The hottest Infrastructure Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Reading List 11/16/24

Construction Physics • 1043 implied HN points • 16 Nov 24
💼 Business Construction Infrastructure Technology Real Estate Finance
  1. Miami tried to become a new tech hub, but it didn't get much venture capital funding, showing it hasn't really worked out.
  2. Modular construction is growing, especially for fast food restaurants, where buildings can be completed in just 24 hours.
  3. The average homebuyer in the U.S. is now 56 years old, which reflects the aging population in the country.

Reading List for 11/9/24

Construction Physics • 1879 implied HN points • 09 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Construction Infrastructure Sustainability Data Centers Monitoring
  1. Using drones and AI to monitor construction sites can help identify issues and improve efficiency. This tech can make construction safer and more effective.
  2. Microsoft's plan for mass-timber data centers is an attempt to cut carbon emissions, but energy use for operating them has a much bigger carbon footprint than the building materials.
  3. The trend of smaller windows in buildings to save energy might not be the best solution. It's better to focus on creating more clean energy rather than limiting our energy use too much.

The Private Train Car Edition

Why is this interesting? • 2352 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Travel Luxury History Infrastructure Society
  1. Private rail cars are a luxurious way to travel that depend on public train systems like Amtrak. Owners can hitch their private cars onto regular train services for their trips.
  2. These rail cars were a big deal in the early 20th century, designed with amazing features like observation decks and sleeping quarters. Many were made by the famous Pullman company, known for its luxury craftsmanship.
  3. Even wealthy travelers in the past had to rely on public infrastructure, showing a unique blend of private luxury and public services. This coexistence is still important today as societies think about wealth and accessibility.

How reliable is your node?

Kerman Kohli • 99 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🔮 Crypto Blockchain Performance Data Infrastructure
  1. RPC calls to blockchain nodes only succeed about 78.5% of the time on average. This means that sometimes you might have trouble getting the data you need.
  2. The performance of nodes varies depending on the blockchain you’re accessing, the RPC provider you choose, and even the time of day you make your requests.
  3. To ensure better reliability, it’s smart to use multiple node providers rather than depending on just one. This way, if one fails, you have a backup.

AI #89: Trump Card

Don't Worry About the Vase • 1881 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Policy Innovation Regulation Infrastructure
  1. Trump's potential return to office could change AI policy significantly. He plans to revoke existing regulations but may not have a clear replacement, which could impact the tech landscape.
  2. Language models are becoming more important in everyday tasks, but they also face challenges. While they improve productivity, they can also lead to decreased job satisfaction for users.
  3. There is growing concern about AI's influence on politics and decision-making. Studies show that AI models can affect voters' opinions, highlighting the need for caution in how they are used.
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State of the Future! Part Deux

Let Us Face the Future • 714 implied HN points • 22 Oct 24
🕹 Technology AI Semiconductors Data Centers Energy Infrastructure
  1. The future of technology is all about connectivity between different sectors like energy, mining, and semiconductors. It's not just about one area, but how they all work together.
  2. Scaling AI is a big focus, and over the next few years, we'll see major advancements in AI models. These models will require massive amounts of power and new infrastructures to support them.
  3. For AI to be widely accepted, we need to prioritize security, privacy, and fairness. This means creating accessible and trustworthy systems for everyone.

⤴⤵ Up Wing/Down Wing #25

Faster, Please! • 548 implied HN points • 16 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Policy Energy Policy Technology Policy Research Funding Infrastructure
  1. AI is creating a big boom in US construction, especially for data centers. Spending on these centers has grown a lot since the launch of ChatGPT.
  2. The US government has plans to triple its nuclear power by 2050. This is to keep up with the demand for clean energy as AI and industries grow.
  3. There is a push for a new research initiative to support advanced science fields like quantum computing. This aims to keep the US ahead in technology against competitive countries.

The Rise of Amazon's Trainium 2

Mule’s Musings • 288 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Semiconductors AI Infrastructure Cloud Computing
  1. Amazon is significantly increasing its investments in technology infrastructure, particularly for AI services, showing a strong commitment to compete in the generative AI space.
  2. The success of Amazon's new custom silicon, Trainium 2, could be larger than expected as demand from AI applications grows rapidly.
  3. Trainium 2 represents Amazon's serious entry into the market for training AI models, positioning it as a competitor against established players like Nvidia.

🌻 E43: ML Deployment is a mess and Simplismart is solving it

Musings on AI • 184 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Startups Infrastructure Software Development
  1. Simplismart raised $7 million to improve how machine learning models are deployed, making the process easier and faster.
  2. The company offers a powerful system that helps avoid common problems in deploying AI models at scale.
  3. They provide tools that save businesses time and money while ensuring their AI models run efficiently.

Kubernetes for Data Engineers

VuTrinh. • 859 implied HN points • 03 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Cloud Computing DevOps Software Development Infrastructure
  1. Kubernetes is a powerful tool for managing containers, which are bundles of apps and their dependencies. It helps you run and scale many containers across different servers smoothly.
  2. Understanding how Kubernetes works is key. It compares the actual state of your application with the desired state to make adjustments, ensuring everything runs as expected.
  3. To start with Kubernetes, begin small and simple. Use local tools for practice, and learn step-by-step to avoid feeling overwhelmed by its many components.

Top Links 546 Childcare as infrastructure. Why Larry Summers thinks blended finance is BS and how all that is solid burst into flames.

Chartbook • 243 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Childcare Finance Economic Policy Infrastructure Public Policy
  1. Childcare should be seen as important infrastructure for the economy. It's essential for supporting working families and boosting economic growth.
  2. Larry Summers is critical of blended finance, arguing that it doesn't really solve financial problems and can lead to more issues.
  3. There's a sense that many established systems are failing or breaking down. It's a call to rethink how things work in society.

Why Is It So Hard to Build an Airport?

Construction Physics • 22131 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
💼 Business Infrastructure Aviation Construction Economics Environmentalism
  1. Airports are crucial for global economy, with aviation contributing significantly to GDP.
  2. Building airports is notoriously difficult due to opposition from various interest groups, particularly related to noise concerns.
  3. Despite challenges in airport construction, the aviation industry has managed to adapt and accommodate increased air travel by adding runways, expanding infrastructure, and increasing passenger capacity per plane.

Confidential AI: The Dog That Didn't Bark In The Night

State of the Future • 24 implied HN points • 05 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Data Privacy Machine Learning Crypto Infrastructure
  1. We need to prioritize data privacy as AI gets more personal. New technologies could help us protect our information while still allowing AI to learn.
  2. Building fair and unbiased AI models is crucial, as biased models can worsen social inequalities. We have tools to help create better AI that considers everyone fairly.
  3. There's a big opportunity to use decentralized systems for AI training and inference. This could make AI more accessible and less dependent on a few large companies.

Development hailed as biggest transformation of town’s centre since ‘great fire’ has likely ‘considerable viability and funding gap’

NN Journal • 238 implied HN points • 10 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Local Governance Public Policy Urban Development Economic Development Infrastructure
  1. The Greyfriars area in Northampton is set for a big redevelopment, but there are concerns about money to make it happen. A partnership with a regeneration company aims to figure out the costs and plans soon.
  2. This project could create over 7,000 jobs and boost the local economy by one billion pounds, but how to pay for it all is still unclear.
  3. Local leaders are excited about this transformation, viewing it as a chance to fix past development mistakes and improve the town's center significantly.

Overthinking Transportation Funding Reform & Policy: Steelmanning Reauthorization II(a)

Exasperated Infrastructures • 12 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Transportation Legislation Policy Analysis Infrastructure
  1. Reading transportation bills can be tricky because they are full of legal jargon. Most of the text isn't that important, so focus on the key sections that really change policies.
  2. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) play a crucial role in transportation planning. They help ensure local needs are considered when deciding how to spend federal money.
  3. Transportation laws evolve over time, reflecting changes in society and policies. It's important to stay updated on these changes to understand how they affect public transportation and infrastructure.

Will Trump derail America’s high-speed rail plans?

Urben Field Notes • 97 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Infrastructure Political Analysis
  1. High-speed rail projects in the U.S. are gaining traction, especially in red states, which could change the support they receive from future administrations.
  2. Former President Trump may not prioritize high-speed rail development like Biden did, but the growing popularity of public-private rail projects might appeal to him.
  3. New high-speed rail proposals are emerging, such as those connecting Atlanta and Charlotte, which may succeed if they find private sector backing and support from key political figures.

Google Becomes AT&T

Dana Blankenhorn: Facing the Future • 59 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
🕹 Technology AI Google Search Infrastructure Monopoly
  1. Google is struggling with its search service, similar to how AT&T failed in the past. They are facing a lot of pressure from new AI technologies.
  2. The company is spending a huge amount of money to fix its issues but still losing ground to competitors. This is making it hard to maintain their position in the search market.
  3. There's a call for government intervention to save the internet and possibly break up Google, as many believe the current setup is damaging and not serving users well.

How did Discord evolve to handle trillions of data points

VuTrinh. • 399 implied HN points • 20 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Software Tools Infrastructure Open Source Data Analytics
  1. Discord started with its own tool called Derived to manage data, but it found this system limited as it grew. They needed a better way to handle complex data tasks.
  2. They switched to using popular tools like Dagster and dbt. This helped them automate and better manage their data processes.
  3. With the new setup, Discord can now make changes quickly and safely, which improves how they analyze and use their vast amounts of data.

The Birth of the Grid

Construction Physics • 19834 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🕹 Technology Energy Infrastructure Innovation History Utilities
  1. Electricity transitioned from a rare luxury to a critical aspect of modern life in a short period of time.
  2. The development of high-voltage transmission lines allowed for long-distance power transmission and the creation of interconnected power systems.
  3. The electric power industry grew by embracing scale, cooperation, and regulation to meet increasing demand and ensure reliability.

Latest from AI Roller Coaster: Disruptive Nausea

Day Zero: Always Learning • 85 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🕹 Technology AI Startups Infrastructure Investment Workforce Business Models
  1. AI infrastructure is getting super crowded and costs are rising, which may lead to a shake-up in who leads this space. Companies need to find new angles to succeed, like offering something unique or targeting a niche.
  2. AI observability is a hot trend right now, with many startups focusing on helping businesses check if their AI models are really working. Measuring success with AI tools is still a big challenge that needs to be figured out.
  3. The way companies operate is going to change a lot because of AI, creating a mix of specialized skills and generalist abilities. Traditional roles may get transformed or even replaced as companies rethink how they do business.

Sustainable Software, can you do something?

Cloud native with Saiyam • 39 implied HN points • 15 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Software AI Sustainability Infrastructure
  1. Cloud Native Sustainability Week is a global event focusing on making technology practices more sustainable. It encourages everyone to join discussions and learn about sustainable software integration.
  2. You can contribute to sustainable software efforts by participating in working groups and exploring specific technologies like Kubernetes. There are many projects people can join to help the cause.
  3. Upcoming events like KubeCon NA provide opportunities to learn about the latest tools in cloud-native landscapes. Attending talks and meetups can deepen your understanding and involvement in sustainability efforts.

How Did LinkedIn Handle 7 Trillion Messages Daily With Apache Kafka?

VuTrinh. • 299 implied HN points • 13 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Infrastructure Software Development Open Source
  1. LinkedIn uses Apache Kafka to manage a massive flow of information, handling around 7 trillion messages every day. They set up a complex system of clusters and brokers to ensure everything runs smoothly.
  2. To keep everything organized, LinkedIn has a tiered system where data is processed locally in each data center, then sent to an aggregate cluster. This helps them avoid issues from moving data across different locations.
  3. LinkedIn has an auditing tool to make sure all messages are tracked and nothing gets lost during transmission. This helps them quickly identify any problems and fix them efficiently.

Netflix Data Engineer Stack

VuTrinh. • 359 implied HN points • 30 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Software Tools Streaming Analytics Infrastructure
  1. Netflix's data engineering stack uses tools like Apache Iceberg and Spark for building batch data pipelines. This helps them transform and manage large amounts of data efficiently.
  2. For real-time data processing, Netflix relies on Apache Flink and a tool called Keystone. This setup makes it easier to handle streaming data and send it where it needs to go.
  3. To ensure data quality and scheduling, Netflix has developed tools like the WAP pattern for auditing data and Maestro for managing workflows. These tools help keep the data process organized and reliable.

The grid part II - the golden age of the power industry

Construction Physics • 11274 implied HN points • 03 Jun 23
🔬 Science Electricity Industry Infrastructure Regulation Environmental Impact
  1. In the 1930s, federal projects like the Hoover Dam increased electrification and capacity, but growth slowed due to the Great Depression.
  2. Post-World War II saw the Golden Age of the electric power industry with massive growth in electricity generation, consumption, and industry assets.
  3. The end of the Golden Age came in the late 1960s due to factors like environmental concerns, technical challenges, and the 1973 energy crisis, leading to rising costs and stagnation.

Attack and Defense

Glenn’s Substack • 2496 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
📰 News Security Terrorism Intelligence Response Infrastructure
  1. A cautionary tale in an article discusses a fictional attack on America, highlighting the importance of border control, intelligence, and target hardening.
  2. The aftermath of past attacks in Israel showed that atrocities can fuel anger and determination rather than cowing a nation into submission.
  3. Having a strong deterrence strategy may be a crucial factor in preventing potential future attacks by instilling fear in those who support terrorists.

The Hidden World of Undersea Cables

The Garden of Forking Paths • 2869 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Internet Infrastructure Data Security Geopolitics
  1. The internet largely runs through undersea cables spanning about 900,000 miles, connecting the world in a hidden network.
  2. Early undersea cables were made possible by materials like gutta-percha and played a key role in rapid communication during events like the US Civil War.
  3. Specialized ships lay and repair undersea cables made of fiber optics, and even guard against threats like sharks and sabotage by SCUBA divers.

More Than Meets the Eye

Doomberg • 8671 implied HN points • 31 May 23
📰 News Energy Infrastructure Policy Supply Chain Disasters
  1. The Great Ice Storm of 1998 had devastating impacts on areas in lower Quebec, parts of New England, and the Northeast megalopolis.
  2. The US power industry is facing a growing supply chain crisis, particularly with a chronic shortage of transformers, risking grid reliability.
  3. Industry leaders are urging for a $1 billion appropriation to address the transformer shortage and accelerate production via the Defense Production Act.

Africa in 2024

An Africanist Perspective • 2117 implied HN points • 01 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Elections Economy Conflict Infrastructure Leadership
  1. Africa in 2024 will see tough economic times, with debt distress, moderate growth, and challenges in inflation and household purchasing power.
  2. Several African countries will hold pivotal elections in 2024, with notable contests in Botswana, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa.
  3. Elite political instability and conflicts are expected to persist in regions such as Central Africa, the Horn, and the Sahel, with specific countries facing ongoing challenges while others remain stable.

Layer 3 Deep Dive

DeFi Education • 399 implied HN points • 12 Jun 24
🔮 Crypto Blockchain DeFi Web3 Applications Infrastructure
  1. Layer 3 is the application layer that helps make blockchain technology user-friendly. It aims to simplify how people interact with decentralized finance (DeFi) and other crypto apps.
  2. Layers 1 and 2 are the foundational blockchains, but most users won't need to understand them. The goal is to focus on user experience rather than the underlying complexity.
  3. To bring crypto applications to a wider audience, it’s important to extend and enhance existing technologies, making them more accessible to everyone.

GroupBy #42: Paypal - Scaling Kafka

VuTrinh. • 219 implied HN points • 02 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Software Development Cloud Computing Big Data Infrastructure
  1. PayPal operates a massive Kafka system with over 85 clusters and handles around 1.3 trillion messages daily. They manage data growth by using multiple geographical data centers for efficiency.
  2. To improve user experience and security, PayPal developed tools like the Kafka Config Service for easier broker management and added access control lists to restrict who can connect to their Kafka clusters.
  3. PayPal focuses on automation and monitoring, implementing systems to quickly patch vulnerabilities and manage topics, while also optimizing metrics to quickly identify issues with their Kafka platform.

HS2: The day they cancelled the 21st Century

Striking 13 • 2176 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
🌍 World Politics Infrastructure Economy Environment Climate Transport
  1. HS2 project cancellation in the UK is criticized for hindering progress and development, especially in terms of infrastructure, economy, and environmental impact
  2. HS2 aimed to address capacity issues in the existing rail system, improve connectivity, and contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing carbon emissions from travel
  3. The decision to cancel HS2 is seen as short-sighted, as it not only fails to save money but also overlooks the long-term benefits and potential financial gains of the project

Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)

Vasu’s Newsletter • 13 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Networking Security Infrastructure Data Management
  1. A Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) helps businesses create a separate and secure online environment to manage their resources. This means they can control who has access to what information.
  2. With a VPC, administrators can set rules to protect incoming and outgoing internet traffic. It's like having a security system for their online resources.
  3. VPCs come with useful features like VPN connections and load balancers, which help improve communication and manage traffic effectively. This can make online services run more smoothly.

How does Uber build real-time infrastructure to handle petabytes of data every day?

VuTrinh. • 659 implied HN points • 23 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Infrastructure Real-Time Processing Open Source Big Data
  1. Uber handles huge amounts of data by processing real-time information from drivers, riders, and restaurants. This helps them make quick decisions, like adjusting prices based on demand.
  2. They use a mix of open-source tools like Apache Kafka for data streaming and Apache Flink for processing, which allow them to scale their operations smoothly as the business grows.
  3. Uber values data consistency, high availability, and quick response times in their infrastructure. This means they need reliable systems that work well even when they're overloaded with data.

GroupBy #44: Meta | The Data Stack

VuTrinh. • 119 implied HN points • 16 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Infrastructure Data Analytics Software Development Real-Time Processing
  1. Meta uses a complex data warehouse to manage millions of tables and keeps data only as long as it's needed. Data is organized into namespaces for efficient querying.
  2. They built tools like iData for data discovery and Scuba for real-time analytics. These tools help engineers find and analyze data quickly.
  3. Data engineers at Meta develop pipelines mainly with SQL and Python, using internal tools for orchestration and monitoring to ensure everything runs smoothly.

GroupBy #40: Data Infrastructure at Airbnb

VuTrinh. • 179 implied HN points • 18 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Software Development Infrastructure Open Source Scalability
  1. Airbnb focuses on using open-source tools and contributing back to the community. This helps them build a strong and collaborative data infrastructure.
  2. Their data infrastructure prioritizes scalability and uses specific clusters for different types of jobs. This approach ensures that critical tasks run efficiently without overwhelming the system.
  3. Airbnb has improved their data processing performance significantly, reducing costs while increasing speed. This was achieved through careful planning and migration of their Hadoop clusters.

Offer accepted

Off to Lunch • 687 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
💼 Business Mergers Infrastructure Media Social media Podcasts
  1. Barratt Developments is acquiring Redrow in a £2.5 billion deal, creating the largest housebuilder in the UK
  2. The all-share deal values Redrow's shares at a 27% premium, with Barratt shareholders owning 67.2% of the new company
  3. The merger expects to save up to £90 million in annual costs and position Redrow as the premium housing brand within the group

Walking the Netherlands: From Amsterdam to The Hague

Chris Arnade Walks the World • 771 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🏝 Travel Adventure Transportation Sustainability Culture Infrastructure
  1. The Dutch culture emphasizes good citizenship, seen in how they are thoughtful, friendly, and helpful to strangers.
  2. The Netherlands is clean and functional due to being a high-trust society, which allows for nice things without fear of them being misused.
  3. Placing a focus on pedestrians and cyclists over cars has made Dutch cities more livable and charming, contrasting with the struggles in the US.