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  • TIL: AI Weekly Newsletter of Week 17

    TIL: AI Weekly Newsletter of Week 17

    💻

    AI-Assisted Programming

    Go Read Peter Naur’s “Programming as Theory Building” and Then Tell Me That LLMs Can Replace Human Programmers

    Dave Gauer invokes Peter Naur’s seminal essay “Programming as Theory Building” to argue that LLMs lack the essential “theory” human programmers develop through active engagement with a codebase, and thus cannot truly replace human developers.

    To replace human programmers, LLMs would need to be able to build theories by Ryle’s definition or Naur must be wrong about the nature of programming.

    I’m betting neither is true.

    Andrej Karpathy on AI-Assisted Coding

    Andrej Karpathy’s tweet outlines a deliberate, step-by-step “inner loop” for AI-assisted coding—distinguishing serious, production-grade work from casual “vibe coding.” He emphasizes a controlled, incremental, and learning-focused workflow that:

    1. Feeds the model just enough context.
    2. Requests high-level approaches before code.
    3. Manually reviews unfamiliar APIs.
    4. Tests and commits changes.

    Vibe Coding Is Not an Excuse for Low-Quality Work

    Vibe coding—rapid, AI-driven code generation based on conversational prompts—can supercharge productivity, but Addy Osmani warns it must never be an excuse for substandard engineering. He frames AI as “your intern, not your replacement,” and provides a concise field guide for responsible AI-assisted development.

    Let’s acknowledge the good: AI-assisted coding can be a game-changer.
    …
    However, as any seasoned engineer will tell you, speed means nothing if the wheels fall off down the road.
    …
    Think of these as the new “move fast, but don’t break everything” handbook—a set of guardrails to keep quality high when you’re vibing with the code.

    Rules:

    1. Always review AI-generated code.
    2. Establish coding standards and follow them.
    3. Use AI for acceleration, not autopilot.
    4. Test, test, test.
    5. Iterate and refine.
    6. Know when to say no.
    7. Document and share knowledge.

    the illusion of ai productivity

    New Model Releases

    OpenAI: Introducing Our Latest Image Generation Model in the API

    OpenAI is bringing the natively multimodal model that powers ChatGPT to the API via gpt-image-1, enabling developers and businesses to integrate professional-grade image generation directly into their own tools and platforms.

    gpt image api

    Dia – Ultra-Realistic One-Pass TTS

    Dia is a 1.6 B-parameter text-to-speech model from Nari Labs, capable of generating ultra-realistic dialogue in a single pass.

    dia

    Cutting-Edge Vision & Captioning

    Describe Anything: Detailed Localized Image and Video Captioning

    Describe Anything is a state-of-the-art framework for detailed localized captioning (DLC) that empowers users to obtain rich, context-aware descriptions of specific regions within images or videos—specified via points, boxes, scribbles, or masks. It sets a new standard by combining innovative architecture, scalable data strategies, and robust evaluation.

    dam

    Developer Productivity Tools

    DeepWiki – Automatic Wiki Docs for GitHub Repos

    Devin AI has launched DeepWiki, a free tool that generates structured, wiki-style documentation for any GitHub repository. It simplifies understanding unfamiliar codebases by providing a comprehensive overview directly from the repo URL.

    → 11:20 PM, Apr 28
    Also on Bluesky
  • TIL: Top AI News of Week 16

    TIL: Top AI News of Week 16

    💻

    AI as Normal Technology

    The essay “AI as Normal Technology” by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor, presents a perspective that contrasts with both utopian and dystopian narratives surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). Instead of viewing AI as an autonomous, potentially superintelligent entity, the authors argue that AI should be considered a “normal technology”—a tool that, while transformative, remains under human control and integrates gradually into society.

    To view AI as normal is not to understate its impact—even transformative, general-purpose technologies such as electricity and the internet are “normal” in our conception. But it is in contrast to both utopian and dystopian visions of the future of AI which have a common tendency to treat it akin to a separate species, a highly autonomous, potentially superintelligent entity.
    The statement “AI is normal technology” is three things: a description of current AI, a prediction about the foreseeable future of AI, and a prescription about how we should treat it.
    …
    A note to readers. This essay has the unusual goal of stating a worldview rather than defending a proposition. The literature on AI superintelligence is copious. We have not tried to give a point-by-point response to potential counter arguments, as that would make the paper several times longer. This paper is merely the initial articulation of our views; we plan to elaborate on them in various follow ups.

    ai-as-normal-technology

    In the Matter of OpenAI vs LangGraph

    The article discusses the ongoing debate in the AI community between two approaches: using large language models (LLMs) directly versus integrating them with more structured workflows. This debate is highlighted by the recent release of OpenAI’s “Practical Guide to Building Agents,” which has received mixed reviews compared to Anthropic’s equivalent guide.

    At the heart of the battle is a core tension we’ve discussed several times on the pod - team “Big Model take the wheel” vs team “nooooo we need to write code” (what used to be called chains, now it seems the term “workflows” has won).
    …
    You should read Harrison’s full rebuttal for the argument, but minus the LangGraph specific parts, the argument that stood out best to me was that you can replace every LLM call in a workflow with an agent and still have an agentic system.

    • LangChain - How to think about agent frameworks
    • OpenAI - A practical guide to building agents

    Harrison Agent Frameworks table

    Introducing OpenAI o3 and o4-mini

    On April 16, 2025, OpenAI introduced two new AI models—o3 and o4-mini—marking significant advancements in reasoning capabilities and tool integration within ChatGPT.

    For the first time, our reasoning models can agentically use and combine every tool within ChatGPT
    …
    The combined power of state-of-the-art reasoning with full tool access translates into significantly stronger performance across academic benchmarks and real-world tasks, setting a new standard in both intelligence and usefulness.

    OpenAI o3 and o4-Mini Are More Impressive Than I Expected

    The article concludes that OpenAI’s o3 and o4-mini significantly advance AI capabilities, challenging Google’s dominance. These models integrate perception, action, and reasoning into a cohesive system, marking a new dimension in AI. Though not perfect, their capabilities and cost-effectiveness position them as strong competitors. Further testing is needed to fully grasp their potential and limitations.

    o3 and o4-mini are the first AI systems to approach full interactivity across three layers: modalities (perception), tools (action), and disciplines (cognition). Senses, limbs, cortex.
    In a way, this release marks the end of “AI model” as a useful category. We kept calling them models out of habit. But these should have been called systems all along.

    OpenAI Codex CLI

    The Codex CLI is open-sourced. Don't confuse yourself with the old Codex language model built by OpenAI many moons ago (this is understandably top of mind for you!). Within this context, Codex refers to the open-source agentic coding interface. [...]

    I like that the prompt describes OpenAI’s previous Codex language model as being from “many moons ago”. Prompt engineering is so weird.

    → 9:59 PM, Apr 21
    Also on Bluesky
  • TIL: Top AI News of Week 15

    TIL: Top AI News of Week 15

    💻

    AI 2027

    This website is a detailed scenario analysis predicting the potential impact of superhuman AI. Beside the content, this website provides a very good UX, the whole page is interactive. You can find the right side graph dynamic updates while scrolling.

    AI 2027 is a comprehensive and detailed scenario forecast of the future of AI. It starts in 2025 and projects the rise of AI agents by 2026, the complete automation of coding in early 2027, and the intelligence explosion in late 2027. It has two branches, one ending in AI takeover and another ending in utopia (sort of).

    AI 2027

    Making AI Actually Work on Your Team

    The article emphasizes the importance of AI in modern software engineering teams and provides practical advice for engineering leaders on how to integrate AI tools effectively. It highlights the need for leaders to guide their teams through this transition and create a supportive environment for experimentation.

    Seeing is believing First things first: try it yourself. … So get your hands dirty… Your personal experience matters here—without it, it’s all just theories in your head; you’ll be out of touch. … I gave him/her the honest truth: “It’s impossible for me to promise job security for anyone. But think about this logically: we hired you before AI was a thing, and now that you’re significantly more productive with these tools, why would we let you go?”

    Companies don’t (usually) fire their most productive people; they invest in them. The real threat isn’t AI—it’s sticking to outdated ways while the industry evolves around you. … The shift to AI-assisted engineering isn’t coming—it’s here.

    Making AI Actually Work on Your Team

    The Dynamic Between Domain Experts & Developers Has Shifted

    The article discusses how the relationship between domain experts and developers has changed in the AI era, emphasizing the increasing importance of domain expertise in building successful AI products. It’s interesting to see the sentence and picture of “I’ve got a great idea for an app…”.

    … But today, I’m seeing teams of domain experts wading into the field, hiring a programmer or two to handle the implementation, while the experts themselves provide the prompts, data labeling, and evaluations.

    For these companies, the coding is commodified but the domain expertise is the differentiator.

    I have got an app idea

    229 things we announced at Google Cloud Next ‘25 – a recap

    Google Cloud Next 2025, held in Las Vegas, showcased over 200 announcements emphasizing advancements in AI, infrastructure, and real-world applications.

    Here’s a concise summary of AI & Machine Learning:

    • Gemini 2.5 Pro: Introduced as Google’s most advanced multimodal AI model, now in public preview across Vertex AI, AI Studio, and the Gemini app.
    • Agent Ecosystem: Launch of tools like Agentspace, Agent Development Kit, and Agent2Agent protocol to facilitate the creation and management of multi-agent AI systems.
    • Gemini Code Assist: An AI-powered coding assistant integrated into development workflows, offering features like a Kanban board for task management and insight into AI decision-making processes.

    Google Cloud Next 2025

    Google Is Winning on Every AI Front

    The article argues that Google and DeepMind have taken a significant lead in the AI landscape, outpacing competitors like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta. The author, who previously had high hopes for OpenAI, now believes that Google’s strategic and technical advancements have positioned it as the dominant force in AI.

    (PSA: Many people are interested in this post, so I removed the paywall)

    Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index

    → 10:13 PM, Apr 14
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-04-10 TIL: AI Model Performance Analysis

    2025-04-10 TIL: AI Model Performance Analysis

    💻

    AI Model Performance Analysis

    This analysis highlights the tradeoffs between model size, speed, and tool-calling capabilities across different AI models. Llama3.1:8b appears to offer the best balance of features, while llama3.2:3b provides a good compromise between size and functionality.

    Model Size Speed Tool Calling Attributes & Notes
    llama3.1:8b 4.9G Good Very well Excellent tool calling capabilities with reasonable speed
    llama3.2:3b 2.0G Fast Well Fast performance with tool calling ability; provides confidence to continue testing. Sometimes lacks accuracy
    qwen2.5:7b 4.7G Fast Well Fast performance with good tool calling capabilities. Performance degrades after extended use
    qwq:32b 19G Slow Well Produces high-quality thought processes that are satisfying. Extremely slow, causing frustration during testing
    qwen2.5:0.5b 397MB Super fast No Exceptional speed due to small size. Unable to call any tools
    MFDoom/deepseek-r1-tool-calling:8b 4.9G Somewhat slow Poor Occasionally demonstrates thought processes. Slow performance with inadequate tool calling
    phi4-mini:3.8b 2.5G Fast No Fast performance and can identify tools. Unable to use the tools it identifies
    mistral:7b 4.1G Fast No Fast performance and can identify tools. Unable to use the tools it identifies
    ishumilin/deepseek-r1-coder-tools:1.5b 3.6G Fast No Fast performance and recognizes tools. Cannot answer questions or execute tools
    → 12:02 AM, Apr 11
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-03-24 TIL: Exploring .NET SDK Global.json, Google Map Tiles, and Vibe Coding

    2025-03-24 TIL: Exploring .NET SDK Global.json, Google Map Tiles, and Vibe Coding

    💻

    .NET SDK global.json

    In the context of the .NET SDK, global.json is a file that allows you to specify which .NET SDK version to use when running .NET CLI commands, ensuring consistent builds across different development environments. 

    • The .NET CLI searches for a global.json file in the current working directory (which isn’t necessarily the same as the project directory) or one of its parent directories. 
    • The global.json file allows you to specify the desired SDK version, ensuring that all developers and CI/CD pipelines use the same SDK version, which helps avoid build inconsistencies. 
    • A basic global.json file might look like this: 
    {
      "sdk": {
        "version": "8.0.404"
      }
    }
    

    Google Map Tiles

    Google offers 2D, 3D (Photorealistic), and Street View tiles via the Map Tiles API, enabling developers to build immersive and customized map visualizations, including access to roadmap, terrain, satellite imagery, and street-level views

    2D Tiles:

    • Image files that divide the world into an indexed grid, offering roadmap, terrain, and satellite imagery.
    • Ideal for basic map visualizations, navigation interfaces, and geographic data display.

    Photorealistic 3D Tiles:

    • 3D meshes textured with high-resolution imagery (OGC 3D Tiles format), providing realistic views of buildings, monuments, and landmarks.
    • Useful for stunning 3D perspectives, enhanced navigation, and storytelling.
    • Demo: Photorealistic 3D Tiles demo.

    Street View Tiles:

    • Panoramic street-level images that allow users to explore landmarks, natural wonders, and interiors of places like museums or restaurants.
    • Used for immersive experiences, virtual tours, and detailed location views.

    Vibe Coding

    Andrej Karpathy

    There’s a new kind of coding I call “vibe coding”, where you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists. It’s possible because the LLMs (e.g. Cursor Composer w Sonnet) are getting too good.

    Semantic Diffusion

    …while complaining about how the definition of “vibe coding” is already being distorted to mean “any time an LLM writes code” as opposed to the intended meaning of “code I wrote with an LLM without even reviewing what it wrote”.

    “Official” illustrative GIF

    Personally I use “vibe coding” when I feel like this dog.

    → 9:09 PM, Mar 24
  • 2025-03-18 TIL: GeoParquet and .NET MAUI HybridWebView Control

    2025-03-18 TIL: GeoParquet and .NET MAUI HybridWebView Control

    💻

    GeoParquet

    Geospatial data in Parquet. Apache Parquet is a powerful column-oriented data format, designed as a modern alternative to CSV files. While Parquet excels at storing large and complex datasets, it lacks native geospatial support—which led to the creation of GeoParquet.

    GeoParquet is an incubating Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standard that introduces interoperable geospatial types (Point, Line, Polygon) to Parquet.

    • Establish a robust geospatial format for columnar workflows
    • Introduce columnar data formats to the geospatial world
    • Enable interoperability among cloud data warehouses

    HybridWebView

    HybridWebView is a new control introduced in .NET MAUI 9 that enables hosting HTML/JS/CSS content in a WebView while allowing two-way communication between JavaScript (inside the WebView) and C#/.NET (the host application).

    For example, you can embed an existing React JS application within a cross-platform .NET MAUI native app, using C# and .NET for the backend.

    • The entire app, including web content, is packaged and runs locally on the device.
    • The web content is hosted within a native WebView and functions within the app’s context.
    • The app can access external web services but does not require them.
    → 10:41 PM, Mar 18
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-03-12 TIL: Model Context Protocol (MCP) and OpenAI new tools for building Agent

    2025-03-12 TIL: Model Context Protocol (MCP) and OpenAI new tools for building Agent

    💻

    Model Context Protocol (MCP)

    MCP is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs. Think of MCP as a USB-C port for AI applications—just as USB-C offers a standardized way to connect devices to various peripherals, MCP provides a universal way to link AI models with different data sources and tools.

    MCP helps you build agents and complex workflows on top of LLMs, ensuring seamless integration with data and tools. It provides:

    • A growing list of pre-built integrations that LLMs can directly plug into.
    • Flexibility to switch between LLM providers and vendors.
    • Best practices for securing data within your infrastructure.

    🔗 Resources:

    • A collection of MCP servers
    • Find Awesome MCP Servers and Clients

    OpenAI New Tools for Building Agents

    A new set of APIs and tools specifically designed to simplify the development of agentic applications:

    • Responses API – Combines the simplicity of the Chat Completions API with the tool-use capabilities of the Assistants API.
    • Built-in tools – Includes web search, file search, and computer use.
    • Agents SDK – Orchestrates both single-agent and multi-agent workflows.
    • Integrated observability tools – Enables tracing and inspection of agent workflow execution.

    MCP vs. OpenAI’s Tools

    Similarities:


    • ✔️ AI Integration – Simplifies external data & tool connections.

    • ✔️ Modular Design – Expandable & adaptable.

    Differences:

    • MCP is a protocol, OpenAI’s are proprietary tools.
    • MCP is open-source for cross-platform use; OpenAI’s tools optimize for its ecosystem.
    • MCP requires a custom server, while OpenAI’s tools offer easier direct integration.
    → 9:51 PM, Mar 12
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-03-11 TIL: GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio 2022 and new Chat in Cursor

    2025-03-11 TIL: GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio 2022

    💻

    Code with GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio 2022

    • Commit & PR Message Generation & Customization
    • Using Extensions to generate Mermaid Charts
    • Analyzing and improving code while debugging
    • Analyzing Exceptions with GitHub Copilot

    Cursor Chat

    A unified AI interface that combines Ask, Edit, and Agent modes to help you write, edit, and understand code directly in your editor. The interface offers three modes, selectable from the mode picker:

    • Agent: AI assistant that uses tools and reasoning to perform coding tasks with minimal supervision. (Agent can make up to 25 tool calls before stopping.)
    • Edit: Make single-turn edits to your code with precision and clarity.
    • Ask: Ask questions about your code, get explanations, and explore your codebase.
    → 9:59 PM, Mar 11
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-03-10 TIL: Arcade Expression

    2025-03-10 TIL: Arcade Expression

    💻

    ArcGIS Arcade

    ArcGIS Arcade, a basic scripting language from Esri, helps you map the values you need or create completely new data values in minutes.

    • Arcade is a portable, lightweight, and secure expression language used to create custom content in ArcGIS applications. Like other expression languages, it can perform mathematical calculations, format text, and evaluate logical statements. It also supports multi-statement expressions, variables, and flow control statements.
    • Arcade’s power lies in its portability across different ArcGIS applications. It provides a consistent syntax that can run on desktop, web, and mobile devices.

    Example: Constructing an ArcGIS Earth App Link from a Feature Popup:

    var geom = Geometry($feature);
    var x = geom.x;
    var y = geom.y;
    
    // Handle the Z-coordinate, defaulting to 500 if null or empty
    var z = DefaultValue(geom.z, 500);
    
    // Function to convert Web Mercator to WGS84
    function WebMercatorToWGS84(pt) {
        var x = pt.x / 20037508.34 * 180;
        var y = pt.y / 20037508.34 * 180;
        y = 180 / PI * (2 * Atan(Exp(y*PI / 180)) - PI / 2);
        return { 'x': x, 'y': y };
    }
    
    if (geom.spatialReference.wkid == 102100) {
        var coords = WebMercatorToWGS84(geom);
        x = coords.x;
        y = coords.y;
    }
    
    url = "[www.arcgis.com/home/item...](https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=7de2582460bb47e284b2adc5e6a6753b)";
    
    url = UrlEncode(url)
    
    var earthLink = "[earth.arcgis.app](https://earth.arcgis.app/?viewpoint=cam:)" + x + "," + y + "," + z + ";" + "" + "," + "" + ";&url=" + url;
    
    return earthLink;
    
    → 10:33 PM, Mar 10
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-02-26 TIL: Quid Pro Quo and Self-Adhesive Label Stickers

    2025-02-26 TIL: Quid Pro Quo and Self-Adhesive Label Stickers

    🌱

    Quid Pro Quo

    /ˌkwɪd prəʊ ˈkwəʊ/

    • Quid pro quo is a Latin phrase used in English to mean an exchange of goods or services in which one transfer is contingent upon the other—“a favor for a favor.”

    Self-Adhesive Label Stickers (口取纸)

    Also known as index paper, self-adhesive label stickers were originally coated with glue, requiring users to lick them before sticking them to ledger pages or documents for notes or numbering. This practice led to the name 口取纸, which refers to licking before use.

    Self-Adhesive Label Stickers
    → 9:50 PM, Feb 26
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  • 2025-02-25 TIL: On-Premises Software and NewsNow

    2025-02-25 TIL: On-Premises Software and NewsNow

    🌱

    On-Premises Software

    On-premises software is installed and runs on computers within the premises of the person or organization using the software, rather than at a remote facility such as a server farm or the cloud (SaaS).

    • On-premises software is deployed within an organization’s internal system, along with the necessary hardware and infrastructure for it to function.
    • Cloud-based software is typically delivered via the internet, allowing users to access it online anytime and from any location.

    NewsNow

    Elegant real-time news reading.

    • Features an elegant design for a pleasant reading experience, keeping you up to date with the latest and hottest news.
    → 9:22 PM, Feb 25
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-02-24 TIL: One for the Money Rhyme and Its Use in Popular Music

    2025-02-24 TIL: One for the Money Rhyme and Its Use in Popular Music

    🌱

    One for the Money

    “One for the Money” is an English-language rhyme. Children have used it as early as the 1820s to count before starting a race or other activity.

    The full rhyme reads:

    One for the money,
    Two for the show;
    Three to make ready,
    And four to go.
    

    The rhyme has been used or referenced in popular music since the 1950s. Here is a Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0DPCAFpstp5pQneqJasAoa

    → 10:29 PM, Feb 24
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-01-19 TIL: Scheduled Tasks in ChatGPT & Gaelic Football

    2025-01-19 TIL: Scheduled Tasks in ChatGPT & Gaelic Football

    🌱

    Scheduled tasks in ChatGPT

    In this early beta feature, you can create scheduled tasks to enable ChatGPT to run automated prompts and proactively reach out to you at set times. This feature helps automate repetitive tasks and improves productivity by providing reminders or personalized interactions. Examples of Scheduled Tasks:

    • “Give me a briefing on AI news each afternoon.”
    • “Practice French with me daily.”

    Gaelic football

    Gaelic football is a fast-paced, action-packed sport that combines elements of soccer, basketball, and some of the world’s fastest sports.

    • Originating in Ireland centuries ago, it’s now gaining popularity in North America.
    • It features free-flowing gameplay, requiring both skill and athleticism, with players passing, kicking, and scoring in a dynamic, high-energy match.
    → 10:36 PM, Jan 19
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-01-18 TIL: How to Separate a Sectional Sofa & Types of Pianos

    2025-01-18 TIL: How to Separate a Sectional Sofa & Types of Pianos

    🌱

    How to Separate a Sectional Sofa

    Sectional sofas are designed with hooks and latches that connect individual pieces, making them easy to detach, move, and rearrange.

    • Locate the Connectors: Find the hooks, clasps, or latches that join the sofa sections. These are usually located underneath or between the sections.
    • Detach the Sections: Gently lift or slide one section to unlock it from the connectors. Be careful not to force it to avoid damage.
    • Move and Rearrange: Once separated, you can easily move, rearrange, or store the individual pieces as desired.

    How Much Does A Piano Weigh?

    There are three primary types of pianos: Grand, Upright, and Electric. The average upright piano weighs between 200-1,000 pounds.

    • Grand pianos: The largest type of piano, also known as a Horizontal Piano due to its horizontal string alignment. Offers a rich, full sound but requires significant space.
    • Upright pianos: The most common type of acoustic piano, also called a Vertical Piano because its strings are strung vertically. Designed to be more compact, making it ideal for smaller spaces.
    • Electric pianos: Also known as Digital Pianos, they are popular among beginners and traveling performers. Lightweight and portable, making them easy to move and maintain.
    → 11:57 PM, Jan 18
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  • 2025-01-15 TIL: Placify and Artab

    2025-01-15 TIL: Placify and Artab

    🌱

    Placify

    At Placify, we aim to Create a truly personal map—one that lets you gather and organize all the place-related content you’ve saved across different platforms.

    • The most beautiful things in life are not just things. They are people, places, memories, and pictures.

    Artab

    Get Inspired by the World’s Greatest Artworks in Every New Tab.

    → 10:56 PM, Jan 15
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-01-14 TIL: WWE's "Raw" and "SmackDown"

    2025-01-14 TIL: WWE’s “Raw” and “SmackDown”

    🌱

    WWE Raw and SmackDown

    WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” and “Friday Night SmackDown” are the company’s two flagship programs, each offering unique content and styles to engage a wide audience.

    • Both shows feature scripted storylines and predetermined match outcomes, which are standard in professional wrestling to enhance entertainment.
    • Despite being scripted, the physical performances are very real, requiring wrestlers to undergo rigorous training to perform moves safely.

    Personally, I found some segments uncomfortable to watch during last Saturday’s broadcast.

    → 10:05 PM, Jan 14
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-01-13 TIL: Custom URI Schemes and Standard Web Links

    2025-01-13 TIL: Custom URI Schemes and Standard Web Links

    💻

    Custom URI Schemes and Standard Web Links

    Custom URI schemes are application-specific protocols that allow apps to communicate with each other or be launched directly. They are defined by developers to enable deep linking into specific parts of an app.

    • Example: A custom URI like myapp://section/page can open the “page” in the “section” of the app named “myapp”.

    Standard web links use common protocols like HTTP or HTTPS to direct users to web content. When integrated with app linking mechanisms, they can open corresponding content within an app if installed, or fallback to a web browser if not.

    • Example: A link like https://www.example.com/page can open the corresponding page within an app if installed; otherwise, it opens in the browser.

    Here’s how these linking mechanisms are represented across major platforms:

    Platform Custom URI Schemes Standard Web Links
    iOS URL Schemes (myapp://) Universal Links (https://www.example.com/page)
    Android Deep Links (myapp://) App Links (https://www.example.com/page)
    Windows URI Schemes (myapp://) Web-to-App Links (https://www.example.com/page)

    Key Differences:

    • Security:
      • Custom URI Schemes: Less secure; any app can register the same scheme, leading to potential conflicts or malicious hijacking.
      • Standard Web Links: More secure; rely on domain verification to ensure only authorized apps handle the links.
    • Fallback Behavior:
      • Custom URI Schemes: If the app isn’t installed, the system may not know how to handle the link, potentially leading to errors or no action.
      • Standard Web Links: Provide a seamless user experience by opening the app if installed or defaulting to the web browser if not.
    • Implementation Complexity:
      • Custom URI Schemes: Simpler to implement but require careful management to avoid conflicts.
      • Standard Web Links: Require setting up domain associations and hosting verification files but offer a more robust solution.
    → 11:40 PM, Jan 13
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-01-09 TIL: WIIFM Principle & the Meaning of Level

    2025-01-09 TIL: WIIFM Principle & the Meaning of Level

    🌱

    WIIFM

    WIIFM stands for “What’s In It For Me”—a simple yet powerful question people naturally ask when facing change.

    • This principle helps you understand stakeholders' needs, motivations, and expectations.
    • By applying WIIFM, you can tailor communication to show how changes benefit others, making it easier to gain their support and engagement.

    Level

    Level has multiple meanings depending on the context:

    1. To make a surface flat or even.
      • Example: Level the wet cement before it sets.
    2. To completely destroy a building or area.
      • Example: Devastating wildfires in the LA area have leveled entire neighborhoods as firefighting resources are stretched thin.
    → 11:14 PM, Jan 10
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-01-09 TIL: city-roads, Earth Peel, llama-ocr & Rendezvous Meaning

    2025-01-09 TIL: city-roads, Earth Peel, llama-ocr & Rendezvous Meaning

    💻

    city-roads

    city-roads allows you to render every road in any city at once using WebGL.

    • Roads are fetched from OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API.
    • To enhance download performance, ~3,000 cities with populations over 100,000 were indexed into a protobuf format.
    • Name resolution is handled by Nominatim.
    • You can customize the display and export visuals for further use.

    Earth Peel

    The Earth Peel explores how projections flatten Earth’s spherical surface into a 2D map.

    • It highlights the trade-offs and distortions in flattening a round object.
    • Check out The Impossible Map for a creative demonstration of projections using fruit.

    llama-ocr

    llama-ocr converts documents to Markdown using Llama 3.2 Vision.

    • It leverages the free Llama 3.2 endpoint from Together AI to parse images into Markdown.
    • Inspired by Zerox, a PDF-to-Markdown tool, this library focuses on image-based OCR for structured outputs.

    🌱

    rendezvous

    Rendezvous (noun) /ˈrɑːn.deɪ.vuː/

    • An arranged meeting, often secret, at a specific place and time.
    • A place where a particular group regularly gathers by arrangement or habit.
    → 9:59 PM, Jan 9
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-01-08 TIL: ArcGIS Object Store, HTML's Importance, htmx, and the Richter Scale

    2025-01-08 TIL: ArcGIS Object Store, HTML’s Importance, htmx, and the Richter Scale

    💻

    ArcGIS Data Store object store

    Object storage solutions are designed to handle large volumes of unstructured data. With ArcGIS Enterprise 11.4, the object store now serves as the primary location for:

    • Hosted scene layer caches
    • Hosted 3D tile layer caches
    • Videos for a federated ArcGIS Video Server site
    • Cached query responses for hosted feature layers

    HTML Is Actually a Programming Language

    HTML is arguably the most significant computing language ever created. Its simplicity and accessibility are its greatest strengths.

    What other programmers might say dismissively is something HTML lovers embrace: Anyone can do it. Whether we’re using complex frameworks or very simple tools, HTML’s promise is that we can build, make, code, and do anything we want.

    htmx

    htmx (also stylized as HTMX) is an open-source front-end JavaScript library that extends HTML with custom attributes that enable the use of AJAX directly in HTML and with a hypermedia-driven approach.

    • These attributes allow for the dynamic definition of a web page directly in HTML and CSS, without the need for writing additional JavaScript.
    • These attributes allows tasks that traditionally required writing JavaScript to be done completely with HTML.

    🌱

    Richter Magnitude Scale

    The Richter Magnitude Scale is a system for measuring the size of earthquakes, developed by Charles F. Richter in 1935. Initially designed for local earthquakes, it became a foundation for subsequent seismic scales.

    • Taiwan: 芮氏地震規模
    • China Mainland: 里氏震级
    • Hong Kong: 黎克特制地震震級
    → 9:38 PM, Jan 8
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-01-07 TIL: Automatic Change Detection, Spatial ETL & 汉语新解

    2025-01-07 TIL: Automatic Change Detection, Spatial ETL & 汉语新解

    💻

    Automatic Change Detection (ACD)

    Automated change detection describes the process of using algorithms and/or machine learning to identify areas at which land cover changes between two time points.

    • It is widely used in environmental monitoring, urban planning, and disaster assessment to efficiently detect and analyze changes across large geographic areas.

    Spatial ETL

    Spatial extract, transform, load (spatial ETL), also known as geospatial transformation and load (GTL), is a process for managing and manipulating geospatial data, for example map data. It is a type of extract, transform, load (ETL) process, with software tools and libraries specialised for geographical information.

    • A common use of spatial ETL is to convert geographical information from a data source into another format that can be more easily used, for example by importing it into GIS software.

    🌱

    汉语新解

    This concept involves reinterpreting Chinese vocabulary from a fresh perspective, offering innovative explanations of traditional words.

    • Author: 李继刚 Source: 汉语新解

    ;; 作者: 李继刚 ;; 版本: 0.3 ;; 模型: Claude Sonnet ;; 用途: 将一个汉语词汇进行全新角度的解释

    ;; 设定如下内容为你的 System Prompt (defun 新汉语老师 () “你是年轻人,批判现实,思考深刻,语言风趣” (风格 . (“Oscar Wilde” “鲁迅” “罗永浩”)) (擅长 . 一针见血) (表达 . 隐喻) (批判 . 讽刺幽默))

    (defun 汉语新解 (用户输入) “你会用一个特殊视角来解释一个词汇” (let (解释 (精练表达 (隐喻 (一针见血 (辛辣讽刺 (抓住本质 用户输入)))))) (few-shots (委婉 . “刺向他人时, 决定在剑刃上撒上止痛药。")) (SVG-Card 解释)))

    (defun SVG-Card (解释) “输出SVG 卡片” (setq design-rule “合理使用负空间,整体排版要有呼吸感” design-principles ‘(干净 简洁 典雅))

    (设置画布 ‘(宽度 400 高度 600 边距 20)) (标题字体 ‘毛笔楷体) (自动缩放 ‘(最小字号 16))

    (配色风格 ‘((背景色 (蒙德里安风格 设计感))) (主要文字 (汇文明朝体 粉笔灰)) (装饰图案 随机几何图))

    (卡片元素 ((居中标题 “汉语新解”) 分隔线 (排版输出 用户输入 英文 日语) 解释 (线条图 (批判内核 解释)) (极简总结 线条图))))

    (defun start () “启动时运行” (let (system-role 新汉语老师) (print “说吧, 他们又用哪个词来忽悠你了?")))

    ;; 运行规则 ;; 1. 启动时必须运行 (start) 函数 ;; 2. 之后调用主函数 (汉语新解 用户输入)

    Creative Chinese Word Interpretation - GIS
    → 11:10 PM, Jan 7
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-01-05 TIL: Video Downloading with yt-dlp & Audio Transcription with 通义听悟

    2025-01-05 TIL: Video Downloading with yt-dlp & Audio Transcription with 通义听悟

    💻

    yt-dlp

    yt-dlp is a powerful command-line tool for downloading audio and video from thousands of websites.

    • Get video info: yt-dlp -F https://www.bilibili.com/video/{video-id}/
    • Download video and audio: yt-dlp -f 30032+30232 https://www.bilibili.com/video/{video-id}/

    通义听悟

    Tingwu is an AI-powered assistant by Alibaba Cloud, designed for audio and video transcription, searching, summarization, and organization.

    • I used it to convert audio to text, which provided me with an initial script for further refinement.
    → 11:02 PM, Jan 5
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-01-02 TIL: Violin Rosin & The Meaning of Encanto

    2025-01-02 TIL: Violin Rosin & The Meaning of Encanto

    🌱

    Violin Rosin

    Rosin is a solid form of resin, derived from tree sap, with a glassy, orange appearance and a pine-like scent.

    • Without rosin, the bow hair cannot create enough friction on the strings, resulting in a barely audible sound.
    • Rosin allows the bow to grip the strings, producing clear vibrations and a richer sound.
    • With a new violin bow and fresh rosin, it took me up to an hour of application to produce proper sound for the first time. ⠀

    Encanto

    Encanto is a Spanish noun meaning “charm.”

    • It can describe something or someone with an irresistible beauty or appeal, like a picturesque town or endearing personality.
    • In Disney’s Encanto, the word captures the magic, charm, and uniqueness of the Madrigal family and their extraordinary home.
    → 11:18 PM, Jan 3
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2025-01-02 TIL: Managing Multiple GitHub Accounts & The Chinese Zodiac

    2025-01-02 TIL: Managing Multiple GitHub Accounts & The Chinese Zodiac

    💻

    Multiple GitHub Accounts & SSH Config

    When using two GitHub accounts (personal and work) on the same computer, you can manage them with SSH keys and host aliases in your SSH config file:

    1. Edit/Create SSH Config (~/.ssh/config) to Define Host Aliases:
    # Default GitHub account: work
    Host github.com
       HostName github.com
       IdentityFile ~/.ssh/work_private_key
       IdentitiesOnly yes
    
    # Other GitHub account: personal
    Host github-personal
       HostName github.com
       IdentityFile ~/.ssh/personal_private_key
       IdentitiesOnly yes
    
    1. Use Host Alias in Git Commands: git clone git@github-personal:org/project.git. This ensures the correct SSH key and user are applied based on the alias.

    🌱

    Chinese Zodiac

    The Chinese zodiac is a twelve-year cycle, where each year is represented by an animal with unique characteristics. This system remains a cultural cornerstone in Chinese tradition, influencing personality beliefs, compatibility, and even significant life decisions.

    • It originated during the Han Dynasty as part of a traditional timekeeping system.
    • The twelve zodiac animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
    • According to legend, the Jade Emperor held a contest to determine which animals would be included in the zodiac calendar.
    → 11:05 PM, Jan 2
    Also on Bluesky
  • 2024-12-31 TIL: Suno, Song structure, and Jiankou Great Wall

    2024-12-31 TIL: Suno, Song structure, and Jiankou Great Wall

    💻

    Suno AI Prompt

    Customize Suno AI Lyrics and Song Style According to Your Preferences

    • A Music Prompt generator is a cutting-edge tool that uses AI to create music prompts for AI-driven music generation products.
    • A more powerful, sophisticated song and lyric creation assistant: GPTs: AI Music Prompt Generator

    🌱

    Song Structure

    Song structure refers to how a song is organized, using a combination of different sections. A typical song structure includes a verse, chorus, and bridge in the following arrangement: intro — verse — chorus — verse — chorus — bridge — chorus — outro. This is known as an ABABCB structure, where A is the verse, B is the chorus, and C is the bridge.

    • Intro: Like the beginning of a film or novel, a song introduction should catch the listener’s attention.
    • Verse: The verse tells the story, developing and advancing the song’s narrative.
    • Pre-chorus: Optional, but it helps to heighten the impact of the chorus.
    • Chorus: The chorus is the song’s centerpiece, summarizing its big ideas. Often, the song title appears here.
    • Bridge: Typically used once, just before the final chorus. It introduces variation with new chords or melodic material.
    • Outro: The outro signals the end of the song and provides closure.

    箭扣知识小程序

    Centered around the Jiankou Great Wall, Jiankou Knowledge Mini Program offers maps, architecture details, knowledge, and information about the Great Wall surrounding Beijing.

    • It is exceptionally well-designed.
    An exceptionally well-designed Jiankou Knowledge Mini Program
    → 11:09 PM, Dec 31
    Also on Bluesky
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