Airbnb allowed rampant price gouging following L.A. fires, city attorney alleges (latimes.com | comments) Los Angeles City Attorney accuses Airbnb of allowing significant price gouging during the recent fires, leading to inflated rental prices amid crisis. The attorney's statement suggests a failure to enforce regulations intended to protect renters during emergencies, raising concerns about the ethics of short-term rental practices in disaster situations.

• Is anyone tracking these platforms? Today coincidentally I got a Lyft from the airport to home and due to traffic it would take 1 hour, the price asked was $125. Ok steep, but the poor driver would be stuck with me for an hour. BUT NO! I asked the driver and at the end of the trip he kindly showed me how much Lyft gave him. $62 before tip.

The future of ultra-fast passenger travel (spaceambition.substack.com | comments) Aerospace companies are making strides to develop passenger flights exceeding the speed of sound, promising to connect continents within hours. This ambition of ultra-fast travel represents a significant shift in the aerospace industry, driven by innovations from both startups and established giants.

• > Concorde, ... ultimately failed economically due to ... regulatory restrictions on overland supersonic flights. Hardly fait to blame regulation here, the problem was that it was incredibly loud and unpleasant. You can try to make it sound like government overreach, but it takes some serious mental aerobatics.

Beyond Meat Fights for Survival (foodinstitute.com | comments) Beyond Meat faces significant challenges as competition intensifies in the plant-based meat market. The company is struggling with declining sales and increasing production costs, prompting a strategic reassessment to secure its future. Analysts note the difficulties in maintaining market share amid rising competitors and shifting consumer preferences.

• This is too bad. Beyond and Impossible opened up the door to me gradually becoming vegan. It was similar enough to real meat that I didn’t miss meat anymore, and from there I found other substitutions which were healthier. Without them I’m sure I never would have started a plant-based diet.

Intel to boost gross margins – new products must deliver 50% gross profit (tomshardware.com | comments) In a recent presentation, Intel Products CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus highlighted Intel's strategy to recover in the competitive chip market, requiring new products to achieve a gross profit margin of 50% before approval. This approach aims to enhance shareholder value and align with industry profitability standards.

• I read the title and all I could think of was Michael Scott, “I declare bankruptcy!” Hoping to will reality to your need. More seriously, isn’t this signaling that all experimental R&D is out? Nothing but incremental progress can deliver anything but an approximation of profit margin.

Ring introducing new feature to allow police to live-stream access to cameras (eff.org | comments) Ring is introducing a new feature allowing police to live-stream access to their cameras, which has reignited debate over privacy concerns. Jamie Siminoff, the founder, returns to lead the company, continuing a pattern of prioritizing surveillance technology, potentially at the expense of user privacy.

• I was looking at security systems. It seems, Ring makes it very difficult to have any sort of offline operations. Recording onto SD card is limited or impossible. After seeing this, I realize this is likely by design. You have to be connected so that the surveillance state can get access at some point, somehow.

TSMC to start building four new plants with 1.4nm technology (taipeitimes.com | comments) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) plans to construct four new manufacturing plants utilizing 1.4nm semiconductor technology. This advancement aims to enhance the company's production capabilities and maintain its leadership in the highly competitive semiconductor market.

• How close are we to the limits here? What is the smallest technology we can get to before physics gets in the way?
• I wonder if they see reduced geopolitical risk or if they simply must continue to operate as if nothing is going to happen until something happens.

A CarFax for Used PCs: Hewlett Packard wants to give old laptops new life (ieee.org | comments) Hewlett Packard's new PCFax initiative aims to provide detailed lifecycle data on used laptops, promoting sustainability and addressing e-waste. This report-like feature seeks to inform IT teams about device history, enhancing management and encouraging the re-use of older PCs, ultimately striving for reduced environmental impact.

• Rich coming from HP. They have trailed blazed how blatant planned obsolescence can be done in printers, and though its not hard data I have seen plenty HP laptops just burn themselves out after some years of use. They can definitely build better products without user data, just stop working so hard on making them crap.

Linux and Secure Boot certificate expiration (lwn.net | comments) Linux users with Secure Boot enabled will face challenges as a Microsoft key expires in September, impacting the ability to boot with existing shims used by various distributions. Vendors may need to issue firmware updates to integrate a replacement key introduced in 2023. Without these updates, installation media could become unusable, highlighting complexities in maintaining Secure Boot functionality for Linux.

• Things that might not get updates shouldn't use the current date/time when checking certificates. Instead, they should see if the certificate would have been valid on the day the firmware was compiled (ie. behaviour will never change through the passage of time alone).

Felix Baumgartner, who jumped from stratosphere, dies in Italy (theinternational.at | comments) Felix Baumgartner, famed for his record-breaking 2012 jump from the stratosphere, died at the age of 56 in a paragliding accident near Italy's Adriatic coast. His remarkable freefall from over 24 miles high made headlines worldwide and contributed to advancements in space travel and aeronautics.

• If you die on your first parachute jump, you're unlucky. If you live your entire life doing these "small chance each time" stunts, maybe we should not be so surprised that your eventual demise was this kind of thing. Was an interesting character, RIP.

The curious case of the Unix workstation layout (thejpster.org.uk | comments) The blog post delves into the layout and design of 1990s UNIX workstations, highlighting specific models like Silicon Graphics' Indigo² and HP 9000 series machines. The author shares personal experiences with various workstations, discusses their historical context, and features detailed observations on hardware designs, encouraging viewers to appreciate the evolution of computer architecture.

• Hmm...makes me wonder if a PA-RISC HP 9000 712 is a better NeXTStation than a NeXTStation is today, in terms of longevity, supportability, performance, etc. I guess its missing the DSP and fancy printer interface of the NS, maybe the overall sound quality.

I Used Arch, BTW: macOS, Day 1 (yberreby.com | comments) After nine years of using Arch Linux, a user recounts their experience transitioning to a new M4 Pro MacBook Pro. The post outlines essential configurations to ensure productivity from day one, especially for those moving from Linux to Apple Silicon, while detailing workflow requirements such as coding, research, and software management.

• Those apple chips are really quite impressive. But, AMD has those fancy APUs now, maybe it is possible to stay in x86 land a bit longer?
• thats cool been to mila before, anyway OP we need to get CachyOS on Mac Os immidiately
• [deleted… my disagreements about time allocation aside, there’s no reason to argue on the internet about it]

What the Internet Was Like in 1998 (cybercultural.com | comments) In 1998, during the dot-com boom, iconic internet portals competed for dominance, with Yahoo! and Netscape at the forefront. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was gaining users while Amazon was expanding its offerings. The year saw significant IPOs like GeoCities and the founding of Google, marking a critical point in web history.

• For me Google came out in 1997, as beta and probably without the current domain name, but being back that time reader of Slashdot it was hard not to miss it. And it was magic compared with everything else that were around back then.
• I was waking up at 3 or 4 AM to download software as the internet was the fastest at that time of the day.

New York’s bill banning One-Person Train Operation (etany.org | comments) New York's proposed legislation against one-person train operations aims to enhance safety and service but is criticized for potentially hampering transit progress. Advocates argue it locks the state's transit systems in outdated practices, impacting efficiency and rider experience in an era where technological advancements are crucial.

• Meanwhile in more civilized places we have trains with zero staff on board, just remote monitoring (and trains which emergency stop if they lose contact with the control centre).
• Trains are the easiest form of transportation for full automation. There shouldn't need to be any required staff on board.

I tried vibe coding in BASIC and it didn't go well (goto10retro.com | comments) As the concept of 'vibe coding' gains traction with the rise of large language models (LLMs), the author tests its applicability in BASIC, a foundational programming language. Despite the enthusiasm surrounding vibe coding, the experiment proves challenging, highlighting compatibility issues and limitations inherent to BASIC.

• I work on niche platforms where the amount of example code on Github is minimal, and this definitely aligns with my observations. The error rate is way too high to make "vibe coding" possible. I think it's a good reality check for the claims of impending AGI. The models still depend heavily on being able to transform other people's work.

Make Your Own Backup System – Part 1: Strategy Before Scripts (dragas.net | comments) Following a datacenter fire that endangered 142 servers, this post outlines a personal approach to developing a robust backup system, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning prior to script implementation. It critiques common misconceptions of backups and advocates for an organized method of data preservation.

• I dont need a backup system. I just need a standardized way to keep 25 years of photos for a family of 4 with their own phones, cameras, downloads, scans etc. I still haven't found anything good.
• Perhaps Part 1 ought to be headlined, “design the restore system”, this being the part of backup that actually matters.

The borrowchecker is what I like the least about Rust (viralinstruction.com | comments) The author critiques Rust's borrow checker, which enforces memory safety through ownership rules, arguing it causes significant ergonomic issues and its role in safety is overstated. They provide examples of situations where the borrow checker overly restricts code, illustrating its limitations and the frustration it causes developers.

• What's the alternative though? If you're fine with garbage collection, just use garbage collection. If you're _not_ fine with garbage collection (because you want deterministic performance, or you have resources that aren't just memory) then Rust's borrow checker seems like the best thing going.

Death by AI (davebarry.substack.com | comments) Dave Barry's piece titled 'Death by AI' reflects on the challenges of facing mortality, intertwining humor and personal anecdotes about technology's evolution and its potential implications on human life. The narrative addresses fears related to artificial intelligence, particularly in relation to existence and identity.

• A few versions of that overview were not incorrect, there actually was another Dave Barry who did die at the time mentioned. Why does this Dave Barry believe he has more of a right to be the one pointed to for the query "What happened to him" when nothing has happened to him but something most certainly did happen to the other Dave Barry (death)?

Nobody knows how to build with AI yet (worksonmymachine.substack.com | comments) Developer Scott Werner argues that the current approach to building with artificial intelligence (AI) resembles jazz, where improvisation is key and adherence to rigid frameworks is lacking. He emphasizes that no standardized method exists for constructing AI solutions, creating a space for creativity and personal interpretation.

• The only thing that should matter in software development is: does it work to spec? Why are these chatbots that mangle data 1/3 to 1/2 of the time getting their budgets 10x over and over again? This is irrational. If the code mangles data this bad, it's garbage.

Why you should choose HTMX for your next web-based side project (2024) (hamy.xyz | comments) HTMX is trending as an efficient tool for web app development that combines the simplicity of Multi-Page Applications (MPAs) with the dynamic interactivity of Single-Page Applications (SPAs). It allows developers to perform partial page updates, lowering costs and complexity, making it ideal for side projects with limited resources.

• Considering most of my side projects are web based and I loathe JS and prefer MPA patterns, this is very intriguing. I admit I haven’t been keeping up with HTMX or new web frameworks. Anyone have any examples that are noteworthy?
• If it is too much of a pain with vanilla js, just use Svelte

Rethinking CLI interfaces for AI (notcheckmark.com | comments) To enhance the utility of command line interfaces for Large Language Model (LLM) agents, APIs must be redesigned. Current structures are insufficient, particularly under constraints like small context windows of local models. Developers face challenges when trying to balance information density while enabling efficient automation tasks.

• Somehow a whole industry is now fine with Heisenbugs being a regular part of the dev workflow.
• Sorry for the snark, but we couldn't even do this for humans, but let's do it for poor poor LLMs? It's kind of ironic that NOW is the time we worry about usability. What happened to RTFM?

Pimping My Casio: Part Deux (jgc.org | comments) The blog revisits modifications made to a classic Casio F-91W watch utilizing new features from Oddly Specific Objects’ motherboard. This sequel details further enhancements and refinements made since the initial project, showcasing unique functionalities and personal insights into the DIY watch modification process.

• Clicked on this thinking it was about a calculator, so impressed that it was about swapping out the guts of an casio watch and building and uploading the firmware.
• I have been reluctantly holding off hoping they will come out with a dot matrix or epaper screen. Neither will probably ever happen but I can dream.

I avoid using LLMs as a publisher and writer (lifehacky.net | comments) Tomáš Baránek, a book publisher, outlines his reservations about using large language models (LLMs) in publishing and writing. He appreciates technology's potential but warns against LLMs due to concerns over quality and originality in content. His experience with machine translation further informs his stance against LLM reliance.

• AI is a tool like any other, and it can be used well or poorly, just like any other tool. It's important to know its limits. Being a tool, it must be studied for proper use.
• Pretty similar view than others have expressed in veiks of "LLMs can be good, just not at my [area of expertise]".

Every part on a bicycle is safety critical (escapecollective.com | comments) Bicycles require meticulous attention as every part, from wheels to brakes, is integral to safety. Neglecting any component can lead to serious consequences, highlighting the responsibility riders have for their equipment's condition.

• I think the chain slipping off the cogs is one of the most concerning failure modes because it tends to happen only under heavy acceleration, e.g. to dodge traffic at a busy intersection. Everything can seem fine and then you're stranded without power exactly where you need it most. It's worth regularly checking for wear and correct adjustment.

A 14kb page can load much faster than a 15kb page (2022) (endtimes.dev | comments) Websites under 14kB load significantly faster than those at 15kB or more, impacting user experience and engagement. Faster loading times reduce bounce rates and improve SEO rankings, making site performance critical for developers aiming to optimize their sites effectively.

• I agree with the sentiment here, the thing is, I've noticed that the newer generations are using frameworks like Next.js as default for building simple static websites. That's their bare bone start. The era of plain html + css (and maybe a sprinkle of js) feels like it's fading away, sadly.

Advertising Without Signal: The Rise of the Grifter Equilibrium (gojiberries.io | comments) Economists recognize advertising as both informative and signaling, pivotal in reducing search costs and fostering trust in high-quality sellers. However, a recent analysis questions these roles, suggesting a 'grifter equilibrium' where misleading advertisements proliferate, obscuring genuine product quality and value.

• That explains the success of platforms like Temu: every search generates many identical products that are all dirt cheap, which makes my search much easier. I find myself buying a lot faster because there is not a lot of variety and relatively little trickery/ads

Microsoft Office is using an artificially complex XML schema as a lock-in tool (documentfoundation.org | comments) The Document Foundation Blog highlights how Microsoft Office employs a complex XML (eXtensible Markup Language) schema to create a barrier for users, making it difficult to transition to other formats. It argues that document formats should be simple and accessible, enhancing knowledge sharing rather than complicating it.

• What we should really do is abandon the WYSIWYG approach to document editing. This inevitably leads into vendor lock in. Instead of perfect looks, we should focus on the content. Formats like markdown are nice, because they force you to do this. The old way made sense 30 yers ago when information was consumed on paper.

Fstrings.wtf (fstrings.wtf | comments) Fstrings.wtf is an interactive quiz designed to test knowledge of Python's f-string formatting, reflecting behavior as of Python version 3.13. Users can engage with various questions, track their score, and share results on social media. The quiz was created by Armin Ronacher and others.

• As someone who hasn't written Python in anger since before f-strings were a thing, I correctly guessed almost all the f-string specific syntax but made a bunch of errors that were just to do with the return values of various expressions. Maybe f-strings are the least wtf thing about Python? :)

YouTube No Translation (addons.mozilla.org | comments) The 'YouTube No Translation' extension for Firefox enables users to keep YouTube titles, descriptions, and audio tracks in their original language, enhancing the viewing experience for non-English speakers. The tool is available for free, with a version rating of 4.9 based on 100 reviews.

• YouTube settings are notoriously volatile even on the same device and being logged in. Subtitles are enabled every other day all of a sudden without any need (even for my natural language content). Since they rolled out the auto-trabslation thing the same happens, I have to switch to original English every few days.

Mushroom learns to crawl after being given robot body (2024) (the-independent.com | comments) Researchers have developed a biohybrid machine combining biological mushroom cells with robotic elements, enabling the organism to learn how to crawl. This innovative project, hailed as a breakthrough in robotics, suggests new avenues for biohybrids that merge biological and technological systems.

• I’m skeptical that the mushroom is in any way “learning to crawl”. It looks more like the mushroom naturally produces signals in response to light, and the robot triggers a walk cycle when it sees that signal.
• What could possibly go wrong?
• And I, for one, welcome our new mushroom overlords.

Piano Keys (mathpages.com | comments) The analysis addresses the varying widths of piano keys, particularly the discrepancies at the back ends of white keys constrained by uniform black key widths. Various arrangements are evaluated mathematically, revealing optimal configurations that minimize width differences and discussing practical implementations seen in various piano models. It provides detailed calculations for these key arrangements.

• On my (accoustic) piano, the black keys are just as wide as the back ends of the white keys. This is achieved by shifting the position of the black keys a bit, instead of centering them right between the white keys.
• I didn’t understand this post? More pictures needed?

Evaluating publicly available LLMs on IMO 2025 (matharena.ai | comments) MathArena evaluates leading language models (LLMs) on the recently held International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2025, revealing that the top-performing model, Gemini 2.5 Pro, achieved only 31%, far from the bronze medal benchmark. Other models performed poorly relative to past benchmarks. The evaluation methodology involved expert judges to ensure fair scoring, and results indicate a need for more challenging benchmarks as LLM capabilities progress. An update notes OpenAI's unreleased model achieved gold, confirmed by IMO organizers despite unverified proof generation methods.

• How quickly we shift our expectations. If you told me 5 years ago we'd have technology that can do this, I wouldn't believe you. This isn't to say we shouldn't think critically about the use and performance of models, but "Not Even Bronze..." turned me off to this critique.

Local LLMs versus offline Wikipedia (evanhahn.com | comments) Recent comparisons illuminate how local Large Language Models (LLMs) stack up against offline Wikipedia downloads, revealing significant differences in size. While local LLMs vary from 356.9MB to 57.18GB, offline Wikipedia can reach up to 57.18GB. This reflection highlights the unique purposes and usability contexts of each, despite inherent disparity.

• A bit related: AI companies distilled the whole Web into LLMs to make computers smart, why humans can't do the same to make the best possible new Wikipedia with some copyrighted bits to make kids supersmart? Why kids are worse than AI companies and have to bum around?)

C++: Zero-cost static initialization (cofault.com | comments) The text explores zero-cost static initialization in C++, explaining how static variables may optimize function performance by shifting computation costs. It addresses initialization semantics and proposes a method to eliminate overhead by utilizing linkers to place objects in dedicated sections, enhancing efficiency without performance penalties.

• Funny enough I recently wrote my own hack using this linker feature in C, to implement an array of static counter definitions that can be declared anywhere and then written out (e.g., to prometheus) in one place. Note that as I later found out, this doesn't work with Mac OS's linker, so you need to use some separate incantations for Mac OS.

Erythritol linked to brain cell damage and stroke risk (sciencedaily.com | comments) Research from the University of Colorado Boulder suggests that erythritol, a common sugar substitute, may pose health risks, including potential damage to brain blood vessel cells, leading to conditions such as stroke. Despite its popularity in low-carb and sugar-free foods, its safety is now under scrutiny, raising concerns about non-nutritive sweeteners.

• Hmm, the dose seems odd. Would the whole drink amount really all be given to those cells?
• I've consumed large amounts of erythritol for probably 10+ years. What should I watch for? Blood pressure?
• Right but, what are the odds you aren't all that healthy to begin with if you decide to swap normal sweeteners for chemicals?

Babies made using three people's DNA are born free of mitochondrial disease (bbc.com | comments) Pioneered by UK scientists, a new method using DNA from three individuals has successfully produced babies free from mitochondrial disease, a hereditary condition that can lead to severe health issues and is often fatal. This advancement signifies a crucial step in addressing genetic disorders through innovative reproductive techniques.

• Clever. So they fertilize an egg from the mother and another egg from a donor with the fathers sperm. Then they yank out the donor/father “pro nuclei” and replace it with the pro nuclei from mother/father egg. Thus the child ends up with the donor’s mitochondria.