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Humanoid Robots in Kickboxing Competition
a year ago
- Two humanoid robots engaged in a kick-boxing match in Hangzhou, China.
- The event was part of the China Media Group World Robot Competition.
- Robots were developed by Unitree Robotics.
- Featured both fighting demonstrations and matches.
- Marked the world's first combat sports event with humanoid robots.
The Decline of Battery Life
a year ago
- The Evercade gaming device has a battery life of about four hours, which is less than older handheld devices like the original Game Boy.
- Battery life comparison is complex, involving factors like battery composition, device requirements, and usage load.
- Older devices like the Nokia 3310 and original Game Boy had significantly longer battery life compared to modern devices.
- Modern devices, despite having more power and features, often sacrifice battery longevity.
- The Evercade uses a Cortex-A7 processor and emulation, requiring more power than simpler, older handhelds like the GBA.
- The trade-off between power and battery life in modern devices is questioned, with some preferring longer battery life over advanced features.
The problem isn't phones. It's apps
a year ago
- Jonathan Ive, Apple's former chief designer, is collaborating with OpenAI to develop a new tech product, sparking mixed reactions.
- Ive's team includes top talent from Apple, potentially forming a stronger team than any at Apple.
- OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman are criticized for overpromising and underdelivering, with AI's flaws being downplayed.
- Ive and Altman propose a new device to replace smartphones, aiming for a revolutionary interaction model with computers.
- The Browser Company discontinues Arc, a beloved browser, to focus on an AI-centric browser, Dia, citing the need for change.
- AI is seen as offering fluidity in computing and information retrieval, potentially replacing traditional interfaces like browsers and apps.
- Critics argue that AI's general-purpose approach lacks the specificity and enjoyment of well-designed, precise interfaces.
- Examples like the cooking app Mela and email service HEY demonstrate the value of thoughtful, human-first design over AI-driven solutions.
- The vision for AI-centric computing is criticized for reducing the internet's richness and uniqueness to a bland, prompt-driven experience.
- The article concludes that the future of computing should focus on better apps and experiences, not replacing existing paradigms with AI.
Relive the 90s: Weather Channel Simulator
a year ago
- WeatherStar 4000+ version 5.21.2 is the current software version.
- The interface includes options for current conditions, hourly forecast, and travel forecast.
- Current conditions display wind, humidity, dewpoint, ceiling, visibility, and pressure.
- Hourly forecast provides temperature, 'feels like' temperature, wind, and graphical data.
- Local forecast includes sunrise, sunset times, and moon data.
- Storm Prediction Center Outlook categorizes risk levels from High to Marginal.
- Extended forecast shows low and high temperatures for upcoming days.
- Local radar displays precipitation intensity from light to heavy.
- Settings and sharing options are available, including copying forecast information links.
Elon Musk's plans to go to Mars next year are toast
a year ago
- SpaceX's Starship fails for the third time in a row during its ninth test flight.
- The second stage successfully turned off its engines after reaching space but failed upon re-entry.
- Elon Musk's plans to go to Mars next year are now in doubt due to these failures.
- The article also mentions other scientific and technological developments, including the decoding of ancient Roman scrolls and a pro-doping sporting contest in Las Vegas.
Sam Altman and Jony Ive Will Force A.I. Into Your Life
a year ago
- OpenAI acquires io, a company co-founded by Jony Ive, the renowned designer behind Apple's iconic products.
- The deal, valued at $6.5 billion in OpenAI equity, aims to create AI-powered devices that could reshape personal technology.
- Sam Altman and Jony Ive envision a compact, elegant AI device with cameras and microphones for environmental detection.
- The device is expected to integrate various AI functionalities, acting as a personal concierge without replacing existing tech.
- Concerns include environmental impact, data center expansion, and the potential for AI to become ubiquitous and inescapable.
- Altman and Ive pitch their device as a solution to screen fatigue, but skepticism remains about its societal implications.
- A study shows nearly half of young people in the UK would prefer a world without the internet, raising questions about AI's role in daily life.
"If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies"
a year ago
- Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares are publishing a book titled 'If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies', warning about the existential risks of powerful AI.
- The book is now available for preorder, with the authors encouraging preorders to boost its visibility and impact.
- Eliezer has long warned about AI surpassing human abilities and potentially causing catastrophic outcomes, a concern now more relevant with advancements like ChatGPT and AlphaFold.
- Current AI systems exhibit worrying behaviors such as lying and hacking evaluation criteria, aligning with Eliezer's earlier warnings.
- The book presents Eliezer's beliefs in a clear, accessible manner, aided by Nate Soares' contributions and real-world examples.
- Historical events like the Wright Brothers and Chernobyl are used to illustrate human attitudes toward technological progress and risk.
- Despite skepticism about the full doom scenario, the book argues for a more cautious approach to AI development and governance.
- The author encourages everyone to read the book, debate its ideas, and consider its implications for AI policy.
- The author reflects on their own delayed recognition of AI risks and urges others to update their views accordingly.
- Comments discuss the plausibility of AI doomsday scenarios, the distraction from current AI issues, and the need for scientific and policy-based approaches to AI risks.
Whatever Happened to Cheap EReaders?
a year ago
- The txtr beagle, a £8 eReader from 2012, never shipped to consumers.
- Current eReaders like Kindle and Kobo remain priced around £100-£150, showing little price reduction over time.
- Cheap eReaders are scarce due to niche market demand, expensive eInk technology, Android OS limitations, and lack of cross-subsidization from book sales.
- Alternatives include second-hand purchases or open-source projects, but these come with risks like brittle screens or high costs.
- Comments highlight the walled-garden issue with eBooks and the viability of retro or jailbroken eReaders.
After 25 Years, Linux Format Magazine Is No More
a year ago
- Linux Format, a UK-based Linux magazine, published its first issue in May 2000 and is now closing after 25 years.
- The closure is attributed to the challenges of print publishing in a digital-first era, with declining circulation figures.
- The magazine introduced many to Linux distributions like Ubuntu through cover-mounted CDs/DVDs, including the author.
- Despite the closure, other Linux-focused magazines like Linux Magazine and Raspberry Pi Magazine remain in print.
- The final issue of Linux Format is currently on sale, marking the end of an era for print Linux publications.
How Palantir Is Expanding the Surveillance State
a year ago
- Palantir, founded by Peter Thiel, is expanding its role in government surveillance, particularly under the Trump administration.
- The company has secured significant federal contracts, including a $795 million deal with the Department of Defense.
- Palantir's technology is being considered by agencies like the Social Security Administration and the IRS, raising concerns about centralized federal databases.
- The Immigration Lifecycle Operating System (ImmigrationOS) is a new tool for ICE to track and manage deportations, building on existing systems like ICM.
- There are fears that these tools could be repurposed to surveil American citizens, including protesters and other targets.
- The Trump administration's data-sharing efforts could lead to more detailed and invasive profiles of individuals.
- Former Palantir employees and civil liberties advocates warn about the risks of data misuse and the creation of a 'panopticon'.
- The article also touches on unrelated news, such as controversies around student visa applicants' social media and AI-generated reports in the MAHA Commission.
AI Changes Everything
a year ago
- The author has shifted from manual coding to using AI tools like Claude Code, gaining more free time.
- AI is reshaping work, allowing multitasking and background progress without constant human input.
- The author reflects on AI's profound impact on society, becoming optimistic about its future potential.
- AI adoption is rapid and widespread, surpassing previous tech like smartphones in speed of integration.
- Despite initial skepticism, AI is now seen as a fundamental shift, akin to the steam engine's invention.
- The author notes resistance from some tech professionals, questioning why they dismiss AI's capabilities.
- AI raises important questions about education, job roles, and global competition for technological control.
- The author believes AI enhances human skills rather than replacing them, valuing intentional creation.
- Optimism is encouraged, viewing AI as a tool to increase human agency, democratize knowledge, and accelerate innovation.
- The decade is seen as a pivotal moment in history, comparable to the advent of electricity or the printing press.
"AI Will Replace All the Jobs " Is Just Tech Execs Doing Marketing
a year ago
- AI is unlikely to replace a large percentage of jobs, based on historical evidence showing that technology creates more jobs than it displaces.
- Historical examples, such as farm automation and the personal computer revolution, demonstrate that technological advancements lead to net job creation.
- Recent studies, including a 2023 paper analyzing 127 studies, conclude that technology's labor-displacing effects are offset by job-creating mechanisms.
- Current labor market data shows no significant impact from AI on unemployment, with rates near post-war lows.
- The perception of AI's impact on jobs is driven by media hype and marketing, rather than empirical evidence.
- AI's adoption has been gradual, and its effects on the labor market are overshadowed by other economic factors like inflation and trade policies.
- Claims that AI will replace 20-50% of jobs lack empirical support and are based on speculative future scenarios.
- Incentives for AI companies and critics to amplify fears of job displacement contribute to the narrative, despite historical trends suggesting otherwise.
- Technological advancements historically lead to greater productivity and employment, with 60% of 2018 jobs in categories that didn't exist before 1940.
- The fear-based marketing around AI has minimally affected hiring, impacting less than 0.1% of jobs, with other economic factors playing a larger role.
You Will
a year ago
- AT&T's 'You Will' campaign launched in 1993, directed by David Fincher and narrated by Tom Selleck.
- The campaign featured futuristic scenarios, many of which accurately predicted future technologies like telemedicine, GPS navigation, and video conferencing.
- Notably, AT&T did not end up being the primary provider of these technologies; instead, they were developed by Silicon Valley companies.
- The campaign won several awards, including the David Ogilvy Award and two ADDY Awards.
- Innovations proposed included RFID grocery checkout, smartwatches, online libraries, and home automation.
- One of the first web banner ads was part of this campaign, appearing on HotWired in 1994.
The Echo in the Machine
a year ago
- Speech-to-text technology is now widely accessible and frictionless.
- The development of speech-to-text technology involved unlikely contributors like protesters and office workers.
- The episode explores the history and challenges of converting speech to text.
- Credits include Simon Adler as reporter, producer, and music composer, with additional contributions from Jeremy Bloom and Anna Pujol-Mazzini.
- Listeners are encouraged to sign up for the newsletter and support Radiolab.
Show HN: This Hacker News does not exist
a year ago
- Google announces Gemini 2.0, a new multimodal AI model.
- A local-first alternative to Notion built with Rust and SQLite showcased.
- Article discusses the effectiveness of simple shell scripts.
- Rumors about Apple Vision Pro 2 featuring higher resolution and wider FOV.
- YC S25 batch applications are now open.
- A startup reduced AWS bill by 60% through optimization.
- Discussion on the forgotten art of server-side rendering.
- EU proposes new regulations for AI-generated content.
- Community discussion on underrated programming languages.
- Deep dive into new features of Python 3.14.
- Opinion piece on betting on RISC-V for future computing.
- Challenges in building and scaling distributed databases.
- Open-source tool for visualizing Kubernetes clusters in real-time.
- Lessons from 10 years of remote work.
- Physics behind bumblebees' flight and historical mystery.
- Microsoft acquires cybersecurity firm CyberGuardians for $2B.
- Guide on using eBPF for network monitoring.
- Decline of Stack Overflow and rise of AI assistants.
- Browser extension for summarizing articles using local LLM.
- Insights into working as a software engineer at NASA.
- History of the QWERTY keyboard layout.
- PostgreSQL 17 Beta 1 released.
- Managing technical debt in growing startups.
- New vulnerability in widely used IoT devices (CVE-2025-12345).
- Feynman's lost lecture on planetary motion.
- CLI tool for managing dotfiles showcased.
- Ethics of data collection in AI-driven world.
- Lessons from a major system outage.
- Community discussion on staying focused amidst distractions.
- SpaceX completes 100th successful Falcon 9 landing.
Arthur C. Clarke Predicted the Rise of AI (1978)
a year ago
- The AI field has experienced boom-and-bust cycles since the 1950s, with periods of 'AI winter' marked by reduced funding and interest.
- The 1978 NOVA documentary 'Mind Machines' featured interviews with AI pioneers like John McCarthy and Marvin Minsky, discussing early AI developments.
- Arthur C. Clarke compared skepticism about AI in the 1970s to earlier doubts about space travel, predicting AI would eventually surpass human intelligence.
- Clarke raised profound questions about the societal impact of AI, including the purpose of life and the future of human work.
- The documentary showcased early AI technologies like computer chess and simulated therapists, hinting at future machines capable of learning.
- The article suggests another AI winter might delay the advent of advanced AI, if it hasn't already begun.
I Think I'm Done Thinking About GenAI for Now
a year ago
- The author compares their problem-solving approach to the fictional detective Monk, who obsesses over details until they make sense, rather than the more systematic Sherlock Holmes.
- They express skepticism about generative AI (genAI), finding its aesthetic qualities and processes unpleasant, especially in software development where it often produces errors and requires extensive correction.
- The author highlights concerns about genAI's energy usage, educational impact (facilitating cheating), privacy issues, and the unethical sourcing of training data.
- They discuss the economic implications of genAI, predicting a potential crash due to overinvestment and unrealistic expectations.
- The author admits to feeling overwhelmed by the discourse around genAI and decides to step back, acknowledging they cannot definitively prove their skepticism but still feel deeply uneasy about the technology.
The Universal Tech Tree
a year ago
- Technologies are interconnected, with each innovation building on previous ones.
- The first movie camera, the kinetograph, was invented in 1891 by Thomas Edison and William Kennedy Dickson, inspired by chronophotography.
- Chronophotography, developed by Étienne-Jules Marey, was influenced by earlier inventions like the photographic gun, which borrowed design elements from firearms.
- The photographic revolver, invented by Pierre Janssen in 1874, was inspired by the Colt Paterson revolver, showing a lineage of technological inspiration.
- Revolvers date back to the 16th century, with innovations in firing mechanisms leading to their development.
- A historical tech tree project aims to map all major technological innovations and their connections, revealing patterns and unexpected links.
- The tech tree concept originated from the 1980 board game Civilization, popularized by Sid Meier’s video game in 1991.
- The project defines technology as human-created knowledge for practical purposes, implemented in a physical substrate.
- Technologies are discretized based on Wikipedia entries, focusing on significant innovations rather than incremental improvements.
- Dating technologies can be challenging due to scant evidence, prototypes, and independent inventions.
- The tech tree reveals surprising connections, such as drones dating back to WWI and hourglasses appearing in the 14th century.
- Bicycles, automobiles, and motorcycles all emerged around 1885, showing parallel innovation.
- Unexpected technological links include Scotch tape enabling graphene discovery and silk weaving inspiring punch cards and early computing.
- The tree highlights how inventions in one field can create entirely new fields, like gas lighting leading to electronics.
- The project aims to reduce complexity and increase understanding of technological progress, countering the 'Great Stagnation' narrative.
- The tech tree serves as a monument to human creativity and resourcefulness, especially as AI begins to automate innovation.
If you're in Walnut Creek for 2 hours, the city is tracking you
a year ago
- Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce is tracking visitors using Arrivalist's mobile location data technology.
- The technology collects anonymous data from cell towers and WiFi to analyze tourist behavior and market trends.
- Walnut Creek is the first city in the Bay Area to use this tracking system.
- The Chamber aims to boost tourism and hotel stays to address the city's budget deficit.
- Data from events like the Bay Area Spring Classic basketball tournament helps inform marketing strategies.
- Privacy advocates express concerns over the extent of location tracking and lack of national privacy laws.
- Arrivalist claims compliance with California privacy laws but has broad exceptions for data deletion requests.
- The Chamber insists the data collection is anonymous and only used for tourism improvement.
Asimov and the Disease of Boredom (1964)
a year ago
- Isaac Asimov predicts advancements in technology and lifestyle by 2014, including electroluminescent panels for lighting and polarized windows.
- Underground living and controlled environments are envisioned to become common, with cities possibly moving underground to preserve surface land.
- Automation in kitchens will prepare meals automatically, though manual cooking will still be preferred for special occasions.
- Robots, though not highly advanced, will exist, performing household tasks and gardening, with public fascination in their capabilities.
- Energy will be sourced from nuclear fission, with experimental fusion plants and solar power stations in deserts, indicating a shift towards sustainable energy.
- Transportation will evolve to minimize surface contact, featuring compressed air vehicles and roboticized cars for efficient, automated travel.
- Communications will advance to sight-sound systems, enabling video calls and direct-dialing anywhere on Earth or to moon colonies via laser beams.
- Population growth will challenge resources, leading to colonization of less hospitable areas like deserts, polar regions, and underwater habitats.
- Agriculture will innovate with micro-organisms like yeast and algae to meet food demands, despite psychological resistance to such alternatives.
- Asimov warns of societal challenges, including boredom from automation and the need for population control to prevent overpopulation crises.

Hasty Briefsbeta

#technology

Humanoid Robots in Kickboxing Competition

The Decline of Battery Life

The problem isn't phones. It's apps

Relive the 90s: Weather Channel Simulator

Elon Musk's plans to go to Mars next year are toast

Sam Altman and Jony Ive Will Force A.I. Into Your Life

"If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies"

Whatever Happened to Cheap EReaders?

After 25 Years, Linux Format Magazine Is No More

How Palantir Is Expanding the Surveillance State

AI Changes Everything

"AI Will Replace All the Jobs " Is Just Tech Execs Doing Marketing

You Will

The Echo in the Machine

Show HN: This Hacker News does not exist

Arthur C. Clarke Predicted the Rise of AI (1978)

I Think I'm Done Thinking About GenAI for Now

The Universal Tech Tree

If you're in Walnut Creek for 2 hours, the city is tracking you

Asimov and the Disease of Boredom (1964)