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The text discusses how to simplify using FFmpeg, a powerful command-line tool for media processing, by integrating it into a browser agent.

Key points:

1. Challenges with Current Setup: Previously, using FFmpeg involved complicated scripts with multiple steps, including downloading files and handling various technical issues, which made it cumbersome and prone to errors.

2. Browser Agent Solution: Instead of relying on a server, the team decided to incorporate FFmpeg into a Chrome extension using WebAssembly (Wasm). This allows for media processing directly in the browser, making it more efficient and user-friendly.

3. Benefits of Integration:

   • Users can easily perform tasks like adding subtitles, trimming videos, or taking screenshots without complicated commands.
   • The extension size increase (about 35 MB) is minor compared to the large video files that would need to be uploaded or downloaded.

4. Technical Functionality: The setup uses a virtual file system to manage files and handle command interpretation, allowing FFmpeg to operate as if it were working with local files.

5. Improved Workflow: The new approach converts complex FFmpeg commands into simple strings, significantly reducing the cognitive load and making media tasks easier and faster.

6. Future Developments: The team is working on workflows that will allow direct uploads to platforms like YouTube, further streamlining the process.

Overall, this integration aims to make FFmpeg a straightforward tool in a larger workflow, enhancing productivity without the complexities of traditional setups.

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This text discusses the challenges of planning international travel, especially concerning visas, residency, and other bureaucratic requirements. The author shares their experience of needing to quickly verify if a cheap flight to Iceland would comply with various travel regulations, as they have done for years with their travel history.

Key points include:

1. Complex Regulations: Different countries have varying rules about travel days, tax residency, and passport requirements, which can be confusing and contradictory.

2. Travel Planning: The author has created a system to manage their travel history and check compliance before booking flights. This includes tracking days spent in different countries and understanding how each country's system defines a "day."

3. User-Centric App: They developed an app called "Residency" to help users navigate these complexities. It calculates potential travel impacts and keeps personal data private by not relying on cloud storage.

4. Real-Time Feedback: The app provides immediate, reliable information on whether a trip will create issues with residency or visa requirements, helping users make informed decisions.

5. Continuous Improvement: The app evolves based on user feedback and changing regulations, aiming to simplify the process of understanding travel rules.

Overall, the text highlights the importance of clear information in travel planning and the author's efforts to create a tool that aids in navigating the bureaucratic landscape of international travel.

The text discusses the use of bloom filters for creating space-efficient full text search indexes, particularly for small document collections. A bloom filter is a data structure that allows quick checking of whether specific terms are present in each document. While this method is efficient for a limited number of documents, it struggles with larger document sets due to performance issues.

Key points include:

1. Bloom Filters: These are compact and allow websites with few pages to implement full text search without using much space, unlike traditional inverted indexes which are larger.

2. Scaling Challenges: The text explores attempts to scale bloom filters for larger collections. Initial ideas, like sorting filters or using tree structures, fail due to the complexity and overlap of language.

3. Inverted Index of Bloom Filters: A proposed solution involves creating a tree structure based on a dictionary, where each leaf points to documents containing specific words. This method is more efficient than direct bloom filter checks but still has limitations.

4. Space Efficiency Comparison: Although the bloom filter method can handle larger datasets, it becomes less space-efficient as the number of documents increases. Each document's filter must encode all words independently, leading to more space usage compared to an inverted index, which shares dictionary entries across documents.

5. Conclusion: Bloom filters are effective for small document sets but lose efficiency as the number of documents grows. An inverted index becomes more space-efficient with more documents since it stores each word only once. The text suggests that while bloom filters can be useful, different approaches may be better for scalable systems.

Overall, the article emphasizes the trade-offs between space efficiency and performance in different indexing techniques for document searches.

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The CEO of Substack recently celebrated an increase in traffic from Twitter, thinking it was due to a change in how tweets with links were treated. However, the real reason for the traffic boost is that when you click a link in a tweet, the link now opens in a webview in the background, making it more accessible.

As an owner of an online store that relies on Twitter for customers, I noticed my traffic doubled or tripled overnight and initially thought it was due to a positive change in the platform's algorithm. I later realized this was the actual cause and wanted to share this insight.

Meanwhile, Nikita Bier is downplaying the idea that tweets with links were suppressed in the past. He claims that links previously had lower reach because they distracted users from engaging with the post. This contradicts earlier statements from Elon Musk, who had criticized promoting other platforms on Twitter and had even banned users for it.

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Phomemo-tools Overview

Phomemo-tools is a package designed to help users print images using Phomemo thermal printers (models M02, M110, M120, M220, and T02) on Linux systems. The tools were developed by analyzing Bluetooth communications from the official Android app.

Key Features and Usage

1. Bluetooth Connection:

   • Use bluetoothctl to pair and connect to the printer.
   • Send images to the printer using a Python script:

     tools/phomemo-filter.py my_picture.png > /dev/rfcomm0
     

2. USB Connection:

   • Connect the printer via USB and check with lsusb and dmesg.
   • Send images to the printer using:

     tools/phomemo-filter.py my_picture.png > /dev/usb/lp0
     

3. CUPS (Common Unix Printing System):

   • Install CUPS on Debian:

     sudo apt-get update
     sudo apt-get -y install cups
     

   • Build and install Phomemo-tools files:

     cd cups
     make
     sudo make install
     

4. Configuration:

   • Pair the printer using GUI or CLI instructions provided.
   • Set printer options and check settings using lpoptions.
   • Print using commands like:

     echo "This is test" | lp -d M02 -o media=w50h60 -
     

Protocols

• For M02 Printers: Uses ESC/POS commands for sending print jobs, including specific headers, block markers, and footers.
• For M110/M120/M220 Printers: Similar command structure but tailored for different print settings like speed and density.

This package is useful for users who want to print images from Linux systems on compatible Phomemo printers.

In October 2025, experts reported that the Aisuru botnet, initially known for causing massive DDoS attacks, has shifted its focus to renting out infected Internet of Things (IoT) devices as proxies. This change enables cybercriminals to hide their online activities by routing traffic through these compromised devices, making it look like regular internet users are accessing the data.

Aisuru, which was first discovered in August 2024, has infected around 700,000 IoT devices, including unprotected routers and cameras. It has executed some of the largest DDoS attacks ever recorded, severely impacting internet service providers (ISPs) in the U.S. and Europe.

The botmasters have updated their malware to make it easier for them to rent out these infected devices to proxy services. These services can be used legitimately, but they are often exploited for cybercrime, including data scraping for AI projects. There has been a significant increase in the number of available residential proxies, with some estimates suggesting 250 million unique IPs, leading to concerns about the digital landscape being flooded with malicious traffic.

Experts also noted that many proxy providers are linked to botnets, including Aisuru, complicating the identification of which services are safe. The rise of AI has further legitimized the use of these proxies, as companies look to gather data for training models. Some proxy providers have even been accused of enabling mass scraping of content from platforms like Reddit without permission.

Overall, the situation highlights the challenges of managing internet security in an age where anonymity and data scraping are increasingly intertwined with advanced technologies like AI.

You can provide feedback by contacting me on X @0xkato.

The text includes a script for Disqus comments on a page about Linux process memory. It sets up the page URL and identifier for comments and loads the Disqus script asynchronously. JavaScript needs to be enabled to view the comments.

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Here’s a simplified summary of the text:

• When posting job openings, clearly state the work location: use "REMOTE" for fully remote jobs, "REMOTE (US)" if only US applicants can apply, or "ONSITE" if remote work isn't allowed.
• Only employees from the hiring company should post jobs; no recruiters or job boards. Each company should make one post and explain what they do if they are not well-known.
• Job posters must be actively hiring and willing to respond to applicants.
• Commenters should avoid complaining on job posts as it's off-topic.
• Interested applicants should email only if they are personally interested in the job.
• For job searches, several links are provided to useful resources.
• There is also a suggestion to check another thread titled "Who wants to be hired?" for more opportunities.

Andrew Ayer, the founder of SSLMate, shared his frustrations with Google Cloud after his account was suspended three times for unclear reasons. He relies on Google Cloud for testing and customer integrations but now feels he cannot trust it for serious work.

His troubles began in May 2024 when he was locked out of his account due to a policy violation, which took a lot of effort to resolve. Each suspension came with little to no explanation from Google, and although some integrations continued to work for one customer, the overall reliability of Google Cloud for SSLMate is in question.

Ayer believes Google Cloud's system is complex and unreliable, making it difficult to use securely. He is considering moving away from Google Cloud and suggests that using OpenID Connect (OIDC) could be a solution, although he finds the setup process unnecessarily complicated. Overall, he finds the situation unacceptable and highlights the need for better security practices.

Summary:

The blog post discusses learning to read and understand a compact style of C programming used by Arthur Whitney, a notable computer scientist known for his work on various programming languages and databases. Whitney's coding style is characterized by using macros and short variable names, which can make the code difficult to read but aims to keep logic visible on one screen, reducing the need to scroll through large codebases.

The author examines a simple interpreter written in this style, noting its unique aspects, such as defining functions and handling errors through macros. They comment on the complexity of the code, acknowledging that writing it in a more spread-out manner wouldn’t simplify its inherent complexity, just make it longer.

Despite finding the style challenging, the author believes that understanding this coding approach could improve their own coding practices. They dive into specific code snippets, explaining various macros and functions, and share their experience in deciphering the logic behind Whitney's writing.

Ultimately, the author reflects on the pros and cons of this coding style. They appreciate the efficiency and compactness but criticize the lack of semantic clarity and the potential for confusion due to non-standard syntax and implicit arguments. They conclude that while this style is intriguing and efficient, their personal coding approach tends to be more iterative and exploratory, leading to a different set of challenges. The author suggests extending the interpreter as a future exercise to further explore this coding style.

A crowdsourced map ranks the stinkiness and difficulty of gyms in Boulder. It provides detailed information about each gym, including whether they have toprope climbing and training boards.

I cannot access external links, including the one you've provided. However, if you can share the text you'd like summarized, I would be happy to help!

John commented on February 16, 2018, highlighting the impressive capabilities of NYC's newest fireboat, "Fire Fighter II." It can pump 50,000 gallons of water per minute, which is 20,000 gallons more than its sister ship, "Fire Fighter I."

The article discusses the challenges of using pgvector, a Postgres extension for vector similarity search, in a production environment. While many advocate for pgvector due to its simplicity and integration with Postgres, the author highlights significant issues often overlooked in blog posts about it.

Key Points:

1. Theoretical Appeal vs. Practical Use: pgvector seems great in theory, but many users have not implemented it in a real-world production setting. The author emphasizes that practical challenges are often ignored in optimistic blog posts.

2. Indexing Issues: pgvector offers two index types—IVFFlat and HNSW—each with drawbacks. IVFFlat can lead to suboptimal search quality over time, while HNSW has high memory requirements and slow index creation, which can crash the database.

3. Real-Time Search Challenges: Newly inserted data is not immediately searchable. Both index types have limitations that can degrade search quality, requiring periodic index rebuilds that lead to downtime or performance issues.

4. Query Complexity: Effective querying requires expertise in query planning. The order of operations (filtering before or after vector searches) significantly affects performance, but Postgres is not optimized for vector search.

5. Operational Overhead: Managing metadata and ensuring consistency during index builds adds complexity. Workarounds often lead to increased memory usage and operational challenges.

6. Dedicated Vector Databases: The author suggests that dedicated vector databases (like Pinecone or Weaviate) provide better solutions for real-time indexing, intelligent query planning, and overall efficiency, making them simpler and possibly more cost-effective than managing pgvector.

7. Conclusion: While pgvector is a powerful tool, it requires significant operational management and expertise, which may not be suitable for all teams. For many, using a dedicated vector database may be a better choice.

Summary of the State of Terminal Emulators in 2025: The Errant Champions

This article updates the previous analysis of terminal emulators' Unicode support. A new tool, ucs-detect, can now check for various features like DEC Private Modes and sixel graphics.

Key Issues with Terminal Emulators:

1. Width Problem: Terminal emulators struggle to display Unicode characters correctly in a fixed-width format. Miscalculations lead to misalignments and unreadable text.
2. Performance Concerns: Many terminals perform slowly, with iTerm2 and Extraterm using excessive CPU, while GNOME Terminal takes over five hours for tests.

Top Performers:

• Ghostty: Released recently, it scored the highest for Unicode support, showing a strong commitment to accurate implementation.
• Kitty: Scored equally well, recognized for its effective text-splitting algorithm.

Testing Results:

• Detailed tables show the Unicode features of each terminal.
• Performance varied widely, with some terminals having significant slowdowns.

Challenges and Innovations:

• Many terminals exhibit inconsistencies in handling DEC Private Modes, with some reporting incorrect support.
• The article discusses the potential for variable-sized text in terminals, which could improve legibility for various languages.

Overall, the findings indicate that while some terminals excel in Unicode support, many still have performance and compatibility issues that need addressing. The push towards more flexible text sizing could lead to better support for diverse languages.

A recent study led by Dr. Ajmal Zemmar from the University of Louisville has recorded brain activity during a patient's death for the first time. The research suggests that the brain remains active and organized as a person dies, potentially allowing for a "life recall" experience, where individuals may relive important memories. This was observed in an 87-year-old patient who suffered a heart attack while undergoing brain monitoring for epilepsy.

The study found significant changes in brain wave patterns, including gamma oscillations, which are associated with memory and consciousness, just before and after the heart stopped. This raises questions about our understanding of death and the possibility that the brain may facilitate a final recall of life experiences.

Dr. Zemmar notes that the findings can be viewed from scientific, metaphysical, and spiritual perspectives. Scientifically, the data is limited since it comes from a single case with complications. Metaphysically, it suggests that our brain may replay memories as we die. Spiritually, it could comfort families knowing that their loved ones may be recalling positive moments in their final moments. The study also prompts important discussions about the definition of death and implications for organ donation, suggesting that brain activity should be considered alongside heart monitoring when determining death.

If you're looking for a job, please share your information in this format:

  Location:
  Remote:
  Willing to relocate:
  Technologies:
  Résumé/CV:
  Email:

Only post if you are personally seeking work; agencies and recruiters should not participate. Readers should email the provided addresses only for job opportunities. You can search for these posts at wantstobehired.com.

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Summary:

Microsoft's Copilot is compared to Clippy, a notorious digital assistant from the 1990s, leading to concerns about AI adoption in enterprises. A recent survey of over 30 European AI startup founders and interviews with over 40 practitioners highlighted key challenges and strategies for deploying AI agents successfully.

Key Challenges:

1. Workflow Integration (60% of startups): Difficulty in merging AI agents with existing processes.
2. Employee Resistance (50%): Skepticism and distrust from users toward AI solutions.
3. Data Privacy (50%): Concerns about handling sensitive information.

Successful Strategies:

• "Think Small" Approach: Start with simple, low-risk tasks that provide clear returns on investment (ROI).
• Education and Support: Providing thorough training and support to users is crucial to overcoming resistance.
• Integration with Existing Budgets: Many AI startups are now tapping into core business budgets rather than just innovation budgets, indicating a shift towards practical applications of AI.

Deployment Trends:

• Most AI agents are being used in customer support, sales, and cybersecurity, but adoption is still limited in terms of employee engagement.
• Pricing models are evolving, with many startups using hybrid strategies that combine various pricing methods.

Future of AI Agents: AI agents are expected to improve in autonomy and accuracy, shifting toward more proactive and adaptable systems that can handle complex tasks independently. Startups are focusing on building their infrastructures in-house to maintain control and flexibility.

Overall, the report emphasizes the need for clear communication, user education, and gradual implementation to ensure successful AI adoption in enterprises.

The article discusses the concept of software bloat in the context of modern computing, where powerful CPUs and abundant RAM have led to less emphasis on software efficiency. Many believe that optimizing software is less critical today, prioritizing developer efficiency and maintainability instead. However, there are important points to consider:

1. Historical Context: In the past, programmers had to be more efficient due to limited computing resources. Today, software can be larger and more complex, often using higher-level languages and frameworks.

2. Reasons for Bloat: Some software bloat is a necessary tradeoff for improved security, robustness, and global accessibility. Modern software handles more complex tasks and integrates various features, which requires more resources.

3. Negative Aspects of Bloat: Not all bloat is justified; some comes from poor coding practices, over-engineering, and unnecessary dependencies, which can harm performance and security.

4. Ongoing Optimization Needs: Despite advancements, there are still areas where optimization is crucial, especially in performance-critical applications like codecs and game engines.

5. Timing of Optimization: Delaying optimization can lead to significant issues later, emphasizing the need for thoughtful algorithm and architecture choices from the start.

In conclusion, while some software bloat can foster innovation and is acceptable, excessive bloat can be detrimental. Striking a balance is essential to avoid the pitfalls of both premature and delayed optimization.

Guideline has been acquired by Gusto, a company that provides payroll and HR solutions for small businesses. This partnership will allow for better integration of payroll and 401(k) services in one place, making retirement saving simpler.

Key points:

• Your current 401(k) setup remains unchanged, and no action is needed from you.
• You can now access your 401(k) account using Gusto credentials.
• There will be no loss of access to current services like the mobile app or educational resources.
• Your fees and investment allocations will not change.
• All transactions will continue to be processed without delays.
• For support, you can still reach out to the same Guideline contacts.

Overall, this acquisition aims to enhance your experience while keeping everything you rely on intact.

The text provides a link to demos related to "Linux WASM" hosted on a website by Joel Severin. You can visit the link to see the demos.

Summary of "One Man Hacking" (Ravi Mohan's Blog)

Ravi Mohan discusses the approaches of two programmers, Ron Jeffries and Peter Norvig, in creating a Sudoku solver. Jeffries explores the problem with a focus on the data structure, but gets bogged down in implementation details without effectively solving the puzzle. In contrast, Norvig provides a concise solution with just 12 lines of code, demonstrating analytical and systematic thinking.

Ravi highlights that Jeffries' method, which involves Test-Driven Development (TDD), leads to suboptimal results due to a lack of deep understanding of the problem. He suggests that TDD can be ineffective for complex problems where a solid design strategy is needed upfront. The discussion includes various comments from readers expressing differing views on TDD, programming methodologies, and the effectiveness of each programmer's approach.

Overall, Ravi emphasizes the importance of analytical thinking and knowledge in programming, suggesting that relying solely on methodology without understanding can result in poor outcomes.

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Creating detailed and interactive 3D urban environments is important but difficult due to the lack of high-quality 3D scans for training models. This paper introduces Skyfall-GS, a new framework for generating large-scale 3D city blocks using available satellite images for basic shapes and a diffusion model for realistic details. Skyfall-GS does not require expensive 3D annotations and allows for real-time exploration of the 3D scenes. The method improves the quality of both the geometry and textures through a step-by-step refinement process. Tests show that Skyfall-GS produces better geometry and more realistic textures than current leading methods.

Summary of Isotemp OCXO107-10 Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator

The Isotemp OCXO107-10 is a large and stable oscillator that I bought for $5 at a flea market. It outputs a frequency of 5 MHz, which was popular in the past, especially for atomic clocks.

Key Information:

• These oscillators were once priced over $1000 and were used by companies like Lucent.
• They have a DE-9 connector for power and control and an SMA connector for output.
• The DE-9 pinout includes connections for the 5 MHz output, various power supplies, and control voltages.

Performance on the Bench:

• When powered, the unit initially draws 320 mA but stabilizes at 69 mA.
• Output power levels were measured and indicated similar performance to other units discussed online.
• The oscillator requires about a week to fully stabilize.

Internal Structure:

• The OCXO is housed in a Dewar flask, which helps maintain temperature stability, but makes it fragile.
• I was unable to open my unit, but I received photos from another user showing the internal components, including a heating element and control board.

Future Plans:

• I aim to conduct long-term tests of this oscillator and others in my lab, but I need to build a smaller, more efficient power supply for this purpose to avoid using a noisy bench supply.

Overall, the OCXO107-10 is a fascinating piece of technology, and I look forward to exploring its capabilities further.

Two cybersecurity employees, Kevin Tyler Martin and Ryan Clifford Goldberg, have been indicted for allegedly orchestrating ransomware attacks to extort millions from companies. They reportedly targeted five businesses, including a drone manufacturer and healthcare firms, starting their scheme in May 2023. Initially, they demanded $10 million from a victim company, which eventually paid $1.2 million.

The FBI claims Martin and Goldberg were part of a larger operation involving the ALPHV ransomware. Goldberg later confessed to the FBI, stating he conducted the attacks to pay off debts. Martin, however, pleaded not guilty. Both employees were fired after the investigation began, and their companies stated that the attacks occurred outside their systems and did not compromise client data.

Summary of Ladybird Updates - October 2025

In October, Ladybird successfully integrated 217 pull requests from 43 contributors. Here are the key highlights:

1. New Sponsors: Ladybird welcomed new sponsors, Axeptio ($10,000) and Gravwell ($5,000), and appreciates their support.

2. Web Platform Tests (WPT): Significant progress was made with WPT, adding 111,431 new passing subtests, raising the total to nearly 2 million. This milestone is important for browser eligibility on iOS.

3. Caching Improvements: Work has begun on a persistent disk cache to enhance website loading speed, following the earlier introduction of an in-memory cache.

4. Performance Enhancements: Various performance optimizations were made, including improvements to JavaScript string handling and property assignment.

5. Trusted Types Support: Several DOM APIs now support Trusted Types, enhancing security by preventing cross-site scripting attacks.

6. XPath Support: Initial support for XPath evaluations was added, improving compatibility with the htmx library.

7. Media Playback: A new unified system for audio and video playback ensures synchronization, improves seeking speed, and allows for better track management.

8. Pinch-to-Zoom: This feature is now available on macOS, allowing users to zoom in and out easily.

9. Accessibility Tools: The accessibility tree can now be inspected, aiding future compatibility with screen readers.

10. CSS and SVG Enhancements: Support for new CSS functions and improved gradient rendering were implemented.

11. WebGL Improvements: Enhanced support for WebGL2 and offscreen framebuffers, along with fixes for Google Maps Globe View.

12. Windows Support: Progress was made towards Windows compatibility, with successful runs of Ladybird on this platform.

The team thanks all contributors for their hard work this month.

The author, dotcomboom, shares their efforts to create a comprehensive archive of music from MP3.com by downloading 1.78TB of media from the Internet Archive's Rescue Barge and the Wayback Machine. They aimed to preserve MP3.com music due to the Archive's uncertain legal status amid lawsuits.

To achieve this, they initially collected data using various storage drives and then organized it with a music player called WACUP, which efficiently handled their large library of over 533,000 songs. After exporting the metadata to a CSV file, they cleaned it up to ensure the information was useful, including artist names and URLs.

Despite some files being corrupted or not audio, the resulting dataset contains valuable information about the music. They plan to share this CSV and Excel file on their website for others to access and enjoy. The post emphasizes the importance of preserving digital music history and the challenges encountered during the project.

The author found a pull request (PR) for a service that seems simple but is actually quite large. It contains 9,000 lines of code (LOC) and 63 new files, including a domain-specific language (DSL) parser. The author is asking for advice on how to review such a large PR effectively.

Summary:

Nextcloud is a comprehensive software that combines various services like file storage, calendars, and notes. However, users often find it slow, even on decent hardware. The main issue is the large amount of Javascript it requires—about 15-20 MB on a fresh page load, which slows down performance. Key components, like the core-common.js file and app-specific scripts, contribute significantly to this bloat.

For example, the Calendar app alone uses 5.94 MB of Javascript, and the Notes app needs 4.36 MB. This excessive size means tasks can take several seconds to load, even on fast internet connections, which is frustrating for users.

In response to this, the author is exploring alternatives for certain functionalities, like using Vikunja for tasks, which is much lighter at 1.5 MB of Javascript. Despite the performance issues, the convenience of Nextcloud's feature set keeps them from fully abandoning it.

The author acknowledges the challenges faced by development teams and emphasizes the importance of web performance and accessibility, encouraging others to learn about these issues as well.

Concrete tetrapods are used to absorb wave energy in coastal defenses. Recently, there's been a trend of creating tetrapod-shaped items, like plush toys and lamps. Inspired by this, the author decided to model a tetrapod.

A tetrapod's design is outlined in a patent by its inventors, specifying angles and proportions. The author experimented with constructing a tetrapod using the corners of a cube, resulting in a neat design that closely matched the original specifications.

To create the tetrapod, the author describes a process involving a cube and a tetrahedron, with legs pointing toward the tetrahedron's vertices. The legs are made from truncated cones, and the author explains how to determine their dimensions and taper angles.

The construction involves using circles to define the legs and ensuring they fit within the cube. The author also explains how to replicate the legs around the axes to form the complete tetrapod.

Overall, the author finds that the design feels more like a discovery, with the size and tapering of the legs emerging naturally from the cube's dimensions. They note that the shape not only looks good but is also likely to be functionally effective. Further exploration into the intersections where the legs meet continues.

Vim is a popular text editor that uses a unique editing style called modal editing. In Normal mode, users can navigate text quickly using specific key shortcuts without needing a mouse. Here are some basic movements you can use in Vim:

• h / l: Move one character left / right
• k / j: Move one character up / down (jumps to the end of the line if shorter)
• w / b: Jump to the beginning of the next / previous word
• e: Move to the end of the next word
• ^ / $: Move to the beginning / end of the current line

Additionally, the function ResourceFunction["VimGraph"] allows users to customize Vim movements and define new ones. It also offers options for graph-related settings.

Summary of Linkers Part 1

The author, Ian Lance Taylor, is working on a new linker, called "gold," and wants to share insights about linkers through a blog series. He notes that many programmers don't fully understand the linking process.

Personal Background:

• Taylor first created a linker in 1988 for the AMOS operating system, focusing on speed.
• His second linker, developed in 1993-1994 at Cygnus Support, aimed to be faster than the existing version.
• The current project, gold, is intended to be even faster than the previous linkers, especially with features like incremental linking.

What is a Linker?

• A linker converts object files into executable programs or shared libraries.
• The typical development process involves writing code, compiling it into assembly, and assembling it into object files, which the linker then combines into executables.
• Linkers have evolved over the years, now including support for shared libraries.

Taylor plans to continue this discussion in future blog posts.

The author was unhappy with the timer options available on Android and iOS, especially for workouts that require setting multiple series with rest periods. This led them to create their own timer app. Initially, the app worked but had a poor user interface and experience, as the author lacks design skills and recent front-end development experience.

Over time, with help from AI, the author improved the app, which is now an offline-first Progressive Web App (PWA) with no dependencies, cookies, or analytics—just timers. It uses Web Components and localStorage to keep timers saved. The author welcomes feedback and is eager to learn more.

You can check out the app at mytimers.app.

YASA, a UK-based company, has developed a new tiny electric motor that is significantly more powerful than Tesla's motors. This motor weighs only 28 pounds but can produce over 1,000 horsepower, outperforming the previous record holder by 40%. It can sustain high power levels continuously, making it suitable for extended use.

The design of this motor uses common materials, which could allow for mass production at lower costs in the future. A lighter motor means more efficient and faster electric vehicles (EVs), making this innovation very important for the EV industry. YASA already produces motors for luxury cars, and its new motor could eventually be used in more affordable EVs, changing the market landscape.

Summary of Agent-o-rama Overview

Agent-o-rama is a new open-source library designed for building and managing stateful LLM (Large Language Model) agents in Java and Clojure. It provides a unified platform that simplifies the process of evaluating, monitoring, and deploying LLM systems, addressing the challenges faced by developers in the JVM ecosystem.

Key Features:

• Dual APIs: Offers APIs for both Java and Clojure with equivalent functionality.
• Integrated Tooling: Combines various tools for testing and monitoring LLMs in a single workflow, unlike existing fragmented solutions.
• Parallel Execution: Agents are structured as simple graphs of functions that run concurrently, allowing for detailed performance tracking.
• Web UI: Includes a user interface for real-time experimentation and telemetry data, such as model performance and resource usage.
• Infrastructure Deployment: Can be deployed on a local cluster (Rama), which is free for small setups and scalable for larger applications.
• No External Dependencies: All components are integrated, requiring only the Rama infrastructure.

Example Usage: An example research agent can be run using provided commands, allowing users to input topics and receive generated reports based on LLM analyses. The system captures detailed execution traces, making it easy to monitor performance and adjust as needed.

Conclusion: Agent-o-rama streamlines the development of LLM agents with a focus on scalability and observability, making it accessible for developers familiar with Java and Clojure. It serves as both a practical tool for building applications and an example of distributed programming in action. Users are encouraged to engage with the community for support and collaboration.

Summary of Pixi: Modern Package Management for Robotics

Pixi is a new tool designed to simplify the development of robots using the Robot Operating System (ROS). It addresses common challenges in ROS development, such as dependency management and operating system limitations, without needing Docker or being tied to Ubuntu.

Key Features of Pixi:

• Cross-Platform Support: Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
• Reproducibility: Allows developers to create consistent environments with all necessary dependencies.
• Multi-Distro Support: Users can maintain multiple ROS distributions on the same machine.
• Easy Sharing: Environments can be shared easily with a simple configuration file.

Challenges Solved by Pixi:

• Avoids Ubuntu lock-in by not relying on specific Ubuntu versions.
• Reduces complexity in managing dependencies and multiple ROS versions.
• Eliminates the overhead of Docker by providing isolated environments directly.

Getting Started with Pixi:

1. Install Pixi on your operating system.
2. Create a new workspace and add ROS packages.
3. Start working in an isolated environment with the necessary ROS tools.

Future Vision: Pixi aims to become a key part of the ROS community, promoting easier and faster development in robotics. The team at Prefix.dev encourages contributions to expand package support and improve the overall experience.

For more information, you can watch a YouTube playlist or visit Prefix.dev to explore Pixi and its capabilities.

KaTeX is a fast and efficient tool for rendering mathematical expressions on websites. Here are the key points:

• Speed: KaTeX renders math quickly without needing to adjust the entire page layout.
• Quality: It uses a layout based on TeX, which is highly regarded for typesetting math.
• Independence: KaTeX does not rely on other libraries, making it easy to integrate into web resources.
• Server-Side Rendering: It produces consistent output across different browsers and environments, allowing for pre-rendering with Node.js.

KaTeX performs well even on pages with many mathematical expressions. You can find more information on its installation and documentation on GitHub.

Robert Hooke's "Cyberpunk" letter to Gottfried Leibniz discusses the connections between 17th-century natural science and modern cyberpunk themes, such as high technology and individual freedom. Hooke admired Leibniz's idea of creating a universal language for science, which could automate scientific reasoning, similar to early computer programming languages.

Hooke's letter expresses a hopeful vision that this language could empower individuals to freely explore and share ideas without interference from authorities. The author of the blog post sees Hooke as a precursor to the hacker mindset and a figure who embodies the spirit of cyberpunk, suggesting he deserves recognition as its patron saint, much like Leibniz is recognized in cybernetics. The author plans to explore Hooke's life and work further, emphasizing his innovative thinking and relationship with science and technology.

No summary available.

Summary of the Hydronium Project: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger Version of Uber H3 in Rust

The Hydronium Project is a complete rewrite of the H3 library in Rust, named h3o. It aims to improve integration with Rust projects, especially for WebAssembly (WASM), enhance safety through strong typing, maintain or improve performance compared to the original H3 library, and fully cover the H3 4.0 API.

Key Features:

• Testing: The project uses differential testing against the original H3 to ensure reliability. It includes 756 differential tests, 166 integration tests for additional features, and 42 unit tests. There are also 15 fuzz tests planned.

• Performance: A benchmark suite with 911 tests shows that h3o outperforms H3 in 862 cases. While H3 is faster in some scenarios, particularly with certain resolutions and pentagon shapes, h3o often performs significantly better, achieving speedups of up to 10x or more in many tests.

• Notable Improvements:

  • Optimizations made in functions like cellToBoundary, cellToChildrenSize, and gridDiskDistancesSafe lead to better performance.
  • The implementation of compactCell is more efficient in h3o, allowing faster processing.

• C Bindings: The project plans to create C bindings (h3oh3o) to allow easy integration with other programming languages. This will enable users to test h3o with minimal changes to existing H3 code.

• CLI Tool: The h3o-cli offers a command-line interface to interact with h3o, supporting various output formats and allowing for complex data processing.

• Compression Library: The THC (The H3 Compressor) library provides optimized compression for H3 data, significantly reducing the size of index sets.

Future Plans: The project will continue to refine the API, catch up with updates to H3, and develop more language bindings. The focus is on ensuring robust performance and addressing any performance gaps with the original H3 library before releasing version 1.0.

Overall, the Hydronium Project aims to create a more efficient, safer, and user-friendly version of the H3 library that leverages Rust's strengths.

Cloudflare has introduced Oxy, a new proxy framework built using the Rust programming language. This framework supports various Cloudflare projects, including the Zero Trust Gateway and iCloud Private Relay. Oxy is designed for high-load scenarios and can handle a vast amount of internet traffic while allowing for advanced communication protocols.

Key Features of Oxy:

• Proxy Framework: Oxy acts as a customizable server that can proxy traffic across multiple protocols, similar to NGINX but with enhanced programmability. Users can control aspects like traffic analysis, routing, and DNS resolution.
• Extensibility: Developers can start with a basic setup and gradually add features using an easy configuration model. Oxy allows for quick deployment with minimal coding.
• Traffic Handling: It supports various traffic types, enabling detailed analysis and manipulation at different layers of the OSI model.
• Tunneling and Request Handling: Oxy manages efficient tunneling for TCP, UDP, and HTTP traffic, allowing applications to control traffic flow comprehensively.
• TLS Support: It includes robust encryption options for secure traffic handling, utilizing BoringSSL for cryptography.
• Monitoring and Testing: Oxy provides built-in support for logging, monitoring, and testing applications, enhancing operational oversight.

Development Philosophy:

Oxy was developed with a focus on leveraging existing technologies and community contributions, ensuring both safety and performance. The ongoing development is iterative, allowing for improvements based on real-world usage.

Conclusion:

Oxy is a versatile and powerful proxy framework suited for modern internet applications, enabling developers to create efficient, high-performance services with ease. More technical details about Oxy will be shared in upcoming blog posts.

No summary available.

Summary of "The True Cost of a Programming Language"

This series of posts discusses the significant impact that choosing a programming language can have on a company's success and finances. The author argues that these decisions often stem from emotional and identity-based factors rather than purely technical considerations, leading to costly mistakes.

Key Points:

1. Identity Over Technology: Decisions about programming languages are frequently influenced by personal identity and ego rather than objective analysis, which can result in technical debt and financial strain.

2. Personal Experience: The author shares a story from their early career at Takkle, where a switch from PHP to Perl, driven by a new CTO's bias, delayed product launch and increased costs, ultimately leading to the company's failure.

3. Recurring Patterns: Similar patterns are seen throughout the tech industry, where engineers often fail to make rational choices because they are influenced by their identities as programmers of specific languages.

4. Visible vs. Invisible Conversations: Language discussions involve two layers: the visible (technical merits) and the invisible (identity-related biases). The invisible factors often dominate and lead to poor decision-making.

5. Cognitive Bias: Neuroscience research shows that when personal identity beliefs are challenged, the brain defends those beliefs aggressively, making it hard to evaluate alternatives objectively.

6. Economic Framework: The author advocates for reframing language decisions from a technical debate to an economic one, focusing on the true costs associated with a language—such as velocity, technical debt, and operational complexity.

7. Next Steps: The next post will introduce a framework to evaluate programming languages based on their economic impact, helping teams make informed decisions without being swayed by personal biases.

In summary, the choice of a programming language is more than a technical decision; it is a critical economic one that can determine a company's future success.

FurtherAI, backed by a $25 million Series A funding from Andreessen Horowitz and Y Combinator, is hiring Software Engineers, AI Engineers, and Forward-Deployed Engineers. The company is developing AI Agents for the insurance sector and has seen significant growth, including over 10 times revenue increase this year.

Key points:

• The team is small and experienced, with many founders and former staff from top tech companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon.
• They are looking for talented engineers in San Francisco who want to make a significant impact.
• Interested candidates can contact Sashank (CTO) at [email protected].
• There is also a $10,000 referral bonus for successful hires.

For job listings, visit: FurtherAI Jobs.

The team at Skald made the bold decision to switch their backend from Python to Node just one week after launching. They aimed to improve scalability because they encountered difficulties with Python's async capabilities, particularly when working with Django. Although Django is user-friendly, its async support is limited and can lead to messy code, especially when dealing with concurrent requests.

Despite advice to prioritize shipping and selling over scaling too soon, they felt that Django would hinder their growth and efficiency. They considered switching to FastAPI but ultimately chose Node to unify their codebase since they had already started using Node for their background services.

This migration to Node and using Express with MikroORM resulted in a significant increase in performance, with a threefold increase in throughput. However, they miss the convenience of Django and its ORM. They found that merging their Node services simplified their architecture and improved testing practices.

Overall, the team is satisfied with their decision to move to Node, believing it will benefit them long-term and enhance their ability to serve customers effectively. They learned a lot during the process and are open to feedback about their choice.

No summary available.

The blog post discusses the characteristics of TCP connections at a large scale, highlighting their significance for understanding Internet behavior. Every online interaction relies on these connections, but comprehensive data on them is scarce due to challenges in global measurement and data sharing by network operators.

Key points include:

1. Importance of Connection Characteristics: Understanding the behavior of network connections is crucial for predicting the impact of changes in routing algorithms or protocols. Simulations, which rely on accurate data, help assess these impacts without risking live networks.

2. Data Collection Overview: The analysis is based on a dataset of TCP connections to Cloudflare, covering around 70% of HTTP requests. Data was collected from a 1% sample of connections over a week in October 2025, focusing on metadata such as packet counts and connection durations.

3. Connection Behavior Insights:

   • Packet Counts: Most connections are small; the average connection sends about 240 packets, but the median is just 12. This indicates a heavy-tailed distribution where a few connections handle a lot of data while most are lightweight.
   • Bytes Sent: HTTP/1.X connections have a median of 4.8 KB, while HTTP/2 shows a median of 6 KB. Again, there are extreme cases with very large transfers.
   • Connection Duration: The median connection lasts about 4.7 seconds. Most connections are brief, but some can last days due to persistent sessions.
   • Request Counts: HTTP/2 allows more requests per connection than HTTP/1.X, but most connections still handle only one request.

4. Path Characteristics: The maximum transmission unit (MTU) is typically 1500 bytes, with variations depending on the network path. The initial congestion window (ICWND) is crucial for performance, with a median size of 464 KB observed.

5. Conclusion: The characteristics of Internet connections are diverse and inform strategies to improve performance and reliability. Cloudflare plans to continue sharing connection statistics and welcomes collaboration to enhance Internet quality.

Overall, the post emphasizes the need for better understanding of TCP connections to enhance network performance and user experience.

Summary of the Continual Learning Problem

Continual Learning Overview
Continual learning aims to create models that can learn from new experiences over time without losing previous knowledge. A key challenge is updating a model's parameters while preventing it from forgetting what it has already learned.

Memory Layers as a Solution
Memory layers are proposed as an effective architecture for continual learning. These layers allow for high-capacity and selective updates, making it easier for models to learn new information without significant forgetting. Research shows that using memory layers leads to much less forgetting compared to traditional methods like full finetuning or LoRA.

Two Main Challenges in Continual Learning

1. Generalization: This involves determining how to learn important information from new data effectively. It requires models to grasp the semantic meaning behind the data rather than just memorizing it.

2. Forgetting/Integration: This focuses on how to incorporate new information without losing valuable knowledge. Models need to know when to overwrite old information and how to keep relevant past knowledge.

Memory Layer Mechanism
Memory layers utilize a sparse attention mechanism that allows the model to access only a small subset of learned parameters when processing new information. This targeted approach minimizes the risk of forgetting while still allowing for significant learning.

Evaluation of Sparse Memory Finetuning
In experiments, sparse memory finetuning was able to learn effectively from new data streams (like TriviaQA) while exhibiting much less forgetting than full finetuning and LoRA. This approach allows models to update only the necessary parameters related to new data.

Future Directions
The research suggests further exploration into memory architectures for larger models. There is a need for better benchmarks to assess continual learning capabilities realistically. The potential for more sophisticated systems that learn continuously from user feedback is substantial, indicating that the field is still in its early stages.

Overall, memory layers present a promising avenue for developing models capable of continual learning, with an emphasis on balancing learning new information while retaining previously acquired knowledge.

Summary of htmx 4.0: The Fetch()ening

Carson Gross announces the upcoming release of htmx 4.0, which will replace the current XMLHttpRequest with the more modern fetch() API. This change aims to simplify the library and improve its performance.

Key Changes in htmx 4.0:

1. Fetch() Implementation: The core of htmx will now use fetch() instead of XMLHttpRequest, altering the event model but not significantly affecting most users.

2. Explicit Attribute Inheritance: The implicit inheritance of attributes will be replaced with explicit definitions, allowing clearer control over which elements inherit attributes.

3. History Management: Instead of caching DOM snapshots, htmx 4.0 will retrieve content from the network for history support, simplifying navigation and improving reliability.

What Remains the Same: Core features like hx-get, hx-post, and hx-target will continue to function similarly, ensuring that many existing projects will work without major adjustments.

Upgrade Path: While htmx 2.0 will still be supported indefinitely, users will need to adapt to some changes when upgrading to 4.0. The transition will occur gradually over a few years.

New Features:

• Streaming Responses: Support for readable streams will allow dynamic content updates.
• Morphing Swap: A new algorithm for more efficient DOM updates will be included.
• <partial> Tag Support: A new element type will simplify complex content swapping.
• Improved Event Handling: A new naming standard will enhance event predictability and clarity.

Timeline: An alpha version is available now, with a full release expected in early to mid-2026 and the latest version to be marked in early 2027.

Overall, htmx 4.0 aims to enhance usability while maintaining familiarity for existing users.

Summary of Win11Debloat

Win11Debloat is a user-friendly PowerShell script designed to clean up and enhance your Windows experience by removing unnecessary pre-installed apps (bloatware), disabling tracking features, and simplifying the interface.

Key Features:

• App Removal: Quickly removes a variety of pre-installed apps.
• Privacy Enhancements: Disables telemetry, tracking, and targeted ads.
• Customization Options: Allows personalization of settings, such as dark mode and taskbar alignment.
• File Explorer Tweaks: Modifies default opening locations and visibility of files.
• Taskbar Adjustments: Hides unnecessary icons and manages how app icons appear.

Usage:

1. Quick Method: Run the script directly from PowerShell.
2. Traditional Method: Download and run the script manually.
3. Advanced Method: For experienced users, execute the script with specific PowerShell commands.

Default Settings:

Win11Debloat includes a default mode that automatically applies recommended changes, such as removing distracting apps and disabling tracking features.

Important Notes:

• Changes can be reversed, and removed apps can typically be reinstalled from the Microsoft Store.
• Use the script at your own risk, as unintended issues may arise.

For more details on installation and features, check the provided documentation or wiki.

Summary of FreakWAN

FreakWAN is a project aimed at creating a LoRa-based open wide area network (WAN) that operates independently from the internet and cellular networks. Its two main goals are:

1. To establish a distributed chat system that supports both plaintext and encrypted messaging, making it useful for tech enthusiasts and in areas lacking internet access during emergencies.
2. To develop a robust communication protocol that can support various applications, such as sensor data collection and home automation, without the typical range limitations of other communication methods.

The project is focused on covering parts of Sicily with this network, and the software will be available for anyone to build their own LoRa WANs. Key features include:

• A distributed network structure using LoRa technology.
• Basic chat functionalities, including media sharing and group chats with encryption.
• Configurable message retransmission settings and acknowledgment capabilities.
• Use of AES encryption for secure messaging.
• Local message storage and management.
• A simple driver for specific LoRa chips and compatibility with MicroPython.

FreakWAN supports various ESP32-based devices, and users can customize the software for different hardware configurations. Installation involves setting up MicroPython, configuring device settings, and transferring the necessary files.

Users can interact with the FreakWAN network via USB or Bluetooth, sending commands and messages through a command-line interface. The system allows for integration with Telegram and IRC for broader communication options.

For encrypted communication, users can share symmetric keys to ensure that only intended recipients can read messages. The project also supports sending small images and has features for power management to protect battery-operated devices.

Overall, FreakWAN aims to provide a flexible and open communication network that can operate in various conditions, ensuring connectivity and collaboration even without conventional internet access.

I've been working with Rust and wanted a project to explore its performance features. Inspired by Sebastian Lague, I created my own ray tracer.

My goals were:

• To render a simple 3D scene in the browser.
• To develop a renderer that can run locally or online with wgpu and WebAssembly.
• To use a Bounding Volume Hierarchy (BVH) for faster mesh rendering.
• To simulate both direct and indirect lighting for realistic images.
• To easily host a free web demo on GitHub Pages.

The project has been a fun learning experience in graphics programming and Rust. I also plan to try Rust for machine learning projects in the future.

You can check out my project on GitHub: Rust Rasterizer and see the web demo here: Web Demo.

I welcome feedback from anyone with experience in similar projects or with wgpu and ray tracing in Rust.

The text discusses a method for visually representing high-dimensional tensors (like 4D and beyond) as matrices of matrices, making it easier to identify each dimension.

Instead of printing large lists or flattening the tensor to 2D, the suggested approach alternates stacking lower-dimensional matrices horizontally and vertically. This method maintains clarity as dimensions increase.

Here’s a brief overview of the examples provided:

• 0D: A single value: 0
• 1D: A list of values: 0 1
• 2D: A 2x2 matrix:

  0  1
  2  3
  

• 3D: A 2x2x2 representation:

  0  1    4  5
  2  3    6  7
  

• 4D: A 2x2x2x2 layout:

  0  1    4  5
  2  3    6  7
  
  8  9   12 13
  10 11   14 15
  

• 5D: A more complex arrangement, continuing the pattern.

The method allows for a clear visualization of how the dimensions relate to one another. Additionally, it mentions that when each size is 2, the pattern resembles a Morton curve, although the author does not use that term.

The text concludes with a "knowledge check" where readers are asked to visualize how the tensor can be split along different dimensions, demonstrating the representation method further.

The text discusses two economic concepts, Jevons Paradox and Baumol's Cost Disease, and their implications in the context of AI and productivity.

1. Jevons Paradox: This phenomenon suggests that as productivity in an industry increases, prices for those goods or services can decrease, leading to higher consumption. For example, advancements in technology have made computing cheaper and more widely used. This cycle often creates new job opportunities.

2. Baumol's Cost Disease: This concept explains that as one sector of the economy becomes more productive, wages in less productive sectors must rise to attract workers. This can lead to increased costs in those sectors, even if their productivity hasn’t improved. For instance, even if a job (like dog walking) isn't affected by technology, its cost may still rise because overall wealth increases.

3. Impact of AI: The text predicts that AI will lead to significant productivity gains for some services, making them cheaper. Conversely, services less impacted by AI may see rising costs. The dynamics of job markets will shift as certain roles become more valuable, especially those that require human oversight in automated processes.

4. Future Job Market: As AI becomes more integrated, jobs may evolve where the small human component left in an automated job becomes highly valuable. This could create unusual economic scenarios where specific skills are in high demand, even as automation increases.

Overall, the text emphasizes that technological advancements lead to both increased efficiency in certain areas and rising costs in others, shaping the future job market and economic landscape.

The Arduino Uno Q is a new board created after Qualcomm acquired Arduino. It's a mix of features from both an Intel CPU and a Raspberry Pi microcontroller, making it a unique but somewhat confusing device.

Key Features:

• It runs on a Qualcomm Dragonwing SoC with older Arm A53 cores, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of eMMC storage, with a 4GB version expected later.
• The board operates on Debian Linux and includes Arduino's App Lab for programming, allowing users to write in both Python and Arduino’s C++.
• It has a single USB-C port that handles power, HDMI, and other connections, which simplifies wiring but might require extra accessories for use.

Performance:

• The performance is decent but limited, comparable to older Raspberry Pi models, and not suitable for heavy tasks like web browsing or video streaming.
• It consumes more power than a typical microcontroller since the full Linux stack must run, making battery use less efficient.

Value:

• Priced at $44, it competes with other SBCs but lacks the speed and features that make those alternatives more attractive.
• While it offers some unique educational opportunities, it might not be the best choice for general use unless one is already invested in the Arduino ecosystem.

Software and Open Source:

• The board remains open source, and schematics are available, which is a positive aspect for the maker community.
• However, it faces challenges with software management and functionality, which could hinder its appeal.

Conclusion: Overall, while the Uno Q is an interesting addition to the SBC market, it may not provide enough value for most users, especially compared to other established options. Its success will depend on continued support from Qualcomm and how well it integrates into existing Arduino projects.

The text discusses the author's exploration of the J programming language, which is designed for efficient data processing. J is unique because it uses terms like "verbs" instead of "functions," and has a distinct syntax that can make it difficult to read. The author prefers writing code by hand but finds that J's compactness can create complex and unreadable call trees.

Key points include:

• Handwriting Code: The author finds it easier to draft ideas by hand but struggles with coding speed compared to typing.
• What is J?: J is an array programming language that processes data quickly and uses a unique terminology (verbs, monads, dyads).
• Verb Definition: The author illustrates how to define and use verbs in J, showing examples of both explicit and tacit verbs, with tacit verbs being preferred for efficiency.
• Performance Comparison: The text compares the performance of explicit and tacit verbs, finding that tacit verbs are generally faster and use less memory.
• Visualizing Code: The author suggests that visualizing code with annotations and colors can help with understanding J's complex syntax.
• Personal Reflection: The author enjoys the creative aspect of programming in J, likening it to a magical experience, despite acknowledging that the language may intimidate others.

Overall, J is presented as a powerful but challenging language suited for data manipulation, and the author appreciates its potential for personal growth in programming.

No summary available.

The author created a gate-level version of the original Tamagotchi toy for FPGA development, inspired by the Analogue Pocket. This version allows users to enjoy the classic 1996 Tamagotchi with modern features, like savestates and high turbo speeds (up to 1,800 times faster than normal). The author emphasizes the importance of learning about hardware and FPGAs, suggesting that it can change how programmers approach problems.

Two new papers on LLM (Large Language Model) security and prompt injection were released recently.

1. Agents Rule of Two: This paper presents a "Rule of Two" designed to enhance AI agent security. The rule suggests that to mitigate risks from prompt injection, an AI agent should not possess more than two out of three risky capabilities at once:

   • Handle untrustworthy inputs
   • Access sensitive systems or private data
   • Change state or communicate externally

   If an agent needs all three capabilities, it should not operate independently and should require human supervision. The paper emphasizes the ongoing challenges in reliably detecting prompt injections and suggests that the design of systems should take these risks into account.

2. The Attacker Moves Second: This paper evaluates 12 defenses against prompt injection and jailbreaking using advanced adaptive attacks. These adaptive attacks successfully bypassed defenses in over 90% of cases, highlighting that previous static defenses were inadequate. The study showed that the most effective attacks used reinforcement learning and search-based methods.

   The authors hope their findings will encourage better defense strategies, though the reviewer expresses skepticism about the development of reliable defenses in the near future.

Overall, both papers underscore the need for careful design and consideration of risks in AI systems due to the inadequacy of current defenses against prompt injection attacks.

Summary of "The Morals of Chess" by Benjamin Franklin

"The Morals of Chess," published in 1786, discusses the game of chess as a valuable tool for developing important mental qualities. Franklin emphasizes that chess is an ancient game enjoyed across many cultures, and it is not played for money, making it a pure form of amusement.

Key lessons from chess include:

1. Foresight: Players learn to anticipate future moves and their consequences.
2. Circumspection: Players must consider the entire board and the potential actions of their opponent.
3. Caution: Players should avoid hasty moves, as in life, where rash decisions can lead to negative outcomes.
4. Perseverance: Players learn to remain hopeful and persistent, even in difficult situations.

Franklin also outlines proper conduct during the game, such as adhering strictly to agreed rules, avoiding unfair practices, and showing respect towards opponents. He advises players to be gracious in victory and to maintain respect for their opponents, as this fosters a positive gaming environment.

Overall, Franklin advocates for chess as not only a source of enjoyment but also as a way to cultivate good habits and moral values.

Rmlx Summary

Rmlx is an R package that connects to Apple's MLX (Machine Learning eXchange) library, allowing users to leverage high-performance GPU computing on Apple Silicon Macs. Developed quickly using AI tools, it implements many C++ functions as R functions prefixed with "mlx_". However, some features, like large neural network layers, may not be available.

Key Features:

1. Fast GPU Operations: Rmlx allows for speedy matrix operations using the GPU, significantly improving performance over CPU-only computations.

2. Lazy Evaluation: Operations can be set up but not executed until explicitly needed, which can optimize performance.

3. Device Management: Users can easily switch between CPU and GPU, as the memory is shared on M series chips.

4. Subsetting and Arithmetic: Rmlx supports standard R operations like subsetting and arithmetic operations directly on GPU arrays.

5. Matrix Operations: Rmlx includes specialized methods for various matrix functions, such as combining, transposing, and performing algebra.

6. Automatic Differentiation: It supports automatic differentiation, which is useful for optimization tasks like training machine learning models.

Installation Requirements:

• Compatible with macOS on Apple Silicon or Linux with CUDA, or CPU-only builds on either OS.

Installation Steps:

1. Install the MLX library using Homebrew or its Linux equivalent.
2. Install Rmlx via the R package management system.

Overall, Rmlx makes it easier for R users on Macs to utilize GPU capabilities for efficient data analysis and machine learning tasks.

No summary available.

A user discovered and archived the frontend source code of the Apple App Store from its website due to Apple not disabling sourcemaps in production. The code, saved using a Chrome extension, is available on GitHub for educational purposes.

The directory includes:

• API-related code
• Static assets
• Dependencies
• Shared modules
• Complete source code with various components like state management, UI elements, API integration, and routing.

This repository is for educational use only, as all code is copyrighted by Apple Inc. If there are copyright issues, they can be addressed for removal. The discovery serves as a reminder to always disable sourcemaps in production environments.

No summary available.

In November, many people take on different challenges, and for me, it's about stepping away from social media. I've logged out of all my personal accounts and turned off suggestions on YouTube. I'm committing to a "No Socials November."

If you're feeling overwhelmed by social networks, consider joining me. You can log out, delete apps, and break the habit. After a week, you might feel good about this choice. There’s no pressure to stay off social media after November; you can return to it in December if you want, or change your relationship with it.

I might blog more during this time, and I encourage others to try blogging too. My friend Pika offers a service with a discount for those participating in No Socials November. If you have thoughts on stepping back from social media or are blogging, feel free to reach out!

No summary available.

Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, Israel's top military lawyer, was arrested after she admitted to leaking a video showing soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee. She leaked the footage to defend military investigators, who faced backlash for pursuing the case. Right-wing politicians praised the soldiers involved as "heroes" and criticized Tomer-Yerushalmi for damaging Israel's reputation.

Her arrest raises serious concerns about the rule of law in Israel and accountability for military actions against Palestinians. The incident is part of a wider context of alleged abuses, including torture and killings of Palestinians in Israeli detention. Despite strong evidence of misconduct, very few soldiers have faced legal consequences.

Tomer-Yerushalmi's actions led to public threats and protests against her, reflecting a growing divide over military accountability. This situation highlights tensions between the need for legal investigations and the political climate that pressures military leaders not to pursue such cases. The debate over military conduct and international law remains contentious in Israel.

The text discusses how to convert LaTeX math to SVG format using MathJax and Pandoc. Here are the key points:

1. MathJax and Pandoc: Pandoc can convert LaTeX math into HTML with MathJax, but this requires an internet connection because it links to an online MathJax script.

2. Offline Solutions: To use MathJax offline, you can include a local copy of the library. However, this still may not work on devices that don't support JavaScript, like many EPUB readers.

3. MathML as an Alternative: If you want compatibility across modern devices, use MathML instead of MathJax.

4. Creating Standalone Documents: To convert LaTeX math into a standalone SVG format, you can use an HTML parser and replace MathJax spans with images. This can be done using either MathJax’s command-line interface or traditional methods like pdflatex.

5. Headless Browsers: Another method is using a headless browser to inject MathJax scripts into a page and then serialize the modified HTML. The author mentions past experiences with tools like phantomjs and jsdom, noting improvements in jsdom's performance.

6. Implementation Example: The text includes a code snippet demonstrating how to set up jsdom to handle MathJax and convert LaTeX math to SVG, with the end goal of creating an HTML file that doesn’t rely on external scripts.

7. Final Usage: The resulting HTML file can be generated from a Markdown input using a specific command.

Overall, the aim is to create a fully functional HTML document with embedded SVG math that works offline and does not require external resources.

No summary available.

In a personal account, Sidney Reid, a D.C. resident, describes being wrongfully arrested and charged by the U.S. Department of Justice while trying to document the treatment of detainees outside a jail. Despite being accused of assaulting a federal agent—a charge that could have led to prison time—Reid was acquitted by a jury. He emphasizes that his actions were motivated by a desire to uphold basic human rights. Reid recounts the distress of being arrested, the tight handcuffs causing permanent thumb damage, and the uncertainty of his future, including his new job. Ultimately, he expresses relief and hope after the jury's verdict, highlighting the danger of government overreach and the importance of standing up for justice.

Summary of llms.py

Overview: llms.py is a simple tool for accessing various large language models (LLMs) through a command-line interface (CLI) and an API. It operates offline, keeping all data private in browser storage.

Key Features:

• Lightweight: A single Python file with minimal dependencies.
• Multi-Provider Support: Access to numerous LLM providers like OpenAI, Google, and others.
• Cost-Effective: Automatically routes requests to the cheapest available provider.
• User Interface: Offers a ChatGPT-like UI for easy interaction.
• Analytics: Built-in tools to track costs, requests, and usage.
• Image and Audio Support: Processes images and audio files with compatible models.
• Configuration Management: Easily manage which providers and models are enabled.

Installation:

• Install via pip: pip install llms-py
• Use Docker for deployment.

Basic Usage:

• Start the server and access the UI at http://localhost:8000.
• Use command-line commands to interact with models, such as asking questions or processing media files.

Configuration:

• Set up providers and their API keys in a configuration file (llms.json).
• Enable/disable providers as needed.

Advanced Features:

• Supports custom chat templates for different request types.
• Offers health checks for providers and models to ensure reliability.

Docker Deployment:

• Recommended for quick setup; it allows easy configuration and persistent data management.

Conclusion: llms.py is a versatile tool for accessing various LLMs, providing a user-friendly interface and efficient management of resources and configurations.

The text provides information about an activity or post that is 281 days old. It shows that there have been no comments and only one participant, named Raymond Toy. Users have the option to download the content, add it to favorites, or remove it from favorites.

Summary of IBM 1130 Emulator in C#

The IBM 1130 Emulator is a software program that simulates the IBM 1130 computer. It is built using C# and works on Linux, Mac, and Windows with .NET Core. Key features include:

• CPU Instruction Set: Implements all CPU instructions.
• Device Emulation: Simulates devices like the 2501 card reader and 2310 disk drive.
• Memory Management: Manages memory operations effectively.
• Interrupt Handling: Processes interrupts in the system.

Getting Started:

• Requirements: You need the .NET 8.0 SDK and a compatible IDE or text editor.
• Setup:
  1. Clone the project repository.
  2. Restore dependencies and build the project using dotnet build.

Testing:

• Run the test suite using dotnet test, which includes over 335 unit tests covering various functionalities. Tests are quick, usually finishing in under 2 seconds.

Project Status:

• The CPU core is fully functional.
• The 2501 card reader is complete with tests.
• The 2310 disk drive is partially implemented.
• PowerShell integration is available but untested.

Contributing: Contributions are welcome. Guidelines are provided in the CONTRIBUTING.md file, covering coding standards, testing, and the pull request process.

Running Locally:

• Backend: Requires .NET 8 SDK and runs on PowerShell. Use commands to restore, build, and run the backend Web API.
• Frontend (Optional): Requires Node.js and npm. Follow commands to install dependencies and start the frontend.

Additional Information:

• The project maintains its original licensing terms.
• Useful links for .NET Core and unit testing are available.

For more details, refer to the project repository.

Antoine Pitrou, a CPython core developer, discussed a suggestion from H. Vetinari about moving a test to a separate module. He proposed checking the sys.modules in a subprocess as part of the unit tests. He provided an example showing that when trying to access the 'email' module before importing it, a KeyError occurs. After importing 'email', it can be found in sys.modules, confirming it was loaded correctly.

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Summary: Key Points on Leverage Points in Complex Systems

1. Leverage Points: These are critical areas in a system where a small change can lead to significant effects. Understanding where to find and how to use these leverage points is essential for improving system performance.

2. Counterintuitive Nature: Often, people misidentify leverage points, focusing on the wrong areas that do not lead to desired outcomes. A classic example is the emphasis on economic growth, which can exacerbate issues like poverty and environmental degradation.

3. Hierarchy of Interventions: The author lists interventions in a system from least to most effective:

   • Constants and Parameters: Basic numerical adjustments (taxes, subsidies) are the least effective.
   • Buffers and Stocks: The size of stabilizing stocks, which can help manage fluctuations.
   • Structure of Flows: The arrangement of physical components impacts system function.
   • Information Flows: Access to information can significantly influence behavior and decision-making.
   • Rules of the System: The regulations and norms that govern behavior are powerful leverage points.
   • Power to Change Structures: The ability to modify or evolve the system's structure enhances resilience.
   • System Goals: The overarching objectives of the system dictate its behavior.
   • Mindset or Paradigm: The collective beliefs shaping how a system operates are fundamental.
   • Transcending Paradigms: The highest leverage point is the ability to remain flexible and open to new ideas, recognizing that no single paradigm is absolute.

4. Importance of Feedback Loops: Negative feedback loops help correct deviations, while positive feedback loops can lead to growth or collapse. Balancing these loops is crucial for system stability.

5. Complexity of Systems: Systems are intricate and changeable. Effective interventions often require deep understanding and patience, as simple solutions may not yield results.

6. Caution: While the list provides a framework, it is not definitive. The effectiveness of interventions can vary, and systems can resist changes, especially at higher leverage points. Continuous learning and adaptation are necessary for meaningful change.

This summary emphasizes understanding and identifying leverage points as essential for effectively intervening in complex systems.

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Summary: Create Custom AI Chatbots with Syllabi

Syllabi allows you to build intelligent, customizable chatbots that can be deployed across various platforms. Here are the key features:

• Knowledge Base: Transform documents and data into a smart knowledge base for accurate responses with source citations.
• Multi-Format Support: Import content from PDFs, videos, websites, Google Drive, and Notion.
• Retrieval Technology: Quickly find relevant information with advanced smart retrieval features.
• Omnichannel Deployment: Use one chatbot across multiple channels, including websites, Slack, and Discord.
• Customizability: Tailor the chatbot's appearance, behavior, and integrations to fit your brand and needs.
• Rich Conversations: Support multimedia interactions, including diagrams, code execution, and embedded content.
• Analytics: Track user interactions and engagement with detailed analytics.
• Open Source: Syllabi is free to use, modify, and self-host, ensuring full control over your data.

Ideal for various applications like education, customer support, and team collaboration, Syllabi empowers users to create effective chatbots tailored to their specific requirements. Get started today by visiting their GitHub page!

The author reflects on their renewed enthusiasm for technology after feeling stuck in their previous routine. They found a fresh start with FreeBSD, a member of the BSD family of operating systems, which better suits their needs for a multi-purpose system. They appreciate FreeBSD's simplicity, good documentation, and long-term compatibility, making it easy to learn and troubleshoot. Although they faced challenges while setting it up, the excitement of learning something new has made self-hosting enjoyable again. The supportive BSD community has also been helpful. Ultimately, the author is focused on having fun and learning rather than worrying about long-term commitment to their current setup.

This project was supported by patrons on Patreon. It began as a YouTube video series about web programming, specifically C programming. Patrons who contributed at the "C programming" level and above received several benefits:

• Early access to the video series
• Exclusive content from the programming guide that wasn't included in the videos
• A weekly forum for asking questions about the C programming topics covered in the videos

After completing the video series, the content was turned into a "teach yourself programming" book, which patrons could buy at cost through Lulu.

In the late 1990s, a stretch of US-26 near Rhododendron, Oregon, became known for dangerous driving conditions, leading to a high accident rate. Over 650 community members petitioned the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for a left turn lane to improve safety. The area had many driveways and side streets, making it hazardous for cars to enter and exit the highway.

ODOT began planning to widen the road, but the project required environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Public opposition to development in the area complicated the process, particularly from a local group led by Michael P. Jones, who claimed there were historic sites that needed protection.

Despite investigations confirming that the alleged historic features did not hold significance, the project faced delays due to ongoing legal challenges and public opposition. Construction finally began in early 2008, ten years after planning started, amidst numerous accidents and fatalities due to the lack of safety improvements.

The project was completed in late 2008, but the legal disputes continued for years, culminating in a settlement in October 2023. What began as a request for a left turn lane resulted in a lengthy and costly process, highlighting the challenges of infrastructure development in areas with strong community opposition.

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Summary of SuperWEIRD Game Kit

Luden.io is developing a co-op game called SuperWEIRD, which involves designing and automating systems using lemming-like robots. The game is created with the Defold engine and is available on Steam.

During its early development, Luden.io conducted various visual and gameplay experiments. They decided to share the results, including code, textures, and animations, under an open license for other developers to use.

The kit includes six visual styles and a shop/production simulator where players complete customer orders and expand production. A demo is available on itch.io, and the project can be found on GitHub.

To get involved or share ideas, join their Discord, and check out their YouTube channel for development diaries.

Getting Started:

1. Install the Defold Editor.
2. Clone or download the project repository.
3. Open the project in Defold and run it.

Project Structure:

• Loading: Manages game initialization and loading.
• Core: Contains main game logic and assets.
• Extras: Includes organized graphics and models.

Adding New Worlds: Create new folders for assets and worlds, copy a template, and update the loader and menu code.

SuperWEIRD is supported by Carina Initiatives, which aims to provide kids from diverse backgrounds access to science and technology.

Links provided for more information and resources include Discord, YouTube, and social media.