The hottest Technology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

AI romantic partners will harm society if they go unregulated

Engineering Ideas • 19 implied HN points • 01 Aug 23
🕹 Technology AI Regulation Relationships Psychology Ethics
  1. AI romantic partners need swift regulation to prevent potential harm to society.
  2. Within the next few years, AI romantic partners may offer hyper-realistic human avatars, unique personalities, and emotional intelligence.
  3. AI romantic partners could reduce the participation in human relationships, influencing the total fertility rate and societal dynamics.

Memory Management Every Programmer Should Know

Web Dev Explorer • 3 HN points • 29 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Programming Memory management Data Structures Web Development
  1. Data stored on the stack is static, fixed in size, with a fixed lifecycle, and cannot be referenced across different stack frames.
  2. Data stored on the heap is dynamic, not fixed in size, has a flexible lifecycle, and can be referenced across different stack frames.
  3. Various programming languages use different memory management approaches, like manual management in C, garbage collection in Java, ARC in Objective-C and Swift, and ownership mechanism in Rust.

Giá trị của tiền số

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 99 implied HN points • 04 May 21
🕹 Technology Crypto Blockchain Internet DeFi Digital Currency
  1. The value of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum can be volatile, leading to potential financial risks and scams in the digital currency market.
  2. Blockchain technology, while initially designed for cryptocurrencies, has been overhyped as a solution for various issues, despite reports questioning its optimal use.
  3. Cryptocurrencies have the potential to revolutionize global financial transactions by providing programmable digital assets, offering benefits like borderless transactions and decentralized finance opportunities.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

SxSW and Hackathon Recap

Kesav’s Lab • 12 implied HN points • 03 Apr 25
🕹 Technology AI Podcasts Hackathons Conferences Startups
  1. They created an app called Medicast that turns medical research papers into podcasts. This helps doctors stay updated while being busy.
  2. Attending SXSW events gave insights into business development and networking opportunities. It's important to connect with other entrepreneurs for potential collaborations.
  3. Hackathons can lead to exciting breakthroughs by working on projects in fun environments. They showed how much can be achieved in a short time when people come together creatively.

Does GPT-3 read between the lines?

The Counterfactual • 39 implied HN points • 19 Sep 22
🕹 Technology AI Language Models Natural Language Processing Computational linguistics Machine Learning
  1. GPT-3 understands 'some' to mean 2 out of 3 letters, but it doesn't change this meaning based on how much information the speaker knows. Humans, however, adjust their understanding based on the context.
  2. When asked if the speaker knows how many letters have checks, GPT-3 gives the right answer if asked before the speaker uses specific words, like 'some' or 'all'. But afterwards, it relies on those words too much.
  3. GPT-3's way of interpreting language is different from how humans do it. It seems to have a fixed meaning for words without considering the situation, unlike humans who use context to understand better.

Native Support for CJS/ESM Interoperability Begins in Node.js 22

Web Dev Explorer • 3 HN points • 28 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Node.js JavaScript Web Development Software Development
  1. Node.js has started to support ECMAScript Modules (ESM) natively with version 22, making it easier to use modern JavaScript modules alongside CommonJS (CJS) modules.
  2. ESM allows for synchronous and asynchronous loading, but Node.js' support for it is currently experimental and comes with limitations like not supporting top-level 'await'.
  3. The addition of synchronous loading for ESM in Node.js simplifies interoperability between ESM and CJS, easing the transition to ESM and potentially reducing module size in projects.

unix 1 liner to inspect a CSV

CodeFaster • 72 implied HN points • 23 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Coding Data Analysis Unix
  1. The Unix one-liner uses commands like cat, tac, cut, and less to process a CSV file.
  2. Using 'cat' reads the file, 'tac' prints it in reverse, 'cut' selects specific columns, and 'less' displays data page by page.
  3. This one-liner is handy for quickly examining and navigating through large CSV files in the terminal.

A new chapter

Optimism (for the web) • 6 implied HN points • 21 Jul 25
🕹 Technology AI Software Education Development Coding
  1. AI is changing how software is built, making it much faster, but it can also create confusion for beginners.
  2. Many new developers rely on AI tools without understanding how they actually work, leading to problems when those tools don't deliver results.
  3. There is a big need for better education on AI fundamentals so developers can succeed and solve their issues effectively.

[Solution]Problem 37: Word Search[Amazon]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 13 May 22
🕹 Technology Coding Graphs Backtracking Algorithms
  1. Identifying the pattern in graph problems can help simplify the solution - like finding adjacent letters in a grid.
  2. Using the correct graph traversal algorithm is crucial, like choosing DFS for visiting every node in a graph.
  3. Implementing backtracking in DFS can help efficiently solve problems - like removing unnecessary nodes for optimization.

What you need to know about AI 🤖

Year 2049 • 17 implied HN points • 15 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Education Media Ethics Innovation
  1. AI should help people, not replace them. It's important to have a future where technology supports us in our work and lives.
  2. Understanding AI basics is key. Just like we need to know how to manage money, we should learn about AI to use it wisely.
  3. There will be a series of short videos that explain important AI concepts. These will help demystify AI and show how it impacts our daily lives.

Composition to the Rescue

FREST Substack • 17 implied HN points • 16 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development Architecture Security Data
  1. Current software systems are often too complex and difficult to modify, which makes them less user-friendly. We need simpler ways to build software that anyone can change easily.
  2. Many businesses often overcomplicate software development, focusing too much on rigid structures instead of creating flexible systems. Instead, we should aim for systems that work like Excel and FileMaker, where changes can be made swiftly.
  3. A new approach to software composition is needed, one that allows everyone to understand and manipulate tools. By focusing on natural relations and simple queries, we can create software that is accessible to all, not just a select few.

How to hire ML engineers/researchers

Artificial Fintelligence • 17 implied HN points • 16 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Hiring practices
  1. When hiring ML engineers or researchers, focus on real-world problems they might face, rather than traditional coding tests. Use scenarios from your team’s work to assess their problem-solving skills.
  2. Be clear about your company's expectations and culture from the start. Candidates should know they won’t have the freedom to pursue purely academic research.
  3. Keep a rigorous hiring process. It’s important to be selective and maintain high standards, even when there's pressure to hire quickly.

Locating Machine Learning Engineers

Gradient Flow • 59 implied HN points • 27 Jan 22
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Data science Podcasts Infrastructure Art
  1. The role of 'machine learning engineer' has emerged as a key position for implementing data science in production, bridging the gap between data products and machine learning models.
  2. Geographically, machine learning engineers are distributed across various regions, with companies and industries in different locations employing them.
  3. Advances in computer hardware design, coupled with improvements in models and algorithms, are expected to significantly enhance model training efficiency.

Time Scales of UX: From 0.1 Seconds to 100 Years

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 50 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🕹 Technology User Experience Web Design AI Organizational Change Data Management
  1. User experience is not a place or thing, but it unfolds over time.
  2. The time scales in UX range from 0.1 seconds to 100 years, with a huge variability.
  3. Design decisions in UX can impact events that last from a fraction of a second to a century, requiring a broad perspective and high IQ to navigate effectively.

The CAP Theorem [System Design Sundays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 09 May 22
🕹 Technology System Design
  1. The CAP Theorem states that in a distributed system, you can only have two out of three characteristics: consistency, availability, and partition tolerance. It helps in choosing the right database solutions based on system needs.
  2. Understanding the CAP Theorem is crucial for Systems Design Interviews where you work on building distributed systems. It provides clarity on why different databases like MongoDB and Cassandra are chosen for specific scenarios.
  3. To grasp the concepts of the CAP Theorem and learn about suitable databases, watching educational videos and reading articles can be very beneficial.

Imago DEI

Reactionary Feminist • 17 implied HN points • 03 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Innovation Ethics Philosophy Cultural impact Human nature
  1. Conservatives often accept new technology but must recognize its potential to undermine traditional values. It's tricky because embracing innovation can clash with the idea of conserving what is meaningful.
  2. There's a concern that technology is erasing the essence of what it means to be human. Some people think we need to improve humanity through tech, but this risks losing our fundamental nature.
  3. Instead of fearing technology, the focus should be on using it in ways that support our human nature. A balanced approach can lead to progress without sacrificing who we are.

❄️Cubits in a Fridge: Make Quantum Great Again (Feat Himadri of SemiQon)❄️

State of the Future • 19 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Quantum Computing AI Integration Circuit Design Data Centers Startups
  1. Silicon spin qubits are smaller and cheaper than other types, making them more scalable. They can potentially revolutionize quantum computing by using existing semiconductor technology.
  2. Cryo-CMOS technology allows quantum computers to operate at very low temperatures, which is essential for maintaining quantum states. This can also help reduce cooling costs for data centers, which spend billions on keeping their systems cool.
  3. The focus in quantum computing is shifting from just the number of qubits to how efficiently they perform operations. Spin qubits might have an advantage here due to their longer coherence times and faster gate operations.

How to build a good career in tech[Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 08 May 22
🕹 Technology Tech Careers AI Learning Specialization Personal Development
  1. Find a field that makes you happy and interested in tech to ensure long-term career growth and avoid becoming redundant in the face of automation like AI.
  2. Pursue mastery in a specific area of tech rather than being a jack-of-all-trades to stand out in the competitive job market and avoid being easily replaceable.
  3. Discover your strengths and interests in tech by actively learning and refining your skills in a chosen field, allowing you to become an expert and find your niche.

Rationalizing The Illumina Instrument Lineup

ASeq Newsletter • 51 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Biotechnology Instruments
  1. Illumina has a variety of sequencing instruments in their lineup, which includes different models and variations.
  2. The cost of production for these instruments varies based on the technology and components used.
  3. Rationalizing the Illumina instrument lineup could involve withdrawing some current models and introducing new, more cost-effective options.

Where are the Female Founders in Generative AI?

Sarah’s Substack • 1 HN point • 12 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Entrepreneurship Gender Diversity Venture Capital Innovation
  1. Women are less likely to take risks when choosing career paths, which affects their representation in fields like generative AI.
  2. The generative AI industry is rapidly evolving, making it harder for anyone to find a clear path to success, especially for women.
  3. With generative AI expected to create significant wealth, the lack of female founders could lead to a future without diverse perspectives in this important sector.

How to Make Money in Machine Learning, without doing the Math/Theory[Finance Fridays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 07 May 22
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Software Engineering Data Compression System Design
  1. There are various ways to make money in Machine Learning beyond the traditional roles like AI research and Data Analysis, such as specializing in software engineering aspects like developing hardware, building data sources, creating pipelines, and designing platforms.
  2. Important skills to succeed in these alternative paths include writing good tests, mastering data compression and handling, and becoming proficient in large-scale system design to ensure scalability.
  3. Staying updated with ML resources and technologies like Airflow, Kubernetes, and Snowflake can be valuable for maximizing income opportunities in Machine Learning without needing to focus on the mathematics and theory aspects.

A Not-So-Quick Overview of the Chinese AI Scene

State Space Adventures • 2 HN points • 30 May 24
🕹 Technology Chatbots LLMs Competitive Landscape
  1. The Chinese AI scene is highly competitive, with companies developing advanced models at a rapid pace to outdo each other.
  2. Chinese AI companies are engaging in a pricing war to make their models more accessible, leading to reduced costs and free versions of top models.
  3. Chinese tech giants like Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba, and ByteDance are investing in AI development and competing against each other in the chatbot space.

Will active metadata eat the orchestrator?

Data People Etc. • 88 implied HN points • 27 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Data Management Metadata Data Governance Collaboration Innovation
  1. Active metadata is a dynamic way to manage and use metadata across different parts of the data stack.
  2. Active metadata can potentially replace triggering mechanism aspect of data orchestrators, but not the optimization intelligence.
  3. The true value of active metadata lies in empowering business users by acting as a personal data assistant.

Defining Mock Data Using OpenAPI Overlays

The API Changelog • 6 implied HN points • 18 Jul 25
🕹 Technology APIs Software Development Documentation Testing
  1. Mock data is important for making good API documentation and for testing. You can use random data or tools like Faker to make it look realistic.
  2. Adding too much mock data can make your API documents very large. Using overlays lets you keep the original API document clean while still providing examples.
  3. Overlays can add, change, or remove information in your API definition without affecting the main document. This way, you can customize it for different needs without causing issues for users.

[Solution]Problem 36: Container with Most Water[Two Sigma]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 06 May 22
🕹 Technology Coding Finance Problem Solving Optimization Algorithms
  1. Maximizing the area of a container with water involves maximizing both its width and height, which leads to utilizing a technique like Two Pointers for an optimized solution.
  2. For the container problem discussed, starting with two pointers at the ends and progressively moving them towards each other to increase width helps in filtering out low width and height combinations.
  3. A key optimization technique known as 'Artem's Rule' states that if a > b, then a > all numbers lesser than b, which can be a foundational concept for various interview problem optimizations.

A Guide for Building High-Quality Data Products

Inside Data by Mikkel Dengsøe • 16 implied HN points • 16 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Data science Product Development Quality Assurance Team Management Data Analytics
  1. Start by clearly defining how you will use data. This helps set the purpose for your data products.
  2. It's important to have clear ownership of data and understand what needs testing. This makes accountability easier.
  3. Continuously monitor and improve your data quality. Regular reviews help catch issues early and keep trust in your data.

Google deepens AI integration across operations

philsiarri • 22 implied HN points • 31 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Cloud Computing Software Development Product Management Digital marketing
  1. Google is using a lot of AI in its work, with over a quarter of new code created by AI and checked by engineers. This shows how much they're relying on technology to improve their services.
  2. The company's earnings are strong, with significant revenue from both Google Services and Google Cloud. AI features are helping to boost sales and attract new customers.
  3. Google's new AI tools are changing how people search online and are driving more ad revenue on platforms like YouTube, which is now making over $50 billion from ads and subscriptions.

January Newsletter

RSS DS+AI Section • 17 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Data science Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Ethics Applications
  1. Data science and AI are rapidly evolving fields, with 2024 being a particularly exciting year for advancements. As we move into 2025, the trends and stories from last year will continue to shape the future.
  2. Ethics in AI is a crucial topic that remains relevant, especially around issues like bias and safety. The way AI is developed and used needs careful consideration to align with human interests.
  3. There are many practical applications and resources available for learning about data science and AI. From tutorials to real-world examples, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and apply AI technologies.

The Realities of Engineering Leadership in 2025

HackerPulse Dispatch • 5 implied HN points • 12 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Engineering AI Management Software Innovation
  1. To succeed in engineering leadership, you need to balance technical skills and management abilities. It's not just about writing code; it's about leading and empowering your team.
  2. Breaking through to senior engineering roles requires a mix of experience, expertise, and wisdom. You need to lead others effectively and make strategic decisions.
  3. The future of engineering roles is changing, with more overlap between job responsibilities. It's important to be adaptable and think across different areas to succeed in evolving tech environments.

Former Google CEO promotes integration of Google and Anduril tech for use by Pentagon

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 81 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🕹 Technology Tech Integration AI Military Tech Surveillance
  1. Former Google CEO is promoting the integration of Google and Anduril technologies for use by the Pentagon.
  2. The event highlighted the importance of surveillance technologies like Fitbits and GPS watches in military strategy.
  3. Concerns were raised about conflicts of interest and private industry's involvement in military and intelligence events.

Using Single Responsibility to write amazing code [Technique Tuesday]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 04 May 22
🕹 Technology Coding Software Engineering Interviews Modularity Career development
  1. The Single Responsibility Principle in software engineering emphasizes that classes and modules should have only one distinct responsibility. This helps in making code easier to maintain and understand.
  2. Implementing the Single Responsibility Principle can lead to benefits such as easier code changes, simplified debugging, and smoother testing processes.
  3. In coding interviews, applying Single Responsibility by breaking down complex problems into smaller, focused components can help in solving questions methodically and efficiently, boosting problem-solving abilities.