Meta has launched a landing page for Threads, its Twitter competitor. Twitter's recent changes have prompted Meta to bump up the launch date for the service. Threads will be deeply connected to Instagram yet distinct from it. Users can choose whether they want to link their Threads profiles with their Instagram profiles or keep them separate. Threads will be able to connect to federated social networks like Mastodon.
Two leaked photos of Google's Pixel 8 Pro were recently posted to Reddit before being swiftly removed. They showed a new triple-camera setup housed entirely in a single glass oval and a new sensor to measure body temperature. It appears that Google has swapped the curve display for a flat one. The photos are available in the article.
Researchers at Yale and the University of California, San Francisco found that a single injection of a protein called klotho led to modest improvements in cognitive function in older monkeys. Klotho is produced by the kidney and it helps regulate the kidneys and metabolism. Humans with higher levels of the protein perform better in cognitive tests. The protein may help in rejuvenating brain function in older adults.
China's next-generation high-speed train has set a new record of 281 miles per hour during a test run. The train uses electromagnetic technology to levitate above the rail and eliminate friction. It doesn't contain any technology that is patented or licensed by other train makers, demonstrating China's ability to develop the system through homegrown innovation. Maglev technology is not available everywhere in China, so the country is still looking to improve travel speeds on existing infrastructure.
vlite is a vector database written in less than 200 lines of code. It is designed for agents, ChatGPT Plugins, and other AI apps. vlite uses Apple's Metal Performance Shaders via PyTorch to accelerate vector loading and CPU threading to accelerate vector queries.
The Concise TypeScript Book provides an overview of TypeScript's capabilities. It covers all aspects found in the latest version of the language. The book enhances understanding and proficiency in TypeScript for both beginner and experienced developers.
There are several factors at play causing many large social media platforms to collapse at the same time. Companies are switching from a 'growth at all costs' mindset to an 'actually make some money' strategy, causing them to scramble for new features and pivot to whatever the latest trend is. The rise of AI has caused some platforms to realize the value they were giving to other companies for free, resulting in measures to address data scraping. Social platforms are turning into entertainment platforms as there is much more money in putting ads in front of people than in connecting people.
Many lead engineers feel that they'd be a candidate for a significantly better role if their personal brand was better known. The value of brand building may be overemphasized. Enhancing prestige may be more impactful - and there's a relatively straightforward playbook for increasing personal and organizational prestige. This article talks about building prestige, deciding whether it is valuable to build a personal brand, how to manufacture prestige, and how to measure prestige. It aims to equip engineers with enough information to decide whether to invest into these areas.
A contributor license agreement usually includes a copyright assignment clause that gives upstream maintainers effective ownership over the contributor's copyright and the right to license the contribution in any manner they choose in the future.