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- DeepMind's AI Evolution 🤖 , Instagram's Engineering Feat 💻 , and Apple's Mini Farewell 📱
DeepMind's AI Evolution 🤖 , Instagram's Engineering Feat 💻 , and Apple's Mini Farewell 📱
9/18/2023
Tech News 📡
DeepMind's cofounder, Mustafa Suleyman, envisions a future beyond generative AI, focusing on interactive AI. He believes that bots will soon be able to execute tasks by collaborating with other software and individuals. Suleyman's new company, Inflection, backed by top-tier talent and significant AI hardware, aims to lead this transformation.
Software engineers have often been concerned about being replaced by new technologies. However, history shows that while innovations like FORTRAN and COBOL introduced new complexities, they didn't eliminate the need for human coders. ChatGPT, while potentially streamlining some routine tasks, is unlikely to replace software engineers. Instead, it might enhance their productivity by handling mundane aspects of coding, allowing developers to focus on more complex tasks.
Apple's iOS 17 is set to launch on September 18, bringing a plethora of new features for iPhone users. Some of the standout features include StandBy, a full-screen view for glanceable information when charging; Contact Posters, allowing personalized call screens; and NameDrop, for easy contact information sharing. Additionally, the update introduces Live Voicemail, interactive widgets, improved autocorrect, offline Apple Maps, a unified stickers drawer, and a simplified Siri voice command.
Trending Startups📱
Overtracking offers a user-friendly and privacy-centric analytics platform, positioning itself as a compelling alternative to Google Analytics. The platform emphasizes user data ownership, ensuring that businesses have full control over their data without third-party interventions. With features like heatmaps, session recordings, real-time visitor analytics, and a zero-cookies mode, Overtracking provides a comprehensive suite of tools for webmasters seeking insights without compromising user privacy.
Firecamp is a dedicated platform designed for developers to experiment, test, and work with APIs. It offers a range of functionalities, including creating REST APIs, GraphQL Playgrounds, WebSocket Playgrounds, and SocketIO Playgrounds. While users can test various requests as guests, signing up unlocks the full potential of the platform, enabling features like API collections, saved requests, and team collaboration. Dive into Firecamp to streamline your API development and collaboration processes.
Deepen is an innovative AI therapy app designed to be the ultimate self-care companion on your mental well-being journey. It provides users with a safe space to express their emotions, thoughts, and feelings, with the AI guiding them through the process. The app offers features like chatting, talking, and being guided by AI to better understand oneself. Users can gain insights into their mental state, understand patterns, and even have self-reflective conversations. With Deepen, users can embark on a journey to deepen their understanding of themselves.
AI 🤖
Midjourney is an independent research lab dedicated to exploring new mediums of thought and amplifying the imaginative powers of the human species. Comprising a small self-funded team, they focus on design, human infrastructure, and AI. With 11 full-time staff members and an impressive roster of advisors, including industry leaders from Apple, AMD, Tesla, and more, Midjourney is at the forefront of innovative research. Their mission is to build humanist infrastructure that emphasizes the enhancement of the human mind and spirit.
FindCool.Tools is a comprehensive online directory designed to help users discover the best SaaS tools available. With a focus on AI, productivity, business, and more, the platform offers a unique "ToolFinder Ai" feature where users can describe their problem, and the AI will search the tool database to suggest helpful solutions. Created and managed by johnwritescode_, the platform aims to keep users updated about the latest and most effective tools in various categories.
Contentable.ai offers a unique platform that allows users to rapidly build, prototype, and share AI models. With its low-code approach, users can compare AI models from various providers side by side, ensuring they always select the best fit. The platform emphasizes collaboration, allowing teams to brainstorm and iterate on AI models seamlessly. Additionally, Contentable.ai provides visual workflows for designing complex AI processes without the need for coding. With features like multi-provider comparison, real-time model activation, and rapid prototyping, Contentable.ai stands out as a comprehensive solution for AI model development and deployment.
Coding & Development 🖥️
Generative AI is revolutionizing the coding landscape, with tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot offering unique capabilities. Developers can now compare multiple AI models, generate documentation from code, and even produce code from comments. While AI tools are enhancing productivity, they also present challenges in terms of learning to prompt the AI correctly. Despite the advancements, human coders remain irreplaceable, but AI tools are undeniably changing the way they work, emphasizing both speed and quality.
Transitioning from a junior to a senior developer role is more than just acquiring technical skills. It involves understanding the broader perspective of problems, improving coding practices, and developing leadership qualities. Senior developers not only have a deep understanding of technical aspects but also possess strong communication skills and the ability to guide and motivate their peers. The article emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, seeking mentorship, and preparing effectively for senior developer interviews. Embracing challenges, coding independently, and developing strategic solutions are key to advancing in the developer's journey.
Instagram achieved a remarkable feat by scaling to 14 million users in just over a year with a mere team of 3 engineers. They relied on three guiding principles: simplicity, not reinventing the wheel, and using proven technologies. The platform's infrastructure was primarily based on AWS, utilizing services like EC2, Elastic Load Balancer, and Amazon S3. Instagram's backend was powered by Django, with data stored in PostgreSQL and caching handled by Memcached. The platform also employed tools like Redis, Gearman, and Sentry to ensure smooth operations and real-time error monitoring.
Miscellaneous 🌀
Apple's recent event saw the unveiling of its latest products, including four new iPhones, all of which now sport USB-C ports. However, the spotlight wasn't on the iPhone 13 Mini, which was silently discontinued. While the iPhone SE remains available with a slightly smaller screen than the Mini, it doesn't match the Mini's flagship-level internals. The trend of compact handsets has waned as larger screens became popular for streaming and gaming. Despite a dedicated market for small phones, Apple has chosen not to introduce a new Mini in its iPhone 15 lineup.