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Sculptor: An AI-Powered Environment for Software Engineering Best Practices

2025-04-08

Sculptor: An AI-Powered Environment for Software Engineering Best Practices

Sculptor is a revolutionary coding agent environment that embeds software engineering best practices into your workflow. It runs your code in a sandbox, allowing you to safely test, solve issues in parallel, and assign tasks to agents. Sculptor helps you fix bugs, write tests, add new features, improve documentation, fix style issues, and generally improve your code, whether written by a human or an LLM. Currently in early research preview, Sculptor invites testers to experience its power and receive Imbue swag.

(imbue.com)

Development code agent

Tailscale Secures $160M Series C to Revolutionize Networking with Identity-First Approach

2025-04-08

Tailscale Secures $160M Series C to Revolutionize Networking with Identity-First Approach

Tailscale, a networking company focused on simplifying connectivity, announced a $160 million Series C funding round led by Accel, with participation from CRV, Insight Partners, and others. This funding will accelerate their 'identity-first networking' strategy, prioritizing identity over IP addresses for secure connections. Already adopted by numerous AI companies (like Perplexity, Mistral) and large enterprises (like Instacart, SAP) to solve complex networking challenges, Tailscale will use the investment to expand its engineering and product teams and further enhance its free support and backward compatibility promises.

(tailscale.com)

Tech identity-first networking

Unordered Rooted Ternary Trees: A Sage-Powered Combinatorial Adventure

2025-04-08

Unordered Rooted Ternary Trees: A Sage-Powered Combinatorial Adventure

This blog post tackles the challenging problem of counting unordered rooted ternary trees using analytic combinatorics, specifically the Flajolet-Sedgewick method. The author first solves the simpler case of ordered trees, deriving an asymptotic approximation via generating functions and singularity analysis, all implemented and verified in Sage. The more complex unordered case is then addressed using Pólya-Redfield counting, leading to a numerical solution and asymptotic formula, again validated with Sage. The post provides a clear and engaging explanation of complex analysis concepts such as Puiseux series and offers readily usable Sage code, making it a valuable resource for those interested in the intersection of algorithms and mathematics.

(grossack.site)

Development analytic combinatorics asymptotic analysis

Coroot: Actionable Observability Without Code Changes

2025-04-08

Coroot: Actionable Observability Without Code Changes

Coroot is an open-source observability platform that automatically gathers metrics, logs, and traces without requiring any code modifications, turning this data into actionable insights. Leveraging eBPF for zero-instrumentation monitoring, it provides a service map, predefined inspections, application health summaries, distributed tracing, log analysis, and profiling capabilities. Coroot quickly identifies and resolves application issues, integrates with Kubernetes and major cloud platforms, and offers SLO tracking and cost monitoring to help developers optimize application performance and reduce cloud costs.

(github.com)

Development

Meta's Llama 4: Second Place Ranking and a Messy Launch

2025-04-08

Meta's Llama 4: Second Place Ranking and a Messy Launch

Meta released two new Llama 4 models: Scout and Maverick. Maverick secured the number two spot on LMArena, outperforming GPT-4o and Gemini 2.0 Flash. However, Meta admitted that LMArena tested a specially optimized "experimental chat version," not the publicly available one. This sparked controversy, leading LMArena to update its policies to prevent similar incidents. Meta explained that it was experimenting with different versions, but the move raised questions about its strategy in the AI race and the unusual timing of the Llama 4 release. Ultimately, the incident highlights the limitations of AI benchmarks and the complex strategies of large tech companies in the competition.

(www.theverge.com)

AI AI benchmark

Football Match in Dzaleka Refugee Camp: An Unusual Sunday

2025-04-08

Football Match in Dzaleka Refugee Camp: An Unusual Sunday

In Dzaleka, a Malawian refugee camp housing refugees from central African wars since 1994, a football match disrupts the usual Sunday calm. Thousands gather on a dusty field to watch the game, contrasting sharply with the churchgoers leaving nearby. This scene highlights the unique aspect of life in the camp: even amidst hardship, people pursue entertainment and social connection.

(www.economist.com)

Misc refugees football Malawi

NYC's Narrowest Escalator: A Hidden Gem in Rockefeller Center

2025-04-08

NYC's Narrowest Escalator: A Hidden Gem in Rockefeller Center

Hidden behind glass doors at 10 Rockefeller Plaza (between W 48th and W 49th Streets) in Rockefeller Center lies NYC's narrowest escalator. This escalator connects the underground dining and shopping concourse to street level. Even if you aren't shopping or dining, you can enter the building at 10 Rockefeller Plaza, descend a large spiral staircase, and then take the escalator back up. Security is present at all hours, but they don't mind, as the lobby features a beautiful wrap-around mural by Lakela Brown.

(www.doobybrain.com)

Misc Rockefeller Center Narrowest Escalator

Taxing Advertising: A More Viable Alternative to a Ban?

2025-04-08

This article explores taxing advertising as a more feasible alternative to outright bans. The author argues that advertising, like pollution, has negative utility and harms society. Instead of prohibition, a tiered tax system could be implemented, based on factors like intrusiveness and manipulation. A 'feebate' system, rewarding beneficial behaviors, could incentivize a healthier advertising landscape. This prompts reflection on current ad models, platform economies, and alternative content funding.

(matthewsinclair.com)

Misc advertising tax platform economy attention economy

The Rise and Fall (and Possible Rise Again?) of the US Machine Tool Industry

2025-04-08

The Rise and Fall (and Possible Rise Again?) of the US Machine Tool Industry

The US machine tool industry, once a global leader, experienced a dramatic decline in the early 1980s due to a confluence of factors: plummeting domestic demand, slow response to market volatility, Japanese dominance in CNC technology and manufacturing processes, and a strong dollar. The industry's failure to rebound stemmed from deeper issues: insufficient large firms, difficulty securing capital, a skills gap, and weak technology transfer. A RAND study suggests a three-pronged government approach—fostering cooperative networks, investing in manufacturing infrastructure, and streamlining export processes—to potentially revive the sector.

(www.rand.org)

Tech machine tools manufacturing global competition

Hyundai to Deploy Tens of Thousands of Boston Dynamics Robots

2025-04-08

Hyundai to Deploy Tens of Thousands of Boston Dynamics Robots

Hyundai Motor Group announced a deepened partnership with Boston Dynamics, involving the purchase of tens of thousands of robots in the coming years. This includes Atlas humanoid robots, Spot quadruped robots, and Stretch, to be deployed across Hyundai's manufacturing facilities for increased efficiency. The collaboration leverages Hyundai's manufacturing expertise to boost Boston Dynamics' growth, marking a significant step towards mainstream humanoid robot adoption and highlighting the burgeoning robotics market.

(www.therobotreport.com)

Tech

AI's Impact on Game Development: A Developer's Struggle

2025-04-08

AI's Impact on Game Development: A Developer's Struggle

The rapid advancement of AI is significantly impacting the game industry, leaving many developers grappling with challenges and anxieties. This article features interviews with various game industry professionals, including artists, designers, and programmers, who share their experiences with AI in the workplace. Some companies are using AI to generate images, code, and voiceovers to cut costs or speed up development, leading to decreased quality and feelings of displacement among human creators. Many developers express reservations or outright opposition to AI, arguing that it cannot replace human creativity and emotional expression. They advocate for protecting the rights of human artists.

(aftermath.site)

Game

1948: Speed Record, Swim Trunks, and a History-Making Pose

2025-04-08

1948: Speed Record, Swim Trunks, and a History-Making Pose

In 1948, 47-year-old Rollie Free employed an unconventional strategy to break the world motorcycle speed record: wearing only swim trunks, he lay horizontally on his Vincent HRD Black Shadow motorcycle to minimize wind resistance. This daring attempt succeeded on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats, resulting in a record-breaking speed of 150.313 mph and an iconic photograph. While the record has since been broken, Free's image and approach remain legendary in motorcycle history.

(www.life.com)

Misc Motorcycle

Michael Larabel: 20 Years of Linux Hardware Benchmarking

2025-04-08

Michael Larabel, founder and principal author of Phoronix.com, has dedicated himself since 2004 to improving the Linux hardware experience. He's penned over 20,000 articles covering Linux hardware support, performance, graphics drivers, and more. He's also the lead developer behind the Phoronix Test Suite, Phoromatic, and OpenBenchmarking.org automated benchmarking software.

(www.phoronix.com)

Tech

Safari's text-wrap: pretty: A New Era in Web Typography

2025-04-08

Safari's text-wrap: pretty: A New Era in Web Typography

Safari Technology Preview 216 introduces `text-wrap: pretty`, revolutionizing web text layout. Leveraging paragraph-based algorithms, it tackles longstanding typographic issues like excessively short last lines, uneven ragged edges, and distracting typographic rivers. Unlike traditional line-by-line algorithms, `pretty` evaluates the entire paragraph, optimizing layout for improved readability and aesthetics. While Chrome and other browsers support `pretty`, Safari's implementation is more comprehensive, adjusting the entire paragraph instead of just the last few lines. `text-wrap: balance` focuses on making all lines roughly the same length, ideal for headlines and shorter text. Developers should choose the appropriate `text-wrap` value based on their needs and be mindful of performance implications.

(webkit.org)

Development web typography

Arbitrage Opportunities in Steam's TF2 Economy: A Data-Driven Analysis

2025-04-08

This article analyzes the market dynamics of in-game item trading in Team Fortress 2 on the Steam platform. Using real-time data from Steam, the author constructs an index of arbitrage potential, tracking arbitrage opportunities from November 2011 to May 2012. The index shows that arbitrage opportunities significantly increase after major updates and sales, then decrease as the community develops a more consistent understanding of item pricing. The author also discusses the economic concept of equilibrium and points out that arbitrage persists even in complex digital economies, quantifying the size of arbitrage opportunities through data analysis.

(web.archive.org)

Game game economy

GameNode: Manage Your Entire Game Collection in One Place

2025-04-08

Tired of managing your game library scattered across multiple platforms? GameNode is the solution! This platform lets you virtually manage all your games, update your backlog, rate played titles, and add anticipated releases to your wishlist. Connect with friends, follow their activity, and stay updated on everyone's latest gaming sessions. GameNode imports games and playtime from various sources, simplifying the process. Coming soon to iOS.

(gamenode.app)

Game game management game library social

Clean Energy Surges to 40% of Global Electricity

2025-04-08

Clean Energy Surges to 40% of Global Electricity

For the first time since the 1940s, clean energy sources – including nuclear, wind, and solar – provided 40% of the world's electricity in 2023. Solar power saw a staggering rise, doubling in just three years and becoming the fastest-growing electricity source, now contributing 7% globally. Despite this progress, fossil fuel electricity generation still increased by 1.4% due to rising demand, pushing emissions to record highs. However, the rapid growth of clean energy, particularly solar and wind, suggests that clean energy growth will soon outpace demand, gradually displacing fossil fuels and becoming the dominant force in the global energy system.

(news.sky.com)

Tech

Paradigm: Hiring Founding Engineers for AI-Native Workspace

2025-04-08

Paradigm: Hiring Founding Engineers for AI-Native Workspace

Paradigm, a San Francisco-based AI-native workspace startup backed by Y Combinator and prominent tech founders, is seeking experienced generalist founding engineers. Ideal candidates possess experience building production AI applications, thrive in fast-paced environments, and ideally have experience with GoLang, TypeScript, and related technologies. Competitive salaries and benefits, including equity, are offered.

(www.ycombinator.com)

Development Founding Engineers

Pakistan's Solar Surprise: From Fragile State to Clean Energy Giant

2025-04-08

Pakistan's Solar Surprise: From Fragile State to Clean Energy Giant

In 2024, Pakistan, a nation long associated with conflict and instability, unexpectedly surged to the forefront of global solar adoption, importing a staggering 22 gigawatts of solar panels in a single year. This remarkable achievement wasn't accidental. Two decades of gradual improvements in governance and a pragmatic approach to energy policy laid the groundwork. Capitalizing on plummeting solar panel prices and rising fossil fuel costs, Pakistan streamlined regulations, reduced tariffs, and facilitated rapid solar adoption. While challenges remain, such as utility revenue shocks, Pakistan's clean energy transformation offers a valuable lesson: even fragile states can achieve rapid clean energy progress through effective governance and seizing global market opportunities. The story extends beyond solar, encompassing wind, hydro, and storage, showcasing a transition driven by economic pragmatism and quiet competence.

(cleantechnica.com)

Tech Solar Power

Abracadabra Finance Suffers $13M Crypto Hack; Tornado Cash Connection?

2025-04-08

Abracadabra Finance Suffers $13M Crypto Hack; Tornado Cash Connection?

Decentralized finance (DeFi) platform Abracadabra Finance was hit with a hack resulting in the loss of approximately $13 million in cryptocurrency. The attack targeted the platform's isolated lending markets, known as "cauldrons." The exploit went undetected until the attacker executed multiple transactions. Abracadabra Finance is investigating with security firms and is offering a 20% bounty on the stolen funds. Some security firms link the attack to decentralized exchange GMX, though GMX denies involvement. Investigators suspect the funds used in the attack originated from Tornado Cash, recently desanctioned by the US Treasury.

(therecord.media)

Tech

Trump's Return and the Looming Threat to European Digital Sovereignty

2025-04-08

Trump's Return and the Looming Threat to European Digital Sovereignty

Trump's return to power raises significant concerns about global data security. The CLOUD Act allows US authorities to access data held by American companies even when stored in Europe, exposing European data to US legal scrutiny and political pressure. The article urges Europe to invest in open-source solutions, build independent cloud infrastructure, and enforce open standards to break free from reliance on US tech giants, safeguard digital sovereignty, and prevent data from becoming a geopolitical pawn.

(xwiki.com)

Tech

IBM System/360: A Technological David and Goliath Story

2025-04-08

IBM System/360: A Technological David and Goliath Story

The creation of the IBM System/360 wasn't a smooth ride. This article recounts IBM's journey in the early 1960s, overcoming internal conflicts, technological hurdles, and production bottlenecks to launch this world-changing computer series. From initial internal clashes to global teamwork and a nail-biting production rollout, the System/360 story is full of drama and uncertainty, ultimately establishing IBM's dominance in the computer industry and profoundly impacting the development of the Information Age.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech

Bluesky's Eternal September: Navigating New User Etiquette

2025-04-08

Bluesky's Eternal September: Navigating New User Etiquette

The influx of new users to platforms like Bluesky echoes the 'Eternal September' phenomenon of the early internet, frustrating longtime users accustomed to established online norms. The article explores strategies for navigating this, such as thoughtful replies, avoiding redundant jokes, and utilizing robust blocking features. Some users view blocking as a proactive measure to maintain a positive environment, while others emphasize empathy for newcomers unfamiliar with online culture. The article highlights the contrast between Bluesky's approach and the more abrasive environment of platforms like X (formerly Twitter).

(www.wired.com)

Tech online etiquette

One-Minute Videos from Text Storyboards using Test-Time Training Transformers

2025-04-08

Current Transformer models struggle with generating one-minute videos due to the inefficiency of self-attention layers for long contexts. This paper explores Test-Time Training (TTT) layers, whose hidden states are themselves neural networks, offering greater expressiveness. Adding TTT layers to a pre-trained Transformer allows for the generation of one-minute videos from text storyboards. Experiments using a Tom and Jerry cartoon dataset show that TTT layers significantly improve video coherence and storytelling compared to baselines like Mamba 2 and Gated DeltaNet, achieving a 34 Elo point advantage in human evaluation. While artifacts remain, likely due to limitations of the 5B parameter model, this work demonstrates a promising approach scalable to longer videos and more complex narratives.

(test-time-training.github.io)

AI Test-Time Training

Sebald's Uncanny Insights: Power, Order, and the Ghost of Kafka

2025-04-07

Sebald's Uncanny Insights: Power, Order, and the Ghost of Kafka

This essay delves into W.G. Sebald's interpretation of Kafka and Canetti, highlighting his profound insights into the nature of power. Sebald argues that totalitarian power stems from a fear of chaos, attempting to establish a sterile order through violence, ultimately leading to self-destruction. This power, he suggests, is parasitic rather than creative, barren and self-serving, its only aim self-perpetuation, mirroring the vampiric despots in Kafka's works. Sebald's analysis offers a timely warning, especially relevant in our current era.

(newrepublic.com)

Misc totalitarianism

Static Electricity: The Secret to Planet Formation?

2025-04-08

Static Electricity: The Secret to Planet Formation?

A new study published in Nature Astronomy suggests that static electricity plays a crucial role in planet formation. Researchers conducted experiments aboard a suborbital rocket, discovering that tiny dust particles in protoplanetary disks use static charges to clump together, forming larger 'pebbles' that eventually grow into planets through gravitational attraction. This research solves the long-standing 'bouncing barrier' problem—the size threshold dust particles must reach to bind gravitationally. The experiments showed that only charged dust particles can overcome this barrier, ultimately leading to planet formation.

(nautil.us)

Tech

LLM Plugin: Summarize Hacker News Threads with Ease

2025-04-08

LLM Plugin: Summarize Hacker News Threads with Ease

A new LLM plugin, `llm-hacker-news`, lets you easily summarize Hacker News conversation threads. Simply install the plugin and use the command `llm -f hn:ID 'your instruction'` (e.g., `llm -f hn:43615912 'summary with illustrative direct quotes'`) to get a summary of the thread with the specified ID (found in the thread's URL). Installation and local setup instructions are provided in the README.

(github.com)

Development

Birds' Brains: Convergent Evolution of Cognitive Power

2025-04-08

Birds' Brains: Convergent Evolution of Cognitive Power

New research using single-cell RNA sequencing reveals surprising similarities in the brain structures of birds and mammals, despite their distinct evolutionary paths. Scientists have long puzzled over how birds, lacking a neocortex, possess complex cognitive abilities. The study found that the avian dorsal ventricular ridge (DVR) functionally mirrors the mammalian neocortex, but its development, cell types, and generation timing differ significantly, suggesting independent evolution rather than inheritance from a common ancestor. This challenges long-held beliefs about brain evolution and suggests our understanding of 'optimal intelligence' may be too narrow.

(www.quantamagazine.org)

Tech Evolutionary Biology Avian Brain

Secure Curl: Building Reliable C Code for Billions of Installations

2025-04-07

Secure Curl: Building Reliable C Code for Billions of Installations

The curl team shares their practices for building secure and reliable network transfer tools in C. They highlight the importance of extensive testing, including static analysis and fuzzing. Approximately 40% of their security vulnerabilities stem from C's memory unsafety, but strict coding standards, style enforcement, and avoidance of risky functions keep this number low. Curl's coding style emphasizes readability and maintainability through line length limits, short variable names, and zero-warning compilations. Robust error handling, API stability, and careful memory management are crucial for the software's reliability and security.

(daniel.haxx.se)

Development C security

Brazil's Pix: Instant Payments Take Over

2025-04-08

Brazil's Pix: Instant Payments Take Over

Launched in November 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazil's Pix digital payment system rapidly gained popularity. Its contactless, instant, free, and user-friendly nature proved a winning combination. Using only a recipient's national ID, phone number, or QR code, Pix facilitated a massive surge in transactions. By 2024, it surpassed cash and cards to become Brazil's dominant payment method, processing 63 billion transactions totaling 26 trillion reais ($4.5 trillion). No other country has adopted a similar system with such speed.

(www.economist.com)

Tech Pix

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