The hottest Technology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Libraries release historical book datasets for AI training

philsiarri • 0 implied HN points • 15 Jun 25
🕹 Technology AI Data Libraries Research
  1. Libraries are releasing old books in the public domain to help train AI models. This includes tons of books from many languages, going back to the 15th century.
  2. Using these public texts helps avoid legal problems tech companies face when they use copyrighted material. It also can improve the quality and reliability of AI.
  3. The dataset from Harvard is available for anyone to use on the Hugging Face platform. This gives researchers and developers a valuable resource for their AI projects.

Code vs. Cells

Reflective Software Engineering • 0 implied HN points • 08 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Coding Python Data Analytics Automation Problem Solving
  1. Modeling everyday problems using test-driven development with a Python tool instead of spreadsheets can lead to better results and easier adaptability.
  2. Creating simple Python tools with scripting languages can automate mundane tasks, improve problem-solving skills, and potentially lead to open-source contributions.
  3. Writing code can be enjoyable and effective in automating repetitive tasks, enhancing problem-solving abilities, and potentially growing into valuable tools for others.

API First? No, thank you! Schema-first, please!

Reflective Software Engineering • 0 implied HN points • 26 Jun 23
🕹 Technology APIs Documentation Code generation Open Source
  1. Start with defining the API schema instead of API-first approach as it allows for early feedback, unblocks consumer development, and enables incremental progress.
  2. An API schema specifies all endpoints, interactions, and responses, and can be visualized in tools like Swagger, aiding in documentation and code generation.
  3. Working schema-first has benefits like enabling real-time collaboration, source-controlled contract, and code generation capabilities based on the formal specification.
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"Society One Step Closer To Dystopia": Vision-Pro Early-Adopters Spotted In Wild

Global Community Weekly (GloCom) • 0 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Wearable Tech Social media Innovation Tech Ethics
  1. Apple's Vision Pro mixed-reality headset has early adopters already spotted using it in public.
  2. There are concerns about safety, with reports of individuals using Vision Pro while driving and engaging in risky activities.
  3. The integration of Vision Pro into daily life has sparked reactions, with some comparing it to scenes from Black Mirror.

Pair Programming for Technical job interviews

Reflective Software Engineering • 0 implied HN points • 02 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Programming Interviews Remote work Learning
  1. Technical job interviews often involve coding exercises that may not accurately represent real work processes. Employers should focus on the candidate's ability to learn and collaborate rather than specific technical knowledge.
  2. Pair programming during technical interviews can create a more enjoyable and effective process for both the interviewer and interviewee. It allows for a practical demonstration of problem-solving skills and teamwork.
  3. Prior to the interview, applicants are asked to prepare a small problem in any project and work on it for 45 minutes with the interviewer, practicing like in a pair programming session. This approach emphasizes problem-solving abilities and collaboration over specific technical expertise.

Test-driven data engineering

Reflective Software Engineering • 0 implied HN points • 30 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Software Design Refactoring
  1. Test-driven development (TDD) is a valuable tool for ensuring software quality and driving great software design.
  2. Testing data integrations and clients, especially in complex data platforms, can be challenging due to less control over underlying databases. Strategies like mocking HTTP interactions can help in testing.
  3. Separating concerns and creating small, testable units of code can enhance confidence in the system, reduce fear of regression, and improve overall software quality.

Writing unit tests for SQL queries

Reflective Software Engineering • 0 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology SQL Unit Testing Refactoring Bug Fixing Data Engineering
  1. Having unit tests for SQL queries can help catch bugs introduced during code refactorings or changes.
  2. When writing unit tests for SQL queries, focus on testing the specific parts responsible for building the query rather than the entire method.
  3. Refactoring code for testability can involve moving pure functions outside of the class for easier testing and simplifying methods to focus on specific tasks.

Poisoning LLMs, parasitic ants, & AI technology stack strategies

The Strategy Toolkit • 0 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25
🕹 Technology AI Security Data Research Training
  1. Even a small number of bad documents in training data can harm large language models. Just 250 malicious documents can create serious security issues.
  2. The risk of poisoning attacks doesn't increase with the size of the model. This means defenses against such attacks are essential for all models, big or small.
  3. Current findings suggest that keeping training data clean and safe is crucial, as small amounts of poison can easily compromise model safety.

Remotely work?

Reflective Software Engineering • 0 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Remote work Work Environment Communication Work-life balance Flexibility
  1. Remote work has both pros and cons, with some enjoying the flexibility and fewer distractions while others miss the social interactions and spontaneous office conversations.
  2. There are various challenges to address with remote work, like maintaining work-life balance, finding ways to commute without an office, preserving work memories and bonding, and brainstorming effectively through communication barriers.
  3. Remote-first companies offer the value of freedom, allowing individuals to work in the environment where they are most productive and comfortable, highlighting the importance of choice when it comes to how and where work is done.

The journey towards smaller pull requests

Reflective Software Engineering • 0 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Coding Automation Version Control Workflow Optimization
  1. Consider the tradeoff space when it comes to the batch size of pull requests - aim to address a single concern in each PR to streamline review processes.
  2. Automate your workflow to make creating pull requests easier and faster - use command line interfaces, Git aliases, and tools like MAKE to optimize repetitive tasks.
  3. Even though the concept of atomic commits and pull requests is simple, it requires good commit hygiene, practice, and experience to execute effectively - reducing steps can help overcome barriers to implementing best practices.

Hangzhou PQCTech complete Series A financing of tens of millions of yuan

CyberSecurityMew • 0 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Cryptocurrency Innovation Information Security
  1. Hangzhou PQCTech completed a Series A financing round worth tens of millions of yuan, led by Haiyue Asset Management and with participation from other investors like Yuhang Guotou and Gingko Capital.
  2. The company focuses on post-quantum cryptography and high-performance national cryptographic libraries, aiming to advance new cryptographic products.
  3. Hangzhou PQCTech develops quantum-resistant cryptographic services for various sectors like national defense, government, finance, and energy, ensuring cybersecurity in the quantum era.

Izon

ASeq Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 26 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Health tech Biotech Research tools Instrumentation
  1. Izon has a unique machine for measuring particle sizes that goes beyond just measuring current, which provides more detailed information.
  2. The company can change the size of tiny openings in their device, allowing them to analyze particles that are much smaller than what other machines can handle.
  3. Despite having been around for a while and seeing some funding during COVID, Izon hasn't yet revealed major breakthroughs, but their technology has the potential for more exciting uses in the future.

Optimize media files to improve website speed

Cosmos • 0 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🕹 Technology
  1. A faster website improves user experience, which can lead to higher engagement and sales.
  2. Optimizing media files for modern web browsing can greatly enhance website speed and performance.
  3. Using FFmpeg, you can easily convert, scale, and compress media files to improve website loading times and user experience.

Make your videos watchable across browsers

Cosmos • 0 implied HN points • 24 May 23
🕹 Technology Web Development
  1. When making videos watchable across browsers, include multiple video sources and a fallback text using the <video> element in HTML5 for wider browser support.
  2. Create different versions of your video in formats like MP4 (H.264 + AAC), Ogg (Theora + Vorbis), and WebM (VP8/V9 + Vorbis) to ensure compatibility with various browsers.
  3. Use tools like FFmpeg to encode your video into different formats, ensuring broader compatibility with browsers supporting HTML5 video.

Create videos from your documents

Cosmos • 0 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🕹 Technology Video creation Automation
  1. Creating videos from documents can help in communicating ideas effectively by allowing viewers to watch at their own pace and understanding.
  2. Converting documents like Google Slides, Microsoft Powerpoint, or PDFs into video slideshows can save time for presenters and make information sharing more efficient.
  3. To create a video from a document, you need to first convert it into a PDF, then into images, and finally use software like ImageMagick and FFmpeg to transform it into a video slideshow with audio.

Apple Vision Pro: Initial Thoughts

startupdreams • 0 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Reviews Gadgets Tech industry Immersive experiences
  1. The Apple Vision Pro has impressive display quality with crystal clear images and sharp edges, along with natural hand and eye tracking.
  2. The device allows for immersive experiences, with the potential to revolutionize various activities like editing photos, shopping, and watching sports.
  3. Apple Immersive Video, featuring 8k content that fills 180 degrees of view, stands out as a killer feature that can transform content consumption.

A Day in the Life of Chad-GPT

Jay's Data Stream • 0 implied HN points • 11 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Productivity Health tech Social media
  1. Chad-GPT follows a highly optimized and precise daily routine for maximum productivity and efficiency.
  2. He incorporates advanced technology, like AI and smart home systems, into his lifestyle to enhance his work and well-being.
  3. Chad-GPT's daily activities focus on business, physical fitness, meditation, and online engagement, all meticulously planned and executed.

Open-sourced library for working with media files

Cosmos • 0 implied HN points • 27 May 23
🕹 Technology Library Automation Editing
  1. Using a library like Pluto can speed up media editing workflows by automating tasks like converting files, resizing images, creating videos from images, and more.
  2. Pluto offers a variety of scripts to help with tasks such as converting a PDF into a video slideshow, creating GIFs from videos, resizing images for better website performance, and more.
  3. For those working with media files regularly, leveraging Pluto's scripts can save time and streamline the editing process.

Slow down or fast-forward? Edit video speeds with your terminal

Cosmos • 0 implied HN points • 27 May 23
🕹 Technology Video Editing
  1. Editing video speeds is an easy way to add dramatic effects or create a montage look by changing playback speed with tools like FFmpeg.
  2. To slow down or speed up a video, you can calculate the new duration based on the desired change in speed and then use FFmpeg's commands to modify the video accordingly.
  3. By adjusting the setpts value in FFmpeg commands, you can either slow down or speed up a video to achieve the desired effect.

Access the actual iCloud photo files on your Mac

Cosmos • 0 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Storage Access Photos
  1. You can access the original photo and video files from iCloud on your Mac by updating the settings in your Photos app.
  2. Downloading originals to your Mac may take time and will consume storage space on your computer.
  3. To access specific photo and video files, navigate through directories under the Pictures folder in Finder on your Mac.

2026

domsteil • 0 implied HN points • 31 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Software Development Robotics Cloud Infrastructure DevOps Crypto
  1. Advanced AI coding agents are effectively here and are radically speeding up software work. These agents run in sandboxed CLI environments with full machine access, shifting the abstraction from simple API calls to agentic orchestration.
  2. AI-first commerce (iCommerce) can autonomously run online businesses by using agents to handle customer experience, operations, and order orchestration, replacing many manual tasks.
  3. The focus for 2026 is to scale the company into a generational software leader by continuing model finetuning, building agent tooling and mobile apps, while maintaining personal health and disciplined daily practices.

AI disclaimers and misinformation tools

Cosmos • 0 implied HN points • 20 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Misinformation Content creation Digital Platforms Search Engine
  1. YouTube creators can now label AI-generated content to enhance transparency with viewers and prevent misinformation.
  2. Meta is discontinuing the CrowdTangle tool used to detect misinformation, raising concerns ahead of the 2024 elections.
  3. India plays a significant role in Amazon Prime Video's global growth, with a high number of subscribers and engagement, focusing on diverse local content.

Is AI hijacking your conversations?

Cosmos • 0 implied HN points • 17 Apr 24
🕹 Technology AI Social media Influencers E-commerce Content creation
  1. Instagram is testing Creator AI to assist creators in managing interactions with fans using AI chatbots that mimic creators' tone and style.
  2. Elon Musk announced that new users on X will have to pay to tweet to combat bots, which has sparked controversy and discussion.
  3. Taylor Swift secured an independent deal with TikTok, showcasing the importance of artists controlling their music's distribution and negotiating power.

Generative A-Eye #16 - 14th Oct,2024

Martin’s Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 14 Oct 24
🕹 Technology AI Image Synthesis 3D Modeling Research
  1. A new method for creating detailed indoor scenes uses user descriptions to guide the design, making it easier to visualize spaces accurately. This system tries to remember past views but still has challenges with consistency.
  2. A recent development focuses on anonymizing full-body images using advanced AI tools. This could address privacy concerns, although it's unclear how much demand there is for this kind of technology.
  3. The newsletter shares updates on AI image synthesis research, keeping readers informed on popular topics and breakthroughs in the field. It’s a great resource for anyone interested in the latest AI advancements.

Generative A-Eye #17 - 15th Oct,2024

Martin’s Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 15 Oct 24
🕹 Technology AI Research Image Synthesis Computer Vision Animation
  1. New tools are being developed to improve how we create and animate 3D characters. These tools help generate human-like movements based on stories or plots.
  2. There are advancements in high-resolution image generation that can produce high-quality images quickly, even on standard laptops. This makes it easier to create detailed visuals without expensive equipment.
  3. Researchers are exploring ways to combine language with video, allowing users to find and interact with events in videos using simple text prompts. This could make video editing and creation more intuitive.

AI diffusion

Experiments with NLP and GPT-3 • 0 implied HN points • 13 Feb 26
🕹 Technology AI Enterprise Platforms Startups Automation Workflow
  1. AI diffusion is the next big shift for organizations, and companies must move quickly to integrate AI across workflows or risk falling behind.
  2. Adopting AI isn't just buying subscriptions or tools; it means redesigning processes so AI use measurably improves outcomes and lets employees do more than before.
  3. People resist change, so leaders must set new processes to drive adoption; platforms for AI agents will help but enterprises will need stronger, purpose-built solutions and many startups will emerge to meet that need.

Friends don't let friends write with AI

Cosmos • 0 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Writing Social media Art Creativity
  1. Originality in writing is crucial for genuine connection and engagement with readers.
  2. AI-generated content lacks authenticity and can be easily detected for its lack of human touch.
  3. Good writing sets individuals apart and is an essential skill for effective communication, even when AI tools can assist with brainstorming ideas.

Must Learn AI Security

Rod’s Blog • 0 implied HN points • 29 Aug 23
🕹 Technology AI Security
  1. The post is about 'Must Learn AI Security', focusing on AI security learning and resources.
  2. The content includes a food theme and shares various resources for learning AI security.
  3. There are links to subscribe to newsletters and learn more about AI security through books and series.

The most important part of an AI system is the human in the loop.

Experiments with NLP and GPT-3 • 0 implied HN points • 15 Feb 26
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Product Design Human factors Data Governance Ethics User Experience
  1. LLMs naturally produce plausible-sounding outputs that can be wrong, so treat them like creative, overconfident interns who need checking.
  2. AI should augment human decision-making, not replace it — let AI suggest options while humans review sources, validate logic, and make final calls.
  3. For high-stakes use require traceability, confidence signals, and mandatory human verification (like digital sign-off); without those safeguards you build long-lasting trust debt.

[DeepMind SIMA] Scaling Instructable Agents Across Many Simulated Worlds

Gonzo ML • 0 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Evaluation
  1. DeepMind developed SIMA, an agent that follows language instructions and operates in diverse 3D virtual environments using only keyboard and mouse commands.
  2. SIMA is trained on behavioral cloning and predictive models, with a focus on rich language interactions and interdisciplinary learning.
  3. Evaluation of SIMA involved overcoming challenges like asynchronous environments, and the agent showed promising results and varied performance across different tasks and environments.