Google has patched its fifth Chrome zero-day vulnerability this year. Meanwhile, reports claim massive data leaks affect 10 million Discord and 35 million OkCupid users. Security concerns are also mounting in Europe following a hidden camera discovery in a UK government building and a breach of the French government’s messaging platform. Finally, research warns that AI toy apps use dangerous permissions.
🛡️ Security & Privacy
Chrome’s zero-day Whac-A-Mole continues with fifth exploited bug of the year
Google has addressed the fifth exploited Chrome zero-day vulnerability discovered this year. The company paid a security researcher a $55,000 bounty for reporting the flaw.
France probes compromise of gov messaging platform after account hijack
French authorities are investigating a breach of a government messaging platform following an account hijack. While officials state that only public chat rooms were exposed, the alleged attacker claims to have accessed much more sensitive data.
- France probes compromise of gov messaging platform after account hijack — theregister.com
Microsoft Office alternative Euro-Office could be vulnerable to Russian modifications
Euro-Office, a European alternative to Microsoft Office designed to reduce reliance on US technology, faces security concerns due to its heavy reliance on code from the Russian-linked OnlyOffice project. An analysis reveals that most development for the software is still attributed to contributors working in Russian time zones, undermining its claims of digital sovereignty.
- Microsoft Office alternative Euro-Office could be vulnerable to Russian modifications — cybernews.com
10 million Discord users named in data breach report nobody can explain
A data breach notice filed with the Maine Attorney General’s Office claims that over 10 million Discord users were affected by “insider wrongdoing.” However, the report’s legitimacy is highly questionable due to significant irregularities, including inconsistent dates and unverified contact information.
Data from 35M OkCupid users leaked online, hackers claim everyone’s exposed
Hackers claim to have accessed OkCupid’s internal API, alleging they stole personal information and password hashes for all 35 million platform users. While researchers confirmed that a small sample of the leaked data contains legitimate user records, they cannot verify the full scale of the breach or rule out that the data was aggregated from previous incidents.
AI toy apps for children request dangerous permissions and include third-party trackers
A study of ten Android companion apps for AI toys revealed that nearly half of their declared permissions are classified as “dangerous,” including access to precise location, camera, and microphone data. Furthermore, seven of the analyzed apps were found to contain third-party trackers used for advertising, analytics, and user profiling, raising significant privacy concerns for children.
- AI toy apps for children request dangerous permissions and include third-party trackers — cybernews.com
Hidden camera found in ceiling of government building renews UK’s spying fears
A hidden camera discovered in a ceiling panel at London’s Marsham Street government complex has triggered a security investigation into its origin and duration of use. While no foreign state is currently linked to the device, the incident has intensified concerns regarding potential espionage targeting British institutions.
Privacy complaints spike in the Netherlands, driven by data breaches and camera surveillance
The Dutch privacy authority (AP) reported a 75% increase in GDPR complaints in 2025, totaling over 13,500 cases. Key issues included data transparency, camera surveillance, and tracking software, with the healthcare sector receiving the most complaints following a major cyberattack.
- Privacy complaints spike in the Netherlands, driven by data breaches and camera surveillance — cybernews.com
Expired domains let hacker snoop through debt clients’ emails
Dutch debt administrators’ failure to secure expired web domains allowed an ethical hacker to intercept sensitive emails containing personal, financial, and medical data. By registering these abandoned domains, the hacker gained access to confidential information such as bank account numbers and tax documents belonging to individuals in debt.
- Expired domains let hacker snoop through debt clients’ emails — cybernews.com
US Military Personnel in Israel Found Secret Spyware on Their Phones
The Defense Intelligence Agency has raised Israel’s counterintelligence threat level to “critical” after US military personnel stationed in the country discovered spyware on their mobile phones. The surveillance reportedly targeted senior American officials involved in Iran policy, sparking concerns over systemic intelligence collection by Israel.
Microsoft says it will not pursue security researchers after zero-day backlash
Microsoft has clarified that it does not intend to pursue legal action against security researchers who publish vulnerability findings, following backlash over a recent blog post. The company acknowledged past shortcomings in its handling of researcher relationships and reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a constructive partnership with the security community.
💻 Software Engineering
Next stop, C:\ … Paris Metro screen goes off the tracks
A technical malfunction caused digital displays on a Paris Metro train to show computer-related text instead of standard station announcements. The glitch replaced normal information with unusual directory paths and tech-themed messages.
- Next stop, C:\ … Paris Metro screen goes off the tracks — theregister.com
Looking Forward to Postgres 19: Query Hints
Postgres 19 will introduce two new contrib modules, pg_plan_advice and pg_stash_advice, which provide “plan advice” instead of traditional query hints. This development aims to offer an escape hatch for complex edge-case queries while avoiding the maintenance risks and scalability issues associated with conventional hinting methods.
- Looking Forward to Postgres 19: Query Hints — pgedge.com
what 262,715 regex questions on stack overflow haven’t answered (part 2)
The article explains why standard regular expressions are theoretically incapable of parsing complex HTML due to its intricate error-recovery specifications. However, it notes that modern, industrial-strength regex engines utilize advanced features like backreferences and recursion to exceed the limitations of traditional regular languages.
CSS: Unavoidable Bad Parts
This guide provides non-professional web developers with advice on using a learnable subset of HTML5 and CSS for simple projects. It emphasizes the benefits of semantic tags while warning against common pitfalls like unnecessary element wrappers and the inherent complexities of layout design.
- CSS: Unavoidable Bad Parts — matklad.github.io
Datatype — variable font that turns text into charts
Datatype is an OpenType variable font that uses ligature substitution to transform text expressions into inline bar, line, and progress charts. It functions without the need for JavaScript or images, allowing for seamless integration of data visualizations within text-based environments like tables and dashboards.
- Datatype — variable font that turns text into charts — franktisellano.github.io
Test-case Reducers Are Underappreciated Debugging Tools
Test-case reducers automate the process of shrinking large, problematic inputs to identify the minimal version that still triggers an error, significantly easing the debugging process. Beyond simple length reduction, these tools can be configured with custom “interestingness tests” to optimize for specific criteria like error frequency or instruction counts.
aMule 3.0.0 - The “Alive Again” Release
The aMule 3.0.0 release, titled “The ‘Alive Again’ Release,” delivers massive performance boosts of up to 381x throughput via rewritten disk I/O and networking components. This major update also introduces native binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows, alongside a modernized CMake build system and improved scalability for large file libraries.
- aMule 3.0.0 - The “Alive Again” Release — amule-org.github.io
Safe Terraform auto-apply with conftest
To prevent manual review bottlenecks and avoid the non-deterministic risks of AI, organizations can implement policy-as-code using conftest to evaluate Terraform plans. By analyzing JSON-formatted plans against Rego policies, teams can programmatically ensure infrastructure changes are safe, deterministic, and auditable.
- Safe Terraform auto-apply with conftest — bejarano.io
Making Graphics Like it’s 1993
Catlantean 3D is an upcoming first-person shooter that utilizes early 90s raycasting techniques and a 256-color palette to recreate classic VGA-style graphics. The project is currently in development and is intended for release on Steam next year.
- Making Graphics Like it’s 1993 — staniks.github.io
CRDTs merge concurrent edits. Why not concurrent creation?
Loro has introduced “Mergeable Containers” to resolve a common CRDT issue where concurrent initial creations of child containers lead to conflicting identities and apparent data loss. By using ensureMergeable* methods, these containers now derive their identity from their logical position within a Map rather than the creation operation, enabling multiple users to seamlessly edit the same shared container.
Berkshirehathaway.com – The Perfect Minimalist Website
The Berkshire Hathaway Inc. website features an extremely minimalist design that primarily focuses on providing GEICO car insurance quotes. Due to limited corporate personnel, the company notes that it is unable to provide direct responses to feedback sent via their official address.
- Berkshirehathaway.com – The Perfect Minimalist Website — berkshirehathaway.com
🤖 AI & Robotics
Standard Bots raises $200M at $1B valuation for AI-powered robotic arms.
Standard Bots has raised $200 million in a funding round led by General Catalyst and Robostrategy, bringing the company’s valuation to $1 billion. The New York-based startup plans to use the investment to expand the manufacturing of its AI-powered robotic arms within the United States.
Alta Ares raises €50M Series A for AI air defense, led by Air Street Capital
French startup Alta Ares has raised €50 million in a Series A funding round led by Air Street Capital to expand the production of its AI-powered air defense systems. The company develops technology to detect and intercept drones and missiles and is already deploying its systems in several active conflict zones.
💰 Business & Finance
Kyndryl showers execs with shares while staff ponder redundancy packages
Executives at Kyndryl, an IBM spin-off, have received significant six-figure stock awards. Meanwhile, employees at the company are weighing their options regarding redundancy packages.
- Kyndryl showers execs with shares while staff ponder redundancy packages — theregister.com
Morpho raises $175M at $2B valuation, led by Paradigm, Ribbit Capital, and a16z Crypto
Morpho, a decentralized finance protocol specializing in blockchain-based lending and borrowing, has raised $175 million in a funding round led by Paradigm, Ribbit Capital, and a16z Crypto. The investment values the platform at up to $2 billion as it continues to expand its infrastructure for customizable lending markets.
- Morpho raises $175M at $2B valuation, led by Paradigm, Ribbit Capital, and a16z Crypto — fortune.com
Microsoft cuts 200-400 Azure jobs in Beijing and Shanghai, its third China layoff in 2 years.
Microsoft is laying off approximately 200 to 400 employees within its Azure cloud unit in Beijing and Shanghai. The move comes amid tightening restrictions on cross-border data flows between the U.S. and China and marks at least the company’s third round of downsizing in mainland China over the last two years.
- Microsoft cuts 200-400 Azure jobs in Beijing and Shanghai, its third China layoff in 2 years. — scmp.com
Beacon Software raises $225M Series C; total funding hits $550M for AI-driven acquisitions.
Beacon Software has raised $225 million in a Series C funding round, bringing its total funding to $550 million. The startup employs an “AI-enabled roll-up” strategy, acquiring niche software companies and transforming them through the integration of artificial intelligence.
- Beacon Software raises $225M Series C; total funding hits $550M for AI-driven acquisitions. — wsj.com
Alibaba, CXMT launch $577M PE fund for China’s hard tech amid US export curbs
A coalition of major Chinese tech companies, including Alibaba and CXMT, has launched a 3.91 billion yuan (US$577 million) private equity fund. The fund aims to provide “patient capital” for long-term research and development in China’s “hard tech” sectors to counter tightening US technology export curbs.
NinjaOne raises $400M at $12.3B valuation; ARR hits $600M
IT management platform NinjaOne has reached a $12.3 billion valuation following a $400 million secondary share sale involving investors such as Sequoia Capital and Iconiq Capital. The company reported that its annual recurring revenue has hit $600 million and expects further growth driven by the proliferation of AI-powered hardware.
- NinjaOne raises $400M at $12.3B valuation; ARR hits $600M — bloomberg.com
Finland’s Iceye raises €1B Series F led by General Atlantic at a €10B valuation.
Finnish satellite startup Iceye has raised over €1 billion in a Series F funding round led by General Atlantic, bringing its valuation to €10 billion. The investment, which includes participation from Nokia, will support the company’s efforts to meet growing global demand for space-based defense and intelligence technologies.
- Finland’s Iceye raises €1B Series F led by General Atlantic at a €10B valuation. — resiliencemedia.co
📱 Hardware & Gadgets
Porting the ThinkPad X61 to Coreboot
A developer has successfully ported coreboot to the ThinkPad x61 by utilizing AI-assisted reverse engineering. By leveraging Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.6, they were able to efficiently analyze the vendor BIOS despite a lack of available platform documentation.
- Porting the ThinkPad X61 to Coreboot — blog.aheymans.xyz
iOS 27 beta shows clearest signs yet of Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone with flexible displays.
The iOS 27 developer beta provides the clearest signs yet of Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone, featuring software references to folding hardware and flexible displays. The new device is expected to launch in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro family with an estimated starting price of approximately $2,000.
- iOS 27 beta shows clearest signs yet of Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone with flexible displays. — bloomberg.com
🌐 Tech Culture & Society
UK.gov warned that digital transformation hype is no substitute for delivery
A parliamentary committee has warned the UK government that digital transformation hype is no substitute for actual delivery. The committee noted that claims of £45 billion in potential savings risk undermining public sector technology reforms rather than supporting them.
What Yahoo killed when it bought Maktoob
Yahoo’s 2009 acquisition of the Arabic web portal Maktoob focused on its vast email user base and advertising potential rather than its community forums. The subsequent neglect of these forums resulted in the loss of a significant historical and cultural archive of early Arab internet discourse.
- What Yahoo killed when it bought Maktoob — lr0.org
The Decline of Search Engines is an Opportunity
The author argues that the declining quality of search engines and YouTube presents an opportunity to return to decentralized web discovery through manually curated hyperlinks. To support this movement, they have launched a personal links page and encourage others to create their own collections of favorite websites.
- The Decline of Search Engines is an Opportunity — lewiscampbell.tech
Eagle Computer: The rise and fall of an early PC clone
Eagle Computer was a prominent 1980s manufacturer of IBM-compatible PCs that achieved rapid growth through successful products like the Eagle PC 2 and Turbo XL. However, following the tragic death of CEO Dennis Barnhart on the day of its 1983 IPO, the company eventually went out of business in 1986.
- Eagle Computer: The rise and fall of an early PC clone — dfarq.homeip.net
Forever Young: how one molecule can lock plants in a youthful state (2025)
Biologist Scott Poethig has discovered that the microRNA molecule miR156 acts as a molecular switch regulating the transition from juvenile to adult stages in plants. High concentrations of this molecule can prevent the expression of adult traits, allowing certain species to retain youthful characteristics through a process known as neoteny.
- Forever Young: how one molecule can lock plants in a youthful state (2025) — omnia.sas.upenn.edu
Facebook is paying people overseas promoting Alberta separatism
A CBC investigation has revealed that at least 14 Facebook accounts from countries including India, Pakistan, and Indonesia are promoting Alberta separatism to earn money through Meta’s monetization program. These overseas creators often use deceptive tactics, such as posing as Canadians or stealing local content, to drive engagement on divisive political topics for profit.
Russell Vought is going to destroy American Science
A proposed OMB rule would grant political appointees the authority to review and potentially veto federal discretionary grants based on ideological criteria and administration priorities. The regulation also seeks to make scientific peer reviews advisory rather than binding and expands agency power to terminate active research awards that conflict with government goals.
- Russell Vought is going to destroy American Science — elizabethginexi.substack.com
Matthew Effect
The Matthew effect, also known as cumulative advantage, describes the tendency for individuals to accumulate social or economic success in proportion to their initial level of wealth, popularity, or status. This principle, coined by sociologists Robert K. Merton and Harriet Zuckerman, explains how existing advantages facilitate further accumulation of resources while making it increasingly difficult for others to compete.
- Matthew Effect — en.wikipedia.org