Why Flipboard just bought a two-person startup

Flipboard, the news magazine app that has pivoted hard toward the open social web, announced Wednesday that it’s acquiring Graze, a Portland-based startup that lets people build, customize, and monetize feeds on Bluesky.

It’s a small deal — Graze raised just $1 million at the start of 2025 and has only two employees. But the acquisition says a lot about where Flipboard CEO Mike McCue thinks the social internet is heading.

Graze has been live for 21 months. In that time, its feeds have pushed out over 41 billion posts to roughly 12 million users, according to the company. Today, more than 7,000 feeds run on its platform, and about 60% of that traffic is monetized.

How Graze makes money without tracking you

The core idea is simple: curators build feeds around a topic or community, and brands buy ad placements in those feeds. The curator gets to approve which ads run. The revenue is split 70/30 in favor of the feed creator.

What makes this different from the ads you see on Facebook or Google is the absence of cross-site tracking. No following users around the web. No surveillance-style profiling.

Instead, ads are contextual. A brand that wants to reach game developers buys a spot in a feed run by game developers. The audience is the context.

McCue told TechCrunch that the adtech “doesn’t have to surveil anybody, and it doesn’t have to violate people’s privacy.” He added: “The key thing is that all the economics aren’t just going to one player. The ad revenue is being shared with the feed builder.”

From Surf app collaboration to full acquisition

Flipboard had already been using Graze’s technology inside its new app, Surf, which is designed as a browser for the open social web. That collaboration revealed something: the two companies were building toward the same vision, but duplicating each other’s work.

Graze co-founder and CEO Devin Gaffney realized his startup could move faster with a partner that already had the advertising infrastructure — and the brand relationships — that Graze lacked.

Post-acquisition, Flipboard will keep using Graze’s tech and let users build their own feeds. That capability will expand beyond Bluesky to everything running on the AT Protocol, including Flipboard’s own app.

What is the AT Protocol, anyway?

The AT Protocol is an open technical standard that lets different apps share the same underlying social network. Think of it as a common language for social platforms. Bluesky is built on it, and so is Surf. The idea is that you shouldn’t be locked into one company’s app to access your social graph.

The human side of feed curation

McCue made an interesting point in the interview about how users actually think about these feeds.

“They don’t think of it as, like, ‘I’m joining Bluesky’ or ‘I’m joining the social web, the open social web.’ They just think I’m joining The Tea because ‘I care about women’s sports,'” he said, referencing a Surf community feed called Bet on Her.

That’s the bet Flipboard is making: people will follow interests, not platforms. And if that’s true, then the people who curate those interest-based feeds deserve a cut of the ad money.

What this means for the open social web

The acquisition is another signal that the open social web is moving from a niche experiment to something with real economic structure. Flipboard has been investing heavily in this space, and Graze gives it a proven monetization layer.

For feed creators, the deal means more tools and, potentially, more revenue opportunities. For brands, it offers an alternative to the surveillance-based ad model that has dominated digital advertising for two decades.

Whether that alternative scales remains to be seen. But with Flipboard’s infrastructure behind it, Graze’s approach to contextual ads on open social web feeds just got a much bigger stage.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Imagine this: you’ve built a sleek Node.js app, tested it locally, and it works flawlessly. But the real challenge begins when you push it to a live server. How do you ensure it’s secure, monitored, and recoverable? Most tutorials stop at ‘deploy and pray.’ This one doesn’t.

In this hands-on video, we take a blank VPS and transform it into a hardened production environment for a Node.js application. It’s not just about getting the app online—it’s about mastering the operational practices that keep it running smoothly under real-world conditions. From isolating the app in its own account to automating rollbacks, this is a complete production server setup guide that covers security, observability, and maintainability.

Why a Blank VPS Is the Perfect Starting Point

Starting from scratch is intimidating, but it’s also liberating. You have full control over every configuration, and you learn exactly how each piece fits together. The video kicks off by explaining the architecture—how a request travels from the internet to your Node.js process. This mental model is crucial because it informs every decision you’ll make later.

As a result, you’ll understand why certain steps matter: why you create an isolated application account in SPanel, why SSH is off by default, and why you need a firewall that doesn’t lock you out. These aren’t just checkboxes; they’re layers of defense that protect your app from common attacks.

Securing Access: Passkeys, SSH, and User Isolation

Security is the foundation of any production server setup. The tutorial demonstrates how to create a dedicated account for your app, separate from the root user. This isolation limits the damage if the app is compromised. You’ll also set up a passkey for authentication—a more robust alternative to passwords.

Building on this, the video shows you how to enable SSH securely. It’s off by default in SPanel, which is a good thing because it reduces the attack surface. Once enabled, you’ll verify which user you’re running as, ensuring you’re not accidentally operating with elevated privileges. This attention to detail is what separates a hobby setup from a professional one.

Deploying the App: From Code to Live Domain

The heart of the video is the deployment process. You’ll use an auto-deploy script to install dependencies, then run the app via Node.js Manager on a specific port (3100). After the first load on a real domain, you’ll inspect the SSL certificate to confirm HTTPS is working.

However, the tutorial doesn’t stop there. It dives into forcing HTTPS with a 301 redirect in .htaccess, a critical step for SEO and security. The provided rules are simple but effective, and they preserve Let’s Encrypt validation. Always back up your configuration before making changes—this advice is repeated because it’s easy to overlook until you break something.

Monitoring, Logs, and Recovery: The Unsung Heroes

A production server setup is incomplete without monitoring. The video walks you through setting up uptime monitoring and health checks, so you’re alerted before users notice a problem. When a real HTTP 500 error occurs, you’ll trace it through the logs—a skill that saves hours of debugging.

In addition, you’ll learn to monitor CPU, memory, and process metrics. This visibility helps you spot bottlenecks early. The tutorial also covers restoring a single file from backup, a lifesaver when you accidentally overwrite a critical config. Finally, you’ll deploy a versioned Git release (v1.1.0) and then perform a safe rollback using git revert. This is the ultimate safety net: you can always revert to a known good state.

Why This Matters for Your DevOps Journey

This video is more than a tutorial; it’s a blueprint for professional-grade deployment. By following along, you’ll internalize best practices that many developers learn only through painful production incidents. The emphasis on security, observability, and recoverability is exactly what hiring managers look for in a DevOps role.

Moreover, the hands-on nature means you can replicate every step on your own VPS. The project source code is available on GitHub, so you can experiment without fear. As you progress, you’ll gain confidence in managing production systems—a skill that’s in high demand.

Ready to Build Your Own Production Server?

If you’re serious about deploying Node.js apps, this video is a must-watch. It’s packed with practical advice that you can apply immediately. Whether you’re a freelancer deploying client projects or a developer aiming to upskill, you’ll find value in every minute.

So, grab a cup of coffee, fire up your VPS, and follow along. By the end, you’ll have a production server that’s secure, monitored, and ready for traffic. Watch the full tutorial above and start mastering the art of production deployment today.

Your VXE R1 SE+ suddenly stops responding when plugged in, and no amount of cable jiggling or port switching seems to wake it up. You’re not alone. A growing number of users are reporting the same frustrating symptom: the mouse appears stuck in sleep mode, and the wired connection simply dies without warning. The culprit, as it turns out, isn’t the cable or the mouse hardware—it’s a firmware bug that’s quietly affecting many units.

This article breaks down the real debug step to confirm your hardware is fine, then walks you through the ATK Hub firmware fix that actually pulls the mouse out of its slumber. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to restore a stable wired connection and prevent this from recurring.

Why Does the VXE R1 SE+ Stop Connecting via Cable?

The VXE R1 SE+ is a budget-friendly wireless mouse that’s gained a loyal following for its performance and low latency. However, several owners have discovered a quirk: after a period of inactivity, the mouse enters a deep sleep state that the standard wake-up routine can’t break. When you plug in the USB cable, the mouse may charge but remain unresponsive to input, and the computer often doesn’t recognize it as a connected device.

This isn’t a hardware defect. In fact, the debug step shown in the video confirms that the cable and the mouse’s internal components are fully functional. The issue lies in the firmware’s power management logic, which occasionally fails to exit sleep mode correctly. The result is a device that looks dead but is actually just trapped in a low-power limbo.

Step 1: Confirm Your Cable and Mouse Are Functioning

Before you dive into any firmware updates, it’s crucial to verify that your physical connection is sound. The video demonstrates a simple but effective debug method: plug the mouse into a different USB port, ideally one directly on your motherboard, and check if the system recognizes it as a USB device. You can also test the cable with another device to rule out a faulty wire.

If the cable works elsewhere and the mouse still doesn’t respond, the problem is almost certainly firmware-related. This diagnostic step saves you from unnecessary replacements and ensures you’re targeting the right fix.

Step 2: The ATK Hub Firmware Fix That Resolves Sleep Mode

Once you’ve confirmed the hardware is healthy, the next move is to update the mouse’s firmware using the official ATK Hub software. ATK Hub is the companion app for VXE and ATK peripherals, and it’s where you’ll find the latest firmware patches. The video walks through downloading the correct firmware version and flashing it to the mouse.

The process is straightforward: install ATK Hub, connect your mouse via cable, and navigate to the firmware section. If a new version is available, the software will prompt you to update. After the update completes, the mouse should exit sleep mode immediately and maintain a stable wired connection. This fix has worked for many users who were previously stuck with an unresponsive device.

Step 3: Prevent Future Connection Drops with Regular Updates

Building on this fix, the best way to avoid future VXE R1 SE+ not connecting issues is to keep your firmware up to date. ATK Hub notifies you of new releases, so make it a habit to check for updates periodically. Additionally, adjusting the mouse’s sleep timer settings within the software can reduce the likelihood of it entering that problematic deep sleep state.

As a result, you’ll enjoy a more reliable wired experience, whether you’re gaming or working. Remember, the cable connection isn’t just for charging—it’s a full data link that ensures low-latency input and battery management.

Watch the Full Walkthrough for a Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re still facing the issue after trying the steps above, the video provides a visual, click-by-click guide that leaves no room for guesswork. From the initial debug to the final firmware flash, every action is explained clearly. The creator also pins the firmware download link and the ATK Hub link in the description, so you have direct access to the necessary tools.

Don’t let a firmware bug ruin your experience with an otherwise excellent mouse. Follow the instructions, and you’ll have your VXE R1 SE+ back in action in minutes. If the fix works for you—or if you hit a snag—drop a comment on the video; the creator is actively helping viewers troubleshoot.

Your mouse isn’t broken. It just needs the right push to wake up. Watch the video, apply the fix, and get back to seamless clicking.