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Amazon’s killing a feature that let you download and backup Kindle books

Amazon will discontinue the feature allowing users to download and backup Kindle books to computers via USB starting February 26th, 2025, limiting users to Wi-Fi transfers only. The change impacts users' ability to maintain offline backups of their purchases and convert books to other formats for non-Kindle devices. This decision raises concerns about digital content ownership and accessibility, particularly given Amazon's history of remotely removing or editing books.

Twelve months at 1.5 °C signals earlier than expected breach of Paris Agreement threshold - Nature Climate Change

Climate models suggest the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C warming threshold has likely already been exceeded, based on 12 consecutive months of temperatures reaching this level by June 2024, even accounting for El Niño effects. Analysis of CMIP6 climate model simulations indicates a 76% probability that long-term warming has surpassed 1.5°C, occurring earlier than previously projected.

Q2DOS

A modified version of Quake II optimized for MS-DOS systems features extensive compatibility updates, including WATT32 for online play and 3DFX Voodoo rendering support. The port includes numerous enhancements such as modern audio capabilities, bot support, and various stability improvements.

3 men claiming to be from DOGE show up at San Francisco City Hall, demand records

Three men falsely claiming to represent the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) demanded records at San Francisco City Hall before fleeing when confronted. This incident is part of a broader controversy involving DOGE's attempts to access government data, leading to lawsuits from 14 state attorneys general challenging its authority.

Bookshop.org launches Kindle alternative, sends e-book sales to local bookstores

Bookshop.org launches a new e-reading platform enabling local independent bookstores to sell e-books directly to customers, challenging Amazon's 80% dominance in online book sales. The platform offers nearly a million titles from major publishers, featuring annotation capabilities and cross-device syncing, while ensuring profits go to local booksellers.

A Descent Into the Vᴏ̈ʀᴛᴇx | TigerBeetle Blog

TigerBeetle has introduced Vörtex, a non-deterministic testing harness designed to complement their existing Deterministic Simulation Testing by testing compiled binaries and client libraries under real-world conditions. The system injects network faults and simulates process failures through a supervisor-managed architecture, having already uncovered several significant bugs in its first four months of operation.

If you believe in “Artificial Intelligence”, take five minutes to ask it about stuff you know well

An expert paleontologist demonstrates ChatGPT's inability to accurately answer questions about Brachiosaurus taxonomy by documenting multiple incorrect responses and the actual historical record. The author warns about the dangers of LLMs providing plausible-sounding but false information during a period of AI industry hype, while acknowledging their utility for specific programming tasks.

Wyden Releases Draft Bill to Secure Americans’ Communications Against Foreign Surveillance Demands | U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon

Senator Ron Wyden introduced the Global Trust in American Online Services Act to protect against foreign surveillance demands that could weaken U.S. technology security. The legislation aims to reform the CLOUD Act, which currently allows foreign governments to directly demand data from U.S. companies, addressing recent concerns about the UK's secret order to Apple regarding iCloud encryption.

Siren Call of SQLite on the Server

An analysis of using SQLite in server-side production environments reveals that while technically capable, it introduces unnecessary complexity compared to traditional client-server databases. Despite SQLite's reliability and performance, implementing features like high availability and backups requires additional infrastructure, potentially negating its main benefits.

The Largest Sofa You Can Move Around a Corner | Quanta Magazine

A mathematician has proven that Gerver's sofa shape, with an area of approximately 2.2195, is the largest possible shape that can move around a 90-degree corner in a hallway, solving a 60-year-old mathematical problem without computer assistance. Jineon Baek's elegant proof introduces new mathematical techniques that could help solve other optimization problems.

If You Ever Stacked Cups In Gym Class, Blame My Dad | Defector

A Denver couple transformed discarded plastic cups from Hasbro into a global sport phenomenon called 'Sport Stacking', investing their life savings of $43,000 in 1998. Through strategic marketing, school demonstrations, and competition infrastructure, they built Speed Stacks LLC into a successful business that reached thousands of schools worldwide and garnered mainstream media attention.

Ask HN: Is anybody building an alternative transformer?

Various alternative architectures to Transformers are being explored, with MAMBA showing promise through faster inference and lower compute costs, performing on par with transformers up to 7B parameters. Researchers are investigating recurrent architectures, state-space models, and efficient attention mechanisms, while debating the future direction of foundation models.

Terence Tao (@tao@mathstodon.xyz)

High-dimensional dynamical systems can operate in two regimes: effective dynamics with simplified models, and a more complex regime without effective dynamics. Modern global systems are transitioning from predictable patterns to more uncertain, nonlinear states where traditional models may fail. Complex challenges require nuanced solutions that combine simplified models with awareness of their limitations and diverse human expertise.

A Decade Later, A Decade Lost

A deeply personal reflection marks the 10-year anniversary of the author's daughter Rebecca's death at age six, exploring the weight of lost possibilities and ongoing parental grief. The narrative touches on visiting her grave and a final remembrance at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple before its closure.

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