1. Google has a secret browser hidden inside the settings
Total comment counts : 37
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article investigates the “Manage my account” feature on Android and finds that it takes the user out of the settings app and into an Activity embedded in Google Play Services. This Activity is using a non-default webview implementation and appears to be using a JS interface to communicate between Android and Javascript code. The article goes on to explore the specific interface used by Google Play Services and finds two classes that appear to be related to account security. Further exploration is warranted.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article is questioning whether the use of an embedded webview in an app is unique or different from other apps that also utilize webviews for displaying things like privacy policies.
2. Show HN: WinGPT – AI assistant for Windows 3.1
Total comment counts : 25
Summary
The article introduces WinGPT, an AI assistant for Windows 3.1 that connects to the OpenAI API server and helps users with their queries. The author describes the challenges of building the interface with limited UI components available in Windows 3.1 and optimizing memory usage due to limited resources. The article also mentions the licensing and system requirements needed to run WinGPT.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article misses the clean and stress-free GUI of Windows 3.1, 95, and 98 eras and finds the current Apple/Google low-contrast pop-up interface to be worse in comparison. They frequently use their older 386 or Pentium computers and are impressed by the simplicity of the older interfaces.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author suggests incorporating an anthropomorphized, skeuomorphic element of office supplies from a previous era, such as a rubber band or paperclip, into a version of Microsoft Office.
3. XML is the future
Total comment counts : 68
Summary
The author discusses their experience with various technology hype trends, starting with XML and moving through microservices, NoSQL databases, JavaScript frameworks, and more. They emphasize the importance of evaluating new technologies from an engineering perspective and considering the pros and cons, rather than blindly following hype. The author acknowledges the usefulness of certain technologies, but also recognizes that not everything is necessary for every project. They advocate for a simplified approach and caution against getting bogged down in complex technology when building an MVP.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The writer has been coding since middle school and studied it in university. However, working in the tech industry has become exhausting due to the constant changes in workflow and technology. The writer feels as if they are stuck in a never-ending cycle of hyped-up technologies, such as going from serverless to containers to microservices. While the writer is not complaining, the constant changes destroy their workflow, making it frustrating and tiring.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article argues against the idea that technology hype and trends are always negative by pointing out how these trends have led to finding things that work and things that don’t. The author lists several examples of technology trends that declined in popularity and were replaced by newer ones. The author is still a proponent of choosing “boring tech” but acknowledges that new tech emerges for a reason and is lucky to live in a time with so much enthusiasm and creativity for new ways to solve old problems.
4. Mycelite: SQLite extension to synchronize changes across SQLite instances
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
The article discusses a new SQLite extension called Mycelite that allows for the synchronization of changes between instances of SQLite databases. Currently, it only supports one-way synchronization but will eventually support two-way synchronization. This type of technology is useful for local-first applications that require concurrent changes on multiple devices. The article highlights Actual Budget as an example of a local-first application that utilizes Mycelite to synchronize data across multiple platforms.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests that waiting for the sync to complete with sleep is not ideal and a better way to handle it should be implemented.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author is interested in a comparison between two actively developed libraries, litestream/litefs and one from fly.io, for a similar use case. The links to the two libraries are provided.
5. John Goodenough has died
Total comment counts : 24
Summary
John Bannister Goodenough, the American co-inventor of Lithium-ion batteries and a co-winner of the 2019 Nobel prize for Chemistry, has died at the age of 100. Goodenough was a significant contributor to the development of Random Access Memory (RAM) for computers and perfected the use of a cobalt-based cathode to create a product that today touches nearly everyone’s life. His death was confirmed by his student Nicholas Grundish. Goodenough was described as “a great soul, very humanistic, whose doors were always open to anyone for discussion, suggestion and help.”
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author praises the invention of Li-ion batteries for its contribution to the development of portable devices with decent battery life and light weight. However, the article also highlights the negative impact of the invention on the environment due to the specific material requirements, such as cobalt. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of continued progress in scientific invention and admiring the role of John Goodenough as a scientific inventor.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The subject of the article has an impressive 36,500 charge cycles.
6. Show HN: Open-source shooter which made it to AC: Valhalla and Skydio drones
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
Hypersomnia is a multiplayer top-down shooter video game written in modern C++ without a game engine and released as free software. It contains 24 weapons, 10 community maps and two game modes. It also has an in-game editor that enables players to host a work-in-progress map to instantly play with friends. Hypersomnia brings together three factions - Metropolis, Atlantis, and Resistance - whose apple of discord is a disparity between prevailing notions of moral excellence. You can verify signatures and host the entire Hypersomnia server infrastructure.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions that networking in RTS games requires cross-platform simulation determinism, and that Springrts achieved this in the late 2000s despite not being open source. It also acknowledges that achieving cross-platform simulation determinism is a difficult task.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author was surprised to learn that consistent behavior for floating point arithmetic required the use of the same compiler, despite using the same math functions. They wondered if floating point arithmetic wasn’t fully specified. They found a related article on Stack Overflow after posting their comment.
7. Born in Babylon: The spread of Rastafari
Total comment counts : 6
Summary
The Rastafari movement, which emerged in Kingston, Jamaica after Haile Selassie’s coronation in Ethiopia in 1930, sought to promote pan-Africanism and Black Power. It was founded by Leonard Howell and other Jamaican pan-Africanists who combined theology with an understanding of history from the perspective of Black underclass. Rastafari sought self-sufficiency through agriculture, separatism from the state and a devotion to Ethiopia. The spread of Rastafari ranged from roots reggae music to African heritage tourism, fashion and beauty products, spreading from rural Jamaica across the world, spawning a billion-dollar industry. The movement has links to a global anti-colonial movement, inspired by Sylvia Pankhurst’s newspaper, New Times and Ethiopia News, among others. The Rastafari movement marked a significant shift in how it organized in relation to the Jamaican state, calling for repatriation to Africa.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author admits to loving reggae music, but finds that the common lyrics that praise Haile Selassie are difficult to listen to because they do not reflect the reality of his reign. The author recommends reading Ryszard Kapuściński’s book about Selassie to gain a more informed understanding of his historical legacy. The author also notes that some reggae lyrics perpetuate bigotry and homophobia. Additionally, the author suggests that much of reggae music is rooted in wishful thinking from oppressed minorities and ex-slaves in poverty who dream of a better future, but some individuals within the community have become bigoted racists themselves. The author also mentions that their favorite reggae band, Groundation, is mostly white and not from Jamaica.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author suggests that those who are comfortable and perhaps ignorant of the Rastafarian movement should spend some time with a true Rastafarian, not just someone who sells weed and wears a Bob Marley shirt, to gain a better understanding and appreciation for their peaceful beliefs. They are often misunderstood and seen as unwelcome in parts of the Caribbean.
8. JP Morgan fined by SEC for deleting email records
Total comment counts : 51
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a problem at JPMorgan Chase where emails sent to domains belonging to Chase were not properly retained due to a misconfigured system, despite a policy that requires retention for legal reasons. This was discovered only 1.5 years after the mistake had occurred, raising concerns about the company’s backup processes.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the concept of “adverse inference” in legal systems, where a judge may assume certain evidence that has been deleted or not presented would have been unfavorable to the person who deleted it. This is not in the interest of the person who deleted the evidence.
9. Text rendering hates you (2019)
Total comment counts : 31
Summary
The article discusses the challenges of text rendering and the interdependence of various processes involved, such as styling and shaping. It highlights the issues related to font cascading, ligatures, and color handling, especially for emoji. It also suggests using HarfBuzz library for text shaping and emphasizes the need to find a balance between efficient rendering and the correct display of text, especially in multiple languages and scripts.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author expressed frustration with text rendering and transparency in Java2D, noticing that it renders the character “Ø” in Unicode two different ways resulting in notable overlap when using the combining slash method. Java2D is only rendering it correctly with transparency when the single code point method is used.
Top 2 Comment Summary
Adobe has a strong focus on text rendering and had a designated expert to handle any issues with text-related ship-blockers in their applications. The company prioritizes high-end printing applications and many of their products were originally designed for this purpose. The article mentions that some issues with text arise from people not understanding the intricacies involved.
10. Corporate profits account for almost half the increase in Europe’s inflation
Total comment counts : 56
Summary
European inflation over the past two years, reaching 6.1% in May, was predominantly driven by rising corporate profits and increases in import costs, according to a report by the International Monetary Fund. To reach its 2% inflation target by 2025, companies may have to accept a reduced profit share as workers push for pay rises. Core inflation, more stable than regular inflation, remains high, putting pressure on the European Central Bank to raise interest rates from a 22-year high of 3.5%, despite the Eurozone being in recession at the beginning of 2022.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article argues that companies do not price goods based on generosity, but rather based on the point that maximizes profit. In an inflationary period, companies may be able to increase prices and produce higher profits, but weaker companies may be unable to do so and may go out of business. Cost-plus pricing is less common in retail pricing and retailers may adjust prices themselves. Additionally, the article suggests that promotions can help companies test how consumers will respond to price changes.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article argues that record-breaking profits indicate an inefficient market as in a functioning market the competition would drive profits down or attract new businesses. Therefore, an inefficient market is considered to be worthless or possibly worse.