1. Ruffle: Flash Player Emulator
Total comment counts : 27
Summary
Ruffle is a Flash Player emulator built in the Rust programming language. It runs on modern operating systems as a standalone application and on modern browsers through WebAssembly. Ruffle utilizes the safety of web browser sandboxing and Rust’s memory safety guarantees to avoid security issues associated with Flash. It allows users to easily install and use Flash content on websites without any additional configuration. Ruffle is an open-source project maintained by volunteers who are passionate about preserving internet history. It can be installed via CDN or downloaded as a standalone version. Ruffle also offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Additionally, there are native applications available for running Flash content without a browser. Ruffle supports both ActionScript versions: AVM 1 (ActionScript 1 & 2) and AVM 2 (ActionScript 3). The project welcomes contributions, bug reports, and financial support.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author is pleased to see that a project supporting AS3 (Adobe Flash) is nearing completion. They express nostalgia for playing flash games during their school years and are glad that the project, Ruffle, can preserve some aspects of gaming history. However, they mention that there is currently no way to play Wolfenstein RPG on iOS and reflect on their old iPod that they bought in 2010 for that purpose. Nonetheless, they plan on playing Adrenaline Challenge for now.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the benefits of Flash emulation beyond just Flash games. The author mentions the New York Historical Society exhibit called “Slavery in New York,” which has an informational website that still relies on Flash. The author appreciates one particular page called “The Merchant’s House,” which provides information about how slavery impacted everything. The author states that the only way to view this written work after the exhibit is to use Flash emulation. However, the author mentions that the video galleries on the same exhibit site do not work with Flash emulation, and they are concerned about losing access to these videos. They seek help in understanding why the videos do not work with Flash emulation.
2. Protomaps – A free and open source map of the world
Total comment counts : 22
Summary
The article discusses Protomaps, an open-source map of the world that can be deployed as a single static file on cloud storage. It uses the PMTiles open specification for single-file tile pyramids and can be delivered through edge networks for low latency. Protomaps supports mapping libraries like Leaflet and MapLibre GL for vector cartography and visualization of geodata. It also offers a free Download service for base map layers from OpenStreetMap and a Tiles API. The aim of Protomaps is to make interactive cartography accessible to hobbyists and organizations, and it relies on open-source software and commercial-friendly licenses. The author offers support options for the project, such as downloading the open-source world basemap tileset with a support plan on GitHub Sponsors or paid development of open-source features.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article describes how the author used the pmtiles tool to obtain a map of Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco. They downloaded the necessary software and determined the bounding box for the desired area. By running a command using the pmtiles tool, the author obtained a 2MB file containing a detailed map with OpenStreetMap metadata, including airport polygons and building outlines. They were impressed with the quality of the map and shared the file on GitHub.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article is praising Mapbox’s Mapbox GL and Map GL as important contributions to the open mapping space. They believe that Mapbox’s approach to tile baking with MTS is confusing and expensive, and suggest that using PMTiles for vector tile hosting is easier, more convenient, and cheaper. They mention that services like Felt are already using the PMTile approach. The author also notes that the emergence of PMTiles coincides with DuckDB spatial query support, which they believe will unlock innovative use cases for processing large geoparquet files.
3. Rivian R1T is the first EV to win the longest off-road competition in the US
Total comment counts : 11
Summary
An all-electric vehicle (EV), the Rivian R1T, came in first place at the Rebelle Rally, the longest off-road map-and-compass rally in the US. The team driving the Rivian R1T, with Lilly Macaruso and Alex Anderson, took first place in the 4x4 class. This marks the first time an EV has won the rally. The event, in its eighth year, features all-women teams navigating a 2,120-kilometer course using only paper maps, compasses, and plotters. The Rivian R1T, nicknamed “Timmy,” was a stock vehicle with some interior modifications for organization. Rivian has been using the Rebelle Rally as a proving ground for its vehicles, fine-tuning technology and features based on feedback from participants. The rally also highlights the challenges of charging EVs during remote off-road competitions, but partnerships with companies like Renewable Innovations have helped provide green hydrogen for charging points along the course.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the expensive cost of repairing quarter panels on a Rivian vehicle, which is estimated to be around $40,000, compared to the usual cost of $2,000 to $3,000 for other pickup trucks. The author expresses dissatisfaction with car companies’ lack of repairability. In a comment, they mention a case where someone was quoted $41,000 but was able to resolve the issue using paintless dent removal. The author also mentions that repairs on Tesla vehicles with giga casting are more expensive than regular cars. They conclude by stating their preference for mainstream brands like Toyota.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the need for chargers and the use of hydrogen to complete a challenge involving electric vehicles (EVs). The author expresses concern that relying on a mobile charging trailer that is not widely available undermines the significance of the challenge. They suggest having an EV-only rally where competitors can adjust their speed to optimize charging, forcing manufacturers and teams to innovate on the vehicle to compensate for the limitations. The author emphasizes that motorsport serves as a proving ground for vehicles at the extreme end.
4. Building a unikernel that runs WebAssembly – part 1
Total comment counts : 9
Summary
The article discusses the author’s personal project of building a unikernel that runs WebAssembly. They explain that mixing unikernels and WebAssembly has benefits for both application developers and unikernel maintainers. The author used the RustyHermit project as the foundation for their unikernel application and faced challenges with finding a compatible WebAssembly runtime. They found wasmi, a pure Rust WebAssembly runtime, which worked well with RustyHermit. The author also mentions the use of the WebAssembly Component Model and the Wasm Interface Type for communication between the host and the guest. They used wit-bindgen to scaffold the code and made a simple implementation of the Key/Value capability. The article concludes with a recording of the unikernel application running the Spiderlightning http-server demo and hints at upcoming topics to be covered in future posts.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The link provided leads to a talk titled “The Birth and Death of JavaScript” on the website destroyallsoftware.com.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses various options for non-OS hackers to obtain a unikernel. These options include building the application as a Linux kernel module, modifying Linux aggressively and incorporating custom code, finding a unikernel project on GitHub, or using another OS like FreeBSD and modifying it. The author also mentions their preference for using a x64 machine connected to a network card as a generic compute resource. They are interested in starting OS-level hackery and seeks input from the Hacker News community.
5. OpenTelemetry at Scale: Using Kafka to handle bursty traffic
Total comment counts : 10
Summary
This article discusses the concept of a multi-collector architecture in OpenTelemetry observability deployments and how Apache Kafka can be used in this context. The OpenTelemetry Collector is a recommended component that gathers and manages data before sending it to the observability backend. However, in cases where a single collector is not sufficient, a multi-collector architecture can be implemented. This allows for scalability, reduced network traffic, and data filtering or sampling at the intermediate collector before forwarding it to the central collector. The proposed solution in the article is to use a Kafka queue, which provides reliable event ingestion and improved data reliability. Both the use of an internal queue and a collector-to-collector architecture can enhance the reliability of observability data. The article highlights the strengths of the OpenTelemetry Collector in data gathering, compression, and filtering, while Apache Kafka excels in situations where high reliability and data buffering are key. The multi-collector architecture, combined with a Kafka queue, offers a scalable and efficient approach to handling large volumes of telemetry data in an observability system.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses the architecture used by large-scale players like Datadog and New Relic, where data passes through an edge before landing in a Kafka cluster. It mentions that OpenTelemetry (otel) components lack rate limiting, which can easily overload backend storage like S3. Grafana has implemented solutions to mitigate this issue by using memcached. The article provides links to further information on these topics.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses how Kafka is commonly used for handling traffic bursts in elasticsearch clusters, but other distributed queues like Redpanda, Pulsar, and NATS can also be used. One notable feature of Kafka is that it allows for achieving exactly-once semantic without much effort by tracking the positions of partitions in a separate database. However, a drawback of using Kafka is that it adds another piece to maintain, which can be a significant task.
6. Atomic Rocket
Total comment counts : 14
Summary
This article provides information about a website dedicated to hard science fiction. It explains that the site offers equations and calculations for designing rockets and spacecrafts seen in science fiction, with the aim of adding scientific accuracy to the genre. The article also mentions that the site covers other topics of interest to science fiction authors and game designers, such as galactic empires and interstellar trade. It concludes by mentioning that the site is in need of updates and offers a Patreon account for support. The article includes acknowledgments of the images used on the site.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a call received from a national magazine about science fiction predictions that are unlikely to happen. The author expresses their disinterest in such predictions. The article is described as rare and valuable.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the TV show “For All Mankind,” which is set in an alternate reality where space exploration continued after the moon landing. The author reflects on the potential advancements in space travel and research if more investment had been allocated to these activities.
7. Cooler screens
Total comment counts : 51
Summary
The article discusses the implementation of Cooler Screens in Walgreens stores and the issues associated with them. The author describes the loud and unhealthy noise produced by the screens, as well as their lack of effectiveness in displaying product information. The article also highlights the origin of Cooler Screens and the involvement of Walgreens’ former CEO Gregory Wasson and Argo Tea’s founder, Arsen Avakian. The author criticizes the concept of Cooler Screens as a disconnection between product placement and advertising. The article further mentions the poor performance and reliability of the screens, as reported by Walgreens and customers. The author concludes by discussing Walgreens’ termination of their partnership with Cooler Screens and the new CEO Roz Brewer’s dislike for the screens.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the reliability issues of a company called Cooler Screens, which has installed screens in stores to display advertisements on cooler doors. The company initially installed 10,300 screens in 700 stores as part of a plan to cover 2,500 stores. It is noted that there were no intermediate tests conducted in a few stores before the larger rollout. The article suggests that if the concept fails, it would mainly affect the venture capitalists who invested in the company, rather than the stores themselves. The article also questions the difference between the company’s marketing research and the actual reception by consumers. It suggests that the surveys may have been biased due to promotions held at certain locations. The article concludes by stating that the concept of Cooler Screens is not consumer-friendly and suggests a potential use for the screens could be displaying label information and comparisons of products. Overall, the article criticizes the implementation and concept of Cooler Screens.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article reveals that Cooler Screens, a company led by the former CEO of Walgreens, used to provide customized screens for displaying ads on Walgreens coolers. However, Walgreens eventually lost interest in the screens, with the current CEO labeling them as unattractive, expensive, and ineffective. Consequently, Cooler Screens had to take back many of the screens, which cannot be resold without obtaining new coolers. Cooler Screens is now suing Walgreens, but it seems that this experiment has failed.
8. How to Make a CPU – A Simple Picture Based Explanation
Total comment counts : 14
Summary
This article explains how to make a CPU out of rocks and sand but warns against attempting it due to the hazards involved. The author emphasizes the importance of individuals being able to make things for themselves as proprietary hardware and software dominate. While the article provides some information on the process, it acknowledges that making a modern CPU is much more complicated and many steps have been omitted. The author suggests using the discussed topics as search terms for further research and mentions a YouTuber who has successfully fabricated chips. However, the cautionary message remains, advising against attempting chip fabrication without proper safety measures and equipment.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author has a dream of building a course or series of courses where one can rebuild the world. They draw inspiration from a book called “the knowledge” and have previously built a sextant and a CPU. The author believes that the world is rebuildable, and is inspired by a quote from Feynman which states that if one cannot recreate something, they do not understand it.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses doubts about step 15 of a process, which involves chip production in a post-Soviet lab. They recall that in the lab in the early 90s, etching would occur in a high-temperature environment, potentially reaching 1200°C, where chlorine gas was passed over the wafers. The temperature was achieved through induction heating with 8kHz AC passing through water-cooled copper coils. The generators used for this process were big, mechanical, and water-cooled machines located in the basement of the building to reduce noise. The author was responsible for maintaining the heating setup and transitioning to electronic, thyristor-based generators, which involved a combination of electronic engineering and plumbing work.
9. Base64 Encoding, Explained
Total comment counts : 21
Summary
This article provides an overview of Base64 encoding, explaining what it is, how it works, and its importance. Base64 encoding converts binary data into ASCII text and uses a specific set of characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, and /) to represent the data. It is not a form of encryption, but rather a way to change the representation of the data. The article also discusses various use cases for Base64 encoding, such as embedding image data in HTML, storing or transmitting binary data over networks, and transferring files as text. The article includes examples of Base64 encoding in different programming languages and provides resources for further reading.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses an interesting property of Base64 encoding. It states that if you repeatedly encode any string using Base64, the result will tend towards a fixed point. The article provides an example using the Bash command line tool to demonstrate this property. Additionally, the author mentions that they discovered this phenomenon by chance and shared it on Twitter, which later generated discussion on Reddit and a blog post (which is now archived). The article includes several links to the original tweets and discussions.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article emphasizes the difference between encryption, hashing, and encoding. It highlights that encryption requires a secret to be reversed, hashing cannot be reversed, and encoding can always be easily reversed. It also mentions that while the output may look random, it actually follows the same entropy as the input, indicating that base64 encoding should not be used to strengthen passwords.
10. Shopify files lawsuit over DMCA abuse
Total comment counts : 23
Summary
E-commerce platform Shopify is suing an unknown defendant, referred to as “John Doe,” for sending false copyright complaints. The fraudulent DMCA takedown notices targeted various vendors, resulting in legitimate products being taken offline and the vendors risking account termination. Shopify typically receives thousands of takedown notices each month, but this particular case involved an unknown person creating an account and filing dozens of false takedown requests. Shopify investigated and found that all the takedowns were false and used to harass the company and its merchants. To prevent future incidents, Shopify has filed a complaint alleging DMCA violations. The false claims led to actual removals and strikes against affected stores. Shopify hopes to identify the defendant’s motivations and seeks damages and an injunction to prevent future false DMCA notices.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article highlights a problem with Shopify, stating that anyone can open a fake account and submit a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice to take down a competitor. The author provides a link to Shopify’s basic DMCA form as evidence. They claim to have been harassed by a scammer who has submitted seven fake DMCA notices in the past two weeks, causing Shopify to remove their content without any verification. Despite sending multiple emails to Shopify support, they allege that no action has been taken. The article suggests that this loophole is being exploited by scammers, impacting a large number of legitimate businesses. The author provides a link to a Twitter hashtag dedicated to raising awareness of and seeking a solution to this issue.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article discusses a problem with fake DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedowns on the Shopify platform. The author highlights the lack of support from Shopify in handling these false claims. They mention that they are transferring their online stores to Woocommerce, which they believe has better protection against bogus DMCA. The article describes the nightmare scenario where a competitor submits a fake DMCA, leading to the removal of content and the potential flagging of ad accounts. The author argues that Shopify could prevent many of these false claims by implementing additional verification measures, such as requiring a phone number or uploading an ID.