1. Data accidentally exposed by Microsoft AI researchers
Total comment counts : 37
Summary
The article discusses a data exposure incident on Microsoft’s AI GitHub repository caused by a misconfigured SAS token. The researchers accidentally exposed 38 terabytes of private data, including sensitive information and internal team messages. SAS tokens, which allow data sharing from Azure Storage accounts, were configured to share the entire storage account instead of specific files. The article highlights the risks organizations face when working with AI models and the need for additional security checks and safeguards. It also provides recommendations for improving SAS token security and preventing similar incidents in the future.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses how a recent security vulnerability in Microsoft’s GitHub repository highlights the risk of using serialized Python objects to store large opaque AI models. The vulnerability was not directly related to AI, but it exposed the confusion surrounding security tokens, data sharing, and big data downloads in cloud providers. The article emphasizes the need for caution when using Python serialization format, as it was not designed for distributing untrusted data and can be effectively treated as code. In this specific case, the repository instructed users to download an AI model data file in the ckpt format, which is formatted using Python’s pickle formatter, known for its ability to execute arbitrary code. This vulnerability could have allowed attackers to inject malicious code into all the AI models stored in the repository, potentially infecting users who downloaded them.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article highlights a common misconfiguration issue with a storage token. While it mentions the use of AI, the problem described is a regular occurrence and emphasizes the importance of conducting regular penetration tests.
2. OpenRA – Classic strategy games rebuilt for the modern era
Total comment counts : 28
Summary
The article announces a playtest for the upcoming OpenRA release. The focus of the playtest is bug fixes, minor feature implementations, and preparation for larger reworks. The article also mentions progress towards C&C Remastered Collection support and provides information on downloading the Tiberian Dawn HD playtest. It encourages players to report any issues they find and share feedback.
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The article discusses OpenRA’s Red Alert, a game that captures the fun and limited scope of the original Red Alert while incorporating modern features like connectivity and display resolution. OpenRA’s standout feature is its quick and easy installation, making it accessible to anyone with low-end hardware. This makes it an ideal choice for casual LAN parties where having fun with friends is prioritized over complex gameplay and graphics.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses enthusiasm for a potential Total Annihilation remake, stating that they would become engrossed in the game and have less free time as a result.
3. Homebrew Website Club
Total comment counts : 31
Summary
The article discusses the Homebrew Website Club, a network of meetups for individuals who want to take control of their online experience and own their online identities and content. The club provides support and guidance for blogging and improving personal websites. The meetings take place every other Wednesday in most cities and participants can also join a chat to interact with the community between meetings. The article provides information on upcoming meetings, as well as guidance for starting and organizing meetups. The club has adapted to online formats during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers resources and tools for individuals building their own websites.
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The article discusses the author’s preferences for websites with minimal JavaScript and a brutalist, low-design aesthetic. The author expresses their dislike for social media-focused internet and blogs that heavily rely on JavaScript. The author also mentions their own website, which was built using Hugo and deployed through GitHub Pages with an automated publication process using GitHub Actions. The article concludes by providing a link to the author’s website.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the author’s appreciation for static site generators and simple designs. They mention that many people who adhere to the indieweb philosophy use the Jekyll and Hugo static site generators. The author expresses hope that these tools will continue to thrive, despite the popularity of JavaScript frameworks like Nextjs. They also promote their own open-source themes for Jekyll and Hugo, which can be found on GitHub, as well as premium themes available on their website.
4. Introduction to Immutable Linux Systems
Total comment counts : 37
Summary
This article discusses the concept of “immutable” Linux distributions and provides examples of different implementations. The author explores the idea of immutability in operating systems and the benefits and drawbacks of this approach. They detail the characteristics and principles of various immutable Linux distributions, including NixOS, Guix, Endless OS, Fedora Silverblue, OpenSUSE MicroOS, and Vanilla OS. The author shares their personal experiences and opinions with each distribution. They also mention the possibility of achieving immutability on Alpine Linux using the “lbu” command. The article concludes by discussing the pros and cons of immutable operating systems and highlighting the evolution of transactional updates in the open-source community.
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The article discusses the benefits of using Fedora CoreOS (FCOS) as an operating system for production. It mentions a new feature called CoreOS Layering, which allows users to define their system in a Dockerfile and easily configure their server by rebooting. The article provides links to a Python-based CLI tool called Bupy for developing locally and creating a Butane file, as well as examples of running an app on FCOS with the CoreOS Layering feature. Overall, the author is impressed with FCOS and believes it is a powerful OS for running applications.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the concept of immutability in relation to image-based systems. The author mentions their work on a project called Universal Blue, where OCI container images are built on top of different editions of Fedora Silverblue and other desktops. These images can be easily booted or rebased using rpm-ostree, providing a more robust way of extending the system compared to traditional layering. The author also mentions that similar work is being done by VanillaOS and SUSE. Despite not being an OS project themselves, the methods used in Universal Blue are considered to be one of the most reliable and simple ways of delivering Nvidia drivers.
5. What if OpenDocument used SQLite? (2014)
Total comment counts : 36
Summary
The article discusses the potential benefits of using SQLite as the file format for OpenDocument Presentation (ODP) files. It highlights various advantages, including smaller file sizes, faster save times, quicker startup times, reduced memory usage, improved document versioning, and a better user experience. The article emphasizes that this is only a thought experiment and not a criticism of the current OpenDocument design. It suggests that using SQLite as a container for ODP files could offer improved performance and functionality.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the problem with SQLite as a file format. It highlights that SQLite is not a standardized file format and lacks an ISO standard for interpreting the file. The article compares SQLite to other file formats, such as Zip and XML, which have smaller APIs. The complexity of SQLite’s API, which includes the SQL language, is noted, making it more challenging to work with than XML. The article suggests that if Open Office used SQLite, the programmers would likely take advantage of its advanced features, potentially causing difficulties in optimization and interoperability. However, for most software applications that do not require ISO standardization or interoperability, SQLite is still a suitable file format.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article is working on an application that uses SQLite as the file format. They explain their workflow, which involves copying the file into the in-memory database and allowing users to make edits directly in the database. The changes are saved by vacuuming the database back into the file. The author finds this process effective for reasonably sized files. They provide links for more information on in-memory databases and the VACUUM command in SQLite.
6. How FoundationDB works and why it works (2021)
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
The article discusses the features and design choices of FoundationDB, a database that won the best industry paper award in SIGMOD'21. FoundationDB is a non-sharded, strict serializable, fault-tolerant key-value store that supports point writes, reads, and range reads. It provides a key-value API and can be used as a foundation for building distributed databases. The article explains the different components of FoundationDB, including the Coordinator, Control Plane services, Data Plane services, and the recovery process. It also highlights the benefits of decoupling functionality into separate services and the use of deterministic approaches for log committing and recovery. Overall, the article praises FoundationDB as a highly impressive and well-designed key-value store.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article praises FoundationDB for its solid performance, speed, and convenience. However, they note that it can be challenging for most programmers to work with due to its constraints, such as transaction limits and maximum transaction sizes. The author suggests the need for a wrapper library to handle these constraints, as incorporating them directly into an application can introduce risks. They also express the desire for the FoundationDB team to develop this layer themselves to ensure its reliability. Overall, while FoundationDB is highly reliable, its limitations can be inconvenient for many applications.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the process of writing an app on top of FoundationDB (FDB), which is a transactional key/value store. While FDB provides a low-level interface for apps to work with, there is a library called Permazen that offers a more sophisticated solution. Permazen is an open-source project that implements an ORM-like API and can be used with any key/value backend, including FDB. It provides features such as built-in indexing, derived data, triggers, and the ability to query using the Java collections API. However, there are some limitations compared to a relational database management system (RDBMS), such as the lack of a query planner and weaker support for analytics. Additionally, there is no network protocol other than FDB, which may pose problems for apps with significant network distance between users and servers.
7. Plants can detect sound
Total comment counts : 26
Summary
Plants have the ability to detect and react to sound, according to scientific evidence. Studies have shown that plants exposed to different sounds, such as Buddhist chants or traffic noise, can have different growth patterns and produce stress compounds. Researchers have also found that certain vibrations caused by insects chewing on leaves can trigger plants to release defensive chemicals, making them less appealing to caterpillars. Additionally, plants may be able to “hear” water by detecting sound vibrations, which could have practical applications in agriculture and sewer maintenance. Some plants even produce their own sounds when under stress. The impact of human civilization on plants, particularly in noisy urban environments, is an area for further study.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the mimicry abilities of Boquila trifoliolata, a plant species that appears to mimic the leaves around it. The exact mechanism behind this mimicry is unknown, but there is a controversial hypothesis that suggests the plant may have some form of vision.
Top 2 Comment Summary
“The Sound Machine” is a short story written by Roald Dahl. It appears to be available in its entirety on The New Yorker website.
8. NSA Backdoor Key from Lotus-Notes (2002)
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
The article discusses the export regulations of Lotus Notes and a backdoor feature called differential cryptography. The author attempted to reverse engineer the application and discovered that the NSA public key had the organizational name “MiniTruth” and the common name “Big Brother,” which are references to George Orwell’s novel “1984.” The article also provides the hexadecimal representation of the public key and information from the pgpacket analysis of the key.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a comment made by Ray Ozzie, the creator of Lotus Notes, in a discussion on HN in 2013. Ozzie stated that before the software was released, he and Kauffman openly described what they were doing at an RSA conference. This was not done secretly, but rather to comply with export controls that were commonly dealt with in the industry. The article suggests reading another comment made by barrkel in the same discussion thread.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article is a list of previous discussions about Lotus Notes from several years ago. It includes links to these discussions on a website called Hacker News.
9. AWS IPv4 Estate Now Worth $4.5B
Total comment counts : 26
Summary
AWS has significantly increased its IPv4 estate by acquiring an additional 27 million IP addresses, bringing its total ownership to 128 million addresses. With each IPv4 address valued at $35, the total worth of AWS’s IPv4 estate is estimated to be around $4.5 billion, representing a $2 billion increase compared to three years ago. Despite this growth, there are still approximately 47% of IPv4 addresses available for future allocations. AWS has announced that it will start charging customers for IPv4 addresses starting in 2024, with a cost of $0.005 per IP per hour. This change is driven by the increasing scarcity of IPv4 addresses and the rising costs associated with acquiring them. The article speculates that this new charge could potentially generate between $500 million and $1 billion in additional revenue for AWS.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author expresses frustration with the designers of IPv6 for not making it backwards compatible and for underestimating the challenge of replacing the widely used IPv4. This decision has led to ongoing difficulties with the transition to IPv6. The author expresses their annoyance with the situation.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article mentions that the prices of addresses reached a high of $60 in 2021 but have since dropped to $35. The author wonders what direction the prices will take next and if this drop is indicative of a correction in the tech industry.
10. Queueing Theory: An introduction for software development
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
The article discusses queueing theory and its applications in software development. Queueing theory is the mathematical study of waiting lines or queues. It is used in software development to analyze and optimize practices and processes such as customer service responsiveness, project management, inter-process communication, and devops continuous deployment pipelines. The article provides examples of how queueing theory can be applied in various areas, such as customer service, project management, inter-process communication, and continuous integration. It also introduces common terminology used in queueing theory, such as queue types and service types. Notation and symbols commonly used in queueing theory are explained, including arrival rate, service rate, dropout rate, and various time intervals. Little’s law, which states the relationship between the average number of customers, arrival rate, and time spent in the system, is also discussed. The article concludes by mentioning additional resources and insights about queueing theory.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author discusses their favorite part of teaching queuing theory, which is teaching about cumulative flow diagrams (CMF). They explain how CMF is the best way to monitor queues in a monitoring system, but most people don’t utilize it. The article highlights that while many have graphs showing the current depth of the queue, it can be difficult to determine the cause of any changes in the queue depth. However, with a CMF, it becomes easier to identify if the cause is an increase in arrival rate or a decrease in service rate. This allows for targeted investigations and appropriate actions, such as scaling up processing or implementing backoff measures. The article provides a link to Wikipedia for more information on cumulative flow diagrams.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the benefits of understanding queue theory. It suggests that knowing queue theory can provide an advantage in various areas, as it allows individuals to understand and predict outcomes in queuing systems. The article explains that queue systems can be compressed into a two-parameter model known as M/M/1 queues, making it easier to analyze and make decisions based on that model. It highlights the disadvantage of not knowing about queue theory and presents three wasteful options for individuals who lack this knowledge. The advantage of understanding queue theory is that it allows individuals to quickly derive insights and make informed decisions, while others may waste time and resources trying to figure out things that are well-known outcomes of M/M/1 queues.