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2024-04-26

  • The Federal Communications Commission has voted to reinstate net neutrality rules to stop internet providers from blocking or slowing down competitors' services.
  • This decision renews the government's control over broadband companies, likely sparking legal battles from the industry.
  • Initially introduced during the Obama era, the rules were scrapped under the Trump administration, now stirring up renewed debate on the free internet, drawing both support and criticism.

Reactions

  • The discussion involves restoring net neutrality rules by the FCC and debates on ISP compliance burden, government regulation, and societal impacts of net neutrality laws.
  • Various perspectives on political dynamics, monopolies, libertarianism, and government agencies in policymaking are examined, alongside concerns on ISP practices and consequences of repeal.
  • The dialogue touches on criticisms towards the Republican party, legislative decision-making, polarization effects on political discourse, media influence, and the impact on marginalized groups and social progress.

Microsoft and IBM Partner to Open Source DOS 4.0

  • Microsoft, with IBM's collaboration, has unveiled the source code for MS-DOS 4.00 under the MIT license, containing beta binaries, documents, and disk images.
  • The 8086 assembly code of MS-DOS 4.00, a significant historical piece, is shared to foster open innovation, following a conversation with ex-Microsoft CTO Ray Ozzie.
  • The source code is accessible on GitHub, enabling users to operate it on authentic hardware or emulators.

Reactions

  • GitHub users are nostalgically discussing older MS-DOS versions, sharing memories of hacking software with a hex editor.
  • The conversation touches on open-sourcing old software like MS-DOS, terminology shifts in programming, and the sensitivity of language.
  • Microsoft's recent actions on GitHub, including releasing and removing historical MS-DOS files, including the Multi-tasking MS-DOS beta, are highlighted and debated.

Customize Confetti Animations with Canvas-Confetti

  • The canvas-confetti module enables customized confetti animations on webpages, offering adjustable parameters such as speed, gravity, shapes, and colors.
  • Users can enhance performance by caching matrix values, disable motion, create custom shapes, resize the canvas, leverage web workers, and stop/clear animations.
  • The module showcases examples of creating diverse confetti animations, launching them in different methods, and sustaining continuous animations from various directions.

Reactions

  • The discussion explores the utilization of front-end confetti animation libraries on GitHub to develop high-performance animations employing canvas and disabling pointer events.
  • Users exchange personal anecdotes and insights regarding confetti animations across various applications, expressing diverse views on their efficacy.
  • The conversation touches on the history of confetti, its role in festivities, and even ventures into discussing the concept of living in a simulated environment, along with debating technical implementation, privacy implications of JavaScript, and alternative methods for web animations.

TSMC Introduces A16 1.6nm Technology with Backside Power Delivery

  • TSMC unveiled its advanced 1.6nm-class process technology, A16, incorporating backside power delivery network (BSPDN) and gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheet transistors.
  • A16 boasts enhanced performance, efficiency, power consumption, and transistor density compared to its forerunner, set to rival Intel's 14A node.
  • The introduction of BSPDN, notably the Super Power Rail (SPR), in A16 enhances its complexity but provides substantial advantages for AI and HPC processors.

Reactions

  • TSMC unveiled a cutting-edge 1.6nm process with backside power delivery, while Intel utilizes DSA technology for a 1.4nm process, highlighting the industry's performance-oriented focus.
  • The discussions delve into topics such as semiconductor manufacturing supremacy, transistor density, chip design optimization, and the hurdles of EUV lithography technology.
  • Advancements in AI/HPC processors, through-wafer vias, tungsten use in manufacturing, and complexities in silicon tech are also key points in the conversation, emphasizing the ongoing evolution and challenges in the semiconductor sector.

NAND: Web-Based Programmable Computer for DIY Tech Enthusiasts

  • The creator introduces NAND, a personal project offering a web-based adaptation of the Nand to Tetris course, featuring a custom runtime, user interface (UI), and Integrated Development Environment (IDE).
  • Users can experiment with programs such as 2048 and a genetic algorithm on NAND's simulated hardware.
  • More details are available on the project's website and GitHub repository.

Reactions

  • Users are discussing creating a programmable computer named NAND using NAND gates, influenced by the Nand to Tetris course.
  • The conversation includes building a physical computer solely with NAND gates, designing a microcoded RISC processor, creating clocks from NAND gates, finite memory importance in computers, and NOR gates in logic circuits.
  • Participants share their learning experiences from nand2tetris.org and nandgame.com, expressing interest in constructing computers from logic gates.

Building a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) from Scratch

  • The website focuses on assisting individuals in establishing their Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) and offers a detailed, step-by-step guide for setting up and managing a WISP.
  • It provides resources on various aspects including costs, terminology, infrastructure, marketing, and maintenance along with tools and guides on topics like backhauls, RF basics, MDUs, and utilizing Google Earth for network planning.
  • Users can also benefit from personalized help, engage in community discussions, attend webinars, and contribute donations to sustain the site.

Reactions

  • The post explores the feasibility of establishing an independent internet service provider, citing Jared Mauch's accomplishments with a fiber ISP.
  • It discusses the competition between small WISPs and major players like Starlink, using equipment from companies such as Mikrotik, Ubiquiti, Edgecore, and Nokia for network infrastructure.
  • Users share experiences with different providers like Starlink, 5G, and the success of 4G for Fixed Wireless Access in New Zealand, highlighting challenges in various regions and concerns regarding Starlink's sustainability and cost-effectiveness versus traditional cable and fiber ISPs.

Tribler: A Resilient Micro-Economy Revolutionizing Media

  • Tribler is a privacy-focused Bittorrent-compatible platform from Delft University of Technology, promoting a micro-economy without banks or advertisers.
  • With over 100 developers, Tribler continually enhances its Bittorrent protocol, P2P communication, and introduces a token economy for artists' financial rewards.
  • Trustchain, a unique blockchain, encourages Bittorrent seeding, highlighting anonymity features and transitioning to a new overlay system for a secure environment and innovative capitalism models.

Reactions

  • Tribler proposes a "media economy" based on thresholds to address creator compensation issues in the digital media field, emphasizing decentralization, trust, and non-profit academic principles.
  • Discussions involve cryptocurrency's role, digital inequality worries, and the potential downfall of the advertising model within Tribler's platform.
  • Legal hurdles linked to encryption, protocols, and unauthorized content sharing pose challenges for Tribler in reshaping the content industry monopolized by major players.

Increase Emphasizes Real-World Events in API Design

  • Increase's API design principle "No Abstractions" advocates naming API resources after real-world events, leveraging network terminology, and categorizing resources based on specific use cases.
  • Influenced by Stripe, this strategy targets Increase's users familiar with payment networks, prioritizing resource immutability and clear naming for streamlined integration and a transparent system mapping.
  • While not universal, this principle enhances user comprehension and decreases cognitive burden in decision-making, potentially offering substantial value in certain API contexts.

Reactions

  • The article emphasizes achieving a balance between abstraction-heavy and abstraction-light APIs by providing both low-level and high-level APIs to address different user needs.
  • It highlights the challenges of maintaining consistency and flexibility in API design using examples from platforms like node.js and Vulkan, while also underlining the importance of domain-specific terminology, simplicity, and pricing strategies.
  • The discussion includes insights on representing prices in non-retail scenarios, using integers for currency precision, limitations of Stripe's API, authorization strategies for saving refund fees, and leveraging tools like Stripe webhooks for disputes.

Jeff Lawson and Ben Collins Acquire The Onion

  • The Onion, a satirical news site, has been acquired by Global Tetrahedron from G/O Media, aiming to enhance user experience and dive into multimedia while maintaining the existing staff in Chicago.
  • G/O Media's decision to sell The Onion reflects its focus on key platforms.
  • The new owners, Jeff Lawson and Ben Collins, renowned in digital media, are determined to uphold and elevate The Onion's quality as loyal fans of the publication.

Reactions

  • The focus is on The Onion, a satirical news outlet, and its acquisition by different parties, raising issues of reporting bias, cultural imperialism, and voter suppression in the US.
  • Discussions delve into debates on humor, relevance, and ethical considerations, alongside The Onion's influence, notable articles, and shift towards video content.
  • The post also touches on comparisons with other satirical news platforms such as The Babylon Bee.

IBM Acquires HashiCorp for $6.4 Billion Amid Corporate Shift Away from Open Source

  • IBM is acquiring HashiCorp for $6.4 billion, following HashiCorp's transition to a 'Business Source License,' indicating a shift in the software industry.
  • Companies are increasingly moving from open source to proprietary licenses, causing divisions like forks in projects such as Terraform and Vault.
  • The trend away from corporate open source raises worries about trust, income, and the sustainability of community-driven software, potentially paving the way for smaller teams to spearhead future open source initiatives independently.

Reactions

  • The article explores how corporations benefit from open-source software without reciprocating, suggesting using stricter licenses like SSPL or Commons Clause to promote fair business practices.
  • There is a debate on developers' dilemmas between making a living and upholding open-source principles, emphasizing the need to strike a balance between profit and collaboration in the open-source community.
  • Contributors discuss challenges in sustaining open-source projects financially, stress the significance of selecting the appropriate licenses, and warn against the risks of relicensing and potential drawbacks of corporate involvement in open source.

Exploring Rust Stream API: Balancing Concurrency and Performance

  • The article delves into the Rust Stream API, discussing the challenges of handling concurrency and back pressure in practical scenarios.
  • Rust's async/await feature and Stream API present sophisticated ways to design asynchronous workflows, yet executing them can pose unexpected complexities.
  • Using Bevy for visualization, the author showcases various Stream methods' behaviors, uncovering surprising outcomes and emphasizing the need for a comprehensive grasp of Rust futures and async executors.

Reactions

  • The Rust Stream API is a hot topic, being showcased and discussed on GitHub for its visualization capabilities.
  • Some users warn about specific buffered stream APIs in Rust lacking concurrency, while others appreciate the visualization feature.
  • Discussions touch on solving API problems through blog posts, potential for higher order streams, and visualizing Rust code with Bevy, a game engine.

Backpage Co-Founder Michael Lacey Acquitted on Most Counts

  • A federal judge acquitted Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey of several counts, along with former executives Jed Brunst and Scott Spear, leading to a potential retrial for Lacey on remaining charges like conspiracy and money laundering.
  • Despite the possibility of a successful appeal, Lacey could still face prison time for his involvement in international money laundering, while Brunst and Spear are awaiting sentencing on multiple counts.

Reactions

  • The debate revolves around the legal case of Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey, including bias in news media and money laundering laws, touching on labor and sex trafficking.
  • Discussions also cover compensation for the wrongly accused, legal reform, and the intersection of politics, religion, and social issues.
  • Additional topics include the regulation of prostitution, veganism, healthcare, and HIV treatment, emphasizing the complexity of these issues and the necessity for balanced and accountable solutions.

Connecting OLED Display to Laptop via DDC Protocol: Linux Challenges and Solutions

  • The author describes connecting an OLED display to a laptop's HDMI port via the DDC protocol, overcoming Linux i2c device challenges.
  • They use a Python script to interact with the display, improve update rates, and experiment with converting it into a monitor using xrandr.
  • Despite resolution and video driver constraints, the author manipulates the framebuffer to show part of it on the OLED screen, resulting in a distinctive display configuration shared for feedback on Github.

Reactions

  • Users discuss DDC OLED, a compact HDMI display, focusing on utilizing I2C for control and device detection on Linux.
  • Challenges shared include issues with device recognition, risks linked to scanning an I2C bus, and the intricacies of the DDC/CI specification.
  • The conversation emphasizes the intricacies of managing I2C for display device control, showcasing the varied responses of I2C devices to commands.

Ex-AD arrested for AI-generated fake voice framing

  • A former athletic director at Pikesville High School, Dazhon Darien, was arrested for using artificial intelligence to fabricate a recording of the principal making racist and antisemitic remarks.
  • The incident resulted in disruptions at the school, prompting increased police presence to maintain safety, with Darien facing charges of disrupting school activities, theft, and retaliating against a witness.
  • Experts highlight the escalating concern of using AI to generate fake recordings, emphasizing the necessity for enhanced regulations to tackle this issue.

Reactions

  • An ex-athletic director was arrested for using AI-generated voice to frame a principal in a theft investigation, sparking concerns about security and technology misuse.
  • Discussions highlight skepticism towards the credibility of audio recordings and screenshots, as well as the risks and ethical implications of AI in privacy and trust.
  • Concerns are raised about the misuse of AI-generated evidence in legal cases, the absence of regulations, and the ethical dilemmas associated with developing deepfake technologies, emphasizing the impact on professions and society.