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Dell Axes XPS Brand in Major PC Lineup Restructuring

2025-01-06

Dell is dropping the XPS, Latitude, Inspiron, and Precision brands, streamlining its PC lineup to Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max. This move aims to simplify product identification and better target the growing AI PC market. While nostalgic for long-time users, Dell claims the new branding will offer clearer product segmentation, improved durability, and enhanced performance. The change follows a controversial redesign of the XPS line and a shift toward emphasizing AI capabilities in its new offerings.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Dell rebranding

AMD's Beastly Ryzen AI Max+ Debuts: Radical Memory Tech Fuels RDNA 3.5 & Zen 5

2025-01-06

AMD's Beastly Ryzen AI Max+ Debuts: Radical Memory Tech Fuels RDNA 3.5 & Zen 5

AMD unveiled its 'Strix Halo' Ryzen AI Max series at CES 2025, boasting groundbreaking integrated memory architecture. These APUs pack a 40-core RDNA 3.5 iGPU, delivering monstrous performance for thin-and-light gaming and AI workstations. AMD claims up to 1.4X faster gaming than Intel's Lunar Lake Core Ultra 9 288V, 84% faster rendering than the Apple MacBook M4 Pro, and a staggering 2.2X AI performance advantage over the desktop Nvidia RTX 4090, all while consuming 87% less power. The flagship Ryzen AI Max+ 395 features 16 cores/32 threads, 40 RDNA 3.5 CUs, and supports up to 128GB of shared memory, dynamically allocated between CPU, GPU, and XDNA 2 NPU. Desktop versions are expected in the future.

(www.tomshardware.com)

Hardware

Cloudflare's 2025 Internet Predictions: AI Everywhere, Privacy Takes Center Stage

2025-01-06

Cloudflare's 2025 Internet Predictions: AI Everywhere, Privacy Takes Center Stage

In a Cloudflare TV episode, Cloudflare CTO John Graham-Cumming reflects on 2024's achievements – advancements in Workers, AI capabilities, and hardware innovations – and offers predictions for 2025. He anticipates AI's seamless integration into daily life, but highlights the crucial balance between AI and privacy. Other key trends include quantum-resistant encryption, cybersecurity threats, IoT device proliferation, DDoS attacks, and zero-trust architecture adoption. Cloudflare's commitment to energy efficiency and reducing AI's carbon footprint is also emphasized.

(cloudflare.tv)

Tech

Mind-blowing! AI Art Generator Midjourney Creates Hyperrealistic Images

2025-01-06

Midjourney, an AI-powered image generation tool, is creating stunning images based on text prompts. Recently, its outputs have gone viral, showcasing hyperrealism that blurs the lines between reality and AI-generated art. This has sparked intense debate about the future of AI in art, its potential to revolutionize creative processes, and concerns about its impact on human artists. Midjourney represents a significant milestone in AI technology, demonstrating the immense potential of AI in image generation.

(www.gatesnotes.com)

AI

Intel's New Laptop Chips Promise Extended Battery Life

2025-01-06

Intel's New Laptop Chips Promise Extended Battery Life

Intel unveiled its new Core Ultra processors at CES, claiming they will significantly extend laptop battery life. Targeted at business PCs and high-end consumer devices, the new chips aim to boost both battery life and AI performance. Tests showed an HP laptop with the new processor running Microsoft Teams for 10.5 hours and Microsoft 365 for 20.3 hours on a single charge, exceeding the battery life of a comparable Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered Dell device. Intel also boasted superior performance in generative AI applications. Processors based on Intel's Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake designs will debut in 2025, initially for business machines before expanding to thin and light laptops, high-performance notebooks, and desktop PCs.

(uk.finance.yahoo.com)

Hardware Processor Battery Life

FormBee: Open-Source Form Backend for Privacy-Conscious Developers

2025-01-06

FormBee: Open-Source Form Backend for Privacy-Conscious Developers

FormBee is an open-source form backend built for developers who prioritize data privacy. It simplifies submitting website form data, allowing you to send form submissions to email, Telegram, webhooks, and more without writing server-side code. Features include plugin support, CAPTCHA protection, domain whitelisting, and automatic reply emails. Self-hosting is easy with readily available Docker images.

(github.com)

Development forms

Software is Eating the World…But at What Cost?

2025-01-06

Software is Eating the World…But at What Cost?

A seasoned software developer with 43 years of experience reflects on Marc Andreessen's famous assertion, "Software is eating the world." Having retired to run two brick-and-mortar businesses, he offers a sobering counterpoint. He details how software companies prioritize profit over user experience, citing examples of exploitative pricing models, poorly designed interfaces, and algorithms designed to create conflict. He argues that the "digital revolution" has become a parasitic force, harming small businesses and eroding human connection, and calls for a re-evaluation of the industry's priorities.

(medium.com)

Startup software industry digital revolution

pl_synth: A Tiny JSON-Based Music Synthesizer

2025-01-06

Dominic Szablewski of PhobosLab released pl_synth, a lightweight C/JS music synthesizer and accompanying tracker editor. Inspired by Sonant, pl_synth prioritizes small code and data size and leverages WASM to drastically improve the JavaScript version's performance, reducing music generation time from 5 seconds to 25 milliseconds. It supports various instruments and effects, features undo/redo functionality, and allows embedding the final product directly into a URL. pl_synth is now bundled with the high_impact game engine.

(phoboslab.org)

Development music synthesizer

Simple Defer in C: Practical Implementations

2025-01-06

Simple Defer in C: Practical Implementations

This blog post explores practical ways to implement a `defer` keyword in C, enabling automatic cleanup actions (like memory deallocation or mutex unlocking) after a code block. The author first explains the purpose of `defer`, then demonstrates implementations using GCC extensions and C++ features. Finally, a new syntax proposal is presented to simplify `defer`'s implementation and usage, significantly improving C code readability and safety.

(gustedt.wordpress.com)

Development

Code Review Hack: Ask Engineers "How Do You Like What You've Built?"

2025-01-06

During a code review of complex UI changes, instead of immediately reviewing, the author asked the engineer, "How do you like the new behavior?" The engineer's response led to the discovery and fixing of several bugs and even dropping a problematic requirement. This simple question prompted the engineer to think more deeply about their work and make improvements, ultimately enhancing code quality. The author believes that regularly asking engineers about their feelings towards their creations is a useful technique worth trying.

(morrisbrodersen.de)

Development code review

Getting LLMs to Generate Funny Memes: Surprisingly Hard

2025-01-06

Getting LLMs to Generate Funny Memes: Surprisingly Hard

A University of Waterloo intern attempted to build an app using LLMs and the Greptile API to generate memes that roast GitHub repositories. The process proved unexpectedly challenging. Directly prompting the LLM for roasts yielded generic results. The solution involved separating the task into code analysis (using Greptile to pinpoint specific issues) and roast generation (using the LLM to create targeted humor). Image generation proved difficult due to limitations in handling text, leading to the use of pre-built meme templates and node-canvas for text insertion. Despite the hurdles, the project culminated in reporoast.com, a website capable of generating custom code-roasting memes.

(www.greptile.com)

Development Meme Generation

htmx: The Next jQuery? Stability-First Web Dev Tool

2025-01-06

htmx, evolved from intercooler.js, aims to be a stable and reliable tool for web development, much like jQuery's long-lasting success. The article outlines htmx's future direction: prioritizing stability over frequent updates; limiting the addition of core features, mainly extending functionality through the extension API; maintaining a quarterly release schedule. htmx's goal isn't to be a total solution for web applications, but to focus on simplifying hypermedia controls and better integrate with other tools and techniques, ultimately hoping its core functionality will be integrated into the HTML standard.

(htmx.org)

Development hypermedia

Chicago's Amazing Lift: A City's Vertical Migration

2025-01-06

In the mid-19th century, swampy Chicago suffered from disease. To solve the drainage problem, engineers undertook a daring plan: raising the entire city! Thousands of jackscrews lifted buildings, even entire blocks, while life continued as usual. Wooden structures were put on rollers and moved to the suburbs. This epic feat of engineering not only transformed Chicago's landscape but also showcased the extraordinary capabilities of 19th-century engineering.

(en.wikipedia.org)

Tech civil engineering Chicago history

Are All Clocks 30 Seconds Behind?

2025-01-06

Are All Clocks 30 Seconds Behind?

The author proposes a seemingly crazy idea: all clocks are 30 seconds behind. This isn't about time zones, leap seconds, or relativity; it's about everyday clocks. Through calculation, the author shows that because most clocks only display minutes, ignoring seconds, the average error is 30 seconds. They argue that if clocks rounded instead of truncating, the average error would be 0. The author further explores how people perceive and express time at different scales (years, months, days, hours, minutes, seconds), noting that at the minute scale, intuition leans towards rounding, which conflicts with clocks' truncation. Therefore, they believe all clocks are 30 seconds slow.

(victorpoughon.fr)

Misc time perception clock error

Microsoft Wants You Off Windows 10 in 2025

2025-01-06

Microsoft Wants You Off Windows 10 in 2025

Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 in October 2025, pushing users towards Windows 11. The company is branding 2025 as 'the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh,' arguing that upgrading is more crucial than buying new TVs or phones. Despite full-screen upgrade prompts throughout 2024, Windows 11 adoption lags behind Windows 10. While Microsoft isn't exhibiting at CES 2025 in the traditional sense, its presence is felt through numerous partners integrating Windows 11 and Copilot AI. Paid Extended Security Updates will be offered for Windows 10, but Microsoft clearly aims to accelerate Windows 11 adoption.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech

DARPA's Shifting Sands: Three Variables Shaping its History

2025-01-06

DARPA's Shifting Sands: Three Variables Shaping its History

This article explores three key factors shaping DARPA's operational model throughout its history: the level of organizational oversight, the source of project visions (office directors vs. PMs), and the timeline for project payoffs. Using early computing projects as examples, it analyzes how increased bureaucracy and procurement rules after the Vietnam/Watergate era impacted project management. It also contrasts director-driven visions with the autonomy of individual PMs in shaping project direction, and examines how differing attitudes towards payoff timelines and military-focused mandates influenced project selection and execution. Understanding these factors is crucial for interpreting DARPA's historical successes and failures.

(www.freaktakes.com)

Tech technology policy

TikTok Ban: Supreme Court Showdown Looms

2025-01-06

TikTok Ban: Supreme Court Showdown Looms

The Supreme Court is set to hear a case challenging a federal ban on TikTok, which mandates ByteDance sell the app due to national security concerns about Chinese government influence. The article analyzes the conflict between this ban and the First Amendment's free speech protections. While the government has a history of preventing foreign control over US communication infrastructure, the direct ban on a specific platform raises concerns about potential abuse and chilling effects on free speech. The author predicts a likely loss for TikTok but stresses the crucial importance of the Court's wording to prevent broader damage to free speech rights. The case highlights the tension between national security and fundamental freedoms.

(www.vox.com)

Tech First Amendment

HDMI 2.2 Arrives: 96Gbps Bandwidth, Ultra96 Cable Required

2025-01-06

HDMI 2.2 Arrives: 96Gbps Bandwidth, Ultra96 Cable Required

At CES 2025, the HDMI Forum announced HDMI 2.2 and its accompanying Ultra96 cable, boasting a groundbreaking 96Gbps bandwidth—double that of HDMI 2.1. This allows for higher resolutions, faster refresh rates, and improved audio-video synchronization. While the connector remains the same, a new Ultra96 cable is necessary to harness the full potential. Targeting demanding applications like AR/VR/MR, large-scale digital signage, and medical imaging, widespread adoption of HDMI 2.2 and Ultra96 cables will take time despite the specification's release.

(www.pcworld.com)

Hardware

Human-Centered Property-Based Testing: A PhD Dissertation

2025-01-06

This PhD dissertation focuses on improving the usability of Property-Based Testing (PBT) to reach a wider audience of developers. Through in-depth user studies, the researcher identified challenges PBT users face in random data generation and evaluating test effectiveness. To address these, the dissertation proposes novel algorithms for improved random data generators and develops Tyche, an open-source tool that provides developers with deeper insights into PBT and enhances its usability, ultimately leading to better software quality and assurance.

(repository.upenn.edu)

Development Software Testing Property-Based Testing User Experience

Trudeau Resigns: Canada's Liberal Party in Turmoil

2025-01-06

Trudeau Resigns: Canada's Liberal Party in Turmoil

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as Liberal Party leader and Prime Minister on January 6, 2025. The move, following growing public dissatisfaction with his leadership and the abrupt departure of his finance minister, signals significant turmoil within the Canadian government. Trudeau will remain Prime Minister until a new Liberal leader is chosen. Opposition parties plan a no-confidence vote when Parliament resumes in late March. In his resignation speech, Trudeau criticized opposition leader Pierre Poilievre's policies and stated that Canada needs a functioning Parliament.

(apnews.com)

Politics Canadian Politics Trudeau Liberal Party

Spline Distance Fields: A Novel Terrain Generation Technique

2025-01-06

To overcome limitations in the Tangerine game engine, the author developed a CPU ray tracer called Star Machine and a racing game prototype, Rainy Road. Rainy Road requires an efficient and compact terrain rendering system capable of handling roads and other terrain features defined by splines. The author introduces a novel terrain generation technique using spline distance fields. This technique utilizes splines to generate terrain surfaces by calculating the distance of a point to the nearest spline and its normal vector to determine elevation. This avoids the limitations of traditional heightmaps and supports procedural object placement. The technique is under active experimentation and research, with exploration of improved interpolation strategies and the use of sparse point clouds.

(zone.dog)

Development terrain generation spline curves

Corporate Bloodletting: Why Are Companies Cutting Managers?

2025-01-06

Corporate Bloodletting: Why Are Companies Cutting Managers?

US public companies have slashed middle-management roles by roughly 6% since the pandemic hiring boom, according to a recent WSJ report. This wave of cuts reflects a shift in corporate strategy. Companies, initially over-investing in organizational capital during rapid growth, now face pressure to reduce costs as revenue growth slows. The article explores the potential downsides of this approach, questioning the balance between cutting too much and letting costs bloat. It also raises concerns about the potential loss of talent and the overall contagion effect across the corporate sector, leaving more questions than answers about the long-term impact.

(arnoldkling.substack.com)

Tech layoffs middle management corporate restructuring

42: A Powerful Spacecraft Attitude Control System Simulator

2025-01-06

42: A Powerful Spacecraft Attitude Control System Simulator

42 is a comprehensive general-purpose simulation of spacecraft attitude and orbit dynamics, primarily used to support the design and validation of attitude control systems throughout their lifecycle, from concept studies to integration and test. It accurately models multi-body spacecraft attitude dynamics (rigid and/or flexible bodies), and both two-body and three-body orbital flight regimes, simulating environments from low Earth orbit to throughout the solar system. 42 simulates multiple spacecraft concurrently, facilitating studies of rendezvous, proximity operations, and precision formation flying. It also features spacecraft attitude visualization.

(github.com)

Development spacecraft attitude control simulation

The Man Keeping 70-Year-Old Pinball Machines Alive

2025-01-06

The Man Keeping 70-Year-Old Pinball Machines Alive

Steve Young, a metallurgical engineer with a lifelong passion for pinball, has built The Pinball Resource, a unique business that supplies parts and expertise for repairing vintage pinball machines. His vast collection of rare parts and schematics, accumulated over 50 years, makes him the go-to resource for enthusiasts worldwide. Operating out of an unassuming workshop, Young eschews modern marketing, relying instead on word-of-mouth and a reputation for trust and expertise to maintain his thriving, old-school business.

(arstechnica.com)

Game vintage games pinball

Disney Merges Hulu + Live TV With Fubo, Taking on YouTube TV

2025-01-06

Disney Merges Hulu + Live TV With Fubo, Taking on YouTube TV

Disney is merging its Hulu + Live TV streaming multichannel video service with competitor Fubo in a deal that will reshape the streaming TV landscape. The combined company will continue to trade publicly under the Fubo name, but Disney will control 70 percent and appoint a majority of the board. Fubo's management will run the venture. This creates a larger virtual multichannel video provider (vMVPD) to more aggressively challenge market leader YouTube TV and ends Fubo's legal battle with Venu, a sports streaming service, potentially allowing it to proceed. Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery will pay Fubo $220 million, with Disney also providing a $145 million term loan.

(www.hollywoodreporter.com)

Tech

Instant Graphics and Sound on Atari ST BBS: A Retro Tech History

2025-01-06

This multi-part series chronicles the rise and impact of the "Instant Graphics and Sound" (IGS) format on Atari ST bulletin board systems (BBSs). From its beginnings in 1988 within an Atari user group in Florida to the psychedelic animations by artist Steve Turnbull on CrossNet in 1991, the series explores how IGS transformed the Atari BBS scene. It features stories of developers like Larry Mears and Steve Turnbull, and highlights the vibrant community interaction and contributions.

(breakintochat.com)

Tech BBS culture

Mashups.io: A Modern Yahoo Pipes Replacement

2025-01-06

Mashups.io: A Modern Yahoo Pipes Replacement

Mashups.io is a powerful online data integration tool that builds upon the legacy of Yahoo Pipes with significant improvements. Users can easily mix, filter, and transform RSS feeds, CSV files, and JSON data to create custom data sources. The platform offers an intuitive visual interface, requiring no programming experience to build complex data workflows. Mashups.io offers free and paid plans to cater to various needs, and its real-time updates ensure data always remains current.

(www.mashups.io)

Development data integration data processing

Evolving a Structural Code Editor: From AST Manipulation to Intuitive UI

2025-01-06

Evolving a Structural Code Editor: From AST Manipulation to Intuitive UI

This post details the multi-year evolution of a structural code editor. The initial version directly manipulated the Abstract Syntax Tree (AST), proving cumbersome. Subsequent iterations simplified the AST and explored a text-cursor-based approach, but both fell short. The final version balances AST and text editing, employing techniques like Editable types, Projections, and Frames. A visual, icon-based UI was added, supporting keyboard, mouse, touch, and remote control, significantly enhancing user experience. Built with Gleam and Lustre, this project showcases the ongoing exploration and refinement of structural code editor design.

(crowdhailer.me)

Development code editor UI design

SPath: Query Expressions for Semi-Structured Data

2025-01-06

SPath: Query Expressions for Semi-Structured Data

SPath is a Rust crate providing JSONPath-like query expressions for semi-structured data such as JSON, TOML, or custom variants. It serves as a drop-in replacement for JSONPath and supports multiple data formats. The library is easy to use; simply add `spath` to your project's Cargo.toml dependencies. An example demonstrates querying JSON data with SPath and verifying the result.

(github.com)

Development Data Parsing

Google's 10-Year Chromebook Update Promise: Older Devices Still Facing the Scrap Heap

2025-01-06

Google's 10-Year Chromebook Update Promise: Older Devices Still Facing the Scrap Heap

Despite Google's 2023 promise of a decade of updates for Chromebooks to prevent premature obsolescence, many older models are still set to reach their end-of-life in 2025 and beyond. This promise only applies to Chromebooks released from 2021 onwards. While administrators can opt-in to extended updates for some older devices, this doesn't solve the problem entirely. The Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) points out that many Chromebook models are still reaching their end-of-life this year and in the coming years, raising concerns about e-waste and consumer rights.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech software updates

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