Summary of "Spaced Repetition Systems Have Gotten Way Better"

Understanding Spaced Repetition
Spaced repetition helps you learn and remember information better by reviewing it at increasing intervals. Traditional methods can be frustrating, especially when you get answers wrong, as they reset your progress. This approach is particularly useful for subjects that require a lot of memorization, like languages or history.

Advancements in Spaced Repetition
A new algorithm called FSRS has greatly improved spaced repetition systems. Unlike older methods, which used a fixed schedule for review, FSRS uses machine learning to predict when you are likely to forget information. This results in a more personalized and effective review schedule.

How FSRS Works
FSRS analyzes three main aspects of learning: difficulty, stability, and retrievability of information. It calculates the best time to show you a card based on your past performance, making your study sessions less overwhelming and more efficient.

Advantages of FSRS

• It reduces the number of daily reviews needed while increasing the amount of information retained.
• Unlike other systems that use arbitrary intervals, FSRS tailors the schedule to your learning pace.
• It minimizes the frustration of forgetting by not resetting your progress after a mistake.

Practical Use
Anki, a popular spaced repetition software, now uses FSRS as its default algorithm. Users have reported improved experiences and better retention compared to previous methods.

Conclusion
Anki is highly recommended for efficient learning due to its ongoing updates and focus on effective knowledge retention. The advancements in spaced repetition algorithms, particularly FSRS, represent a significant improvement in how we learn and remember information.

In March 2021, a user experienced major issues with their Apple services after their Apple Card payment failed due to a change in their bank account number. This led to the disabling of their iCloud, App Store, and Apple ID accounts. The user initially thought it was a glitch but became worried when multiple services, including Apple Music and Calendar, stopped working.

After contacting Apple Support multiple times, they learned that the problem stemmed from a missed payment related to a trade-in credit for a new MacBook Pro. Apple had sent a warning email about the payment issue, but the user missed it. This led to Apple blocking access to their accounts until the payment was resolved.

Despite numerous attempts to get help, the user faced confusion and delays from Apple Support and was told that reactivating their accounts would take several days. Eventually, after resolving the payment issue, the user was able to reactivate their accounts.

Hardtime.nvim Summary

Hardtime.nvim is a Neovim plugin designed to help users improve their Vim navigation skills and break bad habits.

Key Features:

• Blocks repeated key presses within a short time frame.
• Provides hints for more efficient Vim motions.
• Offers reports on users' most common mistakes.

Recommended Usage:

• Use specific commands for vertical and horizontal movements instead of relying solely on arrow keys or mouse clicks.
• Learn commands for navigating through text and using text objects effectively.

Installation:

• Requires Neovim version 0.10.0 or higher.
• Can be installed via a package manager and set up in the Neovim configuration file.

Usage:

• Hardtime is enabled by default and can be toggled on or off with commands.
• Users can view frequent hints and access log files for their activity.

Configuration Options:

• Users can customize which keys are restricted, allowed, or disabled in specific contexts.
• Various options are available to control the behavior of hints, notifications, and key restrictions.

Additional Information:

• Examples of custom hints and configurations are available for users looking to tailor the plugin to their needs.

For more details, users can check the documentation and contribute to the project as needed.

Summary: Working with Git Patches in Apple Mail

To use git patches in Apple Mail on MacOS, follow these steps:

1. Create a Patches Mailbox: Set up a new mailbox folder named "Patches" in your Mail account.

2. Apply Patches:

   • Find the email with the git patch, right-click it, and move it to the Patches folder.
   • Right-click the Patches folder in the sidebar and choose "Export Mailbox..." to save it locally. It's helpful to save it in a top-level folder also named Patches.

3. Use Terminal:

   • Open Terminal and navigate to your project directory using cd my-path/very-cool-project.
   • Run the command: git apply ~/Patches/<saved-patches-mailbox-folder>/mbox to apply the patch.

4. Cleanup: Regularly clear out your local Patches folder to keep it organized.

This method may require some extra steps compared to other systems, but it effectively allows you to apply git patches using Apple Mail.

John L. Young, who passed away at 89, was a pioneer in advocating for public access to government and corporate secrets through the internet. In 1996, he and his wife, architect Deborah Natsios, founded Cryptome, an online library that publishes information on freedom of expression, privacy, and government secrecy. Their motto emphasized that official secrecy threatens democracy, and they encouraged submissions of documents that governments try to hide.

Cryptome became well-known for sharing a wide range of government and corporate documents, especially during the 1990s "crypto wars," when activists fought to free encryption from government control. Young was also involved with WikiLeaks but later distanced himself due to concerns over its monetization.

Born in West Texas and trained as an architect, Young was committed to public service and transparency. He faced pressure from the FBI and major tech companies but continued his work fearlessly. He served in the Army and earned degrees from Rice University and Columbia University. Young was an early advocate for using digital technology to democratize information access and will be remembered for his dedication to the public's right to know.

BrowserBee Overview

BrowserBee is a privacy-focused, open-source Chrome extension that allows users to control their browser using natural language. It combines a language model for understanding commands and Playwright for automating browser tasks, ensuring security while interacting with sites like social media and email.

Key Features:

• Supports major language model providers like OpenAI and Anthropic.
• Tracks token usage and costs.
• Offers various browser automation tools for navigation, interaction, observation, and memory management.
• Prompts for user approval when necessary, such as for purchases.

Supported Tools Include:

• Navigation commands (e.g., go to a URL, go back or forward in history).
• Tab management (e.g., open, close, or switch tabs).
• Interaction commands (e.g., click buttons, type text).
• Observation tools (e.g., take screenshots, read text on a page).
• Memory tools to save and recall sequences of actions for future use.

Use Cases:

• Manages social media accounts.
• Curates news and summarizes articles.
• Assists with everyday tasks like emails and bookings.
• Helps with research by gathering information.

Installation Options:

1. Download and load in Chrome (recommended).
2. Build from source.
3. Coming soon to the Chrome Web Store.

Usage: To use BrowserBee, click its icon or press Alt+Shift+B, type a command, and watch it perform the task.

Future Development: Plans include features for saving sessions, memorizing information, and scheduling tasks.

Conclusion: BrowserBee aims to provide a powerful, user-friendly AI assistant for browsing while prioritizing privacy and security through its open-source model.

Summary: Coding Without a Laptop - Two Weeks with AR Glasses and Linux on Android

The author discovered they could run a full Linux environment on their phone using native arm64 binaries, allowing for a desktop experience without needing a laptop. They decided to test this setup during a two-week trip, using a Pixel 8 Pro phone, folding keyboard, and AR glasses.

Key Components:

• Phone: Upgraded to a Pixel 8 Pro to support AR glasses.
• AR Glasses: Xreal Air 2 Pro glasses provided a good display, but had some quirks with focus and field of view.
• Keyboard: A folding Bluetooth keyboard was functional but not ideal.

Advantages of the Setup:

• Portability: Fits in pockets, no bags needed.
• Flexibility: Can work outdoors and in tight spaces.
• Freedom: Enables working in various locations, reducing the feeling of being confined indoors.

Challenges Faced:

• Setting up the Linux environment was complex, requiring a chroot approach.
• The AR glasses had some visual limitations and wearing them in public felt unusual.
• The folding keyboard could be improved significantly.

Performance:

• The setup was slower than a high-end laptop but faster than older models.
• Battery life was decent, offering 4 to 5 hours of use.

Conclusion: The author found this mobile setup satisfactory and plans to continue using it, appreciating the newfound freedom and portability. They believe there is potential for mobile software development as AR technology improves.

In the mid-1800s, the New York Harbor Commission sought federal help to improve navigation through Hell Gate, a dangerous area in New York Harbor filled with rocky obstructions. At that time, larger ships were becoming more common, making it unsafe for them to pass through. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has since worked to maintain and deepen navigation channels in this busy port.

A notable project involved dredging Newark Bay and Kill van Kull to allow deeper draft vessels. This work recalls the historic challenge of clearing Hell Gate, which was known for its treacherous waters and strong currents. Captains often reported damages or losses while trying to navigate through it.

In the 1850s, a French engineer named Benjamin Maillefert was hired to remove rocks in Hell Gate using innovative underwater blasting techniques. However, after some initial success, his efforts faced setbacks, including accidents that led to fatalities. Congressional interest in clearing Hell Gate grew after the Civil War, leading to more organized demolition efforts.

By the late 1800s, significant projects were undertaken to blast away obstructions, including a major explosion in 1885 that was the largest ever at the time. This success opened up Hell Gate for safer navigation, boosting the shipping trade and solidifying New York's status as a leading port. The work not only improved safety but also enhanced the economic vitality of the area.

Summary of AniSora:

AniSora is a powerful open-source tool created by Bilibili for generating animated videos in various anime styles. It allows users to create videos easily by uploading an image and providing a prompt. The model can produce high-quality animations for series episodes, Chinese animations, manga adaptations, VTuber content, and more.

Key Features:

1. One-Click Video Generation: Users can quickly create animations with just a few clicks, making it accessible for everyone, regardless of technical skills.
2. High-Quality Output: AniSora produces high-definition videos that maintain the unique characteristics of anime and manga.
3. Specialization in Anime & Manga: The AI is trained specifically on anime and manga datasets, ensuring authentic animations.
4. Intuitive Interface: The platform is user-friendly, allowing creators to animate their ideas effortlessly.

How to Use:

1. Upload a high-quality image.
2. Choose an AI model based on desired style.
3. Click to generate and download the animated video.

Use Cases: AniSora is ideal for creating short animated clips, promotional videos, animating manga panels, and producing content for VTubers.

Overall, AniSora stands out for its focus on anime content and community-driven development, making it a valuable tool for animation creators.

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Summary of "Fearless Concurrency for Python"

Project Verona is developing a new memory management system for Python called Lungfish, aimed at improving safety and efficiency in concurrent programming. The project began with a prototype language named FrankenScript to test ownership concepts in a flexible environment.

Key Points:

1. FrankenScript Prototyping: FrankenScript is a simplified language that helps explore ownership and concurrency ideas. It allows for dynamic checks and generates diagrams to illustrate program structure.

2. Community Engagement: The team has collaborated with the Faster CPython team and plans to present their work to the broader Python community at the Python Language Summit in May 2025, seeking feedback on their concepts.

3. Ownership Model Development: The project is taking a step-by-step approach to implement a new ownership model in Python. The first stage involves creating a "deep immutability" model to allow safe sharing of mutable objects between threads.

4. Key Features:

   • Deep Immutability: This model will enable concurrent threads to share type information without risk of changes.
   • Cyclic Garbage Management: Using reference counting to manage immutable objects across sub-interpreters.
   • Message Passing: Integration with message passing will support parallel performance while maintaining the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL).

5. Why Python?: Python is widely used, and with upcoming changes (PEP703), it will embrace concurrency. A new ownership model will help developers handle concurrency issues more easily.

6. Differentiation from Other Models: Unlike Rust's static ownership model, which may restrict Python's dynamic typing, Lungfish is designed to work with Python's existing code and object structures.

7. Learning Outcomes: The team has gained insights into ownership and concurrency in dynamic languages, reshaping their understanding of checks needed for safe programming.

8. Getting Involved: Interested individuals can explore the project through GitHub and engage in discussions via the provided channels.

For more details, you can check the project's publications or try out the FrankenScript language.

Summary of Magic Leap One Exploitation

This repository features a preliminary implementation of research aimed at exploiting the Magic Leap One device. It includes code for both the Magic Leap console and a Fastboot client written in Rust.

Key Points:

• Vulnerabilities:

  1. sparsehax: Allows code execution in CBoot via an exploit in NVidia's SparseFS parser.
  2. dtbhax: Enables overwriting CBoot in memory for persistent code execution using an oversized kernel-dtb.

• Usage Instructions:

  • Users must be cautious, as improper use can damage their device.
  • A unique signed signature context from a firmware update is required.
  • Specific steps include preparing files, placing the device in Fastboot mode, and running commands to execute the exploit.

• Caution: The repository is still in development, and detailed instructions will be provided later.

No summary available.

The article discusses how to set up a highly available MQTT broker using Eclipse Mosquitto on Kubernetes. Here are the key points:

1. Setup Overview: The configuration creates a resilient system with a primary and secondary Mosquitto broker, improving uptime by automatically rerouting traffic if the primary broker fails.

2. Key Components:

   • Deployments: Two Mosquitto instances (primary and secondary) are deployed in separate pods.
   • Services: A LoadBalancer service is used to manage traffic between the primary and secondary brokers.
   • Failover Mechanism: A dedicated failover pod monitors the primary broker's health and switches traffic to the secondary broker if needed, reducing downtime to about 5 seconds.

3. Internal Messaging: The two brokers are configured to bridge messages, ensuring that all messages are synchronized, even during a failover.

4. Kubernetes Configuration: The setup uses specific Kubernetes resources like ConfigMaps, Deployments, Services, and RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) to manage permissions and service routing.

5. Traefik Ingress: Traefik is used to handle external MQTT traffic, and additional configuration is required to expose the necessary ports for MQTT communication.

6. Failure Handling: The system can handle failures effectively, with clients reconnecting automatically to the service, and retained messages being published back to the primary broker once it's back online.

This setup enhances reliability for real-time messaging applications by minimizing service disruptions and ensuring message continuity.

No summary available.

The article discusses the challenges facing solar energy initiatives in Pennsylvania, particularly the Solar for Schools program, which aims to fund solar installations in schools like Tunkhannock Area School District. Despite strong interest in solar energy—65% of Pennsylvanians support large-scale solar development—only 3% currently have solar panels. The state ranks low in renewable energy growth, partly due to competition for limited funding and political gridlock.

Tunkhannock officials are eager to save costs through solar, potentially up to $1 million annually, but their funding depends on a competitive grant process that received applications totaling nearly four times the available budget. Efforts to pass supportive legislation, including community solar initiatives and updated renewable energy targets, have stalled in the Republican-controlled legislature.

The article highlights a federal grant program intended to help low-income households with solar installations, but access to these funds is being delayed due to legislative issues. Environmental advocates express concern over amendments that could undermine incentives for solar energy, such as net metering. Despite these challenges, some lawmakers are beginning to show more support for solar energy, indicating a possible shift in attitudes. Overall, the future of solar energy in Pennsylvania remains uncertain, with significant implications for school districts and residents seeking affordable energy solutions.

Summary: Measure EEG With Arduino

This guide explains how to measure EEG (electroencephalography), EMG (electromyography), and ECG (electrocardiography) bio-signals using an Arduino. Here are the key points:

1. Setup: To measure EEG, connect an ardEEG shield to an Arduino Uno R4 WiFi. Power the setup with a battery and attach electrodes in accordance with the International 10-20 system.

2. Software: You only need two scripts: one for the Arduino and one for Python on a Windows computer.

3. Connection: Instructions on connecting the shield and electrodes are provided, along with visual aids.

4. Demonstration: You can find video demonstrations on YouTube to see how it works.

5. Applications: The ardEEG shield uses the ADS1299 chip for high-quality signal capture, making it suitable for various projects.

6. Data Collection: The guide includes examples of measuring signals during activities like chewing and blinking, as well as recording EEG signals with eyes open and closed.

For more details, additional resources are available on the project website.

No summary available.

The text discusses the differences between experts and novices in problem-solving efficiency and decision-making. Key points include:

1. Efficiency Gap: Experts complete tasks more quickly and effectively than novices, who often struggle with inefficiency and unnecessary complications.

2. The Maze Analogy: The author uses a maze to illustrate how novices can become lost due to poor decision-making, while experts navigate efficiently by recognizing the best paths.

3. Decision-Making: Novices tend to make random decisions without understanding the consequences, while experts make informed choices based on experience.

4. Learning from Experts: Novices benefit significantly from spending time with experts, gaining insights through casual discussions rather than just direct questions and answers.

5. Exploration and Niche Learning: Novices should take time to explore their field deeply and focus on niche topics, as this can lead to a better understanding and potential expertise.

6. Empathy Gap: There is often a lack of empathy from experts towards novices, which can hinder the learning process. Encouragement and understanding from experts can help build novices' confidence.

7. Final Thoughts: The relationship between experts and novices is complex, and fostering supportive interactions is essential for effective learning and growth.

Overall, the text emphasizes the importance of mentorship and the need for novices to learn from experts while also encouraging their own exploration and decision-making.

Workflow Composer: Create Dapr Workflows from Diagrams

1. Upload Your Diagram: You can upload your workflow diagrams by browsing, dragging and dropping, or pasting them. Supported file formats include PNG, JPEG, GIF, and WebP.

2. Choose Output Language: After uploading, select the programming language for your workflow.

For further assistance, you can read the documentation or ask for help on Discord.

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Summary of State of the Art PFAS Report

On February 7, 2023, a report was published detailing the current understanding and research needs regarding PFAS (poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances) in soil and groundwater in the Netherlands.

Key Points:

1. Introduction: The report was initiated by Rijkswaterstaat, highlighting the need for a unified approach to tackle PFAS contamination due to its complexity and the lack of a cohesive knowledge infrastructure.

2. Current Knowledge: PFAS refers to a large group of chemical substances, many of which are harmful to the environment and human health. They are found in various environmental mediums like water, soil, and air.

3. Environmental Presence: PFAS are ubiquitous in the Dutch environment, but many substances remain unidentifiable due to analytical limitations. Known PFAS substances are linked to health risks and are present at levels exceeding safety guidelines.

4. International Context: Different countries have varying regulations regarding PFAS, with some lacking specific policies. The EU is moving towards stricter regulations on PFAS.

5. Research Needs: The report identifies several gaps in knowledge and areas for research, including:

   • Understanding the sources and behavior of unknown PFAS.
   • Developing methods for analyzing PFAS that are currently unmeasurable.
   • Creating sustainable remediation technologies for PFAS removal from soil and water.
   • Improving risk assessment methods and communication regarding PFAS dangers.

6. Collaboration Call: There is a strong need for collaboration between stakeholders, including government, research institutions, and industry, to effectively address PFAS issues.

The report serves as a foundation for developing a comprehensive knowledge program aimed at tackling PFAS contamination in the Netherlands.

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Summary: How to Use the contrast-color() Function in CSS

The contrast-color() function in CSS allows browsers to automatically select either black or white text based on the background color you specify. This simplifies the process of ensuring text is readable against varying background colors, especially in large projects where managing color pairs can be challenging.

Here's how it works:

• Define a background color with a CSS variable, e.g., --button-color.
• Use color: contrast-color(var(--button-color)); to let the browser choose the text color that provides the best contrast.

For example:

button {
  background-color: var(--button-color);
  color: contrast-color(var(--button-color));
}

This means you only need to set one color, and the browser will adjust the text color accordingly.

Accessibility Considerations: While contrast-color() is helpful, it doesn’t guarantee accessibility. It's important to ensure that the chosen colors still meet contrast standards set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Some mid-tone colors may not provide enough contrast with either black or white text.

The current implementation uses WCAG 2's contrast algorithm, which has been criticized for not always aligning with human perception of contrast. A newer algorithm, the Accessible Perceptual Contrast Algorithm (APCA), may provide better results in the future.

Using prefers-contrast Media Query: You can also use the prefers-contrast media query to offer users more contrast options based on their preferences.

Practical Application: When designing, consider user accessibility and choose color combinations that work well with both light and dark modes. The article provides a coding example for implementing these concepts effectively.

Overall, while contrast-color() simplifies color management in CSS, it's crucial to remain mindful of accessibility standards and user experience.

The text discusses the challenges of finding and curating information in today’s social media-driven world, particularly in the context of music and film. The author notes that while Bjork is actively promoting her new concert film, the overwhelming amount of information shared on social media can be confusing. Users often struggle to verify details, leading to misinformation and debates online.

The author reminisces about how, in the past, they could easily stay updated on pop culture through traditional media like radio, TV, and magazines, which provided curated content. Nowadays, social media and algorithms make it hard to discover new and diverse content, often trapping users in a bubble of familiar interests.

Critics and professional curators are becoming less prominent, resulting in a flood of content that can be mentally exhausting to navigate. The author suggests that while some critics still exist, the overwhelming volume of articles from sites trying to gain clicks adds to the problem.

To cope, the author has started taking notes and making lists to keep track of interesting content instead of relying on algorithms. They acknowledge that this approach feels like a job and express concern that this disorganization may become the new normal. Ultimately, they suggest that those interested in broadening their horizons will need to take the initiative to find and curate information themselves.

Three researchers, Michael F. Wondrak, Walter D. van Suijlekom, and Heino Falcke, propose that any large mass, not just black holes, emits Hawking radiation, leading to the idea that dead stars could gradually lose mass and vanish. However, this claim contradicts established principles of physics, particularly baryon conservation, as it implies protons and neutrons would somehow disappear without explanation.

Experts have largely dismissed their findings as flawed, noting that the authors used poor approximations and ignored well-established theories showing that static gravitational fields do not create particle-antiparticle pairs. Despite the lack of credible support, sensationalist media outlets have reported on their claims, leading to widespread misinformation about the universe's fate.

The scientific community is advised to critically evaluate such claims and seek expert opinions, as the original ideas have not produced significant impact in the field. Established literature confirms that in static spacetime, the vacuum state is stable, meaning that no spontaneous particle creation occurs, which contradicts the new claims. The consensus remains that the gravitational field of a static object does not produce Hawking radiation.

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No summary available.

Transformer-based large language models (LLMs) are very good at understanding language, but how they do this is not fully understood. This paper explores a way to explain their predictions using simple functions based on patterns from their training data. The authors study these patterns to make several important findings:

1. They propose a new method to identify overfitting during training without needing a separate test set.
2. They measure how transformers progress from learning simple to more complex language patterns as they train.
3. They establish a criterion for when transformer predictions can be understood through these simple patterns.
4. They also discover that a significant portion of the predictions made by LLMs closely match those predicted by the simpler pattern-based rules, with 79% accuracy for TinyStories and 68% for Wikipedia.

Overall, this research helps clarify how LLMs learn and make predictions based on their training data.

Summary: O2 VoLTE Exposes Customer Location

O2 UK has been unintentionally revealing the location of its customers during phone calls made using Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology. This security issue has been ongoing for several months, allowing anyone initiating a call to access sensitive information about the call recipient's location, which can be pinpointed to a specific area, especially in urban environments.

The problem arises from detailed information sent in IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) signaling messages, which include identifiers like IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) and IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers. This data can be cross-referenced with publicly available tools to determine a caller's general location.

The author, Daniel Williams, urges O2 to remove these revealing headers from their messaging system to protect customer privacy. He expresses disappointment in O2's lack of a clear process for reporting such vulnerabilities, contrasting it with rival networks that have better disclosure practices.

In conclusion, the current system allows for easy location tracking of O2 customers during calls, and there are no effective measures for customers to prevent this exposure. Efforts to inform O2 about this issue have gone unanswered.

Summary of Google Logo Ligature Bug

On May 17, 2025, a security issue was highlighted by Jeffrey Yasskin regarding a bug in Google products, particularly Chrome on Android. This bug could allow a website like "googlelogoligature.net" to appear as "Google.net," misleading users into thinking they were interacting with Google.

The problem stems from the font "Google Sans," which uses ligatures to stylize certain letter combinations. In this case, it makes "googlelogoligature" look like "Google." While ligatures are typically used to improve text appearance, their use in a general font for security-sensitive applications is problematic.

Overall, while the idea of using a ligature for branding is understandable, it should not have been applied to a font that could display user-controlled text in contexts requiring security.

Summary of "Memetics—A Growth Industry in US Military Operations"

This document is a thesis by Major Michael B. Prosser from the United States Marine Corps, submitted for his Master of Operational Studies. The main idea is that the US military should adopt a new approach to warfare by utilizing "memes"—units of cultural information that spread and influence beliefs and behaviors—to combat enemy ideologies.

Key Points:

1. Understanding Memes: Memes are cultural units that replicate and spread through social interactions. They can be compared to genes in that they evolve and survive based on their effectiveness at influencing ideas and beliefs.

2. Military Application: The military can use memes to engage and influence not only enemies but also undecided individuals in conflict areas. This approach is seen as vital for tackling complex ideologies that traditional warfare struggles to eradicate.

3. Current Practices: Existing military operations already produce memes, both intentionally and unintentionally. However, there is a need for better recognition and management of these memes within military operations, particularly through Information Operations (IO), Psychological Operations (PsyOps), and Strategic Communications (SC).

4. Proposed Meme Warfare Center (MWC): The thesis suggests creating a dedicated organization, the Meme Warfare Center, to focus on the generation and analysis of memes. This center would provide strategic advice to commanders and develop capabilities for effectively using memes in military contexts.

5. Cultural and Behavioral Insights: The thesis argues for the inclusion of experts from various fields—such as cognitive science and anthropology—to enhance understanding and use of memes in warfare.

6. Conclusion: The US military should acknowledge the role of memes as powerful tools in ideological conflicts, moving beyond traditional methods to incorporate a more sophisticated understanding of cultural influence in warfare.

In essence, the thesis advocates for a shift in military strategy to effectively use memes as tools for influencing ideologies and winning over populations in conflict situations.

Summary of Espanso: A Cross-Platform Text Expander

Espanso is a text expander program written in Rust that works across Windows, macOS, and Linux. It detects specific keywords you type and replaces them with predefined text, saving time on typing common phrases, inserting code snippets, and using emojis.

Key Features:

• Compatible with most programs
• Supports emojis and images
• Includes a search bar and date expansion
• Allows custom scripts and shell commands
• App-specific configurations and forms
• Expandable with packages and has a built-in package manager
• File-based configuration and support for regex triggers
• Experimental support for Wayland

Getting Started: You can find official documentation online. For support or community engagement, join the official Subreddit or Discord.

Contributions and Support: Espanso is a free, open-source project. Donations are appreciated to support its development. Special thanks to contributors and libraries that supported the project.

License: Espanso is created by Federico Terzi and is licensed under GPL-3.0.

Summary of Pyrefly Announcement

On May 15, 2025, a new open source Python type checker and IDE extension called Pyrefly was announced. Developed in Rust, Pyrefly checks Python code for type consistency, helping catch errors before the code runs. It integrates with IDEs and can also be used via the command line.

Key Points:

• Get Started: Users can install Pyrefly using pip install pyrefly, migrate their existing configurations, and enhance their IDE experience with a VSCode extension.
• Background: Pyrefly was inspired by an earlier type checker called Pyre, which was effective but needed a fresh approach to support evolving type systems and improve IDE responsiveness.
• Main Principles:
  • Performance: Pyrefly can check large codebases quickly, analyzing up to 1.8 million lines of code per second.
  • IDE Integration: It aims for a consistent experience between the IDE and command line.
  • Type Inference: Pyrefly can automatically infer types for unannotated code, enhancing usability.
  • Open Source: Pyrefly is open source on GitHub, inviting community contributions and feedback.

Future Plans:

The developers aim to work with the Python community to enhance the developer experience and improve Python’s type system. They plan to address bugs and features to refine Pyrefly, currently in alpha, and encourage user feedback.

For more information and updates, users can visit the official Pyrefly website or join discussions on Discord.

This post is the first in a series about decision trees in machine learning. The aim is to explain what decision trees are and how to implement them.

1. What are Decision Trees?
   Decision trees help make decisions by asking a series of questions based on data characteristics. For example, to decide whether to take an umbrella, one might start by asking if there are clouds, then checking humidity levels. Each question narrows down the options until a final prediction is made.

2. Structure of Decision Trees:

   • Internal Nodes: These ask questions and split the data into two branches.
   • Leaf Nodes: These provide the final prediction for the grouped data points.

3. Types of Decision Trees:

   • Classification Trees: Predict categorical outcomes (e.g., rain or no rain).
   • Regression Trees: Predict continuous values (e.g., house prices).

4. Popular Algorithms:
   Key algorithms for creating decision trees include ID3, C4.5, and CART (Classification and Regression Trees). This series will focus on implementing CART.

5. Building Decision Trees:
   Decision trees are built by recursively splitting data to reduce impurity in the nodes. The goal is to create a model that accurately predicts outcomes while avoiding overfitting to training data.

6. Bias-Variance Tradeoff:
   Decision trees can easily capture noise from the data, leading to high variance and overfitting, especially if they are too deep. Strategies are recommended to limit tree complexity and improve performance.

7. Limitations:

   • Decision trees may struggle with complex relationships that need multiple features to be considered together.
   • They do not extrapolate well beyond the training data range, which can limit their predictive power.

8. Advantages:

   • Easy to understand and interpret.
   • Can handle both numerical and categorical data.
   • Require little data preparation.

9. Disadvantages:

   • Prone to overfitting and noise.
   • Sensitive to small changes in the training set.

The post concludes by noting that decision trees are often most effective when used as part of ensemble methods, which will be discussed in future posts.

Proton, a popular VPN and secure email service, has announced it will leave Switzerland if new surveillance laws are enacted. These proposed laws would require VPNs and messaging apps to collect and retain user data, a move criticized by Proton's CEO, Andy Yen, as a serious violation of privacy rights. He argues that the laws would make Switzerland's privacy standards comparable to those of Russia and would jeopardize the company's business model, which relies on strong encryption and no-log policies.

Another Swiss company, NymVPN, shares similar concerns and is also prepared to exit the country if the laws pass. Experts warn that these changes could weaken online security and encryption, posing risks to user privacy. The Swiss government is currently in the consultation phase regarding these amendments, and some political pushback has emerged. If the government can create more reasonable privacy regulations, Proton is willing to remain in Switzerland and continue its operations.

No summary available.

A Mexican navy training ship, the Cuauhtémoc, crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on May 17, 2025, resulting in the deaths of two sailors and injuries to 22 others, with 11 critically hurt. The ship lost power and collided with the bridge during a promotional tour, causing significant damage to its masts. Eyewitnesses reported seeing sailors in ceremonial uniforms before the crash.

The Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, expressed condolences for the lost crew members and noted that efforts were underway to assist the injured and reunite them with their families. Fortunately, no one on the bridge was injured, and it remained undamaged. The Cuauhtémoc was participating in a celebration of Mexico's 200th independence anniversary and was scheduled for a lengthy voyage to various ports worldwide. The incident has prompted investigations into the causes of the accident.

Summary of Pixelagent: An Agent Engineering Blueprint

Pixelagent is a framework designed to help engineers create custom applications that use artificial intelligence agents. It combines large language models (LLMs), data storage, and orchestration into one easy-to-use platform called Pixeltable.

Key Features:

• Data Management: Built on Pixeltable's infrastructure for organizing and storing data.
• Multimodal Support: Works with text, images, audio, and video.
• User-Friendly: A Python framework that is type-safe and easy to extend with various models.
• Observability: Automatically logs messages and performance metrics for better tracking.
• Customization: Add features like memory, reasoning, and workflows to your agents.

Integration with Providers:

• Connects with various AI models from providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, and AWS Bedrock.

Getting Started:

• Install the framework using pip and set up dependencies for specific models.
• Create a simple agent and interact with it through chat.

Adding Functionality:

• Define custom tools (like fetching stock prices) and integrate them into your agents.
• Manage agent memory and conversation history automatically.

Advanced Strategies:

• Implement step-by-step reasoning methods (like the ReAct pattern) for more complex decision-making processes.

Resources:

• Tutorials are available for beginners and advanced users, covering core concepts, complex architectures, and specialized techniques.

Overall, Pixelagent allows developers to focus on building innovative applications while handling the underlying AI infrastructure.

The text discusses Japan's unique IC card system, focusing on the FeliCa technology developed by Sony, which differs from Western NFC technologies like MIFARE. Here are the key points:

1. Fast and Efficient Public Transport: Japan's IC cards allow for quick tap-in and tap-out access at train stations, significantly faster than systems in the West, like the London Underground.

2. NFC Basics: Near-field communication (NFC) allows devices to communicate wirelessly. FeliCa (NFC type F) is faster and was developed in 1988, while MIFARE (type A) came later in 1994 and has known security issues.

3. Stored-Value Cards: FeliCa cards store their value directly on the card itself, enabling faster transactions because they do not need to communicate with external servers. Each card can also keep a record of recent transactions.

4. Osaifu-Keitai: This system allows smartphones to emulate IC cards. While modern phones support NFC, using them as IC cards requires specific support (Osaifu-Keitai), which is more readily available on iPhones than on Android devices.

5. Security Features: FeliCa technology is considered secure, with strong protections against cloning and replay attacks. The system has proven resilient since its inception, although its proprietary cryptography limits independent audits.

6. Future Exploration: The author expresses interest in further exploring FeliCa’s speed advantages and potentially creating a simulated train station network as a hobby project.

Overall, the text highlights the efficiency, technology, and security of Japan's IC card system, particularly through the use of FeliCa technology.

Summary:

The author discovered a previously unknown 256 KB Japanese ROM for the Macintosh Plus, which contains fonts for kanji characters. This ROM offers advantages over the standard 128 KB ROM, such as faster startup times and reduced RAM usage, since the kanji fonts are stored in ROM rather than on a floppy disk.

Initially, the author faced challenges in obtaining a Macintosh Plus with the Japanese ROM and had to rely on online searches and purchases of motherboards. After successfully dumping the ROM from a motherboard, the author encountered difficulties testing it due to emulator limitations. With assistance from others, the author managed to test the ROM by using a real Macintosh Plus and found that it significantly sped up the boot process, saving time and RAM.

The project highlighted the persistence needed to uncover this rare piece of technology and led to software modifications that will allow emulators to support the Japanese ROM in the future.

No summary available.

Summary of FreeBASIC:

FreeBASIC is a free and open-source BASIC compiler that works on Microsoft Windows, DOS, and Linux. It supports QuickBASIC programs with minimal changes when used in "QB" mode, but larger programs may need adjustments in the default mode.

Key Features:

• Compatibility: Compatible with QuickBASIC.
• Powerful: Can create console and GUI applications, as well as libraries.
• Expressive: Supports various programming styles, including procedural and object-oriented.
• Free Software: It is fully free to use.

FreeBASIC uses GNU tools for building programs and has support for C libraries, along with some C++ support. It allows complex features like macros and file inclusion. The compiler runs efficiently, comparable to mainstream tools like GCC.

The FreeBASIC project includes a compiler, assembler, and linker, supporting development across various platforms. It offers bindings to popular libraries and examples for easy use.

Overall, FreeBASIC is a versatile tool for developers, extending the capabilities of QuickBASIC and allowing the creation of diverse applications.

Summary of Xata's New PostgreSQL Platform

Xata has launched a new PostgreSQL platform designed to operate at scale, incorporating lessons learned from four years of experience and customer feedback. Key features include:

• Copy-on-Write Branching: Allows for quick creation of development environments without copying large amounts of data.
• Data Anonymization: Ensures that sensitive personal information (PII) is not included in developer branches, helping meet compliance requirements.
• Cloud-Agnostic Deployment: Can be installed on AWS, GCP, Azure, or on-premises, giving users flexibility.
• Separation of Storage and Compute: Uses a distributed storage system for better performance and cost management.

The platform targets challenges faced by teams using PostgreSQL at scale, such as zero-downtime during schema changes, creating realistic test environments, and ensuring security for sensitive data.

Use Cases:

1. Development and Staging: Instant branches allow developers to work with anonymized production data without risking exposure to sensitive information.
2. Production: The platform offers improved performance and cost savings, with a straightforward pricing model based on CPU, memory, and storage usage.

Xata integrates with existing PostgreSQL services, enhancing them without requiring major changes. Key innovations include partnerships with Simplyblock for an advanced storage system and the use of Kubernetes for cloud deployment.

Xata Lite: A free version is available for smaller projects, while the new platform is geared towards startups and enterprises running PostgreSQL at scale.

To get started with Xata, interested users can request access as the platform is being gradually rolled out to select customers.

A new bike-mounted sensor called ProxiCycle is being developed to help cyclists find the safest routes. Many people avoid biking due to fears of accidents with cars, and current mapping services rely on reported collisions, which may not accurately reflect true safety. The ProxiCycle device, which costs less than $25 to make, attaches to the left side of the handlebars and uses infrared sensors to detect nearby vehicles. It connects to a smartphone app that records close passes by cars, helping to create a more accurate map of dangerous streets based on real data.

In initial tests in Seattle, the ProxiCycle matched incidents of close passes with video evidence and recorded over 2,000 close encounters during a two-month study. The data showed that areas perceived as dangerous often had higher actual risks. The researchers aim to conduct larger studies and help novice cyclists learn which routes are safer, encouraging more people to ride bikes for health and environmental benefits.

Summary:

This text discusses two programming principles: "Push Ifs Up" and "Push Fors Down."

Push Ifs Up:

• Move conditional checks (ifs) from within a function to the caller when possible.
• This helps simplify the function and reduce complex branching, making the code easier to read and maintain.
• By enforcing preconditions at the caller level, you can centralize control flow and identify redundant checks more easily.

Push Fors Down:

• Focus on processing batches of objects instead of individual items to improve performance.
• Instead of looping through each item and performing operations, create a function that handles the entire batch at once.
• This increases efficiency by reducing overhead and allowing for better optimization techniques.

Final Advice:

• Combine both principles for better performance and code clarity: check conditions outside of loops and process batches of data to optimize your programs.

No summary available.

In 2013, Doug Brown fixed a frustrating bug in Basilisk II, a popular emulator for running old Mac systems on modern computers. This bug caused the emulated Mac to display a black screen instead of booting up, especially on newer Windows versions like Vista and 7.

The issue was puzzling because it didn't occur consistently, and many users had different theories about its cause, ranging from Bluetooth services disrupting the emulator to needing to run the program as an Administrator. Ultimately, the only reliable fix was to revert to an outdated version of Basilisk II.

To tackle the problem, Doug analyzed the code of Basilisk II. He discovered that the emulator's video driver wasn't loading correctly due to a conflict in how memory was allocated for the emulator's RAM and ROM. Specifically, on Windows, the emulator sometimes allocated ROM memory addresses below RAM addresses, leading to failures in loading the video driver. This problem was less common on Windows XP compared to later versions, likely due to changes in Windows' memory allocation behavior.

By modifying the code to allocate RAM and ROM together, Doug resolved the issue, ensuring the emulator worked smoothly on Windows going forward. He acknowledged that this bug had been previously fixed in the Unix version of Basilisk II but not applied to Windows.

In summary, the fix involved understanding the emulator's memory management and addressing a fundamental issue with how memory was allocated in the Windows port, highlighting the complexities of software compatibility across different systems.

Summary of Novel Operating Systems Catalog

This catalog highlights new and innovative operating systems that have emerged recently, particularly after the decline of note-taking apps and amidst excitement around large language models (LLMs). It reflects a time when developers are inspired to create operating systems reminiscent of the diverse range from the early days of computing, such as AmigaOS and BeOS.

Key Operating Systems Featured:

1. UXN/Varvara: Created by 100 Rabbits, this personal computing stack promotes a radical vision. More info is available in their documents.

2. Playbit: Developed by Rasmus Andersson and team, this project aims to reinvent the computer stack.

3. Folk.computer: A research project by Omar Rizwan and Andreas Cuérvo focusing on physical computing interfaces, inspired by Bret Victor’s Dynamicland.

4. Nette.io: A research operating system for the web by Pawel Ceranka.

5. Interim: A minimal OS built using the Lisp programming language.

6. Mezzano: An operating system written in CommonLisp.

7. ChrysaLisp: A multi-threaded, multi-core OS featuring a GUI, terminal, and various programming tools.

8. RayvnOS and RedoxOS: Other notable systems with unique features.

9. DesktopNeo: A new approach to desktop interfaces by Lennart Ziburski.

10. MercuryOS: Jason Yuan's OS that focuses on intentions.

11. Freeze.app: A tool that allows users to pause and resume their desktop interface.

12. WormOS: Explores the concept of partitioned mental space.

Additional projects include Bedrock.computer and community-curated lists like AwesomeOS and Anagora List. This catalog aims to celebrate the spirit of innovation in operating systems.

The Armv9 architecture is significantly boosting Arm Holdings' financial success. Launched four years ago, it comes with higher royalty fees compared to earlier versions, contributing to record revenues. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, Arm achieved over $1 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time and exceeded $4 billion in annual sales. Royalties also surpassed $2 billion.

Arm's CEO, Rene Haas, noted that smartphone chip royalties increased by 30% despite only a 2% rise in shipments. The adoption of Arm architecture is growing in AI cloud deployments, with predictions that up to 50% of new server chips at major cloud providers will be Arm-based this year.

In the last quarter, Arm reported $607 million in royalty revenues and $634 million from licensing and other sources. Overall, revenue rose by 33.7% to $1.24 billion. While research and development costs decreased, operating income surged, although net income fell slightly due to losses from equity investments.

Arm's technology is increasingly used in various sectors, and its chip partners shipped over 30 billion devices in fiscal 2025, highlighting Arm's dominance in the CPU market with a vast network of developers creating software for its architecture.

Scientists have captured the formation of a heart in a mouse embryo for the first time using time-lapse imaging. This footage shows how cardiac cells organize themselves into a heart-like structure early in development. The study's lead researcher, Dr. Kenzo Ivanovitch, noted that this close observation revealed unexpected behaviors in heart cell organization during a crucial developmental stage called gastrulation.

Using advanced light-sheet microscopy, the team tracked the development over 40 hours, taking snapshots every two minutes. They tagged heart muscle cells with fluorescent markers to observe their movement and organization. The researchers discovered that heart-specific cells emerge quickly during gastrulation and follow organized paths, rather than moving randomly.

These findings suggest that the regulation of heart cell development happens earlier than previously thought, providing new insights into congenital heart defects, which affect about 1 in 100 babies. The research could enhance understanding and treatment options for heart defects and support the growth of heart tissue for regenerative medicine. The results were published in the EMBO Journal.

Researchers have discovered that inserting a piece of human DNA into mice can increase their brain size by about 6.5%. This genetic code, known as HARE5, boosts the production of neurons by enhancing the activity of a specific gene called Fzd8. This finding may help explain how human brains evolved to be larger than those of our primate relatives. The study suggests that this genetic mechanism plays a crucial role in brain development, although it remains unclear if the larger brains in mice improve their cognitive abilities.

Microsoft recently laid off around 7,000 employees, approximately 3% of its global workforce, with a significant number of software developers being affected. Notably, this includes key developers from the Python and TypeScript teams. In Washington state, over 40% of the job cuts were in software engineering.

The layoffs come in the wake of a shift in Microsoft's management structure, where the company aims to streamline operations by reducing middle management. Several veteran developers expressed their disappointment on social media, highlighting the impact of these cuts on their teams and projects.

Despite speculation that the rise of AI in coding might be to blame for these layoffs, Microsoft stated that the reasons are more complex. The company is also planning to invest heavily in AI infrastructure, which may influence its hiring and salary decisions.

Overall, these layoffs reflect ongoing changes in the tech industry amid economic uncertainty and the increasing role of AI in software development.

No summary available.

Summary of Fortran for C Programmers

This guide provides essential information for C and C++ programmers to quickly understand and start using Fortran, highlighting key concepts and potential pitfalls.

Key Points:

1. Fortran Standards: Fortran has various standards (e.g., 66, 77, 90, 95, 2003, 2008, 2018) with a focus on forward compatibility. Older code typically continues to work with new compilers.

2. Source Forms: Fortran supports two source forms: fixed-form (foo.f) and free-form (foo.f90). Both forms utilize variable naming conventions and do not require explicit variable declarations.

3. Data Types: Fortran has five built-in types: INTEGER, REAL, COMPLEX, LOGICAL, and CHARACTER, which can be parameterized. User-defined types can be created similarly to C structs.

4. Arrays: Arrays are properties of objects and functions, not types. Fortran arrays are multidimensional, with a default lower bound of 1.

5. Allocatables: Modern Fortran heavily uses ALLOCATABLE variables, which are dynamically allocated and deallocated automatically.

6. Input/Output (I/O): Fortran has built-in I/O features, including formatted and unformatted operations, using integer unit numbers similar to UNIX file descriptors.

7. Subprograms: Fortran includes FUNCTION and SUBROUTINE subprograms, with specific calling conventions. Internal procedures can reference their parent subprograms.

8. Modules: Modules offer a way to manage namespaces and compile separate units, defining types, interfaces, and procedures.

9. Arguments: Arguments in Fortran are passed by reference. The INTENT attribute can restrict access to argument data.

10. Overloading and Polymorphism: Fortran supports overloading via interfaces and allows polymorphism using the CLASS construct.

11. Pointers: Pointers in Fortran are objects that can reference data, but cannot point to other pointers. They do not automatically deallocate memory.

12. Preprocessing: There is no standard preprocessing feature, but most Fortran implementations support a variant of the C preprocessor.

13. Object-Oriented Features: Fortran has type-bound procedures that allow methods to be associated with derived types, somewhat similar to member functions in C++.

14. Common Pitfalls: Programmers should be wary of static initializers, array assignments, operator precedence, and the behavior of logical comparisons.

This guide serves as a starting point for C programmers transitioning to Fortran, summarizing the language's key features and common issues.

Xata is launching a new PostgreSQL platform designed for scalability, featuring instant Copy-on-Write branching and data anonymization to protect sensitive information. The platform separates storage from compute, making it cloud-agnostic and installable on various cloud services or on-premises.

Key features include:

1. Instant Branching: Developers can create quick development environments with realistic data while ensuring sensitive information is anonymized.
2. Data Anonymization: Ensures developer branches do not contain personally identifiable information (PII).
3. Zero-Downtime Schema Changes: Facilitates safe and efficient updates to the database without disrupting services.
4. Cost-Effective Performance: Offers competitive pricing, potentially reducing costs by up to 80% compared to other services like Amazon Aurora.
5. Flexible Deployment: Users can run the platform in their own cloud accounts or on-premises, maintaining control over their data and compliance.

The platform is built on a robust storage system developed in partnership with Simplyblock, which provides speed and resilience through innovative data management techniques. Xata also includes a powerful monitoring tool, the Xata Agent, to optimize database performance.

For smaller projects, Xata Lite remains available as a simplified, free version of the service. The new platform is currently being rolled out to select customers, with plans for broader access in the future.

Joseph Weizenbaum’s ELIZA, created in 1966, was the first chatbot, developed at MIT. It's designed to simulate conversation by reflecting user input through simple pattern matching rules using a script, with the most well-known being DOCTOR. Weizenbaum aimed to show how easily people could be deceived into thinking a machine understood them.

I've recreated ELIZA in C++ as a console application, allowing it to read the original script format and respond to user input. This project included updates made after discovering the original ELIZA source code and documentation about recreating conversations with other chatbots. My son and I also made a version in JavaScript.

You can run the C++ version by compiling the eliza.cpp file, and I've included instructions for both macOS and Windows systems. For more information and resources about ELIZA, visit Jeff Shrager's website elizagen.org or the collaborative project at findingeliza.org.

Summary: Understanding Text-to-SQL with Gemini AI

Organizations need quick and accurate data insights, and SQL is crucial for accessing that data. Google's Gemini model allows users to generate SQL from natural language queries, boosting productivity for developers and enabling non-technical users to access data directly.

Key features of text-to-SQL capabilities include:

• Integration in Google Cloud products like BigQuery Studio and Cloud SQL Studio.
• A "Help me code" function that generates SQL from text prompts.
• An AI interface in AlloyDB for natural language interaction with databases.

However, there are challenges in text-to-SQL technology:

1. Business-specific Context: Models need detailed knowledge about the data structure and business semantics to generate accurate SQL.
2. Understanding User Intent: Natural language can be ambiguous. Models must clarify user questions to provide precise SQL.
3. Limits of LLM Generation: Models may struggle with complex SQL requirements and dialect differences.

To improve text-to-SQL quality, Google Cloud employs various techniques:

• Schema Understanding: Using intelligent retrieval to match datasets and tables based on context.
• User Intent Recognition: Implementing disambiguation techniques to clarify ambiguous queries.
• Validation and Re-prompting: Combining AI with traditional query validation to enhance accuracy.
• Self-consistency: Generating multiple SQL queries for the same question to find the best one.

Continuous evaluation and improvement of these models are essential, with benchmarks to test performance across different SQL engines and user scenarios.

Overall, Google is making significant strides in text-to-SQL technology, enhancing data accessibility for various users.

The text describes the author's experience in creating a hypervisor for a new operating system called Starina, using the RISC-V architecture and its H-extension for virtualization. Here are the key points simplified:

1. Purpose: The author aims to integrate Linux into Starina using a lightweight virtual machine approach, similar to WSL2.

2. Hypervisor Choice: Instead of using Intel VT-x as in previous work, the author chose to implement a hypervisor based on RISC-V's H-extension, which supports hardware-assisted virtualization.

3. Testing on macOS: The hypervisor is tested using QEMU, which can emulate RISC-V H-extension. This allows for debugging the new OS via GDB.

4. Development Steps:

   • Entering Guest Mode: The hypervisor needs to set specific control registers to switch to guest mode.
   • Running Code: A simple "Hello World" program is executed in guest mode by preparing a page table and using system calls (ecalls).
   • Booting Linux: The author configures Linux kernel options for RISC-V and attempts to boot it, encountering initial errors which are resolved step-by-step.
   • Device Tree: A device tree is created to define system devices, which is essential for Linux to function properly.
   • Timer Support: The hypervisor implements support for timers and interrupts, crucial for Linux's operation.
   • MMIO Support: The author explains how to handle memory-mapped I/O for device communication in the hypervisor.
   • virtio-fs: Instead of using traditional block devices for the filesystem, the author opts for virtio-fs for better integration with Starina.

5. Debugging: The author shares tips for debugging both the hypervisor and the guest OS using GDB, which allows viewing kernel stack traces.

Overall, the post chronicles the incremental development of a RISC-V hypervisor, detailing the challenges and solutions encountered along the way.

Summary of Popcorn Library Overview

What is Popcorn? Popcorn is a library that allows you to run Elixir code in web browsers using WebAssembly (WASM). It connects Elixir code with JavaScript, enabling them to communicate and interact seamlessly.

Key Features:

1. Execution in Browsers: Compiled Elixir code runs client-side using the AtomVM runtime.
2. API Integration: Popcorn provides APIs to manage communication between Elixir and JavaScript, ensuring the browser remains responsive.
3. Live Examples: There are three live examples available to demonstrate how Popcorn works.

Getting Started:

• Installation: Add Popcorn as a dependency in your Elixir project and run the setup commands.
• JavaScript Setup: Generate a directory for the Popcorn JavaScript library and include it in your HTML file to establish communication with Elixir.
• WASM Entrypoint: Create an Elixir module with a start/0 function to serve as the entry point for WASM.

Communication:

• JavaScript to Elixir: Use methods like call and cast to send messages from JavaScript to Elixir processes.
• Elixir to JavaScript: Elixir can send messages back to JavaScript and execute JavaScript functions.

Limitations:

• The library is still in development, and the API may change. Some Elixir standard library functions and data types are not fully supported in AtomVM.
• Certain features may not work as expected due to the limitations of the AtomVM runtime.

Architecture: Popcorn uses Emscripten to compile the Elixir runtime into WASM, which runs in a separate iframe to prevent crashes in the main browser context. Communication between Elixir and JavaScript is handled through post messages.

About Software Mansion: Popcorn is developed by Software Mansion, a company with extensive experience in web and mobile app development, as well as multimedia solutions. They offer services for building complex applications.

Conclusion: Popcorn offers an innovative way to run Elixir code in web browsers, facilitating interaction between Elixir and JavaScript, although it is still a work in progress with certain limitations.

To install this script, you need a user script manager extension like Tampermonkey, Greasemonkey, Violentmonkey, or Userscripts. If you already have one, you can proceed with the installation.

This study compares the persuasion skills of a large language model (LLM), specifically Claude Sonnet 3.5, with those of human persuaders in a quiz setting. Participants took an online quiz where either humans or the LLM tried to influence their answers. The results showed that the LLM was more effective at persuading quiz takers to choose both correct and incorrect answers compared to humans. When the LLM guided quiz takers to the right answers, their accuracy and earnings increased. Conversely, when it led them to wrong answers, their accuracy and earnings decreased. This indicates that AI can persuade better than humans incentivized by money, highlighting the need for better regulations and alignment strategies for AI systems.

Summary of the Internet Phone Book Announcement

• Publication Overview: The Internet Phone Book is an annual publication that highlights the poetic web, featuring essays and a directory of personal websites from designers, developers, writers, curators, and educators. It has been published since 2025.

• Availability: The first issue is currently sold out online but is available at select bookshops, community spaces, and libraries. You can subscribe to a mailing list for restock notifications.

• Book Tour: The Internet Phone Book is going on tour with events scheduled in various cities:

  • May 17, 2025, in Rotterdam
  • May 21, 2025, in Athens
  • June 1, 2025, in Seoul If you're interested in hosting an event, you can contact them.

• Stocklist: The book can be found at various locations including Adad Books in Athens and Birdcall in Seoul.

• Sponsorship: There are opportunities for sponsorship; interested parties can reach out via email.

• Contact Information: For updates or inquiries, you can sign up for the mailing list or contact them directly.

• Visuals: The book features photographs by Ana Šantl.

This publication is a collaborative effort by Kristoffer Tjalve and Elliott.

No summary available.

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has achieved a significant milestone by capturing the first visible-light image of an aurora on Mars. This historic observation occurred on March 15, 2024, during a solar event involving a solar flare and a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun, which caused spectacular auroras across the solar system.

On Earth, auroras occur when solar particles interact with the planet's magnetic field, creating light displays. Mars, lacking a global magnetic field, experiences different types of auroras, such as solar energetic particle (SEP) auroras, which glow when high-energy solar particles hit Mars' atmosphere. While MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN), an orbiting mission, had previously detected these auroras in ultraviolet light, this was the first time they were seen in visible light from the ground.

To successfully observe the aurora, scientists coordinated efforts to determine the best conditions for imaging, including the timing of the CME. The rover's instruments captured the aurora's green glow at a specific wavelength, similar to that of Earth's auroras. Data from MAVEN confirmed the presence of solar energetic particles during the event.

This observation not only enhances our understanding of Martian auroras but also suggests that future astronauts on Mars might witness similar celestial displays. The successful collaboration among different NASA missions highlights the importance of teamwork in space exploration and research.

No summary available.

The Explicit Resource Management proposal for JavaScript introduces new features to help developers manage resources like file handles and network connections more effectively. Here are the key points:

1. New Declarations: Two key declarations, using and await using, allow for automatic cleanup of resources when they go out of scope:

   • using is for synchronous resources, calling the Symbol.dispose() method.
   • await using is for asynchronous resources, calling Symbol.asyncDispose() and awaiting its completion.

2. Global Objects: Two new global objects, DisposableStack and AsyncDisposableStack, help manage multiple resources together. These stacks allow resources to be added and disposed of in reverse order, simplifying cleanup.

3. Error Handling: The proposal introduces SuppressedError, which captures multiple errors that may occur during resource disposal, ensuring that no errors are masked.

4. Example Use Cases:

   • Using try...finally blocks to ensure resources are released even when errors occur.
   • Creating disposable objects with cleanup methods to manage resource locks automatically.

5. Methods for Stacks:

   • use(value): Adds a resource to the stack.
   • adopt(value, onDispose): Adds a non-disposable resource with a cleanup callback.
   • defer(onDispose): Adds a cleanup action without an associated resource.
   • dispose() and asyncDispose(): Trigger cleanup for the resources in the respective stack.

6. Browser Support: This feature is available in recent versions of Chrome and Firefox but is not supported in Safari or Node.js yet.

Overall, these additions aim to enhance code quality by providing better control over resource management, preventing leaks, and simplifying error handling.

No summary available.

No summary available.

Astronomers using data from the James Webb Space Telescope and the Keck II telescope have discovered signs of cloud convection in Titan's northern hemisphere, where most of its lakes and seas are located. This region experiences occasional rain of methane and ethane. The observations revealed methane clouds at various heights, indicating weather patterns similar to those on Earth, but driven by methane instead of water.

Titan's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and has weather, including clouds and rain. The methane cycle involves methane evaporating from the surface, rising, condensing into clouds, and occasionally falling back as a chilly rain. This is the first time cloud convection has been observed in the northern hemisphere, which is significant as it suggests evaporation from lakes could be a major source of methane.

The troposphere on Titan extends much higher than on Earth, reaching about 45 km due to its lower gravity. The astronomers used different infrared filters to study the clouds' altitudes and noted that the clouds seemed to rise over several days. The findings provide new insights into Titan's atmosphere and could lead to future missions to explore it further.

Additionally, the Webb data confirmed the presence of the methyl radical (CH3), a key product of methane breakdown, allowing scientists to understand the chemical processes occurring on Titan. This research highlights the importance of methane in Titan's chemistry and raises concerns about its long-term availability. If not replenished, Titan's methane could eventually be depleted, transforming it into a mostly airless world. The study results were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Climeworks, a carbon capture company, has been criticized for failing to capture as much carbon dioxide (CO2) as it claims. Since starting operations in Iceland in 2021, it has captured only 2,400 carbon units, significantly less than the 12,000 it promised. The company's operations have emitted more CO2 (1,700 tons in 2023) than it has captured.

Despite ambitious goals, including capturing 400 million tons of CO2 globally by 2025, Climeworks has not come close to achieving these targets. Its new Mammoth plant, expected to capture 36,000 tons annually, has only managed 105 tons in its first ten months. The company is heavily reliant on funding from its Swiss parent company and has a negative equity position of nearly $30 million.

Climeworks has sold many carbon credits to subscribers, including individuals and corporations, but delivery times could stretch for years or even decades due to its low capture rates. Critics, including environmental experts, label the carbon capture industry as a "scam," arguing it distracts from more viable solutions like renewable energy. Climeworks has also begun exploring alternative methods for CO2 binding, indicating struggles with its current technology.

Overall, Climeworks is facing significant challenges in meeting its promises and effectively offsetting its carbon emissions.

Merliot Device Hub Summary

The Merliot Hub is an AI-powered device hub that lets you control and interact with custom-built physical devices using natural language through AI platforms like Claude or Cursor. It acts as a bridge between AI and the real world.

Key Points:

• Device Compatibility: Merliot Hub only supports devices that you build yourself using hobby-grade components like Raspberry Pis and Arduinos. It does not work with common smart devices.

• Privacy: The hub uses a decentralized system, ensuring that your data remains private and is not accessible by third parties.

• Web Application: It is a web app that you can access from any device with a web browser, rather than a smartphone app.

• AI Integration: You can connect your hub to AI models to control devices using simple commands.

• Cloud-Ready: Merliot Hub can be run locally or in the cloud using Docker, and it requires minimal system resources.

• Supported Platforms: Devices can be built using Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Adafruit PyPortal, Koyeb, or Linux x86-64.

For more details on setup and usage, refer to the official Quick Start guide. Contributions to the project are welcomed, and you can contact Merliot via email or social media for more information.

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Summary:

The text emphasizes the need to create a foundational infrastructure for browser agents instead of just developing GPT wrappers. Foundry aims to automate workflows that lack APIs, as current browser agents are unreliable. To improve these agents, Foundry plans to build:

• Realistic web simulations
• A framework for labeling and debugging
• Reliable performance benchmarks
• Strong training environments for reinforcement learning (RL)

The company is seeking a founding engineer with strong software skills who wants to develop core machine learning systems from scratch, rather than working on surface-level projects. Ideal candidates should have experience in Python or TypeScript, machine learning, and should enjoy tackling complex problems.

Joining Foundry offers opportunities to work on meaningful projects with real-world implications, along with early equity and competitive pay. The company is looking for passionate individuals ready to innovate in the field.

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The author expresses frustration about feeling stuck in their creative process due to the influence of AI. They used to write extensively and develop their thoughts carefully, gaining satisfaction and validation from this process. However, now they find that AI can generate complete thoughts quickly, making their own ideas feel inferior and less worthwhile. This reliance on AI has caused them to feel their thinking skills weakening, as they miss out on the intellectual growth that comes from grappling with ideas and debating them internally.

While they acknowledge that they now have access to more information than ever, they feel less intellectually sharp, as AI provides finished thoughts without the learning journey. The author realizes that using AI can make the creative process feel easier but ultimately compares it to sedation rather than genuine mental exercise. Despite these feelings, they still find value in expressing their thoughts directly, even if AI could have produced the content more efficiently.

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, has revived some backup thrusters that were thought to be unusable since 2004. This was done by engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to ensure they have a backup option as the primary thrusters face potential clogging issues.

The team acted quickly to fix the thrusters before a major communication upgrade at an Earth-based antenna, which will be offline for several months. The Voyager spacecraft, which are currently about 15 billion miles from Earth, need to keep their antennas pointed towards Earth to send and receive commands.

Engineers cleverly identified a possible reason for the broken thrusters and managed to restart them successfully. This achievement was celebrated by the team, as it ensures the spacecraft can continue to operate effectively in interstellar space.

In summary, Voyager 1's backup thrusters have been revived, ensuring continued functionality as the spacecraft navigates the vastness of space.

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No summary available.

Summary of Chapter 2: Serializability Theory

Chapter 2 of "Concurrency Control and Recovery in Database Systems" explores the theory of serializability, which is crucial for ensuring correct transaction execution in databases. The chapter is structured to build understanding step by step and covers several key topics:

1. Histories: Defines the order of operations in transactions and how these form a history, focusing on the dependencies between operations without considering specific data values.

2. Serializable Histories: Introduces the concept of conflict equivalence and explains that a history is serializable if it can be related to a serial execution. This section introduces the serialization graph, which helps determine if a history is serializable by checking for cycles.

3. The Serializability Theorem: Proves that if the serialization graph is acyclic, the history can be reordered into a valid serial history.

4. Recoverable Histories: Discusses how to handle system crashes and transaction failures, defining different levels of recoverability and their relationships.

5. Operations Beyond Reads and Writes: Explains how the theory can be extended to other operations, like incrementing or decrementing values, while still maintaining the principles of serializability.

6. View Equivalence: Introduces view serializability, which is more flexible than conflict serializability but harder to enforce. It defines when two histories are considered equivalent based on the reads and writes they observe.

Overall, the chapter provides a formal yet accessible foundation for understanding how to maintain consistency in database transactions, highlighting the importance of serializability for correct operation.

On May 16, 2025, OpenAI launched Codex, a cloud-based software engineering tool available to ChatGPT Pro, Team, and Enterprise users, with plans to extend access to Plus users soon. Codex can handle multiple tasks simultaneously, such as writing code, answering queries about codebases, fixing bugs, and proposing pull requests, all within a secure environment tailored to specific repositories.

Powered by a new model called codex-1, Codex is designed to generate code that aligns with human coding styles and preferences. Users can communicate with Codex through prompts in the ChatGPT sidebar, and the software operates in isolated environments, allowing it to read, edit, and test code.

Codex aims to enhance productivity by automating repetitive coding tasks, and it has been tested successfully across various development scenarios. It emphasizes security and transparency, allowing users to verify its outputs and ensuring that all code generated is reviewed before integration.

As part of its rollout, Codex introduces a command-line interface (CLI) to streamline workflows further and offers flexible pricing options for future use. The goal is to foster a collaborative environment where developers can delegate tasks to AI agents, thus improving efficiency in software development.

Summary: Inside Telegram’s Extraordinary Business Model

Telegram, the encrypted messaging app founded by the Durov brothers, has achieved a remarkable $30 billion valuation with only 30 employees, a stark contrast to other tech giants that employ thousands. This efficiency, at $1 billion per employee, challenges traditional views on scaling digital services.

Key Points:

1. Lean Workforce: Unlike companies like Facebook and Google, which have massive teams, Telegram operates with a small staff, showing that a large user base doesn’t require a large workforce.

2. No Human Resources: Telegram lacks a human resources department, which is uncommon in tech. Founder Pavel Durov believes that keeping teams small simplifies communication and increases efficiency.

3. Automated Operations: Telegram’s technical architecture, utilizing cloud computing and automation, allows for smooth scaling with minimal human oversight. Their lean development team manages extensive app features.

4. Dubai Headquarters: Operating from Dubai offers Telegram advantages such as favorable regulations and tax benefits, allowing them to maintain their unique corporate culture away from Silicon Valley norms.

5. Focus on Privacy: Founded amidst pressure in Russia to censor content, Telegram prioritizes user privacy with features like encrypted chats, reflecting the Durovs' commitment to secure communication.

6. Content Moderation Challenges: The lean structure makes content moderation difficult, leading to criticism over problematic content. Telegram uses automated systems and user reports instead of a large moderation team.

7. Monetization Strategy: Recently, Telegram started generating revenue with a subscription service and a privacy-respecting advertising platform, focusing on user loyalty before profits.

8. Future Implications: Telegram’s model is attracting attention as a potential blueprint for future tech companies, though replicating its success may be challenging due to current regulatory demands.

In conclusion, Telegram shows that a company can have a significant impact without a large workforce, raising questions about the sustainability of its model in the long term.

Summary: Life Before the Web – Running a Startup in the 1980s

This article features insights from Robert Gaskins, a key figure in the creation of PowerPoint. It highlights the challenges and differences of running a startup in the 1980s compared to today.

1. Startup Environment: In the mid-1980s, the internet was not widely accessible, making it difficult for startups to gather feedback and sales quickly. Planning was crucial due to the high costs involved before any product could be launched.

2. Competition: Gaskins faced numerous competitors in the presentation software market, but PowerPoint aimed to capitalize on the future popularity of Windows and Macintosh systems. Despite delays in Windows, PowerPoint became the first major presentation app for Windows, gaining a significant advantage in the market.

3. Challenges: The early years were tough, with the company facing potential bankruptcy every six months. Limited communication and travel logistics made it difficult to connect with customers and industry influencers.

4. Sales Strategies: Without the web, marketing relied on physical advertising in magazines and direct interactions with editors. This process was slow and costly, requiring significant investment in physical products and distribution.

5. Lessons Learned: Gaskins’ team initially spread their focus across multiple projects, which nearly led to failure. Eventually, they focused solely on PowerPoint, leading to its success.

6. Reflection: Gaskins expresses envy for modern software developers who benefit from the web, as it allows for quicker iterations, easier communication, and reduced costs.

Overall, the text contrasts the resource-intensive processes of the 1980s with the agile and efficient methods available in today’s digital landscape.

Summary:

• This text contains links for user access and support for Unisys.
• It includes options for logging in and contacting support.

Stay informed about the latest news in windsurfing by subscribing with your email address. Make sure to enter a valid email.

Summary of Harmonic for Hacker News

Harmonic for Hacker News is an Android app designed for browsing Hacker News. It's modern, fast, and available for download on Google Play. The app has been a personal project since 2020, but development has slowed down since the creator started their PhD in 2021.

The app does not use the latest Android technologies, as the creator's knowledge is somewhat outdated. However, it functions well and is open-source, allowing users to contribute by fixing issues or adding features.

Key Features:

• Basic account functions: log in, vote, comment, and submit posts.
• Material 3 design with animations.
• Multiple themes, including a full black option.
• Extensive customization options.
• Fast performance.

Summary: Building a Coding Agent in Ruby

Thorsten Ball argues that creating a coding agent isn’t difficult, using about 400 lines of Go. Inspired by this, Radan Skorić builds a simpler version in just 94 lines of Ruby, emphasizing how Ruby effectively reduces unnecessary code (boilerplate).

A coding agent is essentially an AI chat tool that can access functions (tools). The fundamental process involves:

1. Reading user prompts.
2. Feeding them to a language model (LLM).
3. Printing the responses.

To enhance the agent’s capabilities, three simple tools are added:

• Read File: Reads the contents of a specified file.
• List Files: Lists files in a directory.
• Edit File: Modifies a file by replacing specified text.

The article details how to implement these tools using the RubyLLM gem, which simplifies the creation of the chat loop and tool integration.

An additional tool, Run Shell Command, is added to allow the agent to execute commands with user confirmation, enhancing its functionality.

Testing the completed agent showed it could code a simple game and even run tests successfully. The key takeaways are that building a coding agent doesn't require specialized AI skills and that Ruby’s design makes the process straightforward and enjoyable.

For those interested, the full code is available on GitHub.

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Summary of Wow@Home Radio Telescope Project

The Wow@Home project utilizes a network of small, low-cost radio telescopes to continuously monitor the sky for transient astronomical events and potential technosignatures. These telescopes can operate 24/7 and are designed to cover the sky effectively, making them ideal for detecting signals that large professional observatories cannot constantly observe.

Key Advantages:

• Cost-Effective: Much cheaper than professional telescopes and can operate autonomously.
• Global Coverage: Their distribution allows for coordinated observations across different time zones.
• Scalable and Resilient: They can easily expand and are less affected by single-point failures.

Limitations:

• Lower Sensitivity: They struggle to detect faint or distant sources.
• Poor Resolution: Smaller dish sizes result in less precise localization of signals.
• Inconsistent Calibration: Data quality may vary between different stations.

Operational Details:

• The telescopes scan specific parts of the sky based on Earth’s rotation, capturing data over time to build up a comprehensive view.
• They are designed for educational use and can help characterize radio frequency interference (RFI) in urban environments.

Wow@Home Software:

• The software is crucial for data analysis and searches for astrophysical signals and RFI.
• It's being developed to be user-friendly and compatible across different platforms.

Future Plans:

• There are plans to enhance sensitivity and capabilities through new hardware configurations and software updates.
• The project aims to release its first hardware recommendations and software by August 2025, coinciding with the anniversary of the Wow! Signal.

Community Involvement:

• The project encourages public participation, especially from those with technical skills to help improve the system.

For more details or to get involved, interested parties can reach out to the project team.

A user discovered that Wacom drawing tablets track the names of every application opened on the user's computer. After agreeing to Wacom's privacy policy when installing the tablet's drivers, the user decided to investigate what data Wacom was collecting. The privacy policy mentioned sending data to Google Analytics but was vague about the specifics.

Using network monitoring tools, the user found that Wacom was indeed sending data, including the names of applications opened, which the user found unacceptable. They argued that such tracking was not justified and raised concerns about privacy and potential misuse of the collected data.

Despite the annoyance, the user did not plan to discard their Wacom tablet due to its cost. Instead, they suggested disabling the "Wacom Experience Program" to stop the tracking. Interestingly, after the initial investigation, Wacom seemed to have stopped the tracking process, which the user speculated might be a mistake on Wacom's part. However, they confirmed that tracking resumed later, leading to the publication of their findings on the matter.

In 1995, the arcade was a vibrant place filled with noise and excitement. The author felt frustrated yet captivated by video games that required coins to continue playing, which inspired them to create a unique video player for a Web Dev Challenge.

The goal was to design the "worst" video player using Media Chrome, focusing on interactivity instead of traditional buttons. The player operates like a coin-operated machine where inserting a coin grants only three seconds of playback.

To build this, the author used Three.js to create a 3D coin box with a functional slot and added physics using the react-three-rapier library to make coins interact realistically. Players can drag and drop coins, but only one can be used at a time. Correctly inserting a coin triggers fun animations, while failing resets the video and adds to the arcade-like tension.

A visible timer adds pressure, warning players when time is running out, and losing means losing all video progress. Despite its playful design, the player is unforgiving, enhancing the experience of nostalgia and fun from classic arcades.

The author invites others to create their own frustrating video player designs, with the chance to win prizes. For more details, visit the provided links.

Summary: Ending TLS Client Authentication Certificate Support in 2026

Let’s Encrypt will stop including the "TLS Client Authentication" feature in its certificates starting in 2026. Most users, especially those securing websites, won't be affected and won't need to do anything. However, those using Let’s Encrypt certificates for client authentication may be impacted.

The change will happen in stages:

1. Now: Let’s Encrypt already doesn't include Client Authentication in its tlsserver profile.
2. October 1, 2025: A new tlsclient profile will be introduced for those who still need the Client Authentication feature.
3. February 11, 2026: The classic ACME profile will no longer have the Client Authentication feature.
4. May 13, 2026: The tlsclient profile will be discontinued, and no more certificates with Client Authentication will be issued.

Once these changes are complete, Let’s Encrypt will issue certificates for TLS Server Authentication only. This decision follows new requirements from Google Chrome that separate client and server authentication into distinct systems. Client authentication is generally better handled by private certificate authorities, prompting Let’s Encrypt to phase it out.

The article discusses the challenges faced by traditional British TV broadcasters, like the BBC and ITV, in the age of powerful US streaming giants such as Netflix and Disney+. In a recent meeting, industry leaders explored various options for survival, including potential mergers between broadcasters to strengthen their position against these global competitors.

Sir Peter Bazalgette, former Chairman of ITV, warned that without a consolidation strategy, public service broadcasting in the UK could disappear in the next couple of decades. Some believe that merging channels like ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 could be necessary, while others argue for maintaining distinct channels to provide diverse content for viewers.

As viewing habits shift towards digital streaming, traditional broadcasters are struggling financially. The BBC has seen a significant drop in income, and other channels like ITV and Channel 4 are also facing deficits. Some insiders suggest creating a unified streaming platform for all UK public service content to compete effectively with larger streaming services.

The article highlights the importance of British TV in nurturing talent and producing culturally relevant stories, arguing that these unique offerings may not be replicated by US-based companies. As the media landscape evolves, the need for a strategic plan to secure the future of British broadcasting becomes increasingly urgent.

Many parents are concerned about the impact of smartphones and social media on their children's mental health while still wanting them to benefit from technology. In response, events like the "Alternative Device Fair" are emerging, showcasing phones designed with limited functionality, such as blocking social media and offering advanced parental controls.

At a recent fair in Westport, Connecticut, various alternative devices were displayed, including retro-style phones and modern models like the Light Phone, which limits internet access. These devices aim to strike a balance between connectivity and safety, allowing kids to enjoy technology without exposure to harmful content.

Companies like Pinwheel and Gabb offer phones with AI features that monitor text messages for inappropriate content and alert parents, while others like Bark focus on detecting signs of distress in children. However, opinions vary among parents about the level of monitoring—some find it overly invasive, while others appreciate the added safety measures.

Overall, the rise of alternative devices reflects a growing demand for safer technology options that protect kids from the negative aspects of smartphones.

MIT has requested the withdrawal of a preprint paper titled "Artificial Intelligence, Scientific Discovery, and Product Innovation," which was posted on arXiv in November 2024. This decision followed an internal review that raised concerns about the paper's integrity and data validity. MIT stated that it lacks confidence in the research's reliability and believes the paper may violate arXiv's Code of Conduct. The author of the paper is no longer affiliated with MIT.

MIT emphasizes the importance of research integrity and has processes in place to address concerns about it. Professors Daron Acemoglu and David Autor, who were mentioned in the paper, expressed their worries about its validity and stated that the findings should not be used in academic or public discussions. They aim to clarify the research record due to the paper's influence on conversations about AI and science.

Gabriel Weinberg argues that federal funding for science is currently too low and advocates for tripling it to meet critical needs. He lists several reasons for increasing this funding:

1. Longevity: More research funding can lead to medical breakthroughs that extend life expectancy and cure diseases.

2. Defense: Increased R&D investment is essential to maintain a technological edge, particularly against countries like China, which have significantly increased their spending on research.

3. Economic Returns: Science funding is a high-return investment, potentially yielding more financial returns than other federal investments.

4. Prosperity: Scientific breakthroughs drive economic growth and productivity, which are vital for long-term prosperity.

5. Innovation: More funding leads to better products and technologies, improving living standards.

6. Resilience: Investing in science helps prepare for unexpected challenges, like pandemics or antibiotic resistance.

7. Job Creation: Research funding generates jobs and stimulates economic activity.

8. Frontier Exploration: Increased funding is necessary for advancements in space and technology to maintain global leadership.

9. Sovereignty: Ensuring critical technologies are developed domestically protects economic sovereignty.

10. Environmental Management: More research is needed to address climate change and promote sustainability.

11. Global Power: Technological leadership enhances global influence and economic negotiation power.

Weinberg concludes that the optimal level of science funding is much higher than the current levels, proposing an increase to around $500 billion more annually in federal investment to keep pace with global competitors.

Summary of CHERIoT: The Last Ten Years

On May 16, 2025, the CHERI project received an IEEE Security and Privacy Test of Time Award for its influential 2015 paper on CHERI, a system designed to improve computing security. The project began in 2010 under DARPA’s CRASH program, focusing on enhancing memory safety through capability-based systems.

CHERIoT, which started in 2019 at Microsoft, aims to adapt CHERI's server-class ideas for smaller devices like microcontrollers. It simplifies hardware requirements by assuming CHERI's capabilities, enabling efficient compartmentalization on tiny hardware.

Key developments since 2015 include:

1. Hardware and Software Improvements: Although many foundational features remain, CHERIoT has refined its architecture for better performance and scalability. Notably, the CHERI instruction set architecture (ISA) has evolved, including changes like merging capability and integer registers to simplify design.

2. Compartmentalization Techniques: The system now uses a more efficient method for cross-domain calls, moving from a trap-based model to a jump-based model, which enhances scalability.

3. Temporal Safety Advances: While early work on temporal safety began after 2015, CHERIoT has integrated this concept more effectively, promising minimal performance overhead for future implementations.

4. Adaptation for Embedded Systems: CHERIoT emphasizes backward compatibility and incremental adoption, making it suitable for embedded systems with fewer dependencies.

Overall, CHERIoT represents a significant evolution of CHERI, pushing the boundaries of secure software development and offering a foundation for future innovations in computing security. The project continues to explore new software patterns and aims to significantly reduce security vulnerabilities.

A former DoorDash driver, Sayee Chaitainya Reddy Devagiri, pleaded guilty to a scheme that defrauded DoorDash of over $2.5 million. Along with three accomplices, he created fake customer accounts and manipulated the system using stolen employee credentials. They placed fake expensive orders and marked them as delivered to receive payments for them, repeating this process hundreds of times. Devagiri could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He and others were charged for their roles in the scam, which took place between November 2020 and February 2021.

Gnosis Evolve Summary

Gnosis Evolve enhances Claude Desktop, transforming it from a simple assistant into a powerful developer by allowing it to create and use Python tools during conversations.

Key Features:

• Available on Mac and Windows.
• Claude can write and run Python tools based on user requests, such as tracking Bitcoin prices, fetching weather forecasts, and exploring files.
• Users can interact naturally with Claude to request tasks or create custom tools without any coding knowledge.

Installation Steps:

1. Download and extract the ZIP file.
2. Open Terminal/PowerShell in the extracted folder.
3. Run setup commands to install and launch Claude.

Available Tools:

• Core tools for math, file management, and emotional character generation.
• Web tools for web content extraction and weather information.
• Finance tools for real-time cryptocurrency pricing.
• Docker tools for managing container logs.

Tool Creation Process:

1. Describe your desired tool to Claude.
2. Claude writes the code.
3. You ask Claude to install the tool and restart it to activate.

Examples:

• Creating a simple greeting tool or a quote generator by just describing what you want.

Tool Types: Claude can create various tools, including system utilities, data processing tools, web integrations, creative tools, and productivity helpers.

Best Practices:

• Start with simple tools and be specific about your needs.
• Test tools thoroughly and provide feedback for improvements.

Security Note: Gnosis Evolve allows code execution, so users should review the generated code for security, especially in sensitive environments.

Licensing: Gnosis Evolve is free for individuals and small businesses, but requires licensing for corporate use.