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ROBINHOOD COMPLETES BITSTAMP ACQUISITION

Robinhood has officially completed its acquisition of Bitstamp, allowing the company to expand its crypto exchange worldwide.

BASE ACCELERATES GLOBAL EXPANSION WITH NEW 'COUNTRY LEADS'

Base has hired seven country leads who will be responsible for growth across Latin America, Europe, Singapore, South Korea, and West Africa.

ADOBE FINALLY RELEASES PHOTOSHOP FOR ANDROID, AND IT'S FREE (FOR NOW)

Adobe has released Photoshop for Android in beta. The iPhone version was launched in February. The free beta includes core desktop features like masks, layers, clone stamps, and generative AI tools for object removal and content insertion. Unlike previous mobile attempts like Photoshop Express, this version offers comprehensive functionality, though it lacks filters and pixel-based cropping. Adobe hasn't revealed pricing details, but expect a subscription model similar to Lightroom mobile once the beta period ends.

EPIC IS MAKING IT EASIER TO CREATE METAHUMANS

Epic Games' MetaHuman Creator has been integrated directly into Unreal Engine 5.6, eliminating the need for separate tools. The updated system extends face-authoring capabilities to full body creation with fine-tuned parameters for comprehensive character development. Developers can now sell their MetaHumans on Epic's Fab marketplace and use real-time animation with consumer webcams. New licensing options allow MetaHuman to be used in competing engines like Unity and Godot, plus creative software, including Maya and Blender.

NBA FANS THINK ORLANDO MAGIC'S NEW LOGO HAS LOST ITS SPARKLE

The Orlando Magic have revealed a new visual identity—including jerseys, court design, and a modernized logo—for the first time in 14 years. The rebrand has divided fans who feel it plays things too safe. While the updated look aims for clean, contemporary appeal, many critics argue it lacks the boldness and uniqueness needed to resonate with a passionate fanbase.

THE TEMPLATE TRAP: HOW TEMPLATE CULTURE IS DUMBING DOWN UX

The UX field increasingly relies on templates and frameworks as universal solutions rather than adaptable starting points, undermining critical thinking. Social media amplifies this "template trap" by spreading decontextualized tools that newer practitioners adopt without proper evaluation or modification. This overreliance risks force-fitting solutions, missing contextual nuances, and collectively lowering professional standards in UX work. The solution involves starting with clear goals, evaluating template alignment, seeking real-world applications, and making deliberate modifications to reclaim intellectual rigor.

THE NEW MANDATE: DESIGN LEADERSHIP IN AN AI-NATIVE WORLD

Design leaders can no longer wait for permission or clarity in an AI-native world where intelligence has moved into the interface. AI-native products require systems-level thinking, with designers shaping system behaviors, ethical boundaries, and interaction architecture rather than just polishing surfaces. The shift demands moving from execution to direction, refinement to authorship, as design becomes a strategic co-author of products rather than a support function. Design leaders must proactively shape conversations, roadmaps, and how intelligence behaves, leading from the future rather than waiting for invitations to participate.

CREATE VIDEOS AND IMAGES IN SECONDS

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CUSTOM AI CHATBOTS

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COMPONENT CMS WITH AB TESTING AND PERSONALIZATION

Croct's component-based headless CMS simplifies product optimization and helps product teams scale experimentation without relying too heavily on developers.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE TO OTHER CREATIVES? IT'S PROBABLY NOT WHAT YOU THINK

Success in the creative industries is shifting away from traditional benchmarks, such as prestigious roles and high salaries, toward more personal and meaningful goals, including freedom, balance, impact, and joy. Creative professionals in 2025 increasingly define success by autonomy, emotional fulfillment, and the ability to live in alignment with their values, rather than by titles or income alone.

COASTAL COOL: GAGE ROADS HUEY'S LAID-BACK BRANDING AND PACKAGING DESIGN

Gage Roads' "Huey" Coastal Lager features nostalgic, coastal-inspired branding with retro typography and a charming seagull mascot, reflecting the brewery's Fremantle roots and connection to the sea. Every design element—from the clear flint bottle to the metallic gold 6-pack wrap—was carefully crafted to evoke a relaxed, sun-soaked, and natural coastal experience.

A PRACTITIONER'S JOURNAL ON NAVIGATING UX IN THE AGE OF AI

As AI transforms tools, workflows, and user expectations, UX design is shifting from interface-centric practices to dynamic, system-level thinking, emphasizing personalization, ethical responsibility, and cross-functional collaboration. The future of UX lies in designing with AI agents, multimodal interactions, and ambient technologies, demanding that designers act not just as creators but as ethical orchestrators of human-centered, intelligent systems.

THIS NODE-BASED CREATIVE AI APP IS CHANGING HOW ARTISTS WORK

FLORA represents a shift from convenience-focused AI tools toward giving artists deliberate control over their creative process, positioning itself as a bridge between AI capabilities and traditional artistic workflows.

ILLUSTRATOR YVIE JOHNSON IS ON A MISSION TO LIGHT UP THE SHADOWS OF THE PSYCHE

Illustrator Yvie Johnson's work includes illustrating for Women Enabled International at COP27, portraits of disabled gods and goddesses, and projects supporting mental health charities.

8 AI SKILLS YOU NEED TO LAND YOUR DREAM DESIGN JOB, ACCORDING TO THE PROS

To land a design job in 2025, it's essential to understand and work thoughtfully with AI, not as a replacement, but as a creative partner that accelerates ideation and execution.

HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE WARNS OF CRITICAL STOREONCE AUTH BYPASS

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has patched eight significant security vulnerabilities in its StoreOnce backup software. A critical flaw enables attackers to bypass login checks and gain system access. HPE recommends that all users promptly upgrade to version 4.3.11 to protect against these issues.

MALICIOUS RUBYGEMS POSE AS FASTLANE TO STEAL TELEGRAM API DATA

Researchers at Socket identified two malicious Ruby gems impersonating the fastlane-plugin-telegram gem, which is used for sending CI/CD updates from Fastlane to a Telegram channel. The typosquatted gems are nearly identical to the legitimate gem except that they redirect Telegram API calls to an attacker-controlled server. Any bot tokens that were used in builds with the malicious gems should be considered compromised.

35K SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS EXPOSED TO THE INTERNET

Cybersecurity researchers at Forescout have discovered that roughly 35k solar power systems are internet exposed. These devices were found by searching on Shodan and many are vulnerable to existing exploits.

HOW I USED O3 TO FIND CVE-2025-37899, A REMOTE ZERO-DAY VULNERABILITY IN THE LINUX KERNEL'S SMB IMPLEMENTATION

A security researcher used OpenAI's o3 model to find CVE-2025-37899, a previously unknown zero-day use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SMB implementation (ksmbd). The flaw occurs when one thread frees a session user object while another thread on a concurrent connection is still accessing it, leading to potential kernel memory corruption. This represents the first documented case of an LLM discovering a vulnerability requiring complex reasoning about concurrent execution paths, demonstrating that o3 has achieved a significant breakthrough in automated code analysis capabilities that can be utilized for bug hunting.

PATCHGUARD INTERNALS

PatchGuard (Kernel Patch Protection) is a Windows kernel mitigation introduced in 2005 that monitors critical kernel structures like IDT, GDT, MSRs, and SSDT, triggering a BSOD with error code 0x109 for unauthorized modifications. It employs randomized activation methods, such as timers and hidden DPCs, making its behavior unpredictable and hard to reverse engineer. Bypasses exist through boot-time patches and hypervisor-based rootkits that use Extended Page Tables (EPT) to hide changes, but both require disabling Secure Boot.

THE CLOUD HUNTING GAMES (WEB APP)

The Cloud Hunting Games is a capture-the-flag game developed by Wiz in which players investigate a simulated cloud ransomware attack.

AUTOPWNKEY

AutoPwnKey is a red-teaming framework and testing tool that utilizes AutoHotKey for evasion.

FOSS TOOLS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE TESTING

A collection of open-source tools to test infrastructure. The highlighted tools include DNS tools, SSL/TLS tools, and mail servers.

SMART CARS, DUMB PASSWORDS: AUTO INDUSTRY STILL RUNS ON WEAK PASSWORDS

Many car companies rely on weak and reused passwords like "123456" for system security, making them vulnerable to hackers. This lax security puts smart cars and sensitive company data at risk. Experts recommend stronger passwords, employee training, and multi-factor authentication to enhance protection against cyberattacks.

MICROSOFT WANTS WINDOWS UPDATE TO HANDLE ALL APPS

Microsoft has announced that it is opening up the Windows Update system to developers via a new orchestration platform. Hooking into the Windows Update orchestration platform will allow developers to take advantage of scheduled updates based on user activity, battery status, and even sustainable energy timing. Developers can also make use of the Windows Update notifications.

GOOGLE ADDRESSES 34 HIGH-SEVERITY VULNERABILITIES IN JUNE'S ANDROID SECURITY UPDATE

Google's June Android update fixes 34 high-severity security flaws, including one that could let attackers gain extra control with user help.

THE PATH TO MEMORY SAFETY IS INEVITABLE

Achieving memory safety requires a multi-faceted approach that goes beyond switching to memory safe languages.

STATE OF SEARCH Q1 2025: BEHAVIORS, TRENDS, AND CLICKS ACROSS THE US & EUROPE

While traditional engines still lead, with a 90.2% user share in the US and 92.5% in Europe, AI search is steadily gaining ground. ChatGPT reached 21.7% of the user base in the US and 26.6% in Europe, where adoption has outpaced the US. Users are not just searching, but completing tasks, with AI traffic increasingly directed to platforms like YouTube, GitHub, and ResearchGate. Organic clicks remain the top search outcome, while zero-click results saw a small uptick. YouTube rose to the top destination from traditional search in the US, reflecting the rise of video-based discovery. AI adoption is growing but follows a familiar slow-burn curve, not a sudden disruption.

DO US CONSUMERS CARE ABOUT SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING IN 2025?

77% of US consumers say recyclability is the most important sustainability feature in packaging, yet only a third rank environmental impact among their top purchasing concerns. Functional benefits like shelf life, label clarity, and durability dominate decision-making, especially amid inflation and economic uncertainty. While many still care about sustainability, they expect brand owners to lead the effort without requiring trade-offs in price or performance.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE CREATOR MARKETING GOES BEYOND ENDORSEMENTS

About half of Gen Z feels a stronger connection to creators than to celebrities. This emotional tie is shaping how brands approach partnerships by bringing creators into the early stages of campaign development instead of treating them as distribution channels. Brands are now involving creators in ideation and production to build campaigns that reflect the creator's voice and audience expectations. The approach reflects a broader understanding that authenticity and personal connection are driving purchase behavior more than celebrity status.

HOW TO DO GEO FOR LINKEDIN AND REDDIT CONTENT

LLMs often source content from Reddit and LinkedIn when making recommendations, even though social content may not directly drive clicks. To optimize for this, create clear, easy-to-read lists or reviews that answer common questions, use AI tools to polish posts for clarity, and encourage customers or partners to mention your brand frequently. Engaging content that generates many comments, especially through open-ended questions or slight controversy, increases the chance of being cited. Comment volume, rather than likes or impressions, strongly influences inclusion in these AI-driven recommendations.

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HOW 3 MARKETERS USE AI

3 marketers share how they use AI to simplify and speed up content, outreach, and sales. They repurpose past content to generate founder-style posts using tools like Claude and Descript, automate podcast and PR outreach through AI protocols, and deploy AI agents to qualify leads, follow up with churned customers, schedule meetings, and handle multilingual calls.

INSTAGRAM'S EDITS APP UPDATES

Instagram's Edits app added 35 transition effects, including “Zoom Ripple” and “Vertical Stretch,” to enhance video cuts. It improved track handle sensitivity for more precise clip trimming and introduced a feature that applies volume changes across all clips to keep audio consistent.

CHATGPT VS CLAUDE VS GEMINI: THE BEST AI MODEL FOR EACH USE CASE IN 2025

Claude stood out with its high-fidelity execution, especially in complex coding tasks like building a Mario-level game and in writing edits that retained the author's tone with minimal prompting. ChatGPT excelled in personalized assistance, using memory to recall user context, respond with emotional nuance, and produce structured, actionable research. Gemini led in multimodal experimentation, particularly in video generation with Veo 3, and delivered fast, budget-friendly performance for developers working across formats.

THE PERSONALIZATION OF SOFTWARE

Software has shifted from being personal and expressive, like on MySpace, to mass-market and uniform, like Facebook. Despite the explosion of apps, most are built for general use rather than tailored to individual needs. AI is reversing this trend by making personalized software fast and accessible. Tools like Lovable enable anyone to build apps in seconds, with Lovable now reaching $60M in ARR. Meanwhile, Helium aims to automate software improvement using AI agents that experiment and optimize continuously, boosting outcomes like paywall revenue by over 50%. As AI spreads, it's enabling non-coders to create software and letting software improve itself, reshaping who builds and how.

MATCH GROUP CEO SAYS GEN Z IS DIFFERENT AND HE'S MAKING DRASTIC CHANGES TO TINDER TO KEEP UP

Tinder and other Match Group apps are losing traction with Gen Z, a cohort that prefers real-life interactions and feels alienated by swipe-based dating. CEO Spencer Rascoff is revamping product strategy to align with these trends, introducing features like collaborative dating that allow users to pair up with friends and match with other pairs for group chats and real-life meetups. The broader goal is to shift the perception of dating apps from transactional experiences to spaces that connect people and reduce loneliness.

RETAIL MEDIA NEEDS MORE THAN ROAS

Research shows that 60% of brands should maintain or reduce retail media spend to avoid missing out on higher-ROI opportunities.

SHOULD YOU "DARK MODE" YOUR BRAND TO BE AI-FORWARD?

Black backgrounds, light text, glowing neons, and moody gradients have become the design language of choice for AI-native companies.

REDDIT SUES ANTHROPIC FOR ALLEGEDLY NOT PAYING FOR TRAINING DATA

Reddit's lawsuit makes it the first Big Tech company to legally challenge an AI model provider over its training data practices.

HOW WE REDUCED THE IMPACT OF ZOMBIE CLIENTS

"Zombie clients" are abandoned servers that continuously and unsuccessfully request certificate renewals from LetsEncrypt, wasting resources. LetsEncrypt implemented a "pausing" approach, temporarily limiting an account-hostname pair's ability to request certificates if repeated validation failures occur. This system included a self-service unpause feature, allowing users to quickly resume certificate issuance if they resolve the underlying issues.

MACHINE CODE ISN'T SCARY

Machine code is not as scary as it seems. It involves understanding instructions, registers, and memory. This article breaks down the structure of instructions in both architectures, showing how operations are encoded into binary data.

WHY I WROTE THE BEAM BOOK

"The BEAM Book" is a technical resource for Erlang and Elixir systems. The process of writing it was tough, with the author having to deal with canceled publishing deals and periods of stalled progress. The motivation derived from understanding the BEAM and the support from the community kept them going.

WRITING A POSTMORTEM: AN INTERVIEW EXERCISE I REALLY LIKE

Mapbox used a blameless postmortem as a take-home exercise. This type of exercise is great for assessing a candidate's writing ability, empathy, and critical thinking skills, compared to an in-person coding interview.

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