AI Burnout, Super Chips and Frozen Batteries!

The Architecture of Open Source Applications (Volume 1) Berkeley DB

Key Points

• Origins in replacing proprietary-dependent hash packages with a free, efficient hash library based on Extensible Linear Hashing.
• Unified hash and Btree under an access‑method‑agnostic API; LIBTP outlined in‑process transactions.
• Feature evolution: transactions (2.0), redesign (3.0), replication/HA (4.0), SQL (5.0).

The world heard JD Vance being booed at the Olympics. Except for viewers in USA

Key Points

• International broadcasts captured boos directed at JD and Usha Vance; NBC’s US feed did not.
• NBC denies editing crowd audio; the discrepancy highlights information asymmetry.
• The article warns of credibility risks for US broadcasters ahead of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 LA Olympics.

OpenClaw Is Changing My Life

Key Points

• OpenClaw is presented as an autonomous, voice-driven agent that understands intent and manages end-to-end tasks.
• It coordinates coding work by directing tools like Claude Code, reducing hands-on execution by the user.
• A dedicated 24/7 machine enables OpenClaw to write and debug code continuously, shifting the user to a management role.

LineageOS 23.2

Key Points

• LineageOS aligns to AOSP’s biannual release cadence and keeps monthly security updates.
• Material Expressive design overhauls the UI; key apps receive Material 3 Expressive updates.
• New developer tools merged; leadership changes include npjohnson becoming director.

Turning books to courses using AI

Key Points

• Upload any PDF and get an AI-generated course in about five minutes.
• Courses include chapters, lessons, quizzes, and flashcards for active learning.
• Free to start; no credit card required.

uLauncher

Key Points

• Minimal Android launcher with configurable gesture-to-action mappings.
• Supports work profiles and offers a searchable app list.
• Open-source project with clear contribution and build guidelines; debug builds are unsigned.

Roger Ebert Reviews "The Shawshank Redemption"

Key Points

• Narration through Red frames the story and centers the film’s “redemption” on his arc.
• Strong critical reception contrasted with weak initial box office despite seven Oscar nominations.
• Home video and TV propelled the film to lasting popularity, topping IMDb’s Top 250 by 1999.

The Scriptovision Super Micro Script video titler is almost a home computer

Key Points

• 1985 Scriptovision Super Micro Script is a Montreal-made standalone video titler with genlock and color graphics.
• Uses Motorola 6800-family MCU and 6847 VDG; features socketed EPROMs for potential firmware work.
• Planned restoration includes hardware repair, serial port addition, and a MAME emulation driver.

DoNotNotify is now Open Source

Key Points

• DoNotNotify’s full source code is publicly available.
• Repository hosted on GitHub: github.com/anujja/DoNotNotify.
• Community contributions (bugs, features, PRs) are welcome.

Moroccan sardine prices to stabilise via new measures: officials

Key Points

• Morocco halts frozen sardine exports from February 1 to stabilise local prices.
• Ban on using whole consumer-grade sardines for fish oil to protect domestic supply.
• Measures guided by INRH data; Layoune port is central to sardine supply amid EU–Morocco trade disputes.

Modern and Antique Technologies Reveal a Dynamic Cosmos

Key Points

• Archival plates revealed previously unknown OJ 287 flares, including in 1900.
• Historical timings refined models of a binary supermassive black hole system.
• Astronomical variability requires long-term, multi-epoch observations.

LLMs as Language Compilers: Lessons from Fortran for the Future of Coding

Key Points

• Developers increasingly rely on LLMs and agents, with a 77% drop in Stack Overflow posts since 2022.
• Agents can rapidly produce prototypes but exhibit notable limitations and errors.
• Historical computing examples (UNIVAC-1, SAGE, Laning–Zierler) contextualize trade-offs between abstraction and performance.

Matchlock: Linux-based sandboxing for AI agents

Key Points

• Secrets are injected host-side and never enter the VM; only placeholders are visible inside.
• Network access is blocked by default and enabled via allowlists for specific hosts.
• Works on Linux (KVM) and macOS (Apple Silicon) with CLI and SDKs for both environments.

In the Australian outback, we're listening for nuclear tests

Key Points

• ANU-operated Warramunga uses seismic and infrasound arrays to detect nuclear tests globally.
• Detected all six North Korean declared tests; data sent via satellite to CTBTO’s Vienna data centre.
• Established in 1965; upgraded and certified as a CTBTO IMS primary station in 1999; Australia hosts 21 IMS sites.

Reverse Engineering Raiders of the Lost Ark for the Atari 2600

Key Points

• Reverse-engineered and commented Atari 2600 source for Raiders of the Lost Ark.
• Structured project with src, bin (DASM, Stella), and auto-generated out artifacts.
• Windows-based build with DASM; optional run via Stella with SDL2.dll using make.bat and run.bat.

Rabbit Ear "Origami": programmable origami in the browser (JS)

Key Points

• Rabbit Ear provides origami and crease pattern objects built on a FOLD graph foundation.
• ear.axiom computes crease lines from points/lines and supports boundary filtering.
• The crease pattern class ensures planarity and supports mountain/valley attribute assignment.

(AI) Slop Terrifies Me

Key Points

• AI’s “90%” solutions risk normalizing mediocre software.
• AI tools push toward standardized stacks and struggle off-path.
• Market incentives favor speed over quality, potentially eroding craft.

Dave Farber has passed away

Key Points

• David J. Farber died on Feb. 7, 2026 in Tokyo at age 91.
• Career highlights include Bell Labs, Rand, FCC Chief Technologist, and EFF board member.
• Keio University and CCRC roles since 2018; IP-Asia remembrance set for Feb. 9, 2026 at 2100 JST.

Why E cores make Apple Silicon fast

Key Points

• E cores handle background tasks during startup, keeping P cores free for apps.
• macOS QoS separates foreground and background threads across P and E cores.
• Tools cannot promote background threads to P cores, preserving responsiveness and battery life.

Curating a Show on My Ineffable Mother, Ursula K. Le Guin

Key Points

• Exhibition features Le Guin’s first Underwood typewriter for visitor use.
• Curation emphasizes readers’ role in completing literature.
• Reconstructed personal environments deepen context for Le Guin’s work.

A11yJSON: A standard to describe the accessibility of the physical world

Key Points

• Open standard based on GeoJSON to encode comprehensive accessibility data.
• TypeScript and Node.js tools provide compile-time and runtime validation.
• Developed by Sozialhelden e.V.; documentation includes examples and criteria.

Arcan Explained – A browser for different webs

Key Points

• Arcan is positioned as a browser from a desktop engine that merges display, game, and multimedia roles.
• Lua powers the scripting control plane, serving both accessibility and intermediate compilation needs.
• A demo Arcan appl is accessible via arcan-net, with related NLnet-sponsored work (Arcan-A12).

Show HN: Fine-tuned Qwen2.5-7B on 100 films for probabilistic story graphs

Key Points

• Generates multiple coherent narrative branches from any story beat.
• Uses fine-tuned models to provide suggestions aligned with screenplay conventions.
• Exports to Fountain format compatible with Final Draft, Highland, and WriterSolo.

Show HN: It took 4 years to sell my startup. I wrote a book about it

Key Points

• Practical, end-to-end guide to startup exits based on a four-year sale process.
• Detailed preparation and process steps: outreach, data room, due diligence, term sheets, and closing.
• Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 for non-commercial sharing with attribution; no derivatives allowed.

Show HN: I built a festival tracker that matches lineups to your music library

Key Points

• Festiveo personalizes festival discovery by syncing with Apple Music.
• It offers full lineups, schedules, stage times, and real-time updates.
• Users can build and share personal festival plans with logistical support.

AI fatigue Is real and nobody talks about it

Key Points

• AI accelerates individual tasks but expands overall workload and expectations.
• Roles shift from creation to intensive review of AI-generated outputs.
• Context switching and evaluative work drive decision fatigue and exhaustion.

Kolakoski Sequence

Key Points

• Self-referential sequence over {1,2} equal to its own run-length encoding (OEIS A000002).
• Not eventually periodic and cube-free; several recurrence questions remain open.
• Density of 1s conjectured at 1/2 with proven upper bounds of 0.50084 and 0.500080.

RFC 3092 – Etymology of "Foo" (2001)

Key Points

• Clarifies definitions and usage of ‘foo,’ ‘bar,’ and ‘foobar’ across RFCs.
• Traces etymology to WWII slang and prewar media references.
• Provides an appendix listing RFC occurrences of the terms.

GitHub Agentic Workflows

Key Points

• Natural-language markdown compiles into secure GitHub Actions workflows via gh aw.
• Security-first design: read-only defaults and gated write operations.
• AI agents (e.g., Copilot, Claude, Codex) run containerized to analyze and report on repositories.

I am happier writing code by hand

Key Points

• Hand-coding aids deep understanding and correctness verification.
• Unrestrained LLM-driven “vibe coding” can be addictive and reduce critical engagement.
• Controlled, small-scope use of Claude preserves flow, context, and happiness.

Running Your Own As: BGP on FreeBSD with FRR, GRE Tunnels, and Policy Routing

Key Points

• RIPE NCC resources via a sponsoring LIR enable individuals to run an AS and announce IPv6 prefixes.
• FreeBSD + FRR form the BGP router core, with GRE/GIF tunnels distributing subnets.
• Policy routing handles servers speaking from two IPv6 address spaces simultaneously.

The Contagious Taste of Cancer

Key Points

• Samuel Smith’s 17th-century experiment and death illustrate early modern medical practice and beliefs.
• Scholars link the case to the 'poison model' of cancer, while Smith blamed the persistent taste.
• Early modern fears of sensory contagion influenced responses to plague and cancer, including patient isolation.

How to squeeze a lexicon (2001) [pdf]

Key Points

• Minimal ADFAs offer compact, fast-access lexicon representation.
• The paper presents an efficient algorithm for building minimal ADFAs and compares them to hashing and tries.
• Hashing and trie-based methods involve trade-offs in space, certainty, and retrieval speed.

Noam Chomsky's wife responds to Epstein controversy

Key Points

• Chomsky’s incapacitation since June 2023; statement issued by Valéria Chomsky.
• Introduction to Epstein in 2015; awareness of his 2008 conviction rose after 2018 reporting.
• Interactions described as professional; no inappropriate behavior witnessed or underage individuals present.

Five disciplines discovered the same math independently – none of them knew

Key Points

• Multiple fields independently developed equivalent tipping point mathematics from 1935–2025.
• The paper adds a taxonomy and citation network analysis showing long-term siloing.
• Endorsed arXiv publication emphasizes open access and practical cross-domain relevance.

Show HN: Kekkai – Interactive security triage in the terminal

Key Points

• Open-source CLI that unifies outputs from Trivy, Semgrep, and Gitleaks for interactive triage.
• Runs scanners in isolated, read-only, no-network Docker containers with a local-first approach.
• Features include `.kekkaiignore`, severity-based CI thresholds, and planned baselines for persistent triage.

Omega-3 is inversely related to risk of early-onset dementia

Key Points

• Higher total omega-3 blood levels are inversely associated with EOD risk.
• Non-DHA omega-3 showed significant risk reductions in higher quintiles (Q3–Q5).
• No omega-3 × APOE-ε4 interaction was observed.

Exploiting signed bootloaders to circumvent UEFI Secure Boot

Key Points

• Red Hat restricts GRUB2 functions under Secure Boot to reduce misuse.
• Preferred bypass approach hooks UEFI file authentication via a custom pre-loader.
• Super UEFIinSecureBoot Disk implements this chain to run untrusted EFI binaries under Secure Boot.

Billing can be bypassed using a combo of subagents with an agent definition

Key Points

• Billing is claimed to hinge on the initial model, enabling premium use via subagents without consuming credits.
• A step-by-step workflow uses free models to spawn subagents configured with premium models.
• Example prompt and agent files demonstrate the configuration for the alleged bypass.

Vouch

Key Points

• Generic trust management system with GitHub Actions and Nushell CLI.
• Minimal flat-file vouch list, parseable with POSIX tools.
• Supports web-of-trust by importing other projects’ vouch/denounce lists.

I put a real-time 3D shader on the Game Boy Color

Key Points

• Blender and cryptomatte workflow generates normal maps and composited frames.
• Lambert shading reformulated with spherical coordinates for efficiency.
• ROM encodes per-pixel data (Nφ, log(m), b) to avoid hardware multiply constraints.

Let's compile Quake like it's 1997

Key Points

• id Software’s Quake builds moved from HP/NeXT and DJGPP on DEC Alpha to Intergraph hardware on Windows NT.
• Recreate the environment via period hardware or a VirtualBox VM; tested on Windows 98SE and NT 4.0.
• Use VC++6 with q1source.zip from the Quake Official Archive; avoid GitHub/FTP to prevent .dsw issues.

Formally Verifying PBS Kids with Lean4

Key Points

• Formal modeling of a Cyberchase game in Lean/Lean4 illustrates interactive theorem proving.
• Lean encodes rules and strategies with precise types (Nat) and equality semantics.
• SMT solvers are contrasted with Lean; work is ongoing to produce formal proof outputs from SMT.

The First Sodium-Ion Battery EV Is a Winter Range Monster

Key Points

• First mass-produced sodium-ion EV launching in the Changan Nevo A06 by mid-2026
• Naxtra battery: ~175 Wh/kg, ~400 km CLTC range via cell-to-pack design
• Exceptional cold performance: >90% range retention at −40°C; stable to −50°C

Bun v1.3.9

Key Points

• New --parallel/--sequential script runner with labeled output and workspace integration
• HTTP/2 connection upgrade pattern fixed for net.Server → Http2SecureServer
• bun:test adds Symbol.dispose for automatic mock restoration; NO_PROXY now always respected

Stop Using Face ID

Key Points

• Biometrics can be compelled by law enforcement; passcodes typically cannot.
• iPhone Lockdown Mode blocked FBI access in a cited case.
• Passkeys are increasingly offered and often use biometrics for sign-in.

The Little Bool of Doom

Key Points

• GCC identified a keyword conflict with ‘false’ under C23 during Fedora’s mass rebuild.
• Chocolate Doom’s custom C enum {false, true} collides with C23 reserved keywords.
• C23’s promotion of bool, true, and false to keywords differs from prior C standards.

Roundcube Webmail: SVG feImage bypasses image blocking to track email opens

Key Points

• feImage href was misclassified as a link, bypassing remote image blocking.
• Patched in Roundcube 1.5.13 and 1.6.13 (commit 26d7677).
• PoC demonstrates external GET triggered via an SVG filter, enabling tracking.

Show HN: Why it's hard to know which deployment caused a production incident

Key Points

• Deterministic, explainable scoring ranks concurrent changes as likely incident causes.
• Kubernetes event watching plus Prometheus metric correlation replaces manual cross-referencing.
• Custom PromQL metrics and REST API enable integration with existing CI/CD and tooling.

Man, 83, tricked by scammers, gets 21 years to life for killing Uber driver

Key Points

• Brock sentenced to 21 years to life for murdering Uber driver Lo-Letha Toland-Hall.
• Dash-cam evidence contradicted Brock’s self-defense claim.
• Scammers impersonated officials, demanded $12,000, and remain unidentified.

Attention Media ≠ Social Media

Key Points

• Early social media prioritized user-followed content and meaningful notifications.
• 2012–2016 changes introduced infinite scroll and engagement-driven notification systems.
• Mastodon offers a chronological, follow-based experience reminiscent of early Twitter.

A Community-Curated Nancy Drew Collection

Key Points

• Volunteers launched a curated Nancy Drew collection on Open Library.
• Manual collectionid tagging was chosen over automation due to complexity and performance concerns.
• International collaboration was coordinated via Slack, Google Docs, and a kickoff Zoom call.

Experts Have World Models. LLMs Have Word Models

Key Points

• Three world-model tracks: 3D/video, latent-space (JEPA family), and multiagent/adversarial.
• Adversarial reasoning benchmarks (DeepMind, ARC‑AGI, Code Clash) model strategy as games.
• Effective performance hinges on simulation depth, not just prompts or raw intelligence.

Do Markets Believe in Transformative AI?

Key Points

• Long-maturity U.S. bond yields fell around major AI model releases and stayed lower for weeks.
• Interpretation: lower expected consumption growth and/or reduced perceived probability of extreme outcomes.
• Growth uncertainty changes do not account for the observed yield movements.

A GTA modder has got the 1997 original working on modern PCs and Steam Deck

Key Points

• Adds CRT/aspect ratio options and multiple visual filters to the 2D GTA titles
• Reports easier multiplayer and smoother performance than the MAX PACK
• Notes minor issues (audio scores, language limits, missing tooltips) and requests HUD/feature updates

International Image Interoperability Framework

Key Points

• IIIF provides open standards and APIs for interoperable delivery of images and AV content.
• Multiple institutions demonstrate IIIF adoption in real-world applications.
• Six core IIIF APIs cover manipulation, metadata, access, search, discovery, and deep linking.

Credentials for Linux: Bringing Passkeys to the Linux Desktop

Key Points

• Introduces “Credentials for Linux” with libwebauthn and credentialsd to standardize passkeys on Linux.
• Demonstrates Firefox Flatpak integration using a D‑Bus/XDG portal for sandboxed authenticator access.
• Outlines roadmap: TPM-backed authenticators, origin binding, and collaboration across desktop ecosystems.

Voidtools Everything – Locate files and folders by name instantly

Key Points

• Instant file and folder name search
• Quick filename indexing and fast queries
• Minimal resource usage with real-time updates

Apple XNU: Clutch Scheduler

Key Points

• Clutch introduces hierarchical, group-based scheduling within a cluster.
• Edge extends Clutch to manage placement and migration across multiple clusters.
• Scheduling buckets map to QoS classes to balance latency and starvation avoidance.

SpiceDB Query Planner

Key Points

• Authzed introduces the SpiceDB Query Planner to cut authorization-check latency.
• Existing SpiceDB optimizations target caching, hashing, batching, type-based skips, and SQL tuning.
• Using data shape (cardinality/fan-out) enables early exits and reduces datastore load.

More Mac malware from Google search

Key Points

• AMOS macOS stealer distributed via forged Apple-like and Medium pages promoted through Google.
• Malicious Terminal commands use base-64 obfuscation and curl to bypass quarantine.
• Malware exfiltrates Documents, plants hidden files, and requests access to Notes.

Shifts in U.S. Social Media Use, 2020–2024: Decline, Fragmentation, Polarization

Key Points

• Overall social media use declined in the U.S. between 2020 and 2024.
• Incumbent platforms lost ground; TikTok and Reddit grew modestly.
• Political posting shifted, most notably on Twitter/X, and remains tied to polarization.

Reverse Engineering the Prom for the SGI O2

Key Points

• PROM decompiled to modifiable assembly and reassembled bit-identically.
• Enables potential RM7900 (900 MHz) support on SGI O2 without SGI’s help.
• Decompiler adds labels, constants, and comments for better readability.

Toma (YC W24) Is Hiring Founding Engineers

Key Points

• Hiring founding engineers to build an AI agent platform focused first on automotive.
• Raised a $17M Series A from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and is in YC W24.
• Stack and responsibilities include TypeScript, Next.js, Bun, and features like dashboards and real-time voice AI.

Ask HN: What are you working on? (February 2026)

Key Points

• Free TUI sampler inspired by classic hardware and modern software is live for macOS and Linux.
• v1.0 is near; Factory Kits are being built with community input.
• Windows support is planned, alongside outreach via collaborations and events.

Ktkit: A Kotlin toolkit for building server applications with Ktor

Key Points

• Kotlin multiplatform toolkit around Ktor with standardized REST, DI, JSON, and RFC 9457 errors.
• Modular integrations: Ktor HTTP client, sqlx4k for databases, and Postgres-backed PGMQ queue.
• Early-stage project with planned Arrow resilience features and expanded auth, docs, and tests.

AI Makes the Easy Part Easier and the Hard Part Harder

Key Points

• AI accelerates easy coding but intensifies the hard work of investigation and validation.
• Overreliance on AI can reduce understanding and lead to costly errors, as shown in the file-overwrite anecdote.
• Use AI for investigation and maintain rigorous review; sprint pressure can drive fatigue and burnout.

The Muppets are horny and weird again (just like Jim Henson intended)

Key Points

• New The Muppet Show special debuts on Disney+ with a 1970s-style format.
• Sabrina Carpenter guest-stars; Seth Rogen executive produces.
• Revives classic elements, including a recurring “Muppet Labs” gag and deep-cut character cameos.

Tenure Is a Total Scam

Key Points

• Five-step pathway: undergrad excellence, funded Ph.D., publish-focused doctoral work, tenure-track hire, six-year tenure review.
• Hiring for tenure-track roles is depicted as competitive and arbitrary, with uneven alignment to merit.
• Tenure standards and practices vary significantly by institution rank and discipline.

Quartz Crystals

Key Points

• Quartz crystals’ vibration modes determine their frequency range and application (shear for MHz, tuning-fork for kHz).
• Series vs. parallel resonance have distinct impedance behaviors; load capacitance shifts only the parallel resonance.
• Modern crystal specifications include target load capacitance (e.g., 25 pF for a 10 MHz crystal) to achieve precise frequency.

Stop Generating, Start Thinking

Key Points

• AI tools are useful for autocomplete/debugging but often unreliable for complex coding.
• Prompt engineering overhead can exceed the time to write code directly.
• LLM outputs are non-deterministic and opaque, unlike deterministic mechanized processes.

Art of Roads in Games

Key Points

• Road tools evolved across game generations but still exhibit unrealistic geometry.
• Mods improved realism yet remain constrained by base systems.
• Bézier spline reliance is a key reason game roads diverge from real-world behavior.

Show HN: A custom font that displays Cistercian numerals using ligatures

Key Points

• Custom font renders 1–9,999 as single Cistercian glyphs using ligatures.
• Quadrant mapping for ones, tens, hundreds, thousands enables visual composition.
• Build step required to load font files if the demo shows a ‘font not loaded’ warning.

Every book recommended on the Odd Lots Discord

Key Points

• 842 community-recommended books are compiled in one list.
• Coverage spans economics, politics, culture, technology, and 215+ additional topical tags.
• Examples range from corporate biographies to science and historical works.

In the AI gold rush, tech firms are embracing 72-hour weeks

Key Points

• Rilla advertises ~70-hour in-person workweeks alongside perks and a high-ambition culture.
• Rapid AI development and competition are cited as drivers of longer tech-sector hours.
• China’s 996 culture saw advocacy by major tech founders, followed by a 2021 legal crackdown.

(Golang) Self referential functions and the design of options

Key Points

• Defines options as functions applied via a variadic Option method on *Foo
• Extends options to return previous values for temporary configuration and restoration
• Refines to self-referential options that return an inverse option to restore state

Custom Firmware for the MZ-RH1 – Ready for Testing

Key Points

• On-device OLED track titles and basic playback controls added to the MZ-RH1.
• WebUSB-based installer with validations enables safe flashing despite no official pathway.
• Recovery via JTAG and boot ROM mode provides a way to unbrick and reflash devices.

Cooking with Glasses

Key Points

• Hardware is improving, but software currently lags in Meta’s Ray-Ban AR glasses.
• Privacy, distraction, and shared-use logistics are core challenges highlighted by the cooking demo.
• Accessibility use cases (e.g., real-time translation/captioning) offer tangible benefits.

TSMC to make advanced AI semiconductors in Japan

Key Points

• TSMC to produce 3-nm chips at its second Kumamoto, Japan plant.
• Japan’s PM and TSMC’s CEO met in Tokyo and highlighted economic security benefits.
• TSMC expanding globally, including new fabs in Arizona, and increasing capex on AI-driven demand.

Claude's C Compiler vs. GCC

Key Points

• CCC is a Rust-based, from-scratch C compiler generated by Claude Opus 4.6, targeting multiple architectures.
• The article explains the four compilation stages and why assembler/linker work is complex, especially for x86-64.
• GCC’s decades of optimizations set a high bar; the author plans to test CCC’s claims and benchmark it against GCC.

LispE: Lisp Interpreter with Pattern Programming and Lazy Evaluation

Key Points

• Compact Lisp dialect combining functional and array-language features with traditional Lisp operators.
• Concurrency, pattern matching, and data structures supported alongside a composition operator and OOP classes.
• Includes an internal editor from NAVER’s TAMGU and precompiled binaries for Windows and macOS (M1).