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Awesome Donations: A Curated List of FLOSS Projects to Support

2025-01-03

Awesome Donations: A Curated List of FLOSS Projects to Support

This GitHub repository, awesome-donations, is a curated list of donation options for numerous Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) projects. It provides easy access to support projects ranging from large foundations like the Linux Foundation and Mozilla Foundation to individual projects such as LibreOffice, GIMP, and QEMU. Whether you prefer PayPal, credit cards, or other methods, you can easily contribute to the open-source community and help ensure the continued development of essential free software.

(github.com)

Development donations

Decoding the Telephony Signals in Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'

2024-12-22

A telecom hardware engineer decoded the telephony signals in a scene from Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'. The audio clip, featuring dial tones, rapid tone combinations, and an answer tone, was analyzed using spectrograms. By comparing the frequencies to known standards (DTMF, CAS R2, SS5), the engineer identified the signaling as SS5 and decoded the number as 044 1831. This analysis not only showcases the engineer's expertise but also reveals insights into the film's sound design and suggests a possible connection to a real-life London number.

(corelatus.com)

Tech signal decoding telecommunications

Will AI Deliver a 'Compressed 21st Century'? One Researcher's Doubts

2025-03-10

The author challenges the notion that AI will soon bring about a rapid surge in scientific breakthroughs. Drawing on personal experience and examples of historical scientific geniuses, they argue that true scientific progress stems not from mastering existing knowledge, but from challenging established beliefs and posing disruptive questions. Current AI models excel at 'filling in the blanks' rather than generating original ideas. The author suggests that new evaluation metrics are needed to measure AI's ability to pose challenging questions and drive paradigm shifts, rather than simply focusing on its accuracy in answering known questions.

(thomwolf.io)

AI Scientific Breakthrough Paradigm Shift

Uzbekistan's Vanishing Sea and Eternal Flames: A Journey Through Life and Death

2025-01-30

Uzbekistan's Vanishing Sea and Eternal Flames: A Journey Through Life and Death

This article recounts the author's journey through Uzbekistan, exploring the remnants of the Aral Sea, desiccated by Soviet cotton farming, alongside historical sites like the Mizdakhan necropolis and Chilpik Kala. The journey interweaves ancient ruins with modern ecological disaster, showcasing the resilience of life in extreme environments and the destructive impact of human actions on the environment. From the vanishing Aral Sea to eternally burning gas craters, from ancient Zoroastrian sites to modern cemeteries, the author blends history, culture, ecological catastrophe, and human tenacity into a poignant and hopeful narrative.

(www.noemamag.com)

Tech ecological disaster Uzbekistan

Attention as Electromagnetic Field Line Management: A New Model of Consciousness

2024-12-17

Attention as Electromagnetic Field Line Management: A New Model of Consciousness

Qualia Research Institute proposes a novel model of attention, conceptualizing it as the management of dynamic patterns in the brain's electromagnetic field. By simulating electric field lines arising from weighted sums of harmonic oscillations, researchers demonstrate how attention controls charge density by modulating underlying resonant modes, explaining seemingly random fluctuations and drifts in attentional behavior. This model also offers a potential explanation for psychedelic experiences, suggesting that psychedelics disrupt the normal flow of attention by altering the configuration of harmonic modes. The research provides a new lens for understanding consciousness and developing novel neuro-interventions, such as inducing exotic states of consciousness by non-invasively perturbing the phase locking of attention.

(qualiacomputing.com)

AI consciousness attention electromagnetic field

Medieval Trebuchet Range Calculation: A Physics Problem Based on Energy Conservation

2025-02-06

Medieval Trebuchet Range Calculation: A Physics Problem Based on Energy Conservation

This article estimates the range of a medieval trebuchet by calculating energy conservation. The author first analyzes the process of converting the potential energy of the counterweight into the kinetic energy of the projectile, taking into account energy losses. Then, using a simplified integration method (avoiding complex calculus), the author calculates the flight time of the projectile in the air and ultimately estimates the range of the trebuchet, comparing it with data from historical documents, with surprisingly consistent results. The article points out that the range of the trebuchet is independent of gravitational acceleration, which is counterintuitive, but the author explains this phenomenon through analysis.

(michaeldominik.substack.com)

Tech medieval technology

GATE: An Integrated Assessment Model of AI's Economic Impact

2025-03-30

GATE: An Integrated Assessment Model of AI's Economic Impact

Epoch AI presents GATE, an integrated assessment model exploring AI's economic impact. The model centers on an automation feedback loop: investment fuels computational power, leading to more capable AI systems automating tasks, boosting output, and further fueling AI development. An interactive playground lets users tweak parameters and observe model behavior under various scenarios. Predictions aren't Epoch AI's forecasts but conditional, based on assumptions, primarily useful for analyzing the qualitative dynamics of AI automation.

(epoch.ai)

AI

Kubernetes Controller Development: Pitfalls and Best Practices

2025-01-26

This article delves into the often-overlooked challenges of Kubernetes controller development. Drawing from real-world experiences, the author highlights common mistakes made by beginners, such as poorly designed CRDs, controllers with unclear responsibilities, and messy `Reconcile()` methods. The article stresses the importance of understanding Kubernetes API conventions, utilizing cached clients, handling work queues, and employing the expectations pattern. Real-world examples illustrate the consequences of these issues. The author concludes by recommending studying exemplary controller code and adhering to best practices for building reliable and scalable controllers.

(ahmet.im)

Development Controller Development Best Practices

VMware's Aggressive Licensing Changes Spark Exodus of SMBs

2025-03-24

VMware's Aggressive Licensing Changes Spark Exodus of SMBs

VMware's new licensing policy, mandating a minimum purchase of 72 CPU cores for renewals and new licenses, has angered small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). This forces even companies needing far fewer cores to overspend, coupled with a 20% penalty for late renewals. This move is seen as VMware abandoning loyal customers in favor of large enterprises. As a result, many IT admins and infrastructure managers are migrating to open-source alternatives like Proxmox, seeking more flexible and cost-effective virtualization. VMware's strategy shift may have profound long-term consequences.

(systemadministration.net)

Tech Licensing Open-Source Alternatives

A Day in the Life of a Medieval King: Charles V of France

2025-07-21

A Day in the Life of a Medieval King: Charles V of France

Christine de Pizan's 'Livre des faits et bonnes mœurs du sage roy Charles V' offers a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of King Charles V of France (1364-1380). From morning prayers and hearing petitioners to council meetings, simple meals, and afternoon audiences, the book details a carefully structured day. Charles's routine reveals a balance between royal duties and refined leisure, strategically using public appearances to project an image of a just and accessible monarch.

(www.medievalists.net)

Misc Medieval History Charles V Monarchy

SWE-bench: Can LLMs Solve Real-World GitHub Issues?

2025-01-08

SWE-bench is a benchmark dataset evaluating large language models' ability to automatically resolve real-world GitHub issues. Researchers compiled 2,294 Issue-Pull Request pairs from 12 popular Python repositories, validating solutions via unit tests. The latest leaderboard showcases various models achieving varying success rates, with some exceeding 50% resolution. The project provides resources including a lite version and pre-trained models for easier evaluation and reproducibility.

(www.swebench.com)

Development Code Repair

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.

(arstechnica.com)

Hardware mini PC

Croatian Freediver Shatters Underwater Breath-Hold Record

2025-08-19

Croatian Freediver Shatters Underwater Breath-Hold Record

Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest breath held voluntarily underwater using oxygen, an astonishing 29 minutes and 3 seconds, surpassing the previous record by over four minutes. He achieved this remarkable feat in a 3-meter-deep pool in Opatija, Croatia, in front of five judges and approximately 100 spectators. Maričić's achievement highlights not only exceptional lung capacity and endurance but also his remarkable mental fortitude and the crucial support of his team.

(divernet.com)

Misc freediving breath-hold

Learning GPU Architecture Through Memory Bandwidth Microbenchmarks

2025-08-21

Learning GPU Architecture Through Memory Bandwidth Microbenchmarks

Traverse Research delved deep into GPU architecture by measuring memory bandwidth across various GPUs using custom microbenchmarks. The article explores the complexities of GPU memory access, including descriptors, buffer types (byte address, structured, typed), and texture units. It also covers GPU memory hierarchy, cache policies (write-through, write-back, write-around), and latency hiding techniques. Experiments revealed significant differences in cache and VRAM bandwidth across architectures: the Meta Quest 3's Adreno 740 showed a dramatic bandwidth improvement using textures; the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT exhibited differences between floating-point and integer loads; the Intel Arc B580 displayed unique patterns with varying data types; and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti experienced bottlenecks with many writes to the same small memory area. These findings offer insights for optimizing GPU software performance, particularly in hardware-specific projects.

(www.evolvebenchmark.com)

Tech Memory Bandwidth Microbenchmark

Tinnitus After a Concert: A Cautionary Tale

2025-05-22

I developed permanent tinnitus after attending an electronic music show last November. Initially, I was careless about hearing protection, assuming any discomfort would be temporary. This time, it wasn't. Now loud sounds physically hurt, and I find myself acting like a concerned parent, reminding friends to wear helmets and reflective vests. This experience has highlighted the often overlooked risk of hearing damage and the importance of self-protection.

(blog.greg.technology)

Misc tinnitus hearing protection

The Centennial Computer: A Post-Apocalyptic Computing Dream

2025-03-25

The Centennial Computer: A Post-Apocalyptic Computing Dream

This article explores the possibility of designing a general-purpose computing machine built to last a century. The author reflects on the pervasive planned obsolescence and internet dependence of modern electronics, drawing inspiration from science fiction to envision a self-repairing, self-replicating computer adaptable to various power sources and communication methods. This computer would feature a simple interface, an open-source operating system (like Forth-based DuskOS or CollapseOS), and comprehensive documentation and tools to ensure long-term usability in a post-apocalyptic setting. The design prioritizes durability, repairability, and openness, challenging the modern consumerist model of technology.

(thomashunter.name)

Tech Post-apocalyptic Centennial Computer Sustainable Computing

Android's pKVM Achieves SESIP Level 5 Certification: A New Era for Mobile Security

2025-08-18

Android's pKVM Achieves SESIP Level 5 Certification: A New Era for Mobile Security

Google announced that pKVM (protected KVM), the hypervisor powering Android's Virtualization Framework, has achieved SESIP Level 5 certification—a first for a software security system designed for large-scale deployment in consumer electronics. This allows Android to securely support next-generation high-criticality isolated workloads, such as on-device AI processing ultra-personalized data, with the highest assurances of privacy and integrity. The certification, conducted by Dekra and compliant with EN-17927, includes AVA_VAN.5, the highest level of vulnerability analysis and penetration testing. This achievement sets a cornerstone for Android's multi-layered security strategy and provides device manufacturers with a robust, open-source firmware base.

(security.googleblog.com)

Tech SESIP Level 5

arXivLabs: Community-Driven Feature Development for arXiv

2025-02-01

arXivLabs is a framework enabling collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on the website. Participants, individuals and organizations alike, embrace arXiv's values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only partners with those who share them. Have an idea to enhance the arXiv community? Learn more about arXivLabs.

(arxiv.org)

Development

Browser UX/UI Redesign: What AI Agents Need

2025-01-18

Browser UX/UI Redesign: What AI Agents Need

The rise of AI agents demands a redesign of browser UX/UI. This article explores current limitations, including inadequate information architecture, limited accessibility, and insufficient APIs. A redesigned browser should prioritize data accessibility, automation, streamlined interfaces, and security. Key principles for AI-friendly design include context-aware interfaces, low-latency interaction, and modular, customizable designs. Case studies (Brave, Microsoft Edge, Opera) showcase successful AI integration, highlighting the need for a user-centric approach in creating browsers that seamlessly accommodate both human and AI users.

(fromzero.ghost.io)

Development UX/UI Design

The Humble Beginnings of the PC: From Radio Hobbyists to Altair

2025-03-05

The Humble Beginnings of the PC: From Radio Hobbyists to Altair

This article traces the early development of the personal computer, showing it wasn't born in a corporate lab, but rather from the American radio hobbyist culture of the early 20th century. The efforts of figures like Hugo Gernsback fostered a culture of hands-on tinkering and futurism, laying the groundwork for the PC. Early amateur computer enthusiasts, such as Stephen Gray, attempted to build PCs but were hampered by the lack of key components like microprocessors. As integrated circuit technology improved, the first rudimentary home computer kits appeared, but their limited functionality prevented widespread success. It wasn't until MITS' Altair 8800, with its powerful Intel 8080 processor and expandability, ignited the PC market and marked the true birth of the personal computer industry.

(technicshistory.com)

Tech PC history

ErisForge: A Dead Simple LLM Ablation Tool

2025-01-27

ErisForge: A Dead Simple LLM Ablation Tool

ErisForge is a Python library for modifying Large Language Models (LLMs) by transforming their internal layers. It allows for creating ablated and augmented versions of LLMs, resulting in altered responses to specific inputs. Features include controlled manipulation of model behavior, measurement of refusal expressions, and support for custom transformation directions. Easy to use with comprehensive examples and documentation.

(github.com)

Development Model Modification Python Library

Berkeley Lab Synthesizes Novel Berkelocene Molecule, Potentially Revolutionizing Nuclear Waste Management

2025-03-29

Berkeley Lab Synthesizes Novel Berkelocene Molecule, Potentially Revolutionizing Nuclear Waste Management

Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have synthesized a new molecule, berkelocene, using the ultra-rare element berkelium. This 'sandwich'-like molecule, with a berkelium atom nestled between two carbon rings, defies theoretical expectations and offers a potential breakthrough in nuclear waste management. Working with an extremely small amount of the highly air-sensitive and radioactive berkelium, researchers overcame significant challenges, identifying the new molecule through a distinctive color change and X-ray diffraction. Published in Science, this discovery lays crucial groundwork for advancing nuclear waste disposal technologies.

(www.mercurynews.com)

Tech nuclear waste management berkelium new molecule

Database Query Optimizer: The Gap Between Ideal and Reality

2025-07-04

Database query optimizers aim to select the optimal query plan, but their reliance on cost estimations, which in turn depend on selectivity and the cost of basic resources (I/O, CPU, etc.), often leads to errors. Experiments reveal that for simple SELECT queries, the accuracy of the optimizer's plan selection varies greatly depending on data distribution. With uniform datasets, bitmap scans generally outperform index scans; however, with other distributions, the optimizer is more prone to selecting suboptimal index scans. This demonstrates that even for simple queries, the optimizer's cost model struggles to perfectly adapt to diverse data distributions and hardware environments. While cost-based planning remains the best approach, improving its robustness and adaptability remains a significant challenge.

(vondra.me)

Development

Argentina's Economic Transformation: A Honeymoon Perspective

2025-01-26

Argentina's Economic Transformation: A Honeymoon Perspective

The author spent 23 days in Argentina during their honeymoon in December 2024, witnessing firsthand the economic transformation under the libertarian President Milei. Milei's policies led to peso devaluation and price increases, but also eliminated the shadow economy and began deregulation. The author interviewed locals in Ushuaia, El Chalten, and Buenos Aires, gathering diverse opinions on the economic changes, ranging from optimism to pessimism. While the transition is painful, the author believes Argentina is on a solid path to recovery.

(jorgevelez.substack.com)

Startup Argentine economy President Milei economic reforms

Whimsical Animations Landing Page: A 14,000+ Line Code Deep Dive

2025-02-28

Whimsical Animations Landing Page: A 14,000+ Line Code Deep Dive

The author spent months crafting a highly creative landing page for their upcoming animation course, boasting over 14,000 lines of code and 200+ files. A 'Chaos Toolbar' lets users interact with the page using tools like a grabber, eraser, bomb, and wand, each with unique animations. The post details how SVG animation, polar coordinates, and spritesheets were used to achieve these effects, along with CSS variables and keyframe animations for optimization. Sound effects and particle effects are also discussed. The course itself will cover creating animations and interactions using vanilla web technologies (CSS, JavaScript, SVG, and 2D Canvas), with additional React integration content. The focus is on empowering students to design and build their own unique animations, going beyond pre-made solutions.

(www.joshwcomeau.com)

Development

Chewing Hard Objects Boosts Brain GSH Levels and Improves Cognition?

2025-03-03

A Korean study found that chewing hard objects (like wooden blocks) significantly increases glutathione (GSH) levels in the anterior cingulate cortex of the brain. GSH is a crucial antioxidant, and higher levels are associated with better memory performance. In contrast, chewing gum showed no significant effect on GSH levels. Researchers suggest that increased cerebral blood flow from chewing hard objects may stimulate GSH synthesis. This study proposes a simple way to boost brain antioxidant defenses, but further research is needed to validate its effectiveness across different age groups and brain regions.

(www.frontiersin.org)

Tech Glutathione Antioxidant Cognitive Function

Alto: Turn Your Apple Notes into a Website in One Click

2025-07-25

Alto is a macOS app that transforms your Apple Notes into a fully functional website or blog. With one click, your notes (including text, images, audio, and video) become individual pages on your site. Focus on writing, not website building tools. Alto offers a simple process, comprehensive documentation, and suggestions for integration with other services like Recuremail for newsletters.

(alto.so)

Development Website Creation macOS App

A Decade of Grief: Unbearable Loss

2025-02-14

A Decade of Grief: Unbearable Loss

Sixteen years ago today, the author's second daughter was born; ten years ago today, she died on her sixth birthday. The piece describes the author's reflections on this day, the day his daughter would have turned sixteen, a decade after her death. The author visits her grave and attends a final memorial service at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple, a place that held special meaning for her, before its closure adds another layer of sadness. The author confesses that a decade later, the pain of losing his daughter persists, and the guilt of feeling he 'failed his child in the most fundamental way' remains.

(meyerweb.com)

Misc loss

KubeVPN: Seamlessly Connect Your Local Dev Environment to Kubernetes Clusters

2025-02-20

KubeVPN: Seamlessly Connect Your Local Dev Environment to Kubernetes Clusters

KubeVPN provides a Cloud-Native Dev Environment that effortlessly connects to your Kubernetes cluster network. Access the cluster network using service names or Pod IP/Service IP. Intercept inbound traffic from remote Kubernetes cluster services to your local PC via a service mesh. Run your Kubernetes pods within a local Docker container for an identical environment, volume, and network setup. Develop applications entirely on your local PC with KubeVPN! Installation is straightforward via brew, scoop, krew, or GitHub releases. Supports multiple cluster connections and proxy modes (full and lite).

(github.com)

Development Cloud-Native Dev Environment

Mystery Solved: The 'Evil' RJ45 Dongle Was Just Old Tech

2025-01-17

Mystery Solved: The 'Evil' RJ45 Dongle Was Just Old Tech

A tech blogger investigates a Chinese-made RJ45-to-USB dongle accused on social media of containing malware. Through reverse engineering, the author discovers the dongle uses a publicly available, signed driver for a clone of the Realtek RTL8152B chip. The onboard flash memory stores the driver, essentially acting as a 'software-defined' CD-ROM. The conclusion? The dongle itself is harmless, just employing an outdated method of driver delivery. The article, written in a lighthearted tone, highlights misinterpretations and overreactions in cybersecurity, emphasizing the importance of security, particularly for critical infrastructure and strategic businesses.

(lcamtuf.substack.com)

Tech hardware reverse engineering

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