Weekly #19-2025: Google’s AI Search, Redis Reborn, WhatsApp at 3B, Meta’s ChatGPT Rival, Astro 5.7 & More!

Madhu Sudhan Subedi Tech Weekly Google’s AI Mode: The Future of Search Is Here! Big news in the world of search - Google just dropped its brand-new AI Mode, and it’s about to change the way you find information online! No more waitlists, no more FOMO-if you’re in the US, you can try it right now, for free! So, what’s the buzz? Imagine searching for anything-vacation plans, the hottest restaurants, tech gadgets-and instead of sifting through endless links, you get instant, smart, conversational answers powered by Google’s latest AI. We’re talking real-time prices, reviews, ratings, and even local inventory, all wrapped up in easy-to-read cards. And the best part? You can ask follow-up questions, dig deeper, and pick up your search right where you left off. It’s like having a supercharged research assistant in your pocket! Google’s even testing a dedicated AI Mode tab for some users, so this is just the beginning. If you want to experience the future of search, head to Google Labs and flip on AI Mode today. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this-search is about to get a whole lot smarter, and you’ll want to be ahead of the curve! Link Redis Reborn: Open Source Unleashed and Faster Than Ever! Redis is back-truly open source, and bigger than ever! After years of licensing debates, Redis has officially returned to its open source roots under the AGPLv3 license. This isn’t just a legal change-it’s a massive win for developers, the community, and the future of real-time data. Why does this matter? Redis 8, the first version under the new license, just launched with game-changing features: up to 87% faster commands, double the throughput, and eight new data structures-including the brand-new Vector Sets, designed by Redis’ original creator. These aren’t just technical upgrades-they’re tools that will power the next generation of AI, real-time analytics, and lightning-fast apps. But the real story? Redis is once again a community-driven project, open for everyone to build, improve, and innovate. This move reaffirms Redis’ commitment to transparency, collaboration, and empowering developers worldwide. So if you care about open source, performance, and the future of data, now is the time to get involved. Redis is open, Redis is fast, and Redis is ready for what’s next. Link WhatsApp Hits 3 Billion: The Messaging Giant Shaping Our Connected World WhatsApp just made history-over 3 billion people now use it every month! That’s right, WhatsApp joins an elite club with Facebook as one of the only apps to ever reach this milestone. From its humble beginnings in 2009 to being acquired by Facebook for $19 billion, WhatsApp has grown into the world’s go-to messaging app, connecting friends, families, and businesses across the globe2. But it’s not just about messaging anymore. WhatsApp is now a key player in Meta’s AI revolution, with more users engaging with Meta AI on WhatsApp than anywhere else. Whether it’s chatting with AI for quick answers or connecting with businesses, WhatsApp is leading the way in smart, seamless communication. And for businesses, WhatsApp Business is booming-powering a big chunk of Meta’s $510 million in app revenue, and new AI tools are on the way to make customer service even smarter. So, if you’re one of the 3 billion, you’re not just part of a messaging app-you’re at the center of a global movement shaping the future of how we connect, chat, and do business! Link Meta has finally launched its ChatGPT competitor Meta just launched its boldest AI move yet: the Meta AI app, a standalone chatbot built on the powerful Llama 4 model and designed to take on ChatGPT head-to-head. This isn’t just another chatbot-Meta AI is hyper-personalized, connecting with your Facebook and Instagram accounts to deliver responses tailored to your interests and history. The app’s standout feature is the Discover feed, where you can see and share creative AI prompts and results with friends, adding a social twist to the AI experience. You can chat by text or voice, generate and edit images, and even carry conversations across devices, including Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses. Meta AI remembers your preferences, making each interaction smarter and more relevant over time. With this launch, Meta is signaling it’s all-in on AI, aiming to reach over a billion users and redefine how we interact online. If you want to experience the next wave of AI, the Meta AI app is ready for you to explore-completely free, for now. Link AI Replacing Engineers – Firsthand Stories? There is a thread on the Hacker News "Ask" tab titled “AI Replacing Engineers – Firsthand Stories?” where people are sharing real experiences and the hype from their companies about AI replacing humans. The discussion is buzzing with stories: some engineers say AI tools have made them 2-3 times more effective, helping them grok codebases and automate boilerplate work, while others warn th

May 11, 2025 - 02:12

Weekly #19-2025: Google’s AI Search, Redis Reborn, WhatsApp at 3B, Meta’s ChatGPT Rival, Astro 5.7 & More!

Google’s AI Mode: The Future of Search Is Here!

Big news in the world of search - Google just dropped its brand-new AI Mode, and it’s about to change the way you find information online! No more waitlists, no more FOMO-if you’re in the US, you can try it right now, for free!
So, what’s the buzz? Imagine searching for anything-vacation plans, the hottest restaurants, tech gadgets-and instead of sifting through endless links, you get instant, smart, conversational answers powered by Google’s latest AI. We’re talking real-time prices, reviews, ratings, and even local inventory, all wrapped up in easy-to-read cards. And the best part? You can ask follow-up questions, dig deeper, and pick up your search right where you left off. It’s like having a supercharged research assistant in your pocket!
Google’s even testing a dedicated AI Mode tab for some users, so this is just the beginning. If you want to experience the future of search, head to Google Labs and flip on AI Mode today. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this-search is about to get a whole lot smarter, and you’ll want to be ahead of the curve!

Link

Redis Reborn: Open Source Unleashed and Faster Than Ever!

Redis is back-truly open source, and bigger than ever! After years of licensing debates, Redis has officially returned to its open source roots under the AGPLv3 license. This isn’t just a legal change-it’s a massive win for developers, the community, and the future of real-time data.
Why does this matter? Redis 8, the first version under the new license, just launched with game-changing features: up to 87% faster commands, double the throughput, and eight new data structures-including the brand-new Vector Sets, designed by Redis’ original creator. These aren’t just technical upgrades-they’re tools that will power the next generation of AI, real-time analytics, and lightning-fast apps.
But the real story? Redis is once again a community-driven project, open for everyone to build, improve, and innovate. This move reaffirms Redis’ commitment to transparency, collaboration, and empowering developers worldwide.
So if you care about open source, performance, and the future of data, now is the time to get involved. Redis is open, Redis is fast, and Redis is ready for what’s next.

Link

WhatsApp Hits 3 Billion: The Messaging Giant Shaping Our Connected World

WhatsApp just made history-over 3 billion people now use it every month! That’s right, WhatsApp joins an elite club with Facebook as one of the only apps to ever reach this milestone. From its humble beginnings in 2009 to being acquired by Facebook for $19 billion, WhatsApp has grown into the world’s go-to messaging app, connecting friends, families, and businesses across the globe2.
But it’s not just about messaging anymore. WhatsApp is now a key player in Meta’s AI revolution, with more users engaging with Meta AI on WhatsApp than anywhere else. Whether it’s chatting with AI for quick answers or connecting with businesses, WhatsApp is leading the way in smart, seamless communication.
And for businesses, WhatsApp Business is booming-powering a big chunk of Meta’s $510 million in app revenue, and new AI tools are on the way to make customer service even smarter.
So, if you’re one of the 3 billion, you’re not just part of a messaging app-you’re at the center of a global movement shaping the future of how we connect, chat, and do business!

Link

Meta has finally launched its ChatGPT competitor

Meta just launched its boldest AI move yet: the Meta AI app, a standalone chatbot built on the powerful Llama 4 model and designed to take on ChatGPT head-to-head. This isn’t just another chatbot-Meta AI is hyper-personalized, connecting with your Facebook and Instagram accounts to deliver responses tailored to your interests and history.
The app’s standout feature is the Discover feed, where you can see and share creative AI prompts and results with friends, adding a social twist to the AI experience. You can chat by text or voice, generate and edit images, and even carry conversations across devices, including Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Meta AI remembers your preferences, making each interaction smarter and more relevant over time. With this launch, Meta is signaling it’s all-in on AI, aiming to reach over a billion users and redefine how we interact online. If you want to experience the next wave of AI, the Meta AI app is ready for you to explore-completely free, for now.

Link

AI Replacing Engineers – Firsthand Stories?

There is a thread on the Hacker News "Ask" tab titled “AI Replacing Engineers – Firsthand Stories?” where people are sharing real experiences and the hype from their companies about AI replacing humans. The discussion is buzzing with stories: some engineers say AI tools have made them 2-3 times more effective, helping them grok codebases and automate boilerplate work, while others warn that the real work-understanding problems, designing solutions, and integrating code-remains deeply human.
Many users point out that AI is great for prototyping, documentation, or simple coding tasks, but falls short for mission-critical systems or complex projects. The consensus? AI is shrinking teams, especially for junior roles-one dev said they no longer hire juniors because AI can handle that level of work. But senior engineers, who translate business needs into technical solutions, are still irreplaceable for now.
A sharp observation: the higher up you go in management, the more excitement there is about AI-and the less common sense and real understanding of how developers and large language models actually work. One user summed up the mood with this gut instinct: “There’s going to be an AI crash, much like in the late 90s or early 2000s. Too much hype, and then, after the crash, maybe we’ll start to see something a bit more sane and realistic.”
Bottom line: AI is making teams leaner and more productive, but the real engineering-the thinking, planning, and deep problem-solving-still needs humans at the helm.

Link

Astro 5.7: A Spring Surprise for Developers

Spring has sprung, and the Astro team has a basket full of treats for us in Astro 5.7! This release is packed with exciting new features that are sure to delight developers.
First up, the Experimental Fonts API is here, making it a breeze to use custom fonts on your Astro-powered websites. Say goodbye to the dreaded Flash of Unstyled Text and hello to seamless font integration. Next, the stable Sessions API is ready for prime time, allowing you to securely store user data without the hassle of cookies. And if that wasn't enough, Astro 5.7 also introduces native support for SVG components, making it easier than ever to incorporate those crisp, scalable graphics into your projects. Lastly, the new Config Imports feature gives you more control over your Astro configuration, empowering you to build custom utilities that adapt to your specific needs. With all these goodies and more, Astro 5.7 is sure to put a spring in the step of any web developer.

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