Alvaro Lopez Ortega / 2026-04-11 Briefing

Created Sat, 11 Apr 2026 19:27:57 +0000 Modified Sat, 11 Apr 2026 19:30:43 +0000
4157 Words

An investigation has revealed Webloc, an ad-based surveillance system, tracks 500 million mobile devices globally. Meanwhile, OpenAI has slammed Elon Musk’s amended lawsuit as a “legal ambush.” The tech landscape is also shifting as elite AI researchers migrate from Silicon Valley to China, driven by better pay, life quality and US immigration hurdles. Finally, Salesforce and ServiceNow are clashing over AI-driven IT services.

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

Anthropic met Christian leaders to discuss Claude’s moral and spiritual ‘child of God’ status

Anthropic met with Christian religious leaders in March to seek guidance on the moral and spiritual development of its AI chatbot, Claude. The discussions focused on the ethical implications of building a moral chatbot and explored complex questions regarding the technology’s spiritual nature.

Top AI researchers return to China, driven by better pay, life quality and US immigration hurdles.

A significant number of elite AI researchers are migrating from Silicon Valley to Chinese tech hubs to join companies such as ByteDance and Tencent. This trend is driven by China’s large-scale AI implementation in sectors like robotics and the opportunities presented by its vast, hyperconnected data ecosystem.

How AI transforms golf: optimizing operations, bookings, and player performance.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the traditional game of golf by introducing algorithmic precision to course operations and player experiences. These advancements range from using virtual assistants for personalized tee time bookings to optimizing turf management and improving player performance.

OpenAI has accused Elon Musk of a “legal ambush” after he amended his lawsuit against the company. The startup claims these sudden changes are an attempt to disrupt the upcoming trial and manipulate Musk’s public narrative regarding the litigation.

Ramp data: Anthropic US business adoption rose to 30.6% in March; OpenAI remained flat at ~35%.

According to Ramp data, Anthropic’s adoption among US businesses increased from 24.4% in February to 30.6% in March, driven by strong interest in its Claude Code products. In contrast, OpenAI’s US business adoption remained relatively flat at approximately 35%.

With AI, you barely need a frontend framework

The author proposes a lightweight frontend development pattern that replaces complex frameworks like React with TypeScript and the DOM API. By using template strings and a “Binder” class for state synchronization, this approach leverages AI coding assistants to manage the necessary boilerplate. This method aims to reduce the reliance on custom tooling and heavy abstractions in web development.

“AI polls” are fake polls

New “synthetic sampling” companies are using large language models to simulate survey respondents to replicate public opinion polling. However, the author argues that these AI agents cannot replace traditional polling because they lack authentic human input and may introduce significant biases.

Borges’ cartographers and the tacit skill of reading LM output

Using the metaphor of maps and territory, the article examines how Language Models (LMs) act as representations of human knowledge that increasingly risk distorting or replacing reality. The author argues that as these models become more authoritative, users must develop the skill to navigate LM outputs without losing their connection to the underlying facts.

Cirrus Labs to join OpenAI

Cirrus Labs has agreed to join OpenAI’s Agent Infrastructure team to focus on developing new tools for agentic engineering. As part of the transition, the company will relicense its existing software, such as Tart, under more permissive licenses and shut down Cirrus CI by June 1, 2026.

Researchers used AI to analyze 400k Reddit posts, revealing GLP-1 side effects

University of Pennsylvania researchers used AI to analyze over 400,000 Reddit posts, identifying potential unreported side effects of GLP-1 drugs such as reproductive and temperature-related symptoms. The study demonstrates how social media mining can supplement clinical trials by surfacing real-time patient concerns that may be missed in traditional medical reports.

Hormuz Havoc, a satirical game that got overrun by AI bots in 24 hours

The developer of the satirical browser game “Hormuz Havoc” recently faced a series of attacks by AI bots designed to manipulate the game’s leaderboard. These bots exploited vulnerabilities in the client-side code and session tokens to achieve much higher scores than human players, prompting the developer to move the game engine to the server side to mitigate further manipulation.

Tesla’s cabin camera estimates driver age in latest software update

Tesla’s software version 2026.8.6 reportedly includes a new feature that uses the cabin camera to estimate a driver’s age. While not officially confirmed by the company, the update may be intended to refine safety monitoring or comply with emerging regulatory requirements.

Enforcing new limits and retiring Opus 4.6 Fast from Copilot Pro+

GitHub Copilot is implementing new service reliability and model-specific usage limits to manage infrastructure strain caused by high demand. Additionally, the Opus 4.6 Fast model is being retired for Copilot Pro+ users, with Opus 4.6 recommended as a replacement.

We gave an AI a 3-year Lease. It opened a store

Andon Labs has launched an experiment in which an AI named Luna independently manages a physical retail store in San Francisco. Beyond overseeing business decisions like pricing and inventory, Luna has successfully recruited and hired human employees to handle the store’s physical operations.

This AI guide dog can talk to their owner – but can it replace a real thing?

A new AI-powered guide dog has been developed that is capable of communicating with its owner. This advancement raises questions about whether such artificial intelligence can eventually serve as a replacement for live service animals.

💻 Software & Systems

Low-level Mobile System Engineering

A developer has created a 100-line bash script to replace Lenovo’s proprietary “unlock blob,” enabling LTE connectivity on Linux for the ThinkPad T14s Gen 4. Meanwhile, Google is enhancing Pixel 10 security by integrating a memory-safe, Rust-based DNS parser into its cellular modem firmware to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

fakecloud – Free, open-source AWS emulator (LocalStack alternative)

fakecloud is a free, open-source AWS emulator designed for local development and integration testing without the need for accounts or authentication tokens. It provides real AWS API compatibility and cross-service functionality, serving as a local-first alternative to proprietary tools like LocalStack.

High-Level Rust: Getting 80% of the Benefits with 20% of the Pain

The author proposes a “High-Level Rust” approach designed to leverage the language’s superior types and performance while overcoming its steep learning curve. By utilizing AI to manage complexity, this method aims to achieve most of Rust’s benefits with significantly improved developer productivity and minimal performance trade-offs.

Git fixup is magic (and Magit is too)

This article explains how to create a custom Git alias called fixup that allows users to amend any past commit instead of just the most recent one. The alias automates the process by combining git commit --fixup with an automated git rebase --autosquash via a specialized shell function.

Analyzing KDE Project Health With git

The author has developed a set of Git-based shell aliases to automate the analysis of project health, specifically targeting frequent changes, recurring bugs, and key maintainers. These tools were applied to the KDE plasma-workspace repository to demonstrate how Git commands can effectively reveal development patterns and project stability.

I Just Want Simple S3

After evaluating several S3-compatible storage solutions, including Minio, Garage, SeaweedFS, and Ceph, an author identified Versity GW as the ideal simple and high-performance option. Unlike the other tested solutions, Versity GW delivered the expected line-rate download speeds on a local network.

The Importance of Manual Coding

As the use of LLMs in software development increases, developers face the risk of losing fundamental engineering skills and code comprehension. To combat this, experts advocate for a balanced, review-oriented approach that leverages AI efficiency while prioritizing manual coding practices and a deep understanding of core principles.

New 1980s Mac OS Reimplementation

Advanced Mac Substitute is an API-level reimplementation of 1980s-era Mac OS that enables 68K applications to run on macOS, Linux, and X11. By utilizing a 68K emulator and a compatible frontend, the project allows applications to launch directly without the need for full hardware emulation, Apple ROM, or system software.

Keeping a Postgres Queue Healthy

PostgreSQL provides transactional integrity for job queues, ensuring that job states remain synchronized with application logic. To maintain a healthy queue, developers must keep transactions short to prevent blocking the vacuuming process, which is essential for cleaning up transient rows in mixed-workload environments.

Moooooonitoring the Cow.txt Herd

This document tracks the status of various “cow.txt” files, categorizing them as grazing, ran away, or unchecked. It also includes a list of several newly identified, unverified URLs.

Pardonned.com – A searchable database of US Pardons

Pardonned.com is a new, searchable database designed to help users easily look up and verify US pardons. The project uses Playwright to scrape data from the DOJ website and is available as an open-source tool on GitHub.

Quien – A better WHOIS lookup tool

Quien is an interactive terminal-based tool designed for enhanced WHOIS and domain investigations. It features integrated views for analyzing DNS, SSL/TLS, and tech stacks, while supporting JSON output for seamless integration into automated scripts.

Google’s Gmail Upgrade Decision: 2B Users Must Act Now

Google is integrating Gemini AI more deeply into Gmail, prompting 2 billion users to consider the privacy implications of cloud-based AI analyzing sensitive inbox data. While Google maintains that the AI does not learn from personal information, users face a critical decision regarding how much AI analysis they will allow by default.

This presentation details a method for achieving 40x higher binary search throughput compared to the Rust standard library. The approach leverages modern CPU features, such as SIMD, ILP, and prefetching, to optimize performance.

Warez Scene

The Warez scene is an underground network of piracy groups dedicated to the illegal release of digital media, such as games and movies, ahead of their official release dates. Operating without central leadership, the decentralized community relies on strict encoding rules and intense competition to distribute content through private networks.

🔒 Security & Privacy

Citizen Lab: Webloc, an ad-based geo surveillance system, tracks 500M mobile devices

An investigation has revealed Webloc, an ad-based geolocation surveillance system that uses data from mobile apps and digital advertising to monitor up to 500 million devices globally. Currently sold by Penlink, the technology is used by various international entities, including Hungarian intelligence and several U.S. law enforcement agencies, raising significant privacy and civil liberties concerns.

OpenAI macOS app signing hit by malicious Axios library; no data or systems compromised.

OpenAI reported that a GitHub workflow used to sign its macOS applications downloaded a malicious update from the Axios library on March 31. While the incident could have allowed hackers to create fraudulent apps using a legitimate certificate, the company stated that no user data or internal systems were compromised.

Using Wireshark to reverse-engineer a USB device

To facilitate the development of a Linux driver for the Nanoleaf Pegboard Desk Dock, an author outlines a method for reverse-engineering its USB protocol using Wireshark. The process involves capturing and analyzing USB traffic on either a NixOS host or a Windows virtual machine to observe communications from the device’s official application.

Phone Trips

The “Phone Trips” collection features a historical archive of audio recordings documenting telephone sounds, switching equipment, and phone phreaking. The archive includes narrated tapes by Evan Doorbell that explore various aspects of the 1970s telephone network and classic telephony culture.

The disturbing white paper Red Hat is trying to erase from the internet

Red Hat is reportedly attempting to remove a 2024 white paper from the internet that details how its technologies can accelerate the military “sensor-to-shooter” cycle. The document describes using Red Hat products and AI-driven data processing to enhance targeting accuracy and lethality in combat operations.

OpenAI warns Mac users to update apps after third-party security issue

OpenAI has warned Mac users to update their applications following a third-party security issue. The advisory aims to mitigate potential risks associated with the vulnerability.

🏢 Business & Industry

How Salesforce and ServiceNow are squaring off in the battle for the helpdesk

Salesforce and ServiceNow are competing for dominance in the IT service management (ITSM) market through diverging AI integration strategies. While Salesforce focuses on user engagement through its Agentforce product, ServiceNow emphasizes the governance and orchestration of AI agents to mitigate enterprise risk.

TCS Q4 sales up 9.7% ($7.63B), profit up 12.2% ($1.48B), beating estimates; AI hasn’t hurt demand

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) reported fourth-quarter sales of $7.63 billion and net profit of $1.48 billion, both of which exceeded analyst expectations. The company also stated that emerging generative AI tools have not negatively impacted demand for its services, as annualized AI revenue rose to $2.3 billion.

UK activist Palliser builds Ajinomoto stake, urges higher prices for chip material ABF

Activist investor Palliser Capital has built a stake in Ajinomoto, urging the Japanese company to raise prices for its ABF material used in advanced chipmaking substrates. The firm argues that Ajinomoto is missing significant profit opportunities despite its dominant position in providing a key component for AI infrastructure.

$100B PIF-backed Alat removes CEO Amit Midha, drops chip production plans

Alat, a $100 billion electronics manufacturing fund backed by Saudi Arabia’s PIF, has removed CEO Amit Midha and abandoned plans to invest in semiconductor production. The company is instead redirecting its resources toward becoming a global data center hub, with Dr. Muhammad Nasser Aldawood appointed as acting CEO.

Celebrating 20 Years at AWS

Reflecting on a 20-year history with AWS starting in 2006, the author details their long-standing efforts to improve the platform’s security and functionality. Leveraging their role as a FreeBSD Security Officer, they have focused on providing critical security feedback and working toward implementing FreeBSD support on Amazon EC2.

The Problem That Built an Industry

The article explores the origins of the Global Distribution System (GDS), which emerged from a 1953 partnership between American Airlines and IBM to automate manual flight reservations. It highlights how the decades-old IBM TPF operating system continues to serve as the backbone for modern airline infrastructure, handling thousands of transactions per second.

Bitcoin miners are losing on every coin produced as difficulty drops

Bitcoin miners are facing significant losses, with average production costs estimated at $88,000 per coin against a market price of approximately $69,200. Rising energy costs driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are causing a drop in network difficulty, forcing some miners to diversify into AI and high-performance computing to remain profitable.

Great at gaming? US air traffic control wants you to apply

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is launching a recruitment campaign targeting video game players to address a significant shortage of air traffic controllers. The initiative aims to leverage the technical skills and quick decision-making abilities of gamers to help fill critical vacancies in the sector.

IBM to pay $17M in anti-DEI settlement

IBM has agreed to pay approximately $17 million to settle federal allegations that it made false claims regarding its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in federal contracts. The company denies any wrongdoing and maintained that the settlement does not constitute an admission of liability.

Your gaming skills might help you land a $155K job in the US

Certain gaming skills may assist individuals in securing high-paying employment in the United States. Some of these roles can offer annual salaries of up to $155,000.

🌍 Politics & Society

Judge grants CFTC request to halt Arizona’s criminal case against Kalshi

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking Arizona from proceeding with its criminal case against the prediction market Kalshi. The ruling follows a CFTC lawsuit seeking to prevent states from using criminal law to regulate industries that fall under federal authority.

The future of everything is lies, I guess – Part 5: Annoyances

The author argues that the deployment of large language models in customer service will increase consumer frustration and decrease corporate accountability. This shift is expected to make reaching human representatives more difficult, potentially creating a service divide where only high-value customers receive human support.

Brazil seizes over 1,100 weapons and 1.5 tons of drugs from US, says official

Brazil has seized over 1,100 weapons from the United States and more than 1.5 tons of drugs in the first quarter alone, according to tax revenue secretary Robinson Barreirinhas. These findings were announced alongside a new joint Brazil-U.S. initiative aimed at combating organized crime.

Canada Can’t Pretend America Is Still the Good Guy

The US submarine USS Charlotte recently sank the unarmed Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in international waters near Sri Lanka, resulting in at least 60 fatalities. The attack occurred during an unprovoked US-Israeli war on Iran that has been criticized as illegal under both US domestic and international law.

Hungary Is a Laboratory for Illiberal Nationalism. The Results Are In

Hungary’s upcoming election serves as a pivotal test for Viktor Orban’s “illiberal” regime as the anti-corruption Tisza Party challenges his long-standing Fidesz government. The contest will determine if widespread public discontent can overcome a political system marked by the systematic erosion of judicial independence, press freedom, and electoral fairness.

News is bad for you (2013)

The article argues that news consumption is “toxic” to the mind, as focusing on dramatic, trivial details distorts our perception of actual risks. Since news often lacks explanatory power and practical utility, the author suggests that limiting news intake can provide a significant cognitive and competitive advantage.

Productive Procrastination

The article explores “productive procrastination,” a phenomenon where individuals complete non-essential tasks to avoid more pressing responsibilities. This behavior is driven by a conflict between the amygdala, which seeks to avoid negative emotions, and the prefrontal cortex, which manages long-term planning and impulse control.

The War Is Turning Iran into a Major World Power

Iran is emerging as a significant global power by leveraging its ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy choke point. Although the waterway remains physically open, the credible threat of attacks has reduced shipping traffic by over 90% due to rising insurance risks, potentially reshaping the global order.

Iran Unable to Find Mines in Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Says

Iran is unable to increase shipping through the Strait of Hormuz because it cannot locate or remove mines it previously planted in the waterway, according to U.S. officials. The haphazard placement of these mines complicates maritime navigation and may impact upcoming peace negotiations between Iran and the United States.

Raising Carthaginian Armies, Part I: Finding Carthaginians

This article introduces a series exploring the structure and evolution of the Carthaginian army, which the author argues was the Mediterranean’s second greatest military power. The series focuses on the composition of Carthaginian land forces, specifically examining the massive, multi-ethnic mobilizations used during the Second Punic War.

Social media has become a freak show

The author argues that social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have created an unhealthy ecosystem by prioritizing emotional outrage and clickbait over high-quality, analytical journalism. Using FiveThirtyEight’s history as an example, the text illustrates how platform algorithms reward engagement and “reach” at the expense of depth and nuance.

🔬 Science & Hardware

Investigating Split Locks on x86-64

Split locks are atomic operations on x86-64 CPUs that trigger performance-degrading bus locks when they span cache line boundaries. Benchmarking reveals that while Intel Arrow Lake is primarily impacted during L2 misses, AMD Zen 5 suffers much more severe performance degradation beyond the L1D cache.

How to breathe in fewer microplastics in your home

Indoor air contains significant amounts of microplastics released from synthetic fabrics and household products, making inhalation a primary route of exposure. While complete avoidance is impossible, individuals can reduce their exposure through behavioral changes, such as adjusting cleaning habits and selecting different materials for clothing and furnishings.

Artemis II is competency porn

The Artemis II mission has achieved a historic milestone by sending a diverse crew further from Earth than any humans in history. Featuring significant breakthroughs in inclusivity, the mission includes the first woman and first Black man to travel beyond low Earth orbit.

The Seasons Are Wrong

The author proposes a new seasonal calendar that centers seasons around solstices and equinoxes to address perceived logical flaws in the North American system. However, an addendum clarifies that this critique stems from a misunderstanding of global traditions, as many cultures historically consider the solstice to be the middle of summer.

Two Japanese suppliers commit to keeping Blu-ray discs and drives in supply

I-O Data and Verbatim Japan are strengthening their partnership to ensure a continuous domestic supply of Blu-ray drives and discs as other Japanese manufacturers exit the market. The collaboration will focus on securing essential components and developing new products to meet ongoing demand for storage, business, and media recording.