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PicoRuby: A Lightweight Ruby Implementation for Microcontrollers

2025-03-24

PicoRuby: A Lightweight Ruby Implementation for Microcontrollers

PicoRuby is a lightweight mruby implementation with a small footprint: 256KB ROM and under 128KB RAM (32-bit architecture). Highly portable, it depends only on standard C libraries and supports microcontrollers like the Raspberry Pi Pico. Still under development, it provides API documentation, demo videos, and build tools. The `rake` command builds three executables: `picorbc` (compiles Ruby to mruby VM code), `picoruby` (executes Ruby code directly), and `r2p2` (for specific use). Developed by HASUMI Hitoshi and Monstarlab with funding from the Ruby Association.

(github.com)

Development embedded Ruby

Dollar's Freefall: Worst Year Ever, De-Dollarization Slow

2025-07-04

Dollar's Freefall: Worst Year Ever, De-Dollarization Slow

The US dollar is on track for its worst year in modern history, down over 7% and potentially falling another 10% according to Morgan Stanley. A weaker dollar boosts US exports but increases import costs, exacerbating tariff impacts. While de-dollarization efforts, such as increased gold reserves and currency promotion, are underway, the dollar's dominance remains largely unchallenged. History shows significant dollar fluctuations often create instability; the 1973 devaluation led to Nixon taking the US off the gold standard.

(www.semafor.com)

Tech dollar devaluation de-dollarization global financial system

Hospitals Reporting Mothers to Child Welfare After Administering Medications During Childbirth

2024-12-14

Hospitals Reporting Mothers to Child Welfare After Administering Medications During Childbirth

A surge in reports to child welfare agencies is occurring across the U.S. Hospitals are administering medications like pain relievers and sedatives during labor, then reporting mothers to child welfare when subsequent drug tests on the mother or newborn come back positive for the same substances. These positive tests, often false positives due to commonly prescribed medications, lead to police involvement, child welfare investigations, and even child removal. The investigation reveals a lack of verification procedures and excessive surveillance of pregnant women. Experts call for improved hospital drug testing and reporting protocols to prevent harm to mothers and families.

(www.themarshallproject.org)

Misc Medical Malpractice Drug Testing Child Welfare

NSF Lays Off 168 Employees, Raising Concerns About US Tech Competitiveness

2025-02-19

NSF Lays Off 168 Employees, Raising Concerns About US Tech Competitiveness

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently laid off 168 employees, sparking concerns within the scientific community. The layoffs, ostensibly to comply with President Trump's executive order aiming for a smaller federal workforce, have targeted many program officers responsible for evaluating grant applications and managing research programs. This threatens to slow down research, delay scientific breakthroughs, and potentially harm US competitiveness in science and technology. The firings have also raised controversy, with allegations of improperly dismissed high-performing employees and questionable justifications. The move wastes resources, demoralizes scientists, and casts a shadow over the future of US scientific advancement.

(www.npr.org)

Tech NSF layoffs tech competitiveness

Elizabeth Holmes' Prison PR Stunt Backfires

2025-02-13

Elizabeth Holmes' Prison PR Stunt Backfires

Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of Theranos, continues her PR campaign from behind bars. Her recent interview with People magazine, painting a sympathetic picture of her prison life and motherhood, has been met with widespread skepticism. Holmes' continued denial of fraud and attempts to rehabilitate her image through portraying herself as a caring mother contrast sharply with her past actions and highlight her seeming addiction to fame. The timing and tactics of her PR efforts only amplify the public's perception of her manipulative nature.

(www.theverge.com)

Startup Elizabeth Holmes corporate fraud

Declassified: The DIY Nuclear Weapon – The 'Nth Country Experiment'

2025-01-24

The National Security Archive has released declassified documents detailing the 'Nth Country Experiment,' a secret mid-1960s project at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. A small team of physicists, using only publicly available information, designed a functional nuclear weapon in just three years. This 'do-it-yourself' project demonstrated the feasibility of nuclear weapon development with limited resources, highlighting the dangers of nuclear proliferation. The released documents, while heavily redacted, reveal insights into the experiment's methodology and conclusions, sparking renewed discussion about the protection of nuclear weapons design information and the threat of nuclear terrorism.

(nsarchive.gwu.edu)

Tech nuclear proliferation nuclear weapons

Tenochtitlan: A Lake-Based Metropolis in 1518

2025-02-09

Tenochtitlan: A Lake-Based Metropolis in 1518

In 1518, Tenochtitlan, once a humble settlement on Lake Texcoco, had blossomed into a sprawling metropolis, the capital of an empire ruling over 5 million people. Home to 200,000 farmers, artisans, merchants, soldiers, priests, and aristocrats, it was one of the world's largest cities. Today, we know it as Mexico City. This article uses historical and archaeological sources to vividly recreate this iconic city built on a lake.

(tenochtitlan.thomaskole.nl)

Misc ancient city Mexican history Tenochtitlan

London Police Storm Quaker Meeting House, Arresting Climate Activists

2025-03-30

London Police Storm Quaker Meeting House, Arresting Climate Activists

Over 20 Metropolitan Police officers forcibly entered a Quaker meeting house, arresting six women who were discussing climate change and Gaza. This is believed to be the first time in the history of the pacifist Quakers that police have breached one of their places of worship. The women, attending a welcome meeting for a non-violent protest group, were handcuffed, their belongings confiscated, and their student accommodation subsequently raided. The police action has drawn widespread criticism.

(www.thetimes.com)

Misc climate activism Quakers

Ancient Books Under Siege: A Millennium-Old Library Fights Back Against Beetles

2025-07-20

Ancient Books Under Siege: A Millennium-Old Library Fights Back Against Beetles

The 1000-year-old Pannonhalma Archabbey library in Hungary, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is battling a devastating beetle infestation threatening its 400,000-volume collection. Around 100,000 books, many centuries old, are being painstakingly removed and placed in oxygen-free environments to kill the drugstore beetles that have burrowed into their pages. This herculean effort underscores the importance of preserving cultural heritage and highlights the growing threat posed by climate change, as warmer temperatures accelerate insect lifecycles.

(www.npr.org)

Misc pest infestation

Website Requires JavaScript

2024-12-23

The website displays a message indicating that JavaScript needs to be enabled to run the application. This prompts users to check their browser settings and ensure that JavaScript is enabled to access and use the website's features properly.

(jobs.ashbyhq.com)

Misc

Ada, the Surprisingly Resilient Programming Language

2025-07-14

Ada, the Surprisingly Resilient Programming Language

Tiobe CEO Paul Jansen predicts that Ada, a system programming language dating back to the late 1970s, might outlast contemporaries like Visual Basic, Perl, and Fortran. While top languages like Python, C#, and Java have seen little change in Tiobe's index over the past two years, older languages show more fluctuation. Jansen bets on Ada's survival due to its strength in safety-critical systems, a domain with growing security demands. Currently, Ada ranks 10th in the index, tied with Delphi/Object Pascal.

(www.infoworld.com)

Development

X's Engineering Director Abruptly Departs

2025-03-25

X's Engineering Director Abruptly Departs

Haofei Wang, X's director of engineering, has unexpectedly left the company, according to sources. Joining in July 2023, Wang was a key figure bridging Elon Musk and the engineering team. Recently, with Musk focusing on xAI and DOGE, Wang effectively led engineering and product. His departure's reason remains unclear. X recently added engineering leadership from Robinhood. X's business appears to be recovering, recently valued at $44 billion, thanks to xAI's rising profile and Musk's political influence. While Musk remains active on X, his attention is divided. Musk's 'everything app' vision, similar to WeChat, is yet to materialize, though the X Money payment platform is expected later this year.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Engineering Director Departure

Taara Lightbridge: Bridging the Connectivity Gap with Light

2025-03-17

Taara Lightbridge: Bridging the Connectivity Gap with Light

Taara addresses the growing global demand for data by offering a solution to the high cost and difficulty of traditional fiber optic cable deployment. Their Lightbridge system uses narrow beams of light to transmit data wirelessly at speeds up to 20 Gbps over distances of up to 20 kilometers. Installation takes only hours, eliminating the need for trenching or cable laying. This technology brings high-speed internet access to areas previously underserved, including dense cities, across bodies of water, and in rugged terrain, unlocking economic, educational, and social benefits.

(x.company)

Tech optical communication high-speed internet wireless connectivity

Life After the Newag DRM Disclosure: A 38C3 Report

2024-12-29

Life After the Newag DRM Disclosure: A 38C3 Report

Following the disclosure at 37C3 of remote failure simulation code in Newag trains, security researchers faced a backlash. This update details the aftermath, including legal battles with Newag and train operators, media interactions, and multiple official investigations. The report also reveals new cases from different train operators, illustrating the challenges faced by security researchers when confronting powerful adversaries.

(media.ccc.de)

Tech security research legal battles

Open-Source E-Paper Dev Kit Hits 75Hz Refresh Rate

2025-08-12

Open-Source E-Paper Dev Kit Hits 75Hz Refresh Rate

The Modos Paper Dev Kit is an open-hardware e-paper monitor development kit boasting a blazing-fast 75Hz refresh rate, low latency, customizable screen updates, multiple image modes, and flexible dithering. Connecting via HDMI or USB, it's compatible with Linux, macOS, and Windows. Available in 6-inch and 13-inch monochrome options, its controller is adaptable to other panels. Addressing challenges like proprietary systems, lack of standards, and high costs in e-paper technology, Modos aims to foster a community dedicated to establishing best practices and unlocking e-paper's full potential.

(www.crowdsupply.com)

Hardware

SQLite Date and Time Functions Enhanced: More Powerful Date/Time Manipulation

2025-06-15

SQLite's date and time functions have been enhanced to provide richer functionality. This document details the five core functions: `date`, `time`, `datetime`, `julianday`, and `strftime`, along with various time string formats and modifiers like `unixepoch` and `localtime`, enabling more flexible date/time calculations and formatting. A user-contributed patch is also highlighted, adding numerous features such as `start of week`, `end of day` modifiers, and `group * by` functionality for convenient aggregation.

(www2.sqlite.org)

Development Date/Time Functions

DARPA Shatters Records with Long-Range Wireless Power Beaming

2025-06-16

DARPA's Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program has achieved a breakthrough, setting new records for wireless power transmission. The POWER Receiver Array Demo (PRAD) successfully beamed over 800 watts of power over a distance of 8.6 kilometers (5.3 miles) for 30 seconds. This accomplishment utilizes a novel receiver technology converting laser energy into usable electricity with over 20% efficiency. Scalable for use in platforms such as UAVs, this technology promises to revolutionize military energy supply, eliminating reliance on traditional, vulnerable methods.

(www.darpa.mil)

Tech wireless power beaming laser energy transmission

ChatGPT's Subtle but Significant Impact on Human Language

2025-08-28

ChatGPT's Subtle but Significant Impact on Human Language

Researchers at Florida State University have found that large language models like ChatGPT are subtly altering the way we speak. By analyzing lexical trends before and after ChatGPT's 2022 release, they discovered a convergence between human word choices and patterns associated with AI buzzwords. Increased usage of words like "delve" and "intricate," frequently overused by LLMs, points to a possible "seep-in effect," where AI's influence extends beyond mere tool usage to reshape how people communicate. This raises concerns about potential biases and misalignments in LLMs and their impact on human behavior. The study highlights the need for further research into AI's role in language evolution.

(news.fsu.edu)

AI

Lock-Free Queue in C++: A Deep Dive into Atomics and Memory Ordering

2025-05-30

This article delves into the complexities of atomics and memory ordering in C++, culminating in a basic implementation of a lock-free queue. The author meticulously explains the indivisibility of atomic operations and the impact of different memory ordering models (relaxed, release-acquire, seq_cst) on concurrent programming, using illustrative examples to demonstrate how they prevent data races. A lock-free queue based on a linked list is then attempted, detailing the `enqueue` and `dequeue` operations. However, the author acknowledges the implementation's incompleteness, specifically its failure to address the ABA problem. The article is a comprehensive guide suitable for readers with some experience in concurrent C++ programming.

(redixhumayun.github.io)

Development Lock-Free Queue

Covert Web-to-App Tracking via Localhost on Android: Meta and Yandex Caught

2025-06-03

Researchers have uncovered a novel tracking method employed by Meta and Yandex, potentially impacting billions of Android users. Native apps like Facebook, Instagram, and several Yandex apps silently listen on localhost ports, receiving browser metadata and cookies from Meta Pixel and Yandex Metrica scripts embedded on websites. This allows linking browsing sessions to user identities, bypassing privacy measures. Meta has since updated its Pixel script (as of June 3rd) to stop sending data to localhost.

(localmess.github.io)

Tech

WordPress Crisis: Mullenweg's Actions and the Future of the Community

2025-01-13

A series of controversial actions by WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg has triggered a community crisis. His legal battle with WP Engine led to the shutdown of WordPress.org and a drastic reduction in contributions to the open-source project. He subsequently shut down the WordPress Sustainability Committee and deactivated accounts of users discussing a potential fork. These actions have sparked widespread discontent within the community and raised concerns about the future direction of WordPress, prompting some developers to explore alternatives. This crisis highlights the reliance of open-source projects on strong leadership and community engagement, and the risks of concentrated power in a single individual.

(anderegg.ca)

Development Community Crisis

Revolutionizing Metal 3D Printing: Wire-Based Laser Deposition

2025-02-02

Revolutionizing Metal 3D Printing: Wire-Based Laser Deposition

Spanish company Meltio has developed a revolutionary metal 3D printing technology that eliminates the hassles of powder-based methods. Using metal wire as feedstock, multiple low-power diode lasers melt the wire, building parts layer by layer. Called LMD (Wire-Laser Metal Deposition), this efficient and clean process requires no powder cleanup, handles various metals and alloys, allows for mixing metals, and enables repair of existing parts. Furthermore, Meltio's technology can be easily integrated into existing robotic arms or CNC machines, significantly lowering costs and barriers to entry.

(www.core77.com)

Tech metal printing

Internet Archive: A Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine

2024-12-22

The Internet Archive is a non-profit organization dedicated to universal access to knowledge. It provides a massive digital library of websites (via the Wayback Machine), books, movies, music, and more, offering a free and easily accessible resource for researchers, educators, and the public. Users can freely browse and download these materials, exploring the history and cultural diversity of the internet.

(archive.org)

Misc Internet Archive digital library

Mux: Video Infrastructure for Developers

2025-09-11

Mux: Video Infrastructure for Developers

Mux democratizes video by tackling the hard problems developers face building video applications: encoding, streaming (Mux Video), and monitoring (Mux Data). The team boasts experience from Google, YouTube, Twitch, and more, backed by top-tier investors like Coatue, Accel, and Andreessen Horowitz. They've built a robust platform used by companies ranging from startups to giants like Reddit, Vimeo, and Robinhood, aiming to improve the overall video experience.

(mux.com)

Development

NFC Release 15: Quadrupled Range, Enhanced User Experience

2025-06-18

NFC Release 15: Quadrupled Range, Enhanced User Experience

The NFC Forum's latest specification, NFC Release 15, extends the operating range of NFC-enabled devices from 0.5cm to 2cm—a fourfold increase. This enhancement boosts reliability, leading to faster transactions and a smoother user experience. Consumers will benefit from improved ease of use, while industries like automotive and public transport will see increased efficiency. Release 15 includes updated technical standards and a new certification program, ensuring compatibility and performance across devices. The upgrade addresses market demand for greater reliability and range, particularly crucial for smaller devices and complex applications.

(nfc-forum.org)

Tech Near Field Communication Technology Upgrade

Janitor AI, an Adult AI Roleplay Platform, Shuts Down

2025-08-13

Janitor AI, an Adult AI Roleplay Platform, Shuts Down

Janitor AI, a chatbot platform allowing users to create and interact with AI characters for personalized role-playing and conversations, shut down on July 24, 2025. Launched in 2023, it quickly gained popularity, particularly among those seeking immersive, emotional AI interactions. The platform offered customization of character personalities, appearances, and dialogue settings, supporting various Large Language Models (LLMs). Targeted at adults, Janitor AI also boasted a large creative community similar to Ao3 or Wattpad, used by many for creative expression and connecting with other users. Its closure was due to geoblocking stemming from OSA.

(www.blocked.org.uk)

Game AI Roleplay Platform Shutdown

Homegrown Lexical Closures in a Lisp-like uxn Environment

2025-06-19

The author describes niënor, a Lisp-like environment for the uxn virtual machine, focusing on its innovative approach to implementing lexically scoped closures. Instead of the complex approach of copying functions and replacing unbound variables at runtime, niënor cleverly adds environment variables as parameters to lambda functions at compile time. At runtime, a wrapper function (portal) is generated to pass these environment variables. This avoids runtime code generation and complex address calculations, providing an efficient and elegant solution for closures. The system also includes `malloc` and `free` for dynamic memory management of these closures.

(krzysckh.org)

Development

Intel's OpenVINO Brings AI Effects to Audacity

2025-02-16

Intel has released a suite of OpenVINO-powered AI plugins for Audacity, offering noise suppression, transcription, music generation, and separation capabilities. Noise suppression functions similarly to Audacity's built-in tool; transcription, powered by Whisper.cpp, transcribes and translates audio; music generation and style remix leverage Stable Diffusion to create new music; and music separation splits tracks into vocals, instruments, or individual components like drums and bass. Currently, only a Windows version is available for download on GitHub.

(www.audacityteam.org)

Development AI audio processing Audacity plugin

Urgent: Malicious nx Build Kit Steals GitHub Keys

2025-08-27

Urgent: Malicious nx Build Kit Steals GitHub Keys

A malicious post-install command in the popular nx build kit has been discovered, creating a repository prefixed with 's1ngularity-repository' on affected users' GitHub accounts. This malware steals wallets, API keys, and environment variables, storing them in a base64-encoded file. Cleverly, it leverages LLMs like Claude Code CLI or Gemini CLI to offload much of its fingerprintable code to a prompt, making detection harder. Impacted versions of nx have been removed from npm. Users should immediately check their GitHub accounts, update nx to the latest safe version, and rotate any compromised secrets.

(semgrep.dev)

Development nx build kit github security

Embedding Dimensions: From 300 to 4096, and Beyond

2025-09-08

A few years ago, 200-300 dimensional embeddings were common. However, with the rise of deep learning models like BERT and GPT, and advancements in GPU computing, embedding dimensionality has exploded. We've seen a progression from BERT's 768 dimensions to GPT-3's 1536 and now models with 4096 dimensions or more. This is driven by architectural changes (Transformers), larger training datasets, the rise of platforms like Hugging Face, and advancements in vector databases. While increased dimensionality offers performance gains, it also introduces storage and inference challenges. Recent research explores more efficient embedding representations, such as Matryoshka learning, aiming for a better balance between performance and efficiency.

(vickiboykis.com)

AI model dimensions

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