1. Spreadsheets are all you need
Total comment counts : 40
Summary
The article discusses a low-code introduction to Large Language Models (LLMs) called “Spreadsheets-are-all-you-need.” It explains that the implementation of the forward pass of GPT2 (a predecessor to ChatGPT) is done entirely in Excel using standard spreadsheet functions. The article mentions that this same Transformer architecture is used in various LLMs such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard/Gemini. It provides a 10-minute demo video that walks through the high-level architecture of GPT2 and how it is implemented in an Excel spreadsheet. The article mentions that the spreadsheet is available for download and can be run in Excel for Mac or PC, but it advises using manual calculation mode and the Windows version of Excel to avoid potential issues. The author also notes that the project originally started on Google Sheets but switched to Excel due to size limitations. However, the implementation in Google Sheets is still being explored. Overall, the article highlights how Spreadsheets-are-all-you-need provides a low-code way to learn about AI and LLMs.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The creator of the article expresses appreciation for it being posted and offers to answer questions and take suggestions. They also mention that the next video will be on embeddings and will be completed soon.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article highlights how Jeremy Howard has been effectively using spreadsheets to teach neural networks for several years. This approach is both instructive and intuitive for learners.
2. A generalist AI agent for 3D virtual environments
Total comment counts : 44
Summary
The article discusses new research on a Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent (SIMA) developed by Google DeepMind. This agent can understand natural language instructions and perform tasks in a variety of video game settings. The purpose of this research is not to achieve high game scores, but rather to create AI agents that can follow instructions in various game settings and potentially become more helpful in any environment. The SIMA agent was trained and tested on nine different video games in collaboration with eight game studios. It can navigate, perform object manipulation, and use menus based on the instructions provided by the user. The current version of SIMA has been evaluated on 600 basic skills, and future versions aim to tackle tasks that require strategic planning and multiple sub-tasks. The research demonstrates that an agent trained on multiple games performs better than an agent trained on a single game.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses OpenAI’s development of an AI that could compete against professional Dota players, which was a significant moment for the author. The AI’s abilities were showcased at TI7, an event that prompted the author to transition their career. For more information, you can refer to the Wikipedia page on OpenAI Five.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses hope that developers will now be able to use AI to create more dynamic and lifelike non-playable characters (NPCs) in role-playing games (RPGs). They note that previous promises of NPCs with their own lives and independent actions have never lived up to expectations, but believe that AI technology could bring us closer to achieving this.
3. LaVague: Open-source Large Action Model to automate Selenium browsing
Total comment counts : 19
Summary
The article discusses a framework called LaVague that automates tasks on the internet by transforming natural language instructions into seamless browser interactions. LaVague aims to free up time by automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks that require little cognitive effort. It provides an engine to convert natural language queries into Selenium code, making it easy for users or other AIs to automate web workflows. The key usage is to automate personal tasks such as paying bills, filling forms, and extracting data from websites. LaVague is built on open-source projects and emphasizes transparency and alignment with users’ interests. The article also mentions the opportunity for collaboration and invites readers to contribute to the project. It provides instructions for trying LaVague in a Colab notebook and setting up the necessary dependencies. The overall goal is to democratize transparent and aligned AI models for the benefit of internet users.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the challenges of using tools to automate data integration and copying from one application to another. The author points out that these tools are not effective for more complex websites with spinners and that they are better suited for internal enterprise applications. The author also mentions that existing tools are already sufficient for static or fully server-side rendered sites. Overall, the article highlights the limitations and frustrations of current automation solutions.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article explains that there is no easy way to delete all your photos from Google Photos at once. The author had to manually delete photos over a span of two weeks using a script. The author suggests that a similar approach can be used in other situations where you need to set instructions for a task and let it run.
4. Oregon passes right-to-repair law Apple lobbied to kill
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
Oregon has become the seventh state to pass “right to repair” legislation, joining states such as New York, California, and Massachusetts. The bill requires device manufacturers to make parts, tools, and repair manuals available to consumers and third-party repair shops on fair terms. It also aims to prevent “parts pairing,” which restricts device parts replacement without company approval. Apple, known for its practice of parts pairing, lobbied against the bill. Google, on the other hand, supported the legislation. The bill is expected to face industry lawsuits but has been praised by activist and consumer groups.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses a law in Oregon that defines an independent repair provider as someone who possesses a valid certification demonstrating technical capabilities and competence to safely and reliably repair consumer electronic equipment. Manufacturers have the right to decide which certifications they accept. Without these certifications, individuals cannot be considered independent repair providers, and manufacturers can refuse to allow them to perform repairs. However, manufacturers are required to work with average individuals who repair their own devices, but these individuals may need to prove ownership before receiving assistance. The law’s full text can be found at the provided link.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The Oregon bill is targeting “parts pairing,” a practice used by companies like Apple to prevent consumers from replacing device parts without approval. Apple has been lobbying against the bill, claiming that eliminating parts pairing would pose risks to public safety and security. John Perry, a secure repair architect at Apple, expressed concerns about the broad parts-pairing restrictions in the bill. The article suggests that this concern may be motivated by Apple’s desire to maintain control over repairs and pricing.
5. I summarized my understanding of Linux systems
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
The article provides a list of references including books and online resources related to Linux and operating systems. Some of the resources mentioned are “How Linux Works, 2nd edition,” “FHS 3.0,” “The Dinosaur Book,” “OSTEP,” “Understanding the Linux Kernel, 3rd edition,” and “UML Distilled, 3rd edition.”
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the book “The Design of the Unix operating system” by Maurice J. Bach. Although the book is outdated and does not align with present-day Linux, it provides a valuable overview of the key components and ideas of Unix.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article recommends looking at the /proc and /sys directories to understand how things are interconnected and related. These directories are used by tools like ps and top to work with processes. The article also mentions that the “everything is a file” philosophy becomes clearer in these directories, as even low-level system calls and their structures are offered as file paths. Additionally, the article mentions eBPF and its bytecode VM as being important to know about in the future, as many tools are starting to use their own BPF modules.
6. Reverse engineering a car key fob signal
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
The author of this article discusses their interest in exploring radio communication protocols, particularly those used in remote controls such as car key fobs. They share their journey of successfully reverse engineering and replaying a car’s key fob signal. The author also aims to dispel the notion that cars are easily stolen using replay attacks, despite recent bans on devices like the Flipper Zero. They mention the use of an RTL-SDR dongle and a CC1101 chip for their experiments. The article provides basic concepts of radio frequency and discusses carrier waves, frequency, and modulation types.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions a GNU Radio flow graph that has a similar purpose to the provided link https://github.com/bastibl/gr-keyfob. It also refers to a presentation available at https://www.fleark.de/keyfob.pdf.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author describes how they were able to reverse engineer a cheap key fob purchased on AliExpress for an electronic project using an oscilloscope and Wikipedia. They mention that it was a straightforward process and express the intention to try a new method from a blog post in order to improve their hacking skills.
7. BlenderBIM – add-on for beautiful, detailed, and data-rich OpenBIM with Blender
Total comment counts : 19
Summary
The article mentions that Blender, a free software developed by the Blender community, has been funded with $2,500. The BlenderBIM Add-on, which is created using the IfcOpenShell project, relies on the contributions of dedicated volunteers. The IfcOpenShell project, an open-source IFC toolkit and geometry engine, allows users to participate and contribute to its development.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article explains that when their home was being reconstructed, the architect used software to create plans in BIM format. The author used Blender with BlenderBIM to create virtual tours of their home to better understand how the planned changes would look. Although there were some minor flaws in the export/import process, such as missing doors and windows and incorrect dimensions of walls, the author was able to fix these manually in Blender. Overall, the plugin worked well and helped the author make decisions about their home reconstruction. The author recommends it for similar uses.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses BlenderBIM, a software that uses the Industrial Foundation Classes (IFC) data model to model buildings and their components. BlenderBIM internally manages the data using the IfcOpenShell library and Python interfaces. While Blender is primarily a rendering backend with a user interface, it can be used to manipulate the IFC model through Python commands. However, there are certain actions in Blender that may not directly affect the underlying IFC data, resulting in unexpected outcomes. The article also mentions Autodesk Revit as the main commercial player in the space, but suggests that Autodesk should consider the BlenderBIM approach for their next generation of software.
8. Nanos – A Unikernel
Total comment counts : 24
Summary
The article discusses a unikernel called Nanos that runs one application in a virtualized environment, boasting better security and speed compared to Linux. The benchmarks indicate that Nanos serves static content nearly twice as fast as Linux. The article encourages developers to contribute to the Nanos community on GitHub or join discussions on IRC. NanoVMs also offers enterprise support for businesses.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses whether a certain software works under Kubernetes. It advises users to evaluate if they truly need Kubernetes, as running under it may lead to performance and security issues. However, if users still wish to proceed, the article provides instructions for running the software under Kubernetes. The article can be found at https://nanos.org/faq. The reader finds the FAQ interesting and hopes to see more discussion about it on HN.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a similar unikernel called Mirage-OS, which is built on top of Xen and has a focus on security. The author expresses a desire to encounter unikernels in production at some point.
9. The Myers diff algorithm: part 1
Total comment counts : 7
Summary
This article discusses the importance of diffs in version control systems, such as Git, and how they are used to understand changes in software. Diffs are also used by version control systems to automate changes. The article then introduces the Myers diff algorithm, which is the default diff algorithm used by Git. The algorithm determines the changes between two strings by finding the smallest set of edits required to convert one string into the other. It also explains that there are multiple interpretations of the difference between two files, and diff algorithms aim to generate diffs with desirable properties, such as being as small as possible.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses Myers’ algorithm for finding the shortest edit script between two inputs. The algorithm is described as being greedy, as it tries to consume as many similar lines as possible before making changes. It prioritizes deletions over insertions and guarantees to find an alignment of minimal length. The algorithm is also efficient as it hunts for solutions with zero, one, two, etc. edits, terminating as soon as it finds a solution. This makes it faster than other approaches when the inputs are highly similar.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the implementation of the Myers diff algorithm in Visual Studio Code. It mentions that in addition to the core algorithm, the software includes several heuristics to display more aesthetically pleasing differences in various scenarios. The article provides further details in the linked YouTube video.
10. Write for others but mostly for yourself (2022)
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
The author started their blog with the intention of advancing their career and establishing themselves as an authority in their chosen tech field. However, they found that blogging had unexpected benefits beyond simply showcasing their work. Writing forced them to rigorously think about and understand the topics they were discussing, as they didn’t want to waste readers’ time or risk public ridicule. The process of writing regularly and confronting their own lack of understanding pushed them to learn more and improve their thinking. As a result, their blog helped them level up in their career and gain visibility within their niche. The author now also uses writing as a way to improve their thinking and flesh out ideas for their team. They emphasize that blogging is not just about personal branding, but rather a valuable tool for improving knowledge and critical thinking. Despite its declining popularity, the author encourages others to embrace blogging for its personal benefits.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the relationship between writing and thinking. The author shares that writing helps them quiet their thoughts and allows them to process their ideas. They emphasize the importance of writing until they are done thinking, as it helps them empty their mind and move on to the next thought. The author reflects on how writing about a certain topic sometimes teaches them valuable lessons about thought, while other times it does not. They express gratitude for the lesson that writing provides and contemplate whether they think in order to write or write in order to think.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author discusses how writing emails can help with problem-solving and decision-making. They share a personal experience where they had to address an issue late at night and needed to communicate with their team before they woke up. They started writing an email to outline the goals, options, and potential contingencies, which helped them to clarify the best course of action. The author also notes that writing emails can be a way to organize and distill our own thoughts, not just to communicate with others.