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Bethesda union members organise protest in response to Xbox layoffs
2 days ago
- Bethesda union members are organizing protests and strikes in response to mass layoffs by Xbox, affecting 440 developers across studios.
- Union OneBGS plans marches at multiple studio locations on July 15, asserting legal rights and protections due to unionization.
- Microsoft and Bethesda framed layoffs as a business model change, but the union demands bargaining for impacts like transfers, severance, and recall rights.
Show HN: Axletic – a local-first workout tracker for iPhone
3 days ago
- Log weight, reps, time, distance, and rest during workouts seamlessly
- Access over 800 exercises with photos, instructions, equipment details, and muscles worked
- Track cues, notes, and sets together for future sessions
- Visualize workouts with muscle maps to focus on balance and progress
- Compare exercises with previous sessions or averages to improve
- Monitor key metrics over time to see long-term progress
Show HN: Hidetext.sh – encrypted pastebin where the server never sees the key
3 days ago
- Share text privately without accounts or tracking
- End-to-end encrypted for secure sharing
- Features text formatting options like bold, italic, and color
- Includes 'Burn after read' functionality for self-destructing content
Information Foraging: A Theory of How People Navigate on the Web
2 days ago
- Information foraging theory explains how people navigate the web to satisfy information needs by maximizing the rate of information gain over cost.
- The theory draws an analogy with animal foraging, using terms like patch (website), scent (promise of information), and diet (sources considered).
- Users estimate information value through 'information scent' from cues like titles, images, and links, which varies based on individual goals.
- Costs include time and effort (within-patch and between-patch activities) and opportunity costs from missing other information sources.
- Enrichments are user strategies, such as scanning patterns or keyword refinement, to improve foraging efficiency, but they carry risks like extra effort or errors.
- Good user experience design can make enrichments unnecessary by optimizing page layout, scent, and search results to maximize information gain with minimal time.
ZeroFS vs. Amazon S3 Files
2 days ago
- Amazon S3 Files maintains a one-to-one mapping between files and S3 objects, allowing direct S3 API access after asynchronous export, while ZeroFS uses an internal layout with LSM trees and packed segments, trading S3 visibility for compression, encryption, and cost efficiency.
- Cold access in S3 Files can trigger imports of metadata and small files into high-performance storage, with larger files read directly from S3; ZeroFS relies on local caching and prefetching to minimize S3 requests once the working set fits locally.
- S3 Files incurs additional costs for high-performance storage, file reads, and writes, which can be significant for resident data, whereas ZeroFS costs primarily involve object storage and requests, plus infrastructure for compute and cache.
- Durability and S3 visibility differ: S3 Files writes are durable immediately but export to S3 is asynchronous, while ZeroFS's fsync ensures data and metadata are written to object storage before returning success, with no separate export step.
- Rename operations in S3 Files involve copying and deleting S3 objects, potentially causing visibility delays, while ZeroFS only updates LSM directory entries without affecting object storage layout.
The Chinese Voice Actor Forced to Prove He's Human
2 days ago
- Chinese voice actor Shen Anyu must repeatedly prove he is human due to AI clones of his voice, which are so widespread that platforms mistakenly flag his real recordings as synthetic, harming his income.
- Shen and his wife spend significant time documenting unauthorized uses of his voice, facing difficulties in removing clones through platform complaints or legal action, as infringers are hard to trace and penalties are low.
- AI voice-cloning technology has rapidly improved, allowing natural imitations from short samples, leading to job losses for Shen and other voice actors as clients opt for cheaper AI-generated voices.
- The voice-acting industry in China faces widespread issues, with performers discovering their voices used without consent in projects, sold as AI packages, or integrated into apps, undermining their livelihoods.
- Shen's career, built through years of training and hard work, is threatened as AI copies his unique style; he refuses to authorize his clone, choosing instead to fight legally despite financial and emotional strain.
I tried NetBSD as a desktop,it felt like stepping into the 90s in a good way
3 days ago
- NetBSD is a BSD-derived open-source OS with origins tracing back to the original Unix developed at Bell Labs.
- It was ported to multiple architectures, leading to the slogan 'Of course it runs NetBSD'.
- Installation involves a text-based setup similar to early '90s systems, suitable for users familiar with MS-DOS or technical Linux distros.
- By default, NetBSD is console-based; installing X Window System and a desktop like Xfce requires manual setup.
- Software management uses the pkgin package manager for binaries, allowing installation of tools like Vim and Firefox.
- NetBSD can serve as a desktop OS, especially for users comfortable with technical distros or older non-x86 hardware.
- It highlights the BSD family's role in internet history and offers an alternative to Linux for open-source enthusiasts.
AI Found a Root Bug in Linux That Everyone Missed for 15 Years
3 days ago
- Volt Typhoon hackers from China are believed to be pre-positioning within U.S. critical infrastructure, posing a disruptive threat.
- ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating over 100 cases of online critics for 'doxing and threats' against employees.
- EU's 'Chat Control' bill allows tech companies to scan personal messages to curb child abuse material, despite opposition from lawmakers.
- Madison Square Garden maintained a surveillance database categorizing celebrities and fans with labels like 'LGBTQIA' and 'DO NOT HOST'.
- Government website hijacks promising 'leaked' OnlyFans content are being countered by copyright complaints from adult content creators.
- AI discovered a 15-year-old Linux kernel bug (GhostLock, CVE-2026-43499) allowing logged-in users to gain root access, with patches unevenly available.
- Flock license plate cameras led to a reporter being wrongly detained due to a data-entry error in a stolen vehicle report.
- Accenture suffered a breach with 35 GB of data stolen, including source code and keys, impacting its role as ICE's cyber contractor.
- The Pentagon's Cyber RAP apprenticeship offers low pay ($22,584/year) to train amateur hackers, while a Senate bill proposes hiring hacker-for-hire crews.
Germany's richest man takes on Big Tech
3 days ago
- Schwarz Digits, part of the Schwarz Group, opens a new headquarters in Bad Friedrichshall, Germany, as a statement to compete with Big Tech.
- The Schwarz Group, founded by Dieter Schwarz, is a secretive retail conglomerate with significant revenue, expanding into digitalization and cloud services.
- Schwarz Digits aims to provide independent IT and cloud solutions for Europe, reducing reliance on US and Chinese technology, and has secured major contracts.
- The company is investing heavily in infrastructure, including an €11 billion data center, to attract IT talent and promote Germany as an innovation hub.
- Heilbronn is transforming into a knowledge city through initiatives like the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, education campuses, and an AI innovation park (IPAI).
- Despite smaller revenue compared to giants like Amazon, Schwarz Digits is confident in its long-term role in Europe's digital sovereignty and AI development.
Laguna XS 2.1 33B on a RTX 3090: 296 tok/s peak, 152 tok/s at 256K context
3 days ago
- Laguna XS 2.1 33B model achieves 296 tok/s peak and 152 tok/s at 256K context on a single RTX 3090 GPU using speculative decoding and optimizations.
- Key optimizations include a drafter KV ring cache, sliding-window ring caches, and KVFlash paging, making decode speed independent of context length.
- Prefill performance improved from 411 seconds to 67 seconds for 256K tokens, with remaining costs mainly from MoE expert GEMMs.
- Speculative decoding is lossless, ensuring output quality matches the model's own, as confirmed by benchmarks like GSM8K 10/10.
- The optimizations are model-agnostic and integrated into the lucebox engine, enabling efficient long-context processing on limited GPU memory.
Modern decor may be straining people's brains
3 days ago
- Striped patterns, flickering lights, and repetitive geometric designs can cause physical distress like headaches and nausea, especially for neurodivergent individuals.
- Researchers hypothesize that artificial visual patterns overload the brain's visual cortex, increasing neural activity and metabolic demands, leading to discomfort.
- People with autism, ADHD, migraines, and other conditions are more affected, possibly due to reduced ability to suppress overactive visual signals.
- Modern environments with unnatural patterns deviate from the brain's evolved preference for natural scenes, triggering stronger neural responses and discomfort.
- Flickering LED lights, car headlights, and high-contrast patterns are key triggers, with flicker causing phantom array effects that distress migraine sufferers.
- Design solutions include reducing contrast in patterns, avoiding striped panels, using predictive software, and personalized tinted glasses to alleviate symptoms.
- The review unifies cross-disciplinary research, arguing visual discomfort has a measurable brain basis and calls for collaborative efforts in design and neuroscience.
Two Case Studies of NaN
4 days ago
- Python's list equality optimization compares elements by identity first, which assumes an object always compares equal to itself, an assumption violated by NaN.
- In Lua's numerical for-loops, NaN leads to unintuitive behavior because the implementation's comparison logic breaks when checking limits and steps with NaN, which is likely an oversight.
- NaN's unique properties often cause programming language design choices or optimizations to fail, as seen in Python, Lua, and previously documented cases like Go map keys.
Why Do You Suck at Juggling?
4 days ago
- The author often recalls an anecdote about juggling that helps when feeling inadequate.
- Before the pandemic, they practiced juggling comfortably in a gym, appearing skilled with few drops.
- During the pandemic, they challenged themselves by learning a harder five-ball cascade, resulting in many drops and looking unskilled.
- Sebastian, who knew them from the gym, commented that they now 'sucked at juggling,' highlighting the paradox of progress.
- The story illustrates that pushing beyond one's comfort zone may look messy but leads to real skill development.
- The author encourages embracing difficult tasks even if they initially seem like failures, as it fosters growth.
We Put an L7 Firewall in the Kernel
4 days ago
- The firewall uses eBPF in the kernel to make HTTP/2 header decisions in nanoseconds, avoiding userspace proxy delays.
- Policy is written as JavaScript apps, allowing updates via git push without rebuilds, redeploys, or restarts.
- Matches on HTTP/2 headers like :authority, User-Agent, and source address using boolean logic rules.
- Uses XDP hook for early packet filtering, dropping packets before kernel socket allocation for minimal cost.
- Compiles banned User-Agent substrings into a single Aho-Corasick automaton for linear-time scanning, scalable to thousands of patterns.
- Handles HPACK compression by tracking the dynamic table live, ensuring header visibility across requests.
- Exposes real-time metrics via Prometheus and Grafana, including evasion attempts like fragmented headers.
- Deploys as a Docker container, currently tested in production with enterprise traffic.
The allergy culprit histamine also boosts our memory
3 days ago
- Histamine in the brain improves memory accuracy by about 10% by enhancing novelty-linked arousal.
- The drug pitolisant, used for narcolepsy, increases brain histamine levels and boosts memory-related brain connectivity.
- Pitolisant is not recommended as a 'smart drug' due to potential sleep disruptions and long-term memory harm.
- Histamine receptors in the brain are linked to learning and memory, explaining side effects of older antihistamines.
- Research confirms histamine's role in memory applies to humans, supporting interest in treating brain conditions via histamine receptors.
- Pitolisant helps restore impaired cognitive function in diseases but does not enhance cognition beyond normal levels.
Surprising lessons from my research scientist job search
4 days ago
- Only one or two papers typically matter during a job search, primarily for getting a foot in the door or deep dives during interviews.
- Interview rounds can be very diverse, including system design, parallel programming, and AI agent usage evaluations, beyond just LeetCode or behavioral questions.
- Work trials, which involve working on a task with a team for up to a week, are becoming more common and can disrupt interview preparation schedules.
- Timing is crucial in the job market, affecting opportunities based on viral work, research trends, headcounts, and exploding offers.
- Return offers for research roles are rare compared to software engineering, often dependent on headcount and team fit, even after internships or fellowships.
- Many interviews may not be directly related to your specific research topic, with a focus on general AI research fundamentals rather than niche areas like AI safety.
Elon Musk's family foundation took Tommy Robinson to Russia, says Musk's father
3 days ago
- Elon Musk's father revealed the Musk Foundation funded Tommy Robinson's trip to Russia, where he urged anti-migration protests in Britain.
- The visit coincided with Russia strengthening ties with European far-right figures, including Andrew Tate, amid claims of hybrid warfare against the West.
- Robinson praised Russia explicitly, and meetings covered topics like Russia's declining birth rate, while his phones were seized upon returning to the UK.
- Experts suggest Russia recruits such figures to undermine Western democracy, highlighting ideological alignments with ultra-nationalist movements.
Study: Cerebellum helps AI ignore the ordinary for more efficient computing
3 days ago
- Conventional AI continuously processes data even when nothing changes, leading to high energy waste.
- Researchers developed a cerebellum-inspired memtransistor that ignores expected inputs and quickly detects unexpected events with significantly lower energy use.
- The device identified abnormal heart rhythms within one-fifth of a heartbeat with over 98% accuracy, using about 10,000 times fewer operations than conventional AI.
- It uses molybdenum disulfide in an asymmetric design to switch between excitatory and inhibitory modes, mimicking the cerebellum's neural balance.
- This technology enables fast, always-on AI for wearable health monitors, autonomous vehicles, robotics, and cybersecurity, reducing reliance on energy-intensive data centers.
- The study was published in Nature Communications, and future work aims to enhance the device to learn and adapt like the cerebellum over time.
Unlocking the PSP's Dual Core Setup
3 days ago
- The PSP uses a dual-core setup, including a hidden second core called the Media Engine (ME) and a co-processor named Virtual Mobile Engine (VME).
- Developer m-cid created libraries to unlock the ME, allowing homebrew developers to easily access this core for performance enhancements in projects like the Perfect Dark port.
- Sony initially restricted ME access to the kernel to allow hardware changes in future revisions, as seen with the PS Vita, which lacks the ME and has compatibility issues with PSP homebrew.
- The VME co-processor assists with real-time audio/video decoding and hardware-accelerated 64-bit integer math, with ongoing research into its technical details and practical applications.
Google Opposes Site Blocking in Europe as US Piracy Blocking Plans Gain Momentum
3 days ago
- Google criticizes site blocking measures in the EU, citing ineffectiveness, overblocking, and harm to legitimate services.
- Google emphasizes that blocking DNS resolvers, IP addresses, and VPNs is disproportionate and easily circumvented, while advocating for better legal alternatives to combat piracy.
- U.S. lawmakers are advancing site blocking legislation, with bipartisan negotiations underway, but Google has not publicly commented on U.S. plans.

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Hasty Briefsbeta

Bethesda union members organise protest in response to Xbox layoffs

Show HN: Axletic – a local-first workout tracker for iPhone

Show HN: Hidetext.sh – encrypted pastebin where the server never sees the key

Information Foraging: A Theory of How People Navigate on the Web

ZeroFS vs. Amazon S3 Files

The Chinese Voice Actor Forced to Prove He's Human

I tried NetBSD as a desktop,it felt like stepping into the 90s in a good way

AI Found a Root Bug in Linux That Everyone Missed for 15 Years

Germany's richest man takes on Big Tech

Laguna XS 2.1 33B on a RTX 3090: 296 tok/s peak, 152 tok/s at 256K context

Modern decor may be straining people's brains

Two Case Studies of NaN

Why Do You Suck at Juggling?

We Put an L7 Firewall in the Kernel

The allergy culprit histamine also boosts our memory

Surprising lessons from my research scientist job search

Elon Musk's family foundation took Tommy Robinson to Russia, says Musk's father

Study: Cerebellum helps AI ignore the ordinary for more efficient computing

Unlocking the PSP's Dual Core Setup

Google Opposes Site Blocking in Europe as US Piracy Blocking Plans Gain Momentum