skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
I still don't understand Guile. It makes sense as a stand-alone language implementation, but not as an embeddable one. Why isn't it re-entrant? What about multiple interpreters? Why a C-level GC like Boehm, rather than just track your own garbage? Why scheme for an embeddable language, don't continuations make C interop hard?

Even back when they announced Guile, it seemed odd that they based it on SCM rather than on SIOD or TinyScheme.

Lua seems to be far superior for embedding. Guile seems big and invasive by comparison. It seems to be heading squarely for that awkward middle size between big/full-featured and small/light that hurt Tcl, as argued in http://journal.dedasys.com/2010/03/30/where-tcl-and-tk-went-... .
This actually has been an issue for the App Store recently, primarily concerning VLC. See
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/no-gpl-apps-for-apples...
Ask HN: Internal Networking at a Lean Startup
First time I've tried an 'Ask HN', so I'd appreciate any feedback on how I might clean this up:

I've tried searching the web, serverfault, etc. for what I'm looking for, and I always either end up empty-handed or come away with recommendations that are far too complex (I hope) for what I'm looking for.

Our company was once much bigger and with a different focus (primary ASP.NET/C# web development) and could support 1-2 Windows Networking "Guys". Now, we're much smaller, our focus has completely changed, and we rely primarily on open-source (particularly Ruby/Rails on Ubuntu Server).

Unfortunately, I'm splitting my time between new-app development and maintaining the aging internal Windows domain (where I have little to no expertise). At this point, the only benefits we get from the Windows domain are 1) internal dns, 2) an internal file-server, 3) vpn access into the office, and 4) whatever else comes with active directory (we've since migrated email onto a hosted service).

I've been given the go ahead to pare down setup down to the bare minimum as long as I can meet the following requirements:

1. Need to be able to access servers internally (i.e. add a nightly build on a local machine and access it via http://nightly or whatever)
2. Need to have a file server with certain "protected" directories
3. Need to be able to VPN in and access said servers from the outside world

How do small (< 15 people) companies usually handle this? I'm looking (hoping!) for a guide that starts at "So you have a static IP and an internet connection into your office" and then walks through setting up an internal network from there. Most books I've found assume I want to know everything about the network stack.

Any suggestions on where I might look for answers?
Of course war is not a solution to terror! Everyone knows that.

The "war on terror" is a convenient windmill to keep tilting against. It'll keep this country in a perpetual state of war; making it easier to deny the individuals' rights (while the rich folks get tax breaks, the corporations get more powers).

Why doesn't anyone (democrats, repubs) bring up 'war on terror' when the taxes are being discussed? Because they know that that is not the desired goal of this so-called 'war'; it is to make it easier to govern, and keep the citizens down.

This is what you get for voting R or D, people. STOP voting along party lines.
The example of SalesForce in the article sounds wrong. Apple's 30% fee on subscriptions does not apply to ALL subscription revenue of a publisher, just to the subscriptions of users who found the publisher in the App Store. Quote: "when Apple brings a new subscriber to the app, Apple earns a 30 percent share; when the publisher brings an existing or new subscriber to the app, the publisher keeps 100 percent and Apple earns nothing". If this is true, there is nothing unfair about it.
cosgroveb: Don't like the terms of an author's library? Go write your own then.

jedsmith: I really hate this attitude. Isn't the point of the Internet to bring developers together to work on things? Can't we put our collective capabilities toward improving things instead of rewriting them from scratch simply because they're not our favorite license or favorite language? Gnote springs to mind.

I really can't see what this has to do with cosgroveb's comment, which is saying that a GPL program is not taking anything at all away. When you quote "Don't like .. your own then.", I think you are taking it out of context. The whole paragraph reads:

cosgroveb: How does that take away anyone's freedom? Don't like the terms of an author's library? Go write your own then.

I take this to mean that if you can't use code under the GPL license, you are exactly in the same situation as if the code is unavailable, and you are not worse off. So the GPL code has taken nothing away.
Sure, Amazon is the poster boy for getting screwed here. But they aren't the only ones getting swept up in this nonsense.

I'm just saying, I'm not Amazon. I'm a content company that sells content to users in print form, and on the web (primarily on the web these days). Customers can only get to my content if they subscribe. Most of them get to that content via our website. Pretend I'm the Wall Street Journal (but I'm not).

I'd like to make a IOS app to allow my users to get to their extremely expensive content in a native application, but now that I have to pay a 30% tithe to Apple, I won't do that. Now I'll make a web based version which will suck more, and we'll let that ride until Apple pulls that out from under us too.
Yes, even glibc malloc is usually around 400 cycles (about 150 nanoseconds) in my tests.
Crash Bandicoot an Outsider's Perspective via Andy Gavin
But isn't the solution to simply make a mobile webapp instead of an app?

It's not technically always feasible, but most of the time it is.
There's an excellent book that I'm reading called "The innovator's dilemma" which seems relevant to your case. The difficulty with established competitors is that their middle management gets in the way--that is, if you're charging less and offering less, then they won't bother competing against you because they're focused on up-market customers.
If Nokia had went with Android, I don't see why Nokia would care about Google's revenue stream. Couldn't Nokia toss out the monetized Google apps that come with Android and replace them with Nokia's own apps?
There is now a part 7 and part 8.

http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/2011/02/10/crash-bandicoot-...

http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/2011/02/16/crash-bandicoot-...
And bloody wheeled luggage, I've seen people approach the ticket barrier from the side, and actually block the next turnstile with their bag while they look for their ticket! Kicking's too good for these people.
In what ways is Guile different from other Schemes, such as Gambit and Chicken?

Is Guile a good Scheme to start off with when first learning Scheme?
I think you're generally right that native apps are better than web apps. I have a few points to pick at, but don't take that as disagreement.

* web apps don't have access to special platform functionality such as GPS, sensors, camera, etc.*

Take a look at PhoneGap. This is definitely becoming less of an issue, and I wouldn't be surprised to see even more progress on it.

Including Google. It's in their interest to lock-in users to their platform, even more so since Android became a major player.

I can't speak for others, but Google's native apps are merely frontends to their web service. I regularly switch between the native and web versions of both GMail and Google Reader on my phone. There's slightly different feature sets (syncing/refreshing tends to be no issue on the web, but it's kind of weird on the native apps. The UI is better on the native apps. I can open links in background tabs for the web, but I have to switch apps for native, etc), but I could completely stop using the native apps with 0 issue.

Other than that, I strongly agree. I've never had to worry about my internet being slow or down to use a native app, and I know I can use them years later with no issue.
I would be interesting to know how the human contestants would play on their own. We only see them in competitive matches, so we don’t really know how many of the questions they would and could answer. (I heard that contestants tend to push their buzzer as soon as they hear one of their competitors pushing the buzzer regardless of whether they know the answer, so you can’t even know from buzzer presses alone whether the would answer if there were no competitors.)

84% is, to my mind, very high. I’m skeptical of claims that even the best humans are better than that.
That reads a bit like "isn't the point of newspapers to distribute solutions to crossword puzzles easily?", to me.

Not trying to say that I think "the point of the Internet" is news distribution; rather that claiming that there is a single "point" to something like the Internet is wholly non-sensical, to me. It just does not compute.

And if I write and publish some code, it should be up to me what license I want to use. If other people are jealous or think it's wasteful that they can't do as they please with something I created, that really isn't my problem.
If this is true, this will be a very unfair policy coming from Apple. This will be the divorce between web apps and iOS. I can see HP/Microsoft/Google/etc opening their doors to free SaaS.

Apple is getting greedy and capricious, and when this happens no good will come from it.
I get the same "error". I think the real login is coming very soon. Maybe to much server load :-)
Depends on what you mean by web apps. Yes, you write your apps in javascript, and build your UI in HTML5 and css, but the apps are installed and run natively on the device and there is no 'web' involved. You can also write your own plug-ins in C/C++ which you can call from javascript.
In India, e-Governance = e-Redtape
Crowdfunding a 2.0 event, smart
Cash4Gold Competitor's Clever Adwords Hack
I wish google would put ACM and IEEE's feet to the fire. Their crawler definitely sees full PDFs, and we don't.
Anyone want a bit of research/work doing? (3 months free)
Hey guys, lurker here.

I am doing my masters dissertation this summer and looking for topics. I've got a host of things I want to do but I need to put them into context, 'just because its interesting' doesn't cut the mustard. Plus any code I wright the university owns copyright to so id rather keep my pet projects for my personal time.

If anyone is at a company that has a real world problem that they would like looking into but just don't have the time then perhaps I could help! I have 3+ full time months allocated to this so there should be some good results at the end.

I work in Java mainly and do a lot with databases (sql & NoSQL stuff), but I'm not one to say no to something I don't fully know yet.

If anyone is interested please drop me an e-mail.

Thanks

Henry.
I never even entertained the idea somebody would consider SaaS "content". The thing also lists explicitly what they consider content. There's no "etc."

Yes, you can probably bend it to mean anything, but as is, this really doesn't seem to include SaaS.
You can ask Apple what their policy on SaaS subscriptions is today, but it doesn't really matter. If Apple decides going after the SaaS revenue stream is in their interest, that policy will change tomorrow.
What is the state of using Clojure to develop for Android? Everything I see on the subject is pretty dated. I see that people are saying that until recently getting a Clojure REPL on Android wasn't possible - so do the technical changes that allow this better facilitate using Clojure on Android?
But in a fictional world where different races have various magical powers and vastly different anatomies, a character's race (or rather species) rather does define a lot about them from the reader's perspective.

I mean do episodes of Star Trek go 'this is Bob, the sentient space nebula - he has two kids and likes to drink with his friends at the weekend' ?

LoTR no doubt does have some collectivist/nationalist/whaterverist trappings, but I find it completely unfair the way people call Tolkien racist by juxtaposing some modern and inanalagous ethnicity debate onto his fictional world.
Oh geesh. What an awful story.

I worked as a subcontractor for a vendor servicing ICE back when it was INS. Nobody that I knew was very impressed with the quality of service that INS was providing, either internally or externally. Changing their name to make them sound better and then putting them in charge of something like this is just, well, very sad. (I don't mean to disparage an entire agency. All I have is my personal experience)
Google Introduces One Pass, a Micropayment Service for Publishers
Great post! I was considering building a startup around my degree and this will definitely help!
There's no need to root most Android phones to install any software you want. Just go to Settings/Applications and check "Unknown sources Allow installation of non-Market applications"

AT&T (and perhaps other carriers) disable that option, but even in that case, there's a workaround that doesn't require rooting. (Google "android non-market adb".)
No, it is up to the coherent extrapolated volition[1] of the dictator's people. (At least, it seems like a good guess.) What makes a government less than ideal is its failure to apply that volition. The question then is how hard a given type of governance is likely to fail.

Now I agree that for a host of reasons (like taking one's own volition for the country's CEV), dictatorships do not rank high.

[1]: http://singinst.org/upload/CEV.html
ShortStack makes Facebook tabs as easy as Wufoo
Not really - all apps that offer subscriptions must go through Apple's mechanism anyways. And subscription is (IMHO) well defined as referring to content, with types of content enumerated.

So unless you make the case that SaaS is content, the post is baseless.
Barnes & Noble lures spurned Amazon affiliates
Facebook and ur Social Life
I wonder if the customer service for OnePass payments will be as good as it is for Google Checkout.

I'm thinking of previous discussions such as:

Google Checkout Nightmare and the $126,000 phone call:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1432107
Firstly, thank you for taking the time to disagree with something in a manner that I can read. I voted you up just for that.

> I think you are taking it out of context.

Edit: Oh, okay, on third read I see what you mean. I stand by my comment, though: sure, he says that the license doesn't take away your freedom, and implies that since you're free to rewrite your own, you are still free. How is that freedom to do what you will with the software? That's the rub. I'm free to change careers to taxidermist, too, but that's irrelevant to the issue at hand.
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2226620
Because they're not living at altitude? I can eat all the MSG I want in Denver even, but above 7000' I'm in agony for twelve to eighteen hours. YMMV.
Yes. How does 30% of content subscription translate into 100% of SaaS, again?
"but Apple has stated they want 30%...." of the revenue from those people who purchase content or subscriptions inside the application.

If you purchase your content on Amazon's website, you can play it on an iOS device and Apple doesn't expect a cent.
Google Swings At Apple, Rolls Out Its Subscription Plan
Perhaps not right now, but Google has already shown their interest in the flight information industry with their pending $700 million bid for ITA. Its not a stretch to assume that they may use this acquisition to provide a method to search-for and purchase airline tickets using their mobile payment system.
With humans, you don't know how many correct responses they knew. You only know how many triple stumpers there were and how many incorrect responses a human gave. When two or three human champions are playing, it's unlikely for one of them to buzz in first with the consistency that Watson was able to. Hypothetically, if two humans A and B both knew the same 95% of correct responses, you would probably see something like A buzzing in 30% of the time and B 70%. You couldn't possibly determine how many correct responses either A or B knew.
I agree that IBM has a "high purpose." Though, I'm not convinced. Given that Google also tries to branch out to other domains, why shouldn't IBM do the same? Google offers enterprise search boxes, it is (try to get) involved in the healthcare domain (through collaboration with medical institutions as well as Google Health), etc.
Chess, I think, was too limited and market share is too small (hence, no threat to EA). But something like this is applicable to many different domains, including a web search.
Seems sparse compared to readability's recent efforts at micropayments for content. I wonder how they will develop this.
The Daily has the depth and quality of a magazine but is delivered daily like a newspaper and updated in real-time like the web. Great stories, photos, video, audio and graphics come alive the more you touch, swipe, tap and explore.
It was a poor choice of word. I agree, and have revised my remark.
Ext JS 4 Developer Preview released
BankSimple claims 40,000 invitees
Not everything is about 'the public good being served'. That was my point. Individual freedom usually trumps the public good, imo. Thinking about things has never been under (serious) discussion. The line is roughly at the point where 'public performances' or 'reproduction for the public' is done. Of course you can argue about where things are exactly 'public', but you can do that with anything.
Is this sarcastic? (never used Google Checkout)
We're currently using Flying Saucer [1] for this in our app with good results.

It supports mostly all of CSS 2.1, CSS 3 support for rounded corners etc… would be nice though. The fact it respects page breaks is a huge bonus.

[1] - http://code.google.com/p/flying-saucer/
The GPL does _NOT_ prevent redistribution, please don't spread more incorrect information. It prevents _redistribution without redistribution of source_. You're still free to get GPL code, change it yourself, and never release it again.

Licenses like the AGPL were created in part because of this problem; some folks think that, morally speaking, code running on a server behaves like distributed code, and should be available. But for example: you're absolutely allowed to take GPL code, change it yourself, keep the source private, and run a web 2.0 business on top of that source code.
Does this mean the API has been frozen?
There was no such consensus. I predicted (based on the practice videos that were released) that Watson would excel due to its buzzer reflex advantage. In fact, I never saw any predictions that Watson would have a disadvantage because of its buzzer system.
I was being charitable. Not all opinions are created equal.
Churbuck.com » The Gilded Cage: Why My Next Tablet Won’t Be an iPad
Am I the only one that is amused that the site they redirect to serves a single gigantic GIF totally 205K in size?

It is also exactly 1024x768, which seems even sillier, I guess people browsing child porn run their browsers in full screen mode all the time?

http://74.81.170.110/
I'm surprised nobody's mentioned w3schools.com yet.
It would be bad enough if Apple was just demanding a 30% cut of all in-app purchases. Imagine if Visa or Mastercard tried to charge the same rates.
I just get sick of people trotting this one out when it was history ignoring in the first place. It also ignores the whole Yahoo thing, but I digress. Its like during a really in-depth boxing debate trotting out the boxer's W-L record when wearing blue shorts....

I could be in a bad mood just because this foolish policy probably destroyed any hope of micro-payments on iOS devices.
Zinc is Probably the Most Effective Cold Treatment Known to Medicine
Cadastre e Ganhe
Optical illusion: triangle
I was all excited to fork over more dough to Uncle Stevie this year for a Verizon iPhone 5 and the 2nd gen iPad, but Apple's recent moves are giving me real pause. Dave Churbuck here outlines some options. I only wonder whether any Android tablets will come in below the iPad's price. No sign of that yet.
Well played Larry Page perhaps? ;)
User Interface design is a new thing? Since when?!

UX may be the trendy new term to slap on your CV, but the concepts certainly aren't new.

PS: am I the only one who hates the term "User Experience Designer"? User Interfaces can be designed. User Experience can be observed & measured. Personally, I don't think you can truly design a User Experience.
Google Turns to High Schools To Test Chrome OS Laptops
We all know that Infinite Improbability Drives are powered by cups of tea, not web servers. Duh.
I had something like that working for Android a while ago, with Hecl, but haven't done much with it lately.
quux_t *foo(int i) {
/* Trick to prevent compiler from inlining */
if(i == 0) {
quux_t *bar = (quux_t *) malloc(sizeof(quux_t));
return bar;
} else {
return foo(0);
}
}

Seriously? GCC removes this obfuscation at -O2, Clang does it at -O1. Check the disassembly before making stupid claims like this.
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FC3IryWr4c8
It's pretty impressive but in a they-clearly-worked-a-lot-on-this way, not a what's-their-secret kind of way, you know?

If this isn't a "what's their secret kind of way" then what is, in your opinion? Or are you just more of the pragmatic, if its been done then obviously it could be done, duh.
wkhtmltopdf is a free tool which uses webkit to do exactly this. It even handles javascript and flash.
Building a startup is definitely tricky, I'll keep these pieces of advice in mind!
Glad to hear that helped you out!!!
Android dabbler/developer here.

I like how google is empowering their developers with different pricing strategies. Before it was plain vanilla, either you pay, or its free. Yes you can pay for an app and within 15 minutes ask for a refund, but I have trouble sending in a rebate, I know i'll forgot within those 15 minutes.

With these extra payment options, and from what I understand, easy charging system, having someone drop a dollar on content with few clicks or even being able to implement coupons for your content/application will be greatly appreciated. =)
Hmm never looked at it from that angle, I am thinking about creating my own business. Starting so early on will grant you so much benefits, I dint know that. I have to reconsider.

Thx for the insights!!!
I didn’t try to find that out, it’s, as you say, impossible to find out. Triple stumpers set an upper boundary for the humans, the theoretical maximum. That’s what I calculated. About three triple stumpers per round seem to be the norm, even among the best, that puts the upper boundary – the theoretical maximum – at 90%. The humans might still be worse than 90% but they are definitely not better (when there are three triple stumpers).
Would that be a bad thing? I doubt that's what they've done but it's just lean startup methodology.
Wrong question. It doesn't consider associated drawbacks of the JVM strategy. Think multi-second pauses for full GC scans on real scenarios instead of artificial benchmarks.
Intel MeeGo for Tablets panels UI captured on video at MWC 2011
"content" is actually well defined in the App Store terms. And it doesn't include SaaS under it.
Hard to tell. Google Checkout's UX is generally very good, better than paypal, however it is simply unavailable in many (most?) countries.

EDIT: Oh he said customer service. Google's direct customer service is notoriously nonexistent.
For what it's worth, Tolkien himself later expressed regret over having an entirely evil irredeemable race.
Can someone more familiar with the ecosystem tell me how dependent Oracle's database stuff is on Java?

I am trying to see what Oracle could lose by letting it just die.
LG 3D TV price would get low by 20%
Could you rephrase that in terms that aren't nonsensical in the context of software licensing, such as "bring down the system" and "prevents corruption"?