The hottest Substack posts right now

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NeoDesk, the Desktop Alternative for the Atari ST

Goto 10: The Newsletter for Atari Enthusiasts • 137 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Operating System Hardware Technology History Software
  1. NeoDesk was a desktop alternative for the Atari ST with enhanced features and better functionality.
  2. Key features of NeoDesk included improved memory usage, custom app icons, better window handling, and desktop background picture.
  3. NeoDesk versions like 3 and 4 continued to enhance functionality with features like low-resolution support, draggable dialog boxes, and drag-and-drop file launching.

BS-TBS News Interviews Me On Japan's EV Problem

Japan Economy Watch • 259 implied HN points • 25 May 23
💼 Business Market Strategy Innovation Economic Analysis Automotive
  1. Japanese automakers are resistant to adopting Electric Vehicles (EVs), leading to a loss in sales and risk of falling behind other countries like China.
  2. Successful companies can struggle to adapt to changing times, similar to how the Detroit Big Three faced challenges in the 1970s-80s.
  3. Japan's automakers need to prioritize entering the EV market successfully before exploring other options like hydrogen fuel cells. Shifting to Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs) is crucial for future competitiveness.

Building a portfolio of sides hustles

Kenny’s Sub • 99 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
💼 Business Income Streams Work-life balance Entrepreneurship Side Hustles Digital Products
  1. Starting side hustles early can lead to multiple income streams. It helps not to rely on just one source of income, as different hustles can balance each other out.
  2. Focusing on personal passion instead of customer demands can reduce stress in side hustles. Enjoying what you do makes the work more fulfilling.
  3. Building relationships rather than just selling products can lead to more meaningful interactions and success. Providing value first can create loyal followers who appreciate your work.

Expansion hack: Yuna Remix (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 14 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Hardware Emulation Modding Reverse Engineering Software Gaming
  1. The game includes a Bonus Mode unlocked by the SBOM Joycard on the Options screen, which lets you view the game’s movies, images, and sound clips for each section. That hardware check can be patched to always enable Bonus Mode so you don’t need the special controller.
  2. There’s also a hidden graphical debug menu that lets you jump to cutscenes, pick courses, play music, and load battles. It’s not reachable in normal play but can be unlocked by changing a memory check to the required value.
  3. Community patches make both Bonus Mode and Debug Mode easy to access without special hardware or deep hacking by replacing those runtime checks with static values. Those patches and instructions are publicly available so players can try the menus themselves.
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Stock Talk - a newsletter on investing.

Jon’s Newsletter • 79 implied HN points • 23 Mar 24
💰 Finance Market Trends Investing Stocks Dividends Wealth Management
  1. When you buy a stock, write down three reasons for your purchase and a price target. If the stock reaches that target, check if those reasons still make sense for you.
  2. Dividends can significantly boost your overall returns, so consider stocks that provide steady dividends, as they can make a big difference over time.
  3. Look for dividend stocks that are at bargain prices and offer good growth potential, as they're often undervalued and can provide good yields.

Ann Arbor Software's Textra Word Processing

Computer Ads from the Past • 128 implied HN points • 02 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Reviews Software Computers History Innovation
  1. Textra was a budget-friendly word processing software that provided many essential features for users without the high price of competitors. It became popular due to its easy-to-use design.
  2. The software had a reliable reputation for customer service, often going the extra mile to resolve issues and satisfy users. This level of care helped it stand out in the market.
  3. Even though Textra did not have all the features of more expensive options, it served well for basic word processing needs, making it a favorite among families and small businesses.

Forgiving everyone everywhere for everything they've done to you, or will do, or might have done

Philosophy bear • 121 implied HN points • 13 Jul 25
📖 Philosophy Ethics Human nature Forgiveness
  1. We should consider forgiving everyone for their wrongs, as everyone is equally capable of doing bad things given different circumstances. This means we all share a level of guilt.
  2. Moral luck plays a big role in our actions. Sometimes, people only avoid wrongdoing because of luck in their life situations, so we should recognize that we could be in their shoes.
  3. Forgiving others can help us live more peacefully in society. Holding onto anger makes life harder and can lead to feeling alone or self-hatred.

Inside the guts of Figma's S-1 Filing

Alex's Personal Blog • 131 implied HN points • 02 Jul 25
💼 Business Markets Finance Startups Investments Technology
  1. Figma is growing fast and has lots of international users. Most of its revenue comes from outside its home country, showing there's still room to grow.
  2. The company is profitable and has strong customer retention. Figma has improved its profits in recent years and continues to attract big accounts.
  3. Figma's IPO is important for the tech industry. A successful listing could encourage more companies to go public and bring new excitement to the market.

CROSSPOST: LEIF WEATHERBY: Our Spreadsheet Overlords

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 146 implied HN points • 09 Jun 25
🕹 Technology AI Engineering Bureaucracy Automation Data
  1. AI tools like ChatGPT are often seen as super smart, but they're really just advanced digital bureaucrats. They help manage data and tasks but can hide errors behind a layer of complexity.
  2. Relying too much on AI can lead us to overlook its limitations. It doesn't think like humans; it's more about processing and translating data rather than genuine understanding.
  3. There's a risk in using AI for important tasks without careful oversight. As it automates jobs and decision-making, we need to stay aware of the potential for misuse and the loss of human judgment.

SBOM Management

Resilient Cyber • 159 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Software Risk management Vulnerability Management Incident Management Cybersecurity
  1. SBOMs, or Software Bill of Materials, list components of software products. They help organizations know what parts make up their software, which is important for security.
  2. The NSA offers guidelines for managing SBOMs, emphasizing the need for both software suppliers and consumers to take security seriously. Suppliers should be transparent and accountable, while consumers should ensure their suppliers follow good security practices.
  3. Organizations need effective SBOM tools that can manage and analyze software components, detect vulnerabilities, and facilitate easy reporting. These tools should also be user-friendly to help teams work efficiently.

The Success Trap

Fish Food for Thought • 30 implied HN points • 26 Nov 25
💼 Business Culture Strategy Innovation Career Organizational Behavior Leadership Management
  1. Success often feels like freedom but quietly narrows your options; the more you specialize and optimize, the harder it becomes to change course.
  2. The 'success trap' happens when you reward exploitation over exploration, so companies and people stop experimenting and become vulnerable to disruption.
  3. Avoid it by deliberately preserving optionality: make time for experiments, rotate roles, learn new skills, and treat success as stewardship that must be renewed.

Did OpenAI Just Solve Abstract Reasoning?

AI: A Guide for Thinking Humans • 344 implied HN points • 23 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Computing Research AI Machine Learning Data science
  1. OpenAI's new model, o3, showed impressive results on tough reasoning tasks, achieving accuracy levels that could compete with human performance. This signals significant advancements in AI's ability to reason and adapt.
  2. The ARC benchmark tests how well machines can recognize and apply abstract rules, but recent results suggest some solutions may rely more on extensive compute than true understanding. This raises questions about whether AI is genuinely learning abstract reasoning.
  3. As AI continues to improve, the ARC benchmark may need updates to push its limits further. New features could include more complex tasks and better ways to measure how well AI can generalize its learning to new situations.

Signing Transactions with an Offline Computer

DeFi Education • 559 implied HN points • 05 Feb 23
🔮 Crypto Blockchain Security Transactions Wallets DeFi
  1. Using an offline computer, known as an airgapped computer, can help securely sign crypto transactions. This reduces risks from online threats.
  2. You can set up transactions on one device and sign them on another without exposing your private keys. This method is safer for handling your assets.
  3. Always verify any software you download to ensure it's safe. This can help protect your transactions from potential malware.

NonZero is Hiring!

Nonzero Newsletter • 327 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
💼 Business Hiring Journalism Media Content creation Social media
  1. NonZero is expanding and looking to hire new team members, including a full-time journalist and part-time social media specialist. They want people passionate about important global topics.
  2. The organization aims to cover a wide range of subjects, like technology, psychology, and international relations, to foster collaboration and reduce conflicts. Their mission is about helping people find common ground.
  3. They encourage creative applicants who can bring unique skills to support their mission. If you think you can help, even in ways beyond their listed jobs, they welcome your ideas.

The New Fundraising Playbook: Seed-Strapping

Tanay’s Newsletter • 126 implied HN points • 01 Jul 25
💼 Business Growth Startups Technology Entrepreneurship Funding
  1. Seed-strapping is when a startup raises a small amount of money and then grows instead using its own revenue. This lets founders keep more control over their company.
  2. AI has made it easier for startups to succeed without needing lots of funding. Companies can now build products faster and sell them sooner, leading to quick profits.
  3. While seed-strapping offers benefits like less dilution and more financial discipline, it can also come with challenges like competition from better-funded startups and limitations on growth.

5 Bankruptcy Concepts You Need to Know

DeFi Education • 699 implied HN points • 17 Nov 22
💰 Finance Debt Management Financial Regulations Bankruptcy Investing Corporate Finance
  1. Companies usually know they're going to file for bankruptcy ahead of time. This allows them to negotiate with lenders and creditors to plan a smoother bankruptcy process.
  2. Bankruptcies involve many different parties with competing interests. Each creditor wants to get the best deal, which can lead to complex negotiations.
  3. There are two main ways a bankruptcy can go: restructuring, where the company tries to stay in business, or liquidation, where the company sells off assets and shuts down.

Round-Up of Embedded World 2024

burkhardstubert • 59 implied HN points • 22 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Conferences Software Development Cybersecurity IOT Embedded Systems
  1. Software updates are important for devices, and using smaller application updates instead of large full updates can save time and bandwidth. It's a smart way to keep devices running smoothly.
  2. Manufacturers need to focus on creating simple, secure solutions for managing software updates and cryptographic keys to comply with new regulations like the EU Cyber Resilience Act.
  3. New companies like QBee and Crypto Quantique are developing innovative tools for secure OTA updates, which help manufacturers manage their devices more effectively and meet security standards.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 507

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 279 implied HN points • 11 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Big Data Data Engineering Data science Artificial Intelligence
  1. Large Language Models (LLMs) can take over some data tasks, but they won't replace all data jobs. Many tasks still need human insight and specialized skills.
  2. Understanding machine learning theory takes a long time, but in the industry, practical implementation is often more important. It's crucial to balance theory and hands-on skills.
  3. The new field of mechanistic interpretability is growing. Researchers are looking at how models learn and generalize, aiming to make sense of how AI works.

The Cogsec Chronicles

Investing 101 • 96 implied HN points • 02 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Information Propaganda Cognition Psychology AI
  1. Cognitive security, or cogsec, is about protecting your mind from manipulation. It's important to actively choose your beliefs instead of letting outside influences shape them.
  2. Propaganda has been around forever and can be used for good or bad. The key is to be aware of the stories being told and to take responsibility for the narratives we accept.
  3. Writing and critical thinking are powerful tools for understanding and transforming our beliefs. Engaging deeply with ideas helps us resist being programmed by others.

Chartbook #203 Banking crises, states of exception & the disappointment of sovereignty - a roundup of last week.

Chartbook • 1659 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
💰 Finance Economy Banking Market Crisis Regulations
  1. A stressful day for financial markets due to negotiations about the future of Credit Suisse.
  2. Switzerland considering emergency measures for UBS to take over Credit Suisse amid banking crises.
  3. Signs of negative impact on the real economy, especially through small banks and commercial real estate loans.

Simplify Your Writing Process with Quarto

Mindful Modeler • 319 implied HN points • 11 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Technical Writing
  1. Use Quarto to simplify writing processes by integrating code with text in markdown format.
  2. Ensure your writing is version-controlled for peace of mind and use one source format for multiple outputs.
  3. Quarto allows you to write in a markdown file format (.qmd), which can be easily converted to various forms like ebooks, reports, or websites.

Interesting Take on the Figma IPO

startupdreams • 105 implied HN points • 01 Aug 25
💼 Business Startups IPO Investing Markets Finance
  1. Figma's IPO was a big surprise because it opened at a much higher price than expected. The shares were initially priced at $33 but quickly jumped to over $120.
  2. Investors and the company lost a lot of potential money because the IPO was underpriced. This means they could have made billions more if they priced it correctly.
  3. There might be legal issues ahead because the underpricing upset many investors, especially big-name venture capitalists who feel they missed out on huge profits.

Moving From Natural Language Understanding To Mobile UI Understanding

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 11 Jul 24
🕹 Technology AI Natural Language User Interface Machine Learning
  1. Natural Language Understanding (NLU) helps machines grasp and respond to human language, making sense of unstructured conversations.
  2. The shift to Mobile UI Understanding means we are now focused on understanding what's on mobile screens instead of just conversations.
  3. The Ferret-UI model enables devices to interact with users in a more meaningful way, allowing for richer and more context-aware conversations.

Create good problems to have

Subconscious • 830 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Tech Culture Social Networks Complex Systems Community Building Innovation
  1. Create good problems to have after the flywheel is already spinning, during rapid growth, which motivates the ecosystem to solve problems.
  2. Avoid building perfect technology as it leads to front-loading work, needing an ecosystem flywheel, and inability to anticipate scale problems.
  3. Creating good problems to have encourages co-evolution with the community and provides opportunities for others to contribute.

Primordial USB on Atari 8-bits

Goto 10: The Newsletter for Atari Enthusiasts • 117 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Computers History Design Connectivity
  1. Atari 8-bit computers were more advanced than other personal computers of the late 1970s, with superior graphics and design.
  2. Atari used a well-designed Serial Input/Output (SIO) connector for peripherals, allowing easy connection and daisy-chaining of devices.
  3. The Atari SIO connector, developed by Joe Decuir, served as a predecessor to the USB standard due to its single-port, plug-and-play design.

#4 Prototyping / Pre-Order Campaign

Mountain Labs Newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 27 May 24
🕹 Technology Startups Prototyping Product Development Hardware Innovation
  1. Mountain Labs successfully got 77 pre-orders for their Air Quality Monitor in just 6 weeks. This is a good sign of interest from customers.
  2. They have a clear prototyping process, starting from a breadboard to a punched-card prototype, before making the final PCB design. Each step helps them test and improve their product.
  3. Collecting pre-orders helps Mountain Labs plan their first batch of manufacturing. They aim to sell the product at $99, making it affordable for many people.

Shaping Light, Visualizing Sound, and The Generative Shift

Generative Arts Collective • 131 implied HN points • 21 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Creative Coding Programming Digital Media AI Generative Art
  1. AI is changing how we create art and media by combining different styles and concepts to make something new. This gives more people the tools to express their creativity.
  2. Even though AI can generate impressive content, it lacks genuine human experience and thought. True creativity and original ideas still come from human minds.
  3. As technology evolves, society will need to adapt how we understand and engage with artistic expression. This shift may lead to exciting new forms of entertainment and creativity.

The Unmaking of a Modern Economy: Brexit, Austerity, and Britain's Great Retraction

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 376 implied HN points • 23 Nov 24
💰 Finance Global Economy Growth Strategies Financial Crisis Macroeconomics Economic Policy
  1. Britain's economy has struggled since 2008, missing out on a lot of potential growth. If things had gone differently, people would be much better off today.
  2. Policies like austerity and Brexit have hurt the economy, but they are not the only reasons for the decline. There have been many mistakes made over the years.
  3. The long-term effects of economic shocks, like the Great Recession, can have lasting impacts on growth. This shows how important it is to be careful with economic policies.

What Does “exploit” Mean?

David Friedman’s Substack • 287 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
📖 Philosophy Social justice Ethics Morality Utilitarianism Economics
  1. The term 'exploit' can mean two different things: benefiting from an interaction or causing one party to lose while the other gains. It's important to differentiate these meanings to understand whether exploitation is actually happening.
  2. In some cases, people feel that exploitation occurs when there is a big difference in gains between two parties, like in the example of trading cards or water in the desert. However, the fairness of a transaction can depend on additional context.
  3. People may have strong feelings about what is fair or unfair in transactions based on their moral intuitions. These feelings can guide opinions about exploitation, even when the actual economic circumstances suggest a different view.

Import AI 326:Chinese AI regulations; Stability's new LMs If AI is fashionable in 2023, then what will be fashionable in 2024?

Import AI • 279 implied HN points • 24 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Regulations Open-source models Language Models
  1. Effective AI policy requires measuring AI systems for regulation and designing frameworks around those measurements.
  2. Chinese generative AI regulations aim to exert control over AI-imbued services and place more responsibility on providers of AI models.
  3. Innovations like StableLM in open-source models and the use of synthetic data can lead to improved AI model performance.

The Bear Cave #208

The Bear Cave • 863 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💰 Finance Activist Reports Recent Resignations
  1. New activist reports highlighted issues with companies like CAVA Group, Soho House & Co, Fairfax Financial Holdings, and Dun & Bradstreet Holdings.
  2. Recent resignations from notable executives, including CEOs and CFOs at companies like Grifols, HF Foods Group, Enerpac Tool Group, and Allego, were disclosed.
  3. The Bear Cave also featured insightful tweets of the week and suggested articles on topics such as how the funeral industry hides bad actors and SEC charging Cloopen Group with accounting fraud.

What is “GDP” and why is it such an important economic indicator?

Concepts of Finance 🧠 • 259 implied HN points • 07 Sep 23
💰 Finance Investment Analysis Economic Indicators
  1. GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product, and it adds up the value of everything produced in a country over a specific time, usually a year. A higher GDP means a country produces more goods and services.
  2. There are three main ways to calculate GDP: by production, income, or expenditure. The most common method is the expenditure approach, which measures total spending on goods and services.
  3. GDP has limitations since it doesn’t account for unpaid work or environmental factors. It also only measures cash transactions, so important activities that don't involve money are excluded.