Hacker News
1Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them
- Bose is open-sourcing the API documentation for its SoundTouch smart speakers and extending support until May 2026. When cloud support ends, users can still use Bluetooth, AirPlay, and Spotify Connect, plus create custom tools. This rare move prevents devices from being bricked.
Praise vs. criticism of Bose's response
Users debated whether Bose deserves praise for open-sourcing API documentation after community backlash. Some argued companies should be rewarded for listening to feedback and changing course, while others felt Bose shouldn't be celebrated for doing the right thing only after pressure.Misleading "open source" claims
Multiple commenters clarified that Bose only released API documentation, not actual source code. They're removing cloud dependency and providing local controls, which is helpful but not true open-sourcing of software or hardware as the headlines suggested.Call for industry-wide adoption
Discussants advocated for this approach to become standard practice or law, preventing e-waste when companies end product support. Many expressed desire for EU regulations requiring companies to either refund users or open-source systems when discontinuing support.
2Eat Real Food
- The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize real, whole foods over processed options to combat America's health crisis where 50% have prediabetes or diabetes and 75% have chronic conditions. The guidelines introduce a new food pyramid focusing on nutrient-dense, naturally occurring foods.
Industry influence and lobbying concerns
Discussion centers on meat industry lobbying behind the new guidelines, with evidence of cattle and poultry groups claiming victory. Critics argue the emphasis on protein serves corporate interests over public health, while supporters see it as addressing genuine nutritional needs.Protein requirements and meat consumption
Debate over whether Americans need more protein when per capita meat consumption has already increased 100+ pounds over the last century. Discussion includes protein density comparisons between animal and plant sources, bioavailability, and environmental impacts.Processed food definition and practicality
Users struggle with unclear definitions of "ultra-processed" foods, noting healthy items like whole grain bread can be classified as processed. Discussion covers affordability concerns and whether the focus should be on food quality rather than processing methods.
3ChatGPT Health
- OpenAI introduces ChatGPT Health, a dedicated health experience that securely integrates medical records and wellness apps with AI assistance. Built with physician input and enhanced privacy protections, it helps users understand test results, prepare for appointments, and manage health information while supporting, not replacing, medical care.
AI diagnostic accuracy vs doctors
Multiple users share anecdotes of ChatGPT successfully diagnosing conditions that doctors missed or misdiagnosed, including balance issues, chronic problems, and rare diseases. However, others warn about confirmation bias, self-diagnosis dangers, and the risk of patients becoming overly confident in AI advice while dismissing medical professionals.Healthcare system limitations driving AI adoption
Users describe frustrations with short doctor appointments, long wait times, high costs, and dismissive care that pushes them toward AI alternatives. Many see ChatGPT as filling gaps where the healthcare system fails, though concerns exist about people avoiding proper medical care.Privacy and data concerns with ChatGPT Health
Discussion centers on OpenAI building a healthcare marketplace using user health data, with concerns about HIPAA protection gaps, data monetization, and AI systems incorrectly assuming medical conditions about users without clear sourcing or ability to correct these assumptions.
4Project Patchouli: Open-source electromagnetic drawing tablet hardware
- Patchouli is an open-source electromagnetic drawing tablet hardware project that provides comprehensive documentation of EMR technology and is compatible with commercial pens from various vendors. The project started in January 2024, with successful prototype testing in March 2024, and is sponsored by the NLnet Foundation.
Learning electronics as a software engineer
Software engineers express interest in transitioning to hardware/electronics, with extensive discussion of learning resources. "Art of Electronics" by Horowitz and Hill is highly recommended as a starting point, along with hands-on experimentation with broken equipment and circuit simulators.Drawing tablets for productivity
Users share experiences using drawing tablets beyond art - as mouse replacements for ergonomic benefits, sketching ideas, and note-taking. Discussion covers various brands, configuration tips, and platform compatibility issues across Windows, macOS, and Linux.Open-source tablet alternatives
Community discusses various open-source tablet projects including Hall effect sensor-based designs. Focus on specialized use cases like the osu! rhythm game which requires high polling rates, contrasting requirements between gaming and artistic applications.
5Open Infrastructure Map
- Open Infrastructure Map is a web-based platform that requires Javascript to function properly. The site provides infrastructure mapping capabilities with sections for general information, statistics, and data exports. Users can access details about the platform, view usage statistics, and obtain exported infrastructure data through the website's navigation menu.
Fascination with infrastructure
Users share personal stories about childhood fascination with power lines, pylons, and infrastructure. Some pursue careers working in rarely seen places with devices imperative to modern society. The discussion highlights how infrastructure can be both beautiful and technically interesting.Security implications of public infrastructure data
Debate about whether mapping infrastructure poses security risks. During Cold War, such information would lead to imprisonment. Now it's publicly available in EU, but recent attacks like Berlin power outage raise concerns about making infrastructure locations easily accessible.Data completeness and accuracy
Discussion of missing or outdated information in OpenStreetMap-based infrastructure data. Examples include missing Australian infrastructure, closed power plants still listed, and incomplete coverage requiring volunteer updates to maintain accuracy.
6LaTeX Coffee Stains (2021) [pdf]
Typst vs LaTeX comparison
Discussion of Typst as a modern alternative to LaTeX for document creation, with users praising its faster compilation times, better error messages, easier package management, and more pleasant syntax while noting LaTeX's continued dominance in academia.Coffee stains as quality indicators
Users share anecdotes about coffee stains serving as visual markers of document engagement - indicating papers have been read rather than ignored, with extensions to wine glass stains showing grading and various other stains representing different document interactions.Technical implementation and alternatives
Discussion of how the package works using pre-defined vector files, suggestions for procedural generation of realistic stains, and mentions of similar functionality in other tools like PostScript, GIMP filters, and the original 2009 implementation.
7Google AI Studio is now sponsoring Tailwind CSS
- Logan Kilpatrick announces that the Google AI Studio team has become a sponsor of the Tailwind CSS project, expressing honor in supporting the initiative and looking forward to further collaboration to help the builder ecosystem.
Financial impact of sponsorship
Discussion centers on whether Google's sponsorship significantly helps Tailwind's financial struggles. Comments debate the sponsorship amount ($60k/year as Partner tier) and whether it's enough given Tailwind's $1M+ annual costs and recent 75% layoffs.Business model sustainability
Users question if a CSS library needs such high revenue and staffing. Some argue Tailwind became bloated unnecessarily, while others debate whether AI or competitors like shadcn/ui caused revenue decline rather than just AI affecting documentation traffic.Industry responsibility for OSS
Debate over whether large companies should financially support all open source software they depend on, not just popular projects. Discussion includes criticism that this is selective marketing rather than systematic support for the broader OSS ecosystem.
8A4 Paper Stories
- The author describes using A4 paper as an improvised measuring tool. They explain A4's mathematical properties - its √2 aspect ratio that preserves proportions when halved, and how it derives from 1m² A0 paper through successive bisections. Using A4's known dimensions (21×29.7 cm), they demonstrate measuring a computer monitor and calculating it to be 27 inches diagonally.
Practical measurement tricks using standardized objects
Discussion of using A4 paper weight calculations for postage (5g per sheet), body measurements (finger spans, hand stretches), phone dimensions, and other everyday objects as improvised measuring tools when proper instruments aren't available.A4/metric paper system advantages
Praise for the mathematical elegance of ISO paper sizes with √2 aspect ratio, allowing consistent scaling between sizes, efficient paper production with minimal waste, and seamless document enlargement/reduction compared to inconsistent US paper formats.Cross-cultural paper format experiences
Europeans in North America finding US Letter paper "too squat" while A4 appears "too svelte" when returning to Europe, creating cognitive dissonance and preference for intermediate formats, plus discussion of different postage weight thresholds globally.
9The Jeff Dean Facts
- This repository preserves a collection of humorous "Jeff Dean Facts" - programming jokes similar to Chuck Norris jokes but focused on the legendary coding abilities of Google engineer Jeff Dean. The jokes exaggerate his programming skills with absurd claims like solving NP problems in polynomial time, having binary readability, and creating algorithms that run faster than they're called. Originally found on Quora but later removed, these facts have become popular programmer humor celebrating Dean's reputation in the tech community.
Origins of Jeff Dean Facts
The creator of the Jeff Dean Facts website explains how it started as a 2008 April Fools' joke at Google, using an early version of App Engine. He reflects on potentially favoring Jeff Dean over his equally accomplished colleague Sanjay Ghemawat due to name familiarity.True stories behind the jokes
Discussion reveals that some "facts" are based on real incidents, like production services breaking when Jeff Dean went on vacation due to dependencies on jobs running from his workstation, including a protocol buffer database and Code Search indexing.Jeff Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat partnership
Multiple participants share insights about the legendary collaboration between Jeff Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat, describing their complementary skills and noting how Jeff became more publicly known while both contributed equally to Google's core technologies.
10Iran Goes Into IPv6 Blackout
- This is a Cloudflare Radar page displaying routing information for Iran, including statistics on announced IP address space, registered Autonomous Systems (ASes), and routing anomalies like BGP route leaks and hijacks. The page also features recent blog posts about BGP routing topics and provides tools for monitoring network routing security incidents affecting Iranian internet infrastructure.
Starlink's role in circumventing censorship
Thousands of Starlink terminals in Iran allow activists and journalists to bypass government blackouts and upload protest videos. However, only ~0.1% of population has access, limiting impact on organizing.Technical mechanisms of internet shutdowns
Iran blocks IPv6 entirely while heavily filtering IPv4 through ISP-level controls and the TIC gateway. Government uses whitelisting to keep critical services like payments running while blocking social media.Effectiveness of external intervention vs. internal change
Debate over whether foreign intervention (like US involvement) would help Iranian protesters or cause more harm, with references to Iraq, Libya, and other examples of regime change consequences.