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> This is a huge leap from the previous global dataset, which contained about 1.7 billion buildings

I use the monthly release of Overture Maps building dataset and the last one had around 2.3 billion buildings iirc

[1] https://docs.overturemaps.org/blog/2025/11/19/release-notes/


I remember thinking there's a small arbitrage opportunity in countries that don't have pennies and nickels. In NZ I believe stores round to the nearest decimal (.02, .01 => .00 and .03, .04 => .05). They lose on some sales but gain on others. However, they don't round if you use a CC.

Here's one for the FIRE folks: if it rounds up, use a CC and if it rounds down use cash. Use all those pennies you save using your CC to retire 3 minutes early.


I think what Claude generated code is still missing is the feeling of "I learned something from reading this code. Reading this code made me a better programmer". We're not there yet. That's why we have forgiveness for the scripts/tests/etc Claude writes - those are purely for utility. However, reading Claude code must make us feel like we're getting smarter, not dumber.


I learn new framework/language features all the time from Claude generated code. It's hard for anyone to keep up with every new version or evolution in best practices.


My experience using Claude code is that it's excellent at React/React Native and because apps are mostly a View layer the consequences of bad "vibes" are less far reaching.


Protomaps does this already. They do a planet build each day and offer a download for free:

https://docs.protomaps.com/basemaps/downloads


This is excellent. Thank you.


I think mbtiles are being phased out for pmtiles because no DB required and can be served from static storage like R2/S3 (with a worker but hopefully the worker part goes away and they support byte offset requests soon)


The worker isn’t required, having a z/x/y tile scheme just makes caching the tiles server side super easy.

Look at the network tab on https://pmtiles.io/#url=https%3A%2F%2Fdemo-bucket.protomaps....


You don't need a database to serve mbtiles. If you're deploying PMTiles somewhere that doesn't support byte offset requests, then they don't really have much advantage over mbtiles.


That depends what you mean by needing a database. MBtiles files are SQLite database files, so you need a SQLite process running somewhere to extract the requested tiles.


An mbtiles file is just an SQLite db which can store image or vector tiles which can be very useful.

It's great for exploring tiles but it essentially doesn't support range queries/requests, which pmtiles does.


Planting trees is hard. Phoenix AZ has a tree planting program called the Shade Phoenix Plan and they publish public reports.

Watering and maintenance are a big cost. Iirc it's about $1000 to plant a tree. $100 for the tree and $900 for the irrigation and labor to plant it. In the first 10 years of the program 2/3 of the 106,000 planted trees were removed due to accidents, storms, not enough water/aging. [1]

[1] https://www.phoenix.gov/content/dam/phoenix/heatsite/documen...


It being difficult to grow trees that provide good in phoenix is literally the nick cake "you don't say" meme.

Expecting something like that work without questionable degree of investment to make some tree work survive of its element is contradictory to all the adaptations that make plant life suitable for arid climates (i.e not providing a ton of area to the sun relative to their mass).


Fair. I used Phoenix because it's the only published city shading plan I've come across. It could just be that arid/hot climates are the places trees are needed. The study linked was in Houston, Texas.

The Phoenix report is valuable because it provides lessons that should be avoided going forward: change the laws so property owners are not liable if a tree outside their business hurts someone, don't plant a tree if you can't irrigate it, work with local residents to plant and water trees to save on labor and increase success, etc.

If there's other municipal shade reports I'd love to read them. Helping people find shade is what I do for a living. [1]

[1] shademap.app


Milwaukee started its shade program in the 1980s.


Like the startups which try to make solar systems to condense drinking water from the air. They demonstrate it in wet climates where the idea works but the solar panels don't because it's cloudy and cool. Those environments don't need drinking water because they are rainy. Then they try it in deserts where the water is needed and the solar panel bit works, but the whole thing doesn't work because there's no water in the air - that's why the water is needed there(!).

ThunderF00t Busted! videos on scammy startups keeping on raising money for this fundamentally unworkable idea:

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc7WqVMCABg - Zero Mass Water

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vss1ke5tTvI - Fontus self-filling water bottle

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vss1ke5tTvI - self-filling water bottle lab experiment what would be reasonably possible

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfmQcY_sEt0 - WaterSeer part 1

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gPSyU564Io - WaterSeer part 2

Drinking game: drink every time he says "it's a. de. humidifier."


Holy crap there's a lot of typos in that. Oh well, too late to edit now.


There are a few other reasons that aren't baffling:

roots destroy water pipes and heave sidewalks and pavement. They can interfere with power lines as well. :(


sounds more like poor planning than anything else.



I don’t think that’s a counter example. If hood maps shows a lot of potential then the $11k is something to figure out.

If not, then it’s poor price controls.

IIUC Pieter Levels talks a lot about not prematurely optimizing engineering solutions because most ideas will flop.


The YC crowd seems to think the only worthwhile businesses are worth $1 billion+ otherwise why bother


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