The hottest Development Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Authorization As A Service

ciamweekly • 62 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Security API SaaS Development
  1. Authorization is just as important as authentication. While authentication is about identifying who someone is, authorization defines what they can do in the system.
  2. It's crucial to set clear rules for what users can and cannot access. Users should be able to manage their own data, but not access or delete data that belongs to others.
  3. Using centralized authorization services makes managing access easier and more consistent. This way, applications can quickly check permissions without getting bogged down in complicated code.

Progress is not automatic

Play Permissionless • 239 implied HN points • 16 Apr 24
💼 Business Progress Development Entrepreneurship Strategy Personal Growth
  1. Progress is not automatic, you can't expect different outcomes by doing the same thing over and over.
  2. Sticking to what you know can lead to stagnation; sometimes a radical change in approach is needed to see significant growth.
  3. To achieve a 10x improvement, you often have to stop doing most of the things you're currently doing and embrace new strategies.

The Story of Nel

Deus In Machina • 72 implied HN points • 29 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Programming Software AI Startups Development
  1. Real programmers often rely on their knowledge and skills rather than on tools like AI and autocomplete features to code. It highlights the importance of understanding the code at a fundamental level.
  2. Having face-to-face conversations and collaboration among team members helped boost productivity when technology failed. Working together led to better problem-solving and learning.
  3. Using simple, effective tools that fit your needs can lead to better coding experiences. Sometimes, going back to the basics can spark creativity and innovation.

5 Trends Driving the Future of VR Gaming

A16Z GAMES • 179 implied HN points • 08 May 24
🕹 Technology Virtual reality Gaming Development Future outlook
  1. VR gaming is gaining momentum with over 30 million Meta Quest headsets sold and successful games like Gorilla Tag, indicating a bright future for the platform.
  2. Developers are focusing on creating more inviting VR hardware and software to overcome challenges like motion sickness and resistance to bulky headsets.
  3. The younger generation, like the Roblox users, is embracing VR quickly, leading to the rise of social experiences and free games targeted at a younger audience.
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Edition 28: ADR v/s Shift-left should be looked at as a "Stock" v/s "Flow" problem

Boring AppSec • 7 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Security Development DevOps
  1. ADR focuses on real-time data in production, which helps reduce false positives, while shift-left aims to find issues early in the development process to fix them easily.
  2. You need a balance of both ADR and shift-left strategies. ADR manages existing problems (stock), and shift-left deals with changes being made (flow).
  3. When choosing tools, flow tools should be light and supportive for developers, while stock tools track and analyze existing issues. They both require different management approaches.

sqlmesh test

davidj.substack • 47 implied HN points • 12 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Data Engineering Testing Development
  1. Unit tests and data tests are different. Unit tests check if a function works right with set inputs, while data tests check if the data meets certain conditions.
  2. Running tests locally can save costs and speed things up. If you test your code on your own machine, you don’t have to pay for the cloud data warehouse until you’re ready.
  3. Creating external models in sqlmesh can be automated, making it easier to document source tables. You just run a command to generate the necessary files instead of doing it manually.

Don't use functional programming languages

CodeFaster • 36 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Programming Software Development Computers Tech Trends
  1. Functional programming languages can be slow and may not match your thinking style. It's better to use a language that feels natural to you.
  2. Python has a lot of library support and community help, making it easier to find solutions and resources.
  3. While functional programming concepts like map and filter are useful, you can learn them without relying on functional programming languages.

Integrating Microsoft Sentinel with GitHub

Rod’s Blog • 456 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Security Development Integration
  1. Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native security service that uses AI to analyze and detect threats.
  2. GitHub is a platform for software development using Git; integrating it with Sentinel helps monitor repositories and user activities.
  3. Two ways to integrate Sentinel with GitHub are using webhooks for real-time events and audit logs to track user actions.

Breaking and Non-Breaking Changes

davidj.substack • 47 implied HN points • 11 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Data Engineering Analytics
  1. When making changes to data models, it's important to identify if they are breaking or non-breaking changes. Breaking changes affect downstream models, while non-breaking changes do not.
  2. SQLMesh automatically analyzes changes to understand their impact on other models. This helps developers avoid manual tracking and reduces the chances of errors.
  3. New features in SQLMesh will allow for more precise tracking of changes at the column level. This means less unnecessary work when something minor is modified.

MCU land #11: Linux toolchain for Cortex-M

lcamtuf’s thing • 1428 implied HN points • 13 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Coding Hardware Development Linux Programming
  1. Setting up a Linux toolchain for Cortex-M microcontrollers can be challenging but beneficial.
  2. When setting up the toolchain, ensure to get the Cortex-M cross-compiler, CMSIS library, and Device Family Pack.
  3. Compiling and programming the device requires additional steps like using the newlib C library and flashing the binary onto the chip.

#96 — OAI on "wrong side of history", Superglue brings React to Rails, Waiter at Denny's talks about GPUs and future

The Nibble • 4 implied HN points • 04 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Software Development Computing Innovation
  1. OpenAI has released a new model called o3-mini, which is faster and cheaper than previous versions. This model is meant to improve reasoning tasks and is available for various subscription plans.
  2. Superglue is a new library that helps combine React and Rails for building web applications. It makes development easier and more efficient by enhancing server-side rendering and dynamic interactions.
  3. The Doomsday clock is now only 89 seconds to midnight, raising concerns about global threats like AI and nuclear weapons. This reflects how urgent these issues have become in today's world.

If I could travel back to 5 years ago, what would I talk to myself about Docker?

VuTrinh. • 299 implied HN points • 09 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Engineering Infrastructure Cloud
  1. Docker helps you package your applications and everything they need into containers. This makes it easier to deploy and run your apps anywhere.
  2. Containers are lighter than virtual machines because they share the host's operating system, saving resources and simplifying management.
  3. To get started with Docker, install it, then run a simple command to create your first container, like 'docker run hello-world' - it’s that straightforward!

🌻 E46: Next-Gen Agent or a True Leap in AI Consciousness?

Musings on AI • 72 implied HN points • 11 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Research Innovation Development Engineering
  1. AI agents are still developing but show promise for the near future. They're getting better at aligning with human values and being more useful.
  2. Stanford's new method using Information-Directed Sampling helps AI learn more efficiently while keeping human preferences in mind. It can adapt well in changing environments.
  3. As AI becomes more common, we might see a mix of human-friendly websites and those that cater directly to AI agents. This means both types of users can interact effectively.

Uber was Built in Silicon Valley of India

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 439 implied HN points • 03 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Software Innovation Mobile Development Data
  1. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Uber's tech team in Bangalore focused on managing both Uber Ride and Uber Eats effectively.
  2. They realized that they could save resources by combining their tech systems instead of using separate ones.
  3. The team found that some tech functions were useful for both services, which allowed them to make improvements in efficiency and performance.

An AI Haunted World

One Useful Thing • 972 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Models Applications Development Autonomy
  1. The development of open source AI models is democratizing AI usage and allowing for easier modification and widespread deployment.
  2. The efficiency and affordability of LLMs will lead to AI being incorporated into various products for troubleshooting, monitoring, and interaction, potentially creating an 'AI haunted world'.
  3. Future AI integration may involve hierarchies of various AI models working together, with smart generalist AIs delegating tasks to cheaper, specialized AIs.

Expansion hack: Christmas NiGHTS into Sonic

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Software Development Hacking
  1. A new ROM hack lets Sonic replace NiGHTS in Christmas NiGHTS, allowing him to fly and battle Gillwing. This change brings a fresh experience to fans of the game.
  2. The hack includes custom tweaks, like enabling Sonic to have paraloop trails and using his signature spin attack instead of NiGHTS's drill dash. These updates improve gameplay by making it feel more like a traditional Sonic experience.
  3. Players can quickly access the Sonic present by modifying the game's startup code. This makes it easier for fans to jump right into the action without navigating through menus.

The Sequence Engineering #479: Dify.AI: A Deep Dive into its Open-Source LLM Application Development Platform

TheSequence • 112 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Software Development Open Source Platforms
  1. Dify.AI is an open-source platform that helps developers create applications using large language models (LLMs). Its user-friendly setup makes it easier to build AI solutions like chatbots or complex workflows.
  2. The platform is designed to be flexible and keeps evolving to meet the needs of developers in the fast-paced world of generative AI. This adaptability is key when choosing a tech stack for projects.
  3. Dify.AI includes advanced features like Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), which enhances how applications gather and use information. This makes it a powerful tool for building sophisticated AI applications.

DORA: AI boosting productivity, hindering delivery

Bit Byte Bit • 65 implied HN points • 22 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Software Productivity Development Innovation
  1. AI is making developers more productive, but it's also slowing down software delivery. This means while developers can code faster, it doesn't always translate to quicker releases.
  2. Larger changes in software deployment can be riskier and slower. It's often better to make smaller changes that are easier to manage.
  3. The speed of AI adoption might be leading to short-term delivery issues, but organizations might eventually find better ways to balance productivity and delivery as they adapt.

Vignettes: War

Myth Pilot • 628 implied HN points • 27 Mar 23
📚 Literature War Fiction Short Stories Development Narrative
  1. The author aims to publish more content regularly, mixing fiction and non-fiction.
  2. The author plans to share short little posts and vignettes to engage readers and improve writing practice.
  3. The vignette shared is a mix of fact and fiction about a soldier's experience with a State Department official in Iraq.

The World Bank African Countries Need

An Africanist Perspective • 613 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🌍 World Politics Development Data Collection International cooperation
  1. Low-income countries need the World Bank to focus on their real concerns to ensure program success.
  2. It's crucial for the World Bank to prioritize faster project implementation to avoid delays that disrupt policy planning and implementation in low-income countries.
  3. African countries should advocate for a World Bank that embraces big and transformative ideas, conducts better policy research, and improves data collection to accurately address the region's needs.

Lumiterra’s Closed Beta Test starts NEXT WEEK!

Ronin’s Newsletter • 73 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Software Development User Experience Community
  1. Lumiterra's Closed Beta Test starts on November 11th and will last around three weeks. Players can check their access eligibility based on previous participation and certain criteria.
  2. New features include equipment enhancement options, six dungeon difficulty levels, and a team-based PvP event called Escort Slime. These updates aim to offer more ways to earn rewards and enjoy the game.
  3. The onboarding process for new players has improved, with NPCs guiding them through game basics and advanced tasks. This makes it easier for beginners to dive into the world of Lumiterra.

What the Hell Am I Doing Here?

Meanwhile, on the other side of my brain... • 99 implied HN points • 27 May 24
🕹 Technology Development Programming Gaming YouTube Projects
  1. The author faced a challenging recovery period after a car accident, including cognitive issues that persisted for months.
  2. Despite challenges, the author is enthusiastic about returning to writing, programming, and sharing knowledge on game development and tools.
  3. The author plans to expand the newsletter's topics, including sharing stories, project updates, and insights, and to create more video content.

The Sequence Engineering #483: Block's goose is a Brand New Framework for Building Agentic Applications

TheSequence • 91 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Software Frameworks Applications Development
  1. Block has introduced a new framework called goose, which helps connect large language models to actions. This means it can make LLMs do things more effectively.
  2. The release of goose shows that big companies are really getting into building applications that can act on their own. It's changing how we look at AI and its capabilities.
  3. The ongoing development of agentic workflows is significant, and it hints that AI will continue to grow and improve in how it helps us solve problems.

Pytest is All You Need

LLMs for Engineers • 79 implied HN points • 12 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Software Programming AI Testing Development
  1. Pytest is a great tool for evaluating LLM applications, making it easier to set up tests and check their performance. It allows you to program your own evaluation metrics directly in Python without needing complicated configurations.
  2. You can easily collect and analyze data from multiple test runs using Pytest. This helps to understand how consistent the outputs are across different evaluations.
  3. The examples show how to compare different prompts and LLM models, enhancing the flexibility and variety in testing. This allows you to see which setups work best in various scenarios.

Elixir-like pipes in Ruby (oh no not again)

zverok on lucid code • 57 implied HN points • 16 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Programming Software Development Languages Frameworks
  1. Elixir has a special way to chain functions called the pipeline operator, which makes code easier to read. This idea has caught the attention of many programming languages, including Ruby.
  2. Ruby already has a method-chaining style that makes some proposals for a pipeline operator unnecessary. Ruby methods work differently than in Elixir, which poses challenges for introducing this feature.
  3. The author experimented with a new approach to mimic the pipeline operator in Ruby using a method that transforms code at a low level, but it's not intended to be a permanent addition to Ruby. It's more of an exploration of potential features.

RunLLM: The custom assistant for developer tools

The AI Frontier • 179 implied HN points • 28 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Development Software Tools Innovation
  1. RunLLM is a special AI assistant designed for developers, helping them with coding, answering questions, and fixing bugs. It uses specific training to understand a developer's tools and needs better than general assistants.
  2. The way RunLLM works allows it to provide accurate and relevant information quickly. It does this by fine-tuning its learning based on user feedback and the specific data it needs to use.
  3. Setting up RunLLM is easy and can be done through various platforms like Slack and Discord. Developers can quickly start using it to improve their workflow.

How to design effective AI Agents

A Bit Gamey • 6 implied HN points • 02 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Tools Development Software Automation
  1. AI apps can be categorized into two main types: workflows and agents. Workflows follow strict rules, while agents make their own decisions in changing environments.
  2. Simplicity is key when designing AI agents. It's better to start with simple solutions and add complexity only when necessary.
  3. There are established design patterns and tools to create effective AI agents. Using the right patterns can help make agents more reliable and easier to maintain.

Log invalid values

CodeFaster • 36 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Programming Software Development Coding Data
  1. Logging invalid values helps in debugging and understanding errors better. By including the actual value in the log, you can see what went wrong.
  2. Using clear and structured logging formats, like JSON, makes it easier to extract useful information later. This can save time and make troubleshooting smoother.
  3. Fast programming techniques and commands can enhance your workflow, letting you focus on coding efficiently rather than getting stuck on minor issues.

An illustration of the high cost of low state (fiscal) capacity in Liberia

An Africanist Perspective • 494 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
🌍 World Politics International relations Fiscal policy Development Corruption
  1. The high cost of low state capacity in Liberia impacts public services and infrastructure, highlighting the need for economic growth over only focusing on governance and corruption.
  2. Poverty in Liberia severely limits the government's fiscal capacity, affecting its ability to provide public goods and services. The country's annual budget per capita is significantly lower than other regions, making it challenging to maintain essential services.
  3. The US Ambassador to Liberia pointed out significant mismanagement of funds in critical sectors like healthcare and education. This points to a need for better spending of allocated funds and an improvement in service delivery to benefit the citizens.

The Sports Economy Is More Than Stadiums

The New Urban Order • 139 implied HN points • 10 Apr 24
🎾 Sports Economics Development Community Urban planning
  1. The sports economy involves more than just building stadiums, with a focus on combining sports with other economic activities like housing and retail to create sustainable developments.
  2. There is increasing skepticism about the economic benefits of public subsidies for stadiums, with citizens and governments becoming more cautious about investing in such projects.
  3. The concept of 'stadium neighborhoods' is evolving, with a shift towards creating more holistic developments that offer amenities beyond just sports entertainment, emphasizing urban recreation and community needs.

pip install sqlmesh-cube

davidj.substack • 23 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Programming Data Development Systems
  1. A new package called 'sqlmesh-cube' is available for anyone to use. You can easily install it with pip.
  2. This package helps create a CLI command that outputs JSON, showing how sqlmesh models relate to each other. It's important for building a semantic layer.
  3. This was the author's first package, and they learned a lot about the publishing process along the way. They are open to feedback and requests for updates.

Console #193 -- An Interview with Alain of Planify - Task manager for GNU/Linux

Console • 531 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Open Source Development Programming Linux
  1. Planify is a task manager designed for GNU/Linux, inspired by popular task managers like Things 3 and Todoist.
  2. Planify's developer, Alain, started the project as a way to create a task manager with a nice design and good functionality for Linux users.
  3. Planify is free to download and is maintained through donations, with a focus on design, detail, and user-friendly elements.

LangChain Chatbot Framework With Retrievers

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 99 implied HN points • 07 May 24
🕹 Technology AI Chatbots Development Software Programming
  1. LangChain helps build chatbots that can have smart conversations by using retrievers for specific information. This makes chatbots more useful in different fields.
  2. Retrievers are tools that find documents based on user questions, providing relevant information without needing to store everything. They help the chatbot give accurate answers.
  3. A step-by-step example shows how to use LangChain with Python, making it easier to create a chatbot that answers user inquiries based on real-time data.

Extending the demo: SoulCalibur (Dreamcast)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Software Hardware Development Communication
  1. The _SoulCalibur_ demo limits you to two characters and one mode, but a patch can unlock more characters and modes.
  2. This demo is an earlier version of the game, allowing players to explore new features not available in the final release.
  3. Some aspects of the game, like certain modes and features, may crash or behave differently compared to the full game.

The Sequence Engineering #488: Txtai, Maybe the Simplest Way to do Embeddings

TheSequence • 63 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Software Open Source Databases Development
  1. Embeddings are important for generative AI applications because they help with understanding and processing data. A good embedding framework should be simple and easy for developers to use.
  2. Txtai is an open-source database that combines different tools to make working with embeddings easier. It allows for semantic search and supports creating various AI applications.
  3. This framework can help build advanced systems like autonomous agents and search tools, making it a versatile choice for developers creating LLM apps.