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Google Cloud IAM Glitch Triggers Domino Effect, Disrupting Cloudflare and Anthropic

2025-06-13

Google Cloud IAM Glitch Triggers Domino Effect, Disrupting Cloudflare and Anthropic

A global Google Cloud IAM service outage at 10:50 AM PT on October 24th caused authentication failures across numerous GCP products. This impacted Cloudflare's Workers KV, leading to Access, WARP, and other Zero Trust service disruptions. Anthropic, a GCP customer, experienced file upload failures and increased error rates. The incident highlighted the interconnectedness of cloud services and the potential for cascading failures. Full service recovery took 7.5 hours.

(forgecode.dev)

Tech IAM outage cascading failure

Google Kills Off Android Instant Apps

2025-06-13

Google Kills Off Android Instant Apps

Google is sunsetting its Android Instant Apps feature in December 2025. This feature allowed users to try parts of an app without a full installation from the Play Store. Low developer adoption is the likely culprit, as creating the smaller, instant-enabled app versions required significant effort. While designed to improve user experience by offering faster app access and reduced storage needs, the high development overhead proved unsustainable.

(www.androidauthority.com)

Development Instant Apps

Antarctic Detector Picks Up Anomalous Signal: Unknown Particles from Deep Space?

2025-06-13

Antarctic Detector Picks Up Anomalous Signal: Unknown Particles from Deep Space?

The ANITA detector in Antarctica has detected anomalous cosmic ray signals that defy explanation by current particle physics models. These signals appear to originate from below, traveling upward in a direction opposite to what's expected, sparking intense scientific interest. Researchers have ruled out other known particles, suggesting the possibility of dark matter or a gap in our understanding of radio wave propagation in ice. A Penn State team is building a more powerful detector, PUEO, hoping to solve this cosmic mystery and further explore the enigma of cosmic rays.

(www.psu.edu)

Tech ANITA detector

Escaping the Software Goliaths: Towards Freer and Safer Computing

2025-06-13

Frustrated with the expense, unreliability, and slowness of modern software, the author proposes an alternative: favor software with fewer users, infrequent updates, easy modification, and a thriving fork culture. Using his own journey with Lua and the LÖVE game engine as a case study, he details how to build a small, self-sufficient software ecosystem. He encourages readers to fork and modify existing software to meet their needs, ultimately achieving a more free and secure computing experience. This approach champions simplicity and practicality, challenging the drawbacks of traditional software development.

(akkartik.name)

Development

Google Search Integrates AI-Powered Audio Overviews

2025-06-13

Google Search Integrates AI-Powered Audio Overviews

Google is testing a new feature that integrates AI-powered Audio Overviews directly into mobile search results. Enabled via Labs, this feature generates podcast-style AI discussions for specific queries. For example, searching “How do noise cancellation headphones work?” reveals a ‘Generate Audio Overview’ button. Clicking this generates a ~40-second overview featuring two AI ‘hosts’ discussing the topic and linking to source materials. Currently, this is US-English only.

(www.theverge.com)

AI

Barbie Gets an AI Brain: Mattel Partners with OpenAI

2025-06-12

Barbie Gets an AI Brain: Mattel Partners with OpenAI

Mattel and OpenAI are teaming up to bring AI to toys, potentially giving Barbie (and other toys) the power of conversation via ChatGPT. This ambitious collaboration aims to create fun, safe, and age-appropriate AI-powered experiences, blurring the lines between physical and digital play. While details are scarce, the first product is expected later this year, promising a new era of interactive toys that adapt and react in real-time, rather than relying on pre-recorded lines. This move represents a significant evolution for Mattel and a potential game-changer for the toy industry.

(nerds.xyz)

Game Toys Mattel

Hacker News: GameCube Keyboard Controller Powers Up Animal Crossing

2025-06-12

Hacker News: GameCube Keyboard Controller Powers Up Animal Crossing

A developer has created an amazing project combining a GameCube keyboard controller with Nintendo's Animal Crossing. The project includes tools allowing for incredibly fast in-game typing, importing custom images and videos, and even playing Snake! It involves 3D-printed custom keycaps, a Raspberry Pi Pico, and some electronics. The project is open-source and the code is available on GitHub.

(github.com)

Game

The Cost-Benefit Reality of Formal Methods Projects

2025-06-02

This article, based on the author's experience, explores the challenges of applying formal methods (FM) in real-world projects. The author argues that the success of FM projects hinges on a cost-benefit balance. Many potential FM projects fail to materialize due to high costs, difficulties in quantifying benefits, or the inability to demonstrate short-term value. The article highlights that successful FM projects require early value delivery, translating complex technical results into client-understandable language, and prioritizing low-cost reliability assurance measures, such as testing and code reviews. The author emphasizes that FM is not a silver bullet and should be combined with other methods to improve software reliability and security.

(www.galois.com)

Development cost-benefit analysis

Vera Rubin Observatory: Unveiling an Unprecedented Cosmic Panorama

2025-06-11

Vera Rubin Observatory: Unveiling an Unprecedented Cosmic Panorama

The US$810 million Vera C. Rubin Observatory, set to begin full operations in the coming months, boasts the world's largest digital camera, capturing 3200-megapixel images revealing unprecedented cosmic detail. It will map the entire southern sky every three to four nights, observing each spot around 800 times over its ten-year lifespan, capturing millions of transient and variable astronomical events. Data will be used to study the history of the universe, dark matter, and potentially hazardous solar system objects. While not the largest telescope in terms of aperture, its unparalleled speed and wide field of view promise a revolutionary leap in astronomical discovery.

(www.nature.com)

Tech cosmic map

Harvard Economist Rogoff: The Decline of Dollar Hegemony and China's Economic Predicament

2025-06-12

Harvard Economist Rogoff: The Decline of Dollar Hegemony and China's Economic Predicament

Harvard economics professor Ken Rogoff, former chief economist of the IMF, predicts in his new book, "Our Dollar, Your Problem," that the US will face a debt-fueled inflation crisis within the next decade, but not a Japan-style financial crisis. He argues that China's current economic predicament stems from its long-term reliance on financial repression and state-directed investment, a model that only exacerbates problems. The interview also explores the erosion of dollar hegemony, global market rebalancing, and the impact of AI on deficits and interest rates. Rogoff notes that while China has achieved remarkable feats in infrastructure development, its economic growth has slowed significantly, with over-reliance on real estate and infrastructure investment leading to difficulties in many smaller cities. He believes that the US, with its economic dynamism and innovative capacity, will maintain its leading position but faces the risks of a debt crisis and inflation.

(www.dwarkesh.com)

Tech Chinese economy

Web-Based Macintosh 1-bit Filter: Pixel-Level Black and White Magic

2025-06-07

This web application recreates the classic Macintosh 1-bit filter, similar to that originally used by Hyperdither and HyperScan. It compares each pixel to 50% grey, then changes them to either black or white. The difference between the input and the output is then distributed to the neighboring pixels: 1/8th to each of the eight surrounding pixels. The rendered image can be right-click saved. This code uses Canvas, Drag and Drop events, Web Workers, and the FileReader API, requiring a modern browser to function.

(gazs.github.io)

Development filter web technologies

US Military Fights for the Right to Repair

2025-06-12

US Military Fights for the Right to Repair

The US Navy is pushing for the right to repair its own equipment, citing the case of the USS Gerald R. Ford, where oven malfunctions caused major logistical problems due to contractual restrictions. Secretary Phelan emphasized the need to regain control of intellectual property and ensure sailors can fix hardware, particularly during combat. The Army also faces similar issues, prompting a directive from the Secretary of Defense to include right-to-repair provisions in future contracts. This bipartisan effort aligns with the Servicemember Right-to-Repair Act currently under consideration by Congress. Experts believe this move will reduce costs and improve efficiency while demonstrating trust in military personnel's capabilities.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech right to repair contracts

Smithsonian's 2.33-Carat Winston Red Diamond: A Journey Through Color, History, and Geology

2025-06-14

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's newly unveiled 2.33-carat Winston Red diamond is the fifth-largest Fancy red diamond known and the only one on public display. This article details the scientific and historical investigation of this rare gem, from spectroscopic analysis to geological origins. It reveals its pure crimson color stems from a careful balance of absorption features linked to plastic deformation and specific defects, tracing its history from 1938 to the present. The study concludes that its likely origin is Venezuela or Brazil.

(www.gia.edu)

Misc red diamond gemology

Endometriosis: A Disease More Terrifying Than Cancer?

2025-06-14

Endometriosis: A Disease More Terrifying Than Cancer?

Endometriosis is a mysterious disease whose cause remains unknown, bearing a striking resemblance to cancer yet lacking effective treatments. This article explores the disease's origins, its connection to cancer, and the limitations of current treatments. It also highlights the severely underestimated prevalence and the critical lack of research funding, calling for more attention and investment in research on this disease.

(www.owlposting.com)

Misc endometriosis

The Surprisingly Unequal Outcome of Random Wealth Distribution

2025-06-13

The Surprisingly Unequal Outcome of Random Wealth Distribution

A simple experiment: 100 people, each with $100, randomly redistribute their money each round. What do you expect? Not equal distribution! Simulations show wealth inequality rapidly emerges and persists. Why does this seemingly fair, random process generate winners and losers? The article delves into this, analyzing the phenomenon from graph theory and probability perspectives, drawing parallels to the Boltzmann distribution in physics. It finds that even slight randomness leads to extreme wealth concentration, with a few possessing most of the wealth while many have almost nothing. This isn't a fluke; it's an inherent system property.

(quomodocumque.wordpress.com)

Misc random process

EndBOX: A Retro-Inspired Minimalist Programming Computer

2025-06-12

EndBOX: A Retro-Inspired Minimalist Programming Computer

ReadyRUN has unveiled EndBOX prototypes, a miniature computer designed to recapture the essence of programming. Booting instantly into a retro-styled EndBASIC environment, it offers a bare-bones, command-line experience with no bloat. Targeted at developers and educators, EndBOX prioritizes hardware accessibility and learning. Two prototypes exist: a standard model with a 7-inch touchscreen, and a micro model with a 128x128 LCD. Both feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, running a NetBSD-based OS. The author is seeking community support to guide EndBOX's future, including hardware configurations and software features.

(www.endbasic.dev)

Development retro computer embedded system

Trump's Proposed NASA Budget Cuts: A Death Blow to American Space Exploration?

2025-06-12

Trump's Proposed NASA Budget Cuts: A Death Blow to American Space Exploration?

The Trump administration's proposed budget includes a near 50% cut to NASA's science programs and a roughly 24% overall reduction. This drastic move, formulated without significant NASA input due to a leadership vacuum following the withdrawal of Jared Isaacman's nomination, jeopardizes numerous ongoing projects. The cuts would cancel 19 active space exploration projects totaling $12 billion in investment, impacting crucial missions like Mars exploration. This not only wastes significant taxpayer funds but also threatens America's future in space exploration, potentially allowing China to overtake the US in space leadership.

(www.latimes.com)

Tech

23andMe Bankruptcy: 15% of Users Delete Data Amidst Regeneron Acquisition

2025-06-11

23andMe Bankruptcy: 15% of Users Delete Data Amidst Regeneron Acquisition

Following its bankruptcy filing, 23andMe revealed that 1.9 million users (about 15% of its customer base) have requested deletion of their genetic data. This surge in data deletion requests stems from concerns over data security following the company's bankruptcy auction, where pharmaceutical giant Regeneron acquired 23andMe for $256 million. While Regeneron pledged to uphold privacy practices, over two dozen states have sued, arguing that 23andMe cannot sell customer data without explicit consent. This comes after a months-long data breach affecting 6.9 million users last year. The court is expected to finalize the sale in late June.

(techcrunch.com)

Tech

Peruvian Identity and Inca Art: A Century-Old Debate

2025-06-11

Peruvian Identity and Inca Art: A Century-Old Debate

In 1930, the Lima National School of Fine Arts' introduction of an Inca art course ignited a fierce controversy. Painter Antonino Espinosa Saldaña publicly denounced the existence of Inca art, arguing it lacked aesthetic merit. This debate centered on the construction of modern Peruvian national identity and the place of Indigenous people in society. The Indigenist art movement sought to ground Peru's artistic future in the pre-Columbian past, overlooking the artistic legacy of Spanish colonial rule. This seemingly innocuous art class reflected deep cultural contradictions and identity crises within Peruvian society.

(publicdomainreview.org)

Design Inca art national identity

Microsoft Office's Epic Codebase Migration: From Source Depot to Git

2025-06-12

Microsoft Office's Epic Codebase Migration: From Source Depot to Git

This article recounts the epic journey of the Microsoft Office team migrating their massive codebase from the outdated Source Depot to Git. The migration was fraught with challenges, including building a 'parallel universe' to synchronize codebases, proving functional equivalence between the two systems, and coordinating communication with over 4,000 engineers. The author details each stage, from overcoming the differences between Source Depot and Git's branching models, building a Virtual File System to optimize performance, and training engineers in Git. The successful migration significantly improved developer efficiency and code quality, offering valuable lessons for large-scale technical migrations.

(danielsada.tech)

Development

Go BitTorrent Client: A Work in Progress

2025-06-13

Go BitTorrent Client: A Work in Progress

This project implements a BitTorrent client in Go, handling torrent file parsing, peer discovery, and file downloading. Core functionalities are already implemented, including Bencode encoding/decoding, torrent file processing, peer communication, and download management for both single and multi-file torrents. Future development includes support for magnet links, the metadata exchange protocol, and DHT.

(github.com)

Development

Anker Recalls PowerCore 10000 Power Bank Due to Fire Risk

2025-06-12

Anker Recalls PowerCore 10000 Power Bank Due to Fire Risk

Anker has issued a recall for its PowerCore 10000 power bank (model A1263) due to a potential fire hazard stemming from its lithium-ion battery. The USCPSC received 19 reports of fires and explosions causing minor injuries and over $60,700 in property damage. Approximately 1,158,000 units sold between June 2016 and December 2022 are affected. Anker offers a $30 gift card or a replacement power bank. Consumers need to submit photos and serial numbers for verification and safely dispose of the recalled units. This recall highlights the potential dangers of aging lithium-ion batteries and the benefits of upgrading to safer solid-state alternatives.

(www.theverge.com)

Hardware Power Bank Recall Fire Safety

Human Cells Beat in a Pig Embryo Heart for the First Time

2025-06-13

Human Cells Beat in a Pig Embryo Heart for the First Time

A groundbreaking achievement in scientific research! Chinese scientists have successfully grown pig embryos containing human heart cells that survived for 21 days, with the tiny hearts beginning to beat. This research offers a potential solution to the global organ shortage. The team used gene editing to knock out two genes crucial for heart development in pig embryos and then injected human stem cells. Human cells successfully participated in heart formation, growing to the size of a human heart at a similar developmental stage. While the embryos eventually did not survive beyond 21 days, this study provides invaluable experience for future organ growth in animals for transplantation.

(www.nature.com)

Tech organ transplantation

Your Brain Rewires Itself in Real Time When Listening to Rhythms

2025-06-12

New research from Aarhus University and the University of Oxford reveals a fascinating finding: when you hear a steady rhythm or musical tone, your brain doesn't passively receive the sound; it dynamically reorganizes itself. Researchers developed FREQ-NESS, a novel neuroimaging method, to map brain organization with unprecedented precision, showing the interplay of brainwaves across multiple networks. This breakthrough could revolutionize our understanding of brain function and has implications for brain-computer interfaces and clinical diagnostics.

(www.sciencedaily.com)

Tech

Tmux: A Deep Dive into Terminal Multiplexing

2025-06-02

Tmux: A Deep Dive into Terminal Multiplexing

Tmux is a powerful terminal multiplexer that allows you to manage multiple terminal sessions, windows, and panes concurrently. Think of tmux as a terminal manager: a server manages multiple sessions; each session contains multiple windows; each window can be split into multiple panes, each running a separate program or shell. Multiple clients can connect to the same session simultaneously. A prefix key (usually Ctrl+b) lets you easily control and manage tmux's components for efficient terminal management.

(tmuxai.dev)

Development terminal multiplexing

jemalloc: 20 Years of an Open Source Memory Allocator

2025-06-13

jemalloc: 20 Years of an Open Source Memory Allocator

jemalloc, the open-source memory allocator, has had a 20-year journey since its inception in 2004. From its origins as a memory allocator for the Lyken programming language, to its integration into FreeBSD, and widespread adoption by Firefox and Facebook, jemalloc has gone through multiple phases and faced various challenges, such as fragmentation issues and the removal of Valgrind support. Although Facebook/Meta ultimately ceased active development of jemalloc, the code remains publicly available, and its development history offers valuable lessons for open-source software maintenance and community collaboration.

(jasone.github.io)

Development memory allocator

Frequent Logins: Security Theater or Real Protection?

2025-06-12

Frequent Logins: Security Theater or Real Protection?

This article challenges the common belief that frequent logins enhance security. The author argues that constant re-authentication is not only frustrating but also leads to poor security practices like password reuse. True security, the article contends, lies in real-time monitoring and access management, utilizing techniques like device posture checks and SCIM-based access control to update security attributes and policies without constant user interaction. The author uses Tailscale as an example of how to achieve better security with minimal user friction.

(tailscale.com)

Tech

Tattoy: Level Up Your Terminal with GPU-Powered Effects

2025-06-13

Tattoy: Level Up Your Terminal with GPU-Powered Effects

Tattoy is a terminal enhancement framework that renders graphics using UTF8 half-blocks, supporting GPU shaders and ShaderToy shaders, and provides a live-updating minimap of the terminal scrollback. It automatically adjusts text contrast, is compatible with existing shells and themes, and allows running commands in the background, such as audio visualizations or system monitors. Plus, Tattoy features a plugin system enabling developers to extend functionality using any language.

(tattoy.sh)

Development terminal enhancement GPU shaders plugin system

46-Year-Old Programmer Chooses Medical Aid in Dying After Years-Long Battle with Heart Disease

2025-06-11

Chris, a 46-year-old programmer, recounts his arduous journey battling severe heart disease, culminating in his decision to pursue medical aid in dying. His story details multiple heart attacks, emergency room visits, ICD implantations, ablations, and the agonizing experience of repeated shocks. Despite numerous treatments, his condition worsened, leading him to choose Oregon's Death with Dignity Act for a peaceful end. This deeply personal account chronicles his struggle and the difficult decision he made, prompting reflection on healthcare challenges and the dignity of life's end.

(blog.the-brannons.com)

Misc Medical Aid in Dying End-of-Life Care

Apple's WWDC25: Is Liquid Glass a UI Crisis?

2025-06-12

Apple's WWDC25: Is Liquid Glass a UI Crisis?

This article critiques Apple's new Liquid Glass UI unveiled at WWDC25. The author argues that Liquid Glass sacrifices platform-specific usability and distinctiveness for cross-platform consistency and visual familiarity. Its 'depth' effect is superficial, dynamic UI elements are excessive, blurring the interface structure and reducing readability and accessibility. The author contends this design represents a regression, prioritizing aesthetics over usability and diverging from Apple's past design principles. The ultimate outcome, the author fears, is a convergence of Mac OS and iOS/iPadOS, leading to a diminished user experience.

(morrick.me)

Design

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