Hacker News
1“A calculator app? Anyone could make that”
- A simple webpage header identifying a calculator application attributed to Chad Nauseam.
Recursive real arithmetic
Discussion of continued fractions and recursive real arithmetic as alternatives to IEEE floating point, with debate around their practicality, benefits and limitations for representing numbers accurately in calculatorsCalculator app development
Discussion about the challenges of building good calculator apps, with many lamenting the lack of feature-complete alternatives to classic TI/HP calculators and sharing recommendations for existing appsNumber representation challenges
Exploration of fundamental limitations in representing and computing with real numbers, including discussions of computable vs uncomputable numbers and practical implications for calculations
2Jellyfin: The Free Software Media System
- Jellyfin is a free, open-source media server software that allows users to stream their personal media collection to various devices. Built by volunteers, it emphasizes user privacy with no tracking, offers complete control over media management, and is available on most platforms without any fees or hidden costs.
Jellyfin vs Plex comparison
Users debate pros/cons: Plex offers more polish but requires cloud auth and pushes unwanted features. Jellyfin is fully local/open source but has rougher edges. Many prefer Jellyfin for privacy despite limitations.Technical setup and configurations
Discussion of hardware specs, Docker containers, network setup with Tailscale/VPN, and client apps. Users share successful configurations and troubleshooting of common issues.Client app experience
Users discuss various client apps' reliability - web UI can be janky, Apple TV app needs work, Chromecast support is flaky. Infuse recommended as best Apple TV client. Android TV experience generally positive.
3Caddy – The Ultimate Server with Automatic HTTPS
- Caddy is an advanced web server that automatically handles HTTPS/TLS certificates for all sites, offering features like On-Demand TLS for custom domains, internal PKI management, and secure defaults compliant with PCI, HIPAA, and NIST requirements. It includes robust proxy capabilities, certificate automation, and efficient static file serving functionality.
Local development benefits
Users highlight Caddy's value for local testing with HTTP2, automatic HTTPS certificates, and improved performance for dev environments, especially when working with tools like Vite or testing APIs with long polling.Configuration and features
Discussion compares Caddy's simpler configuration to Nginx, noting easier cert setup but limitations like lack of dynamic modules. Users debate whether Caddy's streamlined approach outweighs Nginx's flexibility.Documentation and marketing
Users discuss mixed feelings about Caddy's marketing tone and documentation quality. While some find the promotional language off-putting, others defend the project's proven track record and reliability.
4US government struggles to rehire nuclear safety staff it laid off days ago
- The US government is attempting to rehire nuclear safety workers it fired during a mass layoff of federal employees initiated by President Trump. The dismissals affected National Nuclear Security Administration staff, raising national security concerns. The administration is now struggling to contact the fired workers.
Institutional strength vs people
Discussion about whether institutions matter or if only people's integrity matters, with some arguing institutions amplify human capability while others say institutions are only as strong as people within them.Mass firing consequences
Debate over impact of sudden mass firings at NNSA, comparing to Twitter layoffs. Focus on lost expertise, difficulty rehiring key personnel, and risks to national security from destabilizing nuclear oversight.Move fast break things approach
Criticism of applying startup "move fast and break things" mentality to government, with discussion of risks and inappropriateness of this approach for critical government functions vs private companies.
5The Sims Game Design Documents (1997)
- This appears to be a directory listing of PDF documentation files related to The Sims game development, including design documents, technical specifications, animation guides, and various other development resources. The files were last modified primarily in December 2012 and vary in size from 39K to 20MB.
Game modding and personal experience
Discussion of how The Sims inspired learning through modding, its toy-like quality allowing creative play, and personal experiences with building houses and role-playing in the game.Downloading design documents
Sharing of various command line methods to download The Sims design documents, including curl and wget approaches, along with a provided zip file containing additional custom Sims objects.Game soundtrack
Appreciation for The Sims soundtrack composed by Jerry Martin, including discussion of its impact on gameplay and how different music sets distinct moods for Build Mode versus Buy Mode.
6NASA has a list of 10 rules for software development
- This text discusses NASA's 10 rules for software development, focusing on five key rules regarding control flow, loop bounds, memory allocation, function length, and code assertions. It provides critical analysis of these rules from different perspectives, particularly comparing their relevance for spacecraft embedded systems versus general software development, while questioning the universal applicability of these guidelines across different programming contexts and languages.
The original context and purpose
Discussion emphasizes these rules target C code for critical systems, aim to enable thorough static checking, and come from NASA's experience with embedded medical devices and spacecraft systems.Safety vs practicality
Debate over whether rules are too restrictive, with many defending their importance for life-critical systems while acknowledging they may seem draconian for typical software development.Space hardware constraints
Discussion about specific requirements like avoiding garbage collection, ensuring predictable execution times, and dealing with radiation effects - factors that shaped these coding rules.
7Perplexity Deep Research
Quality and utility improvement
Debate over whether newer AI models show meaningful improvements over earlier versions like ChatGPT. Some argue recent advances are incremental, while others cite specific use cases where newer models significantly outperform older ones.Deep research feature competition
Discussion of multiple companies (Google, OpenAI, Perplexity) launching similar "Deep Research" features within months of each other, raising questions about differentiation and whether any company has sustainable competitive advantages.Output accuracy concerns
Users sharing experiences about AI responses being superficially well-structured but lacking in substantive content or accuracy, particularly when handling complex queries or specialized domain knowledge.
8Watt The Fox?
- The article discusses how Firefox and certain websites mishandle audio contexts, causing unnecessary CPU usage and battery drain. When websites create AudioContext without properly suspending it, it generates white noise and consumes extra power. Chrome automatically addresses this issue, but Firefox doesn't, leading to resource waste.
Firefox development priorities
Firefox developers acknowledge audio context issues need fixing. Community shows strong support for Firefox team while discussing development priorities and resource allocation. Many users express gratitude.Audio fingerprinting
Discussion of how websites use AudioContext for bot detection by creating unique browser signatures, with some concerns about privacy implications and CPU resource usage.Technical audio issues
Users share experiences with audio-related problems including SPDIF sync issues, DAC behavior, white noise, and power consumption concerns across different operating systems.
9Half-Life 2 and Dishonored art lead Viktor Antonov has died
- Viktor Antonov, the renowned art director of Half-Life 2 and designer of Dishonored, has passed away at age 52. Known for his brilliant and original work, he contributed to numerous notable games including Counter-Strike, Wolfenstein, Fallout 4, and Prey during his career at Valve and Arkane Studios.
Half-Life 2's impact
Discussion of HL2's revolutionary gameplay, storytelling, and enduring influence, with many considering it the most important game of a generation, particularly praising its level design and artistic directionArt direction and atmosphere
Comments on the distinctive bleakness of both Half-Life 2 and Dishonored, with notes on how it reflected Eastern European aesthetics and created memorable gaming environmentsDishonored series appreciation
Players sharing their love for Dishonored games, discussing multiple playthroughs, and noting their unique qualities, with many considering them among the best games ever made
10Deepseek R1 Distill 8B Q40 on 4 x Raspberry Pi 5
- Performance comparison of running the deepseek_r1_distill_llama_8b_q40 model on different Raspberry Pi 5 configurations. Using 4 Raspberry Pi 5 8GB devices achieved better performance (11.68 tok/s evaluation, 6.43 tok/s prediction) compared to using 2 devices (7.70 tok/s evaluation, 3.54 tok/s prediction).
Model distillation and capabilities
Discussion of how Deepseek R1 models are distilled versions of larger models like LLaMA, with debate around performance, limitations of distilled models, and concerns about marketing/branding of these modelsHardware options and tradeoffs
Comparison between Raspberry Pi clusters vs alternatives like used servers/GPUs, debate around power consumption, noise levels, and cost-effectiveness for running LLMs locallyPerformance expectations
Discussion of token generation speeds, real-world performance limitations, and context length impacts, with skepticism about reported speeds and debate around what constitutes usable performance