🪅 Heap Heap Hurray Ed. #290

Motivated for Monday? Let's make it happen!

#BuildConference - Since 2017, Microsoft has been having its Build event in Seattle - and they are now planning to move it to a different city 😲 The company feels that Build lost momentum post-COVID, and the scheduling conflict with Google I/O, a competing event, has made it harder to attract the intended audience.

Karnataka Takes Quantum Leap
Karnataka State Cabinet approved the establishment of Quantum Research Park Phase-2 at IISc Bengaluru, a top research institute. This park will be a collaborative space for academia, startups, and industry to work on cutting-edge quantum technologies, with a government grant of ₹48 crore. It'll have world-class research facilities, training centers, and hands-on learning labs.

Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit Helps Disrupt India-based Tech Support Scam
Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) recently collaborated with India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Japan Cybercrime Control Center (JC3) to dismantle a cyber-enabled financial fraud network. The operation resulted in the arrest of six key operatives and the takedown of two illegal call centers, disrupting a scam that targeted older adults in Japan by impersonating Microsoft.

Starlink Gets Licence To Roll Out Satellite Internet Services In India
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a licence to Elon Musk-owned satellite internet company Starlink to roll out its services in India. Starlink has received the licence under the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) category. The company is also expected to receive authorisation from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) in the coming days.

Zomato Launches Electric Vehicle Bike Fleet For Delivery Partners
Zomato has launched an Electric Vehicle (EV) rental bike fleet in Delhi. The company aims to facilitate 100% EV-based food deliveries by 2030. Zomato's initiative also aligns with the Government’s plans to make Delhi the EV Capital of India.

Amazon Launches Agentic AI Group
Amazon: US-based e-commerce/tech giant. A new R&D group within Amazon's consumer product division will focus on agentic AI, aiming to enhance warehouse robots' skills and develop a framework for robotics efforts, based at Lab126, Amazon's hardware R&D center.

ChatGPT - Introduced significant upgrade to Advanced Voice Mode with more natural and human-like responses, including subtler intonation, realistic cadence, and accurate expressiveness, as well as support for translation.

Gemini AI - Added "Scheduled Actions" feature to perform tasks at specific times, such as providing summaries or generating ideas, for AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers.

Cap | Cap is a lightweight, modern open-source CAPTCHA alternative using SHA-256 proof-of-work

Snapdom | snapDOM captures HTML elements to images with exceptional speed and accuracy.

Kan | The open source Trello alternative.

The Browser Company's Pivot: From Arc To Dia
The Browser Company, maker of Arc, explains its sudden pivot to Dia, citing lessons learned from Arc's growth, retention, and AI integration. Founder reflects on what went wrong, what they'd do differently, and why Dia is the next step.

Chatgpt Search Strategy
ChatGPT aims to improve its search functionality by catering to different user segments, including researchers, developers, and casual searchers. Initiatives include friction-free navigation, quick answer/link, top-link cards, and improved source surfacing.

Decorative Text Within HTML
HTML attributes can contain unusual characters, allowing for creative formatting and commenting within class names.