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Google's 10-Year Chromebook Update Promise: Older Devices Still Facing the Scrap Heap

2025-01-06

Google's 10-Year Chromebook Update Promise: Older Devices Still Facing the Scrap Heap

Despite Google's 2023 promise of a decade of updates for Chromebooks to prevent premature obsolescence, many older models are still set to reach their end-of-life in 2025 and beyond. This promise only applies to Chromebooks released from 2021 onwards. While administrators can opt-in to extended updates for some older devices, this doesn't solve the problem entirely. The Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) points out that many Chromebook models are still reaching their end-of-life this year and in the coming years, raising concerns about e-waste and consumer rights.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech software updates

Building a Game Boy Cartridge from Scratch: A Deep Dive into Hardware and Software

2025-07-23

Allison Parrish's multi-year journey to build a Game Boy cartridge from scratch is documented in this comprehensive article. It details the inner workings of Game Boy cartridges, explaining concepts like memory mapping, Memory Bank Controllers (MBCs), chip select, and buses. The article dives deep into the specifics of various MBCs, particularly the MBC5, and addresses challenges like using flash memory instead of ROM and resolving conflicts between flash and MBC protocols. Hardware aspects such as battery-backed SRAM persistence and voltage conversion are also explored. This in-depth technical guide is perfect for anyone interested in Game Boy hardware and software development.

(abc.decontextualize.com)

Development

WireGuard Vanity Key Generator: Streamlined Key Generation

2025-05-19

WireGuard Vanity Key Generator: Streamlined Key Generation

This command-line tool, `wireguard-vanity-keygen`, generates WireGuard public keys matching a specified prefix. It offers multi-core processing, case-sensitive/insensitive search, regex support, and the ability to search multiple prefixes concurrently. The tool displays estimated generation time and probabilities, making it easier to generate memorable and manageable WireGuard keys. A significant improvement over existing solutions, offering a more streamlined and efficient key generation experience.

(github.com)

Development Key Generation Command-line Tool

AI Cheating: How Tech Made School Easier, But Harder to Grow Out Of

2025-09-05

AI Cheating: How Tech Made School Easier, But Harder to Grow Out Of

A New York City high school senior describes how AI tools have transformed education, detailing how students use ChatGPT and similar AI to cheat on assignments, class discussions, and even debate competitions. While schools employ anti-cheating measures, students constantly find ways around them. The article argues that AI not only enables cheating but also undermines the urgency of learning and student initiative, fostering reliance on external validation rather than internal growth, ultimately producing a generation lacking independent thought and problem-solving skills. The author suggests reforming assessment methods—oral exams, personalized writing assignments, and project-based grading—to cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

(www.theatlantic.com)

Misc Student Learning

ICANN Challenges AFRINIC Election Amidst Governance Crisis

2025-06-10

ICANN Challenges AFRINIC Election Amidst Governance Crisis

AFRINIC, the African regional internet registry, is embroiled in a governance crisis, leaving it without a board or CEO since 2022. A long-running legal dispute with Cloud Innovation led to a court-appointed receiver and Cloud Innovation's unexpected addition as a shareholder. ICANN, concerned about transparency and fairness, has questioned the election process, particularly the composition of the Nomination Committee and the unusual circumstances surrounding Cloud Innovation's membership. Despite ICANN's concerns, the election is proceeding, highlighting the complexities and challenges in regional internet registry governance.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

AT&T Launches Account Lock to Combat SIM Swapping

2025-07-02

AT&T Launches Account Lock to Combat SIM Swapping

AT&T has introduced a new Account Lock feature to protect wireless users from SIM swapping attacks. Enabled through the myAT&T app, it prevents unauthorized changes like phone number transfers, SIM card replacements, and billing updates. SIM swapping, a growing threat, involves attackers obtaining a victim's phone number (often via social engineering) to intercept messages and calls, including two-factor authentication codes. This follows similar features already offered by T-Mobile, Verizon, and Google Fi. AT&T's Account Lock also blocks device upgrades and changes to authorized users and phone numbers.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

AMD Q4 2024 Earnings: Datacenter Dominance, but Gaming Slumps

2025-02-06

AMD Q4 2024 Earnings: Datacenter Dominance, but Gaming Slumps

AMD reported impressive Q4 2024 and full-year results, with total revenue reaching $7.658 billion, a 24% year-over-year increase. The datacenter business was a standout performer, achieving record revenue of $3.86 billion, surpassing Intel for the first time and establishing AMD as the leading datacenter CPU vendor. However, sales of Instinct MI300-series GPUs fell slightly short of expectations. The client business saw strong growth, with revenue up 58% year-over-year. Conversely, the gaming segment experienced a significant downturn, with revenue plummeting 59% year-over-year. The embedded segment also saw a moderate decline. Overall, 2024 was a record year for AMD, but the weakness in the gaming sector is a concern.

(www.tomshardware.com)

Tech earnings report

Microsoft's AI Copilot Uncovers 20 Zero-Day Vulnerabilities in Bootloaders

2025-04-05

Microsoft's AI Copilot Uncovers 20 Zero-Day Vulnerabilities in Bootloaders

Microsoft's AI-powered Security Copilot unearthed 20 previously unknown vulnerabilities in the GRUB2, U-Boot, and Barebox open-source bootloaders. These flaws, ranging from buffer overflows and integer overflows to side-channel attacks, could allow attackers to bypass security protections and execute arbitrary code, potentially installing stealthy bootkits. While exploitation may require physical access, the possibility remains a concern. Patches have been released; users are urged to update immediately.

(www.bleepingcomputer.com)

Tech

NZ Sheep Farmer Predicted AI Doom 161 Years Ago

2025-01-14

NZ Sheep Farmer Predicted AI Doom 161 Years Ago

In 1863, New Zealand sheep farmer Samuel Butler penned a letter predicting a future where AI could dominate humanity. Drawing parallels between the rapid advancement of machinery and Darwinian evolution, he envisioned machines evolving consciousness and supplanting humans as Earth's dominant species. His concerns, including machine consciousness, self-replication, and humanity losing control of its creations, resonate in later works like Asimov's *The Evitable Conflict* and *The Matrix*. Butler's prescient warnings, made in a time with almost no computing technology, highlight enduring anxieties about AI safety and strikingly mirror current concerns about advanced AI's potential risks.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Krep: Blazing Fast String Search Utility

2025-04-16

Krep: Blazing Fast String Search Utility

Krep is a performance-optimized string search utility designed for maximum throughput and efficiency when processing large files and directories. It utilizes multiple search algorithms and SIMD acceleration (when available), prioritizing speed and simplicity. Krep automatically selects the optimal algorithm, supports multi-threaded searching, memory-mapped I/O, regular expressions, and recursive directory searches, while skipping binary files and common non-code directories. Benchmarks show Krep is approximately 41.5x faster than grep and slightly faster than ripgrep.

(github.com)

Development string search

Super Cars II: The Story Behind the Amiga Classic

2025-08-07

Super Cars II: The Story Behind the Amiga Classic

Spillhistorie.no interviewed Andrew Morris and Shaun Southern, the creators of Super Cars, a 1991 Amiga top-down racing game. Inspired by Super Sprint, Super Cars II added weapons and strategic elements, along with a unique humorous question-and-answer mechanic. Development faced tight deadlines and technical challenges, such as handling graphics and AI on the Atari ST version. Despite rampant piracy, the Super Cars series enjoyed good sales and positive reception. The developers still express interest in creating a sequel.

(spillhistorie.no)

Game

The Altair 8800: The Unsung Hero of the PC Revolution

2025-05-02

The Altair 8800: The Unsung Hero of the PC Revolution

Before Apple, before Commodore, there was the MITS Altair 8800. Released in 1975, this kit-based computer, featured on the cover of Popular Electronics, is considered the first commercially successful personal computer. Priced at $397, it lacked a keyboard and display, relying on switches and lights. Its popularity, exceeding 25,000 units sold, spurred the creation of Microsoft (Bill Gates and Paul Allen developed BASIC for it) and inspired Steve Wozniak's Apple I. The Altair's legacy extends to the S-100 bus standard, solidifying its place as a pivotal moment in computing history.

(www.goto10retro.com)

Tech personal computer

Voyager 1's Backup Thrusters Miraculously Revived

2025-05-17

Voyager 1's Backup Thrusters Miraculously Revived

NASA engineers have achieved the seemingly impossible: reviving Voyager 1's backup thrusters, dormant since 2004. The primary thrusters are degrading, threatening communication with Earth. A looming deadline—the Earth-based antenna's scheduled upgrade—added urgency. A precise realignment of the star tracker and a nail-biting 23-hour wait for confirmation were necessary before the backup thrusters fired successfully. This remarkable feat extends the life of this pioneering interstellar probe, a testament to human ingenuity and the enduring legacy of space exploration.

(www.space.com)

Tech

Automating Bug Bounty Enumeration with n8n and a Discord Bot

2025-08-30

Automating Bug Bounty Enumeration with n8n and a Discord Bot

This article details automating three bug bounty enumeration steps—subdomain enumeration, directory enumeration, and screenshot capture—using the open-source automation platform n8n and a Discord bot. The author sets up an n8n server and a working server, creates an n8n workflow, writes bash scripts, and configures a Discord bot. The entire process is triggered via the Discord bot, with results output to a designated Discord channel, enabling automation and collaboration.

(www.lampysecurity.com)

Development

Jimmy Carter: America's Greatest Environmental President

2024-12-30

Jimmy Carter: America's Greatest Environmental President

This article examines the significant environmental achievements of former US President Jimmy Carter. Despite low approval ratings, Carter, as early as 1979, foresaw the severity of the climate crisis and aggressively promoted renewable energy. The article highlights numerous environmental legislations signed during his presidency and his efforts to protect American wilderness areas. While some of Carter's energy policies remain controversial, his understanding and response to climate change solidify his place as one of America's greatest environmental presidents.

(www.rollingstone.com)

Misc Jimmy Carter environmental protection

Novels: Simulators for Deeper Self-Understanding

2025-06-04

Novels: Simulators for Deeper Self-Understanding

This article explores the benefits of reading novels, especially when facing complex life decisions. The author cites Robert Johnson's "Farsighted," arguing that novels act as simulators, helping us practice handling life's multifaceted problems, similar to the dilemmas faced by characters in George Eliot's "Middlemarch." Silicon Valley executive Patrick Collison's attempt to improve his understanding of human nature by reading classic novels supports this. The article further explores novels' roles in moral improvement and psychological healing, as well as their potential negative impacts. Ultimately, it concludes that novels are indispensable tools for understanding life's complexities, valuable for handling those life problems that can't be solved with simple equations.

(www.millersbookreview.com)

Misc novels

Indoor Surfaces Act as Massive Chemical Sponges, Retaining Harmful VOCs for a Year

2025-09-23

Indoor Surfaces Act as Massive Chemical Sponges, Retaining Harmful VOCs for a Year

Researchers at UC Irvine have discovered that indoor surfaces, such as wood, cement, and paint, act as surprisingly effective reservoirs for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), retaining them for up to a year. These VOCs, originating from sources like insecticides, cigarette smoke, and wildfire smoke, pose significant health risks. The study reveals these surfaces absorb far greater amounts of VOCs than previously thought, acting like massive sponges. Even after the source is removed, VOCs slowly off-gas back into the air or transfer to humans through contact. Simple ventilation is insufficient; regular cleaning is crucial to remove these persistent contaminants.

(news.uci.edu)

Tech volatile organic compounds

University of Toronto Hackathon: Accidental Vulnerability Discovery

2025-03-20

University of Toronto Hackathon: Accidental Vulnerability Discovery

A University of Toronto student, while registering for the GenAI Genesis 2025 hackathon, stumbled upon a vulnerability. After resetting his password (his password manager failed to save it), he noticed the reset link pointed to a Firebase app. Curiosity piqued, he tried some common Firebase exploitation techniques. He discovered the website updated application status by writing the entire application object, not just the necessary fields. Exploiting this, he successfully changed his application status to 'accepted'. He further found an information leakage vulnerability, allowing early access to review results, reviewer information, and comments. The vulnerability has since been patched.

(fastcall.dev)

Development hackathon

Leaked: Microsoft's Scrapped Dynamic Wallpapers for Windows 11

2025-01-03

Leaked: Microsoft's Scrapped Dynamic Wallpapers for Windows 11

Former Microsoft designer Sergey Kisselev revealed designs for dynamic wallpapers intended for Windows 11. These wallpapers, featuring various animations and still images, were designed to complement the centered Start Menu and Taskbar, primarily targeting educational users. However, the feature never shipped, suggesting cancellation or postponement. While early hints appeared in Insider builds, it didn't make it into the 23H2 release, and its future remains uncertain.

(www.windowscentral.com)

Tech dynamic wallpapers

Is DJI Circumventing US Bans with the SkyRover X1 Clone?

2025-07-28

Is DJI Circumventing US Bans with the SkyRover X1 Clone?

With an unofficial US customs ban in place, DJI drones are practically unavailable in the US. Yet, a near-identical clone, the SkyRover X1, is readily available on Amazon. Investigations reveal striking similarities: identical specs, features, app, and even use of DJI's online infrastructure. Security researchers have even logged in using their DJI credentials. While the manufacturer denies a DJI connection, evidence suggests DJI's involvement, possibly through licensing or other means, mirroring past strategies using third-party manufacturers. Although not officially banned, a de facto ban looms, forcing DJI to employ creative methods to maintain market presence.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Capcom vs. Data East: The Street Fighter II Copyright Battle

2025-05-22

Capcom vs. Data East: The Street Fighter II Copyright Battle

In 1993, Capcom sued Data East for copyright infringement over their game, Fighter's History, which allegedly copied characters and moves from Street Fighter II. Capcom argued that Street Fighter II was original, but evidence suggests it borrowed from other sources. The court ruled partially in Capcom's favor, finding some similarities, but not a complete victory for Capcom. This case highlights the ambiguities of copyright in the gaming world and the common practice of borrowing and inspiration in early fighting game design.

(www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com)

Game Street Fighter Fighting Games

Qantas Data Breach Impacts 5.7 Million Customers

2025-07-11

Qantas Data Breach Impacts 5.7 Million Customers

Australian airline Qantas confirmed a data breach affecting approximately 5.7 million customers. The breach, stemming from a cyberattack on a third-party platform, exposed varying levels of personal information, including names, email addresses, and Qantas Frequent Flyer details. For some, address, date of birth, and phone numbers were also compromised. Qantas is contacting affected customers and implementing enhanced security measures. The attack bears similarities to recent attacks on other airlines, linked to the 'Scattered Spider' threat actors known for social engineering and extortion.

(www.bleepingcomputer.com)

Tech Qantas

Google Cloud Unveils Major AI Hypercomputer Software Upgrades

2025-04-10

Google Cloud Unveils Major AI Hypercomputer Software Upgrades

Google Cloud announced significant software upgrades to its AI Hypercomputer, dramatically improving AI model training and inference efficiency. Pathways on Cloud, a distributed runtime, is now available on Google Cloud, enabling elastic training and high-throughput inference. Cluster Director adds Slurm support and 360° observability features for high performance and reliability. GKE integrates Inference Gateway and Inference Quickstart, slashing inference costs and boosting throughput. vLLM now supports TPUs, further accelerating inference. Dynamic Workload Scheduler expands accelerator support, optimizing resource utilization. These upgrades empower developers to build and deploy AI applications faster and more cost-effectively.

(cloud.google.com)

Tech inference efficiency

Lightweight Wearable Chip for Real-Time Heart Attack Detection

2025-05-11

Lightweight Wearable Chip for Real-Time Heart Attack Detection

Researchers at the University of Mississippi have developed a lightweight, energy-efficient chip implantable in wearables for real-time heart attack detection. Using AI and advanced mathematics, the chip analyzes ECGs to identify heart attacks with 92.4% accuracy, twice as fast as traditional methods. Its design allows integration into devices like smartwatches, potentially saving crucial time in diagnosis and treatment, reducing the risk of permanent damage. Future applications could extend to detecting other conditions like seizures and dementia.

(medicalxpress.com)

Tech Heart Attack Detection

Echelon Cuts Off Third-Party App Access, Angering Users

2025-07-26

Echelon Cuts Off Third-Party App Access, Angering Users

Echelon's recent firmware update has severed connections between its fitness equipment and the popular third-party app QZ, sparking outrage among users. QZ allows users to connect to platforms like Zwift, offering virtual rides and extra features, a key reason many purchased Echelon equipment. Echelon's move is seen as an attempt to push its own paid subscription service and boost revenue. While the QZ developer claims no intention to harm Echelon's business, the incident raises questions about manufacturer control and user choice. The user community is now working on an open-source controller to circumvent the update.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech fitness equipment third-party app firmware update

XenevaOS: A Ground-Up Open-Source Operating System

2025-06-10

XenevaOS: A Ground-Up Open-Source Operating System

XenevaOS is a brand new operating system built from scratch, supporting both x86_64 and ARM64 architectures. Its kernel, 'Aurora', features a hybrid design. This open-source project welcomes contributions from developers. Current features include: ACPI support, x64 and arm64 kernels, full higher-half memory, DLL driver loading, USB3, high-definition audio, multiprocessor support (multiprocessor scheduler not yet ready), Chitralekha graphics library, Deodhai window manager, Namdapha desktop environment, various storage support, networking (IPv4, UDP/IP, TCP/IP, ICMP), and basic applications (music player, file browser, etc.). The project is currently built on a Windows environment.

(github.com)

Development

Startup Equity 101: Demystifying Stock Options and More

2025-06-08

Startup Equity 101: Demystifying Stock Options and More

This comprehensive guide unravels the complexities of startup equity, covering key concepts like stock options, restricted stock units, 409A valuations, dilution, and liquidation preferences. The author stresses that equity is not just about numbers; it's deeply intertwined with your long-term financial well-being. The guide meticulously explains the tax implications of Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) and Non-Qualified Stock Options (NSOs), including strategies like 83(b) elections and the Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) exemption. Ultimately, the author advises readers to make informed decisions about exercising options based on their financial situation and risk tolerance, and to seek professional advice when needed.

(quarter--mile.com)

Startup

How Many Dimensions Does a Line Have?

2025-09-08

How Many Dimensions Does a Line Have?

This article explores the definition of dimensionality in geometric shapes. The author starts with an intuitive approach based on spatial containment, but this method falls short when dealing with curved line segments. A 'degrees of freedom' approach is then proposed, but this also proves ambiguous. Finally, the author introduces the Minkowski dimension, a more precise method using box counting that can even handle fractal shapes, resulting in non-integer dimensions—for example, the Sierpinski triangle has a dimension of approximately 1.6.

(lcamtuf.substack.com)

Math

Google Assistant Gets a Gemini Makeover for the Smart Home

2025-08-21

Google Assistant Gets a Gemini Makeover for the Smart Home

Google announced a major upgrade to its Google Home smart home ecosystem: 'Gemini for Home,' a new voice assistant powered by Google's Gemini AI, is launching later this year. Replacing the current Google Assistant, Gemini for Home will offer significantly improved natural language understanding and more intuitive interactions. It can handle complex requests like "turn off all the lights except in my bedroom," and seamlessly create lists, calendar entries, and reminders. The addition of Gemini Live enables more conversational, back-and-forth interactions. While pricing details for a potential premium tier haven't been released, this is arguably the most significant update to Google Home since its inception and likely foreshadows new hardware releases.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Long-Term Review: Samsung 870 QVO 4TB SATA SSDs

2025-09-17

Long-Term Review: Samsung 870 QVO 4TB SATA SSDs

This review shares the long-term experience of using four Samsung 870 QVO 4TB SATA SSDs in a home server and backup setup. Manufactured in 2021, these drives have shown excellent performance, maintaining write speeds of 140-170 MB/s even under heavy load. One drive reported 4 bad blocks, but overall, they've written over 170TB of data, far from their 1440TBW endurance limit. While prices have dropped, they remain slightly more expensive than competing drives, but offer consistently reliable performance.

(ounapuu.ee)

Hardware Samsung 870 QVO SSD Review

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