Breaking WebAssembly Runtime Limitations: Asyncifying ZeroPerl

2025-02-11
Breaking WebAssembly Runtime Limitations: Asyncifying ZeroPerl

Frustrated by the lack of exnref support in most WebAssembly runtimes, rendering ZeroPerl unusable, the author decided to fix the problem instead of complaining. By leveraging Binaryen's Asyncify feature, a replacement for setjmp was implemented from scratch, bypassing libsetjmp's compatibility issues. After removing the official library, writing assembly code, and optimizing with wasm-opt, ZeroPerl now runs successfully in Wasmer, Wasmtime, and other WebAssembly runtimes. This breakthrough delivers a fully sandboxed and self-contained Perl WebAssembly module.

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Development

The High Cost of Work: Is It Worth It?

2025-02-11
The High Cost of Work: Is It Worth It?

This essay challenges the conventional understanding of 'work' in contemporary capitalism. The author argues that work, far from being purely productive, transforms biosphere resources into market-driven commodities, exacerbating wealth inequality and causing environmental damage and personal suffering. The essay calls for a reevaluation of work's purpose, advocating a life guided by personal fulfillment and social harmony rather than the relentless pursuit of profit.

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E Ink Unveils Giant 75-Inch Color ePaper Outdoor Display

2025-02-11
E Ink Unveils Giant 75-Inch Color ePaper Outdoor Display

E Ink, in partnership with Samsung, LG, and others, showcased a massive 75-inch Kaleido Outdoor 3 color e-paper display at ISE 2025. This low-power display, operating in temperatures from -15°C to 65°C, boasts 4,096 colors and International Dark-Sky Association certification for reduced light pollution. Ideal for outdoor digital signage like bus stop ads, it's touted as a solar-powered, eco-friendly alternative to energy-hungry LCD and LED screens.

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My Vim Workflow: A Decade of Productivity Hacks and Automation

2025-02-13

This article details a decade's worth of Vim (specifically GVim on Windows) usage, culminating in a collection of productivity tips and custom configurations. The focus isn't on specific Vim scripts, but rather on the importance of identifying and optimizing one's workflow. The author showcases custom key mappings for streamlined actions: using `` instead of ``, automating buffer saving with error handling, and quick system clipboard copying. Techniques for automatically creating directories before saving files and running Git commands within the :terminal are also explored. The article encourages readers to explore Vim's help pages and iterate on their own workflow optimization.

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Development

Canonical Unveils 12-Year LTS for Kubernetes

2025-02-11
Canonical Unveils 12-Year LTS for Kubernetes

Canonical announced a 12-year security maintenance and support commitment for its Kubernetes 1.32 LTS release. This long-term support covers bare metal, public clouds, OpenStack, Canonical MicroCloud, and VMware. The release boasts ease of installation, operation, and upgrades, integrating best-of-breed open-source networking, DNS, gateway, metrics server, local storage, load balancer, and ingress services. Businesses can choose between frequent updates (every four months) or the 12-year LTS for stability. It also offers FedRAMP compliance and integrates with Ubuntu Pro for comprehensive open-source stack security.

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Development

The Marshmallow Test: It's Not Just About Willpower

2025-02-13
The Marshmallow Test: It's Not Just About Willpower

The famous marshmallow test suggests that children who delay gratification achieve more in life. However, further research reveals that factors like stable home environments, economic background, and cultural differences significantly impact the results. Children from stable homes with reliable adults are more likely to develop patience, while those from impoverished backgrounds are more inclined to seize immediate opportunities. The author uses personal parenting experiences to emphasize the importance of adult consistency and creating a trustworthy environment for fostering patience in children, highlighting that patience is a strategy, not simply a personality trait.

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Xvesa Resurrection: A Tiny X Server Rises Again

2025-02-11
Xvesa Resurrection: A Tiny X Server Rises Again

Xvesa, a lightweight X server, has been resurrected from the depths of git history! The team chose to maintain it with Xfbdev, prioritizing bug fixes, security improvements, and occasional new features because TinyX servers are much smaller than Xorg can be. Version 1.2.0 was chosen over 1.3.0 due to input issues in the latter. The design emphasizes minimalism and full functionality, omitting xkb, xinput, xinerama, and gl. TCP listening is disabled by default, and shadow framebuffer is enabled. The license is GPLv3.

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Development X server

Syd: A Robust Rust-Based Linux Sandbox Kernel

2025-02-12
Syd: A Robust Rust-Based Linux Sandbox Kernel

Syd is a GPL-3 licensed, rock-solid application kernel written in Rust for sandboxing applications on Linux systems (5.19 and above). Evolving from a tool for detecting package build errors in Exherbo Linux, Syd now provides a robust security boundary. Leveraging modern Linux APIs, it eliminates TOCTTOU vulnerabilities. Unlike other sandboxing tools, Syd operates without extra privileges, offering a simple interface to complex sandboxing mechanisms. Features include path sandboxing, execution control, network sandboxing, and advanced features like lock and proxy sandboxing. It's designed for strong application isolation and security.

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Development Linux sandbox

The Ultimate Guide to File Watchers: A Comprehensive Overview

2025-02-12

This article provides a comprehensive list of file watching tools, covering various programming languages, licenses, and functionalities. From older inotify wrappers to modern tools written in Rust and Python like watchexec, the article meticulously compares each tool's pros and cons, dependencies, and Debian package support. The author also shares personal experiences and challenges encountered, such as using systemd .path units and the limitations of watchman. Developers and system administrators alike will find this resource invaluable in selecting the right file watching tool for their needs.

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Development file watching

Understanding the 'Quality World' in Choice Theory

2025-02-11
Understanding the 'Quality World' in Choice Theory

This article explores the concept of the 'Quality World' within Choice Theory/Reality Therapy. Using engaging examples like the parable of the blind men and an elephant, and a classroom exercise, the author illustrates how each individual's perception of reality is unique, forming a personal 'Quality World' comprised of images fulfilling their basic needs (love/belonging, power/self-worth, freedom, fun, physical survival). These images shape behavior, and understanding and supporting another's 'Quality World' is key to building strong relationships. The article also touches upon how unmet needs can lead to negative behaviors, highlighting the importance of accessing an individual's 'Quality World' to help them make more life-sustaining choices.

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Apple TV+ App Finally Lands on Android

2025-02-13
Apple TV+ App Finally Lands on Android

After years of relying on less-than-ideal web or PWA solutions, Apple TV+ finally has a dedicated Android app. Available on phones and tablets via the Google Play Store, the app boasts smooth playback, a clean Material 3 design, offline downloads, and picture-in-picture functionality. While casting support and new episode notifications are currently absent, the app offers a significant upgrade, particularly with the inclusion of Google Play Billing for streamlined subscription management.

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Tech

From PhoneNet to G.hn: A History of Home Networking

2025-02-13
From PhoneNet to G.hn: A History of Home Networking

This article traces the evolution of home networking technologies from PhoneNet in the 1980s to G.hn today. PhoneNet, using phone lines for low-speed AppleTalk networks, pioneered home networking. HomePNA followed, leveraging pulse position modulation and QAM to increase speeds and attempting centralized networking in multi-unit dwellings. Finally, G.hn emerged as a more versatile standard, supporting phone lines, coaxial cables, powerlines, and fiber, finding widespread use in set-top boxes. While WiFi's rise has diminished reliance on these technologies, they remain relevant in embedded systems and ISP infrastructure.

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Euclid Telescope Spots a Perfect Einstein Ring

2025-02-13
Euclid Telescope Spots a Perfect Einstein Ring

The European Space Agency's Euclid telescope has discovered a perfect Einstein ring around the galaxy NGC 6505, located 590 million light-years away. This rare phenomenon, a result of gravitational lensing, shows light from a distant galaxy (4.42 billion light-years away) warped into a ring by the gravity of NGC 6505. The discovery highlights Euclid's observational power and provides a unique opportunity to study a distant galaxy in detail, marking a significant advancement in cosmology.

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Running MacOS 9 on an Unmodified Nintendo Wii: A Retro Hack

2025-02-11
Running MacOS 9 on an Unmodified Nintendo Wii: A Retro Hack

A hacker has successfully run MacOS 9 on an unmodified original Nintendo Wii console! This was achieved by leveraging the Wii's PowerPC processor, similar to those in older Mac G3 machines, and the Wii's ability to run Linux-based OSes. While the installation was challenging, MacOS 9 was successfully booted, running games like DOOM, Internet Explorer 5, and even iTunes (with some audio/visual issues). Attempts to run MacOS X failed, but this feat is still impressive, showcasing the potential of repurposed hardware.

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Apple Returns to Advertising on X

2025-02-13
Apple Returns to Advertising on X

Apple has resumed advertising on X this month, marking its return after a hiatus of over a year. The company had paused ads in November 2023 following controversial statements by owner Elon Musk. Ads promoting Safari's privacy features and the Apple TV+ show *Severance* have been spotted. This follows a report last month suggesting Apple's return, a decision mirrored by other major brands who paused and then cautiously resumed advertising on the platform after Musk's acquisition and subsequent changes to content moderation.

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Backblaze's 2024 Hard Drive Failure Rate Report: 24TB Drives Shine

2025-02-11
Backblaze's 2024 Hard Drive Failure Rate Report: 24TB Drives Shine

Backblaze released its Q4 2024 hard drive failure rate report, covering over 300,000 drives. The overall failure rate dropped to 1.35%, with 24TB Seagate drives boasting zero failures in Q4. 4TB drives are nearing extinction, being replaced by 20TB, 22TB, and 24TB models. The report analyzes failure rate trends across manufacturers and drive capacities, offering insights for users. The author also announced their retirement, with a new team taking over future reports.

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Dormant Volcanoes Hiding Giant Magma Chambers: A Surprising Discovery

2025-02-13
Dormant Volcanoes Hiding Giant Magma Chambers: A Surprising Discovery

Cornell University research challenges the long-held belief that active volcanoes' magma bodies dissipate after eruptions. Using seismic waves, researchers found persistent, large magma chambers beneath six Cascade Range volcanoes, including dormant ones like Crater Lake. This suggests magma bodies exist throughout a volcano's lifespan, not just during active periods. The discovery has significant implications for volcanic monitoring and prediction, highlighting the need for improved monitoring networks.

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Cryptography Isn't Based on NP-Complete Problems

2025-02-13

This article explains why cryptography doesn't rely on NP-complete problems. While NP-complete problems are hard to solve quickly, cryptography needs problems that are hard on average, meaning a randomly selected instance is difficult to crack. RSA is an example; it relies on the difficulty of factoring large numbers, which is hard on average. NP-complete problems only guarantee hardness in the worst case, not average-case hardness, making them unsuitable for cryptography.

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Development NP-complete problems

YouTube: TV Overtakes Mobile as Primary Viewing Device in the US

2025-02-11
YouTube: TV Overtakes Mobile as Primary Viewing Device in the US

YouTube reports that in the US, TVs have surpassed mobile devices as the primary way people watch its content. Despite the rise of smartphones, big-screen TVs and their remotes remain dominant, based on YouTube's watch time data. Nielsen confirms YouTube's leading position in streaming watch time for two years running. Furthermore, YouTube announced a new feature, "Watch With," enabling creators to provide live commentary and reactions to games and events, currently in testing.

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Tech TV viewing

Why 'Boring' Tech Is Actually the Best

2025-02-11
Why 'Boring' Tech Is Actually the Best

This article argues that 'boring' technology, exemplified by NetBSD, is superior in system administration and architecture. 'Boring' implies predictability, reducing unexpected failures and maintenance headaches. Mature technology boasts comprehensive documentation, an active community, and a proven track record, not simply age. While ubiquity isn't the measure of 'boringness', mature technologies are generally easier to understand and maintain, thus lowering costs and improving reliability. The author concludes that NetBSD's 'boringness' is precisely its greatest strength.

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Development

NESFab: A High-Performance Programming Language for NES Games

2025-02-13

NESFab is a new programming language designed for creating NES games. Optimized for 8-bit limitations, it's more ergonomic than C while producing faster assembly code. It boasts easy-to-use libraries, making it simple to get started, whether it's your first or hundredth NES game. Features include automatic bank switching, streamlined asset loading, and integration with the MapFab level editor for increased development speed. While currently in beta, NESFab outperforms compilers like GCC and LLVM in benchmarks, potentially making it the best-performing 6502 compiler available.

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Development

Approximating Float Multiplication with Bit Manipulation: A Neat Trick

2025-02-13
Approximating Float Multiplication with Bit Manipulation: A Neat Trick

This article explores a clever method for approximating float multiplication using bit manipulation. The approach involves casting floats to integers, adding them, adjusting the exponent, and casting back to a float. While this method fails catastrophically with exponent overflow or underflow, its accuracy is surprisingly good for most cases, staying within 7.5% of the correct result. The author delves into the underlying principles, explaining why simple addition can approximate multiplication. Although likely less efficient than native float multiplication in practice, its simplicity and potential for power savings in specific scenarios make it an interesting exploration.

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I Licked Honda's Mouse Tape

2025-02-11
I Licked Honda's Mouse Tape

After rodent damage to his car wiring, the author bought Honda's capsaicin-coated mouse tape. Curiosity led him to lick the tape, prompting him to contact Honda PR for ingredient confirmation. Honda responded, confirming the presence of DEHP, a plasticizer, but the author calculated that a massive amount would need to be ingested for harm. The author concluded that it tasted like a Band-Aid and energy drink with a hint of capsaicin, suggesting potential culinary uses.

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Misc mice tape

NOAA: The Unsung Hero Behind US Weather Forecasts

2025-02-11
NOAA: The Unsung Hero Behind US Weather Forecasts

Ever wonder how those effortless-looking weather forecasts come to be? The answer is NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). NOAA uses a vast network of satellites, airplanes, radar, weather balloons, and buoys to gather real-time data, which is then processed by sophisticated computer models and experienced meteorologists to create accurate weather forecasts and warnings. This data is freely accessible to the public and widely used by various industries, from aviation to agriculture. NOAA's public nature and reliability make it irreplaceable.

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Tech

A Static Website for Professional Communication

2025-02-13
A Static Website for Professional Communication

A new static website project, "How to Professionally Say," offers alternative phrasing for common workplace communications to promote professionalism and avoid misinterpretations. Data is sourced from Instagram content creator @loewhaley. The project is in early stages, with the author seeking community feedback to refine its content and make it more broadly applicable. The project is open-source, welcoming contributions and suggestions.

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Trump's Second Term: A Descent into Competitive Authoritarianism?

2025-02-13
Trump's Second Term: A Descent into Competitive Authoritarianism?

This article analyzes the potential threat to American democracy posed by a second Trump presidency. It argues that the Trump administration may weaponize government institutions to target opponents, suppress dissent, and steer the US towards 'competitive authoritarianism'. While the US possesses strong institutions and a relatively robust civil society, the politicization and weaponization of government agencies could lead to democratic backsliding, ultimately undermining the vitality of American democracy.

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Misc Democracy

Open Source License Dispute: A Fight for Software Freedom

2025-02-13
Open Source License Dispute: A Fight for Software Freedom

The Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) filed an amicus brief supporting a downstream licensee's right to remove “further restrictions” under the Affero General Public License version 3 (AGPLv3) Section 7 in the ongoing Neo4j, Inc. v. PureThink, LLC case. The core issue revolves around whether Neo4j's added “Commons Clause” can be removed. SFC argues that downstream licensees have the right to remove such restrictions under AGPLv3 Section 7, paragraph 4, even if imposed by the original licensor. SFC's brief provides detailed legal analysis of AGPLv3 Sections 7 and 10, arguing that the lower court wrongly sided with Neo4j's interpretation, which could fundamentally alter the community's understanding of adding and removing “further restrictions.” The ruling will have significant implications for software freedom and users' rights.

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Development legal dispute

Kickstarter Cracks Down on Failed Projects, Boosts Backer Protections

2025-02-11
Kickstarter Cracks Down on Failed Projects, Boosts Backer Protections

Kickstarter is implementing several changes to improve backer experience and rebuild community trust. These include notifying backers when projects fail to deliver or violate platform rules, outlining the platform's response (including restricting creators from future projects); increasing transparency by displaying creator track records, collaborators, and past projects; introducing post-campaign add-ons for continued funding; and adding features like payment installments, improved search filters, and a revamped mobile app to easily view all funded projects (successful and unsuccessful). These changes aim to address long-standing issues of scams and project failures, enhancing transparency and building trust.

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Punch Cards: A Surprisingly Relevant Piece of Digital Humanities History

2025-02-12

This article explores the digitization and reuse of punch cards for knitting machines. Punch cards, a fascinating binary data storage format, are still used today. The article details methods for converting punch card images into data using computer vision and recreating punch cards using CNC machines. The author stresses the importance of high-quality scans and the need for standardized metadata to better preserve and utilize this valuable historical material and foster the transmission and development of knitting technology. The article also highlights the role of community-supported archives in preserving this legacy.

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Federal Data Vanishing: Civil Society Steps Up to Save the Day

2025-02-13
Federal Data Vanishing: Civil Society Steps Up to Save the Day

Hundreds of federal datasets and government websites have mysteriously disappeared or been drastically altered since the start of the Trump administration. Responding to this crisis, civil society organizations are taking action. Harvard's Library Innovation Lab recently released 16 terabytes of archived data.gov, a complete copy of the platform's former holdings. On February 13th at 3 PM Eastern, MuckRock will host an event featuring the Internet Archive and the Harvard Law School Library Innovation Lab, discussing at-risk data, how to access rescued data, and how to contribute to preservation efforts.

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