VGGT: Lightning-Fast 3D Scene Reconstruction from Images

2025-03-25
VGGT: Lightning-Fast 3D Scene Reconstruction from Images

Facebook Research introduces VGGT (Visual Geometry Grounded Transformer), a feed-forward neural network capable of inferring all key 3D attributes of a scene—extrinsic and intrinsic camera parameters, point maps, depth maps, and 3D point tracks—from one, a few, or hundreds of views in mere seconds. This user-friendly model, leveraging the power of Transformers, offers an interactive 3D visualization tool. Surprisingly, VGGT demonstrates impressive single-view reconstruction capabilities, achieving competitive results compared to state-of-the-art monocular methods, despite not being explicitly trained for this task.

Read more
AI

Python Protocols: Static Duck Typing and the Evolution of Inheritance

2025-02-02
Python Protocols: Static Duck Typing and the Evolution of Inheritance

Python's inheritance mechanism has always been interesting. Traditionally, Python uses type-based inheritance, similar to Java. However, the flexibility of duck typing (implemented through magic methods) is limited. PEP 544 introduces Protocols, allowing the definition of structural subtyping, also known as static duck typing. By inheriting from the Protocol class, developers can declare a set of methods; any class implementing these methods will be considered an instance of that protocol. This solves the scalability issues of traditional duck typing, resulting in cleaner, more maintainable code.

Read more
Development Duck Typing

TB Tilde: A Disruptive LLVM Alternative?

2025-01-24

Yasser's TB Tilde aims to replace LLVM, boasting superior compile speed and a smaller footprint. Early tests show its preprocessor is twice as fast as Clang's. TB Tilde uses a 'Sea of Nodes' IR, features a simple type system and thread-safe modules, supports JIT and AOT compilation, and even directly outputs linked executables. The project is actively under development, targeting March 2024 for Cuik compiler self-hosting on Windows, with optimizer improvements to follow.

Read more
Development

The Snapchat Streak and the Half-Life of Status Games

2025-03-25
The Snapchat Streak and the Half-Life of Status Games

This article explores how Snapchat's streak feature briefly became a potent social capital game and its eventual decline. The author analyzes the fragility of 'proof of work' mechanisms in social networks and how major platforms extend their lifecycles by adding new content formats. Weaknesses of tech giants like Apple and Google in building social features are discussed, along with examples of companies leveraging social dynamics for business growth. Finally, the author concludes that for true happiness, one shouldn't tie it to others' scoreboards.

Read more

Real-Time Location with Ultra-Wideband (UWB): A Python-Driven Test Framework

2025-01-17
Real-Time Location with Ultra-Wideband (UWB): A Python-Driven Test Framework

This article presents a Python test framework for a Real-Time Location System (RTLS) based on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology. The author uses Decawave DW1000 modules and Raspberry Pis, implementing two-way ranging with custom Python code and testing system accuracy and stability. The article details the Asymmetric Two-Way Ranging technique and discusses hardware selection, software architecture, and potential problems such as power supply, interrupt handling, and RF performance. Test results show that the system offers high accuracy and stability under good line-of-sight conditions and maintains a degree of accuracy even with obstacles.

Read more

Biomachining: Using Bacteria to Machine Metal

2025-01-28

Biomachining is a novel machining process employing lithotrophic bacteria, such as Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Thiobacillus thiooxidans, to remove material from metal parts. These bacteria utilize the chemical energy from iron or copper oxidation to remove material from a metal surface when immersed in a culture fluid. Unlike traditional chemical or physical machining, biomachining offers a low material removal rate and a superior surface finish, making it ideal for micromachining. This process has been successfully used on pure iron and copper, and involves masking the areas not to be machined, similar to chemical milling. The process's depth is influenced by factors like stirring rate and temperature.

Read more

Pentagon Halts Army Contracts, Sending Shockwaves Through Defense Industry

2025-01-29
Pentagon Halts Army Contracts, Sending Shockwaves Through Defense Industry

A freeze on new US Army contracts has thrown the defense industry into chaos and uncertainty. The move, stemming from a review of plans implemented under the Trump administration, lacks clear explanation regarding its scope and reasons. While the Army spokesperson claims contracting activities continue, internal documents and sources indicate a pause or review of all contracting actions except those directly tied to readiness, modernization, and personnel. The communication, delivered via email rather than formal memo, has left program managers confused about implementation. Industry fears this could be the start of a Pentagon-wide freeze, creating widespread anxiety about future projects.

Read more

Hackers Face Lawsuit After Exposing Polish Train Manufacturer's Manipulation

2024-12-27

The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) is raising funds for three hackers who revealed at the 37C3 conference how Polish rail vehicle manufacturer Newag manipulated its trains to be repairable only in its own workshops. Newag reacted with a 90s-style aggressive lawsuit, pursuing both criminal and civil charges. The legal costs have already reached €30,000. The CCC is calling for donations to cover legal and other expenses. The hackers' research did not involve any illegal replacement of train components. The CCC believes Newag's lawsuit aims to prevent future publications about these 'illegal instructions,' emphasizing that only the content teams decide who speaks at the congress. The 38C3 congress will continue reporting on this case.

Read more

Booting 5000 Erlang VMs on a 192-Core Ampere One Server

2025-08-10
Booting 5000 Erlang VMs on a 192-Core Ampere One Server

Underjord, a consultancy specializing in Elixir and Nerves, successfully ran 5000 Erlang virtual machines on a 192-core Ampere One server. Each VM runs a Linux IoT device using the Nerves framework. This was achieved using a new bootloader, little_loader, streamlining ARM64 QEMU VM booting and leveraging KVM acceleration. Challenges included compilation issues and memory optimization, but these were overcome by adjusting BEAM VM allocators, Erlang release modes, and Linux kernel parameters. Over 5000 VMs were successfully run, opening new possibilities for testing and development of the Nerves framework and potentially integrating into future Nerves tooling.

Read more
Development

Database Mocks: More Trouble Than They're Worth?

2024-12-30
Database Mocks: More Trouble Than They're Worth?

While tempting for their speed and simplicity, the author argues that using database mocks for testing ultimately causes more problems than they solve. A user creation example highlights the differences between mocking and testing against a real database. Real database testing reveals potential issues early on, such as unique constraint violations, default value handling, and performance bottlenecks, saving debugging time and reducing production risks. As applications evolve and schemas change, real database tests better handle new validations, data type modifications, and timestamp precision changes, ensuring code aligns with the actual database. The author suggests prioritizing real database testing for data access layers, while using it at the service layer to expose business logic interactions with data. Controllers, however, can mock service calls effectively. Balancing real database tests and mocks is key to building robust applications.

Read more

Async Function Calls on Socket.io: Introducing socket-call

2025-06-16
Async Function Calls on Socket.io: Introducing socket-call

socket-call is a small library built on top of Socket.io that lets you call events like any regular async TypeScript function. It simplifies Socket.io usage, offering a cleaner and more intuitive programming experience. Code examples demonstrate server-side and client-side implementation, showcasing login functionality and server-to-client message sending.

Read more
Development

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Impeached Over Martial Law Decree

2024-12-14
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Impeached Over Martial Law Decree

South Korea's parliament impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday over his controversial six-hour-long martial law declaration. The National Assembly voted 204-85 in favor of impeachment, suspending Yoon's powers and duties. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo assumed presidential authority. The Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide whether to remove Yoon from office; a new election would follow within 60 days if he is dismissed. The impeachment followed days of political turmoil and widespread protests, with public opinion overwhelmingly in favor of removing Yoon. While Yoon declared the martial law as a measure against the opposition, his actions are seen by many as an attempt to undermine democratic processes. The US and Japan expressed support for South Korea's democratic process.

Read more

OpenAI Whistleblower's Death Questioned, Second Autopsy Ordered

2024-12-27
OpenAI Whistleblower's Death Questioned, Second Autopsy Ordered

The death of former OpenAI researcher Suchir Balaji, found dead in his San Francisco apartment, has been ruled a suicide. However, Balaji's parents are contesting this conclusion, commissioning a second independent autopsy. Balaji had recently become a whistleblower, publicly accusing OpenAI of using copyrighted material to train ChatGPT. His parents claim he showed no signs of suicidal tendencies and was optimistic about the future, planning to establish a non-profit focused on machine learning. The case has sparked public speculation and calls for a thorough investigation.

Read more

uBlock Origin: A Highly Efficient Ad Blocker

2024-12-23
uBlock Origin: A Highly Efficient Ad Blocker

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.

Read more
Development ad blocker

Medieval Games: How Video Games Shape Our Understanding of the Middle Ages

2025-02-28

Robert Houghton's new book, *The Middle Ages in Computer Games*, explores how video games shape our understanding of the medieval period. Reaching a massive audience, games both draw upon and reshape perceptions of the Middle Ages. The book analyzes how games incorporate medieval elements in combat, religion, technology, and race, revealing the impact of games on historical understanding and their influence on modern culture. It's a must-read for medievalists and gamers alike.

Read more

What if OpenSSL Had a GUI?

2025-01-27
What if OpenSSL Had a GUI?

This article explores what a graphical user interface for OpenSSL's complex functionality might look like. From the perspective of Smallstep, the article highlights how their products simplify certificate management and secure access control, noting the magical complexity of OpenSSL. It also includes introductions to other Smallstep products and links to blog posts.

Read more
Tech

Metamorphic Rocks: Messengers from Earth's Depths

2024-12-27
Metamorphic Rocks: Messengers from Earth's Depths

This essay explores the incredible journeys of metamorphic rocks. Starting as humble seabed sediments, these rocks are buried deep within the Earth's crust, undergoing intense heat and pressure that transforms them into new mineral forms. Their eventual return to the surface provides invaluable insights into the planet's deep interior. The author vividly describes this transformation as an epic journey, highlighting the importance of metamorphism in plate tectonics and the crucial role of water in the process. The story also contrasts the ease of exploring space with the challenges of accessing Earth's subsurface.

Read more

PowerPoint in PHP: A Roundup of Open-Source Libraries

2025-01-17

Tired of struggling with PowerPoint files in your PHP projects? Several open-source PHP libraries now make creating, editing, and converting PPT and PPTX files a breeze. These libraries not only streamline the development process but also offer a wide range of features, including formatting, merging, and protecting files. Whether you need to generate stunning presentations or handle large volumes of PPT files, these libraries will meet your needs and save you considerable time and effort.

Read more
Development Open-Source Libraries

Swiftly 1.0 Released: Simplifying Swift Toolchain Management

2025-03-30
Swiftly 1.0 Released: Simplifying Swift Toolchain Management

Swiftly 1.0 is officially here! This community-supported Swift version manager is now an official part of the core Swift toolchain. It simplifies installing, managing, and updating your Swift toolchain across various platforms, including Linux and macOS. Swiftly supports installing stable releases, nightly snapshots, and older versions, allowing for seamless switching between multiple toolchains. You can even standardize versions across your development team using a `.swift-version` file in your project. Written in Swift itself and self-updating, Swiftly streamlines your Swift development workflow.

Read more
Development Version Manager

Thailand Cuts Power, Fuel, and Internet to Myanmar Border Areas to Combat Scam Syndicates

2025-02-05
Thailand Cuts Power, Fuel, and Internet to Myanmar Border Areas to Combat Scam Syndicates

Thailand cut power, fuel, and internet access to some border areas with Myanmar on Wednesday in an attempt to cripple scam syndicates operating there. These syndicates, according to a 2023 UN report, are suspected of entrapping hundreds of thousands in illegal online and telecom operations, generating billions annually. The move, overseen by Thai Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, aims to protect Thailand's tourism sector and address safety concerns, particularly after the recent abduction and rescue of Chinese actor Wang Xing in Myanmar. However, reports indicate some scam centers continue operating using generators, raising questions about the effectiveness of the strategy.

Read more

Parquet v2: Performance Gains vs. Ecosystem Adoption Hurdles

2025-08-25

Parquet version 2 offers significant performance improvements, reducing file sizes and speeding up read/write times, especially for datasets with many numeric values. However, limited ecosystem support means many tools remain incompatible, hindering the realization of these gains. The author encountered compatibility issues firsthand, highlighting that v2's advantages primarily benefit self-contained systems, while third-party integration remains challenging. While Parquet v2 shows performance improvements, its low adoption currently limits its practical benefits. Consider adopting the latest specification only if you control the entire data processing pipeline.

Read more
Development

LLMs Fail a Simple Chess Puzzle: A Curious Test

2025-01-26
LLMs Fail a Simple Chess Puzzle: A Curious Test

The author tests various new LLMs with a simple chess puzzle featuring underpromotion and the 50-move rule. Despite guidance, most LLMs fail to solve it, highlighting limitations in logical reasoning and domain-specific knowledge. This quick test serves as a benchmark, sparking discussion on whether LLMs can ever reach master-level chess play without specialized training. The puzzle's simplicity and focus on a less common technique make it an insightful probe into LLM capabilities.

Read more
AI

Your Data, Your Privacy: AI Writing Assistant Running Locally

2025-07-14
Your Data, Your Privacy: AI Writing Assistant Running Locally

This macOS application uses locally-running large language models (LLMs), ensuring your documents, text, and writing never leave your Mac. It's compatible with most macOS apps including Mail, Messages, Safari, and more. A 7-day free trial (no credit card required) is available, with a 50% discount for students and educators. All processing happens locally, prioritizing your data privacy and security.

Read more
Development

Ticketmaster Under CMA Investigation After Oasis Ticket Fiasco

2025-03-25
Ticketmaster Under CMA Investigation After Oasis Ticket Fiasco

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating Ticketmaster following the sale of Oasis reunion tour tickets, which resulted in outrageously inflated prices and numerous customer complaints. The CMA's concerns center on Ticketmaster's labeling practices and information provision. They found that Ticketmaster sold 'platinum' tickets at more than double the standard price without adequately informing consumers that this didn't guarantee better seats or perks. The CMA also criticized Ticketmaster's handling of standing room tickets, where cheaper tickets were sold out before more expensive options were presented to those waiting online. The CMA is working with Ticketmaster to prevent similar issues in the future and ensure fans are fully informed when purchasing tickets.

Read more

EU Lures US Scientists with €500M Initiative Amidst Funding Cuts

2025-05-10
EU Lures US Scientists with €500M Initiative Amidst Funding Cuts

Responding to funding cuts and skepticism towards science in the US, the EU launched 'Choose Europe for Science', a €500 million initiative (2025-2027) to attract researchers, particularly from the US. The program offers long-term stability, streamlined processes, and aims to increase R&D investment to 3% of GDP. With its substantial research programs and supportive environment, the EU hopes to attract top talent and solidify its scientific leadership.

Read more

American Singer Caught in East German Underground

2025-03-09
American Singer Caught in East German Underground

Popular American singer Nick Rivers travels to East Germany for a music festival and falls for the gorgeous Hillary Flammond, becoming entangled in an underground resistance movement. He teams up with Agent Cedric and Hillary to rescue her father, Dr. Paul, a scientist captured by the Germans who want him to build a new naval mine.

Read more
Game spy

Framework's First All-in-One Mini PC: Powerful, But Not Upgradable

2025-02-25
Framework's First All-in-One Mini PC: Powerful, But Not Upgradable

Framework has launched its first all-in-one mini PC, boasting a compact 4.5-liter chassis, comparable to a game console. Powered by Ryzen AI Max processors and starting with 32GB of RAM, it's capable of 1440p gaming and workstation tasks. Pricing starts at $1099, topping out at $1999 for the highest configuration. While offering strong performance at a relatively competitive price, its soldered CPU, GPU, and RAM make it non-upgradeable – a significant departure from Framework's usual modular design philosophy.

Read more
Hardware mini PC

HTMX v2.0.4 Release Notes: Bug Fixes and Improvements

2024-12-14
HTMX v2.0.4 Release Notes: Bug Fixes and Improvements

The HTMX v2.0.4 release notes detail numerous bug fixes and improvements. This release focuses on stability and compatibility enhancements, including fixes for nested shadow root issues, improved `hx-boost` behavior on forms, better support for Web Components and Shadow DOM, and updated extensions for improved performance and reliability. Adjustments to the `htmx.ajax` function and optimizations to `hx-trigger` event handling are also included.

Read more
Development Release Bug Fixes
1 2 520 521 522 524 526 527 528 596 597