GoKawiil
Tech News
Portland-based developer and writer Jared White created a website where programmers can publicly sign their names to affirm they still write software manually, without relying on AI code generation tools. The list has already drawn dozens of signatories from independent developers and freelancers around the world. White also runs a web studio, Whitefusion, that markets itself to clients seeking human-crafted development work.
A technical essay revisits Gary Bernhardt's decade-old 'Functional Core, Imperative Shell' architecture, arguing that the key property enabling easy testing isn't functional purity itself but determinism. The author suggests that state machines and other deterministic constructs can achieve the same testability benefits as pure functions, broadening how developers might structure isolated, predictable 'core' logic versus the messier, IO-heavy 'shell' that talks to the outside world.
A widely shared essay contends that open-source software will never be reliably funded because it behaves like the 'dove' strategy in an evolutionary game theory model, always losing ground to proprietary 'hawk' competitors who withhold code for profit. The author, after years of mulling the problem, proposes creating registries that could compel companies benefiting from free software to pay into it, rather than relying on voluntary donations or goodwill.
Author and engineering leader Will Larson describes his hands-on attempt to apply the 'software factory' pattern within his organization. The post outlines his motivations and early experiences testing this approach to structuring engineering work. Larson, known for books like Staff Engineer and An Elegant Puzzle, frames this as a practical exploration rather than a finished framework.
A new essay contends that computational science and open source software are effectively the same activity, since scientific claims can only be tested and systematized if the underlying code is open, inspectable, and reproducible. The author argues that treating software as a mere afterthought to publishing papers undermines the scientific method itself, and calls for academia to prioritize open, reproducible code as core scientific output rather than a side task.
Xteink makes small, pocket-sized e-readers that can be enhanced with a free, alternative operating system replacing the stock software. This custom firmware reportedly unlocks additional features and improves the reading experience beyond what the devices offer out of the box.
Veteran Spanish radio hobbyist Mauricio Molano used software-defined radios and directional Yagi antennas to capture FM broadcast signals from the Carolinas, over 3,700 miles away, during a sporadic-E event on July 19. He also documented an African opening in May that brought in Togo for the first time, and observed a distinctive 'barber-polling' waveform effect during an Azores opening from his station in Cáceres, Spain.
Google's September Pixel Drop brought Android 17 QPR1 to Pixel phones this week, adding minor features alongside a wave of user complaints about new bugs. Reported issues span performance slowdowns, connectivity failures, display glitches, and unexpected UI behavior, though it's unclear how widespread the problems actually are.
A software engineering blogger describes a growing trend where workers let LLMs perform tasks like coding or summarizing without verifying the output, simply relaying results back and forth—dubbed being a 'meat proxy.' The author argues that while this approach has improved since early 2025, its logical endpoint is self-defeating: if an LLM can eventually produce good software unsupervised, employers will simply automate the loop and remove the human entirely.
NATS released a preliminary report showing that the widespread flight disruption on 8 September stemmed from a software defect in a small part of its National Airspace System. The bug corrupted flight data output when a manual aircraft code request was interrupted by a higher-priority process, all within a millisecond, forcing controllers to restrict traffic nationwide as a safety precaution.
A reader survey conducted by Android Authority found that camera quality and clean software topped the list of priorities for people buying new phones, ahead of performance and reliability. Ecosystem lock-in and customization options, features brands frequently tout, ranked far lower among respondents' concerns.
Check Point has issued security updates for CVE-2026-91843, a stack-based buffer overflow in the login process of its Security Management Server and Log Server products. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to remotely execute code with root privileges in low-complexity attacks requiring no user interaction. Check Point says it isn't aware of active exploitation but has provided detection guidance and interim mitigations for customers who can't immediately apply the fix.