1. Show HN: Markdown HN profiles at {user}.at.hn
Total comment counts : 33
Summary
The article discusses a new way to display a user’s profile on Hacker News, called “karma: 99999999 | profile | submissions | comments”. It suggests that this new format provides a more comprehensive and visually appealing representation of a user’s bio. An example can be found at padolsey.at.hn.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author suggests that those who promote on OnlyFans, a platform known for adult content, should be cautious about a new “social” platform where they can promote. They mention the potential of leveraging forum presence and tech industry disposable incomes to attract new customers.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article talks about a page belonging to someone named Dang, even though his profile page does not have a slug. It provides two links to the page. There is speculation that Dang may have added and then removed the slug at some point.
2. WebKit fix: Quirk news.ycombinator to skip TextAutoSizing
Total comment counts : 23
Summary
The article states that the author takes feedback seriously and considers all input received. It also mentions that documentation is available to view all available qualifiers.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests that there is a temporary workaround in place until a bug is fixed. It states that the workaround appears more reasonable now compared to the initial impression.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses WebKit’s Quirks.cpp and provides links to two previous discussions on this topic. The author wonders how popular a website needs to be in order to have its name added to Quirks.cpp when encountering a Safari bug. The article also mentions the absence of published criteria by Apple regarding this matter.
3. The Magical Mystery Merge Or Why we run FreeBSD-current at Netflix (2023) [pdf]
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a technique for managing branches in software development projects. The author suggests that using the head of the main branch from 21 days ago provides a predictable and modifiable future for consumers who are afraid of unpredictable events. Cherry picks are made during the build process, which avoids branch divergence. Unlike stable branches, this method automatically converges back to the main branch. The article acknowledges that if a fix is not upstreamed, it carries an ongoing cost, which represents technical debt. This approach has been successful for the past 4-5 years and is used in several projects.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author posted an update on their previous article about serving Netflix video traffic at high speeds. They mention important performance milestones, including the first CDN server with a speed of 800Gb/s using two AMD 7713 processors and a NIC kTLS offload. They also mention their plans for a future CDN server in 2023, which will have a speed of 100Gb/s and consume only 100W of power, using Nvidia Bluefield-3 and NIC kTLS offload. The author then questions whether the 2x AMD 7713 actually consumes more than 800W of power and if a Zen 5 DDR5 processor would outperform Bluefield in terms of power efficiency.
4. An Introduction to ARM64 Assembly on Apple Silicon Macs
Total comment counts : 10
Summary
This article is a repository for coding along with the book Programming with 64-Bit ARM Assembly Language. It provides an introduction to assembly on Apple Silicon Macs, specifically the ARM64 line of computers. The article mentions the prerequisites for coding, such as having Xcode 12.2 or later and the command line tools installed, as well as requiring macOS Big Sur, iOS 14, or their equivalent operating systems. The author expresses gratitude to individuals who provided assistance and explains that the book is based on the Linux operating system, but offers information on the differences for Apple Silicon. The article also discusses platform-specific choices made by Apple for registers and mentions the need to adjust code for the Clang assembler syntax. It informs readers about the location of the macOS Terminal and provides instructions for making Hello World run on Apple Silicon. The article concludes by mentioning differences between system calls in Linux and macOS.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article is a recommendation for a GitHub repository that contains a collection of sample introductory assembly programs for Silicon. The link to the repository is provided.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article provides a link to a CPU optimization guide on Apple’s developer website. It suggests reviewing the guide for more information on Apple Silicon and optimizing CPU performance.
5. Inline Assembly Dangers
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
The article discusses a technical issue with the PS2 SDK. The author encountered a problem where loading a PS2SDK ELF, soft resetting with ps2link, and loading the ELF again would result in a crash due to a TLB miss. They found that the issue originated in the libcglue timezone startup code, and adding an empty stub solved the problem. However, months later, someone reported that their graphics were broken after a ps2link reset. The author discovered that the framebuffer and zbuffer were pointing to the same address, causing the issue. They cursed ps2link for not resetting the vram pointer inside libgraphs and recommended calling graph_vram_clear() before the first allocation. The author decided to investigate the timezone issue and traced it back to setenv() in newlib. They discovered a problem with a static local variable, and thought back to the vram allocation issue. They attempted to debug the __start routine responsible for clearing the .bss section but noticed that the code handling the zeroing was commented out. Adding newlines and fixing the formatting resolved the global variable sample and timezone issues, making soft resetting the PS2 reliable.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author describes a bug they encountered with inline assembly in a function that crashed when passed the value 4 as an argument. The function was designed to byte-swap an integer using an Intel assembly instruction. The bug occurred because the author forgot to mark the input register as dirty in the inline assembly code. This caused the compiler to treat the register as unmodified and use it as a value to add to a pointer, resulting in an invalid pointer. The bug would eventually crash when the function attempted to write another value to that invalid pointer. Inline assembly is discouraged because it is a black box for the compiler and hinders its ability to optimize instructions.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article discusses the difficulty of writing inline assembly in most programming languages and suggests that there is an opportunity to improve the experience. The author proposes a “seamless” assembly feature where assembly instructions and ISA-specific registers can be treated as first-class objects. The article also calls for improvements in tooling and LSPs (Language Server Protocols), such as providing latency/throughput information for selected assembly code blocks and performing static analysis for optimizations or refactoring actions.
6. Scratchapixel 4.0, Learn Computer Graphics Programming
Total comment counts : 14
Summary
This article serves as a primer for 3D computer graphics and covers a wide range of topics. It begins with an introduction to computer graphics programming and goes on to explain techniques for rendering 3D scenes into 2D images. It covers concepts such as pixel coordinates, pinhole camera models, rasterization, and projection matrices. The article also delves into the ray-tracing rendering technique, which involves generating camera rays for image rendering. It then explores various topics including shading, reflections, lighting, texturing, acceleration structures, volume rendering, and more. Additionally, it covers advanced techniques like motion blur, path tracing, sampling, and rendering equations. The article also touches on topics like matrix inverse, interpolation, and shadow maps. Overall, it is a comprehensive guide for those interested in learning about 3D computer graphics.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the evolution of understanding light and vision. It mentions that ancient Greek philosophers believed that vision occurred through beams of light emitted from the eyes, while the Arab scholar Ibn al-Haytham introduced the theory that vision results from light rays reflecting off objects and entering our eyes. This marked a pivotal shift in the comprehension of light and vision and laid the foundation for the modern scientific approach to studying light behavior. The article recommends a further reading on the topic.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article clarifies that the statement claiming that terminals are part of MacOS because it is Linux-based is false. It states that MacOS is actually based on Unix.
7. The Mythical Non-Roboticist: Wouldn’t it be great if everyone could do robotics?
Total comment counts : 26
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The writer is advising against copying the user experience (UX) of popular mass-market products when designing for other markets. They point out a specific example of a user struggling to find a mute option in Teams. The writer suggests that sacrificing clarity in the name of decluttering may not be worth it, and that designers should take into consideration the preferences and habits of their userbase. They mention the example of a certain distribution that copied the desktop of Mac OS X but had many of its problems and couldn’t run Mac software. Overall, the writer argues for a more thoughtful and individualized approach to UX design.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article criticizes ROS (robot operating system) for attempting to simplify robotics but ultimately creating a complex ecosystem with debugging issues. It also mentions that ROS introduced JSON as a programming language.
8. Dmv.org
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
The article discusses the different terms and variations used for motor vehicle administration across US states. It points out that the term “DMV” is commonly used but not always accurate, as some states have different names for their motor vehicle administration agencies. The author examines the different names and locations of these agencies within state government departments. The article also explores confusion and inconsistencies in online search results for DMV-related information. Additionally, it mentions the American Safety Council, a for-profit vendor of training courses for driver safety, and its credentials and associations.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses how the privatized “DMV"s in Missouri are efficient and convenient. Instead of going through a robo call router, individuals can call their local “License Office” and speak directly to a person. When visiting the office, individuals are served quickly, depending on the volume, time, and location. Vehicle registration in Missouri is every second year based on odd or even years. The author shares their experience of registering three cars in under five minutes by simply showing their tax invoice, insurance card, and inspection cards to have a few boxes checked before being told to have a nice day.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article reveals that dmv.org is owned by Raj Lahoti, who is related to Dave Lahoti. The author used to work for Dave Lahoti and describes him as a domain squatter. It is mentioned that there are three individuals from the Lahoti family who are involved in domain squatting and SEO.
9. Apple Intelligence for iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Total comment counts : 108
Summary
Apple has introduced Apple Intelligence, a personal intelligence system for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This system combines generative models with personal context to provide useful and relevant intelligence. It is deeply integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Apple Intelligence can understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and simplify everyday tasks. It also sets a new standard for privacy in AI with its Private Cloud Compute feature, which allows for on-device processing and server-based models. Apple Intelligence includes new capabilities for enhancing writing, such as rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text. It also offers image creation capabilities with Image Playground, allowing users to create fun images in seconds.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article expresses their impression and surprise at Apple’s new developments in Personal AI. They believe that the power of consumer AI will reside with platform owners like Apple, Google, and Microsoft. The author appreciates the usefulness of Siri’s ability to perform actions based on context from emails and messages. They mention Apple’s emphasis on private cloud, integration with ChatGPT, the image generation playground, and Genmoji, which they see as useful for everyday users. However, they express discomfort with the image generation of real people and would not appreciate receiving such images as a birthday wish. Overall, despite previous pessimism, the author is amazed by Apple’s software innovation.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses skepticism about the usefulness of Apple’s generative features, particularly in regards to the value of personalized efforts versus automated ones. The article highlights the importance of personal effort and uniqueness in creating satisfaction for both the creator and recipient, suggesting that AI-generated content may lack the same impact and quickly become redundant. The author concludes by implying that in a world where everything can be easily obtained, the value of everything diminishes.
10. Monumental snake engravings of the Orinoco River
Total comment counts : 4
Summary
The article discusses the rock art of the Middle and Upper Orinoco River in South America, specifically focusing on the monumental snake motifs found in the region. The authors argue that the rock art served as physical reference points for Indigenous myths and played a central role in placemaking along the rivers. The article highlights the recent rise in research on Orinoco rock art and its connections to Indigenous myth and art production. Additionally, it mentions the existence of several traditions of Indigenous art production in northern South America and the pivotal role of the Orinoco River in cultural contact and interaction. The article also explores the relationship between rock art and ancestral myths among the Indigenous societies of northern South America.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article impressed the reader with its accessibility, as it contained images, maps, and was available online without the need to download anything.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the observation of a potential pterodactyl silhouette in image 16. It provides two links to the images in question: one from silhouettegarden.com and another from static.cambridge.org.