Iran Goes Dark As AI Chaos Spreads!

Text-Based Web Browsers

Key Points

• Text-based browsers render plain HTML with minimal styling and no CSS/JS.
• Disclosure widgets and datalists do not function as intended in text-based browsers.
• Dialogs and the Popover API are unsupported, exposing content and ignoring dialog-specific form behaviors.

Kafka Inc

Key Points

• Prague hosts numerous Kafka-branded venues, from museums to cafés.
• David Černý’s kinetic “Head of Franz Kafka” sculpture is a major public attraction.
• Recent productions include a 2024 TV series “Kafka” and the biopic “Franz.”

Zirgen: Compiler for a Domain-Specific Language

Key Points

• Zirgen compiles a DSL into arithmetic circuits for the RISC Zero proof system.
• Most zkApps should be written in Rust for the RISC-V zkVM; Zirgen is for performance-critical circuit parts.
• Circom integration is underway to enable recursion programs that verify Circom witnesses.

Git Rebase for the Terrified

Key Points

• Rebasing keeps project history linear and easier to review and debug.
• Create a backup by pushing your branch before rebasing.
• Use tools like Visual Studio Code and git rerere to streamline conflict resolution.

Designing an IPv6-native P2P transport – lessons from building I6P

Key Points

• I6P uses IPv6 to enable direct P2P connections and reduce NAT-related complexity.
• QUIC underpins the transport with congestion control, multiplexing, and 0‑RTT.
• Security design includes AEAD, X25519, ratcheting, and optional chunking/Merkle verification with erasure coding.

Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied

Key Points

• The maxim defines delayed legal relief as effectively denying justice.
• Historical sources (religious texts and Magna Carta) and figures echo the need for timely justice.
• Modern leaders warn delays undermine public confidence in the legal system.

Data Exfiltration via DNS Resolution

Key Points

• DNS queries can exfiltrate data in sandbox-runtime with allowLocalBinding enabled.
• NS delegation lets attacker-controlled DNS servers receive queries containing sensitive data.
• Domain allowlists did not prevent a dig query to your-ssh-key.a.evil.com from resolving.

FOSS in times of war, scarcity and (adversarial) AI [video]

Key Points

• FOSDEM 2026 will host a Main Track talk on FOSS, war, and adversarial AI.
• The session explores how geopolitics and bot-generated code impact FOSS collaboration.
• Context includes FOSS’s growth, the web’s origins at CERN, and recent misuse of technology.

U.S. Emissions Jumped in 2025 as Coal Power Rebounded

Key Points

• Emissions rose 2.4% in 2025, driven by higher electricity demand and coal use.
• Solar generation increased 34%, helping limit the emissions surge.
• Federal policy changes had limited immediate impact on 2025 emissions, per researchers.

UK Expands Online Safety Act to Mandate Preemptive Scanning

Key Points

• New UK regulations designate cyberflashing and serious self-harm encouragement as priority offenses.
• Platforms must preemptively scan and block prohibited content before users see it.
• Penalties include fines up to 10% of global turnover or £18 million and possible UK service blocking.

Deconstructing the LuaJIT Pseudo Memory Leak

Key Points

• RSS can increase despite healthy Lua VM GC metrics, leading to OOM kills in Kubernetes.
• The root cause is allocator behavior and fragmentation, not traditional logical leaks.
• LuaJIT-plus proposes proactive memory reclamation to stabilize and reduce RSS.

Show HN: An iOS budget app I've been maintaining since 2011

Key Points

• Cross-platform budgeting via Primoco web app and MoneyControl apps for iOS, Android, macOS.
• Core features include income/expense tracking, recurring entries, categorization, and charts.
• Security and compliance emphasized with encrypted transfers and EU-based servers; paid service with free test.

The Homepage of Ron Goodwin

Key Points

• Official site summarizes Ron Goodwin’s 60-year career across composing, arranging, orchestrating, and conducting.
• First film score was Whirlpool (1958); he went on to score over 60 feature films.
• Concerts for over 30 years mixed film themes and popular music from a vast 50-year library.

Network of Scottish X accounts go dark amid Iran blackout

Key Points

• Fake Scottish independence-linked X accounts tied to Iran went silent after Iran’s internet blackout.
• UK Defence Journal tracked these accounts and noted their extreme claims before they stopped posting.
• Prior analyses (Cyabra, Clemson University) identified substantial Iranian-linked bot activity in this topic.

The Inevitable Rise of the Art TV

Key Points

• Samsung’s Frame TV set the template for art-display televisions.
• Competitors from Hisense, TCL, LG, and Amazon have launched similar models.
• Amazon’s Ember Artline adds AI-assisted art selection and offers 2,000 free artworks at $899.

Owners, not renters: Mozilla's open source AI strategy

Key Points

• AI is framed as a new user agent layer mediating online interactions.
• Closed AI systems lead due to superior, integrated developer experience.
• Open-source AI’s fragmentation is a solvable developer experience problem.

The UK is shaping a future of Precrime and dissent management

Key Points

• UK developing a multi-agency ‘murder prevention’ system amid broader predictive policing.
• Police access to DVLA records under the Crime and Policing Bill 2025 raises biometric tracking concerns.
• Expanded use of live facial recognition proposed in 2024 drew condemnation over legality and bias.

Why have death rates from accidental falls tripled?

Key Points

• Fall deaths now exceed motor vehicle deaths in the U.S., with 47,026 fatalities in 2023.
• Age-adjusted fall mortality rose 2.4-fold; risk climbs ~9–10% per year after age 40.
• State rates vary widely; snowy, older states rank highest despite prevention efforts.

Show HN: SnackBase – Open-source, GxP-compliant back end for Python teams

Key Points

• Open-source backend designed for Python teams
• Built-in immutable audit logs and GxP compliance
• Row-level security for fine-grained data access control

NASA topples towers used to test Saturn rockets, space shuttle

Key Points

• Two historic test structures at Marshall were demolished via coordinated implosions.
• The facilities played key roles in Saturn V and space shuttle development.
• NASA cited disuse and a $25 million repair backlog as reasons for removal.

Apple Creator Studio

Key Points

• Apple Creator Studio launches Jan 28 as a cross-device subscription bundle.
• Includes major creative apps plus new intelligent features and premium content for iWork apps.
• One-time Mac purchases remain available alongside discounted education pricing.

Local Journalism Is How Democracy Shows Up Close to Home

Key Points

• Local journalism connects local governance to daily life and sustains democratic participation.
• Declines in local reporting erode civic orientation and accountability.
• Strengthening trust in journalism, including solidarity approaches, supports democratic health.

Why Stoicism is one of the best mind hacks ever devised

Key Points

• Stoicism is often misrepresented as mere endurance; the article positions it as a path to tranquility.
• Gratitude and selective indifference are highlighted as core Stoic practices.
• Nietzsche’s critique is summarized and disputed as a mischaracterization of Stoicism.

Thirteen Months That Changed IBM

Key Points

• IBM launched a Linux initiative in 1998 and concluded it was enterprise-ready by late 1999.
• Linux was ported to IBM’s s/390 mainframe and officially launched in May 2000.
• IBM helped form the Linux Foundation through OSDL and Free Standards Group merger.

Anthropic has made a large contribution to the Python Software Foundation

Key Points

• Anthropic is investing $1.5 million over two years in the PSF for Python ecosystem security.
• Funds will bolster the PSF’s security roadmap, including protections for PyPI users.
• Support extends to core PSF programs like CPython development and infrastructure operations.

Learning Retro Computer Electronics Fault Finding and Restoration

Key Points

• Prioritize non-destructive inspections and organization before powering up.
• Verify continuity and mechanical integrity with power off using a meter.
• Reseat and clean components before replacing; use diagnostic ROMs/test harnesses when available.

What a year of solar and batteries saved us in 2025

Key Points

• Solar production totaled 3.2 MWh; peak output 2.841 kW on July 8.
• Supplier-measured grid import was 20.1 MWh; other sources reported 21.0–21.6 MWh.
• Export began in June under a ~£0.15/kWh tariff, reaching 6.0 MWh for 2025.

Command K Bars

Key Points

• Command bars provide a searchable overlay to access commands by name.
• GUIs struggle to scale in complex apps with many commands and menus.
• Fuzzy search helps users find actions with partial or related terms.

Show HN: I Will Do Whatever to Get Primeagen to My Hackathon Stream

Key Points

• Open hackathon inviting AI and non-AI projects; organizers seek roles and sponsors.
• .cv identity challenge leveraging DNS, domain ownership, and profile publishing.
• Sponsor/tooling highlights include Daytona, AI voice tech users (e.g., LangChain), and Nord Security’s product suite.

The U.S. Government Just Followed Through on Its Ban of DJI Drones

Key Points

• FCC added all foreign-made consumer drones to its Covered List.
• NDAA (Dec 23, 2024) mandated a one-year review of DJI’s data practices.
• Ban passed on Dec 23, 2025 and is now in effect, impacting most foreign drone brands.

'Dilbert' creator Scott Adams dies at 68 after prostate cancer battle

Key Points

• Scott Adams died at 68 after metastatic prostate cancer; his ex-wife confirmed the news on a Jan. 13 livestream.
• “Dilbert” achieved wide acclaim and global syndication, including a 1997 Reuben Award.
• After a 2023 controversy, “Dilbert” was dropped by newspapers and relaunched online on Locals.

Legion Health (YC S21) Hiring Cracked Founding Eng for AI-Native Ops

Key Points

• Hiring a Founding Engineer in San Francisco to own backend and AI agent systems.
• Stack: Node.js, TypeScript, Supabase (Postgres), AWS with event-driven architecture.
• Responsibilities span production LLM agents, compliant data pipelines, and human + AI ops UX.

Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests

Key Points

• O-1 approvals rose 50% from 2014 to 2024.
• Creators use platforms and sponsorships to meet O-1B criteria.
• O-1B has broadened from Hollywood to include influencers and e-sports.

The Tulip Creative Computer

Key Points

• Open-source portable computer for creative coding with instant Python environment.
• Runs on ESP32-S3; powered by MicroPython, AMY, and LVGL; available for US$59 via Makerfabs.
• Offers hardware, web, and desktop modes with rich graphics, synthesizer, and extensive I/O.

Show HN: DebtBomb – Make TODOs expire and automatically create Jira tickets

Key Points

• Scans @debtbomb comments and fails CI on expired items.
• Provides warning mode and JSON reporting for flexible workflows.
• Offers .debtbombignore and automatic exclusions to optimize scanning.

Everything you never wanted to know about file locking (2010)

Key Points

• Mac OS X 10.6 fcntl(F_SETLK) bug may corrupt SQLite; test with locky.c.
• Unix locking APIs (flock, fcntl, lockf) have inconsistent cross-OS behavior.
• flock() is non-POSIX, whole-file, with racy upgrades and NFS limitations.

Show HN: FastScheduler – Decorator-first Python task scheduler, async support

Key Points

• Decorator-first Python scheduler with native async support and cron/timezone features.
• Operational controls include retries with exponential backoff, timeouts, pause/resume, and a dead letter queue.
• Optional FastAPI integration adds a real-time dashboard via a simple router.

90M people. 118 hours of silence. One nation erased from the internet

Key Points

• BGP updates at TCI spiked 368% to 5.6 million, causing route flapping and instability.
• Ten major Iranian networks failed simultaneously, indicating coordinated action.
• Censorship and surveillance techniques included DNS spoofing of Session Messenger and HTTP header rewriting by middleboxes.

The Case for Blogging in the Ruins

Key Points

• Diderot’s Encyclopédie faced significant institutional resistance but built knowledge infrastructure.
• Modern platforms prioritize engagement over structured knowledge, with Wikipedia as a notable exception.
• Blogging offers permanence, flexibility, and a conducive format for careful, long-form discourse.

Beating the House for the Love of Math

Key Points

• Web app computes blackjack EV and optimal strategy using exact deck composition.
• Performance achieved via precomputation, caching, and numpy for <50 ms per card.
• Demo access limits: 50 cards per session and a 1-minute cooldown.

Signal leaders warn agentic AI is an insecure, unreliable surveillance risk

Key Points

• OS-level agentic AI can enable surveillance and introduce major security risks.
• Windows 11 Recall’s architecture allows malware/prompt injection to access sensitive activity data.
• Complex, multi-step agent tasks have low success rates due to compounding probabilistic errors.

Let's be honest, Generative AI isn't going all that well

Key Points

• LLMs remain unreliable, limiting trust in outputs.
• AI currently covers a small share of jobs (~2.5%), per the Remote Labor Index.
• Further scaling is unlikely to resolve core generative AI limitations.

Show HN: Ayder – HTTP-native durable event log written in C (curl as client)

Key Points

• HTTP-native, single-binary event log/message bus using Raft sync-majority for durability.
• Benchmark: 50k msg/s, P99 ~3.35 ms, majority-replicated writes before acknowledgment.
• Quick setup via Docker Compose with Prometheus and Grafana; curl-based client operations.

The rapid rise and slow decline of Sam Altman

Key Points

• Apple reportedly chose Google over OpenAI for Siri’s generative AI after a 2024 pilot.
• Anthropic’s enterprise gains and DeepSeek’s price war increased competitive pressure on OpenAI.
• Strained partnerships and legal disputes (Microsoft–OpenAI tensions; Musk case) compound challenges.

Show HN: Self-host Reddit – 2.38B posts, works offline, yours forever

Key Points

• Multi-platform archiving with unified PostgreSQL full-text search and offline browsing.
• 2.38B+ Reddit posts supported, with Voat and Ruqqus archives included (2.384B posts total).
• MCP server and REST API enable AI and programmatic access; JavaScript-free, Tor-optimized design.

Show HN: Ever wanted to look at yourself in Braille?

Key Points

• Terminal tool renders camera and image files using five classic dithering modes.
• Built in Zig with macOS camera integration; requires Zig 0.15.1+ and no dependencies.
• Supports PNG/JPEG/BMP inputs with configurable threshold, invert, warmup, and strategy options.

We rolled our own documentation site

Key Points

• Static docs built with pandoc’s chunkedhtml and custom templates.
• Mobile TOC uses HTML Popover API to avoid JavaScript.
• Search handled via Google redirect; single-page export supports Ctrl+F.

How to make a damn website (2024)

Key Points

• Start with a single, plain HTML page and avoid CSS and CMSs initially.
• Write a real blog post in a basic editor, then upload it via FTP.
• Focus on shipping first; add design and tooling after publication.

The Housing Market Isn't for Single People

Key Points

• Average one-bedroom rent in Canada (Jan 2025) is $2,109 versus about $1,125/month affordability at a median single income.
• OECD-linked 30% affordability rule is widely used; 40% is ‘overburdened’; Quebec uses 25%.
• Mortgage payments vary widely: Canada’s 2024 range is $1,337–$2,836; U.S. average is $2,209 (US).

Inlining – The Ultimate Optimisation

Key Points

• Inlining enables optimizations like constant propagation and dead code elimination.
• ARMv7 example shows branchless case conversion after inlining and simplification.
• Inlining decisions trade off performance gains against code size and depend on heuristics and definition visibility.

A university got itself banned from the Linux kernel (2021)

Key Points

• A UMN student’s April 6 patch email preceded a ban 15 days later.
• Greg Kroah-Hartman declared UMN unwelcome in the Linux kernel community.
• The article details the kernel’s rigorous maintainer-led patch process.

Instagram AI Influencers Are Defaming Celebrities with Sex Scandals

Key Points

• AI-generated, undisclosed sexual content on Instagram uses celebrity likenesses without consent.
• Posts link to Fanvue for monetization, where AI disclosure is provided.
• Examples reach millions of views; Meta removed some flagged Reels but did not comment.

Going for Gold: The Story of the Golden Lego RCX and NXT

Key Points

• A pBrick is LEGO’s internal name for programmable MINDSTORMS bricks.
• The RCX launched with set #9719 in 1998 as MINDSTORMS’ first central unit.
• The author owns a rare golden RCX and recounts how it was obtained.

Ask HN: If you had $10M in the bank, would you still show up to your job?

Key Points

• Most would leave traditional employment and pursue self-directed or part-time work.
• A concrete plan suggests a 50/50 split between S&P 500 and bond ETFs to generate income.
• Risk and logistics considerations include FDIC limits, taxes, and umbrella liability coverage.

Games Workshop bans staff from using AI, management not excited about the tech

Key Points

• Games Workshop bans AI use in content and design and enforces a cautious internal policy.
• Company focuses on IP protection and human creators, investing in Warhammer Studio.
• Industry peers contrast by actively embracing AI (EA, Square Enix, Genvid).

No management needed: anti-patterns in early-stage engineering teams

Key Points

• Avoid formal management and focus on product and user conversations at early stages.
• Hire for intrinsic motivation and create an environment for motivated engineers to excel.
• Delay management hires to prevent process-heavy distractions before product direction is clear.

Are two heads better than one?

Key Points

• Trusting a single 80%-accurate report yields 80% correctness.
• Adding a second independent 80%-accurate report does not increase overall accuracy.
• A Python simulation confirms the result under non-adversarial independence assumptions.

Show HN: Nogic – VS Code extension that visualizes your codebase as a graph

Key Points

• Visualizes codebases via hierarchical graphs, class diagrams, and call graphs within VS Code.
• Supports TypeScript/JavaScript and Python with language-aware indexing and auto-sync.
• Provides boards, search, and commands for organizing and navigating projects; beta users should report issues on GitHub.

Choosing learning over autopilot

Key Points

• Use AI to accelerate learning-by-doing, not to bypass understanding.
• Adopt guardrails: iterative loops, throwaway AI code, disciplined commits/PRs, and human-authored documentation.
• Retain key technical decisions and use AI to improve observability and experimentation.

Ask HN: Vxlan over WireGuard or WireGuard over Vxlan?

Key Points

• Use WireGuard as the outermost secure overlay; run VXLAN inside it if needed.
• If WireGuard isn’t an option, use IPsec/OpenVPN/SoftEther as the secure tunnel.
• Encapsulate NFS in per-client WireGuard tunnels to simplify security and firewall traversal.

Open sourcing Dicer: Databricks's auto-sharder

Key Points

• Databricks open-sourced Dicer, a dynamic auto-sharder for distributed services.
• Dicer addresses inefficiencies of stateless and static sharding architectures.
• Production results show eliminated availability dips and >90% cache hit rates during pod restarts.

Ask HN: Iran's 120h internet shutdown, phones back. How to stay resilient?

Key Points

• 120-hour internet shutdown in Iran; phone calls working, data blocked.
• Request for resilient communication options independent of local ISPs.
• Interest in peer-to-peer, mesh, and satellite-based solutions.

Ask HN: Discrepancy between Lichess and Stockfish

Key Points

• Lichess reports ~1 MN/s but takes ~2:30 to reach depth 30.
• Local Stockfish reports ~600 kN/s yet reaches depth 30 in ~53 seconds.
• Differences in measurement, configuration, and frontend behavior may explain the discrepancy.

Why Real Life is better than IRC (2000)

Key Points

• RL provides sensory experiences (e.g., taste) that IRC cannot.
• Direct, real-world contact is taken more seriously for emotional support.
• Physical touch, like a real hug, is emphasized as superior to virtual gestures.

Running Lean at Scale

Key Points

• REPL service enables stateless, large-scale Lean proof interaction across hundreds of thousands of CPUs.
• REPL operations (run code, run tactic, export/import state) support distributed tree exploration.
• Robustness features handle errors, network problems, and allow client reconnection.

An archaeology of tracking on government websites

Key Points

• By 2025, about half of studied government websites include third-party trackers.
• Tracking growth is driven by external services and dominated by a few large US-based organizations.
• Significant regional differences in tracker adoption affect users’ privacy and security exposure.

We can't have nice things because of AI scrapers

Key Points

• Authorization is now required for /metadata/lookup endpoints.
• ListenBrainz Labs mbid-mapping-related endpoints have been removed.
• LB Radio now requires user login and Authorization for API access.

LANL's ICE House Tests Microelectronics for Cosmic Radiation Exposure

Key Points

• ICE House at LANSCE conducts controlled neutron irradiation of microelectronics for rad-hard testing.
• Neutron-rich environments from cosmic-ray air showers at flight altitudes can disrupt semiconductor devices.
• The facility is presented as the only U.S. site performing this specific testing, aiding safety and readiness.

A 40-Line Fix Eliminated a 400x Performance Gap

Key Points

• Replaces /proc parsing with clock_gettime for thread CPU time in OpenJDK on Linux.
• Measured 30x–400x performance gap between user-time and total-time methods, worsened by concurrency.
• Direct kernel call chain via clock_gettime reduces overhead and contention compared to /proc.

The Insecure Evangelism of LLM Maximalists

Key Points

• LLMs are useful for support tasks and tightly scoped coding.
• Agentic, prompt-driven coding required heavy supervision and often produced errors.
• The author questions evangelism around LLMs and remains open to revising their view.

Ask HN: Quantum Computation, Computers and Programming

Key Points

• Requests structured resources for quantum computation, hardware/architecture, and programming.
• Seeks relationships between classical and quantum computation models and new quantum abstractions.
• Asks for practical examples of quantum advantage beyond Shor’s algorithm, plus guidance on simulation on classical hardware.

Is it a joke?

Key Points

• Straight-faced media can make fictional works seem real.
• Blue Prince is critiqued for design balance and gambling mechanics.
• Technical tool choices impact authenticity and workflow.

We Don't Use AI

Key Points

• Yarn Spinner has no generative AI and rejects generated-code contributions.
• The team has extensive prior ML experience but saw the industry shift toward generative tools by 2020.
• They prioritize features that demonstrably help make better games and will avoid AI integration for now.

Japan's Skyscraper Factories (2021)

Key Points

• Japan invested in construction robotics to tackle costs, labor shortages, and stagnation.
• Single-task robots proliferated (e.g., SSR-1 in 1983) but faced practical site constraints.
• The strategy evolved to on-site automated factories and fully robotic construction sites.

Show HN: AsciiSketch a free browser-based ASCII art and diagram editor

Key Points

• Browser-based, free ASCII art and diagram editor with canvas and element controls.
• Rich text, border, and line styling options including fonts, padding, styles, and endpoints.
• Save, load, export as text, and clear functions for managing and sharing drawings.

Terra - A rolling-release Fedora repository

Key Points

• Rolling-release Fedora repository with automatic upstream updates
• Built on the Rust-based Andaman meta buildsystem
• Public CI via GitHub Actions and monorepo sources for transparency

EOL hardware should mean open-source software

Key Points

• Mandate open-sourcing or release of specs/protocols at hardware EOL.
• Bose’s SoundTouch is cited as an open-source model; Spotify’s Car Thing as a cautionary case.
• EU-level enforcement via the European Commission is proposed.

ADHD. How do you manage the constant stream of thoughts and ideas?

Key Points

• ADHD idea overload ties to DMN intrusions during tasks.
• Meditation, sleep, and reframing thoughts target root mechanisms.
• Environmental minimalism and robust todo systems reduce distraction and aid execution.

Every GitHub Object Has Two IDs

Key Points

• GraphQL node IDs are base64-encoded and embed the database ID in the lower 32 bits.
• A bitmask on the decoded node ID reliably yields the integer database ID.
• Older repositories may use a different, structured node ID format.

The $LANG Programming Language

Key Points

• Aggregates HN posts titled “The $LANG Programming Language,” each with link, score, age, and comments.
• Highlights a wide mix of languages (e.g., C3, Jank, Koto, Red, Tcl, Chapel, COW, SETL).
• Shows engagement levels, with top entries exceeding 200–400 points.

Understanding the Types of Data in Data

Key Points

• Quantitative vs. qualitative data have distinct subtypes and analysis methods.
• Data organization spans structured, unstructured, and semi-structured forms.
• Big data challenges are defined by Volume, Variety, and Velocity.

Sei (YC W22) Is Hiring a DevOps Engineer (India/In-Office/Chennai/Gurgaon)

Key Points

• In-office Senior DevOps roles based in Chennai and Gurgaon, India.
• Core stack: Typescript, React, Python; infrastructure on AWS/Kubernetes via Terraform.
• Responsibilities span cost optimization, monitoring/security integration, and managing WebRTC, PSTN, STT/TTS, and LLM deployments.

Revup: Upload once to create multiple, relative GitHub PRs

Key Points

• Automates multiple GitHub PRs from parallel branch chains with independent merge paths.
• Includes rebase detection and auto-added reviewers/labels/drafts, plus review graph and patchsets.
• Supports Python 3.8+/Git 2.43+, works on major OSes, and offers pip install and source build.

Show HN: Microwave – Native iOS app for videos on ATproto

Key Points

• Microwave beta is accessed via TestFlight with a public invitation link.
• Minimum OS requirements span iOS/iPadOS 16+, macOS 13+, tvOS 18+, visionOS 1+, watchOS 9+.
• TestFlight builds expire after 90 days; in‑app purchases are free only during beta.

ExecuTorch-Ruby: Run PyTorch models in Ruby

Key Points

• Ruby bindings enable running ExecuTorch (.pte) models in Ruby apps.
• Requires building ExecuTorch from source and configuring Bundler.
• PyTorch models are exported via torch.export and converted with executorch.exir.to_edge.

vLLM large scale serving: DeepSeek 2.2k tok/s/h200 with wide-ep

Key Points

• vLLM v0.11.0 finalizes migration to the V1 engine and adds major serving optimizations.
• Benchmarks show ~2.2k tokens/s per H200 GPU on CoreWeave clusters, up from ~1.5k.
• Wide-EP (EP + DP) and DeepEP/NCCL backends improve scalability and efficiency for MoE models.

The month long, 3000 mile roller derby of Chicago

Key Points

• Launched in Chicago in 1935, the derby’s inaugural event featured 25 co-ed teams skating 3,000 miles.
• Rule changes in 1937 shifted the sport to contact, point-scoring teams, boosting spectator appeal.
• WWII enlistment depleted skater ranks, reducing the derby to one touring team and causing decline.

Using proxies to hide secrets from Claude Code

Key Points

• Anthropic’s Claude Code supports sandboxing with sandbox-exec and devcontainer firewall allowlisting.
• Claude Code can read environment variables and local files, including secrets, if present in the working directory.
• Developers can use gVisor or Firecracker to build stronger custom sandboxes and enforce network isolation.

SkyPilot: One system to use and manage all AI compute (K8s, 20 clouds, Slurm)

Key Points

• Unified AI workload management across Kubernetes, Slurm, and 20+ clouds
• v0.11 adds Multi-Cloud Pools and enterprise-focused features
• Cost savings via autostop, spot instances with auto-recovery, and intelligent scheduling

The truth behind the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

Key Points

• Event dates and venue are stated as Jan 12–16, 2026 at the Westin St. Francis, San Francisco.
• All listed tracks and keynotes focus on AI applications in healthcare.
• The author reports difficulty verifying on-site participation despite abundant online references.

Why IRC is better than Real Life

Key Points

• IRC’s text-only format reduces appearance and accent bias, focusing interactions on personality.
• Users have greater control: they can participate any time, leave freely, and manage boundaries.
• IRC conversations are described as more intense and quickly personal than IRL, Usenet, or email.

The Emacs Widget Library: A Critique and Case Study

Key Points

• Emacs widgets are text in buffers using overlays and text properties, yielding consistent behavior and good performance.
• The library’s inheritance model enables building new widget types but can be awkward for combining multiple behaviors.
• A working case study implements a dynamic, editable table widget via an extension library (widget-extra).

ASCII Clouds

Key Points

• Configurable ASCII-art clouds with presets and fullscreen mode
• Noise, vignette, and color controls shape motion, focus, and tone
• Glyph thresholds define character mapping for the visual effect

Why we built our own background agent

Key Points

• Inspect runs in fast, sandboxed VMs on Modal with a full dev environment and broad tool integrations.
• It verifies backend and frontend changes through tests, telemetry, feature flags, screenshots, and live previews.
• Ramp reports ~30% of merged PRs are written by Inspect and shares a spec to replicate the system.

Show HN: Cachekit – High performance caching policies library in Rust

Key Points

• Implements FIFO, LRU, and LRU-K policies with tiered caching primitives.
• Optional metrics integration (Prometheus, metrics crate) and benchmark harnesses included.
• Idiomatic Rust API with no_std compatibility and comprehensive documentation.

Exa-d: How to store the web in S3

Key Points

• Exa built exa-d to manage web-scale search data with robust update logic.
• It uses typed, declarative dependencies for safer and faster iteration.
• Supports surgical updates and full rebuilds to handle dynamic content and large model changes.

Show HN: OSS AI agent that indexes and searches the Epstein files

Key Points

• Open-source AI agent for the Epstein archive
• Search across emails, messages, and documents
• Powered by Nia

There's a ridiculous amount of tech in a disposable vape

Key Points

• Contains USB‑C, an 800 mAh LiPo battery, and a display for battery and fluid levels.
• Uses microphones and transistor-controlled heating pins to enable six flavor combinations.
• Access pads exist, but attempts to interface via PyOCD failed.

Show HN: Axis – A systems programming language with Python syntax

Key Points

• AXIS compiles directly to x86-64 machine code on Linux without external toolchains or runtimes.
• Explicit type system, default immutability, and System V AMD64 calling convention define core language behavior.
• Installation via one-line script or manual GitHub steps, with optional VS Code extension.

There's a ridiculous amount of tech in a disposable vape

Key Points

• USB‑C charging and 800 mAh LiPo battery in a disposable vape
• Sensors and transistors control multi-chamber heating for six flavor combinations
• Microcontroller pads tied to USB‑C were not accessible via PyOCD

The Gleam Programming Language

Key Points

• Runs on BEAM with high scalability via actor-based concurrency and concurrent GC.
• Integrated tooling and package ecosystem across Gleam, Erlang, and Elixir.
• Compiles to JavaScript and generates TypeScript definitions for safe interop.

Handling secrets (somewhat) securely in shells

Key Points

• Avoid placing secrets in command-line arguments; use header files or process substitution.
• Prevent shell history leakage by using Bash’s HISTCONTROL and read -s/-r for variables.
• Source secrets from clipboard tools or password managers to avoid persistence and handle complex values.

1000 Blank White Cards

Key Points

• Rules and deck are created during play; rules exist on the cards.
• Typical setup: 80–150 cards, each player creates 6–7 new cards.
• Common play convention: draw one, play one; lasting-effect cards stay on the table.

Stop using natural language interfaces

Key Points

• LLM interactions are high-latency; GUIs respond in milliseconds.
• Popup-mcp lets LLMs generate structured, conditional popups.
• An automatic 'Other' option enables user corrections in multi-choice inputs.

AI will compromise your cybersecurity posture

Key Points

• AI degrades security via complexity and rushed integration of LLM/ML systems.
• Vendors avoid responsibility, leaving adopters to manage significant risks.
• PassGAN’s claims were unsubstantiated and did not outperform established tools.