Greetings, tech enthusiasts!

As we dive into our 41st edition of Smile Innovation Watch, the omnipresent AI buzz is hard to sidestep. Yet, beyond this digital giant, lie vibrant innovations waiting to captivate our imagination. From Apple’s foray into 3D printing to celestial ambitions of data storage, this edition promises to take you on a journey through innovation that stretches beyond the typical AI narrative. So, buckle up and prepare to explore a broader horizon of technological advancements.

⏳ Reading time: 7 minutes

💡 Innovation

Apple Watch Ultra 2 to have 3D printed parts

According to recent reports, the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra 2 will feature 3D printed components. This move towards additive manufacturing is expected to improve the overall quality and durability of the smartwatch. The use of 3D printing technology will also allow for greater design flexibility and customization options.

Apple has not yet confirmed these reports, but the company has a history of utilizing innovative manufacturing techniques to improve their products. If true, the incorporation of 3D printed parts in the Apple Watch Ultra 2 would be a significant step forward for the wearable technology industry.

Banks serving as guinea pigs for USA Federal Reserve’s instant payments system

The Federal Reserve’s instant payments system is being tested by several banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup. The system, known as FedNow, will allow for real-time payments between banks and their customers, providing a faster and more efficient alternative to traditional payment methods.

The pilot program is expected to last for several months, with the goal of launching the system nationwide by 2023. The move is seen as a response to the growing popularity of digital payment platforms such as Venmo and PayPal, and is expected to benefit both consumers and businesses by reducing transaction times and increasing convenience.

Meta reportedly wants to license Magic Leap’s AR technology

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is reportedly in talks to license augmented reality (AR) technology from Magic Leap, a Florida-based AR company. The move would allow Meta to enhance its AR offerings and compete with rivals such as Apple and Google. Magic Leap’s technology uses a headset to project digital images onto the real world, creating an immersive AR experience.

The potential partnership between Meta and Magic Leap comes as the AR market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Meta has already invested heavily in AR, with its Oculus VR headset and AR glasses in development. By licensing Magic Leap’s technology, Meta could accelerate its AR development and offer users a more advanced AR experience.

🤪 Fun / WTF

Lawyer cites fake cases invented by ChatGPT, judge is not amused

A lawyer asked ChatGPT for examples of cases that supported an argument they were trying to make. ChatGPT, as it often does, hallucinated wildly—it invented several supporting cases out of thin air. When the lawyer was asked to provide copies of the cases in question, they turned to ChatGPT for help again—and it invented full details of those cases, which they duly screenshotted and copied into their legal filings. At some point, they asked ChatGPT to confirm that the cases were real… and ChatGPT said that they were. They included screenshots of this in another filing. The judge is furious. Many of the parties involved are about to have a very bad time.

Secret Invasion’s opening credits are made by AI. Here’s why

The upcoming Marvel series “Secret Invasion” is set to feature an AI-powered Motion Control Unit (MCU) in its opening credits. The AI technology, developed by the creative agency Perception, will be used to generate a dynamic and visually stunning sequence that reflects the themes and tone of the show. The AI system will analyze the show’s script and generate a series of animations that will be combined to create the final sequence.

The use of AI in the creation of the opening credits is a testament to the growing role of technology in the entertainment industry. By leveraging AI, creators can generate complex and visually stunning sequences that would be difficult or impossible to create manually. This development also highlights the importance of collaboration between creative professionals and technology experts in the pursuit of innovation and excellence in the entertainment industry.

Startup wants to build Data Centers on the Moon

A startup called Lonestar Data Holdings has managed to raise $5 million in funding. They want to use this money to create data centers on the Moon that can store information and process it using cloud computing technology. This will “help to reduce energy use and pollution that comes from data centers on Earth” by making it pollute our lovely satellite 🌝

🔓 Open source

Alibaba launches open-sourced A.I. model in challenge to Meta

Alibaba Group has announced that it will open up its large language model (LLM) called Tongyi Qianwen to third-party developers. The move is aimed at increasing the use of its product and taking a leading role in technology. The seven-billion-parameter model called Qwen-7B and a version designed for conversational apps, called Qwen-7B-Chat, will be open-sourced, allowing researchers, academics and companies globally to use the model to create their own generative AI apps without needing to train their own systems, saving time and expense. Companies with more than 100 million monthly active users will require a royalty-free license from Alibaba to do so.

This move could pit Alibaba against U.S. tech giant Meta, which has made a similar move, and pose a potential challenge to OpenAI, the firm behind viral AI chatbot ChatGPT. Alibaba is looking to boost its cloud computing division through investments in AI, targeting cloud computing as a critical future area for profitability and growth. Offering a good LLM for AI apps development is a potential competitive advantage for cloud computing players. Alibaba has already built its own apps using Tongyi Qianwen, and the distribution of its technology will help the company get more users for its AI model.

Daring Fireball: Not That Kind of ‘Open’

I always liked John Gruber, especially when he discuss some facts and things that are unfolding in front of us but we are, sometime, too amazed to take a step back and see the bigger picture.

The article “Not That Kind of Open” discusses the recent trend of companies claiming to be “open” while still maintaining control over their platforms. Gruber argues that true openness requires relinquishing control and allowing for third-party innovation.

Gruber cites examples such as Apple’s App Store and Google’s Android platform, both of which claim to be open but still maintain strict control over what apps can be distributed. He argues that true openness would allow for more innovation and competition, ultimately benefiting consumers. Gruber concludes by stating that companies should be honest about their level of openness and not use the term as a marketing ploy.

Continue, the open-source autopilot for software development

Continue is an open-source platform that enables developers to create and manage software projects with ease. It provides a simple and intuitive interface for project management, version control, and collaboration. With Continue, developers can easily track changes, collaborate with team members, and deploy their projects to various hosting platforms.

The platform is built on top of Git, a popular version control system, and offers a range of features such as issue tracking, pull requests, and code reviews. It also integrates with popular tools like Slack, JIRA, and Trello, making it easy for teams to work together seamlessly. Overall, Continue is a powerful tool for developers looking to streamline their workflow and improve collaboration on software projects.

That’s all folks

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