Read Before Monday

This week’s reading list was a mix of history, innovation, and introspection - a journey through foundational computing, retro tech, data visualisation, political theory, and AI ethics. First, lets start with the forgotten architect of computer science who gifted us lambda calculus, shaping functional programming and AI. Then a nostalgia-infused look at how Linux was adapted for Sega’s Dreamcast, as vintage computing challenges are always a fascinating dive into the roots of modern tech. Also, ahead of Black Friday, Shopify detailed the tech behind their real-time purchase visualisation globe. Then, politics - I know, I know! - with examining how we assign power to political symbols while neglecting the material conditions they represent. Finally, in the quest for safer AI, Anthropic explores how to nudge model behaviour to reduce biases without breaking performance - it’s a delicate balancing act.

This week is a bit different here... First lets talk about cloud repatriation, as it is gaining traction because companies are moving workloads from public cloud back to private or onprem infrastructure, driven by cost efficiencies and control over resources. Some are blending both approaches, using hybrid strategies to gain cloud benefits with custom cost-control tools. Meanwhile, the evolution of datacentres reflects a push toward autonomous, decentralised systems, with third-wave technologies like self-healing infrastructure and cognitive AI minimising operational costs - read about that in detail. On the nostalgia front - Cyrix’s story from the 90s reminds us of a classic underdog tale in the CPU market, as they challenged giants like Intel with innovative, budget-friendly chips. Cyrix may be gone, but their impact on affordable computing lives on. Then, a quirky mystery surfaced recently: the UK’s oldest satellite, Skynet-1A, launched in 1969, has mysteriously moved from its original orbit over East Africa to a position above the Americas- without any record of who moved it or why. Finally, Grim Fandango! Mexican folklore with film noir in a fully 3D world - a wining formula to revisit.

Welcome to another Sunday! This week I bring you the recent innovations and shifts across industries highlighting both the promise and challenges of progress in technology. Lets start with NVIDIA’s breakthrough in AI for breast cancer detection, which is remarkable, not just for its technical achievement, but for its potential to redefine cancer care by sparing patients from invasive procedures. Meanwhile, Amazon’s hardline stance on return-to-office policies is a stark reminder that we’re still navigating the delicate balance between productivity and personal well-being post-COVID. Then, the surge in "ghost jobs" is another eye-opener, revealing a troubling tactic in an already challenging job market, underscoring the need for transparency. Do you know about Lisbon’s emergence as a subsea telecom hub? Is strategically brilliant, leveraging its geographic advantage, although regulatory hurdles still loom large. And as Tom Raftery rightly points out, the energy transition isn’t just a trend - it’s a critical pivot for businesses aiming to remain resilient in a regulatory landscape that’s growing more demanding by the day. See you next week!

Every day, we see how the past influences the present. This weeks #RBM edition is about the iconic 1980s magazine, TRS-80 which served readers by prioritising independent, reader-driven content, a model that inspired many future tech publications. Then, lets talk about birth rates that are declining, with global populations shrinking, which could reshape economies and challenge social systems, requiring inventive policy solutions. Did you know that barcodes turn 75? From 1949 to today, barcodes have evolved from a retail tool to a data-tracking powerhouse, showing how even small innovations can have a lasting impact. Also, let's review Microsoft's new Agents and the impact that will have in productivity. Going back in time, to the beloved toy-car brand and how it rose to fame in 1947, but competition from Hot Wheels led to its decline. Today, Matchbox continues to appeal to collectors under Mattel. Finally, Mark Miller argues that creativity flourishes in "informational chaos," where activities like horror movies and meditation expand our cognitive flexibility - fascinating! See you next week

This edition is all about power! From nuclear with Google's new datacenter to cope with growing demands (and everyone's heading that way too), to comics with Frank Miller and superheroes, we are fascinated by it. Then we stop at the UK Parliament to read in detail the impact of biometrics in our society, which leads to a lot of concerns, driving us to the new world of over promising and under delivering of Tesla - see what I did there? :). But it's not only hardware, is it? In a software based world, cars is just one more problem to deal with before heading towards subscription planet.

I always write this part after the putting together the edition, so that I can do a TLDR version of it for you and now I notice that this edition is quite different. No nostalgia post. I'm sorry. But you get a lot more this week! So.... Ireland is in a tough spot with its booming data centre industry, which now consumes a whopping 12% of the country’s electricity. Something’s got to give - either the power grid catches up, or the rapid tech growth will hit a wall. Now you know that I’ve always had a soft spot for brutalist architecture, and the Spomeniks in former Yugoslavia are no exception - it really captures that vibe of dystopia and resilience. Moving on to Pirate societies in Madagascar, right, in the 17th and 18th centuries? Now that’s not your typical history lesson, is it? Real Libertalia dives into how pirates experimented with democracy and autonomy - amazing! In the world of AI, the game has changed, again. There's clearly an emphasis on building open-source projects that evolve with community input - and It’s something we’ve been thinking about for a GenAI Readiness Framework. Then we have Robert Caro’s deep-dive approach to research, which is something we could all learn from - I hope. Finally, Arc browser is trying to reinvent web browsing, and I have to say, as someone who’s used it for a while, it’s definitely got potential. See you next week!