approval to treat arthritis

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a vagus nerve stimulator for rheumatoid arthritis – the first such device to be cleared for an autoimmune condition, potentially paving the way for broader uses. The pill-sized device is surgically implanted along the vagus nerve – a bundle of nerve fibres connecting the brain to Read more about computer chip Vagus nerve stimulation receives US approval to treat arthritis[…]

The pandemic’s secret aftershock: Inside the gut-brain breakdown

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A new international study confirmed a significant post-pandemic rise in disorders of gut-brain interaction, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia, according to the paper published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Building on prior research, investigators used Rome Foundation diagnostic tools to analyze nationally representative samples from both 2017 and 2023 — offering the Read more about The pandemic’s secret aftershock: Inside the gut-brain breakdown[…]

Nanodevice uses sound to sculpt light, paving the way for better displays and imaging

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] The findings could have broad implications in fields ranging from computer and virtual reality displays to 3D holographic imagery, optical communications, and even new ultrafast, light-based neural networks. […] The new device is deceptively simple. A thin gold mirror is coated with an ultrathin layer of a rubbery silicone‑based polymer only a few nanometers Read more about Nanodevice uses sound to sculpt light, paving the way for better displays and imaging[…]

Visa and Mastercard Fielding A Ton Of Complaints Over “NSFW” Games Disappearing On Platforms, acting as censors

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A week or so ago, Karl Bode wrote about Vice Media’s idiotic decision to disappear several articles that had been written by its Waypoint property concerning Collective Shout. Collective Shout is an Australian group that pretends to be a feminist organization, when, in reality, it operates much more like any number of largely evangelical groups Read more about Visa and Mastercard Fielding A Ton Of Complaints Over “NSFW” Games Disappearing On Platforms, acting as censors[…]

Google Is Rolling Out Its AI Age Verification to More Services, and I’m Skeptical

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Yesterday, I wrote about how YouTube is now using AI to guess your age. The idea is this: Rather than rely on the age attached to your account, YouTube analyzes your activity on its platform, and makes a determination based on how your activity corresponds to others users. If the AI thinks you’re an adult, Read more about Google Is Rolling Out Its AI Age Verification to More Services, and I’m Skeptical[…]

Apple throws usual tissy fit at law and now sells iPad Repair Parts for Astronomical Prices

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In late May, Apple announced what seemed on its face to be a big, positive development for iPad owners: It was going to begin selling repair parts for iPads to the general public, which is a requirement of a series of new right-to-repair laws. “With today’s announcement, we’re excited to expand our repair services to Read more about Apple throws usual tissy fit at law and now sells iPad Repair Parts for Astronomical Prices[…]

After the UK, online age verification is landing in the EU

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Denmark, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy are the first to test the technical solution unveiled by the European Commission on July 14, 2025. The announcement came less than two weeks before the UK enforced mandatory age verification checks on July 25. These have so far sparked concerns about the privacy and security of British users, Read more about After the UK, online age verification is landing in the EU[…]

Technique to print microscopic colour pixels for tiny microsensors developed

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Half a billion years ago, nature evolved a remarkable trick: generating vibrant, shimmering colors via intricate, microscopic structures in feathers, wings and shells that reflect light in precise ways. Now, researchers from Trinity have taken a major step forward in harnessing it for advanced materials science. A team led by Professor Colm Delaney from Trinity’s Read more about Technique to print microscopic colour pixels for tiny microsensors developed[…]

Palo Alto Networks inks $25b deal to buy human and machine identity manager CyberArk

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Palo Alto Networks will buy Israeli security biz CyberArk in a $25 billion cash-and-stock deal confirmed today. It’s Palo Alto Networks’ largest purchase to date, and one of the most expensive acquisitions this year coming in behind Google paying $32 billion for cloud security upstart Wiz in March. CyberArk provides identity security and privileged access Read more about Palo Alto Networks inks $25b deal to buy human and machine identity manager CyberArk[…]

Google Home Is So Bad That a Lawsuit Could Be on Its Way

Posted on by Robin Edgar

There’s been some trouble at home lately. Not your home, hopefully, but if you live in Google HQ, then maybe. Last week, people using the Google Home app flooded Reddit with complaints over smart home products that mysteriously stopped working—lights, cameras, smart plugs, you name it. Those complaints were so numerous, in fact, that Google Read more about Google Home Is So Bad That a Lawsuit Could Be on Its Way[…]

Gamers Flood Credit Card Hotlines Demanding End To Censorship in games – this won’t just blow over

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Martinez is part of a growing backlash to Steam and Itch.io purging thousands of games from their databases at the behest of payment processing companies. Australia-based anti-porn group Collective Shout claimed credit for the new wave of censorship after inciting a write-in campaign against Visa and Mastercard, which it accused of profiting off “rape, Read more about Gamers Flood Credit Card Hotlines Demanding End To Censorship in games – this won’t just blow over[…]

Echolon Exercise Bikes Lose Features, must phone home to work at all after Firmware Update

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] It seems like a simple concept that everyone should be able to agree to: if I buy a product from you that does x, y, and z, you don’t get to remove x, y, or z remotely after I’ve made that purchase. How we’ve gotten to a place where companies can simply remove, or Read more about Echolon Exercise Bikes Lose Features, must phone home to work at all after Firmware Update[…]

Visa and Mastercard are getting overwhelmed by censorship gamer fury

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In the wake of storefronts like Steam and itch.io curbing the sale of adult games, irate fans have started an organized campaign against the payment processors that they believe are responsible for the crackdown. While the movement is still in its early stages, people are mobilizing with an eye toward overwhelming communication lines at companies Read more about Visa and Mastercard are getting overwhelmed by censorship gamer fury[…]

Automata Dev Warns That Letting Credit Card Companies Censor Internet is an attack on Democracy

Posted on by Robin Edgar

As a fight with credit card companies over adult games leads to renewed concerns about censorship on Steam and even on indie platforms like itch.io, a recent warning by Nier: Automata director Yoko Taro calling censorship a “security hole that endangers democracy itself” has become relevant again. The comments came last November when the Manga Read more about Automata Dev Warns That Letting Credit Card Companies Censor Internet is an attack on Democracy[…]

UK’s Stupid and Dangerous New Age Verification Requirement Thwarted in the Simplest Ways Imaginable

Posted on by Robin Edgar

TL;DR – use a VPN or take a picture of yourself in Death Stranding Earlier this week, the United Kingdom’s age assurance requirement for sites that publish pornographic material went into effect, which has resulted in everything from Pornhub to Reddit and Discord displaying an age verification panel when users attempt to visit. There’s just Read more about UK’s Stupid and Dangerous New Age Verification Requirement Thwarted in the Simplest Ways Imaginable[…]

The Viral ‘Tea’ App Just Had a Second Data Breach, and It’s Even Worse

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Last week, the two-year-old social media app Tea, which functions as a Yelp-style platform where women can anonymously rate and review real men who cannot access the app nor respond, experienced an intense moment of virality that rocketed it to the top of the most-downloaded list on Apple’s App Store. But within days, it faced Read more about The Viral ‘Tea’ App Just Had a Second Data Breach, and It’s Even Worse[…]

Cyberattack on Russian airline Aeroflot causes the cancellation of more than 100 flights

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A cyberattack on Russian state-owned flagship carrier Aeroflot caused a mass outage to the company’s computer systems on Monday, Russia’s prosecutor’s office said, forcing the airline to cancel more than 100 flights and delay others. Ukrainian hacker group Silent Crow and Belarusian hacker activist group the Belarus Cyber-Partisans, which opposes the rule of Belarusian President Read more about Cyberattack on Russian airline Aeroflot causes the cancellation of more than 100 flights[…]

Samsung adds to digital waste problem as it disables custom ROM (OS) support in One UI 8

Posted on by Robin Edgar

While the vast majority of Samsung Galaxy device owners don’t tinker with the software on their phones, there’s a community of Android enthusiasts that love rooting devices, unlocking the bootloader to run custom ROMs and kernels. That has so far been possible on Samsung devices outside the United States. However, new evidence has surfaced that Read more about Samsung adds to digital waste problem as it disables custom ROM (OS) support in One UI 8[…]

‘Boiling frog’ effect makes people oblivious to threat of climate crisis, shows study

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Surveys show that the increasing number of extreme climate events, including floods, wildfires and hurricanes, has not raised awareness of the threats posed by climate change. Instead, people change their idea of what they see as normal. This so-called “boiling frog effect” makes gradual change difficult to spot. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania Read more about ‘Boiling frog’ effect makes people oblivious to threat of climate crisis, shows study[…]

Starlink down LIVE: Elon Musk red-faced amid satellite internet’s global blackout

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Elon Musk’s satellite internet Starlink was last night hit with a global outage preventing tens of thousands of users from accessing the web. According to DownDetector, reports of issues began to surge around 8pm GMT, with tens of thousands of worldwide users reporting issues at the peak of the outage. The difficulties persisted for several Read more about Starlink down LIVE: Elon Musk red-faced amid satellite internet’s global blackout[…]

Congress introduces bill to ban AI surveillance pricing

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Two Democratic members of Congress, Greg Casar (D-TX) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI,) have introduced legislation in the US House of Representatives to ban the use of AI surveillance to set prices and wages. During Delta’s Q2 earnings call last week, Delta’s president Glen Hauenstein said that the airline has already rolled out AI-controlled dynamic pricing Read more about Congress introduces bill to ban AI surveillance pricing[…]