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OPENAI’S ANNUALIZED REVENUE REPORTEDLY TOPS $1.6B

OpenAI’s annualized revenue has topped $1.6B just two months after reaching the $1.3B mark.

GOOGLE'S VIDEOPOET PAPER RELEASED: A CLOSER LOOK

APPLE’S LLM GAP IS REAL. IT MIGHT NOT LAST MUCH LONGER

Apple, after developing the "Ferret" Large Language Model with Cornell University, is expected to reveal its approach to integrating LLMs at the next Worldwide Developers Conference, focusing on user privacy and simplicity.

ANYTEXT VISUAL TEXT GENERATION AND EDITING

AnyText is a multilingual visual text generation and editing tool. It features a diffusion pipeline with an auxiliary latent module and a text embedding module for generating and editing text. The tool employs OCR models and tokenizer embeddings to blend texts seamlessly into backgrounds. AnyText stands out in accuracy for both Chinese and English text generation. The tool offers an online demo, installation instructions, and methodology details on its GitHub page.

A TRAINING-FREE APPROACH HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGE INPAINTING

HD-Painter marks a significant advancement in text-guided image inpainting by introducing a training-free method that ensures high-resolution results and better alignment with user prompts. It utilizes innovative techniques like the Prompt-Aware Introverted Attention layer and Reweighting Attention Score Guidance, allowing for detailed inpainting up to 2K resolution.

PAINT3D: GENERATE HIGH-RESOLUTION TEXTURES FOR 3D MESHES

Paint3D introduces an approach to generating high-quality, 2K UV texture maps for 3D meshes without embedded lighting, allowing for easy re-lighting and editing.

DIFFUSERS JS

A reimplementation of key HuggingFace Diffusers functionality in JavaScript to be run in the browser. Includes examples of running popular models.

MIXTRAL OFFLOADING

Mixtral offloading is a project focused on efficient inference of Mixtral-8x7B models on platforms like Colab or consumer desktops. It employs mixed quantization with HQQ and a MoE offloading strategy to fit the model into combined GPU and CPU memory. The project includes a demo notebook and offers online execution via Colab. It is still under development, with features like other quantization methods and speculative expert prefetching planned.

IMAGE SEGMENTATION WITH COMMON SENSE KNOWLEDGE

ProLab introduces a unique approach for improving image segmentation models that uses property-level labels based on common sense knowledge. By combining Large Language Models with structured prompts and a description embedding model, ProLab not only performs better on classic benchmarks but also shows promise in segmenting unknown categories, offering a more interpretable and scalable solution.

A CASE FOR AI ALIGNMENT BEING DIFFICULT

This analysis explores the challenges of aligning AGI with human values. It suggests that while integrating human values into AGI is complex due to differences in mind architecture and evolutionary influences, understanding the human brain and enhancing human capabilities could be key to developing AGIs that align with human values, offering potential yet challenging paths forward.

AI IS NOT CONSCIOUS

A group of 19 researchers suggested a checklist to assess AI consciousness and determined that no existing AI systems possess consciousness yet - but the creation of potentially conscious AI systems remains a technical possibility.

HOW LEADING AI STARTUP INVESTORS APPROACHED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN 2023

Most investors took a wait-and-see approach, knowing full well that the big, big disruptions are coming in the form of new silicon and solutions that go beyond fun “parlor tricks”. While funds may say they have seen this coming for a long time, no one can say with a straight face how big the impact would be on the general zeitgeist.

MICKEY OUT OF COPYRIGHT (HUGGINGFACE DATASET)

Now that Mickey is out of copyright, it is - in theory - ready to be used for generative training. This dataset is every frame of the original Steam Boat Willy animated short hosted on HuggingFace.

GOOGLE MIGHT ALREADY BE REPLACING SOME AD SALES JOBS WITH AI

Google is restructuring its Ads business because of its new AI tools. The tools remove the need for a lot of work, increasing ad revenue profit margins. A growing number of advertisers are adopting Google's AI tools, eliminating the need for employees who specialize in selling ads for particular Google services. Details about the reorganization are expected to be announced next month.

ROAST MY WEB (PRODUCT)

Boost your site with smart AI feedback.

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SEC MAY NOTIFY APPROVED ETF ISSUERS BY EARLY NEXT WEEK, AHEAD OF JANUARY 10 LAUNCH

The SEC is reportedly likely to notify 14 asset managers as early as this week regarding the approval status for their respective Bitcoin ETF applications. This comes in anticipation of the January 10 decision deadline. Approved firms may even be allowed to launch by the given deadline.

BLACKROCK, VALKYRIE NAME AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANTS INCLUDING JPMORGAN FOR BITCOIN ETF

BlackRock and Valkyrie, two spot Bitcoin ETF applicants, recently announced the authorized participants for their ETFs. BlackRock has chosen Jane Street and J.P. Morgan, whereas Valkyrie will use Jane Street and Cantor Fitzgerald. The selections caused a bit of a buzz due to J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon's recent public opposition to crypto.

PARALLEL LABS TO LAUNCH PARALLEL NETWORK, A LAYER 2 BUILT ON ARBITRUM ORBIT

Parallel Labs will soon launch the Parallel Network, the first Arbitrum Orbit chain on mainnet, aiming to effectively consolidate DeFi and NFT protocols from various chains into one platform. The system will streamline user experience due to its increased responsiveness and scalability while maintaining Ethereum's security standards. The network aims to address liquidity fragmentation, a common issue with L2s, by creating a unified multi-chain margin account, enabling a more efficient and user-friendly crypto trading experience.

TINYCHAIN: THE "SMALLEST BLOCKCHAIN IN THE WORLD"

SOLANA: DELEGATED PROOF-OF-STAKE (DPOS) AND PROOF-OF-HISTORY (POH)

This article provides an in-depth look at how Solana achieves high performance through its unique consensus architecture. Solana utilizes Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) and a unique mechanism coined Proof-of-History (PoH) for validating and sequencing transactions. PoH essentially creates a global clock across nodes reducing discrepancies and boosting speed, while DPoS relies on stakes for network governance, making it efficient and incentivizing integrity. This unique design has been a tailwind, as scalability became one of the main narratives throughout this bear market.

FROM 4844 TO DANKSHARDING: A PATH TO SCALING ETHEREUM DA

Ethereum's EIP-4844 is set to incrementally scale Ethereum's data layer, providing improvements such as blob data, a new resource with its own independent fee market, and cryptographic components. It also introduces the Danksharding proposal, which gradually uses cryptographic and networking components to obtain scalability and feature-completeness, potentially increasing bandwidth requirements. This EIP is one of the most highly anticipated upgrades to the Ethereum network, and many crypto experts are expecting this upgrade to shift focus and mind share back towards Ethereum L2s.

TALE OF TWO CRYPTOS: SPECULATION VS. DECENTRALIZATION

This article discusses the continuous prevalence of speculative investments in the crypto ecosystem, including internet money, memecoins, and NFTs. This trend is fueled by the broad access and the potential substantial rewards that crypto offers to ordinary individuals. While some people see these speculative investments as a form of entertainment, others view them as an opportunity to jumpstart their wealth-building journey. Regardless of the goals of users, these speculative cycles have consistently driven greater adoption of crypto platforms. This type of speculation will continue to drive growth and technical progress in the crypto space.

MAKE ETHEREUM CYPHERPUNK AGAIN

This essay from Vitalik Buterin reflects on the early ideals behind cryptocurrencies and decentralized technology, tracing their trajectory for creating a more open society and economy. It observes the shift away from these visions due to rising transaction costs and the dominance of financial applications. The piece further highlights advancements like rollups, privacy solutions, and zero-knowledge proofs that now offer a chance to realign with original goals. Buterin calls for a balance of incentives and values within the crypto community to meaningfully implement these technological improvements.

UPDATED ETHEREUM ROADMAP FROM VITALIK

Vitalik Buterin released a new roadmap for Ethereum, showing few changes, emphasizing single slot finality in post-Merge PoS, progress in Surge and Scourge projects, and shifts in priorities like state expiry and VDFs.

SOL SHOTTY

SOL Shotty is a Solana RPC proxy that 'shotgun blasts' RPC requests to multiple providers, ensuring faster response and reliability, even if a provider is down.

SEI ECOSYSTEM OVERVIEW

SEI has been surging lately with the narrative of parallelized EVMs picking up. This thread provides a simple overview of what you can do on the chain to get a feel for what the ecosystem has to offer.

INSCRIPTIONS: A GUIDE FOR THE IDEOLOGICAL MAXI

The creator of Inscriptions aligns with Bitcoin maximalism but is critical of its rigidity. They advise against whining about Bitcoin ordinals and inscriptions and urge people to focus on more impactful issues.

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JONY IVE POACHES LEAD IPHONE DESIGNER TO WORK ON OPENAI HARDWARE DEVICE

Jony Ive is collaborating with Sam Altman on an AI-enabled piece of hardware, and he's assembling Apple's best and brightest to work on it. Tang Tan will lead the project's hardware engineering at Ive's hardware company, LoveFrom. He was previously the lead designer for the iPhone and Apple Watch. More than twenty former Apple employees have joined Ive's company.

IT WAS ABOUT TIME THE MINNESOTA FLAG WAS REDESIGNED

Minnesota now has a redesigned flag by the state artist Andrew Prekker following a competition that received over 2,500 submissions. In addition to its simple design and easy recognition, the new logo incorporates local symbolism, such as the North Star on the state's shape and the sky blue background representing its "10,000 Lakes".

WELCOME TO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, MICKEY MOUSE

After nearly a century, Mickey Mouse has slipped off Disney’s copyright leash. The first versions of the iconic cartoon character, seen in Steamboat Willie and a silent version of Plane Crazy, entered the public domain in the US on January 1st, 2024.

NAMING DESIGN TOKENS: THE ART OF CLARITY AND CONSISTENCY

Choosing the proper names for design tokens is critical for design systems' maintainability, clarity, and efficiency, just like naming variables in programming. Designers should use naming patterns and follow the agreed-on naming principles to use the design tokens consistently.

REFACTORING PRODUCTBOARD’S DESIGN SYSTEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Figma's constant evolution may require design system teams to refactor their libraries occasionally. In refactoring its design system, Productboard learned some lessons about how this process can be smoother, especially by being transparent about what's required and how long it will take.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RESPONSIVE LOGO DESIGN

Companies can’t just have logos that are readable on desktop screens and large-scale prints. They also need symbols that are recognizable on smartphones and as favicons. Designers designing responsive logos should keep it simple, put scalability at the forefront, and be consistent between the sizes.

TEXT PROMPT TO SVG

Effortlessly convert your text prompts into stunning SVG images using AI.

FREE DESIGN SYSTEM FOR FIGMA

Wedges is a free design system and UI kit that allows you to customize its visual foundation by adjusting its typography, colors, effects, and variables.

COLOR SHADES (FIGMA PLUGIN)

Generate multiple shades from the same base color.

BEST DATA VISUALIZATION PROJECTS OF 2023

Best data visualization projects from 2023 include Alvin Chang's unique American Time Use Survey exploration, Lauren Leatherby's examination of demographic shifts, and Leonardo Nicoletti and Dina Bass's project connecting AI and bias.

HOW GAME DESIGN WORKS WITH OUR BRAINS TO CREATE BEAUTY AND MEANING

A new book by veteran game designer Frank Lantz explores the ways and reasons games impact us so profoundly and the depths of creative expression in them. Playing games teaches us about the world, helps us connect cause and effect to imagination, and enables us to learn in a whole new way.

UX WRITING IS AN OVERLOOKED SKILL UX PROFESSIONALS NEED TO KNOW

When designers ignore UX writing and microcopy, others pick up the slack, which may only sometimes lead to the best results. The role of designers is especially suited to crafting engaging content and ensuring all copy is readable, scannable, and accessible.

CANVA THINKS THESE WILL BE THE HOT DESIGN TRENDS OF 2024

Canva is betting on pixelation, surrealism, and bold rebrands in 2024.

TOP 10 UX STUDY GUIDES OF 2023

Nielsen Norman Group has released its study guide for 2023, which features the best content of the year. The post organizes articles and videos into topics and guides learners to study them in the best sequence.

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HERE’S WHAT 6 EXPERTS THINK WILL HAPPEN IN THE TECH WORLD IN 2024

The tech landscape witnessed a tumultuous year with TikTok bands, the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, and ongoing OpenAI drama. In 2024, experts predict ongoing chaos in AI, heightened cybersecurity challenges, and the evolution of the metaverse away from Mark Zuckerberg’s vision. Creator-led brands and ad withdrawals from platforms like X will also continue to shape the industry.

THE HOTTEST INFLUENCER MARKETING TACTIC FOR 2024

Businesses are prioritizing user-generated content from everyday individuals and existing customers over professional content creators. This shift is driven by cost considerations and changing consumer preferences. It allows cost-sensitive brands to build stronger existing customer relationships through tactics like gifting free products and offering affiliate revenue.

THE WORST STRATEGIC MARKETING MISTAKE YOU COULD EVER MAKE

Although it’s understandable to want to go slow with a marketing plan, it is the worst move when it comes to realizing results from your investment. Most companies need foundational marketing, which must be in place to expect any lead generation. Marketing also works best when you have enough budget to cycle and optimize quickly. Moving too slowly will make it difficult to see significant results.

HERE’S A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO TELL IF YOUR DIGITAL ADS ARE WORKING

This study proposes a solution using randomized controlled trials (RCTs) combined with predictive models to estimate ad impact. RCTs are when a randomly chosen group of consumers is shown an ad and is compared with a randomly chosen control group that doesn’t see the ad. The difference in response between these groups reflects the ad’s impact. The study shows that even a small number of RCTs can effectively predict the return on advertising dollars.

7 THINGS BRANDS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE COLLABORATING WITH AN INFLUENCER

Marketers must carefully consider several factors to assess if an influencer collaboration aligns with their brand strategy and goals. This article discusses 7 of these factors, including the authority and trust of the influencer within the category, the influencer’s power to sway preferences and decisions, and how authentic the potential partnership would be.