Alvaro Lopez Ortega / 2026-06-03 Briefing

Created Thu, 04 Jun 2026 01:36:11 +0000 Modified Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:54:29 +0000
8384 Words

Let’s Encrypt is implementing Merkle Tree Certificates to enable post-quantum security without bloating TLS handshakes. In language updates, Kotlin 2.4.0 introduces stable context parameters, while Elixir v1.20 debuts a gradual typing system via type inference. Meanwhile, researchers have found a vulnerability in Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2X speakers that allows attackers to compromise connected PCs using unauthorized firmware.

🤖 AI & Machine Learning

Introducing RadixAttention to Trellis

Trellis has implemented RadixAttention to optimize the compute-intensive prefill phase of LLM inference. By utilizing a block-paged radix tree to cache common prefixes, the system allows concurrent requests to reuse embeddings, enhancing efficiency for chat-based and agentic sessions.

Amazon announces new visual search featuring AI-generated product images

Amazon is launching a new visual search feature in its shopping app that uses AI-generated images to help users visually refine their search queries. While intended to assist customers in identifying specific styles, critics warn that displaying non-existent products could potentially mislead shoppers.

Apoha, which is developing a “Liquid State Intelligence” data layer to measure molecules in the r…

Apoha has emerged from stealth with $36 million in funding, led by Singular, to develop its “Liquid State Intelligence” platform. The technology aims to measure how molecules and materials behave in real-world conditions, with its first product, VIBE, helping researchers identify high-risk drug candidates more efficiently.

AI music startup Suno raises $400M at $5.4B valuation, hitting 2M subscribers

AI music startup Suno Inc. has raised $400 million in a funding round led by Bond Capital, bringing the company’s valuation to $5.4 billion. The round also included participation from venture capital firms such as IVP, Forerunner, and Union Square Ventures.

Current and former Meta employees detail Alexandr Wang’s efforts to revive Meta’s AI edge, as Mus…

Alexandr Wang is leading efforts to restore Meta’s competitive edge in AI, with the Muse Spark model providing renewed momentum. However, doubts remain regarding whether these initiatives can successfully close the gap with rivals in coding performance.

Google offers Google Play devs payment for code access to train AI tools

Google has launched a confidential pilot program offering Android app developers payment in exchange for access to their codebases. The company intends to use this non-public content to train and improve its AI-driven developer tools and products.

GPTZero says AI “vibe citations” are spreading through big firms

Researchers at GPTZero warn that corporations are increasingly using “vibe citations,” which are AI-generated fake statistics, to avoid rigorous fact-checking in professional reports. This trend risks creating a dangerous feedback loop where misinformation enters official government and legal records and is subsequently scraped by AI models as fact.

Mnemo – local-first AI memory layer for any LLM (Rust, SQLite,petgraph)

Mnemo is a local-first AI memory layer designed to provide LLMs with persistent knowledge through a SQLite-based knowledge graph. The service automatically extracts entities and relationships from ingested text to enable high-speed, low-latency context injection for future prompts without requiring cloud dependency.

Hyper (YC P26) – Company brain to power agentic development

Hyper is a new “company brain” platform designed to enhance the performance of AI agents by providing them with deep, integrated organizational context. By synthesizing data from sources like Slack, email, and documents into a searchable knowledge graph, Hyper enables agents to execute complex tasks more effectively using up-to-date company information.

A Visual Guide to Gemma 4 12B

Google DeepMind has released Gemma 4 12B, an encoder-free multimodal model that integrates text, image, and audio processing directly within the LLM. By eliminating separate vision and audio encoders, this architecture reduces latency and parameter counts while maintaining robust multimodal capabilities.

Gemma 4 12B: A unified, encoder-free multimodal model

Gemma 4 12B is a new, encoder-free multimodal model designed to bring advanced reasoning and agentic capabilities to local hardware such as laptops. Its unified architecture integrates vision and audio inputs directly into the LLM backbone to minimize latency and memory usage.

Ideogram 4.0 – open-weight 9.3B text-to-image model

Ideogram has released Ideogram 4.0, a new 9.3B parameter open-weight text-to-image model utilizing a single-stream diffusion transformer architecture. The model features enhanced controllability through structured JSON prompts, offering superior text rendering and spatial awareness via bounding box guidance. Additionally, its NF4 quantized checkpoint is optimized to run efficiently on a single 24GB GPU.

REST3D: Reconstructing Physically Stable 3D Scenes from a Single Image

REST3D is a new framework that reconstructs physically stable 3D scenes from a single RGB image by integrating physical scene understanding with physics-constrained refinement. By utilizing a scene-tree representation to eliminate errors such as object floating and interpenetration, the method produces simulation-ready assets for use in immersive virtual environments.

Claude Opus 4.8 Max responding to an empty message

Claude Opus 4.8 Max provided a philosophical analysis of an empty message, examining the structural relationship between form and content. The AI argued that the absence of content within an empty string is its defining feature, illustrating the fundamental interdependence of form and substance.

Can A.I. produce writing that we want to read?

The increasing difficulty in distinguishing AI-generated text from human writing threatens the educational relationship between students and teachers by undermining academic integrity. While current AI outputs still contain detectable flaws, the author explores the potential for future technology to produce high-quality prose that is indistinguishable from human literature.

💻 Software & Development

My Software North Star

The author defines their primary software development objective as maximizing end-user utility by creating software that is useful, correct, and lovable. To achieve this, they prioritize maintainability and efficiency as essential means to support the ultimate goal of delivering long-term value.

Elixir v1.20 introduces gradual typing

Elixir v1.20 has been released, introducing a gradual typing system that uses type inference to identify dead code and bugs without requiring manual annotations. The update features a dynamic() type designed for precise type narrowing while maintaining compatibility with existing code.

The Bloat

The author discusses managing an unplanned and messy core data structure within a multi-language software project. They intend to tolerate this technical debt until the module’s increasing complexity begins to impede the effectiveness of AI agents in the development process.

Parsing XML EXIF from .avif files (plus a rant)

The author has developed a custom Python parser for the HEIF container format to enable the removal of EXIF data from Avif images. The article also includes a critique of the HEIF format, highlighting its excessive complexity and inefficient design.

Kotlin 2.4.0 Released

Kotlin 2.4.0 has been released, introducing new language features such as stable context parameters and explicit backing fields. The update also brings significant platform-specific enhancements, including Java 26 support for Kotlin/JVM and Swift package integration for Kotlin/Native.

mimalloc: A new, high-performance, scalable memory allocator for the modern era

Microsoft Research’s mimalloc is an open-source, scalable memory allocator that serves as a drop-in replacement for malloc and free. It utilizes thread-local heaps to minimize contention, making it highly efficient for applications ranging from small programming languages to large-scale services like Bing and CPython.

Mean Hand

Mean Hand is a typeface created by averaging over 800,000 handwritten characters from a 1990s U.S. Census dataset. By applying varying thresholds of sample agreement, the font produces weights ranging from dense and illegible to sparse and fragmented. The project serves as a visual representation of the statistical distributions used in modern handwriting recognition standards.

How TypeScript distributes unions

This article explores how TypeScript handles union distribution across function overloads, method receivers, and generic types. It highlights that while TypeScript distributes method signatures when called on union receivers, it does not distribute function overloads over union arguments.

Beyond ICR: Incremental ‘Suggesting’ Read in Emacs

The article introduces “Incremental Suggesting Read” (ISR) as an evolution of Emacs’s Incremental Completing Read (ICR) that provides inferred suggestions rather than literal matches. ISR utilizes semantic retrieval or generative synthesis via LLMs and integrates seamlessly with existing Emacs infrastructure, such as the consult package.

Revealing the frontier with stacks and queues

This article explores the comparative advantages of using recursion versus stacks and queues for tree traversal. While recursion offers an elegant and simple implementation, iterative approaches with stacks and queues provide superior flexibility for managing complex control flows, such as early exits and interrupts.

rsync and outrage

The rsync maintainer is responding to criticism regarding the use of AI tools to rewrite the project’s test suite and assist with security hardening. They defend the use of these tools as a necessary way to manage a recent surge in security reports while maintaining rigorous manual oversight of the codebase.

German state Bavaria cancels Microsoft contract to go open source

Bavaria, Germany’s largest state, has canceled a nearly €1 billion contract with Microsoft to transition to a “sovereign basic workspace” built on open-source components. The move aims to protect data privacy, prevent future price increases, and reduce the state’s dependency on American technology.

Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac Will Soon Stop Letting You Edit Documents

Starting July 13, Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac will enter “reduced functionality mode” due to an expiring digital certificate, preventing users from creating, editing, or saving documents. Because the suite no longer receives updates, affected users must transition to newer Microsoft products or alternative software such as Apple iWork or LibreOffice.

Journey to JPEG XL: open-source experiments shaped the future of image coding

JPEG XL was developed through a decade of experimental projects aimed at overcoming the limitations of legacy JPEG in HDR and Wide Color Gamut environments. By refining psychovisual modeling and compression efficiency via initiatives like WebP Lossless and Guetzli, developers created this new standard for high-fidelity image coding.

Ableton Extensions SDK

Introduced in Live 12.4.5, Ableton Extensions allow users to develop and implement custom tools within Ableton Live using the Ableton Extensions SDK. These extensions can interact with various elements of a Live Set, such as tracks, clips, and MIDI, to automate tasks and enhance the software’s capabilities.

Self-hosted dev sandboxes with preview URLs (Docker, Go, no K8s)

Sandboxed is an open-source engine that provides AI app-builder products with isolated cloud development environments, built-in coding agents, and live preview URLs. The platform uses a single Go binary to manage Docker containers that automatically sleep when idle, offering a cost-effective, self-hosted solution without the need for Kubernetes.

Building iOS Apps with Doom Emacs

The author successfully developed their first iOS app, SPEEM, using a customized Doom Emacs configuration instead of the traditional Xcode interface. By integrating Apple’s command-line tools like xcodebuild and simctl via custom Emacs Lisp modules, they created an end-to-end workflow for coding, building, and running simulators directly within the editor.

Project Is Dead. Completely

The Naming Protocol Standard (NPS) introduces human-readable $cashtags for Monero (XMR) to replace long, complex cryptocurrency addresses. This decentralized and open-source protocol allows any integrated wallet or service to resolve tags without relying on a central registry.

I believe a whole generation of developers miss how open source used to work

The author argues that modern developers have lost sight of a traditional open-source model where software distributors take responsibility for maintaining and patching dependencies. Reinstating this practice, as seen with entities like Debian or Apple, could alleviate the burden on overworked upstream maintainers and enhance overall ecosystem stability.

Angular v22

Angular v22 has been released, officially bringing Signal Forms, Angular Aria, and Asynchronous Reactivity APIs to production-ready status. The update focuses on enhancing stability and ergonomics to provide developers with more robust, reactive, and accessible tools for web development.

Nutrepedia – nutrition info in 29 locales built with Clojure and Htmx

Nutrepedia is a nutrition information platform built with Clojure and Htmx that supports 29 different locales. The tool provides detailed nutritional profiles, including calorie and macronutrient breakdowns, for a variety of featured foods.

DaVinci Resolve 21

DaVinci Resolve 21 introduces a new Photo page for professional still image editing alongside an extensive suite of AI tools for facial manipulation, blemish removal, and intelligent media searching. The update also brings significant workflow enhancements and improved graphics support to the Edit, Color, Fusion, and Fairlight pages.

Bun Has Been Converted to Rust. Now What?

Anthropic’s Claude Code agents recently completed an automated, million-line rewrite of the Bun runtime from Zig to Rust. Although the new implementation passed nearly all existing tests, the project failed to achieve its goal of memory safety because the faithful, file-by-file translation resulted in over 10,000 unsafe blocks.

It is an amazing time for programmers

The author highlights a unique opportunity for modern programmers to connect with living legends of computer science, such as Linus Torvalds and John Carmack. He encourages developers to reach out to these experts and other experienced professionals to foster connections and avoid professional isolation.

Recovering Eric Graham’s 1987 Amiga Juggler raytracer source code

The source code for Eric Graham’s 1987 Juggler raytracer has been recovered from an Amiga disk image found on Archive.org. To ensure accessibility on modern systems, a Python-based extraction tool was developed using OpenAI Codex to parse the disk image. This effort provides a permanent, readable archive for this historically significant computer graphics software.

Capstone – multi-platform, multi-architecture disassembly framework

Capstone is a lightweight, multi-platform disassembly framework designed for high-performance binary analysis and reverse engineering across numerous architectures. It features an intuitive, architecture-neutral API with extensive language bindings and is optimized for various security applications.

I Found a Bug in Apple’s Fsck_hfs

A bug in the fsck_hfs utility on macOS Sequoia causes false reports of filesystem corruption on HFS+ volumes of 24TB or larger when running on machines with 8 GB of RAM. The error is caused by cache exhaustion within the tool itself rather than actual hardware or filesystem failure.

TypeScript devs no longer need to tangle with C# to use Aspire dev stack after Microsoft update

Microsoft has updated its Aspire development stack to allow TypeScript developers to use the tool without needing C#. The introduction of a pure TypeScript AppHost is expected to broaden the tool’s appeal to a wider developer audience.

🛡️ Security & Privacy

Let’s Encrypt Post-Quantum Security

Let’s Encrypt plans to implement Merkle Tree Certificates (MTCs) to establish a post-quantum-safe Web PKI. This approach utilizes batch signatures to authenticate multiple certificates at once, avoiding the significant increase in TLS handshake size typically caused by standard post-quantum signature schemes.

Hacking PCs via speakers

Researchers have discovered vulnerabilities in the Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2X that allow attackers within 15 meters to flash unauthorized firmware due to a lack of signature verification and weak authentication. This exploit enables the device to be repurposed as a spying tool or a Rubber Ducky to compromise connected computers.

US, Five Eyes warn China is using fake job offers to target government and military personnel

The United States and other Five Eyes intelligence partners have issued a joint warning regarding China’s use of online job platforms, such as LinkedIn, to target security professionals. The alert highlights that fake profiles and fraudulent job offers are being used to attempt to extract classified or sensitive information from military and intelligence personnel.

Researchers demonstrate AI worm threat

University of Toronto researchers have demonstrated an AI-powered worm prototype that uses open-source models to automatically exploit software vulnerabilities and spread across networks without human intervention. This adaptive threat could hijack computing power from any connected device, posing significant risks to critical infrastructure such as healthcare and energy systems.

Messaging apps will kiss you on one cheek and slap you on the other with E2EE

Despite providing end-to-end encryption, popular messaging apps like Messenger, Line, and WeChat continue to collect extensive user data for advertising and profiling purposes. A recent study highlights that these platforms harvest diverse information, including location and purchase history, posing significant privacy risks that may escalate with the integration of new AI features.

Crooks behind 27,000 illegal streaming URLs nabbed in major operation

An international law enforcement operation, KRATOS 2, has dismantled nine organized crime groups and removed over 27,000 illegal streaming URLs. Coordinated by Bulgaria and Europol, the crackdown targeted the criminal infrastructure enabling IPTV piracy and illegal broadcasts ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Emmys data leak: update exposes access to award submissions

Emmy.tv accidentally exposed AWS credentials in its public HTML code following a platform update, potentially granting access to sensitive internal databases, communications, and award submissions. The leak compromised various cloud storage buckets, including those for Slack and Jira, though the vulnerability has since been addressed.

Zcash Executes Emergency Fork After Critical Orchard Vulnerability Discovery

The Zcash network implemented an emergency soft fork on June 2, 2026, to address critical security and denial-of-service vulnerabilities within its Orchard shielded pool. Although the upgrade caused temporary transaction delays and network instability, developers confirmed that all user funds remain safe and privacy protections are intact.

Bot vs human traffic

This report examines various metrics for analyzing global internet traffic, including the ratio of bot to human activity and device distribution. It also tracks geographic trends, network breakdowns by autonomous system, and traffic composition by MIME type and API usage.

Rscrypto, pure-Rust crypto with industry leading public benches

rscrypto is a pure-Rust cryptography library offering a modular stack of primitives, including RSA, Ed25519, and AEADs, without requiring external C or OpenSSL dependencies. Designed for high performance and portability, it supports various environments such as no_std, WASM, and hardware-accelerated architectures.

Tired of duct-taping access control into agent prompts. Here’s the fix

Cast is an open-source, self-hosted harness for multi-user, multi-agent systems that replaces insecure prompt-based access control with secure, configuration-based rules. The platform features a chat-based agent builder and integrates with Claude Code to facilitate sharing agents across platforms like Slack, Telegram, and the web.

I don’t want my search engine to think for me

The author argues that AI-generated search summaries are detrimental because they strip away the nuance, caveats, and verifiable evidence found in original search results. By flattening multiple sources into single, authoritative paragraphs, these tools make it increasingly difficult for users to identify conflicting information and verify the accuracy of the answers provided.

Another bug hunter leaks Microsoft exploits, defying disclosure policy

A bug hunter has leaked Microsoft exploits in protest of the company’s vulnerability disclosure practices. This incident follows a similar pattern of immediate leaks previously seen with researcher Nightmare Eclipse.

💰 Business & Finance

Benchmark raises $2B via two new funds, including its first $1.25B growth fund in decades

Venture capital firm Benchmark has raised $2 billion across two new funds, including a $1.25 billion fund dedicated to late-stage growth investments. This move marks a departure from the firm’s decades-long strategy of focusing primarily on early-stage startups with smaller flagship vehicles.

Meta considering $200/month premium subscription for its ‘Hatch’ AI agent tool

Meta is reportedly considering tiered pricing for its upcoming AI agent tool, “Hatch.” The company’s plan includes a potential premium subscription tier costing up to $200 per month.

CrowdStrike Q1 revenue hits $1.39B, beating estimates; shares drop 9%+ after hours

CrowdStrike reported first-quarter revenue of $1.39 billion, surpassing Wall Street estimates with a 26% year-over-year increase. Despite the earnings beat and positive growth driven by AI demand, shares dropped more than 9% in after-hours trading following the report.

Collate raises $95M at ~$1B valuation to automate life sciences paperwork, led by Redpoint

Collate, an AI startup that automates paperwork for life sciences companies, has raised $95 million in a funding round led by Redpoint Ventures. The investment brings the company’s total funding to $125 million and its valuation to approximately $1 billion.

Terra AI raises $20M Series A led by Khosla Ventures to map mining resources

Mining AI startup Terra AI has raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from BHP Ventures. The company plans to use the capital to expand its team and develop products that help mining firms more accurately map underground resources.

Town raises $55M Series A led by a16z for personalized email/calendar AI assistants

Town, an AI startup founded by Jean-Denis Gréze and Tony Vincent, has raised $55 million in a Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The company is developing personalized AI assistants that integrate with users’ email and calendars to proactively automate tasks and enhance productivity.

EBT payments processor Forage raises $40M Series B led by Mouro Capital at $225M valuation

San Francisco-based payments startup Forage has raised $40 million in a Series B funding round led by Mouro Capital, reaching a $225 million valuation. The company specializes in helping retailers and food-delivery services process EBT and other government food assistance payments.

AI legal technology startup Wordsmith has raised $70 million in Series B funding, bringing its total funding to $100 million. The company provides software designed to help in-house legal teams automate tasks like contract drafting and managing legal inquiries to reduce their reliance on external law firms.

Dental AI startup Lassie raises $35M Series A led by a16z at ~$250M valuation

AI startup Lassie has raised $35 million in a Series A funding round led by a16z, reaching a valuation of approximately $250 million. The company provides an AI agent designed to automate administrative tasks and reduce manual paperwork for dental practices.

Meta to spin off VR fitness game Supernatural as independent company Supernatural Health

Meta is spinning off the VR fitness game Supernatural into an independent company called Supernatural Health, which will launch on the Meta Horizon Store later this fall. Led by the game’s original founders and coaches, the new entity will continue providing new content following Meta’s recent decision to end development.

YouTube overtakes Netflix in daily viewing: 99.1 mins in 2025 vs 93.4 mins for Netflix.

YouTube has overtaken Netflix in average daily global viewing, with usage rising to 99.1 minutes in 2025 compared to Netflix’s 93.4 minutes. This shift is driven by an increase in YouTube viewing on television, signaling the platform’s evolution into a dominant global media force.

Baidu plans 2026 HK/Shanghai spin-off and listing of chip unit Kunlunxin as ’neutral player’

Baidu CFO Henry He announced plans to spin off and list its chip unit, Kunlunxin, in Hong Kong and Shanghai by 2026. The company also anticipates healthy revenue growth driven by increased artificial intelligence income.

ESA/YouGov: 212.3M US weekly gamers, up 3% from 2025; average age rises to 37

A new report from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reveals that 212.3 million Americans play video games weekly, a 3% increase from the previous year. The study also found that the average age of players has risen to 37, highlighting the industry’s growing mainstream presence across various demographics.

Musk-style pay makes Revolut’s Nikolay Storonsky UK’s richest at ~$20.4B ahead of IPO

Revolut founder Nikolay Storonsky has become the UK’s richest person, with a fortune estimated at approximately $20.4 billion. This wealth surge, driven by Musk-style pay incentives, comes as the fintech company prepares for a planned initial public offering.

Indian IT firms spent $7.1B on acquisitions in 2025 as AI-led pricing hits organic growth

Indian IT companies have spent $7.1 billion on acquisitions since the start of 2025 to counter weakening organic growth caused by AI-led pricing pressures. These strategic moves, primarily funded through cash reserves, aim to expand market share and geographic reach by acquiring smaller or declining businesses.

Mastercard plans on-chain settlement using regulated USD stablecoins

Mastercard is expanding its settlement network to include on-chain transactions using several regulated USD stablecoins, such as USDC and PYUSD. This initiative aims to enable intraday, weekend, and holiday settlements across various blockchain networks to support real-time, 24/7 money movement.

Google’s $10B Berkshire equity sale signals high AI demand (Ben Thompson/Stratechery)

This article examines Google’s business model as an aggregator that maximizes absolute value by leveraging low marginal costs and free supply. It also explores Warren Buffett’s perspective on the exceptional profitability and efficiency inherent in Google’s operations.

Bitcoin falls 7% below $67K after MicroStrategy’s first BTC sale since 2022; MSTR falls 9%

Bitcoin fell as much as 7% to below $67,000 on Tuesday, reaching its lowest level since April. This decline triggered nearly $1.5 billion in crypto liquidations over a 24-hour period, including approximately $800 million in Bitcoin positions.

Iran war drains US oil stocks to lowest level since 2004

U.S. oil stocks have fallen to their lowest level since 2004. This decline is attributed to the ongoing conflict involving Iran and Donald Trump’s administration.

Tuta has joined Euro-Office and will now contribute to its codebase

Tuta, a privacy-focused email and calendar service, has joined the coalition developing Euro-Office to contribute to its open-source codebase. The collaborative workspace aims to reduce European dependence on American technology companies and is scheduled for its first stable release on June 9.

Uber cuts 23% of people division as new president takes over

Uber is reducing its people division by 23% as a new president takes over. This restructuring accompanies a leadership transition within the company’s human resources department.

Elon Musk is expected to become the first trillionaire

Elon Musk is projected to become the world’s first trillionaire following the upcoming initial public offering of SpaceX. Progressive politicians are leveraging this milestone to highlight rising income inequality and advocate for tax reforms in the United States.

Dell inks $9.7B Pentagon contract after Trump acquires stock

Ethics watchdogs are warning of a potential conflict of interest following the Pentagon’s award of a $9.7 billion contract to Dell. The concern stems from President Trump’s recent acquisition of Dell stock and his public praise for the company, which may suggest personal financial gain from the deal.

Goldman Sachs CEO says markets in ‘greed’ mode as AI companies seek billions

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon stated that investors have entered a “greed” mode, providing the liquidity necessary to support an unprecedented fundraising wave by major AI firms. He downplayed concerns regarding the market’s ability to absorb massive equity offerings, noting that ample capital remains available for these capital-intensive ventures.

Amazon Has Axed Its New Stargate Series

Amazon MGM Studios has cancelled its planned Stargate revival series, which was set to be led by writer and executive producer Martin Gero. The studio reportedly withdrew support due to concerns that the project would fail to attract a broad audience beyond the franchise’s existing fanbase.

The tech that could make Marvell the next trillion dollar company

Emerging technology presents an opportunity for Marvell to potentially become a trillion-dollar company. However, the firm faces significant competitive pressure from industry rivals such as Broadcom.

Automattic’s CMS empire shows cracks as WordPress share falls

WordPress’s market share has declined for six consecutive months, signaling a potential end to Automattic’s era of uninterrupted growth. Despite this recent downturn, the web publishing giant remains a dominant force in the CMS market.

🔌 Hardware & Infrastructure

US Data Center Expansion Lagging

Despite massive investments from tech companies to support the AI race, US data center construction is facing significant delays due to power shortages, supply chain backlogs, and permitting challenges. A JPMorgan analysis reveals that over 60% of the capacity planned for completion in 2027 has yet to begin construction or is already falling behind schedule.

Israeli startup ZutaCore raises $100M Series C at $600M valuation for liquid data center cooling

Israeli startup ZutaCore has raised $100 million in a Series C funding round, achieving an estimated valuation of $600 million. Led by Mitsubishi Electric, Carrier, and Samsung Electronics, the capital will be used to accelerate the global commercialization of the company’s advanced liquid cooling technology for AI data centers.

Oxford Quantum Circuits raises $350M Series C led by Bullhound Capital

UK-based Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) has raised £260 million ($350 million) in a Series C funding round led by Bullhound Capital, marking the largest ever for a private quantum computing company in Europe. The company plans to use the funds to expand its global presence and develop next-generation quantum systems that integrate with classical computing infrastructure.

Demand Is Booming for New No Tech, Repairable Tractor

Alberta-based Ursa Ag is experiencing significant global demand for its new, low-tech tractor designed to be easily repairable by farmers. The “no frills” machinery provides an affordable alternative to modern equipment burdened by complex sensors and manufacturer repair monopolies.

Brume is a 24-voice multi-timbral desktop synth for the CM5

Brume is an open-source, 24-voice standalone synthesizer designed to run on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 with a touchscreen interface. It features four mathematical synthesis engines—FM, Harmonic, Timbral, and Granular—that share a common voice tail for cohesive modulation and filtering. The device integrates easily with DAWs via a single USB cable for multi-channel audio and MIDI.

New Texas Instruments 5532 chips are not the 5532s we’ve used for decades

A new version of the NE5532 operational amplifier arriving by December 2025 has sparked concerns regarding its quality compared to the more expensive NJM version. This shift poses significant challenges for maintaining legacy analog equipment that relies on these specific high-performance components.

ESP32-S31

The ESP32-S31 is a dual-core 32-bit RISC-V microcontroller featuring versatile connectivity through Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and 1000 Mbps Ethernet. It integrates advanced hardware for multimedia, high-quality audio, and robust security, making it ideal for AI-driven IoT and smart display applications.

Shopify outage [resolved]

Shopify experienced a partial outage on June 3, 2026, affecting services including the admin, storefronts, checkouts, and Retail POS. While the issue has been resolved, the company is continuing to monitor the situation closely.

Project Sunrise Nears Reality as Qantas’ Airbus A350-1000ULR Makes Maiden Flight

The first Airbus A350-1000ULR has completed its maiden flight, marking a significant milestone for Qantas’ Project Sunrise. The specially modified aircraft is entering a certification campaign to enable ultra-long-range, nonstop flights from Australia to destinations such as London and New York.

German startup advancing compressor-free electrocaloric heat pump technology

German startup Qurie GmbH is developing a compressor-free, solid-state heat pump that utilizes the temperature changes of electrocaloric materials under an electric field. By employing a patented heat management system, the technology aims to achieve efficiencies exceeding 70% and reduce electrical energy demand by up to 30%.

Running ‘Doom’ on E. coli cells slowly

MIT researcher Lauren Ramlan has successfully programmed the classic video game Doom to run on a display made of fluorescent E. coli cells. While the biological pixels can display images, the process is extremely slow, taking approximately nine hours to render a single frame.

PlayStation Architecture

The article explores the architecture of Sony’s debut console, focusing on the Sony CXD8530BQ System-on-Chip. It details the early 1990s transition toward RISC architectures and the implementation of the MIPS R3000A processor through a licensing model.

Bend the beam like Beckham to defeat anti-jamming tech

Researchers at Rice University have developed a method to defeat anti-jamming technology by pinpointing the location of signal jammers. The approach addresses the difficulty of neutralizing interference when the source cannot be easily identified.

Intel bit off more than it could chew with 18A process node

Intel’s 18A process node has faced significant challenges, but CFO Zinsner maintains that these issues are a one-off occurrence. The company also stated that the development of its 14A node remains on track.

Don’t repeat 5G mistakes with 6G, plead mobile operators

Mobile operators are urging developers to avoid repeating the mistakes of 5G during the upcoming 6G rollout. The NGMN is calling for a clear migration path to be established before next-generation network deployments begin.

⚖️ Policy & Society

Burntsushi shares medical diagnosis

An individual has shared their experience recovering from anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, an autoimmune disorder that caused severe physical and psychological symptoms, including psychosis and loss of balance. After being initially misdiagnosed with a psychiatric condition, they achieved recovery through treatments involving IVIG and steroids.

.furry - A Top-Level Domain for furries

Pawprint Prototyping, a non-profit hackerspace, is crowdfunding $90,000 to launch the “.furry” top-level domain through ICANN’s Applicant Support Program. Profits from the new domain will be used to fund educational missions and support furry and LGBTQIA+ organizations.

Lawmakers urge end to Palantir NHS deal

UK lawmakers are calling for the termination of a £330 million NHS contract with Palantir Technologies Inc., citing concerns over over-dependency on a single U.S. supplier and its impact on digital government progress. Additionally, they are demanding greater transparency regarding a separate military contract involving the tech firm.

Supercell, King, and Sybo warn EU’s Digital Fairness Act could make games ‘unplayable’

Major mobile game developers, including Supercell, King, and Sybo, have warned that the EU’s Digital Fairness Act could make games “unplayable.” The proposed legislation would require pop-ups to display the real-world value of virtual currencies, a move developers fear could threaten their industry’s success.

Q&A with labor economist Kathryn Anne Edwards on why much of the AI jobs panic is overblown, why …

This news collection explores the potential impact of AI on the labor market, focusing on discussions regarding job displacement and the need for updated social safety nets. It also covers recent technological advancements from Google I/O and ongoing legal and political developments involving major tech figures like Elon Musk.

New UK Google AI Search Rules

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has introduced new rules requiring Google to provide clear attribution and links to publisher content within its AI-generated search results. These regulations also allow online publishers to opt out of Google’s AI Overviews to help increase their bargaining power for content deals.

India’s sovereign AI ambitions collide with foreign infrastructure dependence

India aims to develop a sovereign AI model for the Global South, but the initiative faces significant structural challenges. These obstacles include a late start in model development, heavy reliance on foreign cloud infrastructure, and insufficient investment in computing capacity.

The Dutch defense ministry wants to stop using Palantir

The Netherlands Ministry of Defense intends to replace Palantir’s software within the next two years to reduce European dependence on US technology. State Secretary for Defense Derk Boswijk noted that while seeking a full alternative, an earlier transition could introduce security risks.

European Parliament switches default search engine from Google to Qwant

Starting June 4, the European Parliament will replace Google with the French search engine Qwant as its default provider on Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox browsers. This move is part of a broader initiative to enhance Europe’s digital sovereignty by reducing reliance on US technology and promoting local, privacy-focused alternatives.

If I relied on Instagram for news

This article examines the impact of personalized news consumption through social media platforms and provides a roundup of the week’s top technology and security news. Key highlights include the launch of Euro-Office, GitHub’s ban of a security researcher, and the rising popularity of DuckDuckGo’s “No AI” features.

A Mathematician’s Lament – Paul Lockhart (2002) [pdf]

Paul Lockhart’s essay “A Mathematician’s Lament” critiques the way mathematics is currently taught in schools, arguing that it focuses too heavily on rote memorization and rules. He advocates for an approach that treats mathematics as a creative art form based on discovery and pattern-making.

A Man Who Reads Books for a Living (One Every Two Days)

Clarke Speicher is a professional reader who evaluates literature specifically for its potential as a screen adaptation. He provides industry executives with detailed analysis reports that examine how a book’s characters, plot, and setting might translate into a cinematic format.

Embryos shape their limbs: a key discovery of “genetic brakes”

Researchers at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute have discovered that two protein groups, PRC1 and PRC2, act as “genetic brakes” during embryonic limb formation. These Polycomb complexes ensure proper development by silencing specific genes after their initial activation, allowing subsequent genetic programs to proceed correctly.

Facing life-threatening miscarriage in Arkansas, calls to governor didn’t help

Physicians in Arkansas were unable to provide standard medical care during Emily Waldorf’s 17-week miscarriage due to the state’s strict abortion bans. Fearing criminal prosecution, doctors could not empty her womb to prevent life-threatening infection while the fetus still had a detectable heartbeat.

He Blew the Whistle on DOGE. Then His Brakes Were Cut

NLRB whistleblower Dan Berulis has filed a defamation lawsuit against Elon Musk, alleging that Musk’s public claims of fraud incited threats and physical violence against him. The legal action follows a series of intimidation attempts, including an incident in which Berulis discovered his car’s brake lines had been tampered with.

Tesla retroactively added ‘supervised’ to FSD contracts owners signed years ago

Tesla has retroactively added “supervised” language to its Full Self-Driving (FSD) purchase agreements originally signed between 2016 and early 2024. Some owners have also reported that the original, unmodified versions of these documents have become inaccessible through their Tesla accounts.

Take Action: LAPD Removed Crime Location Data. Here’s Why It Matters

The Los Angeles Police Department has removed block-level crime location information from its public data feed during a transition to a new records system. This reduction in transparency has limited the ability of residents and journalists to monitor local crime, prompting calls for the restoration of detailed location data.

Ex-girlfriend of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt ordered to pay him $10M

An arbitrator has cleared former Google CEO Eric Schmidt of sexual assault allegations made by his ex-girlfriend, Michelle Ritter, ruling that her claims were false. Consequently, Ritter has been ordered to pay Schmidt $10.7 million in damages.

Which sparkling water is the best?

In a blind taste test of 14 sparkling waters available in Paris, Numen was ranked as the best-tasting option overall. While San Pellegrino emerged as the winner of a head-to-head tournament, the study concluded that preference is primarily driven by high carbonation and low minerality.

What I’ve learned about the trombone

The trombone is a brass instrument that uses a moving slide to alter the air column’s length, enabling continuous pitch and smooth glissandos. Players produce sound by buzzing their lips into a mouthpiece and must adjust their embouchure to access various harmonics across seven different slide positions.

Economists Are Obsessed with “Job Creation.” How about Less Work? (2017)

While automation has increased as predicted, work hours have not declined because new, often unproductive or harmful jobs have emerged. The author argues that our reliance on labor-based wealth distribution exacerbates inequality and calls for a shift toward more equitable resource sharing and leisure.

Clothing, not air conditioning, should be 1st layer of response to extreme heat

India’s heatwave response plans focus on hydration and behavioral advisories but overlook the critical role of clothing in managing physiological heat stress. The widespread use of non-breathable synthetic fabrics in uniforms and workwear exacerbates heat exposure, highlighting a need to integrate textile science into national heat-response policies.

The Unreasonable Redundancy of Nature’s Protein Folds

While converting massive protein sequence databases into 3D structures has advanced biomolecular design, researchers have found that scaling this training data yields diminishing returns due to the high redundancy of natural protein folds. To address this mismatch, data engineering techniques like clustering are being employed to improve the design of enzymes and other biologics.

The American Missile Crisis

The United States faces a critical shortage of munitions and missiles, with stockpiles significantly depleted by recent global conflicts. This vulnerability is exacerbated by a major production bottleneck: the nation’s reliance on a single domestic supplier for ammonium perchlorate, an essential oxidizer for solid-rocket motors.

HHS is overriding peer review to require changes to research scope, design

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is overriding the standard peer review process to mandate changes to the scope and design of research. This move allows the agency to directly influence the parameters and methodology of scientific studies.

Scott Pelley fired at CBS News after blowups with Bari Weiss,60 Minutes producer

CBS News has terminated “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley following a public dispute with executive producer Nick Bilton and editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. While Bilton cited Pelley’s unprofessional behavior and hostility as the reason for the firing, Pelley accused the network’s new leadership of compromising journalistic integrity to appease the Trump administration.

My Students Can’t Read

Recent observations and national data reveal a measurable decline in the reading and writing stamina of college-bound students. Professors report increasing difficulty with even short academic assignments, a trend corroborated by 2024 NAEP results showing 12th-grade reading scores at their lowest levels since 1992.

This Month in Ladybird – May 2026

In May 2026, the Ladybird browser achieved significant technical milestones, including passing Cloudflare Turnstile and implementing an out-of-process compositor for smoother asynchronous scrolling. The update also enabled Media Source Extensions by default, which enhances video streaming capabilities on platforms like YouTube.

Health Secretary to be data controller for England’s Single Patient Record

The UK Health Secretary is set to become the data controller for the nation’s Single Patient Record. This development has raised concerns regarding the centralized management of sensitive healthcare information.

ZTE and partners nurture global ICT talent through 2026 engineering capacity building program

ZTE and its partners have launched an engineering capacity-building program aimed at nurturing global ICT talent through 2026. The initiative brings international experts to Shenzhen to master cutting-edge engineering practices and foster global collaboration.