[continued from previous message]   
      
   iaru.org for updates on IARU activities planned for 2025.   
      
   SECURITY!   
      
   Cybersecurity experts have seen a significant increase in sophisticated   
   phishing scams using AI to generate hyper-personalized messages mimicking   
   people's communication styles, with over 90% of successful cyberattacks   
   now beginning with phishing emails.   
      
   Tech news weekly say many cybersecurity training and email filtering is   
   being used by companies to combat this.   
      
   Also 'passkeys', that new login technology which is aiming to replace   
   passwords, have seen increasing adoption but face usability challenges   
   and inconsistent implementation across sites and devices. The   
   recommendation for now is to just use password managers for now, as   
   maybe passkeys aren't quite ready for mainstream adoption yet.   
   https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.   
      
   ARE YOU READY FOR A $20US WINDFALL?   
      
   Depending how many users in the class action against Apple have filed   
   the $20 may be all each gets from the US$95 million in cash to settle   
   a proposed class action lawsuit claiming that APPLE's voice activated   
   Siri assistant violated users' privacy.   
      
   Mobile device owners had complained that Apple routinely recorded their   
   private conversations after they activated Siri unintentionally, and   
   disclosed these conversations to third parties such as advertisers.   
      
   Two plaintiffs said their mentions of Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden   
   restaurants triggered ads for those products.  Another said he got ads for   
   a brand name surgical treatment after discussing it, he thought privately,   
   with his doctor.   
      
   The class period ran from September 17, 2014 to December 31, 2024. It   
   began when Siri incorporated the "Hey, Siri" feature that allegedly led to   
   the unauthorised recordings.   
      
   Class members, estimated in the tens of millions, may receive up to US$20   
   per Siri enabled device, such as iPhones and Apple Watches.   
      
   Apple denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.   
   CQ DX MARATHON RETURNS FOR YEAR-LONG RUN   
      
   Lace up your running shoes and sit down in your shack - and get ready for   
   an on-the-air marathon that encourages operators to go the distance   
   through December 2025.   
      
   >From Amateur Radio Newsline we 'share the we share the details.   
      
   Just as the marathon for 2024 comes to an end, the new one has begun.   
      
   Avid DXers are already on the hunt through until the end of the end of   
   December 2025, hoping to work as many countries and CQ zones as possible.   
   The idea, of course, is to see who can work the most countries, or DX   
   entities, and CQ zones by the time 23:59 rolls around on December 31st.   
      
   Keep in mind that contacts through repeaters and satellites do not count,   
   nor do contacts with aeronautical mobile or maritime stations. Only the   
   use of amateur radio frequencies is permitted.   
      
   Organizers made some changes in mid-December to rules that affect the   
   awards, operating class and youth participation. For a full description of   
   the rules and who is affected, see the link in the text version of this   
   week's wia national news service   
      
   (wia.org.au)   
   HAM CLUB AT DEUTSCHES MUSEUM CALLS QRZ FOR CENTENNIAL   
      
   Amateur radio station DL  DM recently finished celebrating two   
   anniversaries in December: the club's 75th year as a radio licensee and   
   its 35th year of operating from its home at the Deutsches Museum in   
   Munich.   
      
   Now the ham radio station is getting ready for another celebration:   
   the centennial of the museum, one of the world's major showcases of   
   science and technology by  putting the callsign DL 100 DM on the air   
   throughout 2025.   
      
   The museum is marking its 100th anniversary, a time particularly for   
   amateurs to remember its longstanding connection to radio. Even before the   
   ham radio club had established a permanent presence there, the museum was   
   proudly featuring a 100-watt shortwave transmitter, that had been built by   
   a student in 1938, which CW operators would occasionally put on the air.   
   The transmitter is still at the museum and it is on view in the   
   electronics exhibition area.   
   -------------------------------------------------------------------   
      
   OPERATIONAL NEWS - A FELIX VK4FUQ PRESENTATION   
      
   DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD.-------------------   
      
   VI 2025 AJ is on air from the Australian Scout Jamboree in Queensland   
   until January 15.   
   (wia news)   
      
   --------------------   
   The Czech DXpedition Group will be using the callsign C 8 K  from   
   Mozambique the 17th of January through to the 2nd of February. Find them   
   on 160 through 6 metres and via the QO-100 satellite for our overseas   
   viewers. C8K will be using CW, SSB, FT8 and RTTY.   
   (newsline 2462)   
      
   --------------   
   Rwanda 9 X 2 AW and be on the air from the 27th of January through to the   
   15th of February, holiday style on 10 through 160 metres.   
      
   (newsline 2462)   
      
   --------------   
      
   PC 80 TT is the special callsign for members of VERON Leiden to celebrate   
   the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands during   
   World War II (5 May 1945).   
      
   Look for activity now until June One   
      
   QSL PC80TT via the bureau to PI4LDN.   
      
   The special call sign honours the memory of Rudolf Tappenbeck (PCTT),   
   a pioneer of Dutch amateur radio who died in Neuengamme concentration   
   camp 1944.   
      
   (425dxn)   
      
   --------------   
   y   
   Our I.A.R.U. celebrates its centenary this year (2025).   
      
   Since its founding in Paris, France, IARU has worked tirelessly to   
   promote innovation in amateur radio and to encourage the growth of   
   the service in communities throughout the world.   
      
   VI 100 IARU is a special event callsign transmitting from VK3 to help   
   celebrate the IARU Centennial.   
      
   qsl via MO 0 OXO   
      
   (qrz.com)   
      
   ----------   
   y   
   During 2025 the SARL will be on the air with special event callsign   
   ZS 100 SARL, as well as the permanent callsigns ZS6SRL and ZS9HQ and   
   possibly other special event callsigns.   
      
   (sarl)   
   ----------   
   y   
   Callsign 6W1RD   
      
   Senegal on the 11th and 12th will be using callsign 6 W 1 RD.   
      
   SSB and FT8/FT4 on 80-10 metres and all QSLs are via EA7FTR.   
      
   (newsline 2461)   
   ----------   
      
   y   
   8 R 1 TM from Georgetown, Guyana, now until the 8th of February.   
   CW, SSB and digital modes on all bands.   
   (newsline 2461)   
      
   ------------------------------------------------------------*   
      
   REPEATING>   
      
   OXLEY REGION AMATEUR RADIO CLUB   
      
   Between Tare and Port Macquarie in VK2 lies MIDDLE BROTHER   
      
   VK2News are reporting that ALL of the Middle Brother VK2RPM repeaters   
   are still off air following the damage to the site hosts power   
   distribution system during the severe storms on the night of Wednesday   
   the 13th of December last year.   
      
   Mainly due to lightning damage to the hosts mains power distribution   
   system.   
      
   The repeaters will remain out of service until later this month when   
   site works should be completed and power will again be available for   
   the VK2RPM repeaters.   
      
   This is the first major interruption in 52 years at the site   
   NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2025   
   --------------   
   --------------   
      
   VHF UHF Field Day   
      
   Upcoming Contest Date & Time   
      
   Summer 2025 - 0100 UTC Saturday 18 January through 0059 UTC Sunday 19   
   January (0400 / 0359 in VK6).   
      
   wia.org.au/members/contests/vhfuhf/   
   -----------   
      
   CQ 160 METER CONTEST   
      
   CW  January 24 - 2200Z January 26.   
      
   SSB February 21 - 2200Z February 23.   
      
   (cq)   
   ---------------------   
      
   AUSTRALIA DAY CONTEST JANUARY 26.   
      
   Amateurs in VK will endeavour to contact other amateurs around the   
   world. Some VK operators will be using the AX prefix to celebrate   
   Australia day, as its wanted by many amateurs around the world.   
   Scoring is distance based and calculated using 4-character grid   
   squares.   
      
   Contest Manager Alan Shannon VK4SN   
      
      
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   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)