Newsletter #2020-08
Well, there’s certainly an interesting collection of pieces this time around! Technical pieces, food for thought, and hopefully something you’ll enjoy!
I’ve also got the Reply-To header included with these emails now. If you feel like giving feedback or just saying something nice, hit that reply button!
Read
Pysa
Big companies with big codebases are often a nightmare to analyse and keep secure. I think it’s particularly interesting how Facebook uses with Psya to identify insecure data flows in their Python code.
Special Aphex - The Aphex Twin Logo
It can always be fun to learn a little bit of the history behind an iconic logo or image.
A Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day at Slack
Who doesn’t love reading incident reports and investigations? Come learn about the cause behind this outage, and how Slack responded in the accompanying blog post.
If Privacy Dies in VR, It Dies in Real Life
Food for thought with the continuing rise of new technologies with invasive potential.
When Idols Fall
Understand your relationship with internet personalities, and the importance of establishing health boundaries.
Watch
A Deeper Dive Into Wind Waker’s Lighting
Iconic for its visual style, there’s plenty to learn about the way the world of this Zelda game is designed and lit.
I recommend watching this interview across a few sittings to give yourself more time to process it. Be sure check out noclip.website too!
Exploring the AI of Command & Conquer
AI and Games is a channel I don’t share enough. There’s a treasure trove of narrated deep dives into how video games simulate intelligence from computer-controlled characters to be explored.
Quite Into Resting
Just breathe.
Listen
Woody Goss - The Third Story Episode 137
I’m not too much of a podcast person, but it’s often a great way to hear interviews with people I follow. The Third Story episode is great if you’ve got a spare hour to tune in.
Motherlode - Super Soul Bros
The soundtracks of the Mother series is instantantly recognisable, and it sounds fantastic when played by this funk band too.
The Universe Smiles Upon You - Khruangbin
I first heard Khruangbin being played in the background at a jazz club at the end of last year. Another patron sitting at my table, who’d travelled down from Queensland for the week, was kind enough to give me the band’s name. Fast foward to today, and I now own all of their albums!
I really enjoy “White Gloves” on this album, what else can I say?
Structuralism - Alfa Mist
I really like the sound of this album, with soft keys, a trumpet and the occasional vocal appearance.
Play
Pikuniku
If you’re looking for a light-hearted platformer that’s a little bit quirky, you’ll love Pikuniku!