1. Rarbg Is No More
Total comment counts : 87
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the history of RARBG, a Bulgarian tracker that was a big player in the illegal warez scene. The author expresses curiosity about how such illegal operations can remain anonymous online and avoid being caught, despite the maturity and commercialization of the internet.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author wonders why torrent search is based on centralized websites, which can be taken down, instead of a distributed search that would solve the obvious weak link problem. They question whether it is a technological issue or just something that hasn’t been attempted yet.
2. Nvidia DGX GH200: 100 Terabyte GPU Memory System
Total comment counts : 29
Summary
NVIDIA has announced the NVIDIA DGX GH200, which is designed to accommodate AI models that require up to 100 terabytes of memory. The DGX GH200 system can unite up to 256 computers and provide nearly 500x more memory to the GPU shared memory programming model over NVLink. The system is powered by NVIDIA Grace Hopper Superchip and NVLink Switch System. Grace Hopper Superchip combines the Grace and Hopper architectures using NVIDIA NVLink-C2C to deliver a CPU + GPU coherent memory model. The NVLink Switch System extends NVLink connection across superchips to create a seamless, high-bandwidth, multi-GPU system. NVIDIA is working to make DGX GH200 available at the end of this year.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the impressive systems integration capability of a core with 900GBps connectivity to cluster memory at low power. It questions the ability of others in the industry to compete and wonders if it will lead to a new era with an ecosystem of capabilities.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses rumors about GPT-4 being a 100 trillion parameter model, which seemed outrageous at the time but may not be so outrageous with the announcement that 100 terabytes of GPU memory is needed to train that class of model. However, there may not be enough text data in the world to saturate 100T parameters, so generating text with GPT-4 and using it as pre-training data may be necessary. The bulk of the training could be done on a 400TB dataset of generated text.
3. Hacking my “smart” toothbrush
Total comment counts : 38
Summary
The author of the article discovered that Philips Sonicare toothbrush heads have NFC tags that communicate with the handle to remind the user when it’s time to buy a new head. The author was able to sniff the communication between the toothbrush and head using a software-defined radio, and discovered that the password required to overwrite the stored time was sent over plain text. With the password acquired, the author was able to set the timer on the brush head to any desired time. The author also attempted to guess the one-way function for generating the passwords, but was unsuccessful.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The owner of an IT company in Yeovil, UK, has deployed Home Assistant with various dongles for Zwave/Zigbee etc. The system’s built-in Bluetooth has picked up data on several household items such as Oral B toothbrushes, plant watering systems, and lights. Despite their office being next to a roundabout with over 30,000 cars passing a day, the car integrations and several others have been turned off because they generated too much unwanted and obstructive data. Finally, the owner encourages stopping data leakage.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the security of Philips’ smart toothbrush head, which can be locked out after three incorrect password attempts. The NFC chip is customized to prevent brute-force attacks, and the user can set the maximum number of password attempts using AUTHLIM. The article concludes that this is reassuring and shows that Philips cares about the security of their product.
4. I try to answer “how to become a systems engineer”
Total comment counts : 32
Summary
The author was asked to write an article on becoming a systems engineer, but they find it difficult to define what a systems engineer is, as it varies greatly depending on the industry. They suggest that a key trait for becoming a systems engineer is observing and researching how things work, and building up a library of knowledge and experience from trial and error. The author also shares some examples of obscure knowledge that paid off but warns of encountering pathological people in the industry. Overall, the author advises that becoming a systems engineer requires years of experience and is not for everyone.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests that developers should have a better understanding and explanation of what their program is asking the operating system to do. It provides four common mistakes made by developers such as depleting outbound TCP ports, assuming there is no latency, and not being aware of memory usage. The author also recommends that systems engineers are better equipped to answer these types of questions. Personal interest in operating system technology is also referenced.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article argues that the term “systems engineering” has been clearly defined and backed by a comprehensive body of knowledge since the sixties, but is now used arbitrarily by many. While language evolves, it is important to maintain standards in technical fields like systems engineering, just as in physics or mathematics, where using one’s own terminology is not acceptable.
5. Zeal is an offline documentation browser for software developers
Total comment counts : 32
Summary
The article is an announcement about Zeal, which is software designed to help developers browse documentation offline. It provides download links for Windows and Linux and suggests the use of Dash for macOS. The website layout is based on Bootstrap Docs and the software is copyrighted by Oleg Shparber and other contributors from 2013 to 2023.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article wishes that more documentation producers would support using reference docs instead of search engines, as reducing friction can lead to huge productivity benefits. However, the author has found that many of the available documentation sets are poorly formatted, badly indexed, outdated, or nonexistent. The author suggests that all software vendors should provide standardized reference docs that can be easily findable, downloadable, and displayable across languages, IDEs, and platforms. Despite the existence of an app called Zeal, the author finds that it does not sufficiently solve the problem because there is no buy-in from those producing the documentation.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses their satisfaction with using Dash for macOS, but notes that Zeal is not as good in terms of integration on Windows and Linux. The article mentions that there was controversy in 2015 when Zeal’s single developer released a new version with new licensing upgrades. The free version was slowed down, and users had to pay to access the new search backend. Despite this, the author believes that Zeal is a great tool that solves a problem and wishes they had come up with the idea.
6. The greatest risk of AI is from the people who control it, not the tech itself
Total comment counts : 60
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The author expresses concern about using AI for making important decisions in high-risk infrastructure, such as power companies, without proper controls and the ability to quickly reverse bad decisions. They are worried that people may be too quick to integrate AI into everyday things without considering potential risks. The author criticizes some experts for not addressing this issue and instead focusing on unrelated topics.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article argues that many countries are investing in AI development, and expecting them to comply with international regulations is naive. It suggests that hackers can also develop their own AIs through dark web, peer-to-peer systems, open source, and encrypted communication. The article challenges the calls for limiting AI development and questions the motives behind such calls.
7. Slide to Unlock
Total comment counts : 49
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The author is seeking help for solving a level in a mobile game that requires the use of four fingers but cannot figure it out. They provide a link to an image showing the level.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article talks about the writer’s discovery of a feature called “AI Touch” on their Huawei phone that can identify objects and provide information on where to buy them. The writer shares that they disabled the feature.
8. Who owns this camera, Nikon? Me or you? [video]
Total comment counts : 20
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article expresses unease regarding companies convincing governments to protect their pricing structure from so-called “grey market” tactics. The author finds it disconcerting that people are discussing the details of these tactics, as it lends legitimacy to such underhanded dealings. The author suggests that when powerful individuals conspire to harm others, it is not worth listening to their justifications for doing so.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The video explains how Nikon is preventing the international sales of their used camera parts on eBay. This may be a result of free trade agreements that forbid the import/export of patented goods without permission from the IP-holder, although it is unclear if any such agreements are in force.
9. Ask HN: Is it just me or GPT-4’s quality has significantly deteriorated lately?
Total comment counts : 149
Summary
The author describes their disappointment with the nerfing of GPT-4 by the website phind.com, which used to provide more accurate results than ChatGPT. They suggest that big companies may have had a say in limiting the capabilities of OpenAI models due to liability concerns or desire to prevent competitors from using GPT models. The author cancels their premium membership and advocates for open and DIY models. The article also touches on the potential dangers and downsides of widespread access to unaligned AI models.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author believes that OpenAI’s models have been nerfed, or made less powerful, to prevent certain coding tasks from being performed. They speculate that this may be due to pressure from major stakeholders who do not want the models to emit certain outputs that could result in liability issues. As a result, the author has cancelled their premium membership and is exploring other open/DIY models.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a recent update to a language processing AI model called GPT-4, which has resulted in a decline in its problem-solving abilities and nuanced responses. The author notes that the model now struggles with even minor changes in coding and printing blocks of text. They express disappointment in the changes and feel that the model has been “lobotomized” in the process.
10. The role of cat eye narrowing movements in cat–human communication (2020)
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
A study published in Scientific Reports has shown that cats may use half-blinks with a narrowed eye or eye closure as a form of positive communication with humans. Researchers found that cats were more likely to half-blink or narrow their eyes in response to their pet owner’s doing so than when there was no interaction, and showed a greater propensity to approach an experimenter who had initiated a slow blink than when the experimenter had a neutral expression. While cats are thought to be solitary animals, the study highlights their potential for inter-species communication that could strengthen their welfare and human-animal bond.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article shares a trick to help relax strange cats by doing a slow blink when looking at them, which indicates that the cat is not a threat and can signify that the cat is okay with you approaching them.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author suggests that a cat’s slow blink is similar to a human smile in that they both involve slow opening and closing of the eyes. The author also notes that their Siamese cats often combine the slow blink with other behaviors such as bowing or lifting their head and yawning while making eye contact with their owners.