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gsh - A modern, POSIX-compatible, generative shell

Published: 2025-01-05 | Origin: /r/programming

The content describes a project called "gsh," which is a modern, POSIX-compatible generative shell currently in early development. Users are encouraged to try it out and provide feedback, as it may contain bugs and incomplete features. gsh offers several functionalities, including automatic command suggestions, command explanations, and the ability to act as an agent for executing commands. Installation is straightforward, but Windows support is not yet available. The shell can self-update and allows user configuration through specific files located in the

No more needles Tracking blood sugar on your wrist

Published: 2025-01-05 | Origin: Hacker News

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed innovative wearable technology that accurately monitors glucose levels in diabetics without invasive methods. Led by Dr. George Shaker, the team has miniaturized radar technology, similar to that used in weather satellites, to create a device that can fit inside a smartwatch. This new system eliminates the need for finger pricks or invasive patches, thereby reducing pain and infection risk, while enhancing the quality of life for users. The device includes a radar chip that transmits signals through

University of Alabama Engineer Pioneers New Process for Recycling Plastics (2024)

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: Hacker News

Dr. Jason Bara, a professor at The University of Alabama, is leading a team to develop a new method for recycling plastics, particularly polyethylene terephthalate (PET), through a process called chemolysis. Current recycling methods result in lower-quality plastics, limiting their usability. Bara's research focuses on using imidazoles—organic compounds with versatile applications—rather than traditional amines for PET depolymerization. Preliminary results have shown promising effectiveness, leading to the complete breakdown of PET.

Docker on MacOS is still slow ?

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: /r/programming

Two years after the initial analysis of Docker's performance on MacOS, significant improvements have been made. VirtIOFS speed has increased, reducing the performance gap of bind mounts from 5-6 times slower to 3 times slower. New solutions like Lima, an open-source project, outperform Docker Desktop in some cases, while Docker's new file synchronization feature boosts performance by 59% but requires a subscription. For the best stability, a hybrid approach that combines bind mounts and volumes is recommended.

Finding inputs where deep learning models fail

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: /r/programming

The content discusses a project that builds on the paper "Human Expertise in Algorithmic Prediction," which examines scenarios where human experts outperform algorithms in predictive tasks. The project extends this research to a multi-class classification context, specifically using the CIFAR-10 dataset, and involves less reliable annotators (mechanical turkers). The framework aims to identify areas where algorithms' predictions are uncertain and signals for human intervention. Experiments show that the Chebyshev distance metric was more effective than the Hamming distance metric

ELKS: Linux for 16-bit Intel Processors

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: Hacker News

The content discusses the Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset (ELKS), a project that provides a Linux-like operating system for Intel IA16 architecture systems, including 16-bit processors such as the 8086 and 8088, along with modern single board computers (SBCs), system on chips (SoCs), and FPGAs. ELKS supports networking and can be installed on hard drives using MINIX or FAT file systems. Users can experiment with ELKS online through the v86

HTML Thermal Printer: HTML Printing Solution for 80mm Thermal Printers! 🖨️ Excited to share my new open-source project! What is HTML Thermal Printer? A WPF application specifically designed for 80mm thermal printers, allowing direct HTML content printing.

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: /r/programming

PrintHTML is a user-friendly WPF application designed for direct printing of HTML content to Windows printers. It features the ability to preview documents before printing and automatically detects all installed printers on the system. The application supports special formatting tags for customization, making it particularly suitable for thermal and receipt printing. The feedback received is taken seriously, and further details are available in the documentation.

Using AI to find bugs in open-source projects

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: /r/programming

The article, written by Frank Fiegel on January 4, 2025, discusses his involvement with the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which aims to standardize how applications provide context to large language models (LLMs). MCP has led to the creation of over 300 standalone servers that facilitate communication with LLMs. However, many of these servers were published without sufficient testing, making them difficult to run outside their original environments. To address this, Fiegel has been working on virtualizing

Combining 15s interval whole-sky-camera photos to form a 4y spanning keogram

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: Hacker News

Of course! Please provide the content you'd like me to summarize, and I'll be happy to help.

Writing elegant custom matchers in RSpec

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: /r/ruby

The content discusses the use of RSpec in Ruby for creating readable tests, particularly focusing on custom matchers to improve testing procedures. It provides an example of a test that checks if a token adheres to the UUID format (Hex 8-4-4-4-12). The article suggests simplifying the test through refactoring and enhancing it with a custom matcher stored in a support helper. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of customizing failure messages for better readability. The piece concludes by highlighting that R

One Dog vs. the Windows 3.1 Graphics Stack

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: Hacker News

The author explores retro tech, specifically attempting to enhance video output on an Asus Eee PC 1000H while running Windows 3.11 for Workgroups. Despite enjoying retro computing, the author lacks the space and drive to collect actual old computers, opting instead for emulators like 86Box/PCem. The Eee PC, acquired in 2008, struggles with modern software due to its limited specifications. When running Windows 3.11, the default VGA settings (640x

🔑 Configuring SAML2 in Django with React - Part 1: Theory

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: /r/programming

The author recently implemented SAML Service Provider logic in a Django application and decided to document the challenges faced for future reference and to assist others. This post serves as an introductory theory piece on SAML and its integration with a Django + React app. The author acknowledges their potential misunderstandings, given SAML's complexity, and promises updates upon discovering any inaccuracies. SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) and OpenID Connect (OIDC) are both Single Sign-On (SSO) protocols that allow

How to draw an outline in a video game

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: Hacker News

The article discusses various techniques for rendering outlines in Unity, which are used in games for aesthetic purposes and gameplay elements, such as highlighting objects or emphasizing features. It highlights five methods, beginning with the fresnel effect, a fundamental approach that creates outlines around an object's edges. The fresnel effect leverages the interaction of light with surfaces, particularly focusing on the rim of objects. This technique uses a mathematical formula that involves the dot product of the normal vector and the view direction, which can be adjusted for

Some of the mistakes we have made repeatedly in continuous deployments (battlefield stories)

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: /r/programming

The author reflects on their experiences speaking at various conferences in the past year, particularly focusing on the topic of continuous deployments. Initially skeptical about the concept, having encountered it only in theoretical discussions, they took the initiative to implement continuous deployment in their own company. This effort resulted in positive outcomes for customers, the company, and the development team. Encouraged by this success, the author applied the approach to different organizations, facing various challenges and gaining valuable insights. They highlight that despite the perception of widespread adoption

China is the sole manufacturing superpower

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: Hacker News

The United States is recognized as the world's only military superpower, outspending its nearest competitors significantly, while China holds the title of the sole manufacturing superpower, surpassing the production of the next nine largest manufacturers combined. An article utilizing the 2023 update of the OECD TiVA database discusses China's ascent to superpower status through eight charts, highlighting the impact of its dominance on global supply chains. The analysis focuses on two perspectives of global manufacturing shares from 2020: total gross production and

XORShift for Magic Bitboards

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: Hacker News

In Devlog 0x1, the author discusses the implementation of a pseudo random number generator (PRNG) using the XORSHIFT32 algorithm. They explain the concept of Magic Bitboards, an optimization technique for chess engines that utilizes pre-computed lookup tables and bitwise operations to determine piece movement. The author highlights the importance of "magic numbers" which, when multiplied by the occupied squares bitboard, create unique indices. They use an initial state of 1804289383, which is

Breaking Up with Long Tasks or: how I learned to group loops and wield the yield

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: Hacker News

Arrays are a fundamental part of web development, but improper iteration methods can lead to long, synchronous tasks that negatively impact user experience. Common methods like the for..of loop, forEach, and map run synchronously, meaning they could block the browser from handling user interactions until processing is complete. This causes input delays and slows down the Interaction to Next Paint (INP) performance, akin to potholes on a road that disrupt driving. Long tasks become particularly problematic when they coincide with user interactions,

Eutelsat's 48-Hour Outage Blamed on Leap Year Bug: A Costly Reminder of Why Handling Edge Cases in Software Matters

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: /r/programming

Eutelsat, a French satellite operator, experienced a 48-hour service outage due to a software issue linked to last year's leap year, which disrupted its internet constellation. OneWeb's satellites restored services after the outage that began on December 31, 2024. Eutelsat identified the glitch's cause as a failure to account for the extra day in 2024. The company operates over 630 satellites and has faced challenges since diversifying its launch partnerships after Russia's invasion of

Show HN: I aggregated over 200 Go-To-Market strategies

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: Hacker News

Fellowry is a crowd-sourced platform focusing on go-to-market (GTM) strategies, featuring over 200 discussions among GTM operators. Recent trends show a shift towards scaling cold calls, with mixed opinions on cold emails. Many users report that cold emails can lead to significant deals, while others highlight the challenges of cold outreach, which has become tougher in recent years. Participants share their experiences, including successful cold calling techniques and the importance of personalized outreach. Effective outreach relies heavily on the

The State of Generative Models

Published: 2025-01-04 | Origin: Hacker News

Liang Wenfeng, CEO of DeepSeek, emphasizes that in a rapidly advancing technological landscape, the competitive advantage provided by closed-source models is fleeting. Rather than solely relying on proprietary technology, DeepSeek focuses on fostering a strong team and innovative culture as its true competitive edge. The year 2024 has seen remarkable advancements in AI, particularly in text and image generation. While OpenAI began the year with a dominant position, Anthropic's Claude has emerged as a leading language model (LLM