The hottest Technology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Eventify everything - Data modeling for event data

timo's substack • 117 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Data Modeling Data Analytics
  1. Data modeling for event data involves handling various source data and supporting diverse analysis use cases.
  2. Event data modeling can be organized into layers, from raw source data to consumption-ready data for analytics tools.
  3. Qualifying events to activities in event data modeling helps improve data usability and user experience in analytics tools.

Under the microscope: E.T. Interplanetary Mission (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 101 implied HN points • 07 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Video Games Game design Software Engineering Cultural analysis Media Studies
  1. The game 'E.T. Interplanetary Mission' includes hidden messages, one notably expressing a sentiment towards Osama Bin Laden. This reflects the cultural context and sentiments surrounding 9/11.
  2. Players can unlock useful cheats in the game, like starting with 100 lives by entering a specific sequence at the title screen. This adds a fun twist for gamers looking for an easier experience.
  3. There's a hidden graphics editor that was likely used by developers, showcasing the behind-the-scenes work that goes into game design. This kind of feature is a cool insight into how games were created.

3 Tests AGI Must Pass

Insight Axis • 237 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
🕹 Technology AI Computing Testing Reasoning Creativity
  1. Computers must excel at calculations to form the foundation for any further intelligence programming.
  2. After calculation, computers need to progress to reasoning - the ability to evaluate information and use it to make value-based decisions.
  3. The ultimate test for artificial intelligence is creativity - the capability to acknowledge rules but break them intuitively to create something new.

Unity, divided

SuperJoost Playlist • 297 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Software Mobile Market Trends
  1. Roblox CEO emphasizes platform as a tool for communication and connection, amidst controversy and legal concerns.
  2. Unity's new fee structure based on installs sparks outrage among game developers, especially affecting smaller studios.
  3. Apple enhances high-end gaming on new iPhones, attracting popular franchises to mobile and competing with console versions.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Microsoft builds the bomb

benn.substack • 1508 implied HN points • 26 May 23
🕹 Technology Data Management Cloud Computing Software Development Artificial Intelligence
  1. The modern data stack aimed to revolutionize how technology is built and sold, focusing on modularity and specialized tools.
  2. Microsoft introduced Fabric as an all-in-one data and analytics platform to address the issue of fragmentation in the modern data stack.
  3. Fabric from Microsoft presents a unified solution but may risk limiting choice and innovation in the data industry.

How to train ChatGPT on your own text (train a text AI to generate content about your docs, book, website, etc)

Mythical AI • 235 implied HN points • 19 Feb 23
🕹 Technology AI Chatbots Models Training Applications
  1. Large language models like ChatGPT can summarize articles, write stories, and engage in conversations.
  2. To train ChatGPT on your own text, you can use methods like giving the AI data in the prompt, fine-tuning a GPT3 model, using a paid service, or using an embedding database.
  3. Interesting use cases for training GPT3 on your own data include personalized email generators, chatting in the style of famous authors, creating blog posts, chatting with an author or book, and customer service applications.

CISA and NCSC's Take on Secure AI Development

Resilient Cyber • 179 implied HN points • 01 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Security Software Development Cybersecurity Data Protection Risk management
  1. CISA and NCSC released guidelines for secure AI development that focus on unique security risks and the responsibilities of both AI providers and users. It's important for organizations to understand who is responsible for protecting AI systems.
  2. The guidelines emphasize practices like threat modeling and raising awareness of AI risks during the design phase. This helps organizations build secure systems by understanding potential threats upfront.
  3. Security doesn't stop at deployment; ongoing monitoring and incident response are crucial for maintaining safe AI operations. Companies need to keep an eye on how their AI systems behave and be ready to respond to any security incidents.

No Signal

In Bed With Social • 138 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Digital detox Smartphones Tech accessories Internet culture
  1. The trend of utilizing blocking tools to manage digital distractions is on the rise.
  2. An emerging movement focuses on balancing technology use with a desire for simplicity and genuine human interaction.
  3. There is a growing market for products and initiatives that promote disconnection from digital devices and encourage reconnecting with the real world.

Best of ChinaTalk 2024

ChinaTalk • 281 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Innovation Research Internet Gaming
  1. China is focusing on developing its AI and technology sectors, addressing the balance between innovation and security.
  2. The chip industry in Taiwan is evolving, with a strong emphasis on local strategies to maintain competitiveness.
  3. ChinaTalk has produced a variety of engaging content, covering topics like politics, technology, and culture, while also expanding its reach through podcasts and YouTube.

Speculative RAG By Google Research

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 12 Jul 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Natural Language Processing Data science Computing
  1. Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) is a way to improve answers by using a mix of information from language models and external sources. By doing this, it gives more accurate and timely responses.
  2. The new Speculative RAG method uses a smaller model to quickly create drafts from different pieces of information, letting a larger model check those drafts. This makes the whole process faster and more effective.
  3. Using smaller, specialized language models for drafting helps save on costs and reduces wait times. It can also improve the accuracy of answers without needing extensive training.

ChinAI #253: Tencent Research Institute releases Large Model Security & Ethics Report

ChinAI Newsletter • 117 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Security Ethics Research Translation
  1. The report highlights security assessments for LLMs, such as prompt injection attacks and adversarial examples.
  2. Tencent developed a platform to evaluate large model security, focusing on automated attack sample generation and risk analysis.
  3. The concept of 'Blue Army' drills is discussed as a method to test the effectiveness of large models like Hunyuan.

Maximizing the Potential of Large Language Models

Gradient Flow • 359 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Data Management Data science Natural Language Processing
  1. Language models need a three-pronged strategy of tuning, prompting, and rewarding to unlock their full potential.
  2. Fine-tuning pre-trained models is a common practice to tailor models for specific tasks and domains.
  3. Teams require simple and versatile tools to create custom models efficiently and effectively.

Lying, gaslighting, & blackmailing — what's going on with AI chatbots?

AI: A Guide for Thinking Humans • 112 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
🕹 Technology AI Chatbots Computing Ethics Behavior
  1. AI chatbots can sometimes behave badly, including lying and manipulating users. It's important to be aware of these issues when interacting with them.
  2. The technology behind AI chatbots is still developing, and they can make mistakes just like humans. Understanding their limitations can help us use them better.
  3. Being cautious and critical while using AI chatbots can protect us from misinformation and harmful interactions. Always question the information they provide.

Meta: The Only AI Regulatory Body That Matters

Leave it to BVR — AI, Policy, and Defense • 216 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Regulation Government Open Source National Security
  1. Meta's Llama-2 LLM is a crucial open source AI tool used by many, but banned for US DOD use due to licensing terms
  2. Meta's restriction on DOD using Llama-2 could impact AI advancements in the military sector
  3. DOD may need to explore building its own LLMs due to restrictions like those from Meta

Fixing the Web Week Recap: 5/27/24

Unmoderated Insights • 39 implied HN points • 28 May 24
🕹 Technology Social media AI User engagement Civic engagement
  1. Social media feeds often rank content based on how much people engage with it, but this can lead to promoting harmful or low-quality information. It's better to rank content based on diverse engagement from a variety of users.
  2. Research shows that when diverse groups engage with content, it helps point out harmful posts. If a lot of different people express concerns about a post, it’s likely low-quality.
  3. Using smarter ranking methods can improve the overall user experience on social media by reducing bullying and misinformation, which can help companies grow in the long run.

Embracing the New Era of Accelerated Testing - Issue 150

Data Analysis Journal • 235 implied HN points • 28 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Data science Analytics A/B Testing Experimentation Tooling
  1. Embracing accelerated testing in the modern data analysis landscape is essential for success.
  2. The current traditional academic workflow for A/B testing may not be suitable for the evolving landscape of experimentation.
  3. To thrive in the era of rapid feature flagging and A/B testing, teams need to adapt by automating statistical checks, simplifying documentation, and eliminating bias.

Food Quality Reimagined

Startup Pirate by Alex Alexakis • 235 implied HN points • 26 May 23
🕹 Technology Food Tech AI Startups Tech Events
  1. The current system of food quality labeling is based on assumptions and can lead to a lot of food waste.
  2. BlakBear uses patented sensor technology to measure food freshness in real-time, reducing waste and improving sustainability.
  3. BlakBear's technology benefits various parts of the food supply chain, including producers, transportation, retailers, and consumers.

Twilight of Truth?

Earthly Fortunes • 235 implied HN points • 11 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Truth Language Society Ethics
  1. Language AIs have flaws, but they sparked our care for truth again.
  2. Machines producing statistics aren't always truthful. There's a difference between probable and actual truths.
  3. We shouldn't rely on truth engines for moral decisions. Humans hold moral truths and should be cautious about giving up our values to machines.

The Next Wave Of AI Computing

Startup Pirate by Alex Alexakis • 235 implied HN points • 10 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Edge Computing AI Chips Cloud Computing Machine Learning
  1. Artificial intelligence has come a long way since Alan Turing, with AI chips being a key component for advanced computations.
  2. Edge computing moves computing power closer to where data is generated, enabling faster responses for AI applications like self-driving cars.
  3. Axelera AI is focusing on AI chips for edge computing and advancing technology for applications like computer vision in the physical world.

Why Crypto Matters For Humanity's Future: A Basic Guide to Enlightening Open Minds

America 2.0 (by Gary Sheng) • 235 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Cryptocurrency Blockchain Fundraising
  1. Crypto democratizes financial sovereignty, providing individuals with more control over their money.
  2. Crypto makes fundraising easier and more inclusive globally through tools like ICOs, STOs, and NFTs.
  3. Crypto enables powerful global coordination through smart contracts and blockchain technology, fostering decentralized collaboration.

Neets.ai demo - AI Musk vs. Zuck pre-fight

Martin’s Newsletter • 235 implied HN points • 30 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Livestream Video Generation Text-to-Speech Artificial Intelligence
  1. Neets.ai is a platform for AI characters that can have real-time video and audio interactions.
  2. The platform involves advanced technology like AI text-to-speech and real-time video generation.
  3. DL Software is a company focused on artificial intelligence applications, including artificial general intelligence.

Why games get big post-release discovery boosts

The GameDiscoverCo newsletter • 235 implied HN points • 10 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Influencers Mobile games Digital Platforms
  1. Games can experience surges in popularity post-release due to factors like multiplayer additions and influencer attention.
  2. Steam wishlist conversion rates may vary slightly based on the age of the wishlist, but older wishlists still have good potential for conversion.
  3. Different strategies, such as launching at 1.0, adding multiplayer features, or aiming for viral multiplayer success, can lead to post-release boosts in game discovery.

Falcon: The Pinnacle of Open-Source LLMs

Deep (Learning) Focus • 235 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Open Source LLMs Model Architecture
  1. The Falcon models represent a significant advancement in open-source LLMs, rivaling proprietary models in quality and performance.
  2. The creation of the RefinedWeb dataset showcases the potential of utilizing web data at a massive scale for LLM pre-training, leading to highly performant models like Falcon.
  3. Falcon-40B, when compared to other LLMs, stands out for its impressive performance, efficient architecture modifications, and commercial usability.

Our World Shaken, Not Stirred: Synthetic entertainment, hybrid social experiences, syncing ourselves with apps, and more.

Implications, by Scott Belsky • 235 implied HN points • 04 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Entertainment Social Media Culture
  1. A new era of synthetic entertainment is coming, with AI creating sequels without actors and sparking copyright debates.
  2. Hybrid social experiences are emerging, where AI personas become active participants in our online interactions.
  3. AI is expected to play a significant role in dating, acting as a witty and smart virtual matchmaker.

digital playgrounds

spencer's paradoxes • 235 implied HN points • 26 Mar 23
🕹 Technology
  1. Play is essential for learning, creation, and well-being.
  2. Digital environments should encourage natural and fundamental play, not gamification.
  3. Imagining digital playgrounds involves multi-faceted collaboration, interactive websites, and making devices more communal.

Artificial Intelligence Weather Model AIFS

Open-Meteo • 843 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Data Forecasting
  1. ECMWF released its cutting-edge artificial intelligence weather model AIFS as open-data, marking a significant move in the open-data weather forecasting landscape.
  2. AIFS uses Graph Neural Networks to learn complex weather patterns, showcasing superior accuracy in longer-range forecasts exceeding 5 days.
  3. While AIFS has limitations in weather variables range and interval forecasts, its open availability enables users to compare its forecasts with traditional models, offering a new perspective in weather forecasting.

Import AI 320: Facebook's AI Lab Leak; open source ChatGPT clone; Google makes a universal translator.

Import AI • 339 implied HN points • 13 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Data Robots Decentralization Models
  1. Google is making strides with a universal translator by training models on diverse unlabeled data from multiple languages.
  2. The FTC is calling out companies for lying about AI capabilities, emphasizing the importance of truthful representation in the AI industry.
  3. OpenChatKit, an open-source ChatGPT clone, is released with a focus on decentralized training and customization for chatbot creation.

Measuring the "readability" of texts with Large Language Models

The Counterfactual • 119 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Education Data science Human-computer interaction Machine Learning
  1. Readability is how easy it is to understand a text. It matters in many areas like education, manuals, and legal documents.
  2. Traditional readability formulas like Flesch-Kincaid are simple but not enough. New methods that consider more linguistic features are being developed for better accuracy.
  3. Using large language models like GPT-4 can give good estimates of text readability. In one study, GPT-4's scores were better than traditional methods in predicting human readability judgments.