Wednesday's here - let's make the most of it!
Geek Gossip
#TechRegulation - India could become the next major test case for age-based social media bans. Goa is the latest state to study whether to bar children under 16 from social media platforms. The southern state of Andhra Pradesh is also considering adopting Australia’s approach.
#MetaSubscriptions - Meta is planning to launch new subscriptions on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. That is, some of the features you know may soon require you to pay to use them.
Changelog
Google - You can now chat with the AI mode and overviews in search
Android - Enhanced Theft Protection with Stronger Authentication Safeguards, Improved Recovery Tools, and Proactive Protection.
WhatsApp - Introduces Strict Account Settings feature for enhanced security and privacy
Google Photos - You can now convert your photos to videos
OpenAI - Launches Prism, a Claude Code equivalent aimed at researchers.
Xbox Cloud Gaming - Refreshed web experience available for testing with updated navigation and design.
Website Wednesday
Reactiive Demos - An open-source collection of over 110 advanced React Native animations. It showcases high-performance UI patterns built using React Native Skia, Reanimated, and Gesture Handler. For developers, it serves as a premier visual gallery and learning resource for mastering fluid gestures and complex graphic interactions within the React Native ecosystem.
Web3 Is Going Great - A timeline by Molly White that archives disasters, scams, and hacks in the crypto world. It features a "Grift Counter" tracking billions in lost funds, providing a critical counter-narrative to industry hype. By documenting technical failures and rug pulls, the site highlights the significant risks and frequent collapses within the blockchain ecosystem
Omni Tools - An open-source, privacy-first productivity suite featuring thousands of web-based utilities for image editing, PDF work, and data formatting. This "Swiss Army knife" handles tasks like JSON validation, background removal, and file conversion without tracking. It is self-hostable and browser-based, providing a fast, all-in-one resource to streamline diverse digital workflows.
In Case You Missed It
🎁 We now have a dedicated page to list all events. We will be updating this page EVERY WEEK. We will of course be publishing new (and coming-soon) events in this section but for a comprehensive list of events, check the link(s) below:
This link is EXCLUSIVELY accessible by subscribers of Heap Heap Hurray!
The Ant Media AI Hackathon is an online competition where participants build new AI-powered real-time streaming applications or plugins using the Ant Media Server, focusing on generative AI for media, AR, speech-to-text, video effects, and immersive streaming tech. Winners earn USD 5,000, USD 3,000, and USD 2,000 prizes, totaling USD 10,000 in cash rewards and exposure on the Ant Media Marketplace. More details here.
Miscellaneous
Rethinking Pixel Perfect Design
In a world of fluid, multi-device design, the "Pixel Perfect" legacy concept is failing us. It's time to redefine perfection for the modern web.
Junior Developers In The Age Of AI
Demand for senior talent surges as junior engineers struggle to find work, despite overall industry growth, due to a misconception that AI can replace code writing, but not the complex systems that contain it.
Three Ways To Solve Problems
Gerald Weinberg defines a problem as the difference between things as perceived and desired. He says there are three ways to approach a problem: Move the world towards the desired state or change your perception of the current state. Deciding not to solve a problem can also be a solution.
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