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UK Public Fears AI Safety: Calls for Regulation, Not Blind Growth

2025-02-07

UK Public Fears AI Safety: Calls for Regulation, Not Blind Growth

A new poll reveals that 87% of Britons support legislation requiring AI developers to prove their systems' safety before release, with 60% favoring a ban on developing "smarter-than-human" AI models. Public trust in tech CEOs regarding AI regulation is extremely low, at only 9%. This reflects growing public anxiety about AI potentially surpassing human capabilities and calls for stricter government regulations, rather than prioritizing economic growth at the expense of potential risks. Several MPs are also urging the government to introduce specific legislation targeting "superintelligent" AI systems.

(time.com)

Tech public opinion

Learning C3: A Real-Time Account of My Experience

2025-05-29

This article documents the author's real-time experience learning the C3 programming language. C3 aims to improve upon C by adding modern features such as a module system, operator overloading, and generics. The author explores various aspects of C3, including foreach loops, the defer keyword, structs, error handling, contract programming, and macros, culminating in building a basic calculator. While praising features like foreach loops, defer, and the error handling system, the author also notes shortcomings such as the incomplete package management and language server support. Overall, the author views C3 as a promising language still under development.

(alloc.dev)

Development C3 Programming Language Learning to Program

Municipal vs. Airport Fire Trucks: A Tale of Two Trucks

2025-04-10

Municipal vs. Airport Fire Trucks: A Tale of Two Trucks

While both municipal and airport fire trucks (ARFF) fight fires, their roles and capabilities differ significantly. Municipal trucks prioritize maneuverability in urban environments, carrying varying water tank sizes (500-1000 gallons) and equipment like hoses, air packs, and small tools. ARFF vehicles, however, are designed for rapid response (within 3 minutes) at airports, boasting larger water tanks (1500-4500 gallons) and a High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET) for tackling aircraft fires. They also carry a wider range of fire suppressants and have stricter acceleration requirements. Differences extend to chassis design and cab configurations, tailored to each environment's unique demands.

(www.piercemfg.com)

Misc fire truck airport firefighting municipal firefighting

Above the McMillan Limit: Ambient-Pressure Nickel-Based High-Temperature Superconductor Achieved

2025-03-09

Above the McMillan Limit: Ambient-Pressure Nickel-Based High-Temperature Superconductor Achieved

A team of engineers and physicists from Southern University of Science and Technology in China has synthesized a novel nickel-based material exhibiting superconductivity above -233°C (40K) under ambient pressure, surpassing the McMillan limit. They achieved this by synthesizing bilayer nickelate thin films (La₂.₈₅Pr₀.₁₅Ni₂O₇), with one demonstrating high-temperature superconducting properties. This breakthrough promises to revolutionize technologies in maglev trains, fusion reactors, and MRI machines, and advance our understanding of superconductivity.

(phys.org)

Tech nickel-based material McMillan limit

Ladybird: A New Open-Source Browser Challenging Chrome's Dominance

2025-05-25

Ladybird: A New Open-Source Browser Challenging Chrome's Dominance

In a browser market dominated by Google Chrome, a new open-source browser project called Ladybird is emerging. Created by former Apple and Nokia WebKit engineer Andreas Kling, Ladybird is built from the ground up, committed to web standards, and refuses commercialization. Unlike other Chromium-based browsers, Ladybird aims to provide an independent and open alternative to combat the monopoly of large tech companies on the web platform. While performance isn't currently its strong suit, the Ladybird team adheres to the development mantra of "Make it work, make it right, make it fast," and plans to transition to Swift later in development. Ladybird's emergence offers users more choices and provides new hope for maintaining web standards and the diversity of the web ecosystem.

(thenewstack.io)

Development

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

Apple vs. the DMA: Arrogance and Obstruction in Brussels

2025-07-11

Apple vs. the DMA: Arrogance and Obstruction in Brussels

Apple's defiant stance against the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) was on full display at a recent compliance workshop in Brussels. The company's representatives used the event as a marketing opportunity, dismissing the DMA's regulations as an 'extreme interpretation' and exhibiting an arrogant disregard for other participants. They dodged key questions, deflecting criticism onto competitors and wasting considerable time with self-congratulatory remarks. The author details the workshop's events, highlighting Apple's history of regulatory obstruction and its use of financial and political influence to hinder DMA enforcement. The article concludes with a call for fair and impartial application of the law to prevent tech giants from abusing their power and ensure a level playing field in the digital market.

(formularsumo.co.uk)

Tech

R vs. Pandas: A Tale of Two Data Analysis Approaches

2025-06-07

R vs. Pandas: A Tale of Two Data Analysis Approaches

A seasoned R user recounts their five-year journey using Python's pandas library for data analysis. Through a simple purchase analysis example, the article contrasts the elegance of R's tidyverse with the clunkiness of pandas. R's code flows naturally, while pandas requires more verbose code, frequent restructuring of data and indices, and inconsistent API design, leading to significant user frustration. The author argues that while pandas is powerful, it presents a steep learning curve and a less-than-ideal user experience for those accustomed to R's tidyverse.

(www.sumsar.net)

Development

Estimating Oil Storage Tank Occupancy Using Satellite Imagery: A Beginner's Guide

2025-06-17

Estimating Oil Storage Tank Occupancy Using Satellite Imagery: A Beginner's Guide

TankerTrackers.com uses satellite imagery and tanker tracking data to shed light on the opaque nature of the global oil market. This article details how to measure the diameter and height of oil storage tanks using satellite images and estimate occupancy based on shadow variations. By comparing images from different dates, changes in oil volume can be tracked, helping analyze market trends. This method cleverly leverages publicly available information and image analysis to provide a novel perspective on oil market analysis.

(medium.com)

Tech oil reserves satellite image analysis

Plex Security Incident: Users Urged to Reset Passwords

2025-09-10

Plex Security Incident: Users Urged to Reset Passwords

Plex has announced a security incident where an unauthorized third party accessed a subset of customer data from one of their databases. The compromised data included emails, usernames, securely hashed passwords, and authentication data. While passwords were securely hashed, Plex recommends all users immediately reset their passwords and sign out of all connected devices. Plex emphasizes that they do not store credit card information, so this data was not compromised. This incident highlights the importance of cybersecurity and reminds users to regularly update passwords and enable two-factor authentication for enhanced account security.

(forums.plex.tv)

Tech password reset

Munich vs. Hamburg: A Tale of Two German Cities

2025-06-18

Munich vs. Hamburg: A Tale of Two German Cities

A long weekend trip to Munich provided a fascinating comparison to the author's home in Hamburg. The article explores the historical impact of the Wittelsbach dynasty on Munich's development, contrasting it with Hamburg's independent growth as a free imperial city. Munich's strong religious presence is highlighted against Hamburg's more secular atmosphere. While Munich boasts more museums and nearby natural beauty, Hamburg offers superior green spaces and a less frenetic pace of life. The author concludes that Munich offers stronger tech job opportunities, but Hamburg better suits his personal preferences.

(mertbulan.com)

Misc city comparison German culture travelogue

We're Destroying Software (And Our Joy of Hacking)

2025-02-08

Veteran developer antirez warns that we're destroying software! Over-reliance on new technologies, ignoring complexity, unwieldy build systems and dependency chains, and neglecting maintainability and backward compatibility are making software fragile. He argues that avoiding 'reinventing the wheel' stifles learning and innovation, while premature rewrites, frequent language/framework changes, and reliance on existing complex libraries exacerbate complexity. We need to prioritize code simplicity, scalability, and maintainability to rediscover the joy of hacking.

(antirez.com)

Development code complexity

Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Passes Crucial Engine Test, Poised for Launch

2025-01-01

Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Passes Crucial Engine Test, Poised for Launch

After a successful 24-second engine test firing, Blue Origin's massive New Glenn rocket is ready for its maiden orbital launch. This milestone marks a significant achievement for the company after years of development, demonstrating a major breakthrough in heavy-lift rocketry. With a launch license secured, a January launch is likely. This launch will have significant implications for the US space industry, especially given the incoming Trump administration's expected review of NASA's Artemis program.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Blue Origin New Glenn Space Launch

Meta Tweaks Ray-Ban Meta Privacy Policy: Always-On AI, No Opt-Out for Voice Recordings

2025-05-01

Meta Tweaks Ray-Ban Meta Privacy Policy: Always-On AI, No Opt-Out for Voice Recordings

Meta has quietly updated the privacy policy for its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Key changes include: Meta AI with camera use is always on unless 'Hey Meta' voice commands are disabled; and the option to opt out of cloud storage for voice recordings has been removed. Meta states this data is used to improve its products, stored for up to a year (90 days for accidental interactions). This move aims to feed more data to Meta's AI models. Meta recently added live translation to Ray-Ban Meta and launched a standalone Meta AI app to compete with ChatGPT and others. A higher-end Ray-Ban Meta model is planned for late 2025.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Reverse Engineering a 1991 Winter Olympics Game: Unpacking Copy Protection and Anti-Debugging

2025-04-28

A computer scientist, driven by nostalgia for a childhood DOS game, "The Games: Winter Challenge", embarked on a reverse engineering journey. He discovered the game employed a code wheel copy protection mechanism and anti-debugging measures, with multiple releases and cracks existing. Deep analysis unveiled the code wheel check's intricacies, revealing hidden copy protection checks that subtly break gameplay. He successfully bypassed all copy protection, fixing broken versions available on GOG and elsewhere, and shared his patching tool.

(mrwint.github.io)

Game game cracking copy protection

SignalGate: A Wake-Up Call on Digital Security

2025-04-24

SignalGate: A Wake-Up Call on Digital Security

The SignalGate scandal exposes a major digital security lapse within the U.S. government. High-ranking officials, including the Secretary of Defense, inadvertently shared highly sensitive military operation plans via unauthorized channels like Signal and personal phones. This not only violates federal laws but also highlights the vulnerability of the U.S. government to increasingly sophisticated cyber espionage. The article underscores the risks of using personal devices for sensitive communications, making them susceptible to targeted attacks and surveillance, even with encryption. It also emphasizes the dangers of advertising intelligence firms collecting user data, which can be exploited by hostile actors. The article concludes with a call for tighter regulation of the surveillance industry and stronger measures to protect sensitive information.

(www.foreignaffairs.com)

Tech digital espionage

AI-Assisted Search-Based Research: Finally Useful!

2025-04-21

AI-Assisted Search-Based Research: Finally Useful!

For two and a half years, the dream of LLMs autonomously conducting search-based research has been pursued. Early 2023 saw attempts from Perplexity and Microsoft Bing, but results were disappointing, plagued by hallucinations. However, the first half of 2025 brought a turning point. Gemini, OpenAI, and Perplexity launched "Deep Research" features, generating lengthy reports with numerous citations, albeit slowly. OpenAI's new o3 and o4-mini models are a breakthrough, seamlessly integrating search into their reasoning process to provide reliable, hallucination-free answers in real-time. This is attributed to robust reasoning models and resilience to web spam. While Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude offer search capabilities, they lag behind OpenAI's offerings. A stunning example: o4-mini successfully upgraded a code snippet to a new Google library, showcasing the potential of AI-assisted search, but also raising concerns about the future of the web's economic model and potential legal ramifications.

(simonwillison.net)

AI Web Economics

GitHub Actions' `shell` Keyword: Unexpected Flexibility and Security Implications

2025-04-08

The `shell` keyword in GitHub Actions lets you specify the shell for a given run block. However, this is far more flexible than the documentation suggests. It supports not only predefined shells like bash and pwsh, but any executable on the system's `$PATH`. This means you can run C code using a C compiler, or even dynamically modify `$GITHUB_PATH` to change the shell's behavior. While this offers flexibility, it also introduces security risks, as file writes can imply execution. This contrasts with GitHub's unexpected practice of performing `$PATH` lookups even for their "well-known" shell values.

(yossarian.net)

Development

Relational Graph Transformers: Unleashing AI's Potential in Relational Databases

2025-04-28

Relational Graph Transformers: Unleashing AI's Potential in Relational Databases

Traditional machine learning struggles to fully capture the valuable insights hidden in the complex relationships between tables within enterprise data. Relational Graph Transformers (RGTs) represent a breakthrough, treating relational databases as interconnected graphs, eliminating the need for extensive feature engineering and complex data pipelines. RGTs significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of AI in extracting intelligence from business data, showing immense potential in applications like customer analytics, recommendation systems, fraud detection, and demand forecasting. They offer a powerful new tool for both data scientists and business leaders.

(kumo.ai)

AI Relational Graph Transformers Relational Databases

DeepSeek: A Chinese AI Dark Horse Emerges

2025-01-31

DeepSeek: A Chinese AI Dark Horse Emerges

DeepSeek, an AI company incubated by Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer, has taken the world by storm with its highly efficient models, DeepSeek V3 and R1. DeepSeek V3 boasts low training costs (significantly higher than the publicized $6 million) and powerful performance, along with innovative Multi-head Latent Attention technology, resulting in substantial advantages in inference costs. While DeepSeek's success is tied to its massive GPU investment (around 50,000 Hopper GPUs) and emphasis on talent, its low-pricing strategy raises questions about cost sustainability. Google's Gemini Flash 2.0 Thinking also presents a challenge to DeepSeek's leading position. DeepSeek's rise reflects the growing strength of Chinese AI technology, while also prompting reflection on international tech competition and export controls.

(semianalysis.com)

AI Chinese AI

Implementing Datalog in Python: A Relational Database Language More Powerful Than SQL

2025-06-13

Implementing Datalog in Python: A Relational Database Language More Powerful Than SQL

This article demonstrates how to implement Datalog, a relational database language more powerful than SQL, using Python. Datalog, a subset of Prolog, isn't Turing-complete but excels at modeling relationships. The article thoroughly explains Datalog's core concepts, including predicates, facts, rules, and variables, and provides a straightforward Python implementation featuring the Naïve Evaluation algorithm. With this implementation, you can create and query Datalog programs, experiencing the elegance and power of this relational modeling approach.

(btmc.substack.com)

Development

arXivLabs: Community Collaboration on New Features

2025-05-12

arXivLabs is a framework enabling collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on the website. Participants, individuals and organizations alike, embrace arXiv's values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only partners with those who share them. Got an idea for a project that will benefit the arXiv community? Learn more about arXivLabs.

(arxiv.org)

Development

Critical AirPlay Vulnerability: Millions of Devices at Risk

2025-04-30

Critical AirPlay Vulnerability: Millions of Devices at Risk

Security researchers have uncovered a critical vulnerability, dubbed 'AirBorne,' in Apple's AirPlay SDK, potentially exposing tens of millions of devices to hacking. Attackers on the same Wi-Fi network could gain control of AirPlay-enabled devices like smart speakers and TVs. While microphone access is currently theoretical, the risk is real. Apple has released patches for its devices and provided fixes to third-party manufacturers, but many devices may take a long time or never receive updates. Users should update their devices and routers immediately and exercise caution on public Wi-Fi.

(9to5mac.com)

Tech

Google's AI Now Makes Calls for You to Local Businesses

2025-07-17

Google's AI Now Makes Calls for You to Local Businesses

Google has launched a new feature in the US that lets its AI make calls to local businesses on your behalf, handling inquiries about pricing and availability for services like pet grooming or dry cleaning. Users simply specify their needs in Google Search, and the AI takes over, eliminating the need for phone calls. Powered by Google's Duplex model and Gemini AI, the system gathers information and sends updates via text or email. While available to all, paid subscribers get higher usage limits. Google is also testing its advanced Gemini 2.5 Pro in AI Mode, along with integrating Deep Search for more comprehensive query results.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

Why Handwriting Trumps Typing for Memory and Learning

2025-05-31

Why Handwriting Trumps Typing for Memory and Learning

A new study reveals that handwriting activates a wider range of brain regions, leading to improved learning and memory. Unlike typing, which can be passive, handwriting demands active processing of information, strengthening connections between motor, visual, sensory, and memory areas. Researchers found significantly more brain activity and interconnectivity during handwriting compared to typing, explaining its superior effectiveness in comprehension and retention. Handwriting also benefits children by improving letter recognition and reinforcing memory pathways. While technology plays a crucial role in learning, over-reliance can lead to 'cognitive offloading,' hindering long-term brain development. Therefore, especially for preschoolers, promoting handwriting and drawing is essential for optimal brain development and learning.

(www.scientificamerican.com)

Tech

Sub-100MB LLM Now Pip-installable: Introducing llm-smollm2

2025-02-07

Sub-100MB LLM Now Pip-installable: Introducing llm-smollm2

A new plugin, llm-smollm2, bundles a quantized SmolLM2-135M-Instruct LLM under 100MB, making it pip-installable. The author details the creation process, from finding a suitable sub-100MB model (limited by PyPI size restrictions) to suppressing verbose logging from llama-cpp-python and packaging for PyPI. While the model's capabilities are limited, it's presented as a valuable learning tool for understanding LLM technology.

(simonwillison.net)

Development Model Quantization

The Magic Length of the Universe: 21 Centimeters

2025-04-24

The Magic Length of the Universe: 21 Centimeters

The 21-centimeter line, emitted by neutral hydrogen atoms, is a powerful tool for understanding the universe. This specific wavelength, resulting from a hyperfine transition in hydrogen, allows us to map the distribution of gas clouds, trace the history of star formation, and even search for elusive dark matter signals and primordial gravitational waves. Its precision and long-range reach make it a unique probe into the early universe and the cosmos's deepest secrets.

(bigthink.com)

Tech Hydrogen 21cm radiation

Remote Work Behind Bars: Coding a New Life

2025-09-22

Remote Work Behind Bars: Coding a New Life

Maine prisons are pioneering remote work opportunities for incarcerated individuals, allowing them to pursue careers in software engineering, project coordination, and other remote fields, dramatically changing their lives. The article profiles two inmates who leveraged limited prison internet access and laptops to learn coding skills, land high-paying jobs, and ultimately find redemption. This program not only offers hope and skills but also reduces prison violence and improves the overall environment.

(www.mainepublic.org)

Tech

Apple Shuffles Secret Robotics Team Away From AI Chief

2025-04-25

Apple Shuffles Secret Robotics Team Away From AI Chief

Apple is restructuring its secretive robotics unit, moving it from the AI division headed by John Giannandrea to the hardware engineering group under Senior Vice President John Ternus. This shift, confirmed by sources familiar with the matter, reflects Apple's ongoing adjustments in its AI strategy and suggests a potential recalibration of its approach to robotics.

(www.bloomberg.com)

Hardware

Most People Don't Care About Quality: The Rise of 'Good Enough'

2025-01-01

Most People Don't Care About Quality: The Rise of 'Good Enough'

This article explores the disparity in people's perception of quality. It argues that while professionals like designers and photographers prioritize detail and perfection, most people are largely insensitive to differences in quality, favoring convenience and ease of consumption. The article uses Netflix as a case study, analyzing the success of its low-cost, high-volume content strategy and predicting a future dominated by AI-generated content. This isn't because AI-generated content is inherently good, but because most people don't notice or care about imperfections, prioritizing basic needs and accessibility. The article concludes with the observation that this 'good enough' mentality permeates various fields, from clothing and food to entertainment, where value for money and convenience outweigh the pursuit of ultimate quality.

(shkspr.mobi)

Misc quality perception AI content generation

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