Microsoft Rips Up OpenAI Money Pact!

AI can cost more than human workers now

Key Points

• AI costs, including compute and tokens, are outpacing some labor expenses.
• Global IT spending is projected to reach $6.31 trillion in 2026, driven by AI demand.
• Enterprises must show measurable ROI and productivity gains from AI investments.

Mystery Cpuid Bit

Key Points

• Athlon Thunderbird returned extended CPUID bit 18 set, contradicting documentation.
• Sandpile.org now identifies bit 18 as ECC-capable on AMD K7; bit 19 as MP-capable.
• Datasheets confirm ECC support on early K7 platforms but later revisions removed ECC references.

The cost math behind routing Claude Code through Ollama (~90% cut)

Key Points

• The tutorial shows how to pair Claude Desktop with Claude Code routed through Ollama and open-source LLMs to reduce Claude Code costs by about 90%.
• A self-contained 21-slide HTML presentation with an OS-aware, copy-paste prompt automates roughly 98% of the setup across macOS, Windows+WSL2, and Linux.
• The project is open-source under MIT, published by Coherence Daddy, and available both as a hosted tutorial and a GitHub repository for local use.

The Military Rockets That Launched the Space Age (2023)

Key Points

• Military missile R&D seeded early spaceflight and the Space Race.
• Captured V-2 technology and expertise were pivotal for U.S. and Soviet programs.
• U.S. efforts included WAC Corporal, Viking rockets, and the Corporal ballistic missile.

The Mushroom That Makes People Have the Exact Same Hallucination

Key Points

• Lanmaoa asiatica causes consistent lilliputian hallucinations unless thoroughly cooked.
• Domnauer confirmed the species via genetic testing and observed behavioral effects in mice.
• The active compound is not psilocybin; onset is delayed and duration can be prolonged.

It's OK to abandon your side-project

Key Points

• The essay urges open discussion and retrospectives for failed personal projects.
• A side project was abandoned the same day it was deployed.
• Latvian’s grammatical complexity (seven cases, gender/conjugation patterns) is used to illustrate learning challenges.

Rust Memory Management: Ownership vs. Reference Counting

Key Points

• Rust uses ownership and borrowing to provide memory safety without a garbage collector.
• Borrowing rules enforce multiple shared borrows or a single mutable borrow, preventing data races.
• Rc<T> and Arc<T> enable shared ownership via reference counting, dropping values when counts reach zero.

Electrostatics and High Voltage Links

Key Points

• Curated links to electrostatics demonstrations, explanations, and projects
• References to historical and museum resources on electrostatic devices
• Guidance for finding books via amazon.com and a dedicated book list

France's Mistral Built a $14B AI Empire by Not Being American

Key Points

• Mistral’s open-weight, customizable models emphasize sovereignty and data control.
• European institutional shifts away from U.S. tech create openings for Mistral.
• Geopolitical concerns under U.S. policy increase demand for non-American AI options.

Fully Featured Audio DSP Firmware for the Raspberry Pi Pico

Key Points

• Transforms RP2040/RP2350 boards into multi-output USB audio DSPs with S/PDIF/I2S and PDM.
• Comprehensive DSP suite: per-channel preamp, matrix mixer, PEQ, loudness, crossfeed, leveller.
• Cross-platform plug-and-play USB audio with 16/24-bit PCM at 44.1/48/96 kHz.

Pgbackrest is no longer being maintained

Key Points

• pgBackRest is officially unmaintained; forks should use a new name.
• Funding and role constraints post–Crunchy Data sale led to the hard stop.
• v2.58.0 is the current stable release, and the notice outlines core features.

Moleskine's AI Lord of the Rings collection can only mock

Key Points

• Promotional images include an “generated by AI” disclaimer.
• No artist credit or AI usage details are provided for the collection.
• Instagram announcement lacked AI mention across eight images on 15 April 2026.

Branimir Lambov from IBM on Cassandra

Key Points

• Cassandra 5 adds optional Trie support in the LSM Tree to improve efficiency.
• Deterministic token allocation’s per-rack subset benefited non-replicated tables.
• Unified Compaction Strategy improved handling of much higher data densities.

Quarkdown – Markdown with Superpowers

Key Points

• Supports multiple .doctype outputs (paged, plain, docs, slides) for different publishing needs.
• Offers reactive live preview and fast compilation for immediate feedback.
• v2.0.0 released Apr 23, 2026 with cross-platform installation options.

Show HN: A terminal spreadsheet editor with Vim keybindings

Key Points

• Rust-based terminal spreadsheet editor with Vim keybindings.
• Excel-compatible formulas; .cell preserves formulas, CSV/TSV flatten.
• Modular architecture: core logic separate from Ratatui-based TUI.

Getting my daily news from a dot matrix printer 2024

Key Points

• Connect a Star NP-10 dot matrix printer to a Raspberry Pi Zero W via USB-to-serial and access it at /dev/usb/lp0.
• Resolve device write permissions with chmod 666 and send output using a PHP fopen() script.
• Adapt output to the printer’s Code Page 437-based character set, as documented in its manual.

Men Who Stare at Walls

Key Points

• Avoid screens and entertainment during focused work.
• Take 5–10 minute wall-staring breaks using peripheral, out-of-focus viewing and mind blanking.
• Author reports improved focus and plans ongoing evaluation of the routine.

FDA Approves First-Ever Gene Therapy for Treatment of Genetic Hearing Loss

Key Points

• FDA approved first dual AAV gene therapy (Otarmeni) for OTOF-related hearing loss.
• Approval accelerated under CNPV, issued 61 days post-BLA filing.
• One-time combination product delivered surgically into the cochlea per ear.

Tim Cook Is Leaving. Good

Key Points

• The article says Tim Cook announced his departure last week.
• Apple’s financial and hardware achievements are acknowledged alongside claims of declining day-to-day software quality.
• Steve Jobs’ leadership philosophy is cited to criticize a perceived shift away from product craftsmanship.

4TB of voice samples just stolen from 40k AI contractors at Mercor

Key Points

• 4TB Mercor leak pairs voice biometrics with ID scans for over 40,000 contractors.
• Mercor’s 2–5 minute clean audio exceeds cloning needs, enabling realistic impersonation.
• Documented threats include bank voiceprint bypass, employer vishing, deepfake calls, insurance fraud, and senior-targeted scams.

The next phase of the Microsoft OpenAI partnership – OpenAI

Key Points

• Azure remains the primary launch platform for OpenAI products.
• OpenAI gains multi-cloud flexibility for serving its products.
• Licensing becomes non-exclusive with financial terms revised (Microsoft stops paying revenue share; OpenAI continues payments to Microsoft through 2030).

Understanding the short circuit in solid-state batteries

Key Points

• Hydrostatic stress in lithium dendrites causes tensile stress and brittle fracture in solid electrolytes.
• No lithium enrichment ahead of dendrite tips was observed, disfavoring electron-leakage nucleation.
• Findings were validated using cryogenic vacuum characterization, fracture modeling, phase-field simulations, and EBSD.

Microsoft to Stop Sharing Revenue with Main AI Partner OpenAI

Key Points

• Microsoft will stop sharing revenue with OpenAI.
• The partnership will no longer be exclusive.
• Microsoft announced the change via a blog post citing rapid innovation.

Windows 11's second-chance setup dialogs hurt IT, drain productivity

Key Points

• SCOOBE can appear long after initial setup and often reoccurs after Windows updates.
• The flow includes settings prompts and upsells, including a $14.99/month Xbox Game Pass Premium offer in the US.
• The article reports enterprise impacts: confusion, support tickets, and productivity loss.

Tendril – a self-extending agent that builds and registers its own tools

Key Points

• Autonomous tool discovery, creation, registration, and reuse via a persistent capability registry
• Minimal bootstrap tools with ACP-bridged loop phases (think/act/observe) and a strict autonomy prompt
• Architecture: Tauri (Rust) shell, AWS Bedrock model, Strands SDK, Deno sandbox, React/TailwindCSS frontend

Running Local LLMs Offline on a Ten-Hour Flight

Key Points

• Built a DuckDB‑based billing analytics tool using local LLMs during a 10‑hour offline flight.
• Identified limits: power drain, heat, context‑related performance drop, and occasional model/orchestration loops.
• Instrumentation tools (powermonitor, lmstats) revealed a 36% power delivery gap due to cable choice.

Managing the Unmanaged Switch

Key Points

• Upgrading the TL-SG108’s SPI flash to 32Mbit enables installation of GS308Ev4 managed firmware.
• MAC address and serial number can be edited at flash offset 0x1fc000 to avoid conflicts.
• Conversion yields VLAN management but causes LED and reset limitations.

"Why not just use Lean?"

Key Points

• Formalization predates Lean, with major milestones like AUTOMATH and LCF-derived systems.
• Boyer–Moore/ACL2 achieved deep results and targets hardware verification.
• HOL Light and Isabelle/HOL enabled significant formalizations, notably by John Harrison.

Apple is dropping AFP/TimeCapsule support in macOS 27

Key Points

• AFP support may be removed in macOS 27; migration to SMB3 is advised.
• Upcoming TLS/ATS requirements will impact MDM, DDM, enrollment, and app distribution servers.
• Apple provides diagnostics and logging guidance to audit ATS compliance; macOS 27 timeline is set.

The Woes of Sanitizing SVGs

Key Points

• Scratch’s DOM insertion of user SVGs led to recurring vulnerabilities.
• 2019 and 2020 fixes evolved from regex to DOMPurify after XSS bypasses.
• 2022 fix addressed HTTP leaks by stripping remote hrefs via DOMPurify hooks.

Den stora Älgvandringen – The great moose migration (live)

Key Points

• Live broadcast of the moose migration now in its eighth season
• Moose follow ancient routes to reach summer grazing grounds
• Available to watch on TV and via SVT Play

Dutch central bank dithces AWS and chooses Lidl for European Cloud

Key Points

• DNB is contracting Schwarz Digits to adopt Stackit and reduce reliance on U.S. cloud providers.
• European cloud maturity and migration challenges are recognized, with Schleswig-Holstein cited as a cautionary example.
• Schwarz Digits is expanding sovereign cloud capacity, investing €11B in Lübbenau and serving major clients.

Show HN: Utilyze – an open source GPU monitoring tool more accurate than nvtop

Key Points

• Standard GPU utilization metrics measure activity, not true compute efficiency.
• Utilyze provides real-time, low-overhead efficiency measurement and realistic performance ceilings.
• Accurate measurement enables optimization amid rising GPU costs and limited supply.

US Supreme Court Reviews Police Use of Cell Location Data to Find Criminals

Key Points

• The Supreme Court is reviewing police geofence warrants based on cellphone location data.
• A 2019 Richmond-area bank robbery case demonstrates geofence data leading to a conviction.
• Geofence searches collect device location data within a defined area and timeframe around a crime.

GitHub Copilot is moving to usage-based billing

Key Points

• Transition to usage-based billing on June 1, 2026 with AI Credits replacing PRUs.
• Base plan prices unchanged; monthly credits equal to plan price; some features exempt from credits.
• Preview bill experience in early May; distinct migration paths for monthly and annual subscribers.

Supreme Court to Hear Arguments in Landmark Roundup Weedkiller Case

Key Points

• Supreme Court hearing could preempt state claims and dismiss mass Roundup lawsuits.
• IARC and EPA diverge on glyphosate’s cancer risk, shaping labeling and liability debates.
• Federal re-examination of glyphosate is due by Oct. 1; Trump administration backed Bayer and ensured production via DPA.

Canva apologizes after its AI tool replaces 'Palestine' in designs

Key Points

• Magic Layers replaced “Palestine” with “Ukraine” in some designs.
• Canva fixed the issue and added preventive checks.
• The problem appeared specific to “Palestine,” with “Gaza” unaffected.

Adding a team was the wrong strategic decision

Key Points

• New CX team introduced to improve customer support and build a dashboard.
• Reporting outside tribe leadership caused communication issues.
• React microfrontends plan misaligned with leadership expectations.

Why I'll Take "Socialist" Healthcare over the American "Freedom" to Go Bankrupt

Key Points

• The author describes easy, free access to a family doctor in northern Italy, contrasting it with U.S. insurance and network constraints.
• Italy’s healthcare system uses urgency-based priority codes for specialist care, with optional faster private visits at relatively low fixed fees.
• Chronic conditions in Italy receive full state coverage, and emergency surgeries are free and immediate, while elective surgeries may have waits but can be expedited privately at lower costs than typical U.S. prices.

Canada's first sovereign wealth fund

Key Points

• Canada is launching the Strong Canada Fund as its first sovereign wealth fund.
• Bill C‑5/Building Canada Act accelerates approvals to enable nation‑building projects.
• The Major Projects Office will coordinate financing and serve as a central hub for project engagement.

Decoupled DiLoCo: Resilient, Distributed AI Training at Scale

Key Points

• Asynchronous, decoupled learner units improve resilience and availability.
• 12B-parameter model trained across four U.S. regions using 2–5 Gbps WAN, over 20× faster than conventional methods.
• Supports mixed TPU generations, enabling use of heterogeneous hardware.

Boats crash/break and can kill their passengers when falling certain distances

Key Points

• Specific fall heights cause boats to break and sometimes kill passengers.
• The bug is reproducible via controlled command setup and block removal.
• Fixed in Minecraft snapshot 24w37a; related issues marked resolved.

Open-Source KiCad PCBs for Common Arduino, ESP32, RP2040 Boards

Key Points

• Open-source KiCad PCB templates replicate popular devboards with documented differences.
• Standardized 4-layer JLC04161H‑7628 stackup and JLCPCB constraints guide manufacturing.
• Repository provides full production files and uses KiCad Jobsets to streamline outputs.

GitHub is having issues now

Key Points

• Search and multiple GitHub components were degraded due to infrastructure issues.
• Connectivity to ElasticSearch caused intermittent downstream impact until a load source was disabled.
• Git Operations, Webhooks, and API Requests remained operational while recovery progressed.

Super ZSNES – GPU Powered SNES Emulator

Key Points

• GPU-powered PPU enables hi-res Mode 7 and per-game enhancements.
• Super Enhancement Engine supports seven games with toggleable features.
• Early build: special chip emulation pending, optimizations and netplay planned.

The Quiet Resurgence of RF Engineering

Key Points

• RF demand declined post–dot-com but persisted in defense.
• Defense contractors sustained hiring for RF skills.
• Software-defined systems still require RF hardware expertise.

United Wizards of the Coast

Key Points

• Arena team forms United Wizards of the Coast – CWA with supermajority support.
• Union has requested voluntary recognition from Wizards of the Coast leadership.
• Upon recognition, the union plans to begin collective bargaining on working conditions.

Magic by Return of Post: How Mail Order Delivered the Occult

Key Points

• Print and postal innovations enabled large‑scale mail‑order occult education in the U.S.
• Periodical ads drove enrollment for groups like the De Laurence Institute and Brotherhood of Light.
• Psychiana’s $1 lessons illustrate the pricing and scale of 1930s esoteric correspondence schools.

China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

Key Points

• China’s NDRC orders Meta to unwind $2B Manus acquisition and withdraw the deal.
• Manus relocated to Singapore, reports $100M ARR; raised $75M led by Benchmark.
• Meta planned to integrate Manus tech into products including the Meta AI assistant; China’s MoC launched a compliance assessment.

Our principles

Key Points

• Mission: ensure AGI benefits all and decentralize access to general AI.
• Four principles: Democratization, Empowerment, Universal Prosperity, Resilience.
• Strategy includes large compute investments, vertical integration, global datacenters, and cross-sector risk mitigation (e.g., biosecurity).

Sebastian Sawe breaks iconic sub-two-hour marathon barrier

Key Points

• Sawe sets a 1:59:30 world record in London, first sub-two in an official marathon.
• Career path from pacemaker to major marathon wins under coach Claudio Berardelli.
• London’s slower reputation underscores the performance’s significance.

Spanish archaeologists discover trove of ancient shipwrecks in Bay of Gibraltar

Key Points

• 151 sites identified (134 shipwrecks); 34 wrecks documented to date.
• Oldest find dates to the fifth century BC; remains span to the second world war era.
• Diverse origins and types underscore the Strait of Gibraltar’s role as a maritime bottleneck.

U.S. companies back Sam Altman's World ID even as much of the world pushes back

Key Points

• Tinder, Zoom, and DocuSign partner with World to use World ID for verification.
• Regulatory pushback includes halts, bans, and probes across multiple regions.
• World claims 18M+ verifications and continues to expand despite controversy.

L123: A Lotus 1-2-3–style terminal spreadsheet with modern Excel compatibility

Key Points

• Emulates Lotus 1-2-3 UI with a modern engine and .xlsx/CSV interoperability.
• Active roadmap with many features complete; macros planned, polish ongoing.
• Graphing, printing, and terminal image support complement keyboard-first workflows.

Three men are facing 44 charges in Toronto SMS Blaster Arrests

Key Points

• First known SMS blaster use in Canada uncovered by Toronto Police.
• Over 13 million reported network disruptions and large-scale smishing activity.
• Two arrests after March 31 raids; third suspect surrendered April 21.

NPM Website Is Down

Key Points

• Incident “npm Website is unavailable” is Investigating as of Apr 27, 2026, 21:06 UTC.
• Website is in Major Outage; other npm services remain Operational.
• Update options include email/SMS (OTP), Atom/RSS feeds, and Twitter.

The Secret Life of NaN

Key Points

• Double-precision NaNs include a 51-bit payload that can be used for NaN-boxing.
• IEEE 754-2008 standardizes base-2 and base-10 floating-point formats for specific bit widths.
• Binary16’s 1/5/10 bit layout and IEEE 754’s special values (±infinity, quiet/signaling NaN) are explained.

Radar Laboratory – Interactive Radar Phenomenology

Key Points

• Frequency sets wavelength; at 3.0 GHz, λ ≈ 10 cm.
• Shorter wavelengths increase Doppler shift and narrow beamwidth for a given aperture.
• Shorter wavelengths allow smaller antennas and influence propagation losses.

New Integrated by Design FreeBSD Book

Key Points

• Font and cover print issues were resolved by editing the font and flattening cover layers.
• KDP’s net-price plus VAT model temporarily raised EU prices; corrections are in progress.
• Hardcover/paperback ship now; Kindle is pending, with secured EPUB/PDF and direct orders coming online.

Ukraine's drone commander has Russian oil, troops and morale in his sights

Key Points

• Ukraine’s drones now strike 1,500–2,000 km inside Russia, focusing on energy targets.
• Brovdi says his small unmanned unit accounts for about one‑third of destroyed targets with low casualties.
• Zelensky reports the strikes have caused tens of billions in losses to Russia’s energy sector.

Talkie: a 13B vintage language model from 1930

Key Points

• A 13B pre-1931 ‘vintage’ LM is demoed live, prompted by Claude Sonnet 4.6.
• Forecasting tests using NYT ‘On This Day’ show higher surprise post-cutoff, peaking in the 1950s–60s.
• Vintage models underperform on Python HumanEval but show simple successes and scale-linked gains.

Meetings Are Forcing Functions

Key Points

• Start each recurring meeting by reviewing prior action items to ensure accountability.
• Choose meeting cadence (weekly/bi-weekly/monthly) based on project urgency.
• Use this method across teams and organizations, including consultant–client collaborations.

Claude Pro: Opus model will only be available if extra usage is enabled

Key Points

• Three methods to switch models: /model, --model, and ANTHROPIC_MODEL environment variable.
• Session examples include model IDs like claude-opus-4-7 and claude-sonnet-4-6.
• Opus models on Pro require enabling and purchasing extra usage.

CS Professor: To My Students

Key Points

• Open letter outlines ethical and practical guidance for CS students amid industry turbulence.
• Reject tech ‘inevitability,’ set ethical boundaries, focus deeply, and value craftsmanship.
• Linked statement: Yorgey refuses to use LLMs over labor and resource ethics concerns.

Generative AI Vegetarianism

Key Points

• Defines and advocates “generative AI vegetarianism” as avoiding generative AI in daily tech use.
• Details steps to disable or bypass AI features in mainstream products and to avoid AI-generated content.
• Explains generative AI’s foundations: large datasets and transformer-based models, citing ChatGPT as an example.

How I leared what a decoupling capacitor is for, the hard way

Key Points

• Oscilloscope evidence showed regulator ripple exceeded the magnetometer’s 3.6V rating on battery.
• A quick hardware fix was impractical; an external Qwiic magnetometer served as a workaround.
• Decoupling capacitors are key to mitigating high-frequency power rail noise near sensitive ICs.

I quit drinking for a year

Key Points

• Abstinence eliminated decision fatigue and proved easier than moderation.
• Non-alcohol substitutes (desserts, tea) helped manage cravings for “a thing.”
• Sleep quality improved notably during the alcohol-free year.

Show HN: AgentSwift – Open-source iOS builder agent

Key Points

• Automates discovery, implementation, build, and validation for Xcode projects using Claude.
• Requires macOS, Xcode, Node.js/npm, plus xcodebuildmcp and openspec CLIs with an Anthropic API key.
• Offers model choices (Claude Opus 4.7 or Sonnet 4.6) and features like message queuing, build caching, and error escalation.

Show HN: 49Agents – Infinite canvas IDE for AI agents

Key Points

• Infinite, zoomable canvas unifies terminals, Monaco editor, and project tools.
• Multi-machine agents connect via WSS relay with HUD for resource and Claude API usage.
• Self-hosted, no server-side terminal data; BSL 1.1 today, MIT in 2030.

Ted Nyman – High Performance Git

Key Points

• Git is analyzed as layered systems beyond version control, with performance trade-offs in each.
• Core internals (objects, refs, index, history traversal) are explained before advanced optimization topics.
• Practical guidance covers scaling, diagnostics, configuration, and recovery for large or complex repos.

Mo RAM, Mo Problems

Key Points

• Performance dropped from 44.6 fps to 33 fps after increasing RAM.
• 430FX cacheable memory limits caused OS/apps to run outside L2 cache.
• Reducing RAM to within the cacheable range restored performance.

HVD Bodedo

Key Points

• They carved a Bodoni-inspired alphabet from potatoes and stamped it on paper.
• The stamped forms were digitized into a new font called “Bodedo.”
• The project contrasts precise vector workflows with a tactile, experimental approach.

Open Weights Kill the Moat

Key Points

• Open‑weight models are narrowing the gap with closed systems and driving down costs.
• U.S. labs’ trillion‑dollar capex and valuations rely on monopoly‑grade margins that a commodity outcome jeopardizes.
• Predicted U.S. responses: regulatory enclosure, vertical integration, and a split domestic/global market; build on the commons now.

Show HN: Waiting for LLMs Suck – Give your user a game

Key Points

• Five 1‑bit, single-canvas, one-button mini-games with shared combo/achievement systems.
• SSR-safe, zero dependencies, unified input, and optional localStorage persistence.
• Simple React API with npm install and examples for integrating during async tasks like LLM requests.

Claire's closes all 154 stores in UK and Ireland with loss of 1,300 jobs

Key Points

• All 154 UK and Ireland standalone stores closed; 1,300+ redundancies.
• 350 concessions remain open despite closures.
• Competition from online discounters and changing consumer tastes contributed to decline.

Pgrx: Build Postgres Extensions with Rust

Key Points

• cargo-pgrx manages creation, testing across versions, and packaging of Rust-based PostgreSQL extensions.
• Safety features convert Rust panics to PostgreSQL ERRORs and provide macros for UDFs, triggers, and guarded FFI.
• Tested on major platforms and requires Rust toolchain, libclang, a C compiler, and PostgreSQL build dependencies.

LingBot-Map: Streaming 3D reconstruction with geometric context transformer

Key Points

• Uses GCA to maintain compact streaming memory (anchor, local window, trajectory tokens).
• Achieves near-constant per‑frame compute/memory on 10k+ frames at ~20 FPS.
• Code and models available (arXiv report, GitHub, Hugging Face, ModelScope) with demos and benchmark references.

San Francisco, AI capital of the world, is an economic laggard

Key Points

• San Francisco is depicted as the global AI hub with leading labs OpenAI and Anthropic.
• The city hosts 91 AI unicorns valued at roughly $600 billion collectively.
• Despite AI wealth and talent concentration, San Francisco’s broader economy is lagging.