1. Anime.js – A lightweight JavaScript animation library
Total comment counts : 25
Summary
Anime.js is a lightweight JavaScript animation library with an easy-to-use API. It can be used to animate CSS properties, SVG, DOM attributes, and JavaScript Objects. Anime’s built-in staggering system makes complex animations easy, and it can animate multiple CSS transforms properties with different timings simultaneously on a single HTML element. It also includes built-in callbacks and controls functions to play, pause, trigger events, and control animations in reverse. The library is compatible with anything web and allows for animating everything with a single unified API.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The creator of Anime.js, a library for animation programming, thanks the community for featuring the project on the homepage of Hacker News without any major update to the library. The creator explains that the reason for no updates recently is because they have been working on a new version (V4) for the last two years, and it’s in the testing and documentation phase and should be released this summer. The new version features improved performance, a new ESM module first API, better timelines, additive animations, variable framerate, new callbacks, value modifiers, animation from a given value, improved documentation, unit tests, and much more.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article talks about using Anime.js for creating animated UI demos, which is a less-known use case for the tool. The author demonstrates how he used the program to animate elements of an SVG file he created with Sketch to create the demo on the rcmd frontpage and the Lunar frontpage. While the author was able to use Anime.js to make the animations for the rcmd demo, the Lunar demo was more resource-intensive and had to be pre-rendered into a video that was optimized for each screen size in H.265, WEBM, and H.264. Additionally, the author needed to make the video have transparent regions, which wasn’t easy to do.
2. Amazon cancels my account after exposing account lockout for “racist doorbell” [video]
Total comment counts : 35
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the lack of competition for affiliates apart from Amazon. While there are numerous affiliate programs available, they often pay very little compared to companies like Google Ads. The author suspects that this is due to companies being afraid of getting scammed by individuals. Affiliates, on average, earn only $0.05 per click while the same company pays $1 per click on other channels. The author believes that the affiliate channel is underpaid by a factor of 20 and wonders why no company is focusing on this inefficiency in the market.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author’s personal Amazon account was closed due to suspicion of using the Prime account for business purposes, possibly due to sending gifts directly to friends and friends’ friends. The author lost access to digital purchases but eventually regained access to them only. Despite attempts to reactivate part of the account, many parts of the Amazon website remained broken. The author ultimately created a new account and received a student discount for services, which made up for the inconvenience.
3. SMS phishers harvested phone numbers, shipment data from UPS tracking tool
Total comment counts : 20
Summary
UPS Canada Ltd. has warned that fraudsters have been using their online shipment tracking tool to send targeted SMS phishing messages to customers demanding an additional delivery fee. The phishing messages included the recipient’s name, details of their recent orders, and threatened to withhold orders if the fee was not paid. The investigation revealed that fraudulent SMS text messages were sent to customers who had used Canadian online retailers such as lego.com or Adidas directly. UPS has disclosed that the fraud was caused by a data exposure that happened from February 1, 2022, to April 24, 2023, and was caused by customers who searched for a particular package or misused a package look-up tool, which resulted in information about the delivery being exposed. The company has since taken measures to limit access to this information. UPS Canada has sent a letter to Canadian customers notifying them of the data breach and advising them to review UPS’s tips on its Fight Fraud website.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author received a suspicious SMS and decided to investigate the linked website, discovering that Google was the domain registrar, ups.com images and logos were hotlinked, and hCaptcha was used on the landing page. The author attempted to break the credit card processing endpoint but was slowed down by the captcha. However, hCaptcha acted quickly and banned the site’s account within 5 minutes of the author’s report. The article praises hCaptcha for effectively fighting fraud.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article describes a phishing attack that was received after ordering something from Apple. The author contacted friends to resolve the issue and was surprised that it took UPS so long to go public with the issue. The author suggests that anyone who sues large companies for a living should consider putting together a class action suit, as many people may have fallen for similar attacks and provided their banking information to the attacker.
4. Windows NT on 600MHz machine opens apps instantly. What happened?
Total comment counts : 99
Summary
The article states that JavaScript is disabled in the current browser and the user should either enable it or switch to a supported browser to continue using Twitter. The article also includes links to Twitter’s Help Center, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and information about ads. The content is dated as 2023 and is owned by X Corp.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author is frustrated with the unresponsiveness of modern technology and notes how unpredictable lag can be, making it difficult to adjust. They mention a reference from the show Halt and Catch Fire where an engineering team worked to meet the “Doherty Threshold” to ensure user responsiveness and avoid frustration, but this concept seems to have been forgotten over time.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the minimum hardware requirements for Windows NT 3.51, which included an i386 or i486 processor at 25MHz and 12MB of RAM for the workstation version. A tweet claimed a Surface Go 2 running Windows 11 had a quad-core i5 processor, but it actually has a Pentium Gold or Core m3 with two cores, which meets the minimum CPU specifications for Windows 11 and only doubles the minimum RAM requirement of 4GB. Therefore, the comparison of the Surface Go 2 to the Windows NT 3.51 minimum requirements is not entirely accurate.
5. Revolt: FOSS Discord Alternative
Total comment counts : 24
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a project that was primarily built by a single person using Rust as its backend language. The author appreciates the project and prefers its overall user experience over that of Element, despite similarities to Discord. The author expresses confusion about critical comments on the project.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the benefits of Discord’s one-click joining feature for voice channels, explaining that it sets the app apart from other teleconferencing apps and eliminates friction for users. The author suggests that Slack missed out on this key feature when implementing huddles.
6. FDA approves first gene therapy treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
The US FDA has approved Elevidys, the first gene therapy for treatment of pediatric patients aged 4 to 5 years with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, who have a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare and serious genetic condition that weakens and eventually wastes muscle tissues. Elevidys is designed to deliver a gene that leads to the production of a short protein that contains selected domains of the dystrophin protein present in normal muscle cells. This product is administered as a single intravenous treatment. Elevidys was approved through the Accelerated Approval pathway due to its potential to treat a serious unmet medical need.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author highlights the seriousness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and comments on the casual attitude towards it. They share a personal story of a nephew’s friend who passed away at 13 despite receiving the best available treatments, as the disease usually leads to death by 25. Though optimistic about the approval of a new drug, the author hopes that other families do not have to suffer as their own did.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the exciting potential of gene therapy treatments for rare genetic diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, the cost of such treatments is currently very high due to the cutting edge nature and high failure rate of gene therapy development, as well as the small patient population for rare diseases like DMD. In contrast, traditional small molecule therapies have seen limited success over the past 10-20 years and may not prove effective for many genetic diseases. As gene therapy treatments become more refined and successful, costs are expected to decrease over time.
7. Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)
Total comment counts : 44
Summary
Perfluoroalkyls and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of manmade chemicals used in an extensive number of commercial and consumer applications, have been linked to high blood pressure, liver damage, cancer, low birth weight, and other issues. Although some of the more common PFAS were phased out in the United States between 2000 and 2015, newer variations continue to raise concern. Studies indicate that people who eat microwave popcorn daily have significantly higher levels of PFAS in their bodies. Experts suggest occasionally treating oneself to microwave popcorn, switching to a different type of snack, or making homemade stovetop popcorn as safer alternatives.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article explains how to make the best popcorn using a large pot with a small amount of oil, butter, salt, and Parmesan. The popcorn is cooked on high until popping slows, then it is transferred to a mixing bowl where butter and seasoning is added. The cleanup is easy with just a wipe down of the pot with a moisture capture paper towel.
Top 2 Comment Summary
PFAS is extremely common and researchers struggle to find individuals without it in their blood, which makes it hard to design proper control groups for studies. Dupont and 3M have caused significant harm similar to that caused by CFCs and leaded gasoline, with little regulatory action taken against them. The article suggests that the International Criminal Court should consider extending crimes against humanity/nature to include crimes against human health.
8. Show HN: An open-source, collaborative, WYSIWYG Markdown editor
Total comment counts : 29
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the original design goal of Markdown, which was to make formatting syntax as readable as possible. The writer argues that Markdown eliminates the need for WYSIWYG and it is weird to see Markdown used in a way that goes against its original design goal.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article describes the challenges of using contenteditable HTML elements due to their lack of specification, causing compatibility issues with different browsers. Despite these challenges, the author admires those who successfully utilize these elements and wishes them luck in avoiding any potential issues that might arise.
9. EVE Online: Add-in for MS Excel
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
Microsoft Excel has developed an add-in for EVE Online enabling players to import in-game data into the tool for analysis, alongside offering a range of custom reports, graphs and charts. The add-in will provide access to data on assets, market orders, item market prices, wallet transactions, skills and an overview of corporation finances in relation to player roles. Developed in collaboration between Microsoft’s Excel team and CCP Games, the add-in will be available to download for free and marks the first occasion a video game has developed an Excel tool that leverages data integration.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article talks about a browser-based game called Prosperous Universe that allows users to do spreadsheet planning directly in the game interface without using 3D graphics.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article mentions something that lies at the intersection of a practical feature and a funny April Fools joke.
10. So you want to write a GUI framework (2021)
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
This article discusses the different meanings of the term “GUI” in the context of programming, and focuses on the requirements and integrations necessary for a desktop GUI framework. The author highlights the key differences between GUIs for games and embedded applications versus traditional desktop GUIs, where desktop GUIs rely heavily on close integration into existing platform APIs and design patterns. The required integrations for a desktop application framework include window management, customizability of window appearance and behavior, support for modal and child windows, and dropdown menus. The article also discusses the need for a basic 2D graphics API that provides the ability to fill and stroke paths, lay out text, draw images, and apply transformations. The author suggests the use of a common API abstraction over platform-specific APIs, such as Skia for consistency and portability.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article lists three challenges for any home-brewed GUI framework, including rendering and styling text, compliance with modern accessibility standards, and creating flexible layouts. The author notes that modern HTML/CSS can make creating flexible layouts less difficult, but developing solutions for the other two challenges is still quite challenging.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article describes how a person was able to single-handedly port a native Macintosh application to a C library that ran on a PC, keeping it portable and functional on both platforms. This was done before the advent of Windows and was achieved in less than a year.