The Daily Index — Tuesday, June 27, 2023 · TLDR Index

Across today’s newsletters

Today’s Index

TLDR

DEEPMIND CLAIMS ITS NEXT CHATBOT WILL RIVAL CHATGPT

DeepMind's Gemini large language model was trained using techniques from AlphaGo, the first AI system to defeat a professional human player in the board game Go. Gemini can plan, solve problems, and analyze text. It combines the strengths of AlphaGo-type systems with the capabilities of large language models. Gemini's development was spurred by the failures of Bard, Google's chatbot project. Jeff Dean, Google's most senior AI research executive, directly participated in the project.

techcrunch.com · 2 min

TLDR AI

DATABRICKS ACQUIRES MOSAICML FOR $1B+

MosaicML has one of the industry leading toolkits for training large AI models while Databricks has the customer's data. The combination of the two seems sensible. Congrats to the team!

databricks.com · 5 min

TLDR Web Dev

WHY VUE IS A GREAT FIT FOR MODULAR SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE

It can be difficult to decide what frontend framework to invest in. After all, decisions like this have big implications for teams that will likely be working with a certain technology for years to come. This article talks about why Vue should be one of your top contenders when choosing a frontend framework to invest in for the long haul.

netlify.com · 3 min

TLDR Crypto

HSBC HONG KONG NOW LETS CUSTOMERS TRADE BITCOIN AND ETHER ETFS

HSBC Hong Kong is now permitting its customers to trade Bitcoin and Ether ETFs on the Hong Kong stock exchange. With three different ETFs available, HSBC is the first platform to offer crypto exchange-traded funds in Hong Kong. This is just another step forward for the region in further opening up to crypto. Throughout the course of this year, Hong Kong has been introducing new regulations for crypto companies with an eye toward becoming a global crypto hub. Hong Kong’s banking regulator has even been pressuring major players to accept crypto exchanges for clients.

theblock.co · 2 min

TLDR

AMAZON WILL NOW PAY YOUR COFFEE SHOP TO DELIVER PACKAGES

Amazon is connecting with a range of small businesses across the US to build out its package delivery network. Participating businesses are required to have a physical location and be available for delivery seven days a week. There are no long-term contracts and businesses bring their own staff, vehicles, and devices. Amazon hopes to connect with 2,500 drivers operating out of these small businesses by the end of the year. Small businesses can apply to become an Amazon Hub Partner online.

theverge.com · 2 min

TLDR

THIS DRUG CAN GIVE US AN EDGE IN THE BACTERIA-ANTIBIOTICS ARMS RACE

Bacteria can evolve genetic survival tactics much faster than humans can find new drugs to kill them. Scientists from Baylor College of Medicine discovered that a drug commonly used as a topical antiseptic significantly slows the evolution of bacteria and makes cipro, the second most prescribed antibiotic in the US, much more effective at fighting infection. Their study suggests that it may be possible to slow down pathogen evolution to the point where the body's immune system can deal with the infection without antibiotics. Global antibiotic resistance was responsible for nearly 1.3 million deaths in 2019.

newatlas.com · 2 min

TLDR

LIMITS

Researchers at NIST and Georgia Tech have developed a new type of miniature atomic clock called a chip-scale beam clock. The technology promises improved timing over weeks and months compared to existing chip-scale atomic clock systems. The device, currently still in a prototype stage, is the size of a postal stamp and initial tests show scarcely worse performance than existing chip-scale atomic clocks. The team is confident that they will be able to increase precision by a factor of 10 and stability by a factor of 100 over weekly periods.

interestingengineering.com · 5 min

TLDR

A SENIOR ENGINEERS GUIDE TO FAANG INTERVIEWS

This guide to FAANG interviews was created by interviewers for candidates. The authors spent hundreds of hours talking to current and former FAANG interviewers about their processes. While FAANG interviews can seem daunting, they are much easier once you learn a company's operating metaphors: what they reward, what they punish, and what they're blind to. Learning a company's metaphors shows interviewers that you're part of their tribe.

interviewing.io · 20 min

TLDR

2023 ENGINEERING SALARY EXPECTATIONS TRENDS REPORT

This report focuses on the impact of minimum salary requirement trends on software engineers. Ongoing layoffs have created a saturated job market, making it easier for employers to attract candidates at a reduced cost. Workers are now emphasizing the importance of culture, career growth, work-life balance, and stability. Employees are likely to continue to place equal or more importance on these non-monetary benefits as the economy rebounds.

teamblind.com · 10 min