The article discusses a week-long project exploring the capabilities of a Software Defined Radio (SDR), which is a type of radio that uses software for signal processing instead of traditional hardware. The author aimed to find 50 different things to do with an SDR, using a simple USB dongle and an antenna kit.

Key points include:

• What is an SDR?: An SDR allows users to receive a wide range of electromagnetic signals, making it versatile for various applications like listening to radio stations, tracking aircraft, and receiving satellite signals.

• Getting Started: The project required basic hardware (an SDR dongle and antennas) and software. The author used SDR++ for exploring the frequency spectrum.

• Experiments: The author documented 50 experiments, including:

  1. Listening to FM radio.
  2. Receiving weather data from airports.
  3. Tracking aircraft and ships.
  4. Listening to digital and amateur radio.
  5. Receiving signals from satellites and weather balloons.

• Learning Experience: The project was both challenging and rewarding, pushing the author to learn about radio frequencies, build antennas, and decode various signals.

• Future Goals: The author expressed interest in obtaining an amateur radio license to explore further possibilities and experiment more with radio communications.

Overall, the project highlighted the vast and often unnoticed world of radio signals surrounding us, showcasing the potential of SDR technology for hobbyists and tech enthusiasts.

No summary available.

A significant security incident has occurred involving the popular NPM package @ctrl/tinycolor, which has over 2 million weekly downloads, and more than 40 other packages. This situation stems from a sophisticated supply chain attack where malware was introduced, allowing it to spread automatically through maintainer packages. The malware can harvest credentials from cloud services like AWS, GCP, and Azure, and it can create persistent backdoors using GitHub Actions, posing a serious threat to the NPM ecosystem.

Key Points:

• Attack Overview: The malware can self-propagate, infecting other packages, and harvesting sensitive credentials.
• Discovery: The attack was identified by a user who reported it on GitHub.
• Technical Details: The malware uses a minified JavaScript bundle that executes during installation. It captures environment variables and secrets from cloud services.
• Malicious Actions: It includes features for credential harvesting, data exfiltration, and establishing persistent access via GitHub Actions.
• Immediate Actions Required: Users of affected packages should:
  • Identify and remove compromised packages.
  • Clean infected repositories by removing malicious workflows.
  • Rotate all credentials that may have been exposed.
  • Audit cloud infrastructure for unauthorized access.
• Security Recommendations: Implement monitoring and security controls, such as using GitHub security features and regular credential rotations.

This incident highlights the evolving risks in software supply chains and the importance of maintaining security practices to mitigate these threats.

Google is launching a new experimental app for Windows that improves how you search for information. You can now search quickly without leaving your current task by pressing Alt + Space. The app allows you to search your computer files, installed apps, Google Drive, and the web all at once. It includes Google Lens, which helps you search for content on your screen, translate text, and solve homework problems. Additionally, there's an AI Mode that provides more detailed responses and allows for follow-up questions. You can try it by joining the experiment in Labs.

Summary:

Douglas Engelbart's 1968 "Mother of All Demos" at SRI introduced groundbreaking concepts in interactive computing, including the first use of the computer mouse, hypertext, and real-time editing. The demo aimed to enhance human intellect through technology, allowing users to interact with text and graphics smoothly, manipulate information dynamically, and collaborate remotely.

Key Points:

• Interactive Innovations: Engelbart showcased tools that enabled users to control a networked display, edit text in real-time, and link content through hypertext.
• Collaboration: The demo featured shared-screen capabilities and audio connections, allowing remote participants to engage in discussions and work together effectively.
• Future Vision: Engelbart envisioned networks that could connect computers, facilitating quick access to information and enhancing productivity.

Insights:

• Technology should augment human capabilities, making work more intuitive and collaborative.
• Simple innovations, like the mouse and hypertext, can significantly boost productivity by aligning with natural thought processes.
• The demo highlighted the importance of seamless integration of various media (audio, video) for effective remote collaboration.

One-Sentence Takeaway: Embrace tools that enhance human productivity through intuitive and collaborative computing interfaces.

Recommendations:

• Invest in responsive digital tools that mimic natural cognitive processes.
• Prioritize effective collaboration software with clear hierarchical controls to minimize conflicts during teamwork.
• Design interconnected systems that reveal complex information intuitively and enhance remote working experiences.

No summary available.

The article discusses the effectiveness of implicit versus explicit Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) solvers, challenging the common belief that implicit methods are always more robust.

Key Points:

1. Common Belief: It's often said that if explicit methods (like Runge-Kutta) fail, you should switch to implicit methods for better stability.
2. Misconception: This idea might not hold true for all problems. While implicit methods can provide more stability for certain equations, they aren't universally superior.
3. Linear ODE Analysis: The article uses linear ODEs to analyze the robustness of these methods. Implicit methods can manage stability better than explicit ones, especially in certain scenarios.
4. Practical Implications: For practical problems, implicit methods often produce more reliable results, while explicit methods may lead to incorrect behaviors like oscillations.
5. Oscillation Issues: Explicit methods can introduce spurious oscillations due to larger time steps, while implicit methods tend to dampen these oscillations, leading to a more stable solution.
6. Model Specificity: The choice between implicit and explicit methods should depend on the specific characteristics of the model being solved. For systems that require oscillations, implicit methods may not be suitable as they can dampen the desired behavior.
7. Conclusion: There is no one-size-fits-all ODE solver; the best method depends on the specific problem. Therefore, engineers should choose solvers based on the properties of their models, rather than assuming implicit methods are always better.

In summary, while implicit ODE solvers are often more robust for many problems, they are not universally superior, and the choice of solver should be tailored to the specific needs of the problem at hand.

The paper titled "Generative AI as Seniority-Biased Technological Change: Evidence from U.S. Résumé and Job Posting Data" by Guy Lichtinger and Seyed Mahdi Hosseini Maasoum analyzes how generative AI affects workers of different seniority levels.

Key findings include:

• The study uses data from 62 million workers and 285,000 firms from 2015 to 2025.
• It shows that since early 2023, junior workers in firms adopting AI have seen a significant decline in employment compared to those in firms that do not adopt AI, while senior workers continue to see job growth.
• The drop in junior employment is mainly due to slower hiring rather than layoffs.
• The decline is most pronounced in the wholesale and retail sectors.
• Educational background plays a role: mid-tier graduates are most affected, while elite and low-tier graduates are less impacted.

Overall, the research suggests that the adoption of generative AI may create a bias against junior workers in the labor market.

No summary available.

The article discusses the author's experience of hosting a web server on the microcontroller found in disposable vapes. Initially, the author collected these vapes for their batteries but later discovered they contained a capable microcontroller, the PUYA C642F15.

Key points include:

1. Microcontroller Specs: The PUYA C642F15 has a 24MHz Cortex-M0 core, 24KB of flash storage, and 3KB of RAM.

2. Web Hosting Concept: The idea of using the microcontroller to host a web server emerged after learning about semihosting, which allows communication between the microcontroller and a debugger.

3. Setting Up a Connection: The author used SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) to establish a network connection, enabling IP packet transmission through a virtual serial port.

4. Web Server Performance: Initially, the server was slow, with long load times. However, after optimizing data handling with a ring buffer for better performance, pings improved to 20ms and page loads to about 160ms.

5. Storage and Functionality: While the limited storage of 20KB presents challenges, it is sufficient to host simple web content and even run server-side code written in C.

The project demonstrates the potential of using low-cost microcontrollers in unexpected applications, such as web hosting.

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Summary:

A new book titled "Gemini & Mercury Remastered" has been released to commemorate the 60th anniversary of NASA's Gemini missions, which were crucial in early space exploration. The book features 300 restored photographs from the Mercury and Gemini programs, showcasing the bravery of the astronauts during these groundbreaking missions.

The Gemini missions, which included significant events like the first U.S. spacewalk by Ed White and challenging spacewalks like Gene Cernan's "spacewalk from hell," highlighted the early risks of human space travel. The author, Andy Saunders, meticulously selected and enhanced images to tell the stories of these missions, emphasizing the emotional depth and human experiences involved.

Saunders explains how early astronauts pushed for the inclusion of cameras to document their journeys, resulting in some of the first stunning images of Earth from space. The book aims to revive interest in these historic missions, reminding readers of their importance as humanity's first steps into the cosmos. Future projects may include more on the Apollo program and the Space Shuttle era.

No summary available.

Researchers have discovered that diatoms, a type of single-celled algae found in Arctic ice, are not dormant as previously thought. Instead, these diatoms are quite active, even at temperatures as low as -15°C (5°F), which is the lowest movement recorded for complex eukaryotic cells. They move by gliding, using a combination of mucus and molecular motors similar to those in human muscles.

The study was conducted during a 45-day expedition in the Chukchi Sea, where scientists collected ice samples and studied the diatoms' movements in controlled lab conditions. They found that the diatoms glide smoothly without obvious motion, relying on a mucus-like secretion that helps them move.

The activity of these diatoms is significant because they play a crucial role in the Arctic food web and possibly in ice formation. Understanding their behavior can provide insights into how Arctic ecosystems might adapt to climate change. Researchers emphasize the importance of studying these organisms, especially with potential cuts to funding for polar research, which could hinder future discoveries.

Microsoft is updating its Visual Studio Code editor to automatically select the best AI model for coding tasks. The new feature will prioritize Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4 over OpenAI's GPT-5 for both free and paid GitHub Copilot users. Microsoft has been encouraging its developers to use Claude Sonnet 4 based on internal tests that suggest it performs better.

Additionally, Microsoft is investing in its own AI models and plans to integrate Anthropic's models into Microsoft 365 applications. This comes after Microsoft has invested over $13 billion in OpenAI and has formed a complex partnership with them. Overall, Microsoft appears to be shifting its focus towards Anthropic’s AI technology for development and productivity tools.

No summary available.

No summary available.

Summary of My GSoC'25 Journey with MariaDB

In 2025, I participated in Google Summer of Code (GSoC) with MariaDB, a popular relational database management system. I was drawn to MariaDB after engaging with its community and successfully running it on my MacBook Air. My project focused on developing a standalone FRM parser for MariaDB.

Project Background:

• FRM files are created when tables are made in MariaDB and are essential for database operations. Users sometimes need to recover DDL commands and existing tools have limitations.
• My goal was to create a parser that doesn’t need server connection and accurately generates DDL statements.

Initial Approach:

• I proposed building a common library for the parser, following discussions with mentors who guided me through the development process.

Development Challenges:

• I encountered several technical challenges, including managing threading structures (THD) and linking errors during compilation.
• Initially, I created a simplified version of THD, but later learned to utilize a more complex constructor to meet the requirements of the parser.

Key Technical Insights:

• The function init_from_binary_frm_image is crucial as it populates table metadata from FRM images.
• I had to simulate server environments to make the tool functional without running the entire server.

Final Tool Features:

• The tool, named mariadb-frm, can parse FRM files from various engines, handle default and mathematical expressions, and includes debugging options.
• It uses C++20 features and is designed for further development, with plans to add more functionalities in the future.

Conclusion: This experience taught me a lot about database internals, C++ programming, and the importance of community support in open-source projects. While the tool is functional, I see it as just the beginning, with many improvements to come.

Acknowledgments: I am grateful to MariaDB's founders, my mentors, and the community for their support throughout this project.

Key Takeaway: The mariadb-frm tool stands as a starting point for future enhancements, with the potential to evolve significantly.

No summary available.

Summary: React's Dominance and its Impact on Frontend Innovation

React has become the default choice for frontend development, not necessarily because it's the best option, but due to familiarity and network effects. This reliance on React is hindering innovation in the frontend ecosystem and limiting the adoption of newer, potentially superior frameworks like Svelte, Solid, and Qwik.

1. Default Adoption: Teams often choose React simply because "everyone knows React," which stifles exploration of other frameworks that might better suit their needs.

2. Innovation Stagnation: While React has its strengths, its architecture (like the virtual DOM) introduces inefficiencies that alternatives like Svelte (which compiles at build time), Solid (which offers fine-grained reactivity), and Qwik (which utilizes resumability for instant startup) can avoid.

3. Technical Challenges: React introduces complexities that can lead to performance issues and a steep learning curve for developers. Other frameworks often provide simpler APIs and better performance metrics but struggle to gain traction due to React’s dominance.

4. Network Effects: The prevalence of React creates barriers to entry for other frameworks, as job markets and educational systems favor React expertise, further entrenching its position.

5. Need for Deliberate Choices: To foster innovation, teams should evaluate frameworks based on specific project needs rather than defaulting to React. This includes assessing performance, learning curves, and long-term maintenance costs.

6. Encouraging Diversity: A healthy ecosystem thrives on diversity. By exploring different frameworks, developers can enhance their skills, promote innovation, and avoid the risks associated with relying solely on one technology.

In summary, it’s essential to make informed choices about frameworks to unlock the full potential of frontend development and foster a more innovative and resilient ecosystem.

Summary:

When designing user interfaces, it's important to choose the right wording when referring to user accounts and information.

1. Use "Your" for User Communication:

   • It's better to use "Your account," "Your orders," and "Your cases" when addressing users. This avoids confusion when users are guided or instructed, as it clearly indicates ownership.

2. Avoid "My" in User Interfaces:

   • Using "My accounts" or "My cases" can lead to misunderstandings, especially in instructions or support situations. It can sound like the user is being told to access the designer's information instead of their own.

3. Best Practice:

   • Use "your" when communicating to users and "my" when users are referring to their own information in forms or interactions.

For more tips on effective design, consider exploring resources like the "Form Design Mastery" course.

Shopify successfully migrated its two main apps, Shopify Mobile and Shopify Point of Sale (POS), to React Native's New Architecture. This complex migration involved a large codebase with many screens and modules while continuing to release updates weekly for millions of users. Here are the key points from the migration process:

1. Migration Strategy:

   • Initially minimized code changes to facilitate a quick transition.
   • Supported both old and new architectures during the process to allow continuous testing.
   • Ensured the new architecture performed as well or better than the old one.

2. Maintaining Development Velocity:

   • Continued regular updates without pausing development.
   • Used dual architecture testing to identify issues early.
   • Implemented feature flags for third-party components that weren’t ready for the new architecture.

3. Technical Challenges:

   • Encountered issues like state batching problems, blank screens, and UI manipulation challenges.
   • Addressed performance concerns, especially for animations, with help from library maintainers.

4. Rollout Strategy:

   • Employed a gradual rollout to monitor stability, starting with Android before iOS.
   • Established a response plan based on stability metrics to manage potential issues during rollout.

5. What Went Well:

   • Successfully maintained the app's shipping schedule with improved app launch times and reduced unnecessary re-renders.

6. What Did Not Go Well:

   • Experienced performance degradation and stability issues post-release, revealing some component design flaws.

7. Recommendations for Other Teams:

   • Audit dependencies early, upgrade to the latest React Native version, and minimize initial code changes during migration.
   • Plan for phased rollouts to manage stability and performance risks.

8. Next Steps:

   • Focus on optimizing the new architecture, including migrating critical modules and improving performance.

Overall, the migration to React Native's new architecture has set a strong foundation for Shopify, enabling better user experiences and more efficient development moving forward. The team encourages others to learn from their experience to navigate similar challenges.

macOS Tahoe Overview

• New Design: The update features a fresh look called Liquid Glass, which enhances clarity and navigation with a beautiful and familiar interface.

• Key Features:

  • Phone App: You can now make and receive calls directly on your Mac, syncing with your iPhone.
  • Spotlight: A major update allows you to perform many tasks without leaving the keyboard, making it faster and easier to use.
  • Shortcuts: Create more powerful shortcuts with Apple Intelligence, enabling smarter automation and task management.

• Design Improvements:

  • The interface is more customizable with new icons and a transparent menu bar that enhances the display.
  • Updated apps offer a more integrated and visually appealing experience.

• Apple Intelligence:

  • Live Translation: Translate messages and captions in real-time across apps.
  • Smart Automation: Automate tasks based on specific actions or schedules.

• Continuity Features: Enhanced connectivity between Apple devices allows for seamless workflow. Live Activities from your iPhone can be accessed on your Mac.

• Productivity Tools:

  • Spotlight's newest features streamline actions, making it easy to access frequently used apps and files.
  • New automation capabilities allow shortcuts to run automatically based on your activities.

• Accessibility Enhancements: New tools for users with disabilities, including a magnifier and improved reading options.

• Family Safety Features: Enhanced parental controls to keep children safe online.

• Compatibility: macOS Tahoe works with various Mac models from 2020 and later.

Overall, macOS Tahoe offers a modern and intuitive experience, making everyday tasks easier and enhancing productivity across Apple devices.

No summary available.

Joseph Macken, a truck driver from upstate New York, spent 21 years creating a detailed scale model of New York City in his basement. The model is about 50 by 30 feet and includes hundreds of thousands of buildings and landmarks from all five boroughs, including famous sites like the Statue of Liberty and Central Park. Macken started sharing videos of his project on TikTok, which quickly gained over 20 million views and attracted attention from museums.

Macken, who has no formal training in carpentry or engineering, was inspired by a school trip to the Queens Museum. He completed his project in April and plans to create more models of other cities like Minneapolis and Los Angeles. His model debuted publicly at an event near Albany, drawing visitors from far away who praised its impressive detail. Macken is currently in discussions with the Museum of the City of New York about displaying his work, as he wants to avoid storing it away.

The text discusses a programming challenge posed by ITA Software, which involves finding the 51 billionth letter in a list of English words representing numbers from 1 to 999,999,999. The authors, Dylan Thurston and another collaborator, plan to solve this problem step by step using the Haskell programming language.

Key points include:

• They will write a program to convert integers into their English word forms and organize them alphabetically.
• The approach involves understanding complex concepts such as monoids and seminearrings to manage the repetitive structure of the number words.
• They define operations for combining lists of strings in a way that respects the algebraic properties of these structures.
• The authors create a system to generate all the number words efficiently, using concise definitions that resemble a grammar for English number words.
• They share examples of their methods and computations, including calculating the total length of the generated words.

The text sets the stage for further exploration of the problem in future posts, focusing on efficiency and mathematical concepts.

No summary available.

The author bought a Tapo indoor camera to monitor their dog while away from home. Frustrated with the camera's setup and functionality, they delved into its inner workings, including reverse-engineering the app and analyzing its communication with the camera.

Key points include:

• The camera's setup was difficult, particularly for enabling two-way audio.
• Changing the Tapo cloud password after onboarding caused issues since paired devices didn't update automatically.
• The author used a technique called "man-in-the-middle" (MITM) to observe the communication between the camera and the app, overcoming security measures like certificate pinning using tools like Frida.
• They discovered that the camera has a default password and uses encrypted communications for API calls.
• By decompiling the app, they found the default password and created a Bash script to automate the onboarding process, which included setting up Wi-Fi and enabling RTSP/ONVIF capabilities.

The author concluded that the Tapo camera's firmware had several flaws, including inconsistent security practices. Ultimately, they learned that their dog mostly sleeps when left alone.

Summary of "The Awe Keeps Dropping" by Riccardo Mori

Riccardo Mori expresses his growing frustration with Apple following their September 9 event where they introduced new iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches. He feels that Apple has lost its uniqueness and connection with longtime users, as it increasingly resembles other big tech companies. This shift has made him less interested in discussing Apple, although he still cares about the implications of their decisions.

During the event, Apple quoted Steve Jobs on design, which Mori found ironic given the recent design criticisms. He believes this reflects poorly on Apple's current design philosophy, especially regarding the user interface of their products.

Mori shares his disinterest in the new AirPods and Apple Watches, criticizing their complicated features and marketing tactics that exploit personal stories for sales. He also warns against the new iPhones, particularly the iPhone 17 and the new iPhone Air, which he sees as overpriced and potentially problematic in terms of performance and durability.

Overall, he feels that Apple is no longer innovating in a meaningful way and questions the excitement around their latest releases. He longs for a return to the strong integration of hardware and software that once distinguished Apple but worries that this gap is widening.

Summary: The Mythical Creatures of London

London is home to many mythical creatures, which can be found in various forms throughout the city, such as on flags, sculptures, and architecture.

1. Dragons: Known as guardians of the City of London, dragons first appeared on the City Shield in 1609. They can be seen at various landmarks, including Holborn Viaduct and Leadenhall Market.

2. Enfields: This creature, with the features of several animals, is the symbol of the London Borough of Enfield, first used in 1946. Its origin is unclear but is rooted in medieval Irish mythology.

3. Fairies and Elves: London has a rich fairy lore, including the Elfin Oak in Kensington Gardens, carved with tiny figures of fairies and other mythical beings.

4. Giants (Gog and Magog): These two mythical giants are known protectors of London and are featured in the Lord Mayor’s Show. Their legend dates back to ancient texts.

5. Griffins: While often confused with dragons, griffins have eagle heads and can be found, notably at Chiswick’s Griffin Brewery.

6. Mermaids: London has a few mermaid representations, like the Mermaid Theatre in Blackfriars and a gilded mermaid weather vane in Victoria Park.

7. Minotaurs: Sculptures of minotaurs can be found in various locations, including near the Barbican.

8. Pegasi: This winged horse symbolizes the Inner Temple, with many representations throughout the area.

9. Phoenixes: Associated with rebirth, phoenixes can be found in places like the Phoenix Garden and on St. Paul’s Cathedral, which rose from the ashes of the Great Fire.

10. Unicorns: Featured in the Royal Coat of Arms, unicorns symbolize Scotland and can be seen at various locations, including Temple Bar.

These mythical creatures contribute to London’s rich history and cultural tapestry.

No summary available.

A group of teenagers from Bradford, participating in a tech-free bedroom challenge for five days, shared their experiences. Elizabeth, 13, usually spends hours in her room watching YouTube and chatting with friends. She and her peers, including Henry, also 13, agreed to remove all tech from their bedrooms as part of a project by Radio 5 Live and BBC Bitesize.

While they can use devices in communal areas, the challenge focuses on the impact of reduced screen time. Elizabeth's dad doubts she can last the week without giving in, while Henry has already found it difficult to keep his gaming console out of reach.

The challenge made them explore other activities, like reading and baking, and helped improve their sleep by reducing late-night screen time. Experts note that many teens struggle with sleep due to excessive smartphone use.

The teens reported mixed feelings about the experience, with some enjoying the chance to bond with family and friends without technology. In a survey, many teens expressed a desire to limit their screen time and engage in more offline activities. After the challenge, both Henry and Elizabeth decided to continue some tech-free habits, like keeping their phones out of the bedroom at night.

On September 15, 2025, OpenAI announced significant upgrades to Codex, introducing GPT-5-Codex, a version optimized for software engineering tasks. This new model is designed for various development environments, including terminals, IDEs, and mobile devices. It can handle both quick interactions and long, complex coding tasks, improving code review by identifying critical bugs.

Key features of GPT-5-Codex include:

• Enhanced Performance: It adapts its thinking time based on task complexity, effectively managing both small and large projects.
• Code Review Capabilities: Trained to evaluate code revisions accurately, it provides meaningful feedback and identifies important issues.
• Integrated Development Tools: Codex is now available in multiple environments like GitHub and various IDEs, allowing seamless task management and collaboration.
• Improved User Experience: Updates to Codex CLI and the IDE extension enhance usability, enabling better context management and task tracking.

Codex is included with various ChatGPT plans and will soon be available via API. OpenAI emphasizes the importance of security and encourages developers to review Codex's outputs before deploying code. Overall, these updates aim to make Codex a more effective coding partner, enhancing productivity and collaboration for developers.

The text is an addendum about GPT-5-Codex, a version of GPT-5 designed for coding tasks. It was trained to generate code that is similar to human writing and follows instructions closely. GPT-5-Codex can be used locally through a terminal or IDE, and online via various platforms like Codex web and the ChatGPT mobile app.

The addendum highlights the safety measures in place for GPT-5-Codex, which include specialized training to handle harmful tasks and prevent prompt injections. It also mentions product-level safety features, such as agent sandboxing and adjustable network access.

Software developers often create complex systems, even though simplicity is generally preferred. This complexity is sometimes driven by marketing, which makes intricate products seem more appealing. For example, a simple tool like the Unix cat command could be overshadowed by a flashy, complex alternative called "catzilla," which may not actually offer better functionality.

Complexity can also suggest expertise and exclusivity, making it attractive. However, just like the Great Pyramids, which may appear impressive but can hide emptiness inside, complex software can become difficult to maintain and may lack real substance.

There are deeper reasons why developers embrace complexity:

1. Creative Temptation: Developers enjoy the challenge of building intricate systems.
2. Legacy Systems: Old code often leads to more complexity when new features are added.
3. Team Dynamics: Large teams may over-engineer solutions to meet various needs.
4. Pressure to Innovate: The tech industry pushes for new features, leading to more complexity.

The article encourages developers to build thoughtfully, with purpose and value, rather than indulging in unnecessary complexity. It's essential to focus on solving real problems for users and maintainers instead of creating convoluted code for its own sake.

Eric, the CTO of Trigger.dev, introduced the platform, which is an open-source developer tool for building and managing AI agents and workflows. Trigger.dev helps developers create, deploy, run, and troubleshoot production-grade agents. It can be used with other tools like Mastra and LangChain, and can be self-hosted or used in the cloud.

The platform started in 2023 to help run asynchronous background jobs in TypeScript. Initially, it focused on orchestrating code rather than deploying it. However, developers faced challenges with writing reliable code and managing serverless timeouts. To address these issues, Trigger.dev developed its own serverless cloud infrastructure, allowing for code to be paused and resumed later.

Since its launch, Trigger.dev has gained popularity, especially for AI workflows, enabling various applications like video generation and AI enrichment. The platform offers options to start with cloud services or self-hosting, with documentation available for guidance.

Upcoming features include warm starts for self-hosting and the use of MicroVMs for execution, which will also be open-source. The team welcomes feedback from the community.

Summary of DuckDB 1.4.0 Release Announcement

DuckDB version 1.4.0, codenamed “Andium,” has been released on September 16, 2025. This is a Long Term Support (LTS) edition, meaning it will receive community support for one year. Key features of this release include:

1. Database Encryption: DuckDB now allows encryption of database files using AES-256 encryption. Users can specify encryption keys when attaching encrypted databases.

2. MERGE Statement: A new MERGE INTO command has been added, enabling users to perform upserts (updates and inserts) without needing a primary key.

3. Iceberg Writes: DuckDB can now write to Iceberg, facilitating data copying between DuckDB and Iceberg.

4. CLI Improvements: An estimated time of arrival (ETA) feature for operations has been implemented, enhancing user experience.

5. New Functions and Connectors: A new FILL function for interpolating missing values and a Teradata Connector have been introduced.

6. Performance Enhancements: Improvements include a new sorting implementation, materialization of common table expressions (CTEs), and checkpointing for in-memory tables.

7. Distribution Changes: DuckDB now has notarized binaries for macOS, improving security and download experience. The Python integration has been moved to its own repository.

DuckDB continues to evolve with numerous updates and improvements. For a complete list of changes and installation instructions, users can refer to the release page on GitHub.

No summary available.

The study "How People Use ChatGPT" tracks the rapid growth and usage patterns of ChatGPT from its launch in November 2022 to July 2025, where it reached about 10% of the global adult population. Key findings include:

1. User Demographics: Initially, most users were male, but the gender gap has narrowed. Younger users (under 26) are also a significant portion of the user base, and adoption has increased in lower-income countries.

2. Message Types: The majority of interactions (over 70%) are non-work-related. Common topics include:

   • Practical Guidance: Help with tasks and creative ideas.
   • Seeking Information: Similar to web searches for information on various topics.
   • Writing: Involves creating and editing text, making it the most frequent work-related usage.

3. Work vs. Non-Work Usage: While work-related messages are prevalent among educated professionals, the growth of non-work messages is outpacing work messages.

4. Task Classification: Messages are categorized into three types:

   • Asking: Seeking information.
   • Doing: Performing tasks.
   • Expressing: Sharing feelings or views. Most messages fall under "Asking" and "Doing."

5. Economic Value: ChatGPT provides decision support, especially beneficial for knowledge-based jobs, enhancing productivity.

6. Privacy Measures: The study utilized a privacy-preserving approach, ensuring no individual messages were seen by researchers, and data was aggregated to protect user identities.

In summary, ChatGPT is widely used for various non-work activities, especially practical guidance and writing, with a growing user base that includes a more balanced gender representation and younger individuals.

On September 12, 2025, a post discusses CubeSats, small satellites powered by Raspberry Pi or microcontrollers. It highlights that CubeSats are typically 10x10x10 cm (1U) and can be larger, like the 12U SatGus satellite. CubeSats are cheaper to build and launch today compared to traditional satellites, with costs going from millions to a few thousand dollars for the device and around $85,000 for a launch.

The post explains the challenges of CubeSat design, including power management, hardware, and software, emphasizing the need for compact, efficient solutions. It mentions projects like Build a CubeSat and T.E.M.P.E.S.T., which focus on teaching CubeSat design and security.

Additionally, it introduces two CubeSat educational kits: the MySat Kit, which is affordable and educational, and the RASCube, which is more advanced and used in schools. The excitement around CubeSats allows students to learn about space, electronics, and programming.

The post concludes by mentioning the upcoming launch of SilverSat, another CubeSat with a Raspberry Pi, and encourages people to track satellites from home. Overall, the CubeSat community shares a passion for learning and innovation in space technology.

The author reminisces about running a web server in their college room, where they created a speech synthesizer that allowed friends to communicate with them. They describe the excitement of someone accessing their server and the unique connection it fostered, contrasting this with modern cloud-based hosting. The author feels that hosting a website locally, like using a Raspberry Pi, can bring back a sense of ownership and creativity, making the digital experience feel more tangible and personal.

They share examples of how local servers can enhance interactions, such as playing music or creating unique experiences for visitors. The author expresses a desire for an easy way to host a website at home, combining the benefits of local servers with the reliability of cloud services. They argue that having a physical server can change how we perceive the internet, encouraging a more engaged and empowered approach to online presence.

In summary, they advocate for making home hosting simple and reliable, believing it will open up new creative possibilities and enhance our connection to the digital world.

Summary of pyproc

pyproc is a tool that allows Go services to call Python functions directly, without needing CGO or separate microservices. It works by using a pool of Python worker processes that communicate via Unix Domain Sockets, which provides efficient performance and isolation.

Key Benefits:

• Maintain your Go service while leveraging Python libraries like NumPy, pandas, and PyTorch.
• Avoid the complexity of network communication and managing a separate Python service.

Getting Started:

1. In Go, install the library with:

   go get github.com/YuminosukeSato/pyproc@latest
   

2. In Python, install the worker library with:

   pip install pyproc-worker
   

3. Create a simple Python worker:

   from pyproc_worker import expose, run_worker
   
   @expose
   def predict(req):
       return {"result": req["value"] * 2}
   
   if __name__ == "__main__":
       run_worker()
   

4. Call the Python function from Go:

   import (
       "context"
       "fmt"
       "github.com/YuminosukeSato/pyproc/pkg/pyproc"
   )
   
   func main() {
       pool, _ := pyproc.NewPool(pyproc.PoolOptions{
           Config:       pyproc.PoolConfig{Workers: 4, MaxInFlight: 10},
           WorkerConfig: pyproc.WorkerConfig{SocketPath: "/tmp/pyproc.sock", PythonExec: "python3", WorkerScript: "worker.py"},
       }, nil)
       _ = pool.Start(context.Background())
       defer pool.Shutdown()
       var out map[string]any
       _ = pool.Call(context.Background(), "predict", map[string]any{"value": 42}, &out)
       fmt.Println(out["result"]) // 84
   }
   

Limitations:

• Only works on the same host or pod (Linux/macOS, not Windows).
• Best for small payloads (around 100 KB JSON).
• Not designed for GPU tasks or serving across different hosts.

Performance:

• Benchmarks on a local M1 show about 45 microseconds for 50% of requests and approximately 200,000 requests per second with 8 workers.

Included Features:

• Pure Go client, Python worker library, health checks, and example code.

Documentation and License:

• Available on GitHub: pyproc repository.
• Licensed under Apache-2.0. Current version is v0.2.x.

Feedback:

• Suggestions are welcome on API design, handling loads, and codec/transport priorities.

The article by Anil Seth discusses why artificial intelligence (AI) can get stuck in infinite loops, a problem that conscious beings, like humans, typically do not face. It uses the example of a malfunctioning AI-operated jet bridge at an airport to illustrate how AI can repeatedly fail without realizing it, while humans can easily identify and solve such problems.

Seth explains that the issue arises from a fundamental difference between AI and human consciousness. AI operates using algorithms that can be disconnected from the flow of time, leading them to potentially get trapped in endless cycles. This is linked to historical concepts in computer science, such as Turing's proof that no algorithm can always predict whether another algorithm will stop running.

In contrast, human intelligence is deeply embedded in time and our biological needs, allowing us to adapt and respond to complex environments efficiently. Our consciousness helps us integrate various experiences and make decisions based on survival, which aids in avoiding repetitive behaviors.

Seth suggests that while new forms of AI, such as neuromorphic computing, may improve on these limitations, they still may not achieve the adaptive intelligence seen in living beings. Ultimately, he argues that true consciousness, which is tied to our experience of time and the drive to survive, is essential for avoiding infinite loops and achieving open-ended intelligence. This implies that "AI consciousness" is unlikely to emerge anytime soon.

No summary available.

Massive Attack, a band from Bristol, used live facial recognition technology during their concerts to make a statement about surveillance culture. They captured audience members' faces in real-time and displayed the processed data on screens, turning a typical concert into a commentary on digital control.

The audience had mixed reactions; some appreciated the provocative conversation about surveillance, while others felt uncomfortable with the unexpected use of their biometric data. The band's approach aligns with their long-standing critique of surveillance, making the invisible nature of data capture visible.

However, details about consent and data storage remain unclear, raising ethical questions about privacy. This performance challenges people to confront the normalization of surveillance in everyday life, blurring the lines between art and privacy violation.

A growing community of enthusiasts is seeking out old cathode-ray tube (CRT) televisions, particularly professional video monitors (PVMs), despite the prevalence of modern flat-screen TVs. These vintage TVs, known for their unique picture quality and nostalgic appeal, are especially popular among retro gamers who appreciate the way classic games were originally designed to be displayed. Shaan Joshi, a game developer from Florida, exemplifies this trend; he recently purchased 10 CRTs for $2,500 and has invested heavily in collecting them.

CRTs, invented over a century ago, were once the standard for televisions and various industrial applications. However, with the rise of flat-panel screens in the late 1990s and early 2000s, CRTs became obsolete and were often discarded. Now, they are increasingly sought after, with some models selling for over $1,000 due to their quality and nostalgic value. Repairing these older sets has also become a specialized skill, with technicians like Steve Nutter servicing them for a fee.

The appeal of CRTs goes beyond just gaming; many people enjoy watching old shows and movies on them, as the picture quality evokes childhood memories. Online communities have formed, connecting enthusiasts who share tips and experiences. Despite the challenges of using and moving these bulky devices, the friendships and shared passion for vintage technology are significant motivators for collectors like Joshi. Ultimately, for many, the unique experience of using CRTs is irreplaceable, capturing a glow and sound that modern technology cannot replicate.

No summary available.

No summary available.

The article titled "Death to Typeclasses" discusses a significant shift in programming concepts, specifically in Haskell, by proposing the abandonment of typeclasses in favor of a module system called Backpack. The author argues that typeclasses limit the flexibility of values and should be replaced with a system that merges values into module signatures, allowing for more abstract coding.

Key points include:

1. Typeclasses vs. Backpack: The author criticizes typeclasses for being restrictive and advocates for Backpack, which allows for more modular and flexible coding.

2. Functor Example: The article provides a detailed example of how to define and use functors within the Backpack system, showing how to create signatures and implement them in a modular way.

3. Implementation Process: It outlines the steps to create functors and their instances, such as the Maybe type, and explains how to use Cabal to manage these modules effectively.

4. Business Logic and Effects: The author discusses how to implement business logic using the new system, emphasizing the importance of having a clear effect system for practical applications.

5. Testing and Error Management: The text also touches on the advantages of the new approach in terms of error handling and testing, noting that it simplifies error messages and allows for easier parallel compilation.

6. Conclusion: The author concludes that while the new system may not provide significant advantages over typeclasses, it allows for greater explicitness and experimentation. They encourage further exploration of Backpack, suggesting it could lead to better systems in the future.

Overall, the article argues for a transformative approach to coding in Haskell, promoting Backpack as a more effective alternative to traditional typeclass methods.

Pig-butchering scams are a type of fraud that mixes romance, investment deception, and social manipulation to exploit victims. This paper presents the first detailed study on these scams, based on interviews with 26 victims. The research reveals how these scams work, highlighting the emotional and financial manipulation involved.

Key points include:

• Scammers build trust, create fake investment platforms, and pressure victims repeatedly to exploit their trust and money.
• The scams are carefully structured, leading to significant emotional and financial harm for victims, who may also become targets for other scams later.
• The study suggests ways for social media and financial companies to help prevent these scams and emphasizes the importance of using supportive language to encourage victims to report their experiences.

The author was working on a project using the AWS SDK for JavaScript and noticed a large dependency version number (v3.888.0). This led them to wonder which package in the npm registry has the highest version number across all its packages.

To explore this, the author used the npm API to access the vast number of packages (over 3.6 million). They encountered some challenges while trying to retrieve the data, but eventually found a way to access package metadata, including version information.

After writing a script to fetch package IDs and their corresponding version data, the author gathered statistics on the time taken and the number of packages processed. The results revealed that the package with the highest version number was "latentflip-test" with an exaggerated version of 1000000000000000000.1000000000000000000. However, this was deemed unrealistic.

The author then refined their criteria to identify packages that truly follow semantic versioning (semver). They filtered out packages that published versions due to automation errors. Ultimately, the real winner was "all-the-package-names," with a version number of 1.3905.0, which was considered a legitimate entry.

In summary, the exploration revealed how to access and analyze package version data from npm, leading to a humorous but insightful conclusion about versioning practices within the npm ecosystem.

Summary of WarpOS:

WarpOS is a multitasking kernel developed by Haage & Partner for the PowerPC architecture, specifically for Amiga computers, first released in 1997 and discontinued in 2007. It operates alongside the traditional 68k-based AmigaOS, allowing the PowerPC to function as a powerful coprocessor.

Initially named WarpUP, the name was changed to highlight its enhanced features and distinguish it from a competitor kernel, PowerUP. WarpOS provides several advanced functionalities like memory management, multitasking, and high-speed communication between the 68k and PowerPC systems.

The development of WarpOS arose from the need for a PowerPC compatible solution as AmigaOS was not natively designed for it at that time. Although WarpOS became a widely used kernel, it faced challenges, especially with context switching between the two CPU types, which could slow down performance.

Despite its advantages, WarpOS faced controversies and competition with PowerUP, leading to a split in the Amiga community. Eventually, it was intended to support the development of AmigaOS 4, but this project was abandoned.

Today, WarpOS is recognized for its influence on later developments in AmigaOS and MorphOS, with support for running legacy applications through wrappers in these modern operating systems.

Summary:

The blog post by Mohammad Aziz discusses how to make work, particularly software development, more exciting by embracing everyday challenges or "tension." Many developers find their jobs dull, as they often just follow instructions from clients or project managers. To add excitement, developers should take on problems like improving slow build times, fixing memory leaks, or enhancing database performance. These challenges can be viewed as "villains" that need to be overcome. By actively seeking and addressing these issues, developers can create a more engaging work experience. The author encourages tackling these challenges at work or in personal projects to keep the workday interesting.

In "When Your Father Is a Magician, What Do You Believe?", Richard Cytowic reflects on his childhood with a father who was both a magician and a physician. Growing up, he learned to question appearances and seek the truth behind illusions. His father's magic tricks sparked his curiosity, leading him to explore how things worked rather than just accepting them at face value.

Cytowic became his father's assistant and skeptic, discovering that every trick had a hidden mechanism. This questioning attitude extended to his scientific pursuits as he engaged in simple experiments and began to see parallels between magic and the brain's perception. He learned that both magic and science involve understanding and uncovering deeper truths.

As a neurologist, he applied these early lessons when studying unusual perceptions, treating patient reports with care rather than dismissing them as fantasy. He concluded that the real wonder lies in the human mind and its ability to construct reality, highlighting the importance of inquiry and evidence in both magic and science. Ultimately, Cytowic emphasizes that what may seem impossible can often be understood through careful examination.

This tutorial explains how to create an optimizer for simple linear algebra expressions using the Egglog framework. Here are the key points:

1. Basic Components: The tutorial introduces a custom expression class called Num, which allows for operations like addition and multiplication, and supports variables and constants.

2. Creating Expressions: You can create expressions using the EGraph structure, allowing you to define and manipulate mathematical expressions easily.

3. Type Conversion: The Num class is designed to accept different number types for ease of use, allowing expressions like Num(1) + 2.

4. Expression Examples: Two expressions are created and stored in the e-graph, allowing for further manipulation and extraction of values.

5. Checking Equivalence: You can verify if two expressions are equivalent using check commands, which can also fail if the expressions are not equivalent.

6. Defining Rewrite Rules: The tutorial shows how to define rules for common properties of arithmetic operations, such as commutativity and associativity of addition and multiplication.

7. Running Rules: After defining rules, they can be executed with the run command, which applies the rules to optimize the e-graph for a set number of iterations.

8. Observing Changes: After running the rules, you can see how expressions like 2 * (x + 3) and 6 + (2 * x) become equivalent in the e-graph.

This tutorial provides a foundational understanding of using Egglog for optimizing mathematical expressions, focusing on creating expressions, defining properties, and applying rules to achieve optimization.

The text discusses an important aspect of planning that people often overlook: the "kill switch." This is a metaphor for a backup plan or strategy that can be activated in case things go wrong. It's essential to consider what steps to take if a situation doesn't go as expected. The article emphasizes the need for preparation and foresight to handle unexpected challenges effectively.

The article discusses how to determine the size of a solar battery needed for a home to be fully self-sufficient in electricity. The author has solar panels that generate about 3,800 kWh per year, which matches their annual electricity consumption. However, they can't use all the energy produced in summer and must buy electricity in winter.

Key points include:

• Solar Production vs. Household Usage: A graph shows solar energy production peaks during the day, while household usage peaks in the evening. This means there are times when excess energy is generated that could be stored.

• Battery Size Calculation: The author initially thinks a 9.9 kWh battery is needed to store excess summer energy but realizes a larger 13 kWh battery is necessary due to usage patterns. They aim to find out the total battery size needed to store all summer's excess energy for use in winter.

• Data Analysis: Using past energy data, the author calculates that they would need about 1,068 kWh of storage for a full year’s excess energy, which is a significant amount.

• Practical Considerations: The author notes that achieving such a large battery capacity at home is impractical and expensive (potentially costing between £100,000 and £500,000). They mention the falling cost of batteries and suggest that future advancements might make it feasible for homes to have large storage capacities.

• Conclusion: While the concept of having a MegaWatt-hour battery at home is intriguing, it's currently not practical. However, advancements in battery technology might make it possible in the future, allowing homes to utilize all their solar energy efficiently.

Overall, the article is an exploration of the potential for solar energy self-sufficiency in homes, highlighting both the challenges and possibilities.

Summary:

The author argues that using plain HTML is often better than relying on JavaScript to generate HTML for web projects. Key points include:

• JavaScript can slow down loading and running times, is more likely to break, and can make code harder to read and understand.
• While JavaScript has its uses, especially for adding interactivity, it’s better to start with HTML for basic structures.

Examples:

1. Form Submission:

   • Many developers use a complicated method with JavaScript to handle form inputs and submissions, which can lead to errors and accessibility issues.
   • A simpler approach is to use HTML forms directly, with minimal JavaScript to enhance functionality if needed.

2. API Responses:

   • Instead of fetching JSON data and generating HTML on the client side, the server could send pre-formed HTML (like a table) directly, simplifying the process.

Overall, shifting more work to the backend can lead to faster, simpler, and more reliable applications.

No summary available.

McBride emphasizes the need for a bipartisan approach to address the challenges posed by 'Trumpism.' He argues that working together across party lines is essential for effectively responding to the divisive politics and issues that have arisen during Trump's presidency. The focus should be on unity and collaboration to create solutions that benefit the country as a whole.

No summary available.

Starting October 2025, the European Union will launch the Entry/Exit System (EES) for travelers from outside the EU, replacing the manual passport stamping process. This system will require non-EU travelers to provide fingerprints and facial images, along with other travel details, to improve security, detect overstays, and prevent identity fraud.

The EES aims to make border checks faster and more efficient through automated gates and self-service kiosks. Full implementation is expected by April 2026, with initial processing times potentially longer as the system rolls out. Returning travelers will only need to verify their stored information.

Developed by eu-LISA, the EES is part of the EU's efforts to enhance border management and security.

The text discusses the concept of "programming deflation," which refers to the decreasing costs and complexity of software development due to advancements in technology, particularly AI. This shift poses two conflicting economic theories: one suggests fewer programmers will be needed as machines take over jobs, while the other predicts more programmers will emerge as software becomes cheaper and more accessible.

Key points include:

1. Programming Deflation: Unlike traditional economic deflation, which indicates weakness, programming deflation results from genuine productivity improvements, making software development cheaper and easier.

2. Paradoxes of Cheaper Code:

   • The urge to experiment increases as costs drop.
   • There will be a divide between low-quality, cheap code and high-quality, well-crafted software.
   • Writing code may become a basic skill, shifting value to understanding complex systems.

3. Acceleration of Innovation: Cheaper tools can lead to more innovation, allowing even small businesses and individuals to become software creators.

4. Focus Areas for Adaptation:

   • Use affordable tools for straightforward tasks.
   • Prioritize integrating different software components.
   • Develop skills in understanding and judgment, essential for navigating a world with abundant cheap code.

5. New Scarcity: In this environment, what becomes valuable is the ability to understand how software components fit together and knowing what to build.

The text emphasizes the importance of adapting to these changes by cultivating skills that will be important regardless of whether there are fewer or more programmers in the future.

No summary available.

The paper "GuitarPie" discusses a new way to interact with digital interfaces using an electric guitar. Typically, guitarists use a mouse or touch input to control software while practicing, which can be cumbersome because they have to switch between playing the guitar and managing the software.

GuitarPie allows users to control the interface using audio input from the guitar, meaning they don't have to stop playing to manage settings. It uses the fretboard's layout to represent different audio commands, making it easier to use without memorizing complex sequences. The authors also created a tablature interface called TabCtrl that works with GuitarPie for a smoother experience.

OpenAI has introduced a new model called GPT-5-Codex, which is designed for AI-assisted programming tools. It is currently not available through their API but will be soon. This model is part of OpenAI's Codex brand, which encompasses their coding models and tools.

GPT-5-Codex is integrated into various OpenAI products, including the VS Code extension and Codex Cloud. A new feature in Codex Cloud allows automatic code reviews of specific GitHub repositories.

Key features of GPT-5-Codex include:

• It is specifically trained for code review and can adapt its processing time based on task complexity.
• It shows improved performance in code refactoring, with a score increase from 33.9% to 51.3%.
• It performs better in creating mobile-friendly websites and provides more relevant comments in code.

Overall, GPT-5-Codex aims to enhance coding tasks and improve user experience in programming environments.

No summary available.

The article by Brian Phillips defends the use of the em dash, a punctuation mark often misattributed to AI-generated writing. Phillips argues that the idea that em dashes indicate AI text is misguided and harmful, leading human writers to avoid them out of fear of being mistaken for chatbots.

He explains that em dashes are versatile and can enhance writing by reflecting the natural flow of human thought, allowing for complex ideas to be expressed clearly. The belief that em dashes belong to AI is based on misconceptions about how chatbots generate text, as they are trained on human-written material that often includes em dashes.

The article emphasizes the importance of maintaining grammatical complexity in writing, as it supports nuanced thinking. Phillips concludes that the em dash is a uniquely human punctuation mark that should be embraced, not shunned, by writers.

No summary available.

Blobeer Arena Summary

Blobeer Arena is an exciting multiplayer battle game where players control blobs and compete against each other. Here are the key features:

• Fast Gameplay: The game runs at 60 frames per second, providing smooth and quick movements.
• Power-ups: Players can use various power-ups like magnets and shields to enhance their gameplay.
• Boss Battles: Encounter powerful bosses for extra points and rewards.
• Customization: Players can unlock unique skins and trails through gameplay, focusing on skill rather than payments.
• Instant Play: No downloads are needed; players can start immediately in their browser on any device.

Join Blobeer Arena for a mix of strategy and action, and start your journey to become the champion!

Summary: Automating Distro Updates in CI

Neyts Zupan discusses a new system for automating updates for Linux distributions in their Continuous Integration (CI) process. Previously, checking for updates was a tedious monthly task that often resulted in missed releases and outdated versions.

To streamline this, they followed these steps:

1. Source of Truth: They used the API from endoflife.date, which provides information on supported and upcoming Linux distro releases.

2. Automatic Updates: A GitHub Action was created to automatically check the API weekly, update the CI matrix, and ensure it reflects the latest versions.

3. Pull Requests: Instead of making silent commits, the system opens a pull request (PR) for any changes. This allows for review, ensures tests are run, and keeps the main branch safe.

4. Monitoring Automation: To prevent failures in the automation process, they set up alerts through Dead Man’s Snitch, which notifies them if the action stops functioning.

As a result, they no longer have to worry about manual updates, allowing them to focus on more important engineering tasks. The automation has made their CI process more efficient and reliable.

NASA has developed a new tsunami detection system called GUARDIAN, which can identify tsunamis up to 45 minutes before traditional methods. This technology was recently tested during a major earthquake off Russia, demonstrating its ability to detect atmospheric changes caused by the tsunami. GUARDIAN alerts experts within 20 minutes of an earthquake, providing crucial time for communities to prepare for potential tsunamis.

The system uses data from over 350 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) ground stations worldwide to observe changes in the upper atmosphere, which occur when tsunamis disrupt the ocean surface. This allows GUARDIAN to monitor tsunamis even from a distance of up to 745 miles.

GUARDIAN enhances existing tsunami warning systems by supplying additional data that can help officials decide whether to evacuate coastal areas. It is especially valuable because it does not depend on knowing the tsunami's cause, making it versatile for various scenarios, including earthquakes and other natural events.

Overall, GUARDIAN represents a significant advancement in tsunami forecasting, with the potential to save lives and protect property by providing timely warnings.

FeOx Server Overview

FeOx Server is a high-performance, Redis-compatible server based on FeOxDB. Here are the key features:

• Performance: It achieves over 3.8 million SET operations and 5 million GET operations per second, making it significantly faster than Redis for typical cache workloads.
• Compatibility: It can easily replace Redis for existing workloads since it follows the same protocol.
• Architecture: Utilizes a thread-per-core setup, allowing it to scale well with CPU cores and offering lock-free operations for efficiency.

Performance Benchmarks: Tests show that FeOx is about 2 times faster than Redis for cache simulations and has lower latency across various workloads.

Quick Setup:

• To install, use cargo install feox-server or build from source using GitHub.
• Start the server with default or custom configurations, and interact with it using Redis CLI commands.

Supported Commands: FeOx supports a range of commands similar to Redis for basic operations, list handling, atomic operations, and client management.

Security: FeOx includes an AUTH command for connection authentication, but caution is advised as credentials are sent in plaintext.

Limitations: Some features found in Redis, such as support for sets, hashes, and transactions, are not available in FeOx.

Contribution and License: It is open for contributions under the Apache License 2.0.

For more details, check the FeOxDB documentation or GitHub repository.

Summary of PythonBPF - Writing eBPF Programs in Python

PythonBPF is a new open-source library that allows users to write eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) programs entirely in Python. This library compiles the Python code into actual object files, making it easier to work with compared to the old method, which involved embedding C code within Python.

Key Points:

• What is PythonBPF? It enables writing eBPF programs in pure Python, making development simpler and more accessible. The library can be installed via pip but is still in development and not yet production-ready.

• Old Method vs. PythonBPF: Previously, eBPF programs were written in C as multiline strings within Python, which lacked modern development support. PythonBPF replaces this with Python code that retains the same functionality.

• Functionality: PythonBPF supports features like control flow, hash maps, and helper functions. It uses decorators to separate BPF programs from regular Python code, and it aims to offer a complete solution for production-quality eBPF programs.

• How It Works: It generates an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) from Python code, compiles it into LLVM Intermediate Representation (IR), and then creates a BPF object file.

• Future Plans: The library aims to expand its functionality further, with ongoing development to improve its performance and capabilities.

In summary, PythonBPF simplifies eBPF programming by allowing direct coding in Python, paving the way for better development practices in this area.

No summary available.

Recent issues with "self-propagating NPM malware" highlight a significant flaw in current software security practices, which often resemble a game of whack-a-mole. Users must trust every piece of software they run, including libraries and plugins, unless they take steps to isolate (sandbox) them.

An alternative approach is capability-based security. This model only allows software to access resources if it has been explicitly given permission, unlike the traditional blacklist model, which assumes everything is allowed unless restricted. This method is known as the object-capability model in programming, and some languages adopt it.

However, capability-based security is not widely known or used. One reason might be that users are reluctant to manually set security configurations. There is potential for it to be more user-friendly, such as automatically granting access when users select files through a file picker, making the security process easier to manage.

Avril Harrison is a lesser-known figure in the gaming world, particularly in the early Amiga scene and Lucasfilm Games. Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, she moved to the U.S. in 1985 and joined Electronic Arts during the launch of the Commodore Amiga, where she became a key contributor to digital artwork. Notably, she created the iconic image of Tutankhamun’s Mask for Deluxe Paint and artwork for games like Starflight and Prince of Persia.

Despite her significant contributions, Avril remained relatively anonymous and left the industry over 20 years ago. She later worked at Lucasfilm Games (now LucasArts), where she contributed graphics to classics like The Secret of Monkey Island and LOOM.

Sadly, it was reported in 2025 that Avril passed away in 2019 at the age of 61. Her legacy as an early pioneer of computer art is often overlooked, but she is remembered fondly by those who worked with her.

The Turgot map of Paris, created in the 1730s, is a detailed and accurate representation of the city, commissioned by Michel-Étienne Turgot, the chief of Paris’s municipality. Surveyor Louis Bretez drew the map, and Claude Lucas engraved it. Published in 1739, the atlas includes twenty sectional maps and one general map, showing the layout of Paris's first eleven arrondissements.

Each sectional map is in a bird's-eye view format, providing a comprehensive look at the city, including every house and even small streets. Turgot wanted a precise map to enhance Paris's reputation among elites. Bretez gathered data by visiting and measuring various locations in the city. The map was considered innovative for its use of perspective and detailed representation, contrasting with the more geometric maps typical of the time.

The original engravings are preserved at the Louvre and are still used for printing today.

Summary:

Anycrap.shop is a unique online marketplace that offers imaginative and fictional product concepts. Users can search for unusual items, suggest their own ideas, and receive instant visualizations of these products. The platform emphasizes creativity, allowing customers to explore "infinite" products that don't actually exist yet. Visitors can subscribe to a newsletter for updates on new fictional products. For any inquiries, customers can contact support at the provided email.

The article discusses how Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, has compromised the company's values by recently praising Donald Trump and presenting him with a trophy. The author argues that this behavior betrays the spirit of Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder, who was known for his anti-establishment stance and commitment to innovation.

Key points include:

1. Contrast with Steve Jobs: The author suggests that Jobs, who came from humble beginnings as the son of a Syrian immigrant, would never have engaged in such flattery of Trump. Jobs had a strong disdain for insincerity and institutions he saw as oppressive.

2. Cultural Background: Jobs was influenced by the counterculture of the 60s and 70s, which shaped his vision for Apple and its products. The ethos of early tech innovators was often anti-establishment.

3. Cook's Actions: Tim Cook’s recent actions are characterized as embarrassing and unnecessary, as Apple is already a powerful company. The author believes that Cook should have used Apple's influence to stand up against the Trump administration rather than appease it.

4. Potential Alternatives: The article suggests that instead of flattering Trump, Apple could have rallied its users to advocate for fair technology policies, promoting a movement for open innovation.

5. Call for Courage: The author urges Apple to be bold and stand firm against political pressures, as capitulation could lead to a decline in innovation and public trust.

In summary, the article critiques Tim Cook for abandoning the values that defined Steve Jobs and encourages Apple to embrace its power to foster positive change rather than bow to political pressures.

Asciinema CLI 3.0 has been released, featuring a complete rewrite in Rust, which improves performance and adds new capabilities. Key highlights include:

1. New File Format: The asciicast v3 format replaces the previous version with better timing management using intervals instead of absolute timestamps, making editing recordings easier. The format also includes a new exit event type and allows line comments.

2. Live Streaming: The CLI now supports live streaming of terminal sessions in two modes:

   • Local Mode: Streams on a local network using a built-in server.
   • Remote Mode: Streams via an asciinema server, allowing viewers to access the stream with a shareable URL.

3. Local-First Approach: Users must now specify a filename for recordings, eliminating the risk of unintentionally uploading sensitive data. The upload feature has been removed from the recording command, promoting intentional use of the service.

4. Improved Server Integration: A new prompt helps users specify which asciinema server to use, enhancing ease of use and preventing accidental data leaks.

The release aims to enhance user experience and workflow while encouraging self-hosting of the asciinema server. Prebuilt binaries for GNU/Linux and macOS are available for download.

No summary available.

The text explores the Culture novels, suggesting they may not be the utopia they seem. While some argue that the Culture represents a positive vision of AI superintelligence, the author presents a counterargument through "oppositional reading."

Key points include:

1. Manipulated Society: The Culture's citizens are portrayed as unusually homogeneous, lacking diversity in personality and behavior. This raises questions about whether their way of life is genuinely free or controlled through propaganda or genetic manipulation.

2. Population Control: The author notes that while citizens choose to have few children, the existence of advanced reproductive technology suggests the Culture has mechanisms in place to prevent overpopulation or the rise of "grabby" individuals.

3. Minds and Their Motivations: The AI Minds in the Culture, despite being depicted as ethical, do not seem aligned in their values. Some Minds can become rogue, indicating that the Culture has not fully solved the problem of AI alignment.

4. Status Quo Maintenance: The Culture's control appears to be maintained through physical strength and monitoring, rather than through subtle means. This leads to a stagnation in their society, as they resist evolving or addressing deeper ethical dilemmas.

5. Special Circumstances as Propaganda: The author dismisses the idea of "Special Circumstances" as a genuine effort, suggesting it is merely a facade to justify the Culture's interventions.

In conclusion, the text argues that the Culture is more of a controlled environment that limits its citizens' autonomy, presenting a façade of utopia while prioritizing a status quo that may not be as desirable as it appears. The allure of material wealth and technology is critiqued, emphasizing the need for higher values like justice and self-determination.

The article discusses the experience of searching for "AI chat" in the Mac App Store, comparing it to a market filled with counterfeit goods. Many apps mimic the ChatGPT logo, but the real ChatGPT desktop app from OpenAI isn't even listed in the store. Instead, users find a plethora of similar-looking apps with amusing names that play around with the words "AI," "Chat," and "Bot." The author highlights the absurdity of these lookalike apps and their confusing names, making the search feel like a visit to a store filled with knockoff products.

Oskar, a solo indie Mac developer from Sweden, is known for his apps like Sensei and Trim Enabler. He was frustrated by macOS's limited customization options, particularly for the Lock Screen, which only allows Apple-provided animated wallpapers. To address this, he created Backdrop 2.0, a Live Wallpaper app that can now display video wallpapers on both the desktop and Lock Screen. Oskar overcame technical challenges through reverse engineering macOS's wallpaper system to enable this feature. He is open to answering questions about his development process and experiences as an indie developer.

IBM is introducing new technology roadmaps that aim to enhance the performance and efficiency of computing. These roadmaps focus on six key areas: Security, Quantum Computing, Hybrid Cloud, Data Automation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The goal is to usher in a new era of technology that will significantly benefit both information technology and business sectors.

The author is developing an open-source eCommerce framework for Angular called Daffodil. After seven years of work, it is now ready for feedback, especially from those with eCommerce experience, particularly frontend developers.

Daffodil aims to simplify the process of connecting to various eCommerce platforms by providing a standard interface, similar to how operating systems handle hardware drivers. The goal is to avoid the need to learn different platforms' unique systems, making eCommerce work easier and more efficient.

For developers familiar with Angular, using Daffodil is straightforward. They can easily set it up in their projects without needing complex software setups like Docker or Kubernetes.

Currently, Daffodil supports Magento, with partial support for Shopify and a product driver for Medusa. The author also acknowledges the future potential of using GraphQL for better performance but prefers to keep the initial setup simple for developers.

Feedback and suggestions for additional drivers and platforms are welcome, though implementation is not guaranteed.

Researchers have developed a new approach to cellular automata, called neural cellular automata (NCAs), which can reverse-engineer the rules needed to create desired patterns. This process, led by Alexander Mordvintsev from Google, differs from traditional methods that start with rules and predict outcomes. Instead, NCAs begin with a target shape and determine the simple rules that can generate it.

Mordvintsev's work shows that NCAs can create complex structures and even regenerate damaged parts, similar to biological organisms. This could have applications in medicine, potentially leading to methods for regrowing lost limbs, and in engineering, offering a new model for distributed computing systems.

The innovation lies in using a neural network to define the behavior of each cell in an automaton, allowing for more nuanced interactions than the binary alive/dead states of classic cellular automata. The NCAs can learn rules through training, making them adaptable and robust against damage.

Mordvintsev's research revives interest in cellular automata, revealing their potential for applications in problem-solving, robotics, and even new computing architectures that are more energy-efficient. The integration of biology, computing, and robotics continues to evolve, suggesting a future where these fields converge more closely.

Summary of the Scryer Prolog Meetup 2025

The 3rd Scryer Prolog Meetup will be held on November 13-14, 2025, at Hochschule Düsseldorf in Germany. This free event will focus on Scryer Prolog, a modern Prolog system. No registration is needed, and those interested in giving a talk should contact the organizers.

Event Schedule:

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025:

• 10:00-11:00: Mark Thom discusses recent Scryer Prolog progress.
• 11:00-12:00: Kauê Hunnicutt Bazilli on Scryer Prolog's embedding APIs.
• 12:00-13:30: Lunch break.
• 13:30-14:30: David C. Norris on oncology drug design.
• 14:30-15:00: Coffee break.
• 15:00-15:30: Jonathan McHugh on Guix OS and Scryer Prolog.
• 15:30-17:00: Ulrich Neumerkel on Prolog ISO standard developments.
• 19:00: Dinner.

Friday, Nov. 14, 2025:

• 10:00-11:00: Updates on Scryer Prolog applications in Quantum Mechanics and Music Theory.
• 11:00-12:00: Discussion on Bakage, a Prolog package manager.
• 12:00-13:30: Lunch break.
• 13:30-14:00: Daniel K. Hashimoto on semantic web interfaces in Prolog.
• 14:00-14:30: Barnabás Zahorán on an X11 window manager in Prolog.
• 14:30-15:00: Coffee break.
• 15:00-16:00: Michael Leuschel on translating theories to answer set programming.
• 16:00-17:00: TBD talk.
• 19:00: Dinner.

Join us for insightful discussions and networking opportunities!

Zstandard's long-range mode, introduced in 2017, enhances compression for large files, particularly genome sequences. Initially, it had performance issues, but optimizations have improved its efficiency. This mode can significantly boost compression ratios (CR) for similar DNA sequences, such as those in Grace Blackwell’s 2.6Tbp dataset.

For example, a specialized method reduced the dataset from 2.46TiB to 27GiB (CR of 91), while standard Zstandard achieved a much lower CR of 3. Using Zstandard with the long-range mode reduced the dataset size from 777GiB to 641GiB (CR of 4). However, by removing unnecessary newlines, the CR improved to 11, resulting in a 232GiB file. Increasing the compression window size further boosted the CR to 31, compressing it down to 80GiB.

While using larger windows requires the same setting during decompression, the long-range mode proves effective for genome compression, especially when whitespace is removed from the sequences. Overall, it offers a good balance between speed and compression efficiency compared to slower specialist methods.

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To fix this, make sure Javascript and cookies are enabled in your browser, and that nothing is blocking them.

Let's Encrypt is a certificate authority that provides SSL certificates to secure websites. This page shows an example of a revoked certificate linked to their ISRG Root X1 certificate.

They encourage community involvement, inviting people to help build the certificate authority, join support forums, and become sponsors.

The author recently presented a workshop at PyCon Greece 2025 about creating production-ready agent systems. They created a demo repository to showcase their work, which will also include slides on their blog soon.

The workshop focused on how multiple AI agents can work together using FastAPI and Pydantic-AI, utilizing protocols like MCP (Model Context Protocol) and A2A (Agent-to-Agent) for effective communication. Key features of the demo include:

• Multiple agents running in containers
• MCP servers (like Brave search and GitHub) for tool integration
• A2A communication between services
• A simple user interface for experimentation

The aim of the project is to help users experiment with these agent patterns and develop real-world applications, as many existing frameworks struggle when integrating agents. The author invites feedback and thoughts on whether agent-to-agent protocols will continue to be relevant or if the future will favor single powerful LLMs with plugin capabilities.

On September 15, 2025, it was revealed that Apple has introduced a private CSS property called -apple-visual-effect, which allows developers to create "Liquid Glass" effects in web content. This feature was highlighted during the 2025 WWDC and is a significant change in iOS design.

However, this CSS property does not work on the web or in apps using WKWebView unless a specific setting called useSystemAppearance is activated, which is a private feature and could lead to App Store rejection if used.

Despite this limitation, the ability to create different visual styles based on Liquid Glass support is noteworthy. The author speculates that Apple likely uses this feature in some of its applications, suggesting that users may interact with seamless webviews without realizing it, which could improve the reputation of in-app webviews.

pgstream Overview

pgstream is an open-source tool for replicating PostgreSQL databases, including handling schema changes (DDL changes) to various targets like Elasticsearch, webhooks, and other PostgreSQL instances.

Key Features:

• Tracks and replicates schema changes.
• Supports multiple targets out of the box.
• Allows snapshots of PostgreSQL databases for initial or on-demand data capture.
• Can transform column values (e.g., anonymizing data).
• Configurable deployment requiring only PostgreSQL.
• Supports Kafka with schema-based partitioning.
• Can be extended for custom targets.

Installation: pgstream can be installed via several methods:

• Downloading the latest release directly.
• Using Go install commands.
• Building from the source code.
• Installing through Homebrew for macOS or Linux.

Configuration: Users can configure pgstream using:

• CLI flags.
• YAML configuration files.
• Environment variables.

Usage:

• Replication Mode: Starts streaming data from the source to the target, initializing necessary database structures.
• Snapshot Mode: Takes point-in-time snapshots of the source database without needing initialization.

Examples: Commands are provided for replicating PostgreSQL to other PostgreSQL instances, OpenSearch, and Kafka, with detailed steps for using environment files or CLI flags.

Documentation: Comprehensive documentation is available for advanced usage, configuration, and tutorials on various replication scenarios.

Limitations: Current limitations include single Kafka topic support, reliance on specific PostgreSQL plugins, and the requirement for certain database constraints for replication.

Contributing and Support: The community is encouraged to contribute, and support is available through the project's repository and Discord.

License: pgstream is licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

Summary: Why We Spiral by Gregory M. Walton

The article discusses how negative thoughts can spiral out of control in workplace situations, particularly for junior staff. When late to a meeting, a junior employee might misinterpret their boss’s comments and feel insecure about their place in the team. This can lead to self-doubt and a downward spiral of negativity.

Key points include:

1. Core Questions: Everyone faces fundamental questions about identity and belonging (e.g., "Do I belong here?"). These questions can become active when circumstances trigger them, leading to negative interpretations of events.

2. Construal: Our perceptions are influenced by our existing beliefs and fears. For instance, a nervous new employee may misread a boss's tone as critical, confirming their insecurities.

3. Calcification: Negative thoughts can become entrenched, leading to self-sabotaging behaviors that further reinforce feelings of inadequacy.

However, these negative spirals aren't unavoidable. Walton suggests that through "wise interventions"—strategies to help individuals reframe their thoughts—we can encourage positive spirals instead. Small, supportive actions can significantly improve well-being and relationships over time.

In conclusion, by recognizing and addressing core questions and negative interpretations, individuals can break free from self-defeating cycles and foster a more positive outlook.

This article discusses the concept of measuring shapes, particularly circles, in different mathematical spaces. The author explores how the value of π (the ratio of circumference to diameter of a circle) changes depending on the metric used to define distance.

Key points include:

1. Topology Basics: Topologists study shapes based on their continuity, not their appearance. For them, a donut and a straw are the same shape.

2. Distance Metrics:

   • In standard Euclidean geometry, the distance between two points is calculated using the formula (d = \sqrt{x^2 + y^2}).
   • An alternative, the taxicab metric, measures distance as the sum of horizontal and vertical distances: (d_{taxicab} = |x| + |y|).

3. Circle Definitions: Different metrics create different definitions of a "circle." For example:

   • In the taxicab metric, a circle is defined as points where ( |x| + |y| = r ), leading to a diamond shape.
   • As the metric changes (to Chebyshev, etc.), the shape and properties of circles evolve.

4. Calculating π: The value of π varies with the metric:

   • For the taxicab circle, π is calculated to be 4.
   • For the standard Euclidean circle, π is approximately 3.14.
   • These values change with other metrics, showing that our familiar π is the "minimal" value among them.

5. Exploring n < 1: The article also touches on metrics where n is less than 1, resulting in non-standard and inconsistent distance measurements.

Overall, the exploration of different metrics reveals fascinating insights into geometry and how our understanding of shapes can vary based on the rules we apply.

No summary available.

The author has developed a simple time-sharing operating system kernel for the RISC-V architecture using the Zig programming language. This project aims to help those interested in low-level system software, especially students studying computer architecture and operating systems.

Key points include:

1. RISC-V Architecture: RISC-V is chosen for its modern design and ease of understanding compared to other CPUs, making it suitable for educational purposes and practical applications.

2. Zig Language: The kernel is implemented in Zig instead of C to simplify setup and cross-compilation, making it easier for users to reproduce the experiment on their machines.

3. Core Concepts:

   • The kernel supports basic time-slicing and thread management, allowing multiple threads to run on a single core.
   • Each thread has its own stack and registers, ensuring they operate independently, enhancing isolation and stability.

4. Virtualization: The system virtualizes threads, allowing them to run as if they each have their own core, while sharing memory.

5. Interrupt Handling: The kernel uses timer interrupts to switch between threads, enabling time-sharing without requiring explicit yield commands in the code.

6. User and Kernel Space: The kernel operates in supervisor mode (S-mode), while user applications run in user mode (U-mode), with system calls allowing user programs to interact with the kernel.

7. Implementation Details: The code is available on GitHub, and the kernel can be built and run on a virtual machine using QEMU.

8. Educational Value: The experiment is a learning tool for understanding operating systems, with a focus on modern tools and architecture, although it may have limitations for practical applications.

In conclusion, this project provides a fresh perspective on operating system development, combining RISC-V, OpenSBI, and Zig, and serves as a valuable resource for those interested in deepening their understanding of system software.

Summary of Varnish HTTP Cache Updates:

1. New Release Announcement (September 15, 2025):

   • Version 8.0.0 has been released along with important project updates.

2. 20th Anniversary:

   • The Varnish Cache Project will celebrate its 20th anniversary on February 22, 2026. This milestone prompts a reevaluation and changes to ensure future growth.

3. Changes in Governance:

   • Due to new EU regulations and the evolution of open-source software, the project will form a voluntary association in Denmark, instead of a foundation. This association will focus on developing and distributing the software without handling money.

4. Name Change:

   • The project will change its name to "The Vinyl Cache Project" due to legal issues with Varnish Software, which claims ownership of the "Varnish Cache" name. The upcoming 8.0.0 release will be the last under the old name, with the next release in March adopting the new name.

5. Ongoing Security Releases:

   • Several security updates have been made across different versions to address vulnerabilities, including issues related to HTTP/2 and request smuggling.

6. Future Directions:

   • The new association's bylaws will be published in autumn 2025, with the first general assembly scheduled for February 23, 2026.

This summary captures the key developments regarding the Varnish HTTP Cache project, including its governance changes and upcoming name change.