A class action lawsuit against Meta revealed that Facebook intercepted encrypted traffic from users' devices running the Onavo Protect app to gain competitive insights.
Facebook allegedly used a MITM (Man-In-The-Middle) attack, termed "ssl bump," to decrypt traffic from domains like Snapchat, YouTube, and Amazon.
The Onavo Protect app collected detailed app usage statistics and sensitive data, raising significant legal and ethical concerns.
Facebook paid users to install a proxy under the guise of "market research," allowing them to intercept and decrypt competitors' encrypted mobile app traffic.
The app, Onavo, marketed as a VPN, was used to gather data on competitors, raising legal and ethical concerns, including potential wiretapping law violations.
Although users consented to the monitoring, the clarity of their understanding of the extent of data collection remains questionable.
PyBaMM is an open-source Python tool designed for simulating battery physics, making it a valuable resource for battery research and development (R&D).
The tool helps address the curse of dimensionality, a common challenge in battery R&D, by simplifying complex simulations.
PyBaMM is particularly useful for researchers and engineers looking to model and understand battery behavior more efficiently.
One-factor-at-a-time testing is inefficient for battery design; modern experimental design methods can optimize with fewer runs.
PyBaMM (Python Battery Mathematical Modeling) doesn't cover all optimizations out-of-the-box, necessitating more sophisticated methods for larger design spaces.
Tools like Nordic Semiconductor’s PPK II, Hall effect sensors, and shunt resistors are recommended for energy profiling and current measurement in battery projects.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ Coalition of Organized Retail Employees announced a three-year deal with Apple for employees at a Maryland store, increasing pay by an average of 10% and offering other benefits.
The agreement, pending approval by about 85 employees, will be voted on Aug. 6, following a strike authorization in May due to unsatisfactory negotiations.
This Maryland store is one of only two unionized Apple locations in the U.S., with the second in Oklahoma City still without a contract.
Apple has signed its first union contract with store employees in Maryland, marking a significant milestone in labor relations for the company.
There is speculation that Apple may have agreed to the contract to avoid conflict, with some suggesting the company might close the store if unionization leads to problems, although closing a store solely due to unionization is illegal and hard to prove.
The debate on the impact and necessity of unions persists, with arguments both for protecting workers' rights and against potential harm to businesses.
Online ordering is currently unavailable due to technical issues as of 10th July 2024; users are advised to check the website for updates.
A study by Danziger, Levav, and Avnaim-Pesso (2011) found that Israeli judges' favorable parole decisions dropped significantly within a session but returned to initial levels after a break, suggesting mental depletion.
Simulations indicate this effect might be overestimated and could be due to statistical artifacts, such as longer favorable rulings and rational time management by judges, necessitating further research.
The "irrational hungry judge effect" study, which claimed judges were more lenient after lunch, has been revisited and found to have significant flaws.
The original research did not account for the non-random ordering of cases, with less severe cases being seen first and more severe ones later, affecting the outcomes.
Critics suggest that randomizing case order could lead to more efficient and fair judicial decisions, raising broader questions about the impact of hunger on decision-making and the reliability of psychological studies.
Triplanar Mapping simplifies texturing without UV maps, making it ideal for procedural terrain, with enhancements for better blending and performance.
AI-Powered PBR (Physically Based Rendering) Texture Synthesis uses artificial intelligence to generate high-quality textures, improving visual fidelity.
Future work includes implementing Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) for advanced mesh manipulation, such as merging and cutting meshes to simulate damage.
A tritone substitution is a musical technique that replaces a dominant seventh chord with another chord whose root is a tritone away, adding sophistication to the music.
In the key of C, the dominant seventh chord G-B-D-F can be substituted with C♯-F-G♯-B, retaining some notes from the original chord but adding a unique twist.
David Bennett and Michael Keithson provide video explanations and examples, with Bennett focusing on popular songs and Keithson offering a more analytical approach, including lessons on dominant chords.
Tritone substitutions in jazz involve replacing a dominant chord (V7) with another dominant chord a tritone away (II♭7), creating a chromatic descending bassline.
This technique is used to add harmonic interest and is common in jazz, as well as in popular music like the Simpsons theme and the Beatles' "I Am the Walrus."
The discussion highlights the importance of understanding music theory concepts like guide tones (3rd and 7th notes) and the historical context of harmonic analysis.
CalcGPT, a humorous AI application, is generating interest for its satirical take on AI capabilities, particularly in performing basic arithmetic operations.
The application uses an outdated GPT-3 model (babbage-002), which leads to intentionally incorrect and amusing results, highlighting the gap between older and newer AI models like GPT-4.
Despite its humorous nature, CalcGPT serves as a critique of AI hype, demonstrating the limitations of earlier models and sparking discussions on the advancements in AI technology.
Plan 9 is a comprehensive operating system that includes all necessary software in its base install, such as compilers, graphical environments, and text editors.
Unlike Linux and BSD systems, Plan 9's monolithic design ensures consistency and simplifies software development by eliminating the need to test against multiple configurations.
While Plan 9 may lack some features compared to mainstream systems, it serves as an excellent learning resource and sandbox for operating system experimentation.
Plan 9 is an operating system that enables cross-platform access to the C drive on Windows and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) using the 9P2000.L filesystem protocol.
Microsoft selected Plan 9 over Samba for its simplicity and existing server code, with the \wsl$\ path managed by the MUP in Windows and communication via a Unix socket.
Plan 9 focuses on composable software, adhering to the Unix philosophy of small, focused programs, but remains a niche interest due to its lack of modern features and integration.
The Intel N100 Radxa X4 is a new single-board computer (SBC) priced at $60, offering x86 architecture, hardware transcoding, and is reportedly three times more powerful than the Raspberry Pi 5.
Key features include a 2.5G NIC (Network Interface Card) with PoE (Power over Ethernet) support and an m.2 slot, which adds significant value compared to the Raspberry Pi.
The board has generated interest due to its competitive pricing, enhanced performance, and potential to fit into existing Raspberry Pi cases, making it an attractive option for both hobbyists and professionals.
managarm is a microkernel-based operating system, distinct from Linux and Windows, featuring a fully asynchronous API for I/O and good Linux user space compatibility.
It is not a Linux distribution but supports many Linux APIs, offering features like 64-bit support, modern hardware compatibility, and POSIX compliance.
Users can try managarm by downloading a nightly image and running it with specific qemu flags, supporting software like Weston and GNU Coreutils, and hardware such as USB controllers and various graphics cards.
Managarm is a microkernel-based operating system with asynchronous I/O, primarily tested on QEMU, a popular open-source emulator.
The project has garnered interest due to its modern driver support, including USB, and its potential to run on real hardware, though it faces challenges at low-level components.
Recent updates include the ability to run a modern web browser, indicating significant progress and functionality improvements.
Roguecraft, developed by Badger Punch Games, is a highly anticipated Amiga game set for release in September 2024, following the success of Rogue 64.
The development, initially planned for 6 months, extended to 2 years due to the complexities of working with Amiga's hardware, despite its advantages like speed and dedicated coprocessors.
The game features isometric graphics, over 100 room variations, and is available for pre-order via Thalamus Digital, with positive feedback from the community.
Roguecraft developers discuss the challenges and workflows for developing on the Amiga platform in 2024, highlighting the use of emulators and cross-compilation from modern systems like macOS.
Various tools and plugins are recommended, such as the VS Studio Code Plugin for Amiga debugging and cross-compiling tools for modern C and C++ development.
The conversation reflects a nostalgic appreciation for the Amiga's unique graphics and color system, contrasting it with the sharper, colder feel of IBM/DOS graphics.
The author uses Obsidian for note-taking, journaling, and connecting insights, emphasizing its open file format and Markdown support for future-proofing notes.
Key plugins like Dataview, Excalibrain, Obsidian Admonition, and Templater enhance the functionality and integration of their workflow.
Sharing notes publicly through Quartz fosters valuable feedback and connections, contributing to continuous learning and improvement.
The discussion centers around the note-taking app Obsidian, highlighting its features and user experiences.
Users praise Obsidian for its flexibility, use of Markdown files, and robust plugin ecosystem, comparing it favorably to other tools like Emacs and Notion.
Some users mention syncing solutions and potential issues, such as slow iCloud sync and the availability of Git-based syncing plugins.
StreamPot is an early-stage tool designed for media transformation tasks like trimming videos, stripping audio, and transcoding, offering a no-setup solution for developers.
Users can either self-host the server by following the installation instructions or sign up for the hosted version to try it out.
The project leverages the work of ffmpeg and fluent-ffmpeg teams, and feedback can be provided via email or scheduled calls.
Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) allows a CPU to handle instructions from two threads simultaneously, improving resource utilization but potentially reducing single-thread performance.
Intel's hyper-threading is a form of SMT, duplicating processor architecture state to make one physical processor appear as two logical processors to the operating system.
While SMT can boost system throughput, it may introduce security vulnerabilities and cache conflicts, leading experts to recommend disabling it for security-critical systems.
Intel's upcoming Arrow Lake CPUs will eliminate hyperthreading (Simultaneous Multithreading, SMT) due to its application-dependent performance gains.
The move to simplify CPU design might be beneficial, especially as Intel's P/E (Performance/Efficiency) cores provide an alternative for single or low-threaded workloads.
The debate on the relevance of SMT continues, with AMD maintaining its use of homogenous cores and SMT, while Intel explores different strategies.
Elon Musk reposted a digitally altered campaign video of Vice President Kamala Harris, which appears to violate X’s policies against deceptive media.
The manipulated video, viewed 98 million times, lacked a disclaimer and included misleading content, raising concerns about the threat of deepfakes to democracy.
Critics and the Harris campaign condemned the video, highlighting the inconsistency in X’s enforcement of policies compared to other platforms like Meta and Google.
Elon Musk shared a manipulated video of Kamala Harris, potentially violating X's policies and sparking discussions on stricter AI regulations.
The incident has led to suggestions for using Keyoxide for content verification to combat deepfakes.
Users are frustrated with Twitter's decline, increased bot activity, and algorithm changes favoring right-wing content, raising concerns about the platform's usability and content policies.