Afleveringen
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Bidenâs executive order on AI safety was 111 pages of not-terrible ideas like protecting privacy and creating AI guidelines. Naturally, big tech was *not* a fan. Because when you ask Meta and Google to behave responsibly, they act like you just insulted their mom.
Meanwhile in Europe: The EU held its AI Action Summit in Paris, making it clear theyâre not messing around with AI governance. Public interest, worker protection, and global cooperation were on the table. Investors dangled âŹ150B like a carrotâif only the EU would be a little lessâŚprotective of its citizens. đ
đ§ Then came Trump's executive order, aka the âletâs delete all the thoughtful stuffâ memo. A whole two pages long, it replaced nuance with âmake America #1 in AI because democracy and stuff.â Or, more accurately: âdrill, baby, drillâ but for GPUs.
đ Enter OpenAIâs response to that call for action. On the surface, itâs just another documentâbut wow, the vibes are chaotic. Thereâs flag-waving, fear-mongering about China, and a healthy dose of âwe want your data and your blessings.â Also, violently incoherent sentences that barely represent English.
đ What *wasnât* in OpenAIâs proposal? Anything about ethics, safety, upskilling displaced workers, or protecting vulnerable communities. But donât worryâthey did include buzzwords, bad logic, and more patriotic tech posturing than a Fourth of July parade.
LINKS:
đ Executive order 14110: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/01/2023-24283/safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence
đ OpenAIâs Response to the RFI: https://cdn.openai.com/global-affairs/ostp-rfi/ec680b75-d539-4653-b297-8bcf6e5f7686/openai-response-ostp-nsf-rfi-notice-request-for-information-on-the-development-of-an-artificial-intelligence-ai-action-plan.pdf
đ The original RFI: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/02/06/2025-02305/request-for-information-on-the-development-of-an-artificial-intelligence-ai-action-plan
đ Trumps AI EO: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/31/2025-02172/removing-barriers-to-american-leadership-in-artificial-intelligence
đ Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianaspehar/2025/02/10/paris-ai-summit-2025-5-critical-themes-shaping-global-ai-policy/ -
This week we get into Facebook's ongoing saga of being the actual worst, a massive Google acquisition, some shady AI data scraping, and why the FCC is basically handing over rural Americaâs internet to the wolves. Buckle up.
đ Facebook is Literally the Worst, Part One: Leadership Edition
Mark Zuckerberg tries to suppress a former Facebook execâs memoir, *Careless People*, and accidentally Streisand-effects the entire thing. From board game tantrums to predatory ad targeting of teens, this segment is a greatest hits of dysfunction. LINK: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/careless-people-facebook-memoir-1235299645/đ° Google Buys Wiz for $32 Billion
Remember when Wiz said no to $23 billion and wanted to IPO instead? Well, turns out $32 billion can change a lot of minds. What does this mean for multi-cloud security? Spoiler: nothing good. LINK: https://blog.google/inside-google/company-announcements/google-agreement-acquire-wiz/đ¤ Facebook is Literally the Worst, Part Two: AI Shenanigans
LLaMA, Facebook's open-source AI darling, was apparently trained on a treasure trove of pirated books and papers from LibGenâwith exec sign-off. Internal emails show employees questioning the legality while still hitting "Download." Classic. LINK: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/03/libgen-meta-openai/682093đ Say Goodbye to Your Copper Lines
FCCâs new head Brendan Carr wants to let ISPs rip out copper lines without proving theyâre replacing them with better service. Itâs deregulation theater at its finest. Rural internet users, prepare to get fleeced. LINK: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/03/fcc-chairman-brendan-carr-starts-granting-telecom-lobbys-wish-list/ -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Weâve got bruised shins, sketchy USB drives, and a surprisingly judgmental catâso you know itâs a classic Chaos Lever episode. This week, Chris walks us through the wonderfully terrible 2015 movie *Blackhat*, a film that tried really hard to be tech-savvy and instead gave us Thor doing cybercrimes. Nedâs never seen it, which is great, because now he gets to be appalled in real time.
Join us as we unravel:
đŹ A plot powered entirely by bad computer graphics
đĽď¸ Ankle bracelet hacking and thumb drive nonsense
đ§ A hacker whoâs apparently too jacked to fail
đą A feline who's both off-camera and always judgingThereâs also a deep dive into why a nuclear plant *doesnât* explode in 12 seconds (you're welcome), some shouty FBI negotiating, and one very suspicious biometric thumb drive.
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đ Welcome back to Tech News of the Week, where Chris and I break down the biggest, weirdest, and occasionally most questionable tech stories from the past week.
𧪠**D-Waveâs Dubious Quantum Supremacy Claim**
D-Wave is back at it again, this time claiming "quantum supremacy" (insert dramatic echo here). They say their quantum chip solved a complex magnetic field simulation in 20 minutesâsomething they claim would take a classical supercomputer 200 years. But some researchers aren't buying it. Teams at NYU and EPFL Switzerland have already shown that a laptop or a few GPUs can solve parts of the problem much faster than D-Wave suggests. So, is this true supremacy or just more quantum marketing hype? đ¤ https://siliconangle.com/2025/03/12/d-wave-claims-achieved-quantum-supremacy-last-others-disagree/đ§ **SUSE Wants to Support Red Hat (Yes, Really)**
In a move that has everyone doing a double take, SUSE announced at SUSECon that theyâre launching the "SUSE Multi My Linux" support programâmeaning theyâll support older Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) systems, even after Red Hat stops maintaining them. It's a bold strategy, Cotton. The program covers proactive and reactive support for different Linux versions, and, oh yeah, SUSE Enterprise Linux 16 is dropping soon with support through *2047*. Optimistic much? đ https://thenewstack.io/suse-displays-enhanced-enterprise-linux-at-susecon/đ **Hacking Infotainment Systems: A New Cybersecurity Nightmare**
If your car has a Pioneer DMH infotainment system, you might want to pay attention. Researchers at NCC Group exploited multiple zero-day vulnerabilities to inject spyware, track locations, and gain access to system dataâall through a flaw in the Gracenote music database. While the proof-of-concept required physical access, they say it could be adapted for remote attacks. Pioneer has issued patches, so update your system⌠or just rip it out and go back to that 5-disc CD changer. đś https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/car-exploit-spy-drivers-real-timeđ **Apple Delays AI-Powered Siri UpdatesâBlames Marketing**
Appleâs much-hyped "Apple Intelligence" features for Siri have been shelved, possibly for up to a year, after internal testing revealed they donât actually work. Success rates hovered between 66â80%, which is, uh, *not great*. Appleâs decision to pull back has led to some well-deserved mockery, but letâs be realâshipping half-baked AI features wouldâve been way worse. Still waiting on that flying car, though. đ https://9to5mac.com/2025/03/14/siri-delays-hurt-but-apple-averted-disaster-by-not-shipping-half-baked-product/ -
This week on Chaos Lever, we explore a heartwarming yet launch into an in-depth (and completely correct, donât question us) discussion about quantum computing and the hardware solutions behind a qubit. đ§ âď¸
Google, IBM, Amazon, and even Microsoft have been making big moves in quantum tech, each promising advancements that may or may not totally destroy encryption as we know it. Superconducting qubits, quantum tunneling, and the mysterious Majorana zero modesâitâs all here, and itâs all *probably* real.
Stick around for deep dives into how different qubit architectures compare, what quantum error correction means for scalability, and why tech companies are obsessed with giving their chips weird animal names. If you make it to the end, congratulationsâyou've earned yourself a snack from the fridge, preferably one that doesnât require quantum coherence to stay intact. đ
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đ **LINKS**
đ Superconducting Qubit Physics: https://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~martinisgroup/classnotes/finland/LesHouchesJunctionPhysics.pdf
đ Google's Willow chip: https://blog.google/technology/research/google-willow-quantum-chip/
đ Microsoft's Majorana chip: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/quantum/2025/02/19/microsoft-unveils-majorana-1-the-worlds-first-quantum-processor-powered-by-topological-qubits/
đ Amazon's Ocelot chip: https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/27/1112560/amazon-quantum-computing-chip-makes-its-debut/
đ IBM's Heron chip: https://newsroom.ibm.com/2024-11-13-ibm-launches-its-most-advanced-quantum-computers,-fueling-new-scientific-value-and-progress-towards-quantum-advantage
đTopological state of matter paper: https://journals.aps.org/prb/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevB.107.245423đ Thanks for listening! Follow Chaos Lever for more questionable but entertaining tech discussions. See you next week! đ
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Welcome to another round of tech news! This week, we're diving into the resurrection of a once-popular social media site, the EU's big bet on RISC-V, fresh zero days for VMware, and Broadcom's bold money-making moves.
đŻ **Reddit's Co-Founder Wants to Fix Social Media... With More Social Media?**
Alexis Ohanian, one of Redditâs original creators (the one who *doesnât* suck), is teaming up with the founder of Digg to bring it back from the dead. Digg was a big deal in the mid-2000s before it collapsed under bad management, but now itâs making a comeback with AI in tow. Will it be the next big thing or another failed revival? Only time will tell. Want to get in early? Theyâre taking email sign-ups now.
đhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/technology/digg-alexis-ohanian-kevin-rose.htmlđž **The EU Goes All-In on RISC-V for Supercomputing**
Europe is pushing hard for digital independence with a $260 million investment in RISC-V-based supercomputing chips. The project, named DAR (Digital Autonomy with RISC-V for Europe), aims to develop three chiplets for high-performance computing. Itâs a bold move to move away from x86 and ARM dominance, but can they deliver on their aggressive timeline?
đ https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/07/dare_europe_risc_v_project/â ď¸ **Three New VMware Zero DaysâBecause One Isn't Enough!**
VMware ESX is under attack again, with three fresh zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in the wild. The worst of the bunch (CVE-2025-22224) lets attackers execute code on an ESXi host. Microsoft actually reported these to Broadcom, which is a fun little twist. If you haven't patched your VMware hosts yet, now would be a *really* good time.
đ https://support.broadcom.com/web/ecx/support-content-notification/-/external/content/SecurityAdvisories/0/25390đ° **Broadcom's VMware Cash Grab is Working... For Now**
Broadcom is cashing in on its $69 billion VMware acquisition by slashing products, jacking up prices, and locking in big customers. The strategy seems to be workingâat least in the short termâas revenue soars. But with frustrated customers looking for alternatives, could VMware's long-term future be in jeopardy? Competitors like Nutanix are already gaining ground.
đ https://investors.broadcom.com/news-releases/news-release-details/broadcom-inc-announces-first-quarter-fiscal-year-2025-financialThatâs it for this week! Like, subscribe, and maybe, just maybe, we'll see you again next time. đ
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The Internet: it was never supposed to work this well, and yet, here we are. This week, weâre diving into how we went from isolated, room-sized computers to a global, decentralized network that somehow (mostly) functions. We break down the early days of networking, when computers had to physically dial each other up, and how we eventually arrived at the distributed, self-healing, packet-switching magic that powers everything today.
Along the way, we cover the different network modelsâcentralized, decentralized, and fully distributedâand why only one of them could survive a nuclear attack (always an important design consideration). We also touch on ARPANET, the first real Internet, and how a bunch of researchers, military contractors, and a few weirdly named computers set the stage for what we have now. Spoiler: it involves a lot of improvised problem-solving and some very lonely PDP-10s.
So if youâve ever wondered how routing actually works, why the Internet doesnât just collapse under its own weight, or what an âIMPâ is, weâve got you covered. Just donât blame us if you leave this episode with a sudden urge to dig through RFCs.
đ LINKS
đ RFC 1206: https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1206
đBGP episode: https://pod.chaoslever.com/break-the-glass-and-walk-away-a-very-brief-overview-of-bgp/
đSupercomputing episode: https://pod.chaoslever.com/from-cray-1-to-el-capitan-the-evolution-of-supercomputers-chaos-lever/
đClassical computing: https://pod.chaoslever.com/turing-to-transistors-classical-computing-101/
đBrief history of the internet: https://www.internetsociety.org/internet/history-internet/brief-history-internet/ -
đ˘ Welcome to another episode of Tech News of the Week, where Chris and I break down the biggest stories in techâsometimes with insight, sometimes with sarcasm, but always with desks. Maybe? This week, we're talking about IBM finally sealing the deal with HashiCorp, Microsoft's continued Notepad nonsense, OpenAI's latest attempt to justify its existence, and the biggest crypto heist of all time. Buckle up!
đĄ **HashiCorp Joins IBM**
After 10 long months of regulatory limbo, IBMâs $6.4 billion acquisition of HashiCorp is finally official. Now that the deal has closed, IBM is set to integrate Terraform with Ansible, strengthen HashiCorp Vault with OpenShift, and generally try to make their aging product lineup more cloud-native. As a HashiCorp fan, I wasnât exactly thrilled, but heyâat least IBM is dumping money into R&D. Cautiously optimistic? Maybe. Full breakdown here: https://www.hashicorp.com/en/blog/hashicorp-officially-joins-the-ibm-family and convo with Armon Dadgar here: https://www.youtube.com/live/p9VZMDRJ6m0đĄ **Microsoft Notepad Gets AI Because⌠Reasons?**
Notepad was perfect. It was simple. It was beautiful. And now, Microsoft is stuffing it with AI features nobody asked forâjust like theyâre doing with Paint. Oh, and they killed off WordPad, pushing people toward paid Microsoft Word instead. At least the AI-infested versions of Notepad and Paint are optional (for now), but this is a slippery slope, folks. More details: https://www.pcworld.com/article/2614943/microsoft-is-paywalling-these-features-in-notepad-and-paint.htmlđĄ **GPT-4.5: Bigger, Better, and Full of Lies**
OpenAI just dropped GPT-4.5, and itâs⌠well, itâs a thing. Itâs bigger, more power-hungry, and claims to be "friendlier" and "more truthful"âwhich means it only lies to you **37%** of the time instead of **59%**. Progress? Maybe. Desperation? Definitely. Sam Altmanâs money-burning machine continues, and SoftBank is still writing checks, so here we are. The full scoop: https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/27/1112619/openai-just-released-gpt-4-5-and-says-it-is-its-biggest-and-best-chat-model-yet/đĄ **Bybit Suffers the Largest Crypto Heist Ever**
Dubai-based crypto exchange Bybit just lost **$1.5 billion** to North Koreaâs Lazarus Group, making it the biggest crypto theft in history. Hackers exploited Bybitâs Ethereum wallet system, faked transactions, and walked away with an absolute fortune. The good news? Bybit says itâll reimburse customers. The bad news? This whole mess proves, once again, that "faster" and "secure" are rarely friends. More on this wild story: https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/cryptos-biggest-hacks-heists-after-15-billion-theft-bybit-2025-02-24/Now, go away. Bye. đ
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Fifth-generation programming languages? Generations donât even matter anymore. Weâre basically at iPhone generation 16-and-a-half, and at some point, people are just making stuff up. Speaking of making things up, todayâs episode of Chaos Lever is all about NAT (Network Address Translation), a necessary evilâor maybe just evilâthat helped shape the internet as we know it. To break it all down, weâre joined by the legendary Ivan Pepelnjak, a CCIE Emeritus, BGP wizard, and all-around networking guru. Heâs here to walk us through the chaotic history of NAT, why it happened, and why, despite all efforts, itâs never really going away.
We dive into the days when IP was just one of many competing protocols, when grabbing an IP block was as easy as sending an email, and when the first NAT implementations were only meant to be a temporary fix.
Spoiler alert: that temporary fix became the foundation of modern networking. Ivan shares his firsthand experience from decades in the field, discussing why IPv6 adoption has been slow, how carrier-grade NAT is making things even messier, and why the dream of a fully end-to-end connected internet never really stood a chance. Plus, we touch on some truly wild networking triviaâlike how stock exchanges measure fiber cable lengths to the nanosecond.
If youâve ever wondered why your home Wi-Fi setup still relies on NAT, why cloud providers and ISPs are desperate to push IPv6, or what networking challenges weâll still be complaining about in another 20 years, this episode is for you. Stick around for some networking history, a bit of good-natured industry snark, and of course, a little chaos. And if you make it all the way to the end? Congrats, youâve earned the right to set up your own double-NAT configuration at homeâfor "fun".
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LINKS
đ Chaos Lever Website: https://chaoslever.com
đ Chaos Lever LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chaoslever
đ Ivan Pepelnjakâs Blog & Networking Resources: https://blog.ipspace.net
đ NetLab Open Source Project: https://netlab.tools -
Welcome back to Tech News of the Week, where Chris and I break down the biggest and weirdest stories in tech. We're a week behind because Chris decided to lose powerâhow selfish! But weâre back, and weâve got four spicy news stories to dive into. Letâs go!
đ§ **Meta Wants ARM-Made Chips**
ARM might start making its own chips, and Meta is reportedly first in line to buy them. This is a big shift for ARM, which has historically just designed and licensed chip architectures rather than manufacturing its own. If true, this could shake up the chip industry and make ARM a competitor to companies it currently licenses to. The first chips are rumored to launch this summer, so we wonât have to wait long to see what happens. Will this push companies toward RISC-V? Fingers crossed!
đ https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/13/arm-is-launching-its-own-chip-this-year-with-meta-as-a-customerđ **Facebookâs AI Reads Minds (Kind Of)**
FAIR (Facebookâs Fundamental AI Research unit) teamed up with scientists in Spain to create a machine that can read your mindâwell, sort of. By analyzing brain activity using M-E-G and E-E-G, they achieved an 80% accuracy rate in predicting what subjects were typing or saying. Right now, the tech is clunky and requires a controlled environment, but smaller, scarier versions are likely on the way. What could go wrong?
đhttps://www.techspot.com/news/106721-meta-researchers-unveil-ai-models-convert-brain-activity.htmlđ° **SolarWinds Goes Private for $4.4B**
Remember SolarWinds? The company that got hit with a massive supply chain attack in 2020? Well, private equity firms have decided itâs still worth squeezing for cash. Silver Lake and Tomo Bravo bought up a majority stake, and now TurnRiver is taking the whole thing private for $4.4 billion. Expect less innovation, more âcost optimization,â and an eternal cycle of rent-seeking. Somewhere in Middle-earth, Sauron is proud.
đ https://www.darkreading.com/cybersecurity-operations/solarwinds-private-billionsđĽď¸ **AI is Just Fancy Copy-Paste, Confirms Study**
A new report shows that AI-assisted coding is leading to lower code quality. GitClear analyzed 200 million lines of code and found that, surprise surprise, AI-generated code is often just old code copied and pasted with minimal thought. Googleâs own research backs this up, showing rising defect rates in published code. Microsoft even warns that overreliance on AI is killing critical thinking skills. So, uh⌠weâre definitely headed toward a bright, bug-free future, right?
đ https://www.gitclear.com/ai_assistant_code_quality_2025_research -
What happens when you mix cryptography, heists, social engineering, and a dash of early '90s tech paranoia? You get **Sneakers**âa movie that might be more relevant today than it was in 1992. In this episode, we break down the filmâs tech, its realism (or lack thereof), and the undeniable truth that **people are always the weakest security link**. Because at the end of the day, itâs not about the techâitâs about **People, Process, Technology**, in that order.
Along the way, we take some delightful detours, including a discussion of **Tim Curry chewing scenery in *Legend***, whether a Braille Playboy was a real thing (spoiler: it was), and why the best security measures can be defeated with a birthday cake and some good old-fashioned social engineering.
So, grab your popcorn and your best anagram-solving skills, and letâs dive into the world of Sneakersâa movie that understood the power of ones and zeros long before our social feeds did. Oh, and if youâre planning to crawl around in a drop ceiling like Robert Redford, please donât.
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Welcome back to another jam-packed episode of Tech News of the Week! Chris and I are diving into four big stories that caught our attention this week. From sketchy ISP routers to OpenAIâs latest security fail, letâs break it all down.
đš **Stop Using Your ISP RouterâSeriously**
If you're still using the router your internet provider gave you, it's time for an upgrade. Not only are ISP-provided routers outdated and full of security holes, but they might also be spying on youâand, in some cases, even harboring actual bugs (the creepy-crawly kind). A new website, [RouterSecurity.org], lays out just how bad these devices can be. Investing in a good third-party router is a small price to pay for better security and performance. Also, if you havenât looked into mesh routing yet, youâre missing out! LINK: https://routersecurity.org/ISProuters.phpđš **AWS Goes on an AI Spending Spree**
Amazon reported solid Q4 earnings, but apparently, a 19% growth in AWS wasn't enough to impress investors. So, what's Amazonâs solution? Throw more money at AI! Theyâre planning to invest a whopping $100 billion in AI hardware this year, with much of that going toward NVIDIA-powered chips. The hope is that supply chain issues will ease up, allowing AWS to scale its AI efforts even further. But will all this spending pay off in the long run? Weâll see. LINK: https://ir.aboutamazon.com/news-release/news-release-details/2025/Amazon.com-Announces-Fourth-Quarter-Results/default.aspxđš **Phishing Tests Are Getting⌠Meaner?**
We all know about phishing testsâthose fake scam emails companies send to see if employees fall for them. But lately, these tests have been pushing the limits, with some using emotionally charged messages like fake Ebola outbreaks or rescinded bonuses. The Wall Street Journal reports that while these tactics may be effective, theyâre also making employees furious. One particularly controversial example? A phishing email promising free Eagles tickets to people in Philadelphia. Ouch. LINK: https://www.wsj.com/tech/cybersecurity/phishing-tests-the-bane-of-work-life-are-getting-meaner-76f30173đš **OpenAIâs New Model Helps⌠Write Malware?**
Well, that didnât take long. OpenAI's new "secure" GPT-4 variant, O3 Mini, was supposed to be better at filtering out harmful requests. But within days, a security researcher tricked it into generating code to exploit Windows security processes. OpenAI insists the exploit wasnât serious, but the fact remainsâthese models still arenât as locked down as they claim. Maybe a little more internal testing before release wouldnât hurt? LINK: https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/researcher-jailbreaks-openai-o3-miniThatâs it for this week! Drop a comment, let us know your thoughts, and weâll catch you in the next one. đ
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Can you feel the enthusiasm radiating from this episode? No? Well, Chris is already singing *The Lion King*, so weâre off to a strong start. Today, weâre diving headfirst into the world of AI with DeepSeek, the latest generative AI model out of China thatâs supposedly shaking up Silicon Valley. Is it really the *Sputnik moment* some are claiming, or is it just another overhyped step forward? Spoiler: Itâs not Sputnik.
We break down DeepSeekâs origins, its connection to a high-frequency trading hedge fund, and why its *free* and *open-source* nature might not be as open as it seems. Oh, and censorshipâlots of censorship. But donât worry, you can always trick it by asking questions in Pig Latin. Meanwhile, Chris did some highly scientific testing (read: he asked it a Bible question), and we debate whether reasoning transparency is a *game-changer* or just a fancy parlor trick.
Is DeepSeek a technical marvel? Yeah, kinda. Is it revolutionary? Not really. Is it 96% cheaper than OpenAIâs API? Absolutely. And *that* is what has Silicon Valley panicking. We also talk about the Wright brothers, the Cold War, and how local AI models might just burn a hole in your couch. Good times all around.
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đ **LINKS**
- https://www.deepseek.com
- https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.14158
- https://www.promptfoo.dev/blog/deepseek-censorship/
- https://erichartford.com/uncensored-models
- https://www.wired.com/story/deepseeks-ai-jailbreak-prompt-injection-attacks/
- https://proton.me/blog/deepseek -
Welcome back to another episode of *Tech News of the Week!* This week, we dive into some fascinating developments in quantum computing, corporate drama at Meta, a potential shake-up in the networking industry, and security vulnerabilities in Apple Silicon chips. Buckle upâit's going to be a wild ride.
đŹ **Photonics for Quantum Computing**
Quantum computers are finicky beasts, usually requiring extreme cold to keep their delicate qubits from falling apart. But what if we could use *light* instead? Canadian startup Xanadu is tackling this challenge with its photonic quantum computer, *Aurora*. Their modular system could make quantum computing more scalable and affordableâif they can solve the usual qubit problems. Does this deserve a full episode? Chris, get on it. đ https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/01/30/1110672/this-quantum-computer-built-on-server-racks-paves-the-way-to-bigger-machines/đ˘ **Zuckerberg Complains About Leaks⌠in a Leaked Meeting**
Metaâs CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, recently expressed frustration that everything he says leaks⌠in yet another leaked meeting. The irony is thick. Metaâs once-open town halls have turned into tightly controlled sessions, yet the leaks keep coming. Maybe, just maybe, the problem isnât the employees but the guy in charge? One commenter summed it up best: âpre-divorced sh*tweasel.â https://www.404media.co/zuckerberg-says-everything-i-say-leaks-in-leaked-meeting-audio/đ **DOJ Blocks HPE-Juniper Merger**
HPEâs $14B acquisition of Juniper Networks has hit a major roadblock. While Europe and the UK gave it the green light, the U.S. Department of Justice stepped in, citing concerns over market consolidation. The WLAN space is already dominated by a few major players, and the DOJ isnât keen on reducing competition further. Meanwhile, HPE and Juniper insist this merger is "pro-customer"... for reasons. https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/30/hpes_acquisition_juniper/đ **Apple Silicon Chips Have Security Flaws**
Appleâs M-series chips have been crushing the competition, but theyâre not invincible. Researchers found vulnerabilitiesâSLAP and Flopâthat allow sneaky memory access. While these attacks are difficult to pull off, the fact that theyâre possible at all is concerning. Apple hasnât responded yet, but maybe, just maybe, CPUs donât *need* speculative execution anymore? Just a thought. đ¤ https://predictors.failđŠ Got thoughts? Want to share expert insight? Hit us up at ChaosLever.com (but no collect calls, please). See you next time! đ
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Welcome to another episode of Chaos Lever, where we take a deep dive into the tech abyss and come out slightly more confused than when we started.
This week, we're talking about the OG of directory services: X.500. Before Active Directory, before LDAP, there was this ambitious yet painfully cumbersome attempt to organize networked systems into a structured directory. Was it elegant? No. Was it practical? Also no. But did it lay the groundwork for everything we use today? Absolutely. Along the way, we uncover just how much of modern networking was cobbled together by people who were just making it up as they went.
If you've ever wondered why directories matter, or you just enjoy hearing us ramble about obscure tech history, this episode is for you. And donât worryâthis is only part one. We still have Netscape, Microsoft, and a whole mess of bad decisions to cover. So buckle up, enjoy the ride, and remember: if youâre not questioning your life choices by the end of this episode, we havenât done our job.
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đ **LINKS**
- https://www.identityfusion.com/blog/the-most-complete-history-of-directory-services-you-will-ever-find
- https://www.nexor.com/blog/prehistory-of-ldap
- https://sec.cs.kent.ac.uk/x500book/
- https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/IR/nistir5819.pdf
- https://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.500 -
Welcome to this weekâs **Tech News of the Week**! đ° Chris and Ned dive into four fascinating stories from the tech world that made us scratch our heads, laugh, and maybe even fear the AI overlords just a little. Let's break it down:
⨠TikTokâs Secret Sauce
Want to know how TikTok seems to know you better than you know yourself? We explore a research paper that gives us a peek into TikTok's game-changing algorithm and why it's so eerily accurate. Spoiler: It's all about keeping you glued to your screen. But should it even be legal? Link to the paper here đ https://thenewstack.io/what-makes-tiktoks-algorithms-so-effective⥠The Stargate Project: AI Meets Texas
OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank are pouring billions into massive AI-focused data centers in Texas. Abilene is set to host one of the first 20 mega-centers, and locals have questions: Whereâs all the power and water coming from? Meanwhile, Sam Altman has even bigger dreams (or nightmares) with trillions in investment. AI heaven or AI hell? You decide. Learn more here đ https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/21/openai-teams-up-with-softbank-and-oracle-on-50b-data-center-project/đ Openvox: The Puppet Fork That Isnât a Muppet
Remember Puppet? Well, it's been forked into Openvox after Puppet went proprietary. Openvox is staying open-source, and theyâve promised compatibility with existing Puppet extensions for now. We also go down a rabbit hole of rejected names (like Muppet and P-I-N-P), and Chris reminisces about why he avoided Puppet entirely. Full details here đ https://github.com/OpenVoxProjectđ¨ď¸ Bamboo Labs: Locking It Down for Safety?
Bamboo Labs made waves in the 3D printing world by locking down their printers to secure their cloud services. While some Redditors cried foul, Chris and Ned debate whether this is a practical move or a step toward ecosystem lock-in. Either way, 3D printing drama is alive and well. Read more here đhttps://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/bambu-lab-pushes-a-control-system-for-3d-printers-and-boy-did-it-not-go-well/Be sure to like, subscribe, and tell us what you think in the comments below! đ Donât forget to hit that notification bell so you donât miss next weekâs episode of tech hilarity. See you next time! đ
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Welcome to the Chaos Lever podcast! In this episode, we're sharing some of our favorite (and most cringe-worthy) disaster recovery stories as Chris and I relive our days in the IT trenches. From accidentally shutting down a whole data center with the push of a button to a missing utility server derailing an entire cloud migration, weâve seen it all. If youâve ever wondered how NOT to handle DR or just need a good laugh, youâre in the right place. đ âĄ
Weâll talk about lessons learned the hard wayâlike why servers named "util01" are always critical, why you should *actually* test your DR plans, and why a bad backup can ruin your entire week. Whether youâre an IT pro looking for a relatable rant or someone curious about the chaos behind the scenes, youâll enjoy this wild ride through tech disasters (and recoveries). đžđĽ
Thanks for hanging out with us and listening to our stories of near-catastrophes and occasional triumphs. If thereâs a topic you want us to coverâor if you just want to share your own war storiesâhit us up! You made it all the way to the end, so reward yourself with a seat on the couch and a nice, quiet pilot light DR plan. Youâve earned it. đď¸đď¸
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đ Farewell to FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, whose leadership made significant strides in broadband access, net neutrality, and cybersecurity initiatives. Her final acts defended free speech, but concerns loom with her likely successor. https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/read-jessica-rosenworcels-farewell-message
đ¤ Microsoft is cramming AI into everything, but at a costâliterally. With Copilot features now included in subscriptions, expect prices to jump by 40%. Plus, theyâre throwing in the Designer app for AI-powered image editing. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/01/16/copilot-is-now-included-in-microsoft-365-personal-and-family/
đ The FTC is holding GoDaddy accountable for years of inadequate security measures. A new settlement requires them to implement real safeguardsâbut no fines yet. If you're a customer, it might be time to explore other options. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-takes-action-against-godaddy-alleged-lax-data-security-its-website-hosting-services
đ Stack Overflow usage has plummeted 76% since ChatGPT entered the scene. With fewer quality contributions, the future of community-driven programming help is uncertain. Who will AI steal from next? https://devclass.com/2025/01/08/coding-help-on-stackoverflow-dives-as-ai-assistants-rise/
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đ Hello, Alleged Humans! This week on Chaos Lever, we return to the fascinating world of cryptography, focusing on the Enigma Machine and its role in World War II. The Enigma Machine was an engineering marvel of its time, used by Germany to encode sensitive military communications. But even the most secure systems can have flaws, and Allied codebreakersâled by brilliant minds like Alan Turingâexploited those weaknesses to gain a decisive edge in the war.
đď¸ Did you know the Enigma started as a commercially available product? In this episode, we explore its ingenious design, from rotating rotors to complex wiring, and how it became the backbone of German military communication. We also break down how codebreaking innovations, like the Bombe machines, turned what seemed like an unbreakable code into an Allied advantage. Itâs a story of brilliance, determination, and, yes, a fair bit of German overconfidence.
đĄ Weâre wrapping up our series on ciphers with this episode (Part 3!), paving the way for our next chapter: modern encryption and the digital age. Stick around to learn how the work of Bletchley Park laid the foundation for everything from online security to smartphone privacy. If youâre curious about the books we mention or want to try encoding messages yourself, check out the links below!
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**LINKS**
đ Learn about Classical Cryptography: https://www.cipherchallenge.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/A-Book-on-Classical-Cryptography-by-Madness.pdf
đĽď¸ Try the Enigma Cipher Online: https://cryptii.com/pipes/enigma-machine
đ§ŠReal Example of an Enigma Message From WWII Time Period: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/04/16/fa/0416fa8d3d2a219c96d4761bc00e4241.jpg
đ Book Recommendation: *The Rose Code* by Kate Quinn: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53914938-the-rose-code
đ Book Recommendation: *Codebreaker's Victory*: https://books.google.com/books/about/Codebreakers_Victory.html?id=mhJnAAAAMAAJ
Thanks for listening, Alleged Human! Be sure to like, subscribe, and check back next week for more chaotic tech musings. đ§ -
Welcome to this weekâs Tech News of the Week! Join us as we break down the most fascinating and sometimes ridiculous tech stories making headlines. Let's dive in! đď¸
đ¨ **Cyber Trust Mark Labels**
Starting in 2025, new "Cyber Trust Mark" labels will appear on IoT devices, supposedly ensuring better security standards. But will this label actually mean anything, or is it just marketing fluff? Introduced by the FCC in 2023 and overseen by UL Solutions, this program outlines six key security capabilities, like software updates and data protection. Look for this label when buying smart devices in the future! đ Learn more here: https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/07/us-government-set-to-launch-its-cyber-trust-mark-cybersecurity-labeling-program-for-internet-connected-devices-in-2025/đ **Goodyearâs Smart Tires Initiative**
Forget smart carsâGoodyear says smart *tires* are the future! At CES, they unveiled their Tire Intelligence Platform (Sightline), which monitors tire performance, weather conditions, and driving history to improve vehicle handling. Theyâre even working on embedding sensors directly into the tires themselves. Looks like your tires may soon know more about the road than you do! đ§ď¸ Learn more here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/self-driving-cars-dont-do-snow-goodyear-says-the-solution-is-smarter-tires-6ccf0e85đś **CES Worst in Show Awards**
The "Worst in Show" awards are back, calling out the worst tech products in terms of security, privacy, and environmental impact. This year's highlights:
* đˇ *Least Private:* The Bosch Revell Smart Cribâbecause who doesnât want a crib spying on their baby?
* đ *Least Secure:* TP-Link Archer BE900 Router, flagged for reporting security issues to the Chinese government before telling customers.
* âď¸ *Worst Overall:* The LG AI Home Inside 2.0 Refrigeratorâbecause apparently knowing what's inside requires AI and an invasion of privacy. Get the full rundown at WorstInShowCES.com! Learn more here: https://www.worstinshowces.comđ **Chinaâs Silent Telecom Cyberattack**
A chilling report reveals China-backed hackers, Salt Typhoon, infiltrated US wireless networks and political campaigns. The group accessed over a million user accounts through known software vulnerabilities that werenât patched. No ransoms, no braggingâjust quiet, calculated spying for months. The US government is finally urging everyone to adopt end-to-end encryption for calls and texts. Irony, anyone? đľď¸ââď¸ Learn more here: https://www.wsj.com/tech/cybersecurity/typhoon-china-hackers-military-weapons-97d4ef95Thatâs all for this weekâs tech roundup! Thanks for tuning inâand donât forget to patch your software. Bye! đ
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