The GSMA says it has canceled Mobile World Congress after the coronavirus made it “impossible” to hold the event.

The world's biggest phone show, MWC 2020, is no longer taking place this year.

GSMA CEO John Hoffman says in this statement that the coronavirus outbreak made it “impossible” to hold the event, which was scheduled to open in Barcelona on February 24.

“With due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event. The Host City Parties respect and understand this decision. The GSMA and the Host City Parties will continue to be working in unison and supporting each other for MWC Barcelona 2021 and future editions. Our sympathies at this time are with those affected in China, and all around the world.”

Mobile World Congress has been cancelled, without the government declaring a health emergency. The conference's insurers are going to have a long week of it.

 Iain Thomson (@iainthomson) February 12, 2020

The impact here is on the city of Barcelona (hotels, venues, restaurants etc.) and travel budgets for companies and attendees (and what they may affect - airlines?). In terms of meetings and deals that would get done there, I think those can get re-scheduled pretty easily. https://t.co/p46sjPXY0l

 Mark Gurman (@markgurman) February 12, 2020

MWC cancelled - massive economic blow to Barcelona and mobile industry https://t.co/KaPeCNvzFW

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/12/mobile-world-congress-canceled.html

A man who formerly worked as an official in the Russian prison system shot himself dead in a Moscow court on Wednesday after receiving a three-year prison sentence for corruption charges.

Viktor Sviridov had cancer. He and his legal team had expected that the judge would not include a prison term in his sentence.

From AP:

Local court and investigative officials said Viktor Sviridov, who had served as chief of department in Russia’s federal prison service, took out a pistol and fired it at his chest after a judge declared him guilty and imposed the sentence.

Officials were examining how Sviridov managed to bring the gun into the court building when he arrived for the hearing from home. Court officials said a metal detector at the entrance was functioning properly.

Sviridov had pleaded guilty to the corruption charges, which involved extorting a bribe of 10-million rubles (over $158,000.)

Read more: Ex-official kills himself in Moscow courtroom after verdict Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/12/ex-russian-prison-official-kil.html

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/12/snowfall-in-baghdad.html

On May 2, 2020, Carson, California will be host to an incredible 1980s music revival. The Cruel World Festival lineup includes Bauhaus, Blondie, Devo, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Psychedelic Furs, Violet Femmes, The Church, English Beat, Public Image Ltd., Gary Numan, Marc Almond, Christian Death, Missing Persons, and more than a dozen other acts. Oh yeah, also, um, Morrissey. When I first saw the lineup, I thought it was a hoax.

The good people at Goldenvoice are producing the festival at Dignity Health Sports Park. Tickets go on sale this Friday starting at $135.00.

Cruel World Fest

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/12/stellar-lineup-for-1980s-music.html

The US Marshals, the agency tasked with the management of criminal assets, should have held onto the bitcoin they've seized. According to security company CEO Jameson Lopp's US Marshals Bitcoin Auction realtime schadenfreude tracker the weak hands at the federal law enforcement agency have resulted in missing $1.7 billion in potential gains.

From Decrypt:

Of course, the true value could be far higher. Some 50,000 Bitcoin seized from the original Silk Road was auctioned off in June 2014. Sold at the height of the Bitcoin market, in 2017, that’d be worth $1 billion alone.

It’s impossible to work out the real value of lost gains: there are too many factors at play, and the final auction hasn’t even happened yet. Last week, the US Government announced an intention to auction off over 4,000, worth around $40 million.

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/12/us-marshals-are-bad-at-bitcoin.html

A new UK coronavirus case that is reported to involve a woman who flew from China to London was reported by the BBC, the Guardian, and other outlets on Wednesday.

UK tabloid The Sun was first to report the news, citing a source at London City Hall who says the victim is a Chinese national and was diagnosed this afternoon.

A new UK coronavirus case, believed to be a woman who flew into London from China, is confirmed to the BBC https://t.co/AlIdzeDO54

 BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) February 12, 2020

Coronavirus: first case confirmed in London as 83 quarantined in Wirral test negative – latest news https://t.co/rMDqDqF24A

 The Guardian (@guardian) February 12, 2020

[The Guardian] Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/12/first-london-coronavirus-case.html

Seung Lee double knit this blanket based on data about his son's sleep patterns during his first year of life.

"Each stitch represents 6 minutes of time spent awake or asleep," Lee tweeted.

The blanket is 42" x 45," contains approximately 185,000 stitches and took around 300 hours to make. From Twitter:

The original plan was to crochet the entire blanket but I switched to double knitting because the data was much more clearly visualized and the color changes (of which there were literally thousands) were significantly easier..

The sleep data was collected with the BabyConnect app which lets you export to CSV. The CSVs were filtered and converted into JSON (using Google Apps Script and Python) which could then be used for visualization and tracking...

I built a tool in HTML/JavaScript so I could position stitch markers for the color changes and track overall progress. I made it browser based so I could pull it up on any device wherever I was...

(via Kottke) Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/12/father-knitted-a-data-viz-blan.html

The Q took a fist-sized rock and made it into a zipper coin purse. I'm not sure why, but it's fun to watch the process.

Image: YouTube Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/12/how-to-make-a-coin-purse-out-o.html

Pipe smoking is in a weird place culturally. Even while smoking restrictions fall nationwide and companies produce tobacco flavors of every variety, there remains a stigma around conventional pipes that can be problematic in the wrong places.

For those who want to smoke without all the attention, the Genius Mini 5.0 Pipe is a smart 21st-century smoking alternative, sleek and stylish, yet very subtle and a lot more efficient than those old school means.

The Genius has an all-aluminum finish with a discreet sliding smell-proof cover that shields your smoking material. In fact, the whole unit is so compact and unassuming that most users could hold it in their hands without anyone even knowing what it is.

While the Genius is amazing portable, it’s drawing the ravest reviews from users for how well it works. Inside the Genius are hundreds of tiny dimples on the interior, which serve to cool and filter the smoke before it reaches the user without ever diluting the taste.

Users get cooler, mellower draws that not only accentuate that taste but actually smooth out the smoke, which eliminates coughing and choking. Instead, you just get a pleasant smoking experience anywhere you go.

You need to be at least 21 years old to purchase and the Genius is for tobacco use only.

Right now, the Genius is $10 off its regular price at just $64.99. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/the-genius-mini-is-the-pipe-sm.html

What is Bill Barr about to do for Roger Stone on behalf of Donald Trump?

Whatever it is, that seems to be what's behind the “Tuesday Afternoon Massacre.”

More AUSAs resign from the Roger Stone case on the same day the DoJ intervened on Trump's behalf.

Earlier today, top Mueller prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky resigned from his position as AUSA in the DC office, but still works in MD... for now.

Jonathan Kravis became the second -- in a statement he said he "has resigned as an Assistant United States Attorney and therefore no longer represents the government in this case."

A third AUSA, Adam Jed, another Mueller veteran, just withdrew.

And a new DOJ attorney, John Crabb Jr., has entered his appearance.

These are the ones we know about, from court filings. At the least, three AUSA have resigned so far. Are there or will there be more?

And John Crabb, the acting chief of the DC US Attorney's Office criminal division, enters his appearance in the case. pic.twitter.com/kIm3GXgXFQ

 Andrew Prokop (@awprokop) February 11, 2020

Adam Jed becomes the third Stone prosecutor to withdraw, days before sentencing. pic.twitter.com/P1gT1LUlqL

 Andrew Prokop (@awprokop) February 11, 2020

Trump says he did not ask the Justice Dept to change the Roger Stone sentence recommendation but says he would be allowed to do so pic.twitter.com/5AI2cCjFvy

 Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) February 11, 2020

Another one out: Adam Jed, who joined Mueller's team in 2017, withdraws from the Stone case

 Betsy Woodruff Swan (@woodruffbets) February 11, 2020

Third prosecutor, Adam Jed, seeks to withdraw from Roger Stone case amid fight with superiors over sentencing recommendation https://t.co/RR05M63kIl

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/tuesday-afternoon-massacre-an.html

If you’re one of the millions who regularly trudge down to a laundromat to clean all your clothes and other washables, then you’ve undoubtedly wished for your own washing machine. Unfortunately, folks in apartments, mobile homes, dorms, tiny houses and other confined or restricted living situations don’t always have the luxury. And to say the laundry visit is often a chore doesn’t do it adequate justice.

However, you might be surprised at the ability and usefulness of some mini washing machines like the ZENY Twin Tub Washing Machine, a unit that can go where its full-sized brothers never could. And before you dismiss the idea, consider that the notoriously trollish Amazon reviewers pretty firmly support the ZENY, offering 4 out of 5 stars from more than 330 reviews.

At just two feet across and 26 inches high, the unit can fit almost anywhere, washing up to eight pounds of laundry per load in its tiny footprint. Of course, the real game-changer here is the Twin Tub dual design, which allows you to wash and spin dry separate loads at the same time.

But it isn’t enough to do a job -- it has to be done well. The ZENY is powered by a silent 1300RPM motor with rotary controls for a better cleaning effect and a water-efficient design that leaves your laundry clean, fresh and ready to be worn.

And at 23.5 pounds, this washer is so portable you can even throw it in your vehicle to use during camping trips. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/heres-the-amazon-approved-w.html

BREAKING NEWS: Top Robert Mueller prosecutor Aaron S.J. Zelinsky resigns from the Roger Stone case, effective immediately, he tells the court in a filing.

[READ THE FILING: PDF LINK]

Zelinsky's filing includes this footnote:

"The Court is advised that the undersigned attorney has resigned effective immediately after this filing as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for District of Columbia."

He isn't quitting the DoJ, but rather resigning from that role.

Wonder if this whole mess has anything to do with the DoJ, under pressure from Trump, stepping in in an unprecedented and lawless move today to shorten Roger Stone’s prison sentence (which has yet to be announced)?

Hmm.

So does Amy Berman Jackson have any discretion over Zelinsky's withdrawal?https://t.co/QCKTdP9Uvw pic.twitter.com/sI2J2A4crc

 emptywheel (@emptywheel) February 11, 2020

BREAKING In a one sentence court filing, former Mueller team prosecutor Aaron S.J. Zelinsky withdraws from Roger Stone prosecution in apparent protest to DOJ reversal/intervention in Trump prosecution sentencing. https://t.co/WKpyXEuw2B pic.twitter.com/93lL5Le4Bo

 Spencer Hsu (@hsu_spencer) February 11, 2020

Top Mueller prosecutor Aaron S.J. Zelinsky resigned from Roger Stone’s case, effective immediately, he told the court in a filing, after the Justice Department announced that it planned to change the recommendation to give Stone a lighter sentence, per @kpolantz

 Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 11, 2020

Wow, Mueller prosecutor Zelinsky withdraws from the Stone case AND includes this footnote(!):

"The Court is advised that the undersigned attorney has resigned effective immediately after this filing as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for District of Columbia" pic.twitter.com/TrNSo9qXeB

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/top-mueller-prosecutor-aaron-s.html

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/old-bay-launched-a-hot-sauce.html

A California lawyer was arrested by federal authorities who say she was also selling guns and distributing methamphetamine. Sadly, neither are covered under attorney-client privilege.

On Monday, feds arrested Orange County lawyer Melinda Romines, 41, for allegedly illegally selling firearms-- including to an undercover agent.

The Anaheim resident was charged with conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, and with possession of an unregistered firearm, as well as two counts of distributing the illegal drug. ATF worked with local law enforcement to carry out the bust.

[READ THE INDICTMENT]

The federal indictment, returned last week, says Romines "found guns available for purchase from black market firearms dealers." Feds say Romines served as a broker between black market dealers and paying customers, and conducted business from various parking garages in Los Angeles.

She wasn't messing around. Check out the size of the transactions.

From Ashley Ludwig, Patch Staff writer with the Los Alamitos-Seal Beach, CA Patch.com:

In May 2018, Romines was suspected of selling two firearms in a Los Angeles parking lot. Both a .40-caliber pistol and an AR-type .45-caliber rifle, each missing serial numbers, were sold in that exchange.

Officials suspect also suspect Romines of selling a silencer and a high-capacity magazine with approximately 20 rounds of ammunition at that time, officials say. That transaction that netted her $2,600.

In October 2018, in another Los Angeles parking lot, she sold a .45-caliber pistol and ammunition to a buyer for $900, the indictment alleges.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/california-lawyer-sold-guns-an.html

Michaem Schmitt's (very) short film Hiccups was featured in Clive Barker's half-hour TV special "Short Screamers" (2003) and won on America's Funniest Home Videos in 2005. It reminds me of Albert Brooks and Dan Aykroyd's excellent prologue from Twilight Zone: The Movie, below.

(via r/ObscureMedia)

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/hiccups-a-fun-one-minute-film.html

Remember 'Friday,' the internet-propelled pop hit everyone loved to mock in 2011? Yeah. Rebecca Black became a star overnight, and she says it sucked.

Oh, and: She's back, and she's not 13 anymore.

"I'm trying to remind myself more and more that every day is a new opportunity to shift your reality and lift your spirit," she wrote. "You are not defined by any one choice or thing. Time heals and nothing is finite. It's a process that's never too late to begin."

pic.twitter.com/lcua4H076t

 Rebecca Black (@MsRebeccaBlack) February 11, 2020

From CNN:

Black was only in middle school when she filmed the infamous video. She paid a company called Ark Music Factory to write her a song and film a music video for it, starring her and her friends.

It's not an artistic achievement, but it's fitting for the young star at its center. In it, Black sways and sings her way through a Friday -- she wakes up, she eats cereal, she can't decide which seat in a convertible to take. Typical teen stuff.

The negative comments rolled in almost immediately, and nearly all of them lambasted Black. "It's not that I was protecting this thing as, like, my prized most beautiful creative thing I've ever made in my life," she told Buzzfeed in 2019. "But it was me. And that was my face. And that was my name people were making fun of."

Watch the video and read more at CNN: 'Friday' almost ruined Rebecca Black's life. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/friday-star-rebecca-black.html

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/what-does-a-big-chunk-of-ice-s.html

Tom the Dancing Bug, IN WHICH the spunky little boy president Donald gets away with being a very bad boy, and his imaginary publicist John helps him plot revenge and much more authoritarian naughtiness.

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/a-calvinesque-and-hobbesian-lo-9.html

Password Of The Day describes itself as a sort-of "Internet Treasure Hunt." Sign up for their list with your phone number, and they'll send you one text message every day with a random username and password. The login credentials themselves are (supposedly) real; they just won't tell you where that particular combination will work. The discovery part is up to you. But if you're lucky, you might land access to a free account on Spotify, or Steam, or Pornhub, or Headspace, or any other sites. Even if it is technically someone else's account. As they explain in an FAQ on the site:

Every day we are releasing one valid username+password combo to a mystery account. It could be Disney+, Creative Cloud, a bank account with $1000 in it - every day is different. So we give you the login info, but it’s up to you to discover what the account is; it’s like having a key, but not knowing what door it opens. Scour the internet, try your login on all the services you can think of. If you successfully log in, the account is yours!

It's not clear where they're getting this data from, or who's paying for it. But if you want to take the gamble — hey, go for it.

MSCHF, the company behind the list, is a pseudo-internet-performance-art-collective founded by ex-Buzzfeed employees that specializes in viral pranks. Sometimes these function as promotional material for other companies; sometimes they just exist, and maybe go viral, or don't. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/anyone-can-sign-up-for-this.html

In 1952, New Zealander Tom Neale set out to establish a solitary life for himself on a remote island in the South Pacific. In all he would spend 17 years there, building a fulfilling life fending entirely for himself. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe Neale's adventures on the island and his impressions of an isolated existence.

We'll also revisit Scunthorpe and puzzle over a boat's odd behavior.

Show notes

Please support us on Patreon! Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/11/in-1952-new-zealander-tom-nea.html