Web
Friday, August 29, 2025
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Web & Mobile π±
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30 minutes to read
The `synctest` package provides a convenient way to write concurrent tests using idiomatic Go. It creates a new scope, called a "bubble," where test code can execute without worrying about synchronization or concurrency issues. This durable blocking feature ensures that operations like mutexes and channels are properly synchronized, making it easier to write reliable tests for concurrent code. While the package has improved its API and behavior over time, there are still potential areas of improvement, such as making mutexes durably blocking and adding support for fake networks. The package is now a robust tool for testing concurrent code in Go.
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7 minutes to read
Microsoft has announced a new feature for Bluetooth LE devices, "super-wideband stereo mode," which prevents audio from degrading to mono when a microphone is used. This feature uses additional bandwidth to ensure high-quality audio is always available, eliminating the need for switching between modes. Benefiting gamers and Windows 10 users, this upgrade improves overall audio quality and enhances virtual meeting experiences with Microsoft's "spatial sound" technology, which creates immersive audio in Teams meetings. The new features are expected to be rolled out as part of future updates to Windows 10, enhancing user engagement and productivity on Bluetooth LE devices.
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7 minutes to read
Anthropic is developing Claude, an AI-powered browser extension for Chrome that enables users to take automated actions within their browser. The goal is to enhance safety and security by addressing potential vulnerabilities through robust safeguards. A controlled testing phase with 1,000 Max plan users will help refine the product's capabilities and defenses against prompt injection attacks, a threat where malicious actors exploit AI systems without user knowledge or consent. This phased approach aims to learn from feedback and improve Claude's defenses against such attacks, ensuring a safer browsing experience for Chrome users.
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Technology & Development π
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9 minutes to read
The author's journey with Forth, a concatenative programming language, is one of unexpected fascination. Initially finding it "weird," they later became intrigued by its unique stack-based model. Implementing two versions, goforth and ctil, allowed them to grasp the language's nuances. The challenges were significant, particularly in understanding stack usage and arities without explicit comments. Despite these hurdles, the author persevered, developing a deeper appreciation for Forth's capabilities. Their experience highlights the value of exploring unconventional programming languages and the rewards that come from delving into unfamiliar territory with persistence and determination.
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2 minutes to read
The D2 programming language has introduced ASCII outputs in its 0.7.1 release, enabling users to write portable `.txt` files with improved formatting. This feature is currently in the alpha stage due to limitations, including unsupported styles and uneven spacing. The renderer uses Unicode characters for nicer box-drawing but can be customized for true ASCII output using the `--ascii-mode=standard` flag. While this feature shows promise, it's not yet suitable for widespread use, with issues such as rendering certain shapes like images or UML classes remaining unsolved. Users are encouraged to report any problems on GitHub.
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Industry & Business πΌ
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10 minutes to read
Purgatory, a group responsible for swatting US universities with fake threats and demands, has been using burner phones and encrypted communication channels to evade law enforcement. The leader, identified as "Gores," has charged low fees for these calls, causing significant disruptions and concerns. Law enforcement agencies have launched investigations, but the group's tactics have made it challenging to identify those involved. Purgatory's actions are part of a larger trend of swatting in the US, which can cause panic and chaos. The FBI and local police departments are working together to combat this growing cybercrime threat.
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5 minutes to read
Documenso, a company, abandoned its use of Next.js due to App Router and Server Actions issues, including debugging difficulties, build failures, and slow hot module reload times. After trying Turbopack, they switched to React Router for a more straightforward solution with less magic. They also adopted Vite for bundling, resulting in improved development experiences and faster builds. This new setup has brought significant improvements over their Next.js experience, with Documenso praising its simplicity and benefits. The company's move highlights the growing pains of using popular frameworks and the importance of finding a suitable replacement when needed.
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Learning & Resources π
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13 minutes to read
Ahmad Shadeed's interactive documentation website provides a comprehensive introduction to the CSS Anchor Positioning API, allowing developers to explore and experiment with its various features, including position area, flip-blocks, logical values, and more. The site showcases interactive examples demonstrating each feature, along with resources such as official W3C documentation, blog articles, and GitHub repository links. Additionally, subscribers can receive a weekly newsletter with hand-picked articles and behind-the-scenes insights into web development and design via Ahmad Shadeed's mailing list.
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7 minutes to read
Strand, a London-based marketing agency, has successfully implemented Gleam as its primary language for managing financial aspects of project management. Despite having a small development team with limited resources, the company aimed to ensure reliability, maintainability, and scalability. After introducing Gleam, Strand experienced zero crashes and improved code maintainability due to the language's robustness, safety features, and developer-friendly tools. The BEAM platform provided fault-tolerant processes and access to battle-tested libraries, making it a solid choice for production use cases, as demonstrated by Strand's critical application that has run without issues since its adoption of Gleam.
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Security & Privacy π
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1 minutes to read
A recent article highlights the dangers of insecure coding practices in web development, specifically when creating new posts using JavaScript and Python. The provided code snippets demonstrate a common mistake: directly signing tokens with JWT library, storing unvalidated user input in databases, and failing to use parameterized queries. This approach leaves the application vulnerable to SQL injection and other security risks, making it an easy target for attackers. Experts stress the importance of separating variables from user-provided data using safe methods like parameterized queries, ensuring the app's security and protecting sensitive information from malicious attacks.
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Open Source & Community π
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7 minutes to read
Google has introduced Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, a cutting-edge image model that allows users to merge multiple images into one, maintain character consistency for richer storytelling, and apply natural language transformations. The model is now available via the Gemini API and Google AI Studio, priced at $30 per 1 million output tokens. This update also enhances build mode in Google AI Studio, making it simpler to test and remix models with custom AI-powered apps, expanding creative possibilities for users and developers alike with its improved functionality and accessibility.
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Published by Merge Conflict Digest
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