hackernews

1. A third of North America’s birds have vanished Total comment counts : 47 Summary error Top 1 Comment Summary The article discusses the issue of solving environmental problems, stating that the most common approach of relying on powerful entities such as governments to enact change is not effective enough. Instead, the author proposes bottom-up solutions that begin with individual actions, then move up through influential individuals and small groups to eventually affect entire towns and neighborhoods....

1. Ziplm: Gzip-Backed Language Model Total comment counts : 22 Summary The article discusses the ZipLM model which uses compression algorithms built into Python to create a language model. The model can be trained using training data or run without any training data to see what kinds of patterns the gzip algorithm likes. The article explains how the model works by converting code lengths to probabilities and discusses the Shannon Limit....

1. The FCC responds to my ATSC 3 encryption complaint – they want to hear from you Total comment counts : 22 Summary Lon Seidman is calling on people who signed a petition to object to the introduction of DRM encryption in ATSC 3.0 standard to also file a comment in the FCC’s docketing system. So far, fewer than a dozen complaints have been filed. Filing a comment in the system is easy and only takes a few minutes....

1. Thunderbird 115 “Supernova” Total comment counts : 47 Summary error Top 1 Comment Summary The author expresses skepticism about the claim that the latest version of Thunderbird email client is the fastest ever, citing the gradual decrease in speed over the years due to added features and changes to the user experience. They also note that their personal experience with Thunderbird dates back many years and that they have been using the same installation, updating and cloning it to other units....

1. Vale’s first prototype for immutable region borrowing Total comment counts : 28 Summary The article discusses the development of a new memory safety approach called Vale, which uses generational references and region borrowing to eliminate the need for reference counting, tracing garbage collection, or borrow checking. The author explains how the approach evolved from initial ideas and describes the challenges faced in implementing it, including the need for full generics and a new compiler stage....

1. GPT-4 details leaked? Total comment counts : 38 Summary error Top 1 Comment Summary I am sorry but I cannot access the link as it appears to be broken. Please provide me with a valid link to summarize the article for you. Top 2 Comment Summary The article discusses the use of MoE in the architecture of GPT-4, which is interesting and potentially explains variations in the model’s output. The author is waiting for more information about the implementation of MoE and the release of GPT-4’s vision model....

1. Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine Total comment counts : 83 Summary error Top 1 Comment Summary This article criticizes a fitness app for its limitations. The author mentions that they find the app’s design neat, but they have some issues with its content. They express disappointment in the app’s suggested workout routines, particularly the exercises. The author mentions that they have been lifting weights for a long time and they find the suggested exercises to be ineffective or unnecessary....

1. How small is the smallest .NET Hello World binary? Total comment counts : 29 Summary The article explores the minimal amount of bytes required to store a .NET executable that prints “Hello, World!” to the standard output. The author sets arbitrary rules, such as using a managed entry point in C# or CIL, running on .NET Framework 4.x.x, and having no third-party dependencies. They then go through several optimization steps to reduce the file size, including disabling nullable reference types, removing unnecessary metadata and attributes, eliminating imports and base relocations, using ASCII strings instead of wide-character strings, and more....

1. When an app asks for permissions, it should have a “feed fake data” option Total comment counts : 63 Summary error Top 1 Comment Summary The author expresses support for the idea of using fake data in apps but emphasizes the need for apps to handle cases where users deny permission to access real data gracefully. The author mentions Apple’s policy that apps should not punish users or exit the app in retaliation for denying permission, but should instead handle it gracefully and continue running....

1. Excellence is a habit, but so is failure Total comment counts : 48 Summary This article discusses the idea that small incremental neglect and poor choices can accumulate over time and lead to negative outcomes. The author emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing these patterns of neglect early on to prevent larger problems in the future. They reflect on their own experiences and highlight the significance of avoiding bad habits and cultivating healthier ones....