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The Perils of Pseudo-Randomness: Why You Need True Random Numbers for Security

2025-05-31

RFC 4086 details the critical need for true randomness in security systems. Relying on pseudo-random numbers leaves vulnerabilities exploitable by sophisticated attackers who can recreate the environment to easily crack them. The document highlights the pitfalls of using low-entropy sources or traditional pseudo-random number generation techniques, advocating for true hardware random techniques such as leveraging sound cards, hard disk drives, or ring oscillators. It also provides mitigation strategies when hardware solutions are unavailable and illustrates the required size of random numbers for various applications.

(datatracker.ietf.org)

Tech random numbers

GPT-4: Multimodal Mayhem Ushers in a New Era of AI

2025-01-17

OpenAI has unveiled GPT-4, its latest large language model. More than just a text processing upgrade, GPT-4 boasts powerful multimodal capabilities, processing image inputs and generating text outputs. This means AI can understand and generate richer information, expanding applications beyond text to encompass images, videos, and more. GPT-4's exceptional performance across various benchmarks showcases its impressive comprehension and generation abilities, signaling a significant leap forward in AI technology. This release will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the AI field, accelerating the adoption of AI across various industries.

(creduse.com)

AI

RSS: Reclaiming Your Attention in the Age of Algorithmic Control

2025-04-26

The internet has become a battleground for user attention, with algorithms prioritizing engagement over user experience. This article champions RSS as a way to regain control. By building chains of trust and selectively subscribing to feeds from trusted sources, users can filter information and curate their own content gardens. Using an RSS reader isn't just aggregation; it's a skill and a practice of intentional engagement, allowing you to own your attention.

(www.doliver.org)

Misc

The Art of Grouping Attribute Values in HTML: Making Code More Readable

2025-06-02

The Art of Grouping Attribute Values in HTML: Making Code More Readable

This article introduces an improved way to organize HTML class attributes. By adding spaces, newlines, or other characters within the class attribute value, different CSS classes can be grouped more clearly. For example, using `[card] [section box] [bg-base color-primary]` or `card | section box | bg-base color-primary` instead of `card-section-background1-colorRed`. While this approach isn't without limitations (optimizers might strip spaces, pre-processors might reorder values), it can improve code readability and maintainability, especially in large projects. The author also demonstrates more creative ways to enhance class attribute readability using emojis or comments, reminding readers to prioritize code understandability and teamwork.

(shkspr.mobi)

Development

Malicious PyPI Package Automslc: A Deezer Music Piracy Operation

2025-03-02

Malicious PyPI Package Automslc: A Deezer Music Piracy Operation

Researchers have uncovered a malicious PyPI package, automslc, enabling coordinated, unauthorized music downloads from Deezer. Downloaded over 100,000 times, it uses hardcoded credentials and a C2 server (54.39.49[.]17:8031) to bypass Deezer's API restrictions and download full tracks, violating Deezer's terms of service. The threat actor, using multiple accounts and a GitHub profile, orchestrates a distributed piracy operation, highlighting the importance of software supply chain security and the need for developers and organizations to protect themselves against such attacks.

(socket.dev)

Tech Software Supply Chain Security API Abuse

Subaru STARLINK Flaw Lets Hackers Remotely Control Cars, Access PII

2025-01-23

Subaru STARLINK Flaw Lets Hackers Remotely Control Cars, Access PII

Security researchers discovered a critical vulnerability in Subaru's STARLINK connected car service. Attackers, knowing only a victim's last name and zip code, email, or license plate, could remotely start, stop, lock, unlock, and track vehicles. They could also access a year's worth of location history and retrieve sensitive personal information (address, billing details, etc.). The vulnerability allowed complete vehicle control and was patched within 24 hours. This highlights the critical need for enhanced security in connected car systems and robust user data protection.

(samcurry.net)

Tech car security

Semiconductor-Free Solar Panel: A Bismuth Alloy Thermoelectric Approach

2025-02-28

This article details a novel thermoelectric solar panel design that eschews complex semiconductor materials. Overcoming the challenges of earlier ZnSb-based designs, the author utilizes bismuth alloys and a simple construction featuring painted zinc absorber plates and bismuth alloy thermocouples. While currently only 0.01% efficient, the author envisions improvements in materials and design leading to applications powering low-power devices in remote locations.

(simplifier.neocities.org)

Tech thermoelectric bismuth alloy

Unlocking Microbial Dark Matter: New Antibiotics Discovered in Soil

2025-09-25

Unlocking Microbial Dark Matter: New Antibiotics Discovered in Soil

Researchers at Rockefeller University have developed a novel method to access the genetic potential of unculturable bacteria residing in soil. By extracting large DNA fragments directly from soil, they bypassed the need for lab cultivation and sequenced hundreds of previously unseen bacterial genomes. This yielded two promising new antibiotic leads, one of which, erutacidin, effectively targets drug-resistant bacteria. This scalable approach opens a new era of drug discovery and provides insights into the vast, unexplored microbial world shaping our environment.

(www.rockefeller.edu)

Tech metagenomics

OpenAI's New Models Hallucinate More: Bigger Isn't Always Better

2025-04-18

OpenAI's New Models Hallucinate More: Bigger Isn't Always Better

OpenAI's recently released o3 and o4-mini models, while state-of-the-art in many ways, exhibit a troubling increase in hallucinations compared to their predecessors. Internal tests reveal significantly higher hallucination rates than previous reasoning models (o1, o1-mini, o3-mini) and even traditional non-reasoning models like GPT-4o. OpenAI is unsure of the cause, posing a challenge for industries demanding accuracy. Third-party testing confirms this issue, with o3 fabricating steps in its reasoning process. While excelling in coding and math, the higher hallucination rate limits applicability. Addressing model hallucinations is a key area of AI research, with granting models web search capabilities emerging as a promising approach.

(techcrunch.com)

AI hallucinations

My Favorite LaTeX Fonts: A Deep Dive into Seven Free Options

2025-05-20

Lino Ferreira shares his top seven favorite LaTeX fonts, providing a detailed comparison of their strengths and weaknesses. From the classic Bembo to the modern Libertine, each font is accompanied by historical context, design rationale, and LaTeX usage examples. The article also explores the pairing of serif and sans-serif fonts, and the differences between OpenType and Type 1 fonts, offering valuable guidance for LaTeX users in font selection.

(www.lfe.pt)

Development

Have I Been Pwned: The Next Generation

2025-05-19

Have I Been Pwned: The Next Generation

After years of development, the hugely popular data breach search engine, Have I Been Pwned (HIBP), has launched a completely redesigned website. This massive overhaul includes a rebuilt website architecture, enhanced search functionality (complete with celebratory confetti!), dedicated breach pages with actionable advice, a unified dashboard, and even a brand new merchandise store! The API remains unchanged, ensuring backwards compatibility. AI tools significantly assisted the development process. The result is a faster, more user-friendly experience while retaining HIBP's signature straightforward approach to providing crucial data breach information.

(www.troyhunt.com)

Tech website redesign

Physics-Informed Neural Networks: Solving Physics Equations with Deep Learning

2025-02-17

This article introduces a novel method for solving physics equations using Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs). Unlike traditional supervised learning, PINNs directly use the differential equation as a loss function, leveraging the powerful function approximation capabilities of neural networks to learn the solution to the equation. The author demonstrates the application of PINNs in solving different types of differential equations using the simple harmonic oscillator and heat equation as examples. Comparisons with traditional numerical methods show that PINNs can achieve high-accuracy solutions with limited training data, especially advantageous when dealing with complex geometries.

(nchagnet.pages.dev)

AI Physics-Informed Neural Networks Numerical Computation

Trump Admin Challenges 90-Year-Old Precedent, Threatening Independent Agencies

2025-05-30

Trump Admin Challenges 90-Year-Old Precedent, Threatening Independent Agencies

The Trump administration is attempting to overturn the 90-year-old Humphrey's Executor case, a landmark Supreme Court decision that protects the independence of federal agencies. This move aims to bolster presidential power, allowing the president to fire agency heads at will. The move has sparked widespread concern, potentially undermining numerous agencies responsible for crucial areas like consumer protection, labor rights, and nuclear regulation, transforming them into potential tools for the President's political agenda. While the administration has so far avoided targeting the Federal Reserve, the underlying logic could equally apply, jeopardizing its independence. This legal battle carries profound implications for the future of the US government, redefining the relationship between executive agencies and the presidency.

(www.theusconstitution.org)

Tech Federal Agencies

Hidden Gems in C's stdint.h: Beyond limits.h for Integer Type Definitions

2025-04-17

Hidden Gems in C's stdint.h: Beyond limits.h for Integer Type Definitions

This blog post recounts the author's unexpected discovery about integer type definitions while learning C. In the early days of C, the size of integers varied greatly across different architectures, leading compiler vendors to create custom type definitions like Microware's types.h. Later, the ANSI C standard introduced stdint.h, providing standard type definitions like uint32_t and maximum value definitions like INT_MAX from limits.h. However, the author recently discovered that stdint.h also includes definitions like INT8_MAX and UINT32_MAX, which can be directly used to define the maximum and minimum values of integer types of specific sizes, making the code more portable and avoiding errors caused by platform differences.

(subethasoftware.com)

Development integer types

Norwegian Startup's Airhull Tech Lets Electric Boats Glide on Air

2025-05-26

Norwegian Startup's Airhull Tech Lets Electric Boats Glide on Air

Pascal Technologies, a Norwegian electric boat startup, is equipping two of its boats, the Nabcrew Zero AirBlue 1240 and Hugin DC, with Airhull technology. This innovative technology creates an air cushion under the hull, reducing drag and significantly increasing efficiency, potentially saving up to 50% of energy consumption. Simpler to implement than hydrofoil technology, Airhull uses a comb-like structure on the hull's underside and a blower at the bow to lift the boat 15-20cm out of the water. Suitable for boats from 6m to 30m, the technology is showcased on a 12m workboat (Nabcrew Zero AirBlue 1240) and a 9.15m leisure boat (Hugin DC), both slated for launch later this year.

(www.heise.de)

Tech electric boats

arXivLabs: Experimental Projects with Community Collaboration

2025-04-17

arXivLabs is a framework enabling collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on the website. Individuals and organizations involved embrace arXiv's values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only partners with those who share them. Have an idea to enhance the arXiv community? Learn more about arXivLabs.

(arxiv.org)

Tech

Fern, a YC Startup, is Hiring an AI Engineer – Up to $192k!

2025-01-17

Fern, a YC Startup, is Hiring an AI Engineer – Up to $192k!

Fern, a Y Combinator-backed startup, is hiring an AI Engineer with a salary of up to $192,000 plus an $18,000 living proximity bonus. Fern simplifies API usage by providing high-quality SDKs and documentation for businesses. The role requires 4+ years of backend or full-stack development experience, proficiency in TypeScript and at least one other language, and experience developing and deploying AI products. This is a fast-growing SaaS company offering end-to-end project ownership and the chance to build zero-to-one AI features.

(www.ycombinator.com)

Development

FCC Approves Verizon's $20B Frontier Acquisition After DEI Policy Drop

2025-05-16

FCC Approves Verizon's $20B Frontier Acquisition After DEI Policy Drop

The FCC, led by Chairman Brendan Carr, approved Verizon's $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications after Verizon pledged to end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Carr hailed the move as a positive step for equal opportunity and the public interest. This approval comes as Paramount Global and Skydance Media's $8 billion merger remains pending, potentially due to DEI concerns. Carr previously indicated he would block mergers involving companies promoting DEI programs. The acquisition allows Verizon to upgrade Frontier's network in 25 states, potentially bringing fiber to over 1 million homes annually.

(variety.com)

Tech

Gaia Completes Sky Survey: 3 Trillion Observations, 2 Billion Stars

2025-01-15

Gaia Completes Sky Survey: 3 Trillion Observations, 2 Billion Stars

ESA's Gaia spacecraft has completed its decade-long sky survey, amassing over three trillion observations of roughly two billion stars and other celestial objects. This represents a revolutionary leap in our understanding of the Milky Way and our cosmic neighborhood. Despite nearing fuel depletion, Gaia's data continues to grow, fueling scientific research with over 13,000 publications and 580 million catalogue accesses to date. Two more massive data releases are yet to come, promising further revelations about the universe.

(www.esa.int)

Tech Gaia Milky Way

Quantum Algorithms: Unraveling the Hidden Subgroup Problem

2025-06-01

This article delves into the core problem of quantum computing—the Hidden Subgroup Problem (HSP). HSP generalizes Shor's and Simon's algorithms, offering efficient solutions to classically hard problems. The article details the HSP definition, solution methods (the standard method), and illustrates with Simon's problem and the discrete logarithm problem. Finally, it introduces the Quantum Fourier Transform (QFT) and its crucial role in solving HSP.

(www.daniellowengrub.com)

AI hidden subgroup problem quantum algorithms

The Manicule: From Medieval Manuscripts to Mouse Cursors

2025-04-13

The Manicule: From Medieval Manuscripts to Mouse Cursors

Ever noticed those little pointing hands in old books? That's a manicule, and this article traces its fascinating journey from medieval manuscripts, where readers used them to highlight important passages, through the printing press era, and finally to the digital age where it lives on as the ubiquitous website pointer. It's a story of how a simple symbol adapted to new technologies, always serving the same purpose: guiding the reader's attention.

(www.messynessychic.com)

Design Symbol

arXivLabs: Experimental Projects with Community Collaboration

2025-04-07

arXivLabs is a framework enabling collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on the website. Individuals and organizations involved embrace arXiv's values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners who share them. Have an idea to enhance the arXiv community? Learn more about arXivLabs.

(arxiv.org)

Development

Apple's Container: A Native macOS Linux Container Tool

2025-06-11

Apple's Container: A Native macOS Linux Container Tool

Apple has open-sourced Container, a developer tool on GitHub offering a novel approach to running Linux containers directly on macOS. Unlike Docker or Podman, it integrates deeply with macOS frameworks, creating lightweight VMs for each container, boosting security and privacy. While minor issues exist, such as memory management and macOS version compatibility, it showcases Apple's commitment to native Linux container development on macOS, providing developers with a more native option.

(nerds.xyz)

Development

Tiny C99 JSON Parser: Zero-Allocation, ~150 Lines

2025-09-21

Tiny C99 JSON Parser: Zero-Allocation, ~150 Lines

A minimal JSON parsing library written in C99, boasting only around 150 lines of code! It features zero-allocation for memory efficiency and a streamlined state. Error messages include precise line and column numbers. Number and string parsing are left to the user, allowing customization with functions like `strtod` and `atoi`. A simple example demonstrates loading a rectangle from a JSON string into a `Rect` struct. This project is free and unencumbered software released into the public domain.

(github.com)

Development zero-allocation

Imaging Mounted Disks Under Duress: A blktrace-Based Solution

2025-01-15

Imaging Mounted Disks Under Duress: A blktrace-Based Solution

This post details a clever method for backing up system disks when point-in-time snapshots aren't available. The author faced the challenge of needing to back up a system nearing failure that lacked snapshot capabilities, while rebooting or reconfiguring storage was undesirable. The solution leverages Linux's blktrace API to track block device activity in real-time, allowing for complete disk imaging even while data is being written. The author shares their Go-based tool, hot-clone, which tracks modified blocks, ensuring no data loss during imaging. This provides a reliable solution for backing up critical systems in emergency situations.

(blog.benjojo.co.uk)

Development system backup disk imaging

Cloudflare Pages' Surprisingly Generous Free Tier: Why?

2025-01-15

Cloudflare Pages offers an unlimited bandwidth free tier, a standout feature among competitors. The author explores the reasons behind this generosity: static websites are lightweight and easy to serve; Cloudflare benefits from a faster, more reliable internet, leading to increased demand for its security products; and the free tier drives word-of-mouth marketing and potential upgrades to paid services. While Cloudflare hasn't officially explained it, the author posits it's a strategic move aligned with other free services like 1.1.1.1 and free DDoS protection, ultimately boosting its security product ecosystem.

(mattsayar.com)

Development Static Website Hosting Free Tier

Facebook Marketplace: Connection or Transaction?

2025-04-12

Facebook Marketplace: Connection or Transaction?

The rise of Facebook Marketplace is surprising. It's a massive virtual flea market, rough around the edges yet surpassing eBay in user base. The pandemic and inflation fueled its growth, attracting younger users. The author found that excessive Facebook use increased spending, but distancing from the platform eliminated the temptation of its targeted ads. The article explores Facebook's core nature: does it connect people or facilitate transactions? The rise of Buy Nothing groups, a mutual aid gifting model, suggests a different answer: genuine connection isn't built on transactions.

(www.theatlantic.com)

Misc

AI-Powered: Revolutionizing Smart Card Creation

2024-12-31

This new technology leverages artificial intelligence to automate card creation. Users simply input keywords or descriptions, and the system automatically generates cards with rich content and aesthetically pleasing layouts, significantly improving efficiency and lowering the barrier to creation. This is revolutionary for industries requiring large numbers of cards, such as education and marketing. It not only saves time and labor costs but also ensures consistent and professional card quality.

(handwritten-card.vercel.app)

AI card generation

Conquering JavaScript Fatigue: MESH, a Modular SSR Framework Built on HTMX

2025-09-23

Web development is facing "JavaScript fatigue" and "framework fatigue." This post explores using HTMX, a declarative approach to web development using HTML attributes, as a solution. However, HTMX's lack of structure led the author to create MESH, a modular server-side rendering (SSR) framework. MESH uses a "one component, one endpoint" model, leveraging Go and Web Components for SSR and hydration. Challenges with HTMX's inability to cross shadow DOM boundaries were overcome with clever workarounds. Real-time collaboration with Server-Sent Events (SSE) was also implemented. Ultimately, the author even removed HTMX entirely, using cleaner JS to achieve the same functionality, and reflects on the shortcomings and future directions of HTMX.

(ajmoon.com)

Development

A 25-Year Odyssey in AI/ML: From Games to Program Synthesis

2025-01-02

A 25-Year Odyssey in AI/ML: From Games to Program Synthesis

This post recounts a 25-year journey in AI/ML. It begins with simple games in VB6, progressing to using state machines and higher-order functions to enhance game dynamics. Graduate studies introduced first-order logic, support vector machines, and neural networks, applied to projects like low-bandwidth video chat and code editor log analysis. As a professor, the author focused on intelligent developer tools, exploring predictive models to identify and correct programmer misconceptions. His work at Microsoft's program synthesis team involved LLMs to improve code assistance. The author emphasizes the importance of thoughtful AI application, prioritizing clear user problems and avoiding over-reliance on LLMs.

(austinhenley.com)

AI Program Synthesis

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