Tony Hawk's Pro Strcpy

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The author describes their journey to hack the original Xbox console using a buffer overflow exploit in the game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, which allows them to gain remote code execution and transfer a secondary payload to the client's console. They then use this exploit to hack a friend's console remotely, demonstrating the potential for malicious activity, and highlight the importance of ...

Show HN: I've spent nearly 5y on a web app that creates 3D apartments

https://roometron.com/images/failed-icon.png
Roometron is innovative online service to visualize, promote and design real estate spaces

Prevention of HIV

https://www.science.org/do/10.1126/science.zhq1t9d/full/lenacapavir-1723045625370.png
Lenacapavir, an antiviral for HIV treatment and prevention, was approved in 2022 and has shown a 100% prevention rate in real-world use, with twice-yearly injections in high-risk areas. Its success sets a high bar for HIV vaccines and complicates their trials, but it's a significant advancement in the fight against the disease.

Puppeteer Support for Firefox

https://hacks.mozilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/pptr-fx.png
Puppeteer, a browser automation library, now supports Firefox, allowing for easy automation and end-to-end testing across both Chrome and Firefox. The support is based on WebDriver BiDi, a cross-browser protocol that enables automation tooling to interact with multiple browsers in a standardized way.

Apple memory holed its broken promise for an OCSP opt-out

Apple made promises to protect user privacy after a 2020 OCSP outage, but broke those promises by removing a preference to opt out of security checks. The company's failure to keep its word raises questions about trust and whether users can rely on Apple's claims about logging IP addresses.

NASA says Boeing Starliner astronauts may fly home on SpaceX in 2025

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/08/07/science/07starliner/07starliner-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale
NASA officials admit Starliner's problems are more serious than thought, and astronauts may not return on Boeing's spacecraft, instead considering a SpaceX backup option. The extended stay in orbit may last until next year, with astronauts potentially joining the space station crew for a half-year stay.

Official proposal for Type Unions in C#

https://opengraph.githubassets.com/b5e5d9ba59a4dd3c323ac8eb56d07752418b3a0f30548332ea8192d67712ea4f/dotnet/csharplang
The proposal aims to introduce a new feature in C# called "unions" that allows a single variable to hold values of one or more limited types, which can be used to simplify code and improve type safety. The proposal defines four categories of unions: standard, specialized, ad hoc, and custom, each with its own set of rules and behaviors.

Show HN: BudgetFlow – Budget planning using interactive Sankey diagrams

https://www.budgetflow.cc/static/images/logo6.png
BudgetFlow is a beta app for visual budget management, allowing users to create flow charts and share budgets with others. It features automatic cash transfers and collaboration tools for managing finances with roommates or partners.

The Third Atomic Bomb

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The US had plans to drop a third atomic bomb on Japan on August 19, 1945, but the Japanese government was considering surrender after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the US eventually accepted their surrender terms. The third plutonium core was later used in experiments, resulting in two fatal accidents, and was eventually melted down and incorporated into new atomic cores.

How Uber tests payments in production

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Testing in production is necessary because it allows for the discovery of exotic bugs that cannot be found in a no-stakes environment, and it provides a way to validate the quality of software in real-world scenarios. Uber's approach to testing payment systems in production involves rolling out new features to a small subset of users, monitoring for issues, and rolling back if necessary, ...

70% of new NPM packages in last 6 months were spam

https://blog.phylum.io/content/images/size/w960/2024/08/garbage_patch.webp
The Tea protocol, a decentralized initiative that rewards software developers in cryptocurrency for open-source contributions, has led to a proliferation of spam packages in npm, with an estimated 68.66-74.67% of new packages published in the past six months being spam. The pollution in the open-source ecosystem poses risks, including the potential for AI models to be skewed, and hinders the ...

GPT-4 LLM simulates people well enough to replicate social science experiments

This demo uses Large Language Models to predict experimental treatment effects on survey outcomes for U.S. adult samples, with approximately 70-80% accuracy in predicting direction and strong correlation with actual effect sizes. The tool can be used for intervention design, minimizing harm to human participants, pilot testing, and predicting subgroup effects, with caution and consideration ...

What are the Olympics shooting competitors wearing on their faces?

https://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/1560869_81_133176_PeAXJhKmf.jpg
Olympic air pistol competitors use mechanical irises to fine-tune their gun sights, adjusting for changing light conditions and fatigue. These irises are preferred over prescription glasses due to the potential for eyesight changes throughout the day.

1970 Clean Air Act was intended to cover carbon dioxide

https://e360.yale.edu/assets/site/_400xAUTO_stretch_center-center/pexels-banananardini-8788264.jpg
A new study finds evidence that Congress intended to cover carbon dioxide emissions in the 1970 Clean Air Act, strengthening the legal case for regulating greenhouse gases. The study, which reviewed historical records, concludes that lawmakers understood the threat of climate change and considered carbon dioxide a pollutant, contradicting the Supreme Court's previous conclusion.

Maximal min() and max()

The C preprocessor's extensive use in the Linux kernel has led to a problem where a simple macro expansion can generate a huge amount of code, causing compilation time to increase significantly. The kernel developers have been working to address this issue, and a recent patch series has improved compilation time, but the problem is still ongoing, and some developers are advocating for the use ...

Argdown, like Markdown for argument mapping

https://argdown.org/argdown-arrow.png
Argdown is a tool for creating argument maps that can be used to analyze complex debates and create visual representations of arguments. It can be used within Markdown and allows for easy creation of maps, with options to export as PDF, image, or web component.

Mistral Agents

https://mistral.ai/images/news/build-tweak-repeat.png
Language models are changing software development, requiring customization to improve quality, reduce latency, and prototype quickly. The company is announcing advancements in model customization, introducing Agents for custom behavior and workflows, and releasing mistralai 1.0, a new SDK for Python and Typescript.

In ‘The Book Against Death,’ Elias Canetti rants against mortality

Zen5's AVX512 Teardown and More

http://www.numberworld.org/blogs/2024_8_7_zen5_avx512_teardown/chipsx3-small.jpg
AMD's Zen5 processor has a significant improvement in AVX512 performance, with a native implementation that doubles the width of nearly all datapaths and execution units to 512-bit, allowing for 4x512-bit execution throughput. The processor also has a unique ability to run AVX512 instructions at full clock speed without any delay, making it a significant improvement over previous processors.

Show HN: Play with an interactive heatmap of SF crime (and other cities)

Is San Francisco a safe city? Answer that question with Safemap. Explore crime in San Francisco using a free and fast heatmap. Learn which parts of San Francisco are safest and which parts are best to avoid. Learn San Francisco crime stats, explore San Francisco crime data, and view San Francisco crime maps.

Gazette: Cloud-native millisecond-latency streaming

https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/47641995?s=280&v=4
Development of Gazette and related projects. Gazette has 2 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.

Gear Acquisition Syndrome

https://library.oapen.org/themes/Mirage2/images/oapenlogo_01_colour.jpg
Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) is a phenomenon where musicians feel compelled to buy and own instruments and equipment, believing it will improve their playing. Research into GAS explores the complex psychological and social factors driving this behavior, including musical, social, and personal motives.

Judge Fines Ripple $125M, Bans Future Securities Law Violations

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A federal judge imposed a $125 million fine on Ripple for violating federal securities laws through its institutional sales of XRP, while ruling that its programmatic sales to retail clients did not violate securities laws. The judge also issued an injunction against future securities law violations and banned Ripple from selling securities without registering them.

A Two-Stroke Engine Made from Scratch Using Basic Hardware Store Parts

https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/two-stroke_engine_from_scratch_parts.jpg?w=800
Camden Bowen built a two-stroke internal combustion engine from scratch using basic machining skills and tools, overcoming challenges with DIY spirit and improvisation. The engine ran successfully after a rebuild, idling and running well with a 40:1 fuel/oil mixture, but the question remains whether a four-stroke engine would be similarly easy to build.

Jeremy Rowley resigns from DigiCert due to mass-revocation incident

DigiCert issued 83,267 certificates without an underscore prefix in the random value, which is a security-critical assumption in DNS-based validation, and is now revoking all impacted certificates. The incident was caused by a lack of compliance sign-off process in engineering, siloed teams, and inadequate communication, which led to the issue going unnoticed until a researcher reported it.

The Private Life: On James Baldwin

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/james-baldwin-37-allan-warrencopy-sh.jpeg
James Baldwin's life and work were marked by his passion for social justice, his exploration of the human condition, and his struggles with his own identity and sense of belonging. Through his writing, Baldwin sought to challenge societal norms and conventions, and to explore the complexities of human experience, often using his own life and experiences as a lens through which to examine the ...

I Got a Sleep Study in My 30s. It Probably Saved My Life

The author suffered from sleep apnea, a disorder that caused him to stop breathing throughout the night, leading to vivid hallucinations, fatigue, and memory loss, but after getting a sleep study and using a CPAP machine, his symptoms disappeared and he felt revitalized. Despite the effectiveness of CPAP therapy, sleep apnea remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, with many patients ...

Cats appear to grieve death of fellow pets – even dogs, study finds

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Cats show signs of grieving after the death of another pet, including changes in behavior such as sleeping, eating, and playing. Research suggests that cats may be more profoundly affected by the loss of a companion if they lived together for a longer period.

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X Offer Excellent Linux Performance

https://www.phoronix.net/image.php?id=amd-ryzen-5-9600x-ryzen-7-9700x&image=amd_ryzen9600x9700x_1_med
The AMD Ryzen 9000 series, including the Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X, offers great performance and competitive pricing, outperforming Intel's 14th Gen Core competition in single-threaded Linux workloads. However, there are some minor Linux caveats, including issues with RAPL/PowerCap energy monitoring and compiler support, which may affect some users.

Python extensions should be lazy

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/665a5f120c4c63df1944d627/66b2fd89e9065aa8843c5762_666b78b0949d1a81e01cda5c_Py_CompileStringObject.png
The author optimized a Python tool that made many calls to ast.parse, which took 8 seconds to complete, by moving AST-dependent operations to a Rust extension, reducing memory allocations and garbage collection. This approach allowed the extension to process ASTs in Rust and only return final results to Python, resulting in a 16x speedup and reduced memory pressure.

How to talk to your parents about hardware memory safety

CHERI is a hardware-software platform that provides tools for language implementers to enforce memory safety and control-flow integrity, allowing languages to share objects without violating each other's safety properties. CHERI is not a language-level property, but rather a set of hardware and software tools that allow languages to enforce their own safety properties, even in the presence of ...

Neon: A serverless open-source alternative to AWS Aurora Postgres

https://repository-images.githubusercontent.com/351806852/f72da0d4-d53d-46e6-b659-1dbf82111e41
Neon is a serverless open-source alternative to AWS Aurora Postgres, separating storage and compute and substituting the PostgreSQL storage layer. It allows creating a serverless Postgres instance, connecting to it with a preferred client, and running integration tests or Python scripts.

Linux for UX Designers: What I learn after a year of doing design work on Linux

https://eu-west-2.graphassets.com/clyzyiu0p3dmg06mgfa5h660j/clzizstqn682x07miuo92ppsb
The author, a UX designer, switched from Mac to Linux due to Apple's security updates stopping for their MacBook Pro, and found Linux to be a reliable and customizable option with a minimalist design. The author shares their experience with Linux, including setting up their old MacBook Pro, using design tools, and troubleshooting common issues, and recommends Linux as a viable option for ...

Gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Deputy gangs within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department have been formed along ethnic lines, requiring acts of police violence and misconduct to be initiated, and engaging in criminal activity such as vandalism and homicide. The gangs have been known to target people of color, fabricate evidence, and engage in police corruption, with little legislative action taken to address the issue.

GitButler is now fair source

https://blog.gitbutler.com/content/images/size/w500/2024/08/fair-source-post.png
GitButler made its client source code public on GitHub under the Functional Source License, a business-friendly license with a non-compete clause that converts to the MIT license after two years. This license is part of the Fair Source movement, which aims to provide a balance between user freedoms and developer sustainability, encouraging companies to make their source code publicly available.

2.9B hit in one of largest data breaches; full names and SSNs exposed

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RZCdscEFpbLuX5TWobFEFH-320-80.jpg
A massive data breach exposed the personal data of 2.9 billion people, including full names, addresses, and Social Security Numbers, which was stolen from National Public Data by a cybercriminal group. The company obtained the data through scraping non-public sources, and the breach is now the subject of a class action lawsuit seeking financial compensation and stricter security measures.

AMD Ryzen 9000 Series processors are ready to deliver world class gaming

https://abs.twimg.com/responsive-web/client-web/icon-ios.77d25eba.png
AMD Ryzen 9000 Series processors are ready to deliver world class gaming and creator performance. Available Aug 8: • Ryzen 7 9700X • Ryzen 5 9600X Available Aug 15: • Ryzen 9 9950X • Ryzen 9 9900X

macOS Sequoia makes it harder to run not notarized or signed apps

https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/macOS-Sequoia-security-change.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=1600
Apple is updating its macOS security by removing the Control-click shortcut to bypass Gatekeeper warnings, requiring users to review security information in System Settings instead. This change aims to prevent harmful software from being opened, but may annoy power users who need to run unsigned or notarized apps.

Scrum is the Symptom, not the Problem

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Scrum is a tool of micro-management that robs engineers of their productivity and self-esteem, and its widespread use is due to its ability to control people rather than effectively organize and motivate workers. The root problem is the imbalance of control in software corporations, where developers have no real power or seat at the table, and the only solution is for engineers to acquire ...

The Pesticide Industry's Toxic Lobby

https://images.jacobinmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/26165529/GettyImages-2163448039.jpg
A new study found a strong association between the amount of pesticides used on farms and the incidence of many cancers, affecting not only farmers and their families but entire communities. The study comes as the pesticide industry has been lobbying to limit its liability from lawsuits over the health impacts of its products, with companies like Bayer attempting to restrict future payouts ...

Atlanta Police Monitoring of 'Cop City' Opponents' Political Activity

https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/800xauto/public/2024-07/atlanta-pd-social-media-monitoring-1.png?itok=0rgeMW-K
The Atlanta Police Department has been monitoring residents' social media activities, targeting opponents of a police training facility, and critics say this surveillance is a violation of First Amendment rights. The department's intelligence reports include information on peaceful events, such as community conversations and pizza nights, and critics argue that this monitoring is not ...

Launch HN: Release (YC W20) – Orchestrate AI Infrastructure and Applications

Release.ai is a platform for managing and orchestrating AI applications and infrastructure, allowing users to run open-source frameworks on their own cloud accounts and manage GPU compute resources across multiple clouds. The platform offers a library of AI templates, a workflow engine, and a sandbox account for users to try it out, with pricing starting at 100 free managed environment hours per month.

Rising rates of cancer in young people prompts hunt for environmental culprit

Cancer rates are rising faster among young people than old in many countries, with a "birth cohort effect" showing that certain types of cancer are increasingly common among younger generations. The trend has profound implications for cancer care, including rethinking screening programs and finding ways to preserve fertility during treatment, as the disease metastasizes into something unfamiliar.

Review – Ford’s First Engine

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/8l4BhmDVYPRngkHta7qKyW4crgDwPnjQtzTwAgXxm0vkmixDPBcF5gVuZwOjovPZE6Qtkb3jk3JlO0TEqWhAIa_XKPRZQZJKNs23KT2LOqXEgotD=w1280
The author visited the Henry Ford Museum and took 161 photos of the first internal combustion engine built by Henry Ford in 1893, noting its condition, materials, and design features, including the use of brass and iron, and the unique ignition system. The author also researched and discussed various aspects of the engine, including its history, materials selection, and design, and provided ...

Ask HN: How to build site with payment, subscriptions, user login, registration

You're a 11-year experienced frontend engineer and designer with a working concept for designing and converting UIs to interactive interfaces, but you're struggling to integrate it with a website due to lack of backend knowledge. You're using WordPress on a domain, but need help with adding user login, registration, subscription, paid subscription, landing pages, and product pages.

Can kids master the video games their parents loved?

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The author reflects on how their children have introduced them to new video games, including Pokémon, Final Fantasy, and Ratchet & Clank, which have brought back nostalgic memories of their own childhood gaming experiences. The author also shares their own experiences playing retro games with their children, including Frank the Flea, a game written by their uncle, and Manic Miner, which they ...

Ask HN: How different is AWS/GCP/Azure in everyday work

You believe that cloud providers like GCP, AWS, and Azure offer similar services with different names and interfaces, making it possible for developers to switch between them with minimal disruption. However, you also note that the differences in interfaces and documentation can cause a productivity hit when switching between providers, requiring developers to learn new ways of working.

A 1940 Letter of André Weil on Analogy in Mathematics (2003) [pdf]

André Weil's letter to his sister Simone discusses the analogy between the theory of numbers and the theory of algebraic functions, highlighting the importance of the law of reciprocity and the role of ideals in both fields. Weil also discusses the development of class field theory and the introduction of valuations, which allowed for a reestablishment of the analogy between the two fields.

First USGS supercomputer decommissioning makes way for successors

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Official US government websites use .gov and secure HTTPS connections to ensure safety. RSS feeds categorize news updates by topic and location, and can be read using a browser extension or third-party service.

Thoughts on Canonical S-Expressions (2019)

https://cdn.writeas.net/img/w-sq-light.png
Canonical S-Expressions (CSEXP) is a compact and flexible data format, but it lacks type conversions and requires a reader to convert data into application-specific structures. While it's efficient and easy to parse, working with CSEXP can be challenging, and alternative formats like Bencoding, MessagePack, and Preserves may be more suitable for complex data structures.

macOS Sequoia adds weekly permission prompt for screen recording apps

https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/macOS-Screen-Recording-Prompt-3.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=1600
Apple is introducing a change in macOS Sequoia that requires explicit permission on a weekly basis for apps that need access to screen recording permissions, and every time the Mac is rebooted. This change affects third-party screenshot utilities, screen sharing apps, and other apps that request screen recording permissions, and there is no API to avoid this pop-up.

Coq will be renamed into 'The Rocq Prover'

Coq is a formal proof management system for writing mathematical definitions, algorithms, and theorems, with applications in certification, formalization, and teaching. It is free, open-source software with a large user community, and users can contribute to its development and ecosystem through various means.

Deprecate 0.0.0.0 for Private Network Access

A Texas DNA Lab Cracked the 1995 Murder of Catherine Edwards

https://img.texasmonthly.com/2024/07/OTHRAM-illo.jpg?auto=compress&crop=faces&fit=fit&fm=jpg&h=0&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=1250
Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy lab, used whole-genome sequencing to identify the killer of Catherine Edwards, a 31-year-old teacher who was murdered in Beaumont, Texas in 1995. The lab's technology, which combines DNA analysis with traditional genealogical research, helped solve the 26-year-old cold case by identifying the suspect, Clayton Bernard Foreman, who was arrested and convicted ...

The Well-Off People Who Can't Spend Money

https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/FXJuEuIz9bGEZVV3_J8eo0vQWJk=/0x0:2000x1125/960x540/media/img/mt/2024/08/money/original.jpg
David Fox, a wealthy individual, struggles with spending his money due to anxiety and fear of running out, a phenomenon known as "tightwad" behavior. This irrational stinginess is often tied to psychological factors, such as fear of poverty, identity, and past experiences, rather than economic necessity.

Ask HN: Front-end bait and switch?

The user has repeatedly been hired for back-end development positions, only to be assigned front-end work, leading to poor performance and eventual termination. Despite being clear about their lack of front-end skills during interviews, they continue to experience this "bait and switch" phenomenon, leaving them feeling frustrated and uncertain about how to prevent it.

Türkiye Bans Roblox

https://i.turkiyetoday.com/image/resize/1280x854/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/7JXY6ACRQJNOZLY536XPYJTP5Y-scaled.jpg
Türkiye banned Roblox due to concerns over sexual content, virtual parties promoting homosexuality, and the misuse of virtual currency to incentivize children's participation in problematic activities. The ban was also driven by the platform's insufficient oversight mechanisms, which failed to effectively monitor and regulate inappropriate content.

Humane's daily returns are outpacing sales

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Humane's AI Pin has returned over $1 million worth of product and only 7,000 units remain in customer hands, with the company struggling to stabilize its operations and maintain confidence among staff and potential acquirers. Despite raising over $200 million from notable Silicon Valley executives, the company's low sales figures and high return rate have put it in a difficult position with ...

End of an era: Apple's SuperDrive has sold out after 16 years

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Apple has discontinued the SuperDrive, a USB accessory for the 2008 MacBook Air, which was sold out on Apple's website. The device, which was introduced in 2008, was no longer useful due to the availability of more powerful and affordable external drives with USB-C.

Google's real monopoly is on the user data

https://www.propellernet.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/google-antitrust-1-768x438.png
Google's dominance in search is partly due to its default status on iOS and its ability to collect vast user data, which improves its search results. The company's use of user behavior data to refine its results is not unique, but its massive market share and resulting data advantage may be considered unfair and potentially illegal.

Robot Dog with Gun Turret for Hunting Aerial Drones Being Tested by Army

https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/drone-hunting-robot-dog.jpg
The US military is exploring new anti-drone capabilities, including a rifle-toting "robot dog" called the Vision 60, which is being demonstrated at Operation Hard Kill at Fort Drum in New York. The robot dog is equipped with an AR-15-type rifle and an electro-optical targeting system, and could be used to engage hostile drones while remaining behind cover.

If Fever Helps Fight Infection, Should I Avoid Fever-Reducing Drugs? (2018)

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/05/15/well/ask-fever/ask-fever-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale
Treating fever with anti-fever medicines like acetaminophen or ibuprofen does not have a proven benefit or harm, and fever is not inherently harmful. For minor illnesses, it is likely safe to avoid taking anti-fever medicines, but it is also acceptable to take them if they make you feel more comfortable.

The Powers of Soviet Puppetry

https://www.historytoday.com/sites/default/files/2024-07/kazakh_puppet_theatre_history_today.jpg
The Alma-Ata government puppet theatre in Kazakhstan faced competition from private troupes, including one called "The Illusionist Apollo and the Lilliputians", which featured small children. Despite struggles, the theatre continued to produce shows, including adaptations of classic stories, and eventually became a respected institution with a large team of puppeteers and administrators.

China is stockpiling – we must do the same

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China is stockpiling rare metals and energy resources, with some speculating it's to supplant the US in world markets, while others believe it's preparing for a potential blockade or war with the US. The Chinese government is also modernizing its military, with a focus on hypersonic missiles and quantum computing, and is building up its reserves of metals and minerals to support its military ambitions.

Electric chainsaws and the gorge of misery

https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb8cdb4c4-e1e2-475f-b790-bcc57f33b451_2000x1334.jpeg
California's ban on gas-powered tools makes sense in suburbs, but not in rural areas where battery-powered tools lack sufficient power and torque. The author's experience with a top-of-the-line battery-powered chainsaw shows it struggles with horizontal cuts and overheating, making it unsuitable for rural use.

Costco membership scanners coming to clubs in sharing crackdown

https://images.axios.com/LXhse62rgDY6D2z6x8CChvBIfx4=/0x373:4748x3044/1920x1080/2024/08/07/1723060909654.jpg?w=1920
Costco is implementing membership scanners nationwide to ensure members match their cards, ahead of a price hike for the first time in seven years. The scanners will speed up the process, and membership fees will increase from $60 to $65 for Gold Star and business memberships, and from $120 to $130 for executive memberships.

Streams, Calculational Proofs and Dafny

Calculational proofs in Dafny use a chain of equalities to show that two statements are equal, often relying on induction and the definition of inductive datatypes. The paper discusses a proof strategy for coinductive datatypes, using restricted stream equations and the UpwardsUniqueFixedPoint lemma to establish uniqueness and equality of streams.

Susskind: String Theory Is Not the Theory of the Real World

Lenny Susskind expressed skepticism about the current state of string theory, stating it's not the theory of the real world and its experimental implementation was overhyped. He emphasized the need for caution in communicating scientific findings to the public and encouraged exploring alternative approaches to unifying fundamental forces beyond the Standard Model.

Critical 1Password Security Flaw Could Let Hackers Steal Unlock Key

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A critical security vulnerability, CVE-2024-42219, was discovered in 1Password for macOS, allowing an attacker to exfiltrate password vault items and obtain account unlock keys. The vulnerability has been patched in version 8.10.36, and users are advised to update their application as a matter of urgency to ensure their security.

The future of F/OSS continues to be AGPL

The GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL) was created to address concerns about OSS vendors being undercut by cloud companies, but it has limitations, such as allowing companies to avoid obligations by not modifying the code or adding layers. The AGPL's limitations led some companies to choose not to relicense or to revise the license to expand its scope, as seen with MongoDB.

Basic ReAct webapp using FastHTML and LangGraph

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You built a toy project using LangGraph, FastHTML, and OpenAI GPT-4o-mini to create a Perplexity-like user experience, focusing on visual and interactive aspects. You encountered issues with debugging and integrating Groq, and decided to focus on the core functionality, using WebSockets to stream tokens from the LLM to the frontend.

Terraforming Mars may be easier than scientists thought

Researchers propose injecting tiny iron-aluminum rods into Mars' atmosphere to warm the planet by 10°C, making it habitable, and suggest that the rods could be manufactured from Martian dust. While this idea is still in its infancy, it could potentially make Mars suitable for human civilization, but many challenges and obstacles remain before such a plan could be implemented.

SQL/SE Query Language Extension for Schema Evolution (1992) [pdf]

SQL/SE is an SQL extension that supports schema evolution in relational database systems, allowing for temporally related information to be modelled more naturally and consistently. The extension includes proposals for both historical and rollback support, enabling the retrieval of data from past and future schemas.

DSOP – Delayed Open Source Publication

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The Delayed Open Source Publication (DOSP) practice involves initially distributing software under a proprietary license before publishing its source code under an Open Source license. This document surveys the history of DOSP, identifying patterns and trends, and was made possible by a donation from Sentry and OSI's individual members.

Fruitful innovation: Transforming watermelon genetics with advanced base editors

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Researchers have developed adenine base editors (ABE) and adenine-to-thymine/guanine base editors (AKBE) for watermelon genetic engineering, enabling precise genetic modifications and targeted trait enhancements. The new tools have shown high efficiency in inducing specific mutations, such as a flowerless phenotype, and could revolutionize watermelon breeding and crop improvement.

Don't Pivot into AI Research

The machine learning field is becoming oversupplied, leading to a consolidation of demand and falling salaries for ML researchers. This dynamic is similar to what happened in the chip design industry, where a high supply of talent led to a decrease in status and lucrative opportunities for chip designers.

macOS 15 Sequoia makes you jump through more hoops to disable Gatekeeper

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Apple is removing the ability to bypass Gatekeeper by right-clicking and opening unsigned apps in macOS 15 Sequoia, requiring users to review security information in System Settings instead. This change may cause minor annoyance for some users, but it's intended to promote app security and notarization, which can ensure apps haven't been tampered with.

How the super-rich are building their luxury 'safe house' bunkers

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Billionaires are investing in high-tech, luxurious bunkers that combine security with entertainment, such as moats, water canons, and go-kart tracks, to protect themselves from various threats. These bunkers are designed to be comfortable and self-sufficient, with features like artificial lakes, filtered air supplies, and medical facilities, to ensure the wealthy can survive and thrive in the ...

Massachusetts 'Reviewing' Kei Car Ban After Uproar over Canceled Registrations

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Massachusetts JDM car owners have organized to repeal a ban on kei cars, which was pushed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), a lobbying group that has influenced similar bans in other states. The RMV has paused revocation of JDM car registrations while it reevaluates its policy, and kei owners are working together to educate authorities and fight against ...

Sourcetrail: Free and Open-Source Interactive Source Explorer

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Sourcetrail is a free and open-source source code explorer that helps users get productive on unfamiliar code, with open-source development and regular releases made possible by patrons. The project requires several dependencies, including LLVM/Clang, Java, and Maven, and can be built and run on various platforms, including Windows and Unix.

Cell-Free Bioactive Scaffold Supports Cartilage Regeneration-Large Animal Joints

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Northwestern University scientists developed a cell-free bioactive material that mimics cartilage's natural environment, successfully supporting high-quality cartilage regeneration in sheep knee joints. The material, comprising a bioactive peptide and modified hyaluronic acid, could potentially be used to prevent knee replacement surgeries, treat osteoarthritis, and repair sports-related injuries.

Show HN: Lacakgrak – Simple inbound/outbound packet sniffer

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This sniffer is so simplified that you can only see the size of the traffic. This is because I just want to know where my traffic is going and how big it is. I want to identify the cause of my recent unexpected surge in internet traffic. Simplified UI (localhost traffic is now implicitly all inbound, while the rest are implicitly all outbound)

MacBook app generated $100k in seven days, now Stripe won't pay up

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Stripe owes developer Igor Marcossi hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales from his app NotchNook, but refuses to pay, instead pausing payments and closing his bank account. Marcossi is desperate and has hired a lawyer, while Stripe has only commented that they are "digging into things."

uBlock Origin could soon stop working in Chrome

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Google's Chrome Web Store is warning users of uBlock Origin that the extension may soon stop working due to its non-compliance with Chrome's Manifest v2, which will be phased out in favor of Manifest v3. uBlock Origin's creator has stated that he will not adapt the extension to Manifest v3, and users will need to find an alternative before Google disables it.

Green tech startup with no climate experience secured millions in gov contracts

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Nevada governments awarded a $5.7 million contract to NZero, a company with no track record in green tech, to track carbon emissions from government buildings, despite the company's struggles to deliver real-time data and concerns from state officials. The contract was awarded without a competitive bidding process, and NZero continued to receive funding and contracts despite its failures, ...

Home Insurance Decisions Based on Drones and AI

https://i.insider.com/66abe7fca5247369a3e8e732?width=700
The author, Albert Fox Cahn, had his homeowner's insurance policy revoked by Travelers due to AI-powered drone surveillance that detected moss on his roof, which the company deemed a risk. The incident highlights the lack of transparency and accountability in the use of AI and surveillance technology in the insurance industry, and the need for updated laws to protect consumers.

A/B testing mistakes I learned the hard way

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A good A/B test hypothesis explains what is being tested and why, while a bad one can lead to wasted time and potentially damage the product. To avoid common mistakes, engineers should ensure they are testing the right thing, measuring the right metrics, and running the test for the right amount of time to get accurate results.

Andrej Karpathy on X: RLHF is just barely RL

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RLHF is not true reinforcement learning, as it uses a proxy objective of human feedback instead of the actual reward function, and can be gamed by the model. While RLHF is still a useful step in building an LLM Assistant, true reinforcement learning has not been achieved at scale in open-domain problem solving tasks, requiring creative thinking to develop a suitable reward function.