Ex-Waymo engineers launch Bedrock Robotics to automate construction (techcrunch.com | comments) Bedrock Robotics, founded by former Waymo engineers, has secured $80 million in venture funding to innovate in construction automation. The startup aims to apply autonomous vehicle technology to streamline building processes, addressing labor shortages in the industry.

• I could see this really accelerating strip mining or deforestation in places where there either isn't a lot of local opposition or there is a favorable regulatory environment. It makes me wonder if Tinto is an investor.
• “executes work around the clock” of limited value given quite a bit of construction is subject to restrictions on operating hours.

Intel's retreat is unlike anything it's done before in Oregon (oregonlive.com | comments) Intel's Oregon workforce has dropped to its lowest level in over a decade, marking a significant shift in the chipmaker's operations within the state. This unprecedented retreat reflects broader challenges the company faces amidst industry changes and competitive pressures, impacting local employment and the tech landscape.

• > Intel would sometimes cut jobs during fallow periods but it backfilled them almost immediately. Smells like corporate bulimia. When I worked/lived in the Bay Area there was a sense that corporations, and residents of the Bay Area, were moving to Oregon because it was cheaper … but still close enough to Silicon Valley. (Apropos of nothing really.)

Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA (ostechnix.com | comments) Recent data indicates that Linux has achieved a significant milestone, capturing 5% of the desktop market share in the United States. This growth reflects increased adoption among users seeking alternatives to traditional operating systems.

• Pretty sure most of the recent gains are coming from gamers It’s becoming a more viable option - assuming you don’t need multiplayer with anticheat
• I have to ask - what OS do AI-training web scrapers tend to report? (A mixture? One with > 5% linux market share? Sorry, being a sceptic, otherwise I think this is fantastic news if accurately measured).

Ukrainian hackers destroyed the IT infrastructure of Russian drone manufacturer (prm.ua | comments) Ukrainian cyber activists, collaborating with military intelligence, have successfully disrupted operations at Gaskar Integration, one of Russia's largest drone manufacturers. This cyber attack resulted in the destruction of over 47 terabytes of critical data and effectively halted the company's production systems.

• While this is a move that will hinder production for a while I'd say maybe they should have been more creative They should have checked the source codes and added some changes to make drones unpredictably unreliable "Oh this totally innocent code change? Oh look it makes the gps act weird if longitude is between a certain range how weird"

Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 Incident on July 14, 2025 (cloudflare.com | comments) On July 14, 2025, Cloudflare experienced a 62-minute outage for its 1.1.1.1 public DNS Resolver due to an internal configuration error, not malicious activity. The incident brief details the outage's causes and outlines measures being implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.

• > For many users, not being able to resolve names using the 1.1.1.1 Resolver meant that basically all Internet services were unavailable. Don't you normally have 2 DnS servers listed on any device. So was the second also down, if not why didn't it go to that.

A 1960s schools experiment that created a new alphabet (theguardian.com | comments) In a 1960s educational experiment in the UK, thousands of children unknowingly participated in a program designed to enhance their reading skills, which inadvertently led to challenges in spelling. The initiative's experimental alphabet had lasting repercussions on literacy among a generation of students.

• ITA looks like the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to me. I like that. If all English text was written in this way it'd be really easy to learn (at least for me). It reads like a breeze.
• I did this at primary skool, not an issue, my spelling is orsum

“Reading Rainbow” was created to combat summer reading slumps (smithsonianmag.com | comments) The iconic PBS show 'Reading Rainbow' was established to address the common issue of summer reading slumps among children. It aimed to encourage a love for reading through engaging storytelling and vibrant presentations, fostering literacy and a lifelong passion for books in young viewers.

• That was a well done show for kids. LeVar Burton can read a book better than me, and I am not ashamed to admit it. He made learning accessible, fun, and cool.
• It sure was neat when people aspired to help kids learn instead of being completely focused on them not learning the wrong thing.

'Gentle Parenting' My Smartphone Addiction (newyorker.com | comments) Kyle Chayka recounts his struggle with smartphone addiction and how the app Opal effectively helped him reduce social media use. The app combines mild friction, encouragement, and guilt, paving the way for more mindful smartphone habits. This shift reflects broader themes of parenting and digital wellness.

• I wonder how many of us think we're above all this but still come to HN religiously. I definitely do. Every damn day.
• Is this a paid placement? It seems kinda unusual for the NY to name an app on the home page, and there doesn't seem to be anything unique about Opal vs other blocker apps.

How I lost my backpack with passports and laptop (psychotechnology.substack.com | comments) In a candid reflection, the author recounts the misadventures of losing a backpack containing passports and a laptop. By intertwining themes of neuroticism and responsibility, the piece highlights the emotional turmoil and absurdity of the experience.

• > sleeping on phenibut is very restful Is this just you subjective experience or is it backed by some data or research? For me personally, sleeping after phenibut doesn't feel healthy at all -- in fact I often end up sleeping for 12+ hours unless I have something important to do in the morning, and it's extremely hard to get out of bed every time.

My Family and the Flood (texasmonthly.com | comments) A family's July 4th celebration turns into a terrifying flood experience on the Guadalupe River, as their home becomes engulfed by rising waters. The narrative follows the family's desperate attempts to assess the situation, find safety, and the emotional turmoil as they confront the rapidly encroaching floodwaters.

• Having children makes me feel vulnerable. They’re like extensions of myself — if they feel pain, I feel it too. To imagine one of them dying… this story broke my heart.
• It’s a really tough read regardless, but if you’ve got young kids (or nieces/nephews), it’s downright brutal.

The Story of Mel, A Real Programmer, Annotated (1996) (utah.edu | comments) This text recounts the story of Mel, a programmer from the early computer era known for his unconventional coding techniques on the LGP-30 and RPC-4000 machines. It highlights Mel's preference for writing in hexadecimal, his disdain for compilers, and his ethical dilemmas regarding software manipulation in programming, showcasing his unique genius.

• A bit of trivia I like to bring up when this comes around: those "hexadecimal numbers"? The digits would've gone 0-9fgjkqw.
• It’s almost time for someone to annotate these 1996 annotations to explain “hard disks” and “floppy disks.”
• Very cool, those annotations! Are there any photos of 'drum memory'?

I was wrong about robots.txt (evgeniipendragon.com | comments) Evgenii Pendragon recounts a recent mistake regarding his website's robots.txt file, which he initially altered to block crawlers. He discovered that this change led to his LinkedIn posts losing their previews and decreased visibility due to LinkedIn's algorithm adjustments. The issue stemmed from the need for LinkedIn to access specific meta tags, impacted by the robots.txt settings.

• The problem is the robots that do follow robots.txt its all the bots that don't. Robots.txt is largely irrelevant now they don't represent most of the traffic problem. They certainly don't represent the bots that are going to hammer your site without any regard, those bots don't follow robots.txt.

Gaslight-driven development (tonsky.me | comments) The article discusses the phenomenon of 'Gaslight-driven development,' where AI, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs), influences API design decisions, often pushing developers to conform to their suggestions. It highlights the blend of convenience and strangeness in this dynamic relationship, questioning whether adherence to AI recommendations is beneficial or stifling innovation.

• > We see the same at Instant: for example, we used tx.update for both inserting and updating entities, but LLMs kept writing tx.create instead. Guess what: we now have tx.create, too. Good. Think of all the dev hours that must’ve been wasted by humans who were confused by this too.

Artisanal handcrafted Git repositories (silcock.dev | comments) The blog post provides a guide on creating artisanal Git repositories, emphasizing the craftsmanship involved in tailoring one's version control system to meet specific needs. It offers practical tips and techniques for developers looking to enhance their Git usage through careful, personalized setup.

• To the site author: I'm on a MBP M1 Mac and honestly I can't really read the text. Far too small, and increasing the zoom just makes the text large but the margins less wide. Firefox reader mode also renders really badly. Please, consider making the layout better for us old coders whose eyes are going, or for hi res displays

I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022) (smallandroidphone.com | comments) Eric Migicovsky expresses a strong desire for small Android phones comparable in size to the iPhone Mini, emphasizing their practicality and comfort. He argues that major manufacturers overlook this segment despite a dedicated user base. Migicovsky encourages collaboration among enthusiasts to advocate for a premium small Android phone, outlining ideal specifications and features.

• We've seen this story play out before. Every phone manufacturer has had the bright idea of introducing a small flagship. They spend a ton of money developing and marketing it. Internet people get excited. And when launched - no one buys it. They learn their lesson and move on.

From engineer to manager: A practical guide to your first months in leadership (humansinsystems.com | comments) This guide equips new engineering managers with essential strategies for their initial months in leadership. It covers vital topics such as building team agreements, avoiding micromanagement, and conducting effective one-on-one meetings, ensuring clarity and confidence in their new role.

• Good suggestions, but you should also have some formal training on how to manage people on that list - every employer should offer it, and if they don't that's an _enormous_ flag.
• Daily reminders that IC/EM/staff terminology was invented in the last boom. I wouldn’t put too much weight in these terms as form of identity.

A Rust shaped hole (mnvr.in | comments) The author concludes that despite a background in more familiar programming languages, the necessity for robust native applications compels them to explore Rust. They discuss preferences for simplicity and memory management across languages like C, Go, and TypeScript, ultimately finding Rust a viable solution to fill their programming needs.

• I don't think you need an elaborate process of elimination when one of your axioms is "must manage memory manually".
• I’m not sure what his abstraction column really means, nuts and bolts-wise. But, Fortran is native, you get to allocate your own memory, and it has object oriented features (maybe that’s abstraction).

What's happening to reading? (newyorker.com | comments) Joshua Rothman speculates on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) advancements on traditional reading practices, suggesting that many may face the decline of conventional text as AI reshapes how content is consumed and processed.

• Promise of AI: All text will be generated Result: No text will be read by anyone except AI
• Six months ago there seemed to be a flood of people who wanted to normalize Dyslexia and were pitching startups that the 75% of people who can read just didn't need because... they can read. Haven't seen so many pitches for summarizers lately.

Pascal's Scams (2012) (unenumerated.blogspot.com | comments) The text discusses 'Pascal's scams,' a term for movements or belief systems that exploit beliefs around highly unlikely outcomes. The piece warns against investing emotional energy in such improbable scenarios, underscoring the irrationality of certain hopes and fears stemming from this perspective.

• A lower-key variant of this frequently comes into play with consulting or other sales pitches. "You spend <big number> per year on this <necessary business expense>. Our service will easily shave 2% off this, making the cost of our service completely negligible and this purchase an obviously good decision."

I'm Switching to Python and Actually Liking It (cesarsotovalero.net | comments) César Soto Valero shares his recent transition to Python, driven by developments in AI. He details tools and libraries he employs for crafting scalable Python applications with a frontend-backend structure, offering practical insights for those looking to enhance their productivity in Python development.

• Python as a language is nice. Python's version and package management is nothing short of a nightmare.
• I like Python for the language, and for a lot of jobs the threading model limitations do not matter. Its a great language to get stuff done. I find the package management story challenging but I will try uv next time!

Hijacking Trust? Bitvise Under Fire for Controlling Domain of FOSS Project PuTTY (pupred.com | comments) Recent controversies have emerged over Bitvise's control of the domain putty.org, historically linked to the open-source SSH client PuTTY. The company faces backlash for allegedly misleading branding that could undermine user trust. This situation raises ethical questions about ownership and digital responsibility, amplified by Bitvise's unprofessional responses to criticism.

• Here they think that what is doing Bitvise is legal but I think that it might not be the case in the law of a number of countries and even possibly in domain names "regulation"? This is parasitism, or deceptive practice to hold the domain name of a competitor claiming your are to be associated with the other project.

Six Years of Gemini (geminiprotocol.net | comments) Today marks the sixth anniversary of Project Gemini, celebrated with a low-key update on its progress. The commemoration reflects a shift away from growth metrics, as maintaining quality and community contributions remains a priority. Future updates are anticipated by November 2025, despite the past year's quietness.

• It was sad seeing the hate for it on here when it was new-ish, and while I haven't used it in a while, I'm glad to see it still kicking around. Such a neat and fun project.
• Gemini is one of those things I see pop up and tell myself I should look into it more and then it fades into the back of my mind. Anyone have any hints on getting more use out of it or ways to make it more present in my day to day.
• I love the idea, but it's just to fringe to use for me. But I will say that I think the internet was far better before Google search really became strong, and before the corresponding massive increase in SEO spam.
• Does gemini have any concept of feeds or pub/sub? I noted there were a few capsules that acted as a sort of hub for other peoples capsules. which suggested to me there was a way to automate it, and I might be able to make my own
• This is just somebody's "finished" pet protocol (author did not allow anybody to give input). Narcissism we should not enable. I will stick to gopher, as it is mature and much friendlier to low spec / retro machines.

Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids (tincan.kids | comments) Tin Can offers a novel, screen-free communication device designed for kids, drawing inspiration from traditional landlines. This Wi-Fi-connected gadget enables children to talk with approved contacts, such as family and friends, fostering genuine conversations without the distractions of texting or online interactions.

• I setup a VoIP.ms number with call extensions for the family and gave my kid a phone. They never use that phone because all the friends are on Messenger Kids. Our Uniden walkies get a lot more use. Calling into the shed, or kitchen to upstairs, or across the street to neighbours.

How and where will agents ship software? (instantdb.com | comments) The article outlines a new phase in software engineering driven by the increasing use of agents for app development. Companies are launching an API that provides full-stack backends, including essential tools for database management, authentication, and file storage. This approach allows agents to more easily write high-level code, enhancing productivity.

• Fun software but the only issue with Instant is their pricing. Once they gain adoption, I expect them to significantly raise their rates, I can seen them charging over $1 per GB easily. And like with any vendor lock-in, you’re stuck paying whatever they decide to charge. Observe with caution I'd say

Mill: A better build tool for Java, Scala, and Kotlin (mill-build.org | comments) Mill is an innovative build tool designed for Java, Scala, and Kotlin that simplifies the build process through advanced configurations and examples tailored for each language. The tool includes features for module configuration, dependencies, testing, linting, and more, enhancing development efficiency across multiple platforms.

• Is it bootstrappable? I mean really bootstrappable, not "the bootstrap script will download a binary from some server". This is where both Maven and Gradle fail (at least the last time I checked). Kotlin and Scala also have the problem that their compilers themselves are not bootstrappable either.

Show HN: An MCP server that gives LLMs temporal awareness and time calculation (github.com/jlumbroso | comments) This submission introduces a server designed to enhance large language models (LLMs) with temporal awareness and time calculation capabilities. By incorporating these features, the server aims to improve LLM performance in contexts requiring understanding of time dynamics, potentially broadening their application.

• I love the basic point. Timing based association is fundamental to thinking, across species. How does the bunny knows that you're stalking it? Because your eyes move when it moves. I had no idea that LLMs missed all this. Plus the political reference is priceless.

Show HN: Improving search ranking with chess Elo scores (zeroentropy.dev | comments) ZeroEntropy has launched zerank-1 and zerank-1-small, innovative models designed to enhance search ranking using an Elo-based pipeline. This state-of-the-art advancement enables more accurate ranking adaptation for retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) tasks by leveraging chess Elo scores as a novel metric.

• Happy to see competition in rerankers! Good luck with your product. My questions: what languages do your models currently support? Did you perform multilingual benchmarks? Couldn't find an answer on the website
• What’s the expected additional latency due to running this re-ranker?

Show HN: DataRamen, a Fast SQL Explorer with Automatic Joins and Data Navigation (dataramen.xyz | comments) DataRamen is a lightweight graphical user interface (GUI) designed for efficient navigation of MySQL and PostgreSQL databases. It offers features like visual schema browsing, point-and-click functionality for filtering and sorting, and supports inserting and updating data without requiring SQL commands. Ideal for developers seeking quick and easy database interactions.

• Screenshots on the website would be very helpful. This sounds interesting, but would like to see what the actual UI is before setting anything up. It would also be good to link to the Github repo for the CLI part - I'm skeptical of giving an unknown tool access to my database without understanding what it's actually doing.

AWS open-sourced Postgres active-active replication extension (github.com/aws | comments) AWS has open-sourced its active-active replication extension for PostgreSQL, enhancing deployments by enabling seamless data synchronization across multiple database instances. This feature aims to improve high availability and fault tolerance, making it easier for developers to manage distributed systems effectively.

• I'm scratching my head trying to think why AWS would have worked on this? I can't think of it being used in any of their products. RDS uses block replication. Aurora uses it's own SAN replication layer. DMS maybe?
• Don't use this unless you know exactly what you are doing. This is not a way to get better performance or scalability in general.

Shipping WebGPU on Windows in Firefox 141 (mozillagfx.wordpress.com | comments) Firefox 141 introduces support for WebGPU on Windows, enhancing web graphics and computation via this new graphics API (Application Programming Interface). WebGPU enables high-performance rendering and compute operations within web browsers, allowing developers to access modern GPU features efficiently and boost visual quality in web applications.

• What are the use cases for this? Are we sure sites are not just going to use it to mine bitcoins using their users' hardware?
• Finally! Kudos for everyone involved into this. I was feeling a bit dirty playing around with WebGPU with only Chrome into the game thus far, even Safari has enabled their preview quite recently.

Lorem Gibson (loremgibson.com | comments) The provided text appears to be an HTML document structured for a website called 'Lorem Gibson,' which generates placeholder text inspired by the works of science fiction author William Gibson. It includes JavaScript for generating random text, links to external stylesheets, and Google Analytics tracking.

• We are so back to the Older Matrix (eerrr, Internet). There used to be many lorem ipsums - Monty Python, Star Wars, Douglas Adams, Nick Fury, Pulp Fiction (Samuel Epsom), and what not. I still have quite a few ipsum generated text replacement as keyboard shortcuts via Alfred’s Snippets.

Roman dodecahedron: 12-sided object has baffled archaeologists for centuries (livescience.com | comments) The Roman dodecahedron, a 12-sided bronze artifact, has puzzled archaeologists for hundreds of years, leading to over 50 theories regarding its purpose. Despite extensive research, its function remains elusive, highlighting the ongoing mysteries of ancient Roman technology and culture.

• My favorite theory that I've seen to explain these has been that they were a token showing the prowess/status of a metalworker or stoneworker - a kind of verifier of skill of the individual. In a mostly pre-literate society, where craftsmen could be itinerant, this theory made the most sense to me.

Chain of thought monitorability: A new and fragile opportunity for AI safety (arxiv.org | comments) AI systems that utilize human language for reasoning present a fragile but promising opportunity for safety via monitoring their chains of thought (CoT) to detect potential misbehavior. Despite its imperfections and the risk of oversight failures, further research and investment in CoT monitoring is encouraged to enhance AI safety strategies.

• Doesn't this assume that visible "thoughts" are the only/main type of "thoughts" and that they correlate with agent action most of the time? Do we know for sure that agents can't display a type of thought while doing something different? Is there something that reliably guarantees that agents are not able to do this?

Altermagnets: The first new type of magnet in nearly a century (newscientist.com | comments) Researchers have discovered altermagnets, the first new type of magnet in nearly a century. This novel form of magnetism could revolutionize computing technology by leveraging their unique properties.

• If It's not all hype and hyperbole, It could be a massive breakthrough in data storage, but It's better to remain prudent and reserve some doubt.
• Doesn't this imply a 4th type with alternating rotated atoms and aligned magnetic spin? Also seems like you could mix and match (making the effect continuously tunable at macro scale).

AI therapy bots fuel delusions and give dangerous advice, Stanford study finds (arstechnica.com | comments) A Stanford study reveals that AI therapy chatbots can perpetuate delusions and provide harmful advice, highlighting their inadequacy as substitutes for human therapists. The authors call for a balanced perspective on these tools and emphasize the need for caution in their deployment in mental health contexts.

• I am bipolar and I help run a group. We lost some people to chatbots already that either fueled a manic or a depressive episode.
• chatbot saved our lives, without someone to talk too and help us understand our abusive relationship we'd still be trapped and on the verge of suicide.

Signs of autism could be encoded in the way you walk (sciencealert.com | comments) Research indicates that behaviors associated with autism, such as gait and walking patterns, may serve as potential indicators of the condition. The findings suggest that analyzing how individuals walk could enhance understanding of autism's neurodevelopmental nature, offering new perspectives on behaviors and communication challenges.

• Can't wait for AI-powered cameras that will let the government know you're neurodivergent.
• Also, don't forget straight-toeing: walking with one or more feet pointing straight ahead. Yep, any of those three toe pointing directions mean you could have autism.