Warning :The Dangerous Substance That Can Crumble a Passenger Plane to Dust

https://www.jfeed.com/news-world/mercury-aircraft-danger

Ariel Sharfer // JUN 3, 2026

It destroys aircraft metal in seconds, penetrates everything, and threatens even the strongest airplanes in the world. What is the scientific secret behind the strict ban on bringing mercury onto flights, and how can a single chemical reaction turn an airplane's fuselage into dust within minutes?

Have you ever wondered why airport security checkpoint personnel insist so strictly on confiscating old thermometers? The answer is not just related to toxicity, but to an existential danger to the structure of the aircraft itself.

The traditional mercury thermometer is based on a glass tube containing mercury, which expands and rises within a narrow column as the temperature increases. When the mercury heats up and its volume grows, it has no room to expand in the bottom reservoir, forcing it up the tube. In medical thermometers, known as maximum thermometers, there is a constriction at the base that prevents the mercury from dropping back down, allowing the temperature to be read until the device is shaken vigorously.

Mercury is the "silent assassin" of aluminum, the metal from which most modern aircraft are constructed.

The aluminum in an airplane is naturally protected by a thin, tough layer of oxide that prevents it from breaking down. However, when mercury comes into contact with exposed aluminum, even from a minor scratch, it creates a mixture known as an amalgam. This amalgam disrupts the protective layer of the aluminum and exposes it to the air.

Once the fresh aluminum is exposed to oxygen, it begins to oxidize at an incredibly rapid pace, creating brittle, white, feather-like structures of aluminum oxide.

Why Is Everyone So Afraid of It?

The truly terrifying part of this process is that the mercury is not consumed during the reaction. It simply continues to eat through layer after layer of metal without stopping until it eventually evaporates. A single tiny drop of mercury can cause massive structural damage, and a small hole in the aircraft fuselage is all it takes to create a catastrophic situation during a flight.

more ...

06/01/2026 // Chase Codewell

https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-06-01-duckduckgo-installs-surge-after-google-search-overhaul.html

DuckDuckGo's US app installs surged 30.5% week-over-week on May 25, 2026, following Google's announcement at its I/O developer conference that it would replace traditional search listings with an AI-driven agent, according to data from app analytics firms cited by ReclaimTheNet and TechCrunch. The growth marked a significant shift in user behavior, with many citing dissatisfaction with Google's new direction.

The surge began shortly after Google's May 2026 keynote, during which the company described the overhaul as the "biggest upgrade to our iconic search box since its debut over 25 years ago," according to TechCrunch's report. The new system, which the company called an AI agent, answers queries, executes tasks, and runs background monitoring functions without explicit user opt-in, according to the announcement.

Between May 20 and May 25, DuckDuckGo's US app installs climbed an average of 18.1% week over week compared to the prior period, according to ReclaimTheNet.

more .....

https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-05-21-game-changing-battery-breakthrough-gotions-sodium-ion-revolution.html

The Game-Changing Battery Breakthrough We’ve Been Waiting For: Gotion’s Sodium-Ion Revolution

05/21/2026 // Mike Adams

On May 17, 2026, Volkswagen-backed Gotion High-Tech launched its dedicated sodium-ion battery brand, Gnascent, at its 15th Global Technology Conference. This is not a lab experiment. Gigawatt-hour-scale production lines are already running in Tangshan and Hefei, and mass production begins in the fourth quarter of this year.

...

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2025/02/07/paris-prosecutors-open-investigation-into-x-s-algorithms_6737910_13.html

"Elon Musk's social media platform is being investigated by the Paris cybercrime unit, after being reported by an MP."

By Aurélien Defer , Damien Leloup and Martin Untersinger

Published on February 7, 2025, at 7:22 pm (Paris), updated on February 7, 2025, at 7:23 pm 

Lire en français

"An investigation into the operation of social media platform X has been opened in Paris, broadcaster Franceinfo reported Friday, February 7. In the sights of the French investigators is the functioning of X's algorithms, "likely to have distorted the operation of an automated data processing system." The investigation has been entrusted to the Paris cybercrime unit (J3), whose "specialised judges and assistants (...) are carrying out initial technical checks," said the prosecutor's office."

"At the heart of this investigation lies a legal innovation. Bothorel's alert is largely based on an analysis published on February 6 by legal expert and law professor Michel Séjean. In the specialized journal Dalloz, Séjean argued that under French law, distorting the operation of a recommendation algorithm on a social media platform can be punishable by the same penalties as computer hacking. According to this analysis, manipulating a platform's algorithm without the users' knowledge would be punishable under Article 323-2 of the French penal code, which punishes "hindering or distorting the operation of an automated data processing system." Until now, this article has been used exclusively to punish data theft and other forms of computer piracy."

Tofu Brine could power safer batteries that last decades, researchers say

A new neutral-electrolyte battery survives more than 120,000 cycles without fire risk

By Skye Jacobs Today (Feb 23, 2026)

Bottom line: A mixture most people associate with tofu production could soon help make safer, longer-lasting batteries. Researchers from the City University of Hong Kong and Southern University of Science and Technology have built a water-based power cell that runs on tofu brine – the mineral-rich solution left behind after pressing soy curds.

The design replaces the complex, flammable chemistry of lithium-ion batteries with an electrolyte that's as safe as saltwater. In lab tests, the prototype endured more than 120,000 charge cycles, an endurance record that far exceeds today's commercial standards. Typical electric-vehicle batteries degrade after just a few thousand cycles – even long-duration grid systems seldom survive beyond ten thousand.

...

Just to add: The article came from here ...

https://citizenfreepress.com/

Something Big Is Happening

By Matt Shumer • Feb 9, 2026

https://shumer.dev/something-big-is-happening

+ Some  points from the article ...

For years, AI had been improving steadily. Big jumps here and there, but each big jump was spaced out enough that you could absorb them as they came. Then in 2025, new techniques for building these models unlocked a much faster pace of progress. And then it got even faster. And then faster again. Each new model wasn't just better than the last... it was better by a wider margin, and the time between new model releases was shorter. I was using AI more and more, going back and forth with it less and less, watching it handle things I used to think required my expertise.

Then, on February 5th, two major AI labs released new models on the same day: GPT-5.3 Codex from OpenAI, and Opus 4.6 from Anthropic (the makers of Claude, one of the main competitors to ChatGPT). And something clicked. Not like a light switch... more like the moment you realize the water has been rising around you and is now at your chest.

I am no longer needed for the actual technical work of my job. I describe what I want built, in plain English, and it just... appears. Not a rough draft I need to fix. The finished thing. I tell the AI what I want, walk away from my computer for four hours, and come back to find the work done. Done well, done better than I would have done it myself, with no corrections needed. A couple of months ago, I was going back and forth with the AI, guiding it, making edits. Now I just describe the outcome and leave.

+ Second point ...

How fast this is actually moving

Let me make the pace of improvement concrete, because I think this is the part that's hardest to believe if you're not watching it closely.

In 2022, AI couldn't do basic arithmetic reliably. It would confidently tell you that 7 × 8 = 54.

By 2023, it could pass the bar exam.

By 2024, it could write working software and explain graduate-level science.

By late 2025, some of the best engineers in the world said they had handed over most of their coding work to AI.

On February 5th, 2026, new models arrived that made everything before them feel like a different era.

If you haven't tried AI in the last few months, what exists today would be unrecognizable to you.

+ Some extra ...

Amodei has said that AI models "substantially smarter than almost all humans at almost all tasks" are on track for 2026 or 2027.

AI is now building the next AI

There's one more thing happening that I think is the most important development and the least understood.

On February 5th, OpenAI released GPT-5.3 Codex. In the technical documentation, they included this:

"GPT-5.3-Codex is our first model that was instrumental in creating itself. The Codex team used early versions to debug its own training, manage its own deployment, and diagnose test results and evaluations."

Read that again. The AI helped build itself.

This isn't a prediction about what might happen someday. This is OpenAI telling you, right now, that the AI they just released was used to create itself. One of the main things that makes AI better is intelligence applied to AI development. And AI is now intelligent enough to meaningfully contribute to its own improvement.

...

They were sorry but I would be receiving nothing ... there were no 'funds' left to pay anybody. Of course I'm sure the attorneys got paid and then whatever was left was soon exhausted for most of the remaining people ... a waste of time. This new one offers a possible cash settlement or 'one year' of free credit monitoring. Just a 'wild prediction'  ... no cash, the attorneys will get most of it.

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/5-myths-about-identity-theft-put-your-data-risk

5 myths about identity theft that put your data at risk

Why quiet data exposure, not big breaches, is the real driver behind modern identity theft.

Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report Fox News / January 28, 2026

Most people think identity theft starts with a massive hack. In reality, it usually starts much more quietly, with bits of personal information you didn't even realize were public: old addresses, family connections, phone numbers and shopping habits. 

All are sitting on data broker sites that most people have never heard of. During Identity Theft Awareness Week, organized by the Federal Trade Commission, it's a good time to clear up some dangerous myths that keep putting people at risk, especially retirees, families and anyone who thinks they're "careful enough." 

Let's break them down.

...

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/malicious-chrome-extensions-caught-stealing-sensitive-data

Malicious Chrome extensions caught stealing sensitive data

Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report / January 5, 2026

Chrome extensions are supposed to make your browser more useful, but they've quietly become one of the easiest ways for attackers to spy on what you do online. Security researchers recently uncovered two Chrome extensions that have been doing exactly that for years.

These extensions looked like harmless proxy tools, but behind the scenes, they were hijacking traffic and stealing sensitive data from users who trusted them. What makes this case worse is where these extensions were found. Both were listed on Chrome's official extension marketplace.

... just adding, the comments at the bottom of the article page are many and interesting. They number around 393 at this time. They take a little time to load, that's why I did not see them when I first posted the article.

...

After Outcry, Firefox Promises “Kill Switch” That Turns Off All AI Features

Victor Tangermann / Dec 27, 2025

https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/outcry-firefox-promises-kill-switch-ai-features

The backlash against AI invading almost every aspect of the computing experience is growing by the day.

Particularly as an onslaught of lazy AI slop subsuming news feeds, the tech is starting to feel like a massive distraction — and huge parts of the internet are disillusioned or even fuming in anger.

For instance, a vast number of Windows users refused to upgrade after Microsoft announced it would turn the operating system into a so-called “agentic OS.”

..... the article came from here, it's fourth down the list at this time.

https://citizenfreepress.com/

...

Way past its prime: how did Amazon get so rubbish?

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/05/way-past-its-prime-how-did-amazon-get-so-rubbish

Cory Doctorow

Sun 5 Oct 2025

...

Microsoft is saying hello to the Black Screen of Death error message instead.

https://www.theverge.com/news/692648/microsoft-bsod-black-screen-of-death-color-change-official

...

https://www.komando.com/news/devices/your-wi-fi-was-part-of-2-7-billion-records-leaked/

The location of this company is interesting and they specialize in LED lights and hydroponics equipment.

...

This doesn't bode well!

https://www.popsci.com/technology/tiktok-ultimatum-ban-us-uk/

If someone still thinks to supply software to a Russian/ Russian citizen, or consultant with the software usage, etc, be warned.

"SOFTWARE AND IT-RELATED SERVICES PROHIBITIONS

In coordination with the U.S. Department of Commerce and in line with G7 efforts to disrupt the Russian military-industrial base’s reliance on foreign IT systems, Treasury has taken steps to restrict the Russian military-industrial base’s access to certain software and IT-related services. To implement this policy, Treasury, in consultation with the Department of State, has issued a new determination under Executive Order (E.O.) 14071, which prohibits the supply to any person in the Russian Federation of (1) IT consultancy and design services; and (2) IT support services and cloud-based services for enterprise management software and design and manufacturing software. The determination will take effect on September 12, 2024. "

More info at home.treasury.gov.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2404

From the article below: "Prosecutors say Smith started working with an unnamed CEO of an AI music company and a music promoter in 2018 to create hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs for the scheme. The music company allegedly produced thousands of what it called "instant music" songs a week."

International Business Times

https://www.ibtimes.com/ai-music-streamed-royalty-fraud-3742230

By Luke Funk / Luke Funk @lukefunknews
Published 09/06/24

Man Created AI Songs And Used Bots To Collect $10M In Royalty Payments From Streaming Services: Indictment.

Computers played the AI-generated songs billions of times on various streaming platforms.

...

As we know, the supposedly private messenger - Russian Telegram demands users to give up their phone numbers, and here's the result when millions foolishly trust such companies.

"in India, where there are more than 100 million Telegram users, the company in November provided the Delhi High Court with the names, phone numbers, and IP addresses of users "accused of illegally sharing a teachers’ copyrighted course" materials on the platform."

Sofi Ahsan

29 Nov 2022 6:30 AM GMT

https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/after-court-order-telegram-discloses-phone-numbers-ip-addresses-of-users-accused-of-sharing-infringing-material-215311

:'-(

I just post the article for reading ... not a password expert. I am curious what other MSFN members are doing.

The Sun:

You should actually ignore ’90 day’ password rule – as experts warn ‘myth’ is easy way to become instant ‘victim’

https://www.the-sun.com/tech/12146300/password-day-rule-common-mistakes-cybersecurity-tips-avoid/

Mackenzie Tatananni, Science and Tech Reporter

Updated: Aug 8 2024

...

If they are banning TikTok for stealing data, why not ban Shein and Temu? They (apparently) use child labor, AND collect user data. 2X WORSE THAN TIKTOK! , Quote by Random Person

Anyways...

What do you feel about this bill? Good? Bad? Leave a reply!

Sources :

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/tiktok-ban-house-vote/

The Original RE4 Jacket

When "Resident Evil 4" hit the shelves in 2005, Leon Kennedy debuted with a look that was a significant departure from his rookie cop outfit in "Resident Evil 2." His brown, bomber-style leather jacket, equipped with a shearling collar, exuded a sense of practicality and style that matched the game's darker, grittier tone.

The attention to detail in the jacket's design played a big part in defining Leon's character as a seasoned government agent. Its weathered appearance and the "Made in Heaven" patch on the back added layers to Leon's backstory without a single word of dialogue. This jacket soon became a fan favourite, leading to a surge in demand for replicas in the real world.

Function Meets Fashion

The RE4 jacket wasn't just a fashion statement; it also reflected the game's mechanics. Early on, the jacket is taken from Leon, symbolizing his vulnerability and the loss of a protective layer against the dangers of the game's world. This narrative choice further cemented the jacket's status as a key element of Leon's identity.

The Jacket's Legacy

Over the years, the Leon jacket has become more than just a piece of virtual attire—it's a piece of gaming history. Its influence extends beyond the confines of the "Resident Evil" series, inspiring the design of clothing in other games and even in the broader fashion industry.

Cosplay and Pop Culture

The Leon jacket is a staple in the cosplay community. Enthusiasts painstakingly recreate the jacket's details to embody the character at gaming conventions and events. Its popularity has also led to it being featured in various forms of media, from films to graphic novels, showcasing its reach beyond the original gaming audience.

Modern Interpretations

As gaming graphics have improved, so too have the depictions of Leon's jacket in subsequent releases and remakes. Each new version offers a more refined and realistic look, keeping the jacket relevant and stylish in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

A Jacket for All

The demand for Leon's jacket has led to the production of high-quality replicas that cater to the fashion-forward gamer. These jackets aren't just for cosplay; they're designed to be worn as everyday apparel, blurring the line between gaming attire and casual fashion.

Conclusion

Leon Kennedy's jacket from RE4 is more than just an item of clothing; it's an iconic piece of gaming memorabilia that has evolved alongside the medium. Its design has influenced fashion both in and out of the gaming world, proving that even the smallest details can have a lasting impact on pop culture. Whether you're a die-hard "Resident Evil" fan or simply appreciate well-crafted design, Leon's jacket stands out as a testament to the game's enduring legacy.

Are you a fan of Leon's jacket? Share your thoughts and experiences with this iconic piece of gaming fashion in the comments below.

https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/apt_gains_keepassxc_loses/

TL;DR the controversial part, a software package under the name of keepassxc, providing binary distribution of well known password manager KeePassXC, was suddenly turned into a stripped down version by its maintainer and full version that everyone expected and uses was moved into a separate package. A whole set of features can be disabled using special compile-time flags. The package maintainer was rather undiplomatic about it, calling the full version crappy and development of included extra features misguided, citing security concerns while failing to provide evidence of any possible real-life security incidents. Some people got locked out of their password databases, others were surprised by suddenly ending up without the web browser integration etc.

"Just read the NEWS, bruh."

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2024/02/21/the-death-of-security-hackers-can-extract-your-fingerprints-from-sound-of-swiping-touchscreen/

Lucas Nolan / 21 Feb 2024

Researchers have reportedly discovered a new side-channel attack that can extract a person’s fingerprints from the sounds made when a finger swipes across a touchscreen.

Toms Hardware reports that researchers from institutions in China and the United States have outlined an innovative attack targeting biometric security in a paper entitled “PrintListener: Uncovering the Vulnerability of Fingerprint Authentication via the Finger Friction Sound.” This attack utilizes the audio characteristics of a finger gliding across a touchscreen to infer attributes of the fingerprint pattern.

more ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwn3gIipCjU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPJsWQvQ-gs

I suspect Luke Smith may be right, is Linux going the way of Microsoft?  If so, I might as well reinstall windows 7!