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Multiply's AI Platform Escapes Database Constraints with Rama

2025-03-05
Multiply's AI Platform Escapes Database Constraints with Rama

Multiply, an AI-powered platform for collaboration and co-creation, initially used Datomic and XTDB, but faced challenges with understandability, performance bottlenecks, and fault tolerance. Switching to the Rama platform, they leveraged custom PStates (partitioned states) for flexible data modeling and efficient querying, drastically improving development speed and scalability. Rama's event-sourcing architecture and powerful dataflow API enabled Multiply to implement complex business logic with cleaner code, easily building previously impossible features. The result: a highly productive team despite its small size.

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(blog.redplanetlabs.com)
Development

Society for Technical Communication (STC) Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

2025-01-29
Society for Technical Communication (STC) Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

The Society for Technical Communication (STC), a long-standing organization, has announced its closure due to insurmountable financial liabilities and declining membership. Despite years of cost-cutting measures and revenue generation attempts, the organization's debt and operational expenses exceeded its income. STC will cease all operations, including membership renewals, educational programs, certification courses, and all chapter and SIG activities. A bankruptcy trustee will manage the closure process and communicate with creditors.

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(www.stc.org)
Misc Technical Communication Organization Closure

Hiding Secrets in Emojis: Exploiting Unicode Variation Selectors

2025-02-12
Hiding Secrets in Emojis: Exploiting Unicode Variation Selectors

A Hacker News comment sparked a discussion about hiding information using Unicode variation selectors. This article demonstrates that arbitrary data can be encoded into a single emoji by converting data into a sequence of Unicode variation selectors, remaining invisible after rendering. This method can bypass human content filters or be used for text watermarking, enabling covert information transmission and tracking. While this technique has potential for abuse, it also highlights the complexity and potential security challenges of Unicode.

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(paulbutler.org)
Tech Data Hiding Information Security

Gleam 1.9.0 Released: Improved Debugging, Dependency Management, and Performance

2025-03-09
Gleam 1.9.0 Released: Improved Debugging, Dependency Management, and Performance

Gleam, a type-safe and scalable language, has released version 1.9.0 with significant improvements. Key updates include a new `echo` keyword for enhanced debugging, support for Git repository dependencies, performance boosts for bit arrays and list pattern matching in JavaScript, and expanded language server capabilities such as go-to type definition and JSON encoder code generation. Additional improvements include enhanced HexDocs search integration, custom CA certificate support, and streamlined pipeline syntax conversion. This release is a testament to the vibrant Gleam community and its many contributors.

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(gleam.run)
Development

Chrome Incognito Gets IP Protection: A Two-Hop Proxy for Enhanced Privacy

2025-02-13
Chrome Incognito Gets IP Protection: A Two-Hop Proxy for Enhanced Privacy

Chrome is introducing IP Protection for Incognito mode, enhancing privacy against cross-site tracking. Using a two-hop proxy system, users' original IP addresses are masked, protecting them from third-party tracking. Only domains on a Masked Domain List (MDL) are affected, and essential web functionality remains intact. Google and external CDNs operate separate proxies, preventing either from accessing complete user information. Launching after May 2025, users can disable the feature.

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(github.com)
Tech IP Address

The Death of Authenticity: How 'Authenticity' Became a Commodity

2025-01-20
The Death of Authenticity: How 'Authenticity' Became a Commodity

This essay traces the evolution of 'authenticity' in contemporary culture. From the early hipster obsession with independent, non-commodified goods to the current prevalence of marketing terms like 'handmade' and 'small-batch,' authenticity has shifted from a scarce commodity to a ubiquitous one. The author argues that the rise of the internet and social media has lowered the cost of information dissemination, leading to shared value replacing scarcity and ushering in a 'post-authenticity' era. Brands are no longer simply commodities but active participants in shaping culture, demanding a more nuanced approach to critique.

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(subpixel.space)
Misc Post-Authenticity Branding

DeepSeek-R1: A Reasoning Model Trained with Reinforcement Learning, No Supervised Fine-tuning Needed

2025-01-20
DeepSeek-R1: A Reasoning Model Trained with Reinforcement Learning, No Supervised Fine-tuning Needed

The DeepSeek team open-sourced its first-generation reasoning models, DeepSeek-R1, and a suite of distilled models. DeepSeek-R1-Zero, trained via large-scale reinforcement learning (RL) without supervised fine-tuning (SFT), demonstrates remarkable reasoning capabilities, though it has some flaws. DeepSeek-R1 addresses these issues by incorporating cold-start data before RL, achieving performance comparable to OpenAI-o1. Six distilled models based on Llama and Qwen are also open-sourced, with DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-32B outperforming OpenAI-o1-mini on various benchmarks. The project supports commercial use and provides an online chat website and an OpenAI-compatible API.

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(github.com)
AI reasoning

UK Council's Oracle Project Costs Balloon to £40M

2025-01-28
UK Council's Oracle Project Costs Balloon to £40M

West Sussex County Council in the UK is undertaking a £40 million ($50 million) Oracle-based transformation project, a massive escalation from the initial £2.6 million estimate. To fund this, the council is selling off assets like property, including a former fire station. The project, initially slated for 2021, has faced repeated delays, a system integrator change, and a new contract with Oracle extending it to 2030. This highlights the risks of runaway costs in large IT projects and the financial challenges faced by local governments.

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(www.theregister.com)
Tech IT project cost overruns

LLVM Static Analyzer Integrates Z3 Solver: Eliminating False Positives

2025-02-23

LLVM's static analyzer now supports the Z3 constraint solver, significantly improving its ability to filter out false positives. The article demonstrates two methods of using Z3: as an external solver and for refuting false positives. The first method, while completely eliminating false positives, is significantly slower (approximately 15x). The second method, using Z3 for refutation, is faster and more efficient in reducing false positives. Experiments show that enabling Z3 allows the LLVM static analyzer to accurately identify and avoid false positives caused by bitwise operations, resulting in more reliable analysis.

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(www.cambus.net)
Development static analysis

Postgres Language Server: A Powerful Toolchain for SQL Development

2025-02-19
Postgres Language Server: A Powerful Toolchain for SQL Development

A collection of language tools and a Language Server Protocol (LSP) implementation for Postgres, prioritizing developer experience and reliable SQL tooling. Built on Postgres' own parser (libpg_query) for 100% syntax compatibility, it uses a server-client architecture with transport-agnostic design, offering access via LSP, CLI, HTTP APIs, or WebAssembly. Currently featuring autocompletion, syntax highlighting, type-checking (via EXPLAIN), and a Squawk-inspired linter, the project focuses on refining these core features and building a robust infrastructure. Contributions are welcome!

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(github.com)
Development SQL tooling

Is ChatGPT's Autocomplete a UX/UI Fail?

2025-02-17
Is ChatGPT's Autocomplete a UX/UI Fail?

This article questions the UX/UI design of ChatGPT's autocomplete feature. The author argues that while autocomplete is helpful in search bars due to a limited response space and high success rate, it's disruptive in chat. ChatGPT frequently fails to predict user input, interrupting their thought process and causing frustration. The author likens ChatGPT's autocomplete to a colleague constantly interrupting conversations, questioning the design's usability and expressing confusion about its perceived value.

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(honzabe.com)
Development

Iron Age Society Centered on Women: Ancient Genomes Reveal a Matrilocal Past

2025-01-26
Iron Age Society Centered on Women: Ancient Genomes Reveal a Matrilocal Past

An international team, led by Trinity College Dublin, has unearthed a fascinating glimpse into Britain's Iron Age through ancient DNA. Analysis of over 50 genomes from a Dorset burial site revealed a society structured around female lineage. The study indicates that husbands joined their wives' communities, with land potentially inherited through the maternal line, a system called matrilocality. This pattern wasn't unique to Dorset; similar findings in other Iron Age cemeteries across Britain suggest a widespread phenomenon, challenging traditional views of gender roles and highlighting the significant social and political influence of women in this era. The research published in Nature adds compelling genetic evidence to archaeological observations.

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(www.tcd.ie)
Tech Iron Age Ancient DNA Matrilocality

Nine: A Stunning C64 Demo

2025-02-05

A developer released 'Nine', a small yet incredibly impressive C64 demo at Fjälldata 2025. A video explaining its workings is in the works, but for the impatient, the machine code monitor is available. The demo has been lauded by users, with some calling it the best of 2025. However, one user reported a syntax error when running it on VICE emulator.

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(linusakesson.net)
Game Demo

OpenArc: A Lightweight Inference API for Accelerating LLMs on Intel Hardware

2025-02-19
OpenArc: A Lightweight Inference API for Accelerating LLMs on Intel Hardware

OpenArc is a lightweight inference API backend leveraging the OpenVINO runtime and OpenCL drivers to accelerate inference of Transformers models on Intel CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs. Designed for agentic use cases, it features a strongly-typed FastAPI implementation with endpoints for model loading, unloading, text generation, and status queries. OpenArc simplifies decoupling machine learning code from application logic, offering a workflow similar to Ollama, LM-Studio, and OpenRouter. It supports custom models and roles, with planned extensions including an OpenAI proxy, vision model support, and more.

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(github.com)
AI Inference API

42: A Powerful Spacecraft Attitude Control System Simulator

2025-01-06
42: A Powerful Spacecraft Attitude Control System Simulator

42 is a comprehensive general-purpose simulation of spacecraft attitude and orbit dynamics, primarily used to support the design and validation of attitude control systems throughout their lifecycle, from concept studies to integration and test. It accurately models multi-body spacecraft attitude dynamics (rigid and/or flexible bodies), and both two-body and three-body orbital flight regimes, simulating environments from low Earth orbit to throughout the solar system. 42 simulates multiple spacecraft concurrently, facilitating studies of rendezvous, proximity operations, and precision formation flying. It also features spacecraft attitude visualization.

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(github.com)
Development spacecraft attitude control simulation

Protected Query Pattern: A Solution for Data Authorization in Full-Stack Apps

2025-04-02
Protected Query Pattern: A Solution for Data Authorization in Full-Stack Apps

Securing data access in modern full-stack applications is challenging. This article introduces the 'protected query pattern,' an elegant solution. It wraps pure query functions with an authorization layer, offering `query.protect` and `query.unsafe` methods for authorized and direct queries respectively. This approach avoids duplicated authorization logic, improves maintainability and readability, and supports data redaction. Kilpi simplifies implementation, offering centralized authorization and data filtering for enhanced efficiency.

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(kilpi.vercel.app)
Development data authorization

Why Some UK Gov Services Are Offline at Night: A Legacy Tech Nightmare

2025-01-16
Why Some UK Gov Services Are Offline at Night: A Legacy Tech Nightmare

This post explores why some DVLA (UK Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency) digital services are offline overnight. The root cause lies in a complex legacy system, including a 1980s IBM mainframe and a partially completed modernization effort. Facing a choice between years of rebuilding infrastructure or launching a service with nighttime limitations, DVLA chose the latter to deliver value quickly. The article highlights the challenges of digital transformation in large organizations grappling with legacy technology and the difficult decisions involved in balancing speed and long-term stability. The situation underscores how tricky government digitalization can be, even a decade after initial modernization efforts.

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(dafyddvaughan.uk)
Tech legacy systems government services

cURL and Go Security Teams Reject Flawed CVSS Scoring System

2025-01-27
cURL and Go Security Teams Reject Flawed CVSS Scoring System

The cURL and Go security teams have publicly denounced the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) as flawed for assessing vulnerabilities, advocating for more accurate, context-aware approaches. CVSS's one-size-fits-all approach often leads to misleading scores, especially for projects like cURL with billions of installations. Daniel Stenberg, cURL's creator, highlighted CVSS's failure to account for specific contexts, resulting in inflated or inaccurate scores. The Go security team echoed these sentiments, opting for context-driven severity assessments instead. This highlights growing dissatisfaction with CVSS and pushes for better alternatives. However, this context-driven approach faces challenges, as maintainers struggle to accurately gauge all user scenarios. A culture clash between security researchers and open-source maintainers further complicates the issue, with researchers seeking recognition and maintainers focusing on practical impact. The NVD's backlog problem exacerbates the situation.

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(socket.dev)
Development Open Source Security Vulnerability Assessment

The 1875 COBOL Date Myth: Efficient Data Structures, Not a Language Flaw

2025-02-17
The 1875 COBOL Date Myth: Efficient Data Structures, Not a Language Flaw

The widespread rumor that COBOL systems default to May 20, 1875, for missing dates is false. This article reveals that the origin lies in the extreme optimization of data storage in early systems. To save storage space, programmers cleverly used data structures, taking 1875 as the base year and encoding dates into fewer characters. This approach was efficient and reasonable in the resource-constrained environment of the time, not a flaw of COBOL but a clever use of data structures by programmers.

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(retrocomputing.stackexchange.com)
Development historical programming

Climate Reanalyzer: Visualizing Daily Global Temperatures

2025-01-21

The Climate Reanalyzer website, from the University of Maine's Climate Change Institute, provides interactive visualizations of daily global temperatures based on ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis data. The site offers interactive charts and maps showing daily mean surface air temperature from 1940 to the present, allowing users to select different regions for analysis. Data updates are delayed by 6-7 days, and users are cautioned to treat extreme temperatures estimated by ERA5 with care. The site also provides access to other climate data, such as sea surface temperature and sea ice extent.

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(climatereanalyzer.org)
Tech climate data ERA5 reanalysis data

Open WebUI: Simplifying Access to Large Language Models

2025-01-23

Open WebUI is an open-source project that simplifies user interaction with Large Language Models (LLMs). It provides a user-friendly graphical interface, allowing even non-technical users to easily access and utilize the powerful capabilities of LLMs, such as text generation, language translation, and question answering. Without needing complex command-line operations or programming knowledge, Open WebUI lowers the barrier to entry for LLMs, opening up the world of AI to a wider audience.

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(polychat.co)
AI

In Search of Lost Time: A Summary of Proust's Masterpiece

2025-01-21
In Search of Lost Time: A Summary of Proust's Masterpiece

Marcel Proust's *In Search of Lost Time* is not merely a narrative, but a profound exploration of memory, time, and self-awareness. Through meticulous descriptions of everyday details, particularly the evocative power of smells and tastes, Proust unlocks the narrator's dormant memories, revealing that time isn't linear but exists in fragmented pieces within our recollections. The novel's unique stream-of-consciousness style and masterful portrayal of psychological states immerse the reader in the narrator's rich and complex inner world, prompting reflection on life's meaning and value.

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(storymaps.arcgis.com)
Misc stream of consciousness

The Open Source Maintainer Crisis: Burnout, Pressure, and an Uncertain Future

2025-02-17
The Open Source Maintainer Crisis: Burnout, Pressure, and an Uncertain Future

The 2025 State Of Open conference highlighted the plight of open source maintainers: volunteers pour countless hours into projects with little support, leading many to quit or consider quitting. The resignation of Asahi Linux lead Hector Martin due to burnout and demanding users exemplifies this crisis. Maintainers face pressure from users, endless requests, and occasional negativity. Even with minimal corporate sponsorship, the demands far outweigh the support. Surveys reveal many maintainers considering quitting, and many projects may become unmaintained. The problem isn't solely financial; it also requires more contributors to share non-coding tasks like community management and fundraising. But change needs a catalyst—perhaps a major project collapse will finally convince people that paying open source maintainers is crucial.

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(www.theregister.com)
Development open source maintenance community pressure

15-Year-Old Builds $30 Open-Source Phone: Challenging the Smartphone Industry

2025-01-26

Gabriel Rochet, a 15-year-old, has created Paxo Phone, a fully functional open-source smartphone built for just $30. This DIY phone utilizes open-source hardware and software, boasting high modularity and customizability, allowing users to modify both hardware and software to fit their needs. Paxo Phone challenges the closed and irreparable nature of the traditional smartphone industry, offering a practical platform for learning electronics and computer technology while prompting reflection on digital freedom and the repairability of electronic devices.

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(paxo.fr)
Tech DIY phone

A 192-Byte WebAssembly Compiler: Code Golfing Extravaganza

2025-01-24
A 192-Byte WebAssembly Compiler: Code Golfing Extravaganza

This article details a WebAssembly compiler, a mere 192 bytes in size, capable of compiling reverse Polish notation expressions into WebAssembly modules. The author systematically deconstructs the code's optimizations, revealing clever uses of JavaScript features, WebAssembly bytecode manipulation, and variable/expression streamlining. While functionally simple, this tiny compiler offers a deep dive into the inner workings of WebAssembly.

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(wasmgroundup.com)
Development

Ledger Co-founder Kidnapped: Massive Investigation Underway in France

2025-01-23
Ledger Co-founder Kidnapped: Massive Investigation Underway in France

David Balland, a co-founder of the cryptocurrency wallet company Ledger, has been kidnapped, prompting a large-scale investigation by French authorities. The incident unfolded in the Cher department of France, involving a significant police deployment including helicopters and searches of multiple locations. The motive behind the kidnapping remains unclear, and whether a ransom is involved has not been publicly disclosed. This event highlights the security risks within the cryptocurrency industry.

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(www.leberry.fr)
Tech kidnapping

Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban: National Security Trumps Free Speech

2025-01-17
Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban: National Security Trumps Free Speech

The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal law banning TikTok unless its Chinese parent company sells it. The ruling prioritizes national security concerns over free speech arguments, citing risks posed by TikTok's ties to China. While President-elect Trump suggested a negotiated solution and the Biden administration indicated it wouldn't enforce the ban immediately, the decision leaves TikTok's future in the US uncertain. The court found the law did not violate petitioners' First Amendment rights.

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(apnews.com)
Tech US-China Tech Rivalry

Schrödinger: The Biotech Firm Trying to Crack the AI Drug Discovery Code

2025-01-25
Schrödinger: The Biotech Firm Trying to Crack the AI Drug Discovery Code

Schrödinger, a biotech company using quantum mechanics to design new medicines and materials, boasts all top 20 pharmaceutical companies as clients. Despite this, five years post-IPO, its stock price languishes near all-time lows. This article explores Schrödinger's unique business model—part biotech, part software—and its struggles with valuation. A pivotal dinner between Nvidia's Jensen Huang and Schrödinger's CEO highlighted a crucial turning point: embracing AI more fully. While initially hesitant, Schrödinger now leverages AI's power, particularly AlphaFold's protein structure predictions, and is preparing for crucial clinical data releases in 2025. The company's future hinges on successfully navigating the complex interplay of software sales, biotech pipeline development, and clear investor communication.

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(hntrbrk.com)
Tech Drug Discovery

Unencrypted Radio Signals Expose Central European Power Grid to Catastrophic Attack

2025-01-25
Unencrypted Radio Signals Expose Central European Power Grid to Catastrophic Attack

Researchers have discovered that renewable energy facilities across Central Europe use unencrypted radio signals to control power distribution, leaving the entire grid vulnerable to a potential catastrophic attack. By replaying or forging signals, attackers could manipulate numerous power facilities, potentially causing widespread blackouts. While the feasibility of such an attack is debated, the vulnerability highlights the urgent need to upgrade existing systems and improve security.

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(arstechnica.com)
Tech energy infrastructure
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