Apple Needs to Evolve to Compete in the Artificial Intelligence Era (12 minute read)
Apple is unveiling new generative AI features at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10. While the company will still rely on the on-device approach, it's also planning to deliver services via the cloud. Apple will improve Siri's voice capabilities and add features like auto-summarizing notifications to help users with their day-to-day lives. Apple's generative AI technology isn't advanced enough for it to release its own chatbot, so it's teaming up with OpenAI to add the functionality to iOS 18.
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Blue Origin successfully launches its first crewed mission since 2022 (2 minute read)
Blue Origin has resumed crewed flights for the first time in two years. The company recently successfully brought six tourist crew members to the edge of space and back on its New Shepard rocket and crew capsule. Blue Origin had paused launches after a mission experienced an anomaly that caused it to abort after liftoff in August 2022. The company has flown a total number of 37 human passengers to space so far.
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Science & Futuristic Technology
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Trial HIV vaccine triggers elusive and essential antibodies, pointing the way toward a successful vaccine (6 minute read)
The Duke Human Vaccine Institute has developed an HIV vaccine candidate that triggers low levels of a type of broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies within weeks. It targets an area of the HIV-1 outer envelope that remains stable even as the virus mutates. Antibodies against this region can block infection by many different circulating strains of HIV. More work still needs to be done to create a more robust response - a successful HIV vaccine will likely have at least three components all aimed at distinct regions of the virus.
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Frozen human brain tissue was successfully revived for the first time (3 minute read)
Scientists from China have found a way to thaw human brain tissue without damaging it. The scientists grew brain organoids from human embryonic stem cells and then tested various chemical compounds to determine which combinations could help keep frozen human brain tissue alive and enable growth after thawing. The most successful combination consisted of methylcellulose, ethylene glycol, DMSO, and Y27632. The researchers suspect it somehow interferes with a pathway that would otherwise initiate cell death, allowing for the issue to freeze and be thawed without incident.
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Programming, Design & Data Science
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System tests have failed (3 minute read)
System tests are supposed to offer greater confidence that a machine is working as it ought to. Developers automate testing to get quick feedback on changes, to catch regressions, and to become confident that a system works. System testing isn't the best way to fulfill all of these goals - sometimes it's better to embrace the human element and drop the automation. Not only will this allow you to know that the system works, it also lets you know whether the user interface 'feels right'.
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How Google does code review (8 minute read)
This article walks readers through Google's code review process. It covers Google's internal code review tools, the different levels of mandatory approvals, Google's culture around code review, and more. Google's code reviews are more thorough and thoughtful than industry standard. Changes take multiple days and countless rounds of feedback before they can be merged.
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Group chats rule the world (7 minute read)
Most of the interesting conversations in tech now happen in private group chats. This thread looks at what makes a group chat good. The best groups are small, have good moderators, and share rituals, jokes, and routines. New ideas, combined with a sense of humor, is what makes great group chats work - boredom breaks them.
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Microsoft Plans Boldest Games Bet Since Activision Deal, Changing How ‘Call of Duty' Is Sold (5 minute read)
Microsoft is releasing the next Call of Duty to its Game Pass subscription service. Players will still have the option to purchase the game outright. While this plan may mean people could end up paying Microsoft less to play the new game, the company hopes that it will draw new users to Game Pass who will end up paying more over the long term. Starfield, which was released on Game Pass at launch last year, drove a record number of new subscriptions in a single day.
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