OpenAI's new models 🤖, Apple allows rival app stores 📱, Microsoft layoffs 💼

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TLDR 2024-01-26

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Big Tech & Startups

Apple is bringing sideloading and alternate app stores to the iPhone (5 minute read)

Apple has announced plans to change rules for developers releasing iOS software in the EU. Third-party app stores will be allowed on iOS for the first time. The changes will arrive with iOS 17.6 in March. Marketplaces will have to go through Apple's approval process and can be set as the default on devices. Developers can choose to use Apple's payment services or integrate third-party systems. All apps must still be notarized by Apple, and distribution through third-party marketplaces will still be managed by Apple's systems. Developers will only be allowed to distribute a single version of their app across different app stores.

New embedding models and API updates (8 minute read)

OpenAI is launching new models, reducing prices for GPT-3.5 Turbo, and introducing new ways for developers to manage API keys and understand API usage. The new models include two new embedding models, an updated GPT-4 Turbo preview model, an updated GPT-3.5 Turbo model, and an updated text moderation model. The updated GPT-4 Turbo preview model completes tasks like code generation more thoroughly than previous preview models and is intended to reduce cases of 'laziness'. OpenAI plans to launch GPT-4 Turbo with vision in general availability in the coming months.

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Science & Futuristic Technology

Researchers showcase a speedy new approach to printing metal (2 minute read)

A team at MIT has announced a new method of 3D printing metal that prioritizes printing speeds and scale over resolution. It is capable of printing large aluminum parts at least 10 times faster than comparable metal additive manufacturing processes. The technique utilizes a bed of 100-micron glass beads to create a structure into which molten aluminum is deposited. The beads can stand intense temperatures while allowing heat to quickly dissipate. While the final product doesn't offer near the pinpoint accuracy of some other methods, the technique's quick turnaround makes it a candidate for revolutionizing the way metal printing and metal forming are currently handled.

Airborne infection risk plummets in face of metal nanoparticle spray (2 minute read)

A new sprayable coating applied to standard air filters may help protect against airborne respiratory infections like measles, influenza, SARS, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and COVID-19. It provides a greater than 99% antiviral activity while also completely stopping bacterial growth. The spray doesn't interfere with the effectiveness of filters doing their normal job of removing other particles from the air. There are many other similar technologies in the works, but they will all need more development before they become commercially available.

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Programming, Design & Data Science

Livestream: 10 insights from 2.4bn containers with Docker co-founder Solomon Hykes (Sponsor)

Datadog’s 2023 Container Report examined more than 2.4 billion containers run by tens of thousands of customers. In this livestream, Datadog and Solomon Hykes (CEO and co-founder of Docker and Dagger.io) will discuss the findings and implications for serverless containers, GPU-based compute, resource optimization, container workloads, and more. Register free for Datadog’s January 31st livestream

Python & JavaScript Libraries (2 minute read)

The initial version of the Ollama Python and JavaScript libraries are now available. These libraries make it possible to integrate new and existing apps with Ollama in a few lines of code. Ollama allows developers to get up and running with large language models locally. It supports a wide range of models, including Mistral, Dolphin, Llama2, and Orca.

ViroReact (GitHub Repo)

ViroReact is a library for building augmented reality and virtual reality experiences. It can run React Native code natively across all mobile VR and AR platforms. A page showing example projects is available.

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Miscellaneous

Apple is finally allowing full versions of Chrome and Firefox to run on the iPhone (3 minute read)

iOS 17.4 will introduce a change that will allow alternative browser engineers to run on iOS. Developers will have to be authorized by Apple to switch engines, which involves meeting specific criteria and committing to a number of ongoing privacy and security mitigations. The change will only apply to people with EU-based accounts. EU users will be presented with a new choice screen for choosing a default browser when opening Safari for the first time.

Elon Musk says Chinese electric car brands could ‘demolish’ rivals as Tesla earnings fall (3 minute read)

Tesla has backed off its bullish sales targets due to growing EV sales by rival brands. The company has been cutting prices for more than a year to boost sales. It lost the lead in global EV sales to Chinese automaker BYD in the fourth quarter of 2023. Elon Musk told analysts on a call that Chinese carmakers will have significant success outside of China. He believes that current trade barriers are preventing Chinese car manufacturers from demolishing most other car companies in the world.

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Quick Links

Microsoft lays off 1,900 employees in Activision Blizzard and Xbox divisions (2 minute read)

Impacted employees will receive severance benefits informed by local employment laws.

Kener (GitHub Repo)

Kener is a Node.js status page tool that offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies tracking service outages and improves on communication during incidents.

Apple’s new extortion regime to keep big app makers (2 minute read)

Developers who choose to use alternative app stores will have to pay a huge 'Core Technology Fee' designed to ensure that no second-party app store ever takes off.

Research Reveals How iPhone Push Notifications Leak User Data (2 minute read)

Certain iOS apps are exploiting a feature designed to allow apps to customize push notifications to send analytics information, circumventing the restrictions imposed by iOS on background app activities.

HP CEO says the quiet part out loud: ‘Make printing a subscription’ (4 minute read)

HP sees its customers as investments that don't pay off if they use third-party products.

The case for ensuring that powerful AIs are controlled (33 minute read)

AI labs should make sure that the safety measures they apply to models prevent AI from intentionally choosing actions that maximize their probability of eventually seizing power.

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OpenAI's new models 🤖, Apple allows rival app stores 📱, Microsoft layoffs 💼

TLDR 2024-01-26

Big Tech & Startups

Science & Futuristic Technology

Programming, Design & Data Science

Miscellaneous

Quick Links

Older messages

Google's roadmap leaked 📝, Tesla's affordable EV 🚗, self driving AI case study 🤖

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Meta's open AGI plan 🧠, Figure deploys robots 🤖, Whisper speech generation 👨‍💻

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