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2023-06-20

PostgreSQL reconsiders its process-based model​

  • PostgreSQL, a popular database system, is considering a fundamental change to move away from its process-oriented model.
  • Developers believe that this change could address performance limitations on larger systems and reduce duplicated code, but there are concerns about potential breaking changes and loss of system robustness.
  • The move to threads would present challenges such as reworking global variables and ensuring compatibility with existing extensions, but a previous threads port of PostgreSQL provides some insights for the project.

Industry Reactions​

  • PostgreSQL is considering a shift from its process-based model to a thread-based model.
  • The transition could have significant implications for stability, performance, and development processes.
  • The community is divided on whether the transition is necessary or worth the effort.

OpenLLM​

  • OpenLLM is an open platform for operating large language models (LLMs) in production.
  • It supports a wide range of state-of-the-art LLMs and provides flexible APIs for serving and deploying LLMs.
  • Users can fine-tune LLMs to suit their needs and easily build AI apps by composing LLMs with other models and services.

Industry Reactions​

  • OpenLLM is an open platform for operating large language models (LLMs) in production.
  • It allows users to run LLMs on their own hardware instead of relying on commercially available APIs.
  • It provides a framework for serving LLMs and supports various types of models and modalities, including text, images, and videos.

Titanic tourist submersible goes missing with search under way​

  • A tourist submarine, the Titan submersible, has gone missing during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic in the mid-Atlantic. The submersible holds five people and was on an eight-day trip costing $250,000.
  • A massive search and rescue operation involving government agencies, navies, and deep-sea firms from the US and Canada is currently underway to locate the missing submersible.
  • The trip to the Titanic wreck is a unique and extraordinary experience offered by OceanGate, with only one manned mission planned for 2023. The missing sub is believed to be the only one capable of diving deep enough to reach the wreckage.

Industry Reactions​

  • A tourist submersible called the Titan, built by OceanGate, is missing while exploring the Titanic, and a search is underway.
  • The use of carbon fiber in the construction of the submersible raises questions about its reliability in high-pressure environments.
  • The challenges and potential risks associated with exploring deep-sea environments are highlighted, emphasizing the importance of rigorous testing and safety measures.

Twitter lawyers overwhelmed as laid off employees file arbitration claims​

  • Twitter lawyers are facing a surge of arbitration claims from laid off employees.
  • The claims are being filed by a large group of individuals who have similar legal disputes with Twitter.
  • The post highlights the need for a legal mechanism to handle disputes between a large entity and multiple individuals with similar claims.

Industry Reactions​

  • Former Twitter employees have filed arbitration claims seeking back pay, expense reimbursements, and severance that they were promised.
  • Twitter's binding arbitration clause has led to a large number of arbitration cases, overwhelming the company's lawyers.
  • The article raises questions about the fairness of arbitration and the power dynamics between companies and employees in legal disputes.

Releasing an indie game on 3 consoles at once and failing financially (2016)​

  • The indie game "Toto Temple Deluxe" was released on multiple consoles simultaneously, but it did not sell well financially.
  • The game was originally created as a local-multiplayer game and did not have online play, which limited its appeal to a niche audience.
  • The game's theme, title, and trailers did not effectively capture people's attention and generate interest in the game.

Industry Reactions​

  • The post discusses the challenges faced by an indie game developer who released their game simultaneously on three consoles and failed financially.
  • The comments express empathy for the developer and highlight the importance of small developers sharing their experiences.
  • The indie game market has become highly competitive, with a flood of developers creating and releasing games with varying levels of quality.

Display brighter-than-white color on Apple devices​

  • The post introduces a technique called "superwhitedisplay" which allows users to display a very bright white color on Apple devices with HDR support.
  • The technique involves creating a small video file and playing it on the device's display.
  • The post provides instructions on how to create the video using Final Cut Pro and export it using HEVC 10-bit codec.

Industry Reactions​

  • Apple devices can display brighter-than-white colors using HDR technology.
  • Some users find the effect of HDR content on Apple devices to be unpleasant, while others enjoy the realistic sunlit effect it creates.
  • Users have experienced difficulties with skin tones and management of dynamic range when using the iPhone camera in bright settings.

We tried to book a train ticket and ended up with a 245k records data breach​

  • The article discusses a data breach that occurred during the distribution of free train tickets for young adults in Germany and France. The breach resulted in the exposure of approximately 245,000 registration records.
  • The registration process for the tickets encountered various problems, including overloaded servers and a flawed password reset function. Additionally, a backdoor was discovered that allowed individuals to generate codes and complete the ticket ordering process even after it had officially closed.
  • The data breach also extended to a similar program called DiscoverEU, which offers free Interrail passes for young Europeans. Over 245,000 registration records from DiscoverEU were found to be easily accessible on the internet. The issue has since been addressed and further security measures are being implemented.

Industry Reactions​

  • Project implemented by agencies MCI and Caracal, often associated with system failures due to lack of proper architecture, planning, and testing.
  • Price is not the sole determinant of project success; more expensive vendors may not necessarily provide better security or quality.
  • Clients may struggle to discern quality and appropriately grade technical projects, highlighting the need for professional engineering licensing or independent inspectors.

TypeScript 5.2's new keyword: 'Using'​

  • This post explains why in TypeScript does not actually represent an empty object.
  • It introduces the use of the Record type to represent an empty object in TypeScript.
  • The author, Matt Pocock, provides insights on how to use the Record type effectively.

Industry Reactions​

  • TypeScript 5.2 introduces a new keyword called 'Using' for resource management.
  • 'Using' simplifies the process of resource management and helps avoid leaks, making code more reliable.
  • The feature is similar to C#'s 'using' statement and will eventually be available in JavaScript.

Slint – A declarative UI toolkit for embedded and desktop​

  • Slint is a declarative UI toolkit that allows developers to build native user interfaces for embedded systems and desktop applications.
  • It provides features like Live-Preview, allowing developers to quickly iterate and make changes to their UI design.
  • Slint is lightweight and performant, with a small memory footprint, optimal graphics rendering methods, and support for multiple programming languages.

Industry Reactions​

  • Slint is a declarative GUI toolkit written primarily in Rust, designed for desktop and embedded usage.
  • The toolkit offers API support for multiple programming languages, including C++ and JavaScript.
  • Users have praised Slint's design, ease of use, and real-time GUI feedback when using the VS Code extension. Some compare it favorably to Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation.
  • One user expressed concern about optimizing for binary size on a microcontroller with limited flash storage.
  • The Slint team acknowledged the concern and mentioned plans to optimize the generated code to reduce the binary size further.
  • Another user expressed interest in a GUI library dedicated to small embedded systems that do not consume a lot of flash or RAM.
  • The Slint team responded that this was their aim with the toolkit.
  • Users recommended alternative GUI libraries, such as fltk-rs and imgui, that might better suit specific needs.
  • Users discussed optimizing code size and performance for microcontrollers, with suggestions like adjusting codegen settings in Rust and experimenting with inlining thresholds.
  • Users engaged in conversations about GRPC, Rust as a backend for UI, and integrating Flutter with Rust.
  • Users expressed interest in better comparison sections on the Slint website and suggested other UI frameworks to consider.
  • Users discussed the pricing structure of Slint and requested more clarity in the pricing information.
  • Users suggested including an onboarding guide and improving the widget gallery examples on the Slint website.
  • Users raised questions about text handling, accessibility support, native widget integration, and plans for Python APIs.
  • Users shared their appreciation for the name "Slint" and its connection to the band.

My First Impressions of Nix​

  • Nix is a tool for configuring software environments using source files, and it's gaining popularity among developers.
  • Nix is faster than Ansible and has a concept of state, allowing for quicker configuration changes.
  • Nix optimizes for local configuration and allows for atomic changes, making it easier to manage and upgrade systems.

Industry Reactions​

  • Nix is a build system that embraces functional programming concepts and allows for reproducible, cached builds.
  • Nixpkgs aims to minimize the number of package versions in use at one time for maintainability reasons.
  • Nix provides reproducibility through its build system and allows for locking versions.