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IBM's Executive Terminal: A Forgotten Chapter in Computing History

2024-12-13

A recently discovered 1968 videotape reveals IBM's previously unknown "Executive Terminal" system. Unlike Engelbart's "Mother of All Demos," which emphasized collaboration, this system created an information "war room" for top IBM executives. Executives used modified television sets to query information specialists, who then compiled information from various terminals and resources, presenting it visually to the executives. This showcases an alternative application of early computing technology within a hierarchical organization, contrasting sharply with the collaborative approach of the "Mother of All Demos." Together, they offer a fascinating glimpse into the early development of computing.

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(spectrum.ieee.org)
3
Tech Executive Terminal Computing History

Unprecedented Drop in Teen Drug Use Continues to Surprise Experts

2024-12-20

A new study reveals a continued and unexpected drop in teen drug use in 2024, reaching historic lows. The decline, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, has not reversed despite the lifting of restrictions. Rates of alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine use among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders have all plummeted. Researchers are now investigating the contributing factors to this unprecedented trend and planning interventions to maintain these low rates.

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(arstechnica.com)
Health teen drug use pandemic impact

Spotify's Ghost Artists: The Algorithm's Dark Secret

2024-12-19

This article exposes Spotify's 'Perfect Fit Content' (PFC) program, which secretly fills its playlists with low-cost 'ghost artists' to reduce royalty payouts. These ghost artists, mass-produced by production companies, lack artistic merit but dominate popular playlists, squeezing out independent musicians. This practice has angered artists and industry insiders, raising concerns about the devaluation of music and the future of streaming. It reveals streaming services' disregard for artistic integrity and musician rights in their pursuit of profit maximization.

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(harpers.org)
Tech streaming ghost artists

Physics' New Frontier: Beyond Thermodynamics

2024-12-22

This article delves into the significance and limitations of thermodynamics in physics. The author argues that while statistical mechanics provides a microscopic understanding of thermodynamics, it may obscure more general principles. A call is made to focus on macroscopic, empirical observations, such as non-equilibrium thermodynamics and self-organizing systems, suggesting these areas may hold new physical laws and offer solutions to practical problems, echoing the initial development of thermodynamics from steam engine improvements.

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(scottlocklin.wordpress.com)
Physics non-equilibrium thermodynamics self-organizing systems

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

Clay: A Robust UI Layout Library

2024-12-19

Clay is a lightweight UI layout library for building responsive and accessible user interfaces. Its clean and intuitive API allows developers to easily create complex layouts while maintaining code maintainability and readability. Clay prioritizes performance and accessibility, ensuring fast loading times and user-friendliness through streamlined code and a well-architected design. Whether building simple page layouts or complex interactive applications, Clay empowers developers to build high-quality UIs efficiently.

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(www.nicbarker.com)
Development UI library responsive layout accessibility

New Underwater Footage Raises Sabotage Suspicions Against Yi Peng 3

2024-12-19

New underwater footage obtained by TV2 reveals drag marks on the seabed near Læsø, Denmark, coinciding with the unusual maneuvers of the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 ten days before the Baltic Sea cable breaks. The footage shows a distinct mark aligning with the Yi Peng 3's path on November 7th, when the ship inexplicably slowed down significantly while passing over the cables. Experts are questioning this unusual behavior for a commercial vessel, citing suspicions of sabotage against three Danish-Swedish underwater cables. The ongoing investigation involves Danish, Swedish, and German naval vessels monitoring the Yi Peng 3, which remains anchored in the Kattegat. Authorities remain tight-lipped, prompting independent investigations by TV2 and its partners.

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(scandasia.com)
Tech Underwater Cable Sabotage Yi Peng 3 China

Study Reveals Misperception of Opposite-Sex Facial Preferences

2024-12-13

A PLOS ONE study reveals that both men and women overestimate the opposite sex's preference for sexually dimorphic facial features (masculine or feminine traits). Using interactive 3D head models, participants chose their own ideal face shape and the face shape they believed the opposite sex would find most attractive. Women overestimated men's preference for feminine faces, while men overestimated women's preference for masculine faces. This misperception correlated with the discrepancy between participants' own and ideal facial dimorphism (an index of appearance dissatisfaction). The study suggests that misperceiving opposite-sex preferences contributes to appearance dissatisfaction.

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(journals.plos.org)
3
AI facial attractiveness sexual dimorphism appearance dissatisfaction

Programmer Creates Pseudo-3D Game in Bash

2024-12-20

A programmer, izabera, has developed a surprisingly impressive pseudo-3D game using the Bash scripting language. This project, a homage to the classic game Wolfenstein 3D, is open-source on GitHub. The code is concise yet the result is stunning, showcasing the power of Bash and the programmer's ingenuity. The repository includes the game source code and demonstration videos. Developers interested in learning more can check it out on GitHub.

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(github.com)
Development Game Development

Apple's Power Mac 4400: A Failed Attempt at a Budget Mac

2024-12-20

Released in 1996, Apple's Power Mac 4400 aimed for the small business market with a low price point. However, this machine became infamous for its cheap PC-style case, poor build quality, and frequent crashes. Inside, cost-cutting measures resulted in a "Tanzania" motherboard shared with Mac clones, leading to poor performance, compatibility issues (it couldn't even boot System 7.5.5), and a generally disappointing user experience. Discontinued in 1998 after the Power Mac G3's release, the 4400 is considered one of Apple's biggest failures, often described as a Mac version of a Gateway 2000.

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(512pixels.net)
Hardware Apple Computer failed product

Lessons Learned in Long-Term Software Development

2024-12-22

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.

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(berthub.eu)
Development dependency management code simplicity

AMD MI300X vs. Nvidia H100/H200 Benchmark: CUDA Moat Remains

2024-12-22

SemiAnalysis conducted a five-month independent benchmark of AMD's MI300X against Nvidia's H100 and H200. While the MI300X boasts theoretical advantages in performance and TCO, real-world results fell significantly short due to flaws in AMD's public software stack and insufficient testing. AMD's software proved problematic, hindering usability and resulting in performance trailing Nvidia's offerings across most benchmarks. Despite improvements from AMD engineers, the software stack remains underdeveloped, leaving the CUDA moat intact. This in-depth analysis offers concrete recommendations for AMD to enhance its software and competitiveness.

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(semianalysis.com)
Hardware GPU Benchmark Nvidia H100/H200

io_uring Gains New Process Creation Functionality

2024-12-20

LWN.net reports on the development of a new process creation feature for the io_uring subsystem. This functionality is implemented via two new io_uring operations: IORING_OP_CLONE, which creates a new process, and IORING_OP_EXEC, which performs an execveat() system call to load a new program. This promises increased efficiency and allows for more complex logic, such as path searching, to be executed asynchronously within the kernel. However, the feature is still in its early stages and has limitations, such as requiring synchronous execution of io_uring operations within the new process. Future development aims to increase flexibility and eventually merge the feature into the mainline Linux kernel.

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(lwn.net)
Development process creation Linux kernel

DOS APPEND Command: Bridging the Gap Between Old and New

2024-12-20

While reconstructing the DOS 2.11 source code, the author encountered a challenge: the ancient MASM 1.25 assembler lacked directory support, clashing with modern file organization using a tree structure. To avoid a monolithic directory, the author cleverly employed the DOS APPEND command. APPEND is a TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) program that intercepts system calls like file opening and searches a predefined path list if the file isn't found in the current directory. This allowed MASM 1.25 to locate files within the hierarchical structure, resolving the incompatibility and highlighting APPEND's surprising utility in specific scenarios.

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(www.os2museum.com)
Development

Trofaf: A Super Simple Live Static Blog Generator in Go

2024-12-19

Trofaf is a super-simple live static blog generator written in Go. Requiring only three directories (posts, public, templates), it generates a static website from markdown files and front matter, automatically updating whenever changes are detected. It offers command-line options for customization and prioritizes simplicity over extensive features, making it ideal for users seeking a straightforward blogging solution.

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(github.com)
Development Static Blog Generator Blog Engine

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

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

NY Governor Signs Law Criminalizing Restaurant Reservation Black Market

2024-12-21

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act, cracking down on the black market for restaurant reservations. This first-of-its-kind legislation targets individuals and groups using bots or manual methods to hoard and resell reservations at inflated prices. The law protects both consumers and businesses by ensuring a fairer reservation system, while acknowledging some legitimate reasons for reservation trading, such as handling non-refundable bookings in emergencies. However, the prevalent scalping and cancellations negatively impact restaurants and diners.

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(ny.eater.com)
Misc Restaurant Reservations Black Market New York Legislation

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

Proposed Google Antitrust Remedies Threaten Independent Browsers

2024-12-19

The US Department of Justice's proposed remedies in its antitrust case against Google could inadvertently harm independent browsers like Firefox by jeopardizing their revenue streams. This isn't just about one company; it threatens the future of the open web. While Google is Firefox's default search engine in the US, this is a non-exclusive agreement, and Firefox has always supported multiple search engine choices. Reducing the number of independent browsers diminishes search engine competition and harms consumer choice and innovation. The article urges the court to consider remedies that don't damage independent browsers and the open web.

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(blog.mozilla.org)
Tech antitrust browser competition

OpenAI's o3 System Achieves Breakthrough Score on ARC-AGI Benchmark

2024-12-20

OpenAI's new o3 system, trained on the ARC-AGI-1 public training set, achieved a breakthrough score of 75.7% on the semi-private evaluation set, surpassing previous limitations of large language models. This represents a significant leap in AI capabilities, demonstrating novel task adaptation never before seen in the GPT family. While not yet achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), o3's success highlights the importance of test-time knowledge recombination and provides valuable data points for ongoing AGI research. Further challenges remain, as o3 still fails on some simple tasks, underscoring the complexities of achieving true AGI.

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(arcprize.org)
AI

Reforming Clinical Trials: Accelerating Drug Development and Lowering Costs

2024-12-22

A research report from the Institute for Progress (IFP) explores reform proposals for clinical trials in the US. The report highlights how lengthy and expensive clinical trials hinder medical innovation. Nine specific recommendations are proposed, including streamlining regulations, improving clinical trial databases, and adopting risk-based monitoring, aiming to accelerate new drug development and benefit more patients by increasing efficiency and reducing costs. This reflects a positive exploration of using technology (such as AI) to improve healthcare efficiency.

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(ifp.org)
Tech medical innovation

The CD Pipeline Manifesto: Building Better Software Delivery

2024-12-21

Modern software teams desperately need better tools for managing their Continuous Delivery pipelines. Today's CD pipeline ecosystem is fragmented, rigid, and inefficient. This manifesto advocates for code-first, developer-friendly pipelines designed to handle the complexities of modern engineering workflows. It emphasizes a single source of truth, reusable and typesafe components, dynamic and flexible pipelines, transparent and visual debugging, and mechanisms for handling change and fast feedback loops, ultimately aiming to improve efficiency and accelerate delivery.

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(manifesto.getglu.dev)
Development Continuous Delivery Pipeline

INFP: An Audio-Driven Interactive Head Generation Framework for Natural Dyadic Conversations

2024-12-22

ByteDance introduces INFP, a novel audio-driven interactive head generation framework. Given dual-track audio from a dyadic conversation and a single portrait image, INFP dynamically synthesizes realistic agent videos with verbal, nonverbal, and interactive cues, including lifelike facial expressions and head movements. The lightweight framework is ideal for real-time communication like video conferencing. INFP uses a two-stage process: Motion-Based Head Imitation and Audio-Guided Motion Generation. The first stage projects facial communicative behaviors into a low-dimensional latent space, while the second maps dyadic audio to these codes, enabling audio-driven generation. A new large-scale dyadic conversation dataset, DyConv, is also introduced. INFP achieves superior performance and natural interaction.

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(grisoon.github.io)
AI

DataFuel API: Turn Websites into LLM-Ready Data

2024-12-13

DataFuel is a powerful API that transforms websites and knowledge bases into LLM-ready data with a single query. It effortlessly scrapes entire websites, delivering clean, markdown-structured data perfect for RAG systems and AI model training. No complex scraping code is needed. DataFuel offers multiple output formats, including GPT-4 powered extraction for highly accurate results, and a free tier to get started. Trusted by industry leaders, DataFuel simplifies the data preparation process for building powerful AI applications.

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(www.datafuel.dev)
3
AI web scraping

Spotify's Shady Secret: Fake Artists and Inflated Play Counts Exposed

2024-12-21

A year-long investigation reveals Spotify's deceptive practices. A program called "Perfect Fit Content" (PFC) involves partnerships with production companies to create and promote fake artists and tracks, artificially inflating play counts to reduce royalty costs and boost profits. These fake tracks, often ambient, classical, electronic, jazz, or lo-fi, are strategically placed in playlists designed for background listening. The Spotify CEO's significant stock sales around the time of the revelations further fueled controversy. This scandal raises serious concerns about transparency and fairness in the music industry, prompting calls for congressional investigation and a more transparent music streaming ecosystem.

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(www.honest-broker.com)
Tech music streaming royalties

Why HNSW Isn't the Universal Solution for Vector Databases: The Rise of IVF

2024-12-23

HNSW, while popular for its speed and accuracy in vector similarity search, faces limitations in large-scale applications due to its memory-intensive nature. This article argues that disk-based alternatives like IVF (Inverted File Index), especially when combined with quantization techniques (RaBitQ, PQ, SQ, ScaNN), offer superior speed and scalability for massive datasets. IVF, by quantizing and compressing vectors, reduces memory footprint and leverages efficient prefetching and sequential scans for significantly faster search. Insertion and deletion costs are also lower. While HNSW excels in smaller-scale applications, IVF with quantization emerges as the more advantageous choice for massive datasets.

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(blog.pgvecto.rs)
Development vector database

Tokenization Problem Proven NP-Complete, Doubling Data Compression Challenges

2024-12-22

A paper published on arXiv proves the NP-completeness of two variants of tokenization, defined as the problem of compressing a dataset to at most δ symbols by either finding a vocabulary directly (direct tokenization) or selecting a sequence of merge operations (bottom-up tokenization). This finding has significant implications for data compression and natural language processing, highlighting the immense challenge of efficiently solving the tokenization problem for large-scale datasets.

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(arxiv.org)
Development NP-complete tokenization data compression

Parker Solar Probe to Make Historic Dive into Sun's Atmosphere

2024-12-20

After six years of traveling through space, NASA's Parker Solar Probe is poised to make history on Christmas Eve, plunging into the Sun's atmosphere at an unprecedented speed, coming within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface. This daring mission aims to unravel the mystery of the solar wind's origin, a question that has puzzled scientists for over half a century. The probe is equipped with cutting-edge materials, including heat-resistant titanium-zirconium-molybdenum alloy and sapphire crystal tubes, to withstand the extreme temperatures exceeding 2,500° Fahrenheit. This groundbreaking endeavor promises to shed light on the solar wind and its impact on our solar system.

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(arstechnica.com)
Tech Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Solar Atmosphere
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