1. Qwen3-Coder: Agentic coding in the world
Total comment counts : 32
Summary
Today, Qwen3-Coder was launched, featuring its most powerful variant, Qwen3-Coder-480B-A35B-Instruct, a 480B-parameter code model that excels in coding and agentic tasks. It supports a context length of 256K tokens and achieves state-of-the-art results in several agentic coding tasks. Alongside, the open-sourced Qwen Code tool enhances its capabilities. Leveraging Alibaba Cloud, the model encapsulates advanced reinforcement learning for real-world software tasks. Future iterations promise expanded sizes and self-improvement capabilities to further boost productivity in software engineering.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author is creating 2bit to 8bit GGUFs for local deployment, expected to be available in about an hour. Users can find the models at the provided Hugging Face link. Additionally, documentation for running the model on a 24GB GPU with 128 to 256GB of RAM is available at another linked site.
Top 2 Comment Summary
A software engineer’s typical work time is divided as follows: 5% on code changes, 10% on running build pipelines, 20% on learning via communications, 15% on raising incident tickets, 20% on submitting forms and chasing approvals, 20% on reaching out for dependencies, and 10% on finding information in internal wikis. Using agentic coding could potentially expedite processes involving communication, approvals, and dependency tracking.
2. TODOs aren’t for doing
Total comment counts : 75
Summary
TODO comments in codebases serve as valuable insights rather than tasks that must be completed. Teams vary in handling these comments, from logging them all to removing those older than a year. However, effective TODOs highlight edge cases or structural suggestions, providing context about the author’s thought process. They can guide future developers by addressing potential improvements and relieving concerns about the original author’s decisions. Ultimately, well-placed TODOs contribute meaningfully to code understanding and development.
Top 1 Comment Summary
To resolve TODOs before merging, there are three options: 1) File an issue to track it if it merits attention; 2) Fix the issue immediately if it’s minor; 3) Leave a comment if it’s not worth addressing but you want to remember it. Properly managing TODOs is essential.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author uses specific annotations in code to prioritize tasks: “FIXME” indicates critical issues needing immediate attention, “XXX” denotes problems that are undesirable or based on incorrect assumptions, “TODO” suggests future implementations, and “NOTE” highlights important comments. The author often works with outdated or unmaintained code, where changes are made directly in the code instead of logging issues in a management system like Jira.
3. Don’t animate height
Total comment counts : 61
Summary
Jim Fisher’s article discusses a performance issue in the Granola note-taking app, which was consuming 60% CPU and 25% GPU on an M2 MacBook. The problem was traced to an expensive CSS animation related to an audio volume visualizer, which triggered re-layout, repainting, and compositing in the browser rendering pipeline. By switching from height animations to the cheaper transform properties, specifically using two rectangles and translating them, the app’s resource usage significantly decreased, showcasing the impact of optimizing CSS for better performance. Fisher plans to explore performance profiling further in future posts.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The user is seeking a way to limit the resources that individual webpages can use to preserve battery life, suggesting that if a site exceeds a certain threshold, it should be restricted. They express frustration with high resource usage by websites, preferring a system that signals excessive demands instead of allowing them unchecked. The user values functionality over design, stating they would rather have the option to enable higher resource usage only for specific, meaningful applications.
Top 2 Comment Summary
To enhance rendering speed, wrap elements in a container with a fixed height and “overflow: hidden”. This prevents the layout engine from recalculating positions outside the wrapper, resulting in faster performance. This method also historically improved the rendering of large tables, provided the sizes of rows or columns are predetermined, which somewhat undermines the flexibility that tables offer.
4. More than you wanted to know about how Game Boy cartridges work
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
Allison Parrish documents her journey of designing a bootleg Game Boy cartridge, aiming to understand its workings with the RP2040 microcontroller. This resource compiles existing knowledge about creating custom Game Boy cartridges for those with intermediate technical understanding. Parrish assumes familiarity with digital memory and microprocessors but not necessarily electronics. She discusses the simplicity and potential of the Game Boy platform, which, despite its nostalgia factor, appeals to her for its extensibility and low cost. The document also highlights the similarity in cartridge interactions across various Game Boy models.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The TI TXB0108 offers automatic direction sensing, but users are cautioned against using it due to issues with electrical noise that can interchange input and output signals. This could lead to potential damage or even dangerous situations. The device may seem straightforward but poses hidden risks and should only be used by experts familiar with its failure modes. It’s recommended to seek alternatives unless absolutely necessary.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article provides a design review for a PCB layout, highlighting several key points:
- U6 and U8 require close decoupling due to high LVC logic power consumption.
- WideBus level translators need individual decoupling capacitors for stability.
- Check output direction for U6; VBUS is unreliable for logic without conditioning.
- No ESD protection on the USB port; recommend specific ESD components.
- Improve clarity of Q1 by redrawing as standard MOSFETs.
- Avoid cross-driving on IC2; ensure proper grounding.
- Minimize unnecessary current in resistor dividers for U7.
- Suggest adding electrolytic capacitors for better power distribution network.
5. Font Comparison: Atkinson Hyperlegible Mono vs. JetBrains Mono and Fira Code
Total comment counts : 42
Summary
The article discusses the author’s switch to Atkinson Hyperlegible Mono for programming after a month of use. It highlights the importance of character distinction in programming fonts, addressing issues with homoglyphs and mirror image glyphs. Designed by the Braille Institute for accessibility, Atkinson Hyperlegible has received recognition and offers superior readability compared to established fonts like JetBrains Mono and Fira Code. Enhanced versions with more weights and language support are available. The article explains installation options for this open-source font and emphasizes its practical advantages in legibility for developers.
Top 1 Comment Summary
After redesigning my website with Atkinson Hyperlegible fonts, I tested its monospace variant in my terminal and code editor. Motivated by positive results, I wrote an article comparing Atkinson Hyperlegible Mono to JetBrains Mono and Fira Code, popular among developers. The visual comparisons highlight character distinction, yet I note trade-offs in the “Caveats” section. I’m interested in others’ experiences and opinions on font choice regarding legibility and accessibility, an area that remains under-researched.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author argues that many fonts labeled as “legible” lack true readability. Legibility focuses on identifying individual characters, while readability depends on recognizing whole words through word shape patterns. When characters are too similar, distinguishing words becomes difficult, reducing readability, even if individual letters are clear.
6. Android Earthquake Alerts: A global system for early warning
Total comment counts : 28
Summary
Google’s research environment supports diverse computer science advancements through open-source projects and collaboration. Notably, the Android Earthquake Alerts system, utilizing data from millions of smartphones, provides early warnings of earthquakes by detecting initial P-waves. Launched in 2021, it has operated in 98 countries, issuing 790 million alerts for over 2,000 significant earthquakes, dramatically increasing access to earthquake early warning systems from 250 million to 2.5 billion people. The project continually enhances its accuracy and effectiveness in alerting users, demonstrating technological innovation aimed at public safety.
Top 1 Comment Summary
In Israel, a nationwide false alarm occurred at 3 AM due to an emergency alert cell broadcast, which was misinterpreted as an earthquake when many phones vibrated simultaneously. This triggered an Android earthquake alert sent to all phones in the country 30 seconds later. The incident highlighted a lack of planning for such scenarios, with reports indicating that only three false positives occurred, including one caused by a different alert system.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article expresses excitement about a new Google project, highlighting its nostalgic feel reminiscent of old-school Google. It appreciates the initiative as a meaningful contribution rather than one aimed at raising privacy concerns, suggesting a positive shift in Google’s engineering focus.
7. Uv: Running a script with dependencies
Total comment counts : 36
Summary
The article discusses using the uv tool for managing Python scripts and their dependencies efficiently. uv automates virtual environment creation, prefers a declarative approach to dependencies, and allows scripts to run without needing a manually configured environment. It supports inline metadata for requesting dependencies, specifying Python versions, and utilizing alternative package indices. Dependencies can be locked using a .lock file for consistency, and scripts can be run without uv using a shebang for ease. The tool also offers options to refine dependency management and enhance script reproducibility.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The “declaring script dependencies” feature simplifies running Python scripts by allowing you to specify dependencies directly in the script. For example, by adding a list of dependencies, you can execute the script using “uv run script.py,” which automatically installs required packages in a temporary virtual environment. This method implements Python PEP 723. Notably, Claude 4 now understands this feature, enabling users to easily generate Python scripts with inline dependencies. Previously, such capabilities required custom setup, but the new functionality eliminates that need.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author warns against a common mistake when using a script designed to power cycle a router during internet outages. They realized that the script, relying on uv to download dependencies, would fail if the internet was down. They pre-installed the necessary dependencies to avoid this issue but caution others not to use similar setups for scripts that may run without an internet connection, as caching may not always prevent dependency errors.
8. Swift-erlang-actor-system
Total comment counts : 8
Summary
A new actor system, swift-erlang-actor-system, has been developed to enable Swift programs to connect with a distributed Erlang cluster. This system facilitates communication between Swift’s distributed actors and Erlang nodes using C node functionality. The library incorporates networking and serialization through the erl_interface C library and introduces features like @StableNames for managing remote calls and ensuring seamless interaction. Additionally, it explores message filtering for client-server interactions. This development enhances interoperability between Swift and Elixir, promoting their joint usage for client and server applications.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article outlines a project to create a web browser capable of rendering native UI instead of HTML. By using SwiftUI syntax, the project aims to facilitate easier development on native platforms. A headless browser is built in Elixir, communicating with the SwiftUI renderer via Erlang processes and a virtual DOM. Additionally, client-side JavaScript libraries are compiled to WebAssembly and executed in the browser. Although initially part of the LiveView Native project, the scope has expanded to target various SwiftUI-compatible platforms. The team is close to benchmarking and validating their work.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The project is part of the otp-interop GitHub organization, which includes initiatives for running BEAM on mobile devices, using disterl over WebSockets, and filtering messages in disterl. The author expresses gratitude for the project’s sharing and is open to answering questions.
9. Gemini North telescope discovers long-predicted stellar companion of Betelgeuse
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
A newly discovered companion star, estimated to be 1.5 times the mass of the Sun, is an A- or B-type pre-sequence star that hasn’t begun hydrogen fusion. Located about four times the Earth-Sun distance from Betelgeuse, this is the first instance of a stellar companion detected so close to a red supergiant, with its orbit lying within Betelgeuse’s outer atmosphere.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article provides a link to a 1-minute video from NOIRLab, highlighting astronomical insights or discoveries. Viewers can access the video for a quick overview of a specific topic in astronomy.
10. We built an air-gapped Jira alternative for regulated industries
Total comment counts : 43
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
After a federal contractor expressed concerns about using Plane due to ITAR requirements, the team developed an air-gapped version that operates completely isolated from external connections. Remarkably, this version runs faster than the SaaS version due to the absence of network latency. The article discusses the technical challenges addressed, such as supply chain trust, large bundle sizes, and offline licensing, highlighting the necessity for regulated industries to have alternatives to cloud-only tools like Jira.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the notion of “air-gapped” self-hosted applications, emphasizing their lack of telemetry and data calls. It highlights the availability of self-hosted open-source Jira alternatives that do not track user data. The author mentions past experiences with platforms like Redmine and Phabricator, noting that while Redmine is still active, Phabricator is no longer maintained.