ReHacked vol. 273: Greece introduces the six-day work week, Donald Sutherland dies aged 88, Notes on Tajikistan and more
Donald Sutherland dies aged 88 #promemoria
The Canadian actor Donald Sutherland, star of films including The Hunger Games and Don't Look Now, has died at 88 after a long illness.
His son, the actor Kiefer Sutherland, said: "With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film.
"Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that. A life well lived."
Sutherland had almost 200 credits to his name in a career spanning more than half a century.
The news was met with an outpouring of support and tributes.
Actor Rob Lowe, who starred alongside Sutherland in the miniseries Salem's Lot, called his former co-star "one of our greatest actors".
"It was my honor to work with him many years ago, and I will never forget his charisma and ability," he wrote on X/Twitter.
Make a donation - support Ukraine. My favourite: Support the Armed Forces of Ukraine | via National Bank of Ukraine. More options if you want alternatives. Also, very important Come Back Alive Foundation - Charity Organization.
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Greece introduces the six-day work week #economy
After 15 years of recession and austerity and three rescue packages that came with tough conditions attached, labor in Greece is no longer strictly regulated.
Collective agreements have been frozen for years, and in many businesses, staff work on the basis of individual employment contracts.
While the 40-hour work week is still officially in place, employers are permitted to require staff to work up to two unpaid hours per day for a limited period in return for more free time.
In theory, this additional work is voluntary. In reality, however, workers in many businesses and workplaces are forced to work longer hours without receiving any form of compensation.
Spotify's relationship to artists can be kind of confusing. On the one hand, they pay a laughably low per-stream rate, as in homeopathic residues of a penny. On the other hand, the Big Three labels get a fortune from Spotify. And on the other other hand, it makes sense that rate for a stream heard by one person should be less than the rate for a song broadcast to thousands or millions of listeners.
Singapore’s lab grown meat industry is thriving despite the costs - Rest of World #science #technology #futurism
Global funding in the cultured meat industry dropped by 75% in the last year. Singapore sees its chance to become a world leader, backing local and international firms.
Notes on Tajikistan – Matt Lakeman #travel #world #longread
Tiny beauty: how I make scientific art from behind the microscope #nature #art
Steve Gschmeissner images tiny creatures and viruses to show the public an unseen world
Boeing CEO admits company has retaliated against whistleblowers during Senate hearing: ‘I know it happens’ | The Independent #bigcorp #aviation
The CEO of Boeing has admitted the company retaliated against whistleblowers who have spoken out against alleged production malpractices, telling a special Senate hearing: “I know it happens.”
TDK claims insane energy density in solid-state battery breakthrough | Ars Technica #technology #engineering
Japan’s TDK is claiming a breakthrough in materials used in its small solid-state batteries, with the Apple supplier predicting significant performance increases for devices from wireless headphones to smartwatches.
The new material provides an energy density—the amount that can be squeezed into a given space—of 1,000 watt-hours per liter, which is about 100 times greater than TDK’s current battery in mass production. Since TDK introduced it in 2020, competitors have moved forward, developing small solid-state batteries that offer 50 Wh/l, while rechargeable coin batteries using traditional liquid electrolytes offer about 400 Wh/l, according to the group.
DJI ban one step closer to law #security
In a vote along party lines, the National Defense Authorization Act, a must-pass bill that funds the Department of Defense for the next fiscal year, was passed by the House of Representatives. Within that bill is a small section that bans DJI from using the FCC frequencies.
After two days of debating and voting on amendments to the 2025 NDAA, the House voted and passed the bill that includes a ban on DJI drone usage in the United States.
How to get your stuff repaired when the retailer and manufacturer don't wanna: take 'em to court - Simon Rumble's blog #law #consumersrights #copyrights
How long should an appliance last?
The "warranty" companies talk about is actually an "express warranty" and if you read them you'll notice these days they now include mandatory text about how they aren't able to exclude guarantees that come from the Australian Consumer Law. Anything they offer in their written warranty is in addition to your base rights.
So you have a reasonable expectation that your appliance will last a reasonable amount of time. So how long is reasonable? Well if you look around on the web you'll find different lengths of time for different classes of appliance. And if you buy the cheapest Chinesium appliance, you shouldn't expect it to last as long as the exxy Miele model.
So my Electrolux was a mid-range model bought in 2015, so it's about 9 years old. Hilariously the retailer's parent company has a blog post that gives explicit ranges for different appliances. Electric ovens should last 13 years according to them.
The Federal Trade Commission is taking action against software maker Adobe and two of its executives, Maninder Sawhney and David Wadhwani, for deceiving consumers by hiding the early termination fee for its most popular subscription plan and making it difficult for consumers to cancel their subscriptions.
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Dainius
