The Daily Index — Wednesday, May 8, 2024 · TLDR Index

Across today’s newsletters

Today’s Index

TLDR

EVERYTHING ANNOUNCED AT APPLE'S LET LOOSE IPAD EVENT

Apple's Let Loose showcase was all about the iPad. The next iPad Pro will be powered by an M4 chip. It will use a new display tech called Tandem OLED, which layers two OLED panels on top of each other to provide richer colors and deeper blacks. The iPad Air is now available in 11 inches and 13 inches. The Apple Pencil Pro features a new squeeze gesture and supports rotation. The new Magic Keyboard, which is only compatible with the iPad Pro, features a larger trackpad with haptic feedback as well as a row of function keys.

engadget.com · 6 min

TLDR Web Dev

TOKEN-BASED AUTHENTICATION AND JWTS

Token-based authentication is when a user is authenticated by presenting a digitally signed token instead of entering a password. It's a common alternative to session-based authentication. JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) are a popular implementation of token-based authentication as they have a self-contained structure that includes user data and a signature for integrity verification. This article provides code implementations for both generic token-based authentication and JWTs.

swequiz.com · 7 min

TLDR InfoSec

PHYSICAL SECURITY BIZ EXPOSES 1.2M FILES VIA UNPROTECTED DATABASE

Amberstone Security exposed nearly 1.3 million documents through a misconfigured public-facing database. The leaked data, dating back to 2017, contained over 99,000 snapshots of guards checking in for shifts. The data includes sensitive information like names, headshots, ID cards, and signatures, potentially compromising the security of the company's operations and personnel.

theregister.com · 4 min

TLDR Crypto

GARY GENSLER SAYS IT'S OUR FAULT THE SEC APPEARS SO FOCUSED ON CRYPTO

In an appearance on CNBC, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler said he believes there is a disproportionate amount of scams, fraud, and media attention in crypto compared to its market cap. He believes that the attention given to the SEC's crypto enforcement is a function of the fact that that's where the media's attention is and that he is frequently asked about crypto by financial media. Gensler did not comment on recent Wells notices or lawsuits facing Robinhood, Consensys, and others.

decrypt.co · 3 min

TLDR Design

THE NEW APPLE PENCIL PRO IS HARDER TO LOSE AND BETTER TO DRAW WITH

The Apple Pencil Pro, introduced during Apple's "Let Loose" iPad event, is a significant update to the stylus line, with new features like the "Barrel Roll" gyroscope for adjusting brushes, a squeeze gesture for tool switching, and Find My support to prevent loss. This third-generation stylus, priced at $129, maintains the advanced functionalities of its predecessor and adds enhancements like haptic feedback for a more intuitive creative process.

theverge.com · 2 min

TLDR

TIKTOK SUES TO BLOCK U.S. BAN

TikTok has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new law requiring the sale or ban of the company. The suit seeks a court order preventing the US from enforcing the law. It accuses the US of trampling on TikTok's First Amendment rights under the banner of national security. Parent company ByteDance says it can't and won't sell its US operations by the deadline, leaving litigation as its best hope to remain in the US market. It claims to have taken measures to safeguard user data and prevent Chinese influence.

links.tldrnewsletter.com · 8 min

TLDR

SOME CASES OF ALZHEIMER'S CAUSED BY TWO COPIES OF A SINGLE GENE

Researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer's disease that occurs in people who inherit two copies of the APOE4 gene. The gene has been associated with the disease as a risk factor for Alzheimer's for years. A recent study suggests that having two copies of the gene is an underlying cause of Alzheimer's rather than just a risk factor. An estimated 15% of Alzheimer's patients carry two copies of APOE4. The gene can make symptoms begin seven to 10 years sooner than in other adults, but it also makes patients more prone to the dangerous side effects of some drug treatments. The discovery allows researchers to develop gene therapy or drugs specifically targeting the gene.

nbcnews.com · 5 min

TLDR

BASE POWER COMPANY

The power industry is bottlenecked by the grid - adding more renewables and electrifying more things will only make the grid less stable. The grid is buckling due to the increasing use of variable sources of electricity, decreasing grid reliability, increasing delays in building electrical infrastructure, and increasing demand for electricity. The Base Power Company is trying to fix this problem by deploying connected batteries across the grid. These batteries will store energy for use when needed, reducing strain on the grid.

notboring.co · 78 min

TLDR

DENIABLE ENCRYPTION

Deniable encryption is a concept where messages are encrypted in such a way that using a different key would reveal a different message. Theoretically, it allows people to reveal their keys without spilling their secrets. This blog post proposes a method for building a deniable encryption scheme that allows multiple passwords and messages. The full code for the method is provided.

ayende.com · 27 min