This week, we talk about Anthropic's new AI agent, cloud exits, and why BMC is splitting up. Plus, a quick update on the WordPress drama and some thoughts on Amsterdam’s autumn weather.
Watch the YouTube Live Recording of Episode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNQ8Bf-lfys) 490 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNQ8Bf-lfys)
Runner-up Titles
The Abyss Looks Into You
ROI Stuff
RTO Agent
Rundown
AI Agents
The AI agents have arrived (https://www.platformer.news/anthropic-ai-agents-computer-use-consequences/?ref=platformer-newsletter)
Amazon-backed Anthropic debuts AI agents that can do complex tasks, racing against OpenAI, Microsoft and Google (https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/22/anthropic-announces-ai-agents-for-complex-tasks-racing-openai.html)
Amazon-backed Anthropic debuts AI agents that can do complex tasks, racing against OpenAI, Microsoft and Google (https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/22/anthropic-announces-ai-agents-for-complex-tasks-racing-openai.html)
Wordpress
Open source royalty and mad kings (https://world.hey.com/dhh/open-source-royalty-and-mad-kings-a8f79d16?utm_source=changelog-news)
Casey Newton on Mullenweg (https://www.threads.net/@crumbler/post/DBHn6SIzPhd?xmt=AQGzYYKRz15k-2EYpfAqrwLcuO5a2HhwzbUZBCbGWhnvsg)
Employees Describe an Environment of Paranoia and Fear Inside Automattic Over WordPress Chaos (https://www.404media.co/automattic-buyout-offer-wordpress-matt-mullenweg/)
Cloud Exits
Warren Buffett’s GEICO repatriates work from the cloud (https://www.thestack.technology/warren-buffetts-geico-repatriates-work-from-the-cloud-continues-ambitious-infrastructure-overhaul/)
Basecamp-maker 37Signals says its “cloud exit” will save it $10M over 5 years (https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/10/basecamp-maker-37signals-says-its-cloud-exit-will-save-it-10m-over-5-years/)
There's a lot of private cloud out there (https://newsletter.cote.io/p/theres-a-lot-of-private-cloud-out)
BMC
BMC Announces the Creation of Two Independent Companies (https://www.bmc.com/newsroom/releases/bmc-announces-the-creation-of-two-independent-companies.html)
Doubling down on AI and splitting at BMC Connect 2024 (https://siliconangle.com/2024/10/21/doubling-ai-splitting-bmc-connect-2024/)
Relevant to your Interests
#1046 OpenCost Incubation Proposal (https://github.com/cncf/toc/pull/1046)
US Weighs Google Breakup in Historic Big Tech Antitrust Case (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-09/us-says-it-s-weighing-google-breakup-as-remedy-in-monopoly-case)
ChatGPT Crossed a Revenue Milestone and (Re)Started a Gold Rush (https://appfigures.com/resources/insights/20241004/4-chatgpt-crossed-a-revenue-milestone-and-(re)started-a-gold-rush)
Ask HN: What happens to “.io” TLD after UK gives back the Chagos Islands? (https://simonwillison.net/2024/Oct/3/what-happens-to-io-after-uk-gives-back-chagos/)
From AOL Time Warner to DirecTV and Dish: 20 years of media mergers (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/4/24259360/directv-dish-merger-timeline-aol-timewarner)
AT&T claims VMware offered it a 1,050 percent price rise (https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/01/att_broadcom_filings_update/)
CEO Kurian: 'When I Started, Most People Told Me We Didn't Have a Chance' (https://accelerationeconomy.com/cloud-wars/ceo-kurian-when-i-started-most-people-told-me-we-didnt-have-a-chance/)
AMD looks to new chips to grab share from Intel, Nvidia (https://www.axios.com/2024/10/10/amd-new-chips-intel-nvidia-ai)
The list of major companies requiring employees to return to the office (https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-requiring-return-to-office-rto-mandate)
Avoiding a Geopolitical Open Source Apocalypse (https://thenewstack.io/avoiding-a-geopolitical-open-source-apocalypse/)
Overview of current needs and possibilities in enterprise-y FinOps (https://amalgaminsights.com/2024/10/14/the-evolution-and-expansion-of-it-finops/)
Ward Christensen, BBS inventor and architect of our online age, dies at age 78 (https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/10/ward-christensen-bbs-inventor-and-architect-of-our-online-age-dies-at-age-78/)
Eric Schmidt on electronic warfare (https://x.com/tsarnick/status/1846300559374274904)
700 Ubisoft workers go on three-day strike to protest company’s new return-to-office policy (https://gameworldobserver.com/2024/10/16/ubisoft-strike-remote-work-over-700-workers)
Amazon's cloud boss on Thursday told employees who are unhappy with the company's new five-day in-office mandate they can leave for other companies. (https://www.threads.net/@cnbc/post/DBQ_E_gOuJw?xmt=AQGzlsObxUnGC2bk5CE_t4sW-QL_NQDcsH5QyN3SuCe43Q)
Invisible text that AI chatbots understand and humans can’t? Yep, it’s a thing. (https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/10/ai-chatbots-can-read-and-write-invisible-text-creating-an-ideal-covert-channel/)
Tesla Caught Using a Lazy Video Editing Trick to Make Its "Autonomous" Robots Look More Capable (https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-sped-up-video-optimus-robots)
How Google is changing to compete with ChatGPT (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/18/24273748/google-deepmind-gemini-search-chaptgpt-meta-ai-interview)
Perplexity is reportedly looking to fundraise at an $8B valuation (https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/20/perplexity-is-reportedly-looking-to-fundraise-at-an-8b-valuation/)
Sophos to Acquire Secureworks to Accelerate Cybersecurity Services and Technology for Organizations Worldwide (https://www.secureworks.com/about/press/sophos-to-acquire-secureworks)
Chick-fil-A is releasing its own entertainment app, with family-friendly shows and podcasts (https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/21/chick-fil-a-to-release-entertainment-app-play-with-shows-and-podcasts.html)
Passwords have problems, but passkeys have more (https://world.hey.com/dhh/passwords-have-problems-but-passkeys-have-more-95285df9)
Foursquare is killing its city guide app to focus on the check-in app Swarm (https://www.engadget.com/social-media/foursquare-is-killing-its-city-guide-app-to-focus-on-the-check-in-app-swarm-191054153.html)
Citi reaps rewards from modernization investments (https://www.ciodive.com/news/citi-bank-digital-transformation-returns-cloud-legacy-applications/729929/)
Comic Sans Got the Last Laugh (https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/10/comic-sans-debate/680319/?gift=201cWZnM2XBz2eP81zy0pGR9oxa-0Q1yRNNAyEiZV9s&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share)
How Wiz Became the Fastest Software Company to Hit $500M & Its Path to $1B (https://softwareanalyst.substack.com/p/the-wiz-playbook-how-they-dominated)
In a global first, quantum computers crack RSA and AES data encryption (https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/in-a-global-first-quantum-computers-crack-rsa-and-aes-data-encryption/)
Google Executive Overseeing Search and Advertising Leaves Role (https://www.wsj.com/tech/google-executive-overseeing-search-and-advertising-leaves-role-7aaa7906)
Google replaces executive in charge of Search and advertising (https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/17/google-replaces-executive-in-charge-of-search-and-advertising/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADaAH8SfXbYvJfExfrdTBCk3FQFLK5Tq4uwcyTdvNqH_if1EMb7BiTaIutkBk7E_gi_XolToB8zShW4zMyhXnB3msBJgykhphfBnPzeDtrLww3XP-wNSyUDOl5UIOKZayfYH4AiVuRcNK835OQmS1p-grIHDeizDm3nlSEB9e55j)
Concerns Raised Over Bitwarden Moving Further Away From Open-Source (https://www.phoronix.com/news/Bitwarden-Open-Source-Concerns)
Intel and AMD are unlikely allies in new x86 ecosystem advisory group – "we'll remain fierce competitors" (https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/intel-and-amd-forge-x86-ecosystem-advisory-group-that-aims-to-ensure-a-unified-isa-moving-forward)
The RVA23 profile is now ratified, so RISC-V gets satisfied (https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/23/rva23_profile_ratified/)
Twitter users flock to Bluesky as 500,000 join in a day amid controversial blocking changes (https://www.financialexpress.com/life/technology-twitter-users-flock-to-bluesky-as-500000-join-in-a-day-amid-controversial-blocking-changes-3643898/)
Nvidia's Blackwell AI Processors Are Sold Out For Next 12 Months (https://www.investors.com/news/technology/nvidia-stock-nvda-blackwell-on-schedule/)
Announcing Amazon ElastiCache for Valkey - AWS (https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2024/10/amazon-elasticache-valkey/)
Nonsense
What the Waffle House Index says about Hurricane Milton (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/what-the-waffle-house-index-says-about-hurricane-milton)
Waffle House (@WaffleHouse) on X (https://x.com/WaffleHouse/status/1844438764547932507)
The Hustlers Who Make $6,000 a Month by Gaming Citi Bikes (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/19/nyregion/citi-bike-scam-nyc.html?unlocked_article_code=1.RE4.D83k.4gVrI1ujtLw4&smid=url-share)
The VW ID. Buzz was worth the seven-year wait (https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/10/driving-the-2025-vw-id-buzz-was-worth-the-seven-year-wait/)
Listener Feedback
World’s Largest Buffalo Monument (https://discoverjamestownnd.com/fun-things-to-do-in-jamestown-nd/all-things-buffalo/worlds-largest-buffalo-monument/)
20+ of Canada's Largest Roadside Attractions (https://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/canada/canadas-10-biggest-things/)
Our big things vs their big things (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/our-big-things-vs-their-big-things/HXA3VDO7GFRWPH3WJ2MXX3JRD4/)
Conferences
VMware Explore Barcelona (https://www.vmware.com/explore/eu), Nov 4-7, 2024, Coté speaking.
GoTech World (https://www.gotech.world/), Bucharest, Nov 12- 13, 2204, Coté speaking.
SREday Amsterdam (https://sreday.com/2024-amsterdam/), Nov 21, 2024, Coté speaking (https://sreday.com/2024-amsterdam/Michael_Cote_VMwarePivotal_We_Fear_Change), 20% off with code SRE20DAY
DevOpsDayLA (https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/22x/events/devopsday-la) at SCALE22x (https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/22x), March 6-9, 2025, discount code DEVOP
SDT News & Community
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Recommendations
Brandon:
Tailscale (https://tailscale.com)
Ozlo Sleepbuds hands-on: resurrected and I’ve slept so good (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/22/24275875/ozlo-sleepbuds-hands-on-bose-wearables-sleep-tracking)
Coté:
Hire Caleb (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7250088425121267713/) Marques (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7250088425121267713/) as an Cybersecurity Intern (Coté’s N (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7250088425121267713/)ephew (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7250088425121267713/)) (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7250088425121267713/) (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7250088425121267713/)
What Artists Wear (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58999216-what-artists-wear), Charlie Porter (much better cover on Penguin edition (https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/314590/what-artists-wear-by-porter-charlie/9780141991252))
Photo Credits
Header (https://unsplash.com/photos/conjunction-bridge-under-white-sky-1JWmFju8vVg)
Artwork (https://unsplash.com/photos/black-and-white-robot-toy-on-red-wooden-table-zwd435-ewb4)
