🚨 Major AWS outage took down Fortnite, Alexa, Snapchat

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Greetings! Your latest quick tech update is here:

☀️ On this day: On October 20, 2004, the first version of the Linux distribution Ubuntu was released. Developed by Canonical Ltd., Ubuntu aimed to make Linux accessible to a wider audience through ease of use, regular updates, and strong community support. Its release marked a major milestone in the open-source movement and helped popularize Linux on desktops around the world.

What’s happening:

• ⚡ AWS outage disrupts Fortnite, Alexa, and ChatGPT

• 💥 Nvidia drops from 95% to 0% share in China

• 🧮 OpenAI’s false GPT-5 math “breakthrough”

• 🚽 Kohler launches $599 toilet camera

• 📱 Apple cuts iPhone Air production

• + 📊 Daily poll and results

• + 📈 Trending tools and resources

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Hand-picked news:

⚡ AWS outage disrupts Fortnite, Alexa, and ChatGPT ↗️LINK

• What: A major AWS outage early this morning knocked out major online services including Fortnite, Snapchat, Alexa, ChatGPT, Canva, and McDonald’s app for about four hours. The disruption began around 3:11AM ET in the US-EAST-1 region, spreading globally.

• Why: Amazon says it’s still investigating the root cause but confirmed “significant signs of recovery” by 6:35AM ET, with most systems restored by 9:50AM ET.

• Impact: The outage underscores how dependent the internet is on AWS, echoing similar failures in 2020, 2021, and 2023 that crippled online infrastructure worldwide.

💥 Nvidia drops from 95% to 0% share in China ↗️LINK

• What: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the company’s market share in China plunged from 95% to 0% after U.S. export bans on advanced AI chips. He cautioned that blocking China’s access to U.S. tech also hurts America, calling current policies “a mistake.”

• Why: U.S. restrictions under Biden and Trump aim to curb China’s AI capabilities, but Beijing retaliated with rare-earth export limits and chip boycotts.

• Impact: Huang warned the U.S. is losing one of the world’s biggest AI markets and urged more nuanced policies to protect both innovation and American interests.

🧮 OpenAI’s false GPT-5 math “breakthrough” ↗️LINK

• What: OpenAI researchers falsely claimed GPT-5 had solved ten unsolved Erdős problems—a major math breakthrough. The posts, led by manager Kevin Weil, were deleted after criticism from DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis and Meta’s Yann LeCun, who called the claims “embarrassing” and “self-hype.”

• Why: Misleading wording suggested GPT-5 produced new mathematical proofs, when it actually just helped researchers locate relevant papers and organize prior work.

• Impact: The episode hurt OpenAI’s credibility and highlights how hype and pressure can distort scientific communication—even as GPT-5 shows promise as a research assistant, not a mathematician.

📱 Apple cuts iPhone Air production ↗️LINK

• What: Apple is reportedly cutting iPhone Air production by about 1 million units due to slower-than-expected sales, according to The Elec. Meanwhile, it’s boosting iPhone 17 production by 2M units, iPhone 17 Pro by 1M, and Pro Max by 4M, as demand for those models stays high.

• Why: The iPhone Air’s higher price but limited features put it in “no man’s land” between the 17 and 17 Pro. Consumers prefer the 17’s performance, long battery life, and better value.

• Impact: The iPhone Air serves as a testbed for Apple’s foldable iPhone, expected around 2026–2027, helping Apple refine its ultra-thin design ambitions.

🚽 Kohler launches $599 toilet camera ↗️LINK

• What: Kohler unveiled the Dekoda, a $599 toilet-mounted camera that captures images of users’ waste to monitor gut health, hydration, and detect potential blood. It features a rechargeable battery, fingerprint ID, and USB connection. A subscription costs $70–$156 per year, with shipments starting October 21.

• Why: The device aims to bring lab-style health tracking into homes by turning daily bathroom visits into diagnostic opportunities.

• Impact: While promising early disease detection, it raises privacy concerns, though Kohler promises end-to-end encryption and limited camera range.

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Today’s Poll:

Vote and find out about the result tomorrow.

Yesterday’s Poll Result:

Are you worried about “switching off” mentally due to heavy tech use?

• A) Yes – I can feel my focus slipping - 64% 🏆

• B) No – I manage my tech use well - 36%

Reader’s opinions:

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