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Internet Archive: A Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine

2024-12-22

The Internet Archive is a non-profit organization dedicated to universal access to knowledge. It provides a massive digital library of websites (via the Wayback Machine), books, movies, music, and more, offering a free and easily accessible resource for researchers, educators, and the public. Users can freely browse and download these materials, exploring the history and cultural diversity of the internet.

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(archive.org)
Misc Internet Archive digital library

Maine Prison's Remote Work Program: A Path to Redemption

2024-12-24

Maine's prison system is conducting a bold experiment: allowing inmates to work remotely. This program not only provides inmates with fair market wages, helping them pay restitution, support children, and save for the future, but also instills dignity and hope. Remote work allows inmates to learn new skills, build self-worth, and prepare for re-entry into society. While facing skepticism from victims and the public, the program's positive impact is undeniable, offering a model for prison reform in other states.

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(www.bostonglobe.com)
Misc prison reform reintegration

Manx: An Open Source Treasure Trove of Vintage Computer Manuals

2024-12-23

Manx is an open-source project dedicated to cataloging and preserving manuals for older computers. It currently boasts nearly 10,000 manuals from 61 websites, covering minicomputers, mainframes, and associated peripherals like terminals and printers. While many manuals are scanned images and not directly indexable by search engines, Manx adds metadata and information to compensate. Its search currently focuses on part numbers, titles, and keywords. For microcomputer manuals, Tiziano's 1000 BiT is a better resource.

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(manx-docs.org)
Tech vintage computing manuals

2024's Most Scathing Book Reviews: Literary Heavyweights Face the Critics

2024-12-22

The most brutal book reviews of 2024 are in, and even literary giants didn't escape unscathed. From Melania Trump's clichéd memoir to Haruki Murakami's disappointing magical realism, Lionel Shriver's clumsy satire, and Malcolm Gladwell's hollow brand extension, critics delivered scathing critiques. The reviews dissected the shortcomings of these works, pointing out bland writing, shallow character development, and tired plots, offering readers a thought-provoking glimpse into the literary landscape.

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(lithub.com)
Misc book reviews literature criticism

uBlock Origin: A Highly Efficient Ad Blocker

2024-12-23

uBlock Origin (uBO) is a highly efficient and lightweight content blocker for Chromium and Firefox browsers. It blocks ads, trackers, coin miners, and malware by default using multiple filter lists like EasyList and EasyPrivacy. Users can customize blocking rules and choose between a simple or advanced interface. Crucially, uBO emphasizes that using an ad blocker is not theft, but a means of protecting user privacy. The project is open-source and relies on community-maintained filter lists.

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(github.com)
Development ad blocker

Minimizing Wifi Battery Drain in IoT Projects

2024-12-22

In the early development of PetDrifts, an IoT device using an ESP32 C3, battery life was a major challenge, lasting only a day. The culprit was identified as high power consumption during HTTP POST requests every 15 minutes. To address this, the team explored two solutions: switching from TCP to UDP to reduce network overhead, and adopting MQTT for persistent connections and lower power usage. While improvements were observed, the battery life wasn't sufficient. Ultimately, they opted for a Bluetooth MCU to achieve significantly longer battery life.

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(khalsalabs.com)
Development IoT Power Optimization

Journal Removed from Science Index for Publishing Faulty Study

2024-12-23

The journal Chemosphere has been removed from the Web of Science after failing to meet quality criteria. This follows the retraction of eight articles this month and the publication of 60 expressions of concern since April. A highly publicized study on black plastics and toxic flame retardants, published in Chemosphere, was corrected due to a mathematical error that significantly underestimated exposure levels. Despite the correction, the study's conclusions remained unchanged, sparking controversy.

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(arstechnica.com)
Tech academic journal retraction research quality

OpenAI's GPT-5 Project Hit by Delays and High Costs

2024-12-23

OpenAI's highly anticipated GPT-5 project, codenamed 'Orion,' is significantly behind schedule and facing substantial cost overruns, according to the Wall Street Journal. Intended as a major leap forward for the technology powering ChatGPT, the project is encountering challenges, including concerns about insufficient data to reach its ambitious intelligence goals. Microsoft, OpenAI's largest investor, had expected the new model by mid-2024, but that timeline is now uncertain. The project, underway for over 18 months, faces an unclear future.

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(www.wsj.com)
AI

Northern Giant Hornet Eradicated from the United States

2024-12-23

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the eradication of the northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) from Washington state and the US after three years without confirmed detections. This success is attributed to a multi-year collaborative effort involving state and federal agencies, community members, and the public, who played a crucial role in reporting sightings. The hornets posed a significant threat to honeybees, other pollinators, and agriculture, and their eradication protects the US ecosystem and agricultural industry. While eradicated, vigilance continues to prevent reintroduction.

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(agr.wa.gov)
Misc Northern Giant Hornet invasive species eradication

Improving F# Error Handling: Introducing FaultReport

2024-12-22

This article critiques the shortcomings of F#'s Result type in error handling, highlighting inconsistencies in error types and the problems stemming from using strings as error types. The author proposes FaultReport as an alternative, using an IFault interface to standardize error types and a Report<'Pass', 'Fail> type to represent operation outcomes, where 'Fail must implement IFault. This ensures consistent and type-safe error handling, avoiding the inconveniences of string-based errors. FaultReport further provides Report.generalize for upcasting and a FailAs active pattern for downcasting, facilitating handling of diverse error types. While replacing FSharp.Core's Result is a significant undertaking, the author argues that FaultReport's design offers a valuable improvement to F#'s error handling.

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(paul.blasuc.ci)
Development

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.

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(wyounas.github.io)
Development state space model checking

Minecraft Server Site Selection Sparks Voting System Debate

2024-12-21

A Minecraft server's site selection problem led to an in-depth discussion of different voting systems. The initially used plurality voting system resulted in the least popular option winning due to the "spoiler effect." Subsequently, instant-runoff voting was tried, which solved some problems, but violated monotonicity when candidates changed. The author further introduces the Borda method and Arrow's impossibility theorem, ultimately recommending score voting and approval voting as superior options because they satisfy the three conditions of Arrow's impossibility theorem: unanimity, non-dictatorship, and independence of irrelevant alternatives.

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(blog.danielh.cc)
Game voting systems Arrow's impossibility theorem

Genesis Engine: A Universal Physics Engine Ushering in a New Era for Robotics and AI

2024-12-22

Genesis is a powerful, general-purpose physics engine and robotics simulation platform capable of simulating a wide range of materials and physical phenomena at unprecedented speeds. It can even generate physically accurate videos and robotic policies from natural language descriptions. For example, it can simulate Sun Wukong performing somersaults, a samurai practicing boxing, and various robots completing complex tasks, with Sim2Real policy transfer capabilities. Currently open-source, the engine will gradually release its generative framework in the future, promising to revolutionize data generation for robotics and AI.

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(genesis-embodied-ai.github.io)
AI AI data generation

Spacer CLI Tool: Elegantly Separate Log Outputs

2024-12-23

Spacer is a simple CLI tool that inserts spacers when command output stops. If you're someone who habitually presses enter a few times in your log tail to distinguish between outputs from different requests, then Spacer is for you! By default, it inserts a spacer every 1 second, but you can customize the interval using the `--after` flag (floating-point numbers are supported). Note that Spacer only monitors STDOUT; if your command outputs primarily to STDERR, use `|&` instead of `|` to redirect STDERR to STDOUT.

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(github.com)
Development CLI tool log processing terminal

Does Language Shape Personality? A Fascinating Bilingual Study

2024-12-22

A friend, Victor, conducted a unique experiment exploring the impact of language on personality. Using a standardized personality test on English/German bilinguals, he found half showed significant personality shifts depending on the language used. This fascinating result sparked a discussion on coordinate and compound bilingualism, and touched upon linguistic relativity and determinism. While the data is limited, Victor's study hints at a subtle but intriguing link between language and personality.

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(www.solipsys.co.uk)
Misc bilingualism personality linguistic relativity

Finley Technologies Hiring Growth Associate to Fuel Fintech Expansion

2024-12-22

Finley Technologies, a Y Combinator and Bain Capital Ventures-backed fintech startup, is seeking a Growth Associate. This role focuses on the credit fund segment and requires 2-3 years of finance experience, strategic thinking, entrepreneurial spirit, and strong communication skills. The successful candidate will help shape go-to-market strategy, product roadmap, and more, collaborating with a team to drive company growth.

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(jobs.lever.co)
Startup Growth Associate

Xerox to Acquire Lexmark for $1.5 Billion

2024-12-23

Xerox Holdings Corporation announced it will acquire Lexmark International, Inc. for $1.5 billion. This acquisition strengthens Xerox's core print portfolio and builds a broader global print and managed print services business to better meet the evolving needs of clients in the hybrid workplace. The deal, expected to close in the second half of 2025, combines two industry leaders to create a more comprehensive offering and expand geographic reach, particularly in the APAC region.

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(newsroom.lexmark.com)
Tech Merger and Acquisition Printing Industry Hybrid Workplace

Apple Directs Spyware Victims to Nonprofit Security Lab

2024-12-23

Instead of conducting its own investigations, Apple directs victims of suspected government spyware attacks on iPhones to the nonprofit Access Now for assistance. This approach is supported by cybersecurity experts who believe Access Now is better equipped for systematic investigation and support. Access Now's digital helpline has received 4,337 requests in 2024, becoming a crucial tool in combating spyware. While Apple also employs other security measures like Lockdown Mode, this partnership provides invaluable support for those affected by government spyware.

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(techcrunch.com)
Tech Spyware

Public Bathhouses: A Sustainable Future?

2024-12-22

This article explores the sustainability of public bathhouses and their historical context. From ancient Roman bathhouses to modern shower rooms, public bathing has played different roles throughout history, fulfilling hygiene needs while also serving as social and recreational spaces. The article analyzes the high energy consumption of modern bathrooms and proposes public bathhouses as a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative. It also discusses different types of public bathhouses and how to design a low-carbon, environmentally friendly public bathhouse, such as using renewable energy sources like solar and geothermal energy. Ultimately, the article calls for a reconsideration of the value of public bathhouses and their potential as a sustainable solution to address today's environmental crisis.

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(solar.lowtechmagazine.com)
Tech public bathhouses

Retis: Tracing Packets in the Linux Networking Stack

2024-12-19

Retis is a powerful tool that uses eBPF probes to trace packets within the Linux networking stack. It interacts with control and data paths like Open vSwitch and Netfilter, making it invaluable for debugging network issues, exploring the Linux networking stack, or testing network features. Retis offers packet filtering and tracking, retrieving metadata and contextual information beyond the packet itself. No compilation on the target system is required, and post-processing capabilities, such as reconstructing a packet's journey, are included. User-friendly with pre-built profiles and support for custom probes and filters, Retis provides flexibility and ease of use.

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(github.com)
Development network tracing Linux networking stack

Two Sean Carrolls Discuss the Universe: A Dialogue on Science and Faith

2024-12-24

Nautilus magazine brought together two scientists, both named Sean Carroll—one an evolutionary biologist, the other a physicist—for a fascinating conversation. From their respective fields, they tackled profound questions about the origin of life, extraterrestrial life, the tension between science and religion, Earth's fate, and their childhood fascinations with science. Their discussion blended rigorous scientific reasoning with humorous anecdotes, ultimately ending on a note of optimism about the universe's mysteries and humanity's future.

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(nautil.us)
Misc Science Universe Origin of Life

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

2024-12-21

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.

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(github.com)
Development

Talk to Me Human: A Breakthrough in AI Humanoid Conversation

2024-12-21

"Talk to Me Human" isn't just science fiction; it's a real-world account of a significant leap in AI technology. It showcases remarkable progress in AI's ability to simulate natural, logical human conversations, even exhibiting hints of personality and emotion. This breakthrough opens exciting new possibilities for AI applications in customer service, education, and beyond, while also raising important questions about the future direction of AI development.

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(talktomehuman.com)
AI natural language processing AI conversation

JMAP Turns 10: A Decade of Open Email Protocol

2024-12-23

Fastmail celebrates the 10th anniversary of JMAP, its open-source email protocol. Over the past decade, JMAP has evolved from initial concept to a mature standard, incorporating email, contacts, and calendar functionalities, through industry workshops, collaborations with developers, and IETF standardization. Looking ahead, Fastmail plans to enhance the Cyrus IMAP server and continue promoting JMAP adoption to improve user experience and make it the industry standard for email.

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(www.fastmail.com)
Development open-source protocol email

Day by Data App Transforms Your Data into Art

2024-12-20

The Day by Data app, now available on the App Store, turns your daily data into stunning visualizations. Connect your Health and Spotify data to generate personalized art pieces reflecting your yearly step count, top Spotify songs, and peak activity days. Create a 'Day by Data Receipt' showcasing your yearly achievements. The app offers a simple and intuitive way to transform routine numbers into meaningful visuals, making your data a story worth sharing.

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(apps.apple.com)
Design Health Data

Apache Cloudberry: Open-Source MPP Database, a Greenplum Alternative

2024-12-21

Apache Cloudberry, built by the original Greenplum Database developers, is an advanced and mature open-source Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) database. It features a newer PostgreSQL kernel and enhanced enterprise capabilities, serving as a data warehouse and supporting large-scale analytics and AI/ML workloads. Users can build from source or utilize a Docker-based sandbox for quick trials. A vibrant community provides support and encourages contributions ranging from code improvements to documentation enhancements.

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(github.com)
Tech open-source database Greenplum alternative

The Academic Great Gatsby Curve: How Much of Academic Success Is Inherited?

2024-12-21

A new study reveals that academic success mirrors the inheritance of wealth and social status. Analyzing data from over 245,000 mentor-mentee pairs, researchers found that the more unequal the citation distribution within a discipline, the more likely a mentee's citation ranking reflects their mentor's. This suggests academic success is shaped by structural forces similar to those governing social mobility, where the advantage of a top mentor creates a self-reinforcing cycle of success. While acknowledging the benefits of top mentorship, the study cautions against relying solely on citation metrics, advocating for greater academic equity and equal opportunity.

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(blogs.lse.ac.uk)
AI academic success mentor-mentee relationships academic inequality

Grammarly Acquires Coda to Usher in a New Era of AI-Native Productivity

2024-12-21

Grammarly has announced its acquisition of Coda, aiming to build the future's AI-native productivity suite. Coda is a popular collaborative workspace tool loved by teams, while Grammarly is renowned for its AI-powered writing assistance. This acquisition will combine the strengths of both companies, leveraging Coda's document collaboration capabilities and Grammarly's AI prowess to provide users with smarter and more efficient productivity tools. The future will see a deep integration of the Grammarly assistant with Coda Brain, resulting in powerful AI-native document collaboration features.

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(coda.io)
AI Productivity Acquisition

The 100-Page-a-Day Reading Strategy: A Habit for Life

2024-12-21

Matthew Walther, editor of *The Lamp* magazine, shares his "100-pages-a-day reading strategy." It's not a rigid plan, but a cultivated habit designed to combat the distractions of modern life and reclaim the joy of reading. Walther breaks his day into several reading slots, utilizing even fragmented time. He emphasizes diversifying reading material, balancing heavy and light books, and always carrying a book. The ultimate goal is establishing a reading habit, not strictly adhering to a page count.

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(thelampmagazine.com)
Misc reading strategy reading habit effective reading
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