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2024-11-18

Reverse Engineering iOS 18 Inactivity Reboot

  • iOS 18 has introduced an inactivity reboot feature that automatically reboots iPhones after 3 days of inactivity to enhance security.- This feature transitions devices from the more vulnerable After First Unlock (AFU) state to the more secure Before First Unlock (BFU) state, protecting user data.- The Secure Enclave Processor (SEP) monitors the last unlock time and triggers a reboot if the device is inactive for over 3 days, effectively reducing the risk of theft and unauthorized access, though it presents challenges for law enforcement in data extraction.

Reactions

  • iOS 18 introduces a security feature that reboots devices after three days of inactivity, returning them to a "Before First Unlock" (BFU) state to enhance data protection.
  • This feature aims to prevent unauthorized data access, ensuring sensitive data is accessible only after active user unlocking, impacting law enforcement data extraction and potentially inconveniencing users.
  • The post explores the balance between security measures and user experience, highlighting the challenges and implications of this new feature.

We are shutting down Ondsel

  • Ondsel is closing on October 30, 2024, due to the inability to achieve commercial success or a sustainable business model, despite community support.
  • Significant contributions to FreeCAD include a new assembly workbench, a 3D constraints solver, and enhancements to Sketcher and TechDraw, all of which will remain open-source.
  • Although Ondsel ES won't release v2024.3, former team members will continue contributing to FreeCAD, and users will have time to download their data before the server shuts down.

Reactions

  • Ondsel, a contributor to FreeCAD, is shutting down but has left a positive impact on the software's development.
  • The discussion emphasizes the challenges open-source CAD tools face in competing with commercial software, highlighting the need for affordability and user-friendly interfaces.
  • Despite Ondsel's closure, the community values its contributions and remains hopeful for ongoing advancements in open-source CAD solutions.

Why did Windows 95 setup use three operating systems?

Reactions

  • Windows 95 setup utilized three operating systems: DOS, a minimal version of Windows 3.1, and Windows 95, to ensure compatibility and ease of installation.- The installation process started with DOS, which then initiated a basic Windows 3.1 environment to facilitate the installation of Windows 95, allowing upgrades from older systems.- This discussion underscores the evolution of Windows and the challenges of balancing compatibility with the introduction of new features.

I was banned from the hCaptcha accessibility account for not being blind (2023)

  • A user was banned from the hCaptcha accessibility account despite being blind, highlighting potential flaws in hCaptcha's accessibility measures.- The incident underscores the risks of relying on companies that may intentionally make their products inaccessible, with unreliable workarounds.- The user advises caution for those dependent on such services and suggests sharing this warning, particularly with webmasters using hCaptcha.

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  • A blind user was banned from the hCaptcha accessibility account, highlighting issues with hCaptcha's accessibility claims and system.- Many users, regardless of visual ability, find hCaptcha's challenges difficult and discriminatory, raising concerns about its effectiveness and inclusivity.- The broader issue is the general inaccessibility and ineffectiveness of captchas, with a call for improved solutions that enhance user experience and privacy.

Reactive HTML Notebooks

  • The article discusses using HTML as a unified platform for scientific publishing, eliminating the need for multiple tools like Jupyter or LaTeX.- It showcases the creation of reactive HTML notebooks with interactive elements using libraries such as Observable, Pyodide, and WebR.- The potential for HTML to simplify the publishing process is highlighted, with a mention of the library @celine/celine for further development.

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  • The discussion centers on using HTML as a base for computational notebooks, with critiques on current implementations and suggestions for a more declarative system called Heximal.
  • Comparisons are made with existing tools like Jupyter, Pluto, and Raku, highlighting challenges in persistence and ergonomics.
  • There is excitement about the potential for exploratory data analysis and publishing, but concerns about the complexity introduced by web technologies are also raised.

Nova JavaScript Engine

  • A new JavaScript engine is being developed using data-oriented design, which optimizes data storage and access.- Key features include storing data in type-specific vectors and using type-discriminated indexes for heap references, enhancing performance.- Objects are divided into kind-specific vectors and split to avoid reading unused parts, improving efficiency.

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  • Nova is an experimental JavaScript engine that uses a data-oriented design, organizing data into type-specific vectors to enhance efficiency and performance.
  • Unlike traditional engines such as V8, Nova focuses on compact data storage and avoids alignment gaps, although it currently lacks a Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler and uses a bytecode interpreter.
  • The project aims to implement the full ECMAScript specification, with ongoing development and future plans for benchmarks and performance comparisons.

You could have designed state of the art positional encoding

  • The post examines the development of positional encoding in transformer models, emphasizing Rotary Positional Encoding (RoPE) used in advanced models like LLama 3.2.- It discusses the necessity of positional information in self-attention mechanisms to comprehend token relationships, comparing various encoding methods and their limitations.- RoPE is introduced as a method that encodes relative positions through rotations, improving performance without changing semantic information, with potential extensions to multi-dimensional data.

Reactions

  • The discussion centers on positional encoding in transformers, highlighting its role in helping models understand token order, which is essential for computing attention scores in the Query, Key, Value (QKV) mechanism.- Various encoding schemes, such as RoPE, are mentioned for their ability to allow flexible token positioning without needing to retrain the model.- Participants share experiences and challenges with implementing these encodings and express appreciation for the clarifications provided, with additional resources and discussions on related topics like context encoding and encoding method efficiency included.

Teen behind hundreds of swatting attacks pleads guilty to federal charges

  • Alan Filion, an 18-year-old from California, pleaded guilty to federal charges for conducting over 375 swatting attacks, targeting schools, religious institutions, and US politicians.- Operating under the alias "Torswats," Filion was part of an international swatting group, causing widespread fear and chaos across the US.- He faces up to five years in prison for each of four counts of making interstate threats, with his sentencing date yet to be determined.

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  • A teenager has pleaded guilty to federal charges for orchestrating over 375 swatting incidents, which involve making false emergency calls to trigger armed police responses.
  • The teen used online aliases and charged for these services on Telegram, highlighting the ease of call spoofing and the dangers of swatting, which can lead to violent confrontations.
  • This case emphasizes the need for improved police response protocols and accountability, as well as the potential for a 20-year sentence, though the actual time may be reduced due to juvenile status.

It's time to replace TCP in the datacenter (2023)

  • The paper critiques TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) as outdated for modern datacenters, citing issues like stream orientation and in-order packet delivery.- It proposes Homa as a replacement, which addresses these TCP limitations but is not API-compatible with TCP.- Homa's adoption could be facilitated through integration with RPC (Remote Procedure Call) frameworks, making it more accessible for widespread use.

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  • Replacing TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) in data centers is difficult due to the need for extensive hardware support and expertise.- Although alternatives like QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) and InfiniBand exist, their adoption is limited due to integration complexity and compatibility issues with existing systems.- Despite its limitations, TCP's established presence and the high cost of transitioning to new protocols suggest it will continue to dominate data centers for the foreseeable future.

The App I Built to Help Manage My Diabetes

  • Joshua, a student, has developed Islet, a diabetes management app powered by GPT-4o-mini, now available on the App Store.
  • The app was initially a summer project and offers features like insulin management, carb counting, blood sugar tracking, personalized meal suggestions, and activity tracking.
  • Islet demonstrates the potential of AI in addressing real-world health issues, particularly for individuals with Type 1 diabetes.

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  • Joshua, a student, developed Islet, a diabetes management app using GPT-4o-mini, now available on the App Store, to help manage insulin, carb counts, and blood sugars.- The app provides meal suggestions, tracks activity, and offers insights, but is still in its early stages, with feedback welcomed for improvement.- Concerns have been raised about its medical device status and data privacy, highlighting the importance of addressing these issues in health management apps.

How Japanese black companies oppress workers (2014)

  • The term "black company" describes exploitative workplaces, particularly in white-collar industries, originating from Japan and gaining prominence in the early 2000s.- The "Black Corporations Award" was created in 2012 to spotlight the worst offenders, with Watami Foodservice Co. frequently recognized for poor employee treatment.- A checklist by lawyer Yoshiyuki Iwasa helps identify black companies, with criteria such as unpaid overtime and abusive work environments, while Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is working to address these issues.

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  • Japanese "black companies" exploit workers by threatening legal action if they attempt to quit, creating a challenging work environment.
  • Contract workers in Japan face legal restrictions on quitting before their contract ends, highlighting a broader issue of oppressive work culture.
  • The American "at-will" employment model is contrasted, allowing employees to leave without notice but lacking job security, and is further complicated by the link between employment and healthcare.

Japanese workers turn to resignation agencies

  • A survey by Mynavi Corp. indicates an increase in the use of resignation agencies in Japan, with 20% of workers in their 20s utilizing these services to quit their jobs.
  • Resignation agencies, such as Momuri, assist young workers in leaving jobs that negatively impact their mental health, managing the resignation process for a fee.
  • This trend signifies a generational shift towards valuing mental well-being and challenging traditional Japanese work norms, potentially leading to a more balanced work culture.

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  • Japanese workers are turning to resignation agencies to help them quit jobs, as some companies create obstacles for employees wishing to resign.
  • This trend underscores cultural challenges in Japan's work environment, where employees often experience guilt and pressure when attempting to leave a job.
  • Resignation agencies facilitate the resignation process, enabling employees to avoid direct confrontation, and contribute to broader discussions on Japan's work culture and its effects on employees.

Bhutan, after prioritizing happiness, now faces an existential crisis

  • Bhutan is experiencing a significant emigration of young people, despite offering free healthcare, education, and a growing economy, as they seek better job opportunities abroad, particularly in Australia.
  • In response, Bhutan's king plans to develop Gelephu Mindfulness City, designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, to create jobs and attract young people back, focusing on sustainable development and Bhutanese values.
  • The success of this project is considered vital for Bhutan's future, with some citizens, like journalist Namgay Zam, inspired to support the initiative and remain in the country.

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  • Bhutan is experiencing a trend of young people leaving the country for better opportunities abroad, driven by materialism and exposure to other cultures.
  • Despite its focus on Gross National Happiness, Bhutan faces challenges from economic growth and globalization, leading to a brain drain as educated individuals seek higher earnings elsewhere.
  • The country has potential for future development through its unique culture, energy resources, and plans for a new city, but it also faces significant issues like ethnic tensions and economic pressures.

Museum of Bad Art

  • The Museum Of Bad Art (MOBA) is a unique museum in Boston dedicated to showcasing art that is humorously flawed and wouldn't typically be displayed in traditional museums.
  • Located inside Dorchester Brewing Co, MOBA offers free admission, allowing visitors to enjoy both the art and the brewery's offerings, such as craft beers and food from M&M Barbecue.
  • MOBA is featured in a 7-minute video by WSBE RI PBS on YouTube, and as a non-profit, it accepts tax-deductible donations to support its mission.

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  • The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) in Boston is dedicated to displaying art that traditional museums might reject, celebrating both creativity and failure.- Opinions on MOBA are mixed; some appreciate its unique approach, while others criticize it for potentially mocking amateur artists.- MOBA's collection is noted for its humor and sincerity, and it offers free admission at its location within the Dorchester Brewing Co.

Linux kernel 6.12 has been released

  • The 6.12 kernel has been released by Linus Torvalds, adhering to the regular release schedule, and is significant as the 2024 Long-Term Support (LTS) version.- Key features include support for the Arm permission overlay extension, improved Spectre mitigations, and completion of realtime preemption support, enhancing system performance and security.- This release may influence distributions to enable Rust and is expected to be used in Debian 13 and its derivatives, with improvements in handling larger block sizes in the XFS filesystem and performance tools like perf.

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  • Linux kernel 6.12 has been released as a Long-Term Support (LTS) version, meaning it will receive extended maintenance and updates.
  • Key features of this release include real-time support, SCHED_EXT (a new scheduling class), and compatibility with Raspberry Pi 5, enhancing its utility for various hardware.
  • The release also supports the networking chip in X870E Taichi motherboards, beneficial for AM5-based workstations, and follows the Linux kernel's typical versioning scheme of major releases every 8 weeks.