1. Fq: Jq for Binary Formats
Total comment counts : 19
Summary
Fq is a tool, language and decoders for working with binary data that allows users to work with binary formats in the same way one would using jq. It can present data like a hex viewer, transform, slice and concatenate binary data. It also supports nested formats and has an interactive REPL with auto-completion. Fq was originally designed to query, inspect and debug media codecs and containers but has since then been extended to support a variety of formats like executables, packet captures and serialization formats like JSON, YAML, XML, ASN1 BER, Avro, CBOR, and protobuf.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of this article discusses the need for a central database of binary parsers that can be contributed to by everyone. They state that while nearly every file format is fully documented, none of the documentation is programmatic. The author also provides an example of their frustration with the programming community’s technology, specifically in their attempts to extract sounds from a Wii game. They express hope that projects like this will standardize all binary formats. The author also asks how they can contribute a binary parser to fq, a platform for parsing binary formats, and provides a link to the development documentation.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article praises the inclusion of a section in the README about similar or related tools to fq and suggests that all open source projects should list their competitors.
2. Red Hat dropping support for LibreOffice
Total comment counts : 33
Summary
The Red Hat Display Systems team has been maintaining LibreOffice packages in Fedora as part of their work to support LibreOffice for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. However, they are now prioritizing gaps in Wayland, building out HDR support, and other refinements required by Workstation users, meaning that they will stop shipping LibreOffice as part of RHEL starting in a future RHEL version. They will instead maintain it in the currently supported versions of RHEL (RHEL 7, 8, and 9) with any needed CVEs and contribute some fixes upstream to ensure LibreOffice works better as a Flatpak. Any community member is free to take over maintenance of the RPMS in Fedora and the Fedora LibreOffice Flatpak.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses that the LibreOffice RPMs have been orphaned, and mentions that Flatpak will likely become the primary way people access LibreOffice. The article also notes that anyone is free to take over the maintenance for the RPMs and Flatpak, but warns that it would be a significant amount of work.
Top 2 Comment Summary
LibreOffice will be recommended to be installed using Flatpak on RHEL and Fedora operating systems. Engineers will fix issues upstream to ensure a better compatibility with Flatpak, which is expected to be the most popular way of consuming LibreOffice in the long term. Flatpak will also help improve overall security of the operating systems.
3. Intelligent Brains Take Longer to Solve Difficult Problems
Total comment counts : 53
Summary
A new study from the BIH and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, in partnership with a colleague from Barcelona, found that higher intelligence scores did not equate to quicker decision-making on challenging tasks, but did result in fewer errors being made. Researchers used personalized brain simulations of 650 participants and found that reduced synchrony between brain areas meant that decisions were made quicker but without the appropriate processing steps for challenging tasks. The findings could lead to improved personalized treatment planning for those with neurodegenerative diseases.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author often comes up with mediocre solutions before arriving at a good one when solving difficult problems. However, this approach doesn’t work well during job interviews, especially when interviewers allocate limited time to assess both technical and non-technical competencies. The author believes that 10 minutes is often too short to clarify questions, draft diagrams, and arrive at a satisfactory solution. Occasionally, giving insight into one’s thought process instead of solving the problem is acceptable, but some interviewers expect an exceptional performance.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article suggests that intelligence is not just about being quick, but also about being open-minded and considering different perspectives. The author criticizes some intellectuals who prioritize appearing smart over solving problems correctly, and argues that this misleads others about what true intelligence really means.
4. Decoding small QR codes by hand (2012)
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
The article explains how to manually decode a QR code using pen and paper. It provides step-by-step instructions on how to rotate the code, determine the version and format marker of the code and how to mask and unmask the data. The article also highlights the importance of error correction in QR codes and explains how to decode the data section. Finally, the article gives an example of how to decode a particular QR code and suggests that it may contain the name of the tattoo owner’s girlfriend.
Top 1 Comment Summary
Most QR codes do not have any missing bits, but there are some that intentionally include a logo in the center. These codes rely on error correction to recover the missing bits that are covered by the logo.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author is frustrated that people often do not include a clear text URL next to a QR code, particularly when the QR code directs to a URL shortener.
5. Tomb Raider
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
The article discusses the history and development of the video game character Lara Croft, who is known for her adventurous spirit, intelligence, and physical abilities. The article tracks the evolution of Lara’s creation from the early days of Gremlin Graphics to the eventual creation of Core Design and the video game Tomb Raider. Lara became a cultural icon with 20 games that sold almost 100 million copies combined and three feature films whose box-office receipts approach $1 billion. The article highlights Lara’s unique appeal in being one of the most well-rounded video game characters with a home, a reasonably fleshed-out personality, and even a last name.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The first Tomb Raider games were essentially exact copies of the original Prince of Persia game translated to 3D, with the control scheme being identical, although Tomb Raider added some extra features like the swan dive and the ability to turn and jump sideways. The standard traps like collapsing tiles and emerging spikes were also replicated.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The writer has a problem with the design of Lara Croft in the video game Tomb Raider, as her appearance has been changed significantly since the sixth title. The original Lara had a consistent design with an iconic face, trademark braid hairstyle, and was not just defined by her large breasts. However, in subsequent titles, her appearance was changed to the point where she was replaced by a generic-looking character, which in the opinion of the writer is like swapping out the iconic appearance of Super Mario or Solid Snake. While the writer is open to changing her body proportions to fit the current trends, they want the character’s face and trademark hairstyle to remain intact.
6. The NixOS Foundation’s Call to Action: S3 Costs Require Community Support
Total comment counts : 48
Summary
The Nix ecosystem is seeking to secure long-term funding for its S3 costs after Logicblox, which has been sponsoring the costs for multiple years, has transferred ownership. The foundation is exploring different solutions for this, including getting direct sponsoring from a hosting provider like AWS, or having the foundation pay for the S3 buckets through community sponsorship. The article also suggests other options, such as using a homemade solution. The estimated monthly cost for hosting cache.nixos.org is approximately $9000. The article also goes into detail about several proposals and ideas for tackling this issue and maintaining the historical data.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article criticizes individuals who rely solely on cloud storage without considering the potential risks and costs. The author argues that even when it appears to be free, one should anticipate the possibility of it disappearing. The article notes that people often learn the hard way about the expensive nature of cloud storage.
Top 2 Comment Summary
Cloudflyer is offering free migrations from Amazon S3 to Storj, a decentralized storage platform that charges $4 per TB per month and $7 per TB for egress. With Storj, users don’t need to pay extra for multiregion redundancy and get CDN-like performance. The author of the article mentions that Storj can reduce storage costs significantly, and discloses that they work for Storj.
7. Supreme Court sides with Slack, putting direct listings in jeopardy
Total comment counts : 11
Summary
error
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses the challenges of reading newspaper articles and summarizes the details of a lawsuit filed against Slack in regards to its direct listing process. The plaintiff, Fiyyaz Pirrani, had purchased shares in Slack but later complained that the company had misrepresented something in its declarations before going public. However, the Supreme Court ruled that Pirrani could not prove standing as he could not determine which of his shares were registered and which were unregistered. The article concludes by suggesting that while this problem would not have arisen with a traditional IPO, it may make investors hesitant to purchase shares in companies that undergo direct listings in the future.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article suggests that direct listings are unlikely to change unless regulations are altered. Retail investors do not always read IPO prospectuses, whereas institutional investors have more knowledge and resources to assess risks. Similarly, people do not buy stocks to vote, and even if they have the ability to vote, many do not.
8. The planning of U.S. physician shortages (2020)
Total comment counts : 24
Summary
error
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article is written by a former eye surgeon who believes that being a physician is not a good career move at present. The author states that although rigorous medical training can lead to a better understanding of the disease process, it is not worth the liability, long hours, and stagnant salaries. The author compares the difficulties of working as a physician to the ease of working remotely in the tech sector, where compensation is more reliable.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article mentions planning hospital bed shortages through certificates of need and the double-edged sword of anti-kickback laws, specifically referring to Stark Law. It concludes by saying that despite these issues, the United States still has a healthcare system where doctors want to work and wealthy patients want to be treated.
9. Sleight-of-hand magic trick only fools monkeys with opposable thumbs
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
Humans and certain primates with comparable manual dexterity – including capuchin and squirrel monkeys – can be deceived by a magic trick called the French drop, according to a study by Cambridge’s Comparative Cognition Lab. The trick involves making an object appear to vanish simply by the magician hiding it with their thumb. Monkeys with opposing thumbs could be lured by the trick, while those without them were less susceptible. The study suggested that magicians could only fool animals with similar biomechanics to their own, indicating that the brain mirrors the function of others’ limbs when predicting movement.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The French Drop coin trick, shown being performed for monkeys in a viral video, is not done the way a real magician would do it to fool a human. To fool a human, there are deep subtleties involved, and the key to making it convincing is that the trick actually happens before the dramatic pause, during which time the coin is dropped. The French Drop is considered one of the most elementary of tricks, but it is actually quite challenging to do properly, and in the hands of a skilled magician, it can be very convincing even when you know how it’s done. Magic is an art with more subtlety and attention to detail than is generally appreciated by non-magicians.
10. Deep-brain stimulation during sleep strengthens memory: study
Total comment counts : 6
Summary
A study by UCLA Health and Tel Aviv University has provided the first physiological proof from within the human brain supporting the theory on how the brain consolidates memory during sleep. It was discovered that targeted deep-brain stimulation during deep sleep improved memory consolidation. This suggests that deep-brain stimulation during sleep could help patients with memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers used electrodes implanted in the brains of 18 epilepsy patients, with each individual performing better on memory tests following a night of sleep with the electrical stimulation compared to a night of undisturbed sleep.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a new study using electrical stimulation during sleep to improve memory. Similar research using magnetic, auditory, light or haptic methods has shown similar results. The article also mentions that other benefits of interrupting slow-wave sleep include improved immune function and downregulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The company, Soundmind, is working with auditory stimulation for similar purposes.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article poses a question regarding brain stimulation experiments and whether they ever result in a loss of capability, as they always seem to have some sort of benefit.