Hacker News on Saturday, 18 July 2026

Stories posted this day, by points. Rank history starts with the October 2026 rebuild.

Screenshot of videocardz.com: LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent (videocardz.com)

1089 points by baranul 3 months ago | 557 comments

VideoCardz news article reporting that LG monitors silently install LG software, including a McAfee installer, through Windows Update without user consent.

lg monitors windows-update bloatware

Screenshot of workshop.cjpais.com: Transcribe.cpp

Transcribe.cpp (workshop.cjpais.com)

696 points by sebjones 3 months ago | 144 comments

Project page announcing transcribe.cpp, a ggml-based speech transcription library supporting recent models, from the author of the Handy speech-to-text app.

speech-to-text ggml transcription cpp

Screenshot of maurycyz.com: Regressive JPEGs

Regressive JPEGs (maurycyz.com)

646 points by vitaut 3 months ago | 65 comments

A blog post explaining how progressive JPEG scans work and experimenting with manipulating them to create 'regressive' JPEGs.

jpeg progressive-jpeg image-compression file-formats

Screenshot of old.reddit.com: GPT-5.6 used a prompt to close a 30-year gap in convex optimization

GPT-5.6 used a prompt to close a 30-year gap in convex optimization (old.reddit.com)

564 points by mbustamanter 3 months ago | 363 comments

A Reddit r/math thread about GPT-5.6 reportedly closing a 30-year gap in convex optimization; the page loaded as Reddit's network-policy block notice.

gpt-5-6 openai convex-optimization ai-math-proofs

Screenshot of stephen.bochinski.dev: The Kimi K3 Moment

The Kimi K3 Moment (stephen.bochinski.dev)

543 points by sbochins 3 months ago | 513 comments

Blog post by Stephen Bochinski arguing that Kimi K3 produces code comparable to Claude at a much lower cost.

kimi-k3 claude ai-code-generation llm-pricing

Screenshot of petapixel.com: NYC may require landlords and realtors to disclose the use of AI in listings

NYC may require landlords and realtors to disclose the use of AI in listings (petapixel.com)

531 points by gnabgib 3 months ago | 231 comments

PetaPixel article on NYC Mayor Mamdani's push to require landlords and realtors to disclose AI-generated or AI-altered images in property listings.

ai-generated-images real-estate new-york-city zohran-mamdani

Screenshot of benlandautaylor.com: If You Build It, They Will Come

If You Build It, They Will Come (benlandautaylor.com)

416 points by barry-cotter 3 months ago | 140 comments

Ben Landau-Taylor essay arguing the fastest way to join a social group is to organize events around the group's core activity, since demand exceeds supply.

community-building event-organizing friendship social-groups