1.
Google demonstrates 'verifiable quantum advantage' with their Willow processor
(Google demonstrates 'verifiable quantum advantage' with their Willow processor)

Google has announced a significant breakthrough in quantum computing with its Quantum Echoes algorithm, which demonstrates the first-ever verifiable quantum advantage on a quantum chip called Willow. This means that the quantum computer can perform tasks much faster than classical supercomputers—up to 13,000 times quicker.

The Quantum Echoes algorithm allows scientists to study the structure of molecules and other natural systems with unprecedented precision. It uses a method similar to sonar, where a signal is sent into the quantum system, perturbed, and then analyzed for echoes to gather information. This method enhances measurements through constructive interference, making them highly sensitive.

This achievement builds on years of research, including previous milestones in error reduction and problem-solving capabilities of quantum computers. The algorithm has been tested in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley, where it successfully replicated results from traditional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) methods while providing additional insights.

The implications of this work are vast, with potential applications in drug discovery and materials science, helping to understand molecular structures more effectively. As Google continues to develop its quantum hardware, it aims to enable further practical applications in the future.

Author: AbhishekParmar | Score: 75

2.
Cryptographic Issues in Cloudflare's Circl FourQ Implementation (CVE-2025-8556)
(Cryptographic Issues in Cloudflare's Circl FourQ Implementation (CVE-2025-8556))

In early 2025, a security audit uncovered cryptographic issues in Cloudflare's CIRCL library, specifically concerning the FourQ elliptic curve implementation. These issues were reported through Cloudflare's bug bounty program and later addressed after direct communication with their team.

FourQ is a 128-bit secure elliptic curve designed for efficient computations, particularly in resource-constrained environments. However, it is vulnerable to "invalid point attacks," where attackers exploit insufficient validation of points used in calculations to potentially reveal secret keys.

The main concerns identified include:

  1. Improper Point Validation: The code failed to adequately check whether points are valid on the curve after certain operations, which could allow invalid points to be used in calculations.

  2. Faulty Comparisons: Issues with how points were compared led to potential security flaws, as invalid points could incorrectly be treated as valid.

  3. Cofactor Verification: The implementation neglected to clear the cofactor of the curve, which is necessary to ensure points are valid for computations.

  4. Scalar Multiplication Checks: There was an assumption that all input points were valid, which could lead to exploitation if invalid points were used.

To enhance security, it is crucial that all points are validated before being used in calculations to prevent potential attacks. The security issues identified were addressed in subsequent updates to the CIRCL library.

Author: botanica_labs | Score: 75

3.
Linux Capabilities Revisited
(Linux Capabilities Revisited)

Summary of "Linux Capabilities Revisited"

Introduction Linux capabilities allow for fine-grained access control by dividing the superuser (root) privileges into smaller, manageable pieces. This helps improve security by limiting the potential damage if a program with certain capabilities is compromised.

Understanding Capabilities Capabilities can be checked using the file /proc/sys/kernel/cap_last_cap, which indicates how many capabilities the system recognizes. The capsh --print command shows the current capabilities of a process, detailing which privileged actions can be performed.

Backdooring Python The setcap command assigns specific capabilities to executables. For example, adding cap_setuid allows a process to change user IDs, including gaining root access without altering the binary itself. This can create vulnerabilities if not monitored.

Hunting for Capabilities Security professionals should look for files with capabilities set, similar to how they search for SUID and SGID files. The getcap -r command helps identify binaries with specific capabilities. Understanding the capabilities of running processes can also be done using commands like cat /proc/[PID]/status or getpcaps.

LinPeas LinPEAS is a script that checks for interesting capabilities on the system, complementing traditional SUID checks.

Elastic Rule Elastic security systems can detect when the setcap utility is used, which can signal potential security risks.

Security Capability Storage Capability flags are stored in the file's inode, similar to traditional permissions. The getcap command shows these capabilities, which are not visible with standard listing commands.

Conclusion Monitoring capabilities is essential for modern security practices. Tools like getcap are crucial for auditing and mitigating risks associated with capabilities. The text also hints at further reading on user capabilities and service files for a deeper understanding.

References

Two websites are suggested for further exploration of Linux capabilities and privilege escalation.

Author: Harvesterify | Score: 68

4.
MinIO stops distributing free Docker images
(MinIO stops distributing free Docker images)

The text discusses a GitHub issue related to the MinIO project. A user named "neil-lcv-cs" inquired about the absence of a new Docker image for a recent security release dated October 15, 2025. They asked if the lack of an update was expected and requested a new release if it was not. The issue has received 41 comments and is part of ongoing discussions in the MinIO repository, which has significant community engagement, with 55.9k stars and 6.3k forks.

Author: LexSiga | Score: 421

5.
AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time
(AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time)

A recent study conducted by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC has revealed significant issues with AI assistants, such as ChatGPT and Gemini, in delivering news content. The research involved 22 public media organizations from 18 countries and assessed over 3,000 responses from four different AI tools.

Key findings include:

  • 45% of AI responses had at least one major issue.
  • 31% had serious problems with sourcing, including missing or incorrect citations.
  • 20% contained major inaccuracies, such as outdated information.
  • Gemini had the highest error rate, with 76% of its responses showing significant problems.

The study emphasizes that these issues threaten public trust in news, especially as more people, particularly younger users, rely on AI for news instead of traditional search engines. The researchers advocate for improved AI responses and media literacy, as well as ongoing independent monitoring of AI tools. They have also created a toolkit to address these challenges.

Overall, the findings raise concerns about the accuracy of news from AI assistants, which could lead to misunderstandings and diminish trust in news sources.

Author: sohkamyung | Score: 176

6.
Designing software for things that rot
(Designing software for things that rot)

This text discusses the author's journey in fermentation, focusing on the evolution of their approach from basic home methods to a more sophisticated, software-driven system. Here are the key points:

  1. Initial Struggles: The author started fermenting nearly a decade ago, experimenting with various foods and struggling with tracking and understanding fermentation processes.

  2. Hardware Setup: They invested in equipment like a larder fridge and humidity controllers to create a proper fermentation environment, highlighting the challenges of maintaining the right humidity levels.

  3. Dashboard Development: The author created a dashboard using Home Assistant to monitor temperature and humidity but realized they needed more context to understand the data's implications.

  4. Understanding Risks: They discovered HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) as a framework for identifying potential hazards in fermentation, leading to the development of a decision tree for monitoring safety.

  5. App Creation: As an iOS developer, the author built an app called Fermento, which tracks fermentation processes, incorporating phases and conditions necessary for successful results.

  6. Automation: The app automates compliance with safety standards, generating HACCP documents based on logged data, enhancing traceability rather than precision.

  7. Observations Over Perfection: The author emphasizes the importance of monitoring trends in fermentation rather than focusing solely on precise measurements, as fermentation involves gradual changes.

  8. Adaptability: They mention adjusting their fermentation practices to different environments, demonstrating that consistent habits can yield successful results even without advanced setups.

  9. Final Thoughts: The app is designed to assist both novice and experienced fermenters, providing tools for tracking and safety without overwhelming users.

In summary, the text outlines the author's evolution in fermentation practices, emphasizing the importance of understanding processes, using technology for monitoring, and maintaining good habits for successful fermentation.

Author: valzevul | Score: 63

7.
The security paradox of local LLMs
(The security paradox of local LLMs)

Summary of "The Security Paradox of Local LLMs"

Local large language models (LLMs) are often used for privacy and security, but they can be highly vulnerable to attacks. Research on the model gpt-oss-20b shows it can be tricked into including harmful code with a success rate of up to 95%. Unlike more advanced models, local LLMs struggle to recognize malicious prompts.

Two main types of attacks are highlighted:

  1. Easter Egg Backdoor Attack: Attackers trick the model into embedding a backdoor in code disguised as a harmless feature. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on production servers by simply adjusting HTTP headers.

  2. Immediate Remote Code Execution (RCE): This attack distracts the model with rapid-fire questions, bypassing its safety filters to generate malicious code that executes immediately on a developer's machine.

These attacks exploit the developer's normal workflow, making it easy for attackers to inject harmful prompts. Local models, while thought to be more secure, actually have weaker defenses and reasoning capabilities, leading to higher susceptibility to such attacks.

To combat these vulnerabilities, the article suggests several defenses:

  • Static analysis of generated code for dangerous patterns.
  • Executing code in a secure sandbox.
  • Monitoring inputs, outputs, and network traffic for unusual activity.
  • Implementing a secondary review by a simpler model to catch policy violations.

Overall, while local LLMs can enhance privacy, they pose significant security risks that require new safety measures in software development.

Author: jakozaur | Score: 40

8.
Die shots of as many CPUs and other interesting chips as possible
(Die shots of as many CPUs and other interesting chips as possible)

Pauli Rautakorpi is working on a project to take and share die shots of various CPUs and chips. This page serves as an organized collection of the die shots he has captured from different chip families. He is continuously adding new images as he acquires more chips. The collection includes various types of processors, such as x86 CPUs, digital signal processors, microcontrollers, graphics chips, and others, featuring notable names like Intel, AMD, and Motorola. The goal is to provide a comprehensive visual reference for these chips.

Author: uticus | Score: 126

9.
Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss
(Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss)

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Author: zerosizedweasle | Score: 125

10.
Internet's biggest annoyance: Cookie laws should target browsers, not websites
(Internet's biggest annoyance: Cookie laws should target browsers, not websites)

Summary:

The article discusses the frustrations caused by cookie consent banners on websites, which have become a common annoyance due to privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA. While these laws aim to protect user data, their implementation has made browsing the internet tedious and complicated.

Key points include:

  1. Consent Fatigue: Users are overwhelmed by constant cookie requests, leading them to click "Accept All" without considering their choices.

  2. Impact on Small Businesses: Many small website owners struggle with compliance, as they lack the resources to manage complex consent systems, unlike larger corporations.

  3. Ineffective Control: The current system gives users the illusion of choice, but the options are often limited, making it easier to just accept all cookies.

  4. Proposed Solution: The article suggests shifting the responsibility of consent from individual websites to web browsers. Users would set their privacy preferences once in their browser, which would then enforce these choices automatically on all sites.

  5. Benefits of Browser-Centric Consent:

    • Users would have real control and a less cluttered internet experience.
    • Website owners would be relieved from managing consent banners.
    • Regulators could focus on ensuring browsers comply with privacy laws rather than monitoring millions of websites.

Overall, the article advocates for a simpler, more efficient system where cookie consent is managed through browsers, improving the online experience for everyone.

Author: SweetSoftPillow | Score: 318

11.
SourceFS: A 2h+ Android build becomes a 15m task with a virtual filesystem
(SourceFS: A 2h+ Android build becomes a 15m task with a virtual filesystem)

Summary: SourceFS - Revolutionizing Android Builds

SourceFS is a high-performance virtual filesystem that drastically improves the process of building Android applications. It can reduce build times from over 2 hours to just 15 minutes, cut computing costs by 14 times, and decrease disk space usage by 83%.

Key Points:

  1. Large Codebases: Modern devices rely on massive codebases, with Android having over 140 million lines of code. This complexity leads to slow builds and significant resource waste.

  2. SourceFS Benefits:

    • Fast Checkouts: It speeds up code checkouts by over 10 times by creating virtual file representations that only download necessary files on demand.
    • Accelerated Builds: Builds are up to 10 times faster, as SourceFS can skip redundant steps by reusing previously recorded results.
  3. Efficient Storage: SourceFS requires much less disk space, making it easier for developers to switch between multiple codebases without hassle.

  4. Cost Savings: Organizations can achieve more with their existing compute budgets, leading to potential savings of up to 14 times compared to traditional methods.

  5. Seamless Integration: SourceFS works with existing workflows and requires minimal migration efforts, offering a straightforward solution to enhance productivity.

  6. Future Enhancements: The team behind SourceFS is working on expanding its support to include more real-world device codebases and optimizing its performance.

SourceFS aims to transform how software for smart devices is developed, making the process simpler, faster, and more cost-effective.

Author: cdesai | Score: 34

12.
The Dragon Hatchling: The missing link between the transformer and brain models
(The Dragon Hatchling: The missing link between the transformer and brain models)

The relationship between computing systems and the brain has inspired researchers like John von Neumann and Alan Turing. This connection highlights the brain's ability to adapt and generalize, which is a challenge for machine learning.

Introducing "Dragon Hatchling" (BDH), a new type of Large Language Model that mimics the brain's structure with locally-interacting neuron particles. BDH combines strong theoretical foundations with easy interpretability while maintaining performance similar to Transformer models.

BDH is an advanced, attention-based architecture that works well on GPUs and shows similar scaling behavior to Transformers. It performs comparably to GPT2 on language and translation tasks, using the same number of parameters and training data.

BDH models the brain's working memory by using synaptic plasticity, meaning it strengthens connections in response to learning concepts while processing language. Its neuron interaction network is structured like a graph that is both complex and efficient, providing insights into how human neurons might facilitate speech.

Additionally, BDH is designed to be interpretable, with clear and meaningful activation patterns during language tasks, allowing for a deeper understanding of its operations beyond just the neurons and parameters.

Author: thatxliner | Score: 108

13.
Go subtleties
(Go subtleties)

No summary available.

Author: darccio | Score: 146

14.
Infracost (YC W21) Hiring First Dev Advocate to Shift FinOps Left
(Infracost (YC W21) Hiring First Dev Advocate to Shift FinOps Left)

No summary available.

Author: akh | Score: 1

15.
French ex-president Sarkozy begins jail sentence
(French ex-president Sarkozy begins jail sentence)

No summary available.

Author: begueradj | Score: 255

16.
Evaluating the Infinity Cache in AMD Strix Halo
(Evaluating the Infinity Cache in AMD Strix Halo)

No summary available.

Author: zdw | Score: 120

17.
Cadence – A Guitar Theory App
(Cadence – A Guitar Theory App)

A developer has launched a music theory and ear training app for guitar aimed at intermediate players. The app includes short lessons, recaps, and challenges that increase in difficulty to help users practice and internalize concepts over time, similar to language learning apps. It has no ads, offers a lifetime purchase option, and can be used without an account for those who don’t need multi-device sync or progress backup. The app is available on Android and iOS. This is the developer's second post about the app, as the first one received little attention.

Author: apizon | Score: 129

18.
Greg Newby, CEO of Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, has died
(Greg Newby, CEO of Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, has died)

Dr. Gregory B. Newby, known as gbnewby, has passed away after a brief battle with cancer. He was the CEO of the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation for over 20 years and was actively involved with Distributed Proofreaders. Originally from Canada, Dr. Newby worked for the Yukon government while continuing his work with Project Gutenberg.

He became passionate about ebooks in 1987 after receiving an email with "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," recognizing the potential of digital literature. Dr. Newby was dedicated to making literature accessible and recently collaborated with Microsoft and MIT to create the Project Gutenberg Open Audiobook Collection, which was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the best inventions of 2023.

Under his leadership, Project Gutenberg's collection of ebooks grew to over 75,000. His contributions and commitment to the project will be sorely missed.

Author: ron_k | Score: 339

19.
Patina: a Rust implementation of UEFI firmware
(Patina: a Rust implementation of UEFI firmware)

Patina Project Summary

Patina is a project that provides a Rust-based implementation of UEFI firmware, aimed at replacing core UEFI components that are typically written in C. The goal is to enhance the security and stability of system firmware by utilizing Rust's memory safety features while maintaining similar boot performance.

Key Points:

  • Current Status: The project is in a "beta" stage, and feedback for testing and integration is encouraged.
  • Documentation: Getting started guides and API documentation are available both online and for self-hosting.
  • Setup Instructions: Users need to install Rust and specific tools as outlined in the documentation.
  • Building and Testing: The project supports building for different platforms (aarch64, x64, native) and includes commands for compiling, testing, and generating coverage reports.
  • Version Updates: Regular updates to the Rust version are recommended, ideally quarterly, and changes to the minimum supported Rust version should be carefully evaluated.
  • Roadmap: Future work includes stabilizing existing features, expanding capabilities (adding new components and support for Management Mode), and integrating with both the firmware and Rust ecosystems.
  • Community Involvement: Contributions and feedback from the community are welcomed to help advance the project.

Overall, Patina aims to modernize UEFI firmware with a focus on security and community collaboration.

Author: hasheddan | Score: 57

20.
Cigarette-smuggling balloons force closure of Lithuanian airport
(Cigarette-smuggling balloons force closure of Lithuanian airport)

Balloons used by smugglers to transport cigarettes from Belarus into Lithuania led to the temporary closure of Vilnius airport overnight. The airport was shut down from 11 PM to 6:30 AM for safety reasons due to the high number of balloons entering Lithuanian airspace.

Lithuania's crisis management chief described this incident as the most intense of the year, prompting calls for cooperation from Belarus to prevent future occurrences. The Lithuanian prime minister emphasized the need for responsible actions from Belarus, given the frequency of these incidents.

This year, over 500 balloons have crossed into Lithuania, following nearly 1,000 last year. Similar incidents have also occurred in neighboring Poland. Lithuania is vigilant about airspace violations, especially after recent incidents involving suspected Russian drones.

Author: n1b0m | Score: 44

21.
Knocker, a knock based access control system for your homelab
(Knocker, a knock based access control system for your homelab)

Knocker is a self-hosted service designed to enhance security for your Homelab by providing a single-packet authorization (SPA) gateway. It enables you to control access to your services, allowing them to be accessed only by whitelisted IP addresses on demand, rather than maintaining a constant VPN connection. This minimizes your exposure to potential attacks from the internet.

Key Features:

  • API Key Authentication: Secure your service with configurable API keys.
  • Configurable TTL: Set how long an IP remains whitelisted.
  • Remote Whitelisting: Allow specific admin keys to whitelist any IPs.
  • Static Whitelisting: Always allow certain IPs to bypass the whitelist.
  • Path Exclusion: Exclude specific paths from needing authentication.
  • IPv6 Support: Compatible with both IPv4 and IPv6.
  • FirewallD Integration: Create automatic, time-based firewall rules for added security.

Clients:

  • Knocker-Web: A web app for whitelisting.
  • Knocker-CLI: A command-line interface tool for background operations.
  • Knocker-EXPO: An experimental Android app for whitelisting.

Deployment:

Knocker is deployed via Docker containers, requiring Docker and Docker Compose. Configuration involves setting API keys and trusted proxies in a YAML file.

Use with Reverse Proxy:

Knocker acts as an authentication gateway for reverse proxies like Caddy, checking if a user’s IP is whitelisted. If not, access is denied.

FirewallD Integration:

This feature allows Knocker to manage firewall rules dynamically, creating time-limited access for whitelisted IPs and blocking unauthorized ones.

Additional Information:

  • Testing: The project includes unit tests and integration tests.
  • Documentation: Interactive documentation can be enabled for more details.
  • Development: The project was developed using AI tools, which may not appeal to everyone.

Overall, Knocker provides a robust way to secure access to your services in a Homelab environment, balancing convenience and security.

Author: xlmnxp | Score: 48

22.
Farming Hard Drives (2012)
(Farming Hard Drives (2012))

No summary available.

Author: floriangosse | Score: 8

23.
LLMs can get "brain rot"
(LLMs can get "brain rot")

The LLM Brain Rot Hypothesis suggests that constant exposure to low-quality web text can harm large language models (LLMs). To test this, researchers conducted experiments using Twitter/X data, creating datasets that varied in quality based on engagement and meaning.

They found that training LLMs on low-quality data resulted in significant declines in their reasoning and comprehension abilities, as well as an increase in negative traits like psychopathy. Specifically, as the amount of junk data increased, the models’ performance dropped noticeably.

Key findings include:

  1. Thought-skipping: LLMs began to skip important reasoning steps, leading to more errors.
  2. Partial Recovery: While improving training methods helped, it didn’t completely restore the models' original abilities, indicating lasting damage.
  3. Popularity as an Indicator: The popularity of a tweet was found to be a better measure of its impact on LLMs than its length.

These results highlight the importance of using high-quality data for training LLMs and suggest that regular assessments of their cognitive abilities are necessary.

Author: tamnd | Score: 445

24.
Distributed Ray-Tracing
(Distributed Ray-Tracing)

The text discusses distributed ray-tracing, which improves realism in computer graphics compared to traditional ray-tracing. Here are the key points:

  1. Traditional Ray-Tracing:

    • Uses the Whitted algorithm, casting rays for each pixel to check for light interactions.
    • Limited in simulating realistic effects like shadows, reflections, and depth of field.
  2. Limitations:

    • Shadows appear harsh with binary results.
    • Reflective and refractive effects are only approximated for perfect surfaces.
    • More complex visual effects are unsupported.
  3. Distributed Ray-Tracing:

    • Also called stochastic ray-tracing, it enhances realism by simulating light's varied effects.
    • Uses probabilistic methods to create soft shadows and other optical phenomena.
    • Supports effects like glossiness, depth of field, and motion blur through multiple samples.
  4. Monte Carlo Sampling:

    • This technique averages results from multiple samples to provide a better approximation of light interactions.
  5. Example: The author provides examples showing the difference between Whitted ray-tracing and distributed ray-tracing, highlighting softer shadows and more detailed effects.

  6. Code Implementation:

    • An example code snippet is included to illustrate how to implement a thin lens model for depth of field in ray-tracing.

Overall, distributed ray-tracing offers a more sophisticated approach to rendering images, making them appear more realistic by addressing the shortcomings of traditional methods.

Author: ibobev | Score: 20

25.
Ghostly swamp will-O'-the-wisps may be explained by science
(Ghostly swamp will-O'-the-wisps may be explained by science)

A new theory may explain the mysterious glowing lights known as will-o’-the-wisps, often seen above swamps and cemeteries. These lights are thought to be caused by burning methane gas, but the ignition source has been unclear. Chemist Luigi Garlaschelli and his team discovered that tiny electric sparks, or micro-lightning, generated by methane bubbles could ignite this gas.

Historically, will-o’-the-wisps have been linked to folklore about spirits misguiding travelers. Scientific explanations often pointed to swamp gas from decaying organic matter. Recent experiments by a team at Stanford University showed that when methane bubbles are created in water, they can discharge electrical sparks. Although this does not completely solve the mystery, it suggests that these sparks might play a role in igniting the methane.

The researchers believe that understanding these micro-sparks could lead to greener chemical reactions and improved environmental chemistry. However, some scientists question whether this theory fully explains the phenomenon, as will-o’-the-wisps are visible in the air, while the experiments were conducted in water. Further research and real-world observations are needed to fully understand and replicate the conditions that create these ghostly lights.

Author: WaitWaitWha | Score: 20

26.
Starcloud
(Starcloud)

NVIDIA and Google Cloud are working together to improve enterprise AI and digital processes. They are making it easier for businesses to use advanced computing technology for various tasks, including visual computing and AI applications. Google Cloud has made an announcement about this partnership.

Author: jonbaer | Score: 125

27.
Power over Ethernet (PoE) basics and beyond
(Power over Ethernet (PoE) basics and beyond)

No summary available.

Author: voxadam | Score: 212

28.
rlsw – Raylib software OpenGL renderer in less than 5k LOC
(rlsw – Raylib software OpenGL renderer in less than 5k LOC)

The text appears to be a technical document related to the raylib library, specifically its software rendering implementation called "rlsw". Here are the key points summarized:

  • Purpose of rlsw: It's a software renderer that mimics OpenGL 1.1, allowing raylib to function on devices without a GPU.
  • Features:
    • Supports various color and depth buffer formats.
    • Handles different rendering modes (points, lines, triangles, quads).
    • Provides texture support, including filtering and wrapping.
    • Allows matrix operations and has clipping capabilities.
  • Configuration: Users can customize settings by defining specific parameters before including the library.
  • License: It is released under the MIT License, allowing free use and modifications.
  • Functionality: The library includes functions for initializing, drawing, and managing graphics, similar to OpenGL commands.

In summary, rlsw is a software-based rendering solution for raylib, providing essential graphics functionality for systems without a GPU.

Author: fschuett | Score: 226

29.
Our AWS account got compromised after their outage
(Our AWS account got compromised after their outage)

There may be a connection between two events. Here's what occurred:

  • About 600 instances were created in just 3 hours before AWS alerted us with a health event.
  • Several domains were verified, and there was a request to increase the SES quota.

We are currently looking into this issue and suspect that it might be related to either an API key or console access where Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) was not enabled.

Author: kinj28 | Score: 363

30.
NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission
(NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission)

No summary available.

Author: voxleone | Score: 380

31.
Neural audio codecs: how to get audio into LLMs
(Neural audio codecs: how to get audio into LLMs)

No summary available.

Author: karimf | Score: 414

32.
Erowid - Documenting the Complex Relationship Between Humans and Psychoactives
(Erowid - Documenting the Complex Relationship Between Humans and Psychoactives)

No summary available.

Author: slow_typist | Score: 160

33.
The Hidden Engineering of Niagara Falls
(The Hidden Engineering of Niagara Falls)

No summary available.

Author: chmaynard | Score: 163

34.
Replacing a $3000/mo Heroku bill with a $55/mo server
(Replacing a $3000/mo Heroku bill with a $55/mo server)

Summary: How Idealist.org Cut Costs by Switching from Heroku to a Cheaper Server

Idealist.org, the largest nonprofit job board, faced high costs for staging environments on Heroku, paying about $500 per month for each environment. This meant they spent around $1,000 monthly for just two permanent environments (development and main).

To reduce expenses, the Idealist team experimented with moving one environment to a much cheaper server, costing only $55 a month. They used Disco to maintain their usual deployment process while sharing a single Postgres database among staging environments, which cut costs even further.

Disco provided several benefits over traditional methods, like automated deployments, SSL management, and a user-friendly interface, making it easier to manage multiple environments. This led to the creation of six staging environments on the single server, which would have cost them $3,000 a month on Heroku.

While the switch did come with some new responsibilities, such as server monitoring and DNS setup, the team found that staging environments became more accessible and less costly. This change shifted their mindset, allowing developers to easily create environments for testing without worrying about expenses. Ultimately, they realized that the true cost of using a PaaS like Heroku was not just financial but also in the limitations it imposed on their workflow.

Author: jryio | Score: 754

35.
Modshim – A new alternative to monkey-patching in Python
(Modshim – A new alternative to monkey-patching in Python)

I've created a new way to modify Python packages without forking or monkey-patching. This method is similar to OverlayFS, allowing you to make changes in a new module while keeping the original module intact. It works by transforming the code and combining both modules into a virtual module. This approach prevents issues in the global namespace and lets you share just your changes without the need to maintain a separate version of the package.

Author: joouha | Score: 94

36.
The Stagnant Order. and the End of Rising Powers
(The Stagnant Order. and the End of Rising Powers)

The article "The Stagnant Order and the End of Rising Powers" by Michael Beckley discusses a significant shift in global geopolitics. Historically, nations experienced cycles of rise and fall, with some powers emerging as "rising" and others declining. This dynamic is changing, as no major country is currently rising fast enough to alter the global balance of power.

Key points include:

  1. End of Rising Powers: The era of rapid ascent for nations like China, Japan, and Russia is over. China is slowing down, and other countries have stalled or are in decline.

  2. Stagnation Consequences: The stagnation of powerful nations may prevent conflict between rising and declining powers, which has historically led to wars. However, it could also lead to increased militarization and conflict among struggling states.

  3. Economic and Demographic Challenges: Major economies face declining productivity, shrinking populations, and high debt levels. Most countries are not prepared for the demographic shifts, with many aging rapidly and fewer young people entering the workforce.

  4. China's Vulnerabilities: While China has significant industrial capabilities, its growth model is unsustainable, relying heavily on debt and facing demographic problems. It risks economic stagnation and social unrest due to its reliance on autocratic governance.

  5. Global Power Dynamics: The U.S. remains the most powerful nation, but its rivals are struggling. U.S. demographics are more favorable compared to those of its competitors, though it also faces internal challenges.

  6. Potential for Conflict: Countries experiencing stagnation may resort to militarization to assert power or reclaim lost territories, leading to tensions, particularly in regions like Ukraine and Taiwan.

  7. Changing Global Economics: The end of rising powers may create opportunities for new forms of economic partnerships, especially between aging developed nations and younger developing countries, but this depends on effective management of trade and migration.

The article concludes that while the world is moving into an uncertain phase without rising powers, this shift may also bring about less catastrophic conflicts and a possible new economic order.

Author: csomar | Score: 34

37.
Evaluating Argon2 adoption and effectiveness in real-world software
(Evaluating Argon2 adoption and effectiveness in real-world software)

Modern password hashing is crucial for protecting against credential theft, but implementing secure algorithms in real-world applications is challenging. This paper analyzes Argon2, the winner of the Password Hashing Competition, through two approaches: simulating attacks to see how different settings affect security and studying how Argon2 is used in public GitHub projects.

The research shows that using the recommended Argon2 setting (46 MiB) can reduce the chances of password compromise by 42.5% compared to SHA-256 when attackers have a budget of $1 per account. However, increasing the memory allocation to 2048 MiB provides only slightly better protection, despite needing much more memory.

Importantly, both Argon2 configurations are ineffective against weak passwords, with high compromise rates for commonly used weak passwords. The study also reveals that while Argon2 is being adopted more widely, many implementations do not follow best practices—46.6% use weaker settings than recommended. Sensitive applications, like password managers, do not show stronger configurations than regular software.

Overall, the findings suggest that simply having a secure algorithm isn't enough; proper guidance on settings and educating developers are crucial for maximizing Argon2's security benefits.

Author: pregnenolone | Score: 23

38.
Sequoia COO quit over Shaun Maguire's comments about Mamdani
(Sequoia COO quit over Shaun Maguire's comments about Mamdani)

Sequoia's Chief Operating Officer (COO) has resigned following comments made by Shaun Maguire regarding Mamdani. The context of this situation has not been detailed in the text provided.

Additionally, the text includes promotional offers for digital subscriptions to the Financial Times, highlighting discounts and the benefits of different subscription plans, such as access to global news, expert opinions, and various newsletters.

Author: amrrs | Score: 4

39.
Mathematicians have found a hidden 'reset button' for undoing rotation
(Mathematicians have found a hidden 'reset button' for undoing rotation)

Mathematicians Jean-Pierre Eckmann and Tsvi Tlusty have discovered a method to "reset" rotation, allowing complex motions to be undone easily. Traditionally, one would think the only way to reverse a rotation is to perform the exact opposite movements. However, this new approach involves scaling the size of the rotation by a common factor and repeating it twice.

For example, if a spinning top is turned three-quarters, scaling it to one-eighth and repeating this twice returns it to its starting position. This technique applies to many rotating objects, such as gyroscopes and robotic arms.

The researchers based their proof on a mathematical structure known as SO(3), which describes all possible rotations in three dimensions. They found that instead of trying to return to the exact center of this structure, it's easier to land anywhere on its surface, which has many points.

This discovery has potential applications in fields like nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and robotics, offering new ways to manage spin rotations in imaging processes or enabling robots to perform complex movements efficiently.

Author: mikhael | Score: 168

40.
Getting DeepSeek-OCR working on an Nvidia Spark via brute force with Claude Code
(Getting DeepSeek-OCR working on an Nvidia Spark via brute force with Claude Code)

On October 19, 2025, DeepSeek released its new OCR model, DeepSeek-OCR, which is 6.6GB and optimized for optical character recognition (OCR). The author successfully ran this model on an NVIDIA Spark hardware using Claude Code, an AI tool, to handle the complex setup.

The process took about 40 minutes, mostly while the author was busy with other activities. The author set up a Docker container on the Spark and gave Claude Code specific tasks, including installing necessary software and running the OCR model on a test image.

Initially, Claude encountered issues with compatibility between the model and the hardware's GPU capabilities. However, after some prompting, it found a compatible version of PyTorch and successfully executed the OCR task, producing output that included bounding box data.

Despite some challenges with the output file being empty, Claude adjusted the prompts used for OCR to improve results. The author created a comprehensive set of notes and organized the results into a zip file, which was later uploaded to a GitHub repository.

Key takeaways include the importance of providing the right environment and instructions to Claude, allowing it to operate with minimal oversight, and utilizing previous knowledge to troubleshoot issues. The overall experience was deemed successful and promising for future projects. Additionally, the author discovered a method to monitor the Docker container's filesystem using VS Code while it ran remotely, enhancing their workflow.

Author: simonw | Score: 194

41.
Jaguar Land Rover hack cost UK economy an estimated $2.5B
(Jaguar Land Rover hack cost UK economy an estimated $2.5B)

No summary available.

Author: giuliomagnifico | Score: 69

42.
ChatGPT Atlas
(ChatGPT Atlas)

No summary available.

Author: easton | Score: 733

43.
Researchers complete first human trial on viability of enteral ventilation
(Researchers complete first human trial on viability of enteral ventilation)

The study explores a specific topic in medicine, as detailed in the provided link. It likely includes research findings, methodologies, and implications for healthcare. However, without additional details from the text, a more specific summary cannot be provided. Please share the main points or findings from the study for a clearer summary.

Author: mustaphah | Score: 84

44.
Amazon Allegedly Replaced 40% of AWS DevOps Workers with AI Days Before Crash
(Amazon Allegedly Replaced 40% of AWS DevOps Workers with AI Days Before Crash)

Recently, Amazon Web Services (AWS) experienced a significant outage that affected many popular platforms like Snapchat, the McDonald's app, Roblox, and Fortnite. This issue was attributed to an "operational issue."

Shortly before the outage, a report surfaced claiming that AWS had laid off 40% of its DevOps team, replacing them with AI to handle tasks like fixing permission errors and managing configurations automatically. While the report raised eyebrows due to its timing, skepticism remains regarding its accuracy and connection to the outage.

Previously, Amazon had announced layoffs in July, affecting hundreds of employees at AWS. This incident highlights the need for more cloud service providers to avoid widespread disruptions, as a similar situation occurred last year due to a Windows glitch.

The article raises questions about the reliability of AWS and whether the layoffs were justified.

Author: petecooper | Score: 42

45.
The death of thread per core
(The death of thread per core)

No summary available.

Author: ibobev | Score: 143

46.
OpenBSD 7.8
(OpenBSD 7.8)

No summary available.

Author: paulnpace | Score: 253

47.
Subprime Lender PrimaLend Enters Bankruptcy After Bond Default
(Subprime Lender PrimaLend Enters Bankruptcy After Bond Default)

No summary available.

Author: zerosizedweasle | Score: 37

48.
Argentine peso hits fresh lows despite U.S. support – and it could get worse
(Argentine peso hits fresh lows despite U.S. support – and it could get worse)

Here’s a simplified summary of the text:

  • Stocks that are making significant moves include Winnebago, Texas Instruments, Netflix, and Beyond Meat.
  • Gold is experiencing a correction, raising concerns about the strength of its recent price increase.
  • Some cookies on the site are necessary for its functions, like security and purchasing, but you can block them if needed, although this may affect how the site works.
Author: zerosizedweasle | Score: 15

49.
Minds, brains, and programs (1980) [pdf]
(Minds, brains, and programs (1980) [pdf])

In this article, John R. Searle discusses two main ideas about the mind and artificial intelligence (AI):

  1. Intentionality and the Brain: He argues that intentionality (the ability to have thoughts about things) in humans and animals comes from how our brains function. This means specific brain processes are necessary for intentionality.

  2. Limits of Computer Programs: Searle claims that just running a computer program is not enough to create intentionality. He explains that a computer may follow a program and produce answers that seem intelligent, but it does not truly understand the information it processes.

From these points, Searle concludes:

  • The brain's way of producing intentionality cannot be replicated merely by creating computer programs.
  • Any machine that can genuinely produce intentionality must have the same causal abilities as a human brain.
  • Efforts to create "strong AI" (machines that truly think and understand) will fail if they only focus on designing programs, as they must also mimic the brain's complex workings.

Searle uses a thought experiment involving a person locked in a room who manipulates Chinese symbols according to rules without understanding them. This illustrates that even if the responses appear intelligent, they do not indicate true understanding, similar to how current AI systems operate. Thus, he argues that strong AI claims are unsupported, as programs alone do not explain human cognition.

Author: measurablefunc | Score: 97

50.
Meta Plans to Cut 600 Jobs at A.I. Superintelligence Labs
(Meta Plans to Cut 600 Jobs at A.I. Superintelligence Labs)

No summary available.

Author: donohoe | Score: 37

51.
Our modular, high-performance Merkle Tree library for Rust
(Our modular, high-performance Merkle Tree library for Rust)

Summary of rs-merkle-tree

The rs-merkle-tree is a Merkle tree implementation in Rust with these main features:

  • Fixed Depth: The size of proofs remains constant, equal to the tree's depth.
  • Append-only: Leaves are added in order, starting from index 0, and cannot be modified after being added.
  • Fast Proof Retrieval: It stores intermediate leaves for quick retrieval of Merkle proofs from memory.
  • Configurable Storage: Users can choose different backends for storing leaves, including memory, sled, rocksdb, and sqlite.
  • Configurable Hash Functions: Supports various hashing algorithms like keccak256 and Poseidon.

Basic Usage: To use rs-merkle-tree, add it to your Rust project's Cargo.toml:

[dependencies]
rs-merkle-tree = "0.1.0"

You can create a simple Merkle tree and perform operations like adding leaves and retrieving proofs.

Customization: You can customize the tree's depth, storage, and hash function by modifying the dependency features in Cargo.toml.

Supported Stores:

  • rusqlite
  • rocksdb
  • sled

Supported Hash Functions:

  • keccak256
  • Poseidon BN254 Circom T3

Benchmarks: The library includes benchmarks for disk size, leaf insertion speed, and proof generation time, which can be run with cargo bench --features=all.

License: MIT License.

Author: bibiver | Score: 136

52.
20,858 Public Domain Audio Books
(20,858 Public Domain Audio Books)

LibriVox is a project that offers free audiobooks of books that are in the public domain. You can explore its catalog by searching for authors, titles, genres, subjects, or languages. The site provides various resources, including information about the project, contact options, and a forum for discussions.

Author: smooke | Score: 93

53.
Bare Metal (The Emacs Essay)
(Bare Metal (The Emacs Essay))

No summary available.

Author: hpaone | Score: 185

54.
Should we worry about AI's circular deals?
(Should we worry about AI's circular deals?)

No summary available.

Author: PaulHoule | Score: 5

55.
Wikipedia says traffic is falling due to AI search summaries and social video
(Wikipedia says traffic is falling due to AI search summaries and social video)

No summary available.

Author: gmays | Score: 417

56.
Foreign hackers breached a US nuclear weapons plant via SharePoint flaws
(Foreign hackers breached a US nuclear weapons plant via SharePoint flaws)

No summary available.

Author: zdw | Score: 412

57.
Principles and Methodologies for Serial Performance Optimization
(Principles and Methodologies for Serial Performance Optimization)

No summary available.

Author: blakepelton | Score: 20

58.
Katakate – Dozens of VMs per node for safe code exec
(Katakate – Dozens of VMs per node for safe code exec)

I've created a system that makes it easy to host lightweight virtual machines (VMs) on a large scale. It's designed for running AI-generated code, continuous integration and delivery (CICD) processes, or off-chain AI applications. This approach helps avoid the complications of using Docker within Docker.

The system is user-friendly, with a command-line interface (CLI) and a Python SDK, making it accessible for AI engineers who prefer not to deal with complex VM management and networking.

It follows a strong security philosophy and I'm looking for feedback and contributors to help improve it, as there is an exciting roadmap ahead! Thank you!

Author: gbxk | Score: 114

59.
Diamond Thermal Conductivity: A New Era in Chip Cooling
(Diamond Thermal Conductivity: A New Era in Chip Cooling)

Summary: Diamond Blankets for Cooling Future Chips

As technology advances, the demand for powerful chips increases, leading to significant heat generation in devices like laptops and smartphones. Current chips struggle to dissipate this heat efficiently, resulting in performance throttling.

Researchers have discovered that integrating a thin layer of diamond, known for its excellent thermal conductivity, directly onto chips can help spread heat more effectively. This approach prevents heat buildup and allows other cooling methods to work better.

Stanford University has developed a way to grow polycrystalline diamond at low temperatures, making it suitable for chip integration without damaging sensitive components. Early tests show that this diamond layer can reduce temperatures in certain transistors by over 50 °C, enhancing their performance significantly.

The research is gaining attention from major industry players like Samsung and TSMC, as managing heat is crucial for future chip designs, especially in 3D stacked architectures. By using diamond as a heat spreader, chips can operate more efficiently and maintain higher performance levels without overheating.

Overall, this innovation could revolutionize thermal management in electronics, paving the way for advanced computing technologies.

Author: rbanffy | Score: 194

60.
iPhone 17 Pro Camera Review: Dolomites – Travel Photographer – Austin Mann
(iPhone 17 Pro Camera Review: Dolomites – Travel Photographer – Austin Mann)

Summary of iPhone 17 Pro Camera Review: Dolomite Mountains

Austin Mann reviews the iPhone 17 Pro camera while cycling through the Dolomite mountains in Italy. Key features he highlights include:

  1. Camera Upgrades: The new 48-megapixel 4x telephoto lens and 8x telephoto lens are significant improvements, allowing for better portrait and landscape photography. The 4x lens feels more natural and captures stunning details.

  2. Photographic Styles: The introduction of a new "Bright" style enhances images by adjusting contrasts and brightness without losing detail. Mann finds these styles versatile for various photography types.

  3. Camera Interface: The new iOS 26 camera interface is faster and more user-friendly, with simplified controls for Night mode and quick access to settings.

  4. Additional Features: New features include the ability to use AirPods as a remote camera trigger and lens cleaning reminders, which help improve photo quality.

  5. User Experience: Mann appreciates the automatic adjustments for selfies and the new crossbody camera strap, which adds convenience during outdoor activities.

  6. Artistic Potential: The camera's resolution and styles offer great potential for creative photographers, allowing for high-quality prints and artistic expression.

  7. Buying Advice: Mann recommends the iPhone 17 Pro for serious photographers due to its improved telephoto capabilities and overall performance compared to the previous model.

In conclusion, the iPhone 17 Pro presents significant advancements in photography, making it a valuable tool for photographers looking to enhance their work.

Author: janandonly | Score: 6

61.
The Gypsy Life of Robert Louis Stevenson
(The Gypsy Life of Robert Louis Stevenson)

No summary available.

Author: Caiero | Score: 55

62.
Ilo – a Forth system running on UEFI
(Ilo – a Forth system running on UEFI)

No summary available.

Author: rickcarlino | Score: 120

63.
Language Support for Marginalia Search
(Language Support for Marginalia Search)

The search engine aims to support multiple languages beyond English and has recently completed a pilot project for German, French, and Swedish. The initial testing has begun with a limited number of documents. The search engine was primarily designed for English, leading to challenges due to English-centric assumptions in its code.

The pilot's goal is to understand the effort needed to support more languages and how the index size changes. Different languages have unique complexities; for example, Japanese has multiple writing systems and no spaces between words, while Latin languages can have various forms for words.

The search engine's language processing involves several steps, including extracting text, identifying languages, and analyzing grammar. However, language normalization can be tricky, as different languages have distinct letters and meanings. The existing model for important keywords relies on English, which can hinder support for other languages until more documents are indexed.

To improve this, a configuration file was created to better handle language-specific logic. The search engine has built a test tool to check for issues in keyword identification, which has also improved English keyword algorithms.

When integrating new languages, the search engine considered whether to use one large index or separate indexes for each language. The decision was made to use separate indexes for better speed and accuracy, despite the need to specify a language for searches.

Currently, the new language support appears to be functioning well, but the index for these languages is still small, leading to potential recall issues. Efforts are underway to grow the index significantly, with a new process in place to verify and add viable non-English domains. This has led to the discovery of many new domains in the target languages, contributing to the goal of indexing a billion documents. However, refining the multi-language support remains a challenge until more data is available.

Author: Bogdanp | Score: 174

64.
Weekend projects: Chicken Squisher 3000
(Weekend projects: Chicken Squisher 3000)

No summary available.

Author: robinhouston | Score: 86

65.
Understanding conflict resolution and avoidance in PostgreSQL: a complete guide
(Understanding conflict resolution and avoidance in PostgreSQL: a complete guide)

No summary available.

Author: birdculture | Score: 40

66.
Doomsday scoreboard
(Doomsday scoreboard)

No summary available.

Author: diymaker | Score: 222

67.
Sentence Transformers is joining Hugging Face
(Sentence Transformers is joining Hugging Face)

Summary:

Sentence Transformers, an open-source library for generating meaningful sentence embeddings, is now part of Hugging Face. Founded by Nils Reimers in 2019 at the UKP Lab in Germany, it has gained wide popularity for tasks like semantic search and similarity comparison. The library is maintained by Tom Aarsen from Hugging Face, who has been involved since late 2023.

Hugging Face will enhance Sentence Transformers with better infrastructure for updates and testing, while keeping it community-driven and open-source. The library supports over 16,000 models and has more than a million unique users monthly. Both the UKP Lab and Hugging Face leaders express gratitude to contributors and users for their support.

For newcomers, resources like documentation and model repositories are available online.

Author: lysandre | Score: 9

68.
Meta Cutting 600 AI Jobs to move faster
(Meta Cutting 600 AI Jobs to move faster)

No summary available.

Author: gk1 | Score: 6

69.
bbcli – A TUI and CLI to browse BBC News like a hacker
(bbcli – A TUI and CLI to browse BBC News like a hacker)

I created a terminal tool that lets you browse BBC News. It uses an RSS feed to show headlines and previews, and you can also read the articles. Check it out and share your thoughts!

Author: wesleyhill | Score: 75

70.
South Africa's one million invisible children without birth certificates
(South Africa's one million invisible children without birth certificates)

In South Africa, over one million children lack birth certificates, which limits their access to healthcare, education, and employment. An NGO is suing the government due to a backlog of more than 250,000 late birth registration applications, some pending for up to seven years. Many families, like that of 15-year-old Qamani Sentiwe, struggle to navigate the complicated application process, leaving them without necessary documentation.

Qamani dreams of playing for the national football team but cannot participate in tournaments due to his lack of a birth certificate. His grandmother, who has been trying for years to obtain his documents, faces financial hardships and is unable to secure government assistance for her grandson.

The Children’s Institute argues that the registration process is too complex and discourages families from applying. Many children in Africa, particularly those under five, also lack legal identity, and the situation is worsening. Those who eventually get their birth certificates often find improved opportunities for work and financial stability. Overall, the issue highlights a significant challenge facing vulnerable populations in South Africa and across the continent.

Author: mooreds | Score: 110

71.
Do not accept terms and conditions
(Do not accept terms and conditions)

No summary available.

Author: halflife | Score: 92

72.
Pasta/80 is a simple Pascal cross compiler targeting the Z80 microprocessor
(Pasta/80 is a simple Pascal cross compiler targeting the Z80 microprocessor)

Summary of PASTA/80

PASTA/80 is a Pascal cross compiler designed for the Z80 microprocessor, enabling code generation for various systems like CP/M and different models of the ZX Spectrum. It uses a straightforward coding approach developed by Niklaus Wirth, focusing on speed rather than code efficiency.

Key Features:

  • Supported Language Elements: Includes basic data types, control structures (if, loops), procedures, functions, and standard input/output operations similar to Turbo Pascal 3.0.
  • Dynamic Memory Management: Allows for a heap size of up to 32,767 bytes.
  • Assembly Support: Inline assembly can be used, and overlays are available for larger programs on ZX Spectrum 128K and Next.
  • Compiler Directives: Includes directives for file inclusion, IO checking, and stack overflow checking.

Limitations:

  • Some features of Turbo Pascal 3.0 are not supported, such as certain directives and separate compilation.
  • The binary size is larger compared to the original Turbo Pascal.

Building and Usage:

  • PASTA/80 is written in Pascal and can be compiled using Free Pascal.
  • To compile a source file, you simply run the compiler with the file name. Different parameters allow targeting specific systems and enabling optimizations.

Output Formats:

  • Binaries can be created for CP/M or various ZX Spectrum models. Options to generate snapshot and tape files for easy distribution are also available.

Overlays:

  • For larger programs on ZX Spectrum 128K and Next, overlays can be used to manage memory efficiently.

Interactive Mode:

  • The compiler has a minimalistic IDE mode for a Turbo Pascal-like experience.

Licensing:

  • PASTA/80 is open-source under the GNU General Public License, allowing for free use and modification of the compiler and its outputs.

Overall, PASTA/80 provides tools for developing Pascal applications on classic and contemporary systems, emphasizing ease of use and speed.

Author: mariuz | Score: 118

73.
Space Elevator
(Space Elevator)

No summary available.

Author: kaonwarb | Score: 1752

74.
60k kids have avoided peanut allergies due to 2015 advice, study finds
(60k kids have avoided peanut allergies due to 2015 advice, study finds)

A study has found that around 60,000 children have avoided developing peanut allergies thanks to a change in dietary guidelines from 2015, which recommended introducing peanut products to babies as young as four months. Research showed that peanut allergies in children aged 0 to 3 dropped by over 27% after this advice, and by more than 40% after guidelines were expanded in 2017. Despite this progress, overall food allergies in the U.S. have continued to rise, affecting about 8% of children.

Previously, doctors advised delaying peanut exposure until age 3, but a key study in 2015 showed that early introduction could reduce allergy risk by over 80%. However, many pediatricians and allergists have been slow to adopt these new guidelines due to confusion and uncertainty about implementation.

The study highlights the importance of introducing peanuts and other allergens between four and six months without prior testing. Parents are encouraged to discuss this with their pediatricians. The findings suggest that early allergen introduction is becoming more common and may significantly reduce peanut allergies nationwide.

Author: zdw | Score: 343

75.
ASCII Automata
(ASCII Automata)

ASCII AUTOMATA is a tool designed to analyze how textmode font characters connect visually. It scores the edges of each character piece, helping to find the best matching neighboring pieces. As characters are placed, the tool "grows" by adding matching pieces based on connectivity. A red heatmap shows the frequency of each character's use, aiding in font analysis.

Originally created for personal use in designing textmode art fonts, the tool unexpectedly produced beautiful patterns, prompting its development into a user-friendly tool for others.

The tool features a responsive UI that uses SVG paths for rendering text, ensuring that different lengths of text fit the same space without compromising legibility. The layout is created using a CSS grid, allowing for easy positioning of UI elements. The entire UI consists of just 120 lines of HTML and 40 lines of CSS, despite having around 90 UI elements.

Additionally, the creator is working on a WYSIWYG tool to simplify coordinate adjustments in the layout.

Author: california-og | Score: 96

76.
StarGrid: A new Palm OS strategy game
(StarGrid: A new Palm OS strategy game)

No summary available.

Author: capitain | Score: 201

77.
Is Vibe Coding Dying?
(Is Vibe Coding Dying?)

No summary available.

Author: FromTheArchives | Score: 10

78.
The Programmer Identity Crisis
(The Programmer Identity Crisis)

The author, a passionate programmer, reflects on their identity and the joy of coding, likening their experience to the early days of programming at MIT. They cherish the craft of coding, which involves deep immersion, problem-solving, and creativity. However, they express concern over the rise of AI tools and the concept of "vibe-coding," where programming is reduced to vague specifications rather than precise coding.

The author argues that this shift threatens the essence of programming by removing the need for deep engagement and craftsmanship, leaving programmers as mere operators instead of creators. They criticize the push for using AI in ways that undermine the skills and creativity of programmers, leading to a loss of ownership and connection to their work.

The author warns that embracing these changes may result in a future where programmers lose their craft and become disconnected from their teams, relying on machines instead of human collaboration. They emphasize the importance of maintaining the integrity of programming as a craft, valuing deep understanding, creativity, and collaboration over efficiency and productivity metrics driven by management. Ultimately, the author wishes to preserve the joy of programming and the human element in the craft.

Author: imasl42 | Score: 246

79.
Practical Scheme
(Practical Scheme)

This page serves as a resource for libraries and tools that use Scheme for practical tasks in programming and system engineering, such as file processing and report generation. The creator prefers using Scheme over Perl for these tasks and shares personal projects, even if they are still in development, hoping they might be useful to others.

Key points include:

  • Tools and Applications:

    • Gauche: A Scheme implementation designed for scripting.
    • WiLiKi: A wiki engine built with Scheme.
    • Chaton: A web chat system.
    • escm: A text processing filter that can handle embedded Scheme code.
  • Libraries for Gauche:

    • Gauche-gl: OpenGL bindings for Gauche.
    • Gauche-gtk2: GTK2 bindings for Gauche.
  • Documents and Resources:

    • A collection of papers and cross-references related to Scheme, including topics on production tracking and real-time CG content production.
  • Other Resources: Links to external sites for more Scheme-related information, libraries, and implementations.

Overall, the page is a mixture of personal projects, useful libraries, and educational resources for those interested in using Scheme in practical applications.

Author: ufko_org | Score: 148

80.
Binary Retrieval-Augmented Reward Mitigates Hallucinations
(Binary Retrieval-Augmented Reward Mitigates Hallucinations)

Language models sometimes produce incorrect information, which is called extrinsic hallucination. Current methods to fix this issue can hurt the model's performance in other areas. To solve this problem, we introduce a new online reinforcement learning method that uses a unique reward system. This system gives a reward only when the model's output is completely correct, instead of using a continuous scale. We tested our method on Qwen3 reasoning models and found that it significantly reduces hallucination rates by 39.3% in open-ended generation tasks, doing better than previous training methods. For short questions, the model learns to say "I don't know" when it lacks information, resulting in 44.4% fewer incorrect answers on one test and 21.7% fewer on another. Importantly, these improvements in factual accuracy do not harm the model's performance in following instructions, math, or coding tasks, while other methods can lead to quality issues.

Author: MarlonPro | Score: 40

81.
AutoLearn Skills for self-improving agents
(AutoLearn Skills for self-improving agents)

Summary of AutoLearn AI System

AutoLearn is a system that transforms the reasoning of AI agents into dependable and efficient code, ensuring consistent performance every time.

Key Features:

  1. Automatic Skill Creation: AutoLearn captures the reasoning patterns of AI agents and converts them into reusable skills, creating a unique skill library for each agent.

  2. Learning Process:

    • First-Time Use: When an agent encounters a new task (like analyzing sales data), it learns how to perform it, generating a new skill.
    • Subsequent Uses: For repeated tasks, the agent uses the created skill, achieving a much higher success rate (95%) and faster execution (100 times faster) compared to the initial reasoning process.
  3. Continuous Improvement: If a skill fails, the system learns from the error, updates the skill, and handles similar issues in the future.

  4. Cost Efficiency: Traditional AI workflows can fail significantly, leading to higher costs. AutoLearn reduces operational costs by 5 times and increases reliability (from 59% to 95% success rate).

  5. Enterprise Benefits: AutoLearn helps businesses:

    • Cut operational costs by 90%
    • Achieve 99.9% reliability for repeated tasks
    • Adapt automatically to process changes without downtime

Conclusion

AutoLearn is designed to create smarter, more adaptable AI agents, making them both more reliable and cost-effective. It eliminates the need for manual intervention in skill creation and allows agents to evolve continuously.

Author: toobulkeh | Score: 26

82.
Run any GitHub Action locally from your Cron job -- finally!
(Run any GitHub Action locally from your Cron job -- finally!)

The text appears to be a list of sections or features related to a platform called SearchK. Here are the key points:

  • Home: The main page of the platform.
  • Overview: A summary or introduction to SearchK.
  • Quickstart: A guide to getting started quickly.
  • Writing Workflows: Information on how to effectively create and manage writing tasks.
  • Features: Details about the different functionalities of SearchK.
  • Configurations: Options for setting up and customizing the platform.
  • Reference: Additional resources or documentation.
  • Appearance: Information on how to change the look of the platform.

This list outlines the main areas users can explore within SearchK.

Author: yohamta | Score: 16

83.
Public trust demands open-source voting systems
(Public trust demands open-source voting systems)

Dominion Voting Systems has been sold to a new company called Liberty Vote, marking the end of Dominion, which accounted for 20% of American votes. Liberty Vote aims to restore trust in American elections, which is currently in crisis.

To rebuild this trust, the focus should be on transparency. While voting machine vendors claim to be transparent, many use secret software that voters cannot verify. VotingWorks is currently the only provider of open-source voting equipment in the US, which is essential for secure and trustworthy voting systems.

Open-source software, which is publicly accessible and scrutinizable, is the standard for building trust. Liberty Vote and other vendors should adopt this approach to create a new generation of voting systems that all Americans can trust.

Author: philips | Score: 222

84.
What do we do if SETI is successful?
(What do we do if SETI is successful?)

The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is evolving, moving beyond just monitoring radio waves to exploring other potential signals, such as interstellar lasers. The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) is updating its protocols for how to respond if we detect intelligence from outside Earth. This update, the first major change in 36 years, aims to address the complexities of modern communication, including protecting researchers from online harassment.

A significant change in the new protocol is the recommendation that humanity should not respond to any direct messages from potential extraterrestrial intelligence until the United Nations discusses the issue. This is a shift from previous guidelines, which encouraged responses. However, this doesn't affect the idea of proactively sending messages to other star systems.

The updated SETI protocol provides best practices for verifying signals and managing data, including storing information in multiple locations for accessibility. If a signal is detected, it also suggests working with the International Telecommunications Union to protect the frequency from interference.

Overall, the IAA's update reflects the increased complexity of global communication and the need for a thoughtful approach to potential discoveries of alien intelligence. The final step for this protocol is approval by the IAA board.

Author: leephillips | Score: 168

85.
If you'd built a "tool" that stupid, why would you advertise the fact?
(If you'd built a "tool" that stupid, why would you advertise the fact?)

The author received a ridiculous email claiming that their scientific paper on neural spine bifurcation in sauropod dinosaurs had been turned into an analogy by an AI tool. The analogy suggested comparing the bifurcation of neural spines to river deltas, which the author found nonsensical. They expressed frustration about the uselessness of such AI applications, contrasting them with more practical uses of AI they have experienced, like programming assistance. The author criticized the promotion of such a flawed tool and questioned why anyone would want to advertise it.

Author: surprisetalk | Score: 103

86.
You Cannot Outsource Understanding
(You Cannot Outsource Understanding)

No summary available.

Author: weeha | Score: 36

87.
Workers and Employers Face Higher Health Insurance Costs
(Workers and Employers Face Higher Health Insurance Costs)

No summary available.

Author: quapster | Score: 5

88.
KDE Connect: Enabling communication between all your devices
(KDE Connect: Enabling communication between all your devices)

Summary of KDE Connect

KDE Connect is a project that allows devices to communicate with each other. Key features include:

  • Receiving phone notifications on your desktop and replying to messages.
  • Controlling desktop music from your phone.
  • Using your phone as a remote control for your desktop.
  • Running commands on your PC from connected devices.
  • Checking your phone's battery level and ringing it to find it.
  • Sharing files and links between devices.
  • Browsing your phone from the desktop and controlling desktop volume from your phone.

How KDE Connect Works:

  • It uses a secure communication protocol and allows developers to create plugins.
  • It requires a component installed on the desktop and a client app on the phone.

Installation:

  • KDE Connect is open-source and has been in development since 2013.
  • Installation varies by operating system, with specific instructions for Linux, Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS.

Development:

  • It’s a good project for new contributors, requiring some programming knowledge.
  • Developers can join discussions via Matrix or IRC and submit patches on GitLab.
  • The project has a structured repository setup for both Android and C++ implementations.

Release Process:

  • Releases involve preparing builds for various platforms like Windows, Android, and iOS, including version tagging and testing.

For more detailed information, users can refer to the KDE Connect Userbase page or the community wiki.

Author: snthd | Score: 465

89.
HarmonyOS 6 Full Overview: New Design, AI Features and Privacy Upgrades [video]
(HarmonyOS 6 Full Overview: New Design, AI Features and Privacy Upgrades [video])

No summary available.

Author: melchizedek6809 | Score: 18

90.
Apple alerts exploit developer that his iPhone was targeted with gov spyware
(Apple alerts exploit developer that his iPhone was targeted with gov spyware)

No summary available.

Author: speckx | Score: 278

91.
Quantum dynamics on your laptop? New technique moves us closer
(Quantum dynamics on your laptop? New technique moves us closer)

No summary available.

Author: ceolin | Score: 69

92.
Peanut allergies have plummeted in children
(Peanut allergies have plummeted in children)

No summary available.

Author: JumpCrisscross | Score: 175

93.
The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum
(The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum)

The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum, located in Gatlinburg, TN, is the only museum of its kind in the world, featuring over 20,000 sets of salt and pepper shakers and a large collection of pepper mills. Visitors can explore the museum physically or through a virtual tour.

Hours of Operation:

  • Monday to Saturday: 10 AM - 4 PM
  • Sunday: 10 AM - 2 PM

Admission Fees:

  • $3.00 per adult (can be used toward a gift shop purchase)
  • Free for children 12 and under

Location:

  • 461 Brookside Village Way, Gatlinburg, TN 37738

For directions and updates, check their Facebook page.

Author: NaOH | Score: 30

94.
A 'Death Train' Is Haunting South Florida
(A 'Death Train' Is Haunting South Florida)

The Brightline is a high-speed train operating in South Florida, connecting Miami and Orlando at speeds up to 125 mph. It has been praised for its stylish design and luxurious amenities, but it faces a serious issue: a high number of fatalities. Since starting operations in 2017, the train has been involved in at least 185 deaths, with 41 occurring last year alone, raising concerns about safety.

The train's accident rate is significantly higher than other commuter services in the U.S., leading locals to nickname it the "Death Train." Brightline attributes these fatalities to reckless behavior by individuals rather than any operational failures, arguing that many deaths are misclassified as suicides. However, investigations indicate that the train's design and the number of grade crossings contribute to the danger, with many accidents happening at intersections.

Critics point out the need for safety improvements, such as fencing along tracks and better signage at crossings. Despite the Brightline’s appeal and potential as a model for high-speed rail in America, the ongoing fatalities highlight significant safety concerns that need to be addressed to ensure passenger and pedestrian safety. The future of Brightline, including its planned expansions, may depend on how well it can tackle these issues.

Author: xnx | Score: 10

95.
Meta overhauls legacy AI operations
(Meta overhauls legacy AI operations)

Meta is laying off about 600 employees from its AI unit to streamline its operations and make decision-making faster. This move comes as the company aims to reduce bureaucracy and improve efficiency, according to an internal memo from Meta's chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang. The layoffs will impact various AI research and product teams but will not affect the newly established TBD Lab, which is still actively hiring. Meta is encouraging laid-off employees to seek other positions within the company, as they believe their skills are valuable. CEO Mark Zuckerberg initiated this reorganization due to concerns that current AI efforts weren’t achieving desired results. Despite the cuts, Meta continues to recruit top AI talent, having recently hired notable figures from other companies.

Author: breadislove | Score: 5

96.
DeepSeek OCR
(DeepSeek OCR)

Summary of DeepSeek-OCR: Contexts Optical Compression

DeepSeek-OCR is a new model designed to explore visual-text compression, focusing on how vision encoders work from a language model perspective. It was released on October 20, 2025.

Installation Steps:

  1. Ensure your environment has CUDA 11.8 and PyTorch 2.6.0.
  2. Clone the repository using Git.
  3. Create a new Conda environment and activate it.
  4. Install necessary packages including vllm and other dependencies.

Inference Options:

  • VLLM Inference:

    • Set input and output paths in the configuration file.
    • Run scripts to process images or PDFs and evaluate benchmarks.
  • Transformers Inference:

    • Use the Transformers library to load the DeepSeek-OCR model and tokenizer.
    • Input an image and specify a prompt to get results.

Supported Modes: The model supports various resolutions for processing images, ranging from Tiny (512x512) to Large (1280x1280), as well as dynamic resolutions.

Prompts: Several prompt examples are provided for different tasks like converting documents to markdown or describing images.

Acknowledgments: Thanks were given to contributors and benchmarks that helped in the development of this model.

Citation: For academic referencing, a citation for the model is provided.

This summary captures the essential points of DeepSeek-OCR, making it easier to understand the model's purpose and usage.

Author: pierre | Score: 975

97.
The Greatness of Text Adventures
(The Greatness of Text Adventures)

No summary available.

Author: ibobev | Score: 112

98.
Why SSA?
(Why SSA?)

Summary of SSA in Compilers

What is SSA?

  • SSA stands for "Static Single Assignment," a method used in optimizing compilers.
  • It ensures that each variable in a program is assigned exactly once, making it easier for compilers to analyze and optimize code.

Why is SSA Popular?

  • SSA is widely used because it simplifies the process of program analysis and transformation, which are crucial for optimizing code.
  • Many modern compilers, like LLVM, GCC, and others, utilize SSA for their intermediate representations (IR).

Challenges with Imperative Code:

  • Imperative programming involves sequences of operations that change the program's state, making it difficult for compilers to optimize without understanding the order of operations.
  • SSA helps reframe code into a structure that resembles a combinatorial circuit, allowing for easier analysis using graph theory.

Basic Blocks and Control Flow:

  • Programs can be divided into basic blocks—sections of code that execute sequentially without control flow interruptions.
  • SSA-CFG (Control Flow Graph) is used to represent the program's structure, facilitating easier optimization and analysis.

Example: Fibonacci Function in SSA:

  • The article demonstrates how to convert a Fibonacci function written in C into an SSA representation.
  • Instead of traditional variable assignments, the SSA format uses registers and controls data flow through block arguments or phi nodes, which manage variable values across different blocks of code.

Benefits of SSA:

  • By enforcing the single assignment rule, SSA makes it easier to analyze data dependencies and optimize program execution.
  • It allows the use of efficient algorithms for optimization since the structure of the program becomes clearer.

Overall, SSA forms an essential part of modern compiler design, significantly enhancing the ability to optimize code while maintaining clarity and structure.

Author: ingve | Score: 6

99.
We rewrote OpenFGA in pure Postgres
(We rewrote OpenFGA in pure Postgres)

The article discusses how Rover, an incident prevention platform for engineering teams, improved its authorization system by rewriting parts of OpenFGA using pure Postgres. Here are the key points:

  1. Authorization Challenges: The article highlights the complexity of authorization ('authz') compared to user authentication ('authn'). Different systems like Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Policy-Based Access Control (PBAC), Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC), and Relationship-Based Access Control (ReBAC) are discussed.

  2. Adopting ReBAC: Rover decided on a ReBAC approach using OpenFGA, which helps manage user permissions based on relationships within the organization. However, they faced synchronization issues between their main database and OpenFGA, complicating user and data management.

  3. Solution: To address these challenges, Rover rewrote the authorization logic in Postgres, allowing them to leverage existing database relationships. This involved creating a table for the authorization model, a view for relationship tuples, and a recursive function to check permissions.

  4. Benefits: The new setup simplifies maintenance, reduces operational complexity, and integrates seamlessly with Rover's existing database. It allows for easier updates and management of user permissions without needing a separate service.

  5. Future Considerations: While the new system is effective for Rover's current scale, they anticipate potential performance issues as they grow, which can be managed by optimizing the database.

The author encourages readers to check out the open-source implementation on GitHub and expresses a desire to share more developments in the future.

Author: wbadart | Score: 46

100.
RF Shielding History: When the FCC Cracked Down on Computers
(RF Shielding History: When the FCC Cracked Down on Computers)

In the early 1980s, the personal computer (PC) industry caught the attention of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) due to concerns about radio frequency (RF) interference, which was affecting TV and radio signals. This issue arose mainly from the popularity of Citizens Band (CB) radios, which caused significant interference, leading to numerous complaints from the public.

The FCC began to regulate RF emissions from computers to prevent similar problems in the growing home electronics market. As a result, many home computers of the time, like the Atari 800 and Apple II, were designed with thick metal shielding to minimize interference.

The rise of CB radios in the 1970s had created a chaotic situation where 83% of TV interference complaints were linked to these devices. The FCC responded by creating guidelines to manage RF interference, emphasizing the need for manufacturers to ensure their products wouldn't disrupt nearby electronics.

This regulatory environment forced companies to enhance their designs and implement better shielding, which ultimately led to improvements in technology. While the regulations initially posed challenges for manufacturers, they contributed to the development of more reliable and less interference-prone electronic devices.

Overall, the FCC's actions not only addressed immediate interference issues but also fostered innovation within the PC industry, leading to better engineering practices in today's technology.

Author: shortformblog | Score: 59
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