TLDR 2025-05-16

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CARPLAY ULTRA'S FIRST TRIAL REVEALS A DEEPLY INTEGRATED, APPLE-LIKE EXPERIENCE

Apple's CarPlay Ultra is now available. Shipping initially in the Aston Martin, the next-generation interface expands the iPhone-based interface across multiple displays on the dashboard. It is able to display elements such as speed and fuel level. The new CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running on iOS 18.4 or newer. A video that examines the new features of CarPlay Ultra is available in the article.

COINBASE SAYS HACKERS BRIBED STAFF TO STEAL CUSTOMER DATA AND ARE DEMANDING $20 MILLION RANSOM

Coinbase customer data was recently stolen by cybercriminals using social engineering techniques. The incident may cost the company up to $400 million to fix. The data stolen includes names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, masked bank account numbers and identifiers, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, government ID images, and account balances. The attackers demanded a $20 million ransom, but Coinbase said it would not pay. It instead offered a $20 million reward fund for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the criminals responsible for the attack.

A GENE-EDITING BREAKTHROUGH SAVES INFANT WITH RARE DISEASE

An infant in Philadelphia has been successfully treated with a customized CRISPR gene-editing therapy for a rare and deadly disease. The infant lacked an enzyme in his liver that normally converts ammonia to urea. This caused ammonia to build up and damage organs in the body. Before the treatment, the infant was in the eighth or ninth percentile for weight - after, he is now in the 35th to 40th percentile. The infant still needs medication, but now needs less. His treatment could potentially be used as a template for creating individualized treatments quickly for other patients with rare diseases.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE US, A ROTATING DETONATION ROCKET ENGINE TAKES FLIGHT

Venus Aerospace has completed a short flight test of its rotating detonation rocket engine. The concept has been discussed academically for decades and has previously been tested in a handful of countries, but this is believed to be the first US-based flight test of the idea. The technology makes traversing the globe in under two hours possible. Venus still has a long way to go before it can provide highly efficient hypersonic commercial flight, but the flight test proves that such a future is at least possible.

WORKING ON COMPLEX SYSTEMS

Understanding the difference between complicated and complex problems is important because each requires a fundamentally different approach. Complicated problems are intricate but predictable, following structured, repeatable solutions, while complex problems are unique, requiring adaptive and often novel solutions. Recognizing whether a system is complicated or complex can help lead to solutions with more effective results. In many environments, systems are neither purely complicated nor purely complex - the key is learning to recognize when adaptability is needed and when structural solutions are enough.

A YEAR ON, VALKEY CHARTS PATH TO V9 AFTER BREAK FROM REDIS

Redis' decision to tighten license terms resulted in an exodus of contributors and the creation of Valkey. Valkey's creation resulted in a large number of pent-up requests for functionality being unleashed, some of which were being held up by Redis Open Source. The Valkey team will likely release v9 rather than 8.2 due to some changes that are a little bit more intrusive. It plans to be very conservative about what it puts into a version so that there are as few breaking changes as possible.

META IS DELAYING THE ROLLOUT OF ITS FLAGSHIP AI MODEL

Meta's engineers are struggling to significantly improve the capabilities of the company's 'Behemoth' large language model. The model was intentionally slated for an April release, but this has now been delayed to fall or later. Staff are concerned that the model's performance won't match public statements about its capabilities. The company is contemplating significant management changes to its AI product group.

MICROSOFT'S CEO ON HOW AI WILL REMAKE EVERY COMPANY, INCLUDING HIS

AI is rapidly commoditizing, and this is a good thing for Microsoft. CEO Satya Nadella believes that as AI becomes more accessible and its usage becomes more efficient, consumption will increase. The company has created its own AI architectures to prepare for this future. Microsoft's investment into AI projects will likely generate trillions of dollars in economic activity.

MONTANA BECOMES THE RIGHT TO TRY ANYTHING STATE, EXPANDING ACCESS TO EXPERIMENTAL DRUGS

A new bill in Montana permits clinics and doctors to sell and provide nearly any experimental drug to potential patients.

STACK OVERFLOW IS ALMOST DEAD

The number of monthly questions on Stack Overflow this month is as low as when the site launched in 2009.

MY 2025 HIGH-END LINUX PC 🐧

This article discusses a Linux PC build with an Intel 285K CPU for low idle power, a 4TB SSD, and an Nvidia graphics card to drive a Dell UP3218K 8K monitor.

A LEAP YEAR CHECK IN THREE INSTRUCTIONS

This post discusses a different approach to checking leap years and explains in detail the math behind it.

INTERNET ARTIFACTS

This site contains a collection of artifacts that tell the history of the internet.

YOUTUBE LAUNCHES WEEKLY TOP PODCAST LIST TO RIVAL SPOTIFY AND APPLE

YouTube's Weekly Top Podcast Shows Chart, which will be updated every Wednesday, only tracks podcasts in the US.