🪅 Heap Heap Hurray Ed. #135

Mondays are for fresh starts - make it a good one!

#MicrosoftRecall - Microsoft Recall is a feature that takes continuous snapshots of your system (for different use cases, but users have been quick to point out that it’s a privacy nightmare). Anyway, it’s been “recalled” - as in, it was supposed to be released but it’s facing a delay now - for the third time!

#AMAWithOpenAITeam - Earlier on Reddit there was an AMA with OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Kevin Weil, and Mark Chen. The AMA discussed ChatGPT and AI. They also discussed the future of AI in general.

#AIHalloween - In Dublin, Ireland, an AI generated Advertisement left thousands of people waiting for a Halloween themed parade. The problem? The Advertisement was fake - there was no such parade.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Records New High In Transaction Volume And Value
UPI recorded 16.58 billion transactions in October, a 10% increase from September’s 15.04 billion. Average daily transaction volume increased from 501 million in September to 535 million in October. PhonePe maintained its leading position in India's UPI market with a 48% share in September.

Ola Electric's Sales Jump 68% In October: A Lesson In Market Share Fluctuations
In October, the company saw a significant 68% month-on-month jump in sales, with 41,605 units sold, and its market share climbed to 30%. Despite these positive numbers, Ola Electric still faces scrutiny over customer complaints and the Indian government is investigating the company's after-sales.

Pixelmator Acquired By Apple
Pixelmator is a popular Mac-based photo editing tool maker that offers one-time purchases, unlike Adobe. The company has agreed to be acquired by Apple, with no immediate changes to the apps, but hints at "exciting updates" to come. The Pixelmator team will join Apple, but the acquisition price was not disclosed.

Google Gemini API - Ground prompts with fresh data from Google Search, enabling more accurate responses.

Google Maps - Introduces Natural Language Queries with Gemini Search, Enhanced Navigation Experience, and Expanded Immersive View.

Instagram - Introduces Sort & Filter options for DMs to simplify inbox management and highlight priority messages.

WhatsApp - Replaced camera icon with gallery shortcut in chat bar for faster and easier media sharing.

Telegram - Users can now select video quality, adjust video playback speed, edit sent messages, view message timestamps, and more.

LinkedIn - Removes range of templated posts, including Appreciation, Welcome, and Skill Assessment Badge.

APIHub | Your own API Hub to learn and master API interaction. Ideal for frontend, mobile dev and backend developers.

DI Wise | Lightweight and flexible dependency injection library for JavaScript and TypeScript, w/wo ECMAScript decorators.

A different type of Job Board today.

There’s a Hackathon ongoing for Job Recruitment in the Data Science domain - Named The Great Indian Hiring Hackathon 2024 by MachineHack, the hackathon is a competitive recruitment event for data science and AI/ML talent, connecting professionals to top companies. Participants tackle real-world challenges, aiming to showcase skills and secure interviews with industry leaders. Open to all levels, the hackathon offers interview opportunities, MLDS 2025 tickets for winners, and a unique chance to demonstrate expertise directly to recruiters in the AI/ML field.

Next, we have The Daily List of Visa-Sponsored Job Opportunities. This is a Github Repository and it is a dynamic, daily-updated resource for job seekers worldwide seeking visa sponsorship. This repository compiles fresh openings across various companies and locations, making it easier to find relevant roles. The platform fosters a supportive community where users can share insights, collaborate, and navigate the job search together. If you benefit from this resource, you're invited to star the repository and help spread the word to grow the community!

React: How And When Are Components Rendered?
This article explores the concept of rendering in React, specifically focusing on when and how React updates the view. It provides a clear explanation of the rendering process, highlighting that React only re-renders when the state of a component changes. The article also includes step-by-step examples of how this process works in practical scenarios, providing a deeper understanding of React's rendering mechanism.

Chrome AI Assistance
Chrome DevTools has introduced AI assistance to help with styling issues, layout debugging, and more. Try asking AI about layouts, getting pair-programming help, improving accessibility, or even styling a marquee effect.

Slack's Notification Logic Simplified
Building software is hard, and complexity can be overwhelming. Slack's notification logic was once a flowchart with over a dozen boxes, but programmer Johnny Rodgers refactored it into a simpler, more linear diagram with just six boxes. This reduced complexity makes it easier to understand and maintain.