TLDR 2025-05-15

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MEET ALPHAEVOLVE, THE GOOGLE AI THAT WRITES ITS OWN CODE—AND JUST SAVED MILLIONS IN COMPUTING COSTS

Google DeepMind's AlphaEvolve is an artificial intelligence agent that can invent brand-new computer algorithms. It pairs Google's large language models with an approach that tests, refines, and improves algorithms automatically. The system has already been deployed across Google's data centers, chip designs, and AI training systems, boosting efficiency and solving mathematical problems that have stumped researchers for decades. The system represents a major leap in AI's ability to develop sophisticated algorithms for both scientific challenges and everyday computing problems.

UBER'S NEW BUS-LIKE FEATURE FOR COMMUTERS IS NEARLY 50 PERCENT CHEAPER THAN UBERX

Uber's new type of ride service travels along a set route every 20 minutes with up to three passengers. Route Share will cost up to 50% less than an UberX ride. The service will be available in select cities and only during commuting hours. Uber says the service is a complement to public transit. The company has also announced a new price lock feature that allows customers to lock in a certain price for up to 10 routes for a $2.99 per month fee. Customers can now prepay for up to 20 rides a month at a reduced rate.

BIG TUNNELING MILESTONE!

The Boring Company has successfully continuously mined in a Zero-People-in-Tunnel (ZPIT) configuration. Its machine can simultaneously advance forward and build tunnels without a human in it. Each 'ring' in the tunnel weighs around 24,000 pounds. ZPIT continuous mining is the Holy Grail for Boring Machines as it is the safest, fastest, and least expensive architecture for building tunnels.

ROBOT CHEFS TAKE OVER AT SOUTH KOREA'S HIGHWAY RESTAURANTS, TO MIXED REVIEWS

South Korean tech companies are now deploying collaborative robots to work alongside humans in hotels, elder care, schools, and restaurants. The bots are supposed to solve a looming labor shortage in the rapidly aging nation. The government plans to increase the number of bot workers to 1 million by 2030. The reaction to the introduction of robots has been met with mixed emotions from both workers and customers.

MICROSOFT PULLS PLUG ON BING SEARCH APIS

Microsoft will retire Bing Search APIs on August 11. All existing instances of Bing Search APIs will be decommissioned completely and the API will no longer be available for use. Developers who need a real alternative are recommended to check out Brave Search APIs, which generally offers a more cost-effective solution, especially for developers with lower usage needs.

GIT-BUG

git-bug is an issue management tool that embeds issues, comments, and more as objects in a git repository, enabling users to push and pull them to one or more remotes. It manages issues, users, and comments directly within repositories, keeping everything versioned and clutter-free. git-bug leverages git's decentralized architecture to work offline and sync seamlessly later. It is lightning fast and easily synchronizes with platforms like GitHub and GitLab.

IF YOU HATE ADS ON NETFLIX, I HAVE BAD NEWS: THEY'RE DOING REALLY WELL

Netflix's ad-supported tier has 94 million monthly active users, up 20 million since last November. The cheaper plan costs $7.99 per month compared to $17.99 for the lowest ad-free option. The ad model is outperforming expectations. Netflix says its ad-supported tier now reaches more US viewers aged 18 to 34 than any other broadcast or cable network and that viewers are engaging with mid-roll ads just as much as they do with the content itself.

LLMS ARE MAKING ME DUMBER

Large language models can help people output substantially more work, but this usually comes at the cost of learning or improvement. People are incentivized to maximize immediate output, so the sacrifice seems fair. Before the rise of generative AI, learning was a prerequisite for output, but people can now use technology to build things without deeply understanding the implementation. Developers should decide what skills they are and are not okay with offloading and what they want to do for themselves.

FORTNITE RESUBMITS APP STORE REVIEW REQUEST FOLLOWING LACK OF RESPONSE

Gamers will have to wait a few more days before Fortnite can return to the App Store, as Epic had to resubmit the app for review after the first submission went unreviewed for over 120 hours - 90% of apps are usually reviewed within 48 hours.

LISA

Linux Integration Services Automation (LISA) is a Linux quality validation system consisting of a test framework to drive test execution and a set of test suites to verify Linux kernel/distribution quality.

KLARNA CEO SAYS AI HELPED COMPANY SHRINK WORKFORCE BY 40%

AI has helped Klarna shrink from about 5,000 employees to almost 3,000 - the headcount reduction wasn't solely due to AI, but also because of attrition.

IF AI IS SO GOOD AT CODING … WHERE ARE THE OPEN SOURCE CONTRIBUTIONS?

Some of the best minds in programming work in open source - if AI coding was really better than humans, they'd be using it and recommending it.

DATABRICKS TO BUY STARTUP NEON FOR $1 BILLION

The deal may make Databricks more attractive to businesses that want to create their own artificial intelligence bots.

OPEN LETTER TO BRIAN CHESKY

Airbnb's success was never due to some kind of grand narrative - it was the company's tinkering, perfect timing, and perpetual sensitivity to what hosts were already doing.