DeepSeek disrupts AI market

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Many people end up in an infinite loop when implementing Binary Search. This week, we are going to revise Binary Search.

Today we will cover:

• Binary Search

• REST vs gRPC

Read time: under 4 minutes

CODING CHALLENGE

Binary Search

Given an array of integers nums which is sorted in ascending order, and an integer target, write a function to search target in nums. If target exists, then return its index. Otherwise, return -1.

You must write an algorithm with O(log n) runtime complexity.

Example 1:

Input: nums = [-1,0,3,5,9,12], target = 9
Output: 4
Explanation: 9 exists in nums and its index is 4

Example 2:

Input: nums = [-1,0,3,5,9,12], target = 2
Output: -1
Explanation: 2 does not exist in nums so return -1

Solve the problem here before reading the solution.

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SOLUTION

Since the array is sorted, we can use binary search to find the target element efficiently. Binary search works by repeatedly dividing the search space in half.

We maintain two pointers, left and right, initially pointing to the start and end of the array. We find the middle element and compare it with the target. If the middle element is the target, we return its index. If the target is smaller, we search in the left half. If the target is larger, we search in the right half.

The time complexity of binary search is O(log n) as we divide the search space in half in each iteration.

SYSTEM DESIGN

REST vs gRPC

When building modern applications, choosing the right way for services to communicate is crucial. REST has been the go-to choice for years, but gRPC is gaining popularity. Let's see how they compare and when to use each one.

REST (Representational State Transfer) uses HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE to interact with resources. It typically transfers data in JSON format, which is human-readable and easy to debug. Most developers are familiar with REST because it's been around for a long time and is well-documented.

gRPC, developed by Google, takes a different approach. It uses Protocol Buffers (protobuf) instead of JSON to serialize data. Protobuf is a binary format, which means it's not human-readable. Protobuf is more efficient to transmit and process.

One of gRPC's biggest advantages is performance. The binary format makes it significantly faster than REST, especially when dealing with large amounts of data or frequent communications. gRPC also provides strong typing through its protocol buffer definitions, which helps catch errors early in development.

But gRPC also has some drawbacks. It requires more setup than REST and has a steeper learning curve. Debugging can be harder since the data isn't human-readable. Browser support is also limited, making REST a better choice for browser-based applications.

Here's a comparison of REST vs gRPC:

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NEWS

This Week in the Tech World

DeepSeek sparks tech sell-off: Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's $6M model outperforms OpenAI, triggering massive tech sell-off. Nvidia lost $600B in market value, marking the largest one-day loss in U.S. history.

OpenAI unveils Operator: OpenAI launched Operator, an AI agent that can autonomously browse websites, shop online, and book reservations. The tool will be available to ChatGPT Pro subscribers for $200/month, with plans for wider release.

Trump plans new tariffs: Trump's proposed tariffs could raise tech prices significantly - laptops by 45%, gaming consoles by 40%, and smartphones by 26%. The administration is expected to reveal specific details soon.

Meta's $60B AI investment: Zuckerberg announces $60-65B investment in AI infrastructure for 2025, including a massive data center. Meta aims to have 1.3M GPUs by year-end and plans for its AI assistant to serve 1B+ users.

Perplexity AI revises TikTok bid: Perplexity AI updates merger proposal for TikTok US, offering the U.S. government up to 50% stake post-IPO. The deal would create "NewCo," combining Perplexity with TikTok's U.S. operations.

DeepSeek disrupts AI market: Chinese AI startup DeepSeek temporarily limits new user registrations after cyberattack. The company's R1 model recently overtook ChatGPT as most-downloaded free app on Apple's App Store, triggering tech stock sell-off.

Meta monetizes Threads: Meta begins testing ads on Threads with select companies in U.S. and Japan. The Twitter rival now has 300M monthly users, with 75% following businesses. Meta aims to make ads "as interesting as organic content.“

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