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2023-03-31

US Ban Bill Raises Concerns for VPNs & TikTok​

A US ban bill supported by the White House and aimed at regulating the internet could make VPNs illegal, grant fines up to $1M and 20 years of imprisonment, and be viewed as an attack on civil liberties. The bill has bipartisan support, focusing on national security concerns related to China and limiting business dealings with the country. The EU may not follow suit with the US trend, as countries have their own legal structure, and TikTok's ban may lead to resentment among young people and retaliation against the US government. The ban's critics argue that it threatens individual privacy and freedom of speech and expression. Hacker News Link, Original Post.

Mixed views on Y Combinator's value for startups​

Opinions on the value of Y Combinator (YC) for startups are mixed, depending on individual perspectives and needs. While some value YC's network and mentorship, others criticize its advice and focus on short-term goals. YC's reputation and brand can help with fundraising, but its uncapped SAFE deal and emphasis on scaling at all costs may not suit all founders. The importance of community-building and personal connections in the remote-only format is also debated. Ultimately, the value of YC depends on a founder's ability to make use of its resources to maximize chances of success. Hacker News Link, Original Post.

Scratch is a popular visual programming language aimed at children, which uses colorful blocks instead of text-based coding to help them learn programming concepts. The program includes basic programming principles such as variables, lists, if/else and looping control flow structures and event-based concurrency. Scratch has a simple, user-friendly approach to encourage children to explore computation in a creative manner, as well as a heavy focus on peer interaction and sharing work to receive feedback. Scratch's community is one of the largest coding communities in the world, with over 103 million users and 123 million projects shared on the platform. While there are concerns regarding unregulated social media networks and children playing video games instead of using Scratch for educational purposes, the tool has inspired many to become interested in programming, with projects ranging from beginner coding to advanced programming skills. Hacker News Link, Original Post.

Challenges & Tradeoffs in LED Lighting Technology​

LED bulbs have challenges with quick failure, poor color rendering and spectral similarity indexes, poorly designed power supplies, overheating, and a higher cost for indoor lighting. Constant-current power supplies are necessary for LED lighting, and fixtures need to be designed differently than incandescent bulbs to dissipate heat. There are concerns about the reliability and durability of LED bulbs, although high-quality options are available at a higher price point. Challenges exist in integrating LED bulbs with dimmer switches and ensuring compatibility. The flickering and lack of vividness in LED lighting has led to the development of new classification systems and tunable LED bulbs. Overall, LED technology has potential but requires continued development and innovation. Hacker News Link, Original Post.

Over Half of New NPM Packages are Spam​

Over half of new submitted npm packages are spam, with many containing links to malicious websites or offering fake freebies like Fortnite V-Bucks. The rise of spam is thought to be linked to coding boot camps, where students are encouraged to publish packages even if they don't do anything. Respondents have suggested solutions like automated testing processes and a web-of-trust model. The issue highlights the complex nature of ethics in the software development industry and tensions between free speech and private property rights. Security researchers have identified the presence of spam packages across the entire npm registry and are investigating further. Hacker News Link, Original Post.

US Proposes Bills with Threats to Tech Freedom & Privacy​

The US government has proposed a bill that would give unprecedented power to ban any foreign technology it deems a "threat to national security", leaving some to argue that it could lead to China-like censorship powers and be much broader than initially thought. There is also debate about banning Chinese-owned social media apps with some arguing that it is a slippery slope towards censoring information, while others argue that it is necessary to prevent Chinese companies from stealing US technology and gathering information for espionage purposes. The RESTRICT Act is a proposed law that could be used to ban TikTok and VPNs, and critics argue that it could violate the First Amendment. Republican Senators have also proposed banning federal employees from using social media apps owned by Chinese companies due to concerns about espionage and surveillance. Some commentators suggest that the legislation amounts to protectionism by the government, while others argue that the growth of social media is harming mental health and contributing to the manipulation of public opinion. Hacker News Link, Original Post.

Open-Source 3D Rendering Engine for Education & Integration​

A StratusGFX open-source 3D rendering engine has been released by a developer for people to integrate its rendering code into other engines or use as an educational resource. Its capabilities include real-time reflections, shadows, and full PBR shading support, but it currently only supports OpenGL. Its creator is considering porting the renderer to Vulkan to enhance cross-platform compatibility. The StratusGFX engine is designed to maximize realism, but with fallback compromise capabilities for less powerful hardware, and its architecture is available on Github for Windows and Linux. The engine is in pre-release/beta-release, and significant bugs and instability should be expected. Hacker News Link, Original Post.

Google denies using OpenAI's ChatGPT to train Bard​

Google denies using OpenAI's ChatGPT to train Bard, a new language model. Concerns have been raised about the ethics of training one large language model with the output of another commercially-controlled LLM. OpenAI's terms of service forbid training competitor models via its ML outputs, but Google is not bound by this. A former Google employee claimed that they used OpenAI data, but Google denies this. AI-generated material is not copyrightable, and training on other model output is permissible. Some argue that stealing from ChatGPT could be morally justified since it was group-sourced but training models on other AI-generated data could enforce bad data. Hacker News Link, Original Post.

Twitter API Neglected, User Dissatisfaction Grows​

The Twitter API is reportedly being left unmaintained, leading to instability issues for users. Some users have reported feeling alienated from the service due to its decrease in scientific paper content and increased proportion of inflammatory or offensive content. Many social media platforms use algorithmic feeds, but defaults are important as they influence user behavior. Twitter users are experiencing issues such as internal server errors and difficulty accessing the website, leading some to switch to alternative platforms such as Mastodon. Twitter's recent instability issues have caused some users to reduce their usage. Despite these concerns, some believe that Twitter's growth under Musk's leadership suggests that the platform will continue to thrive, with or without its devoted users. Elon Musk's decision to restrict access to Twitter's API is causing controversy, with critics accusing him of intentionally driving Twitter into the ground. Twitter's API is now effectively unmaintained, with only one employee posting regularly on the Twitter Developers forum and focusing solely on the Ads API. Hacker News Link, Original Post.

San Jose Police Union Director Charged with Drug Smuggling​

The executive director of the San Jose Police Officers Association, Sonia Rosa Segovia, has been charged with smuggling fentanyl into the US and running a drug business partly out of the office. Segovia allegedly used the association's address to send packages to customers and discussed police business with her suppliers. At least one of her customers died of an overdose, and she faces multiple drug-related charges. Other cases of police officers involved in drug trafficking have raised questions about the role of law enforcement in the illegal drug trade, with some suggesting legalization as a solution. The conversation around drug legalization also touches on externalities and the need for support systems. An executive director of the San Jose police union, Joanne Southerland, has also been charged with drug smuggling, as well as Joanne Segovia, a police union employee, who has been indicted on charges of importing methamphetamine into the US. These cases highlight the need for solutions to address drug trafficking and addiction, including cultural shifts and targeted law enforcement efforts. Hacker News Link, Original Post.