- Quick Byte
- Posts
- Facebook & Instagram's Teen Safety 📡, Debunking Coding Myths 🖥️, and Apple's AI Ambitions 🤖
Facebook & Instagram's Teen Safety 📡, Debunking Coding Myths 🖥️, and Apple's AI Ambitions 🤖
1/26/2024
Tech News 📡
Facebook and Instagram have implemented new safety measures to protect younger users. Teens under 16 (or 18 in some countries) can no longer receive direct messages from anyone they don't follow, including fellow teens. This change, aimed at preventing unwanted contact, applies to both platforms and requires parental approval for any adjustments.
Amazon-owned Ring will discontinue its 'Request for Assistance' feature, which allowed police departments to request footage from users' doorbell cameras. This decision marks a significant shift in Ring's policy, addressing privacy concerns and criticism from advocates. Law enforcement can still make public posts on the Neighbors app but cannot directly request footage.
Trending Startups📱
Amie is a startup offering a unified platform that combines todos, email, and calendar functionalities. It provides features like NLP scheduling, widgets, support for multiple accounts, and Pomodoro technique integration. Designed for both individual and business use, Amie aims to enhance productivity and focus.
Sequence is a financial technology startup providing a platform for visualizing and controlling money flow across multiple accounts. It offers features like smart routing rules, instant transfers, and conditional logic for financial automation. Sequence aims to optimize personal and business finances through its innovative financial router.
AI 🤖
OpenAI has updated its GPT-4 Turbo model to address 'laziness' issues, improving task completion, especially in code generation. This version, trained on more recent data, is available in preview and will soon include multimodal prompts. OpenAI also introduced new embeddings models to enhance AI applications.
Apple is intensifying its AI initiatives by acquiring 21 AI startups since 2017 and actively recruiting AI talent. The company aims to run AI on iPhones directly and is developing an AI-powered Siri. Apple's focus includes on-device AI, deep learning, and generative AI, positioning itself as a key player in the AI industry.
Coding & Development 🖥️
Building a programming language involves several steps, from designing syntax to implementing a compiler. Modern tools have simplified the process, but it still requires a deep understanding of computer science concepts and programming techniques. The article uses the ZModel language as an example to demonstrate the process, highlighting the importance of developer experience and making the language useful and popular.
This article debunks ten common myths about programming, such as the necessity of a CS degree, programmers knowing everything about computers, and programming being only for geniuses. It emphasizes that programming is accessible to anyone with dedication and practice, and that it involves more than just coding skills. The article also addresses misconceptions about equipment costs, age limitations, and the nature of a programmer's life.
Miscellaneous 🌀️
Apple is set to allow third-party app stores on iOS in the European Union in response to the Digital Markets Act. This change, coming with iOS 17.4, will enable users to download and set alternative marketplaces as default on their devices. Developers can choose between Apple's payment services or third-party systems without additional fees. Apple will still notarize all apps and manage distribution, maintaining some control over the app ecosystem.
Security researchers discovered that iPhone apps, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok, collect user data through notifications, circumventing Apple's privacy rules. This data collection occurs even when apps are closed, and the information gathered is related to analytics, advertising, and tracking users across apps and devices. Some companies deny using the data for inappropriate purposes, while Apple and others have not commented on the findings.
🌟 Loving Quick Byte? Spread the tech love - share with your friends and colleagues! 🚀