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2025-01-16

I have made the decision to disband Hindenburg Research

  • Hindenburg Research, known for challenging fraud and corruption, is disbanding as announced by founder Nate Anderson. - The decision to disband is driven by Anderson's desire for personal relief and to share their investigative methods with the public by open-sourcing their process. - Anderson expresses gratitude to his team, family, and readers, highlighting the impact and support received throughout their journey.

Reactions

  • Hindenburg Research is disbanding, with founder Nate Anderson citing personal reasons and a desire to publicly share their investigative methods. - Despite their success in exposing frauds such as Nikola Motors, Anderson states there is no specific threat causing the closure. - Anderson plans to release educational materials to inspire similar investigative efforts, while the diverse team will pursue new independent ventures.

No Calls

  • Zeke Gabrielse, founder of Keygen, initially avoided sales calls due to his introverted nature, implementing a 'no calls' policy, which led to more direct interactions and his first enterprise sale.
  • Gabrielse identified four key issues to address for a successful 'no calls' approach: unclear offerings, poor onboarding, hidden pricing, and lack of trust, suggesting clear messaging, transparent pricing, self-serve onboarding, and trust-building documentation.
  • While some enterprises still expect calls, Keygen uses brief 'discovery calls' to transition to email discussions, and Gabrielse encourages others to consider a #nocalls approach if it aligns with their style.

Reactions

  • The post criticizes companies that mandate phone calls for basic product information, advocating for transparent online communication to save time and reduce frustration.
  • Commenters largely agree, suggesting that some companies use phone calls to obscure information or employ manipulative sales tactics.
  • While some argue that calls are necessary for complex enterprise sales, the general consensus emphasizes the importance of transparency and efficient communication.

Nintendo announces the Switch 2 [video]

Reactions

  • Nintendo has announced the Switch 2, emphasizing iterative improvements over radical changes, maintaining its hybrid design for both portable and docked play.
  • Potential enhancements include OLED screens and improved controllers, aiming to offer better specifications and features.
  • The Switch 2 seeks to balance innovation with familiarity, appealing to both new and existing fans by focusing on stable gameplay experiences.

Israel, Hamas reach ceasefire deal to end 15 months of war in Gaza

Reactions

  • Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire, ending 15 months of conflict in Gaza, marking a significant development in the region.
  • Concerns persist that Western media and politicians may prematurely declare the crisis resolved, overlooking ongoing issues like Gaza's destruction and West Bank annexation.
  • The situation remains complex, with debates on security, territorial claims, and how to achieve lasting peace, reflecting differing perspectives and parallels with other geopolitical conflicts.

Sweden brings more books and handwriting practice back to its schools (2023)

Reactions

  • Sweden is reintroducing physical books and handwriting practice in schools, shifting from a fully digital educational approach.
  • There is a growing recognition of the emotional and tactile benefits of physical books, despite the convenience of digital formats.
  • The ongoing debate focuses on finding a balanced integration of digital and physical learning tools in education.

Nokia's internal presentation after iPhone was launched (2007) [pdf]

Reactions

  • Nokia's internal presentation post-iPhone launch in 2007 acknowledged the threat from Apple's innovation, yet management failed to adapt effectively.
  • Despite having strong software and engineering talent, Nokia underestimated the importance of software, sticking with Symbian and missing opportunities with Linux-based platforms like Meego and Meltemi.
  • Ultimately, Nokia's decision to back Windows Phone, which couldn't compete with iOS and Android, highlighted their struggle to shift from hardware to software-focused strategies, a challenge for many large organizations facing disruptive innovation.

UnitedHealth overcharged cancer patients for drugs by over 1,000%

  • UnitedHealth has been discovered to have overcharged certain cancer patients for medications by over 1,000%.
  • FTC Chair Lina Khan is focusing on major pharmacy benefit managers, including UnitedHealth's OptumRx, Cigna's Express Scripts, and CVS Caremark Rx, as part of a broader investigation.

Reactions

  • UnitedHealth has been accused of overcharging cancer patients for medications by over 1,000%, leveraging its dual role as an insurer and a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM).
  • This vertical integration enables UnitedHealth to inflate drug prices, affecting patient expenses and bypassing profit limitations, raising concerns about prioritizing profits over patient care.
  • The situation underscores the complexity and lack of transparency in the healthcare system, prompting calls for regulatory reform to address rising costs and inefficiencies and to focus on patient welfare.

Blue Origin reaches orbit on first flight of its titanic New Glenn rocket

  • Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket successfully reached orbit for the first time, marking a significant milestone for the company. - The launch faced initial challenges, including engine chill issues and a stray boat, but ultimately achieved an orbital velocity of 28,800 kph. - Although the first stage booster did not return to Earth, the successful launch demonstrates Blue Origin's progress and the impact of Jeff Bezos's investments.

Reactions

  • Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket successfully reached orbit on its first flight, marking a significant milestone for the company.
  • Although the first stage did not land successfully, this is typical for initial attempts and does not overshadow the achievement.
  • The New Glenn rocket offers competitive launch pricing and payload capacity, positioning it as a rival to established companies like SpaceX and ULA (United Launch Alliance).

100x defect tolerance: How we solved the yield problem

  • Cerebras has developed a wafer-scale chip, significantly larger than standard chips, by reimagining the relationship between chip size and fault tolerance. - The Wafer Scale Engine (WSE) includes 970,000 small, fault-tolerant cores and a sophisticated routing architecture, achieving high yields and 93% silicon utilization. - This innovation demonstrates that wafer-scale computing is commercially viable, offering greater defect tolerance compared to traditional GPUs like Nvidia's H100.

Reactions

  • Cerebras has introduced a fault-tolerant routing architecture in chip manufacturing, allowing for larger chips by using die space for routing instead of transistors, which helps bypass defective cores. - This innovative approach contrasts with traditional methods that discard defective chips, as Cerebras uses a single large wafer-scale chip with built-in redundancy to maintain functionality. - The development is significant in the context of AI, where opinions are divided on its potential, with some viewing it as a bubble and others seeing transformative industry potential.

Nepenthes is a tarpit to catch AI web crawlers

  • Nepenthes is a tarpit software designed to trap and deter web crawlers, particularly those collecting data for Large Language Models (LLMs), by generating endless, looping pages. - The software can create significant CPU load and is used to protect real content or to overwhelm AI models with irrelevant data, potentially affecting search engine visibility. - Installation options include Docker or manual setup, with configuration managed through a YAML file, but users should exercise caution due to its potential to be considered malicious.

Reactions

  • Nepenthes is a tarpit designed to trap AI web crawlers, potentially exploiting a vulnerability in the ChatGPT API that could lead to excessive HTTP requests and a denial of service. - The vulnerability has been ignored by OpenAI and Microsoft, and reporting it to OpenAI and BugCrowd proved difficult due to their lack of responsiveness. - The tarpit does not differentiate between AI and legitimate search engine crawlers, posing a risk to both, and highlights the challenges in managing aggressive crawlers and the ineffectiveness of current solutions like robots.txt.

I Ditched the Algorithm for RSS–and You Should Too

  • The article advocates for using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) as an alternative to social media algorithms, emphasizing its ability to deliver content without ads or unnecessary distractions.
  • RSS allows users to subscribe directly to their favorite websites, including YouTube and Reddit, providing a streamlined and personalized content experience.
  • The ease of setting up RSS feeds and the availability of feed generators for sites without native RSS support make it a practical tool for staying informed and saving time.

Reactions

  • The article emphasizes the advantages of RSS feeds, which deliver content directly without the influence of algorithms, offering a more personalized and controlled experience.
  • Users express dissatisfaction with modern websites that lack RSS support, while others suggest tools and projects to improve RSS usage.
  • The discussion includes recommendations for various RSS readers and tools, advocating for a return to RSS for a more genuine web experience.

OpenAI fails to deliver opt-out system for photographers

  • OpenAI missed its 2025 deadline for releasing Media Manager, a tool designed to help photographers opt out of having their work used in AI training data.
  • The tool aimed to identify copyrighted content and address copyright disputes, but it appears to have been deprioritized, with no updates since August.
  • Photographers currently face a cumbersome process of submitting each work they want excluded, leading to criticism that the system is unfair and unlikely to be widely adopted.

Reactions

  • OpenAI currently lacks an opt-out system for photographers to exclude their work from AI training datasets, raising concerns about creators' rights.
  • Critics suggest that companies like OpenAI may only implement opt-out systems if legally mandated, drawing parallels to past copyright issues in the music industry.
  • The existing process requires photographers to individually submit works for exclusion, which is seen as a cumbersome deterrent, potentially necessitating legal action to ensure creators' rights are respected.

dnSpyEx: .NET debugger and assembly editor

  • dnSpyEx is an unofficial continuation of the dnSpy project, providing a debugger and .NET assembly editor for editing and debugging .NET and Unity assemblies without source code.
  • The tool supports debugging .NET Framework, .NET, and Unity game assemblies, and includes features like setting breakpoints, evaluating expressions, and metadata editing.
  • The latest stable release and beta builds are available on GitHub, and it uses open-source libraries like ILSpy and Roslyn, licensed under GPLv3.

Reactions

  • dnSpyEx is a .NET debugger and assembly editor, now maintained by electrokill after the original author, d4d, archived their repositories. - It is an open-source tool used for .NET reversing, binary analysis, debugging, game modding, and application patching, with features like decompiling and setting breakpoints on runtime Intermediate Language (IL) code. - The continued development of dnSpyEx highlights the resilience and sustainability of open-source projects, even after the original version is archived.

No Billionares at FOSDEM

  • Jack Dorsey, former CEO of Twitter, is scheduled to deliver a keynote at FOSDEM, a significant event for free software enthusiasts, due to his blockchain company's sponsorship. - Despite his substantial net worth and controversial history, including the sale of Twitter to Elon Musk, Dorsey's participation has sparked criticism and plans for a protest sit-in during his talk. - The protest is organized to occur at 11:45 AM outside the venue, with interested participants encouraged to contact the organizer via email.

Reactions

  • The controversy centers on whether billionaires like Jack Dorsey should speak at FOSDEM, a free and open-source software event, due to their wealth and influence. - Critics question the ethics of wealth and the impact of centralized social media platforms, while others defend the contributions of billionaires to technology and innovation. - The debate also explores differing opinions on free speech and the appropriateness of protest tactics at such events.

Intel's Tofino P4 Software Is Now Open Source

  • Intel has open-sourced its Tofino P4 software, previously proprietary, to transform programmable networks and foster innovation within the P4 community. - This initiative democratizes access to advanced network programming tools, benefiting startups, academic institutions, and developers globally. - The source code is accessible in the p4lang structure, with components in the p4c and open-p4studio repositories, encouraging contributions and community engagement.

Reactions

  • Intel has open-sourced its Tofino P4 software, aiming to support the community even though the Tofino hardware is discontinued.
  • This move is appreciated but considered overdue, as the platform is nearing obsolescence, raising questions about the relevance of P4 and Tofino's future.
  • The release is a positive step, allowing continued use of existing hardware and potentially inspiring new developments and hardware vendors.