1. The hidden cost of air quality monitoring
Total comment counts : 40
Summary
The article discusses the increasing trend among air quality monitor manufacturers of imposing additional costs on customers and limiting the functionality of free data plans. It highlights how some manufacturers package sensor modules into proprietary cartridges, selling them at inflated prices and preventing customers from sourcing cheaper alternatives. The article also mentions the desire of some manufacturers to push customers into subscriptions, preventing them from directly sending data to other servers. It emphasizes the importance of designing air quality monitors for repairability and a long life, as well as the need for clear ownership of air quality data. The author encourages sharing outdoor air quality data with the public through open data repositories. The article concludes by suggesting questions to ask when considering a new air quality monitor.
Top 1 Comment Summary
In this article, the author, Achim from AirGradient, expresses the importance of affordable air quality monitoring to protect the health of people in poorer regions and countries. They have open-sourced their air quality designs and are collaborating with NGOs and universities to bring accurate and low-cost air quality monitoring to underserved communities worldwide. The company, which is self-funded, prioritizes making an impact over maximizing profit. Additionally, they are seeking partners for a global co-location test program in air quality research. The article includes links to their air quality kits and research program.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses various questions surrounding the topic of improving particulate pollution levels outdoors around a house. The questions include the effects of trees and plants on PM2.5 pollution, whether there are plants that catch more particles and if damp leaves catch more. It also explores whether watering plants with mist can pull extra microparticles out of the air compared to a stream, and whether there are any “permaculture” solutions for air filtration. Additionally, it asks if a filter caked with PM2.5 black carbon can be useful for anything else and if a filter using home-grown plant materials can reduce PM2.5. It further explores the idea of converting a shed wall into all filtration material and pushing air out the other side under solar power, as well as the effectiveness of a giant bong in catching microparticles.
2. Fast machines, slow machines
Total comment counts : 45
Summary
The author of the Twitter thread posted two videos comparing the responsiveness of old and new computers running different versions of Windows. The videos show that opening apps on the old computer is instantaneous, while on the new computer there is significant lag. The author questions how computer interfaces are getting worse even though hardware has improved. They acknowledge that the initial comparison was not fair, but a proper comparison yielded the same results. The author discusses advancements in graphics, high-resolution monitors, fast networks, and improved I/O with the introduction of SSDs. However, despite these advancements, they argue that UI latency in modern computers is still slow. The author concludes that while there have been improvements in many areas, they do not justify the current slow UI latency.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article argues that software engineers are generally inefficient and are not taking advantage of advancements in chip design. The author believes that software stacks are poorly designed and contribute to poor performance. They criticize the use of distributed computing and lambdas, which result in variable and inconsistent performance. The author also denounces the lack of consideration for parallel computing, causing underutilization of multicore systems.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses how technical limitations used to be a common frustration for people, but now the sluggishness in technology is largely due to human factors such as excessive data and tracking. This annoys technical individuals, but non-technical people still face similar issues and haven’t noticed much improvement in computing experience over the years.
3. A proto-pizza emerges from a fresco on a Pompeii wall
Total comment counts : 30
Summary
A fresco recently discovered in the Archaeological Park of Pompeii depicts what could be considered an ancestor of the modern pizza. The still life painting shows a flat focaccia-like bread serving as a base for various fruits, spices, and possibly a type of pesto. Similar genre paintings, known as Xenia, were inspired by Greek hospitality traditions. The high quality of execution of this fresco is particularly notable. The archaeological park aims to resolve conservation problems and explore the unexplored part of Pompeii, which covers about a third of the ancient city. The discovery reminds us of the transformation of the humble dish of pizza, originally associated with poverty, into a global culinary icon.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a passage from Virgil’s Aeneid, specifically book VII, where fruits and other products are placed on sacrificial breads functioning as “tables.” This passage reflects a prophecy that the Trojans would find a new homeland after finishing all their food, even going so far as to eat the tables. The author recalls reading the passage during the study of the Aeneid in its original language and finding it amusing that they could understand a pun written thousands of years ago.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The Tasting History series on YouTube, hosted by Max Miller, is recommended for those who are interested in food and history. In each episode, Max Miller prepares a dish based on an old recipe and provides a brief history lesson. The series covers a range of topics such as 500-year-old proto-pizza, medieval trenchers, and Roman recipes. For a more academic approach, Ken Albala offers a course on the cultural history of food. Both sources offer enjoyable and thought-provoking content that will change the way you think about food.
4. Plastics are poisoning us
Total comment counts : 27
Summary
The article discusses the history of plastic and its current environmental crisis. It starts with the invention of celluloid billiard balls as a substitute for ivory, which led to the development of various types of plastics over time. The article then highlights the problem of plastic pollution and its impact on the environment, including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the harm caused to marine life and animals like corals, tortoises, and elephants. The author emphasizes the dangers of microplastics, which are small particles of plastic that can be found everywhere, including in the ocean, air, and even human bodies. Microplastics can release toxic chemicals and attract other harmful substances, posing a threat to human health. The article also questions the effectiveness of recycling and highlights the need for finding alternative solutions to reduce plastic waste.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article argues that the word “plastic” should be replaced with more specific terms to avoid generalizations. It mentions different types of plastics such as Teflon, PLA, ABS, resins, and foams, and emphasizes that they are unrelated outside of their long chains. The author suggests that cancer is not caused by PLA or Teflon themselves, but rather by the manufacturing process. They also mention that consuming plastics like PLA and Teflon should be safe. However, they caution that substances like BPA can have negative effects when ingested. The author proposes that better labeling, including information on precursors, additives, and the manufacturing process, would greatly improve the ability to track problems. The author also mentions being skeptical of the potential dangers of PLA due to a specific chemical structure.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article shares their experience of becoming a minimalist in order to help save the planet. They provide several recommendations for others to follow, including reusing plastic bags, using light software to avoid upgrading gadgets, preparing and eating home-cooked meals, planting trees, collecting rainwater or using less water, prioritizing walking over other transportation methods, not caring about trends, sleeping 8 hours for less consumption, preferring quality over quantity, and carrying a water bottle. They also express their disdain for sugary drinks.
5. We raised a bunch of money
Total comment counts : 53
Summary
The article discusses the recent funding raised by Fly.io, a startup, and the reasons behind announcing it. The main reasons are to attract customers and to share the company’s vision and progress with users and investors. The company believes that apps work better when they run closer to their users, and they want to provide a platform that allows apps to run fast globally. They also mention other features they are working on, such as sandboxing, code editors, and clustered databases. The company aims to be a platform that is easy to use and provides value to developers. They emphasize that their platform works with any app packaged in a container and can be set up quickly.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article expresses concern over companies that continuously raise funding, as it suggests they may rely on outside money and lack a sustainable business model. This can cause instability for customers, as the company may grow rapidly without considering its financial viability. The author emphasizes the importance of profitability and customer payments, rather than constant fundraising, to ensure a company’s stability and inspire customer confidence. Ultimately, the author acknowledges that the article is informative, but points out that the phrase “we raised a bunch of money” is no longer viewed as positive from a customer’s perspective.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article highlights how a large number of CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) applications in the world are hosted in Loudoun County, Virginia. The author mentions that Loudoun County is known for its tradition meeting innovation and specifically mentions Amazon’s us-east-1 in Ashburn as a popular hosting location. The article also humorously states that there are so many Rails apps (referring to Ruby on Rails applications) in the city that one of them was elected to the county Board of Supervisors. The author concludes by acknowledging the truthfulness of these statements.
6. FreeBSD Jails Containers
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
The article discusses the networking capabilities of FreeBSD and its containers, specifically focusing on the mature and useful features of FreeBSD networking and Jails. However, the author notes that these features are not well advertised or documented by the FreeBSD project. The article explains how to set up and configure VNET Jails and classic Jails using if_bridge(4) driver on FreeBSD. It also highlights the differences between VNET Jails and classic Jails, noting that VNET Jails have a separate network stack and do not add their IP address to the host network interface. The article provides step-by-step instructions for creating and starting both types of Jails, as well as enabling network connectivity and SSH access. It also mentions creating templates for Jails and using FreeBSD Jails for single process execution, similar to Docker containers. The author concludes by highlighting the versatility and potential of FreeBSD Jails for various use cases.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions a project called “runj” which aims to provide an OCI-compatible runtime for FreeBSD jails. The author is currently working on a sandbox implementation for running OCaml builds on FreeBSD using Jails, and suggests that runj could be a good alternative to existing solutions such as iocage, ezjail, and raw Jails implementation if it receives more support.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article recommends the book “FreeBSD Mastery: Jails” by Michael W Lucas in printed form. The author found the book helpful for setting up jails manually, although some additional online help was needed. Overall, the book is praised as a valuable resource.
7. Google does little to reduce advertisers’ costs
Total comment counts : 19
Summary
The article discusses the dominance of Google in the search engine industry and its impact on advertisers. It argues that Google’s profitability is closely tied to ad revenue, making it the only viable option for advertisers seeking to target search traffic. However, Google Ads is criticized for lacking transparency and causing inflated costs and fierce competition for advertisers. The article suggests that Google should avoid displaying ads when the organic search result already directs users to the desired website. It also calls for more transparency in bid details and factors influencing ad rankings, as well as simplifying the complexity of Google Ads for beginners. The author believes that these changes would make Google Ads more cost-effective and user-friendly for advertisers, particularly smaller businesses.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article expresses a nostalgic view of Google, criticizing its current state of providing suggested search results rather than direct search results. The author compares Google’s previous layout, where search results appeared below the query input with a white background and ads on the right margin, to the present layout, which they believe is influenced by money and politics. The article also includes a Twitter link and mentions that Google is considered “fully evil.”
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article highlights the importance of targeting queries for your own site with ads to compete with your competitors. By doing so, you can outbid them and gain an advantage. The article gives an example of searching for a therapist group and finding a competing online therapy firm as the top result. It suggests that prioritizing bids with specific intent for your site should be cheaper than bids for product queries in your industry.
8. Computerraria: A fully compliant RISC-V computer inside Terraria
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
The article discusses a project that aims to create a fully compliant RISC-V computer using the game Terraria. By emulating the rv32i instruction set within the game’s wiring system, the project seeks to maximize the compliance and processing ability of the in-game CPU. The project utilizes an accelerator mod called WireHead to improve the efficiency of the wiring system. The article provides instructions on how to set up and run the project, including compiling and running applications for the in-game computer. Additionally, it mentions that only Linux is fully supported, with limited testing done on Windows. The article also mentions the availability of a Docker image for advanced usage. The various components and folders involved in the project are outlined, including higher level applications, driver APIs, documentation, automated tests, and interfaces for interacting with the running game instance.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article is a comment made by the author, offering to explain the specifics of a project they made. They also mention a video they created that provides a better explanation of the project. The link to the video is provided.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a YouTube video that showcases a fully functional RISC-V computer running programs within the game Minecraft. The programs are written in Rust and then compiled to run within the game. The author of the video also created their own mod called “WireHead” to optimize the Terraria wiring for the computer. Overall, the video is described as impressive and cool.
9. Vincent van Gogh’s paintings and drawings
Total comment counts : 26
Summary
I’m sorry, but you haven’t provided me with the article to summarize. Please provide me with the text you would like me to summarize.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author visited the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam and found that the vibrant paintings were more impressive in person than in pictures. They also appreciated the opportunity to view the paintings up close. Despite not being liked by everyone, the author is a fan of Van Gogh’s work.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the location of the famous painting “The Starry Night” by Van Gogh at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The author recommends visiting a Van Gogh exhibition and expresses their belief that most people in the art world appreciate Van Gogh’s work. However, they also mention that some individuals don’t resonate with his art, including a friend who doesn’t see the importance of preserving Van Gogh’s work. The author suggests giving Van Gogh’s art a chance and allowing oneself to be open to the beauty of his forms and colors.
10. The damaging results of mandated return to office
Total comment counts : 46
Summary
The article discusses the negative consequences of mandated returns to the office. It highlights several reports that indicate high levels of employee attrition and recruitment difficulties due to office returns. Flexible work policies are found to be highly valued by employees, with a majority stating they would actively seek new jobs if flexibility was removed. The article emphasizes the importance of adapting to flexible work policies to retain employees and avoid high turnover rates. It also discusses the impact of cognitive biases, such as the status quo bias and anchoring bias, on employees’ resistance to returning to traditional work arrangements. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for companies to embrace flexible work policies to attract and retain talent.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests that once people experience the benefits of working from home (WFH) and enjoy it, they will not want to return to their previous work arrangements. The comparison is made to upgrading from black and white TV to color TV, from a basic phone to a smartphone, and from dial-up internet to fiber optic internet. The article argues that people will resist going back to a less desirable situation unless they have decided to do so themselves.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the need for new companies with innovative approaches to embrace remote work. It suggests that existing big companies are resistant to change and lack understanding of how to implement remote work effectively. The benefits of remote work, such as employee satisfaction, access to a larger talent pool, and cost savings, are highlighted. The article also predicts that successful adoption of remote work will lead to a revolution in cities, with walkable, safe, and affordable locations gaining advantages over expensive and unsafe cities like San Francisco.