A guide to local coding models

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The author initially thought upgrading hardware to run local coding models would be more cost-effective than paying for AI coding subscriptions. However, they realized local models are not suitable for critical tasks due to performance limitations.

Deliberate Internet Shutdowns

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Internet shutdowns have become a common tool for governments to control information and suppress dissent, with 296 deliberate shutdowns tracked in 54 countries in 2024 and at least 244 more in 2025. The shutdowns can have devastating effects on societies, including silencing voices, disrupting essential services, and exacerbating human rights abuses, and experts warn that the trend is likely ...

Webb observes exoplanet that may have an exotic helium and carbon atmosphere

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Scientists using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope discovered a rare exoplanet with a helium-and-carbon-dominated atmosphere, unlike any seen before. The Jupiter-mass object orbits a pulsar, a rapidly spinning neutron star, and its unique composition challenges our understanding of how it formed.

I'm just having fun

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The user is uncomfortable with people feeling intimidated by their expertise in compilers and build systems, emphasizing that learning is possible through experimentation and hard work, not magic. They encourage others to learn by building their own tools and exploring existing projects, making it fun and motivating.

Build Android apps using Rust and Iced

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To build Android apps with Rust, set environment variables ANDROID_NDK_HOME and ANDROID_HOME, then use cargo ndk to build. iced can be integrated with existing graphics pipelines like winit and wgpu to support Android.

Disney Imagineering Debuts Next-Generation Robotic Character, Olaf

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Disneyland Paris introduced a next-generation robotic Olaf character with advanced technology and AI, bringing the beloved snowman to life in a new way. This innovation marks a new chapter in Disney character innovation, with Olaf set to debut at Disney parks.

Show HN: Books mentioned on Hacker News in 2025

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The user discusses the limitations of copyright law and its impact on social justice, suggesting that famous works like Harry Potter should become public domain after reaching a certain level of fame. They also propose a tool for learning a new language through synchronized reading and listening to books in multiple languages.

Aliasing

Aliasing in C++ can prevent compiler optimisations, causing redundant stores in hot loops. Using __restrict or local variables can help avoid aliasing and enable optimisations, but be cautious of non-standard usage.

Kernighan's Lever

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The article discusses Kernighan's quote that debugging is twice as hard as writing code, but argues that this is not a reason to avoid clever techniques, as they can actually help improve skills through practice and motivation. The author suggests that writing code that respects the original idea and requires full capability can lead to bugs, but also to a point where the idea is honored and ...

QBasic64 Phoenix 4.3.0 Released

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QB64-PE updates include new features, library updates, and bug fixes. The update adds $USELIBRARY meta-command, IDE editing features, and allows defining another EXE output folder.

ONNX Runtime and CoreML May Silently Convert Your Model to FP16

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The user identified an issue with CoreML's implicit casting to FP16 when using the NeuralNetwork model format, which led to differing results in model predictions. Switching to the MLProgram model format, which explicitly types intermediate layers, resolved the issue and ensured model predictions remained consistent across platforms.

Functional Flocking Quadtree in ClojureScript

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The user is building a simulation of 200 boids using a purely functional quadtree in Clojure, adding multiple focal points and boid flocking logic to create a realistic flocking behavior. The user shares insights on how to optimize the quadtree for fast search and manipulation, and discusses the trade-offs between purity, performance, and conciseness in functional programming.

Single-Pass Huffman Coding

While working on something else, I figured out a nice Haskell implementation of Huffman coding, and I thought I’d share it here. I’ll go through a few techniques for transforming a multi-pass algorithm into a single-pass one first, and then I’ll show how to use them for Huffman. If you just want to skip to the code, it’s provided at the end 1. The algorithm isn’t single-pass in the sense of ...

CO2 batteries that store grid energy take off globally

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Energy Dome's CO2 Battery stores excess renewable energy in a giant dome, generating 200 megawatt-hours of electricity daily. Replicas of this plant will be built globally, including in India and the US, to provide round-the-clock clean energy.

Cursed circuits #3: true mathematics

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The article discusses using operational amplifiers for analog math, including summing, subtracting, multiplying, and integrating. It explains how to implement these operations using op-amp circuits with resistors and capacitors, leveraging their properties to achieve the desired results.

Show HN: WalletWallet – create Apple passes from anything

A simple utility to convert physical barcodes into digital passes for Apple Wallet®. Entirely free and runs directly from your browser.

Exploring Speculative JIT Compilation for Emacs Lisp with Java

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The author is working on a Java-based Emacs clone called Juicemacs, which aims to explore concurrency models and JIT compilation for Emacs Lisp, but faces challenges such as supporting various Emacs features and GUI capabilities. The author discusses the performance of Juicemacs compared to nativecomp, a JIT compiler in Emacs, and suggests that nativecomp has potential for improvement with ...

Making the most of bit arrays in Gleam

Bit arrays in Gleam are a powerful feature that allows constructing and pattern matching on binary data, with various data types such as Int, Float, String, and BitArray. They have several options like size, unit, endianness, and type-specific options that can be used to customize their behavior and encoding.

Show HN: Rust/WASM lighting data toolkit – parses legacy formats, generates SVGs

I program on the subway

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The author finds their NYC commute time-consuming but uses it to focus on side projects without distractions. They've adapted to the subway environment by using free WiFi and a small notebook for complex ideas.

Luke Howard’s essay on the modification of clouds (1865)

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At first light, the project of classifying the clouds might seem a bit uninspired, if useful. Not so for Luke Howard (1772–1864), industrial chemist by trade and amateur meteorologist by calling, whose 1803 Essay on the Modification of Clouds records the fruits of a fervent, lifelong dedication to skygazing. It was long thought impossible to infer clear types from the constantly shifting ...

The Going Dark initiative or ProtectEU is a Chat Control 3.0 attempt

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The EU Commission plans to introduce "Going Dark" or ProtectEU, a law that would allow law enforcement to access encrypted data, potentially including VPN services. Mullvad VPN vows to continue fighting the law, even if it affects their business, and will never spy on customers, regardless of the outcome.

Evaluating chain-of-thought monitorability

Researchers study chain-of-thought monitorability in AI systems and introduce a framework to evaluate it. They find that most frontier reasoning models are fairly monitorable, but monitorability can be fragile to changes in training procedure and scaling.

Autoland saves King Air, everyone reported safe

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Garmin's Autoland system successfully landed a King Air 200 at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Colorado after pilot incapacitation. All passengers are reported safe, with the system working flawlessly.

E.W.Dijkstra Archive

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Edsger Dijkstra was a highly influential computing scientist who made significant contributions to the field, including the ACM Turing Award. He maintained a collection of technical notes called EWDs, which are now available online.

Ruby website redesigned

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Ruby has a vast collection of libraries and mature frameworks, allowing developers to build high-quality applications quickly. Its simple syntax, expressive features, and welcoming community make it a popular choice for programmers.

You’re not burnt out, you’re existentially starving

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The author feels stuck in the ordinary and is searching for meaning, but instead of giving up, they're finding their highest purpose and pursuing it. They encourage others to do the same by identifying their true passions and taking the first step towards making a positive impact.

Indoor tanning makes youthful skin much older on a genetic level

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Young tanning bed users have more skin mutations than people twice their age, increasing their risk of cancer. Artificial UV radiation from tanning beds causes genetic changes that can lead to melanoma and other skin cancers.

Waymo halts service during S.F. blackout after causing traffic jams

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Waymo suspended its ride-hailing services in San Francisco due to a citywide blackout. Autonomous vehicles were stuck in traffic, blocking roads and causing jams.

86Box v5.3

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86Box has been updated with performance improvements, bug fixes, and new hardware for the holidays. The update includes improved floppy drive sounds, customizable keyboard shortcuts, and support for new machines and devices.