Popular：
Virtualization DNS security formal verification reachability analysis compiler errors macro conflict web extension development framework Bitmap Graphics API inconsistencies All Tags

The Limits of Scaling in AI: Is Brute Force Reaching Its End?

2025-03-22
The Limits of Scaling in AI: Is Brute Force Reaching Its End?

A survey of 475 AI researchers reveals that simply scaling up current AI approaches is unlikely to lead to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Despite massive investments in data centers by tech giants, diminishing returns are evident. OpenAI's latest GPT model shows limited improvement, while DeepSeek demonstrates comparable AI performance at a fraction of the cost and energy consumption. This suggests that cheaper, more efficient methods, such as OpenAI's test-time compute and DeepSeek's 'mixture of experts' approach, are the future. However, large companies continue to favor brute-force scaling, leaving smaller startups to explore more economical alternatives.

Read more
(futurism.com)
AI

RainViewer API Sunset: A Migration Guide

2025-08-18
RainViewer API Sunset: A Migration Guide

After 10 years, RainViewer founder Oleksii Schastlyvyi announces the transition of its API services to limited operation throughout 2025. This isn't a marketing piece, but a genuine guide for developers who have supported RainViewer. The article presents five alternative API services: Rainbow.ai (closest technical match, providing past and nowcast radar tiles), OpenWeatherMap (developer-friendly, comprehensive data), Meteoblue (high precision, especially in Europe), Tomorrow.io (global coverage with satellite data), and Xweather (professional-grade accuracy, data from Vaisala). Migration strategy recommendations are provided based on technical requirements, budget, and geographic needs. The author expresses gratitude to the developer community.

Read more
(www.rainviewer.com)
Development API Migration Weather Radar Data

38C3: Illegal Instructions - Chaos Communication Congress Explores Tech and Society

2024-12-29

The 38th Chaos Communication Congress (38C3), themed "Illegal Instructions," will take place in Hamburg from December 27th to 30th, 2024. This four-day conference, organized by the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), will feature talks and workshops on technology, society, and utopia. Topics range from hardware hacking and security to ethical and political discussions surrounding technological advancements. From liberating Wi-Fi on ESP32 to breaking Apple's new iPhone remote control feature and examining the EU's digital identity systems, 38C3 promises a diverse program sparking debate about technological ethics and societal responsibility.

Read more
(media.ccc.de)
Tech Society

Singaporean Urban Design: Where Structure Meets Spirit

2025-06-13
Singaporean Urban Design: Where Structure Meets Spirit

This interview features Calvin Chua, founder of Spatial Anatomy in Singapore, discussing how he integrates design, research, and advocacy into challenging global contexts. Chua's work focuses on the hidden forces shaping urban development, such as the unique ownership structures of Singapore's "strata malls" and a replicated North Korean apartment project revealing everyday life realities. He highlights different models of adaptive reuse, from large-capital projects to community-led efforts, emphasizing that successful adaptive reuse requires understanding both the structure and spirit of a building—neither can be neglected. Chua's experience ranges from urban planning training in North Korea to curating Singapore Archifest 2023, showcasing his profound insights into urban development.

Read more
(www.governance.fyi)
Design adaptive reuse

How Many More UBI Trials Until We Get It?

2025-06-17
How Many More UBI Trials Until We Get It?

Universal Basic Income (UBI), the idea of regular, unconditional cash payments from the government, remains controversial. Fears abound that it would kill work ethic and cripple society. However, mounting evidence, including a recent large-scale German trial, suggests these fears may be misplaced. Results indicate UBI didn't cause widespread laziness, even showing some positive impacts. This begs the question: how many more UBI trials until its viability is widely accepted?

Read more
(medium.com)
Misc

POSH is Hiring an Energy Analysis & Modeling Engineer

2025-02-21
POSH is Hiring an Energy Analysis & Modeling Engineer

POSH, a company revolutionizing the battery energy storage industry with innovative solutions for commercial and industrial applications, is seeking an Energy Analysis & Modeling Engineer. This role involves developing, analyzing, and optimizing energy storage models to improve system performance, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Ideal candidates will possess a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Systems, or a related field, along with 2+ years of experience in energy modeling or battery storage system analysis. Proficiency in Python and other simulation software is essential. Responsibilities include developing energy models for battery storage and hybrid systems, performing technical and economic analysis, collaborating with hardware and software teams, and working with sales to generate proposals. POSH offers a competitive salary, benefits, and equity participation.

Read more
(www.ycombinator.com)
Tech energy modeling job posting

Shippable Microfactories: Revolutionizing Construction with On-Site Automation

2025-07-26
Shippable Microfactories: Revolutionizing Construction with On-Site Automation

Traditional prefabricated construction faces high capital expenditures and shipping costs. The emerging microfactory model, often the size of a shipping container, addresses these issues by deploying directly to construction sites. This article analyzes the economic viability of microfactories, showcasing AUAR's successful Belgian office building project. AUAR's robotic microfactory prefabricated the building's shell in under 8 hours, highlighting the efficiency gains. Microfactories promise to transform construction by increasing efficiency and lowering costs.

Read more
(www.thesisdriven.com)
Tech microfactories prefabricated construction

The Rise and Fall (and Acquisition) of Dungeons & Dragons

2025-02-21

This article details the tumultuous history of TSR, Inc., and its flagship game, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Once a dominant force, TSR's mismanaged marketing, internal power struggles, and the rise of Magic: The Gathering led to its financial ruin and eventual acquisition by Wizards of the Coast. The piece explores TSR's successes and failures, highlighting the cutthroat nature of the gaming industry and offering reflections on company management, market shifts, and gaming culture.

Read more
(www.filfre.net)
Game Dungeons & Dragons Tabletop Games

AMA's CPT Code Monopoly: An Economic Termite in Healthcare

2025-03-27
AMA's CPT Code Monopoly: An Economic Termite in Healthcare

This article exposes the American Medical Association's (AMA) lucrative monopoly on Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, used for medical billing. The AMA charges hefty royalties to software companies using these codes, a cost ultimately passed on to doctors and patients. This practice burdens physicians and influences healthcare politics, shifting AMA focus from its members' interests to its own profit maximization. The author calls for government intervention, such as invalidating CPT code copyrights or developing alternatives, to restore fair competition and the public good. The AMA's silence on Robert Kennedy Jr.'s nomination as Secretary of HHS hints at this power dynamic.

Read more
(www.thebignewsletter.com)
Tech healthcare monopoly CPT codes

PyOpticL: Code-to-CAD Optical System Engineering Revolution

2025-06-07
PyOpticL: Code-to-CAD Optical System Engineering Revolution

PyOpticL, a Python library, is revolutionizing optical system design. Using beam-path simulation and dynamic routing, it enables intuitive, modular optical layouts without pre-defined coordinates. Supporting reflection, transmission, refraction, and diffraction calculations, PyOpticL streamlines the process from code to CAD model via FreeCAD. Its modular subsystems, built upon baseplates and commercial optical components, have been successfully applied in trapped-ion qubit experiments, showcasing a new paradigm in optical engineering.

Read more
(github.com)
Development

From 'Human Scrotum' to Dinosaurs: A Bicentennial Collaboration of Art and Science

2025-03-19
From 'Human Scrotum' to Dinosaurs: A Bicentennial Collaboration of Art and Science

This article chronicles the evolution of humanity's understanding of dinosaurs. From the 17th century, when Robert Plot mistook a discovered dinosaur fossil for a 'human scrotum', to the 19th century when Richard Owen formally named 'dinosaurs', and then to later artists' restorations based on fossils, it showcases the important roles played by science and art in refining the image of dinosaurs. Although early restorations were inaccurate, they sparked the imagination about ancient creatures, bringing a lost ancient world to life before our eyes.

Read more
(worldhistory.substack.com)
Tech history of art

Royal Mail Upgrades Postboxes to Accommodate Parcels

2025-04-12
Royal Mail Upgrades Postboxes to Accommodate Parcels

Royal Mail CEO Emma Gilthorpe announced an upgrade to UK postboxes to allow parcel posting, aiming to maximize customer convenience amidst declining letter volumes and booming parcel deliveries. Now, parcels fitting the postbox and bearing a barcode label can be dropped into any postbox. This follows a successful trial in Jersey and Guernsey. Britain's first pillar boxes, introduced in 1853, lacked standardization until 1859 when two sizes of green cylindrical postboxes were adopted.

Read more
(eandt.theiet.org)
Tech Royal Mail Postbox Upgrade Parcel Delivery

Optimal Debian Packaging Workflow for 2025

2025-05-26
Optimal Debian Packaging Workflow for 2025

This post outlines the optimal workflow for creating new Debian packages in 2025 while preserving upstream Git history. The goal is to simplify sharing improvements between upstream and Debian, and enhance software provenance and supply-chain security by easily inspecting every change using standard Git tools. Key elements include: using a Git fork/clone of the upstream repository; consistent use of `git-buildpackage` commands with package options in `gbp.conf`; DEP-14 tagging and branching; pristine-tar and upstream signatures; using `Files-Excluded` in `debian/copyright`; patch queues for rebasing and cherry-picking; leveraging Salsa (Debian's GitLab) for CI/CD and peer review. The process is demonstrated by packaging the `entr` command-line tool, walking through each step from repository creation to Merge Request submission on Salsa.

Read more
(optimizedbyotto.com)
Development

GitHub Org Scraper Scripts

2025-05-25
GitHub Org Scraper Scripts

This suite of scripts scrapes GitHub for organization information, ultimately producing a TSV file containing the organization name, URL, location, and star counts of selected repositories. `get_all_orgs.sh` fetches a list of all GitHub organizations; `get_orgs_tsv.py` scrapes data for each organization and outputs a TSV; `sorry.sh` handles GitHub's rate limiting policy, requiring users to manually reset their IP address.

Read more
(github.com)
Development scraper

Rye Language: A Higher-Level Programming Language Based on Spreadsheets

2024-12-24

Rye is a novel programming language that treats spreadsheets as first-class citizens, aligning more closely with human thinking. This article demonstrates how Rye creates, loads, and manipulates spreadsheets, supporting data import from CSV, SQL, and Excel files. It provides a rich set of functions for data manipulation, including filtering, sorting, and selection. By using spreadsheets as a fundamental data structure, Rye simplifies data operations and provides a more intuitive programming experience, especially when dealing with tabular data, resulting in concise and efficient code that outperforms other languages.

Read more
(ryelang.org)
Development spreadsheet

Stellantis' In-Dash Ads: A Full-Screen Annoyance

2025-02-11
Stellantis' In-Dash Ads: A Full-Screen Annoyance

Stellantis vehicles, including Jeep, are now displaying full-screen pop-up ads on their infotainment systems, frustrating drivers. Ads, such as those for Mopar's extended warranty, appear every time the car stops, interrupting basic functions. Stellantis claims these ads are part of a SiriusXM contract and suggests users manually close them, but this response has done little to quell the backlash and damage to customer trust.

Read more
(tech.slashdot.org)
Tech in-dash advertising

From Entrepreneur to Employee: A Journey of Transition and Growth

2024-12-31
From Entrepreneur to Employee: A Journey of Transition and Growth

Akshay Katyal, a seven-year entrepreneur, shares his experience transitioning from the rollercoaster of startups to a corporate role as a technical lead. Driven by a desire for financial stability and a thirst to learn how larger organizations operate, he found the shift to be a significant change in mindset, skills, and priorities. He highlights the differences in impact and autonomy between the two roles, noting that while his entrepreneurial experience didn't always directly translate, his ability to identify and address customer value misalignment proved invaluable. The transition, though challenging, ultimately led to personal and professional growth, showcasing the adaptability and value of entrepreneurial skills in a corporate setting.

Read more
(akshay.co)
Startup career transition corporate culture

US Sanctions on ICC Expose Risks of Reliance on American IT Services

2025-05-19
US Sanctions on ICC Expose Risks of Reliance on American IT Services

US sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) have resulted in Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan's Microsoft account being blocked and his bank accounts frozen. This incident highlights the risks of over-reliance on US IT services. While Microsoft claims it will protect European user data, changes in US government policy could alter this at any time. European governments need to reassess their dependence on Microsoft services and explore more secure, sovereign alternatives, ensuring national security doesn't hinge on the promises within Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Read more
(www.techzine.eu)
Tech IT security

Depot Hiring: Community & Events Manager - Own the Developer Experience

2025-08-12
Depot Hiring: Community & Events Manager - Own the Developer Experience

Fast-growing build acceleration platform Depot is hiring a Community & Events Manager. This isn't your typical marketing role; you'll be hands-on, planning everything from small developer meetups to major trade shows, creating moments that matter for developers. You'll own Depot's offline presence, building lasting relationships with the community. Requires strong experience running developer events, independent work style, and thriving in a fast-paced environment. Depot is a remote-first, data-driven company focused on developer productivity and accelerating software development.

Read more
(www.ycombinator.com)
Development

X (formerly Twitter) Silently Shadow Bans Turkish Opposition Figure

2025-09-02
X (formerly Twitter) Silently Shadow Bans Turkish Opposition Figure

Following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption charges, his X account was restricted in Turkey, sparking controversy. While a new account gained some traction, his posts rarely appear on users' timelines, suggesting X is secretly shadow banning him. A poll shows the vast majority of users don't see his tweets, highlighting X's influence in political censorship and the immense political power wielded by Elon Musk.

Read more
(utkusen.substack.com)
Tech

Used Seagate Drives Masquerading as New: A Global Hard Drive Scam

2025-02-09
Used Seagate Drives Masquerading as New: A Global Hard Drive Scam

Online retailers are unknowingly selling used Seagate hard drives as new. Fraudsters have reset the SMART values of drives, often with an average runtime of 25,000 hours, and reintroduced them into the supply chain. While SMART values can be manipulated, the FARM values (Field Accessible Reliability Metrics) remain, revealing the drives' true age. The issue is global, affecting official dealers and impacting customers worldwide. Suspicion points to decommissioned Chia cryptocurrency farms as the source of these drives. Many drives are sold as OEM, lacking manufacturer warranties, making consumer recourse difficult. Buyers are urged to verify warranty status immediately upon receiving drives.

Read more
(www.heise.de)
Hardware hard drive scam Chia farms

Lightsail Nanocraft to Probe Black Hole: A Century-Long Mission

2025-08-11
Lightsail Nanocraft to Probe Black Hole: A Century-Long Mission

A groundbreaking proposal envisions launching a nanocraft, lighter than a paperclip, towards a nearby black hole using a powerful laser beam. This ambitious project, while currently technologically infeasible, aims to probe the fabric of spacetime and test the limits of physics. Scientists predict that within 20-30 years, advancements in technology and the discovery of a suitable nearby black hole could make this century-long mission possible, revolutionizing our understanding of general relativity and the universe's fundamental laws. Just as the detection of gravitational waves and the imaging of black hole shadows once seemed impossible, this audacious plan suggests that even the most far-fetched scientific goals may eventually be within reach.

Read more
(www.sciencedaily.com)
Tech nanocraft laser propulsion

Signal Desktop's New Screen Security Feature Fights Back Against Microsoft Recall

2025-05-21
Signal Desktop's New Screen Security Feature Fights Back Against Microsoft Recall

Signal Desktop for Windows now includes a "Screen security" setting to prevent screenshots of Signal chats from being captured by Microsoft Recall. This setting is automatically enabled on Windows 11. Recall, a feature that takes screenshots every few seconds and stores them in a searchable database, was initially met with intense backlash and removed, only to return with adjustments. Signal's new feature uses DRM flags to block screenshots, albeit with usability trade-offs. Signal urges OS vendors to provide better developer tools to avoid privacy apps needing workarounds to protect user privacy.

Read more
(signal.org)
Tech Microsoft Recall

Zig's Asynchronous I/O: Asynchrony ≠ Concurrency

2025-07-19
Zig's Asynchronous I/O: Asynchrony ≠ Concurrency

This article delves into the often-confused concepts of asynchrony, concurrency, and parallelism in concurrent programming. The author argues that many language ecosystems suffer from a lack of understanding of 'asynchrony,' leading to duplicated library efforts and a worse user experience. Zig differentiates asynchrony from concurrency, enabling asynchronous I/O without mandatory concurrency. This prevents the 'viral' spread of asynchronous code, allowing synchronous and asynchronous code to coexist peacefully, improving code efficiency and maintainability.

Read more
(kristoff.it)
Development Concurrent Programming

The Spy, the Scoundrel, and the Chart Inventor: The Wild Life of William Playfair

2025-06-22
The Spy, the Scoundrel, and the Chart Inventor: The Wild Life of William Playfair

William Playfair (1759-1823) lived a life filled with espionage, scandal, and debt, playing a role – often dubious – in pivotal historical events like the development of the steam engine, the French Revolution, and American independence. He was involved in the Scioto Company land scandal, a major early American controversy. Yet, his most enduring legacy lies not in intrigue but in invention: Playfair created the bar chart and pie chart, pioneering the use of line charts and fundamentally altering how we visualize data. His life, a blend of spy, scoundrel, and scholar, is ripe for a dramatic adaptation.

Read more
(blog.engora.com)
Misc chart invention

Roman Soldier's Wrist Purse Unearthed on Empire's Frontier

2025-07-02
Roman Soldier's Wrist Purse Unearthed on Empire's Frontier

Archaeologists in South Moravia, Czech Republic, discovered a fragment of a Roman soldier's wrist purse at a temporary camp site. The purse, dating back to the Marcomannic Wars (AD 172-180), belonged to a soldier of the 10th Legion and was found outside the traditional Roman Empire boundaries. While containing no coins itself, nearby discoveries suggest it could have held up to 50 silver denarii – nearly a year's salary for a legionary. This find provides valuable insight into the logistical complexities of Roman military campaigns and the daily lives of soldiers stationed on the empire's ever-shifting frontiers.

Read more
(www.heritagedaily.com)
Misc Roman archaeology ancient coins

Deep Dive into Solid Queue: Advanced Features of a Rails Background Job Processor

2025-06-24
Deep Dive into Solid Queue: Advanced Features of a Rails Background Job Processor

Solid Queue is a robust background job processing system for Ruby on Rails, cleverly using the database—instead of external dependencies like Redis—to store and manage jobs. This article delves into Solid Queue's advanced features: job scheduling, recurring tasks, and concurrency controls. A dispatcher and scheduler handle scheduled and recurring jobs, respectively, utilizing `solid_queue_scheduled_executions` and `solid_queue_recurring_tasks` tables. Concurrency controls, implemented with Semaphore and BlockedExecution models, limit concurrent execution of specific job types, preventing resource contention. AppSignal integration is also discussed for monitoring Solid Queue's performance. Solid Queue's design prioritizes simplicity and reliability, making it a valuable addition to the Rails ecosystem.

Read more
(blog.appsignal.com)
Development

Grapevine Canes: A Sustainable Solution to Plastic Pollution?

2025-09-15
Grapevine Canes: A Sustainable Solution to Plastic Pollution?

Researchers at South Dakota State University have developed a plastic-like material from grapevine canes that is stronger than traditional plastic and biodegrades in just 17 days. This breakthrough addresses the urgent need for biodegradable packaging, tackling the pervasive issue of plastic waste and microplastics in the environment. The resulting films, made from the cellulose in grapevine canes, are transparent, strong, and leave no harmful residue after decomposition, offering a promising sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.

Read more
(www.sdstate.edu)
Tech biodegradable plastic

Server Reboot Failure: Cool-Down Reboot Solves Kernel Crash

2024-12-25

The author encountered two identical servers experiencing kernel crashes that couldn't be resolved by a simple reboot. During the crash, the servers printed a series of machine check exception errors during the system firmware stage, pointing to CPU hardware issues. A cool-down period of a few minutes after powering off, followed by a reboot, resolved the problem. This demonstrates that even a brief power interruption may not fully reset certain x86 system components, requiring a cool-down period for complete recovery.

Read more
(utcc.utoronto.ca)
Tech server failure kernel crash hardware issue
1 2 … 303 304 305 307 309 310 311 … 596 597