Seagate's New Hard Drives: A Case of Massive Reselling?

2025-01-29
Seagate's New Hard Drives: A Case of Massive Reselling?

German publication Heise.de reports a widespread issue where numerous Seagate hard drive buyers received used drives instead of new ones. The drives, showing usage times of tens of thousands of hours, were purchased from various retailers, including authorized Seagate sellers and major online marketplaces. Affected models span different series and capacities. While Seagate is investigating, the scale and nature of the problem remain unclear, raising concerns about potential fraud.

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Hardware Hard Drives Fraud

OpenAI Accuses DeepSeek of Using Its Data to Train Rival AI Models

2025-01-29
OpenAI Accuses DeepSeek of Using Its Data to Train Rival AI Models

OpenAI has found evidence suggesting that Chinese AI company DeepSeek used OpenAI's model data to train its own low-cost AI models, potentially violating its terms of service. DeepSeek allegedly employed a 'distillation' technique to extract data from OpenAI's models, enabling it to train its own models at a fraction of the cost—far less than the $100 million OpenAI spent on GPT-4. OpenAI and Microsoft are investigating the matter, sparking a debate about AI intellectual property and data security, and highlighting the intensifying competition among tech giants.

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AppleCare+ Denies Claim for MacBook Pro Destroyed in Car Crash

2025-01-29
AppleCare+ Denies Claim for MacBook Pro Destroyed in Car Crash

A Redditor's MacBook Pro was totaled in a car accident. Despite having AppleCare+ for accidental damage, Apple denied the claim, citing the extent of the damage. While AppleCare+ covers accidental damage, vague clauses about "similar external causes" and "reckless conduct" allowed Apple to deny coverage. This raises questions about the scope of AppleCare+ protection and whether Apple is misinterpreting its own terms.

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Streaming Data in DuckDB: Conquering Concurrency Limits with Arrow Flight

2025-01-29
Streaming Data in DuckDB: Conquering Concurrency Limits with Arrow Flight

Definite's blog post showcases a clever solution to overcome DuckDB's concurrency limitations using Apache Arrow Flight. While DuckDB excels at single-machine analytics, its lack of concurrent writer and reader support restricts its use in real-time streaming scenarios. The 'Duck Takes Flight' Python script builds an Arrow Flight server, enabling concurrent writes and reads to DuckDB. This 200-line solution is efficient, requiring no complex cluster setup, and delivers high-performance stream processing, offering a fresh approach for applications needing fast data movement and on-the-fly querying.

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Development Stream Processing

Preserves: A More Expressive Data Language

2025-01-29

Preserves is a data model and serialization format comparable to JSON, XML, and others. It features a syntax-neutral data model and semantics, enabling lossless conversion between various syntaxes. The project provides specifications, tutorials, implementations in multiple languages (Python, Rust, JavaScript, etc.), and tools for developers seeking a more powerful and flexible data representation. It also offers schema and query capabilities for efficient data manipulation. Compared to JSON, Preserves offers richer expressiveness and better scalability.

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Your Phone is Killing Your Sex Appeal

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

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

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Sentry: Earth Impact Monitoring System

2025-01-29

Sentry is a system designed to monitor asteroids that pose a potential impact risk to Earth. By analyzing asteroid orbital data, it calculates the probability and potential consequences of an impact. The system provides information such as impact probability, energy, and date, and uses the Torino and Palermo scales to assess risk. While no currently known asteroids pose a high threat, Sentry continuously monitors and provides crucial data for planetary defense.

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Tech

Alibaba Cloud's Qwen2.5-Max: A Giant Leap for AI

2025-01-29
Alibaba Cloud's Qwen2.5-Max: A Giant Leap for AI

Alibaba Cloud unveiled Qwen2.5-Max, a large-scale Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) language model. Pre-trained on over 20 trillion tokens, it boasts a context length of up to 100,000 tokens, excelling in handling long texts and complex reasoning. Its MoE architecture provides superior efficiency and performance, enabling rapid and accurate processing of vast information for applications like real-time analytics, automated customer support, and gaming bots. Focused on enterprise use cases, Qwen2.5-Max aims to help businesses reduce infrastructure costs and improve performance. Its release signifies China's significant advancements in global AI competition and a more diverse future for AI technology.

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Jevons Paradox: Efficiency Gains Lead to Increased Consumption?

2025-01-29
Jevons Paradox: Efficiency Gains Lead to Increased Consumption?

The Jevons paradox, in economics, describes how technological advancements increasing resource efficiency can paradoxically lead to higher overall consumption. In 1865, Jevons noted that improvements in steam engine efficiency actually increased coal consumption. Modern economics identifies a 'rebound effect' where efficiency lowers costs, boosting demand. The Jevons paradox occurs when this rebound effect outweighs efficiency gains. Debate exists on the rebound effect's size and relevance to conservation policy; some suggest pairing efficiency improvements with policies limiting consumption.

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Notion: Your All-in-One Workspace Just Got Better

2025-01-29
Notion: Your All-in-One Workspace Just Got Better

Notion is an all-in-one workspace that seamlessly integrates notes, task management, wikis, and databases. Imagine a single platform to jot down ideas, track projects, build collaborative wikis, and even create custom databases—that's Notion. Its flexibility caters to diverse workflows, from personal note-taking to intricate team collaborations. The intuitive interface and powerful features make it a productivity powerhouse for many.

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Development

Terence Tao on Solving Dynamic Systems

2025-01-29

Renowned mathematician Terence Tao shared his insights on solving problems in dynamic systems on Mathstodon. He highlighted the need to consider the complexity and evolution of such systems, requiring a multifaceted approach utilizing various mathematical tools and real-world context. His post sparked discussion among math enthusiasts, showcasing the ongoing exploration and innovation in the field.

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CVS Lets You Unlock Locked Shelves With Your Phone

2025-01-29
CVS Lets You Unlock Locked Shelves With Your Phone

CVS is piloting a new feature that lets customers unlock locked cabinets in stores using their phones, eliminating the need to ask an employee for help. The trial is currently in a few locations, with plans for nationwide rollout if successful. The feature requires users to be logged into the CVS app, connected to store Wi-Fi, and have Bluetooth enabled. CVS loyalty program membership is also required. The app also boasts AI-powered search and a conversational AI chatbot for checking medication refills and order statuses, streamlining the prescription pickup process.

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Sophisticated Phishing Attack Leverages VPN Access

2025-01-29

The University of Toronto's Computer Science department was hit by a highly sophisticated phishing attack. The attacker spoofed a departmental email address, successfully phishing a user's password. Alarmingly, the attacker used the stolen credentials to quickly register the user for the department's VPN, then used the internal-only SMTP gateway to send spam. This demonstrates pre-attack reconnaissance of the target's VPN and email environment, highlighting increasingly advanced attack techniques and the need for robust cybersecurity defenses.

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Microplastics Reach Mice Brains Within Hours: A Shocking Discovery

2025-01-29
Microplastics Reach Mice Brains Within Hours: A Shocking Discovery

A groundbreaking study reveals that microplastics ingested by mice reach their brains within mere hours. Researchers tracked fluorescent microplastics in lab mice using two-photon microscopy, observing their journey from the digestive tract into the bloodstream and ultimately the brain. The microplastics caused blockages, triggering immune responses and resulting in memory loss, reduced motor skills, and decreased endurance in the mice. While the implications for humans require further research, this alarming discovery highlights the urgent need for a deeper understanding of microplastics' impact on human health.

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Why I Still Love Sublime Text in 2025

2025-01-29
Why I Still Love Sublime Text in 2025

A seasoned developer explains why he remains loyal to Sublime Text in 2025. He highlights its speed, lightweight nature, and the powerful LSP integration that keeps it modern. The robust snippet system, project workspace management, and customizable build systems are key features he appreciates. While acknowledging areas for improvement in documentation and plugin development, he argues that Sublime Text's simplicity, efficiency, and long-term stability make it a compelling choice.

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Development

DeepSeek's AI Breakthrough: Bypassing CUDA for 10x Efficiency

2025-01-29
DeepSeek's AI Breakthrough: Bypassing CUDA for 10x Efficiency

DeepSeek achieved a 10x efficiency boost in AI model training by bypassing the industry-standard CUDA and using Nvidia's PTX programming language instead. Employing 2,048 Nvidia H800 GPUs, they trained a 671-billion parameter MoE language model in just two months. This breakthrough stemmed from meticulous optimizations of Nvidia's PTX, including reconfiguring GPU resources and implementing advanced pipeline algorithms. While this approach has high maintenance costs, the drastic reduction in training expenses sent shockwaves through the market, even causing a significant drop in Nvidia's market capitalization.

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AI

Pentagon Halts Army Contracts, Sending Shockwaves Through Defense Industry

2025-01-29
Pentagon Halts Army Contracts, Sending Shockwaves Through Defense Industry

A freeze on new US Army contracts has thrown the defense industry into chaos and uncertainty. The move, stemming from a review of plans implemented under the Trump administration, lacks clear explanation regarding its scope and reasons. While the Army spokesperson claims contracting activities continue, internal documents and sources indicate a pause or review of all contracting actions except those directly tied to readiness, modernization, and personnel. The communication, delivered via email rather than formal memo, has left program managers confused about implementation. Industry fears this could be the start of a Pentagon-wide freeze, creating widespread anxiety about future projects.

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Elon Musk's Former Friend Calls Him a 'Miserable Self-Loathing Poser'

2025-01-29
Elon Musk's Former Friend Calls Him a 'Miserable Self-Loathing Poser'

Philip Low, a neuroscientist and former collaborator of Elon Musk, penned a scathing open letter accusing Musk of calculated political maneuvering and personal vendettas. Low alleges Musk's two Nazi salutes at Trump's inauguration were intentional power plays, fueled by a desire to control the far-right and potentially stemming from jealousy over his ex-wife's interactions with Low. The letter details a fractured relationship, claims of Musk attempting to manipulate NeuroVigil's stock (Low's company), and suggests Musk's creation of Neuralink was partly motivated by competition with NeuroVigil. Musk has yet to publicly respond to these serious accusations.

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Tech

US Anti-Piracy Symposium Pushes for Site Blocking

2025-01-29

A recent USPTO anti-piracy symposium highlighted the need for site blocking in the US. Experts discussed the evolution of piracy into a sophisticated, multi-level industry offering "piracy as a service." The brazen behavior of some pirates, openly advertising and even trademarking their services, further emphasizes the urgency. While site blocking is effective in over 50 countries, the US lags behind, partly due to the 2012 SOPA failure. The symposium advocated for a dynamic US site-blocking system, learning from international examples to avoid overblocking and swiftly target new pirate domains.

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Deferred Resignation Program for Federal Employees

2025-01-29
Deferred Resignation Program for Federal Employees

The US government launched a deferred resignation program, allowing federal employees to apply until February 6, 2025. This program addresses government restructuring and workforce reductions. Employees choosing this option retain pay and benefits until September 30, 2025, and are exempt from daily in-person work requirements. The program excludes military personnel, postal service employees, those in immigration enforcement and national security, and others as specified by their employing agency.

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Recreating Delicious Library in 2025?

2025-01-29

The author, a long-time admirer of Delicious Library's design since the early 2000s, recounts multiple attempts to recreate its functionality as a web app. From internal tools like Code Helper to independent projects like catalog.im and various design concepts, the author's journey reflects a persistent pursuit. The article concludes with a proposal for a new web-based Delicious Library, soliciting reader feedback and sparking discussion about merging nostalgic software design with modern web applications.

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Design

Science Confirms: Libraries Make Life Better

2025-01-29
Science Confirms: Libraries Make Life Better

A New York Public Library study reveals the positive impact of libraries on people's well-being and community development, especially in lower-income areas. Over 90% of respondents reported that using the library enhanced their love of learning, personal growth, and ability to cope with life's challenges. Libraries offer more than just books; they provide calm spaces, a sense of community, and an optimistic outlook, serving as an antidote to negativity.

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Discovery Coding: Code First, Design Later

2025-01-29

This article introduces "Discovery Coding," a programming paradigm that reverses the traditional design-then-code approach. Discovery coding advocates writing code first, using feedback from the code to understand the problem and iteratively refine the solution. The author draws a parallel to Stephen King's writing style, likening it to "discovery writing." While seemingly haphazard, this method helps programmers avoid being constrained by past experiences and better grasp the problem's core. The article also explores the benefits of discovery coding and relevant tools, urging the programming community to embrace this diverse approach.

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I Want My AI to Get Mad: On the Need for Agentic AI

2025-01-29

The author envisions a future where AI agents are not mere docile tools but assertive representatives capable of pursuing his interests, even expressing 'anger.' Drawing parallels to powerful historical leaders, the author argues that anger can be a powerful tool for achieving goals. However, he also warns of the social risks of deploying such 'angry AI' on a massive scale, as anger can be misused. The article concludes with a thoughtful reflection on the future of AI and a plug for the author's startup, Subble.

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Google Earth's Approach to Naming Bodies of Water: A Balancing Act

2025-01-29
Google Earth's Approach to Naming Bodies of Water: A Balancing Act

Google Earth faces the challenge of handling diverse user perspectives on place names and borders globally. Their solution prioritizes displaying the primary, commonly used local names for bodies of water used by bordering nations. In cases of disputes, all major names are shown with explanations, striving for neutrality and comprehensiveness. This approach avoids relying solely on international organizations or academic consensus, focusing instead on a user-friendly experience while acknowledging sensitive geopolitical issues.

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Composable SQL: A Functional Approach to Solving SQL Testing and Business Logic Problems

2025-01-29

This article explores the shortcomings of SQL in testing and reusing business logic, proposing a solution called "functors"—composable SQL fragments. By parameterizing queries and relying on interfaces instead of concrete tables, functors solve the challenges of SQL testing and allow for business logic reuse across queries, improving code readability, testability, and reusability. The author also discusses extensions such as generics, generalizing business logic, and avoiding global variables, ultimately achieving efficient, testable, and understandable SQL queries.

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Development

WaPo Columnist Quits, Launches Independent Media Outlet

2025-01-29
WaPo Columnist Quits, Launches Independent Media Outlet

Jennifer Rubin, a Washington Post columnist, resigned, citing Bezos's appeasement of Trump and the paper's deviation from democratic principles. She launched 'The Contrarian,' an independent media outlet, arguing that major media, controlled by billionaires and corporations, have sacrificed journalistic integrity and fueled threats to democracy. 'The Contrarian' will offer unfettered commentary and cultural analysis, aiming to counter growing authoritarianism in the US.

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Nobel Laureate Krugman Departs the New York Times

2025-01-29
Nobel Laureate Krugman Departs the New York Times

Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate in economics, recently announced his departure from his 25-year position as an opinion writer at the New York Times. His departure stems from increasing editorial interference at the Times, ranging from minor edits to substantial rewrites, and restrictions on his topics. The Times also eliminated his blog and newsletter, limiting his reach and expression. Krugman felt the Times was becoming bland and losing its edge, leading him to seek greater freedom and independence by moving to Substack.

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