PEAKS Newsletter No. 6

Hi there!

The last week I found a lot of amazing things that I want to share with you. That’s the reason why I publish this issue earlier than it was planned. There are some good to know security updates, handy tools and some tech new, especially about AI. Don’t forget about the Misc section. This time is about nature. Let’s start!

🛡️ Security & Privacy

  • College students used Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to dox people in real-time. They processed live video streams on laptops, using AI to identify faces and retrieve personal data from public databases—reminiscent of Clearview AI'sapproach. For more information, check this link. Related reading: "Your Face Belongs to Us" (on my to-read list).
  • The CUPS related vulnerability can be used in DDoS attacks with 600x amplification factor. Fortunately, patches are now available. More details can be found here.
  • Perfctl, a stealthy Linux malware active since 2021, exploits machine resources for crypto mining and turns victims into profit-generating proxies. It employs advanced techniques to conceal its activities. Read more here and here.
  • Researchers discovered a flaw in Kia's web portal allowing them to track millions of cars and perform various operations, including unlocking doors and starting engines. Alarmingly, exploiters only need the license plate number. Further information is available here and here.
  • Arc browser has launched a bug bounty program. Learn more here.
  • Samsung and LG smart TVs capture multiple snapshots of viewed content to track customers' viewing habits and target specific ads. These screenshots may be taken even when displaying streams from other devices, potentially compromising personal photos and videos. Additional details here.
  • The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined T-Mobile $15 million due to multiple breaches in recent years affecting millions of customers. More information here.
  • Ireland's Data Protection Commission fined Meta $101.5 million for a 2019 breach that exposed hundreds of millions of passwords in plain text. Details available here.
  • An analysis of Large Language Models' impact on offensive security can be found here.

🛠️ Tools

  • KeepTrack - orbital analysis tools accessible to all. It allows you to interact with satellites and is open source. You can find the code here.
  • Quandoom - the first level of DOOM designed to run on a quantum computer.
  • Pagoda - base starter-kit for full-stack development in Go.
  • Mobius keyboard - Google Japan's innovative creation features 208 keys arranged on a Möbius strip form factor to save space. It includes Japanese characters, QWERTY layout, and emojis. While it's not my cup of tea, the unique design is worth checking out.
  • Polar - an open-source funding and monetization platform tailored for developers. It offers tools to help creators monetize their projects and effectively engage with their audience.
  • o1-engineer - a command-line tool that streamlines developers' project management and interaction. It leverages OpenAI's API to offer features like code generation, file editing, and project planning, enhancing your development workflow.
  • replit - an AI-powered cloud workspace that enables you to create and deploy software products in any programming language. It eliminates the need for setup, downloads, and additional tools.
  • Continue - AI code assistant that is able to connect to multiple AI models to create a custom autocomplete experience.
  • NotebookLM - personalised AI research assistant. Just upload the resources that are most relevant for your research topic and it becomes an expert in that domain. Someone taught an 8yo about Subduction Zones, whatever that is, using NotebookLM. Definitely it’s on my list.
  • merklemap - a subdomain search engine.

🛸 Tech

  • Huawei has created an R&D campus in China featuring replicas of European architectural landmarks, including Heidelberg Castle and France's Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. More here.
  • mikroPhone is an open-source project aiming to create a privacy-focused mobile phone. Its core is built around a SiFive Freedom E310-G002 (RISC-V) microcontroller. More here.
  • The World Wide Web Foundation has announced its closure after achieving its primary goal of expanding global internet access from 20% to 70% of the population over 15 years. New digital challenges require a different approach, and founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee plans to focus on the Solid Protocol to enhance individual control over personal data. Read the full story here.
  • For those familiar with Windows security, the Windows Registry is a crucial, complex component functioning as a centralized hierarchical database for OS and app configurations. This post from Google's Project Zero offers valuable insights into mastering it.
  • Aspiring AI learners should consider Ilya Sutskever's reading list, which covers approximately 90% of essential AI knowledge. Find the list here.
  • Anthropic has hired Durk Kingma, an OpenAI co-founder. This move follows several key departures from OpenAI, including Tim Brooks, Mira Murati, Bob McGrew, Barret Zoph, Ilya Sutskever, and John Schulman. More details available here.
  • A new paper introduces an FPGA-based architecture capable of running LLM inference, signaling a shift towards embedded AI applications.
  • Text editor enthusiasts and developers may find this paper particularly useful.
  • Flex-RV, a 32-bit RISC-V CPU, can run machine learning tasks while bent around a pencil and costs significantly less than traditional silicon processors. Discover more about this flexible technology here.
  • Perplexity is set to launch a Mac app in October. More here.
  • A nice article about the heart of Unix.
  • Learn about shared pointers and how to track memory leaks here.
  • Google has launched Gemini 1.5 Flash-8B. Find out more about this new AI model here.
  • For an in-depth analysis of Cosmopolitan Libc's mutexes and their performance, check out this article.

🏔️ Misc

  • I love caves, speleology and geology and this article captures the best why I’m always fascinated by these domains.
  • NASA’s Artemis III mission will place three types of plants on the moon (the LEAF project). The researchers want to study the impact of the lunar gravity and multiple types of radiation on plants. More here.
  • A new class of shape, named soft cells was discovered by mathematicians. These are shapes with rounded corners and pointed tips that fit together on a plane and are commonly found in nature. More here.

📩 Please feel free to share this article with colleagues and friends who will find it valuable.

Thanks for reading!

Have a great day!
Bogdan