TechSlice 2023-11-09

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BIG TECH & STARTUPS

Amazon is reportedly racing to build an AI model called Olympus to take on ChatGPT and Bard (2 minute read)

Amazon is working on a large AI model codenamed "Olympus" to catch up with competitors like OpenAI and Google, aiming to integrate it into its online store and Alexa smart speakers; this model is expected to have around two trillion parameters compared to GPT-4's one trillion. Amazon has made AI a priority and is investing in AI startups, such as Anthropic, to compete in the AI landscape, with CEO Andy Jassy taking direct oversight of ambitious AI model development. Despite the size of "Olympus," experts caution that larger models don't necessarily equate to greater capabilities.

Google's AI-empowered search feature goes global with expansion to 120 countries (3 minute read)

Google is making its Search Generative Experience (SGE) more widely available, expanding to Search Labs users in 120 countries and adding support for four additional languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and Indonesian. SGE now allows users to ask follow-up questions directly on the search results page and will help clarify ambiguous translation terms. Google also plans to expand interactive definitions to coding and health-related searches in the near future, starting with English language users in the US.

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SCIENCE & FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY

Synthetic drug kills fungi but spares kidney cells (4 minute read)

Researchers have identified and created a potent antifungal alternative to the drug Amphotericin B (AmB) with a robotic chemist. AmB, used to treat fungal infections, can cause kidney damage. The new compound, named Am-2-19, effectively kills a wide range of fungal species and shows no signs of toxicity in mice and human cells, offering promise for safer antifungal treatment. The approach used to develop Am-2-19 may also be applied to detoxify other antimicrobial drugs in the same class as AmB, addressing the need for safer and more effective antifungal medications.

Scientists report completion of chromosome XI, a major step towards creating the world's first synthetic yeast (4 minute read)

UK-based team has successfully constructed a synthetic chromosome, completing one of the 16 chromosomes of the yeast genome as part of the international "Sc2.0" project to build the world's first synthetic yeast genome. The project involves 15 years of collaboration between teams from around the world and aims to create synthetic versions of all yeast chromosomes. The synthetic yeast genome has the potential to revolutionize biology and bioengineering, allowing the creation of novel organisms with various applications in medicine, bioenergy, and biotechnology.

Physicists trap electrons in a 3D crystal for the first time (5 minute read)

Physicists at MIT have achieved the creation of an electronic "flat band" in a three-dimensional material for the first time. By trapping electrons in a crystal with a kagome-inspired atomic arrangement, the researchers were able to create a flat band state that could be transformed into a superconductor with zero resistance by modifying the crystal's composition. The findings offer a new way to explore rare electronic states in three-dimensional materials, with potential applications in power transmission, quantum computing, and electronics.

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PROGRAMMING, DESIGN & DATA SCIENCE

Building an AI-Powered Content Moderation System with JavaScript: A Quick Guide (3 minute read)

The article discusses how developers can utilize OpenAI's API to create an AI-powered content moderation system to automatically detect and filter toxic comments in under 10 minutes, offering a solution for scalable and effective content moderation in applications.

Finally, Tracing in PHP — Say Hello to OpenTelemetry (9 minute read)

OpenTelemetry is used in PHP to enable efficient tracing, monitoring, and debugging of applications. It offers a high-level overview of system behavior, supports auto-instrumentation for various tasks, and allows for cross-service communication in a microservices architecture. The official implementation in PHP and its stability make it a valuable tool for developers, improving system understanding, debugging, and onboarding of new team members.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Cruise recalls entire fleet after robotaxi ran over, dragged pedestrian (2 minute read)

GM's self-driving car subsidiary, Cruise, has recalled 950 autonomous vehicles after an incident where a pedestrian, initially hit by a human-driven car, was stuck under and dragged by one of Cruise's robotaxis. The recall was prompted by a collision detection subsystem issue, causing the robotaxi to pull over instead of remaining stationary after a collision. Cruise is under increased scrutiny and regulatory action, with permits for robotaxi operations revoked, and it's now conducting internal investigations, including hiring a chief safety officer to address safety concerns.

The world’s largest aircraft breaks cover in Silicon Valley (6 minute read)

Google co-founder Sergey Brin's funded project, Pathfinder 1, is a prototype electric airship aiming to revolutionize eco-friendly air travel and disaster relief. The colossal 124.5-meter-long airship uses helium as a lifting gas and a combination of diesel generators and batteries to power 12 electric motors for vertical take-off and landing. It is set to undergo extensive testing and marks the beginning of a new era in sustainable air travel.

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QUICK LINKS

Google is bringing generative AI to advertisers (1 minute read)

Google is introducing generative AI tools for creating ads, offering businesses and advertising agencies the ability to create, edit, and customize text and images for various ad formats, including a feature for creating ads within its Performance Max campaign product.

WhatsApp Now Lets You Hide Your IP Address During Calls (2 minute read)

WhatsApp has introduced a privacy feature that hides users' IP addresses during one-to-one calls by relaying the calls through WhatsApp's servers, ensuring caller location information is protected.

After luring customers with low prices, Amazon stuffs Fire TVs with ads (5 minute read)

Amazon's Fire TV is increasing the display of advertisements to generate more revenue, including ads tied to generative AI Alexa, mirroring similar moves by other TV makers as the industry focuses on selling ads to please advertisers and investors, potentially affecting the TV-watching experience.

FDA Approves Lilly's Zepbound™ (tirzepatide) for Chronic Weight Management (13 minute read)

The FDA has approved Eli Lilly and Company's Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection, the first obesity treatment to activate both GIP and GLP-1 hormone receptors, with users in clinical trials losing an average of 48 lb at the highest dose.

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