1. Title drops in movies
Total comment counts : 55
Summary
The article by Dominikus Baur and Alice Thudt explores the phenomenon known as the “title drop” in films, where a character mentions the movie’s title during dialogue. Here’s a summary of the key points:
Analysis Scope: The study analyzed 73,921 movies from 1940 to 2023, covering about 61% of IMDb movies with at least 100 user votes.
Methodology: The researchers used subtitles from OpenSubtitles.com and metadata from IMDb. They faced challenges in defining what constitutes a title drop, especially with common or sequel titles, leading to the implementation of specific rules for title recognition.
Findings:
- About 36.5% of the movies analyzed contain at least one title drop, with an average of 10.3 title drops per movie that does include one.
- The movie with the most title drops in fiction is “Barbie” (2023) directed by Greta Gerwig, with 267 mentions. For documentaries, “Mickey: The Story of a Mouse” tops the list with 309 drops.
Cultural Impact: The article touches on the meta-nature of title drops and questions whether there’s a correlation between the frequency of title drops and the film’s quality or cultural trends.
Data Visualization: The authors provide interactive visualizations for readers to explore the data further, indicating the depth and detail of their research.
Overall, the article provides a comprehensive look at title drops in cinema, exploring not just the frequency but also the implications and cultural significance of this practice in modern filmmaking.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the title “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” a famous Japanese anime series from 1995. It explains that the English title includes “Neon Genesis,” which isn’t directly translated from the original Japanese title, “Shin-seiki Evangelion” (meaning “Evangelion of a New Era/Century”). The article notes that while these translations were approved by the creators, the intention behind the choice of “Neon Genesis” was unclear. However, in the final movie of the “Rebuild of Evangelion” series, the term “neon genesis” is explicitly mentioned by the protagonist, providing a satisfying explanation for fans and connecting back to the series’ title, which was a delightful moment for the author in the theater.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the author’s critique of how titles are considered in some analyses or data collections, specifically arguing that using titles like “It” or the name of a character (e.g., “Barbie”) as title drops is not meaningful. The author believes this practice skews results and diminishes the value of the analysis, likening it to developers who manipulate the definition of a problem to avoid providing a substantial solution. This issue led the author to stop reading the analysis in question.
2. Useful built-in macOS command-line utilities
Total comment counts : 54
Summary
The article discusses various useful macOS Bash commands:
Security Command: Used to access secrets stored in the Keychain programmatically, which is helpful for automation scripts requiring credentials.
Open Command: Allows users to open files from the terminal in their default application.
pbcopy and pbpaste: These commands manage text between the terminal and the system clipboard, facilitating data transfer between command line interfaces and GUI applications.
Date Command: Provides the current time in UTC, useful for server log analysis.
Network Quality Test: A terminal command to run an internet speed test directly.
Caffeinate: Prevents the Mac from sleeping, useful when running long processes or servers.
UUID Generation:
uuidgencommand for generating UUIDs, which can be formatted and copied to the clipboard for use in unit tests or other applications.
The article also mentions the integration of these commands into daily use, enhancing productivity through automation and quick access to system utilities.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses two command-line tools on macOS:
afconvert: This tool converts audio files and supports Apple’s AAC codec. An example provided shows how to convert a .wav file to an .m4a file with specific quality settings.
diskutil: This utility provides various operations for managing disk storage, both fixed and removable. The example given demonstrates how to create a RAM disk, format it with APFS, and name it “myramdisk”.
These tools are part of macOS’s system utilities, offering advanced file format conversion and disk management capabilities.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article recommends the macOS app called “hear,” which provides speech recognition and dictation capabilities through the command line. It leverages the built-in macOS features to transcribe audio into text. For more details, one can visit the provided link.
3. New images of Jupiter
Total comment counts : 20
Summary
The article invites individuals to download and creatively process raw images from the JunoCam, a camera aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft. Participants are encouraged to engage in various image manipulation techniques like cropping, color enhancement, and collage creation, but must avoid using official NASA or Juno logos to prevent confusion with officially sanctioned material. The platform where these images can be uploaded has content guidelines, prohibiting offensive, political, or inappropriate images to ensure it remains suitable for all ages. The focus is on fostering creativity, scientific curiosity, and the spirit of space exploration, with all submissions being moderated.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the Juno spacecraft’s use of radar to look beneath Jupiter’s cloud layers. The author mentions that their son contributed to this mission by working on the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) engine, which processes the radar data, during his time in college. This means the son’s code is now part of the Juno mission orbiting Jupiter.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the Juno spacecraft, which was launched in 2011 and has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016. Despite not being widely recognized, Juno continues its mission, passing closely by Jupiter approximately every month and a week, with each flyby occurring at an increasingly different longitude. The mission, which has a planned end in about a year from now, initially included a camera for educational outreach but it has been repurposed for scientific study of Jupiter’s cloud dynamics.
4. U.S. chip revival plan chooses sites
Total comment counts : 8
Summary
The text provided is not an article but a string of technical information related to web caching. It mentions a cache server named “Varnish” along with server identification details and a timestamp, indicating it’s likely part of a server log or header information from a web request. There is no narrative or detailed content to summarize.
Top 1 Comment Summary
Wolfspeed is constructing a new fabrication plant in North Carolina for manufacturing silicon carbide (SiC) chips, which are utilized in high-power applications such as locomotives, EV chargers, and industrial motor controls. The company has been awarded $750 million through the CHIPS and Science Act and is expected to receive an additional $1 billion in tax credits. The article highlights the capabilities of Wolfspeed’s products, mentioning a half-bridge power module that can handle up to 1200V and 760A, showcasing the impressive power handling capacity of their SiC technology.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a growing divide in global economic strategies:
Protectionist Camp: Some countries are moving towards isolationism or forming mini-empires, focusing on self-sufficiency by heavily promoting exports while minimizing imports through high tariffs. This approach essentially aims to make their economies function like “trapdoor functions,” where benefits are maximized internally, and external economic interactions are minimized.
Globalization Advocates: On the other side, there are nations for whom globalization is crucial. Their economies are so intertwined with global markets that without international trade, their economic systems would collapse. This dependency on global trade mirrors the economic conditions before World War II, suggesting a historical parallel where global economic integration was vital for survival.
5. Trump wins presidency for second time
Total comment counts : 284
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article is a reminder to users of a community (likely Hacker News given the URL) to adhere to the site’s comment guidelines before posting. The author emphasizes the importance of editing out negative behaviors like snark and flamebait, and encourages users to make comments more thoughtful, especially on divisive topics. The overall message is a call for better, more constructive engagement to improve the experience for everyone involved.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the misunderstanding of economic concepts like inflation, which is the rate of change in prices rather than the price levels themselves. It critiques the Democratic Party’s economic messaging and policy impacts over the last 40 years, which have not resonated well with voters in Ohio, leading to the state’s political shift from being a bellwether to a reliably Republican state. This shift has had political consequences, notably contributing to the defeat of a pro-union Senator, Sherrod Brown.
6. Unix Programmer’s Manual Third Edition [pdf] (1973)
Total comment counts : 11
Summary
The document provided appears to be a corrupted or encoded PDF file, as indicated by the presence of various binary and PDF-specific markers like endstream, endobj, and stream commands. These markers are typical in the structure of PDF files, suggesting that the text you’ve provided is not meant for direct reading but is instead a binary representation of a PDF document.
Given this:
- Summary: The text provided is not an article but rather an encoded or corrupted segment of a PDF file, likely containing multiple objects and streams which are parts of the PDF’s internal structure.
If you need to extract readable content from this file, you would typically require software capable of parsing or repairing corrupted PDFs or converting the binary data into a readable format.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions that the number of UNIX installations has increased to 16, and more are anticipated in the future.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a favorite and surprising old Unix document which is a USENIX paper from 1984. This paper describes the /proc filesystem, an innovative feature in Unix operating systems. The link provided in the article directs to a Hacker News discussion about this document.
7. Superstreamer – OSS streaming toolkit from video source to player
Total comment counts : 5
Summary
Summary:
Superstreamer is a self-hostable platform designed to simplify video streaming processes. It offers developers tools for transcoding, packaging media, and creating dynamic HLS playlists with features like ads and filters through simple API calls. The project is open-source, seeking community engagement through contributions in code, documentation, or promotion. The developer expresses gratitude for feedback and support, highlighting the project’s open nature and its aim to be scalable and comprehensive from video ingest to adaptive playback. Users are encouraged to star the project, engage via Discord, and consider sponsoring to support its development.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses an engineer’s reaction to the documentation and presentation of a product called Superstreamer, which is designed to simplify video delivery. Here are the key points:
Understanding and Usability: The engineer finds the current documentation insufficient in explaining when and why one would use Superstreamer, suggesting a need for clearer communication of its unique value proposition.
Feedback on Presentation: The critique includes a suggestion to start with a straightforward value proposition. The example given in the Superstreamer Readme was analyzed to derive:
- Beneficiaries: Not explicitly mentioned, but implied to be those involved in video streaming.
- Improvement: Simplification of video delivery complexities.
- Complexity Addressed: The unspecified complexities of video delivery.
- Tangible Outcome: Not clearly defined, but suggested to include a call to action.
- Comparison: The suggestion to compare or contrast with a well-known alternative.
Proposed Rewrite: The engineer provides a rewrite of the introduction to Superstreamer, emphasizing control over content, cost reduction, customization, and ease of use, with a direct comparison to a competitor.
General Comments: The article praises the overall quality of Superstreamer in terms of design, UX, code quality, and passion behind the project, but highlights the need for better marketing and clearer communication of its benefits and uses.
In summary, the article is a critique and suggestion for improvement on how Superstreamer markets itself, focusing on clarity and effectiveness in explaining its purpose and advantages to potential users or recommenders in the video streaming industry.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses Superstreamer, a project by the author aimed at simplifying video streaming processes. Initially conceived as an all-in-one toolkit, the project is evolving into an open architecture where components can be used independently or integrated with other services like Mux or Cloudflare Stream. Key features include:
- Stitcher: A tool for inserting HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) interstitials like ads or bumpers into video streams.
- Transcode and Package Infrastructure: Allows for a fully self-hostable solution for video processing.
- Player: Utilizes HLS.js, offering a user-friendly interface for UI developers.
The author expresses excitement about the project’s reception on Hacker News and is open to questions from the community.
8. 98.css – A design system for building faithful recreations of old UIs
Total comment counts : 25
Summary
The article discusses 98.css, a CSS library designed to replicate the look of Windows 98 interfaces. Here are the key points:
Purpose: It’s for developers who want to build or recreate user interfaces that mimic the classic Windows 98 design.
Usage:
- Requires semantic HTML for proper styling (e.g., using
<button>for buttons, ensuring labels for inputs). - It promotes accessibility, using attributes like
aria-labelfor icon buttons. - Customization is allowed; users can adjust styles like padding or color while keeping the Windows 98 aesthetic.
- Requires semantic HTML for proper styling (e.g., using
Technical Details:
- No JavaScript included; it’s purely CSS, making it compatible with any frontend framework.
- Can be integrated via CDN (unpkg), GitHub, or npm.
- Provides detailed styling for common UI elements like buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, text inputs, sliders, and dropdowns, all with specific Windows 98 attributes and behaviors (e.g., button states, focus indicators).
Examples:
- Offers examples of how to use 98.css with React and vanilla JavaScript.
- Describes how to create Windows 98-style windows, including title bars with functional controls like minimize, maximize, restore, and close buttons.
Accessibility: Emphasizes the importance of using proper HTML elements and attributes to ensure the interfaces are accessible to assistive technologies.
This library not only serves nostalgic purposes but also provides a practical approach to understanding and implementing design systems with a focus on accessibility and customization.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a project by a user who created a set of classic stylesheets for various old operating systems including Windows 3.11, 95, 2000, XP, CDE, and Mac OS 9. The focus of this project was not on achieving pixel-perfect replicas but rather on adapting these classic interfaces to look aesthetically pleasing on modern systems with higher resolution displays. To achieve this, the user recreated icons and symbols in SVG format. Although the project was shared on a platform (likely Hacker News, given the mention of “Show HN”), it did not receive much attention, possibly due to an unappealing project title.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article is by an author who expresses happiness about their burnout recovery project being reposted. The project involved CSS reflections, and the author has shared some thoughts on it in a recent post linked in the text.
9. Tracker Beeper (2022)
Total comment counts : 26
Summary
Bert Hubert has developed a tool that makes a beeping sound each time a user’s computer sends data to Google, highlighting the extent to which websites track users without their explicit consent. Initially focused on Google, the tool was expanded to include trackers like Facebook after a video demonstration of this tracking on the Dutch government’s job site went viral, receiving a million views. The tool currently requires technical know-how to set up and is aimed at users of Linux, OSX, and BSD systems. Hubert’s future plans include creating a live demo setup where phones on a specific WiFi network would trigger loud speakers to make noise for each tracker detected, potentially using different speakers for different trackers to visually and audibly demonstrate the prevalence of tracking. He is open to collaboration to bring this concept to life using simple hardware like a Raspberry Pi.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of ultrasonic frequencies in sonification, which is currently beyond human hearing capabilities (up to ~20 kHz). It humorously suggests that with technological advancements, we might soon interact with ultrasonic frequencies. The author enjoyed a video on this topic, appreciating how sonification can provide insights into computer processes in real-time, offering an experience that visual charts cannot replicate. The piece highlights the potential of sound beyond the traditional audible range to enhance our understanding of digital processes.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the potential implications of using Chrome’s combined search and address bar as a source for reverse search warrants. It suggests that law enforcement could potentially issue a reverse search warrant targeting individuals who have searched for “torproject.org” while navigating to the Tor Project’s website. This highlights concerns over privacy and surveillance, as such warrants would seek to identify users based on their search queries and browsing behavior.
10. Defibrillation devices save lives using 1k times less electricity
Total comment counts : 11
Summary
The article states that a request was blocked due to the server’s security measures. If there’s a belief that this block was an error, one should contact the support team.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article explains that a 99.9% reduction means you are left with 0.1% or one-thousandth of the original amount.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the evolution of defibrillators, focusing on the changes in external defibrillators over the past 35 years. It notes that while the energy level of these devices has been reduced from 300J to 200J, the primary advancement has been in the application method, moving from using gel to gel pads. This change helps prevent burns and reduces unpleasant odors, which were issues when using traditional gel. The author humorously reflects on past experiences with these devices, including the sensory challenges in ambulances where smoking was once permitted, and contrasts the manual reading of heart traces in the past with today’s automated systems.