hackernews

1. Oldest recorded transaction Total comment counts : 16 Summary An image of an ancient 3100 BC transaction log prompts the author to ask how far back modern databases can timestamp. Examining MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite, they find MySQL cannot handle such dates; PostgreSQL and SQLite support the Julian calendar with a minimum date of 4713 BC. Dates older than that aren’t natively supported, prompting questions about workarounds (epoch, text, or a custom system) at the expense of built-in TIMESTAMP features....

1. Anthropic agrees to pay $1.5B to settle lawsuit with book authors Total comment counts : 5 Summary The article instructs readers to enable JavaScript and disable ad blockers. Top 1 Comment Summary Contrary to common misperceptions, the article says the dispute isn’t about model training—training is fair use. The problem is pirating books to build training data, which allegedly occurred with Anthropic. It argues that legally obtained methods—buying used copies, scanning them, and training on them—are fine....

1. Stripe Launches L1 Blockchain: Tempo Total comment counts : 69 Summary Tempo is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain incubated by Stripe and Paradigm, built specifically for real-world payments. It supports all major stablecoins, handles over 100,000 transactions per second with sub-second finality, and offers near-zero, predictable fees. The design emphasizes privacy and compliance (ISO 20022-ready memos, on-chain settlement, and compliance hooks) for cross-border and B2B payments. Features include a built-in stablecoin exchange, batch transfers, programmable payments, and fast cross-border settlement....

1. Claude Code: Now in Beta in Zed Total comment counts : 36 Summary Zed released Claude Code integration in public beta using its new Agent Client Protocol (ACP), letting Claude Code run inside Zed as an ACP-compatible agent. ACP is an open standard to connect agents to editors. A Claude Code adapter wraps its SDK to ACP’s JSON RPC, so Claude Code runs as a separate process with Zed’s UI and can co-exist with Gemini CLI and other ACP agents....

1. Introduction to Ada: a project-based exploration with rosettas Total comment counts : 6 Summary This practical walkthrough documents a new AdaCore Field Engineer helping customers succeed with Ada. Recalling Ada’s fundamentals, the author uses a project-based approach—building a small end-to-end program that generates animated rosettas (hypotrochoid) as SVG files, a nod to Spirograph. The piece argues Ada is enjoyable beyond safety-critical domains and explores Ada 2022 features. It covers why Ada’s philosophy emphasizes readability, explicit typing, defined semantics, and a helpful compiler....

1. Patrick Winston: How to Speak (2018) [video] Total comment counts : 5 Summary error Top 1 Comment Summary The piece argues that success depends first on speaking, then writing, then the quality of ideas. It uses ChatGPT as an example: it can speak, write, and have ideas, but cannot perform physical tasks like hiking, swimming, or sports. The closing message: “Don’t be ChatGPT,” urging readers to develop real-world, physical capabilities alongside communication and ideas....

1. Eternal Struggle Total comment counts : 14 Summary error Top 1 Comment Summary Self-balancing: when one side grows larger by chance, its ball has more space and bounces less often, slowing growth; the smaller side’s ball bounces more in its smaller space, helping it catch up. Top 2 Comment Summary I can summarize, but I only see the title in your message. Please paste the article text (or a link) and I’ll summarize it in 100 words or fewer....

1. Are we decentralized yet? Total comment counts : 12 Summary This page uses the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) to quantify concentration in the Fediverse and Atmosphere. HHI sums the squares of market shares of all servers (Fediverse instances; Atmosphere PDS hosting user data). Values near zero indicate competitive markets, while 10,000 signals a monopoly. Economics bands: <100 highly competitive, <1500 unconcentrated, >2500 highly concentrated. Bluesky Social PBC’s PDSes are aggregated since they’re controlled by one entity....

1. Do the simplest thing that could possibly work Total comment counts : 20 Summary The article argues for ‘do the simplest thing that could possibly work’ in software design, not chasing an ideal, highly-factorable system. Begin by deeply understanding the existing system, then implement the simplest solution that meets current requirements. As developers gain tool familiarity, avoid unnecessary infrastructure; leverage Unix primitives and existing components (e.g., edge proxies, caches) before building new pieces....

1. Ask HN: The government of my country blocked VPN access. What should I use? Total comment counts : 90 Summary To bypass censorship, obtain VPN software and obfuscated configurations from providers who distribute them in hard-to-block ways. Obfuscation layers (e.g., obfs4proxy with a pre-shared key, or pluggable transports like Shapeshifter) can help defeat DPI; the VPN provider must support these protocols. Long-term detection remains a challenge, as statistical analysis can reveal VPN use even with obfuscation....