1. Codestral Mamba
Total comment counts : 17
Summary
The article introduces Codestral Mamba, a language model specialized in code generation. It is released under an Apache 2.0 license as part of Mistral AI’s effort to study and provide new architectures. Unlike Transformer models, Mamba models offer the advantage of linear time inference and can theoretically model sequences of infinite length. The model is designed for code productivity use cases and has been trained with advanced code and reasoning capabilities. It has been tested on in-context retrieval capabilities up to 256k tokens and is expected to be a great local code assistant. Deployment can be done using the mistral-inference SDK or through TensorRT-LLM. The raw weights can be downloaded from HuggingFace. Codestral Mamba is available for free use, modification, and distribution, while its big sister Codestral 22B is available under a commercial or community license.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the steps required to get a program running in VS Code. The author suggests that providing instructions or a one-click install for a VS Code Extension would greatly improve user adoption. Additionally, the author believes it is a missed opportunity that the featured page does not have a clear way to monetize the interest it generates.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author is seeking recommendations for their favorite FIM capable model. They currently use codellama-13b but find it to be only satisfactory. They prefer Gemma-27b for generating better code, but it does not have FIM capabilities. The author also mentioned that codellama-34b has broken inference for them.
2. Show HN: Horizon – Private alternative to Imgur
Total comment counts : 52
Summary
The article promotes the use of Horizon, a media storage and sharing platform that offers dependable storage, privacy, and security. Horizon allows users to upload files of any size, ensures files remain private with advanced encryption, and offers customization options for shared files. It claims to have more features and better privacy compared to other sharing services. Users can sign up for free and store various types of media, share files easily, and enable encryption for sensitive documents. Horizon does not store payment information, as it uses Stripe as its payment processor.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article appreciates the effort put into the website but mentions that similar sites tend to have a limited lifespan. This is because they struggle to find a sustainable way to support a free version that covers the costs of bandwidth and prevents spam. The author mentions that some sites, like Imgur, have resorted to displaying ads. Nevertheless, despite these challenges, the author expresses hope that this particular website will find a successful solution.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses how it was easy to configure ShareX to work with Horizon, a file/image destination uploader. ShareX was able to handle tasks such as deletion and copying the URL of the uploaded file. The author suggests that ShareX and Horizon could collaborate to become a default uploader that handles logging in and out of an account. The article includes an imported string for the uploader.
3. Exo: Run your own AI cluster at home with everyday devices
Total comment counts : 22
Summary
The article introduces “exo,” an experimental software that allows users to create their own AI cluster at home using everyday devices such as iPhones, iPads, Android devices, Macs, Linux devices, and more. The software supports models like LLaMA and optimally splits up models based on network topology and available device resources. Exo automatically discovers other devices on the network and does not require manual configuration. It provides a ChatGPT-compatible API for running models and supports different partitioning strategies. The recommended way to install exo is from source, and it is compatible with Python version 3.12.0 or higher. The software also starts a ChatGPT-compatible API endpoint on http://localhost:8000.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the idea of making crowdsourcing easier for individuals in a physical location or at a conference to contribute to training a network. The author wonders how this process can be made simple for everyone, such as by joining a network overnight in an office or scanning a QR code at a conference to contribute to a specific model.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The person questions the claim that a library called mlx is compatible with “iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Linux, pretty much any device.” They express doubt about this claim and ask if it has been tested on anything other than the author’s MacBook.
4. The Second Law of Thermodynamics (2011)
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
The article discusses the importance of understanding chemistry to navigate life more effectively. It mentions topics like time arrow, Murphy’s Law, activation energy, chemical kinetics, and chemical bonds. It emphasizes that knowing how the material world works can make life easier. The article also provides a resource for chemistry students looking for a quick understanding of the second law and entropy. The article was published in January 2011.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the relationship between the second law of thermodynamics and the cosmological principle. The second law states that the universe has an entropy gradient in the time dimension, while the cosmological principle states that there is no matter gradient in the spatial dimensions. Together, these principles describe the structure of the universe in terms of both time and space. The author also questions why one is called a “law” and the other a “principle,” suggesting that they may both be more like principles or approximate tendencies rather than fundamental laws.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article discusses the concept of energy spread. It explains that all types of energy tend to spread out unless they are somehow prevented from doing so. The author suggests that this idea of flow spreading out is a fundamental feature that manifests itself at all scales. They also mention Green’s theorem and Stoke’s Theorem as potentially generalizing this concept. The article is titled “Kinematic Flow and the Emergence of Time” and can be found at the provided link.
5. A Review of Linux on Surface Pro 4
Total comment counts : 28
Summary
The author purchased a Surface Pro 4 in 2016 and was impressed with its form factor despite the average specs. They later gave it to a family member but continued to think about having a Linux tablet. They researched online and found success stories of installing Linux on the Surface, so they decided to experiment with it. The installation of Linux was easy and they tried two distros: EndeavourOS and Fedora workstation 40. Without the linux-surface kernel, most things worked except for the touch screen and stylus. After installing the linux-surface kernel, multi-touch and pressure-sensitive stylus functionality improved. Battery life was decent, and the automatic screen rotation worked. KDE with EndeavourOS was fast and responsive, while Gnome was less responsive but had a beautiful UI. However, the deal-breaker problem was touch recognition, specifically, ghost touch and palm rejection. The author tried various workarounds but was unable to completely resolve the issue, leading them to give up using Linux on the Surface. Despite virtual keyboards provided by KDE and Gnome, disk encryption with a password did not have a virtual keyboard.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article states that they are using Ubuntu on a Dell XPS 13 without any issues. They mention that they have not made many adjustments and only perform periodic software and firmware updates. The author also remarks that the experience is similar to using a Mac, but they express a desire for a Linux laptop that is as well-integrated with the hardware as a MacBook.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author is questioning the decision to disable swap and zram on a workstation, suggesting that having at least zram enabled could prevent out of memory (OOM) issues. They are seeking insight from the Linux community to understand the rationale behind this decision.
6. For advertising, Firefox now collects user data by default
Total comment counts : 55
Summary
Mozilla’s latest version of Firefox, Firefox 128, is causing controversy among users due to its data collection practices. The new version introduces a technology for measuring advertising performance, but users are upset that this feature is automatically enabled by default. Users must manually opt out of the feature if they do not want their data collected. Critics argue that Mozilla should have informed users about the feature beforehand and given them the opportunity to test it. There are suspicions that Mozilla is trying to improve its own cash flow with this data collection, although the exact amount of money involved is unclear. The data collected is anonymized and stored on an aggregation server, but critics are concerned that this server is not part of an advertising network and that Mozilla could potentially modify the system in the future to give advertising providers access to individual data. This move by Mozilla has caused frustration among users who value privacy and trust in the browser provider. Firefox’s main competitor is Google Chrome, and this controversy may push users to seek alternative web browsers.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article provides instructions on how to disable a feature on Mozilla Firefox related to privacy-preserving ad measurement. The instructions include navigating to the settings through the hamburger menu, going to the Privacy & Security section, and unchecking the option for allowing websites to perform privacy-preserving ad measurement. To access further details, visit the link provided.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The CTO of Mozilla recently posted on Reddit about private attribution in Firefox. The article can be found at the following link: https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/1e43w7v/a_word_about_private_attribution_in_firefox/
7. The Delusion of the Polygraph
Total comment counts : 33
Summary
This article is a personal account of the author’s experience taking a polygraph exam. The author was required to take the exam because they had applied for a job with Customs and Border Protection. The article describes the author’s nervousness and the odd guidelines given by the government not to do any research on polygraphs before the exam. The author meets their examiner, Kevin, and is led to a plain room with office chairs for the exam. The author expresses a feeling of premonition that they will fail the exam. The article also briefly discusses the history of polygraphs, mentioning John Larson as one of its inventors.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the author’s experience with a contractor for DARPA, where they learned about the use of polygraph exams for security clearances. The author initially believed that polygraph exams were fake, but a seasoned industry veteran explained that while the machine itself may be a tool, the real value lies in the interviewer’s ability to use it to convince the subject that they know the truth. The author’s father, who went through the clearance process, admitted to confessing things during the polygraph exam that he wouldn’t have told anyone else. Overall, the article suggests that while the polygraph may be seen as fake, it can still be effective in extracting information from subjects.
Top 2 Comment Summary
According to the article, the author underwent a polygraph test and experienced discomfort. However, during the test, the interviewer noticed symptoms of heart arrhythmia and recommended that the author see a doctor. The author followed this advice and was diagnosed with a mild case of heart arrhythmia, which was determined to not be too serious.
8. Decoding DME aircraft radio navigation system with the LimeSDR
Total comment counts : 3
Summary
The article discusses DME (distance measuring equipment), an aircraft radio navigation system that measures the distance between an aircraft and a DME station on the ground. DME works by measuring the two-way time of flight of pulse pairs transmitted by the aircraft and retransmitted by the ground station. The author wants to analyze a recording of DME to show that the delay between the aircraft and ground station pulses matches the calculated delay. The author explores the use of SDRs (software-defined radios) to record the two DME channels, specifically discussing the AD9361 and LMS7002M chips used in devices like the LimeSDR. The author considers different sampling rates and explains the on-chip DDC (digital downconverter) in the LMS7002M that can be used to extract the DME channel and deliver a lower sample rate.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author discusses a method of using a receiver near a VOR/DME station to determine the distance between an aircraft and the station. They explain that this method can be improved by placing the receiver far from the DME station, allowing for the calculation of the aircraft’s distance from both the DME station and the receiver. By using multiple receivers, it is possible to obtain a more accurate location of the aircraft. The author suggests that this technique could serve as a backup for ADS-B, a system that indicates the aircraft’s estimated location. However, it does not provide information on the aircraft’s identity.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of VORs (Very High Frequency Omni-directional Range) in airplanes. Initially, the author believed that each plane had its own antenna to determine the direction to the VOR. However, they explain that the direction is actually calculated through the phase shift between an omnidirectional and a directional signal, making it a cost-effective implementation for any plane.
9. Shapeshift: Semantically map JSON objects using key-level vector embeddings
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
The article introduces Shapeshift, a TypeScript library that allows mapping of JSON objects using vector embeddings. The library enables flexible and intelligent object transformation by using semantic similarity to match keys between objects, including support for nested structures. Shapeshift can handle nested objects in both the source and target structures by allowing flexible mapping between different object structures. The article also mentions that contributions to the project are welcome and it is licensed under the MIT License.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses ways to make a code more efficient. It suggests caching embeddings, changing the design of the tool, and pre-calculating embeddings for common keys. It also recommends optimizing the code by using a different approach to avoid tripping the rate-limit of the OpenAI API. The article provides code examples and links to relevant resources for further information.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article suggests that a bag of words comparison with a subword tokenizer could handle the given example without the need for machine learning. Alternatively, if embeddings are required, fastText is recommended as it is faster, cheaper, and can run locally. In more difficult cases, gpt-4o can be used to create a map based on the source/target schemas, which can then be applied to all instances.
10. Peter Buxtun, whistleblower who exposed Tuskegee syphilis study, has died
Total comment counts : 8
Summary
Peter Buxtun, the whistleblower who exposed the Tuskegee study, where the US government allowed hundreds of Black men to go untreated for syphilis, has passed away at the age of 86. Buxtun’s actions led to the termination of the study in 1972 and subsequent reforms in medical research ethics. He raised ethical concerns about the study in 1966 but was dismissed by agency officials. In 1972, he provided documents about the research to the Associated Press, which led to public outcry, congressional hearings, and a class-action lawsuit. The study’s exposure resulted in a $10 million settlement and an apology from President Bill Clinton in 1997. Buxtun’s actions are widely praised by public health scholars and ethicists.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the Tuskegee “experiment” and recommends a two-part series from the podcast “You’re Wrong About” for more information. It highlights the 6-year period it took for concerns raised by Buxtun to be taken seriously. No further information is provided in the text.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The requested article is about Peter Buxtun, who played a significant role in exposing the Tuskegee syphilis experiment. The Tuskegee experiment was a controversial clinical study conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service between 1932 and 1972. Buxtun, a former employee of the Public Health Service, discovered the unethical nature of the study and blew the whistle, leading to public outrage and eventually the termination of the experiment.