InfoQ Homepage News
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Hugging Face Launches SmolTools: Practical AI Apps Powered by SmolLM2 Model
Hugging Face has introduced SmolTools, a set of applications built on the recently launched SmolLM2 model, a compact 1.7-billion parameter language model. SmolTools includes specialized tools for summarization, rewriting, and task automation, bringing efficient AI functionality to a broader range of users.
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Google Debuts OpenAI-compatible API for Gemini
In an effort to make it easier for developers who adopted OpenAI for their LLM-based solutions to switch to Gemini, Google has launched a new endpoint for its Gemini API that allows them to easily switch from one service to the other. The new endpoint is still in beta and provides only partial coverage of OpenAI capabilities.
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Anthropic Releases New Claude Models and Computer Use Feature
Anthropic released two new models: Claude 3.5 Haiku and an improved version of Claude 3.5 Sonnet. They also released a new feature for Claude 3.5 Sonnet that allows the model to interact with a computer's GUI the same way a human user does.
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Java News Roundup: Spring Cloud, Project Loom, Open Liberty, Groovy, Jakarta EE 11 Update
This week's Java roundup for November 4th, 2024, features news highlighting: the first candidate release of Spring Cloud 2024; an update on Project Loom; the release of Open Liberty 24.0.0.11; point and milestone releases for Apache Groovy; and an update on Jakarta EE 11.
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Uber Achieves Significant Storage Savings with MyRocks Differential Backups
Uber has written about successfully implementing a new differential backup system for its distributed databases, which led to storage cost reductions of up to 70%. Uber engineers developed this solution in response to growing storage costs and lengthy backup completion times that emerged after Uber migrated storage services to MyRocks, a MySQL storage engine based on RocksDB.
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InfoQ Dev Summit Munich: In-Memory Java Database EclipseStore Delivers Faster Data Processing
At the InfoQ Dev Summit Munich, Markus Kett presented a database alternative for Java: the in-memory EclipseStore promises faster data processing with lower cloud costs. It stores Java objects as binary files in local or cloud file systems and uses Java Streams for queries. But applications must manage concurrent writes and use the commercial MicroStream Cluster for multiple JVM instances.
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OpenJDK News Roundup: Instance Main Methods, Flexible Constructor Bodies, Module Import Declarations
There was a flurry of activity in the OpenJDK ecosystem during the week of November 4th, 2024, highlighting: five JEPs, having successfully completed their respective reviews, are now Targeted for JDK 24; five new JEPs have been Proposed to Target for JDK 24 and will be under review during the week of November 11th, 2024; and two JEP drafts that have been promoted to Candidate status.
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Decart and Etched Release Oasis, a New AI Model Transforming Gaming Worlds
Decart.ai and Etched.ai recently introduced Oasis, an AI-driven model that generates a fully interactive, real-time open-world experience inspired by Minecraft.
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Cloudflare Advocates for Broader Adoption of security.txt Standard for Vulnerability Reporting
To address the issue of unreported security vulnerabilities, Cloudflare recently launched a dashboard to help create and manage a security.txt file for website vulnerability disclosures. The generated file adheres to the RFC9116 standard, offering security research teams a standardized method for reporting vulnerabilities.
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Microsoft Unveils Enhanced AI Tools for Developers at GitHub Universe
At GitHub Universe, Microsoft unveiled powerful integrations of Azure AI with GitHub and VS Code, empowering developers with context-aware tools like GitHub Copilot for Azure and AI App Templates. These innovations streamline workflows, enhance resource management, and simplify deployment, providing developers with robust features for efficient, secure application building and experimentation.
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Amazon Aurora Introduces Global Database Writer Endpoint for Distributed Applications
Amazon Aurora has recently introduced a Global Database writer endpoint to streamline routing for applications in disaster-recovery scenarios. This highly available global endpoint removes the need for application code changes to reestablish connectivity following a cross-region switchover or failover operation.
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Optimizing Uber's Search Infrastructure: Upgrading to Apache Lucene 9.5
Uber Engineering recently announced an upgrade to their search infrastructure, transitioning from Apache Lucene 8.0 to version 9.5. This upgrade improves Uber's search capabilities, performance and efficiency across their various services.
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OSI Releases New Definition for Open Source AI, Setting Standards for Transparency and Accessibility
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) released Version 1.0 of its Open Source AI Definition (OSAID) after two years of development with contributions from global experts. The OSAID sets criteria defining open-source AI, aiming to bring clarity to the concept and establish benchmarks for transparency and accessibility in AI.
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Grab Employs LLMs for Conversational Data Discovery with GPT-4, Glean and Slack
Grab responded to the challenges of finding valuable datasets among 200k+ tables by enhancing Hubble, the data discovery tool, with new capabilities leveraging GenAI technologies. The company reduced the data discovery process by incorporating LLMs to generate dataset documentation and created a Slack bot to bring effective data discovery to data consumers.
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What Developers Can Do to Continue to Program as They Age
Trouble seeing, pain, and stiffness are some of the things that can make it harder to program as you age. But there are solutions like changing fonts, using glasses, and rearranging the office layout. Some older programmers' mental concerns included a lack of motivation and cynical feelings. According to Gregory, exercising and getting good sleep help to keep the abilities needed as a developer.