1. New Mersenne Prime discovered (probably)
Total comment counts : 19
Summary
On October 12, 2024, a GIMPS computer reported a successful Fermat probable prime test, marking the potential discovery of a new Mersenne prime, the first in nearly six years, pending further verification through Lucas-Lehmer tests. GIMPS recently released version 30.19 of its software, improving the speed of certain computational stages. Significant updates, including the introduction of PRP proofs that allow for verification with minimal additional work, were highlighted, potentially increasing GIMPS’ efficiency moving forward.
The project has validated all smaller Mersenne numbers from M(57885161), which was discovered eight and a half years ago, and it will no longer assign first-time tests without upgraded software. They also announced a collaboration with SRBase for trial factoring of large Mersenne numbers, although individual credit for that work will go to GIMPS.
The article reflects on GIMPS’ history, including its record of finding primes and mentions the largest known prime M(82589933), discovered in December 2018. The community-driven model encourages participation, demonstrating that anyone can contribute to discovering new Mersenne primes.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author recalls a personal experience from over 20 years ago when they discovered something significant while using GIMPS (Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search). At the time, they didn’t recognize its importance and casually dismissed it after seeing a message, choosing to turn off the application.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses Bruce Schneier’s concerns about privacy and security, particularly in relation to baggage handling and airport security measures. It highlights the ongoing risks to personal information and the importance of adapting to evolving threats. The piece suggests that individuals should remain vigilant about their security practices, especially when it comes to travel and protecting sensitive data.
2. A Simple open-source Phone programmable with Arduino
Total comment counts : 25
Summary
The WiPhone is a modular and hackable phone designed for users who want to take control of their hardware and software. It provides basic functionalities such as making calls and sending text messages using VoIP over WiFi, without the complexities of traditional smartphones. The device intentionally lacks a cell radio to minimize tracking and operates through independent VoIP networks. Users can set up their private network at low costs, and the open-source operating system allows for customization and modification. The WiPhone also supports offline messaging via LoRa technology for direct communication without third-party services. Overall, it caters to tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts, offering a familiar phone-like experience while emphasizing user autonomy and simplicity.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a device that functions primarily as a Wi-Fi-connected VOIP caller rather than a traditional phone, lacking GSM capabilities and a SIM card. While the author appreciates the project, they believe it’s misleading to refer to it as a phone. They suggest that adding a GSM module and a larger screen would enhance the device.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author briefly owned a Wiphone for three days but ultimately decided it wasn’t suitable for them. They hoped it would embody the Unix philosophy of efficient functionality, but the firmware underwhelmed, particularly in its phone capabilities. The author experienced unreliable SIP account connectivity, with issues like one-way audio and connection failures, and noted the lack of error logging for troubleshooting. The only highlight of the device was the Pacman clone app, which they found enjoyable.
3. The long road to lazy preemption in the Linux CPU scheduler
Total comment counts : 6
Summary
The article discusses advancements in the Linux kernel’s CPU scheduling, specifically the introduction of “lazy preemption” by developer Peter Zijlstra. This concept aims to simplify scheduling while improving performance. Currently, the kernel operates with four preemption modes—from minimal preemption (PREEMPT_NONE) to the more aggressive PREEMPT_RT mode, which enhances responsiveness but can impede system throughput. The existing approach uses the cond_resched() function to manage preemption, spread throughout the kernel, which can be seen as an inefficient workaround. The lazy preemption patches introduce a new flag, TIF_NEED_RESCHED_LAZY, which indicates when rescheduling is needed, allowing for a more streamlined and effective scheduling process. Despite the promising implementation, further work is required before it can be fully adopted.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses improvements in lazy-preemption work aimed at creating a smaller and simpler kernel that provides predictable latencies without extensive scheduler-related calls in the code. Although there is still a lot of work to be done, the outcome is expected to be beneficial, similar to the improvements made by EEVDF, which also simplifies and enhances the current system.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the concept of preemption in systems, highlighting that higher preemption levels allow for quicker responses to events, which is often beneficial. However, this can negatively impact overall system throughput, particularly for workloads involving long-running, CPU-intensive tasks that are better off with minimal interruptions. Additionally, increased preemption may lead to higher lock contention. The article notes that there are various preemption modes suited for different workloads, and questions why preemption levels are not event-specific, as some events require faster response times than others.
4. Ask HN: Founders, what was the major sourcing channel for your first 100 users?
Total comment counts : 39
Summary
The article outlines the experiences of a startup founder with three different products over the past decade:
First Product: Launched 10 years ago, gained initial traction through automated direct messaging in forums, leading to a rapid growth to 1.6 million users, mostly free.
Second Product: Started 3.5 years ago, the founder emailed the newsletter list from the first company for the initial user base. This product is profitable as it has no free plan.
Third Product: Launched only a month ago, it faced challenges in converting users. While it attracted 10,000 free users via email marketing, there were no paying users. Attempts at ads yielded similar outcomes, prompting the founder to reevaluate the reasons for lack of conversions through direct communication with users.
The overarching lesson highlighted is that having an email list and built-in viral features greatly facilitates marketing. The article also discusses competitive challenges, particularly in the video editing space, where alternatives are available at lower costs. The founder contemplates shifting focus towards B2B API usage or catering to users wanting to convert long-form videos into appropriate clips.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the experience of a founder running three small SaaS companies generating around $1M in annual recurring revenue (ARR).
- The first company, started 10 years ago, created a bot for auto Direct Messaging on forums, which gained 1.6 million users, largely due to its shareability.
- The second company, launched 3.5 years ago, quickly became profitable by leveraging an email newsletter from the first company to acquire its initial users without offering a free plan.
- The third company, started just one month ago, has struggled to convert 10,000 free users into paying customers despite attempts at advertising. The founder is now focusing on communication to understand this lack of conversion.
The key takeaway highlights that having an established email list and built-in viral loops simplifies marketing efforts.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the importance of SEO in determining market demand and competition for a product. The author, who runs a translation company, initially targeted a niche market (“website translation for Squarespace”) to avoid saturated competition. As the company grew, it expanded its services. The first 1,000 users included individuals paying $10/month and enterprise clients paying significantly more. The author also shared experiences with acquiring the first customers: one was a company they worked for while developing their product, and the second was through cold outreach with an offer for manual assistance if necessary. Subsequent customers were acquired through SEO strategies.
5. Doctor Fukushi Masaichi and the art of preserving tattooed skin
Total comment counts : 8
Summary
The article explores the cultural significance and scientific interest in tattoos, specifically focusing on the Japanese tradition of irezumi. Dr. Fukushi Masaichi, a Japanese pathologist, saw tattoos as more than art; he was fascinated by their potential medical applications, particularly their ability to prevent scarring from diseases like syphilis. Beginning in 1907, he undertook the unusual task of preserving tattooed skin after the death of their owners, paying willing participants and creating a unique collection of 2,000 tattooed “pelts” and over 3,000 photographs documenting them. His preservation methods, both wet and dry, ensured the tattoos’ designs remained intact.
Despite his success and respect within the tattoo community, much of his collection was lost due to air raids during World War II and the theft of a suitcase containing prized specimens during a trip to the U.S. After his death, his son, Dr. Fukushi Katsunari, continued his work. Although only 105 pieces of the collection are known to remain, they are housed in the Medical Pathology Museum of Tokyo University but are not publicly displayed.
Top 1 Comment Summary
Dr. Masaichi, during a trip to the United States, had his suitcase containing prized tattooed human skins stolen in Chicago. The current whereabouts of the skins are unknown, and the thief likely remains unaware of the unusual contents they have taken.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author finds the photos of skin displayed in a large frame to be disturbing, while a photo of skin wrapped around a mannequin is seen as tasteful and beautiful. They note that preserving the human body’s shape makes the presentation feel more respectful, despite knowing that both images feature the same cadaver skin.
6. How to leverage Claude’s capabilities with interactive visualization
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
The article discusses a sophisticated Next.js application that integrates Claude’s capabilities with interactive data visualization to analyze financial data through chat. Users can access the application at http://localhost:3000. The AI assistant is designed for tasks such as data extraction and analysis, visualization creation, and interactive analysis. While its primary focus is financial analysis, it can also be adapted for various other applications, including environmental data analysis, sports performance tracking, social media analytics, educational progress tracking, and health and fitness monitoring. Additionally, the application can utilize charts and images for visual representation, such as displaying common elements in a picture with a pie chart.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author notes their company’s recent switch from Claude to ChatGPT for their application’s LLM backend due to Claude’s changes in response style. They express a desire for a performance guarantee in LLM API services, mentioning that while quantization could significantly reduce costs (2-4x), providers often implement it without transparency. The author concludes that achieving enterprise-level API quality is challenging and that the market for such services is difficult.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the relevance of a post shared in the “Show HN” section, questioning whether it qualifies as such unless the original poster (OP) is affiliated with Anthropic.
7. Adding syntax to the CPython interpreter
Total comment counts : 11
Summary
The article discusses a proposal to enhance Python by modifying ternary statements to default to None when no else condition is provided, similar to Ruby’s behavior. It outlines a step-by-step process for implementing this change, including cloning and building Python, altering the grammar in the Grammar/python.gram file, regenerating C files, and recompiling the interpreter. The result is the new ternary expression feature, which is celebrated at the end.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions a more detailed post linked within it, discussing what it would be like if Python incorporated certain features from Ruby. For further insights, readers are encouraged to visit the provided link for a deeper exploration of the topic.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the addition of new syntax and its associated semantics to Python. It references a blog post by Eli Bendersky from nearly 15 years ago, which details the process of incorporating an “until … do” statement into the Python programming language. A link to Bendersky’s blog post is provided for further reading.
8. Knocker uppers: Waking up the workers in industrial Britain (2016)
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
Before alarm clocks were prevalent, “knocker uppers” were employed to wake workers, especially in northern British mill towns and London. These individuals used long sticks to tap on bedroom windows, ensuring that shift workers rose on time. This trade flourished in areas where many could not afford watches and was particularly vital for dock workers whose schedules depended on the tides.
Knocker uppers, who often worked nights and slept during the day, faced challenges, such as waking paying clients without disturbing their neighbors. They adapted by using soft tapping methods. Cultural references to knocker uppers appear in works like Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” and during notable events like the Jack the Ripper murders.
These figures, such as Mary Smith in East London and Granny Cousins in Dorset, operated into the early 20th century, illustrating a bygone practice of managing time before modern technology changed the way people approached getting up for work.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses Lewis Mumford’s perspective on the origins of modern industrial machines, tracing them back to the regimented, time-oriented lives of medieval monks, predating the Industrial Revolution and Renaissance. It uses the example of “knocker uppers” as a representation of humans acting like proto machines. Additionally, the author shares a personal anecdote about an ancestor whose Polish surname translates to “alarm clock,” suggesting a connection to the role of knocker uppers, though they note a lack of similar English surnames.
Top 2 Comment Summary
Elizabeth Ruth Naomi Belville (1854-1943), known as the Greenwich Time Lady, was a London businesswoman who, along with her parents, provided a timekeeping service. They would set her watch to Greenwich Mean Time daily and “sell” the time by allowing customers to view her watch and adjust their own accordingly.
9. Teaching old assert() new Tricks
Total comment counts : 2
Summary
The article discusses the implementation and features of the assert() function in the Next Generation Shell (NGS), highlighting its consistency with the language’s overall design. Key points include:
Enhanced Functionality: NGS assert() allows assert(EXPR, PATTERN) which follows the Uniform Function Call Syntax (UFCS), emphasizing pattern matching rather than predicate callbacks. This adjustment aligns with NGS’s broader use of pattern arguments across methods.
Fluent Interface: The assert function integrates smoothly into code, allowing chaining of conditions without cluttering with class methods, as methods exist outside of classes.
Exception Handling: NGS introduces assert() for callable expressions that can catch specific exceptions. This supports a variety of argument types, adhering to the “filling-the-matrix” principle, which aims for broad usability.
Multiple Dispatch: NGS utilizes multiple dispatch with methods evaluated in a bottom-up manner, using guards for method specificity.
Domain-Specific Needs: Additional facilities in NGS, like the retry() function, are designed relative to its “DevOps” focus, leading to the creation of retry_assert() for better error handling without overlapping concerns.
The article highlights how assert() serves as both a powerful and flexible tool in NGS and illustrates the language’s design principles emphasizing usability and domain-specific functionalities.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article describes a conversation with a senior developer who claims to use assert statements for critical security checks, including input validation and buffer size verification, asserting that his code is secure because of it. However, the author questions the effectiveness of this approach by asking if the compiler retains the assert statements when the code is compiled in non-debug mode, implying that asserts might not be reliable for security in production environments.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author reflects on their changing perspective regarding the use of assertions in code. Initially, they used to attach explanatory strings to their assertions for clarity. However, they now believe that assertions should indicate errors that require code changes and are thus not recoverable during runtime. The author argues that a simple assert, potentially accompanied by a comment explaining why it should never fail, is sufficient since the focus should be on the code itself when investigating issues. They acknowledge that while explanatory strings can be helpful, they now prefer straightforward assertions, sometimes supplemented by comments for clarity.
10. Cross-Process Spectre Exploitation
Total comment counts : 6
Summary
In this article, Johannes Wikner discusses a cross-process Spectre attack he developed during his internship at Open Source Security, Inc. This exploit highlights flaws in the Indirect Branch Prediction Barrier (IBPB) for Intel’s Golden Cove and Raptor Cove architectures, specifically how some return target predictions can persist across IBPBs due to buggy microcode. The article emphasizes that while IBPB is intended to protect against such vulnerabilities, certain user programs remain unprotected despite potential implementations of IBPB. It aims to persuade software developers to adopt IBPB while noting that even with IBPB, vulnerabilities remain.
Wikner outlines the mechanics of Spectre attacks, which leverage mispredictions in branch control flow to leak sensitive data through side-channel methods. The text explains the role of Branch Target Buffers (BTBs) in storing branch predictions and the importance of understanding how these predictions operate in the specter of security vulnerabilities. Additionally, he mentions Intel’s recent patch addressing the IBPB issue, indicating improved safety for systems using updated microcode. Overall, the write-up serves to inform and advocate for stronger mitigations against Spectre-type attacks, particularly in user-level software.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the lack of concern among most software authors regarding cross-process Spectre attacks, noting that very few enable Indirect Branch Predictors Barrier (IBPB) protection. Google Chrome is highlighted as an exception, as Google takes extra measures to enhance user safety.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the shortcomings of microcode in fully flushing indirect branch predictions, which enables certain cross-process attack techniques to remain effective. The author expresses a lack of surprise at this oversight, noting that attention to side channel attacks has waned since the initial crises. Mitigating these attacks is complicated by testing challenges related to noise, which could have contributed to this oversight.
The piece highlights a common tension between performance and security, suggesting that many users mistakenly believe trusted applications do not require additional security measures. The author argues against this notion, especially in multi-user environments where unauthorized access to other processes’ data is a risk. Comments on the Linux kernel indicate that developers prioritize performance, a mindset that has led to vulnerabilities in the past.