Hacker News Reader

39896880on Are we living in the age of info-determinism?

This piece mentions Harari’s new work. Has anyone read it? I find his style appealing but I have also read comments here that are eyerolls similar to how Malcolm Gladwell is received, so I am wondering if I should even bother.

39896880on Customers who save on electric bills could be forced to pay utility lost profits

Gas taxes only fund about half of road construction because it hasn’t kept pace with inflation. The general fund covers the rest.

39896880on No price Microsoft could pay Apple to use Bing: Google antitrust ruling excerpts

“Contrary to what many believe, U.S. corporate law does not impose any enforceable legal duty on corporate directors or executives of public corporations to maximize profits or share price.”

39896880on No price Microsoft could pay Apple to use Bing: Google antitrust ruling excerpts

Please please please stop repeating this meme. It’s not true, and it never has been. https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2012/06/26/the-shareholder-v...

39896880on Myspace celebrates its 21st birthday. Do we still need it?

I just went to the MySpace.com front page and it features only news from 2022. Is this some sort of bug for EU users?

39896880on China to achieve 'basic' self-sufficiency for chip fab tools this summer

> The most notable deficiencies are in lithography systems (as the best that China's SMEE can produce in volume are good enough for 90nm-class process technologies and thicker), ion implantation tools, and electron beam inspection systems.

So they can produce the kind of chips needed for a smart lightbulb with the help of technology developed by the Dutch and the Americans.

39896880on If we want a shift to walking, we need to prioritize dignity

You should try going to europe sometime.

39896880on Beyond Authenticity: Hannah Arendt's final unfinished work

I came to this conclusion by reading the book “Determined” by Sapolsky.

https://mitpressbookstore.mit.edu/book/9780525560975

39896880on Beyond Authenticity: Hannah Arendt's final unfinished work

Arendt makes a compelling case, but unfortunately one that does not stand up to our advances in neuroscience. The will as described here does not exist. There is nothing beyond conditioning.

39896880on An Interview with Robert Caro and Kurt Vonnegut (1999)

Be careful with the LBJ series. It will absolutely ruin all other biographies for you. You will become intolerant to other authors’ lack of detail.

39896880on Waymo has completed 2M paid rider-only trips

“Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules.“

39896880on Banks find AML "ineffective", propose access to social media

I prefer not to participate in the acceleration.

39896880on Cars Are Now Computers, So How Long Will They Get Updates? Automakers Can't Say

Yeah. Nothing stopping dealers from charging out the ass for a few gb of data transfer. A scam as old as time, I remember my mom almost paying $500 in the early 2000s for a new maps DVD for her lexus. I found the iso on usenet and did it myself.

39896880on Alexa is in millions of households and Amazon is losing billions

That’s the intention but very few users enjoy being unpaid QA for trillion dollar corps.

39896880on Alexa is in millions of households and Amazon is losing billions

This sounds like a joke but Amazon made a device specifically to listen to people talk all day and tell them how they sound to others. It is called Halo.

39896880on Alexa is in millions of households and Amazon is losing billions

It’s worse than that. These systems can be adapted by looking at failed user commands, but people don’t really sit around trying out fun things and watch it fall on its face for longer than the first day or so. After that, the novelty wears off, so you’ve trained your users to accept the device’s limitations. Then, even when you do improve the functionality, your users won’t know! They won’t try it, and those commands will never get traction in the system or get more testing beyond the initial launch criteria. It’s a death spiral. The same thing happens with the tone of voice people use.

39896880on Alexa is in millions of households and Amazon is losing billions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite-state_transducer

https://medium.com/fetch-ai/classical-roots-of-ai-unpacking-....

39896880on Alexa is in millions of households and Amazon is losing billions

The Kirkland house brand is often backed by one of the name brands they sell. They have quality metrics for Kirkland and they check the products regularly. If the quality dips, they swap out the provider.

39896880on Banks find AML "ineffective", propose access to social media

The definition of “acceptable” will just keep shifting

39896880on Banks find AML "ineffective", propose access to social media

Thank you. I kept reading AI/ML and couldn’t figure out how more data would help…

39896880on FTC Issues Orders to Eight Companies Seeking Information on Surveillance Pricing

Palantir is a government contractor. You don’t investigate your friends

39896880on 10% of Cubans left Cuba between 2022 and 2023

Lesser? The US is the largest economy in the history of the world. And military. It is responsible for brokering and maintaining the freest, most prosperous time in history — the post WWII globalization.

Oh, here’s where I’ll be a little less, er, academic — as someone who lives in a city shaped by the influx of Irish and Italian immigrants - fuck out of here with “lesser”.

39896880on 10% of Cubans left Cuba between 2022 and 2023

Of course there’s a risk of negative consequences. In fact, the US experiences many of them. But, it ultimately ends up stronger.

39896880on Costco starts to sell 'apocalypse bucket' with food that lasts 25 years

I suspect it will be a hit in Utah.

39896880on A Review of Linux on Surface Pro 4

This is all I ever hear from the linux crowd. “Demand less.” Gets really old.

39896880on Philips Hue bulbs are randomly turning brightness to 100%

Lot of people seem to feel personally attacked in this thread.

39896880on Girls in Tech closes its doors after 17 years

I suspect you are fine with it for the same reason I am:you understand that women historically were kept out of the workforce.

39896880on Houston-area residents enter sixth day without power, air conditioning

Is the grid not composed of power lines?

39896880on Houston-area residents enter sixth day without power, air conditioning

Notice the deflection by the Lt Governor:

“People have a right to be extremely frustrated with CenterPoint. People are suffering through terribly oppressive heat, a lack of food and gasoline availability, debris everywhere, and much more,” Patrick said. “The poor and most vulnerable are suffering the most.”

Not, “People have a right to be frustrated with the government,”

39896880on Framework Laptop 13 Deep Dive: A laptop webcam with smartphone technology

Would you mind elaborating on:

> it doesn't suspend like older laptops but it does always work