A blog post details how profile-guided optimization (PGO) works in its second installment, describing a two-pass compilation process where an instrumented first build records per-edge counters across branches, loops, and call sites. The author explains how these fine-grained counts feed into the compiler's second-pass decisions, starting with inlining choices that can override static size and cost heuristics based on actual execution frequency.
percona.com
· 2026-10-14
Security researchers at VUsec and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna developed a new Spectre v2 attack called Branch Target Reuse (BTR), which exploits stale branch predictor data left behind when JIT engines reuse memory addresses for new code. Tested against Firefox's SpiderMonkey, GraalVM, and the Linux kernel's cBPF, the attack can extract a system's root password hash within minutes on Intel processors. The flaws were assigned CVE-2026-64507 and CVE-2026-64508, and fixes have already been merged into the Linux kernel.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-09-29
Boll & Branch, known for its ethically sourced cotton bedding, is expanding into cashmere through a partnership with a 190-year-old Italian mill. The direct-to-consumer brand's first product in this new line is a $999 throw blanket marketed for its traceable supply chain, echoing the transparency approach it built its cotton business on.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-15
Branch has released special-edition versions of its Ergonomic Chair Pro made in partnership with Sega, featuring Sonic, Genesis, and Dreamcast-inspired aesthetics. The Sonic model uses a mesh back while the Genesis and Dreamcast versions use vegan leather, with details like controller-inspired wheels and a logo-referencing armrest stripe. A WIRED reviewer tested the Dreamcast edition and found assembly straightforward despite the chair's roughly 50-pound weight.
wired.com
· 2026-09-12
Branch has released three Sega-branded versions of its Ergonomic Chair Pro—styled after Sonic, Sega Genesis, and Sega Dreamcast—aimed at gamers who want comfort alongside themed aesthetics. The Sonic model features a mesh back while the Genesis and Dreamcast versions use leather, and all three retain the adjustable, ergonomic design of Branch's standard office chair.
wired.com
· 2026-09-06
A team built a fuzzer with heavy AI code-generation assistance ('vibecoding') and used it to discover a division-by-zero vulnerability in FFmpeg, the widely used open-source multimedia framework. The bug was found through automated input generation and crash analysis rather than manual code review.
code.ffmpeg.org
· 2026-08-27
GoKawiil