1. Snowden leak: Cavium networking hardware may contain NSA backdoor
Total comment counts : 49
Summary
The article states that JavaScript is disabled in the current browser and suggests enabling it or switching to a supported browser to continue using Twitter. It also mentions that a list of supported browsers can be found in the Help Center. The article includes information about the company’s Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Imprint, as well as stating that it is copyright © 2023 X Corp.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the presence of a backdoor in the random number generator, Dual_EC_DRBG, which is implemented in NIST SP 800-90A. The publication contains specifications for different pseudorandom number generators (Hash DRBG, HMAC DRBG, CTR DRBG, and Dual_EC_DRBG) for use in cryptography. Dual_EC_DRBG was reported to contain a backdoor inserted by the United States National Security Agency (NSA). The article also mentions that Cavium’s NIST FIPS-140-2 approves and allows the use of SP800-90 CTR DRBG for deterministic random number generation.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses how Cavium, now Marvell, has designed and manufactured Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) used by top cloud providers such as AWS and GCP. These HSMs hold critical private keys and enable hybrid cloud users to synchronize keys between AWS CloudHSM and private clouds.
2. Mythbusters: Wing Commander I Edition
Total comment counts : 14
Summary
The article discusses the famous “thank you for playing Wing Commander” story, which is a humorous anecdote about a programmer who allegedly used a clever hack to address a memory error in the game. The story has become popular online, but in recent years, it has been criticized by unhappy Star Citizen fans as evidence of selling a shoddy product. The article investigates the origin of the story and concludes that it is indeed true, but with some minor changes in later retellings. The article provides evidence from the original programmer and examines the game’s code to determine how the message is displayed. Ultimately, it is confirmed that the hack was done during the development of the game and was fixed before it was shipped, making it a clever engineering trick rather than a sign of a poor-quality product.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a hack implemented by Traveller’s Tales for the game Sonic 3D Blast on the Sega Genesis/Megadrive. By physically wiggling or hitting the game cartridge while the console is powered on, a secret level select screen would appear. This was originally thought to be an easter egg, but it was actually a custom crash handler created by the developers. The crash handler redirected the main CPU’s error interrupts to the level select screen to avoid their game build being rejected by Sega’s QA team. The reason for this was that Sega’s QA testing process took weeks, and any crashes would result in the build being rejected and having to start over. The article also mentions that the linked YouTube channel, “Coding Secrets,” has other videos detailing similar hacks.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author reflects on the magic of being able to connect with first-party sources and how it can sometimes seem impossible due to age or geographic distance. They mention their own experience growing up in Sweden in the 80s and being a fan of computer games, particularly “Uridium” and “Paradroid,” which were well-known at the time. They express their surprise and excitement at now having the author of these games, Andrew Braybrook, in their social media feed and seeing him still involved in game development. The author acknowledges that similar connections could happen before the internet, but believes it may have been harder or more rare. They provide links to more information about the games and the author’s Twitter feed.
3. I digitalized Berlin’s registration form
Total comment counts : 53
Summary
The article discusses the process of registering an address in Berlin and criticizes the inefficiencies of the current paper form. The author has created an improved web form that offers more functionality and a better user experience. The new form addresses issues such as “c/o” addresses and missing details about the location within a building. It also allows for handling multiple family members on a single form. The web form is designed to be user-friendly and adapt to the user’s responses. The author describes using browser language settings to suggest the user’s country and other subtle improvements. The form operates within the user’s browser and does not share personal information. The author mentions potential future projects, such as creating digital versions of other forms and mailing or faxing them if needed. The article concludes by suggesting the use of QR codes or short URLs to eliminate the need for paper forms.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article highlights the flawed process of digitizing administration in Germany. It describes a system where a fixed sum is allocated for digitization, and a government project is publicly advertised. However, a bureaucrat with connections to an IT service business is awarded the contract. The project is then outsourced to a sweatshop, resulting in higher costs and delays. The final product is a cumbersome frontend that requires users to fill out a form, which is then printed and manually typed into another software by low-level clerks. The completed form must be physically signed and stamped at a local administrative office before being faxed to the next authority. The frontend is only accessible during weekdays from 8 am to 1 pm as the server is turned off outside of office hours to save energy.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses frustration with the inefficiency and long waiting times at Bürgerämter (citizen offices) in Germany, specifically in Berlin. They share their personal experience of a delayed registration and expired ID card with no available appointments. The author criticizes the mismanagement of these offices, which has been a long-standing issue, and suggests the need for a “Minister for Time” to address such problems in both the bureaucracy and medical system. They argue that waiting should be the exception, not the norm, and there should be measurable metrics and consequences for delays.
4. Making IIIF Official at the Internet Archive
Total comment counts : 10
Summary
The Internet Archive is making its International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) service official, upgrading it to utilize the latest version 3.0 of the IIIF specification and expanding support to include audio, movies, and collections. The IIIF service provides various benefits such as deep zoom on high-resolution images, comparative item analysis, portability across media players, and annotation support. The Internet Archive has been running an experimental IIIF service for over seven years, and now aims to make it an officially supported service. The upgrade is a collaboration between the Internet Archive and members of the IIIF community. The IIIF service will be moved from the iiif.archivelab.org domain to iiif.archive.org, and the current service will continue to run during a grace period to allow partners to migrate. The migration will introduce a new and improved, official IIIF service, and once it is confirmed to be working well, the legacy service will be discontinued. The Internet Archive’s IIIF service aims to make IIIF usage and adoption more accessible globally by lowering the barriers to using IIIF.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article highlights that IIIF has successfully addressed various minor issues in a specific field. Although it does not introduce any new capabilities, it significantly reduces costs. The author specifically appreciates the ease with which image servers and viewers can be replaced with IIIF.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article describes an example of a practical use of IIIF (International Image Interoperability Framework). It provides a link to a website that showcases the Bayeux Tapestry online, using the IIP image server and the OpenSeaDragon viewer, both of which are compatible with IIIF. The article also provides additional links for more information on the IIP image server and the OpenSeaDragon viewer.
5. Mwmbl: Free, open-source and non-profit search engine
Total comment counts : 32
Summary
The article states that in order to access and use this website, you need to have scripts enabled on your device. Further information can be found on Github.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests shortening the text on the landing page of a search engine, specifically for mobile users. Instead of the original text, it is recommended to use a shorter version that highlights the search engine as free, open-source, and non-profit, along with links to Github and a Wiki.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the feasibility of using a distributed crawler and provides a link to a GitHub repository with more information. The author also mentions that their own posting is missing from an index and suggests changing the domain name for better usability.
6. VCMI: Open-Source Engine for Heroes of Might and Magic III
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
The VCMI project has released version 1.3.0, focusing on player feedback and user experience. Improvements include the ability to freely change the GUI size, smooth map zoom, and enhancements for touchscreen devices. The Random Map Generator (RMG) has also been improved based on community suggestions, and the AI has been boosted to pose a challenge to human players. The update also allows VCMI to load and run Horn of the Abyss maps. The project plans to focus on PvP playability for the next release. VCMI is an open-source engine for Heroes of Might and Magic III, and it is not associated with or supported by Ubisoft Entertainment.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author admits to spending a lot of time playing Heroes of Might and Magic 3 as a form of procrastination, but also mentions that it has brought them a lot of enjoyment. They mainly play the game using HotA in HD Mod, but have also used VCMI on Android. They acknowledge that using VCMI on Android can be challenging due to connection issues and slight differences in mechanics, but they are grateful for its existence.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author states that in their personal ranking, HD Mod is ranked higher than VCMI, but acknowledges that VCMI has some game-changing features that HD Mod does not enable. HD Mod is compatible with Horn of the Abyss, an unofficial expansion of Heroes of Might and Magic III that aims to recreate the feel of the original game. The author mentions that Wake of the Gods, another expansion, was perceived as being different from the original game at certain points.
7. Why and when the Sahara Desert was green: new research
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
error
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of models to test our understanding of past events. It states that if a model can accurately reproduce past events, it indicates an understanding of those events. However, it also warns that creating a model that coincidentally works doesn’t necessarily confirm anything. The article criticizes the use of the term “confirm” when referring to models, emphasizing that models can only test hypotheses and correlations, not confirm physical facts.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a scene from Michael Palin’s show Sahara, where he interviews locals living in a village in the desert. The interviewee reveals that the area used to have more people living there before it turned into a desert. The location is the bandiagara escarpment in Mali, which was heavily forested 500 years ago. The article provides links to the episode and additional information about the bandiagara escarpment.
8. Tell HN: ChatGPT cut off date now Jan 2022
Total comment counts : 31
Summary
The article discusses various topics, including LeBron James’ career points in the NBA as of January 2022, Max Verstappen winning the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship, the passing of Scottish rugby player Siobhan Cattigan in November 2021, and the absence of information regarding the passing of Claude Humphrey as of January 2022. The article also mentions the limitations of the model’s knowledge cutoff date and suggests checking the latest news sources for up-to-date information.
Top 1 Comment Summary
As of January 2022, LeBron James had not reached 36,000 career points in the NBA. More recent data beyond that date is not available in the article. To get the most up-to-date information on LeBron James’ career point total, it is advised to consult the latest NBA statistics or relevant websites.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article explains that asking a model about its cutoff date is not a reliable way to determine what it has been trained on. The model does not know unless it was provided with that information during fine-tuning. Even then, it does not guarantee accuracy. Instead, it is more helpful to ask the model about events that occurred during a specific time period, as this would confirm that it has at least been exposed to recent news.
9. OSS Game Engines are increasing their stars on GitHub due to Unity’s missteps
Total comment counts : 19
Summary
The article is about enabling JavaScript in a browser to continue using twitter.com. It also provides information on supported browsers and directs readers to their Help Center for more details.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a link that leads to a website showcasing a collection of game engines. The screenshot shows some statistics and data related to pull requests and issues created. The article also mentions that the number of stars for the game engine Godot has significantly increased over the past month, indicating growing interest in the platform.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article suggests that the actions referred to were not accidental but rather a deliberate attempt to extract rent retroactively.
10. Fidonet Rules (2014)
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
The article discusses the importance of using JavaScript in website development to enhance server performance and enable advanced search features. It emphasizes the need for modern browsers to fully utilize these capabilities.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the limitation of simplistic rules, such as “don’t be a dick,” in scaling small communities. It argues that these rules are effective when a community is small and cohesive, allowing for a shared consensus on appropriate behavior. However, when a community grows larger and includes strangers, there is no shared understanding of good behavior or context to evaluate it. Therefore, simply telling people to be nice becomes ineffective in these situations.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses how in the 1990s, there were extensive discussions about netiquette on Usenet. However, in retrospect, these discussions are considered somewhat naive.