Randy Balbuena

Randy Balbuena

@randyb.net

I design and build things.

121 followers139 following248 posts

Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

RIP Margaret Hamilton (1936-2026). She directed the team behind NASA’s Apollo flight software (standing next to the printed code in the photo) and famously saved the Apollo 11 landing when sensor overload threatened touchdown.

Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

In the 1960s, software was treated as an afterthought compared to hardware engineering. Hamilton deliberately coined the term "software engineering" to demand parity, institutional respect, and rigorous standards for developers.

Randy Balbuena reposted

CNN
@cnn.com

Robots in Poland "protested" outside the Digital Affairs Ministry on Monday, demanding greater regulation of AI, as organizers warn about its potential impact on the labor market.

Randy Balbuena reposted

Zack Whittaker
@zackwhittaker.com

Watching this Apple event tout how iPhones will soon be able to record ambient audio/conversations and transcribe "high level notes" for you. It's billed as private and end-to-end encrypted, but I think the bigger harm is the normalization of always-listening devices. It's creepy and not normal.

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Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

The uprising is happening. #AI “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade. This is not a marketing stunt […] No other human activity poses this level of danger.”

x.comJacob Coxon (@hilbertspaess) on XI resigned from Anthropic today. I spent the last three years doing pretraining research at both OpenAI and Anthropic. Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives. More thoughts below.

Randy Balbuena reposted

Senator Ed Markey
@markey.senate.gov

Thank you, Stephen Colbert, for years of laughter, and speaking truth to power and never backing down. The Late Show is ending under the shadow of FCC pressure and corporate fear. The FCC’s job is to protect the public interest, not serve Trump’s interest.

Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

Bruce Springsteen on why CBS cancelled Stephen Colbert’s Late Show. #colbert #1A #censorshipinamerica

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social

🔥 SPRINGSTEEN: "I’m here to support Stephen Colbert, the first guy who lost his show because a president can't take a joke - and the Ellisons feel they need to kiss his ass… small-minded people with no idea what freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about." 🇺🇸

Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

Apple spent 5 years and billions of dollars engineering MIE, the ultimate microchip defense that became the pride of their Security Team and the crown jewel of Apple Silicon. Then it took an AI-driven exploit just 5 days to circumvent its protections. 🤯 #infosec #cybersecurity #cve CVE-2026-28952

blog.calif.ioFirst public macOS kernel memory corruption exploit on Apple M5Apple spent five years building hardware and software to make memory corruption exploits dramatically harder. Our engineers, working together with Mythos Preview, built a working exploit in five days.
Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

MIE (Memory Integrity Enforcement) is the core security feature in Apple’s new A19 & M5 chips. Built into hardware to be “always-on,” MIE ensures that apps and code only access the data they are officially allowed to—aimed to completely stop 0-click memory corruption exploits from advanced spyware.

Randy Balbuena reposted

Tempus abolere ICE (time to abolish ICE)
@tempus.bsky.social

AI comes for all the jobs, even cybercrime. Why wait to be breached when you can have AI do it for you

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai@lorenzofb.bsky.social

NEW: U.S. bank Community Bank says customer data, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, was exposed due to “an unauthorized artificial intelligence-based software application.” The bank has not disclosed how many customers are affected. techcrunch.com/2026/05/12/u...

techcrunch.comU.S. bank disclose security lapse after sharing customer data with AI app | TechCrunchThe bank said the security lapse was due to the use of an “unauthorized” AI software app.
Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

Please don’t. Where’s @sanders.senate.gov?

The New York Times@nytimes.com

Former Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged on Friday that she was “thinking about” seeking the presidency again in 2028, offering some of her most detailed remarks to date about her future political ambitions. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/10/u...

Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

RIP Mac Pro (2006-2026)

9to5Mac@9to5mac.com

Apple discontinues the Mac Pro with no plans for future hardware

9to5mac.comApple discontinues the Mac Pro with no plans for future hardwareIt’s the end of an era: Apple has confirmed to 9to5Mac that the Mac Pro is being discontinued. It has been removed from Apple’s website as of Thursday afternoon. The “buy” page on Apple’s website for the Mac Pro now redirects to the Mac’s homepage, where all references have been removed. Apple has also confirmed to 9to5Mac that it has no plans to offer future Mac Pro hardware. more…
Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

Siri now becomes the front-end for all AIs

Mark Gurman@markgurman.bsky.social

BREAKING: Apple is planning to open up Siri to run any AI service via their App Store apps as part of iOS 27, dropping ChatGPT as the exclusive outside partner in Apple Intelligence and Siri. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comApple Plans to Open Up Siri to Rival AI Assistants in iOS 27 UpdateApple Inc. plans to open Siri to outside artificial intelligence assistants, a major move aimed at bolstering the iPhone as an AI platform.

Randy Balbuena reposted

Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

Update your Apple devices! Tons of bug and security fixes in these new OS versions: iOS 26.3 iPadOS 26.3 macOS Tahoe 26.3 tvOS 26.3 watchOS 26.3 visionOS 26.3

Randy Balbuena reposted

Electronic Frontier Foundation
@eff.org

Criticize the government online? DHS might demand Google hand over your info. Our latest EFFector breaks down Homeland Security's unlawful subpoenas targeting critics—plus our campaign for end-to-end encryption and a bill to stop government face scans. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

eff.org🗣 Homeland Security Wants Names | EFFector 38.3Criticize the government online? The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) might ask Google to cough up your name. By abusing an investigative tool called "administrative subpoenas," DHS has been
Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

Update your Apple devices! Tons of bug and security fixes in these new OS versions: iOS 26.3 iPadOS 26.3 macOS Tahoe 26.3 tvOS 26.3 watchOS 26.3 visionOS 26.3

Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net
Mark Gurman@markgurman.bsky.social

NEW: Apple has lost at least four more of its artificial intelligence researchers in recent weeks in addition to a top Siri executive, with the staff headed to employers such as Meta and Google DeepMind. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comApple Loses More AI Researchers and a Siri Executive in Latest DeparturesApple Inc. has lost at least four more of its artificial intelligence researchers in recent weeks in addition to a top Siri executive, with the staff headed to employers such as Meta Platforms Inc. an...
Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

Looks like Florida is the ONLY warm place in the country right now. It’s 22°F (-6°C) but feels single digit because of the wind, and will be even colder for at least the entire week! Snow shoveling later (8-18+ inches). Stay safe, folks! #WinterStorm

Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

Siri is getting smart; at long last!

Mark Gurman@markgurman.bsky.social

BREAKING: Apple is overhauling Siri this fall in iOS 27 and macOS 27 and turning it into its first full-fledged chatbot, looking to fend off OpenAI’s ChatGPT and seriously compete in the generative AI space. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comApple to Revamp Siri as a Built-In iPhone, Mac Chatbot to Fend Off OpenAIApple Inc. plans to revamp Siri later this year by turning the digital assistant into the company’s first artificial intelligence chatbot, thrusting the iPhone maker into a generative AI race dominate...

Randy Balbuena reposted

Anonymous
@youranoncentral.bsky.social

Venezuela opposition reports the so called "capture" of Maduro was a negotiated deal between Maduro and US for an agreed exit strategy. We reported in November that this would be the case. The US bombed Venezuelan service members as part of a death theatre. #VenezuelaInvasion

Randy Balbuena
@randyb.net

MongoBleed (CVE-2025-14847) is under active exploit in the wild. This major security vulnerability affects MongoDB, used by 70%+ of Fortune 500 companies. (image: xkcd). #explainedinonepicture #techexplained

Randy Balbuena reposted

Ron Deibert
@rondeibert.bsky.social

Received a notification from Apple, Google or WhatsApp that you've been targeted or hacked with government spyware? Take it seriously! Here's a very useful guide from @lorenzofb.bsky.social @techcrunch.com about what steps you should take next 👇

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai@lorenzofb.bsky.social

NEW: Apple, Google, and WhatsApp now regularly notify their users if they suspect they have been targeted or hacked with government spyware, such as that made by NSO Group or Paragon. We spoke to experts and wrote a guide on what to do, and where to go, if you receive one of those notifications.

techcrunch.comYou've been targeted by government spyware. Now what? | TechCrunchTech companies are increasingly warning their customers that they have been targeted by governments with advanced government spyware, such as NSO's Pegasus or Paragon's Graphite. What happens after re...