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2023-05-16

IRS tests free e-filing system that could compete with tax prep giants

  • The IRS has developed a prototype system that will enable Americans to file their tax returns through the government without paying for tax preparation services.
  • The system will be available through a pilot program for a small group of taxpayers by January 2024.
  • The development of this free filing system by the government could potentially disrupt the $14.4 billion commercial tax-prep market.

Industry Reactions

  • Many people suggest that the government should send a bill based on the information they already have, possibly with the option to submit extra details to claim additional deductions, and only then would people have to file taxes.
  • Many individuals would prefer a simpler and more automated tax filing process, with some users calling for a more simplified and automated process.

Brex's Prompt Engineering Guide

  • Brex has created a guide for "prompt engineering" based on lessons learned from researching and creating Large Language Models (LLMs) for production use cases.
  • The guide covers the history of LLMs and strategies for working with them, including different prompt strategies and how to handle token limits and prompt hacking.
  • The document outlines different approaches to prompt engineering, provides examples and strategies for embedding various types of data within the prompts, and highlights the potential of "ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Models".

Industry Reactions

  • Prompt engineering is a debated topic, with some questioning its classification as engineering.
  • Users shared tools they created to aid in prompt engineering, like a CLI that outputs a matrix for comparison.

Willow – Open-source privacy-focused voice assistant hardware

  • Willow is an open-source voice assistant hardware platform built on the ESP IDF that provides privacy-focused, self-hosted, and low-cost technology.
  • The platform delivers fast and accurate speech recognition with flexible server options, reliable performance, and privacy protection with open source components and user configuration control.
  • Willow supports various features like wake word engine, voice activity detection, integration with Home Assistant and other platforms, multitasking, and LCD and touchscreen interface with low power consumption technology.

Industry Reactions

  • It offers high-quality audio, wake word detection, voice activity detection, and more.
  • Willow has its own inference server, enabling impressive speech recognition results on various hardware.

Pixpaint

  • Pixpaint is a new mobile app that allows users to turn their photos into digital artwork.
  • The app uses advanced deep learning algorithms to create unique and personalized images.
  • Users can choose from a variety of styles, including pop art, oil painting, and cartoon.

Industry Reactions

  • Commenters mentioned other similar tools like Wobblepaint and Shake Art, and noted that Pixpaint's unique feature is that it records and shares drawings as strings with infinite undo.
  • Some commenters suggested ways to improve the tool, such as adding other brush types, creating static forms, or implementing webRTC for multiplayer functionality.

Kids who get smartphones earlier become adults with worse mental health

  • A new report from Sapien Labs reveals that younger age of receiving a smartphone is linked to worse mental health, especially for women.
  • The report suggests that legislators should consider raising the minimum age or implementing age verification for social media and pornography, while schools and parents should consider alternatives such as "dumbphones" and limiting phone use in the classroom.
  • While the correlation does not necessarily indicate causation, the report emphasizes the need for additional research into the sudden decline in young adult mental health, coinciding with the smartphone generation.

Industry Reactions

  • There is a debate regarding the potential benefits and dangers that smartphones offer to young people, and careful consideration of the benefits and drawbacks of smartphone use is necessary.
  • Critics argue that there is no proof of causation, while proponents argue that social media and smartphone usage is the most convincing explanation for mental health decline. More research is needed.

Dell goes back on WFH pledge, forces employees to come back to the office

  • Dell is now asking employees to return to the office, after initially allowing them to work from home during the pandemic.
  • Workers who live within an hour's commute are being asked to come in for at least three days per week on an "as soon as you can arrange it" basis.
  • Dell's move is part of the trend of companies transitioning back to office-based working, with many adopting hybrid models.

Industry Reactions

  • Management style can impact productivity, and legacy companies may struggle to adopt a new flow-based management model while competitive firms may adopt automation to eliminate management layers.
  • WFH policies and return to the office are driven by multiple factors, including real estate concerns and state-level subsidies that require office attendance.

Uncensored Models

  • An uncensored model refers to a huggingface transformer model that is not aligned with specific and/or ethical guidelines.
  • Alignment of models is helpful for popular public-facing AI bots, but not all models need an alignment. Uncensored models offer composable alignment to prevent a 'one true correct alignment'.
  • Uncensored models allow for unlimited ownership and control and are available for use by all demographic and interest groups. These models support research, creativity, intellectual curiosity, and erotic story-telling.
  • To create an uncensored model, one must identify and remove refusals and biases from the dataset and train the model with the filtered dataset in the same manner as the original model was trained.
  • After finetuning with a dataset, uncensored models like WizardLM-Uncensored are much more compliant than aligned models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. Users are responsible for what they do with the output of these models.

Industry Reactions

  • There is a debate on whether AI models will achieve generalized intelligence similar to humans and whether it poses a threat if it did.
  • AI models are currently causing real harm, such as ruining lives through facial recognition or bias in decision-making.

Come back, c2.com, we still need you

  • This post is about the WikiWikiWeb, an online community that has been around since 1995.
  • The website primarily focuses on PeopleProjectsAndPatterns in SoftwareDevelopment.
  • Users can browse via StartingPoints, bookmark RecentChanges, and watch how things change.

Industry Reactions

  • Some criticize the use of JavaScript in the new c2.com website, while others defend the use of modern practices for a better user experience.
  • Prioritizing accessibility on modern websites, particularly for users with disabilities, is discussed in relation to the recent redesign of the C2 wiki.

LobbyFacts – Exposing lobbying in European institutions

  • LobbyFacts allows users to search and analyze data from the official EU Transparency Register to track lobbyists and their influence on EU institutions
  • Users can search for information on the biggest lobby spenders, lobby consultancies, and companies spending more on lobbying than the previous year
  • The accuracy of the data is dependent on the accuracy of the information given by the registrants themselves and is not necessarily independently verified.

Industry Reactions

  • The website provides historical data not available from other sources and campaigns to improve transparency.
  • Comments discuss lobbying data in the US and potential limitations of the dataset.

This blog is hosted on my Android phone

  • The blog writer explains how to turn an Android device into a web server that can be accessed from a public URL or your own domain.
  • The process involves installing Termux, a terminal emulator, and Pinggy, a tool for obtaining public URLs, and running a Node.js http-server.
  • Users can share their content with the world and see live visitor stats using the Pinggy terminal user interface.

Industry Reactions

  • Skepticism around the security implications of running a webserver on a personal device is noted, alongside limitations of Android as a full Linux distribution.
  • Users discuss experiences with mobile phone signal coverage in subway systems while some suggest using services like Cloudflare Pages or GitHub Pages for free hosting.