1. Riven
Total comment counts : 30
Summary
In September 1993, Cyan, Inc., a small company run by the Miller brothers, released their puzzle game, Myst, on the Apple Macintosh platform. Initially, they didn’t expect much success and were living on a tight budget. However, Myst slowly became a mass-market hit, selling millions of copies and receiving numerous awards and accolades. Instead of retiring on their earnings, the Miller brothers decided to fund the sequel, Riven, on their own using royalties from Myst. They aimed to create a game that surpassed its predecessor, leading them to take their time in development. Cyan’s status and success allowed them to upgrade their workspace and invest in high-end equipment. The completed headquarters resembled the virtual worlds of Myst and Riven.
Top 1 Comment Summary
In the game Riven, there is a spot with a giant sword sticking out of the ground. This spot appears in one of the game’s FMV cutscenes, so a real giant sword prop was used for filming. The person who made the prop was Adam Savage from Mythbusters.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the game Riven and how one’s reaction to it will depend on their perspective on intensive intellectual challenges and their availability of time and mental capacity. It also mentions that games like Riven were more accessible and enjoyable in the past when internet access was not as prevalent. The article suggests that modern games like Outer Wilds and The Witness have adapted to the internet age.
2. Sam and Greg’s response to OpenAI Safety researcher claims
Total comment counts : 30
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article criticizes the focus on AI exterminating humans and highlights the real dangers that are happening. These dangers include scammers becoming more sophisticated, people becoming more reliant on AI without questioning its outputs, breakdown in trust in communication, the existence of AI girlfriend products, and the power imbalance between C-level executives and employees. The author believes that AI will not lead to nuclear warfare but will instead replace jobs and further empower the already powerful. The mention of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as a solution is dismissed as an unrealistic response.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the challenges faced by risk mitigation leaders in tech companies when balancing the need to protect the company from risks with the desires of senior leadership to take risks. It suggests that either the risk-mitigator falls in line or leaves due to ethical concerns. The article compares this situation to the potential risks posed by AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) and suggests that it may not be as dramatic as it seems.
3. Floor796
Total comment counts : 25
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses an ever-expanding animation that depicts life on the 796th floor of a space station. The first link is from April 10, 2023, and has 1066 points and 118 comments. The second link is from November 15, 2022, and has 776 points and 88 comments.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses two websites, Our World of Pixels and Your World of Text, which are collaborative platforms where users can contribute to a constantly expanding canvas. Our World of Pixels features special worlds, such as one with various ships and flags, as well as a large fantasy world map. The article also mentions three specific links related to Our World of Pixels: CountrySim, PlanetSim, and Jpdld. Additionally, it briefly mentions Your World of Text, which follows a similar concept but in text format.
4. Katy – 68000 Linux on a Solderless Breadboard (2014)
Total comment counts : 10
Summary
The article discusses the process of building a 68000-based protoboard computer and getting it to run Linux. It took the author about three weeks to complete the project, facing various challenges along the way. The hardware consists of a Motorola 68008 CPU, a 512K SRAM, and a 512K Flash ROM. An FT245 USB-to-FIFO module is used for communication with another computer. The protoboard also includes a 555 timer for interrupt generation and LEDs for debugging. The author developed a ROM-based monitor/bootloader and was able to load and execute programs. However, they did not implement the ability to reprogram the Flash ROM, requiring them to physically remove and place the ROM chip in an external programmer. The author also mentions their excitement about having a multitasking OS running on the protoboard computer.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of a 555 timer for preemptive scheduling in Linux, which the author finds to be impressively innovative.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article is not provided. Could you please provide a brief summary or key details of the article?
5. Transforming a QLC SSD into an SLC SSD
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
This article discusses the process of transforming a QLC NAND SSD into an SLC SSD to improve durability and performance. The author provides step-by-step instructions using the Crucial BX500 SSD as an example. They caution that this procedure voids the warranty and erases all data on the SSD, so backup is necessary. The article also discusses the SSD controller, DRAM cache, and NAND flash used in the Crucial BX500. The author explains the software, MPTools, used for this project, which allows for modifications to the SSD settings. The article concludes by mentioning the need to retrieve certain parameters from the SSD before making modifications.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article explains how to use inexpensive DRAMless SSDs in pSLC (pseudo-single-level cell) mode without much difficulty. By under-provisioning the SSD to only use 25-33% of its capacity and leaving the remaining space unused and trimmed, the SSD will continuously write in pSLC mode. The article suggests checking the SSD’s mode by conducting a “HD Tune” full drive write benchmark and observing if the write speed drops significantly after the first 1/3-1/4 of the drive, indicating full drive caching mode. Most low-end DRAMless controllers operate in this mode, although some manufacturers may have modified the firmware to use a smaller cache.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the relationship between endurance and retention in flash cells. It explains that flash cells wear out and become leakier with each cycle, causing them to lose their charge more quickly. It mentions that SLC (Single-Level Cell) mode, which only requires distinguishing between two states, allows the drive to hold data for longer compared to QLC (Quad-Level Cell) mode, which requires distinguishing between 16 states. The article also highlights that this modification not only provides extreme endurance but also improves retention. Manufacturers typically specify retention as the number of years after a certain number of cycles, and the article suggests that the retention in SLC mode may be higher than in QLC mode. The firmware used for SLC mode blocks may also contribute to reliability by employing stronger ECC (Error Correction Code).
6. Michelle’s List: A free, anonymous landlord review site
Total comment counts : 23
Summary
The article is about Michelle’s List, a free and anonymous landlord review site. It allows users to read and leave reviews for landlords before entering into a lease. The site is designed to help renters find reputable landlords and make informed decisions when choosing an apartment.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the potential lack of anonymity in a service claiming to be anonymous. It highlights a few points that raise concerns, such as the leaking of user information to Google, the possibility of being subject to subpoenas or changes in the agreement by the service or its acquirer, ambiguous interpretations of “giving away” information, and the likelihood of data breaches. The article also points out that the lack of identification for those running the service contradicts their stated values of transparency and accountability, which may affect users’ ability to hold them accountable for their privacy assurances.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the imbalance of power between landlords and renters in the United States. It highlights the lack of leverage for renters who have issues with their landlords, particularly due to the broken housing system. The article mentions that prior landlord references were required to rent a new place, which posed a challenge for renters with mediocre landlords who may have neglected problems and withheld deposits without reason. Rental management companies are said to be motivated to provide poor service at high prices. The article suggests that the situation is similar to the taxi industry before Uber and Lyft introduced ratings as a form of recourse for riders. The author concludes by stating that most people who extol the benefits of renting have not done so in a long time.
7. Mathematicians and the Selection Task (2004)
Total comment counts : 7
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The Wason selection task is a reasoning task where people perform better when it involves social situations. For example, if the task requires determining the age of a person based on the drink they are consuming, such as beer or soda, people are more likely to correctly identify the requirement of checking the age of those drinking beer if the rule states they must be at least 21. According to the article, 75% of people were able to figure this out.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author questions whether the investigators of a study chose the right faculty to examine. They mention that as a mathematician, they were aware that a large fraction of a mathematics department failed a certain test. They also discuss their own thought process and wonder if the students and staff approached the test as a logic puzzle or relied on intuition. The author concludes by mentioning their gut response and the time it took to convince themselves that they were correct.
8. Is artificial consciousness achievable? Lessons from the human brain
Total comment counts : 44
Summary
The article discusses arXivLabs, a framework that enables collaboration for developing and sharing new features on the arXiv website. Both individuals and organizations working with arXivLabs support the values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv only collaborates with partners who adhere to these values. The article also mentions the arXiv Operational Status, which provides status notifications via email or Slack.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article is a comment recommending sources for those interested in alternative theories of consciousness to materialism or physicalism. It suggests seeking out discussions with individuals such as Federico Faggin, Bernardo Kastrup, and Donald D. Hoffman, who have expertise in fields related to consciousness. The article emphasizes the importance of exploring these discussions in an objective manner to better understand one’s own position on the subject. It also includes links to sources for further reading.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a conversation between the author and their mother, who happens to be a psychologist. The author explained to their mother how artificial general intelligence (AGI) could potentially be achieved, using a link as a reference. The conversation shifted to the topic of consciousness, and the mother concluded that if something cannot be made to perceive divinity through the use of lysergic acid, then it is not conscious. She then moved on to preparing dinner.
9. Intel undercut a standards body to give us the PCI connector
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
This article explains that VLB (VESA Local Bus) was not a successful technology because it had significant flaws. It was not designed to be compatible with newer processors beyond the 486, as it assumed direct connection to the memory bus. It also had poor electrical connectivity, allowing only a few cards to be used, and using a hard drive controller on it could lead to data loss and damage to the disk. Overall, VLB was considered a poor and unreliable option.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article points out that the USB protocol was heavily influenced by the Atari 8-bit SIO subsystem. This subsystem had advanced technology, such as a universal bus interface and universal driver format, that went unnoticed due to the perception of the Atari as just a gaming machine. The article provides a link to more information about the Atari SIO subsystem.
10. YARA is dead, long live YARA-X
Total comment counts : 8
Summary
YARA, a tool used by malware researchers, has undergone a full rewrite and is now known as YARA-X. The goals of this rewrite include enhancing the user experience, improving rule-level compatibility, increasing performance, enhancing reliability and security, and providing developer-friendly features. The decision to rewrite YARA was made due to the need for significant design changes and the advantages offered by Rust, the language in which YARA-X is now built. YARA will still be maintained, but new features and modules will be focused on YARA-X. YARA-X is currently in beta and has been tested alongside YARA at VirusTotal. The aim is for YARA-X to surpass YARA and become the preferred choice for users.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the risk of creating a split within the YARA ecosystem with the development of YARA-X, which is seen as a stricter subset of YARA. While YARA-X currently allows for writing rules that are valid for both, there is a concern about the potential divergence of features and updates between YARA-X and YARA in the future.
Top 2 Comment Summary
Yara is a tool that provides an explanation for those who are curious about its functionality. For more details, refer to the link provided: https://virustotal.github.io/yara/