DataTopics: All Things Data, AI & Tech

Yannick van der Capelle joins to discuss the evolution of AI, reflecting on 2024's shift from hype to practical tools like GenAI. He dives into the challenges of real-time data processing and the importance of human oversight in AI-driven tasks. The conversation covers ethical considerations, including compliance with the EU AI Act, as well as advancements in developer tools like Copilot. With insights on the role of lake houses in data engineering and predictions for 2025, this chat is packed with valuable tech explorations.

Send us a textWelcome to the cozy corner of the tech world where ones and zeros mingle with casual chit-chat. Datatopics Unplugged is your go-to spot for relaxed discussions around tech, news, data, and society.In this episode, we’re joined by a special guest: Alex Gallego, founder and CEO of Red Panda. Together, we dive deep into building data-intensive applications, the evolution of streaming technologies, and balancing high throughput and low latency demands. Key topics covered:What is Red Panda and why it matters: Red Panda’s mission to redefine data streaming while being the fastest Kafka-compatible option on the market.Batch vs. streaming data: An accessible guide to understanding the classic debate and how the tech landscape is shifting towards unified data frameworks.Scaling at speed: The challenges and innovations driving Red Panda’s performance optimizations, from zero-copy architecture to storage engines.AI, ML, and streaming data integration: How Red Panda empowers real-time machine learning and AI-powered workloads with ease.Open source vs. enterprise models: Navigating licensing challenges and balancing business goals in the hybrid cloud era.Leadership and career shifts: Alex’s reflections on moving from technical lead to CEO, blending engineering know-how with company vision.

Send us a textWelcome to the cozy corner of the tech world where ones and zeros mingle with casual chit-chat. Datatopics Unplugged is your go-to spot for relaxed discussions around tech, news, data, and society.Dive into conversations that should flow as smoothly as your morning coffee (but don’t), where industry insights meet laid-back banter. Whether you’re a data aficionado or just someone curious about the digital age, pull up a chair, relax, and let’s get into the heart of data, unplugged style!In this episode, we are joined by special guest Nico for a lively and wide-ranging tech chat. Grab your headphones and prepare for:Strava’s ‘Athlete Intelligence’ feature: A humorous dive into how workout apps are getting smarter—and a little sassier.Frontend frameworks: HTMX is a tough choice: A candid discussion on using React versus emerging alternatives like HTMX and when to keep things lightweight.Octoverse 2024 trends and language wars: Python takes the lead over JavaScript as the top GitHub language, and we dissect why Go, TypeScript, and Rust are getting love too.GenAI meets Minecraft: Imagine procedurally generated worlds and dreamlike coherence breaks—Minecraft-style. How GenAI could redefine gameplay narratives and NPC behavior.OpenAI’s O1 model leak: Insights on the recent leak, what’s new, and its implications for the future of AI.Tiger Beetle’s transactional databases and testing tales: Nico walks us through Tiger Style, deterministic simulation testing, and why it’s a game changer for distributed databases.Automated testing for LLMOps: A quick overview of automated testing for large language models and its role in modern AI workflows.DeepLearning.ai’s short courses: Quick, impactful learning to level up your AI skills.

Send us a textWelcome to the cozy corner of the tech world where ones and zeros mingle with casual chit-chat. Datatopics Unplugged  is your go-to spot for relaxed discussions around tech, news, data, and society.Dive into conversations that should flow as smoothly as your morning coffee (but don't), where industry insights meet laid-back banter. Whether you're a data aficionado or just someone curious about the digital age, pull up a chair, relax, and let's get into the heart of data, unplugged style!In this episode, we cover:ChatGPT Search: Exploring OpenAI's new web-browsing capability, and how it transforms everything from everyday searches to complex problem-solving.ChatGPT is a Good Rubber Duck: Discover how ChatGPT makes for an excellent companion for debugging and brainstorming, offering more than a few laughs along the way.What’s New in Python 3.13: From the new free-threaded mode to the just-in-time (JIT) compiler, we break down the major (and some lesser-known) changes, with additional context from this breakdown and Reddit insights.UV is Fast on its Feet: How the development of new tools impacts the Python packaging ecosystem, with a side discussion on Poetry and the complexities of Python lockfiles.Meta’s Llama Training Takes Center Stage: Meta ramps up its AI game, pouring vast resources into training the Llama model. We ponder the long-term impact and their ambitions in the AI space.OpenAI’s Swarm: A new experimental framework for multi-agent orchestration, enabling AI agents to collaborate and complete tasks—what it means for the future of AI interactions.PGrag for Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): We explore Neon's integration for building end-to-end RAG pipelines directly in Postgres, bridging vector databases, text embedding, and more.OSI’s Open Source AI License: The Open Source Initiative releases an AI-specific license to bring much-needed clarity and standards to open-source models.We also venture into generative AI, the future of AR (including Apple Vision and potential contact lenses), and a brief look at V0 by Vercel, a tool that auto-generates web components with AI prompts.

Send us a textWelcome to Datatopics Unplugged, where the tech world’s buzz meets laid-back banter. In each episode, we dive into the latest in AI, data science, and technology—perfect for your inner geek or curious mind. Pull up a seat, tune in, and join us for insights, laughs, and the occasional hot take on the digital world.In this episode, we are joined by Vitale to discuss: Meta’s video generation breakthrough: Explore Meta’s new “MovieGen” model family that generates hyper-realistic, 16-second video clips with reflections, consistent spatial details, and multi-frame coherence. Also discussed: Sora, a sneak peek at Meta’s open-source possibilities.For a look back, check out this classic AI-generated video of Will Smith eating spaghetti.Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 updates: Meet Claude 3.5 and its “computer use” feature, letting it navigate your screen for you.Easily fine-tune & train LLMs, faster with Unsloth: Discover tools that simplify model fine-tuning and deployment, making it easier for small-scale developers to harness AI’s power. Don’t miss Gerganov’s GitHub contributions in this space, too.Deno 2.0 release hype: With a splashy promo video, Deno’s JavaScript runtime enters the scene as a streamlined, secure alternative to Node.js.

Angelica Lo Duca, a renowned professor and author in data science, shares her journey from programming to teaching data storytelling. She explains the unique role of narrative in data analysis versus traditional reports. The conversation highlights her book on data storytelling with Altair and the impact of generative AI on the field. Angelica also discusses the DIKW pyramid, illustrating how to transform raw data into actionable insights. Listeners gain valuable tips on effective visualization and the necessity of adapting stories for diverse audiences.

Send us a textWelcome to the cozy corner of the tech world where ones and zeros mingle with casual chit-chat. Datatopics Unplugged is your go-to spot for relaxed discussions around tech, news, data, and society.Dive into conversations that flow as smoothly as your morning coffee, where industry insights meet laid-back banter. Whether you're a data aficionado or just someone curious about the digital age, pull up a chair, relax, and let's get into the heart of data, unplugged style!In today's episode:Remote work and hybrid challenges: Insights from the IMF on remote productivity, plus the challenges of work-life balance and Amazon’s office return with other companies' strategies for bringing employees back to the office.The fall of Zapata AI: A look at the shutdown of Zapata AI and the struggles in building successful quantum computing ventures.WTF Python: Exploring Python’s type hints, overloads, and those confusing "WTF" moments. Check out WTFPython.Data profiling tools: A dive into YData Profiling and Sweetviz for detailed data analysis.GifCities and personal websites: Reflecting on the fall of GifCities, the retro GIF hub, and discussing Murilo’s blog journey.Rust’s complexity debate: Discussing the blog post My Negative Views on Rust and whether Rust is too complex or simply misunderstood..io domain controversy: Examining the future of the .io domain as the British Indian Ocean Territory transfers sovereignty. Read more on Every.to and MIT Technology Review.Ducks or AI? A fun challenge to distinguish real ducks from AI-generated ones in the Duck Imposter Game.Adobe's AI video generator: A discussion on Adobe Firefly’s AI-powered video generator and its potential impact on content creation.

Send us a textWelcome to the cozy corner of the tech world where ones and zeros mingle with casual chit-chat. DataTopics Unplugged is your go-to spot for relaxed discussions around tech, news, data, and society.In this special one-year anniversary episode, we reminisce about our journey and dive into some intriguing tech stories:WordPress Governance Drama: We discuss recent issues with WordPress. Find out what’s behind the Automattic and WP Engine tension.Astral’s Business Model: Charlie Marsh shares insights into how Astral plans to balance open-source ideals with profitability.Deno 2.0 Release: Deno 2.0 claims to be a “Cargo for JavaScript.” Check out its new features and see how it compares to Node.js.OpenAI’s Soaring Valuation: OpenAI has hit a staggering $150 billion valuation after raising $6.5 billion in new funding.Adobe’s GenAI Policy: Adobe clarified their stance on GenAI, ensuring Firefly is only trained on stock images to support creators.Instructor Library for LLMs: Discover the Instructor library for turning unstructured data into structured outputs with ease.Repo2txt Tool: Convert your GitHub repo into a single text file using Repo2txt for easy analysis.Retro PC Fonts Galore: Explore a treasure trove of vintage fonts with the Ultimate Old-School PC Font Pack.Bop Spotter – Cultural Surveillance: Bop Spotter uses Shazam to capture the music trends and cultural vibes of San Francisco’s Mission District.

Send us a textWelcome to the cozy corner of the tech world where ones and zeros mingle with casual chit-chat. Datatopics Unplugged is your go-to spot for relaxed discussions around tech, news, data, and society.We dive into conversations smoother than your morning coffee (but let’s be honest, just as caffeinated) where industry insights meet light-hearted banter. Whether you’re a data wizard or just curious about the digital chaos around us, kick back and get ready to talk shop—unplugged style!In this episode:Farewell Pandas, Hello Future: Pandas is out, and Ibis is in. We're talking faster, smarter data processing—featuring the rise of DuckDB and the powerhouse that is Polars. Is this the end of an era for Pandas?UV vs. Rye: Forget pip—are these new Python package managers built in Rust the future? We break down UV, Rye, and what it all means for your next Python project.AI-Generated Podcasts: Is AI about to take over your favorite podcasts? We explore the potential of Google’s Notebook LM to transform content into audio gold.When AI Steals Your Voice: Jeff Geerling’s voice gets cloned by AI—without his consent. We dive into the wild world of voice cloning, the ethics, and the future of AI-generated media.Hacking AI with Prompt Injection: Could you outsmart AI? We share some wild strategies from the game Gandalf that challenge your prompt injection skills and teach you how to jailbreak even the toughest guardrails.Jony Ive’s New Gadget Rumor: Is Jony Ive plotting an Apple killer? Rumors are swirling about a new AI-powered handheld device that could shake up the smartphone market.Zero-Downtime Deployments with Kamal Proxy: No more downtime! We geek out over Kamal Proxy, the sleek HTTP tool designed for effortless Docker deployments.Function Calling and LLMs: Get ready for the next evolution in AI—function calling. We discuss its rise in LLMs and dive into the Gorilla project, the leaderboard testing the future of smart APIs.

Send us a textWelcome to the cozy corner of the tech world where ones and zeros mingle with casual chit-chat. DataTopics Unplugged is your go-to spot for laid-back banter about the latest in tech, AI, and coding.In this episode, Jonas joins us with fresh takes on AI smarts, sneaky coding tips, and a spicy CI debate:OpenAI's GPT-01 ("Strawberry"): The team explores OpenAI’s newest model, its advanced reasoning capabilities, and potential biases in benchmarksbased on training methods. For a deeper dive, check out the Awesome-LLM-Strawberry project.AI hits 120 IQ: Yep, AI is now officially smarter than most of us. With an IQ of 120, AI is now officially smarter than most humans. We discuss the implications for AI's future role in decision-making and society.Greppability FTW: Ever struggled to find that one line of code? Greppability is the secret weapon you didn’t know you needed. Bart introduces greppability—a key metric for how easy it is to find code in large projects, and why it matters more than you think.Pre-commit hooks: Yay or nay? Is pre-commit the best tool for Continuous Integration, or are there better ways to streamline code quality checks? The team dives into the pros and cons and shares their own experiences.