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2023-09-19

Data accidentally exposed by Microsoft AI researchers

  • Microsoft's AI researchers have unintentionally exposed 38 terabytes of private data, including backups, passwords, and messages, due to a misconfiguration of Shared Access Signature (SAS) tokens.
  • The incident underscores the security risks that can arise from managing immense volumes of training data in AI projects, particularly given Microsoft's lack of a centralized way to manage these tokens.
  • The post recommends using alternative methods for external data sharing and prioritizing cloud security in AI development. Solutions like FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) and Wiz are suggested for monitoring and securing cloud environments.

Reactions

  • The discussions encompass various elements of cybersecurity including the requirement for safe serialization methods in AI models, the significance of comprehensive penetration testing and concerns regarding Azure's security measures.
  • Other topics of discussion include the risks of using outdated technology, especially when dealing with NAS devices, highlighting the need for consistent upgrades and updates.
  • Encryption and data breaches remain pressing subjects, drawing attention to the complexities of managing vast volumes of data, thus reinforcing the critical role of data protection.

HyperDX – open-source dev-friendly Datadog alternative

  • HyperDX is a platform empowering users to search and correlate different types of data such as logs, traces, metrics, and session replays all in one place, overriding the constraints of current tools.
  • The tool utilizes OpenTelemetry for drawing and correlating data and Clickhouse for cost-efficient storage and efficient query handling.
  • The platform emphasizes an intuitive developer experience, with features including native JSON log parsing and easy alert creation. Demo and open-source options exist for user exploration and feedback.

Reactions

  • HyperDX, an open-source alternative to Datadog, provides consolidated logs, traces, metrics, and session replays. It uses OpenTelemetry for data collection and Clickhouse for efficient queries and low storage costs.
  • The platform aims to offer a smooth developer experience, offering differentiation in the market, featuring scaling data ingestion, comparative assessments between monitoring tools, and showing the benefits of self-hosted platforms.
  • The post discussed matters like default statistics for the miner, the integration with systemd journalctl, the blend of open core and SaaS model, and the importance of end-to-end logging for diagnosing issues.

Apple TV, now with more Tailscale

  • Tailscale, a platform for creating secure networks, is now compatible with Apple TV due to the introduction of tvOS 17, which enables the integration of Apple TV into the user's Tailscale network.
  • Functions of this integration include secure media sharing and streaming, and using Tailscale's Apple TV app to reroute traffic for additional privacy and to access geo-blocked channels during travel.
  • The Apple TV can also function as an exit node in the Tailscale network, permitting users to route traffic via their home internet connection even when they're not at home.

Reactions

  • Tailscale, a virtual private network (VPN) software, now provides support for Apple TV, enabling it to function as an exit node for other devices in a network.
  • User discussions highlight Tailscale's benefits like accessing remote machines, bypassing geolocation restrictions, and enabling streaming service sharing.
  • Tailscale successfully facilitates secure, seamless networks for an array of usage scenarios, including remote server access and getting around streaming location limitations. Some users expressed their hopes for Tailscale compatibility with other devices like LG TV and Android.

NSA Backdoor Key from Lotus-Notes (1997)

  • The article discusses the presence of a backdoor feature named "differential cryptography" in the export version of Lotus Notes, enabling the NSA to access encrypted data by brute-forcing a part of the encryption key.
  • The author reverse engineered the NSA's public key, unearthing that it carried the organizational name "MiniTruth" and common name "Big Brother," reminiscent of the totalitarian regime in George Orwell's novel "1984."
  • The text also furnishes raw public key modulus and a formatted rendition of the NSA's public key.

Reactions

  • The discussion revolves around encryption aspects, highlighting the use of a "backdoor key" by NSA in Lotus-Notes software and the curtailment on robust encryption during that period.
  • It probes into the vulnerabilities and risks linked with Intel ME, security of the ACME protocol utilized by Let's Encrypt, and the alleged human rights transgressions by US intelligence agencies.
  • Overall, the post stresses the conundrums and apprehensions implicated with encryption and privacy.

Replanting logged forests with diverse seedlings accelerates restoration

  • A University of Oxford's SE Asia Rainforest Research Partnership study found that replanting logged forests with diverse seedlings accelerates their recovery.
  • The study evaluated 125 plots in logged tropical forests and found faster recovery in plots replanted with a diverse mix of 16 native tree species compared to those with fewer species.
  • The increased biodiversity leads to heightened ecosystem functioning and stability due to different species occupying varied niches. This forest restoration strategy is vital for biodiversity maintenance and climate preservation efforts.

Reactions

  • The summary emphasizes the role of diverse seedlings in restoring logged forests, contributing to ecosystem resilience and mitigating effects of reduced rainfall and insect damage.
  • It reviews debates over preserving old-growth forests for economic gains and the use of herbicides in forest management while promoting diverse forests with native seedlings for enhanced biodiversity.
  • The discourse brings light to impacts of climate change on forest growth, illegal wood harvesting issues, and successful reforestation approaches like the Miyawaki method and seed banking.

Striking auto workers want a 40% pay increase–the same rate their CEOs’ pay grew

  • United Auto Workers (UAW) members at Ford, GM, and Stellantis have initiated a strike following failure to agree on worker compensation with the companies.
  • The UAW wants a 40% hourly pay hike spread across four years. They claim that while the auto companies' profits grew by 92% from 2013 to 2022, the workers did not proportionally benefit.
  • The strike, striving for the abolition of compensation tiers and more workplace safety, threatens to halt activities at key plants and may expand based on negotiation outcomes.

Reactions

  • The text discusses a range of topics related to CEO pay, worker compensation, unions, and power dynamics within corporations.
  • Areas of focus include income inequality, the role and stress levels of CEOs, the impact of worker strikes, and issues around wealth distribution and allocation of money.
  • The discussions feature conflicting opinions, underlining the complexities and differing views surrounding these subjects.

Memory-efficient enum arrays in Zig

  • The blog post discusses the problem of memory fragmentation in Rust due to the necessity to allocate sufficient space for the largest variant in enum arrays.
  • The author mentions methods to reduce fragmentation like the struct-of-arrays approach, and array of variant arrays approach, particularly in the context of compilers and ASTs (Abstract Syntax Trees).
  • The advantages of Zig's memory-efficient data structures over Rust are highlighted, including the ability to perform concise transformations and the potential for setting index bitwidth at compile time for better memory efficiency.

Reactions

  • The conversation focuses on programming languages like Zig, Rust, and C++, discussing topics from memory-efficient arrays to Turing completeness, comptime types, and memory safety.
  • Participants examine the suitability, challenges, and maturity levels of these languages for various applications, along with their pros and cons.
  • The discussion emphasizes the importance of language adoption, developer experience, and the trade-offs between different methodologies and approaches in programming.

The brain is not an onion with a tiny reptile inside (2020)

  • The article refutes the common understanding in psychology that the brain's evolution is due to increasing complexity through additional newer structures overlaying older ones, a belief now discredited by neurobiologists.
  • The authors highlight that this misconception may have impeded progress within the field, emphasizing the need for a correct understanding of neural evolution to prevent research bias and identify cross-species correlations.
  • The summary also underlines the importance of interdisciplinary research in fields like impulsivity, inhibition, and delay of gratification, and negates the idea that humans have unique neural structures tied to specific cognitive functions.

Reactions

  • The piece critically evaluates the triune brain model, arguing it is too simplified and doesn't precisely depict the intricacies of brain evolution.
  • The article emphasizes the interplay between the brain and the body, the significance of overlooked brain areas, and the issues inherent in simplifying complex scientific ideas.
  • The post also delves into the limitations and hurdles of psychology as a science, particularly regarding the credibility and dependability of studies within the discipline.

FTC warns pharma companies about sham patent listings designed to delay generics

  • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a warning to pharmaceutical firms against falsely listing drugs in the FDA's Orange Book to ward off generic drug competition and maintain high prices.
  • The FTC will thoroughly examine inappropriate Orange Book listings to identify unfair competition and potential illegal monopolization.
  • Criticisms about the accountability of pharmaceutical firms and the insufficient review processes have been expressed, highlighting broader concerns in the industry.

Reactions

  • The FTC has warned pharmaceutical companies against using false patent listings to hinder the introduction of generic drugs to the market, a practice that stifles competition and retains product exclusivity.
  • The contentious role of patents in the accessibility and pricing of medicines is the focal discussion, leading to calls for fundamental reforms in the patent system, stricter regulations, potential congressional action, and strong punishments for anti-competitive behaviors.
  • There is a discussion about the role of regulatory bodies like the FDA and an emphasis on Lina Khan's appointment, speculating her potential impact on addressing patent issues in the pharmaceutical industry.

Japan's Hometown Tax (2018)

  • The Furusato Nouzei, a Japanese tax policy, allows taxpayers to donate part of their residence tax to any chosen city or prefecture for a tax credit.
  • Initially designed to reduce economic disparity and foster connections to hometowns, the system has morphed into a competitive marketplace where donors can select a hometown depending on the gifts or services provided.
  • Despite possible inefficiencies in resource reallocation, this system's popularity is fuelled by bidding wars and online platforms. It's sustainable and benefits the cities by enhancing contact with their diaspora.

Reactions

  • The article addresses numerous themes like talent retention in major cities, the influence of grandparents in childcare, and the concept of a hometown tax, demonstrating the complexity of societal structures.
  • It delves into the effectiveness of churches in fostering community connections and contrasts this with government spending, touching upon the workings of agency in a democratic setting.
  • The piece examines the rural-urban divide and disparities in political opportunities while also noting Japan's Hometown Tax program as a unique approach towards funding rural areas.

How to do literal web searches after Google destroyed the “ ” feature?

  • A recent update to Google has altered how search functionality behaves, which has caused user discontent. Previously well-functioning features, such as searching for a domain name in quotation marks, now yield sub-optimal results.
  • Instead of providing no results for unmatched exact searches within quotation marks, Google now returns unrelated content, frustrating users who relied on this feature.
  • Users are now seeking solutions or workarounds to this issue of changed search functionality within Google.

Reactions

  • Users express their dissatisfaction with Google search, raising concerns about privacy, targeted ads, and the removal of 'exact match' feature.
  • Kagi, an alternative search engine, is being lauded for its relevance and ad-free experience. Debate topics include Kagi's functionality, its probability of acquisition by Google, and performance in localized searches and multilingual support.
  • Users also suggest DuckDuckGo as a viable alternative, bemoaning the decreasing usage of Google's 'verbatim' search feature. They are in search of platforms that prioritize data privacy, search accuracy, and user control over data.

US Military asks for help locating missing F-35

  • The US military is looking for a missing F-35 fighter jet following a "mishap" in South Carolina, requesting public assistance in the search due to the aircraft's stealth capabilities.
  • The pilot of the jet safely ejected, indicating that the incident resulted in no loss of life.
  • Notably, this is not the first time an F-35, part of the most expensive weapons program in US history, has been involved in incidents like crashes or technical problems.

Reactions

  • The US Military is seeking help to find a missing F-35 aircraft, as discussed on Hacker News.
  • The discourse on the forum includes debates on the trustworthiness of the news sources.
  • There are also comments addressing the timing of the posts.

Update on KDP Title Creation Limits

  • Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) has shared an update stating they will be reducing the volume limits on new title creations to guard against misuse.
  • This change will impact only a select few publishers who will be notified and given the choice to apply for an exemption.
  • KDP underlines the necessity to follow their content guidelines and pledges to prioritize the interests of authors, publishers, and readers in their actions.

Reactions

  • The discussion centers around criticisms leveled at Amazon for allowing AI-generated low-quality books and fake reviews to saturate its platform, potentially misleading newcomers in tech fields.
  • Opinions vary on the solutions, with some emphasizing the need for curated content, others underscoring the importance of variety, and discussions on the effectiveness of Amazon's measures to regulate, including requiring authors to declare if content is AI-generated.
  • This conversation reflects a broader debate about AI's role in various fields, the necessity of trustworthy sources, and the call for proactive consumer protection practices.

Mythbusters: Wing Commander I Edition

  • The article delves into the origins and credibility of a popular gaming community story about a programmer in the original Wing Commander game.
  • The story states that the programmer reportedly used a hack to display a humorous message whenever the game encountered an error.
  • It was found that though the tale is partially accurate and confirmed by the game's lead programmer, the humorous message wasn't displayed in the game as per the narrative.

Reactions

  • This post challenges the myth regarding a hidden level select screen in the game Wing Commander I, initially assumed to be an easter egg.
  • In reality, it was a custom crash handler developed by the game creators to circumvent potential delays in the release due to possible rejections from Sega's Quality Assurance (QA) team.
  • The article further explores the role of QA in game development and evaluates the dependability of memories associated with video games.

Some new snippets from the Snowden documents

  • The article outlines Jacob Appelbaum's PhD thesis, unveiling insights from the Snowden documents about NSA's protocol security sabotage and interference with lawful interception systems.
  • The article corrects misconceptions presented in the thesis concerning NSA operations and surveillance, urging for more precise standards in academic publications.
  • It also provides details about the US Defense Red Switch Network and enlightens on the color codes used by the US government and armed forces, pulling data from unclassified or publicly available sources.

Reactions

  • The summary discusses several topics including government surveillance, weaknesses in encryption algorithms, and potential manipulation of security protocols, with explicit mention of the NSA's probable tampering with protocol security and cryptographic standards.
  • It delves into the complex issues and deficiencies associated with XML signature validation and JWTs (JSON Web Tokens), bringing up various viewpoints on encryption and government surveillance.
  • It additionally deals with speculations regarding NSA's capabilities and possible backdoors, and lastly, brings attention to some controversies and uncertainties tied with a person named DJB on a certain platform.

Paint on Windows is getting layers and transparency support

  • Microsoft is introducing an update to the Paint app, available to Windows Insiders, that includes support for layers and transparency.
  • This update allows users to produce more intricate digital art by layering shapes, text, and image elements.
  • The update also facilitates the opening and saving of transparent PNGs, with the Feedback Hub available for users' suggestions and comments.

Reactions

  • Microsoft Paint, a feature on Windows, is being updated to incorporate layers and transparency support, which has taken users by surprise due to the app's previously antiquated impression.
  • The refreshed calculator app has elicited assorted responses, with criticisms citing slow performance and feature deficiency. Additionally, there's debate over the value and performance of the app.
  • While some users endorse gradual improvements to Paint's functionality, others suggest exploring alternative programs. There's anticipation surrounding the potential future integration of AI image generation.

The anatomy of a Godot API call

  • The article compares Unity and Godot game engines, focusing predominantly on API call performance along with memory usage efficiencies.
  • It scrutinizes the performance of raycasting in Godot, offering code examples and benchmarks, and suggesting improvements for memory management and API design.
  • The author hints at potential solutions, such as a complete overhaul of the API or possibly using C# instead of GDScript, underscoring the need to enhance these aspects to compete effectively with engines like Unity.

Reactions

  • Discussions focus on Godot game engine's performance, scripting languages (GDScript and C#), and compare it with other game engines like Unity, Unreal, and Lumberyard.
  • There is an active critique and support, providing insights into Godot's limitations and potential for enhancements.
  • Some participants proposed alternative game engines and areas where Godot could be improved.

Your WiFi Can See You

  • Researchers have advanced a technology that utilizes WiFi signals for imaging and monitoring human activity indoors, with recent strides enabling detailed 2D and 3D imaging.
  • A significant apprehension surrounds this technology due to potential privacy invasions and potential misuse by authorities or intelligence agencies.
  • As the technology progresses and becomes more widespread, it could enable extensive surveillance of individuals without their awareness or agreement.

Reactions

  • The discussion emphasizes the use of WiFi signals for surveillance without permission or knowledge, raising significant concerns about privacy rights, legality, and possible misuse.
  • Participants underline the importance of privacy and the need for protections against unauthorized government monitoring.
  • Advancements including through-wall monitoring feature in the talk, along with methods to counter unwanted WiFi signals.

Problems with homemade billing systems

  • The article spotlights four key issues with homemade B2B neobank billing systems: requirements for frequent pricing changes, scalability concerns, problems with grandfathering present plans, and the need for a dedicated billing team.
  • The author recommends against creating an in-house billing system and emphasizes considering pre-made solutions early in the development.
  • The case of Algolia's struggles with in-house billing is presented as an example, and the article ends with stressing the significance of an early choice on billing system implementation to evade complexity and compatibility issues.

Reactions

  • The article covers the dilemma of picking between custom in-house billing systems or ready-made solutions, discussing potential difficulties with third-party options supporting complex requirements and migration processes.
  • It underlines the significance of conducting fit-gap analyses for prospect software choices, and mentions a trend where companies are shifting from custom-made systems to commercial ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems due to limits.
  • There's the emphasis on understanding the intricacies of financial accounting software, the risks of vendor lock-in, and the complexity of constructing a resilient billing system - all highlighting the need for comprehensive knowledge of billing procedures for informed decision-making.

Unix shells are generally not viable access control mechanisms any more

  • Unix shells are losing their efficacy as access control mechanisms in modern Unix environments due to the focus of many services solely on Unix logins for authentication, disregarding the login's shell.
  • Authentication services often fail to recognize the login's shell, creating challenges in restricting certain logins from accessing particular services.
  • Viable solutions include scrambling the login's password or completely excluding the login from authentication data sources.

Reactions

  • The discussions primarily focus on Unix shells, access control mechanics, password management, scalability, and deauthorization in Unix systems.
  • Users question the efficacy of shells concerning authentication and access control, propose other methods for password management and tackling scalability, and discuss the intricacies of deauthorizing users in Unix systems.
  • The text sheds light on limitations and vulnerabilities of various Unix components and puts forward probable solutions to these challenges, offering an overview of complexities and considerations in Unix/Linux system usage.