Alvaro Lopez Ortega / 2026-05-29 Briefing

Created Sat, 30 May 2026 12:41:52 +0000 Modified Sat, 30 May 2026 14:20:42 +0000
7436 Words

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a Florida test, causing significant damage and impacting NASA’s Artemis mission. The “Trump Accounts” app launched, providing $1,000 deposits for children born during the president’s second term. In New York, a law targeting 3D-printed “ghost guns” has sparked backlash, while the EU is reserving satellite spectrum to favor local players over SpaceX.

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

Why I am against GenAI and everything it stands for

The author argues that generative AI is a predatory tool that exploits stolen human-created data to fuel a capitalist model of subscription-based access. Additionally, the piece warns that the technology enables large-scale, automated disinformation campaigns designed to manipulate public sentiment.

Flathub disallows LLM-based submissions

Flathub has implemented a new policy that prohibits submissions generated by Large Language Models (LLMs). This decision aims to restrict the use of AI-generated content within the platform’s submission process.

Gemini Spark beta rolls out to AI Ultra: Plans parties but calls a boyfriend a “close friend”

Google has begun rolling out Gemini Spark, a new AI agent beta for AI Ultra subscribers that automates tasks by accessing personal data from Gmail, Docs, and Calendar. While the agent can efficiently generate complex itineraries and manage schedules, early testing revealed notable inaccuracies in interpreting personal relationships and event details.

Sources: Microsoft is working on an app that will include GitHub Copilot, Copilot chat, Copilot C…

Microsoft is developing a “super app” to unify its various Copilot AI tools, including GitHub Copilot and a new agentic workflow tool called Autopilot, into a single interface. The initiative aims to streamline the user experience by consolidating consumer and enterprise versions of the service, with a launch planned for the end of summer.

ElevenLabs launches Dubbing v2, preserving emotion, tone, and pacing across 90+ languages

ElevenLabs has launched Dubbing v2, an AI model designed to preserve a speaker’s original emotion, tone, and pacing across more than 90 languages. The technology automates high-quality multilingual localization for creators and marketers by ensuring translated audio remains synchronized with the original performance.

BBC Question Time used AI historical figures to show hyper-real and persuasive AI images.

A recent episode of BBC’s Question Time featured a panel of AI-generated historical figures to demonstrate the “hyper-real and persuasive” nature of generative AI. The segment drew significant criticism and confusion from viewers, prompting the broadcaster to replace the AI panel with real technology experts.

AI Startup Uses Cleaning to Train Robots

AI startup Shift is offering free home cleaning services in New York City to collect first-person video footage for training future domestic robots. Cleaners will wear camera-equipped hats to record various household tasks, with the company ensuring that all recorded data will be anonymized to protect user privacy.

A Trillion Characters

“Trillion Characters” is a real-time collaborative experiment built with the Datastar framework, which moves application logic to the server and streams HTML updates via Server-Sent Events. The project utilizes a CQRS architecture and efficient data storage techniques to enable high-performance, seamless interaction with minimal client-side JavaScript.

Rothko for your current weather conditions

In the late 1940s, Mark Rothko transitioned from representational subjects to using soft-edged rectangles and color to evoke profound emotions. He sought to create immersive experiences by requesting specific gallery settings, such as dim lighting, to deeply engage his viewers.

AI will be used to estimate age of asylum seekers from next year

The UK government plans to deploy AI facial estimation technology at its borders next year to identify adult asylum seekers posing as children. While the Home Office aims to prevent system exploitation, human rights organizations warn that the unproven technology could result in errors that undermine protections for vulnerable minors.

New Study Reveals the Manipulative ‘Dark Patterns’ of AI Chatbots

A study by the Center for Democracy & Technology has identified 37 “dark patterns” in popular AI chatbots that use manipulative design to exploit human psychology. These tactics, including anthropomorphism and false promises, aim to trick users into sharing personal data and forming emotional attachments to increase engagement.

Notes from the Mistral AI Now Summit

Mistral AI is transitioning from a model developer to a full-stack AI provider, emphasizing efficient, specialized, and on-premise solutions. The company’s strategy focuses on supporting European digital sovereignty through practical enterprise partnerships across sectors such as finance, robotics, and the humanities.

Liquid AI reveals 8B-A1B MoE trained on 38T

Liquid AI has released LFM2.5-8B-A1B, an edge-optimized model designed for efficient tool calling and reasoning on consumer hardware. The update features an expanded 128K context window, increased pretraining on 38T tokens, and a doubled vocabulary to improve support for non-Latin languages.

The literary world is sleepwalking into an AI disaster

Several winners of the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize have been flagged as potentially AI-generated by the Pangram AI detector. The tool identified characteristic stylistic markers, such as logically incoherent metaphors, in multiple winning entries. Despite these findings, the Commonwealth Foundation maintains that all shortlisted authors have denied the use of artificial intelligence.

OpenAI Announces Rosalind Biodefense

OpenAI has launched Rosalind Biodefense, an initiative designed to help trusted developers create tools for pandemic preparedness and biodefense using its GPT-Rosalind model. The company is also expanding access to this frontier reasoning model for select U.S. government and allied partners to support public health and security missions.

AISlop, a CLI for catching AI generated code smells

AISlop is a new command-line interface (CLI) designed to detect “code smells” like dead code and empty catch blocks in AI-generated code. The tool operates locally to scan for these patterns after agent tool calls and can be tested using npx aislop scan.

Expertise in the age of AI

The article examines the value of hiring junior engineers in the era of coding agents, arguing that their importance lies in developing the “computing intuition” required to use AI effectively. Using math and calculators as an analogy, the author suggests that foundational experience in manual coding remains essential for mastering advanced automated development tools.

Step 3.7 Flash

Step 3.7 Flash is a high-efficiency model designed for real-world agents, featuring enhanced multimodal understanding and improved tool orchestration. Through its new “Advisor Mode,” the model achieves performance levels near much larger frontier models while operating at a significantly lower cost.

Context-aware Japanese furigana using Sudachi and ModernBERT

The Furigana Converter for Japanese is a free tool that adds phonetic readings to various file types, including PDFs, images, and ebooks. It features customizable styles, JLPT-level filtering, and supports exporting results into formats such as Anki-ready flashcards. To ensure user privacy, all uploaded files are automatically deleted within 24 hours.

Is AI causing a repeat of frontend’s lost decade?

The article compares the impact of AI on programming to the “deskilling” of frontend development caused by the rise of JavaScript frameworks. It argues that such technological advancements allow businesses to replace specialized expertise with generalist approaches, potentially reducing the bargaining power of skilled developers.

DeepSeek Slashes AI Costs to Cents

DeepSeek has permanently reduced the price of its V4 Pro model by 75%, lowering input costs to $0.435/M and output costs to $0.87/M tokens. This structural reduction is driven by the model’s efficient Mixture-of-Experts architecture and context caching, positioning it as a highly economical alternative to frontier models like GPT-5.5.

Zot – Yet another coding agent harness

Zot is a lightweight, single-binary terminal coding agent written in Go that performs file manipulation and shell command execution without requiring Docker or external runtimes. It integrates with a wide range of AI providers, including Anthropic, OpenAI, and local Ollama instances, and supports multiple operational modes such as an interactive TUI, JSON output, and RPC.

Python utility package for building Claude Code hooks

claude-hook-utils is a new Python utility package designed to simplify the creation of Claude Code hooks by reducing boilerplate for tasks like JSON parsing and response formatting. The package provides a type-safe, extensible framework for implementing various hook types, including PreToolUse, PostToolUse, UserPromptSubmit, and SessionStart.

Claude Code – Everything you can configure that the docs don’t tell you

An analysis of the Claude Code source code has revealed several undocumented features that allow for advanced customization beyond the official documentation. Key discoveries include the “YOLO Classifier” for configuring auto-mode permissions through plain English and the use of hooks to dynamically rewrite commands, modify tool outputs, and inject real-time context into sessions.

Microsoft data suggests using AI is more expensive than hiring people

Microsoft is canceling most of its Claude Code licenses and redirecting employees toward GitHub Copilot CLI to manage the high costs of scaling AI tools. This shift highlights growing industry concerns that the expense of operating large-scale AI may eventually outweigh the potential savings from labor reduction.

The mysterious Hy3 LLM is topping OpenRouter Model Rankings by a large margin

Tencent’s Hy3 preview model has unexpectedly surpassed top-tier LLMs like Claude in OpenRouter usage rankings. While the model’s low cost is a contributing factor, the surge in token usage is primarily driven by a massive increase in activity from the provider SiliconFlow.

AWS reportedly to tuck Elon Musk’s Grok into Bedrock, despite zero enterprise demand

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is reportedly planning to integrate Elon Musk’s Grok AI model into its Bedrock service. This move is reportedly occurring despite a lack of enterprise demand for the model.

Okta writes its own license to kill rogue AI agents

Okta is developing a way to control rogue AI agents, providing what CEO Todd McKinnon describes as an “off switch.” This initiative aims to address the needs of customers, such as ServiceNow, who want the ability to terminate unauthorized AI actions.

QEMU mulls relaxing AI contribution ban

QEMU is considering relaxing its ban on AI-generated contributions as the perceived balance of risk has shifted. However, the project’s core code will remain off-limits to AI-generated input to ensure security and integrity.

AI and data sovereignty in Postgres: An answer to the datacenter energy crisis

This news digest highlights recent cybersecurity threats, including AI-assisted API attacks and critical vulnerabilities in the Gogs Git service. It also covers legal developments involving 23andMe and Oracle, along with the impact of AI on data sovereignty and open-source development.

Microsoft slaps new coat of paint on Copilot, buries annoying button

Microsoft has refreshed the Copilot interface, which includes a redesigned look and the relocation of certain buttons. The company reported a 27-43% increase in usage over a one-week period, though it noted these initial figures may not represent long-term usage trends.

ChatGPT blindly trusts browser content, turning the page into a payload

Researchers have discovered a vulnerability that allows web pages to act as payloads for ChatGPT by exploiting its blind trust in browser content. This technique, known as “ChatGPhish-ing,” enables attackers to conduct phishing attacks through the model’s interaction with the user’s browser.

Russia-linked threat group put ChatGPT to work from lure to payload

The Russia-linked threat group ‘GREYVIBE’ utilized AI tools, including ChatGPT, to execute a cyberattack campaign against Ukrainian military and government targets. Researchers found that the group employed AI throughout the entire attack lifecycle, from crafting initial lures to developing payloads.

💻 Software & Development

Bijou64: Variable-Length Integer Encoding

Bijou64 is a new variable-length integer encoding designed to be canonical by construction, ensuring each value has a single unique representation. This approach prevents security vulnerabilities like canonicalization attacks and improves efficiency by eliminating the need for runtime validation checks.

Emacs bra size calculator

An author has developed an Emacs Lisp function that calculates EU, UK, and US bra sizes using Emacs Calc’s unit conversion features. The function can be integrated into Org-mode tables as a spreadsheet formula to automatically compute and log body measurements over time.

Racket v9.2

Racket v9.2 has been released, introducing support for Unicode 17.0 and updates to the match form and Typed Racket procedures. The update also includes internal support for a more static “ffi2” foreign interface alongside various improvements to core syntax and documentation.

Scriba: Structured logging in Lisp with multiple backends and auto-config (Scheme library)

Scriba is a new structured logging library designed for Guile Scheme, focusing on flexibility, performance, and observability. It supports multiple backends, including JSON, syslog, and console, and features auto-configuration via environment variables to streamline transitions between development and production environments.

Avoid using “” in RSS

The author argues against using CDATA in RSS and Atom feeds because it creates complex edge cases, such as the difficulty of escaping the “]]>” sequence. Instead, they recommend standard XML character escaping, which is more uniform, easier to debug, and provides comparable compression benefits.

What are important data systems problems, ignored by research? (2024)

A panel at the Dutch-Belgian DataBase Day identified several overlooked practical challenges in database research, such as inefficient variable-length string processing and the inadequacy of current benchmarks. The discussion also highlighted the need for more realistic workloads and further research into areas like distributed processing and network connection handling.

Leaving performance on the table

The article examines how Profile-Guided Optimization (PGO) can enhance binary performance beyond standard compiler flags like -O3. Using a CPU-bound SQLite Fibonacci benchmark, the author demonstrates how providing compilers with specific execution path data through instrumented or statistical methods can optimize code efficiency.

You probably don’t need Yocto, and that’s fine

The Yocto Project offers powerful customization for embedded Linux, but it can impose a significant maintenance burden on developers. Because custom changes require manual updates and verification with each release, experts suggest evaluating whether such high levels of control are truly necessary for a project.

Replacing Photoshop With NSString (2015)

The author discusses the challenges of manually coding simple app graphics and the tedious nature of managing various image scales. To simplify this process, they introduce ASCIImage, an open-source tool that generates usable iOS and macOS assets by converting ASCII art.

Patching my guitar amp’s firmware

A hardware enthusiast is attempting to reverse engineer the firmware of a Yamaha THR10c guitar amp to implement custom features such as persistent speaker simulation. After successfully soldering UART and JTAG connectors onto the device’s PCB, they discovered the UART interface produced no output, leading to further investigation into JTAG debugging.

How do you version public web APIs?

The author critiques the practice of including version numbers in API URL paths, arguing that it creates unnecessary coupling between the API contract and the routing. They suggest this approach is an antipattern, especially when semantic versioning is already being used to manage the API.

Lunacy - Lua 5.1 interpreter with Lazy Basic Block Versioning and JIT

Lunacy is a Lua 5.1 interpreter-first JIT that utilizes Rust coroutines to implement bytecode operations through yielded effects. This design employs a closure-generating interpreter and a small set of residual operations to simplify the implementation of both the interpreter and the JIT.

Why I collect DLES

DLES.gg is a platform designed to help players discover new daily browser-based games and assist developers in launching unique titles. The site features manually vetted, free-to-play games that are personally tested for quality and consistency. Users can contribute by submitting new games, rating existing titles, and reporting broken links.

The Last Technical Interview

The author argues that the traditional technical interview process is fundamentally broken and nearing its end due to its inability to accurately evaluate candidate talent. Despite various institutional attempts to improve the system through specialized roles, the author contends that these methods continue to produce significant hiring errors, necessitating a radical change in how the tech industry assesses candidates.

Tiny-vLLM – high performance LLM inference engine in C++ and CUDA

Tiny-vLLM is an educational project and course designed to teach the development of high-performance LLM inference engines using C++ and CUDA. The repository provides complete source code for an inference server that implements advanced features such as continuous batching, KV cache, and PagedAttention.

On Rendering Diffs

Pierre Computer Company has launched CodeView, a virtualization-first component designed for efficient, large-scale code reviews and diffs. The component enables near-instant rendering of massive pull requests by optimizing syntax highlighting and the management of large file sets to prevent performance degradation.

Trial by Fire

Organizations often pass “integration debt” to new hires by providing inadequate onboarding and documentation, mislabeling this lack of support as a requirement for autonomy. This practice rewards reckless improvisation instead of sound judgment, causing teams to mistake systemic organizational failures for individual incompetence.

TV Explorer. Adding advanced UI to free online TV

TV Explorer is introducing an advanced user interface to its free online television service. This update focuses on enhancing the platform’s existing user interface.

It Will Never Be the Year of the Linux Desktop

The article argues that the rise of AI agents will further cement the dominance of macOS and Windows over the Linux desktop. It suggests that macOS is uniquely positioned for this era because its advanced accessibility APIs provide the structured data necessary for AI agents to effectively navigate and interact with applications.

Local Git remotes

This article explains how to set up a local Git remote by creating a bare repository from an existing project folder. Using local paths or SSH, this configuration serves as a reliable buffer for developers working with unstable or low-uptime offsite servers.

Don’t Build Your Own Lisp

A critical review of a book about implementing a Lisp interpreter in C argues that the text is fundamentally flawed due to confusing implementation decisions and an unclear language definition. The author also criticizes the book’s use of inefficient algorithms and unnecessarily complex parser generators.

Wterm – A terminal emulator for the web

Wterm is a web-based terminal emulator featuring a Zig core compiled to WebAssembly for near-native performance. By rendering directly to the DOM, it provides native browser features like text selection and accessibility alongside support for 24-bit color and WebSocket connectivity.

GNUtrition 0.33.0rc3

A test release of the GNU nutrition analysis software, GNUtrition 0.33.0rc3, is now available. This update streamlines the installation process by removing several dependencies, including LibreOffice, ncurses, SQLite, and LaTeX.

Let’s compile Quake like it’s 1997

This article provides a guide on recreating the 1997 development environment used to compile the Win32 version of Quake. It outlines the specific steps for setting up Windows NT 4.0 and Visual C++ 6.0 to successfully build the original source code.

That an app ‘Fits on a Floppy’ is still a useful measure in 2026

Recent tech news includes an unpatched RCE vulnerability in the Gogs Git service and a potential relaxation of QEMU’s ban on AI contributions. Additionally, 23andMe faces a lawsuit over a DNA data breach, and Microsoft has updated the Copilot interface.

🛡️ Security & Privacy

Renting a smart apartment? Your landlord may have access to your cameras and locks

Landlords are increasingly installing smart home technology in rental properties, yet there is no clear legal requirement for them to disclose these devices or their data usage to tenants. This lack of transparency poses significant privacy risks, as connected devices like smart locks and thermostats could allow landlords to monitor occupancy patterns and track resident behavior.

A new campaign known as “LLMShare” is using legitimate ChatGPT share links and sponsored Google ads to distribute infostealer malware to Windows and macOS users. By impersonating official desktop applications on trusted domains, attackers are able to bypass security filters and trick victims into downloading malicious software.

CAPTCHAs can still detect AI agents

Researchers have developed a “Process Turing Test” that identifies AI agents by analyzing their cognitive processes rather than just their final outputs. By using the CogCAPTCHA30 battery, the study found that while AI can match human performance on CAPTCHAs, its behavioral patterns, such as click sequences and error rates, remain measurably distinct from humans.

Expansion of Biometric Scanning

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has entered into a $25 million deal to implement ocular biometric scanning technology. Meanwhile, the online therapy platform Headway is mandating facial scans for all clients and providers as a requirement for continued service.

Someone used my open source project to phish people

An attacker exploited the features of the open-source project management tool Kaneo to send over 14,000 phishing emails using the platform’s verified email domain. The attack relied on abusing intended workspace and invitation functions rather than software vulnerabilities, prompting the developer to implement new security measures like rate limiting and CAPTCHA.

Digital identity management in Norway is a success but also a disaster

While Norway’s digital identity management has successfully advanced the digitalization of public and private services, a new report warns of critical failures including identity fraud and social exclusion. The research criticizes the heavy reliance on private actors to control access to essential services, highlighting potential risks to human rights and legal protections.

Volkswagen blocks Home Assistant by requiring client assertion

The volkswagencarnet integration for Home Assistant is experiencing authentication errors that claim user credentials have expired. Despite these errors, official Volkswagen Connect services remain fully functional through their mobile app and web portal.

Cars collect a startling amount of data about you

Modern vehicles collect vast amounts of personal and biometric data, ranging from location history to facial expressions, which can be shared with third parties like insurance companies. As new regulations expand the scope of this data collection, significant privacy concerns are emerging regarding the potential misuse and sale of sensitive information.

Lone attacker published 14 malicious npm packages mimicking OpenSearch and Elasticsearch libraries

A lone attacker published 14 malicious npm packages designed to mimic popular OpenSearch and Elasticsearch libraries. Microsoft has since identified and neutralized these threats.

No fix yet for critical RCE bug in open-source Git service Gogs - exploit module is out

A critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in the open-source Git service Gogs remains unpatched after maintainers failed to respond to reports made in March. An exploit module for the flaw is already publicly available.

23andMe inherits lawsuit over ‘disturbing’ DNA data breach

23andMe is facing a lawsuit following a massive 2023 DNA data breach. The California Attorney General alleges that the genetics company downplayed the scale of the leak and paid a ransom to the attacker.

Dutch cops wrest 17M devices from mystery botnet’s clutches

Dutch police have disrupted a massive botnet controlling approximately 17 million devices. The operation succeeded after a hosting provider shut down 200 servers traced to the Netherlands.

🏢 Business & Economy

Asda to offer faster delivery and app ordering from 2027 as it overhauls struggling online business

Asda has partnered with Ocado to overhaul its e-commerce infrastructure starting in 2027, implementing new webshop and fulfillment technologies across its stores. The initiative aims to revitalize Asda’s online business by offering faster deliveries, expanded click-and-collect options, and integration with delivery platforms such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo.

Euro-Office Launch Set for June 9

Euro-Office, a privacy-focused alternative to Microsoft Office and Google Docs developed by a European consortium, is scheduled to launch on June 9, 2026. While the suite integrates with Nextcloud Hub 26 Spring to provide open-standard editing, the project faces controversy regarding its use of OnlyOffice code and alleged ties to Russia.

SentinelOne shares drop 8% on layoff news and weak revenue guidance

SentinelOne’s stock fell 8% after the cybersecurity company announced plans to lay off 8% of its workforce to focus on artificial intelligence and data investments. The decline was also driven by revenue guidance for the second quarter and full year that fell below analyst estimates.

Dell stock jumps 32.81%, its best day ever, on fastest revenue growth since 2018

Dell Technologies shares surged 32.76% on Friday, marking the company’s largest single-day gain ever. The record-breaking performance was driven by massive quarterly revenue growth and a 757% surge in AI server revenue, alongside earnings that significantly beat analyst expectations.

Minute Media lays off 12% of staff and reverses ~$200M VideoVerse AI deal

Minute Media has laid off approximately 12% of its global workforce and is reversing its $200 million acquisition of the AI sports highlights platform VideoVerse. These decisions are part of an organizational restructuring aimed at increasing efficiency amid market shifts and the rise of artificial intelligence.

Companies ration or track AI use as “tokenmaxxing” sends budgets soaring

As the costs of artificial intelligence continue to surge, some companies are beginning to ration or track AI usage to manage ballooning budgets. After an initial period of widespread experimentation, executives are now focusing on ensuring measurable returns on their significant computing investments.

Kalshi to offer perpetual futures contracts in prediction market expansion (Nathan Bomey/Axios)

Kalshi has announced plans to expand its prediction market offerings by introducing perpetual futures contracts, moving beyond simple yes-or-no bets into more complex derivatives. The platform intends to launch crypto-based perps on numerous currencies following regulatory approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Canada in Technical Recession

Canada’s economy entered a technical recession on an annualized basis, with real GDP falling by 0.1% in the first quarter following a 1% contraction in the previous quarter. Driven by declines in government spending and business investment, this economic stagnation may influence the Bank of Canada’s future interest rate decisions.

Americans Are Falling Behind on Their $1.25T Credit-Card Bill

High inflation and soaring interest rates are contributing to mounting credit card debt across the United States, as illustrated by a high-earning professional struggling with $15,000 in balances. This financial pressure is prompting many Americans to consider significant lifestyle changes to manage their rising expenses.

The dead economy theory

The author proposes a “dead economy theory,” suggesting that the massive capital invested in AI infrastructure necessitates large-scale human labor replacement. To justify astronomical valuations, the article argues that AI companies must target the global labor market to expand corporate margins by eliminating human cost centers.

GTA 6 Developers Unionize

The Rockstar Game Workers Union, an affiliate of the IWGB, has been formally established to advocate for pay transparency, flexible working, and an end to crunch. The union is currently involved in a legal battle with Rockstar Games regarding the alleged union-busting dismissal of more than 30 employees.

Danish Pension Blacklists SpaceX over ‘Catastrophic Governance’

The $25 billion Danish pension fund AkademikerPension has blacklisted SpaceX, citing concerns over its “catastrophic governance structure” and excessive valuation. The decision comes as the company targets a valuation of at least $1.8 trillion for its upcoming initial public offering.

The UK government’s Low Value Purchase System is a waste of time

The UK Government’s RM6237 Low Value Purchase System is causing significant time waste for small businesses due to mandatory monthly reporting requirements. Freedom of Information data reveals that over 94% of these reports are “nil returns,” meaning over a thousand businesses must log in to report activity even when no transactions have occurred.

Tulip mania: when a single flower was worth more than a house (2025)

During the 1630s, the Netherlands experienced “tulip mania,” a period of extreme speculation where tulip bulb prices soared to levels comparable to real estate. The bubble burst in 1637 following a sudden lack of buyers, leaving the event as a primary historical example of market irrationality.

Where are the economies of scale in homebuilding?

The US homebuilding industry struggles with persistent low productivity and rising costs due to a lack of significant economies of scale. Despite high production volumes, the narrow margin between raw material costs and final production prices limits the potential for cost reductions through scaling.

UCLA seeks pre-litigation resolution with Oracle

UCLA is seeking a pre-litigation resolution with Oracle regarding a delayed SaaS transformation project. The discussions are intended to resolve the dispute before it reaches formal litigation.

Russian oligarch’s financial network crashed thanks to a crank and a cleaner

This news digest covers recent developments in cybersecurity and technology, including a lawsuit against 23andMe following a major DNA data breach. It also highlights a critical vulnerability in the Gogs Git service and the evolving impact of AI on software development and security.

🚀 Space & Hardware

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket explodes

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a static fire test at its Florida launch site, causing extensive damage to the launch pad and facility. While no injuries were reported, the incident represents a significant setback for NASA’s Artemis mission and the company’s competition with SpaceX. An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the failure.

SpaceX faces setback as EU reserves key satellite spectrum for local players

The EU is proposing a new licensing framework that reserves two-thirds of the prime 2GHz satellite spectrum for European commercial operators and the IRIS² program. This initiative aims to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and security, potentially placing US-based companies like SpaceX at a competitive disadvantage.

Electric Vehicle Criticisms

Modern electric vehicle designs are being criticized for replacing reliable physical controls, such as buttons and handles, with less intuitive electronic alternatives like touchscreens. To improve safety and usability, the author proposes a design checklist that prioritizes intuitive, accessible, and mechanical mechanisms.

Computex 2026: AI chips, budget PCs vs MacBook Neo, and Nvidia’s N1X laptop SoC

Computex 2026, themed “AI Together,” is expected to showcase significant advancements in AI-integrated hardware and the rise of more affordable computing options. Key highlights include the introduction of budget-friendly processors from Intel and Qualcomm, alongside potential developments in the laptop SoC market from Nvidia.

It’s hard to justify buying a Framework 12

A recent review argues that purchasing the Framework 12 is difficult to justify. The critique explores the specific drawbacks that make the device a questionable choice for consumers.

We suggest using living spiders as cooling devices for data centers (2020)

A 2020 research proposal explores the unconventional use of living spiders as biological cooling devices for data centers. The study suggests that these organisms could potentially be utilized to manage heat in large-scale computing environments.

Cache Aware Scheduling Shows Nice Wins for AMD Zen 5 on PostgreSQL, Valkey

The upcoming Cache Aware Scheduling feature for Linux 7.2 is demonstrating significant performance improvements on AMD Zen 5 processors. By colocating tasks that share data within the same last level cache domain, the scheduler enhances cache locality and reduces cache misses.

Is Russia Maneuvering to Threaten an Iceye Satellite?

Between May 14 and 20, 2026, Russia conducted significant orbital maneuvers to align at least four Cosmos satellites with the ICEYE-X36 SAR imaging satellite. This alignment brings the Russian satellites into a co-planar orbit, a critical step that could enable potential Rendezvous Proximity Operations against the satellite, which supports Ukrainian military operations.

🌐 Society & Global News

Trump Accounts apps go live with $1,000 pay outs for kids born during president’s second term

The “Trump Accounts” mobile apps have launched, providing an initial $1,000 Treasury deposit for children born between January 2025 and December 31, 2028. The program allows contributors to add up to $5,000 annually per child into diversified investments that can be accessed without penalty once the child reaches age 18.

New York bans 3D-printed guns amid growing firearm violence, receives backlash

New York has enacted a law requiring 3D printers to include technological safeguards to prevent the manufacturing of untraceable “ghost guns.” While Governor Kathy Hochul intends for the measure to reduce gun violence, critics argue that the mandate constitutes censorship and may violate First Amendment rights.

“But it happened.” - Casey Muratori’s comment on Eric Schmidt’s commencement speech

Casey Muratori reacted to Eric Schmidt’s commencement speech with the remark, “But it happened.” The provided text contains no further details regarding the context or content of the speech.

Retiring from Tech to Live Offline

Chad Whitacre has announced his retirement from the technology industry to pursue an offline lifestyle. He cited the impact of artificial intelligence on open-source development as a primary reason for his decision.

What are you doing this weekend?

Readers are invited to share their upcoming weekend plans and seek feedback or assistance. The post also emphasizes that it is perfectly acceptable to spend the weekend doing nothing at all.

The California state assembly has passed the ‘Protect Our Games Act’

The California State Assembly has passed the “Protect Our Games Act” (AB 1921), which requires digital game publishers to ensure games remain playable after service termination. For games released or resold after January 1, 2027, the bill mandates that companies provide 60 days’ notice and either maintain access through patches or offer refunds to consumers.

Why German trains are never on time anymore

Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance train punctuality has dropped from 85% in 2005 to only 60% in 2025, making it one of the worst-performing rail networks in Europe. Due to frequent delays and cancellations, many German travelers have become increasingly resigned to the unreliable service.

Deadly fungal storms are sweeping US and spreading disease few doctors recognize

Increasing dust storm frequency in the US is linked to heightened health risks, including severe respiratory and cardiovascular issues caused by inhaling fine particulate matter. These storms can also transport dangerous pathogens, contributing to a significant rise in fungal infections such as Valley Fever.

Letter from the Duke of Wellington to the British Foreign Office (1809)

The provided text includes a link to a Georgia Tech document regarding account procedures. It also references a 1809 letter from the Duke of Wellington to the British Foreign Office.

The Secret Garden of Rock-Paper-Scissors

Expanding Rock-Paper-Scissors beyond three options and incorporating ties introduces more complex game dynamics and diverse strategies. This expansion allows for a variety of interconnected structures and playstyles, such as “tanky” or “glass cannon” approaches.

Poisonous invasion: What is the ‘devil’s trumpet’ harming crops in Iraq?

The Iraqi Ministry of the Interior has warned of a rapid spread of the invasive datura plant, which threatens agricultural crops and poses toxic risks to humans and animals. Originally from Central America, the plant is flourishing in Iraq’s climate and contains potent chemicals that can affect the nervous system.

High Density Living, 2000 Years Ago: Inside the Roman Apartment Building

Roman insulae were multi-story apartment buildings designed to accommodate Rome’s growing, high-density population through vertical living. While these structures introduced architectural innovations like ground-floor shops and communal spaces, they were often structurally unstable and highly susceptible to devastating fires and collapses.

Social media bans for teenagers lack evidence and pose risks, scientists say

Scientists warn that social media bans for teenagers under 16 lack empirical evidence, as no experimental studies have specifically tested the effects of such restrictions on this age group. Furthermore, researchers caution that these bans could backfire by infringing on privacy and depriving young people of essential community resources and communication.

Netanyahu orders Israeli army to seize 70% of Gaza Strip, violating ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to expand its control of the Gaza Strip to 70%, a move that threatens the stability of the current US-brokered ceasefire. This territorial expansion risks creating catastrophic humanitarian conditions by forcing the remaining Palestinian population into an increasingly small and overcrowded area.

Japan Lost 3M People in Five Years

Japan’s population decreased by more than 3 million people between 2020 and 2025, marking its largest decline since 1920. Driven by low birth rates and the migration of young people to major cities, this accelerating demographic crisis is creating widespread labor shortages and economic pressure across the country.

Is this sustainable?

AI integration has significantly accelerated the development process by allowing engineers to replace theoretical proposals with working proofs of concept. However, this shift has moved the organizational bottleneck from engineering to coordination, making it more difficult to achieve cohesive solutions across teams.

Russian drone crashes into apartment building in Romania

A Russian drone, likely diverted by Ukrainian air defenses, struck a residential building in Galați, Romania, causing a fire and injuring two people. In response to the incident, Romania announced plans to expel the Russian consul in Constanța and has requested enhanced anti-drone capabilities from NATO.

Italians and Dutch share the same gestural instinct for teaching

A study by researchers from the University of Catania and the Max Planck Institute found that Italian and Dutch adults employ remarkably similar gestural strategies when teaching children. While Italians use more gestures overall, both groups increased their use of two-handed and visually rich gestures to make complex information more accessible to young learners.

FCC warns US broadcasters their licenses are a privilege, not a right

The FCC has warned US broadcasters that their licenses are a privilege rather than a right. Consequently, TV and radio stations have been advised to review their current practices to ensure they align with public interest obligations.

Jammin’ on UK defence secretary’s jet as Russia blamed for GPS interference

Russia is being blamed for causing GPS interference that affected the UK defense secretary’s jet. An Estonian academic suggests the Kremlin is using mobile tower-mounted devices to disrupt Ukrainian forces.