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UK To Ban the Resale of Tickets For Profit To Protect Fans

Posted by msmash

https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1745251/uk-to-ban-the-resale-of-tickets-for-profit-to-protect-fans?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Britain said on Wednesday it would ban the resale of tickets to concerts, sport and other live events for profit, disrupting ticket touts and the platforms that benefit from their activities. From a report: Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said touts were ripping off fans by using bots to snap up batches of tickets for coveted shows and reselling them at sky-high prices. "Our new proposals will shut down the touts' racket and make world-class music, comedy, theatre and sport affordable for everyone," she said, after the government had promised action.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1745251/uk-to-ban-the-resale-of-tickets-for-profit-to-protect-fans?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Daniel Craig's thickest accent yet in new Knives Out trailer

Posted by Grant St. Clair

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/daniel-craigs-thickest-accent-yet-in-new-knives-out-trailer.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098211

You can say what you like about Rian Johnson's Knives Out whodunits, but Daniel Craig is clearly having more fun making them than he ever did with Bond.

Case in point: the first trailer for Wake Up Dead Man, the caper capping this trilogy (but hopefully not the last Knives Out movie overall). — Read the rest

The post Daniel Craig's thickest accent yet in new Knives Out trailer appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/daniel-craigs-thickest-accent-yet-in-new-knives-out-trailer.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098211

The Growing Problem With China's Unreliable Numbers

Posted by msmash

https://slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1635239/the-growing-problem-with-chinas-unreliable-numbers?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Chinese economist Gao Shanwen told a Washington panel in December that China's real GDP growth might be around 2% rather than the official figure near 5%. By January, Gao was no longer chief economist at SDIC Securities and went silent for almost a year. As FT points out in a long piece, China does not publish quarterly GDP breakdowns showing consumption, investment and net exports. Every other major economy produces these figures. The IMF in 2024 gave China a C grade for national accounts. The rating puts China on par with India and below Vietnam. Fixed asset investment data showed negative growth in 2025 for only the second time in decades. Property investment has fallen consistently since 2022. But official GDP investment data shows no signs of declining. The National Bureau of Statistics stopped publishing sectoral breakdowns of fixed asset investment in 2018. It discontinued a price series in 2021 and a land sales series in 2023. Beijing has restricted researcher access rather than addressing longstanding questions about data quality. China says it disagrees with the IMF's C rating. The government argued its production-side GDP approach is appropriate. Why does it matter? China is too large and too interconnected with the global economy for unreliable data to be a purely domestic issue. The lack of transparency creates problems for everyone trying to make decisions based on understanding China's economic trajectory. As Eswar Prasad, a professor at Cornell University and former IMF official, told FT: China is one of the two biggest economies in the world. "It would be nice to know what is really going on."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

https://slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1635239/the-growing-problem-with-chinas-unreliable-numbers?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

More Than 60 US and Canadian Police Units Now Use Boston Dynamics' Robot Dog

Posted by msmash

https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1622209/more-than-60-us-and-canadian-police-units-now-use-boston-dynamics-robot-dog?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Boston Dynamics' Spot robot is now deployed by more than 60 bomb squads and SWAT teams across the US and Canada. The 75-pound four-legged machine starts at around $100,000 and has been used in armed standoffs, hostage rescues and hazardous materials incidents since its commercial debut five years ago. The Massachusetts State Police operates two Spot units purchased in 2020 and 2022. Each cost about $250,000 including add-ons funded through state grants. Last year one of the robots helped corner a suspect who had taken his mother hostage at knifepoint in Hyannis. Houston operates three units and Las Vegas has one. ICE recently spent around $78,000 on a similar robot from Canadian manufacturer Icor Technology that can also deploy smoke bombs. Civil liberties groups have raised concerns about normalizing militarized policing. The NYPD suspended its limited Spot program in 2021 after public backlash over cost and surveillance concerns before later reinstating it and purchasing two units. The Electronic Frontier Foundation says there should be state and federal laws providing guidance on appropriate use of such technology. About 2,000 Spot units now operate globally.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1622209/more-than-60-us-and-canadian-police-units-now-use-boston-dynamics-robot-dog?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

This $250 Nintendo 64 clone plays real cartridges in 4K

Posted by Grant St. Clair

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/this-250-nintendo-64-clone-plays-real-cartridges-in-4k.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098209

I want to preface this by saying this isn't a sponsored post — I don't do those — but I do think this is cool as hell.

While I may generally prefer the original PlayStation over its distant cousin, there's no denying that the Nintendo 64 remains one of the most iconic video game consoles of all time. — Read the rest

The post This $250 Nintendo 64 clone plays real cartridges in 4K appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/this-250-nintendo-64-clone-plays-real-cartridges-in-4k.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098209

"Death Stranding" gets animated series with all-new characters

Posted by Grant St. Clair

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/death-stranding-gets-animated-series-with-all-new-characters.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098210

Gaming auteur Hideo Kojima has long described himself by saying "70% of my body is made of movies," which shows in the cinematic approach he's taken to constructing his games since the 80s. Kojima may need to bump that figure up, though, given that a third Death Stranding adaptation has just been announced (after the theatrical movie and the stylish anime). — Read the rest

The post "Death Stranding" gets animated series with all-new characters appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/death-stranding-gets-animated-series-with-all-new-characters.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098210

These kinetic sculptures feature mundane, sad, beautiful, and desperate human movements on endless l

Posted by Jennifer Sandlin

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/these-kinetic-sculptures-feature-mundane-sad-beautiful-and-desperate-human-movements-on-endless-loop.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098199

I'm a big fan of Jakob Grosse-Ophoff's kinetic sculptures, which tap into human movement and experience in ways that are sometimes humorous, sometimes beautiful, sometimes extremely disturbing, and always captivating. His sculpture "The Driller," which Popkin featured here at Boing Boing at the beginning of the year, falls into the funny category. — Read the rest

The post These kinetic sculptures feature mundane, sad, beautiful, and desperate human movements on endless loop appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/these-kinetic-sculptures-feature-mundane-sad-beautiful-and-desperate-human-movements-on-endless-loop.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098199

Congressperson Nancy Mace, who loves to play the victim, has no friends

Posted by Jason Weisberger

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/congressperson-nancy-mace-who-loves-to-play-the-victim-has-no-friends.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098267

In her own words, Congressperson Nancy Mace has "no friends," only a dog. Proving that bad people do suffer the consequences, but dogs will love anyone who feeds them.

An "Island of One," Mace has very publicly aired accusations against former lovers from the floor of Congress, and screamed down police for not treating her as specially as she'd like at the airport. — Read the rest

The post Congressperson Nancy Mace, who loves to play the victim, has no friends appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/congressperson-nancy-mace-who-loves-to-play-the-victim-has-no-friends.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098267

CDC Data Confirms US is 2 Months Away From Losing Measles Elimination Status

Posted by msmash

https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1540212/cdc-data-confirms-us-is-2-months-away-from-losing-measles-elimination-status?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

An anonymous reader shares a report: Federal health officials have linked two massive US measles outbreaks, confirming that the country is about two months away from losing its measles elimination status, according to a report by The New York Times. The Times obtained a recording of a call during which officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed to state health departments that the ongoing measles outbreak at the border of Arizona and Utah is a continuation of the explosive outbreak in West Texas that began in mid- to late-January. That is, the two massive outbreaks are being caused by the same subtype of measles virus. This is a significant link that hasn't previously been reported despite persistent questions from journalists and concerns from health experts, particularly in light of Canada losing its elimination status last week. The loss of an elimination status means that measles will once again be considered endemic to the US, an embarrassing public health backslide for a vaccine-preventable disease.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1540212/cdc-data-confirms-us-is-2-months-away-from-losing-measles-elimination-status?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Australian prisoner asserts human right to Vegemite

Posted by Rob Beschizza

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/australian-prisoner-asserts-human-right-to-vegemite.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098265

Vegemite is a thick brown slime derived from leftover brewers' yeast. Similar to Marmite, and especially popular in Australia, it is famed for the intensity of its flavor and how completely repulsive it is to those yet to acquire the taste. — Read the rest

The post Australian prisoner asserts human right to Vegemite appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/australian-prisoner-asserts-human-right-to-vegemite.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098265

Tom the Dancing Bug: The Five Stages of MAGA Scandal Grief

Posted by Ruben Bolling

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-five-stages-of-maga-scandal-grief.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098197

🚨 ONLY ONE DAY LEFT! Kickstarter ends tomorrow, and with it your chance to get Volume 1 and Volume 2 of The Complete Tom the Dancing Bug Library! Link is right here. (Plus a bonus comic book: Trump You!)

Please join the team that makes it possible for your friendly neighborhood comic strip Tom the Dancing Bug to exist in this world! — Read the rest

The post Tom the Dancing Bug: The Five Stages of MAGA Scandal Grief appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-five-stages-of-maga-scandal-grief.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098197

Chinese University Collected More AI Patents Than MIT, Stanford, Princeton and Harvard Combined

Posted by msmash

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/153210/chinese-university-collected-more-ai-patents-than-mit-stanford-princeton-and-harvard-combined?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Tsinghua University collected 4,986 AI and machine learning patents between 2005 and the end of 2024. The Beijing institution has received more than 900 patents last year alone. The total exceeds the combined patent count from MIT, Stanford, Princeton and Harvard during the same period. China now accounts for more than half of all active patent families globally in AI and machine learning fields, according to data analytics service LexisNexis. The university also has more AI research papers among the 100 most cited than any other school at last count. The US still holds the most influential AI patents and the top performing models. Harvard and MIT consistently rank ahead of Tsinghua in patent influence. American institutions produced 40 notable AI models in 2024 compared to 15 from Chinese organizations, according to Stanford's AI Index Report. China's share of the world's elite AI researchers -- the top 2% -- rose from 10% in 2019 to 26% in 2022. The US share fell from 35% to 28% during the same period, according to the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/153210/chinese-university-collected-more-ai-patents-than-mit-stanford-princeton-and-harvard-combined?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Cloudflare Explains Its Worst Outage Since 2019

Posted by msmash

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1447256/cloudflare-explains-its-worst-outage-since-2019?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Cloudflare suffered its worst network outage in six years on Tuesday, beginning at 11:20 UTC. The disruption prevented the content delivery network from routing traffic for roughly three hours. The failure, writes Cloudflare in a blog post, originated from a database permissions change deployed at 11:05 UTC. The modification altered how a database query returned information about bot detection features. The query began returning duplicate entries. A configuration file used to identify automated traffic doubled in size and spread across the network's machines. Cloudflare's traffic routing software reads this file to distinguish bots from legitimate users. The software had a built-in limit of 200 bot detection features. The enlarged file contained more than 200 entries. The software crashed when it encountered the unexpected file size. Users attempting to access websites behind Cloudflare's network received error messages. The outage affected multiple services. Turnstile security checks failed to load. The Workers KV storage service returned elevated error rates. Users could not log into Cloudflare's dashboard. Access authentication failed for most customers. Engineers initially suspected a coordinated attack. The configuration file was automatically regenerated every five minutes. Database servers produced either correct or corrupted files during a gradual system update. Services repeatedly recovered and failed as different versions of the file circulated. Teams stopped generating new files at 14:24 UTC and manually restored a working version. Most traffic resumed by 14:30 UTC. All systems returned to normal at 17:06 UTC.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1447256/cloudflare-explains-its-worst-outage-since-2019?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Things going from bad to worse at Target

Posted by Rob Beschizza

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/things-going-from-bad-to-worse-at-target.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098262

Target, which made a big song and dance of ditching diversity, equity and inclusion programs to please President Trump, isn't faring any better with its new CEO. The third quarter saw profits "tumble" and it admitted today that the holiday season may not go well. — Read the rest

The post Things going from bad to worse at Target appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/things-going-from-bad-to-worse-at-target.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098262

Bizarre Yahweh energy drink: The blood of Christ in a can

Posted by Grant St. Clair

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/bizarre-yahweh-energy-drink-the-blood-of-christ-in-a-can.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098063

The elevator pitch for Yahweh energy drink — Christ in a can — sounds like a South Park bit.

At first glance, the website appears to be something hastily put together for satire. The portrait of Jesus adorning every can reeks of that AI-generated gloss. — Read the rest

The post Bizarre Yahweh energy drink: The blood of Christ in a can appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/bizarre-yahweh-energy-drink-the-blood-of-christ-in-a-can.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098063

Raccoons are self-domesticating and getting cuter

Posted by Gail Sherman

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/raccoons-are-self-domesticating-and-getting-cuter.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098088

Raccoons that live in close proximity to humans are developing shorter, cuter snouts and appear to be self-domesticating.

Early humans likely saw dogs as helpful companions and domesticated them. Cats, on the other hand, self-domesticated to feed on the mice and rats that are plentiful around human settlements. — Read the rest

The post Raccoons are self-domesticating and getting cuter appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/raccoons-are-self-domesticating-and-getting-cuter.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098088

Why classic movies feel more "real" than today's digital blockbusters

Posted by Séamus Bellamy

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/why-classic-movies-feel-more-real-than-todays-digital-blockbusters.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098086

Watch on YouTube

Classic movies earn their status for good reason. They deliver well-loved lines we know by heart, quips that become part of our vocabulary even if we've never seen the film ("Here's looking at you, kid"), and stories that inspire generations of new films — and sadly, endless remakes. — Read the rest

The post Why classic movies feel more "real" than today's digital blockbusters appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/why-classic-movies-feel-more-real-than-todays-digital-blockbusters.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098086

Netgear Accused by Rival of China Smear To Fan Security Fear

Posted by msmash

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1350201/netgear-accused-by-rival-of-china-smear-to-fan-security-fear?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

An anonymous reader shares a report: California-based TP-Link says it may take a sales hit of more than $1 billion because of erroneous reports that the networking company's technology has been "infiltrated" by Beijing. In a lawsuit, TP-Link claims its competitor, Netgear, orchestrated a smear by planting false claims with journalists and internet influencers with the goal of scaring off customers. Closely held TP-Link, which makes wireless routers, alleges in a complaint filed Monday that Netgear's campaign "threatens injury to well over a billion dollars in sales" and violates a 2024 settlement of a patent fight. That accord, in which TP-Link agreed to pay Netgear $135 million, includes a provision that the public company promises not to disparage its rival, according to the suit in Delaware federal court. The suit comes as TP-Link faces growing scrutiny in Washington over national-security issues. US lawmakers from both parties have expressed concern that TP-Link's wireless equipment could be exploited by Chinese hackers following a series of attacks on its routers.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1350201/netgear-accused-by-rival-of-china-smear-to-fan-security-fear?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Trump official demanded return of accused sex trafficker Andrew Tate's seized devices

Posted by Ellsworth Toohey

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/trump-official-demanded-return-of-accused-sex-trafficker-andrew-tates-seized-devices.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098260

Andrew Tate and his brother leave the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism DIICOT where their phones and laptops were searched (LCV / Shutterstock.com)

A White House official tried to help an accused sex trafficker retrieve his electronics, considering it to be a priority use of government resources.

According to ProPublica's investigation, when Customs and Border Protection seized Andrew Tate's devices during a February 2025 entry to the United States, White House official Paul Ingrassia — who had previously represented the Tate brothers—sent a letter demanding their return. — Read the rest

The post Trump official demanded return of accused sex trafficker Andrew Tate's seized devices appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/trump-official-demanded-return-of-accused-sex-trafficker-andrew-tates-seized-devices.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098260

Schumer warns Trump: "Can't fuck around" with Epstein files

Posted by Ellsworth Toohey

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/schumer-warns-trump-cant-fuck-around-with-epstein-files.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098256

Mugshots of Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a forceful warning that Democrats will not accept any partial release of the Trump-Epstein files, expressing deep distrust of the Trump administration's commitment to complete transparency.

Speaking to MeidasTouch, Schumer outlined both the progress made and the obstacles ahead. — Read the rest

The post Schumer warns Trump: "Can't fuck around" with Epstein files appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/19/schumer-warns-trump-cant-fuck-around-with-epstein-files.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098256