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Open Source DMR Modem Implementation with GNU Radio and Codec2

2025-04-19

This article details an open-source Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) modem implementation using Software Defined Radio (SDR), GNU Radio, and Codec2. This proof-of-concept modem, capable of voice calls, uses GNU Radio for the physical layer, MMDVMHost for the data link and partial call control layers, and Codec2 as the vocoder. Future development aims to incorporate more DMR standard features, including data messaging, Tier III functionality, and IPv4 transport. Tested with a LimeSDR-mini, the project faces challenges such as latency and precise TDMA timing.

(qradiolink.org)

Development

Pico-8 Fantasy Console Demo: Multi-Cartridge Game Shown at Revision

2025-04-19

A Pico-8 demo, utilizing multi-cartridge technology, was showcased at this year's Revision demoparty's "fantasy console" competition. Currently only viewable online, the full source code is available for download on Pouet. Accompanying YouTube videos showcase the game and its music creation process. The demo runs within Pico-8, downloading necessary data carts from the BBS. Some effects have also been released as standalone files.

(www.lexaloffle.com)

Game demo

Neurite: An Infinite Fractal Workspace for Creative Exploration

2025-04-19

Neurite: An Infinite Fractal Workspace for Creative Exploration

Neurite is an open-source creative workspace blending the mesmerizing complexity of fractals with modern mind-mapping techniques. Users navigate a virtually limitless canvas, creating nodes representing text, images, videos, code, and AI agents, building a personalized microcosm of their thoughts and inspirations. Featuring real-time fractal navigation, customizable fractal types, and AI integration via FractalGPT for non-linear conversations, Neurite offers seamless integration with external knowledge sources like Wolfram Alpha and Wikipedia. Powerful customization options, including custom node creation and formatting, further enhance the user experience.

(github.com)

Development

FramePack: High-Quality Video Generation on Consumer GPUs with Only 6GB VRAM

2025-04-19

FramePack is a revolutionary video diffusion technology enabling next-frame prediction on consumer-grade GPUs. By efficiently packing frame context and using constant-length input, it allows for high-quality video generation with only 6GB of VRAM, making it accessible to users with laptops and mid-range systems. Its anti-drifting technology, utilizing a bi-directional sampling approach, ensures consistent quality across long video sequences. No cloud processing or expensive GPU rentals are required; generation happens directly on your hardware.

(framepack.co)

AI

DOGE's Cross-Agency Database Integration: A Cybersecurity Nightmare

2025-04-19

DOGE's Cross-Agency Database Integration: A Cybersecurity Nightmare

A committee project, codenamed DOGE, aims to consolidate sensitive information from multiple federal agencies (SSA, IRS, HHS, etc.) into a single cross-agency master database. However, this project has alarmingly disregarded cybersecurity and privacy concerns, potentially violating the law. Investigations reveal DOGE engineers attempting to circumvent network security controls by creating specialized computers with direct access to various agencies' networks and databases. This poses unprecedented operational security risks, undermining the zero-trust architecture. Furthermore, DOGE staff are reportedly using backpacks filled with laptops, each accessing different agency systems, to combine databases currently maintained separately – a deeply concerning practice.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech federal data sharing

The Forgotten Syntax of Salt and Gold: How Ifriqiya's Merchants Coded Commerce Before Silicon

2025-04-19

The Forgotten Syntax of Salt and Gold: How Ifriqiya's Merchants Coded Commerce Before Silicon

This article unveils the story of the Sifraniyah, a merchant guild in Ifriqiya (modern-day southern Tunisia), who used a unique trade language, Al-Khatt al-Tujjari (The Commercial Line), centuries before the silicon age. Resembling an early programming language, this cryptic system employed conditional statements, looped inventory management, and error-checking mechanisms, executed through wax-sealed scrolls, knotted scripts, and rhythmic chants. Their decentralized autonomous protocol-like system operated across various trade nodes. However, with the rise of empires and more modern accounting, Al-Khatt al-Tujjari was eventually forgotten, leaving behind fragments that remind us logic isn't solely born of silicon, but can also grow from sand, salt, and stories.

(medium.com)

Misc commerce

Resurrecting a Lost Arcade Giant: The Galaxian3 Rescue Mission

2025-04-19

Resurrecting a Lost Arcade Giant: The Galaxian3 Rescue Mission

In the early 1990s, Namco's 28-player arcade behemoth, Galaxian3, captivated players. Years later, most installations vanished. This article details a two-year journey to restore a damaged Galaxian3 GT-6 in New Hampshire. The game boasts unique hardware, including dual Sony CRT projectors and LaserDisc players. The team tackled challenges like diagnosing a mysterious LED flashing fault, repairing LaserDisc players, and combating 'CRT fungus' in the projectors. Despite their success in reviving much of the game, challenges remain, showcasing the immense effort required to preserve gaming history.

(philwip.com)

Game

Massive Star's Silent Demise: A Black Hole's Unexpected Birth

2025-04-19

Massive Star's Silent Demise: A Black Hole's Unexpected Birth

Astronomers observed a massive star, 25 times the mass of our sun, that unexpectedly collapsed into a black hole without a supernova explosion. Using the Large Binocular Telescope, Hubble, and Spitzer, the team found the star had vanished, leaving behind a black hole candidate. This 'failed supernova' could explain the lower-than-expected number of observed supernovae. The research suggests that up to 30% of massive stars might directly collapse into black holes this way, offering new insights into the origins of supermassive black holes.

(science.nasa.gov)

Tech stellar collapse

1915 Crochet Centerpieces and Luncheon Sets: A Detailed Guide

2025-04-19

1915 Crochet Centerpieces and Luncheon Sets: A Detailed Guide

Published in 1915 by Anne Orr for 25 cents, "Center Pieces and Lunch Sets" is a comprehensive guide to crocheting various centerpieces and placemats. The book features detailed instructions and illustrations for creating pieces ranging in complexity, from simple doilies to elaborate designs incorporating pineapples and shamrocks. Complete with explanations of crochet stitches and abbreviations, it's a vintage treasure for craft enthusiasts.

(www.gutenberg.org)

Design vintage crafts

Open Source F1 Live Timing Client: undercutf1

2025-04-19

Open Source F1 Live Timing Client: undercutf1

undercutf1 is an open-source TUI application providing a real-time F1 live timing experience. It displays crucial race information like sector times, tire data, gaps, and strategies, with support for session replays and data analysis. Utilizing the UndercutF1.Data library, it connects to the F1 live timing data stream, processing incoming information and even allowing for simulated streams for development. Additional features include a driver tracker with a track map, team radio listening with transcription (using Whisper), and easy installation across multiple operating systems. A must-have for F1 fans and developers alike.

(github.com)

Game Live Timing

Peru's Ancient Irrigation Systems: Lessons from the Past for a Climate-Resilient Future

2025-04-19

Peru's Ancient Irrigation Systems: Lessons from the Past for a Climate-Resilient Future

Peru's arid north coast, surprisingly, thrives as an agro-industrial heartland due to sophisticated irrigation systems. However, climate change and modern agricultural practices exacerbate water scarcity. This article explores ancient Moche and Chimu irrigation systems, which successfully managed droughts and floods for millennia. Their success stemmed from a blend of culture and technology, not just technology alone. Modern large-scale irrigation projects, while providing short-term prosperity, neglect ancient wisdom and face sustainability challenges. The article calls for integrating ancient cultural and technological insights into modern agriculture for more resilient solutions, emphasizing the need to respect and preserve indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage.

(theconversation.com)

Tech ancient irrigation

A Detailed (But Imperfect) Map of British English Dialects

2025-04-19

A Detailed (But Imperfect) Map of British English Dialects

A painstakingly detailed map of British English dialects has been created, showcasing the incredible diversity of the language across the UK. The creator spent years compiling data from various sources and incorporating feedback, aiming for accuracy. However, the inherent fuzziness of dialect boundaries, the lack of a precise definition of 'dialect,' and the existence of non-geographically specific dialects (like those in London) make complete accuracy impossible. The map, though incomplete, serves as a testament to the richness and complexity of British English.

(starkeycomics.com)

Misc British English dialects Linguistic geography Dialect map

The Unexpected Balkan Success of Only Fools and Horses

2025-04-19

The Unexpected Balkan Success of Only Fools and Horses

The British sitcom "Only Fools and Horses" isn't just a UK classic; it enjoys unexpected popularity in the Balkans, particularly Serbia and Croatia. The show's comedic portrayal of Del Boy and Rodney's relentless pursuit of wealth, coupled with their resilience, resonates deeply with Balkan audiences, who see reflections of their own struggles and aspirations. This surprising cross-cultural success highlights the universal appeal of certain themes and the unpredictable nature of cultural influence.

(blog.samizdata.co)

Misc British Culture Balkan Culture Cross-Cultural Success

Grid Computing Breaks World Record for Goldbach Conjecture Verification

2025-04-19

Grid Computing Breaks World Record for Goldbach Conjecture Verification

Japanese engineer @jay_gridbach has broken the world record for verifying the Goldbach Conjecture using his Gridbach distributed computing system. He extended the verification to 4×10¹⁸ + 7×10¹³, surpassing the previous record held by a Portuguese researcher. Gridbach is a cloud-based system leveraging WebAssembly, requiring no login and accessible from PCs and smartphones. The project aims to advance the verification of the Goldbach Conjecture and foster interest in mathematics and IT through open computational resources.

(medium.com)

Tech Goldbach Conjecture

Fudan University Develops Record-Breaking Flash Memory: PoX

2025-04-19

Fudan University Develops Record-Breaking Flash Memory: PoX

A research team at Fudan University has created PoX, a non-volatile flash memory boasting an unprecedented single-bit programming speed of 400 picoseconds—approximately 25 billion operations per second. Published in Nature, this breakthrough pushes non-volatile memory into speeds previously exclusive to volatile memory, setting a new benchmark for AI hardware. By replacing silicon channels with 2D Dirac graphene and leveraging ballistic charge transport, the team overcame the speed limitations of traditional flash memory. PoX's potential applications include eliminating high-speed SRAM caches in AI chips, reducing energy consumption and chip size, and enabling database engines to store entire working sets in persistent RAM. This innovation could reshape storage technology and open new application scenarios.

(interestingengineering.com)

Tech Non-volatile flash memory Graphene

The Rise of Drug-Resistant Fungi: A Race Against Time

2025-04-19

The Rise of Drug-Resistant Fungi: A Race Against Time

Drug-resistant fungi, such as the highly lethal Candida auris, pose a growing threat to global public health. Around 3.8 million people die each year from fungal infections, a number that has nearly doubled in the past decade. The article highlights the challenges in developing antifungal drugs due to the similarity between fungal and human cells, and the potential for increased resistance due to widespread fungicide use in agriculture. Currently, only three antifungal drugs are in late-stage clinical trials. The article calls for increased basic research, improved diagnostic tools, the establishment of clinical trial networks, and policy interventions, such as restricting the use of agricultural fungicides, to address this challenge and prevent more fungi from evolving into dangerous pathogens.

(www.nature.com)

Tech drug-resistant fungi antifungal drugs

AI-Designed Proteins Neutralize Snake Venom: A Game Changer in Antivenom Development

2025-04-19

AI-Designed Proteins Neutralize Snake Venom: A Game Changer in Antivenom Development

A groundbreaking study uses AI protein design to create antivenoms that effectively neutralize toxins from cobras and other snakes. Traditional antivenom production is expensive, slow, and prone to side effects. AI-designed proteins overcome these limitations, demonstrating superior toxin neutralization in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. This offers a promising solution to the significant public health threat of snakebites, showcasing AI's potential to revolutionize biomedicine and provide safer, more effective, and affordable antivenoms.

(plentyofroom.beehiiv.com)

AI Antivenom

Pahole: A Powerful Tool for Inspecting C/C++ Data Structure Memory Layouts

2025-04-19

This blog post introduces pahole, a powerful tool for analyzing the memory layout of C/C++ data structures, including padding and alignment details. By reading the DWARF debugging information generated by the compiler, pahole visually displays how data structures are arranged in memory and points out "holes" inserted by the compiler to meet memory alignment requirements. This is crucial for optimizing code cache utilization and reducing cache line false sharing. The post also demonstrates how to install pahole and how to use its command-line options to analyze struct sizes, adjust member ordering to optimize memory layout, and explore memory layout differences under different cache line sizes.

(pramodkumbhar.com)

Development memory layout

Music from a Deceased Composer's Brain Organoids

2025-04-19

Music from a Deceased Composer's Brain Organoids

Scientists and artists collaborated with the late experimental composer Alvin Lucier to create an art installation, "Revivification," using cerebral organoids grown from his white blood cells. These organoids, connected to transducers and actuators, produce music by electrically triggering brass plates. The installation explores life beyond death, the nature of creativity, and the persistence of memory, prompting questions about consciousness, artificial intelligence, and the future of human experience.

(www.popularmechanics.com)

Misc BioArt Brain Science

Building JavaScript Views the Hard Way

2025-04-19

Building JavaScript Views the Hard Way

This article introduces a pattern for building views in plain JavaScript, emphasizing maintainability, performance, and fun, while avoiding the complexities of frameworks like React, Vue, or lit-html. This approach uses direct imperative code for high performance, requires zero dependencies, boasts excellent portability and maintainability, and supports all browsers. The article details the structure of a view component, including template, clone function, init function, DOM variables, DOM views, state variables, DOM update functions, and state update functions, along with naming conventions and best practices to ensure code readability and maintainability.

(github.com)

Development Views

Ocean Iron Fertilization: A Potential Climate Change Weapon?

2025-04-19

Ocean Iron Fertilization: A Potential Climate Change Weapon?

Since the 1990s, scientists have experimented with ocean iron fertilization to stimulate phytoplankton growth and absorb atmospheric CO2. Early experiments showed that adding iron did lead to phytoplankton blooms, with diatoms becoming particularly abundant. These larger algae absorb CO2 more efficiently and sink to the deep ocean, potentially sequestering carbon. However, iron fertilization also carries potential risks, such as harmful algal blooms and alterations to marine ecosystem nutrient allocation. Scientists are now developing new technologies and regulations to comprehensively assess the effectiveness and risks of iron fertilization, exploring it as a potential climate change mitigation tool. Crucially, this doesn't replace the need for immediate and substantial reductions in fossil fuel use.

(www.whoi.edu)

Tech ocean iron fertilization

Jupiter's Ammonia Hailstorms: A Deep Dive into the Giant Planet's Atmosphere

2025-04-19

Scientists at UC Berkeley have confirmed the existence of ammonia-water 'mushballs' on Jupiter – icy slushballs that act like hailstones during thunderstorms. This discovery stems from explaining the uneven distribution of ammonia gas in Jupiter's upper atmosphere, confirmed by data from NASA's Juno mission and Earth-based radio telescopes, and a newly created 3D visualization of Jupiter's upper atmosphere. The mushballs penetrate deep into Jupiter's atmosphere, altering our understanding of the mixing in giant planet atmospheres and offering insights into the internal structure of other gas giants and even exoplanets. The research challenges the long-held assumption of a well-mixed Jovian atmosphere, revealing the crucial role of deep storms and mushballs in redistributing materials.

(www.sciencedaily.com)

Tech atmosphere planetary science

Hands-On Guide to Large Language Models: Code and Illustrations Included

2025-04-19

Hands-On Guide to Large Language Models: Code and Illustrations Included

Jay Alammar and Maarten Grootendorst's new book, "Hands-On Large Language Models," provides a practical and visually rich guide to understanding and using LLMs. The book features numerous illustrations and accompanying code examples, making complex concepts accessible to a broad audience. With its comprehensive coverage and readily available code repository, it's a valuable resource for both beginners and experienced developers.

(github.com)

AI

Classic Mac OS Gets a 21st-Century Reboot: Browsers and Game Libraries Updated

2025-04-19

Classic Mac OS Gets a 21st-Century Reboot: Browsers and Game Libraries Updated

Nineteen years after the first Intel Mac, new apps for Classic Mac OS and PowerPC Mac OS X still emerge. Recently, new internet tools have breathed life into vintage Macs. Cameron Kaiser updated the MacLynx web browser and maintains TenFourFox and Classilla. Additionally, the Mbed-TLS library has been ported to Classic Mac OS, and work is underway on porting SDL 2, potentially bringing new games to the aging OS. This showcases programmers' ongoing exploration of this older operating system.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech Classic Mac OS Web Browsers

Hydrogen Buses: A Failing Experiment?

2025-04-19

Hydrogen Buses: A Failing Experiment?

Multiple European cities have experimented with hydrogen buses, but the results have been disappointing. High manufacturing and operating costs, coupled with an unstable hydrogen supply chain, have led to many projects being scrapped or scaled back. Several cities have switched to more affordable battery-electric buses. While a few cities have achieved some success using industrial byproduct hydrogen or building their own green hydrogen production plants, these cases are difficult to replicate and face challenges such as hydrogen leaks. The EU continues to invest heavily in hydrogen projects, but their economic and environmental benefits are questionable. In the future, low-carbon hydrogen may play a role in specific industrial sectors, but its potential as a major transportation fuel is diminishing.

(cleantechnica.com)

Tech

Bluesky's Decentralized Verification System Sparks Controversy

2025-04-19

Bluesky's Decentralized Verification System Sparks Controversy

Decentralized social media platform Bluesky is planning to introduce a blue check verification system similar to Twitter's, but its mechanism differs significantly from X (formerly Twitter). Bluesky's blue check verification will be granted by "Trusted Verifiers" (such as news organizations) and Bluesky itself, rather than being paid for. This design aims to avoid the confusion and trust crisis caused by X's paid verification model. However, the proposal has sparked controversy within the Bluesky community, with many users arguing that it contradicts the platform's decentralized philosophy and that the existing domain name verification is sufficient. Despite this, some users support the change, believing the blue check makes it easier to identify genuine accounts. Bluesky states users will be able to choose to hide all blue checkmarks.

(www.neowin.net)

Tech verification

The AI Hype Bubble: A Tech Industry Delusion

2025-04-19

A computer scientist passionately argues against the current overblown hype surrounding AI. Many companies blindly follow trends, viewing AI as a panacea rather than a practical tool. This hype leads to wasted funds, misallocated talent, and even sacrifices of privacy and freedom. He contends that only a small fraction of AI hype is based on useful facts, with the rest being exaggerated nonsense, ultimately harming investors and smaller businesses. The author urges readers to approach AI rationally and avoid being swept up by media and popular opinion.

(unixdigest.com)

AI AI hype tech bubble

Netflix Q1 Earnings: Price Hikes Pay Off, Advertising Revenue to Double

2025-04-18

Netflix Q1 Earnings: Price Hikes Pay Off, Advertising Revenue to Double

Netflix's Q1 earnings report revealed $10.5 billion in revenue, a 13% year-over-year increase, and a net income of $2.9 billion. This success is attributed to January's price increases, coupled with continued membership and advertising revenue growth. While Netflix no longer discloses precise subscriber numbers, it projects a doubling of advertising revenue by 2025. The company also plans a TV app homepage redesign, an interactive search feature using generative AI, and further expansion into live content, including talk shows and boxing matches, solidifying its position as a streaming giant.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Earnings Report

OpenAI's New Models Hallucinate More: Bigger Isn't Always Better

2025-04-18

OpenAI's New Models Hallucinate More: Bigger Isn't Always Better

OpenAI's recently released o3 and o4-mini models, while state-of-the-art in many ways, exhibit a troubling increase in hallucinations compared to their predecessors. Internal tests reveal significantly higher hallucination rates than previous reasoning models (o1, o1-mini, o3-mini) and even traditional non-reasoning models like GPT-4o. OpenAI is unsure of the cause, posing a challenge for industries demanding accuracy. Third-party testing confirms this issue, with o3 fabricating steps in its reasoning process. While excelling in coding and math, the higher hallucination rate limits applicability. Addressing model hallucinations is a key area of AI research, with granting models web search capabilities emerging as a promising approach.

(techcrunch.com)

AI hallucinations

AI Deepfake Nightmare: Actors Regret Selling Their Likenesses Cheaply

2025-04-18

AI Deepfake Nightmare: Actors Regret Selling Their Likenesses Cheaply

Cash-strapped actors are regretting selling their likenesses for AI videos, unaware of the potential consequences. Adam Coy, a New York actor, licensed his face and voice for $1000, only to discover his AI avatar predicting disasters. Simon Lee, a South Korean actor, found his likeness used to promote fraudulent health cures. As AI avatar technology advances, companies like Synthesia (valued at $2.1 billion) are profiting, prompting Synthesia to launch an equity fund to incentivize actors. However, lawyers warn that many actors signed contracts with exploitative clauses without fully understanding them, highlighting the ethical dilemmas of this burgeoning technology.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech AI deepfake actor rights

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