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AI's Rise 🤖 , VPN Secrets 📱, and the Future of Web Development 🖥️
10/18/2023
Tech News 📡
From the Philippines to Colombia, gig workers are labeling data for AI models used by major tech companies like Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. The global data collection and labeling market, valued at $2.22 billion in 2022, is projected to grow to $17.1 billion by 2030. While companies like Appen offer these gig jobs as a lifeline in struggling economies, workers often face challenges such as low pay, irregular work, and lack of job security. Many of these workers hope for industry unionization and recognition of their contributions to technological advancements.
Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation, discusses the political challenges faced by the encrypted messaging app, Signal. The app's commitment to end-to-end encryption and user privacy has made it a target for governments worldwide. Countries like China, Egypt, and Iran have banned Signal, while others, like the U.K., India, and Brazil, have proposed or passed laws that could compromise the app's encryption. Whittaker emphasizes Signal's mission to provide private communication and its efforts to resist government pressures that threaten user privacy.
Trending Startups📱
LegalNow offers a platform powered by GPT-4 to create or review legal documents with lawyer-grade precision. The platform is trained by top-tier lawyers and ensures data encryption for security. Users can draft, review, consult, check for ambiguous wordings, and get in-depth clause explanations tailored to their needs. The platform also emphasizes data security with 100% decentralized encrypted storage.
ASTime is a free, convenient time tracking software designed for teams. It allows users to easily upload their Jira projects and tasks for tracking. The platform offers features that increase transparency and trust between clients and service providers, such as filters that show time spent on each task and project. It also provides a functional dashboard for employees to manage tasks, view time data, and more. The software integrates seamlessly with tools like Jira, enhancing its utility for project management.
AI 🤖
Riffusion, an AI-powered music-generating app, has successfully turned its viral success into a $4 million seed funding round. Initially a hobby project by developers Seth Forsgren and Hayk Martiros, Riffusion gained immense popularity for its ability to generate music using images of audio. The app's recent advancements have attracted attention from investors, leading to its commercialization. The Chainsmokers are among the advisors for Riffusion, which has now launched a new free-to-use app. This app allows users to describe lyrics and a musical style, generating shareable audio clips or "riffs".
James Pog emphasizes the importance of embracing AI, especially with the rapid advancements in large language models like GPT-4. He shares his experience of programming GPT-4 to build and deploy a website using less than 90 lines of code. James believes that those who aren't actively learning to use AI are falling behind. He highlights the potential of AI agents, which can automate tasks using tools like Zapier's Natural Language Actions (NLA) API. James envisions a future where AI agents handle mundane tasks, and he encourages readers to be a part of this AI-driven future.
Coding & Development 🖥️
Charles Chen discusses the limitations of traditional leetcode-style technical interviews and advocates for a shift towards code review-based evaluations. He questions the efficacy of leetcode problems in assessing a candidate's real-world coding abilities, especially in an era where AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT are becoming integral to developers' workflows. Chen argues that code reviews offer a more holistic view of a candidate's reasoning, communication skills, and overall fit within a team. He emphasizes that in the age of AI-generated code, the ability to critically review and understand code becomes even more crucial. The article also introduces CodeRev.app, a tool designed to facilitate code review-based interviews.
In 2023, the selection of a technology stack is pivotal for a web application's success. The article highlights the significance of creating impactful digital experiences and discusses popular tech stacks like LAMP, MEAN, MERN, PERN, and Python. It also touches on React Native, Jamstack, and Flutter. The piece offers insights into making informed tech choices, considering factors like cost, adaptability, and team expertise, emphasizing the balance between current demands and future aspirations.
Miscellaneous 🌀️
Hussein Nasser delves into the intricacies of how VPNs operate, moving beyond the abstract descriptions that often surround them. While many perceive VPNs as encrypted tunnels that shield one's identity, the reality is more nuanced. Nasser breaks down the process of how a VPN works, using a simple example involving an HTTP server. He explains the journey of data packets, from the client to the destination, and how VPNs encrypt and reroute these packets to ensure privacy. The article also touches on why VPNs typically use UDP instead of TCP, highlighting potential issues like TCP meltdown. Nasser's explanation provides a clear understanding of VPNs, emphasizing their role in maintaining online privacy.
Paul Rose shares his experience of attempting to monetize digital products created using ChatGPT over a span of 30 days. Contrary to the belief that ChatGPT is a money-making machine, Rose emphasizes that its efficacy is largely dependent on the prompter and the systems in place. He details his journey of creating educational flashcards and eBooks with the help of ChatGPT and Canva. Rose highlights the potential of platforms like Gumroad and Teachers Pay Teachers for selling these digital products. By the end of his experiment, he had made a modest income, underscoring the potential of leveraging AI tools for passive income generation.
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