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Mistral's New OCR Model Underwhelms; Google Gemini 2.0 Takes the Lead

2025-03-11
Mistral's New OCR Model Underwhelms; Google Gemini 2.0 Takes the Lead

Recent tests reveal that Mistral's newly released OCR-specific model underperforms its promotional claims. Developers Willis and Doria highlight issues with handling complex layouts and handwriting, including repeated city names, numerical errors, and hallucinations. In contrast, Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash Pro Experimental excels, processing complex PDFs that stump Mistral, including those with handwritten content. Its large context window is a key advantage. While promising, LLM-powered OCR suffers from issues like fabricating information, misinterpreting instructions, and general data misinterpretation.

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(arstechnica.com)
AI

Legion Health: AI-Powered Mental Healthcare – Hiring Top-Tier Engineers

2025-03-11
Legion Health: AI-Powered Mental Healthcare – Hiring Top-Tier Engineers

YC-backed Legion Health is hiring top-tier AI engineers to build an AI-driven mental healthcare system. Focusing on operational efficiency rather than AI diagnostics, they're optimizing telepsychiatry through AI. Engineers will work on LLM workflow optimization, improving AI models for scheduling, risk assessment, and revenue cycle automation, refining feedback loops, and implementing reinforcement learning. Ideal candidates have 3+ years of AI/ML engineering experience, strong Python and ML skills (LLMs, NLP, PyTorch/TensorFlow), and an interest in AI for healthcare.

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(www.ycombinator.com)
AI

fastplotlib: Streamlined Scientific Visualization in Python

2025-03-11
fastplotlib: Streamlined Scientific Visualization in Python

fastplotlib is a new Python library for scientific visualization that prioritizes fast interactive visualization and an easy-to-use API. Its core design treats data as arrays, simplifying data interaction and event handling via simple callback functions. Users can perform dynamic manipulations (e.g., changing colors, data) and build interactive visualizations, such as defining click events, without needing to learn complex, library-specific API features. This streamlined API design lowers the barrier to entry and improves visualization efficiency.

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(medium.com)
Development Scientific Computing

The Mystery of Millions of Random DNS Queries from Google

2025-03-11
The Mystery of Millions of Random DNS Queries from Google

Verisign engineers detected an unusually high volume of random domain name queries from Google's DNS to root name servers. These queries contained 12-13 random characters and were not seen at the top-level domain servers. Investigation revealed this was due to Google's nonce prepending and query name minimization techniques to prevent Kaminsky attacks. While this explained much of the phenomenon, the excessively high query rate (2000x higher than expected) and low cache utilization remain unsolved. The case highlights the importance of collaboration in internet security.

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(blog.apnic.net)
Tech

Firefly: AI-Powered Real-Time Fitness Feedback

2025-03-11

Firefly is a unique workout app offering real-time form feedback using a reliable pose tracker and trainer data. Unlike apps that only suggest routines, Firefly rates your form and provides instant corrections for every rep, ensuring proper technique and injury prevention. Its speed and accuracy surpass competitors, leveraging proprietary trainer data instead of unreliable third-party sources. Firefly provides continuous feedback, helping you improve even when making mistakes.

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(www.firefly.fitness)
AI AI fitness pose tracking real-time feedback

Decoding Human Brain Language Activity with Whisper

2025-03-11
Decoding Human Brain Language Activity with Whisper

Researchers used the Whisper model to analyze ECoG and speech signals from four epilepsy patients during natural conversations. Results showed that Whisper's acoustic, speech, and language embeddings accurately predicted neural activity, especially during speech production and comprehension. Speech embeddings excelled in perceptual and motor areas, while language embeddings performed better in higher-level language areas. The study reveals how speech and language information are encoded across multiple brain regions and how speech information influences language processing. It also uncovered distinct temporal dynamics of information flow during speech production and comprehension, and differences between deep learning and symbolic models in predicting neural activity.

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(www.nature.com)
AI

AI Voice Cloning Scams Expose Flaws in Evidence Rules

2025-03-11

An AI voice cloning scam highlights the challenges posed by rapidly advancing voice synthesis technology. A father nearly fell victim to a fraudster who convincingly imitated his son's voice. This case exposes weaknesses in current Federal Rules of Evidence, which allow authentication of voice recordings based solely on witness identification – a process now unreliable due to sophisticated AI voice cloning. Studies show people struggle to distinguish real voices from AI-generated clones, demonstrating the high realism of current technology. The article advocates amending evidence rules to give judges more discretion in admitting or excluding potentially fabricated audio evidence, adapting to the evolving landscape of AI.

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(www.lawfaremedia.org)
Tech voice cloning evidence law

Running LLMs Locally: Privacy, Cost, and Experimentation

2025-03-11
Running LLMs Locally: Privacy, Cost, and Experimentation

This article explores the advantages and methods of running large language models (LLMs) locally. While acknowledging that local LLMs won't match cloud services in performance, the author highlights their benefits for privacy, cost control, and experimental development. Three tools are presented: Ollama (user-friendly, extensive model library), Llama.cpp (cross-platform, powerful), and Llamafiles (single executable, easy sharing). The article also covers crucial aspects like model selection, parameters, quantization, and model capabilities, while cautioning about model file sizes and security. Ultimately, running LLMs locally offers developers a flexible and controllable approach to AI development.

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(spin.atomicobject.com)
Development local LLMs model selection

Firefox's Ticking Time Bomb: Critical Root Certificate Expiring Soon!

2025-03-11
Firefox's Ticking Time Bomb: Critical Root Certificate Expiring Soon!

Users of older Firefox versions face a critical deadline: March 14, 2025. A crucial root certificate expires then, disabling add-ons and breaking streaming services (like Netflix) if you haven't updated to Firefox 128 (or ESR 115.13+). This also compromises security features. Check your version now and update to avoid broken add-ons, streaming issues, and security vulnerabilities!

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(betanews.com)
Tech Security Update

NIST Selects Backup Quantum-Resistant Encryption Algorithm

2025-03-11
NIST Selects Backup Quantum-Resistant Encryption Algorithm

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has chosen HQC as a backup algorithm to its already standardized ML-KEM for post-quantum cryptography. HQC, based on error-correcting codes, offers a second line of defense against future quantum computers, using a different mathematical approach than the lattice-based ML-KEM. While ML-KEM remains the recommended choice for general encryption, HQC provides crucial redundancy in case vulnerabilities are discovered in ML-KEM. NIST plans to release a draft standard for HQC in about a year, with finalization expected in 2027.

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(www.nist.gov)
Tech

CalPERS' Climate Portfolio: Greenwashing or Genuine Transition?

2025-03-11

California's Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), the largest US pension fund, has classified over $3 billion in holdings in fossil fuel companies and other major greenhouse gas emitters as "climate solutions." This has sparked controversy, with critics arguing it contradicts CalPERS' stated goal of transitioning to a low-carbon economy. CalPERS defends its strategy, claiming it aims to influence polluting companies while investing in clean energy, fulfilling its fiduciary duty. However, a report reveals CalPERS' climate portfolio includes 52 of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters, highlighting challenges in meeting its emission reduction targets. The situation underscores the difficulty of balancing financial returns with climate commitments and raises questions about transparency and the definition of 'climate solutions'.

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(financialpost.com)
Tech climate investment

UUIDv7: A New Time-Based UUID Standard

2025-03-11
UUIDv7: A New Time-Based UUID Standard

UUIDv7 is a new time-based UUID standard that combines the benefits of traditional UUIDs with modern, scalable distributed systems. Unlike the randomly generated UUIDv4, UUIDv7 offers both globally unique and time-ordered identifiers, making it ideal for applications requiring timestamps and uniqueness. It addresses privacy concerns associated with UUIDv1 and maintains compatibility with existing UUID libraries. Key use cases include distributed systems, database indexing, logging and monitoring, and e-commerce.

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(uuidv7.org)
Development

Shrinking Godot's Build Size: From 93MB to 6.4MB

2025-03-11
Shrinking Godot's Build Size: From 93MB to 6.4MB

This article details how to drastically reduce the build size of Godot game engine projects. The author systematically optimizes a project, starting with disabling 3D, advanced text servers, and unnecessary modules. Techniques like using the UPX compression tool, WebAssembly optimization (wasm-opt), and Brotli compression are also explored. The article uses a simple 2D bouncing game as an example, showcasing each step's impact with clear before-and-after comparisons. It's a practical guide covering various optimization strategies and their trade-offs.

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(popcar.bearblog.dev)
Development Engine Optimization

Fragments of Poetry: Dong Li's The Orange Tree

2025-03-11
Fragments of Poetry: Dong Li's The Orange Tree

Dong Li's debut collection, *The Orange Tree*, tells the story of a family shattered by the political turmoil of 20th-century China, using fragmented, evocative poetry. The poems blend personal emotion with historical suffering, exploring themes of memory, identity, and homeland. Li's concise yet deeply moving style, reminiscent of an enduring orange tree, weaves together a powerful narrative. This collection is both a poignant reflection on history and a profound exploration of poetic language, resulting in a truly remarkable work.

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(www.mcsweeneys.net)
Misc Chinese literature family history

TypeScript Native Compiler: 10x Performance Boost

2025-03-11
TypeScript Native Compiler: 10x Performance Boost

The TypeScript team announced a native port of the TypeScript compiler and tools to dramatically improve performance. This native implementation is projected to drastically speed up editor startup, reduce most build times by 10x, and substantially reduce memory usage. Initial testing shows compilation speed improvements of more than 10x for several large projects (e.g., VS Code, Playwright). Future native TypeScript (planned as TypeScript 7) will support more advanced refactorings, deeper code analysis, and lay the foundation for next-gen AI development tools. TypeScript 6 (JS-based) will continue to be maintained to ensure a smooth transition.

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(devblogs.microsoft.com)
Development Native Compiler Performance Improvement

WWII's Ramree Island: A Nightmarish Crocodile Massacre

2025-03-11
WWII's Ramree Island: A Nightmarish Crocodile Massacre

Following a battle on Ramree Island during WWII, nearly 1,000 Japanese soldiers fled into a dense mangrove swamp. Little did they know, this refuge was home to a massive population of saltwater crocodiles. These apex predators, some reaching over 20 feet in length, ambushed the terrified soldiers. Survivors recounted horrific tales of nightmarish attacks, screams, gunfire, and the sounds of flesh being torn. Hundreds perished in what Guinness World Records dubbed the "most fatalities in a crocodile attack."

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(www.atlasobscura.com)
Misc Ramree Island Saltwater Crocodiles

Mapping UChicago's 135-Year Expansion: A Contentious History

2025-03-11
Mapping UChicago's 135-Year Expansion: A Contentious History

The University of Chicago's 135-year expansion in Hyde Park and beyond is a complex story of conflicting priorities, land disputes, and racial tension. This visual history, compiled from archives, maps, and academic literature, charts the University's contentious property acquisitions since its founding in 1890. It highlights the institution's pioneering role in urban renewal, its impact on the surrounding neighborhoods, and the evolving relationship between the university and the city.

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(chicagomaroon.github.io)
Misc University of Chicago Town and Gown

Manchester Baby: The First Truly Modern Computer?

2025-03-11
Manchester Baby: The First Truly Modern Computer?

This article recounts the story of the "Manchester Baby," a small-scale experimental machine built at the University of Manchester in 1948. Despite its slow speed and simple program, the Baby pioneered the concept of electronic stored-program computing, marking a pivotal moment in the dawn of the modern computing age. The article also delves into the competing claim of the ENIAC computer, comparing and contrasting their features, ultimately concluding that the Manchester Baby holds a significant milestone in the development of fully electronic stored-program computers.

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(thechipletter.substack.com)
Tech manchester baby

Cinder JIT: Efficient Type Representation Using Bitsets and Semilattices

2025-03-11
Cinder JIT: Efficient Type Representation Using Bitsets and Semilattices

The Cinder JIT compiler employs a clever type representation, treating types as sets (even lattices) and choosing a compact bitset representation. This article delves into how Cinder leverages bitsets and semilattice structures for efficient type information handling, covering basic type representation, type unions, and specialization. By encoding type information into bitsets, Cinder effectively represents type unions and allows for finer-grained type distinctions. Furthermore, Cinder introduces a specialization mechanism to track the specific value of individual objects, further improving compiler optimization efficiency. The article also discusses the Bottom type and details on generating the type lattice.

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(bernsteinbear.com)
Development bitsets

Factorio Learning Environment: A New Benchmark for LLMs

2025-03-11

Large Language Models (LLMs) are rapidly exceeding existing benchmarks, demanding new open-ended evaluations. The Factorio Learning Environment (FLE) is introduced, using the game Factorio to test agents on long-term planning, program synthesis, and resource optimization. FLE offers open-ended, exponentially scaling challenges—from basic automation to complex factories processing millions of resource units per second. Two settings are provided: lab-play with 24 structured tasks and fixed resources, and open-play, the unbounded task of building the largest factory from scratch on a procedurally generated map. Results show LLMs still lack strong spatial reasoning. In lab-play, LLMs show promise in short-term skills but fail in constrained environments, highlighting limitations in error analysis. In open-play, while LLMs discover automation strategies improving growth (e.g., electric drilling), they fail at complex automation (e.g., electronic circuit manufacturing).

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(jackhopkins.github.io)
AI

Meta Faces Legal Trouble Over AI Training Data Copyright

2025-03-11
Meta Faces Legal Trouble Over AI Training Data Copyright

Meta is facing a lawsuit alleging it illegally removed copyright management information (CMI) from material used to train its AI models. Authors Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Christopher Golden accuse Meta of using their work to train its neural networks without permission and removing CMI to obscure its actions. A judge ruled that Meta must answer to claims of violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), signaling that the copyright implications of AI model training data are set to face more legal scrutiny. While some claims were dismissed, the case's progression could set a precedent for other similar lawsuits, with the Tremblay lawsuit against OpenAI being amended with new evidence.

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(www.theregister.com)
Tech

Zero-Downtime Database Migration Verified with PlusCal

2025-03-11

This blog post details how the author used PlusCal, a DSL for TLA+, and formal verification to ensure the correctness of a zero-downtime database migration. A PlusCal model was built simulating user Upsert, Delete, and Get operations on a database, along with a background migration process. By simulating a system without migration and one with migration, and verifying the consistency of Get operation results across all states, the author ensured the correctness of the migration algorithm. Formal verification helped in early detection of flaws, such as improper handling of TOMBSTONES, and highlighted the importance of atomic operations, like the atomicity of checking and inserting data during migration.

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(biradarganesh25.github.io)
Development

8 Visual Patterns to Improve Code Readability

2025-03-11
8 Visual Patterns to Improve Code Readability

A programmer auditing code found themselves mentally fatigued despite high-quality code. The culprit wasn't cyclomatic complexity, but readability. Research revealed eight visual patterns to improve readability: minimize line/operator/operand count; avoid novelty in function shapes, operators, or syntactic sugar; group long function chains; keep conditionals short; avoid gotos; minimize nesting; use descriptive and visually distinct variable names; and shorten variable lifetimes. These patterns help improve code readability, reduce bugs, and increase developer productivity.

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(seeinglogic.com)
Development

GCC 15 to Support COBOL!

2025-03-11

A major update is coming to the GCC 15 compiler: COBOL language front-end support has been merged! This is a significant step forward for GCC's COBOL support, facilitating the migration of legacy mainframe COBOL applications to Linux and cloud environments. While COBOL's popularity isn't what it once was, this merge is still a welcome surprise. Developers can use the `gcobol` command to invoke the COBOL compiler front-end. Expect COBOL support alongside many other features in the GCC 15.1 stable release in the coming weeks.

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(www.phoronix.com)
Development

Shark-Skin Inspired Laser Etching Creates Antibacterial Cutting Boards

2025-03-11
Shark-Skin Inspired Laser Etching Creates Antibacterial Cutting Boards

Researchers have developed a novel solution to prevent bacterial buildup on food processing surfaces. Inspired by the naturally antimicrobial textures of shark skin and cicada wings, they used lasers to etch micro- and nanoscale textures onto metal surfaces. This prevents bacteria from attaching, effectively eliminating the need for constant cleaning and reducing biofilm formation. The laser texturing technique avoids the use of chemicals, making it a safer and more sustainable alternative. Future work involves machine learning models to optimize the process for industrial applications.

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(www.morningagclips.com)
Tech antibacterial materials

Local Deep Research Assistant: A Powerful AI Research Tool Combining LLMs and Web Search

2025-03-11
Local Deep Research Assistant: A Powerful AI Research Tool Combining LLMs and Web Search

A powerful AI-powered research assistant performing deep, iterative analysis using multiple LLMs and web searches. Run it locally for privacy or configure it for cloud-based LLMs (Claude, GPT) for enhanced capabilities. It supports full webpage analysis, offers rich output options (detailed findings with citations, reports, summaries), and features local document search (RAG) for private document collections. The system intelligently selects search sources (Wikipedia, arXiv, DuckDuckGo, etc.) based on your query, offering flexible LLM and search engine support.

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(github.com)
Development Research Tool

Sidekick: A Powerful, Locally-Run LLM App for macOS

2025-03-11
Sidekick: A Powerful, Locally-Run LLM App for macOS

Sidekick is a native macOS LLM application that runs entirely locally, accessing your files, folders, and websites without needing extra software. Utilizing RAG technology, it handles vast datasets, supports multiple reasoning models including a code interpreter, generates images, and boasts advanced Markdown rendering capabilities, plus built-in writing assistant tools. Sidekick prioritizes simplicity and ease of use, operating entirely offline, with no conversation tracking, and an open-source approach for transparency.

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(github.com)
Development local LLM

Christianity and Sexuality: A History of Contradictions

2025-03-11
Christianity and Sexuality: A History of Contradictions

This book delves into the complex history of Christianity's attitude towards sex, from the early church's emphasis on celibacy to the persecution of homosexuals and the complex definition of women's roles. The author meticulously examines the various interpretations of biblical texts on sexuality and reveals how power, social norms, and fear of human desire have shaped the church's stance on sex. Despite the church's historically harsh attitude towards sex, the book also showcases individuals and stories that challenge traditional views and the pursuit of love and devotion. Ultimately, the author reflects on the challenges facing the modern church and the need to rebuild a truly Christian faith based on love and forgiveness.

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(www.lrb.co.uk)
Misc religious history sex and religion

ESP32 Bluetooth Controller 'Backdoor': A False Alarm?

2025-03-11

Recent concerns have emerged regarding a potential "backdoor" or "undocumented features" in the ESP32 Bluetooth controller. Espressif has responded, stating that the so-called "undocumented HCI commands" are solely for debugging purposes and do not pose a security threat. These commands assist in debugging (e.g., read/write RAM, memory-mapped flash read, send/receive packets), and don't play an active role in standard Bluetooth host stack (like NimBLE or Bluedroid) HCI communication. In ESP32, the controller and host run on the same MCU, communicating via a virtual HCI layer. Any code accessing this layer must execute on the ESP32 with full privileges. Therefore, unless the application itself has vulnerabilities, these undocumented commands cannot be exploited. Espressif will provide a software patch to remove access to these debug commands and will document all vendor-specific HCI commands for greater transparency.

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(developer.espressif.com)
Hardware Bluetooth Security
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