Ignacio Castro
@ignactro.bsky.social
(Mostly) Internet data science.
Lecturer (aka Assistant Prof.) at QMUL and IRTF chair of RASP RG. My orthography is creative, no typos here.
Lecturer (aka Assistant Prof.) at QMUL and IRTF chair of RASP RG. My orthography is creative, no typos here.
Pinned
Ignacio Castro
@ignactro.bsky.social
· Jan 19
If you're curious about the growth of @bsky.app, a few of us published a paper using April'24 data. Since, all stats have gone through the roof... arxiv.org/pdf/2408.12449
More than 5xusers and well beyond 300K starter packs since April 2024. How did Bluesky looked before the stampede out of X?👇 [1/n]
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Now over 61,000 🚀
🔥 Highly recommended that you all sign and share.
Link to the petition—> petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Link to the petition—> petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
November 26, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Now over 61,000 🚀
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
We are calling on the UK Government to not introduce a levy on higher education provider income from international students, reduce visa costs to attract global talent, and to review higher education funding to create a sustainable model
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/58...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/58...
July 10, 2025 at 8:54 AM
We are calling on the UK Government to not introduce a levy on higher education provider income from international students, reduce visa costs to attract global talent, and to review higher education funding to create a sustainable model
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/58...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/58...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
This is quite a victory - universities (particularly research intensives) have been lobbying for real terms protection of QR for ages
It's a classic government give with one hand (QR) and take with the other (international student levy)
It's a classic government give with one hand (QR) and take with the other (international student levy)
Block grants for university R&I to rise by £425m over four years.
Treasury confirms real-terms protection of quality-related grants and Higher Education Innovation Funding in autumn budget.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Treasury confirms real-terms protection of quality-related grants and Higher Education Innovation Funding in autumn budget.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
November 26, 2025 at 5:32 PM
This is quite a victory - universities (particularly research intensives) have been lobbying for real terms protection of QR for ages
It's a classic government give with one hand (QR) and take with the other (international student levy)
It's a classic government give with one hand (QR) and take with the other (international student levy)
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
They line up perfectly.
November 22, 2025 at 2:32 AM
They line up perfectly.
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
AI is looking peaky, and Larry Ellison’s Oracle is in the contagion zone. Turns out, having OpenAI as one of your biggest customers isn’t always a golden ticket.
An @alphaville.ft.com and #FTEdit 🧵 on the software company’s perilous position 👉
An @alphaville.ft.com and #FTEdit 🧵 on the software company’s perilous position 👉
November 19, 2025 at 4:08 PM
AI is looking peaky, and Larry Ellison’s Oracle is in the contagion zone. Turns out, having OpenAI as one of your biggest customers isn’t always a golden ticket.
An @alphaville.ft.com and #FTEdit 🧵 on the software company’s perilous position 👉
An @alphaville.ft.com and #FTEdit 🧵 on the software company’s perilous position 👉
But small boats
UK 🇬🇧 Ministry of Defence (MOD) image of Russian spy ship Yantar, presumably in or near UK waters.
Note that the ROV (remote operated vehicle, a deep-sea robot) A-frame is deployed (red). It’s doing something on the seabed.
Also two new radomes (yellow)
Note that the ROV (remote operated vehicle, a deep-sea robot) A-frame is deployed (red). It’s doing something on the seabed.
Also two new radomes (yellow)
November 19, 2025 at 1:39 PM
But small boats
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Data collection at scale is a national security issue. This trading is happening even with GDPR protections.
And yet the Commission is advocating changes that would remove such data from the scope of the regulation.
And yet the Commission is advocating changes that would remove such data from the scope of the regulation.
cyberinsider.com/precise-loca...
This #databrooker business must be stopped.
FYI @carissaveliz.bsky.social
This #databrooker business must be stopped.
FYI @carissaveliz.bsky.social
Precise Locations of EU Officials Retrieved Through Data Brokers
Phone location data, collected under the guise of ad tracking, can be used to precisely track the movements of millions in the EU.
cyberinsider.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Data collection at scale is a national security issue. This trading is happening even with GDPR protections.
And yet the Commission is advocating changes that would remove such data from the scope of the regulation.
And yet the Commission is advocating changes that would remove such data from the scope of the regulation.
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
How clear does it need to be that Europe needs independent digital infrastructure before we actually take credible action? The need is as clear for cloud as it is for the rest of our critical digital systems.
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
How Many More Cloud Scares Does Europe Need?
Robin Berjon urges the EU to dismantle the entrenched US monopolies that are undermining the goal of tech sovereignty.
www.project-syndicate.org
November 4, 2025 at 4:53 PM
How clear does it need to be that Europe needs independent digital infrastructure before we actually take credible action? The need is as clear for cloud as it is for the rest of our critical digital systems.
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
Steve Banon's populism: the american constitution represents the popular will, therefore anything that represents the popular will is constitutional www.economist.com/insider/the-...
Inside the mind of MAGA: a conversation with Steve Bannon | The Economist Insider
Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, has a worldview that contradicts that of The Economist. He’s a populist nationalist; this publication is classically liberal. But liberalism demands ...
www.economist.com
October 29, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Steve Banon's populism: the american constitution represents the popular will, therefore anything that represents the popular will is constitutional www.economist.com/insider/the-...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Oh hi! You should check these out. Especially that Technical Recruiter role, there...
bsky.social/about/join
bsky.social/about/join
Jobs - Bluesky
View open positions at Bluesky
bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
I was looking for a good explanation of 'curtailment' (paying renewable generators to turn off and gas turbines to turn on because supply and demand rarely match geographically) and this piece about the issues driving what seems like crazy behaviour is great on the historical background
Transmission Network Unavailability – the Quiet Driving Force Behind Rising Curtailment Costs in Great Britain
In this blog, Callum MacIver and Keith Bell set out to dig a little deeper into the current state of wind curtailment.
ukerc.ac.uk
October 27, 2025 at 5:59 PM
I was looking for a good explanation of 'curtailment' (paying renewable generators to turn off and gas turbines to turn on because supply and demand rarely match geographically) and this piece about the issues driving what seems like crazy behaviour is great on the historical background
Hell!
Some people complain there’s too much polling in this life, but what is voting intention in the after life? Reform leads among both those who think they’d go to heaven & those who think they’d go to hell. Though their lead grows from 6 to 20 among (self selected) denizens of hell
October 23, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Hell!
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
"The move will effectively make WhatsApp unavailable [from January] as a platform to distribute AI solutions like assistants or agents. It also means Meta AI is the only assistant available on the chat app" techcrunch.com/2025/10/18/w...
WhatsApp changes its terms to bar general-purpose chatbots from its platform | TechCrunch
Meta's rationale behind this move is that WhatsApp Business API is designed for businesses serving customers rather than acting as a platform for chatbot distribution.
techcrunch.com
October 22, 2025 at 6:11 AM
"The move will effectively make WhatsApp unavailable [from January] as a platform to distribute AI solutions like assistants or agents. It also means Meta AI is the only assistant available on the chat app" techcrunch.com/2025/10/18/w...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
🚀 PhD position open in my SPEAR lab @tudelfteemcs.bsky.social
We build systems that become startups and shape Internet standards. Our research becomes startups, influences RFC discussions, and powers real edge deployments.
Join us to create the self-organizing Internet of tomorrow 👇
We build systems that become startups and shape Internet standards. Our research becomes startups, influences RFC discussions, and powers real edge deployments.
Join us to create the self-organizing Internet of tomorrow 👇
October 22, 2025 at 7:03 AM
🚀 PhD position open in my SPEAR lab @tudelfteemcs.bsky.social
We build systems that become startups and shape Internet standards. Our research becomes startups, influences RFC discussions, and powers real edge deployments.
Join us to create the self-organizing Internet of tomorrow 👇
We build systems that become startups and shape Internet standards. Our research becomes startups, influences RFC discussions, and powers real edge deployments.
Join us to create the self-organizing Internet of tomorrow 👇
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
The costs of the UK’s Global Talent Visa looks a trifle high in comparison to competitor countries - largely through the Immigration Health Surcharge (which critics say is a form of double taxation as they contribute to the NHS through normal tax on their earnings)
October 21, 2025 at 5:57 AM
The costs of the UK’s Global Talent Visa looks a trifle high in comparison to competitor countries - largely through the Immigration Health Surcharge (which critics say is a form of double taxation as they contribute to the NHS through normal tax on their earnings)
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Interesting: Greenland picks French company Eutelsat over Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Greenland's government-owned telecommunications company Tusass signed the agreement with Eutelsat to provide east and north Greenland with better and more reliable internet connectivity.
www.dr.dk/nyheder/indl...
Greenland's government-owned telecommunications company Tusass signed the agreement with Eutelsat to provide east and north Greenland with better and more reliable internet connectivity.
www.dr.dk/nyheder/indl...
Grønland satser på fransk selskab frem for Elon Musk-satellitter
Grønlands selvstyreejede teleselskab Tusass har indgået en aftale med et fransk selskab om at sikre bedre internet i Øst- og Nordgrønland.
www.dr.dk
October 20, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Interesting: Greenland picks French company Eutelsat over Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Greenland's government-owned telecommunications company Tusass signed the agreement with Eutelsat to provide east and north Greenland with better and more reliable internet connectivity.
www.dr.dk/nyheder/indl...
Greenland's government-owned telecommunications company Tusass signed the agreement with Eutelsat to provide east and north Greenland with better and more reliable internet connectivity.
www.dr.dk/nyheder/indl...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
No regrets, the Trojans said, we needed wooden horses
German ex-leader Schroeder says no regrets over Russia pipelines
German ex-leader Schroeder says no regrets over Russia pipelines
Germany needed natural gas "at reasonable prices", Schroeder said
dlvr.it
October 17, 2025 at 2:11 PM
No regrets, the Trojans said, we needed wooden horses
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
New: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution.
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution
Vast battery units are shoring up grids and extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com
October 13, 2025 at 6:08 AM
New: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution.
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
No words
May 30, 2025 at 12:23 PM
No words
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Our European-focused work, under the brand of @eurosky.social is taking off. Our first in-person event happens in Berlin on November 19, to discuss and share opportunities for European open social #atrproto infrastructure operated in Europe. We're announcing our speakers here!
We're very excited to that announce Heike Raab, Representative of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate to the Federal Government and for Europe and the Media, will be speaking at #EuroskyLive in Berlin this November.
#EuroskyLive #DigitalSovereignty #EuropeanTech
#EuroskyLive #DigitalSovereignty #EuropeanTech
October 9, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Our European-focused work, under the brand of @eurosky.social is taking off. Our first in-person event happens in Berlin on November 19, to discuss and share opportunities for European open social #atrproto infrastructure operated in Europe. We're announcing our speakers here!
Ginius
Zelenskyy says Ukraine will nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, if he delivers Tomahawk missiles and helps secure a ceasefire. The missiles, with 1,500 km range, would let Ukraine hit deep into Russia. Trump says he’s “sort of” decided, but wants clarity on how they'd be used.
October 9, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Ginius
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Are you a lawyer? Do you enjoy working on small teams tackling big things? We’re hiring a senior counsel.
jobs.gem.com/bluesky/am9i...
jobs.gem.com/bluesky/am9i...
Bluesky Jobs
Bluesky Jobs
jobs.gem.com
October 9, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Are you a lawyer? Do you enjoy working on small teams tackling big things? We’re hiring a senior counsel.
jobs.gem.com/bluesky/am9i...
jobs.gem.com/bluesky/am9i...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
California passed AB 566!
It's a law that mandates browsers support the GPC signal that can be used to exercise privacy rights automatically in jurisdictions that have them.
Apple Safari and Google Chrome are reluctantly going to have to improve your privacy.
www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/08/g...
It's a law that mandates browsers support the GPC signal that can be used to exercise privacy rights automatically in jurisdictions that have them.
Apple Safari and Google Chrome are reluctantly going to have to improve your privacy.
www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/08/g...
Governor Newsom signs data privacy bills to protect tech users | Governor of California
www.gov.ca.gov
October 9, 2025 at 2:09 PM
California passed AB 566!
It's a law that mandates browsers support the GPC signal that can be used to exercise privacy rights automatically in jurisdictions that have them.
Apple Safari and Google Chrome are reluctantly going to have to improve your privacy.
www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/08/g...
It's a law that mandates browsers support the GPC signal that can be used to exercise privacy rights automatically in jurisdictions that have them.
Apple Safari and Google Chrome are reluctantly going to have to improve your privacy.
www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/08/g...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
It's #NetLdn tomorrow night, come join us for 2 great talks, interesting chat, and a bonus lightning talk!
netldn.uk/2025/10/03/n...
netldn.uk/2025/10/03/n...
October 8, 2025 at 5:16 PM
It's #NetLdn tomorrow night, come join us for 2 great talks, interesting chat, and a bonus lightning talk!
netldn.uk/2025/10/03/n...
netldn.uk/2025/10/03/n...