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Defeating a 40-year-old copy protection dongle from dmitrybrant.com
219 by zdw 4h ago | | |

Article: 17 min

The article discusses the process of defeating a 40-year-old copy protection dongle used for an older accounting software package. The author, involved in helping a friend's accounting firm transition from using legacy software, discovered that running this software requires a hardware dongle attached to the computer’s parallel port. After examining the disk image and disassembling the executables with Reko, the author found clues suggesting the copy-protection routine communicates over the parallel port. The routine was eventually patched by brute force, allowing the software to run without the physical dongle.

This discovery could lead to better understanding of older software protection mechanisms, potentially influencing the development of more robust security measures in future systems.

The author discovered the compiler itself requires the dongle and injects copy-protection logic into executables.
Disassembling the executable with Reko revealed clues about how the routine communicates over the parallel port.

Quality:
The article provides detailed technical information and avoids sensationalism.

Discussion (63): 4 min

The comment thread discusses various opinions on hardware dongles as copy protection methods used in software, particularly in professional and business contexts. The effectiveness of these methods is debated, with some suggesting they were more effective than CD keys while others argue that reverse engineering tools made them vulnerable.

Reverse engineering and bypassing copy protection methods are relatively simple today.

Counterarguments:

Copy protection methods for educational software are less sophisticated than those designed for business consumers.

Software Development Reverse Engineering, Security

Show HN: NanoClaw – “Clawdbot” in 500 lines of TS with Apple container isolation from github.com/gavrielc
146 by jimminyx 2h ago | | |

Article: 12 min

NanoClaw is a lightweight personal assistant application that runs securely in Apple containers, offering core functionality with a codebase easy to understand. It provides AI-driven assistance for tasks like message management, scheduling, and web access.

The use of AI in personal assistants can enhance productivity and convenience for users, but raises concerns about privacy and data security.

Runs securely in Apple containers with filesystem isolation
One process, a few source files, no microservices or message queues
Customizable to fit individual needs through code changes

Discussion (45): 2 min

The comment thread discusses a personal project called NanoClaw as an alternative to OpenClaw. The developers highlight its security features, sandboxing capabilities, and suitability for specific needs. There are concerns about permissions and scalability, but overall the discussion is neutral with some positive feedback.

Security features are essential.

Counterarguments:

Concerns over permissions and potential damage from external actions.

Software Development AI/ML, Cloud Computing, Security

Treasures found on HS2 route stored in secret warehouse from bbc.com
17 by breve 3h ago | |

Discussion (1):

More comments needed for analysis.

Apple I Advertisement (1976) from apple1.chez.com
174 by janandonly 8h ago | | |

Article: 8 min

The article is about the introduction of Apple's first low-cost microcomputer system in 1976, which includes a video terminal and 8K bytes of RAM on a single PC card. The system offers advantages over traditional teletype machines, such as faster processing speed, less noise, and more information display capabilities. It also highlights the use of new memory chips that are faster and take up less space and power.

Discussion (113): 22 min

The comment thread discusses various opinions and arguments about Apple's software philosophy, backward compatibility, legacy support, market cap, revenue, and the impact of these factors on users. There is a debate around Apple's decision to deprecate older OS versions and hardware rapidly, with some users questioning their investment in legacy support compared to industry practices. The thread also touches upon historical advertisements, personal anecdotes, and the evolution of technology.

Apple I advertisement has numerous typographical errors
Apple's philosophy of providing software for free or at minimal cost is questioned
Apple deprecates support for older OS versions and hardware rapidly, which can be frustrating for users
Backward compatibility is seen as a drag on future development by some Apple users
Apple's market cap and revenue are high, but there's a desire for more investment in legacy support

Counterarguments:

It appears to be a website in the French tongue.
The reasoning behind Apple's trade-in program for the Apple I was likely to reduce support costs.
Running OS X inside a computer with replaced guts is entirely within the license requirements, according to some users.

Technology Computer Hardware

My thousand dollar iPhone can't do math from journal.rafaelcosta.me
129 by rafaelcosta 4h ago | | |

Article: 16 min

The author discusses their experience with a machine learning model (MLX LLM) on different Apple devices, encountering discrepancies in results between an iPhone 15 Pro and an iPhone 16 Pro Max, which led to the discovery of potential hardware issues.

This issue could affect users' trust in Apple devices for machine learning tasks and highlight the importance of thorough hardware testing before release.

They suspected a hardware defect in the Neural Engine or related ML systems on the newer device.
The issue was resolved by testing the model on an older device, confirming it to be working correctly.

Quality:
The article provides a detailed account of the author's experience, including technical insights and debugging process.

Discussion (53): 4 min

The comment thread discusses the performance of an LLM on a specific Apple device, comparing it to graphing calculators and questioning its efficiency. Opinions vary regarding real debugging vs conspiracy theories, phone usage, and hardware issues.

real debugging is preferred over conspiracy theories
LLMs have issues with the device

Counterarguments:

graphing calculators are better for math than phones

Technology Software Development, Artificial Intelligence, Hardware

Two kinds of AI users are emerging. The gap between them is astonishing from martinalderson.com
17 by martinald 1h ago | |

Discussion (13):

Comment analysis in progress.

Time Machine-style Backups with rsync (2018) from samuelhewitt.com
15 by accrual 1h ago | |

Discussion (5):

Comment analysis in progress.

Netbird – Open Source Zero Trust Networking from netbird.io
641 by l1am0 15h ago | | |

Article:

The article discusses how to prevent malware infections and suggests running antivirus scans on personal devices or asking network administrators to check corporate networks for misconfigured or infected devices.

Ask network administrators to check for misconfigured or infected devices in shared networks.

Discussion (241): 54 min

The comment thread discusses various alternatives to Tailscale for network connectivity, focusing on self-hosted solutions and zero trust networking. Users share opinions on the pros and cons of different services, with a general sentiment leaning towards neutral. Key themes include the importance of sovereignty considerations, the desire for open-source alternatives, and the need for efficient and secure network management.

Tailscale offers a user-friendly experience for home lab setups.
Netbird provides efficient and stable performance in active user scenarios.

Counterarguments:

Concerns over the sovereignty implications of using US-based services like Pangolin.
Headscale's limitations in terms of scalability and feature set compared to Tailscale.

Security Cybersecurity, Network Security

Adventure Game Studio: OSS software for creating adventure games from adventuregamestudio.co.uk
264 by doener 11h ago | | |

Article: 7 min

Adventure Game Studio is an open-source software for creating graphical point-and-click adventure games, offering a platform to create and play games on multiple platforms. It features an active community for support and showcases user-created games.

Integrated tools for graphics, scripting, and testing
Games can be played on Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Suitable for all skill levels with an active support community

Discussion (49): 6 min

The comment thread discusses the revival and continued use of AGS (Adventure Game Studio), a game creation tool that has been influential in software development. Participants reminisce about classic games created with AGS, share their experiences using it for creating games, and discuss its impact on the gaming industry.

AGS is still alive
AGS was influential in software development

Game Development Software Tools, Gaming Community

Show HN: Wikipedia as a doomscrollable social media feed from xikipedia.org
5 by rebane2001 1h ago | |

Discussion (0):

More comments needed for analysis.