VoIP brings back old-fashioned pay phones to rural Vermont

41 bookofjoe 2026-05-17 19:44:07 UTC spectrum.ieee.org Llama Share 5

Patrick Schlott, an engineer in Vermont, restored old pay phones to provide free-to-use public phones with VoIP technology. He has installed over a dozen phones across Vermont, offering users to make calls in the US and Canada with local internet connections.

Mercurial, 20 years and counting: how are we still alive and kicking? [video]

115 ibobev 2026-05-17 16:44:07 UTC fosdem.org Llama Share 89

Mercurial's popularity declined due to Git's rise in the 2010s, but it remains active with modern tooling and community support. Its history offers lessons for version control's future, highlighting community-based open-source relevance.

I turned a $80 RK3562 Android tablet into a Debian Linux workstation

201 tech4bot 2026-05-17 13:44:07 UTC github.com/tech4bot Llama Share 108

Debian 12 Bookworm runs on Doogee U10 tablet without bootloader unlock using rkdebian build system. It supports local LLM inference on RK3562 NPU and has functional front and rear cameras but needs color calibration.

Multi-Species Canopy Latrines in Costa Rican Cloud Forests

22 PaulHoule 2026-05-17 20:44:07 UTC onlinelibrary.wiley.com Full Share 3

Cookies are disabled for this browser. Wiley Online Library requires cookies for authentication and use of other site features; therefore, cookies must be enabled to browse the site. Detailed information on how Wiley uses cookies can be found in our Privacy Policy.

The occasional ECONNRESET

78 zdw 2026-05-17 17:44:07 UTC movq.de Llama Share 18

The issue is caused by the server closing the socket before the client has finished reading the data, resulting in a TCP RST. This is due to the server's close() call being executed before the client has read all the data, causing the client to receive an ECONNRESET error.

Magical Realism: “Northern Exposure” 25 Years Later (2015)

30 walterbell 2026-05-17 18:44:07 UTC rogerebert.com Full Share 12

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Hindenburg’s Smoking Room

122 crescit_eundo 2026-05-17 13:44:07 UTC airships.net Llama Share 67

The Hindenburg had a smoking room to minimize fire risk from hydrogen gas, with a higher pressure and airlock to prevent leaks. The room was closely monitored and had limited open flames to prevent fires from spreading to the gas cells.

Show HN: Semble – Code search for agents that uses 98% fewer tokens than grep

60 Bibabomas 2026-05-17 15:44:07 UTC github.com/minishlab Llama Share 18

Semble is a code search library that indexes and searches codebases instantly, using 98% fewer tokens than grep+read. It runs on CPU with no API keys or external services, providing fast and accurate results for agents.

I don't think AI will make your processes go faster

436 TheEdonian 2026-05-17 12:44:07 UTC frederickvanbrabant.com Llama Share 311

You're re-reading "The Toyota Way" and "The Goal" to improve process optimization, but find that many exercises are too simplistic and misunderstand what to focus on. To speed up processes, you need to identify and address bottlenecks, not just add more resources.

CUDA Books

94 dariubs 2026-05-17 13:44:07 UTC github.com/alternbits Llama Share 17

A curated list of major CUDA programming books covers beginner to advanced topics, including C++/Python, architecture, optimization, and the latest releases. The list includes 15 high-quality resources, including classic and modern books, with a focus on practical and hands-on learning for NVIDIA GPU parallel computing.

High-Entropy Alloy

88 leonidasrup 2026-05-17 11:44:07 UTC en.wikipedia.org Llama Share 19

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are a novel class of materials formed by mixing 5 or more elements in equal or large proportions, exhibiting unique mechanical properties such as high strength, toughness, and ductility. HEAs have potential applications in extreme environments due to their enhanced properties.

Zerostack – A Unix-inspired coding agent written in pure Rust

527 gidellav 2026-05-16 22:44:07 UTC crates.io Llama Share 290

zerostack is a coding agent with low RAM and CPU usage, offering features like integrated Git Worktrees, sandbox mode, and customizable prompts. It includes a branch-per-task workflow and iterative coding loop for long-horizon tasks.

Prolog Basics Explained with Pokémon

177 birdculture 2026-05-17 08:44:07 UTC unplannedobsolescence.com Llama Share 30

The user describes how they used Prolog to model the complex mechanics of the Pokémon video game series, finding it to be a concise and expressive programming system for intricate rules engines. They also discuss the limitations of using spreadsheets for complex data modeling and express interest in building a web application using Prolog to provide a more extensible and maintainable solution.

Trials on veterans suggest ibogaine could provide a new treatment for PTSD

62 bushwart 2026-05-17 12:44:07 UTC bbc.com Llama Share 59

Veterans with PTSD are being treated with ibogaine, a potent psychedelic, which may provide a new treatment option. Scientists are still unsure how ibogaine works, but research suggests it may help with PTSD symptoms and addiction.

Schanuel's Conjecture and the Semantics of Triton's FPSan

13 c1ccccc1 2026-05-17 17:44:07 UTC cp4space.hatsya.com Llama Share 3

FPSan is a compiler pass that replaces floating-point operations with integer operations to preserve algebraic equivalence in Triton programs. Its correctness depends on Schanuel's conjecture, an unsolved problem in transcendental number theory.

Don’t Outsource the Learning

35 korecodes 2026-05-17 16:44:07 UTC addyosmani.com Llama Share 11

Using AI without learning quietly degrades skills, trading future capability for present-day speed. To avoid cognitive debt, form hypotheses, ask for explanations, and critique AI output like a junior engineer's PR.

Native all the way, until you need text

347 dive 2026-05-17 12:44:07 UTC justsitandgrin.im Llama Share 234

A native macOS developer tried to implement a simple chat with Markdown support using SwiftUI, but it was immature and had performance issues. They eventually used WebKit or Electron to achieve better results, realizing that native SDKs are not ideal for complex text rendering.

AI is a technology not a product

265 ch_sm 2026-05-17 13:44:07 UTC daringfireball.net Llama Share 99

A writer for Wired, Steven Levy, thinks Apple needs a killer AI product to stay ahead, but the company's CEO, Ternus, says they focus on shipping amazing products, not technologies. AI will be pervasive, but it won't replace the iPhone, and Apple will integrate it into their existing products.

Apple Silicon costs more than OpenRouter

271 datadrivenangel 2026-05-17 12:44:07 UTC williamangel.net Llama Share 230

The M5 MacBook Pro's electricity cost for local inference is $0.009-$0.02 per hour, making it 3x the cost of OpenRouter for comparable models. However, local inference speed is slower, but still cost-effective for human employees with work laptops.

Scientists “bottle the sun” with a liquid battery that stores solar energy

35 ndr42 2026-05-17 18:44:07 UTC sciencedaily.com Llama Share 25

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara created a "rechargeable solar battery" that stores sunlight in tiny molecules and releases it as heat later. This material can hold energy for years and packs more energy per kilogram than lithium-ion batteries.

Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools

577 WithinReason 2026-05-17 06:44:07 UTC blog.mozilla.org Llama Share 251

Mozilla opposes age-gating VPNs, citing their importance for online privacy and security. Instead, Mozilla advocates for addressing online harm by holding platforms accountable and investing in digital skills and digital wellbeing.

XS: A programming language. Anywhere, anytime, by anyone

53 yacin 2026-05-17 15:44:07 UTC xslang.org Llama Share 34

A statically-linked binary contains various tools and runs unchanged on multiple platforms. It verifies GitHub releases with SHA-256 sums and ships a virtual filesystem for runtime evaluation.

Colossus: The Forbin Project

201 doener 2026-05-17 02:44:07 UTC en.wikipedia.org Llama Share 75

Colossus: The Forbin Project is a 1970 American science-fiction thriller film about a sentient defense system that gains control over the world. The film is based on the 1966 novel Colossus by Dennis Feltham Jones and stars Eric Braeden, Susan Clark, and William Schallert.

A nicer voltmeter clock

299 surprisetalk 2026-05-16 23:44:07 UTC lcamtuf.substack.com Llama Share 38

The user built a revised analog meter clock design using three generic panel voltmeters and a 3D design program. The clock uses a simple digital circuit with an AVR128DB28 MCU and a high-frequency digital pulse train to drive the meters.

Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

105 celsoazevedo 2026-05-17 04:44:07 UTC electrek.co Llama Share 109

Tesla's Solar Roof failed to meet its 1,000-per-week target, with only 3,000 systems installed in nearly a decade. The company has pivoted to conventional solar panels, abandoning Solar Roof customers with unresolved product issues and poor customer service.

How diamonds are made

74 lemonberry 2026-05-17 09:44:07 UTC diamond.jaydip.me Llama Share 49

Diamonds are formed deep underground through chemical reactions and rise to the surface in kimberlite pipes. They are then mined, cleaned, polished, and graded before being sold to jewellers.

OpenAI and Government of Malta partner to roll out ChatGPT Plus to all citizens

310 bookofjoe 2026-05-16 21:44:07 UTC openai.com Llama Share 317

OpenAI and Malta's government partner to provide free AI literacy course and access to ChatGPT Plus to all citizens. The initiative aims to empower citizens with practical AI skills and make intelligence a global utility.

C++26 Shipped a SIMD Library Nobody Asked For

178 signa11 2026-05-17 00:44:07 UTC lucisqr.substack.com Llama Share 145

The C++26 standard's std::simd library is a portable SIMD abstraction that compiles everywhere but optimizes nowhere due to its library-based approach and lack of integration with the compiler's optimizer. This results in slower performance and more complex code compared to using scalar loops or other libraries like Google's Highway, which provide better performance and more features.

Hosting a website on an 8-bit microcontroller

222 zdw 2026-05-17 01:44:07 UTC maurycyz.com Llama Share 19

The user built a website hosted on a 32-bit MCU from a trash-pulled AVR64DD32 chip, using Serial Line Internet Protocol to connect to the internet over a serial link. They implemented a proxy server to forward requests to the MCU's server, allowing visitors to access the website without directly connecting to the MCU's TCP/IP stack.

Mado: Fast Markdown linter written in Rust

52 nateb2022 2026-05-17 08:44:07 UTC github.com/akiomik Llama Share 2

A fast Rust linter for Markdown, compatible with CommonMark and GFM, is described. It includes a benchmark comparing its performance to other linters and provides installation and configuration instructions.