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SEC CASTS DOUBT ON STAKING ETHEREUM, SOLANA ETFS

INTRODUCING KRAKEN PRIME

Kraken has launched Kraken Prime, a full-service prime brokerage for institutional crypto clients that consolidates trading, custody, and financing into a single platform.

SONIC AIRDROP NOW AVAILABLE IN UNITED STATES

The Sonic airdrop is now claimable within the United States.

TRUMP CRYPTO WALLET LAUNCHING SOON, BUT FAMILY DENIES INVOLVEMENT

Magic Eden announced that it had partnered with the team behind the $TRUMP memecoin to create a wallet, but the family announced on X that they have nothing to do with the project.

BING LETS YOU USE OPENAI'S SORA VIDEO GENERATOR FOR FREE

Microsoft has integrated OpenAI's Sora video generator into its Bing mobile app, offering free access without requiring a ChatGPT subscription. The Bing Video Creator allows users to generate five-second vertical videos through text descriptions, with standard and fast generation options available. The feature is rolling out globally to Android and iPhone Bing apps, with desktop support coming later. While the video quality shows limitations compared to competitors like Google's Veo 3, it provides accessible AI video generation for mobile users.

CHATBOT PLATFORM CHARACTER.AI UNVEILS VIDEO GENERATION, SOCIAL FEEDS

Character.AI has launched multimedia features, including AvatarFX video generation, which allows users to create talking videos of AI characters with custom voices and dialogue. The platform introduced Scenes and Streams for collaborative storytelling and a social feed for sharing character-generated content. While Character.AI blocks real people's photos and watermark videos, concerns remain about potential deepfake abuse, given the company's history of safety issues. The features expand beyond the platform's original text-based chatbot format to offer more interactive character experiences.

GOOGLE QUIETLY PAUSED THE ROLLOUT OF ITS AI-POWERED ‘ASK PHOTOS' SEARCH FEATURE

Google has paused the rollout of its AI-powered “Ask Photos” feature due to concerns over latency, quality, and user experience. The tool, which uses a custom version of Google's Gemini AI, was designed to help users search their photo libraries using natural language queries, but is being refined after underwhelming performance. This marks another instance of Google halting AI features shortly after launch, reflecting ongoing challenges in deploying reliable AI tools amid intense industry competition.

HOW TO “BREAK” YOUR DESIGN SYSTEM RULES WITHOUT CREATING CHAOS

Design systems should serve as flexible frameworks rather than rigid rulebooks, with effective rule-breaking requiring a deep understanding of underlying principles and collaborative governance. Modern organizations are shifting from "Pattern Police" to "Empathic Sherpas," who treat design systems as evolving infrastructures accommodating thoughtful innovation. Successful rule-breaking involves structured contribution models, transparent processes, and collaborative frameworks that turn deviations into systematic improvements.

REINVENT THE WHEEL

While often well-intentioned, the advice to "not reinvent the wheel" can stifle curiosity and hinder deep learning, especially in fields like software engineering, where rebuilding foundational tools fosters true understanding. By exploring, experimenting, and even failing, individuals not only learn how systems work but also uncover new possibilities, making reinvention a valuable path to both personal growth and innovation.

ARE SOCIAL MEDIA PILE-ONS STIFLING THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY?

The backlash to GF Smith's rebrand highlights how social media criticism in the design industry can quickly shift from constructive debate to toxic, personal attacks—often fueled by unrealistic standards and hidden biases around race, class, and tradition. While open critique is vital, unchecked negativity risks discouraging bold creative decisions and ultimately harms the industry by making clients afraid to innovate.

REFERENCES AND TOOLS FOR DESIGNERS

SearchSystem is an ever-growing collection of references and tools for designers.

FREE AI-POWERED PHOTO EDITOR

Create professional, stunning visuals with PxBee's free AI photo editor. Easily remove backgrounds, change scenes, and elevate photo quality in seconds.

DESIGN, GOVERN, AND ORCHESTRATE ALL AI AGENTS

Boomi Agentstudio is a full agent lifecycle management solution that empowers organizations to design, govern, and orchestrate all AI agents at scale to responsibly unlock hyper productivity.

HOW TO CREATE AN IMPRESSIVE PRODUCT DESIGN PORTFOLIO

Product design portfolios are essential for job applications, with 90% of hiring managers requiring strong portfolios from entry-level candidates. A quality portfolio should include 1-5 case studies showcasing your design process, a home page, an about section, and contact information on a professional website. Each case study should tell the project story from research to the final product, starting with the polished result to create an immediate impact.

THE DEATH OF WEB DESIGN: WHY WEBSITES WILL SOON AUTO-DESIGN THEMSELVES

AI-powered websites will soon design themselves in real time, adapting layouts, copy, and user experiences based on live performance data rather than static design decisions. Traditional web design roles will shift from pixel-pushing to systems thinking, with designers becoming "experience composers" who set behavioral rules and ethical boundaries for AI optimization. The future web will feature dynamic experiences that morph based on user context, behavior, and performance metrics, making static design files obsolete.

AI IS COMING FOR OUR DESIGN JOBS, BUT IT CAN'T TOUCH TASTE

While AI is accelerating design processes and may threaten entry-level roles, it cannot replicate human discernment, taste, or the ability to make intentional, context-driven design decisions. As the industry evolves, designers who cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and a strong point of view will remain valuable in a landscape where human-centered design still matters.

"A LOGO IS A KALEIDOSCOPE OF MEANING": WHY LOGOS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK

Logos function as cultural touchstones embodying values, purpose, and movement beyond graphic marks, creating deep emotional connections through memories and experiences.

PARAMETRIC DESIGN AND A GUIDE TO CREATING ADAPTABLE, HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS WITH ALGORITHMS

Parametric design uses interconnected parameters and algorithms to create adaptable, high-performance products that can be dynamically adjusted for changing requirements.

MENTORSHIP IS VITAL TO MAKE THE DESIGN INDUSTRY MORE ACCESSIBLE

Mentoring plays a vital role in changing the accessibility of creative careers by opening up alternative perspectives, offering support, and helping emerging talent.

VCS ARE FUNDING TWO THINGS RIGHT NOW

The venture market has stratified: 66% of all VC dollars now go evenly to AI and DeepTech, while everything else is down 63% from peak. AI companies are scaling absurdly fast - ChatGPT hit $4B in revenue and 800M users since 2022, while some startups grow 10% per week. Meanwhile, DeepTech is finally viable because mega funds can hold companies forever and the capital requirements are massive.

A CHIEF AI OFFICER WON'T FIX YOUR AI PROBLEMS

Appointing a Chief AI Officer often fails to address the underlying issues of AI integration in companies. Effective AI adoption requires embedding AI across all departments rather than isolating it under a single leader. Organizations should focus on fostering AI literacy and collaboration across existing leadership roles for sustainable transformation.

THOMA BRAVO'S RECORD $34.4B FUNDRAISE: GREAT NEWS FOR B2B AND SAAS FOUNDERS

Thoma Bravo's record $34.4 billion fundraise positions it as the largest software-focused investor, spotlighting opportunities for profitable, high-growth B2B and SaaS companies. Its focus on mid-market SaaS via the Discover Fund and a buy-and-build strategy signals increased consolidation and liquidity events. This capital influx underscores software's status as a lucrative investment sector, though the demand for quality and sustainable unit economics has intensified.

MORE OR LESS

There are three viable pricing strategies you must pick and fully commit to. "More for more" means luxury pricing - you're genuinely the best at something specific and charge accordingly. "More for less" captures most markets by offering high ROI without luxury frills. "Less for less" means rock-bottom prices where customers accept major trade-offs because the alternative is having nothing at all. The only wrong choice is not choosing at all.

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU INVEST IN CUSTOMER SUCCESS?

Snowflake famously has no Customer Success team because everyone owns the customer, but most companies with mere mortal retention rates need dedicated CS teams. The question is how much to invest. The Customer Success Ratio offers a framework: CS Investment divided by Net Expansion Dollars. If you're a $10M ARR company targeting 110% net retention, that's $1M in net expansion - making a $1M CS investment rationale for breakeven, with upside as customers stick around creating an annuity stream.

A FOUNDER'S GUIDE TO PRODUCT VELOCITY

People often confuse product velocity with shipping fast, but it's actually about shipping value. In this post, StartPlaying's founder shares their journey through building "Starter Set," a quiz for new D&D players. They did rigorous research including fake credit card tests, focused on perfecting the "happy path" for 90% of users while keeping backend systems scrappy, and improved conversion by 119% through A/B testing. Despite months of shipping, the product didn't move their key metric - so they killed it.

HELIX

Helix is a collaborative AI coding agent that writes, debugs, and automates production-ready code with built-in tools for enterprise-grade software development.

CRONO

Crono is an AI-powered outreach tool that personalizes messages and sequences at scale using lead data to boost engagement and conversions.

FIREBASE STUDIO

Firebase Studio is a cloud-based development environment that uses Gemini AI and emulators to build and preview full-stack apps entirely in the browser.

HOW OOFOS TURNED FOAM INTO $36M BY SELLING RELIEF, NOT SHOES

OOFOS makes squishy recovery sandals that look like garden clogs but pull in $36M annually. It created an entire footwear category by targeting a specific moment - when your feet are killing you after brutal workouts. Instead of selling shoes, it sells relief using smart psychology and ultra-specific claims like "37% more impact absorption" rather than vague promises.

THE UNIMPACTFUL PM

CEOs are losing patience with product managers, with one describing their last head of product as "the worst kind of nothing - an expensive nothing." Two new trends emerged from recent interviews: a belief that AI can reduce PM headcount and impatience with how long it takes product leaders to create impact.

DESTIGMATIZING MENTAL HEALTH IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

HOW GENERATIVE ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (GEO) REWRITES THE RULES OF SEARCH

While everyone talks about AI killing SEO, a16z argues the real opportunity is monopolistic: whoever builds the best tools to track how brands appear in AI responses could control the entire AI marketing stack.

WHY MEASURE ANYTHING IF YOU'RE CRUSHING IT?

You're probably leaving growth on the table without knowing which channels are most efficient, which segments have higher LTV, or where churn is hiding.

WHAT TO DO WHEN "WORD OF MOUTH" BECOMES "WORD OF CHATGPT"

47% of US consumers now use AI for product recommendations, and it's growing fast.

Get unlimited pentesting from $1500/month

ThreatSpike Red [4] eliminates the sticker shock. One annual price

covers unlimited penetration testing: red team exercises, API testing, vulnerability scans, infrastructure reviews - everything.

THE NORTH FACE WARNS CUSTOMERS OF APRIL CREDENTIAL STUFFING ATTACK

The North Face says hackers stole customer information in a cyberattack in April. The attack happened because many people reused passwords from other sites. This is the fourth data breach for the company since 2020.

NEW CHROME ZERO-DAY ACTIVELY EXPLOITED; GOOGLE ISSUES EMERGENCY OUT-OF-BAND PATCH

Google released an emergency Chrome update to fix a serious security flaw. The bug, CVE-2025-5419, is already being used by hackers. The vulnerability has been flagged as an out-of-bounds read and write vulnerability in the V8 JavaScript and WebAssembly engine.

ANDROID MALWARE CROCODILUS ADDS FAKE CONTACTS TO SPOOF TRUSTED CALLERS

The Crocodilus Android malware can now add fake contacts to trick users into thinking calls are from trusted people or companies. It has spread worldwide and added new tools to avoid detection and steal better data. Experts warn users to only download apps from trusted sources and use Google Play Protect.

HIGH LEVERAGE SECURITY DECISIONS

A security engineer outlines five crucial decisions for startups to minimize security risks: using an identity provider like Google Workspace or Okta ($6-15/month), implementing hardware security keys for phishing-resistant MFA ($50-75/user), and adopting Infrastructure as Code tools like Terraform for version control. The guide also suggests leveraging managed cloud services such as AWS Fargate and RDS over self-managed VMs, and deploying Mobile Device Management to secure employee endpoints from the outset. The author highlights that significant security improvements stem from operational excellence and strategic tool choices rather than additional security processes or analysts.

DEVOPS TOOLS TARGETED FOR CRYPTOJACKING

Wiz researchers discovered a cryptojacking campaign called "JINX-0132" targeting misconfigured DevOps servers, including Nomad, Consul, Docker, and Gitea. Attackers exploit default settings and vulnerabilities to deploy XMRig miners, avoiding custom malware by using GitHub repositories. The campaign affects 25% of cloud environments, with 5% exposed and 30% misconfigured.

HOW TO DEPLOY AI SAFELY

Microsoft's Deputy CISO for AI outlines key principles for safe AI deployment: understand potential failures and create plans, analyze entire systems, including humans, continuously assess risks, and maintain written safety plans. AI errors are intrinsic—treat AI like "well-intentioned but inexperienced new hires." Emphasize extensive testing over coding time and careful information presentation across human-AI boundaries.

DELEGATIONS

The Delegations tool enables management of all types of Kerberos delegations (unconstrained, constrained, and resource-based) in Active Directory.

SBOMMV

Sbommv is a tool for transferring SBOMs between systems. It is designed to fetch SBOMs from input sources, translate and validate them, enrich metadata, and push them to output destinations.

PASSWORD PUSHER

Securely share sensitive information with automatic expiration and deletion after a set number of views or duration, with full audit logs. Track who, what, and when.

MICROSOFT, CROWDSTRIKE LEAD EFFORT TO MAP THREAT ACTOR NAMES

Microsoft and CrowdStrike are leading an effort to map different names for the same cyber threat groups. This helps security teams better understand and track threats without needing a single standard name. Other companies like Google and Palo Alto Networks are joining to make threat info clearer and more useful.

META AND YANDEX ARE DE-ANONYMIZING ANDROID USERS' WEB BROWSING IDENTIFIERS

Meta and Yandex exploit browser protocols to bypass Android security, linking web browsing to app identities. Their tracking code sends identifiers from websites to Facebook, Instagram, and Yandex apps via localhost ports, de-anonymizing users. Google is investigating this violation of privacy principles. Both companies have confirmed they have paused the practice.

CRYPTOJACKERS CAUGHT MINING MONERO VIA EXPOSED DEVOPS INFRASTRUCTURE

Hackers exploited misconfigured DevOps tools such as HashiCorp Nomad, Consul, Docker, and Gitea to mine Monero cryptocurrency, prompting security experts to emphasize the need for better protection of these tools to prevent future attacks.