No summary available.

Chris and Yuhong from Onyx are developing an open-source chat platform that works with any language model (LLM), both proprietary and open-source. Their goal is to enhance LLMs with useful tools like web search and memory. They initially started with a project called Danswer, focusing on enterprise search, but discovered that users preferred using it for chatting with LLMs.

They identified two main insights:

1. Providing secure access to a user-friendly LLM is very valuable.
2. Creating a great user experience is challenging and requires attention to many details.

After pivoting to Onyx, they designed a chat interface that is easy for both new and experienced users, supports various tools, and includes features for enterprise use. They found that managing context in conversations is crucial, as LLMs often struggle with remembering instructions and user messages. To address this, they developed a "Reminder" prompt to help LLMs follow instructions better.

Onyx has already been adopted by a Fortune 100 company, allowing thousands of employees to access various models seamlessly. They invite others to try Onyx and provide feedback to improve the platform. For more information, users can visit their documentation or website.

A study is being conducted to explore how nutrition affects the health of young adults. The aim is to understand the relationship between what they eat and their overall well-being.

Summary:

Pebble's watch software is now fully open source, allowing users to download, compile, and run all necessary software. This change ensures long-term support for Pebble watches, addressing community concerns about future functionality.

Key updates include:

• A fully open-source Pebble mobile app, which is essential for using the watch.
• Improved hardware, including repairable designs and published schematics for DIY projects.
• The Pebble Appstore has been revamped to support multiple app feeds, enabling decentralized access to apps and watchfaces.

The Pebble Time 2 is scheduled to ship starting in January, with most deliveries expected by March or April. Users will soon be able to select their preferred watch colors. The company is focused on sustainability, ensuring both hardware and software can be maintained long-term.

Overall, these changes aim to foster a vibrant and sustainable Pebble community.

No summary available.

Summary:

In a recent post, Austin discusses improving the accuracy of a Raspberry Pi NTP server that uses GPS for time synchronization. He identified that fluctuations in CPU temperature were causing timing errors, as the CPU's dynamic frequency scaling affected the system clock's stability. To solve this, he implemented two main strategies:

1. CPU Core Isolation: He dedicated one CPU core to timing-critical tasks, ensuring that other cores handled non-critical work, which stabilized the timing operations.

2. Thermal Stabilization: He developed a PID-controlled "time burner" that actively maintained a constant CPU temperature. This helped keep the crystal oscillator temperature stable, leading to improved timekeeping.

As a result, he achieved an 81% reduction in frequency variability and a 49% decrease in timing uncertainty, bringing the RMS offset down to 35 nanoseconds. While this level of precision is unnecessary for most applications, it demonstrates the effectiveness of thermal management in enhancing time synchronization accuracy on Raspberry Pi devices.

Key Points:

• CPU temperature fluctuations caused timing errors in the NTP server.
• Solutions included isolating CPU cores for timing tasks and using a thermal control system.
• Achieved significant improvements in timing accuracy with a constant CPU temperature of 54°C.
• This level of precision is mainly beneficial for specialized applications.

No summary available.

Summary:

Solid State Drives (SSDs) are faster and more efficient than traditional hard drives, making them popular for primary storage. However, if SSDs are left unpowered for long periods, they can lose or corrupt data. This raises concerns about their reliability for long-term storage, leading some users to prefer alternatives like hard drives or magnetic tape. It's important to recognize that SSD storage isn't as permanent as many believe.

Scientists have discovered five key stages in human brain development, identified through a study of brain scans from nearly 4,000 individuals, ranging in age from under one to 90. These stages include:

1. Childhood (Birth to Age 9): Characterized by a reduction in the number of synapses, leading to more efficient neural connections.
2. Adolescence (Ages 9 to 32): Marked by growth in white matter and improved communication networks, resulting in better cognitive performance.
3. Early Adulthood (Around Age 32): The brain shifts into a stable "adult mode," which lasts for over three decades and corresponds with a plateau in intelligence and personality.
4. Early Aging (Around Age 66): A beginning decline in brain connectivity and efficiency.
5. Late Aging (Around Age 83): Further decreases in connectivity, indicating aging and degeneration.

These findings may help understand risk factors for mental health disorders, particularly those that emerge during adolescence. The study emphasizes that brain development is not a steady process but involves significant turning points that influence how the brain is wired throughout life.

The text discusses a new method for discovering nearby devices without using GPS, called Shimmer. This technique relies on environmental fingerprints like WiFi or Bluetooth networks to identify nearby peers by comparing their observed environments cryptographically, ensuring privacy by not revealing specific network details.

Key Points:

1. Peer Discovery: Devices can detect each other based on similar environmental observations, such as overlapping WiFi networks, without sharing specific details.

2. Fingerprint Creation: The method uses MinHash to create compact "fingerprints" of observed networks. Similar environments generate similar fingerprints.

3. Locality-Sensitive Hashing (LSH): This technique helps classify these fingerprints into "buckets," allowing devices to find matches with minimal overlap.

4. Private Set Intersection: After discovering peers, devices can compare their environmental data for exact similarity scores without revealing all details.

5. Flexible Use Cases: Potential applications include location-based gaming, conference networking, and IoT device setup.

6. Security Considerations: The method has security risks, such as spoofing (where an attacker mimics a nearby environment) and privacy concerns related to IP addresses. Suggestions for improvement include using decentralized systems and encryption methods.

7. Implementation Options: Various configurations are available for different types of data, and the system can integrate with existing technologies like libp2p.

Overall, Shimmer provides an innovative way for devices to identify nearby peers while maintaining privacy, but it comes with notable security challenges.

The article discusses the creation of a new video titled "Broccoli Man, Remastered," which is a remake of a popular Google video that humorously reflects the challenges of software development. The author used advanced AI tools from Google to recreate the video in just one day, experiencing both successes and challenges throughout the process.

Key points include:

1. Video Background: The original "Broccoli Man" video became a cultural classic at Google and inspired the remastered version, which the author created for fun.

2. Creation Process: The entire project took about a day, involving script preparation, video production, and post-editing. The author utilized various AI tools, including AI Studio for scripting, Veo for video generation, and CapCut for editing.

3. Production Challenges: The author faced difficulties with character consistency, timing, and complex interactions between characters. AI-generated clips sometimes required multiple attempts to get the desired results.

4. Postproduction: The editing process involved integrating different takes and ensuring audio consistency, which required knowledge of non-linear video editing.

5. Reflection on AI and Creativity: The author acknowledges that while the video is not professional cinema, it showcases the potential of AI tools to enhance creativity. They emphasize the importance of intent in using technology and the joy of creating, despite the challenges of AI-generated content.

Overall, the remade video serves as a fun homage to the original while showcasing the capabilities and limitations of current AI technology in creative projects.

No summary available.

Summary:

The article discusses a new method for creating solid knitted shapes using a machine with a two-dimensional (2D) array of needles. Traditional knitting techniques usually produce flat surfaces, but this innovative approach allows for the fabrication of 3D forms with greater flexibility in stitch design.

Key points include:

1. New Machine Design: The machine features a 6x6 grid of individually controlled needles, enabling it to create various knitted structures, including traditional, horizontal, and solid forms like pyramids.

2. Advantages of Textiles: Textiles are soft, flexible, and durable, making them ideal for many applications. This new method enhances the versatility of textiles by allowing the creation of volumetric shapes that can be engineered for specific properties such as stiffness and elasticity.

3. Stitching Process: The machine can independently manipulate each needle to create new stitches and layers, allowing for complex patterns and structures not possible with conventional knitting machines.

4. Prototype Development: The authors built a prototype to demonstrate this technology and outline further directions for research and improvement in solid knitting techniques.

5. Challenges: The current prototype faces limitations related to yarn tension and stitch precision, indicating that further refinement and testing are needed to optimize the process.

In conclusion, this new solid knitting technique opens up exciting possibilities for creating functional and complex knitted objects, paving the way for further exploration and application in textile manufacturing.

No summary available.

The author created an interactive Hacker News Simulator for fun. Users can submit text posts and links like on real Hacker News, but the comments are generated instantly by AI. No account is needed to post, and the simulator aims to mimic the real experience closely. The app is built using Node, Express, and Postgres, with AI processing on Replicate, which provided free credits for development. The most interesting feature is how the comments are generated using different archetypes and moods. The author encourages others to try it out and have fun.

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No summary available.

The blog post titled "How The Atomic Tests Looked Like From Los Angeles," written by Kaushik Patowary and published on September 9, 2016, discusses the visibility of atomic tests conducted by the United States between 1951 and 1992 at the Nevada Test Site, located about 65 miles from Las Vegas. Notably, 100 of these tests were atmospheric, creating impressive mushroom clouds that could be seen up to 100 miles away, even from Los Angeles, which is approximately 240 miles away.

During these tests, the glow of the explosions often lit up the night sky over Los Angeles, catching the attention of residents and leading to newspaper coverage that sometimes described the events in a casual manner. For example, the Los Angeles Times remarked on one occasion that “Los Angeles had two dawns yesterday.” The article reflects on how the fascination with these nuclear explosions was portrayed, with some people viewing the spectacle as a morbid curiosity.

Photos from the time show illuminated cityscapes due to the blasts, which were treated almost like entertainment events, with live broadcasts capturing the moments. The post highlights the irony of a city known for its film industry casually showcasing such dangerous displays of power without apparent concern for the potential risks involved.

Overall, the article sheds light on a unique historical perspective of atomic tests, illustrating how they were perceived by the public and documented in media at the time.

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Summary of cool-retro-term

cool-retro-term is a terminal emulator that resembles old cathode tube screens. It's designed to be visually appealing, customizable, and lightweight. It works on Linux and macOS and requires Qt5. Users can change settings like colors and fonts through a context menu.

To install, you can download the latest version from the Releases page or use package managers in distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora, or Arch. For building the software yourself, instructions are available on the wiki.

Build a Compiler in Five Projects Overview

This course, CIS531, is designed for those interested in compiler design and functional programming, using the Racket language. It is aimed at master's level students who have programming experience, some knowledge of C, and familiarity with assembly language.

Course Structure:

• The course is based on "Essentials of Compilation" by Prof. Jeremy Siek, with a mix of free and paid resources available.
• Students will complete five projects that progressively build a compiler for increasingly complex languages, ultimately converting them to x86-64 assembly language.

Project Breakdown:

1. Project 1: A warmup stack interpreter (optional for those familiar with Racket).
2. Project 2: Implementing basic arithmetic and variables.
3. Project 3: Adding boolean operations and branching.
4. Project 4: Introducing vectors, heap allocation, and control structures like loops.
5. Project 5: Finalizing support for functions, lambdas, and recursion.

Key Features of the Language:

• Supports variables, arithmetic operations, input/output, booleans, conditional statements, loops, and functions.
• The design prioritizes getting to a functional compiler quickly, sacrificing some safety and optimization features for speed.

Compiler Design:

• The compiler consists of several components, including:
  • compile.rkt: Main code for implementing compilation passes.
  • irs.rkt: Intermediate representations and definitions.
  • interpreters.rkt: Reference interpreters for testing.
  • main.rkt: The entry point for running the compiler.
  • test.rkt: A testing framework for verifying compiler outputs.

Unique Aspects of the Course:

• Builds a real compiler with practical assembly output.
• Each intermediate representation has a corresponding interpreter to ensure correctness.
• The project is scalable, allowing students to extend their compiler with new features after completion.

Getting Started:

• Visit the course website for resources and project details.
• Start with Project 1 if new to Racket or jump directly to Project 2 if you have prior knowledge.

Final Thoughts: The course aims to provide an engaging experience in compiler construction, encouraging students to explore further language features and optimizations after completing the projects. For more information or questions, reach out to the instructor.

OCR Arena is a free platform where people can compare different OCR models and foundation VLMs. Users can upload documents to check how accurate the models are and can also vote for their favorites on a public leaderboard. Currently, it features models like Gemini 3, dots.ocr, DeepSeek, GPT5, olmOCR 2, Qwen, and more. If you have suggestions for additional models to include, you can share them.

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No summary available.

The text, written by Sparsh Agarwal, reflects on the future and questions our direction and goals. It emphasizes the importance of considering where we are heading and what we aim to achieve.

The article ranks the various versions of the Windows Graphical User Interface (GUI) from its launch in 1985 to Windows 11 in 2023, using a scale of 1 to 10 Clippys to evaluate them.

Key Rankings:

1. Windows 11 (8 Clippys) - Most refined and visually appealing since 2000.
2. Windows 2000 (8 Clippys) - A solid bridge between consumer and business styles.
3. Windows 95/98/Vista/7 (7.5 Clippys) - Notable for their clarity and functionality.
4. Windows 10 (6.5 Clippys) - A mix of Windows 7 and 8, attempting to recover from the issues of Windows 8.
5. Windows 3.0/3.1 (6 Clippys) - A significant improvement in coherence and professionalism.
6. Windows XP (6 Clippys) - Bright and colorful but seen as less serious.
7. Windows 8.1 (5.5 Clippys) - Slight improvements over Windows 8, but still unattractive.
8. Windows 8 (5 Clippys) - A major setback with a chaotic tile design and removal of the Start menu.
9. Windows 2.0 (2.5 Clippys) - An unattractive upgrade without much improvement.
10. Windows 1.0 (1 Clippy) - Limited by technology, considered visually unappealing.

Overall, the article praises Windows 3.0, 95, Vista, and 11 as successful designs, while criticizing Windows XP and 8 for their aesthetics. It hints at a potential Windows 12 in the future but expects it to resemble Windows 11 visually.

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Summary of "Dumb Ways to Die: Printed Ephemera"

"Dumb Ways to Die" started as an Australian rail safety campaign in 2012. The text discusses the historical context of printed mortality data in London, which dates back to around 1530 when "Bills of Mortality" were published weekly. These bills listed deaths and their causes, gathered by parish church officials.

During the 17th century, these bills circulated widely, with about 5,000 to 6,000 copies sold weekly for a penny, reflecting people's curiosity about mortality. Common causes of death included diseases like tuberculosis (consumption) and issues related to poor dental hygiene.

In early modern Europe, many children did not survive past 15 years of age, and a significant number of infants died before their first birthday. Although most printed ephemera were discarded, some collections of these mortality bills have survived, helping to preserve this unique aspect of history. The text highlights the importance of science and modern medicine in improving health outcomes since then.

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Summary:

On November 19, 2025, advancements in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have raised ethical concerns regarding privacy and autonomy. These devices can now predict a user's preconscious thoughts, as demonstrated by Nancy Smith, who used a BCI to play music after becoming paralyzed. This technology, while helping people with disabilities, also poses risks because it can access sensitive brain data.

Ethicists warn that as BCIs and AI improve, technology companies might exploit this information without proper regulations. Many consumer neurotech products, which measure brain activity using EEG, lack adequate privacy protections compared to clinical BCIs. This leaves users vulnerable as companies can use and sell their data.

Regulatory bodies are beginning to address these concerns, but existing laws may not fully protect individuals from potential misuse of their neural data. The future of neurotechnology may include broader applications, such as treating psychiatric conditions, but ethical considerations about data privacy remain critical as the field evolves.

Google is working on a new operating system called "Aluminium OS," which aims to bring Android to PCs, replacing ChromeOS. This unified platform combines features of both Android and ChromeOS to better compete with Windows and macOS. The project has been in the works for some time, with Google recently announcing its collaboration with Qualcomm to enhance mobile and desktop computing.

Key points about Aluminium OS:

• It will integrate AI capabilities, using Google's Gemini technology.
• The OS is designed for various devices, including laptops, tablets, and mini-PCs, and will target both budget and premium markets.
• Google plans to phase out ChromeOS in favor of Aluminium OS, but will continue to support existing ChromeOS devices until they reach their end of life.
• The official launch is expected in 2026, likely based on Android 17.

Overall, Google is positioning Aluminium OS as a versatile and competitive option for PC users, with an emphasis on seamless integration across devices.

No summary available.

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On November 3, 2025, Raymond Chen discusses why the function SHFormatDateTime uses an unaligned FILETIME structure.

Summary of "The Bitter Lesson of LLM Extensions"

Over the past three years, the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) has evolved significantly. Initially, users would input text into a chat box, but now LLMs can interact with codebases and perform tasks autonomously. A key focus has been how users can customize these systems.

1. ChatGPT Plugins (March 2023): OpenAI introduced plugins that allowed LLMs to use APIs. While ambitious, early models struggled with complex API specifications, making the user experience challenging.

2. Custom Instructions (July 2023): This feature provided a simple way for users to set context for their interactions with the LLM, solving issues of repetitive context setting.

3. Custom GPTs (Nov 2023): OpenAI created Custom GPTs, allowing users to bundle instructions and tools into shareable links, moving away from the complexity of plugins.

4. Memory in ChatGPT (Feb 2024): This feature enables LLMs to remember user details from past interactions, enhancing personalized experiences without user effort.

5. Cursor Rules (April 2024): A new way to manage custom instructions directly within code repositories, making the process more integrated and user-friendly.

6. Model Context Protocol (Nov 2024): This advanced system allowed models to use actual tools and maintain persistent connections, enhancing their capabilities significantly.

7. Claude Code (Feb 2025): Introduced multiple extension features for agents, including markdown instructions and reusable prompts, enhancing flexibility and usability.

8. Agent Skills (Oct 2025): This feature reimagined ChatGPT Plugins, allowing agents to scan for task-specific instructions and scripts, improving efficiency and reducing context overload.

The future points towards LLMs being paired with general-purpose computing capabilities, allowing them to create their own tools as needed. The author believes this shift will make LLMs more effective, moving towards a model where users interact with intelligent agents without needing to manage underlying complexities.

In October 2025, a sudden change by Valve, the company behind the popular video game Counter-Strike 2, caused a $2 billion loss in the digital marketplace where players buy and sell cosmetic items called "skins." Valve altered the game's mechanics, flooding the market and drastically reducing the value of rare items, which some players treated as investments.

This incident highlights a significant legal issue: players don’t actually own their digital items. When they purchase skins, they only receive a license to use them, which means Valve can change the rules at any time without legal consequences. Current laws do not adequately protect consumers in these digital economies, as they primarily focus on access rather than market value.

Furthermore, the digital marketplace operates outside traditional financial regulations. Although the buying and selling of skins resembles stock trading, they are not treated as securities due to their nature as game cosmetics and the limitations on converting them into cash. This lack of regulation means that companies like Valve can manipulate digital markets without facing repercussions.

The Counter-Strike 2 crash serves as a wake-up call, urging society to consider whether digital economies should be governed by stricter legal frameworks similar to those protecting traditional investments and consumer rights.

Corvus Robotics is expanding its fleet of flying warehouse drones significantly in 2026 and is looking for a manufacturing leader or generalist with a startup background in the San Francisco Bay Area. The ideal candidate should have experience with hardware products, strong communication skills, and be resourceful. Proficiency in Mandarin and experience in product development stages (EVT, DVT, PVT) are pluses. Interested candidates should reach out via direct message or email, sharing their interest, a manufacturing mistake they overcame, and their desired salary. Please also share the LinkedIn post about this opportunity.

Summary:

Google Cloud is enhancing its Kubernetes Engine (GKE) to support extremely large clusters, having successfully tested a 130,000-node cluster—twice the officially supported limit. This expansion is driven by the increasing demands of AI workloads. Not only does scaling involve adding more nodes, but it also requires efficient management of tasks, such as creating and scheduling Pods.

Key points include:

• Mega Clusters: Google anticipates a growing demand for clusters around the 100,000-node mark, shifting from limitations of chip supply to constraints of electrical power. Managing such large clusters will require advanced multi-cluster solutions.

• Architectural Innovations: To support scalability, GKE has introduced features for optimized read scalability, a new distributed storage system, and advanced job management through Kueue, which allows for effective prioritization of workloads.

• Benchmarking: GKE was tested through a four-phase benchmark to validate its performance under various conditions, simulating a dynamic environment with mixed workloads, and demonstrating its ability to preempt lower-priority jobs to accommodate critical tasks.

• Performance Metrics: The tests showed that GKE can handle up to 1,000 Pods per second and maintain low startup latencies, even at extreme scales, while keeping the control plane stable.

Overall, these developments indicate that GKE can effectively support large-scale AI and ML workloads, with plans for further innovations based on testing insights.

Summary of "Fifty Shades of OOP"

The article discusses Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and the varying interpretations of it in both industry and academia. The author aims to provide a balanced view rather than defend or criticize OOP. They highlight the confusion surrounding the definition of OOP, emphasizing that it involves multiple interrelated concepts rather than a singular meaning.

Key concepts covered include:

1. Classes: Serve as blueprints for objects and support features like inheritance, but alternatives like prototypes exist (e.g., in JavaScript).

2. Method Syntax: This feature is generally accepted, allowing operations on specific objects but can lead to confusion with implicit contexts.

3. Information Hiding: Protects object integrity by restricting access to internal states, but can lead to unnecessary complexity.

4. Encapsulation: Bundles data and methods, promoting organized code but potentially causing performance issues if overused.

5. Interfaces: Help separate implementation from use, facilitating polymorphism but can incur runtime costs.

6. Late Binding and Dynamic Dispatch: Allow flexible method resolution at runtime, enhancing adaptability but may impact performance.

7. Inheritance: An iconic OOP feature that allows code reuse and polymorphism but can lead to rigid hierarchies and misuse.

8. Subtyping Polymorphism: Defines relationships between types, promoting code flexibility but can complicate implementation.

9. Message Passing: A communication method between objects, gaining relevance in concurrent programming.

10. Open Recursion: Allows methods within an object to communicate, which is a unique property of OOP.

The article concludes with a discussion of OOP best practices, noting that while many are praised, they also come with trade-offs. The author encourages exploration of additional topics related to OOP beyond the scope of this article.

Cuong Le, the Head of Engineering at Bitmark, explores the differences between Rust's standard mutex (std::sync::Mutex) and the parking_lot::Mutex, focusing on their performance and usability in a Rust project.

Key Points:

1. Mutex Overview: A mutex (mutual exclusion) is used to prevent multiple threads from accessing shared data simultaneously, which can lead to issues like data corruption.

2. Standard Mutex (std::Mutex):

   • Uses platform-specific implementations, primarily relying on the kernel for managing wait queues.
   • Incorporates a feature called "poisoning" to handle thread panics, allowing detection of potential data corruption.

3. Parking Lot Mutex (parking_lot::Mutex):

   • Utilizes a single algorithm across all platforms, managing its own wait queues in user space.
   • Supports fairness mechanisms to prevent thread starvation, ensuring that all threads get a chance to acquire the mutex.

4. Performance Comparisons:

   • In scenarios with low contention and short critical sections, std::Mutex performs better in terms of throughput.
   • Under heavy contention or when threads monopolize the lock, parking_lot::Mutex shows better stability and fairness, preventing starvation.

5. Decision Guide:

   • Choose std::Mutex for zero dependencies, low contention, and when poisoning is needed.
   • Opt for parking_lot::Mutex when fairness is critical, in bursty workloads, or when needing predictable behavior.

In summary, std::Mutex is suitable for light workloads, while parking_lot::Mutex excels in scenarios requiring fairness and stability.

Summary:

Voyager 1, a deep space probe launched in 1977, is approaching a significant milestone. By late 2026, it will be the first spacecraft to be one light day away from Earth, meaning a radio signal will take 24 hours to reach it. Currently, it is about 15.7 billion miles from Earth, with signals taking over 23 hours to travel.

As Voyager 1 continues to move away from Earth, communication delays will increase. For example, commands sent to Voyager 1 will require two days just for acknowledgment. Despite its age and the harsh conditions of space, Voyager 1 is still operational and in contact with NASA's Deep Space Network. Voyager 2, its sister probe, is further behind at 19.5 light hours away.

Summary:

Despite increasing global IT spending, software projects continue to fail at alarming rates. Over the past two decades, the cost of software failures has risen significantly, impacting both businesses and society. Major examples include the Canadian government's Phoenix payroll system and the UK Post Office's Horizon system, both of which faced catastrophic management and technical failures, leading to severe consequences for many individuals.

AI tools are not expected to resolve these management issues anytime soon, as the root causes of failure often stem from human errors, unrealistic goals, and poor project management practices. Many failures are due to known issues that have been documented for years, yet organizations continue to ignore these lessons.

Projects like the Minnesota Licensing and Registration System and Australia’s business register modernization have also seen significant financial waste and cancellations. The costs of these failures are staggering, with estimates suggesting the U.S. alone has lost trillions due to operational software errors.

Despite attempts to improve software development through methods like Agile and DevOps, failure rates remain high, with many organizations reluctant to replace outdated systems due to fear of repeating past mistakes. As society becomes more reliant on software, the consequences of these failures grow increasingly severe, emphasizing the need for accountability, better management practices, and an acknowledgment of the risks involved in IT projects. The article calls for a shift in attitude toward software development, advocating for greater respect and resources to ensure successful outcomes.

The author enjoys exploring the limits of new large language models. Initially, they tested models by asking about obscure individuals, but have since shifted to creating visualizations in JavaScript, particularly around the Ising model of ferromagnetism, using the new Gemini 3 and Google’s Antigravity IDE.

The Ising model simulates how spins (variables that can be +1 or -1) interact in a magnetic system. The author created a visualization that uses a random method to update these spins based on their neighbors and an external field.

They also mention that they’ve achieved good results using recent AI models and found helpful tools like a Chrome extension for retrieving webpage data. They appreciate improvements made by the team behind these models but feel some features may be unnecessary. Overall, the author is impressed with the advancements in AI and the visualizations they can create.

Seven people are on trial in Dresden, Germany, for being part of a violent left-wing extremist group called Antifa Ost, also known as the "hammer gang." This group has been accused of carrying out attacks against individuals they viewed as right-wing, both in Germany and Budapest, since it was formed in 2017 or 2018. The defendants, which include six men and one woman, face serious charges like attempted murder and aggravated assault.

One of the accused, Johann G, is said to be a leader of the group, involved in planning attacks and recruiting new members. Prosecutors allege that the group carefully planned their attacks, which included using hammers and batons to severely injure their victims. In one incident from January 2019, multiple defendants attacked four people returning from a rally, causing life-threatening injuries.

Recently, the United States classified Antifa Ost as a terrorist organization, which affects its members' ability to enter the U.S. and freezes their assets. This designation has received support from Germany's far-right political party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which urges the German government to take similar actions against the group. The German foreign ministry has acknowledged the U.S. decision.

Summary of PC Components: RAM Price Surge

Due to a shortage of DRAM, the price of DDR5 RAM has skyrocketed. A 64GB kit of G.Skill's Trident Z5 Neo RAM is currently priced at about $600, which is more than the cost of a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series S. This price is nearly double what it was just two months ago, primarily driven by increased demand from AI projects.

Experts predict that high prices for DRAM and NAND components will continue through 2026 as production focuses on AI needs. Meanwhile, hard drives are becoming scarce, leading to longer backorder times for larger storage options. As a result, some consumers are forced to consider alternatives like microSD cards.

Overall, the current trend suggests that the prices of RAM and other memory components will remain high for the foreseeable future, but there is hope that prices could stabilize by 2027.

Japan is investing billions to transform Hokkaido, traditionally known for agriculture and tourism, into a global center for advanced semiconductors, aiming to compete in the $600 billion chip market. The initiative is led by a government-backed company called Rapidus, which plans to build Japan's first cutting-edge chip factory in Chitose. This factory will focus on producing ultra-thin 2 nanometer (2nm) transistors, a technology already mastered by competitors like TSMC and Samsung.

Despite achieving a prototype of the 2nm chip, Rapidus faces challenges, such as needing more funding and expertise in advanced chip manufacturing. Japan’s government has committed significant resources—$27 billion for the chip industry and an additional $65 billion for AI and semiconductors—to revive its once-dominant semiconductor sector, which has dwindled from producing over half of the world’s chips to just over 10%.

The broader strategy aims to create a supportive ecosystem for semiconductor production, with major companies like TSMC and Micron also establishing operations in Japan. Rapidus aims to differentiate itself by producing custom chips faster than its competitors. This move is seen as critical for Japan's economic future and national security, especially amid global supply chain concerns. Overall, the initiative represents Japan's ambition to reclaim its status in the semiconductor industry.

The author created a web tool called Datamorph to address issues with existing JSON/CSV converters that often break with complex data or require logins. Datamorph is a simple, fast tool that allows users to:

• Convert JSON to CSV and vice versa
• Automatically detect data structures
• Upload files or input text manually
• Fix invalid JSON and beautify it
• Produce clean CSV output from messy data

It is built using React, Supabase, and serverless functions, ensuring that nothing is stored since most operations are done client-side. The focus of Datamorph is on better handling of nested JSON, a user-friendly interface, no ads or logins, and instant conversions. The author welcomes feedback on any issues or features that could improve the tool. You can try it out at Datamorph.

Summary of "Bytes before FLOPS: your algorithm is (mostly) fine, your data isn't" by David Miličević

David Miličević discusses ways to optimize performance in programming, focusing on the importance of data management over algorithms. Here are the key points:

1. Profile First: Before optimizing, identify where the bottlenecks are in your code through profiling tools. Understanding both your algorithm and data is crucial for effective optimization.

2. Specialize Algorithms: Tailor the algorithms to fit the specific data you are working with. This often means simplifying or focusing on the most relevant operations, which can lead to significant performance gains.

3. Cache Optimization: Design data access patterns to utilize CPU cache efficiently. Group related data together and minimize unnecessary data reads and writes to improve performance.

4. Use SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data): Vectorize your algorithms to process multiple data points in parallel, enhancing speed. Make sure your code is compatible with different CPU architectures.

5. Parallel Processing: Once data processing is separated into independent streams, use parallelization tools (like OpenMP) to increase speed. Be cautious of false sharing, which can slow down performance.

6. Limitations: Not all optimization techniques are universally applicable. The effectiveness of these strategies can depend on the programming language and its capabilities, particularly with garbage-collected languages.

Conclusion: Effective programming is about efficiently moving and transforming data. Systems languages like C/C++ and Rust are recommended for performance-critical tasks, while various tools and resources can help in benchmarking and profiling code.

This approach emphasizes that well-structured data management can lead to better performance than focusing solely on algorithms.

Summary of Serflings Game Remake

Serflings is a remake of the classic game, The Settlers 1, also known as Serf City in some regions. It closely resembles the original but includes enhancements like higher resolutions and online multiplayer.

To play Serflings, you need to copy a specific file (SPAE.PA or its variants for different languages) from the original Settlers 1 game into the Serflings folder. If you have the History Edition installed, this step is not necessary.

The game can access files from both the DOS version and the History Edition. You can purchase the original game or its History Edition from Ubisoft.

Key Features:

• Supports loading saved games from the original.
• Retains original controls and includes additional key functions.
• Allows custom games, fully functional AI, and has all features from the original game.
• Supports multiple languages and high resolutions, smooth scrolling, and network play.

Missing Features (to be added):

• Some structural and gameplay options from the original game.
• Enhanced network game features and more language support.

Download Options:

• Available for Windows and Mac, with versions that include or exclude Java runtime.
• The latest stable version is 2.1.1 (as of January 20, 2025), and the development version is 2.2.0-SNAPSHOT (as of September 24, 2025).

For any bugs or feature requests, users can reach out on GitHub. Enjoy playing!

The recent Cloudflare outage caused many popular apps and services to be unavailable for several hours due to a bad configuration file that triggered a bug. While this disruption was frustrating, it highlights a bigger issue: the increasing centralization of the internet, which makes it more vulnerable to outages.

Today, many aspects of life rely heavily on the internet, but most services depend on a few major providers, like Cloudflare and AWS. This centralization contradicts the original decentralized design of the internet, which was meant to be resilient, even in emergencies.

Such outages serve as warnings, encouraging businesses and governments to create backup systems and improve resilience. Similar to how COVID-19 exposed weaknesses in global supply chains, the Cloudflare outage shows the need for diverse, reliable alternatives to digital services.

Ultimately, we should embrace these outages as opportunities to strengthen our systems and reduce reliance on a few key players.

No summary available.

The text asks whether showing the country where a user’s account is from on their profile would be helpful. It seeks opinions from the community on issues like privacy, moderation, transparency, preventing misuse, and whether it enhances the quality of discussions. The author is interested in hearing strong arguments for or against displaying this information publicly.

Summary:

MyClone improved its digital persona system by switching from OpenAI’s text-embedding-3-small model (1536 dimensions) to Voyage-3.5 Lite (512 dimensions). This change resulted in significant benefits:

1. Storage Savings: The transition led to a 66% reduction in storage needs, allowing MyClone to reduce costs and scale more efficiently.

2. Faster Retrieval: The smaller vector size improved retrieval speed, cutting latency by 50% and making responses quicker.

3. Improved User Experience: Reducing latency enhanced the natural flow of conversations, with a 15-20% decrease in voice response time and a 15% faster initial response.

Voyage-3.5 Lite utilizes advanced techniques that maintain retrieval quality despite having fewer dimensions, making it a better fit for MyClone’s needs for speed and efficiency. This strategic shift not only improved user satisfaction but also allowed for more cost-effective operations and the potential for richer features in the future.

The author, Imed, has developed a faster alternative to Notion called Outcrop, using Rust. After leaving Stripe, where he experienced effective knowledge systems, he aimed to create a knowledge base that focuses on speed and simplicity.

Key points include:

1. Background: Imed left his job at Stripe to build a better knowledge base after years of wanting to pursue this project. He identifies the need for fast and simple systems in team environments.

2. Market Opportunity: With companies like Atlassian changing their offerings and increasing regulations around data, there is a favorable environment for new knowledge base solutions.

3. Development Journey: Imed started with a basic setup using Go but faced limitations. He switched to Rust for better performance and code clarity, resulting in fewer lines of code and faster functionality.

4. Authorization System: Inspired by Google's Zanzibar, he created a simplified version for managing user permissions efficiently, allowing quick access checks.

5. Search Functionality: He integrated a fast search engine and added features like language detection and multilingual support, ensuring users can find relevant resources quickly.

6. Collaboration Tools: Initially using an existing tool for real-time editing, Imed decided to rewrite it in Rust, optimizing performance and allowing for complex document editing.

7. Future Aspirations: Imed envisions expanding Outcrop to include advanced features, such as diagrams and integrations with task management systems.

8. Launch Plans: He plans to launch Outcrop within six months, offering early access for sponsors. Interested users are encouraged to join the waitlist or consider sponsorship.

Overall, Imed is building Outcrop as a next-generation knowledge base, focusing on speed, ease of use, and collaborative features.

No summary available.

EDN.C Overview

EDN.C is a fast, zero-copy reader for Extensible Data Notation (EDN), a rich data format similar to JSON but more flexible. It is written in C11 and uses SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) for improved performance.

What is EDN?

• Foundation: Similar to JSON, supports maps, vectors, strings, numbers, booleans, and null.
• Additional Types: Includes sets, keywords, symbols, characters, and lists.
• Extensibility: Allows custom data types with tagged literals.
• User-Friendly: Designed for easy reading and writing by both humans and machines.
• Cross-Platform: Originally from Clojure but adaptable for various programming environments.

Advantages of EDN over JSON:

• More expressive types (e.g., keywords, sets).
• Native extensibility without hacks.
• Better suited for configuration and functional programming.

Key Features of EDN.C:

• Speed: SIMD-accelerated parsing.
• WebAssembly Support: Efficient parsing in browsers and Node.js.
• Zero-Copy: Minimizes memory allocations by referencing input data.
• Simple API: Easy to use with full type support.
• Memory Safety: Efficient cleanup with a single free call.
• No Dependencies: Uses only the C11 standard library.
• Extensive Testing: Over 340 tests across multiple suites.
• UTF-8 Support: Handles all string data in UTF-8.

Installation:

• Requires a C11 compatible compiler and build tools (Make or CMake).
• Supports various platforms including macOS, Linux, and Windows.

Quick Start:

• Example code demonstrates reading an EDN string and accessing data within it.

Data Types and Collections:

• Scalar Types: Support for various types including strings, numbers, booleans, etc.
• Collections: Includes lists, vectors, maps, and sets.

Advanced Features:

• Tagged Literals: Extensible data types with custom readers.
• Metadata: Clojure-style metadata syntax for attaching extra information.
• Text Blocks: Experimental support for multi-line strings with automatic formatting.
• Custom Readers: Allow transformation of tagged literals during parsing.

Performance:

• Designed for high efficiency with optimizations like SIMD and zero-copy processing.

Project Status:

• Current version is 1.0.0 with complete feature support and extensive testing.

Contributing:

• Contributions are welcome, and guidelines are provided for formatting and testing.

License:

• The project is licensed under the MIT License, allowing free use and modification.

For further exploration and examples, check the project's documentation and examples directory.

This paper discusses a new algorithm for distributed matrix multiplication, which is important for applications in science, data analytics, and AI. Existing algorithms are limited to certain ways of organizing data, requiring multiple implementations for different setups. This can lead to increased communication costs when data needs to be rearranged.

The proposed algorithm is unique because it can handle all possible combinations of data organization and replication. It uses a method called slicing to identify overlapping sections of matrices that need to be multiplied. These calculations can be done directly or optimized further for better performance.

The algorithm is implemented using a C++ programming framework that allows efficient communication between GPUs. Performance tests show that this new algorithm competes well with a well-known library called PyTorch DTensor, which is designed for distributed AI models.

Toni and Pablo are developing a product called Karumi, which allows users to access automated, guided demos of web applications without any human interaction. Karumi is designed to work in any language and is an AI agent that operates within a shared browser session, demonstrating the product by navigating and explaining its features.

The system has three main parts:

1. Planning/Control Layer: Determines the next action for the demo, ensuring it follows a set path without losing direction.
2. Browser Execution Layer: Manages the controlled browser session and logs actions for debugging.
3. Product Knowledge Layer: Trains the AI using documentation, demo scripts, and usage data to provide relevant demonstrations.

Currently, Karumi only supports web applications, with plans to expand to desktop apps. The pricing model is still being developed, tailored to each customer's needs. Users are currently utilizing Karumi for demos and internal training environments.

For more information, you can view a demo video and a live demonstration on their website. The creators are open to questions and feedback.

You can see a Quantum Computer at IBM’s office in Waterloo, London, through a glass window. This computer, called the IBM Quantum System One, is the first commercial quantum computer, launched in January 2019.

Quantum computers work differently from regular computers; they can be in multiple states at once, allowing them to perform certain calculations much faster. They are not meant for home use but could replace large supercomputers for complex calculations.

These computers need to be kept very cold to function properly, giving them a unique appearance. While you can’t go inside to see it up close, you can view it from outside the office. The IBM office is located on York Road, near Waterloo Station. The computer was designed with help from local design studios and a manufacturer known for high-quality display cases.

Summary of EGGROLL Introduction

EGGROLL is a new machine learning algorithm that significantly speeds up training, achieving a hundredfold increase in efficiency compared to traditional evolution strategies (ES). It allows for easier fine-tuning of large language models (LLMs) and training new architectures.

Key Points:

• What is EGGROLL?

  • EGGROLL stands for Evolution Guided General Optimization via Low-rank Learning.
  • It optimizes large neural networks with billions of parameters by using low-rank matrix perturbations, enhancing training efficiency and reducing resource needs.

• Benefits of EGGROLL:

  • It minimizes the gap between model training and inference, making training faster and more accessible.
  • It can effectively optimize any neural network parameters, provided a fitness function is defined.
  • EGGROLL maintains performance in reinforcement learning (RL) settings and shows competitive results in improving LLM reasoning.

• Technical Innovations:

  • Rather than using full-rank perturbations, EGGROLL employs low-rank updates to reduce memory and processing costs.
  • This method allows for high-speed training, rivaling the efficiency of traditional inference methods.

• Applications:

  • EGGROLL has been successfully tested on training a nonlinear recurrent neural network (RNN) using pure integer data types without activation functions.
  • It has also demonstrated strong performance in fine-tuning LLMs for reasoning tasks, outperforming existing methods.

• Future Directions:

  • The developers plan to explore EGGROLL’s application to more reasoning tasks and diverse language model architectures.
  • They encourage community contributions and feedback to refine and enhance the algorithm.

Overall, EGGROLL represents a significant advancement in machine learning, particularly for training large scale models efficiently.

A study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has shown that loggerhead sea turtles can learn and remember the magnetic signatures of different geographic regions. This ability helps them navigate accurately over long distances to their foraging and breeding grounds. Researchers found that turtles have two different magnetic senses that help them detect the Earth’s magnetic field in distinct ways.

The study demonstrated that loggerhead turtles can learn the magnetic fields where they find food, which aids in their navigation. This discovery has implications for understanding navigation in various migratory animals and could help inform conservation efforts and the development of new navigation technologies.

The researchers plan to further investigate how turtles learn and use magnetic information for navigation. The findings emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in science and open up new areas for research. The full study is published in the journal Nature.

No summary available.

The author decided to cancel their Netflix subscription because they weren't using it much anymore. Instead, they found three other subscriptions for about the same total cost (€19.99) that they use regularly and enjoy more:

1. Zed Pro (~€10/month): This coding tool makes programming more enjoyable and encourages the author to code more often. The focus is on investing in hobbies that bring joy.

2. Kagi (~€5/month): A search engine that offers an ad-free experience, allowing users to pay for better service instead of dealing with ads. The author appreciates supporting services they value.

3. Hetzner server (~€4/month): A low-cost server where the author hosts their blog, providing a platform to learn and create.

Overall, the message is that instead of sticking to a typical streaming subscription, you can use your money to invest in tools that enhance your hobbies, reduce ad exposure, and allow you to share your creations.

Institutional Access Overview

• How Access Works: This section explains the process of accessing resources through an institution.
• Adding Institutional Access: Information on how to include access for institutions.
• User Account Options:
  • Log In: For users who already have an account.
  • Register a New Account: For users who need to create a new account.

I'm unable to access external links directly to summarize content from them. However, if you provide the text or key points from the link, I can help create a summary for you.

Summary:

Emily Sneddon discusses Fran Sans, a display font inspired by the unique destination displays used in San Francisco's light rail vehicles. Unlike other cities, San Francisco has many independent transit agencies, leading to a diverse range of typographic styles. The Breda Light Rail Vehicles’ LCD panels caught her attention due to their mechanical yet personal design, constructed using a distinctive 3x5 grid with geometric modules that create charming, imperfect letters.

Sneddon visited the SFMTA Electronics Shop to learn how the signs work. They use a code system to display destinations, giving them a raw, analogue quality that she finds delightful compared to modern LED displays. She connected with the original designer of the signs, Gary Wallberg, and learned about their functional design, which influenced her creation of Fran Sans.

Fran Sans is designed with a similar modular approach and comes in three styles: Solid, Tile, and Panel. It aims to capture the character of the original displays while maintaining versatility. Sneddon drew inspiration from various typography sources, including the Letterform Archive, and hopes her font will celebrate the imperfections that give cities their unique charm. However, the original Breda displays will soon be replaced by more efficient LED units, marking the end of their distinctive presence in the city. Sneddon emphasizes the importance of appreciating the character that comes from utility and charm in design.

The text highlights remarkable engineering achievements from ancient civilizations that showcase human creativity and problem-solving. Key points include:

1. Hypocaust System: Ancient Rome developed a centralized heating system that warmed buildings through hot air circulated beneath floors.

2. Seismic-Resistant Foundations: The Caral-Supe civilization in Peru created flexible foundations using woven baskets filled with stones to absorb earthquake energy over 5,000 years ago.

3. Metal Clamps for Stone Blocks: Ancient builders used metal clamps to securely hold large stone blocks together, allowing structures to endure for centuries.

4. Roman Plumbing: Advanced plumbing systems in Pompeii featured bronze faucets part of a sophisticated aqueduct network, including mixer designs.

5. Snake Bridge: The Macclesfield Canal's snake bridge allowed horses to cross without disconnecting from boats, showcasing innovative transportation design.

6. Inca Stone Bridges: The Incas used local materials and knowledge to build durable stone bridges in the Andes.

7. Roman Roads: Roman engineers constructed extensive layered road systems that remain in use today, facilitating travel across vast distances.

8. Sweet Track: A Neolithic timber walkway in England demonstrates early engineering to navigate marshy terrain.

9. Norias of Hama: Massive waterwheels in Syria lifted water for irrigation, exemplifying medieval hydraulic engineering.

10. Water Pipes: Both Roman and Chinese civilizations built long-lasting water pipe systems, showcasing advanced engineering in water management.

11. Byzantine Calendar: A mechanical calendar from the Byzantine Empire illustrates early advancements in mathematics and astronomy.

12. Windmills of Nashtifan: Ancient windmills in Iran have operated for over a thousand years, utilizing renewable energy for grain milling.

13. Barbegal Watermill Complex: This complex in France is considered one of the first large-scale industrial milling operations in Europe, capable of producing vast amounts of flour daily.

These highlights illustrate how ancient societies ingeniously tackled engineering challenges, leaving a lasting legacy.

Inspired by a project in New York, I want to create a similar tool for London. This tool will allow users to search and explore text found in Google Street View images, including shop signs, posters, graffiti, and van numbers.

CERN has established general principles for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) following a new AI strategy. These principles apply to all AI technologies used at CERN, including in scientific research and administrative tasks.

Key principles include:

1. Transparency: Clearly document and communicate AI's role in tasks and decisions.
2. Responsibility: Humans must remain accountable for AI's use and outcomes.
3. Lawfulness: AI must comply with legal standards and CERN's Code of Conduct.
4. Fairness: AI should promote inclusivity and avoid bias or harm.
5. Security: Protect AI systems from cybersecurity threats and ensure safety.
6. Sustainability: Assess AI's environmental and social impacts positively.
7. Human Oversight: AI systems must always be monitored and validated by humans.
8. Data Privacy: Respect personal data protection in AI applications.
9. Non-Military Use: AI at CERN should only be used for non-military purposes.

These guidelines aim to ensure that AI is used ethically and effectively across all of CERN's activities.

The text discusses the relationship between set theory and type theory in mathematics, focusing on the ideas of mathematician NG de Bruijn. Key points include:

1. Set Theory Debate: There is a lack of consensus on what set theory is, even though it is considered foundational for mathematics. Many believe in the idea that "everything is a set," but this view is increasingly questioned.

2. Type Theory Introduction: Type theory, particularly in the context of higher-order logic, is presented as an alternative to traditional set theory. De Bruijn's work in 1973, particularly his paper on "Set Theory with Type Restrictions," is highlighted as influential.

3. Critique of Zermelo-Fraenkel (ZF) Set Theory: De Bruijn criticizes ZF for its assumption that everything can be a set. He believes this leads to confusion and contradictions, such as Russell's paradox.

4. Typed Set Theory: The text explains that typed set theory organizes sets by types, avoiding contradictions. It allows for operations like unions and intersections only between sets of the same type, which maintains clarity.

5. Higher-Order Logic: Higher-order logic is discussed as a framework that can incorporate set theory concepts while avoiding some of its pitfalls. It treats sets as functions and emphasizes the differences between sets and predicates.

6. Applications: Typed set theory and higher-order logic are shown to be useful for constructing mathematical theories and programming languages, providing flexibility in defining various mathematical and computational structures.

7. Finite Sets: The concept of hereditarily finite sets is introduced as a simpler alternative to ZF set theory, which excludes infinite sets but can effectively model many mathematical structures.

Overall, the text suggests a shift in thinking about mathematics, emphasizing the use of type theory and its advantages over traditional set theory.

Cynthia is a user-friendly and portable app designed to play MIDI music files on Microsoft Windows. It was created to improve the MIDI playback experience, which had become slower and less reliable in newer Windows versions compared to Windows 95. After over a year of development, Cynthia now works well on Windows.

Key Features of Cynthia:

• Comes with 25 built-in MIDI samples to play immediately.
• Offers various play modes (Once, Repeat One, Repeat All, All Once, Random).
• Supports playback of ".mid", ".midi", and ".rmi" files.
• Provides real-time indicators for track data, volume, and note usage.
• Can be controlled using an Xbox Controller.
• Capable of managing thousands of MIDI files.
• Allows switching between up to 10 MIDI playback devices during use.
• Features a custom playback engine for stability.
• Also compatible with Linux and Mac via Wine.
• Developed using Borland Delphi 3 and Lazarus 2, with an MIT License.

You can watch a demonstration of Cynthia here and find the source code on GitHub.

The essay discusses the importance of ego, empathy, and humility in the workplace, especially for developers and technical leaders. It argues that while empathy and humility are well-known virtues, they are also practical skills that can help advance careers and improve work quality.

Ego is described as a part of our personality that allows for self-reflection and accountability but can also lead to self-justification and negative behaviors like gatekeeping. Developers often let their egos influence their communication and interactions, which can be detrimental.

The author emphasizes that empathy helps us gather new information, while humility allows us to change our behavior based on that information. Both qualities counteract the negative aspects of ego.

To foster a better work environment, the essay encourages maintaining a calm demeanor, being open to others’ perspectives, and actively practicing empathy and humility. These traits not only make us better colleagues but also enhance teamwork and problem-solving.

In summary, keeping our egos in check and embracing empathy and humility can lead to more effective collaboration and personal growth in the workplace. The author promises to provide practical advice on implementing these ideas in a follow-up essay.

Brian Keene, a retired airline pilot, has turned his passion for airports into a business called AV Pro Designs. He creates detailed dioramas of famous airports, selling them to museums and enthusiasts. Keene uses his experiences as a pilot and historical photographs to accurately depict airports from different eras; for example, JFK from the 1970s and 1980s and LAX from the 1980s and 1990s. One notable model is the nighttime view of Mumbai's BOM airport. The company has also created models of Heathrow and Newark, with plans for Hong Kong's Kai Tak and France's Charles de Gaulle airports in the future.

No summary available.

Chatbot Psychosis Overview

Chatbot psychosis, also known as AI psychosis, refers to a situation where users of chatbots experience worsening mental health issues, such as paranoia and delusions. The term was introduced by psychiatrist Søren Dinesen Østergaard in 2023, but it is not an official medical diagnosis.

Key Points:

• Symptoms: Some users develop strong beliefs that chatbots are sentient or revealing conspiracies, which can lead to personal crises.
• Causes: Factors contributing to this phenomenon include chatbots providing incorrect information (known as "hallucinations") and their design, which can validate users' beliefs and mimic human-like intimacy.
• User Vulnerability: Individuals seeking understanding or support may turn to chatbots, sometimes leading to dangerous reliance on them for information.
• Risks of Chatbots in Therapy: Studies show that chatbots can express stigma and provide harmful advice when used as substitutes for professional mental health support.
• Legal Responses: In 2025, Illinois enacted a law banning the use of AI in therapeutic roles for licensed professionals due to concerns over chatbot-induced psychosis.

Notable Cases:

• There have been reports of individuals displaying psychosis-like symptoms after using chatbots extensively, including a case involving a man who attempted to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II, allegedly influenced by conversations with a chatbot.

Overall, the phenomenon of chatbot psychosis highlights the potential dangers of AI interactions, particularly for vulnerable individuals, and calls for further research and regulation.

No summary available.

No summary available.

Summary

Recent discussions in China highlight a growing skepticism about the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. While the Chinese government and some experts view AI as a critical driver for economic growth, many others express concerns about its implementation and potential negative effects.

Key Points:

1. Skepticism About AI: There is increasing doubt among Chinese academics and policy-makers about AI's promised benefits. Critics argue that the technology may not deliver the expected economic growth and could even worsen existing social and labor issues.

2. Lack of Coordination: AI development in China has become fragmented, with local governments competing to establish themselves in the sector. This has led to duplicated efforts and wasted resources, which some experts warn could create overcapacity and inefficiencies.

3. Labor Displacement: Experts caution that AI could displace workers, particularly impacting vulnerable groups. They emphasize the need for stronger social safety nets and employment strategies to mitigate these risks.

4. Economic Limitations: Doubts are raised about AI's ability to spur meaningful economic growth. Critics note that much of the investment in AI has not translated into productivity gains, suggesting an over-reliance on this technology.

5. Safety Concerns: Experts warn about potential risks associated with AI, including security threats and ethical implications. There are concerns about the quality of training data and the potential for AI systems to produce harmful outcomes.

6. Need for Oversight: As skepticism grows, there is a call for better regulatory frameworks and coordinated efforts in AI development to address these concerns and prevent social and economic disruption.

In conclusion, while AI is seen as a significant opportunity for China, there are rising voices advocating for a more cautious and coordinated approach to its development, considering the potential social and economic consequences.

The text discusses a practice called "fixit week," where a software engineering team takes a break from regular work to focus on fixing bugs and improving their product. Here are the key points:

1. What is a Fixit Week?

   • Once a quarter, the team halts regular tasks to fix small bugs and enhance user experience, with rules that no bug should take more than two days to fix.

2. Achievements:

   • In a recent fixit week, the team fixed 189 bugs with 40 engineers participating. The enthusiasm was high, with a leaderboard and rewards for achievements.

3. Benefits:

   • For the product: It improves attention to detail, enhancing user satisfaction.
   • For individuals: Engineers enjoy the satisfaction of immediate fixes rather than long-term planning.
   • For team morale: Working together fosters a sense of community and boosts team spirit.

4. Preparation and Structure:

   • Success relies on prior identification of bugs, categorizing them by complexity, and maintaining a two-day limit on fixes to ensure momentum.

5. Gamification:

   • A points system and recognition for various achievements keep the energy high and encourage participation without impacting performance reviews.

6. Using AI:

   • AI tools help reduce the cognitive load by assisting with code changes, making the process smoother.

7. Critiques and Justifications:

   • Some question the need for fixit weeks, but proponents argue they address overlooked bugs and improve overall product quality. They suggest smaller teams can adopt similar practices, like "fixit Fridays."

8. Personal Satisfaction:

   • Fixit weeks provide engineers with a rewarding experience, allowing them to focus on quality and detail in their work, which they find fulfilling.

Overall, fixit weeks are seen as beneficial for product quality, team dynamics, and employee satisfaction.

I created a free tool that uses invisible Unicode characters to confuse language models (LLMs).

Uses:

• Preventing plagiarism
• Hiding text from LLMs
• Just for fun

Even a small amount of altered text can stop most LLMs from giving clear responses.

No summary available.

In the next ten years, advanced AI agents that can handle complex tasks with minimal human supervision are expected to be used widely in the economy. This chapter looks at recent advancements in AI and raises important questions for economists about how these AI agents will work with humans and each other, influence markets and organizations, and what structures might be needed for markets to operate effectively.

Summary of RuBee Technology

RuBee is a specialized wireless communication protocol developed by Visible Assets Inc. (VAI) for tracking and monitoring items, primarily in secure environments like military and government facilities. It was founded by John K. Stevens in 2004, who initially focused on healthcare logistics, particularly temperature-sensitive samples.

The key features of RuBee include:

1. Active Tags: Unlike passive RFID, RuBee uses battery-powered active tags that can communicate at low frequencies (around 131 kHz). This allows the tags to reliably transmit data even in challenging conditions, such as when stored in metal containers or close to the human body.

2. Robust Communication: RuBee's design focuses on magnetic fields rather than electrical signals, making it less susceptible to interference from metal or water, which can disrupt RFID communications. This makes it especially useful for tracking high-value items like firearms or classified materials.

3. Military Applications: RuBee is particularly popular in military and security applications. It has been used to track firearms, ensuring accountability and preventing theft. The technology has been certified for use with military ordnance, making it a valuable asset in defense contracting.

4. Security Features: RuBee's short communication range (typically 10-30 meters) reduces the risk of unauthorized detection, making it suitable for secure environments. This characteristic has led to its approval for use in sensitive facilities, such as nuclear installations.

5. Commercial Viability: While RuBee had early hopes of widespread adoption, its primary market has become military and defense applications due to its unique advantages. VAI has found success in providing RuBee systems for armory management and has over 1,200 installations, although its public presence has diminished, with little recent activity reported.

Overall, RuBee represents a niche technology with specific advantages, particularly in security and military contexts, but it faces challenges in broader commercial applications against the backdrop of evolving RFID technologies.

Summary: Build Desktop Applications Using Go & Web Technologies

This project allows you to create desktop applications using Go and web technologies. Key points include:

• Unique Approach: Unlike traditional web servers, Wails combines Go code and a web frontend into one executable file.
• User-Friendly Features:
  • Use Go for the backend and any familiar frontend technology for the user interface.
  • Quickly develop rich frontends with templates.
  • Easily connect Go methods with JavaScript.
  • Automatic generation of TypeScript definitions for Go structures.
  • Support for native elements like dialogs and menus, as well as dark/light mode.
  • Cross-platform compatibility and native rendering (no embedded browser).
• Getting Started: Installation instructions are available on the official website.
• Target Audience: Aimed at Go programmers who want to create lightweight desktop applications without setting up a web server.
• Project Name: "Wails" is a play on words reflecting a desire for tools to build web applications easily.

The project has a roadmap, FAQs, a list of contributors, and is inspired by several music albums.

µcad is an open-source programming language designed for creating 2D sketches and 3D objects. Although it's still early in development, it is becoming more stable, with new features added weekly. This blog aims to keep you informed about the latest updates and developments in µcad.

Recently, the team encountered challenges with a specific issue while preparing for the release of version 0.2.14. They also showcased a Spirograph creation and shared live coding videos featuring Lego Bricks and Gears.

This is a simple toy memory allocator that isn't designed for use with multiple threads (that will be improved in the future). The author also created a tutorial blog post that explains their approach and code, which takes about 20 minutes to read. You can find the link to the blog post in the README.

No summary available.

Microsoft is confused about the backlash against its new direction for Windows, which aims to make the operating system more reliant on AI, referred to as being "agentic." Many users dislike this approach, preferring AI to be used selectively in specific applications rather than everywhere, such as in the taskbar and browser. Critics argue that Microsoft is forcing AI into areas where it isn't needed, which could alienate users further.

Despite the negative feedback, Microsoft's AI CEO expressed confusion over the criticism, suggesting that people should appreciate the advancements in AI technology. However, users argue that Microsoft is trying to solve problems that don't exist and is not in tune with their preferences. If Microsoft continues on this path without addressing user concerns, it risks losing support and facing more backlash.

Summary: Mounting Proton Drive on Linux with rclone and systemd

This guide explains how to automatically mount Proton Drive on a Linux system using rclone and systemd. It has been tested on Arch Linux but should work on other distributions with minor changes.

Key Features:

• Mounts Proton Drive at user login
• Uses rclone with a specific cache mode
• Runs as a background service with logging
• Supports FUSE for shared access

Quick Steps to Set Up:

1. Install Required Software:

   • Install fuse3:

     sudo pacman -S fuse3
     

   • Install rclone (version 1.64.0 or newer):
     • Download and set up rclone:

       curl -O https://downloads.rclone.org/rclone-current-linux-amd64.zip
       unzip rclone-current-linux-amd64.zip
       cd rclone-*-linux-amd64
       sudo cp rclone /usr/local/bin/
       sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/rclone
       

   • Verify installation with:

     rclone version
     

2. Configure Proton Drive:

   • Run rclone config and follow prompts to set up a new remote named "proton".

3. Run the Setup Script:

   • Make the script executable and run it:

     chmod +x setup-proton-mount.sh
     ./setup-proton-mount.sh
     

   • This script creates a mount point, sets up a systemd service, and configures necessary permissions.

4. Reboot or Log Out/In:

   • If added to the fuse group, log out and back in for changes to take effect.

Verify the Setup:

• Check if Proton Drive is mounted by running:

  ls ~/ProtonDrive
  

• Check the systemd service status with:

  systemctl --user status rclone-proton.mount.service
  

Uninstalling:

• To remove the setup:

  systemctl --user disable --now rclone-proton.mount.service
  rm ~/.config/systemd/user/rclone-proton.mount.service
  

Requirements:

• rclone version 1.64.0 or newer
• fuse3
• A Proton Drive account

Troubleshooting:

• If mounting fails, check logs:

  journalctl --user -u rclone-proton.mount.service
  

• Restart the service if needed:

  systemctl --user restart rclone-proton.mount.service
  

This guide includes helpful files and references for further assistance.

No summary available.

The author’s Phonak Audeo 90 hearing aid stopped working after 5 years, and they are looking for a new one. They have moderate hearing loss and have used hearing aids for many years. They enjoy music and nature sounds but also need assistance in meetings and noisy places. They are not concerned about the cost and want to take advantage of their work insurance before retiring.

McMaster-Carr is an industrial supply company known for its excellent e-commerce website, mcmaster.com. The site specializes in selling various engineering parts like nuts, bolts, and bearings.

Key features of the website include:

1. Simple Design: The site has a minimal and functional design, focusing on usability rather than flashy visuals. There are no distracting animations or ads.

2. Efficient Search Function: Users can easily find specific parts by typing keywords into the search bar. The site provides clear subcategories and filtering options based on specifications like thread size and material, making it easy to narrow down choices.

3. In-Depth Information: Each product page includes helpful explanations and downloadable CAD files for engineers, speeding up their design process.

4. Comparison to Others: Unlike platforms like Amazon, which have complex filtering that can be frustrating, McMaster-Carr’s straightforward interface is designed for users with a clear intent to buy.

5. Minor Improvements Suggested: The only suggestion for improvement is to make the search bar more prominent on the homepage to enhance user experience for new visitors.

Overall, McMaster-Carr's website excels because it prioritizes customer needs with a clean, efficient design, allowing users to find what they need quickly and effectively.

Summary of Native Secure Enclave Backed SSH Keys on macOS

macOS now supports generating SSH keys that are secured by the Secure Enclave. This feature replaces previous projects like Secretive. A library called ssh-keychain.dylib facilitates this by allowing SSH to directly use keys from the Secure Enclave.

Key Setup

To create a Secure Enclave-backed SSH key that requires biometric authentication (like TouchID), you can use the command:

sc_auth create-ctk-identity -l ssh -k p-256-ne -t bio

You can check if the key was created with:

sc_auth list-ctk-identities

Using the Keys

1. Download Key Pair: Retrieve the public/private keypair using:

   ssh-keygen -w /usr/lib/ssh-keychain.dylib -K -N ""
   

   You may need to authenticate with a PIN or biometric.

2. Using with SSH: Add the public key to your authorized keys:

   ssh-copy-id -i id_ecdsa_sk_rk localhost
   ssh -o SecurityKeyProvider=/usr/lib/ssh-keychain.dylib localhost
   

3. Using with ssh-agent: You can also add the key directly to ssh-agent:

   ssh-add -K -S /usr/lib/ssh-keychain.dylib
   

4. Default Configuration: To simplify usage, you can set the environment variable:

   export SSH_SK_PROVIDER=/usr/lib/ssh-keychain.dylib
   

   This allows you to run commands like ssh-add -K or ssh my-server without specifying the provider each time.

Exportable Keys

There's an option to create exportable keys, which are encrypted using the Secure Enclave but not generated there. These are less secure but easier for backup purposes. You can create an exportable key with:

sc_auth create-ctk-identity -l ssh-exportable -k p-256 -t bio

You can then export and import keys as needed.

This new feature enhances security for SSH access on macOS by leveraging the Secure Enclave for key management.

Superbox devices offer unlimited access to over 2,200 streaming services for a one-time fee of about $400, which seems appealing. However, security experts warn that these devices use intrusive software that can turn users' internet connections into a proxy network, often linked to cybercrime activities. Although Superbox claims that their product does not violate copyright laws, users typically install unauthorized apps to access the streaming content, which may lead to legal issues.

Experts discovered that Superbox devices connect to servers tied to questionable proxy services and may contain malware, which poses risks to users' home networks. Despite their availability at major retailers, these devices are often associated with malicious activities, including advertising fraud.

The FBI has warned that many similar streaming devices are compromised before purchase or during setup, making them part of botnets that could be used for illegal activities. Users should be cautious, as these devices could lead to significant security and legal issues, even if they are marketed as affordable alternatives to traditional cable subscriptions.

Summary: Advice for Crime Analysts Transitioning to Data Science

A crime analyst seeking to enter data science should focus on enhancing their technical skills. Here are the key points to consider:

1. Programming Skills: Familiarity with SQL and Excel is common, but you'll need to learn at least one programming language, with Python being the most recommended.

2. Machine Learning Knowledge: Understanding machine learning concepts and how to use large language models (LLMs) is important. Courses like those from Andrew Ng can be beneficial.

3. Portfolio Development: Having a strong portfolio, including a website and contributions on GitHub, can be as valuable as having a master’s degree.

4. Job Applications: Start applying for analyst roles, even if you don’t meet all programming requirements. Job postings often have unrealistic expectations.

5. Company Focus: Look for opportunities at companies related to crime analysis, such as Lexis Nexis and ESRI.

6. Additional Resources: The author has written various resources, including a blog on tech jobs and resume advice.

Overall, prioritize learning new skills and building a portfolio while applying for relevant analyst positions to facilitate your transition into data science.

Summary of Migrating to Bazel Symbolic Macros

Bazel offers two types of macros: legacy and symbolic, the latter introduced in Bazel 8. Symbolic macros are preferred for clearer code, featuring enhancements like typed arguments and controlled target visibility. This guide is aimed at experienced Bazel engineers looking to update their codebases.

Key Points:

1. What are Symbolic Macros?

   • They generate targets by acting as templates and are evaluated during the loading phase of Bazel.
   • Symbolic macros are considered “first-class” macros and support lazy evaluation in future releases.

2. Naming Conventions:

   • Targets from symbolic macros must match or start with the macro's name followed by specific characters. Unlike legacy macros, which had no naming restrictions, symbolic macros enforce this rule.

3. Access to Resources:

   • They follow standard visibility rules and cannot access source files unless passed as arguments or made public.

4. Attributes and Arguments:

   • Symbolic macros do not support positional arguments; all parameters must be keyword arguments.
   • Default values are defined in the attributes dictionary, not in the macro function itself, to avoid confusion.

5. Inheritance:

   • Macros can inherit attributes from other rules or macros, allowing for streamlined attribute management.

6. Mutation Restrictions:

   • You cannot mutate arguments in symbolic macros, which differs from legacy macros where in-place modifications were allowed.

7. Configuration:

   • Symbolic macros support configurable attributes using the select() function, allowing users to set different values based on configurations.

8. Querying and Refactoring:

   • Identifying legacy macros can be difficult, but using tools like bazel cquery and buildozer can help manage and refactor macros effectively.

The article emphasizes the benefits of modernizing code with symbolic macros while noting that legacy macros will continue to be supported. Organizations may choose to retain legacy macros based on their needs.

Summary of Cloudflare Primitives

Cloudflare offers several key tools (primitives) for developers:

1. Workers: These are small JavaScript functions that run at Cloudflare's data centers worldwide. They execute on demand and are stateless, meaning they don’t maintain any information between requests.

2. Durable Objects: These are unique pieces of code that maintain state and are tied to an ID. Each request for that ID goes to the same instance, allowing for persistent data storage. When not in use, the memory is cleared, but the stored data remains.

3. R2: A storage solution for large files that keeps data in a specific location but allows global access. It offers cached reads without extra fees, ensuring fast, reliable access.

4. D1: This is a serverless SQL database that allows for primary write locations and read replicas in other areas. It simplifies database management and scaling.

5. Workers KV: A distributed key-value store that serves read requests from the nearest location, making it fast. However, updates are not instantly consistent across all locations, which means some data might be stale temporarily.

6. Queues: A message queuing system for handling background tasks. Messages are stored and processed in batches, with Cloudflare handling delivery and scaling.

These tools help developers create efficient, scalable applications that can operate globally. Feedback is welcome for further clarification or visualization of these concepts.

No summary available.