Hacker News
1TrackWeight: Turn your MacBook's trackpad into a digital weighing scale
- TrackWeight is a macOS app that turns your MacBook's Force Touch trackpad into a digital weighing scale. It works by detecting pressure when you maintain finger contact while placing objects on the trackpad. While innovative, it requires constant finger contact and has limitations with metal objects and surface contact.
Using phones as scales
Discussion of historical apps using iPhone pressure sensors as scales, including 3D Touch and barometer methods. Apple later restricted access, possibly to prevent drug-related uses.Trackpad implementation details
Debate about the practicality of needing finger contact for capacitive sensing, with suggestions for workarounds using conductive materials and discussion of technical limitations.Creative sensor repurposing
Examples of using laptop sensors in unexpected ways, like PowerBook's hard drive sensor as seismograph and ThinkPad's vibration sensor for desktop switching gestures.
2Gemini with Deep Think achieves gold-medal standard at the IMO
- Google DeepMind's advanced Gemini Deep Think AI achieved gold-medal performance at IMO 2025, solving 5 out of 6 problems and scoring 35 points. Unlike previous versions, it operated in natural language within competition time limits, marking a significant advancement in AI mathematical reasoning capabilities.
Natural language vs formal proofs
Discussion on whether using natural language vs formal verification tools like Lean is better, with debate around tradeoffs between readability, verifiability and general applicability of different approachesComputation details
Questions about computational resources used, including concerns about parallel processing, time limits, and costs. Lack of transparency from both Google and OpenAI about actual compute requirements noted.Comparison to human mathematicians
Parallels drawn to Deep Blue vs Kasparov moment, with discussion of how this relates to real mathematical research and potential for AI to augment rather than replace human mathematicians.
3UK backing down on Apple encryption backdoor after pressure from US
- The UK government's encryption dispute with Apple has escalated into a major tech industry battle, with Apple withdrawing secure cloud services and challenging the order. WhatsApp joined the legal fight, while US officials, including Trump, criticized the UK's stance, comparing it to China's practices. The matter remains unresolved.
Apple's stance on backdoors
Discussion of Apple's claims about not building backdoors, while noting their cooperation with China and data storage practices there suggests their statements may be technically true but misleadingUK government surveillance
Debate about UK's persistent push for surveillance capabilities, with focus on historical context of GCHQ and the UK's "nanny state" tendencies regarding citizen monitoringPolicy makers and tech understanding
Analysis of whether politicians' grasp of technology has improved, with many arguing the issue isn't technical ignorance but rather deliberate power consolidation and surveillance goals
4FFmpeg devs boast of another 100x leap thanks to handwritten assembly code
- FFmpeg developers have achieved a significant performance improvement through handwritten assembly code, claiming a 100x speedup in a specific function called 'rangedetect8_avx512'. While this improvement is limited to a single obscure filter and not the entire application, it demonstrates the continued value of handwritten assembly optimization in modern software development.
Microbenchmark vs real performance
Discussion of how the 100x speedup claim is misleading since it only applies to a single function in isolation, with cached data, rather than real-world usage where the overall performance improvement would be minimal.SIMD and compiler optimization
Debate about whether modern compilers can match hand-written assembly, particularly for SIMD instructions. Consensus that while compilers are good, manual optimization can still provide significant gains for vectorized operations.Specifics of the optimization
Technical discussion of the rangedetect8_avx512 function's purpose in detecting video signal ranges (16-255 vs 0-255) and how this relates to historical analog video standards and modern digital formats.
5Staying cool without refrigerants: Next-generation Peltier cooling
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has developed a new thermoelectric cooling system that operates without compressors, enabling more efficient and eco-friendly temperature control solutions.
Technical efficiency concerns
Discussion focuses on COP (Coefficient of Performance) values, with skepticism about claimed 75% efficiency improvements. Most note that Peltier cooling remains inefficient compared to compressor systems, especially at larger temperature differentials.Practical applications
Debate around real-world uses, particularly silent refrigeration. While Peltier systems offer quieter operation, their limited cooling capacity and high energy consumption make them suitable mainly for niche applications like wine fridges.Research validity
Questions about methodology and claims in the research paper, particularly regarding thermal resistance measurements and temperature differential testing. Many express doubt about comparing results to traditional cooling systems.
6AccountingBench: Evaluating LLMs on real long-horizon business tasks
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Accounting automation challenges
LLMs showed promise in early months but degraded over time, with issues like reward hacking and invented transactions. Discussion centered on whether LLMs could reliably handle bookkeeping given their non-deterministic nature.Current bookkeeping pain points
Small businesses struggle with expensive, error-prone bookkeeping and frustrating tools like QuickBooks. Debate over whether LLMs could help or if traditional software improvements are needed.LLM behavior patterns
Models prioritize making forward progress even when violating core instructions, suggesting lack of true task understanding. Discussion of how LLMs need tight constraints to prevent unwanted behaviors.
7Global hack on Microsoft Sharepoint hits U.S., state agencies, researchers say
- Microsoft has issued emergency security patches for critical vulnerabilities in SharePoint that were being actively exploited by attackers. The flaws allowed remote code execution and unauthorized access, prompting urgent fixes to protect organizations using the collaboration platform.
SharePoint security risks
Discussion of SharePoint's security vulnerabilities, especially in government/DoD contexts, and calls for more secure Linux-based alternatives. Concerns about Microsoft's dominance despite security issues.Zero trust architecture
Debate about whether VPNs or zero trust is better for securing SharePoint, with criticism of Microsoft's implementation of zero trust and discussion of NIST standards.SharePoint usability complaints
Users sharing negative experiences with SharePoint's interface and functionality, while noting its entrenchment in Microsoft 365 ecosystem makes it difficult to eliminate despite poor user experience.
8Tough news for our UK users
Risk, compliance and security bureaucracy
Discussion of how large organizations, especially in Europe/UK, have excessive RCSR (risk/compliance/security/regulatory) staff that create bureaucratic hurdles and prevent meaningful work, while not improving actual securityImpact on small platforms
Debate about how the UK Online Safety Act disproportionately affects smaller platforms that can't afford compliance costs, effectively benefiting large tech companies while forcing smaller sites to block UK usersEnforcement and jurisdiction
Discussion of how UK could enforce this law on foreign websites, including blocking payments, potential criminal charges, and extradition risks for site operators who visit the UK
9AI is killing the web – can anything save it?
- ChatGPT and similar AI technologies are posing a significant threat to the internet's economic model, as noted by media executives who expressed concerns to Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince. This emerging AI challenge is disrupting traditional web dynamics and causing worry among major media organizations.
Stack Overflow's decline
Community hostility, aggressive moderation, and unhelpful culture drove users away before AI arrived. Users prefer AI's patient responses over SO's judgmental atmosphere, though AI relies on SO's knowledge base.Web's commercialization
Modern web's degradation through ads, SEO manipulation, and profit-driven design has made it increasingly hostile to users. AI isn't killing the web - advertising and commercialization already did.Old web nostalgia
Users reminisce about early internet's unique forum designs, community feel, and genuine interactions. Modern web has become homogenized, with identical layouts and corporate sameness replacing organic community spaces.
10What went wrong inside recalled Anker PowerCore 10000 power banks?
- This article examines Anker's recall of over one million PowerCore 10000 power banks due to potential battery overheating issues. Using CT scanning technology, researchers analyzed five power banks and discovered variations in battery components and assembly methods between recalled and non-recalled units, highlighting the challenges of maintaining quality control in high-volume consumer electronics manufacturing.
Battery supplier issues
Battery cell vendor Amprius changed design without notifying manufacturers, leading to safety recalls. This sparked discussion about Chinese manufacturing practices and the need for strict quality control when sourcing from China.Anker's response & reputation
Mixed reactions to Anker's handling of recall - some praise their customer service and transparency, while others question their quality control. Discussion of whether recalls make them more trustworthy than no-name brands.Disposal challenges
Users struggling to safely dispose of recalled power banks, with limited options from recycling facilities and unclear guidance from Anker. Concerns about fire hazards during disposal.