TL;DR summary of stories on the internet
The author expresses frustration at being told by Advantage Air that they needed to replace the entire control system for $1245 when only the cheap tablet failed. After unsuccessful attempts to fix the tablet, the author takes matters into their own hands by discovering a hidden USB port and modifying the software to work with […]
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This article explores Formaster Corporation’s Copy-Lock protection technology used on King’s Quest I for IBM PC. The protection technique involves setting bad CRC values in sectors, misleading sector IDs, and manipulating sector sizes to thwart unauthorized duplication and use. By implementing Read Track commands instead of Read Data, Copy-Lock evades simple sector-based copying methods. The […]
Signal, born from a merging of encryption apps RedPhone and TextSecure, has evolved from a cypherpunk project to a mainstream encrypted communication platform with millions of users. Led by tech critic Meredith Whittaker, Signal stands out as a nonprofit that prioritizes privacy, operates without ads or investor funding, and aims to challenge surveillance capitalism. With […]
The alpha version of COSMIC, a new desktop environment for Pop!_OS and other Linux distros, has been released with new features, customization, performance, stability, and security. While bugs are expected in this alpha state, feedback so far has been positive, praising its speed and potential. The design system and app templates aim to provide a […]
The author delves into the potential decline of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), highlighting the factors that have traditionally supported its growth. The diminishing industry and labor surplus, decreased investment in non-“AI” software, COVID-related industry growth reassessment, lay-offs affecting coder employment and participation in FOSS, and the sustainability challenges faced by many FOSS projects […]
The article discusses how thermal states of local Hamiltonians are separable above a certain temperature threshold, challenging traditional beliefs about quantum correlations in Gibbs states. Surprisingly, the presence of short-range quantum correlations diminishes at higher temperatures, upending previous assumptions. Additionally, the study demonstrates the efficient sampling from a distribution over product states, highlighting the limitations […]
At first glance, the beautiful homes on Am Fischtal in Berlin seem perfectly harmonious. However, a closer look unveils a historical ‘roof war’ that embodies the deep-seated conflicts in pre-Nazi Germany. Flat roofs, favored by Modernists, were pitted against pitched roofs, seen as a link to traditional German architecture. Two competing communities, Onkel Toms Hütte […]
Developers are showcasing their creativity and talent with a variety of personal projects on GitHub. From reinventing SuperCollider using Python and JIT compilation to creating a probiotic solution for plant digestion challenges, the projects cover a wide range of interests and skills. Some projects are seeking early feedback, while others explore new technologies like LoRaWAN […]
We are developing a type system for Elixir that enables sound gradual typing, safely combining static and dynamic code. Most programming languages only catch typing errors, not runtime errors like division by zero. In Elixir, handling empty lists can be done through head functions that may raise errors or return option types. Distinguishing between empty […]
Interactive PDF Analysis (IPA) allows researchers to explore PDF files in-depth, extracting payloads, understanding object relationships, and identifying elements relevant to identifying malicious content. Inspired by Zynamics’ PDF dissector, IPA simplifies analysis of PDF files, providing a graphical interface to visualize object relationships, export stream content, and display dictionary content. IPA does not require additional […]