open data

Italian health media are focused on cholesterol this week, led by news of enlicitide, the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, whose CORALreef trial data underpinned its FDA approval. Outlets are also warning against stopping cholesterol medication over the summer and highlighting a molecule said to lower LDL cholesterol the most. Open questions remain about the new drug's long-term use.

A new technical write-up explains the performance gains in DuckDB 2.0, the open-source analytical database popular with data engineers and analysts. The piece walks through the engineering changes behind the speed improvements, and developers on Hacker News are debating the details of the release.

A new command-line tool has launched that lets users stream live open data with just two commands, presented as a Show HN launch on Hacker News. Hypermass describes the tool in its documentation as a way to make live open datasets easily accessible from the terminal without complex setup. Engagement so far is modest, with early discussion typical of a new developer tool seeking feedback and users.

Gold started Thursday's session at its lowest opening level of the week, with traders positioning cautiously ahead of the release of the US Producer Price Index data. The inflation reading is being closely watched for clues on the Federal Reserve's next moves, which typically influence demand for the metal.

Law firm Claim Depot has opened an investigation into a potential class action against Magna Hospitality Group over a data breach affecting the hotel management company. The probe is seeking affected individuals who may join legal claims tied to exposed personal information. Hospitality-sector breaches are drawing increasing litigation attention as stolen guest data circulates.

A German-speaking user has outlined a privacy-focused fitness tracking setup for Android phones, combining a Garmin device with the open-source Gadgetbridge app to keep health data off corporate servers. The guide is aimed at people wary of how fitness data is collected and shared, and is being passed around among privacy-conscious Android users interested in self-tracking without surveillance.

The US General Services Administration is running a hackathon focused on Model Context Protocol servers and AI agents for government use. The event invites participants to build tools connecting AI agents with public-sector data and services. It reflects federal agencies' growing push to experiment with agentic AI and standardised integration protocols across government systems.

A product called GuardOS has been showcased as an all-in-one security tool that verifies QR code links before users open them, scans for data breaches, and filters content in Safari. The announcement, carried by Help Net Security, highlights a bundled approach to everyday online safety. Coverage of the product is currently limited to the showcase itself, and independent reactions or reviews have not yet been reported.

CoMaps, a community-driven fork of the open-source navigation app Organic Maps, is gaining attention online. Built on OpenStreetMap data and available for Android and iOS, the project positions itself as an improved continuation of Organic Maps, which has faced internal disputes among its maintainers.

Ulysses, a company focused on ocean robotics, is marketing underwater drones priced around $50,000, aiming to automate tasks at sea. The pitch centres on 'robotising the ocean' — using relatively affordable autonomous vehicles to inspect infrastructure, monitor marine environments and gather data at scale. Interest is growing around whether cheap underwater drones can open up a new industrial market.

The research data consortium KonsortSWD has opened a new season of its MeetTheData event series. The first session, held online via Teams, presents data access services from DP-R|EX and Qualiservice covering flight and migration research, ranging from hate speech and disinformation to the experiences of refugees. The session runs 45 minutes and features a presentation by Pascal.

The Dutch tax administration has cancelled its planned migration to Microsoft 365 and will instead move toward open-source alternatives, according to a ZDNet report being widely shared. The decision is being framed by privacy and free-software advocates as a win for digital sovereignty, cybersecurity and data protection, and may influence other European public bodies weighing dependence on US cloud vendors.

Version 0.3.0 of metamask_pwn, an open-source tool used to extract and crack MetaMask vault data from Chrome and Brave browsers, has been released. The update adds -r rules support, improved vault extraction for Chrome and Brave, and several bug fixes. It is discussed in infosecurity circles as both a wallet recovery aid and an offensive cracking utility.

European Central Bank governing council member Martins Kazaks said the bank is in no rush to adjust policy, citing opposing economic forces that make the outlook uncertain. His comments suggest officials prefer to wait for clearer data on inflation and growth before deciding the next move, leaving the timing of any rate change an open question for markets.

The French open data platform data.gouv.fr has updated its education-themed page, adding new public datasets for exploration. The platform says the refreshed collection can help users better understand available education data. The announcement is drawing modest attention among open data and education watchers.

A new chat service called Strafe is being introduced as a free, open-source alternative to Discord. It offers end-to-end encryption by default and allows users to self-host their own servers, giving them full control over their data. Coverage highlights its appeal to users seeking privacy-focused and independently hosted messaging options.

A new call for applications has opened for a project to develop a data lab for science, run in partnership with EOSC (the European Open Science Cloud) and RAISE. The initiative invites interested organisations to apply, aiming to support scientific data infrastructure and collaboration. Further details on deadlines, funding amounts and eligibility have not been widely reported yet.

US stock futures pointed mostly lower ahead of the opening bell as investors awaited key economic releases on wholesale prices and retail sales. The reports are expected to offer fresh insight into inflation pressures and consumer spending, shaping expectations for the Federal Reserve's next moves on interest rates.

The Netherlands has cancelled its use of Microsoft 365 and switched to open-source alternatives. The move reflects a growing push by governments to reduce dependence on proprietary software from US tech companies, driven by concerns over digital sovereignty, data privacy and vendor lock-in. It adds the Netherlands to a list of European institutions rethinking their reliance on Microsoft products.

A user is asking how to improve logging with GPSLogger, the open-source GPS tracking app for Android. The question, raised in a software-focused discussion forum, is drawing attention from people interested in location tracking, battery efficiency and data accuracy on mobile devices.

Data from CryptoQuant shows Bitcoin open interest on Binance has fallen to its lowest level in two months. The decline points to reduced leveraged trading activity and could signal waning trader engagement or a cooling of speculative positioning. Analysts typically watch open interest shifts for clues about upcoming volatility or trend changes in the Bitcoin market.

Saildrone, the US company that builds uncrewed surface vehicles for ocean mapping and climate data collection, is recruiting a Staff Mechanical Engineer. The opening is listed on Ocean Career, a jobs board focused on coastal and offshore work. The role signals continued hiring in the growing ocean robotics sector.