1. Cisco Acquires Splunk
Total comment counts : 57
Summary
Splunk has announced a partnership with Cisco to enhance their solutions and deliver comprehensive visibility and insight across security, observability, and network operations. The collaboration will allow both companies to accelerate innovation and serve customers better, leveraging Cisco’s global network and go-to-market capabilities. Splunk aims to help businesses access, analyze, and act on data faster and more securely, contributing to a safer and more resilient digital world. The partnership is seen as a transformative milestone for both Splunk and Cisco.
Top 1 Comment Summary
Splunk’s potential acquisition by Cisco comes as no surprise to the author, who notes that Splunk has shown interest in the space for some time, previously attempting to acquire Datadog without success. The author also mentions that Cisco is not particularly known for software innovation in the upper stacks, although they excel in network OS layer operations.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses dissatisfaction with Cisco’s acquisition strategy, stating that Cisco’s purchases often lead to the decline and disappearance of the acquired products. They mention examples of security companies like Protego, Stealthwatch, and ThousandEyes, which were absorbed into other Cisco products and eventually abandoned by customers. The author also shares that a retail customer, who is a Splunk owner, sent them a link about Cisco’s acquisition. The customer, who finds Splunk expensive but not as costly as Cisco, expresses interest in exploring alternatives like Datadog.
2. OpenBSD/ARM64 on Hetzner Cloud
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
This article is about running OpenBSD on the arm64-based cloudservers provided by Hetzner. The author, Frederic Cambus, mentions that currently only the -current version of OpenBSD will work because it requires the new viogpu(4) driver. The full story can be found on Frederic’s blog.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article shares their positive experience with Hetzner’s ‘EX101’ server, which they are using to host their STUN, TURN, and echo servers. They mention that Hetzner provides ample IPv6 addresses and affordable additional IPv4 addresses. However, they caution readers to be careful when using Hetzner’s auction process to purchase servers, as they made the mistake of buying an old server with an outdated CPU. The author also notes that Hetzner does not charge customers until their first invoice date, allowing free access to their servers until then, which they find unusual but it appears to work well.
Top 2 Comment Summary
Hetzner is offering an incredible server package for approximately $100 per month. The package includes an AMD 7950X3D processor, 16 cores (Zen5), 128 GB of ECC DDR5 RAM, and 2x2TB NVMe storage. This offer is significantly cheaper than what other providers charge, with prices typically ranging from 5 to 10 times higher. More information can be found at the provided link: Hetzner Dedicated Rootserver AX102.
3. Terry Tao’s generals (2012)
Total comment counts : 19
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions that the author was asked about other boundedness theorems, but couldn’t recall any specific ones. They mentioned something about a convolution operator being bounded if its Fourier transform was bounded, but didn’t remember the exact details. The sentence at the end indicates that the reader can relate to the author’s struggle.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article shares an interesting backstory about Terence’s almost failure in an exam. You can read the full details in the article found at this link: https://www.ams.org/notices/202007/rnoti-p1007.pdf
4. UK Parliament undermined the privacy, security, freedom of all internet users
Total comment counts : 46
Summary
The article discusses the Online Safety Bill (OSB) that has been passed by the U.K. Parliament. It argues that the bill will impose censorship and restrict internet access for British users. One concerning aspect of the bill is the provision that allows the telecom regulator, Ofcom, to require tech companies to scan their users for child abuse content, even if the messages and files are encrypted. This raises privacy and security concerns and undermines the right to private conversations. The OSB also gives the government power to force companies to build technology that can bypass encryption, essentially creating a backdoor. The article expresses concerns about the potential politicized censorship decisions and harmful age-verification systems that may result from the bill. It concludes that encrypted messaging services may withdraw from the U.K. if the government compromises their ability to protect users.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The U.K. Parliament has passed the Online Safety Bill (OSB) with the aim of making the U.K. the safest place to be online. However, critics argue that the politicians involved are ill-equipped to handle tech-related matters and caution against potential misuse of the bill. One provision of the bill allows British telecom regulator Ofcom to require tech companies to scan all their users for child abuse content, a move reminiscent of Apple’s CSAM controversy. Concerns are raised about the expansion of such scanning to other areas like terrorism, crime, political views, and hate speech. This legislation could also require companies to build backdoor technology that undermines user privacy, even for messages and files that are end-to-end encrypted. As a result, some individuals may consider moving to end-to-end encryption via private servers.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article expresses their frustration with the apathy they observe among people in the UK, particularly in relation to their government. The author, who works in the IT industry, finds that many people have a “meh” attitude, questioning what can be done. Others express exhaustion at constantly being angry and hope for improvement instead. The author also notes that the lack of coverage by mainstream media adds to their frustration.
5. Studio Ghibli set to become subsidiary of Nippon TV
Total comment counts : 17
Summary
Studio Ghibli, the renowned anime studio, will become a part of Nippon Television Holdings in October. The senior operating officer of Nippon TV, Hiroyuki Fukuda, will head Studio Ghibli, while Toshio Suzuki, the current president, will become chairman. Hayao Miyazaki, the famous filmmaker and co-creator, will be the honorary chairman.
Top 1 Comment Summary
Hayao Miyazaki, renowned Japanese filmmaker and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, expresses his lack of worry about the future of the studio in the documentary “The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness” (2013). He believes that the studio’s downfall is inevitable and already perceives it happening. Miyazaki also suggests that the name “Ghibli” was randomly chosen from an airplane and holds no significant meaning.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article expresses their anger towards the changes made to the sound design in the English dub of the film Castle In the Sky. They state that the opening scene in the Japanese version is quiet, with only the sound of engines running, while the English dub adds music over the entire scene. The author dislikes the addition of the music and claims that it ruins the original experience without any valid reason.
6. Introduction to Linux interfaces for virtual networking (2018)
Total comment counts : 7
Summary
This article provides a brief introduction to commonly used virtual network interface types in Linux. It covers interfaces such as Linux bridge, bonding, team, VLAN, VXLAN, MACVLAN, IPVLAN, MACVTAP/IPVTAP, MACsec, VETH, VCAN, VXCAN, IPOIB, NLMON, dummy interface, IFB, and netdevsim. The article explains what each interface is, their differences, when to use them, and how to create them.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization) as a method of improving network performance in virtual machines. SR-IOV allows a single hardware device, such as a network card, to act as multiple virtual devices. Each virtual device is passed to a guest virtual machine as a PCIe device, allowing it to be treated as a hardware device within the VM. This eliminates the need for using software-based VirtIO drivers.
The article explains that using SR-IOV can help overcome issues with hardware acceleration when using a Linux software bridge, which can limit the device’s bandwidth. Additionally, it reduces overhead during the VM transition process. Another advantage of SR-IOV mentioned is that it does not require changing the network configuration on the host machine.
While SR-IOV is supported on some consumer motherboards, enabling it may require modifying the BIOS configuration.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author is seeking recommendations on books that provide information about Linux interfaces for virtual networking. They mention specific books, such as Tanenbaum’s book and the OSTEP book, for topics such as processes, TLBs, and context switching. However, they are unsure about a book that covers the fundamentals of Linux interfaces for virtual networking.
7. How Equifax Was Breached in 2017
Total comment counts : 19
Summary
The article discusses the Equifax data breach in 2017, which affected 163 million customers and is considered one of the largest data breaches in history. The breach was a result of vulnerabilities in the Apache Struts software, specifically CVE-2017-5638, which allowed hackers to execute remote code on Equifax servers. Despite efforts to patch the affected applications, one legacy application called the Automated Consumer Interview System (ACIS) was overlooked and remained vulnerable. Attackers gained access to ACIS and used web shells to maintain control of the system. They then discovered a file share containing database credentials, allowing them to access and exfiltrate personal identifiable information (PII) from 48 different databases. The stolen data was divided into compressed files and placed in publicly accessible directories on web servers to be gradually exfiltrated without triggering alerts. Equifax only realized the breach after their Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) SSL certificate expired, preventing them from monitoring the ACIS environment. The breach was eventually discovered and ACIS was shut down, but by then, the attackers had already collected data from 163 million customers. The article concludes by highlighting the mistakes made by Equifax and the importance of learning from them to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a detailed breach report and highlights a concerning quote about how attackers found database credentials stored in plaintext on a shared file server belonging to Equifax. The author expresses their own worries about application security, but upon reading about common security issues like storing credentials in plaintext and not using strong passwords or two-factor authentication, they feel somewhat relieved that their own security practices aren’t as bad.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article discusses a group that exploited a vulnerability and handed over information to PLA-linked individuals who conducted exfiltration. It mentions that the data has not been seen on the open market, raising concerns about potential compromise of individuals for commercial and military espionage purposes. The author speculates that this information might have been known early on and possibly considered in a settlement.
8. Airlines make more money from mileage programs than from flying planes
Total comment counts : 53
Summary
The article discusses the changes made to Delta Air Lines’ SkyMiles program, which now focuses on dollars spent rather than miles traveled. The author argues that frequent-flier programs are a symptom of deeper issues in the American air-travel industry, and the blame ultimately lies with Congress. The article traces the evolution of frequent-flier programs, highlighting how they have become lucrative financial systems for airlines. However, the system is not necessarily beneficial for all consumers, as credit-card swipe fees increase prices across the economy. The article also criticizes the lack of competition in the airline industry and the negative effects of deregulation. Ultimately, the author suggests that airlines should be regulated to focus on improving air travel instead of financial gains.
Top 1 Comment Summary
I apologize, but I am unable to access the links you provided. Can you please provide a brief summary or any specific details from the article?
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the deregulation of the airline industry in the late 1970s and its effects on air travel. Previously, the federal government regulated airlines as a public utility, deciding which airlines could fly certain routes and set prices. However, in 1978, Congress passed a law that deregulated the industry and abolished the regulatory board. This led to a decrease in the real cost of air travel, as airlines were able to experiment with routes and offer competitive incentives. Air travel became more popular and safer, although service quality declined. The author acknowledges that there may be some issues with customer and worker protections, but overall, airline deregulation demonstrates the drawbacks of command economies in planning and resource allocation.
9. How to evaluate a product roadmap, for engineers
Total comment counts : 8
Summary
This article discusses the qualities of a great product roadmap and provides guidance for evaluating and engaging with a product manager’s roadmap. The author emphasizes the importance of connecting the roadmap to the higher-level mission or strategy of the organization and ensuring that initiatives align with these goals. A great roadmap should be clear and free of confusing jargon, focusing on delivering clarity and benefiting customers. The article also highlights the value of flexibility and iteration in roadmaps, as well as the need to consider risks, dependencies, and prioritization. Finally, it suggests that a good roadmap should include experimentation and be easily accessible and searchable for reference. Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of collaboration and feedback in building better roadmaps and ultimately, better products.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The importance of having a smart lead engineer working closely with the product team and involved in the higher level roadmap is highlighted in this article. Without this collaboration, engineers may struggle as there won’t be an advocate for their needs and an understanding of what can be realistically achieved. The relationship between engineers and non-technical decision-makers can become toxic and one-sided.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the importance of connecting product roadmaps to the higher-level mission, vision, and strategy of a company. It suggests that while it is good for engineers to align with strategy, this should be primarily done by the Chief Product Officer (CPO) and the leadership team. The article questions whether it is wise to educate product managers on strategy if it does not resonate with the engineers. It also mentions that successful companies often only develop a written mission and strategy in the scale-up phase when stakeholders require more clarification.
10. Matrix 2.0: The Future of Matrix
Total comment counts : 30
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of Element X, a software application that requires a homeserver with Sliding Sync support to function. Sliding Sync is currently in the experimental phase and requires a sliding-sync proxy to be added to existing homeservers. The author expresses excitement about trying out Element X but does not want to manage another service, the Sliding Sync proxy. They suggest that it would be more practical to discuss Element X after it becomes usable with any spec-compliant server.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a group of friends who migrated from the messaging platform Discord to a self-hosted private Matrix server. The author mentions that they have no complaints so far, although they did not use Discord’s voice/video/screen-sharing features, which Matrix intends to support in the future. The author appreciates the difference in user experience between Discord’s default channel subscription approach and IRC/Matrix’s opposite approach. The former is better for discoverability but the latter scales better. The article also suggests trying Cinny as a Matrix client with a Discord-like user interface.