Alvaro Lopez Ortega / 2026-04-01 Briefing

Created Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:12:22 +0000 Modified Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:12:46 +0000
6337 Words

Franklin Templeton is expanding into cryptocurrency with the acquisition of 250 Digital, forming Franklin Crypto to target institutional investors. Simultaneously, Super Micro’s co-founder pleaded not guilty to smuggling Nvidia servers to China, highlighting US efforts to curb technology exports. Tensions escalated in the Middle East as an Iranian strike damaged an AWS facility in Bahrain, prompting travel warnings. Hasbro confirmed a cyberattack impacting its systems, potentially taking weeks to resolve, while OpenAI faces backlash for secretly funding child safety groups to influence AI regulation. India eased tax rules for pre-2017 foreign investments to reassure international investors.

💰 Business & Finance

Franklin Buys CoinFund Spinoff for Crypto Push

Franklin Templeton is acquiring 250 Digital, a spinoff from CoinFund, to create Franklin Crypto. The new unit will focus on developing cryptocurrency investment strategies specifically for institutional investors. This move expands Franklin Templeton’s existing presence in the digital asset space.

India Exempts Pre-2017 Foreign Investment from Tax Rules

India has clarified that foreign investment gains made before April 2017 will be exempt from its General Anti-Avoidance Rules, following a Supreme Court ruling against Tiger Global. This decision aims to alleviate concerns about retrospective tax application and reassure international investors. The move seeks to create a more predictable tax environment for foreign investment in India.

Malta Opposes EU Crypto Supervision Plan

Malta is resisting EU proposals to centralize cryptocurrency supervision under ESMA, arguing the move is politically motivated and threatens the island’s success in attracting crypto businesses. The EU’s plan would shift oversight of major firms like Crypto.com and Gemini away from Malta. Malta views this as a challenge to its established position as a hub for the digital asset industry.

The Self-Cancelling Subscription

A family experienced a recurring issue with their streaming subscription, which repeatedly reverted to a free trial despite attempts to resolve it. The problem stemmed from a complex synchronization issue between the streaming service and their credit card provider, resulting in a frustrating exchange of blame between the companies. The incident highlights potential challenges in coordinating data and systems across different platforms.

France buys nuclear supercomputing spinoff Bull from Atos for €404M

The French government has acquired Atos’s Advanced Computing assets, including the Bull supercomputing division, for €404 million. This acquisition aims to strengthen France’s technological sovereignty and secure capabilities in high-performance computing and AI, particularly for nuclear defense modeling. Bull will operate as an independent entity under state ownership, focusing on innovation and European industrial excellence.

Virgin Galactic reopens ticket sales with out-of-this-world price hikes

Virgin Galactic has resumed ticket sales for suborbital spaceflights at a significantly increased price of $750,000 per seat. The company plans to restart commercial operations in late 2026 using new spacecraft and aims for ten or more flights per month by next year. Facing financial challenges, Virgin Galactic’s future hinges on successfully executing its flight plan and securing revenue.

The Finest Swiss Quality Quaternions

A website, last updated in 1997, is selling mathematical quaternions for prices ranging from CHF 50 to CHF 1000, touting their Swiss quality and precision. The site claims the quaternions are useful for applications like 3D rotations and Monte Carlo simulations, and accepts unconventional payment methods including Swiss cows and cheese. Despite being “under construction,” the site continues to market these unusual products with enthusiastic testimonials.

The Document Foundation ejects its core developers

The Document Foundation has controversially removed Collabora staff and partners, key contributors to LibreOffice, from membership. This action, along with other questionable decisions, has resulted in the departure of founding members and accusations of prioritizing politics over technical merit. Collabora plans to continue its work and invites others to join their efforts.

Solar panels at Lidl? Plug-in versions set to appear in shops

The UK government is easing regulations to permit supermarkets and online retailers like Lidl and Amazon to sell plug-in solar panels. These affordable, easy-to-install panels will allow households to reduce energy bills and lessen reliance on traditional energy sources, particularly beneficial for renters or those in apartments. The move aims to expand access to renewable energy and accelerate the adoption of “clean and homegrown” energy solutions.

Is cybercrime really worth it? What hackers actually earn on both sides of the law

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🛡️ Security & Geopolitics

Super Micro co-founder pleads not guilty to smuggling charges.

Super Micro co-founder Wally Liaw has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of conspiring to smuggle Nvidia-powered servers to China. Prosecutors allege the scheme involved billions of dollars’ worth of restricted AI technology and violated US export controls. The case represents a significant effort to curb technology smuggling to China.

Iran strike damages AWS facility in Bahrain

An Iranian strike damaged Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) operation in Bahrain, following threats from Iran targeting US businesses in the region. The UK embassy in Saudi Arabia has warned British nationals to avoid US-linked facilities due to the escalating tensions. This incident occurred amidst ongoing conflict and conflicting claims regarding ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran.

Hasbro Confirms Cyberattack, Resolution May Take Weeks

Hasbro has confirmed a cyberattack detected on March 28, leading to system disruptions and a temporary takedown of parts of its website. The company estimates it may take “several weeks” to fully resolve the incident and is implementing business continuity plans. The nature of the attack and whether any data was compromised remains under investigation.

Pakistan’s Crypto Diplomacy Wins Over Trump

Pakistan’s recent mediation role between the US and Iran was preceded by efforts to cultivate ties with World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency venture co-founded by Donald Trump. This courtship involved high-level meetings between Pakistani leaders and executives from the crypto platform. The unusual engagement highlights the growing influence of cryptocurrency diplomacy in Pakistan’s foreign relations.

Apple to Release iOS Patches for Older iPhones to Block Hack

Apple is taking the unusual step of backporting security updates to older iOS 18 versions to protect users from a new hacking technique called DarkSword. This change allows users who prefer older software versions to receive critical security patches without upgrading to the latest iOS. The move comes after criticism regarding Apple’s previous policy of only providing updates for unsupported devices.

‘People’s Panel’ to check if UK wants controversial Digital ID will cost £630K

The UK government is allocating £630,000 to establish a “People’s Panel” of 100-120 randomly selected citizens to discuss the proposed voluntary digital identity system. This panel, alongside a formal consultation, will provide feedback to shape the design and implementation of the digital ID. Meetings will take place between May and June, with participants receiving compensation for their involvement.

UK manufacturers under cyber fire with 80% reporting attacks

A new report reveals that nearly 80% of UK manufacturers experienced a cyber attack in the past year, leading to factory outages, revenue loss, and supply chain disruptions. These incidents are increasingly common and costly, often exceeding £250,000 per company and highlighting a need for cybersecurity to be prioritized at the executive level. The findings underscore the growing risk to the UK’s manufacturing sector and economy.

What IAEA docs say about Iran’s nuclear program, before the bombs fell

IAEA reports indicate that in June 2025, Iran possessed enough enriched uranium to produce a nuclear weapon within days, despite enrichment levels being below weapons-grade. Inspections revealed undeclared nuclear facilities and the presence of near-weapons-grade uranium particles, alongside unexplained movements of nuclear material. Following U.S. strikes in 2025, the IAEA lost access to these facilities, hindering further verification.

Ukrainian Drone Holds Position for 6 Weeks

A Ukrainian remotely operated ground vehicle, the TW 12.7, successfully held a frontline position for over six weeks, providing suppressive fire and preventing Russian advances. This deployment underscores Ukraine’s growing reliance on domestically produced robotic systems to support infantry and minimize soldier risk. The program prioritizes operator training and continuous improvement based on real-world field testing.

A Mysterious Numbers Station Is Broadcasting Through the Iran War

A mysterious shortwave radio broadcast containing Persian phrases and numbers began coinciding with the US-Israel attack on Iran, and is believed to be a number station used for covert communication. The transmission, traced to a US military base in Germany, broadcasts twice daily and is likely part of a Cold War-era espionage system. The sender, intended recipient, and specific purpose of the message remain unknown.

The German state (Schleswig-Holstein) trying to break free from Microsoft

The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia is working to decrease its dependence on Microsoft products. This effort seeks to enhance data sovereignty and evaluate alternative software options. The move is part of a broader trend of governments reassessing their reliance on major technology companies.

Trump signs order exerting federal control on mail-in ballots

President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to implement stricter verification procedures for mail-in ballots and voter rolls. The order aims to establish “uniform standards” and prevent voter fraud, a practice Trump has frequently criticized. The move, which has been condemned as unconstitutional and an attempt to restrict voting access, is expected to face legal challenges.

U.S. exempts oil industry from protecting Gulf animals, for ’national security’

A U.S. committee has exempted the Gulf of Mexico oil and gas industry from the Endangered Species Act, citing national security concerns related to energy independence. This decision removes protective measures for vulnerable species like the Rice’s whale, potentially threatening their survival. Conservation groups have criticized the move, calling the national security justification a fabricated excuse.

World in crisis: why is JD Vance talking about aliens and can you trust your code?

Due to technical issues, the article content is inaccessible, preventing a summary. The article title suggests it explores a global crisis alongside seemingly unrelated topics like J.D. Vance’s discussion of aliens and concerns about code reliability. Further information is needed to provide a factual summary.

Attack on the Dubai airport may have resulted in American passport leak

Due to technical issues preventing access to the article content, a summary cannot be provided. The provided text indicates a requirement for JavaScript and cookies to view the article.

GTA V role-play servers neglected security, exposing millions of players’ records

Due to a security oversight, GTA V role-playing servers have exposed the personal data of millions of players. The breach reportedly involved neglected security measures, putting player records at risk. Users are advised to enable JavaScript and cookies for further information.

🤖 AI & Machine Learning

AI scheduler Sona raises $45M, funding now over $100M

Sona, a workforce management company utilizing AI, has raised $45 million in a Series B funding round led by N47. The company assists businesses, particularly in hospitality and retail, with scheduling, HR, and payroll processes. This funding brings Sona’s total raised to over $100 million, aiming to improve staffing accuracy and reduce labor costs for clients.

AI safety groups unaware of OpenAI funding until after launch

OpenAI secretly funded a coalition of child safety groups to promote its preferred AI regulation policies in California, often without their full knowledge. The tactic aimed to influence legislation and counter stricter child safety measures amid growing legal and regulatory scrutiny. Several organizations have since distanced themselves from the coalition, prompting calls for OpenAI to cease involvement in policy discussions.

Brain Implant Lets Man Make Music

A Caltech brain implant study participant, Galen Buckwalter, has recently begun creating musical tones using his brain-computer interface. The 69-year-old quadriplegic collaborates with a graduate student to translate his thoughts into musical sounds, showcasing a creative application beyond restoring movement. Buckwalter emphasizes the importance of enjoyable user experiences for the future success of BCI technology.

Institutional AI, Surrogacy, and the Future of Work

Institutional AI (IAI) is a new approach where AI systems are embedded within organizational decision-making processes, possessing recognized authority rather than simply assisting with tasks. This evolution shifts human roles towards overseeing AI performance and setting boundaries, with AI gaining legitimacy through consistent, reliable results. The “Collaborate by Contract” framework is crucial for providing the structure and auditability necessary for IAI to function effectively.

Review: Measuring AI Ability to Complete Long Software Tasks

A new study introduces a “time horizon” metric to assess AI’s ability to complete complex software tasks, revealing a doubling of this capability roughly every seven months. Researchers compared the performance of human experts and twelve large language models across 170 tasks, identifying a significant trend of increasing AI proficiency. While acknowledging limitations, the study suggests AI may soon handle tasks typically requiring a month of human expert time.

TurboQuant KV Compression and SSD Expert Streaming for M5 Pro and IOS

SwiftLM is a new, native Swift inference server optimized for Apple Silicon devices, offering an OpenAI-compatible API. It utilizes a novel “TurboQuantization” technique to compress machine learning models and accelerate performance with minimal accuracy loss. The server also includes experimental SSD streaming capabilities to handle extremely large models exceeding available RAM.

The AI Marketing BS Index

A satirical “AI Marketing BS Index” has been created to evaluate marketing materials and identify exaggerated claims. The index assigns points for buzzwords, unsupported assertions, and unverifiable collaborations, effectively grading the level of marketing hyperbole. It aims to help consumers distinguish genuine AI innovation from inflated marketing language.

AI companies charge you 60% more based on your language, BPE tokens

AI companies are charging users significantly more based on the language used and the differing methods of tokenization, a practice known as a “language tax.” Because AI models charge per “token” – a subword unit – non-English languages like Spanish and Arabic can cost up to 420 times more than English for the same request. This lack of standardization mirrors historical cloud computing pricing trends and results in substantial, often unnoticed, cost differences.

AI for American-Produced Cement and Concrete

Meta has released an open-source AI model, BOxCrete, to help design more sustainable concrete mixes and reduce U.S. reliance on imported cement. The AI aims to accelerate the concrete mix design process, traditionally reliant on trial-and-error, and support domestic manufacturing. Developed in partnership with companies like Amrize and the University of Illinois, the initiative contributes to reshoring efforts and bolstering the U.S. economy.

What Is Copilot Exactly?

Microsoft’s Copilot family encompasses several distinct AI products, including Copilot for Microsoft 365, Windows Copilot, and Copilot Chat, leading to considerable confusion among users. The author’s experience highlights this complexity, initially believing their coworker was referring to a productivity tool when they meant GitHub Copilot for code assistance. Microsoft describes Copilot as an AI companion built upon models like OpenAI’s, tailored to its own ecosystem and functionalities.

StepFun 3.5 Flash is #1 cost-effective model for OpenClaw tasks (300 battles)

A new evaluation reveals that the StepFun 3.5 Flash model is the most cost-effective choice for OpenClaw AI tasks, assessed through 300 battles. The ranking system uses real tasks and agents to provide a factual comparison of different AI models. The full results detail how these models perform in a practical setting.

CEO of largest public hospital says he’s ready to replace radiologists with AI

The CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals has expressed readiness to replace radiologists with AI for certain screenings, pending regulatory approval, to reduce costs and improve access. Other hospital leaders are exploring AI’s capabilities in image interpretation, with some claiming superior performance compared to human radiologists. The proposal has faced criticism from radiologists who raise concerns about potential patient harm and the limitations of the technology.

Analyzing Geekbench 6 under Intel’s BOT

Intel’s Binary Optimization Tool (BOT) significantly boosts performance in specific applications like Geekbench 6.3, increasing scores by up to 5.5%, but introduces a noticeable startup delay. The tool employs advanced vectorization techniques beyond simple code reordering, raising questions about the accuracy of benchmark results. Intel limits BOT’s usage to a select few applications, and it appears to verify executables using a checksum before applying optimizations.

100K stars in a day: Claw-code based on leaked Claude Code smashes GitHub record

A new coding tool called Claw-code, built using leaked technology from the Claude Code AI model, has broken GitHub’s daily star record. The tool amassed over 100,000 stars in a single day, demonstrating significant interest in AI-powered coding assistance. Users are required to enable JavaScript and cookies to access and utilize the Claw-code platform.

🌐 Web & Tech Culture

Apple’s Rise: Japanese Course Shaped Jobs’ Quality Obsession

A Financial Times article explores how a postwar Japanese management course significantly influenced Steve Jobs’ dedication to quality. This course, largely unknown, played a key role in shaping Apple’s approach and ultimately contributed to the company’s dominance in the iPhone era. The article highlights a surprising connection to Apple’s success as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Meta, YouTube Found Liable: Design Flaws, Not Section 230 Issue

Recent verdicts against Meta and YouTube have alarmed open-internet advocates, as juries found platform design features to be defective. These rulings suggest a potential workaround to Section 230, which typically protects platforms from liability for user-generated content. Concerns are rising that upholding these verdicts could lead to platforms restricting speech and censoring content.

Grab Launches Robotaxi Service in Singapore

Grab and WeRide have launched a pilot robotaxi service in Singapore’s Punggol neighborhood, making it the first ride-hailing company in Southeast Asia to offer a driverless option. The service uses an 11-vehicle fleet operating on designated routes and aims to demonstrate the feasibility of autonomous transportation in urban settings. Grab anticipates the technology will lower operational costs and position them in the emerging robotaxi market.

Fitbit Band Coming Without Screen, Subscription Required

Google is preparing to release a screenless Fitbit band later this year to challenge competitors like Whoop and Oura. The device will offer basic features and require a paid subscription for access to more advanced functionalities. This marks Google’s entry into the growing market of minimalist fitness trackers.

Blogging in Typst is not that hard

The author has successfully used Typst for university report writing, appreciating its templating and calculation features. However, they found that Typst’s HTML export lacks styling, resulting in a significantly different appearance than the rendered output. Consequently, the author is unwilling to manually add the necessary styles to correct the issue and utilize Typst for online writing.

Indexical: Private, local-first memory for everything you read on the web

Indexical is a new browser extension and local server that allows users to automatically capture and search the content of visited webpages. All data is stored locally on the user’s machine, ensuring privacy and independence from external services. The tool offers features like full-text search, spelling correction, and content previews, essentially creating a personal, searchable archive of online reading.

CSS or BS?

A new online quiz challenges users to distinguish between real and fake CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) properties. The game features 20 rounds, starting simple but rapidly increasing in difficulty as it tests knowledge of the CSS specification’s extensive 600+ properties. Players can expect a challenging experience with no second chances.

GopherTree

A new Gopher client called GopherTree has been developed to restore the protocol’s original design by displaying menus as simple directory trees, eschewing web-like interfaces. Written in C, the client features a text viewer with encoding support and a bookmarking system, providing a more functional browsing experience than existing options. The project aims to highlight the unique aspects of Gopher while avoiding common pitfalls like excessive link clicking.

Self hosting as much of my online presence as practical

The author has consolidated their online presence onto a home server, including email, a blog, a Mastodon instance, and a Bluesky Personal Data Server. To manage residential IP restrictions for email, they use a WireGuard VPN connection to an OVH virtual machine and Google’s SMTP relay service. The server utilizes readily available open-source software and hardware, prioritizing self-hosting and data control.

Ruby Central report reopens wounds over RubyGems repo takeover

A recently released report from Ruby Central details the controversial 2025 takeover of the RubyGems repository, citing concerns about a maintainer’s independent projects and a lack of consultation. The report’s attempt to explain the board’s actions has failed to resolve ongoing governance disputes within the Ruby ecosystem. Ruby Central retains control of RubyGems, while former maintainers have launched a competing project called Gem Cooperative.

Magic mushroom-infused products appear in Colorado gas stations

PolkaDot-branded chocolate bars marketed as mushroom blends have been recalled in multiple states after being found to contain dangerous synthetic psychoactive drugs. Dietary supplement loopholes and misleading labeling allowed these products to bypass regulations and appear in stores, deceiving both retailers and consumers. The incidents highlight a broader problem of unregulated manufacturers and a lack of product verification despite Colorado’s Natural Medicine Act.

Real-time dashboard for Claude Code agent teams

A developer has created “Agents Observe,” a real-time dashboard for monitoring and managing teams of Claude Code agents. The tool revealed performance issues with blocking Claude code hooks and highlighted the benefits of background hooks for optimization. The plugin utilizes Docker for security and features automated process management across multiple Claude instances.

EmDash – a spiritual successor to WordPress that solves plugin security

EmDash is a new, open-source content management system being developed as a modern and more secure alternative to WordPress. It utilizes technologies like Astro and TypeScript, along with sandboxed plugins and a serverless design, to address WordPress’s security and architectural limitations. The project is fully open-source and aims to democratize publishing while offering greater flexibility and security for developers.

Marc Andreessen’s dangerously unexamined life

Tech mogul Marc Andreessen has publicly stated he avoids introspection, claiming it’s a modern invention. This assertion contradicts historical and evolutionary evidence demonstrating self-reflection’s importance across cultures and species. The rejection of self-examination has raised concerns about the ethical considerations within his investment firm, Andreessen Horowitz.

Estonia to relaunch Skype as Europe’s sovereign platform

Estonia is reportedly planning to repurchase Skype from Microsoft and relaunch it as a secure, European-based communications platform. Backed by private investors and early Skype team members, the initiative aims to promote digital sovereignty and initially target government, educational, and business users. A potential “Skype Sovereign” version is being considered for institutions.

Apple Removes iPhone Vibe Coding App from App Store

Apple has removed the “Anything” app from the App Store for violating guidelines related to code execution and app functionality. This action follows similar removals of other “vibe coding” apps, which allow users to generate apps with AI assistance. Apple maintains the removals are not targeted at a specific app category, but are intended to enforce rules against unmoderated changes and functionality.

Remembering Magnetic Memories and the Apollo AGC

NASA’s Apollo missions relied on the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC), a pioneering digital system that combined human control with advanced computing capabilities. The AGC utilized specialized magnetic memory technology to handle complex calculations and data storage, prioritizing extreme reliability for the harsh space environment. This development was driven by the need for faster, denser, and more reliable storage solutions for early digital computers.

Normie reporter gives face to malware with vibe-coded hash-to-image generator

A new malware tool uses a hash-to-image generator, allowing users to create images based on malware hashes. The tool’s functionality requires users to enable JavaScript and cookies. This reportedly allows a reporter to “give face” to the malware, though the exact implications remain unclear.

Instagram may soon let you watch stories anonymously – if you pay

Instagram is reportedly developing a feature that would allow users to view stories anonymously for a fee. This would enable viewers to watch stories without the creator knowing their identity. The feature is still in development, and its availability and pricing remain unconfirmed.

🛠️ Development & Infrastructure

A game with programmable space combat written in Go

The Steam platform allows users to select their preferred language after installation and login. A comprehensive list of language options is available, including languages from across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Users can also report translation problems within the platform.

Chess in Pure SQL - DB Pro Blog

A new blog post demonstrates how to create a functional chess board and game entirely within SQL, eliminating the need for JavaScript or frameworks. The implementation uses SQL techniques like conditional aggregation to display the board and UPDATE statements to simulate moves. This innovative approach highlights SQL’s capabilities beyond basic data storage and retrieval.

pgit: I Imported the Linux Kernel into PostgreSQL

The entire history of the Linux kernel, including 1.4 million commits, has been imported into a PostgreSQL database using the pgit system. The process, which took two hours, revealed interesting insights into the kernel’s development, such as unexpected language in commit messages and a lengthy merge process. The resulting database is surprisingly compact at 2.7 GB thanks to delta compression, offering a new avenue for analyzing the kernel’s evolution.

Timesliced reservoir sampling: a new(?) algorithm for profilers

The article introduces reservoir sampling, an algorithm for extracting random samples from data streams of unknown length, commonly used in code profilers. It addresses limitations of the standard method when analyzing time-dependent data and presents a new “time-sliced” variant to ensure even sample distribution across time. This improved approach aims to enhance profiling accuracy by mitigating potential biases.

FlowG - Road to 1.0

FlowG has released version 0.54.0, completing its Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with core features like log ingestion and clustering. The project is now focused on reaching version 1.0, which will include a frontend redesign and a major overhaul of the replication layer for improved performance and reliability. Future development may incorporate OpenTelemetry for enhanced metrics and tracing capabilities.

coreutils: a comprehensive review (2023)

A recent blog post details an exploration of the coreutils package for Slackware, examining each executable in alphabetical order. The author discovered that commands like test and [ are often provided by Bash itself, requiring an explicit path to use the coreutils versions. While the coreutils and Bash versions appear similar, they are compiled differently and the blog highlights observations about other utilities like arch, base32, and base64.

SQLite DB: simple, in-process, reliable, fast (2024)

SQLite is a lightweight, in-process database engine that stores data in a single file, eliminating the need for a separate server. Recent performance tests show SQLite can handle a high volume of read queries, though write operations can be slower. It offers a reliable and fast solution for applications needing a simple database, but may not be suitable for all use cases.

GHC community update March 2026

The GHC community is seeking contributions and feedback on several compiler improvements, including Typed Template Haskell and potential changes to release policies. Key updates include the return of nightly builds, preparation for GHC 10.0.1, and the discontinuation of support for older Debian and Ubuntu distributions. Maintainers are encouraged to test upcoming GHC versions to avoid compatibility issues.

Watch out for missed warnings on vendor C++ toolchains

A security review uncovered a flaw in a constant-time memory comparison function missed by a vendor’s C++ toolchain despite enabled warning flags. The bug stemmed from an implicit narrowing conversion that should have been flagged, highlighting risks associated with relying solely on proprietary tools. The incident underscores the need to cross-check code with modern compilers and maximum warning levels to identify potential vulnerabilities.

Red-black tree in Lean 4 prover with everything proved

A developer has implemented the insertion operation for a red-black tree within the Lean 4 theorem prover, focusing on formal verification. The implementation, which assumes a black root node, includes a lengthy proof of sorting that could potentially be optimized. The project’s aim was to demonstrate a single, fundamental operation’s correctness within the Lean 4 environment, rather than a complete red-black tree implementation.

Why Don’t You Use String Views Instead of Passing strings by const&?

The article cautions against replacing std::wstring& with std::wstring_view when interacting with Win32 APIs. std::wstring guarantees null termination, a requirement for many Win32 APIs, while std::wstring_view does not. Using std::wstring_view in these situations can introduce bugs, and the author recommends sticking with std::wstring& and utilizing its c_str() method for safer API interactions.

Reconstructing full Linux history

A new Dockerfile has been created to reconstruct a complete historical record of the Linux kernel. This repository includes older commits and missing tags not present in the standard kernel.org repository, utilizing git replace and a Rust component for tag management to achieve a more comprehensive history.

Japanese shipper MOL wants a floating datacenter, and Hitachi just climbed aboard

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and Hitachi are partnering to develop a floating datacenter in Japan, aiming for operations to begin in 2027. The project will utilize a converted ship leveraging seawater cooling to address land scarcity and rising demand for server infrastructure. MOL will handle vessel conversions while Hitachi focuses on IT infrastructure and customer acquisition.

We Built It with Slide Rules. Then We Forgot How

A former Air Force engineer, raised on a farm and self-taught in rocket chemistry, expressed concern over the decline of practical, hands-on engineering skills. He worked on critical satellite systems in the 1950s and 60s, lamenting that the ingenuity and problem-solving abilities needed for ambitious projects like lunar missions are being lost. His father dedicated his later years to sharing his knowledge, fearing a lack of foundational expertise.

Is BGP safe yet?

BGP, the protocol routing internet traffic, is susceptible to security vulnerabilities that can cause disruptions. Implementing RPKI, a validation system, can help secure BGP by verifying routing information. Many major internet operators, including ISPs and transit providers, have adopted RPKI and are considered secure due to using signed and filtered routing data.

Sycamore – next gen Rust web UI library using fine-grained reactivity

Sycamore is a Rust-based web UI library utilizing fine-grained reactivity and WebAssembly for high performance. It offers features like type-checked UI, server-side rendering, and asynchronous data handling, with recent updates focusing on improved reactivity and developer experience. The latest version, v0.9.2, builds upon previous releases with features like suspense and a resources API.

Replace axios with a simple custom fetch wrapper

The article explores the history of the Axios HTTP client library and proposes an alternative: a custom wrapper around the browser’s native fetch API. Switching to a fetch wrapper offers benefits like a smaller bundle size, easier maintenance, and simplified error handling. The author provides a practical example of building such a wrapper with error handling and data sending capabilities.

CERN levels up with new superconducting karts

CERN engineers have developed high-speed karts powered by superconducting engines to improve worker efficiency during maintenance of the Large Hadron Collider. Inspired by designs from CERN’s nursery school children, the karts will replace bicycles for navigating the underground tunnel. CERN is also exploring potential applications of the technology in aerospace and anti-gravity vehicles.

🌎 Global Impact

Renewables reached nearly 50% of global electricity capacity last year

Renewable energy sources accounted for nearly 50% of global electricity capacity in 2025, driven by significant solar installations. However, fossil fuel capacity rebounded substantially, particularly in China, hindering progress towards renewable energy commitments. Increasing energy demands from AI data centers are contributing to this fossil fuel resurgence and posing challenges for climate goals.

A new way to measure poverty shows the US falling behind Europe

A new poverty measurement technique developed by Oxford University reveals that the US is lagging behind Europe, with Americans requiring roughly twice as long to earn $1 compared to citizens of Germany, France, and the UK. This metric demonstrates a rise in average poverty in the US since 1990, likely due to increasing income inequality. Notably, the GDP per capita of the poorest US state now rivals that of Germany, highlighting a significant economic disparity.

A million new SpaceX satellites will destroy the night sky

SpaceX plans to launch one million new satellites, potentially overwhelming the night sky and resulting in more visible satellites than stars globally. Simulations predict these satellites will significantly impact astronomical observations and the aesthetic value of the night sky. The proposal reportedly lacks consideration for environmental impacts such as atmospheric pollution and collision risk.

Neanderthals survived on a knife’s edge for 350k years

Genetic studies reveal that Neanderthals lived in small, isolated groups across Eurasia for approximately 350,000 years, experiencing significant inbreeding and rapid genetic divergence. These populations faced a near-extinction event around 75,000 years ago likely due to harsh climate conditions, followed by a subsequent loss of genetic diversity. Advances in DNA sequencing are providing unprecedented insight into Neanderthal history and survival patterns.

Life after California: People find dramatically lower costs, buy homes

A recent UC Berkeley study found that Californians who moved out of the state experienced significant financial benefits, including substantial housing savings and a higher likelihood of homeownership. Notably, the study revealed an increase in higher-income Californians leaving the state, particularly from affluent areas. While many have benefited from relocating, some have since returned, and California’s population is showing signs of rebounding in certain regions.