🪅 Heap Heap Hurray Ed. #52

Have a great Wednesday morning and an even more exciting day!

#RantMode - Zerodha got stuck again? People were freaking out on social media, saying they lost thousands due to some major technical glitch! Now Team Zerodha all like "Hey, it's fixed, sorry not sorry" but some users are still having issues. What even is going on over there?!

#WhatsUp - WhatsApp is adding zoom controls to their camera app, so your parent / spouse can finally get that perfect selfie without having to ask you for help... again

#CommentCatty - Spotify is launching the ability to leave comments on podcasts. The company already lets Spotify podcasters offer polls and Q&As.Comments will be private by default, so creators will have to approve each comment. But we know someone's gonna spill the tea!

#NavigateCarefully - Google Maps is testing a new ad format that could cause distractions while driving. It brings up a pop-up notification during navigation that covers the bottom half of the screen with an unnecessary detour suggestion. No, Google, I'm trying to get to work on time, not give in to your ad overload!

#RIPWatchParty - Did you know that Amazon Prime had a “Watch Party” feature, that allowed you and your friends to watch a movie or a show together? Neither did we! Anyway, Amazon quietly killed it apparently. Gee - we wonder why…

Indian Game Firms Seek Industry Clarity Amid Regulatory Scrutiny
Indian video game companies urge the government to distinguish between "video games" and "real money games" to avoid regulatory confusion. This follows tax changes and misidentifications affecting their industry. They seek clear policies, better public perception, and financial support to foster growth.

Ola Founder Doubles Down on 70-Hour Work Weeks
Bhavish Aggarwal, founder of Ola Cabs, Ole Electric, and AI unicorn Ola Krutrim, believes that working long hours is necessary for success, citing his own 20 hours a day, 7 days a week schedule. He thinks that younger generations are too focused on work-life balance and should be willing to put in the effort to achieve their goals.

Quora’s Poe Introduces Previews for Building Interactive Web Apps with AI
Quora's Poe, an AI chatbot aggregator, has launched Previews, enabling users to create interactive web apps, such as data visualizations and games, through chatbot interactions. This feature supports HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and allows sharing via links, enhancing Poe's utility for subscribers.

Epic Games Store APPROVED for iOS in the EU
Apple has approved the Epic Games Store for iOS in the EU. Epic had complained that its submission to Apple was rejected twice. Apple has asked Epic to fix the buttons in a future submission of the app for review.

Nintendo Refuses to Use Generative AI in Its First-Party Games
Nintendo becomes the biggest company that is NOT planning on using generative AI technology for its games, per a recent investor call. Most tech and gaming companies, however, are either enthusiastically pursuing or leaving the door open to do so in the future.

Etsy Redefines Its Handmade Categories
Etsy, a platform known for unique, handmade, and vintage items, is reorganizing its categorization system. The new policy introduces four categories: "made by", "designed by", "handpicked by", and "sourced by". Vintage items will fall under "handpicked by", while "made by" will be for creator-made items. The change aims to provide more transparency and reinforce Etsy's human-touch focus. It's also a response to concerns over mass-produced items and AI-generated content on the platform.

HP Discontinues e-Series LaserJet Printers Due to Customer Backlash
HP is discontinuing its e-series LaserJet printers due to customer dissatisfaction with the online-only and subscription-based requirements. The cheap printers had customers locked into buying only HP-brand ink and toners, and forced them to have a permanent internet connection.

zx | Want to write scripts but don’t want to learn bash? Well, if you know Javascript, you can now write them using this tool

Public APIs | A very large dataset of apis that can be publicly accessed. Very useful for hackathons

Studio | Edit any Reactjs application without knowing how to code

Boost Your Communication and Collaboration Skills as a Software Professional
This article shares valuable insights from the author's experience, highlighting the importance of effective communication and collaboration in software development. The author shares three practices that have helped them in their own career, including keeping a friction log, a brag doc, and maintaining a "WTF notebook". Additionally, they recommend several reading materials that focus on "soft" skills, including what got you here won't get you there, accelerate, designing data-intensive applications, and the manager's path.

Writing Tips for Improving Your Pull Requests
Upgrade your PR game by making your descriptions scannable, using plain language, avoiding adverbs, simplifying sentences, and speaking directly.

5 Misconceptions About React Server Components
React 19 and Next.js 15 introduce React Server Components (RSC), separating Server and Client Components. Misunderstandings include the belief that Server Components should always be preferred, misunderstanding the use client directive, and the assumption that Server Components can't be nested in Client Components. This new architecture aims to balance server and client advantages for optimized performance and interactivity.

Internal Emails Reveal Facebook's Strategy to Engage Millennials
Internal emails between Facebook leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg and Peter Thiel, discuss strategies to make Facebook more appealing to Millennials. They explore how to balance the generational narrative, focusing on younger users' needs and preferences while addressing broader societal issues like student debt and affordable housing. The conversation underscores the importance of adapting Facebook's messaging and policies to resonate with Millennials as they gain more influence and leadership roles.