Alvaro Lopez Ortega / 2026-03-25 Briefing

Created Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:13:58 +0000 Modified Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:14:21 +0000
5233 Words

Oracle is launching AI agents for business automation, raising liability concerns, while Microsoft and Nvidia are partnering to leverage AI for faster nuclear power plant approvals, a move aimed at meeting AI infrastructure’s energy demands. Former President Trump’s science advisory panel is now largely comprised of tech industry figures, sparking debate about the politicization of science. Simultaneously, JetBrains is shifting towards agentic AI development, retiring its pair programming feature, and the open-source community is exploring charging commercial users to bolster funding and long-term sustainability.

🤖 AI & Innovation

Oracle: AI agents can reason, decide and act - liability question remains

Oracle is launching Fusion Agentic Applications, a suite of AI agents designed to automate business processes and make decisions within its enterprise software. While Oracle highlights its data advantage, analysts caution about potential challenges with data integration and legal liability associated with AI decision-making. Gartner advises businesses to proceed with caution when implementing this technology.

Microsoft and Nvidia claim AI can speed approval of new atomic plants

Microsoft and Nvidia are partnering to develop AI-powered tools designed to accelerate the construction and operation of nuclear power plants. The technology utilizes digital twins and generative AI to streamline processes like permitting, design, and regulatory compliance, significantly reducing timelines. This initiative aims to expedite the expansion of carbon-free nuclear energy to meet the growing power demands of AI infrastructure.

HP stuffs OpenAI LLM into new laptops to make them either more useful at work, or a bit creepy

HP is integrating a new AI-powered application, “HP IQ,” into its upcoming laptops, utilizing OpenAI’s LLM to provide features like AI chat, meeting summaries, and automated file sharing. The software, launching in early 2026, includes a meeting recording feature that raises privacy concerns despite HP’s recommendations for user consent. Initially available on EliteBook and ProBook models, HP IQ aims to enhance productivity and collaboration in the workplace.

Google’s Lyria 3 Pro: Longer music, more creative control

Google has released Lyria 3 Pro, an updated music generation model within the Gemini app and other platforms. This version allows users to create three-minute tracks with enhanced creative control and structural customization compared to the previous Lyria 3. Tracks generated by Lyria 3 Pro are marked with SynthID to indicate AI creation.

Lucid Bots Secures $20M for Cleaning Drones

Lucid Bots, a Charlotte-based company manufacturing autonomous drones for window cleaning, has secured a $20 million Series B funding round co-led by Cubit and Idea Fund Partners. The company, which designs and manufactures its robots in the U.S., focuses on practical applications rather than flashy robotics demonstrations. The funding will be used to expand operations and meet growing customer demand.

AI Startup Glimpse Nets $35M in a16z-Led Funding

Glimpse, a fintech startup automating financial deduction processes for retailers, has raised a $35 million Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The company, founded by former Purdue students, previously raised $10 million and now has a total of $52 million in funding. Glimpse uses AI agents to streamline the complex and often error-prone deduction reconciliation process between brands and retailers.

Spotify Tests Artist Protection Against AI Fakes

Spotify is testing a new feature called “Artist Profile Protection” to help artists control which music appears on their profiles. The tool allows artists to review and approve releases before they go live, addressing issues with incorrect or AI-generated tracks being attributed to them. This provides artists with greater oversight and aims to improve accuracy on the platform.

Local LLM App by Ente

Ente has released Ensu, a new open-source, offline LLM app designed to provide users with privacy, control, and zero cost alternatives to centralized AI models. Developers believe that improving local models will eventually meet most user needs, bridging the current capability gap. The app is currently in an early stage and available on multiple platforms.

I tried to prove I’m not AI. My aunt wasn’t convinced

Advancements in AI are blurring the lines between reality and deepfakes, making it increasingly difficult to prove one’s identity. A recent incident where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struggled to dispel death rumors exemplifies this challenge. Experts warn that verifying someone’s authenticity will become increasingly complex as AI technology continues to improve.

💻 Software & Development

JetBrains shifts to agentic dev with Central, retires pair programming

JetBrains is pivoting to agentic AI-powered development with its new Central platform, which provides governance and cloud infrastructure for AI agents. To prioritize this shift, the company is retiring Code With Me, a collaborative pair programming feature, and will offer it as a plugin until early 2027. Early access to Central is expected in the second quarter of this year.

Apple’s macOS UNIX certification is a lie

Apple continues to certify its macOS operating system as UNIX, a practice dating back years. However, the certification adheres to the outdated UNIX 03 standard from 2004, not the latest version, and requires specific workarounds. The compliance testing process is not publicly reproducible, meaning Apple uses a modified version of macOS to achieve certification.

Which Design Doc Did a Human Write?

Michael Lynch conducted an experiment where readers attempted to identify a design document he wrote by hand versus versions generated by AI models like Claude Opus and GPT-5.4. Readers correctly identified the human-written document approximately 50% of the time, noting its personal opinions, experience, and unique technical choices, contrasting with the AI versions perceived as generic and lacking authorial voice. The results underscore the subtle distinctions between human and AI writing styles.

Your First Parser

This tutorial details how to build a configuration file parser from scratch using the Parseff library and parser combinators. It demonstrates a modular approach to parsing, breaking down complex logic into smaller, composable components for improved error messages and maintainability. The guide covers parsing key-value pairs, handling comments and blank lines, and incorporating typed values and validation.

Replacing Disqus with Mastodon Comments

A blogger has replaced Disqus comments with a Mastodon-powered system, displaying replies to a specific toot as blog comments. This setup eliminates third-party tracking and dependencies, requiring readers to have a Mastodon account to participate. The implementation uses a web component and involves configuring a Mastodon account and linking it to each blog post.

the broken economics of databases

Database companies report high gross margins, often between 78% and 91%, but ultimately experience modest profits due to substantial expenses in research, sales, and operations. This unusual economic situation arises from incentives that prioritize database defensibility and complexity over simplicity, creating a precarious balance. Companies like MongoDB carefully manage pricing and customer acquisition to maximize overall profitability within this challenging landscape.

Announcing Lix 2.95 “Kakigōri”

Lix 2.95 “Kakigōri” is a major release focused on bug fixes, performance enhancements, and quality-of-life improvements. It continues integration with the Cap’n’Proto remote procedure call runtime and begins extracting Flakes functionality into a plugin for increased extensibility. Users are instructed to follow specific upgrade instructions on the Lix website, rather than using the standard nix upgrade-nix command.

C++26: A User-Friednly assert() macro

C++26 will revamp the assert() macro to handle more complex expressions, eliminating the need for awkward parentheses around commas and braces within assertions. This change resolves a long-standing compilation issue while maintaining existing functionality. The update also restricts comma usage to prevent accidental always-true assertions.

Fyrox 1.0.0

After seven years of development, the Rust-based game engine Fyrox has officially launched version 1.0.0, providing tools for both 2D and 3D game creation with a native editor. This release includes a Project Export CLI to automate builds and streamline team development through CI/CD integration. The developers are seeking community feedback to further refine the engine’s stability and usability.

Httpx Fork: Reasons and Details

A fork of the Python HTTP client httpx, named httpxyz, has emerged due to concerns about stalled releases and limited maintenance in the original project. The new fork aims to provide a stable, consistently maintained version with regular releases and compatibility, hosted on Codeberg to avoid platform dependence. Developers hope httpxyz will offer a more actively developed and predictable alternative for users.

Tracy Kidder, Author of ‘The Soul of a New Machine,’ has died

Tracy Kidder, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Soul of a New Machine,” has died at age 80. Known for his narrative journalism, Kidder’s books offered detailed portrayals of people and industries through extensive research. His work explored diverse topics, including computer manufacturing, healthcare, and education.

A Eulogy for Vim

Following the death of Vim’s creator, one user has forked the text editor, creating “Vim Classic” based on an earlier version. This decision stems from concerns about the increasing integration of generative AI into Vim’s development and its broader negative societal impacts. The user aims to preserve the original essence of the software and maintain a clear conscience regarding its future.

DuckDB community extension for prefiltered HNSW using ACORN-1

A new DuckDB community extension, hnsw_acorn, enables prefiltered approximate nearest neighbor search using the ACORN algorithm. This extension allows for WHERE clause filtering and offers a pgvector-like experience within the DuckDB environment. It’s now available for use through DuckDB’s community extensions repository.

Package Managers Need to Cool Down

Following a recent supply chain attack, popular package managers are introducing “dependency cooldowns” to delay updates and allow for community review. Tools like pnpm, Yarn, Bun, Deno, uv, pip, and npm now offer features to implement these cooldown periods, though functionality varies. This practice aims to reduce the risk of installing compromised or malicious software dependencies.

Zero-Cost POSIX Compliance: Encoding the Socket State Machine in Lean’s Types

Lean 4 introduces a new approach to socket programming that encodes the POSIX socket state machine directly into the type system, preventing errors at compile time. This method eliminates runtime checks and ensures code correctness by using phantom types and proof obligations to enforce valid state transitions. The result is code functionally equivalent to raw C with zero runtime overhead.

🛡️ Security & Privacy

Quick notes on KERNSEAL

The long-awaited KERNSEAL security feature, designed to protect kernel memory and prevent privilege escalation, was recently released to grsecurity users. PAX_KERNSEAL utilizes techniques like dynamically constifying objects and hiding kernel data through new page states and dedicated page blocks. The implementation relies on existing PaX features and introduces mechanisms for temporary access to protected memory regions.

“Disregard that!” attacks

“Disregard that!” attacks exploit vulnerabilities in large language models (LLMs) by manipulating their context windows, which include all input text. Malicious prompts can override instructions and trigger unintended actions, such as unauthorized message sending. Current safeguards, like AI guardrails, have proven ineffective against these attacks, creating an ongoing security concern.

A 32-Year-Old Bug Walks Into A Telnet Server (GNU inetutils CVE-2026-32746)

A critical vulnerability (CVE-2026-32746) has been discovered in the GNU inetutils Telnet server, a protocol dating back to 1994. This buffer overflow allows for remote code execution without authentication, impacting a wide range of systems and distributions despite Telnet’s generally outdated status. The vulnerability highlights the continued presence of legacy systems and poses a risk due to its ease of exploitation.

Magic links, a passwordless login method, can be vulnerable if not implemented securely. Common pitfalls include automatic logins triggered by link previews and logins occurring in the email browser instead of the user’s intended browser. Secure implementations require link expiration, single-use codes, and other measures to protect against unauthorized access.

iStat Menus < 7.20.5 local privilege escalation

A privilege escalation vulnerability has been identified in iStat Menus versions prior to 7.20.5 due to a misconfigured folder permission granting world-writable access. This allows unauthorized users to replace a critical system binary, requiring a system reboot to activate the malicious change. The issue primarily impacts corporate environments with restricted user privileges.

Sandvine, Censorship Tech Firm, Faces Collapse, Pivots After US Action

Sandvine, a Canadian company, developed network management tools that were reportedly used by governments like Egypt for censorship and surveillance. Facing US government restrictions aimed at preventing human rights abuses, the company nearly collapsed before being acquired and shifting its business practices. The situation highlights concerns about the potential misuse of technology for repressive purposes.

Mahsa Alert Helps Iranians With Offline Maps, Reaches 100K Users

A US-based digital rights group, Holistic Resilience, launched Mahsa Alert to provide Iranians with critical information amid internet restrictions and lack of government alerts. The app, utilizing crowdsourced data and offline mapping, warns of potential attack locations and identifies surveillance infrastructure. It has rapidly gained popularity, reaching hundreds of thousands of daily active users in a short time.

Slovenian officials blame Israeli firm Black Cube for trying to manipulate vote

Slovenian officials allege that operatives from the Israeli intelligence firm Black Cube attempted to manipulate the country’s upcoming elections by discrediting the ruling party. The operatives reportedly met with a far-right opposition party in December, sparking an investigation by Slovenian authorities and inquiries to European intelligence agencies. The incident centers around alleged efforts to influence elections amid Slovenia’s support for Ukraine and Palestinians.

How to Keep ICE Agents Out of Your Devices at Airports

Travelers are facing increased scrutiny from immigration and customs agents who have the authority to search electronic devices at airports. Experts advise mitigating this risk by leaving sensitive devices at home or using dedicated “burner” devices with limited data and separate accounts. While refusing a search is an option, it may result in delays or confiscation of the device.

📰 Business & Policy

Trump remembers to appoint science panel, fills it mostly with tech bros

Donald Trump has appointed the initial members of his President’s Council on Science and Technology (PCAST), prioritizing tech industry leaders and allies over traditional academic scientists. The panel, co-chaired by Michael Kratsios and David Sacks, includes prominent figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison, and currently comprises only 13 members. The council’s lifespan is limited to ten months unless extended, and its formation is accompanied by a concerning statement regarding the politicization of scientific inquiry.

Samsung still glued to its bad habits with Galaxy S26 Ultra

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra received a low repairability score of 5/10 from iFixit due to persistent design flaws, particularly a heavily glued display. While some improvements have been made, the device still hinders independent repairs and limits repair options. Samsung appears to understand repair-friendly design but is hesitant to fully embrace it, unlike competitors.

Charging for Open Source Access

The open source community is grappling with a sustainability crisis as developers and critical infrastructure are significantly underfunded, largely due to a reliance on volunteer work and minimal financial contributions from commercial users. To address this, a growing movement proposes charging commercial entities for access to open source resources while maintaining the core code’s free availability. This model aims to ensure the long-term viability and financial support for essential open source projects and registries.

Nothing screams casual career pivot like joining the UK Ministry of Defence for a cool £162K

The UK Ministry of Defence is seeking a Chief Digital Technology Officer with a £162,000 salary to modernize its digital infrastructure and address past security failings. The role oversees a substantial £140.7 million budget and will prioritize accelerating AI adoption and integrating emerging technologies like quantum computing. The successful candidate will collaborate with internal staff, international partners, and high-profile stakeholders within the defense sector.

The Supreme Court has reversed a lower court ruling, finding that internet service providers are not contributorily liable for user copyright infringement unless they intentionally facilitate it. The unanimous decision, in the case of Sony Music Entertainment v. Cox Communications, clarifies that copyright owners must prove active inducement of infringement to hold ISPs accountable. This ruling protects providers like Cox from liability for their subscribers’ illegal music downloads and limits the scope of contributory copyright liability.

X Pauses Creator Rules After Criticism

X has paused new monetization rules for creators that would have prioritized payouts based on local audience engagement, following widespread criticism. The policy, intended to discourage algorithm manipulation, faced concerns about negatively impacting creators posting in multiple languages. This decision comes as part of X’s ongoing efforts to combat misinformation and ensure a diverse range of content on the platform.

X favors local engagement in revenue-sharing changes.

X is modifying its revenue-sharing program to prioritize engagement from a user’s home region, aiming to discourage users from falsely portraying themselves as American or Japanese. This change follows the discovery that numerous accounts promoting US political content were based overseas. The platform hopes the new policy will encourage more localized content and discourage the exploitation of US and Japanese audiences.

European Tech Worth $1.4T Acquired Abroad, Study Finds

A new study by EQT and McKinsey reveals that European tech companies valued at $1.4 trillion have been acquired or listed abroad between 2014 and 2025. This outflow involved roughly €700 billion in buyouts and IPOs, representing a significant loss of capital for Europe. The study highlights a trend of European tech talent and innovation being absorbed by foreign markets.

China restricts Manus founders amid Meta acquisition review

China is investigating Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of Manus Island land, reportedly due to foreign investment rule concerns. The founders of the landowners’ group have been prevented from leaving China, potentially jeopardizing the deal. This development adds uncertainty to the transaction and its regulatory approval.

Meta Ray-Ban EU Launch Delayed by Rules, Supply Issues

Meta has delayed the EU launch of its Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses due to regulatory hurdles regarding batteries and AI features. Supply chain constraints are also limiting the availability of the product. The company is working to address these issues to facilitate a future release in the region.

SpaceX IPO Prospectus Filing Expected Soon, Could Raise $75B

SpaceX is reportedly planning to file its IPO prospectus with regulators within the next two weeks. The company could potentially raise over $75 billion in the offering, according to The Information. This move would mark a significant shift for the private space exploration company.

Palestinians warn of expanding West Bank settler violence

Recent days have seen a significant surge in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, including attacks involving arson, assault, and alleged sexual violence. Fueled by regional conflicts and accelerated since the Gaza war, these incidents are expanding to new areas and displacing Palestinian communities. Palestinian authorities are warning of a worsening security situation and raising concerns about potential ethnic cleansing.

Miscellanea: The War in Iran

A military history scholar argues that the United States’ actions regarding Iran represent a risky gamble with potentially negative strategic consequences, regardless of the Iranian regime’s future. The analysis critiques U.S. strategy, not the Iranian regime or the actions of other nations involved. Due to Iran’s size and population, any military occupation would prove significantly more challenging than the invasion of Iraq.

Regular army and reserve components enlistment program: Summary of change

The U.S. military is implementing changes to its enlistment programs for both regular army and reserve components. These modifications aim to streamline the process and address current recruitment challenges. Key adjustments involve updated eligibility criteria and revised assessment procedures for potential recruits.

Primary School Children Face Having to Work Until They Are 75

A new report warns that declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy in the UK could necessitate a significant rise in the state pension age. Children currently in primary school may need to work until age 75 to maintain the current ratio of workers to pensioners. The report emphasizes the need for policies supporting families and increasing fertility rates to avoid a demographic crisis.

Oil at $150 will trigger global recession, says boss of financial BlackRock

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink warned that oil prices reaching $150 a barrel could trigger a global recession due to potential economic disruptions stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. He anticipates two scenarios: a return to lower prices with conflict resolution or prolonged high prices leading to a recession. Fink also dismissed concerns about an AI bubble and drew a firm distinction between current market conditions and the 2008 financial crisis.

Is the Male Loneliness Epidemic Just for Wealthy White Men?

A recent study found that the “gender friendship gap,” where men report fewer close friendships than women, isn’t consistent across all demographics. White men reported feeling significantly less close to their friends compared to Black and Latino men, and women of all backgrounds. This suggests that previous research focusing primarily on white populations may not accurately reflect friendship experiences across different racial and ethnic groups.

⚙️ Systems & Infrastructure

Windows 95 let installers trash its files then fixed the mess behind their backs

Windows 95 allowed installers to overwrite system files due to backward compatibility, potentially causing instability. To address this, the operating system secretly created a hidden backup directory and automatically repaired overwritten files. This hidden system essentially cleaned up after installers to maintain functionality.

Enterprise PCs are unreliable, unpatched, and unloved compared to Macs

A new report from Omnissa reveals that enterprise Windows PCs are significantly less reliable and slower to update than Macs or iOS devices. The data indicates businesses are increasingly adopting Apple and Google devices, likely due to faster software updates and a preference for ARM-based architecture. This trend is also driving a rise in virtual desktops, potentially linked to the end of Windows 10 support and hardware refresh needs.

OpenBSD on Motorola 88000 processors

The Motorola 88000 (m88k) architecture was designed to succeed the 68000 but ultimately failed due to performance issues and hardware defects. Its innovative design featured a separate cache and memory management unit (CMMU), but Motorola abandoned the project in favor of PowerPC. Despite its promise, the m88k was ultimately a commercial failure.

Introducing ipxlat: a stateless IPv4/IPv6 translation device

A website has implemented a system called Anubis to deter automated web scraping, requiring visitors to perform a small computational task. This temporary measure, similar to Hashcash, aims to protect the server from resource-draining scraping activities while more advanced bot detection methods are developed. Users may need to temporarily disable browser plugins like JShelter to access the site.

Ubuntu GRUB Security Changes

Ubuntu’s upcoming 26.10 release will simplify its GRUB bootloader to improve security, primarily by removing support for various filesystems and partition configurations. While initially considering removing MD RAID-1 support, Ubuntu will retain it to ensure redundancy and recovery options for users. This change will necessitate an ext4 /boot partition and will not affect systems running the 26.04 LTS release.

New Linux OS Inspired by BeOS

VitruvianOS (V\OS) is a new free and open-source desktop operating system built on Linux, inspired by BeOS and Haiku. It prioritizes user experience and simplicity, featuring a custom kernel subsystem called Nexus for BeOS/Haiku application compatibility and a ready-to-use configuration. The project emphasizes user privacy, control, and community feedback to create an intuitive and customizable computing environment.

Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez to Pause Data Center Construction

Senators Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are proposing legislation to temporarily halt new data center construction across the U.S. The bill seeks to ensure worker, consumer, environmental, and civil rights protections are established through comprehensive federal AI legislation. This move reflects growing concerns about the rapid expansion and energy demands of the data center industry.

CPU Supply Issues Worsen, Hitting PC and Server Makers

PC and server manufacturers are experiencing exacerbated supply chain issues due to CPU shortages from Intel and AMD. This problem is layered on top of an already severe shortage of memory chips, further impacting the industry. Intel is working to resolve the CPU supply constraints with its new 18A production process.

Fiber optic cables reveal a serious problem at the heart of modern farming

New research using fiber optic cable technology reveals that centuries of plowing has damaged soil structure, reducing water retention and releasing greenhouse gasses. Scientists found that tilling destroys natural water-carrying channels within the soil, hindering its ability to nourish crops. Regenerative farming techniques, like no-till methods, offer a potential solution to restore soil health and lessen the need for synthetic fertilizers.

In Edison’s Revenge, Data Centers Are Transitioning From AC to DC

Data centers are increasingly adopting high-voltage DC power architectures to address the escalating power demands of AI infrastructure. This shift aims to eliminate inefficient AC to DC conversion processes, reducing energy loss and equipment size. Companies are developing new designs to support this transition, with early implementations already emerging globally.

Flighty Airports

The data presents a series of percentages ranging from 0% to 100%, with frequent notations of “High Cancellations.” The figures likely represent levels of cancellations or related metrics, but the specific context is unavailable. A significant number of data points are zero, indicating periods of no activity or minimal impact.

🔭 Science & Exploration

YouTuber lands on Moon using a ZX Spectrum. Conditions apply

YouTuber Scott Manley successfully simulated a lunar landing in Kerbal Space Program using a vintage Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer. He utilized BASIC programming and a virtual serial connection to control the descent, highlighting the ingenuity of early programmers. While the demonstration had limitations in guidance and control, it showcased resourcefulness over raw computing power.

Scan-scatter fusion

Fusion is a compiler optimization technique that combines data-parallel operations to reduce memory access, boosting performance without changing a program’s fundamental complexity. This allows for modular code structuring without performance overhead and is crucial for the efficiency of data-parallel languages. The Futhark compiler recently implemented this optimization, necessitating adjustments to both the compiler and programming style.

AI helps geologists spot risky slopes worldwide.

AI is being utilized to analyze satellite and ground sensor data, enabling geologists to identify thousands of slopes worldwide at high risk of landslides. This technology detects subtle, early signs of ground movement that would be impossible to observe manually, potentially providing critical warnings. The AI system is particularly valuable in regions like Nepal, which are prone to landslides and facing increased risks due to climate change and human activities.

Musketeer d’Artagnan’s remains believed found under Dutch church

Remains believed to be those of famed French musketeer d’Artagnan have been unearthed beneath a church in Maastricht, Netherlands. The skeleton was discovered during floor repairs and includes artifacts suggesting it belongs to Charles de Batz de Castelmore, a close aide to Louis XIV. DNA analysis is currently underway to definitively confirm the identification.

Hubble Snaps a New Dazzling Photo of the Crab Nebula

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new image of the Crab Nebula, revealing that its gas filaments are expanding and moving at incredible speeds. These movements are driven by a rapidly spinning neutron star at the nebula’s center, demonstrating that celestial objects are dynamic and evolving. The new images, compared to those from 25 years ago, show a significant shift in the nebula’s gas patterns.

Antimatter has been transported for the first time

CERN physicists have successfully transported antiprotons via truck for the first time, a significant technological achievement given the instability of antimatter. The experiment involved moving the antiprotons in a magnetically shielded container to enable more precise study and potentially unlock deeper understandings of the universe. This advancement paves the way for future research and could help explain why antimatter is so rare.