Tech news picked on 2026-10-26
An instruction file that first explains AI-written technical text in plain words, then shortens it
- A personal opinion post by Kazuki Ota, a Microsoft employee in Japan, published on Zenn in the 'Microsoft (有志)' publication. It covers the problem where AI-written technical explanations start with a negation such as '0건이라는 뜻은 아니다', which blurs the key point.
- The author's method is to first decide in one sentence what the explanation should convey, explain it in plain words as if speaking to a colleague, and then shorten it while keeping the meaning. The author says this procedure was organized into an AI instruction file called SKILL.md.
- As an example, 'separate acceptance and completion checks' is changed to 'notify acceptance first without waiting for processing to finish, and look up the result later'. The focus is on keeping the meaning intact when the wording is shortened.
- The source contains no data measuring or comparing the effect of this method. The author subjectively evaluated the results as fairly good.
Node.js Brotli decompression issue that treated malformed input as insufficient input, and the fix
- Node.js uses a built-in decoder when it decompresses Brotli-compressed data. When this decoder received malformed input, it could write outside its internal buffer. The issue was fixed on October 21, 2026 in a Node.js security release as CVE-2026-111497. The impact description (crash, memory exposure, possible remote code execution) is quoted from the Node.js vulnerability advisory.
- The cause was that an error in a block switch (an instruction to change the compression table used for the next section) was handled as a return value such as 'more input needed'. According to the quoted advisory, this caused the malformed data to be treated as a temporary state, and input kept accumulating in the internal buffer.
- On the unsafe execution path, where enough input was available, the same error was not passed to the caller and was ignored. The fix changed the return type to an error code enum and added the new error code BROTLI_DECODER_ERROR_FORMAT_BLOCK_SWITCH, so both paths now stop processing immediately when an error occurs.
- The core of the fix is bringing the upstream google/brotli commit into Node.js. This article is an explanation written after reading the fix commit. The attack path and the actual scope of harm are not covered in the original text.
- After taking apart the iPhone Duo, iFixit gave it a repairability score of 5 out of a possible 10. According to the source, this is the highest score the site has given to a foldable phone.
- The matte nano-texture cover on the inner screen makes the display easier to read in bright sunlight and scatters reflections so the creases are less visible. iFixit estimated that the oval subpixel layout seen under a microscope is also designed to reduce creases.
- The source explains that repairing the screen itself is expensive and difficult. The outer nano-texture layer can be replaced relatively easily without changing the OLED underneath.
- On reports of broken screens and cracked hinges, iFixit offered a hypothesis: the hinge sometimes does not fully close, and the accordion cable running near the edge of the battery may concentrate pressure at that spot. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Feature guide: Using Copilot in OneDrive to gather multiple tables and notes into a report
- Microsoft announced the general availability of Copilot in OneDrive and SharePoint. Copilot is the name of an AI feature offered by Microsoft.
- The use cases presented were analysis of multiple tables, folder organization, and conversational report writing based on existing material. An example of saving a repetitive process as a personal skill was also presented.
- The announcement includes features that will be rolled out in sequence over the coming months. The source states that not all of the introduced features are provided at once, and that the actual reduction in work time was not measured.