Beam: Reflection's 501B open-weight model

453 Philpax 2026-10-05 19:42:07 UTC reflection.ai Llama Share 143

Beam is a large language model that combines pretraining and reinforcement learning to achieve strong performance in coding, agentic, and reasoning tasks. It was trained on 23.8 trillion high-quality tokens from the web and proprietary licensed datasets using a novel scaling recipe for reinforcement learning.

Accountability mechanisms can be joyful (2024)

33 luu 2026-10-06 05:42:07 UTC liquidbrain.net Llama Share 9

The author uses a music-based accountability system to motivate themselves and their partner, finding it more effective than traditional bets due to its focus on joy and positive impact. This approach waters the carrot rather than magnifying the stick, providing a sense of purpose beyond just avoiding negative consequences.

Find the flattest route between any two points in SF

200 ishan0102 2026-10-05 21:42:07 UTC flattensf.com Llama Share 70

The route is computed using 1m lidar elevation and street graph data, balancing distance and climbing. The slider offers various options, excluding stairways on bikes while allowing them on foot.

Dust: Pretraining Transformers Without Backpropagation

187 E-Reverance 2026-10-05 21:42:07 UTC qlabs.sh Llama Share 44

Researchers have developed a zeroth-order optimization algorithm called Dust that is competitive with backpropagation at pretraining transformer language models. The algorithm perturbs activations independently at every token, allowing for parallel evaluation and efficient computation.

Friendship ended with Deno, now Node is my best friend

166 ibobev 2026-10-05 22:42:07 UTC dbushell.com Llama Share 92

The author has returned to using Node.js after a long period of using Deno, finding it more modern and stable. They've switched to PNPM for package management and are exploring other built-in Node APIs to improve performance.

Opus 5.5 agents discover two room-temperature magnetic semiconductor candidates

354 outlier99 2026-10-05 21:42:07 UTC vals.ai Llama Share 233

Researchers used AI to design a new magnet with properties between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic materials, which could improve computer memory. The material has zero net spin moment but sorts electrons by energy level, allowing for faster switching and higher storage performance.

Web Search API

546 tosh 2026-10-05 11:42:07 UTC developers.cloudflare.com Llama Share 248

Web Search API is now available in beta, allowing AI agents to search the internet and ground responses in live information. It supports three providers: Ceramic.ai, Exa, and Linkup, with no additional markup on top of provider prices.

Resurrecting iChat Audio and Video Conferencing

48 thepipetogrep 2026-10-06 03:42:07 UTC blog.pipetogrep.org Llama Share 12

User successfully set up iChat's video conferencing on OS X Leopard over the internet by creating a custom SNATMAP server. The solution involves setting up a web server to serve the snatmap.txt file and updating the /etc/hosts file on both Macs.

Example.com just launched the biggest redesign in decades

222 jgx0 2026-10-05 23:42:07 UTC debugbear.com Llama Share 142

The example.com domain has undergone several changes over the years, with updates aimed at reducing bandwidth demands and improving its utility. The latest redesign introduces multi-language support using JavaScript, showing content in a new language every 5 seconds.

An algorithmic failure beneath the secret ballot

79 leecoursey 2026-10-05 23:42:07 UTC blog.citp.princeton.edu Llama Share 48

A security vulnerability in US ballot scanners allows for the reconstruction of 1.5 million ballots cast in Georgia's May 2026 primary, potentially exposing voters' secret choices. The flaw can be exploited using AI tools and public records, undermining the integrity of elections.

Testing 12 different Zigbee temperature/humidity sensors

112 walrus01 2026-10-05 21:42:07 UTC smarthomescene.com Llama Share 50

The article compares 12 Zigbee temperature and humidity sensors from various brands, including Aqara, Sonoff, Tuya, Thirdreality, Zemismart, and Moes. The sensors were tested for accuracy and reporting interval using a calibrated reference sensor in a controlled environment.

Competitive Programmer's Handbook (2018) [pdf]

201 vinhnx 2026-10-05 18:42:07 UTC cses.fi Llama Share 47

This book provides a thorough introduction to competitive programming, focusing on algorithms and mathematical thinking. It is suitable for students interested in IOI or ICPC, as well as anyone looking to learn about competitive programming.

Why Common Lisp is now the best programming language

162 misterchocolat 2026-10-06 03:42:07 UTC vivienhenz.com Llama Share 219

The author believes Common Lisp is the best programming language due to its ability to write code quickly and efficiently, thanks to its image-based nature and lack of a crash loop. This allows LLMs to make changes without restarting the program, making it ideal for rapid development.

Global Solar Atlas: summary of solar power potential globally

54 stratts 2026-10-05 22:42:07 UTC globalsolaratlas.info Full Share 35

The Global Solar Atlas provides a summary of solar power potential and solar resources globally. It is provided by the World Bank Group as a free service to governments, developers and the general public, and allows users to quickly obtain data and carry out a simple electricity output calculation for any location covered by the solar resource database.

The complement of true is true, except when it's false

12 aw1621107 2026-10-06 06:42:07 UTC dryperspective.github.io Llama Share 1

The C++ standard proposal P4313R1 aims to add bitmask operations for enums using a C++26 annotation, but it has uncovered issues with integral promotion and boolean conversion. The code can produce unexpected results due to the language's behavior when performing bitwise operations on smaller-than-int types, which are promoted up to int before being combined.

ChatGPT is adding real cartoonists' signatures to fake New Yorker cartoons

433 rdmuser 2026-10-05 23:42:07 UTC niemanlab.org Llama Share 312

ChatGPT's AI image generator has reproduced the signatures of several New Yorker cartoonists without permission, sparking concerns over intellectual property and authenticity. The issue highlights the challenges posed by AI-generated content in a world where creativity is increasingly being replicated and profited from.

Fundamentals of circadian entrainment by light (2021)

3 NaOH 2026-10-06 07:42:07 UTC journals.sagepub.com Full Share 0

Using A.I. and machine learning to decode communication of sperm whales

22 dnetesn 2026-10-06 04:42:07 UTC blue-continuum.com Llama Share 6

Marine biologist David Gruber is leading a project to decode sperm whale communication using AI and machine learning. He believes it's the next logical step in understanding these intelligent creatures.

Show HN: Photoc – Command-line tools for photographers

34 ahmetomer 2026-10-06 01:42:07 UTC github.com/ahmetomerv Llama Share 5

Photoc is a terminal-based tool for reviewing, organizing, and preparing photos. It can rename and sort photos into folders, create contact sheets and smaller copies, or remove GPS location before sharing.

The lamps in my house

203 farslan 2026-10-05 14:42:07 UTC arslan.io Llama Share 89

The author shares their passion for designer lamps, showcasing 15 unique pieces from various designers and eras. They discuss the value of these lamps, which can be expensive but hold sentimental worth for them.

Show HN: Entombed in a Raycaster

23 stelabouras 2026-10-06 03:42:07 UTC stelabouras.com Llama Share 5

The author implemented the Entombed maze generation algorithm in a raycaster game, creating a procedurally generated maze with unique characteristics. The project combined learning about raycasting and procedural generation with implementing the ancient Atari game's logic.

Ephemeral Testing

56 ibobev 2026-10-05 23:42:07 UTC lemire.me Llama Share 19

The author proposes "ephemeral testing" where an AI agent builds on top of a software component, then tests it without assessing the original work directly. This approach simulates other layers to gather evidence about the code's quality and stability.

DEDA – Tracking Dots Extraction, Decoding and Anonymisation Toolkit

63 greyface- 2026-10-05 21:42:07 UTC github.com/dfd-tud Llama Share 6

Colour tracking dots are used in printers to encode information about the device and printout, allowing for forensic analysis and anonymisation. The process can be performed using software such as deda_extract_yd or deda_create_dots.

Samon: Designing a Zen Garden Raking Puzzle

42 networked 2026-10-05 23:42:07 UTC gwern.net Llama Share 20

Samon is a puzzle game where players rake sand into patterns, with the goal of creating a calm and aesthetically pleasing design. The game features various rules, including ones that introduce new elements such as grooves, pebbles, and wide rakes to increase difficulty.

Apple and a hacker's future

258 maguay 2026-10-05 10:42:07 UTC stratechery.com Llama Share 217

The author's Mac Mini was hacked due to a macOS vulnerability, but they were able to detect and remove the malware using their custom agent software. The author is now questioning Apple's approach to security and control over user data.

Making a GTK application in Haskell, part 1

156 Vosporos 2026-10-05 14:42:07 UTC floreal.tech Llama Share 41

This series will build a todo-list application using Haskell, GTK 4, and Adwaita library to create responsive design. The application state and actions are modeled as data structures, with messages triggering updates to the model and view.

Protect Your Friends and Loved Ones

34 speckx 2026-10-06 05:42:07 UTC ephemeral.cx Llama Share 8

The author shares their experience of having a friend arrested and the importance of being prepared for emergencies, including knowing emergency contact numbers and locations. They outline steps to create an emergency phone number that can be called by multiple people simultaneously.

Qualcomm licenses patents on Huawei’s LogicFolding chip tech

190 0xedb 2026-10-05 09:42:07 UTC bloomberg.com Full Share 125

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The first fully implanted cochlear implant reaches patients

91 rbanffy 2026-10-05 11:42:07 UTC spectrum.ieee.org Llama Share 72

Med-El has launched the TICI Unico, a fully implanted cochlear implant that restores round-the-clock hearing without visible components. The device provides comparable performance to conventional implants and allows users to hear while asleep, swimming, and recharging.

Anthropic reported diary entry to police, woman faces felony charge

730 emptybits 2026-10-05 09:42:07 UTC techspot.com Llama Share 563

A Florida woman is facing felony charges after using a chatbot to write a threatening message, which was reported to police by the company's safety systems. The incident highlights the need for users to think carefully before sharing sensitive information with AI-powered tools.