TokenDagger is a new tool that replaces OpenAI's Tiktoken, which is used for processing text in models like Llama 3 and GPT-3. It's built in C++ 17 and has Python support. The main goal of TokenDagger is to improve speed while keeping the same vocabulary and token rules.

The creator is learning about large language models (LLMs) by rebuilding the tokenizer from scratch. They found that the original Tiktoken spent a lot of time on regex matching, so they made improvements by using a faster regex engine and simplifying the process to avoid regex for special tokens.

Benchmark tests show that TokenDagger is four times faster for tokenizing code samples on a single thread and two to three times faster for processing a 1GB text file.

Summary of Donkey Kong Country 2 and Open Bus

Donkey Kong Country 2, when played on the ZSNES emulator, has a known bug affecting spinning barrels in certain stages. Instead of allowing players to control the barrel's rotation, the emulator causes it to spin indefinitely in one direction. This issue makes the game harder than intended, especially in levels with hazards.

The bug arises because ZSNES does not emulate "open bus behavior," which is how the SNES handles invalid memory accesses. When the game tries to read from certain memory addresses that aren't mapped, it should return the last value used. However, ZSNES doesn't replicate this correctly.

An earlier fix for this issue was made in a different emulator, Snes9x, but ZSNES remains unfixed since its last update in 2007. The problem lies in the way the game accesses memory, particularly when it reads from unmapped addresses. This analysis of the game code shows that changing a specific instruction from absolute to immediate addressing can resolve the issue, making the barrels work properly.

This exploration was done out of curiosity rather than necessity, as most other SNES emulators handle the game correctly. The author concludes that the bug was likely due to a simple coding error in the game's memory access logic.

Author: jsgroth
Link: Blog Post
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

The text discusses the development of a new provenance memory model for the C programming language, led by researchers from various universities. This model helps clarify how to track the origins of pointer values during program execution, addressing ambiguities in the current C standard. The result is the Technical Specification ISO/IEC TS 6010, which aims to improve safety and security in modern information systems.

Key points include:

1. Pointer Aliasing and Optimization: Two pointers alias if they point to the same object in memory. Understanding aliasing is crucial for optimizing code, as compilers need to analyze potential aliasing to decide on optimizations. Misguided assumptions about aliasing can lead to bugs.

2. Current State of C: The existing C standard does not explicitly define provenance, leading to confusion among programmers and compiler developers about aliasing assumptions.

3. Alias Analysis Mechanisms: Modern compilers use type-based and flow-based alias analysis to deduce information about pointer usage, but these methods have limitations and require programmer responsibility.

4. Provenance Model: The new model introduces concepts like "storage instances" and "provenance" to clarify the relationship between pointers and memory. It distinguishes between different memory allocations and their lifetimes, providing a framework for understanding pointer behavior.

5. Exposure and Synthesis: The model defines when a pointer's provenance is exposed (leading to potential aliasing issues) and when it is synthesized (created from other information). This distinction helps manage the complexity of pointer interactions.

6. Best Practices: To avoid complications and maintain optimization opportunities, programmers are advised to minimize pointer exposure. This includes avoiding certain practices like casting pointers, accessing individual bytes of pointers, and using specific print functions.

In summary, the new provenance memory model aims to enhance code safety and optimize compiler performance by providing clearer guidelines for pointer usage and aliasing in C.

Ensō is a writing tool designed to help you focus by separating the writing process from editing. This approach encourages you to write without self-editing. After six years and two million words, the creator believes they can make Ensō easier to use for everyone. For more information, you can visit the provided links.

The blog post announces the completion of "The Plot of the Phantom," a text adventure game that the author started 40 years ago as a teenager. The game, inspired by classic text adventures like Zork, was initially halted due to technical limitations and the author's shift in interests. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the author revisited the project, using a modern programming language called Inform 7 to recreate and update the game.

The new version includes a more developed storyline and changes to make it less violent. It retains the essence of the original game while adding autobiographical elements and new puzzles. Now finished, the game is available to play in a web browser and can be completed in about one to two hours. The author expresses mixed feelings about completing this long-term project, likening it to putting a ghost to rest.

Summary:

Get started with online generators at Gridfinity! You can create custom storage bins and baseplates by entering your dimensions at gridfinitygenerator.com.

Gridfinity is a free, open-source modular storage system designed to help you stay organized and productive in your workshop. It is mostly 3D printable and is based on designs inspired by Alexander Chappels' Assortment System and developed by Zack Freedman.

The community around Gridfinity actively enhances and adapts the system. You can join the community and contribute by using and modifying the designs. For more interaction, join the #gridfinity channel on Zack's Discord.

A new approach in 3D printing, led by Oliver Child, involves embedding electronic components directly into printed objects. This method allows for easier integration of printed circuit boards and conductive elements, making 3D-printed items smarter and more functional. The development aims to enhance the capabilities of consumer electronics, especially for hobbyists and those interested in the Internet of Things.

A recent discovery by MIT computer scientist Ryan Williams challenges long-held beliefs about the relationship between computation time and memory space. For nearly 50 years, it was thought that solving a problem requiring t steps also needed about t bits of memory. However, Williams found that any problem solvable in time t can actually be done using only about √t bits of memory. This means a task that typically takes 100 steps could be accomplished with around 10 bits of memory.

Williams's breakthrough uses a method called “reduction” to show that different problems can be transformed into one another, allowing for more efficient use of memory. This finding suggests that the real limitation in computing isn't the amount of memory available, but rather how effectively it is utilized. Experts in the field are excited by this progress, as it opens up new possibilities for solving complex problems with less memory than previously thought necessary.

The International Space Station Tracker is a project that uses a $20 ESP32 CYD (Cheap Yellow Display). It updates live over Wi-Fi and features a touchscreen and power management for the backlight. This project is an affordable and engaging option for classroom STEM activities and is fully open source.

The text is asking someone about their current projects and if they have any new ideas they are considering.

The blog post discusses the complexities and challenges of anti-bot systems, particularly focusing on Vercel's new BotID feature. Here are the key points:

1. Purpose of Anti-Bot Systems: Anti-bot measures are crucial for protecting online businesses from threats like credential stuffing and denial-of-service attacks. However, they often rely on invasive techniques that can disrupt legitimate users, especially those using non-standard browsers or operating systems.

2. Vercel's BotID: Vercel introduced BotID, an "invisible CAPTCHA" that detects bots without visual challenges. It has two modes: Basic (free) and Deep Analysis (paid). The Basic mode uses client-side signals to identify bots, while Deep Analysis utilizes more sophisticated scripts for better detection.

3. Setup of BotID: The setup for BotID in a Next.js project is straightforward, involving the addition of a package and some simple code for verification.

4. Obfuscated Scripts: The post delves into the technical details of a script fetched during the BotID process, revealing that it uses obfuscation techniques to hide its functionality. The author describes methods to deobfuscate the code and analyze how it works.

5. Browser Signal Collection: Various checks are implemented to detect automation tools and headless browsers, such as examining navigator properties and WebGL details. These detections aim to identify bot-like behavior.

6. Limitations of Basic Mode: The Basic mode is currently ineffective at detecting bots, as it allows many automated scripts to pass as human users. This may change as Vercel collects more data to strengthen its detection capabilities.

7. Deep Analysis Mode: This mode actively collects more signals to improve bot detection and is recommended for better protection. It incurs additional costs and uses more advanced techniques to differentiate between human and bot traffic.

8. Concerns about Anti-Bot Systems: The author expresses concerns about the growing reliance on fingerprinting and data collection in anti-bot systems, which may lead to a skewed understanding of what constitutes a "normal" user.

Overall, the post invites discussion on the implications of these anti-bot technologies for the open web and how they might evolve in the future.

Summary

Malware can detect if it's running in a virtual machine (VM) by checking for hardware components usually absent in virtual environments, such as a CPU fan. One method it uses is querying the Win32_Fan class in Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). This is done to make it harder for security researchers to analyze the malware.

To trick a VM into thinking it has a CPU fan, you can manipulate the System Management BIOS (SMBIOS) data, specifically entries of type 27, which relates to cooling devices. This involves creating a custom SMBIOS file that includes the necessary data about the CPU fan and any related components.

For Xen, custom SMBIOS data can be set in the domain configuration file, but requires additional steps, such as prepending the size of the structure. For QEMU/KVM users, the process is simpler; you can directly use the -smbios option without needing to modify the data structure.

In conclusion, by modifying SMBIOS data, you can successfully make a VM believe it has a CPU fan, which can help evade detection by malware.

Here's a simplified summary of the key points:

1. Cross-compiling C: This refers to the process of compiling code for a different platform than the one you are currently using.

2. Linking to a DLL: This involves connecting your program to a Dynamic Link Library (DLL), which contains code and data that can be used by multiple programs.

3. Installing SBCL: SBCL (Steel Bank Common Lisp) is a Common Lisp implementation that you can install to run Lisp programs.

4. Pathnames: This refers to the way files and directories are organized and accessed in a system.

5. Wine-based SBCL in Emacs: You can use SBCL within Emacs (a text editor) by running it through Wine, which allows Windows applications to run on other operating systems.

6. Loading Windows DLLs: This is about how to use Windows DLLs in your program, enabling access to the functions and resources they provide.

7. Building Executables: This is the final step of creating a standalone program that can be run on a computer.

Overall, these points cover the steps and considerations for working with programming in a cross-platform environment, particularly with C and Lisp.

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Cell towers can be used to create low-cost radar systems that detect small boats, helping to enhance security in ports and harbors. This technology uses passive radio signals from cellular stations to locate ships.

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I realized that showing the importance of outdoor light is more effective than just talking about it. So, we created a free app that tracks your light exposure using your Apple Watch or iPhone. The app tells you if you're getting enough light, tracks your consistency, and rewards healthy habits that help balance hormones. It's currently in beta on TestFlight, and I would love your feedback!

Summary of "Data Centers, Temperature, and Power"

Building a data center involves more than just connecting hard drives to power and the internet; it requires careful management of power and temperature due to the growing demand for data, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

Power Usage:

• Data centers vary in size and power needs. The largest, located in Northern Virginia, has a capacity of 2,552 megawatts, enough to power about 200,000 homes.
• In 2023, data centers consumed 7.4 gigawatts, which is about 1-1.3% of global power consumption. This figure increases to around 10% when considering all IT energy use.
• Data centers aim to be always online, relying on multiple power sources to prevent outages.

Power Efficiency:

• Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is a common metric that compares total energy used to energy used for computing, highlighting the importance of cooling systems, which account for about 40% of power usage.
• Maintaining optimal temperatures is crucial since excess heat can damage equipment. This necessitates strategies for reducing power consumption and managing heat generation.

Temperature Management:

• Heat is generated by IT load, server operations, and external factors like ambient temperature and human presence. Effective temperature management involves reducing heat generation and efficiently cooling the data center.
• Various cooling methods include air-based and water-based systems, with newer techniques like immersion cooling becoming more popular.

Sustainability and Future Challenges:

• Data centers have a significant carbon footprint, consuming energy equivalent to that of 50,000 homes. As energy costs rise and environmental concerns grow, improving energy efficiency is essential for sustainability.
• The integration of renewable energy sources is crucial, with investments needed to upgrade power grids to support growing data center demands.

In conclusion, as reliance on data centers increases, innovative approaches in energy management and cooling technologies are necessary to ensure their efficiency and sustainability.

The article discusses the work of Harvard professor L. Mahadevan, who explores how complex biological shapes and behaviors arise from the interaction of physical forces, environment, and biology. Through various examples, such as Möbius strips, brain folds, and termite mounds, Mahadevan illustrates how form influences function in living systems.

Key Points:

1. Interplay of Form and Function: Mahadevan studies how shapes in nature, like brain folds, emerge from physical processes and constraints, linking geometry to biological function.

2. Research on Biological Systems: His work includes understanding how brain folds are created through the growth and expansion of brain tissue, which leads to complex patterns that facilitate various brain functions.

3. Social Insects and Architecture: Mahadevan also investigates how social insects, like termites, build their mounds without a central plan, demonstrating collective behavior that addresses environmental challenges.

4. Environmental Interaction: The article emphasizes the connection between organisms and their environment, illustrating how they influence each other in a feedback loop.

5. Curiosity-Driven Exploration: Mahadevan expresses a passion for asking questions and exploring diverse topics in biology, mathematics, and physics, highlighting the importance of curiosity in scientific discovery.

Overall, the discussion emphasizes the complexity of biological forms and the importance of understanding the relationship between structure, function, and the environment in various living systems.

The text discusses methods to track updates for various anticheat systems used in video games. Here are the key points:

1. Purpose of Tracking Anticheat Updates: The author wanted to track updates to understand new releases, changes, and to use older versions for research.

2. EasyAntiCheat (EAC):

   • EAC is used in popular games like Rust and Fortnite.
   • It used to have its own Content Delivery Network (CDN) but switched to Epic Games' CDN, changing how updates are fetched.
   • The update files are encrypted, requiring a decryption algorithm to access the actual content.

3. Battleye:

   • This anticheat focuses on detecting known cheats through static signatures and is used in games like Escape from Tarkov.
   • Its CDN is straightforward, with URLs for the latest version and downloads based on a timestamp.

4. EA Anti-Cheat (EA-AC):

   • Launched in 2022, used in games like FIFA.
   • The installer can be extracted but does not include the driver, which must be obtained while the game is running.

5. Vanguard:

   • Developed by Riot Games for Valorant and League of Legends.
   • It provides a public API that makes tracking updates easier, including direct download links.

6. General Observations:

   • Different anticheats use varying CDN structures, with some being easier to track than others.
   • The main goal of these systems is to protect games rather than the update method itself.

7. Other Anticheats Mentioned:

   • EQU8: Used for Splitgate, with a simple update URL structure.
   • FACEIT: Known for its strict checks and limited public information.
   • ESEA: Requires an account and has a CAPTCHA for downloads, making it harder to track.

The author reflects on their past experiences with anticheat systems, expressing enjoyment in the research process.

Summary of Fast, In-Process Event Dispatcher

This package provides a high-performance event dispatcher for Go, designed to improve communication between different parts of an application. It allows for both synchronous and asynchronous event handling, resulting in quick and simple processing.

Key Features:

• Speed: Handles millions of events per second, significantly faster than traditional channels.
• Generic Use: Compatible with any type that implements the Event interface.
• Asynchronous Handling: Each subscriber processes events in its own goroutine, preventing delays.

When to Use:

• To separate modules within a single Go application.
• For lightweight publish/subscribe or event-driven designs.
• When needing fast event dispatching with low latency.
• If you prefer a straightforward solution without dependencies.

Not Recommended For:

• Communication between different processes or services (consider Kafka or NATS).
• Storing events, advanced routing, or filtering.
• Scenarios involving multiple programming languages or platforms.
• Features like event replay or duplicate handling.
• Frequent changes in subscriber lists.

Usage Examples:

• You can use a default dispatcher for quick event handling, subscribing to events and publishing them easily.
• A specific dispatcher can be created for more control, allowing for multiple subscriptions and event types.

Performance Benchmarks: Benchmarks show significant performance improvements over traditional channels, with results varying based on the setup.

License: This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Summary of NativeJIT

NativeJIT is an open-source library designed for efficient just-in-time compilation of expressions using C data structures. It is lightweight, fast, and compatible with Linux, OSX, and Windows, requiring only the standard C++ runtime. Developed by the Bing team, it is primarily used to score documents based on keyword matches for user queries in the Bing search engine.

Key features include:

• Fast compilation with optimized register allocation.
• Ability to handle expressions that are not known until runtime.
• Support for a variety of operations including arithmetic, logical, and function calls.

An example provided shows how to compute the area of a circle using NativeJIT. The library can generate optimized assembly code for different platforms.

Dependencies for Building NativeJIT:

• Requires CMake (2.8.11+) and a modern C++ compiler (gcc, clang, or Visual Studio).
• Installation instructions vary by platform (Linux, OSX, Windows) and provide specific commands to set up the environment.

Overall, NativeJIT is designed for high performance in processing dynamic expressions, making it suitable for applications that require quick response times and efficient resource use.

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ETH researchers have found a new way that urea, a key molecule in the origin of life, can form spontaneously on water surfaces without needing extra energy. This discovery shows that urea can arise from carbon dioxide (CO₂) and ammonia (NH₃) in tiny water droplets under normal conditions, which could explain its accumulation on Early Earth.

Urea is an important industrial chemical used in fertilizers and other products, and it might have been crucial for forming biological molecules like RNA and DNA. Traditionally, producing urea requires high temperatures and pressures or catalysts, but this new reaction occurs naturally at the surface of water droplets where air meets liquid.

The researchers observed that the unique environment at the water surface allows this reaction to happen easily, suggesting that similar processes could have occurred in Earth's early atmosphere, which was rich in CO₂ and ammonia. This research not only provides insight into the origins of life but also hints at environmentally friendly methods for producing urea in the future.

The Medley Interlisp Project is focused on reviving Medley Interlisp, an advanced programming environment developed in the 1970s and 80s, to make it usable on modern systems while preserving its historical significance. Founded in 2020 by original Interlisp developers, the project aims to restore Medley Interlisp and enhance it with modern features. Key goals include:

1. Running Medley on current operating systems.
2. Improving compatibility with modern hardware.
3. Updating Medley’s software architecture for better interoperability.
4. Fixing bugs and completing unfinished features.
5. Creating a useful bibliography of Interlisp-related documents.
6. Ensuring the historical context of Medley is preserved.

The project has faced several challenges, including outdated documentation, significant learning curves for returning developers, and the need to update old software for new systems. Progress has been made, such as enabling Medley to run on modern operating systems and developing an online version accessible via web browsers.

The project also emphasizes collaboration with universities and freelancers, which has proven more successful with students familiar with the field. The Medley Interlisp Project serves as a model for similar historical software recovery efforts, proving that valuable ideas from older systems can still benefit modern programming.

In a recent discussion about ransomware on Twitter, it was revealed that many ransomware programs, like DarkSide, have a failsafe that prevents them from installing on Windows computers with specific virtual keyboards, particularly those from Eastern European countries like Russia and Ukraine. This is to avoid legal trouble in their home countries, as local authorities typically won't investigate cybercrimes unless someone files a complaint.

The DarkSide group, which was responsible for the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack that disrupted fuel supplies in the U.S., claimed to be “apolitical” and focused solely on making money, but their malware is designed to avoid infecting computers in certain countries to evade scrutiny.

Experts suggest that installing a virtual keyboard from one of these excluded countries might help protect against some ransomware. Although it won’t stop all malware, this simple step could deter some attackers who want to avoid legal issues.

While some malware may eventually ignore these language checks, using them can still provide a layer of defense. There are also suggestions for modifying Windows settings to appear as if it has a Russian keyboard without actually downloading it. Overall, while this approach isn't foolproof, it can be an easy and free way to potentially reduce the risk of ransomware attacks.

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Many SaaS platforms require a secure and fast way to run customer code. Instead of creating your own container system, you can use Depot's API to simplify this process. This guide explains how to develop Go tools that set up isolated projects, manage builds, and monitor performance for customer tasks.

Summary

Python dataclasses are useful for creating classes that mainly handle data, offering advantages over dictionaries and traditional class definitions. A helpful tip for maintaining dataclasses is to use kw_only=True when defining them. This requires all parameters to be passed as keyword arguments instead of positional arguments.

Using kw_only=True has two main benefits:

1. Reordering Fields: You can change the order of fields without breaking existing code that uses the dataclass.
2. Subclass Flexibility: Subclasses can require certain fields without being forced to provide defaults for all fields, making it easier to manage required fields.

This approach is particularly important for library developers who need to maintain compatibility and flexibility.

Note: The kw_only=True feature was introduced in Python 3.10. If you need to support older versions, you can conditionally enable this feature while ensuring that subclasses manage their fields appropriately.

Summary of "The Book of Shaders"

"The Book of Shaders" is a beginner-friendly guide to understanding Fragment Shaders, a key component in computer graphics.

Key Sections:

1. Introduction: Explains what shaders are and how to get started with them.
2. Algorithmic Drawing: Covers techniques for creating shapes, colors, and patterns using mathematical functions.
3. Generative Designs: Introduces concepts like randomness, noise, and fractals to create complex designs.
4. Image Processing: Discusses working with textures and applying various image filters and effects.
5. Simulation: Explains simulations like ripples and reaction diffusion to create dynamic visuals.
6. 3D Graphics: Covers lighting, mapping techniques, and rendering in 3D environments.

Authors:

• Patricio Gonzalez Vivo: An artist and developer focused on the intersection of technology and art.
• Jen Lowe: A data scientist and educator interested in data communication and technology's impact on society.

The book includes various examples, a glossary, and additional resources for further learning. It is available in multiple languages, reflecting a collaborative effort to make the content accessible to a wider audience.

A recent study published in The Lancet Global Health revealed that about 17% of cancer drugs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and Cameroon are substandard or counterfeit. This means that many patients may be receiving ineffective or harmful medications that do not contain the correct active ingredients needed to treat their cancer.

The research, conducted by a US and pan-African team, tested nearly 200 products from various hospitals and pharmacies. Similar problems have been previously noted with other medications like antibiotics and antimalarials, but this is the first significant study focusing on cancer drugs.

The causes of these issues include manufacturing errors, poor storage conditions, and the presence of counterfeit products. Detecting substandard drugs is challenging, as visual inspections often fail to identify them; laboratory testing is needed for accurate identification.

Improving the situation requires better regulation, training for healthcare providers, and the development of testing technologies. The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with the affected countries to address these concerns and has called for enhanced regulations to prevent such issues.

While the study highlighted serious problems, it also noted that two-thirds of the tested products were of good quality, indicating that there are reliable suppliers. The findings emphasize the need for urgent action to ensure the safety and efficacy of cancer treatments in Africa.

Summary of Expiration Notification Service Ending

Let’s Encrypt has stopped sending expiration notification emails as of June 4, 2025. Here are the main reasons for this decision:

1. Automation: Many subscribers have successfully automated their certificate renewals, making notifications less necessary.
2. Privacy: Keeping millions of email addresses raises privacy concerns, so they chose to eliminate this requirement.
3. Cost: Sending notifications is expensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars yearly, which could be better spent elsewhere.
4. Complexity: Managing the notification system adds unnecessary complexity and potential for errors.

For those still wanting expiration notifications, Let’s Encrypt recommends using third-party services like Red Sift Certificates Lite, which offers free monitoring for up to 250 certificates.

Let’s Encrypt has deleted previously stored email addresses and will no longer store new ones. Instead, new addresses will be forwarded to a general mailing list not linked to account data. If you want updates about Let’s Encrypt, you can sign up for their email lists.

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In high school, the author and friends played a game at the Apple store where they tried to touch the back wall and exit without being approached by staff. They found the store fascinating as it allowed them to interact with luxury products. The staff often engaged with customers, making it challenging to avoid interaction. The author successfully completed the game only a couple of times and recalls buying their first iPod with money earned from a summer camp job.

The experience of purchasing the iPod was both thrilling and nerve-wracking, highlighting the tension between wanting the luxury item and feeling critical of the store's atmosphere. The author realized that the store's strategy of allowing teens to explore was to attract future customers. They also reflect on a previous generic MP3 player that had a bigger impact on their life, as it led to an interest in media piracy and improved their computer skills, which was more significant than the luxury purchase of the iPod.

Octelium is an open-source platform that offers secure remote access, similar to corporate VPNs and remote access tools. It was made available to the public in May 2025. Octelium serves multiple purposes: it can function as a corporate VPN, a zero trust network access (ZTNA) solution, an API and AI gateway, and more. It is built to provide a flexible, scalable architecture for secure access in various environments. For more details on its features, you can visit the project's documentation at the provided link.

Arm-based servers are becoming more popular, with shipments expected to increase by 70% in 2025. However, they are still far from Arm's goal of capturing 50% of the global datacenter CPU market. Currently, Arm servers are projected to account for 21.1% of total global shipments this year, according to IDC.

The overall server market is booming, reaching $95.2 billion in early 2025, a 134.1% increase from the previous year. IDC predicts the total market value will rise to $366 billion, marking a record high. While x86 servers are expected to grow by 39.9%, non-x86 systems, including Arm, are forecasted to grow faster at 63.7%.

The U.S. is anticipated to see the most significant growth, while China is also experiencing strong sales. In contrast, regions like Canada are expected to see declines. Demand for computing power, especially for AI processing, is driving this growth, highlighting the increasing need for advanced processing capabilities.

Microchip has introduced a new feature called the Configurable Logic Block (CLB) in their PIC16F13145 microcontroller. The CLB acts like a small FPGA with 32 lookup tables (LUTs) that can be connected to the chip's internal systems. However, the configuration process is not well documented; users are directed to an online tool that uses an API for setup, and the CLB is not directly accessible through standard registers. Instead, it can only be programmed using the Microchip MPLAB IDE.

To understand and configure the CLB better, the author decided to reverse engineer it, dividing the process into three sections: background information, hardware testing, and a guide to try it yourself.

Summary:

Researchers solved a key challenge in robotics by using 1 million hours of YouTube videos to teach a neural network about physical interactions in the real world. Traditional language models struggle with tasks like picking up objects because they focus on language rather than understanding physics.

The new approach, called V-JEPA 2, trains a model to predict real-world movements instead of words. It consists of three main components:

1. An encoder that analyzes video to grasp physical situations.
2. A predictor that fills in missing parts of videos.
3. A unique method for embedding video data in a way that emphasizes important actions rather than individual pixels.

By scaling up the data and model size, and using a step-by-step training approach, V-JEPA 2 showed impressive results. It successfully deployed robots in new environments, achieving high success rates in reaching, grasping, and moving objects. It also demonstrated fast planning, allowing robots to make decisions quickly.

However, there are limitations, such as sensitivity to camera positioning and challenges with long-term planning. Future work aims to improve how robots understand commands without needing visual aids.

This breakthrough suggests that understanding physics could be as important for robots as language understanding is for AI, potentially leading to more capable robots in the future.

"Relative Values" is a concept that typically refers to how the worth or importance of something is determined in relation to other things. It suggests that value is not absolute but depends on comparison.

In discussions, this idea can be applied to various fields, such as economics, ethics, and personal relationships, where the significance of an item, action, or belief is assessed based on its context or the perspectives of individuals involved.

Overall, "Relative Values" highlights that what we consider valuable can change based on circumstances and viewpoints.

Summary of OFFSET Sequence Information:

• The OFFSET sequence is the earliest arrangement where both the sequence and its differences include every positive integer exactly once.
• It was introduced by Hofstadter in relation to a drawing by Scott Kim.
• The sequence starts with 0, and each next term is the sum of the previous term and the most recent number not in the sequence.
• Example terms of the sequence are: 1, 3, 7, 12, 18, 26, 35, 45, and the differences between these terms are: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, etc.
• The sequence is defined by specific mathematical rules and can be generated using various programming languages.
• There are numerous references and related sequences associated with this sequence, indicating its relevance in mathematical studies.

Overall, this sequence is interesting for its unique properties and connections to other integer sequences.

Summary of Bloom Filters

A Bloom filter is a memory-efficient data structure that quickly checks if an element is part of a set. It can tell you that an element is definitely not in the set or may be, but it cannot confirm its presence.

How It Works:

• A Bloom filter uses a Bit Vector, which consists of bits (0s and 1s).
• To add an element, you hash it multiple times and set the corresponding bits in the vector to 1.
• To check if an element is in the set, you hash it again and check those bits. If any bit is 0, the element is not in the set; if all are 1, it may be in the set.

Key Points:

• Bloom filters are probabilistic, meaning they can give false positives (indicating an element might be in the set when it's not).
• The efficiency comes from using hash functions that should be fast and independent. Good examples include Murmur and FNV.

Configuration:

• The size of the Bloom filter (number of bits) and the number of hash functions can be adjusted to control the false positive rate.
• A larger filter reduces false positives, while a smaller filter increases them.
• The performance of adding elements and checking membership is directly related to the number of hash functions.

Use Cases:

• Bloom filters are useful in various applications, including databases and network systems, where quick membership tests are needed.

In summary, Bloom filters are a powerful tool for efficiently determining set membership with a trade-off for possible inaccuracies.

This article discusses the author's experience implementing fast TCP fingerprinting in a Golang web server using eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter). TCP fingerprinting helps identify unusual traffic patterns in web requests, which is especially relevant for anti-bot solutions amidst increased web scraping activities for training language models.

The article is divided into two parts. The first part provides background information on TCP fingerprinting and different implementation strategies. The second part details the actual development of a proof-of-concept web server that echoes back the TCP fingerprint of clients.

Key points covered include:

• Basics of HTTP and TCP: The author explains how a web server operates using a straightforward example in C, detailing the TCP connection process and the essential components of networking.
• TCP Handshake: The three-way handshake used to establish TCP connections is described, highlighting how information exchanged can help identify clients.
• Gathering TCP Data: The article discusses limitations of traditional APIs for accessing original TCP SYN data. It introduces LibPCAP for capturing packets but points out its drawbacks, including non-real-time processing.
• Introduction to eBPF: The author presents eBPF as a solution that allows for efficient, kernel-side processing without the overhead of additional libraries. eBPF enables the creation of data structures accessible from both kernel and user space, which is advantageous for the project.

The article serves as both a technical guide and an introduction to using eBPF for network programming, demonstrating its benefits for capturing TCP fingerprinting data effectively. The project is open-source and available on GitHub.

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Summary of Brad Woods Digital Garden

Brad Woods Digital Garden is a collection of notes and insights related to web development and creative coding. Key topics covered include:

1. Scroll-driven Animations: Techniques for moving the camera in a 3D scene or creating line drawings that respond to scrolling.
2. 3D CSS: How to build 3D spaces using CSS properties like perspective.
3. WebGL Shaders: An introduction to shaders, their function, and importance in web development.
4. User Interface (UI) Design: Concepts like user-driven UI, personalization, and creating effective table of contents for web pages.
5. JavaScript and TypeScript: Fundamentals of JavaScript, including classes, scopes, performance optimization, and state management in React.
6. CSS Techniques: Utilizing blend modes, filters, and creating accessible designs.
7. Game Development: Insights into game feel and emotional design in software.
8. Miscellaneous Topics: Includes browser adaptation, dynamic headers, infinite scroll, and tools for effective web development.

Overall, the Digital Garden serves as a resource for creative projects and technical knowledge in the realm of web development.

Summary:

The author experienced a loss of IPv4 internet connectivity due to an issue with their Internet Service Provider (ISP) after a power cut, but their IPv6 connection remained intact. Many websites were inaccessible, prompting the author to find a solution using a Linux server, WireGuard, and Hetzner, a VPS provider.

Key Points:

1. Background of the Issue:

   • After a power outage, the author's ISP couldn't provide IPv4 connectivity but IPv6 was working.
   • The problem was traced to Carrier Grade NAT (CG-NAT) used by the ISP, which limited access to IPv4 servers.

2. Using Hetzner VPS:

   • The author had a Hetzner VPS with both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
   • They set up WireGuard, a VPN service, on the VPS to tunnel IPv4 traffic over their IPv6 connection.

3. Understanding NAT:

   • NAT allows multiple devices to share a single public IP address, essential due to the limited number of IPv4 addresses.
   • CG-NAT adds another layer of NAT at the ISP level, complicating direct connections.

4. IPv6 Advantages:

   • IPv6 offers a vast number of addresses, eliminating the need for NAT in most cases.
   • However, not all websites are accessible over IPv6, necessitating the use of a tunnel for IPv4 traffic.

5. Setting Up WireGuard:

   • The author successfully configured WireGuard to handle both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic.
   • They also addressed MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) issues that caused some packets to be dropped.

6. Running a Work VPN:

   • To connect to a work VPN without conflicts, the author used network namespaces to isolate the VPN traffic.

7. Docker Integration:

   • Challenges arose when trying to run Docker within the network namespace, requiring creative solutions to manage network settings.

8. Conclusion:

   • The experience highlighted the flexibility of Linux and the benefits of having control over one’s network setup.
   • The author recommends using a VPS for similar issues and considers investing in a customizable router like OpenWRT for better network management.

Overall, the post illustrates a practical approach to overcoming internet connectivity issues using Linux tools and services.

The article discusses the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a system that unexpectedly allows various tools and data sources to connect, similar to how USB-C serves multiple functions. Initially designed to enhance AI assistants, MCP can actually be used for a wide range of applications beyond AI.

The author compares MCP to a universal power outlet, suggesting that it enables diverse functionalities by connecting different services without needing specific integrations. This creates an ecosystem where apps can gain new capabilities simply by leveraging existing MCP servers, much like sharing dishes at a potluck.

Overall, MCP is portrayed as a flexible tool for fostering connections between digital resources, with the potential to revolutionize how software interacts, just like how protocols such as HTTP and Bluetooth evolved beyond their original purposes. The author is also developing a task management app called APM, which will utilize MCP servers to adapt to users' needs.

On April 14, 2025, JonathanCR shared updates on improving river simulations in a program. He is transitioning old functions to a new structure while enhancing their accuracy. The previous method only tracked river flow for January and July, which was insufficient because river flow is influenced by conditions from various locations, not just the local weather.

To address this, he has updated the program to monitor river flow for all twelve months. This allows for a more accurate depiction of seasonal changes in river flow. For example, a river in a cold desert maintains a steady flow year-round due to consistent rainfall from its northern sources, while another river experiences significant flow variation, with little water most of the year followed by a surge during the summer snowmelt.

Now, the program can dynamically display river sizes throughout the year, making the simulation more realistic and believable.

Summary of inline-c

inline-c is a tool that allows you to easily integrate C code within Haskell programs. It enables you to call C libraries and write high-performance C code directly in Haskell files without needing Foreign Function Interface (FFI). This is useful for accessing legacy code and high-performance libraries.

Key Features:

• Inline C Code: You can write C expressions and statements directly in Haskell using quasiquotation.
• Data Interchange: Haskell and C can share data with minimal overhead, automatically converting data types between the two languages.
• Functionality: It lets you embed both C expressions and blocks of code. You can also refer to Haskell variables in your C code.

Example Usage:

1. Calling C Functions: Use C.exp to call a C function inline:

   x <- [C.exp| double{ cos(1) } |]
   

2. Embedding C Code Blocks: Use C.block for multiple statements:

   x <- [C.block| int { /* C code */ } |]
   

3. Referencing Haskell Variables: Capture Haskell variables in C code with anti-quoting:

   for (i = 0; i < $(int n); i++) { /* C code */ }
   

Contexts and Anti-Quoters:

• Contexts: You can define contexts to extend functionality and support custom C types or anti-quoters.
• Anti-Quoters: Special anti-quoters (like vec-len and vec-ptr) help work with Haskell vectors and ByteStrings in C seamlessly.

Limitations:

• Currently, inline-c does not support GHCi in interpreted mode, but you can use it with the -fobject-code flag for loading pre-compiled code.

Overall, inline-c provides a powerful way to leverage C's performance within Haskell applications while maintaining a clean and integrated coding style.

A new saliva-based contraceptive device called the “Minilab” has been approved for use in Europe. Developed by the Berlin startup Inne, this at-home testing device tracks progesterone levels, which helps women understand their fertility without hormones.

In clinical trials with 300 women, the Minilab showed 100% effectiveness with perfect use and 92% with typical use, similar to the progesterone pill and more effective than condoms. Unlike traditional hormonal methods, the Minilab aims to reduce side effects like weight gain and migraines.

Users apply saliva to a special strip, which is analyzed by a device to provide insights on hormonal health and fertility. The Minilab is now available in Germany and Austria, with plans for a UK launch, offered through a subscription model starting at €24 per month.

Inne's founder, Eirini Rapti, emphasizes that this device gives women more control over their health and offers a reliable alternative to existing methods that rely on pattern recognition.

No summary available.

No summary available.

Many studies have highlighted the benefits of knowing multiple languages. Being multilingual not only helps with communication but is also believed to enhance mental skills, such as focusing, planning, and adapting to new information. Interestingly, research suggests that bilingual people may develop dementia about four years later than those who speak only one language. However, some studies have not been able to confirm these findings, leading experts to question whether the benefits of multilingualism are genuine and what they truly entail.

A federal proposal is being considered that would prevent states and local governments from regulating artificial intelligence (AI) for ten years. This proposal, backed by Senator Ted Cruz and other lawmakers, aims to streamline regulations and foster innovation in the U.S. as it competes with China. Supporters, including prominent figures from tech companies, argue that state regulations create a confusing "patchwork" that hinders progress.

However, critics, including many Democrats, some Republicans, and consumer advocates, warn that this moratorium could leave consumers unprotected against AI-related harms and give large AI firms too much power without oversight. A group of 17 Republican governors has urged Senate leaders to remove this provision from a budget bill.

The moratorium could override existing state laws that protect consumers, such as requirements for AI companies to disclose training data or regulations against misleading AI-generated content. Critics argue that while the federal government is slow to create AI regulations, states have been proactive in addressing specific issues like discrimination and privacy violations.

The proposal's inclusion in the budget bill has been complicated by revisions that link compliance with the moratorium to federal broadband funding, raising concerns about states’ rights. Some Republicans and Democrats are working together to oppose this measure, emphasizing the importance of state protections.

Public opinion also leans toward wanting more regulation of AI, with many Americans worried that the government isn't doing enough to ensure safety in AI development. The Senate is expected to debate and vote on the proposal soon, with significant opposition emerging from various political factions.

I created a straightforward Sharpe Ratio calculator that shows its historical changes. Should I include other ratios like Calmar and Sortino as well?

No summary available.

No summary available.

The text discusses the process of optimizing serialization in a Rust library for DER (Distinguished Encoding Representation), which is a binary format for encoding data.

Key points include:

1. ASN.1 and DER: ASN.1 is a notation used to describe data structures, while DER is a specific binary encoding format. They are often confused but are not the same.

2. Serialization Challenges: DER uses a type-length-value (TLV) structure, which can complicate serialization because the length of values can vary.

3. Initial Approach: The original method in the Rust library reserved space for the length of a value during serialization, which could lead to inefficient copying if values were larger than expected.

4. Optimization Goal: The author aimed to improve efficiency by allowing values to specify their length beforehand, reducing unnecessary copying.

5. Integer Length Calculation: The author explored how to efficiently compute the length of INTEGER types, leading to a more complex but potentially faster implementation.

6. Using AI for Optimization: The author used AI (Claude) to help optimize code. They were surprised by the results, as the AI proposed efficient solutions that were verified using a formal tool (Alive2).

7. Outcome: The author successfully created a pull request to LLVM for the optimization, demonstrating that AI can be effectively paired with formal verification to enhance compiler optimizations.

8. Lessons Learned: The experience highlighted the potential of AI in solving complex programming tasks and the ongoing need for compiler optimizations, even in modern development. The author emphasized the importance of reviewing AI-generated solutions to ensure quality.

Overall, the text illustrates a practical example of using AI to improve software development processes, specifically in the context of data serialization and compiler optimization.

No summary available.

No summary available.

The trust in American democracy is declining, with nearly half of the population doubting the fairness of elections. This issue is worsened by a lack of confidence in the digital systems used for voting. While technology has made voting more efficient, it has also introduced complexity that allows misinformation and fear to spread.

Recent studies show that exposure to news about cyberattacks—even unrelated to voting—can decrease trust in elections, particularly among voters who recently used digital machines to vote. Both losing and winning candidates' supporters express skepticism after hearing about such attacks.

To maintain public trust in elections, it’s essential to educate voters about how elections are conducted and secured. Trust should be viewed as a national asset that needs to be built and protected. Cyber threats are not just about infrastructure; they also harm societal cohesion and erode confidence in democratic institutions. Ultimately, ensuring people believe their votes matter is crucial for the health of democracy.

No summary available.

A mistake by Norway's state-owned gambling operator, Norsk Tipping, led to thousands of people being incorrectly informed that they had won large sums in the Eurojackpot lottery. The error occurred during the conversion of prize amounts from euros to Norwegian kroner, where a manual coding mistake caused the amounts to be multiplied by 100 instead of divided. This issue prompted the resignation of CEO Tonje Sagstuen and drew criticism from customers, regulators, and the Norwegian Minister of Culture. Although the incorrect prize amounts were displayed online, no payouts were made. Many people had begun celebrating their supposed winnings before realizing the error. Norsk Tipping is investigating the incident and has faced similar technical problems in the past.

The article discusses a popular online game in the UK called "Passport Application," created by His Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO). This game simulates the complex process of applying for a British passport, which involves collecting various documents to prove one's British citizenship.

Key points include:

1. Game Overview: The Passport Application is a text-based adventure puzzle where players gather documents over several weeks or months to prove their Britishness according to intricate bureaucratic rules.

2. Document Requirements: Players must collect original documents, including translations for non-English ones, and sometimes involve family members in the process.

3. Challenges: The game includes various side quests, such as identity verification from specific occupations. Players often face confusing and cryptic document requests from HMPO.

4. Logic Behind the Game: The gameplay is influenced by "Bureaucratic Logic," where players need to construct proofs of citizenship rather than just provide evidence.

5. Programming Approach: The author experimented with coding the rules of the game using Haskell to understand the logic behind document requirements. They aimed to produce a complete list of necessary documents and explore the reasoning for each.

6. Complexity: The process can involve recursive requests for documents from ancestors, reflecting the complexities of British nationality law.

7. Personal Experience: The author shares their own experience playing on behalf of their daughter, encountering various challenges and document requests throughout the game.

Overall, the article combines humor and frustration in navigating bureaucratic processes while highlighting the author’s programming journey to decode the rules of the game.

No summary available.

No summary available.

Apple is working on a new MacBook that will use the A18 Pro chip, which is typically found in iPhones. This information comes from code discovered by MacRumors and reports from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The new MacBook is expected to have a 13-inch screen and come in colors like silver, blue, pink, and yellow. It will be the first Mac to use an iPhone chip instead of the usual M-series chips. The A18 Pro chip was introduced with the iPhone 16 Pro. Production of this new MacBook is expected to start in late 2025 or early 2026, with a launch likely in the first half of next year.

The author shares their experience of tracking flying hours digitally, as pilots must log their flights. They created data visualizations and 3D globes to display their flying history, with a favorite globe showcased in a link. They invite suggestions for more graph ideas or ways to present this data.

The "Bring Your Own Cloud" (BYOC) model is becoming important for companies that need to host their platforms in customer clouds for privacy and compliance. Recent research has focused on creating a secure BYOC model, leading to the question: What defines a secure BYOC?

The investigation revealed that many companies loosely follow Zero Trust principles in their BYOC offerings but lack a clear definition of a Zero Trust BYOC (ZTB) model. Zero Trust emphasizes never trusting implicitly and always verifying interactions, which is essential for secure access and data control.

To qualify as Zero Trust, a BYOC model should include these key principles:

1. Data Plane Isolation: Customer data must remain within their cloud account, ensuring compliance and minimizing risk.
2. Pull-Based Control Plane Communication: Customers should initiate all communication with vendors to prevent unauthorized access.
3. Component-Level Zero Trust: All components must authenticate and authorize each other, preventing trust based solely on network location.
4. Least Privilege Access: Systems, users, and automation should have minimal access rights, reducing risk from credential misuse.
5. Encryption Everywhere: All communications must be encrypted to protect data and comply with regulations.

Implementing these principles fosters trust and security in a landscape where services operate within customer clouds. The authors hope this framework helps others design secure systems from the start.

The article discusses how to parse JSON using AWK, a programming language available in the Unix shell. JSON can be challenging to handle in the shell due to its hierarchical structure, and while tools like jq exist, they add extra dependencies. The author had a working shell script that needed to read JSON, so they decided to create a simple JSON parser in AWK.

Key points include:

1. JSON Parsing Challenges: JSON's structure makes it difficult to split on characters, and errors can occur if the format is not valid.

2. Functionality: The parser consists of a single function that takes a JSON document and a key path, returning the corresponding value. It can handle both objects and arrays.

3. Implementation Details: The parser uses loops and conditions to navigate through the JSON structure, and there are functions for decoding JSON strings.

4. Error Handling: A custom error function is included to manage issues during parsing.

The parser is concise, demonstrating that JSON parsing can be done effectively in just forty lines of AWK code.

No summary available.

Lago is hiring for various positions. They are looking for candidates who are skilled and passionate about their work. Job openings may include roles in different departments, and applicants can find more information on their website. Interested individuals should check for specific job requirements and apply if they meet the qualifications.

No summary available.

The article "The Death of the Middle-Class Musician" by Luc Rinaldi discusses the challenges faced by musicians today, highlighting how it has become easier to create music but more difficult to earn a living from it.

Key points include:

1. Struggles of Musicians: Many artists, like Rollie Pemberton (known as Cadence Weapon), experience financial difficulties despite achieving some level of fame. They often rely on side jobs and grants, as earnings from music are insufficient.

2. Record Deals and Streaming: Artists typically sign unfavorable contracts with record labels that take a significant portion of their earnings. With the rise of streaming services like Spotify, artists earn very little per stream, and many find it hard to generate revenue from their music.

3. Impact of the Pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation for musicians, making it harder to tour and increasing expenses. Many artists now find touring unprofitable.

4. Mental Health Issues: The financial pressures have led to mental health challenges among musicians, with high rates of anxiety and depression reported.

5. Economic Importance of Music: The music industry plays a vital role in the economy, supporting many jobs and local businesses. However, when artists can't make a living, the entire cultural ecosystem suffers.

6. Need for Change: There is a call for systemic change in how the music industry operates, including better support from the government, fairer treatment from streaming services, and increased emphasis on artist independence.

7. Grassroots Movements: Artists like Pemberton are advocating for better conditions, such as fairer merchandise sales and increased awareness of the struggles artists face.

Overall, the article emphasizes the urgent need for reform in the music industry to support artists’ livelihoods and ensure the sustainability of music as a cultural force.

Summary: Why Go Rocks for Building a Lua Interpreter

Roxy Light shares her experience of building a custom Lua interpreter in Go. She found existing Lua interpreters unsuitable for her needs and enjoyed the process over several months.

Key Points:

1. Lua Overview: Lua is a dynamically typed language with several data types, including nil, booleans, numbers, strings, tables, and functions. Lua code is parsed into functions, and operations on global variables are managed through a special table called _ENV.

2. Interpreter Structure: The interpreter consists of three Go packages: lualex (for tokenizing Lua code), luacode (for parsing and generating executable instructions), and lua (which executes the instructions). The parser in luacode directly generates instructions rather than an abstract syntax tree, allowing for efficient execution.

3. Data Representation: Go's interface types effectively represent Lua values. The interpreter uses Go types to implement Lua types, enabling operations like numeric conversions and function handling.

4. Execution Process: Lua code gets translated into a sequence of instructions that the interpreter executes, using a stack-based model. This allows for efficient processing and optimizations, such as constant folding.

5. Benefits of Using Go: The built-in garbage collection, types, and standard library in Go simplified the interpreter's design compared to PUC‑RioLua, leading to easier testing and maintenance.

6. Challenges: Key challenges included rethinking error handling, porting certain libraries, and managing Lua's garbage collector without stalling the host program. The original Lua test suite also posed difficulties due to its dependencies.

7. Conclusion: The project was rewarding, and Light plans to keep the interpreter as part of her zb project rather than a standalone package. She highlights the productivity benefits of using Go for such projects and intends to share more insights in the future.

Overall, Light’s journey showcases how Go’s features can enhance the development of a Lua interpreter while addressing the complexities involved.

The author shares their journey of moving away from Amazon for ebook purchases, focusing on switching from Kindle books to EPUB formats. They jailbroke their Kindle to use a custom e-reader app called KOReader, which can read various ebook formats. While the jailbreaking process was manageable, the user interface of KOReader was initially confusing.

The main goal for the author is to buy ebooks without supporting Amazon, but they faced challenges with syncing new books and removing DRM (Digital Rights Management) protections from purchased books. Using Calibre, they explored ways to automate this process but found it cumbersome.

Despite these efforts, the author acknowledged that Amazon has a strong hold on the ebook market, often directing users to their platform for purchases. They also mentioned the appeal of Amazon’s frequent discounts and the challenge of finding non-DRM fiction elsewhere.

Overall, the experience has been difficult and not very convenient, but the author hopes for easier solutions in the future.

The text discusses the challenges and corruptions inherent in social media platforms, highlighting that attempts to create better alternatives often fail because they operate within the same flawed economic structures. The author, a founder who tried to create a social platform called Circliq, reflects on the addictive nature of existing social media and how these platforms evolve from genuine connection to prioritizing user engagement and profit.

Key points include:

1. Failed Solutions: New social platforms like BeReal and Clubhouse started with good intentions but ultimately became corrupt as they sought growth and funding, shifting focus from connection to user numbers.

2. Addiction vs. ADHD: The author argues that social media addiction is a systemic issue, not just individual weakness. Users are manipulated by algorithms designed to keep them engaged.

3. Impact on Mental Health: The rise of social media has correlated with increased anxiety and depression, especially among younger generations, as they struggle with constant comparison and information overload.

4. Need for Systemic Change: The solution is not more apps, but rather rethinking how social media is funded and structured. Suggestions include:

   • Different funding models that prioritize user wellbeing.
   • Regulating algorithms to reduce addictive features.
   • Measuring success by the quality of relationships rather than user engagement.

5. Emphasis on Human Connection: The author advocates for creating environments that foster genuine connections outside of profit-driven platforms, aiming for a system that supports real human interaction rather than addiction.

In summary, to address the problems of social media, we need to change the economic incentives that drive these platforms, focusing on connection and wellbeing rather than engagement and profit.

The author reflects on reaching 1000 days of sobriety and feels a sense of accomplishment. They regret starting to drink in the first place, realizing that drinking alone did not provide the social benefits often associated with alcohol. They believe they wasted a significant portion of their life drinking instead of pursuing their goals. The author theorizes that true healing from past issues begins when a person genuinely forgets what it was like to be affected by those issues. They note that while they can acknowledge their past behavior, they no longer relate to the logic behind it. The author emphasizes the importance of moving on from one's past to create a better future.

A recent study reveals that Earth is trapping significantly more heat than predicted by climate models, with the rate of energy accumulation having doubled over the past 20 years. This imbalance in Earth's energy budget, which measures how much heat enters and leaves the atmosphere, has increased from approximately 0.6 watts per square meter (W/m²) in the mid-2000s to about 1.3 W/m² now.

This increase suggests that climate change could accelerate in the coming years, leading to more extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts, and intense rainfall. Most of the excess heat is being absorbed by the oceans, while only a small fraction warms the land or melts ice.

Researchers track this energy imbalance using satellite measurements and ocean temperature readings. The changes in cloud coverage, particularly a decrease in highly reflective clouds, may also contribute to the rapid increase in heat retention.

Overall, these findings indicate that recent extreme temperatures may not be isolated incidents but part of a longer trend of increasing global warming. There is a call for urgent action to reduce fossil fuel use and monitor climate changes effectively, especially as funding for satellite monitoring faces uncertainties.

WorldVLA is a new model that combines action understanding and image generation into one system. It integrates a Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model with a world model. The world model predicts future images by using both actions and images to understand the environment better, which helps improve action generation. At the same time, the action model produces actions based on what it sees, enhancing both visual understanding and image generation.

WorldVLA performs better than separate action and world models, showing that they improve each other. However, we noticed that the action model struggles when generating a sequence of actions in order, as errors from earlier actions can affect later ones. To fix this, we introduced an attention mask strategy that hides some previous actions while generating the current one, leading to better performance in generating action sequences.

Israeli soldiers have reported that the army has intentionally shot at unarmed Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza over the past month. This action has raised serious concerns about the treatment of civilians in conflict zones.

Scientists have discovered a new organelle in human cells called the hemifusome, which acts as a recycling center for cellular materials. This finding, made by researchers at the University of Virginia and the National Institutes of Health, suggests the hemifusome plays a crucial role in how cells manage and process their contents. The structure is temporary and only appears when needed, making it difficult to identify until now.

Using advanced imaging techniques, researchers found that hemifusomes help form vesicles—tiny sacs that transport materials within cells—but they do not take part in the process of endocytosis (the way cells absorb external substances). Hemifusomes are common in certain cell regions, especially near the cell membrane, but scientists are still investigating how they form and what happens if they malfunction. Understanding hemifusomes could lead to new treatments for genetic disorders linked to cellular cargo handling.

Over the last two weeks, I created a simple programming language. I modified the Go language's scanner and parser to make functions return just one value. This change allows for better handling of results and errors. I also added short anonymous functions that automatically infer types, making it easier to use functions like Map, Reduce, and Filter without lengthy type specifications.

The text discusses using DuckDB WASM and Cloudflare R2 for hosting and querying large datasets, particularly one with 150 million rows (around 72 GB). It highlights that traditional SQL databases may not be cost-effective for this size of data, suggesting that hosting data as static files in Cloudflare R2 and querying it with DuckDB WASM is a better solution. This setup allows users to run queries without needing a server, as client machines handle the querying and displaying of data.

Key points include:

• Cloudflare R2 has no egress charges, making it economical for handling large data.
• The total yearly cost for hosting 72 GB of data is estimated at $23, including domain and storage.
• The setup allows for scaling to many users and large datasets easily.
• Users can create dashboards and graphics client-side, enhancing interactivity without additional server costs.

The author also notes limitations in querying multiple file partitions with R2, comparing it to S3's capabilities. Overall, this approach is presented as an efficient and low-cost way to manage and query large datasets publicly.

No summary available.

The Raspberry Pi Radio Module 2 is now available for $4. It is a standalone Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radio module that allows users to create wireless products without needing to recertify the radio components. This module uses the same radio as the Raspberry Pi Pico W and is designed for easy integration with RP2040 and RP2350-based products.

Key features include:

• Compact size (16.5mm x 14.5mm) with a low number of external components needed.
• Built-in 2.4GHz antenna and simple connection interface.
• Full modular certification to avoid costly radio certification processes.
• Supports Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) and Bluetooth 5.2, providing strong performance even when sharing an antenna.

The module is compatible with the Raspberry Pi Pico SDK and MicroPython, making it easy for developers to use. It has already been incorporated into products from partners like SparkFun and Pimoroni.

I created a small open-source tool to test and compare different language model (LLM) API endpoints, including OpenAI, Claude, and self-hosted models like llama.cpp. The tool runs a set number of tests and provides two important metrics:

• First-token latency (ms): The time it takes for the first response.
• Output speed (tokens/sec): How quickly the model generates text.

You can see a demo of the tool here and find the code here.

The aim of this tool is to make it easy to visually and consistently evaluate the performance of various LLM providers, including cheaper third-party services. It supports:

• OpenAI-compatible APIs (official and proxies)
• Claude via Anthropic
• Local or self-hosted models

You can also self-host the tool using docker-compose, and adding new providers is straightforward. I welcome feedback, pull requests, or test reports, especially for lesser-known services.

Summary of "Tools I Love: mise"

Mise is a powerful tool that simplifies the installation and management of software, particularly for developers using various programming languages. It integrates with existing version and package managers like asdf and nvm, making it easy to manage environment variables and execute tasks.

Key Features:

• Easy Installation: You can quickly install tools with commands like mise use <tool>.
• Directory-Specific Configurations: Mise uses a configuration file called mise.toml to manage different tool versions for specific projects. This allows different directories to have different software versions.
• Version Management: You can define specific versions of tools in the mise.toml file, ensuring everyone on the team uses the correct versions.
• CI/CD Integration: Mise is advantageous for Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, maintaining consistency between development and build environments.
• Task Declaration: You can declare common operations (like installation and testing) as tasks in mise.toml, making it easier for all developers to run them uniformly.

Security Note: There are concerns about software dependency management and the potential for malicious code to be included in binaries, which should be considered when using mise.

Overall, mise is a tool that enhances productivity by streamlining software management and ensuring consistency across projects.

The article explains the difference between integers and floating point numbers in computer systems. Here are the key points simplified:

1. Definitions:

   • Integers (int32 and int64) are whole numbers, while floating point numbers (float32 and float64) can represent real numbers but may not represent all integers exactly.

2. 32-bit Integers (int32):

   • They can represent numbers from -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.
   • Most int32 values cannot be exactly represented as float32 (32-bit float). Only about 3.5% of int32 values can be represented exactly as float32.

3. 64-bit Integers (int64):

   • They can represent much larger numbers.
   • Similar to int32, only about 0.5% of int64 values can be represented exactly as float64 (64-bit float).

4. Python's Integers:

   • Python allows integers of unlimited size, but its floating point numbers are float64. This means some large integers might not fit into a float.

In summary, while integers can be real numbers, most can't be precisely represented as floats in computer systems.

No summary available.

A recent study titled “A Consensus Statement on Potential Negative Impacts of Smartphone and Social Media Use on Adolescent Mental Health” highlights important findings about the effects of smartphones on children. Researchers from various fields gathered to evaluate 26 claims related to this topic.

Key points from the study include:

1. Declining Mental Health: Adolescent mental health in several Western countries has worsened over the past 20 years.
2. Negative Correlations: There is a link between smartphone/social media use and issues like attention problems and behavioral addiction.
3. Impact on Girls: For young girls, social media use is associated with body dissatisfaction, perfectionism, mental health issues, and increased risk of sexual harassment.

The consensus among experts indicates that smartphones and social media can be harmful to children, especially girls. While there was less agreement on specific policy solutions, many experts believe that age restrictions on social media could be beneficial.

The study emphasizes that despite the complexities involved in studying these issues, there is strong agreement on the negative effects of technology on youth. This suggests the need for precautionary measures, such as limiting children's access to certain apps and the internet, to promote their well-being.

In summary, the evidence strongly supports taking action to protect children from the potential harms of smartphones and social media.

Researchers have discovered that a type of lichen, known as Clavascidium lacinulatum, can survive extreme levels of UV-C radiation, which is usually lethal to most life forms. This lichen, found in the Mojave Desert, has a dark color that scientists believe helps it endure sunny conditions. In lab tests, when exposed to high doses of UV-C—20 times more than what is found on Mars—about half of the lichen's algal cells survived after three months, and some even reproduced.

The lichen's resilience is attributed to special compounds in its outer layer that act like sunscreen. Interestingly, these compounds likely evolved to protect the lichen from oxygen's harmful effects rather than UV-C radiation, as the ozone layer that blocks UV-C did not exist when lichens first evolved.

This finding raises questions about the potential for life on other planets with high radiation levels, suggesting that if life exists elsewhere, it may have similar protective adaptations. Overall, this research shifts the focus from whether a planet is habitable to understanding how life could survive under extreme conditions.

Summary of Context Engineering

Context engineering is about providing the right information in a model's context to enhance its performance. It goes beyond simple prompt engineering, which focuses on individual instructions, to encompass the broader context that includes memory, tools, and control flow.

Key Points:

1. Definition: Context engineering optimizes all aspects of the context surrounding prompts, allowing for better guidance and thought processes in models.

2. Importance: While prompt engineering is popular, real effectiveness comes from managing the entire context. This approach is based on the idea that meaning arises from interactions within a specific context.

3. Structure of the Repository:

   • Foundations: Basics of context and its components.
   • Guides: Hands-on tutorials to implement context engineering.
   • Templates: Reusable structures for context management.
   • Examples: Real-world applications demonstrating context engineering.
   • Reference Material: In-depth documentation and evaluation metrics.

4. Learning Outcomes:

   • Understanding token budgeting for cost-effective context use.
   • Implementing few-shot learning for better performance.
   • Creating memory systems for coherent interactions.
   • Using retrieval methods to ground responses in facts.
   • Managing complex tasks through control flow.

5. Contributions: The project encourages community involvement and offers guidelines for contributions.

6. License: The repository is available under the MIT License.

This guide is designed for learners at all levels, emphasizing practical applications and iterative improvements in context design.

No summary available.

No summary available.

Raymond Laflamme (1960-2025) reflects on the recent advancements in Busy Beaver numbers, specifically BB(6), which describe the maximum number of steps a 6-state Turing machine can take before halting. Recent discoveries have shown that BB(6) is not just large, but vastly beyond previous estimates, with a new lower bound exceeding 10,000,000^10 and even reaching extraordinary values like 2 tetrated to the 2 tetrated to the 2 tetrated to the 9.

In previous work, BB(5) was established as 47,176,870, illustrating a significant leap in complexity between BB(5) and BB(6). Laflamme expresses excitement about these findings, which reignite his passion for research amidst a troubling world. He also considers the implications for the values of BB(n) as n increases, suggesting that they might become independent of certain axioms in set theory sooner than previously thought.

Overall, the post highlights the dynamic progress in understanding the limits of computation and the vastness of certain mathematical functions, contrasting it with the challenges faced in the broader world.

Wayback is a new experimental tool that allows users to run full X desktop environments using Wayland, a modern display server protocol. It acts as a lightweight compositor, providing the necessary features to run an Xwayland server. The goal is to eventually replace the traditional X.org server in the Alpine Linux distribution, which will help reduce the maintenance needed for X applications.

Since Wayback is still in an experimental phase, users should expect it to have bugs and frequent changes. If you encounter issues, it’s encouraged to help by fixing them and submitting those changes.

To install Wayback, you need the following dependencies:

• Wayland components (wayland-server, wayland-client, wayland-cursor, wayland-egl)
• Wayland protocol version 1.14 or higher
• xkbcommon
• wlroots version 0.19

To build and install Wayback, you would use the following commands:

1. meson setup _build
2. cd _build
3. meson compile
4. meson install