Japan to help ASEAN develop local-language AI amid China concerns Tokyo to support Cambodian effort for Khmer artificial intelligence asia.nikkei.com/business/tec...

Little boy, you want the toy so bad, ok, I will give it to you! (Can I go home now?)

Exclusive: Beijing tells Chinese firms to stop using US and Israeli cybersecurity software, sources say www.reuters.com/world/china/...

Nominations Open for 2026 Public Interest Registry (PIR) Board of Directors circleid.com/posts/nomina... #ISOC #PIR

Purdue tops list of the world’s 25 best managed universities Report recognizes university as global model for its commitment to sustained excellence in student-faculty satisfaction, financial stability, and teaching and research quality www.purdue.edu/newsroom/202...

Very interesting read about Russian jamming Starlink in Iran and Chinese learning from the experience with implications on Taiwan (toward the end of this long article). substack.com/home/post/p-...

ICANN Seeks Community Input for 2026 NomCom Cycle (Comments Due 21 January 2026) circleid.com/posts/icann-...

It will pass around Taiwan, the Philippines and Borneo, bypassing Hong Kong and the South China Sea, of course. NTT Data-led group to build $1bn Japan-Singapore subsea cable New route avoids South China Sea amid growing geopolitical concerns, say analysts asia.nikkei.com/business/tel...

Trump vows to speak to Elon Musk to restore internet in crisis-hit country News Iranian authorities are likely using Russia or China-supplied jammer tech, reckons researcher. www.tomshardware.com/service-prov...

China Labubu factory uses 'underage workers,' rights group says Pop Mart supplier hires 16-18 years olds without required protection, underpays staff asia.nikkei.com/business/ret...

RIP David. Webb, Hong Kong’s Most Vocal Activist Investor, Dies at 60 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

One reason datacenters get all the attention is because they are hugely expensive and eat up loads of power. The underlying layer of cable system infrastructure just don't look as sexy. But, it would be a huge mistake to overlook it. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Don't be too smart? AI Coding Assistants Are Getting Worse Newer models are more prone to silent but deadly failure modes spectrum.ieee.org/ai-coding-de...

My CircleID article on my Substack: Undersea Cables as a Layer of the AI Tech Stack Will 2026 be the year investors and governments finally take the resilience of AI’s enabling infrastructure seriously? What are the implications on U.S.-China AI competition? charlesmok.substack.com/p/undersea-c...

My new article: Undersea Cables as a Layer of the AI Tech Stack Will 2026 be the year investors and governments finally take the resilience of AI’s enabling infrastructure seriously? And what may be their implications on U.S.-China AI competition? circleid.com/posts/unders...

The facial recognition debate coming to America. Wegmans is scanning your face at some stores. It’s not the only company www.cnn.com/2026/01/12/b...

Why Starlink is Failing to Pierce Iran’s Total Internet Blackout circleid.com/posts/why-st...

The Myth of the AI Race Neither America Nor China Can Achieve True Tech Dominance Colin H. Kahl January 12, 2026 www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council steers policy for the global domain name ecosystem. The NomCom invites candidates with experience in gTLD markets, Internet policy, or multistakeholder governance. Learn more: nomcom-openpositions.submittable.com/submit

Iran’s internet shutdown is chillingly precise and may last some time Aisha Down Experts note the blackout is unprecedented in its extent but also selective, allowing some government communications www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

There’s One Easy Solution to the A.I. Porn Problem By Riana Pfefferkorn www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/o...

China is thinking ahead too. China's Fast-Follower Trap: The Cost of Execution Excellence China’s AI leaders reveal what really worries them (it’s not execution). Poe Zhao hellochinatech.com/p/china-ai-f...

Bay Area shows early signs of migration stabilization amid California outflows www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news...

ICYMI esp for ISOC chapters and SIGs!! The Internet Society Foundation Opens Funding Applications for IGFs and SIGs www.isocfoundation.org/2026/01/the-...

Purdue becomes the first U.S. university to impose AI graduation requirements www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/ja...

The ICANN NomCom is selecting 2 regional reps for the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC)—one from Europe, one from North America. We seek individuals committed to end-user rights, inclusivity & strengthening regional voices in Internet policy. Apply: nomcom-openpositions.submittable.com/submit

Taiwan is a Shining Example of Undersea Cable Incidents Transparency Open disclosure enhances public confidence and is a model for other regions of frequent cable system incidents such as the Nordics. charlesmok.substack.com/p/taiwan-is-...

Taiwan is a Shining Example of Undersea Cable Incidents Transparency Open disclosure enhances public confidence and is a model for other regions of frequent cable system incidents such as the Nordics. charlesmok.substack.com/p/taiwan-is-...

For better (less Taiwan reliance on China) or worse (more US trade deficit with Taiwan), oh well. Taiwan exports to US overtake those to China on AI tech demand Wider goods trade surplus in 2025 stokes worries over Trump tariff pressure asia.nikkei.com/economy/trad...

Good move. Washington National Opera Is Leaving the Kennedy Center The opera, which has performed at the arts center since 1971, was concerned about declines in attendance and donations during President Trump’s second term. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/a...

Iran shuts off internet as protests blaze across country www.reuters.com/world/middle...

Alphabet Overtakes Apple, Becoming Second to Nvidia in Size www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Don't put all your satellites in one basket. French-U.K. Starlink rival pitches Canada on 'sovereign' satellite service for Arctic military operations Joint project with Eutelsat promoted by French president during G7 summit www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Spotlighting Braden Smith | Purdue Men's Basketball | The Journey www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Is...

China reviews Meta’s $2bn purchase of AI start-up Manus Commerce ministry assessing whether deal for Chinese-founded group violates technology export controls www.ft.com/content/62f8...

Sounds like a good idea! Vietnam to force YouTube and other platforms to allow skipping ads after 5 seconds starting February timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us-str....

DROP It, If You Live in California California residents can now request deletion of their personal data from over 500 data brokers registered in the state. Do it today! charlesmok.substack.com/p/drop-it-if...

India launches nationwide AI-skilling program for one million youths Top official says artificial intelligence unlikely to threaten jobs in Global South asia.nikkei.com/business/tec...

Starlink in Ukraine: What Three Years of Wartime Connectivity Taught Us circleid.com/posts/starli...

Nominations are OPEN for the Public Interest Registry (PIR) Board of Directors! PIR manages the .ORG family of domains and is dedicated to serving the public interest. This year, there will be two open board positions. Learn more: www.internetsociety.org/pir/call-for...

Life imitates art www.instagram.com/reels/DTFlly...

My latest Substack piece: The China Factor of Operation Absolute Resolve An early look at the Chinese reaction to the U.S. military action and arrest of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and what it may mean to China and Taiwan. charlesmok.substack.com/p/the-china-...

China taxes condoms to boost birth rates New limits on contraceptives come in response to the country’s declining population and sluggish economy www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...

Finland Seizes Ship Suspected of Damaging Subsea Cable www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Finland Seizes Ship Suspected of Damaging Subsea Cable www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

If you have to make a sport score analogy, I wouldn't use American football scores. If U.S.-China AI Rivalry Were Football, the Score Would Be 24-18 We translate algorithms and export controls into touchdowns and field goals www.wsj.com/tech/ai/the-...

China's job market braces for AI storm amid trade war and slowing economy Though disruption still small, artificial intelligence stokes fears displacement asia.nikkei.com/business/tec...

Meta to acquire AI startup Manus for at least $2bn US tech giant says Singapore-based company to cut ties with China after acquisition asia.nikkei.com/business/tec...

Coming to domain name dispute arbitration near you soon? 😅 Toby Morton, a 'South Park' alum, has been cleverly buying up domains of mostly right-wing politicians, then satirizing their motivations, policies and the way power repackages itself. www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general...

So Long, GPT-5. Hello, Qwen In the AI boom, chatbots and GPTs come and go quickly. (Remember Llama?) GPT-5 had a big year, but 2026 will be all about Qwen. www.wired.com/story/expire...