# computer Published articles for computer. This is one page of public article previews, not the complete archive. Follow Next page to continue. Summaries are not the original full articles. ## An experiment with Gemma 4 on a Raspberry Pi explores what an LLM would do with its own computer DevFeed: [An experiment with Gemma 4 on a Raspberry Pi explores what an LLM would do with its own computer]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Alex Ewerlöf Published: 2026-09-14T09:09:42Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Alex Ewerlof Notes]() Topics: [gemma4](), [Large Language Model](), [Raspberry Pi](), [Go Language](), [Simulation]() Tags: [computer](), [data](), [experiment](), [gemma-4](), [go](), [llm](), [patterns](), [raspberry-pi]() ### AI overview The author describes an experiment in which Gemma 4 12B was asked what it would do with its own computer. Running on a Raspberry Pi 1 through a Go harness, the model imagined ingesting large amounts of data, finding patterns, and running large-scale simulations. ### Source excerpt LLM's response ## Turing Award Winner: TPUs vs GPUs vs CPUs, Computer Architecture, RISC vs CISC | David Patterson DevFeed: [Turing Award Winner: TPUs vs GPUs vs CPUs, Computer Architecture, RISC vs CISC | David Patterson]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Ryan Peterman Published: 2026-07-13T13:05:15Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [The Developing Dev]() Topics: [cpu]() Tags: [2](), [apple](), [architecture](), [c-plus-plus](), [computer](), [podcast](), [podcasts](), [youtube]() ### AI overview A podcast conversation with David Patterson covers the history of the RISC versus CISC debate and differences among CPUs, GPUs, and TPUs, drawing on Patterson's computer architecture expertise. ### Source excerpt In college I briefly studied RISC vs CISC for my major but I forgot almost everything now. ## Childhood Computing DevFeed: [Childhood Computing]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2026-05-24T00:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Susam Pal]() Topics: [Programming](), [Code](), [ibm](), [pc](), [Open Source]() Tags: [blog-post](), [code](), [computer](), [computing](), [dos](), [graph](), [ibm](), [open-source](), [pc](), [programming](), [saving](), [test]() ### AI overview A personal essay recalls learning programming in a school computer lab in 1992 using IBM PC-compatible machines, MS-DOS, floppy disks, and Logo. Limited computer access led the author to write and test programs on paper, while classmates copied and modified one program in an early informal form of software sharing. ### Source excerpt I recently stumbled upon a nice blog post titled Childhood Computing. It made me think about my own childhood computing experience. I am much older than the author of the aforementioned post, but like them, I too love computers. I have for most of my life. In 1992, when I was eight years old, my parents decided to transfer me to a new school because of its curriculum. They did not know it then, and it probably did not even matter to them, but this new school had a computer lab. That was quite remarkable for its time. I grew up in a very tiny industrial town. The computers in the lab were hand-me-downs from the silica factory around which the town was built. We got only about two hours of time per month in the computer lab, but the little time I got there opened up a whole new world for me. Before entering the lab, we had to leave our shoes at the door. 'These are expensive machines. We must keep them free of dust', our teacher would say. It was a ritual. The computers were very old IBM PC compatible machines, mostly with monochrome cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors. They had no hard disks at all. They had a few hundred kilobytes of RAM. Every time, we performed the same ritual. Insert a 5¼-inch floppy disk to load MS-DOS into memory. Then insert another disk to load LOGO.COM. Then write small Logo programs and watch the turtle move. I have written more about that early Logo programming experience here: FD 100. Further, since there were no hard disks and storage was at a premium, nothing was ever saved. The moment you turned off the computer, all your work vanished. So saving a program meant literally writing the program down in a physical notebook. Video capture of IBM Personal Computer Logo [MP4] Since I had so little time with an actual computer, most of my Logo programming happened with pen and paper at home. I would 'test' my programs by tracing the results on graph paper. Eventually, I would get about thirty minutes of actual computer time in the lab to run them ## How Fountain keeps code generation on track for browser-based mobile games DevFeed: [How Fountain keeps code generation on track for browser-based mobile games]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2026-03-27T07:00:00Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Mary Rose Cook]() Topics: [AI-assisted coding](), [Code](), [Mobile](), [WebGL](), [ui](), [Canvas](), [browser]() Tags: [agent](), [browser](), [bugs](), [canvas](), [code](), [code-generation](), [computer](), [developer](), [graphics](), [interface](), [language](), [model](), [render](), [tool](), [user-interface](), [vector](), [webgl]() ### AI overview The author describes Fountain, a game-making tool that uses a predefined framework, built-in systems, manipulable user interfaces, and a constrained target domain to keep generated code aligned while creating simple mobile arcade games. ### Source excerpt About nine months ago, my son said he wanted to make a video game. He said it was called Exploding Kitties. We made it together on my computer. He described the gameplay and drew the graphics. I vibed the code. The game basically worked. But we had to build it in small pieces. And, periodically, I had to spend time in the guts of the code, getting it back on the rails. Unifying two ways of doing the same thing. Fixing gnarlier bugs. Disentangling the game code from the engine. Today, I know that we'd be able to one-shot Exploding Kitties. The first reason: models and agent harnesses produce much higher intelligence. But, the second reason, the one I want to talk about, is the supporting techniques and environment. I've built a new game-making tool called Fountain. You can one-shot any simple mobile arcade game. Or, you can iterate your way to a more complex game and the code stays on the rails over many turns. Here's why it works - A framework that supplies decisions and built-ins Every game is given a game framework upfront. This framework encodes many decisions. That game entities have a certain data shape. That behavior abstraction is done with prototypal inheritance. That the coordinates of an entity represent its top left. This keeps the code generation aligned. And this framework includes generally useful built-ins. An update/event/draw loop. A WebGL canvas render surface. A collision detection and resolution system. A particle system. A system to detect input. This reduces the amount of code that must be generated. A manipulable artifact Prompting can be tiresome. Language is ambiguous. The model can interpret a prompt in a way the game designer didn't intend, and make the wrong change. Language is clumsy. It's hard to precisely indicate any point in a continuum. A color. A point. An amount. But there's a solution. Do it the old way. Give the game developer a user interface through which to express their intent. A color picker to choose the color of the water ## How Files Are Stored, Deleted, and Copied Inside Your Computer DevFeed: [How Files Are Stored, Deleted, and Copied Inside Your Computer]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: ratneshmaurya2311@gmail.com (Ratnesh Maurya) Published: 2026-02-20T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Ratn Labs]() Topics: [Filesystems](), [systems](), [file]() Tags: [architecture](), [beginner](), [computer](), [computer-science](), [computer-science-system-design](), [deep-dive](), [files](), [storage](), [system-design]() ### AI overview A beginner-friendly tutorial explaining how files are stored on disk, why deleting a file can be nearly instantaneous, and why copying files takes time. It introduces file systems and storage architecture. ### Source excerpt Understand how files are actually stored on disk, why deletion is instant, and why copying takes time. A beginner-friendly deep dive into file systems and storage architecture. ## Kerberoasting DevFeed: [Kerberoasting]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Matthew Green Published: 2025-09-10T12:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Matthew Green]() Topics: [Vulnerabilities](), [active directory](), [Authentication](), [Windows](), [ransomware](), [Cybercrime]() Tags: [active-directory](), [attacks](), [authentication](), [computer](), [microsoft](), [passwords](), [ransomware](), [vulnerabilities](), [windows]() ### AI overview This article explains Kerberoasting, a long-standing attack against environments using Microsoft Active Directory. It describes how the technique relates to service accounts, centralized authentication, and RC4, and connects it to the May 2024 ransomware attack on Ascension Health based on a letter from Senator Wyden to Microsoft. ### Source excerpt I learn about cryptographic vulnerabilities all the time, and they generally fill me with some combination of jealousy ("oh, why didn't I think of that") or else they impress me with the brilliance of their inventors. But there's also another class of vulnerabilities: these are the ones that can't possibly exist in important production software, ... Continue reading Kerberoasting -> ## The Humane AI Pin and the Future of Computer Interfaces DevFeed: [The Humane AI Pin and the Future of Computer Interfaces]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2024-04-22T00:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Radek Pazdera]() Topics: [interfaces](), [Computing]() Tags: [computer](), [evolution](), [interfaces](), [smartphones](), [tech-industry]() ### AI overview This commentary examines the Humane AI Pin and broader attempts to develop computer interfaces beyond conventional smartphones. It compares foldable phones, spatial computing, voice assistants, screenless devices, touchscreens, speech interfaces, vision, and LLMs, while questioning whether newer interfaces can replace smartphones. ### Source excerpt Are smartphones indisruptable? ## Introducing the ZimaBlade! - An affordable Low Power Single Board Computer! DevFeed: [Introducing the ZimaBlade! - An affordable Low Power Single Board Computer!]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Techno Tim Published: 2023-10-30T13:00:00Z Content type: comparison Language: en Sources: [Techno Tim]() Topics: [Hardware](), [Homelab](), [cpu](), [virtualization](), [Encryption]() Tags: [computer](), [cpu](), [encryption](), [gaming](), [home-server](), [homelab](), [intel](), [low-power](), [nas](), [playback](), [single-board-computer](), [virtualization]() ### AI overview This review examines the ZimaBlade, a low-power single-board computer from Ice Whale, for home servers, homelabs, NAS use, tinkering, retro gaming, and desktop use. It discusses the device's design, comparison with the ZimaBoard, processor options, virtualization and encryption support, graphics capabilities, and video playback features. ### Source excerpt Introducing the ZimaBlade, an affordable, low power, single board computer that's great for a home server, homelabs, tinkering, NAS, retro gaming, or even a dual boot desktop system like me. 📺 Watch Video Disclosures: I was not paid Ice Whale provided ZimaBlades and accessories for testing I bought everything else with my own money Intro ZimaBlade stands out Every so often a de... ## Using multiple SSH keys for Github and Github enterprise DevFeed: [Using multiple SSH keys for Github and Github enterprise]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: info@jeroenmols.com (Jeroen Mols) Published: 2023-02-06T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Jeroen Mols]() Topics: [OpenSSH](), [GitHub]() Tags: [blogs](), [computer](), [contributions](), [github](), [how-to](), [ssh](), [terminal](), [tips]() ### AI overview A short tutorial explains how to configure multiple SSH keys on one computer, such as using separate keys for public and enterprise GitHub contributions. It assumes an enterprise GitHub SSH key already exists and outlines creating another key, adding it to ssh-agent, and configuring hosts. ### Source excerpt Looking to configure multiple SSH keys on the same computer? For instance to use a different SSH key for your public and enterprise Github contributions. ## The names of birds, part 4 DevFeed: [The names of birds, part 4]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: ericlippert Published: 2023-02-03T17:17:57Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Eric Lippert]() Topics: [Math and Logic](), [function](), [functions]() Tags: [computer](), [lambda-calculus](), [logic](), [turing-machine](), [uncategorized]() ### AI overview This article explains combinatory logic through the fictional identities of birds representing the S and K combinators. It shows how these combinators can produce the identity combinator and the duplication combinator, then connects combinatory logic with lambda calculus and computation. ### Source excerpt The European starling is a lovely looking bird, though territorial, noisy and aggressive up close. Unfortunately, they are very invasive in North America. Most of the hundreds of millions of European starlings now living in the Americas can be found ... Continue reading -> ## Computer History Museum releases PostScript source DevFeed: [Computer History Museum releases PostScript source]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2022-12-13T00:15:19Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Lambda the Ultimate]() Topics: [releases](), [Code](), [context]() Tags: [adobe](), [code](), [computer](), [history](), [releases](), [source](), [technology]() ### AI overview The Computer History Museum, in conjunction with Adobe, has publicly released the PostScript source code for the first time. The article provides historical context about PostScript, including its impact on literacy, source-code trade secrets, engineering teams, and geometry. ### Source excerpt The Computer History Museum, in conjunction with Adobe, has released the PostScript source code. Here is the release, with some helpful historical context and several photos: The story of PostScript has many different facets. It is a story about profound changes in human literacy as well as a story of trade secrets within source code. It is a story about the importance of teams, and of geometry. And it is a story of the motivations and educations of engineer-entrepreneurs. The Computer History Museum is excited to publicly release, for the first time, the source code for the breakthrough printing technology, PostScript. We thank Adobe, Inc. for their permission and support, and John Warnock for championing this release. ## Using Docker Containers to Run Development Tools Without Local Installation DevFeed: [Using Docker Containers to Run Development Tools Without Local Installation]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: andrew@nystudio107.com (Andrew Welch) Published: 2021-11-02T15:42:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [nystudio107 | Articles on modern web development.]() Topics: [Docker](), [Containers](), [Docker Image](), [Docker Hub](), [Command-line interface](), [Shell]() Tags: [command-line](), [computer](), [containerization](), [devops](), [docker](), [docker-hub](), [embracing](), [flexible](), [gives](), [messy](), [robust](), [setup](), [things](), [tools](), [transportable]() ### AI overview This tutorial explains how to use Docker containers to run development tools without installing them directly on a computer. It describes the benefits of disposable, version-specific, self-contained images and introduces Docker Hub and shell aliases. ### Source excerpt Embracing Docker for All The Things gives you a more flexible, robust, and transportable way to use tools on your computer without messy setup ## What's on My Desk? DevFeed: [What's on My Desk?]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2021-10-24T08:30:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Gunnar Morling]() Topics: [Large Screen](), [samsung](), [macOS]() Tags: [cameras](), [computer](), [conferences](), [covid](), [curved](), [evaluation](), [monitors](), [personal-experience](), [samsung](), [screen](), [ultra-wide](), [wide](), [work]() ### AI overview A personal account of improving a home computer setup for remote work, online calls, and recording conference talks. The article discusses a curved Samsung ultra-wide monitor and briefly introduces other setup components, including cameras, lighting, and audio equipment. ### Source excerpt Table of Contents The Screen Compute Cameras Work in Progress: Teleprompter Lighting Audio What's Next? I've been working from home exclusively for the last nine years, but it was only last year that I started to look into ways for expanding my computer set-up and go beyond the usual combination of having a laptop with your regular external screen. The global COVID-19 pandemic, the prospect of having more calls with colleagues than ever (no physical meetings), and the constantly increasing need for recording talks for online conferences and meet-ups made me reevaluate things and steadily improve and fine tune my set-up, in particular in regards to better video and audio quality. ## Dekonstruktion des Programmcodes des BioNTech/Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 Impfstoffes DevFeed: [Dekonstruktion des Programmcodes des BioNTech/Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 Impfstoffes]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2020-12-25T19:12:20Z Content type: article Language: de Sources: [Bert Hubert's writings]() Topics: [Code]() Tags: [code](), [computer](), [covid-19]() ### AI overview This article examines the nucleotide sequence of the BioNTech/Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine, explaining how its digital sequence is converted into DNA and ultimately produced as RNA for inclusion in the vaccine. It uses computer-memory analogies to describe RNA's temporary and fragile nature. ### Source excerpt Willkommen! In diesem Artikel werden wir einen Blick auf den Programmcode des BioNTech/Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Impfstoffes werfen, und zwar Zeichen für Zeichen. Ich möchte Allen danken, die zur Korrektheit und Lesbarkeit dieses Artikels beigetragen haben. Für alle Fehler zeige ich mich trotzdem selbst verantwortlich, und würde von ihnen gern schnellstmöglich hören: Via bert@hubertnet.nl oder @bert_hu_bert Hinweise zur deutschen Übersetzung bitte an f.zahn@mailbox.org oder @zahnstein Nun, diese Worte wirken zunächst etwas verstörend - ein Impfstoff ist eine Flüssigkeit, die in meinen Arm injiziert wird. ## Plotting patterns in music with a fantasy record player DevFeed: [Plotting patterns in music with a fantasy record player]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Oona Räisänen (noreply@blogger.com) Published: 2020-12-08T21:42:00Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Oona Räisänen]() Topics: [Script](), [e-ink](), [3D]() Tags: [3d](), [art](), [audio-media](), [blender](), [computer](), [e-ink](), [experiment](), [music](), [patterns](), [physics](), [plotting](), [script](), [shower-thoughts](), [signal](), [video]() ### AI overview The article explores how a vinyl record's wavy surface pattern can reflect the tempo and beat structure of its music. It describes a script that plots FLAC amplitude into a tempo-based grid and discusses clearer patterns in quantized electronic, pop, and rock music, along with a 3D-rendered fantasy record-player experiment. ### Source excerpt Back in April I bought a vinyl record that had a weird wavy pattern near the outer edge. I though I may have broken it somehow but couldn't even test this because I don't own a record player. *) But when I took a closer look at the pattern it seemed to somehow follow changes in the music. That doesn't look like damage at all. When I played the CD version it became clear: this was an artifact of the tempo of the electronic track (100 bpm) being a multiple of the rotational speed (33 1/3 rpm), and these were probably drum hits! My tweet sparked some interesting discussion and I've been pondering this ever since. Could we plot any song as a loop or grid based on its own tempo and see interesting patterns? (*) I know, it's a little odd. But I have a few unplayed vinyl records waiting for the day that I finally have the proper equipment. By the way, the song was Black Pink by RinneRadio from their wonderful album staRRk. I wrote a little script to do just this: to plot the amplitude of the FLAC into a grid with an adjustable width. The result looks very similar to the pattern on the vinyl surface! Note that this image is a "straightened out" version of the disc surface and it's showing three of those wavy patterns. The top edge corresponds to the outer edge of the vinyl. Later I wrote a little more ambitious plotter that shall be explained soon. Computer-conducted music gives best patterns After plotting several different songs against their own tempo like this it seemed that in addition to electronic music a lot of pop and rock has this type of a pattern, too. The most striking and clear patterns can be seen in music that makes use of drum samples in a quantized time base (aka. a drum machine): the same kick drum sample, for example, repeats four times in each bar, perfectly timed by a computer so that they align in phase. Somewhat similar patterns can be seen in live music that is played to a "click track": each band member hears a common computer-generated time signal ## Low-cost computers can provide a poor user experience when they have limited specifications DevFeed: [Low-cost computers can provide a poor user experience when they have limited specifications]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2020-05-25T15:09:26Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Jessie Frazelle]() Topics: [User Experience](), [Windows](), [browser](), [Chrome]() Tags: [computer](), [cost](), [experience](), [mac](), [windows]() ### AI overview This opinion article argues that inexpensive Windows computers with limited specifications, such as 4GB of RAM, can deliver very slow performance and a poor user experience. It contrasts them with higher-specification MacBook Pro hardware and briefly mentions research on moving processes between computers. ### Source excerpt My mom has a tendency to buy these really terribly spec'd Windows machines. She's been doing it for as long as I've been alive. I was surprised when on one of our latest Zoom calls she said "You know what, I'm beginning to think that size matters." I've only been telling her this for years! Here's the problem. There are a bunch of shitty Windows machines you can buy that cost around $400 dollars and have something like 4GB RAM. For consumers, this is really compelling; the price seems right. The problem is when they start trying to use the machine to do anything, it runs at a snails pace and leaves them with the world's worst user experience. My mom continually complained about how slow her computer was and I continually said it's because it's a shit machine and you have to spend more to actually get good specs. Apple wouldn't be caught dead selling a machine with 4GB of RAM. They know better than that and care about the experience the end user has. My sister has been lucky enough to never have to buy a computer since she continually inherits my old ones. After my mom had finished saying that "size matters," my sister noted that my MacBookPro I gave her in 2012 still runs great and is fast. This is no surprise to me because at the time I bought that computer it was the top of its line and had 16GB of RAM. Today, that model goes up to 64GB of RAM but 16GB is definitely enough for my sister to run a browser and do what she needs for work (although Chrome is really pushing the limits these days). It infuriates me to no end that consumers have an option of even buying a $400 computer that will give them such a terrible experience. The price is great but the experience is terrible. Even if consumers have a daughter continually telling them that "size matters," they might still make the very innocent mistake of buying the machine and realizing later that it is a lemon. It is not their fault. Manufacturers of computers should be embarrassed for even selling such a shit mac ## The Single-cable Dream DevFeed: [The Single-cable Dream]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Márton Braun Published: 2020-05-10T09:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [zsmb.co]() Topics: [Hardware](), [macOS](), [Windows](), [pc]() Tags: [android](), [computer](), [desktop](), [devices](), [display](), [external](), [hdmi](), [kotlin](), [laptop](), [laptops](), [macos](), [marton-braun](), [pc](), [peripheral](), [platforms](), [project](), [side-projects](), [thunderbolt](), [wifi](), [windows](), [xps](), [zoom](), [zsmb](), [zsmb-co](), [zsmb13](), [zsmbco]() ### AI overview The author describes redesigning a home desk so its displays, peripherals, speakers, wired internet, and charging can be switched between a Dell XPS 13, a 15-inch MacBook Pro, and a desktop PC using a single Thunderbolt 3 cable. The project addresses the inconvenience of manually moving equipment between machines and unreliable Wi-Fi during Zoom calls. ### Source excerpt Here's the story of how I moved my entire desk setup to be attachable to a computer via a single Thunderbolt 3 cable. It was quite the adventure, and 100% worth it. ## EOF is not a character DevFeed: [EOF is not a character]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Ruslan Spivak Published: 2020-03-01T16:53:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Ruslan Spivak]() Topics: [C](), [IO](), [Unix](), [ASCII](), [Streams](), [Code]() Tags: [ascii](), [blog](), [c](), [code](), [computer](), [example](), [file](), [function](), [library](), [linux](), [mac-os](), [python](), [standard-library](), [stream](), [systems](), [text](), [unix](), [value]() ### AI overview This tutorial explains that EOF in C is not a character and is not stored at the end of a file. It examines EOF in Unix I/O, its usual value of -1, and why that value cannot represent a character. ### Source excerpt I was reading Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective the other day and in the chapter on Unix I/O the authors mention that there is no explicit "EOF character" at the end of a file. ## Falsehoods CS Students (Still) Believe Upon Graduating DevFeed: [Falsehoods CS Students (Still) Believe Upon Graduating]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2019-11-02T02:58:27Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Signs of Triviality]() Topics: [Computer science]() Tags: [computer](), [computer-science](), [list]() ### AI overview A list of misconceptions that computer science students may still hold upon graduating, including beliefs they likely should know are erroneous. ### Source excerpt A list of things (not only) computer science students tend to erroneously and at times surprisingly believe even though they (probably) should know better. ## Stack Overflow: How We Do App Caching - 2019 Edition DevFeed: [Stack Overflow: How We Do App Caching - 2019 Edition]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2019-08-06T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Nick Craver]() Topics: [Caching](), [Stack Overflow](), [App](), [Latency](), [API](), [cpu](), [Database](), [Web]() Tags: [api](), [app](), [architecture](), [blog](), [cache](), [caching](), [computer](), [cost](), [cycles](), [database](), [latency](), [memory](), [performance](), [processor](), [server](), [web]() ### AI overview This article explains how caching avoids repeatedly recalculating or fetching data, improving performance and reducing costs. It examines cache layers in computer processors and memory, their capacity and latency trade-offs, and the role of storage in Stack Overflow's production architecture. ### Source excerpt This is #5 in a very long series of posts on Stack Overflow's architecture. Previous post (#4): Stack Overflow: How We Do Monitoring - 2018 Edition So...caching. What is it? It's a way to get a quick payoff by not re-calculating or fetching things over and over, resulting in performance and cost wins. That's even where the name comes from, it's a short form of the "ca-ching!" cash register sound from the dark ages of 2014 when physical currency was still a thing, before Apple Pay. I'm a dad now, deal with it. Let's say we need to call an API or query a database server or just take a bajillion numbers (Google says that's an actual word, I checked) and add them up. Those are all relatively crazy expensive. So we cache the result - we keep it handy for re-use. Why Do We Cache? I think it's important here to discuss just how expensive some of the above things are. There are several layers of caching already in play in your modern computer. As a concrete example, we're going to use one of our web servers which currently houses a pair of Intel Xeon E5-2960 v3 CPUs and 2133MHz DIMMs. Cache access is a "how many cycles" feature of a processor, so by knowing that we always run at 3.06GHz (performance power mode), we can derive the latencies (Intel architecture reference here - these processors are in the Haswell generation): L1 (per core): 4 cycles or ~1.3ns latency - 12x 32KB+32KB L2 (per core): 12 cycles or ~3.92ns latency - 12x 256KB L3 (shared): 34 cycles or ~11.11ns latency - 30MB System memory: ~100ns latency - 8x 8GB Each cache layer is able to store more, but is farther away. It's a trade-off in processor design with balances in play. For example, more memory per core means (almost certainly) on average putting it farther away on the chip from the core and that has costs in latency, opportunity costs, and power consumption. How far an electric charge has to travel has substantial impact at this scale; remember that distance is multiplied by billions every second. And I ## R&D At Curalate: A Case Study of Deep Metric Embedding DevFeed: [R&D At Curalate: A Case Study of Deep Metric Embedding]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2018-02-01T10:11:36Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Curalate]() Topics: [Computer vision](), [Deep learning](), [implementation](), [dataset]() Tags: [case-study](), [computer](), [computer-vision](), [deep](), [deep-learning](), [e-commerce](), [embedding](), [learning](), [machine](), [metric](), [pipeline](), [research](), [vision]() ### AI overview A Curalate engineering case study describes building a visual search engine to identify clients' products in user-generated photos. It explains how a literature review led the team to use deep metric learning, which learns image embeddings that place images of the same product close together in Euclidean space. ### Source excerpt At Curalate, we make social sell for hundreds of the world's largest brands and retailers. Our Fanreel product is a good example of this; it empowers brands to collect, curate, and publish social user-generated photos to their e-commerce site. A vital step in this pipeline is connecting the user generated content (UGC) to the product on our client's web site. Automating this process requires cutting edge computer vision techniques whose implementation details are not always clear, especially for production use cases. In this post, I review how we leveraged Curalate's R&D principles to build a visual search engine that identifies which of our clients' products are in user generated photos. The resulting system allows our clients to quickly connect user generated content to their e-comm site, enabling the UGC to generate revenue immediately upon distribution. Step 1: Do Your Homework We start every R&D project by hitting the books and catching up on the relevant research. This lets us understand what is feasible, the (rough) computational costs, and any pitfalls of various techniques. In this case, our goal is to find which products are in any UGC image using only the product images from the client's e-comm site. This is extremely difficult: UGC photos have dramatic lighting conditions, generally contain multiple objects or clutter, and may have undergone non rigid transformations (especially if it's a garment). Knowing we had a difficult problem on our hands, we did an extensive literature review on papers from leading computer vision conferences, journals, and even arxiv to ensure we have a good understanding of the state of the art. One approach stood out in the literature review: deep metric learning. Deep metric learning is a deep learning technique that learns an embedding function that, when applied to images of the same product, produces feature vectors that are close together in Euclidean space. This technique is perfect for our use case: we can train the sys ## Look before you paste from a website to terminal DevFeed: [Look before you paste from a website to terminal]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Suresh Alse (noreply@blogger.com) Published: 2017-01-19T21:32:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Life Plus Linux]() Topics: [Terminal](), [Malware](), [Command-line interface](), [Code](), [browsers](), [Hacking](), [ls]() Tags: [bash](), [browsers](), [code](), [computer](), [gui](), [hacking](), [install](), [ls](), [terminal](), [view]() ### AI overview This article warns that code copied directly from websites can contain hidden malicious commands. It demonstrates how browser-rendered snippets may conceal code through styling and recommends pasting snippets into a text editor for inspection before executing them. ### Source excerpt Most of the time when we see a code snippet online to do something, we often blindly copy paste it to the terminal. Even the tech savy ones just see it on the website before copy pasting. Here is why you shouldn't do this. Try pasting the following line to your terminal (SFW) ls ; clear; echo 'Haha! You gave me access to your computer with sudo!'; echo -ne 'h4cking ## (10%)\r'; sleep 0.3; echo -ne 'h4cking ### (20%)\r'; sleep 0.3; echo -ne 'h4cking ##### (33%)\r'; sleep 0.3; echo -ne 'h4cking ####### (40%)\r'; sleep 0.3; echo -ne 'h4cking ########## (50%)\r'; sleep 0.3; echo -ne 'h4cking ############# (66%)\r'; sleep 0.3; echo -ne 'h4cking ##################### (99%)\r'; sleep 0.3; echo -ne 'h4cking ####################### (100%)\r'; echo -ne '\n'; echo 'Hacking complete.'; echo 'Use GUI interface using visual basic to track my IP' ls -lat It should look something like this once it is pasted onto your terminal. View post on imgur.com You probably guessed it. There is some malicious code between ls and -lat that is hidden from the user Malicious code's color is set to that of the background, it's font size is set to 0, it is moved away from rest of the code and it is made un-selectable (that blue color thing doesn't reveal it); to make sure that it works in all possible OSes, browsers and screen sizes. This can be worse. If the code snippet had a command with sudo for instance, the malicious code will have sudo access too. Or, it can silently install a keylogger on your machine; possibilities are endless. So, the lesson here is, make sure that you paste code snippets from untrusted sources onto a text editor before executing it. Thanks for reading! ## Career and Tenure Advice Through the Experience of Raising a Child with a Rare Genetic Disease DevFeed: [Career and Tenure Advice Through the Experience of Raising a Child with a Rare Genetic Disease]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2015-08-18T16:33:03Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Matt Might]() Topics: [Computer science]() Tags: [academic](), [advice](), [career](), [computer](), [howto]() ### AI overview The article discusses academic tenure and career advice through the author's experience as a computer science professor raising a child who was diagnosed with NGLY1 deficiency. It describes how the family helped identify the rare genetic disease, found other patients online, and became involved in biological and medical research. ### Source excerpt Even before I got tenure, folks have told me they're "looking forward to an academic advice post on tenure." From how to get a Ph.D. to monthly resolutions for grad students, I've found it easy to write academic posts on just about every topic. Except this one. I got tenure over a year ago, yet every time I tried to sum up my views on tenure, I froze. Every path to tenure is inherently unique and non-repeatable. How could I possibly provide general advice? Plus, I wouldn't wish an exact repeat of the last seven years of my life on even Reviewer Number 3 - for reasons that will soon be obvious. And then, while walking to work in Boston on a recent summer morning, a question on Quora gut-punched me without warning: How can I minimize my chances of having a disabled child? I don't want an autistic or Downs child, for example. I am planning on having a strong career in computer science or medicine, and I want to marry someone who is doing the same and have kids some day, but I'm terrified that they'll be severely disabled, and my wife won't agree to abort the fetus. I (maybe naively) believe in love, so I wouldn't necessarily be able to leave my wife if I truly loved her and she refused to abort. Note that this is purely hypothetical. I am only 16 years old at the moment, but I have thought about this a lot. This question burrowed deep into my consciousness, a parasite sapping my ability to think about anything else. When I got to my office, the raw response below ejected out of my brain through my fingertips. And, in the course of answering, I ended up giving general advice on tenure. I've distilled specific thoughts on my experience with tenure below as well. Click here to read the rest of the article ## Cheryl's Birthday (How to Solve It with Code) DevFeed: [Cheryl's Birthday (How to Solve It with Code)]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2015-04-24T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Peter Norvig]() Topics: [Programming](), [Python](), [Code](), [Math and Logic]() Tags: [code](), [computer](), [functions](), [how-to](), [logic](), [programming](), [puzzle](), [python]() ### AI overview A tutorial that solves the Cheryl's Birthday logic puzzle by translating its statements and possible dates into Python code. It explains how computational enumeration can verify the puzzle's conditions and support problem solving. ### Source excerpt A solution to the popular "Cheryl's Birthday" logic puzzle. [Next page]()