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2023-07-15

Internet Archive expands Flash support

  • The Internet Archive has made significant advancements in its flash emulation, thanks to the efforts of volunteers Nosamu and bai0.
  • The recent improvements include the ability to mute/unmute and resize the screen based on the animation's information, as well as the capability to handle multi-swf flash.
  • As a result, a large number of previously "broken" flash files will be added to the Internet Archive's collection this week.

Industry Reactions

  • The Internet Archive has expanded its support for Flash, allowing users to access Flash animations and content.
  • Flash died primarily because Adobe was unable to develop a version that worked well on iOS devices.
  • Flash was highly popular among creators and was a powerful tool for creating interactive websites and animations.

WordPress Playground: A WordPress that runs entirely in the browser

  • WordPress Playground is a platform that allows users to run and experiment with WordPress entirely in their web browser.
  • It can be used to try out different themes, plugins, and blocks, build entire websites, and test plugins with specific WordPress and PHP versions.
  • Playground uses cutting-edge technologies like WebAssembly, SQLite, and JavaScript to replicate the key dependencies of WordPress.

Industry Reactions

  • WordPress Playground allows developers to run WordPress entirely in the browser.
  • Users can build and test websites, create note-taking applications, or demo WooCommerce stores using the platform.
  • WordPress has a large ecosystem of plugins and themes, making it a popular choice for non-coders looking to create websites quickly.

S.F. says incidents by Cruise, Waymo driverless taxis are 'skyrocketing.'

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Industry Reactions

  • The incidents involving Cruise and Waymo driverless taxis are receiving increased attention, with debate around the use of the term "skyrocketing" to describe the incidents.
  • There are concerns about the safety and readiness of autonomous vehicles for widespread use, as well as the impact on traffic, transit, and emergency responders.
  • The controversy surrounding autonomous vehicles highlights the tension between technological advancements and concerns about safety and disruption.

Dropped iPad implicated in fatal Rotak Chinook helicopter crash

  • An Apple iPad likely caused a fatal helicopter crash when it jammed against the co-pilot's left pedal, according to investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
  • The investigators used an exemplar helicopter and iPad to demonstrate how the iPad fell and jammed between the left pedal and the heel slide support assembly, preventing the pedals from re-centering and causing the helicopter to spin out of control.
  • This incident highlights the need for operators to secure loose objects in the cockpit, including electronic flight bags (EFBs), to prevent similar accidents in the future.

Industry Reactions

  • Dropped iPad implicated in fatal Rotak Chinook helicopter crash.
  • Military aircraft cockpits sometimes lack clear boundaries for dropped objects.
  • Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) are used as a substitute for traditional flight bags, but they may be less secure and have other usability issues.

On Becoming a VP of Engineering

  • The author shares their experience transitioning from a Director of Engineering to a VP of Engineering at Honeycomb.
  • They discuss the path they took, which included load balancing management work with the CEO and gradually taking on more responsibilities.
  • The author provides insights into the traits and experiences that helped them succeed in this role, emphasizing the importance of holistic thinking, being a generalist, and building good relationships across the company.

Industry Reactions

  • The original post discusses the qualifications and characteristics needed to be a leader, particularly a VP of Engineering.
  • Competence in leadership often looks different from how it's perceived. It involves understanding and managing systems of people, which is more challenging than software.
  • Success in startups is not solely determined by leadership, but also by luck, timing, and other factors.

India's Chandrayaan-3 launches to explore moons water rich South Pole

  • India's Chandrayaan-3 mission has been successfully launched to explore the water-rich south pole of the moon.
  • The previous mission, Chandrayaan-2, failed due to a software glitch, but this new mission aims to achieve success.
  • The mission will consist of a lander and rover, with the rover expected to last two weeks in the lunar environment.

Industry Reactions

  • India's Chandrayaan-3 successfully launched to explore the water-rich South Pole of the moon.
  • The achievement is seen as progress and a commendable leap for India's space program.
  • The launch inspires and boosts the nation's economy, as well as sparks curiosity and interest in science and technology among children.

Super Mario 64 – Watch for Rolling Rocks – 0.5x a Presses

[video]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpk2tdsPh0A)

  • The post is about a video demonstrating a speedrunning technique in the game Super Mario 64.
  • The technique is called "Watch for Rolling Rocks - 0.5x A Presses" and it allows players to complete a level in the game much faster.
  • This technique has caught the attention of tech-savvy people because it showcases innovative and efficient ways to play the game.

Industry Reactions

  • The video titled "Super Mario 64 – Watch for Rolling Rocks – 0.5x a Presses" has gained popularity because of its amazing soundtrack, visuals, and detailed explanations.
  • The video covers the concept of "half A-presses" in speedrunning Super Mario 64, which refers to the optimization of the fewest number of A button presses in the game.
  • The video has sparked interest and discussion in the speedrunning and gaming community, with viewers appreciating the level of knowledge and analytical ability showcased by the creator.

Mandatory enforcement of indirect branch targets

  • OpenBSD has implemented mandatory enforcement of indirect branch targets on the AMD64 (Intel) and ARM64 platforms.
  • The approach taken by OpenBSD is different from Linux, as on OpenBSD, the enforcement is on by default, unless a binary requests opt-out, while on Linux, executables without enforcement can still exist and work unsafely.
  • This enforcement provides increased protection against certain security vulnerabilities and ensures that applications are more secure on OpenBSD.

Industry Reactions

  • The post discusses the mandatory enforcement of indirect branch targets, specifically Intel's Indirect Branch Tracking (IBT) feature.
  • IBT ensures that an indirect branch can only pass control to a location that starts with an "end branch" instruction, providing defense against certain types of attacks.
  • The article mentions the compatibility of IBT with older CPUs and raises questions about interrupt handling and the role of the OS in saving branch type information.

The Problem with LangChain

  • LangChain is a Python and JavaScript library for interfacing with OpenAI's GPT APIs.
  • It implements the ReAct paper, which improves the quality of AI text generation by allowing the model to "reason" and "act" using a predefined set of tools.
  • LangChain has gained popularity, but it has been criticized for unnecessary complexity and lack of documentation, leading some developers to create their own libraries.

Industry Reactions

  • LangChain is criticized for being overly complex and not providing much value compared to coding directly with Python libraries and APIs.
  • Many users find the documentation for LangChain to be lacking and difficult to understand.
  • Alternative frameworks and libraries, such as AIPL, txtai, and simpleaichat, are recommended as easier and more efficient options for working with language models.

Food companies 'sweetened the world' and increased the risk of disease

  • Food companies in developing countries are marketing ultra-processed foods as being healthy and beneficial, which is increasing the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and hypertension.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines recommending that governments restrict the marketing of foods high in fat, sugar, and salt to children due to their harmful impact on health and nutrition.
  • Food corporations are using misleading marketing tactics, such as targeting children and using celebrities, to promote processed and unhealthy foods in developing countries, leading to poor nutrition and a rise in NCDs.

Industry Reactions

  • Food companies' misleading marketing increases the risk of disease.
  • Sensory reactions and individual variation in response to artificial sweeteners impact cravings for sweets.
  • Debates include the prioritization of profits over public health, skepticism towards food regulators, and the balance between personal freedom and government regulation.