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SparkCat: Crypto-Stealing Malware Lurking in App Stores

2025-02-05

SparkCat: Crypto-Stealing Malware Lurking in App Stores

ESET researchers uncovered a cross-platform malware dubbed "SparkCat" hidden within Google Play and the App Store, affecting over 242,000 downloads. The malware embeds a malicious SDK, using OCR to identify images of cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrases in users' photo galleries and sending them to a C2 server. Attackers employed a custom C2 communication protocol written in Rust, increasing analysis difficulty. The malware aims to steal cryptocurrency and utilizes multiple techniques to evade security measures.

(securelist.com)

Tech app store security

Trofaf: A Super Simple Live Static Blog Generator in Go

2024-12-19

Trofaf: A Super Simple Live Static Blog Generator in Go

Trofaf is a super-simple live static blog generator written in Go. Requiring only three directories (posts, public, templates), it generates a static website from markdown files and front matter, automatically updating whenever changes are detected. It offers command-line options for customization and prioritizes simplicity over extensive features, making it ideal for users seeking a straightforward blogging solution.

(github.com)

Development Static Blog Generator Blog Engine

Datasaurus Dozen: Exposing Statistical Pitfalls

2024-12-17

Thirteen datasets, nearly identical simple descriptive statistics, yet wildly different distributions and visualizations! This is the fascinating Datasaurus Dozen. Comprising a dinosaur-shaped dataset and twelve others with varying forms, they all share almost identical means, variances, and correlations. This powerfully demonstrates the danger of relying solely on basic descriptive statistics; visualization is crucial. The Datasaurus Dozen serves as a cautionary tale, urging data analysts to prioritize visualization before analysis to avoid misleading conclusions.

(en.wikipedia.org)

AI statistical analysis data traps

Reverse Engineering Samsung's Exynos Hypervisor: H-Arx's Modular Design and Rust Integration

2025-03-13

This article delves into the reverse engineering analysis of Samsung's virtualization-based security platform, H-Arx, found in Exynos mobile processors. H-Arx boasts a modular design, comprising a core component (harx.bin) and loadable plugins (like uh.bin), with parts written in Rust. The analysis details H-Arx's loading process, plugin loading mechanism, and core-plugin communication, revealing how it uses Hypervisor Calls (HVCs) and Secure Monitor Calls (SMCs) for inter-privilege level communication. Key security features like Real-time Kernel Protection (RKP), Kernel Data Protection (KDP), and Hypervisor Device Manager (HDM) are also explored, along with their roles within the H-Arx architecture. This reverse engineering provides valuable insights into Samsung's Exynos security mechanisms.

(dayzerosec.com)

Tech Samsung Exynos security platform

Reverse-Engineering a Sony PS1 Motherboard: The nsOne Project

2025-06-12

Reverse-Engineering a Sony PS1 Motherboard: The nsOne Project

Lorentio Brodesco reverse-engineered an original PlayStation 1 motherboard, painstakingly recreating its complete schematic. This wasn't just a repair job; it's a preservation effort to save the PS1's hardware architecture and ultimately produce a functional motherboard, nsOne. He's open-sourcing the design files, a tribute to the PS1 and a testament to the power of retro hardware preservation.

(arstechnica.com)

Hardware

The Evaporative Cooling Effect in Social Networks: Why High-Value Contributors Leave

2025-01-07

This blog post explores the 'evaporative cooling effect,' where high-value contributors leave a community due to lack of benefit, leading to a decline in community quality. It analyzes how factors like openness, community access mechanisms (e.g., paid membership or knowledge barriers), internal communication styles, and rewarding high contributors affect this effect. The author argues that 'evaporative cooling' is inevitable in community growth, and the key is to slow it down. The post suggests combining 'plaza' (easily expandable) and 'warren' (more stable) community structures to balance scalability and stability.

(blogs.cornell.edu)

Misc social networks evaporative cooling effect community quality

California Bill Aims to Restrict Minors' Social Media Use

2025-02-15

California Bill Aims to Restrict Minors' Social Media Use

California is considering the 'Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act' (SB 976), aiming to limit minors' social media access. The bill centers on prohibiting minors from using personalized recommendation systems, a core feature of most platforms. This sparks debate over minors' First Amendment rights, as such restrictions could impede their ability to speak and access information online.

(www.eff.org)

Misc minors

Recursers on AI: A Pragmatic Approach to LLMs in Programming

2025-07-26

Recursers on AI: A Pragmatic Approach to LLMs in Programming

Recursers, a 6-12 week programming retreat with an integrated recruiting agency, grapples with the impact of AI on programming. Instead of simply embracing or rejecting AI, they surveyed over 3000 alumni to understand the implications of LLMs on their work and learning. Findings revealed significant diversity in how programmers utilize and view AI tools, dependent on experience, project type, and team size. RC emphasizes three key takeaways: working at the edge of one's abilities, maintaining rigor, and learning generously. Ultimately, RC advocates for a pragmatic approach, focusing on the importance of active learning and critical engagement with AI, emphasizing its role as a tool to enhance, not replace, human agency.

(www.recurse.com)

Development

Open Sauce 2023: A Maker Faire Extravaganza

2025-07-26

Returning for a second year, I brought my dad to Open Sauce, a Bay Area maker faire featuring hundreds of exhibits ranging from mad science to vintage electronics. I met YouTube creators like CuriousMarc restoring vintage HP equipment, and even chatted with NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, who's building a homelab to manage his 20TB of ISS photos! The event showcased incredible projects, community spirit, and the potential of the next generation of makers. Looking forward to 2026!

(www.jeffgeerling.com)

Tech Maker Faire Vintage Tech

Baby's First Type Checker: A 350-Line Python Adventure

2025-09-06

Baby's First Type Checker: A 350-Line Python Adventure

This article details the creation of a basic type checker for Python in just 350 lines of code. The author walks through the process, from parsing Python code and finding type annotations to checking type compatibility, handling function calls and return types, supporting lists, dictionaries, and union types, and implementing type narrowing. While limited in scope, the resulting type checker successfully catches several type errors in real-world Python code, providing a clear and accessible example of how type checkers work.

(austinhenley.com)

Development type checker

Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems and the Future of Computation: A Mathematical Western

2025-01-30

Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems and the Future of Computation: A Mathematical Western

This poem, styled as a Western, narrates key events in mathematical history, from the paradoxes of set theory to the proof of Gödel's incompleteness theorems, the advent of Turing machines and von Neumann architecture, and finally the P vs NP problem. Using vivid metaphors and a highly narrative approach, it depicts the challenges and achievements of mathematicians in their quest for truth, and the impact of technological advancements on human society. Gödel's incompleteness theorems, like a landmine buried in the field of computation, hint at the limitations of computation and prompt reflection on the future direction of artificial intelligence.

(taylor.town)

AI Gödel's incompleteness theorems computational theory

Unlocking the RAK5010's BG95-M3 USB Serial Ports

2025-02-22

Unlocking the RAK5010's BG95-M3 USB Serial Ports

This post details accessing the three serial ports on the Quectel BG95-M3 module embedded in the RAK5010 development board. The author, after consulting the schematic, identified and resoldered four resistors to redirect the USB data lines from the nRF52840 to the BG95-M3. Despite a minor mishap involving a lost resistor, the modification was successful, allowing direct USB communication with the modem and access to its three serial ports.

(danielmangum.com)

Hardware

Venezuela Fines TikTok $10 Million Over Deadly Challenges

2025-01-01

Venezuela Fines TikTok $10 Million Over Deadly Challenges

Venezuela's Supreme Court fined TikTok $10 million for failing to prevent viral video challenges that allegedly led to the deaths of three Venezuelan children. The court cited negligence and ordered TikTok to establish a local office to oversee content and comply with Venezuelan laws. This highlights Venezuela's strict online content regulations and growing concerns over social media platform accountability.

(apnews.com)

Tech Venezuela Online Regulation

R&D Startup Disaster: A Costly Mistake in Data Collection

2025-07-13

R&D Startup Disaster: A Costly Mistake in Data Collection

An R&D startup conducting a psychology study lost all collected data due to a simple yet devastating bug. Their PHP code used `mail() or die()`, causing the script to terminate prematurely when an email failed to send (due to lack of internet access in the testing environment). This resulted in no data being saved to the database. The experience highlighted the importance of graceful error handling and thorough testing across different environments. The team learned from the costly mistake, improved their coding practices, and transitioned away from PHP to safer languages like JavaScript, Go, and Python.

(thetechenabler.substack.com)

Development data loss

The Humble For Loop in Rust: Performance and Readability

2024-12-12

This article explores the trade-offs between the humble `for` loop and functional programming approaches like `map` and `fold` in Rust, considering both performance and readability. Through benchmarks comparing different methods on vector and nested vector operations, the author finds that `map` often outperforms `for` loops in simple transformations, offering better declarative style. However, for more complex scenarios such as flattening nested vectors or handling errors, `for` loops demonstrate a significant performance advantage and maintain greater code clarity. The author advocates for a pragmatic approach, choosing the best tool for the job rather than blindly favoring functional programming.

(blog.startifact.com)

Development performance for loop

Former Twitter Founder Launches Mozi, a Social App Focused on Offline Connections

2024-12-12

Former Twitter Founder Launches Mozi, a Social App Focused on Offline Connections

Ev Williams, founder of Twitter and Medium, has launched a new social app called Mozi, aiming to redefine the essence of social interaction. Unlike content-focused social media, Mozi prioritizes helping users build and maintain relationships with people in their real lives. By integrating with users' contact lists, it shows when users and their acquaintances will be in the same location (city or event), facilitating offline meetings. Mozi emphasizes privacy, lacking public profiles and follower counts, aiming to be a private platform promoting genuine social connections.

(ev.medium.com)

Startup social app relationships privacy

AMD Confirms Higher Costs for US-Made Chips

2025-07-24

AMD Confirms Higher Costs for US-Made Chips

AMD CEO Lisa Su confirmed that chips sourced from TSMC's Arizona facility will cost more than those manufactured in Taiwan. The price increase will be between 5% and 20%. AMD expects its first chips from TSMC's Arizona plant by the end of the year. This highlights the cost challenges of manufacturing chips in the US.

(www.bloomberg.com)

Hardware chip costs

Optical Frequency Combs: A Ruler for Light

2025-01-30

Optical Frequency Combs: A Ruler for Light

Optical frequency combs, Nobel Prize-winning technology, act like a ruler for light, precisely measuring the frequencies of light waves across the electromagnetic spectrum. This revolutionary technology bridges the gap between radio/microwave and optical frequencies, enabling advancements in atomic clocks, astronomy, atmospheric science, and even medical diagnostics. NIST scientists are at the forefront of this field, continuously improving the accuracy and miniaturization of these devices. Future applications include integration into microchips for broader commercial use.

(www.nist.gov)

Tech optical frequency combs atomic clocks precision measurement

Unity Store Bans VLC Plugin, Highlighting Open Source Sustainability Issues

2025-05-07

Since December 2019, Videolabs has offered an open-source VLC for Unity integration plugin via the Unity Asset Store. However, in late summer 2023, Unity unexpectedly banned their publisher account, citing the inclusion of LGPL code, refusing reinstatement even after offering to remove all LGPL code. This highlights the precarious existence of open-source maintainers, especially considering Unity itself relies on LGPL libraries. To continue serving users, Videolabs launched its own store, offering the VLC for Unity plugin and consulting services for LibVLC and FFmpeg, emphasizing the need for sustainable open-source project models.

(mfkl.github.io)

Development

Large Soda Lakes: A Phosphorus-Rich Cradle of Life?

2025-03-25

Large Soda Lakes: A Phosphorus-Rich Cradle of Life?

Phosphorus, essential for life, is relatively scarce on Earth's surface. New research suggests large, endorheic soda lakes may have provided early life with sufficient phosphorus. These lakes lose water only through evaporation, leading to phosphorus enrichment. Mono Lake in California serves as an example, its high phosphorus concentration supporting diverse organisms. Contrary to Darwin's speculation, large soda lakes, with their consistently high phosphorus levels, may have been more conducive to the chemical reactions necessary for life's origin.

(ethz.ch)

Tech soda lakes

Bluesky Improves Performance with 'Lossy Timelines'

2025-02-19

Bluesky tackled database hot spots caused by high-activity users by introducing 'Lossy Timelines'. This mechanism probabilistically drops write operations, limiting the load from heavily followed users and dramatically reducing P99 latency. Write operations that could take minutes now complete in under 10 seconds. This strategy cleverly sacrifices some data consistency for massive gains in system performance and scalability, demonstrating that imperfect system design can lead to a better user experience in specific contexts.

(jazco.dev)

Development

Linux Accessibility: The Untold Story of Volunteer Burnout

2025-06-19

A GNOME developer lashes out, detailing the struggles of improving accessibility on the Linux desktop. Despite significant funding from the GNOME Foundation and countless volunteer hours, progress is largely unacknowledged, overshadowed by negativity and unfair criticism. The article exposes companies profiting from GNOME without contributing, urging the Linux community to recognize the dedication of accessibility developers and address the systemic issues hindering progress.

(tesk.page)

Development

Go 1.24: Weak Pointers, Improved Finalizers, and Blazing-Fast Maps

2025-01-17

Go 1.24: Weak Pointers, Improved Finalizers, and Blazing-Fast Maps

Go 1.24, slated for a February release, packs a punch with significant improvements. This interactive tutorial highlights key features like weak pointers, enhanced finalizers, a highly optimized map implementation using SwissTable, concurrent hash-trie maps, directory-scoped filesystem access, and more. Example code showcases usage and performance gains. Testing is also enhanced with synthetic time for testing, simplified logging, and new string and byte iterators. These improvements significantly boost Go's development efficiency and performance.

(antonz.org)

Development weak pointers map performance

Chat with AI over SSH: A Dockerized AI Chat Server

2025-06-16

Chat with AI over SSH: A Dockerized AI Chat Server

This project provides a Dockerized AI chat server accessible via SSH. It supports multiple AI models and offers detailed deployment instructions, including environment configuration, Docker Compose file, and dependency installation. Users can customize parameters like models, rate limiting, blacklist, and whitelist. The project also includes deployment suggestions for various operating systems (macOS, Linux, and Windows) and acknowledges server sponsorship from V.PS.

(github.com)

Development

FormBee: Open-Source Form Backend for Privacy-Conscious Developers

2025-01-06

FormBee: Open-Source Form Backend for Privacy-Conscious Developers

FormBee is an open-source form backend built for developers who prioritize data privacy. It simplifies submitting website form data, allowing you to send form submissions to email, Telegram, webhooks, and more without writing server-side code. Features include plugin support, CAPTCHA protection, domain whitelisting, and automatic reply emails. Self-hosting is easy with readily available Docker images.

(github.com)

Development forms

How to Inefficiently Build a Website: An Anti-Tutorial

2025-07-28

This article offers a paradoxical guide to website building, focusing on maximizing time and energy expenditure. Key strategies include: indiscriminately installing npm dependencies to create a web of dependencies; choosing a framework before needing one, ensuring continuous learning curves with updates; and always requiring a compilation step, adding extra build processes. In short, this is an anti-tutorial on how to waste time effectively in web development.

(blog.jim-nielsen.com)

Development anti-tutorial

Sony DTC-700 DAT: A Retrospect of a Fallen Tech Giant

2025-07-01

This article reminisces about the Sony DTC-700 DAT recorder, a device that once reigned supreme in the 90s for its superior audio quality and extensive features. DAT (Digital Audio Tape) technology offered sound surpassing CDs, but high costs, piracy concerns, and market saturation ultimately led to its demise. Despite advantages like digital recording and versatile I/O, the complex mechanics resulted in reliability issues. Lack of marketing and original music support further hindered its widespread adoption, making it a fascinating case study in technological evolution.

(kevinboone.me)

Tech DAT recorder

Art-Inspired Discovery: The Third Kind of Magnetism

2025-07-16

Art-Inspired Discovery: The Third Kind of Magnetism

Inspired by M.C. Escher's artwork, physicist Libor Šmejkal predicted and confirmed a third type of magnetism – altermagnetism. Unlike ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism, altermagnets have atomic magnetic moments pointing in opposite directions but with a 90-degree rotation, resulting in unique quantum properties. This new magnetism promises to solve challenges in spintronics, leading to more efficient and faster computer memory. Researchers have confirmed altermagnetism in manganese telluride and are exploring more such materials, even predicting a fourth type: antialtermagnetism.

(www.newscientist.com)

Tech

Senior Software Engineer Sentenced for Sabotaging Employer's Systems

2025-03-08

Senior Software Engineer Sentenced for Sabotaging Employer's Systems

Davis Lu, a 55-year-old senior software developer, was found guilty of sabotaging his former employer Eaton Corporation's systems and faces up to 10 years in prison. Before his departure, Lu developed malicious software that locked thousands of employees out of the network, causing significant financial damage. Investigators discovered Lu created malware named "Hakai" (Japanese for destruction) and "HunShui" (Chinese for sleep), along with a "kill switch" that locked all accounts upon his access revocation. He also attempted to delete company data and operating system directories. Despite admitting to the actions, the jury found Lu guilty of intentionally damaging a protected computer.

(www.theregister.com)

Development

UK's Trident Nuclear Deterrent: Independent or US-Dependent?

2025-03-07

UK's Trident Nuclear Deterrent: Independent or US-Dependent?

The UK's Trident nuclear program, its ultimate wartime deterrent, is seemingly independent but heavily reliant on US technology and components. From maintenance to testing, the UK relies on US facilities and assistance. The article explores the risks of this dependence, especially given recent US-Russia tensions and shifts in US policy toward Ukraine, casting doubt on the reliability of Britain's nuclear deterrent. While the UK claims independent control, its reliance on US technology raises concerns about its nuclear independence and sparks debate on the future of UK nuclear deterrence strategy.

(www.reaction.life)

Tech military dependence

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