1. Air Con: $1697 for an on/off switch
Total comment counts : 81
Summary
The article describes the author’s frustration with a control system for their home air conditioning. The system consists of a Daikin air conditioner and an Advantage Air control box operated by a cheap Android tablet. Six months after the warranty expired, the tablet stopped working, and the author contacted customer support. They were told that they would need to replace the entire control system for $1245. The author expressed frustration at having to replace the entire system due to a faulty tablet. After back and forth communication with customer support, the author received a quote of $1697 to replace the tablet, control system, and wireless temperature sensors. This led the author to explore alternative options and become determined to fix or replace the tablet themselves.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The person who wrote the article is experiencing the same problem as the writer and has found a similar solution. They are using a system that utilizes RS422 and a base64 encoded AES key in the aaservice binary. The person was also considering creating an open source version of the controller using the esp32. They find it to be a strange and unbelievable coincidence.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a man who revived his blog after a decade to express his strong emotions of anger and spite.
2. OpenAI is good at unminifying code
Total comment counts : 54
Summary
The author of the article discovered an interesting component while browsing the internet. They attempted to understand the implementation of the component by examining the source code, which was minified. Instead of trying to understand the code themselves, they decided to ask ChatGPT to explain it. ChatGPT provided an explanation of the different parts and functionalities of the code. The author then asked for an equivalent code in TypeScript, and ChatGPT provided a readable implementation. The author initially thought that ChatGPT didn’t accurately replicate the logic of the code, but it turned out to be a copy-paste error with some characters. After correcting the code, the output matched the original component. The author apologized for accusing ChatGPT of mistakes.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of HumanifyJS has created a tool that uses LLMs on an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) level to ensure that code continues to work after the unminification process. You can find the tool on GitHub at https://github.com/jehna/humanify.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses JS minification and unminification. The process of minification is relatively simple and mechanical, making it possible to reverse the process. However, unobfuscation is still a difficult task, as intentionally obfuscated programs cannot be easily understood, even by advanced language models like ChatGPT. The author provides an example of a code that was obfuscated and even with the help of GPT-4, the clarified version did not resemble the original code.
3. Bypassing airport security via SQL injection
Total comment counts : 42
Summary
The article discusses a potential security flaw in the Known Crewmember (KCM) and Cockpit Access Security System (CASS), which allow pilots and flight attendants to bypass security screening and access the cockpit. The author discovered that a website called FlyCASS, which operates both KCM and CASS for participating airlines, was vulnerable to SQL injection attacks. By exploiting this vulnerability, the author was able to gain administrator access to the website and add unauthorized individuals to the KCM and CASS systems. This posed a serious security risk as anyone with basic knowledge of SQL injection could potentially bypass security screening and access the cockpit of commercial airliners. The author immediately began the disclosure process to address these issues.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article highlights the vulnerability of the TSA system to a basic web programming error that is usually avoided by web developers. It criticizes the TSA for trying to cover up and deny the issue instead of fixing it. The author suggests that this reaction is a consequence of the authoritarian thinking that underlies the TSA’s culture. The article predicts that any institution that ignores risks and fails to address them will eventually face negative consequences, and hopes the same fate will befall the TSA.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author criticizes the TSA’s response to a report, describing it as childish and embarrassing. They note that the Department of Homeland Security initially handled the report professionally but later lost control over the fix and disclosure process.
4. UK rail minister got engineer sacked for raising safety concerns
Total comment counts : 27
Summary
Transport minister Peter Hendy used his position of power to get an award-winning railway engineer, Gareth Dennis, sacked for speaking to the media about safety concerns at London’s Euston station. In his previous role as chair of government-owned infrastructure manager Network Rail, Hendy threatened to withhold public contracts from Dennis’ employer, SYSTRA, while urging disciplinary action against Dennis. Hendy was angered by Dennis’ comments to the media about overcrowding at the station, which he deemed “unsafe.” The engineer’s concerns had also been voiced by the official rail regulator. Hendy’s actions raise concerns about the suppression of freedom of speech and the influence of government officials over the private sector.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the firing of a man named Gareth Dennis for his seemingly mild criticisms of the UK rail network’s safety measures. The author expresses surprise at his dismissal, noting that in their experience, the rail network would have responded to his concerns by adding more posters and announcements about safety.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a situation involving an engineer who made a public remark about a client of his employer, which could potentially save lives. Many people are debating whether this is whistleblowing and if the engineer should face disciplinary action. However, the focus should be on the government official who threatened the engineer’s job and his employer’s business. The article suggests that if anyone should lose their job, it should be the UK rail minister. Overall, the article highlights the importance of free speech and criticizes the government official’s actions.
5. Google’s new pipe syntax in SQL
Total comment counts : 53
Summary
The article discusses a new paper from Google Research that presents a custom syntax for analytical SQL queries. The paper addresses a usability issue with standard SQL by proposing a different order of clauses in a query. The introduced syntax, known as Pipe query syntax, has been implemented within Google since February and has gained traction among users. The article also highlights the struggle of reading PDF research papers on mobile devices and discusses the use of Google’s Gemini Pro model to convert the PDF into HTML format. The author notes that although the conversion is not perfect, it shows promise in providing a more accessible alternative. Additionally, the author mentions their HTML version of the paper already gaining visibility in search results and emphasizes the advantages of HTML over PDF for sharing information on the web.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article emphasizes the importance and longevity of SQL as the preferred language for database queries. It suggests that considering replacements for SQL overlooks its long-standing success and suggests that SQL will remain relevant even in the future.
Top 2 Comment Summary
Richard Hipp, the creator of SQLite, has implemented a feature in an experimental branch. This feature is discussed in a thread on the SQLite forum, providing valuable insights. It appears that Hipp will be waiting for Postgres to implement the feature before including it in a release.
6. Kotlin for data analysis
Total comment counts : 11
Summary
The article discusses the importance of data analysis skills for software developers and introduces Kotlin’s Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) tools, such as Kotlin notebooks, Kotlin DataFrame, and Kandy. These tools provide various capabilities for loading, transforming, and visualizing data in different formats, including CSV, JSON, and TXT. They also seamlessly integrate with relational databases and enable fetching and analysis of real-time and dynamic datasets from web APIs. The article highlights the benefits of using Kotlin notebooks, such as easy data retrieval, transformation, and visualization, as well as the ability to share code across different notebook solutions. The Kotlin DataFrame library allows manipulation of structured data, while Kandy is a flexible library for creating various types of charts. The article encourages developers to explore and utilize these Kotlin tools for data analysis.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article expresses that they use both Kotlin and Python, but they prefer Kotlin because it offers more in terms of data engineering. They acknowledge that Python is popular and widely used, particularly in data science, but they find it dreary and mediocre. They mention that Python’s interpreter is not fast and the language lacks expressiveness. Additionally, they criticize Python’s package management system. On the other hand, they praise Kotlin for being a modern and expressive language with a great library ecosystem. They use Kotlin for their projects and find it efficient and rarely disappointing. The author believes that Python is popular simply because everyone else uses it, and not because it excels in any particular area. They compare Python to Visual Basic and state that being idiot-proof is not enough to make it the smart choice.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article by JetBrains discusses how you can use their data analysis tools to track and analyze the growth of GitHub stars. They provide a link to the article for more information.
7. Show HN: Skip – Build native iOS and Android apps from a single Swift codebase
Total comment counts : 39
Summary
The article discusses Skip, a tool that allows developers to use Swift, a programming language for iOS, to build native apps for both iOS and Android. Developers can use Xcode, the main iOS development environment, to build their apps, and Skip will continuously translate the code into Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, the equivalent technologies for Android. Skip apps are truly native, providing the same performance and user interface as apps built specifically for each platform. Developers can inspect and customize the Kotlin source code generated by Skip, and the resulting Android app only requires a few open-source Skip libraries. The transpiler also converts unit tests, ensuring consistent performance across platforms. Skip also provides free and open-source implementations of iOS frameworks like Foundation and SwiftUI for Android. Developers can use Android Studio to further customize the generated code. Skip aims to provide a seamless development experience for iOS developers venturing into Android app development.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses whether it is possible to use Swift (+Foundation) Swift PM packages in an Android project. The author asks if it is possible to compile the Swift packages natively so that the Kotlin transpiler can call into the Swift libraries.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article has been using a personal app, DownPay for iOS, built with SwiftUI, and wants to bring it to Android. They initially tried using React Native, Ionic, and Ignite but found it challenging to switch between different frameworks. They then discovered Skip, a cross-platform framework, that allows them to write the app in one language, Swift. They have been testing it and are impressed with the ease of writing platform-specific code. They are particularly amazed that they don’t have to learn Android to get the app up and running quickly. They plan to build a complete app using Skip and if it goes smoothly, they will migrate their main app to Skip as well.
8. Show HN: Homemade automated solar concentrator
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
The article is about a homemade automated solar concentrator project. It mentions that the oven temperature reached 210°C after adding aluminum foil for insulation. The project is cautioned to have the potential to harm people and animals in the surroundings, as it can cause blindness, burns, and ignition of objects. The concentrator focuses the sun’s rays 48 times in a small area and the focal point moves unpredictably. The project has limitations and the next step is to control multiple panels to generate several kilowatts of power.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of closed-loop control in solar concentrators to achieve high concentration ratios. It highlights the shift towards closed-loop control in large-scale heliostat fields, which allows for cheaper heliostats with improved tracking precision. The article also mentions various approaches being developed to address the challenge of focusing light for only a few hours per day, such as actively deforming heliostats and using single-axis tracking. Lastly, the article acknowledges the risks associated with concentrated sunlight and the importance of proper tracking to avoid accidents.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses how concentrated sunlight can be extremely powerful, as demonstrated by our experiences with handheld magnifying glasses and larger lenses. The author recalls using a large Fresnel lens in their childhood, which had the ability to set asphalt on fire almost instantly. The article suggests that sunlight concentrated in this way could potentially be used for tasks such as welding steel, although not very conveniently.
9. Low Cost Mini PCs
Total comment counts : 103
Summary
The article provides a disclaimer that product prices and availability may change and that the displayed information at the time of purchase will apply. It also mentions that the content is sourced from eBay Inc. and may be subject to change or removal.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests that the market for non-mainstream brands is significant and recommends expanding the list of vendors to include popular non-mainstream brands such as Beelink, Minisforum, Protecli, and AMD. It also mentions the availability of great N-series Intel machines on AliExpress. The article acknowledges that while it may be challenging to execute this expansion, it is worth considering for better value and representation in the market.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses their appreciation for the recent focus on mini PCs. They mention being frustrated with trying to find a suitable Raspberry Pi clone and struggling to get it to work. However, they were able to purchase a used mini PC on eBay for a reasonable price and it came with accessories and a 500gb SSD. As a result, they are now able to have a functioning server at home and are working on their projects again, all at a potentially lower cost than a Raspberry Pi clone with necessary accessories.
10. HDMI Forum rejects AMD’s HDMI 2.1 open-source driver
Total comment counts : 26
Summary
AMD’s open-source Linux graphics driver is unable to support HDMI 2.1+ due to legal requirements from the HDMI Forum. Despite attempts to find a solution, the HDMI Forum has rejected AMD’s proposal, leaving Linux users without the ability to use advanced features like 4K@120Hz and 5K@240Hz via HDMI 2.1. AMD recommends using DisplayPort instead. The HDMI Forum restricted public access to its specifications, hindering open-source driver support. AMD spent months developing code and seeking approval from the HDMI Forum, but their request for open-source driver support was denied. AMD may need to explore alternative solutions, but for now, Linux users are advised to use DisplayPort for the best experience.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author questions whether the move from HDMI Forum to ensure quality and consistency of HDMI experience is actually effective. They are concerned that this decision may benefit DisplayPort.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author believes that HDMI only has one advantage, which is ARC. They argue that DisplayPort is better in every other way, but very few TVs support it. The author also mentions that low-end monitors often do not have DisplayPort, but they are not interested in those anyway. They prefer TVs with basic ports since they plan to connect an Apple TV to it.