Martin Ruskov @mapto@qoto.org

A.I. musicians are COOKED. I just recorded an ENTIRE SONG using nothing but my instruments and a few microphones. This would have cost upwards of hundreds of dollars in expensive A.I. subscription fees but for me it was completely FREE. Don't get left behind. This is the future!

“Dad, Orion’s not there!”

A simple question from a kid turns into a lesson about why some constellations disappear for months while others (like the Big Dipper) never leave the night sky 💫

https://theconversation.com/why-are-some-stars-always-visible-while-others-come-and-go-with-the-seasons-274096

RT by @EU_ENV: Cars are plastic parts on wheels 🚗♻️

That’s why the EU is now developing its end-of-life vehicles regulation, aligning it with the #CircularEconomy Action Plan to boost circularity, improve vehicle design, and keep more materials in use.

More: https://link.europa.eu/jn7Q9j
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https://nitter.net/EU_ENV/status/2029476170748539293#m

🎉 Applications for the Sovereign Tech Fellowship are officially open!

What’s new? For the first time, community managers, and technical writers can apply alongside open source maintainers until April 6, 2026, to become Fellows.

The #SovereignTechFellowship invests directly in the people behind the code, supporting key experts whose work underpins the health and stability of critical components in the #opensource ecosystem.

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"A grassroots boycott called QuitGPT has been spreading across the US and beyond, asking people to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions. More than a million people have answered the call."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/04/quit-chatgpt-subscription-boycott-silicon-valley

"We're organizing Americans and people around the world to quit ChatGPT."

https://quitgpt.org/

#QuitGPT #news #USNews #USPol #technology #TechNews #OpenAI #ChatGPT #AI #GenAI

R to @DigitalEU: EU initiatives on AI are making the development & use of articificial intelligence safer, and at the same time they boost innovation & competitiveness in Europe.

Learn more
AI Act: http://link.europa.eu/gTvhRX
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https://nitter.net/DigitalEU/status/2028871757243859093#m

Iran and the limits of Europe’s rules-based faith https://www.euractiv.com/opinion/whose-law-is-it-anyway/?utm_source=eac&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=%40euractiv%40masto.ai

Ok new rule, products of subsidiaries of nasty tech companies get referred to by the most disreputable name in the structure, not their branding.

They're not Waymo robotaxis. They're Google robotaxis.

It's not Whole Foods Market. It's Amazon Foods Market.

It's not Meta Glasses. It's Facebook Glasses.

Regular reminder that just because funding was cut by the government, PBS is still here. You can donate $5 or more and get access to a ton of their stuff on streaming too, including lots of local shows. It's a good deal.

https://www.pbs.org/explore/passport/

Same with NPR. The funding cut sucks but I can still listen to my local Detroit NPR's music shows

On This Day in Working Class History mini podcast episode for 1 March: The Strike That Shook Nazi-Occupied Italy. Listen at https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-strike-that-shook-nazi-occupied-italy--70369197

“For diplomacy to be successful, both sides need to agree on the issues subject to negotiation and also believe that peaceful resolution is more valuable than military engagement.”

–A former US nuclear negotiator on the failure of US-Iran negotiations

https://theconversation.com/failure-of-us-iran-talks-was-all-too-predictable-but-trump-could-still-have-stuck-with-diplomacy-over-strikes-277209

HRANA – On Thursday, February 26, Abdolnaser Mohaymeni, a journalist in Gorgan, was arrested. According to HRANA News Agency, citing Didban Iran, Mr. Mohaymeni was arrested at his home in Gorgan on the evening of Thursday, February 26, 2026. The report does not mention the arresting authority, the reasons for his arrest, or his place […]

HRANA – Following military attacks by the joint United States and Israel against Iran on February 28, 2026, preliminary data collected from field sources and published reports presents a picture of a large-scale, multi-wave operation: at least 59 incidents recorded across 18 provinces; a minimum estimated 333 civilian casualties; confirmed military casualties; damage to infrastructure […]

"(Beirut, February 28, 2026) – The United States and Israel on February 28, 2026 carried out airstrikes on Iran, which retaliated with strikes against Israel and Gulf states. All parties to the conflict are obligated to respect international humanitarian law, also known as the laws of war, and prioritize the protection of civilians. Human Rights Watch is currently investigating strikes by all parties that may have violated the laws of war.

Human Rights Watch has previously documented laws-of-war violations by the United States, Israel, and Iran and serious failures to protect civilians in conflict.

Since January 2025, under the administration of President Donald Trump, the US Defense Department has fired top military lawyers without cause and systematically rolled back legal oversight and mechanisms to mitigate harm to civilians, placing fewer constraints on military operations.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has lifted restrictions on antipersonnel landmines and agreed to purchase cluster munitions – weapons inherently harmful to civilians – from Israel. The 2026 US National Defense Strategy omits civilian harm mitigation as an explicit policy consideration."

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/02/28/us/israel/iran-all-parties-should-respect-laws-of-war

#HumanRights #Iran #USA #Israel #InternationalLaw