1. Why is the mouse cursor slightly tilted and not straight?
Total comment counts : 40
Summary
This article discusses the reasons behind the tilted arrow cursor commonly used on computer screens. The cursor was initially designed to have a tilted arrow shape for easier recognition and drawing on low-resolution screens. The angle of the cursor also provides a vertical left edge, which helps when highlighting text. Additionally, the tilted arrow cursor is more easily found by the human visual system due to a phenomenon known as the popout effect. The article also mentions a subjective observation that the arrow cursor resembles pointing with a right hand, which may have influenced its design. Overall, the tilted arrow cursor has become the standard due to its practicality, visual recognition, and user experience considerations.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the creation of the angled mouse cursor by Alan Kay at PARC. None of the answers on Stack Overflow mention Kay’s involvement in designing the cursor. Kay explains that he designed the cursor with a vertical side and an angled side to create a nice arrowhead appearance on a 16x16 grid of one-bit pixels. He also mentions that he designed and created many of the initial bitmap fonts at PARC. The design of the cursor stuck and became popular in computing.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a misconception about the hotspot location of the arrow cursor on the first Macintosh computer. The author argues that the highest-voted answer, which claims that the hotspot was at (0,0), is incorrect. They explain that there were other cursor shapes on the Macintosh, and each cursor could have its own hotspot defined by a bitmap and transparency mask. The author provides links to resources with more information on the cursors and their hotspots. They also point out that the hotspot for the arrow cursor was actually at (1,1), and they ask for an explanation for this. The author finds it concerning that many people upvoted the incorrect answer.
2. The underground world of hobby tunneling
Total comment counts : 41
Summary
I’m sorry, but the information provided does not seem to be an article that can be summarized. It appears to be a request to confirm that the user is not a robot. Can you please provide a specific article or topic for me to summarize?
Top 1 Comment Summary
I apologize, but I am only able to summarize text that is directly provided to me. I am unable to access or summarize the content behind a link. If you could provide the text from the article, I would be happy to help summarize it for you.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses an individual who is excavating their basement using only miniature remote control construction vehicles. The article provides links to videos showing the digging and hauling process, as well as a recent video showcasing a rock crusher. It mentions that there are a total of 379 videos spanning 16 years for those interested in RC earthmoving ASMR.
3. Vision Pro Teardown – Why those fake eyes look so weird
Total comment counts : 35
Summary
The article discusses the unique features and construction of Apple’s Vision Pro, a virtual reality headset. The most distinctive element is its bubble glass front, which displays a 3D video of the user’s eyes. The author questions the practicality of this feature, as it introduces additional points of failure. The article also mentions the integration of an external battery pack, which helps balance the weight of the headset. The teardown reveals details about the lens system and battery configuration. Overall, the initial impressions of the Vision Pro are positive, with the weight distribution being the main concern.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author suggests that fake eyes and avatars would be more acceptable if they had cartoon-like designs instead of attempting to be realistic. They propose offering different styles such as Western or Anime, similar to cartoon eye masks that are already popular. The author believes that this would give the device and avatars more personality, making them less creepy. However, they acknowledge that others may perceive this as too juvenile for a device marketed as a serious business tool. Overall, the author prefers a sillier approach over a creepy one.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author speculates that the fake eyes on the Apple device were used to make it look more transparent in marketing photos. However, in reality, the function of the fake eyes is unclear as they are not noticeable when using the device. The author suspects that the fake eyes will be removed in the next generation of the device as they were likely used for initial marketing purposes.
4. How Doom didn’t kill the Amiga
Total comment counts : 21
Summary
The article states that access to a certain resource on the server has been denied. It also emphasizes that LiteSpeed Technologies Inc. is not responsible for the content found on the site.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses an Easter egg found in Workbench 1.2, a software released for the Amiga 500 computer. The Easter egg reveals a hidden message stating that the developers of the Amiga believed that Commodore, the company behind the Amiga, had mishandled the product.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the differences between PC games and Amiga games in the early 1990s. The author recalls the PC/VGA port of Xenon II Megablast being as fast and colorful as the Amiga version. They mention how PC hardware was more widely available and competitively priced, while Commodore, the company behind Amiga, faced financial struggles due to their reliance on custom chipsets. The article also mentions the success of Apple’s vertical integration model compared to Commodore’s challenges.
5. The first amateur radio station on the moon
Total comment counts : 8
Summary
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully landed their Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) on January 19, 2024. The lander released two small lunar surface probes, LEV-1 and LEV-2. LEV-2 collects data while moving on the lunar surface, and LEV-1 receives the data. The JAXA Ham Radio Club (JHRC) secured an amateur radio license for LEV-1, which has been transmitting Morse code on 437.41 MHz since January 19. The signal is being analyzed by radio amateurs, and the probe is expected to return in a few days. SLIM’s mission is to analyze the composition of rocks to aid research about the origin of the moon.
Top 1 Comment Summary
A radio club in the Netherlands successfully received UHF signals from a Japanese moon rover using their twenty-five meter diameter dish.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The person is expressing their disappointment in not knowing about something earlier and not having the opportunity to set something up to receive it. They mention that not every antenna is capable of receiving a 1w signal from the moon, and express concern for someone who is in danger due to the lunar night.
6. Finance worker pays out $25M after video call call with deepfake CFO
Total comment counts : 30
Summary
A finance worker at a multinational firm in Hong Kong was scammed out of $25 million by fraudsters who used deepfake technology to pose as the company’s chief financial officer in a video conference call. The worker was tricked into attending a call with what he believed were his colleagues, but were actually deepfake recreations. The worker had grown suspicious after receiving a message from the supposed CFO, but put aside doubts after seeing and hearing the other participants on the call. The scam was only discovered when the employee checked with the company’s head office. Hong Kong police have made six arrests related to deepfake scams and have found that deepfakes were used to trick facial recognition programs. There is growing concern worldwide about the sophisticated use of deepfake technology.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a common scam in which hotel employees receive phone calls from individuals with the last name Patel, who claim to be facing an emergency and request money to be wired to them. Many employees have been fooled by this scam, even going to the extent of opening the hotel safe or using their personal accounts to wire money. The scam does not involve any AI or deepfake technology. The article predicts that this scam will continue to cause problems in the future.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The concept of “power distance” may be a factor in certain cultures and corporate environments where individuals follow orders from superiors without questioning procedures. This dynamic is observed in some cultures globally and may also exist in certain US hardware tech companies, as suggested by media reports.
7. AvaloniaUI: Create Multi-Platform Apps with .NET
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
The article discusses Avalonia UI, an open-source UI framework that allows developers to build desktop, mobile, web, and embedded applications using a .NET single codebase. Avalonia UI is free to use and offers support for Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and JetBrains Rider & ReSharper. It is considered a spiritual successor to WPF and is trusted by companies such as JetBrains, KLM, and Canon. The article also mentions the availability of commercial support agreements and the ability to leverage WPF controls within Avalonia applications.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author regrets choosing Xamarin.Forms for their startup’s apps and believes they should have used Avalonia, Flutter, or ReactNative instead. The migration from Xamarin.Forms to MAUI and from .NETFramework to .NETCore was difficult and time-consuming. The main reason for choosing Xamarin.Forms was because Avalonia lacked mobile support, but it is unclear how Avalonia’s mobile support is now. The author prefers mobile-focused development and believes desktop support should be an afterthought due to declining desktop usage.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses Avalonia, which is a framework similar to Flutter for .NET. Both frameworks use Skia for UI rendering, but there are key differences. Avalonia uses .NET and XAML, while Flutter uses the Dart language. Although Flutter is better suited for mobile, Avalonia has recently expanded to mobile and offers a more mature desktop experience. For teams skilled in .NET and XAML, Avalonia is likely a better choice. It is recommended for .NET shops that don’t require a platform-native look or feel and have a desktop-focused project.
8. Browser extensions are underrated: the promise of hackable software (2019)
Total comment counts : 46
Summary
Browser extensions are an important and unique ecosystem that allow users to customize their apps in ways that were not intended by the original developers. Despite recent controversies, browser extensions offer users deep control over their software. They allow users to modify everything from visual design to core functionality, essentially creating their own personalized email clients or other applications. The popularity of browser extensions shows that many people are interested in customizing their software, not just power users. Extensions are widely used and offer a broad range of functionalities such as password filling, language support, design simplification, article annotation, and ad-blocking. The flexibility of browser extensions is possible because they can modify applications in ways that the original developers did not plan for. The web’s deployment style, layout model, and standardized markup play a role in enabling this extensibility. Although it may require some clever tricks, extension authors are willing to put in the effort to create useful software. Website developers generally accept extensions that extend their sites creatively as long as they don’t have to do extra work. Extensions also benefit application developers by allowing their users to get more value from their applications. Many browser extensions are generic tools that enhance the user’s experience across all websites, providing leverage in different contexts. These extensions are often free and created by individuals or small communities. Overall, browser extensions offer users greater control and customization options, changing the way we interact with software.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article discusses their evolving perspective on customizable software over the past five years. They mention that AI is becoming better at coding and could be useful for writing browser extensions. However, they also emphasize the importance of security when it comes to extension platforms. They suggest exchanging extensions with trusted parties or building your own to mitigate security risks. The author acknowledges that the limitations of browser extensions arise from their inability to access backend data and code. They propose a local-first approach to software development as a solution to this limitation, where data and code reside on the user’s device. The article includes links to further reading on AI-assisted programming, resolving tensions in extension platforms, and the concept of local-first software.
Top 2 Comment Summary
In 2024, the framing of “browser extensions” is seen as problematic. Most of these extensions, particularly for Google Chrome, show that Google is willing to prioritize revenue over the safety of APIs. Developers should be aware that their efforts may be rendered useless by Google in the future. Instead, the focus should be on Firefox extensions, which, although not perfect, are a better alternative to deal with.
9. How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days
Total comment counts : 48
Summary
The article recounts the author’s frustrating experience with Anthem’s customer support while trying to repair their CPAP machine. The author provides advice for dealing with insurance claims and emphasizes the importance of documenting everything and following the claims process. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to have the equipment repaired, the author eventually purchases a new one but faces difficulties in filing a claim with Anthem. The claim is mistakenly treated as an appeal and subsequently rejected. The author is instructed to resubmit the claim through physical mail. Despite multiple attempts to locate the claims, the author faces further challenges in getting a response from Anthem’s customer service.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article is about the difficulties the author faced when trying to import a CPAP machine from the United States into Vietnam. The machine costs significantly more in Vietnam, so the author attempted to import one instead. However, they discovered that a prescription is required in the United States to import a CPAP machine. They obtained a prescription through an online service and had the machine sent to a freight forwarding service, but there were issues with the paperwork. The machine was held in Vietnamese customs for almost four months, and the author had to visit customs weekly to argue for its release. They faced various reasons for denial, including the machine appearing used and suspicion of reselling. Eventually, someone suggested bringing a prescription, but it was difficult to obtain one in Vietnam. After multiple attempts, the author was able to convince customs to release the machine based on their sleep apnea test, although nobody actually checked the test. Despite the frustrating bureaucracy, the author prefers it over American insurance.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article discusses the issue of compliance with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines in the US insurance system. Insurers often require access to the machine’s usage logs before approving reimbursement. These machines have tamper-proof logging mechanisms, including cellular modems, which allow surveillance by insurance companies. This surveillance is seen as offensive and intrusive, and it also hinders sleep apnea treatment. Many people find it difficult to adjust to using the CPAP machine, particularly sleeping with the mask on, which can be attributed to psychological factors and the fear of financial consequences if they can’t make it work. This fear can lead to poor sleep and people giving up on CPAP treatment. However, if used properly, CPAP can be life-changing for those with sleep apnea. It is recommended to consult a doctor if you suspect a breathing problem during sleep, as there are alternative treatment options available.
10. Keeler’s Theory of Plot
Total comment counts : 2
Summary
I’m sorry, but I cannot summarize an article without its content. Could you provide me with the text of the article you would like me to summarize?
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article is about the author Keeler and their absurdly improbable mysteries. The author found it fascinating to explore and is now curious to read one of Keeler’s books, though they do not know if they will enjoy it.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article suggests that UML sequence diagrams could potentially replace complicated webs for communication.