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The new skill in AI is not prompting, it's context engineering

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: Hacker News

Context Engineering is an emerging concept in AI that shifts the focus from "prompt engineering" to a broader understanding of the information provided to AI models. Tobi Lutke describes it as the art of supplying the necessary context for a task to be solvable by a large language model (LLM). As the development of AI Agents progresses, the importance of high-quality context becomes crucial; failures in these systems often arise from inadequate context rather than from issues with the model itself. Context goes beyond a single

Issue 6 of Static Ruby Monthly

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: /r/ruby

The Static Ruby Newsletter is dedicated to insights, tips, and updates on type-safe Ruby programming and is a monthly publication. The latest issue highlights notable updates in the Ruby static typing community: 1. **New Tool**: The release of the **dry_struct_rbs** gem, which automatically generates RBS type signatures from dry-struct classes, aiding those who use dry-rb. 2. **Parlour Update**: An update to **Parlour**, a tool for generating and

Next month, saved passwords will no longer be in Microsoft’s Authenticator app

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: Hacker News

Microsoft is making significant changes to its Authenticator app. Starting this month, the autofill password feature will be discontinued as the company shifts from passwords to a more secure system using passkeys. Users will no longer be able to save new passwords in the app, and next month, all saved passwords will also be removed. Instead, users will authenticate via passkeys, which can include methods like a PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition. CNET's digital security expert, Attila Tomaschek

The hidden JTAG in a Qualcomm/Snapdragon device’s USB port

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: Hacker News

Qualcomm recently published the source code for interacting with EUD (Embedded USB Debug), a debug interface integrated into their System on Chips (SoCs) since around 2018. This allows developers to debug both the CPUs and various DSP co-processors directly. By configuring specific registers on non-production devices, users can activate EUD, which presents a 7-port USB hub interface on the PC, one of which features the EUD control interface. By sending the correct USB commands, developers can access

Donkey Kong Country 2 and Open Bus

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: /r/programming

Donkey Kong Country 2 has a known bug in the ZSNES emulator where the spinning barrels in certain stages, like Krem Quay, do not function correctly. Instead of allowing players to control the barrel’s rotation by pressing left or right, the barrel spins indefinitely in one direction until the opposite direction is pressed. This bug complicates gameplay significantly, especially in stages featuring hazards like spikes. The issue stems from ZSNES's failure to emulate open bus behavior, which was identified by An

That XOR Trick (2020)

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: Hacker News

The content discusses popular interview questions that can be solved using common data structures and algorithms or through the XOR bitwise operator. While XOR solutions may seem complex, they follow a fundamental trick. The post specifically addresses the problem of finding a missing number in an array of integers ranging from 1 to n, where all numbers appear once except one. It highlights the properties of the XOR operator, which compares bits: it outputs 0 if inputs are the same and 1 if they differ. The post explains

I write type-safe generic data structures in C

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: Hacker News

The article discusses a unique technique for creating type-safe generic data structures in C by utilizing unions to associate type information. The author demonstrates this approach using a basic linked list as an example, noting that their method can be applied to various data structures such as maps, arrays, and binary trees. The conventional method for achieving generics in C involves using macros in header files and including them multiple times for different types, though this has some drawbacks. Another popular but type-unsafe method involves using `void *

I made a functional 8-bit adder/subtractor circuit that works natively within MS Paint

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: /r/programming

The content discusses a project called MSPaintComputer, which aims to build a functional computer that operates within Microsoft Paint. Initially sparked as a humorous idea about poorly executing statistics, it evolved into a hobby. The creator designed a complete set of logic gates using only the eyedropper and fill tools in MS Paint, which led to the creation of an 8-bit ripple-carry adder and an 8-bit adder/subtractor circuit. Instructions for executing an AND gate are provided, along with

Don’t Be Ashamed to Say "I Don’t Know"

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: /r/programming

The author shares a personal experience at the hospital during the birth of their newborn, highlighting the importance of admitting "I don’t know." As they asked multiple midwives about a specific symptom their partner was experiencing, they encountered hesitation and conflicting answers, leading to frustration. However, one midwife broke the pattern by openly admitting she didn't know the answer, which fostered trust. She later returned with the correct information after consulting a doctor, demonstrating the value of honesty. The storyteller reflects on how in their

Nano-engineered thermoelectrics enable scalable, compressor-free cooling

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: Hacker News

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) have developed a new solid-state thermoelectric refrigeration technology using nano-engineered materials that is twice as efficient as conventional bulk thermoelectric devices. This advancement addresses the increasing global demand for energy-efficient and compact cooling solutions, offering a scalable alternative to traditional compressor-based systems. In a study published in Nature Communications, the APL team collaborated with Samsung Research to demonstrate enhanced efficiency and capacity in refrigeration systems utilizing a novel material known as controlled hierarchically

There are no new ideas in AI only new datasets

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: Hacker News

The content discusses the significant advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) over the past fifteen years, particularly in the last five. While some claim there is a "Moore's Law for AI," suggesting exponential improvements in specific coding tasks, the author expresses skepticism about this framing but acknowledges ongoing progress. AI systems are becoming smarter, faster, and cheaper without any foreseeable end. This continuous improvement is attributed to the contributions from a mix of research communities in academia (e.g., MIT, Stanford, CMU)

OpenTelemetry is Great, But Who the Hell is Going to Pay For It?

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: /r/programming

In his blog, Leon Adato discusses his experience in the monitoring and observability field, focusing on OpenTelemetry (OTel) as a recent advancement. While he enjoys exploring OTel, he highlights a persistent issue with observability tools, specifically regarding their pricing structures. Adato compares consumption-based pricing models from various vendors, noting that many charge not only for data ingestion but also for storage and query services. He emphasizes that pricing information provided by companies can be misleading and that many are re-evalu

My reflection on Ruby/Rails upgrade in a project

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: /r/ruby

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After nine years, Ninja has merged support for the GNU Make jobserver

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: /r/programming

After a request made on April 27, 2016, for support of the GNU Make jobserver, Ninja—a build system similar to GNU Make—has finally integrated this feature following several attempts and forks. Ninja is designed to manage file creation efficiently by executing tasks in parallel while avoiding unnecessary file recreation. However, a challenge arises when a Ninja process spawns a child Ninja process, potentially doubling the number of concurrent processes and overwhelming system resources, especially on multi-threaded CPUs. Traditional solutions, like

Bought an Ampere Altra System

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: Hacker News

The author, an ARM developer, details their experience in creating a custom development machine based around an Ampere Altra processor. After moving away from using an Apple MacBook Pro due to its limitations (not supporting 64k page size), they opted for an Ampere Altra system to meet their work requirements. The key components for the system included an AsrockRack ALTRA8BUD-1L2T motherboard, a used Q80-30 processor with 80 cores, and eight

Gridfinity: The modular, open-source grid storage system

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: Hacker News

Gridfinity is a modular storage system designed for workshops, aimed at enhancing productivity, organization, and safety. It is open source, mostly 3D printable, and inspired by Alexander Chappels' Assortment System and Zack Freedman's initial designs. First introduced in a video titled "Gridfinity: Your Ultimate Modular Workshop is FREE!" under the MIT license, Gridfinity has evolved through a collaborative community that adapts it to meet various needs. Users are encouraged to join and customize the system.

NativeJIT: A C++ expression –> x64 JIT

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: Hacker News

NativeJIT is an open-source, cross-platform library designed for high-performance just-in-time (JIT) compilation of C data structures expressions. Developed by the Bing team for the Bing search engine, it runs on Linux, OSX, and Windows without dependencies beyond the standard C++ runtime. The compiler is lightweight, fast, and optimized for register allocation, focusing on throughput and latency to efficiently process queries. NativeJIT compiles custom expressions for queries to score documents based on keyword matches with user intent

Continuous Glucose Monitoring

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: Hacker News

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices have traditionally been prescription-only and expensive, primarily used by type 1 diabetics for blood glucose regulation. However, recent advancements in technology and regulation have made CGMs available over the counter for around $50, allowing non-diabetics to explore the technology. The CGM resembles a thick guitar pick housed in a larger plastic casing. It takes glucose readings every five minutes and transmits data every 15 minutes, requiring a smartphone for data reception. The device

Duke Nukem 3D code review by Tariq10x

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: /r/programming

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Flecs v4.1, an Entity Component System for C/C++/C#/Rust is out!

Published: 2025-06-30 | Origin: /r/programming

Flecs is an open-source Entity Component System (ECS) for C and C++ aimed at developing games and simulations. It is licensed under the MIT license, and users can support it by giving a star on its GitHub page. Since the release of version 4.0, several exciting games have utilized Flecs, including: 1. **Tempest Rising** - A real-time strategy game set in a post-apocalyptic Earth after a nuclear war. 2. **Resistance is