Lisp Dialect Showdown: Scheme, Common Lisp, Clojure, and Racket

2025-03-07

The Lisp family is vast and complex. This post explores four prominent dialects: Scheme, Common Lisp, Clojure, and Racket. Scheme is known for its minimalism and strong academic foundation; Common Lisp boasts a rich standard library and decades of history; Clojure emphasizes functional programming, concurrency, and JVM interop; and Racket is beginner-friendly with a focus on education and extensibility. The article delves into each dialect's history, community, and unique characteristics, offering a humorous take on the inter-dialect 'tribalism'. Ultimately, it avoids declaring a 'best' dialect, instead guiding readers to choose the Lisp that best suits their needs.

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Development

AI-Powered Dev: My Codescribble Debugging Nightmare

2025-01-26
AI-Powered Dev: My Codescribble Debugging Nightmare

The author used LLMs to build Codescribble, a simple shared text editor. While the initial development was incredibly fast, almost entirely LLM-driven, deployment became a major headache. The generated code suffered from hardcoded values, inconsistent methods, and a broken automated deployment script. Ultimately, the author spent far more time debugging and fixing LLM-introduced errors than anticipated. This experience highlights the need for developers to maintain a solid grasp of underlying technologies and thoroughly review AI-generated code. Blindly trusting AI can lead to significant inefficiencies and even counter-productive outcomes.

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Development

Budget Watch Survives Deep Sea Test, Reveals History of Underwater Espionage

2025-01-31
Budget Watch Survives Deep Sea Test, Reveals History of Underwater Espionage

A $15 Casio F91W watch, after a simple oil-filling modification, was successfully taken to nearly 5,000 meters underwater by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and returned intact. This incredible feat highlights the surprising pressure resistance of inexpensive equipment and underscores the long and secretive history of deep-sea espionage. From Cold War submarine recovery operations to modern-day sabotage of undersea cables, the deep ocean has served as a critical—and often unseen—battleground for intelligence gathering and covert actions. The article explores both historical incidents like Operation Ivy Bells and recent events, emphasizing the growing sophistication of underwater warfare and the challenges of attribution.

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AtomixDB: A Tiny Relational Database in Go

2025-02-26
AtomixDB: A Tiny Relational Database in Go

AtomixDB is a mini relational database entirely written in Go, focusing on implementing and understanding database workings, storage management, and transaction handling. It utilizes a B+ tree storage engine with indexing support, features free list node reuse, transaction support, and concurrent reads. Currently, it supports CREATE, INSERT, GET, UPDATE, DELETE, BEGIN, COMMIT, and ABORT commands. The project is open-source and welcomes contributions.

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Development

42: A Powerful Spacecraft Attitude Control System Simulator

2025-01-06
42: A Powerful Spacecraft Attitude Control System Simulator

42 is a comprehensive general-purpose simulation of spacecraft attitude and orbit dynamics, primarily used to support the design and validation of attitude control systems throughout their lifecycle, from concept studies to integration and test. It accurately models multi-body spacecraft attitude dynamics (rigid and/or flexible bodies), and both two-body and three-body orbital flight regimes, simulating environments from low Earth orbit to throughout the solar system. 42 simulates multiple spacecraft concurrently, facilitating studies of rendezvous, proximity operations, and precision formation flying. It also features spacecraft attitude visualization.

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Washing Machine Woes: A Metaphor for Software Estimation

2025-02-18

The author's recent experience installing a washing machine in a new home turned into a four-hour ordeal, far exceeding the initial ten-minute estimate. Unexpected problems arose, from drilling holes to replacing hoses, highlighting the challenges of software development estimation. The author draws a parallel between the unforeseen complications of the washing machine installation and the difficulties in accurately estimating software projects. Seemingly simple tasks often encounter unexpected obstacles, such as outdated tools, incompatible systems, or hidden requirements, leading to significant delays. The washing machine saga serves as a compelling metaphor for the unpredictable nature of software development, emphasizing the importance of thorough requirements gathering and risk assessment.

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Development project estimation

Nine: A Stunning C64 Demo

2025-02-05

A developer released 'Nine', a small yet incredibly impressive C64 demo at Fjälldata 2025. A video explaining its workings is in the works, but for the impatient, the machine code monitor is available. The demo has been lauded by users, with some calling it the best of 2025. However, one user reported a syntax error when running it on VICE emulator.

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Game Demo

The Definitive Guide to Jens Quistgaard's Dansk Peppermills

2025-01-21

This website is a comprehensive guide to the collection of peppermills designed by Jens Quistgaard for Dansk Designs. Each mill is meticulously documented, detailing its unique shape, model number, grinder type, and production history. The site unravels the stories behind these iconic designs, revealing the evolution of their forms and manufacturing processes. From the earliest all-metal grinders to later plastic variations, this resource is a must-have for collectors and design enthusiasts alike.

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OpenEoX: Revolutionizing Cybersecurity and Product Lifecycle Management

2025-05-12
OpenEoX: Revolutionizing Cybersecurity and Product Lifecycle Management

OpenEoX standardizes End-of-Life (EOL) and End-of-Support (EOS) policies across vendors and open-source maintainers, dramatically reducing cybersecurity risks. It allows organizations to quickly identify unsupported products, enabling timely retirement or replacement of outdated, vulnerable systems. This leads to a more secure IT environment. OpenEoX's machine-readable format enables automated vulnerability management, providing real-time monitoring and alerts for proactive risk mitigation. Further benefits include simplified product management, enhanced customer confidence, and smoother technology transitions.

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Hiding Secrets in Emojis: Exploiting Unicode Variation Selectors

2025-02-12
Hiding Secrets in Emojis: Exploiting Unicode Variation Selectors

A Hacker News comment sparked a discussion about hiding information using Unicode variation selectors. This article demonstrates that arbitrary data can be encoded into a single emoji by converting data into a sequence of Unicode variation selectors, remaining invisible after rendering. This method can bypass human content filters or be used for text watermarking, enabling covert information transmission and tracking. While this technique has potential for abuse, it also highlights the complexity and potential security challenges of Unicode.

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A Java JIT Compiler and Runtime in Common Lisp: OpenLDK

2025-02-06
A Java JIT Compiler and Runtime in Common Lisp: OpenLDK

OpenLDK is a Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler and runtime environment for Java, implemented entirely in Common Lisp. It bridges the gap between Java and Common Lisp by incrementally translating Java bytecode into Lisp, then compiling it into native machine code. This unique approach allows seamless mapping of Java classes to Common Lisp Object System (CLOS) classes, enabling effortless integration between Java and Common Lisp codebases. While not designed for high performance, OpenLDK offers a practical solution for integrating Java libraries into a Lisp workflow. Currently, it primarily supports Linux and SBCL, and is a work in progress with many features yet to be implemented, such as support for class files beyond Java 8 and bytecode verification.

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Development

Mastra: A TypeScript Framework for Rapid AI App Development

2025-02-19
Mastra: A TypeScript Framework for Rapid AI App Development

Mastra is an opinionated TypeScript framework for quickly building AI applications and features. It provides essential primitives: workflows, agents, RAG, integrations, and evaluations. Run Mastra locally or deploy to a serverless cloud. Key features include LLM model integration (supporting OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini via the Vercel AI SDK), agent systems enabling LLMs to use tools and access data, typed tool functions, durable graph-based workflows, RAG knowledge base construction, pre-built third-party API clients, and automated evaluations. Get started with `create-mastra` and open the playground with `mastra dev`. Contributions are welcome!

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Development AI framework

Why Some UK Gov Services Are Offline at Night: A Legacy Tech Nightmare

2025-01-16
Why Some UK Gov Services Are Offline at Night: A Legacy Tech Nightmare

This post explores why some DVLA (UK Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency) digital services are offline overnight. The root cause lies in a complex legacy system, including a 1980s IBM mainframe and a partially completed modernization effort. Facing a choice between years of rebuilding infrastructure or launching a service with nighttime limitations, DVLA chose the latter to deliver value quickly. The article highlights the challenges of digital transformation in large organizations grappling with legacy technology and the difficult decisions involved in balancing speed and long-term stability. The situation underscores how tricky government digitalization can be, even a decade after initial modernization efforts.

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TruffleRuby Update: Performance Boost and Compatibility Improvements

2025-03-20
TruffleRuby Update: Performance Boost and Compatibility Improvements

TruffleRuby, a high-performance implementation of the Ruby programming language, has released a new version with significant performance improvements and compatibility enhancements. This release fixes numerous bugs, including issues in methods such as Module#name, Module#const_added, and ObjectSpace.undefine_finalizer, and improves compatibility with OpenSSL 3.0.x and 3.x. Additionally, many new methods and features have been added, such as IO#{pread, pwrite}, Range#reverse_each, and optimizations were made to encoding negotiation and the performance of several C extensions. This update enhances TruffleRuby's stability and performance, bringing it closer to the standard Ruby implementation, MRI.

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Development

Fighting Fantasy: The Classic Gamebook Series Returns to the US!

2025-02-19

The iconic Fighting Fantasy gamebook series, a revolutionary blend of nonlinear narratives and dice-rolling RPG mechanics, is returning to the US in early 2025! Created in 1982 by Sir Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson, this multi-million-selling series boasts over 20 million copies sold worldwide. Steve Jackson Games has partnered for a historic 50-book publishing deal, bringing this beloved classic to a new generation of adventurers.

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Game Fantasy

Open WebUI: Simplifying Access to Large Language Models

2025-01-23

Open WebUI is an open-source project that simplifies user interaction with Large Language Models (LLMs). It provides a user-friendly graphical interface, allowing even non-technical users to easily access and utilize the powerful capabilities of LLMs, such as text generation, language translation, and question answering. Without needing complex command-line operations or programming knowledge, Open WebUI lowers the barrier to entry for LLMs, opening up the world of AI to a wider audience.

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AI

Amazon Chime Shutdown Announced for February 2026

2025-02-20
Amazon Chime Shutdown Announced for February 2026

Amazon has announced the end of support for its communications service, Amazon Chime, including Business Calling, effective February 20, 2026. New customer sign-ups will cease on February 19, 2025. Existing customers can continue using Chime until February 20, 2026, after which all features will be unavailable. Amazon recommends migrating to alternative collaboration solutions such as AWS Wickr or partner offerings from Zoom, Webex, and Slack.

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Test-Driven Blogging: Using AI to Improve Your Writing Workflow

2025-03-09
Test-Driven Blogging: Using AI to Improve Your Writing Workflow

This post introduces unit-text, a tool leveraging GPT models to assist in blog post creation. The author emphasizes iterative writing, goal-oriented approaches, and draws parallels to Test-Driven Development (TDD) in software, proposing "Test-Driven Blogging." unit-text uses prompts and GPT feedback to help writers check for consistency, logical fallacies, and goal achievement, improving writing efficiency and quality. Currently a prototype CLI tool, future plans include interactive ideation, autonomous research, and API integration.

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Your Phone is Killing Your Sex Appeal

2025-01-29
Your Phone is Killing Your Sex Appeal

This article argues that smartphones are killing our ability to feel sexy. The author contends that the convenience of our phones eliminates desire, risk, and genuine connection. From endless scrolling to instant gratification, phones detach us from our bodies and immerse us in a digital world, preventing us from experiencing life's fleeting sensual moments. The author calls for us to disconnect, embrace uncertainty, and reconnect with the physical and emotional experiences that make life exciting.

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US Air Crash: Outdated Tech, Not Diversity Hiring, is the Culprit

2025-02-01

Following a recent collision between an American Eagle jet and a Black Hawk helicopter, various narratives have emerged. Some blame diversity hiring for unqualified air traffic controllers, while others suggest closing Washington National Airport. However, the article argues the real culprit is the severely outdated US air traffic control system: antiquated equipment, cumbersome manual processes, and decades of failed technology upgrades. The article reveals that the FAA's technological issues far outweigh the impact of diversity hiring, with its self-regulation and inefficient procurement systems also being significant factors. The FAA's outdated technology and inefficient management are the root causes of frequent air accidents and staffing shortages.

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Infinigen: Infinite Photorealistic 3D Scene Generator

2025-01-22
Infinigen: Infinite Photorealistic 3D Scene Generator

Developed by the Princeton Vision & Learning Lab, Infinigen is a procedural generator of 3D scenes, built on Blender and freely available under the BSD 3-Clause License. It generates limitless variations of high-quality 3D scenes using randomized mathematical rules, controlling everything from macro structures to micro details. Infinigen automatically generates annotations for various computer vision tasks like optical flow and depth estimation, making it ideal for 3D vision research. Its focus on real geometry ensures accurate ground truth data.

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Object-Oriented Python Enigma Machine Implementation

2025-01-25

This blog post details an object-oriented Python implementation of the Enigma cipher machine. Based on the description in 'The Code Book', the author models each component (rotors, plugboard, reflector, etc.) as a class, simulating the encryption/decryption process. This simplified implementation includes three rotors, a plugboard, and a reflector, omitting the ring setting. The author highlights the ease of simulating the Enigma machine in code compared to physically building one, underscoring the power of modern computing.

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Development Enigma Machine

Online Dictionary of Affixes: 1250+ Entries

2025-03-01
Online Dictionary of Affixes: 1250+ Entries

This online dictionary boasts over 1250 entries, each illustrated with roughly 10,000 examples and clear definitions. It's based on the book *Ologies and Isms: Word Beginnings and Endings*, originally published by Oxford University Press in 2002. The book went out of print in 2008, prompting the author to make it freely available online. The site is currently undergoing revisions and updates.

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Development dictionary affixes

AI Facial Recognition Derails Murder Case

2025-01-28
AI Facial Recognition Derails Murder Case

Cleveland police used AI facial recognition to obtain a search warrant in a murder case, but the technology's results are inadmissible in court. A judge subsequently threw out the evidence, potentially derailing the prosecution. The case highlights a critical lack of oversight, regulation, and training surrounding the use of AI in law enforcement, raising ethical and legal concerns about its application in judicial proceedings.

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Running LLMs Locally with Deno and Jupyter Notebooks

2025-03-01
Running LLMs Locally with Deno and Jupyter Notebooks

This article details the author's journey in setting up and using a local large language model (DeepSeek R1) with Deno, Jupyter Notebooks, Ollama, and LangChain.js. The author walks through the process, from setting up the environment and installing the model to writing the code and visualizing the results. The article highlights the ease and efficiency of Deno and Jupyter Notebooks for AI development, showcasing a smooth workflow and successful interaction with the local LLM. The ability to easily swap the local model for an API-based one is also mentioned.

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Development

Jupyter Notebooks and LLMs: An Unexpected Cost Optimization

2025-01-21

The author used LLMs for coding assistance, initially with a ContinueDev + OpenRouter setup. Costs unexpectedly soared. Investigation revealed that Jupyter Notebook (.ipynb) files contain significant hidden content (code outputs, metadata, base64-encoded images), leading to a large token count and increased LLM call costs. The solution was converting .ipynb files to .py files and removing base64-encoded images. This reduced costs by 94% and latency as well. The post highlights the importance of mindful input when using LLMs and recommends regularly checking costs.

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Development Cost Optimization

Token Security Raises $20M to Secure the Booming World of Machine Identities

2025-01-27
Token Security Raises $20M to Secure the Booming World of Machine Identities

The rise of cloud computing and AI has led to a surge in machine identities, creating more entry points for hackers. Token Security, a startup tackling this growing security risk, just secured $20 million in Series A funding. Their platform automatically identifies and manages machine identities, helping companies prevent breaches before they occur. Founded by veterans of Israel's Unit 8200, the company counts HPE among its clients and plans to use the funding to expand its AI capabilities and US presence. The funding highlights the increasing importance of securing machine identities, often overlooked in traditional cybersecurity strategies.

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The Holy Grail of 70s Radios: The Sony FX-300

2025-02-18
The Holy Grail of 70s Radios: The Sony FX-300

A child of the 1970s reminisces about the elusive Sony FX-300 "Jackal 300" radio, a dream machine he never owned. Primarily sold in Japan, this radio boasts a mini CRT television screen, precise analog tuning, a top-mounted cassette player/recorder, AM/FM reception, and a killer retro design. The author praises its unique aesthetics and seeks readers' experiences with this 'holy grail' device.

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Unlock AI Innovation: Risk-Free Vector Search for Existing Apps

2025-01-26
Unlock AI Innovation: Risk-Free Vector Search for Existing Apps

This blog post demonstrates how to seamlessly integrate vector search into existing applications without the need for complete re-platforming. The author uses a simple recommendation engine example, combining cat image embeddings with TPCC purchase history data to recommend products based on visually similar cats. This showcases how AI functionalities can be added to existing apps using enhanced SQL syntax and APIs, highlighting the importance of testing database engines, vector indexes, and I/O subsystems under heavy concurrent workloads. The author emphasizes the low-hanging fruit of adding AI to existing infrastructure.

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Development database performance
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