Month: April 2024

The TikTok ban and the iPhone monopoly

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Image: The Verge A few weeks ago, it looked like the US government was on a fast track to banning TikTok. A committee in the House of Representatives voted unanimously in favor of a bill that would see the app either banned or sold, before the broader House passed the same bill in sweeping fashion, … Read more

Shure MV7+: The best USB podcast mic gets better

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I was happy — excited, even — to check out Shure’s latest USB microphone. Its predecessor, the MV7, has been my default podcasting mic since it was launched toward to end of 2022. I’ve recorded more than 100 episodes of my show on the thing — not to mention using it for meetings, social engagements … Read more

Symbolica hopes to head off the AI arms race by betting on symbolic models

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In February, Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google‘s DeepMind AI research lab, warned that throwing increasing amounts of compute at the types of AI algorithms in wide use today could lead to diminishing returns. Getting to the “next level” of AI, as it were, Hassabis said, will instead require fundamental research breakthroughs that yield viable … Read more

Apple Opens the Emulation Floodgates… Potentially

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In some shocking but exciting news, Apple announced last Friday that they will be allowing retro game emulators on their App Store. Although this seems to come out of nowhere, it could be because everyone under the sun is currently gunning for Apple because of their App Store policies. On March 4, 2024, the European … Read more

TeKnowledge’s Expansion: Tackling the Tech Talent Crisis with Unified Cybersecurity and Upskilling

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The digital landscape is both a battleground and a fertile ground for innovation and TeKnowledge’s recent announcement of its strategic consolidation marks a pivotal moment in the cybersecurity and enterprise tech sectors. By amalgamating the distinct capabilities of Cytek Security, Tek Experts, and Elev8, TeKnowledge is not merely expanding; it is redefining its trajectory towards … Read more

So, You Want to be a Pen-Tester?

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As I sat behind my desk, preparing for my first penetration test, a wave of sickness and nerves came over me. This was what I had been training for, but the reality of facing a real company’s defenses and a vigilant Security Operations Center (SOC) team was daunting. Unlike the controlled environment of Capture the … Read more

Papers, Please! – Know Your Customer With AI

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In Papers, Please, a popular video game, you play the role of a customs officer checking documents according to increasingly complex rules. The main mechanic of the game is checking documents for compliance with all standards, such as the correct date and place of issue, compliance with the person’s first and last name on all … Read more

Code Smell 246 – Modeling Expiration Dates

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You need to model an expiration date. Which object will you use? TL;DR: Model real word expiration dates with… expiration dates Problems Bijection Violation Unexpected Behavior Small Objects Missing Primitive Obsession Solutions Honor the bijection and model correct behavior Context In many systems, the expiry date of a credit card is often represented by simply … Read more