1. Designing a SIMD Algorithm from Scratch
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
The article discusses the concept of SIMD (single instruction multiple data) and its importance in optimizing code for performance. It explains that SIMD is related to the physical limitations of computers and the need to increase performance without increasing clock frequency. The article also mentions the use of SIMD in the vb64 base64 codec and explores the idea of parallelism in computer cores. Finally, it discusses the role of GPUs in processing SIMD instructions and explains that SIMD and vector are often used interchangeably.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses the use of portable Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) and benchmarks its performance. The author tried reproducing the benchmarks on different systems, including a Zen 3 and M1 MBP, and achieved similar speedups. The performance gains were slightly less on the M1 MBP, but overall, the portable SIMD fulfilled its intended purpose. The author also mentions that based on their experience, Rust has poor ergonomics for SIMD and pointer-related work, as well as performance engineering in general.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author discusses how a version of a program written in SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) can be significantly faster than the one written in classical C++. They express a desire for compilers to be better at auto vectorization and propose adding support for annotations in the language to allow for the reordering of certain operations.
2. The hanging-punctuation property in CSS
Total comment counts : 29
Summary
The article discusses the hanging-punctuation property in CSS, which is used to align and hang punctuation marks outside the text box. It explains how to use the property and the potential risks associated with it, such as triggering a horizontal scroll bar. The author suggests using a negative text-indent instead for better browser compatibility. The article also mentions that hanging punctuation is relevant in design software and print design. Overall, the hanging-punctuation property is considered a nice bonus if supported but not essential.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author discusses their preference for half-hung punctuation, where punctuation at the beginnings and ends of lines extends half the width of the character. They mention that most software makes it difficult to achieve this, but they have found sneaky ways to manually accomplish it. The author shares an example of modifying the type size of a comma to improve the visual appearance of a title page. They mention using TeX software and making modified versions of fonts to achieve the desired effect. The author also states that they generally avoid spending too much time on manuscript formatting. They conclude by noting that their trick is not exactly half-hung punctuation and leave the exact hung fraction as an exercise for the reader.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author suggests that specific features for text formatting, such as line-breaking and hyphenation, may not be necessary and proposes a general “prose” signal that triggers these features based on user preferences. They also mention the possibility of including additional adjustments for spacing and stretching to reduce the need for hyphenation. The author suggests bundling these features into a property that defaults to auto, allowing browsers to choose heuristics for normal content. However, they also propose that the default should be heuristic-based rather than disabled.
3. That time Verisign typo-squatted all of .com and .net
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
Verisign, a registry operator for .com and .net domains, engaged in typosquatting over 20 years ago, causing negative reactions from system administrators. By controlling the registry, Verisign could resolve unregistered domains and accept emails with invalid domains, leading to chaos. Sysadmins quickly devised solutions, such as using the programmability of sendmail’s config language to reject certain IP addresses. ISC also developed a “delegation-only” feature for BIND to restrict the provision of DNS information. The whole incident lasted about three weeks and has since been recognized in a Wikipedia article.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses Verisign’s monopoly on .COM/.NET domains and the lack of checks and balances to its power. The author argues that ICANN, the organization responsible for overseeing domain names, has effectively surrendered to Verisign. It is claimed that a significant portion of ICANN’s budget comes from Verisign, and as a result, they refuse to exercise any oversight. The article also criticizes Verisign for continuously pushing for price increases on their contracts without providing any added value to customers or the overall ecosystem. The author references past instances, such as the removal of price caps on .ORG domains and attempts by private equity to buy it, where Verisign had influence.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the practice of “domain tasting,” where registrars would temporarily register non-existent domains to show a “for sale” page. This allowed them to make extra money off registrations.
4. PeerTube v6
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
The article discusses the release of PeerTube v6, a software developed as an alternative to YouTube and Twitch. The new version includes features inspired by user ideas, such as password-protected videos and the ability to upload and replace older versions of videos. The article also mentions the remote transcoding feature, which allows PeerTube admins to delegate transcoding tasks to more powerful servers, reducing costs and promoting resource sharing between communities. The article expresses gratitude to the NGI Entrust program and the NLnet foundation for their support in achieving these technical improvements.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the recent changes in Peertube, a video hosting platform. The author mentions that Peertube has replaced webtorrent with HLS and questions if this means Peertube is no longer peer-to-peer. The author then compares HLS and webtorrent, explaining that HLS is a codec or container format, while webtorrent is a method for peer-to-peer streaming. The author wonders if Peertube has dropped its fundamental advantage of peer-to-peer streaming by removing webtorrent. The author also disputes the claim that HLS is a brick in peer-to-peer streaming, stating that HLS is simply a container format.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The removal of WebTorrent is disappointing because it had potential in the slow-moving ecosystem of torrent clients. Its absence makes it harder for PeerTube instances to achieve P2P capabilities without extra steps. This can result in conflicts when videos are re-uploaded and replaces the benefits of immutable solutions. Additionally, the removal makes it even more difficult to generate and find interoperable YouTube archives based on the same source, causing disjointed and duplicated archival and mirroring efforts.
5. Show HN: A Dalle-3 and GPT4-Vision feedback loop
Total comment counts : 54
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article describes a Twitter post that inspired the author to create a series of images with an increasing intensity. The starting prompt was suggested by one of the author’s children and the images show a regular goat rampage escalating into cosmic horror. The author expresses excitement about the outcome. The article includes a link to view the images and references the original Twitter post that sparked the idea.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article provides a custom prompt for thinking about and condensing an image into a single paragraph. The prompt suggests thinking about the details, style, colors, and lighting of the image, and then carefully condensing those thoughts into a concise paragraph. Several links are included in the article, but their relevance is unclear.
6. RPG Engine for the Nintendo 64
Total comment counts : 7
Summary
The article discusses an unnamed project that aims to create an RPG engine specifically for the Nintendo 64. It provides instructions for setting up the required environment and lists some of the features currently being developed. It also mentions the use of a software called Tiled for creating maps and provides guidelines for ensuring accurate mapping. The article emphasizes the need for hardware accuracy when using emulators and recommends a specific emulator called Ares. Overall, the article focuses on the technical aspects and requirements of the RPG engine development.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article expresses excitement about the availability of an indie dev tool in the 90s, particularly for RPGs on the N64. It mentions how the SNES was known for its wide variety of RPGs, while the N64 lacked in that genre.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article suggests the idea of porting PS1 RPGs to run on N64 hardware, using larger cartridges to overcome the size limitations of the N64 era. It suggests that in the age of emulation, it would be interesting to see how these games could be adapted.
7. Charlie Munger has died
Total comment counts : 41
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The mentioned article discusses the recent interview and upcoming book release of renowned business and investing legend, Charlie Munger. The acquired podcast conducted one of his last interviews, which can be accessed via a provided link. Additionally, Stripe Press is releasing a book, titled “Poor Charlie’s Almanack,” which is a collection of Munger’s thoughts. The book is set to be released in the following week.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article titled “The Psychology of Human Misjudgment” explores the reasons why rational individuals and large groups of people can make mistakes. It is recommended for everyone to read, as it provides valuable insights into why people can be wrong despite their rationality. The article’s relevance to the tech world is emphasized.
8. Microsoft open-sources ThreadX
Total comment counts : 28
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
Microsoft acquired Azure RTOS as a response to Amazon’s acquisition of FreeRTOS. However, Bill Lamie left Microsoft to start PX5, a company working on a new lightweight embedded RTOS, taking most of the team with him. This move suggests that Microsoft is moving away from their roadmap for Azure RTOS and IoT nodes. The author believes that this is a win for ThreadX, as it has a stronger ecosystem compared to FreeRTOS and is compatible with devices beyond Raspberry Pis.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the significance of safety certifications for software development, specifically focusing on open source real-time operating systems (RTOS). Developing “safe software,” which adheres to safety standards and is certified to a safety integrity level, requires significant effort. Maintaining these certifications can be challenging without sufficient investment. The author hopes that Microsoft will contribute to the development of safety-certified RTOS. The article also mentions SAFERTOS, a commercial implementation with similar APIs, which is safety certified unlike FreeRTOS.
9. Modern C++ Programming Course
Total comment counts : 35
Summary
The article is about a Modern C++ Programming Course that covers the basics of C++ programming and advanced concepts. It is an open-access course intended for those who are already familiar with C and object-oriented programming. The course includes topics such as fundamental types, control flow, memory management, object-oriented programming, templates and meta-programming, code conventions, optimization, and more. The author encourages feedback and suggests using an online compiler for execution.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The creator of this course is a team lead at NVIDIA and a principal software engineer of CUDA cuSPARSE.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author shares an anecdote about using ChatGPTv4 to write modern C++ code that works with CUDA. They provide an example of converting Rust code to modern C++ using prompts and explain the language differences. The code utilizes features such as std::*, looping over array pointers, and auto variable types. The author seeks feedback from experienced C++ programmers.
10. Orion Browser by Kagi
Total comment counts : 42
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article is about the author’s experience using a browser in its early development stage. The browser has common issues such as bugs and memory leaks, which sometimes force the author to switch back to Firefox. The extension support is also in progress, with some extensions working well but others not. The author suggests that if users are comfortable with testing an alpha/beta browser, it’s fine to use it, but otherwise, they should stick with Firefox.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article expresses hope for the development of a certain product but does not consider it usable on a daily basis due to numerous bugs and lack of adequate support. The support forum is sometimes handled by a developer who is hostile towards bug reports, which discourages the author from reporting their own issues. The author acknowledges that this is a subjective statement and others may have different experiences.