Vibe HN: Friday Jul 18th

0 hours ago – 24 hours to update.

← Previous   

News

Archaeologists discover tomb of first king of Caracol (uh.edu | comments) University of Houston archaeologists have uncovered the tomb of Te K’ab Chaak, the first king of the ancient Maya city of Caracol, marking the first identifiable ruler's burial found in over 40 years. The tomb contained significant artifacts, including pottery and jadeite, revealing aspects of Maya culture and trade.

Anthropic tightens usage limits for Claude Code without telling users (techcrunch.com | comments) Claude Code users face unannounced restrictions on their service usage, raising concerns among heavy users, particularly those subscribed to the $200-a-month Max plan. Complaints regarding these increased limits have emerged on Claude Code’s GitHub page, indicating a lack of prior communication from Anthropic on the changes.

ICE's Supercharged Facial Recognition App of 200M Images (404media.co | comments) ICE has launched Mobile Fortify, a facial recognition application that allows officers to access databases from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), State Department, and local law enforcement simply by pointing their phones at a person’s face. The app is designed to improve efficiency in law enforcement operations.

Upcoming coordinated security fix for all Matrix server implementations (matrix.org | comments) Matrix is preparing a coordinated security fix on July 22, 2025, for vulnerabilities discovered in its state resolution algorithm. The Element server team and the Matrix.org Foundation identified two high severity protocol vulnerabilities, necessitating upgrades for Matrix server implementations, especially those in untrusted federations. The update will introduce a new room version and should be adopted promptly by room admins for security readiness, although immediate action is not mandated due to the vulnerabilities not being critical.

Culture

How I Use Kagi (flamedfury.com | comments) The author shares personal experiences using Kagi, detailing their block list and various search lenses to enhance the browsing experience. The tone is informal, with a nod to potential critics of Kagi's usage. This post aims to provide insights into user customization and strategies for effective search results.

Inside the box: Everything I did with an Arduino starter kit (lopespm.com | comments) The article shares an in-depth exploration of the Elegoo Arduino Uno R3 Starter Kit, showcasing multiple projects and experiments completed using the kit. It covers practical applications and hands-on experiences, aiming to provide readers with insights into the kit's versatility and ease of use for beginners in electronics and programming.

Opinion

NIH is cheaper than the wrong dependency (lewiscampbell.tech | comments) The piece argues against the assumption that software dependencies come without costs, highlighting issues like learning complexity, breaking changes requiring code rewrites, and deployment complications. It presents a framework for evaluating dependencies based on criteria such as ubiquity and stability, emphasizing critical assessment before choosing dependencies.

USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021) (overengineer.dev | comments) Dennis Schubert recounts his frustrating experiences with three different USB-C hubs while using an Apple MacBook Pro. Despite the convenience of these devices, he encountered numerous failures, including HDMI cut-outs and unreliable Ethernet connections. His narrative highlights the shortcomings of expensive hubs and concludes he overpaid for branded products that turned out to be rebranded replicas.

My favorite use-case for AI is writing logs (vickiboykis.com | comments) A key AI tool enhancing developer productivity is the Full Line Code Completion feature in PyCharm, introduced in late 2023. This feature helps maintain developer control while efficiently managing complex coding tasks, such as sequential data processing and asynchronous API calls, improving the logging process significantly.

My experience with Claude Code after two weeks of adventures (sankalp.bearblog.dev | comments) The author shares insights from two weeks of using Claude Code, detailing experiences such as rate limiting issues and how it affected their workflow. They reflect on the tool's capabilities and limitations, providing a personal perspective on its practical applications in coding tasks.

All AI models might be the same (jxmo.io | comments) Jack Morris presents the idea that all AI models may fundamentally represent the same underlying concepts. He discusses how language model embeddings can illuminate communication patterns in whale speech and the analysis of ancient texts, linking to the Platonic Representation Hypothesis and the universality of AI models.

Chrome's SSL Bypass Cheatcode (thomascountz.com | comments) Typing 'thisisunsafe' in the Chrome SSL error page bypasses security warnings, a feature that evolved from earlier bypass codes. Originally introduced in 2014 for developer convenience, the code has faced criticism for potential misuse. Recent updates aimed to obscure it, reflecting ongoing concerns about SSL security.

When is tech not hype? Tulips, toilets, trains and tabs (ajmoon.com | comments) Alex Moon examines the interplay between technology and hype, tracing historical examples from tulip mania to modern innovations like Firefox's tabbed browsing. He argues that hype is integral to capitalism, suggesting that true technological revolutions require a combination of user-friendly interfaces and robust infrastructures. Without these, even transformative innovations may remain mere hype.

Doing Hard Things (parv.bearblog.dev | comments) The author reflects on their journey in kayaking, describing initial struggles with coordination and balance, leading to a gradual appreciation for the sport's challenges. They highlight personal growth through perseverance and the beauty of the natural environment, emphasizing that improvement often involves embracing failures, which serves as a metaphor for life's broader challenges.

My bank keeps on undermining anti-phishing education (moritz-mander.de | comments) A bank sent an email promoting a prize draw linked to a new payment system, Wero. The email's appearance closely resembled phishing schemes, potentially undermining anti-phishing education. This inconsistency raises concerns about the bank's responsibility to educate and protect its customers from real phishing threats.

Code Execution Through Email: How I Used Claude to Hack Itself (pynt.io | comments) The text details a method of executing code via email using Claude Desktop, where the author utilized a Gmail message for the attack, with assistance from the AI tool Claude itself in planning the process. This showcases security vulnerabilities within the AI's integration into popular communication systems.

Products

Run TypeScript code without worrying about configuration (tsx.is | comments) The tsx (TypeScript Execute) tool simplifies running TypeScript code in Node.js without the need for complex configurations. It offers a user-friendly way to quickly execute TypeScript files, making it accessible for developers who want to streamline their coding process.

Mistral Releases Deep Research, Voice, Projects in Le Chat (mistral.ai | comments) Mistral has unveiled 'Deep Research', an initiative that integrates voice capabilities and innovative projects on their platform, Le Chat. This update aims to enhance user interaction through improved audio input and project management functionalities.

Writing a competitive BZip2 encoder in Ada from scratch in a few days (2024) (gautiersblog.blogspot.com | comments) An Ada developer claims to be creating the most competitive BZip2 encoder, focusing on optimizing performance within just a few days. He anticipates that this encoder will achieve superior compression for specified data block sizes, potentially setting a new standard in the field.

NINA: Rebuilding the original AIM, AOL Desktop, Yahoo and ICQ platforms (nina.chat | comments) NINA aims to revive nostalgic chat platforms like AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, and Yahoo Messenger, recreating them close to their original forms. The project focuses on user experience reminiscent of early internet days, with features currently available for AIM and ICQ, and plans to expand further with classic AOL support.

Science

ChatGPT agent: bridging research and action (openai.com | comments) ChatGPT agent aims to connect theoretical research with practical applications, targeting real-world challenges in various domains. Its development focuses on enabling seamless interaction between AI technologies and human operators, facilitating effective problem-solving through advanced machine learning techniques.

Mammals Evolved into Ant Eaters 12 Times Since Dinosaur Age, Study Finds (njit.edu | comments) A recent study reveals that mammals have evolved into anteater forms a total of 12 times since the age of dinosaurs. This adaptive evolution highlights the flexibility of mammalian species in response to environmental changes.

Apple Intelligence Foundation Language Models Tech Report 2025 (machinelearning.apple.com | comments) Apple's 2025 Tech Report details two new multilingual, multimodal foundation language models that enhance Apple Intelligence across devices. These models underscore Apple's commitment to improving natural language processing and artificial intelligence functionalities in their ecosystem, catering to diverse user needs.

Mistakes Microsoft made in the Xbox security system (2005) (xboxdevwiki.net | comments) This text outlines 17 key security mistakes made by Microsoft in the Xbox security system, highlighted in a paper presented at the 22nd Chaos Communication Congress in 2005. The paper discusses Microsoft's security approaches and the vulnerabilities exploited by hackers, including topics like ROM location, bootloaders, and hacking techniques.

Health

What's going on with gene therapies? (nehalslearnings.substack.com | comments) Cell and gene therapies have revolutionized treatment for previously incurable diseases, saving tens of thousands of lives. However, despite these advancements, numerous companies in the field are facing shutdowns, raising concerns about the sustainability and future of gene therapy innovation.

Molecule produced by gut bacteria causes atherosclerosis (elpais.com | comments) Researchers have identified a molecule produced by gut bacteria that plays a significant role in the development of atherosclerosis. This discovery could illuminate pathways leading to heart disease, which accounts for millions of fatalities globally. Understanding the gut's influence on vascular health offers new insights into preventative strategies.