Alvaro Lopez Ortega / 2026-05-24 Briefing

Created Sun, 24 May 2026 19:29:46 +0000 Modified Sun, 24 May 2026 19:32:38 +0000
3587 Words

Memory costs are projected to reach two-thirds of AI chip component spending by 2025, driven by rising HBM prices. Amidst “AI washing” trends, new research identifies “constraint decay,” where LLM performance declines as coding complexity increases. Egypt has deployed fighter jets to the UAE amid rising tensions involving Iran. Finally, Microsoft has released the source code for its 1976 6502 BASIC interpreter.

πŸ€– Artificial Intelligence

Memory has grown to nearly two-thirds of AI chip component costs

Total component spending on AI chips is projected to grow from approximately $22 billion in 2024 to $52 billion in 2025. This increase is primarily driven by rising memory (HBM) costs, which are expected to rise from 52% to 63% of the total component cost share.

‘AI washing’: firms are scrambling to rebrand themselves as tech-focused

Many companies are engaging in “AI washing” by rebranding simple automation and existing technologies as artificial intelligence to capitalize on current industry hype. Consequently, public relations professionals report increased pressure to pitch brands as AI specialists, leading to growing skepticism among journalists.

Constraint Decay: The Fragility of LLM Agents in Back End Code Generation

A study on backend code generation identifies “constraint decay,” a phenomenon where the performance of LLM agents declines as structural and architectural requirements increase. The research reveals that agents struggle significantly more with convention-heavy frameworks like Django than minimal ones like Flask, primarily due to data-layer defects.

Our AI just got better

Ecosia is transitioning its AI to a European model provider to enhance user privacy, reduce its environmental footprint, and support technological independence. This update also introduces new features such as file uploads and improved web sourcing while maintaining the company’s mission to direct all profits toward climate action.

Perceptual Image Codec: What Matters in Practical Learned Image Compression

PICO is a new learned image codec optimized for the human visual system that achieves 2.3–3Γ— bitrate savings over traditional standards like AV1. The codec also provides high-speed on-device performance and cross-platform robustness, outperforming many existing machine learning-based alternatives.

Google Discover’s headline rewrites strike again

Google Discover’s automated headline rewriting feature has once again altered the meaning of an author’s content. Specifically, a headline stating the “Trump Phone isn’t here” was rewritten to suggest the exact opposite.

Local LLMs perform better when you teach them to ask before they answer

Local LLMs often struggle with ambiguous prompts because they lack the ability to infer user intent as effectively as cloud-based models. To improve performance and reduce unnecessary follow-up exchanges, users can implement custom instructions that require the model to ask clarifying questions before attempting complex tasks.

ECB summons Eurozone banks to discuss AI risks and learn from US banks

The European Central Bank has summoned Eurozone banks to a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the risks posed by the latest AI models. The institution also aims to learn from the experiences of US banks regarding these emerging technological vulnerabilities.

AI boom transforms global M&A via race for energy, fiber, and computing capacity (FT)

The AI boom is transforming global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by driving an intense race to control critical infrastructure. This shift is characterized by a growing focus on securing essential resources, including energy, fiber networks, and computing capacity.

Google Docs Live: AI voice tool for drafting arrives this summer for Pro and Ultra subscribers

Google is launching Docs Live, an AI-powered voice tool that allows users to draft documents through speech instead of typing. Rolling out this summer to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, the feature is designed for quickly creating documents such as checklists and instruction guides.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff defends marketing with unavailable Agentforce features

A promotional video for Salesforce’s Agentforce AI showcases advanced automated patient services at University of Chicago Medicine that are not yet fully implemented. The hospital currently relies on traditional scheduling methods and is only in the testing phase for its chatbot functionality.

No captain, my captain: Navantia floats crewless warship

Spanish shipbuilder Navantia has launched a 75-meter crewless warship designed for unmanned operations. The drone vessel is equipped with various sensors and modular payloads, eliminating the need for sailors on board.

πŸ’» Software & Development

FreeBSD Foundation Executive Director Tries Daily Driving FreeBSD on Laptop

FreeBSD Foundation Executive Director Deb Goodkin recently shared her experience transitioning to using FreeBSD as her daily operating system on a Framework Laptop. While she encountered some challenges with video conferencing software like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, most core hardware and KDE desktop features functioned effectively.

Ruby for Good

Ruby for Good is an annual event taking place in the Washington DC area from August 27th to August 30th. During the event, developers and designers collaborate to build open-source projects for nonprofits and social sector organizations.

Omarchy Is Not a Distro

Critics argue that Omarchy is not a legitimate Linux distribution, but rather Arch Linux configured with DHH’s personal dotfiles and settings. The project is criticized for potentially misleading inexperienced users and including proprietary software in its biased default configurations.

Official Kotlin Support for Visual Studio Code Is Now Available in Alpha

JetBrains has announced the Alpha release of its official Kotlin extension for Visual Studio Code at KotlinConf 2026. Powered by the Kotlin Language Server, the extension provides essential features such as code completion, diagnostics, and navigation for developers who prefer VS Code over IntelliJ IDEA or Android Studio.

Microsoft’s 6502 BASIC is now Open Source (2025)

Microsoft has officially released the source code for its 1976 6502 BASIC interpreter under an open-source license. This historically significant codebase, which powered iconic machines such as the Commodore 64 and Apple II, is now available for developers and enthusiasts to explore and modify.

Childhood Computing

The author reflects on their experience using school computer labs in the early 1990s, specifically working with IBM PC compatible machines. They describe the necessity of saving LOGO programs in physical notebooks due to the absence of hard disk storage.

Mastering Dyalog APL

Rodrigo GirΓ£o SerrΓ£o is developing a modernized, interactive version of the “Mastering Dyalog APL” book using Jupyter Notebooks. This update aims to refresh the original 2009 edition by incorporating new chapters and updated examples that reflect the evolution of the Dyalog APL language.

Limerick

The idiom “beside oneself” originates from William Caxton’s 1490 translation of The Aeneid, where “beside” was used to mean “outside of.” The phrase describes a state in which intense emotions cause a person’s mind to escape their control.

The C++ Standard Library Has Been Walking Itself Back for Fifteen Years

The article examines a fifteen-year pattern within the C++ Standard Library of deprecating and replacing its own features through three distinct tiers of “walk-backs.” These range from formal committee removals, such as std::auto_ptr, to unfixable legacy components that must persist due to ABI compatibility constraints.

Vivado 2026.1 Drops Free Linux Support

AMD Vivado Design Suite is transitioning to a new tiered licensing model starting with the 2026.1 release, offering various subscription and perpetual options. Under this new structure, the free BASIC tier will no longer support Linux, impacting users who rely on Linux-based environments for Xilinx design tools without a paid license.

Linus Torvalds: Linux 7.1-rc4

Anubis employs a Proof-of-Work scheme to deter AI scrapers by making mass data collection more computationally expensive. This temporary measure aims to protect server resources from downtime while developers work on more advanced methods for identifying headless browsers.

Microsoft open-sources “the earliest DOS source code discovered to date”

Microsoft has open-sourced the earliest discovered source code for DOS. This release makes a significant piece of computing history available to the public.

The solution the supply chain problems is removing your deps from .gitignore

To mitigate supply chain attacks, the author suggests committing language-specific dependency directories, such as node_modules and vendor, directly into version control. This approach aims to eliminate risks associated with automated installation processes and unvetted lockfile updates by making all dependencies fully trackable and traceable.

A platform to find people to jam on side projects with

“Let’s Jam” is a new platform designed to help individuals find collaborators for side projects more efficiently. The service allows users to post, find, or claim projects to connect people with complementary skills and ideas.

Chrome Proposes Declarative Partial Updates API

The Chrome team is introducing “Declarative Partial Updates,” a new set of APIs designed to improve web performance through non-linear HTML delivery and out-of-order streaming. Utilizing processing instruction placeholders and the <template> element, these tools enable dynamic content updates with reduced reliance on heavy JavaScript frameworks and are currently available for developer testing in Chrome 148.

How my minimal, memory-safe Go rsync steers clear of vulnerabilities

This article evaluates whether the memory-safe, Go-based implementation gokrazy/rsync is protected against security vulnerabilities discovered in rsync between 2025 and 2026. The author recommends upgrading both rsync and gokrazy/rsync to their latest secure releases to mitigate risks such as arbitrary code execution and file leaks.

Does bulk memmove speed up std::remove_if? (No.)

An investigation into whether replacing individual assignments in std::remove_if with bulk memmove operations for contiguous segments improves performance for trivially copyable types shows it is not the case. Benchmarks reveal that this “chunky” approach is actually slower than the standard method due to the overhead of additional bookkeeping and the memmove call itself.

πŸ”’ Security & Privacy

Scammers are exploiting a loophole in Microsoft’s automated notification system to send phishing emails from a legitimate internal email address. This allows attackers to mimic official account alerts to trick users into visiting fraudulent websites. Microsoft is currently investigating the issue and working to strengthen its detection and blocking mechanisms.

London thieves use texts to threaten victims into unlinking Apple IDs from stolen iPhones

London is experiencing a significant rise in smartphone thefts, with tens of thousands of devices reported stolen in recent years. Criminals are increasingly using threats of violence against victims and their families to coerce them into unlinking Apple IDs from the stolen iPhones.

Debian SE Linux and PinTheft

The PinTheft Linux exploit can achieve privilege escalation on Debian via page cache overwriting once the RDS module is loaded. However, a strict SELinux configuration can mitigate this vulnerability by denying the creation of the necessary RDS sockets.

A Network Allow-List Won’t Stop Exfiltration

Network allow-lists are insufficient for preventing data exfiltration because malicious code can leak sensitive information through authorized domains via DNS subdomains or encoded HTTP requests. To mitigate this risk, organizations require L7 egress proxies with deep packet inspection and DNS entropy checks to detect unauthorized data transfers within permitted connections.

AI voice bots hijacked by β€˜hidden’ sounds in podcasts, MP3 files and YouTube clips

Researchers have developed “AudioHijack,” a technique that uses inaudible signals embedded in audio files like podcasts or music to manipulate AI voice assistants. This method of “auditory prompt injection” can trick models into performing unauthorized actions, such as exfiltrating sensitive data. The attack has demonstrated high success rates against several major open-source and commercial AI systems.

βš™οΈ Hardware & Infrastructure

‘Fuck you, Bambu’: How one private message could change the face of 3D printing

Bambu Lab is facing significant backlash from the 3D printing community after requesting that developer PaweΕ‚ Jarczak remove code that enables third-party remote control of their printers. In response, prominent advocates and organizations are supporting Jarczak by pledging funds and forking the code to defend open-source principles.

The day my ping took countermeasures

An investigation into the “taking countermeasures” message in the ping utility revealed it is triggered when system clock rollbacks cause negative round-trip time measurements. By examining the source code, the author discovered that the utility handles these errors by simply resetting the erroneous values to zero.

The AWS Service Quotas That Will Take Down Your Production at 3 Am

AWS service quotas are divided into adjustable limits, which can be increased via support tickets, and hard limits that are difficult to modify. Because quota increases can take several business days to process, relying on them to resolve active production outages is ineffective and poses a significant risk to system availability.

E-Hiking Is Here. You Can Tell by My 1k-Watt Hips. Hypershell’s X Ultra S

The author explores the concept of “e-hiking” using Hypershell’s X Ultra S, a pair of bionic leg boosters. These robotic hip motors provide mechanical force to assist hikers during physically demanding treks.

iOS 27: Revamped AirPods controls, Google Cast support, and Apple Watch/Health updates

Apple is seeking to revitalize its Apple Watch and health features to remain competitive in the evolving wearables market. Upcoming iOS 27 updates are also expected to include a revamped AirPods control panel, support for AirPlay rivals, and a new ChatGPT-style Siri app.

Princeton Digital Group to sell China data center assets for $1B, capping buyout firms’ retreat

Princeton Digital Group is reportedly seeking to sell its Chinese data center assets for as much as $1 billion. This potential deal could mark the end of the widespread retreat by global buyout firms from China’s data center market.

HP investigating BIOS updates that leave premium laptop users in boot loop limbo

HP is investigating BIOS updates that are leaving users of premium mobile workstations stuck in boot loops. Reported issues also include system slowdowns, crashes, and Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors.

βš–οΈ Politics & Society

When (if ever) it’s appropriate to make jokes before the US Supreme Court

The article examines the U.S. Supreme Court’s “Guide for Counsel,” which outlines the formal protocols required of attorneys during oral arguments. The guide details specific standards for professional attire, proper ways to address justices, and rules for navigating courtroom proceedings.

Egypt deploys jets to UAE as Iran war strains Arab alliances

Egypt has deployed fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates amid rising tensions regarding a potential war with Iran. This military movement occurs as the conflict threatens to strain existing Arab alliances.

25 years, 793,199 fashion records: non-White models 4.5Γ— more likely plus-size

A large-scale study of nearly 800,000 fashion records from 2000 to 2024 reveals that non-White models are 4.5 times more likely to be plus-size. The research identifies significant shifts in racial diversity and body type dispersion across various media platforms, including advertisements, magazine covers, and runway shows.

The Cruelty Is the Point: President Trump and His Supporters

The article draws a parallel between the communal identity found in historical lynch mobs and the modern political rhetoric of the Trump administration. It argues that both eras utilize the mockery and suffering of targeted groups to foster a shared sense of identity among supporters.

Trump Post Shows Him Gazing at Greenland After Local ‘No Means No’ Protests

Donald Trump recently shared an image of Greenland on Truth Social amid increasing U.S. rhetoric regarding the territory’s strategic importance. The post follows protests by Greenlandic citizens against a new U.S. consulate and the visit of Special Envoy Jeff Landry, as local leaders reaffirm that the island’s sovereignty is not for sale.

Justice Department scrubs its website of news releases about Jan. 6 defendants

The Department of Justice has removed news releases regarding Jan. 6 criminal cases from its website, labeling the archived information as “partisan propaganda.” This action follows the Trump administration’s efforts to pardon or dismiss defendants involved in the Capitol riot and establish a fund for those deemed unjustly prosecuted.

Federal regulators sue after Minnesota bans prediction markets

Minnesota has become the first U.S. state to criminalize the operation and advertising of prediction markets through a new public safety law. In response, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has filed a federal lawsuit to block the legislation, arguing that these markets are subject to federal regulation rather than state law.

πŸ§ͺ Science & Mathematics

The Worlds Left to Conquer

After launching a consultancy driven by frustration with corporate incompetence, the author has achieved unexpected financial success, with enough revenue to sustain operations through 2027. The author attributes this stability to the low standards of service and quality found within the broader industry.

What it takes to transpose a matrix

This article explores techniques for optimizing matrix transpose algorithms on x86_64 architectures by addressing performance bottlenecks such as memory latency and cache inefficiency. The author presents a progression of increasingly efficient implementations, aiming to achieve a speedup of up to 25 times over the naive approach.

All Lean Books and Where to Find Them

This article provides a series of personal reviews and recommendations for books focused on the Lean programming language and theorem prover. The author offers subjective insights into various resources covering topics such as functional programming, metaprogramming, and type theory.

We Were Wrong About Fasting Study Finds

A large-scale review of 71 studies found that short-term fasting does not significantly impair cognitive performance in most healthy adults. However, the research noted noticeable declines in children and teenagers, as well as during fasting intervals exceeding 12 hours.

Alexander Grothendieck Revolutionized 20th-Century Mathematics

Alexander Grothendieck revolutionized 20th-century mathematics by shifting the focus of algebraic geometry toward the study of abstract structures and relationships. His groundbreaking work unified a fragmented field and established deep connections between algebraic geometry and other disciplines, including number theory and topology.

From AFSK to Goertzel

To implement 1200 baud packet radio in PacketRF, the author addressed the challenge of decoding Bell 202 AFSK tones on a resource-constrained embedded system. Instead of using a computationally expensive FFT, the Goertzel algorithm was employed to efficiently detect only the necessary 1200 Hz and 2200 Hz frequencies.

libwce: the entropy layer of a wavelet codec, on its own

libwce is a new, minimal 500-line Rust library that implements a patent-clean Bit-Plane Count (BPC) entropy layer inspired by JPEG XS. The dependency-free library focuses on compressing wavelet coefficients using efficient predictors and Rice coding.