Exploring what’s happening with Javascript and the new Microsoft releases

by Mikko

In October we saw a lot of releases from Microsoft, as well as from the Javascript scene. Here are our monthly picks from the technology blogosphere.

Is AI Riding a One-Trick Pony? - James Somers on MIT Technology Review

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608911/is-ai-riding-a-one-trick-pony/amp/

Artificial Intelligence is definitely a hot topic now. One of the tracks at this year’s ScotSoft was entirely dedicated to AI, which is why we picked this MIT article for our October roundup. Going deep into the history of deep learning, it points out that “the latest sweep of progress in AI has been less science than engineering”.

The whole web at maximum FPS: How WebRender gets rid of jank - Lin Clark on Mozilla Hacks

https://hacks.mozilla.org/2017/10/the-whole-web-at-maximum-fps-how-webrender-gets-rid-of-jank/

A very good explanation of how web browsers render pages, and what’s next in the shape of Firefox’s upcoming WebRender technology.

Your API versioning is wrong, which is why I decided to do it 3 different wrong ways - Troy Hunt

https://www.troyhunt.com/your-api-versioning-is-wrong-which-is/

When designing public APIs, versioning will always become an issue at some point. Troy Hunt explains how different ways of versioning all have their drawbacks.

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update: Lots of small changes-and maybe the revolution - Peter Bright on Ars Technica

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/10/windows-10-fall-creators-update-lots-of-small-changes-and-maybe-the-revolution/

The latest Windows 10 update highlights Microsoft’s commitment to Virtual and Augmented Reality, and showcases the new Semi-Annual Channel release cycle of Windows. The update also includes the latest .Net Framework 4.7.1 release.

GW170817 - The first observation of gravitational-waves from a binary neutron star inspiral - LIGO Scientific Collaboration

https://www.ligo.org/detections/GW170817.php

This one’s outside our usual software articles, but nevertheless really exciting. The announcement showcases the technological advancements happening at the cutting edge of science. You can check the narrated animation that explains the event, or dig right into the publication.