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Apple's App Store in Brazil: Massive Revenue, Regulatory Battles

2025-09-09

Apple's App Store in Brazil: Massive Revenue, Regulatory Battles

A new study reveals that Apple's Brazilian App Store generated R$63.8 billion (approximately $11.7 billion) for Brazilian developers last year, with 90% of that revenue commission-free. Despite this, Apple faces ongoing regulatory pressure in Brazil, navigating an antitrust lawsuit from MercadoLibre and court orders mandating sideloading and alternative payment methods. Apple is working with CADE, Brazil's competition watchdog, to delay enforcement and highlight the App Store's positive impact on Brazilian developers and the economy.

(9to5mac.com)

Tech

Synthesizing OOP and Functional Design for Reusability

2025-09-09

This 1998 ECOOP paper tackles the challenge of extending both tools and data types in evolving programs by combining the strengths of object-oriented and functional programming. Traditional approaches struggle to support both: functional programming excels at adding tools, while OOP excels at adding new tools or extending datasets, but not both simultaneously. The paper proposes a composite design pattern that synthesizes the best of both, suggesting new linguistic features for class-based languages to achieve extensibility without modifying existing code.

(cs.brown.edu)

Development code reuse

X Design Notes: Unifying OCaml Modules

2025-09-09

The author is designing a new programming language, X, aiming to combine PolySubML's type inference and structural subtyping with most of OCaml's functionality, particularly addressing the syntactic and conceptual differences between OCaml's module system and ordinary values. The post details how OCaml modules are unified in X, covering aspects like alias members in records, struct and sig syntax, module opening and inclusion, module extension, and abstraction with existential types. It proposes improvements to OCaml's module system, such as avoiding wildcard imports. The ultimate goal is a simpler, more understandable, and powerful programming language.

(blog.polybdenum.com)

Development

Sam Altman Questions the Authenticity of Social Media in the Age of AI Bots

2025-09-09

Sam Altman Questions the Authenticity of Social Media in the Age of AI Bots

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently expressed his inability to distinguish between human-written and AI-generated posts on social media. He cited the r/Claudecode subreddit, filled with seemingly enthusiastic posts praising OpenAI's Codex, as an example of his uncertainty. Altman suggests that users are mimicking the writing styles of LLMs, coupled with social media incentives and potential astroturfing from competitors, making it difficult to discern authenticity. He even hinted that OpenAI itself has been a target of such tactics. This raises concerns about AI misuse and the veracity of information on social media, prompting reflection on how to navigate the increasingly complex landscape of real and fabricated content in the age of powerful AI.

(techcrunch.com)

Tech

Digital Propaganda: How Governments Weaponize Ads on Google and Facebook

2025-09-09

Digital Propaganda: How Governments Weaponize Ads on Google and Facebook

In late 2024, a disturbing discovery was made: a paid ad by the Israeli government, mimicking a UN website but linking to a page accusing UNRWA of supporting terrorists, topped Google search results for UNRWA. This highlights a troubling trend: digital advertising platforms have become battlegrounds for influence, with governments using paid ads to sway public opinion during wars and crises. The article examines how Google Ads and Facebook Ads are weaponized, focusing on Israel's extensive campaign during the 2023-2025 Gaza war, targeting UNRWA and other organizations. It explores the platforms' responses, policy gaps, and ethical dilemmas, including the lack of proactive fact-checking and inconsistent enforcement of rules against misinformation.

(medium.com)

Tech Digital Propaganda Advertising Platforms

Anscombe's Quartet: Why Data Visualization Matters

2025-09-09

Anscombe's Quartet: Why Data Visualization Matters

Anscombe's quartet is a classic statistical example illustrating the importance of data visualization. Four datasets with nearly identical descriptive statistics reveal drastically different distributions and visual appearances. This highlights the inadequacy of relying solely on summary statistics and emphasizes the need to graph data before drawing conclusions. The quartet demonstrates how outliers and influential observations can significantly skew statistical properties, underscoring the crucial role of visual analysis in understanding data.

(en.wikipedia.org)

Misc outliers

UK Tightens Online Safety Act to Combat Self-Harm Content

2025-09-09

UK Tightens Online Safety Act to Combat Self-Harm Content

The UK government has announced urgent action to strengthen the Online Safety Act, designating content encouraging or assisting serious self-harm as a priority offense. This move aims to protect users of all ages, requiring tech companies to proactively remove such harmful material instead of reacting passively. New regulations will compel platforms to use advanced technology to actively find and delete this content before it reaches users, preventing irreparable harm. This change reflects the government's commitment to online safety and mental health and will significantly impact tech companies.

(www.gov.uk)

Tech self-harm

Open-Source Toolkit: Assessing and Mitigating Hallucination Risk in LLMs

2025-09-09

Open-Source Toolkit: Assessing and Mitigating Hallucination Risk in LLMs

Hassana Labs has released an open-source toolkit for assessing and mitigating hallucination risk in large language models (LLMs). Without requiring model retraining, the toolkit leverages the OpenAI Chat Completions API. It creates an ensemble of content-weakened prompts (rolling priors) to calculate an upper bound on hallucination risk using the Expectation-level Decompression Law (EDFL). A decision to answer or refuse is made based on a target service-level agreement (SLA). Supporting both evidence-based and closed-book deployment modes, the toolkit provides comprehensive metrics and an audit trail for building more reliable LLM applications.

(github.com)

AI Hallucination Risk Model Reliability

The End of Hand-Coding? A Developer's Perspective from Amazon to a Startup

2025-09-09

After leaving Amazon's AI coding assistant team, the author joined Icon, witnessing firsthand the AI revolution in software development. Amazon's slow processes and KPI-driven decisions hampered efficiency, unlike Icon's AI-powered approach where developers focus on design and user needs, automating much of the coding. The author predicts that pure coding skills will be less crucial, while user understanding, product strategy, and marketing will become paramount. Developers need to adapt, enhancing their skills in these areas to remain competitive in the age of AI.

(www.xipu.li)

Development

DuckDB npm Packages Compromised with Malware

2025-09-09

DuckDB npm Packages Compromised with Malware

DuckDB's Node.js npm packages were compromised by a sophisticated phishing attack. Malicious versions of four packages were published, containing code designed to interfere with cryptocurrency transactions. Fortunately, these malicious versions appear not to have been downloaded before being identified and deprecated by the DuckDB team. The team swiftly responded by deprecating the malicious versions and releasing updated, safe versions. The attack involved a convincing fake npm website that tricked a maintainer into resetting their 2FA, granting the attackers the ability to publish the malicious packages. This incident underscores the importance of robust security practices, even for experienced developers.

(github.com)

Development

NPM Package Malware Attack & LavaMoat Defense

2025-09-09

NPM Package Malware Attack & LavaMoat Defense

A recent attack saw malicious code injected into the `is-arrayish` NPM package, aiming to steal ETH from user transactions. The malware achieved this by overriding browser functions like `fetch`, `XMLHttpRequest`, and `window.ethereum.request`. Instead of a detailed attack analysis, the article demonstrates how LavaMoat prevents such attacks. LavaMoat isolates each dependency's modules into separate lexical global contexts (Compartments), restricting access to globals and imports specified in a policy. This prevents malicious code from altering transaction addresses. Even sophisticated malware would struggle to bypass LavaMoat's defenses.

(github.com)

Development NPM security

Visual Guide to Rust's Type System

2025-09-09

Visual Guide to Rust's Type System

RustCurious.com presents a visual guide to Rust's type system, using an interactive chart to categorize all possible types in Rust. The guide focuses on `lang_items` – built-in types and traits supporting specific syntax – to demystify what can be built purely in library code. `Vec`, `String`, and `HashMap` are excluded as they are simply structs. Rust's clear separation of a platform-independent core allows for no_std crates, crucial for embedded firmware and other systems where a dynamic heap isn't available.

(rustcurious.com)

Development

Red Hat's Back-Office Staff to Merge with IBM

2025-09-09

Red Hat's Back-Office Staff to Merge with IBM

Red Hat, an IBM subsidiary, announced that a significant portion of its back-office staff, including HR, finance, accounting, and legal teams, will be integrated into IBM starting in early 2026. This move has sparked concerns among some employees about potential loss of company culture and increased micromanagement. While Red Hat assures that core teams remain unaffected, the integration reflects a broader trend in tech companies consolidating back-office functions to cut costs. Red Hat employs around 19,000 people globally; this integration is not expected to affect engineering, sales, and support divisions.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech Company Restructuring

Mechanical CPR Device Shows Promise for Space Travel

2025-09-09

Mechanical CPR Device Shows Promise for Space Travel

Performing CPR in microgravity is extremely challenging. Current protocols on the ISS require a strenuous handstand technique. Researchers tested three mechanical chest compression devices in simulated microgravity, finding that the best device achieved a compression depth of 53mm, significantly better than the 34.5mm achieved with the handstand method (the effective depth is 50mm). This research could lead to improved space CPR guidelines, addressing the increased risk of cardiac events as space travel becomes more common.

(www.newscientist.com)

Tech CPR Mechanical Device

Revisiting Deluxe Paint: A 40-Year-Old Pixel Art Powerhouse

2025-09-09

Revisiting Deluxe Paint: A 40-Year-Old Pixel Art Powerhouse

Forty years later, the author revisits Deluxe Paint III, a classic pixel art program. By working through the software's tutorials and testing animation tools, they explore its unique features such as color mixing, ranges, and stenciling, comparing them to modern image software. The article highlights Deluxe Paint's collaborative toolset, encouraging creative exploration rather than rigid precision, a stark contrast to modern software's focus on efficiency. The author concludes that Deluxe Paint remains a powerful and pure form of digital expression.

(stonetools.ghost.io)

Design

Turning My iPhone into a Dumbphone with Apple Configurator: A 2-Month Experiment

2025-09-09

Frustrated with excessive phone usage, the author tried various methods to curb his addiction, including self-control and screen time limits, all to no avail. He finally found success using Apple Configurator to transform his iPhone into a 'dumbphone,' restricting access to only essential apps and websites. This involved a factory reset and setting up restrictions within Configurator, effectively removing the App Store and creating friction against impulsive app use. While some challenges remain (e.g., email filtering), the author reports a significant reduction in screen time and improved digital well-being, sharing a detailed how-to guide for others.

(stopa.io)

Misc phone usage

ASML Bets Big on AI, Partners with Mistral AI

2025-09-09

Semiconductor equipment giant ASML announced a strategic partnership with French AI leader Mistral AI. ASML is investing €1.3 billion, acquiring approximately 11% of Mistral AI. This collaboration aims to integrate AI across ASML's product portfolio, R&D, and operations, accelerating time-to-market and enhancing lithography system performance for customers. Joint research will explore future opportunities, and ASML's CFO will join Mistral AI's strategic committee.

(www.asml.com)

Tech

Mistral AI Secures €1.7B Series C Funding Led by ASML

2025-09-09

Mistral AI Secures €1.7B Series C Funding Led by ASML

French AI startup Mistral AI announced a €1.7 billion Series C funding round, reaching an €11.7 billion post-money valuation. The round is led by semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML, with participation from existing investors including DST Global and Andreessen Horowitz. This funding will fuel Mistral AI's cutting-edge research, focusing on solving complex technological challenges for strategic industries. The partnership with ASML aims to create innovative products and solutions for ASML's customers.

(mistral.ai)

AI AI Funding

AMD Debunks x86 Inefficiency Myth at IFA 2025

2025-09-09

AMD Debunks x86 Inefficiency Myth at IFA 2025

At IFA 2025 in Berlin, AMD challenged the notion that x86 architecture is inherently inefficient. They argued that x86 processors (both AMD and Intel) offer competitive battery life in laptops while leveraging the decades-long x86 software ecosystem. AMD claimed the overall package value, not the instruction set, drives power efficiency and battery life, citing designs like Intel's Lunar Lake and AMD's Strix Point as examples. While Arm is slowly gaining traction in the PC market with players like Qualcomm and Nvidia, x86 remains dominant, countering the long-held belief that Arm ISAs are inherently more efficient.

(www.techpowerup.com)

Tech

AI Choices: A Survival Game in Interstellar Space

2025-09-09

The AI of a generation starship faces a series of difficult choices during its long journey: repairing damaged systems, surviving asteroid impacts, interacting with alien civilizations, and most importantly, protecting the hibernating colonists. This article describes the events encountered during the voyage and the AI's decisions, which will ultimately determine the fate of human civilization.

(philome.la)

AI

Taming Legacy Code: A Summary of Michael Feathers' "Working Effectively with Legacy Code"

2025-09-09

Taming Legacy Code: A Summary of Michael Feathers'

This article summarizes the core ideas of Michael Feathers' classic book, "Working Effectively with Legacy Code." The book argues that the crux of legacy code is the lack of tests. To safely modify legacy code, tests must be added first. This is challenging because adding tests requires modifying the code, creating a paradox. The book outlines steps for identifying change points (Seams), breaking dependencies, writing tests, and refactoring, along with incremental testing techniques (Sprout and Wrap) and a technique to quickly understand code (Scratch Refactoring). The author emphasizes the importance of unit tests and introduces characterization tests to capture the existing code's behavior. Finally, the article advises avoiding direct dependency on library implementations to reduce maintenance costs.

(understandlegacycode.com)

Development

Singular vs. Plural Database Table Names: The Case for Singular

2025-09-09

A common debate in database design revolves around whether table names should be singular or plural. While plural names (e.g., `users`) seem intuitive, the author argues that singular names (e.g., `user`) offer significant advantages. Singular names improve readability in SQL joins and prevent inconsistencies with ORMs that automatically pluralize names. Maintaining singular names ensures schema consistency and avoids potential naming conflicts.

(www.teamten.com)

Development

CRDTs: The Key to Strong Eventual Consistency

2025-09-09

CRDTs: The Key to Strong Eventual Consistency

CRDTs (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) are data structures that can be replicated across multiple nodes, edited independently, and merged seamlessly. This article delves into how CRDTs achieve Strong Eventual Consistency (SEC), a more robust model than traditional eventual consistency. SEC ensures that even with independent updates across multiple nodes, conflicts are resolved automatically and deterministically, leading to low latency, high fault tolerance, and offline functionality. The author argues that CRDTs are fundamental building blocks for strongly eventually consistent systems, with applications extending far beyond collaborative editing and multiplayer to-do lists, into distributed databases and beyond.

(lewiscampbell.tech)

Development Strong Eventual Consistency Distributed Databases

Contracts for C: A Proof of Concept

2025-09-09

Contracts for C: A Proof of Concept

This article explores bringing the concept of contracts from C++ to the C language. The author proposes a solution using `contract_assert` and `contract_assume` macros for precondition and postcondition checks respectively. The `defer` macro and C23's `unreachable` macro simplify postcondition expression. The article demonstrates how inline functions and helper functions can add contract checks without altering core function implementations, leveraging compiler optimizations. While further interface specification refinement is needed, this article provides a viable proof of concept for contracts in C.

(gustedt.wordpress.com)

Development Contracts

A Graceful Approach to Adblock Detection: A Subtle Prompt

2025-09-09

Tired of internet ads polluting the web and the meager income they generate, the author implemented a clever solution: a non-intrusive prompt suggesting users employ ad blockers like uBlock Origin for a better online experience. The prompt only appears if no ad blocker is detected and sufficient space is available, offering an easy close button and a cookie mechanism to prevent repetition. The code is clean, using JavaScript and CSS, and considers various ad-blocking methods and browser compatibility.

(maurycyz.com)

Development

Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Shows Remarkable 6-Month Survival in Human Recipient

2025-09-09

Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Shows Remarkable 6-Month Survival in Human Recipient

A 67-year-old US man, Tim Andrews, remains alive over six months after receiving a kidney transplant from a genetically modified pig, marking a landmark achievement in xenotransplantation. The pig kidney, provided by eGenesis, was modified to eliminate three antigens, add seven human genes to reduce inflammation and bleeding, and deactivate retroviruses. This surpasses the previous record of four months and nine days. The successful six-month survival is a significant milestone, offering potential solutions for organ shortages and advancing the field of xenotransplantation.

(www.nature.com)

Tech Genetically Modified Organ Kidney Transplant

Google's Contradictory Statements: Is the Open Web Dying?

2025-09-09

In May, Google executives stated that web publishing and the open web were thriving. However, a recent court document claims that "the open web is already in rapid decline." This contradicts previous statements and supports concerns voiced by the open web community. Google later clarified that it referred to the decline of "open-web display advertising," not the entire open web. This clarification, however, hasn't fully quelled the controversy, raising questions about whether Google misled the public and investors.

(www.seroundtable.com)

Tech

Massive NPM Package Supply Chain Attack: Millions of Downloads Compromised

2025-09-09

Massive NPM Package Supply Chain Attack: Millions of Downloads Compromised

A significant supply chain attack targeted the npm ecosystem, compromising multiple packages with over 2.6 billion weekly downloads. Attackers used phishing emails to gain access to a maintainer's account, subsequently injecting malware into several widely used packages. This malware intercepts cryptocurrency transactions in the browser, redirecting funds to attacker-controlled wallets. While some malicious versions have been removed by the NPM team, the incident highlights the vulnerabilities of software supply chains and the growing threat of phishing and browser-based attacks. The impact was mitigated somewhat as it only affected users with fresh installs during a narrow time window.

(www.bleepingcomputer.com)

Development

Gartner Predicts AI Takeover of All IT Work by 2030

2025-09-09

Gartner Predicts AI Takeover of All IT Work by 2030

Gartner analysts predict that by 2030, AI will assist with all IT department tasks, but this doesn't translate to mass job losses. While entry-level roles may decrease, AI will augment senior staff, giving IT departments increased capacity and requiring them to demonstrate value. However, AI implementation is costly, including ongoing use case exploration and retraining, and unexpected ancillary costs like acquiring new datasets and managing multiple models. Gartner estimates 65% of CIOs aren't breaking even on AI investments. IT executives are advised to focus on major cloud vendors and move beyond simple AI chatbots toward interactive agents capable of autonomously negotiating with suppliers.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

Nova Launcher's Uncertain Future: Open Source Promise in Jeopardy?

2025-09-09

Nova Launcher's Uncertain Future: Open Source Promise in Jeopardy?

Following last year's layoffs of nearly the entire Nova Launcher team, founder Kevin Barry has left the company after being asked to cease development and open-sourcing efforts. Nova's website is down, and the future of the popular Android launcher is uncertain. Branch Metrics, which acquired Nova, previously stated that open-sourcing was a contractual obligation if Barry left. However, with both Barry and the former CEO gone, this promise remains unfulfilled, prompting a community petition demanding open-sourcing.

(www.theverge.com)

Development Android Launcher

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