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1. Structured Outputs in the API (openai.com)
In the latest episode of "JSON Junkies," OpenAI enthusiasts gush over the *remarkable* abilities of GPT-4{o} to format outputs like it's supposed to—most of the time, anyway. 🎉 Thrilled users trade tales of how moving commas and scrubbing backticks was their full-time job, until now! Meanwhile, a sidebar discussion evolves into a shameless plug for yet another startup, because what's a tech thread without a pivot to self-promotion? Commenters, undeterred by irrelevance, dive deep into critical issues like mango sourcing methodologies. Technology meets tropical fruit, and nobody's sure why. 🥭💻
437 points by davidbarker 2024-08-06T17:41:41 | 196 comments
2. MNT Pocket Reform first impressions and hardware (andypiper.co.uk)
**Tales of a Pocket-Sized Dream: The MNT Pocket Reform Chronicles**

Another day, another foray into the dazzling world of niche tech projects that promise revolution and deliver, well, a fancy paperweight with Linux. Meet the MNT Pocket Reform, the adorable mini computer that finally answers the question nobody asked: "Can I have a full Linux system that's more cumbersome than my smartphone but less useful than my laptop?" It comes in purple, because nothing says "cutting-edge tech" like choosing your gadgets based on matching your shoelaces. Commenters are flipping their collective lids over the “open and modular” design, perfect for those who like their tech virtually unusable to anyone not holding a PhD in Tinkering.🤓
14 points by andypiper 2024-08-06T23:56:05 | 0 comments
3. Show QN: 1-FPS encrypted screen sharing for introverts (1fps.video)
In a stunning leap backwards for technology, 1fps.video bravely launches a **screen sharing tool** so slow that even the Amish are considering an upgrade. It's designed for the hermit coder in all of us, transmitting one thrilling frame per second—just enough to catch every typo in real-time. Commenters, quick to parade their cryptographic vigilance, dive into an abyss of "helpful" advice on nonces, keys, and why your grandma's fax machine might be more secure. Meanwhile, the developer nods sagely, promises fixes, and prepares for their next big invention—smoke signals 2.0. 🐢💨
229 points by RomanPushkin 2024-08-06T17:36:10 | 69 comments
4. Tracking supermarket prices with Playwright (sakisv.net)
Title: Price-Watching with Web Scrapers: The Latest Nerdy Annex to Grocery Shopping

Ah, the thrilling world of monitoring supermarket price shifts with Playwright—the coder’s answer to not just complaining about cheese prices on Twitter! One brave soul shares their tale of scraping, not past the produce sheen but through the maze of Akamai and Cloudflare, armed with nothing but JavaScript and a dream. Commenters, between pats on each other's backs, hatch plots for New Zealand's next big data coup, casually tossing around buzzwords like "monetize" and "shrinkflation" more than actual shopping advice. It's the entitlement-meets-engineering showdown that supermarkets never asked for, with wave after wave of keyboard warriors sure they can outsmart Big Grocery’s latest pricing ruse. Who needs a price tag when you have a GitHub account? 🛒💻📉
183 points by sakisv 2024-08-06T17:52:51 | 53 comments
5. Full text search over Postgres: Elasticsearch vs. alternatives (paradedb.com)
Welcome to another thrilling episode of database enthusiasts pretending they've just solved the Da Vinci Code because they can vaguely describe the difference between BM25 and TF/IDF. In this latest installment from paradedb.com, we delve into the mystifying world of full-text search in Postgres, a topic clearly more vital than climate change, according to the breathless prose of our dear author, Ming Ying. Meanwhile, the comment section turns into a tragicomic battlefield where armchair engineers spar over index statistics like they're trading rare Pokémon cards. "But can PostgreSQL handle multi-tenancy?!" cries one user, before another chimes in with a half-baked solution from a blog post dated 2001. Spoiler: none of them have left their basement this month. 🤓
147 points by philippemnoel 2024-08-06T17:48:11 | 48 comments
6. Twitter kills its San Francisco headquarters, will relocate to South Bay (sfstandard.com)
**Twitter Dumps San Francisco Like Last Week's Trash**

The beacon of downtown tech glitter, Twitter, has outgrown its San Francisco diapers and is toddling southward, much to the dismay of probably three people. The social media relic, now rebranded as X, finally finds a tax break it can't live without and drags its office chairs towards a new suburban nightmare in Palo Alto. CEO Linda Yaccarino sends a heartfelt dumpster-ready memo titled "SF Office Closure," possibly using an app designed for sixth-grade book reports. Meanwhile, Hacker News commentators invoke their inner city planners and suburban dads, debating urban sprawl and streetcar suburbs like it's a hipster SimCity. One even asks, *em*"which century"*em* in a historical tug-of-war that could only be less relevant if they started debating feudal land management. Tech world problems, amirite? 🚎🌆👋
363 points by crhulls 2024-08-06T03:30:50 | 758 comments
7. What purpose did the lower-right Enter key serve on original Mac 128k keyboard? (retrocomputing.stackexchange.com)

Obsolete Keys and Online Whiners: The Saga Continues


Retrocomputing enthusiasts dive deep into the life-altering dilemma of the dual-purpose Enter key on ancient Mac keyboards in a thread that's as riveting as watching paint dry. One commenter melodramatically mourns the "good old days" of distinct return and enter keys as though modern technology has personally betrayed them. Another bravely navigates the treacherous waters of online chat systems, lamenting the Herculean effort of remembering whether Enter sends a message or just starts a new line. Everyone else chimes in with their vital opinions on this pressing issue, each anecdote more critical to the human experience than the last. 🙄 Clearly, the downfall of civilization begins not with wars or pandemics, but with how a keyboard responds to our pinky finger.

40 points by SeenNotHeard 2024-08-06T20:47:48 | 26 comments
8. YC is doing a first ever Fall batch – applications due by 8/27 (ycombinator.com)
**YC Opens Fall Batch for Disillusioned Optimists**

In an unexpected twist, YC announces a fall batch because apparently, the well of startup founders is now bottomless. Apply by yesterday to get instant access to *$500,000* and a bouquet of cloud credits to stack atop your burgeoning empire of vaporware. Commenters oscillate between nostalgic reminiscences of their five minutes in the YC spotlight and shedding inspirational crocodile tears about missed opportunities. Meanwhile, one gallant reject muses on the possibility that not knowing how to answer "blindingly obvious" interview questions could be detrimental. SQLiteDatabase and Printemps are up for the silliest batch-name suggestions, because how else will YC maintain its revered spot in startup folklore? 🚀👀💸
135 points by Astroboy007 2024-08-06T19:21:06 | 96 comments
9. Japan cracks down on use of rideable electric suitcases amid tourist boom (theguardian.com)
In a landslide victory for red tape, Japan decides that potential Olympic sport of electric suitcase racing poses too great a threat to public safety. Tourists, enticed by the weak yen, now have to navigate the dystopian landscape of airport lobbies *without* the aid of their trusty motorized luggage, much to the dismay of thrill-seeking travelers and confused commenters alike. One genius suggests strapping decorative pedals on them to circumvent regulation—a groundbreaking blend of innovation and idiocy. Meanwhile, locals binge on morning news segments, chuckling at the latest tourist faux pas, while international forums devolve into fierce debates about the legal nuances of mechanized bags. The future is here, and it's absurdly regulated. 🛄🚫💼
52 points by bookofjoe 2024-08-02T17:59:21 | 32 comments
10. Carvings at Gobekli Tepe may be oldest calendar (tandfonline.com)
Archaeologists, taking a break from their usual pastime of dusting off pottery shards, have declared that squiggly lines at Gobekli Tepe are potentially the world's eldest calendar. The ancient, unsure what day it was, apparently needed to etch all over temple walls just to say "It's Tuesday, Jared." Meanwhile, comment sections overflow with time-traveling experts insisting that they've seen older doodles on their kindergarten fridge. Who knew tracing lines could herald such a breakthrough in history and hilarity? 💀📆
42 points by cynicalpeace 2024-08-06T20:30:10 | 5 comments
11. Launch QN: Firezone (YC W22) – Zero-trust access platform built on WireGuard
In a stunning display of originality, Firezone (YC W22) manages to squeeze yet another drop out of the parched towel of buzzwords by launching a zero-trust access platform built on something called WireGuard. It appears WireGuard is not, in fact, a new superhero team, but rather some cutting-edge tech grafted onto our old friend, VPNs. The comment section quickly transforms into a bewildering battlefield where keyboard warriors fight to prove who can misunderstand network security protocols the most passionately. Special accolades are awarded to those champions referring to "the WireGuard-specific S2M encryption mode," a term which does not exist and originates from the hallowed land of Make-Believe 🔐😅.
63 points by jamilbk 2024-08-06T17:52:32 | 26 comments
12. Remembering the First 'Cold-Storage Banquet' (atlasobscura.com)

The Dinner That Time Forgot



In a dazzling display of historical irrelevance, Atlas Obscura dusts off the cobwebs from the "first-ever cold-storage banquet" where Chicago's crème de la crème pretended refrigerated egg salad was a culinary breakthrough. Because nothing says haute cuisine like eating week-old apples under a gilded ceiling with mafiosi and corrupt politicians. Commenters, nostalgic for the taste of rubber ice cream and grassy milk, wax poetic about the good old days of food that actually tasted like something. If the history books overlook this momentous meal, fear not—Atlas Obscura and their cadre of freeze-dried foodies have immortalized it in the most yawn-inducing display since Al Capone's vault was opened.

9 points by gmays 2024-08-04T03:00:56 | 2 comments
13. Emerge Tools (YC W21) Is Hiring a Product Engineer (iOS, Full-Stack) (emergetools.com)
In another episode of the Silicon Valley saga, Emerge Tools (determinedly hyped YC W21 grad) attempts to innovate the act of spamming your phone with notifications through a shiny new app, seeking a mystical Product Engineer who can handle both the arts of iOS and Full-Stack wizardry. The comment section, a dazzling array of future job applicants and armchair tech moguls, squabbles over the mysteries concealed in such a vague job description. Stray not into the realm of this excessive smartphone invasion heralded by Emerge Tools, lest your device become merely a vessel of purposeless updates. 📱🚀🤖
0 points by 2024-08-06T21:00:16 | 0 comments
14. The real "Wolf of Wall Street" sales script (jointhefollowup.com)
In an electrifying exposé that shakes the very foundations of our infallible financial sector, jointhefollowup.com reveals the sacred scrolls: The Real "Wolf of Wall Street" Sales Script. The revelation? It's mainly just yelling at people until money or tears emerge. Investment bros everywhere adjust their Patagonia vests in excitement, rehearsing their cold calls in the mirage of their own brilliance. Comments section evolves into a grotesque echo chamber where readers one-up each other by bragging about their sales prowess or moral superiority. Who needs ethics training when you have access to internet comments?
188 points by nicconley 2024-08-06T17:56:37 | 126 comments
15. Show QN: AutoEditor – Edit your video in just a few clicks (autoeditor.video)
Welcome to another round of *Hacker News Show and Tell*, where we're presented with **AutoEditor**, the latest marvel in laziness-enabling technology. Here, the future of content creation is heralded by removing the need for human effort, because who needs silent moments in videos, right? 🙄 Commenters dive in with advice-laden epics, keen to align the tool towards every niche from TikTok influencers to enterprise training modules—because, apparently, everyone's video must be chopped to machine-perfected soundbites. Meanwhile, a few brave souls venture to suggest that maybe, just *maybe*, human nuances like "pauses" might help keep our sanity intact while watching videos. **Spoiler**: it remains unresolved, like most internet debates.
21 points by nihey 2024-08-06T20:31:34 | 7 comments
16. Why Polars rewrote its Arrow string data type (pola.rs)
In an absolutely groundbreaking move that will surely shake the very foundations of software development, Polars has bravely rewritten something as fundamentally thrilling as their string data type. 🎉 Cue the excitement, or rather the necessary evil, as a solitary developer gallantly battled through the "largest refactor" of their life—which, let's be honest, probably just meant changing a few lines of data structure but let's blow it out of proportion because why not? Meanwhile, in the comments section, self-proclaimed tech prophets come crawling out of the woodwork, offering unsolicited advice and debating the cataclysmic implications of German Style string types. It's the gift that keeps on giving: another day, another opaque tech refactor that will change absolutely nothing about how everyone outside the comments section lives their lives. 🌍🔧
68 points by fanf2 2024-08-06T14:42:03 | 20 comments
17. How not to say the wrong thing (2013) (latimes.com)
**How Not To Say The Wrong Thing: A Guide to Making Everything About Yourself**

In a stunning revelation, the LA Times uncovers that your friend’s breast cancer or brain aneurysm might not actually be about you. Commenters leap into philosophical quandaries, essentially asking: "If a friend suffers and I’m not there to make it about me, did it really happen?" Meanwhile, theories of trauma — that apparently require a physics degree to understand concentric dolor circles — leave everyone debating whether silence is golden or just plain awkward. God forbid we listen without calculating the emotional GDP of sympathy. 🙄
30 points by dredmorbius 2024-08-06T18:54:28 | 9 comments
18. Can we trust Microsoft with Open Source? (2021) (dusted.codes)
**Can we trust Microsoft with Open Source? LOL, sure.**

Welcome to this week's episode of .NET Soap Opera, where trust issues surface like bugs in spaghetti code. In the latest "trust me, bro" tale, the author assures us that this is not our regular scheduled drama—no, it's a much grander spectacle playing out in the secret stages of Microsoft! Those silent heroes of .NET, normally invisible but totally not fictional, need your voice because theirs are mysteriously muted. 😱 Meanwhile, the comment section transforms into a heroic brigade of armchair generals, ready to defend their beloved lines of code with the fierceness of a compile-time error. Keep those CAPS LOCK keys warm, folks, because your rants are absolutely pivotal to multinational corporate strategies!
50 points by luu 2024-08-06T20:02:28 | 41 comments
19. Show QN: ScholArxiv – an open-source, aesthetic, minimal research paper explorer (github.com/dagmawibabi)
**ScholArxiv: Because Reading Papers Should Feel Like Using an Instagram Filter**

Hackers launch ScholArxiv, a quintessential blend of minimalism with a pinch of open-source seasoning, that lets you simulate academia by bookmarking papers you'll definitely read later. Engage in high-octane scholarly activities such as adjusting font sizes to feel more productive and rewinding audio summaries because nothing says "research" like listening to a robotic voice summarize quantum mechanics. Commenters trip over themselves to suggest groundbreaking features like dark mode and AI-powered paper covers, because if it's not aesthetic, is it even knowledge? 💡💼😂
69 points by dagmawibabi 2024-08-06T16:37:48 | 19 comments
20. My favorite device is a Chromebook (capivaras.dev)
Title: Behold! My Technological Albatross - Chromebook Duet 3

In an intoxicating display of budget consumer masochism, a blogger at capivaras.dev declares their undying affection for the most underwhelming marvel of modern technology: the Chromebook Duet 3. Purchased for a song (if the song was sung by a tone-deaf crow), this relic boasts components so antique that museums are calling dibs. As readers dive into the comments, they oscillate wildly between sympathy for the blogger’s low standards and impassioned debates about whether this glorified calculator is best used as a frisbee or a paperweight. Clearly, when the bar is this low, every crawl feels like a leap. 🐌💻🔨
3 points by nextos 2024-08-06T23:21:21 | 0 comments
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