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The winter solstice, occurring around December 21 or 22, is the shortest day of the year and symbolizes the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. Ancient monuments, some nearly 5,000 years old, were built to celebrate this important day by aligning with the rising and setting Sun.

One notable example is the Maeshowe tomb in Orkney, which was created around 2800 BC. It features a long corridor that allows sunlight to illuminate the tomb during the winter solstice, representing a moment of death and rebirth. Other structures like Stonehenge and Newgrange also have alignments that connect to the solstice.

Understanding the solstice was essential for survival in ancient times, helping predict seasonal changes important for hunting, fishing, and farming. This ancient significance continues today, influencing modern traditions like Yule and Christmas.

In recent years, contemporary artists like Nancy Holt and James Turrell have created artworks that echo these ancient concepts, reconnecting people with nature and the cycles of time. These modern structures, such as Holt's Sun Tunnels and Turrell's Roden Crater, highlight our relationship with the cosmos and remind us of the importance of light and the changing seasons. Overall, these monuments and artworks celebrate the winter solstice, emphasizing the transition from darkness to light.

Netrinos, founded by me, offers a simple WireGuard-based mesh VPN to make remote access easier. It allows devices to connect directly without a central server, creating a network that feels like a local area network (LAN). Each device receives a stable IP and DNS name, and if direct connections fail, a secure relay server is used.

One of our main challenges was ensuring reliable connections through different types of network address translations (NAT). We use techniques like UDP hole punching and STUN for this purpose. Our technology stack includes a Go backend and WireGuard for secure connections, with a user-friendly interface.

Netrinos is useful for various tasks such as remote desktop access, connecting to network-attached storage (NAS), and managing IoT devices. We recently launched a Pro version with features like multi-user support and access control, while the Personal version is free for up to 100 devices.

I welcome feedback on what users expect from a simple mesh VPN and what improvements can be made. You can try the Pro version free for 30 days with the code HNPRO26. Visit our website for more information: Netrinos.

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The article discusses the challenges of maintaining well-being in a tech-dominated world in 2025. It highlights how constant distractions from algorithms and social media negatively impact our mental health and attention span. The author emphasizes the need for a solid foundation for a fulfilling life, focusing on three key pillars: health, family, and self-contentment.

Health is crucial for happiness, and having supportive relationships is essential to avoid negative habits. The pursuit of money and status can lead to greed and a shallow existence, while true happiness comes from quality time with loved ones.

The article suggests that to escape the distractions of the current internet landscape, we should seek open platforms that prioritize genuine connections over algorithm-driven content. It advocates for a return to personal blogs and direct connections with audiences, as well as the use of open social media protocols that give users control over their data.

Overall, the author believes that reducing reliance on big tech and focusing on meaningful relationships will lead to a happier, healthier life in the long run.

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The text explains a solution for managing excessive web traffic from crawlers that were causing issues on a Forgejo instance. Here are the key points:

1. Nginx Configuration: The author provides a specific Nginx configuration that allows legitimate users while blocking unwanted crawlers. It checks for a specific cookie and uses a JavaScript redirect to set that cookie for users.

2. Background Problem: The author faced issues with their Forgejo instance being overwhelmed by requests from crawlers that ignored the robots.txt file, causing the server to crash.

3. Initial Solutions: The author initially used a radical approach by blocking all access except for themselves and then tried using Anubis, but found it too complex and heavy for their needs.

4. Simpler Alternative: They found a simpler method involving a basic cookie check, which allows users to access the site normally while discouraging crawlers by requiring JavaScript to be enabled.

5. Limitations: While this method works for now, the author acknowledges that it could be easily bypassed by sophisticated crawlers in the future and may not be a permanent solution.

6. Advice: The author hopes this simpler solution helps others who are looking for alternatives to heavier systems like Anubis, while also noting that widespread use of this trick may lead to crawlers adapting to bypass it.

Summary of Deliberate Internet Shutdowns

In September, Afghanistan experienced a two-day internet blackout mandated by the Taliban, following a previous localized shutdown aimed at preventing "immoral activities." This blackout severely affected emergency communications and banking in a country already dealing with a major earthquake. Such shutdowns are part of a growing global trend; since late September, similar outages occurred in Tanzania, Cameroon, Pakistan, and Nigeria, often without official explanations.

Deliberate internet shutdowns have increased significantly since the first major instance in Egypt in 2011, with 296 recorded in 54 countries in 2024 alone, and at least 244 more in 2025. These outages are not just inconveniences; they infringe on human rights by restricting access to information, communication, and expression, especially during crises, elections, and protests.

Shutdowns can be total or partial, affecting specific services or regions. They often occur in response to political unrest, protests, or elections. For example, Belarus disabled the internet during recent elections, and various countries have restricted internet access during student exams.

Countries with centralized internet infrastructure are more capable of implementing shutdowns. India has the highest number of incidents at 855, followed by Myanmar and Pakistan. While there was a brief decline in shutdowns during the early pandemic, they have surged again due to increasing protests and political instability.

The internet is now essential for daily life, making shutdowns increasingly harmful. They hinder business, healthcare, and humanitarian efforts. While some may find workarounds, most people suffer greatly without internet access.

The international community recognizes the importance of internet access as a human right, and some countries have faced pressure to maintain connectivity. However, the trend of shutdowns is rising, and reversing this requires governments to legally uphold the right to information and freedom of expression. The growing normalization of internet blackouts poses significant implications for society.

AI has made it easier and cheaper to create solutions, but identifying the right problems to solve is still challenging. To address this, I created World’s Backlog, a platform where people from various industries can share their real work-related challenges. Contributors post their issues, others validate them, and builders can assess how serious and common these problems are, as well as whether people are willing to pay for a solution. I welcome feedback from both builders and those experiencing workplace difficulties.

The comments discuss various opinions about the Harry Potter series and its author, J.K. Rowling. Key points include:

1. Copyright and Social Justice: One commenter argues that copyright laws create wealth inequality, benefiting a few while many talented authors struggle financially. They believe that society should work to prevent such disparities.

2. Influence on Reading Habits: Some users share personal experiences about how reading Harry Potter rekindled their love for books, highlighting its impact on children’s engagement with reading, despite some parental restrictions.

3. Cultural Phenomenon: The series is recognized as a cultural phenomenon, with significant sales figures, but some question whether it can continue to grow in popularity indefinitely.

4. Separating Art from the Artist: A discussion arises about whether it's possible to enjoy a work while disapproving of its creator's views, emphasizing that troubled individuals can still produce great art.

5. Language Learning: One commenter suggests using Harry Potter in different languages as a fun way to learn, proposing a tool that allows side-by-side reading of bilingual texts.

6. Public Domain Debate: There's a viewpoint that once a piece of art becomes famous, it should become public property, as public engagement contributes to its fame.

Overall, the comments reflect a mix of admiration for the Harry Potter series and critical discussions regarding copyright, societal issues, and personal experiences with reading.

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The paper "Decompiling the Synergy: An Empirical Study of Human–LLM Teaming in Software Reverse Engineering" examines how Large Language Models (LLMs) can assist human analysts in software reverse engineering (SRE). The study involved two main components: a survey of 153 SRE practitioners and a hands-on experiment with 48 participants (24 novices and 24 experts) working on two SRE challenges.

Key findings include:

1. LLM Benefits for Novices: Novices using LLMs significantly improved their understanding (by about 98%), reaching comprehension levels similar to experts. However, experts showed minimal improvement from LLM assistance.

2. Efficiency Gains: LLMs enhanced the speed of certain tasks, allowing for faster algorithm analysis and better recovery of software artifacts (such as symbols and comments). Known algorithms could be analyzed up to 2.4 times faster.

3. Limitations and Risks: Experts sometimes faced "hallucinations" or incorrect suggestions from LLMs, which could hinder their performance. Many artifacts recovered by LLMs were found to be unhelpful.

4. User Interaction: Participants interacted with LLMs a total of 1,517 times. The effectiveness of LLMs depended on how practitioners used them, with experienced users being more cautious in their reliance on LLMs.

5. LLM Features Usage: The most utilized LLM features included function summarization and renaming. However, the volume of queries did not correlate with performance; strategic querying was more important than frequency.

6. Misunderstandings: Some participants misinterpreted the LLM's suggestions, leading to incorrect conclusions in their analyses. This highlights the need for caution in relying on LLM-generated insights.

Overall, the study underscores the potential of LLMs to enhance human capabilities in SRE while also pointing out significant shortcomings that need to be addressed for effective integration into the workflow. The research contributes to understanding how to optimize human-LLM collaboration in software reverse engineering.

The text discusses the rise of the Python programming language, noting that early praise for Python was often based on its comparison to Perl, which was powerful but had its flaws. Python gained popularity because it was seen as a cleaner version of Perl. However, the author believes that Python should have been evaluated on its own merits and that its flaws were overlooked, despite concerns raised by some experts. Today, Python is the most widely used programming language, while Perl is largely forgotten. The author finds it absurd that other potentially better languages may not receive the same recognition as Python simply because Python appeared better than Perl.

Walt Disney Imagineering has introduced a new robotic character, Olaf, the snowman from "Frozen," at Disneyland Paris. This marks a significant advancement in Disney's character technology, blending storytelling with innovative robotics.

Olaf has been designed to closely mimic his animated counterpart, featuring expressive movements and a unique snow-like shimmer created with iridescent fibers. The character's development involved collaboration with original animators to ensure authenticity in his gestures and personality.

The technology behind Olaf utilizes advanced artificial intelligence, specifically reinforcement learning, allowing him to perform complex movements and engage in conversations, enhancing guest experiences. Olaf will debut at the new Arendelle Bay Show in the upcoming World of Frozen area at Disneyland Paris and will also make special appearances at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

This innovation represents a broader effort by Disney to create more lifelike characters and improve guest interactions across their parks.

The Italian Competition Authority has fined Apple over 98 million euros for abusing its dominant market position. The fine addresses Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy, which the Authority found restricts competition by imposing unfair privacy rules on third-party app developers using the App Store.

The investigation revealed that the ATT policy requires developers to obtain consent in a way that does not comply with privacy laws, leading to a confusing double consent process. This makes it harder for developers to collect and use data for advertising, which negatively impacts their business models. The Authority concluded that Apple's unilateral imposition of these rules is excessive and harms its commercial partners.

The author, Reilly Wood, expresses that writing about programming and technology should not make others feel inferior. They emphasize that learning is a personal journey, and everyone has different areas of expertise. Wood believes that computing should not be seen as mysterious or elitist; mistakes in any field, including art and business, deserve respect.

Wood shares that their motivation for programming comes from passion rather than financial gain. They encourage readers to experiment and create projects for fun, whether that's a simple tool or exploring existing creations. Key resources for learning include the Mozilla Development Network, Arch Wiki, and StackOverflow. Overall, the message is about enjoying the learning process and valuing personal growth over competition.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered a unique exoplanet named PSR J2322-2650b, which orbits a rapidly spinning neutron star called a pulsar. This exoplanet, about the size of Jupiter, has an unusual atmosphere primarily composed of helium and carbon, featuring potential soot clouds and even diamond formation deep within.

The planet is located just 1 million miles from the pulsar, making its year only 7.8 hours long. Its extreme conditions, with temperatures reaching up to 3,700°F, allow for the detection of molecular carbon, a first in exoplanet studies. This finding challenges existing theories about how such a planet could form, as it does not fit typical formation models.

The JWST's ability to observe this system without interference from the pulsar's light provides a clear view of the planet's spectrum, aiding in detailed study. This discovery highlights the unique capabilities of the JWST and opens new avenues for understanding exoplanet atmospheres.

The author shares their experience of building an Android app using Rust. After successfully creating the app and updating it with the latest iced and wgpu releases, they aim to promote Rust for Android development.

Key points include:

1. Thanks to Contributors: The author acknowledges the creators of essential tools and libraries used in their project, such as android-activity, jni-rs, wgpu, and winit.

2. Learning Resources: They highlight useful examples available for Android development with Rust, specifically mentioning the rust-android-examples repository.

3. Combining Libraries: The author combined the iced GUI library with wgpu and android-activity. Although iced is not primarily designed for mobile, they found ways to integrate it successfully.

4. Challenges Overcome: They faced challenges like rendering text but found solutions, such as loading fonts correctly and adding touch support to widgets.

5. Other Options: The text mentions other Rust tools for mobile development, like xilem, egui, and game engines like Fyrox and Bevy.

6. Future Plans for iOS: The author plans to apply a similar approach for building an iOS app with Rust, indicating they foresee no major obstacles.

In conclusion, the author expresses gratitude to those who contributed to the Rust community and encourages others to explore mobile app development with Rust.

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The text appears to be a list of tags and categories from a blog or website. It includes topics such as AI, coding, games, and personal experiences like a trip to New Zealand. There are also sections for archives and information about the author. The main focus is on various interests related to technology, programming, and personal anecdotes.

Summary: Grid-Scale Bubble Batteries Will Soon Be Everywhere

Energy Dome has developed a unique energy storage solution called a "CO2 Battery," which uses carbon dioxide to store excess renewable energy. The first facility, located in Sardinia, Italy, began operating in July 2025, with plans for similar systems to be built globally by 2026. These bubble-shaped domes can store large amounts of CO2 and generate electricity by compressing and expanding the gas.

Key points include:

• Functionality: The CO2 Battery can provide energy for up to 10 hours, addressing the need for long-duration storage when solar and wind energy are not available.
• Global Expansion: Major companies, including India's NTPC Limited and Wisconsin's Alliant Energy, are planning to build these facilities, with Google also investing in them for its data centers.
• Advantages: CO2 Batteries are cost-effective, do not require special land features, and have a longer lifespan than traditional lithium-ion batteries. They are expected to be 30% cheaper to operate.
• Safety and Concerns: While the system is designed to withstand severe weather, concerns exist about potential CO2 leakage if the dome is damaged, though the emissions are minimal compared to traditional energy sources.

Overall, Energy Dome's innovative approach to energy storage could play a significant role in the transition to renewable energy and improving grid reliability.

The blog post discusses how to create a simulation of "boids," which are simple agents that mimic the flocking behavior of birds, using functional quadtrees in Clojure. Here are the key points:

1. Boid Representation: Each boid has properties like maximum speed, force, and perception range. They are initialized with random positions and velocities.

2. Flocking Behavior: The simulation models how boids interact based on three main rules:

   • Alignment: Boids try to match the velocity of nearby boids.
   • Cohesion: Boids move towards the average position of their neighbors.
   • Separation: Boids avoid crowding too closely to each other.

3. Movement Calculation: The movement of each boid involves calculating a new acceleration vector based on its neighbors, updating its position and velocity accordingly.

4. Quadtrees for Efficiency: The simulation uses quadtrees to efficiently find nearby boids. Quadtrees help in organizing space to quickly retrieve objects within a certain radius.

5. Performance Considerations: The author notes that while aiming for functional purity, some compromises were made for performance, achieving a smooth 60 frames per second.

6. Implementation Details: The article includes some code snippets to illustrate how boids are initialized, how their movement is calculated, and how the quadtree is structured and searched.

Overall, the post serves as a guide for creating a flocking simulation with functional programming concepts in Clojure.

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The text discusses the history of Rust, a programming language, and its evolution over thirteen years. It highlights key developments in Rust's features and community, and mentions the creation of a new project called Rue. The article emphasizes the significance of Rust in the programming world and reflects on its growth and impact. You can find more details in the linked article.

Summary of Key Points on Quantum Computing

1. Shift in Perspective: The author acknowledges a change in their stance on the imminence of scalable quantum computing, noting significant experimental progress over the past year.

2. Recent Developments: At a recent conference, the author observed advancements in quantum algorithms and hardware from companies like Quantinuum and Google, which bolster their optimism.

3. Current State: The quantum computing field is split between companies genuinely solving technical issues and those more focused on public relations and financial gains.

4. Applications of Quantum Computing: Major uses of quantum computers include simulating quantum physics, breaking current cryptography, and providing modest benefits in optimization and machine learning, though these applications are still developing.

5. Warning on Cryptography: The author stresses the urgency of transitioning to post-quantum cryptography, as the specifics of quantum capabilities may soon become sensitive information.

6. Ongoing Skepticism: While optimistic about advancements, the author maintains a cautious view, emphasizing that many questions about the future of quantum computing remain unanswered.

This summary condenses the author's reflections on the current state and future potential of quantum computing, highlighting both excitement and caution in the field.

Summary of "ONNX Runtime & CoreML May Silently Convert Your Model to FP16 (And How to Stop It)"

The article discusses a potential issue when running ONNX models using the ONNX Runtime (ORT) with the CoreMLExecutionProvider on Apple devices. It highlights that models may be automatically converted to FP16 (half precision), which can lead to inaccurate predictions compared to running the same model in PyTorch on CPU or MPS (Metal Performance Shaders).

Key Points:

1. FP16 Conversion Issue: By default, ORT may convert models to FP16 when using CoreML, causing differences in output predictions. This can lead to flipped predictions around a threshold (0.5).

2. Correcting the Issue: To prevent this unwanted conversion, use the following code when creating the InferenceSession:

   ort_session = ort.InferenceSession(onnx_model_path, providers=[("CoreMLExecutionProvider", {"ModelFormat": "MLProgram"})])
   

   This ensures the model remains in FP32 (single precision) while running on a Mac GPU.

3. Model Evaluation: The author tested a simple model (MLP) across different platforms (PyTorch and ORT) to analyze discrepancies in outputs. Results showed that while PyTorch provided consistent results, ORT outputs varied due to the FP16 conversion.

4. Understanding ONNX & ORT: ONNX (Open Neural Network Exchange) is a format that allows for easier deployment and optimization of ML models across different platforms. ORT is a runtime that executes these models efficiently on various hardware.

5. CoreML Formats: The CoreML framework has two model formats: NeuralNetwork (NN) and MLProgram (MLP). The NN format implicitly converts to FP16, while the MLP format maintains the precision specified during model training.

6. Importance of Testing: The article emphasizes the need for thorough testing across different platforms to ensure model consistency and avoid implicit defaults that may affect reproducibility.

Conclusion: To maintain precision and avoid prediction discrepancies, it's crucial to specify the MLProgram format when using CoreMLExecutionProvider in ONNX Runtime. This change ensures that the model runs in the intended precision level.

Permanent magnets are essential in many technologies, such as electric motors and sensors. Understanding how these magnets become magnetized is crucial for designing effective devices. This blog explains how to simulate the magnetization of a specific permanent magnet, the N48SH, using Ansys Maxwell software and its datasheet.

Key Steps:

1. Understanding Magnetization: The behavior of magnetic materials is shown in a B-H curve, which describes how a material is magnetized and its performance afterward.

2. Simulation Setup: A magnetizer model in Ansys Maxwell uses coils to create a strong magnetic field. The unmagnetized N48SH material will be placed in this field to be magnetized.

3. Creating a Custom Curve: The N48SH datasheet provides a demagnetization curve. Using Ansys tools, this curve is digitized, and a corresponding initial magnetization curve is created to match it.

4. Running Simulations: The simulation consists of two steps:

   • Magnetizing Event: Current is applied to the coils, and the magnetization process is monitored.
   • Final Magnetized State: After the current is removed, the final operating point of the magnet is determined.

5. Validation: A third simulation using the built-in N48SH material allows for comparison, confirming that the custom magnetization process is accurate.

In conclusion, this workflow demonstrates how to accurately simulate the magnetization of a permanent magnet using just its datasheet. Engineers can use this method for various materials, enhancing design accuracy without needing complete data sets.

I received my Apple developer certificate and created a simple app to address a problem I faced. One store I buy from doesn’t offer Apple Wallet passes. To solve this, I made an app that allows users to sign their own passes. The app is available for anyone who needs it. Instead of using AI to scan cards, you manually enter the barcode, which I believe reduces errors.

The author discusses programming on the subway in New York City, highlighting how their busy lifestyle has limited time for side projects. They use their 30-minute commute to work on m68k assembler for their custom SBC, appreciating the lack of distractions that comes from not having multiple screens or an internet connection.

While they can't test their code thoroughly, this environment forces them to think deeply about their work, which they find beneficial. The noisy subway can make it hard to keep complex thoughts, but they manage by focusing on simpler tasks or sketching ideas on paper.

The author feels their laptop, a cheap ThinkPad, is relatively safe from theft, and they enjoy making connections with strangers who inquire about their work. Finding a seat can be challenging during rush hour, which limits their programming time. They are working on a solution to program while standing by attaching a keyboard to their pants.

Overall, they encourage others to try programming on the subway, as it can improve focus and resilience to distractions.

Holger, a developer from the lighting industry, created a tool to address a gap in the market for handling lighting data. Existing file formats like EULUMDAT and IES are outdated but still functional for basic tasks. However, the industry is shifting towards using spectral data, which provides more detailed information. New standards like TM-33 and ATLA-S001 are not well supported by current tools.

Holger's tool supports both old formats for compatibility and new spectral data for those adopting the latest standards. It is built using Rust and can compile to various platforms, including web and mobile applications. He is seeking feedback, particularly on the SVG output and the 3D viewer feature. More information can be found on his GitHub page.

The author is experiencing a very difficult day after their mother fell victim to a scam that resulted in the loss of their savings. Living in a country prone to scams, the mother received a call about a fake tax issue and was tricked into providing her bank account details, leading to the loss of all her money.

The author had previously helped develop a system for tracking money flows in the country, which they were proud of, but now feels helpless because it cannot recover the lost funds. They visited the police and found that many others have also been scammed, including students and retirees.

The author also lost their savings due to the situation, which impacted their future plans for community projects. They express a desire to rebuild their life but are concerned about how to protect vulnerable people like their mother from such scams. They are seeking advice from the Hacker News community on how to move forward and address these issues.

The author expresses a desire for more people to be active online and share their thoughts and creations. They enjoy discovering writers whose work resonates with them and wish they would post more often. Personal, unique blog posts often receive heartfelt responses, reinforcing the idea that sharing personal experiences can foster connections.

The author emphasizes the importance of sharing one’s learning and reading experiences publicly. They find value in platforms like Goodreads, which motivate them to read more and connect with friends through shared book interests. They believe that reading in public is beneficial, contrasting it with private reading, which can feel isolating.

They also discuss the potential of public flashcard collections, advocating for sharing learning materials on platforms like GitHub to inspire curiosity about what others are studying. The author is interested in how people customize their computing environments, seeing it as a form of personal agency worth sharing.

Overall, the text encourages embracing public sharing of thoughts, learning, and creativity, as it fosters connection and enriches both the individual and their community.

Mission Local is committed to providing free news without a paywall and is running an end-of-year fundraiser to maintain this service.

Recently, Waymo suspended its autonomous ride-hailing service in San Francisco due to a citywide power outage that affected about 125,000 homes. The outage caused traffic lights to fail, leading to confusion for the driverless cars, which became stuck at intersections and created significant traffic jams. Videos showing Waymo vehicles blocking roads quickly circulated on social media.

Despite the challenges, Waymo's fleet was back on the roads the following day. Mission Local encourages donations to help keep their news accessible to everyone.

We're excited to share that we're redesigning our website. The new design is by Taeko Akatsuka.

Posted by Hiroshi Shibata on December 22, 2025.

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Summary of Bit Arrays in Gleam

Gleam features a unique syntax for working with bit arrays, which are used for handling binary data. This syntax is inspired by Erlang but has some differences, making the available documentation somewhat unclear.

Key Points:

1. Basics:

   • Bit arrays are enclosed in double angle brackets (<< and >>) and consist of segments separated by commas.
   • Each segment is a value followed by options for encoding.

2. Segment Types:

   • The default segment type is Int, encoded as an 8-bit signed integer. Other types include Float, String, UTF codepoints, and BitArray.
   • Specific options must be used to define non-integer types and their encoding formats.

3. Segment Size:

   • You can customize the size of a segment in bits using the size option.
   • There’s a shorthand for size, but it has limitations based on segment type.

4. Endianness:

   • Segments default to big endian but can be set to little endian or native, depending on the processor.

5. Pattern Matching:

   • Bit array syntax can also be used to extract data from binary formats. However, certain limitations exist, like not matching arbitrary-length strings.

6. Signedness:

   • By default, integers are treated as unsigned unless specified otherwise using the signed option.

7. JavaScript Support:

   • While bit arrays work natively in Erlang, some features are still being implemented for JavaScript.

8. Example:

   • A basic en/decoder for Minecraft's NBT format is provided, showcasing how to define types, decode from bit arrays, and encode back into binary.

Overall, bit arrays in Gleam are a powerful tool for handling binary data, but they require careful attention to syntax and options to use effectively.

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The text suggests that instead of consuming news, people should focus on physical activities, like running a marathon. It seems to highlight the idea that engaging in positive actions can be more beneficial than getting caught up in media manipulation.

No summary available.

Summary of "The Gift Card Accountability Sink"

In this article, Patrick McKenzie discusses the complexities surrounding gift cards, particularly focusing on their use, regulation, and the associated risks.

1. Gift Card Misconceptions: The AARP claims that being asked to pay with gift cards is always a scam, but gift cards are legitimate payment methods used by many businesses, especially those serving unbanked individuals.

2. Scams and Reporting: Gift card scams are prevalent, with a reported $16.6 billion in losses in 2024. Scammers manipulate vulnerable individuals into buying gift cards and sharing their information, which can lead to significant financial loss without much recourse.

3. Regulatory Differences: The U.S. has strong protections for fraud involving debit cards but much weaker protections for gift cards. When consumers are defrauded using gift cards, there is often no effective means of restitution.

4. Gift Card Program Managers: Many retailers do not manage their own gift card programs but instead rely on specialized managers. These firms handle compliance and operational needs, but this creates a "sink" of accountability where legitimate businesses can deny responsibility for gift card issues.

5. Lax Regulations: Gift cards are not regulated like other payment methods, which has been a conscious decision by lawmakers to promote commerce. This creates vulnerabilities that fraudsters exploit, particularly for high-value transactions.

6. Impact on Consumers: The lack of regulation and accountability means that consumers, especially those who are vulnerable, suffer the consequences of fraud more severely when it involves gift cards.

Overall, the article highlights the need for better consumer protection and understanding of the role gift cards play in the financial landscape.

No summary available.

No summary available.

The text discusses the potential of high-resolution audio formats, particularly 24-bit/192kHz, and argues that they offer no real benefit over standard formats like 16-bit/44.1kHz. Key points include:

1. High-Resolution Formats: Many people are excited about 24-bit/192kHz audio, but the author claims it does not improve sound quality and takes up significantly more storage space.

2. Human Hearing Limitations: The human ear can only hear frequencies between 20Hz and 20kHz. Therefore, anything beyond this range, like the ultrasonics in 192kHz audio, is irrelevant and can even degrade sound quality due to distortion in playback equipment.

3. Sampling Theory: The text explains that the sampling theorem means that audio signals can be perfectly captured at lower rates, and higher sampling rates do not enhance audio fidelity.

4. Dynamic Range: While 24-bit audio provides a greater dynamic range, 16-bit audio is already sufficient for playback because it covers the ranges that humans can hear, even with some room for error.

5. Listening Tests: Empirical studies have shown that listeners cannot reliably distinguish between high-resolution audio and standard formats, indicating that the perceived benefits of higher-quality formats are often due to bias rather than actual differences in sound quality.

6. Practical Improvements: Instead of focusing on high-resolution formats, improvements in audio quality can come from using better headphones, ensuring lossless audio formats, and selecting high-quality masters for recordings.

In summary, the author argues that the pursuit of higher sampling rates and bit depths is misguided and that the current standards already meet human auditory capabilities effectively.

The text discusses the feeling of being burnt out and unfulfilled in life, even when things seem good on the surface. It introduces the concept of the "existential vacuum," as described by psychologist Viktor Frankl, who emphasizes the importance of finding a higher purpose in life. Frankl observed that those who survived the Holocaust did so by focusing on meaningful goals, but struggled with meaning afterward.

The author encourages readers to confront their feelings of existential anxiety, suggesting that instead of seeking escapism, they should visualize their ideal selves and pursue their childhood dreams. Many people mistakenly equate comfort with fulfillment and optimize for less suffering rather than seeking deeper meaning. The text highlights that while Millennials expect their jobs to provide meaning beyond basic survival, there is a call to action for those who have achieved abundance to help others and find more meaningful pursuits.

Hi, I'm Luke, and I created Jmail with Riley Walz. We had a lot of friends help us improve the app last night while discussing the release of the "Epstein files" by the DOJ. Feel free to ask me anything!

Summary:

A recent update on the effectiveness of structured outputs from large language models (LLMs) suggests that using them can often lead to lower quality responses compared to traditional text outputs. Key points include:

1. Lower Accuracy: Using structured output APIs may result in mistakes when extracting data. For example, when extracting receipt information, structured outputs provided incorrect details while free-form outputs gave accurate data.

2. Difficulty in Error Handling: Structured outputs limit the model's ability to respond to errors appropriately. If given incorrect input (like a photo of an elephant), the model may still produce a structured response that lacks meaning.

3. Chain-of-Thought Reasoning: The effectiveness of reasoning processes is diminished with structured outputs. Attempting to force reasoning into a specific format can lead to poor-quality responses.

4. Constrained Decoding: This technique, used to enforce structured outputs, restricts the model's options, potentially leading to less accurate results. It prioritizes format compliance over content quality.

5. Recommendation: Instead of using structured outputs, it's suggested to allow LLMs to respond in a free-form style. This preserves the quality of responses and allows for better handling of errors.

Overall, while structured outputs may seem appealing for consistency, they can create "false confidence" by sacrificing response quality. The article advocates for parsing free-form outputs instead to achieve better performance.

Summary of QB64 Phoenix Edition v4.3.0 Announcement

• Release Information: QB64-PE v4.3.0 is now available for download from GitHub.

• Enhancements:

  • New $USELIBRARY command introduced, allowing users to easily manage libraries with an optional add-on.
  • IDE improvements include automatic closing of brackets and quotes, duplication of lines via Ctrl+D, and moving lines up/down with Alt+Shift.
  • Users can now specify a different folder for EXE outputs, enhancing flexibility in file management.

• Library Updates:

  • Various libraries have been updated for better performance and security, including nanosvg, miniaudio, and others.
  • Improvements made to the handling of ALIAS names for better compatibility with C++ operators.

• Bug Fixes:

  • Resolved an issue causing errors when searching near the end of large programs.
  • Fixed a bug in font conversion functions that mishandled certain inputs.

• Community Engagement: Users are encouraged to contribute to the library, with options to maintain privacy if desired.

• Feedback and Issues: Users have reported issues with library naming conflicts on Linux, which are being addressed.

For more detailed changes, refer to the full changelog on GitHub.

Summary of Single-Pass Huffman Coding

This text discusses a Haskell implementation of Huffman coding that transforms a multi-pass algorithm into a single-pass one. The author shares techniques for achieving this, starting with circular programming, which uses laziness to eliminate extra passes in functional programming.

Key points include:

1. Circular Programming: This technique allows for operations like finding the minimum in a tree in one pass by using lazy evaluation.

2. There and Back Again: This method enables zipping two lists together in one pass, demonstrating how to build a function while traversing a list.

3. Cayley Representations: This concept suggests using difference lists for efficient appending, which can also be applied to other monoids.

4. Generalization: The author highlights a pattern that can be applied to various data structures, using the mapAccumL function in Haskell.

5. Huffman Coding Steps: The traditional Huffman algorithm involves multiple steps, including building a frequency table, creating a priority queue, and constructing the Huffman tree. The author shows how to integrate these steps into a single traversal.

6. Final Implementation: The final version of the Huffman function is efficient and uses the discussed techniques to build the frequency table and mapping in one go, eliminating unnecessary passes.

Overall, the text emphasizes the efficiency gains from restructuring algorithms to reduce the number of passes over data, showcasing practical implementations in Haskell.

The author expresses frustration over being unable to upgrade to Windows 11 due to a hardware requirement called TPM 2.0, which their laptop does not support. Despite having sufficient RAM, storage, and CPU power, the author is annoyed by constant notifications urging them to upgrade. They feel that Microsoft is being intrusive and unhelpful, as they can only choose to be reminded later or learn more, which leads to ads for new laptops. The author criticizes Microsoft's design choices, claiming it limits user autonomy and pushes consumers toward buying new devices. They assert their right to use their paid operating system without unwanted prompts or ads, and they demand that Microsoft stop bothering them since their device is deemed incompatible with Windows 11.

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Summary: Backing up Spotify

Anna's Archive has created a comprehensive backup of Spotify, including music files and metadata, distributed in torrents totaling about 300TB. This archive is notable for containing the largest publicly available music metadata database, featuring 256 million tracks and 186 million unique ISRCs. It represents approximately 99.6% of all listens, making it the world's first fully open "preservation archive" for music.

While music preservation efforts exist, they often focus on popular artists and high-quality files, leaving lesser-known music poorly represented. Anna's Archive aims to address these gaps by scraping Spotify to create a more inclusive archive. The collection includes around 86 million music files, with metadata for nearly all tracks.

Key points:

• The archive prioritizes tracks based on Spotify's popularity metric.
• It includes both high-quality (160kbit/s) audio and lower-quality versions for less popular tracks.
• The metadata is structured for easy querying and analysis.
• The data will be released in stages, starting with metadata and followed by music files and additional information.

Anna's Archive seeks community support for preserving music heritage and may expand access to individual file downloads based on interest. This initiative aims to safeguard music from various threats, ensuring it remains accessible to future generations.

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The author reflects on their experience with DALL-E and compares it to newer AI image models like Nano Banana Pro (NBP). They find that while newer models create technically better images, they lack the artistic quality and emotional depth of older models like Midjourney v2.

Key comparisons include:

• Electron Contours: Midjourney's output is vibrant and compelling, while NBP's is muted and lacks dynamism.
• Kowloon Walled City: Midjourney's impressionistic style is beautiful and mysterious, whereas NBP's output is dull and overly literal.
• Dream Garden of the Poets: Midjourney provides a beautiful, evocative image, while NBP interprets prompts too literally.
• The Sack of Merv: Midjourney captures the essence of art, while NBP misses the historical context and artistic elements.
• Lady Lovelace: Midjourney reflects Rossetti's style beautifully, while NBP produces a generic image that doesn't resemble the artist's work.

The author argues that earlier models allowed for creativity and ambiguity, fostering imagination, while newer models are too precise and lack the ability to create abstract art. They conclude that AI art should regain its weirdness and imaginative qualities.

On March 19, 2025, a discussion took place about how to measure the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to complete long tasks. The focus was on evaluating AI's performance and efficiency when handling extended assignments.

You can quickly get an AI code review by adding ".diff" to the end of any GitHub pull request (PR) URL and pasting it into a language model like Claude or ChatGPT. For example, change the PR link from https://github.com/RahulPrabha/oldmanrahul.com/pull/11 to https://github.com/RahulPrabha/oldmanrahul.com/pull/11.diff, then copy the raw diff and ask the AI to review it.

This method is not meant to replace human reviewers but can help identify obvious issues and suggest improvements before you ask a teammate for a real review. It can save time and ensure your code is cleaner for the actual review.

Summary of "Exploring Speculative JIT Compilation for Emacs Lisp with Java"

The blog post discusses the project Juicemacs, which aims to recreate Emacs using Java and explore Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation for Emacs Lisp using the Graal Truffle framework. Key points include:

1. Juicemacs Overview: It is a work-in-progress project focused on re-implementing Emacs in Java. It includes a JIT compilation runtime that seeks to enhance performance and explore features like transparent concurrency and asynchronous GUI updates.

2. Challenges of Recreating Emacs: Emacs is complex, and replicating its features requires careful consideration. Issues include supporting various character encodings, Emacs’ unique regular expressions, and the need for a functional GUI.

3. Current Status: Juicemacs has implemented several interpreters and built-in functions, enabling it to run Lisp code. It can also perform a "portable dump" to speed up startup times.

4. JIT Compilation Concepts: The post distinguishes between AOT (Ahead-Of-Time) compilation and JIT compilation. It discusses how JIT can optimize performance by compiling code at runtime based on usage patterns.

5. Speculative JIT: The concept of speculative compilation allows for faster execution by adapting code based on runtime information, improving performance for different data types.

6. Performance Benchmarks: Initial benchmarks show that while Juicemacs performs comparably to Emacs’ native compilation, there are areas for improvement. The JIT engine’s performance can vary based on the type of operations being executed.

7. Future Directions: The author expresses interest in further improving Juicemacs and exploring additional features like GUI enhancements and better concurrency models.

The project is ongoing, and the author invites feedback and collaboration from the Emacs community. For more details, you can check the project’s GitHub page or join their discussions online.

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86Box v5.3 Update Summary (December 21, 2025)

The December 2025 update for 86Box, version 5.3, introduces performance enhancements, bug fixes, and new hardware features for users.

Key Features:

• Improved emulation performance, especially on Windows, ARM, and Apple Silicon systems.
• Enhanced floppy drive sound accuracy with new recordings from various drives.
• The floppy drive sounds have been moved to a separate asset pack due to their size.

Important Changes:

• Users must download the new asset pack for floppy sounds separately if they don't have it included in their version.
• Windows 7 and 8 users need to install the Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable for proper function.

Changelog Highlights:

• Emulator Improvements: Better performance, new keyboard shortcuts, and fixes for various bugs, including crashes related to graphics.
• User Interface Updates: A new toolbar and improved menu icons.
• Machine Updates: Enhancements across different machine types, including fixes for display and keyboard issues.
• Hardware Improvements: Better CPU performance on ARM systems and fixes for sound card issues.

This update overall aims to create a better user experience with improved functionality and new features for retro computing enthusiasts.

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Summary of shittp

What is shittp? shittp is a tool that allows you to bring your dotfiles (configuration files) to a remote machine using SSH without creating any clutter.

Installation:

1. Ensure you have the required tools: POSIX shell, ssh, tar, base64, mktemp.
2. Run the following commands to install shittp:

   curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FOBshippingpoint/shittp/refs/heads/main/install.sh --output install.sh
   chmod +x install.sh
   ./install.sh
   

Usage:

1. Edit your dotfiles in the ~/.config/shittp directory.
2. To log in to a remote host, use:

   shittp [email protected]
   

3. You can also use it with Docker to load dotfiles.

How It Works:

• Pack: It creates a compressed archive of your dotfiles and converts it to a base64 string.
• Transport: Sends the base64 string and a setup script via SSH.
• Unpack: Decodes and extracts the string on the remote machine.
• Init: Runs the setup script to prepare the environment.
• Cleanup: Deletes temporary files after disconnecting.

Options:

• Use -h or --help to see help.
• Specify a configuration directory or SSH client with options.

Commands:

• where shows the default config directory.
• print outputs the command string instead of executing it.

Limitations:

• Large configurations may fail due to system limits.
• Some operations may require multiple SSH connections.

Development:

• It requires tools like shellcheck and shellspec for development and testing.
• A Makefile is included for various development tasks.

This tool simplifies managing your dotfiles remotely, making it easier to work consistently across different machines.

A new mathematical framework has changed the discussion around the simulation hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that our reality could be a computer simulation. The new framework provides fresh insights and tools for understanding this idea, making it easier to explore and analyze the possibility that our world is simulated.

Summary: Three Ways to Solve Problems

Gerald Weinberg defines a problem as the gap between what we perceive and what we desire. There are three main approaches to solving problems:

1. Change the World: Modify the situation to reach the desired outcome.
2. Change Your Perception: Realize that the current state is closer to the desired state than you thought, which may mean the problem isn't urgent.
3. Change Your Desired State: Adjust what you want, which could lead to an easier solution.

Although changing perceptions and desired outcomes might seem like avoiding the problem, they can be effective strategies. For example, instead of aiming for a perfect solution, you might find a partial solution that is much more feasible.

Often, people struggle to make these decisions due to a lack of understanding of trade-offs or pressure from others who want immediate results. In startups, for instance, it’s common to prioritize essential tasks like product development over less critical issues like perfecting finances.

The ability to say no to less important problems is crucial, especially for founders and product managers, who must focus on the most impactful issues rather than trying to solve everything at once. This discipline can set experienced individuals apart from newcomers.

RenderCV is a tool I created to simplify CV creation, avoiding issues with Word and the complexity of LaTeX. It allows you to keep your CV as a single YAML file, which you can easily convert to a PDF with one command: rendercv render cv.yaml.

Key features include:

1. Version Control: Since your CV is just text, you can track changes and manage versions easily.
2. LLM-Friendly: You can use tools like ChatGPT to customize your CV for specific job applications and create multiple versions quickly.
3. Perfect Typography: It uses Typst for precise alignment and spacing in your documents.
4. Full Design Control: You can adjust margins, fonts, colors, and more directly in the YAML file.
5. JSON Schema Support: This provides autocompletion and documentation in your editor.

RenderCV has been tested for over two years, with thousands of users and more than 120,000 downloads on PyPI. It is actively maintained and fully covered by tests.

For more information, you can check out the GitHub page and the documentation.

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A user created a fun project using the latest Gemini models. You can enter your username to get:

• Funny roasts and stats about your Hacker News (HN) activity from 2025.
• A personalized HN front page imagined for 2035.
• An xkcd-style comic representing your HN persona.

The project uses advanced Gemini models that provide entertaining results. You can see examples by visiting the provided links. Feel free to try it out and share your results! Happy holidays!

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Europe is striving for digital sovereignty but currently relies heavily on US cloud providers, with 90% of its digital infrastructure controlled by them. This dependence poses significant challenges, particularly due to the US CLOUD Act, which allows American authorities to access data stored by US companies, conflicting with Europe's stringent privacy laws like the GDPR.

Some European public bodies, such as ministries in Austria and Germany, are taking steps to regain control over their data by migrating to local alternatives like Nextcloud. This shift is motivated by a desire to maintain data sovereignty rather than cut costs.

Experts suggest that Europe needs to change its procurement policies to prioritize local providers, invest in developing European technology, and create funds to support this growth. Current regulations often favor non-European companies, exacerbating the issue.

Some organizations are successfully adopting local solutions, but challenges remain, such as the risk of local providers being acquired by US firms. The ongoing trend shows that while complete independence from US technology might be unrealistic, targeted migrations and collaborations are possible and necessary for achieving greater digital sovereignty in Europe.

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Summary of C# 14's Field Keyword

C# 14 introduces the new field keyword, which simplifies property management by reducing boilerplate code associated with backing fields while allowing custom logic. This means you can use properties without needing to manually define private backing fields.

Key Points:

1. Simplification: The field keyword allows developers to create properties that need custom logic without explicitly defining a backing field. This reduces code clutter compared to earlier versions.

2. IL Code Similarity: The underlying Intermediate Language (IL) code generated by the compiler for properties using the field keyword is similar to that of auto-implemented properties. Both create a private backing field automatically.

3. Caveats:

   • Reflection Issues: If your code uses reflection to access private fields, switching to the field keyword can break functionality. This is because the compiler generates a different name for the backing field.
   • Access Restrictions: Unlike regular backing fields, the field keyword can only be used within the property's accessor methods, which might complicate certain operations.
   • Naming Conflicts: If a variable is named "field," it can cause conflicts when using the field keyword. You may need to qualify it with this. or use @field to resolve the conflict.

4. Potential Integration Issues: Libraries like Entity Framework Core and AutoMapper that rely on reflection may experience runtime issues if they expect specific private field names.

5. Best Practices: It's recommended to ensure thorough testing when refactoring code to use the field keyword, especially in legacy systems or when using libraries that depend on reflection.

Conclusion:

The field keyword in C# 14 enhances property flexibility, reducing the need for boilerplate code while providing a more concise syntax. However, careful consideration and testing are essential to avoid breaking existing functionalities, especially when integrating with certain libraries.

The text discusses why people leave comments on the OpenBenches project, which is a website cataloging memorial benches worldwide. The project, run by the author and his wife Liz for about eight years, allows users to upload photos of benches with plaques. Originally, the authors expected comments mainly to report inaccuracies or changes regarding the benches. Instead, they found that comments serve various emotional purposes, including:

• Seeking more information about the person commemorated.
• Sharing personal feelings after visiting a bench.
• Expressing gratitude for the bench's presence.
• Conveying emotions related to loss and remembrance.

The project fosters connections among users, as many people share their sentiments about love and memory. All comments can be viewed on the OpenBenches website.

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The paper "One Size Fits All: An Idea Whose Time Has Come and Gone" by Michael Stonebraker and Uğur Çetintemel discusses the shortcomings of the traditional database management systems (DBMS) that have followed a "one size fits all" strategy for over 25 years. Originally designed for business data processing, these systems are now inadequate for various applications with distinct needs, leading to a fragmentation of the database market into specialized engines.

Key points include:

1. Traditional DBMS Limitations: The standard DBMS architecture is not well-suited for emerging markets such as data warehousing and stream processing. For instance, data warehouses require different optimizations compared to online transaction processing (OLTP) systems.

2. Performance Issues: Stream processing applications demand real-time data handling, where traditional DBMSs struggle. The paper provides an example where a specialized stream processing engine performs significantly better than a relational DBMS in processing financial data.

3. Need for Specialized Systems: As data needs become more complex, there is a growing need for specialized database systems tailored to specific applications, including sensor networks, text search engines, scientific databases, and XML databases.

4. Architectural Changes: The authors advocate for a rethinking of how system services are factored into database products. They highlight the inefficiencies of current multi-tier architectures and suggest that stream processing engines should integrate messaging, state storage, and application logic into a single system for better performance.

5. Future of DBMS Market: The authors predict a shift away from a single codebase for all types of databases, arguing that the market will evolve to support a range of specialized database engines designed for specific use cases.

In conclusion, the paper argues that the "one size fits all" approach in DBMS is outdated and that the future lies in a diverse range of specialized database solutions.

A junior developer is working on a side project because the national railway carrier (BDZ) lacks a public API and has an outdated map interface. They created a write-up about their project, which aims to improve the railway's route display. The developer is seeking feedback and suggestions as they continue to refine the project. You can read more about it here: link to write-up.

Summary of History LLMs Project

The History LLMs project, led by researchers from the University of Zurich and Cologne University, aims to create large language models (LLMs) that are specifically trained on historical texts up to certain cutoff dates (1913, 1929, 1933, 1939, 1946). The goal is to provide insights into the thoughts and cultural contexts of those times through a curated dataset containing 80 billion tokens of historical data.

Key Features:

• Time-Locked Models: These models can only access information from before their specific cutoff dates, ensuring they reflect the perspectives and beliefs of their respective eras without modern influences.
• Research Tool: The models serve as resources for humanities and social sciences research, allowing users to explore historical discourse patterns and engage with past viewpoints.

Limitations:

• The models are not perfect representations of public opinion as they primarily reflect published texts, which often skew toward educated and dominant viewpoints.
• They may reproduce historical biases and sensitive content found in the training data, which is vital for understanding the historical context but requires responsible usage.

Upcoming Release: The Ranke-4B release is scheduled for December 14, 2025, featuring various models trained on specific historical periods. Researchers are encouraged to provide feedback on the project, including suggestions for future research questions and access frameworks.

For more information, you can contact the team at [email protected].

Christian Kriticos discusses J.R.R. Tolkien’s recently published work, The Bovadium Fragments, which was released posthumously in 2025. Unlike many of Tolkien’s previously published fragments, this piece is complete and was written as a satire on modern society's obsession with cars. Originally intended for publication in the 1960s, Tolkien abandoned the idea after receiving criticism from a friend who deemed it unpublishable.

The story is presented through future archaeologists examining a civilization that destroyed itself through pollution from vehicles. Tolkien uses grand, mythic language to humorously highlight the absurdity of modern issues like traffic congestion. The book is short, mostly consisting of a 50-page story interspersed with Latin and additional editorial notes, bringing the total to about 140 pages.

Christopher Tolkien, the author’s son, contributed an introduction and notes that provide context and connections to real-life issues, particularly the traffic problems in Oxford, where Tolkien lived. He draws parallels between Tolkien's fictional civilization and the changes in Oxford due to the rise of the automotive industry.

Kriticos notes that the themes of environmental destruction found in Tolkien's earlier works, like The Lord of the Rings, echo in The Bovadium Fragments. The story critiques modern culture's worship of material possessions, using cars as a symbol.

The current relevance of Tolkien's work is underlined by ongoing traffic controversies in Oxford, suggesting Tolkien would likely have supported modern efforts to control congestion but may have wished for even stricter measures. Ultimately, the piece reflects Tolkien's nostalgia for a simpler, more natural past while acknowledging humanity's tendency to pursue progress at a cost.

The text discusses the concept of privacy in the tech industry and argues that many companies falsely claim to prioritize user privacy. It suggests that true anonymity is not about protecting data but about not collecting it in the first place.

Key points include:

1. Privacy vs. Anonymity: Many tech services claim to care for your privacy but often collect identifiable information, undermining true anonymity.

2. The Privacy Theater: Companies engage in practices that make users feel secure while actually logging personal data, such as email addresses and phone numbers.

3. Real Anonymity Example: Mullvad VPN is highlighted as a successful example of true anonymity since it does not store user data, making it impossible to comply with data requests from authorities.

4. Servury's Approach: The company Servury is described as operating with minimal data collection—only storing essential information like a random credential—thus enhancing user anonymity.

5. Trade-Offs: Users cannot recover lost credentials since no identifying information is stored, which can be frustrating but is a necessary compromise for anonymity.

6. The Role of Email: Email addresses are criticized for being a major threat to anonymity as they link users to their identities and create trackable records.

7. Payment Methods: The use of cryptocurrency is advocated for its ability to maintain anonymity, in contrast to traditional payment systems that link purchases to personal identities.

8. Anonymity Defined: The text emphasizes that anonymity protects users from being identified but does not guarantee invulnerability to law enforcement or security risks.

9. The Future of the Internet: There is a division between authenticated web services that require personal identification and anonymous services that prioritize privacy, reflecting a struggle for user control over data.

In summary, the text stresses that real anonymity comes from not collecting personal data at all, which is what Servury aims to achieve, contrasting with the prevalent "privacy" practices in tech that still rely on user identification.

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Summary: Self-Hosting Postgres

Self-hosting a PostgreSQL database can seem daunting, but many fears propagated by cloud providers aren't entirely justified. Often, cloud services run a slightly altered version of open-source Postgres, and the complexity they claim to manage is not as unique or intricate as it seems.

1. Cloud Services vs Self-Hosting: Many cloud providers, like AWS RDS, offer conveniences like backups and monitoring but ultimately use standard Postgres. The performance is often similar, and self-hosting can be cheaper and just as reliable.

2. Experience with Self-Hosting: The author has successfully self-hosted Postgres for two years, managing thousands of users and millions of queries, with minimal stress and downtime. Daily operations require little time, mostly focused on monitoring and maintenance.

3. Operational Responsibilities: While self-hosting means you're responsible for incident response, issues can also occur with managed services. The frequency of problems is similar, and self-hosting allows for greater control over updates and configurations.

4. When to Self-Host: Self-hosting is generally advantageous except for:

   • Beginners who need quick deployment.
   • Large companies that may benefit from dedicated database engineers.
   • Regulated workloads needing strict compliance.

5. Key Configurations: When self-hosting, it's crucial to properly configure memory, connections, storage, and Write-Ahead Logging (WAL) for optimal performance.

6. Conclusion: While not everyone should self-host, there are significant benefits for many teams, especially if they're spending heavily on cloud services. A hybrid approach, utilizing both managed services and self-hosting, may be the best path forward.

Perron is a new Static Site Generator (SSG) launched in 2025 that integrates seamlessly with Rails applications. It addresses the difficulties developers face when switching between Rails apps and static sites. Key features of Perron include:

• Integration with Rails: It runs as a gem within your Rails app, allowing you to use familiar Rails features like layouts, views, and helpers.
• Static Content Tools: It offers tools for managing static content, including markdown processing and organization.
• SEO Support: Includes essential SEO features like meta tags and sitemaps.
• Smart Content Features: Provides recommendations for related content and flexible data handling options.

Perron has two modes of operation:

1. Standalone Mode: Generates a complete static site for deployment on platforms like Netlify.
2. Integrated Mode: Adds static pages directly to your existing Rails application.

Its convention-over-configuration approach makes it easy to organize content in familiar ways. Perron is already in use on multiple sites, and the creator invites others to try it for their projects. You can find more information and access it on GitHub.

No summary available.

A teacher created simple productivity tools to avoid subscriptions and paywalls. Each tool is just a single HTML file that you can download and use without needing to log in or connect to the internet. Originally, this was a personal project, but now the teacher has developed various tools like habit trackers, journals, planners, and invoice generators. They are interested in feedback on this approach to software.

The text discusses the ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) executable format, specifically its program interpreter functionality used for dynamic linking. Here's a simplified summary of the key points:

1. ELF Executable Format: ELF files contain a specific program segment called PT_INTERP, which points to a dynamic linker. This segment tells the operating system that the executable can't run directly and needs the linker to load necessary libraries first.

2. Functionality of the Interpreter: The ELF interpreter loads both the main executable and itself into memory, executing the interpreter, which handles everything else without the OS expecting any specific behavior from it.

3. Innovative Ideas: The author proposes using ELF files as a data storage format, allowing direct execution without needing file-type associations. This would position programming language bytecode on the same level as compiled languages.

4. Experimentation: The author attempted to create an ELF file manually using a hex editor but found it too complicated. They switched to using a linker script and learned about ELF's structure, specifically the PHDRS command for defining program segments.

5. Challenges Encountered: After several hours of debugging, the author discovered that the interpreter path in the ELF file needed to be NUL-terminated, which was not clearly indicated by existing tools.

6. Final Result: The end product was a simple ELF file that prints "hello, world!" to the console. Though the implementation was straightforward, the process involved significant learning about the ELF format.

7. Cautionary Note: The author warns against using this method in practice, citing various issues like architecture limitations, potential data collisions, and a lack of support in existing tools for such unconventional uses.

In conclusion, the text details an exploration of ELF's capabilities and the author's journey of creating a proof-of-concept ELF file, while also cautioning against its practical application.

Summary of "What I Learned About Deploying AV1 from Two Deployers"

Jan Ozer hosted a panel discussing the deployment of the AV1 codec, featuring experts from Meta and Evolution Gaming. Here are the key points:

• Companies Involved:

  • Evolution Gaming operates thousands of live casino channels and has integrated AV1 for live encoding using SVT AV1.
  • Meta uses AV1 for video-on-demand across platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

• Encoding Strategies:

  • Evolution prefers software encoding due to its scalability. They found integrating AV1 into their existing FFmpeg setup was straightforward, taking just a couple of hours.
  • Meta focuses on optimizing encoding for large-scale use, balancing compression efficiency and computational demands.

• Decoding Approaches:

  • Evolution only serves AV1 streams to devices with hardware decoding capabilities.
  • Meta uses a predictive model to determine if a device can handle AV1 based on its specifications, adjusting based on device performance.

• Benefits and Expectations:

  • Both companies are cautious about claiming significant bitrate savings. Evolution seeks operational reliability first, while Meta enjoys varied benefits depending on region and device capability.
  • Neither company experienced playback issues with AV1, indicating it integrates well with their systems.

• Market Trends:

  • AV1's hardware support is growing, especially among new devices, as highlighted by Netflix's findings.

• Advice for Future Deployment:

  • Both organizations encourage early adoption of AV1, emphasizing that while deployment can be challenging, starting sooner can yield better results.

Overall, AV1 is gaining traction in real-world applications, with both companies reporting positive experiences and outcomes from its implementation.

The article "The Uncertain Origins of Aspirin" by Sean Harrison explores the complex history of aspirin and its connection to willow bark. It highlights how folklore often clouds the true origins of medicinal practices, particularly regarding the use of willow bark for pain relief.

Key points include:

1. Historical Anecdotes: The text recounts various historical figures, including Hippocrates and Reverend Edward Stone, who are associated with the use of willow bark for treating fevers and pain. However, evidence supporting these claims is often lacking or misinterpreted.

2. Evidence Challenges: The author emphasizes the difficulty in verifying claims due to poor historical record-keeping, translation issues, and biases in scientific history. Many supposed uses of willow bark in ancient texts do not mention its effectiveness for pain.

3. Scientific Development: The article traces the journey from willow bark's traditional use to the synthesis of aspirin in the late 19th century, primarily through the work of chemists like Felix Hoffman and Arthur Eichengrün.

4. Controversy: A significant controversy exists regarding credit for the invention of aspirin. While Hoffman is often credited, Eichengrün claims he directed the synthesis, and his Jewish background may have contributed to his historical erasure.

5. Modern Usage: Aspirin, a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), has seen fluctuating popularity over the years, particularly after significant clinical trials highlighted its benefits in preventing heart attacks.

6. Lessons on Evidence: Harrison stresses the importance of solid evidence in scientific claims, cautioning against the propagation of myths and urging readers to demand better references in scientific literature.

In conclusion, while aspirin can be traced back to willow bark, its origins are much more recent and complicated than often portrayed. The article serves as a reminder of the importance of rigorous evidence in understanding medical history.

The author spent a week using only IPv6 to better understand its transition mechanisms and address common misconceptions about it. They emphasize that many systems still rely on outdated IPv4 methods, which can create challenges. Here are the key points:

1. Need for Transition: IPv6 adoption is crucial as many networks still use IPv4, causing issues like address exhaustion. NAT (Network Address Translation) is a temporary solution and should not be relied upon for security.

2. Understanding IPv6: IPv6 addresses are longer (128 bits) and have different formatting rules. IPv6 allows for self-assigned addresses and eliminates the need for NAT, improving network design and routing.

3. Advantages of IPv6: For home networks, IPv6 can provide benefits like easier hosting of servers and improved peer-to-peer communication without NAT issues. It allows for more straightforward address management.

4. Transition Methods: Several methods exist for transitioning to IPv6:

   • Dual Stack: Running both IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously, which can be complex.
   • Stateless IP/ICMP Translation: Translates between IPv4 and IPv6 without duplicating routing.
   • NAT64: Allows IPv6 clients to access IPv4 addresses, but has limitations and can create a bottleneck.
   • 464XLAT: Combines NAT64 and translation at the client level, offering a more seamless experience.

5. Lessons Learned: The author found that:

   • IPv6 is ready for widespread use.
   • Many popular websites already support it.
   • There is a need for better encouragement for site admins to adopt IPv6.
   • Networks should be designed with IPv6 in mind.
   • NAT64 is a suitable alternative to traditional NAT.
   • Apple devices have strong IPv6 support, while other operating systems vary in their compatibility.

In summary, the author advocates for the urgent adoption of IPv6 and provides insights into its advantages and transition strategies based on their week-long experience.

Summary of Biscuit - High-Performance Pattern Matching Index for PostgreSQL

Biscuit is a PostgreSQL indexing method designed for fast pattern matching using LIKE and ILIKE queries, especially when searching with wildcards. It supports searches across multiple columns and improves performance compared to traditional trigram indexes.

Key Features:

• Fast Pattern Matching: Biscuit uses bitmap indexing to eliminate the need for rechecking results, making it faster for wildcard searches.
• Multi-Column Support: You can create indexes for multiple columns, optimizing searches across them.
• Diagnostic Tools: New SQL functions allow users to check the version and build configuration of Biscuit, as well as its support for the CRoaring bitmap library.
• Installation: Biscuit can be installed from source or through PGXN, and requires standard build tools like gcc and make.

Usage:

• Creating Indexes: Use the CREATE INDEX command to create Biscuit indexes on your tables.
• Querying: Perform searches with wildcard patterns, including multi-column queries, to efficiently retrieve data.

How It Works:

• Biscuit creates bitmaps that track character positions in strings, allowing for quick lookups without rechecking.
• It utilizes both positive and negative indices for case-sensitive and case-insensitive searches.

Performance Advantages:

• Biscuit operates purely on bitmaps, leading to faster query execution without the overhead of traditional methods.
• It features various optimizations to enhance performance, such as early termination of searches and efficient memory usage.

Use Cases:

Biscuit is suitable for applications that require:

• Full-text search (e.g., e-commerce product searches).
• Log analysis (e.g., searching error logs).
• Customer support systems (e.g., searching tickets).
• Code repository searches.
• Fast aggregate queries.

Limitations:

Biscuit does not support regular expressions and has specific memory and write performance characteristics. It is ideal for wildcard-heavy queries and multi-column searches, but less suitable for fuzzy matching or environments with strict memory constraints.

Conclusion: Biscuit offers a powerful solution for pattern matching in PostgreSQL, ideal for high-query volumes and complex searches.

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PostNord, the postal service for Denmark, will stop delivering letters after December 30, 2025, ending a 400-year tradition. This decision is due to the rise of digital communication, which has led to a drastic decline in letter sending—over 90% in the last 25 years. As a result, PostNord will also cut 1,500 jobs and remove many postboxes.

Unused Danish stamps can be refunded for a limited time. Although PostNord is ending letter delivery, people can still send letters through another company, Dao, which will expand its services next year. Customers will need to go to a Dao shop to post letters or pay for home pickup.

Despite the decline in physical letters, there is a growing interest in letter writing among younger people as a way to counteract digital overload. Although the move to Dao may seem significant, government sources say it won’t change how people send letters. The transition reflects Denmark's digital shift, with most official communications now sent digitally. However, receiving a physical letter has become more valued due to its rarity.

Immersa Summary

Immersa is a web-based tool designed for creating engaging 3D presentations. Unlike traditional presentation software, it lets you:

• Import 3D models and add 2D images and 3D text to your slides.
• Use smooth animations to transition between slides by moving, rotating, or scaling objects.

Key Features:

• 3D Scene Editor with camera controls.
• Support for .glb 3D models and standard image formats (JPG, PNG).
• Automatic slide transition animations.
• Full-screen presentation mode with a progress bar.
• Local storage for data and full undo/redo support.
• Keyboard shortcuts for quick actions.

Getting Started: To use Immersa, you need:

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• Java (JDK 11 or higher)

Installation Steps:

1. Clone the repository.
2. Install dependencies.
3. Start the development server and open it in a browser.

You can export your presentations as .edn files for future use.

Technical Info: Immersa is built using ClojureScript, Babylon.js for 3D rendering, and stores data locally in your browser using IndexedDB.

License: Immersa is licensed under the MIT License.

Made by Ertuğrul Çetin.