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Negotiating with Infringers: A Better Option for Creative Professionals

2024-12-16

Negotiating with Infringers: A Better Option for Creative Professionals

When a creative professional's copyright is infringed, litigation isn't the only option. This article's author, a lawyer, suggests considering negotiation with the infringer. Negotiation is quicker and cheaper than litigation and may yield benefits beyond monetary compensation, such as promotion and collaboration opportunities. The author points out that most infringements are not malicious but due to negligence. Through negotiation, adversaries can be transformed into collaborators, leading to long-term success. Of course, if negotiations fail, litigation remains a last resort.

(www.thelegalartist.com)

Startup intellectual property copyright infringement negotiation

Generative AI and Fair Use: A ChatGPT Case Study

2024-12-14

This article examines whether generative AI models, particularly ChatGPT, qualify for fair use of copyrighted material. The author analyzes the four factors outlined in Section 107 of the US Copyright Act: purpose and character of use, nature of the copyrighted work, amount and substantiality of the portion used, and effect on the market. Through a case study of ChatGPT, the author argues that ChatGPT's use of its training data likely constitutes copyright infringement. ChatGPT's commercial nature and its failure to transform the training data, coupled with market harm to original works, contradict the principles of fair use.

(suchir.net)

AI Copyright Fair Use

Debunking the RAM Myth: Optimizing Memory Access

2024-12-19

Debunking the RAM Myth: Optimizing Memory Access

This article challenges the common misconception about modern computer memory—the RAM myth—that assumes memory access is always random and uniform. By analyzing data sharding algorithms, the author demonstrates that simple linear algorithms are inefficient for large datasets due to frequent cache misses. To address this, an optimized strategy based on radix sort is proposed. Techniques like pre-sorting data, using generators, and pre-allocating memory significantly improve data sharding efficiency. Experimental results show that the optimized algorithm achieves a 2.5 to 9x speedup when processing large datasets.

(purplesyringa.moe)

Development cache optimization radix sort big data processing

Link Rot Investigation: Personal Blogs Face High Risk

2024-12-24

Link Rot Investigation: Personal Blogs Face High Risk

Blogger Wouter Groeneveld conducted a link rot investigation on his blog, Brain Baking. He checked 3179 external links across 453 posts, discovering approximately 7% were broken, with 404 and 403 errors being the most prevalent. Broken links stemmed primarily from personal blogs, followed by corporate sites and other resources. The findings highlight the lower stability of links on personal websites and a high link rot rate in academic papers. The blogger recommends website builders use permalinks, linkers carefully choose their targets, and consider local storage for external resources.

(brainbaking.com)

Misc link rot

Legal Battle to Save Historic Haiku Stairs

2024-12-21

Legal Battle to Save Historic Haiku Stairs

The demolition of Oahu's iconic Haiku Stairs is facing legal challenges. Friends of Haiku Stairs filed a lawsuit, arguing the city and state agencies failed to comply with historic preservation regulations, citing a 1999 covenant protecting the stairs' existence. The city counters that proper procedures were followed, and the demolition was necessary due to safety concerns and resident complaints. A judge will soon issue a ruling, leaving the stairs' fate uncertain.

(www.civilbeat.org)

Misc historic preservation lawsuit Haiku Stairs

Whittaker's Keynote at NDSS 2024: AI, Encryption, and a New Era of Threats

2024-12-18

Whittaker's Keynote at NDSS 2024: AI, Encryption, and a New Era of Threats

At the 2024 NDSS Symposium, Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation, delivered a keynote address reflecting on the 'Crypto Wars' of the 90s. She highlighted how political, technical, and commercial pressures have shaped today's encryption landscape. Whittaker warned against viewing the current situation as simply 'Crypto Wars 2.0,' arguing that an economic engine driven by personal data, surveillance technology, and AI/ML poses a fundamentally different threat than the government-dominated encryption landscape of the 90s. She stressed the need for a new approach, with NDSS research at the forefront of this response.

(www.ndss-symposium.org)

AI Encryption

Visualizing Concurrency: A Guide to Understanding Program State Space

2024-12-20

Concurrent programming is notoriously complex due to the difficulty of enumerating all possible states. This article uses visualization to explain how to understand the mechanics of concurrent program execution. It begins by introducing the concept of program state, which is a combination of variable values and instruction location, and then demonstrates the transition process of program states and the generation of state space using a simple C-like program example. The article then introduces concurrent programs, and, using two concurrently executing programs, P and Q, it explains how to represent the state of a concurrent program and the construction of the state space. Finally, the article explores how to use the model checking tool SPIN and the LTL language to verify the correctness of concurrent programs, highlighting the important role of model checking in ensuring the correctness of concurrent programs.

(wyounas.github.io)

Development state space model checking

Vercel Launches ƒun: A Local Serverless Function Runtime

2024-12-15

Vercel Launches ƒun: A Local Serverless Function Runtime

Vercel has released ƒun, a local development runtime for serverless functions, enabling developers to emulate the AWS Lambda environment locally. Supporting various runtimes like Node.js and Python, ƒun allows for quick testing and debugging of serverless functions without cloud deployment. While striving for a close approximation of the real Lambda environment, ƒun has some key differences, notably in process sandboxing and user permissions.

(github.com)

Development Function Computing Local Development

Google Expands Global Solar Potential Assessment Using Satellite Imagery and Machine Learning

2024-12-19

Google Expands Global Solar Potential Assessment Using Satellite Imagery and Machine Learning

Google researchers have expanded the Google Maps Platform Solar API's coverage in the Global South by applying machine learning models to satellite imagery to generate high-resolution digital surface models and roof segmentation maps. This innovation overcomes limitations in traditional methods of data acquisition and processing, providing solar potential assessment data for 1.25 billion buildings globally and accelerating the adoption of renewable energy worldwide. The project leverages satellite data to increase data update frequency and reduce costs, particularly beneficial in data-scarce regions.

(research.google)

Tech solar energy satellite imagery

Rec Room Releases Copyable Game: BonkysInferno

2024-12-21

Rec Room Releases Copyable Game: BonkysInferno

Rec Room has launched a new copyable game, ^BonkysInferno. Based on the 'Make it to Midnight' environment, the objective is to score the most points by knocking opponents into lava or past a laser fence with Bonky's hammer. The game features a collectible system, damage system, Bonky's hammer mechanics, a round system, and a HUD, all built using Circuits and Rec Room Studio, allowing for player replication and modification. Players are encouraged to explore the circuits with their Maker Pen and use Rec Room Studio for deeper customization.

(forum.rec.net)

Game copyable game game development

GitHub Project ted: A Turing Machine-based File Editor

2024-12-18

GitHub Project ted: A Turing Machine-based File Editor

ted is a command-line tool written in Go that allows users to edit files according to the rules of a provided Turing machine. Inspired by the author's need to process log files, ted uses state machines to precisely extract the desired information. It supports various operations, including regular expression matching, sed command execution, variable assignment, capture and output control, and offers features such as multi-line capture, regex capture groups, and file head/tail movement.

(github.com)

Development Turing Machine File Editing State Machine

Lessons Learned in Long-Term Software Development

2024-12-22

Lessons Learned in Long-Term Software Development

This article summarizes lessons learned in long-term software development, emphasizing the importance of keeping code simple, carefully choosing dependencies, thorough testing, and strong teamwork. Drawing on interactions with Mastodon users and experiences at the Dutch Electoral Board, the author highlights the significant risks of excessive dependencies, complex code, and frequent team turnover in long-term projects. He advises developers to periodically review dependencies, write extensive test cases, and meticulously document code philosophy and design decisions to address the challenges of long-term maintenance and technological change. The article also underscores the benefits of open source and the importance of simple code, cautioning developers against blindly chasing new technologies and opting instead for time-tested solutions.

(berthub.eu)

Development dependency management code simplicity

HyperEssays: An Ongoing Digital Project for Montaigne's Essays

2024-12-22

HyperEssays: An Ongoing Digital Project for Montaigne's Essays

HyperEssays is a project dedicated to creating a modern and accessible online edition of Michel de Montaigne's Essays. The website hosts four editions of the Essays, including the original French, early modern English translations, and a modern English translation, which are continuously updated and improved. The project aims to provide readers with a convenient reading experience and rich interpretive resources, including annotations, indexes, and downloadable PDFs.

(hyperessays.net)

Misc Montaigne Essays

Otto-m8: A No-Code Visual Platform for AI Workflows

2024-12-23

Otto-m8: A No-Code Visual Platform for AI Workflows

Otto-m8 is a flowchart-based automation platform that allows users to interconnect LLMs and Hugging Face models via a simple visual interface and deploy them as REST APIs. It abstracts the complex process of running AI models into an Input, Process, Output paradigm, enabling users to build various AI workflows, such as chatbots or custom APIs, with minimal to no code. Currently in its MVP stage, Otto-m8's source code is publicly available.

(github.com)

AI No-code Workflow Automation

Optimistic Computing: A Path Towards Better Software

2024-12-15

This essay explores the concept of "Optimistic Computing," not as blind optimism, but as a convergence of several powerful ideas: simplicity and ease of use ("boot to kill"), local-first principles, and user empowerment. The author argues that by limiting dependencies, simplifying workflows, creating a seamless "just works" experience, and giving users more control, we can build more reliable, secure, and long-lasting software. This philosophy applies to both individual users and enterprise software development, ultimately aiming for a digital world that respects user privacy and data ownership.

(www.deobald.ca)

Development optimistic computing local-first

FindMy.py: An All-in-One Python Library for Querying Apple's FindMy Network

2024-12-21

FindMy.py: An All-in-One Python Library for Querying Apple's FindMy Network

FindMy.py is a Python library providing everything needed to query Apple's FindMy network. It unifies the fragmented Find My ecosystem, offering a cross-platform solution supporting various devices (AirTags, iDevices, etc.) and authentication methods (including SMS and Trusted Device 2FA). It features both async and sync APIs. Currently in Alpha, the API may change, but core functionality is stable.

(github.com)

Development

Four Surprising Limitations of Rust's Borrow Checker

2024-12-24

This article delves into four surprising limitations of Rust's borrow checker encountered even by experienced Rustaceans. The first limitation involves the borrow checker's inability to fully account for match and return statements, leading to redundant checks when working with HashMaps. The second limitation concerns asynchronous programming, where Rust currently lacks the ability to express certain asynchronous callback type signatures. The third centers around FnMut closures not allowing re-borrowing of captured variables, restricting access to mutable state in async operations. Finally, the Send checker's lack of control flow awareness results in some Futures that should be Send being incorrectly flagged as non-Send. The author illustrates these limitations and their challenges with concrete code examples and workarounds, advocating for improvements to Rust's type system to enhance developer productivity.

(blog.polybdenum.com)

Development borrow checker async programming

New Study Pinpoints Neanderthal Interbreeding with Modern Humans

2024-12-13

New Study Pinpoints Neanderthal Interbreeding with Modern Humans

A new analysis of ancient DNA from modern humans in Europe and Asia has precisely determined the timeframe of Neanderthal interbreeding with Homo sapiens. The interbreeding began approximately 50,500 years ago and lasted for about 7,000 years, until Neanderthals began to disappear. This research, using 58 ancient genomes and present-day human genomes, revealed an average interbreeding date of around 47,000 years ago, consistent with archeological evidence. The study also found that East Asians possess about 20% more Neanderthal genes than Europeans and West Asians, potentially due to the presence of mixed genes when modern humans migrated eastward around 47,000 years ago. The findings offer a more complete picture of past human migrations and gene flow, and shed light on the impact of Neanderthal genes on modern human health.

(news.berkeley.edu)

Tech Neanderthals Homo sapiens Gene flow

In Praise of the 100-Page Idea: A Case for Brevity in Nonfiction

2024-12-22

Tracy Durnell argues for the value of concise nonfiction books, specifically those around 100 pages long. She finds these shorter works ideal for exploring a single, impactful idea without excessive detail, fitting modern readers' shorter attention spans. Durnell highlights several examples of excellent books in this length, contrasting them with longer works that she believes often dilute their core ideas through padding. She champions the efficiency of a focused approach, emphasizing the benefits of connecting multiple concise ideas to build a broader understanding over consuming lengthy, highly-detailed tomes.

(tracydurnell.com)

Misc reading books writing

Mysterious Tablet with Unknown Script Unearthed in Georgia

2024-12-14

Mysterious Tablet with Unknown Script Unearthed in Georgia

A basalt tablet inscribed with an enigmatic language has been discovered near Lake Bashplemi in Georgia's Dmanisi region. The 24.1 x 20.1 cm tablet, featuring 60 characters (39 unique), has baffled researchers. Its symbols, possibly related to military spoils, construction, or religious offerings, bear partial resemblance to scripts from the Middle East, India, Egypt, and West Iberia, yet are distinct. Dating potentially to the Late Bronze or Early Iron Ages, the tablet adds a layer of complexity to the cultural history of the Caucasus, hinting at possible ancient cultural exchange between diverse regions.

(archaeologymag.com)

Misc unknown script

Nostalgic Game 'Alley Cat' Remake Released

2024-12-17

Programmer Joflof has finally completed a remake of the classic 1983 game 'Alley Cat' after many years of work. This remake not only retains the original pixel graphics and sound effects but also adds five new levels and multiplayer modes for up to four kittens to play simultaneously. Additionally, Joflof has included special arcade mode configuration options for arcade enthusiasts. Currently, the game is only available for Windows, but the author hopes that enthusiasts will help port it to Linux and Mac systems.

(www.joflof.com)

Game retro game remake arcade game

Rust's Vec::drain: Leveraging Drop for Safety

2024-12-16

Rust's Vec::drain: Leveraging Drop for Safety

This article delves into Rust's Vec::drain method and its Drop implementation, showcasing how ownership prevents subtle bugs—memory-related and otherwise. Vec::drain optimizes performance by maintaining a mutable reference to the original vector and only reading/updating the original storage. The key lies in the Drain struct's Drop implementation, which uses a DropGuard to ensure that even if the iterator is dropped prematurely, remaining elements are safely moved back into the original vector, guaranteeing memory safety. The article thoroughly explains the implementation details of Drain and DropGuard, addressing special cases like zero-sized types and pointer provenance.

(v5.chriskrycho.com)

Development

GCC Build Failure: A Debugging Mystery Caused by sbuild Refactoring

2024-12-22

Official Debian GCC builds started failing mysteriously after an sbuild refactoring. A team embarked on a six-stage investigation, ultimately uncovering a conflict between the new sbuild init system and a D language unit test. The test accidentally terminated its own process group, halting the build. The root cause was the use of -2 as a special PID value in the D language unit test, leading to SIGTERM signals being sent to the wrong process group. Switching back to the old init system or modifying the test code resolved the issue.

(www.linux.it)

Development debugging

Jujutsu: A Revolutionary Version Control System

2024-12-22

Jujutsu is a new version control system built on top of Git, offering a simplified approach to local file interaction through a unique conceptual model and command set. Unlike Git, Jujutsu always treats the working copy state as a commit, instantly reflecting any on-disk edits in the current commit. This streamlines many operations, including fixing typos in old commits, viewing diffs, and managing work in progress. The workflow is intuitive, easily accessible even without prior Git experience, and seamlessly integrates with the Git ecosystem. While some features like perfect VSCode integration are still missing, Jujutsu shows immense potential with its innovative design and user-friendly experience.

(neugierig.org)

Development

University Revamps Programming Curriculum: Emphasizing Explicit, Systematic Design

2024-12-19

Northeastern University's computer science department has developed a unique programming curriculum that emphasizes explicit and systematic program design, rather than focusing on trendy programming languages. The curriculum starts with a simple teaching language, gradually introducing students to design principles before applying them to industrial languages. This approach cultivates logical reasoning and problem-solving skills for large, complex software. The curriculum also highlights the social aspects of programming, encouraging pair programming to improve communication and collaboration. This method not only enhances students' job prospects but also lays a solid foundation for their future careers.

(felleisen.org)

Development program design curriculum reform

Scientists Discover Four New Species of Portuguese Man-of-War

2024-12-14

Scientists Discover Four New Species of Portuguese Man-of-War

Recent research has uncovered four new species of the Portuguese man-of-war, challenging our understanding of this venomous creature. Far from being a single organism, the man-of-war is a colony of four or five distinct individuals, each responsible for functions like floating, stinging, digestion, and reproduction. This unique colonial structure is a marvel of natural engineering. Adding to its intrigue, the man-of-war inflates its float using carbon monoxide and reproduces via a mysterious process with poorly understood larval development. Furthermore, a parasitic fish, the bluebottle, feeds on the man-of-war's tentacles and gonads, further highlighting the species' complexity.

(crookedtimber.org)

Tech Portuguese man-of-war new species marine biology

The Subtleties of Memoization in Ruby: A Deep Dive

2024-12-23

The Subtleties of Memoization in Ruby: A Deep Dive

This article delves into the complexities of implementing memoization in Ruby. The author walks through various aspects, from simple local variables to sophisticated thread-safe implementations, covering limitations of the memoization operator, argument-aware memoization, building a memoization DSL, and challenges in handling frozen objects, memory management, and thread safety. Weak and soft references are explored, leading to an efficient and thread-safe memoization DSL. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of using battle-tested libraries and avoiding reinventing the wheel.

(denisdefreyne.com)

Development Memoization

German Regulator Orders Sam Altman's Worldcoin to Delete Biometric Data

2024-12-22

German Regulator Orders Sam Altman's Worldcoin to Delete Biometric Data

Germany's Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (BayLDA) has ordered World, a biometric identification project co-founded by Sam Altman, to delete user data. The BayLDA found World's data collection practices violated the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), citing significant data protection risks. World uses a device called an 'Orb' to scan irises and faces for identification. The company has appealed the decision, seeking clarification on whether its privacy-enhancing technologies meet the EU's definition of anonymization.

(www.euronews.com)

Tech

Tenstorrent: An Analysis of the AI Hardware Startup Landscape

2024-12-15

Tenstorrent: An Analysis of the AI Hardware Startup Landscape

This article delves into a deep dive analysis of Tenstorrent, an AI hardware startup. Initially skeptical, the author, after meeting with the Tenstorrent team and gaining a thorough understanding of their architecture (a mesh topology featuring high-performance RISC-V CPU cores and AI cores) and software stack, revised their opinion. The article details Tenstorrent's technical specifications, including its unique Baby RISC-V cores and efforts to reduce latency. The author argues that Tenstorrent's open-source strategy, strong engineering team, and rational business model give it a unique advantage in the competitive AI hardware market, expressing optimism for its future.

(irrationalanalysis.substack.com)

AI AI hardware

Meta's Byte Latent Transformer (BLT): Outperforming Tokenization-Based LLMs

2024-12-14

Meta AI researchers introduced the Byte Latent Transformer (BLT), a novel large language model architecture that processes bytes directly, rather than tokens. BLT dynamically allocates computational resources based on byte entropy, resulting in significant improvements in inference efficiency and robustness compared to tokenization-based models. Scaling experiments up to 8 billion parameters and 4 terabytes of training data demonstrate BLT's ability to match the performance of token-based LLMs while offering enhanced reasoning capabilities and handling of long-tail data. This research showcases the feasibility of training large-scale models directly on raw bytes without a fixed vocabulary.

(ai.meta.com)

AI Byte-level Encoding Inference Efficiency

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