1. Show HN: I made a discrete logic network card
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
The article discusses the author’s progress in building a complete computer system using discrete logic components. They have built a physical level adapter to convert Ethernet signals to SPI and back, and they are now implementing a MAC layer module to connect it to their homebrew computer. The receiver operation involves converting serial SPI data into a stream of bytes and writing them into a static RAM buffer. The received data and its length can be accessed using a system data bus. The transmitter operation involves counting bits and bytes, and it only supports frames of a fixed length. The frame transmission logic depends on a single bit of the byte counter.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a hardware MAC address filtering and praises the detailed reasoning and explanation provided. While acknowledging that it may not be practical for real-world networking, the article suggests that it could be helpful in addressing security concerns related to backdoors in complex network chips.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author is discussing the minimal implementation of an ethernet card for a “normal” PC. They suspect that the implementation would be similar to that of an all-custom computer, with checksums being done on the PC’s CPU. They suggest the possibility of attaching the ethernet card via bare serial or USB, and either writing a driver for it or utilizing existing drivers. The author also mentions the option of using the USB communications device class or Ethernet over USB as potential solutions. However, they admit that this topic is complex and goes beyond their level of expertise.
2. Hello OLMo: A truly open LLM
Total comment counts : 14
Summary
The Allen Institute for AI (AI2) has released OLMo 7B, an open large language model, along with its pre-training data and training code. The framework, developed in collaboration with several institutions and partners, aims to provide researchers and developers with tools to advance language models collectively. OLMo allows for transparency and understanding of AI models, which is crucial for building safe and trustworthy AI. AI2 plans to continue improving OLMo and expanding its capabilities. The release of OLMo is part of AI2’s commitment to open research and collaboration in the AI community.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the license agreement for using the LLM (Language and Vision Model) provided by the Allen Institute for AI. According to the license, users of the LLM are required to inform the authors about their intended use of the model by submitting a Derivative Impact Report or similar written information. The authors reserve the right to publish this information for public review. Users are also encouraged to share the information about their derivatives openly with others. The Derivative Impact Reports are not meant to penalize disclosures about derivatives in good faith. However, if a user initiates or participates in a lawsuit or legal action against a third party based on information in the third party’s Derivative Impact Report, the license agreement will terminate.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article expresses appreciation for the end-to-end openness of a certain model, as it is one of the few true open-source software (OSS) models available compared to others that only release binary files. The author is surprised that the article did not mention a specific model called Mistral 7b in their comparisons.
3. Peter Higgs, physicist who discovered Higgs boson, has died
Total comment counts : 19
Summary
Peter Higgs, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist known for proposing the Higgs boson particle, has passed away at the age of 94. Higgs’ work in 1964 showed how the Higgs boson helped bind the universe together by giving particles their mass. His theory was proven in 2012 by physicists working at Cern’s Large Hadron Collider. Higgs spent most of his professional life at Edinburgh University, and the university set up the Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics in his honor in 2012. Higgs was described as a gifted scientist and a man of rare modesty who explained physics in a simple and profound way. His groundbreaking work has had a significant impact on the field of particle physics and will continue to inspire future generations.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author expresses gratitude for having the opportunity to meet Mr. Higgs, the physicist who played a crucial role in the discovery of the Higgs boson. The encounter took place at CERN, where the author was an intern. They describe Mr. Higgs as humble and polite. The author considers themselves fortunate to have spoken to him and expresses condolences upon his passing.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article is about the author’s personal connection to physicist Peter Higgs and his prediction of the Higgs mechanism. The author explains how this story sparked their interest in physics as a child because it aligned with their belief that genius is developed through hard work and some luck. The author also recalls their vivid memory of the announcement of the detection of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
4. 1.18k drawings of plant root systems
Total comment counts : 23
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
This article provides examples of common plants and weeds and their root systems. It mentions bindweed, which has deep roots, horsetail, which is resistant to herbicides and spreads through spores, goutweed, which has a dense network of thin roots, dandelion, which has roots that can reach 4.5 meters, potato, which has tubers, and carrot, which has an edible taproot. The article includes links to images of these plants’ root systems.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a massive effort led by Herr Dipl. -Ing Dr. Erwin Lichtenegger from 1960 to 2009. The author wanted to convert the project into a 3D format but did not receive a response from the library or the Pflanzensoziologisches Institute. They believe that the project would have been impressive with today’s tools. The author appreciates the effort and dedication put into the project and considers it both art and science. The author also mentions that the workbooks of Dr. Santiago Ramon y Cajal on brain neurons have similarities to the roots depicted in the project.
5. How I tripped over the Debian weak keys vulnerability
Total comment counts : 11
Summary
The article discusses an incident that occurred in March 2008, involving the deployment and security of SSH keys on GitHub. As GitHub began to gain popularity and their userbase grew, the standard method of managing SSH keys in the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file became inefficient and caused slow SSH login times. To address this issue, the author, working at Engine Yard, proposed a solution to patch OpenSSH and store the keys in a MySQL database. The solution was implemented in early April and resulted in faster SSH logins. However, a month later, it was discovered that some users were able to access other users’ repositories over SSH. Upon investigation, it was found that two users had keys with the same fingerprint, which should not have been possible unless the keys were shared. The incident highlights the importance of thorough testing and investigation when implementing changes to ensure security.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions the discovery of a vulnerability, CVE-2008-0166, but does not provide details on when or how Luciano Bello discovered it. However, in the IRC logs, Luciano mentions needing many prime numbers and not getting the same numbers every time.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article refers to the importance of having an open-source community to identify and fix bugs in software. It highlights the benefits of having many people with different skills and perspectives working on a code, as they increase the likelihood of discovering and resolving issues. In contrast, proprietary or closed code makes it impossible for outsiders to spot bugs.
6. TSAC: Low Bitrate Audio Compression
Total comment counts : 25
Summary
The article discusses TSAC, an audio compression utility that is capable of achieving very low bitrates. It can compress a stereo song of 3.5 minutes to a file size of 192 KiB while maintaining good perceptual quality. The software requires an Nvidia GPU for fast operation, although CPU-only operation is also supported, albeit slower. The article mentions several audio extracts available for use with TSAC.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article praises a new type of ship and provides a link to comparisons of its audio quality at different bit rates. The author notes that the ship performs well at lower bit rates but mentions an issue with inconsistent volume output.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a method to corrupt compressed files by patching out the CRC check in the binary. It provides a command to execute the patch and suggests that interesting results can be observed. The article also mentions that the fast mode of compression, which does not require patching the binary, produces a different sound compared to the normal mode, but both are described as interesting.
7. Distributed SQLite: Paradigm shift or hype?
Total comment counts : 28
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The author agrees with the points made in the article but suggests reframing the discussion. They mention a tool called Litestream for disaster recovery with SQLite, which they believe is a good option for new projects. They emphasize that unless you have specific database requirements, most SQL will work with SQLite, Postgres, and MySQL. The author sees distributed SQLite as an extension of a developer’s path, not a paradigm shift or hype. They explain that LiteFS can be a next step for developers concerned about horizontal scaling with SQLite. The author doesn’t consider the use of txid as hacky and believes it’s a useful option for certain applications and legacy systems. They mention that caching is orthogonal to the discussion of distributed application data but also acknowledge the downsides of caching.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the paradigm shift that will come with the use of distributed SQLite, which is not going to the edge, but rather to users’ devices. The author believes that building local-first apps will become critical in the next year or so and gain popularity. The article mentions dynamic partial replication, which allows for the synchronization of a subset of the database to a SQLite database on users’ devices, eliminating the need for network interaction. With emerging syncing systems, conflict-free eventual consistency is possible through the use of CRDTs. The article mentions other systems, such as Evolu, SQLsync, CR-SQLite, and PowerSync, that are also working on similar ideas. The author concludes by acknowledging that SQLite on the edge is still cool.
8. Re-creating Disney’s sodium vapor process [video]
Total comment counts : 14
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of light installations in art and provides links to videos showcasing these installations. The author finds the installations impressive and useful, and mentions another YouTube channel that features experimental cinematography.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author mentions using cheap Chinese band notch filters for a similar purpose as the Disney process discussed in the article. They also mention using this for AI training and express amazement at the range of customizable frequencies available for purchase on Alibaba.
9. Beeper acquired by Automattic
Total comment counts : 47
Summary
Automattic has acquired Beeper, a universal chat app that allows users to send and receive messages on 14 different chat networks. Beeper, with over 115,000 users, was previously in beta. The acquisition aims to push boundaries and create new experiences in the messaging landscape, which has seen little significant innovation since Discord’s launch in 2015. Automattic, known for supporting WordPress and WooCommerce, will collaborate with Beeper to develop software for chat. CEO Matt Mullenweg and Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky have a long-standing relationship and are aligned in their goal to build the best chat app. Migicovsky will lead the team as Head of Messaging under the Beeper brand.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article talks about an exciting day for Beeper, which began three years ago with a post on Hacker News. The URL provided leads to the original post.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author speculates about the possibility of merging Beeper and Texts.com, as both apps have similar features. They suggest that Texts.com could be designed for the Apple Ecosystem, while Beeper could cater to Android users. Additionally, the article mentions that Beeper recently launched a new version of their app for Android.
10. BART to offer final rides on original equipment on April 20
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in California is offering the public a last chance to ride its original fleet of 1970s-era railcars. On April 20, two 10-car trains using the original cars will run a 24-mile segment from MacArthur to Fremont. The event, called “Riding into History: Final Run of the First Fleet,” will include speeches and merchandise for sale. BART is donating three cars to the Western Railway Museum, with plans to create exhibits showcasing the history of the BART system and the legacy fleet. The legacy fleet ended regular service in September 2023.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests using the Ferry as a means of transportation between Oakland, Alameda, and San Francisco in order to avoid traffic caused by events. Although it may be slower and more expensive, it is described as a pleasant experience where one can take their time and enjoy the journey by bringing a book or simply looking out at the water.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article discusses the strength requirements of metro systems in the US compared to those in Europe and other countries. The author notes that Europe has more expertise and success in this area. They mention that it would be nice if the US could simply adopt the regulations and designs of other countries, but they acknowledge that this is not a realistic possibility. The article also mentions the other challenges facing mass transit in the US and expresses a desire for a transit system like that in Tokyo.