TLDR 2023-07-26

Arc is finally ditching its waitlist. The browser is now available for Mac and iOS users. It features tools for taking notes, making collaborative easels, redesigning webpages, and more. The browser has been stable for months, though it has some performance issues as with any other Chromium-based browser.

TikTok plans to launch an e-commerce business selling made-in-China products to US customers. The TikTok Shop Shopping Center will allow users to shop directly from Lives, videos, and creator or brand profiles. TikTok will purchase products from suppliers, store them, and distribute them to customers. The service could launch as soon as August.

There is a spot in the Indian Ocean where Earth's gravitational pull is weaker, its mass is lower than normal, and the sea level dips by over 328 feet. Researchers from India believe that the phenomenon is caused by plumes of magma coming from deep inside the planet. They came to that conclusion by studying how the Earth formed its shape starting from 140 million years ago. The Earth is not a perfect sphere, and its many plate movements can cause areas of different densities to form.

Researchers from Stanford University have developed a microendovascular probe that can record deep brain activity without surgery. The brain-machine interface can be used to monitor and treat many neurological diseases minimally invasively. It has successfully been used to record single neuron activity in rats without causing any damage. The device could impact the treatment of many diseases, but it will take some time to translate safely to clinical studies.

Apple has opened up three different ways for app developers to start testing their apps on Vision Pro hardware before the product launches. Developers can apply to be sent Vision Pro hardware on loan, send their apps to Apple for Apple employees or contractors to test, or book time in one of Apple's visionOS developer labs. The labs will be places where developers can do self-directed coding and design work on their own development machines. Requests for access to the labs or developer kits will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Marsha is an LLM-based programming language. It produces tested Python software using an LLM based on descriptions and examples of usage. The Marsha syntax is designed to be minimal yet succinct, mechanically parsable, and easy to run tests with.

This primer on large language models reflects on what is concretely known about LLMs right now. It explains how certain developments in AI technology sparked the current AI boom. The primer aims to help put into perspective the relevance of current research efforts and the possibilities they may bring.

OpenAI shuttered its AI classifier tool on July 20 due to a low accuracy rate. There are many ways that AI-generated text can be misused and it is only going to get harder to tell the difference between AI and human work. OpenAI says that the AI classifier tool was never very good and that it returned false positives. The company plans to develop ways to help users detect if audio or visual content is AI-generated.

A growing number of founders are building in stealth, possibly due to the slowdown in VC funding.

This post explores the idea of embedding an animation into a font with an experimental WASM shaper.

Attestation on the web will limit access to features or entire sites depending on whether the client is approved by a trusted issuer.

TypeChat is a library for building natural language interfaces using types.

The new law will expand the EV charging infrastructure along Europe's main highways, make payments at the pump easier, and ensure that pricing and availability are clearly communicated.

Artie Transfer reduces data latency from several hours to less than a minute by leveraging change data capture.