Source: Hacker News
Source: Hack a Day
We all know what a typewriter looks like, and how this has been translated directly into the modern day computer keyboard, or at least many of us think we do. Many cultures do not use a writing system like the Roman or Cyrillic-style alphabets, with the Chinese writing system probably posing the biggest challenge. During the rise of mechanical typewriters, Chinese versions looked massive, clumsy and slow as they had to manage so many different symbols. All of them, except for one prototype of the MingKwai, which a group of Chinese enthusiasts have recently built themselves using the patent drawings.
Interestingly, when they started their build, it was thought that every single prototype of the MingKwai had been lost to time. That was before a genuine prototype was found in a basement in New York and acquired by Stanford University Libraries, creating the unique experience of being able to compare both a genuine prototype and a functional recreation.
Considered to be the first Chinese typewriter with a keyboard, the MingKwai (明快打字機, for ‘clear and fast’) was developed by [Lin Yutang] in the 1940s. Rather than the simple mechanism of Western typewriters where one key is linked directly to one hammer, the MingKwai instead uses the keys as a retrieval, or indexing mechanism.
Different rows select a different radical from one of the multiple rolls inside the machine, with a preview of multiple potential characters that these can combine to. After looking at these previews in the ‘magic eye’ glass, you select the number of the target symbol. In the video by the Chinese team this can be seen in action.
Although [Lin]’s MingKwai typewriter did not reach commercialization, it offered the first glimpse of a viable Chinese input method prior to computer technology. These days the popular pinyin uses the romanized writing form, which makes it somewhat similar to the standard Japanese input method using its phonetic kana system of characters. Without such options and within the confined system of 1940s electromechanical systems, however, the MingKwai is both an absolute marvel of ingenuity, and absolutely mindboggling even by 2020s standards.
Source: OSNews
AMD is expanding its processor portfolio beyond the x86 architecture with its first ARM-based APU, internally known as “Sound Wave.” The chip’s existence was uncovered through customs import records, confirming several details about its design and purpose. Built with a BGA-1074 package measuring 32 mm × 27 mm, the processor fits within standard mobile SoC dimensions, making it suitable for thin and light computing platforms. It employs a 0.8 mm pitch and FF5 interface, replacing the FF3 socket previously used in Valve’s Steam handheld devices, further hinting at a new generation of compact AMD-powered hardware.
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It only makes sense for AMD to enter the market for ARM SoCs, as it’s a whole section of the processor market they’re not tapping into. Even if they don’t manage to compete with the best ARM processors out there, they can still serve the mid and lower end just fine.
Source: ACM Interactions
In this feature, we apply a decennial perspective to discuss the interweaving of technology, everyday practices, and societal infrastructures. We ask what happens when technologies become so embedded in everyday life that we stop talking about them and who gets left out in this process. The occasion of the Aarhus decennial conference 2025 made us look at the intersection of...
Source: OSNews
Gaming isn’t something we talk about very often here on OSNews, but I think this piece of news is actually a rare piece of good, welcome news from this industry. Mojang, the Microsoft-owned company behind Minecraft, has announced it’s going to stop obfuscating the code behind the Java edition of Minecraft. A refresher: the Java edition of Minecraft is the original version of the game, which exists alongside the Bedrock Edition, which is written in C++. Both variants are kept more or less in sync with each other.
The Java edition has historically been far more moddable, and comes with far fewer restrictions than the Bedrock Edition, which Microsoft maintains far tighter control over. Still, the modding scene around the Java Edition sprung up in spite of Mojang and Microsoft, not because of them, but over the years the modding scene has been embraced more and more by these two companies. The final step in this embrace comes today as Mojang will no longer obfuscate the code behind th Java Edition.
Minecraft: Java Edition has been obfuscated since its release. This obfuscation meant that people couldn’t see our source code. Instead, everything was scrambled – and those who wanted to mod Java Edition had to try and piece together what every class and function in the code did.
But we encourage people to get creative both in Minecraft and with Minecraft – so in 2019 we tried to make this tedious process a little easier by releasing “obfuscation mappings”. These mappings were essentially a long list that allowed people to match the obfuscated terms to un-obfuscated terms. This alleviated the issue a little, as modders didn’t need to puzzle out what everything did, or what it should be called anymore. But why stop there?
↫ Minecraft website
This is excellent news for the game, the wider modding community, and players. Minecraft is still a massively popular game, and making modding easier is very welcome, as for a lot of people, mods are what make Minecraft actually interesting. It’s also rare to see a massive force in gaming making a positive step like this, so they deserve the few kudos.
Source: Hacker News
Source: Hacker News
Source: The Verge - All Posts
It's been nearly two weeks since Microsoft, a multi-trillion dollar company, shipped a $600 handheld "Xbox" that can't be relied on to sleep, wake, or hold a charge while asleep in my tests. Neither Microsoft nor Asus would admit there's a problem with the white Xbox Ally or offer a timeline to fix it after repeated requests by The Verge. (Asus tells me it needs more time to test.)
But if you want your white Asus handheld to start working reliably, you could do what I did: I installed the latest build of Bazzite, a SteamOS-like, Linux-based operating system that works properly with gamepad controls, and sleeps like a dream. I didn't need to …
Source: Hacker News
Source: Hacker News
