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SIOF: A Minimal R7RS Scheme Interpreter in One C File

2025-07-21

SIOF: A Minimal R7RS Scheme Interpreter in One C File

SIOF is a portable R7RS Scheme interpreter built from a single C source file. It boasts no external dependencies beyond standard C libraries, making it incredibly lightweight and easy to compile and run. While supporting key Scheme features like garbage collection, tail recursion, and call/cc, SIOF has limitations including no bignum support, limited Unicode handling, and incomplete R7RS standard compliance. Its core is based on code originally written in #F, with compiler and macro expander components derived from the work of Marc Feeley and Al Petrofsky.

(github.com)

Development

Beyond Bash Builtins: Crafting a Robust Bash Logging System

2025-07-21

Many engineers have a love-hate relationship with Bash. This article details how the author built a robust Bash logging system to overcome Bash's limitations in error handling and data structures. By creating custom functions like `log::info` and `log::error`, and leveraging built-in variables such as `BASH_SOURCE`, `FUNCNAME`, and `BASH_LINENO`, the author achieved detailed logging and stack trace capabilities, significantly improving debugging efficiency for large Bash scripts. This system not only provides detailed error messages and locations but also avoids inconsistencies in Bash's built-in options, offering a new approach to building more robust Bash scripts.

(blog.brujordet.no)

Development

Peep Show: A Realistic Depiction of Everyday Evil

2025-07-21

Peep Show: A Realistic Depiction of Everyday Evil

The British TV series Peep Show, running from 2003 to 2015, offers a unique perspective on evil through its protagonists, Mark and Jez. They are not villains, but rather reflections of the self-loathing, cowardice, and escapism residing within each of us. The show's first-person perspective and inner monologues immerse the viewer in their experiences, revealing the motivations behind their actions and how their insecurities translate into self-destructive and harmful behaviors. The 'banality of evil' depicted isn't driven by malice, but rather by weakness, evasion, and selfishness – a truly terrifying combination.

(mattlakeman.org)

Misc British TV Psychological Analysis Human Nature

How Top Programmers Use LLMs to Supercharge Productivity

2025-07-21

Veteran programmer antirez shares his 18-month experience using large language models like Gemini 2.5 PRO and Claude Opus for coding. He argues that current LLMs are best used as powerful assistants, not as standalone project completers. By clearly describing problems and iterating effectively, LLMs can help eliminate bugs, explore ideas faster, engage in pair-design, and even learn technologies outside one's expertise. However, antirez stresses the importance of providing ample context, choosing the right model, and maintaining control over the code, avoiding reliance on automated agents. Only then can code quality be assured and efficiency maximized.

(antirez.com)

Development

OpenBSD Major Update: FILE Object Structure Becomes Opaque

2025-07-21

OpenBSD recently underwent a significant system update making the internal structure of the FILE object in its standard input/output library opaque. This means programs can no longer directly access the internal structure of the FILE object. The change is far-reaching, affecting libc and many libraries that depend on it, including libcrypto, libtls, and libssl. To ease the transition, some helper symbols are temporarily retained but will be removed in the future. Developers are strongly encouraged to use a snapshot upgrade to avoid potential problems.

(undeadly.org)

Development system update

Optimizing WMMA Kernels on AMD RDNA 4 Architecture

2025-07-21

Optimizing WMMA Kernels on AMD RDNA 4 Architecture

AMD RDNA 4 architecture GPUs, featuring 3rd-generation Matrix Cores, significantly improve Generalized Matrix Multiplication (GEMM) performance. This article delves into optimizing matrix operations using WMMA (Wave Matrix Multiply Accumulate) intrinsics within HIP kernels on RDNA 4 GPUs. It explains WMMA's functionality, the use of new intrinsics like `__builtin_amdgcn_wmma_f32_16x16x16_f16_w32_gfx12`, and key differences from RDNA 3. A simplified Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) implementation example showcases efficient matrix computation on RDNA 4.

(gpuopen.com)

Hardware

Simulating the Hand-Drawn 'Boiling' Effect with SVG Filters

2025-07-21

Simulating the Hand-Drawn 'Boiling' Effect with SVG Filters

This article details a method for simulating the 'boiling' effect, a common visual style in hand-drawn animation, using SVG filters. This effect creates the illusion of subtle movement by applying slight distortions to image edges. The author explains how to use the feTurbulence and feDisplacementMap filters to generate a noise texture and apply it to an image, and how to animate filter parameters with JavaScript to achieve the boiling effect. Interactive demos allow users to adjust parameters and observe the effect's changes. The author successfully uses simple SVG filters and JavaScript to simulate a realistic hand-drawn animation effect on the web.

(camillovisini.com)

Development

Unlocking New Colors: Laser Stimulation of Cone Cells

2025-07-21

Unlocking New Colors: Laser Stimulation of Cone Cells

A study used laser pulses to selectively stimulate cone cells in the retina, claiming to allow people to see unprecedented colors. While the study lacks detailed subject reports, an optical illusion animation seems to produce a similar effect. The animation saturates red cones with a red circle, highlighting green cone activity and producing an intense blue-green. However, due to overlapping cone spectra and screen display limitations, whether this approach reveals colors beyond the normal human color gamut remains questionable.

(dynomight.net)

Tech optical illusion cone cells

Model Alloys: A Secret Weapon for Boosting AI Performance

2025-07-21

Model Alloys: A Secret Weapon for Boosting AI Performance

The XBOW team dramatically improved the performance of its vulnerability detection agents using a clever technique called "model alloys." This approach leverages the strengths of different LLMs (like Google Gemini and Anthropic Sonnet), alternating between them within a single chat thread to overcome the limitations of individual models. Experiments showed this "alloy" strategy increased success rates to over 55%, significantly outperforming individual models. This technique isn't limited to cybersecurity; it's relevant for any AI agent task requiring solutions within a vast search space.

(xbow.com)

AI Model Fusion Vulnerability Detection

XMLUI: Web Development for the Rest of Us

2025-07-21

XMLUI brings the ease of use of Visual Basic's component model to modern web development. Using simple XML markup, developers can build reactive, themed web apps without needing deep expertise in React or CSS. Pre-built components and declarative data binding simplify the process. Integration with LLMs further streamlines development, allowing for collaborative creation and easier maintenance. XMLUI aims to empower solution builders, enabling them to create UIs without needing specialized front-end expertise.

(blog.jonudell.net)

Development

Open Source Local Control for Daikin Air Conditioners

2025-07-21

Open Source Local Control for Daikin Air Conditioners

Tired of Daikin's slow, cloud-dependent Wi-Fi control? This open-source project offers a solution! It provides a local control module with web interface, MQTT, and Home Assistant integration, eliminating the need for cloud connectivity. PCB designs are available, and pre-built modules are sold on Tindie and Amazon UK. The project uses a GPL license, allowing forking and contributions, but prohibits commercial sales using the project's name and trademarks. The module is compatible with various Daikin models, offering features like automatic protocol detection, remote monitoring, and logging.

(github.com)

Hardware Daikin Air Conditioner

Time-Based Logging Beats Count-Based Logging

2025-07-21

Logging strategy is crucial in software engineering. This article argues that time-based logging (e.g., logging every X seconds) is superior to count-based logging (e.g., logging every X messages) when processing many events. Count-based logging results in wildly varying log frequencies under different loads, potentially leading to too few or too many logs. Time-based logging maintains a consistent log rate, avoiding performance degradation from excessive logs or observability issues from insufficient logging. The author uses pseudocode examples and a cost-benefit analysis to support their argument, offering a fresh perspective on efficient logging strategies.

(johnscolaro.xyz)

Development

connmap: Visualize Your Network Connections on a World Map

2025-07-21

connmap: Visualize Your Network Connections on a World Map

connmap is an X11 desktop widget that displays the geographic location of your current network peers on a world map. It works on Wayland too! Installation is straightforward: clone the repo, install dependencies (listed in the README), and run the executable. Customize map size, position, and update interval. Currently supports only IPv4 and is primarily tested with i3wm.

(github.com)

Development desktop widget network visualization

Dynamic Programming: It's Not What You Think

2025-07-21

The term "dynamic programming" in algorithm studies often causes confusion. 'Dynamic' doesn't refer to its changeability, but rather to the planning aspect of 'programming', originating from the 1950s when engineers planned construction projects as 'process scheduling'. In computer science, dynamic programming means planning the order of sub-steps required to solve a problem. For example, computing the Fibonacci sequence, the 'program' is the sequence of steps to calculate fib(2) to fib(10) in dependency order. This can be planned top-down or bottom-up; the final plan is the same, and both are considered dynamic programming. Richard Bellman coined the term to avoid a Secretary of Defense's aversion to 'mathematical research', cleverly choosing 'dynamic programming' because the adjective 'dynamic' cannot be used pejoratively.

(www.vidarholen.net)

Development

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

Hacking a Toniebox: Privacy Concerns and Community Solutions

2025-07-21

This post details the author's experience reverse-engineering a Toniebox, a children's toy that uses NFC tags to play audio. While fun for kids, the toy relies on cloud services and collects significant user data. The author extracts an SD card to back up audio files and highlights community tools like teddyBench for metadata and audio file processing. The article discusses privacy concerns and community-driven modifications, including custom firmware, man-in-the-middle attacks, and hardware modifications to enhance functionality or protect privacy. The author concludes with mixed feelings, appreciating the toy's appeal while acknowledging its privacy risks.

(www.schafe-sind-bessere-rasenmaeher.de)

Misc children's toy

Samsung's Breakthrough: Next-Gen Peltier Cooling Tech for Refrigerant-Free Future

2025-07-21

Samsung's Breakthrough: Next-Gen Peltier Cooling Tech for Refrigerant-Free Future

Samsung Electronics, collaborating with Johns Hopkins APL, unveiled a revolutionary thin-film semiconductor Peltier device in Nature Communications. This nano-engineered technology achieves refrigerant-free cooling, boasting a 75% efficiency boost over conventional methods. Already integrated into Samsung's Bespoke AI Hybrid Refrigerator, the technology intelligently switches between Peltier and compressor cooling for optimal performance and energy savings. The long-term vision? A completely refrigerant-free refrigerator.

(news.samsung.com)

Hardware Peltier cooling

AI Agents: Hype vs. Reality in 2025

2025-07-20

AI Agents: Hype vs. Reality in 2025

While 2025 is touted as the year of AI agents, a seasoned builder of production AI systems argues otherwise. Based on a year of building over a dozen production agent systems, he highlights three key realities often overlooked: exponentially compounding error rates in multi-step workflows; quadratic cost scaling from context windows; and the crucial challenge of designing effective tools and feedback systems for agents. He contends that successful AI agent systems aren't fully autonomous but rather integrate AI with human oversight and traditional software engineering, operating within defined boundaries with verifiable operations and rollback mechanisms. The future, he predicts, favors teams building constrained, domain-specific tools leveraging AI for complex tasks while maintaining human control. The focus should shift from 'autonomous everything' to 'extremely capable assistants with clear boundaries'.

(utkarshkanwat.com)

AI AI engineering production systems

RRRA: Online Talks and Website Update

2025-07-20

The Roman Roads Research Association (RRRA) has announced a series of online talks for the 2024/25 season focusing on Roman roads. Lectures cover various aspects of Roman road archaeology in Scotland, England, and Wales. A new website is also under development, promising a modern design and improved functionality.

(www.romanroads.org)

Misc online talks

The Age of Cheap Stuff: Declining Quality or Inflated Expectations?

2025-07-20

The Age of Cheap Stuff: Declining Quality or Inflated Expectations?

Our world is awash in cheap, disposable goods, from fast fashion to short-lived appliances, leading to concerns about declining product quality. This article explores the underlying causes, arguing it's not simply corporate profit-maximization, but also shifting consumer values, socioeconomic inequality, and the downsides of technological advancements. The rise of fast fashion prioritizes novelty over durability, while automation and AI, while boosting efficiency, diminish service quality and the reliability of information. The piece concludes by urging a critical examination of consumption patterns and a shift towards more sustainable and responsible choices.

(english.elpais.com)

Misc

GitHub Code Suggestion Application Limitations

2025-07-20

GitHub Code Suggestion Application Limitations

Applying code suggestions in bulk on GitHub has several limitations. Suggestions require code changes, cannot be applied to closed pull requests, subsets of changes, single lines with multiple suggestions, already applied or resolved suggestions, pending reviews, multi-line comments, or pull requests queued to merge. Additionally, some suggestions may be temporarily unavailable for application.

(github.com)

Development

Quantum Leap: Monolithic Integration of Photonic Quantum System on a Chip

2025-07-20

Quantum Leap: Monolithic Integration of Photonic Quantum System on a Chip

Scientists from Northwestern University, Boston University, and UC Berkeley have achieved a breakthrough: integrating a miniature photonic quantum system onto a conventional electronic chip. This 1mm² chip generates quantum light and incorporates a smart electronic system for stabilization, reliably producing photon pairs for light-based quantum communication, sensing, and processing. Fabricated by a commercial semiconductor foundry, the chip demonstrates scalability potential, representing a crucial step towards larger quantum photonic systems and opening doors for applications in computing, sensing, and communication.

(news.northwestern.edu)

Tech chip integration

GitHub Code Suggestion Application Limitations: Single Commit Constraints

2025-07-20

GitHub Code Suggestion Application Limitations: Single Commit Constraints

Applying code suggestions in bulk on GitHub has several limitations: suggestions cannot be applied if no code changes were made, if the pull request is closed, when viewing a subset of changes, if there is more than one suggestion per line, to deleted lines, if the suggestion has been applied or marked resolved, from pending reviews, on multi-line comments, or if the pull request is queued to merge. Additionally, there are instances of an error stating "You can’t perform that action at this time." for unknown reasons.

(github.com)

Development

Dorsey's $10M Bet on Decentralized Social Media

2025-07-20

Dorsey's $10M Bet on Decentralized Social Media

Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder and Block CEO, has invested $10 million in "andOtherStuff," a collective aiming to revolutionize social media through open-source projects. The team, including Dorsey and former Twitter employees, focuses on decentralized protocols like Nostr, developing apps such as Shakespeare (a Nostr app building platform) and heynow (a voice note app). Dorsey criticizes traditional social media's reliance on advertisers, advocating for a more open, decentralized model. He and former Twitter employee Evan Henshaw-Plath launched the podcast "revolution.social" to discuss the future of social media, highlighting the potential of Nostr and the pitfalls of centralized platforms.

(techcrunch.com)

Tech Decentralized Social Media

Agora Protocol: Secure, Anonymous National Deliberation

2025-07-20

This paper proposes the Agora Protocol, a technological solution to the problem of societal division created by authoritarian regimes. Leveraging Telegram, the protocol establishes a secure, anonymous, multi-stage deliberation process allowing citizens to discuss and vote on national issues. A meritocratic filtering system ensures the most resonant ideas rise, culminating in a transparent national consensus visible to all participants. Remarkably efficient, it can distill the views of 100 million people into a core group of 100 within six weeks.

(simurgh-beau.github.io)

Tech Agora Protocol Anonymous Deliberation National Consensus

LLM Architecture Evolution in 2025: Deep Dives into DeepSeek, OLMo, Gemma, Mistral, and Qwen

2025-07-20

LLM Architecture Evolution in 2025: Deep Dives into DeepSeek, OLMo, Gemma, Mistral, and Qwen

This article reviews the architectural advancements in large language models (LLMs) during 2025, focusing on open-source models like DeepSeek, OLMo, Gemma, Mistral, and Qwen. DeepSeek V3/R1 enhances computational efficiency with Multi-Head Latent Attention (MLA) and Mixture-of-Experts (MoE). OLMo 2 emphasizes RMSNorm placement, employing Post-Norm and QK-Norm. Gemma 3 utilizes sliding window attention to reduce memory requirements. Mistral Small 3.1 balances performance and speed. Qwen 3 offers both dense and MoE variants for flexibility. SmolLM3 stands out with its 3B parameter size and NoPE (No Positional Embeddings). Finally, Kimi 2 impresses with its trillion-parameter scale and the Muon optimizer. These models showcase innovations in attention mechanisms, normalization, MoE, and optimizers, demonstrating the diversity and ongoing evolution of LLM architectures.

(magazine.sebastianraschka.com)

AI Architectural Innovations

Global Earthquake Early Warning System Leveraging Android Smartphones

2025-07-20

Global Earthquake Early Warning System Leveraging Android Smartphones

A new study demonstrates the effectiveness of a global earthquake early warning system built using the accelerometers in millions of Android smartphones worldwide. The system, called Android Earthquake Alerts (AEA), rivals traditional seismic networks in accuracy, detecting earthquakes globally and delivering timely alerts to users. Even in regions lacking traditional infrastructure, AEA provides crucial early warning to millions, potentially mitigating earthquake damage. By exploiting the speed difference between seismic waves, AEA issues alerts before the destructive waves arrive, buying precious seconds for people to react.

(gizmodo.com)

Tech Earthquake Early Warning

CLJ-AGI: A Novel AGI Benchmark

2025-07-20

CLJ-AGI proposes a new benchmark for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The benchmark challenges an AI to enhance the Clojure programming language with features like a transducer-first design, optional laziness, ubiquitous protocols, and first-class CRDT data structures. Success, defined as achieving these enhancements while maintaining backward compatibility with existing Clojure code, earns a substantial reward, signifying a significant step towards true AGI.

(raspasov.posthaven.com)

AI

From Arch Linux to macOS: A PhD Student's Lazy Config

2025-07-20

A computer engineer PhD student in neuro-AI research, after nine years of using Arch Linux, switched to a new MacBook Pro. The post details how they configured their new machine in a single day to resume their workflow. They used Nix as a package manager, AeroSpace window manager, and Raycast launcher, while retaining familiar tools like the zsh shell and Zed editor. While macOS's package management isn't as convenient as Arch Linux, they compromised for better hardware stability and user experience.

(yberreby.com)

Development macOS config Nix package manager developer workflow

American Democracy: A Data-Driven Look at Crisis and Hope

2025-07-20

American Democracy: A Data-Driven Look at Crisis and Hope

This article uses data to analyze the state of American democracy. The data reveals highly concentrated political funding among a small elite, a fractured judiciary, politically reshaped government agencies, and low voter turnout, particularly among Democrats. However, the data also offers hope: millions of potential Democratic voters remain unengaged, history shows successful citizen resistance to authoritarianism, and holding leaders accountable is common in healthy democracies. The article calls for focusing on voter mobilization rather than solely on ideological moderation, emphasizing the importance of citizen participation.

(data4democracy.substack.com)

Tech American democracy political data analysis voter participation

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