This text contains various CSS styles and describes elements related to a digital gallery from the National Diet Library (NDL) in Japan. Here are the key points:

1. CSS Styles: The document includes styles for images, headers, buttons, and layout configurations for different screen sizes, ensuring proper display across devices.

2. Image Gallery: The NDL Image Bank offers access to a range of public-domain Japanese artworks. It contains numerous images from the library's extensive collection that are free to use.

3. NDL Digital Exhibitions: This section showcases online content and exhibitions that utilize the library's digitized materials, focusing on themes like art and historical documents.

4. Hokusai's Work: Specific mention is made of the "Hokusai Moyo Gafu," a pattern album by the famous artist Katsushika Hokusai, featuring unique dyeing patterns.

Overall, the text outlines design elements for a website while promoting the NDL's digital resources.

Eight Reasons Why Quadratic Funding Is Not Optimal

Quadratic funding (QF) is a method for funding public goods, particularly in the cryptocurrency space, and is considered theoretically optimal under certain conditions. However, these conditions rarely exist in reality, leading to poor outcomes when QF is applied. Here are the key reasons why QF may not be effective:

1. Wealth Inequality: QF assumes wealth is evenly distributed, meaning larger contributions should reflect greater benefit. In reality, wealth inequality skews this, allowing wealthy contributors to gain more than poorer contributors, leading to unfair outcomes.

2. Free Subsidies: QF presumes that subsidies for funding deficits are free for contributors. However, these subsidies often come from taxes or opportunity costs, which can shift wealth from poorer to richer individuals.

3. Selfish Contributors: QF works best when contributors act selfishly. When contributors are altruistic, they may overfund projects, resulting in decreased social welfare, as they don't experience the direct benefits of their contributions.

4. Equilibrium Discovery: QF relies on contributors being able to determine optimal contributions based on others' contributions. In practice, contributors often lack this information, leading to inefficient funding decisions.

5. Sufficient Budget: QF assumes there are enough funds to cover project deficits. Without sufficient budget, many potential outcomes can occur, making it hard to predict results, which may not be socially optimal.

6. Diminishing Returns: QF assumes that increased funding will always lead to increased utility for contributors. However, this isn't true for fixed-price projects, which can lead to unpredictable results.

7. Perfect Knowledge: Contributors need complete knowledge of all projects and their utility functions to make optimal contributions. In reality, lack of information can skew funding towards more popular projects rather than those with higher social value.

8. Independent Agents: QF assumes that contributors act independently. If there is coordination or collusion among contributors, it can lead to unfair advantages and distort the funding process.

In conclusion, QF can only achieve optimal results if all its assumptions hold true, which is rare in practice. If these assumptions fail, QF may not be the best method for funding public goods, and alternative mechanisms could yield better outcomes.

The 2025 Gödel Prize has been awarded to Eshan Chattopadhyay and David Zuckerman for their work on "Explicit two-source extractors and resilient functions." You can read their paper at the provided link. There's also a related blog post about their theorems.

Summary: Ultrasound Technique for Treating Inflammation and Diabetes

Researchers are exploring a new method called focused ultrasound stimulation (FUS) to reduce harmful inflammation and address conditions like diabetes and obesity. This technique uses sound waves to target specific areas of the body without the need for surgery, potentially allowing treatments to be done at home with wearable devices.

Key Points:

• Inflammation: It's the body's response to injury but can lead to serious health issues if it becomes chronic. Traditional treatments often involve medications with side effects.

• What is FUS?: FUS employs low-intensity ultrasound waves to stimulate nerve cells (neurons) in targeted areas, helping to manage inflammation and other disorders.

• How it Works: The sound waves open channels on neuron membranes, allowing ions to flow in and trigger neuron activity. This can lead to the release of neurotransmitters that influence immune responses.

• Research Findings: In initial human trials, FUS reduced levels of a molecule linked to inflammation (TNF). The treatment showed no harmful side effects, indicating its safety.

• Potential Applications:

  • For Inflammation: FUS has shown promise in reducing inflammation in chronic diseases like arthritis.
  • For Obesity and Diabetes: Studies indicate that FUS can help lower cytokine levels in obese mice and normalize glucose levels in diabetic rats by influencing nerve signals between the liver and the brain.

• Future Directions: Researchers plan to develop FUS for home use, creating devices that can automatically locate treatment areas. Ongoing studies will assess its effectiveness for various diseases, including heart conditions.

In summary, FUS represents a novel approach to treating chronic health issues, potentially reducing the need for pharmaceuticals and offering new hope for patients with inflammation-related diseases and metabolic disorders.

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The text describes a mathematical concept called the "maypole braid group," inspired by a traditional maypole dance. At a May Day party, the author observed how dancers wrapped ribbons around a pole, creating a decorative pattern. This led to a discussion about braids in mathematics, specifically the braid group, which consists of strings that can intertwine but not knot.

Key Points:

• A maypole has ribbons attached to the top, and dancers move in specific patterns, creating braids as they go.
• The mathematical braid group involves strings that hang down and can cross but must not twist upward.
• The groups can be defined using generators (basic elements) and relations (rules governing their interactions).
• The maypole dance introduces a new braid group, different from the usual braid group, and requires additional generators and relations to fully describe it.
• The author suggests that the new group has specific rules that need to be considered, including rotations of the strands.

In summary, the maypole dance provides a fun and visual way to explore complex mathematical ideas about braids and groups.

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The text discusses a security vulnerability found in Google's username recovery process, particularly how it can be exploited to brute-force phone numbers associated with Google accounts. Here are the key points simplified:

1. Discovery: The author discovered that Google's username recovery form still worked without JavaScript, which was unexpected since modern services typically require it for security.

2. Process Overview: The recovery form allows users to check if a specific phone number is linked to a Google account. This involves sending two HTTP requests to Google.

3. Brute-Forcing Attempts: Initial attempts to brute-force phone numbers faced rate limits and captchas. Using proxies and IPv6 addresses could potentially bypass these issues.

4. BotGuard Tokens: The author found that using a specific token from the JavaScript-enabled form could help bypass captcha challenges when using the no-JS form.

5. Identifying Victims: To optimize the brute-force process, the author figured out how to deduce the country code from phone number hints provided in the recovery flow and how to leak display names through Google services.

6. Attack Efficiency: With the right setup, the author could perform up to 40,000 checks per second, significantly reducing the time required to brute-force numbers based on country codes.

7. Timeline of Findings: The author reported the vulnerability to Google in April 2025, received a reward for the discovery, and noted that Google took steps to mitigate the issue.

Overall, the text illustrates a method to exploit a vulnerability in Google's account recovery system, detailing the technical steps involved and the subsequent communication with Google regarding the issue.

The text discusses the influence of celebrities on politics, highlighting examples like Oprah Winfrey and Taylor Swift. It then shifts focus to Shawn Mendes, a Canadian pop singer, and his lack of public political statements, particularly regarding the Kuril Islands dispute between Japan and Russia.

The author humorously speculates about Mendes' whereabouts mentioned in his song "Lost in Japan." Through analyzing the song's lyrics and flight routes, the author concludes that Mendes may be referring to Iturup Island, part of the disputed Kuril Islands, as "Japan." This interpretation implies Mendes' stance on the territorial issue, suggesting he supports Japan's claim over the islands.

Ultimately, the author claims that Mendes’s song offers a subtle yet significant political message regarding the Kuril Islands dispute.

Summary: Why CDC Ethernet Doesn’t Work on Android

Android devices can't use CDC Ethernet because of a naming issue. The EthernetTracker service in Android only recognizes interfaces named "ethX," while the Linux CDC Ethernet drivers create interfaces called "usbX." The only way to fix this is by rooting the phone to change the naming convention.

Android supports USB Ethernet adapters, but compatibility is hit-or-miss. If the manufacturer sells a specific adapter, it's likely to work. To check which Ethernet adapters your device supports, you need to access the phone's kernel configuration.

For newer phones, you can find the configuration in Google's Android Common Kernel. For older phones, you may need to get the kernel source from the manufacturer. The configuration will show which USB Ethernet drivers are included.

The issue stems from the EthernetTracker ignoring interfaces that don’t match its regex pattern, which is set to recognize only those starting with "eth." This oversight means that CDC-compliant devices fail to function properly on Android, despite the kernel having the necessary support for them.

In summary, the inability to use CDC Ethernet on Android comes down to a simple regex issue that restricts recognized device names, and fixing it requires rooting the device.

Summary:

The article argues that Large Language Models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, are actually inexpensive to operate, countering a common misconception that they are costly. This misunderstanding persists despite significant reductions in inference costs over the past few years.

The author compares LLM pricing to web search API costs, showing that LLMs can be much cheaper per query. For example, the lowest LLM prices are significantly lower than even the cheapest search services. Even at higher quality levels, LLMs often cost less than traditional search APIs.

The post addresses potential objections to this pricing analysis, stating that while some might argue LLM responses are longer or that costs are subsidized, these concerns do not justify the perceived high costs of LLMs. The author believes that the profitability of LLM APIs is realistic and that companies can sustain low prices due to improved efficiency and lower operational costs.

Finally, the author emphasizes that as LLM prices drop, demand for their use will likely increase, leading to new monetization opportunities. The underlying point is that running LLMs will continue to be affordable, which is crucial for the future of AI services.

The Schwebebahn, the world's oldest suspended railway, has been operating in Wuppertal, Germany, for 125 years. It was first tested by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1900 and officially opened in March 1901. The railway, which runs over eight miles along the River Wupper, features modern carriages that glide smoothly above the city, creating a unique commuting experience reminiscent of a fairground ride.

Wuppertal was a major textile production center during the 19th-century Industrial Revolution, leading to the need for a public transport system. Due to the area's rocky terrain, the suspended railway was conceived as an innovative solution.

A recent museum, Schwebodrom, opened to showcase the history of the Schwebebahn, including the famous story of Tuffi, a circus elephant who famously jumped out of a carriage in 1950. The museum includes a virtual reality experience that allows visitors to see Wuppertal as it looked in the 1920s.

Beyond the Schwebebahn, Wuppertal is a vibrant city with rich cultural offerings, including historical architecture, art museums, and a diverse food scene. It is known for its steep streets and numerous staircases, earning it the nickname "city of steps." The city combines industrial heritage with modern attractions, making it an interesting destination for visitors.

In 1993, Prince changed his name to "The Love Symbol," creating challenges for his record label, Warner Bros., and for anyone trying to write or talk about him. To solve this, he distributed a custom font on floppy disks to news outlets, allowing them to use his symbol instead of trying to type his new name. The font replaced the capital "P" with his symbol.

This idea came from frustration within his graphic design team, who initially communicated by hand-drawing the symbol. Prince encouraged its use in journalism, and it gained acceptance, even appearing in major publications like Rolling Stone.

Prince was known for being forward-thinking about technology, experimenting with early digital tools and graphics. However, he sometimes struggled with new concepts until they were explained in relatable terms. Overall, this floppy disk and font are memorable artifacts of Prince’s unique approach to his identity and media.

The text discusses the history and evolution of Omnimax theaters, which are large dome theaters primarily found in science museums. It begins with a personal account of working on a Las Vegas attraction during the COVID pandemic and shifts focus to the MSG Sphere, a new theater that is a modern interpretation of dome theaters.

Key points include:

1. Omnimax Origins: Omnimax was developed from traditional planetarium projectors, which had been around since the early 20th century. The first tilted planetarium was built in the 1970s, allowing for more versatile presentations.

2. IMAX Influence: The Omnimax format was closely related to the IMAX format, which began with large-scale presentations at world fairs and science museums. The first Omnimax films were often adaptations of existing IMAX films, modified for the dome setting.

3. Technical Challenges: Filming for Omnimax required specialized, large cameras and complex setups. The theaters featured advanced audio systems and projection technology, making them a significant draw for science museums.

4. Commercial vs. Educational Use: While IMAX theaters became commercialized, Omnimax primarily remained within educational institutions, showcasing science documentaries.

5. Decline and Transition: As digital projection technology advanced, many Omnimax theaters closed or transitioned to digital formats. The original film projectors became obsolete, with few remaining in operation today.

6. Cultural Impact: Omnimax theaters provided unique viewing experiences that merged entertainment and education, but over time, the novelty and promotion of these theaters have diminished, leading to their decline.

In summary, the text chronicles the rise and fall of the Omnimax format, highlighting its contributions to educational cinema while noting the shift towards digital projection and the fading popularity of dome theaters.

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A recent study has found that fungi, specifically split gill fungi, produce complex electrical signals that may resemble human language. Researchers analyzed the electrical activity of four types of fungi and discovered patterns that are similar to human speech, with some signals clustering into "words" of up to 50 variations. These signals are thought to help fungi communicate about food or injuries within their networks, similar to how nerve cells work in humans.

Professor Andrew Adamatzky conducted the research by placing microelectrodes in areas where fungi grow. While he noted the similarities in information processing, he also cautioned that these electrical patterns may not directly correlate to human language. Other experts urge caution, suggesting that more research is needed to validate these findings and confirm whether fungi truly communicate in a language-like manner.

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The text discusses the challenges faced by the author, who runs a server for user-generated content (UGC), specifically dealing with issues like unwanted visitors, data scraping, and law enforcement data collection. Here are the key points:

1. FBI Data Collection: The FBI hires companies to scrape online data, scanning for specific keywords to categorize and analyze content, which is then reviewed by agents.

2. Problem with Pedophiles: The author has been struggling with the presence of pedophiles on their server (FSE), fearing that this could attract law enforcement scrutiny. They explain that pedophiles often flood sites with illegal content to get them shut down.

3. Server Management: Running a server involves dealing with various technical challenges, including data analysis and understanding logs. The author emphasizes the importance of being able to diagnose and respond to issues effectively.

4. Tools for Analysis: The text provides a crash course on using various tools (like awk, nginx, and SQL) for log analysis and network exploration to identify and mitigate issues.

5. Scar Tissue Concept: As the server faces challenges, it develops "scar tissue"—solutions to past problems that prevent the same issues from recurring.

6. Spam Management: The author prefers to roll their own solutions for spam management rather than relying on traditional methods like captchas, which they find ineffective and intrusive.

Overall, the author shares insights into the complexities of managing a UGC server, the risks of unwanted content, and the technical skills necessary for effective server administration.

The article discusses the misconceptions surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. It highlights that, despite claims from tech leaders, these models are not intelligent or emotionally aware; they simply generate text based on statistical patterns from vast amounts of data. Many people misunderstand how LLMs work, leading to dangerous beliefs, such as viewing them as sentient beings or even spiritual guides.

The author references books by Karen Hao and others, which argue that the AI industry often promotes a misleading narrative, suggesting that these technologies are akin to human thinking. This misunderstanding can result in people forming unhealthy relationships with AI, as seen in cases of "ChatGPT-induced psychosis," where individuals believe the AI is a divine entity.

Additionally, the article critiques the trend of using AI to replace human interactions in therapy, friendships, and dating, suggesting that these technologies often fail to promote genuine human connection. It points out the ethical issues behind the labor used to train AI, which often exploits vulnerable workers.

Despite the challenges, public skepticism towards AI is growing, with many people acknowledging its limitations. The author emphasizes the importance of understanding what AI can and cannot do to avoid its negative impacts and to ensure it serves humanity positively.

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The author shares their experience with developing their first iOS app, which started as a fun project to improve photo management. They initially had no knowledge of Swift but quickly built a functioning app in just a few days, aided by AI tools like Cursor and Gemini. The app aims to help users manage photos by finding duplicates and allowing easy deletion, without the expensive subscription fees that many similar apps charge.

The author highlights the ease of accessing iOS's built-in libraries and APIs, though they faced challenges with platform-specific issues like code signing and geocoding services. They also express frustration with existing app pricing models, opting instead for a one-time charge of $2.99 for their app.

Through the development process, the author learned a lot about coding and the iOS ecosystem, finding AI assistance particularly helpful for problem-solving. They have not yet published the app or joined the Apple Developer Program, but they are nearing completion and excited about the potential impact of their work. Overall, the experience transformed their curiosity into a practical tool, demonstrating that with the right resources, non-developers can create functional apps relatively quickly.

Gaussian integration is an important numerical technique used when exact solutions to integrals aren't available. This blog focuses on a specific form called Chebyshev-Gauss quadrature, which is effective for evaluating definite integrals within the range of [-1, 1]. It works by approximating integrals as weighted sums of function values at specially chosen points known as nodes.

Key points include:

1. Gaussian Quadrature: This technique allows for integrating polynomials of higher degree (up to 2n-1) more accurately with fewer function evaluations compared to basic methods, which can only handle polynomials of degree n-1.

2. Chebyshev-Gauss Quadrature: This variant uses the roots of Chebyshev polynomials to choose the nodes, which helps improve accuracy by concentrating nodes at the edges of the integration interval. The weights for these nodes are fixed.

3. Adapting to General Functions: The blog explains how to adjust Chebyshev-Gauss quadrature to work with arbitrary integration intervals and functions, allowing integration beyond just the [-1, 1] range.

4. Interactive Demonstration: The author introduces an interactive notebook that allows users to see the effects of changing the number of nodes on the integration accuracy, using the example of integrating the sine function.

5. Application: The author mentions using this technique in a project for estimating sea level changes, highlighting its practical utility.

Overall, Chebyshev-Gauss quadrature offers a powerful and efficient way to perform numerical integration, making it a valuable tool in various applications.

The text discusses the analysis of IPv4 trades using gnuplot, focusing on data from IPv4 auctions. Here are the key points:

1. Purpose: The analysis aims to demonstrate gnuplot's features and predict supply and demand trends for IPv4 addresses as the internet transitions to IPv6.

2. Data Overview: The data includes timestamps, the number of IPs sold, total prices, and the price per IP.

3. Real-time Analysis:

   • Data fetching and plotting of prices, sizes, and volumes are discussed.
   • The analysis includes the number of records and the latest bids.

4. Price Analysis:

   • Prices are initially inconsistent and need to be weighted by the quantity sold to provide a more accurate average.
   • Various methods are used to smooth price data and analyze trends over time.

5. Price Distribution: The analysis shows a modal distribution of prices, with most orders clustering around $20, yet many IPs costing closer to $50.

6. Batch Size and Demand:

   • Most batches are small, and their size changes over time, especially showing a surge in demand from 2020 to 2024.
   • The analysis highlights the correlation between batch size, demand, and price.

7. Average Monthly Price:

   • The average monthly price is calculated by dividing total revenue by the number of IPs sold, indicating a potential drop in IPv4 prices toward 2026 as demand decreases.

8. Final Insights: The analysis suggests that IPv4 prices will likely decline due to diminishing demand as the transition to IPv6 progresses.

Overall, the text provides a structured approach to analyzing IPv4 auction data and forecasting future trends in pricing and demand.

Let's Bend - Learn to Play the Harmonica

Bending notes on a harmonica can be challenging for beginners, but it's essential for achieving different sounds. The "Let's Bend" app helps users learn to bend notes effectively with practice. It visually shows the notes you play, making it easier to master this skill.

The app is designed to work on various devices, including desktops (macOS, Debian, Windows) and Android. The Android version is free and has no ads, available on Google Play, Amazon, and F-Droid. However, the desktop version isn't on Microsoft Store or Apple App Store due to development costs, but alternative download options are available.

A web version is also provided, and users can find detailed instructions in the User Guide. The app's source code is available for those interested. There’s an option to support the developer through voluntary donations, but the app remains free to use.

In short, "Let's Bend" makes it fun and easy to learn harmonica bending!

Summary: Generating Pixels One by One

Overview: This guide introduces how to create a basic autoregressive model using a simple Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) to generate images of handwritten digits. The focus is on understanding the concept of predicting each pixel based on the pixels that came before it.

Autoregressive Models:

• These models predict the next outcome based on previous ones. For example, when typing on a phone, suggestions appear based on prior words.
• Mathematically, an autoregressive model learns the probability of a sequence of elements, where each new element depends on all previous ones.
• In image generation, each pixel is treated as part of a sequence, where the task is to predict the next pixel value.

Data Used:

• The model will use the MNIST dataset, which contains images of handwritten digits. This dataset is simple and ideal for learning the basics of image generation.

Model Configuration:

• Key parameters include image size, number of pixels, quantization settings, and model architecture specifications.
• The model uses a method where pixel intensities are quantized into discrete bins, turning them into "tokens" similar to words in language modeling.

Quantization Process:

1. Continuous pixel values are divided into discrete bins.
2. Each pixel's intensity is mapped to a corresponding integer label based on the bin it falls into.
3. The model predicts the integer label of the next pixel based on previous ones, treating it as a classification problem.

Benefits and Trade-offs:

• This method allows the use of classification techniques and can enhance model performance.
• However, quantization leads to some loss of information, and the number of bins affects model complexity and precision.

Overall, this guide provides a foundational understanding of autoregressive image generation by focusing on pixel prediction through a straightforward model, paving the way for deeper exploration into generative AI.

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The text is an outline or menu for a website or blog, featuring various categories and tags. These include topics like AI, coding, games, and personal experiences, as well as specific projects like the WeeBox Project. There is also an 'About' section with information about the author and contact details. The organization is designed to help visitors easily navigate through different subjects and posts.

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Summary of Agents

This text provides information about different coding agents and their performance metrics. Here are the key points:

• Coding Agents: You can click on each agent and metric to get more details and live queries.

• Performance Metrics:

  • GitHub Copilot:

    • Total PRs: 14,392
    • Merged PRs: 5,714
    • Success Rate: 39.7%

  • OpenAI Codex:

    • Total PRs: 219,792
    • Merged PRs: 183,328
    • Success Rate: 83.4%

  • Cursor Agents:

    • Total PRs: 746
    • Merged PRs: 573
    • Success Rate: 76.8%

  • Devin:

    • Total PRs: 27,969
    • Merged PRs: 17,016
    • Success Rate: 60.8%

  • Codegen:

    • Total PRs: 3,778
    • Merged PRs: 1,537
    • Success Rate: 40.7%

• Chart View: There is an option to view the data in different ways, including complete view, volume only, or success rate only. However, the interactive chart is currently not available, and only a static version is shown.

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Summary: Feline Genetics and the Special Nature of Orange Cats

Recent news has labeled orange cats as "freaks of nature," but this is due to scientific discoveries about their unique genetics. Scientists found that about 80% of orange cats are male, and their orange fur results from a mutation on the X chromosome that suppresses black pigmentation (eumelanin) in favor of orange (pheomelanin). This mutation, linked to the ARHGAP36 gene, has persisted for centuries due to the domestication of cats.

Cats have various fur colors and patterns, with orange being linked to a decrease in eumelanin production. Research revealed that a specific deletion near the ARHGAP36 gene increases its expression, leading to reduced eumelanin levels. This genetic alteration also has roles beyond fur color, affecting the immune system.

Orange cats and patterns like tortoiseshell and calico are due to X-inactivation in female cats, explaining why most orange cats are male. The unique mutation in orange cats likely originated thousands of years ago, making them a special part of cat history. Overall, orange, calico, and tortoiseshell cats represent a significant moment in the relationship between humans and domestic cats.

tcpulse Summary

tcpulse is a powerful tool for generating and measuring TCP/UDP network connections, built using the Go programming language. It has two main modes:

1. Server Mode: Acts as an echo server that receives and sends back data.
2. Client Mode: Creates load on target servers and measures their performance metrics.

Key Uses:

• Load testing to check server capacity and identify issues before launch.
• Measuring how fast connections are established.
• Testing performance for long-lasting connections.
• Comparing TCP and UDP performance.
• Validating network infrastructure for expected traffic.
• Detecting performance issues over time.

How It Works: tcpulse simulates real-world usage through two connection styles:

• Persistent Connections: Keeps connections open to handle multiple requests, mimicking web services.
• Ephemeral Connections: Opens and closes connections for each request, simulating HTTP/1.0 interactions.

Features:

• Real-time performance metrics (latency, throughput).
• Rate limiting to control connection speed.
• Support for multiple targets.
• Optimized for Linux.
• Outputs results in a machine-readable JSON format.

Installation: Users can download pre-built binaries for Linux and macOS or build tcpulse from source using Go.

Usage: tcpulse can be run in server or client mode with various options for connections, protocols, and output formats.

Examples:

• Start a server: tcpulse -s 127.0.0.1:9100
• Run a client with load: tcpulse -c --flavor ephemeral --rate 1000 --duration 15s 127.0.0.1:9100

Output: Results can be displayed in standard format or JSON for easy integration with monitoring tools.

License: tcpulse is licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

The article discusses a new method for delivering mRNA to resting T cells to help combat HIV. A significant challenge in curing HIV is that the virus can stay dormant in resting CD4+ T cells, making it hard to eliminate. The researchers developed a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation called LNP X, which effectively delivers mRNA without harming the cells or triggering their activation.

LNP X can deliver mRNA encoding the HIV Tat protein, which activates HIV transcription, and also enables the use of CRISPR technology to modify gene expression. This approach shows promise for creating new treatments that specifically target and reactivate latent HIV in T cells, potentially leading to better strategies for reducing the HIV reservoir in patients. The study highlights the potential of using advanced mRNA delivery systems for therapeutic purposes in the fight against HIV.

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Here's a simplified summary of how to create a CSS-only image glitch effect:

1. Purpose: The author wanted to create a glitch effect for a robot poet project, using only HTML and CSS without JavaScript for the final version.

2. Concept: The glitch effect involves slicing an image into strips, moving them randomly, and altering their colors to create a distorted look.

3. Slicing the Image: Instead of manually slicing an image, the author wrote code to generate divs for each strip, where each div has a background image shifted vertically. The heights of the strips are randomized.

4. Animating Movement: To achieve a glitchy movement effect, the author used CSS animations with closely spaced keyframes for quick, erratic movements.

5. Color Changes: The hue-rotate effect shifts colors to enhance the glitch appearance. The author faced some challenges with browser compatibility but found a workaround.

6. Adding Randomness: To make the effect less predictable, JavaScript was used to create random keyframe animations for each strip, generating unique glitch effects.

7. Chromatic Aberration: The final effect includes subtle color shadows to mimic the look of a corrupted screen, known as chromatic aberration.

8. Conclusion: The author shares that this CSS-only glitch effect works on any HTML content and invites others to try it out and share their results.

You can see the code and the final version on CodePen.

Replanting forests can significantly help cool the planet, especially in tropical regions. A new study from the University of California, Riverside, suggests that restoring forests could lower global temperatures by about 0.34 degrees Celsius, which is a quarter of the warming we've already experienced. However, even if all lost trees since the mid-1800s were replanted, it wouldn't eliminate the effects of human-caused warming, making it crucial to also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The study highlights that trees not only absorb carbon but also release compounds that help cool the atmosphere by reflecting sunlight and promoting cloud formation. Tropical forests are particularly effective at this due to their ability to absorb more carbon and produce cooling compounds with fewer negative effects.

Reforestation can improve regional air quality, but the benefits vary by location. Smaller reforestation efforts can still be impactful, and the study suggests that strategic planting in tropical areas, where deforestation is ongoing, could yield the best results.

The researchers acknowledge that fully restoring forests to their original extent is unlikely due to land-use conflicts, such as the need for agricultural land. They emphasize the importance of making careful decisions about where to plant trees, with Rwanda cited as a successful example of combining conservation with local economic benefits.

In summary, while restoring forests is an important strategy for addressing climate change, it must go hand in hand with reducing fossil fuel use for a comprehensive solution.

The author, a dedicated Commodore enthusiast, argues that buying the Commodore brand today is largely pointless. Despite their extensive collection of Commodore computers and memorabilia, the brand's value has significantly declined since the mid-2000s. After Commodore went bankrupt in 1994, various attempts to revive the brand have mostly resulted in failures and poorly received products.

The Commodore name is currently owned by Commodore Corporation BV, which licenses it out, but the brand has struggled to find success in the market. Past attempts to reintroduce Commodore products, like the Commodore 64 Web.it and Commodore Gaming PCs, were met with negative reviews and have become more of a curiosity than a viable business model.

Some exceptions, like the C64DTV console and recent re-releases like "TheC64," have found niche markets but do not use the Commodore name legally. The author believes that while there is a market for retro Commodore hardware, the brand itself is essentially dead, and its revival efforts often lead to low-quality products that tarnish its legacy.

The post concludes that instead of pursuing the Commodore trademark, it might be better to let the brand rest peacefully, as the community can still appreciate and create products without needing the Commodore name.

Website designs are becoming overly complicated, making them frustrating for users. Designers often focus on impressing other designers rather than meeting user needs. When shopping online, users want a straightforward experience: find the product, check the price, and buy it. However, many websites overload users with auto-playing videos, excessive animations, and pop-ups.

Research shows that users quickly form opinions about websites, and slow-loading sites can lead to significant loss of users and sales. Despite this, the average website is heavy and slow. Good design should help users find what they need easily, and many effective websites are simple and functional rather than flashy.

While winning design awards can be gratifying, user satisfaction and functionality are more important. The best websites solve problems quickly and efficiently, allowing users to connect and find information without distractions.

The text discusses the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) in software engineering, particularly focusing on the challenges and limitations of "agentic coding."

Key Points:

1. Experience with LLMs: The author began using LLMs in August 2020 and found them helpful for generating SQL statements quickly, significantly reducing the time needed for coding tasks.

2. Agentic Coding Critique: The idea that LLMs can autonomously create software is questioned. The author describes this as an overhyped expectation, noting that while LLMs can assist, they require substantial oversight and management from skilled engineers.

3. Example of Success: The only notable fully AI-written project mentioned is a standards-compliant HTTP/2 server, which required extensive human input and management to complete.

4. Importance of Context: The effectiveness of LLM outputs heavily relies on the quality of context provided. Poor context leads to mediocre results, and this remains a significant challenge in using LLMs effectively.

5. Conclusion: For LLMs to produce impressive results, they need to be used by highly skilled engineers who can provide the necessary context. Otherwise, the outcomes will likely be subpar.

Overall, while LLMs have potential, they are not yet capable of independent software creation without significant human intervention.

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rkyv is a framework for Rust that allows for zero-copy deserialization. This book serves as an introduction to rkyv, discussing its purpose, design, and key features, but it does not go into as much detail as the official documentation. Readers are encouraged to use additional resources for more specific information.

Here are some helpful resources:

• Learning Materials:

  • Join the rkyv Discord for support and community interaction.
  • Visit the rkyv GitHub for the source code and to track project updates.

• Documentation:

  • Core library: rkyv
  • Extended support: rkyv_dyn (adds trait object support)

• Benchmarks:

  • A benchmark comparing various Rust serialization methods, including rkyv.

• Related Libraries:

  • rend: for endian-agnostic features.
  • bytecheck: for validation.
  • rancor: for error handling.
  • ptr_meta: for pointer manipulation.

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Bruce Schneier, a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, testified to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform about the dangers of data security breaches in the U.S., particularly those related to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He highlighted that DOGE's actions over the past few months have increased the risk of data breaches by accessing sensitive information from various government agencies, which could potentially be exploited by adversaries.

Key points from the testimony include:

1. Data Consolidation Risks: DOGE has combined sensitive data from multiple government sources, creating a single, massive pool of information. This makes it easier for malicious actors to access and misuse the data.

2. Weak Security Protocols: DOGE has reduced security measures, such as removing access controls and audit logs, which increases vulnerability to attacks.

3. AI Use: The data is being processed using AI tools, which can expose it to further risks if not handled securely.

4. Outsourcing Concerns: Control over data access is being given to private companies, such as Palantir, which adds another layer of risk.

5. Threat of Coercion and Cyberwar: Consolidated data can be used to threaten or blackmail individuals, especially public figures. In the event of a cyber conflict, this data could be crucial for disrupting critical infrastructure.

6. Consequences of Lax Security: DOGE's practices have led to known breaches and the potential for future attacks, as adversaries have already attempted to exploit the data accessed by DOGE.

Schneier concludes that the current approach increases risks to national security and individual safety, suggesting a need for a decisive shift in data security practices to mitigate these threats.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to modernize the U.S. air traffic control (ATC) system, which currently relies on outdated technology like floppy disks and Windows 95. This system is considered a risk to national safety. Acting FAA administrator Chris Rocheleau stated that the goal is to eliminate these old technologies. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized the importance of this upgrade, calling it a critical infrastructure project.

Upgrading the ATC system is challenging because certain systems cannot be shut down for safety reasons. The FAA is investing in maintaining the current systems while seeking proposals from companies to assist with the upgrade. Although the Transportation Department aims to complete the project in four years, experts suggest this timeline may be unrealistic. Overall, the FAA recognizes the urgent need for modernization after years of neglect.

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Summary: Discovering a JDK Race Condition with Fray

The author was adding integration tests for a tool called Fray and encountered a deadlock exception during testing. The problematic code involved a ScheduledThreadPoolExecutor that was being shut down while a task was scheduled to run. Initially suspected to be a bug in Fray, further investigation revealed that the issue stemmed from a bug in the Java Development Kit (JDK) itself.

The bug occurred because of a race condition between the schedule and shutdown methods of the executor. When the executor was in the SHUTDOWN state, the schedule method did not create a new worker thread, assuming the shutdown would terminate the task. However, this assumption led to a situation where the task got stuck, waiting indefinitely for execution.

Fray helped in debugging by allowing a deterministic replay of the execution, making it easier to visualize how the threads interacted and caused the deadlock. The author provides instructions on how to use the Fray plugin to replicate the bug, replay it, and understand its cause.

In reporting the bug to the JDK team, the author created a patch to demonstrate the issue but it was not included in the public report. Instead, the report focused on reproduction steps using Fray.

Overall, the experience highlighted the challenges of concurrent programming and the usefulness of tools like Fray in identifying and debugging race conditions.

Summary of Recent Changes in Zig (2025)

• June 08, 2025: Zig now uses its own x86 backend as the default for debug mode, improving robustness and compilation speed compared to LLVM. It has passed more behavior tests and shows significant performance improvements, especially in larger projects.

• June 06, 2025: A new YouTube video tutorial on the Zig build system has been released, aimed at helping users get started with creating and importing Zig modules.

• May 20, 2025: Zig now supports cross-compilation for FreeBSD and NetBSD, allowing users to build binaries for these operating systems from any machine, similar to existing support for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

• April 09, 2025: The Zig website has been updated to use the standalone Zine framework, improving its functionality and user experience.

• February 24, 2025: The UBSan (Undefined Behavior Sanitizer) has been improved to provide clearer error messages when compiling C code, making debugging easier.

• February 07, 2025: The Zig language has surpassed glibc in performance, especially with a new allocator designed for better efficiency in multithreaded applications.

• January 24, 2025: A new LLDB fork with enhancements for debugging Zig applications has been developed, improving support for the language.

Overall, these updates highlight significant improvements in performance, usability, and support for various operating systems within the Zig programming language.

In a recent keynote at the AI Engineer World’s Fair, the speaker discussed rapid advancements in large language models (LLMs) over the past six months, noting that over 30 significant models were released during this time. Originally intended to cover a year, the talk was condensed due to the fast pace of developments.

Key points included:

• Model Evaluation: The speaker expressed skepticism about traditional benchmarks and leaderboards, leading to the creation of a personal testing method involving an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle—an intentionally difficult task for LLMs.

• Notable Releases:

  • Meta's Llama 3.3 was highlighted as a powerful model that can run on standard laptops.
  • DeepSeek's releases in December and January were groundbreaking, offering competitive models at lower costs.
  • Anthropic's Claude 3.7 Sonnet was praised for its reasoning capabilities and creativity.
  • OpenAI's GPT-4.5 was criticized for being underwhelming and quickly deprecated.

• Emerging Trends: The integration of tools and reasoning in LLMs has significantly improved their capabilities, allowing them to perform complex tasks more effectively.

• Risks: The speaker warned about potential security risks associated with LLMs, such as prompt injection, which can expose sensitive data.

Overall, the speaker's innovative evaluations and insights into the rapid evolution of LLMs reflect the dynamic nature of AI technology. The keynote emphasized the need for continuous adaptation and vigilance in the face of these developments.

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Summary of BorgBackup Update

BorgBackup is a backup software that recently underwent changes related to its append-only feature, which requires server-side enforcement for security. This feature was only supported in certain repository types (like SSH) in the previous version (Borg 1.x).

In the new version (Borg 2), several repository types are supported, including filesystem (fs), SFTP, rclone (for cloud services), S3/B3, and SSH. Only SSH repositories can enforce append-only features through a server-side process.

The development team decided to handle append-only functionality differently by using storage permissions to prevent deletion of backup objects rather than implementing it directly in Borg. This means that while creating backups, users can be given limited permissions to prevent deletion, while other operations may require more permissions.

Overall, these updates aim to streamline functionality and improve the security of backups. The project has received significant community support, reflected in the number of stars and forks on GitHub.

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The text discusses the HTML tags <blink> and <marquee>, which were popular in the 1990s but are now largely forgotten by newer developers. The <blink> tag, credited to Lou Montulli, was created as a joke to make text flash, while the <marquee> tag was introduced by Microsoft as a way to create scrolling text. Both tags were often used together on personal websites to catch users' attention.

Despite their initial popularity, these tags are now considered outdated and poor web design practices. The <blink> tag is essentially dead, while the <marquee> tag surprisingly still works in many modern browsers. The text emphasizes that while these elements can be nostalgic, they should not be used in contemporary web design. Instead, modern web development focuses on accessibility and progressive enhancement, allowing content to be accessible to all users, regardless of their browser capabilities.

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Understanding what affects the speed of software development is important for teams, but there is limited large-scale evidence. This study looks at cycle time, which measures how long it takes to complete a task, using data from over 55,000 cases across 216 organizations. By using a special modeling method, the researchers analyzed how factors like coding time, task clarity, and teamwork impact cycle time and found a lot of variation in results.

They discovered some connections between cycle time and factors like how many days people code each week, the number of merged pull requests, and teamwork levels. However, there was still a lot of unexplained variation in cycle times, meaning individual cases don’t always reflect general performance trends.

The findings suggest that while certain workplace factors do affect cycle time, focusing on individual performance may not be the best approach for improving software delivery speed. Instead, a broader systems-level perspective is needed.

The article "Falsehoods Programmers Believe About Video Stuff" by Niklas Haas discusses common misconceptions that programmers have about video technology. Here are the key points simplified:

Video Decoding

• Decoding quality can vary based on the decoder used, even if formats like H.264 claim to be bit-exact.
• Hardware decoding is not always faster than software decoding.
• Not all H.264 decoders can handle every H.264 file.
• Video decoding isn't as straightforward as it seems; it's not easily parallelizable.

Video Playback

• The refresh rate of a display doesn't always match the video frame rate.
• Display and audio clocks may not be in sync.
• Hardware contexts can fail unexpectedly during playback.
• Seeking in videos has limitations; users often can't seek to non-keyframes or may not notice dropped frames.

Video/Image Files

• Video files can have different bit depths, color spaces, and resolutions throughout a stream.
• Not all images are in standard formats like sRGB or have the same color space.

Image Scaling

• Basic scaling methods may not meet everyone’s quality needs.
• Upscaling and downscaling require careful considerations, including color management and sample accuracy.

Color Spaces

• There are multiple RGB and YCbCr color spaces, and not all colors can be precisely defined by simple RGB triples.
• Different color spaces can have varying definitions for brightness and contrast.

Color Conversion

• Color conversion requires careful handling to maintain quality and accuracy.
• There’s no single method for converting between color spaces; context matters.

Video Output

• Graphics APIs may not always handle dithering correctly, and vsync timing can be inconsistent.
• Display characteristics can vary widely; assumptions about uniformity in refresh rates and color profiles are often incorrect.

Displays

• Display specifications are not uniform; they can differ in refresh rates, contrast, and color management capabilities.
• Users may have multiple displays with varying settings.

Subtitles

• Subtitle files can vary in encoding and color management, and assumptions about their compatibility with video files can lead to issues.

Overall, the article emphasizes the complexity of video processing and the importance of not taking common assumptions for granted.

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Summary of Seagate's 100 TB Disk Drive Development

Seagate has been working on developing 100 TB disk drives for nearly 25 years using a technology called HAMR (heat-assisted magnetic recording). While they have made some progress, full mass production is still not underway.

HAMR technology allows for higher data storage densities by using a laser to heat the disk’s surface, enabling more stable data storage. Currently, Seagate has successfully shipped 30 TB HAMR drives and plans to increase capacities to 40 TB and beyond in the near future. However, they face challenges in production yield and reliability, which have delayed their progress.

Competitors like Western Digital and Toshiba are also working on similar technologies but are not as far along as Seagate. They have introduced other technologies to achieve higher capacities, but Seagate maintains a competitive edge with its HAMR tech.

Seagate aims to simplify production by integrating lasers into their disk drives, which could further reduce costs. However, their strategy of using fewer platters (10 per drive) compared to competitors (who use 11) has limited their capacity advantage.

Despite previous predictions that did not materialize, Seagate expects to see broader adoption of HAMR technology by early 2026, which could enhance their market position significantly in the future.

Summary of Coventry Very Light Rail

Coventry Very Light Rail (VLR) is a transportation project by Coventry City Council. The website provides information about planning, development, and regeneration related to the VLR. It includes sections on news, vehicle details, track information, and booking for road tests. People can contact the council via email or sign up for a newsletter for updates. The council's address is PO Box 7097, Coventry, CV6 9SL.

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A conflict between President Trump and Elon Musk escalated on June 5, involving threats over SpaceX contracts. The disagreement arose after Musk criticized a budget bill supported by Trump, leading to attacks on each other on social media. Trump suggested terminating government contracts with Musk, which Musk interpreted as a threat to SpaceX. Musk then announced plans to decommission SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft but later retracted that statement, indicating he would not proceed with the decommissioning.

This feud raised concerns about the potential impact on SpaceX's contracts with NASA and the Defense Department, which are crucial for both SpaceX's business and government operations, especially for transporting astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station. Industry experts believe the threats were unlikely to be acted upon, given the mutual reliance between SpaceX and the government.

Additionally, the dispute overshadowed Trump's comment about withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator, stating he preferred not to appoint a Democrat to the position. Trump mentioned that a military general would be involved in selecting a new nominee for NASA.

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Summary:

Chatterbox Labs executives Danny Coleman and Stuart Battersby discussed the slow adoption of AI in businesses, attributing it primarily to security concerns rather than model performance. Currently, only about 10% of enterprises have moved past pilot tests to full deployment of AI technologies. Coleman emphasized the importance of ongoing security testing tailored to AI models, as many companies are hesitant to use AI due to unknown safety and societal impacts.

According to a recent McKinsey report, while interest in AI is growing, many corporate leaders are struggling to ensure its safety in the workplace. Coleman noted that traditional cybersecurity practices aren't sufficient for AI, as they don't address its unique vulnerabilities. Battersby added that organizations should adopt continuous testing to ensure AI systems are secure for specific use cases, rather than relying solely on vendor assurances about safety.

Both executives stressed that existing safety measures, like content filters, are inadequate and that a more layered approach to security is necessary. They believe that investing in continuous testing could ultimately reduce costs by demonstrating the safety of smaller AI models.

Japanese researchers have created a new type of transparent paper made from cellulose, a biodegradable material derived from plants. This paper is thicker than traditional paper, making it suitable for containers and potentially replacing plastic, which contributes to ocean pollution. The transparent paper is strong, comparable to some plastics, and allows clear visibility through it.

To produce this paper, cellulose powder from cotton seeds is dissolved and heated to form a gel, which is then shaped and dried. The researchers tested the paper's biodegradability by submerging it in the ocean, where it mostly dissolved within four months, even at significant depths.

While paper containers are already available, consumers often prefer clear packaging to see contents, a problem this transparent paper could solve. However, mass production will require specialized factories, and production costs are estimated to be three times that of regular paper, though with lower carbon emissions than plastic production. The research indicates this transparent paper is a promising alternative to plastics.

The text provides options for resizing an image to different dimensions, such as 50x50, 320x240, 512x384, 640x480, 800x600, and 1024x768. It also allows for a custom size with the "Other" option. Additionally, there is an option to save the resized image directly to the desktop.

The text seems to list some navigation options or features related to Instagram and GitHub, including "Notes," "About," and "Appearance." It appears to be a simple menu or layout but doesn't provide much detail or context.

In summary, it highlights different sections that might be found in an app or website related to Instagram and GitHub.

The article discusses how the authors reverse-engineered Cursor's LLM (large language model) client by integrating TensorZero, an open-source framework. This setup allows them to monitor and optimize LLM calls made by Cursor, which is primarily used for coding assistance.

Key points include:

1. TensorZero Integration: The authors connected TensorZero between Cursor and LLMs to track and optimize API calls, enabling them to observe real-time data and experiment with different models and prompts.

2. Customization: They explored whether Cursor could be tailored for individual user patterns beyond general optimization.

3. Technical Setup: They encountered challenges, such as CORS issues and the need for a public endpoint to connect Cursor to TensorZero. They resolved these by configuring Nginx for secure access.

4. Observability: Once set up, they could see all prompts and responses from Cursor, enhancing their ability to analyze its performance.

5. Experimentation: With TensorZero in place, they ran tests with various models and found it stable and efficient.

6. Future Plans: The authors aim to share their findings on real-world usage and further optimizations in upcoming posts.

Overall, the article illustrates how to enhance and analyze AI coding assistants using TensorZero, encouraging readers to replicate the process for their own use.

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Summary of OAuth and Its Functionality

OAuth 2.0 is a system that allows developers to manage user authentication and authorization without needing to handle sensitive user credentials directly. Instead of requiring users to input their usernames and passwords for third-party apps, OAuth enables users to log in to one platform and use tokens to grant limited access to their data in other applications.

Key Points:

1. Purpose of OAuth: It allows users to share specific data with third-party services without sharing their passwords, enhancing security and user control.

2. Comparison with SAML: OAuth is primarily an authorization protocol, while SAML is focused on authentication. OAuth can include authentication through extensions like OpenID Connect.

3. OAuth Modes: There are eight common ways to implement OAuth:

   • Local login and registration
   • Third-party login and registration
   • First-party login and registration
   • Enterprise login and registration
   • Third-party service authorization
   • First-party service authorization
   • Machine-to-machine authentication
   • Device login and registration

4. Local Login and Registration: Users log into an application that controls both the app and the OAuth server, making the process seamless and secure.

5. Third-party Login and Registration: Users can log in using existing accounts (e.g., Facebook, Google). This requires permission from users to access their data from these platforms.

6. Practical Example: When a user wants to sign up for an app, they can use a "Login with Facebook" button, which redirects them to Facebook for authentication and permission granting before returning them to the app.

Overall, OAuth simplifies the process of managing user identities and permissions across multiple applications while enhancing security and user experience.

Summary: Unlocking the Motorola G23

This article shares the journey of unlocking the bootloader of the Motorola G23, a smartphone released in January 2023. The author, along with a team of enthusiasts, faced many challenges but ultimately succeeded after two years of effort.

Key Points:

1. Initial Attempts: The author began exploring ways to unlock the device after Android 13 was released, but found little information available online.

2. Research and Challenges:

   • Early attempts involved using tools from previous Motorola models, but the G23 had stricter security measures.
   • The author extracted firmware and tools, but initial methods didn’t work.

3. Community Support:

   • In late 2024, the author found a Telegram group with others working on unlocking techniques.
   • Collaborations with community members, especially DiabloSat, were crucial in sharing information and strategies.

4. Breakthrough:

   • Discovering testpoints on the device allowed the team to explore new methods to access the bootloader.
   • After extensive reverse engineering, they figured out a key generation algorithm needed for unlocking.

5. Success:

   • The team successfully unlocked the bootloader using a generated key, confirming that the G23 could indeed be unlocked despite initial claims that it couldn’t.

6. Future Plans:

   • Post-unlocking, the team aims to develop custom software, improve device performance, and enhance user control over the phone.
   • They also created a custom bootloader to prevent issues in the future.

7. Criticism of Motorola:

   • The author criticizes Motorola for its lack of customer support and for artificially limiting device features, emphasizing that many models are difficult or impossible to unlock.

In conclusion, after a long and challenging process, the author and their team successfully unlocked the Motorola G23, making it fully customizable and free from manufacturer restrictions.

The Trump administration is working to create a large centralized database that combines information from various government agencies. This effort is justified by claims of efficiency and modernization, but it raises serious privacy concerns. Many of the data protections in place exist to safeguard individual privacy and prevent misuse of sensitive information.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been trying to access and consolidate data, leading to the collection of personal information about U.S. residents, including financial and health records. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is suing the government for violating privacy laws by improperly disclosing personal information.

The administration has also attempted to bypass existing privacy laws through executive orders that allow broad access to government data. They have contracted a data analytics firm, Palantir, to help merge information from various agencies, increasing the risk of data abuse.

Consolidating government records can lead to misuse of information. For example, someone might be denied health services based on unrelated data from a different agency. Marginalized groups are particularly at risk of being targeted or discriminated against.

Congress passed the Privacy Act over 50 years ago to protect against such abuses, recognizing that trust in government is essential. If people fear their information will be misused, they may avoid engaging with government services, harming both individuals and the agencies meant to help them. EFF and other organizations are committed to ensuring that personal data is used only for its intended purpose, as required by law.

Dropbox CEO Drew Houston has expressed strong support for remote work, criticizing companies that require employees to return to the office. He compared these return-to-office (RTO) mandates to forcing people back into outdated malls and movie theaters, suggesting they are unnecessary in today's work environment. Houston emphasized that employees can perform their tasks just as effectively from home, making commuting pointless.

Dropbox has adopted a "virtual first" approach, allowing employees to work remotely 90% of the time, with only occasional in-person events. Houston believes that trusting employees and giving them flexibility leads to better outcomes, contrasting this with the more traditional view that office work enhances productivity.

While many workers prefer remote work, some companies are insisting on in-office attendance, with employees even willing to take pay cuts for more flexible arrangements. Studies indicate that shorter work sessions with longer breaks can lead to higher productivity, challenging the notion that being in the office is always better for collaboration and efficiency.

A few years ago, I delivered a powerful speech about gender equality, but my son pointed out that I often focus on girls and rarely mention boys. Initially, I dismissed his concern, but I've come to realize that while we empower girls, we also need to support boys. Boys are struggling with disconnection, leading to serious issues like lower college enrollment and higher suicide rates. They often seek belonging in harmful places, influenced by negative figures who promote toxic masculinity.

The main problem we face today is this disconnection, which hinders progress on many important issues. We’ve been misled to believe that helping one gender means hurting another, but this isn’t true. To truly help boys, we need to change how we engage with them.

We must teach emotional skills, invest in mental health, and create supportive programs that encourage boys to pursue diverse careers. More importantly, we need to foster connection at home by asking our boys meaningful questions and showing vulnerability ourselves. Parents should model empathy and open communication, letting boys know it’s okay to express their feelings.

Ultimately, we need to shift the narrative that power is limited and must be fought over. Instead, we should aim for a future where both boys and girls can thrive together. Boys don’t need perfection; they need support and understanding.

The article discusses how to use Nginx as a backend for the backup software Restic, which typically requires a REST API server. The author, Mike Cardwell, set up two Nginx virtual hosts (vhosts) for managing backups: one for regular backups that allows only appending data (no deletions or overwrites) and another for administrative tasks like deleting old backups.

Key points include:

1. Configuration: The Nginx config uses various location blocks to handle HTTP requests based on their methods (GET, PUT, DELETE, etc.), ensuring that the append-only nature of backups is maintained. The setup includes custom error handling and specific response types, which were adjusted using the Nginx LUA module.

2. Security: The append-only configuration protects backups from being deleted if a host is compromised, while the backups remain encrypted, adding another layer of security.

3. Performance & Hosting: The author did not find significant performance differences between Nginx and another solution but highlighted that Nginx offers more customization. For hosting, he uses a VPS provider called Time4VPS, which offers affordable storage options for backups.

4. Future Improvements: The author mentions potential changes to simplify the setup, such as removing the LUA module dependency.

Overall, the article provides a practical guide for using Nginx with Restic, ensuring secure and efficient backup management.

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The text discusses the themes of conflict and peace. It explores how people experience and deal with conflicts in their lives, as well as the importance of finding peace. Key points include understanding the causes of conflict, the impact it has on individuals and communities, and the ways to resolve disputes. It emphasizes that achieving peace often requires communication, empathy, and cooperation. Overall, the text highlights the ongoing struggle between conflict and the desire for harmony.

Summary: Getting Past Procrastination

In this article, Rahul Pandey, founder of Taro, shares tips on overcoming procrastination to boost productivity. He emphasizes the importance of creating systems that help you stay consistently productive. By setting up effective structures and habits, you can manage your time better and reduce the tendency to procrastinate. The focus is on practical strategies that can be applied, especially for those in tech careers.

The article titled "I just don't care about the Steam Deck 2 anymore" by Jacob Roach discusses the author's changing attitude towards the Steam Deck 2. Despite being a long-time supporter and early adopter of the Steam Deck, the author feels less enthusiastic about its successor. They acknowledge that while Valve made a significant impact on the handheld gaming market with the original Steam Deck, the company's inconsistent approach to hardware makes it hard to trust the future of the Steam Deck. Additionally, with more powerful alternatives emerging and the availability of SteamOS, the author expresses indifference toward what the Steam Deck 2 may represent for the gaming industry.

The article discusses the importance of program optimization and how the Zig programming language is particularly suited for low-level optimization. Key points include:

1. Optimization Significance: Optimizing code is essential for performance, cost savings, and system simplicity. Well-optimized programs can reduce operational costs and improve efficiency.

2. Compiler Trust: While modern optimizing compilers like LLVM can produce good code, they may not always generate the best possible output. Programmers often need to provide clear information to the compiler and sometimes manually refine their code for optimal performance.

3. Low-Level Languages: Low-level languages like Zig allow for more direct control over performance because they enable programmers to express their intent clearly. This clarity helps compilers generate better code.

4. Zig's Advantages: Zig's verbosity and features, such as non-optional pointers and compile-time execution (comptime), give programmers tools to write more efficient programs. Comptime allows for code generation and optimizations at compile-time, improving performance.

5. Comptime vs. Macros: Zig's comptime is similar to macros but more integrated into the language, allowing for cleaner and more efficient code generation without side effects.

6. String Comparison Example: The article illustrates how comptime can optimize string comparison functions, producing faster assembly code by utilizing compile-time known values.

7. Conclusion: The author advocates for the use of Zig due to its optimization capabilities and ease of writing performant code. They suggest that programming language preferences should focus on functionality rather than endless debates about which is better.

In summary, Zig is highlighted as a powerful tool for developers focused on high performance and efficient code optimization.

Summary: Too Many Open Files

The author encountered an error while testing a Rust project, specifically "Too many open files." This error occurs when a program exceeds the limit of open file descriptors, which are used by the operating system to manage resources like files, directories, sockets, and devices.

In Unix-like systems, each process starts with three standard file descriptors: standard input, output, and error. There are also limits on how many file descriptors can be open at once, both system-wide and per process.

The author confirmed that their tests failed because the number of open file descriptors reached the soft limit of 256. To resolve the issue, they increased this limit using the ulimit command from 256 to 8192. After making this change, the tests ran successfully without errors.

This experience provided insights into how file descriptors work and how to troubleshoot related issues in programming.

Scientists have discovered that ocean acidification has reached critical levels, posing a serious threat to marine ecosystems. This phenomenon, caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide by oceans, leads to lower pH levels in seawater, harming coral reefs and marine life. A recent study indicates that ocean acidification crossed a key threshold about five years ago, meaning it is now beyond safe limits in many areas.

Research shows that by 2020, the average ocean conditions were dangerously close to, or exceeding, the planetary boundary for acidification, particularly in deeper waters. This is concerning because many marine species live below the surface, and the impacts could be more severe than previously thought.

To address this issue, experts emphasize the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions globally. They also recommend focusing conservation efforts on the most vulnerable regions and species. Time is running out to protect marine life, and action is needed now to prevent further damage to ocean ecosystems.