Comment lol (Score 1) 61
the finance bros "ai can't replace my bloomberg terminal" has some serious techbro "ai can't replace coders" vibes
Comment Re:it's a tool (Score 1) 150
Maybe I'm out-of-date or a control freak, but I don't want my codebases to contain custom code that I need to rely on but that I didn't write myself.
Apparently you're just a person who never worked in a team. Working in a team requires accepting other people's code. Code that you may not have written the same way but it works, and it's efficient. It's just not "your way".
If you're working in a team, I hope you're not making your coworker's lives miserable by dissecting every PR with 80+ comments and dragging it for days on end, because what you really want is that they will rewrite it the way you solved it in your head.
Submission + - Thorny issue plaguing lithium-ion batteries laid bare in new study (phys.org)
alternative_right writes: Lithium dendrites, i.e. tiny crystalline thorns that grow off of lithium-ion battery anodes during charging, have been a persistent challenge for the world's most widely used form of energy storage. "Dendrites can penetrate the battery's separator, causing catastrophic short circuits and safety hazards," said Qing Ai, a former research scientist at Rice University who is a first author on a new study published in Science that reports for the first time exactly how these tricky structures behave inside batteries. "Despite decades of study, the fundamental nanomechanical properties of lithium dendrites remained a mystery—until now."
Comment it's a tool (Score 5, Interesting) 150
It's a tool. You need to know how to use it. But before all, you need to know what you want it to do.
I don't "vibe code". I explicitly tell an LLM what's the output I want. This works great. It's also helped me take care of long-standing low-priority tickets.
For example, I had it rewrite a backend function that reads from DB/returns JSON. But I had it do it "streaming" from the database instead of buffering-and-stringifying the database response. This has been long in my to-do list. I knew how to implement it (as I had done it in the past). I just didn't want to do it because it was a "nice to have" but not a must for our use case. And it's honestly boring to write.
The LLM did it for me in a few minutes.
I also tried "Vibe coding an app" to see how that would work. It didn't. It shows awesome progress at the beginning and then it starts failing. It deletes entire files, rewrites unnecessary parts, keeps looping and burning through tokens so, I honestly don't know what the "vibe coders" are really doing. It just didn't give me any results when I tried it.
Comment Helium can be re-used? (Score 2) 125
It seems that Helium can be re-used if the original use is very careful, so that it is not lost.
Submission + - Executives say AI boosts productivity but the real gain is just 16 minutes per w (nerds.xyz)
BrianFagioli writes: A new study suggests the productivity boost from artificial intelligence may be far smaller than executives claim. According to research cited in Foxitâ(TM)s State of Document Intelligence report, while 89 percent of executives and 79 percent of end users say AI tools make them feel more productive, the actual time savings shrink dramatically once people account for reviewing and validating AI-generated output.
The survey of 1,000 desk-based workers and 400 executives in the United States and United Kingdom found executives believe AI saves them about 4.6 hours per week, but they spend roughly 4 hours and 20 minutes verifying those results. End users reported a similar pattern, estimating 3.6 hours saved but 3 hours and 50 minutes spent reviewing AI work. Once that âoeverification burdenâ is factored in, executives gain just 16 minutes per week, while end users actually lose about 14 minutes.
The survey of 1,000 desk-based workers and 400 executives in the United States and United Kingdom found executives believe AI saves them about 4.6 hours per week, but they spend roughly 4 hours and 20 minutes verifying those results. End users reported a similar pattern, estimating 3.6 hours saved but 3 hours and 50 minutes spent reviewing AI work. Once that âoeverification burdenâ is factored in, executives gain just 16 minutes per week, while end users actually lose about 14 minutes.
Comment Re:Life balance?? (Score 1) 86
don't worry, you will live at the company town and get paid in company scrip
also: FUCK SLASHDOT ADS.
Comment good (Score 5, Insightful) 76
in a world of "age verification laws" and governments pushing for "cashless", and precedents like Canada freezing protesters bank accounts, yes.
governments are turning ultra fascist everywhere. doesn't matter if they say they're left wing progressive. they're after your internet anonymity and want you to keep your money in banks, mostly to avoid tax evasion.
(cue in europeans saying they're not fascist and i'm a dumb american etc and canadians justifying the bank account freezing because it was aligned with the party's interest)
Comment Re:"Back up your data" (Score 1) 168
and pay for it
Submission + - Solar in poor countries is creating a huge lead hazard (slowboring.com)
schwit1 writes: Off-grid systems use cheap old-fashioned batteries that aren’t recycled properly.
A new report from the Center for Global Development documents that most of these systems use lead-acid batteries, like Americans use in cars. Lead-acid batteries work for a while and then need to be recycled. If they're recycled safely, that's fine. But in poor countries, most lead-acid batteries are not recycled safely and they become a huge source of toxic lead poisoning.
C.G.D. believes that decentralized solar systems are currently generating somewhere between 250,000 and 1.5 million tons of unsafe lead-acid battery waste per year, a number that could grow much higher.
Americans have mostly heard about lead issues in recent years due to the tragic situation in Flint, Michigan. But on the whole, lead exposure via faulty water pipes is a relatively minor issue. Across American history, the biggest culprits for lead exposure have been lead paint and leaded gasoline. Both were phased out decades ago, but old paint chips and lingering lead in soil have remained problems for years, albeit at diminishing rates.
The global situation is quite different and much worse, to the point that in low- and middle-income countries, half of children have blood lead levels above the threshold that would trigger emergency action in the United States.
It sounds fantastical to cite numbers this high. But there is credible (albeit somewhat uncertain) research indicating that five million people per year die as a result of lead-induced cardiovascular impairments. And roughly 20 percent of the gap in academic achievement between poor and rich countries is due to lead's impact on kids' cognitive development.
A new report from the Center for Global Development documents that most of these systems use lead-acid batteries, like Americans use in cars. Lead-acid batteries work for a while and then need to be recycled. If they're recycled safely, that's fine. But in poor countries, most lead-acid batteries are not recycled safely and they become a huge source of toxic lead poisoning.
C.G.D. believes that decentralized solar systems are currently generating somewhere between 250,000 and 1.5 million tons of unsafe lead-acid battery waste per year, a number that could grow much higher.
Americans have mostly heard about lead issues in recent years due to the tragic situation in Flint, Michigan. But on the whole, lead exposure via faulty water pipes is a relatively minor issue. Across American history, the biggest culprits for lead exposure have been lead paint and leaded gasoline. Both were phased out decades ago, but old paint chips and lingering lead in soil have remained problems for years, albeit at diminishing rates.
The global situation is quite different and much worse, to the point that in low- and middle-income countries, half of children have blood lead levels above the threshold that would trigger emergency action in the United States.
It sounds fantastical to cite numbers this high. But there is credible (albeit somewhat uncertain) research indicating that five million people per year die as a result of lead-induced cardiovascular impairments. And roughly 20 percent of the gap in academic achievement between poor and rich countries is due to lead's impact on kids' cognitive development.
Submission + - Seagate just unleashed 44TB hard drives (nerds.xyz)
BrianFagioli writes: Seagate says it is now shipping its Mozaic 4+ HAMR-based hard drives at up to 44TB per drive, with production deployments already underway at two hyperscale cloud providers. The company claims the platform is the only heat-assisted magnetic recording implementation currently operating at scale, and it is targeting a path from todayâ(TM)s 4+TB per disk toward 10TB per disk, eventually enabling 100TB-class drives. In a one-exabyte deployment, Seagate estimates Mozaic could improve infrastructure efficiency by roughly 47 percent compared to standard 30TB drives, cutting both footprint and energy consumption.
While GPUs dominate AI headlines, large-scale storage remains the economic backbone of training and archival workloads. HAMR uses a tiny laser to heat the disk surface during writes, allowing higher areal density without sacrificing stability. With most major cloud storage providers reportedly qualified on the Mozaic platform, Seagate is positioning spinning disks, not flash, as the long-term answer for cost-effective AI-scale data growth.
While GPUs dominate AI headlines, large-scale storage remains the economic backbone of training and archival workloads. HAMR uses a tiny laser to heat the disk surface during writes, allowing higher areal density without sacrificing stability. With most major cloud storage providers reportedly qualified on the Mozaic platform, Seagate is positioning spinning disks, not flash, as the long-term answer for cost-effective AI-scale data growth.
Submission + - LibreOffice says its UI is way better than Microsoft Office's (neowin.net) 1
darwinmac writes: While many users choose Microsoft Office over LibreOffice because of its support for the proprietary formats (.docx, .xlsx, and .pptx), others prefer Office for its "better" ribbon interface. These users often criticize LibreOffice for having a "clunky" UI instead of the "standard" ribbon interface you would find in Word, Excel, and other Office apps.
Now, Neowin reports that LibreOffice is fighting back, arguing that its UI is actually superior because it is customizable, with several modes such as the classic toolbar interface, an Office-inspired ribbon layout, a sidebar-focused design, and more. Furthermore, it argues that there is no evidence that the ribbon offers "superior usability" over other interface modes.
Now, Neowin reports that LibreOffice is fighting back, arguing that its UI is actually superior because it is customizable, with several modes such as the classic toolbar interface, an Office-inspired ribbon layout, a sidebar-focused design, and more. Furthermore, it argues that there is no evidence that the ribbon offers "superior usability" over other interface modes.
Incidentally, the characterisation of ribbon-style interfaces as "modern" or "standard", used by several users, is not based on any objective usability parameter or design principle, but is the result of Microsofts dominance in the market and the huge investments made when the ribbon was introduced in Office 2007 as a new paradigm for productivity software.
Before this, LibreOffice had also criticized its competitor OnlyOffice, accusing it of being "fake open source" because it believes OnlyOffice is working with Microsoft to lock users into the Office ecosystem by prioritizing the formats mentioned earlier instead of LibreOffice's own OpenDocument Format (ODF).
Submission + - CATL unveils 1.1M mile EV battery, charges in 12 min, retains 80% @ 3,000 cycles (interestingengineering.com)
fahrbot-bot writes: Interesting Engineering is reporting that CATL, formally known as Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited, has introduced a new fast-charging electric vehicle battery platform designed to significantly reduce charging times while maintaining long-term durability.
The company released performance data for its 5C battery, stating it can fully charge in about 12 minutes while supporting extended cycle life.
The engineering focus behind the platform centers on enabling ultra-fast charging without accelerating battery degradation. A 5C charge rate allows a battery pack to accept high power input, enabling rapid replenishment comparable to short refueling stops.
According to the company’s testing, the battery retained at least 80 percent of its original capacity after 3,000 full charge and discharge cycles under standard temperature conditions. This translates to a projected driving lifespan approaching 1.5 million miles.
The battery was also evaluated under high-temperature conditions to assess real-world endurance. At 140F, it maintained 80 percent capacity after 1,400 cycles, indicating sustained performance even under thermal stress, though with reduced cycle life compared to moderate conditions.
Material innovations underpin the system’s performance. The cathode features a protective coating to reduce structural breakdown during rapid cycling, while the electrolyte contains additives that detect and seal microscopic cracks that could accelerate degradation.
The separator incorporates a temperature-responsive coating that moderates ion movement during heat buildup, helping stabilize the cell during repeated fast charging.
The company released performance data for its 5C battery, stating it can fully charge in about 12 minutes while supporting extended cycle life.
The engineering focus behind the platform centers on enabling ultra-fast charging without accelerating battery degradation. A 5C charge rate allows a battery pack to accept high power input, enabling rapid replenishment comparable to short refueling stops.
According to the company’s testing, the battery retained at least 80 percent of its original capacity after 3,000 full charge and discharge cycles under standard temperature conditions. This translates to a projected driving lifespan approaching 1.5 million miles.
The battery was also evaluated under high-temperature conditions to assess real-world endurance. At 140F, it maintained 80 percent capacity after 1,400 cycles, indicating sustained performance even under thermal stress, though with reduced cycle life compared to moderate conditions.
Material innovations underpin the system’s performance. The cathode features a protective coating to reduce structural breakdown during rapid cycling, while the electrolyte contains additives that detect and seal microscopic cracks that could accelerate degradation.
The separator incorporates a temperature-responsive coating that moderates ion movement during heat buildup, helping stabilize the cell during repeated fast charging.
Submission + - It's finally happening: daylight savings to be scrapped in British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)
Vegan Cyclist writes: The BC government today announced that this will be the last time we change the clocks for daylights savings, and come autumn, we'll remain on the same time.
From their media release summary:
* B.C. will adopt permanent, year-round daylight saving time after clocks shift forward an hour on Sunday, March 8, 2026
* People and businesses will have eight months to prepare for the elimination of the next time change, previously scheduled for Nov. 1, 2026
* Eliminating twice-yearly time changes reduces disruptions for families, simplifies scheduling and provides an extra hour of evening light during the winter months
Some quick facts:
* B.C.â(TM)s new time zone, Pacific time, will be aligned with the Yukon year round.
* From November until March annually, Pacific time will match Alberta and other regions observing mountain standard time.
And of interest to the wider North American reader:
"From March until November every year, Pacific time will align with California, Washington, Oregon and other Pacific daylight time jurisdictions.
Neighbour jurisdictions like Washington, Oregon and California are all in the process of creating or enacting similar legislation."
From their media release summary:
* B.C. will adopt permanent, year-round daylight saving time after clocks shift forward an hour on Sunday, March 8, 2026
* People and businesses will have eight months to prepare for the elimination of the next time change, previously scheduled for Nov. 1, 2026
* Eliminating twice-yearly time changes reduces disruptions for families, simplifies scheduling and provides an extra hour of evening light during the winter months
Some quick facts:
* B.C.â(TM)s new time zone, Pacific time, will be aligned with the Yukon year round.
* From November until March annually, Pacific time will match Alberta and other regions observing mountain standard time.
And of interest to the wider North American reader:
"From March until November every year, Pacific time will align with California, Washington, Oregon and other Pacific daylight time jurisdictions.
Neighbour jurisdictions like Washington, Oregon and California are all in the process of creating or enacting similar legislation."
Submission + - Norwegian Consumer Council Targets 'Enshittification' (forbrukerradet.no) 1
DeanonymizedCoward writes: The Norwegian Consumer Council, an independent, governmentally funded organization that advocates for consumer’s rights, has released a report addressing the trends of 'enshittification' in consumer goods and services and laying out some steps consumers can take to buck the trends.
"It should be easy for consumers to make sustainable choices every day. Consumers have the right to be protected against exploitation – both financially and digitally. To ensure this, we work to provide easy access to information, enforceable rights, and sufficient redress options when something goes wrong," says the organization.
They have also released a YouTube video making light of the matter,
"It should be easy for consumers to make sustainable choices every day. Consumers have the right to be protected against exploitation – both financially and digitally. To ensure this, we work to provide easy access to information, enforceable rights, and sufficient redress options when something goes wrong," says the organization.
They have also released a YouTube video making light of the matter,
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