battybattybat's recent activity
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Comment on Edible microlasers made from food-safe materials can serve as barcodes and biosensors in ~science
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Comment on OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome in ~tech
battybattybat Link ParentI share your view, and maybe this was a rhetorical question. But one practical reason is that Firefox's Gecko rendering engine is licensed under more restrictive terms than Chromium/Blink. The...I share your view, and maybe this was a rhetorical question. But one practical reason is that Firefox's Gecko rendering engine is licensed under more restrictive terms than Chromium/Blink. The Mozilla license requires that any modifications to source code be made public and available for royalty-free use.
Meanwhile if you are OpenAI and build something on Chromium, you're free to fork any component of the codebase and keep all of your modifications closed source. This is more convenient from a process perspective, and doesn't bear the risk of competitors reusing your changes.
That's definitely not the only reason though; I'm not an expert but I think at this point Chromium also has a much larger developer community and presents more of a paved path for customization.
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Comment on Why it’s time to invest in quantum cybersecurity... and what to do in ~comp
battybattybat LinkFor a more technical and pragmatic take on this subject (also with no sales pitch at the end) I’d recommend this article: neilmadden.blog/2025/06/20/are-we-overthinking-post-quantum-cryptography/For a more technical and pragmatic take on this subject (also with no sales pitch at the end) I’d recommend this article:
neilmadden.blog/2025/06/20/are-we-overthinking-post-quantum-cryptography/
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Comment on US Democrats draft a bill forbidding masked arrests in ~society
battybattybat Link ParentI’m not an expert, but I thought cops were only required to identify themselves by law in some US states. Is there a federal law or regulation that requires this for all state and federal LEOs?I’m not an expert, but I thought cops were only required to identify themselves by law in some US states. Is there a federal law or regulation that requires this for all state and federal LEOs?
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Comment on Black paint on wind turbines sharply reduces bird death but there are issues in ~enviro
battybattybat LinkA lot of people from turbine manufacturers asked if I had considered the technical implications of this. I hadn’t, because I’m an ecologist, not an engineer. Apparently black blades will heat up more than white blades, which may cause structural effects. And the black paint is made with carbon, which could affect the turbine’s performance when hit by lightning. Engineers don’t like that. So we need to overcome these disciplinary silos and work together to develop functional mitigation measures.
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Comment on SFO Snowflake Summit meet up? in ~tech
battybattybat LinkI won’t be there, but I’d be up for a tildes tech meetup in NYC any time!I won’t be there, but I’d be up for a tildes tech meetup in NYC any time!
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Comment on How data travels in F1 in ~comp
battybattybat LinkI hate making comments like this, but for something posted in ~comp I would expect much more technical detail. This is about the extent of it:I hate making comments like this, but for something posted in ~comp I would expect much more technical detail. This is about the extent of it:
In terms of freight, an entire team’s freight is about 14 tonnes - of which the IT kit makes up roughly 10% of that weight.
As part of their digital transformation and F1's goal to be net-zero carbon by 2030, Aston Martin Aramco transitioned from using around 40 physical computers, each running individual services and requiring more space, cooling, travel logistics, and energy, to a 90% virtual system.
Whilst the cars are on track, 118 megabytes of data per second are sent back to the campus in 0.01 seconds* to the UK, and back at the Aston Martin Racing Technology Campus (AMRTC), which is the new state-of-the-art facility for Aston Martin Aramco in Silverstone. The team has its own version of mission control with 30 seats for data analytics and strategy to help the trackside team. There are an additional 10 seats for aerodynamicists, and they treat this as their “hub of data and engineering”.
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Comment on How redefining just one word could strip the US Endangered Species Act’s ability to protect vital habitat - short deadline to comment in ~enviro
battybattybat LinkThe word is “take”, which since 1975 has included harm through significant habitat modification or degradation. The comment period ends today, less than 48 hours after the proposal was published....The word is “take”, which since 1975 has included harm through significant habitat modification or degradation.
The comment period ends today, less than 48 hours after the proposal was published.
In proposing to rescind our regulatory definitions of harm, we are considering whether there are legitimate reliance interests on the regulations under reexamination. However, because it is the President's duty to see that the laws are faithfully executed, in all but the most unusual cases, we believe that reliance interests likely will be outweighed by the constitutional interest in repealing regulations that do not reflect the best reading of the statute.
As with most actions of this admin, there’s hardly even a veneer of good faith.
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Comment on Software engineer lost his $150K-a-year job to AI—he’s been rejected from 800 jobs and forced to DoorDash and live in a trailer to make ends meet in ~tech
battybattybat LinkI think I'm just piling on, but this is a completely nonsensical statement. On one hand, tech certs are typically not highly valued (especially for folks who already have significant professional...He’s also considered going back to school for a tech certificate—or even to obtain his CDL trucking license—but both were scratched off his list due to their hefty financial barrier to entry.
I think I'm just piling on, but this is a completely nonsensical statement.
On one hand, tech certs are typically not highly valued (especially for folks who already have significant professional experience). But even the most sought after certs tend to cost no more than $100-300 to sit for and have plenty of self-study materials freely available online.
On the other hand, I'm not an expert on trucking but 60 seconds of googling tells me that training + exam for CDL can cost anywhere from around $1-8k depending on if you go to a community college or a private program. There also appear to be numerous companies that will pay for your training.
K’s last job was working at a company focused on the metaverse—an area that was predicted to be the next great thing
Plenty of people also predicted it would be an enormous waste of money!
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~society
battybattybat LinkI haven’t been able to find any statistics in this article or other reporting so far about how many people are actually working four days per week instead of five. Reducing hours worked is not the...Today, almost 90% of Icelandic workers benefit from a reduced working week of 36 hours, compared with 40 hours previously, with no loss of pay.
I haven’t been able to find any statistics in this article or other reporting so far about how many people are actually working four days per week instead of five. Reducing hours worked is not the same thing, but this article seems to gloss over that.
I did find another article that contains a bit more nuance, but it’s from 2021: https://www.wired.com/story/iceland-four-day-work-week/
Does anyone know which newer reports the first article might be referencing?
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Comment on My experience running my phone in greyscale for the past several weeks in ~health.mental
battybattybat LinkOn iOS there's a setting under Accessibility > Display & Text Size called "Differentiate Without Color" which helps with this. I also turn on "Increase Contrast" and "On/Off Labels" for toggle...Some apps use colour for organization.
On iOS there's a setting under Accessibility > Display & Text Size called "Differentiate Without Color" which helps with this. I also turn on "Increase Contrast" and "On/Off Labels" for toggle inputs.
The biggest surprise for me is how unappealing my phone is in colour
+1 to this, it's amazing how terribly noisy some websites and apps feel in color after getting used to greyscale!
If needed I can toggle it off, but I rarely do so.
I found that there were apps that I always needed color enabled for (e.g. Photos & Maps). The iOS Shortcuts app can automate this via app open/close triggers.
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Comment on Is dark energy weakening over time? Why some cosmologists aren’t sure. in ~space
battybattybat Link ParentThanks, I like yours better. “Study suggests” was doing a lot of work there.Thanks, I like yours better. “Study suggests” was doing a lot of work there.
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Comment on Is dark energy weakening over time? Why some cosmologists aren’t sure. in ~space
battybattybat LinkThe headline sounds a bit clickbait, but the article is really well written. I loved this passage: If anyone with the power feels like it, I’d suggest updating the title to something like “Study...The headline sounds a bit clickbait, but the article is really well written. I loved this passage:
DESI’s data on galactic motions come from measurements of redshift, the stretching out of galaxies’ emitted light to the red end of the spectrum by the universe’s expansion. And its tracing of spatial distributions emerges from spying enormous bubblelike arrangements of galaxies thought to have formed from more primordial templates, called baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs). BAOs are essentially ripples from giant sound waves that coursed through the hot plasma that filled the early universe, which astronomers can glimpse in the earliest light they can see, the big bang’s all-sky afterglow known as the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The waves’ matter-dense crests sowed the seeds of future galaxies and galaxy clusters, while galaxy-sparse voids emerged from the matter-poor troughs. Combined with CMB data as well as distance-pegging observations of supernovae, DESI’s measurements offer a reckoning of the universe’s historic growth rate—and thus the action of dark energy.
If anyone with the power feels like it, I’d suggest updating the title to something like “Study suggests dark energy’s influence on cosmic expansion weakens over time”.
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Comment on How would I meet you outside of Tildes? In the flesh, so to speak. in ~life
battybattybat Link ParentHah, there are at least three of us! I’ve also loved dancing in/around Asheville off and on over the years, though I haven’t been back for a long time. Now I dance and occasionally call mostly in...Hah, there are at least three of us! I’ve also loved dancing in/around Asheville off and on over the years, though I haven’t been back for a long time. Now I dance and occasionally call mostly in the mid-Atlantic area.
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Comment on SuperCard X enables contactless ATM fraud in real-time in ~tech
battybattybat Link ParentTo clarify there is no physical proximity required for the attacker; the card data is transmitted to a remote server over the internet, which allows impersonation of the card at point of sale...- The card data is then transmitted to a nearby device that can then use the information to make fraudulent purchases.
To clarify there is no physical proximity required for the attacker; the card data is transmitted to a remote server over the internet, which allows impersonation of the card at point of sale devices or contactless ATMs anywhere in the world.
I found figure 3 in the original post to be helpful: https://www.cleafy.com/cleafy-labs/supercardx-exposing-chinese-speaker-maas-for-nfc-relay-fraud-operation
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Comment on SuperCard X enables contactless ATM fraud in real-time in ~tech
battybattybat LinkThe security firm Cleafy’s original post about the malware goes into greater detail: https://www.cleafy.com/cleafy-labs/supercardx-exposing-chinese-speaker-maas-for-nfc-relay-fraud-operationThe security firm Cleafy’s original post about the malware goes into greater detail: https://www.cleafy.com/cleafy-labs/supercardx-exposing-chinese-speaker-maas-for-nfc-relay-fraud-operation
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Comment on Apple TV+ promotion: $3/month for three months in ~tv
battybattybat Link ParentI enjoyed Silo, then listened to the books because I was too impatient to wait for the second season (it’s based on a trilogy by Hugh Howey). The show is very faithful to the books so far, but...I enjoyed Silo, then listened to the books because I was too impatient to wait for the second season (it’s based on a trilogy by Hugh Howey).
The show is very faithful to the books so far, but it’s great to get inside the heads of the main protagonists as they learn more about the world around them! And the world building never really slows down across all three books.
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Comment on What do Audible narrators sound like? in ~books
battybattybat Link ParentThanks! Romance novels are not off limits for me at all. :)Thanks! Romance novels are not off limits for me at all. :)
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Comment on What do Audible narrators sound like? in ~books
battybattybat LinkI enjoy listening to audiobooks, mostly checked out from my local library through the Libby app (which supports filtering by narrator). I would hate for anyone to completely write off audiobooks...I enjoy listening to audiobooks, mostly checked out from my local library through the Libby app (which supports filtering by narrator).
I would hate for anyone to completely write off audiobooks after reading this thread, so here are a few narrators I can recommend. The books listed are just the recordings that I've listened to, but there are many more to choose from for each narrator.
Narrator Book Title Author Simon Prebble The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro Edoardo Ballerini Wool Hugh Howey Luke Daniels The Three-Body Problem Cixin Liu Lynne Thigpen Parable of the Sower Octavia E. Butler Ben Sullivan The Soul of a New Machine Tracy Kidder If anyone has some female narrators they really like I'd love some recommendations!
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Comment on Having fun with a scamming crypto job in ~comp
battybattybat Link ParentThanks for sharing, really nice writeup! In case you haven’t already, I would suggest contacting GitHub to report the repo. A whois lookup also shows that the malicious domain was registered very...Thanks for sharing, really nice writeup!
In case you haven’t already, I would suggest contacting GitHub to report the repo.
A whois lookup also shows that the malicious domain was registered very recently at namecheap, so you could send them a report as well.
Noting how you followed up after determining that it was a scam might be a nice footnote after the conclusion.
From the paper:
So it sounds like a manufacturer could encode some random data, read it back out, and then provide a stamp of authenticity on the packaging that can be verified downstream in the supply chain. The technology to duplicate a barcode doesn’t exist.
The stamp could use public key encryption, or simply point to a database of valid barcodes + batch number etc maintained by the manufacturer.