1. Mechanical Apple Watch from real e-waste Apple Watch
Total comment counts : 37
Summary
The author of the article spent the last three months constructing a mechanical Apple Watch using a Seiko NH38 watch movement and 42mm Series 1 Apple Watch in stainless steel, among other parts. The author was inspired to create this watch after realizing they would be spending a lot of money on features they neither needed nor would use in a regular Apple Watch. By using secondhand parts, the author was able to source cheap and easily replaceable parts for their project. The finished product lasted the Seiko rated 40 hours and loses anywhere from 3-20 seconds a day. The author gutted the Apple Watch completely and used heat to separate the glass from the LOCA holding the digitizer. The author also removed the sensor holder that senses the digital crown turning. The project took longer than expected due to delicate and confusing processes, but the author was ultimately successful in creating a mechanical Apple Watch.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article praises the engineering marvel of the mechanical watch movement, highlighting the presence of 24 lab-grown rubies and sapphires inside the NH38 movement. It argues that while the Apple Watch is more advanced in some ways, the mechanical watch movement is more impressive due to several thousands of years of mechanical engineering behind it. The author appreciates both electronic and mechanical timekeeping.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses their frustration about a common internet problem of the webpage history being disrupted, which makes it difficult to navigate back to previous pages.
2. Average color of the NYC sky every 5 minutes
Total comment counts : 29
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The writer mentions calibration of a camera’s white balance and suggests an idea to implement a sensor in their house to measure the temperature of the light outside and set the lights inside to the same temperature. They acknowledge that getting an exact measurement could be difficult, but feel that a pair of calibrated sensors could still achieve the desired result.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article describes a photo with the color code #50a7f1 that shows an incredibly beautiful blue in New York City, causing the writer to miss the city.
3. June 2023 Data Dump is missing
Total comment counts : 32
Summary
The Stack Exchange data dump, which provides a subset of community-contributed data on Stack Exchange websites, has not been updated since March. A company representative explained that the data dump is being gated to prevent misuse by organizations that might profit from the community’s work. Some users have expressed concerns that Stack Exchange is backing away from a promise to provide free access to community-contributed data indefinitely. However, the data is open access under a CC BY-SA license, so users are free to host it elsewhere if Stack Exchange blocks access.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article highlights a major risk in the current structure of online communication using Reddit and Stack Exchange as examples. These platforms build a community with user contributions, but the companies can then restrict access to all the community-built content even though they only provided the platform and stored data. The article argues for a rethink of this model and for the knowledge and thoughts of users to belong to the communities and users themselves. It suggests decentralizing communication back to smaller, focused forums with less anonymity and more persistent communication run by trusted individuals in order to prevent mega-companies from harvesting data.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article expresses frustration at Stack Overflow’s response to systems like CodeGPT and GitHub copilot using their data. They argue that Stack Overflow’s data is provided for free by the community and that the platform should recognize the role of its contributors. The author notes that none of the contributors, aside from employees, have received payment for their work on the site. The article highlights Stack Overflow’s apparent focus on revenue and reveals an attitude that has left the author feeling disappointed.
4. ArchiveTeam has saved over 11.2B Reddit links
Total comment counts : 23
Summary
The article is a message to a user (possibly a bot) explaining that the platform has detected multiple requests in a short amount of time, and as a result, they are enforcing a limit to prevent misuse. The message advises the user to wait for five seconds and try again, and if they are not a bot, to change the browser user agent string. It also reminds developers to make no more than one request every two seconds to avoid triggering the limit.
Top 1 Comment Summary
Several subreddits are going private to protest recent changes in Reddit API costs. If the changes are not reversed, some subreddits may never return. This project is attempting to save old posts from the private subreddits so they can still be viewed. It serves as an example of how centralized social network policies can lead to reactions from users.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article informs about a live leaderboard of archived links on Reddit that is available on the archive team website. The author has been contributing to the project for about two years and has observed that it is running faster than ever before.
5. Microsoft DeviceScript – TypeScript for Tiny IoT Devices
Total comment counts : 23
Summary
DeviceScript project brings TypeScript development experience to low-resource microcontroller-based IoT devices, such as the ESP32 and RP2040. DeviceScript is compiled to custom VM bytecode, which is optimized for constrained environments. This is a technical preview project, and feedback and contributions are welcome.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author believes that a good TypeScript to C transpiler could greatly improve the support for microcontrollers and would also be useful for desktop applications. They suggest that with some modifications, the transpiler could also support additional numeric data types without affecting the syntax.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the challenges of exposing all the different peripherals that come with MCUs in a consistent way and mentions that one of the biggest challenges will be drivers for the actual hardware. However, it notes that Microsoft seems to have made progress in this area as it supports SPI and built-in LEDs and has quite a lot of stuff done already, as evidenced by their API clients and servers.
6. Infinite Mac: Classic Macintosh system releases and software on a web browser
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
Infinite Mac is a project that allows users to easily access classic Mac emulation using WebAssembly ports of various systems, including Mini vMac, Basilisk II, and SheepShaver. Shortcuts to popular system versions are available, and a demo is provided to showcase the emulators’ capabilities. The source code is available on GitHub, and users can provide feedback or report bugs through email or GitHub. Donations to support the project are also accepted.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions the author’s fondness for Dave Winer’s MORE outlining application and their interest in trying it again. The author also states that they may still have their old MORE data on a floppy disk and that Symantec has given permission to distribute the old software. A link to Winer’s website is included.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses gratitude for a project that helped them rediscover a game they played on their old Mac SE, which they remembered to be similar to Asteroids but in a maze. The game is called Continuum, and the author is happy to be able to play it again after all these years.
7. Reddark: Website to watch subreddits going dark
Total comment counts : 48
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests that a boycott of Reddit by its moderators could have a significant impact on the website’s popularity and IPO plans, but it would need to last between two weeks and a month to have any notable effect. The author also warns that the moderators would need to strike a balance between upsetting their users and getting Reddit to comply with their demands.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article discusses their dissatisfaction with social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. They praise Reddit for its lack of grandstanding and the ability to create subreddits for specific interests. The author finds Mastodon to be pleasant but lacking in topic-focused discussions. They suggest that a more efficient way of cutting across social media platforms for topic-focused discussions is needed. The author notes that Mastodon lacks algorithms and moderation, which would help guide users to the right discussions.
8. Mark Zuckerberg on Apple’s Vision Pro headset
Total comment counts : 71
Summary
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (previously Facebook), stated in a company meeting that Apple’s newly introduced augmented reality headset, the Vision Pro, does not present any significant technological advancements that Meta has not already explored and does not align with their vision for how people will use the device. He also pointed out that Meta’s upcoming Quest 3 headset, priced at $499, which is much cheaper than the Vision Pro’s $3,499 price tag, gives Meta an opportunity to reach a wider user base. Zuckerberg emphasized that Meta’s VR technology aims to bring people together while being active, which is different from Apple’s approach of experiencing technology while being alone on a couch. Although Apple’s device poses competition, Meta plans to succeed with its differentiated vision.
Top 1 Comment Summary
Tech companies are convinced that VR, AR, and SC will be profitable if the right combination of hardware and software is developed. However, the widespread adoption of these technologies has been hindered by a lack of indications that they are empowering and a major new mode of interfacing with computing. The author suggests that stories about teams wearing VR devices all the time because they are more productive or social or fun would be an indicator of the technology’s potential.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the potential threat that Apple’s entry into the virtual reality market poses to Facebook’s Oculus. The author notes that the demonstrations of Apple’s VR technology have been shown with a person alone on a couch, suggesting a more private and user-friendly experience than that of Oculus. Additionally, Apple’s integration of hardware and software is seen as a strength, potentially leading to a more coherent and natural experience for users. The author speculates that Apple may also offer versions of their technology that outsource computing power and stream video. The article concludes by suggesting that Facebook may be at risk of losing their investment in Oculus.
9. Archive your Reddit data before it’s too late
Total comment counts : 48
Summary
The author of the article has created a Python tool called “reddit-user-to-sqlite” that builds an archive of all of your posts and comments on Reddit. The impending changes to Reddit’s public API have prompted the author to create this tool, as it allows you to store structured and searchable data in a single file that you can keep even if the Reddit platform changes. The tool requires some knowledge of the command line but once you have a database file, you can use it with Datasette to sort by columns and perform full-text searches on your comments and posts. The author suggests running it periodically to keep your archive up-to-date and recommends doing so before June 30th, 2023, which is when the API terms will change.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author wiped all of their personal Reddit accounts last year and now uses short-lived anonymous accounts that are also wiped periodically. They use Shreddit to wipe the account before deleting it. The author is interested in exploring ways to backup valuable conversations along with their context.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article suggests using Reddit’s official data request tool to obtain personal account information, with the author having successfully received their data in CSV format a few days after submitting a request through the tool.
10. Startups drive commercialization of high-impact innovations
Total comment counts : 6
Summary
According to a recent working paper, startups have an advantage over incumbent firms when it comes to potentially disruptive R&D, as established companies have more to lose from discovering technologies that replace traditional ways of doing things. The paper focused on patents that emerged from university-based research ecosystems and found that startups were more likely to undertake disruptive innovation, whereas incumbent firms and universities tended to commercialize patents considered to be less disruptive. The research also revealed that between 2001 and 2019, patent licenses granted by the top-25 research universities that went to startups grew from 19% to 27%, while grants to large firms fell by about 10 percentage points.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests that equity finance driven startups use reinforcement learning strategy to explore and find a new high margin process, which is then exploited to the fullest to maximum financial returns. Startups are viewed as explorers seeking perfect ROI while taking risks in search of a new paradigm that would lead them to become monopolists or oligopolists. Evaluation of regulatory capture processes such as patents are accrued primarily to new entrants, and technology is often a key differentiator for structural change through new processes. However, larger monopolies may also accrete these companies and technologies until a social tipping point is reached and the entire system collapses.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author is discussing how their workplace, a wealth management bank, was reluctant to invest in a mobile app for trading due to fear that it would cannibalize their current portfolio. They eventually built the app, but it was priced similarly to their bespoke services, resulting in limited success. The article suggests that questioning whether a new idea will harm current profits is a common practice, but sometimes innovation is necessary for growth. The author laments that although the company is profitable, the money goes to shareholders rather than employees.