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AI-Powered Anki: Revolutionizing Medical Learning

2024-12-28

AI-Powered Anki: Revolutionizing Medical Learning

AnkiAIUtils is a suite of AI-powered tools designed to enhance Anki flashcards. Leveraging models like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion, it automatically generates explanations, mnemonics, illustrations, and adaptive learning features. The tools dynamically match relevant examples based on learning progress, create personalized memory hooks, and support various LLM providers and models. While still in its early stages, this project shows immense potential for transforming medical education and learning beyond.

(github.com)

AI Adaptive Learning

Intel's Pentium FDIV Bug: A $475 Million Mistake

2024-12-28

Intel's Pentium FDIV Bug: A $475 Million Mistake

In 1993, Intel launched the high-performance Pentium processor. A year later, a flaw in its floating-point division algorithm was discovered, causing incorrect results in rare cases. Initially dismissed by Intel, the bug—dubbed the FDIV bug—quickly gained media attention. The error stemmed from 16 missing entries in the processor's lookup table, with 5 entries directly causing incorrect calculations. Intel ultimately recalled and replaced all affected chips at a cost of $475 million. This article delves into the Pentium's division algorithm, pinpoints the bug's location on the chip, and explains the underlying mathematical error that led to this costly mistake.

(www.righto.com)

Hardware Pentium Hardware error

EU Mandates Universal Charger, Apple Concedes

2024-12-28

EU Mandates Universal Charger, Apple Concedes

A new EU law came into effect on December 28, 2024, mandating USB-C charging ports for all new smartphones, tablets, and cameras sold within the bloc. The regulation aims to reduce electronic waste and lower costs for consumers. Apple, after initial resistance, has adopted the USB-C standard. The EU estimates the law will save at least €200 million annually and cut over 1000 tons of e-waste.

(www.france24.com)

Tech Universal Charger

North Korean Malware Analysis: Unveiling a Stealthy Cyberattack

2024-12-28

North Korean Malware Analysis: Unveiling a Stealthy Cyberattack

Security researchers uncovered a cyberattack campaign attributed to North Korean APTs. The campaign used malware disguised as a job application challenge (BeaverTail) to lure victims. BeaverTail, surprisingly un-obfuscated, steals cryptocurrency wallet information from browsers and downloads a second-stage malware, InvisibleFerret. InvisibleFerret further exfiltrates browser data, clipboard information, and acts as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT). Analysis of BeaverTail and InvisibleFerret revealed a simplistic code structure yet effective capabilities to steal information from various browsers and operating systems. This case highlights the persistence and stealth of North Korean cyber threats.

(medium.com)

AI North Korean APT Malware Analysis

NBA's 3-Point Boom: 12 Potential Solutions Ranked

2024-12-28

NBA's 3-Point Boom: 12 Potential Solutions Ranked

The 2024-25 NBA season has seen a dramatic increase in three-point attempts, leading to concerns from fans and the league alike. This article explores twelve potential solutions to address this issue, ranging from adjusting the three-point line to altering the scoring system. Options like moving the three-point line further back, capping three-point attempts, and adding a four-point line all present drawbacks. A shift in scoring (four points for threes, three for twos) is suggested as a potentially better solution, although it would impact historical records. The article concludes that the NBA needs to proactively address this trend to maintain the game's excitement and long-term health.

(www.cbssports.com)

Game Three-Point Shooting Rule Changes

Libero: Unleash Your Programming Potential!

2024-12-28

Libero, a free software tool from iMatix, empowers programmers to write better programs. It uses visual state diagrams for program design, supports multiple languages (including C, Java, PHP), and generates program frameworks for rapid prototyping. Based on the GNU General Public License, Libero's source code is open and freely available for use and improvement. While commercial licenses are available for support and updates, Libero's core remains free.

(imatix-legacy.github.io)

Development programming tool

Flipper Cloud Ditches Per-Seat Pricing for a Fairer Model

2024-12-28

Flipper Cloud Ditches Per-Seat Pricing for a Fairer Model

Flipper Cloud is abandoning its per-seat pricing model in favor of a simpler, three-tiered fixed-price plan (Bronze, Silver, Gold) designed to cater to different team sizes and feature needs. The author argues that per-seat pricing is cumbersome, budget-unfriendly, and discourages full product usage. The new strategy aims to simplify pricing, improve user experience, and incentivize long-term subscriptions by offering annual plans with extended data retention. Existing customers can retain their per-seat plan or switch to the new fixed pricing.

(blog.flippercloud.io)

Startup SaaS pricing software billing

Apple Photos' 'Enhanced Visual Search' Raises Privacy Concerns in iOS 18 and macOS 15

2024-12-28

Apple's iOS 18 and macOS 15 updates include a default-enabled 'Enhanced Visual Search' feature in the Photos app. While Apple claims to use homomorphic encryption and differential privacy to protect user data sent to its servers for processing, this has sparked privacy concerns. The author argues that Apple's decision to enable this feature by default without explicit user consent disregards user privacy expectations, especially given the history of security vulnerabilities in Apple software. The author strongly recommends disabling the feature, as the potential risks significantly outweigh any perceived benefits.

(lapcatsoftware.com)

Tech Apple Privacy

Ars Technica's Guide to Mechanical Keyboards: A Clickety-Clack Adventure

2024-12-28

Ars Technica's Guide to Mechanical Keyboards: A Clickety-Clack Adventure

Confused about buying a mechanical keyboard? Ars Technica's comprehensive guide navigates the complexities. Learn about keyboard sizes (full-size, TKL, 60%, etc.), switch types (linear, tactile, clicky), keycap materials (ABS, PBT), backlighting options, and advanced features like N-key rollover and macro support. The guide clarifies each element with illustrations and examples, catering to both beginners and enthusiasts seeking their perfect keyboard.

(arstechnica.com)

Hardware mechanical keyboards keyboard buying guide mechanical switches

Microsoft's Phi-3-Mini: A Lightweight LLM for Enhanced Development

2024-12-28

Microsoft's Phi-3-Mini: A Lightweight LLM for Enhanced Development

Microsoft unveiled Phi-3-Mini, a lightweight language model offering GPT-3.5-level performance on resource-constrained devices. This article explores its strengths, including robust reasoning and coding capabilities, and seamless integration with tools like Ollama and Pieces. Running Phi-3-Mini locally via Ollama, combined with Pieces for code snippet management, streamlines code generation and refactoring, boosting developer productivity. While context overflow remains an issue with long texts, Phi-3-Mini's lightweight nature and powerful features make it a valuable asset in AI development.

(pieces.app)

Development developer tools

An Engineer's Journey with Forth: From Fascination to Abandonment

2024-12-28

This blog post recounts an engineer's experience learning and using the Forth programming language. Initially captivated by Forth's brevity and extensibility, the author delved into the source code of pForth, marveling at its compile-time self-modifying capabilities. However, in real-world projects, the author found Forth more suitable for number crunching, struggling with tasks like text processing. While designing a custom hardware embedded system, the author leveraged Forth to design the system's CPU instruction set, but ultimately found C more efficient and abandoned Forth. The author concludes that Forth is ideal for minimalist engineers seeking extreme efficiency, while he himself prefers a more pragmatic approach, opting for more widely used languages.

(yosefk.com)

Development

U.S. Homelessness Hits Record High Amidst Affordable Housing Crisis

2024-12-28

U.S. Homelessness Hits Record High Amidst Affordable Housing Crisis

A new federal report reveals that over 770,000 people experienced homelessness in the U.S. this January, an 18% increase from last year and the highest number since 2007. Soaring rents and a recent surge in migrants are cited as key factors. While some cities saw decreases after implementing measures, the overall situation remains dire. The Biden administration has increased housing subsidies, but President-elect Trump's proposed shift towards mandatory drug and mental health treatment has raised concerns among housing advocates.

(www.npr.org)

Misc homelessness migration

Missile Strike Confirmed as Cause of Azerbaijan E190 Crash

2024-12-28

Missile Strike Confirmed as Cause of Azerbaijan E190 Crash

An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190 passenger plane crashed on Christmas Day, killing 38 people. The Azerbaijani government confirmed that a Russian Pantir-S1 surface-to-air missile caused the crash. The aircraft was attempting an emergency landing when it went down. Russian air defense forces were engaged in shooting down Ukrainian drones in the area, but civilian airspace wasn't closed. Despite pilot requests for an emergency landing, the plane was denied access to Russian airports and crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan.

(aeroxplorer.com)

Misc missile strike international incident

AI Search Engine War: Can OpenAI Challenge Google's Dominance?

2024-12-28

AI Search Engine War: Can OpenAI Challenge Google's Dominance?

The author likens Google's search results to a 'picnic infested with flies,' overflowing with ads and AI-generated content, making it difficult for users to quickly find what they need. Google's response of adding more information, the author argues, is counterproductive, losing the simplicity and ease of use that defined its early success. In contrast, OpenAI's ChatGPT search prioritizes simplicity and user trust, providing a single answer in a conversational format, akin to a friend's recommendation. However, it still needs to address the issue of AI 'hallucinations'. Ultimately, OpenAI's success in challenging Google's search engine dominance hinges on maintaining its product's core values and avoiding Google's mistakes.

(chuckwnelson.com)

AI

Costco Rejects Shareholder Demand to Scrap DEI Initiatives

2024-12-28

Costco Rejects Shareholder Demand to Scrap DEI Initiatives

Costco's board rejected a shareholder proposal urging a reevaluation of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program, arguing it poses legal and financial risks. The board countered that its commitment to DEI is crucial for fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace, boosting employee morale, and driving innovation. They maintained the program's legality and emphasized ongoing evaluations of its effectiveness. The decision highlights the ongoing debate surrounding DEI initiatives in American corporations.

(www.newsweek.com)

Startup Shareholder Proposal

Notre-Dame to Feature Modern Stained Glass Designs

2024-12-28

Notre-Dame to Feature Modern Stained Glass Designs

Following its 2019 fire, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will replace six original stained-glass windows with modern designs by French artist Claire Tabouret. Tabouret's vibrant design, selected from over 100 submissions, depicts diverse people praying together for Pentecost in blues, pinks, and yellows. The decision is controversial; some argue it violates international heritage guidelines, while Tabouret aims to promote unity through art. The new windows will be crafted by the historic glassmaker Simon-Marq, known for its restoration work at Notre-Dame and collaborations with renowned artists like Chagall and Miró.

(www.smithsonianmag.com)

Design Notre-Dame stained glass

Unicon Programming Language: An Extension and Enhancement of Icon

2024-12-28

Unicon is a powerful programming language that extends and improves upon the Icon programming language. It inherits many of Icon's strengths, such as concise code, powerful string processing capabilities, and goal-directed evaluation, while adding modern features like object-oriented programming, a POSIX layer, and networking capabilities. Unicon supports multiple programming paradigms, including imperative, procedural, concurrent, and object-oriented, and boasts a rich set of built-in functions and a powerful graphics library. This document details Unicon's syntax, semantics, features, and installation methods, and provides numerous code examples.

(btiffin.users.sourceforge.net)

Development

Developer Automates Job Application Process, Sends 250 Applications in 20 Minutes

2024-12-28

Developer Automates Job Application Process, Sends 250 Applications in 20 Minutes

Tired of the repetitive job hunt, a developer built an automated system that sent out 250 job applications in just 20 minutes—and landed a job offer before even finishing the project! The system uses Python scripts and large language models (LLMs) to scrape job postings, parse data, and generate personalized cover letters. It also includes email sending and tracking features to avoid spam filters. This is part one; part two details the system's refinement and improvements.

(blog.daviddodda.com)

Development job search

Hospital Workers' Dexterity Assessed: Surgeons Show Superior Skill, But Also More Swearing

2024-12-28

Hospital Workers' Dexterity Assessed: Surgeons Show Superior Skill, But Also More Swearing

A prospective study of 254 hospital staff members found that surgeons significantly outperformed other roles in a manual dexterity test using a 'buzz wire' game, achieving an 84% success rate. However, surgeons also displayed a higher rate of swearing during the task. Nurses and non-clinical staff showed lower success rates but expressed audible frustration more frequently. The findings highlight the diverse skill sets across hospital roles and suggest incorporating similar dexterity games into future training to improve both skill and stress management.

(www.bmj.com)

Tech manual dexterity hospital staff surgeons

EmacsConf 2024: A Smoothly Run Online Conference

2024-12-28

EmacsConf 2024 successfully concluded! This post, written by Sacha Chua, reflects on the conference's preparation, execution, and lessons learned. From the call for proposals to the final presentations, organizers cleverly used automation tools (Org mode, emacsconf-mail.el, Ansible, etc.) to boost efficiency and leveraged technologies like BigBlueButton and WhisperX for a smooth experience. While technical challenges (BBB server configuration, audio syncing) arose, they were effectively addressed. Sacha shares insights into time management, volunteer coordination, and future improvements, showcasing dedication to the open-source community.

(sachachua.com)

Development online conference

Ancient Genomes Solve Indo-European Language Origins Mystery

2024-12-28

Ancient Genomes Solve Indo-European Language Origins Mystery

A groundbreaking study involving 91 researchers analyzed 314 ancient genomes, finally unraveling the mystery of Indo-European language origins. The research revealed a significant genetic divergence between eastern and western Mediterranean Indo-European populations during the Bronze Age, consistent with Italo-Celtic and Graeco-Armenian linguistic models. Spanish, French, and Italian populations received steppe ancestry from Bell Beaker groups, while Greek and Armenian groups acquired ancestry directly from Yamnaya populations. Strontium isotope analysis further confirmed active mobility patterns during the Bronze Age. This study provides compelling genetic and linguistic evidence for the origins of Indo-European languages and challenges alternative linguistic hypotheses.

(phys.org)

Tech genomics Indo-European languages

So You Want to Write Java in Neovim?

2024-12-28

This post details how to efficiently develop Java code within the Neovim editor. The author shares their positive experience using Neovim for Java at work, recommending JDTLS as the LSP server and either nvim-java or nvim-jdtls as Neovim plugins. The article thoroughly explains JDTLS configuration, including debugging and testing setups, and provides a personal configuration example featuring codelens and debugger functionality. Even if you're not a Neovim devotee, you can still learn valuable Java development techniques.

(ptrtojoel.dev)

Development Java Development

Top 10 Tech Joys of 2024: A Tech Writer's Retrospective

2024-12-28

Top 10 Tech Joys of 2024: A Tech Writer's Retrospective

In a year-end reflection, a tech writer shares his ten biggest tech-related joys of 2024. These include the fun of learning Python, inspiration from online creatives, the thrill of modernizing retrocomputers, the enduring usefulness of XML, the positive experience of Mastodon, the simplicity of NetBSD and Alpine Linux, the resurgence of boutique hosting, the satisfaction of hardware repair, and the clean elegance of plain HTML. The post concludes with heartfelt gratitude for reader feedback.

(rubenerd.com)

Tech Programming Online Community

Sonair Accelerates 3D Ultrasonic Sensor Development with Rust

2024-12-28

Sonair Accelerates 3D Ultrasonic Sensor Development with Rust

Sonair leveraged the Rust programming language to dramatically accelerate the development of its groundbreaking 3D ultrasonic sensor. The article details the reasons for choosing Rust, including its speed, safety, and robust ecosystem. Despite the team's initial lack of Rust experience, they found it surprisingly easy to learn, and its strong type system and borrow checker helped them write safer, more reliable code. Sonair uses Rust for production and Python for algorithm prototyping, creating an efficient workflow. Ultimately, Sonair aims to be among the first to deploy a safety-certified Rust implementation, setting a new standard for functional safety in embedded systems.

(www.sonair.com)

Development 3D Ultrasonic Sensor Functional Safety

Numbers Look Like Leaves in Set Theory

2024-12-28

Numbers Look Like Leaves in Set Theory

While learning ZFC set theory, the author discovered that the graphical representation of natural numbers using Von Neumann ordinals, when rendered using a force-directed graph layout, strikingly resembles leaves. The article details the recursive definition of Von Neumann ordinals and their tree-like structure, visually demonstrating how numbers from 0 to 16 take on a leaf-like form. The author concludes by questioning whether this 'leaf' shape is inherent to the structure of Von Neumann ordinals themselves and plans to investigate the set-theoretic representation of rational numbers.

(www.christo.sh)

AI set theory von neumann ordinals mathematical visualization

Chronotrains Launches Interactive European Train Map

2024-12-28

Chronotrains Launches Interactive European Train Map

Chronotrains has launched an interactive map for planning train journeys across Europe. The map visualizes the area reachable within 8 hours from any European train station. Users can hover to see isochrones, search for stations, or click example cities. Powered by Deutsche Bahn data, the map also facilitates multi-city trip planning and links directly to major train ticket providers, offering a convenient, comfortable, and sustainable way to explore Europe by rail.

(www.chronotrains.com)

Tech European trains travel map journey planning

Spotify Shuts Down Artist Royalty Calculator Amidst Executive Stock Sell-Off

2024-12-28

Spotify Shuts Down Artist Royalty Calculator Amidst Executive Stock Sell-Off

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek's wealth soared this year after significant stock sales, while a calculator exposing Spotify's low artist payouts—Spotify Unwrapped—was shut down due to legal threats. The calculator highlighted the stark contrast between exorbitant executive compensation and meager artist earnings. Although the calculator is gone, its formula remains public, fueling debate about streaming service payment models. Meanwhile, multiple Spotify executives cashed out over $1.25 billion in 2024, following widespread layoffs and premium price hikes.

(www.digitalmusicnews.com)

Tech Music Streaming Artist Royalties

Netflix: The Rise of a Streaming Giant and the Decline of Cinema

2024-12-28

Netflix: The Rise of a Streaming Giant and the Decline of Cinema

Starting as a DVD rental service, Netflix disrupted Blockbuster, conquered the television industry with its streaming platform, and ultimately extended its influence to cinema. Its unique subscription model freed it from traditional film profitability norms, leading to a flood of low-quality content. While initially supporting independent films, Netflix shifted towards scale and low-cost production, resulting in a decline in overall film quality and sparking a profound reflection on the balance between art and commerce in the film industry.

(www.nplusonemag.com)

Tech film industry

Scrapscript: A Compact Programming Language Serialized with Msgpack

2024-12-28

Scrapscript: A Compact Programming Language Serialized with Msgpack

Scrapscript is a novel programming language that compiles programs into "flat scraps" in the Msgpack format, enabling efficient network transmission and storage. Using reverse Polish notation and custom operators, Scrapscript supports various data types and operations, and is interoperable with multiple languages. Its compact nature makes it ideal for bandwidth-constrained environments and offers potential advantages in code hashing and optimization.

(taylor.town)

Development serialization

A Hidden Teapot and Design Flaw in Windows' 3D Pipes Screensaver

2024-12-28

A Hidden Teapot and Design Flaw in Windows' 3D Pipes Screensaver

The beloved Windows 3D Pipes screensaver, known for its mesmerizing pipe animations, hides a little-known secret: a rarely appearing teapot. This teapot is a tribute to the Utah teapot, a standard reference object in computer graphics, but its incredibly low appearance rate led to user complaints about low productivity. The article also reveals that in older Windows versions, the screensaver caused high CPU usage on servers due to software rendering, recommending a black screen saver for servers instead.

(devblogs.microsoft.com)

Misc Screensaver Design Flaw

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