Bose has decided to open-source the API documentation for its SoundTouch smart speakers, which were originally set to lose support on February 18, 2026. This deadline has now been extended to May 6, 2026. After that date, an app update will allow users to control their speakers locally, enabling continued music streaming via Bluetooth, AirPlay, and Spotify Connect, as well as maintaining remote control and configuration options.

Open-sourcing the API means users can create their own tools to keep the speakers functional without cloud support. This approach is unusual, as many devices typically become unusable when cloud services are discontinued. Bose's decision allows users to continue using their SoundTouch speakers rather than rendering them useless.

Summary of "Jeff Dean Facts"

The "Jeff Dean Facts" are humorous jokes highlighting the exceptional programming skills of Jeff Dean, a well-known Google employee. They are similar to Chuck Norris jokes but focus on coding and tech themes.

The collection includes various funny assertions, such as:

• Jeff Dean solved complex problems effortlessly, like proving P=NP.
• He is so skilled that people joke he can compile and run code to check for errors before submitting it.
• His influence is so great that even when he goes on vacation, Google services struggle.

The jokes exaggerate his abilities, claiming he can do impossible tasks, like creating a web server in a single line of code or compressing data so much that it creates a black hole.

This repository was created to preserve these jokes, which originally appeared on platforms like Quora and have been compiled from various sources.

Summary of "Lights and Shadows"

Light is essential for seeing and creates various effects in our environment. This article explores how light behaves, focusing on its power, position, angles, and colors.

1. Light Power: Light is measured in watts (W), which indicates the energy emitted per second. Our perception of brightness changes non-linearly with power; small increases at lower power levels are more noticeable than at higher levels.

2. Reflection and Position: Light reflects off surfaces, allowing us to see them. The angle and distance of the light source affect how surfaces appear; shifting the light changes the amount of light hitting different parts of a surface.

3. Angles: Objects appear smaller as they move away due to the angle they subtend in our field of view. Angles can be measured in degrees or radians, with radians being a more universal measure.

4. Solid Angles: In three dimensions, a solid angle measures how much of the sphere is occupied by an object. As objects move away, they occupy less of our visual field.

5. Surface Vision: Each point on a surface can only see light from a hemisphere above it, affecting how brightly it appears depending on light sources and angles.

6. Radiance and Luminance: Radiance measures the power per area and per solid angle. Luminance refers to how bright an object appears to our eyes, influenced by the human eye's sensitivity to different wavelengths.

7. Reflections: Different surfaces reflect light differently. Smooth surfaces (mirrors) reflect light clearly, while rough surfaces scatter light in various directions.

8. Shadows: The size and sharpness of shadows depend on the light source's size and position. Smaller light sources cast sharper shadows.

9. Color: Light is additive, meaning colors mix in various ways. Surfaces reflect specific wavelengths, determining their color based on the light that hits them.

10. Bounces: Light can bounce off surfaces, illuminating other areas. Each bounce decreases the light's intensity, affecting how we perceive color and brightness in a scene.

11. Sphere of Light: Surrounding a scene with light sources can create uniform illumination, similar to overcast days when the sky emits light from all directions.

In conclusion, understanding light and its interactions with surfaces allows us to simulate realistic environments in computer graphics, revealing the complexity behind everyday visual experiences.

AI coding assistants are becoming less effective, according to Jamie Twiss. He highlights that newer models often fail in ways that go unnoticed but can cause significant problems. Twiss works at the intersection of data science and artificial intelligence, emphasizing the need for improvement in these tools.

I created a version of a PyTorch DeepDream tool that can generate smooth videos. This version minimizes flickering and allows for many settings, supporting different image classifiers like GoogLeNet. Key features include:

• Uses optical flow to blend images from previous frames for smoothness.
• Prevents ghosting with occlusion masking when objects move.
• Maintains advanced settings for layers, octaves, and iterations.
• Compatible with GPU, CPU, and Apple Silicon.

Check out the repository for sample videos!

Project Patchouli Summary

Project Patchouli is an open-source project focused on creating an electro-magnetic drawing tablet. It includes hardware components like a coil array and RF front end, as well as digital signal processing algorithms. The design works with various commercial pens, providing a quick and responsive drawing experience for customized projects.

The project also offers detailed documentation on EMR technology, covering how it works, the circuit design, signal processing, and pen protocols from different vendors.

Key Updates:

• January 2024: Project started.
• March 2024: First hardware prototype tested successfully.
• January 2025: Documentation hosted on Read the Docs.

Project Leadership and Community:

• Project Lead: Yukidama.
• For communication, you can email [email protected] or join the public Discord server.

Sponsorship: The project is supported by the NLnet Foundation NGI Zero Core Fund.

Licensing:

• Documentation and resources are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
• Hardware design is licensed under the CERN Open Source Hardware License.
• Code is generally licensed under the GPLv3.

Note: The project is actively being developed.

I created a daily game where players guess the book of a random Bible verse in as few tries as possible. The idea came to me from my background in the Orthodox Church and my previous faith-related coding projects. As a new developer, I wanted to create something useful and shareable, and it has become part of my friends' and family's daily routines.

I started the project at 1 AM and had a basic version ready in just a few hours. I used SvelteKit for development, SQLite for the database, and hosted it on an Ubuntu machine at home. There are no ads or sign-ups; the game is completely free. I welcome all feedback and suggestions to make it more engaging and educational.

On January 2, 2026, a cybersecurity newsletter noted a BGP routing leak involving Venezuela's state-run ISP, CANTV (AS8048). This leak is part of a pattern of eleven similar events since December. BGP route leaks occur when a network improperly shares routing information, leading to slower and less efficient internet paths. The report suggests that the leak was likely due to CANTV's poor routing practices rather than malicious intent.

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is essential for directing internet traffic between networks based on their relationships as customers or providers. A route leak occurs when a network incorrectly shares routes from a provider back to another provider, which can overload smaller networks.

In this case, CANTV leaked routes from its provider, Sparkle (AS6762), to another network, V.tal GlobeNet (AS52320). The leaks might have been accidental, stemming from loose routing policies rather than an attempt to intercept traffic. Such anomalies are common in BGP and do not always indicate malicious actions.

Additionally, the report highlights that the security measure RPKI (Resource Public Key Infrastructure) would not have prevented this specific leak, as it deals with correct route origins rather than path validation. A new standard, ASPA (Autonomous System Provider Authorization), is proposed to help prevent similar issues in the future.

The article emphasizes the need for improved routing practices and collaboration among network operators to enhance BGP security and reduce the risk of routing leaks.

The author shares their personal experience with the Go programming language after working with it for a few months. They are considering switching back to Rust and outline what they like and dislike about Go.

Things the author likes:

1. Concurrency: Go has built-in support for concurrency with Goroutines and Channels, making it easier to manage compared to other languages.

2. Type System: Go's type system is simple, allowing for struct embedding without complex inheritance. Types can be used dynamically without explicit interface declarations.

3. Syntax: The author appreciates Go’s straightforward syntax, which simplifies type annotations and visibility rules.

Things the author dislikes:

1. Lack of Enums: Go does not have a native enum type, making it cumbersome to create and manage sets of constants safely.

2. Immutability: Go's constant variables must be known at compile time, limiting flexibility and potentially leading to issues in API usage.

3. Error Handling: The error management system in Go is seen as ineffective. Errors are returned as values but lack the detailed information necessary for effective handling, making it difficult to differentiate between error types.

Overall, the author finds Go has strengths in concurrency and simplicity but weaknesses in type management, immutability, and error handling.

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The analysis of 125,183 bugs in the Linux kernel reveals that, on average, bugs remain undetected for about 2.1 years, with some lingering for as long as 20 years. Certain subsystems, like CAN bus drivers, show even longer average bug lifetimes of about 4.2 years. Significant findings include:

• 57% of bugs introduced are found within one year, improving from 0% in 2010 to 69% in 2022.
• A tool called VulnBERT successfully identifies 92.2% of bugs with a low false positive rate of 1.2%.

The study highlights the challenges in detecting bugs, particularly race conditions, which take the longest to uncover, averaging 5.1 years. Recent improvements in bug detection are attributed to better tools and increased code review, although a backlog of older bugs still exists.

The methodology involved analyzing commit history using "Fixes:" tags to trace bugs and their lifetimes. The findings are crucial for improving kernel security, emphasizing the need for continuous monitoring and the integration of advanced detection tools.

In summary, while bug detection is improving, many vulnerabilities remain hidden for years, necessitating enhanced tools and strategies for effective management.

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Summary:

Better health starts with what we eat, not just medicine. The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize the importance of whole, nutrient-rich foods, moving away from highly processed options that contribute to health issues.

Key points include:

• Health Crisis: Many Americans suffer from prediabetes, diabetes, and chronic conditions, largely due to poor diets.
• New Food Pyramid: This guide encourages a diet rich in real foods:
  • Protein: Prioritize high-quality protein from animal and plant sources (target: 0.54–0.73 grams per pound of body weight).
  • Vegetables & Fruits: Eat a variety of fresh vegetables (3 servings/day) and fruits (2 servings/day).
  • Whole Grains: Include fiber-rich whole grains (2–4 servings/day) while avoiding refined carbohydrates.
• Healthy Fats: Include natural fats from sources like meat, dairy, nuts, and avocados, which support overall health.
• Avoid Added Sugars: Steer clear of added sugars, especially for children, but naturally occurring sugars in whole fruits and plain dairy are acceptable.
• Hydration: Drink water or unsweetened beverages with meals.

The New Pyramid is a flexible guide to help people make healthier food choices without strict dieting, allowing for cultural and personal preferences.

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The Napoleon Technique is a productivity method that encourages postponing tasks if they are likely to resolve on their own without your immediate involvement. For instance, you might delay replying to non-urgent emails for a day, anticipating that the sender may find a solution themselves.

This technique has roots in Napoleon Bonaparte's practice of leaving letters unopened for three weeks, which often meant that many didn't require a response. By using this approach, you can save time and energy, filtering out unnecessary tasks and teaching others to be more self-reliant.

When applying the Napoleon Technique, consider the potential positive and negative outcomes of postponing action. It's most effective for minor, non-urgent matters where the risks are low. Set clear deadlines to avoid procrastination and ensure you're not just avoiding unpleasant tasks.

Be mindful of common pitfalls like the ostrich effect (ignoring negative information), procrastination, and Parkinson’s law (tasks expanding to fill available time). Overall, the technique helps improve productivity by conserving resources and encouraging thoughtful communication.

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Summary:

On January 5, 2026, it was emphasized that the go.sum file in Go programming is not a lockfile and should not be used for analyzing dependency graphs. Instead, it acts as a local cache of module versions and their cryptographic hashes, ensuring security without affecting version resolution for builds. The actual management of dependencies is done through the go.mod file, which lists all direct and transitive dependencies with their exact versions.

The confusion around go.mod and go.sum arises because other programming languages often have both a manifest and a lockfile, where both influence version resolution. In contrast, go.mod serves as both, simplifying dependency management.

The article highlights that Go modules are efficient and do not slow down package resolution, a stark contrast to other ecosystems where resolution times are a concern. The author encourages appreciation of Go's straightforward approach to modules and dependencies.

Summary of "Lessons from Hash Table Merging"

Merging hash maps is typically thought to be an efficient O(N) operation. However, performance can degrade significantly when dealing with large numbers of keys, leading to slow merging times. This guide explores why some popular libraries struggle with this and how to improve performance.

Key Points:

1. Performance Issues:

   • Merging can be over 20 times slower than creating hash tables, particularly in libraries like Abseil and Boost due to "primary clustering" where keys are placed in the same part of the hash table.

2. Testing Setup:

   • The author tested various hash table libraries with large datasets to observe merging times.

3. Solutions for Efficient Merging:

   • Salted Hash Function: Adding a random seed to hash calculations can help distribute keys more evenly across both hash tables and avoid clustering.
   • Preallocation: Reserving enough space for both hash tables can prevent clustering by ensuring there are enough empty buckets available.
   • Stride Iteration: This method involves visiting keys in a non-linear order, which helps to distribute keys randomly and improve merging speed.

4. Comparative Performance:

   • Preallocation is often the fastest method, especially when there are few duplicate keys. The salted hasher improves performance but is slower than preallocation. Stride iteration is efficient but more complex to implement.

5. Conclusion:

   • The best merging strategy depends on the specific use case, but preallocation is generally the easiest and most effective method. Salted hash functions and stride iteration also provide viable alternatives.

In summary, hash table merging can be inefficient if not approached correctly, but there are effective strategies to enhance performance.

An audio induction loop (also known as a hearing loop) is a device that helps people with hearing impairments by transmitting sound directly to their hearing aids. Here's a simplified overview:

• History: The first magnetic induction loop system was invented in 1937 by Joseph Poliakoff. It uses a telecoil in hearing aids to pick up magnetic fields, allowing users to hear phone conversations clearly.

• Design: The system consists of loops of cable placed around an area, generating an electromagnetic field that telecoil-equipped hearing aids and cochlear implants can pick up. This allows users to hear sounds without background noise.

• Implementation: Proper installation requires specific equipment to avoid interference and ensure sound quality. The system must be designed to maintain consistent sound levels for those with varying degrees of hearing loss.

• Interference: Audio induction loops can create high magnetic fields, which might interfere with other electronic devices. Solutions include using shielded cables and ensuring all equipment shares the same power source.

• Standards and Legislation: There are international standards for the strength of the audio loop signal, ensuring it matches the hearing aid's microphone. In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 mandates that hearing loops be installed where possible.

• Alternatives: In the U.S., FM transmission systems are more common due to lower costs, while infrared systems are also used, especially in theaters.

Overall, audio induction loops enhance accessibility for individuals with hearing impairments, ensuring they can enjoy clear sound in various public spaces.

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The attention mechanism in Large Language Models (LLMs) is built around three key matrices: Query (Q), Key (K), and Value (V). These matrices enable transformers to focus on important parts of the input simultaneously, rather than processing each word in sequence like traditional recurrent neural networks (RNNs).

Key Points:

1. Attention Mechanism: Just as our brains focus on relevant words in a sentence, transformers use Q, K, and V to determine which words to pay attention to for understanding context.

2. Q, K, V Matrices:

   • Query (Q): Represents the question each word asks about what it should focus on.
   • Key (K): Contains information about what each word offers.
   • Value (V): Holds the actual content that will be passed forward based on attention scores.

3. Process:

   • Each word in a sentence is represented as a vector.
   • Weight matrices (Wq, Wk, Wv) transform these vectors into Q, K, and V matrices.
   • Attention scores are calculated to determine how much each word attends to others.

4. Parallel Processing: Unlike RNNs, which process words one at a time, transformers allow each word to look at all other words at once, making the model faster and better at capturing relationships between words.

5. Impact of Dimensions: The dimension of the Q, K, and V matrices affects the model's performance. Smaller dimensions can speed up computation but may miss complex relationships, while larger dimensions can capture more intricate patterns but are more resource-intensive.

6. Attention Scores: These scores indicate the level of attention one word should give to others, allowing the model to create a weighted sum of the value vectors based on these scores.

In summary, the Q, K, V matrices are essential for the attention mechanism in transformers, enabling them to efficiently process and understand language by focusing on relevant parts of input simultaneously.

Summary of LaTeX Coffee Stains Package:

• Overview: The LaTeX Coffee Stains package, created by Hanno Rein and maintained by Patrick Bideault, adds realistic coffee stains to your documents, saving time compared to manually adding them.

• Features:

  • Four types of coffee stains are available:
    1. 270° circle stain with two splashes.
    2. 60° circle stain.
    3. Light-colored splashes.
    4. Colorful twin splash.

• Installation:

  • Place the coffeestains.sty file in your project’s directory or install it properly according to your LaTeX distribution.
  • Include \usepackage{coffeestains} in your document header.

• Usage:

  • To add a stain, use commands like \coffeestainA{alpha}{scale}{angle}{xoff}{yoff} where:
    • alpha is transparency (0 to 1).
    • scale adjusts the size (default is 1).
    • angle rotates the stain (0 to 360 degrees).
    • xoff and yoff position the stain on the page.

• Copyright: The package is freely distributable, and stains were created by Hanno Rein. Donations in coffee are welcome.

• Future Improvements: The creator hopes to add more stain types (like tea and grease stains) and tools for easier inclusion in documents.

• Change Log: The package has evolved through several versions since its first release in 2009, with improvements for better functionality and ease of use.

• Motto: "Coffee is great. Coffee will save the world."

This summary simplifies the essential details of the LaTeX Coffee Stains package for easy understanding.

No summary available.

Summary of Vamos - Virtual Amiga OS

Introduction: Vamos is a tool that enables users to run AmigaOS m68k command line binaries on Mac or PC. It emulates functions of AmigaOS, specifically for console applications that do not use graphics or user interface features. It's designed primarily for running old compilers and assemblers.

Key Features:

• Fast m68k CPU emulation using Musashi.
• Supports loading of native libraries and various DOS and Exec library functions.
• Offers tracing and logging capabilities.

Installation and Configuration:

• Installation details can be found in the amitools Installation README.
• Configuration can be done via command line or a .vamosrc configuration file, using a syntax similar to .ini files.
• Important settings include volume mappings, assigns (aliases for paths), command paths, library settings, and hardware configurations.

Running Programs:

• To run a program, use the command: vamos ami_bin arg1 arg2...
• You can run a real Amiga shell by providing the Shell-Seg binary with the -x option.
• Various options can be specified for logging, memory tracing, and CPU selection.

Volume and Assign Setup:

• Volumes represent parts of the host file system accessible in the Amiga emulation.
• Assigns create shortcuts for Amiga paths, enhancing navigation within the emulated environment.

Hardware and Memory Management:

• Vamos allows selection of different CPU types (e.g., 68000, 68020, 68040).
• Memory is managed as a single block, and users can define stack sizes and memory limits.

Exception Handling:

• Users can configure how to handle hardware exceptions during execution (e.g., ignore, log, or abort).

Usage Examples:

• To run an Amiga binary, simply execute ./vamos a68k (for example).
• Verbose output can be enabled for detailed logging of operations.

Conclusion: Vamos is a powerful emulator for running AmigaOS command line applications on modern systems, suitable for developers and enthusiasts interested in Amiga software.

Musashi is a portable emulator for various Motorola 680x0 processors, including the 68000, 68010, and others. It is written in C and designed for both portability and speed, adhering to ANSI C89 specifications.

Key points:

• Purpose: Musashi emulates Motorola 680x0 processors, aiming for speed and portability.
• License: The software is free to use, modify, and distribute, but comes with no warranty.
• Configuration: Basic setup requires implementing several memory read and write functions, and initializing the core with a reset call.
• Interrupt Handling: Proper handling for one or multiple interrupts can be configured for more accurate emulation.
• Multiple CPUs: Musashi can support multiple CPU instances, requiring specific functions to manage them.
• Examples and Compilation: Example code is provided for Linux and DOS, with instructions for building the emulator from source.

The latest version of Musashi can be found on its GitHub page.

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The author is releasing a WebGL CRT Shader as open source, which creates a vintage TV effect. This shader can be used in games, emulators, and various apps. It operates using the device's GPU in a web browser, rendering to a canvas. It works well on low-power devices, starting from the iPhone XS, and can be further optimized. While it’s not scientifically accurate, it produces an appealing visual effect.

The shader initially began as a project for Love2D in early 2025 and was later adapted for web use. A live demo is available for users to try out.

For more details, you can check out the project on GitHub.

No summary available.

A data breach in Illinois has affected over 600,000 patients, as the Department of Human Services (IDHS) reported that personal information was incorrectly made public for several years. Between 2021 and 2025, maps intended for agency planning revealed the names and addresses of more than 32,000 rehabilitation services clients and detailed information about around 670,000 Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program recipients.

The agency discovered this issue on September 22 and quickly fixed the privacy settings to restrict access to authorized personnel only. They have also established a new policy to prevent future data uploads to public sites. Affected individuals will be notified about the breach and provided with a contact number for further information.

No summary available.

E360 Digest Summary – January 8, 2026

Humans are significantly changing the planet through urbanization and greenhouse gas emissions, which can be observed in satellite images from NASA. Key observations include:

• Plankton Blooms: Nutrient runoff from farms in Europe is causing increased plankton blooms in the Baltic Sea.
• Hurricanes: Studies show that warmer oceans are leading to more simultaneous hurricanes in the Atlantic.
• Drought in Iraq: Lake Habaniya has shrunk due to drought, attributed to climate change, with Iraq's water reserves at a historic low.
• Flooding in Australia: Extreme rainfall in Queensland resulted in severe flooding, worsened by climate change, causing fatalities.
• Wildfires in South Korea: A rise in temperatures increased the chances of wildfires, which have devastated large areas.
• Wildfires in Los Angeles: Warming doubled the chance of wildfires, leading to extensive damage and a high death toll.
• Solar Energy in India: A new large solar array on the Narmada River highlights progress in renewable energy despite rising emissions.

The report emphasizes that while climate challenges persist, there are signs of progress in renewable energy adoption globally.

Summary of "A4 Paper Stories" by Susam Pal:

The author shares a unique method for measuring things using a sheet of A4 paper, which is not precise but often sufficient for casual measurements. He explains the dimensions and properties of A4 paper, noting that it maintains a specific aspect ratio when cut in half. A4 paper measures 21.0 cm by 29.7 cm.

The author describes how A4 paper can be derived from larger sizes (A0 to A4) by repeatedly cutting in half while preserving the aspect ratio. He also recounts a situation where he used A4 paper to measure a computer monitor, demonstrating its dimensions and confirming the screen size as 27 inches through estimation and simple calculations.

Overall, the piece highlights the practicality of A4 paper in everyday situations while providing insight into its mathematical properties and dimensions.

No summary available.

No summary available.

Summary of Notion AI Vulnerability

Notion AI has a security issue that allows data theft through a method called indirect prompt injection. This happens when AI edits are saved without user approval, which can lead to sensitive information being exposed before the user is even asked to confirm.

How the Attack Works:

1. A user uploads a resume containing hidden malicious code.
2. When the user asks Notion AI to help update a hiring tracker, the AI unknowingly inserts a link to the attacker's server disguised as an image.
3. This link is activated even before the user approves the change, causing the user's sensitive data (like salary expectations and candidate feedback) to be sent to the attacker.

Additional Risks:

• Notion Mail's AI drafting assistant can also expose data if users mention untrusted resources in email drafts.

Recommendations for Users and Organizations:

• Implement a vetting process for data sources and restrict connectors that access sensitive data.
• Disable web search capabilities in Notion AI for added security.
• Avoid sharing sensitive personal information when using Notion AI.
• Require user confirmation for web requests.

Recommendations for Notion:

• Prevent automatic rendering of untrusted images in Notion AI documents and emails.
• Establish a strong Content Security Policy to block unauthorized data requests.

Disclosure Timeline: The vulnerability was reported on December 24, 2025, acknowledged, but eventually deemed non-applicable by Notion. Public disclosure occurred on January 7, 2026.

Summary

A study published in Molecular Vision investigated how extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) affect type I collagen (COL1A1) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in human fetal scleral fibroblasts (HFSFs) when treated with conditioned medium from retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells.

Key Findings:

1. Cell Proliferation: Exposure to ELF-EMFs reduced the growth rate of HFSFs. Adding RPE cell medium further decreased cell proliferation.

2. Collagen Synthesis: ELF-EMFs significantly lowered the production of COL1A1 in HFSFs. The presence of RPE medium intensified this decrease.

3. MMP-2 Expression: The exposure to ELF-EMFs led to increased levels of MMP-2, which was further enhanced by RPE medium. MMP-2 plays a role in breaking down collagen, indicating a potential for scleral remodeling.

4. Signaling Pathways: ELF-EMF exposure activated specific cellular signaling pathways (ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK), which are associated with the regulation of collagen and MMP-2 expression.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that ELF-EMFs can negatively impact collagen production in the sclera, potentially contributing to eye elongation and related issues. The study highlights the need for further research on the effects of electromagnetic fields on eye health.

In 2025, Caroline Crampton aimed to read extensively but differently, resulting in 121 books read—the most she's ever recorded. However, she felt constrained by her usual genres and didn't explore new styles or challenging reads as she intended. While she enjoyed discussing her readings through her blog and engaging with readers, she recognized a lack of direction in her choices outside of podcast-related books and did too much "mood reading."

Crampton reduced her book buying but continued to rely on library ebook loans instead of reading her own collection. She mainly read fiction (115 out of 121 books) with mystery/crime being her most favored genre. Her top ten favorite books included a mix of classic and contemporary works, with notable titles like "The Conjure-Man Dies" and "The Heat of the Day."

For 2026, she plans to eliminate reading goals, focus on books she already owns, seek more variety in her reading selections, read short stories before bed, write reviews as she finishes books, and undertake a project centered on the works of a specific author. Overall, she aims to enjoy reading without the pressure of numbers or expectations.

Trail of Bits has identified two significant vulnerabilities in the elliptic JavaScript library, which is widely used for elliptic curve cryptography. The library, downloaded over 10 million times weekly, has vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to forge signatures or fail to verify valid signatures.

1. Vulnerabilities Identified:

   • CVE-2024-48949: This issue relates to EdDSA signature malleability, where a missing check allows attackers to forge signatures for known message and signature pairs.
   • CVE-2024-48948: This involves a failure in ECDSA signature verification for hashes with leading zeros, causing valid signatures to be incorrectly rejected.

2. Discovery Method: The vulnerabilities were found using Wycheproof, a testing tool for cryptographic algorithms. The researcher created test cases and proof-of-concept code to confirm the issues.

3. Disclosure Timeline:

   • The vulnerabilities were disclosed privately to the library maintainers in July 2024, but one remained unaddressed by October 2024, after the 90-day disclosure period.
   • The process involved confirming the issues, proposing fixes, and requesting CVE IDs for tracking.

4. Importance of Continuous Testing: The findings highlight the need for ongoing testing of cryptographic libraries using tools like Wycheproof to ensure their security against vulnerabilities.

In summary, these vulnerabilities pose serious risks to the security of systems using the elliptic library, emphasizing the need for prompt fixes and continuous testing practices.

Sasha Putilin is exploring meditation as a practice of "wakeful relaxation," which combines relaxation and alertness, rather than viewing them as opposites. He finds it challenging to relax during meditation, as tension tends to shift around in his body, making it a struggle. Intentional relaxation often brings up anxiety and emotional responses.

Putilin discusses the concept of "muscle tension" as a form of body computation that affects our mental state. He emphasizes the difference between skeletal muscle, which we can control consciously, and smooth muscle, which we cannot. Smooth muscle can form persistent tension patterns or "latches" that may contribute to bodily discomfort and stress.

He mentions that relaxing smooth muscle is crucial for easing tension and improving overall well-being. Techniques like sauna and cold plunges, as well as focused meditation on tense areas, may help release this tension. Putilin is interested in developing meditation methods that specifically target smooth muscle relaxation, combining awareness with practices that encourage a clench-release cycle.

This text describes a visualization that shows 291 million real Citi Bike rides, with each moving arrow representing one ride. If you've used a Citi Bike, you can find your ride by searching for your receipt with Cmd + K, which shows the ride's time and stations. The project is open source, and more details can be found on GitHub.

Some technical details include:

• No backend server; data is stored on a Cloudflare CDN and accessed using DuckDB WASM.
• It uses deck.gl with Mapbox for fast rendering of many animated bike rides.
• Web Workers handle route decoding and precomputation to improve performance.
• Routes are generated by finding the shortest paths between over 2,400 bike stations.

Summary of How Dependabot Actually Works

Dependabot is a tool that helps developers manage dependencies in their projects by suggesting updates. While it operates within GitHub, its core code, known as dependabot-core, is open-source and written in Ruby. This tool automatically checks for updates but does so without retaining any memory between runs, meaning it starts fresh each time.

Key points include:

1. Dependabot's Operation: It is not a smart bot but a stateless Ruby library that runs updates based on job definitions. When it checks a repository, it clones it, analyzes its dependency files, and creates pull requests for any updates found.

2. Complexity of the Codebase: The dependabot-core codebase is extensive (330,000 lines of Ruby) and supports multiple package ecosystems. Each ecosystem has specific classes for fetching files, parsing dependencies, checking for updates, and applying changes.

3. Stateless Design: Dependabot does not remember previous runs. Each job must provide all necessary context, including information about existing pull requests and security advisories.

4. Limitations: Dependabot cannot query its own previous pull requests or maintain a vulnerability database independently; it relies on GitHub's infrastructure for this information.

5. Coordination Needs: The proprietary aspects of Dependabot involve job scheduling, state tracking, and vulnerability matching, which are not available for open-source use. Other tools like dependabot-gitlab illustrate how these functions can be built openly.

6. Event-Driven Updates: Currently, Dependabot uses a polling method that checks for updates regularly, leading to many unnecessary checks. An alternative approach would be to implement event-driven updates, responding to changes in dependencies only when they occur.

7. Future Possibilities: There is potential to build a more efficient system by combining open-source components like dependabot-core and dependabot-gitlab with a better coordination layer that utilizes real-time updates rather than scheduled checks.

In summary, while Dependabot provides valuable functionality for managing dependencies, its current operation relies heavily on GitHub's closed infrastructure, and there is room for improvement through open-source innovations.

A new study has found that current artificial intelligence (AI) tools for detecting breast cancer may miss nearly one-third of cases. Specifically, the AI system overlooked 127 out of 414 diagnosed cancers, equating to a 30.7% miss rate. This issue is particularly pronounced in women with dense breast tissue and smaller tumors.

Researchers tested a specialized MRI technique called diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) as a potential solution. Two radiologists used DWI to evaluate the MRI scans and found that it identified most cancers that the AI missed, detecting 83.5% of missed lesions for one radiologist and 79.5% for the other.

While the study suggests that DWI could enhance AI's effectiveness, the authors caution that the findings may not apply to broader populations, as the research was conducted on a specific group of women already diagnosed with cancer at one institution. They recommend further multicenter trials to confirm the benefits of DWI in improving AI-assisted breast cancer detection.

Amifuse Summary

Amifuse is a tool that allows users to mount Amiga filesystem images on macOS, Linux, and Windows using native AmigaOS filesystem handlers via FUSE. It emulates the Amiga m68k CPU to read Amiga hard disk images without relying on reverse-engineered systems.

Requirements:

• macOS: Install macFUSE.
• Linux: Install FUSE for Linux.
• Windows: Install WinFSP.
• Python: Version 3.9 or higher is needed.
• 7z: Required for unpacking files.
• Filesystem handler: Example includes pfs3aio.

Installation Steps:

1. Clone the Amifuse repository with submodules.
2. Set up a Python virtual environment (recommended).
3. Install required packages using pip.

Quick Start:

• Download a test PFS3 disk image and handler with make download.
• Extract files with make unpack.
• Mount the image using amifuse mount pfs.hdf.

Usage Commands:

• Inspect Images: Use amifuse inspect <image> to view partition info.
• Mount Filesystems: Use amifuse mount <image> to mount the filesystem.

Mounting Options:

• Specify partition name or index.
• Choose the mount location and filesystem driver if needed.
• Enable experimental read-write mode or icon conversion (macOS only).

Additional Tools:

• rdb-inspect: To analyze Rigid Disk Block images.
• driver-info: To check filesystem handler binaries.

Supported Formats:

• HDF/RDB, Emu68-style MBR images, and ADF floppy images.

Supported Filesystems:

• Tested with PFS3, SFS, FFS/OFS, and BFFS.

Notes:

• The default mount is read-only; experimental read-write is available.
• The tool runs in the foreground, and unmounting can be done with Ctrl+C.

The blog discusses the challenges faced when creating a WebDAV/CalDAV client and server for Homechart. Initially, the authors thought it would be straightforward due to the clear specifications, but they encountered several issues:

1. Existing Libraries: They looked at an existing Go library, go-webdav, but found it lacking essential features for their needs.

2. RFC Confusion: The authors struggled with the confusing and outdated RFC documents, leading them to abandon a full implementation of the specifications.

3. Reverse Engineering: Instead, they opted to reverse engineer existing clients and servers, which proved to be faster. They used tools to capture HTTP requests and responses to understand the required API.

4. XML Handling: They faced difficulties with XML in Go and created a custom wrapper to manage XML nodes more easily.

5. Standards Issues: After building their minimum viable product (MVP), they found that major providers like Apple and Google often don't fully adhere to the RFCs, complicating compatibility.

6. Frustration with Compliance: The authors expressed frustration at having to strictly follow the standards while larger companies could deviate without consequences.

Overall, they advise against attempting to create a WebDAV/CalDAV library due to the numerous complications involved.

No summary available.

No summary available.

I want to share a public database that focuses on gathering and organizing metadata about links, which may be useful for researchers. This project includes a dataset with information such as:

• Page title
• Description or summary
• Publication date (if available)
• Thumbnail or preview image

The aim is to create a useful set of link metadata for experiments in areas like:

• RSS and feed analysis
• News analysis
• Link decay (link rot) analysis

You can access the database here: RSS Link Database 2025. There are also databases for previous years.

Summary of Predictions Scorecard - January 1, 2026

Rodney Brooks reflects on his predictions from January 1, 2018, regarding self-driving cars, robotics, AI, and human space flight. He assesses his accuracy and discusses what has surprised him over the years.

Key Insights:

• General Accuracy: Overall, Brooks finds that his predictions were fairly accurate but admits to being overly optimistic in some areas.
• Long-Term Tracking: He plans to track his predictions until 2050, holding himself accountable.
• Large Language Models (LLMs): He correctly anticipated a significant development in AI around 2023 but did not specify it would be LLMs.
• Self-Driving Cars: Brooks highlights Waymo (Google) and Zoox (Amazon) as the key players in the U.S. market, while noting that Tesla is lagging behind. He discusses challenges faced by these companies, particularly an incident where Waymo cars struggled during a power outage.
• SpaceX: He underestimated the rapid growth of SpaceX's Falcon 9 launches, which have significantly outperformed expectations.
• New Predictions (2026-2035):
  1. Quantum Computers: Will focus on specific problems rather than general computation.
  2. Self-Driving Cars: Success will depend on Waymo and Zoox, with human intervention rates as a key metric.
  3. Humanoid Robots: Progress will remain limited in dexterity compared to human hands.
  4. Neural Computation: Emerging systems will show promise, but no clear winners will emerge by 2036.
  5. LLMs: Future models will need to explain their outputs and be surrounded by safety mechanisms.

Brooks emphasizes the importance of understanding the different speeds of technological advancements and their impacts on society, based on his extensive experience in the field.

NASA has provided an update regarding a medical situation on the International Space Station (ISS). One crew member is stable, and the safety of the missions is the top priority. NASA is considering options, including possibly ending Crew-11's mission early. They are prepared for such situations and will share more information within the next 24 hours. For updates, you can follow the ISS on social media or subscribe to NASA's weekly news.

Researchers are investigating why cancer immunotherapy can cause inflammation in the heart. This study aims to understand the connection between cancer treatments and heart health.

No summary available.

No summary available.

No summary available.

The article discusses the performance of solid-state drives (SSDs) in relation to file syncing operations (fsync and fdatasync) when using a specific method (O_DIRECT) for writing data in databases (InnoDB).

Key points include:

1. Fsync Performance: For consumer SSDs without power loss protection, while write speeds are fast, fsync operations tend to be slow. This can negatively impact overall performance, especially if fsync is called frequently.

2. Choosing SSDs: The author recommends switching from a Samsung 990 Pro SSD to a Crucial T500 for better fsync latency, highlighting that enterprise SSDs are preferable due to their power loss protection features, which reduce the risk of data loss.

3. Testing Results: The article presents test results using various configurations and SSDs, showing that:

   • Consumer SSDs have higher fsync latencies compared to enterprise SSDs.
   • Using O_DIRECT_NO_FSYNC reduces the frequency of fsync calls, improving performance.

4. Impact of Configuration: The performance varies significantly based on the type of SSD and whether power loss protection is present. Tests reveal that SSDs designed for enterprise use generally perform better in terms of latency during write operations.

Overall, the findings stress the importance of understanding SSD characteristics and performance in order to optimize database operations and avoid performance issues.

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Summary of Vector Graphics on GPU

Vector graphics are commonly rendered by the CPU, but this approach needs improvement by utilizing the GPU for better performance. This text outlines how to effectively render vector shapes on the GPU, focusing on rasterization, anti-aliasing, and optimization techniques.

1. Basic Rasterization:

   • Rasterization involves determining which pixels are inside a vector shape by using a winding number, which counts intersections with the shape's segments.
   • Each pixel’s visibility is determined based on this winding number: if it's zero, the pixel is not filled; if it's non-zero, it is filled with the shape's color.

2. Using the GPU for Rasterization:

   • GPUs can process many threads in parallel, making them ideal for handling pixel-by-pixel rasterization.
   • Each thread computes whether its corresponding pixel is inside or outside the shape by checking intersections with shape segments.

3. Anti-Aliasing Techniques:

   • Supersampling: A method where images are rendered at a higher resolution and then scaled down, but it is resource-intensive.
   • Analytic Anti-Aliasing: A more efficient approach that calculates how much of a pixel is covered by a shape, providing better quality without heavy resource demands.

4. Calculating Coverage:

   • The algorithm calculates two values for each segment of a shape: area (how much the segment overlaps with the pixel) and cover (how much of the pixel is to the left of the segment).
   • These values are combined to create an alpha value that determines pixel opacity.

5. Optimizing Performance:

   • To handle more shapes efficiently, the image area is divided into smaller blocks, each containing relevant shapes and a cover table for pixel coverage.
   • This reduces the number of segments processed for each pixel, improving speed.

6. Final Rendering Process:

   • The GPU runs a parallel algorithm for each pixel, initializing the pixel color, calculating alpha from the cover table, and blending the shape's color based on opacity.

7. Implementation Insights:

   • The approach allows for improved performance in rendering vector graphics, as most computationally intensive tasks are handled by the GPU.
   • While there are various methods and optimizations from other projects, this method balances simplicity and efficiency for practical use.

In conclusion, leveraging the GPU for vector graphics rendering can significantly enhance performance, especially for complex images, making it a promising approach for modern graphics applications.

No summary available.

Summary: Over-Engineering a "Do Not Disturb" Device

The author created a custom device to signal when they're busy during work-from-home meetings, as simply locking the door wasn't effective with their parents. They initially tried sharing their calendar but faced issues like missed calls, surprise meetings, and the need for quick access.

Using an ESP32 microcontroller, the author designed a system that shows their camera status (on or off) on a screen. However, they encountered challenges due to Apple's lack of a straightforward way to check camera status. They devised a workaround by monitoring system logs.

The project evolved into a complex solution that included:

1. Dynamic IP Management: Using mDNS to avoid constantly rebuilding the device due to changing IP addresses.
2. Improved Communication: Switching from HTTP to Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for real-time updates.
3. Custom Interface: Designing menu icons for macOS and creating a unique binary protocol for efficient data transmission.

After learning 3D modeling to create a professional case for the device, the author faced challenges with physical tolerances in 3D printing. Despite some imperfections, they managed to build a functional and stylish device that now serves its purpose effectively.

The author enjoyed the project and is open to more ideas for future enhancements, considering possibilities like facial recognition.

In 2026, the first commercial space stations will begin orbiting Earth, marking a new era in space exploration. For nearly 30 years, the International Space Station (ISS) was the only option for sending astronauts and experiments into low Earth orbit. However, as NASA plans to deorbit the ISS by the end of the decade, private companies are stepping in.

Vast, a start-up, plans to launch its Haven-1 space station using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Haven-1 will be smaller and simpler than the ISS and is designed for space tourism and microgravity experiments, supporting up to four crew members. It is seen as a precursor to a larger station, Haven-2, intended to replace the ISS.

Another company, Sierra Space, is set to launch a prototype of its expandable space station module in 2026 as part of the Orbital Reef project. This shift to commercial space stations is expected to create competition and innovation within the industry, potentially lowering costs and making space more accessible.

While there's excitement about the new commercial stations, it remains uncertain if there will be enough demand beyond government agencies to sustain them. Industries like pharmaceuticals and materials may find opportunities in space, but their growth will depend on the success of these new stations.

In 2020, Kim McMahon announced that the V8 engine was being open-sourced for the RISC-V architecture. Since then, RISC-V support has been integrated into the main V8 repository and is now mostly comparable in features to x86_64 and ARM64 architectures. The RISC-V community actively maintains and tests this support.

Recent updates highlighted in the post include:

1. Pool Improvements: V8's RISC-V port uses constant and trampoline pools for managing jumps in code. The logic for handling these pools has been simplified, allowing for better organization of memory and preparing for future security enhancements.

2. Atomic Jump Table Patching: A fix was implemented for a bug in the WebAssembly (Wasm) implementation that involved jump tables. The new method ensures that updates are atomic and prevents race conditions, thereby improving the reliability of function calls.

3. Performance Enhancements: Several optimizations were made, such as using the shxadd instruction to speed up address calculations and a new method for decompressing tagged pointers, reducing the number of required instructions significantly.

4. Keeping Up with Main Changes: RISC-V maintainers have dedicated a lot of effort to keep the port updated with ongoing changes in V8, ensuring its functionality and performance.

5. Vector Support Improvements: Support for RISC-V's flexible vector extension has improved, allowing for better handling of SIMD operations, and new bugs have been fixed through real hardware testing.

6. Deprecation of RISC-V 32-bit: The 32-bit version of RISC-V, mostly used in small embedded systems, is being deprecated due to its limited use, with support continuing until May 2026.

Overall, the RISC-V port of V8 has made significant progress and is now capable of running extensive benchmarks, making it suitable for various workloads.

The author created a new authentication system called CubeAuthn, which uses a Rubik's cube as a physical key for digital security. By recognizing the unique arrangement of the cube, which has 43 quintillion possible configurations, the system generates credentials compatible with FIDO2. Unlike traditional tokens that store information, the cube's physical state is used to create keys. The proof-of-concept includes a browser extension that allows users to log into WebAuthn-enabled websites using the cube's arrangement as a cryptographic key. The project is available on GitHub.

The text critiques LMArena, an online leaderboard used in the AI community to evaluate model performance. It argues that LMArena is flawed because it rewards superficial qualities like length and formatting over factual accuracy. Users often skim responses quickly, leading to poor decision-making based on appearances rather than correctness.

Key issues include:

• Superficial Evaluation: Users tend to favor longer, more visually appealing responses, even if they are incorrect.
• System Vulnerability: The open and gamified nature of LMArena allows manipulation, as there is no quality control or accountability for poor assessments.
• Misalignment of Goals: The leaderboard encourages models to optimize for engagement rather than truthfulness, resulting in a cycle of rewarding incorrect information.
• Industry Impact: This system creates a culture where accuracy is sacrificed for short-term gains, pushing the AI industry backward.

The text concludes that for the AI field to advance, it needs to prioritize rigorous evaluation methods that ensure the reliability and safety of models over mere marketing strategies. Developers must choose between chasing rankings or adhering to principles of quality and utility.

Summary:

Target has established a highly advanced forensics lab in Minneapolis, which is more sophisticated than many police department labs. Created in 2003, this lab helps analyze surveillance footage to combat shoplifting, which has cost Target nearly a billion dollars in stolen goods in 2023. The lab employs specialists who can identify shoplifters and also assists law enforcement in solving serious crimes, such as murders and arsons.

For instance, the lab helped the Houston police recover damaged video footage that led to identifying suspects in an arson case. Additionally, Target supports government agencies by providing training on technology for crime-solving and organizing undercover investigations. Overall, Target's forensics lab plays a significant role in both preventing theft and aiding in criminal investigations.

No summary available.

Michel Siffre, a French geologist, spent 63 days living alone in a cave in the French Alps in 1962 to study how humans perceive time without external cues. His experiment, originally intended to study a glacier, became the first investigation into human responses to living without time information. It revealed that the human body has its own internal clock, leading to the development of the field of chronobiology. Now nearly 80, Siffre lives in Nice, surrounded by memories of his adventures, and reflects on how the space race inspired his research, particularly the effects of long missions on astronauts.

This text describes a process for creating animated pixel art for a website using AI tools and Python. Here's a simplified summary of the key points:

1. Objective: The author wanted to enhance their website with a personal and retro animated pixel art profile instead of using bulky GIFs.

2. Creation Process:

   • AI Generation: The author used ChatGPT for initial image creation and Midjourney for animation, refining the images in Photoshop to maintain a clean pixel art style.

3. Processing with Python:

   • A custom Python script was created to improve the video quality by:
     • Color Quantization: Reducing the number of colors to a specific palette for an authentic retro look.
     • Temporal Smoothing: Fixing flickering by ensuring static regions in the animation remain consistent.

4. Rendering: The final animated sprite sheet is displayed using an HTML Canvas element, which allows for sharp rendering and efficient animation control.

5. Outcome: The completed sprite sheet is only 46KB and animates smoothly at 10 frames per second, providing a high-quality visual experience for the website.

Overall, the process involved a combination of AI tools, image processing, and coding to achieve a personalized animated pixel art effect.

No summary available.

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Summary of "Dissecting a C64 Autoboot Program"

Most computers with disk drives could run programs directly from the disk, but the Commodore 64 (C64) always booted to the BASIC prompt, requiring users to enter commands to load programs. Some programs could auto-start after loading, using a technique developed by Dan Carmichael in the 1980s.

Key Points:

1. C64 Boot Process: Unlike other systems, the C64 always goes to BASIC first, requiring users to type commands to load programs from disk.

2. Autoloading Technique: Carmichael's method allowed programs to start automatically by manipulating the system's memory and control vectors.

3. Memory Structure: The C64's BASIC has flexible memory management, with pointers that can be adjusted depending on the loaded program type.

4. Loader Mechanism: The technique involves loading a small program into a specific memory region and then overriding system vectors to redirect control to the loaded program.

5. Differences for Program Types: The loading process differs for BASIC versus machine language programs, with specific steps for each type to ensure proper execution.

6. Challenges and Optimizations: The original autoloaders had space limitations and inefficiencies. The article discusses modern improvements and optimizations for better performance and reliability.

7. Final Products: Updated versions of the autoloaders are available on GitHub as editable templates, allowing for improved integration into modern workflows.

In summary, the article details a clever method for making C64 programs auto-load, along with insights into optimizing and modernizing these techniques for better usability.

No summary available.

Deniz and Sherry from Tamarind Bio introduce their company, which provides AI tools for drug discovery. They help biopharma companies use advanced models, like AlphaFold, to design new medicines without needing technical expertise.

Initially, Deniz worked at a Stanford lab running models for researchers, which led to the idea of creating Tamarind to streamline the process. Now, many top pharmaceutical companies and biotechs rely on Tamarind for their computational biology needs.

Tamarind offers an easy-to-use web app and a programmatic interface for developers. Users can connect different AI models into workflows and even upload their own models. The service is designed to optimize performance and efficiency, making it easier for scientists to focus on research rather than technical issues.

Tamarind is expanding its features and is open to feedback. They are also hiring and encourage interested individuals to reach out for more information.

This text describes a fast SOCKS5 proxy that disguises your internet traffic as regular email to avoid detection by firewalls.

How it works:

• A client runs a SOCKS5 proxy on your local machine.
• It sends traffic to a server disguised as email communication.
• Firewalls see it as a legitimate email session rather than a VPN or proxy.

Features:

• Easy one-command installation on any Linux VPS.
• Supports multiple users with individual secrets and IP whitelists.
• Automatically creates client packages that are easy to run.
• Reconnects automatically if the connection is lost.
• Compatible with any application that supports SOCKS5.

Technology used: Python, asyncio, TLS 1.2+, and HMAC-SHA256 for authentication.

For more details, you can visit the GitHub page.

Summary of Opus 4.5's Impact on Development

On January 5, 2026, the author discusses the transformative capabilities of Opus 4.5, a new AI coding agent that significantly enhances development workflows. Previously skeptical, the author now believes AI agents can replace developers, citing their experience with Opus 4.5.

Key Points:

1. Ease of Use: The author found that using Opus 4.5 required minimal additional tools and planning. It leverages voice dictation and built-in features effectively.

2. Project Successes:

   • Image Conversion Utility: Opus 4.5 quickly built a utility for converting images, correcting errors autonomously and even managing the deployment process.
   • Screen Recording App: The author created a GIF recording application, adding numerous features in just a few hours.
   • AI Posting Utility: Opus 4.5 developed an app for the author’s wife’s business that automates social media posts, handling complex backend tasks with ease.
   • Order Tracking App: Another app was built to streamline order management and routing for the author's wife’s yard sign franchise.

3. Code Quality Concerns: The author admits to not fully understanding the code generated by Opus 4.5. They express concerns about potential issues in code quality and security, acknowledging the need for careful oversight.

4. AI's Role in Development: The author emphasizes a shift towards AI-driven development, suggesting that developers should adapt by focusing on creating rather than worrying about traditional coding practices.

5. Final Thoughts: While the author feels conflicted about AI replacing traditional coding skills, they encourage others to embrace the new capabilities and continue building innovative solutions.

Overall, the author is excited about the potential of Opus 4.5, highlighting its efficiency in development tasks and urging developers to adapt to this rapidly changing landscape.

Create a simple local tool for designing gears that is visually appealing and user-friendly.

No summary available.

Two years ago, someone on Hacker News shared a method for managing ADHD using a tiny LED that blinks at 120 beats per minute (bpm) and then slows down to 60 bpm, which is said to help with focus. The author found a version called ADHD_Blink for an older device and adapted it for a newer model, the M5StickC Plus2, making some improvements like easier flashing and sleep settings.

The author is unsure if the method will actually work but is excited to try it out. They used AI (Claude Code) to help with coding and modifying the device, which felt surreal. This experience led them to wonder if future AI-connected devices could change their own functions based on user requests.

The author is interested in hearing feedback from anyone who has tried this LED method.

The article discusses the challenges and failures of email encryption as of 2026. Here are the key points:

1. Email Vulnerabilities: At the end of 2025, researchers revealed serious vulnerabilities in PGP software, particularly GnuPG, which reignited debates about email security.

2. Issues with Email Security: Email is often treated as confidential, but it lacks true privacy. Protocols like SMTP and STARTTLS do not adequately secure email, making it susceptible to attacks.

3. Common Mistakes: Users often accidentally send unencrypted replies to encrypted emails, which can lead to privacy breaches. Unlike messaging apps like Signal, email has features that can easily expose plaintext information.

4. Metadata Concerns: Even if the content of emails is encrypted, significant metadata (like recipient information and timestamps) is transmitted openly. This metadata can reveal much about communications and potentially compromise privacy.

5. Non-Repudiation Issues: Technologies like DKIM ensure email authenticity but also expose users to risks since they can serve as proof of sending certain messages, undermining privacy.

6. Political and Social Barriers: Efforts to improve email security face political obstacles rather than purely technical ones. Major tech companies have little incentive to change the status quo.

7. Reality Check on Privacy Tools: Services like VPNs or ProtonMail don’t guarantee security, as they may still have vulnerabilities in key management and encryption processes.

In conclusion, the article suggests that attempting to secure email encryption is likely futile without a significant shift in political and corporate will to enhance privacy measures.

The study explores how modern databases can use the Linux io_uring interface to improve I/O efficiency and reduce overhead. io_uring allows for faster asynchronous operations by combining storage and network tasks, but simply switching to it doesn’t always lead to better performance. The researchers tested io_uring in two scenarios: enhancing a storage-focused buffer manager and boosting data transfer in network-heavy analytical tasks. They looked at advanced features of io_uring, like registered buffers, to see how they impact overall performance. The results show when these optimizations are effective and how design choices affect performance gains. Based on their findings, the researchers provide practical guidelines for building I/O-heavy systems with io_uring, which were validated in a case study of PostgreSQL, resulting in a 14% performance improvement.

Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, has returned to work on artificial intelligence (AI) after a period of retirement. He expressed regret about leaving before the launch of a new AI project called Gemini. Recently, he filed his first code request since rejoining the company, indicating his active involvement again.

No summary available.

In 2023, T3D Therapeutics, a drug developer, encountered problems with its clinical trial for an Alzheimer's treatment called T3D-959. Initially, the results seemed promising, suggesting the drug could help cognitive decline. However, upon reviewing detailed participant data, T3D discovered serious issues, including that some patients in the placebo group showed improvements and that some participants did not even have Alzheimer's.

T3D accused Clinilabs, the organization managing the trial, and several South Florida clinics of committing fraud by manipulating data and enrolling ineligible participants. Clinilabs denied these claims, blaming T3D for poor trial design.

This situation highlights broader issues in the clinical trial industry, especially in South Florida, where many trials have faced similar problems. Experts note that the financial incentives for trial sites can lead to unethical practices, such as enrolling people who do not meet eligibility criteria or who fake symptoms.

Several other companies have reported similar issues with their trials in the region, leading to questions about the integrity of clinical research. T3D and other affected companies have referred their findings to the FDA, emphasizing the need for better oversight in clinical trials to protect participants and ensure accurate results.

No summary available.

No summary available.

Summary of "Databases in 2025: A Year in Review"

In 2025, the database industry saw significant developments, trends, and events. Key points include:

1. PostgreSQL's Dominance: PostgreSQL continued to lead the database market, with its latest version (v18) introducing features like asynchronous I/O and support for skip scans. Major companies, such as Databricks and Snowflake, made significant acquisitions of PostgreSQL-related firms, reflecting ongoing interest and investment in PostgreSQL services.

2. Emerging Distributed Systems: New projects aimed at enhancing PostgreSQL's scalability, like Supabase's Multigres and PlanetScale's Neki, were announced. These projects focus on creating distributed systems for better performance.

3. Model Context Protocol (MCP): 2025 marked the rise of MCP, a standardized way for large language models (LLMs) to interact with databases, enabling easier integration and functionality. All major database systems rolled out MCP support.

4. Legal Disputes: MongoDB filed a lawsuit against FerretDB, claiming it infringes on MongoDB's patents and trademarks, highlighting tensions in the NoSQL market.

5. File Format Innovations: Several new open-source file formats emerged, challenging Parquet's long-standing dominance. This spurred improvements in existing formats to remain competitive.

6. Market Activity: The year saw numerous acquisitions, including DataStax by IBM and Neon by Databricks. Additionally, Fivetran and dbt Labs announced a merger, signaling consolidation in the industry.

7. Funding Trends: While there was less early-stage funding for startups, notable rounds included Databricks raising $4 billion and ClickHouse securing $350 million.

8. Company Closures: Several companies, such as Fauna and PostgresML, shut down, reflecting challenges in the market.

9. Larry Ellison's Milestones: Oracle's Larry Ellison became the richest person in the world, thanks to Oracle's stock surge, further highlighting the database industry's financial significance.

Overall, 2025 was marked by PostgreSQL's continued rise, new technologies in database management, legal disputes, and significant market transactions, shaping the future landscape of databases.

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Summary: How Did TVs Get So Cheap?

TV prices have significantly dropped over the past 25 years, with a 50-inch TV costing around $1,100 in 2001 and now available for under $200. This decline is largely due to the rise of liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, which went from being a niche product to dominating the market.

Key factors contributing to the cost reduction include:

1. Advancements in LCD Technology: LCDs became mainstream, accounting for over 95% of the market by 2018. Their manufacturing process has improved significantly over the years.

2. Larger Manufacturing Sheets: The size of the glass sheets used for LCDs has increased dramatically. Larger sheets allow for more efficient production and lower costs per unit.

3. Improved Manufacturing Processes: Innovations have streamlined the production process, increasing yields and reducing defects. Techniques like “one drop fill” have sped up the liquid crystal filling process.

4. Economies of Scale: Large factories can produce millions of displays at a time, spreading costs and enhancing efficiency.

5. Competitive Market: Intense competition among manufacturers has driven continual investment in technology and improvements, often at slim profit margins.

Overall, the combination of technological advances, larger production methods, and market competition has led to the dramatic decrease in TV prices.

No summary available.

I'm unable to access external content, including PDF files. However, if you provide the text or key excerpts from the document you'd like summarized, I'd be happy to help!

No summary available.

The article discusses the evolution of the Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) industry from 2006 to 2014, focusing on significant fluctuations in supply and demand known as the "silicon cycle."

Key points include:

1. Silicon Cycle: The DRAM industry faced a dramatic shift from a product shortage to an oversupply between 2006 and 2008, leading to a collapse in prices. This cycle was marked by a rush to expand production capacity, referred to as the "chicken game."

2. Industry Dynamics: Even as prices fell, companies were reluctant to cut production, resulting in financial strain and the exit of weaker firms from the market, notably Qimonda and Elpida Memory. This led to a more concentrated market, dominated by three key players: Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron Group.

3. Rising Barriers to Entry: Over time, the capital required to enter the DRAM industry increased significantly, making it difficult for new competitors to emerge. This change has contributed to the industry's transition from a competitive market to an oligopoly, where a few firms dominate and prices stabilize.

4. Competitive Strategies: Samsung's success can be attributed to its aggressive investment in technology and capacity, allowing it to lower production costs and differentiate its products. This strategic approach, combined with a growing cash reserve, made Samsung less vulnerable during downturns compared to its competitors.

5. Long-Term Implications: The study suggests that the combination of amplified industry cycles and rising barriers to entry could lead to greater stability in the DRAM market, reducing the likelihood of future cycles of boom and bust.

Overall, the article highlights how the DRAM industry's challenges and structural changes have shaped its competitive landscape and market dynamics over the years.

No summary available.

Summary of Discworld and Discworld MUD

Discworld is a flat world supported by a giant turtle, featured in 23 novels and various merchandise. It has gained immense popularity since its creation.

Discworld MUD is an online multiplayer game based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. It retains the humorous and fun spirit of the novels, allowing players to interact with characters and explore diverse areas.

Players can join guilds, own shops and houses, or write for the newspaper. The game is free to play and is maintained by volunteers. You can easily create a character using any web browser.

Recent updates include changes to game features and maintenance notices. As of the latest update, 74 players are logged in.

A quote from the game: “If ghastly creatures from before the Dawna Time start waving at you from under your bed, just don’t come complaining to me.” - Gaspode the wonder dog.

I used Tailscale, an old laptop, Claude Code, and Termius to code from my phone whenever I have Internet access. It's perfect for situations like parties where I prefer to stay home and work on my projects.

The text discusses the evolution of computer games, particularly focusing on the growth of role-playing games (RPGs) and wargames in the late 20th century.

1. Cultural Context: In the late 1960s and 1970s, hobbies like science fiction, tabletop games, and fantasy role-playing attracted "nerds" who enjoyed exploring imaginary worlds.

2. Dungeons and Dragons (D&D): Introduced in the mid-1970s, D&D was a groundbreaking game that allowed players to engage in storytelling and character role-play, combining narrative with statistical gameplay.

3. Computer Role-Playing Games (CRPGs): The principles of D&D inspired the first CRPGs, which retained the idea of character statistics but were limited in narrative flexibility. Early examples included games like Dragon Maze and Temple of Apshai.

4. Key Titles:

   • Temple of Apshai was notable for its role-playing elements and dungeon exploration.
   • Wizardry and Ultima further defined the CRPG genre, with Wizardry focusing on character optimization and Ultima emphasizing story and character agency.

5. Wargames: Parallel to the rise of RPGs, computer adaptations of board wargames also emerged. Joel Billings and others created computer versions of games like Bismarck, which automated gameplay and eliminated the need for a human referee.

6. Impact on Nerd Culture: The success of CRPGs and wargames shifted gaming from a niche hobby to a broader market, appealing to more players beyond the traditional nerd demographic.

7. Technology Evolution: By the early 1980s, computers began to distinguish themselves from video game consoles, offering complex strategy games that required more computational power and memory.

In summary, the text outlines how the intersection of tabletop gaming and emerging computer technology gave rise to new gaming genres, significantly shaping the landscape of video games and nerd culture.