1. World conker champion found with steel chestnut, cleared of cheating
Total comment counts : 63
Summary
David Jakins, also known as “King Conker,” won the World Conker Championships for the first time at age 82 after competing since 1977. However, cheating allegations arose when a metal conker was discovered in his pocket following his victory. Jakins, who has been the competition’s top judge, denied using the metal conker and claimed it was for humor. His opponent, Alastair Johnson-Ferguson, expressed suspicion after his conker broke easily. The organizers are investigating claims that Jakins may have switched conkers during the tournament or marked strings on tougher conkers, as he was involved in preparing them. The event saw over 200 participants, with American Kelci Banschbach being the first woman to win the grand final.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses that an individual has been cleared of any cheating allegations. A video link is provided for further context or details related to this situation.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article mentions that a particular event has been reviewed and cleared by VAR (Video Assistant Referee), with a link provided to a video for further details.
2. The Physics of Magic Windows (2021)
Total comment counts : 7
Summary
The article discusses the creation of a unique transparent acrylic object that can project images and 3D holograms when light shines on it. This phenomenon is due to “caustics,” which are bright patches formed by the refraction of light through transparent materials. The author explains that by skillfully manipulating the surface of the acrylic to have specific variations in height (concavity and convexity), they were able to focus light and create recognizable images.
The process involves key mathematical concepts. A traditional convex lens serves as a basic analogy, where the concentration of light creates a bright spot. The brightness at different points is linked to the surface’s curvature and the angles of light incidence, governed by Snell’s law.
The article outlines a method to design the acrylic slab by:
- Adjusting the “pixels” of the lens surface to correspond with the brightness of an image.
- Using geometry to determine angles and surface normals.
- Integrating these normals to create a continuous heightmap of the lens surface.
The author emphasizes that adjusting the lens surface requires iterative methods for proper continuity and accuracy. The resulting object, termed the “Magic Window,” exemplifies how slight surface variations can effectively manipulate light, akin to how a lens operates.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article draws a connection between the concept of magic mirrors found in Japan and China, highlighting their cultural significance. It includes links to related resources, one from CNN about a magic mirror at the Cincinnati Art Museum and another from Green Shinto that explores the history and meaning of magic mirrors.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article critiques the terminology used regarding a recent achievement labeled as a hologram, arguing that it is more accurately described as an effect of caustics and amplitude engineering rather than true holography, which involves phase differences and diffraction grating effects. The author references a video from three-blue-brown to support their explanation and questions whether any phase effects are present in the parent material being discussed.
3. Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver
Total comment counts : 23
Summary
The kv4p HT is a homebrew VHF radio that turns your Android phone into a functional ham radio transceiver for voice and text communication without needing an external power source, provided you have at least a Technician class amateur radio license. The device connects via the USB-C port on your phone and is completely open source, including the Android app, firmware, PCB designs, and 3D print files. It’s compact enough to fit in your pocket, making it convenient for go-bags or car storage. However, it requires users to build it themselves and comes with no warranties or guarantees regarding its functionality.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article expresses appreciation for a project by KV4P, highlighting the time and effort put into it. Despite some dismissive comments from others, the author admires the work and feels motivated to attempt a similar project, shifting from HF to exploring VHF.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article reminisces about the author’s grandfather, who used a ham radio in the 80s to make phone calls via an “autopatch” while driving. Others could listen in on these conversations. Although the grandfather tried to spark the author’s interest in ham radio, the author found it tedious compared to exploring the internet and was put off by the technical requirements. However, the grandfather introduced the author to shortwave radio and the concept of radio waves bouncing off the atmosphere, which sparked curiosity, especially with the experience of listening to numbers stations.
4. Web Browser Engineering (2021)
Total comment counts : 24
Summary
The article introduces “Web Browser Engineering,” a book by Pavel Panchekha and Chris Harrelson that explains how web browsers function. It guides readers through building a basic web browser using Python, covering aspects from networking to JavaScript. Set for publication by Oxford University Press later this year, interested readers can pre-order the book and follow updates via its blog or Twitter. There’s also a discussion forum available for interactions among readers, and support options such as Patreon and email contact are provided.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article highlights a key feature of a book, specifically the section on “stuff I didn’t do.” It discusses the complexities of layout design using CSS, stating that managing just tables is already challenging, and incorporating CSS makes it even more difficult. The author suggests that the combination of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript has evolved into a highly complex programming dynamic language (PDL). Additionally, it notes that video decoding has been improved by offloading to hardware, reducing battery consumption compared to earlier times.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author shares their experience of working on a headless browser about 15 years ago, which utilized SpiderMonkey as its JavaScript interpreter and featured a custom DOM implementation. This browser supported modern JavaScript and AJAX at that time, and the author later added a custom Flash runtime. The project was enjoyable for them, and they express interest in reviewing a related book.
5. Show HN: I built the most over-engineered Deal With It emoji generator
Total comment counts : 45
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The author expresses excitement about a vision they had for the future of the internet, highlighting a website or service that features appealing design and a powerful backend to accomplish simple tasks effectively. They appreciate the lack of corporate influence and advertisements, describing the experience as fantastic.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article presents a humorous workaround for ensuring that a GIF doesn’t loop continuously when using a tool called gifwrap. It suggests adding an extremely long delay (24 hours) after the last frame to achieve this effect if the looping mode is set to “off.”
6. Show HN: Pumpkin – A Modern Minecraft server written in Rust
Total comment counts : 21
Summary
The article discusses “Pumpkin,” a Minecraft server developed in Rust, designed for fast, efficient, and customizable gameplay while maintaining core game mechanics. It emphasizes the importance of community feedback, ongoing development, and invites contributions. Key resources include the Quick Start Guide, documentation, and a GitHub project for tracking progress. The article encourages joining Discord for updates and highlights a sponsorship option to support the project. It also thanks wiki.vg for their contributions to the development.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses impressive performance benchmarks of a project but notes the absence of important features like world generation and saving, which can significantly impact performance, especially on less powerful VPS. The author expresses curiosity about how the performance will hold up when these features are implemented. There’s also a question about support for block breaking and placing, as well as interest in the addition of advanced features such as scoreboard, teams, and command block parsing. The piece concludes with optimism for the project’s development, particularly its potential to facilitate server operation on low-end hardware.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the performance benchmarks of Minecraft servers, highlighting that they can become highly resource-intensive, especially as player counts increase. It raises questions about how much faster specific server configurations are compared to standard setups, noting that even powerful servers may struggle to maintain good ticks per second (TPS) despite having substantial resources.
7. Short films by Lillian F. Schwartz (1927-2024)
Total comment counts : 11
Summary
The article provides a list of films created by Lillian Schwartz from 1974 to 1994, highlighting their unique techniques and contributions to animation and digital art.
- “Reflections” (1994) - A 4-minute film featuring dynamic, liquid-like visuals accompanied by music from Jean-Claude Risset.
- “The Museum of Modern Art” (1984) - A 30-second film that utilizes pixel-editing, awarded an Emmy, commissioned by MoMA and funded by IBM.
- “Newtonian I” (1978) - A 4-minute film blending math and physics to create a 3D illusion with a score by Risset.
- “Newtonian II” (1978) - A 5.5-minute film grounded in mathematical structure, also featuring Risset’s music.
- “L’Oiseau” (1977) - A nearly 5-minute film creatively transforming a bird’s flight through various visual techniques.
- “Bagatelles” (1977) - A 4-minute film with abstract animations enhanced by computer-generated colors.
- “Pictures from a Gallery” (1976) - A critically acclaimed 6.5-minute film based on family photos that abstractly represent faces.
- “La Spiritata” (1976) - A 4.3-minute film with computer-generated images and music by Gabrieli.
- “Fantasies” (1976) - A 5.25-minute film using computer images paired with classical music.
- “Experiments” (1976) - A 7-minute film featuring microphotography and unique editing techniques.
- “Kinesis” (1975) - A 4.5-minute film showcasing Escher-like visuals set to jazz music.
- “Collage” (1975) - A 5.5-minute film composed of rapidly moving images.
- “Alae” (1975) - A 5-minute film incorporating computer scanning to enhance footage of birds in flight.
- “Metamorphosis” (1974) - An 8.25-minute film praised for its innovative use of animations and music by Salieri.
Overall, the article emphasizes Schwartz’s pioneering role in integrating computer technology with animation and her exploration of perception through visual art.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the passing of Lillian Schwartz, a trailblazer in computer-generated art, who died at the age of 97. Schwartz was known for her innovative work that merged technology and art, significantly influencing the field. Her contributions have left a lasting impact on the world of digital and computational art.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article provides context about Lillian Schwartz, a pioneering figure in computer art, who has recently passed away. It discusses her contributions to the field, highlights her innovative approach to art and technology, and reflects on her legacy within the art community. For a more in-depth exploration of her life and work, the full article is available through the provided link.
8. Sqlite3 WebAssembly
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
The article provides documentation for the SQLite project’s WebAssembly (WASM) and JavaScript APIs, which allow for the use of sqlite3 in modern WASM-capable browsers. The components were released in a public beta with version 3.40, and they are expected to reach API stability in version 3.41, pending community feedback. The site requires a modern JavaScript-enabled browser for full functionality and uses client-side storage for preferences without collecting server-side user information, except for logged-in developers. The article outlines how to utilize the sqlite3 WASM module with a three-step guide, provides download options, and includes building instructions. It also mentions third-party projects using this system and offers links to relevant external articles and documentation.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the idea of running SQLite in-memory within a browser, integrating techniques similar to those used by Litestream and Cloudflare Durable Objects. The plan involves streaming the Write-Ahead Logging (WAL) log to a server, potentially using WebSockets or fetch() POST requests. This would allow for rehydrating the client-side database with server-side data on future visits. However, it notes that WAL mode is not included in the default SQLite WASM build, requiring a custom solution.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a potential confusion regarding the status of SQLite components that were released in public beta with version 3.40, expected to become API-stable with version 3.41, pending community feedback. However, the latest SQLite release is 3.46.1, suggesting that the components might already be API-stable, but the webpage hasn’t been updated yet.
The author expresses a desire for the SQLite team to create an official npm package for the WASM version, which could simplify distribution. They mention preferring the Pyodide variant of SQLite-in-WASM, which has been available for longer and integrates with the Python standard library. They provide a code snippet to demonstrate using SQLite with Pyodide, noting that it currently returns version 3.39.0, indicating the need for an update. The article references how this version is inherited from Emscripten.
9. Drawing Graphics on Apple Vision with the Metal Rendering API
Total comment counts : 8
Summary
The article discusses the efficient rendering of graphics on the Apple Vision Pro using the Metal rendering API. Since its launch, there has been a significant increase in developers creating games and applications for this platform. While many choose established game engines like Unity or high-level APIs like RealityKit, the article highlights the advantages of building a custom rendering engine with Metal, offering complete control over the rendering process.
With the release of visionOS 2.0, developers can now utilize Metal for rendering graphics in mixed modes, alongside passthrough rendering. The author shares their personal experience developing a game called RAYQUEST and emphasizes the importance of reading Apple’s documentation and examples.
Metal is praised for its modern architecture, efficiency, and robust debugging tools, making it user-friendly compared to other APIs, like Vulkan or DirectX12. The article also introduces Compositor Services, a visionOS API that integrates SwiftUI with Metal, allowing for optimized rendering on the Apple Vision displays.
Lastly, it delves into features like foveation, which enhances performance by rendering high-resolution content where the user is looking while reducing the resolution elsewhere, highlighting that this is managed automatically by Apple Vision without direct access to eye-tracking data for developers.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author recently launched a Vision Pro version of their app, but has only sold 7 units, which they describe as their worst launch ever. They conclude that developing for this platform is not worthwhile due to its very small customer base.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses Vertex Amplification, particularly its application in VisionOS. The author shares their appreciation for the insights gained from the article and mentions that Vertex Amplification is crucial for Mesh Shading, a technology that allows GPUs to create or omit vertices. Introduced by Nvidia in 2018, this approach represents a shift in how graphics pipelines are conceptualized. The author highlights that understanding this technology can enhance one’s grasp of architectural principles, even for those not developing Vision apps. Additionally, they reference recent videos that provide further insights into Mesh Shading.
10. Show HN: Mermaid ASCII Diagrams
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
The article mentions that there are different methods for creating mermaid graphs in ASCII format within the same Git repository.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests that there is a need for a direct connection to Svgbob, a tool for creating SVG diagrams from text. A link to the Svgbob editor is provided for access.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article provides feedback on a user interface involving “Example” buttons, which are not easily noticeable and would benefit from clearer labeling, such as specifying their purpose. It notes that while well-formed input updates the graph immediately, ill-formed input does not, leading to confusion when the “Generate” button is clicked, as it blanks the input box. This suggests a possible bug or lack of clarity in functionality. Additionally, it mentions that users unfamiliar with “Mermaid” may find it similar to GraphViz’s dot language. The author encountered issues with a flowchart example from Mermaid’s README, indicating that certain shape characters are not properly recognized.