Idle/Random/whatever Thoughts of a Demented/Idle/Whatever Mind

1. A Single Gold Bar Is Worth $1 Million for the First Time in History - It discusses why the price has gone up and what this means for the future. The price of a single gold bar has recently reached $1 million for the first time ever. This is because gold is seen as a safe investment during times of economic uncertainty. The article predicts that the price of gold will keep going up. My Take : Gold has always been seen as a safe investment in India. We have seen the Gold Bond which were introduced by Government of India which has become too popular to be supported by GoI. E-Gold is a safe way to keep gold especially since for folks who are buying to for purely investment purpose and not holding black money in India. I hope that the space becomes more reliable and competitive. Though folks would say that Gold does not give the best returns always, which is true but the fact also is that it provides safety in terms of investment unlike stock market, at least till we are able to create

 I've watched enough scam bait videos on YouTube to know that this is a common tactic used by scammers. They try to create a sense of urgency and fear to get you to give them money. It's important to remember that real government agencies or service providers will never ask for personal information or payments over the phone. If you're unsure, verify the information through official channels. Recently, I was the target of a particularly egregious robo-scam. A robotic voice, claiming to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), informed me that my phone numbers were about to be blocked due to a violation. I was supposed to press a number to proceed. When I did I was connected to the scammer, who seemed completely unaware of my name, proceeded to mention another phone number that was allegedly registered against me. The audacity of this person was astounding. They not only accused me of wrongdoing but also demanded a payment to prevent my numbers fr

 1. With ‘Digital Twins,’ The Doctor Will See You Now - This article talks to a computer scientist, Amanda Randles, who is creating digital twins of people’s circulatory systems. It discusses what digital twins are and how they’re created. It also goes into the challenges and future possibilities of this kind of research. Some important points are that digital twins can help doctors diagnose and treat diseases more effectively, and that they are becoming more and more realistic. My Take : This is such an interesting development IMHO that it could end up predicting heart attacks to a degree that preventive care for it can actually be performed much before catastrophic situation arises. By making it a part of annual checkup, I think we can make preventive healthcare more effective. 2. What Is Analog Computing? - This is an article about analog computing. It discusses what analog computing is and gives examples of analog computers. Analog computers represent a physical system with mathe

source: Marklines.com  1. Samsung's Solid State Battery with 9 minute charging, 600 miles range for EVs and 20 year lifespan - Samsung is shaking up the EV battery game with their new solid-state design. Boasting a massive 600-mile range on a single charge and crazy-fast 9-minute charging, these batteries promise to revolutionize electric vehicles. Samsung also hints at a 20-year lifespan, putting range anxiety to rest. However, expect to see this tech first in pricier EVs, and remember, Chinese battery makers are hot on their heels with similar claims. My Take: The progress in the space of battery technology has been amazing and I now dont believe that Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies need to really leapfrog over things to be viable alternative to these kinds of technologies. I wonder if these techs could reach out cell phones as well to get rid of the daily charging required. I wonder if Samsung would first put these into these into their Galaxy lineup or will they wait for

Courtsey: https://www.isro.gov.in 1. ISRO conducts flight experiment of Air Breathing Propulsion System : ISRO successfully conducted its second flight test for air-breathing propulsion technology. The experiment involved mounting the propulsion system on an RH-560 sounding rocket, India's heaviest in this category. Launched from Sriharikota, the test aimed to demonstrate the technology's functionality at hypersonic speeds. Prior to the mission, extensive ground tests were carried out to ensure proper performance. This successful flight, along with data collected from over 110 parameters, paves the way for further development of air-breathing engines by ISRO.  My Take: ISRO's accomplishments are undeniably impressive. Their ability to achieve significant milestones with relatively modest budgets compared to agencies like NASA is a testament to their efficiency and innovative approach. It's encouraging to see that ISRO has managed to operate largely free from political

Artists impression of Secure IoT, source https://www.mindgrovetech.in/secure-iot 1. Technical Preview of Mindgrove Tech "Secure IoT" SoC : SIoT is probably the world’s first 64 bit microcontroller, clocked at 700 MHz. Shree Kumar has given a very detailed review of this. He gets into the details of how this is an awesome project but also highlights the problems with its current version. My Take: I am really excited that Mindgrove Tech is venturing and building this kind of SoCs in India. Qualcomm, Intel, TI, ST Micro, all have had their development centers in India. I believe we have enough folks who have the expertise to develop top notch SoCs and making a mark in the world. But people would often read the post and think that this project is not perfect. But I dont disagree with them and the first version of any project is not perfect, neither is the second. But only with enough perseverance can impactful products be made. I hope Mindgrove Tech learns from this to improve

1. Self-hosting your location history with OwnTracks : OwnTracks is an open-source alternative to Google Maps Timeline, allowing users to privately track and store their location history. Many are dissatisfied with Google's upcoming changes to location history storage and seek a replacement. OwnTracks involves a server-side component to store location data and mobile apps to report location. The author details a setup using Docker, Caddy, and Tailscale for a private, self-hosted solution. While the initial setup is complex, the author finds OwnTracks promising, with potential for improvement in the mobile app's user experience and the web app's features. My Take: OwnTracks is an interesting alternative. I have not tried it yet, the only thing I am scared of is hosting something which is accessible on the internet.  Source: Florida Museum 2. Sea level rise claims first victim, tree cactus goes extinct : Rising sea levels, linked to climate change, are believed to have cl

Image credit: Google Arts & Culture  1. World's oldest cave art found showing humans and pig : Scientists in Indonesia and Australia discovered the oldest figurative cave art in Indonesia. The painting, located on Sulawesi island, depicts a wild pig and human-like figures and is estimated to be 51,200 years old. This pushes back the date for when modern humans were believed to have creative thought. The discovery suggests that storytelling was a bigger part of early human culture than previously thought. Researchers believe this finding may lead to reevaluation of other cave art sites around the world. My Take:   Humans have probably been telling stories for much longer than 51,200 years, but as words do not fossilise we can only go by indirect proxies like depictions of scenes in art – and the Sulawesi art is now the oldest such evidence by far that is known to archaeology The above is what is the most amazing part of the whole article. There is so much more to learn about th

   1. Chimps use more plant medicines than any other animal : A new study suggests chimpanzees might be the animal kingdom's top self-medicators. Researchers observed chimps in Uganda seemingly choosing plants with medicinal properties to treat illnesses and injuries. The chimps even ate plants outside their usual diet when sick. Interestingly, 11 out of the 13 plants identified by the researchers are already used in traditional local medicines. While the study can't definitively prove the chimps' motivations, it offers compelling evidence for their self-medication skills. This discovery could not only benefit chimp conservation but also lead to new drug development for humans. My Take: Animals' intelligence is likely underestimated. Their evolution may have led to different forms of smarts. While using them to discover new drugs is a fascinating idea, it's important to consider the limitations – what works for chimps might not translate to humans. However, veterin

1. Researchers plan to retract landmark Alzheimer’s paper containing doctored images : Researchers are planning to retract a landmark Alzheimer's paper due to manipulated data. The study investigated the impact of a specific protein on memory in mice. The findings suggested that the protein caused memory impairment. However, it was later revealed that the researchers had altered the data, leading to the retraction of the paper. While some scientists believe the amyloid beta hypothesis remains important for Alzheimer's research, others argue otherwise. My Take: It is definitely a black mark on the peer review process for having been duped that long, but I definitely feel that though late it did find the faults and forced to get a retraction on the paper. Often there are researchers who are under undue pressure, no different than engineers working on startups to come up with something. But I guess we as a society fail to acknowledge that finding out that something does n

I recently experienced this scam first hand. I received a VPP parcel (India posts version of Cash on Delivery) for Rs 2340 at my newly registered company's address. Luckily, the postman was alert and warned me about the possibility of a scam. I refused the parcel and I guess that was the end of it. But this seems like a successful scam as my Google search revealed. Here's how it works :  1. You receive a VPP parcel through India Post, often labeled as containing "important documents" or "registration materials."  2. The Cash on Delivery (COD) fee is high – Rs. 2340 – designed to pressure you into paying without checking the contents. They make enough from the ones that accept vs those who reject What's inside? From what I have heard they can contain the following  1. Worthless items: Think low-value books or generic reading material.  2. Copies of easily accessible documents: They might even include a copy of your company's registration certificate

1. The Rubyglow pineapple : The Rubyglow pineapple, grown exclusively by Melissa's, is a mix between a normal pineapple and a Morada pineapple (that's usually inedible). The fruit, which was previously only available in Asia, features the pineapple's typically yellow center with a distinct ruby red colored outer shell. The rare fruit went viral and has now completely sold out by Fresh Del Monte.   My Take : The headlines about these limited-edition fruits are eye-catching, but the high price tag and quick sellout make it a minor story.  The real takeaway is the ongoing effort in genetic engineering to improve fruits – tastier, more nutritious, and longer-lasting.  This type of innovation holds the potential for significant global impact, compared to the more subtle changes LLMs might introduce. 2. Weather Union : Weather Union is a crowd-supported weather infrastructure project initiated by Zomato. It leverages a network of weather stations to collect real-time weather d

   In a world where knowledge is often confined by the language in which it's expressed, Large Language Models (LLMs) hold the promise of revolutionizing information access. These advanced models can bridge linguistic divides, enabling a more inclusive global knowledge landscape where everyone can thrive. Let's explore how LLMs can excel at breaking language barriers and the challenges they face in this mission. Advantages of LLMs in Breaking Language Barriers Seamless Translation Beyond Words: Current translation tools often miss cultural nuances and context. LLMs, trained on vast amounts of text data, understand the deeper meaning behind words, allowing for sophisticated translations. They capture cultural references and underlying intent, resulting in more accurate and natural-sounding translations that truly convey the essence of the original information. This goes beyond mere word-for-word substitution, offering a richer and more precise communication. Bridging the C

1. Complaints are a gift: Seth Godin writes that complaints should be viewed as opportunities rather than nuisances. While they may seem like mere whining, they provide valuable insights for improvement. In the medical field, for instance, doctors often dismiss complaints if tests are negative. However, the true goal of medicine is to enhance patient well-being, not just to pass tests. Though we aren't obligated to heed every complaint, engaging with them can uncover underlying issues. Addressing these problems is essential to our role. Thus, complaints, when taken seriously, can lead to meaningful solutions. My Take :  While Seth Godin often highlights what may seem like obvious problems, they're often the ones we overlook. Complaints can be a goldmine for understanding user pain points, which are key to finding solutions. In fact, I used to find inspiration for improvements in the feedback from various apps I've worked on. It's amazing how many improve

1. How LLMs Work, Explained Without Math : This post by @miguelgrinberg explains LLMs working in simpler terms as well as defining some of the important LLM terminology.  My Take : Now that all the initial hype around LLMs have kind of subsided, educating about the actual tech is taking a front seat. Its a good starting read for anyone trying to understand LLMs. I kind of loved the statement by the author "I wouldn't trust any workflow in which the LLM produces output that goes straight to end users without verification by a human.", which is pretty much on point here.    2. 37 tips from a Senior Frontend Developer :  Ndeye Fatou Diop got inspired by  @abbeyperini's post and compiled his own list of tips.   My Take: These are some very sane tips which all software engineers should follow. These are not taught in schools but are valid none the less. All engineers learn these the hard way, but thanks to Ndeye you can learn is from his post there.  3. Glance App : Gl

  1. Nerves Project: The Nerves Project is a toolkit for building software for small devices (embedded systems) like routers or sensors. It combines Elixir, a powerful programming language, with a reliable runtime environment to make development easier. Imagine building with Legos instead of tinkering with wires. Nerves takes care of complex tasks like networking and device control, so you can focus on the unique features of your project. My Take: This is a very interesting project. Someone like Sun(now Oracle) tried doing something like this for Java and were not very successful IIUC. Would love these folks to succeed. Maybe this will be the turning point where Elixir finds its perfect use and widespread adoption. 2. Bank scam with genuine notifications : A scammer used a badly implemented bank notification to trick users into authenticating and drained user of USD 18,000. Details in the blog post and on reddit . My Take: I had talked about Monzo implementing a very nice mechanis

 1. Open UI :   An GenAI tool test and prototype our next generation tooling for building powerful applications on top of LLM's. My Take: This integration is incredibly exciting! While I haven't had the chance to test it myself yet, it feels like a major leap forward in developer workflows.  I can see a future where more IDEs incorporate similar tools, eliminating the need to constantly switch back and forth to ChatGPT. This would streamline the development process and potentially lead to the creation of even more powerful developer tools.   2. New Vaccine Strategy Breakthrough :  It discusses how it could eliminate the need for yearly flu shots . The vaccine uses a modified virus that cannot suppress the host’s immune response. This allows the immune system to fight the virus using small RNA molecules . The strategy was successful in protecting mice from a lethal dose of a virus. The researchers believe this strategy could be used to create vaccines for many different viruse

  1. Opera adds built-in support for local LLMs - Opera is adding local AI models to its browser. Users can choose from 150 local LLM variants, keeping their data private on their device. This is part of Opera’s AI Feature Drops Program for early adopters. My Take : Locally running LLMs will become a commonplace very soon. It requires not just software but hardware support as well. On older hardware it might takes ages to get anything done. But on newer hardware it will be good I guess. The best software to get them integrated is going to be the browser for most folks IMHO . I was hoping Firefox to be the first one to do it, but I wish they work towards it. I have no hope of any of the big personal computing softwares to be doing it. They will push for only their models to be running and working across devices, also trusting them to not harvest data off it, would be a challenge. Never the less, integrating LLM APIs in browser will open up some interesting avenues for web applications.

 Throughout my life, I've often found myself choosing paths different to those taken by most of my peers. Sometimes, this was a deliberate choice, while other times it was a result of the circumstances life presented me with. One instance of this occurred when I opted to pursue a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, while most of my peers were flocking towards Electronics. Later, when many of my peers were planning to leave India, I made the decision to stay and eventually secured fulfilling roles that prevented any regrets about my choice. Similarly, while everyone was engrossed in developing for iPhone and Symbian, I ventured into Android and published apps on that platform. I vividly recall attending a mobile conference at IIMB in 2009-2010, where during a talk, I was the only individual who solely knew Android, while others were proficient in Nokia or iPhone. Despite being advised that only Symbian and iPhone would yield financial success, I'm glad to have jumped on

 1. MRI Headphones - This is an interesting post about how MRI Headphones work . During MRI normal headphones cant be used at they use metal and have magnets. So there is a simple solution for that, have electronics outside and audio piped through a tubing.  My Take: When I first read about it, I was blown over by the fact that there were headphones for MRI. I have never seen one but then when I read the post about how and why it works, its seems like a no brainer. Its a simple elegant solution which has been invented because of the constraints on the system. 2. How many natural satellites does Earth have : There has been multiple discussion and articles on it. Earth has one permanent moon, but many other objects are temporarily captured in Earth’s orbit. These temporary moons are called minimoons, quasi-satellites, or ghost moons. Some are asteroids that get caught in Earth’s gravity for a short time. Others are pulled in by the sun’s gravity and follow a similar path to Earth.