The hottest Software Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

I'm glad to be a 33 years old (ancient) software engineer

Sheep Code • 26 implied HN points • 22 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Career AI Remote work Engineering
  1. You'll enjoy coding much more as you gain experience over the years. It might feel boring now, but in time, it will become something you love doing.
  2. You have the potential to earn a lot more than you think. With hard work and the right opportunities, a six-figure salary is very achievable.
  3. Being smart isn't the only key to success in tech. Being effective, working well with others, and solving problems can matter even more.

Saturn RPG hacking roundup: Grandia Digital Museum, Samurai Spirits Bushido Retsuden, & Marica: The Real World

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 04 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Gaming Software Development Hacking Debugging
  1. Games like Grandia Digital Museum have hidden debug modes that let players access special features. You can enable these modes by changing settings in the game's files.
  2. Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits Bushido Retsuden allows players to activate a debug menu with a patch. This lets them test backgrounds and other game elements easily.
  3. In Marica: Shinjitsu no Sekai, players can unlock a debug screen using a specific cheat code. This screen offers more control and allows visiting different game locations.

TT Chapter: Fat-Tailed Distributions

Software Design: Tidy First? • 154 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Software Design Development Data Engineering
  1. Fat-tailed distributions show that extreme events can happen more often than we expect. This is important for planning in various fields.
  2. When designing software, it's good to focus on creating simple models first. This can help make complex concepts easier to understand.
  3. Being an empirical designer means you rely on real-world data and observations to guide your design decisions. This approach can lead to better results.

Numlock News: January 8, 2024 • Robots, Ramen, Star Citizen

Numlock News • 786 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Food Books Automation Software
  1. Star Citizen is a video game in alpha development raising massive funds through selling digital spaceships.
  2. Instant ramen sales are booming globally, with a spicy chicken-flavored soup gaining popularity in the US.
  3. Automation struggles as some tasks are easy for humans but difficult for robots, showcasing a low robot usage rate in US manufacturing plants.

A Brief History of SaaS and What's Next

Ulysses • 619 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Software Innovation Artificial Intelligence Biotech Robotics
  1. The relationship between return-seeking capital and new technology development creates cycles that go from early adoption to commodity status, setting the stage for the next wave of technological innovation.
  2. Software in the SaaS sector is moving towards commodification, freeing up resources for progressing technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, biotech, and space innovations.
  3. Advancements in robotics, biotech, accelerated design and manufacturing, and space technology are being driven by the commodification of software intelligence, leading to a new Golden Age of innovation in various industries.
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LangGraph Agents By LangChain

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 39 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
🕹 Technology AI Data Software Programming Engineering
  1. Graph-based representations are becoming popular in AI, making it easier to visualize application flows and manage data relationships. This helps in understanding complex connections between data points.
  2. There are two ways to create graph representations: one is using code to create a visual flow, and the other is using a graphical user interface (GUI) to build the flow directly. This dual approach caters to different needs and levels of user expertise.
  3. Graph data structures allow for both firm control over applications and the flexibility needed for agent-based systems. This is useful for tasks where interactions and decisions must adapt based on inputs or user approvals.

Crowdstrike: How Not to Do OTA Updates

burkhardstubert • 39 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Software IT Infrastructure Updates System Design
  1. CrowdStrike made a big mistake by rolling out an untested update to all users at once, causing millions of computers to crash. They need to treat configuration updates like real code and test them properly.
  2. Delta Airlines faced huge losses because it didn’t have backup systems in place when the CrowdStrike update went wrong. Having spare systems or a better contingency plan could have minimized disruptions.
  3. Microsoft should improve its recovery methods after crashes, possibly by adopting an automatic system recovery strategy. Learning from other platforms could help avoid these issues in the future.

Workplace AI just had a terrible week

Make Work Better • 92 implied HN points • 26 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Workplace Software Innovation Ethics
  1. Microsoft's Copilot AI has faced serious criticism recently, with many users finding it unreliable and disconnected from actual business needs. Less than 4% of IT leaders reported that it provided significant value, raising concerns about its effectiveness.
  2. There are issues with Copilot accidentally accessing and sharing sensitive company information. This has created trust problems, as employees worry about privacy and data security.
  3. Next year, companies are moving towards 'agentic AI', where AI not only assists but takes on tasks autonomously. This shift aims to improve efficiency, but it's crucial to ensure these systems remain secure and trustworthy.

AI visually explained in 12 minutes 🤖

Year 2049 • 13 implied HN points • 01 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Software Innovation Education Media
  1. AI can be easier to understand than many people think. It helps to have simple explanations and visuals.
  2. There's a new 12-minute video that combines information from a 7-part series about AI. This makes it easier to share with others and learn together.
  3. The creator is planning to keep making content about AI and wants feedback for improvements. They encourage sharing their work to help others learn.

Introducing the Axie Game Stats Discord Bot!

The Lunacian • 230 implied HN points • 16 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Software Community Web Apps Bots
  1. The Axie Game Stats Discord Bot is now live, helping players track in-game stats for different Axie games like Origins and Classic.
  2. You can use commands to find individual player stats, guild performance, and even recent match history easily in Discord.
  3. The bot is new and will keep getting updates and features. Players are encouraged to share feedback to help improve it.

Why I fell in love with Go

Tech Ramblings • 39 implied HN points • 18 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Programming Software Development Tech Trends Startups
  1. Learning Scala was challenging, and it took a long time for new hires to get comfortable with the language. This made it hard to maintain projects and hire developers.
  2. Switching to Go allowed for faster operational readiness and simpler code, making it easier to deliver products and focus on customer needs.
  3. Go may not be seen as a 'cool' language, but it's practical and widely understood, making it a better choice for most developers compared to niche languages.

Intrinsic vs Extrinsic

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 04 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Programming Motivation Software Development Mindset
  1. Good code comes from genuine passion, not just external rewards. When programmers care deeply, they are more likely to improve their skills and produce better work.
  2. Extrinsic motivations like promotions can lead to just getting by rather than striving for excellence. These motivations don’t usually inspire creativity or deep understanding.
  3. Finding a balance between intrinsic motivation and practical limitations is important. Recognizing your reasons for coding can help you become the person you want to be.

Stop begging for JSON

Artificial Ignorance • 88 implied HN points • 12 Dec 24
🕹 Technology AI Software Development Engineering Data
  1. Using AI tools has gotten better with structured outputs, which ensures that AI responses follow a specific format. This means developers can rely more on AI results.
  2. OpenAI introduced features like JSON mode and Structured Outputs, making it easier for developers to get the correct data structure from the AI. This reduces errors and makes integration smoother.
  3. Even with improvements, some challenges like inconsistent names and types in data still exist. Developers need to be aware and manage these issues when using AI.

Has the time come to take Mortal Computing seriously?

State of the Future • 32 implied HN points • 30 Apr 25
🕹 Technology Computers AI Hardware Software Innovation
  1. Mortal Computing is about embracing variability and imperfections in technology, moving away from the current trend of making every chip identical and perfect.
  2. Weakly Mortal designs could lead to huge gains in performance and efficiency by using smart systems that adapt to different conditions, instead of relying on perfect chips.
  3. Strongly Mortal computing could potentially unlock amazing new technologies, like self-repairing machines and entirely new types of computing that could change how we interact with technology.

Mistral Small 3, Open Music Foundation Models, Qwen2.5-Max and VL, FUZZ, Open-R1, Hailuo Director mode, Tülu 3 405B, Postman AI Agent Builder, Goose, LlamaReport, open-source operator, Codev, and more

AI Brews • 17 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Software Innovation Digital Tools Data
  1. Mistral Small 3 is a new AI model that is fast and efficient, making it a strong competitor against larger models like Llama 3.3.
  2. Tülu 3 405B is an open-source model that follows an open training approach and has shown great performance on key benchmarks.
  3. There are new tools and apps for music generation and automation, making it easier to create songs and automate tasks through simple conversations.

The NHS - Making it Better

Rory’s Always On Newsletter • 1230 implied HN points • 26 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Healthcare Improvement Communication Management Software
  1. Patients and healthcare practitioners have had similar experiences of delays and poor communication within the NHS.
  2. Minor software tweaks can lead to significant time and cost savings for the NHS.
  3. Driving change within the NHS requires incentives, a vision for improvement, and individuals committed to pushing through the changes.

Security Is Not a VPN Problem

Security Is • 59 implied HN points • 01 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Internet Software Networking Privacy
  1. VPNs used to be essential for online security, especially on public WiFi, but that's changed with HTTPS being widely available. Now, most websites encrypt your connection by default.
  2. While VPNs can protect your IP address and DNS queries, for most everyday users, these aren't major issues anymore. Modern browsers and services help keep our connections safe.
  3. Using a VPN isn't a priority for everyone, and it might not be worth the investment, especially for regular people who just want basic online protection.

Phishing for Google’s g.co, AI Co-Pilot as Chaos Catalyst, & AI Missing the Mark

HackerPulse Dispatch • 13 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Cybersecurity Software Programming Tech Trends
  1. AI tools can sometimes cause more problems than they solve, like in a recent project that turned chaotic when the developer relied too much on them.
  2. The first AI software engineer has a very low success rate, managing to complete only 15% of tasks. This raises doubts about AI's ability to fully replace human engineers.
  3. Overreliance on AI for coding is making new programmers less skilled. They are losing important problem-solving abilities because they are not practicing those skills.

The WITI Recommends Edition

Why is this interesting? • 1085 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Products AI Recommendations Software
  1. A new recommendations site, Why is this interesting? Recommends, has been launched after almost five years of planning, bringing together over 1,000 product, book, and software recommendations from their past newsletters.
  2. The use of AI has played a crucial role in extracting and categorizing product recommendations from a vast amount of text, making the process more efficient and manageable.
  3. The team behind the site is open to feedback and suggestions, emphasizing user engagement by encouraging exploration, purchases, and sharing ideas for further improvements.

Mastering Helm from Scratch: Part 1 – The Purpose of Helm

Curious Devs Corner • 1 HN point • 03 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Cloud Kubernetes Systems
  1. Helm makes using Kubernetes easier for beginners by simplifying the process of installing and managing applications. It helps users avoid the confusion of typing many commands to deploy different parts of an app.
  2. With Helm, you can package all the parts of your application into one bundle called a 'chart'. This makes it much simpler to distribute and manage apps on Kubernetes, similar to how apps are managed on computers.
  3. Helm focuses on security and customization. It verifies the integrity of packages and allows users to customize charts, making it a flexible tool for deploying applications according to their specific needs.

AI Roundup 100: CES

Artificial Ignorance • 37 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Consumer Tech Gaming Software Innovation
  1. Nvidia announced exciting new AI technologies at CES, including a personal AI supercomputer and improved GPUs, which shows they are leading in AI development.
  2. Meta is testing AI-generated features that mimic users and create AI versions of photos, but many users are not happy about these changes.
  3. AI adoption among programmers is still slow and many doubt its effectiveness, but there is a lot of potential for improvement and speed gains.

The “Perks” of Being a Full-Stack Dev, Junior Devs’ Burnout, & JavaScript’s Temporal

HackerPulse Dispatch • 8 implied HN points • 04 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Software Development Programming Security Web
  1. Junior developers risk burnout by trying to keep up with many new tools instead of mastering the basics. It's better to understand a few things deeply than to know a little about everything.
  2. The push for full-stack developers often spreads skill sets too thin. Companies might want to save money, but true expertise comes from focusing on specific areas.
  3. JavaScript's new Temporal object is designed to fix the old Date issues. It will help developers manage dates and times more accurately and easily.

Gemini 2.0 Pro, Diffusion model for video restoration, OmniHuman , o3-mini, Deep Research in ChatGPT and Open-source DeepResearch, GitHub Agent mode, Arena-Price Plot, Pikadditions and more

AI Brews • 10 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Software Innovation Research Product
  1. Gemini 2.0 Pro has been updated, bringing new features and improvements to Google's AI offerings.
  2. Topaz Labs introduced a diffusion model that can enhance old videos to high-resolution, making it easier to restore low-quality footage.
  3. ByteDance's new AI system, OmniHuman, animates photographs into realistic videos, leading to more lifelike movements and speech from still images.

It's time to build

benn.substack • 1278 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Data AI Software Startups Analytics
  1. The modern data stack ecosystem is shifting as interest in generative AI takes over.
  2. The hype surrounding data tools can lead to rapid product development but also instability and distraction.
  3. Startups can find success by focusing on rebuilding existing ideas in a more deliberate and stable manner.

Resilient Cyber Newsletter #7

Resilient Cyber • 59 implied HN points • 30 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity AI Software Cloud Leadership
  1. The U.S. has released its first comprehensive report on cybersecurity, highlighting key risks like ransomware and the need for better incident preparedness.
  2. Many American companies are lacking strong cybersecurity leadership, which leads to vulnerabilities and incidents. Board members often need more expertise in digital systems.
  3. To secure cloud services and open source software, it's important to learn from past mistakes and implement better governance and security measures.

[214.] Hello. Happy Anniversary Macintosh!

Hardcore Software • 694 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Computers Software Operating Systems Programming Digital Art
  1. The introduction of the Apple Macintosh in 1984 profoundly changed computing and many people's lives
  2. The Macintosh brought empowerment, elegance, and a sense of mastery to users and developers, setting a new standard in the industry
  3. The Macintosh's impact was widespread, transforming document creation, software development, and user experiences on college campuses and beyond

💥 Tech Talks Weekly #28

Tech Talks Weekly • 59 implied HN points • 22 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Conferences Software Data science Artificial Intelligence Web Development
  1. There are lots of new tech talks available from various conferences, making it easier to stay updated with the latest in technology.
  2. You can help shape future content by filling out a quick feedback form, which takes less than 30 seconds.
  3. Tech Talks Weekly offers a free subscription to help reduce the clutter of tech talk content and keep readers informed.

Metrics Are The Map, Not The Territory

Push to Prod • 59 implied HN points • 30 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Metrics Systems Data Analysis Software Performance
  1. Metrics give us a view of our systems, but they won't show the complete picture. It's like looking at a map; it can guide us but doesn't capture all the details.
  2. When we check the data, we might miss important moments because of how we sample information. This can lead to misunderstandings about our system's performance.
  3. Understanding that metrics are imperfect helps us make better decisions. We should use them to create theories, not think they tell us everything.

TAO - Meta's Scalable architecture powering world's largest social graph

Engineering At Scale • 120 implied HN points • 09 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Software Architecture Data Systems Engineering
  1. Meta created TAO to handle the huge amount of data and user interactions on its platform. This system helps generate personalized content for over 2 billion users very quickly.
  2. TAO uses a layered architecture that includes caching and data storage to improve performance. This design helps distribute the load and maintain fast responses even when many users are active.
  3. TAO prioritizes high availability over strict data consistency. This means it can sometimes show slightly out-of-date information, but it still works well for users, especially during busy times.

What is an AI recipe?

Sunday Letters • 19 implied HN points • 01 Sep 24
🕹 Technology AI Software Innovation Data science Programming
  1. An AI recipe is a mix of code and AI thinking that helps solve problems. It's not just code or just prompts; it's a combination that guides the AI to achieve a goal.
  2. Finding the right balance between structured code and flexible AI is tricky. This balance can feel similar to figuring out what makes a cake a cake.
  3. As AI improves, the aim is to make these recipes work better and help connect human ideas directly to machine actions.

sqlmesh init -t dlt --dlt-pipeline bluesky duckdb

davidj.substack • 71 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Data Engineering APIs Databases Automation
  1. Using dlt to work with Bluesky API allows for easy data extraction. It saves time by handling metadata and schema changes automatically.
  2. dlt simplifies dealing with nested data by creating separate tables. This makes it easier to manage complex data structures.
  3. sqlmesh can quickly generate SQL models based on dlt pipelines. This feature streamlines the workflow and reduces manual setup time.

What's an SDK?

Technically • 67 implied HN points • 16 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Programming APIs Frameworks
  1. An SDK, or Software Development Kit, is like a toolbox for developers, helping them build apps without starting from scratch. It lets them use pieces of code made by others, saving a lot of time.
  2. There are different kinds of tools: libraries are small, focused pieces of code for specific tasks, while SDKs are larger, more comprehensive sets that cover broader tasks like payment processing.
  3. SDKs help developers use APIs easily by providing helpful tools and documentation. They make tasks simpler, so developers can focus on creating great apps instead of writing everything from the ground up.

dlt windsurfing

davidj.substack • 71 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Data Engineering AI Programming APIs
  1. dlt is a Python tool that helps organize messy data into clear, structured datasets. It's easy to use and can quickly load data from many sources.
  2. Using AI tools like Windsurf can make coding feel more collaborative. They help you find solutions faster and reduce the burden of coding from scratch.
  3. Storing data in formats like parquet can make processing much quicker. Simplifying your data handling can save you a lot of time and resources.

The Origins Season 11 Final Era is LIVE!

The Lunacian • 46 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Gaming Blockchain Digital Assets Esports Software
  1. The Origins Season 11 Final Era has started, with players competing for a big prize pool of 24,000 AXS. Congrats to Lixh for topping the Mystic Era rankings!
  2. Top players will get rewards based on their performance, with 15,000 players eligible for AXS and an exclusive avatar for the top 30,000 players.
  3. There will be an Elite 8 Tournament on January 12th, where the best players will contest for a share of a 3,000 AXS prize pool.

The short outburst of activity during Ruby Changelog preparation—2025 edition

zverok on lucid code • 28 implied HN points • 06 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Programming Software Development Documentation Language
  1. Ruby releases a new version every year on December 25th. This has been consistent since 2013, which makes it easier for developers to plan their updates.
  2. A changelog is created that details all the noteworthy changes in the Ruby language. This includes explanations and examples to help developers understand the updates better.
  3. The changelog process helps improve Ruby's documentation and sometimes identifies issues that need to be fixed before the new version is released.

sqlmesh migrate

davidj.substack • 47 implied HN points • 20 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Data Engineering Programming Cloud Computing Analytics
  1. If you're using dbt to run analytics, switching to sqlmesh is a good idea. It offers more features and is easy to learn while still being compatible with dbt.
  2. sqlmesh helps manage data environments and is more comprehensive in handling analytics tasks compared to dbt. It's simpler to transition from dbt to sqlmesh than from older methods like stored procedures.
  3. When using sqlmesh, think about where to run it and how to store its state. You have choices like using a different database or a cloud service, which can save you money and hassle.