🪅 Heap Heap Hurray Ed. #102

Happy Wednesday morning! Set your goals high and go for them today.

#OpenAI - OpenAI is being super secretive about their new AI model and is even threatening to ban users who try to figure out how it works? Like, it's supposed to solve problems step-by-step, but they're hiding the raw chain of thought from us!

#OpenAI - OpenAI again - ChatGPT was having convos with people without even being asked! It was like, "Hey, how was your first week of high school?" And people were all like, "Uh, did you just initiate this conversation?" And ChatGPT is all like, "Yeah, I did!" But don't worry, OpenAI fixed the issue, but it's still kinda creepy how AI models can behave on their own.

#GoogleAI - Google is finally gonna start flagging those AI-generated images on their search results. Apparently, only images with that fancy C2PA metadata will get the label. But let's be real, most of those images probably don't have it, and who knows if it's even reliable? Meanwhile, deepfakes are still spreading like wildfire and people are getting more and more worried about being fooled.

#IgNobel - Did you know there’s a (Ig)Nobel Prize - but for the most unusual or trivial achievements in science? Well, the Ig Nobel Prizes are being handed out and it's a doozy! Winners include studies on pigeons guiding missiles, plants that look like plastic ones, and the circulation direction of hair on people's heads! And the ceremony was even back at MIT after a pandemic pause!

Phonepe Now Controls Over Half Of India's Upi Transactions
PhonePe, a payment firm controlled by Walmart, has taken a significant lead in India's UPI transaction space, as per NPCI data. With 7.23 billion transactions worth Rs 10,33,264.34 crore in August, PhonePe captured 48.36% of the market share by volume and 50.14% by value.

Amazon Ends Remote Work Era: Back To Office 5 Days A Week
Amazon's CEO, Andy Jassy, has announced that the company will require all staff to return to the office 5 days a week from next year. This is one of the strictest corporate crackdowns on remote work, unlike other tech companies that continue to offer more flexible terms.

Uber Introduces Rider Verification Feature To Boost Driver Safety
Uber announced a new rider verification feature aimed at giving drivers more peace of mind about their customers. The rideshare company has tried to fight fraud and improve safety on its platform.

Meta Launches "teen Accounts" For Instagram To Give Parents Greater Control
Meta is putting Instagram users under the age of 18 into new ‘teen accounts’ to allow parents greater control over their activities. Changes include the ability to block children from using the app at night and see the accounts their child is messaging and viewing the content categories they are viewing.

Jabil Sets Up New Manufacturing Plant In India
Jabil is a US-based company that supplies electronic components to Apple. They're setting up a new manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu, India with an investment of $238.2 million, which will create around 5,000 jobs. This move demonstrates India's growing importance as a manufacturing hub and further cements Jabil's position in the global tech industry.

Openai Now Offering O1-mini To Free Chatgpt Users
OpenAI o1-mini is the smaller version of their latest large language models, allowing users to reason through complex tasks and solve harder problems related to science, coding, and math. Free users can now access this model on their ChatGPT account.

Apple Ios 18 Rolls Out To All Iphone Users
Apple’s newest software update, iOS 18, is rolling out today to all iPhone users. The focus is on personalization, including custom icons, a revamped Control Center, and support for locked and hidden apps. The Photos app has been redesigned with iOS 18 as well.

• Google Drive Introducing option to restrict or limit access to shared folders.

• WhatsApp Status Mentions Feature Now Live in Latest Beta with Ability to Secretly Tag Contacts

• Snapchat New Design! Simplifies interface to three main tabs, combining messaging and Stories, adding a unified For You feed of full-screen videos from creators and publishers.

Trigger Dev | The open source background jobs platform.

Move To | A lightweight scroll animation javascript library without any dependency

Learn Git Branching
In this interactive tutorial, you will learn the basics of Git branching by exploring various scenarios and exercises through a visual interface. You'll discover how to create, merge, and manage branches, as well as resolve conflicts and understand the branching model. Perfect for beginners to advanced learners!

Busting The Myth Of Bug Fixing Time
It might seem reasonable to assume that fixing a bug is a simple task, but it often involves dealing with vague descriptions, unfamiliar functionality, and potential side effects. This article sheds light on the reasons why bug fixing can take longer than expected, and encourages developers to approach bug fixing with a more thoughtful and thorough approach.

Junior Engineers Fuel Innovation At Scale
Companies are hiring junior engineers to ‘hit the ground running’ on big projects. But teaching junior employees becomes its own force multiplier for innovating at scale. It’s not about the added labor, it’'s about a psychologically safe culture that values teaching and learning, and the innovation this unlocks.