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Guile-powered Emacs: A Bold Rewrite Project

2024-12-16

Emacs, renowned for its extensibility, faces performance and expressiveness limitations with its core language, Emacs Lisp (Elisp). To address this, the Guile-Emacs project aims to replace Elisp in Emacs with Guile Lisp. After years of development and dormancy, Guile-Emacs has been revived by developers Robin Templeton and Larry Valkama. The project aims to leverage Guile's compiler and performance advantages to improve Emacs' speed and extensibility while maintaining Elisp compatibility. The ultimate goal is to rewrite a significant portion of Emacs's C code in Lisp, significantly enhancing its customizability. While facing technical and political challenges, the project presents exciting possibilities for the future of Emacs.

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(lwn.net)
Development

Converge Hiring Senior Full-Stack Engineer: Build a Million-Dollar Marketing Measurement Platform

2024-12-16

Converge, a Y Combinator-backed company with over $1M in ARR, is hiring a senior full-stack engineer. The small team (only 4 people) serves 180+ customers, processing billions of dollars in annual sales and billions of events per month. You'll build a unified marketing measurement stack, including customer data collection, identity resolution, and marketing attribution, with direct customer interaction and significant ownership. The company values action-orientedness, continuous learning, positive attitudes, and simplicity. Requires extensive full-stack experience, proficiency in React and backend development, and knowledge of production software deployment and scaling.

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(www.ycombinator.com)
Development Full-Stack Engineer Marketing Measurement

Luon Programming Language: A Statically Typed Lua

2024-12-14

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

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(github.com)
Development statically typed

CHICKEN Scheme's New Compiler: CRUNCH – A Statically Typed Scheme Compiler

2024-12-17

This article introduces CRUNCH, a new compiler for a statically typed subset of the Scheme programming language. Built on top of the CHICKEN Scheme system, it compiles Scheme code into portable C99 code. CRUNCH aims to provide a high-performance, lightweight Scheme compiler, addressing shortcomings in existing Scheme systems regarding performance and portability. It's particularly well-suited for game development, virtual machine creation, and embedded systems programming. While CRUNCH has limitations in supported Scheme features, it achieves efficient code generation through type inference and various optimizations, seamlessly integrating with the CHICKEN Scheme ecosystem.

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(www.more-magic.net)
Development Statically Typed

Easy macOS Installation on Any Computer with Proxmox

2024-12-12

This project offers a simplified method for installing macOS on any computer using Proxmox VE versions 7.0 to 8.2. A single script automates the setup process, enabling users to easily run macOS versions from High Sierra to Sonoma in a Proxmox virtual machine. Cloud environment installations are also supported, and a video tutorial is available.

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(github.com)
Hardware Virtualization

Elon Musk's Government Reform Attempt: A Battle Against Bureaucracy

2024-12-15

This article explores Elon Musk's attempts to reform government inefficiency. The author argues that Democrats haven't prioritized addressing government inefficiency, and Musk's intervention is not a solution but may exacerbate the problem. Insiders are watching Musk's reform attempts with skepticism, believing that even billionaires can't easily shake the entrenched bureaucratic system. The article points out that lengthy legal procedures and resistance from vested interests are huge obstacles to reform, and the courts also play a significant role in worsening the problem. Ultimately, the author calls for a re-evaluation of government reform strategies and a clear understanding of the difficulty and complexity of reform.

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(www.eatingpolicy.com)
Misc government reform bureaucracy Elon Musk

A Million-Dollar Surprise: De Gaulle's Hidden Collection Found

2024-12-17

A forgotten trove of Charles de Gaulle's personal letters, speeches, and manuscripts has been discovered in a safe, set to be auctioned for over $1 million. The collection, found in a bank vault belonging to his son, includes the handwritten manuscript of his famous 1940 speech calling for French resistance against the Nazis, correspondence with Winston Churchill, early short stories, and personal notebooks offering insights into his intellectual development. This unexpected discovery unveils a fascinating glimpse into the life and thoughts of the iconic French leader, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Anne de Gaulle Foundation.

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(www.smithsonianmag.com)
Misc Charles de Gaulle Auction Historical Documents

Always Attend the Funeral: A Father's Lesson in Human Kindness

2024-12-16

The author recounts how her father instilled in her the importance of always attending funerals, a lesson she initially resisted. Through years and personal experience, she realizes it's not just about obligation, but about offering comfort and acknowledging life's inevitable losses. Her father's death solidified this belief, highlighting the profound impact of seemingly small acts of kindness in the face of grief, emphasizing the importance of showing up for others even when inconvenient.

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(www.npr.org)
Misc life lessons family human kindness

CIA's Secret Robot Dragonfly Spy from the Cold War

2024-12-16

In the 1970s, the CIA secretly developed a miniature robotic dragonfly, dubbed the "insectothopter," for espionage. The device used laser reflectors as microphones, analyzing laser beam vibrations to capture sound. While successful in lab tests, its inability to cope with real-world wind conditions led to the project's termination. Nevertheless, this ambitious endeavor laid the groundwork for modern micro-drone technology and highlighted the intense technological competition of the Cold War.

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(www.popularmechanics.com)
Tech robot dragonfly Cold War espionage

Open-Source Tool me_cleaner: Streamlines Intel ME Firmware for Enhanced Privacy

2024-12-16

me_cleaner is an open-source Python script designed to partially deblob Intel Management Engine (ME) firmware, reducing its ability to interact with the system and improving user privacy and security. Intel ME firmware, integrated into all Intel motherboards since 2006, has access to system memory and network, making it difficult to disable or replace. me_cleaner modifies the ME firmware to be inactive during normal operation, activating only during boot, effectively mitigating potential security risks. The tool supports various Intel platforms, but obtaining and flashing the modified firmware requires an external SPI programmer. Results vary depending on the ME firmware version, but generally significantly reduce firmware size, potentially causing minor inconveniences like longer boot times or warning messages.

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(github.com)
Tech Intel ME Firmware reduction Privacy Security

OCR Challenge: Digitizing Saint-Simon's Memoirs

2024-12-17

The author spent several weeks using OCR to digitize a late 19th-century edition of the 18th-century French memoirs, *Les Mémoires de Saint-Simon*. This 45-volume behemoth, containing over 3 million words, is available online as images, but is difficult to read. The goal was to create a readable, searchable, and copyable text version. Challenges included poor image quality and parsing different page zones (headers, main text, margin comments, footnotes, etc.). Google Vision API was used for OCR, with a Python program processing the results to identify and separate text from different areas. While LLMs failed to reliably handle footnote references, the author improved the program and incorporated manual review, resulting in the release of the first volume.

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(blog.medusis.com)
Development Text Processing Digital Humanities

Discourse Celebrates a Decade of Fostering Online Communities

2024-12-17

Discourse, the open-source forum software, celebrated its 10th anniversary on August 26th, 2024. Launched with a vision of raising the standard of online discourse, it has grown from a small team of four to over 100 employees across 25 countries. The platform boasts over 20,000 communities, 107 million topics, and nearly 1.65 billion posts. Continuous development has included the addition of 49 plugins, chat features, and AI-powered tools for moderation and user experience enhancement. This success is a testament to its open-source nature, commitment to user feedback, and the dedication of its team.

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(blog.discourse.org)
Development Open-Source Forum Community Software AI Integration

Wikipedia's Fundraising: A Closer Look at the Millions

2024-12-16

Wikipedia, known for its free information, conducts aggressive fundraising campaigns. This article reveals the Wikimedia Foundation has amassed hundreds of millions of dollars, far exceeding the site's operational needs. The vast sums aren't used to compensate volunteer editors but instead fund a large staff (550 employees) and high executive salaries, leading to discontent among volunteers. The article urges readers to reconsider donating, questioning the efficiency and transparency of funds and highlighting potential political biases.

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(unherd.com)
Misc fundraising financial transparency

Cultivated Meat: From a $330,000 Burger to the Future of Food

2024-12-16

From Winston Churchill's 1931 prediction to the world's first lab-grown burger in 2013, the cultivated meat industry has overcome challenges to become a booming sector. The initial high cost (the first burger cost $330,000) fueled innovation, leading to over 100 companies worldwide investing a total of $2.6 billion. Technological advancements have reduced costs, such as serum-free growth media, and increased efficiency with innovations like PluriMatrix. Regulatory approvals in countries like the US and Singapore are paving the way for wider adoption, though mainstream acceptance is projected to take 20-30 years.

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(www.synbiobeta.com)
Tech cultivated meat cell-based meat food technology

IBM Breakthrough: Beyond Copper Interconnects for Future CMOS Nodes

2024-12-16

IBM researchers presented two papers at the 2024 IEDM conference on back-end-of-line (BEOL) interconnect technology, showcasing advancements in advanced interconnect solutions. The first paper explored improvements and future directions for copper interconnect technology, while the second (co-authored with Samsung) introduced a post-copper alternative utilizing an advanced low-k dielectric (ALK) material and rhodium (Rh). This new technology significantly enhances performance and reliability, reducing resistance and capacitance, and addressing reliability challenges faced by traditional copper interconnects at 24nm and below. This research paves the way for future CMOS node chip manufacturing and provides crucial support for the continued development of high-performance, low-power logic integrated circuits.

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(research.ibm.com)
Hardware chip interconnect back-end interconnect

Schrödinger's Cat and Heisenberg's Cut: Quantum Mechanics' Paradox and Interpretations

2024-12-15

This article delves into Schrödinger's cat thought experiment and its impact on popular culture. Schrödinger proposed this experiment to highlight the absurdity of superposition in quantum mechanics, not to suggest a cat is simultaneously alive and dead. The article further explains Heisenberg's cut—the boundary between quantum mechanics and classical physics—and how different interpretations (like the Copenhagen interpretation) address this cut. The author ultimately argues that quantum mechanics is a powerful probabilistic calculation framework, but its applicability to the macroscopic world requires further investigation.

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(jimbaggott.substack.com)
AI quantum mechanics Schrödinger's cat Heisenberg's cut

Make Your QEMU 10 Times Faster: A Weird Trick

2024-12-17

While debugging NixOS tests, Linus Heckemann discovered painfully slow data copying times (over 2 hours) in a QEMU virtual machine. Performance analysis with `perf` revealed that QEMU's 9p server used an inefficient linked list (O(n) complexity) for file lookups. By switching to a hash table provided by glib (O(1) complexity), he reduced the test time to 7 minutes and successfully contributed the optimization to the QEMU project.

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(linus.schreibt.jetzt)
Development 9p protocol

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

2024-12-16

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

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(www.historytoday.com)
Misc absinthe prohibition social history

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

2024-12-16

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

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(fairchildgarden.org)
Misc mango origin DNA sequencing

Dillo Browser: 25 Years of History, a Resurrection Story

2024-12-16

The Dillo web browser, born in 1999, has weathered 25 years of development. It has stalled several times but persevered. Initially led by Jorge Arellano Cid, it went through major GTK and FLTK phases, with key developers changing hands and the project experiencing ups and downs. In 2024, Rodrigo Arias Mallo took over, and with community help, released version 3.1.1, bringing this veteran browser back into the spotlight. Dillo's story exemplifies the spirit of open source and is a legendary tale of technological legacy and innovation.

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(dillo-browser.github.io)
Development open-source browser

Revolutionary WM12 Energy Recovery Ventilator: Fresh Air Year-Round

2024-12-16

The WM12 is an innovative decentralized energy recovery ventilator (ERV) designed for window installation. Combining two TW4 modules in a durable polypropylene foam casing, it efficiently exchanges indoor and outdoor air while recovering approximately 90% of heat energy. This ensures fresh air without significant heating or cooling costs. Boasting a quiet operation, extremely long lifespan (>50 years), and compatibility with smart home systems, the WM12 offers superior energy efficiency and environmental benefits. Currently in beta, interested users can contact the company via email for more information.

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(www.openerv.ca)
Hardware energy recovery ventilator energy efficiency smart home

Exbody2: High-Fidelity Whole-Body Motion Mimicry in Humanoid Robots

2024-12-18

Researchers have developed Exbody2, a generalized whole-body tracking framework enabling humanoid robots to perform expressive motions with human-like stability. Trained in simulation using Reinforcement Learning and then transferred to the real world, Exbody2 decouples keypoint tracking from velocity control. It leverages a privileged teacher policy to distill precise mimicry skills, achieving high-fidelity replication of dynamic movements such as running, crouching, and dancing. Experiments on two humanoid platforms demonstrate superior performance compared to state-of-the-art methods, providing practical guidelines for advanced whole-body control in humanoid robotics.

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(exbody2.github.io)
AI Robotics Reinforcement Learning Whole-body Control

HTMX v2.0.4 Release Notes: Bug Fixes and Improvements

2024-12-14

The HTMX v2.0.4 release notes detail numerous bug fixes and improvements. This release focuses on stability and compatibility enhancements, including fixes for nested shadow root issues, improved `hx-boost` behavior on forms, better support for Web Components and Shadow DOM, and updated extensions for improved performance and reliability. Adjustments to the `htmx.ajax` function and optimizations to `hx-trigger` event handling are also included.

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(github.com)
Development Release Bug Fixes

HDMI 2.2 to Debut at CES 2025 with Higher Resolutions and Refresh Rates

2024-12-14

The HDMI Forum will unveil the new HDMI 2.2 standard at CES 2025 in January. This next-generation standard promises higher bandwidths, resolutions (potentially including 8K at 120Hz and beyond), and refresh rates. The timing coincides with anticipated releases from Nvidia (RTX 50-series) and AMD (Radeon RX 8000-series), suggesting compatibility. A new cable may be required to fully utilize the advancements. This upgrade is poised to significantly enhance consumer experiences with ultra-high-definition media and gaming.

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(www.tomshardware.com)
Hardware

18th-Century Dental Horror Stories: When Tooth Extraction Could Mean Losing Your Jaw

2024-12-14

This article recounts cases from Thomas Berdmore's 1768 treatise on dental disorders, painting a grim picture of 18th-century dentistry. Patients suffered immensely from oral ulcers, tartar buildup, and the often disastrous consequences of unqualified practitioners. One case describes a barber-surgeon removing a tooth along with a walnut-sized piece of jawbone! These stories highlight the primitive techniques and significant risks of the time, contrasting sharply with modern dentistry. While progress has been made, the article serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges of access and affordability in dental care.

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(thequackdoctor.substack.com)
Misc 18th-century dentistry medical history dental treatment

Microsoft Unveils Phi-4: A Small Language Model Excelling in Complex Reasoning

2024-12-15

Microsoft has introduced Phi-4, a new 14-billion parameter small language model (SLM) that outperforms larger models in complex reasoning tasks, particularly in mathematics, surpassing even Gemini Pro 1.5 on math competition problems. This achievement is attributed to high-quality synthetic and organic datasets and post-training innovations. Currently available on Azure AI Foundry under an MSRLA, Phi-4 will launch on Hugging Face next week. Microsoft emphasizes its commitment to responsible AI development, integrating robust safety features into Phi-4's design and deployment.

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(techcommunity.microsoft.com)
AI small language model complex reasoning

IRATA.ONLINE: Retro Computing Community Gets PLATOTerm Updates

2024-12-14

IRATA.ONLINE, a PLATO-based online service for retro-computing enthusiasts, has released updated versions of its PLATOTerm terminal emulator. Now supporting Atari 8-bit, C64, Amiga, and Android, IRATA.ONLINE offers a multi-user graphical interface, multiplayer games, social features, and a development environment. This platform aims to revive the PLATO system, providing a unique social and development experience for users.

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(irata.online)
Game terminal emulator

Xiaomi Home Assistant Integration Component Officially Launched

2024-12-16

Xiaomi officially released the Xiaomi Home Assistant integration component, enabling users to integrate their Xiaomi IoT smart devices into Home Assistant. The component supports various installation methods, including Git clone, HACS, and manual installation. Users need to log in with their Xiaomi account; multiple accounts and region selection are supported. The component supports most Xiaomi smart home devices but currently excludes Bluetooth, infrared, and virtual devices. Control methods include cloud control and local control (requiring a Xiaomi central gateway or devices with built-in gateway functionality). It maps MIoT-Spec-V2 to Home Assistant entities. The component also supports multiple languages and a debug mode, prioritizing user privacy and security, but requires careful storage of configuration files.

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(github.com)
Development Xiaomi Smart Home IoT Integration

Muscle Atrophy as We Climb the Kardashev Scale

2024-12-16

As humanity ascends the Kardashev Scale, a paradox emerges: increased energy access correlates with decreased physical labor. The author outlines three biomechanical stages: pre-industrial, where physical exertion was essential; industrial-modern, where machines reduced manual labor; and post-biological, where humans might remotely control robots via brain-computer interfaces, rendering physical bodies obsolete. This raises questions about the future of humanity's physical form and the complex relationship between technological advancement and human evolution.

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(solmaz.io)
Misc Kardashev Scale Biomechanics Future of Humanity
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