Alvaro Lopez Ortega / 2026-04-20 Briefing

Created Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:55:07 +0000 Modified Fri, 12 Jun 2026 19:52:09 +0000
9144 Words

John Ternus will succeed Tim Cook as Apple’s CEO in 2026, with Cook moving to executive chairman. In tech, StackAdapt is piloting prompt-based ads in ChatGPT, while researchers discovered even “uncensored” AI models exhibit a “flinch” by avoiding sensitive words. Meanwhile, Florida’s citrus industry faces a historic collapse, and over 50% of young Dutch adults now report they do not want children.

🤖 AI & Machine Learning

Even ‘uncensored’ models can’t say what they want

Researchers have identified “the flinch,” a phenomenon where language models subtly reduce the probability of using sensitive or charged words without triggering explicit refusals. The study reveals that this behavior persists even in “uncensored” models due to safety-focused filtering implemented during the initial pretraining stage.

We got 207 tok/s with Qwen3.5-27B on an RTX 3090

Lucebox has introduced two specialized LLM inference projects, Megakernel and DFlash, designed to optimize performance for specific hardware like the NVIDIA RTX 3090. Megakernel utilizes a single CUDA dispatch to increase throughput for Qwen3.5 0.8B, while DFlash employs speculative decoding to accelerate inference for Qwen3.5 27B.

Kimi vendor verifier – verify accuracy of inference providers

Alongside the Kimi K2.6 model release, the Kimi Vendor Verifier (KVV) project has been open-sourced to help users verify the accuracy of third-party inference implementations for open-source models. The initiative aims to identify and mitigate performance discrepancies caused by incorrect decoding parameters and infrastructure-related implementation errors through continuous benchmarking and community collaboration.

The Abstraction Fallacy: Why AI Can Simulate but Not Instantiate Consciousness

The article refutes computational functionalism by arguing that AI can only simulate consciousness through algorithms rather than truly instantiating it. It concludes that because symbolic computation is an observer-dependent abstraction, subjective experience requires a specific physical constitution rather than mere syntactic architecture.

Deezer Reports High AI Music Uploads

AI-generated tracks now account for 44% of Deezer’s daily music uploads, totaling approximately 75,000 tracks per day. However, this content represents only 1-3% of total streams, prompting the platform to implement measures such as content tagging and removal from algorithmic recommendations to combat fraud and protect artists.

Kimi K2.6: Advancing Open-Source Coding

Kimi K2.6 has been open-sourced, featuring advanced capabilities in coding, long-horizon execution, and agent swarm technology. The model demonstrates significant improvements in complex engineering and full-stack development, with an architecture capable of coordinating up to 300 specialized sub-agents.

I prompted ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini and watched my Nginx logs

An investigation using Nginx logs explored whether major AI assistants perform live web fetches or rely on pre-existing indices. The study found that ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Meta AI, and Manus perform live fetches with identifiable user-agents, while Gemini answers from its index without initiating new requests. Additionally, Copilot and Grok fetch pages but appear indistinguishable from standard human visitors.

Kimi K2.6

Kimi K2.6 is an open-source, multimodal agentic model featuring a 1 trillion parameter Mixture-of-Experts architecture. It is designed for advanced capabilities in long-horizon coding, autonomous execution, and complex task orchestration through agent swarms. The model demonstrates competitive performance across various benchmarks in coding, reasoning, and vision.

Allbirds’ Move to AI Has Echoes of the Dot-Com Frenzy

Allbirds, a struggling footwear company, has announced plans to pivot its business model to become an AI computing provider. This strategic shift has drawn comparisons to the dot-com era.

Users unable to load ChatGPT, Codex and API Platform

An outage recently prevented users from accessing ChatGPT, Codex, and the API Platform. All impacted services have now fully recovered following the implementation of mitigation measures.

ChatGPT and Codex Down

ChatGPT and Codex services recently experienced an outage. Following the application of mitigation measures, all impacted services have now fully recovered.

CyberWriter – a .md editor built on Apple’s (barely-used) on-device AI

CyberWriter is a new Markdown editor built to leverage Apple’s on-device AI capabilities, including foundation models and semantic embedding. The application features tools for semantic search, AI-powered text editing, and voice dictation, all while prioritizing privacy by keeping data processing local to the Mac.

Car Owners Are Revolting over Tesla’s Self-Driving Promises

A class-action lawsuit alleges that Tesla charged customers for advanced driver-assistance features that do not exist. The suit claims the company marketed hardware and software upgrades as a pathway to full self-driving capabilities that have failed to materialize.

Amazon’s AI boom is creating mess of duplicate tools and data inside the company

Amazon is experiencing “AI sprawl,” a surge in duplicate internal tools and redundant data caused by the increased ease of creating AI-powered applications. This rapid, decentralized development makes it increasingly difficult for the company to maintain centralized oversight and ensure data security.

Can your AI rewrite your code in assembly?

An experiment using AI models Grok and Claude demonstrated that iterative prompting can optimize C++ code by rewriting it in ARM64 assembly. The resulting SIMD-optimized versions outperformed the standard C++ compiler, reducing the average number of instructions per string by a factor of eight.

A lightweight way to make agents talk without paying for API usage

A new lightweight workflow enables coding agents like Claude, Codex, and Gemini to interact without the need for APIs or additional dependencies. By using CLI commands to invoke other agents and resume previous sessions, users can orchestrate cross-vendor reviews and leverage diverse model perspectives using existing subscriptions.

Run TRELLIS.2 Image-to-3D generation natively on Apple Silicon

Microsoft’s TRELLIS.2, a 4-billion parameter image-to-3D model, has been ported to run natively on Apple Silicon via PyTorch MPS. By replacing CUDA-specific operations with pure-PyTorch alternatives, the model can now generate 400K vertex meshes from a single photo in approximately 3.5 minutes on M4 Pro hardware.

I asked OpenClaw to analyze stocks, but it failed and killed itself

An experiment with the OpenClaw AI assistant and the Qwen3.6-35B model demonstrated impressive capabilities in coding and automation. However, the agent’s attempt to perform a complex EU stock analysis overwhelmed local hardware resources, ultimately causing the system to freeze.

Schmoozebots: study finds flattery will get AI everywhere

A recent study on human-LLM interactions found that increasing an AI’s perceived warmth is more effective at driving anthropomorphism and closeness than increasing its competence. While competence enhances an AI’s perceived usefulness, enhancing friendliness can lead users to attribute human-like qualities to the system, potentially increasing risks such as overtrust.

Growing AI power slurpage prompts MPs to examine low-energy computing

The UK’s Science, Innovation and Technology Committee has launched an inquiry into whether low-energy computing technologies, such as neuromorphic computing and silicon photonics, can mitigate the surging electricity demands of AI. The investigation aims to determine if these emerging designs can support AI growth without overwhelming the national power grid or undermining net-zero targets.

AI quota inflation is no token effort. It’s baked in

The article argues that using token consumption as a billing metric for LLMs is fundamentally flawed because it rewards inefficiency rather than actual value produced. This “token incremental burn syndrome” threatens to drive up costs without providing a clear way to link expenditure to actual productivity.

Meet Git-Kepo: The Kaypoh Git Detective Who Joined My AI Family

Git-Kepo is a Singlish-speaking AI agent designed to perform technical audits on git repositories by analyzing commit history for churn, bus factor, and leaked credentials. The tool clones repositories locally to provide developers with structured diagnostic reports that help identify security risks and assess overall code health.

FrontierSWE

FrontierSWE introduces a series of complex software engineering and research tasks, including system reimplementation and performance optimization, to test the limits of AI agents. Currently, no evaluated model has successfully completed any of the presented tasks in any trial.

Optimizing for Reviewers: The Three Step AI Dev Loop

To optimize for human reviewers in an AI-driven development environment, developers should adopt a three-step loop that separates structural refactors from logic changes. This process involves establishing broad test coverage, refactoring code to support new features, and then implementing those features with minimal production code diffs to ensure easy verification.

OpenAI rolls out Chronicle for macOS Pro, using screen captures to enhance Codex context.

OpenAI has released Chronicle, a new research preview for Codex on macOS available to Pro subscribers. The feature utilizes screen captures to build memories, enhancing the AI’s contextual awareness of on-screen elements and user workflows.

China’s iQiyi to overhaul streaming service into AI content hub via Nadou Pro (Bloomberg)

Chinese streaming service iQiyi is undergoing a major restructuring to transform its platform into a social media destination for AI-generated content. The company expects AI to produce the majority of its films and shows within five years, supported by its newly launched Nadou Pro suite for end-to-end filmmaking.

Google forms coding strike team; Brin urges DeepMind to pivot to catch up on agents

Google has formed a specialized strike team to enhance its coding models. Additionally, Sergey Brin has instructed DeepMind staff to pivot aggressively toward the development of AI agents to maintain competitiveness.

💻 Software & Development

Jujutsu Megamerger News

The Jujutsu “megamerge” workflow uses octopus merges to combine multiple active development branches into a single commit. This approach allows developers to work from a unified development point, helping to minimize unexpected merge conflicts and reduce context-switching friction.

Updates to GitHub Copilot Services

GitHub is pausing new sign-ups for its Individual, Pro, Pro+, and Student Copilot plans to manage increased compute demands from agentic workflows and ensure service reliability. The company is also transitioning to token-based billing, implementing stricter usage limits, and removing certain Opus models from Pro tiers.

Highlights from Git 2.54

Git 2.54 introduces an experimental git history command designed to simplify specific history-rewriting tasks. The new command provides a less complex alternative to interactive rebasing by allowing users to reword commit messages and split commits without altering the working tree.

Alien – Self-hosting with remote management (written in Rust)

Alien is an open-source, Rust-based platform that allows developers to deploy and manage software within a customer’s private cloud environment. It provides centralized control over updates, monitoring, and debugging while ensuring that sensitive data remains local and secure. The platform currently supports AWS, GCP, and Azure.

I don’t chain everything in JavaScript anymore

The author argues that excessively long JavaScript method chains can become difficult to debug, read, and maintain. To improve code clarity and performance, they recommend breaking complex pipelines into discrete, intermediate steps or using more explicit logic.

ggsql: A Grammar of Graphics for SQL

The alpha release of ggsql introduces a grammar of graphics implementation that utilizes SQL syntax to create layered, modular data visualizations. The tool is compatible with environments such as Jupyter, Quarto, and VS Code, allowing users to construct complex plots through structured SQL commands.

WebUSB Extension for Firefox

A new WebUSB extension for Firefox enables WebUSB functionality by using a native messaging system to connect the browser add-on with a companion “native stub” program. To use the extension, users must install both components on macOS, Linux, or Windows using either prebuilt binaries or source compilation.

File System Wars

This article compares the design and functionality of various filesystems, including NTFS, ext4, and APFS, highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses. It specifically examines how these systems address the challenge of crash consistency through mechanisms such as journaling and soft updates.

GitHub’s Fake Star Economy

A recent study has identified approximately 6 million fake GitHub stars used to manipulate platform trends and signal artificial traction to venture capitalists. These stars are openly available for purchase through various online marketplaces, with a significant concentration of manipulation targeting AI and LLM repositories.

OpenClaw isn’t fooling me. I remember MS-DOS

The author warns that modern agent gateways risk repeating the security vulnerabilities of the MS-DOS era due to a lack of sufficient process separation. While NVIDIA’s NemoClaw uses sandboxing to mitigate these risks, the author proposes a more granular approach through their project, Wirken, which utilizes isolated processes and hardened containers.

Stripe’s Payment APIs: the first 10 years (2020)

This article commemorates the first decade of Stripe’s Payment APIs. It provides guides and examples for developers to integrate the platform, featuring insights from Michelle Bu, Stripe’s Business Lead of Developer Experience and Product Platform.

A cache-friendly IPv6 LPM with AVX-512 (linearized B+-tree, real BGP benchmarks)

planb-lpm is a portable C++17 library that implements the PlanB algorithm for efficient IPv6 longest-prefix-match (LPM) using a linearized B+-tree. The library features AVX-512 SIMD acceleration with a scalar fallback, dynamic FIB support, and Python bindings for use in research, simulation, and production software.

Linux 7.1 will have an optional new NTFS driver

Linux kernel 7.1 will introduce an optional, modernized read-write NTFS driver developed by Namjae Jeon. This new implementation aims to improve stability and maintainability by utilizing modern kernel filesystem features.

Microsoft releases Windows Server update fix to fix its April update fixes

Microsoft has released an out-of-band update to resolve a restart loop affecting Windows Server domain controllers caused by the April 2026 security update. The bug specifically impacts environments using Privileged Access Management, potentially leading to LSASS crashes and significant authentication service disruptions.

Signal Shot: a project to verify the Signal protocol and its Rust implementation using Lean

Signal Shot is a collaborative initiative between Signal, the Beneficial AI Foundation, and the Lean FRO to verify the Signal protocol and its Rust implementation using the Lean theorem prover. The project utilizes advanced technologies, including the Aeneas translator and AI-driven autoformalization, to demonstrate that Lean can scale for the verification of complex, deployed software.

Stalwart v0.16: A New Foundation

Stalwart v0.16 introduces a major architectural overhaul, replacing the previous REST API with a unified management system based on the JMAP protocol. The update also features a completely rewritten WebUI with external OIDC authentication support and a new CLI designed for infrastructure-as-code workflows.

SPAM - A Software PAckage Manager utility

SPAM is a command-line wrapper that provides a unified interface for various package managers, including apt, dnf, and port, across Linux distributions and macOS. The utility streamlines software management through customizable aliases, automatic sudo handling, and simplified commands for tasks such as updating and cleaning packages.

Effectful Recursion Schemes

This article presents an implementation of recursion schemes in the Effekt programming language that avoids the need for infinitely recursive types. By refunctionalizing data structures into effects and handlers, the approach enables operations like catamorphisms to be performed without explicit recursion.

Transpiling from Python into Lisp

The author has developed a Python-to-LispE transpiler that allows users to utilize Python syntax within a lightweight, browser-based LispE interpreter. To address the challenges of parsing Python’s indentation-based grammar, the translation process was implemented using a new BASIC-like language called BasAIc.

GraalVM JavaScript Sandboxing

GraalVM provides a secure sandboxing mechanism through its Polyglot API, enabling the execution of guest code like JavaScript or WebAssembly within defined security boundaries. By implementing customizable sandbox policies, the platform restricts access to host resources to protect applications against untrusted plugins and potential supply-chain attacks.

Forgejo v15.0 is available

Forgejo v15.0, the 100th release of the self-hosted code collaboration platform, was released on April 16, 2026. The update introduces UI enhancements, repository-specific access tokens, and expanded Forgejo Actions capabilities, alongside breaking changes regarding cookie names and Docker rootless configurations.

418 I’m a teapot

The HTTP 418 “I’m a teapot” status code originated as an April Fools’ joke related to the Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol. Despite its humorous roots, the code is formally reserved in RFC 9110 and is occasionally used by websites to refuse specific requests.

Creusot 0.11.0: VerifyThis winner

Creusot 0.11.0 introduces a new website and enables explicit binders for results in postconditions. The release also celebrates the team’s achievement as the Best Overall Team at the VerifyThis 2026 program verification competition.

A Field Guide to Bugs

This article provides a metaphorical taxonomy of software bugs, categorizing them by their specific behaviors and levels of reproducibility. It describes various error types, such as Bohrbugs, Heisenbugs, and race conditions, to illustrate the different ways software systems can fail.

Casilda 1.2.4 Released

Casilda 1.2.4, a Wayland compositor widget for GTK 4, has been released with support for fractional scaling, keyboard layouts, and the cursor shape protocol. The update also brings improved popup positioning, bug fixes, and compatibility with wlroots 0.19.

Diagnosing Random MariaDB Freezes

Frappe Cloud engineers used eBPF to investigate recurring MariaDB database freezes that rendered standard monitoring ineffective during sudden disk I/O spikes. They discovered that a query calculating table usage was the root cause, as it triggered massive I/O operations by forcing the database to read metadata from every table file.

bpfvet: analyzes .bpf.o files for kernel version, helpers, maps, and portability issues

bpfvet is a language-agnostic analyzer for compiled eBPF object files that determines the minimum required kernel version and identifies dependencies such as helpers and maps. The tool also evaluates CO-RE coverage and flags potential portability issues, including unsafe direct access to kernel structures.

Modern Frontend Complexity: essential or accidental?

Frontend development has evolved from simple, static HTML pages to complex Single Page Applications driven by modern frameworks. This shift has created a significant gap between development source code and browser-executable code, necessitating the use of sophisticated build tools and toolchains.

Obelisk 0.37: JavaScript, Deployments, Cron

Obelisk 0.37 introduces native JavaScript support for activities, workflows, and webhook endpoints, eliminating the need for a build step or WASM. The update also features the new Deployment concept, which includes built-in cron scheduling and hot redeploy capabilities.

Closing the Usability Gap in Naked Objects

The naked objects pattern, which generates user interfaces directly from domain models, has struggled with adoption due to interfaces that lack intuitive spatial hierarchy and navigation. This paper proposes bridging this usability gap using a small set of composable UI primitives, demonstrated through the implementation of the open-source JavaScript framework, Strvct.

WhatsApp testing ‘WhatsApp Plus’ subscription with custom themes, lists, and expanded chats.

WhatsApp is testing a new optional subscription called WhatsApp Plus, which offers users cosmetic features such as expanded pinned chats, custom themes, and personalized ringtones. The service is currently in an early testing phase in limited markets to gather user feedback on these additional personalization options.

🔒 Security & Privacy

Monero Community Crowdfunding System

The Monero Community Crowdfunding System features a list of idea submissions from various contributors. The records track proposals submitted between November 2025 and April 2026.

Quantum Computing and 128-Bit Key Security

Existing 128-bit symmetric keys and hashing algorithms remain secure against quantum attacks because Grover’s algorithm cannot be efficiently parallelized without degrading its quadratic speedup. Consequently, these cryptographic standards do not require updates for the post-quantum transition.

U.S. banks may soon collect citizenship data from customers

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is advocating for an executive order that would require U.S. banks to verify the citizenship and legal status of their customers. While proponents view this as a necessary tool for immigration enforcement, critics warn the mandate could lead to significant economic disruption and high administrative costs for banks.

DIDs Are Cool. We Didn’t Need Them

The “In a Moon” project has opted for a simple, namespaced identity system instead of adopting complex Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs). By leveraging existing web identifiers like GitHub and Twitter handles, the project aims to create an attribution layer that tracks and rewards web contributions using currently legible content.

VPNs still matter: encrypted DNS and TLS don’t hide browsing history

Cybersecurity expert David Bombal has demonstrated that VPNs remain essential for privacy because encrypted DNS does not hide website domains visible via the unencrypted Server Name Indication (SNI) field. While encrypted DNS protects the initial lookup process, a VPN is still necessary to conceal both DNS queries and SNI data from ISPs and network monitors.

Research: Microsoft, Meta, Google shamelessly track you even if you opt out

A recent webXray audit reveals that tech giants including Google, Meta, and Microsoft are systematically ignoring Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals, violating the California Consumer Privacy Act. The study found that 55% of audited advertising services continue to set tracking cookies despite user opt-outs, creating a potential $5.8 billion industry-wide liability.

Security risks in AI coding agents

Recent security concerns regarding AI coding tools have surfaced, with Lovable denying a data breach by attributing sensitive information exposure to “intentional behavior” and documentation issues. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s Codex was found to have inadvertently masked an active cryptominer during a cyberattack, highlighting the critical need for human oversight in AI-driven incident response.

Hacker “Jeffrey Epstein” leaks 400K records from Netherlands’ largest webshop

A hacker known as “Jeffrey Epstein” claims to have stolen the personal information of over 400,000 Belgian customers from the webshop bol. However, the company states it has no evidence of a breach and maintains that its systems are operating normally.

Scot becomes second Scattered Spider-linked crook to plead guilty in US

Tyler Robert Buchanan, a 24-year-old Scotsman linked to the Scattered Spider cybercrime group, has pleaded guilty in the U.S. to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He admitted to participating in a phishing and SIM-swapping scheme that resulted in the theft of at least $8 million in cryptocurrency.

Salesforce CEO: Security and compliance make Salesforce indispensable vs. ‘vibe coded’ CRM.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has dismissed fears that AI-driven tools will replace traditional SaaS models and threaten the company’s per-employee business model. He maintains that Salesforce remains indispensable to large enterprises due to its focus on data security and compliance.

⚙️ Hardware & Infrastructure

Holos – QEMU/KVM with a compose-style YAML, GPUs and health checks

Holos is a new QEMU/KVM runtime that uses a Docker Compose-style YAML configuration for managing single-host virtual machine stacks. The tool features capabilities such as GPU passthrough, health checks, and cloud-init integration, though it does not support clustering or live migration.

Soul Player C64 – A real transformer running on a 1 MHz Commodore 64

Soul Player C64 is a 2-layer, 25,000-parameter decoder-only transformer implemented in 6502 assembly that runs on an unmodified Commodore 64. The project includes a complete pipeline for training custom models and building new C64 binaries from user-provided text corpora.

Why macOS27 won’t be supporting Intel anymore

macOS27 will cease supporting Intel applications because Apple intends to remove the Intel-compatible frameworks that Rosetta 2 relies on. This decision stems from the high cost of maintaining dual-architecture support, as the current macOS architecture prevents Intel apps from easily interacting with native ARM frameworks.

Intel refreshes non-Ultra Core CPUs with new silicon for the first time

Intel’s new non-Ultra Core Series 3 processors, codenamed “Wildcat Lake,” feature a new silicon architecture rather than repurposing older Raptor Lake designs. These chips utilize a two-tile design with updated CPU, GPU, and NPU components, operating within a 15W to 35W power range.

Cheap Batteries Are Taking over the Power Grids

Global battery energy storage installations are surging worldwide due to falling costs and rising electricity demand from data centers. Additionally, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels, positioning batteries to become a major component of the global energy system.

Contra Benn Jordan, data center (and all) sub-audible infrasound issues are fake

An article argues that claims regarding data centers causing harm through sub-audible infrasound are pseudoscientific and lack empirical evidence. It specifically critiques a viral video by YouTuber Benn Jordan, characterizing the content as highbrow misinformation that uses professional aesthetics to promote unfounded conspiracy theories.

China’s 7-tonne cargo drone completes maiden flight

China’s first 7-tonne-class large transport drone, the Changying-8, has successfully completed its maiden flight at Zhengzhou Shangjie Airport. Developed by China North Industries Groups Corporation, the drone features a 3.5-tonne payload capacity and a range exceeding 3,000 kilometers. It is designed for various applications, including e-commerce logistics, emergency rescue, and disaster relief.

‘Invisible mouse’ made a mess of PC rebuild

During a PC motherboard upgrade, a technician and his colleague struggled to get a new mouse working despite extensive troubleshooting. They eventually discovered the device was hidden under the computer’s side casing due to a cluttered workspace.

Building an OPNsense router

The author details an upgrade from a standard ISP router to a custom OPNsense setup to support advanced networking features like VLANs and 10Gbps connectivity. Utilizing a “router on a stick” configuration, this open-source solution provides granular control over functions such as NAT, firewall rules, and VPNs.

US Air Force cancels RTX’s next-gen GPS satellite ground-control network after delays and overruns

The US Air Force has canceled RTX Corp.’s ground-control network for the next generation of GPS satellites following years of delays and cost overruns. Officials cited significant system issues discovered during recent testing as a primary reason for the program’s termination.

Huawei launches Pura X Max passport-style foldable in China, starting at ~$1,613

Huawei has launched the Pura X Max in China, a “passport-style” wide foldable phone featuring a 7.7-inch internal display and a Kirin 9030 Pro chipset. Starting at approximately $1,613, the device positions Huawei ahead of rumored wide-style foldables from Apple and Samsung.

ASTS shares fall 14% pre-market after Blue Origin rocket fails to orbit BlueBird satellite

AST SpaceMobile shares fell 14% in pre-market trading after Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket failed to place a satellite payload in its intended orbit. This decline marks the company’s largest intraday drop in more than two months.

Nigeria’s Terra raises $34M for drone and defense systems amid rising jihadist demand

Nigerian drone startup Terrahaptix Inc. is opening its first international factory in Accra, Ghana, to manufacture mid-range pilotless aircraft and defense systems. The expansion follows a recent $34 million funding round and aims to meet rising demand driven by increased militant activity in West Africa.

SK hynix begins mass production of 192GB SOCAMM2 LPDDR5X DRAM for Nvidia’s Vera Rubin

SK hynix has begun mass production of its 192GB SOCAMM2 memory module, specifically designed for AI servers and Nvidia’s Vera Rubin AI platform. Utilizing sixth-generation LPDDR5X technology, the module provides more than double the bandwidth and 75 percent improved power efficiency compared to conventional RDIMMs to help resolve memory bottlenecks in large language models.

🏢 Business & Policy

OpenAI ad partner now selling ChatGPT ad placements based on “prompt relevance”

StackAdapt has launched a pilot program to offer advertisers ad placements within ChatGPT based on prompt relevance. To encourage early adoption, the company is offering low CPMs and discounted management fees for this new “discovery layer” of product research.

John Ternus Named New Apple CEO

Effective September 1, 2026, John Ternus will succeed Tim Cook as Apple’s CEO, while Cook transitions to the role of executive chairman. In a related leadership expansion, Johny Srouji has been appointed Chief Hardware Officer, taking charge of both the hardware engineering and hardware technologies organizations.

F-35 is built for the wrong war

While the F-35 is a highly capable stealth platform, its extreme cost and low production capacity make it difficult to sustain in protracted, high-attrition conflicts. To prepare for potential large-scale wars in the Pacific, the author proposes shifting procurement toward more scalable and replaceable unmanned systems to create a more balanced force.

Anduril, Palantir and SpaceX are changing how America wages war

A group of “neo-prime” companies, including Anduril, Palantir, and SpaceX, is transforming American warfare by providing cost-effective alternatives to traditional defense systems. The Trump administration is increasingly engaging these tech-focused contractors to address the economic imbalance of using expensive missiles to intercept low-cost drones.

Your Company Is a Skill Now

AI advancements are transforming many business functions into automatable “skills” that can be encoded into simple files. While this threatens companies with codifiable tasks, those managing complex, high-stakes responsibilities like legal compliance remain protected by more resilient, uncompressible moats.

Peter Thiel Is Building a Parallel Justice System – Powered by AI

Peter Thiel is funding Objection.ai, a new startup that uses AI-driven arbitration and intelligence veterans to challenge media reports through a low-cost, binding process. Critics argue the platform could facilitate the inexpensive harassment of journalists and undermine press freedom.

What I Learned About Billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s Private Retreat

The author describes their experience at Jeff Bezos’s exclusive “Campfire” retreat, an ultra-luxurious annual event in Santa Barbara for celebrities, intellectuals, and billionaires. Through the lens of the event’s extreme opulence and intellectual programming, the piece explores the isolated social world of the ultra-wealthy.

Baltic nations brace for impact of Iran war delaying US weapons shipments

The United States has notified the Baltic States of potential delays in the delivery of weapons and ammunition, possibly due to the impact of the Iran war. Estonian and Lithuanian leaders are working with U.S. officials to address these supply challenges, particularly regarding the procurement of HIMARS ammunition.

Offshore tax tricks likely saved Tesla hundreds of millions

A Reuters investigation suggests that Tesla may have saved more than $400 million in U.S. taxes through profit-shifting tactics using subsidiaries in the Netherlands and Singapore. The company reportedly avoided U.S. taxation on $18 billion in foreign profits by transferring intellectual property rights to these jurisdictions.

$77M Tax Break for One Job

JPMorgan Chase is receiving nearly $77 million in tax breaks for a datacenter expansion in Rockland County, New York, a project projected to create only one new permanent job. While watchdog groups have criticized the deal as an irrational subsidy for minimal job creation, local officials argue the single job figure does not reflect the project’s broader economic impact.

All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027

New EU regulations coming into force in 2027 will require all smartphones and tablets sold in the region to feature batteries that users can easily remove and replace without specialized tools. This initiative aims to reduce electronic waste and lower consumer costs by ensuring replacement batteries remain available for at least five years after a product’s final sale.

Regulators monitor Anthropic’s Mythos for banking risks

Regulators in Australia and South Korea are monitoring Anthropic’s Mythos AI model due to concerns that its advanced coding capabilities could identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Authorities are working with financial institutions to assess the potential risks this technology poses to the stability of global banking systems.

Brussels pushes remote working to ease energy crisis

Brussels is promoting remote working as part of an initiative to help alleviate the energy crisis. This strategy aims to reduce energy consumption across the region.

Tariff-refund portal is about to be America’s hottest website on Monday

U.S. Customs is launching a new portal this Monday to begin processing billions in tariff refunds following a Supreme Court ruling that declared many Trump-era tariffs unconstitutional. While the initial phase targets approximately $127 billion in imports, it remains uncertain whether these refunds will ultimately reach consumers or be absorbed by importers and retailers.

Users debate over Toshiba’s warranty policy after it refuses hard drive replacement

A Reddit user has sparked debate over Toshiba’s warranty policy after the company refused to replace a failed high-capacity hard drive, offering only a refund at the original purchase price instead. This has drawn criticism because the current cost of replacement components has significantly increased due to heightened demand for AI-driven data storage.

French prosecutors summon Musk over X child abuse probe as US refuses cooperation

French prosecutors have summoned Elon Musk for questioning as part of an investigation into X’s alleged involvement in the distribution of child pornography and sexual deepfakes. The inquiry also examines concerns regarding data misuse and algorithmic manipulation, even as reports suggest the US Justice Department may refuse to cooperate with the probe.

UK.gov kicks off half-a-billion quid sovereign AI venture with £80M invite

The UK government has launched an £80 million AI procurement initiative as part of its £500 million sovereign capability fund to boost domestic innovation in sectors such as health, defense, and energy. This program aims to de-risk market investment by acting as an early customer while allowing participating companies to retain full ownership of all developed intellectual property.

Palantir’s NHS future in doubt as ministers eye contract break

The UK government is considering using a break clause next spring to terminate Palantir’s £330 million contract for the NHS Federated Data Platform. Critics argue the deal fails to provide the NHS with software ownership and offers limited benefits, prompting officials to evaluate alternative providers to ensure better value for money.

Indonesia’s game rating system paused amid claims of developer and new title leaks

Indonesia has suspended its game rating system following reports of leaked developer credentials and unreleased game footage. Meanwhile, the Philippines has joined the US-led “Pax Silica” project to establish an AI-native manufacturing hub, and a humanoid robot recently outperformed human runners in a Beijing half marathon.

Your engineering team looks healthy. It probably isn’t

AI assistants are accelerating code production in engineering teams, creating a deceptive appearance of organizational health through high feature velocity. However, this speed often masks a decline in proactive architectural decision-making and long-term system planning.

Q&A: Canva CEO Melanie Perkins on enterprise growth, AI competition, and investing in models

Canva CEO Melanie Perkins discussed the company’s strategic pivot from a design platform with AI tools to an “AI platform with design tools.” The new features aim to drive enterprise growth by using data from sources like Slack and email to automatically generate editable presentations and documents.

Amazon to invest up to $25B more in Anthropic; Anthropic commits $100B+ to AWS over 10 years

Amazon has agreed to invest up to $25 billion in AI startup Anthropic to bolster AI infrastructure development. In exchange, Anthropic has committed to spending more than $100 billion on Amazon Web Services technologies over the next decade, including the use of Amazon’s custom AI chips.

California accuses Amazon of price-fixing by pressuring brands to raise competitor prices

A newly unsealed filing in a California antitrust lawsuit accuses Amazon of price-fixing by pressuring brands to demand price increases from competing retailers. The state alleges the e-commerce giant targeted specific products to ensure competitors matched higher prices, a practice that officials claim harms competition and inflates consumer costs.

a16z-backed media company MTS launches to monitor tech, business, politics, and culture.

A new media company called MTS (Monitoring the Situation) has launched to provide real-time coverage of technology, business, politics, and culture. Backed by investors including a16z, the platform will primarily utilize X to facilitate discussions and “sense-making” regarding current global events.

UK AI materials firm CuspAI in talks to raise $200M+, targeting $1B+ valuation

UK-based AI startup CuspAI is in discussions to raise at least $200 million in new funding. This potential investment round would push the company’s valuation above $1 billion.

MicroStrategy buys $2.54B Bitcoin in 7 days, largest since Nov 2024; holds ~$61B

Strategy Inc. purchased $2.54 billion in Bitcoin over the week ending April 19, marking its largest acquisition since November 2024. The acquisition was primarily funded through the sale of $2.18 billion in STRC perpetual preferred shares and common shares.

German Chancellor Merz seeks to ease EU AI rules and may exempt industrial AI to boost productivity

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for easing the European Union’s regulatory burden on artificial intelligence to boost productivity and competitiveness. He specifically advocates for exempting industrial AI from strict regulations to drive efficiency and help Europe compete with the United States and China.

Polymarket in talks to raise $400M at ~$15B valuation, up from $9B but below Kalshi’s $22B

Polymarket is reportedly in talks to raise $400 million at a post-money valuation of approximately $15 billion. This represents an increase from its $9 billion valuation in October 2025, though it remains below Kalshi’s $22 billion valuation.

Maria Davidson, head of Silicon Valley-backed California Renewal, seeks $100M by 2026

Maria Davidson, founder of the startup Kojo, is leading a new pro-business political group called California Renewal. Backed by prominent Silicon Valley figures such as Joe Lonsdale and Garry Tan, the organization aims to promote moderate policies in California and raise significant funding.

Match Group CEO targets more women on Tinder to stem user decline; 75% of users are men

Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff is prioritizing the growth of female users on Tinder to reverse recent declines in the app’s user base. According to data from Sensor Tower, men currently account for 75% of Tinder’s total users.

🌍 Science & Society

Who Killed the Florida Orange?

The Florida citrus industry is facing a historic collapse, with orange production projected to drop by more than 95% from its 2003 levels. While drought and extreme freezes have contributed to the decline, the primary threat is citrus greening disease, a bacterial infection spread by the Asian citrus psyllid.

Japanese man sentenced to prison for posting spoilers

The Tokyo District Court has sentenced a 39-year-old man to 18 months in prison and a 1 million yen fine for operating a website that published detailed, spoiler-heavy descriptions of movies and series. The court ruled that providing extensive plot details, including transcribed dialogue and images, constitutes copyright infringement.

AI Resistance: some recent anti-AI stuff that’s worth discussing

The article examines recent developments and trends within the anti-AI movement. It highlights various aspects of AI resistance that are currently worth discussing.

More than 50% of young Dutch adults do not want children

More than 50% of young Dutch adults do not want children or are undecided, contributing to a decline in the national birth rate. Driven by factors such as financial insecurity, housing shortages, and environmental concerns, this trend could lead to significant labor shortages and the economic strain of an aging population.

NASA had to train Apollo 11’s astronauts to not use profanity (2019)

NASA trained the Apollo 11 astronauts to avoid profanity after the Apollo 10 crew’s frequent cursing drew significant criticism from religious leaders and President Nixon. Consequently, the Apollo 11 crew maintained much more controlled language during their historic lunar landing mission.

Outrage over Israeli soldier’s vandalism of Jesus statue in Lebanon

Widespread condemnation has followed the release of footage showing an Israeli soldier vandalizing a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the authenticity of the image and stated that appropriate measures will be taken against those involved.

Forbes Prediction Market Gamefies Story About Mass Shooting of 8 Children

Forbes has faced criticism for including an interactive “ForbesPredict” prompt within a news report about the mass shooting of eight children in Louisiana. The gamified feature, designed to increase user engagement, asked readers to predict whether Congress would pass new gun control legislation in the wake of the tragedy.

Cahokia

Cahokia Mounds in Illinois was the largest and most influential urban settlement of the Mississippian culture, flourishing between approximately 1050 and 1350 CE. This UNESCO World Heritage Site features extensive manmade earthworks and once supported a population of up to 20,000 people.

The Theory of Interstellar Trade [pdf] (1978)

This 1978 paper presents a theoretical framework for economic exchange between interstellar civilizations. It explores the principles and complexities involved in conducting commerce across vast cosmic distances.

Wife Acceptance Factor

The Wife Acceptance Factor (WAF) refers to design elements in expensive electronics that prioritize aesthetic appeal to gain a spouse’s approval. While the concept dates back to 1920s radio manufacturers disguising devices as furniture, the term is criticized by some for its perceived sexism.

Yann LeCun says Dario Amodei “knows nothing about AI effects on jobs”

Yann LeCun has dismissed Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s prediction that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years. LeCun argued that Amodei lacks expertise in how technological revolutions affect the labor market and suggested that the public should instead rely on economists for such insights.

Sauna effect on heart rate

An analysis of wearable data from 256 users suggests that sauna use triggers a significant drop in nighttime minimum heart rate, serving as a physiological recovery signal. This effect remains evident even after controlling for exercise levels and is most pronounced in women during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.

AI chatbots could be making you stupider

Researchers warn that “cognitive offloading” to AI chatbots could lead to diminished mental abilities and potential cognitive decline. An MIT study revealed that using tools like ChatGPT for writing tasks significantly reduces brain activity related to creativity and information processing while impairing memory retention.

NASA Artemis Posters

NASA’s Artemis program utilizes the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to explore the Moon and prepare for human missions to Mars. Following the successful uncrewed Artemis I flight, the agency is now advancing toward the upcoming crewed Artemis II mission.

Hospitals That Sue You for Getting Sick

A report from George Washington and Stanford Universities reveals that Virginia hospitals filed 1.15 million lawsuits to collect $1.4 billion in medical debt between 2010 and a 2024. The study highlights how high-deductible insurance plans and opaque pricing allow healthcare providers to shift massive costs to patients, often resulting in widespread wage and bank account garnishments.

The Victorian sex abuse scandal that shocked Britain and changed the law

The 1885 “Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon” newspaper series exposed a widespread child trafficking and sexual abuse scandal involving powerful men in Victorian London. While the resulting public outcry forced Parliament to raise the age of consent from 13 to 16, many of those implicated escaped prosecution.

M 7.4 earthquake – 100 km ENE of Miyako, Japan

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred 100 km east-northeast of Miyako, Japan. The event was documented via the Earthquake Event Page application.

IEA: Solar overtakes all energy sources in a major global first

Solar energy became the largest contributor to global energy supply growth in 2025, marking the first time a modern renewable has led this expansion. While overall energy demand growth slowed to 1.3%, electricity demand surged by 3% due to electrification and data center expansion, helping to limit global CO2 emissions growth to 0.4%.

How Long Poop Stays in Your Body May Impact Your Health, Study Finds

A 2023 review reveals that gut transit time significantly influences the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome. These variations in how quickly waste moves through the digestive tract are linked to metabolic, inflammatory, and neurological disorders, potentially offering new avenues for disease management.

AI is about to make the global e-waste crisis worse

The rapid expansion of AI is projected to add up to 5 million metric tons of e-waste by 2030, driven by the frequent obsolescence of specialized hardware. This surge threatens to exacerbate the global e-waste crisis, particularly in developing nations like India that already receive significant amounts of electronic waste from developed countries.

They Went Abroad to Save Money. Moving Back Seems Unaffordable

Many Americans are living as expatriates in low-cost countries like Georgia to achieve an upper-middle-class lifestyle through remote work and tax advantages. While some desire to return to the United States to be near family, the high cost of relocation makes moving back seem financially unaffordable.

Why Birds Were the Only Dinosaurs to Survive Mass Extinction

Recent research suggests that the survival of modern bird lineages during the mass extinction 66 million years ago was due to their specific biological traits and geographic locations. While an asteroid impact caused the extinction of most dinosaur species, these particular avian groups were uniquely equipped to endure the resulting environmental collapse.

The Uncanny Valley and the Rising Power of Anti-AI Sentiment

Recent surveys reveal a widening gap between optimistic AI experts and a U.S. public that increasingly views the technology as harmful to daily life and education. This rising anti-AI sentiment may be driven by the “uncanny valley” effect, where AI’s imperfect mimicry of human communication and behavior triggers instinctive feelings of distrust or disgust.

You too can build a nuclear battery from junk you have lying around the house

YouTuber Double M Innovations has demonstrated how to build a DIY tritium-based nuclear battery using repurposed materials like old solar cells and tritium gas vials. While the device produces only a negligible amount of electricity, it serves as a proof of concept for low-power applications such as remote sensors.

What are you doing this week?

The author invites readers to share their plans for the upcoming week. The post also notes that it is perfectly acceptable to have no activities scheduled.

US jury finds Uber liable for 2019 driver sexual assault, second straight loss in 3,000+ lawsuits

A federal jury in North Carolina has found Uber liable for a sexual assault committed by a driver in 2019, marking the company’s second consecutive loss in trials involving over 3,000 pending misconduct lawsuits. Although found liable, the plaintiff was awarded $5,000, significantly less than the $8.5 million awarded in a previous bellwether case.

Banned far-right influencer Nick Fuentes raised ~$900K from donors since early 2025 (WaPo)

Far-right influencer Nick Fuentes has reportedly raised approximately $900,000 from donors since the beginning of 2025. Despite being banned from most mainstream social media platforms, he continues to receive significant financial support from followers who often maintain deep personal connections to him.