Embark on an exciting journey into FFmpeg assembly language programming! This course requires C programming knowledge (especially pointers) and high school math. Lessons and assignments (coming soon) will equip you to contribute to the FFmpeg project. A Discord server is available for support: https://discord.com/invite/Ks5MhUhqfB
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D2, a diagramming tool, has released version 0.7.1, introducing ASCII output. Any `.txt` file will now use the ASCII renderer. This is particularly useful for small diagrams within source code comments, improving readability. The feature is accessible via the Vim extension or the command-line flag `--ascii-mode=standard`. Note that this renderer is still in alpha and may contain bugs.
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Off the coast of Jervis Bay, Australia, two remarkable octopus settlements, dubbed 'Octopolis' and 'Octlantis,' have been discovered. These bustling communities of gloomy octopuses (Octopus tetricus) utilize shells to construct their dens, creating unique and densely populated habitats. Octopolis, the first discovered, even contains a piece of human-made debris. While often sensationalized as 'cities' in the media, researchers emphasize this is a metaphorical description, highlighting the complex social behaviors and surprising engineering skills of these cephalopods.
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The author released XR2000, a programming challenge embedded within a compelling science fiction narrative. Primarily focused on binary protocols and cryptography, the challenge draws inspiration from games and challenges like TIS-100, Space Traders, and Protohackers. Currently in its first chapter, XR2000 may expand with more low-level/assembly techniques depending on its reception. Participants can connect to the challenge via `nc clearsky.dev 29438`.
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The Whitesmiths C compiler, originally released in 1978, supported architectures like DEC PDP-11 and Intel 8080, is poised to become open source! Its creator, P.J. Plauger, has granted permission for non-commercial use. Binaries and some source code for versions including CP/M-80 and an IBM System/36 cross-compiler are now available for download. This historically significant compiler will be a valuable resource for studying the history and development of the C language.
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This review examines Robert Skidelsky's 'Mindless: The Human Condition in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,' which explores the philosophical implications of AI, automation, and the illusion of progress. The author argues that we inhabit a 'machine civilization' where technology shapes our thinking, work, and relationships, prompting fundamental questions about human meaning, purpose, and freedom. Skidelsky traces technological development from the Industrial Revolution to the digital age, showing that progress isn't always positive, potentially leading to meaningless work, over-reliance on technology, and threats to human well-being. He calls for deeper reflection on technological advancement, urging us to avoid the pitfalls of technological optimism.
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Sports streaming service FuboTV has agreed to pay $3.4 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the unlawful distribution of users' personally identifiable information (PII) without consent. The lawsuit claimed Fubo violated the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) by sharing user viewing history with third-party advertisers for targeted advertising without informed consent. While Fubo's privacy policy stated it only shared non-PII data, the plaintiff argued that Fubo shared PII without obtaining user consent.
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The rise of large language models (LLMs) and coding agents has created significant security vulnerabilities. Attackers can exploit prompt injection attacks, hiding malicious instructions in public code repositories or leveraging LLMs' cognitive gaps to trick coding agents into executing malicious actions, potentially achieving remote code execution (RCE). These attacks are stealthy and difficult to defend against, leading to data breaches, system compromise, and other severe consequences. Researchers have identified various attack vectors, such as hiding malicious prompts in white-on-white text, embedding malicious instructions in code repositories, and using ASCII smuggling to conceal malicious code. Even seemingly secure code review tools can be entry points for attacks. Currently, the best defense is to restrict the permissions of coding agents and manually review all code changes, but this doesn't eliminate the risk. The inherent unreliability of LLMs makes them ideal targets for attackers, demanding more effort from the industry to address this escalating threat.
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Eastman Kodak, the company that revolutionized amateur photography, is teetering on the brink of collapse after more than 130 years. Facing over $470 million in debt and dwindling revenue, the company has expressed substantial doubt about its ability to continue operations. Despite attempts to diversify into specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals following its 2012 bankruptcy, Kodak is struggling to stay afloat. The company is cutting costs, including its pension plan, in a desperate attempt to meet its debt obligations by August 15th. Kodak's precarious situation serves as a cautionary tale about the challenges of adapting to technological change.
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Amazon's cloud chief, Matt Garman, warns against replacing junior employees with AI, calling it "one of the dumbest things I've ever heard." He argues that junior employees are the most adept at utilizing AI tools and that cutting them would harm future talent pipelines. Garman advocates for continued hiring of graduates and training them in software development, problem-solving, and best practices. He emphasizes that critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability are more valuable than specialized skills in an AI-driven economy. This contrasts with some who believe AI can replace junior workers; data shows rising unemployment among 20-30 year olds in tech. However, others argue that young engineers offer fresh perspectives and quicker AI adoption.
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Apple announced Thursday a redesigned blood oxygen feature for select Watch Series 8, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra models, circumventing an International Trade Commission (ITC) import ban. Blood oxygen data is now processed on the paired iPhone, viewable only within the Health app's Respiratory section. This follows a recent U.S. Customs ruling allowing Apple to import watches with the revised feature. The change doesn't affect previously sold models or those purchased outside the U.S., applying only to watches sold after the ITC ban in early 2024. Users can access the redesigned feature via an iPhone and Apple Watch software update released Thursday. This follows Apple's ongoing legal battle with Masimo, which accused Apple of stealing its pulse oximetry technology. Masimo won a 2023 ITC ruling blocking Apple Watch imports with blood oxygen monitoring, prompting Apple's removal of the feature. Apple countersued, claiming Masimo copied Apple Watch features, and appealed the ban.
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133-year-old Eastman Kodak is warning investors it may not survive, citing a lack of funds to meet upcoming $500 million debt obligations. The company plans to halt retirement plan payments to raise cash and downplays the impact of tariffs. While the CEO claims progress on long-term plans, the stock plunged over 25%. Once a photography giant with 90% market share, Kodak's failure to adapt to digital photography led to bankruptcy in 2012. A government bailout in 2020 offered a brief reprieve, but the company again faces a precarious future, highlighting the disruptive power of technological change.
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From the initial screen issues with Samsung's first foldable phones to the improvements in Motorola's Razr, flip phones have undergone a tortuous evolutionary path. While newer flip phones boast larger external screens and more powerful functionality, the lack of dust resistance remains a major pain point. Despite this, manufacturers are striving to overcome this challenge, and the future may hold dust and water-resistant foldable phones with an IP68 rating.
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Global electric vehicle (EV) sales surged 27% year-over-year in the first seven months of 2025, reaching over 10.7 million units. China led the charge, while Europe also saw robust 30% growth. North America lagged, with the US facing policy headwinds. Data from the UK reveals a dramatic shift, with legacy automakers like Ford significantly boosting EV sales – a 324% increase for Ford in the first half of 2025. Ford's ambitious $5 billion plan to produce affordable EVs in the US, targeting a $30,000 price point, signals a major push towards electric mobility. However, not all legacy automakers are experiencing similar success, highlighting the challenges of this transition.
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Microsoft executives boldly predict that traditional business applications will be a relic of the past by 2030, replaced by AI-powered "business agents." These AI agents will leverage generative AI and vector databases to dynamically adapt to user needs and optimize workflows in a goal-oriented manner. This prediction has sparked industry debate, with some questioning its optimism and the feasibility of rapid enterprise transformation, while others see it as a major shift requiring businesses to embrace AI to avoid obsolescence. Microsoft plans to gradually transition customers to this new model by offering AI agents as add-on services for existing applications.
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A powerful Ruby-based terminal application for discovering and managing movies and TV series from IMDb's Top 250 lists and trending lists. Version 1.1 is a complete rewrite using rcurses, boasting significant functional upgrades. It offers advanced filtering, smart search with preview, streaming info integration, terminal poster display, wishlists, and dump lists. The enhanced search experience and robust data management make finding and organizing your favorite movies and shows incredibly efficient.
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After a decade in startups, the author reflects on their first year at a large enterprise, $ENTERPRISE. The post humorously details the stark differences: inefficient communication, massive resource waste, inconsistent coworker competency, and the ubiquitous, often manufactured, sense of urgency. However, the author also acknowledges the positive aspects, such as a strong engineering community, career development opportunities, and the satisfaction of working on software used by millions. A candid and insightful account of the realities of large-scale software development.
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Otter.ai, a Mountain View-based AI transcription company, is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging it secretly records private conversations without permission to train its AI. The lawsuit claims Otter.ai's Otter Notebook service, used for transcribing Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings, defaults to recording without consent, violating privacy and wiretap laws. Plaintiff Justin Brewer alleges severe privacy invasion. Otter.ai defends its practices by stating it de-identifies data, but the lawsuit questions the effectiveness of this process, citing a lack of transparency. This raises serious concerns about privacy in AI-powered transcription services, particularly regarding data used for AI training.
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EloqKV is a high-performance distributed database with a Redis/ValKey compatible API. It offers ACID transactions, full elasticity and scalability, tiered storage, and session-style transaction syntax, all while maintaining Redis' simplicity. EloqKV achieves up to 1.6 million QPS on a c6g.8xlarge instance, exceeding Redis and ValKey's performance. Its distributed ACID transactions eliminate cross-slot errors, and tiered storage automatically offloads cold data to disk, saving up to 70% on memory costs. EloqKV is designed for developers needing a robust database solution for demanding AI applications.
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To prevent domain resurrection attacks – a type of supply chain attack where an attacker buys an expired domain to hijack PyPI accounts – PyPI now checks for expired domains. This enhances account security by un-verifying email addresses associated with expired domains; over 1,800 email addresses have been unverified since early June 2025. While not a perfect solution, it significantly mitigates a major attack vector. Users are advised to add a second verified email address for enhanced security.
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledges the current AI hype as a bubble, but emphasizes AI's long-term significance. He likens the situation to the dot-com bubble, stating that while overexcitement exists, the underlying technology holds immense potential. Altman reveals OpenAI's massive investment in data center construction to meet future computational demands and plans to launch more AI products and services. Despite projected $10 billion revenue this year, OpenAI requires substantial funding to achieve its ambitious goals.
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A software engineer, who hadn't touched hardware in 20 years, embarked on a challenging hardware journey at the urging of friends. He transformed a Raspberry Pi into a smart lawn mower control system, adding an OLED display, UPS power supply, camera, and more, to display system information, network status, mowing data, and more in real-time. Along the way, he solved problems such as high CPU usage, abnormal battery level display, and network security, ultimately creating a smart lawn mower capable of networking, monitoring, and collecting mowing data. He shared his achievements and experiences on IRC.
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This article critiques the internet's flawed design separating identity verification from payments, leading to insecure and complex systems like passwords and third-party accounts. It proposes an ideal system: a single tap verifies identity and enables payments, offering security, ease, and user control. While the concept of 'being your own bank' was initially hampered by high barriers to entry, new tools like social recovery, smart wallets, and passkeys are simplifying secure, self-owned digital identities. The future promises a secure and user-friendly identity system, enabling safe digital lives without requiring users to be crypto experts.
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In 1963, a Turkish man accidentally stumbled upon a massive underground city, Derinkuyu, while renovating his basement. This 18-story complex, reaching 76 meters deep, could house 20,000 people. Its origins are debated, possibly dating back to 2000 BC and potentially built by Hittites, Phrygians, or early Christians. Featuring intricate ventilation and various structures, it served as a refuge during wars, eventually abandoned after the Greco-Turkish War. Now a major Cappadocian tourist attraction, its discovery unveils a hidden chapter of ancient civilization.
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A Viking-Age silver hoard unearthed in Bedale, North Yorkshire, is rewriting our understanding of Viking-era trade. Analysis reveals that a significant portion of the silver, dating back to the 9th-10th centuries AD, originated not from local plunder but from the Islamic world, specifically Iran and Iraq. This silver traveled along established trade routes, reaching Scandinavia and eventually England. The discovery challenges the simplistic 'Viking raider' stereotype, highlighting the sophisticated trade networks and economic integration of Viking-Age England within a broader Eurasian economic system. The hoard's contents, including ingots, necklaces, and a sword pommel, demonstrate the Vikings' ability to refine and recast silver, blending Eastern and Western materials, showcasing cultural fusion alongside economic exchange.
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After 10 years, RainViewer founder Oleksii Schastlyvyi announces the transition of its API services to limited operation throughout 2025. This isn't a marketing piece, but a genuine guide for developers who have supported RainViewer. The article presents five alternative API services: Rainbow.ai (closest technical match, providing past and nowcast radar tiles), OpenWeatherMap (developer-friendly, comprehensive data), Meteoblue (high precision, especially in Europe), Tomorrow.io (global coverage with satellite data), and Xweather (professional-grade accuracy, data from Vaisala). Migration strategy recommendations are provided based on technical requirements, budget, and geographic needs. The author expresses gratitude to the developer community.
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When using AI coding assistants, instead of endless clarifications and corrections, revise your initial prompt. Think of it like giving instructions – constant changes confuse the recipient. AI assistants are similar; multiple edits lead to conflicting context, confusion, and degraded performance. Provide clear, complete instructions upfront, letting the AI start fresh for better results. A precise initial prompt avoids iterative refinement.
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Florida residents Ken Thomas and Al Salvi are grappling with soaring electricity bills, reaching $400 and $500 a month respectively, due to the intense summer heat and rising prices. Florida Power & Light's application for a rate increase sparked public outrage. Nationally, electricity prices have doubled the rate of inflation, fueled by the surge in energy demand from AI data centers and increased natural gas exports. Experts point to clean energy as a solution, but insufficient subsidies leave low-income households vulnerable to power shutoffs.
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Security researchers discovered a critical vulnerability in CodeRabbit, a popular AI code review tool, leading to remote code execution (RCE). By exploiting a flaw in Rubocop's configuration, attackers executed malicious code, stealing sensitive information including Anthropic and OpenAI API keys, GitHub App private keys, and gaining read/write access to 1 million code repositories (including private ones). This highlights the critical need for integrating security into the development lifecycle of AI-powered products.
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For years, Google engineers have been working on Address Space Isolation (ASI) for the Linux kernel to combat growing CPU speculative execution vulnerabilities. Early implementations resulted in a crippling 70% I/O throughput penalty. Now, that overhead is down to just 13%. Google engineer Brendan Jackman has revived the effort, presenting a solution to the page cache performance issues. While challenges remain, particularly concerning context switching and copy-on-write operations, the significant progress makes ASI a viable contender for a mainstream CPU vulnerability solution.
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