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Tokyo Xtreme Racer Returns: A Nostalgic Trip with Modern Tweaks

2025-02-17

Tokyo Xtreme Racer Returns: A Nostalgic Trip with Modern Tweaks

After an 18-year hiatus, Tokyo Xtreme Racer is back! This classic Dreamcast-era racing game, known for its detailed car models and the alluring nighttime scenery of Tokyo's expressways, has been resurrected in a Steam Early Access release. The game faithfully recreates the series' iconic SP battle system but adds modern conveniences like a map showing rival racer locations, easing some of the grind. However, it retains its signature enigmatic challenges and notoriously difficult boss battles. Multiplayer is absent at launch, and some aspects remain unfinished. Despite this, it's a nostalgic trip for veterans and a unique racing experience for newcomers. The game's charm remains, but players should expect a work-in-progress.

(www.thedrive.com)

Game racing game classic reboot tokyo xtreme racer

Pentagon's AI Arms Race: Silicon Valley's Deadly Allure

2025-01-25

Pentagon's AI Arms Race: Silicon Valley's Deadly Allure

The Pentagon's 'Replicator' initiative is rapidly developing AI weapons, raising concerns due to its opaque operational model. The program aims to quickly produce low-cost, expendable weapon systems, targeting China. While the Pentagon claims it's not developing 'killer robots', its collaboration with Silicon Valley tech firms and statements from some contractors hint at a potentially lethal outcome. The article urges the Pentagon to clarify its AI weapons' intended use and establish safeguards, preventing a global arms race and ethical risks.

(www.citizen.org)

Tech arms race Pentagon

The Secret Experiment: Identical Triplets and the Nature vs. Nurture Debate

2025-01-25

The Secret Experiment: Identical Triplets and the Nature vs. Nurture Debate

In 1980, three identical triplets, separated at birth and adopted into different families, unexpectedly reunited. Their story, however, wasn't a heartwarming tale of chance encounters. It revealed a sinister secret: they were unwitting participants in a clandestine psychological experiment designed to unravel the nature versus nurture debate. Researchers, seeking to understand the impact of genetics and environment on behavior, secretly observed the triplets' lives for years. The experiment, however, caused significant emotional distress, with one triplet tragically taking his own life. The ethical implications of this secret study sparked outrage and continue to raise serious questions about the boundaries of scientific research.

(historicflix.com)

Misc psychology experiment identical triplets nature vs. nurture

Michael Larabel: 20 Years of Deep Dives into Linux Hardware

2025-03-17

Michael Larabel, founder and principal author of Phoronix.com, has dedicated himself since 2004 to enriching the Linux hardware experience. He's written over 20,000 articles covering Linux hardware support, performance, graphics drivers, and more. He's also the lead developer behind the Phoronix Test Suite, Phoromatic, and OpenBenchmarking.org automated benchmarking software.

(www.phoronix.com)

Tech

Unofficial Apple Developer Documentation to Markdown Converter

2025-08-29

This unofficial tool converts single Apple Developer pages to Markdown on demand. It doesn't crawl, spider, or bulk download; it respects authentication and security measures; and it implements rate limiting to avoid overloading Apple's servers. Content is cached briefly for performance (around 30 minutes), but no permanent archives are kept. All copyrights remain with Apple. Each converted page links back to the original. Use is subject to Apple's Terms of Use and applicable law.

(sosumi.ai)

Development Apple Developer converter

uv: 10-100x Faster Python Package & Project Manager

2025-06-23

uv: 10-100x Faster Python Package & Project Manager

uv is an extremely fast Python package and project manager written in Rust. It replaces pip, pip-tools, pipx, poetry, pyenv, twine, and virtualenv, boasting a 10-100x speed improvement over pip. uv offers comprehensive project management features, including lockfiles, workspaces, Python version management, and cross-platform support (macOS, Linux, Windows). It simplifies dependency management for both single-file scripts and large-scale projects, significantly boosting developer productivity.

(github.com)

Development

Microsoft Edge Follows Google, Disabling Manifest V2 Extensions

2025-02-28

Microsoft Edge Follows Google, Disabling Manifest V2 Extensions

Microsoft Edge Canary is now disabling Manifest V2-based extensions, including the popular ad blocker uBlock Origin. This mirrors Google's policy shift, which began phasing out Manifest V2 extensions last year. While Edge's stable and Beta/Dev versions are currently unaffected, this change signals the eventual demise of MV2 extensions. Users can choose to switch to a browser that still supports MV2 extensions (like Firefox) or upgrade to Manifest V3-based extensions.

(www.neowin.net)

Tech

The Rise and Fall (and Persistence) of AM Radio

2025-03-29

The Rise and Fall (and Persistence) of AM Radio

This nostalgic piece reminisces about the golden age of AM radio, where even small towns boasted diverse stations and unique DJs created a shared listening experience for a generation. The author contrasts this sense of community and shared culture with the individualized experience of streaming services. While AM radio's audience shrinks, its frequency remains a constant, waiting for a new voice to reignite its potential.

(www.discoursemagazine.com)

Misc

Geothermal Energy: A Potential Solution to the Data Center Power Crunch

2025-03-12

Geothermal Energy: A Potential Solution to the Data Center Power Crunch

A looming power crunch threatens AI and cloud providers as data center construction explodes. However, a new report suggests a solution lies beneath our feet. Advanced geothermal power could supply almost two-thirds of new data center demand by 2030, quadrupling US geothermal capacity. Startups are leveraging advancements in drilling technology, including horizontal drilling and microwave drilling, to access deeper, hotter rock formations and significantly reduce costs. This clean energy source offers competitive pricing, even potentially undercutting current energy costs for data centers, especially when siting decisions incorporate geothermal potential. This innovative approach addresses the growing energy needs of the digital age sustainably.

(techcrunch.com)

Tech

Git Smart Squash: AI-Powered Git Commit History Cleanup

2025-06-20

Git Smart Squash: AI-Powered Git Commit History Cleanup

Tired of spending 30 minutes reorganizing commits before a PR? Git Smart Squash uses AI to automatically organize your changes into logical, well-structured commits in seconds. It analyzes your diff, groups related changes together, and creates clean commit messages that follow conventional commit standards. Supports local AI (Ollama) and cloud AI (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini), offering a safe and reliable backup mechanism to ensure your original commits are always saved. Handles even large diffs by allowing you to break your work into smaller chunks or switching to a cloud AI provider.

(github.com)

Development Code Cleanup

The Truth About Word-of-Mouth Marketing: NPS Isn't a Silver Bullet

2025-02-07

Many companies rely on NPS (Net Promoter Score) to measure word-of-mouth marketing effectiveness, but a high NPS doesn't guarantee organic growth. This article argues that word-of-mouth only works when users interact frequently and your product solves problems they'd discuss. For B2B tools or products lacking user interaction, referral programs alone may be ineffective, making NPS a customer satisfaction metric rather than a growth predictor. The author suggests differentiating between proactive and passive referrals and directly asking users about recommendations to assess the real potential of word-of-mouth marketing and avoid wasted resources.

(www.elliotcsmith.com)

Startup word-of-mouth marketing growth strategy

Intellectual Property is Dumb: A Vision for Open-Source AI

2025-02-22

The author argues that intellectual property is a flawed concept, countering President Biden's comparison of piracy to theft. Piracy, unlike theft, allows widespread access to resources, akin to photography rather than robbery. Concerned about wealth concentration, the author envisions AI delivering immense societal value without profit. He reminisces about the early internet's open-source, high-value, low-profit model and aims to disrupt current business models through open-source projects like comma.ai and tinygrad. The goal is to make the tech sector unprofitable for speculators, creating a fairer technological landscape.

(geohot.github.io)

AI

The Mythical Vectrex Computer: A Lost Piece of 80s Gaming History Unearthed

2025-03-22

A Vectrex enthusiast, while OCRing old issues of Electronic Games magazine, stumbled upon a forgotten article detailing a never-released Vectrex computer. This add-on was planned to expand the Vectrex with a keyboard and five games, including music creation, solar system exploration, and game programming tutorials. While it never materialized, the article reveals a fascinating, untold chapter of 80s gaming history and sparks curiosity about what could have been.

(www.amigalove.com)

Game Unreleased Product

George Lowe, Voice of Space Ghost, Dies at 67

2025-03-08

George Lowe, Voice of Space Ghost, Dies at 67

George Lowe, the comedian and voice actor best known as the voice of Space Ghost on Cartoon Network's "Space Ghost Coast to Coast," passed away on March 2nd at age 67. His career began at age 15 with a local radio job, later expanding to voice work for TBWS and Cartoon Network before landing his iconic role in 1994. Beyond Space Ghost, Lowe voiced the character in various spin-offs and also contributed his voice to shows like "Robot Chicken." Lowe was also a passionate art collector, boasting a collection of over 700 pieces.

(www.yahoo.com)

Game Space Ghost Voice Actor George Lowe

Musk's DOGE and a $400M Armored Tesla Deal: A Conflict of Interest?

2025-02-13

Musk's DOGE and a $400M Armored Tesla Deal: A Conflict of Interest?

Elon Musk's self-proclaimed "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) is aggressively cutting government spending, yet his own companies continue to rake in lucrative federal contracts. A recent report revealed a $400 million State Department plan to purchase "armored Tesla" vehicles, raising significant conflict-of-interest concerns. While a State Department spokesperson denies any contract has been awarded to Tesla, the procurement plan initially mentioned Tesla before being amended. This incident highlights Musk's influence within government and potential favoritism, sparking questions about the true efficiency of his DOGE.

(www.rollingstone.com)

Tech Conflict of Interest

SAVE Act: Protecting Voter Eligibility or Creating Barriers?

2025-02-13

SAVE Act: Protecting Voter Eligibility or Creating Barriers?

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, reintroduced by Texas Republican Representative Chip Roy, aims to strengthen voter eligibility verification by requiring in-person documentation of citizenship. However, critics argue it inadvertently creates significant hurdles for millions of married women whose names don't match their birth certificates. While proponents claim it combats non-citizen voting, opponents highlight the unnecessary barriers and potential disproportionate impact on minority voters. The act's passage would profoundly affect the US electoral system, sparking debate on balancing voting rights with voter verification.

(www.newsweek.com)

Misc voting rights voter eligibility SAVE Act

Building Node.js with clang-cl on Windows: A Success Story

2025-03-28

The author recently successfully built Node.js using clang-cl on Windows, overcoming several compilation hurdles. The post details the process, including installing necessary Visual Studio components (C++ Clang compiler and MSBuild support for LLVM), configuring ccache for faster builds, and the final compilation steps. The author shares troubleshooting tips, such as reinstalling Visual Studio components and correctly setting the ccache path. This provides a valuable guide for Windows users looking to build Node.js with clang-cl, offering an alternative to the traditional MSVC build process.

(joyeecheung.github.io)

Development

Linux Format Magazine's 25-Year Run Ends: A Print Media Obituary

2025-06-02

Linux Format Magazine's 25-Year Run Ends: A Print Media Obituary

After 25 years, the UK-based Linux magazine, Linux Format, has ceased publication. The article explores the likely reasons behind its closure, pointing to the economic challenges faced by print media in the digital age. While some niche magazines have successfully transitioned to digital or employed other survival strategies, Linux Format's publisher ultimately decided to discontinue the title, even in a digital-only format. The author shares a personal anecdote about discovering Ubuntu through a Linux Format DVD and reflects on the future of print publications and the Linux magazine market.

(www.omgubuntu.co.uk)

Tech Linux Magazine Print Media Digital Transition

Prompt Rewrite Boosts Small LLM Performance by 20%+

2025-09-17

Prompt Rewrite Boosts Small LLM Performance by 20%+

Recent research demonstrates that a simple prompt rewrite can significantly boost the performance of smaller language models. Researchers used the Tau² benchmark framework to test the GPT-5-mini model, finding that rewriting prompts into clearer, more structured instructions increased the model's success rate by over 20%. This is primarily because smaller models struggle with verbose or ambiguous instructions, while clear, step-by-step instructions better guide the model's reasoning. This research shows that even smaller language models can achieve significant performance improvements through clever prompt engineering, offering new avenues for cost-effective and efficient AI applications.

(quesma.com)

AI

Western Digital's Patent Infringement Damages Reduced to $1

2025-06-25

Western Digital's Patent Infringement Damages Reduced to $1

Western Digital has dramatically reduced its patent infringement payout to just $1. A California jury initially awarded SPEX Technologies $553 million for infringement related to Western Digital's self-encrypting hard drives. However, the judge overturned the damages due to SPEX shifting its damages theory during the trial and lacking sufficient evidence to support the original amount. While Western Digital lost on most other post-trial motions, its legal team considers this a significant victory.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech patent infringement damages

Apple's New MacBook Air: M4 Chip, Sky Blue, and a Lower Price

2025-03-05

Apple's New MacBook Air: M4 Chip, Sky Blue, and a Lower Price

Apple unveiled its new MacBook Air, featuring the powerful M4 chip, delivering a significant performance boost and up to 18 hours of battery life. The new model boasts a stunning sky blue color, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and support for up to two external displays. Starting at just $999 (with education pricing at $899), it offers exceptional value. The M4 chip enhances efficiency for everyday tasks and professional workloads, while macOS Sequoia's Apple Intelligence features further improve user experience.

(www.apple.com)

Hardware

Nirvana's Nevermind: The Unexpected Success of an Album Built on Major Chords

2025-05-04

In 1991, Nirvana's *Nevermind* unexpectedly became a critical and commercial sensation. Its raw guitars and unapologetic sound captivated listeners. Over 30 years later, a re-examination reveals a key ingredient: the almost exclusive use of major chords, eschewing minor chords and complex chord progressions (7th, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th, dim, aug). This created a unique harmonic language, bold and innovative for its time. Interestingly, Kurt Cobain seemingly worked intuitively, unaware of any musical rules he was following. This demonstrates the power of raw emotion and instinct transcending technical proficiency.

(farina00.github.io)

Game Nirvana Musical Analysis

Parisian AI Startup Seeks MLE to Build the Ultimate Forecasting Foundation Model

2025-02-20

Parisian AI Startup Seeks MLE to Build the Ultimate Forecasting Foundation Model

A Paris-based AI company is hiring a founding Machine Learning Engineer to build a universal forecasting foundation model. This model will integrate diverse data sources (numerical time series, text, images) for enterprise forecasting applications like staffing, supply chain management, and financial planning. Candidates should be proficient in neural networks, PyTorch or Jax, and have experience building and deploying large models. The company offers competitive compensation and benefits, along with the opportunity to work in vibrant Paris.

(www.ycombinator.com)

AI AI forecasting foundation model

Visualizing Joyce's Ulysses: A Graphic Score for 'Sirens'

2025-01-12

Artist Emily Fuhrman presents a visualization of the structure of James Joyce's Ulysses, specifically the 'Sirens' episode, as a musical fugue. She tracks and classifies 99 recurring words and syllables as leitmotifs, arranging them in a graphic score based on their distance from a root sound. This interactive project visualizes how these sounds evoke the sensory presence of different characters at different times.

(emilyfuhrman.co)

Design literary analysis interactive art

Acknowledgements for an Economics Research Paper

2025-07-17

Acknowledgements for an Economics Research Paper

This economics research paper expresses gratitude to the University of Chicago (including the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics), Stanford University, and Bocconi University for their research support. It also acknowledges several scholars for their contributions to discussions and feedback on the paper. The authors state that the views expressed are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

(www.nber.org)

Misc academic acknowledgements research support

Nvidia RTX 5090 Power Connectors Meltdown: Deja Vu?

2025-02-11

Nvidia RTX 5090 Power Connectors Meltdown: Deja Vu?

Nvidia's RTX 5090 Founders Edition is facing another power connector meltdown crisis, eerily similar to the RTX 4090 issues from two years ago. Two users reported melted power connectors and PSU damage, with images showing burnt plastic on both the PSU and GPU ends of the cables, even using cables from reputable manufacturers like MODDIY and FSP. While Nvidia previously blamed improper cable insertion, this recurrence highlights concerns about the 12VHPWR connector design. PCI-SIG has updated the connector to 12V-2x6 for improved reliability, but RTX 5090s still support older 12VHPWR cables. AMD, which uses traditional 8-pin PCIe connectors, previously hinted at 12VHPWR being a fire hazard. The 12VHPWR connector continues to face criticism for its design oversights.

(www.theverge.com)

Hardware

The Ideal Array Language for 2025: A Response to Hardware Heterogeneity

2025-08-04

Traditional programming language assumptions no longer hold true in the face of increasingly heterogeneous hardware (multi-core, multi-node, GPUs, FPGAs, etc.). This post explores the design of an ideal array language, emphasizing rank polymorphism, the ability to write kernels directly, and value semantics with automatic buffer management. The author argues that a functional, unbuffered array programming model, coupled with compiler infrastructure like MLIR, better leverages hardware capabilities. User experience is enhanced through friendly compiler optimization reporting. Fortran and APL are cited as inspirational languages.

(www.ashermancinelli.com)

Development hardware heterogeneity

YouTube's Hour-Long Unskippable Ads Spark User Outrage

2025-01-25

YouTube's Hour-Long Unskippable Ads Spark User Outrage

YouTube users are reporting outrageously long unskippable ads, some lasting up to an hour. Many suspect ad blockers are the culprit, potentially interfering with the 'skip' button functionality. Google responded, stating that ad blockers violate YouTube's Terms of Service and are encouraging users to allow ads or subscribe to YouTube Premium. While Google denies intentionally serving these excessively long ads, the incident highlights the ongoing tension between monetizing content and maintaining a positive user experience, sparking a wider conversation about ad length and the effectiveness of ad blockers.

(www.androidauthority.com)

Tech YouTube Ads Ad Blockers

PostgreSQL Best Practices: Building a Robust and Reliable Database

2025-02-09

PostgreSQL Best Practices: Building a Robust and Reliable Database

This article outlines best practices for PostgreSQL databases, covering database design, performance optimization, security, backup and recovery, maintenance and monitoring, and development practices. From naming conventions and schema design to indexing strategies, query optimization, access control, password policies, backup strategies, and monitoring metrics, the article provides detailed guidance with code examples to help developers build a robust, efficient, and secure PostgreSQL database system. High availability configurations, including replication setup and load balancing, are also emphasized to ensure database system reliability and scalability.

(speakdatascience.com)

Development

Scaling RL: Next-Token Prediction on the Web

2025-07-13

Scaling RL: Next-Token Prediction on the Web

The author argues that reinforcement learning (RL) is the next frontier for training AI models. Current approaches of scaling many environments simultaneously are messy. Instead, the author proposes training models to reason by using RL for next-token prediction on web-scale data. This leverages the vast amount of readily available web data, moving beyond the limitations of current RL training datasets focused on math and code problems. By unifying RL with next-token prediction, the approach promises to create significantly more powerful reasoning models.

(blog.jxmo.io)

AI

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