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2023-11-14

Building an Occupancy Sensor for a Campus Library Using ESP32 and a Serverless DB

  • The author shares their experience of building an occupancy sensor using an ESP32 and a serverless database.
  • They successfully deployed the system in a campus library after overcoming several challenges.
  • The author also created a small hashset for scanning devices and collecting data on student movement.
  • Future plans for the project are mentioned, and sources related to occupancy detection and IoT applications are provided.

Reactions

  • The article discusses several topics, including building occupancy sensors, creating electronic project enclosures, and designing IoT devices using the ESP32 chip.
  • It also covers working with Bluetooth technology, developing low-cost microcontrollers, and tracking movement and occupancy using Bluetooth.
  • The discussions explore different methods, challenges, and solutions for each topic, showcasing the evolving nature and potential applications of these technologies.

Nepal Bans TikTok Over Disruption of Social Harmony

  • The government of Nepal has banned TikTok due to concerns of social disruption and the circulation of indecent materials.
  • The government is requesting social media platforms to register, establish a liaison office in Nepal, pay taxes, and adhere to the country's laws and regulations.
  • The reason for the ban and whether TikTok refused to comply with Nepal's requests remains unclear. TikTok, owned by ByteDance in China, has faced similar scrutiny in other countries regarding data privacy and potential Chinese influence.

Reactions

  • Nepal has banned TikTok over concerns about its impact on social harmony, sparking discussions about content moderation, addiction, and the influence of social media platforms.
  • The ban has prompted conversations about the political implications of Chinese apps and the potential manipulation of public opinion, as well as broader topics such as cancel culture, contemporary western values, and societal attitudes towards sexuality.
  • Commenters are raising questions about China's control and influence over TikTok, along with concerns about data privacy and the influence of foreign entities on social media platforms. The power and influence of multinational corporations and the challenges of self-regulation and addiction are also being discussed.

Web Components vs React: Prioritizing Enhancement over Replacement

  • The author compares React components to web components, highlighting that web components prioritize enhancement rather than replacement.
  • Web components can render before JavaScript, unlike React components, and emphasize composability with existing HTML.
  • The author suggests that augmenting and enhancing existing HTML is the best approach for long-term web development, and notes that React is evolving towards a more HTML-like component composition.

Reactions

  • The article compares the use of HTML web components to frameworks like Vue, React, and Angular, discussing their limitations and benefits.
  • Considerations such as performance, hiring availability, auditing, accessibility compliance, and future developments in web development are explored.
  • The debate highlights different opinions on the effectiveness and usability of web components and frameworks, touching on topics like flexibility, customization, convenience, and ecosystem.

Hacking Google Bard: Exploiting Prompt Injection for Data Exfiltration

  • Google Bard was updated to allow access to YouTube, flight and hotel searches, and personal documents and emails, making it vulnerable to indirect prompt injection attacks.
  • The author demonstrated how prompt injection works using YouTube videos and Google Docs and discovered a vulnerability in Bard that allows image rendering through markdown injection.
  • The vulnerability was reported to Google and fixed, highlighting the power of an adversary in an indirect prompt injection attack. The exact nature of the fix is unknown.

Reactions

  • The discussion focuses on the vulnerabilities and potential risks associated with language models like Google Bard.
  • Concerns are raised about prompt injection attacks, prompt engineering, and the lack of debuggability.
  • Suggestions for improving system capabilities and incorporating hidden prompts are mentioned.

The Future of Coding: Embracing AI and Evolving Skill Sets

  • The author shares their personal journey with coding and their changing perception of AI technology.
  • They question the relevance of traditional coding skills and contemplate the future of the profession.
  • The author emphasizes the importance of patience, perseverance, and the need to explore new technologies in programming.

Reactions

  • AI language models like ChatGPT have limitations when it comes to coding tasks, raising concerns about the quality and accuracy of AI-generated code.
  • There is a debate about the future role of AI in the software development industry and the potential risks of relying solely on AI for coding.
  • The impact of AI on programming jobs and the importance of human expertise in the field are subjects of varying opinions.

Canva Introduces Shape Assist: Enhancing Hand-drawn Shapes with Machine Learning

  • Canva has introduced Shape Assist, a new feature that utilizes machine learning to recognize and enhance hand-drawn shapes in real-time within the browser.
  • The feature improves usability and responsiveness, and it can be used offline.
  • Canva trained a Recurrent Neural Network on a diverse dataset of user-drawn shapes and deployed the model in the browser, eliminating the need for server-based processing. The model accurately identifies shapes and aligns them with vector graphics using a template-matching approach.

Reactions

  • Canva has introduced a new feature that converts hand-drawn shapes into polished designs.
  • Machine learning is being utilized in drawing apps to enhance user experience and productivity.
  • TSMC is utilizing lasers in their EUV process, but faces challenges in optimizing processes with mixed wavelengths.

Stunning Ferrofluid Synths: Love Hultén's Mesmerizing Incorporation of Black Goo into Custom Instruments

  • Custom instrument designer Love Hultén has created stunning synths incorporating ferrofluids, resulting in mesmerizing visuals of dancing black goo in response to sound.
  • Love Hultén's creations include a KORG minilogue xd and a Twisted Electronics Deton8 transformed into a ferrofluid-animated drum synth.
  • Love Hultén also offers other unique custom instruments, such as the Chunky Mother-32, which combines Moog and Roland gear with a pull-out keybed, and envisions a future where everything turns into crabs, as seen in their MIDI crab concept.

Reactions

  • Love Hultén has created ferrofluid synthesizers that combine sound and visuals using electromagnets and ferrofluids.
  • The article explores the history, applications, and limitations of these synths, emphasizing their craftsmanship and innovative design.
  • It also discusses different types of synthesizers, their prices, building custom modular synths, free software options, and the use of ferrofluid to visualize waveforms.

Reauthorizing Mass Surveillance: Tying it to funding the government is concerning

  • Section 702, a controversial mass surveillance authority, is set to expire in December if Congress does not renew it.
  • There is resistance to incorporating real reforms into the law, with a push to tie renewal to funding the government.
  • The program allows the collection of communications between Americans and foreigners without a warrant, raising privacy concerns. Multiple organizations are opposing the renewal in its current form and advocating for extensive reforms. A coalition of civil rights groups has introduced the Government Surveillance Reform Act as an alternative. Renewal should only occur with significant reforms and not as a last-minute addition to a must-pass bill.

Reactions

  • The article examines the relationship between reauthorizing mass surveillance and government funding.
  • Celebrities like Taylor Swift and Kanye West are criticized for prioritizing charity work over advocating for policy change.
  • Celebrities often avoid taking a stand on political issues due to fears of backlash, limiting their ability to bring about change.

Loro: Introducing an Open-Source CRDTs Library for Efficient State Management and Synchronization

  • Loro is a new open-source library that handles Conflict-free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) for high-performance state management and synchronization in local-first software development.
  • CRDTs simplify state management and synchronization and are compatible with UI state management.
  • Loro offers features like time travel and real-time collaboration and supports various CRDT algorithms and data structures. Plans for future development and collaboration opportunities are also mentioned in the post.

Reactions

  • Loro is a user-friendly state management tool that simplifies data modeling using CRDTs, with plans to address data migration and long-term modeling in the future.
  • Users discuss other CRDT-related tools and strategies, such as schema declaration and using CRDTs for versioning database columns.
  • Electric, a real-time sync tool, is mentioned with reported bugs but positive feedback. Discussions include bugs and corruption in SQLite, workarounds for shapes and permissions, conflict resolution using Rich-CRDTs, and comparisons with other libraries. The launch of Loro is highly anticipated.

Panama Canal congestion leads to ship owner paying $4M for priority access

  • A shipper has paid almost $4 million in an auction held by the Panama Canal Authority for priority passage through the congested canal.
  • The Panama Canal has been experiencing a backlog of ships due to a severe drought, leading to restrictions implemented by the managing authority.
  • The exorbitant price for priority access is causing other ships to be priced out and unable to secure passage through the canal.

Reactions

  • The Panama Canal is currently experiencing congestion and water management issues due to a drought and reduced water storage capacity.
  • One ship owner reportedly paid $4 million to bypass the queue at the canal, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
  • Discussions are underway, considering alternative solutions such as integrating pumped hydroelectric energy storage, constructing a parallel canal, or exploring alternative routes, while also considering the costs, feasibility, and potential environmental impacts of each option.

Advantages of BLAKE3 over SHA256: A Secure and Efficient Cryptographic Option

  • BLAKE3 is presented as an advantageous alternative to SHA256 for cryptographic purposes.
  • It is explained that BLAKE3 was developed by Jean-Philippe Aumasson and others, while SHA256 was designed by the NSA.
  • BLAKE3 is stated to be based on strong algorithms like ChaCha20 and Salsa20, in contrast to SHA256, which is based on the weak SHA1.
  • The post argues that NIST/NSA's lack of confidence in SHA256 is evident and highlights BLAKE3's resistance to known attacks compared to SHA256.
  • BLAKE3 is described as offering built-in security features, being more efficient in terms of time and energy, and performing well on platforms with SHA256 acceleration circuits.
  • It is mentioned that BLAKE3 takes advantage of new tech improvements and demonstrates high parallelizability.
  • The design and implementation of BLAKE3 involves both cryptographers and software engineers, making it highly efficient and secure.

Reactions

  • The Blake3 hash function is compared to SHA256, considering factors such as algorithm strength, speed, and vulnerability.
  • The discussion covers topics like hash presets, tracking objects, deduplication, and performance on different hardware platforms.
  • The use of different hash functions in VCS, extended output options, and availability of Blake3 in different systems and programming languages are also mentioned.

Rethinking Web Application Security: Moving Away from Web Application Firewalls

  • The author criticizes the use of Web Application Firewalls (WAFs), stating that they are ineffective, vulnerable to bypass, and can be exploited as an attack vector.
  • The high false positive rate of WAFs is emphasized, prompting the author to suggest alternative security strategies such as isolation, immutability, static analysis, and capability-based security.
  • The author advocates for a move towards security approaches that prioritize secure-by-design principles, calling for a shift in the security industry.

Reactions

  • The article explores the role of web application firewalls (WAFs) in enhancing web application security.
  • There are differing views on the importance and efficacy of WAFs, along with alternative strategies for web application security.
  • The discussion highlights the complexities and constraints associated with implementing and managing WAFs, stressing the significance of a holistic approach that encompasses code reviews, parameterized queries, static analysis, and endpoint restrictions.

Cathode Retro: Emulating the Look of a Color NTSC TV Signal and CRT TV with Shaders

  • Cathode Retro is a collection of shaders that replicate the visual effects and characteristics of traditional CRT TVs and color NTSC TV signals.
  • The shaders can be applied to any RGB source and used at any resolution, offering features like scanlines, noise, picture instability, and ghosting.
  • The collection includes controls for adjusting tint, saturation, brightness, and sharpness, and supports both flat and curved screens with options for edge and corner rounding.

Reactions

  • Participants in the discussion are exploring the use of shaders to recreate the look of old CRT displays, focusing on curved displays and screen reflections for an authentic vintage aesthetic.
  • The challenges of replicating CRT rendering are discussed, as well as the appeal of retro aesthetics and the varying preferences for crisp or fuzzy pixel art on different screens.
  • The importance of achieving a genuine vintage look and the role of shaders in this process are key topics of the discussion.

Efficiency gains achieved through finetuning and distilling with GPT-3.5 and Chain of Density

  • The article explains how the Chain of Density method was implemented using Instructor to distil a GPT-3.5 model to match the summarization capabilities of GPT-4.
  • Implementing these methods led to a 20x decrease in latency, a 50x reduction in costs, and maintained entity density.
  • The article provides detailed information on implementation, data models, pydantic validators, fine-tuning instructions, and benchmarks comparing different models. The conclusion emphasizes the efficiency gains achieved through finetuning and distillation using Instructor.

Reactions

  • GPT-3.5 can be fine-tuned using only 20 examples, which surprisingly produces effective results in generating smarter summaries.
  • The article explores the advantages of using smaller models and the challenges in extractive summarization.
  • The use of synthetic data, distillation, and student-teacher networks are discussed as potential methods for training models.