Coffee Break October 17th 2023
Last Updated: 10/17/2023
Check out what's keeping us entertained on the internet this week.
Josh Rose
Looking for a good read or interesting video to suppliment your work break? We got you covered! Check out what’s been keeping us entertained on the internet this week:
Pleni_2.0 presents a very fun, very educational explanation of the process and history of integrated circuit fabrication, AKA making rocks talk to each other.
The open-source AI world is getting very interesting. Multi-Modal Large Language Models here we come!
TLDR: A bunch of banks and finance companies rely on very old code written in COBOL. Which very few programmers are familiar with anymore. Could AI programming assistants help modernize all of this code? Maybe. Here at OverScore, we're still pretty skeptical of the efficacy of AI-generated code. Especially if it's being used by young developers with no knowledge of legacy programming languages like COBOL, and it's expected to be drop-in compatible with the old code. Hmm...
This article and the video series it references sheds light on the life and accomplishments of Gary Kildall. He developed the CP/M operating system, which became extremely popular for machines with Z80 processors, and still has a cult following to this day.
His story is something of an illustration of the sad reality that the "big guys" that achieve immense success in the tech world aren't always the best and brightest. Sometimes the really talented people are all but forgotten, their names known only amongst the real fans of their work.
https://hackaday.com/2023/09/25/bill-steve-and-gary-computer-pioneers/
While far from an exploit (yet), stacksmashing is at it again with some iPhone charging cable reverse-engineering. This time over USB-C.
Life-changing breakthrough or new form of toothy body horror? Time will tell.
While Scratch wouldn't be considered a much more than an educational toy in most circles, ggenije managed to make several very impressive games with it, including a number of 3D titles that gained significant notoriety and tens of thousands of plays. It just goes to show the power of owning your work, even if it feels silly or insignificant.
Apparently this is what happens when you connect a dial-up modem to a VOIP phone line.
Some filmmakers can do action. Others can do comedy. But for 40 years, the master of combining them has been Jackie Chan.
Few people have the dedication, skill, and patience to build a CPU from scratch. Weekly_Salamander_78 on the diyelectronics sub-reddit is one of those few. And the end result is a work of art.
https://www.reddit.com/r/diyelectronics/comments/16o0i1l/built_a_computer_out_of_2000_mosfets/
This innovative evolution of the humble breadboard is nothing short of a work of art.
The world of overly-ambitious Scratch programming projects just keeps getting weirder. Now you can run an actual Linux operating system via an emulated RISC-V CPU on Scratch. And we're all here for it.
This fun video from Japhy Riddle highlights a very unique way to use the Audacity audio editor.
Watch the venerable A* path-finding algorithm do its thing in this satisfying video of navigating the streets of Chicago and Rome.
This hilarious, exquisitely animated parody video from AdventureMase shows the potential apocalyptic consequences of a world without memes. Truly a cautionary tale for the ages.
You've heard of a one-man band, but get ready for the zero-man band! User aarontodd82 on the arduino sub-reddit created this mind-blowing automated DJ setup you gotta see (and hear) to believe.
https://www.reddit.com/r/arduino/comments/16syim2/almost_ready_for_live_shows/
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