California’s Billionaire Tax Has the Signatures to Make the Ballot
California’s proposed billionaire tax appears headed for the November ballot after backers said they gathered more than 1.5 million signatures, well above the threshold needed to qualify. SF Standard reports: Backers of the initiative announced this weekend that more than 1.5 million people signed a petition to bring the one-time, 5% wealth ta … ⌘ Read more

AI-Designed Drugs by a DeepMind Spinoff Are Headed to Human Trials
Isomorphic Labs president Max Jaderberg said at WIRED Health in London that the startup has built a “broad and exciting pipeline of new medicines.” ⌘ Read more

Just saw the video. Can’t believe that ladder is that expensive. Even in AUD, it is almost $100. It is also 2.5 stars, with 13 reviews. Gulp. Engineering aside (and you are right, it is pretty interesting, and some, if not most of it went over my head), the ladder is rubbish. This is the one I have. Not super, but have been with me for a while, and used quite a bit, still as good as new.

Job Cuts Driven By AI Are Rising On Wall Street
Firms like Bank of America, Citi, Wells Fargo, and others are reporting strong profits while reducing head count and automating more work. “All of them credited A.I. to some degree … in areas ranging from the so-called back office, where tens of thousands of employees fill out paperwork to comply with various laws and regulations, to the front office, where seven-figure salaried … ⌘ Read more

Europe Has ‘Maybe 6 Weeks of Jet Fuel Left’
The head of the International Energy Agency warned that Europe may have only “six weeks or so” of jet fuel left if oil supplies remain blocked by the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz stays disrupted. The Associated Press reports: IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol painted a sobering picture of the global repercussions of what he called “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced,” s … ⌘ Read more

@movq@www.uninformativ.de it went over my head, sorry. Someone wanted you to vet their instruction files, correct? People writing them should know what they are doing, otherwise they should engage with LLMs like that at all (unless it is a hobby, outside the enterprise).

Another AI rant:

One of the “key features” of LLMs is that you can use “natural language”, because that is supposed to be easier than having to learn a programming language. So, when someone says to me, “I automated this process using AI!”, what they mean is: They have written a very, very large Markdown document. In this document, they list what the AI is supposed to do.

In prose.

This is a complete disaster.

Programming and programming languages have one crucial property: They follow a well-defined structure and every word has a well-defined meaning. That is absolutely brilliant, because I can read this and I can follow the program in my head. I can build a mental model. I can debug this, down to the precise instructions that the CPU executes. This all follows well-defined patterns that you can reason about.

But with these Markdown files, I am completely lost. We lose all these important properties! No debugging, no reasoning about program flow, nothing. It’s all gone. It’s a magic black box now, literally randomized, that may or may not do what you wanted, in some order.

People now throw these Markdown files at me … and … am I supposed to read this? Why? It’s completely random and fuzzy.

Sadly, these AI tools are good enough to be able to mostly grasp the authors intentions. Hence people don’t see the harm they cause, because “it works”.

We already have a ton of automations like this at work: Tickets get piped through an LLM and these Markdown files / prompts determine what will happen with the ticket, and maybe they trigger additional actions as well, like account creation or granting permissions. All based on fuzzy natural language – that no two humans will ever properly agree on.

Jesus Christ, we’re now INTENTIONALLY bringing the ambiguity of legal texts and lawyers into programming.

Using natural language is NOT easier than using a programming language. It is HARDER. Have you people never read a legal contract? And that stuff can STILL be debated in a court room.

I can’t begin to comprehend why we, tech folks, push this so hard. What is wrong with you? Or me?

(And, once again, we’re ignoring other factors here. LLMs use a ton of energy and ressources, that we don’t have to spare. It’s expensive as fuck. It doesn’t even run locally on our servers, meaning we give all these credentials and permissions to some US company. It’s insane.)

Will Some Programmers Become ‘AI Babysitters’?
Will some programmers become “AI babysitters”? asks long-time Slashdot readertheodp. They share some thoughts from a founding member of Code.org and former Director of Education at Google:

“AI may allow anyone to generate code, but only a computer scientist can maintain a system,” explained Google.org Global Head Maggie Johnson in a LinkedIn post. So “As AI-generated code beco … ⌘ Read more

Germany Doxes ‘UNKN,’ Head of RU Ransomware Gangs REvil, GandCrab
An anonymous reader quotes a report from KrebsOnSecurity: An elusive hacker who went by the handle “UNKN” and ran the early Russian ransomware groups GandCrab and REvil now has a name and a face. Authorities in Germany say 31-year-old Russian Daniil Maksimovich Shchukin headed both cybercrime gangs and helped carry out at least 130 acts of computer … ⌘ Read more

NASA Launches Artemis II Astronauts Around the Moon
NASA’s Artemis II mission has launched four astronauts around the moon and back, marking humanity’s first crewed lunar voyage in 53 years and the first test flight of NASA’s Orion capsule and Space Launch System (SLS) with people on board. Five minutes into the flight, Commander Reid Wiseman saw the team’s target: “We have a beautiful moonrise, we’re headed right at it … ⌘ Read more

@lyse@lyse.isobeef.org Thanks (again) for the heads-up!. I’m not sure why you were seeing black text, but I just pushed a new version of the library (v0.10.1) with some updated colors in the demo’s themes (which should hopefully address the contrast issues).

The dark mode was an aesthetic choice by a designer with a strong preference for dark mode (and who thought the maroon looked better as a background color), but in the interest of being supportive of my audience, I added a localstorage-backed memory to the theme toggle (so when you turn it to light mode, it should remember for future visits).

@lyse@lyse.isobeef.org Thanks for the heads-up.

It lead me to publish an updated version of twtxt-lib (v0.10.0) which supports the v2 hashing algorithm: https://twtxt-lib.itsericwoodward.com/

Linux 7.1 Should See Working HDMI Support For The Lichee Pi 4A RISC-V Board
Drew Fustini sent out DeviceTree patches this past weekend for enabling the HDMI display controller on the T-Head TH1520 RISC-V SoC. Additionally, there’s a patch for lighting up the HDMI display support on the LicheePi 4A RISC-V board… ⌘ Read more

Samsung Wants To Let You Vibe Code Your Galaxy Phone Experience
Samsung says it’s thinking about bringing “vibe coding” to future Galaxy phones, allowing users to describe apps or interface changes in plain language and have AI generate the code. TechRadar interviewed Won-Joon Choi, Samsung’s head of mobile experience, to learn more about the plans. Here’s an excerpt from their report: As noted by Won-Joon Ch … ⌘ Read more

OpenAI’s Head of Robotics Resigns, Says Pentagon Deal Was ‘Rushed Without the Guardrails Defined’
In a tweet that’s been viewed 1.3 million times in the last six hours, OpenAI’s head of robotics announced their resignation. They said they “care deeply about the Robotics team and the work we built together,” so this “wasn’t an easy call,” but offered this reason for resigning:

… ⌘ Read more

Notice: Brief Downtime Expected Overnight
Just a heads up that some brief downtime to Phoronix.com is expected overnight during the replacement of an NVMe drive in the RAID array for this web server… ⌘ Read more

Linux Preps IBPB-On-Entry Feature For AMD SEV-SNP Guest VMs
Heading toward the Linux 7.0 kernel and marked for back-porting to current stable Linux kernel versions is employing a new SEV-SNP security feature found on AMD Zen 5 processors for enhancing security of guest virtual machines… ⌘ Read more

Discord Distances Itself From Persona Age Verification After User Backlash
Discord is attempting to distance itself from the age verification provider Persona following a steady stream of user backlash. From a report: In an emailed statement to The Verge, Discord’s head of product policy, Savannah Badalich, confirms the company “ran a limited test of Persona in the UK where age assurance had previous … ⌘ Read more

Goldman Sachs Launches AI-Free Index
Goldman Sachs has launched an “S&P ex-AI” index (SPXXAI) that tracks the S&P 500 stocks not related to AI, offering investors a way to “hedge their exposure to the AI trade,” reports Axios. From the report: “Excluding ‘AI enablers’ from the passive benchmark would eliminate the noise introduced by the AI hype,” Louis Miller, head of the firm’s equity custom basket desk, wrote in a note to clients abou … ⌘ Read more

Instagram Boss Says 16 Hours of Daily Use Is Not Addiction
Instagram head Adam Mosseri told a Los Angeles courtroom last week that a teenager’s 16-hour single-day session on the platform was “problematic use” but not an addiction, a distinction he drew repeatedly during testimony in a landmark trial over social media’s harm to minors.

Mosseri, who has led Instagram for eight years, is the first high-profile tech ex … ⌘ Read more

Google Confirms AirDrop Sharing is Coming To Android Phones Beyond Pixels
Google’s Quick Share-AirDrop interoperability, which has been exclusive to the Pixel 10 series since its surprise launch last year, is headed to a much broader set of Android devices in 2026.

Eric Kay, Google’s Vice President of Engineering for the Android platform, confirmed the expansion during a press briefing at the company’s … ⌘ Read more

Scientists Found a Way To Cool Quantum Computers Using Noise
Slashdot reader alternative_right writes: Quantum computers need extreme cold to work, but the very systems that keep them cold also create noise that can destroy fragile quantum information. Scientists in Sweden have now flipped that problem on its head by building a tiny quantum refrigerator that actually uses noise to drive cooling instead of figh … ⌘ Read more

Why Private Equity Is Suddenly Awash With Zombie Firms
The private equity industry is experiencing a quiet reckoning as hundreds of midsize firms find themselves trapped between investors who have lost patience and portfolios of companies they cannot sell at acceptable prices.

“There is existential risk for a number [of funds] because of the fundraising environment,” said Sunaina Sinha Haldea, global head of private … ⌘ Read more

‘Hundreds’ of Gatik Robot Delivery Trucks Headed For US Roads
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Forbes: Gatik, a Silicon Valley startup developing self-driving delivery trucks, says its commercial operations are about to scale up dramatically, from fewer than a dozen driverless units running in multiple U.S. states now to hundreds of box trucks by the end of the year. CEO Gautam Narang said it’s also booked … ⌘ Read more

US Cyber Defense Chief Uploaded Sensitive Files Into a Public Version of ChatGPT
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Politico: The interim head of the country’s cyber defense agency uploaded sensitive contracting documents into a public version of ChatGPT last summer, triggering multiple automated security warnings that are meant to stop the theft or unintentional disclosure of government m … ⌘ Read more

What a beautiful, beautiful 0°C Sunday arvo and evening! The weather forecast delayed the snow by the minute. An hour or so after it finally started very, very lightly, I headed off for the woods to check out the lake again. Unfortunately, with the fresh snow layer, the crazy wild surface texture of the ice sheet wasn’t visible anymore. But it brought some other nice views and photo opportunities.

I initially thought that I just go for a quick turn. However, with the snowfall a wee bit increasing I was hooked and kept going. Visibility was poor, but the snow blankets just looked too stunning. The road surfaces were quite slippery, so I often just walked alongside the pathways. On downhill slopes I had some good fun sliding down the road on my feet. With varying success. Luckily, I managed not to fall.

On the summit of the mountain the twigs had those absolutely magnificently looking windblown crystal coverings. Awwwwwww! They never get old. It was already getting dark, so the camera was tired and wanted to sleep. The snow program then made use of the flash and I’m quite pleased with how these shots turned out.

Two deer crossed the road in front of me and ran into the woods, that was sight for sore eyes. Although I felt bad that they had to flee from me in this white terrain. By the time I got home, the snow had accumulated around eight centimeters in height, even in town down in the valley. Walking on this fresh snow is just amazing. And I love the sound it makes. Today, the snow consistency must have been just right, because the crushing sound was really loud.

I cannot recall that I had frozen hair and beard before, but today, there was a thick ice buildup. In case I had, it was definitely never this much. Felt really cool.

Enough of this preliminary skirmishing, there ya go: https://lyse.isobeef.org/waldspaziergang-2026-01-25/

Prominent Intel Compiler Engineer Heads Off To AMD
James Brodman worked for the last 15 years at Intel on their ISPC SIMD compiler and then in more recent years on the Intel DPC++ compiler and SYCL support as part of Intel’s oneAPI initiative. Rather interestingly, this compiler expert has now joined AMD… ⌘ Read more

Snap Settles Social media Addiction Lawsuit Ahead of Landmark Trial
Snap has settled a social media addiction lawsuit just days before trial, while Meta, TikTok, and Alphabet remain defendants and are headed to court. “Terms of the deal were not announced as it was revealed by lawyers at a California Superior Court hearing, after which Snap told the BBC the parties were ‘pleased to have been able to resolve … ⌘ Read more

Lawsuit Over OpenAI For-Profit Conversion Can Head To Trial, US Judge Says
Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report from Reuters: Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk persuaded a judge on Wednesday to allow a jury trial on his allegations that ChatGPT maker OpenAI violated its founding mission in its high-profile restructuring to a for-profit entity. Musk was a cofounder of OpenAI in 2015 but lef … ⌘ Read more

Lego releases the smart brick but how does it work?
Tom Donaldson, head of Lego’s Creative Play Lab, unveils the smart brick at a news conference ahead of the CES tech show in Las Vegas. ⌘ Read more

GNU ddrescue 1.30 “Orders of Magnitude” Better In Recovery From Drives With A Dead Head
GNU ddrescue as the free software data recovery tool from files or block devices is out today with a big feature release. The new GNU ddrescue 1.30 is improved by “orders of magnitude” for the automatic recovery from drives with a dead head… ⌘ Read more

Australia’s Biggest Pension Fund To Cut Global Stocks Allocation on AI Concerns
Australia’s largest pension fund is planning to reduce its allocation to global equities this year, amid signs that the AI boom in the US stock market could be running out of steam. Financial Times: John Normand, head of investment strategy at the A$400bn (US$264bn) AustralianSuper, told the Financial Times that not only d … ⌘ Read more

You Can’t Trust Your Eyes To Tell You What’s Real Anymore, Says Instagram Head
Instagram head Adam Mosseri closed out 2025 by acknowledging what many have long suspected: the era of trusting photographs as accurate records of reality is over, and the platform he runs will need to fundamentally adapt to an age of “infinite synthetic content.”

In a slideshow posted to Instagram, Mosseri wrote that fo … ⌘ Read more

Toronto Man Outruns Streetcars To Show Up Sluggish Transit Network
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Guardian: Mac Bauer is fast, but the city’s trams, weighing more than 100,000lbs and traveling at a maximum speed of nearly 45mph, should be far faster than him. And yet as of late December, in head-to-head races against streetcars, the 32-year-old remains undefeated in his quest to highlight how sl … ⌘ Read more

Sam Altman Offers $555K Salary To Fill Most Daunting Role In AI
OpenAI is offering a $555,000 salary (plus equity) to recruit a new “head of preparedness,” a high-pressure role tasked with anticipating and mitigating extreme AI risks. “This will be a stressful job, and you’ll jump into the deep end pretty much immediately,” said Sam Altman as he launched the hunt to fill “a critical role” to “help the world.” Th … ⌘ Read more

OpenAI is Hiring a New ‘Head of Preparedness’ to Predict/Mitigate AI’s Harms
An anonymous reader shared this report from Engadget:

OpenAI is looking for a new Head of Preparedness who can help it anticipate the potential harms of its models and how they can be abused, in order to guide the company’s safety strategy.

It comes at the end of a year that’s seen OpenAI hit with numerous accusations about ChatG … ⌘ Read more

@prologic@twtxt.net Not even entirely sure how I did it myself, but likely a lucky combination of the new tail swirl, the legs closer to the screen being bigger and the head looking slightly to the side (eye & ear position), with bottom part of the hair, going behind the snout. The white is just an outline, around most of my works, so I don’t think that plays a part.

Chinese Social Media Users Criticize Authorities in Rare Sign of Dissent
An anonymous reader shares a report: Chinese social media users criticized two key government policies, rare signs of public dissent in the country where the internet is heavily censored. The death of the former head of China’s one-child policy agency – which for decades forced women to carry out abortions and sterilizations – s … ⌘ Read more

Ireland’s Diarmuid Early Wins World Microsoft Excel Title
Irish competitor Diarmuid Early, dubbed the “Lebron James of Excel spreadsheets,” has won the 2025 Microsoft Excel World Championship in Las Vegas, dethroning three-time champion Andrew Ngai. The BBC reports: The esport showpiece in December attracted competitors worldwide as 256 spreadsheet heads battled it out across knockout rounds to join the final 24 in Ve … ⌘ Read more

The terror and beauty of being Australia’s official war artist
Australia has been sending artists to the frontline since World War I, with more than 50 local artists taking part since then. But what’s it actually like to head into war armed with a paintbrush? ⌘ Read more

Son, Simons and mini Spurs revival lift Frank’s spirits
Son Heung-min’s emotional return sets the tone for another significant step forward for Spurs and head coach Thomas Frank, says chief football writer Phil McNulty. ⌘ Read more

Championship should have VAR for ‘more fairness’
Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber believes the Championship should have VAR brought in to create “more fairness”. ⌘ Read more

Maternity care failings ‘much worse’ than anticipated, says head of national review
An interim report by Baroness Amos finds poor care and dirty wards are blighting England’s maternity services. ⌘ Read more

NRL proposes lengthy bans for Tonga officials following Katoa head knocks
Three Tonga team officials are facing two-year suspensions following the NRL’s investigation into the incident that forced Eli Katoa out of the 2026 season. ⌘ Read more

Labuschagne praises Aussies’ makeshift opening pair as Khawaja call looms
Marnus Labuschagne says Australia’s opening partnership is making the rest of the batting order improve, as selectors deliberate over Usman Khawaja’s Test future. ⌘ Read more

Man in coma after allegedly smashing head into ambulance windscreen
A 25-year-old man is in a coma and cannot attend court after he allegedly smashed an ambulance windscreen with his head while naked. ⌘ Read more

England coach says team ‘over-prepared’ for Brisbane Test, as players head for Noosa getaway
England coach Brendon McCullum claims his team trained too hard for the Gabba Test, which ended in a bruising eight-wicket loss that leaves the tourists’ Ashes hopes in tatters. ⌘ Read more

OpenAI Insists Target Links in ChatGPT Responses Weren’t Ads But ‘Suggestions’ - But Turns Them Off
A hardware security response from ChatGPT ended with “Shop for home and groceries. Connect Target.”

But “There are no live tests for ads” on ChatGPT, insists Nick Turley, OpenAI’s head of ChatGPT. Posting on X.com, he said “any screenshots you’ve seen are either not real or not ads.” … ⌘ Read more

Naked man smashes ambulance windscreen in Kalgoorlie-Boulder
A video circulated on social media shows a naked male using his head to smash the windscreen of a moving ambulance. ⌘ Read more

Netflix deal puts Gary Lineker in podcast super league - but can he succeed?
In a big money move, Lineker will go head-to-head with his old employer with The Rest Is Football. ⌘ Read more