This records the weekly technology content worth sharing, released every Friday.
This magazine is open source , and we welcome submissions . There is also the service "Who is Hiring" , which posts programmer job listings. For collaborations, please contact us via email （[email protected]）。
Cover image
The fifth phase protection and restoration project of the Jiankou Great Wall in Huairou, Beijing, repairs 915 meters of the Great Wall, including six beacon towers, with an estimated completion in 2026.Xinjing News (Beijing News))
Can't find a job, can I still study for a PhD?
In recent years, the number of doctoral admissions in our country has increased dramatically.
Over 70,000 in 2016, it grew to by 2023153,300 people(As shown in the image above, it only goes up to 2022).
The latest news is that it will still be in 2024.Enroll more students.
The rapid increase in PhD admissions is likely related to the job market situation in recent years.
If you're considering pursuing a PhD due to employment pressure, I recommend checking out this week'sAn article。
is a Ph.D. in Mathematics from McGill University in Canada, but now works as a wildlife photographer. When asked if he thinks the Ph.D. is worth it, he wrote this article.
He says, you need to think carefully, the Ph.D. is not as good as it sounds .
First, a master's plus a Ph.D. takes at least 5 years, and it's not certain whether you can find a better job after graduation. During this time, you could completely establish your career elsewhere.
Second, many Ph.D. programs are not worth the name, consisting of a bunch of half-baked courses, and you can pass by submitting a low-standard thesis, possibly learning very little.
Finally, don't believe the university's propaganda. Universities always say how great their Ph.D. programs are, just to attract more students so they can make more money.
Your standard for considering issues should be that life is only once, don't waste your time. The way you decide to act should be based on whether they can help your self-development and growth.
If a PhD meets one of the following conditions, it is worth pursuing.
- Its research direction can truly inspire one of your interests.
- It allows you to truly grow into a better version of yourself.
- You use it to do things that can reach new heights in life.
On the other hand, if it fails to meet the above conditions but has the following characteristics, a PhD is not worth pursuing.
- After completing the PhD, it's just adding another line to your resume.
- The things you learn during the PhD, you can also learn on your own.
- The only purpose of pursuing a PhD for you is to find a job, but it doesn't help you grow.
Finally, he gave a simple criterion.
"If you think about pursuing a Ph.D. and feel incredibly excited, as if a flame in your heart is ignited, believing it will greatly enrich your life, bring you growth, and offer a new perspective on the world, then go for it."
"On the other hand, if you feel indifferent about it and have a sense of resignation, it's best to spend a few months seriously thinking about what you want to do and how you want to live your life. This might help you avoid wasting precious years."
I agree with this sentiment, but I must admit it's too idealistic.
Not being able to find a job is a very real pressure, while pursuing a Ph.D. does come with a salary. When you're desperate, there are no real choices, and what's in your heart doesn't matter.
I shared his article just because I liked what he said, and as long as it's possible, life choices should be considered from the perspective of self-development and growth. or else pursuing a PhD would only postpone the current employment difficulties to a few years later, and at that time, the range of choices would be even smaller.
[This Week's Picks] AI Supermarket 302.AI
AI products are constantly emerging, and everyone is researching how to use them.
Below is introduced 302.AI , its approach is very unique. It positions itself as "AI Supermarket," gathering various AI robots + tools + APIs from all over the world on one website. .
After registration, it will let you choose what kind of robot to build (see the image below).
For example, choosing "Chatbot", you need to specify the underlying model (as shown in the figure below), there are dozens of models to choose from. "
" Then, the system assigns a subdomain, and you use the model through this domain. That is to say, after the user selects the backend, it generates the user interface. "
" This interface is the same as the official one, supporting all the latest features of OpenAI, such as uploading image files, voice conversations, etc. It can also preview HTML and SVG code effects in real-time. "
" 302.AI "" Basically, it follows this pattern: "" Whatever AI the user wants, it adapts it and generates a user interface for you "". Moreover, the subdomain it assigns is exclusive to you, and you can share it with others, but this will consume your quota, so the system allows you to set a "sharing code" (page password). "
" In addition to chatbots, it also provides other types of robots.
(1) Drawing Robot: Generate a "Text-to-Image" interface, with selectable underlying models of Midjourney or Stable Diffusion 3.
(2) Application Robots: Corresponding to OpenAI's app store. You canSearchThe 500,000 apps inside, generate the user interface with one click.
(3) API Supermarket: Provides different modelsUnified API call interfacePut them all in.api.302.aiUnder this domain name, through parametersmodelSpecify the model. It supports a wide range of APIs, and the latest video generation models Luma AI and Runway are available.
(4) Tool Supermarket: Offers a variety of specialized AI features, with dozens of tools available, such as AI Search Engine, AI Translation, Prompt Generator, Old Photo Restoration, Photo Enlargement, E-commerce Image Generation, and more.
For example, there is an "AI Web Copier" (see below) inside the tool. After entering the interface, I uploaded a screenshot of the Douyin homepage, and it provided the web code, which could also be opened in CodePen.
Finally, the development team of 302.AI isProxy302The development team, with extensive experience and resources in cross-border software services, has been operating stably for 4 years.
Regarding the cost, they arePay as you go, no monthly feePay as you go, and the foreign models are half price, see detailsPricing page。
can visit their official website to sign up for a trial and experience it. If you use Coze , they also have plugins, bots, and workflows listed there. For more details, you can check the official documentation 。
Technology News
1、Shadowless Time in Hong Kong
Hong Kong media reported that around 12:28 and 12:29 on July 8th and July 9th, for two consecutive days at noon, "shadowless time" appeared on the streets of Hong Kong, with objects having no shadows.
The sign on the left side of the image has no shadow, while the shadows of the car and pedestrians are exactly under their feet. If viewed vertically from above, there is also no shadow.
This is because the sun is directly hitting Hong Kong at this time. The summer solstice this year is on June 21st, when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer at 23°26′ North latitude and then continuously moves south.
Hong Kong is at 22° North latitude, and on these two days, the sun's direct rays reach Hong Kong.
2、Anti-counterfeiting of certificates
A French programmer, who studies for a degree in his spare time, has finally obtained his degree certificate.
He accidentally discovers that there is a QR code in the upper right corner of the certificate.
This is used for anti-counterfeiting of certificates. After scanning it with a government-developed app, it will tell you whether the certificate is genuine and provide details about its contents.
This QR code is essentially a digital signature, signed using the government's private key, while the app contains the public key, which can verify whether the signature is authentic.
This is truly a good method for certificate anti-counterfeiting, simple and low-cost, and can be verified with ordinary mobile phones, making it worth借鉴 in China. The only issue is that if the private key is leaked, the QR code becomes invalid, and certificates cannot be re-issued, making it difficult to remedy.
3, Mobile Handwritten Notebook
Some people are just accustomed to handwritten notes and not to taking notes on their phones.
For this group of people, a U.S. startup has launched a handwritten notebook配套 with mobile phones.
This notebook uses magnetism to attach to the back of the phone. When in use, open it, and you can record your thoughts on the inside notes.
Currently, this product is being KickStart Crowdfunding can be treated as an experiment to see how many users of handwritten notes are still around.
The wind turbines we commonly see have large blades, which makes them unsuitable for urban installation and can only be used in the wilderness.
An American startup company has invented a bladeless wind turbine. Without rotating blades, it can be installed on rooftops.
It resembles a prayer wheel, with a vertical axis enclosed in a cylinder. When wind passes through the cylinder, it drives the axis to generate electricity.
It is particularly suitable for cities that lack sufficient sunlight and are not suitable for solar power generation. It seems that in the future, urban rooftops will not be empty—either covered with photovoltaic panels or equipped with wind turbines.
Article
1、 What is a webhook? (English)
This article explains the concept of a webhook, which is essentially an event notification mechanism that can save resources and provide the latest status in a timely manner.
2、How to Install Java on Linux (English)
A beginner's tutorial, using Ubuntu as an example, detailing the installation of Java and some basic concepts, such as the differences between OpenJDK and OpenJRE.
3、Cookies and Tokens (English)
This article introduces the concepts of Cookies and Tokens, as well as their respective applicable scenarios.
UUID Primary Key of PostgreSQL（English）
This article discusses the best practices for using UUID format as the primary key in PostgreSQL database.
5、How to Implement a Hash Table in C Language（English）
A C language tutorial that explains in detail how to implement a simple hash table.
6、The Origin of the Steam Engine（English）
This article introduces the history of the steam engine, how it was invented and manufactured. It is equipped with a large number of animated examples, which is the highlight of the article.
Tools
, KasmVNC
is a VNC software for remote desktops that does not require a client; once the server is installed, it can be accessed via a browser. Similar software includes Apache Guacamole.
, Flet
is a Python framework for cross-platform graphical interfaces, akin to writing Flutter with Python scripts.
, QuickJS
is an npm module that uses WebAssembly to establish a sandbox, allowing JS code to run within the sandbox.
An open-source web application that allows users to share files over a local network using WebRTC. If not on the same local network, users can enter the same page to share.
Converts RSS to email for self-built mailing lists.
A cross-platform version of the terminal recording tool asciinema, written in Go language. (@moqsien Submission)
7、EcoPaste
an open-source multi-platform clipboard management tool. (@ayangweb submitted)
a tool for generating dynamic and abstract background images. (@winterx submitted)
About AI
1、MemFree
a hybrid AI search engine, with its code open source, and can be self-hosted.@ahaapple Submitted)
This website can clone voices and convert text to speech, free of charge. (Submitted by @dddm25896)
This website allows you to log in to share accounts and use ChatGPT for free. (Submitted by @740400019)
Match poems based on uploaded photos to generate share cards. (Submitted by @gui66497)
Resources
1. YTHunt
Real-time selected popular videos from YouTube.
An English undergraduate textbook on linear algebra, available for free reading. Similar textbooks include 《Linear Algebra Done Wrong》.
3,CSS Layout Tutorial（English）
A series of articles introducing the concepts and various implementation methods of CSS layout.
This website randomly selects 9 online cameras from 13,000 around the world, showcasing a corner of the world right now.
It also categorizes these cameras by content (airports, animals, vehicles, etc.), allowing you to view them by category.
Images
1、Underwater Ruins of Okinotorishima
Under the waters of Japan's Okinotorishima, there is a mysterious ruin.
The massive stones appear to have been cut, with all the cut surfaces being flat and stacked vertically.
Some scientists believe it is an artificial site, while others believe it was caused by natural reasons. There is no definitive conclusion yet, but the possibility of natural causes is higher, because Ono Island historically did not have a large population and could not have completed such a massive project.
In 1985, Nintendo's famous game "Super Mario" was officially released. Unlike today, the design of this game was hand-drawn.
Designers first draw the game on paper, then hand it over to programmers to implement.
If you want to change the design, it will be very troublesome. The design drawings left behind are full of correction fluid modification traces (see below).
A single hand-drawn diagram is not enough to convey the intent, there are also text explanations next to it.
Abstract
1,A Sad Software Release Story
On January 1, 2018, I decided to write an application.
A few days later, the minimum viable prototype was ready. I'm not a great programmer, but the program was simple, so it was written quickly. I set the version to 0.0.1 alpha.
I could have released it, but I wanted to add one more feature that users might like more, so I didn't release it.
Later, I intermittently added a few features, and it was time to release. I hesitated again, thinking it might be better to also make the mobile app, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to retain users. So, I spent several months learning React Native to develop the mobile app.
In the blink of an eye, two years passed. I wandered in the maze of technologies like Web, React Native, Expo, and GraphQL, always feeling that the tech stack didn't fit well, with many areas needing changes and no good solutions.
Finally, I gave up, stopped developing, and abandoned the idea of releasing the application.
Recently, I found the program again and started using it. I quickly realized it lacked many features, and I had to either rebuild it or find alternatives written by others.
I decided to use a program written by others. When I scrolled through their login page, I felt both happy and angry. Happy because someone had solved the problem I wanted to solve, as if they understood my thoughts and implemented them. Angry because I had given up; if I had persisted, this program should have been written by me. I didn’t release it in time; I moved too slowly.
Now I no longer need to code. The world will never see my program, but I wasted a lot of time on it. These feelings are truly complex.
Then came the most heartbreaking part. I registered an account on their program, carefully reviewed the help center, and thought they had done a great job. When the 30-day trial ended, I quietly took out my credit card and became a paying user.
Thinking of myself as a failed person who never got a program released, I couldn’t help but shed tears.
The lesson of this story is. Don't think your application isn't perfect, bulky, flawed, lacks features, no one will use it, etc. If it can run, it can perform basic functions, you release it.
Speech
1,
Embodied intelligence (artificial intelligence with physical form) is the most effective way to achieve general artificial intelligence. Only by combining body and perception can artificial intelligence have a "sense of life."
--Wang XingxingFounder of Yushu Technology
2,
I didn't choose to go to the gym to exercise, but instead raised 15 chicks, which also require you to bend down, do squats, and lift heavy objects.
Moreover, you can't be lazy; you must take care of them every day, otherwise they will die. There's also an additional benefit, which is that you will get eggs.
-- Raising Chickens Instead of Working Out
3、
University Course on Computer Architecture, the selected CPUs are often not popular architectures like x86 and ARM, but rather very primitive and obsolete CPUs.
The reason is that the purpose of this course is the concept of architecture, not the details, so choosing an "primitive" CPU is more helpful.
4、
The development of information technology has not helped humans cure cancer. The reason is not a lack of biological mathematicians or computational talent, but because biological systems are not mathematical systems. Their complexity and unpredictability limit the usefulness of computers.
--Why Biologists Haven't Cured Cancer
5、
Improving management efficiency often goes against the interests of most employees in a company, as it amounts to cutting the budget.
-- The Advantages of Bad Management
Looking Back at Past Years
The Right Way to Host a Hackathon（2023 #261）
Virtual Goods Can Boost GDP（2022 #211）
Farewell, Academic Master（2021 #161）
Myths About Smart TVs (2020 #111)
(End)