Academic Journal Retracts Two 1940s Papers by Nobel Physicist Max Planck

A scientific journal has retracted two papers originally published in the 1940s by renowned physicist Max Planck, the Nobel Prize-winning father of quantum theory. The retracted articles are no longer accessible, with their links now leading to blank pages and empty PDF files. The move has drawn criticism from academics, with at least one expert calling the decision intellectually unacceptable. The retraction of decades-old historical scientific work raises broader questions about the standards and ethics of removing legacy publications from the scholarly record.

LibrePods Project Lets AirPods Work Fully on Non-Apple Devices

An open-source project called LibrePods has been published on GitHub, aiming to free AirPods from Apple's proprietary ecosystem. The software allows users to access AirPods features on non-Apple platforms, which are typically restricted by Apple. The project is hosted under the librepods-org organization on GitHub and has begun attracting attention in developer communities. It addresses a long-standing limitation for users who own AirPods but prefer or rely on non-Apple operating systems.

Single HTML File App Lets Users Run AI Chats Locally Without Sign-Up

A developer has released X-Chat, a local-first AI chat application contained entirely within a single HTML file, requiring no build process or account registration. The app supports multiple AI model options, including on-device models like Chrome's built-in Gemini Nano, locally run Ollama models, and cloud providers such as OpenRouter, Groq, Cerebras, and Mistral. All conversations are stored in the browser via IndexedDB, and API keys remain on the user's device, with an option to export or import chats as a backup. Users can run the same prompt across two models simultaneously for side-by-side comparison, and each conversation retains its own model setting. The app also installs as a Progressive Web App and includes a link to a free, ad-free programming and logic learning resource called The Missing Manual.

Samkhya v1.0 lets developers plug Claude, GPT-4o-mini, or Ollama into SQL query optimizers

Developer Pratech Singh has released Samkhya v1.0, an open-source Rust library that connects large language models such as Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT-4o-mini, and local Ollama instances to the cardinality-estimation layer of embedded SQL engines including DataFusion, DuckDB, and Polars. The project addresses a longstanding problem in analytical databases where learned statistics — such as histograms, Bloom filters, and HyperLogLog sketches — are discarded when a process ends, forcing the optimizer to relearn from scratch each session. Samkhya ships as a 13-crate Rust workspace under an Apache-2.0 license, with reference server implementations in both Python FastAPI and Node TypeScript. A built-in safety mechanism ensures that a hallucinating LLM cannot produce a query plan worse than the engine's native estimate. Benchmarks show a 1.038× geometric-mean wallclock improvement over unmodified DataFusion 46 on the JOB-Slow workload, though end-to-end LLM latency figures are currently projected rather than fully measured.

Oil's well: Hormuz opens, Iran knocks on India's door

High gold prices spark a rush to sell old jewellery

Tamil Nadu Police Launch 'Spectrum' to Track 15,000 Sex Offenders by Risk Level

Tamil Nadu Police have introduced a programme called 'Spectrum' in the state's south zone to monitor and classify sexual offenders based on their threat level. The initiative covers approximately 15,000 individuals, sorted into eight colour-coded categories ranging from 'Red' for gang rape accused to 'Silver' for juvenile offenders. The system is designed to enable targeted surveillance, with particular focus on repeat offenders and those involved in cybercrimes. Authorities will use biometric data and social media monitoring as part of the tracking mechanism. The overarching goal of the programme is to strengthen public safety through more structured and risk-based offender management.

Qatari National Dies From Shrapnel Wounds Amid Military Operation

A Qatari national has died from shrapnel injuries sustained during a military operation, according to the country's ministry. A second individual involved in the incident was reported injured. Authorities launched search operations a day before Sunday and located a missing vessel in the early hours of that day. The ministry confirmed the vessel was found following an overnight search effort.

Ireland stun top side in memorable upset, Tucker hails team's historic effort

Ireland produced a remarkable performance to defeat a higher-ranked opponent in what players described as a historic moment for the team. Wicketkeeper-batter Tucker was among the most vocal in celebrating the achievement, calling the effort 'absolutely incredible.' Tucker expressed hope that the result would inspire the next generation of Irish cricketers who watched the match live or on television. The victory is expected to thrust Irish cricket into the national spotlight, with Tucker predicting the team would make front-page news. The win is seen as a significant milestone in Ireland's ongoing development as a cricketing nation.

Off-roading is off limits: In a first, Ladakh fines tourists for driving into lake

Stanford Dataset Tracks Computer Memory Price Trends From 1960 to 2026

Stanford University has published a dataset documenting the historical prices of computer memory spanning over six decades, from 1960 to 2026. The resource is hosted on Stanford's DAM platform and charts how memory costs have evolved over time. The data reflects the dramatic decline in memory prices driven by advances in semiconductor technology. Such datasets are valuable for researchers, economists, and technologists studying long-term trends in computing hardware. The resource was recently shared on Hacker News, drawing community attention to its historical scope.

Kent Beck Revisits Hidden Costs YAGNI Principle Overlooks

Software development pioneer Kent Beck has published a new essay in his newsletter examining the YAGNI (You Aren't Gonna Need It) principle. Beck argues that the widely adopted principle, which discourages adding functionality until it is necessary, carries an overlooked cost dimension. The piece challenges developers to reconsider assumptions baked into the principle's conventional interpretation. The essay was shared on Hacker News, where it attracted reader attention despite limited discussion at the time of posting.

Man with Criminal Record Killed in Bengaluru Street Attack, Revenge Motive Suspected

A man was brutally attacked on a street in Bengaluru and sustained critical injuries. The victim, who had a known criminal background, was rushed to a nearby private hospital for emergency treatment. Despite medical intervention, he succumbed to his injuries. Authorities are investigating the incident and suspect the killing may have been an act of revenge.

Stylish Usernames Are Unicode Characters, Not Custom Fonts

The decorative text seen in usernames on platforms like Instagram, Discord, and gaming sites is not produced by custom fonts but by substituting standard letters with visually similar Unicode characters. Tools commonly called 'font generators' work by mapping each input character to a corresponding Unicode equivalent using predefined lookup tables stored as JSON or arrays. Because the output consists of valid Unicode characters, the styled text can be freely copied and pasted across most applications. However, not all platforms fully support every Unicode character, and unsupported symbols may display as blank squares or question marks. Users are advised to test stylized text on their intended platform before widespread use.

Semantic HTML Boosts Accessibility: A Developer's Practical Lessons

A developer participating in the IYF Season 11 program discovered the importance of semantic HTML while building a personal portfolio. Semantic HTML uses meaningful tags such as header, nav, main, and footer, helping browsers and screen readers understand page content rather than just its layout. During an accessibility audit, the developer identified and fixed three key issues: missing image alt attributes, reliance on generic containers instead of structured tags, and incorrect heading hierarchy used for styling rather than logical structure. These changes made the site more navigable for users with visual impairments by giving assistive technologies a clear map of the page. The experience highlighted that writing good code goes beyond visual appearance and must prioritize inclusivity for all users.

Developer Builds Proxy to Route Claude Code Through Existing Kiro Subscription

A developer created a local proxy tool called kiro-gateway-next to avoid paying for two separate AI subscriptions that use the same underlying Claude models. Both Claude Code and Kiro run on Anthropic's Claude models but use different API formats, making them incompatible by default. The workaround exploits Claude Code's ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL environment variable, redirecting its requests to a locally running translator that reformats them for the Kiro API. The six-step setup involves cloning a GitHub repository, configuring a Python proxy server, and updating a Claude Code settings file — taking roughly five minutes to complete. Users with eligible Kiro plans can also access the claude-opus-4-8 model with a one-million-token context window through this setup.

How to Avoid Google's 'Purple Potassium' Chrome Extension Rejection for Excess Permissions

Chrome Web Store rejections tagged 'Purple Potassium' occur when a submitted extension declares permissions in its manifest that are unused or overly broad in its actual code. Common causes include leftover API permissions from removed features, excessively wide host access patterns, and a misunderstanding of what the 'tabs' permission actually grants. Developers are advised to audit every entry in their permissions, optional_permissions, and host_permissions fields, removing any that lack a corresponding chrome API call and narrowing broad host patterns to specific domains. Writing plain-language notes for reviewers explaining each sensitive permission can also reduce back-and-forth during the review process. A free, open-source CLI tool called tabsmith-lint has been released to automate this static analysis before submission, flagging unused permissions and broad host access automatically.

Siya Goyal Told Police She Never Wanted to Marry Murder Accused Ketan Agarwal

Siya Goyal, the victim in a fort murder case, had reportedly told police during questioning that she never wished to marry Ketan Agarwal. Investigators learned that Ketan had taken a trip to Udaipur before his engagement with Siya. The revelation suggests there may have been tension or unwillingness on Siya's part regarding the relationship. Police sources disclosed these details as part of the ongoing investigation into her death.

All Sikh AAP MLAs and Ministers to Appear Before Akal Takht Over Anti-Sacrilege Law

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that all Sikh AAP legislators and ministers will appear before the Akal Takht on Monday. They are expected to present the state government's position on its newly enacted anti-sacrilege law. Mann also denied any personal involvement in a controversial sacrilege video, dismissing it as fake. He claimed a Canada-based individual was behind the video's creation and circulation. The CM further accused opposition parties of exploiting religious issues for political and electoral purposes.

Lightning Strikes Kill Two, Injure Two in Jharkhand

Two people lost their lives and two others suffered burn injuries due to lightning strikes in Jharkhand on Sunday. The victims included a three-year-old girl, making the incident particularly tragic. State officials confirmed the casualties following the weather-related incidents. The injuries sustained by the two survivors were reported as burns caused by the strikes.