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Apple's App Store Free Lunch: Who's Paying for the Ecosystem?

2025-06-05

Apple's App Store boasts of generating trillions in billings and sales for developers, yet a significant majority pay zero commission. However, a small minority, particularly indie developers, are burdened with hefty in-app purchase (IAP) fees, sparking controversy. The author argues Apple leverages IAP to force a select few to subsidize the entire ecosystem, including 'free' apps generating billions through ads or other means—a blatant 'free lunch' scenario. The article questions the fairness and rationale behind this practice, suggesting Apple's profitability stems from hardware sales, not developer commissions, and ultimately accusing Apple of exploiting a small subset of developers.

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(lapcatsoftware.com)
Development Commissions

Indeed and Glassdoor Slash 1300 Jobs, Betting Big on AI

2025-07-11
Indeed and Glassdoor Slash 1300 Jobs, Betting Big on AI

Recruit Holdings, the Japanese parent company of Indeed and Glassdoor, is cutting approximately 1,300 jobs globally. This restructuring aims to streamline operations and accelerate the companies' shift towards artificial intelligence. The majority of job losses will impact US-based employees, particularly within R&D and people/sustainability teams. While no specific reason was given, the CEO cited AI's transformative impact on the industry as a catalyst for change, emphasizing the need to adapt and deliver superior user experiences.

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(www.bloomberg.com)
Tech

The Three Temples of LLM Training: Pretraining, Fine-tuning, and RLHF

2025-06-10
The Three Temples of LLM Training: Pretraining, Fine-tuning, and RLHF

In the hidden mountain sanctuary of Lexiconia, ancient Scribes undergo training in a three-part temple: The Hall of Origins, The Chamber of Instructions, and The Arena of Reinforcement. The Hall of Origins involves pretraining, where Scribes read vast amounts of text to learn language patterns. The Chamber of Instructions is where fine-tuning occurs, using curated texts to guide Scribes towards better outputs. The Arena of Reinforcement utilizes Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF), with human judges ranking Scribe answers, rewarding good ones and punishing bad. Elite Scribes may also be subtly modified via LoRA scrolls and Adapters, tweaking responses without retraining the entire model. This three-winged temple represents the complete process of training large language models.

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(medium.com)
AI Pretraining

Formalizing Russell's Principia Mathematica in Lean4

2025-04-25
Formalizing Russell's Principia Mathematica in Lean4

This project formalizes the first volume of Bertrand Russell's Principia Mathematica using the Lean theorem prover. The goal is to ensure the formalization aligns with the book's theorems, avoiding confusion. The project rigorously follows Russell's proofs, minimizing added statements. A new tactic, `Syll`, handling a more general form of syllogism, was created. While Principia Mathematica is considered a 'monumental failure', the author found the formalization process enriching.

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(github.com)
Development Principia Mathematica

Simulating Sunlight Exposure for Home Renovation using Rhino 3D and Ladybug

2025-05-05

To optimize home renovation plans, the author used Rhino 3D modeling software with the Ladybug plugin to simulate daily sunlight exposure. Simulation results revealed insufficient sunlight on the west-facing balcony, leading to the cancellation of expansion plans and significant cost savings. Surprisingly, the roof showed excellent sun exposure, opening up possibilities for future solar panel installation. The process demonstrates the practicality and efficiency of using software technology to aid in home design decisions.

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(ostwilkens.se)
Design sunlight simulation home design

The Misunderstood 'Vibe Coding': A Missed Opportunity

2025-05-01
The Misunderstood 'Vibe Coding': A Missed Opportunity

Two publishers and three authors have fundamentally misinterpreted the meaning of 'vibe coding,' confusing it with AI-assisted programming. The author argues that true vibe coding, as defined by Andrej Karpathy, involves using AI to generate code without focusing on the code's specifics; it's a low-code approach for non-programmers. The author expresses disappointment that the publishers and authors didn't fully grasp Karpathy's definition, missing a huge opportunity to create a valuable book on empowering non-programmers to build custom software using AI without learning traditional coding.

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(simonwillison.net)
AI

California Bar Exam's Tech Disaster: A Return to In-Person Testing?

2025-03-04
California Bar Exam's Tech Disaster: A Return to In-Person Testing?

The California bar exam was thrown into chaos by technical glitches. The new online testing system resulted in widespread issues for test-takers, including crashes, lag, error messages, and even flawed questions. The State Bar of California is recommending a return to in-person testing and dropping vendor Meazure Learning. While initially intended to save money, the cost overruns are significant, sparking lawsuits and legislative review. Law school deans are urging provisional licenses for failed candidates and a return to the National Conference of Bar Examiners' questions. This highlights the risks and costs of online exams, raising concerns about fairness and test-taker rights.

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(www.yahoo.com)
Tech bar exam technology failure online testing

1930s US Public Health Posters: From Milk to Syphilis

2025-01-07
1930s US Public Health Posters: From Milk to Syphilis

This article explores the fascinating world of 1930s American public health posters. Funded by the government, these posters promoted public health awareness and reflected the social landscape of the time. From promoting everyday health practices like drinking milk and brushing teeth to serious warnings about syphilis and cancer, including treatment options, the posters covered a wide range of topics. They served not only as public health tools but also as unique artistic expressions of their era, pioneering modern graphic design.

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(worldhistory.substack.com)
Design Public Health Poster Design

Mind-blowing: AI Art Generator Midjourney Creates Hyperrealistic Images

2025-01-03
Mind-blowing: AI Art Generator Midjourney Creates Hyperrealistic Images

Midjourney, an AI-powered art generator, has recently taken the internet by storm. It generates stunning, hyperrealistic images from simple text prompts, surpassing the skills of some professional artists. This is achieved through its advanced algorithms and vast training dataset. However, its capabilities have sparked debates regarding copyright and the definition of art. Midjourney represents a significant milestone in AI art technology, challenging traditional artistic creation methods.

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(benchjs.com)
AI

Google Releases Stable Model Signing Library to Secure the AI Supply Chain

2025-04-05
Google Releases Stable Model Signing Library to Secure the AI Supply Chain

The rise of large language models (LLMs) has brought increased focus on AI supply chain security. Model tampering, data poisoning, and other threats are growing concerns. To address this, Google, in partnership with NVIDIA and HiddenLayer, and supported by the Open Source Security Foundation, has released the first stable version of its model signing library. This library uses digital signatures, such as those from Sigstore, to allow users to verify that the model used by an application is identical to the one created by the developers. This ensures model integrity and provenance, protecting against malicious tampering throughout the model's lifecycle, from training to deployment. Future plans include extending this technology to datasets and other ML artifacts, building a more robust AI trust ecosystem.

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(security.googleblog.com)
AI Model Signing

The Mystery of the Passive USB-to-PS/2 Mouse Adapter

2025-03-28
The Mystery of the Passive USB-to-PS/2 Mouse Adapter

Early USB mice often included a green adapter to convert the USB Type-A plug to PS/2. This wasn't a smart adapter; it was purely mechanical, with no circuitry. The mouse itself did the conversion, detecting the signal type (USB or PS/2) and adjusting accordingly. It's analogous to a simple power adapter – the intelligence resides in the device, not the adapter. So, if you find one of these, remember it's just a physical connector; the actual conversion happens within the dual-bus mouse.

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(devblogs.microsoft.com)
Hardware Mouse Adapter

Unlocking Google Search: The Secret Power of the `udm` Parameter

2025-06-21
Unlocking Google Search: The Secret Power of the `udm` Parameter

Tired of cluttered Google search results filled with Knowledge Graphs, Local Results, and Related Questions? This article unveils the lesser-known `udm` parameter in Google search URLs, allowing you to precisely control the type of results returned. Learn how to filter for web results (udm=14), images (udm=2), news (udm=12), and much more. A comprehensive list detailing country codes and their corresponding `udm` values is provided, empowering you to explore the hidden depths of Google Search.

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(serpapi.com)
Tech URL Parameters

The Rise and Fall (and Rise?) of Neoliberalism: An Incomplete Regime Change

2025-04-13
The Rise and Fall (and Rise?) of Neoliberalism: An Incomplete Regime Change

This article traces the evolution of the term 'regime change,' from its initial meaning of the post-WWII neoliberal order spearheaded by the US, to its current association with military interventions. It examines the rise, development, and post-2008 crisis of neoliberalism. Despite massive Keynesian interventions after the crisis, core neoliberal principles remained, exacerbating inequality. Right- and left-wing populist movements emerged, challenging the status quo, but lacked a clear alternative. The author argues that only a major external shock could trigger a true 'regime change' in the West, breaking free from neoliberalism's grip.

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(www.lrb.co.uk)
Tech neoliberalism populism regime change

Voyager's Sunset: NASA Begins Shutting Down Instruments to Extend Mission

2025-03-06
Voyager's Sunset: NASA Begins Shutting Down Instruments to Extend Mission

After nearly 50 years of interstellar exploration, the Voyager spacecraft are running low on power. To extend their operational lifespan, NASA engineers are progressively shutting down scientific instruments. Voyager 1's cosmic ray subsystem was deactivated on February 25th, followed by Voyager 2's low-energy charged particle instrument on March 24th. While these measures aim to keep the probes operational into the 2030s, they mean sacrificing valuable scientific data. Despite this, the Voyagers continue their pioneering journey into uncharted interstellar space, pushing the boundaries of human knowledge.

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(gizmodo.com)
Tech Interstellar Space

Activation Engineering: Manipulating Personality Traits in LLMs

2024-12-31
Activation Engineering: Manipulating Personality Traits in LLMs

A paper on arXiv explores a novel method for identifying and manipulating personality traits in large language models (LLMs) using 'activation engineering'. Inspired by prior research on LLM refusal and steering, the researchers propose a technique to adjust activation directions linked to personality traits, enabling dynamic LLM personality fine-tuning. This work contributes to a better understanding of LLM interpretability while also raising crucial ethical considerations.

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(arxiv.org)
AI Activation Engineering Personality

ASCII Porn: A History of Text-Based Erotica

2025-01-02
ASCII Porn: A History of Text-Based Erotica

This article explores the history of ASCII porn, tracing its evolution from early teletype machines to internet forums and bulletin board systems. Its speed of transmission in low-bandwidth environments made it a dominant form of early online pornography. The article examines the creative journeys and styles of ASCII artists, explores its place in art and culture, and discusses its continued presence on the internet today, such as its popularity on platforms like Twitter.

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(www.vice.com)
Misc pornography

PowerPoint's Genesis: A 1980s Startup Saga

2025-05-21
PowerPoint's Genesis: A 1980s Startup Saga

This is the second installment of Robert Gaskins's recollections on the development of PowerPoint. He recounts the challenges of building a software startup in the 1980s, negotiating with Microsoft, and the difficulties of working without the internet. High marketing costs, lengthy software delivery cycles, and the immaturity of Windows significantly delayed development. Gaskins shares their struggles and how PowerPoint eventually became the industry standard, highlighting the fierce competition with rivals. The narrative starkly contrasts the 1980s startup environment with today's.

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(blog.zamzar.com)
Startup

Netflix's Underrated Masterpiece: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

2025-03-18
Netflix's Underrated Masterpiece: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

Netflix's 2019 series, *The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance*, is a criminally underrated fantasy epic. Serving as a prequel to the 1982 film, this 10-episode masterpiece boasts stunning puppetry and an all-star voice cast (including Taron Egerton and Anya Taylor-Joy), recounting the Gelfling rebellion against the evil Skeksis on the planet Thra. Despite its premature cancellation due to high production costs and viewership, its exceptional production quality, profound storytelling, and mature dark themes make it a must-watch classic, rivaling the likes of *Lord of the Rings* and *Star Wars*.

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(gizmodo.com)
Game Puppetry

Webb Telescope Captures Gigantic Galaxy Cluster

2025-05-04
Webb Telescope Captures Gigantic Galaxy Cluster

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a breathtaking image of thousands of galaxies, focusing on a massive galaxy cluster. This cluster, located in the COSMOS-Web field, is incredibly large and detailed. Combining Webb's infrared imagery with data from Hubble, XMM-Newton, and Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals the presence of hot gas within the cluster and the complexities of galaxy evolution. The image not only showcases the beauty of the cosmos but also provides invaluable data for studying the formation and evolution of galaxy clusters.

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(www.esa.int)
Tech James Webb Telescope Galaxy Cluster

Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban: A Blow to Free Speech?

2025-01-18
Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban: A Blow to Free Speech?

The US Supreme Court upheld the ban on TikTok, sparking a debate over free speech and data privacy. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) expressed deep disappointment, arguing the court failed to adequately scrutinize the ban's impact on the First Amendment. EFF contends the ban is content-based, aiming to control what Americans see and share, rather than addressing genuine data security concerns. The EFF believes shutting down or forcing the sale of social media platforms under national security pretenses is anti-democratic, advocating for comprehensive privacy legislation instead of sacrificing free speech.

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(www.eff.org)
Tech TikTok ban

Open Source Maintainer Revolt: libxml2's Sole Maintainer No Longer Prioritizes Security Issues

2025-06-19

The sole maintainer of libxml2 has announced they will no longer treat security issues differently from bugs, sparking debate within the open-source community. The author argues this reflects growing discontent among maintainers regarding corporate exploitation of open-source software. A distinction is drawn between personal, cooperative open source (e.g., Debian, BSD) and corporate use of open source for profit. The author predicts a future where the open-source community increasingly emphasizes this distinction, potentially altering interactions with corporations.

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(utcc.utoronto.ca)
Development community maintenance

Kafka 4.0 AOT Cache Boosts Startup Time by 59%

2025-03-28

This article demonstrates how to leverage Java's Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation to significantly improve the startup time of Apache Kafka 4.0. By creating an AOT cache file, the author successfully reduced Kafka's startup time from 690 milliseconds to 285 milliseconds, a remarkable 59% improvement. The process involved overcoming a JMX conflict, ultimately leading to the successful creation and application of the AOT cache, resulting in substantial performance gains.

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(www.morling.dev)
Development AOT Compilation

FramePack: High-Quality Video Generation on Consumer GPUs with Only 6GB VRAM

2025-04-19

FramePack is a revolutionary video diffusion technology enabling next-frame prediction on consumer-grade GPUs. By efficiently packing frame context and using constant-length input, it allows for high-quality video generation with only 6GB of VRAM, making it accessible to users with laptops and mid-range systems. Its anti-drifting technology, utilizing a bi-directional sampling approach, ensures consistent quality across long video sequences. No cloud processing or expensive GPU rentals are required; generation happens directly on your hardware.

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(framepack.co)
AI

NATS Trademark Dispute Escalates: Synadia Reclaims Project, CNCF Fights Back

2025-05-02
NATS Trademark Dispute Escalates: Synadia Reclaims Project, CNCF Fights Back

A legal battle is brewing over the trademark and marketing of the widely used NATS message server. After Synadia, the former owner, reclaimed the software from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), the CNCF is now seeking to have the NATS trademark and logo deleted. The CNCF argues Synadia relinquished all rights in 2018 and must adhere to agreements. Synadia counters that the CNCF failed to foster community involvement, with most contributions originating from Synadia, and proposes switching NATS to a Business Source License (BSL). The CNCF rejects the BSL as non-open source, emphasizing its commitment to open-source values. The core dispute revolves around ownership, trademark rights, and licensing, potentially leading to a project fork similar to the Terraform/OpenTofu split.

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(www.heise.de)
Development nats

Five Levels of Configuration Languages: From Simple Strings to Turing Completeness

2025-04-12

This article explores five levels of configuration languages, ranging from simple file strings to full-fledged programming languages. The author argues that choosing the right level is crucial, advocating for the lowest possible level to maintain simplicity and avoid over-engineering. Each level's characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and potential problems (like circular dependencies) are illustrated with real-world examples. The article concludes by recommending a judicious choice for different scenarios, preventing unnecessary complexity.

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(beza1e1.tuxen.de)
Development configuration languages

The Steep Price of Curbing R&D Tax Deductibility

2025-04-10
The Steep Price of Curbing R&D Tax Deductibility

New research reveals the significant negative consequences of limiting the tax deductibility of research and development (R&D) expenditures. Since 2022, US companies have been required to capitalize and amortize R&D expenses rather than deducting them immediately. The study finds that affected US firms experienced an average increase in their cash effective tax rate of 11.9 percentage points (62%). This resulted in decreased R&D investment among domestic-only, research-intensive, and constrained firms. In aggregate, these estimates translate to a $12.2 billion reduction in R&D in the first year among the most research-intensive firms. Furthermore, affected companies also reduced capital expenditures and share repurchases, suggesting that firms reduced other types of investment and shareholder payouts to meet the increased cash tax liability. The paper provides policy-relevant evidence of the substantial real-world effects of limiting innovation tax incentives.

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(papers.ssrn.com)
Tech R&D tax deduction

Gemini Deep Think Solves IMO Problems

2025-07-22
Gemini Deep Think Solves IMO Problems

Google DeepMind's advanced Gemini Deep Think model successfully solved challenging problems from the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). The project involved a large team of engineers and mathematicians across multiple stages, from training data and model training to inference optimization. The team acknowledges the support of the IMO, numerous contributors, and internal Google teams, emphasizing that the IMO only validated the correctness of the answers, not the system's validity itself.

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(deepmind.google)
AI

Bird Buddy Unveils 'Wonder' Insect-Watching Camera

2025-01-10
Bird Buddy Unveils 'Wonder' Insect-Watching Camera

The creators of Bird Buddy, a camera-equipped bird feeder, have launched a new line of products under the 'Wonder' brand, designed for observing insects, birds, and other wildlife. The Petal camera captures photos and videos, using AI-powered 'Nature Intelligence' to identify various natural events. Paired with Wonder Blocks, which create habitats for wildlife, the system aims to bring nature closer. Both will be available via Kickstarter in Spring 2025.

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(www.macrumors.com)
Tech smart camera nature observation

New 'OtterCookie' Malware Targets Developers in Fake Job Offers

2024-12-29
New 'OtterCookie' Malware Targets Developers in Fake Job Offers

Cybersecurity firms have uncovered a new malware, OtterCookie, used in the 'Contagious Interview' campaign by North Korean threat actors. This campaign lures software developers with fake job offers containing malware, including OtterCookie and previously seen malware like BeaverTail. OtterCookie is delivered through Node.js projects or npm packages, establishing communication with a command and control server via Socket.IO. It steals sensitive data, such as cryptocurrency wallet keys, documents, and images, and performs reconnaissance on the infected system. Experts warn developers to carefully vet job offers and avoid running untrusted code.

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(www.bleepingcomputer.com)
Tech Malware
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