Alvaro Lopez Ortega / 2026-05-11 Briefing

Created Tue, 12 May 2026 01:21:34 +0000 Modified Sat, 08 Aug 2026 15:40:13 +0000
9258 Words

148 stories from 95 sources.

đź“° News

Can we code our way out of gentrification?

Denver’s “Unlocking Housing Choices” plan aims to combat gentrification by reforming single-family zoning laws that currently favor the construction of expensive, large-scale mansions. The initiative seeks to incentivize the development of more numerous, smaller, and more affordable housing units to preserve neighborhood diversity.

Closure of Radio 4 on Long Wave (LW)

This article provides troubleshooting guidance for resolving DAB radio reception issues, including tips on tuning and aerial optimization. It also identifies potential causes for signal loss, such as transmitter faults, weather conditions, and damaged equipment.

Elon Musk and Tim Cook among CEOs expected to accompany Trump on China trip

US President Donald Trump is set to lead a delegation of 17 top business and technology executives, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, on an official trip to China. The visit includes a meeting with President Xi Jinping to address economic tensions and discuss critical geopolitical issues, such as the conflict involving Iran.

French woman was told by doctors hantavirus symptoms were just anxiety

A French woman is in critical condition after testing positive for hantavirus, despite doctors on the MV Hondius cruise ship initially dismissing her symptoms as anxiety. The diagnosis follows large-scale quarantine and repatriation efforts by Spanish authorities to manage the outbreak.

Griffin PowerMate driver for modern macOS

A new macOS driver has been released to enable the legacy Griffin PowerMate hardware to function on modern operating systems. The driver allows the device’s knob and button to act as a system-wide controller for scrolling, mouse clicking, and menu navigation.

Postmortem: TanStack npm supply-chain compromise

A postmortem report has been released detailing a recent supply-chain compromise affecting TanStack packages on npm. The documentation outlines the specifics of the incident and the measures taken to address the security breach.

I let AI build a tool to help me figure out what was waking me up at night

To identify the cause of frequent nighttime awakenings, the author used AI tools to develop a custom monitoring system. The tool integrates audio from microphones, smart home sensor data, and Garmin sleep metrics into a web application to highlight specific moments of sleep disruption for manual review.

Cash register makers seek 1% food tax rate, citing extra time needed for 0% rate

The National Council on Social Security is weighing the technical challenges of reducing the food consumption tax to zero percent by fiscal 2026. To address the time needed to update cash register systems, proposals include implementing a 1% tax rate or replacing the plan with a refundable tax credit system.

Native Instruments Is Bought Out

Native Instruments has been acquired by the US conglomerate inMusic following its recent entry into preliminary insolvency proceedings. The company’s CEO assured users that all software and services will continue uninterrupted, with inMusic pledging continued investment and innovation.

Interaction Models

Researchers have announced a research preview of interaction models designed to natively process continuous, real-time inputs including audio, video, and text. By utilizing a multi-stream, micro-turn design, these models aim to overcome the limitations of current turn-based interfaces to enable more seamless human-AI collaboration.

E2a – Open-source email gateway for AI agents

E2a is an open-source email gateway designed to function as a trigger for AI agent systems. The service provides features such as consistent email threading, human-in-the-loop review for outbound emails, and streamlined management of agent email addresses.

OpenGravity – A zero-install, BYOK vanilla JS clone of Antigravity

OpenGravity, a new open-source and zero-install vanilla JavaScript clone of Google Antigravity, has been released as a lightweight alternative for AI-driven development. The project utilizes the WebContainer API to provide a real in-browser Linux environment and follows a “Bring Your Own Key” (BYOK) model for user-provided API keys.

590k buyers paid $59M for Trump’s gold phone, but not one has shipped

Approximately 590,000 customers have paid $59 million in deposits for the Trump Mobile T1 smartphone, yet the device has failed to ship despite multiple promised delivery dates. Additionally, the company recently updated its terms and conditions to state that there is no guarantee the product will ever be released.

Linux Terminal Memory Usage

After discovering that the kitty terminal emulator caused excessive swap usage on an older machine, the author benchmarked various terminal emulators under X11 and Wayland. Using the smem tool to compare memory metrics like PSS and RSS, the study sought to identify a more efficient alternative for long-term use.

Red Hot Chili Peppers ink $300M deal with Warner Music to sell catalog

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have signed a $300 million deal with Warner Music Group to sell their music catalog. This significant transaction involves the sale of the band’s extensive collection of recorded works.

Library for fast mapping of Java records to native memory

TypedMemory is an experimental Java library for Java 25 and greater that provides type-safe abstractions for managing contiguous off-heap memory using Java records. Built on the Foreign Function & Memory (FFM) API, it simplifies mapping structured data to native memory layouts for applications such as native interop and high-performance simulations.

Cloudflare “issue” blocking legitimate access from humans for days

Cloudflare has globally disabled specific Bot Management rules after identifying an issue that caused unexpected traffic flagging for some customers since early April 2026. Although a fix has been implemented, the company requires an additional 48 to 72 hours for the system to stabilize and for detections to be reviewed.

Palantir to be granted “unlimited access” to UK NHS patient data

NHS England plans to grant Palantir and other external contractors “admin” access to identifiable patient data on its federated data platform, marking a shift from the current case-by-case approval system. While the NHS and Palantir maintain that strict security protocols and audits are in place, critics warn the move could increase the risk of data breaches and undermine public trust.

Natural-language messages between LLM agents are an architectural anti-pattern

The author argues that natural-language message passing in multi-agent LLM systems is an inefficient architectural anti-pattern that leads to semantic drift and increased token costs. To resolve this, they propose the “Clipboard Pattern,” which utilizes a shared, typed state object to allow specialist agents to read and write structured data directly.

Digg tries again, this time as an AI news aggregator

Digg has relaunched as a news aggregator with an initial focus on ranking news within the artificial intelligence sector. The platform utilizes real-time data from X to identify significant stories by tracking influential voices and analyzing engagement metrics.

UCLA discovers first stroke rehabilitation drug to repair brain damage (2025)

UCLA researchers have identified a drug, DDL-920, that mimics the effects of physical rehabilitation by restoring lost neural connections following a stroke. In mouse models, the drug significantly improved movement control by targeting parvalbumin neurons, offering a potential new approach to molecular-based stroke recovery.

Microsoft Israel chief leaves amid ethical controversy

Alon Haimovich has departed his role as Microsoft Israel’s Country General Manager following a global investigation into potential ethics violations regarding the company’s work with Israel’s Ministry of Defense. The inquiry addressed concerns over transparency and the use of Microsoft systems, leading the company to place the Israeli office under the direct management of Microsoft France.

How to Leave Instagram

This guide provides a strategic approach to leaving Instagram by first exporting all personal data and messages to ensure important information is preserved. It further recommends auditing your connections by categorizing followers into tiers to identify which relationships are worth maintaining outside the platform.

A US satellite imagery blackout over the Gulf is blinding journalists

Planet Labs has indefinitely suspended the release of satellite imagery from the Gulf and surrounding conflict zones following U.S. government requests to prevent adversaries from using the data to target allies. This blackout significantly limits the ability of journalists and investigators to independently verify military strikes and casualty figures in the region.

Amazon to stop selling ‘hooligan e-bikes’ in California

Amazon has announced it will stop allowing the sale of high-speed electric motorbikes in California that exceed the state’s legal e-bike speed limits. This decision follows a consumer alert from the California Attorney General and aims to ensure third-party sellers comply with regulations regarding e-bike classifications.

Half-assing it with everything you’ve got

The author argues that relying on guilt and shame as primary motivators is unhealthy and can lead to decreased productivity over the long term. Instead, they suggest that individuals should identify specific goals and aim to achieve a desired level of quality using the minimum effort necessary.

Interfaze: A new model architecture built for high accuracy at scale

Interfaze is a new model architecture that combines the specialized accuracy of CNN/DNN models with the flexibility of omni-transformers. It outperforms several leading models, such as Gemini-3-Flash and GPT-5.4-Mini, across nine benchmarks including OCR, vision, and speech-to-text. The architecture is designed to provide high-accuracy, low-cost performance for high-volume, deterministic tasks.

A Technical Guide to Compiling Emacs for Performance on Linux and Unix Systems

This technical guide explains how to compile Emacs from source on Linux and Unix systems to optimize performance for specific CPU architectures and modern display protocols like Wayland. It provides instructions for installing necessary dependencies across various distributions and fine-tuning the native Lisp compiler for maximum efficiency.

Why we lose our friends as we age (2023)

As people age, maintaining friendships becomes more challenging due to the disappearance of the built-in social opportunities present in youth. To sustain these vital connections, adults must proactively create their own rituals and make a conscious effort to “opt in” to these relationships.

CUDA-oxide: Nvidia’s official Rust to CUDA compiler

cuda-oxide is an experimental, early-stage alpha compiler that translates standard Rust code directly into PTX for GPU kernels without requiring a DSL. It leverages Rust’s type system and ownership model to facilitate safer programming and supports asynchronous execution through lazy device operation graphs.

Students Boo Commencement Speaker After She Calls AI Next Industrial Revolution

During a University of Central Florida commencement ceremony, speaker Gloria Caulfield was met with widespread booing after describing artificial intelligence as the “next industrial revolution.” The vocal disapproval came from graduating students in the College of Arts and Humanities and the Nicholson School of Communication and Media.

Should you leave red herrings about yourself online?

The article argues that using broad personal falsehoods online is an ineffective privacy tactic because data brokers rely on verifiable public records that override fake details. Instead, it suggests that more controlled methods, such as using pseudonyms and targeted decoys, are more successful at protecting personal information.

Unsloth Joins PyTorch Ecosystem

Unsloth has officially joined the PyTorch Ecosystem Landscape, a recognition of its technical contributions to making open-source AI more accessible and efficient. The project provides specialized tools for LLM training and inference, including optimized Triton kernels and the Unsloth Studio interface. Unsloth has already collaborated with PyTorch on key advancements such as FP8 reinforcement learning and mobile LLM deployment.

SLayer, a semantic layer maintained by your agent

SLayer is a new open-source semantic layer designed to help AI agents interact with databases by exploring models, executing queries, and evolving data structures through learned interactions. Unlike traditional BI-focused semantic layers, SLayer enables agents to create new models and build a persistent knowledge base from past experiences to improve future accuracy.

Prosecutors Investigating Drugs-for-Votes Scheme Were Told Not to Pursue Charges

An investigation in Puerto Rico uncovered a scheme where a prison gang distributed drugs to inmates in exchange for votes for gubernatorial candidate Jenniffer González-Colón. Despite evidence of election fraud involving prison staff, federal prosecutors were reportedly ordered to exclude voting-related charges and halt investigations into potential campaign involvement.

Software engineering may no longer be a lifetime career

The adoption of AI in software engineering may lead to technical skill atrophy, but economic pressures for productivity will likely drive its integration into the field. This transition could potentially transform software engineering from a lifelong profession into a finite career, similar to the limited lifespan of a professional athlete.

The Interstitium, the Human Body’s Hidden Pathways

Researchers have identified the interstitium as a third body-wide transport network alongside the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems. This discovery may provide new insights into metabolic health and diabetes prevention, potentially bridging modern science with ancient medical practices like acupuncture.

Killed by Apple

“Killed by Apple” is an archive documenting the various products, services, and features that Apple has discontinued over time. The collection serves as a historical record of the company’s abandoned offerings, which can be browsed using various sorting methods.

North Korea drops references to unification from constitution

North Korea has amended its constitution to remove references to reunification and formally define its territory as bordering South Korea. The revision codifies Kim Jong Un’s policy of treating the two Koreas as separate states and officially designates him as the head of state with direct command over the country’s nuclear forces.

Out with the JavaScript, in with the HTML

The author has replaced a JavaScript-driven icon resizing feature with a navigation-based approach using separate HTML pages for different sizes. By leveraging CSS view transitions, this new method achieves smooth animations while reducing client-side complexity and maintenance.

What’s Wrong with AI?

The article examines the environmental and social impacts of current AI technologies, focusing on their high energy and water consumption. It highlights how the expansion of AI data centers increases fossil fuel reliance and raises utility costs for nearby residents.

ICE to Develop Own Smart Glasses to ‘Supplement’ Its Facial Recognition App

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is exploring the development of smart glasses to supplement its Mobile Fortify facial recognition application. The technology would allow officers to scan faces and query government databases to verify citizenship and determine if individuals should be detained.

Linux kernel maintainers pitch emergency killswitch after CopyFail, Dirty Frag

This news digest covers recent developments in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and open-source software. Key topics include the security risks associated with AI agents, the importance of identity resilience against cyber threats, and significant updates within the Linux and Debian ecosystems.

Dua Lipa sues Samsung for $15M for allegedly using her image to sell TVs

Dua Lipa has filed a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics seeking at least $15 million in damages for the unauthorized use of her image on television packaging. The pop star alleges that the company’s actions constitute copyright, trademark, and publicity rights infringement by falsely implying her endorsement of the products.

Elsevier vs. Meta: first science publisher sues over scraped research papers

Science publisher Elsevier has joined a class-action lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company used copyrighted research papers to train its Llama AI model. The lawsuit claims Meta improperly sourced materials from sites like Sci-Hub and LibGen, while Meta intends to argue that its use of such data constitutes “fair use.”

Reddit Starts Blocking Mobile Website, Pushing Users to App Instead

Reddit is testing a feature that presents certain mobile web visitors with a non-dismissible prompt requiring them to download the official app. The move has sparked significant backlash from users concerned about privacy and the platform’s increasing focus on monetization.

mino: A tiny, embeddable, REPL-friendly Lisp implemented in pure ANSI C

Mino is a lightweight, embeddable Lisp implemented in pure ANSI C, designed to provide a programmable extension layer for C and C++ applications. The project features a self-bootstrapping build system and requires no external dependencies beyond an ANSI C compiler.

Bun v1.3.14 might be the last version in Zig

The upcoming release of Bun v1.3.14 may mark the final version written in Zig if the proposed Rust rewrite is merged. This new implementation has successfully passed Bun’s test suite across various platforms and is expected to resolve approximately 200 GitHub issues.

Google says criminal hackers used AI to find a major software flaw

Google reported that criminal hackers used artificial intelligence to identify a major software vulnerability. The company successfully thwarted the attempted exploit, preventing a significant security breach.

The OpenAI Deployment Company

OpenAI has launched the OpenAI Deployment Company, a new unit designed to help organizations integrate AI systems into their critical workflows. The launch includes the acquisition of the engineering firm Tomoro and is supported by over $4 billion in initial investment from a group of global partners.

Scaffold a 1990s Geocities-themed static website

geocities-boilerplate is a CLI tool that allows users to instantly scaffold self-contained, 1990s Geocities-themed static websites. The tool generates pure HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript featuring retro elements like neon colors and animated backgrounds, and it is compatible with various runtimes including Python, Node.js, and Rust.

I keep tripping over “true, false, true”

The article addresses “boolean blindness,” a coding issue where using multiple positional boolean arguments makes functions difficult to interpret without checking their definitions. To improve readability, the author recommends replacing these flags with named options objects or more explicit function names.

How the EU’s DMA is making smartphones better

The enforcement of the EU’s Digital Markets Act is introducing features for seamless device, data, and eSIM transfers between iPhone and Android ecosystems. Additionally, a new API will allow mobile browsers on iOS to import and export user data, such as bookmarks and passwords, to reduce ecosystem lock-in.

Palantir’s access to identifiable NHS England patient data ‘dangerous’, MPs say

MPs and patient advocacy groups have criticized NHS England for granting Palantir access to identifiable patient data as part of a plan to implement AI in the health service. While the NHS maintains that strict security protocols are in place to protect information, critics warn the move could compromise patient privacy and erode public trust.

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Cox Communications is not liable under the DMCA for copyright infringement committed by its customers. This decision provides significant legal protection for internet service providers and other technology companies against claims of contributory copyright infringement.

From Today, Software Engineering Is Dead

Large Language Models are transforming software engineering by automating the mechanical aspects of code generation and prototyping. However, skilled engineers remain essential to provide the architectural guidance, critical oversight, and design taste necessary to ensure high-quality, well-structured output.

Using AI for just 10 minutes might make you lazy and dumb

A study by researchers from MIT, Oxford, UCLA, and Carnegie Mellon indicates that even brief use of AI chatbots can negatively impact problem-solving abilities and persistence. While AI can boost immediate productivity, the findings suggest that providing direct answers may erode foundational cognitive skills. Consequently, researchers recommend designing AI models to coach or scaffold users to promote long-term learning.

European Money Pours into Palantir

More than 100 European banks and asset managers have increased their combined investment in Palantir by over 60% in the past year, with holdings reaching an estimated $27 billion. This surge in capital occurs despite significant controversy regarding the company’s alleged involvement in human rights violations and its low social responsibility ratings.

NHS to grant Palantir contractors unlimited access to patient data

The NHS plans to grant Palantir contractors unlimited access to patient data. This information was reported in a recent Financial Times headline.

Organized Dogmatism Controls the Message about Gender Bias in the Academy

The article argues that the widespread narrative of pervasive gender bias in academia is contradicted by large-scale studies, some of which even suggest advantages for women in areas like tenure-track hiring. The authors contend that faculty beliefs are misaligned with empirical evidence due to the continuous promotion of unfounded claims and that challenging this narrative often results in professional backlash.

What a Japanese cooking principle taught me about overcoming AI fatigue

To combat “AI fatigue” caused by rapid technological advancements, the author suggests applying the Japanese culinary principle of “Ichiju Issai” (one soup, one dish) to daily life. By intentionally stripping away unnecessary distractions and embracing simplicity, individuals can establish a sustainable rhythm and maintain mental well-being.

I Work in Hollywood. Everyone Who Used to Make TV Is Now Training AI

Driven by financial instability following the 2023 Hollywood strike, a professional television writer has transitioned into a career as an AI trainer and data annotator. The work involves performing “red-teaming” tasks to evaluate the safety and naturalness of large language models.

Israel Turned Eurovision’s Stage into a Soft Power Tool

Israel has leveraged the Eurovision Song Contest as a soft power tool to bolster its international reputation amid global scrutiny regarding the war in Gaza. To prevent potential boycotts, Israeli diplomats engaged in extensive outreach to European broadcasters to maintain the country’s participation and counter allegations of voting manipulation.

Hosting an Open Alternative to Google Docs for Digital Sovereignty

The software agency isselthal industries is self-hosting a LaSuite Docs instance as an open-source, lightweight alternative to Google Workspace for small agencies. The platform promotes digital sovereignty by utilizing European AI models and offering a modern, collaborative writing interface. The agency is currently inviting users to test the beta instance and provide feedback.

Ratty – A terminal emulator with inline 3D graphics

Ratty is a terminal emulator that features support for inline 3D graphics. This tool allows for the rendering of 3D elements directly within the terminal interface.

All Those A.I. Note Takers? They’re Making Lawyers Nervous

The increasing use of AI note-takers to capture detailed meeting transcripts is raising significant concerns among legal professionals. Lawyers warn that these automated records, which capture every offhand comment and joke, could potentially lead to the waiver of attorney-client privilege.

When Is “Next Friday”?

The article clarifies the distinction between “this Friday,” which refers to the immediate upcoming Friday, and “next Friday,” which refers to the Friday in the following week. To avoid ambiguity, it recommends using specific calendar dates instead of relative day names.

Building a Memory Allocator from Scratch in C

This technical guide demonstrates how to implement custom malloc() and free() functions in C by building a memory allocator from scratch. The article explores essential concepts including heap management, fragmentation, and the implementation of a first-fit strategy using a linked list of free blocks.

Life Without US Tech

The Financial Times offers various digital subscription plans, including FT Edit, Standard Digital, and Premium Digital. New subscribers can take advantage of a promotional trial period for $1 for the first four weeks.

The solution to urban heat is simpler than you think

Increasing urban tree canopy can mitigate the heat island effect by up to half and significantly reduce excess heat in canopy-deprived neighborhoods. Expanding this “living infrastructure” also promotes biodiversity and mental health while addressing disproportionate heat-related health risks in vulnerable populations.

The Adventure Family Tree

This article provides an incomplete chronicle of Crowther and Woods’ Colossal Cave Adventure, a foundational work in the history of interactive fiction. The text features a complex, hierarchical table containing various alphanumeric identifiers.

Apple Faces ÂŁ3B UK Trial over iCloud Lock-In Claims

A UK tribunal has ruled that a ÂŁ3 billion lawsuit by the consumer group Which? against Apple will proceed to trial. The lawsuit alleges that Apple abuses its market position to lock users into iCloud, seeking damages for both paying and non-paying customers through a novel “forgone consumer surplus” legal theory.

Writers are fleeing the Substack Tax

Many prominent writers and publications are migrating from Substack to rival platforms like Ghost and Beehiiv to avoid high revenue-sharing fees and gain greater control over their businesses. This exodus is driven by concerns over Substack’s significant platform “tax” and its increasing focus on social features.

Detachment 201, the US Army unit led by tech executives

The US Army’s Executive Innovation Corps, known as Detachment 201, has commissioned executives from Meta, Palantir, and OpenAI as Reserve Lieutenant Colonels to integrate advanced technological expertise into military operations. This unprecedented move has sparked controversy regarding potential conflicts of interest and the perceived preferential treatment of civilians compared to career military officers.

Mythos Finds a Curl Vulnerability

The lead developer of curl has received a security analysis report of the codebase generated by Anthropic’s new AI model, Mythos. This analysis is part of an ongoing initiative to utilize various AI-powered tools to identify vulnerabilities and enhance software security.

Iran mulls taking control of all 7 cables passing through Strait of Hormuz

Iran is proposing a governance model to take control of the seven undersea internet cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Under this plan, foreign operators would be required to obtain permits, pay tolls, and follow Iranian laws, while all cable management and maintenance would be handled exclusively by Iranian companies.

7 lines of code, 3 minutes: Implement a programming language (2010)

The lambda calculus, developed by Alonzo Church in 1929, is a minimalist, Turing-complete functional programming language composed of only variable references, anonymous functions, and function calls. Despite its simplicity, it serves as the foundation for many modern programming languages and achieves general-purpose computation through mechanisms like the Y combinator and Church encodings.

The Greatest Shot in Television: James Burke Had One Chance to Nail This Scene (2024)

The article highlights a famous 80-second clip from the 1978 BBC series Connections, featuring science historian James Burke. The shot is celebrated for its perfect timing, as Burke’s explanation of gas ignition coincides exactly with a rocket launch captured in a single take.

BSides Austin Is on Hold

BSides Austin has been placed on hold indefinitely. The organization stated the event will remain paused until all community members can safely be in public without fear or harassment.

adamsreview – better multi-agent PR reviews for Claude Code

adamsreview is a new Claude Code plugin designed for multi-stage pull request reviews using parallel sub-agents and persistent JSON state. The plugin offers six specialized slash commands and aims to improve bug detection accuracy while reducing false positives compared to existing AI review tools.

I’m going back to writing code by hand

A developer is rewriting their Kubernetes dashboard, k10s, from scratch after encountering severe architectural issues and technical debt caused by over-reliance on AI-driven “vibe-coding.” While the AI-assisted approach initially enabled rapid feature development, the author concluded that human oversight remains essential for maintaining sound software architecture.

“Cannot be explained” – New ultra stainless steel stuns researchers

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have developed a new “super steel” capable of resisting corrosion during green hydrogen production from seawater. By utilizing a dual-passivation mechanism, this material serves as a much more economical alternative to expensive titanium, potentially reducing structural material costs in electrolyzer systems by up to 40 times.

West Bank settlers forced a Palestinian to dig up the body of his father

Armed Jewish settlers in the West Bank forced a Palestinian family to exhume their recently buried father, claiming the grave was too close to the Sa-Nur settlement. To prevent the settlers from reaching the remains, the family was compelled to move the body themselves. The UN human rights office condemned the incident as “appalling.”

Make America AI Ready: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Recommendations

An analysis of the Department of Labor’s “Make America AI-Ready” SMS course praises its accessibility and focus on human responsibility in promoting AI literacy. However, the report identifies significant contradictions in the course’s guidance regarding data privacy and security.

Uber hid drivers’ data rights, Dutch watchdog rules, stands by €10M penalty

The Dutch Data Protection Authority has rejected Uber’s appeal against a €10 million fine for GDPR violations. The regulator found that the company obstructed drivers’ access to personal data and failed to provide transparent information regarding data retention and transfers. Uber has announced its intention to challenge the decision in court.

OpenAI launches Daybreak, a cybersecurity initiative integrating AI models and Codex Security to …

OpenAI launches Daybreak, a cybersecurity initiative integrating AI models and Codex Security to help organizations patch vulnerabilities.

Thinking Machines Lab details interaction models, which can think and respond in real time, letti…

Today, we’re announcing a research preview of interaction models: models that handle interaction natively rather than through external scaffolding.

Robinhood confidentially filed for its second publicly traded venture fund, Robinhood Venture Fun…

Robinhood has filed confidentially for its second publicly traded venture fund, roughly two months after taking its first one to market, Axios Pro has learned.

Digg relaunches as an aggregator of AI news and social media commentary, with plans to expand to …

Digg is back from the dead.  Again.  —  Just months after launching, the reboot of Kevin Rose’s once-popular link-sharing site shut down in March, as the company shifted course.

Musk v. Altman: Satya Nadella says Elon Musk never contacted him with concerns that Microsoft’s i…

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testified in the Musk v. Altman trial that Elon Musk never contacted him regarding concerns that Microsoft’s investments in OpenAI violated the company’s nonprofit mission. During his testimony, Nadella defended the commercial nature of Microsoft’s multibillion-dollar partnership and addressed his response to Sam Altman’s brief removal as CEO.

Musk v. Altman: Ilya Sutskever testifies that his OpenAI stake is worth ~$7B and he had concerns …

Former OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever revealed that his stake in the company is worth approximately $7 billion. This disclosure was made during his testimony in the ongoing legal trial between Elon Musk and OpenAI.

White House and Commerce agencies clash over AI model evaluation leadership

The White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director and the Commerce Department are in a dispute over which agency should lead the evaluation of AI models. U.S. intelligence officials are seeking greater influence in AI policy to better address potential cybersecurity threats.

Apple’s iOS 26.5 beta introduces default end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging

Apple has released iOS 26.5, which introduces end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging in beta for supported carriers. The update also includes new wallpapers, enhancements to Apple Maps, and a new lock icon in message threads to indicate encrypted communication.

curl founder: 3 of 5 Mythos vulnerabilities were false positives, 1 was just a bug

A security scan of the curl codebase using Anthropic’s Mythos AI model initially identified five potential vulnerabilities. However, a subsequent manual review by curl founder Daniel Stenberg determined that three of the findings were false positives and one was simply a bug.

Israeli Frame Security emerges from stealth with $50M to combat AI social engineering attacks

Israeli cybersecurity startup Frame Security has emerged from stealth with $50 million in funding led by Index Ventures, Team8, and Picture Capital. The company provides a “human risk security” platform designed to protect organizations from increasingly sophisticated, AI-powered social engineering attacks such as deepfakes and phishing.

Venmo implements major privacy measure, setting new users’ posts to ‘friends only’ by default.

Venmo is redesigning its app to include a new privacy measure that sets new users’ posts to “friends only” by default instead of public. The rollout will also introduce new features such as “Send,” “Money,” and “Rewards” to provide users with greater control over their shared information.

Discord launches Nitro Rewards: free Xbox Game Pass and Logitech G perks for subscribers

Discord has launched Nitro Rewards, a new feature providing Nitro subscribers with access to various gaming and lifestyle offers at no additional cost. Initial benefits include the base tier of Xbox Game Pass and discounts on hardware from brands such as Logitech G and SteelSeries.

Masayoshi Son, Emmanuel Macron discuss multibillion-dollar AI data center project

SoftBank Group Corp. founder Masayoshi Son has held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding a multibillion-dollar AI data center project in France. The proposed investment is part of SoftBank’s broader strategy to expand its artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Kuaishou plans 2027 Kling AI spin-off IPO, seeking $20B valuation

Kuaishou plans to spin off its Kling AI video unit for an initial public offering in 2027. The company is currently seeking a $20 billion valuation during pre-IPO funding discussions with potential investors.

Musk v. Altman: Profiles of Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers and attorneys for Musk and OpenAI

A high-profile trial in Silicon Valley has brought prominent artificial intelligence leaders, including Elon Musk and OpenAI President Greg Brockman, under intense scrutiny. These figures have recently faced rigorous questioning under oath before federal judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

Dua Lipa sues Samsung for $15M over unauthorized use of her likeness to sell TVs

Dua Lipa has filed a $15 million lawsuit against Samsung, alleging the company used her likeness on television packaging without her permission or compensation. The lawsuit claims the unauthorized use of her image violates her copyright and right of publicity by creating the false impression that she endorses the products.

TikTok to launch ÂŁ3.99/month ad-free subscription for UK users aged 18+ soon

TikTok is introducing a new “TikTok Ad-Free” subscription in the UK, allowing users aged 18 and older to remove advertisements for ÂŁ3.99 per month. The optional service will be rolled out gradually and does not include any additional features beyond the removal of ads.

Brookings: Clerical/admin workers (85%+ women) most at risk of AI displacement, least equipped

Clerical and administrative workers, more than 85% of whom are women, face significant risks from AI-driven job displacement. This group is also among the least equipped to navigate the technological transition, with labor market losses already being observed.

Meet the “YouTube whisperers” helping creators grow their audiences (CNBC)

A growing class of YouTube consultants, often called “YouTube whisperers,” is helping top-tier creators optimize their content and audience engagement. These strategists provide data-driven insights to help large-scale channels navigate the platform’s evolving algorithms and maintain growth.

CAS builds Hanyuan-2, the world’s first dual-core 200-qubit quantum computer with error correction.

CAS Cold Atom Technology has unveiled Hanyuan-2, a 200-qubit dual-core neutral atom quantum computer designed for parallel processing and real-time error correction. However, the announcement lacks peer-reviewed documentation and critical performance metrics, such as gate fidelity and error rates.

SoftBank, Cosmos Lab & DeltaX to mass-produce 1 GWh/year data center batteries in Japan by 2027

SoftBank Corp. is partnering with South Korea’s Cosmos Lab and DeltaX Co. to begin mass-producing next-generation battery cells at its plant in Sakai, Osaka. The initiative aims to reach an annual production capacity of one gigawatt-hour by fiscal year 2027 to meet the rising power demands of AI services.

OpenAI’s $6.6B secondary share sale for 600+ staff saw some cash out up to $30M

OpenAI facilitated a $6.6 billion secondary share sale in October 2025 for more than 600 current and former employees. The transaction allowed approximately 75 individuals to cash out up to the maximum cap of $30 million each.

Nvidia’s $40B+ AI investment in 2026: $30B in OpenAI, $3.2B in Corning, $2.1B in IREN

Nvidia is significantly expanding its role as an AI investor, committing over $40 billion to various equity investments in 2026, including major stakes in OpenAI, Corning, and IREN. While the strategy aims to secure demand for its GPUs across the AI supply chain, some analysts warn that this “circular investment” model could mirror the risky vendor financing of the dot-com era.

Qualcomm CEO: 2026 “year of agents,” end of smartphones, and 6G “walking cameras” (Fortune)

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon predicts the end of the smartphone-centric era, forecasting that 2026 will be the “year of agents” driven by AI-powered wearables like smart glasses. He also highlighted the company’s strategic move to diversify beyond mobile technology into sectors such as automotive and robotics.

Lawyers: AI-transcribed meeting notes may waive attorney-client privilege, risking discovery

Corporate lawyers warn that the increasing use of AI note-takers in meetings could waive attorney-client privilege, potentially making sensitive conversations discoverable in lawsuits. These tools capture detailed transcripts, including offhand comments and jokes, that may be used as evidence during litigation.

Double Canvas breach acknowledged as ShinyHunters sets new pay-or-leak deadline

May 12 … time is ticking for nearly 9,000 schools

Rodent-obsessed developer creates Ratty to bring 3D graphics to the command line

Inspired by TempleOS, this terminal emulator is just about as bonkers

Microsoft researchers find AI models and agents can’t handle long-running tasks

An intern who failed this much would be shown the door

New IElevator2 COM interface? No problem

OpenAI can’t have incompetent AI consultants ruining the market, so bought its own

By which we mean it bought someone else’s with other people’s money

Debian 14 cracks down on unreproducible packages

Debian 14 is implementing stricter measures to address the issue of unreproducible packages. This initiative aims to enhance the security and reliability of the software distribution process.

Anthropic’s bug-hunting Mythos was greatest marketing stunt ever, says cURL creator

The creator of cURL has criticized Anthropic’s AI-driven bug-hunting initiative, labeling it a significant marketing stunt. Despite the substantial hype surrounding the project, the AI scanner identified only one low-severity vulnerability in the software.

Gtk2-NG, next generation of Gtk 2, comes back to life

The development of Gtk2-NG is seeing a resurgence following Debian 14’s plan to remove Gtk2. This transition is stimulating fresh growth for the next-generation toolkit.

BWH Hotels guests warned after reservation data checks out with cybercrooks

BWH Hotels has warned guests after reservation data was found to match information held by cybercriminals. Customers are urged to remain vigilant against potential phishing attempts.

Feature freeze for Python 3.15 as first beta released

The first beta for Python 3.15 has been released, marking the feature freeze for this version. While the JIT compiler has seen significant improvements, the leaky incremental garbage collector will not be reinstated.

SoftBank bets on battery building to back bit barns

SoftBank is investing in battery manufacturing to meet the energy demands of its AI data centers. The tech investment giant aims to secure a large-scale supply of batteries to support its expanding computing infrastructure.

Water company’s leaky security earns near-ÂŁ1M fine

A water company has been fined nearly ÂŁ1 million after failing to detect a Cl0p ransomware attack for almost two years. The penalty follows significant security lapses that left the utility provider vulnerable to the intrusion.

NASA’s bid to save Swift from fiery death passes another hurdle

Katalyst’s LINK spacecraft has successfully passed tests at Goddard. This achievement marks a significant milestone ahead of the spacecraft’s integration with the Pegasus rocket.

Classic Outlook’s Quick Steps trip over Microsoft bug

A bug in Microsoft’s Classic Outlook is causing the “Quick Steps” automation feature to appear grayed out and unusable. Currently, users can only access these automations by using specific keyboard shortcuts.

Europe wants out from under US tech – but first it has to find the exits

Europe is seeking to decrease its reliance on US technology but faces significant obstacles. A new report identifies critical vulnerabilities in cloud computing, identity management, and public sector procurement that currently hinder this transition.

The latest innovation in UK public transport: Schrödinger’s trains

This news digest covers various developments in cybersecurity, including risks associated with AI agents and the importance of identity resilience. It also highlights updates regarding hardware supply chains, space exploration, and Linux kernel security.

Taiwan’s train cyber-trauma reveals a global system that’s coming off the tracks

This news digest covers various cybersecurity and technology updates, focusing on the risks of AI agent deployment and hardware supply chain disruptions. It also highlights developments in Linux kernel security, NASA’s spacecraft missions, and recent software bugs in Microsoft Outlook.

Who, Me? Lab worker built a fake PC to nuke his lunch

This news roundup highlights recent developments in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and space science. Key reports cover AI supply chain vulnerabilities, hardware shortages, and NASA’s ongoing efforts to protect the Swift spacecraft.

Sovereign cloud is only possible if you’re Chinese or American: Gartner

Gartner asserts that sovereign cloud capabilities are currently only achievable for China and the United States. This poses a significant challenge for European organizations that fear the potential departure of US-based cloud providers from the continent.

ASIA IN BRIEF: China’s agentic AI policy wants to keep humans in the loop

China’s agentic AI policy aims to maintain human oversight within AI processes. Other regional highlights include the emergence of a robot Buddhist monk in Korea and TikTok’s $25 billion investment in Thailand.

Gram 2.0.0 released

Gram 2.0.0 has been released, featuring significant updates to default settings and moving language server auto-updates to an opt-in model. This version introduces Mermaid diagram support in Markdown previews, smooth scrolling, and a new official website at gram-editor.com.

An unusually practical update for EYG

EYG has officially documented its text syntax, making it a fully supported alternative to the existing structural editor. The CLI has also been enhanced with new filesystem effects and builtins to enable more complex scripting capabilities.

iwp9 2026

This article is an annotated digest of the 12th International Workshop on Plan 9, held in May 2026 off the coast of British Columbia. It features satirical summaries of various technical presentations regarding topics such as audio production, security, toolchains, and software development within the Plan 9 ecosystem.

Fighting Hyrum’s Law in LLVM

LLVM employs several defensive mechanisms to prevent developers from unintentionally depending on unspecified behaviors, a phenomenon known as Hyrum’s Law. These techniques—which include using runtime hash seeds, enabling reverse container iteration, detecting iterator invalidation via epoch tracking, and pre-shuffling unstable sorts—are designed to ensure build reproducibility and expose latent bugs.

“Respectful” YAML patching in Rust

An evaluation of Rust libraries for YAML patching reveals that combining yamlpath and yamlpatch effectively preserves original formatting and comments during programmatic modification. In contrast, testing with a trading bot configuration showed that other candidates, such as yaml-edit and rust-yaml, fail to maintain these essential properties.

Tom’s Namespaces: An Odin Fanfic

While developing a game in the Odin programming language, a developer named Tom struggled to organize his code into separate packages due to circular import restrictions. After consulting the Odin community, he decided to simplify his project by consolidating his code back into a single package.

The anti-minimalist backlash is the bigger story behind Oxygen’s revival

The resurgence of retro-design movements, such as the KDE Oxygen restoration, is being driven by a reaction against modern minimalism rather than simple nostalgia. This trend reflects a growing desire for ornamentation and beauty in response to a contemporary design landscape focused primarily on economic efficiency and reduced production costs.

A modern feed reader (2024)

Traditional RSS feeds are becoming increasingly insufficient for content centralization due to poor site-side support and scraping challenges. While SaaS-based feed readers are adapting through social media API integration and scraping, self-hosted alternatives struggle to evolve beyond the standard protocol.

Running my agents in a VPS

The author is configuring a disposable VPS to run various AI coding agents autonomously and asynchronously in an isolated environment. By providing each agent with its own user account and full sudo access, the setup aims to test the independent capabilities and potential impact of different coding harnesses using a shared GitHub bot account.

What is random generation?

This article explores the mechanics and quality assessment of pseudo-random number generators (PRNGs), specifically focusing on the Linear Congruential Generator. It also discusses the importance of high-entropy seeds and the process of transforming random bits into complex data structures.

Web Feeds in 2026: A Survey

A survey of 500,000 websites reveals that a majority of existing web feeds are abandoned or low-quality, often due to automatic generation by CMS platforms. To address this, the study recommends that CMS developers implement more intentional, publisher-controlled feed management to ensure feed utility.

omlx: Apple Silicon LLM inference server with continuous batching & SSD caching via macOS menu bar

oMLX is an optimized LLM inference engine designed for Apple Silicon Macs, featuring continuous batching and a tiered KV caching system. The tool provides easy management via a macOS menu bar application or a command-line interface, utilizing both in-memory and SSD caching to maintain efficient context persistence.

Ratty: A terminal emulator with inline 3D graphics

Ratty is a terminal emulator that features inline 3D graphics. The project’s source code and download options are available via its blog post.

What are you doing this week?

What are you doing this week? Feel free to share!

Keep in mind it’s OK to do nothing at all, too.

Im going back to writing code by hand

A developer building the Kubernetes GPU dashboard k10s has announced plans to rewrite the project from scratch after an experiment with AI-driven “vibe-coding.” Although the AI-led approach initially accelerated development, the absence of human architectural oversight eventually resulted in unmanageable code complexity and functional collapse.

Mythos finds a curl vulnerability

Anthropic’s Mythos AI model has completed its first security analysis of the curl project’s 178,000 lines of code. This scan supplements curl’s ongoing use of various AI-powered tools to identify vulnerabilities and maintain high security standards.

Fully Preserving Fisher-Price Pixter

The article chronicles the evolution of the Fisher-Price Pixter handheld gaming series, from its 2000 monochrome debut to its later color and multimedia versions. Additionally, the author highlights the successful porting of PalmOS to the Pixter Color and the release of new technical documentation and a platform emulator.

Up to 256 MB FERRIT modular F-RAM storage device preserves critical data for up to 200 years

Machdyne has unveiled FERRIT, an open-source, modular USB F-RAM storage device with a capacity of up to 256 MB. Designed for long-term archival use, the device features high radiation resistance and can preserve critical data for up to 200 years.