Hasty Briefs - Daily Tech News Brief

Bilingual

French domestic spy agency ditches Palantir for local rival, PM says
3 hours ago
- France's domestic intelligence agency DGSI is ending its contract with Palantir, replacing it with French firm ChapsVision.
- This reflects European concerns over dependency on U.S. tech, with Prime Minister Lecornu emphasizing the need for France to develop its own AI tools.
- Other countries like Germany and the U.K. are also reducing or reviewing their use of Palantir due to political and security concerns.
- France plans to invest €655 million in AI, including creating a shared chatbot for state services and a public health chatbot.
A Joy That Is Being Lost
2 hours ago
- The author’s programming journey began at age 12 in 1977 with an Apple II, inspired by the Apple II Basic Programming Manual.
- Early programming required extreme precision, as even minor errors could cause failure, teaching valuable lessons in responsiveness and craftsmanship.
- Over time, programming became easier and more abstract, shifting focus from low-level details to engineering and technology problems.
- The rise of agentic coding tools has made software development more accessible and productive, but it eliminates the hands-on craft and precise control the author cherished.
- The author misses the specific joy of solving intricate puzzles, feeling a ‘click’ when code works, and holding the entire machine in mind, which agentic tools do not require.
- While embracing the benefits of agentic coding, the author mourns the loss of a personal, craft-based pleasure, hoping future programmers still experience that deep engagement.
SpaceX to acquire Cursor for $60B in stock, days after blockbuster IPO
5 hours ago
- SpaceX acquires AI coding startup Cursor in a $60 billion stock deal following its historic IPO.
- The acquisition aims to bolster SpaceX's AI division, built around xAI, to compete with major AI labs despite past controversies.
- The deal is expected to close in Q3 this year; Cursor was previously on track for a $2 billion funding round.
- Cursor, founded in 2022 as Anysphere, grew rapidly with AI-powered coding and reached a $29 billion valuation pre-acquisition.
- SpaceX's interest in Cursor emerged earlier via xAI hiring Cursor engineers and renting data center capacity.
- The deal coincides with xAI's restructuring after co-founders left and controversies involving deepfakes and inappropriate chatbot behavior.
- SpaceX's IPO pitch highlighted a $28 trillion total addressable market, with $26 trillion centered on AI efforts.
- Post-IPO, SpaceX's stock surged from $135 to over $200 per share, adding nearly $1 trillion to its valuation.
CJEU: Social networks are the 'publishers' of algorithmically-altered feeds
2 hours ago
- EU Member States have the right to mandate age verification systems for pornography websites, ensuring that minors cannot access adult content.
- Member States are permitted to prohibit the rebroadcast of traffic police information.
- A website that uses an algorithmic system to control what content users see is held liable for that content, as determined by the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Google Chrome's Next Update Will Mark the End of Popular Ad Blockers
2 hours ago
- Google is removing the final workaround for Manifest V2 extensions in Chrome, effectively ending support for legacy ad blockers like uBlock Origin.
- Chromium commit removes the 'kExtensionManifestV2Disabled' flag, described as 'dead code', with Chrome 150 (this month) and v151 phasing out remaining bits.
- Google cites security risks and tech debt as reasons, noting that other browsers (like Edge and Opera) can still support Manifest V2 if desired.
- Discussion highlights alternatives, including Firefox with uBlock Origin, while some Chromium-based browsers (Brave, Vivaldi) have their own ad-blocking systems but may follow Chrome.
- Users express frustration and plan to switch to Firefox or other non-Chromium browsers, criticizing Google's control over the web ecosystem.
- Ad blocking effectiveness with browser extensions is emphasized, alongside network-level solutions like Pi-hole, though limitations are noted.
- Concerns about the broader impact on internet usability and the ethics of ad blocking versus content creator revenue are debated.
Subquadratic – Introducing SubQ 1.1 Small
2 hours ago
- SubQ 1.1 Small is the second iteration of a Subquadratic Sparse Attention (SSA) model, designed for reasoning over large artifacts like codebases and documents.
- It achieves near-perfect long-context retrieval up to 12M tokens with up to 1,000x attention compute reduction, balancing long-context optimization with strong general reasoning.
- Key benchmarks include high scores on Needle-In-A-Haystack and RULER tests, with strong performance in knowledge, coding, and agentic tasks like GPQA Diamond and LiveCodeBench.
- The model uses SSA for linear scaling with context length, requiring 64.5x less compute than dense attention and running 56x faster than FlashAttention-2 at 1M tokens.
- Training involved replacing dense attention with SSA and extended pretraining on long artifacts, enabling efficient multi-million-token experiments.
- Use cases include financial analysis, legal contract work, and software engineering, where reasoning across complete artifacts is essential.
- Plans include deployment with design partners, broader rollout, and general model releases by year-end.
Pinboard's DNS registration has expired
a day ago
- Pinboard is a fast, independent social bookmarking site founded in 2009, emphasizing privacy and speed.
- It is ad-free and tracker-free, with users paying a modest yearly fee for access.
- Features include bookmarking from any browser, connecting Twitter accounts, syncing with services like Instapaper or Pocket, and an optional archiving service for saving copies, full-text search, and dead link checking.
France's sovereignty push can't escape the Microsoft gravity well
7 hours ago
- LLMs are being used to enhance API attacks due to modern applications being API-driven and over-permissioned.
- Enterprise data services for Kubernetes aim to eliminate infrastructure silos and standardize cloud-native platforms.
- Behavioral AI security complements Microsoft 365 by catching advanced attacks that native security misses.
- Next-generation resilient Dev and IT operations require practical tools and techniques for innovation acceleration.
- Virtual cyber recovery simulations help IT pros test skills against ransomware attacks in a live breach scenario.
- Agentic AI era demands Zero Trust models adapted for non-human identities operating independently.
- AI adoption at scale is key to unlocking real ROI from pilot to production.
- Non-x86 servers now comprise nearly half the market, driven by AI demand and memory shortages.
- ERP users can leverage AI agents and open source to break free from vendor-driven upgrade cycles.
- Document reformatting proposals aim to make content more palatable for AI processing.
- Simple prompts like 'fix this code' can trigger security concerns, as seen with Fable 5.
- Anthropic requires ID checks for Claude subscriptions to ensure user verification.
- Russian phishing attacks impersonate Signal support to target users.
- Microsoft patches failed to fix on-prem SharePoint, leading to zero-day attacks.
- DEF CON's Franklin project engages hackers to harden critical infrastructure.
- EQT acquires a majority share in Acronis at a valuation exceeding $3.5 billion.
- Ransomware persists ten years after its inception, indicating ongoing security threats.
- France's digital sovereignty push faces challenges in moving users away from Microsoft products.
- CentOS evolved from a hobby project to the enterprise default OS after community collaboration.
- Open-source app Project Headroom helps slash AI bills by optimizing costs.
- OpenBSD 7.9 adds features like more cores, delayed hibernation, and basic Wi-Fi 6.
- Fedora loses Deepin desktop but gains Microsoft as a significant ally.
- LocalSend replaces sneakernet with AirDrop-like functionality without Apple lock-in.
Paul Graham Is Strawmanning the Left's Argument Against Billionaires
5 hours ago
- Paul Graham's recent essay/speech criticizes AOC's stance on billionaires, focusing on the weaker claim that all billionaires are cheaters.
- AOC's argument implies billionaires cannot earn wealth legitimately, suggesting accumulation requires unethical actions.
- Graham uses a strawman approach, targeting the 'bailey' (the weak argument) instead of addressing the stronger moral claim.
- The stronger left argument questions whether anyone deserves extreme wealth, regardless of how it's acquired.
- Graham suggests creating valuable startups through innovation and market growth can lead to wealth without cheating.
- The debate highlights missed opportunities to discuss deeper issues like fairness, property rights, and societal benefits of wealth distribution.
Google Chrome update will close the door on ad blockers
3 hours ago
- Google Chrome is finalizing the transition to Manifest V3, which will eliminate support for Manifest V2 extensions, including popular ad blockers like uBlock Origin.
- A Chromium commit removes the 'kExtensionManifestV2Disabled' flag, closing the last loophole for using Manifest V2-based ad blockers.
- Chrome 150 (expected June 30, 2026) will remove the primary technical workaround, and Chrome 151 (expected July 2026) will remove remaining flags related to Manifest V2.
- The change is driven by security risks and technical debt associated with Manifest V2, though other Chromium-based browsers like Microsoft Edge and Opera may follow suit.
- The move has been criticized for breaking ad blockers due to new permissions and privacy focus, impacting users broadly since 2024.
Show HN: Hackers for Granny (defense against industrialized elder fraud)
3 hours ago
- Industrialized fraud syndicates steal over $64 billion annually from the elderly using advanced tactics like voice cloning, deepfakes, and remote access tools.
- Loneliness increases mortality risks in older adults, making them vulnerable to online scams that exploit psychological triggers like the Amygdala Hijack and Authority Reflex.
- Security professionals are urged to contribute their skills to protect seniors, as tools like Granny Kate™ can detect and disrupt remote access scams with community support.
- Prosecuting scammers is hindered by evidence collection challenges; initiatives like the DOJ's 'Save Our Seniors' aim to combat these crimes through legal action.
- Granny Kate™ is a lightweight desktop app that monitors for specific attack patterns, offering a free demo to encourage testing and improvement for elder fraud defense.
Codex Is Down
5 hours ago
- Availability metrics are aggregate across tiers, models, and error types; individual customer availability varies by subscription tier, model, and API features.
- Elevated errors occurred due to a Codex 'Selected Model is at Capacity' error, with mitigation applied and recovery being monitored.
- Incident timeline: Identified at 10:32 AM, mitigation applied by 01:32 PM, with ongoing monitoring for affected components.
Anthropic Faces Lawsuit over Allegedly Misleading Claude AI Pricing
5 hours ago
- Anthropic is facing a class-action lawsuit over its premium Claude Max AI subscription plans.
- Plaintiff Karl Kahn alleges that the Max 5x and Max 20x tiers provide less usage than advertised.
- The lawsuit claims Anthropic misled customers by not clearly explaining how usage is measured.
- Kahn seeks damages, restitution, injunctive relief, and class certification on behalf of U.S. subscribers.
- The complaint argues that a lack of transparency makes it difficult for consumers to verify promised usage.
- The lawsuit follows user criticisms about usage limits and safeguards in Anthropic's new AI models.
- Anthropic has not responded to the allegations, and similar premium plans are marketed by other AI companies.
CNN poll: Half of Americans don't consider themselves Democrats or Republicans
5 hours ago
- Nearly half of Americans (47%) identify as political independents, the highest in over a decade according to CNN polling.
- Democrats and Republicans split the remaining population, with 27% identifying as Democrats and 26% as Republicans, showing no meaningful advantage for either party since 2021.
- Registered voters in 2024 show a shift away from the GOP: 28% identify as Republicans down from 34% in 2024, while Democrats are at 31% and independents at 41%.
- Younger voters, men, and White voters without college degrees have moved away from the Republican Party, but not necessarily toward Democrats, with many becoming independents.
- Independents are demographically distinct: younger (63% under 50), more likely to live in urban areas than Republicans but less than Democrats, and have lower incomes (nearly half below $50,000 annually).
- Independents are less politically engaged: only 67% are registered to vote and 25% frequently seek political news, compared to over 80% registration for Democrats and Republicans.
How much an Uber driver makes in Boston
5 hours ago
- Chiem is an Uber driver in Boston with an annual income of $70,000, but after $40,000 in vehicle expenses, net earnings are significantly reduced.
- He drives 12 hours a day, earning about $200 now, compared to $300-$400 daily when he started driving 10 years ago, as the driver's fare share has dropped from 75% to as low as 30-50%.
- Despite living in Worcester to save on rent ($400/month with family), he faces high costs including a $2,200 monthly car payment and $50 daily gas, totaling around $18,000 annually, and commutes an hour to Boston.
- He advocates for better pay through union efforts, recently celebrating the establishment of the first rideshare drivers union in the country, the App Drivers Union.
- Chiem drives to support his family, including his wife in Cambodia and a nephew with Huntington's disease, but finds the job unsustainable due to declining pay and physical strain, such as needing a hip replacement from sitting long hours.
Europe Wants Digital Sovereignty. 2,165 Polish Organisations Show the Gap
6 hours ago
- CipherCue observes 2,165 Polish organizations' public infrastructure, revealing hosting and perimeter vendor preferences.
- At the hosting layer, Polish organizations heavily use European providers, with France (OVHcloud) as the largest foreign destination, not the US.
- At the outsourced perimeter layer (e.g., CDN, hosted mail), US-headquartered vendors dominate completely, with no European alternatives observed.
- For CDNs, among 128 organizations using a commercial CDN, all are US-based: Cloudflare (89.8%), Amazon CloudFront (7.0%), Akamai (2.3%), and Fastly (0.8%).
- For hosted mail providers, among 140 organizations using such services, all are US-based: Microsoft 365 (82.1%) and Google Workspace (17.9%).
- Polish organizations show sovereignty preference in hosting (82% host in Poland) but inconsistently apply it at the perimeter, where US vendors prevail.
- The data serves as an account prioritization map for European vendors targeting sovereign alternatives, identifying organizations using European hosting but US perimeter services.
- Exposure to US vendors varies by sector: public sector has the lowest (10.6%), while financial services and healthcare are around 19-20%.
- European vendors have minimal presence at the perimeter, with only Cookiebot (Denmark) having double-digit Polish adoption.
- The findings measure public-facing infrastructure only, not back-office systems, and highlight a market gap for European cyber, trust, and infrastructure vendors.
'Wow, it really worked ': 70s TV show causing worldwide panic today
4 hours ago
- Claims about scientists in aerospace and nuclear fields dying or disappearing are unfounded, with normal mortality rates and varied causes explaining the cases.
- The story originates from a 1977 mockumentary 'Alternative 3', a fictional drama about scientists vanishing to build a Mars colony due to global warming, created by David Ambrose.
- The mockumentary, despite disclaimers, was taken seriously by some viewers and later integrated into conspiracy theories, influencing figures like Milton William Cooper and pop culture.
- Alternative 3 highlights how well-constructed spoofs can persist in conspiracy lore, similar to other hoaxes like Orson Welles' 'War of the Worlds' or 'Report from Iron Mountain'.
- The persistence of such theories reflects anxieties about government power and evil, with current 'missing scientists' narratives echoing these fears in a modern context of disinformation.
Unicorn – The Ultimate CPU Emulator
6 hours ago
- Unicorn Engine received the Asian Star 10x10 Award from Alibaba Cloud for its impact on cybersecurity and other fields.
- The project was created and released over 7 years ago under an open-source license to help the community.
- It has become a de facto emulator and foundation for innovative works in academia and industry.
- The team acknowledges community support, stating the recognition is for everyone involved.
SpaceX Is Buying Cursor
5 hours ago
- SpaceX acquires AI coding start-up Cursor for $60 billion in stock shortly after its record IPO.
- The deal follows a partnership agreement from April that included a buyout option.
- Cursor's AI technology automates code writing and is used by companies like Stripe and Nvidia.
- SpaceX aims to boost its AI capabilities through this acquisition, leveraging its supercomputing resources.
- Despite its high valuation, SpaceX is not profitable, with significant losses reported in recent years due to heavy investments in AI and infrastructure.
Russian artist and Putin critic shot dead in Poland
5 hours ago
- A Russian artist and critic of President Vladimir Putin was executed in Poland.
- The victim, known as Semyon Skrepetsky, was shot five times in a parking lot near the Belarusian border.
- He was known for caricatures of Putin and other political figures.
- Two Belarusian citizens were detained near the Belarusian consulate, with their involvement still under investigation.
- Skrepetsky had recently been seen at a protest in Berlin, showcasing critical art against Russian authorities.

Hasty Briefsbeta

French domestic spy agency ditches Palantir for local rival, PM says

A Joy That Is Being Lost

SpaceX to acquire Cursor for $60B in stock, days after blockbuster IPO

CJEU: Social networks are the 'publishers' of algorithmically-altered feeds

Google Chrome's Next Update Will Mark the End of Popular Ad Blockers

Subquadratic – Introducing SubQ 1.1 Small

Pinboard's DNS registration has expired

France's sovereignty push can't escape the Microsoft gravity well

Paul Graham Is Strawmanning the Left's Argument Against Billionaires

Google Chrome update will close the door on ad blockers

Show HN: Hackers for Granny (defense against industrialized elder fraud)

Codex Is Down

Anthropic Faces Lawsuit over Allegedly Misleading Claude AI Pricing

CNN poll: Half of Americans don't consider themselves Democrats or Republicans

How much an Uber driver makes in Boston

Europe Wants Digital Sovereignty. 2,165 Polish Organisations Show the Gap

'Wow, it really worked ': 70s TV show causing worldwide panic today

Unicorn – The Ultimate CPU Emulator

SpaceX Is Buying Cursor

Russian artist and Putin critic shot dead in Poland