The Daily Index — Monday, July 22, 2024 · TLDR Index

Across today’s newsletters

Today’s Index

TLDR

HOW A SOFTWARE UPDATE FROM CYBER FIRM CROWDSTRIKE CAUSED ONE OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST IT BLACKOUTS

A fault with an update issued by CrowdStrike led to worldwide outages on Friday. CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity vendor that develops software to help companies detect and block hacks. It uses cloud technology to apply cyber protections to internet connected devices. The software requires deep access to systems to scan for threats. A fix has been issued, but it could be hard to implement - engineers will have to go into each individual data center running Windows to apply the fix, entering complex encryption keys manually for encrypted machines.

cnbc.com · 5 min

TLDR AI

ARTIFICIAL AGENCY RAISES $16M TO USE AI TO MAKE NPCS FEEL MORE REALISTIC IN VIDEO GAMES

Former Google DeepMind scientists at Artificial Agency unveiled an AI behavior engine for dynamic NPCs in video games. They have raised $16 million to enhance in-game interactions. They're working with renowned AAA studios and expecting widespread adoption by 2025 despite potential cost implications. Their engine offers more realistic and responsive game characters without predefined scripts.

techcrunch.com · 5 min

TLDR Web Dev

TECHNICAL DETAILS: FALCON CONTENT UPDATE FOR WINDOWS HOSTS

On July 19, CrowdStrike released a sensor configuration update to Windows systems that triggered a logic error resulting in system crashes and blue screens. The issue was caused by an updated Channel File 291 (a config file) that controls how Falcon evaluates named pipe execution. CrowdStrike has corrected the error and updated the file, but billions of systems are still affected.

crowdstrike.com · 3 min

TLDR InfoSec

VULNERABILITY IN CISCO SMART SOFTWARE MANAGER LETS ATTACKERS CHANGE ANY USER PASSWORD

Another Cisco critical vulnerability has been disclosed. CVE-2024-20419 allows unauthenticated attackers to change any user's password, including administrators'. This flaw in the password-change process enables access to the web UI or API with compromised user privileges. No workarounds exist. Cisco released a security update and reports no active exploitation.

arstechnica.com · 2 min

TLDR Crypto

RYAN SELKIS QUITS AS MESSARI CEO FOLLOWING INFLAMMATORY TWEETS

Ryan Selkis has resigned as Messari's CEO after making controversial tweets, which included inflammatory political statements and hostile remarks towards immigrants, that placed his team at risk. He made the decision after receiving intense criticism for his social media conduct. Messari's Chief Revenue Officer Eric Turner will take over the position as interim CEO.

threadreaderapp.com · 3 min

TLDR

GOOGLE WANTS TO STEAL RAY-BAN MAKER FROM META FOR GEMINI SMART GLASSES

Google has approached Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica about putting its Gemini assistant on future smart glasses. Meta was recently in advanced talks with EssilorLuxottica about acquiring a five percent stake in the company. It is unlikely that Meta will lose its partnership with EssilorLuxottica to Google. Google is developing an XR platform and has partnered with Samsung and Qualcomm for a device. It previously partnered with Luxottica prior to its merger with Essilor to make Google Glass.

androidauthority.com · 2 min

TLDR

COMPLETE RECYCLE OF SOLID-STATE BATTERIES POSSIBLE, THANKS TO POLYMER LAYERS

Solid-state lithium batteries are stable, have a higher energy density, and are much safer than conventional lithium-ion batteries, but they are more difficult to recycle. New research has revealed a practical and efficient way to recycle solid-state batteries. The process results in recycled batteries with over 92 percent of the discharge capacity of the original battery. The research demonstrates that it is possible to recycle solid-state batteries and harness their potential without harming the environment.

interestingengineering.com · 5 min

TLDR

ACCIDENTALLY EXPOSED YELLOWISH-GREEN CRYSTALS REVEAL ‘MIND-BLOWING' FINDING ON MARS, SCIENTISTS SAY

The Curiosity rover has discovered rocks made of pure sulfur. The discovery was made by accident after the 1-ton rover drove over a rock and cracked it open, revealing yellowish-green crystals. On Earth, pure elemental sulfur is mostly found in places like hydrothermal vents. The rock was discovered in an area that was likely formed due to violent water flows and landslides. Curiosity is still in great health after 12 years of service.

cnn.com · 9 min

TLDR

LET'S BLAME THE DEV WHO PRESSED "DEPLOY"

Software developers are often incorrectly held responsible for bugs and outages. The people responsible for these incidents are those who put pressure on software engineers: CEOs, customers, regulators, and other parties in positions of power. Other professionals, such as anesthesiologists or structural engineers, are given the respect they deserve and thus can take responsibility for their work. People ignore software engineers, resulting in broken organizational practices.

yieldcode.blog · 6 min