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Garlic: A Blazing Fast Java Decompiler Written in C

2025-06-03

Garlic: A Blazing Fast Java Decompiler Written in C

Garlic is a Java decompiler written in C, offering fast and efficient decompilation of .class, .jar, and .war files into Java source code. It requires only CMake 3.26 or higher and has no other dependencies. Garlic supports multithreading, allowing you to specify the output path and thread count via command-line arguments. It outperforms javap, omitting LineNumber and StackMapTable attributes. The project is open-source under the Apache 2.0 License.

(github.com)

Development Java decompiler

Internet Archive Joins Federal Depository Library Program Amidst Copyright Battles

2025-07-26

Internet Archive Joins Federal Depository Library Program Amidst Copyright Battles

The Internet Archive (IA) has joined the Federal Depository Library Program to streamline access and digitization of government publications. However, IA faces ongoing copyright lawsuits over its Open Library and Great 78 Project, with potential damages threatening its existence. Supporters hail IA as a crucial digital library, while publishers view it as an unlicensed copyrighting and distribution business. Joining the program doesn't alter IA's practices, as government publications are not copyrighted.

(www.kqed.org)

Tech Copyright Lawsuits Digital Library

OpenAI's UAE Deal: A Façade of Democracy?

2025-06-09

OpenAI's UAE Deal: A Façade of Democracy?

OpenAI's partnership with the UAE to build large-scale AI data centers, touted as aligning with "democratic values," is raising eyebrows. The UAE's poor human rights record casts doubt on this claim. The article analyzes OpenAI's justifications, finding them weak and arguing the deal empowers the UAE's autocratic government rather than promoting democracy. The author concludes that OpenAI's casual approach to its mission is concerning, highlighting the crucial need to consider power dynamics in AI development.

(helentoner.substack.com)

AI AI partnership

EVs Reduce More Than Just Tailpipe Emissions: Brake Dust Cut by 83%

2025-05-28

EVs Reduce More Than Just Tailpipe Emissions: Brake Dust Cut by 83%

A new study quantifies how much EVs help reduce not only harmful exhaust emissions but also other types of pollution from personal vehicles. The study found that electric vehicles, thanks to regenerative braking, reduce brake dust by up to 83%, significantly more than hybrids or plug-in hybrids. While EVs may have slightly higher tire wear, the overall reduction in non-exhaust emissions is substantial because brake dust is far more likely to become airborne. The study recommends prioritizing public transport, walking, and cycling, alongside EV adoption, and developing more durable tires and brake pads.

(electrek.co)

Tech Emissions Reduction

AI Agents: Hype or the Future of Work?

2025-03-14

AI Agents: Hype or the Future of Work?

Silicon Valley is betting big on AI agents, but there's a significant lack of consensus on what exactly constitutes an AI agent. Companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Salesforce envision them as the future of work, yet their functionalities and implementations vary wildly. Definitions range from fully autonomous systems to tools following predefined workflows, causing confusion even among industry experts. This ambiguity stems from rapid technological advancements and marketing hype, creating both opportunities for innovation and potential for misaligned expectations and uncertain ROI. Ultimately, whether AI agents truly revolutionize the world may depend on the industry's ability to establish a unified definition.

(techcrunch.com)

AI technical definitions

Zod v4 Beta: Faster, Smaller, and More Efficient Type Validation

2025-04-12

Zod v4 Beta: Faster, Smaller, and More Efficient Type Validation

After over a year of active development, Zod v4 is now in beta! It's faster, smaller, more tsc-efficient, and implements some long-requested features. Zod 4 uses an entirely new internal architecture that solves some long-standing design limitations, lays the groundwork for some long-requested features, and closes 9 of Zod's 10 most upvoted open issues. A new sister library, @zod/mini, offers a tree-shakable functional API for significantly smaller bundle sizes. Zod 4 also introduces a new metadata system, JSON Schema conversion, improved discriminated union support, and many other improvements.

(v4.zod.dev)

Development Type Validation

Sapphire: A Next-Gen Package Manager in Rust

2025-04-22

Sapphire: A Next-Gen Package Manager in Rust

Sapphire is an experimental, Rust-powered package manager inspired by Homebrew. It's designed to install and manage command-line tools, libraries, languages, desktop applications, and more. Features include parallel downloads, automatic dependency resolution, and building from source. Currently ARM-only, with potential x86 support in the future. This is alpha software; use at your own risk.

(github.com)

Development

Google Loses Privacy Lawsuit, Headed to Trial

2025-01-09

A federal judge refused Google's motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit alleging privacy violations. The suit claims Google collected data from users who opted out of its Web & App Activity (WAA) tracking, even sending data to third-party developers via Google Analytics for Firebase (GA4F). The judge ruled a jury could reasonably find Google profited from this misappropriation of data, setting a trial for August 2025. Google maintains its practices are lawful, but the ruling highlights ongoing challenges for tech companies balancing data collection and user privacy.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Data Collection

1984: The First Man vs. Machine Poker Showdown You've Never Heard Of

2025-05-09

1984: The First Man vs. Machine Poker Showdown You've Never Heard Of

Before Polaris in 2007, there was Orac. In 1984, poker legend Mike Caro challenged Doyle Brunson and Tom McEvoy with his Apple II Plus program, a feat largely forgotten. This article unearths the story, revealing correspondence with Binion's Horseshoe and Apple, detailing the event and its surprising results. Orac lost to McEvoy but held its own against Brunson, showcasing early AI's foray into poker.

(www.poker.org)

Game Poker

Salt Typhoon: Major US Telecoms Confirm Chinese Government-Backed Hacks

2024-12-31

Salt Typhoon: Major US Telecoms Confirm Chinese Government-Backed Hacks

AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies have confirmed that their systems were compromised earlier this year by the Chinese government-backed Salt Typhoon hacking group. A White House official called the intrusion the "worst telecom hack in our nation's history," enabling the hackers to geolocate millions of individuals and record phone calls at will. While the companies claim a limited number of customers were affected and that the attacks have been contained, the incident highlights significant security vulnerabilities in US telecom networks. This has prompted the government to strengthen cybersecurity oversight and push for stricter standards.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech nation-state attack telecom security

Sound Waves Rewire Gene Activity in Cells

2025-07-03

Sound Waves Rewire Gene Activity in Cells

Audible sound waves can alter gene expression in mouse cells, according to a new study in Communications Biology. Researchers exposed mouse myoblast cells to various frequencies of sound, discovering that over 100 genes showed altered activity. The sound increased cell adhesion and reduced fat accumulation. This non-invasive approach holds potential for regenerative medicine and cancer treatment, with human trials a possibility within the next decade.

(www.scientificamerican.com)

Tech sound waves

SkyRoof: Ham Satellite Tracking and SDR Receiver Software

2025-06-05

VE3NEA recently released SkyRoof, a Windows program combining satellite tracking and SDR receiver functionalities. Supporting RTL-SDR, Airspy, and SDRplay, it tracks and receives ham radio satellites, offering real-time tracking, pass prediction, a sky map, and an SDR waterfall display. It demodulates SSB/CW/FM, automatically compensates for Doppler shift, and interfaces with hamlib-compatible antenna rotators. Johnson's Techworld on YouTube features a SkyRoof test video.

(www.rtl-sdr.com)

Hardware Amateur Radio Satellite Tracking SDR Receiver

Moscow's Cybersecurity Proposals: A Trojan Horse for Strategic Gain

2025-03-15

This article exposes Russia's deceptive tactics in the realm of cybersecurity. Russia has long used international agreements as a smokescreen to advance its own strategic interests at the expense of others. Its definition of "information security" differs drastically from the West's "cybersecurity," encompassing content control and censorship where the latter focuses on technical aspects. Accepting Russia's framework would undermine free speech. Historical precedents demonstrate how authoritarian regimes exploit disarmament talks for self-serving gains. The article analyzes Russia's cyber treaty proposals since the 1990s, highlighting hidden obstacles and its collaboration with China to control online discourse. The author argues that Western nations should remain vigilant, uphold existing international law, and counter cyber threats by strengthening cooperation and enforcing existing norms, rather than entering binding treaties with Russia.

(bytesandborscht.com)

Tech International Relations

Rent-a-Brain: The World's First Commercial Hybrid of Silicon and Human Brain Cells

2025-07-04

Rent-a-Brain: The World's First Commercial Hybrid of Silicon and Human Brain Cells

Cortical Labs, an Australian biotech startup, in collaboration with UK company bit.bio, has launched CL1, the world's first commercially available hybrid computer combining silicon circuitry and human brain cells. This groundbreaking system, built from 800,000 neurons grown on a silicon chip, boasts incredibly low energy consumption, significantly outperforming comparable AI in terms of efficiency. CL1 demonstrated superior performance in game-playing tests compared to machine learning algorithms and offers potential applications in drug testing. Units are available for $35,000, or remote access can be rented for $300 per week.

(www.sciencealert.com)

AI

Whistleblower Alleges DOGE Team Exfiltrated Sensitive Labor Data

2025-04-15

Whistleblower Alleges DOGE Team Exfiltrated Sensitive Labor Data

A whistleblower has revealed details of how the DOGE team may have accessed and exfiltrated sensitive labor data from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The whistleblower alleges that after gaining access to NLRB systems, the DOGE team obtained substantial data, including union information, ongoing legal cases, and corporate secrets. They allegedly attempted to cover their tracks by disabling monitoring tools and manually deleting access records. Evidence presented includes a large data exfiltration event, suspicious login attempts from a Russian IP address, and a project named "NxGenBdoorExtract," potentially designed to extract data from the NLRB's internal system. This incident raises serious concerns about data security and privacy, with experts warning of potential harm to unions, employees, and businesses.

(www.npr.org)

Tech government data breach

Fitness and Mortality: A Large Study Reveals Surprising Correlation

2025-05-18

A study of 1.1 million Swedish men challenges the long-held association between fitness and reduced mortality. Researchers found that while those with high fitness levels in adolescence had lower overall mortality rates, they also had similarly lower rates of accidental death, suggesting other confounding factors. Negative control outcome analysis and sibling comparison design confirmed potential bias, indicating an overestimation of fitness's impact on cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality. The study stresses the need for large-scale interventions to be based on reliable estimates, avoiding the risk of inflated expectations.

(www.uu.se)

Tech observational study

Data Visualization: Beyond Illustration, Towards Elucidation

2025-02-07

Data Visualization: Beyond Illustration, Towards Elucidation

This article praises innovative approaches to visualizing mathematical formulas. Using Daniel Fleisch's book on Maxwell's equations as an example, it argues that formulas in traditional academic papers are often opaque, while good visualizations clarify complex information, achieving 'elucidation' rather than mere 'illustration'. This aligns with Edward Tufte's concept of 'visual explanation', advocating for the power of data visualization to make complex information easily understandable.

(agilescientific.com)

Design scientific visualization

Lightweight DataFrame in MicroHs: A Haskell 2010 Adventure

2025-09-11

Starting with a Frege (JVM Haskell) Android project in 2015, the author's functional programming journey led to a quest to decouple their DataFrame library from GHC for MicroHs compatibility. This post details implementing core DataFrame functionality – construction, basic expressions, `filterWhere`, `derive`, and Markdown rendering – in Haskell 2010, without GADTs, type families, or reflection. The experiment demonstrates that while verbose, the core functionality remains viable, offering portability between MicroHs (for tiny CLIs or embedded contexts) and GHC (for speed and ecosystem access). MicroHs binaries are roughly 100x smaller but 5-10x slower; a worthwhile trade-off for many data-wrangling tasks, allowing a GHC backend for heavy lifting.

(mchav.github.io)

Development

OpenAI's Rumored Acquisition Sparks AI Consolidation Anxiety

2025-04-24

OpenAI's Rumored Acquisition Sparks AI Consolidation Anxiety

Rumors of OpenAI potentially acquiring Windsurf have ignited a debate about the future of AI. The article explores the differences between model-layer and application-layer innovation, arguing that model-layer giants like OpenAI are moving into the application layer through acquisitions, leading to increased industry consolidation. However, it highlights that application-layer innovation demands rapid iteration and efficient delivery, unlike the deep technical research required for model-layer innovation. While LLMs are becoming commoditized, the application market will be larger than the foundation model market. Companies like OpenAI face an innovator's dilemma, needing to balance the value of model and application layers. The article suggests acquisitions aren't always successful, and OpenAI's culture might hinder application development. Ultimately, success hinges on delivering tangible value to customers, not just impressive models or high-profile acquisitions.

(frontierai.substack.com)

AI model layer application layer

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

Microsoft's Remote Work Crackdown: Back to the Office?

2025-09-10

Microsoft's Remote Work Crackdown: Back to the Office?

Microsoft is mandating a return to the office, starting with its Puget Sound employees who will be required to work in-office at least three days a week beginning February 2026. This policy will eventually roll out across the US and internationally. While Microsoft cites increased collaboration and improved results as reasons, the move is seen by many as a step backward, especially given employees' proven ability to work effectively from home. This decision sparks debate about workplace flexibility and future trends, potentially influencing other tech companies.

(nerds.xyz)

Tech

Cursor 1.0 Released: BugBot, Background Agent, and More!

2025-06-04

Cursor 1.0 Released: BugBot, Background Agent, and More!

Cursor 1.0 is here, bringing a host of new features! BugBot automates code review, identifying potential bugs and suggesting fixes directly within GitHub PRs. The Background Agent is now generally available, accessible via chat or keyboard shortcut. Other highlights include Jupyter Notebook support, a beta 'Memories' feature, one-click MCP installation, and richer chat responses with visualizations. This release significantly boosts developer productivity.

(www.cursor.com)

Development Background Agent

The Micral: France's Unsung Microcomputer Pioneer

2025-06-04

The Micral: France's Unsung Microcomputer Pioneer

In a Parisian basement in 1973, R2E launched the Micral N, the second commercially available microcomputer. Powered by the Intel 8008, its affordability propelled it into French research labs and businesses. The Micral series demonstrated the potential of small, inexpensive computers, paving the way for the personal computer revolution. Despite R2E's eventual acquisition, the Micral's story remains a compelling tale of technological innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.

(www.abortretry.fail)

Tech microcomputer

Failing My Anthropic Interview (Again): A Reflection

2025-08-29

The author recounts two failed interviews with Anthropic, the first due to a simple mistake, the second due to not being good enough. The post details the author's disappointment and self-reflection, exploring the tension between authenticity and fitting a company culture. The author concludes by embracing the setback and encouraging perseverance.

(taylor.town)

Misc job interview

AI Coding Assistants: Startups Lead the Charge, Automation Soars

2025-04-28

AI Coding Assistants: Startups Lead the Charge, Automation Soars

Anthropic's research reveals disproportionately high usage of AI coding assistants like Claude among computer-related occupations, particularly in startups. Analysis of 500,000 coding interactions shows Claude Code, a specialized coding agent, boasts 79% automation, significantly higher than the general-purpose Claude.ai (49%). This suggests that front-end development (JavaScript, HTML) is more susceptible to AI disruption. Despite high automation, 'feedback loop' patterns remain prevalent, requiring human intervention. The study also finds startups are primary early adopters of Claude Code, while enterprises lag. This raises questions about AI's impact on future developer roles and the job market, hinting that software development might be a leading indicator of how other occupations will change with increasingly capable AI models.

(www.anthropic.com)

Development

Building Your Own Asyncio in Python: Demystifying await

2025-05-07

Building Your Own Asyncio in Python: Demystifying await

This article provides a clear and in-depth explanation of asyncio, the core mechanism of asynchronous programming in Python. The author builds a simplified version of asyncio step-by-step, revealing the inner workings of the `await` keyword and culminating in a fully functional echo server. Starting with the basics of generators and coroutines, the article gradually introduces core concepts like Scheduler and Future, and details how to use the `selectors` module for non-blocking I/O. By reading this, readers gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms of Python's asynchronous programming and demystify the 'magic' of `await`.

(dev.indooroutdoor.io)

Development

Mountain Biking Spinal Cord Injuries Surpass Hockey and Other High-Risk Sports

2025-01-08

Mountain Biking Spinal Cord Injuries Surpass Hockey and Other High-Risk Sports

New research from UBC's Faculty of Medicine reveals a shockingly high number of spinal cord injuries from mountain biking, exceeding those from hockey and other high-risk sports. Between 2008 and 2022, 58 people in British Columbia sustained spinal cord injuries while mountain biking, compared to only 3 from ice hockey. In recent years, mountain biking-related injuries have been seven times higher than those from skiing and snowboarding. The annual number in BC rivals or surpasses those from amateur football across the entire US. The study, published in *Neurotrauma Reports*, found most injured were healthy young men (93% male, average age 35.5). 77.5% were injured after going over their handlebars. While most wore helmets (86.3%), this didn't eliminate risk. The estimated lifetime cost of these injuries to BC is $195.4 million. The study calls for increased awareness and a discussion on safety improvements.

(www.med.ubc.ca)

Tech mountain biking spinal cord injury

Zed Editor Launches Powerful New Debugger

2025-06-19

Zed Editor Launches Powerful New Debugger

The Zed editor team announced the release of its highly anticipated debugger, supporting popular languages like Rust, C/C++, JavaScript, Go, and Python. Designed to be fast, familiar, and configurable, the debugger leverages the Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP) and an innovative locator system for automatic debug session configuration. Its architecture, split into data and UI layers, ensures efficiency and scalability, laying the groundwork for future collaborative debugging. Furthermore, it features out-of-the-box inline variable values using Tree-sitter and supports keyboard-driven debugging.

(zed.dev)

Development

NYC Congestion Pricing Tracker: Real-time Data Visualization

2025-01-06

Benjamin and Joshua Moshes have created a website, the "Congestion Pricing Tracker," that provides real-time data on New York City's congestion pricing. The site features an interactive map and data visualizations, allowing users to easily see congestion pricing rates and traffic conditions in different areas. This is not only useful for individuals planning their commutes, but also provides valuable data for researchers and urban planners to optimize traffic management and policy. It showcases the power of civic tech in addressing urban challenges.

(www.congestion-pricing-tracker.com)

Tech urban traffic congestion pricing

The Ocean Cleanup's Record-Breaking 2024: Over 11 Million Kilos of Plastic Removed

2025-01-05

The Ocean Cleanup's Record-Breaking 2024: Over 11 Million Kilos of Plastic Removed

In 2024, The Ocean Cleanup achieved unprecedented success in its fight against ocean plastic. They removed over 11 million kilograms of plastic from oceans and rivers—surpassing all previous years combined. This success stemmed from scaling up operations in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with System 03, and expanding their river cleanup efforts globally with new Interceptors deployed in Thailand, Guatemala, and Jamaica. Beyond cleanup, The Ocean Cleanup is exploring innovative ways to repurpose recovered plastic and continues crucial scientific research to inform policy decisions. 2024's results demonstrate the feasibility of a plastic-free ocean, while highlighting the ongoing need for continued effort.

(theoceancleanup.com)

Tech Ocean Cleanup Plastic Pollution Environmental Conservation

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