Hacker NewsThursday, December 18

Astral has announced the Beta release of ty, an extremely fast Python type checker and language server written in Rust. ty is 10-60x faster than mypy and Pyright without caching, and even faster in editors with incremental updates. It features advanced type checking capabilities, world-class diagnostics, and supports all modern language server features through VS Code extension and Language Server Protocol.

The new Mozilla CEO mentioned in a Verge interview that blocking ad blockers in Firefox could generate $150 million but stated he doesn't want to pursue this as it feels "off-mission." The author interprets this as keeping the option open and expresses concern that removing Firefox's ad-blocking advantage over Chromium would alienate Mozilla's core privacy-focused user base, potentially damaging the project since these users often influence others' tech choices.

Graphics industry veteran Sebastian Aaltonen discusses the evolution of graphics APIs over 30 years, from early 3D accelerators like 3dFX Voodoo to modern low-level APIs like DirectX 12, Vulkan, and Metal. He explains how these "modern" APIs, now 10 years old, were designed for older GPU architectures and may need simplification for today's hardware.

Martin Kleppmann argues that AI will bring formal verification into mainstream software development by making proof writing vastly cheaper through LLM assistance. While formal verification has historically required PhD-level expertise and enormous effort, AI coding assistants are becoming capable of generating proof scripts. This creates both an opportunity to verify more software economically and a necessity to formally verify AI-generated code rather than relying on human review. The precision of formal verification systems naturally counteracts AI's probabilistic nature, making this a promising application where hallucinations are caught by proof checkers.

The essay contrasts "thick desires" that transform you through pursuit (like learning calculus) with "thin desires" that provide instant gratification without growth (like checking notifications). Modern technology exploits this by delivering neurological rewards without meaningful fulfillment, leaving people anxious despite being more connected. The solution isn't grand programs but small acts like baking bread, writing letters by hand, or coding for one person - activities that restore patience and genuine satisfaction outside the optimization economy.

This content provides various resources and documentation for Google's Gemini 3 Flash AI model, including API documentation, developer blog posts, model specifications, and integration details for Google Search's AI mode functionality.

AWS CEO Matt Garman argues against replacing junior developers with AI, citing three key reasons: junior employees are often more skilled with AI tools than seniors, they're the least expensive so cutting them doesn't save much money, and removing them breaks the talent pipeline companies need for future growth. He believes AI will ultimately create more jobs than it eliminates.

Anthony Enzor-DeMeo becomes Mozilla's new CEO, succeeding interim CEO Laura Chambers. He outlines Mozilla's vision to become the world's most trusted software company by building products that give users agency over privacy and AI, diversifying revenue beyond search, and expanding Firefox into a broader ecosystem of trusted software while maintaining transparency and user control as core principles.

Waterfox's creator criticizes Mozilla's AI-focused strategy, arguing that black-box large language models undermine browser transparency and user control. While Mozilla chases mainstream users with AI features, Waterfox commits to remaining a simple, trustworthy browser without LLMs, serving users who value independence over AI integration.

Discussion of GenAI Showdown benchmark results showing GPT-image-1.5's improvements in localized editing and prompt compliance, with debates about benchmark reliability when models are trained after benchmark release.