1. Microfeatures I love in blogs and personal websites
Total comment counts : 89
Summary
The article discusses three types of features in programming languages: fundamental features, deeply engrained features, and convenient features. The focus is on convenient features, which are relatively easy to implement and improve the quality of life for users. The author then explores two specific features that can enhance websites: sidenotes and tables of contents. Sidenotes provide additional details or sources without interrupting the main flow of an article, while tables of contents improve navigation and communicate the structure of a webpage. Examples and recommendations for implementing these features are given.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests that while some ideas are good, there are a couple of suggestions that the author strongly dislikes. They express their hatred for progress bars, claiming they are distracting and unnecessary. Additionally, the author argues against link decoration, stating that their browser already provides a clear indicator of where a link goes. They criticize websites that use interstitial warning pages or preview popups as being hostile and disruptive.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article suggests implementing a single-page index of all blog posts on websites. They want to be able to see the titles of all posts at a glance and easily search them using Ctrl+F. The author believes that even if there are a large number of titles, they can still be shown on one page without affecting the page size significantly.
2. Apple found in breach of EU competition rules
Total comment counts : 25
Summary
Apple has been found in breach of new EU laws aimed at promoting competition and consumer choice in the app store. The European Commission’s preliminary findings indicate that Apple’s rules prevent app developers from steering consumers to alternative channels and charging excessive fees. Apple has 12 months to comply or face fines of up to 10% of its global revenues. This is the third non-compliance investigation opened by the commission into Apple since the Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into force last year. The commission has also launched inquiries into Google and Meta. Apple has made changes to comply with the DMA but maintains that its plan is lawful.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author expresses a desire for the United States to adopt the same practices as the European Union (EU) when it comes to software control. They criticize the fact that one company, Apple, has significant power over what software can be published and charges a tax on all software sold. They argue that although there are alternative platforms available, most US consumers use iPhones and are likely unaware of Apple’s control over app developers and software publication. The author also mentions that Apple reviews all software and empowers low-level employees to make decisions that can potentially harm entire companies.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author believes that the EU is wrong for asking the App Store to be fee free because there are costs associated with running it. They argue that allowing third party stores would lead to scams and data leaks. The author also suggests that developers already benefit from the App Store by having their apps displayed and sold without chargebacks or running costs. They feel threatened as a user and predict that more apps will require constant location access in the future.
3. Benjamin Thorpe translated almost all Old English texts (2016)
Total comment counts : 9
Summary
Benjamin Thorpe (1782-1870) was a scholar who published extensive editions and translations of Old English texts. He studied early English antiquities in Copenhagen and married Mary Anne Otté, adopting her daughter Elise. Thorpe primarily earned his living as a translator of Anglo-Saxon texts and was considered the first professional Anglo-Saxonist. He was known for his humility and acknowledged when he couldn’t translate certain texts. Despite this, Thorpe read more lines of Old English manuscript text than anyone else. He produced numerous editions and translations of Old English texts, leaving a significant impact on the field of Anglo-Saxon studies. Thorpe was also a member of various scholarly societies and died at the age of 88. However, his reputation was almost tarnished when a student complained about his edition of Beowulf.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the lack of major works in Anglo-Saxon or Old English that were found after a certain individual’s lifetime. The author expresses surprise at the absence of any new writing discovered in palimpsests or binding materials.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article talks about how translations of certain texts may require additional translations in the future due to the outdated language used. It specifically mentions an example of using “ye” which is no longer in common use. The article also mentions that 18th-century French, although sophisticated and elegant, is difficult to read without footnotes due to the changes in vocabulary and grammar over time.
4. Cosmopolitan v3.5
Total comment counts : 23
Summary
The article discusses the development of Cosmopolitan Libc, which aims to make the C programming language a “build-once run-anywhere” language, similar to Java. It achieves this by reconfiguring stock GCC and Clang to output a POSIX-approved polyglot format that can run natively on various operating systems such as Linux, Mac, Windows, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, and BIOS. The focus is on achieving high-performance and a small footprint. The article mentions improvements made to the memory map implementation, reinventing the C++ STL, and enhancements in the GitHub development process.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the possibility of using Python, APE, pex, shiv, pyinstaller, and the pants build system to create a toolchain that produces single-file Python executables. These executables would include a virtual environment and be compatible with mainstream operating systems while maintaining native performance. The article provides links to the mentioned tools for further reference.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses their desire for Graal Native to be compatible with their Clojure/Java binaries so that they can run without a virtual machine, allowing their programs to be easily compiled and run on any platform.
5. React Lua
Total comment counts : 17
Summary
The article discusses React Lua, which is a translation of ReactJS from JavaScript into Lua. React Lua is optimized for performance and correctness and includes type annotations translated from flowtype and definitely-typed types. It states that most advice for React JS can be applied to React Lua with some modifications due to language differences. The article also mentions that React Lua is intended to replace the Roact project and aims to be compatible with it. It provides information on deviations from Roact and suggests using appropriate equivalents for Lua language differences.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article provides some background information on a project that is a fork of roblox/react-lua. The purpose of the project is to open it up for community engagement and it utilizes Roblox’s Luau, which is described as a fast, small, safe, gradually typed scripting language derived from Lua. The article also mentions that Roblox started using Lua 5.1 as a scripting language for games in 2006 and over the years made adjustments to ensure a safe and secure environment.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author is questioning why React is used in Roblox instead of Lua, which they believed was only used for scripting. They are trying to understand how React is used in Roblox to build UI elements, as they had assumed that Roblox only allowed for writing Lua-scripts to handle events and modify the game flow. They express their excitement about React’s ability to manage state and presentation in a full UI element, which they find surprising.
6. US prosecutors recommend Justice Department criminally charge Boeing
Total comment counts : 25
Summary
U.S. prosecutors are recommending that criminal charges be brought against Boeing for violating a settlement related to two fatal crashes. They found that the company breached a 2021 agreement that had shielded Boeing from a criminal charge of conspiracy to commit fraud. Under the agreement, Boeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion and make compliance changes to avoid prosecution. Boeing disagrees with the determination that it violated the settlement. The Justice Department must decide by July 7 whether to prosecute. Options include extending the settlement or proposing new terms. Prosecutors are considering charges beyond the original fraud conspiracy charge. The strictest settlements usually involve financial penalties and a third party to monitor compliance. Boeing is hesitant to plead guilty, as it could impact its business relationships, particularly with the U.S. government. Families of the crash victims have criticized the 2021 agreement and are pushing for a nearly $25 billion fine and criminal prosecution.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests expropriating at least 51% of a company, allowing public officials to take control and establish necessary checks and controls. The shares would then be sold, with a small portion retained for state oversight. Current stock owners would lose half of their value as punishment for their lack of oversight. This would grant the state access to privileged company information to prosecute those responsible, while top executives would be replaced and have their compensation reduced by half. The goal is to reset the company on a more solid foundation.
Top 2 Comment Summary
Boeing has faced a series of troubling revelations recently. The company has been found to have used counterfeit titanium, retaliated against whistleblowers, hidden faulty parts from regulators, and lost those parts. These incidents are not isolated and indicate a larger problem within the company.
7. Arm64EC – Build and port apps for native performance on Arm
Total comment counts : 10
Summary
The article discusses the features and benefits of Arm64EC (“Emulation Compatible”), a new application binary interface (ABI) for apps running on Arm devices with Windows 11. Arm64EC allows developers to build native apps or gradually transition existing x64 apps to take advantage of the performance benefits provided by Arm-powered devices. It guarantees interoperability with x64 code and enables native performance for Arm64EC code while running x64 code using built-in emulation. The article also mentions that Windows 11 on Arm relies heavily on Arm64EC’s interoperability to run x64 applications. It provides guidance on how to use Arm64EC to incrementally transition code and improve app performance. Additionally, it explains how to identify if an application has been compiled as Arm64EC using developer tools.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses the possibility of Actually Portable Executable being able to run on Windows ARM. The author is excited about the potential of encoding ARM code in their binaries, as currently there is no way to indicate this in the PE headers. They suggest that if their emulated WinMain() function could detect emulation and request a jump to the ARM entrypoint through the WIN32 API, it would be the perfect solution. The author expresses their intention to purchase a Windows ARM computer due to this development.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses how a long-term contributor to LuaJIT introduced Arm64EC support and the “franken ABI” at FOSDEM 2024. The contributor gave an entertaining talk on this topic.
8. Show HN: Online OPML editor to manage subscription lists
Total comment counts : 4
Summary
The article is about an online OPML editor that is designed for managing subscription lists for RSS and Atom feeds. The project is licensed under the AGPL-3.0 License. The editor can be accessed at opml.imadij.com.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions a blogroll of large Hacker News users that is available in OPML format. The link provided leads to the blogroll.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author suggests that there should be a way to add outlines while in outliner mode. They propose having a simple dialog that asks for key information such as title, URL, and category name when adding a category or feed.
9. Formal methods: Just good engineering practice?
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
In this article, the author argues that formal methods are an important aspect of good software engineering practice. They claim that software engineers working on large-scale systems, distributed systems, or critical low-level systems should incorporate formal methods into their approach to optimize time and money. The author acknowledges that formal methods can be costly and not easily integrated into every software engineering approach, but argues that they can prevent rework and reduce the cost of change. They suggest that software with well-understood requirements, such as those in large-scale, distributed, and low-level systems, can benefit greatly from formal design. The article also discusses the value of agile approaches for software that is heavily driven by evolving or hard-to-formalize user requirements. Overall, the author emphasizes the importance of considering the specific requirements and context of a software project when deciding on the optimal engineering approach.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the limitations of current formal methods tools, such as TLA+, in ensuring that algorithms implemented in code match the specifications proven in these tools. It suggests that formal methods should be integrated into programming languages, like SPARK 2014 or Design by Contract (DbC), to generate code that interacts with existing libraries and performs well. This would prevent the need for manual rewriting of generated code.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the quote by Arthur Wellington about engineering not being solely about construction but rather about doing things efficiently and effectively with limited resources. It raises the question of the boundary between finance and engineering and highlights the importance of making optimal tradeoffs in various dimensions such as time, performance, scalability, sustainability, and efficiency.
10. Neko: Portable framework for high-order spectral element flow simulations
Total comment counts : 1
Summary
The article discusses Neko, a portable framework for high-order spectral element flow simulations. Neko is written in modern Fortran and utilizes an object-oriented approach, allowing for flexibility in hardware backends. It is based on the spectral element code Nek5000 and offers documentation and installation instructions. Neko is supported by various grants and features a logo designed by Robert Hansen Jagrelius. The article also mentions Zulip, a team chat app that sponsors Neko.
Top 1 Comment Summary
I’m sorry, but I need the actual text of the article to provide a summary. Could you please provide the text or a brief description of the article’s content?