Major AWS outage disrupts internet

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☕ Good morning,

The AWS outage is one of those periodic reminders that the "cloud" is just someone else's computer, and when that computer hiccups, half the internet forgets how to function.

We've built this incredibly sophisticated digital infrastructure where a DNS issue in one region can simultaneously kill Amazon shopping, Fortnite matches, and AI chatbots. It's efficient until it isn't, and then it's catastrophically inefficient all at once.

_{—Here’s to the first sip.}

TODAY IN AI
Anthropic launches Claude Code web

Anthropic just launched a web version of its AI coding assistant, Claude Code, so developers can now use it right from their browser instead of the command line. If you’re on the Claude Pro or Max plan, you’ll see a new “Code” tab at claude.ai that’s where you can spin up and manage multiple coding agents in one place.

The move makes sense. Claude Code’s been growing fast and already makes up a big chunk of Anthropic’s revenue. It’s one of the few coding tools that feels more like an AI coworker than a fancy autocomplete. You can give it tasks, let it write and debug code, and basically act as the project lead while it does the heavy lifting.

Anthropic says about 90% of Claude Code was actually written by AI, which kind of proves its own point. Some devs argue these tools can slow you down or mess up big projects, but Anthropic’s clearly betting on the long game a world where AI handles most of the coding and developers just guide the process. The web app is another step in that direction.

TECH BARISTA
Major AWS outage takes down big parts of the internet

A major AWS outage just took down half the internet for a few hours. Amazon, Alexa, Snapchat, ChatGPT, Fortnite, Canva, and a bunch of other apps all went offline because of issues in AWS’s US-East-1 region basically the hub that powers a big part of the web.

Amazon says the problem started around 3am Eastern and blamed it on a DNS issue that’s the system that helps your browser find websites. When DNS breaks, it’s like the internet suddenly forgets everyone’s address. By early morning, things were slowly coming back online, but a lot of users still saw random bugs and downtime.

This kind of thing isn’t new for AWS. The same region has gone down multiple times in the past few years, and every time it happens, it reminds us how fragile the internet really is when one company powers so much of it. Everything’s mostly fixed now, but for a while, it felt like the whole web just hit pause.

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GADGETS BARISTA
Oppo Reno15 Pro Max may stay exclusive to China

Oppo’s gearing up for the Reno15 lineup, but it looks like the top model the Reno15 Pro Max might stay exclusive to China. According to leaks, only the regular Reno15 and Reno15 Pro will launch globally, while the Pro Max won’t leave the Chinese market.

That’s a bit of a shame because the Pro Max sounds like a serious upgrade. It’s rumored to have a 6.78-inch LTPO OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, MediaTek’s new Dimensity 9400 chip, and a huge 6,500mAh battery. The camera setup’s stacked too a 200MP main sensor, 50MP telephoto, and a 50MP selfie cam. It’ll also run Android 16 with ColorOS 16 out of the box.

Basically, Oppo’s giving China the full power version while everyone else gets the standard models. If these specs are true, the Reno15 Pro Max could easily be one of Oppo’s best Reno phones yet, just not for everyone.

STARTUP BAR
OpenEvidence raises $200M

OpenEvidence, basically a “ChatGPT for doctors,” is blowing up right now. The company’s about to raise another $200 million at a $6 billion valuation just three months after pulling in $210 million at half that value. That’s crazy growth and a clear sign that investors are going all-in on AI tools built for specific industries, not just general chatbots.

The platform’s trained on trusted medical journals like JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine, and it helps doctors and nurses get quick, reliable answers while treating patients. It’s free for verified medical professionals and supported by ads, which has helped it spread fast.

Since launching in 2022, OpenEvidence has shot up to 15 million clinical consultations a month. With backers like Google Ventures, Sequoia, and Blackstone.