TLDR 2023-03-07

Apple is preparing to launch a new batch of Macs sometime between late spring and summer. The new devices include a 15-inch MacBook Air, a Mac Pro refresh, a 24-inch iMac, and a 13-inch MacBook Air. The 15-inch MacBook Air would be a new product category for Apple. The new iMac, likely to launch in the second half of 2023, could be the first of Apple's Macs to use its next-generation M3 chip. While it would look similar to the current M1 model, some of its internal components will be relocated and redesigned. Apple reportedly developed the next iMac on the same timeline as the M3 chip.

Microsoft has announced the next generation of AI product updates to its apps portfolio. The new Copilot feature in Dynamics 365 aims to automate repetitive tasks in sales and customer service. Power Virtual Agents' new 'conversation boosters' feature helps chatbots respond to untrained questions by connecting to knowledge bases. Microsoft's AI Builder tool has a new GPT model for text generation, which can be integrated into Power Apps and Power Automate. Copilot will be released in preview on March 6, and will be included in existing Dynamics 365 licenses at no extra cost.

Many celebrities are using a new class of weight-loss drugs to keep their figures slim. Obesity is a common health issue, with costs increasing faster in poorer nations. Processed food and sedentary lifestyles have contributed significantly to the obesity epidemic. Medication may not be a suitable long-term solution as patients can become reliant on them. Doctors remain cautious of the long-term use of these drugs due to a lack of data regarding lifelong usage. Reducing global obesity by just 5% could lead to annual global savings of $429 billion.

Scientists have identified a new disease caused by plastic waste in the environment called plasticosis. Although the disease is currently only found in the digestive tracts of seabirds, it is suspected it affects other species and body parts due to the widespread use of plastic in our modern world. Plastic lodged in the digestive tracts of birds leads to chronic inflammation, scarring, and digestive gland stunting, which may affect vitamin absorption and cause vulnerability to infections and parasites. Plasticosis was named after other fibrotic diseases caused by inorganic materials such as silicosis and asbestosis.

This is Hired's 2023 State of Software Engineers report. The report aims to help talent professionals and software engineers understand the hiring climate as well as what’s top of mind for employers and engineers. It covers the impact that last year's layoffs had on the job market, remote pay, the most in-demand skills, the highest-paying markets, and more.

Rux is a tool that allows users to write HTML tags in Ruby code. It is based on JSX and compatible with Rails through the use of the rux-rails gem. The flexibility of rux means that any valid Ruby statements can be used with it. It supports unlimited embedding, but excessive use is not recommended.

Peter Eckersley was a web encryption pioneer. The AI Objectives Institute (AOI), has taken on Eckersley's work to redirect the future of artificial intelligence away from destructive forces. Eckersley envisioned AOI as a hub for major AI labs to come together and incubate ideas that actively contribute to human flourishing. AI has the potential to amplify existing global issues such as environmental destruction, exploitation of the poor, and rampant nationalism. Rather than attempting to restrict AI's progress, AOI aims to steer AI towards a better future by channeling its efforts to help alleviate current global issues.

Twitter users faced a series of issues on Monday, including error messages and images not loading. The company later explained that this was due to the shutdown of free access to the Twitter API, which ended third-party clients and greatly limited the ability of researchers to study the network. The company has been working on a new paid API for developers but only one engineer is working on the project. This engineer made a configuration change which broke the Twitter API, leading to the breakdown of internal tools along with public-facing APIs.

It can take months for new engineers to become fully productive, but the process can be streamlined for success with a proper onboarding program.

Some of Google's offices are practically empty and real estate is expensive.

Researchers have discovered the world's first-known instance of real-world malware that can hijack a computer's boot process even when Secure Boot and other advanced protections are enabled and running on a fully updated version of Windows.

A look at the impacts of AI on engineering and the future of working in the engineering field.

Outlook for Mac, which has been optimized for M1 and M2 chips and supports handoff with iOS, is now available for free in Apple's App store.

This article looks at some of the strange behaviors in large language models and their variants.

InnovateEDU is hiring a Senior Data Engineer to manage and supervise a team of engineers and data analysts for a non-profit whose mission is to eliminate the opportunity gap by accelerating innovation in standards-aligned, next-generation learning models and tools.

Sticker Mule is hiring a Site Reliability Engineer to work for the Internet’s best printing company.

Klaviyo is hiring a Senior Software Engineer to ship foundational services for a world-leading database analytics and marketing automation platform.

Forto Logistics is hiring a Senior Backend Engineer to design, build, and maintain highly scalable and available software for a company that provides customer-focused tech-enabled logistics services.