TechSlice 2023-10-19

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BIG TECH & STARTUPS

X starts charging new users $1 per year to send tweets (1 minute read)

X is implementing a $1 annual fee for new users who want to send tweets, aiming to control spammers and trolls. Existing users are not affected, but it marks an interesting attempt to tackle platform abuse.

Amazon says its new AI-powered robots reduce fulfilment time by 25 percent (1 minute read)

Amazon is revolutionizing its warehouse operations with Sequoia, an AI-driven robotics system set to accelerate product finding and storage by up to 75% and improve order fulfillment by 25%. With vehicles transporting items to a sorting machine, robotic arms and computer vision help workers by bringing products to waist level, reducing reaching for high shelves.

Foldable iPad Now in 'Intensive Development,' Could Be Announced as Soon as Next Year (1 minute read)

Apple is reportedly collaborating with suppliers to develop a foldable iPad, with small-scale production expected to begin by late 2024. While Apple has been working on foldable devices for four years, it's focusing on a foldable iPad before moving on to a foldable iPhone to manage potential issues and achieve a cost-effective design.

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SCIENCE & FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY

New AI tool could make future vaccines ‘variant-proof,’ (3 minute read)

EVEscape, an AI tool developed by Harvard Medical School and Oxford University, accurately predicts viral mutations of diseases like COVID-19. It's faster and more efficient than experimental approaches, informing pandemic monitoring, and could lead to more effective vaccine designs for variant-proof treatments.

How AI will shape our children’s future (5 minute read)

Vox's latest piece delves into the fascinating partnership between OpenAI's ChatGPT and our future change-makers, the kids. It's all about how AI, specifically ChatGPT, is equipping young minds with the knowledge and drive to tackle climate change. Get ready for a smarter, greener future – these youngsters are on a mission to save the planet, one chat at a time! 🌍

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PROGRAMMING, DESIGN & DATA SCIENCE

What is the Demoscene? (14 minute read)

The demoscene, a niche digital art subculture, revolves around audiovisual presentations called "demos." Originating from the early computer piracy era, demosceners used these gatherings, known as demoparties, to share their creative and technical prowess. With a global presence and recognition as intangible cultural heritage, the demoscene continues to blend art and technology, driving innovation and pushing boundaries.

Chrome support for passkeys in iCloud Keychain (3 minute read)

Chrome 118 is here, and it's packing iCloud Keychain passkey support for macOS 13.5 and up. This feature ensures your passkeys stand the test of time and sync seamlessly across your Apple devices. Simply grant Chrome access in macOS, and voila – your passkeys are there, ready to roll, enhancing your cross-device digital experience.

Ready Player Two – What the multiplayer web can learn from video games (8 minute read)

Reflect is a handy tool for web app developers, leveraging game-inspired sync tech to manage collaborative projects. It streamlines the complexities of multiplayer apps, so you can focus on coding with ease.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Russia and China-backed hackers are exploiting WinRAR zero-day bug (2 minute read)

Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has reported that Russian state-linked hacking groups, including Sandworm and Fancy Bear, along with China's APT40, are persistently exploiting a previously patched WinRAR vulnerability (CVE-2023-38831) in ongoing phishing campaigns. This demonstrates the continuing effectiveness of exploiting known vulnerabilities due to delayed patching practices.

Top Apple analyst says MacBook demand has fallen ‘significantly’ (1 minute read)

Prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts a 30% year-over-year decline in MacBook shipments for 2023, totaling 17 million units. This dip is attributed to decreased demand for the 15-inch MacBook Air following the back-to-school season and declining consumer interest in Apple's mini-LED displays and silicon. Kuo also mentioned that Apple won't unveil any new products in the fourth quarter, aiming to clear inventory and devise fresh product and marketing strategies for the upcoming year.

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QUICK LINKS

AI chatbots can infer an alarming amount of info about you from your responses (6 minute read)

New research reveals that chatbots like ChatGPT can accurately infer sensitive personal information about users, including their race, location, occupation, and more, from seemingly innocuous conversations, posing privacy and security risks. This ability stems from the way these chatbots are trained on vast amounts of web content, making it challenging to prevent, and could be exploited by scammers for data harvesting or even fuel a new era of advertising based on detailed user profiles derived from chatbot interactions.

Google is tweaking Chrome’s search bar to make it easier to navigate the web (3 minute read)

Google is enhancing its Chrome browser's omnibox to provide more intuitive web navigation, including correcting URL typos and showing a website's URL in suggestions. These changes are aimed at improving the user experience but may result in fewer navigational searches, impacting Google's search business.

ChatGPT live web browsing exits beta, DALL-E 3 enters beta (1 minute read)

OpenAI has officially launched its live web browsing feature called "Browse with Bing" for ChatGPT, no longer requiring beta access. Additionally, the next-generation image generation tool DALL-E 3 is available in beta for ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise subscribers, providing improved rendering, user intent understanding, and other enhancements.

Inside the booming AI-generated porn industry (13 minute read)

AI-driven adult content creation has ushered in a surreal era where fabricated sexual fantasies come to life. Through a fusion of computer-generated artistry and erotic storytelling, users can manifest fantastical desires, but this phenomenon raises pertinent questions about the authenticity and ethics of these creations.

Snapchat and Inspirit team up to build augmented reality STEM lessons (3 minute read)

Snapchat is launching STEM-themed augmented reality (AR) lessons for students, offering a unique and interactive educational experience. These AR modules help students engage with science, technology, engineering, and math concepts in an exciting and accessible manner. By leveraging Snapchat's innovative AR technology, these lessons have the potential to make learning more enjoyable and memorable for the next generation of geeks and tech enthusiasts.

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