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May Day Math: Maypole Dancing and Braid Groups

2025-06-09

May Day Math: Maypole Dancing and Braid Groups

Attending a May Day party, the author was inspired by a traditional maypole dance to explore its mathematical underpinnings. The intricate braiding of ribbons reminded him of braid groups in group theory. However, the standard braid group proved insufficient to describe all possible patterns. He proposed a new group, the "Maypole Braid Group," defined by generators and relations, extending the classic braid group to encompass the circular nature of the maypole dance.

(divisbyzero.com)

Misc Braid Groups

Zedis: A Redis-compatible In-Memory Data Store in Zig

2025-09-19

Zedis: A Redis-compatible In-Memory Data Store in Zig

Zedis is a Redis-compatible in-memory data store written in Zig, designed for learning and experimentation. It implements core Redis protocol and data structures, focusing on simplicity, performance, and thread safety. It supports core Redis commands (GET, SET, INCR, etc.), multiple data types, and disk persistence (RDB), with pub/sub recently added. Zedis is easy to build and use, with a codebase following Zig conventions, featuring type-safe operations, explicit error handling, and comprehensive logging.

(github.com)

Development in-memory database

arXivLabs: Experimenting with Community Collaboration

2025-04-20

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

(arxiv.org)

Development

Microsoft Kills Off Remote Desktop App, Forcing Migration to Windows App

2025-04-04

Microsoft Kills Off Remote Desktop App, Forcing Migration to Windows App

Microsoft is ending support for its legacy Remote Desktop application on May 27th, mandating a migration to the new Windows App. While the new app offers unified access to services like Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop, along with features such as customizable home screens and multi-monitor support, it also has limitations. Some proxy server environments and AD FS single sign-on are not supported, leading to user inconvenience. The move has been criticized by some as "the dumbest rebranding ever."

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

Unsure Calculator: Taming Uncertainty in Everyday Calculations

2025-04-15

Unsure Calculator: Taming Uncertainty in Everyday Calculations

Filip Hracek introduces an uncertainty calculator that simplifies statistical reasoning by allowing input of numerical ranges (e.g., 4~6, representing a 95% confidence interval). Using a Monte Carlo method, the calculator handles basic arithmetic, powers, roots, and trigonometric functions, providing probability distributions and percentiles for a more comprehensive analysis. Illustrated with examples like a family's financial decision-making process and the Drake equation, the article showcases its practicality while acknowledging limitations such as slow computation and a rudimentary user interface. The calculator empowers users to make informed decisions despite inherent uncertainties.

(filiph.github.io)

Development uncertainty calculation Monte Carlo method

Intel Sells 51% Stake in Altera to Silver Lake

2025-04-14

Intel announced it has agreed to sell a 51% stake in its FPGA subsidiary, Altera, to Silver Lake, a global technology investment firm, for $8.75 billion. This move aims to improve Intel's financial position and grant Altera greater independence to focus on growth in the AI-driven market. Altera CEO Sandra Rivera will step down, to be replaced by Raghib Hussain, former president of Products and Technologies at Marvell. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025, leaving Intel with a 49% stake.

(newsroom.intel.com)

Tech

Lago: Open-Source Monetization Platform Hiring Backend Engineers

2025-03-16

Lago, an open-source platform (7k+ GitHub stars), helps engineers build better monetization systems, including usage metering, subscription management, billing, invoicing, and payments. Used by companies like Mistral, Together, Groq, and Laravel, Lago's team previously built Qonto's (a fintech unicorn) monetization system. They're a lean team of 25 (mostly engineers) seeking backend engineers. The role offers a competitive salary ($60k-$100k), remote-friendly options, and is based in LATAM (within +/- 1 hour of NYC timezone). Their values emphasize ambition, progress, humble confidence, paying it forward, and work-life balance.

(jobs.lever.co)

Development monetization backend

World's Largest Wildlife Crossing Nears Completion

2025-06-22

World's Largest Wildlife Crossing Nears Completion

Three years in the making, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the world's largest wildlife overpass, is nearing completion. Located in Agoura Hills, California, this nearly one-acre bridge spans a 10-lane section of US 101, aiming to reconnect the bisected Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The bridge structure is finished, and crews are now adding 6,000 cubic yards of specialized soil and planting 5,000 native plants to create a thriving wildlife habitat. This project is crucial for protecting mountain lions and other animals from highway collisions, enhancing their habitat connectivity, and ensuring their long-term survival.

(www.thedrive.com)

Tech

Japan's Blazing Fast Transit Cards: The FeliCa Advantage

2025-05-17

Japan's Blazing Fast Transit Cards: The FeliCa Advantage

Japan's public transport system is famously efficient, and a key part of that is its incredibly fast tap-in/tap-out gates. This speed is thanks to FeliCa, a Sony-developed NFC technology that outperforms Western alternatives like MIFARE. FeliCa's offline transaction processing, storing value and transaction history directly on the card, significantly speeds up the process. The article delves into FeliCa's technical details, the Osaifu-Keitai mobile payment system, its impressive security, and potential future research avenues including a miniature train station network simulation and investigating the physics behind FeliCa's speed.

(aruarian.dance)

Tech Public Transport

Debugging Java Logic Errors with Unit Tests

2025-05-07

Debugging Java Logic Errors with Unit Tests

Logic errors in Java development are notoriously difficult to debug using traditional methods. This article introduces a test-driven debugging approach, utilizing unit tests to discover and pinpoint logic errors. It details various testing techniques, including hypothesis testing, state progression tests, and regression testing, and explains how to leverage test results to understand code behavior and ultimately improve logic. The article also mentions AI-assisted unit testing tools that can help developers more effectively uncover potential logic vulnerabilities.

(www.qodo.ai)

Development Logic Errors

Framework Laptop 12 Ships, 13 (Ryzen 300) In Stock, and Events Announced!

2025-06-25

Framework Laptop 12 Ships, 13 (Ryzen 300) In Stock, and Events Announced!

Framework announces shipments of the highly-repairable Framework Laptop 12 have begun, alongside immediate availability of the Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen 300 Series). Several upcoming events are highlighted, including the Open Source Summit North America and ISTELive, where attendees can experience the full product lineup. Early access to the Laptop 12 is available through a donation program with Hack Club.

(frame.work)

Hardware Repairable

Building Databases on Object Storage: Taming High Latency

2025-04-19

Building Databases on Object Storage: Taming High Latency

This post delves into common challenges, particularly high latency, encountered when building databases on object storage like AWS S3. The author highlights that object storage latency often follows a lognormal distribution, with long tail latencies significantly impacting performance. To mitigate this, three strategies are proposed: request hedging (sending multiple requests and taking the fastest response), latency-based retrying (retrying after exceeding a threshold), and using different endpoints. Furthermore, the post advocates for caching and horizontal scaling to further optimize performance. Caching reduces the number of object storage accesses, while horizontal scaling leverages the range read API of object storage to boost throughput. The author emphasizes that the optimal strategy depends on the specific application and cost considerations. A Rust program demonstrating these strategies is also mentioned.

(spiraldb.com)

Development object storage

TLA+: Modeling Beyond the Code Level

2025-06-03

TLA+ is a language for modeling software above the code level and hardware above the circuit level. It features an IDE and tools for model checking, most notably the TLC model checker. Based on mathematics, it differs significantly from programming languages. PlusCal, a simpler algorithm language, translates to TLA+ for verification. TLA+ models system behavior as sequences of states, emphasizing the importance of high-level modeling to prevent design flaws and enhance system simplicity. One industrial project demonstrated a tenfold reduction in real-time operating system code size using TLA+, highlighting its power in improving design before coding.

(lamport.azurewebsites.net)

Development concurrent systems

50-Year-Old Conjecture on Space vs. Time in Computation Cracked

2025-06-07

50-Year-Old Conjecture on Space vs. Time in Computation Cracked

A central question in complexity theory is the relationship between P and PSPACE, classes encompassing problems solvable in reasonable time and space, respectively. Intuitively, space is a more powerful resource than time because it's reusable. For 50 years, researchers aimed to prove PSPACE is larger than P, meaning some problems are impossible to solve quickly but solvable with limited space. Hopcroft, Paul, and Valiant made a breakthrough in 1975, showing space is slightly more powerful than time. However, this progress was limited by the 'simulation' approach. Ryan Williams finally broke the deadlock with a novel approach, solving the long-standing problem.

(www.quantamagazine.org)

Development

The Flaws of Packed SIMD and the Rise of Vector Processors

2025-04-24

This article delves into the inherent flaws of Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) architectures, such as scalability issues stemming from fixed register widths, performance bottlenecks due to pipelining, and the overhead of tail handling. These limitations hinder SIMD's efficiency in processing large datasets. The article contrasts SIMD with vector processors (e.g., Cray-1, RISC-V RVV, and ARM SVE), which address SIMD's shortcomings through flexible vector lengths and hardware-level tail handling. Alternative approaches like the Virtual Vector Method (VVM) are also explored, offering new avenues for enhanced data processing performance.

(www.bitsnbites.eu)

Development vector processors instruction set architecture

He Rewrote Everything in Rust – Then We Got Fired

2025-07-22

He Rewrote Everything in Rust – Then We Got Fired

A six-person team, using Node.js, Redis, AWS Lambdas, and MongoDB for microservices, was constantly firefighting due to performance bottlenecks. Kabir, the quietest member, proposed rewriting the image pipeline in Rust. Despite skepticism, he completed the rewrite solo. Post-launch, performance graphs soared, but a month later, the entire team was laid off. This story highlights that even significant technical improvements don't guarantee job security; company decisions often transcend technical merit.

(medium.com)

Development

Iceland Revives EU Accession Bid: Referendum Planned Before 2027

2024-12-29

Iceland Revives EU Accession Bid: Referendum Planned Before 2027

Iceland's new government has reignited the country's bid to join the European Union. A shift in public opinion, fueled by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, now sees more Icelanders favoring EU membership. The new Foreign Minister has announced a referendum on continuing EU accession talks, to be held before 2027. This follows a complex history: Iceland applied to join the EU after the 2008 financial crisis, but a later conservative government paused and attempted to cancel the negotiations. With recent polls showing strong support for EU membership, Iceland may finally join the EU, potentially impacting EFTA, Norway, and the UK's EU policies.

(mikegalsworthy.substack.com)

Misc Iceland Referendum

FTC Sues Uber Over Deceptive Subscription Practices

2025-04-21

FTC Sues Uber Over Deceptive Subscription Practices

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today filed a lawsuit against Uber, alleging that the ride-sharing and delivery company charged consumers for its Uber One subscription service without consent, failed to deliver promised savings, and made it difficult for users to cancel despite a 'cancel anytime' promise. FTC Chair Andrew N. Ferguson stated that Americans are tired of unwanted subscriptions that are nearly impossible to cancel. The FTC alleges Uber not only deceived consumers but also made cancellation unreasonably difficult. The complaint details deceptive billing and cancellation practices, including falsely advertised savings, obscured subscription information, unauthorized charges, and an excessively complex cancellation process. The FTC contends Uber's actions violate the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA).

(www.ftc.gov)

Startup

Docker Model Runner: Streamlining Local AI Model Execution

2025-04-14

Docker Model Runner: Streamlining Local AI Model Execution

Docker launched Model Runner, a tool designed to simplify running and testing AI models locally. It tackles the challenges developers face with fragmented tooling, hardware compatibility issues, and disconnected workflows when working with AI models locally. Model Runner integrates a llama.cpp-based inference engine, supports GPU acceleration on Apple silicon, and utilizes OCI Artifacts for standardized model packaging, enabling easy sharing and version control. Furthermore, Docker has partnered with companies like Google and Hugging Face to provide a rich ecosystem of models and tools, making local AI development significantly easier.

(www.docker.com)

Development

Linus vs. Tanenbaum: A Clash of OS Design Philosophies

2025-02-08

This thread captures a heated debate between Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux, and Andrew S. Tanenbaum, author of Minix. The core disagreement centers on operating system design philosophy: Linus advocated leveraging the strengths of specific hardware (like the 386), while Tanenbaum prioritized portability and operation on low-end hardware. Linus criticized Minix's design limitations in performance and functionality, while Tanenbaum countered that Linux was too hardware-dependent. This debate highlights contrasting OS design approaches and reflects the impact of hardware limitations on software development at the time.

(groups.google.com)

Development Operating System Design

Seismic Shift in Algorithm Simulation: Memory Breakthrough

2025-06-07

A groundbreaking result has shaken the foundations of algorithm simulation. Ryan Williams's new research demonstrates that all algorithms can be simulated using significantly less memory than their original runtime, a vast improvement over previous best-known results. This breakthrough leverages a space-efficient tree evaluation algorithm by Cook and Mertz, cleverly segmenting Turing machine computations and using finite field encoding to achieve a near-quadratic improvement in space complexity. While not preserving the time bound, this landmark result has profound implications for complexity theory and opens avenues for future research, such as further reducing space complexity bounds, potentially leading to the separation of P and PSPACE complexity classes.

(blog.computationalcomplexity.org)

Development algorithm complexity

Meta's AI Gamble: Reshaping Global GDP?

2025-05-05

Meta's AI Gamble: Reshaping Global GDP?

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions AI as the key to boosting Meta's core advertising business and significantly increasing advertising's share of global GDP. Meta's massive AI investment isn't just about better ad targeting; it encompasses business messaging, Meta AI, AI devices, and enhanced user experiences. This ambitious strategy positions Meta to challenge Google Search, Apple's iPhone, and ChatGPT. While some investors remain skeptical about the ROI, early results are promising, with a new Reels ad model boosting conversion rates by 5% and nearly a third of advertisers using AI creative tools.

(finance.yahoo.com)

Tech

A Marriage Proposal in Corporate Jargon: Hilariously Inefficient

2025-01-15

A Marriage Proposal in Corporate Jargon: Hilariously Inefficient

This humorous piece details a marriage proposal conducted entirely in corporate jargon. Gary uses terms like 'optimization,' 'hockey-stick growth,' and 'value-add' to express his love, while Cindy responds with 'ROI,' 'core values,' and other business terms, showcasing the humor and unique romance of modern professionals. Their engagement unfolds amidst discussions of 'data-driven insights' and 'single source of truth,' satirizing the prevalence of corporate jargon and efficiency-obsessed culture. The piece ultimately celebrates the adaptability of love in unexpected contexts.

(www.mcsweeneys.net)

Misc marriage proposal

Gym Class: Hiring a Senior Animation Engineer for Meta Quest Hit

2025-04-25

Gym Class: Hiring a Senior Animation Engineer for Meta Quest Hit

Gym Class, a leading social game on Meta Quest with millions of downloads and a 4.9-star rating, is expanding! They're seeking an experienced Animation Engineer to lead the design, development, and implementation of character animation systems in Unity. This role demands expertise in Unity and C#, proven mobile game animation experience, strong understanding of IK, animation blending, and state machines, and a knack for mobile performance optimization. You'll lead a high-performing team and shape the future of character movement in the game.

(www.ycombinator.com)

Game Animation Engineering

Retro Gaming UI Showcase: A Blast from the 80s Past

2025-04-27

This article showcases a vast collection of user interface screenshots from classic 80s home computers and consoles, including the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC. The screenshots depict UIs for various games and programs, spanning programming languages like BASIC, FORTH, and ASM. Classic games such as Boulderdash and Bomb Jack are represented, showcasing the simple yet charming UI designs of the era.

(floooh.github.io)

Game 80s home computers

Commencement Speech: Ditch the 'Drifting,' Chart Your Course

2025-05-23

Commencement Speech: Ditch the 'Drifting,' Chart Your Course

A commencement speech recounts the speaker's post-graduation uncertainty and eventual pathfinding. Graduates are categorized: those with plans, the apathetic, and those wanting plans but lacking them. The speech focuses on helping the last group. Graduation is framed as a pivotal point, no longer following 'train tracks,' but allowing free direction. It encourages active networking, finding interesting people and work, and overcoming fear of rejection to pursue ambitious goals, even if initial ideas seem flawed.

(foundersatwork.posthaven.com)

Startup rejection

Conquering 100 Project Euler Problems in 100 Languages

2025-01-16

Conquering 100 Project Euler Problems in 100 Languages

A programmer spent over a year solving the first 100 Project Euler problems using 100 different programming languages! From common languages like Python and Java to obscure esoteric languages, the sheer dedication and programming prowess is impressive. This project showcases deep understanding of various programming paradigms and offers a valuable learning experience for programmers of all levels.

(github.com)

Development challenge

The Future of Wi-Fi: Faster, Secure, Smarter Networks

2025-01-11

The Future of Wi-Fi: Faster, Secure, Smarter Networks

The future of Wi-Fi is an exciting landscape shaped by the rise of IoT, the adoption of Wi-Fi 6E/7 and WPA3, and the ever-increasing number of devices connecting to wireless networks. This article explores the evolution of Wi-Fi technology, highlighting how Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 deliver faster speeds, improved reliability, and enhanced security, while WPA3 strengthens security measures. A key focus is Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE), providing secure encrypted connections for guest networks without passwords. With growing connectivity demands and the prevalence of BYOD devices, businesses need to adopt more secure and manageable Wi-Fi architectures to meet future challenges.

(www.cloudi-fi.com)

Tech

Stop Being a Fence-Sitter in Tech Discussions: Own Your Decisions

2025-04-14

Senior engineers often avoid committing to decisions in technical discussions, a seemingly cautious approach that the author argues is actually cowardice. The article emphasizes that when a team needs to make a choice, even with only 55% confidence, the most knowledgeable engineer should take responsibility and offer a judgment. This prevents less experienced engineers from proposing poor solutions and allows management to work more efficiently. The author stresses that management is usually forgiving of technical errors, as decision-making inherently involves uncertainty. However, consistently incorrect judgments erode credibility. The article concludes that while avoiding commitment is justifiable in environments lacking trust, in most situations, taking ownership and making bold decisions is a hallmark of a strong engineer.

(www.seangoedecke.com)

Development technical decisions team responsibility engineering culture

Microsoft Aims to End USB-C Chaos: Windows 11 Update Promises Consistent Functionality

2025-06-02

Microsoft Aims to End USB-C Chaos: Windows 11 Update Promises Consistent Functionality

Microsoft is tackling USB-C port inconsistencies with an updated Windows 11 Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP). The initiative ensures all USB-C ports will consistently support data, charging, and display functions. Additionally, USB 4 40Gbps ports will fully support both USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals. Microsoft states that certified Windows 11 laptops and tablets with Windows 11 24H2 already adhere to these rules. This should eliminate user frustration and ensure consistent functionality across all USB-C ports.

(www.tomshardware.com)

Tech

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