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Qworg

3,866 karma · joined July 12, 2011

I solve hard problems with hardware, software and systems.

Currently, I am a lead applied research scientist working on the future of AI and software development.

I was a Technical Advisor to the CTO at Microsoft working on AI/ML, agents, and the systems they work with.

I was the cofounder of Transparent Systems - instant settlement for business. https://transparentsystems.com

Previously, I was Paul Allen's Technical Advisor at Vulcan. I also worked on Project Natick - Microsoft's undersea data center - https://www.projectnatick.com and Holoportation (now mobile!) - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/holoportation-3/

Email: jeffkramr:at:gmail:dot:com

Github: https://github.com/Qworg

Kismet: 0956bcca93faa0abcd57648296328b37db80013000807ea211e79a2e14814774

Keybase: [ my public key: https://keybase.io/qworg; my proof: https://keybase.io/qworg/sigs/7vYAbTGQlx9t1-3gbpHsWl5p59J8i0UmPk83VAUU1-8 ]

Meet.hn: meet.hn/city/47.6694141,-122.1238767/Redmond

submissionscomments
Qworg··on Anchor Brewing Company ends national distribution, kills Christmas Ale
Yuengling is made in Pittsburgh and Tampa.
Qworg··on OpenAI Outage
I hate to talk my own book, but Microsoft does offer SLAs for Azure OpenAI.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/o...

Same model availability as well.

Qworg··on John Glenn’s $40 Camera Forced NASA to Rethink Space Missions
They also specifically limit teams to low bandwidth to guarantee quality of service to each robot.

The FRC camera rabbit hole is deep - we run a fully custom gstreamer setup this year, plus a full ML/hybrid vision pipeline and two Apriltags cameras on Photonvision.

In years past, we even designed our own camera scheme with an implicit surfaces calculator so we could drive with/ship wireframes.

Qworg··on ChatGPT Plugins
Another good alternative is Semantic Kernel - different language(s), similar (and better) tools, also OSS.

https://github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel/

Qworg··on Large language models are having their Stable Diffusion moment
IIRC, both forms work.

Trolling is done by hand with a fishing pole, sometimes on a dock.

Trawling is from the back of a boat, generally with a net.

Qworg··on Is Seattle a 15-minute city? It depends on where you want to walk
According to the USDA, about 6.2% (19M) Americans have limited/no access to a grocery store.

https://www.aecf.org/blog/exploring-americas-food-deserts covers the research (and links to the paper).

Qworg··on An Update on the Open Game License (OGL)
Paizo is moving forward with the OpenRPG Creative (ORC) license anyways - it is too late. Hasbro exposed that the OGL goodwill should have been papered and owned by a foundation: https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/23553389/dnd-ogl-paizo-...
Qworg··on Mauna Loa eruption underway; lava no longer contained to summit
To add a little more color to the below for CS grads - University of Illinois actually issued BAs and BSs in CS when I attended. Different colleges, different "flavors" of CS - the BA was far more formal and logic heavy.
Qworg··on Tesla Vision Update: Replacing Ultrasonic Sensors with Tesla Vision
I'd love to see the convincing data RE: radar - they're using the same radars as every other car that has emergency braking from the car in front of the car that's in front of you. I've not heard of many "phantom braking" sessions from these other vehicles - I may have missed something.
Qworg··on How one of America’s last piano manufacturers stays alive
Interesting point! The linked article contains a PDF link to the "state of the industry" from 1999 (https://www.usitc.gov/publications/docs/pubs/332/pub3196.pdf) - page 3-2 has a list of US producers (and they misquote it in the OP, saying 9 instead of 7).

Of those, as you've rightly pointed out, at least one more remains. What about Story & Clark? Astin-Weight?

Qworg··on Using the power of the sun to roast green chile
The temperatures to cook green chili are really high - you want to get some good caramelization/burnt spots on the outside, at scale, very quickly. That's why they usually use big propane burners on the outside of the steel cage drum and rotate the peppers.

Most solar ovens can get high temps, but they require tradeoffs on scale or speed.

Qworg··on FedNow FAQ
RE: Swish - have you found int'l travellers still having issues with it? There were many stories about non-Swedish visitors being locked out of commerce a few years ago.
Qworg··on FedNow FAQ
A2A payments will be huge - the backend benefits over debit is where the focus should be beyond a unit cost for transfer.
Qworg··on FedNow FAQ
Zelle has significant limitations for gross settlement and relies on a security model that leaves much to be desired.

Zelle also is a product of TCH, hence why "major banks" carries a lot of water. You can't leave behind rural and low income Americans.

Qworg··on Tor is fighting and beating Russian censorship
Or just using the embed at the bottom of the last link! You don't need to install anything at all - just keep a tab open.
Qworg··on The digital typewriter and the unnecessarily costly pursuit of focus
In comparison to the BOOX - I love my Remarkable2 and it is a Linux box under the hood.
Qworg··on Beginner's Series to Rust
Minor quibble, but Rust engineers are in wildly high demand - even beyond normal engineering levels.

Many of the majors are hiring a ton for rebuilding backend stacks and crypto still wants as many as it can get as well.

Qworg··on Coinbase employees petition to remove execs
Why do you expect this? Bitcoin is supply limited, but you can take trading fees over and over forever.
Qworg··on Ask HN: New job at BigCo. Everything has friction
To sound a slightly different note:

Yes - there's lots of friction. Bureaucracy is inevitable, given the cost of turning the ship/the risk level if something bad sneaks through.

That said, there is a ton of potential leverage at BigCo - the scale is extraordinary.

It is a trade - you get a far bigger lever, but it takes way longer to pull.

Qworg··on Japan tested a giant turbine that generates electricity using deep ocean current
Water carries (IIRC) ~375x the energy of air per speed/unit volume.

Depending on the turbine design, you don't need to filter anything. The currents (gyre power) are far more consistent than wind turbines.

If not for the difficulties of siting, permitting, and maintaining subsea equipment, gyre power systems are far superior.

Qworg··on Sr Manager at Google Resigns After Dalit Activist Disallowed from Giving Lecture
Why do you doubt this?

This policy only came into play after leadership was called out.

Qworg··on There is no reason to cross the U.S. by train but I did it anyway (2019)
When I worked for the Chicago Bears, I had the pleasure of driving the smallest of the moving trucks to training camps. A max length box truck. Followed by 3 semis _just of equipment_ - clothing, gear, weights that the college didn't have.

It is a circus production every year.

Qworg··on Two thought experiments to evaluate automated stablecoins
Stablecoins aren't settlement - even with fiat backed stablecoins, you're an owner of a portion of the most junior debt of a private company.

You can pay with them, but you need to convert to fiat to settle.

Qworg··on Thinner on Paper
A bit of self indulgent reflection, mostly. I'm unsure there _was_ a point.
Qworg··on DALL·E 2 and The Origin of Vibe Shifts
I recommend you read the article - unless Gen Z is abandoning streaming, the numbers are pretty shocking. While "new" is considered less than 18 months old, the shift is enormous.
Qworg··on Ask HN: Internet magically gets faster when opening speedtest?
Definitely in WA state - certain counties with hydro plants sell power locally at ~$0.02 and sell outside the county at ~$0.2.

They changed the definition of local after crypto miners flooded in to limit exploitatiom and boom/bust speculation.

Qworg··on Building games through natural language using OpenAI’s code-DaVinci model
Original != Good - you'd need a discriminator for "goodness".
Qworg··on Just Say No to Central Bank Digital Currencies
The GM of BIS can declare that all they want - banks are powerful entities within the US and won't go down with out a fight.
Qworg··on Just Say No to Central Bank Digital Currencies
Beyond the bombastic (and admittedly difficult to stomach) opening, there are definitely concerns with any CBDC. However, this article doesn't discuss the more likely outcome - not a CBDC issued by the Fed directly, but rather a hybrid model where banks issue CBDCs (much like today's bank money model). This would preserve the role of banks in the new system, while opening up many of the efficiencies. It'll also limit the expansion of authoritarian power described.
Qworg··on Just Say No to Central Bank Digital Currencies
It also limits how large an economy can grow and how fast it can do so - so the oligarchs more easily remain oligarchs.
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