Early Week Reads

  • Evolution of search engines architecture – Algolia New Search Architecture
  • Databricks Sets Official Data Warehousing Performance Record. Databricks SQL delivered 32,941,245 QphDS @ 100TB. This beats the previous world record held by Alibaba’s custom built system, which achieved 14,861,137 QphDS @ 100TB, by 2.2x. (Alibaba had an impressive system supporting the world’s largest e-commerce platform). Not only did Databricks SQL significantly beat the previous record, it did so by lowering the total cost of the system by 10% (based on published listed pricing without any discounts). (Databricks Blog)
  • Is Bitcoin Too Big to Fail? The hand-wringing has been at its fiercest over Bitcoin’s possible exposure to systemic risk, both existential and otherwise. Chief among those concerns is whether a crypto crash, taking place in what is effectively a parallel, decentralized financial universe, might spill over into the traditional financial system. The fact that so many exchanges and crypto intermediaries remain offshore and unregulated continues to fan fears. (Institutional Investor)
  • Why the Chip Shortage Hasn’t Been Fixed Yet. As with any complex supply-chain quagmire, there are a number of different factors that are building on one another, which means there isn’t one simple fix to the semiconductor shortage. Here’s a breakdown of what’s likely to making it so bad—and a clue to when you’ll finally be able to get your hands on a Nintendo Switch. (Slate)
  • Need a New Knee or Hip? A Robot May Help Install It. Today, Mr. Cohen says, models of a bone implant can be superimposed on a 3-D model of a patient’s joint. “This information is imported directly into the robot in the O.R.,” he said, which then “executes the procedure with a level of accuracy and precision that we have never seen.” ( NYT )
  • On the 100th Anniversary of ‘Robot,’ They’re Finally Taking Over. In a century-long dialogue between inventors of fictional and actual robots, engineers have for the most part been forced to play catch-up, either realizing or subverting the vision of robots first expounded in books, movies and television. Now, the reality of robots is in some areas running ahead of fiction, even ahead of what those who study robots for a living are able to keep track of. WSJ


Last Updated on November 9, 2021 by SK

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