The hottest Technology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

When "I Built" Became "I Ordered"

decodebytes • 87 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology AI Software Automation Tools Skills Creativity Labor
  1. Saying "I built" used to mean someone had done the hard, iterative work and gained deep understanding.
  2. Today "I built" often just means you described what you wanted and AI produced it, so the person may lack scar tissue or real intuition about how it works.
  3. That shift reduces the credibility and meaning of claiming to have built something and makes genuine craftsmanship harder to recognize amid mass-produced outputs.

What Is The Right Atomic Unit For Knowledge?

Adjacent Possible • 364 implied HN points • 26 Nov 25
đź•ą Technology AI Research Knowledge Innovation Publishing
  1. The history of peer review shows how a small change in the scientific community shaped the way knowledge is shared for a long time. It's a reminder that even minor adjustments can have big impacts.
  2. With advancements in AI, there's potential for a new way to package and share knowledge that goes beyond what we currently have. This could make accessing and understanding information easier for everyone.
  3. New tools like Deep Research and Google Research notebooks can help us gather and organize information better, allowing for interactive and personalized research experiences. This makes learning more engaging and effective.

Writing Prompt: Design the future of the internet!

The Novelleist • 141 implied HN points • 02 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Internet Governance Digital Policy Online Communities Web3
  1. A cooperative essay collection and printed pamphlet will explore how the internet should be owned, funded, regulated, and experienced, with contributors writing on topics like platform cooperatives, public infrastructure, social media's offline impact, hidden labour, niche online cultures, blockchain funding, and media futures.
  2. Community members can compete for the open pamphlet spot by publishing an essay by the end of February and sharing it in the Slack #essays channel, with paid members able to get editing feedback or request a designer for custom art.
  3. The community will vote on their favorite essay to include in the pamphlet, and the chosen writer will earn a share of pamphlet sales. The project also has patron support to cover design and printing costs.

Levels of greatness

next big thing • 37 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology AI Machine Learning Software Engineering Startups Venture Capital
  1. Greatness exists in distinct layers, and the gap between each level can be enormous — someone who’s great at one level can be thoroughly outclassed by the next.
  2. Many systems follow a power-law pattern where a tiny number of people, companies, or places capture most of the attention, wealth, or returns.
  3. AI, especially models that can help build and improve themselves, is accelerating that concentration, so a small set of firms is likely to pull much farther ahead.

Different Types of CIAM Systems

ciamweekly • 62 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Identity Security Authentication Enterprise Software APIs Compliance
  1. CIAM comes in seven main flavors (B2E, B2C, B2B2C, B2B2E, B2D, B2G, B2A), each reflecting a different relationship between the product and its users like customers, employees, developers, governments, or agents.
  2. Pick CIAM features based on who your users are: consumer-facing (B2C) systems prioritize smooth UX, social/passwordless logins, and marketing integration, while B2B2C and B2B2E need tenant segmentation, delegated admin tools, and strong federation/provisioning.
  3. Niche CIAM types have special nonfunctional and compliance needs — B2D requires rich APIs and docs, B2G needs government compliance, and B2A demands separate agent identities, different throttling, and a new threat model.
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Sony’s Audio Innovations That Changed the Game

Obsolete Sony’s Newsletter • 119 implied HN points • 07 Aug 24
đź•ą Technology Audio Devices Innovation Consumer Electronics Digital Media Music technology
  1. Sony started the cassette revolution with the TC-100 in 1966, making audio recording and playback easy for everyone.
  2. The Walkman, introduced in 1979, changed how we listen to music by allowing people to carry their favorite tracks wherever they went.
  3. In 1982, Sony launched the first CD player, the CDP-101, which transformed music consumption by introducing digital audio playback.

Under the microscope: Hyper Duel & Blast Wind (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Video Games Reverse Engineering Emulation Cheat Codes Console hardware
  1. Both Saturn shooters, Hyper Duel and Blast Wind, hide a Freeplay mode that you can unlock from the Options/DIP Switch screen by entering a special button sequence. Hyper Duel: hold L+R and press Up, Right, Down, Left, A, Y, C, Start; Blast Wind: hold L+R+A+C+Y and press Up, Left, Down, Right, X, B, Z, Start.
  2. Flipping DIP switch number 5 turns on Freeplay in both games, giving unlimited credits or continues once the cheat sequence is accepted.
  3. Reverse-engineering with the Mednafen debugger and Ghidra shows the games check held-button bits (L+R and extra buttons) and increment a counter for the sequence; when the counter reaches the expected value the code enables the Freeplay option.

The marvelous disappearing capacitor

lcamtuf’s thing • 4285 implied HN points • 07 Dec 24
đź•ą Technology Electronics Engineering Physics Signal Processing Innovation
  1. Bootstrapping can significantly improve photodiode amplifier performance by minimizing the impact of parasitic capacitance. This helps in amplifying fast-changing signals better.
  2. A voltage follower in the circuit helps keep the photodiode at the same voltage, preventing internal charging and making it act like an ideal current source.
  3. While bootstrapping boosts performance, real-life limitations exist, like bandwidth and impedance, which need to be considered for accurate designs.

Noah Brier: Things I think about AI

Why is this interesting? • 1025 implied HN points • 13 Aug 25
đź•ą Technology AI Software Innovation Tech Trends Digital Tools
  1. You don't need fancy tricks to learn about AI. Just get a ChatGPT subscription and use it a lot.
  2. Many people underestimate how useful AI can be for their work and creativity. They should give it more effort.
  3. Trust what people say about AI with a grain of salt. Confidence doesn't always mean they know what they're talking about.

ESP32 Rainbow QA - A tale of three boards

atomic14 • 173 implied HN points • 02 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Hardware Electronics Embedded Systems Manufacturing Quality Assurance PCB Design Repair
  1. Minor assembly or soldering faults—like lifted pads, poorly seated ICs, or cold joints—can cause big failures such as no sound, no USB, or nonworking keys.
  2. Simple bench debugging (microscope inspection, continuity checks) plus basic rework (reflowing solder, nudging parts, retouching pins) can fix many issues, though some damaged boards are only fit for spare parts.
  3. Outsourcing PCB fabrication and partial assembly is fine, but final in‑house assembly and thorough QA are essential to catch subtle manufacturing problems before shipping.

How to Build an AI Agent Company in 2026: Lessons from Glean’s $7.2B Playbook

Market Curve • 100 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology AI Enterprise Software SaaS Product Startups Go-to-market Knowledge Management
  1. Make AI agents easy and reliable by hiding RAG and knowledge-graph complexity, connecting across apps, and grounding answers in company data so the system retrieves facts and says “I don’t know” instead of hallucinating.
  2. Get early customers by solving a real internal pain with long free trials and usage-first metrics, use high-touch onboarding and customer advocates to expand pilots into large enterprise deals.
  3. Start in a language-heavy vertical, build deep integrations and reusable agent templates (amplified by influencers), then scale with sales-led motions, bundling features while making security, permissions, and governance core.

I Got Surgery to Restore My Hearing. I Regret It.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 315 implied HN points • 02 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology AI Medical Devices Accessibility Consumer Tech
  1. Modern medical procedures like Gamma Knife surgery and cochlear implants can restore severe hearing loss and change a person’s auditory life.
  2. New AI tools — speech-to-text and AI-assisted hearing aids — are narrowing the gap between deaf and hearing by providing noninvasive alternatives.
  3. Because these technologies are advancing quickly, some people are rethinking or regretting invasive interventions like cochlear implants as the line between being deaf and hearing blurs.

Inside the Crisis at Google

Big Technology • 9632 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
đź•ą Technology AI Corporate Ethics Crisis Management Innovation
  1. The crisis at Google, involving controversial AI outputs, highlights significant organizational dysfunction and lack of clear accountability.
  2. The focus on culture war narratives in analyzing the crisis may overlook deeper issues within Google's operations.
  3. Google's handling of the crisis with its Gemini tool demonstrated the company's struggle with transparency and the need for significant organizational changes.

GPT Agent Is Standing By

Don't Worry About the Vase • 1299 implied HN points • 23 Jul 25
đź•ą Technology AI Machine Learning Software Innovation Computing
  1. OpenAI's ChatGPT Agent can now perform tasks like managing your calendar or shopping for groceries. It uses a combination of web browsing, research skills, and conversational abilities to help users with more complex requests.
  2. Although the ChatGPT Agent shows promise and can do some tasks well, like spreadsheet work, it still faces limitations. For now, it feels more like a helpful assistant rather than a full replacement for humans in many tasks.
  3. Safety is a top priority with the new capabilities of the ChatGPT Agent. OpenAI is taking steps to prevent misuse and ensure that the technology is used responsibly, especially in sensitive areas like biology and chemistry.

Why No AI Games?

Donkeyspace • 9 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology AI Gaming Game design Business Models User Experience
  1. There are surprisingly few compelling games built around generative AI; early experiments exist but none have delivered the kind of mind‑blowing, new gameplay people expected.
  2. Practical barriers—high API costs, unstable third‑party models, and strong player resistance to AI in games—make it hard to build sustainable, widely accepted AI‑centric titles.
  3. Generative AI’s soft, unpredictable behavior clashes with what makes games fun: simple, deterministic rules that produce emergent surprises, so raw AI output often short‑circuits the mechanics that create playable depth.

The Evolution of Sony’s TV: Key Innovations and Iconic Models

Obsolete Sony’s Newsletter • 99 implied HN points • 13 Aug 24
đź•ą Technology Consumer Electronics Television Innovation
  1. Sony has been a leader in TV technology, starting with their portable TVs in the 1960s and advancing to high-definition and 4K models. They keep changing how we enjoy home entertainment.
  2. The Trinitron technology, introduced in 1968, set a new standard for color TV by offering sharper and more vibrant images. This invention marked a significant moment in TV history.
  3. Recent innovations, like the first OLED TV in 2007 and the introduction of 4K resolution TVs in 2012, show that Sony continues to push boundaries in display technology and enhance viewing experiences.

AI-driven layoffs, up close and personal

Alex's Personal Blog • 262 implied HN points • 15 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology AI Automation Tech Policy Antitrust Hardware Labor Market Startups
  1. Roomba's maker has filed for bankruptcy and looks set to be sold, showing how failed deals and market-power fights can wipe out small hardware companies.
  2. CEOs are planning bigger AI budgets while workers, especially in writing and small agencies, are already losing jobs as cheaper, 'good enough' automation replaces paid labor.
  3. A nearby mass shooting made gun violence feel immediate and personal, highlighting how these events disrupt communities and how social media often spreads harmful rumors.

On hype, and the unbearable banality of ChatGPT’s poetry

Marcus on AI • 4466 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
đź•ą Technology AI Poetry Literature Critique Research
  1. A recent study claims that ChatGPT's poetry is similar to Shakespeare's, but it's important to be skeptical of such bold claims. Many experts believe the poetry is just a poor imitation, lacking genuine creativity.
  2. The critique of the AI poetry highlights that it often reads like the work of an unskilled poet who doesn't truly understand the style they're trying to emulate. This raises questions about the quality of AI-generated content.
  3. It's essential to approach AI-generated work with caution and to not get swayed by hype, as popular claims may not always reflect the true abilities of the technology.

The Internet Takes the Amazon

The Analog Family • 399 implied HN points • 05 Jun 24
đź•ą Technology Internet Digital Rights Indigenous issues Social media Cultural impact
  1. The introduction of the Internet in remote Amazon villages has both benefits, like staying in touch with family, and drawbacks, such as young people losing interest in traditional crafts and customs.
  2. Some tribe leaders are noticing that excessive screen time is hurting community interactions and daily life, prompting them to set limits on Internet usage.
  3. Reactions to this change highlight hypocrisy in our own technology use; while we express concern for Indigenous cultures, we often ignore the negative effects of screens in our own families.

UX Roundup: AI is the Computer | Disrupting Filmed Entertainment | UX Trends | GOMS | Nano Banana 2 | Lyria 3

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 21 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
đź•ą Technology UX Artificial Intelligence Generative AI Product Design Content creation
  1. AI is becoming the computer itself: many specialized models will be orchestrated into a single, personal system that works on users' behalf and reduces the role of traditional user interfaces. This orchestration combines file systems, secure code execution, web access, and persistent memory to deliver personalized, autonomous capabilities.
  2. AI will disrupt filmed entertainment by improving production workflows, enabling small creators to produce professional-grade content, and spawning entirely new formats and distribution channels. These shifts could redirect tens of billions in industry revenue and reshape how audiences and legacy studios operate.
  3. AI is changing UX practice and tooling: models now make formal methods like GOMS cheap and practical for optimizing skilled-user efficiency, while new models (e.g., Nano Banana 2, Lyria 3) show steady progress but still have limits. Image generation is improving incrementally and music models remain short and constrained by copyright safeguards, so the tools are powerful but not yet perfect.

o3, Oh My

Don't Worry About the Vase • 3852 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
đź•ą Technology AI Models Machine Learning Data science Computing Software Engineering
  1. OpenAI's new model, o3, shows amazing improvements in reasoning and programming skills. It's so good that it ranks among the top competitive programmers in the world.
  2. o3 scored impressively on challenging math and coding tests, outperforming previous models significantly. This suggests we might be witnessing a breakthrough in AI capabilities.
  3. Despite these advances, o3 isn't classified as AGI yet. While it excels in certain areas, there are still tasks where it struggles, keeping it short of true general intelligence.

The Case for Big Action to Regulate Artificial Intelligence

chamathreads • 2653 implied HN points • 09 May 23
đź•ą Technology Regulation Artificial Intelligence Innovation Internet Tech industry
  1. Regulation of artificial intelligence is essential to manage risks and protect society from potential harms.
  2. Regulating AI can set global standards and prevent censorship on the internet.
  3. Past successful regulatory models, like those in the pharmaceutical industry, demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of oversight.

Getting silly with C, part (void*)2

lcamtuf’s thing • 3673 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
đź•ą Technology Programming Software Coding Development Computer Science
  1. Understanding C's syntax can be tricky, especially with function declarations and typedefs. You'll find that some definitions may not be exactly what they seem.
  2. C allows some flexibility with variable and function declarations, which can lead to surprising behaviors, so always double-check how your symbols interact in different scopes.
  3. There are quirky features in C, like a BASIC compatibility mode for line numbering, showing that the language has some fun, unexpected twists!

🚀 FP! Week In Review, Briefly #15

Faster, Please! • 274 implied HN points • 13 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology AI Biotech Climate tech Energy Transportation Space Tech Policy
  1. AI is racing forward — new superhuman claims, big model releases, and CEO buy-in — but that progress is colliding with safety worries, hacking risks, and political fights over regulation.
  2. Major bets are popping up across many frontiers, from space solar and air taxis to solar geoengineering, GLP-1 drugs, and renewed plans for Mars, showing broad technological momentum.
  3. Wealthy investors now treat aging as an engineering problem and are pouring money into longevity tech and drugs; if those bets pay off, longer healthy lives could reshape work, politics, and inequality.

How much agency do we actually want?

benn.substack • 1585 implied HN points • 13 Jun 25
đź•ą Technology Artificial Intelligence Work Culture Productivity Career development Human behavior
  1. Many people want clear directions to reach their goals rather than complete freedom to decide everything on their own. It's sometimes easier to follow a checklist than to choose your own path.
  2. In the tech world, even highly skilled professionals often seek specific instructions on what to do next, rather than relying solely on their creativity and initiative.
  3. While we talk about wanting more agency and independence, many of us really just want someone to give us a roadmap for success, even if it means giving up some of our freedom.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 557

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 159 implied HN points • 25 Jul 24
đź•ą Technology Data science AI Machine Learning Data Visualization Engineering
  1. AI models can break down when trained on data that is generated by other models. This can cause problems in how well they work.
  2. There is scientific research about the history of Italian filled pasta. It shows that most types likely came from a single area in northern Italy.
  3. There are new resources and guides available for improving predictive modeling with tabular data. These can help you build better models by focusing on how data is represented.

Why You Shouldn't Worry about AI Taking Jobs

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 3291 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
đź•ą Technology AI Labor Economy Growth Regulation
  1. Many jobs we have today are not really necessary and could be replaced by AI. This is because some jobs exist due to government rules or old systems that don't make much sense anymore.
  2. People generally prefer human interaction over machines, especially in industries like hospitality, art, and healthcare. Humans provide a unique value that machines can't replicate, making these jobs safer from replacement.
  3. Even if AI takes many jobs, our economy is expected to grow significantly, which can help support those out of work through wealth redistribution. Governments have the ability to provide for everyone, even if many people end up jobless.

5 Sony VAIO Designs That Changed the Look of Personal Computers

Obsolete Sony’s Newsletter • 119 implied HN points • 06 Aug 24
đź•ą Technology Product Design Computer Hardware Innovation Consumer Electronics
  1. Sony's VAIO line was important for making personal computers stylish and innovative. They focused on both design and performance in their products.
  2. Some VAIO models, like the PCG-505 and PCG-U1, set new standards for portability and compactness in laptops. They showed that computers could be both small and powerful.
  3. VAIO's unique designs, such as the PCV-MX1V7 and VGC-LA70B, blended multimedia features with attractive looks. This made them stand out in homes and changed how people viewed desktop computers.

Looking Back at 2024

The Asianometry Newsletter • 3637 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
đź•ą Technology Semiconductors Video content Research Travel Tech History
  1. The channel enjoyed a lot of growth in 2024, hitting impressive milestones with over 100 million lifetime views. It's amazing to think so many people watched the videos.
  2. Some favorite videos included stories about Nisei interpreters and Texas Instruments, which are rich in history and technology. These stories really resonate and are fun to tell.
  3. There are plans for 2025 to explore a mix of semiconductor topics and new themes to keep things fresh and engaging. It's all about balancing work and passion.

50% off The Lunduke Journal (including Lifetime Subscriptions) through Saturday!

The Lunduke Journal of Technology • 1723 implied HN points • 29 May 25
đź•ą Technology Tech Journalism Subscriptions Media Independent Media Online community
  1. There's a 50% off sale on subscriptions for The Lunduke Journal until Saturday. This includes monthly, yearly, and lifetime options.
  2. The journal has received a lot of support from readers, setting records for new subscriptions during past promotions.
  3. Subscribing helps keep The Lunduke Journal ad-free and supports independent tech journalism, allowing for honest and bold stories.

Your Computer Interviewed Chris Curry (1981)

Computer Ads from the Past • 1152 implied HN points • 02 Aug 25
đź•ą Technology Computers Interviews History Innovation Electronics
  1. Chris Curry helped develop the Acorn Atom, a popular computer in Britain, and was involved in the BBC's computer literacy project. This project helped shape computer education in the UK.
  2. Acorn computers focused on creating reliable and speedy products, highlighting the importance of quality in their designs. Their computers, like the Atom and Proton, gained traction due to good production and design.
  3. Collaboration and the need for standardization were key themes, especially when developing programming languages like Basic. Acorn aimed to create a version of Basic that combined the best aspects of existing languages, which could become widely adopted.

An epidemic of weirdly precise AI butt facts

Marcus on AI • 4703 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
đź•ą Technology AI Investments Future Trends Innovation Predictions
  1. Elon Musk and others often make bold claims about AI's future, but many of these predictions lack proper evidence and are overly optimistic.
  2. Investors are drawn to grand stories about AI that promise big returns, even when the details are vague and uncertain.
  3. The exact benefits of advanced AI, like machines being thousands of times smarter, are unclear, and it's important to question how that would actually be useful.

Not So Fast: AI Coding Tools Can Actually Reduce Productivity

Am I Stronger Yet? • 1379 implied HN points • 10 Jul 25
đź•ą Technology AI Tools Software Development Productivity Research Coding
  1. A recent study found that using AI coding tools can actually slow down experienced developers by about 19%. They thought AI would help them work faster, but it didn’t turn out that way.
  2. The study showed that developers spent a lot of time reviewing and fixing the code generated by AI since it often didn't meet their quality standards. This extra review time took away from their actual coding time.
  3. AI tools might be better suited for simple, new projects rather than complex, established codebases. This means while AI can assist in some areas, it’s not ready to fully replace human developers in challenging tasks.

Everyone is excited about Claude Code!

Alex's Personal Blog • 164 implied HN points • 06 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Artificial Intelligence Semiconductors Cloud Infrastructure Autonomous Vehicles Developer Tools Business strategy
  1. Claude Code is giving lots of people superpowers by making it easy for non-developers and developers to build and ship useful software, democratizing who can create with AI.
  2. Nvidia’s new Vera Rubin chip suite and yearly upgrade push aim to satisfy booming AI compute demand and keep customers upgrading, but that strategy could still lead to a future chip glut and tougher price competition.
  3. U.S. moves toward Venezuela and talk about Greenland risk straining alliances and reshaping global tech markets, which could open opportunities for European and other non-U.S. tech companies.

Trust Networks Are the Antidote to AI Hype

Marginally Compelling • 15 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Artificial Intelligence Software Development Cybersecurity Ethics Human factors Platforms
  1. Local AI agents that run on your machine and can access files and services feel magical but are still immature and can cause serious security and control failures.
  2. The AI news wave is overloaded with sensational claims, influencers, and speculative pieces that often mislead people and can even move markets without solid evidence.
  3. The best defense is a network of trusted, experienced people who actually test tools and do the hard work. Rely on them to soberly explain limits and filter the hype.

The Cognitive Offloading Edition

Why is this interesting? • 1447 implied HN points • 24 Jun 25
đź•ą Technology AI Cognition Media Behavior Innovation
  1. Using tools like AI can make us mentally lazy. People are less likely to critically think about the information they get from these tools.
  2. Technology can enhance our abilities while also making us forget certain skills. Just like writing helped spread knowledge but may have reduced our memory.
  3. People often view new technology as harmful because it's different from what they are used to. We tend to favor familiar things over new options.

Google Trends API alternative: Wikipedia Pageview Statistics

Franz likes to code • 39 implied HN points • 05 Sep 24
đź•ą Technology Programming APIs Data Analysis Python Wikipedia
  1. If you're having trouble with the Google Trends Python package, you can switch to using Wikipedia's page view statistics instead. It's a reliable and official way to get data on search trends.
  2. Wikipedia provides a rich API that allows you to fetch daily or hourly view counts for specific articles. This can help analyze how topics gain interest over time.
  3. You can use a simple Python code to find the page views for any Wikipedia article, making it easy to replace Google Trends in your research and get the data you need.

Does Bluesky have the juice?

Read Max • 4426 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
đź•ą Technology Social media Digital Culture User engagement Content creation
  1. Bluesky is growing quickly, with many users moving from Twitter. However, it's still not as big as Twitter or Threads, raising questions about its ability to truly replace Twitter.
  2. The users joining Bluesky are mainly liberal and politically engaged, which might limit the diversity of content compared to Twitter's broader audience.
  3. YouTube viewers seem to value two main qualities: curiosity and the ability to dominate in debates. These characteristics shape how people engage with political ideas online.

AI Datacenter Energy Dilemma - Race for AI Datacenter Space

SemiAnalysis • 8990 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
đź•ą Technology Carbon Emissions Renewable Energy
  1. The demand for AI clusters is stressing datacenter capacity and posing challenges for power supply, especially for training with GPUs needing high-speed networking.
  2. The accurate forecast of datacenter power demand associated with the growth in AI infrastructure is essential to plan for necessary infrastructure enhancements and power supply improvements.
  3. Factors like electricity costs, stability of energy supply, and carbon emissions will determine which countries can emerge as leaders in supporting the energy-intensive AI datacenter boom.