🪅 Heap Heap Hurray Ed. #137

Rise and shine, it's a winning Wednesday!

#VulnerabilityDiscovery - Google's Big Sleep team uncovers a zero-day vulnerability using AI for the first time. Big Sleep is the large language model-assisted vulnerability agent that spotted the vulnerability. They're saying it's a game-changer for finding those sneaky bugs before they can hurt anyone.

#PerplexitysGotNoChill - New York Times tech workers are going on a strike. Why? Not relevant for this gossip - what is relevant though is Perplexity AI’s CEO thought it would be a good time for them to plug the advantages of their AI. They offered NYT their services to “mitigate” the effects of this strike. In plain speak, they proposed that these workers be replaced with AI instead.

#MalwareBoom - Typosquatting - a scenario where bad actors identify potential typos in entering, say a website’s URL, and create identical looking website - but with an intention to steal your personal data. Well, researchers have identified a large scale typosquatting attempt with NPM libraries - so, next time you install a library in Nodejs, be sure you check if you spelled it right.

Big Tech Battle: Student Sues University Over AI-generated Submission
OP Jindal Global University accused a Post Graduate Law student Kaustubh Shakkarwar of using AI to answer exam questions, but he's pushing back, citing a recent US court ruling on AI-generated artwork.

Wikipedia's Indian Intermediary Status Under Fire
Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that allows users to contribute and edit articles, is facing pressure from Indian authorities regarding its status as a neutral intermediary versus being classified as a publisher. The government has issued a notice questioning Wikipedia's exemption from liability for user-generated content, citing concerns over biased and inaccurate information.

AMA With Swiggy
Swiggy, a popular foodtech company, is getting ready for its initial public offering (IPO) with its leadership team embarking on a 25-city roadshow to woo retail investors. The company has fixed a price band of Rs 371-390 per equity share, looking to raise Rs 4,499 crore. Swiggy's quick commerce arm, Instamart, is expected to outpace its core food delivery business, with a goal to reach 40% of Swiggy's food delivery business in terms of gross order volumes.

Netflix Cancels Most Interactive Content
Netflix, the popular online streaming service, is saying goodbye to its interactive content, except for a few select titles. The company is reportedly deleting most of its interactive content, including special editions like Carmen Sandiego, Boss Baby, and Puss in Boots. Only four titles will remain, including Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend.

Wooden Satellite Blasts Off Into Space
A group of scientists from Kyoto University and a timber company, Sumitomo Forestry, collaborated to create a satellite made entirely of wood, called LignoSat. It was launched on a SpaceX mission and will study the durability of wood in space. The team hopes to prove that wood can be used to build habitats in space and eventually on the Moon and Mars.

Amazon Expands Drone Delivery Operations
Amazon is starting up drone delivery operations at its Tolleson, AZ, same-day delivery site. Customers who live in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area are eligible to receive packages via Prime Air. Amazon is using its latest MK30 drones that can carry up to 5 pounds while also flying “twice as far”

Amazon Prime Video - Introduces X-Ray Recaps, a new feature that uses generative AI to easily recap TV shows and movies, providing personalized summaries of key moments and plot points.

Microsoft Teams - Now supports up to 50,000 simultaneous attendees for Town halls, with expansion set to go live in December.

Xbox - AI-powered chat support is now live.

Apple - Find My iPhone now allows sharing of lost item location with airlines or trusted individuals for assistance in tracking its location on a map.

Microsoft Windows - New Login Screen. Modernized Windows Hello authentication with new UI, iconography, and passkey improvements.

Ml.js | Machine learning tools in JavaScript

Modus | An open source, serverless framework for building intelligent functions and APIs, powered by WebAssembly

AI Won't Replace Us
Recent data from GitHub reveals that developers are building AI models into applications and engaging with AI projects at large numbers, debunking the notion that AI will replace developers. Instead, AI is driving interest in software development, and Python has become the most popular language on GitHub, up from JavaScript.

Javascript Splitting: A Proposal
Google engineer proposes splitting JavaScript into two languages: a core "JS0" for runtime engines and a more capable variant "JSSugar" implementable through tooling. The idea aims to simplify JavaScript's foundation, improve security, and reduce complexity.

Angular Style Guide Overhaul
Angular is revamping its style guide to make it shorter, more focused on style choices, and modernized. The revised guide eliminates general coding best practices, moves Angular best practices to documentation, and simplifies naming conventions. Feedback is welcome on the updated gist, with a focus on major omissions, community-owned tools, and mistakes.