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Amazon Bypasses Apple's App Store Fees with Kindle iOS Update

2025-05-06

Amazon Bypasses Apple's App Store Fees with Kindle iOS Update

Following a court ruling against Apple, Amazon updated its Kindle iOS app to allow direct ebook purchases through a mobile web browser, bypassing Apple's commission fees. A prominent 'Get book' button now facilitates purchases outside the app store, offering a more convenient user experience. While this update reflects a recent legal victory against Apple's app store policies, Apple's appeal could reverse these changes.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Objective-C: The Unexpected Legacy of a Polarizing Language

2025-04-18

Objective-C: The Unexpected Legacy of a Polarizing Language

Leibniz's dream of a 'characteristica universalis' lives on in programming languages. This story recounts the author's experience with Objective-C, a verbose and polarizing language that unexpectedly became the foundation of Apple's ecosystem. Despite its criticisms, Objective-C's unique syntax and role in early iOS development left a lasting impact, as the author shares their personal journey and the surprising power of this often-overlooked language.

(www.wired.com)

Development

AI Benchmarking Scandal: Did Big Tech Rig Chatbot Arena?

2025-05-01

AI Benchmarking Scandal: Did Big Tech Rig Chatbot Arena?

A new paper from Cohere, Stanford, MIT, and Ai2 accuses LM Arena, the organization behind the popular Chatbot Arena benchmark, of unfairly favoring top AI companies like Meta, OpenAI, Google, and Amazon. The researchers allege that these companies were allowed to privately test multiple model variants, suppressing poor-performing results to boost their leaderboard rankings. Analyzing over 2.8 million battles, the study found evidence of increased sampling rates giving these companies an unfair advantage. LM Arena disputes the findings, citing inaccuracies, and plans to improve its sampling algorithm, but denies manipulating rankings. The controversy raises concerns about fairness and transparency in AI benchmarking and highlights the competitive tactics employed by large tech companies in the AI race.

(techcrunch.com)

AI Leaderboard Manipulation AI Company Competition

Chimpanzees Use Stone 'Drums' to Communicate: A Groundbreaking Discovery

2025-05-29

Chimpanzees Use Stone 'Drums' to Communicate: A Groundbreaking Discovery

A five-year study reveals that chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, use stones to strike tree trunks, producing sounds as a unique form of communication. Adult male chimpanzees repeatedly perform this behavior, creating characteristic piles of stones at the base of the trees. Researchers term this "stone-assisted drumming," distinct from traditional hand and foot drumming, as it involves a loud pant-hoot before the striking and subsequent silence. This behavior may serve to transmit information over longer distances in dense forests and is learned socially through cultural transmission, not genetically inherited. This discovery highlights that culture isn't unique to humans and should be considered in nature conservation.

(phys.org)

Tech

Hyperparam: The Missing UI for AI Data, Now Open Source

2025-05-01

Hyperparam tackles a critical challenge in machine learning: the lack of user-friendly tools for exploring massive datasets. Their open-source suite, including Hyparquet (in-browser Parquet reader), Hyparquet-Writer (Parquet exporter), HighTable (scalable React table), Icebird (Iceberg reader), Hyllama (LLaMA model metadata parser), and the Hyperparam CLI, enables interactive data exploration and curation directly in the browser. Leveraging efficient data formats and high-performance JavaScript, Hyperparam allows data scientists to work with terabyte-scale data locally and privately, without complex server infrastructure. This local-first approach prioritizes data security and compliance.

(hyperparam.app)

AI

AP5 Reference Manual: A Logic-Based Extension to Common Lisp

2024-12-21

AP5 is an extension to Common Lisp that allows users to "program" at a more "specitional" level, focusing on what the machine should do rather than how. It combines aspects of Lisp and the Gist specification language, incorporating compilable parts of Gist and offering annotation mechanisms for performance tuning. AP5 uses a relational model to represent data and supports a first-order logic language for data access and manipulation. Programmers define relations, rules, and constraints, optimizing performance through annotations. The manual details AP5's syntax, database operations, rules, types, equivalence, and implementation specifics, providing numerous examples and explanations.

(www.ap5.com)

Development Logic Programming Relational Database

CHICKEN Scheme's New Compiler: CRUNCH – A Statically Typed Scheme Compiler

2024-12-17

This article introduces CRUNCH, a new compiler for a statically typed subset of the Scheme programming language. Built on top of the CHICKEN Scheme system, it compiles Scheme code into portable C99 code. CRUNCH aims to provide a high-performance, lightweight Scheme compiler, addressing shortcomings in existing Scheme systems regarding performance and portability. It's particularly well-suited for game development, virtual machine creation, and embedded systems programming. While CRUNCH has limitations in supported Scheme features, it achieves efficient code generation through type inference and various optimizations, seamlessly integrating with the CHICKEN Scheme ecosystem.

(www.more-magic.net)

Development Statically Typed

arXivLabs: Experimenting with Community Collaboration

2025-05-29

arXivLabs is a framework for collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on the website. Individuals and organizations involved are committed to arXiv's values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv only partners with those who share these values. Got an idea to improve the arXiv community? Learn more about arXivLabs.

(arxiv.org)

Development

Algorithms and Worker Power: The Rise and Fightback Against Reverse Centaurs

2025-05-30

This article explores the convergence of 'chickenization' (exploitative work arrangements) and 'reverse centaurs' (AI-driven, human-subordinate collaborations) in modern labor. Using gig workers and delivery drivers as examples, it reveals how algorithms manipulate workers, hide true earnings, and exert control through surveillance. In response, worker organizations are developing counter-algorithmic apps (like Para) to expose algorithmic opacity and organize collective action (like the #DECLINENOW movement). Initiatives also reverse-engineer algorithms, promoting worker transparency and autonomy, such as creating 'tuyul' apps for improved delivery driver autonomy. Ultimately, the author calls for labor solidarity, leveraging technology to combat algorithmic control and rebuild worker power.

(pluralistic.net)

Tech algorithmic control tech empowerment

Duke Students Throw Away Thousands in Unused Goods

2025-05-27

Duke Students Throw Away Thousands in Unused Goods

A writer living in a Durham apartment building populated largely by Duke University students discovered a treasure trove of discarded items during the end-of-year move-out. High-end goods, including a $900 acrylic table, $395 Balenciaga slides, and over $1000 worth of Lululemon clothing, were found in the building's trash room. The author meticulously documented the items, totaling approximately $6000 in value. A comparison of Duke's donation program with other universities revealed comparable donation rates among wealthy private institutions. The story highlights issues of consumerism, waste, and the effectiveness of university donation initiatives.

(indyweek.com)

Misc waste university donations

From Dallas's Disappearance to the Rise of D&D: A Game-Fueled Cultural Phenomenon

2025-05-24

In 1979, the disappearance of teenage prodigy James Dallas Egbert III sparked a media frenzy linking his vanishing to the then-new game Dungeons & Dragons. Celebrity detective William Dear's investigation fueled the fire, leading to widespread panic and ultimately, unexpected popularity for the game. This article recounts the author's personal journey into the world of D&D, starting at age 11, and explores the game's fascinating history, from its origins to its current mainstream status, weaving together a compelling narrative about games, culture, and social phenomena.

(timharford.com)

Game Game Culture Social Phenomenon

All Roses Were Once Yellow: A Genomic Analysis Reveals the Truth

2025-05-01

All Roses Were Once Yellow: A Genomic Analysis Reveals the Truth

A groundbreaking genomic analysis reveals that all roses—red, white, pink, and peach—descended from a single-petaled yellow rose. Researchers from Beijing Forestry University sequenced the genomes of 205 rose samples, tracing the genus's evolutionary history and geographic distribution. Their findings point to an ancestor with seven leaflets and a single whorl of yellow petals. This discovery not only enhances our understanding of rose evolution but also opens new avenues for breeding more resilient and low-maintenance rose varieties, aiding in the conservation of endangered species.

(phys.org)

Tech rose evolution botany

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

Typewise (YC S22) is Hiring a Machine Learning Engineer in Zurich

2025-04-15

Typewise (YC S22) is Hiring a Machine Learning Engineer in Zurich

Typewise, a YC S22 startup building an AI customer service platform for enterprises, is seeking a Machine Learning Engineer to join their Zurich-based team. Leveraging custom AI and LLMs, Typewise boosts efficiency by up to 50% for clients like Unilever and DPD. The role involves researching, developing, and deploying cutting-edge NLP algorithms, collaborating directly with enterprise clients to optimize workflows, and contributing to the continuous improvement of their AI technology. Ideal candidates possess a computer science degree, 2+ years of experience building and deploying ML algorithms, and excellent Python programming skills. This is a chance to make a significant impact on a rapidly growing, innovative company.

(www.ycombinator.com)

AI

The Ten Martini Problem: A Quantum Leap in Mathematical Understanding

2025-08-26

The Ten Martini Problem: A Quantum Leap in Mathematical Understanding

Mathematicians Jitomirskaya and Avila famously solved the 'Ten Martini Problem,' proving a specific mathematical model concerning electron behavior. However, their proof had limitations, only applying to simplified scenarios. In more realistic situations, the proof broke down, and the beautiful mathematical patterns vanished. This changed in 2013 when physicists observed the patterns in a lab, prompting Jitomirskaya to seek a new mathematical explanation. In 2019, her collaborator Ge proposed a 'global theory' promising to solve this, offering a more elegant approach to understanding almost-periodic functions.

(www.quantamagazine.org)

Tech almost periodic functions

18 Years of Self-Injection Leads to Breakthrough Snake Antivenom

2025-05-03

18 Years of Self-Injection Leads to Breakthrough Snake Antivenom

For 18 years, Tim Friede injected himself with venom from deadly snakes. His unique experiment yielded a breakthrough: researchers used his antibodies to create a broadly effective antivenom, potentially protecting against 19 snake species. This new antivenom, unlike traditional methods using animal blood, leverages modern antibody therapy. While promising results in mice have been achieved, further testing in larger animals and humans is crucial. The research highlights a potential solution to the global snakebite crisis, but challenges remain in accessibility and affordability.

(www.abc.net.au)

Tech antivenom scientific breakthrough

Open Source Advanced Data Protection: OpenADP Needs Your Help!

2025-05-31

Open Source Advanced Data Protection: OpenADP Needs Your Help!

OpenADP is an ambitious open-source project aiming to provide advanced data protection for everyone, resisting nation-state attacks and mass surveillance. It uses a distributed trust system, splitting a user's encryption key into shares stored across multiple protection servers. Recovery requires obtaining shares from a sufficient number of servers. The project urgently needs help with Android and iOS client development, and individuals willing to run protection servers. This is a chance to significantly improve user privacy and data security – join the effort!

(github.com)

Development

Century-Old Math Problem Solved: Proving the Irrationality of ζ(3)

2025-01-09

Century-Old Math Problem Solved: Proving the Irrationality of ζ(3)

This article recounts the legendary story of mathematician Roger Apéry's 1978 proof that ζ(3) (the Riemann zeta function at 3) is irrational. His proof was met with skepticism and even caused chaos at the conference where it was presented. However, Apéry was ultimately proven correct. For years, mathematicians struggled to expand Apéry's method with little progress. Recently, Calegari, Dimitrov, and Tang developed a more powerful method, proving the irrationality of a series of zeta-like values, including ζ(3), solving a decades-old problem. This breakthrough lies not only in its result but also in the generality of its approach, providing new tools for future irrationality proofs.

(www.quantamagazine.org)

Math irrational numbers

The Perils of Fast Math Compiler Flags

2025-05-31

This article delves into the potential dangers of the 'fast-math' compiler flag, a common optimization that can significantly speed up mathematical computations but at the cost of accuracy. The author details several pitfalls associated with flags like `-ffast-math` in GCC, including the removal of NaN and Inf checks, reassociation of floating-point operations, and the enabling of Flush-to-Zero (FTZ). These optimizations, while seemingly innocuous, can lead to subtle and difficult-to-debug errors. The article advocates for a cautious approach to using fast-math, suggesting thorough testing and selective application of specific optimizations. It concludes with a call for improved compiler and language features to provide safer, more granular control over these optimizations, moving away from the blunt instrument of a single compiler flag and towards more sophisticated mechanisms.

(simonbyrne.github.io)

Development floating point

Shining Light Through the Head: A Breakthrough in Brain Imaging

2025-08-04

Shining Light Through the Head: A Breakthrough in Brain Imaging

Researchers at the University of Glasgow have achieved a breakthrough in brain imaging, successfully transmitting near-infrared light through an entire adult human head. This opens the door to cheaper, more portable brain imaging technology that overcomes the limitations of current methods like EEG and fMRI. The technology could enable deeper brain imaging, potentially revolutionizing diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. While still in its early stages, the potential impact on brain health diagnostics and treatment is immense.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech brain imaging optical imaging

Hubble Confirms First Lone Black Hole

2025-04-21

Hubble Confirms First Lone Black Hole

A team of astronomers, using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and Gaia spacecraft, has confirmed the existence of the first isolated stellar-mass black hole. Initially spotted in 2022, this approximately seven-solar-mass black hole was detected through its gravitational microlensing effect. Unlike previously discovered black holes which all had companion stars, this discovery offers a new window into these mysterious objects and paves the way for future searches using the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

(phys.org)

Tech

Local LLM Inference: Potential is Huge, But Tooling Needs to Mature

2025-04-21

Local LLM Inference: Potential is Huge, But Tooling Needs to Mature

This article benchmarks the performance of local LLM inference frameworks such as llama.cpp, Ollama, and WebLLM. Results show llama.cpp and Ollama are blazing fast, but still slower than OpenAI's gpt-4.0-mini. A bigger challenge lies in model selection and deployment: the sheer number of model versions is overwhelming, and even a quantized 7B model is over 5GB, leading to slow downloads and loading, impacting user experience. The author argues that future local LLM inference needs easier model training and deployment tools, and tight integration with cloud LLMs, to become truly practical.

(medium.com)

Development model deployment inference performance

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

Elastic Cloud Serverless: Unstable Throughput and Packet Loss on Azure AKS

2025-06-10

Elastic Cloud Serverless: Unstable Throughput and Packet Loss on Azure AKS

Elastic's SRE team observed unstable throughput and packet loss in Elastic Cloud Serverless running on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). Investigation revealed RX ring buffer overflows and kernel input queue saturation on SR-IOV interfaces as the root cause. Increasing RX buffer sizes and adjusting the netdev backlog significantly improved network stability. The experience highlights that even with high-performance hardware, OS-level network parameter tuning is crucial for optimal performance.

(www.elastic.co)

Development

Kaspersky Network Allegedly Provides Transit for Notorious 'Bulletproof' Host

2025-03-04

KrebsOnSecurity reports that Prospero OOO, a notorious provider of 'bulletproof' web hosting for cybercriminals, has begun routing its operations through networks run by Kaspersky Lab, the Russian antivirus and security firm. Prospero OOO has long been a source of malware, botnet controllers, and phishing websites. Security experts express concern that Kaspersky's provision of network services, even if denied by Kaspersky, exacerbates worries about facilitating cybercrime. The use of Kaspersky's network as a transit point raises questions about its security practices, especially considering the US government's previous ban on Kaspersky software for federal agencies.

(krebsonsecurity.com)

Tech

Chrome 135 Simplifies Web Button Interactions with `command` and `commandfor`

2025-03-07

Chrome 135 Simplifies Web Button Interactions with `command` and `commandfor`

Chrome 135 introduces the new `command` and `commandfor` attributes, revolutionizing web button interactions. Previously, developers needed complex JavaScript to handle interactions between buttons and other elements (menus, modals, etc.). Now, these attributes simplify this process significantly. The article details the shortcomings of traditional approaches, compares `command` and `commandfor` with older attributes (`popovertargetaction` and `popovertarget`), and explains the use of built-in commands (`show-popover`, `hide-popover`, etc.) and custom commands, boosting web development efficiency and accessibility.

(developer.chrome.com)

Development Accessibility

Mission: Impossible – A Buster Keaton Homage and Hollywood's Fate

2025-06-06

Mission: Impossible – A Buster Keaton Homage and Hollywood's Fate

This article delves into the Mission: Impossible franchise, specifically Dead Reckoning Part One and Two, and director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise's homage to Buster Keaton's classic The General. It analyzes McQuarrie and Cruise's creative philosophy and how they navigate Hollywood's commercial pressures and audience expectations. The article draws parallels between the Mission: Impossible series and Buster Keaton's career, exploring innovation, risk, and legacy in filmmaking. Ultimately, it reflects on preserving artistic purity and creativity within Hollywood's commercial landscape and filmmakers' reflections on their careers.

(ratsfromrocks.substack.com)

Game

Intel N150 Mini PC vs. Raspberry Pi 5: A Year Later, the Verdict is In

2025-07-04

A year-long comparison of the Intel N150 mini PC (GMKtec NucBox G3 Plus) and the Raspberry Pi 5 16GB reveals a nuanced picture. While the N150 boasts superior raw performance thanks to its faster processor and (in some configurations) DDR5 RAM, it lags behind the Pi 5 in power efficiency. The performance of N100/N150 systems varies greatly depending on the accompanying RAM, IO, and cooling solutions. Used mini PCs offer a significant cost advantage, but new machines require a careful comparison of specs. Ultimately, the best choice depends on individual needs; it's like comparing a bicycle to a car – each has its strengths and weaknesses.

(www.jeffgeerling.com)

Hardware

Kotaemon: Open-Source RAG Tool for Chatting with Your Documents

2025-01-02

Kotaemon: Open-Source RAG Tool for Chatting with Your Documents

Kotaemon is an open-source Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)-based tool that lets you chat with your own documents. It features a clean and user-friendly interface, supporting various Large Language Models (LLMs) such as OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, and local LLMs. Whether you're an end-user performing document QA or a developer building your own RAG pipeline, Kotaemon provides convenient tools and a customizable UI. It supports multiple file types and offers advanced features like multi-modal QA, complex reasoning, and configurable settings.

(github.com)

Development

MINI Goes Vegan: A Surprisingly Luxurious Leather Alternative

2025-02-19

MINI Goes Vegan: A Surprisingly Luxurious Leather Alternative

MINI's new all-electric J01 Cooper ditches leather entirely, opting for a sustainable, recycled vegan alternative called Vescin. A hands-on review reveals Vescin's surprisingly plush feel, surpassing the quality of MINI's mid-range leather and even rivaling its premium offering. Easier to clean and more environmentally friendly, Vescin offers a compelling alternative, proving that luxury and sustainability aren't mutually exclusive. While the signature leather smell is absent, the superior comfort, durability, and eco-conscious production make it a compelling upgrade.

(www.motoringfile.com)

Tech vegan leather sustainable materials electric vehicle interior

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