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Mathematical Modeling Reveals Just How Bad the Dreidel Game Is

2024-12-18
Mathematical Modeling Reveals Just How Bad the Dreidel Game Is

Last year, the author used the PRISM probabilistic modeling language to model the traditional holiday game Dreidel, proving its lack of fun. This year, he refined the model to simulate the entire game until its conclusion. The new model corrects the previous flaw of only simulating the elimination of the first player and improves the calculation logic for betting and player elimination. Through model simulation, the author found that, on average, a four-player game takes 760 spins to end, and the longest can even exceed 6 hours. This fully proves that the Dreidel game is long, tedious, and frustrating.

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(buttondown.com)
Game probabilistic modeling game analysis

Janus-Pro-7B: A Unified Multimodal Understanding and Generation Model

2025-01-27
Janus-Pro-7B: A Unified Multimodal Understanding and Generation Model

DeepSeek introduces Janus-Pro-7B, a novel autoregressive framework unifying multimodal understanding and generation. Unlike previous approaches, Janus-Pro cleverly decouples visual encoding, enabling efficient processing within a single transformer architecture. This decoupling not only resolves the conflict between the visual encoder's roles in understanding and generation but also enhances the framework's flexibility. Janus-Pro surpasses previous unified models and matches or exceeds the performance of task-specific models. Its simplicity, high flexibility, and effectiveness make it a strong contender for next-generation unified multimodal models.

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(huggingface.co)
AI

Amazon UK Halts Sales of Bloomsbury Books

2025-01-24
Amazon UK Halts Sales of Bloomsbury Books

Amazon UK has announced it will cease selling Bloomsbury's print and ebooks, citing a failure to agree on new contract terms. This move could severely impact Bloomsbury and reignites concerns about Amazon's trade terms with publishers. Amazon claims Bloomsbury refused good-faith negotiations, while its existing terms differed greatly from those of other publishers. While Amazon assures customers can still buy Bloomsbury books from third-party sellers, this is a high-risk strategy impacting sales of many bestselling authors published by Bloomsbury, including J.K. Rowling. The incident echoes a similar public battle between Amazon and Hachette over a decade ago.

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(www.thebookseller.com)
Tech Bloomsbury Publishing

Concept Cells: The Building Blocks of Memory?

2025-01-21
Concept Cells: The Building Blocks of Memory?

Neuroscientists have discovered 'concept cells' in the brain that fire for specific ideas, regardless of how that idea is presented (image, text, speech, etc.). These cells don't just respond to images; they represent abstract concepts, playing a crucial role in memory formation. Research suggests concept cells interconnect to form complex memory networks. This discovery challenges traditional neuroscience, offering new insights into human memory and cognition. The initial discovery of these cells, initially dubbed 'Jennifer Aniston cells,' was met with skepticism, but subsequent research has solidified their importance.

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(www.quantamagazine.org)
AI concept cells

Web Server Listen Overflows Traced to a Linux Kernel Performance Issue

2025-02-14

Upgrading web servers from CentOS to Ubuntu led to listen overflow errors. Investigation revealed a system CPU spike on newly booted Ubuntu hosts within minutes of startup, causing slow web request processing and subsequent listen overflows. The culprit was inode cgroup switching in the Linux kernel; after writing many files, the kernel spent significant time moving inodes between cgroups. Disabling the io or memory controllers in systemd resolved the issue. CentOS was unaffected as it uses cgroups v1, unlike Ubuntu's cgroups v2. A minimal reproduction script was created to demonstrate the issue.

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(dasl.cc)
Development Performance Issue

India Delays Rules to Break PhonePe-Google Pay Duopoly Again

2025-01-01
India Delays Rules to Break PhonePe-Google Pay Duopoly Again

India has once again postponed plans to curb the dominance of major tech companies in the country's digital payments system. The deadline for implementing a 30% cap on any single app's UPI transaction share has been pushed back to December 31, 2026. This provides relief to PhonePe and Google Pay, which together control over 85% of UPI transactions. The regulator cited concerns about disrupting service for millions of users. The delay also marks another setback in India's efforts to rein in the power of global tech giants in its burgeoning digital economy. The initial proposal was made in 2020.

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(techcrunch.com)
Tech digital payments

Roman Coins: A Human Story Forged in Metal

2025-01-19
Roman Coins: A Human Story Forged in Metal

This article delves into the fascinating history of Roman coins, revealing not just economic history but also a compelling social narrative. From the Gallic sack of Rome in 390 BC to the establishment of the Temple of Juno Moneta (later the Roman mint), the author traces the coin-making process, highlighting the lives and labor of miners, artisans, and other societal groups. Each hand-crafted coin, a testament to human sweat and ingenuity, bears witness to the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, providing invaluable insight into the social dynamics of the era.

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(lithub.com)
History Ancient Rome Coins

Windows 11: Still a Waste of Time?

2025-02-04

A tech writer revisited Windows 11 and found it still lacking. File Explorer remains slow, Settings are inferior to Control Panel, and hardware requirements are unnecessarily stringent. The author criticizes Microsoft's insistence on TPM 2.0, arguing it's irrelevant for home users and contradicts Microsoft's own security narrative. While recent updates were relatively smooth, Explorer's sluggishness, poor UI design, and the ability for apps to override privacy settings persist. The conclusion? Windows 11 remains largely useless, its market share shrinking in favor of Windows 10.

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(www.dedoimedo.com)
Tech

Windows 10 Remains Dominant Despite Impending Support End

2025-01-03
Windows 10 Remains Dominant Despite Impending Support End

With only 10 months until support for Windows 10 ends, its market share has surprisingly risen to 62.7%, while Windows 11 lags behind at 34.12%. Statcounter data reveals that many users, after trying Windows 11, reverted back to Windows 10. Enterprises and government institutions are also sticking with Windows 10 due to compatibility issues and stability concerns. Windows 11's hardware requirements and the prevalence of pre-installed Windows 10 devices contribute to this trend. Microsoft appears to have yet to find a solution, and the promotion of Windows 11 still faces significant challenges.

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(www.theregister.com)
Tech

Is Adrian Dittmann Elon Musk? A Deep Dive Investigation

2025-01-05
Is Adrian Dittmann Elon Musk? A Deep Dive Investigation

This investigative report details a thorough investigation into the identity of Adrian Dittmann, revealing a surprising conclusion. Through a multi-pronged approach using data breaches, social media analysis, and corporate connections, the authors conclusively demonstrate that Adrian Dittmann is not Elon Musk. The article also recounts the complexities of the investigation, including collaboration with journalist Jackie Sweet and the ultimate lack of proper credit in the published article, prompting a discussion about journalistic attribution and information integrity.

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(maia.crimew.gay)
Tech online investigation identity verification

The Zombocom Problem: From 'Anything' to 'Something Specific' in Software Development

2024-12-29
The Zombocom Problem: From 'Anything' to 'Something Specific' in Software Development

This article explores the 'Zombocom Problem' – the failure of many low-code/no-code platforms, super apps, etc., due to their inability to meet specific user needs. The author argues that success hinges on solving a specific problem for a specific user, finding product-market fit. Amazon's success story illustrates this: it started as an online bookstore, gradually expanding into other areas. Similarly, Excel succeeded because it initially targeted small business owners and accountants. The author emphasizes that platforms should emerge from products, not the other way around; build great standalone products first, then consider platformization. Ultimately, the author concludes that the key to success lies in combining systems thinking and product thinking—understanding system-level opportunities while identifying the first best customer, thus transforming from a 'single-purpose product' to a 'platform'.

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(newsletter.squishy.computer)
Development product strategy platform building

Transfinite Nim: Extending the Winning Strategy Beyond the Finite

2025-02-06
Transfinite Nim: Extending the Winning Strategy Beyond the Finite

This article explores transfinite Nim, an extension of the classic game of Nim to transfinite ordinal numbers. The author first reviews the winning strategy for finite Nim – the balancing strategy – then introduces the binary representation of transfinite ordinal numbers, proving that every ordinal has a unique binary representation. The author further proves that the balancing strategy applies to transfinite Nim as well, demonstrating with a concrete example how to use this strategy to find the winning move.

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(jdh.hamkins.org)
Game transfinite ordinal numbers

6502 Assembly Language: A Beginner's Guide to Retro Computing

2025-02-07

This tiny ebook introduces you to 6502 assembly language, a historical processor powering iconic machines like the Commodore 64 and Apple II. Learning assembly offers a deep understanding of computer architecture. The 6502, with its human-friendly design, makes it an ideal starting point. The book guides you through registers, flags, instructions, addressing modes, and the stack, culminating in a simple Snake game. An online assembler and simulator are included for hands-on learning.

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(skilldrick.github.io)
Development

Stunning Sci-Fi Scene Created in Blender

2024-12-31
Stunning Sci-Fi Scene Created in Blender

Samuel Pantze, a computer scientist from Germany, created a breathtaking sci-fi scene featuring a spaceship above a tidally locked planet using Blender. Inspired by sci-fi literature, Melodysheep's videos, and Paul Chadeisson's concept art, he masterfully employed procedural textures and shader math to generate a realistic spaceship model and planetary background. The article details the process, from spaceship modeling and texturing to creating the planetary background using a unique shader approach, showcasing his exceptional 3D modeling and rendering skills.

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(www.blendernation.com)
Design Sci-fi

Sony Ends Recordable Blu-ray Production After 18 Years

2025-01-24
Sony Ends Recordable Blu-ray Production After 18 Years

Sony is ceasing production of recordable Blu-ray discs in February, ending a nearly two-decade run. This also affects MiniDiscs and MiniDV cassettes. While Sony initially planned to continue production for business clients, dwindling consumer demand due to the rise of streaming services made it unsustainable. The article contrasts the convenience of streaming with its drawbacks: lack of ownership, monthly costs, and security concerns. It highlights the advantages of optical media for long-term archival storage and mentions competitors like Pioneer offering century-lasting Blu-ray discs and research into even longer-lasting glass storage.

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(www.tomshardware.com)
Tech Blu-ray Data Storage

Rejection Sampling's Unexpected Triumph: A Deep Dive into Performance Testing

2025-01-31

While optimizing his ray tracer, PSRayTracing, the author delved into performance testing for algorithms generating random vectors within a unit circle/sphere. Initially, he believed an analytical solution would be more efficient than rejection sampling. However, benchmarks in Python and C++, across various compilers and hardware platforms, yielded surprising results: with compiler optimizations enabled, rejection sampling often outperformed the analytical approach. The author concludes that practical performance testing is crucial when optimizing code, avoiding reliance on theoretical assumptions, as compiler optimization strategies and hardware variations significantly impact final performance.

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(16bpp.net)
Development performance testing

The Cloud Native Infrastructure Dilemma: Scalability, Cost, and Maintenance Headaches

2025-02-13
The Cloud Native Infrastructure Dilemma: Scalability, Cost, and Maintenance Headaches

Many businesses face challenges with cloud infrastructure: inadequate scalability preparedness leads to wasted resources and soaring costs; unpredictable workloads result in lengthy cold starts; hundreds or thousands of applications require constant maintenance and updates, making vulnerability patching and dependency management a headache; cross-cloud vendor, multi-region, and edge deployments add complexity. These issues lead to inefficient infrastructure and increased operational costs.

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(wasmcloud.com)
Development

EU Mandates Universal Charger, Apple Concedes

2024-12-28
EU Mandates Universal Charger, Apple Concedes

A new EU law came into effect on December 28, 2024, mandating USB-C charging ports for all new smartphones, tablets, and cameras sold within the bloc. The regulation aims to reduce electronic waste and lower costs for consumers. Apple, after initial resistance, has adopted the USB-C standard. The EU estimates the law will save at least €200 million annually and cut over 1000 tons of e-waste.

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(www.france24.com)
Tech Universal Charger

UK Unveils Ambitious AI Blueprint to Become Global Leader

2025-01-13
UK Unveils Ambitious AI Blueprint to Become Global Leader

The UK Prime Minister recently announced a sweeping AI plan aiming to establish the nation as a global leader in artificial intelligence. Key initiatives include creating dedicated AI Growth Zones to expedite infrastructure development, building a new supercomputer, and boosting AI adoption across public and private sectors. This strategy projects a potential 1.5% annual productivity increase, creation of tens of thousands of jobs, and significant improvements in public services. With over £14 billion in private investment committed, the plan demonstrates a substantial government commitment to AI.

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(www.gov.uk)
Tech government policy economic growth

Cruz Blocks Wi-Fi for Schoolkids: Censorship Concerns?

2025-01-29
Cruz Blocks Wi-Fi for Schoolkids: Censorship Concerns?

Senator Ted Cruz is attempting to block the FCC's plan to distribute Wi-Fi hotspots to students, citing concerns about unsupervised internet access, potential safety risks, and the possibility of limiting children's exposure to conservative viewpoints. Cruz argues the FCC's action violates federal law and harms parental rights. The FCC counters that the program, utilizing existing E-Rate funding, is necessary to bridge the homework gap for students lacking reliable internet. While a similar temporary program existed during the pandemic, Cruz claims the new plan lacks sufficient safeguards and could lead to censorship. The dispute involves the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to overturn recent agency actions, and highlights ongoing debate about internet access and parental control.

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(arstechnica.com)
Tech internet access parental control political debate

BepiColombo Reveals Mercury's Shadowy North Pole

2025-01-10
BepiColombo Reveals Mercury's Shadowy North Pole

The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission's sixth and final Mercury flyby yielded stunning images of the planet's north pole, captured by the Monitoring Camera 1 (M-CAM 1). The long-exposure photo reveals permanently shadowed craters, potentially the coldest places in the Solar System and possible locations of water ice. The image also showcases Borealis Planitia, vast volcanic plains comparable in scale to Earth's mass extinction-level volcanic events. This flyby provides crucial data for BepiColombo's future orbital studies of Mercury.

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(www.esa.int)
Tech Mercury North Pole

Mind-blowing: AI Art Generator Midjourney Creates Hyperrealistic Images

2025-01-03
Mind-blowing: AI Art Generator Midjourney Creates Hyperrealistic Images

Midjourney, an AI-powered art generator, has recently taken the internet by storm. It generates stunning, hyperrealistic images from simple text prompts, surpassing the skills of some professional artists. This is achieved through its advanced algorithms and vast training dataset. However, its capabilities have sparked debates regarding copyright and the definition of art. Midjourney represents a significant milestone in AI art technology, challenging traditional artistic creation methods.

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(benchjs.com)
AI

Apollo Program: The Untold Story of Engineering Triumph and Tragedy

2025-01-02
Apollo Program: The Untold Story of Engineering Triumph and Tragedy

This article reviews Mike Gray's book, *Angle of Attack: Harrison Storms and the Race to the Moon*, focusing on North American Aviation's pivotal role and chief engineer Harrison Storms's struggles in the Apollo program. From blueprints to launchpad, Storms led his team through countless challenges, including developing the supersonic B-70 bomber and the X-15 hypersonic aircraft, and advancing rocket engine technology. Apollo's success relied heavily on Storms' team's innovations in materials science, welding, and rocket construction. However, after the Apollo 1 fire, Storms was unjustly dismissed, fading into relative obscurity. This book reveals the human cost and unforeseen challenges behind one of humanity's greatest achievements.

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(www.construction-physics.com)
Tech Aerospace Engineering Technological Challenges

MessagePack: A Faster, Smaller Alternative to JSON

2025-01-11

MessagePack is an efficient binary serialization format enabling data exchange across multiple languages, similar to JSON but faster and smaller. It's used by projects like Redis, Fluentd, and Pinterest for performance gains. Supported by over 50 programming languages and environments, its simple specification makes it an easy-to-implement, fast replacement for JSON.

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(msgpack.org)
Tech Serialization

Autoscaling Your Kubernetes Apps with Dash0: Beyond CPU and Memory

2025-01-11
Autoscaling Your Kubernetes Apps with Dash0: Beyond CPU and Memory

This blog post demonstrates how to leverage Dash0 for automated scaling of Kubernetes applications. While Kubernetes simplifies scaling, manual replica adjustments are inefficient. Dash0 automates this process by monitoring application telemetry. The post explores three Kubernetes autoscaling types: Horizontal Pod Autoscaling, Vertical Pod Autoscaling, and Cluster Autoscaling, focusing on Horizontal Pod Autoscaling. It explains its mechanics and how to utilize custom metrics (like latency) instead of solely relying on CPU and memory utilization for optimal scaling strategies. Dash0 integrates with the Prometheus Adapter, enabling PromQL queries against Dash0 data to drive HPA, resulting in automated scaling based on application performance and improved user experience.

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(www.dash0.com)
Development Autoscaling

Medieval Trebuchet Range Calculation: A Physics Problem Based on Energy Conservation

2025-02-06
Medieval Trebuchet Range Calculation: A Physics Problem Based on Energy Conservation

This article estimates the range of a medieval trebuchet by calculating energy conservation. The author first analyzes the process of converting the potential energy of the counterweight into the kinetic energy of the projectile, taking into account energy losses. Then, using a simplified integration method (avoiding complex calculus), the author calculates the flight time of the projectile in the air and ultimately estimates the range of the trebuchet, comparing it with data from historical documents, with surprisingly consistent results. The article points out that the range of the trebuchet is independent of gravitational acceleration, which is counterintuitive, but the author explains this phenomenon through analysis.

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(michaeldominik.substack.com)
Tech medieval technology

YC Announces Spring 2025 Batch: X25

2025-01-20
YC Announces Spring 2025 Batch: X25

Y Combinator is launching its first-ever spring batch, X25, bringing its total annual batches to four (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). The 'X' designation, chosen for its common use in programming, reflects YC's tech roots. This more frequent batch schedule aims to better accommodate founders' timelines and rapidly fund the surge of AI-driven startups. Applications are open until February 11th, 8 PM PT, with the program running April-June and culminating in an in-person Demo Day.

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(www.ycombinator.com)
Startup

Resurrecting the 1972 UNIX V2 'Beta'

2025-02-19

A researcher successfully recovered a working 1972 UNIX V2 beta system from magnetic tapes. This version differs from its predecessors in kernel size and a.out format support, considered an early beta of V2. While bootable on aap's PDP-11/20 emulator, it fails on others. Through a series of clever steps, the researcher created a bootable disk image and shared it publicly. This discovery provides invaluable material for researching the evolution of early UNIX systems.

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(www.tuhs.org)
Tech UNIX history

Code Reviews: A Success Story

2025-01-15
Code Reviews: A Success Story

Engineer X at Google worked on two projects with vastly different code review processes. The first, with minimal review, resulted in a buggy release. The second, with a thorough and rigorous review process, although slower initially, yielded a bug-free release and significant learning for X, positively impacting his career. The article argues that code reviews aren't inherently antagonistic; it's the people involved and how the tool is utilized that matters for improving code quality and mentorship.

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(blogsystem5.substack.com)
Development
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