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GitHub Pages: The Best Platform for Free Open Source Software in 2025

2025-04-28

Want to share your software for free? The best approach in 2025 is deploying static HTML and JavaScript to GitHub Pages. WebAssembly now allows for client-side applications in languages like Python. GitHub Pages offers a free, stable platform with a 17+ year history of uninterrupted service, surpassing previously reliable options like Heroku, whose free tier was discontinued in 2022 by Salesforce. Choose an open-source license and provide an accessible link to ensure your work benefits everyone.

(simonwillison.net)

Development

Gemini Cracks a 20-Year-Old Mac App Mystery!

2025-06-02

Gemini Cracks a 20-Year-Old Mac App Mystery!

After years of unsuccessful Google searches, the author finally used Gemini to identify a long-forgotten Mac/Windows application from his teens. The app, which tracked user actions and automated repetitive tasks, was revealed to be Open Sesame!, a 1993 intelligent software assistant capable of learning user patterns and automating tasks like bulk file renaming. The author remembered seeing a demo in the mid-90s but had failed to find any information about it until now. This story highlights the advancements in AI, using a 2025 AI tool to discover a 1993 machine learning application.

(blog.gingerbeardman.com)

Misc App Discovery

Solving a 25-Piece Wooden Puzzle with Haskell: Part I

2025-09-20

The author received a challenging 3D puzzle consisting of 25 identical wooden pieces and, after struggling to solve it manually, decided to leverage the power of the Haskell programming language. This is the first of a two-part series focusing on modeling the problem. The author models the space as a 3D grid, using vectors to represent positions and defining data structures for a single piece and its arrangement in space. The article details how linear algebra and Haskell features are used to represent rotations and translations of the pieces, generating a candidate list of all possible arrangements. The article ends with a cliffhanger, leaving the solution of finding the correct arrangement from the candidates to the second part.

(glocq.github.io)

Development 3D Puzzle

Reichstag Fire Decree: The Enabling Act's Precursor

2025-09-16

Reichstag Fire Decree: The Enabling Act's Precursor

The Reichstag fire of February 27, 1933, blamed on Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe, provided the pretext for the Nazi regime to enact the Decree for the Protection of the People and the State on February 28th. This decree, suspending fundamental constitutional rights, including freedom of speech and assembly, allowed for the arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of political opponents, the suppression of dissent, and the consolidation of Nazi power. It effectively dismantled democratic processes, paving the way for the Enabling Act and the establishment of a totalitarian police state.

(encyclopedia.ushmm.org)

History Reichstag Fire Emergency Decree

Garmin Connect: Your Fitness Data Hub

2025-01-08

Garmin Connect: Your Fitness Data Hub

Garmin Connect is more than just a simple fitness tracking app; it's a comprehensive fitness data hub that records and analyzes your various fitness activities, such as running, cycling, and swimming. It not only tracks your distance, time, and calorie consumption but also provides personalized training plans and recommendations to help you better manage your health and fitness goals. Seamlessly connecting with other Garmin devices, you can easily view and manage your fitness data and share your achievements with friends. In short, Garmin Connect is your powerful assistant in achieving your fitness goals.

(connect.garmin.com)

Misc fitness tracking health management

Quantum Leap: 254km Quantum Communication Achieved on Existing Infrastructure

2025-04-24

Quantum Leap: 254km Quantum Communication Achieved on Existing Infrastructure

Scientists in Germany have achieved a breakthrough in quantum communication, transmitting quantum messages over 254 kilometers of existing commercial fiber optic network. This is a world record, utilizing a coherence-based twin-field quantum key distribution protocol. The experiment successfully transmitted information between three data centers (Frankfurt, Kehl, and Kirchfeld) without needing cryogenic cooling, demonstrating the viability of advanced quantum communication protocols on pre-existing telecom infrastructure and paving the way for a quantum internet.

(phys.org)

Tech quantum internet

Space Crystals: Overcoming Earth's Gravity for Better Drug Discovery

2025-04-14

Space Crystals: Overcoming Earth's Gravity for Better Drug Discovery

Growing high-quality protein crystals on Earth is challenging due to gravity-induced sedimentation, convection currents, and impurity issues. In microgravity, however, these problems are significantly reduced, leading to more uniform and higher-resolution crystals. Studies show microgravity-grown crystals exhibit significant improvements in morphology, uniformity, and resolution, with major implications for drug discovery, food chemistry, and structural biology. Spark Gravity aims to lower the barrier to entry for protein crystal research by simulating microgravity environments, accelerating the research process.

(sparkgravity.com)

Tech protein crystals

The VC Bubble Bursts: A Looming Winter?

2025-08-28

An analysis based on SEC Form D filings reveals an impending VC bubble burst. By tracking the number of Form Ds containing phrases like "Fund I", "Fund II", etc., the author shows that VC fund raising peaked in Q3 2022 before sharply declining. This is linked to the surge in VC funds during low-interest rate periods and the rise of "SPV-as-a-service" companies. The author predicts a significant decrease in available VC funding, driven by the typical 10-year lifespan of funds and a 2-4 year deployment period, now passing its peak. This coincides with the AI investment boom, leading to inflated valuations. The author concludes that future funding will drastically decrease, valuations will fall, many companies will struggle, and the AI hype cycle will cool.

(tj401.com)

Startup

AI Accelerates Material Synthesis: Berkeley Lab Uses AI Algorithm to Dramatically Increase Efficiency

2025-09-22

AI Accelerates Material Synthesis: Berkeley Lab Uses AI Algorithm to Dramatically Increase Efficiency

Researchers at Berkeley Lab used an AI algorithm, AutoBot, to significantly improve the efficiency of synthesizing high-quality films. AutoBot analyzes data from multiple characterization techniques to quickly learn the relationship between synthesis parameters and film quality. The research found that high-quality films can be synthesized at relative humidity levels between 5% and 25%, without requiring stringent environmental controls. This research lays important groundwork for commercial manufacturing and demonstrates the immense potential of AI in materials science.

(newscenter.lbl.gov)

Tech Film Synthesis

Gmail Accused of Partisan Spam Filtering: GOP Claims Bias

2025-08-30

Gmail Accused of Partisan Spam Filtering: GOP Claims Bias

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson accused Google of using partisan spam filters in Gmail, allegedly sending Republican fundraising emails to spam while delivering Democratic emails to inboxes. Ferguson's letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai alleges potential FTC Act violations. Google denies the accusations, stating its spam filters are based on objective user signals and apply equally to all senders, regardless of political affiliation. This reignites long-standing Republican complaints previously dismissed by a federal judge and the Federal Election Commission.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Critical Rsync Vulnerabilities: Remote Code Execution Possible

2025-01-15

Researchers have uncovered six vulnerabilities in rsync, the most critical of which allows remote code execution on a server with only anonymous read access to a public rsync mirror. These vulnerabilities range from heap buffer overflows and information leaks to path traversal and race conditions. The vulnerabilities are patched in rsync 3.4.0; users are urged to update immediately.

(www.openwall.com)

Tech

Meta Enters Wholesale Power Trading

2025-09-20

Meta Enters Wholesale Power Trading

Meta Platforms Inc. is venturing into wholesale power trading to better manage its data centers' massive electricity needs. This move is a strategic response to rising energy costs and demand, aligning with Meta's clean energy goals. Data center power demand for AI is projected to quadruple in ten years, driving up prices and forcing some tech companies to reconsider their energy sources, even turning to natural gas. Meta's entry into the market allows it to buy and sell electricity, profiting from price spikes and optimizing energy management.

(finance.yahoo.com)

Tech Power Trading

Mini SSD Card: A Potential Solution for Portable Gaming Storage Bottlenecks

2025-08-20

Mini SSD Card: A Potential Solution for Portable Gaming Storage Bottlenecks

Games are getting increasingly large, often exceeding 100GB, due to factors like high-resolution textures, detailed graphics, extensive audio files, and support for multiple languages. To address the slow storage speeds in portable gaming devices, the Mini SSD card has emerged as a potential solution. It aims to deliver speeds comparable to internal SSDs without requiring users to disassemble their devices for upgrades. While not yet a formally ratified standard, it offers a convenient storage upgrade option for gamers.

(arstechnica.com)

Hardware game storage portable gaming

Nothing Phone 3: Stylish, but Too Pricey?

2025-07-31

Nothing Phone 3: Stylish, but Too Pricey?

Nothing's Phone 3 boasts a distinctive design, but its high price tag is causing a stir. While it incorporates AI features like Gemini integration and an AI hardware button, these additions don't offer a significant advantage and fail to compete with rivals' AI capabilities. The hardware specs also fall short of flagship standards, with camera performance lagging behind Google's Pixel 9, and overall, it struggles to compete with Samsung's S25 or the iPhone. Despite Nothing's stance against price cuts, a $500-$600 price point might make it more competitive.

(www.ndtvprofit.com)

Hardware

Canon Wants $5/Month to Use Your Expensive Camera as a Webcam

2025-01-17

Canon Wants $5/Month to Use Your Expensive Camera as a Webcam

A blogger recounts his frustration with Canon's software requiring a $4.99 monthly or $49.99 annual subscription to fully utilize his Canon camera as a webcam. Despite the headline's $6299 price tag, his camera cost significantly less. Even with the paid subscription, features like brightness and color correction are limited, and only 720p video is available. The author argues that this subscription model is unjustified for a hardware company with nearly $30 billion in profit.

(romanzipp.com)

Tech Canon Webcam Subscription Model

CDC Shuts Down Premier STD Lab, Leaving Experts Aghast

2025-04-07

CDC Shuts Down Premier STD Lab, Leaving Experts Aghast

The US government has shuttered the CDC's leading sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) laboratory, firing all 28 employees. This leaves experts concerned about the lack of monitoring for drug-resistant STDs, especially gonorrhea, where antimicrobial resistance is rising. The lab played a crucial role in global surveillance and treatment recommendations, and its closure is seen as a significant blow to public health efforts, particularly as new gonorrhea drugs are nearing completion. The lack of transparency surrounding the decision has further fueled concerns.

(www.statnews.com)

Tech STD Antibiotic Resistance

Larry the Cat: A Political Life at 10 Downing Street

2025-07-05

Larry the Cat: A Political Life at 10 Downing Street

Larry, the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street since 2011, has become a beloved British institution. This tabby cat, cared for by Downing Street staff and not the personal property of the Prime Minister, has witnessed six premierships. While his mousing skills have been questioned (earning him the nickname 'Lazy Larry'), his charm and media savvy have made him a star, even outpolling some Prime Ministers in popularity. Larry's duties, officially, involve greeting guests, inspecting security, and testing furniture for nap-worthiness.

(en.wikipedia.org)

Misc Downing Street Cat

Microsoft Shuts Down Bing Search API, Reshaping the Search Landscape

2025-05-15

Microsoft Shuts Down Bing Search API, Reshaping the Search Landscape

Microsoft's decision to shut down its Bing search API is sending ripples through the search engine ecosystem. For years, the affordable and convenient Bing API powered search engines like DuckDuckGo and Brave. However, the advent of ChatGPT and a tenfold price increase prompted many to build their own indexes. While Microsoft claims its new AI-powered system is superior, developers report reduced flexibility. This move could force Google to open its search data, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape.

(www.wired.com)

Tech

Moon-Based Data Centers: A Backup for Earth's Civilization?

2025-02-26

Moon-Based Data Centers: A Backup for Earth's Civilization?

SpaceX is launching a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Intuitive Machines' lunar lander, which includes a mini data center weighing just 1 kg and boasting 8 TB of SSD storage. This is Lonestar Data Holdings' proof-of-concept mission to bring moon-based data centers to reality. The advantages are numerous: enhanced data security from earthly disasters and conflict; data sovereignty bypassing national restrictions; and low-temperature operation leading to energy efficiency and improved performance. However, challenges remain: high latency, difficult maintenance, and cybersecurity concerns. Despite these, experts remain optimistic about the future of lunar data centers, viewing them as a potential driver for space technology development.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech lunar data center

Backblaze's Financial Troubles Spark Data Backup Concerns

2025-04-29

Backblaze's Financial Troubles Spark Data Backup Concerns

Cloud backup provider Backblaze, which went public in 2021, has been consistently losing money, with its stock price plummeting 71%. A recent report suggests Backblaze may face bankruptcy, raising concerns about the security of user data. Backblaze denies the report, claiming its financial data is accurate and its service is stable and reliable. However, the company's continued massive losses and negative reports still leave users worried about the security of their data backups, highlighting the importance of a robust backup strategy.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

arXivLabs: Experimenting with Community Collaboration

2025-06-02

arXivLabs is a framework enabling collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on the website. Individuals and organizations involved share arXiv's values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners adhering to them. Have an idea to enhance the arXiv community? Explore arXivLabs.

(arxiv.org)

Development

Sweden Reverses Course on Digital Education: €104 Million for Print Textbooks

2025-01-15

Sweden Reverses Course on Digital Education: €104 Million for Print Textbooks

In 2009, Sweden went all-digital in education, phasing out printed textbooks. Fifteen years later, they're investing €104 million to bring them back. Research revealed negative impacts of screen-based learning on student focus, comprehension, and memory. This reversal underscores the need to balance technology with traditional teaching methods, offering a valuable lesson for global education systems.

(indiandefencereview.com)

Tech digital education print textbooks education reform

TheAuditor: Giving AI-Assisted Development the Gift of Sight

2025-09-08

TheAuditor: Giving AI-Assisted Development the Gift of Sight

TheAuditor is an offline-first, AI-centric Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and code intelligence platform. It runs industry-standard code analysis tools and generates structured, AI-digestible reports, providing developers and AI assistants with a trustworthy source of "ground truth." Unlike traditional SAST tools, TheAuditor tackles the security and quality assurance challenges inherent in AI-assisted development, preventing AI from generating insecure or flawed code. It supports multiple languages and frameworks, offers dependency graph visualization, refactoring detection, and more, ultimately aiming for a human-free, self-correcting AI development loop.

(github.com)

Development

KumoRFM: A Relational Foundation Model for Revolutionizing Relational Database Predictions

2025-05-23

KumoRFM: A Relational Foundation Model for Revolutionizing Relational Database Predictions

KumoRFM is a groundbreaking Relational Foundation Model (RFM) capable of making accurate predictions on relational databases across a wide range of predictive tasks without requiring any data or task-specific training. It achieves this by transforming databases into temporal, heterogeneous graphs, employing a table-invariant encoding scheme and a Relational Graph Transformer to reason across multimodal data between tables. On the RelBench benchmark, KumoRFM outperforms traditional feature engineering and end-to-end supervised deep learning approaches by 2% to 8% on average, with further improvements of 10% to 30% after fine-tuning. Most importantly, KumoRFM is orders of magnitude faster than conventional supervised training approaches, offering a zero-code solution for real-time predictions.

(kumo.ai)

AI relational database prediction

WinBoat: Run Windows Apps Seamlessly on Linux

2025-09-02

WinBoat: Run Windows Apps Seamlessly on Linux

WinBoat, currently in beta, lets you run Windows apps on your Linux penguin with seamless integration. Boasting a sleek interface and automated installation, it allows you to run almost any Windows application as native OS-level windows within your Linux environment. Access the full Windows desktop or integrate individual apps into your workflow. File sharing between Windows and Linux is also simplified. While requiring specific system resources (RAM, CPU, storage, KVM, Docker, FreeRDP), WinBoat offers a compelling solution for cross-platform compatibility. Contributions and feedback are welcome!

(github.com)

Development

RetroTINK-5X and the Apple ][: A Surprisingly Good Match

2025-05-24

RetroTINK-5X and the Apple ][: A Surprisingly Good Match

This post briefly summarizes a test of the RetroTINK-5X upscaler with an Apple ][. Previous upscalers struggled with the Apple ]['s 'color killer' circuit, resulting in poor color reproduction. The RetroTINK-5X, however, performs surprisingly well, displaying crisp text and accurate colors in text mode. While slightly fuzzy in 'Generic 4:3' mode, this might be adjustable. The author notes initial minor screen wobble upon startup, but otherwise stable and excellent performance.

(nicole.express)

Hardware

PlanetScale for Postgres Goes GA

2025-09-22

PlanetScale for Postgres Goes GA

PlanetScale's managed Postgres service is now generally available, exiting private preview. Users can easily create Postgres databases and leverage migration guides for switching from other providers. Built on five years of experience with their Vitess product, PlanetScale has helped companies like Cursor, Intercom, and Block scale their databases. This new offering combines PlanetScale's maturity with the performance of bare metal, and includes a Postgres sharding solution called Neki, planned for future open-source release.

(planetscale.com)

Tech

The Forgotten Syntax of Salt and Gold: How Ifriqiya's Merchants Coded Commerce Before Silicon

2025-04-19

The Forgotten Syntax of Salt and Gold: How Ifriqiya's Merchants Coded Commerce Before Silicon

This article unveils the story of the Sifraniyah, a merchant guild in Ifriqiya (modern-day southern Tunisia), who used a unique trade language, Al-Khatt al-Tujjari (The Commercial Line), centuries before the silicon age. Resembling an early programming language, this cryptic system employed conditional statements, looped inventory management, and error-checking mechanisms, executed through wax-sealed scrolls, knotted scripts, and rhythmic chants. Their decentralized autonomous protocol-like system operated across various trade nodes. However, with the rise of empires and more modern accounting, Al-Khatt al-Tujjari was eventually forgotten, leaving behind fragments that remind us logic isn't solely born of silicon, but can also grow from sand, salt, and stories.

(medium.com)

Misc commerce

Efrit: An AI-Powered Emacs Coding Assistant

2025-08-09

Efrit: An AI-Powered Emacs Coding Assistant

Efrit is a sophisticated AI coding assistant that seamlessly integrates with Emacs using direct Elisp evaluation. It offers multiple interfaces: efrit-chat for multi-turn conversations, efrit-do for natural language commands, and a command-line interface for structured interactions. Efrit boasts multi-turn conversation support, robust error handling, and dark theme compatibility. Requires Emacs 28.1+, an Anthropic API key, and an internet connection. Installation is straightforward: clone the repository and add it to your Emacs configuration.

(github.com)

Development

Running LLMs Locally on macOS: A Skeptic's Guide

2025-09-08

This blog post details the author's experience running large language models (LLMs) locally on their macOS machine. While expressing skepticism about the hype surrounding LLMs, the author provides a practical guide to installing and using tools like llama.cpp and LM Studio. The guide covers choosing appropriate models based on factors like size, runtime, quantization, and reasoning capabilities. The author emphasizes the privacy benefits and reduced reliance on AI companies that come with local LLM deployment, offering tips and tricks such as utilizing MCPs to extend functionality and managing the context window to prevent information loss. The post also touches on the ethical concerns surrounding the current state of the AI industry.

(blog.6nok.org)

Development

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