Open-Source RAG Logger: RAG-logger Released

2024-12-23
Open-Source RAG Logger: RAG-logger Released

RAG-logger is an open-source logging tool designed specifically for Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) applications. It offers a lightweight alternative to existing solutions, focusing on the specific logging needs of RAG pipelines. Key features include comprehensive logging of the entire RAG process, from query tracking and retrieval results (text and images) to LLM interaction recording and step-by-step performance monitoring. It utilizes a JSON-based log format, organizes logs daily, and handles automatic file management and metadata enrichment. A simple API allows for quick integration; for instance, `logger.log_query()` logs queries, `logger.log_retrieval()` logs retrieval steps, and `logger.log_llm()` logs LLM interactions.

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Recursion Pharmaceuticals Ditches Cell Painting for Brightfield Imaging

2024-12-15
Recursion Pharmaceuticals Ditches Cell Painting for Brightfield Imaging

Recursion Pharmaceuticals, a biotech leveraging machine learning for drug discovery, recently announced a surprising shift: abandoning its signature cell painting technique in favor of traditional brightfield imaging. This article delves into the reasons behind this change. Advances in deep learning allow models to effectively process raw images, diminishing the value of cell painting's fluorescent dyes for contrast enhancement. Brightfield imaging offers advantages in cost, ease of implementation, and compatibility with live-cell time-lapse microscopy, opening up possibilities for studying cellular dynamics. Despite the seemingly risky move, internal testing at Recursion shows brightfield imaging yielding comparable or even superior results in predicting drug perturbations.

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Python Meta-Circular Interpreter: Implementing a Python Interpreter in Python

2024-12-18

This article demonstrates how to create a Python meta-circular interpreter (MCI) using Python itself. An MCI is an interpreter written in the language it interprets, allowing implementation of a subset or superset of the host language. The author details the MCI's implementation, covering parsing Python source code, building an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST), traversing the AST and executing statements, and crucial concepts like scoping, symbol tables, and handling control flow statements (e.g., while loops and if statements). This example provides a deep understanding of interpreter mechanics and showcases how to leverage Python's AST module and built-in functions to build more complex interpreters.

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Buzee: Open-Source Full-Text Search App Released

2024-12-14
Buzee: Open-Source Full-Text Search App Released

Buzee is a cross-platform, full-text search application built with Rust and Svelte. It allows for fast searching of local files, folders, browser history, and more, even extracting text from PDFs and images using OCR. Developed over two years, this project showcases a robust architecture using Tauri for performance, SQLite and Tantivy for indexing, and a clean Svelte frontend. While feature-rich, it still has some areas for future development, and the author is releasing it open-source for others to contribute.

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Development full-text search

Web Origami: A New Programming Language for Simplified Website Building

2024-12-13

Web Origami is a new programming language designed to simplify the creation of small- to medium-sized websites. Using a concise syntax that complements HTML and CSS, users can describe website structure using formulas similar to spreadsheets, transforming data and files into HTML and other website resources through simple programs. Even without JavaScript knowledge, features like full-text search and RSS feeds can be created. Origami provides a command-line interface, built-in functions, and an async-tree library, with support for JavaScript extensions. Its core concept is to abstract website building as data transformation, making site creation and deployment efficient, low-cost, and easy to understand.

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The Green Fairy's Fall: Absinthe From Muse to Moral Panic

2024-12-16

In late 19th-century France, absinthe, once celebrated as the 'Green Fairy' and muse to artists and poets, fell from grace due to its high alcohol content and societal biases. Medical experts linked absinthe to violent crime, fueling the 'absinthe-induced violence' narrative. Sensationalized media reports, such as those detailing 'absinthe murders,' furthered the negative perception. While it's now understood that absinthe's dangers stem primarily from its alcohol content, not its essential oils, the ensuing panic led to its prohibition in Switzerland (1908) and France (1915). The widening consumption of absinthe, from the bourgeoisie to the working class, fueled its association with crime. The absinthe ban also reveals complex attitudes toward alcohol and societal prejudices. Although absinthe is now legal in some countries, its negative reputation persists.

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A Software Engineer's CAD and 3D Printing Journey: An Overengineered Webcam Raiser

2024-12-16

A seasoned software engineer, tired of the virtual world of coding, yearned to create in the real world. He acquired a Bambu Lab X1C 3D printer and quickly mastered 3D printing. He then started learning Fusion 360 CAD software, surprisingly finding its constraint concepts similar to iOS UI constraints, and parametric CAD design echoing functional programming. His first project: an overengineered webcam raiser to solve the issue of the webcam obstructing his screen. This project not only provided him with the joy of 3D printing and CAD design but also a deep understanding of the manufacturing, material, and other details that need to be considered during the design phase.

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TSMC Unveils Nanosheet Transistors: A New Era for Chips

2024-12-15
TSMC Unveils Nanosheet Transistors: A New Era for Chips

TSMC showcased its next-generation N2 (2-nanometer) process at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting, marking its first foray into nanosheet transistors. Compared to its N3 process, N2 boasts up to a 15 percent speed increase, 30 percent better energy efficiency, and a 15 percent density boost. This new architecture offers greater flexibility, allowing for the creation of nanosheets with varying widths on the same chip, optimizing performance for different logic units, especially SRAM. Intel's research further validated the scalability of nanosheet architecture, demonstrating a high-performing 6-nanometer gate-length transistor, pointing the way towards continued advancement in chip technology and suggesting a potential extension of Moore's Law.

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Mammoths Were a Staple Food Source for Ancient Americans

2024-12-14
Mammoths Were a Staple Food Source for Ancient Americans

New research reveals that mammoths and other large animals were a primary food source for ancient Americans. Using stable isotope analysis, scientists modeled the diet of the mother of an infant found at a 13,000-year-old Clovis burial site in Montana. Results showed that approximately 40% of her diet consisted of mammoth, with other large animals like elk and bison making up the remainder. Small mammals played a minimal role. This supports the hypothesis that Clovis people specialized in hunting large game, explaining their rapid expansion across North and South America. The study also highlights the researchers' collaboration and respect for Indigenous communities and their heritage.

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Unraveling the Mango's Mystery: A Scientific Journey Across Asia

2024-12-16
Unraveling the Mango's Mystery: A Scientific Journey Across Asia

The sweet mango, a beloved fruit worldwide, hides a mysterious past. Dr. Emily Warschefsky, a Ph.D. student at Florida International University, embarked on a scientific journey across Asia to uncover the mango's origins. Visiting botanical gardens and forests, she collected numerous samples of Mangifera species and used DNA sequencing to study relationships between different mango species. Her research revealed genetic differences between Southeast Asian and Indian mangoes, challenging the traditional view of a single Himalayan origin. Several scenarios are proposed, including multiple domestication events and hybridization between different species. Warschefsky's work not only deepens our understanding of mango origins but also offers new insights for mango breeding and cultivation.

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Network Security Breakthrough: Trapping Intruders in a 'Network from Hell'

2024-12-17
Network Security Breakthrough: Trapping Intruders in a 'Network from Hell'

Researchers at the University of Oulu's SensorFu team have developed a novel network security defense system inspired by the LaBrea tarpit technique. The system intercepts ARP requests and delays SYN-ACK responses, creating a multitude of virtual devices on the network to confuse intruders. This forces attackers to waste significant time identifying real devices, providing administrators with crucial time to patch vulnerabilities. Tests showed the system extends scan times to hours, drastically reducing attack success rates. Lightweight, efficient, and easy to deploy, this system offers robust network protection for organizations of all sizes.

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Reclaiming Sensor Data: Breaking Free from the Cloud

2024-12-18
Reclaiming Sensor Data: Breaking Free from the Cloud

This article details how an embedded software engineer regained control of data from a cloud-connected radon sensor by bypassing the manufacturer's servers. By analyzing network traffic, the engineer discovered a vulnerability where the sensor didn't properly validate server certificates. Leveraging a local DNS server and a custom Python web server, the engineer successfully intercepted and read the raw sensor data. This grants programmatic access and ensures continued functionality even if the manufacturer's servers go down. The article highlights the importance of network security and the privacy risks associated with DNS traffic.

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uv: A Blazing-Fast Python Package and Project Manager

2024-12-14

uv, a lightning-fast Python package and project manager written in Rust, replaces pip, pip-tools, pipx, poetry, pyenv, twine, and virtualenv. Boasting a 10-100x speed improvement, uv offers project management, tool management, Python version management, script support, and a pip-compatible interface. Features like global caching and workspace support streamline workflows. From project creation and dependency management to running scripts and building distributables, uv provides efficient and convenient solutions for all your Python development needs.

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Ultralytics Suffers Supply Chain Attack: A PyPI Security Incident Analysis

2024-12-14
Ultralytics Suffers Supply Chain Attack: A PyPI Security Incident Analysis

The Python project Ultralytics recently suffered a supply chain attack. Attackers compromised the project's GitHub Actions workflows and stole a PyPI API token, resulting in tainted versions 8.3.41, 8.3.42, 8.3.45, and 8.3.46. The attack didn't exploit a PyPI vulnerability but targeted the GitHub Actions cache. PyPI, leveraging Trusted Publishing and Sigstore transparency logs, quickly identified and removed the malicious software. The incident highlighted shortcomings in API token and GitHub environment configurations. The article stresses securing software forges and build/publish workflows, providing developers with security recommendations: using Trusted Publishers, locking dependencies, avoiding insecure patterns, and enabling multi-factor authentication.

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Luon Programming Language: A Statically Typed Lua

2024-12-14
Luon Programming Language: A Statically Typed Lua

Luon is a new, statically-typed programming language with a syntax similar to Oberon-based languages, incorporating concepts from Lua and targeting the LuaJIT VM. Essentially a statically-typed version of Lua, it allows for the reuse of existing Lua and C libraries via external procedure declarations. Luon addresses shortcomings in Lua's error handling and code structure, offering a compiler and integrated IDE supporting procedural, generic, and object-oriented programming. The project includes extensive examples and test cases and is under active development.

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Development statically typed

BYOJS: Embrace Native JavaScript for Web Development

2024-12-17

The BYOJS project champions building web applications with core JavaScript, rather than relying on heavy frameworks. While frameworks and languages like TypeScript are popular, BYOJS argues that building efficient web apps using the core JS language is a lost art. It encourages using loosely-coupled libraries instead of tightly-coupled frameworks, advocating for choosing the least powerful tool that gets the job done and prioritizing concise code. The project provides helpful utilities such as a simple key-value storage API, an asynchronous event emitter, a modal wrapper, and more. All code is MIT licensed.

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Hanami Core Team Member Peter Solnica Announces Retirement

2024-12-12
Hanami Core Team Member Peter Solnica Announces Retirement

Peter Solnica, a core developer of the Hanami framework, recently announced his retirement from the core team. After two years of reflection, he decided to dedicate more time to his family and pursue a better work-life balance. Solnica expressed gratitude to numerous individuals and organizations that significantly impacted his career, including Lunar Logic, the DataMapper team, and Hanami team members. He stated that while no longer a core team member, he will continue to support Hanami's development and maintain contact with the community. Solnica's retirement doesn't reflect a loss of faith in Hanami, but rather a personal adjustment in time management and life priorities, shifting his focus to family and Elixir development.

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Development Open Source Retirement

UK Watchdog to Issue New Guidance on Smart Device Data Privacy

2024-12-16
UK Watchdog to Issue New Guidance on Smart Device Data Privacy

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will issue new guidance addressing data privacy concerns surrounding smart home devices. A Which? report revealed that some air fryers and other smart devices sent user data to servers in China. The ICO stated that consumers feel overwhelmed by the amount of data collected and lack control over its use. New guidelines, launching Spring 2025, will cover consent procedures, privacy information provision, and tools enabling users to exercise their rights.

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Microsoft to Delete Passwords for 1 Billion Users, Promoting Passkeys

2024-12-17
Microsoft to Delete Passwords for 1 Billion Users, Promoting Passkeys

In response to a surge in cyberattacks, Microsoft announced plans to delete passwords for a billion users and aggressively promote the more secure passkeys. With password attacks nearly doubling year-over-year, Microsoft blocks 7,000 attacks per second. Passkeys, leveraging biometrics or PINs, offer superior security and convenience compared to traditional passwords. Microsoft is actively pushing users towards passkey adoption, aiming for a passwordless and more secure future.

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Hospitals Reporting Mothers to Child Welfare After Administering Medications During Childbirth

2024-12-14
Hospitals Reporting Mothers to Child Welfare After Administering Medications During Childbirth

A surge in reports to child welfare agencies is occurring across the U.S. Hospitals are administering medications like pain relievers and sedatives during labor, then reporting mothers to child welfare when subsequent drug tests on the mother or newborn come back positive for the same substances. These positive tests, often false positives due to commonly prescribed medications, lead to police involvement, child welfare investigations, and even child removal. The investigation reveals a lack of verification procedures and excessive surveillance of pregnant women. Experts call for improved hospital drug testing and reporting protocols to prevent harm to mothers and families.

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2025 TV Market: Lower Prices, More Ads, and an OS War

2024-12-16
2025 TV Market: Lower Prices, More Ads, and an OS War

The 2025 TV market will see significant changes: Walmart's acquisition of Vizio transforms TVs into tools for giant retailers' ad businesses, potentially lowering prices but increasing ad volume. Competition between TV operating systems (OSes) will intensify, with companies like Roku facing acquisition risks. Consumer data becomes crucial, requiring users to balance privacy concerns with cost savings. While hardware innovation slows, price wars and OS competition may benefit consumers.

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US Health Insurers Hiding a Dirty Secret: Soaring Denial Rates

2024-12-13
US Health Insurers Hiding a Dirty Secret: Soaring Denial Rates

This article exposes a dark secret within the US health insurance industry: claim denial rates have skyrocketed tenfold in the last decade. Insurers are no longer selling insurance, but a gamble. Government agencies have failed to fulfill their oversight responsibilities, allowing denial rates to soar, severely harming consumers. Some insurers deny up to 42% of claims, sparking public outrage and even leading to the murder of UnitedHealthcare's CEO. The article calls for government transparency on denial rates to protect consumers.

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Visual Proof: a² – b² = (a + b)(a – b)

2024-12-15
Visual Proof: a² – b² = (a + b)(a – b)

Futility Closet's blog post presents a visual proof of the mathematical formula a² – b² = (a + b)(a – b), quoting Sophie Germain's insightful words: “It has been said that algebra is but written geometry and geometry is but diagrammatic algebra.” The post uses an easily understood diagram to demonstrate the formula, highlighting the elegance of mathematics and the strong relationship between algebra and geometry.

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Taming LLMs: A Practical Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls

2024-12-12

This book, "Taming LLMs," delves into the key limitations and implementation pitfalls encountered by engineers and technical product managers when building LLM-powered applications. Instead of focusing solely on capabilities, it tackles practical challenges such as handling unstructured output, managing context windows, and cost optimization. With reproducible Python code examples and battle-tested open-source tools, it provides a practical guide to navigating these challenges, allowing readers to harness the power of LLMs while sidestepping their inherent limitations.

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Is Creating a Perfectly Spherical Prince Rupert's Drop Possible?

2024-12-14
Is Creating a Perfectly Spherical Prince Rupert's Drop Possible?

An engineering question explores the possibility of creating a perfectly spherical Prince Rupert's drop. Prince Rupert's drops are glass objects formed by dripping molten glass into cold water, their unique internal stresses making them incredibly tough except at the tail. The article discusses how, theoretically, in a zero-gravity environment by controlling the cooling rate and removing the effects of gravity, a spherical Prince Rupert's drop could be made, but significant practical challenges remain.

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HTTP/3's Current State: Challenges and Opportunities on the Path to Adoption

2024-12-16
HTTP/3's Current State: Challenges and Opportunities on the Path to Adoption

The HTTP/3 specifications are complete but await final publication. Server-side support is surprisingly high, particularly among top websites. Major players like Cloudflare have enabled HTTP/3, and browsers widely support it. However, client-side support, such as in curl, remains incomplete, largely due to the lagging development of QUIC-enabled TLS libraries. OpenSSL's QUIC support has been delayed, while alternatives like BoringSSL and quictls have limitations. While HTTP/3 promises speed improvements, real-world benefits depend on network conditions. Widespread adoption hinges on specification release and mature TLS libraries.

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Development

OpenAI Outage: Unexpected Load from New Telemetry Service Causes Major Disruption

2024-12-16
OpenAI Outage: Unexpected Load from New Telemetry Service Causes Major Disruption

OpenAI experienced a major service disruption on December 11th, stemming from a newly deployed telemetry service. Intended to improve reliability, this service unexpectedly generated massive Kubernetes API server load, saturating the servers and causing the Kubernetes control plane to fail in most large clusters. This led to the breakdown of DNS-based service discovery. The incident highlights the unpredictable interactions within complex systems and the challenges of testing for failure modes that only appear under full load. OpenAI restored service by scaling down clusters, blocking network access to Kubernetes admin APIs, and scaling up API servers.

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Stripe Investigates Unexpected DNS Error Spike: A Tale of Complex Network Troubleshooting

2024-12-12
Stripe Investigates Unexpected DNS Error Spike: A Tale of Complex Network Troubleshooting

Stripe recently experienced an unexpected spike in DNS errors. This post details how they used tools like Unbound, tcpdump, and iptables to track down the root cause. The investigation revealed that a Hadoop job analyzing network logs was performing numerous reverse DNS lookups (PTR records), leading to traffic amplification due to retries exceeding the AWS VPC resolver's limits. Stripe resolved the issue by adjusting Unbound forwarding configurations to distribute the load across individual Hadoop hosts. The case highlights the importance of robust monitoring, multi-faceted troubleshooting, and strategies for handling traffic surges in high-availability systems.

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ChatGPT's Name Filters Spark Controversy

2024-12-12
ChatGPT's Name Filters Spark Controversy

The AI chatbot ChatGPT has sparked controversy due to its built-in name filters. These filters prevent users from mentioning certain names, such as Brian Hood, Jonathan Turley, and Jonathan Zittrain, causing chat interruptions. The reason for filtering these names stems from previous instances where ChatGPT incorrectly generated information about these individuals, leading to legal disputes. While OpenAI claims the filtering of "David Mayer" was a glitch, the incident highlights the challenges LLMs face in handling sensitive information and the potential problems hard-coded filters can create.

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