4 tiny Docker images for lightweight containers
Docker images can get pretty bulky if you’re not careful. Your typical Docker image includes everything you need to run a particular piece of software (such as the application language’s runtime) and everything those things depend on. Images in th...
Doing authentication right
Any substantial website is going to need to customize itself for individual users. Thus, it is going to have to authenticate those users — that is, let them log in. As a software developer, it is your job to make the whole process as smooth and sec...
Now US government agencies can use OpenAI’s ChatGPT too
Everyone wants to get their hands on AI tools, and employees in government agencies are no exception. Still, stakes are far higher for governments when it comes to security, privacy, and protecting the public. As a means of overcoming these challenges...
Stable values API would speed Java startups
Startup times for Java applications would be improved through a proposed API for stable values, which are objects that hold immutable data. An OpenJDK Java Enhancement Proposal (JEP) for a preview of stable values notes that stable values are treated...
A distributed state of mind: Event-driven multi-agent systems
While large language models are useful for chatbots, Q&A systems, translation, and other language tasks, their real power emerges when they can act on insights, automating a broader range of problems. In other words, we unlock their greatest potentia...
The crisis of AI’s hidden costs
The AI gold rush is creating an unexpected problem: massive waste in resource provisioning. Cloud cost overruns inevitably lead to a lack of true ROI for these systems. Many enterprises spend $2 to get $1 of benefits. That dog won’t hunt. Recent dat...
11 cutting-edge programming languages to learn now
A clean slate. A fresh start. The new broom sweeps clean. The folk sayings are in agreement. Sure, your favorite old programming language is comfortable and easy to use. You know the APIs and libraries backward and forward. But you also know all the g...
How to pick the right SAST tool
Like pretty much any security tool, picking a SAST (static application security testing) tool isn’t a matter of “What’s the best?” but rather “What’s the best for me?” Whether you already have a tool that needs replacing or you’re star...
Is ChatGPT making us stupid?
Years ago Nicholas Carr argued that Google was making us stupid, that ease of access to information was shortening our attention spans and generally making it hard for us to do “deep reading.” Others worried that search engines were siphoning away...
Puppet open source fork OpenVox arrives
The Vox Pupuli collective group has announced the first release of OpenVox, a community-maintained open source implementation of the Puppet configuration management system. Introduced January 21, the OpenVox automation framework is designed to be a dr...
Bun 1.2 squashes Node.js compatibility bugs
Bun 1.2, an update to the all-in-one runtime and toolkit for building, running, and testing full-stack JavaScript and TypeScript applications, has arrived, boasting dramatic improvements in Node.js compatibility. The new version also adds a built-in A...
Ready or not, here it comes: GenAI in 2025
If you’re a software developer right now, it is nearly impossible to avoid chatter about generative AI. You’re probably already using AI tools in your work, whether you like it or not. Some of your normie friends are using ChatGPT as a search engi...
Is cloud-based AI becoming a monopoly?
The landscape of artificial intelligence and cloud computing is rapidly evolving. A recent report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) highlights concerns about monopolistic practices and has sent ripples through the tech industry. This report, whi...
JetBrains launches AI coding agent
JetBrains has launched an AI coding agent, named Junie, with the ability to quickly solve coding tasks that otherwise could take hours, according to JetBrains. Developers using Junie can delegate routine tasks or collaborate with the tool to partner o...
Palo Alto Networks releases QRNG API framework
Cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks has released the Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) Open API framework, enabling users to prepare for quantum security threats. Unveiled January 22, the framework addresses the need for multi-vendor interop...
