Alex Barrera

@abarrera
119 Followers
218 Following
188 Posts
Chief Editor at The Aleph Report http://thealeph.com (@thealeph_report), CEO at http://Press42.com , Cofounder & editor @Tech_EU,
Researchhttps://thealeph.com/
Alex BarreraOct 7, 2023
Lily Hay NewmanOct 6, 2023
23andMe user data was seemingly stolen in a credential stuffing campaign that targeted Ashkenazi Jews. Also maybe data from Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Sergey Brin is in the leak? 23andMe seems to be confirming the incident yet hasn't validated the data https://www.wired.com/story/23andme-credential-stuffing-data-stolen/
23andMe User Data Stolen in Targeted Attack on Ashkenazi Jews

At least a million data points from 23andMe accounts appear to have been exposed on BreachForums. While the scale of the campaign is unknown, 23andMe says it's working to verify the data.

WIRED
Alex BarreraSep 27, 2023
Study clarifies how 'junk DNA' influences gene expression https://phys.org/news/2023-09-junk-dna-gene.html <- wow, this is really impressive. It's amazing how many experiments they did and that they even produced a working model. 😲
Study clarifies how 'junk DNA' influences gene expression

For decades, scientists have known that, despite its name, "junk DNA" in fact plays a critical role: While the coding genes provide blueprints for building proteins, which direct most of the body's functions, some of the noncoding sections of the genome, including regions previously dismissed as "junk," seem to turn up or down the expression of those genes.

Alex BarreraSep 18, 2023
https://usa.visa.com/solutions/crypto/deep-dive-on-solana.html <- Wow, impressive Visa choosing Solana for this. Really happy! Been a big fan of Solana for a while.
Visa Crypto Thought Leadership – A deep dive on Solana

With high transaction throughput, scalability, and low cost, Solana's blockchain suits payments and Visa's stablecoin settlement pilot.

Alex BarreraSep 11, 2023
Twitter appears to throttle New York Times
https://www.semafor.com/article/09/10/2023/twitter-appears-to-throttle-new-york-times <- no one should be surprised by now with Elon's interpretation of "free speech" xD
Twitter appears to throttle New York Times | Semafor

X, Elon Musk’s social media platform formerly known as Twitter, appears to be attempting to limit its users’ access to The New York Times.

Alex BarreraSep 6, 2023
UK government sets out AI Safety Summit ambitions
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-sets-out-ai-safety-summit-ambitions?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email <- Very good start
UK government sets out AI Safety Summit ambitions

The AI Safety Summit will bring together key countries, technology organisations, academia and civil society.

GOV.UK
Alex BarreraSep 6, 2023
TechmemeSep 6, 2023

Pakistan's tech workers are leaving the country, as funding dries up, companies close, and more; data: 800K+ Pakistanis got jobs abroad in 2022, up 189% YoY (Zuha Siddiqui/Rest of World)

https://restofworld.org/2023/pakistan-tech-workers-leaving/
http://www.techmeme.com/230906/p9#a230906p9

Pakistan’s tech workers are fleeing the country in droves

Inflation and dried-up VC funding have caused the country’s tech ecosystem to plummet, prompting young people to search for greener pastures abroad.

Rest of World
Alex BarreraSep 6, 2023
nixCraft 🐧Sep 6, 2023
Do you like it when browsers share any function of your browsing history with every random website you visit to target Ads? Well, get ready, Google Chrome pushes ahead with targeted ads based on your browser history https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/06/google_privacy_popup_chrome/ #privacy #security
Google Chrome pushes ahead with targeted ads based on your browser history

YMMV, based on where you are

The Register
Alex BarreraSep 6, 2023
TechmemeSep 6, 2023

Sources: KKR plans to float chip equipment maker Hitachi Kokusai Electric in Tokyo, aiming for a ~$2.7B valuation, up 60% from KKR's 2017 acquisition price (Financial Times)

https://t.co/J2JzOv8lKB
http://www.techmeme.com/230906/p10#a230906p10

KKR to list chip equipment maker as Tokyo experiences IPO revival

Private equity group aims to float Hitachi Kokusai Electric at valuation that would make it Japan’s biggest initial public offering since 2018

Financial Times
Alex BarreraSep 6, 2023
TechmemeSep 6, 2023

The EU lists the 22 services falling under the Digital Markets Act, including TikTok and Facebook, and will assess if Microsoft's services and iMessage qualify (Samuel Stolton/Bloomberg)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-06/eu-challenges-apple-microsoft-in-new-antitrust-push-to-rein-in-big-tech
http://www.techmeme.com/230906/p12#a230906p12

EU Challenges Apple, Microsoft in New Antitrust Push to Rein in Big Tech

Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. face fresh investigations from European Union regulators as part of the bloc’s landmark digital markets clampdown, which could end up forcing significant changes in how the firms do business in the region.

Bloomberg
Alex BarreraSep 6, 2023
US to investigate chips used in Huawei’s ‘Made in China’ smartphone
https://www.ft.com/content/44f833a0-dc74-47be-833c-cb94a9d9e856 <- I'm also pretty skeptical. Is the chip really 7nm? Even if there are some layers that are 7nm, is the performance equivalent? Still many open questions.
US to check on chips used in Huawei’s ‘Made in China’ smartphone

Mate 60 Pro sells out in China as public celebrate reports of domestic chip breakthrough despite years of sanctions

Financial Times