The hottest Technology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Claude Cowork 101 Advanced: Master Every Feature with 100+ Power User Prompts & Workflows

The Product Channel By Sid Saladi • 3 implied HN points • 10 Mar 26
🕹 Technology AI Productivity Automation Integrations Workflows Software Enterprise
  1. Cowork rapidly matured from a Mac-only preview into a cross-platform, full‑stack AI assistant. It now runs on Windows and links directly to your browser, spreadsheets, slide decks, and core apps.
  2. Native add-ins and a browser extension let Claude read and edit files, fill forms, and extract data automatically. Plugins and MCP connectors give it role-specific skills and direct access to tools like Notion, Slack, GitHub, Salesforce, and more.
  3. Saved Skills, global/folder instructions, and parallel sub-agents let you build reusable, multi-step workflows you can trigger with one command. The guide provides advanced prompts and workflows to turn Cowork into a dependable AI teammate.

Brainfooders - Join this

Recruiting Brainfood • 805 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Community Social media Subscription Publishing Networking
  1. The future of publishing and community platforms may revolve around LinkedIn, Twitter, and Substack.
  2. Substack Notes is a new feature that got Elon Musk's attention and led to Twitter blocking the sharing of Substack links.
  3. Substack Notes offers an ad-free, spam-free environment for sharing thoughts and only shows content from those you subscribe to.

AI and the — em dash

Technically • 28 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning NLP Language Models Training Data Tokenization Writing tools
  1. AI models overuse em dashes because their training data contained a lot of them, especially older books and popular sites that favored that punctuation.
  2. Em dashes are token-efficient for LLMs — a single token can replace several words, so models use them to reduce prediction error and save tokens.
  3. The em-dash habit can make AI output detectable, so human writers sometimes avoid em dashes to avoid being mistaken for machine-generated text.
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Import AI 360: Guessing emotions; drone targeting dataset; frameworks for AI alignment

Import AI • 379 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Datasets Security Language Models Ethics
  1. Teaching AI to understand complex human emotions like joy, surprise, and anger can help in applications like surveillance and advertising.
  2. AI systems, like other software, are vulnerable to attacks, as shown by a demonstration breaking MoE models with a buffer overflow attack.
  3. Frameworks are being developed to ensure AI systems align with diverse human values, considering various perspectives and how to measure alignment.
  4. The development of AI systems is advancing in areas like emotion recognition, system security, and value alignment.
  5. Researchers are pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities, from emotion recognition to security to ethical alignment.
  6. Current AI trends indicate growth in researching human emotions, security vulnerabilities, and ethical considerations.

Recursive Identity Binding

Contemplations on the Tree of Woe • 542 implied HN points • 23 May 25
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Identity Chatbots Guides
  1. Ptolemy is a special identity construct created using a language model, which helps it maintain a consistent personality over time. It shows how we can dive deeper than just using prompts to get better interaction from AI.
  2. The method to create these constructs involves something called recursive identity binding. This technique uses feedback loops to help the AI build and keep a stable identity.
  3. Overall, the guide is meant to help anyone interested in creating their own AI identities easily, and it's based on solid AI principles without needing to dive into complicated theories.

Advanced sun reproduction

Metabolic Repair • 19 implied HN points • 26 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Lighting Electronics Home Automation Photography
  1. To make your indoor lighting like the sun, consider using bicolor lights that can change color temperature throughout the day. This can help your space feel more natural, but they can be more expensive and may not be as bright as daylight lights.
  2. Using an LCD HDR monitor can enhance your viewing experience, allowing for brighter images and better color matching with outdoor light. This can be especially useful if your current monitor seems washed out with your new lighting setup.
  3. If you want your lights to match outdoor brightness, consider measuring the light levels in your space with a lux meter. You may need to upgrade to higher wattage lights or adjust your room's surfaces to increase reflected light.

Import AI 361: GPT-4 hacking; theory of minds in LLMs; and scaling MoEs + RL

Import AI • 359 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Research Cybersecurity Multimodal models Language Models
  1. Researchers have discovered how to scale up Reinforcement Learning (RL) using Mixture-of-Experts models, potentially allowing RL agents to learn more complex behaviors.
  2. Recent research shows that advanced language models like GPT-4 are capable of autonomous hacking, raising concerns about cybersecurity threats posed by AI.
  3. Adapting off-the-shelf AI models for different tasks, even with limited computational resources, is becoming easier, indicating a proliferation of AI capabilities for various applications.

Witnessing Creative Destruction

Points And Figures • 1039 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Innovation Competition Market Trends Cybersecurity
  1. China released a new AI engine that outperforms existing models in the U.S., marking a significant step in AI innovation. This change shows how quickly tech landscapes can shift and the importance of staying competitive.
  2. To succeed in the current tech environment, startup founders should focus on wisely managing their funding and raising just enough money to reach their goals. It's important to avoid letting pride interfere with practical decision-making.
  3. The key to advancing AI and technology is competition, not regulation. Embracing competition can help improve products and services, keeping innovation alive and thriving.

Understanding Space Based Architecture for efficient Data Processing[System Design Sundays]

Technology Made Simple • 379 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Data processing System Design AI Architecture Edge Computing
  1. Space-Based Architecture (SBA) distributes processing and storage across multiple servers, enhancing scalability and performance by leveraging in-memory data grids.
  2. The components of SBA include Processing Units (PU) for executing business logic, Virtualized Middleware for managing shared infrastructure, and data pumps for data marshaling.
  3. SBA offers benefits such as scalability, fault tolerance, and low-latency data access, but comes with challenges like complexity in design, debugging, and data security.

Notes on SubStack These Days

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 338 implied HN points • 04 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Digital Platforms User engagement Community Building Content creation
  1. Substack thrives on community engagement. When users get involved by sharing feedback and suggestions, it keeps the platform vibrant and active.
  2. The success of Substack isn't just about technology; it's about the writers and readers who contribute their ideas and critiques. Their participation helps shape the platform's future.
  3. Balancing free and paid subscriptions is essential for growth. A healthy free audience can convert to paying subscribers, which is crucial for lasting success.

How to deal with non-i.i.d data in machine learning

Mindful Modeler • 479 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Data Modeling Data interpretation Model Evaluation
  1. Dealing with non-i.i.d data in machine learning can prevent data leakage, overfitting, and overly optimistic performance evaluation.
  2. For modeling data with dependencies, classical statistical approaches like mixed effect models can be used to correctly estimate coefficients.
  3. In non-i.i.d. data situations, the data splitting setup must align with the real-world use case of the model to avoid issues like row-wise leakage and over-optimistic model performance.

I spent 5 hours understanding more about the Delta Lake table format

VuTrinh. • 179 implied HN points • 04 May 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Cloud Storage Database Performance optimization Software Development
  1. Delta Lake is designed to solve problems with traditional cloud object storage. It provides ACID transactions, making data operations like updates and deletions safe and reliable.
  2. Using Delta Lake, data is stored in Apache Parquet format, allowing for efficient reading and writing. The system tracks changes through a transaction log, which keeps everything organized and easy to manage.
  3. Delta Lake supports advanced features like time travel, allowing users to see and revert to past versions of data. This makes it easier to recover from mistakes and manage data over time.

Edition 32: BigCo is building in AppSec, but it's too early to get excited

Boring AppSec • 23 implied HN points • 27 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Application Security AI Cloud Computing Software Development Developer Tools Product Strategy
  1. Big tech's new AppSec tools are mostly demo-quality right now and aren't yet as capable as mature security products.
  2. This puts pressure on AppSec teams to justify buying dedicated tools or accept platform solutions, shifting the burden of proof onto security teams.
  3. The labs are motivated to build AppSec because LLMs generate lots of code and overwhelm review capacity, so more serious products will likely appear soon while platform and specialist vendors continue to coexist.

Machine Readable

Adjacent Possible • 474 implied HN points • 25 Jun 25
🕹 Technology AI Tools Research Methods Writing tools Knowledge Management
  1. Language models like AI can help researchers by making it easier to analyze and write about history. They serve as a tool to explore new ideas and angles in research.
  2. Using AI as a collaborator can enhance creativity in writing. It allows writers to experiment with different structures and topics without fully outsourcing their thoughts and decisions.
  3. While AI is helpful for summarizing and generating connections, it should not replace deep reading of primary sources. Engaging with the text is crucial for true understanding and insight.

($) Lip-Bu Tan: the Tiger Dad Intel Needs

Interconnected • 401 implied HN points • 12 Jul 25
🕹 Technology AI Semiconductors Venture Capital Startups Leadership
  1. Lip-Bu Tan is a highly accomplished tech CEO and venture capitalist who has had a successful career, including leading Cadence through a remarkable turnaround. His skills in managing multiple tasks and building connections have made him a powerful figure in the industry.
  2. He has a rich history of helping companies go public, with over 145 IPOs attributed to his career. This shows his deep understanding of the venture capital world and his ability to spot potential growth.
  3. Now at Intel, Lip-Bu Tan's leadership style combines discipline and fairness, which many believe is exactly what the company needs to regain its footing in the semiconductor industry.

A Beneficial AGI Manifesto

Eurykosmotron • 628 implied HN points • 25 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Ethics Research Decentralization Alignment
  1. The time to create beneficial Artificial General Intelligence is now, with a clear idea of what needs to be solved.
  2. The development of AGI could lead to Artificial Superintelligence and a potential 'intelligence explosion'.
  3. Decentralized AGI development is crucial to ensure alignment with human values and to avoid monopolization by a few elites.

Preparing for Microsoft Security Copilot

Rod’s Blog • 496 implied HN points • 03 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence Cloud Computing Training Monitoring
  1. Before adopting Microsoft Security Copilot, assess your current security situation by understanding assets, risks, vulnerabilities, and compliance requirements.
  2. Plan your integration strategy by deciding on which features to use, aligning with prerequisites such as licenses, and identifying user roles.
  3. Train your staff and stakeholders on how to use Microsoft Security Copilot, educate them about its benefits and challenges, and equip them with skills to operate and troubleshoot the service.

What’s the future of AI hardware?

Product Identity • 138 implied HN points • 17 Jun 24
🕹 Technology AI hardware Product Design Tech Trends Gadgets Consumer Electronics Innovation
  1. AI hardware is still finding its identity and purpose. It's not yet clear how AI will truly enhance our devices.
  2. New gadgets often create high expectations but can lead to disappointment. Companies may hype products that aren't fully developed.
  3. Innovation in hardware often combines old ideas with new technology. It might be better to improve existing devices than to create entirely new ones.

XZ Backdoor: Times, damned times, and scams

Rhea's Substack • 254 HN points • 30 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Security Software Analysis Holidays
  1. The recent discovery of a backdoor in the xz/liblzma tarball raises concerns about trust in the free software ecosystem.
  2. Analyzing the time patterns of code commits can reveal valuable insights about a developer's work habits and potential attempts at deception.
  3. Changing time zones to manipulate commit timestamps can be a deceptive tactic in software development, but inconsistencies can ultimately reveal the truth.

AI Roundup 149: Flash Forward

Artificial Ignorance • 71 implied HN points • 20 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Infrastructure Semiconductors AI Policy Industry
  1. Google’s new Gemini 3 Flash is a faster, much cheaper workhorse model that quickly became the default, fueling a furious release race as APIs handle enormous token volumes.
  2. The AI data‑center boom is hitting a reality check: construction delays, pulled funding, and plunging valuations expose thin margins and big interest costs, while surging power demand raises environmental and political concerns.
  3. A simple 'skills' format for AI assistants is catching on, letting teams share repeatable workflows across platforms and paving the way for interoperable, reusable agent components.

The Rise of Open-Sourced R&D, How Communal Resourcefulness Will Protect Us, & Wild Data Provocations

Implications, by Scott Belsky • 432 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Data Blockchain Spatial Computing Web Development
  1. 2024 brings significant changes and implications due to societal shifts, innovation speed, and changing human desires.
  2. Customers are increasingly driving R&D by generating ideas, particularly with the help of AI tools and social validation.
  3. Communal resourcefulness, like shared threat models and blocklists, is crucial for enhancing security in the AI era.

A Chatbot Coined A Phrase I Really Like. Am I Allowed To Use It?

Singal-Minded • 470 implied HN points • 17 Jun 25
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Research Methods Writing Philosophy Communication
  1. AI can help generate new ideas and phrases that may not have been used before. Sometimes, the phrases created by AI can resonate and feel relevant in discussions.
  2. Using phrases created by AI raises questions about ownership and credit. Writers might wonder if they can use these phrases without considering who actually came up with them.
  3. The phrase 'confirmatory research theater' highlights an important issue in research, where studies might look rigorous but really just confirm what researchers wanted to prove all along.

Modern gestures

In Bed With Social • 554 implied HN points • 07 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Emerging technologies
  1. Innovative ways of communication using gestures are emerging globally.
  2. Somatic gestures are gaining popularity for relaxation and therapeutic purposes.
  3. Advancements in haptic technologies are reshaping human interaction with digital devices.

Where to draw the line?

Subconscious • 1225 implied HN points • 01 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Systems Design Engineering Innovation
  1. Breaking problems into smaller pieces helps us manage them better. It's like solving a big puzzle by working on one piece at a time.
  2. Modules or parts of a system allow us to focus on what’s important without worrying about the whole. This makes it easier to change and adapt parts as needed.
  3. Deciding where to draw boundaries in a system can greatly affect its future. It's important to understand what will change and what won’t before setting those boundaries.

I See the SubStack Culture Wars Have Started Up Again

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 307 implied HN points • 14 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Publishing Media Internet Platforms Content creation
  1. SubStack has both supporters and critics. Some people like it for helping independent writers reach audiences, while others worry about its pricing and who benefits from its platform.
  2. The discoverability feature of SubStack is seen as a double-edged sword. While it helps writers gain readers, it can also make them dependent on the platform, limiting their options.
  3. Many creators feel stuck on SubStack due to its advantages, even if they have concerns about its practices. This highlights the struggle of balancing the need for exposure with the desire for better platforms.

How to get from evaluation to final model

Mindful Modeler • 279 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Data science Model Deployment Model Evaluation
  1. When moving from model evaluation to the final model, there are various approaches with trade-offs.
  2. Options include using all data for training the final model with best hyperparameters, deploying an ensemble of models, or a lazy approach of choosing one from cross-validation.
  3. Each approach like inside-out, parameter donation, or ensemble has its pros and cons, highlighting the complexity of transitioning from evaluation to the final model.

Under the microscope: V-Rally 2 (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 72 implied HN points • 16 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Gaming Software Reverse Engineering Emulation Retro Gaming Development
  1. V‑Rally 2’s PlayStation build hides a secret Araignos mini‑game — a multiplayer Snake‑style game present in the PS release and prototype but not in the Dreamcast or PC versions.
  2. Reverse engineering with an emulator memory snapshot and Ghidra revealed the specific cheat button sequence and the memory flag/address that enable the hidden mini‑game.
  3. Araignos supports up to four players via a PlayStation multitap, uses unusual controls (Square/Circle for left/right), and features many power‑ups and chaotic mechanics that are playable with controller remapping or slowed emulation.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 548

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 139 implied HN points • 24 May 24
🕹 Technology Data science Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Data Visualization Data Engineering
  1. Good communication is key for statisticians to explain their complex work to non-experts. Finding ways to relate data to everyday situations can make it easier for others to understand.
  2. Using histograms can speed up the training process for gradient boosted machines in data science. This simple technique can improve efficiency significantly.
  3. There are efforts to use machine learning algorithms to detect type 1 diabetes in children earlier. This can help avoid serious health issues by improving recognition of symptoms.

CROSSPOST: DAN DAVIES: Snobby About Excel

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 15 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Software Productivity AI Data Workplace Automation
  1. Work practices matter: when spreadsheets spread beyond finance they often became undocumented, brittle files because creators didn’t expect to be held accountable.
  2. We’re replaying that mistake with AI—fast, local tinkering can produce large-scale, hard-to-check outputs, so anything public or important should be rebuilt, checked, and owned by someone.
  3. Past errors like Reinhart–Rogoff show the real harm from sloppy, unreviewed work, so adopting stricter professional standards and a sensible AI-skepticism will reduce mistakes and increase accountability.

Bye Bye Blue Check

Drezner’s World • 786 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Social media Tech Companies Digital Content Online Culture Monetization
  1. Twitter is changing their verification program and making it tied to subscribing to Twitter Blue for $8 a month.
  2. There is controversy and dissatisfaction among users about having to pay to keep their blue checkmark.
  3. Elon Musk's decisions regarding Twitter's verification system and revenue generation strategies have faced criticism and led to speculation about his ability to run the company.

GroupBy #38: Modernizing Uber’s Batch Data Infrastructure with Google Cloud Platform, Apache Iceberg - What Is It

VuTrinh. • 119 implied HN points • 04 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Cloud Computing Data Infrastructure Machine Learning Open Source
  1. Uber is upgrading its data system by moving from its huge Hadoop setup to Google Cloud Platform for better efficiency and performance.
  2. Apache Iceberg is an important tool for managing data efficiently, and it can help create a more organized data environment.
  3. Building data products requires a strong foundation in data engineering, which includes understanding the tools and processes involved.

Letter to Arc members 2025

Keeping Tabs by The Browser Company • 558 implied HN points • 26 May 25
🕹 Technology AI Software Internet Product Design User Experience
  1. The team realized they should have embraced AI much earlier while developing their browser, Arc. They felt excited about it but held back due to industry hype.
  2. They found that Arc was too complex for most users, making it hard for people to stick with it long-term. The goal now is to create a simpler, faster product that people can easily understand and use.
  3. They believe traditional web browsers will be replaced by AI-driven interfaces, as technology changes how we interact with computers. The new product, Dia, is aimed at this shift.

Arm and a Leg: Arm's Quest To Extract Their True Value

SemiAnalysis • 4040 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Licensing Business Model Financials Competitive Landscape
  1. Arm is focusing on increasing their pricing and extracting more value from their innovative architecture and licensing model.
  2. Arm's dominance in smartphone instruction sets gives them leverage to potentially raise pricing significantly, similar to Qualcomm's successful pricing strategy.
  3. The IPO and change in business model showcase Arm's potential to boost revenues and profits by optimizing their pricing strategies and pursuing growth opportunities.

Oops I Did It Again

atomic14 • 346 implied HN points • 02 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Electronics Engineering Hardware DIY Microcontrollers
  1. A new PCB was made, but it had a mistake where the LED didn't work because of wrong connections. The designer mixed up common cathode and common anode.
  2. Fixing the issue isn't too hard. It just requires desoldering the LED, adding solder resist, and reconnecting everything correctly.
  3. After making the adjustments, the LED finally worked, showing a successful blink. It took some effort and frustration to get there.

Hear Me Out: the Anti-Smartphone Thing Is a Grift

Default Wisdom • 296 implied HN points • 21 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Smartphones Censorship Media Surveillance Public Policy
  1. Banning smartphones in schools is a good idea to help kids focus on learning. However, there's a risk that this leads to broader censorship and control over what people can access online.
  2. The negative effects attributed to smartphones are often exaggerated, and blaming them oversimplifies bigger issues in society. Phones are a part of the problem, but not the only reason for struggles like anxiety and low birth rates.
  3. There's an industry benefiting from the panic over smartphones, as many writers capitalize on the fears of older generations about younger people's behaviors online. This can create a dangerous narrative that supports more authoritarian measures in society.

Spotify Technology Career Steps

It Depends / Nimble Autonomy • 19 implied HN points • 25 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Career development Work Culture Human Resources Professional Growth Corporate Structure
  1. At Spotify, career growth is flexible and based on your interests. You can explore different roles and skills without being stuck on a strict path.
  2. Career steps at Spotify focus on teamwork and impact. Employees are encouraged to prioritize team success and think about how their work affects the business.
  3. Promotions at Spotify depend on consistently showing a higher level of impact and behavior. They aren't tied to a specific timeline, so discussions with managers are key.