1. Flattening ASTs and other compiler data structures
Total comment counts : 17
Summary
The article discusses the concept of arena allocation, specifically data structure flattening, in the context of implementing compilers and similar tasks. It explains how arenas or regions can be used to store data structures in a more efficient and performant manner. The article provides an example of implementing an interpreter for an abstract syntax tree (AST) using both the traditional approach and the flattened approach. It highlights the advantages of using data structure flattening, including improved performance and simplified code. The article also presents benchmark results that demonstrate the speedup achieved with the flattened approach. Additionally, the article explores the possibility of further optimizations by exploiting the properties of flattened data structures.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses how Blender, a 3D modeling software, efficiently handles loading and saving files. It achieves this by using identical on-disk and in-memory representations, allowing for fast and lossless data transfer. This design eliminates potential issues with serialization and deserialization that can arise in complex projects. However, the drawback is that the software needs to support opening files from older versions. Overall, the author finds this design to be effective.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article discusses the use of flattened Abstract Syntax Trees (ASTs) in the pulldown-cmark library. The flattened AST representation allows for efficient tree transformations and offers excellent performance. The article provides a brief description of the problem being solved and explains how the flattened AST representation is used to handle inline markup. The author mentions that while pulldown-cmark may not be the fastest CommonMark parser, it is competitive and faster than approaches that allocate memory for each node. The article also provides links to additional resources for those interested in further details and implementation.
2. How I changed my D-Link camera to a locally managed IP camera
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
The article provides information and instructions on how to change the D-Link DCS-8000LH camera from a cloud camera to a locally managed IP camera. It includes details on firmware versions, tools needed, and steps to modify the camera’s file system. The article also discusses the use of the “mydlink” app, Bluetooth LE camera setup, and authentication methods. It explains how to access streaming over HTTP, HTTPS, and RTSP, as well as provides instructions on firmware updates, error handling, and backups.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article is able to connect and set up IP cameras and even USB cameras with low latency and maximum quality. They offer to share a guide or repository with the necessary configurations for anyone interested in this setup.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses frustration over the lack of consumer IP cameras that can be used locally or without relying on a manufacturer’s cloud. They mention wanting features such as motor control and efficient movement detection alerts without having to develop them themselves. They state a willingness to pay a higher price for a product that provides these functions.
3. Why is the volume of a cone one third of the volume of a cylinder? (2010)
Total comment counts : 26
Summary
The article discusses various methods of deriving the volume of a cone without using calculus. It mentions using Cavalieri’s principle, a visual demonstration with water filling, and a geometric approach involving frustums. The conclusion is that the volume of a cone is equal to 1/3 of the product of its base area and height. The article also includes a personal observation about relating the dimensions of a cone to a triangle in a box.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the origin of the fraction 1/3 in geometric calculations. It suggests using Pappus’ second theorem, which states that the volume of a solid of revolution is equal to the area of the original shape multiplied by the distance traveled by its centroid. The centroid of a triangle is determined by distances from its three sides, which explains the presence of thirds. The article mentions that the OP refers to this theorem and someone mentions Pappus in the discussion. The article also touches on the mystery of how Pappus figured out the relevance of centroid distances, considering that the proofs of the theorem rely on calculus. Overall, the article provides a satisfying explanation for the geometric origin of the fraction 1/3.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author ponders whether there is a deeper reason behind why a triangle’s area is half of the base multiplied by the height. They assert that, from a calculus perspective, it makes sense that the number of dimensions becomes a divisor, regardless of whether there is a mathematical proof connecting the two.
4. First ’tooth regrowth’ medicine moves toward clinical trials in Japan
Total comment counts : 17
Summary
A Japanese research team is developing a medication that could potentially allow people to grow new teeth. Clinical trials are set to begin in July 2024, with the goal of making the tooth regrowth medicine available for general use by 2030. The medication is intended for individuals who lack a full set of adult teeth due to genetic factors. In previous animal experiments, the medicine successfully prompted the growth of “third-generation” teeth. The lead researcher, Katsu Takahashi, believes that if successful, this medication could be a game-changer in the field of dentistry. It has the potential to provide an alternative to dentures and implants for individuals who have lost their teeth due to severe cavities or dental issues.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article states that a tooth regrowth medicine is being developed for individuals who are missing adult teeth due to congenital factors. However, using it to regrow teeth for those who have lost them is a different matter altogether. So, it is advised not to get too hopeful and to continue brushing teeth.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses two different methods of tooth implantation. In medieval times, teeth were forcibly taken from healthy young individuals and implanted into gums with an unknown success rate. In contrast, the article suggests a safer and more efficient method of growing teeth from a patient’s own stem cells in vitro and then implanting them, requiring minimal testing.
5. Intro to Cryptography [pdf] (2011)
Total comment counts : 8
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the author’s preferred learning method of breaking things and recommends a couple of books on cryptanalysis. The recommended books are “Codebreaking” and “The Code Book,” both of which are available on Goodreads. Another book mentioned is “Colossus.”
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article recommends two resources for learning about cryptography. The first resource is a book called “Crypto101” written by @lvh. It can be found at https://www.crypto101.io. The second resource is a website called “CryptoPals” which offers practical exercises related to cryptography. The website can be accessed at https://cryptopals.com.
6. Ball und Panzer Golf: making a Playdate game in a week
Total comment counts : 7
Summary
The article discusses the development of a game called Ball und Panzer Golf, which is a single-player golf game featuring tanks. The game was created for the X68000 series of Japanese personal computers and the recent Zuiki X68000 Z mini system. The author of the article, who is a game developer, played the game and became hooked by its unique concept and scoring mechanisms. Inspired by the game, the author decided to create a version for the Playdate handheld gaming system. They wrote code to draw a golf course and a tank, and gradually added features such as collision detection and scoring. The author received feedback from the Playdate Squad community and showcased the game on a live stream. They continued to polish and improve the game, making various enhancements and optimizations. Although there are still more optimizations to be done, the author is satisfied with the progress made during the one-week development period.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author purchased a product with an estimated arrival in late 2022, but they are doubtful that they will receive it by late 2023. They express frustration at the lack of communication or accountability from the company. They are considering canceling their order and instead getting involved with another product. They feel disappointed with their first experience with crowdfunding.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the impressive Playdate community and highlights why purchasing the device is a no-brainer, despite acknowledging that it may not be for everyone. The author, a mostly-lurker on the unofficial Playdate Discord, expresses delight over the attention the device is receiving.
7. C++ GPT-2 inference engine
Total comment counts : 4
Summary
The article describes a throwaway C++ GPT-2 inference engine, created by the author @a1k0n, that has been optimized for AVX and Apple Silicon platforms. The engine has minimal but optimized Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms (BLAS) operations and only requires the accelerate framework on macOS. To use the engine, the user needs to have numpy and huggingface_hub installed in Python. RelWithDebInfo is the default build type for this engine.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article shares that they have re-implemented GPT-2, a language model, from scratch in C++. They did this as an exercise to gain a deeper understanding of how language models work. The author mentions that while GPT2-117M may not be the best model, they found it satisfying to see their implementation generate similar results to other reference implementations.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article is about a dense implementation of plan C in less than 100 lines of code. The code can be found on the GitHub repository “eigenGPT/c.”
8. Beyond Markdown (2018)
Total comment counts : 23
Summary
The article discusses the limitations and complexities of the CommonMark spec, which is based on John Gruber’s Markdown syntax description. The author suggests revising certain features that have led to bloat and complexity in the spec. They specifically address six pain points, such as the ambiguity and complexity of emphasis parsing, the difficulties in parsing reference links, the complications caused by indented code blocks in list items, and the challenges posed by block-level HTML in the spec. The author proposes solutions to each of these pain points, including simplifying the emphasis syntax, making reference links recognizable by their shape alone, removing indented code blocks, and reevaluating the handling of block-level HTML. Overall, the author encourages considering a new project under a different name to address these issues and create a more streamlined and user-friendly markup language.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests removing the doubled character delimiters for strong emphasis and using a single underscore (_) for regular emphasis and a single asterisk (*) for strong emphasis. The author expresses frustration with typing underscores on a screen keyboard and mentions that in the past, a forward slash (/) was commonly used as a delimiter for emphasis. The author proposes using the forward slash (/) as a better delimiter for emphasis, as it is easier to type on a US keyboard and iOS screen keyboard.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author respects the contributions made to Commonmark but questions why Markdown is the most widely used markup language for prose. Their opinion is that Markdown’s lack of a well-defined specification allows for greater tolerance of formatting errors and inconsistencies. They argue that a perfectly-specified markup language would likely become unreadable due to committee-driven pursuit of precision. The author suggests that this theme of simplicity over complexity can be seen in other areas of technology as well.
9. A Look at Bluesky
Total comment counts : 21
Summary
Bluesky is a new social networking platform that competes with Mastodon. It uses the Authenticated Transfer Protocol (atproto) and Decentralized Identifiers (DID) to create a federated and decentralized network. Users’ usernames are domain names that correspond to cryptographic URLs called DIDs. One advantage of atproto is that user accounts can be transferred between servers, even if the original server is down. User data is stored in data repositories, which are signed, public databases that can be verified by other sources. However, the system of using domains as usernames opens the possibility for people to claim domains they don’t have access to. Furthermore, interactions on atproto are public, which can lead to harassment. The platform also allows for the creation of custom algorithms for timeline sorting, but this opens the risk of inappropriate or offensive content being displayed. While Bluesky has some advantageous features, such as server migration and custom algorithms, it is criticized for being overly complicated and could have been implemented as extensions to the existing ActivityPub protocol.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author expresses uncertainty about ATProto but highlights a significant advantage it offers over ActivityPub: the ability to separate identity and content from an instance. They do not want to run their own Mastodon server, nor do they want to rely on someone else’s server. They express frustration over the possibility of losing followers and quality posts if a server shuts down or behaves like Twitter. The author suggests that ActivityPub should explore ways to support this separation to keep up with the growing dissatisfaction towards centralized platforms and lack of data ownership.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article expresses skepticism about the launch of a federatable protocol and platform as a non-federated, centralized one. The limited registration policy is seen as creating a sense of exclusivity and increasing demand. The author also mentions that the project is led by Jack, who founded and managed pre-Musk Twitter 1.0 and funded Musk’s Twitter 2.0. The author states that they have low expectations and hopes for the project.
10. GPT-Migrate converts repos from one lang/framework to another
Total comment counts : 29
Summary
The article discusses a project called GPT-Migrate, which aims to help migrate codebases from one framework or language to another. Migration is often a difficult and time-consuming process, but GPT-Migrate aims to simplify it. The article provides instructions for using GPT-Migrate, including installing Docker, setting up the OpenAI API key, and specifying various options for the migration process. The article mentions that GPT-Migrate is still in development and has limitations, but they are actively working on improving it and seeking contributions from the community.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article raises concerns about the author, copyright holder, and copyright license of code generated by a tool. It emphasizes that using such a tool on any code, especially an employer’s intellectual property, should only be done if the answer to all these questions is clearly “the original.” The author warns that AI does not exempt users from copyright law, as they are essentially exchanging their code for new code under a third party’s terms and conditions. It is advised to understand these terms before submitting any code, particularly if one does not own the code.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author believes that language models like GPT-3 (LLMs) could excel at tasks that involve detailed legwork but are not technically challenging. This could be particularly useful when dealing with legacy codebases in outdated languages or frameworks. The author suggests that while thorough testing and some manual work may still be necessary, it would feel more like polishing something new and maintainable rather than trying to fix a broken system. The author also ponders the potential future ability to instruct an LLM to make code look like their own or another developer’s style, which could be beneficial for forming developer teams based on coding styles.