Tech news picked on 2026-11-08
Python retro game engine Pyxel 3.0 adds 3D features with an old console feel
- Pyxel, an engine for making pixel art games with Python code, has been updated to 3.0. The highlight its creator, Takashi Kitao, shared on Qiita is Pyxel Cube, a feature for making simple 3D games reminiscent of the PS2 era.
- It supports drawing shapes such as boxes and spheres, importing 3D models and playing animations, setting up cameras and lighting, collision detection, and physics calculations. It can be used alongside existing 2D code.
- 3D models and animation data use the GLB file format, and the creator recommends a tool called Blockbench. Imported models are placed in a scene using Python code.
- According to the creator, even in 3D, the default is 16 colors and translucency is unavailable, so old techniques such as dithering are needed. An official guide and samples to run in a browser are available.
Differences in work environment cited by a developer who moved from Claude Code to Pi
- The author switched the tool used to have AI write and edit code from Claude Code to Pi, an open-source tool. The goal was to build a work environment by adding the features they need themselves.
- According to the author, when Claude Code is connected to the VS Code editor, only one work window at a time can receive the text selected in the editor. The author wrote that the official extension supports multiple windows, but some commands and other features do not work.
- The author built an extension for Pi that receives text selected in multiple work windows. They said that early in the switch they had to adjust settings, but afterward they liked the stability and the freedom of user configuration.
- Anthropic announced support for AGENTS.md, a project instruction file, after the author decided to switch. The author pointed out the earlier inconvenience of having to copy or link content with a separate CLAUDE.md file.
A small demo recreates why Figma-style collaborative editing looks seamless
- When multiple people edit the same screen, your actions appear immediately without waiting for a server response. The screen is not redrawn when changes are confirmed, preventing visible jumps. The demo was built by Nishiura, a developer at Soyi Co., Ltd., by simplifying a 2019 design from Figma's official blog. It differs from Figma's actual internal implementation.
- When this handling is turned off in the demo, a node being dragged falls behind the mouse and moves jerkily. The median server round-trip time measured by the author was about 5ms locally and about 150ms for the demo on Render. The difference was more noticeable with greater latency.
- Because there is only one server, changes are processed in arrival order. If the same property is edited simultaneously, the value processed later remains. Only changes that create a circular structure in which parent and child point to each other are rejected, and that user's screen is rolled back.
- The author concluded that using arrival order alone without timestamps works only on the assumption that one server determines the order. If there are two or more servers, another mechanism is needed to determine the order.
An automated setup that checks daily for vulnerability news affecting a public server
- Developer tomi introduced a method that compares vulnerability news with information about the public server they run every day, and notifies them through a GitHub issue if action is needed.
- GitHub Actions reads the server's operating system and program versions over SSH, and fetches Cloudflare Zero Wire vulnerability news via RSS. It does not change the server's settings or restart it.
- Comparison with fixed versions is handled by code that uses official data, while Claude examines the conditions under which a vulnerability has an impact and whether the server is exposed. The author explained that when Claude was also given the version comparison, some cases remained in a state that needed confirmation.
- If the machine judgment finds an unfixed vulnerability, an issue is created regardless of Claude's result. The author does not allow Claude to run commands for connecting to the server, and configured it not to follow instructions in external documents.
Dropbox adds AI features to help find and organize files
- Dropbox has added AI features that let users search for an image by describing what it looks like, ask questions about files, and get summaries of recent changes to folders.
- According to Dropbox, AI can change file formats, move folders, and combine multiple files into a PDF. Users can also link several actions into a single workflow.
- Dropbox also unveiled DBX Agent Cloud, where AI agents can store the data they need for their tasks. It plans to add features that manage files in folders and help AI process their contents more easily.
- Dropbox is acquiring Tigris Data, which provides data storage services across multiple clouds, for $350 million. Tigris claims that its service reads and writes data several times faster than competing products.
Hands-on with the Gem necklace UV tracker: it flagged exposure even in the shade
- The Gem from The Ninety is a neck-worn sensor that measures UVA and UVB separately. Its app shows changes in exposure, sunscreen reminders and a daily sunlight score.
- With a profile that includes skin type, sensitivity, clothing and sunscreen details, the app estimates things like vitamin D production and the time left before sunburn.
- A reporter from The Verge got an alert that UV exposure had risen sharply while sitting in the shade of a parasol. The reporter also learned later that a medication they take increases sensitivity to heat.
- The reporter could not independently verify the sensor's accuracy. On an iPhone, measurement stopped when the app was fully closed, and the estimates for vitamin D and time left before sunburn changed greatly within a few minutes.