Encounter #61: The Goose-stepping Gene

Description

Ransomware satellites, doing the chain rule wrong, and a screechy voice.

Fox Business Story
Wired Story
The FTC reached out to McDonald's seeking information on what, exactly, is going on with broken ice cream machines
Machines are made by Taylor Commercial Foodservice LLC. Warning messages look like this "ERROR: XSndhUIF LHPR>45F 1HR LPROD too VISC"
Independent company Kytch makes a device that monitors the machines and sends SMS messages with plain English error text.
McDonald's told franchisees that the devices aren't sanctioned, pose a safety hazard, and that MCD is developing its own smart device for shake machines.
Kytch says in a lawsuit (May 2021) saying that Taylor is conspiring to replicate their technology.
"This is a case about corporate espionage and the extreme steps one manufacturer has taken to conceal and protect a multi million-dollar repair racket,"

TheNextWeb Story
Excel is the bane of scientific computing
There is a good reason MATLAB is popular
Anyway, scientific publishing is a joke, journals are filled with low-effort junk, rehashes of smarter people's ideas, and plain ol' academic fraud.

ABCNews Story
44 year-old Joel Caston was elected to Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner
He teamed up with members of the DC Council to produce a podcast encouraging his peers to engage in the democratic process
He is nicknamed "Obama" for the leadership qualities he has displayed in mentoring sessions.

ctrl.blog story
Windows crashes after serialized JSON blob - containing ad for office - is downloaded for forcible violation of user screen space
Intended despoliation fails, causing windows 11 to crash instead

OtakuUSA story
Luminous Witches delayed to 2022
Voice cast member Miu Kotosaka announced sudden retirement due to medical issues