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Ubuntu 25.10 Drops Xorg Support for GNOME, Embraces Wayland Exclusively

2025-06-10

Ubuntu 25.10 Drops Xorg Support for GNOME, Embraces Wayland Exclusively

Ubuntu 25.10, codenamed "Questing Quokka," is making a significant change: the default GNOME desktop will exclusively use Wayland, dropping support for Xorg. This isn't a sudden decision; GNOME is phasing out Xorg support, and Canonical is proactively adapting. This allows users and developers a full release cycle to adjust before the next LTS, Ubuntu 26.04, arrives next year. The move is driven by Wayland's maturity, improved Nvidia driver support, better touchscreen and high-DPI display handling, and a simplification of development by avoiding maintaining two display servers. While some users rely on Xorg, it won't disappear entirely; it can still be installed and used with other desktop environments. Most X11 applications will continue to function via XWayland.

(nerds.xyz)

Development

EA Cuts Hundreds of Jobs, Cancels Titanfall Game

2025-04-30

EA Cuts Hundreds of Jobs, Cancels Titanfall Game

Electronic Arts (EA) is laying off 300 to 400 employees, including about 100 at its Respawn Entertainment subsidiary, and canceling a new Titanfall game codenamed R7. The cuts are part of a strategic realignment to improve resource allocation and drive future growth. R7, an extraction shooter set in the Titanfall universe, was in early development. This follows EA's earlier reduction of its fiscal year bookings estimate after the underperformance of EA Sports FC 25 and layoffs at BioWare after the disappointing sales of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

(finance.yahoo.com)

Game

Holes in Topological Spaces: Homotopy and Weak Homotopy Equivalence

2025-06-23

Holes in Topological Spaces: Homotopy and Weak Homotopy Equivalence

This article explores the concept of 'holes' in topological spaces and introduces two equivalence relations: homotopy equivalence and weak homotopy equivalence. Homotopy equivalence allows spaces to be deformed while preserving the number of 'holes,' such as a coffee cup and a torus being homotopy equivalent. Weak homotopy equivalence is more relaxed, requiring only that spaces have the same homotopy groups, even if they differ in local structure. The article delves into the concept of homotopy groups and illustrates how to identify 'holes' in spaces using homotopy groups with the example of a torus. Finally, it mentions Grothendieck's conjecture that the infinity groupoid captures all information about a topological space up to weak homotopy equivalence, which is closely related to weak factorization systems and Quillen model categories.

(bartoszmilewski.com)

Development homotopy theory homotopy equivalence

Developing iOS Apps on Non-Apple Devices: Legal Minefield

2025-05-11

Developing iOS Apps on Non-Apple Devices: Legal Minefield

The possibility of building iOS apps on non-Apple devices has long been debated. This post highlights that the primary challenge is legal and licensing, not technical. Apple's Developer Program License Agreement explicitly forbids installing, using, or running iOS SDKs or other Apple software on non-Apple devices. While the Oracle v. Google case altered the copyright landscape regarding reverse engineering for compatibility, the author argues that deploying apps built on non-Apple devices directly to the App Store carries significant legal risk, with Apple retaining the right to terminate violating developer accounts.

(forums.swift.org)

Development Apple Developer Agreement

B-Trees: A Deep Dive into Database Optimization

2025-01-04

B-Trees: A Deep Dive into Database Optimization

This article delves into the practical application of B-trees, particularly their optimization strategies within databases. By comparing B-trees and binary search trees in disk storage, the author explains how the high fan-out of B-trees reduces the number of disk I/O operations, thereby enhancing database performance. The article details B-tree optimizations such as slotted pages, separator key truncation, overflow pages, and sibling pointers, and how these techniques improve data locality, space utilization, and query efficiency. Finally, the author points out that real-world B-tree applications are far more complex than theoretical models, requiring consideration of specific hardware and operating system constraints.

(benjamincongdon.me)

Development B-tree

Trunk-Based Development: Saying Goodbye to Long-Lived Branches

2025-02-13

Trunk-Based Development: Saying Goodbye to Long-Lived Branches

Large project development often suffers from lengthy branch merges and conflicts, slowing down releases. This article introduces trunk-based development, where teams work directly on the main branch, managing incomplete features through feature flags. Static feature flags use simple if statements, while dynamic feature flags offer real-time control via external systems, enabling production testing and rollbacks. This approach, combined with continuous delivery, allows for faster iterations and reliable software delivery, minimizing risks and accelerating the feedback loop.

(bucket.co)

Development trunk-based development continuous delivery

Unreal Engine's Multiplayer Overhead: A Memory Optimization Surprise

2025-04-08

Unreal Engine's Multiplayer Overhead: A Memory Optimization Surprise

An Unreal Engine developer, while using a memory layout visualizer, unexpectedly discovered that certain data structures added for multiplayer support in Unreal Engine are redundant in single-player games. These structures consume a significant amount of memory; for example, custom structs used for replicating component attachments and actor movement occupy 120 and 216 bytes respectively. By commenting out these unused variables and related code in single-player mode, a memory saving of approximately 392 bytes per actor was achieved. While not significant for most projects, this optimization could yield considerable savings (potentially up to 100MB) for projects with a high number of actors (e.g., over 100,000).

(larstofus.com)

Development

The Rise of AI Dev Tools: End of Front-End Development?

2025-04-15

The Rise of AI Dev Tools: End of Front-End Development?

Two years ago, predictions emerged that AI would replace human software developers. Today, AI tools play an increasingly important role in software development, but they function more as assistants than replacements. While AI can generate code, human developers are still needed for guidance, editing, and refinement. Many attempts to completely replace developers with AI have failed, as AI struggles with complex tasks and subtle errors. AI tools boost efficiency but don't eliminate the need for human developers. The current challenging job market is partly due to macroeconomic factors and misconceptions about AI, not AI actually replacing developers. The future likely involves closer collaboration between AI and human developers, achieving a synergistic effect.

(www.joshwcomeau.com)

Development

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

DeepSeek-V3.1-Terminus: Major Upgrade to AI Search Engine

2025-09-22

DeepSeek-V3.1-Terminus: Major Upgrade to AI Search Engine

DeepSeek-V3.1-Terminus, the latest iteration of DeepSeek-V3.1, boasts significant improvements in stability and reliability. This update addresses key user feedback, including reducing mixed Chinese/English text and eliminating random characters, while boosting the performance of both the Code Agent and Search Agent. The upgraded version is now available on App, Web, and API, with open-source weights released on Hugging Face.

(api-docs.deepseek.com)

AI

AI Fights Soil Degradation in Spanish Vineyards

2025-04-20

AI Fights Soil Degradation in Spanish Vineyards

Facing widespread soil degradation costing €50 billion annually, Spain is tackling the issue head-on. Geographer Jesús Rodrigo Comino uses AI and geographic information systems to develop tools for farmers, improving vineyard soil management and preventing erosion. His work, part of the EU's 'A Soil Deal for Europe' mission, combines field experiments and public education to raise awareness and promote sustainable practices. Climate change exacerbates the problem, highlighting the urgency of Comino's research to preserve Spain's cultural heritage and economy.

(www.nature.com)

Tech Soil Health Sustainable Agriculture

Roman Dodecahedron: A Cosmic Symbol or Mysterious Scepter?

2025-07-16

Roman Dodecahedron: A Cosmic Symbol or Mysterious Scepter?

Since their discovery in 1739, Roman dodecahedrons have puzzled archaeologists. These 12-sided bronze objects, found across the northwestern provinces of the Roman Empire, remain enigmatic in their purpose. Various theories have been proposed, ranging from weapons to decorative items and measuring tools, but none have been definitively proven. Recent research suggests a symbolic connection to the cosmos, linking them to the philosophies of Plato and Pythagoras, and potentially to Druidic traditions. A dodecahedron found alongside a bone rod in a German grave supports this theory, suggesting it might have been mounted on a staff as a symbolic scepter. Thus, the Roman dodecahedron may represent a cosmic, all-encompassing amulet.

(www.livescience.com)

Misc Roman dodecahedron

Local-First Software: Scaling Without the Headache

2025-07-05

Harper, a local-first grammar checker, experienced a massive user surge after hitting Hacker News' front page. Unlike server-dependent software, Harper runs on the user's device, eliminating server load concerns. Even with the user influx, there were no hiccups or latency issues. This highlights the scalability advantage of local-first software, avoiding the high costs of server maintenance and complex cloud architectures.

(elijahpotter.dev)

Development server load

Sky: Apple's AI Strategy, A Perfect Case Study in Failure

2025-06-04

Sky: Apple's AI Strategy, A Perfect Case Study in Failure

The Mac AI automation app Sky, created by the team behind Workflow and Shortcuts, shines a harsh light on Apple's massive failures in the AI space. The article questions why Apple failed to leverage its internal talent and why progress on AI integration and automation has been so slow. Sky cleverly bypasses Apple's standard automation APIs, inferring UI structure and content directly to deliver a seamless Mac experience – something Apple has consistently failed to achieve. The article suggests Apple's excessive focus on privacy and control may have cost them, ultimately using Sky's success as a benchmark highlighting Apple's disconnect from user needs.

(taoofmac.com)

Tech

Military Casinos Rake in Millions, While Soldiers Struggle with Gambling Addiction

2025-08-04

Military Casinos Rake in Millions, While Soldiers Struggle with Gambling Addiction

In the aftermath of 9/11, US Army officer Dave Yeager found solace in the slot machines at his Seoul base, spiraling into a devastating gambling addiction. This highlights a concerning trend: veterans and service members are more prone to gambling disorders than civilians, often hesitant to seek help due to fear of repercussions. The Army Recreation Machine Program (ARMP) generates tens of millions of dollars annually from its overseas slot machine operations, yet critics argue insufficient funds are allocated to problem gambling education, creating a stark contrast between the program's profitability and the suffering of those it potentially harms.

(www.wired.com)

Misc slot machines

Kastle: Founding Engineer for AI-Powered Mortgage Servicing

2025-06-22

Kastle: Founding Engineer for AI-Powered Mortgage Servicing

Kastle is seeking a Founding Engineer to build and optimize its AI infrastructure. They use AI voice agents to help major US mortgage lenders scale their contact centers and compliance operations, backed by $2.3M in funding. This role requires backend development, distributed systems, and AI integration expertise. Responsibilities include developing scalable backend services, APIs integrating with loan servicing platforms, and ensuring compliance with financial regulations (SOC 2, FDCPA, RESPA, TILA).

(www.ycombinator.com)

Development Mortgage

Mass Resignation of Editors at Journal of Human Evolution Protests Elsevier Changes

2024-12-28

Mass Resignation of Editors at Journal of Human Evolution Protests Elsevier Changes

Nearly all editors of the Journal of Human Evolution (JHE), an Elsevier publication, resigned en masse, protesting Elsevier's actions that they say undermine the journal's quality and integrity. Elsevier eliminated copyediting support, implemented AI editing that introduced errors into articles, and unilaterally controlled the editorial board's structure and compensation. High article processing charges, far exceeding comparable journals, further fueled the editors' discontent. This is the 20th mass resignation of journal editors since early 2023, raising concerns about the publishing industry's practices.

(retractionwatch.com)

Misc AI editing

Apple iPhones Join SpaceX Starlink Satellite Messaging Test

2025-02-02

Apple iPhones Join SpaceX Starlink Satellite Messaging Test

T-Mobile has announced that iPhones running the latest iOS 18.3 software are now eligible to participate in SpaceX's Starlink direct-to-cell phone testing program. Currently in a trial phase, the program initially supports satellite text messaging, with voice and data capabilities planned for the future. Previously, the test was limited to select Android devices. This collaboration signifies a step towards broader device compatibility for Starlink, offering new communication possibilities in remote areas or disaster zones.

(www.yahoo.com)

Tech satellite communication

Infisical is Hiring: Build the Future of Open Source Security for the AI Era

2025-05-29

Infisical is Hiring: Build the Future of Open Source Security for the AI Era

Infisical, the open-source security infrastructure platform backed by Y Combinator, Google, and Elad Gil, is seeking exceptional full-stack engineers. They're building the open-source security infrastructure stack for the AI era, managing secrets, internal PKI, key management, and SSH workflows. The team boasts experience from companies like Figma, AWS, and Red Hat and offers competitive compensation and benefits. Ideal candidates possess deep JavaScript expertise (React.js, Node.js, TypeScript), a strong work ethic, and a passion for learning. You'll develop and maintain platform features, expand product lines (Infisical PKI, SSH, KMS), and explore AI applications in security. Join a mission to simplify security for developers, starting with secrets management.

(www.ycombinator.com)

Development

Conquering Offline App Sync Nightmares: Hybrid Logical Clocks and CRDTs to the Rescue

2025-09-22

Conquering Offline App Sync Nightmares: Hybrid Logical Clocks and CRDTs to the Rescue

Many offline-first apps fail to deliver on their offline support promises, with data synchronization being a major hurdle. This article presents solutions: Hybrid Logical Clocks (HLCs) solve event ordering issues, ensuring consistent event sequencing across multiple devices even offline; Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) tackle data conflict problems, such as the Last-Write-Wins (LWW) strategy, guaranteeing eventual data consistency. The author also recommends SQLite as the local database and introduces their built SQLite-Sync extension for simple and reliable cross-platform offline-first applications.

(marcobambini.substack.com)

Development

Glass Coffins and the Eternal Rest: A Century of Failed Attempts at Corpse Preservation

2025-05-05

Glass Coffins and the Eternal Rest: A Century of Failed Attempts at Corpse Preservation

In 1903, Joseph Karwowski patented a "Method of Preserving the Dead" involving encasing corpses in glass, a radical attempt to combat the anxieties surrounding bodily decay. His vision, using sodium silicate and molten glass, aimed for indefinite preservation in a lifelike state. While unsuccessful, Karwowski's invention, along with early 20th-century glass caskets and other methods like airtight iron coffins and electroplating corpses into statues, highlight humanity's enduring resistance to death. These approaches, however, overlooked the internal autolysis of the body, often leading to gruesome consequences. The Corning Museum of Glass's exhibit, "Curious and Curiouser," showcases these inventive, ultimately flawed attempts, prompting reflection on death and decomposition.

(hyperallergic.com)

Misc corpse preservation glass coffins

Fedora Linux Officially Lands in WSL!

2025-05-06

Fedora Linux Officially Lands in WSL!

Exciting news! Fedora Linux is now officially available as a Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) distribution. Simply type `wsl --install FedoraLinux-42` in your terminal to install Fedora 42. Installation is quick and easy, requiring no password by default and automatically adding you to the wheel group for sudo access. This streamlined version includes core components like the DNF package manager, allowing users to customize their system. While Flatpak isn't included by default, it's easily installable for graphical applications. The Fedora team is actively working on improving Flatpak support and adding hardware-accelerated graphics for a richer desktop experience within Windows. This is a welcome addition for Windows users curious about Linux, or Fedora fans who occasionally need to use Windows.

(betanews.com)

Development

CyberScript: A Fast, Efficient, and Concurrent Scripting Language

2025-06-23

CyberScript is a statically-typed (with dynamic typing support) scripting language designed for speed, efficiency, and concurrency. Its concise and readable syntax, combined with a rich feature set including various data types (booleans, numbers, strings, arrays, lists, tables, maps), operators, and control flow statements, makes it a powerful tool. Advanced features like object-oriented programming, metaprogramming, asynchronous programming, concurrency, and C interoperability are also supported.

(fubark.github.io)

Development

Windows 10 System Settings Secretly Phoning Home?

2025-06-07

A blogger discovered that simply viewing the Windows 10 System Settings triggers DNS queries and data transmission to bing.com and cxcs.microsoft.net. Using Nir Sofer's DNSLookupView and TcpLogView, the blogger confirmed that Windows 10 secretly collects user data in the background. The article explores various methods to block this behavior, including modifying router DNS settings, using tools like Pi-hole or NextDNS, and modifying the hosts file. The author ultimately recommends network-wide blocking of www.bing.com and lists other Microsoft domains worth blocking.

(www.michaelhorowitz.com)

Tech Windows 10 Privacy

Dilbert Creator Scott Adams Reveals Terminal Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

2025-05-19

Dilbert Creator Scott Adams Reveals Terminal Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Scott Adams, creator of the iconic comic strip "Dilbert," announced on his Rumble show that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, the same type of cancer President Biden is battling. Adams, 67, stated he expects to die this summer. While localized prostate cancer is curable, his advanced stage is not. Despite his own grim prognosis, Adams expressed sympathy for President Biden and his family.

(www.thewrap.com)

Misc Prostate Cancer Scott Adams Dilbert

Browser Dating: A Controversial New App That Uses Your Search History to Find Matches

2025-06-12

Browser Dating: A Controversial New App That Uses Your Search History to Find Matches

An artist has launched Browser Dating, a dating app that uses users' browser history to suggest matches. For a one-time fee of €9, users get unlimited matches; a free version limits users to five. The app has sparked debate over privacy and security concerns, although the developer insists data is processed locally and not shared with third parties. While initial user feedback is mixed, the app's unique approach challenges conventional dating app models and raises questions about the intersection of technology, privacy, and personal relationships. The artist's previous work focuses on surveillance and social media, making this latest project a continuation of their exploration of these themes.

(www.wired.com)

Misc

Roblox Grow A Garden Optimizer: The GAG Calculator

2025-09-19

The Grow A Garden Calculator (GAG Calculator) is a powerful tool for maximizing profits in Roblox's Grow A Garden. It analyzes crop mutations, multipliers, and market trends to help players make informed trading decisions. Boasting a database of 100+ crops with details on rare mutations and multipliers up to 150x, the GAG Calculator also accounts for growth mutations, temperature, and other environmental factors. Real-time market data ensures players optimize their garden strategy for maximum profit.

(grow-a-garden-calculator.xyz)

Game

The Loneliness Epidemic: A Call to Leave the House

2025-06-29

The Loneliness Epidemic: A Call to Leave the House

This article tackles the pervasive issue of loneliness in modern society, arguing that leaving the house is key to combating it. The author uses their experience with a dog and community engagement at a dog park as a prime example of building connections. They highlight the importance of urban infrastructure, like sidewalks, in fostering community. The piece criticizes late-stage capitalism for profiting from and exacerbating loneliness, urging readers to actively participate in community life and experience human connection.

(buttondown.com)

Misc

The 152-Year-Old's Secret: Unraveling Parr's Longevity and Sudden Demise

2025-05-25

The 152-Year-Old's Secret: Unraveling Parr's Longevity and Sudden Demise

Thomas Parr, who lived to be 152, sparked intense curiosity about his longevity. Instead of debating his birthdate, focus shifted to his remarkable lifespan and sudden death. Contemporary accounts emphasized the 'six non-naturals' (air, environment, diet, exercise, sleep, excretion, and emotions) as key factors in health. Physicians attributed Parr's longevity to his clean environment, simple lifestyle, wholesome diet (brown bread, unripened cheese, onions), avoidance of alcohol and stress, and adequate sleep.

(publicdomainreview.org)

Misc longevity healthy living

macOS Tahoe's ASIF Disk Images: A Performance Leap

2025-06-12

macOS Tahoe's ASIF Disk Images: A Performance Leap

macOS Tahoe introduces ASIF, a new disk image format that dramatically improves virtual machine performance. ASIF images are independent of the host filesystem's capabilities, achieving near-native speeds; for example, on an M3 Pro MacBook Pro, unencrypted APFS volumes reached 5.8 GB/s read and 6.6 GB/s write. ASIF offers a massive speed advantage over previous UDSP images and saves disk space. Currently, ASIF images can only be created in Tahoe, but they work in Sequoia. Future virtualization software is expected to support ASIF, further enhancing VM performance.

(eclecticlight.co)

Development

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