Hacker News
1Android developer verification: Early access starts
- Android is implementing new developer verification requirements to combat increasing scams and malware, particularly targeting vulnerable users in digitizing regions. After community feedback, they're creating exceptions for students/hobbyists to distribute apps to limited devices without full verification, and an advanced flow for experienced users to install unverified apps with proper warnings. Early access for developer verification is now available.
Alternative app stores and sideloading concerns
Users want to install apps from F-Droid and other alternative stores without Google's authorization. Discussion centers on how Google's verification requirements are about control rather than security, with F-Droid providing better protection against malicious apps than Google Play Store.Government pressure and regulatory compliance
Google claims these verification requirements are driven by government pressure from countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand to combat scams. Users debate whether this is legitimate regulatory compliance or corporate control disguised as safety.Advanced user flow and technical workarounds
Google announces they're building an "advanced flow" for experienced users to bypass verification requirements. Discussion focuses on implementation concerns and whether this will be a one-time setting or require jumping through hoops for each installation.
2Valve is about to win the console generation
- Valve announced three new gaming products: the Steam Controller (Steam Deck controls in controller form), Steam Machine (a PC-console hybrid with PS5-level specs running SteamOS that allows full PC functionality and game development), and Steam Frame (a standalone VR headset with ARM CPU and foveated rendering). The author believes these products, especially the Steam Machine's openness and development capabilities, position Valve to win the next console generation if priced competitively.
Valve's competitive strategy
Discussion centers on whether Valve can compete with Sony/Microsoft through SteamOS licensing, backwards compatibility, no online fees, and platform openness, though concerns exist about anti-cheat compatibility and pricing challenges.Gaming on Linux and compatibility issues
Users debate the viability of Linux gaming, particularly around kernel-level anti-cheat preventing popular multiplayer games like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Battlefield from running on SteamOS.Steam Machine pricing and market positioning
Extensive discussion about whether Steam Machine can match console pricing ($400-500) or will be positioned as an entry-level PC, with skepticism about aggressive pricing given hardware costs.
3Project Euler
- Project Euler is a platform offering challenging mathematical and programming problems designed for students, adults, and professionals seeking to learn new concepts in an engaging way. With over 1.3 million registered members worldwide using 113 programming languages, the problems range in difficulty and provide inductive learning experiences where solving one problem exposes new concepts for tackling previously inaccessible challenges.
Life-changing career impact
A failed CS student struggling with addiction used Project Euler to prepare for interviews, landing a job that turned his life around. Now a successful freelancer with his own SaaS earning $2000/month, he credits PE with saving his career and life.Problem contributors and creation
Multiple users shared experiences creating Project Euler problems, including adaptations from Putnam exams and high school submissions. Contributors recently received recognition emails after years, with some problems taking 6+ years to be published.Learning progression and difficulty
Users consistently report the first 100 problems are accessible and educational, but later problems require 4+ hours each and deep number theory knowledge. Many stopped around problem 100 due to time investment vs practical learning value.
4GPT-5.1: A smarter, more conversational ChatGPT
- OpenAI released GPT-5.1 with two versions: Instant (warmer, more conversational) and Thinking (faster on simple tasks, more thorough on complex ones). Both models feature improved instruction following and adaptive reasoning. The update includes new tone customization options like Professional, Candid, and Quirky, plus granular controls for response style. Rolling out to paid users first, then free users.
Preference for direct, less conversational AI responses
Users want AI to be more factual and tool-like rather than friendly or sycophantic. Many complain about token waste from verbose responses and prefer concise answers. Custom instructions and "Efficient" mode help but don't fully solve the issue.Accuracy concerns and hallucination examples
Users share examples of ChatGPT providing incorrect information while being overly conversational, like wrong answers about Romanian Premier League players. This highlights the tension between being engaging and being accurate.OpenAI's strategic direction toward consumer engagement
Discussion about OpenAI prioritizing "warmer" interactions to increase user engagement and token usage, potentially at the expense of accuracy. This contrasts with Anthropic's more tool-focused approach for professional users.
5Checkout.com hacked, refuses ransom payment, donates to security labs
- Checkout.com was targeted by cybercriminals who accessed a legacy third-party cloud storage system from 2020, affecting less than 25% of current merchants. No payment data, funds, or card numbers were compromised. The company refuses to pay ransom and will donate that amount to cybersecurity research instead.
Quality of company's response to breach
Mixed reactions to Checkout.com's public apology and handling. Some praised the direct "we are sorry" statement and transparency as refreshing compared to typical corporate responses, while others criticized it as empty virtue signaling without technical details or compensation for affected customers.Debate over paying ransoms
Discussion split on whether companies should pay ransomware demands. Some argued paying protects customers' data, while others emphasized never paying ransoms funds criminal operations and encourages future attacks. Checkout.com donated the ransom amount to universities instead.Technical insights into hacking methods
First-hand account from someone who knew arrested ShinyHunters members revealed their primary attack methods: persistent phishing campaigns and scanning GitHub for leaked API keys. The breach occurred through a legacy third-party system that wasn't properly decommissioned.
6Human Fovea Detector
Visual perception and eye tracking
Discussion about saccades, smooth eye movements, and how eyes can only track smoothly when following moving objects. Also covers Maxwell's Spot illusion and how different prescription glasses affect the perception of the visual effect.Health concerns and migraine triggers
Multiple users reported immediate migraines, visual auras, and discomfort from viewing the shader. Discussion about seizure risks and the need to check for potential triggers in visual content.Technical aspects and accessibility
Covers Shadertoy's previous traffic issues, scale parameter adjustments for different screen types, and technical problems with viewing the effect on various devices and visual conditions.
7Britain's railway privatization was an abject failure
- The UK's railway privatization from 1988-1997 fragmented an integrated system into competing companies, leading to safety disasters, infrastructure neglect, and financial failures. Despite promises of improved service through competition, privatization resulted in overcrowding, reduced investment, and multiple franchise collapses, forcing partial renationalization of infrastructure and some operations.
Safety claims and privatization impact
Debate over whether railway safety improved or worsened post-privatization. One side argues deaths per billion kilometers fell consistently, while others point to major accidents like Potters Bar and Hatfield occurring immediately after privatization before ridership grew significantly.Privatization success stories and alternatives
Discussion of whether any privatization efforts have succeeded, with examples from Japan's rail system, telecommunications, and airlines. Participants explore mixed public-private models used in Europe and debate the effectiveness of different ownership structures.Cost, subsidies and worker compensation
Arguments about high rail costs being partly due to well-paid workers (train drivers earning pilot-level wages) and their strike leverage. Discussion covers whether subsidies matter more than ownership structure, with comparisons to other European systems.
8Zed is our office
- Zed Industries conducts their entire Monday all-hands meeting within their own collaborative code editor, Zed. The company built collaboration features into Zed's core using CRDTs for seamless real-time editing, GitHub authentication, and integrated audio/screen sharing. Their virtual office uses hierarchical channels for company discussions, project work, and focus time, with dedicated spaces for weekly planning, retrospectives, and Friday demos where team members showcase their work.
Core stability issues
Users report fundamental problems with Zed's basic editor functionality, including file sync issues, broken AI features in containers, and display problems on certain screens. Many prefer returning to NeoVIM due to reliability concerns.Collaboration features and utility
Mixed reactions to Zed's collaborative editing capabilities. Some find real-time multi-user editing impractical for serious coding work, while others see value for training and code reviews. Self-hosting limitations concern enterprise users.Business model and feature priorities
Discussion around Zed's focus on collaboration and AI features as revenue strategies rather than core editor improvements. Users question whether these advanced features are necessary when basic functionality needs work.
9My dad could still be alive, but he's not
- A father died from a heart attack at age 57 after waiting 30 minutes for an ambulance that never arrived. Despite calling 911 twice and being advised to wait, the family eventually drove him to the hospital themselves, where he collapsed and died on the front steps. The author reflects on systemic failures and how following official guidance cost their father his life.
Ambulance response times and system failures
Discussion reveals widespread ambulance delays, particularly in Toronto where response times increased from 12 to 14.5 minutes, with 1,200 occasions of no available ambulances in 2023. Similar issues reported in UK, Australia, and rural US areas due to underfunding and staff shortages.Medical emergency decision-making and following official advice
Debate over whether to wait for ambulances vs. self-transport to hospitals. Many argue official advice prioritizes legal liability over patient outcomes, while others note guidelines are statistically correct but may fail in edge cases.First responder and community emergency response programs
Discussion of volunteer first responder organizations that can arrive faster than ambulances, equipped with basic life support equipment. These community programs help bridge gaps in emergency response times with <5 minute response rates.
10Meta replaces WhatsApp for Windows with web wrapper
- WhatsApp on Windows 11 has received a controversial update that replaces its native UWP app with a WebView2 container that simply loads the web version. The new app uses dramatically more RAM (up to 2GB vs 190MB for the old version) and performs poorly with sluggish loading times and notification issues.
Coordination costs and development efficiency
A WhatsApp designer explains that native desktop apps are unviable for large companies due to nonlinear coordination complexity when launching features across platforms. While small companies can manage native apps, large organizations find web-based solutions easier to coordinate, even though this sacrifices user experience for developer convenience.Resource consumption and performance regression
Users lament the dramatic increase in memory usage from ~100MB to 1GB for basic chat functionality, contrasting this with efficient applications from decades past that ran video calls on 128MB RAM. The discussion highlights how modern software has regressed in efficiency despite hardware improvements.Native vs web application tradeoffs
Users debate the merits of the old native WhatsApp app versus the new web wrapper, with some reporting the native version was buggy and unreliable while others praise its efficiency. The consensus is that while the web version uses more resources, it may actually work better despite the bloat.