1. Hosting a website on a disposable vape
Total comment counts : 58
Summary
An author collects disposable vapes and finds a PUYA PY32F002B ARM microcontroller inside several models. Despite being labeled disposable, the device can host a tiny web server. Using semihosting with pyOCD, they bridge the MCU to a host via telnet, then route IP traffic with SLIP and a Linux slattach-like setup. They port the small uIP TCP/IP stack and its minimal HTTP server, tweak the filesystem for ARM, and note alignment issues. The project also involves Perl scripting and debugging-pin labeling.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article spotlights inexpensive Chinese UZ801 4G LTE dongles (Qualcomm MSM8916) costing about $4–$5. Despite old Android SOCs, they offer 4GB eMMC, 512MB RAM, a real 4G modem (often dual-SIM), plus GPU and GPS. Substantial support work exists (postmarketOS Zhihe LTE dongles wiki, OpenStick). They’re pitched as a versatile hardware platform for quirky homelab projects.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author admires reusing devices and envisions a post-apocalyptic city powered by a patchwork of miscellaneous computing gadgets. They also criticize disposable vapes with microcontrollers (and related games and screens) as a serious source of e-waste, calling the issue “many layers of stupid.”
2. Addendum to GPT-5 system card: GPT-5-Codex
Total comment counts : 10
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The new gpt-5-codex uses a smaller prompt in Codex CLI (~10KB vs 23KB). SWE-bench performance is similar to standard gpt-5, so gains likely come from code refactor capabilities (internal benchmark improving from 33.9% to 51.3%). The author reports bugs during a large refactor with Codex CLI (gpt-5-high), such as deleting and rewriting files, suggesting better tool-calling could help. The model is claimed to be more steerable (per AGENTS.md and generally). The author finds Codex CLI with gpt-5 already more steerable than Claude Code and welcomes further improvements.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author reports strong positive experiences with GPT-5 and Codex, highlighting excellent long-context handling, solid code research, and reliable task completion (no half-done steps or mock outputs like Gemini). They value useful safety suggestions when attempting tricky tasks. They also note the Codex CLI is receiving frequent, meaningful updates.
3. Wanted to spy on my dog, ended up spying on TP-Link
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
After buying a cheap Tapo indoor camera to monitor my dog, I reverse-engineered its onboarding flow, decompiled the APK, and performed MITM with Frida and mitmproxy. I mapped the app–camera communications, uncovered a default admin credential and session keys to decrypt traffic, and used PyTapo for reference. I wrote a mitmproxy script (tapo_decrypt_pretty.py) and a small tapo_onboard.sh to reproduce onboarding. The firmware feels cobbled together, but the effort finally let me understand what the dog does.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The piece praises the blog’s writing, highlighting that many similar posts feel generated by language models and can be distracting. This article is a pleasant surprise, balancing technical detail with a laid-back tone. The note about the AI-generated cover image is incidental to the content.
Top 2 Comment Summary
I can summarize, but I don’t have the article text—only the title/question. Please paste the article text or share a link, and I’ll produce a concise summary (≤100 words). If you can’t share the full text, I can provide a brief overview of the likely themes based on the topic.
4. PayPal to support Ethereum and Bitcoin
Total comment counts : 39
Summary
PayPal launches PayPal Links—one-time, shareable payment links to simplify sending and receiving money in chats. US users can start now, with UK and Italy expansion later this month. Crypto moves into P2P, enabling transfers of BTC, ETH, PYUSD, and other crypto across PayPal, Venmo, and compatible wallets. Personal transfers remain 1099-K exempt, with no tax forms for gifts or splitting expenses. As part of PayPal World, the initiative aims to boost cross-wallet interoperability and momentum from 2Q P2P TPV growth (+10% YoY) and strong Venmo growth.
Top 1 Comment Summary
Crypto aims to enable direct online money exchanges, like real-world cash, removing middlemen. The piece questions why anyone would want PayPal or similar intermediaries in a technology designed to be middleman-free, and asks who would participate in such a system.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The speaker is surprised that something hasn’t happened yet and even more surprised that people still use PayPal.
5. macOS Tahoe
Total comment counts : 24
Summary
macOS Tahoe debuts Liquid Glass, a fresh, familiar redesign that expands Continuity with iPhone’s Phone app and Live Activities. Spotlight now supports hundreds of actions without leaving the keyboard, while Apple Intelligence powers smarter Shortcuts, AI image tools, and multilingual actions across Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. Personalization includes light/dark appearances, color-tinted icons, a transparent menu bar, and customizable controls; sidebars and toolbars reflect your workspace. New Image Playground and Genmoji enhance image creation. Continuity extends to Mac via Live Activities, iPhone Mirroring, calls, Call Screening, and Hold Assist. Supports MacBook Pro models listed.
Top 1 Comment Summary
User has been testing the new UI since the release candidate and is uninstalling it. They describe it as incredibly ugly and released as beta/RC, with excessive padding, wasted screen space, disjoint floating panels, overly rounded corners that create gaps in full-screen apps, and numerous inconsistencies. They feel the design assumes users won’t care and pushes a preschool-tablet aesthetic.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The piece lambasts a UI styling update as visually and functionally flawed—transparency hurts legibility, oversized rounded corners waste space, and layouts feel unbalanced and amateurish, like poor CSS work. The author even claims most Linux desktops look better and notes the link to Ars Technica’s macOS 26 Tahoe review.
6. React is winning by default and slowing innovation
Total comment counts : 32
Summary
React-by-default hides costs by privileging familiarity over fit, slowing frontend innovation. Defaulting to React often ignores constraints, leaning on network effects rather than technical merit. Alternatives—Svelte (compile-time reactivity, no virtual DOM), Solid (fine-grained reactivity), and Qwik (resumability)—can outperform React in common cases, but struggle to gain adoption. Real-world examples include The Guardian’s Svelte adoption with performance and bundle gains; a notable case reduced site size from 187KB to 9KB. React’s larger API surface and patterns (hooks, context, server components) impede trying these models.
Top 1 Comment Summary
It argues that JavaScript developers should pause innovation for a few years due to excessive, aimless experimentation. It laments the many ways to build a web app and urges browser maintainers to deliver sane, standardized components—such as a backend-supported combobox and a cross-browser date picker—so we don’t constantly reinvent state management for basic controls that browsers still lack in 2025.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The piece argues that React’s dominance isn’t mainly due to superior technical merit but social factors and network effects. While agreeing with points like “React is no longer winning by technical merit” and that default choices create a self-perpetuating cycle, it asserts that teams still pick React because its overall benefits outweigh alternatives. The author contends that technical advantages of alternatives are modest except in narrow use cases, and capable teams can recognize those cases and adopt another tool accordingly.
7. Launch HN: Trigger.dev (YC W23) – Open-source platform to build reliable AI apps
Total comment counts : 22
Summary
Trigger.dev provides tools to build production-grade AI agents in TS, with primitives or integrations (Mastra, LangChain, Vercel AI SDK), self-hosted or cloud (auto-scaling). It started in 2023 to reliably run async jobs, originally only orchestrating code; developers faced determinism, step breakdown, and serverless timeouts. They built a serverless cloud infra using CPU/memory snapshots via CRIU, pausing and restoring workloads on different servers. Adoption surged with AI workflows and use cases like AI video generation, real-time tasks, AI enrichment, and coding tools. Get started at cloud.trigger.dev or self-hosting docs; upcoming changes: warm starts and MicroVM execution with checkpointing.
Top 1 Comment Summary
A long-time customer praises Trigger.dev for over a year of positive, cross-project use, notes quick founder responses on Discord, and says they see no need to explore competitors because Trigger.dev meets current needs and anticipates AI-driven features; they cheer for the team.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author appreciates the platform’s look and its versatility for handling any task, but criticizes the trend of people marketing themselves or pivoting to AI agents.
8. GPT-5-Codex
Total comment counts : 11
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The author evaluated Claude and Codex on a shared background presence animation (background changes with everyone’s cursor). Yesterday Claude led but struggled with creativity and building the simulation. Today Codex performed much better on the simulation, though the design still felt somewhat lackluster.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The new model uses a roughly half-sized prompt (10KB vs 23KB). SWE-bench performance matches normal GPT-5, with the main improvement in code refactoring for gpt-5-codex (refactor benchmark rising from 33.9% to 51.3%). The author, after a large internal refactor with Codex CLI (gpt-5-high), encountered bugs when files were deleted and rewritten; suggests copying the file over first and making package-specific changes to avoid losses, implying better tool invocation could help. The model is said to be more steerable (per AGENTS.md); Codex CLI gpt-5 is already more steerable than Claude Code, with room for gains.
9. AOMedia Announces Year-End Launch of Next-Gen Video Codec AV2
Total comment counts : 10
Summary
Open-media consortium AOMedia announced AV2, the successor to AV1, with a year-end release to meet rising streaming demands. AV2 promises significantly better compression, plus enhanced AR/VR support, multi-program split-screen delivery, improved screen-content handling, and a wider visual-quality range, all under a royalty-free policy. Marking its 10th anniversary, AOMedia reported strong member support: 88% view AV1 as critical or important, and 53% plan to adopt AV2 within 12 months of finalization, with 88% within two years. The group invites new members to help shape open, high-performance media standards.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author hopes AV1 becomes as ubiquitous as H.264 and criticizes Apple Safari for restricting AV1 to devices with hardware decoding (M3+), while other browsers decode in software. They note Safari’s market share is small, yet they see a higher-than-average fraction of Mac/Safari users on their site.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The piece reviews next‑gen image codecs. AV2 could help make newer compression practical. AVIF preserves good quality at low bitrates, but high‑quality CPU encoding is slow, which slows adoption and helps keep JPEG XL (JXL) in a niche. A progressive mode could improve image handling. JXL also offers lossless recompression of JPEGs—a smaller gain than a new format but easier to deploy—saving about 22% versus JPEGs, though how this aligns with AOMedia’s broader priorities is unclear.
10. How big a solar battery do I need to store all my home’s electricity?
Total comment counts : 42
Summary
An ordinary London home producing about 3,800 kWh/year of solar power and using the same amount would need roughly 1,068 kWh (about 1 MWh) of storage to carry summer surplus into winter, based on a year of data. The peak daily surplus was ~13 kWh. Even with a 4.8 kWh battery, full self-sufficiency year-round isn’t feasible today; some days would require grid import. A megawatt-hour system could cost £100k–£500k, though future sodium‑ion tech might drop domestic storage to around £8k, roughly the cost of adding more panels. It’s a thought experiment, not practical reality.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author describes a Tesla-based home energy setup with three batteries and solar. They argued for including 8 kW of west-facing panels (vs 74% efficiency east) but found through hourly usage modeling that late-afternoon generation must match their peak usage; otherwise batteries discharge before morning sun. With enough solar during the late afternoon, their 14 kW solar array plus three batteries could keep the home off-grid for about nine months despite heavy snow and trees. The piece advocates optimizing by hourly generation—not daily production—and notes low financial benefits from overproduction under current rates, though incentives could change the math.
Top 2 Comment Summary
I can’t access the article from the link directly. If you paste the article text (or a substantial excerpt) or share its main points, I’ll condense it into a concise summary of up to 100 words. If you only have sections or quotes, I can summarize those. Alternatively, provide the title, author, date, and key findings, and I’ll draft a summary.