Welcome back to the Hack Forum News. Where we keep you up to date on the weekly events and news happening on site and around the world. If you have never heard of the Hack Forum News, don't worry, we have you covered. We are a team of members from the Hack Forums community who are journalists and writers, and we are here to keep you in the loop of the changes around the site and the events happening around the world.
This week [mention=1] has been fixing a few bugs regarding the new feature which allows guests to view first posts in threads. The bug in question allowed guests to view pages if they somehow managed to get the post ID. This bug has now been fixed and is no longer possible for guests to view any posts and only the post first made on the thread.
The Hack Forums Wiki has returned. The site has been under some work recently as the site was sadly left with a load of issues and no one was running the official site. Thanks to everyone within the HF news team, the site is now under new leadership and, thanks to [mention=1] allowing the team to start their work on this while maintaining the HF news, the site is back getting some lovely changes and getting updated daily to bring it back to a new modern day Wikipedia with a load of information for everyone to read up on.
[mention=5418830] is hosting a lovely giveaway that is ongoing until the 14th of February. This giveaway is giving everyone a chance to win a crazy amount of bytes. The giveaway is very easy to enter but everyone who enters needs to be at least L33t or higher. We wish everyone who enters luck with the crazy winnings up for grabs.
A site member known as [mention=727139] is hosting a giveaway where you could get upgraded for free. This might be a great way to enter the previously mentioned giveaway in this thread. To enter this giveaway, all you need to do is post to enter and be a member of the site for more than a month. The member has already upgraded a few users and the giveaway is still going. So feel free to check out the thread and see if you get lucky enough to get a free upgrade.
This weeks Song Of The Week: Imagine Dragons - Shots
Writer - [mention=5458992]
The Male Reset Button: Inside the Refractory Period
The refractory period is a normal physiological phase that occurs after ejaculation, during which a man is temporarily unable to achieve another erection or orgasm.
This phase is controlled by the nervous system and involves several hormonal and chemical changes in the body.
After ejaculation, the brain releases neurotransmitters such as serotonin and hormones like prolactin, which reduce sexual arousal and promote relaxation.
At the same time, blood flow to the penis decreases, leading to loss of erection.
This process protects the body from overstimulation and allows the reproductive system to recover.
The length of the refractory period varies greatly between individuals. Younger men may recover within minutes, while older men may require hours or longer.
Factors such as overall health, stress levels, physical fitness, emotional connection, and frequency of sexual activity can all influence recovery time.
Advice of the week
Stop trying to do everything at once. Pick one small thing you can improve today and do it well. Consistency beats motivation every time—tiny steps, done daily, quietly build big results
Quote of the week
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
— Albert Einstein
Writer - [mention=5465469]
Apollo and xAI near $3.4B deal to fund Nvidia chips for AI hardware buildouts
Apollo Global Management is close to finalizing a $3.4 billion loan to an investment vehicle that will buy Nvidia chips and lease them to Elon Musk’s xAI to support massive AI compute infrastructure expansion. Source
Lenovo warns gamers to buy hardware soon as PC component prices rise
A Lenovo executive advised gamers and PC buyers to purchase hardware now before current stock prices rise further, as ongoing memory and GPU shortages push up costs. Source
Samsung stock rises as next generation HBM4 memory production nears launch
Samsung Electronics shares climbed after reports stated the company is preparing to begin mass production of advanced high-bandwidth memory 4 (HBM4) chips this month for use in AI processors. Source
Micron stock falls on concerns over HBM4 supply for Nvidia AI hardware
Micron Technology’s shares dropped as worries spread that its HBM4 memory chips may not be included in Nvidia’s upcoming Vera Rubin AI GPU launch, driving investor uncertainty. Source
HP, Dell, Acer and Asus consider Chinese memory chips amid supply crunch
Major PC makers including HP, Dell, Acer and Asus are looking at sourcing memory chips from Chinese manufacturers due to global shortages, which could help mitigate rising costs and launch delays. Source
Intel and AMD notify Chinese customers of lengthy CPU delivery waits due to supply constraints
Intel warned of lead times up to six months for some server CPUs in China, with AMD also reporting extended waits, reflecting persistent supply chain shortages in core server hardware. Source
AI led memory shortage may push up prices for phones, PCs and TVs in 2026
A global supply squeeze driven by AI server demand is raising costs for DRAM and NAND memory, potentially making consumer electronics like phones, TVs and PCs more expensive this year. Source
Global semiconductor industry on track to reach $1 trillion in sales in 2026
The global semiconductor industry recorded nearly $800 billion in sales in 2025 and is expected to exceed $1 trillion in 2026, driven by AI, autonomous tech and IoT hardware demand. Source
Welcome back to the Hack Forum News. Where we keep you up to date on the weekly events and news happening on site and around the world. If you have never heard of the Hack Forum News, don't worry, we have you covered. We are a team of members from the Hack Forums community who are journalists and writers, and we are here to keep you in the loop of the changes around the site and the events happening around the world.
Recently [mention=1] spent some time within a day, looking into Apache logs. They then told ChatGPT to present it to advertisers. This thread has a good balance of information and stats about the site to help people understand the requests the site gets and if people are looking to advertise here, this thread is pretty much the go to thread. If you have ever thought about using the site to promote something on the site, we would recommend the thread for the information it holds.
DMCA claims. Hack Forums has sadly been hit by so many over the years and targeted with false claims left and right. Sadly [mention=1] has been getting a little bit bored with the false claims coming over & over. With these fake notices, this affects the site's SEO, which hurts the site from general searches and is slowly making things harder for the site to get the traction it deserves.
A new app for the Convo page has been fully released. [mention=5679562] the lead developer, has been learning how to code RUST recently and with this created the app for everyone to use. With the app, it makes the convo page a lot more advanced compared to the base version currently on site. The app has a wide range of features that allow you to use it without any special things to setup. Just a few simple clicks and it's ready to go.
The Hack Forums Wiki has returned. The site has been under some work recently as the site was sadly left with a load of issues and no one was running the official site. Thanks to everyone within the HF news team, the site is now under new leadership and, thanks to [mention=1] allowing the team to start their work on this while maintaining the HF news, the site is back getting some lovely changes and getting updated daily to bring it back to a new modern day Wikipedia with a load of information for everyone to read up on.
Writer - [mention=2331053]
[mention=1530165] Has obtained the "King Decade" award -
[mention=1694373] Has obtained the "King Decade" award -
[mention=2675572] Has obtained the "King Decade" award -
[mention=2999405] Has obtained the "King Decade" award -
[mention=5568595] Has obtained the "Blazing Ember" award - (Well done on winning the Quantum contest)
[mention=5418830] is hosting a lovely giveaway that is ongoing until the 14th of February. This giveaway is giving everyone a chance to win a crazy amount of bytes. The giveaway is very easy to enter but everyone who enters needs to be at least L33t or higher. We wish everyone who enters luck with the crazy winnings up for grabs.
A site member known as [mention=727139] is hosting a giveaway where you could get upgraded for free. This might be a great way to enter the previously mentioned giveaway in this thread. To enter this giveaway, all you need to do is post to enter and be a member of the site for more than a month. The member has already upgraded a few users and the giveaway is still going. So feel free to check out the thread and see if you get lucky enough to get a free upgrade.
Writer - [mention=5458992] Why Men in Their 30s Feel Exhausted (It’s Not Age)
If you’re in your 30s and always tired, unfocused, or lacking drive, it’s rarely “getting older.”
What’s really happening?
Modern lifestyle habits slowly destroy testosterone:
[]Poor sleep
[]Chronic stress
[]Junk food
[]No sunlight
[]Sitting all day
Important:
Sleep deprivation alone can significantly lower testosterone within days. The fix (no magic supplements):
[]Strength training
[]7–8 hours of quality sleep
[]Real food, not processed junk
[]Daily sunlight exposure
[]Stress management
Small lifestyle changes can create a massive hormonal impact over time. Quote of the Week
"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one." – Elbert Hubbard, 1856-1915
Advice of the week
Stop negotiating with your bad habits.
Every time you say “just today” or “I’ll fix it later,” you’re training your brain to ignore discipline. Successful men don’t rely on motivation—they rely on systems. Sleep at the same time. Train on schedule. Eat like it’s non-negotiable. Consistency beats intensity every single time.
A long-awaited quality-of-life upgrade for anyone who practically lives in /convo.php. This release introduces a fully native desktop Convo client built with Tauri, Rust, TypeScript, and React, available on Windows, Linux, and macOS. From native notifications and thread viewers to profile cards, embeds, themes, and drag-and-drop uploads, this feels less like a wrapper and more like a serious evolution of HF’s chat experience. Make sure to give it a try and leave your feedback!
A rare and refreshing dev blog that actually explains the why behind the build. [mention=5679562] walks through the origins of the Convo App, the early experiments, the switch to Tauri, and the technical decisions that shaped the final release. It reads like a mix of documentation, personal motivation, and HF history, with clear attention paid to privacy, security, and UX parity with the original web version. This isn't just an app, it's a community-born project, and it shows.
A massive release that blends automation, content strategy, and real-world results. [mention=5568595] breaks down a fully automated Python + FFmpeg system that converts long-form video into hundreds (or thousands) of TikToks, Reels, and Shorts - complete with smart error handling, batch processing, GUI downloaders, and detailed reporting. It's not just theoretical either - the stats back it up, and the tooling is shared openly with clear documentation.
A deceptively simple thread that opened up a thoughtful discussion. As more members lean into writing, coding, and long-form work, the question of keyboards - mechanical vs membrane, RGB vs minimal, comfort vs aesthetics - sparked plenty of opinions.
An elite-level deep dive into the statistical architecture behind a real production-grade probabilistic inference engine. This post explores how sparse, noisy, time-dependent data can be transformed into calibrated signals using ZINB models, HMMs, change-point detection, and correlation-aware fusion - all while surviving the harsh realities of production systems. It's technical, and clearly written by someone who's been burned by naïve scoring systems before.
Last summer, [mention=5495781] and I were having our daily convo and as usual the topic was: What can we do to + the user experience here on HF?
Over the weeks we were plotting on this idea of a HackForums group called HF Devs.
His first idea for the group? A desktop convo app.
We thought it was great, I think he started the repository for the project that day.
[mention=5495781] spent a few hours figuring out the auth pattern HF uses for both auth and the chat socket.
Not long after he wrote the first version of the Convo App.
It looked... Terrible but it sparked that spark with us big time.
Fast forward to now, I've had some more free time to work on it.
I had actually been doing a lot of web development prior, so I'm excited to work on this.
Timing couldn't be better as [mention=5674562] told me about Tauri whilst I'm in the middle of learning Rust lang myself.
This is the exact fuel my brain needs: Passion (for HF) + Mastering new skills (Rust) = Joy
I started the Tauri project from scratch whilst using a fork of the convo.js client used in /convo.php that I ported into the project.
My goal was to keep the unique UX the original web version of Convo has whilst opening it up for new features.
The backend is in pure RUST and is written for Windows/Linux/MacOS.
Long story short, this project originates from the thinkers of this forum. The HF Devs.
Credits:
HF Community - Inspiration and input
[mention=175033] & [mention=1] - Original Convo and API v2
[mention=5495781] - Original idea, auth handshake
[mention=1763754] - .NET implementation which was a huge jump forward
[mention=5679562] - Convo App Lead Developer
Login & How It Works
Step
What Happens
1
Your credentials go directly to HackForums - the app authenticates you the same way the website does
2
Session cookie is encrypted with AES-256 and stored locally on your device
3
WebSocket connection is established to HackForums' chat server
Cloudflare Challenge
If HackForums presents a Cloudflare challenge, click "Open Challenge Window", complete it, then try logging in again.
Stay Logged In
Check this box to save your encrypted session locally. Next time you open the app, it auto-loads your session.
If unchecked, you'll need to log in each time.
For API features, I've set up a Cloudflare Worker that handles the OAuth flow:
Feature
Description
Zero Data Storage
The worker does NOT store, log, or save any of your data
Passthrough Only
Facilitates the OAuth handshake, passes your token back to your app, then forgets everything
HTTPS Only
All communication is encrypted in transit
Isolated Sessions
Each OAuth flow is unique, no cross-user data exposure
Additional Notes:
• Authorization codes expire in 5 minutes and are deleted after retrieval
• Access tokens are NEVER stored in the worker - received and immediately passed to your app
• No logging of request bodies or responses
• API usage is READ-ONLY - the app cannot modify anything on your account
API Permissions:
• Basic Info (READ) - Access public user data such as uid, username, avatar, etc for the current profile
• Posts (READ) - Access forums, threads, and posts
• Users (READ) - Access other public HF user profiles
Start typing @username and the app suggests matching users from the online list.
A ghost text preview appears - press Tab to complete the mention.
Works in both global chat (@username@ format) and private conversations (profile link format).
Supported Embeds
URLs are automatically embedded for these platforms:
Platform
What Embeds
YouTube
Video player (including shorts)
Twitter/X
Tweet content
Instagram
Posts, reels, TV
TikTok
Video embed
Spotify
Track, album, playlist, episode, show
SoundCloud
Audio player
Apple Music
Track embed
Vimeo
Video player
GitHub
Repository/profile card
Pastebin
Code embed
Truth Social
Post embed
Direct media
.mp4, .mp3, .wav, .flac files
Images
.jpg, .png, .gif, .webp auto-display
Use /sizeembed 1-5 to scale all embeds (1=smallest, 5=largest, 3=default).
Attachment and Emojis
Click the paperclip icon for upload options:
Option
Description
Image
Up to 3MB, embedded directly (max 3 at once)
Image+
Large images up to 200MB via Catbox
Audio
Up to 200MB via Catbox (MP3, WAV, OGG, etc.)
Video
Up to 200MB via Catbox (MP4, WebM, MOV, etc.)
Drag and drop also works - small images embed directly, large files go to Catbox automatically. W
Thumbnails appear in input area before sending, click X to remove.
Native OS Emojis use your native OS emoji picker - with gif support.
Thread Viewer & Previews
Thread Viewer
Click any HackForums thread link to open the Thread Viewer panel on the right side.
Shows full thread content with posts, requires API connection. If no API connected, links open in browser instead.
Thread Previews
Hover over HackForums thread links to see a preview card with thread title and info before clicking.
Profile Cards
Hover over any username (in messages or online list) to see their profile card with avatar, bio, join date, post count, and reputation (if API connected).
Chat Features
Reply Feature
Hover over a message and click the reply arrow.
Your message will quote the original with a preview bar above the input.
Censoring & Muting
Settings → Chat has several options to control what you see:
Blur Images - Blur images until clicked. First click reveals, second click opens fullscreen.
Only affects other users' images, not your own.
Muted Members - Add members to your mute list:
• Level 1 - Blur their messages (click to reveal)
• Level 2 - Hide completely
Both levels censor their profile picture.
Censored Words - Add words to blur. Click to reveal.
Auto Replace
Settings → Chat → Auto Replace. Add words and their replacements.
When you type the word and press space, it automatically replaces with the replacement text.
Hide Messages
Ctrl+Shift+Click (or Cmd+Shift+Click on Mac) on any message to hide it from your view (session only).
Translator
Settings → Tools → Translator. Right-click selected text in chat to translate to your chosen language.
Desktop Notifications
Settings → Tools → Notifications. Get notified for mentions.
Custom Sounds
Settings → Tools → Sounds. Set custom notification sounds for messages and inbox.
Wiki Lookup
If enabled in Settings → Tools, profile cards show a Wiki button to look up user wiki information.
External Link Safety
Clicking external links shows a confirmation modal with the full URL before opening in your browser.
Group Chat Avatars
Multi-user conversations show stacked profile pictures.
Settings Overview
Open with the wrench icon in the left sidebar.
Tab
What's There
Account
Username, UID, API connection, logout
Chat
Muted members, censored words, image censoring
Theme
Colors, background, app styling, saved themes
Tools
Translator, notifications, custom sounds, wiki, AI settings
Stored Locally (Unencrypted)
• Settings and preferences
Never Stored
• Your password
• Your messages
iOS/Android
I've tested the app on iOS and it works, but needs a lot in depth of tweaking and it's extremely time consuming for me.
If there is a real desire for this to be released on iOS/Android you'd have to pay the developers for their time (which currently is only me, but will expand).
What's Next?
This is the first in hopefully (or not) many more dev blogs.
This first one is more like a mini documentation but in the future these will be used to talk about updates, developer insights and more.
Right now, my energy is somewhat declining again. I can feel it..
I'll be looking at serious bug reports with high urgency but anything other than that may take a while.
For suggesting new features for the app make a post about your suggestion here:
![[Image: vyres-gray.png]](https://hackforums.net/images/hfnews/vyres-gray.png)
![[Image: headlines-red.png]](https://hackforums.net/images/hfnews/headlines-red.png)
![[Image: statistics-magenta.png]](https://hackforums.net/images/hfnews/statistics-magenta.png)
![[Image: e69b4b4fdcf92164b4895c1f56cda3d6.png]](https://i.gyazo.com/e69b4b4fdcf92164b4895c1f56cda3d6.png)
![[Image: ba81f346063be523b7894f3700218ec9.png]](https://i.gyazo.com/ba81f346063be523b7894f3700218ec9.png)
![[Image: awards-yellow.png]](https://hackforums.net/images/hfnews/awards-yellow.png)
![[Image: contests.png]](https://hackforums.net/images/hfnews/contests.png)
![[Image: groups-yellow.png]](https://hackforums.net/images/hfnews/groups-yellow.png)
![[Image: music-header.png]](https://hackforums.net/images/hfnews/music-header.png)
![[Image: ves-brown.png]](https://hackforums.net/images/hfnews/ves-brown.png)
![[Image: tech-brown.png]](https://hackforums.net/images/hfnews/tech-brown.png)
![[Image: b24508cd557c18f78295a8003f7d91d6.png]](https://i.gyazo.com/b24508cd557c18f78295a8003f7d91d6.png)
![[Image: notable.png]](https://hackforums.net/images/hfnews/notable.png)
![[Image: image.png]](https://i.imgur.com/GM0aLqt.png/img%5DThread:%20https://hackforums.net/showthread.php?tid=6305952He%20sat%20up%20the%20repository%20for%20us%20to%20continue%20developing%20the%20app.%20But..%20Sadly,%20this%20idea%20of%20the%20HF%20Devs%20group%20faded%20away%20and%20the%20project%20got%20quiet.Then%20came%20%5Bmention=1763754%5D%20who%20was%20intrigued%20by%20the%20story%20of%20the%20desktop%20app.%20When%20he%20heard%20it%20was%20a%20community%20effort,%20he%20was%20eager%20to%20join%20in%20and%20oh%20man%20did%20he%20join%20in.%20%5Bmention=1763754%5D%20is%20a%20C%20Sharp%20monster%20so%20he%20decided%20to%20overhaul%20the%20entire%20repo,%20forking%20it%20and%20porting%20to%20csharp.%20But%20%5Bmention=1763754%5D%20spent%20much%20more%20time%20on%20organizing%20and%20listening%20to%20the%20socket.%20Not%20only%20that,%20he%20totally%20got%20rid%20of%20the%20barebones%20GUI%20and%20gave%20the%20app%20its%20first%20real%20messenger%20feel.%20Yet%20soon%20after%20we%20once%20again%20were%20too%20occupied%20to%20continue%20working%20on%20it.%20It%20stayed%20like%20this%20for%20months.%20Unfortunately%20during%20that%20time%20%5Bmention=5495781%5D%20has%20left%20the%20forums%20as%20well.%5Bimg%5Dhttps://i.ibb.co/MkdKTzDR/image.png)
![[Image: app.gif]](https://i.ibb.co/CKdqFM9r/app.gif)
![[Image: convo-F04-Ie-Zi-Qhw.gif]](https://i.ibb.co/SwQ2VCmr/convo-F04-Ie-Zi-Qhw.gif)
![[Image: convooptions.gif]](https://i.ibb.co/23g5fx7j/convooptions.gif)
![[Image: convoappthreadviewer.gif]](https://i.ibb.co/mrYqwvSj/convoappthreadviewer.gif)
![[Image: convoapptpreview.gif]](https://i.ibb.co/GfMGZhqk/convoapptpreview.gif)
![[Image: convoapphover.gif]](https://i.ibb.co/hRybBCWC/convoapphover.gif)
![[Image: convoappreply.gif]](https://i.ibb.co/3Y5QvZN3/convoappreply.gif)
![[Image: convoappcensor.png]](https://i.ibb.co/d4mSmc7L/convoappcensor.png)
![[Image: convo-n-RPKjj5-Cqi.gif]](https://i.ibb.co/whmNzBLc/convo-n-RPKjj5-Cqi.gif)
![[Image: convapphidemessage.gif]](https://i.ibb.co/nsxj2Cwg/convapphidemessage.gif)
![[Image: convappnotification.png]](https://i.ibb.co/93qC8Vhs/convappnotification.png)
![[Image: convoappwiki.gif]](https://i.ibb.co/Y7dyF6VC/convoappwiki.gif)
![[Image: convoappgroupchat.png]](https://i.ibb.co/ycPX2kt0/convoappgroupchat.png)
