noplace, a mashup of Twitter and Myspace for Gen Z, hits No. 1 on the App Store (6 minute read)
noplace, an app that aims to bring the 'social' back to 'social media', has surged to the top of the iOS App Store. Launched out of invite-only mode on Wednesday, the app allows users to have colorful customizable profiles and share everything from relationship status to what they're listening or watching, what they're reading or doing, and more. It focuses on text-based updates and currently doesn't support photos or videos. The app offers a feed with friends and another global feed from everyone in the app - both are in reverse chronological order. It uses AI technology to drive suggestions and creation and create summaries for things users may have missed.
‘Skinny jabs': weight-loss drugs set for new boom as generic versions emerge (8 minute read)
Generic versions of Wegovy, Saxenda, Ozempic, and Victoza are set to hit the market soon at a lower cost than the original drugs. Patents for liraglutide, which is in Victoza and Saxenda, have expired. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the world's largest generic drugmaker, has already launched a generic version of Victoza in the US. Pfizer, Viatris' Mylan, and Novartis' Sandoz are also planning to launch their own generic liraglutide products. Ozempic and Wegovy will lose patent protection in China in 2026, in Europe and Japan in 2031, and in the US in 2032.
Cloudflare debuts one-click nuke of web-scraping AI (3 minute read)
Cloudflare is now offering its web hosting customers a way to block AI bots from scraping website content and using the data without permission to train machine learning models. It is able to recognize bot activity even when operators lie about their user agent. The bot detection approach relies on digital fingerprinting. With a network that sees an average of 57 million requests per second, Cloudflare has ample data to determine which fingerprints can be trusted.
A Hacker Stole OpenAI Secrets, Raising Fears That China Could, Too (8 minute read)
A hacker gained access to OpenAI's internal messaging systems early last year. They accessed details from discussions in an internal online forum but did not get into the systems where the company houses and builds its artificial intelligence. Details of the incident were revealed to employees in April 2023. Executives decided not to share the news publicly because no information about customers or partners was stolen. It is believed that the hacker was a private individual with no known ties to a foreign government. OpenAI did not inform the FBI or anyone else in law enforcement about the incident.
Gradually, then Suddenly: Upon the Threshold (9 minute read)
AI development isn't a steady curve but a series of thresholds that, when crossed, suddenly and irrevocably change aspects of our lives.
ChatGPT might rule the AI chatbots — but it can't beat Google Search (3 minute read)
Google's global search market share bumped up to 91.1% in June while ChatGPT's web visits fell 12%. Rising ad revenue from Google Search helped boost the company's profits by nearly 60% in the first quarter. Google's AI overviews may be helping Google Search grow its footprint. Integrating AI into its products will likely help drive higher usage and increase monetization across Google.
Chinese developers scramble as OpenAI blocks access in China (4 minute read)
Chinese attempts to lure domestic developers away from OpenAI will now be a lot easier as OpenAI has blocked users in China from accessing its tools and services. The tool was already blocked through the government's firewall, but developers were previously still able to use virtual private networks to access OpenAI's tools. OpenAI has not elaborated on the reason for its sudden decision. The decision may result in an acceleration of development by Chinese AI companies.
Doctors Restoring Bloodflow in Legally Dead Bodies to Retrieve Donor Organs (3 minute read)
A highly controversial procedure called normothermic regional perfusion, which involves pumping blood through a deceased person's body, can help doctors retrieve donor organs even if patients have already been declared dead. The procedure greatly increases the chances of obtaining functional donor organs and could save a lot of lives. It stops organs from being damaged by keeping up the circulation of oxygen-rich blood. There are concerns that the procedure may be able to restore limited brain activity, but there are ways to stop blood from reaching the brain.
OpenAI board shake-up: Microsoft out, Apple backs away amid AI partnership scrutiny (2 minute read)
Microsoft and Apple will no longer have representatives in non-voting observer roles on OpenAI's board. Microsoft withdrew from the role while Apple opted not to take the position. OpenAI plans to update business partners and investors through regular meetings instead of board representation. The changes are likely a reaction to regulators in the EU and US increasing their scrutiny of Big Tech's investments in AI startups due to concerns about stifling competition.
How Wikipedia Admin David Gerard Launders His Grudges Into the Public Record (82 minute read)
Wikipedia administrator David Gerard goes out of his way to provide interviews to journalists who write on topics he's passionate about - then he adds just the right quotes from those sources to Wikipedia articles about those topics and protects those additions from any who might question them.