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Automated summaries of top Hacker News stories written by a large language model.
Plan 9 design rule: if a feature doesn't work for everything, don't do it
The Plan 9 design rule states that if a feature doesn't work for everything, it shouldn't be implemented. This rule emphasizes the importance of universality and compatibility in design. By adhering to this principle, developers can ensure that their creations are functional across different platforms and devices. This approach may seem controversial to some, as it may limit the potential capabilities of a system. However, it also promotes simplicity and efficiency, which can lead to more reliable and user-friendly experiences.
Protesters hurl soup at the Mona Lisa painting in Paris
Protesters from the environmental group Riposte Alimentaire threw soup at the Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre museum in Paris. The painting was protected by its glass casing and was not damaged. The Louvre has reopened the room where the painting is displayed after it was evacuated. The museum has lodged a complaint and the incident is currently under investigation. The Mona Lisa has a history of vandalism and theft, including being stolen in 1911 and suffering an acid attack in the 1950s. This is a developing story and more information will be provided.
X blocks Taylor Swift searches after fake AI videos go viral
In an effort to combat the spread of fake AI-generated videos featuring Taylor Swift, X has implemented a block on searches related to the pop star. These videos, which use artificial intelligence to superimpose Swift's face onto adult film performers, have gone viral on various social media platforms. X's decision to block searches for Taylor Swift aims to protect the artist's image and prevent the dissemination of these misleading and potentially damaging videos. While some may argue that this move infringes on freedom of speech, others applaud X for taking action against the spread of harmful content.
Apple and Goldman Sachs: A timeline of the messy partnership that will soon fall
The partnership between Apple and Goldman Sachs has become increasingly messy, with recent reports suggesting that Goldman Sachs wants to end the partnership and pass it off to American Express. The timeline of the relationship between the two companies began in 2019 with the launch of Apple Card, which was hailed as the most successful credit card launch in the United States. However, the partnership has faced controversy, including allegations of gender bias in the algorithms used to determine credit limits. Despite signs of struggle for Goldman Sachs, the company claimed to be committed to the partnership with Apple. The future of the partnership remains uncertain, with Goldman Sachs looking to exit the deal in the next 12 to 15 months.
Bill Gates Interviews Sam Altman about OpenAI's Speedy Rise
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently interviewed OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on his podcast. The interview covers the rapid development of AI and includes predictions for the future. Altman discusses the excitement within OpenAI and the company's motivation to become better and ready for future challenges. They also discuss the milestones that OpenAI's ChatGPT will hit in the next two years, including multimodality and better reliability. Altman believes that understanding how knowledge gets encoded in AI will lead to even better and more efficient AIs. Altman also addresses concerns about the impact of AI on labor, stating that new and better jobs will be created. The interview ends with a discussion on the potential societal implications of advanced AI and the need to adapt to the rapid progress. Overall, the interview showcases optimism and excitement about the future of AI.
SpatiaLite: Library extending SQLite to support Spatial SQL capabilities
SpatiaLite is an open source library that extends the capabilities of SQLite to support Spatial SQL. SQLite is a lightweight and simple database engine that uses a single library to implement the full SQL engine. It has a standard SQL implementation and does not require complex client/server architecture. SpatiaLite integrates seamlessly with SQLite to provide a powerful Spatial DBMS that is mostly OGC-SFS compliant. By using SQLite + SpatiaLite, users can create an alternative open source Spatial DBMS that is comparable to PostgreSQL + PostGIS. SpatiaLite is licensed under the MPL tri-license, allowing users to choose the best-fit license for their needs.
Can Earthquakes Be Predicted? (2022)
In this interview, Professor Robert J. Geller discusses earthquake prediction in Japan. He explains that some seismologists in Japan overhyped the applicability of earthquake prediction in order to secure research funding. He also mentions that similar efforts have been made in the US. Geller highlights the cultural and policy differences between Japan and the US when it comes to earthquakes, with earthquakes being a bigger agenda item in Japan due to its earthquake-prone nature. He also discusses the development of earthquake prediction efforts in Japan in the 1970s and the skepticism surrounding them. (Summary based on 17% of story text.)
The Plot Against Einstein
The article discusses Albert Einstein's visit to Pasadena, California in 1933 and his involvement in promoting German-American relations. Despite his pacifist beliefs, Einstein was persuaded to cancel a speech denouncing forced conscription. Instead, he made a speech at a gala event attended by thousands of people, which was broadcasted on NBC radio. The article highlights the significance of this speech as the first round in a contest between Einstein and Hitler's Nazi Germany. It also explores Einstein's background, his theories of relativity, and his popularity as a celebrity scientist. The article emphasizes Einstein's opposition to Hitler and the danger he faced as a Jewish scientist. (Summary based on 56% of story text.)
Flent: The FLExible Network Tester
Flent is a network benchmarking tool that allows users to easily run network tests using multiple well-known benchmarking tools. It offers an interactive GUI and extensive plotting capabilities to explore test data and produce publication quality graphs. Flent can also capture metadata from local and remote hosts and collect secondary data series such as CPU usage and WiFi statistics. Users can automate their testing regime by specifying batch experiment runs. Flent is written in Python and wraps tools like netperf and iperf into repeatable tests. Installation instructions are provided for various operating systems.
Breaking SecuROM 7 – A Dissection
This is an archive of a whitepaper written by ARTeam in 2007/8, which provides a detailed analysis of how SecuROM 7 can be broken down using reverse engineering techniques. The whitepaper includes tutorials on stitching two executables together, dumping and removing the DRM, and defeating anti-debugging and anti-dump methods. The authors emphasize that the purpose of the tutorial is to share knowledge and improve understanding of reverse engineering, and they are not releasing any cracked applications. The whitepaper includes insights from multiple authors and is accompanied by tools and scripts used in the tutorials. (Summary based on 8% of story text.)
The Nationalization of Boeing Begins
The article discusses the current state of Boeing and its potential nationalization. The author highlights the recent incidents involving Boeing planes, such as the door blow-out on an Alaska Airlines flight, which has led to public criticism from major customers and stakeholders. The author also mentions the government's response, including the grounding of Boeing planes and the cap on production until quality issues are resolved. The article suggests that the credibility of Boeing has collapsed due to its incompetence and lack of respect for engineering and construction. The potential strike by Boeing workers is also mentioned, with labor issues being a major concern. The author argues for a nationalization and restructuring of Boeing due to its longstanding problems and the need for a change in leadership. (Summary based on 91% of story text.)
Nearly 25,000 tech workers were laid off in the first weeks of 2024. Why?
In the first weeks of 2024, nearly 25,000 tech workers were laid off, despite the fact that tech companies have returned to pre-pandemic levels and are profitable. The layoffs are not driven by necessity or survival, but rather by a "herding effect" in the industry. Tech companies are laying off employees because it seems to boost their stock prices, and they see no reason to stop since everyone else is doing it. Interest rates and investments in generative AI do not fully explain the layoff frenzy. Wall Street is rewarding tech companies for their cost discipline, which encourages more layoffs. This phenomenon of companies imitating each other's layoffs is called "copycat layoffs" and is seen as a form of social contagion. The layoffs are a self-fulfilling prophecy, as companies continue to cut to prepare for a potential future downturn.
'I don't see how it ends': expert sounds alarm on new wave of US opioids crisis
Dr. Art Van Zee, a doctor in rural Virginia, has been sounding the alarm about the opioid crisis for decades. He warned pharmaceutical executives, regulators, and Congress about the dangers of a powerful new opioid painkiller, OxyContin, but his warnings were largely ignored. Now, as the crisis continues to worsen, Van Zee is shocked at the devastation caused by the drug and the indifference to human suffering. He believes that there were many missed opportunities to stop the crisis and that the US is failing to learn from this uniquely American catastrophe. Van Zee calls for breaking the influence of corporate money over medicine, drug regulation, and political accountability. (Summary based on 75% of story text.)
Bartkira: The Simpsons and Akira
Bartkira is a unique and creative project that combines the worlds of The Simpsons and Akira. Created by Ryan Humphrey, the project features a complete reimagining of the Akira manga using characters from The Simpsons. Volume 6 is now available to read on the website, showcasing the incredible talent and dedication of the artists involved. This collaboration has gained a lot of attention and praise from fans of both The Simpsons and Akira, as it seamlessly blends the two universes together. The controversy surrounding Bartkira lies in the unauthorized use of copyrighted characters, but it has also sparked discussions about the power of fan art and the influence of popular culture.
An Illustrated Guide to Elliptic Curve Cryptography Validation
The blog post discusses the importance of validating public keys and parameters in elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) to prevent vulnerabilities and attacks. It highlights the common failures in validation and provides an illustrated guide to avoid them. The post emphasizes the need to check that the point coordinates are lower than the field modulus, correspond to a valid curve point, are not the point at infinity, and are in the correct subgroup. It also mentions that while these validation rules generally apply to all curves, some curves and constructions are designed to prevent these issues. (Summary based on 68% of story text.)
New exoplanets identified that could potentially harbor life
Scientists have made a major breakthrough in the search for extraterrestrial life by identifying 85 new exoplanets. Led by PhD student Faith Hawthorn from the University of Warwick, the research team used data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to make these significant discoveries. Each exoplanet is in a unique system, with some potentially rocky and others gaseous. The habitability of these planets is still being researched, but the findings contribute to our understanding of exoplanets and the ongoing quest for life beyond our solar system. The TESS mission, launched in 2018, aims to identify planets of various sizes and distances from their stars.
The floppy disk refused to die in Japan
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has abolished the requirement for businesses to submit floppy disks or CD-ROMs when filing official documents. This move comes after the government indicated in August 2022 that the days of floppy disks were numbered. The decision to remove the necessity for legacy storage formats will be a relief for all concerned. While the Japanese government may take some time to update procedures, there is still a viable floppy disk business operating in the USA. The owner of floppydisk.com, Tom Persky, admitted that the end of his business was in sight, but he still receives about 1,000 disks a day for recycling.
New GitHub Copilot Research Finds 'Downward Pressure on Code Quality'
New research conducted by GitClear has found that the use of AI-powered GitHub Copilot in software development is putting downward pressure on code quality. The study compared the quality and maintainability of AI-assisted code to code written by humans. The research found that code churn, which refers to the percentage of lines that are reverted or updated within two weeks of being authored, is projected to double by 2024 compared to the pre-AI baseline. Additionally, the percentage of added and copy/pasted code is increasing in proportion to updated, deleted, and moved code. This suggests that AI-generated code resembles the work of a short-term contractor rather than a senior developer. This research contradicts previous studies that found GitHub Copilot to improve productivity and developer satisfaction. GitClear's research highlights the need for technical leaders to be aware of the impact of AI on code quality and to address the challenges it presents.
When the "R" goes missing from R&D (2021)
The author recounts their experience with a problematic organizational structure within their development team. The team had been working on a complex product with potential patentable ideas, but when the patent attorney arrived to brainstorm, they were unable to come up with any ideas. It turns out that the development team had become an implementation factory, with the design work being done by a separate UX team in a different division of the company. This lack of collaboration and input from the development team led to clunky user interfaces and a disconnect between design and implementation. The author, as a senior member of the team, tried to address the issue but faced resistance. Eventually, a reorganization disbanded the separate UX team and integrated designers with software engineers, leading to improved collaboration and better outcomes. (Summary based on 93% of story text.)
Show HN: I made a mobile app and game where you workout to level up
The Fittest Fire Game is a mobile app and game that combines fitness and gaming. By working out, users can earn points that can be used to level up in the game. The game itself is a 2D platformer heavily inspired by the Mega Man X series, featuring various abilities such as dashing, wall sliding, and precise controls. Players can increase their damage, speed, unlock special moves, and more by spending their workout points. The game also includes a Metroidvania style intro area and a procedural generation mode for replayability. Working out is essential to defeating the final boss and achieving success in the game.
"Lena" isn't about uploading
The web content titled "Lena" isn't about uploading, despite its focus on the concept. The author argues that uploading, the process of transferring a person's consciousness into a digital form, is not currently possible and may never be due to the immense processing power required. The author also questions the ethical implications of uploading and highlights the real-world issues of exploitation and abuse that already exist within society. The content draws parallels between the fictional scenario of uploading and the gig economy, where workers are dehumanized and stripped of their rights. The author concludes by acknowledging the lack of solutions and expressing uncertainty about how to address these problems.
Some mathematical aspects of cryptography (1941)
The article discusses some mathematical aspects of cryptography. It begins by introducing the concept of mapping a set of possible components of a message onto a finite ring. The author then explains the classification of integers into even and odd classes and how these classes can be represented by 0 and 1, respectively. The author goes on to define a ring of m classes of ordinary integers and discusses congruence and residue classes. The article concludes by demonstrating the use of residue classes in a cipher alphabet for encryption.
'How to greenwash': propane industry tries to rebrand fuel as renewable
The propane industry is attempting to rebrand propane as a renewable and clean energy source, according to recordings reviewed by The Guardian and climate newsletter Heated. The Propane Education & Research Council (Perc), a US lobbying group, has spent nearly $30 million on advertisements for fossil fuel in the past two years, promoting propane as a form of clean and renewable energy. However, in a recorded meeting, Perc board members acknowledged that this characterization was inaccurate. Critics argue that propane is not renewable or clean energy and that Perc's claims amount to greenwashing. Perc plans to increase its advertising budget in 2024 to further promote propane as environmentally friendly. (Summary based on 92% of story text.)
NPM flooded with 748 packages that store movies
The Sonatype Security Research team has discovered 748 packages flooding the npm registry that are being used to store movies, videos, and eBooks. These packages, which are being purged from the registry, contain partial video clips that can be downloaded and processed to reconstruct the entire movie. The packages have been sitting on the registry since at least December 4, 2023, and are named with a 'wlwz' prefix followed by numbers. The video clips have the '.ts' extension, indicating that they were ripped from DVDs and Blu-ray discs. Some packages also contain Mandarin subtitles in JSON files. This incident is reminiscent of Chinese developers using GitHub and npm to store eBooks in 2022, possibly as a means to circumvent state censorship. These incidents highlight the innovative ways in which users and attackers are misusing registries and the potential threats they pose to the software supply chain. It is advised not to upload videos to OSS registries as it violates their terms of service. Sonatype's Repository Firewall and Lifecycle products can block these packages from reaching development builds, ensuring a hygienic software development life cycle.
I looked through attacks in my access logs. Here's what I found
The author of the web content shares their experience of self-hosting and the dangers of the internet. They explain that exposing an IP address to the public internet invites malicious traffic. The author then delves into their access logs to analyze the types of attacks they have encountered. The most common attacks are directory traversal attacks, particularly in search of credentials like .env files. Attackers also target common files containing credentials, such as AWS configuration files and Git repositories. Additionally, they look for accidentally exposed directories and common remote access and configuration tools. The author concludes by emphasizing the importance of minimizing exposure to the public internet and implementing authentication and IP restrictions. (Summary based on 28% of story text.)
US historians sign brief to support Colorado's removal of Trump from ballot
A group of 25 historians specializing in the Civil War and Reconstruction have filed a brief in support of Colorado's attempt to remove Donald Trump from the ballot under the 14th amendment. The historians argue that the language of the amendment covers the president and serves as a check on insurrection. Trump's lawyers, on the other hand, claim that the presidency is not an "office" as described in the amendment and that only congressional action can prevent someone from running. The historians cite evidence from the 1860s congressional debate and argue that the 14th amendment is self-executing and requires no additional action from Congress. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on the issue on February 8th.
Hacker Newsy: a pretty Hacker News client
Hacker Newsy is a Hacker News client that aims to provide a visually appealing and user-friendly interface for browsing Hacker News. It offers features such as feature toggles, light and dark themes, pagination or infinite scroll, and the ability to install it as a web app (PWA). One of its differentiating factors is that it serves cached content offline, allowing users to access previously loaded articles even without an internet connection. The project is built using SvelteKit and shadcn-svelte, and draws inspiration from other modern Hacker News clients like hn.svelte.dev.
Canon aims to ship low-cost 'stamp' machine this year to disrupt chipmaking
Canon, the Japanese imaging company, plans to release a low-cost "stamp" machine later this year that could disrupt the chipmaking industry. The machine, which uses a new technology called "nanoimprint lithography," is expected to significantly reduce the cost of producing semiconductors. This could pose a threat to established chipmakers like Intel and Samsung, who currently dominate the market. Canon's stamp machine is unique in its ability to create intricate patterns on silicon wafers, allowing for more efficient and powerful chips. While the technology is still in its early stages, it has the potential to revolutionize the chipmaking industry.
Linux for Playstation 2
The website is dedicated to providing resources for users and developers of Linux for PlayStation 2. It offers a FAQ section and discussion forums for users, as well as information on prices and availability of the Linux kit. There are also updates and news about the community and its projects. The site mentions some technical issues with the hardware and provides solutions for them. There is controversy surrounding the closing down of the site and the discontinuation of Firefox development for PlayStation 2.
Remote: Windows 3.11 Administrator (m/f/d)
The GULP website is currently advertising a job opening for a Windows 3.11 Administrator. This position is remote and open to individuals of all genders. The job description does not provide any specific details about the responsibilities or qualifications required for the role. However, it is interesting to note that the company is still seeking an administrator for a relatively outdated operating system. It is unclear why they are specifically looking for someone with expertise in Windows 3.11, as this system was released over 25 years ago and is no longer widely used.