GodotOceanWaves is an open ocean rendering experiment in the Godot Engine, utilizing the inverse Fourier transform for wave generation, allowing real-time modification of wave properties.
The project employs the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm for efficient computation on the GPU, and uses a BSDF lighting model with GGX distribution for realistic ocean shading.
Features include sea foam and spray simulation, wave cascades to address tiling artifacts, and load balancing to minimize GPU workload, making it a comprehensive tool for simulating various ocean environments.
FFT-based ocean-wave rendering in Godot has gained attention for its realistic wave simulations, despite some noted limitations like the absence of breaking waves and steep peaks.
The discussion includes the evolution of rendering technology and the challenges of simulating realistic water interactions, with users expressing admiration for the project's potential applications.
Users also speculate on the author's academic background and share links to related resources and videos, highlighting the broader interest in the author's other Godot projects.
Talha Ghannam's article reviews Neil Postman's book "Amusing Ourselves to Death," which contrasts the dystopian visions of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley.
Postman argues that Huxley's vision, where society is subjugated through pleasure and distraction, is more relevant today, highlighting the impact of trivial entertainment and irrelevant information.
The article underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing the modern tendency to be overwhelmed by inconsequential content.
"Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman analyzes the societal impact of various media types, including books, newspapers, TV, and radio.
Despite being written before the advent of social media, Postman's insights remain relevant, emphasizing that different media influence behaviors and society in distinct ways.
The book underscores the importance of understanding how the medium itself shapes our actions and societal norms.
On 7th October 2024, Python core developers will release CPython v3.13.0, featuring a "free-threaded" version that allows disabling the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) and support for experimental Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation.
The removal of the GIL, a long-debated topic due to its performance impact on single-threaded programs, aims to improve multi-threading efficiency, especially with the rise of multi-core processors.
The JIT compiler in Python 3.13 compiles bytecode into machine code just in time for execution, potentially enhancing performance, and uses a simpler "copy-and-patch" technique.
Python 3.13 introduces significant changes, including Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation and the removal of the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL), aimed at enhancing multi-threading capabilities.
The community is divided on these changes due to potential performance hits, increased complexity, and the need for users to compile JIT versions from source, which may limit adoption and feedback.
Despite the performance benefits, the adoption of PyPy has been slow due to compatibility issues with the Python C API and lack of promotion.
AMD has unveiled its first small language model (SLM), AMD-135M, which includes two variants: AMD-Llama-135M and AMD-Llama-135M-code, trained on AMD Instinct MI250 accelerators.
The model employs speculative decoding to enhance inference speed and memory efficiency, a significant improvement over traditional autoregressive approaches.
AMD has open-sourced the training code, dataset, and weights, encouraging developers to reproduce and innovate upon the model, fostering a collaborative AI community.
AMD has introduced its first small language model, AMD-135M, which is fully open-sourced, including the training code, dataset, and weights.
This release is notable because it allows developers to reproduce the model and train other small language models (SLMs) and large language models (LLMs), promoting innovation and competition.
Unlike typical "open inference" models that only provide weights and inference code, AMD's model offers a comprehensive open-source package, marking a significant move in the AI hardware and software industry.
Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress, is accused of abusing his power, causing harm to the WordPress community through actions against WP Engine.
Allegations include extortion attempts, anti-competitive behavior, demands for licensing fees, and blocking WP Engine sites from accessing the plugin repository, which has exposed users to security risks.
The call for Mullenweg's removal from WordPress leadership is based on his perceived abuse of power and conflicts of interest, which are seen as detrimental to the community's well-being.
Critics argue that Matt Mullenweg's poor communication and erratic behavior are damaging WordPress's legacy and community trust.
There are concerns about Mullenweg's demands for WP Engine to pay licensing fees to Automattic, his for-profit company, which may blur the lines between WordPress's nonprofit and for-profit entities.
Some believe that removing Mullenweg could restore stability and address potential legal issues within the WordPress ecosystem.
The US Trademark Office has canceled Marvel and DC's 'Super Hero' trademarks, which were jointly registered in 1980.
Trademark law prohibits ownership of generic terms and joint ownership by competitors, leading to the cancellation after Marvel and DC did not defend against Superbabies' request.
This decision underscores the limitations of trademark law and the difficulties in maintaining trademarks on commonly used terms.
Cuttle is a parametric CAD tool designed for prototyping and production, especially for laser cutting small businesses, combining vector editing with programmable parameters and JavaScript code.
Users appreciate its ease of use and features like edge snapping, custom rounded corners, and boolean options, with suggestions for adding STL and STEP output for 3D printing.
The small but profitable team behind Cuttle is recognized for creating a flexible tool with potential applications in various fields, including 3D printing and leatherwork.
Meta has been fined $102 million by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) for storing user passwords in plain text, violating GDPR rules.
The investigation found millions of Instagram passwords stored in an easily readable format, accessible to over 20,000 Facebook employees but not external parties.
The DPC criticized Meta for failing to promptly notify them of the breach and not using appropriate security measures, issuing a reprimand with further details to be published later.
Arch Linux is partnering with Valve to develop a build service infrastructure and a secure signing enclave, addressing significant challenges without solely depending on volunteers.
This collaboration aims to accelerate progress and enable new projects, with development following standard workflows and transparent communication through RFCs, mailing lists, and GitLab.
The partnership is anticipated to significantly benefit Arch Linux, with further updates to be provided via the mailing list.
Valve is supporting two key projects for Arch Linux: a build service infrastructure and a secure signing enclave to improve security.
There is a debate among users about adopting a centralized build model similar to Debian's, due to security concerns with the current decentralized approach.
Valve's involvement seeks to tackle issues with reproducible builds, particularly for the kernel, and the complexities of secure boot.
23andMe is facing severe challenges, including potential stock delisting, shutting down its drug-development unit, and mass board resignations.
CEO Anne Wojcicki is contemplating selling the company, which could jeopardize the DNA data of 15 million customers due to privacy policy loopholes.
Concerns are rising about potential misuse of genetic data by new owners, especially since 23andMe is not regulated by HIPAA, and the company has a history of security breaches.
Concerns were raised about 23andMe's data collection, specifically the potential misuse of genetic data, such as cloning or unauthorized use by insurance companies.
23andMe primarily uses "genotyping" rather than full DNA sequencing, unless users opt for the premium service.
Discussions included the effectiveness of GDPR for data deletion and broader privacy issues, highlighting the need for stronger regulations.
A 2014 dissertation from the University of Texas' advertising department explored the role of deliberate practice in developing creativity, comparing elite and moderate-level performers.
Key findings emphasized that effort and enjoyment are crucial for success, while commenters highlighted the importance of diverse experiences and cross-pollination of ideas.
The discussion also considered the scientific rigor of such studies, the influence of environment and mentorship, and the potential role of AI in creative processes.
Intel's new Lion Cove architecture in Lunar Lake CPUs focuses on per-thread performance, offering significant improvements over its predecessor, Redwood Cove, in both performance and energy efficiency.
Key enhancements include a simplified ring bus interconnect, improved L3 and DRAM latency, a new mid-level cache (L1.5), and an enhanced out-of-order execution engine, leading to notable performance gains.
Lion Cove achieves 23.2% and 15.8% performance improvements in SPEC CPU2017’s integer and floating point suites, respectively, positioning it as a strong competitor against AMD’s Strix Point and even desktop CPUs like the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.
Intel's new Core Ultra 7 258V processor, part of the Lunar Lake series, shows a DRAM bandwidth of 94.9 GB/s, which is significantly lower than Apple's M1 Pro, Max, and Ultra chips.
AMD's upcoming Strix Halo, set for early 2025, will feature a 256-bit memory interface for LPDDR5x, potentially matching or exceeding the M1 Pro's performance, but with higher power consumption.
The discussion highlights the trade-offs between memory bandwidth and power efficiency, with Intel's Lunar Lake focusing on lower power consumption compared to Apple's higher bandwidth solutions.
In a 1966 essay, architect Stephen Gardiner criticized the modernization of traditional English pubs, lamenting the loss of unique features like oak benches and intricate glasswork.
Gardiner argued that pubs should retain their historical charm and be designed with sensitivity to their architectural context, emphasizing elements like central bars, low ceilings, and partitions.
He concluded that preserving authentic details and employing skilled architects are crucial for maintaining the English pub tradition.
The post discusses the architecture and evolution of London pubs, highlighting traditional layouts and the impact of modern refurbishments.
It mentions the challenges faced by the UK pub trade, including economic pressures, changing consumer preferences, and regulatory impacts like the smoking ban.
The post underscores the cultural significance of pubs, noting efforts by organizations like CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) to preserve traditional pubs and their communities.
SunVox is a versatile modular synthesizer with a pattern-based sequencer, suitable for music composition across multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows CE.
Key features include optimized synth algorithms, flexible architecture, multitrack WAV export, MIDI support, real-time sample recording, and generative music capabilities.
SunVox is free for most systems except Android and iOS, and developers can integrate the SunVox engine into their applications.
SunVox is a powerful modular synthesizer and digital audio workstation (DAW) that runs on multiple platforms, including tablets, and is highly recommended for music creation.
A new beta version of SunVox was released earlier this month, generating renewed interest among users and developers.
SunVox features a modular interface and "MetaModules" for creative audio synthesis and processing, and it is even Turing-complete, making it a versatile tool for both beginners and advanced users.
mtCellEdit is a lightweight spreadsheet program designed for simple day-to-day tasks, avoiding the slow speeds and complex interfaces of larger programs.
It uses Qt5 for the GUI and a shared C/C++ library for core functionalities, with source code including example programs and command line tools for API access.
The default format is a ZIP file containing TSV text files, ensuring compatibility with modern spreadsheet programs, and it is designed for GNU/Linux on x86_32, x86_64, and ARM_32 platforms under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later.
MtCellEdit is a lightweight spreadsheet program, gaining attention for its simplicity and efficiency.
Users are discussing alternatives and similar lightweight tools, such as Nebu and sc-im, highlighting a demand for minimalistic software solutions.
The conversation also touches on lightweight word processors for macOS, with recommendations like Apple’s Pages and Mellel, indicating a broader interest in streamlined productivity tools.