TL;DR summary of stories on the internet
The author discusses the common internet issues faced by companies with remote employees and ISPs alike. They highlight the importance of bandwidth and latency in internet performance, explaining how excessive latency can lead to poor video call quality and disconnections. The author introduces the concept of bufferbloat and the importance of good router software. They […]
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Last year, the GOV.UK Design System launched the Exit this Page component (EtP), a safety tool for people in potentially violent situations to quickly leave a webpage. Instead of using the Escape key, which had too many conflicting functions, they chose to use the Shift key. Shift has its own set of challenges, including issues […]
The author reflects on a recent encounter with a plumber and uses it as a metaphor for software engineers interacting with product teams. The plumber presented various expensive options for fixing potential issues, drawing comparisons to how product teams ask for features without considering technical constraints. The article emphasizes the importance of negotiating with product […]
In celebrating its 30th anniversary, Dookie has taken a unique and daring approach with its remastering. Instead of the usual enhancements, the album has been intentionally manipulated to fit on various low-fidelity formats like wax cylinders, answering machines, and even toothbrushes. Dookie Demastered disrupts traditional punk rock format by spreading across 15 obscure platforms, sacrificing […]
The Internet Archive was hacked, with a pop-up claiming a security breach incorporating a playful message about the site’s vulnerabilities. The breach included leaked information for 31 million email addresses, leading to a slow loading site. Despite taking steps to address the breach, including disabling the JavaScript library and upgrading security, the site faced a […]
A LibreDrive is a unique mode of operation for optical disc drives (DVD, Blu-ray, UHD) that allows for unrestricted access to the data on the disc without any firmware restrictions. This means a LibreDrive will never refuse to read data or declare itself “revoked”. To access UHD discs, a LibreDrive-compatible drive is necessary. The idea […]
Billionaires are mysterious like black holes, with their wealth hard to pin down. The late Fayez Sarofim, a hidden billionaire who made his fortune through private investments, may have been responsible for a record-high $7 billion estate tax payment in February 2023. Sarofim’s meticulous investment strategy in blue-chip US stocks over six decades likely made […]
A recent relaxation of official rules regarding the use of apostrophes in German has caused controversy among grammar sticklers and sparked existential fears about the influence of English. The traditional German practice does not include apostrophes to indicate possession or the genitive case. However, a new rule issued by the Council for German Orthography allows […]
E.F. Codd’s 1970 paper on the relational data model revolutionized the database industry, laying the groundwork for today’s most widely used business data format. The paper introduced key concepts like data independence and normalization, shaping the way data was stored and accessed. In the 1970s, the rise of relational database products like SQL marked a […]
Gustav Klimt revolutionized modern art with his use of gold leaf in his sinuous and erotic depictions of women in the early 20th century. His iconic masterpiece, “The Kiss”, marked the peak of his celebrated “Golden Phase”. Despite this, the golden-laced works represent just a small portion of his vast repertoire, showcasing his rebellious spirit […]