1. Keyhole – Forge own Windows Store licenses
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
The article discusses the discovery of a DRM bypass called “Keyhole” that allows users to license any Microsoft Store app or modern Windows edition easily. It explains the Client Licensing Platform (CLiP) in Windows 10, which is used for implementing DRM for Microsoft Store apps and Windows activation. The article reveals that there is a vulnerability in CLiP that can be exploited by changing permissions to access the CLiP license store. It also highlights a key component called clipup.exe that holds an ECDSA key that can be used to sign XML licenses. By bypassing the chain of trust in CLiP, the article explains how the clipsp.sys driver can be manipulated to gain unauthorized access. The article goes on to discuss the methodology of finding and understanding the obfuscated code in clipsp.sys, as well as experimenting with license blocks and discovering a potential vulnerability in the signature block.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests that Xbox games can be downloaded for free from the Microsoft Store, similar to how the PS Vita was hacked. Further details need to be figured out.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The Lego Boost for Windows 10 app used to be available on the Windows Store until 2020. Although existing users with a license can still download it, new users cannot access it anymore.
2. QtCS2024: Compile once, Run everywhere
Total comment counts : 14
Summary
The article discusses the challenges in compiling and deploying C++ applications on different platforms. It suggests using Cosmopolitan Libc as an alternative solution. Cristian Adam from the Qt Creator team presented a talk on “Compile Once, Run Everywhere” emphasizing the use of Cosmopolitan libc for C++ applications. The article highlights key points from the talk.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article is about Cosmopolitan Libc, a software developed by Justine that enables certain functionalities. More information can be found at the provided link.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article has a philosophical objection to distributing software in binary form, preferring instead to distribute it in source code. They believe that compiling software is usually fast enough and that the reliance on binary distribution is due to an over-reliance on external dependencies. The author also argues that even in the rare case of not having a C compiler available, they would still prefer to compile the software with a standards-compliant C compiler themselves and then transfer the binary to the machine without a compiler.
3. Malaysia started mandating ISPs to redirect DNS queries to local servers
Total comment counts : 28
Summary
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has instructed Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to redirect DNS traffic that uses third-party DNS servers back to their own servers. This is to ensure users benefit from the protection provided by local ISPs and to make malicious sites inaccessible. MCMC has blocked over 24,000 websites since 2018, with online gambling and pornography being the largest categories. MCMC emphasizes that their measures are for the protection of vulnerable groups and that the DNS system can block access to harmful sites and filter inappropriate content. Some users use third-party DNS servers for faster speeds and increased privacy, but these may not have the same level of protection for harmful content compared to local ISPs. MCMC clarifies that legitimate websites are not affected by the DNS redirection, and users are encouraged to report any difficulties accessing legitimate sites directly to their ISPs. Websites that believe they have been unfairly targeted can file an appeal through established channels. MCMC aims to maintain a safe and secure online environment while ensuring seamless access to legitimate content. In addition, MCMC will introduce a new regulatory framework for safe internet use by children and families, starting from January 1, 2025.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article refutes the claim that the measure taken by MCMC is draconian and emphasizes that Malaysia’s implementation aims to protect vulnerable groups from harmful online content. The author also implies a skeptical attitude towards such justifications, suggesting that similar claims are often made in the beginning of such measures.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses Malaysia’s implementation of internet censorship, which focuses on protecting vulnerable groups from harmful online content. The author questions the justification for such censorship, specifically mentioning pornography and copyright infringement as examples of content that may not necessarily harm anyone. The author draws a parallel to their own country, Russia, where internet censorship started with the aim of protecting children from suicide and drugs but gradually expanded to cover more and more content. They mention that accessing the internet without using a VPN or other anti-censorship measures is difficult in Russia due to the extensive censorship measures implemented.
4. Natural Piezoelectric Effect May Build Gold Deposits
Total comment counts : 6
Summary
A group of Australian researchers have proposed a hypothesis that explains how natural processes create large chunks of gold. They suggest that an earthquake-triggered piezoelectric effect electroplates gold onto quartz crystals. Orogenic gold deposits, which account for around 75% of gold obtained by humanity, form in areas where two rock bodies are moving past each other. These areas are often filled with hot hydrothermal fluids that increase the solubility of gold. Quartz, being the only abundant mineral that is piezoelectric, generates a charge when placed under strain. This charge can drive redox reactions in nearby fluids, causing gold to come out of solution and depositing it onto the quartz surface. The researchers conducted experiments by putting quartz crystals in a solution containing gold and subjecting them to strain. They found that gold deposits formed on the quartz crystals, supporting their hypothesis.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests using a quartz crystal array and electricity to capture gold from ocean water. However, it does not provide any further details or information.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the idea of extracting gold using large voltage sources placed on rocks in the absence of quartz.
5. What’s new in C++26 (part 1)
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
The article discusses some of the new language features in the upcoming C++26 version of the C++ standard. It mentions that in C++11, functions can be declared as deleted to prevent their use, and in C++26, a reason for the deletion can be specified. It also explains that in C++26, an unnamed variable can be defined using a single underscore (_) instead of assigning a name. This automatically adds the [[maybe_unused]] attribute to the declaration. The article further discusses the ability to declare structure bindings in the condition of if, while, or for statements, which was not possible before C++26. Lastly, it mentions that in C++26, the second parameter of static_assert can be a user-generated string-like object.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author discusses several points about C++ that are often overlooked. First, they state that if you are working with a large C++ code base, it is not practical or easy to switch to a different language like Rust. The transition would be expensive and time-consuming. Second, they highlight that new features are added to C++ based on user demand and to address problems in the language. The author appreciates these additions as solutions to long-standing issues. Finally, they acknowledge that C++ is not a perfect language and express a preference for Rust, but still recognize the value of C++ and its supportive community.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the drawbacks of C++ as a programming language. It acknowledges some positive aspects of the 2026 proposal, such as the ability for developers to provide reasons for modifying behavior. However, it criticizes the increasing complexity and bloatiness of C++ and the resulting bugs in compilers. The article also mentions that C++ has evolved significantly over the years and has become difficult to compile and debug, even for experienced developers. The author suggests introducing a versioning mechanism similar to Rust’s to address the issue of backward compatibility.
6. Show HN: Pulsar, micro creative coding playground
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
The article discusses a micro creative coding playground that allows users to experiment with code and provides a tutorial for guidance.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author describes a project called Pulsar that they created, which is inspired by a project they saw on Hacker News. Pulsar is built in TypeScript and is open source. It runs user code in a web worker to minimize malicious use. The author initially used SVG for rendering but switched to canvas for creating GIFs. They also mention using a syntax highlighter from Stack Overflow. Pulsar was built last New Year’s Eve and the author shares a simple animation of a Christmas tree created with Pulsar. The article includes links to the GitHub repository and a video demonstration.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article briefly mentions the author’s interest in hexagonal and triangular grids, as well as their decision to port ideas from a website called tixy.land to fractional dimensions. They provide a link to their own website where they have implemented these ideas.
7. How does cosine similarity work?
Total comment counts : 24
Summary
The article discusses the concept of cosine similarity, which is commonly used to compare vectors in the context of LLM embeddings. The author provides an explanation of what vectors and embeddings are, stating that they are arrays or lists of numbers that represent the meaning of text. The article goes on to explain that cosine similarity measures the angle between two vectors and provides a formula for calculating it. The author also explains the dot product and magnitude of vectors, which are used in the cosine similarity formula. Finally, the article provides a JavaScript function for calculating cosine similarity.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article argues that using the term “cosine” to describe the dot product of normalized vectors is unnecessarily confusing. It suggests that beginners should instead focus on understanding the concept as the sum of term-by-term products of normalized vectors. The article discourages thinking about angles and geometry, especially in higher dimensions, and suggests that most people are not comfortable with such concepts.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article explains the concept of cosine similarity in three-dimensional space. It describes how cosine similarity can be used to measure the closeness of two points or vectors that share the same origin. The cosine of the angle between two vectors represents their similarity, with a cosine of 1 indicating that the vectors are identical, a cosine of 0 indicating they are orthogonal, and a cosine of -1 indicating they are in opposite directions. The article also mentions that cosine similarity is commonly used to quantify the closeness of vectors in Euclidean space, although there are other methods available for measuring similarity.
8. The PERQ Computer
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
The article is asking the reader to complete a CAPTCHA to validate their requests. It also mentions the copyright information of Dreamwidth Studios, LLC.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article is about a present-day emulator of the PERQ workstation, which was originally demonstrated at SIGGRAPH in 1982. The emulator allows users to experience the functionality of the PERQ workstation from that time.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article describes the author’s experience with a computer called Perq 1, which they obtained in 1991. The computer had a bitsliced CPU using AMD chips and used a z80 on the IO board to start up and load the microcode from a disk. The UI on PNX, the operating system, was considered nice despite the computer only having 1MB of RAM. The Perq 1 also had a 27MB hard drive and the author mentions the difficulty of fitting a GUI-based Unix system on a similar capacity drive nowadays.
9. The Beginnings of FM Radio Broadcasting (2018)
Total comment counts : 10
Summary
The article is not available.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article explains that the reason analog television started with channel 2 is because channel 1 was reassigned for FM radio, creating 40 exclusive channels for it.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the role of John R. Brinkley in early radio history and his controversial use of goat gland transplants. To learn more, you can visit the provided link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Brinkley.
10. Dance Choreography Notation (2017)
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
This article discusses the history of dance notation systems and their importance in documenting and preserving dance movements. The author mentions Pierre Beauchamp-Feuillet’s system, which was commonly used in 18th century Europe, and Vladimir Ivanovich Stepanov’s system, which was based on anatomical analysis of human movement. The article also mentions the Benesh notation, created by Joan and Rudolf Benesh in the 1950s, which is widely used by choreographers in the ballet world today. Additionally, Labanotation, developed by Rudolf Laban in 1928, is discussed as another significant dance notation system. The article concludes by highlighting the Sergeyev Collection, which contains the first ballet scores of famous ballets and is a valuable historical source.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses choreography notation systems and their relevance in the modern age. While these systems have historical value, they have become less important with the advent of video technology. Unlike music, where notation is widely used, dance, especially ballet, has been primarily passed down through oral tradition. Therefore, very few people in the dance world can read or understand choreography notation systems. These systems are mostly utilized by dance historians or those coaching copyrighted works from deceased choreographers. Even before video, they were not widely used like music notation.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a writing system called SignWriting, which is used for sign languages. Unlike other systems developed by linguists, SignWriting was created by a dance instructor who drew inspiration from existing notation systems. SignWriting includes detailed notations for orientation and movement, similar to a phonetic alphabet. The system offers both a precise transcription with specific details of every movement, as well as a more abstract transcription that assumes fluency and allows the reader to fill in missing information.