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Volkswagen's Data Breach: CCC Exposes Millions of Vehicle Location Data Stored Unencrypted

2025-01-02

The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) revealed that the Volkswagen Group systematically collected and stored movement data from hundreds of thousands of VW, Audi, Skoda, and Seat vehicles for extended periods. This data, including driver information, was left unprotected and accessible on the internet. The breach affected private vehicles, corporate fleets, and even government agencies, including sensitive data from the German Federal Intelligence Service and a US Air Force base. The CCC highlighted that the data collection and long-term storage were problematic, exacerbated by poor security. The findings were published in Der Spiegel and will be detailed at the 38th Chaos Communication Congress (38C3) in Hamburg.

(www.ccc.de)

Tech privacy breach automotive data

TokenVerse: Multi-Concept Personalization in Text-to-Image Diffusion Models

2025-01-28

TokenVerse: Multi-Concept Personalization in Text-to-Image Diffusion Models

TokenVerse introduces a novel method for multi-concept personalization leveraging a pre-trained text-to-image diffusion model. It disentangles complex visual elements and attributes from a single image, enabling seamless generation of combinations of concepts extracted from multiple images. Unlike existing methods limited in concept type or breadth, TokenVerse handles multiple images with multiple concepts each, supporting objects, accessories, materials, pose, and lighting. By optimizing for distinct directions in the model's modulation space for each word, it generates images combining desired concepts. Experiments demonstrate its effectiveness in challenging personalization settings.

(token-verse.github.io)

AI personalization

resizer2: Manage Windows Like KDE/i3 with Win+Mouse

2024-12-29

resizer2: Manage Windows Like KDE/i3 with Win+Mouse

resizer2 is a Windows window manager that lets you resize and move windows using Win key + mouse, similar to KDE or i3 window managers. It offers features like moving, resizing, opacity adjustment, minimizing, and maximizing windows, even across multiple monitors. While it requires administrator privileges to move system windows and has some known quirks (like incompatibility with certain fullscreen apps), resizer2 provides a more efficient and convenient window management experience for Windows users.

(github.com)

Development window management productivity tool

Mass Resignation of Editors at Journal of Human Evolution Protests Elsevier Changes

2024-12-28

Mass Resignation of Editors at Journal of Human Evolution Protests Elsevier Changes

Nearly all editors of the Journal of Human Evolution (JHE), an Elsevier publication, resigned en masse, protesting Elsevier's actions that they say undermine the journal's quality and integrity. Elsevier eliminated copyediting support, implemented AI editing that introduced errors into articles, and unilaterally controlled the editorial board's structure and compensation. High article processing charges, far exceeding comparable journals, further fueled the editors' discontent. This is the 20th mass resignation of journal editors since early 2023, raising concerns about the publishing industry's practices.

(retractionwatch.com)

Misc AI editing

Outrage Fatigue: How Constant Anger Numbs Us and What We Can Do About It

2025-02-05

Outrage Fatigue: How Constant Anger Numbs Us and What We Can Do About It

A recent episode of the science podcast 'Science Quickly' explores the phenomenon of 'outrage fatigue.' Guest Tanya Lewis explains how constant exposure to outrage can lead to apathy and desensitization to important social issues. Research shows outrage amplifies misinformation online. To combat this, Lewis suggests limiting media consumption, focusing on local issues, and engaging in community activities to foster more effective responses to societal problems, avoiding the negative impacts of anger overload.

(www.scientificamerican.com)

Tech outrage fatigue misinformation social issues

Turning Databases Inside Out: A Paradigm Shift

2025-01-28

Martin Kleppmann's talk challenges the conventional database architecture. He proposes a revolutionary approach: inverting the database. Instead of the traditional global, shared, mutable state, Kleppmann suggests viewing a database as an ever-growing collection of immutable facts. Using a distributed stream processing framework like Apache Samza, data streams are processed in real-time. At its core is a distributed, durable commit log (e.g., Apache Kafka). This approach promises simpler code, better scalability and robustness, lower latency, and greater flexibility for data manipulation.

(martin.kleppmann.com)

Development

Century-Old Math Problem Solved: Proving the Irrationality of ζ(3)

2025-01-09

Century-Old Math Problem Solved: Proving the Irrationality of ζ(3)

This article recounts the legendary story of mathematician Roger Apéry's 1978 proof that ζ(3) (the Riemann zeta function at 3) is irrational. His proof was met with skepticism and even caused chaos at the conference where it was presented. However, Apéry was ultimately proven correct. For years, mathematicians struggled to expand Apéry's method with little progress. Recently, Calegari, Dimitrov, and Tang developed a more powerful method, proving the irrationality of a series of zeta-like values, including ζ(3), solving a decades-old problem. This breakthrough lies not only in its result but also in the generality of its approach, providing new tools for future irrationality proofs.

(www.quantamagazine.org)

Math irrational numbers

No, AI, Don't 'Polish' Me!

2025-01-29

No, AI, Don't 'Polish' Me!

Blogger The Bloggess hilariously recounts her battle against AI writing tools. She refuses to let AI 'polish' her emails, finding the AI-generated versions sterile and inauthentic. The AI's attempts to rewrite her text and even replace her images with AI-generated ones infuriate her, leading to a funny rant about the importance of preserving individual writing styles. The Bloggess hopes her rejection of AI's suggestions will teach the AI to appreciate and even propagate her wonderfully flawed, human style.

(thebloggess.com)

Misc Writing Personal Style

The One and Only Supersonic Concorde Photo

2025-01-26

The One and Only Supersonic Concorde Photo

This article recounts the incredible story behind the only known photograph of a Concorde flying at supersonic speed. In April 1985, a Royal Air Force Tornado jet rendezvoused with a Concorde over the Irish Sea, briefly matching its Mach 2 speed to capture the iconic image before fuel constraints forced a separation. The feat required precise coordination and multiple attempts, as the Tornado could only sustain supersonic flight for a few minutes. The article also explores the Concorde's legacy as the fastest commercial airliner in history, its technological marvels, and its eventual retirement.

(petapixel.com)

Tech Concorde Supersonic Flight Photography

The Evolution of the Telephone Ring: From Pencil Thumps to Dual-Tone Ringing

2025-02-07

The Evolution of the Telephone Ring: From Pencil Thumps to Dual-Tone Ringing

After the invention of the telephone in 1876, notifying someone of an incoming call was a challenge. Early methods involved crudely thumping a pencil on the diaphragm, which was inefficient and damaging. Thomas A. Watson then invented a 'hammer' device, followed by a 'buzzer,' but the sound was harsh. Finally, in 1878, Watson developed the dual-tone ringer, which became the global standard for telephone signaling, solving the incoming call notification problem. This narrative showcases the evolution of early telephone technology.

(www.calling315.com)

Tech telephone history invention

Boulette: Accidental Server Shutdown Prevention

2025-01-10

Boulette: Accidental Server Shutdown Prevention

Late-night coding, you instinctively type `shutdown -h now`, only to realize you've shut down your production server instead of your local machine! Enter Boulette, a tool that prevents accidental shutdowns and other dangerous commands by prompting for confirmation. Customize the challenge type – requiring a hostname, random numbers, or characters – before execution. It's particularly useful for SSH sessions and offers easy alias creation for enhanced server management security and convenience.

(github.com)

Development command-line server management

MoonBit on Golem Cloud: Building a Collaborative List Editor

2025-01-04

This blog post details building a collaborative list editor on Golem Cloud using the new programming language MoonBit. The author breaks down the application into three Golem components: list, archive, and email notifier. MoonBit's features are leveraged to implement list manipulation, archiving, and timeout email notifications. The post thoroughly explains MoonBit usage, Golem component architecture design, and accessing system time and environment variables using WASI. The application is successfully built and deployed, showcasing MoonBit's potential on the Golem Cloud platform.

(blog.vigoo.dev)

Development

Tailscale's NAT Traversal: A Deep Dive

2025-01-05

Tailscale's NAT Traversal: A Deep Dive

This Tailscale blog post details how their VPN overcomes the challenges of NAT (Network Address Translation) to enable direct device-to-device connections. It explains NAT's workings and various techniques to handle NAT and firewalls, including STUN for discovering public IPs, the birthday paradox for faster port probing, and DERP as a fallback relay. Finally, it introduces the ICE protocol, which automatically tries various methods, selecting the best connection to ensure reliable connectivity.

(tailscale.com)

Development

The Quiet Rebellion of a Little Life: Rejecting the Endless Ascent, Embracing the Mundane

2025-01-20

The Quiet Rebellion of a Little Life: Rejecting the Endless Ascent, Embracing the Mundane

This essay challenges the modern definition of success and the societal misconception of those choosing a quiet life. The author argues that true value lies not in the scale of achievements but in the depth of lived experience. Referencing Camus's Myth of Sisyphus and Kierkegaard's concepts of the aesthetic and ethical life, the piece encourages self-reflection and the pursuit of inner peace and fulfillment. Sharing personal experiences and insights, the author advocates for appreciating life's small joys, rejecting societal pressures for success, and choosing a simple yet meaningful existence.

(caitlynrichardson.substack.com)

Misc life philosophy meaning of life simple living

Concept Cells: The Building Blocks of Memory?

2025-01-21

Concept Cells: The Building Blocks of Memory?

Neuroscientists have discovered 'concept cells' in the brain that fire for specific ideas, regardless of how that idea is presented (image, text, speech, etc.). These cells don't just respond to images; they represent abstract concepts, playing a crucial role in memory formation. Research suggests concept cells interconnect to form complex memory networks. This discovery challenges traditional neuroscience, offering new insights into human memory and cognition. The initial discovery of these cells, initially dubbed 'Jennifer Aniston cells,' was met with skepticism, but subsequent research has solidified their importance.

(www.quantamagazine.org)

AI concept cells

Pakistan Passes Bill Granting Sweeping Social Media Controls

2025-01-23

Pakistan Passes Bill Granting Sweeping Social Media Controls

Pakistan's parliament passed a controversial bill granting the government extensive control over social media, including imprisonment for spreading disinformation. The bill's swift passage followed a walkout by opposition lawmakers protesting the legislation, raising concerns about further suppression of free speech. Critics argue the act allows authorities to block content deemed "unlawful and offensive," and ban individuals and organizations from social media for posting it. Social media platforms must register with a new regulatory body or face bans. Spreading disinformation becomes a criminal offense, punishable by up to three years in prison and a hefty fine. Journalists' and editors' unions strongly oppose the bill, seeing it as an attempt to stifle media and free speech.

(apnews.com)

Tech Pakistan

WaPo Columnist Quits, Launches Independent Media Outlet

2025-01-29

WaPo Columnist Quits, Launches Independent Media Outlet

Jennifer Rubin, a Washington Post columnist, resigned, citing Bezos's appeasement of Trump and the paper's deviation from democratic principles. She launched 'The Contrarian,' an independent media outlet, arguing that major media, controlled by billionaires and corporations, have sacrificed journalistic integrity and fueled threats to democracy. 'The Contrarian' will offer unfettered commentary and cultural analysis, aiming to counter growing authoritarianism in the US.

(contrarian.substack.com)

Tech media independence political commentary

DeepFace: A Lightweight Face Recognition Library in Python

2025-01-06

DeepFace: A Lightweight Face Recognition Library in Python

DeepFace is a lightweight Python library for face recognition and facial attribute analysis (age, gender, emotion, and race). It's a hybrid framework incorporating state-of-the-art models like VGG-Face, FaceNet, and ArcFace, achieving high accuracy. The library provides a user-friendly interface, encompassing face detection, verification, recognition, and attribute analysis. Users can customize their pipeline by selecting from various detectors and models.

(github.com)

AI face recognition

AI-Generated Fake Bio: A Web Sleuth's Tale

2025-01-27

Blogger Martijn Faassen uncovered a fabricated biography of a scientific illustrator named Quentell on Mastodon, widely spread across multiple e-commerce websites. His investigation revealed the artist wasn't real; the biography was AI-generated, used for SEO purposes by various sites. The article highlights the risks of AI-generated content and the severity of information pollution, raising concerns about truth and credibility online.

(blog.startifact.com)

Tech Information Pollution Web Sleuth

Two AI Programming Paradigms: Dialog vs. Autonomous

2025-01-27

Two AI Programming Paradigms: Dialog vs. Autonomous

Eleanor Berger shares her experience with two primary approaches to AI-assisted programming: dialog-based and fully autonomous. Dialog-based programming involves interacting with AI assistants for advice, code completion, and suggestions. Fully autonomous programming relies entirely on AI to generate code, with the programmer only reviewing the output. Berger finds both methods valuable but difficult to mix effectively, as understanding code written by others (or AI) is challenging and error-prone. She explores strategies for combining the approaches, such as per-project or per-module separation. She predicts a future shift towards fully autonomous programming due to improving AI capabilities and the inherent inefficiency of manual coding in comparison.

(everything.intellectronica.net)

Development

Silent Film Car Disintegration: A Behind-the-Scenes Look

2025-01-13

Buster Keaton's films are famous for their spectacularly collapsing cars. This Stack Exchange post deconstructs one such scene from *Three Ages*, revealing the ingenious mechanics involved. The car was cleverly designed with hinges and hidden releases, allowing for a seemingly spontaneous disintegration timed perfectly with Keaton's comedic performance. The effect, achieved without CGI, showcases the creativity and precision of silent film stunt work.

(movies.stackexchange.com)

Game film techniques silent film Buster Keaton

Types: The Foundation of Software Design

2025-01-03

Types: The Foundation of Software Design

Software design is more than just writing functions; it's about high-level architecture. This article argues that types are the most crucial element. Types define data structures and function interfaces, key to understanding and communicating software design. Even in dynamically typed languages, types exist implicitly. Good type design improves code readability, maintainability, and reliability, aiding abstraction and modularity. The article explores differences between static and dynamic typing and how various type systems (like generics and dependent types) impact design.

(www.tedinski.com)

Development type systems programming paradigms

Okta Security Incident: Exploiting Bcrypt's Length Limitation

2025-02-05

Okta Security Incident: Exploiting Bcrypt's Length Limitation

The Okta security incident stemmed from how its Bcrypt implementation handled input length. Bcrypt's 72-character limit caused truncation, allowing authentication with only partial usernames and cached keys. The article analyzes Bcrypt libraries in Go, Java, JavaScript, Python, and Rust, revealing many lack input length validation, creating security risks. The author advocates for improved API design, explicitly rejecting invalid input to prevent such vulnerabilities.

(n0rdy.foo)

Development API design

Neovim's Complexity: Two Years Later, I Miss Vanilla Vim

2025-02-01

Neovim's Complexity: Two Years Later, I Miss Vanilla Vim

After nearly two years of using Neovim, the author finds its complexity overwhelming. While Neovim is faster and more powerful, its plugin management and configuration are far more intricate than the simplicity of vanilla Vim. Neovim's plugin ecosystem is rich, but requires extensive configuration and coordination to function correctly, a stark contrast to Vim's straightforwardness. The author hopes for a future Neovim that prioritizes user experience, reducing unnecessary configuration and offering more out-of-the-box functionality.

(leblancfg.com)

Development Plugin Management

Massive California Law Enforcement Database Abuse Revealed

2025-01-30

Massive California Law Enforcement Database Abuse Revealed

A report from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) exposes widespread abuse of sensitive criminal justice databases by California law enforcement agencies. In 2023 alone, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LACSD) accounted for a majority of the state's 7,275 reported violations of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS), with 6,789 abuses primarily involving unauthorized background checks for concealed carry permits. Other abuses included using data for personal vendettas and password sharing. From 2019-2023, 761 investigations revealed at least 7,635 violations across the state, leading to suspensions, resignations, and firings of officers. The report highlights the need for stronger oversight of law enforcement databases.

(www.eff.org)

Tech database abuse

Goodbye Email Filters: My Minimalist Inbox Strategy

2025-01-18

Goodbye Email Filters: My Minimalist Inbox Strategy

The author experimented with Gmail and Apple Mail's labels and folders, as well as ProtonMail's mail rules, but ultimately found these features increased cognitive load in managing emails, leading to missed important messages. He then deleted all email filters, keeping only one inbox. By aggressively unsubscribing, blocking senders, and utilizing search functionality, he achieved efficient email management and the ability to quickly assess email importance.

(coryd.dev)

Misc email management

DeepSeek's AI Model Triggers Tech Stock Selloff, Nvidia and ASML Plunge

2025-01-27

DeepSeek's AI Model Triggers Tech Stock Selloff, Nvidia and ASML Plunge

Nvidia and ASML Holding NV shares plummeted on Monday after Chinese AI startup DeepSeek released a new AI model offering comparable performance to Western counterparts at a fraction of the cost. Nvidia shares fell about 9% in premarket trading, while ASML dropped as much as 11%. The Nasdaq 100 futures also slumped. DeepSeek's success raises concerns about the disruption to the current AI business model, which relies heavily on high-end chips and significant computing power. The situation highlights China's potential to circumvent US export restrictions and underscores the geopolitical implications for the tech sector.

(finance.yahoo.com)

Tech Tech Stocks

Google Analytics is Dead: Long Live Privacy-Preserving Analytics with IODIASIX

2025-01-18

Facing GDPR compliance issues and growing user privacy concerns, Google Analytics is under fire. Countries in the EU, starting with Austria, have ruled it violates GDPR, issuing hefty fines. This article introduces IODIASIX, a privacy-focused analytics framework designed as a solution. By keeping data within the EU and avoiding the collection of personally identifiable information, IODIASIX offers businesses a compliant and efficient alternative for website analytics, ensuring user privacy.

(www.iodiasix.com)

Tech web analytics

mutool: A Swiss Army Knife for PDF Manipulation

2025-02-02

mutool, built on the MuPDF library, is a powerful command-line tool offering a wide array of subcommands for manipulating PDF files. From converting pages to PNGs and extracting text to merging multiple PDFs and extracting embedded images and fonts, mutool handles a diverse range of tasks. It's a versatile tool for both simple conversions and complex PDF operations.

(www.mankier.com)

Development PDF manipulation

Go Multi-Key Map Library: go-multikeymap

2025-02-06

Go Multi-Key Map Library: go-multikeymap

go-multikeymap is a performant Go library implementing map data structures with multiple keys. It offers two types: MultiKeyMap and BiKeyMap. MultiKeyMap allows one primary key and multiple string secondary keys, while BiKeyMap requires both keys to be unique. Both are available in concurrent and non-concurrent versions, with benchmarks showing near O(1) access times. The library is easy to use, well-documented, and includes benchmark results for performance evaluation.

(github.com)

Development Multi-Key Map Data Structure

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