1.
Radicle: The Sovereign Forge
(Radicle: The Sovereign Forge)

Radicle is a decentralized, open-source platform for code collaboration built on Git. Unlike traditional code hosting services, it allows users to control their own data and workflows without a central authority. Repositories are shared among users in a peer-to-peer network.

Key Features:

  • Autonomy: Users can run their own nodes, ensuring secure and censorship-resistant collaboration.
  • Local-first: Works offline, allowing users to access and manage their data even without internet.
  • Extensibility: Developers can create custom collaboration tools using Radicle's features, including issues and discussions integrated with Git.
  • Modular Design: The platform includes a command-line interface (CLI), web interface, and is adaptable for different client applications.

To get started, users can install Radicle via a command line or download it, currently available for Linux, macOS, and BSD. For a graphical experience, there's also a Radicle Desktop application.

Radicle is built on principles of secure data handling and community engagement, and it encourages contributions from users. For updates and community interaction, users can follow Radicle on social media or join their community on Zulip.

Author: ibobev | Score: 99

2.
Booting from a vinyl record (2020)
(Booting from a vinyl record (2020))

Summary: Booting from a Vinyl Record

This article discusses a unique experiment where a PC, specifically an IBM PC, is booted using a vinyl record instead of traditional storage methods like hard drives or USBs. The process involves connecting the PC to a record player through an amplifier. A custom boot loader is created to use the PC's rarely used "cassette interface" for booting, which reads a bootable RAM drive recorded on the vinyl.

Key points include:

  • The vinyl contains a 64K FreeDOS kernel and necessary files to boot the system.
  • The boot process uses an audio signal that mimics an "IBM cassette tape" protocol.
  • Technical adjustments are needed for the audio signal to ensure a clear data stream.
  • The bootloader can be stored on a ROM and requires specific settings for sound quality to avoid data corruption.

Overall, this project showcases an innovative way to boot a computer using a vinyl record.

Author: yesturi | Score: 141

3.
AI is a horse (2024)
(AI is a horse (2024))

The text compares AI to a horse, highlighting a few key points:

  1. AI can be faster than walking but is slower and less dependable than a train, yet it can access more locations.
  2. It requires a lot of resources to function.
  3. You can't just command it to complete a task; you need to guide it carefully.
  4. It needs consistent supervision, even if it usually stays on track.
  5. You can provide guidance, but you can't force it to take action.
  6. A well-functioning AI responds well to direction.
  7. There is a sense of caution towards those who overly promote AI.

Overall, the text emphasizes the limitations and complexities of using AI.

Author: zdw | Score: 239

4.
Whosthere: A LAN discovery tool with a modern TUI, written in Go
(Whosthere: A LAN discovery tool with a modern TUI, written in Go)

Whosthere Summary

Whosthere is a tool for discovering devices on your Local Area Network (LAN) using a user-friendly Terminal User Interface (TUI) built with Go. It helps network administrators see which devices are connected to their network.

Key Features:

  • Modern TUI: Easy navigation to explore devices.
  • Concurrent Scanning: Uses multiple methods at once for faster discovery.
  • No Admin Rights Needed: Can be run by regular users without elevated privileges.
  • Device Information: Provides details about device manufacturers using OUI lookups.
  • Port Scanning: Optional feature to check open ports on detected devices (with permission).
  • Daemon Mode: Runs in the background and can be accessed via a simple HTTP API.
  • Customizable: Users can change the appearance and settings through a YAML configuration file.

Installation:

  • On macOS: Use Homebrew with brew install whosthere.
  • With Go: Run go install github.com/ramonvermeulen/whosthere@latest.
  • Or build from source by cloning the GitHub repository.

Usage:

  • Start the TUI with whosthere.
  • To run as a daemon: whosthere daemon --port 8080.
  • Use whosthere --help for more command options.

Supported Platforms:

  • Linux
  • macOS
  • Future support for Windows may be possible.

Configuration:

Whosthere can be configured using a YAML file that specifies settings like scan intervals, themes, and enabled scanners.

Logging:

Logs are stored in a specific directory based on the user's environment settings, and can also be viewed in the console.

Important Notes:

  • Whosthere should only be used on networks where you have permission to scan.
  • Contributions to improve the tool are encouraged, with suggestions and changes to be discussed on GitHub.

This tool is designed to help users easily manage and understand their network.

Author: rvermeulen98 | Score: 72

5.
Proton Spam and the AI Consent Problem
(Proton Spam and the AI Consent Problem)

David Bushell is a web designer and consultant based in the UK. He offers services related to web design and development. He is available for hire and works with clients globally. Additionally, he has experience with platforms like Mastodon, Bluesky, CodePen, and Forgejo, and shares updates through an RSS feed.

Author: dbushell | Score: 321

6.
I built a light that reacts to radio waves [video]
(I built a light that reacts to radio waves [video])

The provided link leads to a webpage about a project called "Spectrum Slit." Unfortunately, without access to the content of that page, I cannot summarize the specific details. If you can share the main points or content from the page, I’d be happy to help summarize it for you!

Author: codetheweb | Score: 324

7.
Updates to our web search products and Programmable Search Engine capabilities
(Updates to our web search products and Programmable Search Engine capabilities)

Summary of Updates to Web Search Products & Programmable Search Engine

On January 20, 2026, Google announced updates to its Programmable Search Engine to better serve various users, including academic institutions and retail websites. Key points include:

  1. Simplified Tools: Google is making its search products easier to use, allowing users to choose the best tool for their specific needs.

  2. Search Options:

    • Programmable Search Element: Ideal for website owners targeting specific audiences, allowing up to 50 domains for site-specific searches.
    • Vertex AI Search: Offers advanced features like AI-powered conversational search, suitable for enterprises.
    • Full Web Search: Available for those needing to search beyond 50 domains.
  3. Transition Timeline: Users must transition to new solutions by January 1, 2027. New engines must use the “Sites to search” feature, but existing engines can continue using “Search the entire web” until the deadline.

  4. Support for Users: Google encourages users to contact them for more information about the full web search solution and pricing.

These updates aim to enhance the search experience for developers and users alike.

Author: 01jonny01 | Score: 151

8.
DOGE improperly accessed and shared Social Security data
(DOGE improperly accessed and shared Social Security data)

In January 2026, it was reported that staff from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) improperly accessed and shared sensitive Social Security data of millions of Americans. The Trump administration has not clarified how much data has been compromised, its intended use, or the reasons for their aggressive data consolidation efforts. Despite claims of potential savings, no actual savings have been generated.

Author: simonebrunozzi | Score: 27

9.
Flying with Photons: Rendering Novel Views of Propagating Light
(Flying with Photons: Rendering Novel Views of Propagating Light)

No summary available.

Author: pillars | Score: 8

10.
What has Docker become?
(What has Docker become?)

Summary of Docker's Journey as of 2026

Docker Inc, the company behind the popular containerization technology, is facing challenges in finding its identity and revenue model in 2026. Although it revolutionized application deployment and established the containerization standard, it has struggled to monetize its success. As the technology became widely used and commoditized, Docker had to pivot multiple times to stay relevant.

  1. Identity Crisis: Docker became a victim of its own success; while the technology thrived, the company struggled to find ways to profit from it.

  2. Shift from Swarm to Developer Tools: Docker initially tried to compete with Kubernetes through its orchestration tool, Docker Swarm, but eventually sold it. It then focused on enhancing developer experience by introducing tools like Docker Scout and Testcontainers, aimed at improving security and testing.

  3. Move into AI: Docker pivoted again to position itself in the AI space with products like Docker Model Runner and partnerships with major cloud providers. This shift aimed to tap into the growing demand for AI infrastructure.

  4. Introduction of Hardened Images: In late 2025, Docker made over 1,000 secure container images free and open source, a response to competition from companies like Chainguard. This move raised questions about Docker's business model and how it plans to generate revenue.

  5. Leadership Changes: The replacement of CEO Scott Johnston with Don Johnson in early 2025 has led to speculation about a possible acquisition by a larger cloud provider, suggesting Docker might be positioning itself for sale rather than a long-term independent business.

In conclusion, while the technology behind Docker remains vital to software development, the company's future is uncertain. Its continual shifts in strategy reflect a search for a sustainable business model in a market it helped create, highlighting the difficulties of monetizing successful open-source technology.

Author: tuananh | Score: 131

11.
isometric.nyc – giant isometric pixel art map of NYC
(isometric.nyc – giant isometric pixel art map of NYC)

The author created a large isometric pixel art map of New York City called isometric.nyc, using a tool called nano banana and coding agents, without writing any code themselves. However, the project required a lot of manual effort. They also wrote about their workflow and shared thoughts on the future of AI in coding and creativity. More details can be found at the provided link.

Author: cannoneyed | Score: 1116

12.
Replacing Protobuf with Rust to go 5 times faster
(Replacing Protobuf with Rust to go 5 times faster)

Summary: Replacing Protobuf with Rust for Faster Query Parsing

PgDog is a tool that helps scale PostgreSQL databases. It uses a library called libpg_query to handle SQL queries and initially relied on Protobuf for data serialization, which was fast but not the fastest option available.

The team decided to replace Protobuf with direct bindings between C and Rust, leading to significant performance improvements. Specifically, they achieved a 5x speed increase in parsing SQL queries and a 10x speed boost in converting queries back to SQL strings.

Key Performance Results:

  • Using Protobuf for parsing: 613 queries per second
  • Using direct Rust bindings: 3,357 queries per second (5.45x faster)
  • Using Protobuf for deparsing: 759 queries per second
  • Using direct Rust bindings: 7,319 queries per second (9.64x faster)

Process Overview:

  1. Profiling: The team identified performance bottlenecks using a profiling tool, which helped them focus on the slowest parts of their code.
  2. Caching: They implemented a caching system to store parsed query structures, which improved performance but faced challenges due to unique statements generated by some applications.
  3. AI Assistance: They utilized AI to help generate the necessary Rust code, which significantly sped up the development process.
  4. Implementation: The new system uses recursive functions to convert between C and Rust data structures efficiently.

The changes made PgDog faster and cheaper to run, allowing it to handle requests with less CPU usage. The team is looking for a software engineer to help further develop PgDog.

In conclusion, the transition from Protobuf to direct Rust bindings significantly improved PgDog's performance, demonstrating the effectiveness of optimizing data processing in software development.

Author: whiteros_e | Score: 114

13.
S2-lite, an open source Stream Store
(S2-lite, an open source Stream Store)

S2 is a serverless API designed for handling streams, similar to how S3 works for file storage. After realizing the need for an open-source version, the team developed s2-lite, which is now available on GitHub.

s2-lite is written in Rust and uses SlateDB as its storage engine. It allows users to interact with object storage like AWS S3 or run entirely in-memory, making it suitable for development and testing environments.

While s2.dev operates with a complex multi-tenant architecture, s2-lite aims to be simple to use. Although some features are still in development, users can already try streaming content with it.

One key feature of S2 is its ability to support many durable streams, differentiating it from other systems like Kafka and Redis Streams. s2-lite can be scaled vertically and uses keys in SlateDB for stream management.

Improvements are planned for better performance, particularly in how data is written to storage. Users can test the performance of s2-lite using a specific command and provide feedback or ask questions.

Author: shikhar | Score: 42

14.
GPTZero finds 100 new hallucinations in NeurIPS 2025 accepted papers
(GPTZero finds 100 new hallucinations in NeurIPS 2025 accepted papers)

GPTZero's analysis of 4,841 papers accepted at the NeurIPS 2025 conference revealed over 100 instances of "hallucinated citations," where references in the papers were fabricated or inaccurate. This issue highlights a significant flaw in the peer review process, which has been overwhelmed by a surge in submissions, increasing by 220% from 2020 to 2025.

The findings point to systemic vulnerabilities that have developed due to the reliance on generative AI in academic writing, where citations are often combined, paraphrased, or completely fabricated. The term "vibe citing" has been introduced to describe these AI-generated citations that appear credible at first glance but do not hold up under scrutiny.

The Hallucination Check tool from GPTZero aims to detect and flag these problematic citations, assisting authors and reviewers in ensuring the accuracy of references. This tool is part of a broader effort to maintain the integrity of academic publishing in the face of rising pressures from generative AI tools and paper mills.

Author: segmenta | Score: 895

15.
The state of modern AI text to speech systems for screen reader users
(The state of modern AI text to speech systems for screen reader users)

Text-to-speech technology for blind users has not significantly improved in the last 30 years, while advancements have surged for sighted users. Blind users prefer voices that are fast, clear, and efficient, often resulting in robotic-sounding voices that can be understood at high speeds (around 800-900 words per minute, compared to 200-250 for sighted users).

The most popular voice among blind users, Eloquence, was last updated in 2003 and faces challenges with modern software compatibility and security issues. For non-English speakers, modern text-to-speech voices are often inadequate, and alternatives like espeak-ng have their own limitations.

Recently, attempts to incorporate modern AI-based text-to-speech systems (Supertonic and Kitten TTS) into the NVDA screen reader revealed significant issues. These include:

  1. Dependency Bloat: Many large Python packages are required, slowing down the screen reader and raising security concerns.
  2. Accuracy: Modern systems often skip words and mispronounce numbers, which is unacceptable for screen reader use.
  3. Speed: These systems cannot begin speaking until processing an entire text chunk, leading to delays that disrupt user experience.
  4. Control: Older systems allow extensive customization, which AI models do not, limiting user flexibility.

The future for blind text-to-speech users is uncertain, as current solutions are insufficient. Although there are some promising developments, they often come with limitations. A call for better, modernized solutions that meet the specific needs of blind users is necessary, possibly requiring significant funding and expertise. Until then, many users will continue relying on outdated systems like Eloquence.

Author: tuukkao | Score: 56

16.
AI Usage Policy
(AI Usage Policy)

AI Usage Policy Summary

The Ghostty project has specific rules for using AI:

  1. Disclosure Required: You must disclose any AI tools you use (like Claude Code or Cursor) and how they assisted your work.

  2. Pull Requests (PRs): AI-generated PRs can only be made for accepted issues. Unrelated PRs will be closed. If AI use is suspected but not disclosed, the PR will also be closed. For code on non-accepted issues, start a discussion instead.

  3. Verification: AI-generated code must be fully tested by humans. Do not let AI write code for environments you can't manually test.

  4. Human Review: AI can assist in discussions and issues, but all AI content must be reviewed and edited by a human to ensure clarity and relevance.

  5. Media Restrictions: Only text and code can be generated by AI; no AI-generated art, images, videos, or audio are allowed.

  6. Consequences for Poor Use: Poor use of AI will lead to being banned and publicly criticized. The project encourages junior developers to learn without relying on AI.

  7. Maintainers Exempt: Maintainers can use AI tools as they are trusted to make good judgments.

  8. Human Engagement: Ghostty values human interaction and expects quality work. Low-effort contributions burden maintainers.

  9. Welcoming AI: Ghostty embraces AI as a useful tool, but the strict policy is due to the misuse by unqualified users, not an anti-AI stance.

The goal is to maintain high standards while allowing AI to be part of the workflow.

Author: mefengl | Score: 363

17.
Microsoft mishandling example.com
(Microsoft mishandling example.com)

Summary of Microsoft's Autodiscover Service Issue with example.com

Since February 2020, Microsoft's Autodiscover service has mistakenly directed the IANA-reserved domain example.com to the mail servers of Sumitomo Electric Industries in Japan. This misrouting could lead to sensitive test credentials being sent to the wrong place.

Key Points:

  • When setting up a dummy email account ([email protected]) in Outlook, it automatically configured to use the incorrect servers (imapgms.jnet.sei.co.jp and smtpgms.jnet.sei.co.jp).
  • This issue occurred across various devices and networks, including a new Windows 365 Cloud PC.
  • DNS checks confirmed that example.com has no valid records pointing to these servers, indicating the error is within Microsoft's database.
  • A technical test of Microsoft's Autodiscover API showed the same misconfiguration, revealing that it has been in place for almost six years and was added manually, not through crowdsourcing.

This ongoing issue highlights potential risks of leaking sensitive information through incorrect email configurations in Outlook's Autodiscover feature.

Author: mrled | Score: 143

18.
European Alternatives
(European Alternatives)

The text promotes European alternatives for digital products and services, emphasizing the importance of privacy and data protection. Key points include:

  1. Support for Local Businesses: Buying from local companies benefits your community through job creation and tax contributions.

  2. Data Protection: Many non-European companies may not comply with data protection laws like the GDPR.

  3. VAT Benefits: Businesses in Europe can receive VAT refunds for purchases from other European companies, which also offer familiar payment methods.

  4. Legal Consistency: EU laws create a unified market, making it easier to enforce rights across different countries.

The text also lists various categories of digital services, such as web analytics, cloud computing, email providers, and more, each with a number of alternatives available.

Author: s_dev | Score: 102

19.
Capital One to acquire Brex for $5.15B
(Capital One to acquire Brex for $5.15B)

Capital One is acquiring Brex, a financial technology company. Both companies have released statements about this partnership. For more details, you can check the official announcements from Capital One and Brex through the provided links.

Author: personjerry | Score: 342

20.
Presence in Death
(Presence in Death)

No summary available.

Author: tock | Score: 38

21.
I was banned from Claude for scaffolding a Claude.md file?
(I was banned from Claude for scaffolding a Claude.md file?)

The author shares their experience of being banned from using the AI tool Claude after attempting to automate a project scaffolding task. They were a paying user, but suddenly received a message stating their account was disabled with no prior warning or explanation.

The author describes using two instances of Claude to help each other with coding tasks, but this triggered the platform’s security mechanisms, leading to the ban. They believe their actions were misinterpreted as an attempt to manipulate the system.

After being banned, the author tried to appeal the decision and contacted support but received no response, only a credit note for their subscription fee. They express frustration with the lack of communication and the automated nature of the ban, comparing it to dealing with inefficient bureaucracy.

In conclusion, the author plans to rework their project without Claude's help, emphasizing the risks of using AI tools for automated tasks that resemble system instructions. They remain disappointed by the lack of support from the company and highlight the challenges of AI moderation systems.

Author: hugodan | Score: 634

22.
Why does SSH send 100 packets per keystroke?
(Why does SSH send 100 packets per keystroke?)

The article explores why the SSH protocol sends a large number of packets—specifically around 100 packets—for every keystroke entered during an SSH session. This behavior is due to SSH's implementation of keystroke timing obfuscation, which sends extra "chaff" packets to obscure the timing of keystrokes, making it harder for attackers to deduce what is being typed.

Key points include:

  1. Packet Analysis: In an example SSH session, out of 270 total packets, 179 were small 36-byte messages, while 90 were TCP acknowledgment packets, highlighting the overhead involved in transmitting just a single keystroke.

  2. Performance Impact: The author is developing a high-performance game that runs over SSH, where latency is critical. They noticed a significant drop in CPU and bandwidth usage when their server sent minimal data due to a testing error, which prompted an investigation into packet behavior.

  3. Investigation Findings: The author found that the extra packets were related to SSH's keystroke obfuscation feature, which was implemented to improve security but introduced unnecessary overhead for their application.

  4. Solution: By disabling the obfuscation feature on the client side, the author saw a dramatic reduction in resource usage. They also explored a server-side solution by modifying the SSH library to not advertise the obfuscation feature, leading to further performance improvements.

  5. Debugging with AI: The author used AI tools to assist in debugging the packet behavior, finding it helpful for analyzing TCP dumps and generating insights.

Overall, this article highlights the trade-off between security features in protocols like SSH and the performance needs of applications, particularly in high-performance environments like gaming.

Author: eieio | Score: 578

23.
Is liberal democracy in terminal decline?
(Is liberal democracy in terminal decline?)

No summary available.

Author: alephnerd | Score: 29

24.
Qwen3-TTS family is now open sourced: Voice design, clone, and generation
(Qwen3-TTS family is now open sourced: Voice design, clone, and generation)

No summary available.

Author: Palmik | Score: 664

25.
KORG phase8 – Acoustic Synthesizer
(KORG phase8 – Acoustic Synthesizer)

The phase8 is an innovative eight-voice acoustic synthesizer that combines the natural sounds of physical materials with advanced electronic controls. Developed by KORG, it features envelope shaping, sequencing, and modulation options.

Key features include:

  • Sound Generation: Uses vibrating steel resonators to create lively sounds that respond to touch and interaction.
  • Customizable Resonators: Comes with 13 tunable resonators, allowing users to swap and customize 8 at a time for varied sound effects.
  • Polymetric Sequencer: Offers both step programming and live recording, with the ability to save sequences in memory.
  • Modulation Effects: Includes three amplitude modulation types, allowing for creative sound manipulation.
  • Real-time Interaction: Users can physically shape sounds through touch, strumming, or tapping, and can enhance acoustic responses with an AIR slider.
  • Connectivity: Supports MIDI, USB-MIDI, and CV for integrating with other devices.

A special presale package includes unique percussive resonators for more sound exploration.

Author: bpierre | Score: 3

26.
Variation on Iota
(Variation on Iota)

Summary

On November 12, 2025, the text discusses a programming challenge: finding the position of items from one list (w) within a nested list (a). The author explains a method to achieve this using a combination of existing functions in the programming language APL.

  1. Problem Definition: Identify where each item in list w appears in the sublists of list a. The output should indicate the index of the sublist where each item is found.

  2. Initial Approach: The author flattens the list a and uses an indexing function to find the positions of items in w. They realize they need to account for the potential complexity of the items being non-scalar.

  3. Refined Solution: After several iterations, they develop a concise function (liota) to perform the task effectively.

  4. Alternative Methods: The author explores different approaches, including using the outer product of membership to simplify the process, leading to another function (liota2) that is more efficient.

  5. Community Contributions: The author highlights two additional solutions provided by other programmers, which utilize the APL function ⍸ for further optimization.

  6. Historical Context: The text concludes with a nod to Roger Hui, a notable figure in APL programming, and reflects on the evolution of a function initially designed for a specific purpose that has found broader applications over the years.

Overall, the text illustrates various programming techniques to solve a specific problem while emphasizing community collaboration and the history of the programming language.

Author: aebtebeten | Score: 11

27.
Douglas Adams on the English–American cultural divide over "heroes"
(Douglas Adams on the English–American cultural divide over "heroes")

Douglas Adams discussed the cultural differences between England and America regarding the perception of heroes in a 2000 conversation. He noted that in England, heroes are often characters who lack control over their lives, like Arthur Dent from his book "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." English culture celebrates failures and the ability to cope with them, while American culture tends to focus on success and personal agency. Adams highlighted that characters like Arthur may seem non-heroic to Americans, who prefer clear goals and achievements. He illustrated this point with the success of a British book called "The Book of Heroic Failures," which didn't resonate with American audiences. Ultimately, he argued that while both cultures acknowledge that life involves chance and personal agency, Americans lean more toward the belief in actively shaping their own destinies.

Author: speckx | Score: 499

28.
Your app subscription is now my weekend project
(Your app subscription is now my weekend project)

The author discusses their experience with creating simple apps to replace paid subscriptions they were using. They were paying for various apps, like Wispr Flow for dictation and Loom for video recording. After spending time at their mother's house, they created a free app called Jabber, which fulfilled their needs better than Wispr Flow. They also made another app, Reel, which improved on Loom's features.

Inspired by a friend's decision to create their own Markdown editor instead of paying for Typora, the author developed Hugora to edit their blog. They realize that many small, standalone apps can now be created easily and quickly, turning them into weekend projects.

The author, an engineer with no prior experience in macOS app development, notes this trend might indicate a shift in the industry where apps become mere features rather than standalone products. While they remain cautious about the reliability of their creations, they see potential in creating personal apps on demand without the need for subscriptions.

Author: robteix | Score: 471

29.
Why medieval city-builder video games are historically inaccurate (2020)
(Why medieval city-builder video games are historically inaccurate (2020))

The blog post discusses why medieval city-builder video games often misrepresent historical realities.

Key Points:

  1. Origins of City Builders: City-building games began in the 1990s by merging strategy and management genres, leading to titles like Sim City and Age of Empires. Medieval city builders emerged later, with games like Settlers and Knights and Merchants.

  2. Gameplay vs. History: Most medieval city builders depict a linear growth of settlements, which is not historically accurate. In reality, medieval village life was often precarious, with communities facing subsistence challenges, bad harvests, and external threats like warfare and disease.

  3. Settlement Planning: Historical settlements were carefully planned based on geography and resources, unlike the organic growth seen in games. Land ownership and the roles of lords and churches in taxing and managing resources are often overlooked in these games.

  4. Threats to Settlements: Medieval communities faced dangers from weather, diseases, warfare, and social conflicts, which are typically simplified or ignored in games.

  5. Suggestions for Improvement: To create a more accurate medieval city-builder, games could incorporate features like planned settlement layouts, flexible road designs, and realistic land management practices, including the impact of taxes and tithes.

  6. Challenges for Developers: Game developers often prioritize player engagement and familiar imagery over historical accuracy. Linear growth models are easier to implement and more rewarding for players.

Conclusion: While medieval city-builder games could benefit from more historical accuracy, developers may stick to familiar formulas to meet player expectations. However, introducing more realistic elements could enrich players' understanding of medieval life.

Author: benbreen | Score: 188

30.
TI-99/4A: Leaning More on the Firmware
(TI-99/4A: Leaning More on the Firmware)

It seems like you haven't provided any text to summarize. Please share the text you'd like me to simplify and summarize, and I'll be happy to help!

Author: ibobev | Score: 63

31.
The lost art of XML
(The lost art of XML)

Summary of "The Lost Art of XML"

The article discusses the decline in the use of XML (eXtensible Markup Language) in favor of JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) and argues that this shift was misguided.

Key Points:

  1. Misconceptions about XML: Many in the software industry dismiss XML as outdated, favoring JSON for its simplicity. However, the author argues that XML was not abandoned due to its inadequacy but rather because JSON became popular as it was more convenient for developers.

  2. Advantages of XML:

    • Schemas: XML allows for strict validation of data structures through XML Schema Definition (XSD), ensuring data types and required elements are verified before processing.
    • Namespaces: XML can combine multiple schemas without naming conflicts, which is useful in complex applications.
    • Comments: XML supports comments for documentation within the code, while JSON does not.
    • Self-description: XML documents can carry their own schema, making them easier to understand without external documentation.
  3. Comparison with JSON: JSON lacks several features that XML provides, such as built-in validation and clear structure. While JSON is easier to write and appears cleaner, it can lead to ambiguities and errors due to its less formal nature.

  4. Developer Convenience vs. Correctness: The preference for JSON is often based on developer convenience rather than technical robustness. The article argues that prioritizing ease of use has led to more complex and error-prone systems.

  5. Performance Solutions: Concerns about XML's verbosity have been addressed by binary formats like Fast Infoset and EXI, which maintain XML’s advantages while reducing size and improving performance.

  6. Practical Use Cases: While the author acknowledges that XML may not be suitable for all scenarios, it remains the best choice for applications requiring durability and correctness.

  7. Final Thoughts: The article concludes that the industry’s shift away from XML reflects a trend of valuing simplicity and convenience over the precision and reliability that XML offers. The author believes that XML is still a valid and effective choice for many applications, despite being labeled as outdated.

Author: Curiositry | Score: 84

32.
Tesla fined for repeatedly failing to help UK police over driving offences
(Tesla fined for repeatedly failing to help UK police over driving offences)

Tesla has been fined over £20,000 and convicted at least 18 times in the UK for not cooperating with police regarding driving offences. The company, which leases its vehicles, is responsible for identifying drivers who commit traffic violations. Recently, a Tesla was caught speeding at 80 mph, and due to Tesla's failure to respond to police requests, the company was fined instead of the driver.

In the past two weeks, nearly 4,000 individuals have faced similar convictions in England and Wales for not naming the drivers of their vehicles. Tesla has received multiple fines and court costs totaling £20,686. Some police letters went unanswered, leading to the company's legal troubles. Tesla has been asked for a comment on the situation.

Author: 6LLvveMx2koXfwn | Score: 65

33.
Scaling PostgreSQL to power 800M ChatGPT users
(Scaling PostgreSQL to power 800M ChatGPT users)

Summary:

OpenAI has significantly scaled PostgreSQL to support its growing user base, which now stands at 800 million, and is experiencing over 10 times the database load due to rapid traffic increases. PostgreSQL has proven capable of handling large read-heavy workloads with a single primary server and nearly 50 read replicas across different regions.

Key challenges included managing write-heavy traffic, which PostgreSQL struggles with due to its multiversion concurrency control (MVCC) system. To address this, OpenAI is migrating suitable workloads to sharded systems like Azure Cosmos DB, optimizing application logic to reduce unnecessary writes, and implementing strict rate limits during data updates.

OpenAI also focuses on optimizing queries to avoid expensive operations that can slow down services. To prevent a single point of failure with the primary database, they use a hot standby system for quick failover and ensure that read queries are offloaded to replicas.

Additionally, they deploy connection pooling to manage database connections efficiently and use caching to alleviate read pressure on PostgreSQL. The team has introduced rate limiting to control traffic spikes and is cautious with schema changes to avoid performance issues.

Overall, OpenAI's optimizations have allowed PostgreSQL to handle millions of queries per second while maintaining low latency and high availability. Future plans include further scaling efforts, possibly involving sharded PostgreSQL or other distributed systems to meet ongoing infrastructure demands.

Author: mustaphah | Score: 262

34.
Our collective obsession with boredom: Interview with a boredom lab researcher
(Our collective obsession with boredom: Interview with a boredom lab researcher)

No summary available.

Author: akakievich | Score: 23

35.
Improving the usability of C libraries in Swift
(Improving the usability of C libraries in Swift)

Summary: Improving C Library Usability in Swift

Doug Gregor discusses how to enhance the usability of C libraries in Swift without rewriting them. Swift can directly interact with C libraries, but the interface can feel un-Swift-like and unsafe. By using annotations on C headers, developers can create a more Swift-friendly interface, making the code safer and easier to use.

Key Points:

  1. Direct Use of C Libraries: Swift allows direct use of C libraries, which can feel cumbersome and unsafe due to C's global function calls and manual memory management.

  2. Improving Interoperability: Swift provides annotations to improve how C APIs are expressed in Swift, enabling features like argument labels and automatic reference counting. This makes C libraries feel more like native Swift code.

  3. Setup with Module Maps: Developers can create a module map to layer a Swift-friendly structure on top of C headers. This allows easy access to C APIs from Swift code.

  4. Using API Notes: Instead of modifying C headers, developers can use API notes to add Swift-specific information. This includes enhancing enums, reference-counted types, and function signatures to fit Swift conventions.

  5. Examples of Enhancements:

    • Converting C enums to Swift enums for better type safety.
    • Making C object types into Swift classes that handle memory management automatically.
    • Renaming functions for clarity and importing them as methods or properties in Swift.
  6. Scripting for API Notes: A Swift script can automate the generation of API notes from C headers, making it easier to maintain and improve the interface.

  7. General Application: The techniques discussed can be applied to any C library, providing a safer and more ergonomic experience for Swift developers.

By applying these strategies, developers can improve how Swift interacts with C libraries, leading to safer and more intuitive code.

Author: timsneath | Score: 135

36.
Bugs Apple Loves
(Bugs Apple Loves)

Summary of "Bug Apple Loves #001: Mail Search Doesn't Work"

Apple Mail's search feature is ineffective, failing to find emails even when users enter correct details like the sender's name or subject line. This issue has persisted for over a decade.

User Impact:

  • Affected Users:
    • 14 million macOS users
    • 210 million iOS users
    • 28 million iPadOS users
  • Usage Statistics:
    • 35% of users utilize Apple Mail
    • 40% of those users face search failures, averaging 2.3 searches per day.

Typical User Experience: Users spend time retrying searches with variations or giving up and using Gmail instead. This process includes:

  • 8 seconds for a partial search
  • 12 seconds for a full word search
  • 18 seconds for variations
  • 15 seconds to log into Gmail
  • Only 8 seconds to find the email in Gmail.

Extra Time Wasted: Some users try to solve the problem by revising settings or looking for alternatives, wasting additional time.

Overall Impact:

  • Daily, users waste 37.1 million hours due to search failures, translating to 4.2K years over time.
  • Annually, this amounts to 1.5 million years and 13.5 billion hours lost.
  • Since the issue was reported, the total wasted time is about 21.8 million years, costing $406.3 billion each year in lost productivity.

Conclusion: The Mail search issue, which could be fixed in 320 engineering hours, continues to waste significant amounts of time daily.

Author: nhod | Score: 839

37.
'Askers' vs. 'Guessers' (2010)
('Askers' vs. 'Guessers' (2010))

The article discusses two types of people: "askers" and "guessers." Askers are those who seek information and ask questions to gain knowledge. They are open to learning and often collaborate with others. On the other hand, guessers tend to rely on their intuition and make assumptions without seeking further information. The piece highlights the importance of being an asker in various aspects of life, as it leads to better understanding and decision-making. Overall, it encourages a culture of inquiry and communication.

Author: BoorishBears | Score: 181

38.
Writing First, Tooling Second
(Writing First, Tooling Second)

Summary: Writing First, Tooling Second

The author, Susam Pal, advocates for running personal websites on individual domains to promote a diverse and decentralized web. This approach allows writers to maintain control over their work without being affected by changing platform policies.

Pal emphasizes that aspiring website authors often focus too much on choosing the right tools, such as blogging engines or site generators, instead of just starting to write. He suggests that new authors should prioritize creating content first, even if it means using basic HTML.

Pal shares his own experience of starting his website with simple HTML files and gradually improving it over the years. He believes that not every website needs to be a blog; it can simply be a collection of pages organized in a way that makes sense to the author.

For those who dislike writing HTML, using formats like Markdown and converting them to HTML is acceptable. However, the main point is to avoid getting caught up in setting up a perfect website and instead focus on publishing your thoughts.

In short, Pal encourages writers to create their websites, publish their content simply, and let the tools come later. The essence of a website lies in the author's ideas and personality, while everything else is secondary.

Author: blenderob | Score: 56

39.
Yann LeCun's new venture is a contrarian bet against large language models
(Yann LeCun's new venture is a contrarian bet against large language models)

Yann LeCun, a leading AI researcher and Turing Award winner, has launched a new company called Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI) Labs based in Paris. Unlike the current focus on large language models (LLMs), LeCun advocates for "world models," which aim to better understand real-world dynamics. He criticizes major AI companies like OpenAI and Meta for their closed approaches and believes that open-source AI is essential for innovation and diversity.

LeCun's goal is to create an AI platform that can effectively represent and predict the physical world using various data types, such as video and sensor data. He asserts that while LLMs are useful for tasks like text and code generation, they cannot achieve true human-level intelligence because they lack a comprehensive understanding of the real world.

With AMI Labs, LeCun aims to develop advanced AI systems that can reason and plan. He believes that the future of AI research should focus on foundational concepts rather than just scaling existing models. LeCun plans to maintain his teaching role at NYU while leading AMI Labs, where he hopes to attract talent driven by the promise of world models. The company is also expected to have a global presence with offices in North America and possibly Asia.

Author: rbanffy | Score: 16

40.
In Europe, wind and solar overtake fossil fuels
(In Europe, wind and solar overtake fossil fuels)

Summary of E360 Digest - January 22, 2026

For the first time, wind and solar power have outpaced fossil fuels in the European Union, supplying 30% of the electricity last year compared to 29% from fossil fuels. This change is largely driven by the rapid growth of solar energy, which is now a significant source of power across all EU countries.

In 2025, renewables, including hydropower, accounted for nearly half of the EU's total power generation. While coal usage is declining, with many countries like Ireland and Finland shutting down their last coal plants, hydropower faced challenges due to droughts.

Natural gas use has increased to fill the gap, raising concerns about energy prices and dependence on imports. Experts suggest that the EU should focus on reducing reliance on natural gas, as cheaper battery technology is starting to replace it during peak evening demand, which could help stabilize energy prices.

Author: speckx | Score: 674

41.
CSS Optical Illusions
(CSS Optical Illusions)

Summary of CSS Optical Illusions

This article presents a collection of over 50 optical illusions created using CSS and HTML. These illusions can be viewed on CodePen, where users can interact with many demos by moving their mouse to see different effects.

Key Illusions Explained:

  1. Poggendorff Illusion: A diagonal line looks misaligned when interrupted by a vertical bar, even though it's continuous.
  2. Induced Gradients: Gray bars placed over a gradient appear to have different colors due to optical effects.
  3. Cornsweet Illusion: Identical colors appear different based on surrounding contrasts.
  4. White's Illusion: Gray columns surrounded by different colors appear to be different shades.
  5. Wertheimer-Koffka Ring: A ring appears to have different colors on either side due to background color.
  6. Adelson's Illusion: Two tiles appear different colors under shadows, but they are the same shade.
  7. Kanizsa Square: A white square seems to exist due to the arrangement of other shapes.
  8. Hering and Wundt Illusions: Lines appear to curve due to perspective tricks.

Static Illusions: Some illusions create the illusion of movement even though they are static, like the Expanding Hole and Rotating Snakes.

Animated Illusions: Others involve actual motion, like the Animated Ebbinghaus Illusion, where surrounding shapes create the illusion of a changing size.

The article showcases various methods of creating these illusions using CSS techniques and encourages readers to explore the demos to experience the effects firsthand.

Author: ulrischa | Score: 202

42.
AnswerThis (YC F25) Is Hiring
(AnswerThis (YC F25) Is Hiring)

No summary available.

Author: ayush4921 | Score: 1

43.
Constellation Space (YC W26) – AI for satellite mission assurance
(Constellation Space (YC W26) – AI for satellite mission assurance)

Constellation Space, founded by Kamran, Raaid, Laith, and Omeed, has developed an AI system that predicts satellite link failures before they occur. With backgrounds in satellite operations at SpaceX, Blue Origin, and NASA, they identified that traditional methods react too late to link degradation, often resulting in data loss.

Their system analyzes telemetry data at a high speed, using physics-based models and machine learning (ML) to forecast link health. They employ federated learning, allowing different satellite operators to train models on their own data without sharing sensitive information, which helps improve predictions across various satellite types.

Currently, their system can predict link failures 3-5 minutes in advance with over 90% accuracy, allowing for timely rerouting of data. They are testing the system with defense and commercial partners, offering real-time monitoring and predictions through an API.

Key challenges remain, such as maintaining accuracy for longer predictions and collecting more data on rare failures. They seek feedback from those experienced in satellite operations and related fields to enhance their system's utility.

Author: kmajid | Score: 44

44.
Why I don't have fun with Claude Code
(Why I don't have fun with Claude Code)

No summary available.

Author: ingve | Score: 77

45.
Stunnel
(Stunnel)

Stunnel is a proxy that adds TLS encryption to existing programs without needing to change their code. It's designed for security, portability, and scalability, making it ideal for large systems.

It uses the OpenSSL library for cryptography, supporting various encryption methods, including those validated by FIPS 140-2. The latest Windows installer includes the OpenSSL FIPS Provider.

Stunnel is free software created by Michał Trojnara and is distributed under the GNU GPL version 2 or later. However, it is not a community-driven project, and the copyright is retained by the author. For commercial support or non-GPL licenses, you can contact the team. There is also free support available through the stunnel-users mailing list.

Commercial support options include different response times, including a 24/7 helpline. You can download the latest version of Stunnel to try it out.

Author: firesteelrain | Score: 103

46.
Design Thinking Books (2024)
(Design Thinking Books (2024))

Summary of Design Thinking Tools

Key Points:

  1. Design Thinking Misconceptions: The idea that following a five-step design thinking process will automatically make someone a creative innovator is misleading. Effective design thinking requires understanding its core values rather than just following a formula.

  2. Importance of Design Thinking: Understanding design thinking can enhance creativity within teams and organizations, leading to a competitive advantage.

  3. Recommended Reading: The author provides a list of essential books and papers that cover core principles of design thinking, aiming to deepen understanding rather than just teaching methodologies.

  4. Highlighted Books:

    • Design Expertise by Kees Dorst: Explores the nature of design practice and its characteristics through case studies.
    • Frame Innovation by Kees Dorst: Discusses how to frame problems and solutions in design.
    • Design Thinking: Understanding How Designers Think and Work by Nigel Cross: Observes how creative designers form ideas and the stages of design thinking.
    • Change by Design by Tim Brown: Clarifies design thinking's application in organizations and its human-centered approach.
    • The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman: Focuses on human-centered design and user experience.
    • How Designers Think? by Bryan Lawson: Encourages reflection on design practice and problem-solving.
    • The Science of Artificial by Herbert Simon: Examines human reasoning in design and problem-solving.
    • Wicked Problems in Design Thinking by Richard Buchanan: Discusses the complexity of design problems.
    • The Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning by Rittel and Webber: Differentiates between tame and wicked problems in planning.
  5. New Vocabulary in Design: The author introduces new terminology to better describe the non-linear nature of the design thinking process, emphasizing the importance of understanding design problems in context.

  6. Conclusion: To effectively apply design thinking, one must understand the principles and characteristics of design, rather than just following a structured process. The recommended readings can help individuals grasp these concepts and improve their design practice.

Author: rrm1977 | Score: 291

47.
Recent discoveries on the acquisition of the highest levels of human performance
(Recent discoveries on the acquisition of the highest levels of human performance)

No summary available.

Author: colincooke | Score: 134

48.
BrowserOS – "Claude Cowork" in the browser
(BrowserOS – "Claude Cowork" in the browser)

Nithin and Nikhil, twin brothers behind BrowserOS (YC S24), have created an open-source, privacy-focused alternative to AI browsers from major companies. The key feature of BrowserOS is that it allows users to run local language models (LLMs) on their own machines, ensuring that sensitive data remains private.

They recently launched a new feature that gives the browser access to the user's filesystem, enabling it to read and write files and execute shell commands. This was made possible because, unlike other AI browsers that operate on the server-side, BrowserOS runs everything on the client-side.

After initial challenges with building the application as a Chrome extension, they decided to start over, creating a new architecture that has improved functionality and unlocked new features. The browser has gained significant traction with 8.5K GitHub stars and over 100K downloads.

Users can now organize files, summarize information from links, and build more reliable workflows. BrowserOS is positioned as an ideal platform for AI agents due to its integration capabilities, with plans to enhance security features, such as setting limits on what the agents can do.

They invite feedback and encourage users to try the updated version, which is available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Author: felarof | Score: 77

49.
'Active' sitting is better for brain health: review of studies
('Active' sitting is better for brain health: review of studies)

Not all sitting is the same when it comes to brain health. A recent review of 85 studies found that "active" sitting, such as reading or playing cards, is better for cognitive health than "passive" sitting, like watching TV. Active sitting engages the brain, while passive sitting leads to less mental stimulation and may increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Researchers emphasize that the type of sedentary activity matters, as most people spend a significant amount of time sitting each day. They suggest that simple changes, like choosing to read instead of watch TV, can help maintain brain health as we age. The study highlights the need for health guidelines to differentiate between various sitting activities and encourage more mentally engaging options to support long-term cognitive health.

Author: mikhael | Score: 119

50.
Txt2plotter – True centerline vectors from Flux.2 for pen plotters
(Txt2plotter – True centerline vectors from Flux.2 for pen plotters)

I have developed a new method to connect AI-generated images with my AxiDraw plotting machine, which simplifies the process.

When plotting AI images, many people face issues with common tools that create double strokes or produce poor line art. I tried several methods, including Potrace and Canny Edge Detection, but they didn't work well for my needs.

Instead, I created a Python tool that uses a combination of techniques:

  1. Prompt Engineering: A language model rewrites the prompt for a "Technical Drawing" style.
  2. Generation: I use a tool called Flux.2-dev, which maintains straight lines better than previous methods.
  3. Skeletonization: I apply Lee's Method to create a 1-pixel wide skeleton of the image, revealing the true stroke paths.
  4. Graph Conversion: The skeleton is turned into a graph to clean up noise and identify important points.
  5. Optimization: Finally, I use vpype to organize the paths for smoother plotting.

The results are better than previous attempts. While the project is still in early stages, I plan to improve it further by adding features for processing and shape identification. You can see examples of the work on my GitHub repository.

Author: tsanummy | Score: 33

51.
Text-to-video model from scratch (2 brothers, 2 years, 2B params)
(Text-to-video model from scratch (2 brothers, 2 years, 2B params))

Sahil and Manu, two brothers, have developed new text-to-video models over the past two years and are releasing them for public use. These models can create 2-5 seconds of video at 360p or 720p resolution and are designed to improve motion capture and visual quality compared to existing models.

They started from scratch because previous models struggled with temporal coherence, which is essential for smooth video creation. Their new version uses advanced components for text encoding and video compression and includes a unique approach to training that focuses on effective curation processes.

The models perform well with cartoon styles, nature scenes, and simple motions but struggle with complex actions and consistent text. The brothers believe that to create a product with the desired features, they need to improve the underlying model itself, which may take time and resources.

Future plans include enhancing physical accuracy, increasing processing speed, adding audio features, and scaling the model. They are open to questions and feedback about their development process.

Author: schopra909 | Score: 92

52.
Scientists used the same data, but their politics predicted the results
(Scientists used the same data, but their politics predicted the results)

A recent finding shows that people who support authoritarianism are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories about elections.

Author: geox | Score: 3

53.
Tree-sitter vs. Language Servers
(Tree-sitter vs. Language Servers)

Summary: Tree-sitter vs. Language Server

Tree-sitter and language servers are two different tools used in programming.

  • Tree-sitter:

    • It is a parser generator that creates a program to parse programming languages.
    • Key features include fast performance and the ability to handle syntax errors, making it great for syntax highlighting in text editors.
    • Tree-sitter uses a query language to interact with the parse tree, providing accurate syntax highlighting based on the language's structure.
  • Language Server:

    • A language server analyzes code and communicates with text editors using the Language Server Protocol (LSP).
    • It provides useful information, like symbol definitions and code completions, allowing for smarter programming assistance.
    • Language servers can access a language's runtime to give precise answers, avoiding confusion in cases where multiple definitions exist.
  • Using Language Servers for Syntax Highlighting:

    • While possible, using a language server for syntax highlighting may be slower and more complex than Tree-sitter.
    • Some advantages exist, such as detailed highlighting based on language-specific features (e.g., distinguishing mutable and immutable variables in Rust).

The author emphasizes that their insights are based on personal experience, not generated by AI, and they appreciate the human touch in writing.

Author: ashton314 | Score: 247

54.
Doctors in Brazil using tilapia fish skin to treat burn victims (2017)
(Doctors in Brazil using tilapia fish skin to treat burn victims (2017))

No summary available.

Author: kaycebasques | Score: 278

55.
ISO PDF spec is getting Brotli – ~20 % smaller documents with no quality loss
(ISO PDF spec is getting Brotli – ~20 % smaller documents with no quality loss)

Summary:

You can soon make your PDFs 15-25% smaller for free using a new compression method called Brotli, which will be added to the PDF specification. This is a significant upgrade from the old Deflate compression used for nearly 30 years. Brotli, developed by Google, is already widely used on the web and allows for smaller file sizes without losing quality.

The transition to Brotli in PDFs is being led by the PDF Association, which is carefully ensuring backward compatibility so that existing PDF readers can still open documents. The process of implementing Brotli involves creating both a decoder for reading existing Brotli-compressed PDFs and a new encoding strategy for creating them.

While the decoder is available in pure Java, the encoder requires native code, which complicates its integration. To address this, iText has created a separate module that allows developers to choose whether to include Brotli encoding in their applications.

Currently, Brotli-compressed PDFs may not open in all PDF readers since the feature is still being finalized for the official standard. However, adopting this technology now means you will be ready for its eventual standardization, helping to improve PDF efficiency.

In conclusion, using iText's Brotli implementation can reduce your storage costs while positioning your documents for future compatibility and improvements in the PDF ecosystem.

Author: whizzx | Score: 155

56.
RT Superconductivity at 298K in Ternary LaScH System at High-Pressure Conditions
(RT Superconductivity at 298K in Ternary LaScH System at High-Pressure Conditions)

Scientists have long dreamed of creating a superconductor that works at room temperature. Recent advancements in hydrogen-based superconductors have pushed the superconducting temperature record to around 250 kelvin. Now, researchers have successfully created the first room-temperature superconductor by compressing a mixture of La-Sc alloy and ammonia borane at very high pressures (250-260 GPa) using a special laser-heating method. This new superconductor shows zero electrical resistance and operates at temperatures between 271-298 kelvin under specific conditions. It has a hexagonal structure, identified as LaSc2H24, confirming earlier predictions. This achievement represents a significant breakthrough in the field of superconductivity.

Author: fluffybuns | Score: 6

57.
Keeping 20k GPUs healthy
(Keeping 20k GPUs healthy)

Summary:

Modal operates a large GPU worker pool using resources from major cloud providers like AWS, GCP, Azure, and OCI, managing over 20,000 GPUs. This post outlines their GPU reliability system, which aims to help customers and other users of cloud GPUs.

  1. Instance Testing: Different cloud providers have varying reliability and performance for GPU instances. For example, Cloud A has a reliable launch API, while Cloud C has issues with overheating GPUs.

  2. Machine Images: The quality and consistency of machine images, which include the operating system and drivers, significantly impact performance. Modal has improved its process for updating these images to ensure reliability.

  3. Instance Booting: When instances boot, light checks are performed to ensure GPUs are functioning correctly without slowing down the startup process.

  4. Health Checking: Modal conducts both passive (non-invasive) and active (invasive) health checks on GPUs to monitor their performance and identify issues. Passive checks gather data without affecting GPU usage, while active checks require exclusive access to GPUs for thorough testing.

  5. Observability and Support: Modal provides customers with metrics on GPU performance and has a support system in place for resolving issues quickly. They emphasize the importance of quick GPU replacement to maintain service reliability.

  6. Conclusion: Despite advancements, GPUs remain less reliable than CPUs, posing challenges for AI and ML development. Modal is committed to ensuring GPU reliability for its users and encourages others to consider these issues when using cloud GPUs.

Author: jxmorris12 | Score: 118

58.
eBay explicitly bans AI "buy for me" agents in user agreement update
(eBay explicitly bans AI "buy for me" agents in user agreement update)

eBay has announced updates to its User Agreement, effective February 20, 2026. The key changes include:

  1. Ban on AI Agents: eBay explicitly prohibits the use of AI "buy for me" agents and bots that scrape data from their platform without permission.

  2. Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Changes:

    • The agreement on arbitration has been clarified, including details on opting out and the scope of class action waivers.
    • Users can only bring individual claims and cannot join class actions or seek damages for third parties.
    • The address for sending arbitration notices has been updated.
  3. Opt-Out Policy: Only new users can opt out of the arbitration agreement; existing users missed their chance if they did not opt out before May 16, 2025.

These changes aim to protect eBay's platform integrity and streamline dispute resolution processes. Users are encouraged to read the full updated terms.

Author: bdcravens | Score: 320

59.
Composing APIs and CLIs in the LLM era
(Composing APIs and CLIs in the LLM era)

In early 2026, there are different approaches to structuring tool descriptions for large language models (LLMs). One method uses top-level tools for specific actions, while another relies on informing the model about useful shell commands. The latter allows the model to create command pipelines, saving time and resources. This method makes better use of the command line, which is friendly for both humans and machines.

The author discusses their experience with Google Docs and Google Groups APIs. For Google Docs, they created a command-line interface (CLI) using Google's API, but found it tedious. They discovered Restish, a tool that interprets OpenAPI specifications, which simplifies API interactions. However, they wanted more control over authorization processes, leading them to create a wrapper script around Restish.

For secure token storage in macOS, the author utilized the Keychain command-line tool to store sensitive tokens securely while managing access through device biometrics.

They also tackled the lack of an API for Google Groups by using a browser tool to capture network requests and then prompting an LLM to generate a Python client based on this data.

In conclusion, combining command-line interfaces with LLM capabilities can enhance productivity and reduce the need for complex server setups, allowing individuals to maintain simpler solutions effectively.

Author: zerf | Score: 65

60.
How do I make $10k (What are you guys doing?)
(How do I make $10k (What are you guys doing?))

The writer is looking to make around $10,000 but feels stuck on how to start. They previously worked as a technical writer in machine learning and artificial intelligence, but those jobs have become scarce. After spending a year improving their skills and trying out app projects that didn’t succeed, they are now struggling financially and can’t afford the resources to keep experimenting.

They are currently six months behind on rent and facing potential eviction but want to contribute to a project or startup that is meaningful. They are not asking for handouts, just a chance to be involved and grow. They are reaching out to see if anyone is working on interesting projects that could use help.

Author: b_mutea | Score: 18

61.
Project Mercury and the Sofar Bomb
(Project Mercury and the Sofar Bomb)

The article discusses Project Mercury, NASA's first human spaceflight program, which aimed to send astronauts into space quickly and simply in response to Soviet advancements.

Key points include:

  • Challenges: The project faced significant hurdles, such as unreliable rockets and the need for a capsule that could safely transport an astronaut and return them to Earth, preferably landing in the ocean.

  • Recovery Issues: Recovering the capsules was complicated due to the vastness of the ocean and the lack of advanced navigation systems. Some capsules sank or landed far from their targets, making them hard to locate.

  • SOFAR Bombs: To address recovery challenges, NASA equipped capsules with SOFAR bombs, which could create audible signals in a specific sound channel underwater. These signals would help ships locate the capsules after they splashed down.

  • Operational Use: The SOFAR bombs were tested during missions, but they proved less effective than hoped. The recovery teams often relied more on radio beacons and other methods.

  • Outcome: Ultimately, Project Mercury successfully sent a man into space, but the SOFAR bombs were phased out due to their limitations. The project showcased innovative engineering approaches during the early days of space exploration.

Overall, the article highlights the ingenuity and challenges of early space missions, emphasizing the importance of quick problem-solving in a fast-paced environment.

Author: verzali | Score: 14

62.
30 Years of ReactOS
(30 Years of ReactOS)

Summary of ReactOS's 30-Year Journey

Today marks the 30th anniversary of ReactOS, an open-source operating system aimed at allowing users to run Windows applications in a trusted environment. The project began in 1996, evolving from the FreeWin95 project, and was officially renamed ReactOS in reaction to Microsoft's dominance in the operating system market.

Key Milestones:

  • 1996-2003: Early Development
    ReactOS faced slow progress initially due to extensive planning without coding. Jason Filby took charge and shifted the focus to Windows NT, leading to the first version, ReactOS 0.1.0, released in February 2003. It was a basic command-line interface without a desktop.

  • 2003-2006: Rapid Growth
    The 0.2.x series saw significant development with new drivers and a basic desktop. However, concerns over potential misuse of leaked Windows source code led to a temporary freeze on contributions in 2006.

  • 2006-2016: Challenges and Progress
    Development slowed due to an audit of existing code. ReactOS 0.3.x was released in 2006, adding networking support and a package manager. Over the years, enhancements continued, including support for newer technologies.

  • 2016-Present: Advancements
    ReactOS 0.4.0, released in 2016, featured a new graphical shell and improved debugging tools. Ongoing updates have made the x86_64 version functional, though it currently lacks support for running x86 applications.

Looking Ahead
ReactOS is set to continue evolving with projects aimed at improving its capabilities, including better drivers and support for modern hardware. The community invites contributions, whether through code, financial support, or bug testing.

Statistics
As of now, there have been 88,198 commits from 301 unique contributors, resulting in a substantial codebase.

Author: Mark_Jansen | Score: 260

63.
AskUCP – UCP protocol explorer showing all products on Shopify
(AskUCP – UCP protocol explorer showing all products on Shopify)

On January 11th, Google and Shopify introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (ucp.dev), an open standard that allows applications to search for products across different e-commerce platforms without needing special connections or permissions.

Currently, shopping online requires visiting different stores like Amazon or Etsy, each with its own search and checkout process, making the experience fragmented. UCP aims to simplify this by standardizing product descriptions, allowing any application to find products easily.

One of the first applications using UCP is AskUCP, which lets users search for products from various platforms in one place, starting with Shopify's catalog. As more platforms adopt UCP, more products will be accessible through this method.

This is still a new idea in development, and feedback is welcome for improvements.

Author: possiblelion | Score: 10

64.
I've been using AI to analyze every supplement on the market
(I've been using AI to analyze every supplement on the market)

The author has been working on a project to improve how supplements are evaluated and chosen. After taking a break for studies, they are now focused on three main steps:

  1. Indexing Supplements: Collecting and standardizing information about all supplements available.
  2. Research Analysis: Reviewing research papers on supplements and ranking their claims based on effectiveness.
  3. Connecting Data: Linking the supplement information with relevant research.

The author faced several challenges, such as legal issues with companies demanding content removal, technical difficulties with early AI models, and uncertainty about how to monetize the project. Despite these challenges, they are committed to promoting transparency in the supplement market, helping consumers make informed choices rather than just pushing for more supplement use.

They have noticed increased interest in the project, partly due to public figures promoting healthy supplementation. The author is excited to continue this journey and welcomes feedback on their approach.

Key features of the project include:

  • Searching for supplements by ingredient.
  • Analyzing research papers with AI.
  • Finding specific strains or ingredients in probiotics.
  • Navigating research based on health outcomes.
  • Product listings for various supplements.
Author: lilouartz | Score: 80

65.
The cleaner: One woman’s mission to help Britain’s hoarders
(The cleaner: One woman’s mission to help Britain’s hoarders)

"Connected and Alone" explores the paradox of modern technology. While we are more connected than ever through devices and social media, these connections can often make us feel more isolated. The text discusses how online interactions can lack the depth of face-to-face communication, leading to feelings of loneliness. It emphasizes the importance of real, meaningful relationships and suggests that technology should be used to enhance, rather than replace, personal connections.

Author: Qem | Score: 35

66.
Turso is an in-process SQL database, compatible with SQLite
(Turso is an in-process SQL database, compatible with SQLite)

Turso Database Overview

Turso Database is a beta, in-process SQL database built with Rust and compatible with SQLite. It is still under development, so users should be cautious when using it with important data.

Key Features:

  • Compatibility: Supports SQLite SQL dialect, file formats, and C API.
  • Change Data Capture (CDC): Enables real-time tracking of database changes.
  • Multi-language Support: Works with Go, JavaScript, Java, Python, Rust, and WebAssembly.
  • Asynchronous I/O: Supports Linux with io_uring for efficient input/output operations.
  • Cross-Platform: Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and in web browsers via WebAssembly.
  • Vector Support: Allows exact search and manipulation of vectors.
  • Improved Schema Management: Enhanced support for schema changes.

Experimental Features:

  • Improved write performance with multi-version concurrency control (MVCC).
  • Data encryption at rest.
  • Incremental computation for maintaining views and query subscriptions.
  • Full-Text Search capability.

Roadmap:

  • Future plans include vector indexing for quicker approximate vector searches.

Getting Started: Users can install Turso Database using a command line script or through package managers for different programming languages like Rust, JavaScript, Python, and Go.

MCP Server Mode: Turso CLI has a built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI tools to interact with the database. It includes tools for managing databases, executing queries, and modifying schemas.

Contributions and Bugs: Contributions are welcome, and users can report bugs that cause data corruption for potential rewards.

Usage Note: Turso Database is not yet ready for production use, and it is distinct from Turso's libSQL project, which is a stable version of SQLite.

License: The project is licensed under the MIT license.

Author: marklit | Score: 130

67.
How do you find the "why" behind old code decisions?
(How do you find the "why" behind old code decisions?)

The text discusses the challenges teams face when modifying existing code. It raises questions about where to find information on past decisions, the frequency of unclear answers, and what to do if the original code author is unavailable. The author has experienced difficulty gathering context from pull requests, Slack conversations, and incomplete documentation and is curious about how common these issues are in different teams.

Author: siddhibansal9 | Score: 25

68.
Interactive physics simulations I built while teaching my daughter
(Interactive physics simulations I built while teaching my daughter)

I started teaching my daughter physics through hands-on activities, like plucking guitar strings and mixing paints, which helped her learn faster than using books or videos. This inspired me to create Lumen, an interactive physics playground that covers topics like sound, light, motion, and mechanics. Users can change variables in real-time and see or hear the results right away. You can try it out at Lumen's website.

Author: anticlickwise | Score: 83

69.
Extracting a UART Password via SPI Flash Instruction Tracing
(Extracting a UART Password via SPI Flash Instruction Tracing)

Summary: Extracting a UART Password via SPI Flash Instruction Tracing

This article discusses how to gain insight into the firmware of an embedded device, specifically a managed switch using the RTL8372N chip, by tracing instructions from its external SPI flash. The author highlights the importance of debug access for analyzing embedded systems and presents an alternative approach when such access is restricted.

Key Points:

  1. Debug Access Importance: Debugging allows for dynamic code analysis, which is more insightful than static analysis alone, especially when exploring embedded devices.

  2. Target Device: The focus is on a managed switch from GoodTop, which uses the RTL8372N controller. The firmware is stored on an external QSPI flash chip.

  3. Password Challenge: Upon attempting to connect via UART, the author discovers that a password is required. Previous hardcoded passwords do not work, prompting the search for the new one.

  4. Flash Dumping: The flash contents are easily dumped since they are unencrypted and uncompressed. However, the challenge lies in the 8051 architecture's limited address space, requiring a banking method to access additional code.

  5. Instruction Tracing: Without debug access, the author uses a logic analyzer to sniff the QSPI communication, capturing data during idle states and when entering incorrect passwords. This allows for comparison to identify relevant code sections.

  6. Analysis Tools: A custom Python script is developed to convert raw flash addresses into a format compatible with the 8051 architecture, making it easier to analyze instruction traces.

  7. Finding the Password: Through analysis, the author identifies that the password is stored in a specific memory location (DAT_EXT_1755) and decides to create a small piece of assembly code (gadget) to read this data.

  8. Firmware Modification: The gadget is injected into the firmware, and checksums are recalculated to bypass security measures. After flashing the modified firmware, the correct password is successfully extracted.

  9. Conclusion: The article illustrates that even without debug access, creative hardware techniques such as instruction tracing can effectively reveal firmware behavior and critical information, like passwords. The author expresses satisfaction with the results and emphasizes the value of hardware analysis tools for hobbyists.

This method provides a practical example of how hardware hacking can be used to overcome software restrictions and understand embedded systems better.

Author: Eduard | Score: 66

70.
It looks like the status/need-triage label was removed
(It looks like the status/need-triage label was removed)

No summary available.

Author: nickswalker | Score: 293

71.
Satya Nadella: "We need to find something useful for AI"
(Satya Nadella: "We need to find something useful for AI")

No summary available.

Author: marcyb5st | Score: 139

72.
The Uncomfortable Math of Working for Yourself
(The Uncomfortable Math of Working for Yourself)

The author reflects on their 15 years of self-employment, expressing that while they enjoy their work, the reality of entrepreneurship often differs from the popular narrative of freedom and wealth. They argue that many self-employed individuals end up creating jobs for themselves that come with high stress, long hours, and limited benefits.

The piece critiques the glorification of entrepreneurship, pointing out that success stories often come from a biased perspective, as they exclude those who fail or return to traditional jobs. Most entrepreneurs face significant challenges, and the median outcome of starting a business is often less glamorous than portrayed.

The author suggests that a more reliable path to wealth and stability is to join a growing organization rather than starting from scratch. This approach allows for professional growth, networking, and financial stability without the same level of risk. They emphasize the importance of being honest about what one truly wants and the realities of self-employment.

In conclusion, the author encourages young people to explore various career paths and consider joining established organizations, while also acknowledging that entrepreneurship can be rewarding for those suited for it. They stress the need for a more honest discussion about the costs and benefits of self-employment versus traditional employment.

Author: eeko_systems | Score: 34

73.
The mushroom making people hallucinate tiny humans
(The mushroom making people hallucinate tiny humans)

A type of mushroom called Lanmaoa asiatica, found mainly in Yunnan Province, China, is known to cause vivid hallucinations of tiny, elf-like figures when not cooked properly. This mushroom is popular in local cuisine, especially during peak season from June to August, and is sold in markets and restaurants. Many people visit hospitals each year after consuming the mushroom, reporting similar experiences of seeing these little beings.

Researchers, including Colin Domnauer, are studying L. asiatica to understand the chemical compounds responsible for these hallucinations, which are not related to psilocybin, a known psychedelic. Domnauer's research has confirmed the mushroom's identity and shown that it causes behavioral changes in lab animals similar to human experiences. He is also exploring other regions, like the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, where similar effects have been reported.

Interestingly, hallucinations from L. asiatica are consistent across different people, unlike other psychedelics that produce varied experiences. This unique property might help scientists learn more about the brain mechanisms behind such visions and could lead to potential new treatments for neurological conditions related to hallucinations. The ongoing study of this mushroom highlights the vast unexplored potential of fungi in scientific research.

Author: 1659447091 | Score: 114

74.
Skill.md: An open standard for agent skills
(Skill.md: An open standard for agent skills)

Summary:

Skill.md is a markdown file designed to help coding agents effectively use your product. It can be installed in over 20 major coding agents through Vercel's skills CLI. Mintlify documentation sites now include a default skill.md file that users can customize by adding their own version in their project’s root repository.

The previous format, install.md, is being phased out because skills provide a better combination of installation and usage information. Skills are crucial because, while agents can access documentation, they often produce poor code due to the way information is presented. Skill.md consolidates vital details that agents need, improving the quality of the code they generate.

Key elements of skill.md include:

  • Essential information about product use, capabilities, and best practices.
  • Decision tables that help agents make better choices.
  • Clear boundaries between what agents can configure and what requires additional setup.
  • A "gotchas" section to highlight common mistakes.
  • Links to full documentation for deeper context.

Users are encouraged to personalize their skill.md files to enhance the tool's effectiveness. The standard for skill.md is expected to evolve over time.

Author: skeptrune | Score: 44

75.
What AI feature looked in demos and failed in real usage? Why?
(What AI feature looked in demos and failed in real usage? Why?)

Everyone has their own story to tell, and many people enjoy criticizing or mocking demonstrations (demos).

Author: kajolshah_bt | Score: 8

76.
SpaceX lowering orbits of 4,400 Starlink satellites for safety's sake
(SpaceX lowering orbits of 4,400 Starlink satellites for safety's sake)

No summary available.

Author: thread_id | Score: 65

77.
Mote: An Interactive Ecosystem Simulation [video]
(Mote: An Interactive Ecosystem Simulation [video])

I'm unable to access external content like TikTok videos directly. However, if you provide me with the main text or details from the video, I'd be happy to help summarize it for you!

Author: evakhoury | Score: 62

78.
Reverse engineering Lyft Bikes for fun (and profit?)
(Reverse engineering Lyft Bikes for fun (and profit?))

No summary available.

Author: ibigio | Score: 65

79.
Your brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of cognitive debt when using an AI assistant
(Your brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of cognitive debt when using an AI assistant)

The text outlines the login and registration process for a Member Portal, specifically for those working with a Member organization. Users can log in with their email and password, or register for an account using their official email address if they do not have one.

It also includes a section on recent news and updates related to research at the Media Lab, particularly focusing on studies about the effect of AI tools like ChatGPT on cognitive functions. Articles from various media outlets discuss concerns regarding how using AI might impact critical thinking and brainpower.

Key points:

  • Users can log in or register for a Member Portal account.
  • Recent research highlights potential cognitive effects of using AI tools.
  • Various media reports are covering these findings.
Author: misswaterfairy | Score: 677

80.
From stealth blackout to whitelisting: Inside the Iranian shutdown
(From stealth blackout to whitelisting: Inside the Iranian shutdown)

Summary:

Iran is currently experiencing a severe internet blackout lasting nearly two weeks, coinciding with a government crackdown on protests due to economic distress. This blackout has restricted both internet and international calling services for the country's 90 million residents, making it one of the most significant communication shutdowns in history.

The Iranian internet connects to the world through two main gateways, but during the blackout, one of them, the Telecommunication Infrastructure Company (TIC), began withdrawing its internet routes. Traffic levels dropped dramatically, indicating that while some technical routes remained open, actual internet access for most people was blocked.

Currently, Iran is considering a "whitelisting" strategy, where only select users can access the internet while the majority is denied. There have been small instances of restored service, particularly for educational institutions, but overall connectivity remains limited.

The Iranian government has developed its National Information Network to maintain control during shutdowns, a tactic that might inspire other authoritarian regimes. Meanwhile, digital rights activists are working to provide alternative internet access, facing significant challenges.

As authoritarian governments learn from each other’s tactics to suppress communication, the struggle for open and free internet continues, highlighting the importance of supporting those fighting for digital rights.

Author: oavioklein | Score: 155

81.
In Praise of APL (1977)
(In Praise of APL (1977))

No summary available.

Author: tosh | Score: 95

82.
Miami, your Waymo ride is ready
(Miami, your Waymo ride is ready)

Waymo has launched its fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Miami, starting today. Nearly 10,000 residents are already signed up, and new riders will be invited gradually in a 60-square-mile area that includes popular neighborhoods like the Design District, Wynwood, Brickell, and Coral Gables. The service aims to expand to Miami International Airport soon.

Waymo's co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, expressed excitement about providing safe and reliable transportation in a city known for its energy and diverse culture. Miami-Dade County officials support the initiative, emphasizing the importance of safety and community collaboration.

Waymo's technology has already shown significant safety improvements, achieving a ten-fold reduction in serious crashes compared to human drivers. The service is designed to adapt to Miami's unique weather conditions.

Local organizations, including MADD and Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, welcome Waymo for its potential to enhance roadway safety and provide accessible transportation options. Residents can download the Waymo app to begin using the service.

Author: ChrisArchitect | Score: 81

83.
Why are there so many CPU bugs nowadays
(Why are there so many CPU bugs nowadays)

No summary available.

Author: riffraff | Score: 31

84.
Anthropic Economic Index economic primitives
(Anthropic Economic Index economic primitives)

The report discusses how AI, specifically Claude, is changing the economy and introduces new metrics for measuring its usage. It highlights five key dimensions of AI's economic impact: user and AI skills, task complexity, Claude's autonomy, its success rate, and the purpose of its use (personal, educational, or work-related).

Key Findings:

  1. Concentration of Use: Most Claude usage remains focused on coding tasks, with the top 10 tasks accounting for 24% of interactions. However, there has been a slight increase in more diverse uses.
  2. Geographic Differences: The U.S., India, Japan, the UK, and South Korea lead in Claude usage. In the U.S., states with more tech workers show higher usage, but adoption is becoming more even across states.
  3. Task and Skill Dynamics: Higher-income countries tend to use Claude for personal tasks, while lower-income ones use it for educational purposes. Claude tends to perform well on most tasks but struggles with more complex ones, which affects job roles differently.
  4. AI's Impact on Jobs: The report suggests that while AI may replace some high-skill tasks, it could also lead to upskilling in certain roles. Understanding which tasks are likely to be automated can help assess the future of labor productivity and inequality.
  5. Augmentation vs. Automation: There has been a shift back toward augmented use (where users collaborate with Claude) over purely automated use, indicating a trend towards more human-in-the-loop interactions.

Overall, the report provides insights into how AI is currently reshaping work and productivity, emphasizing the importance of education and skill levels in maximizing its benefits.

Author: malshe | Score: 84

85.
Synesthesia, make noise music with a colorpicker
(Synesthesia, make noise music with a colorpicker)

This app allows you to create noise music by clicking on a color picker. When you select a color, it translates that color's code into a musical chord using JavaScript. The sound is then generated with Tone.js. A warning: make sure to lower the volume before using it, as the music can be quite loud!

Author: tevans3 | Score: 34

86.
First Claude Code client for Ollama local models
(First Claude Code client for Ollama local models)

This project started as an experiment rather than a planned release. On January 16, Ollama introduced support for an Anthropic-compatible API, which prompted me to test how well local Ollama models could work in a Claude Code-style workflow.

Here are the key points of what I did:

  • I checked which local models were available in Ollama.
  • If there's no internet, the system automatically uses local models instead of remote ones.
  • For users, the experience remains the same as using Claude Code, but it relies on local processing.

The best-performing model I found so far is qwen3-coder:30b. I also tried the new glm-4.7-flash model, but it has issues with following instructions correctly, making it unsuitable for this workflow at the moment.

Author: SerafimKorablev | Score: 40

87.
Lix – universal version control system for binary files
(Lix – universal version control system for binary files)

Summary of Lix: A Universal Version Control System

Lix is a new version control system designed for AI agents that need to track changes in various file formats, not just text. Unlike Git, which can only handle code and text files, Lix can understand and compare any file type, such as Excel (.xlsx), PDF (.pdf), and Word (.docx).

Key Features of Lix:

  • Reviewable Diffs: Lix shows exactly what changed in any file format. For example, it can highlight that an order status changed from "pending" to "shipped" in an Excel file.
  • Human Approval: Changes made by AI agents are proposed and need human approval before being finalized.
  • Safe Rollback: Mistakes can be undone quickly.

How Lix Works:

  • Lix builds on existing SQL databases, allowing users to manage file versions using standard SQL queries without needing a separate storage system.

Development Background: Lix was created to overcome the limitations of Git when working with localization and file versioning. It has gained popularity, with over 90,000 weekly downloads on NPM.

Getting Started: Lix supports multiple programming languages, including JavaScript, Python, Rust, and Go. Users can easily install it and start using it with simple commands.

Future Plans: The next version of Lix will focus on improving performance and expanding compatibility with various SQL databases.

Community Engagement: Users can contribute by starring the Lix repository on GitHub and joining discussions on Discord.

Author: onecommit | Score: 138

88.
Sweep, Open-weights 1.5B model for next-edit autocomplete
(Sweep, Open-weights 1.5B model for next-edit autocomplete)

We have developed and open-sourced a 1.5 billion parameter model that predicts your next code edits, similar to Cursor. You can download it here or try it out with our JetBrains plugin here.

This next-edit autocomplete model uses your recent edits as context, making it more effective than standard autocomplete. Despite its smaller size, it runs locally and performs better in speed and accuracy than larger models.

We conducted tests against other models and found that our model's accuracy is closely linked to real usability, especially with code, which is precise. We also discovered that the format of prompts significantly affects performance; simpler formats work better for smaller models.

The model was trained using supervised fine-tuning on around 100,000 examples and then improved with reinforcement learning to handle edge cases.

We are sharing the model weights for the community to create fast and private autocomplete tools for various editors. We encourage developers using VSCode, Neovim, or other platforms to explore its potential!

Author: williamzeng0 | Score: 521

89.
TrustTunnel: AdGuard VPN protocol goes open-source
(TrustTunnel: AdGuard VPN protocol goes open-source)

AdGuard has officially open-sourced its VPN protocol, now named TrustTunnel, which aims to enhance transparency and privacy for users. TrustTunnel is a secure, mobile-friendly VPN protocol designed to overcome common weaknesses found in existing protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard, particularly in restrictive environments. It cleverly disguises VPN traffic as regular HTTPS traffic to avoid detection and throttling, using advanced encryption methods similar to those securing HTTPS.

By making TrustTunnel open-source, AdGuard encourages others to explore, modify, and build upon the protocol. This initiative aims not just to inform users about the technology behind AdGuard VPN but also to promote a broader adoption of TrustTunnel across different VPN services. The release includes the protocol's specification and the source code for both server and client applications for various platforms. Users can also access mobile apps for iOS and Android with features like flexible routing rules and detailed traffic logging.

AdGuard expresses its commitment to open-source development and invites contributions from the community to improve TrustTunnel further.

Author: kumrayu | Score: 196

90.
JPEG XL Test Page
(JPEG XL Test Page)

The JPEG XL Test Page, published on January 21, 2026, displays a JPEG XL image, which currently can only be viewed in Safari. The image features Jon Sneyers, a co-author of the JPEG XL specification and creator of a prior image format. JPEG XL has an interesting history; it was briefly available in Chrome but was removed due to low usage. It is now being reintroduced in Chrome. More details can be found on the JPEG XL Wikipedia page.

Author: roywashere | Score: 238

91.
Claude Chill: Fix Claude Code's flickering in terminal
(Claude Chill: Fix Claude Code's flickering in terminal)

Summary of Claude-Chill

Claude-Chill is a tool that improves how Claude Code updates your terminal by managing its large output efficiently.

The Problem: Claude Code sends extensive updates that can lag and flicker your terminal, making it hard to scroll back through previous output.

The Solution: Claude-Chill acts as a middleman between your terminal and Claude Code:

  • It catches and manages these large updates.
  • It only displays changes instead of the entire output, reducing flicker.
  • It saves previous output, allowing you to scroll back and review it.

Installation: You can install it with the command cargo install --path crates/claude-chill.

Usage: Start it with claude-chill claude and you can pass additional arguments if needed.

Features:

  • Lookback Mode: Pause Claude Code to review previous output by pressing a designated key.
  • Auto-Lookback: After a set time of inactivity, it automatically shows previous output.
  • Configuration: You can customize settings like history size and lookback key.

How It Works: Claude-Chill creates a pseudo-terminal to manage input and output between your terminal and Claude Code, ensuring smooth updates and a better user experience.

Note: This tool is primarily for personal use and might not work perfectly in all situations. Use it at your own risk.

For more details, you can refer to the command line help or configuration files.

Author: behnamoh | Score: 185

92.
Can you slim macOS down?
(Can you slim macOS down?)

No summary available.

Author: ingve | Score: 252

93.
Autodesk burns the village to feed AI and the Cloud – cuts 7% of workforce
(Autodesk burns the village to feed AI and the Cloud – cuts 7% of workforce)

No summary available.

Author: zdw | Score: 34

94.
CLI for working with Apple Core ML models
(CLI for working with Apple Core ML models)

No summary available.

Author: schappim | Score: 45

95.
Bootstrapping Bun
(Bootstrapping Bun)

The article details the author's experience in building the Bun JavaScript toolkit without using its usual dependencies, specifically Bun itself. Initially, the author faced challenges with installing Bun and OpenCode on their Linux distribution. They discovered that Bun's build process relies on its own CLI, which complicated matters since they didn't have Bun installed.

To tackle the problem, the author created a wrapper script to identify Bun's dependencies and gradually shifted to using alternative tools. They found that Bun's build scripts relied on three main functions: package management, TypeScript runtime, and bundling. They successfully identified suitable replacements for each of these tasks.

  1. Package Management: The author modified the build scripts to use npm for installing dependencies, making minor adjustments to the package.json format.

  2. TypeScript Interpretation: They adapted Bun's TypeScript files to work with Node's capabilities, making syntax updates where necessary.

  3. Bundling and Transpiling: The author used esbuild for bundling TypeScript code into JavaScript, finding it compatible with Bun's requirements.

Throughout the process, the author encountered various technical challenges, including issues with the Zig compiler and linker errors. They employed debugging strategies, such as replacing binaries with locally compiled versions, to resolve these issues.

Ultimately, the author succeeded in creating a working build system and a functional binary. They packaged their solution for others to use and expressed a desire to share their changes with the Bun community for potential upstreaming. The overall takeaway was the importance of understanding and building from source rather than treating dependencies as black boxes.

Author: zerf | Score: 54

96.
Joe Armstrong and Jeremy Ruston – Intertwingling the Tiddlywiki with Erlang [video]
(Joe Armstrong and Jeremy Ruston – Intertwingling the Tiddlywiki with Erlang [video])

It seems like there was no text provided for summarization. Could you please provide the text you'd like me to summarize?

Author: kerim-ca | Score: 45

97.
Locked out of my GCP account for 3 days, still charged, can't redirect domain
(Locked out of my GCP account for 3 days, still charged, can't redirect domain)

On January 19, 2026, the author's Google Account was disabled due to suspected policy violations. This led to their Google Cloud Platform account, which hosted a community website for over 17,000 users, becoming inaccessible. After appealing, access was restored, but they faced a login error stating "Too many failed attempts."

The author has tried various recovery methods, including submitting forms and contacting support, but has received little help. Their main issue is not just being locked out, but the subsequent damage: they cannot access their primary domain, which means 95% of users cannot find the service. They also cannot manage billing or see what charges Google is applying to their locked account.

The support system has proven ineffective, with different departments denying responsibility and no clear escalation path for account recovery. The author feels frustrated and trapped, facing ongoing charges for services they cannot access or dispute. They believe this situation highlights a serious flaw in Google's support structure that could affect other customers as well.

Author: lifeoflee | Score: 6

98.
Vibe a Guitar Pedal
(Vibe a Guitar Pedal)

Endless Summary:

Endless is a platform that allows users to create and customize audio effects easily. You can describe or code your desired effect, and the platform's PLAYGROUND system quickly transforms your description into a playable device.

Key Features:

  • Create and Share: Use existing effects or create new ones to share with the community.
  • Design: Comes with a customizable aluminum enclosure and knobs, and a blank front plate to personalize.
  • Audio Quality: Offers high-quality stereo audio with studio-grade inputs and outputs.
  • Power Requirements: Operates on 9–12 V DC.
  • User-Friendly: Includes easy USB file transfers and supports TRS expression pedals.

Pricing: Preorder for $299, which includes $20 in Playground tokens and a blank plate.

FAQs:

  • Only registered owners can access the Playground.
  • Community effects are free to download.
  • Programmers can create effects for free; using the Playground incurs small costs based on complexity.
  • New purchases come with tokens; used purchases do not.

Dimensions: 2.2 in height, 4.72 in width, 3.15 in depth, and weighs 0.88 lbs.

Author: mulhoon | Score: 34

99.
FIPS dependencies and prebuilt binaries
(FIPS dependencies and prebuilt binaries)

The author shares their experience debugging a Ruby on Rails app in a FIPS-enabled container. Initially, everything seemed fine with OpenSSL 3 and Ruby, and a simple PostgreSQL connection worked. However, the app failed when using ActiveRecord due to an error from libpq. This issue arose because the pg gem included a prebuilt native dependency that was linked to a different cryptographic library. The problem was only revealed when ActiveRecord was used. By forcing a source build, the extension linked correctly to the OpenSSL in the container, resolving the issue. The main takeaway is that just having a FIPS base image doesn't guarantee that all dependencies will be compliant, especially when native code is involved. The author is interested in how others have experienced similar issues in different programming languages.

Author: LaurentGoderre | Score: 25

100.
Nested code fences in Markdown
(Nested code fences in Markdown)

Summary: Nested Code Fences in Markdown

This article introduces Corey Dumm, a character who represents the challenges of using Markdown code fences. It explains that different Markdown versions can behave differently, but the focus here is on CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM).

Key Points:

  1. Basic Code Fences: Corey starts with a simple code block that renders correctly. However, when he tries to use nested code fences (triple backticks), he loses part of his content, illustrating a common mistake.

  2. Fancy Code Fences: To avoid losing content, CommonMark allows using tildes or varying numbers of backticks for code fences. This way, nested content can be preserved without issues.

  3. Inline Code Spans: Similar problems arise with inline code spans, where using a single backtick can lead to unintended terminations.

  4. Fancy Code Spans: To include backticks within inline code, users can start and end the span with multiple backticks.

  5. CommonMark Specification: The article concludes with references to the CommonMark specification, which outlines the rules for code blocks and spans.

Overall, the article provides tips for effectively using Markdown's code features to prevent common errors.

Author: todsacerdoti | Score: 256
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