The Daily Index — Tuesday, June 4, 2024 · TLDR Index

Across today’s newsletters

Today’s Index

TLDR

INSTAGRAM CONFIRMS TEST OF ‘UNSKIPPABLE' ADS

Instagram is testing unskippable ads. The ads display a countdown timer and stop users from being able to browse through more content on the app until they view the ad. Instagram has shifted over the years to become more of a video-sharing network, so it makes sense that it is considering becoming more like YouTube. The majority of reactions to the feature have been negative.

techcrunch.com · 4 min

TLDR AI

AMD UNVEILS NEW AI CHIPS TO COMPETE WITH NVIDIA

AMD unveiled its latest AI processors, including the MI325X accelerator due in Q4 2024, at the Computex trade show. It also detailed plans to compete with Nvidia by releasing new AI chips annually. The MI350 series, expected in 2025, promises a 35-fold performance increase in inference compared to the MI300 series. The MI400 series is set for a 2026 release.

links.tldrnewsletter.com · 2 min

TLDR Web Dev

PROMISES FROM THE GROUND UP

Promises in JavaScript aren't always intuitive to use, but they're required to be productive with JavaScript. Promises are needed because JavaScript is single-threaded, which can cause issues when blocking operations like window.prompt() are used. This post dives into the mechanics of Promises, their states (pending, fulfilled, rejected), and how to work with them using the .then() and .catch() methods. It also covers creating custom Promises, chaining them together, passing data between them, and the modern async/await syntax for a more synchronous-like experience.

joshwcomeau.com · 19 min

TLDR Crypto

BINANCE TO ENFORCE MICA STABLECOIN LAWS

Beginning on June 30, Binance will implement phased restrictions on "Unauthorized Stablecoins" for European Economic Area (EEA) users to comply with new MiCA stablecoin regulations. Binance will transition these users towards "Regulated Stablecoins" as they become available to ensure compliance and to minimize market disruption.

binance.com · 4 min

TLDR Product

VC SAYS "CHAOS" COMING FOR STARTUPS, ADS, AND ONLINE BUSINESS AS GENAI EATS WEB

As generative AI products consume more web content, their impact will extend far beyond news publishers. The business model of every internet-based company is at risk because the current internet relies on monetizing visitors to web pages. New business models will emerge, but they have yet to be developed.

bigtechnology.com · 6 min

TLDR

THE OPAQUE INVESTMENT EMPIRE MAKING OPENAI'S SAM ALTMAN RICH

Sam Altman is one of Silicon Valley's most prolific and aggressive individual investors. He manages an investment empire with holdings worth at least $2.8 billion as of early this year. Much of the portfolio isn't widely known. This article takes readers through what's known about Altman's investments.

links.tldrnewsletter.com · 19 min

TLDR

MALE BIRTH CONTROL GEL IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE, NEW TRIAL FINDINGS SHOW

A birth control gel for males, which contains testosterone and a synthetic hormone called Nestorone that reduces sperm production, is showing promise in clinical trials. Researchers recently presented encouraging phase 2 trial results on the hormonal gel. The second part of the two-part trial is still underway, but initial findings have found that the contraceptive works faster than expected. On average, the time for effective contraception was eight weeks. This article also covers some other types of male birth control currently under development.

nbcnews.com · 13 min

TLDR

FUSION TECH FINDS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY APPLICATION

Quaise Energy plans to deploy gyrotron drills to vaporize rocks using powerful microwaves to dramatically reduce the costs and timelines of drilling to fantastic depths. Gyrotrons use high-power linear-beam vacuum tubes to generate millimeter-length electromagnetic waves. The technology is used in nuclear fusion research to heat and control plasma. It could make technologies like geothermal energy viable in more areas of the planet.

spectrum.ieee.org · 5 min

TLDR

ANNOUNCING BRIOCHE!

Brioche is a package manager and build tool designed to be flexible and easy to use. It leverages TypeScript for fancy type-checking and autocompletion. Brioche is currently in Technical Preview and limited to x86-64 Linux. This post includes an example Brioche project file to help developers get started.

brioche.dev · 8 min