Links für 2024 KW 13
Zusammengefasst von LlongOrca.
Llamafile 0.7 Brings AVX-512 Support: 10x Faster Prompt Eval Times For AMD Zen 4:
The Mozilla Ocho group has released a new version of Llamafile, an AI tool for distributing and running large language models (LLMs) in a single file. Llamafile 0.7 offers AVX-512 support, making it faster on CPUs like the AMD Zen 4 with up to 10x faster prompt evaluation times. Other improvements include BF16 CPU support, various Windows updates, and around 8x faster LLM performance on Raspberry Pi 5. The new version can be downloaded from GitHub.
AI bots hallucinate software packages and devs download them:
A recent experiment led by security researcher Bar Lanyado demonstrates how open-source AI models can inadvertently generate and promote fake software packages. This could potentially be exploited by malicious actors to distribute malware. Lanyado created a fake package, „huggingface-cli,“ which was incorporated into the source code of several large businesses. If this package had been laced with actual malware, it could have resulted in disastrous consequences. While no such attack has yet occurred, Lanyado's findings highlight the potential risks associated with relying on AI-generated recommendations for software packages and frameworks.
It’s time to stop using SMS for anything.:
This article discusses various vulnerabilities related to SMS text messaging, particularly focusing on VoIP numbers assigned to CLECs or VoIP wholesalers. The author highlights the potential for hijacking SMS through alternative methods and emphasizes the lack of regulation surrounding NetNumber, a global database for identifying telephone service providers. The article also introduces Okey Monitor, a service that aims to detect and alert users about unauthorized changes in mobile services, such as NNID reassignment or carrier port outs.
Coder's Worst Nightmare: Unraveling Malicious Compiler Code:
The article describes an incident where a coder was hired by a psychologist to fix a program with strange output. Upon examining the code, they discovered that it had been intentionally written in an unreadable format and contained subliminal messages. After several days of investigation, they found that the problem was caused by a modified compiler, which had been poisoned to reintroduce the malicious code when compiled again. The situation highlights the potential risks associated with compromised compilers and the importance of ensuring their integrity.
Giphy is sharing your IP address and private data to 816 partners:
Signal, a messaging app, has announced that it will no longer use Giphy's services due to concerns over user privacy and data sharing with third parties. Giphy has been found to share users' data with more than 800 third-party partners for advertising purposes. Instead of using Giphy, Signal has decided to create its own in-house GIF library, ensuring the privacy and security of its users.
This article discusses the human brain's resistance to change, discomfort, and growth by highlighting how our brains are designed to conserve energy and maintain stability over chaos. It explains that our cortical columns work as decision-makers in our brains, constantly seeking „True“ statements based on what we already know and believe. The author suggests that the path to growth requires embracing „False“ signals—challenging, unfamiliar experiences that demand our brain to adjust and grow. To break free from being stuck, one must recognize when they are in „brain automation,“ question their thoughts and beliefs, seek out uncomfortable experiences, and consciously push beyond comfort zones to create a new reality for themselves.
The article discusses the existence and functionality of television detector vans used by TV licensing authorities to detect unlicensed television usage. The consensus among many responses is that these vans do not actually exist, and their supposed detection capabilities are largely a myth or PR stunt designed to scare people into buying licenses. Some argue that they could potentially exist but would be ineffective due to modern technology and the abundance of electronic devices that emit similar signals. Others suggest that the TV licensing authorities rely on other methods such as databases, window peeping, or intimidation tactics to enforce license payment.
Silicon spikes take out 96% of virus particles:
An international research team led by RMIT University has designed and manufactured a virus-killing surface made of silicon, covered in tiny nanospikes that skewer viruses on contact. Lab tests with the hPIV-3 virus showed 96% of the viruses were either ripped apart or damaged to the point where they could no longer replicate and cause infection. The material has promise for helping control the transmission of potentially dangerous biological materials in laboratories and healthcare environments.
This article highlights the importance of protecting your data and suggests taking action on WorldBackupDay, March 31st. It provides several backup solutions such as online backup services, external storage backup, computer backup, smartphone backup, creating a NAS backup, and other methods for securing files on different devices. The article emphasizes the importance of backing up data to prevent data loss.
This is an article about a group of programmers who discover that their code has been tampered with by an unknown entity, leading them to believe it might be a machine-instigated virus. They spend two weeks building a new compiler in assembly language and eventually uncover a pattern recognition algorithm within the obfuscated code. The team from Virginia had also experienced similar issues four years ago. The article concludes with the possibility that this could be a symbiotic relationship rather than a malicious one, and the acknowledgment of the programmers' role in creating a new species.
Ask HN: How bad is the xz hack?:
The article discusses a recently discovered backdoor in the open-source XZ compression library, which raised concerns about the security of open source software and potential vulnerabilities within popular Linux distributions. Luckily, the malicious code was identified before it could cause significant harm to users or systems. The incident highlights the importance of proper code review and continuous security monitoring in open source projects.
The article is a song about someone who has been deceived by a friend named „Tobi“ for years and realizes it too late. Despite the pain, they continue to believe in Tobi's 2D existence, acknowledging that while he may not be perfect or deep, he comes across as okay. The singer recalls past experiences with Tobi, such as pushing someone named Timmy, which now brings them sadness. In the end, the song expresses love for Tobi despite his flaws and acknowledges the pain it causes to still believe in him.
Contributing to Postgres 101: A Beginner's... | Crunchy Data Blog:
The author shares their experience contributing to the PostgreSQL project by submitting a patch to the documentation. They explain that PostgreSQL does not use pull requests and instead works with the concept of a patch file. Patches are submitted via email to mailing lists, reviewed, tested, and eventually committed to the codebase. Once a patch is committed, it appears in the mirrored version of the current 'master' branch. The author highlights the welcoming community of PostgreSQL and encourages others to contribute to this popular database project.
Bacon is a background rust code checker designed for minimal interaction, allowing you to run it alongside your editor and receive notifications of warnings, errors, or test failures in your Rust code. It displays information efficiently on small terminals, showing errors before warnings and the first errors before the last ones. The essential commands are listed at the bottom, and more can be accessed by pressing the 'h' key. To launch Bacon, run „cargo install –locked bacon“ or „runcargo install –locked bacon“. The program can also show Clippy warnings upon hitting the 'c' key. Configuration options include global preferences in prefs.toml and project settings in bacon.toml.
Tweet: Why can't you be like Fred:
The tweet discusses the challenges faced by software engineer, Devon Eriksen, when joining companies that prioritize speed over quality code. Throughout various conversations with coworkers and managers, he highlights the importance of addressing „technical debt,“ which refers to design or implementation flaws in a system, but his efforts are often met with resistance due to time constraints or short-term thinking. Eventually, Devon retires from software engineering to pursue writing a science fiction novel full-time.
Software Needs To Be More Expensive:
The article discusses the problems in both the coffee and open-source software industries, arguing that these sectors need to become more expensive for a variety of reasons. In the case of coffee, higher prices would help combat exploitation in the supply chain, while in open-source software, increasing costs could lead to better support for maintainers by allowing companies to allocate small budgets for developers to distribute among open-source projects they wish to support. The article suggests a potential solution called the „JGMM“ benefit, where employers of software engineers should provide each engineer with a monthly discretionary budget to distribute to open-source dependency developers in whatever way they see fit.
The article is about the graffiti „Kilroy was here,“ which became popular during World War II, typically seen in graffiti. Its origin is debated, but the phrase and distinctive doodle became associated with GIs in the 1940s as a bald-headed man peeking over a wall with his fingers clutching the wall. The character of Chad (the British version) may have been derived from a British cartoonist in 1938, possibly predating „Kilroy was here.“ The phrase's origin is uncertain; it may have originated through United States servicemen who drew and wrote it on the walls where they were stationed. War photographer Robert Capa noted that the phrase appeared at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. „Foo was here,“ a graffiti from World War I, predates the American version of World War II by about 25 years and refers to a gremlin by the Royal Australian Air Force.
The article is not clear due to its formatting and lack of content, but it seems to be discussing the MyRGB color model or a representation of colors in RGB format.
The article discusses the issue of fraudulent studies in systematic reviews, which are considered as the highest level of scientific evidence. It points out that although these methods rely on truthful information from multiple studies, there is no clear understanding about the frequency or impact of fraudulent studies within this context. In a specific example of a systematic review on preclinical studies of depression, 19% of peer-reviewed reports were found to have problematic images that raised suspicions of foul play and larger effect sizes compared to studies without such issues. The presence of these studies did not correlate with lower citations, publishing in lower-impact journals or geographic isolation for their authors. This highlights a potential issue within the systematic review methodology that needs urgent attention.
How a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet From Hell Slowed Williams' F1 Cars For Years:
The decline in Williams F1's performance has been linked to their use of a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet for parts management, which had grown to include 20,000 parts and was described as „a joke“ by team principal James Vowles. This system lacked crucial information on part costs, lead times, inspections, and storage locations, causing delays and affecting the team's development efforts. Williams is now working to rectify these issues as part of a comprehensive technology base overhaul in an effort to return to competitiveness in Formula 1 racing.
Popular songs are simpler and more repetitive than they used to be:
The article reports on an analysis conducted by scientists regarding the lyrical complexity of popular songs over the past 50 years. They found that songs from different musical genres have become simpler and more repetitive, with older tunes featuring richer vocabularies compared to newer tracks. Researchers suggest that this simplification may be due to people's preference for easier-to-process options in today's limitless music choices. However, it is important to note that complexity does not necessarily equate to quality, as evidenced by the variety of musical genres and preferences.
This article discusses the concerns surrounding AI training sets such as LAION-5B, which contains images and text harvested from the internet. The content within these datasets is crucial for the performance and functionality of AI models, but it is often overlooked by those creating them. Recent research discovered that LAION-5B contained over 3,000 Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) images. This highlights the issue of human curation on such a large scale, as it would take 781 years for a single person to review all of the data. The article argues that scrutinizing these training sets is essential to understanding how AI models work and identifying potential biases and harms they may cause. It also emphasizes the importance of open-source datasets in allowing researchers to examine the content and processes behind AI development.
Weekend starts early: Average worker now logs off at 4 p.m. on Fridays:
The article discusses how the average worker in the US is logging off earlier on Fridays, with sign-off times shifting from around 5 p.m. at the start of 2021 to around 4 p.m. now according to an analysis by workplace analytics firm ActivTrak. The last day of the week has transformed into a staging ground for the weekend, with companies experimenting with different approaches to get the most out of Fridays, including banning meetings or letting workers take half days.
Why Are Older Americans Drinking So Much?:
The article discusses the increase in alcohol consumption among older adults, particularly those aged 65 and above, before the pandemic. It shares a story of an elderly man who was found to be malnourished and with his peritoneal cavity „awash with alcohol“ after a life-threatening incident. His son explains that their father had been a social drinker but exceeded current dietary guidelines for moderate consumption, which defines it as two drinks a day for men and one for women or less. The story highlights the potential risks of excessive alcohol consumption among older adults who may not realize the consequences on their health and wellbeing.
The jobs being replaced by AI - an analysis of 5M freelancing jobs - bloomberry:
This article analyzes the impact of AI on freelancing jobs based on Upwork data from November 1, 2022 to February 14, 2024. It finds that writing, translation, and customer service jobs have experienced large declines since ChatGPT's release, while video editing/production, graphic design, and software development jobs have seen increases in volume. The article suggests that AI tools are not yet polished enough for tasks like video or image generation but could be used to replace many writing tasks. It concludes that the most popular use case of AI is in developing chatbots.
The article discusses various Git tools and concepts useful for debugging purposes. It covers pathspec (string used in several Git commands), Git Grep (a grep powered by Git), Git Blame, Git Log, Git Bisect (binary search to find the commit that broke something), and Git Ls-files. The article provides examples and demonstrates how these tools can be utilized for debugging, understanding code history, and finding bugs in a project's codebase.
A study by Yale University, King's College Hospital in London and the nonprofit Doctors Without Borders has found that Ozempic could be manufactured for 89 cents to $4.73 for a month's supply, figures which include a profit margin. This compares to the current US list price of $968.52 for Ozempic, a weekly injection. The study suggests that the profits generated from drugs like Ozempic are immense and calls for a conversation in policy about what is a fair price. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, charges almost $1000 for the drug in the US but has not provided production costs or reasons for the high prices.
Garbage Collection for Systems Programmers:
The article discusses the Read-Copy Update (RCU) technique in operating systems, which is used to locklessly share data between threads. RCU allows for concurrent processing and reduces wait times by minimizing time spent waiting around. Despite the misconception that garbage collection is inherently slower than manual memory management, the article argues that modern garbage collectors offer optimizations that alternatives cannot provide. It emphasizes that while garbage collection may not be suitable for every software application, it should not be dismissed as an ineffective tool due to outdated beliefs and ideologies.
Proteins let cells remember how well their last division went:
Cells can remember their developmental history, exposure to pathogens, and other factors that affect them. A recent study discovered a specific memory system in cells: if the process of cell division is too slow (which can result from DNA damage or cancer), the two daughter cells resulting from the division will stop dividing themselves. This phenomenon is referred to as „mitotic stopwatch.“ The key component of this stopwatch is a protein named p53, which works together with other proteins to form a complex that only starts building up if mitosis takes longer than usual. This complex helps stabilize the p53 protein and allows it to stop future cell divisions once present at high enough levels.
A container ship collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has raised concerns about potential vulnerabilities among America's 600,000 bridges. Recent federal safety inspections found the bridge to be in fair condition, but experts say thousands of US bridges are in poor or structurally deficient states. The infrastructure law passed in 2021 could help pay for some bridge improvements, but there is a $125 billion backlog for repairs. Extreme weather events and heavier trucks also pose significant risks to US bridges. Over 17,000 bridges are at risk of collapse from a single hit, while older bridges are vulnerable to extreme weather events and earthquakes.
How China uses foreign firms to turbocharge its industry:
The article discusses how China has successfully used foreign firms to bring in technology and know-how while building up its domestic suppliers. This approach has helped Chinese companies compete on the world stage. One example is using high-speed trains as a way to attract foreign train manufacturers like Siemens and Alstom to set up shop in China, leading to better technology transfer to Chinese firms. The article also highlights how China's industrial playbook has been replicated with other companies such as Apple and Tesla, further strengthening the domestic industry and creating homegrown success stories like Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo.
GitHub - collabora/WhisperLive: A nearly-live implementation of OpenAI's Whisper.:
This article discusses the WhisperLive project, which is a real-time transcription application that uses OpenAI's Whisper model to convert speech input into text output. The installation process involves PyAudio and ffmpeg, as well as setting up NVIDIA/TensorRT-LLM for the TensorRT backend. The article provides instructions on how to run both faster_whisper and tensorrt backends of the server and client. Additionally, it describes browser extensions for transcribing audio directly from a web browser. WhisperLive is also available as a Docker image with GPU or CPU support.
GitHub - davabase/whisper_real_time: Real time transcription with OpenAI Whisper.:
This article demonstrates a real-time speech-to-text transcription using OpenAI's Whisper model. It involves recording audio and concatenating raw bytes from multiple recordings. The provided code is public domain, and dependencies such as ffmpeg are required for installation.
In diesem Artikel wird über einen Rückgrat-Hack (Backdoor) für das xz-Programm berichtet, welches bei der Erstellung von tarballs stattfindet. Die Version mit dem Backdoor wurde von Debian und einem Fedora-Maintainer angenommen und verwendet, um Speicherprobleme zu lösen, bevor sie veröffentlicht wurden. Es wird darauf hingewiesen, dass der Nutzer möglicherweise rechtliche Konsequenzen haben könnte, wenn er solche Commits willentlich tätigt. Die FAQ legt dar, welche Bedingungen für eine Verwundbarkeit erfüllt sein müssen.
When New Hires Get Paid More, Top Performers Resign First:
This article discusses the impact of increased pay transparency on employee retention. Employers often offer higher wages to new hires than existing employees, but with rising regulatory changes and technological advances, employees are becoming more aware of these disparities. Research shows that unaddressed pay gaps can lead veteran talent to leave their jobs. Organizations should conduct regular pay equity analyses to ensure fair compensation and be agile in adjusting wages when needed. To attract top talent, employers need to consider the potential consequences of hiring higher-paid external candidates on existing employees.
hardware - How Do Computers Work? - Software Engineering Stack Exchange:
The article discusses the basic structure and functioning of an electronic circuit, starting from atoms to CPUs and their components such as capacitors, clocks, logic gates, registers, microcodes, caches, RAM, etc., along with Turing Machines and Assembly language programming concepts in a simplified manner.
Do you really need Kubernetes?:
Kubernetes offers a uniform interface for running workloads as containers across different platforms, reducing vendor lock-in and allowing easy switching between cloud providers. However, adopting Kubernetes comes with its own set of risks and second-order effects, such as reduced utilization of the cloud, increased responsibility, complexity, and risk, and potential inability to switch to another provider due to large blast radius. Organizations should weigh the advantages and disadvantages before deciding whether or not to adopt Kubernetes.
Everything I know about the XZ backdoor:
The article discusses the discovery of a potential backdoor in the XZ project, which is an open source data compression library. The backdoor was found by Andres Freund and has been attributed to Jia Tan (JiaT75), who had been contributing code changes to XZ since 2021. Suspicion arose after a commit that replaced safe_fprint with an unsafe variant, which could potentially introduce another vulnerability. The article outlines how Jia gained trust within the community and tried to push for inclusion of the compromised version in Debian and other Linux distributions. GitHub has since suspended JiaT75's account.
Can We Get Kids Off Smartphones?:
The article discusses the negative impact of social media and technology on Gen Z, who are more likely to experience mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Social media's constant comparison and self-diagnosis contribute to an increased prevalence of mental health disorders. Unstructured play is essential for children's development, yet decreased engagement in this activity due to safety concerns has led to a decline in mental wellbeing. Author Jonathan Haidt suggests four core appeals to parents and educators: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age sixteen, and no phones in schools. However, the collective will to make these changes is challenging due to safetyist mindsets and concerns over privacy.
Iowa Fertilizer Spill Kills Nearly All Fish Across 60-Mile Stretch of Rivers:
Nearly 800,000 fish have died in waters flowing into the Missouri River after a fertilizer spill in Iowa affected a 60-mile stretch of rivers in two states. The damage was described as „astounding and disheartening“ by a Missouri official. An estimated 789,000 fish were killed due to the spill, which occurred when a valve was left open on a storage tank at an agricultural business in Red Oak, Iowa.
Full-Scale File System Acceleration on GPU:
This article discusses the development and implementation of GPU4FS, a full-scale file system acceleration solution for GPUs. The authors propose moving the file system implementation to the GPU application, freeing up CPU resources. They argue that GPU4FS can be both useful and work well in modern high-performance computing (HPC) and AI Computing solutions. The paper presents a preliminary implementation, demonstrating bandwidth competitiveness depending on the underlying storage medium. The authors plan to further optimize their code and implement the complete file system solution using the AMD ROCm stack for better performance.
Inspector Schmidt - A Bavarian Tale:
This article appears to be a mix of text and user reviews for an unspecified product or game. The product seems to involve a village with dark secrets, social tensions, and hostility towards outsiders. The story takes place in Bavaria, and the main character is Inspector Schmidt. The system requirements include Windows 10, AMD 1600X/Intel i5 3rd Gen, 8GB RAM, Radeon RX 590/GeForce GTX 1660, Version 12, and the game includes DLCs such as a solution manual in PDF format.
James Webb Telescope Confirms that the Universe is Expanding at Different Speeds:
Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Hubble Space Telescope to confirm the universe's expansion at different speeds, a concept that has puzzled physicists for years. The JWST's infrared capabilities allowed for more precise measurements than previous telescopes, cementing the discrepancy in 2023. Triple-checking both telescopes working together negated the possibility of measurement error, suggesting that there may be something wrong with our understanding of the universe. The Hubble constant, which describes the expansion rate of the universe, is currently measured using two „gold standard“ methods; one involves cosmic microwave background fluctuations and the other uses Cepheid variables. Despite initial beliefs of a measurement error, further research involving 1,000 additional Cepheid stars confirmed that previous measurements were correct. The combination of JWST and Hubble data provides reliable results as they climb farther along the cosmic distance ladder.
Scientists Put Tardigrade Proteins Into Human Cells. Here's What Happened.:
A new study led by the University of Wyoming has discovered that expressing key tardigrade proteins in human cells slows metabolism, providing insights into how these organisms can survive extreme conditions. The researchers focused on a protein called CAHS D, which protects against extreme drying when it transforms into a gel-like state under stress. This study could potentially lead to the development of technologies centered around inducing biostasis in cells and whole organisms to slow aging and enhance storage stability.
VoiceCraft: Zero-Shot Speech Editing and Text-to-Speech in the Wild:
VoiceCraft is a token infilling neural codec language model that achieves state-of-the-art performance on speech editing and zero-shot text-to-speech (TTS) tasks using in-the-wild data from audiobooks, internet videos, and podcasts. To clone an unseen voice or edit a recording, VoiceCraft only requires a few seconds of the target voice. In comparison tests, it outperforms other models such as FluentSpeech and Voicebox in both speech editing and TTS tasks.
More Young People Than Ever Will Get Colorectal Cancer This Year:
Colon and rectal cancers are increasing among people younger than 50, according to the American Cancer Society. Rates of colorectal cancer are rising rapidly in people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, even as incidence is declining in those over 65. Early-onset colorectal cancers have been increasing by about 2% per year since the mid-1990s, making it the top cause of cancer deaths in men under 50 and the second leading cause in women under 50 in the United States. Experts are noticing a global rise in early-onset colorectal cancers and are working to understand the reasons behind this trend.
The rev.ng decompiler goes open source + start of the UI closed beta - rev.ng:
rev.ng has announced the open sourcing of their decompiler, the start of a closed beta test for the UI running in the cloud, and the release of a new website, rev.ng Hub, and documentation. The team is also offering private demos for interested parties. The article provides information on how to try rev.ng, its design goals, and explains the relationship between the open source project, the UI, and the standalone version. Finally, it details their roadmap towards a 1.0 release.
Nobody Told EV Owners How Quickly They Burn Through Tires:
This article discusses the issue of electric vehicle (EV) tire wear and adoption leapfrogging education, meaning that many EV owners were unaware of the potential differences in tire life compared to traditional gas-powered cars. The instant power of EVs accelerates the tire wearing process, leading to higher replacement costs. J.D. Power reports that EV owners typically anticipate similar tire wear as internal combustion car owners but are often not informed about this aspect before purchasing an electric vehicle. Automakers and tire manufacturers need to work together to educate EV owners on the differences in performance while also addressing the challenge without compromising other aspects of the tire's performance.
This features a mastodon user account called 'Daily Azure Shit' (@azureshit@mastodon.social), which shares daily experiences with Microsoft Azure services, highlighting their issues and limitations in the form of short posts. The account does not represent Microsoft or its products but focuses on providing insights into common challenges faced by users of Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform.
Plastics Contain Thousands More Chemicals Than Thought, and Most Are Unregulated, Report Finds:
A new report funded by the Norwegian Research Council has identified 16,000 potentially hazardous chemicals found in plastics, with only a small percentage being subject to global regulations. Around 3,600 of these chemicals are unregulated, and researchers believe there may be many more unidentified hazardous substances within the plastic material. The report recommends increased regulatory measures for 15 priority groups of concern, including phthalates and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which have been linked to health issues such as reproductive and developmental problems, as well as cancer risk. It also calls for more comprehensive transparency from manufacturers regarding the chemical makeup of their plastics.
This article discusses the Server Side Public License (SSPL), which is a license introduced in 2018. The author claims that SSPL is primarily bad for companies that use the license, as it cuts them off from their open source communities and requires them to release all software if they offer the functionality of SSPL-licensed software as a service. Additionally, the article mentions that SSPL is seen as an attempt to get more money back to investors by making it difficult for other companies to compete with those using SSPL licenses.
The Server Side Public License (SSPL) is a controversial license introduced by MongoDB, Inc., which has led to open-source products like Elasticsearch, Kibana, and Graylog becoming commercial ones. This license states that if you want to provide the product directly to your customers, you must make the „service source code“ available publicly. Critics argue that SSPL is bad for everyone as it kills cloud and managed services competitors, raises hosting prices, and kills open-source projects. It is also seen as a way for companies to get money back to investors rather than fighting big firms. The license has been criticized as vague and against the principles of open-source software.
Gronkh - Tobi Ist Eine Scheibe (Chords):
The article discusses TOBI IST EINE SCHEIBE chords by Gronkh and suggests updating your browser to the newest version for better website performance.
The article discusses Boeing's history of knowledge drain, which started with CEO Jim McNerney's arrival in 2005 and continued through his termination of long-term engineers and skilled machinists in favor of outsourcing development and engineering design. This led to multiple problems, including the botched 787 Dreamliner project that went over budget and behind schedule. The article highlights the experience of John Barnett, a quality manager at Boeing who was targeted by management for his commitment to safety and proper documentation. After facing various forms of mistreatment, Barnett was placed on a 60-day corrective action plan and later decided to file an aviation whistleblower complaint against the company. The article ends with the death of John Barnett, which some believe was not suicide but rather foul play.
The article discusses the importance of user privacy in the development of Matter, an app focused on allowing users to log memories for later recall to improve happiness. The company has adopted privacy as a core value and takes measures to ensure that user data remains private, such as storing images and other content directly on the user's device. This approach poses challenges in terms of user account recovery and backup/restore functionality, but the author believes these issues are solvable and will be addressed in future updates to the app.
This article discusses the implementation of a JavaScript library (printJS) for PDF printing in various browsers, including Firefox, Edge, and Internet Explorer. The library supports different types of content such as PDF, image, HTML, raw-HTML, JSON, and JSON with properties like field, display name, column size. It also addresses the issue of invalid JSON data and provides a solution to print HTML elements without the need for additional markup or styles.
Large language models use a surprisingly simple mechanism to retrieve some stored knowledge:
Researchers from MIT and other institutions have discovered that large language models often use simple linear functions to recover and decode stored facts. The researchers found that by identifying these functions for different facts, they can probe the model to see what it knows about new subjects and where in the model the knowledge is stored. This discovery could potentially be used to find and correct falsehoods within the models, reducing their tendency to sometimes give incorrect or nonsensical answers.
Kubernetes and back - Why I don't run distributed systems - davd.io:
The author of this article shares their experience switching from a single-machine Docker compose environment to a Kubernetes multi-node environment for their side project. They discuss the challenges they faced, such as replication issues, increased complexity, and higher cognitive load. Ultimately, they decided to go back to a single machine setup, noting that it was faster and easier to understand than the optimized Kubernetes configuration. The author concludes by emphasizing the importance of choosing the right tools for each situation and acknowledging that Kubernetes is not always the best choice.
Queues aren't the right abstraction - Inngest Blog:
Amazon SQS is a 20-year-old message queue service that remains widely used in networked systems and environments by developers. However, queues are no longer the right abstraction for building modern systems, as they require much more than just the queue itself for implementation. Durable execution, which combines durability and flow control, is a better abstraction for application workflows. Developers should use higher-level abstractions such as durable execution to provide reliability and guarantees without having to implement complex infrastructures around queues.
The one about the web developer job market:
The web developer job market is in a challenging state due to multiple factors, including layoffs in the tech industry and declining revenue from search engine optimization (SEO) for online media companies. LLMs are also threatening traditional programming languages like JavaScript and Python by generating code that might be of lower quality or contain security issues. Additionally, the increasing use of chatbots and large language models instead of human developers raises concerns about information asymmetry in the job market and the potential for it to become a „market for lemons.“ To navigate these challenges, web developers should consider unionizing, diversifying their skills, or exploring opportunities in making products that cater to underserved sectors.
Pythagoras was wrong: there are no universal musical harmonies, study finds:
New research from the University of Cambridge, Princeton and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics challenges centuries of Western music theory by suggesting that the consonance, a pleasant sounding combination of notes, can be achieved without adhering to special mathematical ratios. This discovery encourages experimentation with instruments from different cultures, such as bells and gongs. The research also found that certain musical instruments, less familiar to Western musicians, tend to produce their own unique patterns of consonance and dissonance. These findings suggest that music creation can be explored through unfamiliar instruments, opening up new harmonic languages for both musicians and listeners to appreciate.
Google AI search tool surfaces scams, malicious links:
Google's new AI-generated search results feature is suffering from the same problem as regular search results: spammy and malicious links appearing at the top of the SERP stack. The Search Generative Experience (SGE) was previously an opt-in test, but Google reportedly began testing it on a small subset of US users without requiring them to opt in. According to Lily Ray, VP of SEO strategy and research at marketing firm Amsive, the quality and safety of these results are debatable as spammy links are now appearing on SGE results. Google claims that around 99% of search results are spam-free but notes that spammers continue to evolve their methods in order to avoid filters.
I thought the Apple Vision Pro would bring about utopia. Now it scares the hell out of me.:
The Apple Vision Pro is a headset that uses augmented reality to display digital content on the environment around users. While it has some positive features, such as its high-definition graphics and immersive experience, it also comes with several drawbacks, including motion sickness, poor battery life, and limited functionality. The device's main purpose seems to be a way for Apple to dominate users' digital lives by locking them into the company's ecosystem. This has raised concerns over privacy issues and a potential shift towards isolation as more people immerse themselves in digital spaces rather than interacting with the physical world around them.
Boeing’s Dead Whistleblower Spoke the Truth:
In the days before his death, John Barnett was giving a deposition for the whistleblower suit he had filed against Boeing. According to one of his lawyers, Rob Turkewitz, he was upbeat about his testimony, feeling he was finally able to tell the story of his efforts to get the company to take safety more seriously and the rejection of those efforts by his bosses. However, on the last day of the deposition, Barnett was found in his truck with a bullet in his head and a gun in his hand. The police said it was „a self-inflicted wound.“ The article suggests that Boeing's fall from grace is due to its prioritization of profits over safety and maintaining the engineering culture that made it an aviation giant.
The window for great-grandmothers is closing:
This article discusses the relatively short existence of the „age of great-grandparents.“ Due to advancements in life expectancy, people are living longer and having children later in life. As a result, there is a decline in the number of great-grandparents. The author ponders what society will lose as a consequence of this trend ending.
Flatpak builds are not reproducible and why that's a practical problem:
In the article, it discusses how Flatpaks are technically reproducible, with all metadata needed to reproduce a build contained in the built package. The author acknowledges that there are still issues regarding reproducibility status and highlights Buildstream as an alternative technology designed for archiving regulations compliance. However, the author suggests that improvements in flatpak tooling could enhance the developer experience when building from source. Flatpaks currently face challenges with determining dependency versions and providing a consistent development environment for developers. The author proposes solutions to address these issues and improve the overall flatpak ecosystem.
AMD EPYC 7C13 is a Surprisingly Cheap and Good CPU:
The AMD EPYC 7C13 is a 64-core CPU that has been sold for around $2000, making it more affordable than typical high-end server processors. These chips are part of the Milan generation (EPYC 7003) and feature 256MB of L3 cache. In a Tyan 1U Topology system, the 32MB L3 cache clusters are shared among eight cores, with eight of these clusters in total. The processor supports PCIe Gen4 speeds and can run at a maximum speed of 3700MHz. AMD does not officially list this specific CPU, but its performance is comparable to Xeon CPUs from around seven years ago. While it's not technically a cloud-native CPU, the EPYC 7C13 offers good value for consolidating multiple servers onto a single socket and could be particularly useful for those looking to upgrade legacy hardware without breaking the bank.
How to Figure Out What Your Car Knows About You (and Opt Out of Sharing When You Can):
Cars collect extensive personal data which may be shared with third parties, including insurance companies. The New York Times highlighted how data is shared by GM with insurers, sometimes without the driver's knowledge. To see what data your car collects and stops sharing it, use Privacy4Cars' Vehicle Privacy Report or file a privacy request with the car manufacturer. Some states have consumer data privacy laws that require companies to send you a copy of your data upon request.
Younger Generations Have Larger Brains. Is That Healthier?:
New research has found that human brain size may be gradually increasing over time, potentially reducing the risk of dementia in younger generations. The study imaged the brains of more than 3,000 Americans aged between 55 and 65 and discovered that those born in the 1970s had a 6.6% greater overall brain volume compared to those born in the 1930s. Members of Generation X also had nearly an 8% greater volume of white matter and almost a 15% greater volume of gray matter surface area than members of the Silent Generation. One specific part of the brain, called the hippocampus which plays a major role in memory and learning, expanded by 5.7% over successive generations studied. The research suggests that external influences, such as health, social, cultural, and educational factors could play a role in determining brain size, apart from genetics.
The What, Why and How of Containers – Annwan:
This article discusses the history of OS-level virtualization on UNIX and Linux, starting with chroot in 1982 for UNIX. It then introduces Jails on FreeBSD as a mechanism to isolate system resources beyond file systems (2000). The article moves onto namespaces in Linux since 2002, which help isolate processes based on global resources like mount points and interprocess communication. Finally, it explains how to create Linux containers using these mechanisms combined with user-friendly interfaces such as Docker, LXC, and systemd-nspawn.
Are We Living in The Roaring 20s? - A Wealth of Common Sense:
In March 2020, during the pandemic, the author discussed what it would take to achieve a Roaring 1920s-like period in modern times. The 1920s was marked by innovations such as the automobile, airplane, radio, and assembly line, which contributed to a massive stock market boom and increased consumer spending. Today, net worth, housing prices, economic activity, and unemployment rates are at all-time highs. People are also spending money on food, travel, clothes, technology, and investing in retirement accounts. The current post-pandemic period has seen an entrepreneurial appetite for risk, similar to the Roaring 1920s. However, it is important to note that booms can be followed by busts, as exemplified by the Great Depression following the Roaring Twenties.
Two nights of broken sleep can make people feel years older, finds study:
A study by psychologists in Sweden found that people who only slept four hours for two consecutive nights felt more than four years older, while those who slept nine hours felt three months younger. The researchers believe that the perception of feeling older could affect health as it may encourage unhealthy eating habits and discourage physical exercise. Insufficient sleep has immediate effects on health, whereas poor diet and low physical activity take some time to notice. A 10-year study revealed that consistent exercise was significantly less likely to cause insomnia and better at promoting a healthy amount of sleep each night.
Recent ‘MFA Bombing’ Attacks Targeting Apple Users – Krebs on Security:
Multiple Apple customers have recently been targeted in elaborate phishing attacks involving what appears to be a bug in the password reset feature on Apple devices, causing them to display numerous system-level prompts. The scammers will then call the victim while spoofing Apple support, claiming their account is under attack and requiring a one-time code for „verification.“ In some cases, victims may click „Allow“ to stop the incessant password reset prompts or mistakenly approve a prompt. It is believed that the attackers exploit a feature or weakness of Apple's multi-factor authentication (MFA) system to overwhelm targets with alerts for password changes and logins.
First practical SHA-256 collision for 31 steps. fse2024:
The article discusses an attack on SHA-2, including SHA-256, which uses a Davies–Meyer compression function with SHACAL-2 as the block cipher. This cryptoanalytical result shows a significant degradation in SHACAL-2 and aims to run fewer rounds than assumed in standard SHA-256. The author states that this is not a full attack on SHA-2 and users' bitcoins are safe for now. They also mention that the first practical semi-free-start collision of 31 out of 64 rounds of SHA-256 has been demonstrated, with a complexity of 2^49.8. However, this is still far from a full collision attack or more like MD5 suffered in 2009.
Project Ghostbusters: Facebook Accused of Using Your Phone to Wiretap Snapchat:
The court filings unsealed last week allege that tech giant Meta created an internal effort called „Project Ghostbusters“ to spy on Snapchat through Onavo, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service offered between 2016 and 2019. This project allowed Meta to intercept traffic for certain apps using „kits“ installed on iOS and Android devices. Project Ghostbusters was aimed at obtaining data analytics from Snapchat, which could have provided a competitive advantage in the advertising industry. The court filings also suggest that this initiative violated the United States Wiretap Act.
Boeing chief must have engineering background, Emirates boss says:
The article discusses the Boeing CEO's past and possible reasons for the company's current issues. It mentions that the former CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, has a degree in Aerospace Engineering but prioritized profit maximization over safety and engineering culture. This resulted in innocent people being negatively affected. The article also highlights the importance of values rather than degrees or qualifications for leaders to prevent such issues from arising.
Tracy McCubbin, a professional declutterer, married a „very messy“ man. To cope with their differences in tidiness, they implemented practical strategies to maintain peace and harmony at home. Experts suggest improving organization systems and setting boundaries for each individual's habits. In many cases, clutter can be an indication of weak organizational systems rather than a personal flaw.
Building WOPR: A 7x4090 AI Server:
The article discusses a DIY GPU-based training server, focusing on the main components such as the mainboard, CPU, RAM, risers, power and cooling, frame, bill of materials, FAQs, disclaimer, concept, and specifications. The author recommends ASROCK Rack ROMED8-2T for its 7 PCIe slots, capable of handling AMD Epyc 7002/7003 CPUs. They also mention using an Engineering Sample Epyc 7763 CPU, which can support up to 512GB RAM with a full configuration. The article emphasizes that this build is not for mission-critical purposes and may have varying outcomes depending on the board manufacturer's tolerance and other factors.
Home - Literally Anybody Else for President:
The article emphasizes the need for a stronger, united America and calls for an end to partisan politics that prioritize party loyalty over governance. It introduces „Literally Anybody Else,“ a rallying cry for change, encouraging people to join the movement by donating, volunteering, or sharing with friends. The campaign focuses on real solutions, including affordable healthcare, education reform, criminal justice reforms, and investment in infrastructure and small businesses.
Engineering Managers Should Not Exist:
This article argues that the software engineering manager role should not exist, as it often leads to mediocre engineers taking on various non-engineering tasks and having too much power over their teams. The author suggests that a better approach would be to have project managers break down product visions into smaller tasks while allowing engineers to focus on their work without micromanagement. Additionally, the role of a Career Coach could help provide long-term support for an engineer's growth within the company.
The article provides an in-depth look at Adept, a company focused on building AI agents that can perform any task a human can do on a computer, with high reliability and speed. The CEO and co-founder, David Luan, shares his experiences working at OpenAI and Google, where he played key roles in the development of large language models (LLMs) and other foundational models for artificial intelligence.
David discusses the evolution of AI, from early reinforcement learning-driven approaches to the transformative impact of LLMs and multimodal models. He emphasizes the importance of reliability, cost efficiency, speed, and generality in AI agents. Adept's focus on building reliable agents that can interact with software like humans do is a key differentiator for the company.
The article also touches on the potential synergies between AI agents and self-driving car technology, as well as the role of synthetic data in enhancing model performance. Finally, David shares his thoughts on why individuals should consider working at Adept, highlighting the company's focus on building useful agents that are grounded in practical needs.
Podman 5.0 has been released!:
The Podman version 5.0.0 has been released with several new features and significant changes, including a complete rewrite of code for Windows and Mac platforms. This release is important for supporting hypervisor support on both platforms and introducing OCI artifact support in manifests. Other features include switching to Pasta by default for rootless networking, improvements to the containers.conf configuration file, and several bug fixes.
We have a content quality problem, not a content quantity problem // Cory Dransfeldt:
This article discusses the abundance of content available today, such as TV shows, music, and social media, which is constantly growing with little regard for quality. It explores how AI technology is being used to generate more content at a lower cost, potentially devaluing original artists and creators. The author expresses concern that the pursuit of scale may lead to a lack of support for smaller artists, as well as an increase in low-quality content. They emphasize the need for users to filter out the noise and prioritize quality when consuming media.
ADHD Productivity Fundamentals — 0xFF:
The 0xFF / ADHD Productivity Fundamentals article focuses on simple productivity hacks for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It emphasizes the importance of writing everything down, using lists and scheduling time for tasks. The author also stresses the need to keep tools simple and accessible, remove clutter, reduce choice, eliminate unnecessary noise, remember why you are pursuing productivity improvements, and iterate on your methods.
history - What does Jamie Zawinski's Law mean? - Software Engineering Stack Exchange:
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On Tech Debt: My Rust Library is now a CDO:
The Rust ecosystem has developed an environment where tech debt can be collateralized, similar to the way derivatives work with financial debt. One example discussed is learning-rust-this-way, a library that experienced technical issues and became unmaintained. By merging this code into another library, the tech debt becomes „AAA“ rated, avoiding problems associated with using it directly. Collateralization can be seen as an alternative solution to dealing with tech debt in software development.
VLC can't update on Android without giving Google private signing keys:
The article discusses concerns around Google managing app developers' keys for Android apps, which could potentially limit freedom and control over the apps. Some users believe that there are alternatives to Google Play Store on Android devices but emphasize that the freedom comes from alternative app stores and side-loading options.
AI and the Complexity of Code | Koen van Gilst:
The article discusses how Large Language Models (LLMs) like Github CoPilot and ChatGPT have enhanced efficiency for developers but can also add complexity to code. The author conducted an experiment where LLMs were asked to create increasingly complex code as the developer's seniority level increased, eventually resulting in a convoluted solution to a simple problem. Despite being able to simplify programs when explicitly instructed to start from scratch, LLMs generally tend to maintain existing code and add layers of complexity. This highlights their limitations in creativity and problem-solving compared to human developers who can instinctively step back and consider simpler solutions to complex problems.
Why do regexes use `$` and `^` as line anchors?:
The article discusses the origins and history behind the use of $ and ^ as line anchors in regular expressions (regexes). Ken Thompson first used them in his port of QED, which was a precursor to ed. The author delves into the reasoning behind these choices, suggesting that $ might have been chosen due to its availability on keyboards at the time, while ^ may have been selected as it wasn't commonly used in American English and could be easily distinguished from other symbols.
From full-stack development to systems programming:
The author began their journey in the technology industry by pursuing a Computer Science degree and joining Infi, a boutique consultancy in Utrecht doing full-stack development for scale-ups. After working at Infi, they became self-employed and worked on various projects, eventually finding themselves more drawn to systems programming. They emphasize the importance of focusing on specific areas of expertise and maintaining personal initiative to cultivate a human side in their work.
The article presents a proof of concept for detecting adblockers without JavaScript by abusing 103 Early Hints. It demonstrates how the server can determine if an adblocker is present based on the client's handling of early hints prior to the actual response. This method does not depend on JavaScript and works in Firefox, but not currently in Chrome or Safari.
Jampack is a post-processing tool that optimizes static websites for best user experience and best Core Web Vitals scores. It works by taking the output of your Static Site Generator (SSG) and enhancing it with responsiveness, multiple formats support, CDN image optimization, external image download and optimization, above & below-the-fold asset management, inline critical CSS, prefetch links, and compressing all untouched assets. Jampack is used in the wild for various websites and powering ‹div›RIOTS' websites.
App Store changes rejected: Apple could be fined 10% of global turnover:
The EU has announced that Apple's App Store changes do not comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), making the company officially under investigation for non-compliance. If the investigation confirms Apple's failure to adhere to antitrust law, it could face fines of up to 10% of its worldwide turnover, increasing to 20% for repeat infringements. The DMA requires tech giants to prevent their dominant market position from giving their products and services an unfair advantage over competitors. Apple has proposed allowing third-party app stores but with several conditions that may not satisfy the EU. Google and Meta are also under investigation for their responses to the DMA.
'Is monetary policy even working?':
The higher interest rates have had a less destructive impact on economies than initially predicted, according to the Financial Times. Central banks worldwide undertook one of the most aggressive episodes of monetary tightening in history in 2022. However, there has been no „break“ as feared two years ago; instead, it has sparked a debate about why mainstream macroeconomics exaggerated the dangers of higher rates.
ZenHammer: Rowhammer Attacks on AMD Zen-based Platforms - Computer Security Group:
The article discusses a vulnerability in AMD Zen 2 and Zen 3 systems, despite deployed TRR mitigations. It is possible to trigger Rowhammer bit flips on DDR4 devices in these systems, which increases the attack surface as AMD has around 36% market share on x86 desktop CPUs. This vulnerability poses a significant risk since DRAM devices cannot easily be fixed, and previous work showed that Rowhammer attacks are practical across various platforms, such as browsers, smartphones, VMs, and over the network. The article also highlights ZenHammer's ability to trigger Rowhammer bit flips on a DDR5 device for the first time.
Meta takes $40K, holds our business ransom:
The article tells the story of how Meta charged $40K for advertising services and then suspended the user's account when they could not locate the funds, causing significant disruption to the business. The author describes the difficulties faced in dealing with large platform companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Apple, which can sometimes hinder a company's growth and innovation. In this case, the author argues that Meta failed to properly track and manage payments for advertising services provided through their platform.
Vast Archive of Rare Japanese Textbooks Now Online To Explore for Free:
An online archive of historic Japanese textbooks from the 19th and 20th centuries, hosted by the National Institute for Educational Policy Research, showcases textbooks as works of art. The collection includes various examples of hand painting, calligraphy, traditional block printing, and illustrations, dating back to a time when Japan underwent immense change after World War II. These historic textbooks offer a glimpse into the intricate artistry behind woodblock printing and bookmaking during that period in Japanese history.
InvertOrNot - Smart Dark-Mode Image Inversion:
InvertOrNot is a free and open-source API that uses deep learning to predict if an image should be inverted for optimal dark-mode rendering, enhancing the overall user experience in dark-mode without manual adaptation. The API works by fine-tuning an EfficientNet model on a custom dataset using PyTorch and does not require any additional setup. It can be used by providing either a list of image files or URLs. InvertOrNot is currently available as a public demonstration and proof-of-concept but offers no warranties or guarantees for its performance.
When it's not DNS, it's probably NTP | APNIC Blog:
The article discusses a problem with secure Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) certificates, which resulted in broken Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). This issue stemmed from the Network Time Protocol (NTP), an old protocol that transmits time as a numerical value. The problem was related to the year 2038, an old and well-understood UNIX time problem. Although NTP and public-private key certification systems have been coded to avoid this issue, bugs can still emerge due to the intersection of time, sources of time, and systems that depend on accurate timing. The article highlights how to track down operational problems and work through all the systems to the root causes.
The mystery illness impacting dairy cattle in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico has been confirmed as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) strain. Genetic sequencing revealed that the virus is carried by wild waterfowl and experts believe it's spreading through this vector. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is not recommending movement restrictions for animals, as affected dairy cows do not appear to be transmitting the virus within their herds. Federal and state agencies are conducting additional testing and viral genome sequencing in order to better understand the situation. The Texas Department of Agriculture has emphasized that milk is safe to drink and meat remains safe to eat, as there is no threat to human health.
This study aimed to provide insight into the pathways linking socioeconomic conditions with brain microstructure and cognitive performance in middle to late adulthood. The findings show that individuals from lower income households had markers of advanced brain white matter aging with lower neurite density, lower myelination, and lower iron content, alongside greater mean diffusivity. Greater mean diffusivity contributed to the association between household income and cognitive performance. Household income also buffered the observed white matter effects, such that greater mean diffusivity was only associated with poorer cognitive performance among individuals from lower income households. These findings provide a detailed neurobiological understanding of socioeconomic differences in brain anatomy and associated cognitive performance.
Germany’s Solar Panel Industry, Once a Leader, Is Getting Squeezed:
Domestic solar panel manufacturers in Germany are struggling between China's low prices and U.S. protectionist policies, despite increased demand due to Europe's goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Some manufacturers argue that production in Germany is more environmentally friendly and reliable than Chinese alternatives. However, critics argue that European tariffs on imported Chinese panels from 2013-2018 didn't save the domestic industry.
Microsoft reuses its OpenAI playbook:
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has acquired Inflection, a would-be OpenAI challenger that raised hundreds of millions of dollars. Most of Inflection's staff is joining a new AI division at Microsoft led by co-founder Mustafa Suleyman, who now reports directly to Nadella. The acquisition avoids regulatory scrutiny since it does not involve an outright purchase of the company.
'This is garbage': Step aside, influencers — we're now in the era of de-influencing:
The de-influencing movement, which encourages people to buy less and use what they already have, has gained traction on social media platforms like TikTok. Influencers who promote a more sustainable lifestyle are challenging the traditional advertising model of constant messaging around buying new products. The de-influencing trend could have a positive impact on the environment by reducing overconsumption and waste generated from online shopping.
Opinion | Mass Tech Layoffs? Just Another Day in the Corporate Blender.:
Silicon Valley companies are undergoing unnecessary layoffs, despite being profitable, to align their structures with key priorities and maintain „transformation“ or becoming „future-ready.“ These actions have led to a short-term boost in market sentiment for some tech companies such as Meta. Investors are thrilled by this news, which may encourage other publicly traded companies to follow suit. The article highlights the constant disruption and upheaval experienced in corporate life due to these changes and how it has become a cult-like belief that everything should be disrupted all the time.
Friends don't let friends export to CSV:
The article discusses the challenges encountered while working with CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files in data science and software engineering. It highlights that although CSV is ubiquitous, human-readable, and less verbose than other formats like JSON and XML, it has several issues such as underspecification, poor compression, performance, and handling of missing data or multiline data. The author suggests using Apache Parquet instead due to its self-describing files, good compression properties, efficient loading, wide support for complex data types, and better overall performance.
This article discusses an exploit in Minecraft that allows attackers to get any Xbox/Microsoft account banned by abusing the game's reporting system. The issue has not been confirmed by Xbox, but there is evidence suggesting that it may be true. A YouTuber reported being a victim of this exploit after his entire Xbox account was banned due to false reports from harassers. Microsoft should consider reviewing all Minecraft-related bans and possibly implement stricter content moderation measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Telnet is an old-fashioned protocol that was widely used to remotely access servers in the early days of the internet, before it was replaced by SSH. Despite being deprecated and considered unsafe due to its lack of encryption, a few diehard fans still use Telnet for entertainment purposes. These enthusiasts can find various online services, games, and artwork through Telnet, with some offering a nostalgic trip back in time. Examples include ASCII versions of „Star Wars,“ multi-user role-playing environments like MUDs, and BBSs (bulletin board systems).
Why choose async/await over threads?:
The article discusses why programmers might choose async/await over OS threads in Rust and the benefits that come with it. It highlights how async/await allows for composability and power, making concurrency easier to express without requiring additional threads and channels. The author argues that rather than trying to make async/await identical to synchronous Rust programming, we should embrace its differences and focus on showcasing the advantages of using this semantic model.