This data structure is called the zipper, and the neat thing is that you can generalize this to more complicated types like trees: https://www.st.cs.uni-saarland.de/edu/seminare/2005/advanced...
Readit Newsneilparikh commented on Writing a tiny undo/redo stack in JavaScript blog.julik.nl/2025/03/a-t... · Posted by u/julik
I built a similar system for my school’s CS club. I considered using a door sensor, but the eventual solution I settled on was a light sensor, because it’s almost always true for us that the lights are on iff the door is open.
This way, we don’t need to mount anything on the door, we just have a microcontroller plugged into one of the machines.
Our previous solution was a webcam that pointed to the lights that did a similar thing (implemented by someone before my time) but then it stopped working due to some driver issues, and I didn’t want to spend time investigating them.
I have to agree with this sentiment, I read it here on HN 'power' users more than once. Although most Apple users have no clue about what we discuss here, the part about actively wanting it is simply not true en masse.
Needless to say that's not for me and I will probably keep sporting Androids (in my case I am happy with Samsung's top ultra offerings) since I actually use those added features, ie saving 500 bucks on proper expensive variometer for paragliding and instead hooking it up via OTG cable with basic one with good sensor but without display, for 10% of the price... needless to say relevant app isn't on play store neither. And so on.
But we certainly have choice on the market. I just wish Apple would properly focus on user security and shielding them from the worst of internet, and less on milking advertising, what I see so far didn't convince me it isn't just sophisticated marketing and not much more. You already pay premium on the device, its a proper spit in the face to be so visibly milked more and more, thats pure corporate greed.
What I mean - my wife with iphone pops up browser, I pop up mine with firefox and ublock origin. Internet is utterly useless and horrible place on her phone, while completely fine on mine (plus I get youtube ads blocking as a bonus)
> my wife with iphone pops up browser, I pop up mine with firefox and ublock origin. Internet is utterly useless and horrible place on her phone, while completely fine on mine (plus I get youtube ads blocking as a bonus)
I recently set up NextDNS on my iPhone and browsing the web has become much more usable (previously, I would get webpage crashes!). Something to look into in addition to or instead of Wipr.
Somewhat related game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1533050/Press_Ctrl/
neilparikh commented on Tell HN: Automatic fraud detection is making my life hell · Posted by u/aiProgMach
I move to random corners of the world every 2-3 years and this is starting to give me real anxiety every time I try to make a purchase. One of my credit cards makes me jump through all of the verification and "Was this really you?" messages, then still locks my account half the time.
So many online stores will approve my purchase and bill the card with no issue, then cancel it a few hours later for vague security reasons. I remember when the credit card companies ran commercials about how easy and secure credit cards are, especially compared to checks, but now I feel like a criminal every time I try to use mine. I wonder if this violates any part of the merchant agreement that these stores are getting a 100% valid authorization on my credit card, but still aren't willing to accept my payment.
When I was traveling abroad, I placed an order on Walmart, shipping to my home address, so that it would be there for me when I got back home. Walmart cancelled the order, "due to location restrictions on placing and shipping orders", even though the delivery address was in the US! I have no idea why the physical location of the computer placing the order should matter to Walmart. Eventually I just had to get my friend order for me.
neilparikh commented on Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015) vox.com/2015/1/15/7551873... · Posted by u/freedomben
My neighborhood was built pre-cars, and it shows. The sidewalks are narrow, so everyone walks in the street. If you’re a lucky motorist, we might move over and let you pass. If it’s dark, or snowy, or raining, or the pedestrian is wearing headphones and doesn’t notice you behind them… forget it. You’ll have to drive slowly until the pedestrian reaches their destination or turns out of your path.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Many streets in parts of Asia (Korea and Taiwan for example) are similar. A majority of the "side" roads just don't have sidewalks, and people walk on the road. I was a little nervous the first few times I encountered it (having grown up in very car oriented suburbs and then lived in Canadian downtowns after that), but it definitely grew on me.
neilparikh commented on Redfin Is Leaving the National Association of Realtors redfin.com/news/redfin-is... · Posted by u/infrawhispers
Take out a HELOC at the now-current interest rates and give the money to your affected friends to pay them back. You'll probably have to sign a letter saying it's a gift, not a loan, if they want to use the money toward a down payment, but if you sincerely feel like you have taken money from their pockets, this is a way you can give it back.
The point is that this is a societal issue. One person paying doing some charity on their own doesn't solve the societal issue.
As analogy: "It sucks that my peers earn less than me because they are part of <X disenfranchised group>"; You: "Why don't you just take your extra income and give it to them?"
And if lots of items became available on other sites, but not Amazon (as per the theory being propounded), then Amazon would no longer control 35% of all US e-commerce.
This is a classic coordination problem: you need all the sellers to leave together so that individual merchants don't take a loss. And coordination problems like this are one of the main areas government action can help!
So does Uber (+ eats); I don’t want deals or vouchers, I don’t want to sign up to your subscription service, I only want to know when the car is arriving.
Instagram I had to disable from notifications entirely, so now I miss messages from friends frequently, because the app bombards you with so much unrelated junk.
I suspect these companies know this, they know we don’t want spurious notifications, but they abuse whatever notification policies the OS provides in order to deliver you them anyways.
For Uber and UberEats, turns out you actually can disable marketing notifications, under the communication settings, it's just hidden away.
In each story, the gimmick(tm) is thoroughly examined and extrapolated in an internally-consistant way, but that is excellent world-building, and independent of genre.
1. As exemplified by Tower of Babylon which wouldn't be out of place in a fantasy anthology.
2. Understand is probably his number 2 "hardest" SF story. The way it is told is closer to a character study on the effects of human super-intelligence (unbelievably authored in 1991). Exhalation is no. 1, and it's focus is still very "soft" SF.
Ted Chiang has an alternate definition though, I prefer that one to be honest. His definition is about whether there are certain “special people” to whom the general laws of the universe don’t apply [0]. Under that definition, even what we would colloquially call magic (ex. turning lead to gold) would be called sci-fi, as long as everyone could do it; once you have that, you can do things like mechanize it and make factories to do it at scale, and there’s where you get the interesting second order problems.
Under that definition, I think Tower of Babylon is better considered sci-fi, because there are no “special people”. The new rules of the universe also lead interesting second order effects: the tower gets so tall that entire families live in the tower, and people are born and die in the tower [1].
[0] - better explained him here: https://boingboing.net/2010/07/22/ted-chiang-interview.html, see “You have very specific views on the difference between magic and science. Can you talk about that?”
[1] - I don’t know if Chiang intended this, but I think you could probably draw a parallel to missionaries to the new world.