Web Review, Week 2024-47
Let’s go for my web review for the week 2024-47.
The Big Data Center Water Problem
Tags: tech, hardware, ecology, economics, energy, water
We always think about the energy consumption, but large data centers gobble billion liters of water too. This would need to be improved.
https://www.asianometry.com/p/the-big-data-center-water-problem
Relativty an Open-source VR headset for $200
Tags: tech, vr, hardware, foss
Nice to see open hardware for VR hitting such a price point.
Bridgy Fed
Tags: tech, social-media, fediverse, tools
You’re on the fediverse and you want to reach out bluesky users? This might be the right tool for you (unclear if it’ll scale yet though). At least if and when Bluesky turns bad, people will know where to reach friends next.
Why Not Bluesky
Tags: tech, social-media, business, politics
Excellent post showing reasons to be skeptical about Bluesky’s future. Despite all their likely sincere claims I don’t see how they’ll escape enclosure and enshittification when their sketchy VCs will want to see money back.
https://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/202x/2024/11/15/Not-Bluesky
Elon Musk’s X is hemorrhaging users to Threads and Bluesky
Tags: tech, social-media, politics, twitter
Sad to see people predominantly jumping from Twitter to other tech moguls walled gardens. This feels more and more like a missed opportunity for the fediverse. That said I’m amazed at how efficient Musk has been at killing the network effect of his platform. This proves it’s actually doable.
A computational analysis of potential algorithmic bias on platform X during the 2024 US election
Tags: tech, social-media, politics, twitter
This is what we get for refusing to regulate social media and for not auditing their algorithms. Their owners can game and bias the platforms as they see fit for their own gains. They became massive forces of manipulation in the process.
https://eprints.qut.edu.au/253211/
ChatGPT is Slipping
Tags: tech, ai, machine-learning, gpt, vendor-lockin
Good reminder that models shouldn’t be used as a service except maybe for prototyping. This has felt obvious to me since the beginning of this hype cycle… but here we are people are falling in the trap today.
https://adriano.fyi/posts/chatgpt-is-slipping/
FireDucks : Pandas but 100x faster
Tags: tech, python, performance, pandas, data, data-science
OK, the numbers are indeed impressive. And it’s API is fully compatible apparently, looks like a good replacement if you got Pandas code around.
https://hwisnu.bearblog.dev/fireducks-pandas-but-100x-faster/
Seer - a gui frontend to gdb
Tags: tech, tools, debugging
Looks like a nice tool. Maybe it’ll replace my trusty cgdb in some cases.
https://github.com/epasveer/seer
Retrofitting spatial safety to hundreds of millions of lines of C++
Tags: tech, c++, security
Will we see more deployments of C++ standard library with bound checking by default? It definitely looks tempting.
https://security.googleblog.com/2024/11/retrofitting-spatial-safety-to-hundreds.html?m=1
Upcoming hardening in PHP
Tags: tech, php, security
Seeing the amount of PHP code open on the internet, it’s indeed important to harden the runtime (at long last).
https://dustri.org/b/upcoming-hardening-in-php.html
AAA - Analytical Anti-Aliasing
Tags: tech, graphics, gpu
Really nice in depth post. Everything you ever wanted to know about antialiasing but didn’t dare asking.
https://blog.frost.kiwi/analytical-anti-aliasing/
I don’t have time to learn React
Tags: tech, framework, career, learning
Good advice, no one should be a “React developer”. Make sure you learn more fundamental skills.
https://www.keithcirkel.co.uk/i-dont-have-time-to-learn-react/
Going a Little Further
Tags: tech, craftsmanship, learning
If you’re just doing the minimum to deal with a task to “mark it done” you’re probably not doing enough and missing out on learning opportunities.
https://edanparker.hashnode.dev/going-a-little-further
What Is a Senior Engineer, Anyway?
Tags: tech, career, learning, engineering
This can change from organization to organization. This post proposes a career ladder which will work in some contexts. What’s clear is that it’s all about scope and impact.
https://matt.blwt.io/post/what-is-a-senior-engineer-anyway/
Real Ways To Maintain Your Technical Edge As An Engineering Manager
Tags: tech, engineering, management, learning
Interesting tips to keep learning on the technical side of the job as you get more managerial responsibilities.
Bye for now!